1982 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

1982 Nebraska Cornhuskers football
Big Eight champion Orange Bowl champion
Orange Bowl, W 21–20 vs. LSU
Conference	Big Eight Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 3
AP	No. 3
Record	12–1 (7–0 Big Eight)
Head coach	Tom Osborne (10th season)
Offensive scheme	I formation
Defensive coordinator	Charlie McBride (2nd season)
Base defense	5–2
Home stadium	Memorial Stadium
Seasons ←  1981 1983  →

1982 Big Eight Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 3 Nebraska $	7	–	0	–	0			12	–	1	–	0
No. 16 Oklahoma	6	–	1	–	0			8	–	4	–	0
Oklahoma State	3	–	2	–	2			4	–	5	–	2
Kansas State	3	–	3	–	1			6	–	5	–	1
Missouri	2	–	3	–	2			5	–	4	–	2
Iowa State	1	–	5	–	1			4	–	6	–	1
Kansas	1	–	5	–	1			2	–	7	–	2
Colorado	1	–	5	–	1			2	–	8	–	1
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

The 1982 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1982 NCAA Division I-A 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	Source
September 11	1:30 pm	Iowa *	No. 3	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE (rivalry)	ESPN	W 42–7	76,013	[1]
September 18	1:30 pm	New Mexico State *	No. 3	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE		W 68–0	76,141	[2]
September 25	2:45 pm	at No. 8 Penn State *	No. 2	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	CBS	L 24–27	85,304	[3]
October 2	1:30 pm	at No. 20 Auburn *	No. 8	Jordan-Hare Stadium Auburn, AL		W 41–7	73,900	[4]
October 9	2:30 pm	at Colorado	No. 7	Folsom Field Boulder, CO (rivalry)		W 40–14	53,022	[5]
October 16	1:30 pm	Kansas State	No. 6	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE (rivalry)		W 42–13	76,268	[6]
October 23	2:50 pm	Missouri	No. 5	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE (rivalry)	ABC	W 23–19	76,406	[7]
October 30	1:30 pm	at Kansas	No. 6	Memorial Stadium Lawrence, KS (rivalry)		W 52–0	51,172	[8]
November 6	1:30 pm	Oklahoma State	No. 6	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE		W 48–10	76,387	[9]
November 13	1:30 pm	at Iowa State	No. 4	Cyclone Stadium Ames, IA (rivalry)		W 48–10	52,887	[10]
November 26	1:45 pm	No. 11 Oklahoma	No. 3	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE (rivalry)	CBS	W 28–24	76,398	[11]
December 4	11:30 pm	at Hawaii *	No. 3	Aloha Stadium Halawa, HI		W 37–16	46,876	[12]
January 1, 1983	7:00 pm	vs. No. 13 LSU *	No. 3	Miami Orange Bowl Miami, FL (Orange Bowl)	NBC	W 21–20	54,407	[13]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

