The Game of the Century: Nebraska vs. Oklahoma in College Football's Ultimate BattleThe acclaimed author of Duel in the Sun, hailed as "a perfect golf time machine" by USA Today, takes readers into the bleachers and onto the playing field for an inside look at the legendary face-off between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. On Thanksgiving Day 1971, a record fifty-five million homes tuned in to watch two powerhouse college football teams collide. Defending national champion University of Nebraska was squaring off against the country's second-ranked team, the Oklahoma Sooners. The Huskers were riding a twenty-nine-game unbeaten streak; the Sooners had the number one offense in the country. Both teams were loaded with All-Americans and future NFL stars. The legend of the game that became known as the single finest ever played actually began a few years earlier in Texas, when coach Emory Bellard came up with an innovative plan of attack that would level defenses and give coaches sleepless nights for the next twenty years. The Texas wishbone offense became the talk of sporting America, and when Oklahoma coach Chuck Fairbanks adopted it for his team in 1970, the groundwork was laid for the epic confrontation with Nebraska. Combining a meticulously researched history of college football with in-depth interviews, author Michael Corcoran tells it all: the play-by-play strategies and techniques, the personalities of the players and coaches who conceived the plans and executed them, the formations and intricate blocking schemes that spelled victory or defeat. Highlights include: Heisman winner Johnny Rodgers's storied punt return, Rich Glover's incomparable twenty-two tackles, Oklahoma's furious comebacks each time they trailed in the game, and the poignant memories of the game after it was over. Nebraska radio play-by-play man Lyell Bremser echoed the nation when he proclaimed, "I never thought I would live this long to see this kind of a football game." Filled with vivid details and nail-biting suspense, this book takes us behind the scenes and into the rich history of this practically mythical battle. From the roots of both football teams, to the players, coaches, reporters, spectators, and fans, The Game of the Century is a story that will resonate with football fans all across America. |
From inside the book
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Page 2
... scored 277 points. On October 30, Nebraska would face its most difficult game up to that point when it squared off against old rival the University of Colorado, ranked ninth in the country, in the nationally televised game of the week ...
... scored 277 points. On October 30, Nebraska would face its most difficult game up to that point when it squared off against old rival the University of Colorado, ranked ninth in the country, in the nationally televised game of the week ...
Page 5
... scored touchdowns on its first ten possessions . The eleventh possession resulted in a lost fumble , and the twelfth in yet another touchdown . The final score was 75-28 . When Sooner star running back Greg Pruitt left the field near ...
... scored touchdowns on its first ten possessions . The eleventh possession resulted in a lost fumble , and the twelfth in yet another touchdown . The final score was 75-28 . When Sooner star running back Greg Pruitt left the field near ...
Page 9
... scored by George Flippin, a student who was among the first few blacks to play sports at any white university ... score a single point. The winning streak also laid the foundation for thirty-three consecutive home wins through the ...
... scored by George Flippin, a student who was among the first few blacks to play sports at any white university ... score a single point. The winning streak also laid the foundation for thirty-three consecutive home wins through the ...
Page 11
... scored two touchdowns and the Huskers defeated mighty Notre Dame 20-19 . Word went east along the wires to the big cities , and the New York Times described Nebraska as a team that had " come of age ” and “ must be ranked with the major ...
... scored two touchdowns and the Huskers defeated mighty Notre Dame 20-19 . Word went east along the wires to the big cities , and the New York Times described Nebraska as a team that had " come of age ” and “ must be ranked with the major ...
Page 30
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The Game of the Century: Nebraska Vs. Oklahoma in College Football's ... Michael Corcoran Limited preview - 2005 |
The Game of the Century: Nebraska vs. Oklahoma in College Football's ... Michael Corcoran Limited preview - 2007 |
Common terms and phrases
assistant coach athletes Barry Switzer beat Bellard Bill Kosch block Bob Devaney Brahaney called Chuck Fairbanks Coach Devaney college football Colorado cornerback Cornhuskers Dame Darrell Royal Dean Unruh defense Devaney's end zone Epley football players football team fullback Galen Hall Greg Pruitt head coach high school homa Huskers Jack Mildren Jeff Kinney Jerry Tagge Jim Anderson Joe Blahak Joe Wylie Johnny Rodgers Jon Harrison Kansas knew Larry Jacobson later Leon Crosswhite LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR linebacker lineman looked Lucious Selmon Mackenzie Michigan Monte Kiffin national champions national championship Nebraska never night Norman Okla Omaha option Orange Bowl Osborne Owen Field pass pitch poll practice quarterback recruited Rich Glover running back score scrimmage season Selmon sidelines Steve tackle talk Texas thing thought tight end Tom Brahaney took touchdown University varsity wanted watched week Wilkinson wishbone yards