Reds 23
Whites 21

April 30, 1977 • 1:30 p.m. Central
Memorial Stadium •Lincoln, NE
1st2nd3rd4th F 
Whites906621
Reds776323
First Quarter
R: Rick Berns 1 run (Billy Todd kick) 6:08
W: Earl Everett 96 kickoff return (kick failed) 5:55
W: Dean Sukup 21 field goal 0:56
Second Quarter
R: Frank Lockett 39 pass from Ed Burns (Tim Bergkamp kick) 14:00
Third Quarter
W: Tim Wurth 4 run (Sukup kick failed) 10:01
R: Frank Lockett 74 punt return (pass failed) 1:35
Fourth Quarter
R: Todd 36 field goal 3:31
W: Tim Wurth 4 run (run failed) 1:35
	
Attendance - 13,038
                        Reds   Whites
FIRST DOWNS ............. 23       16
  By Rushing ............ 14       10
  By Passing ............. 7        6
  By Penalty ............. 2        0
RUSHES-NET YARDS .... 63-230   44-200
  Yards Gained ......... 253      223
  Yards Lost ............ 23       23
NET YARDS PASSING ...... 163      141
  Comp-Att-Int...... 14-25-0   8-16-0
TOTAL OFFENSE ....... 88-393   60-341
PUNTS-AVERAGE ......... 2-31     5-33
PUNT RETURNS-YDS ..... 4-135     3-12
K.O. RETURNS-YDS ...... 2-29    3-147
PENALTIES-YDS ......... 7-55     9-64
FUMBLES-LOST ........... 1-1      2-1

RED
RUSHING   Att  Gain  Loss  Net  TD  Lng
Garcia      6    29     0   29   0   13
Steward     5    18     0   18   0    6
Berns      13    58     1   57   1   11
Craig       2     5     0    5   0    3
Hipp        4    21     0   21   0   10
Burns       5    16    10    6   0   13
McCrady     2     3     2    1   0    3
Jacobs      4    15     0   15   0    8
Suelter     2    17     0   17   0   12
Hager       1     0    10  -10   0     
Lewis       7    14     0   14   0    5
Donnell     8    49     0   49   0   12
Stewart     3     8     0    8   0    5
Todd        1     0     0    0   0    0
PASSING     Cp.   Att   Int.  Yds  Long
Garcia       8     12    0     84    23
Burns        4      7    0     63    39
Hager        2      6    0     16    16
RECEIVING     No.    Yds.    TD    Long
Lee            3      33      0      15
Steward        1       4      0       4
Dufresne       3      21      0       9
Lockett        3      71      1      39
Berns          1       3      0       3
McCrady        2      31      0      16
Lewis          1       0      0       0
FIELD GOALS       Made   Att.          
Bergkamp            0      1           
Todd                1      2           
PUNTING       No.    Yds.   Avg.   Long
Gemar          2      62     31      35
RETURNING    Punts     K-offs     Ints.
Lee          1-13       2-29        0-0
Lockett      3-122      0-0         0-0
WHITE
RUSHING   Att  Gain  Loss  Net  TD  Lng
Sorley      6    40     8   32   0   26
Stewart     4    11     0   11   0    5
Donnell     3     8     0    8   0    3
Everett     2    21     0   21   0   15
Wurth      10    64     2   62   2   21
Washington  2     8     0    8   0    5
Quinn      11    49    12   37   0   17
Brown       2     1     1    0   0    1
Hager       2     5     0    5   0    4
Steward     1     9     0    9   0    9
Juehring    1     7     0    7   0    7
PASSING   Cp.   Att.   Int.  Yds.  Long
Sorley     5     10     0     62     23
Quinn      1      3     0     13     13
Hager      2      3     0     66     44
RECEIVING     No.    Yds.    TD    Long
Everett        2      42      0      23
Miller         2      60      0      44
Loken          1      13      0      13
T. Smith       1      22      0      22
Wurth          1       1      0       1
Steward        1       3      0       3
FIELD GOALS      Made    Att.          
Sukup               1      1           
Dixon               0      1           
PUNTING       No.    Yds.   Avg.   Long
T. Smith       2      68     34      44
Mensing        3      87     29      38
RETURNING     Punts      K-offs   Ints.
Everett        0-0       2-132      0-0
Wurth          0-0       1-15       0-0
Brown          2-0       0-0        0-0
Fischer, T.    1-12      0-0        0-0

Coverage

Recap

Reds thwart two-point try, preserve win

Nebraska’s 28th annual Spring Game proved one thing for the Husker coaching staff – Nebraska’s offense is capable of making the big plays.

In a game filled with big plays – kick returns and long passes – the Reds nipped a determined White team, 23-21. And perhaps the game was even closer than the score indicated.

The outcome was in doubt until the final gun. When White-team running back Tim Wurth scored on a four-yard run with 1:35 left in the game to make the score Reds 23, Whites 21, the Whites had a chance to tie the game on a two-point conversion. But on the two-point run, fullback Keith Steward was stopped inches short of the goal line, preserving the Red win.

The closely fought game may have been just what the fans ordered, but it only compounded the dilemma of head coach Tom Osborne, looking for a first-string quarterback for 1977. Five QBs performed admirably – senior Randy Garcia (8-12 for 84 yards), senior Ed Burns (4-7 for 63 yards), junior Tom Sorley (5-10 for 62 yards, and 6 rushes for 32 yards), sophomore Jeff Quinn (1-3 for 13 yards, and 11 rushes for 37 yards), and junior Tim Hager (4-9 for 82 yards.)

FULL RECAP

Recap source: 1978 media guide

Game stories
Lincoln Journal Star
Associated Press
Daily Nebraskan
Pregame & team info
1977 schedule
04/30Reds 23, Whites 21
09/10Washington St.L 10-19
09/17AlabamaW 31-24
09/24BaylorW 31-10
10/01IndianaW 31-13
10/08@ Kansas St.W 26-9
10/15Iowa St.L 21-24
10/22ColoradoW 33-15
10/29@ Oklahoma St.W 31-14
11/05@ MissouriW 21-10
11/12KansasW 52-7
11/25@ OklahomaL 7-38
12/19North CarolinaW 21-17
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