Roster

^{[14] [15]}

Behning, Mark #73 (So.) OT Biggers, Kevin #13 (Jr.) CB Bourn, Don #92 (So.) TE Brown, Todd #29 (Sr.) SE Brungardt, Tim #32 (Jr.) IB Buchanan, Eric #82 (So.) DE Burke, Dave #33 (So.) CB Campbell, Grant #24 (Sr.) P Clark, Bret #10 (So.) S Craig, Roger #21 (Sr.) IB Damkroger, Steve #35 (Sr.) LB Daum, Mark #51 (So.) LB Denny, Gregorio #36 (Fr.) IB Engebritson, Monte #83 (Jr.) TE Evans, Brent #48 (Sr.) LB Felici, Tony #46 (Sr.) DE Fisher, Todd #6 (So.) CB Fryar, Irving #27 (Jr.) WB Gdowski, Tom #93 (Sr.) DT Gill, Turner #12 (Jr.) QB Glathar, Kurt #69 (Sr.) OG Graeber, Ken #52 (So.) MG Greene, Ricky #5 (So.) CB Grimminger, Harry #58 (So.) OG Haase, David #4 (Jr.) S Hagerman, Mark #9 (Sr.) PK Harris, Neil #11 (So.) CB Herrmann, Doug #63 (Jr.) DT Hill, Dan #84 (Sr.) TE Hill, Pete #41 (So.) DE Holbrook, Tim #23 (Sr.) MON		Huebert, Randy #31 (Sr.) WB Johnson, Brad #55 (Sr.) C Keeler, Mike #61 (Jr.) DT Kimball, Scott #88 (So.) SE Knox, Mike #44 (So.) LB Krenk, Mitch #89 (Sr.) TE Kwapick, Jeff #70 (Sr.) OT Larsen, Pat #3 (Sr.) S Lyday, Allen #18 (Sr.) CB Mandelko, Mike #68 (Sr.) OG Mason, Nate #8 (Jr.) QB Mathison, Bruce #19 (Sr.) QB McCashland, Mike #2 (So.) MON McLaughlin, Scott #59 (So.) OG McWhirter, Steve #45 (Sr.) LB Merrell, Jeff #74 (Sr.) MG Moravec, Mark #40 (Sr.) FB Morrow, Tom #77 (So.) OT Muehling, Brad #54 (Jr.) C Murphy, Jim #16 (Jr.) CB Orton, Greg #67 (So.) OG Praeuner, Wade #85 (Jr.) DE Raridon, Scott #72 (Jr.) OT Rathman, Tom #26 (So.) FB Reinhardt, John #62 (Jr.) MG Ridder, Dave #86 (Jr.) DE Rimington, Dave #50 (Sr.) C Ripa, Dan #43 (So.) LB Rozier, Mike #30 (Jr.) IB Schellen, Mark #25 (Jr.) FB		Schneider, Gary(Fr.) CB Schoening, Lynn #91 (Sr.) PK Schoettger, Scott #42 (So.) SE Seibel, Kevin #49 (Sr.) PK Sherlock, John #66 (Jr.) OT Simmons, Ricky #7 (Jr.) WB Smith, Jeff #28 (So.) IB Steinkuhler, Dean #71 (Jr.) OG Strasburger, Scott #90 (So.) DE Stuckey, Rob #75 (So.) DT Sundberg, Craig #15 (So.) QB Swanson, Shane #17 (So.) WB Theiss, Randy #65 (Sr.) OT Thomas, Anthony #53 (So.) OG Thompson, Jim #39 (So.) WB Tramner, Mike #64 (Jr.) MG Traynowicz, Mark #57 (So.) OT Turner, Travis #14 (So.) QB Van Norman, Kris #38 (Sr.) MON Vergith, Tom #22 (Sr.) SE Waechter, Kevin #76 (Jr.) DT Weber, Bill #87 (So.) DE Weed, Dan #56 (So.) C Wilkening, Doug #34 (Jr.) FB Williams, Jamie #80 (Sr.) TE Williams, Toby #97 (Sr.) DT Wingard, Dan #47 (So.) PK Zierke, Mike(So.) DT

^[16]

Depth chart

Defense FS Bret Clark Pat Larsen Gary Schneider INSDIE INSDIE Steve McWhirter Steve Damkroger Mike Knox Brent Evans Kurt Whiteman Mark Daum MONSTER Kris Van-Norman Tim Holbrook Mike Mccashland CB Dave Burke Jim Murphy Brian Pokorny DE DT NT DT DE Tony Felici Rob Stuckey Jeff Merrell Toby Williams Bill Weber Scott Strasburger Jim Skow Mike Tramner Tom Gdowski Wade Praeuner Dave Ridder Mike Zierke Ken Graeber John Reinhardt Eric Buchanan CB Allen Lyday Neil Harris Charlie Cartwright Offense WR Todd Brown Rickey Simmons Scott Kimball LT LG C RG RT Randy Theiss Mike Mandelko Dave Rimington Dean Steinkuhler Jeff Kwapick Mark Behning Anthony Thomas Brad Johnson Harry Grimminger Scott Raridon John Sherlock Scott McLaughlin Brad Muehling Kurt Glather Mark Traynowicz TE Jamie Williams Mitch Krenk Dan Hill WR Irving Fryar Shane Swanson Tom Vergith QB Turner Gill Bruce Mathison Nate Mason Key reserves Season-ending injury DT Doug Herrman DT Mike Keeler RB Mike Rozier Roger Craig Jeff Smith FB Doug Wilkening Mark Schellen Mark Moravec Special teams PK Kevin Seibel P Grant Campbell

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
Charlie McBride	Defensive Coordinator	1981	1977–1999	Colorado
Cletus Fischer	Offensive Line		1960–1985	Nebraska
John Melton	Linebackers	1973	1962–1988	Wyoming
Mike Corgan	Running Backs	1962	1962–1982	Notre Dame
Boyd Epley	Head Strength Coach	1969	1969–2003	Nebraska
George Darlington	Defensive Ends		1973–2002	Rutgers
Milt Tenopir	Offensive Line	1974	1974–2002	Sterling
Gene Huey	Receivers	1977	1977–1986	Wyoming
Frank Solich	Head Freshman Coach	1979	1979–2003	Nebraska
Jack Pierce			1979–1991
Bob Thornton	Secondary	1981	1981–1985	Nebraska

Game summaries

Iowa

Iowa at #3 Nebraska [box score]

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Iowa	0	0	0	7	7
•#3 Nebraska	14	14	0	14	42

• Date: 1982-09-11
• Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
• Game attendance: 76,013
• Television network: ESPN

Defending Big Ten Champion Iowa was down 28–0 by halftime, and was only able to muster a single 4th-quarter touchdown against Nebraska reserves to avoid the shutout.

