Bob Devaney
Encyclopedia
Robert S. "Bob" Devaney was an American football
player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Wyoming
from 1957 to 1961 and at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
from 1962 to 1972, compiling a career college football
record of 136–30–7. Devaney's Nebraska Cornhuskers
won consecutive national championships in 1970 and 1971. Devaney also served as the athletic director
at Nebraska from 1967 to 1993. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
as a coach in 1981. He died on the ninth of May 1997, of a heart attack.
in 1939, where he played end on the football team. Devaney coached high school football
in Michigan
at Big Beaver, Keego Harbor, Saginaw, and Alpena
, before joining the Michigan State Spartans
staff as an assistant coach under Biggie Munn
and continuing under Duffy Daugherty
.
, where he went 35–10–5 (.750) in five seasons between 1957 and 1961. The Cowboys
won the Sun Bowl
in his second season and won or shared the Skyline Conference title in his final four seasons in Laramie
. Following the 1961 season, he was hired at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
.
, Tippy Dye
. Utah
's Ray Nagel
and Utah State
's John Ralston had turned down the job. Devaney joined Nebraska
in 1962 and immediately reestablished the program as a force in the Big Eight Conference
. Prior to Devaney's arrival, Nebraska football had fallen on hard times with seven consecutive losing seasons. The 1961 team
under Bill Jennings went 3–6–1 overall and 2–5 in conference. After a winning tradition up until the early 1940s, Nebraska had only two winning seasons in the two decades preceding Devaney's arrival.
Devaney engineered an immediate turnaround with a 9–2 record in 1962
that included a victory in the Gotham Bowl at Yankee Stadium over the Miami Hurricanes
. It was the first of forty consecutive winning seasons for Nebraska. Devaney followed this up with an even better 10–1 season the next year, including a perfect 7–0 record in the Big Eight to claim the conference title and an Orange Bowl
victory over Auburn
. His success continued through 1966, with records of 9–2, 10–1, and 9–2, bringing his record at Nebraska to 47–8 (.854). This had so revived Nebraska football that Memorial Stadium
was enlarged significantly by enclosing both ends. For the first time, Nebraska was on television once or twice a year and fans all over the state sat down to watch the Bob Devaney TV show each week, in which he used his folksy manner review the tape of the game for all of the fans who hadn't seen it in person.
Consecutive 6–4 seasons followed in 1967 and 1968. Allegedly known as a drinker, Devaney became subject to a whispering campaign about whether he had peaked. However, he had brought in an innovative offensive thinker as an assistant coach, Tom Osborne. Devaney and Osborne revamped the offensive scheme, an I formation
with an unbalanced line, and upgraded the recruiting effort. Nebraska began the 1969 season with just a 2–2 start and in its fifth game needed a last-minute comeback at home to beat a Kansas
team that finished the season 1–9. But the 1969 Huskers
kept winning and concluded the season with a 9–2 record, including a 45–6 rout of Georgia in the Sun Bowl
. This set the stage for the highlight of Devaney's coaching career.
returned most of the key offensive starters from the previous year, and added sophomore Johnny Rodgers
, an explosive punt returner
and wide receiver
, who won the Heisman Trophy
in 1972 as a senior. Nebraska tied USC in Los Angeles
early in the season and was ranked #3 going into the 1971 Orange Bowl
against LSU
. A late touchdown by quarterback
Jerry Tagge
gave the Huskers a 17–12 victory to finish the season at 11–0–1. This secured a share of the national championship, after the other two undefeated teams in the nation, Texas
and Ohio State
, lost their bowl game
s earlier in the day. The final AP Poll
, conducted after the bowl games were played, picked Nebraska as champion, while the final UPI Poll, released in early December before the bowl games, had Texas #1 with Nebraska #3..
With most of its key players back and its defense vastly improved, the 1971 Nebraska team
rolled through its first 10 games. The top-ranked Huskers met unbeaten Oklahoma
in Norman
on Thanksgiving Day in the Game of the Century
, one of the most celebrated games in college football
history. A late touchdown by tailback Jeff Kinney
gave the Huskers a hard-fought 35–31 victory. When Nebraska crushed unbeaten Alabama, 38–6, in the 1972 Orange Bowl
to finish 13–0, the Cornhuskers were said by many to be the greatest team in college football history. In fact, the Huskers defeated the teams ranked second, third, and fourth in the final AP Poll: Oklahoma, Colorado
, and Alabama.
