1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

American college football season

1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers football

Consensus national champion
Big Eight champion
Fiesta Bowl champion

Fiesta Bowl (BA NCG), W 62–24 vs. Florida

Conference| Big Eight Conference
Ranking
Coaches| No. 1
AP| No. 1
Record| 12–0 (7–0 Big 8)
Head coach|

* Tom Osborne (23rd season)

Offensive scheme| I formation
Defensive coordinator| Charlie McBride (15th season)
Base defense| 4–3
Home stadium| Memorial Stadium

Seasons

<- 1994

1996 ->

1995 Big Eight Conference football standings

* v
* t
* e

| Conf |  |  | Overall

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Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 1 Nebraska $  | 7  | - | 0  | - | 0 |  |  | 12  | - | 0  | - | 0
No. 5 Colorado | 5  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 10  | - | 2  | - | 0
No. 7 Kansas State | 5  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 10  | - | 2  | - | 0
No. 9 Kansas | 5  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 10  | - | 2  | - | 0
Oklahoma | 2  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 5  | - | 1
Oklahoma State | 2  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 8  | - | 0
Missouri | 1  | - | 6  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 8  | - | 0
Iowa State | 1  | - | 6  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 8  | - | 0

* $ – Bowl Alliance representative as champion

Rankings from AP Poll

The 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and was the national champion of the 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Cornhuskers scored 638 points (53.2 per game) while only allowing 174 (14.5 per game). Their average margin of victory was 38.7 points, and their lowest margin of victory, against Washington State, was 14 points. The Cornhuskers successfully defended their 1994 national championship by defeating 2nd ranked Florida 62–24 in the Fiesta Bowl, at the time the second largest margin of victory ever between a No. 1 and No. 2 school (behind 1945 Army 48–0 over Notre Dame).[1] The team is widely regarded as the greatest college football team of all time.[2][3][4][5]

## Before the season

[edit]

Following the success of the 1994 season, in which Tommie Frazier and Brook Berringer led Nebraska to its first national championship in over 20 years, the 1995 team was an improvement in nearly every facet. With a powerful rushing offense and a dominating defense, Nebraska captured its second consecutive national title. The 1995 season was the second of a record-breaking three national championships in four years, as the Cornhuskers won Tom Osborne's third title in 1997.

## Schedule

[edit]

Date| Time| Opponent| Rank| Site| TV| Result| Attendance| Source

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August 31| 7:00 pm| at Oklahoma State| No. 2|

* Lewis Field
* Stillwater, OK

| ESPN| W 64–21| 42,100|
September 9| 11:00 am| at Michigan State*| No. 2|

* Spartan Stadium
* East Lansing, MI

| ABC| W 50–10| 73,891|
September 16| 1:00 pm| Arizona State*| No. 2|

* Memorial Stadium
* Lincoln, NE

| | W 77–28| 75,418|
September 23| 1:00 pm| Pacific (CA)*| No. 2|

* Memorial Stadium
* Lincoln, NE

| | W 49–7| 75,630|
September 30| 1:00 pm| Washington State*| No. 2|

* Memorial Stadium
* Lincoln, NE

| | W 35–21| 75,777|
October 14| 1:00 pm| Missouri| No. 2|

* Memorial Stadium
* Lincoln, NE (rivalry)

| | W 57–0| 75,552|
October 21| 2:30 pm| No. 8 Kansas State| No. 2|

* Memorial Stadium
* Lincoln, NE (rivalry)

| ABC| W 49–25| 76,072|
October 28| 2:30 pm| at No. 7 Colorado| No. 2|

* Folsom Field
* Boulder, CO (rivalry, College GameDay)

| ABC| W 44–21| 54,063|
November 4| 1:00 pm| Iowa State| No. 1|

* Memorial Stadium
* Lincoln, NE

| | W 73–14| 75,505|
November 11| 2:30 pm| at No. 10 Kansas| No. 1|

* Memorial Stadium
* Lawrence, KS (rivalry)

| ABC| W 41–3| 47,880|
November 24| 1:30 pm| Oklahoma| No. 1|

* Memorial Stadium
* Lincoln, NE (rivalry)

| ABC| W 37–0| 75,662|
January 2, 1996| 7:00 pm| vs. No. 2 Florida*| No. 1|

* Sun Devil Stadium
* Tempe, AZ (Fiesta Bowl, College GameDay)

| CBS| W 62–24| 79,864| [6]

* *Non-conference game
* Homecoming
* Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
* All times are in Central time

## Rankings

[edit]

See also: 1995 NCAA Division I-A football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes| Week

