UCLA 20
Nebraska 17

Sept. 9, 1972 • 10:05 p.m. Central
L.A. Coliseum •Los Angeles, CA
1st2nd3rd4th F 
Nebraska0100717
UCLA377320

First Quarter
UCLA: Efren Herrera 27 field goal, 4:26
Second Quarter
UCLA: Brad Lyman 46 pass from Mark Harmon (Herrera kick) 13:25
NEBR: Rich Sanger 28 field goal, 5:48
NEBR: Johnny Rodgers 11 run (Sanger kick)  2:26
Third Quarter
UCLA: Harmon 2 run (Herrera kick) 7:21
Fourth Quarter
NEBR: Jerry List 44 pass from Dave Humm (Sanger kick) 14:01
UCLA: Herrera 30 field goal, 0:22

                        NU      UCLA
First Downs ............ 18       13
Rushing, Net ....... 48-174   61-219
Passing, Net............146       65
 Comp-Att-Int ...... 8-21-2    4-8-0
Total Offense ...... 69-320   69-284
Punts-Average ...... 2-37.0   7-38.0
Fumbles-Lost .......... 4-3      1-0
Yards penalized ........ 30       90

Attendance: 67,702

LEADING NU RUSHERS: Gary Dixon 15-65, 
  Johnny Rodgers 7-43, Dave Goeller 6-45,
  Bill Olds 10-20, Maury Damkroger 6-19
LEADING NU PASSER:
  Dave Humm, 8 of 21 - 146.
LEADING NU RECEIVERS: Jerry List 3-74,
  Johnny Rodgers 3-63
NU TOTAL OFFENSE LEADER: Dave Humm - 126.

NU OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF GAME: Johnny Rodgers.

NU DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF GAME: Rich Glover.

MORE INDIVIDUAL STATS

Coverage

Recap
RESPONSIVE IMAGE HERE

PHOTO CAPTION HERE | Courtesy of Nebraska Athletics

Upset on coast ends Huskers’ unbeaten streak

No. 1 ranked Nebraska, seeking its third straight national title, had its 32-game success string abruptly snapped by UCLA in the 1972 opener. With 67,702 fans packing the LA Coliseum, Efren Herrera kicked a 30-yard field goal with only 22 seconds left in the game to trip the Cornhuskers, 20-17. It was the first loss in 33 games for the Huskers, dating back to the Missouri game in 1969. It also snapped a 23-game winning streak – both marks tops in the nation.

UCLA, pepped by new quarterback Mark Harmon and running back James McAllister, jumped off to a 10-0 lead before the sputtering Huskers got on the board with a 28-yard Rich Sanger field goal. Johnny Rodgers’ 11-yard TD run made it 10-10 at halftime, but UCLA refused to fold.

Continued miscues in the second half – Nebraska had four fumbles and two pass interceptions – gave UCLA a solid opportunity, and the Bruins capitalized. A pass interception that was returned to the Husker 15 set up a third-quarter Bruin score, provided on Harmon’s two-yard run.

Humm countered by pitching a 44-yard TD pass to Jerry List for a 17-17 tie. However, the Huskers couldn’t move in two subsequent possessions and UCLA finally marched from its own 43 to the NU 12 before Efren Herrera kicked the winning field goal.

Recap source: 1973 media guide

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Pregame & team info
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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