1971 Nebraska vs. Oklahoma football game
| 1971 Nebraska vs. Oklahoma | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Conference game "Game of the Century" | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | November 25, 1971 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 1971 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Owen Field | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Norman, Oklahoma | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Nebraska by 1 | ||||||||||||||||||
| National anthem | The Pride of Oklahoma | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Vance Carlson | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 63,365 | ||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ABC | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Chris Schenkel (play-by-play) Bud Wilkinson (analyst) Bill Flemming (sideline) | ||||||||||||||||||
The 1971 Nebraska vs. Oklahoma football game was the fifty-first edition of the Nebraska–Oklahoma rivalry, held on November 25, 1971 at Owen Field at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. It featured the country's first- and second-ranked teams and is one of several games called the "Game of the Century." It is often considered the greatest college football game ever played.
The buildup was immense as the teams had ranked first and second for months, and there was a widespread expectation the winner would go on to claim the national championship. The Cornhuskers jumped out to an early lead before Oklahoma's explosive wishbone offense could solve Nebraska's stout defensive line. Just before halftime, Jack Mildren led a pair of scoring drives to put the Sooners ahead 17–14. Two quick third-quarter scores put NU back in front, but Mildren again rallied his offense to a three-point lead with minutes remaining. As time wound down, a lengthy Cornhuskers drive was capped by Jeff Kinney's fourth touchdown and Nebraska won 35–31.
The game was viewed by a record audience and received widespread acclaim. ABC analyst Bud Wilkinson said "I don't think there has ever been a college game with as many great players on the field," and several of its moments, especially Johnny Rodgers's first-quarter punt return, have become iconic. Nebraska claimed its second consecutive national championship months later. The series became one of college football's great rivalries in the following decades, but essentially ended when NU joined the Big Ten in 2011.