# 1974 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

The 1974 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1974 NCAA Division I football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 14 | 1:30 pm | Oregon* | No. 7 | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE | | W 61–7 | 76,053 |
| September 21 | 12:50 pm | at Wisconsin* | No. 4 | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI (rivalry) | ABC | L 20–21 | 73,381 |
| September 28 | 1:30 pm | Northwestern* | No. 10 | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE | | W 49–7 | 76,101 |
| October 5 | 1:30 pm | Minnesota* | No. 6 | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE (rivalry) | | W 54–0 | 76,408 |
| October 12 | 1:30 pm | Missouri | No. 5 | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE (rivalry) | | L 10–21 | 76,526 |
| October 19 | 1:30 pm | at No. 13 Kansas | No. 12 | Memorial StadiumLawrence, KS (rivalry) | | W 56–0 | 50,523 |
| October 26 | 1:30 pm | Oklahoma State | No. 9 | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE | | W 7–3 | 76,426 |
| November 2 | 1:00 pm | at Colorado | No. 9 | Folsom FieldBoulder, CO (rivalry) | ABC | W 31–15 | 52,049–52,949 |
| November 9 | 1:30 pm | at Iowa State | No. 9 | Clyde Williams FieldAmes, IA | | W 23–13 | 34,341 |
| November 16 | 1:30 pm | Kansas State | No. 6 | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE (rivalry) | | W 35–7 | 76,188 |
| November 23 | 1:30 pm | No. 1 Oklahoma | No. 6 | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE (rivalry) | | L 14–28 | 76,636 |
| December 31 | 7:00 pm | vs. No. 18 Florida* | No. 8 | Tulane StadiumNew Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl) | ABC | W 13–10 | 67,890 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time |||||||||

## Roster
### Depth chart

Defense :
* FS
* George Kyros
* Mike Heydorff
* Larry Valasek
| INSDIE | INSDIE |
| Tom Ruud | John Starkebaum Bob Nelson |
| Precy Eichelberger | Cletus Pillen |
| Joe Dervin | Randy Lessman |
* MONSTER BACK
* Wonder Monds
* Jim Seeton
* Terry Rogers
* CB
* Adrell Johnson
* Jim Burrow
* Kent Smith
| DE | DT | NT | DT | DE |
| Tom Pate | Ron Pruitt | John Lee | Mike Fultz | Bob Martin |
| Dave Redding | Jerry Wied | Willie Thornton | Dan Brock | Steve Weiser |
| .Ray Phillips | Dean Gissler | Jeff Pullen | John Plucknett | Tony Samuel |
* CB
* Dave Butterfield
* Chuck Jones
* Kurt Stacey
Offense :
* WR
* Chuck Malito
* Bobby Thomas
* Ron Nitzel
| LT | LG | C | RG | RT |
| Mark Doak | Tom Alward | Rik Bonness | Sten Hagener | Marvin Crenshaw |
| Dennis Pavelka | Dan Schmidt | Rich Duda | Nick Zanetich | Steve Hoins |
| Bob Lingenfelter | Steve Markus | Wayne Stuberg | Tim McGuire | Rich Costanzo |
* TE
* Larry Mushinskie
* Brad Jenkins
* Ken Spaeth
* WR
* Don Westbrook
* Ritch Bahe
* Tom Heiser
* QB
* Dave Humm
* Terry Luck
* Earl Everett
* RB
* Monte Anthony John O'Leary
* Dave Gillespie
* Jeff Moran
* FB
* Tony Davis
* Gary Higgs
* Jim Belka
* Special teams

## Coaching staff

| Name | Title | First year in this position | Years at Nebraska | Alma mater |
| Tom Osborne | Head coach Offensive coordinator | 1973 | 1964–1997 | Hastings College |
| Monte Kiffin | Defensive coordinator | 1973 | 1967–1976 | Nebraska |
| Cletus Fischer | Offensive line | | 1960–1985 | Nebraska |
| Jim Ross | | | 1962–1976 | |
| John Melton | Tight ends Wingbacks | 1973 | 1962–1988 | Wyoming |
| Mike Corgan | Running backs | 1962 | 1962–1982 | Notre Dame |
| Warren Powers | Defensive backs | | 1969–1976 | Nebraska |
| Boyd Epley | Head strength coach | 1969 | 1969–2003 | Nebraska |
| Bill Myles | Offensive line | 1972 | 1972–1976 | Drake University |
| Jerry Moore | Wide receivers | 1973 | 1973–1978 | Baylor |
| George Darlington | | | 1973–2002 | Rutgers |
| Rick Duval | Linebackers Recruiting coordinator | 1973 | 1973–1974 | Worcester |
| Milt Tenopir | Offensive line | 1974 | 1974–2002 | Sterling |

## Game summaries
### Oregon

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Oregon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| • #7 Nebraska | 23 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 61 |
Oregon's only score came in the 4th quarter against Nebraska reserves, as the Cornhuskers entirely demolished the Webfoots in Lincoln to open the season 1-0.

### Wisconsin

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #4 Nebraska | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
| • Wisconsin | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
Wisconsin's air attack provided the Badgers with a 242-47 passing margin, while Nebraska's ground attack rolled up a 258-77 yard advantage on the ground, and the Cornhuskers led Wisconsin for all but six minutes of the game and were still in front by 6 when the Badgers pulled out a 77-yard touchdown pass and successful PAT with 3:29 in the 4th to pull ahead by 1 point, sending the Cornhuskers home with an early-season loss.

### Northwestern

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Northwestern | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| • #10 Nebraska | 14 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 49 |
Nebraska RB Monte Anthony set a new freshman record with his 111 yards on 14 carries as Nebraska rolled up 563 total offensive yards on the way to exacting some revenge on the Big Ten Conference following the previous week's loss to Wisconsin.

