Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 40

6E Lincoln Journal Star Thursday, May 15, 1997 DEVANEY: CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS Page design: Karl Voget Even theP ope coiflfiirt quibble in 197 i 1 -V "'St I i' 1 1 -V I 1 A 1 4 1 f. i ,1, f' 5. Devaney wasn't too hot on the idea of playing in the 1962 Gotham Bowl against Miami, despite the urging of then-Nebraska Gov. Frank Morrison. But the players voted to go and face Miami at Yankee Stadium in New York, so Devaney reluctantly agreed to play.

"The Gotham Bowl people sent Devaney a check (as payment for signing for the bowl), but the check bounced," Morrison recalled. "Finally, he got the cash, and they flew to New York. It was one of the worst days in the history of college football. The wind chill was below zero, the wind was blowing a gale and there were hardly any people in the stands." Before the game began, a reporter asked Devaney where his state's governor was, and Devaney replied, 4He got me into this damned mess, and I haven't heard from him since." Oh yes, Nebraska won 36-34 before 6,166. ifciwWiNKSw Nebraska middle guard Rich Glover (79) puts a hard rush on Colorado NU's first national title comes at the expense of Irish, Devils BY KEN HAMBLETON Lincoln Journal Star It was a season that was so good, at 11-0-1, that even the Vatican and Arizona State couldn't argue the point Nebraska was the best team in the country.

r- --Ti imii mnnr quarterback Jim Bratten (7) while A Cornhuskers l-back Jeff Kinney 6 I 1 rM H. It's probably the r7 after the announcement that Nebraska had won the national title. "You could say the same thing goes for me as coach. "It is the ultimate of all college players to win their league championship and then the national championship is just some sort of dream." When presented with the AP trophy by President Richard Nixon, Devaney said, "I congratulate the AP panel of writers for their intelligence and integrity. "After some remarks after the bowl games, I wouldn't have been at all surprised to see the Pope here to make the presentation.

As it turned out, we didn't need the Pope's vote." At the presentation, Nixon explained why he hadn't called Devaney in the locker room after the Orange Bowl. "I would have called," Nixon said. "I asked our White House operator to put me through to the dressing room. Usually the President of the United States can get through by telephone when he wants to. But she told me all circuits were busy.

Everybody in Nebraska was calling and I couldn't get through." The dream season started with a 36-12 victory against Wake Forest. It continued with the tie at Southern Cal and consecutive victories against Army, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas State and finally Oklahoma before the Orange Bowl date with LSU. Devaney unveiled a new wing-back from Omaha Tech, Johnny Rodgers, in the season opener against Wake Forest. Three rushes for 33 yards and a touchdown catch for 67 yards, plus a kickoff return, brought the crowd to its feet. Joe Orduna proved to be the bruising back NU needed in the tie with third-ranked Southern Cal.

Quarterback Jerry Tagge gave way to Van Brownson in the key Kansas game and Tagge took over again to beat Oklahoma. LSU took a 12-10 lead over Nebraska on the final play of the third quarter of the Orange Bowl But Nebraska bounced back by driving 67 yards to score on the next possession of the final quarter. Orduna ran up the middle for most of the yards. Tagge, who had been replaced by Brownson in the second quarter, then scored the winning touchdown. Sophomore defensive end Willie Harper blocked a punt and recovered the ball, and Bob Terrio intercepted a Bert Jones pass with 45 seconds left to preserve the win.

LSU Coach Charlie McClendon, who was named Coach of the Year in a vote taken before the bowl games, said, "If you have to lose, there's no more deserving guy than Bob Devaney. He is a wonderful coach and a great individual I don't think you can do better." Nebraska counted on the senior the Cornhuskers' Bill Janssen keeps (35) eludes a Missouri defender as has gone about as far as it can." Murtaugh set a team record for unassisted tackles, season total tackles, and Jim Anderson tied a record for pass deflections. Offensively, wingback Rodgers, quarterbacks Tagge and Brownson, fullbacks Bill Olds, Jim Carstens and Maury Damkroger, ran behind a powerful line anchored by Darryl White, and watched the running of Orduna and Jeff Kinney, Glen Gar-son and Randy Butts. The offense was the most productive in the school history. Kicker Paul Rogers set a Big Eight record with 48 extra-point kicks, Tagge set a career total offense record and STAR FILE PHOTO JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO an official signals touchdown.

