Solich couldn't say that his second-ranked Huskers were flat, even though they were. That would be like a slap in the face of Cowboys coach Bob Simmons, whose team battled admirably. But Husker quarterback Bobby Newcombe knew it. He knew that Nebraska was not playing with the same intensity it showed last Saturday while grinding Washington into the Memorial Stadium turf. As most parents know, young people can be told things a thousand times, but often the wisdom their elders are trying to pass on falls on deaf ears.
Kids just have to find things out for themselves.
That's why you have games like Oklahoma State. Or in a worst-case scenario, a game like last year's lesson learned down in Columbia against the Missouri Tigers. That includes Newcombe, and that's exactly why the Nebraska quarterback was trying to fire up his team while there was still time. He wanted to wake the dead before a miracle drive was necessary. The rest is up to you, coach.