At Nebraska, Sauer was listed as a fullback. He also played linebacker on defense. He threw for 701 career yards and served as NU's punter too.
Sauer was something special from the start. A recap of the 1931 Northwestern game said this about Sauer: "The individual work of George Sauer, Husker sophomore back, was the outstanding feature of the game. Sauer ran, passed and punted in All-American style, and stood out as a bulwark on defense."
That was the second game of his career.
Sauer scored a touchdown in his first game (against South Dakota). By his third career game (against Oklahoma), Sauer had moved into the starting lineup. The game appeared destined for a scoreless tie when Sauer took a direct snap and ran for a 47-yard touchdown.*
*Or, as Frederick Ware of the described it: "(Sauer) pried open the Sooner line at right guard, shook his hula hips at most of the secondary defense and began a prance in double-quick time that ended 47 yards from where he began."
Old-timey sports writing is the best.
Near the end of the game, the Sooners were driving for the tying score. A pass into the flat was intercepted by Sauer and returned 70 yards for a touchdown. He also averaged 53 yards on three punts.
Again, this was just his third career game. No wonder the kids were begging their mothers to sew a "25" on their sweaters. Sauer was All-Big Six in 1931, the first of his three years as an all-conference performer.
As a junior in 1932, Sauer led Nebraska to one of its greatest seasons to date. The Cornhuskers finished 7-1-1, with a one-point loss to Minnesota and a scoreless tie against a Pittsburgh team that played in the Rose Bowl. George Sauer was an honorable mention All-American.
In Sauer's senior season (1933), Nebraska improved on its 1932 success, going 8-1. In the 1933 clash at Pittsburgh, the Panthers frequently drove the ball into NU's red zone. But time and time again, they were turned away without a score. The Cornhusker yearbook claimed that "more than three-fourths of the tackles made inside the 15-yard line" were made by Sauer. The Huskers lost 6-0 as Pittsburgh completed a three-yard pass in the fourth quarter. Sauer's play was widely credited with drawing more national attention to Nebraska.
Sauer ended the season as a first-team All-American. He was the leading vote-getter for the nationwide East-West Shrine Game all-star game on New Year's Day - where Sauer starred. He scored the only touchdowns in the game and intercepted multiple passes.
The first Heisman Trophy would not be awarded for another two years. Had it existed in 1933, Sauer likely would have been a finalist - if not the winner. National writer Lawrence Perry said that Sauer "stands clearly as the premier ball carrier in the nation." Clyde McBride of the Kansas City Star wrote, "In George Henry Sauer, Nebraska has a man who need doff his cap to no football player in the country."
Head coach Dana X. Bible absolutely raved about Sauer.* In the 1934 Cornhusker yearbook, Bible said: "He is one the best all-around players with whom I have ever been associated. He can kick and pass, and he is a very fine ball carrier. He backs up the line on defense and is a player whose spirit is never broken." Bible also said, "(Sauer) was probably my best all-around athlete. He was great at carrying the ball and he was one of the best on defense. He simply rolled up his sleeves and met the ball carrier head on."
