Welcome to installment No. 5 of ‘The Cob’s Archive Dive’, where each week, I’ll share Associated Press headlines and excerpts from past articles printed in the Falls City Journal. No matter what your age, hopefully you’ll find a piece of Husker football history that makes you feel the sights and sounds of gameday.
On this day in Cornhusker Football History:
September 19, 1970 – Headline: Coaches Feel Tie Better than Losing
The football coaches of Nebraska and the University of Southern California are in complete agreement on one point today. “A tie? It’s better than losing,” said John McKay of the Trojans, following the 21-21 tie Saturday night with the Cornhuskers. “Hell no,” declared Bob Devaney of Nebraska, “I’m not satisfied with a tie but it’s better than losing.” Trailing most of the night Trojan quarterback Jimmy Jones guided Clarence Davis and his other backs 80 yards for the tying touchdown, 21-21. There was 8:16 remaining on the clock. Forcing the question: Did McKay consider a two-point conversion instead of the point after? “If we had scored with less than five minutes to play, we would have gone for two points,” McKay said. There were an estimated 8,000 Nebraska rooters on hand. They were happiest when Husker tailback Joe Orduna, cut loose for 67 yards and a 14-14 tie breaking caper in the third quarter.
(This game was pivotal for Nebraska’s 1970 season, as there is a good chance the Huskers do not win the national championship with a loss against USC. And as you can see, Husker fans traveling is nothing new.)
September 15, 1980 – Headline: ‘Huskers Can Still Improve’
A quick look at eighth-ranked Nebraska’s 55-9 season opening victory Saturday over Utah would indicate the Cornhuskers would need little polishing in pursuit of an impressive 1980 football season. The Huskers racked up 545 yards rushing, 127 passing, scored on their first three possessions and held Utah to under 150 yards rushing and 150 yards passing. Nothing wrong with that for a first game. Not so, according to coach Tom Osborne. “The poorest thing about the offense was we had three or four penalties to take us out of scoring situations. The defense gave up too many big plays and our play particularly dropped off after the first team came off the field.”
(In 1980 the Utah program was still part of the Mountain West Conference. It wasn’t until Urban Meyer was hired, they moved to the Pac-12, and Kyle Whittingham took over that the Utes became the powerhouse we know today.)
August 24, 1990 – Headline: Osborne on Huskers
Tom Osborne spoke to the Big Eight Skywriters in a news conference today, apologizing for his ability to put news reporters to sleep. Maybe part of that is due to Osborne’s consistency, he has never had a season without at least nine wins. He is the nation’s winningest active Division I coach, and reporters expect more of the same.
“I think our offensive strengths lie in two positions this year. We have outstanding tight ends, and we are particularly blessed at I-back. Leodis Flowers is a very good player,” Osborne said. Behind Flowers are pair of freshmen projected as future stars – Calvin Jones and Derek Brown. The Huskers have seven starters returning on defense, led by Reggie Cooper, Pat Tyrance, Mike Croel, and Bruce Pickens.
Bonus Story: Barry Switzer, head coach of Oklahoma, accused Lou Holtz and Notre Dame of inducing Tony Brooks by offering him a high paying job. Switzer said Brooks was given a job paying $13.50 an hour after signing a letter of intent with the Irish. Several scandals, including NCAA rules violations, forced Switzer to resign before the 1989 season. (So, which is crazier, Switzer complaining about someone breaking the rules, or calling $13.50 an hour a high paying job in today’s NIL world where players are making millions.)
September 2, 2000 – Headline: Huskers Put Heat on Spartans Early
Eric Crouch was off-limits to tacklers during fall camp. It looked like much of the same in the Husker’s season opener, when Crouch scored three touchdowns and passed for another as Nebraska beat San Jose State 49-13. Crouch only rushed for 57 yards, but he didn’t need to be the leading rusher. Dan Alexander ran for 208 yards and two TDs and Correll Buckhalter had 117 yards. The Huskers scored on their first four possessions and didn’t punt until the fourth quarter. “It was just option football – power football. That’s what we do,” Crouch said. Nebraska wore down the smaller Spartans on an afternoon when temperatures reached 120 on the artificial turf. The Huskers had 505 yards rushing, while winning their 15th straight opener. While the offense backed up Nebraska’s No. 1 ranking, the defense did not. The Spartans gained 346 yards and had three apparent touchdowns nullified because of penalties.
(This was Nebraska’s 15th straight home opening win. For reference, four of the teams were Iowa, Utah, Texas A&M, and Florida State. We continually hear about how hard Nebraska’s 2026 schedule is, but their home opener certainly isn’t of this caliber.)
Be sure to look for next week’s edition as the ‘Cob’ dives into each week’s headlines of the season as they once appeared in the Falls City Journal.
GO BIG RED!! SIMPLE, FAST VIOLENT!!
All headlines and excerpts were gathered from Associated Press articles, and most but not all were published in the Falls City Journal. Home – Falls City Journal – Falls City, NE
Photographs were gathered from multiple sources.
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