. Although a disappointing loss to UCLA
at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
opened the season, the Huskers finished with a 9–2–1 record. The loss to UCLA ended Nebraska's 32-game unbeaten streak, which dated back nearly three years to October 11, 1969, when they lost at Missouri
. Although the Cornhuskers tied Iowa State
and lost, 17–14, to Oklahoma
in Lincoln in November, the season ended with a 40–6 victory over Notre Dame
in the 1973 Orange Bowl
, the Huskers' third consecutive victory in that bowl game. Nebraska finished the 1972 season ranked #4 in the AP Poll . In addition, Johnny Rodgers
was selected as the winner of the Heisman Trophy
. The UPI Poll, released before the decisive bowl victory, had Nebraska at #9.
Following the 1972 season, Devaney stepped down as head coach and hired his protégé to succeed him, offensive coordinator
Tom Osborne. Devaney's overall record at Nebraska was 101–20–2 (.829) in 11 seasons, with nine bowl appearances and two national championships. His teams won or shared eight Big Eight Conference titles. His record in his final three seasons was 32–2–2 (.916), and his career college head coaching record at Wyoming and Nebraska was 136–30–7 (.806) in 16 seasons.
at Nebraska from 1967 to 1993 and as athletic director emeritus until 1996. The university's indoor arena, the Bob Devaney Sports Center
, is named for him.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
from 1957 to 1961 and at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a public research university located in the city of Lincoln in the U.S. state of Nebraska...
from 1962 to 1972, compiling a career college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
record of 136–30–7. Devaney's Nebraska Cornhuskers
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
won consecutive national championships in 1970 and 1971. Devaney also served as the athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
at Nebraska from 1967 to 1993. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
as a coach in 1981. He died on the ninth of May 1997, of a heart attack.
Playing and early coaching career
Devaney graduated from Alma CollegeAlma College
Alma College is a private, liberal arts college located in Alma, Michigan. The enrollment is approximately 1,400 students, and the college is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The college's 13th President, Dr...
in 1939, where he played end on the football team. Devaney coached high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
at Big Beaver, Keego Harbor, Saginaw, and Alpena
Alpena, Michigan
Alpena is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Alpena County. It is considered to be part of Northern Michigan. The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is located in the city. The population was 10,483 at the 2010 census...
, before joining the Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
staff as an assistant coach under Biggie Munn
Biggie Munn
Clarence Lester "Biggie" Munn was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator in the United States. He was the head football coach at Albright College , Syracuse University , and most notably Michigan State College , where his 1952 squad won a national championship...
and continuing under Duffy Daugherty
Duffy Daugherty
Hugh Duffy Daugherty was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Michigan State University from 1954 to 1972, where he compiled a career record of 109–69–5. Duffy's 1965 and 1966 teams won national championships...
.
Wyoming
Devaney's first college head coaching job was at the University of WyomingUniversity of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
, where he went 35–10–5 (.750) in five seasons between 1957 and 1961. The Cowboys
Wyoming Cowboys football
The Wyoming Cowboys are a college football team that represents the University of Wyoming. They compete in the Mountain West Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I. The team has won 15 conference titles...
won the Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
in his second season and won or shared the Skyline Conference title in his final four seasons in Laramie
Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie is a city in and the county seat of Albany County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 30,816 at the . Located on the Laramie River in southeastern Wyoming, the city is west of Cheyenne, at the junction of Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 287....
. Following the 1961 season, he was hired at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a public research university located in the city of Lincoln in the U.S. state of Nebraska...
.
Nebraska
Devaney was the third choice of Nebraska's athletic directorAthletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
, Tippy Dye
Tippy Dye
William Henry Harrison "Tippy" Dye is a noted former college athlete, coach, and athletic director in the United States. As a basketball head coach, Dye led the University of Washington to their only NCAA Final Four appearance...
. Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
's Ray Nagel
Ray Nagel
Raymond Robert "Ray" Nagel is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at the University of Utah from 1958 to 1965 and at the University of Iowa from 1966 to 1970, compiling a career college football record of...
and Utah State
Utah State University
Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
's John Ralston had turned down the job. Devaney joined Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
in 1962 and immediately reestablished the program as a force in the Big Eight Conference
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
. Prior to Devaney's arrival, Nebraska football had fallen on hard times with seven consecutive losing seasons. The 1961 team
1961 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1961 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska and member of the Big Eight Conference in the 1961 college football season...
under Bill Jennings went 3–6–1 overall and 2–5 in conference. After a winning tradition up until the early 1940s, Nebraska had only two winning seasons in the two decades preceding Devaney's arrival.