### Minnesota

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Minnesota | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • #6 Nebraska | 6 | 20 | 15 | 13 | 54 |
Nebraska's wrath toward the Big 10 was not completed yet, as the Cornhuskers steamrolled Minnesota 54-0 in a dominating defeat of the Golden Gophers.

### Missouri

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Missouri | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 21 |
| #5 Nebraska | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
Missouri, while unable to come up with any points of their own early on, still managed to hold Nebraska to a 10-0 lead well into the 4th quarter before suddenly coming to life and putting up 21 unanswered points in a stunning upset that left Nebraska winless at the outset of their conference schedule.

### Kansas

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #12 Nebraska | 0 | 14 | 14 | 28 | 56 |
| #13 Kansas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
For the second time this season, #12 Nebraska came off of a loss with a vengeance, smashing #13 Kansas in a 56-0 rout at Lawrence. Nebraska QB Dave Humm set a new Nebraska and Big 8 completion percentage record, a new team and conference season touchdowns record, and a new team/conference/national record of 15 consecutive pass completions, going 23 of 27 with no interceptions for the day, an especially remarkable event considering that the Cornhusker offense was known for its land-based attack. More than half of the sellout crowd were Nebraska fans who made the short drive south.

### Oklahoma State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Oklahoma State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| • #9 Nebraska | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Oklahoma State outrushed Nebraska 204-167 but was able to produce only a 4th-quarter field goal, as Nebraska was also stymied offensively yet was able to survive the game by riding a single 3rd-quarter touchdown for the win. The Blackshirts saved the day, recovering a Cowboy fumble, reeling in an interception, and blocking a field goal attempt to help preserve the win.

### Colorado

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #9 Nebraska | 6 | 11 | 14 | 0 | 31 |
| Colorado | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 15 |
Looking at the statistics might suggest this game was close, but Nebraska was comfortably leading 31-0 in the 4th when Cornhusker reserves took over and allowed Colorado to put up some numbers of their own to make it not look so bad. Despite nearly matched final offensive yardage and first down totals, the Buffaloes were unable to overcome a painful 1-5 turnover deficit.

### Iowa State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #9 Nebraska | 7 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 23 |
| Iowa State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 13 |
The story of the previous game repeated itself, as Nebraska was out in front with an adequate lead when Cornhusker reserves entered the game to mop things up, which allowed Iowa State to put up 13 points for their game total, merely tying Nebraska's 3rd quarter output.

### Kansas State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Kansas State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| • #6 Nebraska | 7 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
For the 8th straight game, the Blackshirts held their opponent scoreless for 3 of 4 quarters in a game, as Nebraska easily defeated Kansas State in Lincoln.

### Oklahoma

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #1 Oklahoma | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
| #6 Nebraska | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
Nebraska had a chance to run with the momentum, after breaking a 7-7 halftime tie open a few minutes into the 3rd quarter and then recovering Oklahoma's fumble on the following kickoff, but the opportunity was wasted when the Cornhuskers could not convert the gift into points, and the game belonged to the Sooners from there on out as Oklahoma put up 21 unanswered points to take back the lead and win.
Unlike the previous three meetings, which were televised nationally to a Thanksgiving Day audience by ABC, this game could not air due to Oklahoma's NCAA probation, which banned the Sooners from television for the 1974 and 1975 regular seasons.

### Florida

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #18 Florida | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| • #8 Nebraska | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 13 |
Florida drew first blood, scoring a relatively early touchdown, and followed it up with a 2nd-quarter field goal to send Nebraska into the locker room at half time down 0-10. As the third quarter drew to a close, Nebraska successfully held off the Gators in a goal line stand and then marched 99 yards to close the gap with Florida 7-10 at the start of the 4th, and was able to follow those points with two more field goals to pull ahead by 3, while Florida was unable to respond in kind to the comeback, giving up the game to Nebraska.

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Final |
| AP | 7 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 9 |
| Coaches | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 8 |

### Awards

| Award | Name(s) |
| All-America 1st team | Rik Bonness, Marvin Crewnshaw, Dave Humm |
| All-America 3rd team | Tom Alward |
| All-America honorable mention | Bob Martin, Ron Pruitt |
| All-Big 8 1st team | Rik Bonness, Marvin Crewnshaw, Dave Humm, Bob Martin, Tom Ruud |
| All-Big 8 2nd team | Tom Alward, Wonder Monds, Bob Nelson, Don Westbrook |
| Big 8 Freshman Player of the Year | Monte Anthony |
| Big 8 Defensive Sophomore of the Year | Mike Fultz |

### NFL and Pro Players

The following Nebraska players who participated in the 1974 season later moved on to the next level and joined a professional or semi-pro team as draftees or free agents.
| Name | Team |
| Tom Alward | Birmingham Vulcans |
| Monte Anthony | Baltimore Colts |
| Rik Bonness | Oakland Raiders |
| Ed Burns | New Orleans Saints |
| Jim Burrow | Green Bay Packers |
| Tom Davis | Toronto Argonauts |
| Tony Davis | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Mark Doak | Birmingham Vulcans |
| Mike Fultz | New Orleans Saints |
| Dave Humm | Oakland Raiders |
| John Lee | San Diego Chargers |
| Bob Lingenfelter | Cleveland Browns |
| Terry Luck | Cleveland Browns |
| Bob Martin | New York Jets |
| Wonder Monds | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| Bob Nelson | Buffalo Bills |
| John O'Leary | Montreal Alouettes |
| Tom Pate | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| Ray Phillips | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Tom Ruud | Buffalo Bills |
| John Starkebaum | New Orleans Saints |
| Stan Waldemore | New York Jets |
| Don Westbrook | New England Patriots |