The Huskers started the season at No. 9 and tied No. 3 USC in Los Angeles in the second game of the season. After winning their next nine games, including all seven in the Big Eight, Nebraska was ranked No. 3 in the nation entering the Orange Bowl against No. 5 LSU of the SEC. Top-ranked Texas and No. 2 Ohio State both lost their bowl games earlier in the day and a 17-12 Nebraska victory that night in Miami gave the Cornhuskers their first AP national championship.
Through the 1973 season, the final UPICoaches' Poll was released in early December, before the bowl games. In 1970 it picked Texas as national champion on December 8, before the Longhorns' 24-11 loss to Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on New Year's Day. Notre Dame (10–1) finished second to Nebraska in the final AP Poll, released after the bowls in early January.
The 1970 Cornhuskers championship season was notable for Devaney's rotation of two quarterbacks - Van Brownson and Jerry Tagge - in every game throughout the season.[1][2][3]
President Richard Nixon honored Nebraska's 1970 national championship team and head coach Bob Devaney with the presentation of a presidential plaque (noting the team's No. 1 ranking in the final AP Poll and Orange Bowl victory) during a January 14, 1971, celebration at the Nebraska Coliseum.[4]
Adkins, John #57 (Jr.) DE Anderson, Frosty #89 (So.) SE Anderson, Jim #18 (Jr.) RCB Austin, Al #78 (So.) OT Beran, Mike #62 (So.) OG Blahak, Joe #27 (So.) LCB Bomberger, Bill #46 (Sr.) FB Branch, Jim #51 (So.) LB Brownson, Van #12 (Jr.) QB Butts, Randy #36 (So.) HB Carstens, Jim #47 (So.) FB Cox, Woody #83 (Jr.) SE Decker, John #21 (Sr.) LCB Deyke, Tom #92 (So.) DE Didur, Dale #84 (Sr.) SE Duffy, Joe #52 (So.) MG Dumler, Doug #54 (So.) C Dutton, John #90 (So.) DT Glover, Rich #79 (So.) DT Goeller, Dave #28 (So.) HB Grenfell, Bob #59 (Sr.) OG Harper, Willie #81 (So.) DE Harvey, Phil #82 (Jr.) TE Hauge, Bruce #48 (So.) LB Henderson, Joe #73 (So.) OT Hollstein, Gary #29 (Jr.) S Hughes, Dennis #63 (So.) OG Hughes, Jeff #26 (Jr.) HB Hyland, John #58 (So.) DE
Ingles, Guy #88 (Sr.) SE Jacobson, Larry #75 (Jr.) DT Jamail, Doug #50 (So.) C Janssen, Bill #55 (Jr.) C Jennings, Henry #38 (Jr.) MON Johnson, Carl #71 (Jr.) OT Johnson, Doug #64 (So.) DE Johnson, Monte #37 (So.) DE Jones, Bob #15 (So.) QB Kinney, Jeff #35 (Jr.) HB Kinsel, John #54 (So.) C Kosch, Bill #24 (Jr.) S Linder, Max #11 (So.) QB List, Jerry #85 (So.) TE Longwell, Brent #91 (So.) P Lowe, Rex #83 (Sr.) SE Malone, Dan(Unk) DT Mason, Dave #25 (Jr.) MON McClelland, Tom #16 (Jr.) S McFarland, Bob #10 (So.) LCB McGhee, Donnie #70 (Sr.) OT Miller, Jim(Unk) DE Morell, Pat #40 (Jr.) LB Morock, David #43 (Sr.) MON Murtaugh, Jerry #42 (Sr.) LB Newton, Bob #74 (Sr.) OT Newton, Clint #13 (Jr.) RCB Norberg, Bill #32 (So.) HB O'Connell, John #34 (So.) S
Olds, Bill #44 (So.) FB Orduna, Joe #31 (Sr.) HB Pabis, Bob #66 (So.) MG Peetz, Mike #33 (So.) MON Periard, Ed #56 (Sr.) MG Pitts, John #80 (So.) DE Pogge, Bill #17 (So.) DE Powell, Ralph #41 (So.) FB Robinson, Tom #68 (So.) DT Rodgers, Johnny #20 (So.) HB Rogers, Paul #30 (Sr.) CB Rupert, Dick #77 (Jr.) OT Schloff, Merle #69 (So.) DT Schmit, Bob #23 (So.) HB Schneiss, Dan #22 (Sr.) FB Schultz, Kelly #87 (So.) TE Strong, Jon #49 (So.) LB Tagge, Jerry #14 (Jr.) QB Terrio, Bob #45 (Jr.) FB Vactor, Frank #19 (Sr.) HB Walline, Dave #76 (Sr.) DT Weber, Bruce #61 (Jr.) OG White, Daryl #72 (So.) OT Winter, Wally #67 (Sr.) OT Wolfe, Bob #86 (So.) TE Wortman, Keith #65 (Jr.) OG Yanda, Steve #39 (So.) LB
Wake Forest hit first with a field goal thanks to a Nebraska fumble, but by the half it was the Cornhuskers 28-5. The Demon Deacons would go on to win the ACC title, their last until 2006.
