Greatest Husker to wear 79: Rich Glover, Middle Guard, 1970 – 1972
“In the land of the pickup truck and cream gravy for breakfast, down where the wind can blow through the walls of a diner and into the grieving lyrics of a country song on a jukebox—down there in dirt-kicking Big Eight territory—they played a football game on Thanksgiving Day that was mainly for the quarterbacks on the field and for self-styled gridiron intellectuals everywhere. The spectacle itself was for everybody, of course, for all of those who had been waiting weeks for Nebraska to meet Oklahoma, or for all the guys with their big stomachs and bigger Stetsons, and for all the luscious coeds who danced through the afternoons drinking daiquiris out of paper cups. But the game of chess that was played with bodies, that was strictly for the cerebral types who will keep playing it into the ages and wondering whether it was the greatest collegiate football battle ever. Under the agonizing conditions that existed, it well may have been.”
– Dan Jenkins, “Nebraska Rides High,” Sports Illustrated, Dec. 6, 1971.
“They can quit playing now, they have played the perfect game.”
– Dave Kindred of the Louisville Courier Journal.
In the 50+ years that have passed since the Game of the Century, it has only grown in mystique. Obviously, it is a beloved game by Husker fans, but Sooner fans still speak reverently about the game and their role in it. That is rare. Chris Schenkel, who called the game for ABC, later summed up the sentiment from the Sooner sideline: “Neither team lost. Nebraska just scored four more points.”
Weeks before No. 1 Nebraska traveled to No. 2 Oklahoma in 1971, newspapers were already calling it “Game of the Year,” “Game of the Decade,” and yes, “Game of the Century.” At a minimum, it was a de facto college football playoff semifinal where the top two seeds somehow ended up on the same side of the bracket. This winner would own the Big Eight title and have an inside track for the national championship against the winner of No. 3 Alabama vs. No. 5 Auburn two days later.
Nebraska and Oklahoma had been ranked 1 and 2 since the second week of October. With no other Big Eight team* in the same stratosphere as the two Big Reds, it had been six weeks of blowouts and buildup to the game.
*Consider this: At the end of the 1971 college football season, Nebraska finished first, Oklahoma second and Colorado third in the AP Poll – the only time three teams from the same conference ended the year ranked 1, 2, 3. Colorado won at #9 LSU and at #6 Ohio State, and beat #15 Houston in the Bluebonnet Bowl. The Buffaloes’ only losses were to Oklahoma (44-17) and Nebraska (31-7). When the All-Big Eight teams were announced, 17 of the 22 players on the first team were Cornhuskers or Sooners.
NU and OU were on a completely different level.
Even though the game took place years (if not decades) before message boards, social media or ESPN, the hype was insane. No. 1 Nebraska at No. 2 Oklahoma. Thanksgiving Day in front of a national television audience. Think about the most highly anticipated regular-season college football game you can remember. Now multiply it by 10.
The two teams were evenly matched, yet distinct, and above all, dominating. Nebraska was unbeaten in its last 29 straight games. The lone blemish was a tie at No. 3 USC in 1970. Oklahoma was demolishing everybody in its path by an average of 29 points per game. It was offense (OU came in averaging a ridiculous 563.2 yards and 45 points per game) versus defense (the Blackshirts allowed a paltry 171.7 yards and 6.4 points per game to that point). As Sports Illustrated put it on the classic cover before the game: “Irresistible Oklahoma meets immovable Nebraska.” Coming into the game, every single team statistical category in the Big Eight was led by either Nebraska or Oklahoma.
The nation was divided on who would win. HuskerMax tracked down links to 18 different pregame predictions from local writers, national names like Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder, and even two computer simulations. The predictions were split 50-50.
One newspaper article said tickets (face value of $6) were going for $100. In 2025 dollars, that’s a face value of around $50 with a $780 asking price from a scalper.
Somehow, the game not only lived up to, but surpassed the hype.
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There were four lead changes. Twice, Nebraska led by 11 points: 14-3 early in the second quarter and 28-17 late in the third. Oklahoma led at halftime and with 7:10 left in the fourth quarter. The two teams accounted for 829 yards of offense, 66 points and just one penalty (a 5-yard offsides against Nebraska). Fifty-five million people watched the game in the U.S., and it was also broadcast via satellite to Europe, Asia and Central America.
The scoring started just 3½ minutes into the game when Johnny “The Jet” Rodgers tore ’em loose from their shoes with his famous punt return. I’m not sure there is a better play to set the tone for a classic game.
Six of the nine touchdowns were three yards or less. Other than the Jet’s punt return, the longest scoring play was a 24-yard pass from Jack Mildren to Jon Harrison right before halftime.
Defensively, Monte Kiffin nearly outsmarted himself. Everybody knew Oklahoma’s wishbone offense was going to move the ball. Nebraska’s plan was to move cornerback Joe Blahak to safety and have safety Bill Kosch play cornerback. The coaches felt that Blahak would be a better tackler against the run. Since the Sooners didn’t pass much, Nebraska wasn't concerned about exposing Kosch in man-on-man coverage. In other words, the Huskers wanted OU quarterback Jack Mildren to beat them with his arm instead of his legs.
