• Bo Pelini after the Nebraska-Oklahoma game:

Redemption.

That's the story of Nebraska football at this point in its storied history.

Righting the wrongs of the past decade. Restoring spoiled traditions.

Redemption.

That was the story of Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.

Cleaning the stain of 62 points on a November night in Norman, Okla. Correcting unspeakable errors on this same field during October losses to Texas Tech and Iowa State.

Redemption.

That's the story of Matt O'Hanlon, who intercepted three Oklahoma passes, including the clincher with 27 seconds left.

“I'm like one of those stray cats,” he said. “You don't think it's going to come back and it shows up on your doorstep.”

You remember O'Hanlon, the sixth-year senior who grew up impersonating Blackshirts in his Bellevue backyard.

You remember No. 33, the soft-spoken safety who made the mistake of a career 50 days ago at Virginia Tech.

Those other 125 plays in Blacksburg are all a blur. But not the one in which O'Hanlon let a Hokie receiver slip behind him for an 81-yard gain, setting up Virginia Tech's winning touchdown.

“Honestly,” O'Hanlon said Saturday night, “I don't think there's a day that goes by that I don't think about that ball floating up in the air over my head, me having to chase that guy down.”

In 2004, O'Hanlon gave up a scholarship at South Dakota for a chance to walk on at Nebraska. He went to a tryout with 50 other wannabes. Only O'Hanlon made the team.

He persisted through three years of Bill Callahan and Kevin Cosgrove, endured days in which he'd get two or three snaps during a 3-hour practice, ached for a time in which he'd get his chance.

Virginia Tech tarnished that dream, at least for a few weeks. He'd open his Facebook account and see messages from strangers telling him to quit the team.

He didn't. He walked into Marvin Sanders' office after that game and asked how he could get better.

“His season and his career will never be measured by one play,” Sanders said.

But one play ruined O'Hanlon's confidence for a while. He needed something to restore it, he said.

Then Saturday arrived. At the team hotel, O'Hanlon told Larry Asante he was going to intercept two passes.

Instead, he pulled a Matt trick.

He picked off Landry Jones in the third quarter, then twice in the fourth.

With the game on the line in the final minute, Jones dropped back and overthrew Ryan Broyles.

O'Hanlon dropped it.

Next play, Jones lofted a high spiral deep. O'Hanlon camped under it.

“I think it was up there for about 10 seconds,” said O'Hanlon, who added 12 tackles. “It fell right into my hands. I got kind of lucky.”

Tears welled in his eyes coming off the field. He jogged through the tunnel and people cheered him like never before. He didn't crack a smile.

Eight years and one week ago, in this very stadium, Nebraska and Oklahoma matched defensive stop for defensive stop. They punted 20 times, and the winner wasn't decided until Mike Stuntz hit Eric Crouch down the sideline. Memorial Stadium lost its bearings.

O'Hanlon was there to see it.

That was the last time Nebraska beat Oklahoma until Saturday night. Arguably, that was the last time Nebraska won a big game at Memorial Stadium.

“Oklahoma's a powerhouse,” O'Hanlon said. “We're just getting back to Nebraska football.

“I think we're starting to even it out.”

After the final interception Saturday, Memorial Stadium lost its bearings once more.

When O'Hanlon sprung off the turf, it felt a little like 2001. He took the football, flung it into the night and joined a celebration.

Well, officials don't have a lot of patience for that kind of thing, Matt. So the flags came out.

The referee called his number and moved the Huskers back — 1, 2, 3 yards.

A small price to pay for a little redemption.

Contact the writer:

402-444-1000, dirk.chatelain@owh.com

• Postgame analysis video with Rich Kaipust:

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