This week's LA Times has some good stuff on the Husker-Bruin game of 1972, which was regarded at the time as one of the greatest upsets in football history. Forty years ago, the Cornhuskers came into Los Angeles with a 32-game unbeaten streak to play a UCLA team that had been 2-7-1 the previous year. Nebraska had won two national titles in a row; had the Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rogers at wingback; the Outland Trophy winner Rich Glover at noseguard and seemed to be invincible. The only blemish on their record over those 32 games was a tie with USC. Their streak had begun way back in 1969 with a win over Kansas, which was coached by Pepper Rogers... Rogers was now the new head coach at UCLA and he had some new players to help him pull the upset. Tackle Bruce Walton was the brother of Bruin basketball star Bill Walton; the "Blair Pair" Kermit Johnson and Jimmy McAlister were the running backs; and the new quarterback was future TV star Mark Harmon...the son of Michigan Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon, who called the game up in the broadcast booth. Tom Harmon never mentioned his son by name during the telecast; referring to him simply as "the quarterback." The game ended with Efron Herrera's game-winning field goal with 33 seconds left, and the Bruins walked away with a 20-17 upset victory for the ages. Mark Harmon said that he nearly had all of his clothes ripped off on the way to the locker room by delerious fans. When he finally made it to the door, he saw his father standing there... crying...unable to speak. Both father and son broke down crying in each other's arms, in a moment that neither of them would ever forget...
With that gigantic of an upset, you better cry. Couple of things here... (1) NU is 6-2 against UCLA since that game. (2) QB's name this year isn't Harmon (3) With all the SoCal 4 Nebraska Chapters in the area, the stadium should remind one of ND stadium in 2000. (4) Martinez has 50 + friends and family coming to the game, so he'll be amped up (5) It's UCLA....not USC that NU's playing (6) The same Harmon guy came into Lincoln the next year, and payback commenced. Dr. Toms 1st win as new head coach. (7) It's not just Burkhead, who may not even play..there's Abdullah, Cross, and Heard. (8) And it's not your fathers Cornhuskers anymore....Taylor was 26-32 for 300+ yards...and they didn't even have to pass! (9) I'm sorry, but the Bruins have some ugly friggin' unis (10) It's Cornhuskers vs Bruins....a fuzzy little bear going against a Train...a Train they call....NEBRASKA. Thank you for your time.
:wink: AJ is that why the score is tied 24 24 at the half.... this is not the same ole UCLA team. and UC better watch out....
There's no defense that's fer sure...wine and cheese at 1/2 time make Bruins go a little slower 2nd 1/2....
everyone is beer and wined out after the first games joco is doing homework the kids are doing something... me I was just enjoying this game at least the thundestorms are suppose to stay away... Joco said to tell you that only way your in this is the local kid you know the QB he is smiling big time...... Love Ya Kid
Jezzus special teams are killin' us on both sides of the ball. 3rd down conversions remain at 0. UCLA looks pretty good. Pac 12 better watch out.
Speaking of tuneups, I think I need one...chest pains...probably from punching myself and screamin' at the tv....nobody watching game with me now...everybody's been sent to their rooms...
:wink: anyone heard from Aj should we call 911 for his area to have them check on him... Great game AJ . It was the best all day So Cal is still celebrating. the rosebowl is one big party (glad I am not there) Now they cant wait for them to play USC
UCLA 36 Nebraska 30 Now we know. I was astounded at the coaching job that Jim Mora Jr. has done in less than one year. He kicked all the cry babies off the team. Then he moved the Fall Camp out of Hollywood and into my alma mater, Cal State Desert Rat Hole, and drilled the team mercilessly in 109 degree heat until they were ready to explode on the world... These Baby Bruins were better than Nebraska...and they're going to beat a lot of other teams as well. In today's game, their starting lineup included eight true freshmen and three red-shirt freshmen along with several sophs. Many players on both sides of the line were playing their positions for the first time in their lives and there's something else... It's been a mystery for years where all of UCLA's talent goes. Their recent coaches were recruiting Top 20 classes, then producing poor results. Mora is using everything that he has and it's a short roster with a young lineup. As the years go by, he could create a real monster in Westwood. His team today fought like hungry wolves.... like no UCLA team since the 1950's... The coaching changes in the 12Pac appear to be paying immediate dividends.
I didn't get the game here either. But it sounded like one heck of a football game. Congratulations to Jim Mora, sounds like he may give USC some competition.
I've always liked UCLA. It goes way back to when I was a little kid and liked the color of their uniforms. It continued into adulthood, fed by the fact that they are USC's arch rival.
UCLA came to play that's for sure. Their intensity was a couple of degrees hotter than NU's, which earned them a great win. No excuses, and I'm sure that UCLA's game plan had something to do with it, but when your special teams are pathetic (both sides of the ball), and you go 1-11 on 3rd downs, you would think it's a blowout. Not sure if NU played better percentage wise that they would have been victorious. 2nd game into the season, and the Huskerboards are screamin about year 5 for Coach Pelini, and jumping off Martinez's bandwagon. I think they need to check the record books and see what Devaney and Osborne accomplished in year 5, before they say to much and get Pelini looking elsewhere. We almost lost both those coaches, and, well History does repeat itself right? Anyway, Hollywood comes to Lincoln next year.
re: Huskerboards Those folks need to calm down. I won't even read them, because I'm already sick of the posters on the Irish boards, and we won! Nebraska didn't lose this game because they had a poor team or a poor QB. They just got beat by a team that was much better than they were prepared for. That's what I saw. It wasn't about what was wrong with the Huskers; it was about how much better the Bruins were than even UCLA fans expected. This UCLA team has some serious weapons. Running back Jonathan Franklin rushed for 217 yards against the Huskers and 214 yards against Rice the week before. Along with QB Brett Hundley and the other running backs, the Bruins combined for 653 yards of total offense. That's an Oklahoma-like number against a defense that was supposed to be top tier. By the end of the season, Husker fans should realize that Jim Mora's UCLA Bruins are a lot like the ghost of Christmas present: we've not seen their like before... BTW- - Bruin OG Tre' Hale is from Damien High School. - The Bruin's top receivers, Joseph Fauria and Shaq Evans are both transfers from Notre Dame. - Backup QB Richard Brehaut is a friend of my grandson who is a QB at Damien now. - The horrible field goal kicker, Ka'imi Fairbairn, is from Punahou, Hawaii like Barack Obama... not sure if he's still the starting kicker today. - Datone Jones is from Compton HS. He's rumored to be the only student who ever graduated from there.
This was a great game. It started out as a shootout showcasing 2 great, athletic QBs but it turned into an old-fashioned slugfest defensively. Those 2 teams were beating on each other by the end of the game. Honestly, I'd not be shocked to see the Huskers in Pasadena later this year. That's a good team.. Even I can't believe how good UCLA looks right now.