Cowboys hope upset of Nebraska leads to bowl

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) _ Oklahoma State hopes its biggest win since upsetting the Sooners last year will vault them into a bowl game. It may also keep the Cornhuskers out of one. The

Sunday, October 20th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) _ Oklahoma State hopes its biggest win since upsetting the Sooners last year will vault them into a bowl game.

It may also keep the Cornhuskers out of one.

The Cowboys beat Nebraska 24-21 Saturday _ their first win over the Cornhuskers since 1961 _ as Tatum Bell rushed for a career-high 182 yards and Josh Fields accounted for three touchdowns.

Fans tore down both goalposts after the Cowboys' biggest win since defeating Oklahoma 16-13 last November.

Oklahoma State (3-4, 1-2 Big 12) now needs three more victories for bowl eligibility in a conference that this year has eight bowl options. The Cowboys have Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Kansas, Baylor and Oklahoma left.

``It is a great start for the rest of the season. It puts us in a position for bowl goals,'' coach Les Miles said.

The defeat bodes worse for Nebraska, losers of three of its last five games and facing the prospect of its first losing season since 1961, when it finished 3-6-1 under coach Bill Jennings.

Four of the Cornhuskers' (5-3, 1-2) final five opponents are Texas A&M, No. 8 Texas, No. 17 Kansas State and defending Big 12 champion No. 23 Colorado.

``There are some serious problems with the way we're playing,'' Nebraska safety Philip Bland said. ``Halfway through our season we already have three losses. That's a problem, especially with the kind of team we've been in the past.''

While the Huskers other two losses were against Top 25 teams _ Penn State and Iowa State _ Oklahoma State made them look like a shell of their former selves. Bell and Fields shredded the vaunted Blackshirts' defense.

Fields rushed 3 yards for one score, and passed to Rashaun Woods and John Lewis for two more. Woods, covered often by Nebraska's star defensive back DeJuan Groce, caught 11 passes for 134 yards.

``He is an excellent receiver than runs great patterns and has exceptional hands,'' Nebraska coach Frank Solich said of Woods, who extended his streak of consecutive games with at least four catches to 18.