Osborne vs. Switzer for Leodis Flowers

Mavric

Mavric

Yoda
Staff member
Kind of an interesting look back via the OWH.

But every once in a while, NU and OU went 15 rounds in February. And it was downright epic. Never more than 1987, two months after Oklahoma ripped out Nebraska’s heart in Memorial Stadium.



The recruiting target: an Omaha Central I-back named Leodis Flowers.
Coming off the Boz era — Nebraska hadn’t beaten OU since '83 — this was the absolute height of Switzer loathing in the state of Nebraska.* Now he was daring to walk into Osborne’s backyard and derail the OPS I-back pipeline to Lincoln.
* Switzer has been become Nebraska’s favorite uncle the past 20 years, but anybody who says he wasn’t hated in the mid-80s doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
Flowers was a two-time all-state pick, a Parade All-American, heir apparent to Central alum Keith Jones.
As a sophomore in '84, he scored seven touchdowns in three playoff games for Class A state champion Central. As a junior, he set the Metro Conference per-game rushing record — 196.1 yards.
His final high school game, against Council Bluffs TJ, he rushed for 326. He gained 3,119 yards in his prep career, scoring 39 touchdowns.
Flowers had always to get away from home. And early in the recruiting process, Switzer told him that he was the first player from Nebraska he’d ever wanted. "That statement alone intrigued Leodis,” Central coach William Reed said.
Grab your popcorn, Barry was just warming up.
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Good article but some painful memories. That was the period we would have, could have won 2 NC if it weren't for sooner magic - I wanted to kick the tv after the 87 game. Imagine having Emmit smith as a Husker - appears we were close to signing him except for the cold.

 
Pretty odd tidbit here, in the "aftermath"

In ’88, Osborne finally got his Big Eight championship...
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In fact Osborne had won undisputed Big 8 championships in 81-83, and tied in 75, 78, and 84. There was no "finally" about 1988.

 
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