1983 KickOff Classic #1 Nebraska vs #4 Penn State No Huddle

1983 KickOff Classic #1 Nebraska Cornhuskers vs #4 Penn State Nittany Lions

[@phillipcotton833]

If I'm not mistaken, this was the first "kickoff classic". TOTAL domination by the Huskers.

[@scottstauffer4094]

It was. I got to watch the game a day later. I was an army brat in Germany and afn flew the video in from the states to broadcast it there next night. Loving Corso's commentary.

[@gynandroidhead]

I was there. It was an early birthday present. I am a diehard, lifelong resident who's been a Husker fan since the 1982 Orange Bowl. It was very nice to go to school the next week after the BS I had to put up the year prior.

[@mas5867]

PSU finished unranked (AP) and had so many close games over nobodies. Game meant nothing.

[@jeffreyk5734]

Nice catch by Shane Swanson down to the 1 yard line! Shane was a great player for us. I think he led the nation, or at least the Big 8 in Punt and kickoff returns in 1984.

[@jeffreyk5734]

Man, Penn State really keyed on Rozier and to a lesser degree Jeff Smith. Whoever, was in at I-Back that's who the plan was to stop. I remember watching this game and being frustrated that we couldn't spring either one of them big runs. I was in my Senior year in High School at the time. Definitely recall Nate "The Skate" Mason. He was a very dangerous runner at Quarterback. At the time he was the fastest quarterback ever at Nebraska running around 4.4. And hey, Gill ran 4.45. Most people don't realize Gill was that fast, but that's what he ran in Summer conditioning before the season. Mason started a few games, but struggled with turnovers. He had a good arm. It's too bad he didn't have another year in '84. It would have been nice to see what he could do as a Senior. Could have easily been an I-Back. I think that Mason, Starting Split End Ricky Simmons and cornerback Neil Harris were all from the same High School if I'm not mistaken? Ricky was Super-Fast and Harris was an excellent corner.

[@optionpitch5590]

Can you imagine if Rhule brings this offense back? Gonna be big trouble for the Big10

[@rodhayes7777]

Just imagine what we'd of been like back in 2006 if we could have lured Pat White to come to Lincoln? We've never lost our step. Instead he chose WVU. Rhule is trying to revive this style and scheme. He can do it. I saw Coach Malzahn cover this task well at Auburn 10 years ago. You just need that Pat White trigger man to spearhead the offense. It'll happen. Finding a Noel Devine to play running back isn't a half bad idea either. Good luck with NU and Coach Rhule.

[@guycochrane9280]

Gill, fryer, roxier. Even as 8 year old ou fan. I knew those names

[@bruceeigsti5274]

we got revenge from the 82 screw job..wish they had replay in 82

[@modernenglishman7802]

One of the worst no calls I've ever seen. I'm a firm believer that Osborne coached this game not wanting to be put in the position of having the game come down to one play again. The players, on the other hand, played the game as payback for 82'.

[@ChrisinEC]

This is the game when I became a Husker fan.

[@gynandroidhead]

I was at this game.

[@timkumpost6036]

Revenge for the "funky field" game.

[@gregorypatton4706]

Joe Paterno's worst big game loss ever

[@vonshabrown6147]

Payback for that BS in 1982 in Happy Valley

[@YellowstoneBound1948]

Totally agree. One of the all-time "blown" calls with just seconds remaining. Everyone -- even PSU -- concedes the point.

[@vonshabrown6147]

@@YellowstoneBound1948 ... I was 12 years old then and I'm still angry about that mess 38 years later smh.

[@aaronrider4051]

@@YellowstoneBound1948 "Even PSU" my butt. I don't concede ANYTHING to Nebraska on that count. The available camera angle of the McCloskey catch does not conclusively prove whether it was a catch or not. I just can't tell! It's possible he caught it, and possible he didn't. The PSU players thought he was in at the time, while the Huskers did not. The ref made the ultimate call. I have no idea if he caught it or not. To pretend that you can tell, from that grainy camera footage, is absolutely silly. The other absurd part about the endless (nearly 4 decades now!) Nebraska complaining is that the Huskers later received a downright outrageous full #1 ranking in 1994 when the Nittany Lions were certainly worthy of no less than a tie after having been dominant against a better schedule. Especially since Nebraska managed to get a tie with Michigan in 1997 even though UM had a far better schedule and even though it took a ridiculous fluke play for NU to beat Missouri. So I'd say Nebraska got more than their fair share of the bargain in the ledger of McCloskey vs. 1994!