Devaney engineered an immediate turnaround with a 9–2 record in 1962
1962 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1962 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska and member of the Big Eight Conference in the 1962 college football season...
that included a victory in the Gotham Bowl at Yankee Stadium over the Miami Hurricanes
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
. It was the first of forty consecutive winning seasons for Nebraska. Devaney followed this up with an even better 10–1 season the next year, including a perfect 7–0 record in the Big Eight to claim the conference title and an Orange Bowl
Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935 and celebrated its 75th playing on January 1, 2009...
victory over Auburn
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
. His success continued through 1966, with records of 9–2, 10–1, and 9–2, bringing his record at Nebraska to 47–8 (.854). This had so revived Nebraska football that Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium, Lincoln
Memorial Stadium is located on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. It is the home of the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team....
was enlarged significantly by enclosing both ends. For the first time, Nebraska was on television once or twice a year and fans all over the state sat down to watch the Bob Devaney TV show each week, in which he used his folksy manner review the tape of the game for all of the fans who hadn't seen it in person.
Consecutive 6–4 seasons followed in 1967 and 1968. Allegedly known as a drinker, Devaney became subject to a whispering campaign about whether he had peaked. However, he had brought in an innovative offensive thinker as an assistant coach, Tom Osborne. Devaney and Osborne revamped the offensive scheme, an I formation
I formation
The I formation is one of the most common offensive formations in American football. The I formation draws its name from the vertical alignment of quarterback, fullback, and running back, particularly when contrasted with the same players' alignments in the T formation.The formation begins with...
with an unbalanced line, and upgraded the recruiting effort. Nebraska began the 1969 season with just a 2–2 start and in its fifth game needed a last-minute comeback at home to beat a Kansas
Kansas Jayhawks football
The Kansas Jayhawks football program is the intercollegiate football program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference....
team that finished the season 1–9. But the 1969 Huskers
1969 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1969 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 1969 college football season. The team was coached by Bob Devaney and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. In his first year as offensive coordinator, Tom Osborne instituted the I formation...
kept winning and concluded the season with a 9–2 record, including a 45–6 rout of Georgia in the Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
. This set the stage for the highlight of Devaney's coaching career.
National championships
The 1970 Nebraska team1970 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1970 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 1970 college football season. The team was coached by Bob Devaney and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln...
returned most of the key offensive starters from the previous year, and added sophomore Johnny Rodgers
Johnny Rodgers
Johnny Steven Rodgers is a former American college football player voted the University of Nebraska's "Player of the Century" and the winner of the 1972 Heisman Trophy.-College career:...
, an explosive punt returner
Punt returner
Punt returner is a position on special teams in American football.-Description:The role of a punt returner is to catch the ball after it is punted and to give his team good field position by returning it. Before catching the punted ball, the returner must assess the situation on the field while...
and wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
, who won the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
in 1972 as a senior. Nebraska tied USC in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
early in the season and was ranked #3 going into the 1971 Orange Bowl
1971 Orange Bowl
The 1971 Orange Bowl featured the third-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers, champions of the Big Eight Conference, and the fifth-ranked LSU Tigers, champions of the Southeastern Conference....
against LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
. A late touchdown by quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Jerry Tagge
Jerry Tagge
Jerry Lee Tagge is a former professional football player, a quarterback in the NFL, WFL, and CFL from 1972-79. He is best known as the quarterback of the Nebraska Cornhusker teams which won national championships in 1970 and 1971....
gave the Huskers a 17–12 victory to finish the season at 11–0–1. This secured a share of the national championship, after the other two undefeated teams in the nation, Texas
1970 Texas Longhorns football team
The 1970 Texas Longhorns football team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 1970 college football season. The Longhorns shared the National Championship with Nebraska...
and Ohio State
1970 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1970 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the 1970 college football season. The Buckeyes compiled a 9–0 regular season record to attain a #2 ranking...
, lost their bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
s earlier in the day. The final AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
, conducted after the bowl games were played, picked Nebraska as champion, while the final UPI Poll, released in early December before the bowl games, had Texas #1 with Nebraska #3..
