1979 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

1979 Nebraska Cornhuskers football
Cotton Bowl Classic, L 14–17 vs. Houston
Conference	Big Eight Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 7
AP	No. 9
1979 record	10–2 (6–1 Big 8)
Head coach	Tom Osborne (7th year)
Offensive coordinator	Tom Osborne (10th year)
Offensive scheme	I formation
Defensive coordinator	Lance Van Zandt (3rd year)
Home stadium	Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 1978 1980 →

1979 Big 8 football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
#3 Oklahoma $	7	–	0	–	0			11	–	1	–	0
#9 Nebraska	6	–	1	–	0			10	–	2	–	0
Oklahoma State	5	–	2	–	0			7	–	4	–	0
Missouri	3	–	4	–	0			7	–	5	–	0
Colorado	2	–	5	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
Iowa State	2	–	5	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
Kansas	2	–	5	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
Kansas State	1	–	6	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

Utah State at #8 Nebraska [box score]

1 2 3 4 Total Utah State 6 8 0 0 14 • #8 Nebraska 7 7 7 14 35 Date: 1979-09-15 Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska Game attendance: 75,953

#7 Nebraska at Iowa [box score]

1 2 3 4 Total • #7 Nebraska 0 7 7 10 24 Iowa 7 0 14 0 21 Date: 1979-09-22 Location: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa Game attendance: 60,005

#18 Penn State at #6 Nebraska [box score]

1 2 3 4 Total #18 Penn State 14 0 3 0 17 • #6 Nebraska 0 28 0 14 42 Date: 1979-09-29 Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska Game attendance: 76,151

New Mexico State at #5 Nebraska [box score]

1 2 3 4 Total New Mexico State 0 0 0 0 0 • #5 Nebraska 21 10 19 7 57 Date: 1979-10-06 Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska Game attendance: 76,135

Kansas at #5 Nebraska [box score]

1 2 3 4 Total Kansas 0 0 0 0 0 • #5 Nebraska 0 15 27 0 42 Date: 1979-10-13 Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska Game attendance: 76,011

#3 Nebraska at Oklahoma State [box score]

1 2 3 4 Total • #3 Nebraska 0 15 7 14 36 Oklahoma State 0 0 0 0 0 Date: 1979-10-20 Location: Lewis Field, Stillwater, Oklahoma Game attendance: 51,000

Colorado at #2 Nebraska [box score]

1 2 3 4 Total Colorado 3 7 0 0 10 • #2 Nebraska 7 10 14 7 38 Date: 1979-10-27 Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska Game attendance: 76,158

#2 Nebraska at Missouri [box score]

1 2 3 4 Total • #2 Nebraska 7 10 3 3 23 Missouri 0 6 14 0 20 Date: 1979-11-03 Location: Faurot Field, Columbia, Missouri Game attendance: 74,575

The 1979 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Nebraska started out the 1979 season with less than convincing power, as relatively unheralded Utah State was still in the game as the teams entered intermission tied at 14. After adjustments were made, coaching and conditioning put the distance between the two teams as the Aggies failed to score again while the Cornhuskers added 21 with the help of 455 yards on the ground for the day.

For the second week in a row, an unranked team came out strong against Nebraska, as Iowa scored first and held Nebraska to the 7-7 tie at the half. The situation wasn't looking up for the Cornhuskers as Iowa moved ahead to 21-14 by the end of the 3rd, but finally the Blackshirts put the brakes on Iowa's offensive output and eventually forced a fumble as the 4th quarter wound down which Nebraska successfully converted into the winning field goal before the Cornhuskers escaped Iowa City with the win.

Nebraska continued their season trend of posting weak starts, as Penn State surged to a 14-point lead in the 1st quarter, but the Blackshirts seemed to figure out the Nittany Lions from that point forward, allowing only a 3rd-quarter field goal, while the Cornhusker offense came to life and put up 42 points to pass by Penn State and quell any hopes of an upset in Lincoln.

This game was all Nebraska, as IB Jarvis Redwine made his first start and racked up 120 yards in just 16 carries, leaving the game before halftime. Eighty four Cornhuskers saw playing time, including some true freshmen, as Nebraska coasted to an easy 57-0 pasting of the Aggies.

Nebraska again dominated, although the Kansas defense prevented three of four touchdown attempts in the first half and forced the Cornhuskers to settle for field goals instead. This was little help for the Jayhawks, however, who could not muster any kind of response to get onto the scoreboard. By the end of the game, Kansas had acquired only 8 first downs, 79 total yards, and suffered 3 interceptions as Nebraska's 611 offensive yards allowed them to steamroll to a 42-0 shutout victory.

...
Wikipedia