Vote for the Greatest Moment in Nebraska Football HistoryVote for the Greatest Moment in Nebraska Football History
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Vote for the Greatest Moment in Nebraska Football History

We need you the fan to help us narrow down the top moment in Nebraska football history! We have gathered 32 of the top moments and seeded them into four different regions. Voting will take place on twitter at twitter.com/HuskerFBNation, while matchups and descriptions of each moment can be found below.

The criteria for a game to make the list is that it had to take place during the regular season or post season.

ROUND 5 (VOTING NOW)
 
fit

FINALS
 
No. 1: Winning the Game of the Century
The late Don Bryant, the longtime Nebraska sports information director better known among his friends and peers as “Fox,” always enjoyed sharing how he felt during that game against Oklahoma on Thanksgiving Day of 1971.
 
No. 2 Oklahoma had taken a 31-28 lead midway through the fourth quarter, and No. 1 Nebraska stared at its first deficit of the season. To keep its repeat national title hopes alive, the Huskers would have to mount a come-from-behind drive.
 
“I remember standing on the sidelines during the final drive thinking, ‘It’s just a football game,’ ” Bryant said. “Don’t have a heart attack right here on the sideline.’ ”
 
No telling Bryant’s heart rate when I-back Jeff Kinney bolted into the end zone off tackle for a 2-yard touchdown run with 1:38 remaining, cementing Nebraska’s 35-31 victory in what will forever be known as “The Game of The Century.”
 
From Johnny Rodgers’ famous 72-yard punt return for the game’s first touchdown, to Oklahoma’s 467 yards out of the wishbone, to Rich Glover’s 22-tackle performance, this game lived to its hype.
 
Wrote Dan Jenkins in Sports Illustrated:
 
“Quality is what the game had more of than anything else. There had been scads of games in the past with equal pressure and buildup. Games of the Decade or Poll Bowls or whatever you want to call them. Something played in a brimming-over stadium for limb, life and a national championship. But it is impossible to stir the pages of history and find one in which both teams performed so reputably for so long throughout the day.”
 
Thousands upon thousands of Nebraska fans deserted holiday gatherings and swarmed to the Lincoln airport to greet the return of the Bob Devaney-led Huskers, who would throttle Alabama in the Orange Bowl to claim an unbeaten season and second national title.

VS
 
No. 1: 1995 Orange: Nebraska 24, Miami 17
Nebraska did more than deliver Tom Osborne his long-awaited first national championship that January night in South Florida.
 
The Huskers, in somewhat therapeutic fashion, unleashed years of frustration against that same team, on that same field, that left so many people questioning whether this day would ever come.
 
From that missed two-point conversion to those lopsided games against speedier, more athletic Miami teams, the Orange Bowl had become a house of horrors for Osborne and his Huskers.
 
Even this game, at one point, seemed maybe it could follow the same pattern. Jonathan Harris caught a pass from Frank Costa, juked defenders and raced 44 yards for a touchdown to open the third quarter.
 
Miami led, 17-7, and the Hurricanes immediately regained possession.
 
Here we go again.
 
Except this time, back-to-back penalties pushed Miami up against its end zone, and Dwayne Harris bolted through the Hurricanes’ line to sack Costa for a safety, a huge momentum-changer.
 
Still trailing 17-9 entering the fourth quarter, Nebraska’s brute and force up front took its toll on gasping Miami defenders. Behind quarterback Tommy Frazier and I-back Lawrence Phillips, the Huskers began gaining yards in chunks. Cory Schlesinger scored on a 15-yard run with 7:38 remaining in the game.
 
Then, in that same end zone where Turner Gill’s two-point pass deflected incomplete 11 years earlier, Frazier zipped a pass that Dwayne Harris caught for a two-point conversion to tie the game at 17-17.
 
The Blackshirts did their part to give the offense possession, and the Huskers moved quickly yet methodically, with Schlesinger again scoring on a fullback trap, this time from 14 yards, for a 24-17 lead with 2:46 remaining.
 
