| 1968 Nebraska Cornhuskers football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Conference | Big Eight | ||
| 1968 record | 6-4 (3-4 Big 8) | ||
| Head coach | Bob Devaney | ||
| Defensive coordinator | George Kelly | ||
|
Home stadium |
Memorial Stadium | ||
Seasons
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| 1968 Big 8 Football standings | ||||||||||||
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||
| #7 / 6 Kansas | 6 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||
| #11 / 10 Oklahoma | 6 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||
| #9 / 17 Missouri | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||
| Nebraska | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||
| Colorado | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||
| Kansas State | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||
| Oklahoma State | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||
| Iowa State | 1 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||
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The 1968 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 1968 college football season. The team was coached by Bob Devaney and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.
The Huskers were 6-4, but had a losing record in conference at 3-4. They lost three Big 8 games at home and were shut out 47-0 at Oklahoma in the season finale. Nebraska did not play in a bowl game for the second consecutive year; the next season without a bowl was 36 years later in 2004.
Following 1968, Tom Osborne was promoted to offensive coordinator and installed the I formation offense. This lead to a 9-2 record in 1969 and consecutive undefeated national championship seasons in 1970 and 1971.
Contents |
| Date | Time | Opponent# | Rank# | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 14* | Wyoming | #14 | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska |
W 13-10 | 66,922 | ||
| September 21* | Utah | #14 | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska |
W 31-0 | 66,198 | ||
| September 28* | at #17 Minnesota | #9 | Memorial
Stadium • Minneapolis, Minnesota |
W 17-14 | 53,362 | ||
| October 12 | #6 Kansas | #9 | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska |
L 13-23 | 68,128 | ||
| October 19 | #20 Missouri | #13 | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska |
L 14-16 | 66,818 | ||
| October 26 | at Oklahoma State | Lewis Field • Stillwater, Oklahoma |
W 21-20 | 35,000 | |||
| November 2 | at Iowa State | Clyde Williams Field • Ames, Iowa |
W 24-13 | 29,000 | |||
| November 9† | Kansas State | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska |
L 0-12 | 67,466 | |||
| November 16 | at Colorado | Folsom
Field • Boulder, Colorado |
W 22-6 | 48,327 | |||
| November 23 | at #14 Oklahoma | Owen
Field • Norman, Oklahoma |
L 0-47 | 45,000 | |||
| *Non-Conference Game. †Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time. | |||||||
|
Ahlmann, Harold #21
(So.) LB |
Haskell, Charles #93
(So.) DE |
Orduna, Joe #31 (Jr.)
HB |
||||
| Name | Title | First year in this position |
Years at Nebraska | Alma Mater |
| Bob Devaney | Head Coach | 1962 | 1962-72 | Alma |
| Tom Osborne | Offensive assistant | 1964-97 | Hastings | |
| George Kelly | Defensive Coordinator | 1960 | 1960-68 | Notre Dame |
| Cletus Fischer | Offensive Line | 1960-85 | Nebraska | |
| Carl Selmer | Offensive Line | 1962-72 | ||
| Jim Ross | 1962-76 | |||
| John Melton | Tight Ends, Wingbacks | 1973 | 1962-88 | Wyoming |
| Mike Corgan | Running Backs | 1962 | 1962-82 | Notre Dame |
| Monte Kiffin | 1967-76 | Nebraska |
|
At the end of the 1st quarter, Nebraska was trailing 3-10, and
struggled to catch up for much of the game. Finally, five minutes
into the 4th quarter, with the assistance of the Blackshirts who had held off any further
scores from the Cowboys, the
Cornhuskers managed to get another touchdown to tie the game. Then,
as time was running out and the Nebraska offensive effort was
stalling, Nebraska PK Paul Rogers launched a 51-yard field goal
through the uprights and into the stands for the win, leading to an
exuberant mob of fans rushing the field in celebration.
|
The Cornhuskers tallied 518 yards of total offense while holding
the Utes to just 138, 46 of which were on the ground, and had
little trouble with Utah, holding them scoreless in Memorial
Stadium.
|
It seemed like a repeat of the first game of the year, as once
again Nebraska started out behind and wasn't able to catch up again
until the 4th quarter, and once again Nebraska PK Paul Rogers
booted the game winning field goal at the end of the 4th quarter
with just 1:32 remaining on the clock to secure the win against national co-champion Minnesota.
|
The highly-regarded Kansas Jayhawks had been averaging 51 points
per game, yet the Blackshirts
managed to bottle them up to just 23 points, though Nebraska's 13
points were not enough to get the conference-opening win. Kansas
managed to escape Lincoln with a victory only by scrambling to put
up two touchdowns in the final 4 minutes.
