Big 4th quarter boosts Huskers in 1933 finale
The Huskers finished their season with a 22-0 home win over Oregon State, but during the first 45 minutes it wasn’t the cakewalk that the final score might indicate.
It was a 6-0 nail-biter late in the third quarter, with Oregon State gaining a first-and-goal at the Nebraska 5 yard line and threatening to utterly ruin the home crowd’s Thanksgiving. But four times the Huskers rose up and stopped the Beavers from scoring. The Lincoln Star’s Gregg McBride described the fourth-down play from the 2 as follows:
The crowd howled itself hoarse as the Oregonians lined up for the fourth and final try. Shoulder to shoulder, the Cornhusker line and backs functioned as a unit, met Joslin, the Beaver plunger, at the scrimmage line. Not an inch did the Huskers bulge. In fact the scarlet jerseys rolled the western ball-lugger back to the five-yard stripe, by way of making sure there was no doubt their goal line was uncrossed.
The goal-line stand ended the third quarter and was quickly followed by a booming George Sauer punt from the end zone that put Oregon State all the way back at its 20. The swing in field position sparked a 16-point Husker outburst in the final period: a safety on a bad punt snap, and touchdown drives of 57 and 33 yards following interceptions by Bernie Masterson and Warren DeBus.
Notes
• Sauer’s punt, wrote the Star’s Cy Sherman, “from every standpoint was a life-saver for the Nebraska cause. … The Beavers, only a few minutes before, had looked like possible winners, but the Sauer punt literally kicked them out of all chance to break into the scoring column.”
• Oregon State was known as
“The Iron Men” after playing Southern California to a 0-0 tie earlier in the season without making a substitution. The tie ended USC’s 25-game unbeaten streak.
• Omaha World-Herald
• Cy Sherman’s observations
• Associated Press
• NU roster
• Series history
• 1933 results