Nebraska played Oklahoma the day after JFK's assassination — with Kennedy family's blessing

The five national titles. Tommie’s 75-yard run against Florida. Black Flash 41. The flea-kicker. The Jet’s punt return in the Game of the Century.

For NU fans, these events are stuff of Husker football legend. So sit back and relive some of the greatest moments in Husker football history.

Oct. 29, 1994

Brook Berringer already had established himself as Nebraska’s quarterback after starter Tommie Frazier was sidelined with blood clots early in the season.

A stirring Tunnel Walk was one of the vivid memories of the first Nebraska game played following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Nebraska and Rice were scheduled to play on Saturday, Sept. 15. Rice was not comfortable putting its team on a plane so soon, and the game was moved to the following Thursday.

Nebraska fans gave the loudest ovation that nobody heard on Nov. 3, 1990.

Their tribute on Senior Day included a pregame “deaf clap” for beloved defensive tackle Kenny Walker, who became deaf at age 2 after he contracted spinal meningitis.

Sept. 24, 1983

Mike Rozier filled his Heisman Trophy-winning season in 1983 with many highlights, but the most memorable may have been the 2 yards he ran for a touchdown against UCLA on Sept. 24, 1983, at Memorial Stadium.

Nov. 12, 2011

You know what's more powerful than witnessing 107,000 people make a stadium rock? Witnessing 107,000 people fall into total silence. Witnessing two football teams gather at midfield, hold hands, bow their heads and pray.

Jan. 1, 1994

Trev Alberts didn’t let a bum right elbow — injured in the final regular-season game against Oklahoma — keep him from what may have been his most amazing performance as a Blackshirt.

Nov. 3, 1962

It began even before Beatlemania and has taken you through 10 presidents. Some of us were not even around that day when Missouri was in town and a sellout crowd was announced at Memorial Stadium. No one could have known then the day was the beginning of something big.

Oct. 22, 1983

Nebraska’s vaunted “Scoring Explosion” offense of 1983 didn't need any help from its opponents.

Nov. 4, 1950

It officially was scored a 33-yard touchdown run. Those who saw it, however, will tell you sophomore Bobby Reynolds covered much more ground on the fourth-and-1 play against Missouri.

Nov. 26, 1982

Nebraska linebacker Scott Strasburger wasn't surprised to make an interception against Oklahoma, but he was surprised to be nearly trampled as Husker fans swarmed the field in the final seconds of NU's 28-24 victory at Memorial Stadium.

Oct. 15, 2007

Nebraska chancellor Harvey Perlman said there was no joy in his heart for having to fire athletic director Steve Pederson.

Jan. 2, 1998

Nebraska had crushed Texas A&M in the Big 12 Championship Game, then squashed Peyton Manning-led Tennessee in the Orange Bowl 42-17 to finish 13-0.

Oct. 25, 1925

All-America halfback Red Grange could barely breathe, much less gain anything of note against the “sturdy sons” of Nebraska in the Huskers' 14-0 upset of Illinois in Urbana, Ill.

Oct. 18, 1947

Tom Novak earned his nickname “Train Wreck.”

Nov. 24, 1979

The Huskers trailed archrival Oklahoma by 10 points late in the game that would determine the Big Eight champion, forcing Tom Osborne to dig deep into his bag of tricks.

Ewald "Jumbo" Stiehm despised his nickname. But that didn't keep the Nebraska coach from having the top winning percentage in school history.

Stiehm's teams went 35-3-3 in his five years (1911-15) at NU. He was given his release from Nebraska when school officials turned down his request for $4,250 to coach football. He accepted $4,500 from Indiana.

April 6, 2013

It was a 69-yard run by maybe the toughest running back to ever set foot in Memorial Stadium. It was a touchdown run that turned Jack Hoffman into an inspiration, a rallying cry: #TeamJack on T-shirts and Twitter and everywhere. More than that, really. It was a run that made a 7-year-old a rock star.

Oct. 19, 1985

What’s more remarkable than Dale Klein setting an NCAA record by making seven field goals in seven attempts in one game?

Oct. 15, 1994

No one could have conceived in August 1994 that Nebraska’s national title hopes would rest on the shoulders of 5-foot-11 walk-on quarterback Matt Turman.

Dec. 8, 2001

Eric Crouch was a wizard running the option, pure and simple.

Sept. 17, 1977

For the first time under fifth-year coach Tom Osborne, Nebraska entered a football game unranked, having lost its season opener to Washington State 19-10.

Oct. 31, 1992

In one of the most zany, delirious environments ever in Memorial Stadium, a pent-up Nebraska team took out its frustrations on upstart Colorado, bludgeoning the Buffaloes from beginning to end on a dreary, cold Halloween night.

Nebraska played many college football greats in the 20th century, but the Huskers' success against the "Four Horsemen" of Notre Dame is among the most memorable.

Harry Stuhldreher, James Crowley, Don Miller and Elmer Layden were regarded as the greatest backfield ever. The "Four Horsemen" lost just two of the 30 games they played together, and both losses came at the hands of Nebraska. In 1922, the Huskers won 14-6 in Lincoln, then defeated the Irish 14-7 in Lincoln the next season.

