First Quarter
OSU: Larry Roach 40 field goal, 11:45
Fourth Quarter
NEB: Dale Klein 36 field goal, 13:05
NEB: Shane Swanson 49 punt return (Klein kick) 8:51
NEB: Jason Gamble 64 pass from Travis Turner (Klein kick) 1:49
OSUNEB
First downs ............ 13 14
Rushing ............... 4 9
Passing ............... 9 5
Penalty ............... 0 0
Rushes-yards ........ 42-82 56-205
Passing yards ......... 242 147
Comp-Att-Int .... 14-28-1 9-17-3
Total offense ...... 70-324 73-352
Return yards ........... 49 47
Sacks by ............. 3-21 2-19
Punts ............. 10-39.0 8-43.5
Fumbles-lost .......... 2-2 0-0
Penalties-yards ...... 5-45 4-20
Possession time ..... 27:13 32:47
Third-down conv. ..... 5/17 6/18
INDIVIDUAL LEADERSRushing
OSU: Charles Crawford 20-61, Shawn Jones 7-18, Thurman Thomas 6-12.
NEB: Doug DuBose 30-157, Jeff Smith 6-19, Tom Rathman 6-17, Swanson 1-13.
Passing
OSU: Rusty Hilger 14-28-1-242.
NEB: Turner 5-10-0-100, Craig Sundberg 4-7-3-47.
Receiving
OSU: Malcolm Lewis 6-96, Thomas 2-34, Terry Werner 2-32.
NEB: DuBose 3-30, Swanson 2-17, Gamble 1-64.
Missed field goals: OSU, Roach 42.
SCORING SUMMARY & MORE STATSAttendance: 76,368
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Danny Noonan makes life difficult for OSU quarterback Rusty Hilger. | Courtesy of Nebraska Athletics
Swanson’s punt return breaks deadlock
For the first time ever, Oklahoma State (4-0) came into the Nebraska game with a better record than the Huskers (3-1). And for three quarters it looked like OSU might win for the first time in 23 years.
The ninth-ranked Cowboys carried a 3-0 lead into the final period before No. 8 Nebraska finally tied the game with a Dale Klein field goal with 13:05 left. A few minutes later, the Huskers downed a Scott Livingston punt at the OSU 5 and forced the Cowboys to punt on fourth-and-inches. Senior wingback Shane Swanson fielded the ball at the OSU 49 took it back for an electrifying touchdown to get the Huskers over the hump and on their way to a hard-fought 17-3 win.
The Huskers sealed the victory in the final two minutes when quarterback Travis Turner connected with Jason Gamble on third-and-10 from the Nebraska 36. The freshman split end caught the ball at the NU 47, shook off a defensive back’s hit and took it all the way to the end zone.
NOTES: Coming into the game, Nebraska ranked first nationally and OSU fifth in total defense. … The teams punted a combined 18 times and committed three turnovers apiece. … The Huskers were shut out in the first half of a game for the first time in three years.