Bowl Trivia: NU's All-Time Chart-Toppers

 

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By Randy York

Quick now: Which three Huskers are all-time bowl career leaders that rank one spot ahead of Nebraska's three Heisman Trophy winners in three critical offensive categories - rushing yards, passing yards and receiving yards? Forget the photo above. It's a decoy, making you think that Tommie Frazier is one of the answers. Tommie is the answer to another bowl trivia question later in this column, so stick around, but let's cut to the quick and avoid a delay-of-game penalty. Dan Alexander (1998-2000) is Nebraska's all-time bowl career leader in rushing yards with 349, nine yards more than Heisman winner Mike Rozier (1982-84). Bob Churchich (1965-67) is the Huskers' all-time bowl career leader in passing yards with 501, seven yards more than Heisman winner Eric Crouch (1998-2002). And Matt Davison (1997-2000) is NU's all-time bowl career leader in receiving yards with 233, 33 yards more than Heisman winner Johnny Rodgers (1971-73).

The fourth most important offensive category, of course, is scoring and Nebraska's all-time bowl career leader is kicker Kris Brown (1996-98). His leg accounted for 36 bowl-game points, four more than runner-up and fellow kicker Josh Brown. Tied for third with 30 points are Johnny the Jet, Scott Frost and Alex Henery, the most accurate kicker in NCAA history. Other members of the top five in career rushing yards are Ahman Green (326), Lawrence Phillips (325) and Frazier (316). Touchdown Tommie also ranks third in bowl career passing yards with 447, followed by Jerry Tagge (365) and Turner Gill (356). Making the final top five in career bowl receiving yards are Johnny Mitchell (195), Corey Dixon (173) and Tim Smith (150).

We promised to explain where Tommie ranks No. 1 and why his picture belongs atop this blog. His 75-yard touchdown run against Florida in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl is Nebraska's longest all-time rush in 47 bowl games. We feature it now because that run also has to be an unofficial Husker record for breaking tackles since at least nine players wearing Gator jerseys had a chance to tackle Tommie, but could grab nothing but the wind he left behind. You have to wonder if South Carolina's  Steve Spurrier, the Florida coach in that 62-24 Husker romp, still sees Touchdown Tommie in his worst nightmares. The Huskers' other longest rushes in bowl history are Dennis Claridge's 68-yard run in the 1964 Orange Bowl against Auburn, Jammal Lord's 66-yard scamper against Michigan State in the 2003 Alamo Bowl, Quentin Castille's 58-yard run against Clemson in the '09 Gator Bowl and 50-yard efforts from Derek Brown (1991 Citrus Bowl) and Eric Crouch (2000 Alamo Bowl).

Nebraska's longest scoring plays in its six-decade bowl history are Willie Ross's 92-yard kickoff return in the '62 Gotham Bowl, Johnny Rodgers' 77-yard punt return in the '72 Orange Bowl, Frazier's 75-yard run already mentioned, Niles Paul's 74-yard reception from Joe Ganz in the '09 Holiday Bowl and DeJuan's Groce's 71-yard punt return in the 2002 Rose Bowl. Nebraska's five longest pass plays are: 1) Paul's 74-yard reception from Zac Lee; 2) Davison's 69-yard pass from Bobby Newcombe (2000 Alamo Bowl); 3-4) Newcombe's 58-yard pass from Eric Crouch (2000 Alamo Bowl) and Isaiah Fluellen's 58-yard pass from Lord (2003 Alamo Bowl) and 5) Rodgers' 56-yard pass from Tagge ('72 Orange Bowl).

You also might be interested to know that Alexander's 240-yard rushing performance against Northwestern in the 2000 Alamo Bowl is Nebraska's best single-game bowl record. Ganz's 236 passing yards against Clemson in the '09 Gator Bowl is another Nebraska bowl record, and Mitchell set NU's receiving record with 138 yards against Georgia Tech in the 2001 Citrus Bowl - the same field the Huskers will play on Monday against South Carolina. Josh Brown has the longest Husker field goal in bowl history (51 yards in 2000 Alamo Bowl), and Rodgers' 24 points against Notre Dame in the 1973 Orange Bowl is NU's single-game bowl record. We would be remiss to leave out all-time Nebraska defensive bowl record-holders. They include Michael Booker's longest interception return for a touchdown (42 yards against Florida in '96 Fiesta) and Jason Peter's 31-yard return of a fumble for a touchdown in the '96 Orange Bowl against Virginia Tech.  Two Blackshirts are tied for a Nebraska record in single-game bowl sacks with three - Trev Alberts ('94 Orange Bowl, causing 29 yards in losses for Florida State) and Dwayne Harris ('95 Orange Bowl, causing 11 yards in losses for Miami). Now that you have the facts and the ammunition, feel free to challenge those around you this weekend in a friendly game of Nebraska Bowl Trivia. If nothing else, it can be a conversation starter for a noon kick-off.

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In your piece on bowl records, you mentioned a punt return in the 1962 Gotham Bowl. I thought I had put the memory of that event behind me, but encountering it again with your mention, I'm sure to have nightmares for days to come. In the fall/winter of 1962, I happened to be president of the Nebraska Club of New York and, as such, found myself cast as the unofficial intermediary between The Touchdown Club of New York, the event's sponsor, and the NU Athletic Department, where, if I recall correctly, my contact was the peripatetic A.J. Lewandowski. What a debacle. As a fairly young pup, newly employed by an international management consulting firm, I spent so much time on this damned event over of a period of about 10 days or so, that I almost lost my new job. But that's a tale for another day. The scar tissue that has formed over that memory now is reopened, thanks to your article. Bob Reichenbach  '52, Basking Ridge, New Jersey

I remember Tommie Frazier's run against Florida as if it were yesterday. I loved watching it live on TV, but it's even more fun listening to Kent Pavelka's radio call, even decades after it happened. Frazier was the best quarterback in Nebraska history when the pressure was on, and it's a darn shame Eddie George beat him out of the Heisman Trophy. With all due respect to Eddie, a guy I enjoy listening to on satellite radio, there is no comparison between what those two accomplished on a college football field. Touchdown Tommie was the best, hands down. Vince Morris, San Mateo, California