1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team The 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska – Lincoln in the 1995 NCAA Division I - A football season . The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln , Nebraska . The team is widely regarded as the greatest college football team in history . It continues to rank highly on all - time lists and was named the greatest football team of all time in an ESPN poll . Before the season . Following the success of the 1994 season , in which Tommie Frazier and Brook Berringer led the team to Tom Osborne ' s first national championship , the 1995 version improved in every facet . With the powerful rushing offense and a dominating defense , Nebraska captured its second consecutive national title . The 1995 – 1996 season set up a record - breaking three championships in four years , as the 1994 and 1995 seasons were followed by Tom Osborne ' s third title in 1997 . Schedule . Final Big 8 Conference football game . The Big 8 absorbed four teams from the dissolving Southwest Conference after the 1995 season and became the Big 12 Conference . Game notes . Oklahoma State . No . 2 Nebraska started the year with a 64 – 21 win at Oklahoma State in the season and conference opener for both schools . The Cornhuskers piled up 671 total yards and 513 rushing yards while allowing 282 total yards to the Cowboys . After fumbling on its first possession , Nebraska scored on its next eight straight possessions . An explosive second quarter saw Nebraska take a 16 – 0 lead following a 29 - yard interception return for a touchdown by reserve weakside linebacker Terrell Farley , a JUCO transfer who went on to become Big 8 Defensive Newcomer of the Year . Oklahoma State , which netted - 15 yards on its first three drives , responded by taking advantage of one of the young Husker defense ' s early mistakes , as a draw play by running back David Thompson on third and 10 went 79 yards to the Husker 2 - yard line . After a 2 - yard touchdown run by Oklahoma State running back Andre Richardson , Nebraska scored on the very next play after the kickoff , as Nebraska running back Lawrence Phillips cut inside , dodged several defenders and raced for an 80 - yard touchdown . Phillips later scored on a 27 - yard run in the second quarter as the Huskers took a 36 – 7 halftime lead . Phillips finished the game with 153 yards on 12 carries . Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier , making his first regular - season start since the previous September , played sharply , carrying 10 times for 64 yards and a touchdown while also completing 6 of 10 passes for 120 yards and another score . Early in the third quarter , Frazier hit wide receiver Reggie Baul down the sideline for a 76 - yard touchdown . Early in the fourth quarter , touted Husker freshman running back Ahman Green scored his first career touchdown on a 14 - yard run . Nebraska had seven players who rushed for at least 30 yards , including five who rushed for at least 50 . The game marked twenty - two straight wins for the Huskers over the Cowboys . Michigan State . No . 2 Nebraska lost quarterback Tommie Frazier early in the second quarter with a bruised thigh but still dominated Michigan State in a 50 – 10 rout at East Lansing . The Cornhuskers outrushed the Spartans 552 to 45 and piled up 666 total yards to the Spartans ' 335 . Lawrence Phillips led all rushers with 206 yards and four touchdowns ( three 1 - yard scores and one 50 - yard score off a direct snap play ) on 22 carries . The Huskers also received strong rushing performances from Clinton Childs ( eight carries , 83 yards ) and Ahman Green ( 4 carries for 74 yards , including one 57 - yard touchdown ) , as well as Jay Sims , who had one carry for an 80 - yard touchdown late in the game . Backup quarterback Brook Berringer , stepping in place of Frazier , threw for 106 yards on 6 of 11 passing , including a 51 - yard bomb to a diving Reggie Baul . The Nebraska defense recorded three sacks , two fumble recoveries and one interception . The game marked MSU ' s worst margin of defeat since a 42 – 0 loss against Michigan in 1983 . It remains the most one - sided defeat in the coaching career of Nick Saban , who was in his first season at East Lansing . Arizona State . Nebraska set a modern school record with 63 points in the first half en route to a 77 – 28 victory over Arizona State . Back - up I - back Clinton Childs , starting in place of the suspended Lawrence Phillips , ran 65 yards for a touchdown on the game ' s first play from scrimmage . The Huskers gained 508 yards in the first half and finished with 686 for the game - 394 rushing and 292 passing . Arizona State added to the first half offensive fireworks as quarterback Jake Plummer found wide receiver Keith Poole for three touchdown passes . For the game , Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier completed 7 of 10 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 35 yards and two more scores . Childs ran for 143 yards and two touchdowns before leaving the game in the second quarter with a sprained knee . Back - up Husker