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 earlier 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

  • Jerry Murtaugh’s fourth-and-one tackle halted a promising USC drive at midfield in the game’s final three minutes.
  • The tie preserved USC’s 23-game regular-season unbeaten streak.
  • USC 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.
  • Bob Devaney shuffled the defense during the week before the game.
  • The Huskers got a postgame visit from comedian Bill Cosby.
  • By USC officials’ estimate, 12,000 Nebraska fans attended the game.
OWH & LJS
Omaha World-Herald
Lincoln Journal & Star
More Sources
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Herald-Examiner
Associated Press
Daily Nebraskan
Photos/Audio/Video
Photos
Audio
Video
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

Commentary

Hall

The way this one unfolded, USC was fortunate to go home with a tie.

John Hall
Los Angeles Times
Forsythe

It was obvious from the start ... that the Cornhuskers weren’t saddled with stage fright in the huge Los Angeles Coliseum.

Don Forsythe
Lincoln Journal
Brown

The defense grew up a lot Saturday night.

Hal Brown
Lincoln Star
* Article may require subscription