1966 Orange Bowl

Teams

Main article: 1965 NCAA University Division football season

Alabama

Main article: 1965 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

Nebraska

Main article: 1965 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

Game summary

Alabama scored first on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Steve Sloan to Ray Perkins. In the second quarter, Nebraska's Bob Churchich threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Tony Jeter to tie the game at seven. Alabama's Les Kelly scored on a four-yard touchdown run as the Crimson Tide regained the lead at 14–7. Sloan and Perkins connected again from eleven yards out, then Alabama recovered the ensuing onside kick; a 19-yard field goal David Ray in the final minute gave the Crimson Tide a commanding 24–7 lead at halftime.

In the third quarter, Churchich threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Ben Gregory as Nebraska narrowed the deficit to 24–13. Steve Bowman scored from a yard out, and a successful two-point conversion, increased the Tide's lead to 32–13.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Churchich ran in from a yard to make it 32–20. Alabama answered with a time-consuming drive, with Bowman scoring on a three-yard run, which put the lead back to nineteen points at 39–20 with just over eight minutes remaining. Churchich threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Jeter with less than three minutes to go for the last score as Alabama won 39–28. Quarterback Sloan was named the game's outstanding player.

Scoring

;First quarter:

• Alabama – Ray Perkins 21-yard pass from Steve Sloan (David Ray kick), 9:36 ;Second quarter:
• Nebraska – Tony Jeter 33-yard pass from Bob Churchich (Larry Wachholtz kick), 12:15
• Alabama – Les Kelley 4-yard run (Ray kick), 7:11
• Alabama – Perkins 11-yard pass from Sloan (Ray kick), 1:42
• Alabama – Ray 19-yard field goal, 0:34 ;Third quarter:
• Nebraska – Ben Gregory 49-yard pass from Churchich (pass failed), 9:35
• Alabama – Steve Bowman 1-yard run (Perkins pass from Sloan), 4:29 ;Fourth quarter:
• Nebraska – Churchich 1-yard run (Wachholtz kick), 14:58
• Alabama – Bowman 3-yard run (Ray kick), 8:13
• Nebraska – Jeter 14-yard pass from Churchich (Gregory pass from Churchich), 2:50 :Source:

Statistics

:{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center" ! Statistics !! Alabama !! Nebraska |- |First downs || 29|| 17 |- |Rushes–yards|| 57–222|| 24–145 |- |Passing yards|| 296|| 232 |- |Passes (C–A–I)|| 20–29–2 || 12–19–1 |- |Total offense || 86–518 || 43–377 |- |Punts–average ||5–31.2|| 3–41.7 |- |Fumbles–lost ||0–0|| 4–4 |- |Turnovers|| 2 || 5 |- |Penalties–yards ||8–62|| 8–86 |} :Source:

Aftermath

In the final AP poll, Alabama climbed to first for the national championship, while Nebraska dropped to fifth.

Both Nebraska and Alabama would play for the National Championship again in the 1972 Orange Bowl, where the Cornhuskers exacted revenge over the Tide in a 38-6 blowout win to repeat as national champions.

Notes

References

References

1. (January 3, 1988). "Should there be college Super Bowl?". The Courier–News.
2. (January 1, 1966). "Light 'Bama team Orange Bowl pick". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
3. (January 1, 1966). "'Bama choice over Tide (Huskers) in Orange Bowl". Toledo Blade.
4. Land, Charles. (January 1, 1966). "Tide, Nebraska tangle tonight". Tuscaloosa News.
5. Land, Charles. (January 2, 1966). "Stakes were high, so was Tide". Tuscaloosa News.
6. (January 2019). "Game-by-game recaps: 1966". 2019 Capital One Orange Bowl media guide.
7. (2005). "Bowl games: 1966 Orange Bowl". 2005 Nebraska Cornhuskers football media guide.
8. Green, Bob. (January 4, 1966). "Tide keeps AP title trophy". Tuscaloosa News.