[@jc4388]

@@aaronrider4051 Not only that we had a couple TD's called back and a few missed FG's.

[@bogg7zed102]

@@aaronrider4051 did you forget about the catch out of bounds before that? And because of who your defensive coordinator was at that time. You would have vacated the title anyway.

[@ThunderPants13]

As great as the '83 team was, the '82 team was arguably more talented with Dave Rimington, Jamie Williams, and Roger Craig still around.

[@MySaviorisJesusChrist]

Go Big Red! Great players!

[@jimie5320]

That #21 ran like Booby Miles! Not bad for a 3rd stringer!

[@jeffreyk5734]

This was kind of a disappointing first game of the season for Rozier. I had hoped he would run wild on the Nittney Lions in his home State and on National TV. Yeah, Number 21 was sophomore Paul Miles from Princeton New Jersey. At the time Miles was the fastest I Back in Nebraska history. He ran a blistering 4.28 40. Just behind Senior All American Irving Frayer's scorching 4.23! They were arguably the two fastest players in the nation in 1983. But wait, our Senior full-back Mark Schellen actually out ran Frayer head to head in a 100 yard race in Summer condition. Lee Corso said he couldn't believe that when he heard it. Schellen's best 40 was 4.31. Alas, Miles didn't have much of a career at Nebraska he had a few 100 yard games in 1985 as senior, but was oft-injured as a junior, missing much of the season and gave way to Redshirt Sophomore Doug DuBose. Jeff Smith missed several games in a row in '84 and didn't quite reach a 1,000 as a Senior. But DuBouse, who only started maybe 5 games ran for 1, 040.

[@joannleichliter4308]

Paul Miles was an excellent I-back. I remember him well.

[@MrPioneerlight2011]

Still blows my mind is at 1983 Nebraska team didn’t win the national championship that year

[@dannyhuskerjay]

Rozier getting hurt screwed them. If he didn’t Nebraska wins

[@mongoslade277]

They Nebraska kicked the extra point they would've been voted national champions of 1983. Down 17-0 vs a team playing on their home field there's nothing wrong with a tie. Nebraska was the best team of 1983 if it means anything

[@joannleichliter4308]

​@@howl_with_the_wolvesI remember that game. We were watching at a friend's house. My son cried when they missed on the two point conversion.

[@howl_with_the_wolves]

They lost to a hurricane team that was playing in the Orange bowl in Miami. Had the game been anywhere else Nebraska would have won rather handily. Plus I don't think Osborne had him fully prepared. I think they came in a little arrogant and a little cocky. They completely got blown out in the first half and came back in the second half. Still they should have never lost that game

[@shanerollins3736]

SteelBuck 6 Out of curiosity, do you have the complete recording of this game? As in all the commercial breaks, anything before and after the game, and all the talking heads segments? I’m a lost media hunter looking for something that aired the same night as this game. Thanks!

[@nbomodel]

What are you looking for?

[@Sheisthedevilyouknowwho-ft9we]

Payback for the bad calls in 1982. Yes, us Husker fans are that petty 😂, we have never let thst 82 game go.) Just like having to play Miami again & again in a New Year's Day that ends up being anything but "a reward for a fine season" as the old timers used to say, but rather a night home game with a loud rowdy crowd, again a home game ; Osborne used to say, one of these years we'd like to get Miami or Florida State in Lincoln in January for the bowl game.....the winters back then were brutal,

[@blainecole5452]

My two favorite teams; Nebraska, and whoever is playing Penn St

[@rmp3648]

Hats off to the Huskers that game. We never got off the bus lol

[@dereklatshaw3017]

This game was a reminder why pre-season polls are pointless. Penn St had just lost everybody, they were ranked off of the previous season, not what they were, and it showed.

[@jamiecrawford8133]

Man the Penn State quarterbacks were horrible.