I - back Ahman Green ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries . Nebraska pulled in the reigns on its offense in the second half but managed to get a defensive touchdown when linebacker Terrell Farley returned an interception 21 yards . The game was a source of a minor controversy as ASU coach Bruce Snyder accused Nebraska coach Tom Osborne of running up the score after third - string Husker quarterback Matt Turman threw a 39 - yard touchdown pass to wide - open reserve receiver Lance Brown in the game ' s final moments . Pacific . Nebraska totaled 731 yards , the fifth - highest total in school history , on its way to a 49 – 7 win over Pacific . Meanwhile , the Husker defense held the Tigers to 197 total yards and forced 11 punts . I - back Damon Benning , starting in place of the injured Clinton Childs , rushed for 173 and three touchdowns on 10 carries before leaving in the third quarter with a sprained ankle . I - back Ahman Green added 112 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries . In all , seven Huskers rushed for at least 29 yards . Nebraska began substituting in the second quarter and eventually used 102 players . The Huskers had three drives stall inside the Pacific 30 - yard line , including one that ended with Kris Brown missing a 30 - yard field goal . Washington State . Nebraska overcame an early deficit - in what ultimately proved to be the only time the Huskers would trail during the entire regular season - to beat Washington State 35 – 21 . The Huskers took the opening drive inside the Cougar 10 - yard line but fumbled away the scoring threat . Moments later , Cougar tailback Frank Madu ran past a Husker blitz for an 87 - yard touchdown . Nebraska fumbled on its next drive as well but took a 20 – 7 halftime lead with two Tommie Frazier touchdown runs and two Kris Brown field goals . A 35 - yard touchdown pass from Tommie Frazier to Mark Gilman extended the Husker lead to 35 – 14 before Washington State quarterback Chad Davis accounted for the final margin with a 30 - yard touchdown pass to Shawn Tims . Nebraska played sloppy at times , losing three fumbles on the day and missing a 20 - yard field goal . The Huskers ended the game with second - and third - team players on offense , who fumbled the ball away inside the Washington State 5 - yard line . Despite the early long touchdown run by Madu , Nebraska went on to outrush the Cougars 428 – 72 . Washington State had entered the game with the nation ' s fourth - ranked rush defense , having allowed just 69 . 7 rushing yards per game through its first three games . Tommie Frazier , in leading his team to 527 total yards , personally rushed for 70 yards and threw for 99 . Reserve Husker I - back Ahman Green finished the game with 176 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries . Husker sophomore defensive end Grant Wistrom had a breakout game , tallying four tackles for loss to lead the Blackshirt defense . Missouri . Nebraska ' s Blackshirt defense forced five fumbles and recovered two of them , intercepted two passes , held Missouri to 122 total yards , and notched the Huskers ' first shutout of the season in a 57 – 0 win over the Tigers . Missouri managed 39 rushing yards on 39 carries . Husker linebacker Terrell Farley blocked a punt that led to a Husker safety . Meanwhile , the Husker offense tallied 475 total yards , with quarterback Tommie Frazier accounting for 71 yards rushing ( and three rushing touchdowns ) and 133 passing ( and two touchdown passes ) . Husker I - back Ahman Green , making his first start , rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries . Kansas State . Using a combination of stifling defense , surprising passing , and strong special teams , No . 2 Nebraska jumped out to a 35 – 6 halftime lead over No . 8 Kansas State en route to a 49 – 25 victory . Sprung by a block by freshman defensive end Mike Rucker , Husker return man Mike Fullman took a punt back 79 yards in the first quarter to open the scoring . Nebraska also scored in the first half on a fumble recovery in the end zone by Jon Vedral and on an interception return by backup defensive lineman Luther Hardin , as well as on two touchdown passes by quarterback Tommie Frazier . Frazier threw two more touchdowns in the second half , including a 32 - yarder to a wide open Vedral in the third quarter as the Huskers took a 42 – 6 lead . After three quarters , Nebraska ' s defense had held Kansas State to minus - 4 - yards rushing and 128 total . Nebraska began substituting reserve players shortly thereafter , however , and the Wildcats rallied to put 19 fourth quarter points on the board and pull within 42 – 25 . Nebraska ' s starters re - emerged and drove for another touchdown to account for the game ' s final margin . Despite the rally , the Wildcats finished with just 256 total yards , minus - 19 rushing yards , and the Nebraska defense recorded eight sacks and two interceptions . Frazier went 10 of 16 through the air for 148 yards , four touchdowns and zero interceptions . Ahman Green ran for 109 yards on 22 carries and had two touchdown receptions . Ultimately , Kansas State went on to finish second nationally in scoring defense ; more than a third of the 145 points that the Wildcats allowed during the regular season were scored by the Huskers . Colorado . Nebraska scored on a 57 - yard run by I - back Ahman Green on its first play from scrimmage , committed no turnovers or penalties , and never trailed during a 44 – 21 win at No . 