11-12-24
“SHELL–SHOCKER”
Howard Brantz of the Omaha World-Herald described the game as a “shell-shocker.” Hal Brown of the Sunday Journal and Star wrote that the game “threatened” to turn into a track meet “early in the second half and wound up in a dead heat.”
The game about which they wrote was Nebraska-USC in 1970 at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The Huskers were ranked No. 9, the Trojans No. 3. Nebraska, which had won eight in a row going back to 1969, was a two-touchdown underdog, according to the 1971 Husker media guide.
The final score: Nebraska 21, USC 21.
A defense “that was supposed to be a Husker weakness” preserved the tie, Brown wrote.
Weakness? The defense included future Outland Trophy winners Larry Jacobson and Rich Glover, a back-up in 1970, future two-time All-American Willie Harper, Jerry Murtaugh, Dave Walline and . . .
You get the idea. The Husker defense had talent.
Nebraska stopped the Trojans three times in the final 4:47, with defensive backs Jim Anderson and Tom McClelland breaking up Jimmy Jones’ desperation, 50-yard, would-be touchdown pass in the end zone on the final play. The game “aged me 30 years,” Nebraska linebackers coach John Melton was quoted as telling defensive backs coach Warren Powers in the coaches’ box afterward.
“But you know Warren, I think our defense grew up a little tonight. And they’ll be better.”
The defense was good enough to recover 15 fumbles and intercept 30 passes for a team that would win its final 10 games and earn Bob Devaney’s first national championship.
But back to USC, which dropped to No. 7 after the loss and fell out of the rankings after a third loss at the end of October. Coach John McKay’s Trojans finished 6-4-1.
The Blackshirts had to step up. Nebraska turned over the ball six times, three interceptions and three fumbles. The defense responded with two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. The Huskers never trailed, but each time they scored, USC was able to respond, the last time with 6:44 remaining.
Nebraska had a chance to take a 10-point lead with 11 minutes remaining, but Paul Rogers, “the greatest field goal kicker in Nebraska history” according to the Sunday Journal Star, missed a 12-yard field goal because of a bad snap. The Huskers faced fourth-and-goal at the USC 6-yard line.
Nebraska used some trickery to score early in the second quarter. Split end Guy Ingles caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from fullback Dan Schneiss. The Trojans scored six minutes later. But the Huskers took a 14-7 halftime lead on a 15-yard Jerry Tagge pass to Johnny Rodgers with 54 seconds left.
USC tied the score with 6:31 remaining in the third quarter but less than a minute later, the Huskers regained the lead when Joe Orduna ran 67 yards for a touchdown.
The Trojans tied the score on a 9-yard Clarence Davis touchdown run with 6:44 remaining.
The Nebraska media guide recap had the total yardage as close as the game, USC with 366, the Huskers 365. The World-Herald reported Nebraska had the advantage, 365-360.
The crowd of 73,768 included more than 12,000 Husker fans. According to the Sunday Journal and Star, Nebraska ticket manager Jim Pittinger’s office sold 7,000 tickets and the “Californians for Nebraska” booster club sold 5,000. No doubt, other Husker fans bought tickets directly.
Whatever the exact number, by game’s end they were probably “shell-shocked,” as Brantz wrote.
Mike Babcock
