Oklahoma Coach Lincoln Riley Trying to Keep Nebraska Matchup in Perspective

The Sooners have had countless memorable matchups with the Cornhuskers and those need to be respected, but this OU squad wants it to be just one chapter.

NORMAN — Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley hopes his players have a good grasp of the historical perspective about this week’s renewal of the Big Red Rivalry between Oklahoma and Nebraska.

But not too good.

“I’m kind of on the clock,” Riley said Tuesday at his weekly press conference. “I can’t give a 30-minute history lesson with these guys. We got a game to play on Saturday.”

The No. 3-ranked Sooners (2-0) are 22-point favorites over the Cornhuskers (2-1) when they meet again on Saturday in an 11 a.m. game at Owen Field.

OU typically plays one marquee non-conference opponent every year, and Nebraska more than fills that bill this season.

“There’s something a little different about this one,” Riley said. “It’s so unique. … Anybody that has anything to do with either one, I think you realize that. There’s definitely a little different feel for this one, and I think it’s good for the sport.”

Riley revealed his team’s injury situation for this week: wide receiver Brian Darby is out, cornerback Woodi Washington is “doubtful, and a handful of other guys are questionable.” That presumably means freshman nickel back Billy Bowman and freshman linebacker Danny Stutsman, who both left last week’s 76-0 victory over Western Carolina with injuries.

The Sooners’ 2-0 start also included a last-minute fourth-down stop that held off Tulane 40-35 in the opener. Winning twice — in vastly different ways — should allow some benefit for later in the season, Riley said.

“You hope so,” he said. “You know those are coming. You don’t know when. To have good runs as a football team you have to win in several different ways. We’ve had a handful where we (had to win late) and we’ve had a handful where we got out and separated, like the other night. I’m glad we’ve shown the ability to win both of ‘em.

In some ways, it definitely is a positive that we have been in that situation already.”

The Cornhuskers will stress the Sooners more than Western Carolina did. It wouldn’t be unusual for these old rivals to play a close game, even if they haven’t been in the same conference for a decade.

Riley called it “one of the most influential rivalries” in the college game. He said he’s spoken with past coaches Bob Stoops and Barry Switzer about their memorable matchups with Nebraska — though not necessarily this week.

“Just the importance to our former players, people that were a part of that rivalry,” he said. “If it’s important to those people, it’s important to us.”

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