I'm an old timer and I would say without a doubt that the 1971 defense was all time best. I remember that almost every game but the Oklahoma game, we would be ahead usually 35 to nothing late in the 3rd quarter. The reserves would play out the game and usually give up one touchdown. Here is a write-up I found:
Although Nebraska averaged what was then a school-record 437.7 yards on offense, including a Big Eight-leading 179.3 yards passing, and ranked third nationally in scoring, averaging 39.1 points per game, it was defense that set apart the Cornhuskers — as the Sports Illustrated headline pointed out.
Nebraska ranked second in the nation in rushing defense (85.9 ypg), third in scoring defense (8.2 ppg) and fifth in total defense (202.9 ypg). The Blackshirts included seven first-team All-Big Eight selections, four players who would earn consensus All-America recognition during their careers and two Outland Trophy winners: Glover and tackle Larry Jacobson. Glover would win both the Outland and Lombardi awards in 1972. They were joined in the starting lineup by junior end Willie Harper, like Glover, a two-time All-American. John Dutton, an All-American in 1973, was a sophomore backup.
Besides Glover, Jacobson and Harper, the other first-team all-conference defenders were Terrio, Jim Anderson, Bill Kosch and Joe Blahak. Anderson, Kosch and Blahak played in the secondary.
Anderson and Tagge, one of five Cornhuskers on the All-Big Eight first-team offense, were the captains. Both were from West High School in Green Bay, Wis., as was starting monster back Dave Mason, a junior who had sat out the 1970 season as a medical redshirt.
The other first-team offensive players were Rodgers, Kinney, Carl Johnson and d!(k Rupert.
The Cornhusker defense was opportunistic as well as immovable, contributing to a school-record plus-26 turnovers. Nebraska recovered 20 opponent fumbles and intercepted 27 passes.
Nebraska was No. 2 in the Associated Press preseason rankings but moved to No. 1 after opening with a 34-7 victory against Oregon at Memorial Stadium. Bobby Moore, now known as Ahmad Rashad, scored the Ducks’ lone touchdown with just over three minutes remaining in the game.
Only three opponents scored more than one touchdown against the Cornhuskers. Oklahoma State and Kansas State each managed two touchdowns, and Oklahoma, of course, scored four. The only time all season that Nebraska even trailed during a game was against the Sooners.
The Cornhuskers opened conference play with back-to-back shutouts against Missouri (36-0) and Kansas (55-0), during a stretch in which they posted 12 consecutive scoreless quarters.
In addition to everything else, the Cornhuskers almost always had good field position because of the punt and kickoff returns of Rodgers, a key to their success, according to Tom Osborne, an assistant who designed and coordinated the offense.
"As great as that team was, take Johnny Rodgers out of there on kickoff and punt returns, and it probably wouldn’t have gone 13-0,’’ Osborne said.
Nebraska extended its winning streak to 23 games and its unbeaten streak to 32 games in 1971. Repeating as national champions "wasn’t automatic,’’ Rodgers said.
But going into the season, "we were pretty doggone confident.’’
Nebraska ended up beating Alabama (rated #2 and undefeated at the time) 38-6 in the Orange Bowl. In the final ratings, NU ended up beating the #2,3 and 4 teams.
Course I will say this, if NU this year had an average or better offense, the defense wouldn't have had to be on the field so much and would of had even better statistics.
Nebraska's 1971 National Championship Team
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