New Mexico State

New Mexico State at #3 Nebraska [box score]

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
New Mexico State	0	0	0	0	0
•#3 Nebraska	14	14	33	7	68

• Date: 1982-09-18
• Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
• Game attendance: 76,141

Records fell all over as Nebraska steamrolled New Mexico State 68–0 in Lincoln. Nebraska's total of 883 offensive yards, 645 consecutive yards without going backwards, 36 rushing first downs, and 43 total first downs were all new NCAA records.

Penn State

#2 Nebraska at #8 Penn State [box score]

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
#2 Nebraska	0	7	7	10	24
•#8 Penn State	7	7	7	6	27

• Date: 1982-09-25
• Location: Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
• Game attendance: 85,304

Nebraska fought back from a 7–21 deficit and finally pulled into the lead on an 80-yard drive with 1:18 remaining, yet the Nittany Lions drove right back and handed the Cornhuskers their first and only loss of the season, keyed by a controversial Penn State completion at the sideline, leaving 9 seconds left on the clock. Sixteen years later, Penn State TE Mike McCloskey, the receiver of the controversial catch, admitted he was out of bounds on the play and should have been ruled incomplete. ^[17] Because the McCloskey "catch" stood, quarterback Todd Blackledge subsequently tossed the game winning catch to Kirk Bowman with 4 seconds remaining. ^[18]

Auburn

#8 Nebraska at #20 Auburn [box score]

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
•#8 Nebraska	7	7	7	20	41
#20 Auburn	7	0	0	0	7

• Date: 1982-10-02
• Location: Jordan–Hare Stadium, Auburn, Alabama
• Game attendance: 73,900

The Cornhuskers, demoralized from the loss to Penn State a week earlier, struggled to come to life as Nebraska entered the locker room at halftime with a narrow 14–7 lead. By the end of the 3rd quarter, Nebraska had tacked on another 7 points, while Auburn had turned over the ball three times, and Nebraska finally ran off three straight scores in the 4th to put it away.

Colorado

#7 Nebraska at Colorado [box score]

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
•#7 Nebraska	7	13	0	20	40
Colorado	0	0	14	0	14

• Date: 1982-10-09
• Location: Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado
• Game attendance: 53,022

Scoring summary

1		NEB	Doug Wilkening 3-yard run (Kevin Seibel kick)	NEB 7–0
2		NEB	Roger Craig 1-yard run (Kevin Seibel kick)	NEB 14–0
2		NEB	Kevin Seibel 26-yard field goal	NEB 17–0
2		NEB	Kevin Seibel 31-yard field goal	NEB 20–0
3		COL	Richard Johnson 37-yard pass from Randy Essington (Tom Field kick)	NEB 20–7
3		COL	Richard Johnson 24-yard run (Tom Field kick)	NEB 20–14
4		NEB	Mike Rozier 6-yard pass from Turner Gill (pass failed)	NEB 26–14
4		NEB	Mike Rozier 11-yard run (Kevin Seibel kick)	NEB 33–14
4		NEB	Jeff Smith 1-yard run (Kevin Seibel kick)	NEB 40–14

Nebraska LB Steve Damkroger only recorded two interceptions during his Nebraska career, both in this game, as new Colorado coach Bill McCartney had his Colorado Buffaloes gunning for Nebraska through his attempt to establish the Cornhuskers as their main rival to give his squad a target by which to measure their success. At one point, Colorado came within 6 points of the lead, but Damkroger's two interceptions helped put to bed any Colorado upset hopes as Nebraska posted 20 unanswered 4th quarter points for the easy win.

Kansas State

Kansas State at #6 Nebraska [box score]

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Kansas State	0	3	10	0	13
•#6 Nebraska	7	14	7	14	42

• Date: 1982-10-16
• Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
• Game attendance: 76,268

Nebraska IB Mike Rozier became the second Nebraska back, after I.M. Hipp, to play back-to-back 200 yard games, and Cornhusker QB Turner Gill set a new Big Eight completion percentage record of 91.7%, as Nebraska had little trouble with Kansas State in Lincoln.

