Welcome to installment No. 16 of ‘The Cob’s Archive Dive’, where each week, I’ll share headlines and excerpts from past articles printed in the Falls City Journal. Hopefully you’ll find a piece of Husker football history that makes you feel the sights and sounds of gameday.

On this day in Cornhusker Football History:

November 14, 1970 – Headline: ‘Nebraska Freshmen Humm a Victory Tune’

Quarterback David Humm passed for two touchdowns and plunged for another here Friday as the University of Nebraska freshman football team romped over the Kansas State yearlings, 63-29. Humm, who was recruited out of Las Vegas and is considered by many as the Cornhusker’s best find in years, completed 12 of 17 passes for 183 yards before leaving early.

(Nebraska truly did develop talent at one time, and more proof that recruiting top players is a must.)

November 2, 1980 – Headline: Huskers End Missouri Jinx

For the eighth-ranked Cornhuskers, their 38-16 victory over Missouri Saturday was almost as good as their 1978 triumph over Oklahoma, judging from the post-game locker-room celebration. Senior co-captain Randy Schleusener got up on a bench soon after the triumph over Missouri to announce that the game ball would go to head Coach Tom Osborne. It was a first for the eight-year Nebraska Coach. “This was a real emotional game for us. If we had lost, it would have been real devastating – much more so than the loss to Florida State. A loss to Missouri would have been the last straw.” What the Huskers had was I-Back Jarvis Redwine, fullback Andre Franklin – both rushing for over 120 yards – and an inspired defense that held Missouri to a field goal in the second half despite four husker fumbles. Missouri Coach Warren Powers shrugged off the theory of a Missouri jinx over Nebraska. “You don’t win football games because of jinxes,” Powers said.

(Similar to a jinx, Husker fans tend to believe there is some kind of curse on the Huskers. There isn’t. Take it from Warren Powers, you don’t lose football games due to curses or jinxes. It starts with good coaches and mass on the line of scrimmage.)

October 15, 1990 – Headline: Tiger’s Defense Steamrolled by Option

Nebraska, as it has for four decades, dared Missouri to stop their option which produced 500 rushing yards, 622 total yards and a 69-21 thrashing of the Tigers. “I think they answered their quarterback question,” Missouri coach Bob Stull said. Mickey Joesph scored four touchdowns rushing and passed for another in the homecoming win. Nebraska, 6-0 overall and 2-0 in conference play, locked up their 29th consecutive winning season, extending the Huskers NCAA record. Eighteen of those seasons have been under Tom Osborne. “Mickey played really well,” Osborne said. “Later in the game he got by with some kind of alley football and then he resorted to some more.”  

Joesph said Osborne was not pleased to see several improvised plays in the second half. “Coach told me I was going back to my high school days,” Joesph said. “I got out of hand a little bit in he third quarter and a turnover came about because of it.”

The point total was the most ever by Nebraska in the 94-game series with Missouri. The Huskers scored on 11 of their first 13 possessions. “I’m kind of surprised on how it went,” Osborne said. “I really thought we’d have a little tougher time moving the ball.”

(After the game Missouri coach Bob Stull was asked to compare Nebraska and Colorado. “I think Nebraska is better overall,” he said. When pressed as to who he would vote higher in the polls, “I know who I’m voting for.”)

October 24, 2000 – Headline: NU-OU rivalry Good for Big 12 Conference

When Nebraska and Oklahoma play in Norman on Saturday – ending a two-year hiatus in their 78-game series – it’ll mark the first time since 1988 the contest carries such high stakes for both teams. The game in 1988, Barry Switzer’s last, at Ou determined the Big Eight champion. Saturday’s contest between the 7-0 Huskers and the 6-0 Sooners will leave the nation with no more than four undefeated teams. “It’s one of the great traditions,” said Kansas head coach Terry Allen. “That’s what college football is all about, and we’ve got to do everything to preserve the great rivalries across the country.” In the past two games between the teams, the Huskers posted their highest point total (73) and won by the largest margin (62) in the history of the series. But second-year coach Bob Stoops has OU back among the nation’s elite with a No. 3 ranking.

(With teams now playing nine conference games and possibly being required to add a power four team to their schedule as a tenth, Nebraska needs to renew an old rivalry. My candidates, Oklahoma, Colorado, or Missouri.)

Be sure to look for next week’s edition as the ‘Cob’ dives into each week’s headlines as they once appeared in the Falls City Journal.

GO BIG RED!! SIMPLE, FAST VIOLENT!!

All headlines and excerpts were gathered from Associated Press articles, and most but not all were published in the Falls City Journal. Home - Falls City Journal - Falls City, NE

Photographs were gathered from multiple sources.

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