S. California 21
Nebraska 21

Sep. 19, 1970 - 10 p.m. Central
Memorial Coliseum | Los Angeles, CA
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total
Nebraska 0 14 7 0 21
S. California 0 7 7 7 21

1970 Nebraska-USC, Johnny Rodgers photoJohnny Rodgers takes off on a 29-yard punt return that set up Nebraska’s first touchdown. · Dayton Journal Herald · Newspapers.com

First Quarter
NEB: Guy Ingles 17 pass from Dan Schneiss (Paul Rogers kick) 10:09
Second Quarter
USC: Jimmy Jones 4 run (Ron Ayala kick) 3:35
NEB: Johnny Rodgers 15 pass from Jerry Tagge (Rogers kick) 0:54
Third Quarter
USC: Charlie Evans 1 run (Ayala kick) 6:21
NEB: Joe Orduna 67 run (Rogers kick) 5:34
Fourth Quarter
USC: Clarence Davis 9 run (Ayala kick) 8:16

                           NU      USC
First Downs .............. 19       22
Rushing, Net ......... 44-208   52-175
Passes, Att-Comp ...... 18-12    25-14
Passing, Net ............ 157      191
 Comp.-Att.-Int. .... 12-18-3  14-25-2
Total Offense ........ 62-365   77-366
Punts-Avg. ........... 4-41.5   4-37.5
Punt returns ........... 4-53     1-17
Int. returns............ 2-46     3-39
Kickoff returns ........ 4-70    4-121
Fumbles-lost ............ 4-3      2-2
Penalties-yards ........ 4-42     4-45

RUSHING
NEB: Orduna 18-135; Kinney 11-31; Rodgers 5-23; Schneiss 4-15; Tagge 6-4

USC: Davis 27-116; Cunningham 10-52; Harris 4-11; Evans 6-7; Jones 5-(-11)

PASSING
NEB: Tagge 11-17-3 140; Schneiss 1-1-0 17
USC: Jones 14-25-2 191

RECEIVING
NEB: Ingles 5-65; Rodgers 2-40; List 1-16; Cox 1-13; Orduna 1-12; Kinney 1-6; Schneiss 1-5

USC: Chandler 5-83; Dickerson 3-39; Cunningham 2-29; Evans 2-20; Morgan 2-20


SCORING SUMMARY & MORE STATS


orduna (2K)NU BACK OF GAME
Joe Orduna: Rushed for season high of 135 yards and a 7.5 average. His 67-yard touchdown run gave NU a 21-14 lead to ensure tie.


murtaugh (1K)NU LINEMAN OF GAME
Jerry Murtaugh: Sensational defensive job, with 14 unassisted tackles and 11 assisted tackles. Also deflected a pass.

Attendance: 73,768
1970 Nebaska-USC, Ed Periard and John HylandEd Periard sacks Jimmy Jones for an 11-yard loss as John Hyland also applies pressure. · Lincoln Star · Newspapers.com

Coverage

Game recap

Huskers, Trojans battle to a draw in Los Angeles

When football historians review the 1970s, they’ll probably list the Nebraska-Southern California 21-21 tie in 1970 as one of the great games of the decade.

It was that kind of game as Nebraska’s two-TD underdogs three times led the highly regarded Trojans in a game that left 73,768 fans breathless on the last play — a 50-yard incomplete USC pass.

schneiss (1K)
Schneiss
 
tagge (1K)
Tagge

Nebraska got the jump on the Trojans in the second quarter — Husker Joe Orduna early had fumbled at the USC 5 — when fullback Dan Schneiss took a handoff from quarterback Jerry Tagge and threw a surprise 17-yard pass to Guy Ingles.

USC tied it on a 4-yard run by Jimmy Jones, but Nebraska roared back for a 14-7 halftime lead on Tagge’s 15-yard pass to Johnny Rodgers to cap a 74-yard drive.

Back stormed the Trojans in the third quarter to tie it at 14-14, but on the second play after the next kickoff, Orduna tore 67 yards on a great run to put Nebraska ahead again, 21-14.

Nebraska’s chance for icing a victory misfired in the final quarter when a bad snap caused Paul Rogers to miss a 22-yard field goal that would have given NU a 24-14 lead.

USC then moved 80 yards for the tying TD, with Clarence Davis going the last nine yards with 8:16 left in the game.

Both teams had final chances in the wild finale, but a great college game ended 21-21.

1970 Nebraska-USC, Joe Orduna photoJoe Orduna eludes Trojans during his 67-yard TD run. | Lyell’s call · St. Louis Post-Dispatch · Newspapers.com

H’MAX NOTES: Johnny Rodgers’ 30-yard punt return helped set up the Huskers’ first TD. … The tie preserved USC’s 23-game regular-season unbeaten streak. Coach John McKay said he would have gone for a two-point conversion if the last touchdown had occurred with five minutes or less remaining. … The Trojans entered the game ranked third nationally by AP, Nebraska ninth. .. USC’s Davis finished with 116 rushing yards on 27 carries. Orduna had 135 yards on 18 attempts. … Bob Devaney shuffled the defense during the week before the game. … The Huskers got a postgame visit from comedian Bill Cosby.

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Pregame & team info
1970 schedule
05/09 Reds 23, Whites 3
09/12 Wake Forest W 36-12
09/19 @ S. California T 21-21
09/26 Army W 28-0
10/03 @ Minnesota W 35-10
10/10 Missouri W 21-7
10/17 @ Kansas W 41-20
10/24 Oklahoma St. W 65-31
10/31 @ Colorado W 29-13
11/07 @ Iowa St. W 54-29
11/14 Kansas St. W 51-13
11/21 Oklahoma W 28-21
01/01 LSU W 17-12
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