DEFINING LOSS
It was arguably the most meaningful game in Tom Osborne’s coaching career until the national championship run in the 1990s, and maybe the most defining overall.
Undefeated and No. 1 Nebraska lost to No. 5 Miami 31-30 in the Orange Bowl—the 50th.
Miami, led by redshirt freshman quarterback Bernie Kosar, lost its opener against Florida before 10 consecutive victories.
Anyway, Milton Richman of the United Press International, which had one of the two major polls at the time, wrote afterward: “The Nebraska Cornhuskers lost the game, but not their dignity. For that, they can thank their coach, Tom Osborne . . . no other coach I can immediately think of embodied good coaching principles more or served as a better model of correctitude to his players.”
Ken Denlinger of The Washington Post wrote: “The Cornhuskers cost themselves the national championship but won something more worthy: a nation’s admiration. When shooting for a near-cinch kick for one point that would have tied Miami at 31 and enable him to have the only unbeaten team in the land, Osborne – bless him – went for the moon.”
Here’s how the game ended. Husker I-back Jeff Smith, playing because Heisman Trophy-winner Mike Rozier was sidelined by injury, ran 24 yards for a touchdown, on fourth-and-8, with 48 seconds remaining. Smith’s touchdown cut the score to 31-30.
Nebraska had no timeouts, so Osborne had no break to settle on a play. He could have sent in Scott Livingston to kick the extra point, giving the Huskers a tie and, the overwhelming consensus was, a national championship. Instead, Osborne went for two and the win.
Quarterback Turner Gill rolled to his right and threw a pass intended for Smith in the end zone. The ball was slightly behind Smith and deflected by Miami’s Kenny Calhoun, incomplete.
“Osborne showed that he and his team and his college and his state loved winning so much that they would take the chance of losing,” George Vecsey of The New York Times wrote.
Rewind to the day before the game. Ironically, during a news conference Osborne was asked if he would play for a tie if it meant winning a national championship.
He said, “if it came down to a 2-pointer, or if I were inside their 10-yard line, I’d have to go for it,” instead of kicking a field goal to tie. “That’s a one-in-a-hundred question. I hope the situation doesn’t arise because if it does, I’m going to be crucified, one way or the other.”
It came up, and he wasn’t crucified for his decision to play for the win, as the quotes reflect.
Nebraska players said the same things.
Offensive tackle Scott Raridon, who snapped on place kicks, said after Smith’s touchdown he didn’t move to center. “I didn’t move an inch,” he said. “I knew we weren’t going to kick it. We’ll never tie a game here. At least I don’t think we’ll ever tie a game here on purpose.”
Miami was voted national champion, Nebraska No. 2.
Hurricane Coach Howard Schnellenberger, who arrived at the Orange Bowl Stadium on Media Day via helicopter, said he wasn’t surprised. “He (Osborne) knew he was going for two,” said Schnellenberger. “I knew he was going for two. Everybody in Nebraska knew he was going for two. He’s a champion. He’s a class man. He’s a winner, and he did what those kinds of people would do.”
A defining moment, following a loss?
Under the rules now, it couldn’t have happened.
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An oddity. Nebraska’s respect for Kosar was such Husker strong safety Mike McCashland and cornerback Dave Burke switched jersey numbers. McCashland wore Burke’s No. 33, Burke wore McCashland’s No. 2. The officials were notified in advance of the game.
Kosar, named the game’s MVP, completed 19-of-35 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. Afterward, Kosar said he noted where defensive backs lined up and wasn’t concerned about jersey numbers.
Mike Babcock
