Nebraska and Oklahoma were in the same conference from 1921 to 2010, spanning the Missouri Valley, Big Six, Big Seven, Big Eight and Big 12 Conferences. The Huskers and Sooners met for 71 consecutive seasons from 1927 to 1997, and squared off most recently in the 2010 Big 12 Championship Game.
Saturday’s matchup will be the 87th all-time meeting between the schools.
Nebraska is 2-1 following a solid 28-3 win over Buffalo. The Blackshirt defense controlled the game for a second straight week, holding the Bulls scoreless in the first half and allowing just a field goal. It marked the second straight week Nebraska’s defense has allowed fewer than 10 points. In turn, the Husker offense finished with better than 500 yards, featuring a balanced attack for the second straight game.
Oklahoma comes into Saturday’s game with a 2-0 record, following a 76-0 victory over Western Carolina on Saturday night in Norman. The Sooners are ranked No. 3 in both the the Associated Press Poll and USA Today Coaches Poll. Coach Lincoln Riley’s team has won the past four Big 12 titles, with Riley compiling a 47-8 record with the Sooners.
Oklahoma is averaging 527.0 yards of total offense per game, behind quarterback Spencer Rattler who has completed 77 percent of his passes with six touchdowns. The Sooner defense has limited opponents to 287.0 yards per game.
Date/Time: September 18, 2021 at 11:00 am CDT
Location: OU’s Gaylord Family/Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, OK.
Surface: Grass
Opposition Blog: Check out Crimson and Cream Machine for everything Oklahoma.
Series Record: OU leads the all-time series 45-38-3
TV: The game will be televised on Fox (Big Noon Kickoff y’all!!) with play by play with Gus Johnson, analyst Joel Klatt and Jenny TaftIt on the sidelines. It can be streamed on Fox Sports app with a login from your service provider.
Radio: Huskers sports radio network. The audio can also be streamed live for free at huskers.com The crew will be: Greg Sharpe, Matt Davison, and Bredan Stai.
More streaming options: The official Huskers app is available on iTunes and Google Play. The audio of Husker games is no longer available on TuneIn.
Weather: At kickoff, the temperature will be 81 degrees and sunny. There will be a slight wind from the ENE at 9 mph. The temperature will be approaching 90 degrees by the end of the game.
Odds: Oklahoma is favored by approximately a gazillion points; 22.5 to be exact.
Trivia
As part of Saturday’s game in Norman, the 50th anniversary of the “Game of the Century” will be recognized. No. 1 Nebraska defeated second-ranked Oklahoma, 35-31, on Nov. 25, 1971, en route to its second straight national championship.
Nebraska and Oklahoma have combined for 96 conference championships in their history. Oklahoma (50) and Nebraska (46) rank first and second nationally in conference titles.
5 Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez became the fifth player in Big Ten history to record 6,000 passing yards and 2,000 rushing yards. Martinez joins Taylor Martinez (Nebraska), Antwaan Randle El (Indiana), Denard Robinson (Michigan) and JT Barrett (Ohio State).
Quotables
Nebraska head coach Scott Frost discussed the focus and plan of attack ahead of Saturday’s game against Oklahoma.
“We have a lot to gain and very little to lose in this game, so I just want our guys to play stress-free, not worry about anything and just go attack,” Frost said. “I think attack is the key word. We have to run at things as fast as we can and go get after them. See where we land.”
Frost discussed the focus of the defense this week.
“We have to be physical,” he said. “These guys are one of the best in the country on offense. One of the best in the country at creating big plays. We have to try and limit big plays.”
He was asked about Oklahoma’s quarterback Spencer Rattler.
“He is a gunslinger,” Frost said. “He is fun to watch. He has a lot of good guys to throw to. I think we have to give our quarterback time. We have to mix it up real well. They have a great team so we are fighting enough of a battle for what they are putting on the field. But our kids are excited. They are excited to go down and test themselves against this team.”
Frost also discussed the energy surrounding the game.
“Good thing about these games is you are trying to keep yourself calm,” he said. “Not trying to get yourself up. And that is a lot easier. I think the energy will take care of itself on Saturday.”
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