Miami, which hadn’t earned a first down in the fourth quarter, didn’t come close on its final drive, either. The Huskers sacked Costa twice and celebrated when Kareem Moss intercepted his fourth-and-long attempt.
 
“And bring that trophy back to Lincoln!"

 


 

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ROUND 4 (COMPLETE)

 

fit (1)

BRACKETS

SEMIFINAL 
 
No. 1: Winning the Game of the Century
The late Don Bryant, the longtime Nebraska sports information director better known among his friends and peers as “Fox,” always enjoyed sharing how he felt during that game against Oklahoma on Thanksgiving Day of 1971.
 
No. 2 Oklahoma had taken a 31-28 lead midway through the fourth quarter, and No. 1 Nebraska stared at its first deficit of the season. To keep its repeat national title hopes alive, the Huskers would have to mount a come-from-behind drive.
 
“I remember standing on the sidelines during the final drive thinking, ‘It’s just a football game,’ ” Bryant said. “Don’t have a heart attack right here on the sideline.’ ”
 
No telling Bryant’s heart rate when I-back Jeff Kinney bolted into the end zone off tackle for a 2-yard touchdown run with 1:38 remaining, cementing Nebraska’s 35-31 victory in what will forever be known as “The Game of The Century.”
 
From Johnny Rodgers’ famous 72-yard punt return for the game’s first touchdown, to Oklahoma’s 467 yards out of the wishbone, to Rich Glover’s 22-tackle performance, this game lived to its hype.
 
Wrote Dan Jenkins in Sports Illustrated:
 
“Quality is what the game had more of than anything else. There had been scads of games in the past with equal pressure and buildup. Games of the Decade or Poll Bowls or whatever you want to call them. Something played in a brimming-over stadium for limb, life and a national championship. But it is impossible to stir the pages of history and find one in which both teams performed so reputably for so long throughout the day.”
 
Thousands upon thousands of Nebraska fans deserted holiday gatherings and swarmed to the Lincoln airport to greet the return of the Bob Devaney-led Huskers, who would throttle Alabama in the Orange Bowl to claim an unbeaten season and second national title.

VS
 
No. 2: No-Punter Formation for Foltz
Memorial Stadium has had its share of emotional, tear-jerking moments throughout its near 100-year history. You’ve seen some in this bracket, including the post 9-11 game against Rice in 2001 and the game against Oklahoma the day after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1962.
 
Making the Final Four from fans’ voting is of one the most recent, most heartbreaking moments – the season opener against Fresno State in 2016. That came less than two months after senior-to-be Sam Foltz died in a car accident in Wisconsin, along with Michigan State punter Mike Sadler. The two had been helping at a summer kicking camp.
 
Foltz, a native of Greeley, Nebraska, was among the most respected, well-liked people, not only among his teammates, but among his peers and community. His attitude, work ethic, principles and small-town background endeared him to Nebraska fans, too.
 
“Sam was a guy I would do anything in the world for to model myself after,” Nebraska kicker Drew Brown said. “He was my best friend. I’m never going to forget this night.”
 
Brown was speaking after the Huskers’ 43-10 victory over Fresno State, the first game without Foltz. To honor him, Nebraska, facing fourth down on its opening possession of the game, lined up to punt with only 10 players.
 
“Folks, the Huskers are in punt formation,” Nebraska radio play-by-play announcer Greg Sharpe said, “but there is no punter back there.”
 
The sellout crowd grew to a crescendo as players from both teams applauded, some pointing to the sky. Nebraska took a delay of game penalty, and Fresno State declined.
 
“Husker Nation,” Sharpe said, “you have permission to shed a tear.”
 
And they did.
 
“It was an incredible feeling, knowing how much he meant not only to us,” Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong said, “but to the community and the fans out there.”

 

 

SEMIFINAL
 
No. 1: 1995 Orange: Nebraska 24, Miami 17
Nebraska did more than deliver Tom Osborne his long-awaited first national championship that January night in South Florida.
 
The Huskers, in somewhat therapeutic fashion, unleashed years of frustration against that same team, on that same field, that left so many people questioning whether this day would ever come.
 
