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Cotton Bowl 1974
Nebraska 19 Texas 3 |
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By John Anders The Dallas Morning News
Basking in the relative warmth of the sunsplashed, 30-degree afternoon, the Cornhuskers unthawed and came alive before a crowd of 67,500 Tuesday in the Cotton Bowl.
The overnight low in Lincoln after all, had been 25 degrees BELOW zero that same day, so Cornhuskers probably had more problems with heat exhaustion Tuesday than with Texas offense, which appeared to be in hibernation.
That Nebraska won the football game wasn't shocking, even though the Longhorns were favored by as much as a touchdown. The great jolt was the way the proud Longhorns were manhandled in a 19-3 defeat.
With the exception of a brilliant goalline stand inspired by the game's Most Valuable defensive player, UT's Wade Johnston, there were few plays that Texas could "hang its hat on" as Darrell Royal might say.
Meanwhile the Cornhusker offense got inspired leadership from second-team quarterback Steve Runty in the second half and rolled to two third-quarter touchdowns that gave Nebraska's new coach Tom Osborne his first bowl victory. Yet it was the pounding, aggressive Nebraska defense that made the ultimate difference.
Suddenly, two of the Wishbone's triple options were a punt or a fumble. And for once, All-American fullback Roosevelt Leaks was not a factor, unless you include his freakish fumble which was recovered in mid-air by defensive end Steve Manstedt and returned 67 yards to the UT 6-yard line resulting in a field goal that left the score tied 3-3 at halftime.
Leaks gained only 48 yards in 13 carries as Nebraska defenders Manstedt, middle guard John Bell and tackle John Dutton slammed him violently each time he came forward the line of scrimmage. Several times Roosevelt was hit for losses before he could gain momentum. And once he left the game after reinjuring his knee.
Nebraska stopped Leaks on the inside, and everybody else on the outside. And the nation-leading Cornhusker pass defense lived up to its well-earned reputation, holding the Longhorn quarterbacks Marty Akins and Mike Presley to a combined total of seven completions for 90 yards, most of them harmless.
All in all, the Longhorns were able to assemble only a puny 196 yards of offense. Seldom in Darrell Royal's incredibly successful tenure at Texas have the Longhorns been so superbly defensed. The Cornhuskers guarded their territory jealously and shared in one another's success. Middle guard Bell came off blocks from UT All-American center Bill Wyman to make tackles on sweeps. Manstedt caught the midair fumble off the boot of Leaks for the big runback, and took the UT pitchman with such devastating effectiveness that this option was virtually nil. Repeatedly Akins would roll out to find no options available. The corner was shut off, the pitch man was covered. What's a mother to do.
Of course, neither team showed much offense in the first half, although Nebraska seemed to have the edge until Wade Johnston was involved in four straight tackles at the goal line stand at the UT one. It was a victory, of sorts for the Longhorns, who whooped and ran up the ramp at halftime as though things would be different in the second half.
They were.
Nebraska had only a 24-yard field goal by Rich Sanger to show for its first half offense, which tied Texas after the Horns' Billy Schott kicked a 22-yarder following a recovery of a Tony Davis fumble by Wade Johnston.
Johnston was in tears after the contest and could offer no explanation for Texas' impotence. "We just fell apart, I guess," he said. "I don't know..."
What Steve Runty did to the Longhorns in the second half was enough to make grown men cry. Taking over for starter Dave Humm, who wasn't having much luck fighting a strong crosswind, Runty got the 'Huskers goalward-bound following a 42-yard missed field goal return by defensive back Bob Thornton, a big play artist on this particular afternoon.
Runty worked a superb draw to I-back Tony Davis for 11 yards, hit wingback Ritch Bahe on a sprint-out pass for 17 more, and a few plays later ran Bahe back through the middle on a counter for an 8-yard touchdown. This capped an 8-play 59-yard run with 3:05 remaining in the third quarter. And somehow you knew things would never be the same again for Texas.
Less than a minute later, the roof fell in. Akins rolled left with Lonnie Bennett in tow and soon a trio of Nebraskans beset them. Akins tried an imprudent pitch that flew behind Bennett and Bell recovered for Nebraska at UT's 19. Tony Davis, the game's outstanding offensive star, bolted 10 yards on one play, then three yards on a pitch to his right on the next play and scored from three yards out.
Jay Arnold blocked the extra point, leaving the door open a tad at 16-3 at the end of the third quarter.
Texas went with No. 2 quarterback Mike Presley, a superior passer, in the fourth quarter, but Thornton and his secondary crew kept jealously close to UT receivers. Even as the Horns were driving toward the late score that would have saved a humiliation, the Huskers were ready. Ardell Johnson intercepted a pass in the last four seconds of play after UT had driven to the Nebraska 32. The final insult.
Nebraska actually clinched matters with Sanger's booming 43-yard field goal with 8:02 left. Earlier Schott saw a 44-yard field goal attempt strike the left crossbar and bounce mockingly away. This should have been a sign to Texas. When tackle Doug English left the game in the second quarter with back spasms, UT's pass rush gave up the ghost. Another sign.
UT had a few defensive gems in the first half, including Glen Gaspard's interception just beyond the line of scrimmage at the Texas 35. And freshman safety Joe Bob Bizzell swept under a pass tipped by teammate Terry Melancon. But the second half and the Cotton Bowl belonged to the hard running Cornhuskers, who brought some 20,000 Nebraska fans with them to Dallas.
The memory of this upset triumph should warm Husker hearts through the cold, hard winter. And UT's loss may have put Texas supporters in the deep freeze for a while.
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Tony Davis carried for 106 yards for the Huskers. |
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The Nebraska defense put the clamps to Texas' wishbone all afternoon. |
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One of few high points for Texas was this Davis fumble. |
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Steve Manstedt grabbed a Leaks fumble out of midair and returned it 67 yards. |
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Tom Osborne got his first bowl win. |
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Attendance- 68,500
Scoring Summary
First Quarter UT- FG Schott 22
Second Quarter NU- FG Sanger 24
Third Quarter NU- Bahe 12 run (Sanger kick) NU- Davis 3 run (Sanger kick blocked)
Fourth Quarter: NU- FG Sanger 43
Individual Statistics
Rushing NU - Davis 28-106, Humm 6-29, Powell 6-27, Bahe 7-26, Damkroger 5-19, Runty 1-16, UT- Akins 15-44, Leaks 13-48, Bennett 2-12, Aboussie 3-8, Clayborn 2-5
Passing NU- Humm 5-13-75 UT- Akins 0-4-1, Presley 7-13-90
Receiving NU- Bahe 2-35, Anderson 1-20, Damkroger 1-16, Longwell 1-12, Davis 2-8 UT- Alford 3-32, Moore 1-20, Clayborn 2-18, Kelly 1-20
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Surely
it must have been the heat that got to Nebraska. 
