Husker Football: Five Best Nebraska-Miami Clashes

1) January 2, 1984 – Miami Hurricanes 31, Nebraska Cornhuskers 30

This game was arguably the biggest turning point for the two programs in their history.

The Miami Hurricanes came into the game ranked No. 3 and as a heavy underdog to the ‘Triplets’ of Turner Gill, Irving Fryar and Heisman winner Mike Rozier.

Apparently, they weren’t told that they were supposed to roll over and die. Miami opened up a 17-point lead before Nebraska responded with a Fumblerooski to bring the score within 10.

The Huskers tied the game with a Turner Gill touchdown before field goals by both teams left the game knotted in the third quarter. Miami, ever opportunistic, found a way to surge ahead on two long touchdown drives.

Nebraska responded, even without Rozier who left the game with an injury. Instead, Gill and Jeff Smith worked some magic and set up what would be the most pivotal game in Husker and Hurricane history to that point (and maybe even now).

Smith took an option pitch 20 yards for a touchdown. At that point, instead of attempting to kick a PAT, head coach Tom Osborne elected to go for two and the outright win.

The Big Red was far ahead in the polls and a tie would have been enough to clinch the national title. However, Osborne’s decision to go for the win showed what the Nebraska head man wanted to see in not only him, but his team.

There would be a winner and a loser when overtime wasn’t mandatory.

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Turner Gill rolled right after the snap and threw a pass to Jeff Smith that fell incomplete, securing the victory for Miami and heartbreak for everyone wearing a red “N”.

As I said before, this was a huge turning point for both programs.

Instantaneously, Miami became a football power. Their head coach Howard Schnellenberger would resign after the game and take a job in the USFL. It was after this that Miami hired former Oklahoma State head coach Jimmy Johnson.

The ‘Canes would go on to win two more national titles during the ’80s and develop their famous moniker: “The U”.

Nebraska’s Tom Osborne would battle the stigma of never being able to win the big one until he finally beat Miami in the Orange Bowl a little more than 10 years later.

It was his decision, though, that nationally established the legendary head coach as a man of pride, integrity and respect for the game.

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