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2010 Jul 28
Ranking NU Teams Since 1980: No. 7
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In July, we’ll be ranking all 30 of Nebraska teams since 1980, worst to first. Be sure to keep track and argue along the way. Remember, too, to visit our 30 best games and 30 best players series since 1980, as well. Enjoy!
1982 Nebraska
Overall Record (Big 8/12): 12-1 (7-0)
Titles won: Big Eight Championship, Orange Bowl Championship
All-Americans: Running back Mike Rozier, Center Dave Rimington, 1st-team All-Americans. Rimington won the Outland and Lombardi trophies, as well.
Summary: One stinkin loss thanks to one of the worst officiating calls ever made prevented Nebraska from at least contending for the national title. Penn State - the team that beat NU - won it instead by beating Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
But that doesn’t diminish what was an incredible year for the Huskers - especially the offense. No, it wasn’t quite the “Scoring Explosion” of 1983. But it was close. NU averaged 518 yards per game, ran and passed with relative ease, and had the two-headed monster of Rozier and Roger Craig at running back. Throw in Jeff Smith averaging 10 yards per carry and Irving Fryar averaging 12.3, and it was one lethal unit.
Nebraska opened the year with a cozy 42-7 win over a good Iowa team and a 68-0 smashing over New Mexico State, gaining 667 yards and notching 43 first downs, both NCAA records.
Then a trip to Happy Valley, where a classic battle with the Nittany Lions - really the best game the two teams ever played - was marred by one terrible call. PSU took a 14-0 and 21-7 lead before quarterback Turner Gill rallied the troops with two 80-yard drives, the last of which ended with Gill’s touchdown run with 1:18 left to give NU a 24-21.
Penn State and Todd Blackledge managed a drive for the ages, going 65 yards in 10 plays for the winning score. But the key completion shouldn’t have counted. On third down, Blackledge hit Mike McCloskey at NU’s 3-yard line. The officials ruled he was in. TV replays not only showed McCloskey was out - he was out by several yards. He admitted as much almost 20 years later. That play and game - easily the best of the 1982 season - put PSU on a course for the national title (despite a loss to Alabama) and NU on a course for defining its season some other way.
Well, mission accomplished. Nebraska headed to No. 20 Auburn the following week and rolled 41-7. During the Big Eight campaign, NU survived another tight game with Missouri - was there any other kind in those days? - with a 23-19 win after scoring 14 fourth-quarter points. NU rolled its other opponents until playing Oklahoma for the Big Eight title. The Huskers prevailed 28-24 in a wild, offensive game. Rozier was outdueled by OU phenom Marcus Dupree, but Sooner quarterback Kelly Phelps threw two interceptions - including one that stopped any hope of a OU comeback right at the end. Scott Strasburger, a walk-on, made the pick, and was swarmed by Husker students rushing the field. It remains one of the best moments of spontaneous celebrations in Nebraska history.
Nebraska then headed to Hawaii for what appeared to be a lark. The Rainbows shocked the Big Red by taking a 16-7 lead into the fourth quarter. NU scored 30 points in the fourth quarter - Craig and Rozier both rushed for 100 yards in the game - to prevail 37-16.
In the Orange Bowl, NU prevailed over LSU 21-20 after falling behind 17-7. Nebraska overcame six turnovers for the win.
For the year, Nebraska sometimes had to get out of its own way to beat opponents, exploding for huge bursts of points after playing a half of uninspired football. Rimington led an excellent offensive line, plowing massive holes for the Huskers’ running backs. Gill grew as a quarterback, becoming one of the Huskers’ finest one year before his best year. Rozier flashed his considerable potential, while Craig and Smith supplied ample support. Fryar was one of the most explosive players in the country.
The defense, led by linebacker Steve Damkroger and defensive end Tony Felici flashed some, but not nearly all, of the weaknesses that became evident in 1983.
Highlight: The Oklahoma win. NU didn’t beat a vintage OU team, but it still meant a lot to the fans.
Lowlight: The call.
Check out the rest of the list!
No. 30, No. 29, No. 28, No. 27, No. 26, No. 25, No. 24, No. 23, No. 22, No. 21, No. 20, No. 19, No. 18, No. 17, No. 16, No. 15, No. 14, No. 13, No. 12, No. 11, No. 10, No. 9, No. 8
1982 Nebraska
Overall Record (Big 8/12): 12-1 (7-0)
Titles won: Big Eight Championship, Orange Bowl Championship
All-Americans: Running back Mike Rozier, Center Dave Rimington, 1st-team All-Americans. Rimington won the Outland and Lombardi trophies, as well.