Missouri

Missouri at #5 Nebraska [box score]

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Missouri	0	7	3	9	19
•#5 Nebraska	3	3	3	14	23

• Date: 1982-10-23
• Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
• Game attendance: 76,406

Missouri was sniffing an upset after Nebraska QB Turner Gill was forced out by an injury in the 2nd quarter as the Tigers led 7–6, and the pressure was mounting after the Cornhuskers fell behind 9–13 in the 4th quarter, but backup QB Bruce Mathison directed two touchdown drives with help from an interception by Nebraska LB Brent Evans, and although Missouri would score again, the 10-point lead with 2:36 to go was too much for the Tigers to overcome.

Kansas

#6 Nebraska at Kansas [box score]

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
•#6 Nebraska	7	10	21	14	52
Kansas	0	0	0	0	0

• Date: 1982-10-30
• Location: Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, Kansas
• Game attendance: 50,172

Nebraska cruised to their 14th win in a row over Kansas and their 2nd shutout of the season, piling up 546 yards of offense compared to 69 for the Jayhawks and giving up only one turnover while owning the ball for 34:27. Five different players recorded touchdowns, as the Cornhuskers set out to protest their drop in the poll from #5 to #6 and prove that the previous close call in Missouri was not to be the norm.

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State at #6 Nebraska [box score]

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Oklahoma State	0	7	0	3	10
•#6 Nebraska	7	14	14	13	48

• Date: 1982-11-06
• Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
• Game attendance: 76,387

Oklahoma State runner Ernest Anderson, who later became the NCAA rushing record holder, was held to just 68 yards, while Nebraska IB Mike Rozier broke the Nebraska single season rushing record, held by Bobby Reynolds since 1950, with his 251-yard performance. The Cornhuskers jumped out to a 21-point lead, and the Cowboys only came within 14 before Nebraska left them behind.

Iowa State

#4 Nebraska at Iowa State [box score]

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
•#4 Nebraska	7	14	14	13	48
Iowa State	7	0	0	3	10

• Date: 1982-11-13
• Location: Cyclone Stadium, Ames, Iowa
• Game attendance: 52,887

Iowa State briefly held Nebraska to just a 7-point lead, long enough for the Cyclones to post a tying score at the end of the 1st quarter, but the Cornhusker offense proved to be impossible to hold back as Nebraska then ran off 28 unanswered points. Iowa State feebly posted a field goal in the 4th quarter, which Nebraska then punctuated with another 13 points to put this one away.

Oklahoma

#11 Oklahoma at #3 Nebraska [box score]

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
#11 Oklahoma	7	3	14	0	24
•#3 Nebraska	7	14	7	0	28

• Date: 1982-11-26
• Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
• Game attendance: 76,398

A hard-fought, statistically matched game of football powerhouses, Nebraska and Oklahoma traded the lead a few times before both offenses ground to a halt at the end of the 3rd quarter with the Cornhuskers clinging to a 4-point lead. Two 4th quarter Sooner drives crossed Nebraska's 35-yard line without producing points, yet the game remained in doubt until Nebraska DE Scott Strasburger intercepted Oklahoma with 26 seconds left to play and ended the Sooners' hopes for the upset.

Hawaii

#3 Nebraska at Hawaii [box score]

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
•#3 Nebraska	0	0	7	30	37
Hawaii	7	3	6	0	16

• Date: 1982-12-04
• Location: Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii
• Game attendance: 46,876

Few, if any, could have predicted that unranked Hawaii would lead Nebraska 10–0 by halftime and 16–7 at the end of the 3rd quarter, but the Cornhuskers finally found their footing late in this rare, late-season non-conference game and ripped 30 straight unanswered points in the 4th quarter, amassing 479 rushing yards on the day, to escape Honolulu with a 37–16 win.

LSU

#13 LSU vs #3 Nebraska [box score]

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
#13 LSU	7	7	3	3	20
•#3 Nebraska	7	0	7	7	21

• Date: 1983-01-01
• Location: Miami Orange Bowl, Miami
• Game attendance: 54,407

Nebraska struggled to overcome six turnovers in a game that saw them behind 7–14 at the half, behind 17–14 by the end of the 3rd, and clinging to a 1-point lead after LSU was forced to settle for a field goal in the 4th. Nebraska only punted once compared to the Tigers' six punts, had nearly double the total offensive yards, and a dominating rushing yardage lead, but the LSU ownership of the turnover battle demonstrated the importance of not giving away the ball as Nebraska barely escaped with the win.