From that missed two-point conversion to those lopsided games against speedier, more athletic Miami teams, the Orange Bowl had become a house of horrors for Osborne and his Huskers.
 
Even this game, at one point, seemed maybe it could follow the same pattern. Jonathan Harris caught a pass from Frank Costa, juked defenders and raced 44 yards for a touchdown to open the third quarter.
 
Miami led, 17-7, and the Hurricanes immediately regained possession.
 
Here we go again.
 
Except this time, back-to-back penalties pushed Miami up against its end zone, and Dwayne Harris bolted through the Hurricanes’ line to sack Costa for a safety, a huge momentum-changer.
 
Still trailing 17-9 entering the fourth quarter, Nebraska’s brute and force up front took its toll on gasping Miami defenders. Behind quarterback Tommy Frazier and I-back Lawrence Phillips, the Huskers began gaining yards in chunks. Cory Schlesinger scored on a 15-yard run with 7:38 remaining in the game.
 
Then, in that same end zone where Turner Gill’s two-point pass deflected incomplete 11 years earlier, Frazier zipped a pass that Dwayne Harris caught for a two-point conversion to tie the game at 17-17.
 
The Blackshirts did their part to give the offense possession, and the Huskers moved quickly yet methodically, with Schlesinger again scoring on a fullback trap, this time from 14 yards, for a 24-17 lead with 2:46 remaining.
 
Miami, which hadn’t earned a first down in the fourth quarter, didn’t come close on its final drive, either. The Huskers sacked Costa twice and celebrated when Kareem Moss intercepted his fourth-and-long attempt.
 
“And bring that trophy back to Lincoln!"

VS
 
No. 2: Putting “Black 41 Flash Reverse” in the History Books
A certain generation of Husker fans will claim this as their most memorable, top play in Nebraska football history.
 
For certain, it became the signature play for Eric Crouch and his campaign for the 2001 Heisman Trophy, which he indeed won, and it put Nebraska in its last national championship game appearance, the Rose Bowl against Miami.
 
I-back Thunder Collins took a handoff from Crouch, and Collins flipped the ball to freshman receiver Mike Stuntz, a left-handed thrower who’d begun the season at quarterback before switching spots.
 
Stuntz, on the move, delivered a throw down the sideline to Crouch, who had a good three steps on his defender. Crouch caught the ball near the 35-yard line and raced the rest of the way for a 63-yard touchdown reception. That pushed No. 2 Nebraska’s lead to 20-10 in the fourth quarter, the game’s final score against No. 3. Oklahoma.
 
"Once the ball left my hand, I was pretty sure it’d be a completion,” Stuntz later said. “And Crouch is going to outrun everybody. He's a fast man.”
 
Memorial Stadium erupted. The press box shook. To this day, many Husker fans will say they’ve never heard the stadium louder.
 
Ironically, Oklahoma had tried the exact same play earlier in the game, only the pass fell incomplete.
 
Nebraska’s play, called Black 41 Flash Reverse, nearly didn’t happen. Coach Frank Solich initially scrapped it because it hadn’t worked all week in practice. Quarterbacks coach Turner Gill told Crouch late in the week they wouldn’t use it.
 
“I literally remember him taking like a sharpie and scratching it off the game plan,” Crouch later recalled. “I'm glad he called it. I'm glad he put it back in for that play, because it was a heck of a memory, a great play. I’m glad I can share that with everyone.”

 


 

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ROUND 3 (COMPLETE)
fit (2)

BRACKETS

TOP MOMENTS REGION

 
No. 4: Henery + Suh = Euphoria
Nebraska wasn’t supposed to need such heroics to defeat Colorado in 2008, but kicker Alex Henery and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh provided, anyway. Henery booted a school-record 57-yard field goal with 1:43 remaining to put NU ahead, and Suh rumbled 30 yards for a touchdown after intercepting, and then later swatting away, quarterback Cody Hawkins.

VS
 
No. 2: No-Punter Formation for Foltz
Few dry eyes could be found in Memorial Stadium for Nebraska’s 2016 season opener against Fresno State, when the Huskers, on their first punt of the game, lined up without a punter. That came in honor and memory of punter Sam Foltz, who died less than two months earlier in a car accident.
 