Sept. 29, 2001

Eric Crouch should have been sacked for a safety; a Missouri defender had the Nebraska quarterback in his grasp in the NU end zone at Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo.

Sept. 9, 2000

They came from the west, clad in red, heading toward Touchdown Jesus and one of the meccas of college football. They got tickets from season ticket-holders, single-game sales and paying scalpers as much as $500 for a $36 ticket. They packed the bars of South Bend, Indiana, and roamed the campus.

Jan. 1, 1973

Having lost the chance at a shot at three consecutive national championships with a season-opening loss to UCLA and a season-ending loss to Oklahoma, Nebraska rolled into the Jan. 1, 1973, Orange Bowl ranked ninth in the country with a Heisman Trophy winner to showcase.

Sept. 29, 1962

Bob Devaney never had a losing season in five years coaching at Wyoming, but he faced a real challenge after taking the Nebraska job in 1962. The Cornhuskers had had six straight losing seasons, including a 3-6-1 record the year before.

Nov. 1, 1997

Nebraska made short order of Oklahoma, scoring early and often to blow out the overmatched Sooners 69-7 as the Huskers worked their way toward their third national championship in four years.

Oct. 31, 1959

Oklahoma became a victim of an opportunistic Nebraska team in this Halloween classic, with the Sooners seeing their historic 74-game conference unbeaten streak snapped in a game they dominated everywhere but the scoreboard.

Jan. 1, 1994

It was one of the wildest finishes in Nebraska football history. Byron Bennett lined up for a 45-yard field goal with one second left in the 1994 Orange Bowl.

Sept. 25, 1982

The T-shirts showed the crooked sideline on the Penn State field, where Mike McCloskey appeared to catch a pass from Todd Blackledge with 13 seconds left in the game against Nebraska.

Jan. 1, 1941

For most of the past 45 years, Husker fans have taken bowl trips for granted.

Nov. 18, 1978

The Nebraska football team and its fans were euphoric. The Huskers had defeated top-ranked Oklahoma and Billy Sims 17-14 the week before and were featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. They were ranked No. 2 and on the verge of playing Penn State for the national championship.

Nov. 11, 1978

Top-ranked Oklahoma lost five fumbles in the game, but the biggest fumble didn't count after Nebraska’s John Ruud blasted OU’s Kelly Phelps on a fourth-quarter kickoff.

Oct. 30, 2010

The first carry went 66 yards. Roy Helu around the left side. No Tiger touched him.

Nov. 25, 1971

As if making 22 tackles against Oklahoma in 1971 wasn't enough, Nebraska middle guard Rich Glover also recovered a fumble.

Jan. 1, 1973

Bob Devaney really wanted to beat Bear Bryant's Crimson Tide after losing to the legendary coach twice in bowl games.

Oct. 8, 2011

Coming off a 48-17 loss at Wisconsin in their Big Ten debut, the Huskers returned home to a fan base full of angst. And perennial Big Ten power Ohio State coming to town.

In 1891, Nebraska's second year with an official football team, George Flippin — the son of a freed slave — became the first black player at NU and only the fifth black athlete at the predominantly white university.

Because of Flippin's presence on the team, Missouri refused to play Nebraska in 1892, losing the game 1-0 on a forfeit. Flippin also competed in wrestling, baseball and track. He was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 1974.

Jan. 1, 1995

Tom Osborne's offense wasn't built entirely around the fullback, but the legendary coach wasn't afraid to give him the ball.

Dec. 5, 2009

Ndamukong Suh did everything in his power to give Nebraska the Big 12 title in the league championship game against Texas.

Nov. 2, 2013

Nebraska appeared to be without a prayer.

Nov. 28, 2008

The 85,319 fans in Memorial Stadium thought Nebraska's chances of beating Colorado were doomed when Joe Ganz was sacked for a 15-yard loss with about 2 minutes left in the game.

Jan. 2, 1984

It’s a funny thing: Nebraska’s failed two-point conversion in the 1984 Orange Bowl can be viewed as both one of the greatest and toughest moments in Husker football history. It was the ultimate punch to the stomach for Nebraska fans, with Turner Gill’s pass deflecting off Miami’s Ken Calhoun just enough to keep Jeff Smith from hauling it in. “If the throw's 4 inches the other way, we're 13-0 and national champs,” Gill said. Instead, a 31-30 win for Miami. Another national championship opportunity denied for Tom Osborne’s Huskers.

Nov. 11, 1978

Sooner Magic? This was more like Sooner Tragic.

Jan. 1, 1971

Nebraska caught a couple strokes of luck as it spent a suspense-filled Friday waiting to play in the Orange Bowl the night of Jan. 1, 1971.

Oct. 27, 2001

Nebraska threw play-by-play announcer Warren Swain for a loop when freshman Mike Stuntz hit his receiver in full stride down the left sideline against No. 2 Oklahoma at Memorial Stadium.