Nebraska entered the game as a two-touchdown underdog to a USC squad fresh off a 42-21 whipping of Alabama in Birmingham, but never trailed the Trojans during the course of the game. Each team traded touchdowns, and each team missed opportunities for the win, right up to USC's incomplete 50-yard pass on the last play of the game.
Ironically, USC aided Nebraska's national championship push by defeating then-No. 2 Notre Dame 38-28 at Los Angeles in the regular season finale. The Trojans came into the rivalry just 5-4-1, while the Fighting Irish was 9-0.
Bob Devaney's record against the Big 10 was extended to 9-0 as the Cornhuskers had little trouble with Minnesota after running ahead 28-10 before the half.
Nebraska scored only 7 points in the first half, and Missouri matched it before the half. The subsequent defensive battle continued through into the 4th quarter before the Cornhuskers broke away with an additional 14 points, one from a 48-yard punt return touchdown.
Nebraska was surprised to find themselves behind 10-20 with 10 minutes left in the 1st half, but battled back to take the lead with two more touchdowns before the break, and never let Kansas score again as they cruised to a 41-20 final.
Nebraska piled up 65 points, its highest total since 1922, and held Oklahoma State to just 64 ground yards as the Cornhuskers made short work of the Cowboys.
Nebraska pulled out in front right away with a 12-0 1st quarter lead, but stubborn Colorado fought back and trailed the Cornhuskers by only 13-15 in the 4th quarter - after missing a 2-point conversion that would have tied the game - before Nebraska decided to stop the uprising with two touchdowns in the last 10 minutes to pull away.
The game was not as close as the score indicates, as Iowa State put up two late touchdowns against Nebraska reserves in the 4th quarter after the Cornhuskers had run up a 54-17 lead with 5 minutes remaining to play.
Kansas State came to Lincoln with hopes of a Big Eight title opportunity, but they were not prepared for the domination that Nebraska would show them in a convincing defeat. The Wildcats managed only two touchdowns, one of which came with 5 minutes remaining in the 4th against the Nebraska reserves. At one point in the game, the Cornhuskers exploded for 27 points in less than 4 minutes, pushing their lead out to 51-7.
Nebraska locked up their first unbeaten regular season since 1965 by coming from behind twice to get the win over stubborn Oklahoma. It wasn't until 7:42 remained in the 4th quarter that Nebraska pulled ahead by a touchdown to settle the final score.
Third-ranked Nebraska jumped to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and lead 10-3 at halftime, but #5 LSU fought back to make a game of it, pulling ahead on a field goal at the end of the 3rd quarter to get to 12-10. With over eight minutes remaining, Jerry Tagge jumped over the pile from the 1-yard line for the game's final points, and the Blackshirts held on the rest of the way to preserve the win. Top-ranked Texas and #2 Ohio State both lost their bowl games earlier in the day, which allowed the Huskers to claim their first national championship.
