1983 Orange Bowl

(8–2–1)

(11–1)

Head coach:
Jerry Stovall

Head coach:
Tom Osborne

AP	Coaches
13	13

AP	Coaches
3	3

	1	2	3	4	Total
LSU	7	7	3	3	20
Nebraska	7	0	7	7	21

Date

January 1, 1983

Season

Stadium

Location

Dixon Holman (Southwest Conference)

United States TV coverage

Network

NBC

Announcers

Don Criqui and John Brodie

Orange Bowl
< 1982	1984 >

The 1983 edition of the Orange Bowl featured the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and the LSU Tigers.

The game suffered from poor attendance due to riots in the Miami area as well as the game having no impact on the national championship, since No. 2 Penn State was playing No. 1 Georgia at the same time in the Sugar Bowl.

LSU began the season 7-0-1, notching two huge road victories in Southeastern Conference play, ousting No. 5 Florida 24-13 in October and No. 4 Alabama in November. The 20-10 triumph at Birmingham's Legion Field was the Tigers' first over the Crimson Tide since 1970 and lifted LSU to No. 6 in the national polls.

One week after toppling Alabama, any faint national championship hopes LSU harbored were blown away with a stunning 27-24 loss to Mississippi State in Starkville. The Tigers recovered the next week to rout Florida State 55-21 in Baton Rouge to earn an Orange Bowl berth, but they inexplicably dropped a 31-28 decision to Tulane, a 28-point underdog, at home in the regular season finale. It was the Green Wave's first victory at Tiger Stadium since 1948, and is Tulane's last triumph in the series, which has not been played on a yearly basis since 1994. Despite the November swoon, LSU came into the bowl game ranked #13 by the AP and UPI polls.

Nebraska was 11-1 and ranked #3 in both polls, but they had been denied a chance to play for the national championship due to a controversial 27-24 loss at Penn State early in the season.

...
Wikipedia