1978 Nebraska vs Oklahoma with Radio Audio

Key plays of the 1978 Nebraska vs Oklahoma game with the audio of "Mr. Football", Lyell Bremser. Tom Osborne's 1st win over the Sooners!

[@timothymbess]

As a die-hard Husker, I will sorely miss playing Oklahoma. Truly THE best rivalry in college football. Every Sooner fan I've met has always treated me with respect, and I've always admired the legacy that these two programs share. Plus, we both hate Texas.

[@jalk99]

Man I miss this game. So much respect for OU. In my mind one of the greatest college football rivalries. GBR

[@leemontgomery7914]

That 1978 game...man, I remember watching it on tv. That one OU loss hurt and I had to learn to swallow my pride. Really good game. Hard hitting.

[@gregdavis19]

I still have that copy of sports illustrated. I was a sophomore in high school and I went to the next week’s game against Missouri, James Wilder just ran all over us. Leaving the stadium it was almost quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

[@smwest95]

When they pulled up the old turf to replace it with the field turf, they found phelps' soul under it. Nebraska fans, showing their true class and sportsmanship, held a service so he could be reunited with his family and maker.

[@traviskrause8509]

Yes that Oklahoma nebraska game was the best rivalry in college football!!! I remember watching this game I was beside myself that we finally beat Oklahoma with osborne!!!

[@HuskerTapesDotCom]

As a Husker Fan, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979 & 1980 were nightmares.:) Much like the old Lakers and Celtics...as the years go by, Sooners and Huskers, share a mutual respect.

[@kituwahband]

Ruuuuuuuuuuuuud....GBR!! A Husker in Sooner country, I miss this rivalry. The best in college football, but there was always respect between the two teams; the greats Tom O and Switzer always had great games.

[@JanLarson]

I was at this game and it remains the best game that I've ever witnessed from the stands. John Ruud's hit on Kelly Phelps was the hardest hit I believe I've ever seen (although it would undoubtedly be penalized by today's rules) and the official's call that Phelps was down was undoubtedly one of the worst calls in college football history.

[@VancouverChokers]

Even Frank Broyles who was a Husker Hater in the broadcast booth, was doing this game and he said it was a fumble too. Referring to the Kelly Phelps hit.

[@Larryzelreh]

If I recall correctly, the official ruling wasn't that Phelps was down - rather, it was that his forward progress had stopped. Which is still stupid. Agreed, one of the worst calls in college football history. The hit itself may or may not have been called a penalty under today's rules. Ruud lowered his head, yes, but the actual hit was with his right shoulder. Perfectly legal, but sometimes refs mis-call vicious hits because they happen so fast. If the point of collision had been Ruud's head, he might have been laid out colder than Phelps. As it were, Ruud got right up without a problem.

[@huskerhammer6325]

Jan Larson outside of that horribale call at Penn St. 4 years later.

+Larryzelreh that was an absolutely disgusting call by the officials. That was Nebraska's ball, PERIOD!

[@scorcherfan]

+Jan Larson the call probably would be penalized today, but it was a clean hit. Led with his shoulder and not his helmet. Plus, the officials didn't have instant replay then. But good lord, what a hit!!!

[@Brutis94]

FANTASTIC! Great video quality. Thanks for posting.

[@mgcglock]

What a classic! Plz post more. THank You

[@RedGrendel]

daaaayyyuuummm...that sooner got LIT THE FUCK UP!!! at 1:40 GBR

[@slshusker]

The Kelly Phelps fumble that was ruled Down was when i realised sports were fixed.

[@remc11rm]

You got a point there. But maybe it was compensation for the way Phelps got destroyed

[@slshusker]

@Out of Control , You can't control every play. I remember the 1994 FSU Nebraska Orange Bowl where a clip call was tossed at Nebraska, negating a TD punt return. The announcers even called it garbage. The next season, the NCAA started announcing player uniform numbers on penalties.

[@jrg2010]

You can clearly see the Oklahoma player step near the boundary when he fields the ball. That’s why the fumble recovery was negated. There was no “fix” against Nebraska you halfwit

[@jrg2010]

@@slshuskerthat punt return was called correctly in the game. There was a clip called on Tyrone Williams early in the return. The officials did a poor job of communicating it and the TV broadcasters dropped the ball on identifying the player to the audience

[@slshusker]

@@jrg2010 , Yeah, anyway, ma'am, you are not the source of knowledge and facts. Your opinion is what we all paid for. You tried . What is your next, misdirection?

[@traderpro4252]

The hit!!!