TOP BOWL REGION
 
No. 1: 1995 Orange: Nebraska 24, Miami 17
“And bring that trophy back to Lincoln!” The Huskers rallied with two fourth-quarter touchdowns, both on fullback traps, to defeat the pain-in-the-you-know-what Hurricanes on their home turf and deliver coach Tom Osborne his first national championship.

VS
 
No. 3: 1996 Fiesta: Nebraska 62, Florida 24
“How many tackles can one man break?!” Tommie Frazier prompted that question after he shed Gator after Gator en route to his memorable touchdown run in the Huskers’ rout of Steve Spurrier-led Florida, completing back-to-back national titles.
 



TOP NON-BOWL GAMES: PRE/POST DEVANEY/OSBORNE REGION

No. 1: Defeating the Four Horsemen
Notre Dame’s famed “Four Horsemen” – Harry Stuhldreher, James Crowley, Don Miller and Elmer Layden – lost only two of the 30 games they played together, and both losses came to Nebraska – 14-6 in 1922, and 14-7 in 1923, both games in Lincoln.

VS
 
No. 2: Putting “Black 41 Flash Reverse” in the History Books
In another thriller between No. 3 Nebraska and No. 2 Oklahoma, the Huskers led 13-10 in the fourth quarter when coach Frank Solich called for “Black 41 Flash Reverse,” a play for the history books. Senior quarterback Eric Crouch caught the 63-yard pass from freshman Mike Stuntz on the trick play that secured a 20-10 victory, and likely Crouch’s Heisman Trophy.
 


TOP NON-BOWL GAMES: DEVANEY/OSBORNE ERA
 
No. 1: Winning the Game of the Century
If you can recite Lyell Bremser’s call of Johnny Rodgers’ punt return on Thanksgiving Day in 1971, you might be a Husker fan. Even if you can’t, you’ve surely seen it, which qualifies you all the same. The day’s first touchdown sparked Nebraska’s 35-31 victory over No. 2 Oklahoma in a game for the ages.

VS
 
No. 6: Making a Miracle at Missouri
Forever known as “The Flea Kicker,” freshman receiver Matt Davison somehow slid his hands between the football and turf to catch a pass deflected off teammate Shevin Wiggins’s foot. The touchdown reception on the final play of regulation and Kris Brown’s point-after kick forced overtime, and quarterback Scott Frost scored on an option keeper to allow No. 1 Nebraska to escape with a 45-38 victory at Missouri in 1997.
 


 

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ROUND 2 (COMPLETE)

 

fit (3)

BRACKETS


TOP MOMENTS REGION
 
No. 1: Post 9/11 Tunnel Walk vs. Rice
The uncertainty and fear we’re feeling with today’s pandemic could be compared to feelings upon the 2001 terrorist attacks. Nebraska postponed its game against Rice until the following Thursday, and an emotional pregame Tunnel Walk featured First Responders carrying the American flag.

VS
 
No. 4: Henery + Suh = Euphoria
Nebraska wasn’t supposed to need such heroics to defeat Colorado in 2008, but kicker Alex Henery and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh provided, anyway. Henery booted a school-record 57-yard field goal with 1:43 remaining to put NU ahead, and Suh rumbled 30 yards for a touchdown after intercepting, and then later swatting away, quarterback Cody Hawkins.

 

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No. 3: Westerkamp’s Hail Mary
Sometimes forgotten in Nebraska’s 27-24 home victory against Northwestern in 2013 is Ameer Abdullah’s efforts to convert a fourth-and-15 pass earlier in the game-winning drive. But yes, Jordan Westerkamp catching backup quarterback Ron Kellogg’s 49-yard heave on the final play won’t soon be forgotten

VS
 
No. 2: No-Punter Formation for Foltz
Few dry eyes could be found in Memorial Stadium for Nebraska’s 2016 season opener against Fresno State, when the Huskers, on their first punt of the game, lined up without a punter. That came in honor and memory of punter Sam Foltz, who died less than two months earlier in a car accident.
 

