Huskers hand Sooners worst defeat ever
There was a different feel as Nebraska and Oklahoma met in 1996. For the first time, the longtime rivals were meeting as members of the Big 12 Conference and the traditional post-Thanksgiving matchup was played just two days after Halloween.
However, one constant remained from recent contests in the Husker-Sooner series — Nebraska domination. After a scoreless first quarter, the Huskers put up 45 points in the second and third quarters on their way to a 73-21 rout in Norman. Nebraska converted five Sooner turnovers into 31 points.
The game marked Nebraska’s sixth straight win in the series, matching the longest Husker victory streak against Oklahoma. The 73 points were the most ever scored against Oklahoma and the most by either team in the storied series. The 52-point margin of victory was also the largest by either team in series history.
At the start, it appeared Oklahoma would make a run at upsetting the heavily favored Huskers, but Nebraska blew the game wide open. The Huskers punted on their first six possessions but took a 17-0 lead into the locker room and put the game on ice early in the third quarter when freshman cornerback Ralph Brown returned a Sooner pass 83 yards for a touchdown to give NU a 24-0 lead.
NU opened up a 52-0 lead early in the fourth quarter before both teams substituted freely.
On offense, Scott Frost passed for 163 yards and three touchdowns to lead NU, while the Blackshirt defense was led by tackle Jason Peter, who had eight tackles, including a sack on OU’s first play from scrimmage.
Recap source: 1997 media guide
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