We're counting down the top 10 games in the history of Nebraska's home stadium. Today, the top pick: NU's 17-14 upset of No. 1 OU on Nov. 11, 1978.

Hype: Oklahoma came to town undefeated and No. 1, with arguably Coach Barry Switzer’s best team. Throw in that Nebraska was trying to knock the Sooners off for the first time since 1971 and you had a pre-game fervor that has rarely, if ever, been matched in Lincoln.

Atmosphere: One of the loudest games in Memorial Stadium history. Oranges kept flying from the stands, at one point prompting the public-address announcer to say: “We request the boys and girls do not throw oranges on the playing field.” The goal posts fell just as ABC’s broadcast signed off.

Game quality: Well, there were plenty of fumbles, but Husker players will tell you they caused about every one of them with jarring hits. No hit was harder than the one John Ruud put on Oklahoma’s Kelly Phelps on a fourth-quarter kick return.

Legacy: An enormous win for Husker coach Tom Osborne. At the time, he was receiving great criticism for not being able to win a big game. It is the late fumble by Oklahoma’s Billy Sims on the 3-yard line that gave the game a defining moment.

Looking back: Jim Pillen was the one who recovered the Sims fumble in the final minutes to preserve victory.

Pillen had a knack for big moments. He also intercepted two passes in the fourth quarter of Nebraska’s 31-24 win against Alabama and Coach Bear Bryant in 1977.

About the win against OU, Pillen says: “The thing I remember is about my wife. We were engaged then. I told her before the game, ‘Now, when we win, you stay up in the stands, stay up there and stay safe.’ Of course, she didn’t listen to me. I was afraid. I got the heck off the field.”