With most of its key players back and its defense vastly improved, the 1971 Nebraska team
1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 1971 college football season. Nebraska was coached by Bob Devaney and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln...
rolled through its first 10 games. The top-ranked Huskers met unbeaten Oklahoma
1971 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 1971 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football 1971 NCAA University Division season. Oklahoma Sooners football participated in the former Big Eight Conference at that time and played its home games in Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium...
in Norman
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
on Thanksgiving Day in the Game of the Century
1971 Nebraska vs. Oklahoma football game
On Thursday, November 25, 1971, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, defending national champions, ranked #1 with a 20-game winning streak played the Oklahoma Sooners, ranked #2. The Cornhuskers defeated the Sooners 35–31.-Background:...
, one of the most celebrated games in college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
history. A late touchdown by tailback Jeff Kinney
Jeff Kinney
Jeffrey Bruce "Jeff" Kinney is a former professional football player, a running back for the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills for five seasons in the NFL. At 6'2" and 215 lb., Kinney was selected by the Chiefs in the first round of the 1972 NFL Draft with the 23rd overall pick...
gave the Huskers a hard-fought 35–31 victory. When Nebraska crushed unbeaten Alabama, 38–6, in the 1972 Orange Bowl
1972 Orange Bowl
The 1972 Orange Bowl was played on January 1, 1972, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. In the final game of the 1971 college football season, top-ranked and defending national champion Nebraska soundly defeated the #2 Alabama Crimson Tide, 38–6....
to finish 13–0, the Cornhuskers were said by many to be the greatest team in college football history. In fact, the Huskers defeated the teams ranked second, third, and fourth in the final AP Poll: Oklahoma, Colorado
1971 Colorado Buffaloes football team
The 1971 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder in the 1971 college football season. The Buffaloes offense scored 245 points while the defense allowed 113 points. Led by head coach Eddie Crowder, the Buffaloes competed in the Bluebonnet...
, and Alabama.
Final season
Devaney coached one more year in 19721972 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1972 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 1972 college football season. The team was coached by Bob Devaney and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.-Schedule:-Roster:...
. Although a disappointing loss to UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
opened the season, the Huskers finished with a 9–2–1 record. The loss to UCLA ended Nebraska's 32-game unbeaten streak, which dated back nearly three years to October 11, 1969, when they lost at Missouri
Missouri Tigers football
The Missouri Tigers football team represents the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team has competed in the North Division of the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996...
. Although the Cornhuskers tied Iowa State
Iowa State Cyclones football
The Iowa State Cyclones football team represents Iowa State University in college football. The Cyclones compete in the Big 12 Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. ISU started playing football in 1892, however, it did not become an official sport until 1894...
and lost, 17–14, to Oklahoma
1972 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 1972 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football 1972 NCAA Division I-A season. Oklahoma Sooners football participated in the former Big Eight Conference at that time and played its home games in Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium where...
in Lincoln in November, the season ended with a 40–6 victory over Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
in the 1973 Orange Bowl
1973 Orange Bowl
The 1973 edition of the Orange Bowl featured Nebraska, and Notre Dame.Nebraska's Johnny Rodgers scored on an 8 yard touchdown ran as Nebraska took a 7-0 lead. In the second quarter, Gary Dixon scored on a 1 yard touchdown ran as Nebraska led 14-0. Rodgers then found Frosty Anderson for a 52 yard...
, the Huskers' third consecutive victory in that bowl game. Nebraska finished the 1972 season ranked #4 in the AP Poll . In addition, Johnny Rodgers
Johnny Rodgers
Johnny Steven Rodgers is a former American college football player voted the University of Nebraska's "Player of the Century" and the winner of the 1972 Heisman Trophy.-College career:...
was selected as the winner of the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
. The UPI Poll, released before the decisive bowl victory, had Nebraska at #9.
Following the 1972 season, Devaney stepped down as head coach and hired his protégé to succeed him, offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
Tom Osborne. Devaney's overall record at Nebraska was 101–20–2 (.829) in 11 seasons, with nine bowl appearances and two national championships. His teams won or shared eight Big Eight Conference titles. His record in his final three seasons was 32–2–2 (.916), and his career college head coaching record at Wyoming and Nebraska was 136–30–7 (.806) in 16 seasons.
Nebraska athletic director
Devaney served as athletic directorAthletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
at Nebraska from 1967 to 1993 and as athletic director emeritus until 1996. The university's indoor arena, the Bob Devaney Sports Center
Bob Devaney Sports Center
The Bob Devaney Sports Center is a sports complex on the campus of the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska that includes a 13,595-seat multi-purpose arena, a 1,000-seat covered 25-yard swimming and diving facility and a 5,000-seat covered track and field facility that features a...
, is named for him.