 


TOP BOWL REGION
 
No. 1: 1995 Orange: Nebraska 24, Miami 17
“And bring that trophy back to Lincoln!” The Huskers rallied with two fourth-quarter touchdowns, both on fullback traps, to defeat the pain-in-the-you-know-what Hurricanes on their home turf and deliver coach Tom Osborne his first national championship.

VS
 
No. 5: 1998 Orange: Nebraska 42, Tennessee 17
Scott Frost’s passionate postgame speech in Tom Osborne’s final game as head coach perhaps proved as important as any play in the game itself, as the Huskers clinched a share of the national championship to send off their legendary coach.
 


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No. 3: 1996 Fiesta: Nebraska 62, Florida 24
“How many tackles can one man break?!” Tommie Frazier prompted that question after he shed Gator after Gator en route to his memorable touchdown run in the Huskers’ rout of Steve Spurrier-led Florida, completing back-to-back national titles.

VS
 
No. 2: 1972 Orange: Nebraska 38, Alabama 6
Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers returned a punt 77 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, and No. 1 Nebraska blasted unbeaten No. 2 Alabama for its second straight national title under coach Bob Devaney. The Huskers stretched their unbeaten streak to 32 games.
 

 



TOP NON-BOWL GAMES: PRE/POST DEVANEY/OSBORNE REGION

No. 1: Defeating the Four Horsemen
Notre Dame’s famed “Four Horsemen” – Harry Stuhldreher, James Crowley, Don Miller and Elmer Layden – lost only two of the 30 games they played together, and both losses came to Nebraska – 14-6 in 1922, and 14-7 in 1923, both games in Lincoln.

VS
 
No. 5: Making a Comeback for the Ages
Nebraska’s Big Ten Conference home debut in 2011 wasn’t going well. A so-so Ohio State team led 27-6 on a rainy night in Lincoln. Then LaVonte David saved the day, and maybe the season. The All-American linebacker stripped and recovered a fumble that led to a touchdown, and momentum swung, as Nebraska completed its largest comeback in school history with a 34-27 victory.
 


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No. 3 Avenging a Loss to Texas
Nebraska avenged its only loss of the 1999 season by defeating Texas 22-6 in the Big 12 Championship game in San Antonio. Eric Crouch had two touchdown runs, including one of 31 yards in the first quarter, and the Huskers ended a three-game losing skid against Texas, including a 24-20 defeat earlier that season in which Nebraska lost three fumbles in Austin.

VS
 
No. 2: Putting “Black 41 Flash Reverse” in the History Books
In another thriller between No. 3 Nebraska and No. 2 Oklahoma, the Huskers led 13-10 in the fourth quarter when coach Frank Solich called for “Black 41 Flash Reverse,” a play for the history books. Senior quarterback Eric Crouch caught the 63-yard pass from freshman Mike Stuntz on the trick play that secured a 20-10 victory, and likely Crouch’s Heisman Trophy.
 



TOP NON-BOWL GAMES: DEVANEY/OSBORNE ERA
 
No. 1: Winning the Game of the Century
If you can recite Lyell Bremser’s call of Johnny Rodgers’ punt return on Thanksgiving Day in 1971, you might be a Husker fan. Even if you can’t, you’ve surely seen it, which qualifies you all the same. The day’s first touchdown sparked Nebraska’s 35-31 victory over No. 2 Oklahoma in a game for the ages.

VS
 
No. 4: Huskers Hushing the Buffaloes
Colorado entered the 1994 game ranked No. 2 and confident it would leave Lincoln with a victory over Tommie Frazier-less Nebraska. But the unbeaten Huskers, ranked No. 3, silenced Colorado with a resounding 24-7 victory in Memorial Stadium’s 200th consecutive sellout.

 

 


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No. 6: Making a Miracle at Missouri
Forever known as “The Flea Kicker,” freshman receiver Matt Davison somehow slid his hands between the football and turf to catch a pass deflected off teammate Shevin Wiggins’s foot. The touchdown reception on the final play of regulation and Kris Brown’s point-after kick forced overtime, and quarterback Scott Frost scored on an option keeper to allow No. 1 Nebraska to escape with a 45-38 victory at Missouri in 1997.

