The 1972 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the

University of Nebraska A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

in the

1972 NCAA University Division football season The 1972 NCAA University Division football season saw the USC Trojans, coached by John McKay, go undefeated and win the national championship as the unanimous choice of the 50 AP panelists. Eighth-ranked in the preseason, the Trojans were narro ...

. The team was coached by

Bob Devaney Robert Simon Devaney (April 13, 1915 – May 9, 1997) was a college football coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Wyoming from 1957 to 1961 and at the University of Nebraska from 1962 to 1972, compiling a career record of . ...

, in his eleventh and final season with the Huskers, and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...

. Nebraska, national champions in

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (''Extreme''). Between 10,000 and ...

and

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...

, entered the season top-ranked in the polls, with a 23-game winning streak and a 32-game unbeaten streak.

Schedule

Source:

Roster

Coaching staff

Game summaries

UCLA

Unranked

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

, sporting their new

wishbone Wishbone commonly refers to: * Furcula, a fork-shaped bone in birds and some dinosaurs Wishbone may also refer to: * Wish-Bone, an American salad dressing and condiment company * Wishbone formation, a type of offense in American football * Wish ...

offense led by junior college transfer Mark Harmon, handed #1 Nebraska its first loss in 33 games, and broke Nebraska's 23-game winning streak, both at that time active NCAA records. The Cornhuskers were upset in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

after suffering four fumbles and giving up two interceptions, though the game was not decided until UCLA's

Efren Herrera Efren or Efrén is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Efrén Echeverría (born 1932), musician guitarist, composer, and compiler from Paraguay *Efrén Pérez Rivera (born 1929), former college professor and noted Puerto Rican envi ...

kicked a field goal to break the tie with just 22 seconds remaining. The upset loss dropped Nebraska from first to tenth in the AP Poll rankings.

Texas A&M

Due to a stadium expansion completed over the summer, Nebraska's home opener drew record attendance with slightly more than 76,000 spectators. Nebraska recovered from the loss to UCLA with a dominant 37–7 victory over Texas A&M, whose sole touchdown came late in the 4th quarter against Cornhusker reserves.

Army

Nebraska entirely stomped Army, with the Cornhusker reserves taking over in the 3rd quarter behind a very comfortable lead, and the Black Knights' lone score to prevent the shutout came on a 10-yard pass reception with just 35 seconds left to play.

Minnesota

For the third straight week, Nebraska dominated the game in every way, shutting out Minnesota while piling up 542 yards of offense.

Missouri

Nebraska was not affected by the week off, and thoroughly pounded Missouri 62-0. Although the scoreboard and statistics might suggest Missouri was out of their league against Nebraska, the Tigers went on after this painful shutout to upset Notre Dame and Colorado in their next two games.

Kansas

The shutouts and domination continued, as Nebraska scored at will against Kansas in Lawrence, and held the Jayhawks to just 63 total yards of offense and only 4 1st downs.

Oklahoma State

Nebraska tied a 1937 NCAA record of 4 straight shutouts, and although Oklahoma State was not as easy to push around as the previous three opponents, the Cornhuskers still had little trouble getting the win.

Colorado

Colorado attempted to put some more challenge into the event than Nebraska had been seeing in recent games, and was even able to draw back from a 0-19 deficit to get within 9 by halftime and end Nebraska's shutout streak, but it was all Cornhusker points the rest of the way. Still, the

Blackshirts The Voluntary Militia for National Security ( it, Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale, MVSN), commonly called the Blackshirts ( it, Camicie Nere, CCNN, singular: ) or (singular: ), was originally the paramilitary wing of the Nation ...

mourned the end of their touchdown-free stretch at 17 quarters.

Iowa State

Iowa State pretty much ended any Nebraska hopes for another national title, as the Cornhuskers gave up two interceptions and six fumbles to help the Cyclones stay in the game. Nebraska came back from behind to pull ahead 20-17 in the 4th, and padded the lead with a field goal when the clock was down to just 1:03, but Iowa State stormed back down the field to score again with 0:23 remaining, and would have won the game outright if the subsequent PAT had not failed and ended the game tied at 23.

Kansas State

Nebraska put up Coach Devaney's 100th career win as the Cornhuskers easily trampled Kansas State in Lincoln and had reserves in the game for playing time while cruising behind a comfortable 38-0 lead even prior to the half. The Wildcats finally put up a touchdown with just over 6 minutes remaining to play.

