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1983 Orange Bowl - Miami vs Nebraska |
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Miami,Florida 1983 To fully appreciate how amazing this game was, you have to look at just how dominating
the Nebraska Cornhuskers were in 1983. They began their season beating up defending
national champion Penn State 44-6 in the Kickoff Classic. After a 56-20 pummeling of
Wyoming, they went into the Metrodome in Minnesota and scored 21 point in each quarter
to beat the Gophers 84-13. They punished UCLA 42-10 and Syracuse 63-7 before surviving
their only real scare against Oklahoma State 14-10. They would score 69 against Colorado,
51 at Kansas State, 72 against Iowa State, and 67 against Kansas before beating Marcus
Dupree and Oklahoma 28-21. Nebraska head coach Tom Osborne was trying to win his first
national title to get out from under the shadow of former head coach Bob Devaney. He
had a wizard at quarterback in Turner Gill, the Heisman Trophy winner in Mike Rozier,
the future #1 pick in the NFL draft in WR Irving Fryar, an amazing offensive line with
Dean Steinkuhler, and an aura of invincibility. Miami had a 6'5", 205-pound freshman
quarterback.
The Hurricanes began the season unranked and were spanked 28-3 in their opening game
against #7 Florida. They then went on a tear beating Houston 29-7, Purdue 35-0 and #13
Notre Dame 20-0. They slowly climbed their way up the charts with wins over Duke (56-17),
Louisville (42-14), and Mississippi State (31-7) before closing out the season with three
straight tough wins over West Virginia (20-3), East Carolina (12-7), and Florida State
(17-16) to finish the regular season ranked #4. By the time the 50th Orange Bowl rolled
around on New Year's night, Texas was upset in the Cotton Bowl by Georgia while #3 Auburn
squeaked by an average Michigan team 9-7 in the Sugar Bowl. Miami was now in the game
for the national title.
The Huskers got the ball first and set the tone early as Rozier tore off a 28-yard run,
the longest of the season against the Hurricane defense followed up by a 17-yard run.
The Cane defense held tough as the Huskers were forced to try a field goal (they had
only attempted four during the season) but Miami blocked it and gave them some early
confidence. On the first offensive play of the game, the young Kosar proved he wasn't
fazed by the pressure hitting Stanley Shakespeare down to the Husker 35. This would be
telling as Kosar was razor sharp the whole first half. Kosar fired another strike to
Shakespeare to get down to the two yard line. On third and goal, Kosar hit TE Glenn
Dennison for a touchdown and a shocking early 7-0 lead. The Canes would hold the Huskers
three and out on the following series. Jeff Davis nailed a 45-yard field goal on their
following possession. To show it'd be Miami's night, it was his second made field goal
in ten attempts from beyond 40 yards.
Nebraska would keep shooting themselves in the foot as Gill, who held the record for
lowest interception ratio in NCAA history, threw a pick to stall a drive at midfield.
Kosar went back to work as he hit Eddie Brown for a touchdown, but it was called back
to the 20 due to a clip. No matter as Kosar threw a laser to Dennison to take an
improbable 17-0 lead over the heavily favored Huskers. With the Orange Bowl crowd going
wild, the Hurricanes were celebrating on the sidelines...but it was only the end of the
first quarter. Kosar in the first quarter: 8 for 14 for 142 yards and two touchdowns.
Following a Dave Burke interception of Kosar, the Husker slowly and methodically drove
down the field until they faced a 3rd and 5 on the Miami 19. Then Osborne reached into
his bag of tricks for the Fumblerooski. Gill took the snapped a ran down the right side
of the offense looking to pitch the ball. The Hurricane defense obviously followed him.
But Gill intentionally dropped the ball and let it lie on the turf after the snap which
was picked up by the Outland and Lombardi Trophy winning Steinkuhler who rumbled in for
the shocking touchdown to put the Huskers right back in the game. What guts! If Miami
recovers the fumble, how badly would they have roasted Osborne?