VS
 
No. 2: Osborne Breaking Through Against Sooners
Tom Osborne had lost all five games he’d coached against Barry Switzer and Oklahoma, and the top-ranked Sooners were favored to make it six straight in 1978. But on a cold, bitter day in Lincoln, No. 4 Nebraska forced nine fumbles, recovering six of them, in a 17-14 upset in front of one of the loudest crowds in Memorial Stadium history.
 

 




 

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ROUND 1 (COMPLETE)
fit (4)

BRACKETS


THE TOP MOMENTS REGION
 
No. 1: Post 9/11 Tunnel Walk vs. Rice
The uncertainty and fear we’re feeling with today’s pandemic could be compared to feelings upon the 2001 terrorist attacks. Nebraska postponed its game against Rice until the following Thursday, and an emotional pregame Tunnel Walk featured First Responders carrying the American flag.

VS
 
No. 8: Mother Nature intervenes
Whether a 40-minute halftime of plowing snow off the field (1986, Kansas State), or a lightning delay (1991, Utah State) or thunderstorms canceling the Scott Frost’s debut as head coach (2018, Akron), we’re reminded of the line, “we all stick together in all kinds of weather.”

 

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No. 4: Henery + Suh = Euphoria
Nebraska wasn’t supposed to need such heroics to defeat Colorado in 2008, but kicker Alex Henery and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh provided, anyway. Henery booted a school-record 57-yard field goal with 1:43 remaining to put NU ahead, and Suh rumbled 30 yards for a touchdown after intercepting, and then later swatting away, quarterback Cody Hawkins.

VS
 
No. 5: Notre Dame Takeover
Nebraska fans have long been famous for their loyalty and ability to overtake opposing teams’ stadiums, namely those 2-3 hours away in Lawrence or Manhattan. But in South Bend, Indiana? Notre Dame’s home was more than half red in the Huskers’ 2000 overtime victory.

 

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No. 3: Westerkamp’s Hail Mary
Sometimes forgotten in Nebraska’s 27-24 home victory against Northwestern in 2013 is Ameer Abdullah’s efforts to convert a fourth-and-15 pass earlier in the game-winning drive. But yes, Jordan Westerkamp catching backup quarterback Ron Kellogg’s 49-yard heave on the final play won’t soon be forgotten.

VS
 
No. 6: Osborne Victory No. 250
That Tom Osborne’s 250th career victory came against Oklahoma provided some irony, given his biggest nemesis was enduring perhaps its worst stretch in program history. Regardless, the 69-7 victory in 1997 prompted postgame fireworks at Memorial Stadium.

 

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No. 2: No-Punter Formation for Foltz
Few dry eyes could be found in Memorial Stadium for Nebraska’s 2016 season opener against Fresno State, when the Huskers, on their first punt of the game, lined up without a punter. That came in honor and memory of punter Sam Foltz, who died less than two months earlier in a car accident.

VS
 
No. 7: First Tunnel Walk
Two new Husker Vision screens had a test run during a pep rally the night before Nebraska’s home opener against UCLA in 1994, then a packed Memorial Stadium crowd the next day saw not only first replay boards to grace a college-only stadium, but the birth of the famed “Tunnel Walk” entrance.

 


THE BOWL REGION
 
No. 1: 1995 Orange: Nebraska 24, Miami 17
“And bring that trophy back to Lincoln!” The Huskers rallied with two fourth-quarter touchdowns, both on fullback traps, to defeat the pain-in-the-you-know-what Hurricanes on their home turf and deliver coach Tom Osborne his first national championship.

VS
 
No. 8: 1941 Rose Bowl: Stanford 21, Nebraska 13
The university canceled classes and students stormed the state capitol after the announcement of Nebraska’s first appearance in the Rose Bowl. But the Huskers finished the season 8-2 with a loss to the unbeaten and No. 2 Stanford Indians.