He nearly did. His passing stats (5-10 for 137 yards and two touchdowns) aren’t impressive by today’s standards, but it was almost enough. (Mildren also had 31 carries for 130 yards). Kosch, who had never played cornerback before, had a rough afternoon. Receiver Jon Harrison caught four passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns, including one in the fourth quarter that put the Sooners ahead. But Nebraska would get the ball back with 7:10 to go, plenty of time for a scoring drive.
After the game, Bob Devaney was asked what he told Tagge before sending him out for Nebraska’s final drive. His answer was classic, deadpan Devaney: “I told Jerry Tagge to keep giving the ball to Jeff Kinney, and if he ever got in trouble to make sure he threw it to Johnny Rodgers.” It turned out to be legendary coaching advice. Kinney had seven carries for 54 yards on the drive. Tagge completed only one pass during the possession: an 11-yard throw to Rodgers on third-and-8. Tagge avoided pressure, rolled to his right and found Rodgers across the middle. The throw was a bit low, but Rodgers made a terrific diving catch to extend the drive.
Six plays later, on another third down, Kinney found a sliver of daylight among the 10 defenders Oklahoma had in the box and scored the game-winning touchdown. The senior from McCook finished with 174 rushing yards, four touchdowns and a few scraps of white cloth where his tear-away jersey once existed.
With less than 90 second left, Oklahoma had the ball at its own 19. On first down, Mildren had Jon Harrison open on a post route. With the pocket collapsing, he had to get rid of it, and overthrew him. After a 4-yard rush, Mildren was sacked by Larry Jacobson on third down. On fourth-and-14, Jacobson just missed Mildren again, but his pass went directly into the outstretched arms of Rich Glover.
It was a fitting end to what might be the greatest game ever played by a Cornhusker defender. For my money, only Ndamukong Suh in the 2009 Big 12 Championship Game comes close. Glover had an absurd 22 tackles. Twenty-two! Oklahoma ran 66 plays that ended with a player being tackled. That means in one-third of those plays, the tackle was made by Rich Glover.
The story goes that at some point in the Game of the Century, Devaney turned to his defense and asked, “Why don’t you guys give Rich Glover some help once in a while?”
Tom Brahaney was the Oklahoma center responsible for blocking Glover. Beforehand, he and Glover had to take a picture together on the field. Glover told him, “You don’t know what you’re in for today. I’m fired up.” It showed.
And make no mistake: Brahaney was not some shaggy-haired slouch yanked out of the student section. He was a two-time All-American (1971 and 1972) who played nine seasons in the NFL. Glover once said Brahaney is the best player he ever faced. Brahaney was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007.
Glover wasn’t all that big (6-feet-1, 230 pounds), but he used his strength and speed to make plays and chase down opponents. Heck, coming out of New Jersey, Glover was viewed by most schools as too small. He had offers from Wyoming and Villanova, but Monte Kiffin got him to Nebraska. Devaney later called Glover “the greatest defensive player I ever saw.”
Rich Glover’s career was much more than just the Game of the Century. In 1972, he had one of the greatest seasons by a defensive player not named Ndamukong Suh. All-Big Eight again. All-America again. Winner of the Outland and Lombardi Awards – one of just 13 players to ever do it. Despite not having 1971 Outland winner Larry Jacobson playing next to him, Glover had more tackles in 1972 than 1971.
And there’s one area where Glover has Suh beat: Glover finished third in the 1972 Heisman Trophy voting, better than Suh’s fourth and the second-best finish by a full-time defensive player in Heisman history (Pitt’s Hugh Green was the runner-up in 1980). Glover’s Heisman finish is even more impressive when you consider that his teammate Johnny Rodgers finished first. Who knows how many votes he split?
Glover was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame and the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame, and was named a starter on Sports Illustrated’s “All-Century” team in 1999.
***
Immediately after the Game of the Century ended, President Richard Nixon attempted to call Devaney in the locker room. The president had to wait for the celebration to settle down … and for Devaney to get a towel. The jubilant team had tossed him into the showers.
The Huskers had one final challenge on Thanksgiving Day 1971: getting back to Lincoln. I’ll let Glover (as he told HuskerMax in 2016) explain what happened:
“We couldn’t land the plane because people were on the runway. They had to move them off the runway so we could get the plane in. Once we got the plane in, they swooped in right up to the plane. We couldn’t get off the plane and onto the bus. People were lined up along the street just cheering us. There is nothing like Nebraska football. People that have never been and never seen it don’t know how it is. That song they play. There’s nothing like it.”
The Daily Nebraskan estimated 30,000 people were at the Lincoln Airport when the plane arrived. Other media outlets reported that fans scaled the airport fences and ran out on the tarmac as the plane was taxiing to the gate. Some players headed to a popular O Street bar where they didn’t pay for a drink all night.
The Game of the Century deserved the party of the century.
