50 years ago today: Nebraska wins its second straight national title

LINCOLN, Neb. – 50 years ago today, Nebraskans were waking up to bitterly cold temperatures hovering near zero, something not all that different from 2022.

One notable difference however? They were preparing to watch the Nebraska football team win a second straight national championship, rather than watching other teams in their bowl games for the fifth straight year.

Nebraska concluded its 1971 season on Jan. 1, 1972, wrapping it up with a convincing 38-6 win over previously-unbeaten Alabama. The decisive victory gave the Huskers their second straight national title under head coach Bob Devaney and continued a run of 32 straight games without a loss.

The season included the famed Game of the Century, which the Huskers won over No. 2 Oklahoma, 35-31, in Norman. It was the only game of the season that a Nebraska opponent came within three scores of the Huskers. Nebraska’s second closest game of the season was a 31-7 triumph over No. 9 Colorado.

In the Orange Bowl, the Huskers’ offense was buoyed early on by a pair of stars from the Game of the Century, with Jeff Kinney scoring the opening touchdown, followed later in the first quarter by a 77-yard punt return touchdown by future Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers.

With short touchdowns by Orange Bowl offensive MVP Jerry Tagge and Gary Dixon in the second quarter, Nebraska held a commanding 28-0 halftime lead.

Alabama got its lone score in the third quarter on a Terry Davis touchdown run. Nebraska added a Rich Sanger field goal and a touchdown run by backup quarterback Van Brownson.

Despite the lopsided score, Nebraska only outgained Alabama by four yards, 292 to 288. And while Nebraska was known for its power running attack, and would grow that reputation even more under then-offensive coordinator and eventual-head coach Tom Osborne, the Huskers had a mostly balanced offensive output against the Crimson Tide, passing for 159 yards and rushing 133.

The Huskers went on to receive all 55 first-place votes in the AP poll. Nebraska gained all but two of the first place votes in the UPI coaches poll. The other two went to Alabama – the vote for that poll was taken prior to the game.

It took 23 more seasons before Nebraska would win its next national title, winning three in a span of four seasons under Osborne. Alabama would go on to win a national championship two seasons later. The Crimson Tide have won 10 national crowns since losing to Nebraska in the Orange Bowl 50 years ago.