The loss at 125 pounds has been the story all season for the Huskers – when a loss is inevitable, keep the damage to a minimum.
NU coach Mark Manning said he was proud of the way Pokorny fought. But the breathing room was set up by major decisions from Jordan Burroughs and Vince Jones.
Burroughs scored takedowns early and often in his match against Neil Erisman.
“I’m kind of disappointed I didn’t get the tech fall,” Burroughs said. “It’s kind of hard for me to get the back points... but I stick to what I’m good at and that’s just getting takedowns.”
Matching his childhood friend, Jones’ bonus-point win gave the Huskers a 17-6 lead with three matches remaining. But surrendering the upset at 197 pounds was Craig Brester.
In a match that went down to the final second, Brester needed a takedown to send it into an overtime period. But Brester’s final attack wasn’t enough as OSU’s Clayton Foster was able to counter and score a definitive takedown with one second left.
“Craig Brester’s disappointed,” Manning said. “But Clayton Foster’s a tough guy. We’ll learn from that and get better.”
Balancing Brester’s loss was 149-pound Robert Sanders. The senior’s win started an NU five-match winning streak.
Manning said he’s seen vast improvement from Sanders.
“He’s got a big heart and he’s got a lot of fight in him,” Manning said. “It was exciting and he finished the kid off with a great takedown at the end.
“If I could buy stock, I’d buy it in Robert Sanders.”
However, the win over the No. 15 ranked Cowboys was more than just another “W.”
The Huskers hosted the Cowboys in front of 2,826 fans at the Bob Devaney Sports Center while honoring Browne as the Hometown Husker. The large crowd and exciting atmosphere inspired a new level of intensity for Browne.
The Plattsmouth native said the local support meant a lot to him, especially when his parent’s informed him that there would be a large number of his friends in the crowd.
Thursday’s victory was only Nebraska’s fourth all time over Oklahoma State.
“We’ve got a lot of fight, and our guys are going to battle,” Manning said. “We might lose a dual here or there but we’re going to put up a fight. We come to do battle, and people know that they’ve got to give their best effort when they’re out there.
“They’d better have that headgear strapped on.”
davehoufek@dailynebraskan.com
Huskers hold lead to beat OSU
Published: Friday, February 6, 2009
Updated: Friday, February 6, 2009 04:02
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