Southern Cal 31
Nebraska 21
Sept. 20,
1969
Lincoln, NE
Southern Cal 7 14 7 3 - 31
Nebraska 0 7 0 14 - 21
First Quarter
USC: Berry 1 run (Fred Ayala kick) 3:02
Second Quarter
USC: Chandler 45 pass from Jim Jones (Ayala kick) 14:42
NEB: Van Brownson 2 run (Paul Rogers kick) 5:09
USC: Evans 4 pass from Jones (Ayala kick) 0:17
Third Quarter
USC: Berry 1 run (Ayala kick) 5:13
Fourth Quarter
NEB: Jeff Kinney 12 run (Rogers kick) 6:31
NEB: Jerry Tagge 2 run (Rogers kick) 3:40
USC: Ayala 34 field goal, 0:23
USC NEB
First Downs 18 24
Rushing Net 182 142
Passing Net 153 148
Att-Comp-Int 8-15-0 16-31-1
Total Offense 335 290
Return yards 16 10
Punts-Avg 7-41 3-46
Fumbles lost 3 2
Attendance: 67,058
LEADING NU RUSHERS
Frank Vactor 56 Larry Frost 44.
LEADING NU PASSERS
Jerry Tagge 8 for 14—96; Van Brownson 7-11—61.
NU BACK OF THE GAME
Larry Frost ... Five carries for 44 yards ... 36-yard run set up TD that got NU back in game, 14-7.
NU LINEMAN OF THE GAME
Jerry Murtaugh. Led NU defense with 16 tackles.
Official recap
Nebraska's Cornhuskers with a rebuilt squad and minus star Joe Orduna opened the Centennial Year against the mighty Southern California Trojans. Some 67,058 fans saw the Trojans strike for a 14-0 lead before the young Huskers regrouped and fought back to a 28-21 deficit before losing 31-21.
USC drove 80 yards to score, then hit a 45-yard TD pass to lead 14-0 in the second quarter. A 36-yard run by Larry Frost got Nebraska rolling and soph QB Van Brownson tallied with 5:09 left in the half to get NU back in the game. However, a Husker fumble enabled the Trojans to lead 21-7 at halftime.
After U.S.C. opened the gap to 28-7 in the third quarter, Jerry Tagge came in to spark a fourth quarter rally that had the fans roaring. The big NU soph skippered a 46-yard drive that ended with Jeff Kinney scoring with 6:31 left to play.
Nebraska recovered the onside kick and the Huskers again drove 47 yards to score, pulling up 28-21 with 3:40 left. The Huskers got one more chance, but Tagge's pass was intercepted deep in NU territory and U.S.C. got an insurance field goal in the final seconds.
H’MAX NOTES: AP reported that Nebraska's quarterbacks "threw well but were troubled by shaky protection in the backfield." ... Brownson started the game but was relieved by Tagge after being shaken up in the third quarter. ... USC also started a soph at QB, Jimmy Jones.
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