On this day: No. 2 Nebraska makes a statement in win over No. 3 UCLA
Nebraska's 2020 season was put on hold by COVID-19, and today was originally slated to be the Huskers' Week 2 game against Central Michigan.
While there won't be any action at Memorial Stadium this afternoon, we decided to turn back the clock and relive one of NU's most memorable games on this day in history.
On Sept. 12, 1987, No. 3 UCLA came into Memorial Stadium for a nationally televised game vs. No. 2 Nebraska. Other than a game later in the year that featured No. 1 NU vs. No. 2 Oklahoma, this was the top match-up all season in college football.
The field was also full of stars that day, as the Huskers featured names like future All-American quarterback Steve Taylor and defensive standouts like Neil Smith and Broderick Thomas. Meanwhile, UCLA had stars like quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Gaston Green and linebacker Ken Norton Jr.
Nebraska would go on to prevail that day 42-33, as Taylor would tie a Big 8 record by throwing five touchdown passes.
Sellout No. 150
Sept. 12, 1987 was also a memorable milestone in Memorial Stadium.
The UCLA vs. Nebraska game was the 150th consecutive sellout in Memorial Stadium, making the stage that much bigger. Coincidently sellout No. 200 in 1994 also was a No. 2 vs. No. 3 game against Colorado.
Upstart television network ESPN broadcasted the UCLA game, as it was one of three NU games they picked up in 1987.
TV games were rare during this time in college football, and the Huskers had seven of their 12 games in 1987 aired by ESPN, ABC, CBS and NBC. This was an extraordinary advantage for Nebraska at this time getting the national exposure they did, when most schools were lucky to be on TV once a year.
Taylor has a record day, but it was a rocky start for NU
This was a very unconventional win for a Tom Osborne led Nebraska team. The Bruins held NU to just 117 yards rushing, which was the second-lowest rushing total for NU in all of the 1980s.
Taylor bruised his shoulder early in the game, and that really limited what the Huskers could do on the ground. The Big Red also had four lost fumbles, but UCLA never could fully take advantage of it.
The Bruins led early, but the Husker charged out to a 42-17 lead behind the arm of Taylor.
The 6-foot, 195 pound Fresno (Calif.) tied a Big 8 record by throwing for five touchdowns, surpassing All-Americans David Humm and Vince Ferragamo and second-team All-American Turner Gill. This came one week after he set a school single-game quarterback rushing record with 157 yards on nine carries against Utah State.
Donahue: 'They were the better team'
Both UCLA and Nebraska would go on to have fabulous seasons and in some respects similar seasons.
The Bruins would not lose again until their final regular-season game against rival USC, costing them a spot in the Rose Bowl. UCLA would go on to the Aloha Bowl, where they beat Florida 20-16.
Nebraska stayed No. 2 in the poll from Sept. 5 all the way until Nov. 21 when they moved up to No. 1, only to fall to No. 2 Oklahoma 17-7 - costing them a spot in the Orange Bowl.
UCLA head coach Terry Donahue made no excuses after his team's loss to Nebraska in Memorial Stadium. The Bruins went on to win every game by 8 or more points before their regular season-ending loss to the Trojans.
“They were the better team and they won, “ he said. “I was proud of my team, but we made too many mistakes to beat a team as good as Nebraska.”
This has been an entertaining 13-game series
It's hard to find a non-conference series that has been more entertaining for Nebraska than UCLA.
The two teams have played 13 times, including five different home-and-home series from 1972 to 2013. They also met in the 2015 Foster Farms Bowl in San Francisco with NU winning 37-29.
From 1973 to 1994 the Huskers won six out of seven meetings, but since then the Bruins have won two out of the last three.
In 2012 and 2013 Nebraska blew leads against UCLA to end up losing.
The 1994 game in Lincoln against UCLA was the unveiling of the Tunnel Walk and Husker Vision big screen boards. The 1994 UCLA match-up was also the first time ESPN's College GameDay ever came to Lincoln.
So not only was 1987 a special day in Memorial Stadium, this has proven to be one of the more memorable non-conference series in school history.