The Huskers kept marching as they calmly got back into the game utilizing Rozier, Fryar,
and the rushing of Gill who punched it in from one-yard out to pull to within three. the
drive took 10 plays and went for 64 yards.
The second half began as the Hurricanes turned the ball over when Burke recovered a Keith
Griffin (Archie's brother) fumble leading to a Husker game-tying field goal. At this point,
it appeared the run of the Hurricanes was over. Nebraska weathered the early storm and now
the just needed to play their type of football to win the national title. But Kosar
wouldn't let that happen.
Kosar led them right back down the field, helped by a pass interference penalty in the end
zone, to retake the lead on an Alonzo Highsmth one-yard touchdown run. Hurricane kicker
Jeff Davis' extra point hit the upright and bounced in. Remember, the goalposts were wider
back in 1984. Little did anyone know this would be an extremely important break.
On their next possession, Kosar's arm and the running of Griffin got them down to the
Husker 7. On first and goal, the Hurricanes would take the lead, for good as it turned out,
when Albert Bentley took it right up the middle as the Hurricanes went up 31-17. The
Hurricanes had gone 73 yards in 6 plays and once again, they were celebrating on the
sidelines. Once again, it would be very premature.
The Huskers would suffer a setback on their next drive when Rozier was lost for the game
when he suffered a severely sprained left ankle on a reverse. To that point, he carried
the ball 25 times for 147 yards but now, he was effectively out for the game. This is
Nebraska. They have replacements. Jeff Smith stepped in at running back and promptly took
a pitch 40 yards down to the Miami one-yard line only to fumble it away.
The fourth quarter had been Miami's all season long as they only allowed 10 points in the
final period. After a brilliant pass breakup in the end zone by Reggie Sutton and a sack
by Kevin Fagan, Nebraska's Scott Livingston attempted a 47-yard field goal but it was
hooked wide left and short (and looked EXACTLY like the missed Husker field goal at the
end of the 1994 Orange Bowl against Florida State.) They'd score a touchdown on their next
possession when Smith ran it in from a yard out with 6:55 to play. Down 31-23, the Huskers
kicked the extra point.
Miami answered as took the ball down the field and were in a position to put the game
away but Davis missed a field goal that would've put them up be 10. But the Hurricanes
did a great job of taking time off the clock as the Huskers were getting the ball back
with 1:47 to play. Here came the Huskers.
Nebraska quarterback Turner Gill was having an average game. He was being outplayed by
Kosar but Gill wasn't getting much help as his all-everything receiver Irving Fryar was
nowhere to be found. On first down on their own 26, Gill threw a strike to Fryar who cut
up the field and took it 29 yards before being brought down on a last gasp tackle by
Sutton. With 1:12 to play on the Miami 25, Gill threw another perfect pass to a wide
open Fryar in the end zone who dropped it and then collapsed in the end zone. If the
Huskers didn't end up scoring, it would've been one of the most heartbreaking plays in
Husker history. On the following play, Gill fumbled the ball when he was hit but
Steinkuhler picked it up and rumbled for positive yards. Fourth down and eight on the
Miami 29. What followed might have been the most forgotten spectacular play in college
football history.
With fourth down and the national championship to go and the Miami home Orange Bowl
crowd going crazy. Gill calmly ran the option to the right, at the last possible
nanosecond he pitched the ball away to a streaking Jeff Smith who tore up the right
sideline then dove into the end zone to pull the Huskers to within one. Without
hesitation on the sideline, Osborne decided to go for two.
With no overtime, if they kicked the extra point, it would've been doubtful if there
was a voter in America that wouldn't have voted Nebraska the national champions.
Instead, they lined up on the left hashmark. "This is for the national championship
for Nebraska," proclaimed NBC announcer Don Criqui as Gill rolled out right and fired
it incomplete trying to hit Smith at the goal line. He fired it outside to Smith when
he had Fryar open a few feet to Smith's left had he looked inside. On the ensuing
onsides kick, Miami recovered and won the national title.
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