No Nebraska This Bowl Season but Lots of Memories From the Past

Nebraska didn't make it to a bowl this year, but today as some the major bowls were being played, random thoughts went through my mine from the past. As you will see, random is the proper word.

It seems like yesterday! In 1972, bowl games were very special. First of all, there wasn't that many bowls at that time. We have 32 today. There used to be a "Bluebonnet Bowl, a "Peach Bowl", and a "Tangerine Bowl". Heck, the Fiesta Bowl didn't start until 1971. Of course, we had the Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl, Rose, Bowl, and Sugar Bowl. It seemed that they were all played on January 1st even though they some were played on December 31st.

The bowls were special because we only had three stations on our TV. To see a bowl game on TV was an event to say the least. On January 1st, people would celebrate by getting together and watch the the bowl games. We didn't have ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN U, Fox, TBS, VS, or even the NFL channel. It was special!! We also didn't have the coverage of the teams like we have today. We read about them in the newspaper, but we didn't get to see the great teams play very often. We were lucky to see Nebraska play Oklahoma on Thanksgiving Day, a bowl game, and once in a great while another regular season game.

1972 was a special year for the Cornhuskers. We had won the first National Championship in 1971 beating LSU 17-12. That game is a story for another day because this writer attended that game.

But today we are going to talk about that Thanksgiving Day when we played the Game of the Century vs. Oklahoma; followed by some thoughts of the Orange Bowl game vs Alabama.

It was No. 1 Nebraska vs. No. 2 Oklahoma in front of 63,000 fans at Owens Field. Never has the quality of a game been so strong. Yes, there has been buildup of many games over the years. This game, however, featured two teams that performed brilliantly all day long. The errors of the game included three turnovers by Oklahoma and one by Nebraska. There was only one penalty the whole day, an offside penalty against Nebraska.

Oklahoma ran the record breaking Wishbone T. Nebraska was able to stop the main weapon of Greg Pruitt's end runs but was not able to stop the keeper, fullback, or most of the passing game.

Nebraska ran the I spread and the I slot. Oklahoma took away Nebraska's passing attack but Nebraska was able to the run the ball effectively. The difference in the game is the play all Nebraska fans remember. It was Johnny Rodger's punt return. It was the play we have heard called by Lyle Bremser a billion times and it is never enough. That play was the difference in the game that day.

Joe Wylie punted the ball high and deep which helped Rodgers' return. Oklahoma was down to him when he caught the ball. You can't describe the run. You have all seen it. Rodgers went 72 yards for the score!! He should have called a fair catch the way they had him covered. Greg Pruitt spun him around. Ken Jones almost had him. He darted, caught his balance, twisted, dodged, disappeared a couple of times and then ran for the end zone. Joe Blahak bumped Joe Wylie out of the way. He put the fans in the aisles. Man, woman, and child!!!

The Cornhuskers twice were able to get 11 point leads that day; 14-3 in the second quarter and 28-17 in the third quarter. Remember the punt return was in the first 3 1/2 minutes of the ballgame. But the punt return forced OU to fight from behind most of the day.

With seven minutes to go in the game, OU's QB Jack Mildren had ran for two touchdowns and passed for two more. Nebraska had the best defense in the country but Oklahoma had 467 total yards. Oklahoma also had a 31-28 lead. It was reported that Devaney lost his temper and yelled at the defense on the sideline "Why can't you guys give Rich Glover some help once in a while?" Rich Glover seemed to be doing it all that day.

Then is was NU's Jerry Tagge's turn to direct NU on the winning 74 yard drive. "Nobody said a word in the huddle but me," Tagge said. "We all just knew what had to be done." And they did it.
The drive took 12 plays and over five minutes. Jeff Kinney ran for 30 yards on two plays early in the drive. He broke a few tackles. Do you remember his torn up jersey? Tagge hit Rodgers on a third and eight with Rodgers making a great catch.

Jeff Kinney ran the ball into the end zone with little time left running behind All American Daryl White. Nebraska won 35-31 and we all felt great for hours, days, months, and years to come.

Alabama, behind Bear Bryant beat Auburn 31-7. A little bit of an upset as Pat Sullivan was the QB for Auburn. He would win the Heismann that year. All American Johnny Musso was the star for Alabama. Alabama was headed to the Orange Bowl to play Nebraska. We had never beaten Bear Bryant.

It was No. 1 Nebraska vs. No. 2 Alabama in the Orange Bowl for the National Championship. Jeff Kinney scored a touchdown followed by a 77 yard punt return by Johnny Rodgers. Jerry Tagge ran for a touchdown and so did Gary Dixon before half. NU led 28-0 at half.

Rich Sanger had a field goal and Van Brownson, subbing for Jerry Tagge scored also. NU went on to win 38-6 and beat Bear Bryant for the first time in three tries. Nebraska had won its second National championship in two years!!!!

It is fun to remember these times. Nebraska was not at a bowl this year. We will be in a bowl next year and the next year and so on. We will be back!!!!!!! Alabama had Bear and Nebraska now has Bo.