Jan. 2, 1996

Football coaches at all levels drill into ball carriers a basic concept: Keep your legs churning at all times.

Nov. 8, 1997

Matt Davison tells the story of the first words he heard from Nebraska coach Tom Osborne after Davison’s miraculous catch helped Nebraska to an improbable overtime victory at Missouri.

Nov. 25, 1971

Fans attending the “Game of the Century” in Norman, Oklahoma, had barely settled into their seats when No. 20 fielded a punt at his 28-yard line.

Oct. 29, 1994

Brook Berringer already had established himself as Nebraska’s quarterback after starter Tommie Frazier was sidelined with blood clots early in the season.

A stirring Tunnel Walk was one of the vivid memories of the first Nebraska game played following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Nebraska and Rice were scheduled to play on Saturday, Sept. 15. Rice was not comfortable putting its team on a plane so soon, and the game was moved to the following Thursday.

Nebraska fans gave the loudest ovation that nobody heard on Nov. 3, 1990.

Sept. 24, 1983

Nov. 12, 2011

Jan. 1, 1994

Nov. 3, 1962

Oct. 22, 1983

Nov. 4, 1950

Nov. 26, 1982

Oct. 15, 2007

Nebraska chancellor Harvey Perlman said there was no joy in his heart for having to fire athletic director Steve Pederson.

Jan. 2, 1998

Nebraska had crushed Texas A&M in the Big 12 Championship Game, then squashed Peyton Manning-led Tennessee in the Orange Bowl 42-17 to finish 13-0.

Oct. 25, 1925

Oct. 18, 1947

Nov. 24, 1979

Ewald "Jumbo" Stiehm despised his nickname. But that didn't keep the Nebraska coach from having the top winning percentage in school history.

April 6, 2013

Oct. 19, 1985

Oct. 15, 1994

Dec. 8, 2001

Eric Crouch was a wizard running the option, pure and simple.

Sept. 17, 1977

Oct. 31, 1992

Nebraska played many college football greats in the 20th century, but the Huskers' success against the "Four Horsemen" of Notre Dame is among the most memorable.

Harry Stuhldreher, James Crowley, Don Miller and Elmer Layden were regarded as the greatest backfield ever. The "Four Horsemen" lost just two of the 30 games they played together, and both losses came at the hands of Nebraska. In 1922, the Huskers won 14-6 in Lincoln, then defeated the Irish 14-7 in Lincoln the next season.

Sept. 29, 2001

Sept. 9, 2000

Jan. 1, 1973

Having lost the chance at a shot at three consecutive national championships with a season-opening loss to UCLA and a season-ending loss to Oklahoma, Nebraska rolled into the Jan. 1, 1973, Orange Bowl ranked ninth in the country with a Heisman Trophy winner to showcase.

Sept. 29, 1962

Nov. 1, 1997

Oct. 31, 1959

Jan. 1, 1994

Sept. 25, 1982

The T-shirts showed the crooked sideline on the Penn State field, where Mike McCloskey appeared to catch a pass from Todd Blackledge with 13 seconds left in the game against Nebraska.

Jan. 1, 1941

Nov. 18, 1978

Nov. 11, 1978

Oct. 30, 2010

Nov. 25, 1971

Jan. 1, 1973

Bob Devaney really wanted to beat Bear Bryant's Crimson Tide after losing to the legendary coach twice in bowl games.

Oct. 8, 2011

In 1891, Nebraska's second year with an official football team, George Flippin — the son of a freed slave — became the first black player at NU and only the fifth black athlete at the predominantly white university.

Jan. 1, 1995

Dec. 5, 2009

Nov. 2, 2013

Nebraska appeared to be without a prayer.

Nov. 28, 2008

Jan. 2, 1984

It’s a funny thing: Nebraska’s failed two-point conversion in the 1984 Orange Bowl can be viewed as both one of the greatest and toughest moments in Husker football history. It was the ultimate punch to the stomach for Nebraska fans, with Turner Gill’s pass deflecting off Miami’s Ken Calhoun just enough to keep Jeff Smith from hauling it in. “If the throw's 4 inches the other way, we're 13-0 and national champs,” Gill said. Instead, a 31-30 win for Miami. Another national championship opportunity denied for Tom Osborne’s Huskers.

Nov. 11, 1978

Jan. 1, 1971

Oct. 27, 2001

Nebraska threw play-by-play announcer Warren Swain for a loop when freshman Mike Stuntz hit his receiver in full stride down the left sideline against No. 2 Oklahoma at Memorial Stadium.

Jan. 2, 1996

Football coaches at all levels drill into ball carriers a basic concept: Keep your legs churning at all times.

Nov. 8, 1997

Matt Davison tells the story of the first words he heard from Nebraska coach Tom Osborne after Davison’s miraculous catch helped Nebraska to an improbable overtime victory at Missouri.

Nov. 25, 1971

Fans attending the “Game of the Century” in Norman, Oklahoma, had barely settled into their seats when No. 20 fielded a punt at his 28-yard line.