Oklahoma

It looked like Nebraska's day on

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and ...

in Devaney's final home game as head coach. They led at the half and were up in the 3rd, but underdog Oklahoma scored seventeen unanswered points for Nebraska's three-year home winning streak, which began in September 1969, ended at

Notre Dame

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...

winner

Johnny Rodgers Johnny Steven Rodgers (born July 5, 1951) is an American former football player. He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and won the Heisman Trophy in 1972. Rodgers played professionally in the Canadian Football League (CFL) ...

was shifted from WB to IB for the

1973 Orange Bowl The 1973 Orange Bowl was the 39th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, on Monday, January 1. The final game of the 1972–73 bowl season, it matched the ninth-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers of the ...

, and flashed brilliance as he ran for three touchdowns, caught a touchdown pass, and also threw a fifth touchdown. The Cornhuskers scored with ease and often against the stunned

Fighting Irish The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are the athletic teams that represent the University of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish participate in 23 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I intercollegiate sports and in the NCAA's Divisi ...

, who were unable to put any points up of their own until the 4th quarter. This was head coach

's final game, a third straight

Orange Bowl The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935, making it, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl, the second-oldest bowl game ...

victory, and second straight Orange Bowl rout.

Rankings

Awards

1972 Team Players in the NFL

The 1972 Nebraska Cornhuskers seniors selected in the 1973 NFL Draft: {, class="wikitable" width="60%" , - align="center" style=";" , Player , , Position , , Round , , Pick , , Franchise , - align="center" bgcolor="" ,

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San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...

, - align="center" bgcolor="" , Willie Harper, , LB , , 2 , , 41 , ,

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

, - align="center" bgcolor="" , Monte Johnson , , LB , , 2 , , 49 , ,

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...

, - align="center" bgcolor="" ,

Bill Olds William Henry Olds (born February 21, 1951) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for four seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and was sel ...

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Rich Glover Richard Edward Glover (born February 6, 1950) is a former professional football player, a defensive tackle for the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Nebraska under head c ...

, , DT , , 3 , , 69 , ,

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

, - align="center" bgcolor="" , Doug Dumler , , C , , 5 , , 108 , ,

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...

, - align="center" bgcolor="" ,

Joe Blahak Joseph Philip Blahak (August 29, 1950 – April 25, 2016) was a professional American football, football player, a defensive back for several National Football League (NFL) teams in the mid-1970s. He played college football at the Nebraska Cornh ...

, , DB , , 8 , , 183 , ,

Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 a ...

, - align="center" bgcolor="" , Bill Janssen , , T , , 8 , , 206 , ,

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

, - align="center" bgcolor="" , Dave Mason , , DB , , 10 , , 246 , ,

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...

, - align="center" bgcolor="" , Jerry List , , TE , , 11 , , 283 , ,

, - align="center" bgcolor="" The 1972 Nebraska Cornhuskers juniors selected in the following year's

1974 NFL Draft The 1974 NFL draft took place at the Americana Hotel in New York City, New York, on January 29–30, 1974. Each of the 26 NFL teams were granted 17 selections for a total of 442 picks. Many experts consider the 1974 Pittsburgh Steelers to have h ...

: {, class="wikitable" width="60%" , - align="center" style=";" , Player , , Position , , Round , , Pick , , Franchise , - align="center" bgcolor="" , John Dutton , , DE , , 1 , , 5 , , Baltimore Colts , - align="center" bgcolor="" , Steve Manstedt, , LB , , 4 , , 79 , ,

, - align="center" bgcolor="" , Daryl White , , G , , 4 , , 98 , ,

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...

, - align="center" bgcolor="" , Bob Wolfe , , T , , 6 , , 156 , ,

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...

, - align="center" bgcolor="" , Maury Damkroger , , LB , , 7 , , 178 , ,

, - align="center" bgcolor="" , Frosty Anderson , , WR , , 10 , , 235 , ,

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

The 1972 Nebraska Cornhuskers sophomores selected in the

1975 NFL Draft The 1975 National Football League draft was held January 28–29, 1975, at the New York Hilton at Rockefeller Center in New York City, New York. With the first overall pick of the draft, the Atlanta Falcons selected quarterback Steve Bartko ...