7 Colorado . Quarterback Tommie Frazier threw for a career - high 241 yards on 14 of 23 passing with two touchdowns ( a 52 - yarder to Clester Johnson in the first quarter and a 7 - yarder to Jon Vedral in the second ) and ran for 40 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries . Colorado quarterback John Hessler was 21 of 43 for 276 yards on the day but threw two interceptions that led to 10 Husker points , and the Buffaloes were flagged 12 times for 92 yards in penalties . After Nebraska took a 31 – 14 halftime lead , Colorado scored on a 49 - yard pass from Hessler to James Kidd on 4th and 2 to pull within 31 – 21 in the third quarter . But the Buffaloes came no closer , as two field goals by Kris Brown and Frazier ' s touchdown run put the game away . Green finished the game with 97 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries . One of the game ' s most memorable plays came when Colorado defensive end Greg Jones hit Tommie Frazier in the backfield . Frazier , who was not sacked during the entire 1995 season , managed to absorb the blow and get off a 35 - yard pass down the sideline to Ahman Green on a drive that ended in a Husker field goal . On the day , Nebraska outyarded the Buffaloes 467 to 382 and outrushed them 226 to 106 . Iowa State . New No . 1 Nebraska scored on its first ten possessions and posted 624 rushing yards ( second - most in school history ) and 776 total yards ( fifth - most in school history ) en route to a 73 – 14 win over the Cyclones . Freshman I - back Ahman Green led the way with 176 rushing yards and three touchdowns on twelve carries and added a touchdown reception . A 64 - yard touchdown run by Green in the third quarter marked the team ' s sixth one - play drive of the season . The game marked the return of Lawrence Phillips , who gained 68 yards on 12 carries . Tommie Frazier , who rushed for 62 yards and two touchdowns on 8 carries , threw for 118 yards and two more touchdowns on 10 of 15 passing . Nebraska ' s Blackshirt defense limited Iowa State to 254 total yards , which included 121 yards on 28 carries by Heisman Trophy candidate Troy Davis . The Blackshirts also recorded two interceptions and forced two fumbles with one fumble recovery . The 73 points were the most ever scored by Nebraska against Iowa State ( the 1997 Cornhuskers broke that mark by scoring 77 against the Cyclones ) . Kansas . The 10th - rated Jayhawks were 8 – 1 entering the game against No . 1 Nebraska . Kansas , unbeaten at home on the season and featuring its best team since its last victory over the Cornhuskers in 1968 , outplayed Nebraska for much of the first half as the Cornhuskers had their sloppiest performance of the season . By the end of the first half , Kansas had outgained Nebraska 199 – 110 in yards , had 10 more first downs and had run 23 more plays . Nonetheless , Nebraska still led 14 – 3 at intermission after recovering a fumbled punt in the end zone for a score and getting another touchdown after a short drive following another fumble recovery at the Kansas 30 - yard line . Kansas repeatedly drove deep into Nebraska territory but suffered from five turnovers on the day . The Jayhawks ' only points came on a field goal after an 86 - yard drive stalled at the Nebraska 2 - yard line . Nebraska took over in the second half , and an 86 - yard interception return by reserve defensive back Mike Fullman closed the scoring at 41 – 3 . Tommie Frazier led all rushers with 99 yards on 10 carries ; Kansas as a team ran for 72 yards on 32 total rushing attempts . The Nebraska offense had three uncharacteristic turnovers of its own on the day , the first of which - a fumble by backup quarterback Brook Berringer - snapped a streak of 18 straight quarters without a turnover . The game marked Nebraska ' s third win over a top ten team in less than a month , with an average victory margin of 45 – 16 . With the win , Nebraska clinched the final Big 8 football championship , its fifth in a row . Oklahoma . Nebraska entered the contest favored by more than 30 points , one of the largest point - spreads in the history of the series . But the Sooners played tough defensively , as Nebraska failed to score a first - half offensive touchdown for the first time all season . The Huskers nonetheless led 13 – 0 at halftime , thanks to a pair of field goals by Kris Brown and a 36 - yard interception return for a score by linebacker Jamel Williams . A 57 - yard fumble return by free safety Tony Veland pushed the score to 20 – 0 early in the third quarter . Frazier eventually threw a 38 - yard touchdown pass to Jon Vedral . Frazier went 12 of 25 for 136 passing yards with one touchdown and one interception ; the unspectacular performance eventually factored heavily into his finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting . Late in the game , backup quarterback Brook Berringer scrambled to convert a 4th and 16 situation . Later during the same drive , reserve fullback Joel Mackovicka scored the game ' s final touchdown , giving the Huskers 37 points and therefore a 52 . 