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Poll| Pre| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9| 10| 11| 12| 13| 14| 15| Final
AP| 2| 2| 2| 2| 2| 2| 2| 2| 2| 2| 1| 1| 1| 1| 1| 1 (50)| 1 (62)
Coaches| 2|  | 2| 2| 2| 2| 2| 2| 2| 2| 1| 1| 1| 1| 1| 1 (55)| 1 (62)

## Game summaries

[edit]

### Oklahoma State

[edit]

Nebraska at Oklahoma State [box score]  |  | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

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• Nebraska | 6 | 30| 14| 14 | 64
Oklahoma State | 0 | 7| 7| 7 | 21

* Date: August 31
* Location: Lewis Field, Stillwater, Oklahoma
* Game attendance: 42,100
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick and Mike Gottfried

No. 2 Nebraska started the year with a 64–21 win at Oklahoma State in the season opener for both schools. The Cornhuskers piled up 671 total yards and 513 rushing yards while allowing 282 total yards to the Cowboys. After fumbling on its first possession, Nebraska scored on the next eight. An explosive second quarter saw Nebraska take a 16–0 lead following a 29-yard interception return for a touchdown by reserve weakside linebacker Terrell Farley, a JUCO transfer who went on to become Big 8 Defensive Newcomer of the Year. Oklahoma State, which netted -15 yards on its first three drives, responded by taking advantage of one of the young Husker defense's early mistakes, as a draw play by running back David Thompson on third and 10 went 79 yards to the Husker 2-yard line. After a 2-yard touchdown run by Oklahoma State running back Andre Richardson, Nebraska scored on its next offensive play, an 80-yard touchdown from I-back Lawrence Phillips. Phillips later scored on a 27-yard run in the second quarter as the Huskers took a 36–7 halftime lead. Phillips finished the game with 153 yards on 12 carries. Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier made his first regular-season start since the previous September and played sharply, carrying 10 times for 64 yards and a touchdown while also completing 6 of 10 passes for 120 yards and another score. Early in the third quarter, Frazier hit wide receiver Reggie Baul down the sideline for a 76-yard touchdown. Early in the fourth quarter, touted freshman Ahman Green scored his first career touchdown on a 14-yard run. Nebraska had seven players rush for at least 30 yards, including five who rushed for at least 50. The game marked twenty-two straight wins for the Huskers over the Cowboys.

### Michigan State

[edit]

Nebraska at Michigan State [box score]  |  | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

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• Nebraska | 10 | 10| 16| 14 | 50
Michigan State | 7 | 0| 3| 0 | 10

* Date: September 9
* Location: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan
* Game attendance: 73,891

No. 2 Nebraska lost quarterback Tommie Frazier early in the second quarter with a bruised thigh, but still dominated Michigan State in East Lansing. The Cornhuskers outrushed the Spartans 552 to 45 and piled up 666 total yards to the Spartans' 335. Lawrence Phillips led all rushers with 206 yards and four touchdowns (three 1-yard scores and one 50-yard score off a direct snap play) on 22 carries. The Huskers also received strong rushing performances from Clinton Childs (eight carries, 83 yards), Ahman Green (four carries, 74 yards, one touchdown), and Jay Sims (one carry, 80 yards, one touchdown). Backup quarterback Brook Berringer replaced Frazier and completed 6 of 11 passes for 106 yards, including a 51-yard bomb to a diving Reggie Baul. The Nebraska defense recorded three sacks, two fumble recoveries, and one interception.

The game marked Michigan State's worst margin of defeat since a 42–0 loss to Michigan in 1983. It remains the most one-sided defeat in the coaching career of Nick Saban, who was in his first season at East Lansing.

### Arizona State

[edit]

Arizona State at Nebraska [box score]  |  | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

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Arizona State | 7 | 14| 7| 0 | 28
• Nebraska | 35 | 28| 0| 14 | 77

* Date: September 16
* Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
* Game attendance: 75,418

Nebraska set a school record with 63 first-half points en route to a 77–28 victory over Arizona State. Back-up I-back Clinton Childs, starting in place of the suspended Lawrence Phillips, ran 65 yards for a touchdown on the game's first play from scrimmage. The Huskers gained 508 yards in the first half and finished with 686 for the game – 394 rushing and 292 passing. Arizona State added to the first half offensive fireworks as quarterback Jake Plummer found wide receiver Keith Poole for three touchdown passes. For the game, Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier completed 7 of 10 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 35 yards and two more scores. Childs ran for 143 yards and two touchdowns before leaving the game in the second quarter with a sprained knee. Back-up Husker I-back Ahman Green ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. Nebraska pulled in the reins on its offense in the second half but managed to get a defensive touchdown when linebacker Terrell Farley returned an interception 21 yards. The game was a source of a minor controversy as Sun Devils coach Bruce Snyder accused Nebraska coach Tom Osborne of running up the score after third-string Husker quarterback Matt Turman threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to wide-open reserve receiver Lance Brown in the game's final moments.