: {, class="wikitable" width="60%" , - align="center" style=";" , Player , , Position , , Round , , Pick , , Franchise , - align="center" bgcolor="" ,

Tom Ruud Thomas Robert Ruud (born July 26, 1953, in Olivia, Minnesota) is a former professional football player, a linebacker for the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL. At 6'3" 223 lb, he played college football for the Nebraska Cornhusk ...

, , LB , , 1 , , 19 , ,

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

, - align="center" bgcolor="" , Bob Nelson, , LB , , 2 , , 42 , ,

, - align="center" bgcolor="" , John Starkebaum , , DB , , 4 , , 92 , ,

, - align="center" bgcolor="" ,

David Humm David Henry Humm (April 2, 1952 – March 27, 2018) was an American professional football player who played as a quarterback in the NFL from 1975– 84 for the Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders, the Buffalo Bills, and the Baltimore Colts. He pl ...

, , QB , , 5 , , 128 , ,

, - align="center" bgcolor="" , Don Westbrook , , WR , , 6 , , 131 , , Baltimore Colts , - align="center" bgcolor="" , Mark Doak , , T , , 6 , , 147 , ,

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

, - align="center" bgcolor="" , Ardell Johnson , , DB , , 11 , , 277 , ,

, - align="center" bgcolor="" , Ritch Bahe , , WR , , 14 , , 358 , ,

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

, - align="center" bgcolor="" , Dennis Pavelka , , G , , 16 , , 412 , ,

, - align="center" bgcolor="" , Stan Hegener , , G , , 17 , , 442 , ,

NFL and Pro Players

The following is a list of 1972 Nebraska players
who joined a professional team as draftees or free agents.
{, class="wikitable" , - ! Name ! Team , - , Tom Alward ,

Birmingham Vulcans The Birmingham Vulcans were a professional American football team located in Birmingham, Alabama. They were members of the five-team Eastern Division of the World Football League (WFL). The Vulcans, founded in March 1975, played in the upstart lea ...

, - ,

, - , Tony Davis ,

, - , Gary Dixon ,

Southern California Sun The Southern California Sun were an American football team based in Anaheim, California that played in the World Football League in 1974 and 1975. Their records were 13-7 in 1974 and 7-5 in 1975. Their home stadium was Anaheim Stadium. They wer ...

, - , Mark Doak ,

, - , Maury Damkroger ,

, - , Doug Dumler ,

, - , John Dutton , Baltimore Colts , - ,

, - , Willie Harper ,

, - , Dave Humm ,

, - , Bill Janssen , Charlotte Hornets , - , Monte Johnson ,

, - , Brent Longwell ,

Memphis Southmen The Memphis Southmen, also known as the Memphis Grizzlies, were an American football team based in Memphis, Tennessee. They played in the World Football League (WFL), which operated in 1974 and 1975. They played their home games at Liberty Bowl M ...

, - , Terry Luck ,

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...

, - , Steve Manstedt ,

Birmingham Americans The Birmingham Americans were a professional American football team located in Birmingham, Alabama. They were members of the four-team Central Division of the World Football League (WFL). The Americans, founded in late December 1973, played in th ...

, - , Dave Mason ,

, - , Bob Nelson ,

, - ,

, Baltimore Colts , - , Tom Pate ,

Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Tim Hortons Fiel ...

, - ,

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the Canadian F ...

, - ,

, - , Bob Schmit ,

Portland Storm The Portland Thunder (originally Portland Storm) was an American football team in the World Football League based out of Portland, Oregon. When the World Football League was created in October 1973, the Storm was the original New York franchise. ...

, - , Don Westbrook ,

, - , Daryl White ,

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

, - , Bob Wolfe ,

, - , Zaven Yaralian ,

Philadelphia Bell The Philadelphia Bell was a franchise in the World Football League, which operated in 1974 and a portion of a season in 1975. The Bell played their home games in 1974 at JFK Stadium in South Philadelphia. The team logo was a representation of th ...

References

{{Big Eight Conference football champions

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

Nebraska Cornhuskers football seasons Big Eight Conference football champion seasons Orange Bowl champion seasons

Nebraska Cornhuskers football The Nebraska Cornhuskers football team competes as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, representing the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the West Division of the Big Ten. Nebraska plays its home games at Memorial Stadium ...