With 7:52 left to play, following Billy Crockett's great 80-yard punt return for a TD, the Huskers trailed 21-12. Then came the fireworks. On the third play after the kickoff, quarterback Fred Duda rolled out to pass, but Gopher defenders piled up the Huskers' two primary receivers. However, Duda spotted faking fullback Frank Solich sprinting straight down the middle behind the Minnesota safety and rifled a 45-yard scoring pass.

Still, the Huskers were down 21-19 with only 7:31 left in the game. Halting a Gopher drive and forcing a punt that went only 19 yards into a stiff wind, Nebraska took over at the Minnesota 44. Seemingly stymied, Duda came up to a fourth down with 13 yards to go and connected with Freeman White on a 14-yard pass. Then Duda fired a 15-yarder to Bob Hohn at the 18. On the next play, Duda passed again, but the ball ripped through the hands of Gopher defender Mike Reid and skittered off his helmet. Receiver Kent McCloughan, lunged for the deflected ball, caught it, then plowed through two Gophers at the one-yard line to score the winning tally.