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Topic: OU-Nebraska: The Birth of Sooner Magic
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CWSooner · « **Reply #14 on:** September 15, 2021, 09:56:23 PM »

Tulsa World
Rich Glover returns to Norman to savor his Game of the Century masterpiece
Guerin Emig Sep 14, 2021

Rich Glover is returning. An 800-mile drive from his home in Snellville, Georgia, to Owen Field in Norman.

If that sounds like a long way to come for a football game, in this case Saturday’s tussle between Oklahoma vs. Nebraska, this is more about 50 years of history than three hours in the present.

“I want to see how it is going back into the snake pit,” Glover says, “and renewing it in my mind.”

Masterpieces should be savored. Glover presented his Thanksgiving Day 1971, when he grabbed hold of the “Game of the Century” and didn’t unclench until his Huskers had triumphed.

The archives claim Glover made 22 tackles from his nose guard position. Nope. That isn’t right. That isn’t enough. Just watch the game on YouTube.

No, just watch Glover.

Speed through Jeff Kinney’s 174 yards and four touchdowns and Johnny Rodgers’ famous/infamous punt return. Rewind to OU’s possessions, to the Sooners’ acclaimed wishbone combination of Jack Mildren, Greg Pruitt, Leon Crosswhite and Joe Wylie.

Watch Glover and you will see all of those Sooners, because all of them run smack into him. Then they go straight down. It is astonishing.

First play, down goes Crosswhite, the wishbone fullback.

Second series, down goes Pruitt with a pop so violent that ABC color commentator Bud Wilkinson goes: “Ooooo.”

Third series, down goes Wylie despite a double team from Tom Brahaney, OU’s All-American center, and guard Ken Jones.

Fourth series, down goes Pruitt again and there goes the ball, the result of Glover’s paw poking at it for one of OU’s three fumbles.

Barry Switzer, then OU’s 34-year-old offensive coordinator, still laments those fumbles.

“The game came down to those damn turnovers,” he says. “And we should have had Pruitt make something happen.”

I don’t believe Glover felt like allowing anything to happen. Or anyone.

He plugged the middle and erased OU’s fullbacks — his prime directive from Nebraska defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin — then started scraping off Brahaney, Jones and guard Darryl Emmert and running wide to hunt Mildren, the option-keeping quarterback.

“Glover wasn’t a massive guy,” Switzer says. “He was a runner. So quick. A great player. He had a hell of a game. He had to.”

The stakes dictated as much.

“Look what we were playing for,” Glover says. “The Big Eight championship, the Orange Bowl, the national championship, the best players in college football, Heisman guys, Lombardi guys... Things like that were all involved in that game.”

It became personal.

“As we were coming out to warm up before the game, they decided to run across us to go back into their locker room,” Glover recalls of OU antics. “Instead of waiting for us to come out, they bombarded us. ‘Wait a minute. They just disrespected us.’

“I had to take a picture with Tom Brahaney on the field before the game, a head shot. I just told him, ‘You don’t know what you’re in for today. I’m fired up.’”

Whatever the motivation, the finished product was defensive art. Seriously, watch the replay.

Last series of the second quarter, out goes the ball. Another OU fumble, this one by reserve fullback Tim Welch. Glover recovers.

Second play of the third quarter, down goes Crosswhite. Again.

Second series of the third quarter, down goes Mildren, again, despite Pruitt’s cut-blocking effort.

“I don’t recall ever seeing a middle guard that so dominates an offensive team as Glover,” Wilkinson marvels.

On and on it goes, right through OU’s final play. Mildren drops back to his 7-yard line. Glover rushes angrily.

“The ball is knocked down by guess who,” play-by-play man Chris Schenkel narrates.

“We just knew we had to win that game,” Glover says. “It was a big one for coach (Bob) Devaney. It was a big game for all of us.”

Fifty years later, a few days before he hits that 800-mile road, Glover looks forward to reliving it this weekend.

He sees Brahaney and Switzer at College Football Hall of Fame functions, says he is friendly with both. He anticipates seeing them and other dignitaries invited to Norman for the anniversary celebration.