 

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No. 4: 1971 Orange: Nebraska 17, LSU 12
The third-ranked Huskers kicked off the game knowing No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Ohio State had both lost earlier that day. That cleared the path for Jerry Tagge’s leaping 1-yard TD run with 8:50 remaining that clinched Nebraska’s first national championship in program history.

VS
 
No. 5: 1998 Orange: Nebraska 42, Tennessee 17
Scott Frost’s passionate postgame speech in Tom Osborne’s final game as head coach perhaps proved as important as any play in the game itself, as the Huskers clinched a share of the national championship to send off their legendary coach.

 

-----------------------------------------------------

No. 3: 1996 Fiesta: Nebraska 62, Florida 24
“How many tackles can one man break?!” Tommie Frazier prompted that question after he shed Gator after Gator en route to his memorable touchdown run in the Huskers’ rout of Steve Spurrier-led Florida, completing back-to-back national titles.

VS
 
No. 6: 2000 Fiesta: Nebraska 31, Tennessee 21
A fumble-prone game at Texas may have been the only obstacle between Frank Solich-led Nebraska and a third national title in three years. Instead, No. 3 Nebraska ran the table, avenging the loss to Texas before jumping on the Volunteers early in a BCS Bowl Game victory.

 

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No. 2: 1972 Orange: Nebraska 38, Alabama 6
Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers returned a punt 77 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, and No. 1 Nebraska blasted unbeaten No. 2 Alabama for its second straight national title under coach Bob Devaney. The Huskers stretched their unbeaten streak to 32 games.

VS
 
No. 7: 1984 Orange: Miami 31, Nebraska 30
Kicking the extra point kick would’ve meant a tie finish and would’ve certainly assured Tom Osborne his first national title. But Osborne wanted no blemishes on this team’s record, so he decided for the two-point conversion after Jeff Smith’s touchdown in the final minute.

 


TOP NON-BOWL GAMES: DEVANEY/OSBORNE ERA
 
No. 1: Winning the Game of the Century
If you can recite Lyell Bremser’s call of Johnny Rodgers’ punt return on Thanksgiving Day in 1971, you might be a Husker fan. Even if you can’t, you’ve surely seen it, which qualifies you all the same. The day’s first touchdown sparked Nebraska’s 35-31 victory over No. 2 Oklahoma in a game for the ages.

VS
 
No. 8: Osborne Defeating The Bear
Unranked Nebraska gave one of its most complete, focused efforts of the young Osborne era to defeat the Bear Bryant-led Alabama Crimson Tide 31-24 in Lincoln in 1977. Alabama entered the game ranked No. 4 and finished the season No. 2, with its only loss coming to Nebraska.

 

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No. 4: Huskers Hushing the Buffaloes
Colorado entered the 1994 game ranked No. 2 and confident it would leave Lincoln with a victory over Tommie Frazier-less Nebraska. But the unbeaten Huskers, ranked No. 3, silenced Colorado with a resounding 24-7 victory in Memorial Stadium’s 200th consecutive sellout.

VS
 
No. 5: Huskers Haunting the Buffaloes
Never before had two teams met with the same AP rankings, but both Nebraska and Colorado entered the 1992 game in Lincoln at No. 8, although only team played the part in front of a raucous crowd on a dreary Halloween. Husker fans savored every touchdown, every sack of the 52-7 thumping that ended CU’s 25-game unbeaten conference streak.

 

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No. 3: Playing After the Death of Kennedy
Not until late Friday night, on the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, did university officials from Nebraska and Oklahoma, after consulting the Big 8 Conference and NCAA, decide to play Saturday’s game in 1963 as scheduled. There were no pregame ceremonies, and the crowd had a long silent tribute to Kennedy that preceded Nebraska’s 29-20 victory.

VS 

No. 6: Making a Miracle at Missouri
Forever known as “The Flea Kicker,” freshman receiver Matt Davison somehow slid his hands between the football and turf to catch a pass deflected off teammate Shevin Wiggins’s foot. The touchdown reception on the final play of regulation and Kris Brown’s point-after kick forced overtime, and quarterback Scott Frost scored on an option keeper to allow No. 1 Nebraska to escape with a 45-38 victory at Missouri in 1997.

