 Official recap
The Huskers, who had had four weeks of uncertainty regarding the starting quarterback situation, suddenly found all questions answered when sophomore Turner Gill got his first start. He responded by completing nine of 14 passes for 178 yards and a school-record-tying four touchdowns, and guiding the Big Red to 719 yards' total offense and an NCAA-record 42 first downs in a 59-0 romp over Colorado in the Big Eight opener.
With Gill at the controls, Nebraska scored on its first three possessions and rolled to a 38-0 halftime lead. The Huskers added three more scores in the third quarter, then coasted to the win.
The game also marked the starting debut for Mike Rozier at I-back and the first shutout of the season for the Black Shirt defense. Rozier, who alternated the rest of the season with Roger Craig, rushed for 95 yards and scored two TDs, while the defense held the Buffs to 146 yards' total offense and nine first downs.
SERIES HISTORY SEASON STATS | NU ROSTER
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Nebraska 59
Colorado 0
Oct. 10, 1981
Lincoln, NEColorado 0 0 0 0 — 0
Nebraska 14 24 21 0 — 59
NEB — Mike Rozier 3 run (Kevin Seibel kick)
NEB — Anthony Steels 15 pass from Turner Gill (Seibel kick)
NEB — Rozier 5 run (Seibel kick)
NEB — Phil Bates 9 pass from Gill (Seibel kick)
NEB — Todd Brown 45 pass from Gill (Seibel kick)
NEB — FG Seibel 37
NEB — Brown 38 pass from Gill (Seibel kick)
NEB — Bates 9 run (Seibel kick)
NEB — Mark Moravec 11 run (Tim Hagerman kick)
A—76,168
CU NU
First downs 9 42
Rushes-yards 40-107 74-541
Passing yards 39 178
Return yards 0 50
Passes 4-15-2 9-16-0
Punts 8-46.0 2-36.5
Fumbles-lost 0-0 5-1
Penalties-yards 3-18 6-71
Time of possession 26:27 33:33
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing Colorado. Rich Johnson 11-64. Derek Singleton 13-41. Nebraska, Roger Craig 11-96, Rozier 11-95, Bates 7-53, Bruce Mathison 7-53, Gill 6-46, Moravec 7-46, Steels 4-44, Tim Brungardt 8-43, Bill Patterson 2-21.
Passing Colorado. Randy Essington 4-15-39. Nebraska. Gill 9-14-0-178.
Receiving Colorado, Vic James 1-17. Dave Hestera 1-10. Nebraska, Steels 3-45. Brown 2-83, Craig 2-25.
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