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THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1966
PAGE T4
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Nebraska All-American
Season In
Nebraska's Fortunes Repeat History
That history repeats it
self may not be the farthest
thought from the minds of
Cornhusker football fans.
For the Huskers' bid for
back-to-back perfect sea
sons was ruined by a one
point margin as the Okla
homa Sooners, on Thanks
giving Day, defeated the
1966 Big Eight Champions
10-9, the same team that
deprived Nebraska of an
other undefeated season in
1964.
And now, another chance
for that axiom to occur
looms before the Husker
football team Alabama.
Nebraska's fifth straight
bowl appearance was -the
prize for a 9-1 season that
had Nebraska in the r o 1 e
of being "the team to beat"
in every game.
Nebraska opened the 1966
season with a hard fought
battle against Texas Chris
tian. The Horned Frogs,
with much of a fine team
returning from last year,
had aspirations for a good
season. But the Huskers
subdued the Texans, 14-10,
and started the season on a
winning note.
Utah State, another pre
season pick for a great sea
son, came to Lincoln with
that thought in mind and
gave Nebraska some anx
ious moments. Deadlocked
7-7 in the third quarter,
both the Huskers and the
Utags had trouble getting
their offenses working.
Larry Wachholtz kicked a
field goal with 46 seconds
in the third quarter to start
a defensive barrage that
left the Aggies bewildered:
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Tight end Dennis Morrison scores two vital touchdowns (above) in Nebraska's 14-10 win
over Texas Christian and (below) in the Huskers' 2119 victory against Colorado Buffaloes
at Boulder.
Wayne Meylan forces a fumble
Review .
Wayne Meylan blocked a
punt, setting up a Nebraska
TD; Wachholtz returned a
punt for 72 yards to score
a TD for the first time in
his career and the fiery lit
tle Husker, later to be na
med All-American, inter
cepted a pass that set up
Nebraska's last touchdown
to win 28-7; and the Husker
black-shirts limited the Utah
State rushing offense to zero
yards.
Playing at Ames, Iowa
had always been a chore
for Nebraska and 1966 was
no exception. The Cyclones
held Nebraska's scoring
power to two Wachholtz
field goals and returned an
intercepted pass for six
points to tie Nebraska 6-6.
It took a driving 36-yard run
by Harry Wilson to put
Nebraska ahead and the
Huskers won 12-6.
Badger Breeze
Things were somewhat
easier at Madison, W i s.,
where Nebraska won 31-3.
But the Badgers made
things rough at the be
ginning, t y i n g 3-3 in t h e
opening quarter. Ben Greg
ory made his season debut
in the offense and scored
the tie-breaking TD. Mey
lan blocked another punt,
this one in the endzone, for
more points as the Big Red
breezed past its Big Ten
opponent, as it has for five
years.
But Kansas State, des
tined for another role at the
bottom of the conference
standings, had other ideas
about the H u s k e r s. In a
Homecoming battle before
64,108 fans, Nebraskans
from Oklahoma State quarterback Ron Johnson.
. .
watched a 14-0 first half
lead (helped by another
blocked-p u n t recovery in
the end zone by All-American
Meylan) dwindle to
14-10, as the Wildcats fought
to upset the Huskers.
Gregory scored in the
fourth quarter and the
Huskers led 21-10. But the
'Cats weren't through as a
55-yard pass on the closing
play of the game put Kan
sas State on the Nebraska
eight yard line.
Easy Half?
And this was supposed to
be the easy half of Nebras
ka's schedule.
Colorado, picked as t h e
probable stumbling block
for Nebraska, p i 1 e d a 12
point lead over the unde
feated Huskers and it
seemed that Nebraska was
facing defeat for the first
time. But the dauntless
Huskers, staging one of the
most magnificent come
backs in Nebraska football
history, scored two touch
downs in the last period and
Nebraska emerged a 21-19
victor.
Missouri came to Lincoln
to test the Huskers on na
tional television. But the
mighty Huskers played
their outstanding game of
the year, with offensive
power that crushed the Ti
ger's hopes of victory, and
Nebraska overpowered Miz
zou 35-0.
Although never out of the
driver's seat, Nebraska had
to settle for an 11-point vic
tory over Kansas. The Jay
hawks scoredaTD with
less than a minute remain
ing but Nebraska won 24-13.
H o w e v e r Nebraska
moved to the Number Four
spot in the national ratings.
And bowl talk w a s in t h e
air.
Oklahoma State, always a
thorn in Nebraska's side,
came to Lincoln to test the
high-flying Huskers. But
the Huskers, playing before
an all-time record crowd of
65,102, dominated the game
and won 21-6. Nebraska's
record stood at 9-0.
'..Sooner Revenge..
On Thanksgiving Day, be
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There were some tense moments in Nebraska's Home
coming game Oct. 15 with Kansas State as shown by cheer
leader Don Pfeiffer and Pom Pon girl Kathy Henderson,
but the Huskers beat the Wildcats 21-10.
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Huskers descend Fieldhouse steps for a mid-week
practice session.
Pity poor Charlie Brown as
fore 40,000 Sooners hungry
for Corn and fifty million
television viewers filled
with turkey, Nebraska fell,
10-9, to the revamped Okla
homans. But the Huskers
were still the Big Eight
champions, the fourth year
in a row.
For the 24 seniors on the
1966 football squad it was
a career record of 28-2 (in
regular season play) for
three years as Huskers.
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he is thrown for a loss by
35-0 pasting of the
The "Corn Bowl" . . . With "Big Red" fans clamoring for
Stadium was expanded to scat 63,000 for the 1966 season.
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Brilliant Husker safety Larry
Nebraska's
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Nebraska's Black Shirt defensive unit during the Buskers'
Missouri Tigers.
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Harry Wilson ncars the goal line on a 3G-yard touchdown
run which gave Nebraska a 12-6 win over Iowa State at
Ames.
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Wachholtz (36) begins a 72-yard
28 - 7 victory over the Utah State
tickets, Nebraska's Memorial
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touchdown punt return in
Aggies.