The stories should be fun. Maybe the game will be close. He hopes so.

“I still bleed Big Red,” Glover says.

At any rate, this is more about the past than the present. This is about appreciating excellence. Kinney, Mildren, Rodgers, Pruitt, Jerry Tagge, Jon Harrison. No. 1 vs. No. 2. A treasured piece of college football history.

Glover knew it the day it went down.

“This is the most exciting game I’ve ever played in,” he told ABC-TV on the field postgame.

He savors it still.

“I go back and look at the game film. Oh yeah, man, I look at that game and I get goosebumps,” he says. “I’m like, ‘Wow.’”

Masterpieces do awe us. The Sooners and Huskers played in one 50 years ago.

Rich Glover, he played one.

CWSooner · « **Reply #15 on:** September 15, 2021, 10:01:06 PM »

This is from a Nebraska football history website that seems not to have been updated since 2009.

Reasons the 1971 Nebraska Oklahoma game was the Game of the Century

Nebraska was the defending AP National Champion and ranked #1 with the first regular season poll, OU was #10 and by Oct. 11th, the Sooners were #2, so there was a long build up for the game featuring the # 1 & 2 teams in the country.
Nebraska had one of the top defenses in the country, giving up a total of 64 points in 10 games prior to the OU game, and only 70 yards per game rushing. Oklahoma had one of the best offenses, leading the nation in total and scoring offense and in rushing with over 430 yards per game on the ground.
The lead in the game changed 5 times, with the winning points scored with 1:38 left in the game. Even then OU barely missed on a long pass that would have probably won the game.
Tom Osborne and Barry Switzer were the teams offensive coordinators.
Nebraska had 4 concensus first team All Americans , Oklahoma had 2. With several others on both teams named 1st, 2nd, or 3rd by various selectors.
17 of the 22 first team All Big 8 players were in the game. Both teams had several other players named to 2nd, 3rd teams by various selctors. Almost every staring player from both teams.
The top 3 vote getters for the Heisman Trophy from the next season played in the game - Johnny Rodgers, Greg Pruitt, Rich Glover. There were also 2 Lombardi award winners and an Outland winner - Larry Jacobsxen (Lombardi 1971) and RIch Glover (both 1972)
Both 1971 Nebraska and 1971 Oklahoma are still ranked as 2 of the best teams of all time by various selectors.
https://sites.google.com/site/nebraskafootballhistory/nu-oklahoma-1

utee94 · « **Reply #16 on:** September 16, 2021, 09:45:31 AM »

So, are the Huskers going to be able to rustle up some magic of their own, to make this game competitive?

I watched the Sooner-Tulsa game, and to me the score looked a little closer than the game. If the Sooners can get back to at least mid-season form from last year, they should win this one by a hefty margin. Maybe something like 35-14.

FearlessF · « **Reply #17 on:** September 16, 2021, 10:28:19 AM »

I, of course, would like to see the Husker rustle up a little something for at least a half. I'm doubtful

the Sooners would need to play poorly and help keep it close IMO

I'm guessing 28 point difference in the end

FearlessF · « **Reply #18 on:** September 16, 2021, 10:33:14 AM »

Quote from: CWSooner on September 15, 2021, 09:28:59 PM

Do you also like a shuttle pass?

I like a good fumblerooski

longhorn320 · « **Reply #19 on:** September 16, 2021, 10:52:03 AM »

Nebraska is going to have to play like Tulane did and Im not sure the husker players will be that inspired

This game should be over by half time

utee94 · « **Reply #20 on:** September 16, 2021, 10:53:29 AM »

My i s c & a aggie wife likes the flea-flicker.

I think it's mostly just because she likes the name.

MikeDeTiger · « **Reply #21 on:** September 16, 2021, 11:12:56 AM »

Quote from: CWSooner on September 15, 2021, 09:28:59 PM

Do you also like a shuttle pass?

Guess it depends on where the shuttle is going.

MikeDeTiger · « **Reply #22 on:** September 16, 2021, 11:23:37 AM »

Quote from: utee94 on September 16, 2021, 10:53:29 AM

My i s c & a aggie wife likes the flea-flicker.