|
Nebraska was severely hampered by a day of mistakes, losing four
fumbles, an interception, and suffering two punt receptions muffed
and recovered by Missouri. Despite the tall odds presented by these
burdens, the Cornhuskers dropped the game to the Tigers by only 2
points.
|
The first half was scoreless as both teams struggled
unsuccessfully for an edge, but Oklahoma State found a way through
and scored the first 14 in the 3rd. Nerbaska fought back, and once
again Cornhusker PK Paul Rogers scored the game-winner off his foot
with PAT in the final minute to put Nebraska ahead by 1.
|
Iowa State helped to spot Nebraska with an early 14-0 lead by
losing an early fumble and never recovered from the setback. The
Cyclones made a feeble late attempt, coming within 8 points before
the Cornhuskers put up another field goal to finish them off.
|
Nebraska was stunned at home, at their homecoming game, when
Kansas State held the Cornhuskers to just 146 total yards, 78 on
the ground, and slapped Nebraska with only their second shutout
under Head Coach Bob
Devaney.
|
Nebraska flashed with some vengeance in response to the previous
week's shutout, running out ahead of Colorado in Boulder 22-0 with
help from a 62 yard punt return touchdown, finally letting the
Buffaloes on the board with just 2 minutes remaining to play.
|
Oklahoma denied Nebraska's bid for a post-season bowl game, as
the Sooners scored five touchdowns to set a new Big 8 record and
handed NU its worst defeat of the Devaney era with a painful 47-0 shutout in
Norman.
| Poll | Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP | 14 | 14 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 13 | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| Coaches | NR |
| Award | Name(s) |
|---|---|
| All America 1st team |
Joe Armstrong |
| All-America honorable mention |
Mel Brichacek, Ken
Geddes, Dana Stephenson |
| All-Big Eight 1st team |
Joe Armstrong, Ken Geddes, Dana Stephenson |
| All-Big Eight 2nd team |
Bob Best, Joe Orduna |
| All-Big Eight honorable mention |
Bob Best, Mel Brichacek, Dick Davis, Adrian Fiala, Ed Hansen, Jim Hawkins, Al Larson, Bob Liggett, Jerry Murtaugh, Tom Penney, Paul Rogers, Mike Wynn |
The 1968 Nebraska Cornhuskers seniors selected in the 1969 Common Draft (NFL-AFL): [5]
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | Franchise |
| James Hawkins | DB | 7 | 177 | Los Angeles Rams |
| Dick Davis | RB | 12 | 306 | Cleveland Browns |
The 1968 Nebraska Cornhuskers juniors selected in the following year's 1970 NFL Draft: [6]
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | Franchise |
| Jim McFarland | TE | 7 | 164 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| Ken Geddes | LB | 7 | 175 | Detroit Lions |
| Dana Stephenson | DB | 8 | 183 | Chicago Bears |
| Mike Wynn | DE | 8 | 206 | Oakland Raiders |
| Frank Patrick | QB | 10 | 251 | Green Bay Packers |
| Bob Liggett | DT | 15 | 390 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Mike Green | RB | 16 | 406 | San Diego Chargers |
| Glenn Patterson | C | 17 | 439 | Dallas Cowboys |
The 1968 Nebraska Cornhuskers sophomores selected in the 1971 NFL Draft: [7]
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | Franchise |
| Joe Orduna | RB | 2 | 49 | San Francisco 49ers |
| Bob Newton | T | 3 | 71 | Chicago Bears |
| Paul Rogers | K-DB | 8 | 190 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Dan Schneiss | TE | 11 | 261 | Boston Patriots |
Members of the 1968 Nebraska freshman team selected in the 1972 NFL Draft:[8]
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | Franchise |
| Jerry Tagge | QB | 1 | 11 | Green Bay Packers |
| Jeff Kinney | RB | 1 | 23 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Larry Jacobson | DT | 1 | 24 | New York Giants |
| Carl Johnson | T | 5 | 112 | New Orleans Saints |
| Van Brownson | QB | 8 | 204 | Baltimore Colts |
| Keith Wortman | G | 10 | 242 | Green Bay Packers |
The following 1968 Nebraska players joined a professional team
as draftees or free agents.[9]
| Name | Team |
|---|---|
| Dick Davis | Cleveland Browns |
| Ken Geddes | Los Angeles Rams |
| Sherwin Jarmon | Chicago Fire |
| Bob Liggett | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Jim McFarland | St. Louis Cardinals |
| Joe Orduna | New York Giants |
| Frank Patrick | Green Bay Packers |
| Frank Vactor | Washington Redskins |
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