[@19tyson99j]

you are the only sooner fan i will ever respect

[@burlingtonbill1]

Too bad you didn't show the REAL PLAY OF THE GAME -- the forced fumble by Jeff Hansen of Billy Sims on the Huskers' 3-yard line with 1:31 left. Jim Pillen recovered it, preserving a tight 17-14 victory, and everyone went absolutely wild!!!

[@michaelkenyon6173]

I was thinking the same thing. We seemed doomed to lose again until that hit led to the fumble on the 3.

[@pajamamar2011]

See this in the Closed Captioned... "Tom Osborne" as "Tom Iceburg!?!?!?!"

[@Jessica_stevie]

Number 48 is my uncle

[@c-record]

almost forgot they wore old school mesh jerseys for a few years

[@jdp0359]

That was a great Oklahoma team that might have been one of Switzers very best teams. Even though Oklahoma got revenge in the Orange Bowl that year, Nebraska kept them from winning the National Championship.

[@cornhusker221]

The only downside to joining the Big Ten is not playing Oklahoma. Much respect for Sooner fans in Cornhusker country!!

[@nighthawk20011]

Town Curmudgeon looking forward to seeing these the NU vs OU rivalry brought back....even if for only a home and away series.

[@wildmercuryfilms]

Are you kidding me? This must be a joke. The only thing? Really? The Big 8 Conference was Amazing. The final 25 years of The Big 8, 1970-1995, Big 8 football teams won 8 National Titles: Colorado 1, Oklahoma 3, Nebraska 4. That’s almost a third of the National Titles. The Boring big ten won Exactly ZERO National Titles in that time. Not only that, the boring big ten would put everybody to sleep with their boring offensive gameplans and their boring teams and their boring contrived rivalries & their dumb trophies. The big ten conference is by far the very worst, overbloated, boring, sad thing in the United States. Oklahoma-Nebraska was a natural, beautiful rivalry. The winner of that game was not only playing to win the Big 8, the winner was usually playing for a National Title a few weeks later in the Orange Bowl. Oklahoma, Okie State, Colorado, Missouri, K-State, Kansas, ISU, Nebraska: It was PERFECT. Perfect. PERFECT. That’s where Nebraska belonged. I will miss it forever.

[@johnhenry2466]

BOOM!

[@6t4eldo]

Now, post the rematch game in the Orange Bowl!

[@George50809]

Yes, they did lose to Mizzou the following week. Was this also the year Nebraska beat Oklahoma in the regular season and then lost to them in a bowl game?

[@cubswin3838]

Yep. Dr. Tom was NOT happy! OU broke out to an early lead. NU made a valient comeback, but fell short. Barry Switzer to this day says his 1978 team was his best.

[@nickpaine]

This was one of the classics in the rivalry. Finally beating a really great OU team, only to face them in the Orange Bowl, was so disappointing.

[@Huskerman1995]

Anyone else think NU vs OU should be a first game of the year cross conference rivalry? It would strengthen schedules for both teams and bring back one of the best rivalries in football.

[@Shahmar]

Of course

[@huskerhammer6325]

If memory serves me NU went to #1 after beating #1 OU....then lost to Mizzou at home the following week...Could have been NU's 1st national title.

[@JanLarson]

husker hammer Yes, you are correct. NU would have played Penn State for the National Championship in the Orange Bowl had they not stumbled to Missouri. I went with several friends to Miami to see the anti-climactic rematch with OU. Actually, that would have been NU's third National Championship having won in '70 and '71 (it would have been Osborne's first).

[@huskerhammer6325]

that was such BS. Tom finally beats OU then had to play them. I meant Tom's first title as head coach. I'm realy looking forward to this new coach. I think he'll be a much better recruiter than Bo was.

[@patrickcolon8809]

+husker hammer Actually, Nebraska went to #2 right after this win over Oklahoma. Penn State was 10-0, and remained at #1 in both polls. But the bottom line was that the Cornhuskers were in line to meet #1 Penn State for the undisputed National Championship in the Orange Bowl ...... until they lost to Missouri one week later, at which point Penn State nixed Nebraska and the Orange Bowl for Bear Bryant's Alabama team in the Sugar Bowl.

[@Shahmar]

husker hammer Yeah I see how that new coach worked out for ya.

[@kyannos]

AS a Husker fan I admit OU was the better team, but NU played with heart and pulled off a signature win for Tom, every once and awhile you have to beat the better team, you listening BO

[@Shahmar]

Yeah we wish we still had Bo.

[@americanloyalist4599]

Fun fact Jim pillian will be the next governor of Nebraska

[@Spitzerman]

Listen to how happy they are. Maybe they should act a little more like they'd been there before.