Clayton, DuBose Lead Nebraska to 34-24 Win Over Oklahoma State

Sophomore quarterback McCathorn Clayton has been trying to tell people he can throw the football, and he proved it Saturday night.

Clayton completed 8 of 16 passes for 161 yards and 1 touchdown as No. 9 Nebraska beat No. 5 Oklahoma State, 34-24.

Clayton also rushed for 35 yards and two touchdowns as Nebraska improved to 4-1, 1-0 in the Big Eight Conference.

Oklahoma State lost for the 24th straight time to Nebraska and is 4-1 overall, 0-1 in the conference.

“Clayton gives them a dimension that I don’t think they’ve had since Turner Gill left,” Oklahoma State Coach Pat Jones said.

Clayton got help from tailback Doug DuBose, who rushed for 139 yards in 16 carries.

“Both sides of the ball played awfully well,” Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne said. Clayton scored on runs of 1 and 7 yards, and had a 38-yard touchdown pass to Robb Schnitzler.

The Cornhuskers took a 20-3 third-quarter lead and held on as Oklahoma State scored 14 straight points to make the score 20-17.

A pivotal play came early in the fourth quarter when Nebraska linebacker Marc Munford intercepted a Ronnie Williams pass at the Oklahoma State seven-yard line. Three plays later, fullback Tom Rathman scored from the four and the Cornhuskers led, 27-17.

Clayton later scored from the seven with 6:50 to play.

Oklahoma State had come back by scoring on consecutive possessions. Williams, who completed 27 of 44 passes for a school-record 363 yards, hit tight end J.R. Dillard with a five-yard scoring pass, and tailback Thurman Thomas scored on a two-yard run.

Thomas, the nation’s second-leading rusher, was held to 71 yards in 22 carries. His touchdown marked the first time Oklahoma State had scored on the ground against the Cornhuskers since 1978.

Nebraska finished with 417 yards of offense. Oklahoma State had 420 total yards, only 57 of it on the ground.