[@nathaniellathy6559]

Penn State tailed off in 83 and 84

[@scottdevaney3928]

And part of the reason we lost To Miami in the national championship We had the worst ice and/snow Storm in a long time in 83 the team wasn't able to go outside and practice The 83 team is still the most Best offense Nebraska is ever put on a field per Nebraska stats

[@jeffreyk5734]

Another reason we lost was that horrendous painted green dirt field in the Orange Bowl. There wasn't a trace of grass left on it. Just a beat up dirt field painted bright green.

[@rodhayes7777]

Oh those Huskers! Will never forget this one, Cheered on Big Red -- the entire family. We had just traveled to New Orleans eight months prior to witness my alma mater (Georgia) drop a game to Penn State, so this was thrilling to us all to see Nate Mason and Turner Gill just handle this Big Ten team almost effortlessly. Mason would pause on his option keeper for two seconds, and then race up field for 30 yards against the Nittany Lions. Coach Osborne needed to redshirt Mason so he'd have him for '84.

[@gynandroidhead]

I think Nebraska fumbled the ball nine times in that game.

[@joannleichliter4308]

Noticed in reviewing other 1983 games that the Huskers were fumble prone. But they were so good that it didn't hurt th a lot.

[@jeffreyk5734]

Wow, Jeff Smith would have scored easy if he hadn't been tripped up there. Not sure any I-Back scored in this game? OK there, Paul Miles with the first touchdown of his career.

[@hankgarza4975]

Before when they put the HOME team on the bottom

[@ThunderPants13]

Nebraska was designated as the home team in this one. That's why they wore their dark jerseys.

[@rem145]

Despite 2 National titles and a runner up year there were some awful years in the 80’s that were like 2018 or 2021. Even a below 500 year. It wasn’t perfectly consistent

[@davidheckman4188]

Beating '82 Nebraska and especially '86 Miami, are definitely worth a mediocre season or two!

[@scottdevaney3928]

Penn state didn't beat Nebraska in 82 somebody paid the refs off somebody got paid off big time at rift call that pass in bounds he was looking directly at the receiver's feet he knew what he called was wrong and that pass got skipped into the end zone but I clenched even admitted it

[@mongoslade277]

​@@davidheckman4188Beating 82 Nebraska?? Come on man that game was a farce. Nebraska was cheated something awful

[@michaelpatuto10]

Lol..watch the game the year before.when Penn state were #1

[@huskerchuck9212]

Part of the reason Nebraska pounded Penn State so badly was they were furious about the injustice that occurred in Penn State in 1982. Penn State got thrashed by Alabama 42-21 the next week, and should not have been national champs in 1982. Nebraska was the best team in the country in 1982 and 1983.

[@scottdevaney3928]

The refs had to be paid off and that 82 game somebody got paid that ref that called that catch in bounds was looking directly at the receiver's feet there was nobody blocking his vision and he knowingly lied and called it a catch and then a skip pass into the end zone was not a touchdown I think Blackledge even Admitted it it later

[@nathaniellathy6559]

​@@huskerchuck9212What about SMU in 82

[@howl_with_the_wolves]

44-0 the worst ass whipping Penn St. Suffered under Paterno.

[@111jimi]

Braska just don't play like that no more........reckon they grew tired of kickin' but every game.........reckon so?........

[@scottdevaney3928]

I was so glad to see Joe paternal wine and moan in 94 about Nebraska just had to play an average Miami team in Miami really Joe you knowingly screwed us in 82 and then you wanted to try to steal half the championship in 94..i mean it any benefit of doubt went out the window when he cried about getting screwed after that 82 game an season....then his reaction about the kids an coach in the shower crap

[@debbiehenson1096]

Penn St QB threw the game.

[@jamiecrawford8133]

They were pathetic. I like how Curt Gowdy called Nebraska's quarterback "Gill Turner".

[@MrPioneerlight2011]

Still blows my mind is at 1983 Nebraska team didn’t win the national championship that year

[@huskerchuck9212]

It was a decent but not great defense. The offense might be up there with the best of all time. The kicker wasn't good, but otherwise they were solid in special teams. They were the best team in the country, but couldn't beat Miami in Miami that night. That '84 Orange Bowl is still one of the all-time great games though.