I think it's mostly just because she likes the name.

Mrs. DeLonghorn has a favorite penalty, hands to the face.

Your guess is as good as mine. She says she thinks it has a funny cadence when the refs call it, and it makes her giggle every time.

CWSooner · « **Reply #23 on:** September 16, 2021, 02:07:29 PM »

Quote from: utee94 on September 16, 2021, 09:45:31 AM

So, are the Huskers going to be able to rustle up some magic of their own, to make this game competitive?

I watched the Sooner-Tulsa game, and to me the score looked a little closer than the game. If the Sooners can get back to at least mid-season form from last year, they should win this one by a hefty margin. Maybe something like 35-14.

I'm assuming that you meant the Tulane game. I think you're right about the score being a little closer than the game was. But the Sooner offense went dead in the 2nd half. Even a few first downs, without drives ending in scores, would have left Tulane without enough time to make it as close as it was.
Lincoln Riley sometimes seems to forget about the run other than in the context of using it to set up the pass. We didn't run either enough or effectively enough in the 2nd half of that game.
I don't know what can be learned from seeing OU thrash a bad FCS team. So I'm not firmly convinced that OU will dominate the Huskers. The Sooners should win. They could win by 30+ points. But they could also get shredded by Adrian Martinez' scrambles, and play a brain-dead half on offense, in which case the game could be in doubt.
I think Nebraska has to be thinking about keeping it close going into the 4th quarter. The longer the underdog can stay in the game, the stronger he gets, and the weaker the favorite team gets. So, for the Huskers, keep it close and try to pop a big play late in the game to pull out the win. They should know about this--it's what OU did a few times to beat superior Tom Osborne-coached Husker teams who were leading late.

CWSooner · « **Reply #24 on:** September 16, 2021, 02:08:48 PM »

Quote from: MikeDeTiger on September 16, 2021, 11:12:56 AM

Guess it depends on where the shuttle is going.

Or, more correctly, the shovel.

FearlessF · « **Reply #25 on:** September 16, 2021, 02:21:45 PM »

Quote from: CWSooner on September 16, 2021, 02:07:29 PM

I think Nebraska has to be thinking about keeping it close going into the 4th quarter. The longer the underdog can stay in the game, the stronger he gets, and the weaker the favorite team gets. So, for the Huskers, keep it close and try to pop a big play late in the game to pull out the win. They should know about this--it's what OU did a few times to beat superior Tom Osborne-coached Husker teams who were leading late.

yup, and I think the Husker players and coaches are plenty motivated
motivation alone doesn't seem to limit their bonehead mistakes in all 3 phases of the game, unfortunately

FearlessF · « **Reply #26 on:** September 16, 2021, 02:23:47 PM »

CW,

Will you be in town for the game?

or any other Sooners that might want to get together for a beer or whatever?

No promises, my Sooner host has a client he needs to entertain and this Sooner is my meal ticket, game ticket, and round buyer, so I will be following his lead.

FearlessF · « **Reply #27 on:** September 16, 2021, 02:47:38 PM »

CWSooner,

Got your PM. Sorry you won't be enjoying the heat with me this weekend.

Enjoy the game

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Topic: OU-Nebraska: The Birth of Sooner Magic

CWSooner

Re: OU-Nebraska: The Birth of Sooner Magic

CWSooner

Re: OU-Nebraska: The Birth of Sooner Magic

utee94

Re: OU-Nebraska: The Birth of Sooner Magic

FearlessF

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FearlessF

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longhorn320

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utee94

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MikeDeTiger

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MikeDeTiger

Re: OU-Nebraska: The Birth of Sooner Magic

CWSooner

Re: OU-Nebraska: The Birth of Sooner Magic

CWSooner

Re: OU-Nebraska: The Birth of Sooner Magic

FearlessF

Re: OU-Nebraska: The Birth of Sooner Magic

FearlessF

Re: OU-Nebraska: The Birth of Sooner Magic

FearlessF

Re: OU-Nebraska: The Birth of Sooner Magic