Rankings

See also: 1982 NCAA Division I-A football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend:██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	4	3	3	2	8	7	6	5	6	6	4	4	3	3	3	3
Coaches																3

Awards

^[19]

Award	Name(s)
Outland Trophy	Dave Rimington
Lombardi Award	Dave Rimington
National Lineman of the Year	Dave Rimington
Big Eight Athlete of the Year	Dave Rimington
Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year	Mike Rozier
All-America 1st team	Dave Rimington, Mike Rozier
All-America 3rd team	Randy Theiss
All-America honorable mention	Steve Damkroger, Turner Gill, Mike Mandelko, Jamie Williams, Toby Williams
All-Big Eight 1st team	Steve Damkroger, Tony Felici, Turner Gill, Mike Mandelko, Dave Rimington, Mike Rozier, Randy Theiss, Jamie Williams
All-Big Eight 2nd team	Irving Fryar, Jeff Merrell, Allen Lyday, Grant Campbell

NFL and pro players

The following Nebraska players who participated in the 1982 season later moved on to the next level and joined a professional or semi-pro team as draftees or free agents. ^[20]

Name	Team
Mark Behning	Pittsburgh Steelers
Todd Brown	Montreal Concordes
Bret Clark	Tampa Bay Bandits
Roger Craig	San Francisco 49ers
Irving Fryar	New England Patriots
Turner Gill	Montreal Concordes
Brad Johnson	Boston Breakers
Mike Knox	Denver Broncos
Mitch Krenk	Chicago Bears
Allen Lyday	Houston Oilers
Bruce Mathison	San Diego Chargers
Jeff Merrell	Boston Breakers
Greg Orton	Detroit Lions
Tom Rathman	San Francisco 49ers
Dave Rimington	Cincinnati Bengals
Mike Rozier	Pittsburgh Maulers
Mark Schellen	New Orleans Breakers
Kevin Seibel	Chicago Blitz
Ricky Simmons	Washington Federals
Jeff Smith	Kansas City Chiefs
Dean Steinkuhler	Houston Oilers
Swanson, Shane	Denver Broncos
Mark Traynowicz	Buffalo Bills
Jamie Williams	St. Louis Cardinals
Toby Williams	New England Patriots

References

1. "Huskers roll in steel-belted style". Omaha World-Herald. September 12, 1982. Retrieved February 21, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
2. "Nebraska puts on offensive show in 68–0 romp". Democrat and Chronicle. September 19, 1982. Retrieved February 21, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
3. "Penn State comeback kills Huskers' hopes". The Sioux City Journal. September 26, 1982. Retrieved February 21, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
4. "Huskers plow through Auburn country". The Dothan Eagle. October 3, 1982. Retrieved November 2, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
5. "Huskers hold off 'game' Buffaloes". The Daily Nonpareil. October 10, 1982. Retrieved February 21, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
6. "Nebraska romps". Tulsa World. October 17, 1982. Retrieved February 21, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
7. "Huskers overcome Missouri challenge". The Sioux City Journal. October 24, 1982. Retrieved February 21, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
8. "Cornhuskers live up to billing, smash KU". The Kansas City Star. October 31, 1982. Retrieved February 21, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
9. "Everything comes up Rozier for Huskers". Omaha World-Herald. November 7, 1982. Retrieved February 21, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
10. "Huskers breath easy with Gill, OU next up". The Grand Island Independent. November 14, 1982. Retrieved February 21, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
11. "Nebraska returns to Orange Bowl, 28–24". The Des Moines Register. November 27, 1982. Retrieved February 21, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
12. "No. 3 Huskers wake up in 4th quarter". The Grand Island Independent. December 6, 1982. Retrieved February 21, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
13. "NU air game pops LSU balloon". Omaha World-Herald. January 2, 1983. Retrieved November 2, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
14. Nebraska 1982 Roster
15. "Nebraska 1982 Commitments". Archived from the original on January 7, 2010. Retrieved June 2, 2009.
16. "Saturday's game rosters". Lawrence Journal-World. Kansas. October 29, 1982. p. 18.
17. "McCloskey: Catch was out of bounds". McCook Daily Gazette. May 7, 1998. p. 19. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
18. "1982 Penn State football".
19. 1982 Husker Honors
20. "All Time NFL Huskers". Archived from the original on August 15, 2009. Retrieved June 1, 2009.