David Horne breaks free for some of his 101 rushing yards.

LINCOLN, Neb. — Backup I-back Cory Ross shook off a tackler in the backfield and dashed 24 yards for the winning touchdown late in the game as Nebraska downed Oklahoma State, 31-24, in the season opener for both teams.

The Huskers never trailed but needed Ross's heroics (700 KB video) after the visiting Cowboys erased a 24-7 deficit and tied the game.

Sophomore I-back David Horne had his fourth career 100-plus-yard game. The Huskers snapped a three-game losing streak and notched their 18th consecutive season-opening victory.

Philip Bland got the Huskers off to a fast start in the first quarter by intercepting Oklahoma State’s second pass attempt and returning it 45 yards to the OSU seven yard line. On the next play, the offensive line opened a huge hole for Horne, who scampered into the end zone with just 3:13 gone in the game.

After holding OSU to a three and out, Nebraska quickly got the ball back. Horne ran for a 29-yard gain on a pitch from quarterback Jammal Lord on the second play of the drive. Three plays later, Lord hit Ross Pilkington for a 30-yard touchdown strike that put the Huskers up 14-0.

Fabian Washington breaks up a pass.

The Husker defense went right back to work, holding the Cowboys to three and out once more. However, OSU returned the favor, intercepting a Lord pass on third and ten. Two plays later, OSU quarterback Josh Fields hit All-American and Heisman candidate Rashaun Woods in stride for a 68-yard scoring strike to pull the Cowboys within a touchdown.

In the second quarter, the Huskers found the end zone once again. Nebraska went 80 yards in ten plays capped by a 26-yard pass from Lord to Mark LeFlore that just found its way over an OSU defender's hand for the touchdown. The score put the Huskers up 21-7 with 11:00 remaining in the half. Three plays later, Lornell McPherson stepped in front of a Fields pass for an interception, giving the Huskers great field position at the OSU 26 yard line (McPherson fractured a bone in his foot on the play and was out for the rest of the game). Nebraska failed to get a drive going and had to settle for a 43-yard Sandro DeAngelis field goal that put the Huskers up 24-7 with 8:08 left in the half.

OSU would not give up. With 4:09 left in the half, backup tailback Seymoure Shaw ran for 37 yards off of an option for the score to put OSU within ten. Nebraska seemed to be back in field goal range on its next possession, but a long pass from Lord to Ross Pilkington was called back due to illegal touching. OSU stopped the Huskers the next two plays to get the ball back and kicked a 45-yard field goal with only 23 seconds left in the half to put the 'Pokes within seven at halftime.

Matt Herian gets open.

In the third quarter and into the fourth, both defenses dominated and neither team could score. But with 6:40 remaining in the game, OSU resumed its scoring streak with a 16-yard pass from Fields to Woods to tie the game. It was fourth and five and the pass rush was heavy, but Fields found Woods in the corner of the end zone. The score capped an eight-play, 48-yard drive that was set up by an OSU interception.

With the score tied and time running short, the Huskers didn’t take no for an answer on their next possession. The Nebraska drive started at the NU 17 yard line. On the second play, Lord hit LeFlore on a 33-yard strike to take the Huskers to the OSU 47 yard line. It was typical Nebraska smash-mouth football from there. Lord ran for 12 yards on an option, Horne for four, Judd Davies for six, Horne for five, then Horne for minus three. Then Ross took Lord's pitch on the option, plowed over an OSU cornerback and raced in for the go-ahead touchdown.

OSU got the ball back with 2:03 on the clock. Fabian Washington sealed the deal for the Huskers with an interception on the Cowboys' third play, and then Nebraska ran a few times to run out the clock. Washington had a busy day covering Woods and ended the game with eight tackles.

The Huskers return to action Sept. 9^th at Memorial Stadium against nonconference foe Utah State.

BOX SCORE
Nebraska 31, Oklahoma St. 24 
Aug. 30, 2003 -- Memorial Stadium, Lincoln  
               1st  2nd  3rd  4th    Final
               ---  ---  ---  ---    -----
OKLAHOMA ST     7    10    0    7     24
NEBRASKA       14    10    0    7     31
 
1st Quarter
NEB – D Horne 7 run (S DeAngelis kick) 11:47
NEB – R Pilkington 30 pass from J Lord (S DeAngelis kick) 7:21
OSU – R Woods 68 pass from J Fields (Phillips kick) 4:05
2nd Quarter
NEB – M LeFlore 26 pass from J Lord (J Brown kick) 11:00
NEB – S DeAngelis 43 FG 8:08
OSU – S Shaw 37 run (Phillips kick) 4:09
OSU – Phillips 45 FG 0:23
4th Quarter
OSU – R Woods 16 pass from J Fields (Phillips kick) 6:40
NEB – C Ross 24 run (S DeAngelis kick) 2:09
 
                         OSU      NEB
First downs               12       15
Rushed-yards           25-47   35-182
Passing yards            279      161
Sacked                     3        0
Return yards              29       90
Passes               15-30-4   9-24-3
Punts                 4-47.0   4-52.0
Fumbles-lost             2-1      0-0
Penalties-yards         5-63     6-42
Time of possession     29:05    30:55
 
RUSHING 
OKLAHOMA ST-Seymoure Shaw 5-46, Tatum Bell 11-18,
  Shawn Willis 1-3, Tim Burrough 2-2, Josh Fields 6-minus 22.
NEBRASKA-David Horne 26-101, Jammal Lord 5-40,
  Cory Ross 2-26, Judd Davies 2-15. 

PASSING 
OKLAHOMA ST-Josh Fields 14-29-276-4, T Bell 1-1-3-0.
NEBRASKA-Jammal Lord 8-23-155-3, David Horne 1-1-6-0. 

RECEIVING 
OKLAHOMA ST-Rashaun Woods 4-133, D’Jaun Woods 5-61,
  Charlie Johnson 2-43, Kenneth Williams 1-15,
  Billie Bajema 1-15, Tatum Bell 1-9, Josh Fields 1-3. 
NEBRASKA-Ross Pilkington 4-55, Mark LeFlore 2-59,
  Jack O’Holleran 1-14, Matt Herian 1-7, Jammal Lord 1-6.