Tagge and Brownson both broke team records for passing percent age. Guy Ingles set a career reception mark and Rodgers set a record for receiving yards in a season. Nebraska fans were in love with the team. More than 46,000 fans sent a telegram to the team in support before the Orange Bowl "It was a special group of kids whq really went out and got what they wanted," Devaney said later at a banquet "There were so many great plays, great players and great coaches. It was our finest moment "I have been fortunate to be associated with championship teams at Michigan State, at Wyoming and at Nebraska.

And this is no discredit to any of those past teams, but this 1970 team is the finest I've ever been associated with. I'm thankful to the players and coaches for letting me be a part of it" Devaney also credited the Nebraska fans. "I know it's been said before, but when you go on the road and the home team looks up in the stands, they often wonder if they're really playing at home." JOURNALS his eye on the football. t-: 'Pwi '4 Devaney says his biggest disaster as coach came in 1968, when Nebraska lost 47-0 at Oklahoma. "We were terrible," Devaney said in his book.

"That's the game where, when I was leaving the field, I heard some guy calling me a name that sounded something like I don't think that was the name he meant, however. "That was also the time when I bumped into this little old lady while I was leaving the field. I said to her, 'Pardon me, madam, I meant no She said, 'Coach, your defense stinks too." Devaney was known as an outstanding motivator. At times, however, he had to resort to deception. He once told a story about motivating Bob Brown to practice hard one day by telling him a man in a three-piece suit who was watching the workout was a National Football League scout.

Devaney didn't know the man, much less his occupation. But the ploy worked; Brown not only practiced, he was unstoppable in the drills. Of course, as Nebraska football coach and athletic director Bob Devaney said, "Not even the Pope could vote for Notre Dame as No. 1." Frank Kush, the legendary coach at Arizona State, had a perfect season with the Sun Devils. Dartmouth was the only other unbeaten team in 1970.

But Kush said, when asked if his team deserved the top vote, "No, I think Nebraska deserves to be No. 1." Nebraska fans and coaches had to wait six days after beating LSU 17-12 in the Orange Bowl to find out if it was enough to propel the Huskers to their first national championship. Between the the bowl game and the announcement that Nebraska was No. 1, Devaney and the rest of the nation tried their case against those who thought once-beaten Notre Dame might have won the title with a victory against regular-season champion Texas in the Cotton Bowl. While stranded in Miami because of a snowstorm in Lincoln, Devaney issued the challenge, "We're just laying around down here.

You tell Ara (Parseghian) that if he wants to bring his team down here, we'll play them." Notre Dame's Parseghian argued his team "accepted a greater challenge by playing No. 1 Texas in the Cotton Bowl than Nebraska did by going to the Orange Bowl." Devaney retorted angrily, "He's full of B.S. to make statements like that Notre Dame was only able to score a field goal against LSU and on their own field." Notre Dame, which defeated LSU 3-0, was ranked No. 1 the week Nebraska accepted an invitation to the Orange Bowl. Notre Dame lost to Southern Cal, while NU played the Trojans to a 21-21 tie.

"Parseghian is overlooking the two most important facts," Devaney said. "We did better against our two common opponents, LSU and Southern Cal, and we are undefeated. They are not. It's as simple as that." NU middle guard Ed Periard added a warning, "I know we're not officially No. 1 yet.

but if we're not rated the best in the nation after the final poll AP is really going to get it." Nebraska entered the Orange Bowl ranked No. 3, behind Texas and Ohio State and just ahead of Tennessee and Notre Dame. The only blemish on the Nebraska record was the tie at Southern Cal the second game of the season. The Irish beat Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Stanford and quarterback Jim Plunkett beat Ohio State in the Rose Bowl and Nebraska outlasted LSU in the Orange Bowl.

"It's probably the greatest thing ever to happen to University of Nebraska athletics," Devaney said, greatest thing ever to happen to University of Nebraska athletics. Coach Bob Devaney on 1970 national title leadership of ATI-Big Eight linebacker Jerry Murtaugh, tackle Dave Walline and middle guard Periard, and offensive linemen Bob Newton, Wally Winter and Donnie McGhee. Bill Sloey, Pat Morell, Terrio, Bruce Hauge, Joe Blahak and Bill Kosch held up the defense behind a line of Harper, Larry Jacobson, Monte Johnson and Bill Janssen. A middle guard named Rich Glover was just getting lined up. "We don't picture ourselves as a great defensive team, but we did break the conference record for interceptions," Devaney said.

"With the physical ability we have and the experience we've got, the defense.