Way Back: Huskers squeak by Texas
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Nebraska 14, Texas 13, Nov. 17, 1960
The first-ever game between NU and Texas turned into a 26-0 Nebraska rout in 1933.
The two perennial college football powers would meet only four more times in the 20th century. Texas gained revenge with a 20-0 win in 1959 in Lincoln, and NU bounced back with an impressive upset, 14-13, in Austin in 1960.
The local headline read:
“Football Podnuh! NU 14, Texas 13,” with the subhead “Huskers Rip Open Another Big One.”
The story:
Austin, Texas — They did it again!! Those magnificent Cornhuskers, who find: The Bigger They Come The Harder They Fall” an appropriate motto, achieved unbelievable heights here Saturday night.
How?
Well, pardner, as they used to say so loudly down here, the Cornhuskers just beat a great Texas team, 14-13, in as tremendous a ball game as you would ever want to see.
Some 40,000 Texans — minus a few loyal Nebraskans, sat in to watch their Longhorns, favored by as much as 30 points, deal with these upstarts from the Big 8 Conference, who had “lucked out” on Minnesota and Oklahoma last year.
But there was no Nebraska luck this hot, windy night, just good sound football as coach Bill Jennings had predicted.
There were no Texas fumbles, nor big Nebraska breaks.
But guided by a pint-sized kid who “just wanted to play quarterback,” the Cornhuskers came from behind and then held off the talented Longhorns though an eternal fourth quarter.
Pat Fischer, he with the heart of a lion and the (speed) of Mercury, made his debut as NU T-Formation leader so brilliant that he almost completely outshone the fleet Texas backs who were expected to lead coach Darrell Royal to the national elite for the third bowl game in four years.
Later, Jennings was quoted, “I don’t know how many of these I’ll live through.” Jennings was fired after the 1961 season.
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