The traditional matchup between Nebraska and Oklahoma had produced not only numerous great games, but numerous great plays.

There's Johnny Rodgers' punt return in the 1971 "Game of the Century," Elvis Peacock's hook-and-ladder play to spark a 1976 Sooner victory. The bouncerooskie, and the Buster Rhymes dive to cap a 1980 Sooner comeback. Tom Ruud's hit on Kelly Phelps on a 1978 punt return.

Add one more play courtesy of Saturday's contest, the "Black 41 flash pass". It helped seal Nebraska's 20-10 victory over Oklahoma. But it almost sealed a Sooner win earlier in the game.

The play is diagrammed simply. The quarterback hands off to a player in motion on a reverse, then turns the corner and heads up field in the opposite direction. The ball carrier tosses to another player heading the other direction. The new ball carrier sprints out and passes to what should be a wide open quarterback/receiver.

Late in the second period, Oklahoma dipped into it's bag of tricks for the play. Leading 7-0 and facing a first-and-ten at the Nebraska 20, Oklahoma tried a double reverse pass, but Mark Clayton's pass fell incomplete when quarterback Nate Hybl could not keep his feet to make the reception.

"It was a great play, We just didn't execute," Hybl said. "I'm not sure what happened, but I tried to come back for it and kind of got stuck in the turf."

After that, Nebraska coach Frank Solich may have began thinking to himself "anything you can do, I can do better."

"We had practiced it a fair amount," Solich said. "When you have two great pursuing defensive football teams, sometimes you're going to be able to make a play like that work."

The Huskers turned to the play with just over six minutes left in the game. and leading 13-10.

"Usually it comes down to timing. It seemed to fit for us when we threw it. We ended up being on the right hash, and the down and distance were ideal for it," Solich said.

With the ball at the Oklahoma 37, Nebraska had a first-and-ten. Crouch took the snap and handed off to Thunder Collins who was in motion to the left. Crouch snuck into the Sooner backfield while Collins tossed the ball on a reverse to freshman Mike Stuntz who clutched, then tossed a pass to the streaking Crouch along the sidelines.

"Mike's a great passer. He threw a perfect pass and of course, Eric with his speed is very difficult to run down from behind," Solich said.

Solich was correct. Crouch hauled the ball in at the Sooner 40 yard line and ran untouched into the end zone.

The play caught Oklahoma completely off guard.

"We read it as a reverse. We weren't expecting a play like that," said Oklahoma defensive end Jimmy Wilkerson. "We weren't prepared for it. We didn't see it on film. There was nothing we could do about it."

The play sent the Memorial Stadium sellout crowd of 78,031 into a frenzy and fired up a Husker sideline.

"Coach Solich was standing there, congratulating all of us as we came off the field. I saw him and said 'you crazy son-of-a-gun.'" said Husker safety Jamie Burrow.

The Husker celebration lead to a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to be assessed on the point after, but there was no celebrating on the Oklahoma sideline.

"When I saw (Crouch) running down the sideline I almost had to chuckle to myself, 'I'll be a son-of-a-gun'. Their's worked and ours didn't," said Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops.

The touchdown didn't provide the winning points, but it may have provided the knockout punch. Nebraska won the game and will stake their claim the number one ranking.

But the play will likely transcend the game. File this one away with all of the other Husker-Sooner classics.