 

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2: Osborne Breaking Through Against Sooners
Tom Osborne had lost all five games he’d coached against Barry Switzer and Oklahoma, and the top-ranked Sooners were favored to make it six straight in 1978. But on a cold, bitter day in Lincoln, No. 4 Nebraska forced nine fumbles, recovering six of them, in a 17-14 upset in front of one of the loudest crowds in Memorial Stadium history.

VS 

No. 7: Devaney Winning at Michigan
In only his second game as Nebraska’s coach, Bob Devaney took his underdog team to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and came away with a 25-13 upset of the Wolverines on Sept 29, 1962. Bill Thornton scored two touchdowns as the Huskers played in front of 70,787 fans – then the largest crowd to ever see a Nebraska football game. Some 2,500 fans greeted the team’s return at the Lincoln airport that night.

 

TOP NON-BOWL GAMES: PRE/POST DEVANEY/OSBORNE REGION
 
No. 1: Defeating the Four Horsemen
Notre Dame’s famed “Four Horsemen” – Harry Stuhldreher, James Crowley, Don Miller and Elmer Layden – lost only two of the 30 games they played together, and both losses came to Nebraska – 14-6 in 1922, and 14-7 in 1923, both games in Lincoln.

VS
 
No. 8: Defeating Red Grange
Three-time Illinois All-American Harold “Red” Grange scored a touchdown in 19 of 20 games he played. Nebraska was the only team to hold Grange scoreless in a 14-0 upset of the Illini in 1925 in Urbana, Illinois. Frank Dailey and John Rhodes scored the Huskers’ touchdowns.

 

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No. 4: Ending the Sooners’ Winning Streak
On Halloween in Lincoln in 1959, Nebraska, a decisive underdog to Oklahoma, shocked the Sooners 25-21 to end their 74-game conference winning streak. Students stormed the field and tore down the goal posts for the first time in Memorial Stadium history, and Chancellor Clifford Hardin canceled Monday’s classes to celebrate. Nebraska finished the year 4-6.

VS
 
No. 5: Making a Comeback for the Ages
Nebraska’s Big Ten Conference home debut in 2011 wasn’t going well. A so-so Ohio State team led 27-6 on a rainy night in Lincoln. Then LaVonte David saved the day, and maybe the season. The All-American linebacker stripped and recovered a fumble that led to a touchdown, and momentum swung, as Nebraska completed its largest comeback in school history with a 34-27 victory.

 

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No. 3 Avenging a Loss to Texas
Nebraska avenged its only loss of the 1999 season by defeating Texas 22-6 in the Big 12 Championship game in San Antonio. Eric Crouch had two touchdown runs, including one of 31 yards in the first quarter, and the Huskers ended a three-game losing skid against Texas, including a 24-20 defeat earlier that season in which Nebraska lost three fumbles in Austin.

VS
 
No. 6: Stunning the Gophers
Nebraska opened the 1937 season by giving coach Biff Jones a huge upset in his first came as the Huskers’ head coach. Nebraska upset three-time defending national champion Minnesota 14-9 despite gaining only 67 yards of total offense. 

 

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No. 2: Putting “Black 41 Flash Reverse” in the History Books
In another thriller between No. 3 Nebraska and No. 2 Oklahoma, the Huskers led 13-10 in the fourth quarter when coach Frank Solich called for “Black 41 Flash Reverse,” a play for the history books. Senior quarterback Eric Crouch caught the 63-yard pass from freshman Mike Stuntz on the trick play that secured a 20-10 victory, and likely Crouch’s Heisman Trophy.

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No.7: Clinching Division Title with Purify Catch
Maurice Purify caught Zac Taylor’s fade pass for a 9-yard touchdown with 21 seconds remaining, and the Huskers defeated Texas A&M 28-27 on the road to secure the Big 12 North Division title. The Aggies led 27-24 and had a chance to put the game away, but Barry Turner blocked a field goal with 1:57 remaining to set up the winning drive.