Official recap Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers erased all possible doubts about his claim to national pre-eminence with a devastating one-man attack on the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame as the Nebraska Cornhuskers confiscated their third consecutive Orange Bowl Trophy with a 40-6 victory. With his teammates also performing in magnificent fashion, Rodgers astounded 80,010 fans in familiar Orange Bowl Stadium as well as millions of TV fans on New Year's Night by scoring four TDs and passing for a fifth against the shell-shocked Irish. No Heisman Trophy winner in history ever concluded his collegiate career in such sensational fashion. Plagued by a tarnished off-the-field reputation, Rodgers feverishly wanted to assure the nation that he really did merit the Heisman as the outstanding player in the United States. Few who watched the 1973 Orange Bowl game would dispute his claim. In a master stroke of strategy, Coach Bob Devaney shifted Rodgers from Wingback to I-Back. It was a simple move, yet the results were explosive. Full recap here COVERAGE OMAHA WORLD-HERALD HUSKER PRESS BOX SPORTS ILLUSTRATED UPI | AP | MIAMI NEWS PREGAME BOLDING SPORTS RESEARCH   SERIES HISTORY | NU BOWLS SEASON STATS | NU ROSTER FINAL POLLS | HONORS

Nebraska 40
Notre Dame 6

Notre Dame    0      0      0     6   -   6
Nebraska      7     13     20     0   -  40

First Quarter
NU - Rodgers 8 yard run (Sanger kick) 11:19
Second Quarter
NU - Dixon 1 yard run (Sanger kick) 14:29
NU - F. Anderson 52 yard pass from Rodgers
    (Sanger kick blocked) 12:20
Third Quarter
NU - Rodgers 4 yard run
    (D. Humm pass for 2 pts. failed) 11:17
NU - Rodgers 5 yard run (Sanger kick) 7:33
NU - Rodgers 50 yard pass from D. Humm
    (Sanger kick) 6:00
Fourth Quarter
ND - Demmerle 5 yard pass from Clements
    (Clements pass for 2 pts. failed) 13:51

ATTENDANCE: 80,010

                                          NU       ND 
First Downs ............................. 30       13
  By Rushing ............................ 20        6
  By Passing ............................. 9        5
  By Penalty ............................. 1        2
Net Yards Gained Rushing ............... 300      104
  Rushing Plays ......................... 64       44
  Yards Gained Rushing ................. 328      145
  Yards Lost Rushing .................... 28       41
  Long Rushing Play ..................... 36       21
Yards Gained Passing ................... 260      103
  Completed-Attempted-Intercepted .. 17-26-1   9-23-3
  Long Passing Play ..................... 52       29
Total Offense ....................... 90-560   67-207
Forward Passes Intercepted By ............ 3        1
Yards Returned Intercepted Passes ........ 0        0
Punts-Average ....................... 4-38.3   6-37.2
Yards Returned Punts ..................... 3       18
Yards Returned Kickoffs ................. 34       84
Fumbles-Lost ........................... 1-1      3-0
Penalties-Yards ....................... 5-68     1-15


NEBRASKA
RUSHING
Runner    Att Gain  Ls  Net  Avg  Lng  TD
Rodgers    15   84   3  81   5.4   17   3
Goeller    11   52   9  43   3.9   13   0
Dixon       9   69   0  69   7.7   36   1
Bahe        6   33   6  27   4.5   12   0
Damkroger   3   18   0  18   6.0    8   0
Olds        2    5   0   5   2.5    4   0
D. Humm     4   10   3   7   1.8    8   0
Runty       3   24   5  19   6.3   11   0
Moran       4   13   2  11   2.8    6   0
Garson      4   10   0  10   1.5    6   0
Powell      1    9   0   9   9.0    9   0
Westbrook   1    1   0   1   1.0    1   0 

PASSING
Passer    Att.  Com.  Int  Yards  Long  TD
D. Humm    19    13    0    185    50    1
Rodgers     1     1    0     52    52    1
Runty       6     3    1     23    19    0


NOTRE DAME
RUSHING
Runner    Att Gain  Ls   Net  Avg  Lng  TD
Penick      8   49   1   48   6.0   21   0
Best        7   19   4   15   2.1    7   0
Huff       11   22   0   22   2.0    3   0
Dewan       7   18   0   18   2.6    5   0
Diminick    1    2   0    2   2.0    2   0
Cieszkowski 3   21   0   21   7.0   10   0
Clements    6   14  36  -22  -3.7   11   0
Samuel      1    0   0    0   0.0    0   0





PASSING
Passer    Att.  Com.  Int  Yards  Long  TD
Clements   22     9    3    103    29    1
Dewan       1     0    0      0     0    0


