Nebraska 40
Notre Dame 6

Jan. 1, 1973 • 7 p.m. Central
Orange Bowl • Miami, FL • NBC
1st2nd3rd4th F 
Notre Dame00066
Nebraska71320040
First Quarter
NU: Rodgers 8 run (Sanger kick) 11:19
Second Quarter
NU: Dixon 1 run (Sanger kick) 14:29
NU: F. Anderson 52 pass from Rodgers (kick blocked) 12:20 
Third Quarter
NU: Rodgers 4 run (pass failed) 11:17
NU: Rodgers 5 run (Sanger kick) 7:33
NU: Rodgers 50 pass from D. Humm (Sanger kick) 6:00
Fourth Quarter
ND: Demmerle 5 pass from Clements (pass 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 Rushing ....... 300     104
  Rushing Plays .......... 64      44
  Yards Gained .......... 328     145
  Yards Lost ............. 28      41
  Long Play .............. 36      21
Net Yards Passing ....... 260     103
  Comp-Att-Int ...... 17-26-1  9-23-3
  Long Play .............. 52      29
Total Offense ........ 90-560  67-207
Int. return yards ......... 0       0
Punts-Average ........ 4-38.3  6-37.2
Yards Returned Punts ...... 3      18
Yards Returned KOs ....... 34      84
Fumbles-Lost ............ 1-1     3-0
Penalties-Yards ........ 5-68    1-15
NEBRASKA
RUSHING   Att Gain Los 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   Att. Com. Int  Yds  Lng  TD
D. Humm    19   13    0  185   50   1
Rodgers     1    1    0   52   52   1
Runty       6    3    1   23   19   0

RECEIVING     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

NOTRE DAME
RUSHING   Att Gain Los  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   Att. Com. Int  Yds  Lng  TD
Clements   22    9   3   103   29   1
Dewan       1    0   0     0    0   0

RECEIVING     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

Coverage

Recap

Rodgers runs wild in rout of Fighting Irish

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
HIGHLIGHTS

Recap source: 1973 media guide

Neb. sources
Omaha World-Herald
Lincoln Journal Star
Husker Press Box
More sources
Miami Herald
Chicago Tribune
Indianapolis News
Sports Illustrated
Associated Press
United Press International
St. Petersburg Times
Notre Dame Athletics
Pregame & team info
Program cover
1972 schedule
05/06Reds 19, Whites 21
09/09@ UCLAL 17-20
09/16Texas A&MW 37-7
09/23@ ArmyW 77-7
09/30MinnesotaW 49-0
10/14MissouriW 62-0
10/21@ KansasW 56-0
10/28Oklahoma St.W 34-0
11/04@ ColoradoW 33-10
11/11@ Iowa St.L 23-23
11/18Kansas St.W 59-7
11/23OklahomaL 14-17
01/01Notre DameW 40-6
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