Devaney wants revenge
on Crimson Tide's Bryant
by Jim Johnston
It was Monday, Dec. 13, at
2:15 p.m. in Tuscaloosa, Ala.,
when the telephone rang in the
office of Paul "Bear" Bryant,
the football coach of
Alabama's Crimson Tide.
"This is coach Bryant
speaking," he said. "You
caught me at a bad time. I'm in
the process of washing down a
hamburgei ."
These are busy times for
Bryant. He has a full schedule
preparing his team for an
Orange Bowl date with No. 1
Nebraska. Such circumstances
force a late lunch in your
office.
"Not really," said Bryant.
"I haven't had much time to
think about the Orange Bowl.
I've been busy recruiting and
Christmas shopping. I haven't
seen a Nebraska film yet. The
only thing I've seen of
Nebraska was the last quarter
of the Oklahoma game on TV.
But that was enough. That last
drive made me want to cancel
our entry in the Orange Bowl."
That's Bear Bryant. Straight
forward. Add some dry humor.
Put together his coaching
record. And you have one of
the most colorful and
successful coaches in college
football.
Bryant's success and
popularity remarkably parallels
with that of Nebraska coach
Bob Devaney.
The college game belongs to
the head coach. It's not the
Tagges, the Kinneys, the
Mussos or the Namaths that
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etch a legend in college
football. Their names are saved
for the professional ranks.
It's the Bryants and the
Devaneys that give the game
class. And it can't be denied
that Bryant and Devaney-both
well into their 50's-are the
class leaders of the college
football coaches in the nation.
In his IS years as head
coach, Devaney has compiled a
126-28-6 record for an .816
winning percentage to lead all
active coaches. Bryant, who
has coached three national
championship teams, owns a
210-66-15 mark which is the
most wins of any active coach.
Bryant has been a head
coach for 27 years. Devaney
and Bryant have become
nothing short of legends.
What then, marks the
difference between the two?
Bryant has twice defeated
Devaney. Devaney has never
defeated Bryant.
Bryant won his third
national championship at the
expense of Nebraska and
Devaney. And Devaney hasn't
forgotten.
It was the 1966 Orange
Bowl. Nebraska, rated third in
the nation with a 10-0 mark,
met Alabama, rated fourth
with an 8-1-1 record.
But by kickoff tkne in the
Orange Bowl, that
Nebraska-Alabama
confrontation was for the
national championship. As in
1971, the nation's top two
teams were upset New Years
Day leaving No. 3 Nebraska
with a shot at the national
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Calvert-Beyer Dl'st. Co. 800 S. Street Lincoln, Nebraska
title.
But, unlike 1971, Nebraska
didn't cash in. ,
UCLA stunned No. 1
Michigan State, 14-12, in the
1966 Rose Bowl and Louisiana
State handed No. 2 Arkansas a
14-7 setback in the Cotton
Bowl. The stage was set for
Nebraska, and Alabama to
decide the national title.
But Alabama quickly
introduced Nebraska to the
forward pass and made the
world fit for the lightweight by
scoring a 39-28 win over the
Cornhuskers.
"You look at the size of
those Nebraska linemen and
their backs and you've got to
believe the only way we can
live through this thing is to
keep them off balance,"
Bryant said before the game.
"Well, we ain't about to knock
them off balance-so we go
overhead ... I hope ... if we
don't, give my little boys a nice
funeral."
It was Nebraska, however,
that needed a funeral. Alabama
quarterback Steve Sloan buried
the Huskers by completing 20
of 28 passes for 296 yards to
establish a new Orange Bowl
record.
Devaney, who was suddenly
gaining national recognition,
was dealt a severe blow.
"I was outcoached in that
game," Devaney said.
"Psychologically and every
othei way -even in onside
kicks and tackle eligible passes.
I even went to Hawaii to coach
in the Hula Bowl afterward-to
get away from the alumni."
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Tide's Bear Bryant
The following season,
Nebraska got a rematch with
Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
Nebraska lost again, 34-7.
"We didn't belong on the
same field,", said Devaney.
"The final score indicated how
much better they were."
A pair of back-to-back 6-4
seasons followed for Devaney
and Nebraska. But the man
who spent 14 years coaching
high school football before
getting a college position had
enough patience to build
Nebraska back into a title
contender.
In 1969, Nebraska shared
Big Eight honors with Missouri
with a 9-2 record. In 1970,
Nebraska won a national
championship . . . the first ever
for Nebraska and the first ever
for Devaney.
When Nebraska opened the
1971 season, Devaney again
thought of the possibilities of
winning another national title.
His thoughts of a chance to
revenge Bryant, however,
didn't enter his mind.
But as the season
progressed, so did the Crimson
Tide. Alabama now owns an
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... 2-0 against Devaney.
1 1-0 record and is rated second
in the nation behind Nebraska.
The 1972 Orange;
Bowl Nebraska vs.
Alabama-is for the national
championship again.
How does this game
compare with the others
coached by Bryant and
Devaney? Bryant has been the
head coach in 291 college
football games. Where does this
one rank in importance?
"They're all important,"
said the Bear. "But there
certainly hasn't been a more
important game for myself or
Alabama."
How about Devaney? How
does the 1972 Orange Bowl
game compare to the
Nebraska-Oklahoma game
Thanksgiving Day, which
Devaney called the biggest
game of his coaching career?
"The Orange Bowl is
bigger," said Devaney. "This is
the biggest one of my career."
A national championship
game is naturally a big game
for a coach. But there's more
to the 1972 Orange Bowl than
a national championship.
There's a chance for
Devaney to revenge the Bear.
There's a chance for Devaney
to revenge the man and the
team that cost him one
national championship and
loads of prestige.
Is it fair to say that
revenging Alabama has been in
the back of Devaney's mind for
the past five years?
Devaney smacks his lips and
looks at you from the corner
of his eye when asked the
question.
"Ya," aid Devaney. "I've
been waiting for Alabama."
Pick what YOU want for
Christmas at the Hltchln'
Post & Wooden Nickel, both
at 144 North 14th. Then
let Uncle Nick (or mom &
dad) know.
SCHLITZ
4 1
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
PAGE 12
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1971