4 - point - per - game scoring average , breaking the 1983 school record of 52 . In all the Husker offense tallied 271 rushing yards and 407 total . The Husker defense , meanwhile , limited the Sooners to 241 total yards and forced three turnovers . The game marked the first shutout of Oklahoma by Nebraska since 1942 . At the time , the game was also the second - largest victory ever by the Huskers over the Sooners ( 44 – 6 , 1928 ) . The game stretched the Huskers ' unbeaten streak in the conference to 23 games , marked three straight undefeated seasons in the Big 8 , and also completed three straight undefeated regular seasons . Florida . Entering the 1996 Fiesta Bowl , Nebraska was thought of by some to be an underdog ( including Sports Illustrated in their 12 / 26 / 1995 issue ) , even though it came into the game riding a long streak as the # 1 team in the country . Their opponent , the 12 – 0 University of Florida Gators , were considered to possess a defense with overwhelming speed . Many favored the Florida defensive speed in contrast to the traditional run - first , power - option offense of Nebraska , even though oddsmakers had made Nebraska a 3 . 5 - point favorite . On January 2 , 1996 , Nebraska defeated Florida 62 – 24 , marking the largest margin of victory and highest score in a national championship game in history . Included among several NCAA bowl records the Huskers set were a team rushing total of 524 yards ( out of a total offensive output of 629 yards ) . I - back Lawrence Phillips carried 25 times for 165 yards and two touchdowns , and he also caught a 16 - yard touchdown pass . Quarterback Tommie Frazier finished the game with 199 yards on 16 carries . The game also included one of the most famous plays in Nebraska history : a 75 - yard touchdown run in the third quarter by Frazier in which he broke an estimated eight tackles . Florida had entered the contest by having won every game of its regular season by no fewer than 11 points , and the Gator offense had averaged more than 44 points per game , 360 passing yards per game , and 534 yards of total offense per game . The Nebraska defense limited the Gators to 269 yards of total offense and - 28 rushing yards while registering a safety , seven quarterback sacks , and three interceptions , including one returned 42 yards for a touchdown by Michael Booker . The Huskers ' 29 points in the second quarter set a Fiesta bowl record . After the season . Due to their performance against Florida as well as beating 4 teams that finished in the top 10 by an average score of 49 – 18 , their consistent dominance ( smallest margin of victory was 14 points , trailed only once all season , averaging 400 yards rushing per game while allowing only 78 , scoring 51 rushing touchdowns while allowing only 6 ) , their record setting offensive performance , and their statistically impressive defense throughout the season , the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers are widely considered one of the greatest teams in college football history . The team set Division 1 - A records by averaging 7 . 0 yards per rushing attempt and also by allowing zero quarterback sacks on the season . Noted for its strong special teams play , the team also connected on 13 of 16 field goal attempts , and it also tied an NCAA record by allowing only five punt returns ( for a total of 12 yards ) all season . The 1995 Huskers also averaged a victory margin of more than 38 points , the largest of any Division 1 - A team since World War II , despite regularly resting their starters in the second halves of games . Averaging more than 53 points per game ( including the bowl win ) , the team averaged 29 . 8 points per first half - a higher number than the per - game scoring average of many national champions , even including such modern champions as the 2006 Florida Gators , the 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes , and the 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide . Analysts often make comparisons to other recent highly - regarded champions , such as the 2001 Miami Hurricanes and the 2004 USC Trojans . Such comparisons , as noted by the experts themselves , are nearly impossible to make , as rankings vary from evaluation to evaluation . The 1994 and 1995 Nebraska teams , which went a combined 25 – 0 , remain the only undefeated and untied - as well as the only consensus - back - to - back national champions since Oklahoma in 1955 and 1956 . The 1995 Cornhuskers were also recently named by Playboy Magazine as the greatest college football team of the Playboy era ( since 1957 ) . Awards . < br > NFL and Pro Players . The following Nebraska players who participated in the 1995 season later moved on to the next level and joined a professional or semi - pro team as draftees or free agents . < br >