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Old-style dominance

The Huskers set a modern Big Ten record for total offense with 784 yards in their win Saturday over Florida Atlantic. The game that remains the league’s official all-time record-holder: Minnesota’s 832-yard outing against Northwestern in a 72-6 romp on Nov. 25, 1905.

minn1905chart (37K)

All the Gophers’ yards came by rushing, which was a given because the forward pass wouldn’t become legal until the following season. Minnesota ran 91 plays for 560 yards in the first half alone.

The Minneapolis Journal described it this way: “The Minnesota offense simply smothered the Northwestern team. It was even more varied and brilliant than that shown in the Nebraska game and there was scarcely a play that did not prove to be of ground-gaining merit.” (Minnesota had beaten the Cornhuskers 35-0 the previous week.)

    The Nebraska school record for total offense is 883 yards, set against New Mexico State in 1982, when the Huskers were in the Big Eight Conference. Three other Husker outings have topped Saturday's output:
  • 799 at Kansas, 1978
  • 790 at Minnesota, 1983
  • 787 vs. Utah St., 1991

The chart above and diagram below are from the Minneapolis Journal. The newspaper's complete game coverage is viewable at these links: 1, 2

minn1905diagram (114K)