Summary: One stinkin loss thanks to one of the worst officiating calls ever made prevented Nebraska from at least contending for the national title. Penn State - the team that beat NU - won it instead by beating Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
But that doesn’t diminish what was an incredible year for the Huskers - especially the offense. No, it wasn’t quite the “Scoring Explosion” of 1983. But it was close. NU averaged 518 yards per game, ran and passed with relative ease, and had the two-headed monster of Rozier and Roger Craig at running back. Throw in Jeff Smith averaging 10 yards per carry and Irving Fryar averaging 12.3, and it was one lethal unit.
Nebraska opened the year with a cozy 42-7 win over a good Iowa team and a 68-0 smashing over New Mexico State, gaining 667 yards and notching 43 first downs, both NCAA records.
Then a trip to Happy Valley, where a classic battle with the Nittany Lions - really the best game the two teams ever played - was marred by one terrible call. PSU took a 14-0 and 21-7 lead before quarterback Turner Gill rallied the troops with two 80-yard drives, the last of which ended with Gill’s touchdown run with 1:18 left to give NU a 24-21.
Penn State and Todd Blackledge managed a drive for the ages, going 65 yards in 10 plays for the winning score. But the key completion shouldn’t have counted. On third down, Blackledge hit Mike McCloskey at NU’s 3-yard line. The officials ruled he was in. TV replays not only showed McCloskey was out - he was out by several yards. He admitted as much almost 20 years later. That play and game - easily the best of the 1982 season - put PSU on a course for the national title (despite a loss to Alabama) and NU on a course for defining its season some other way.
Well, mission accomplished. Nebraska headed to No. 20 Auburn the following week and rolled 41-7. During the Big Eight campaign, NU survived another tight game with Missouri - was there any other kind in those days? - with a 23-19 win after scoring 14 fourth-quarter points. NU rolled its other opponents until playing Oklahoma for the Big Eight title. The Huskers prevailed 28-24 in a wild, offensive game. Rozier was outdueled by OU phenom Marcus Dupree, but Sooner quarterback Kelly Phelps threw two interceptions - including one that stopped any hope of a OU comeback right at the end. Scott Strasburger, a walk-on, made the pick, and was swarmed by Husker students rushing the field. It remains one of the best moments of spontaneous celebrations in Nebraska history.
Nebraska then headed to Hawaii for what appeared to be a lark. The Rainbows shocked the Big Red by taking a 16-7 lead into the fourth quarter. NU scored 30 points in the fourth quarter - Craig and Rozier both rushed for 100 yards in the game - to prevail 37-16.
In the Orange Bowl, NU prevailed over LSU 21-20 after falling behind 17-7. Nebraska overcame six turnovers for the win.
For the year, Nebraska sometimes had to get out of its own way to beat opponents, exploding for huge bursts of points after playing a half of uninspired football. Rimington led an excellent offensive line, plowing massive holes for the Huskers’ running backs. Gill grew as a quarterback, becoming one of the Huskers’ finest one year before his best year. Rozier flashed his considerable potential, while Craig and Smith supplied ample support. Fryar was one of the most explosive players in the country.
The defense, led by linebacker Steve Damkroger and defensive end Tony Felici flashed some, but not nearly all, of the weaknesses that became evident in 1983.
Highlight: The Oklahoma win. NU didn’t beat a vintage OU team, but it still meant a lot to the fans.
Lowlight: The call.
Check out the rest of the list!
No. 30, No. 29, No. 28, No. 27, No. 26, No. 25, No. 24, No. 23, No. 22, No. 21, No. 20, No. 19, No. 18, No. 17, No. 16, No. 15, No. 14, No. 13, No. 12, No. 11, No. 10, No. 9, No. 8
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Tags: 30 best teams since 1980, turner gill, mike rozier, irving fryar, roger craig
Home > Blogs > Official Husker Locker Blog > Ranking NU Teams Since 1980: No. 7
That call is an understatement. You could tell he was out of bounds without instant replay and it was on the far side of the field (from the camera that is).
– Aug 1, 2010
Awesome, awesome team. A shame what happened in Happy Valley. PSU fans like to say NU got lucky on a fumble that was ruled properly. Oh, well. It was too bad how NU's defense didn't do too well against the Lions in both '81 and '82.
HL makes some great observations about this team's patterns (which some people might not remember today) - how it would stutter at times and explode at others. Nonetheless, some incredible talent and great players on both sides of the ball. A complete team.
We're getting down to where it's splitting hairs over 1-loss teams. But while I don't know that I would have ranked this team ahead of '93 - which just seemed to have something special - I agree with jthornton in that I certainly would have put it in front of the '99 team.
– Jul 29, 2010
You have this team ranked too low. I'd put them at No. 5, behind '95, '97, '94 and '83. These guys were more explosive than '93 and certainly better than the fumblers of '99.
– Jul 28, 2010