LJWorld.com

The Kansas football team with its leaky pass defense could find itself trailing Slingin' Sam Bradford and Oklahoma by 21-0 in the first quarter Saturday. Or the Jayhawks could score on the first and last plays of the game, survive Sooner onslaughts and errors in between and pull off the kind of gigantic stunner they did here in 1964.

Certainly with a 66-27-6 lead in the series, tremendous personnel and anger after the loss to Texas, Oklahoma is a justifiable three-touchdown favorite. Yet I don't think KU will let OU manhandle it like that.

Kansas has registered some scintillating upsets of Oklahoma since 1903, but none was more delicious for the Jayhawk Nation than the '64 classic (for Kansas, anyway).

Beautiful '64 day, a Memorial Stadium crowd of 44,000 and KU, with its 2-0-2 record, a decided underdog, like this week. Co-Capt. Gale Sayers ripped 93 yards with the opening kickoff, Co-Capt. Gary Duff converted, then OU began to rag-doll the Jayhawks with about twice as much rushing and passing yardage to take a 14-7 lead. KU never entered OU territory until the final quarter.

OU reached the KU 44 with fourth and one and, for some nutty reason, punted. Sayers ran the ball out of bounds to stop the clock, but KU had 92 yards to cover with 47 seconds left.

Quarterback Bob Skahan, fullback Ron Oelschlager and Co. managed to reach the OU 26 with the aid of an interference penalty. Eight seconds to go after a sideline scuffle where Sayers threw the first punch, saying OU had been working him over in scurvy fashion. Nobody was ejected, but Sayers got a kick in the gut that nullified him for crisis time.

So Skahan took the snap and handed off to Dave Crandall, a defensive back filling in for Sayers. Dave returned the ball to Skahan with an across-the-field lateral, and Bobby looked for a target. Seeing none, he squirted to the end zone as the clock expired - 14-13 Sooners. Was the crowd nuts by then or what?

Coach Jack Mitchell ruled out a tie, even with the Old Dependable Duff.

Skahan was winded, so veteran Sid Micek became QB. He handed off to Crandall, who then gave it to halfback Mike Johnson on a double reverse. Since no time was left, there could be no penalty for the flood of KU fans on the field. Not one goal post came down.

KU hadn't beaten Oklahoma here since 1946 when Paul Turner's field goal in a driving rain produced a 16-13 triumph. That was tasty, but not like 15-14 in '64.

What a who's who of KU football that day! Wally Hinshaw averaged 48.5 yards on five punts. Tackle Brian Schweda and end Bob Robben were sensational in the clutch. Defensive back-quarterback Steve Renko dislocated his left shoulder, but his right one was good enough to carry him through a notable major-league baseball career.

Sayers rushed 13 times for 36 yards, caught five passes for 58 yards, threw a pass that was intercepted and opened things with that touchdown burst. Mitchell got thrown into the shower and quipped he'd rather be hanged in effigy (which he was in 1966) "since I don't have to get my suit pressed."

Fifteen winning points in only 63 seconds, first play, last play. How near and dear are moments like that to fans who are rooting hard for KU to pull off another miracle in Norman?