NEBRASKA
PASS RECEIVING
Receiver      No.  Yds  Long  TD
List           3    25   11    0
F.Anderson     2    67   52    1
Revelle        3    62   29    0
Rodgers        3    71   50    1
Damkroger      2    13    7    0
Longwell       1     4    4    0
Goeller        1     2    2    0
Garson         2    16   19    0

PUNTING
Punter        No.  Yds  Avg.  Long
Sanger         4   153  38.3   48

PUNT RETURNS
Player        No.  Yds  Long
Bahe           1     6     6
Rodgers        1    -3    -3

KICKOFF RETURNS
Player        No.  Yds  Long
Bahe           1    23    23
Rodgers        1    11    11


MISCELLANEOUS PLAYS
Player    Type of Play   No. Yds
Blahak    Interception    1   0
Pitts     Interception    1   0
Thornton  Interception    1   0


NOTRE DAME
PASS RECEIVING
Receiver      No.  Yds  Long  TD
Dewan          3    46   29    0
Diminick       1     5    5    0
Creaney        2    28   17    0
Huff           1     4    4    0
Demmerle       1     5    5    1
Roolf          1    15   15    0



PUNTING
Punter        No.  Yds  Avg.  Long
Doherty        6   223  37.2   46

PUNT RETURNS
Player        No.  Yds  Long
Rudnick        1    15   15
Zanot          1     3    3

KICKOFF RETURNS
Player        No.  Yds  Long
Diminick       3    48    21
Dewan          2    23    15
Penick         1    13    13

MISCELLANEOUS PLAYS
Player     Type of Play  No. Yds
M.Townsend Interception   1   0


DEFENSIVE STATS
NEBRASKA 
Player        Tac  Asst 
Glover          5     5 
Pitts           5     3 
Branch          5     2 
Dutton          4     0 
M.Johnson       4     0 
Mason           3     1 
Bell            3     1 
Harper          3     1 
Yaralian        3     0 
Borg            3     0 
Manstedt        3     0 
Ruud            2     0 
Kyros           1     0 
Sloey           1     1 
A.Johnson       1     0 
Hyland          1     0 
Fischer         1     0 
Austin          1     0 
Alward          1     0


NOTRE DAME 
Player        Tac  Asst 
Mahalic        10     1 
Nosbusch        8     0 
Masuraca        7     5 
Hayduk          6     2 
Barnett         6     0 
O'Malley        5     4 
Schlezes        5     3 
Collins         5     1 
Rudnick         5     0 
Potempa         5     0 
Marx            3     3 
M. Townsend     3     0 
Devine          3     0 
Stock           2     0 
Smith           2     0 
Naughton        1     0 
Best            1     0 
Dewan           1     0



PARTICIPATION
NEBRASKA
OFFENSE
SE — Revelle, F. Anderson, Hill, Lackovic
LT — White, Doak, Henrichs
LG — D. Anderson, Alward, Leonardi
C — Dumler, Duda, Kinsel
RG — Beran, Hegener
RT — Crenshaw, Austin, Pavelka
TE — List, Longwell
QB — D. Humm, Runty
IB — Goeller, Dixon, Westbrook
WB — Rodgers, Bahe, Moran, Garson
FB — Olds, Damkroger, Powell, O'Holleran
Punter — Sanger
Placekicker — Sanger
Kickoff — Sanger

DEFENSE
LE — Manstedt, Hyland, Wieser
LT — Janssen, M. Johnson
MG — Glover, Bell
RT — Dutton
RE — Harper, Pate
SLB — Branch, Nelson, Schmidt, Sloey
WLB — Pitts, Ruud
MON. — Mason, Starkebaum, Rogers
LCB — Blahak, Fisher
RCB — Borg, Yaralian, A. Johnson
S — Thornton, Kyros


NOTRE DAME
OFFENSE
TE — Creaney, Quehl
LT — Casper
LG — Pomarice
C — Drew, Alvarado
RG — Dinardo
RT — Dampeer
SE — W. Townsend, Demmerle, Roolf        
QB — Clements
LHB — Dewen, Best
RHB — Diminick, Penick
FB — Huff, Cieszkowski
Punter — Doherty
Kickoff — Thomas


DEFENSE
LE — Sullivan, Devine
LT — Nesbusch, Potempa
RT — Marx
RE — Hayduk, Stock
LB — O'Malley, McGraw
OLB — Mahalic
OLB — Masuraca, Smith
DHB — Barnett, Lepienski
DHB — M. Townsend, Zlock
DHB — Schlezes
S — Rudnick, Naughton, Zanet