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Larry Jacobson
sports special
Nebraska
Iowa St.
pu out and save
for the game
FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 5, 1971
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Jeff Kinney
Seniors abandon Husker turf
Nebraska football fans were hungry after
sitting through 6-4 seasons in 1967 and 1968.
Several promising but untried sophomores
were heavily counted on in 1969 to put
Nebraska back onto the Big Eight football
pedestal.
Two sophomore quarterbacks-a flashy
scrambler named Van Brownson and a gutty
runner by the name of Jerry Tagge-were the
main topic of conversation with Cornhusker
fans.
The Cornhuskers opened against mighty
Southern California at Memorial Stadium in
1969. USC was a big favorite. Tagge and
Brownson were both slowed with injuries. But,
in typical Nebraska tradition, Memorial
Stadium was packed for the season's opener.
The Trojans took an early lead and left
Lincoln with a 31-21 win after an llth-hour
Cornhusker rally fell short.
But neither the Cornhuskers nor their fans
felt dejected after the game.
"We learned a lot that day," remembers
Nebraska defensive back Jim Anderson. Now a
senior he has started 31 games straight for the
Huskers. "We were afraid of Southern
California before the game. But, after the game,
we realized that we could have beaten them. We
gained respect for ourselves after that game and
felt we could give anybody a good game."
There was reason for optimism. Sophomore
Jeff Kinney from McCook replaced an injured
Frank Vactor at I-back against USC and
demonstrated some head-on running. Joe
Orduna had been injured during fall practice
and there was concern about the I-back
position.
The loss to Southern California was one of
two the present group of Nebraska seniors have
suffered. In the past three seasons, Nebraska
has recorded a 28-2-1 record and won a
national championship.
But the goals of those young sophomores
were never set that high.
"Winning a national championship never
entered our minds when we were sophomores,"
says Tagge. 'The main thing we were thinking
about was getting a bowl invitation."
The bowl invitation came in 1969 after the
Huskers tied Missouri for the Big Eight
championship. Missouri was selected for the
Orange Bowl while Nebraska played in the Sun
Bowl.
The Huskers scored a 45-6 win over Georgia
in the Sun Bowl. Since that season, people
knew Nebraska was back in the national
football spotlight.
In 1970, the Huskers were rated in the top
ten in the nation. At the end of the 1970
season. Nebraska was No. 1.
Now, again in 1971, Nebraska is rated No. 1.
Those young sophomores who were being
heavily counted on in 1969 have left a mark
that can never be forgotten in Nebraska
football history.
Saturday at 1:30 p.m., those 1969
sophomores will take the field at Memorial
Stadium for fhe last time. It will mark the final
home appearance for 19 seniors, 13 of whom
were on hand two years ago when Nebraska lost
that season opener to Southern Cal.
Take a look at what they've left behind:
-Jeff Kinney has scored more touchdowns
(29) than any Cornhusker ever. He needs only
273 yards rushing in the last four games to
break Bobby Reynolds 19-year all-time rushing
record of 2,196 yards.
-Jerry Tagge is the all-time Nebraska leader
in both passing (3 19 completions) and total
offense (4,726 yards) and ranks second among
all-time passers in the Big Eight.
The list of seniors goes on with standouts
including Brownson, cornerback Jim Anderson,
defensive tackle Larry Jacobson, defensive end
John Adkins, safety Bill Kosch, Pat Morell,
Bruce Weber, Phil Harvey, Gary Hollstein, Jeff
Hughes, and Tom McClelland.
Then there are junior college transfers
Woody Cox, Carl Johnson, Dick Rupert, Keith
Wortman, Bob Terrio, and Dale Didur.
It's been some kind of group.
-vs U LJ f:asi IJSx
Jerry Tagge
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
PAGE 5
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