Second quarter
NEB: Bobby Thomas 5 pass from Terry Luck
(Mike Coyle kick) 1:24
Third quarter
NEB: Coyle 37 field goal, 5:23
LSU: Pat Lyons 10 run
(Bobby Moreau kick) 0:49
LSUNEB
First downs .......... 9 15
Rushing net ..... 41-119 57-138
Passing, net ........ 78 81
Comp-Att-Int .. 8-12-0 9-21-0
Total offense ... 53-197 78-219
Punts ............. 9-43 8-39
Fumbles-Lost........ 5-4 3-1
Penalties-Yards .... 3-1 5-52
RUSHING
LSU: Robiskie 18-43; Trimble 2-33;
Lyons 4-20; Moreau 2-12; Dow 1-8;
Francis 6-5; Alexander 8-(-2)
NEB: Davis 16-76; Anthony 9-28;
O'Leary 5-25; Gillespie 11-19;
Craig 6-16; Luck 10-(-26)
PASSING
LSU: Lyons 7-11-0-59; Moreau 1-1-0 19
NEB: Luck 8-20-0 81; O'Leary 0-1-0 0
RECEIVING
LSU: Dow 2-29; Robiskie 2-(-1);
Lane 1-19; Dunphy 1-14; Hemphill 1-12;
Francis 1-5
NEB: Thomas 4-45; Malito 2-16;
Mushinskie 1-10; Craig 1-10
ADDITIONAL STATS
ATTENDANCE: 76,259
NU PLAYERS OF GAME
Offense: Tony Davis
Defense: Mike Fultz
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Coverage
Recap
Monte Anthony carries the ball
Short-handed Huskers win defensive battle
Nebraska opened the 1975 season without a number of key players, but the Huskers pulled out a 10-7 victory over stubborn Louisiana State.
NU got on the board first with a pass from Terry Luck to Bobby Thomas, a five-yard flip late in the first half. Mike Coyle’s 37-yard field goal gave Nebraska a 10-0 lead with 5:23 left in the third quarter. LSU stormed back to score just before the quarter ended, and then the two defensive units staged a fourth-quarter standoff.
The Huskers went into battle without All America Rik Bonness (injury) and four players ruled ineligible for the game by the NCAA – Jimmy Burrow, Ray Phillips, Vince Ferragamo and Dean Gissler. It was also the first time all members of the Cornhusker squad were unable to suit up, thanks to a new NCAA rule limiting the squad to 60 in suit.
While it wasn’t a high-scoring affair, Nebraska – with a new quarterback, a rebuilt defense and an offensive line that had never started a game together – proved it could win a close one, and 1975 opened on a victorious note.