Sooner Scrapbook: Win No. 600

Win No. 600

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Keith Jackson, the all-everything tight end, caught two passes in the last 82 seconds, one for the tying touchdown and another set up the winning field goal with nine seconds left, as the third-ranked Sooners shocked Nebraska 20-17 before 76,198 in Memorial Stadium.

Win:	600 \| 500 \| 400 \| 300 \| 200 \| 100
Date:	November 22, 1986
Score:	(3) Oklahoma 20, (5) Nebraska 17
Location:	Memorial Stadium - Lincoln, Neb.
Head Coach:	Barry Switzer
All-Time Record:	600-219-50

Sports Columnist, Gary Dymski of the Wichita Eagle Beacon, wrote, "One day, when his hair is gray and the bounce has left his step, Oklahoma's Keith Jackson will scoop his children into his bear-like arms, drop them into his lap and tell them what daddy did in The Great War.

"He will tell them about Saturday, about how he and his Sooner teammates were trapped behind enemy lines, the battle all but lost. Then he'll smile, and recall how he came to the rescue. The impossible rescue."

The accomplishment wasn't lost on the great Sooner.

"This is probably something that will stick in my mind for the rest of my life," said Jackson. "This is the one that comes down to getting the go-ahead points in the last seconds."

Dymski went on to write, "Jackson's performance was fairy tale, a grim one for the Huskers. After all, Nebraska had dominated the Sooners for nearly 56 minutes only to come away with bitter defeat".

With 4:10 left to play, the Sooners, found themselves 94-yards away from the Cornhusker goal line trailing by seven points. On first-and-ten at his own six, Oklahoma's Jamelle Holieway optioned left for a nine-yard gain.

OU was then stopped on its next two plays and faced a 4th and 1 from the 15. Holieway again kept on and was stripped of the ball by Husker DB Brian Davis, who fell on the ball for an apparent takeaway. But Nebraska had been flagged for a facemask penalty and OU had a huge reprieve.

With first down at 25, and only 2:41 remaining, Holieway, who was 31-3-0 as a starter, completed consecutive passes to Carl Cabbiness for eight-yards and then Derrick Shepard for a 35.

OU eventually moved to the Husker 17 and with 1:26 left to play, Holieway found Jackson for the touchdown.

"Actually," said Jackson, he (Brian Davis) had it before I did, I just snatched it away."

Tim Lashar's PAT tied the score at 17-17 with 1:22 to play.

"Our job," said All-American linebacker Brian Bosworth, "Was to get the ball back. When we did, we told the offense it was up to them to win it."

Nebraska's response was three plays and out. With just 50 ticks remaining, OU had the ball back at its own 35.

"At the end, I could have preserved a tie by just running off the clock, but I didn't want to do that," said Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne. "I thought we had to play to win."

Lydell Carr blasted off left tackle for a 12-yard gain on the first play, moving the ball to the Sooners 47-yard line with: 43 seconds remaining.

Two more plays netted a holding penalty and not many yards, and the two giants would tie.

But Holieway and Jackson weren't finished. The two hooked up on a 41-yard completion to the Nebraska 14-yard line. Amazingly, Jackson had the game presence of mind to run out of bounds. Had he turned up field, the clock would have expired.

With six seconds to go, Lashar drilled the 31-yard field goal, giving the Sooners their first and only lead of the game, 20-17.

"This was no comeback," exclaimed Brian Bosworth. "It was destiny."

- Sooner football historian Mike Brooks highlights the milestone wins for Oklahoma.

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