### Pacific (CA)

[edit]

Pacific at Nebraska [box score]  |  | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

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Pacific | 0 | 0| 7| 0 | 7
• Nebraska | 21 | 14| 14| 0 | 49

* Date: September 23
* Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
* Game attendance: 75,630

Nebraska totaled 731 yards, the fifth-highest total in school history, on its way to a 49–7 win over Pacific. The Husker defense held the Tigers to 197 total yards and forced 11 punts. I-back Damon Benning, starting in place of the injured Clinton Childs, rushed for 173 and three touchdowns on 10 carries before leaving in the third quarter with a sprained ankle. I-back Ahman Green added 112 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. In all, seven Huskers rushed for at least 29 yards. Nebraska began substituting in the second quarter and eventually used 102 players. The Huskers had three drives stall inside the Pacific 30-yard line, including one that ended with Kris Brown missing a 30-yard field goal.

### Washington State

[edit]

Washington State at Nebraska [box score]  |  | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

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Washington State | 7 | 0| 0| 14 | 21
• Nebraska | 0 | 20| 8| 7 | 35

* Date: September 30
* Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
* Game attendance: 75,777

Nebraska overcame an early deficit – in what ultimately proved to be the only time the Huskers would trail during the entire regular season – to beat Washington State 35–21. The Huskers took the opening drive inside the Cougar 10-yard line but fumbled away the scoring threat. Moments later, Cougar tailback Frank Madu ran past a Husker blitz for an 87-yard touchdown. Nebraska fumbled on its next drive as well but took a 20–7 halftime lead with two Tommie Frazier touchdown runs and two Kris Brown field goals. A 35-yard touchdown pass from Frazier to Mark Gilman extended the Husker lead to 35–14 before Washington State quarterback Chad Davis accounted for the final margin with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Shawn Tims. As the game ended, Nebraska's offense, by this point composed of reserves, fumbled the ball away for a third time inside the Washington State 5-yard line. Despite the early touchdown run by Madu and a stout Washington State rush defense that ranked fourth nationally entering the game, the Cornhuskers outrushed the Cougars 428–72. Tommie Frazier rushed for 70 yards and threw for 99, and Nebraska ended the game with 527. Reserve I-back Ahman Green finished the game with 176 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Husker sophomore defensive end Grant Wistrom had a breakout game, tallying four tackles for loss to lead the Blackshirt defense.

### Missouri

[edit]

Missouri at Nebraska [box score]  |  | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

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Missouri | 0 | 0| 0| 0 | 0
• Nebraska | 7 | 21| 22| 7 | 57

* Date: October 14
* Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
* Game attendance: 75,552

Nebraska's Blackshirt defense forced five fumbles and recovered two of them, intercepted two passes, and held Missouri to 122 total yards in the Huskers' first shutout of the season. Missouri managed only 39 rushing yards on 39 carries. Husker linebacker Terrell Farley blocked a punt that led to a Husker safety. Meanwhile, the Husker offense tallied 475 total yards, with quarterback Tommie Frazier rushing for 71 yards and three touchdowns and passing for 133 and two touchdowns. Husker I-back Ahman Green, making his first start, rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.

### Kansas State

[edit]

Kansas State at Nebraska [box score]  |  | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

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Kansas State | 6 | 0| 0| 19 | 25
• Nebraska | 14 | 21| 7| 7 | 49

* Date: October 21
* Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
* Game attendance: 76,072

Using a combination of stifling defense, surprising passing, and strong special teams, no. 2 Nebraska jumped out to a 35–6 halftime lead over no. 8 Kansas State en route to a 49–25 victory. Sprung by a block by freshman defensive end Mike Rucker, Husker return man Mike Fullman took a punt back 79 yards in the first quarter to open the scoring. Nebraska later scored on a fumble recovery in the end zone by Jon Vedral, an interception return by backup lineman Luther Hardin, and two touchdown passes by quarterback Tommie Frazier. Frazier threw two more touchdowns in the second half, including a 32-yarder to a wide-open Vedral in the third quarter to give the Huskers a 42–6 lead. After three quarters, Kansas State had minus-4-yards rushing and only 128 total. Nebraska began substituting reserve players shortly thereafter, and the Wildcats rallied to put 19 fourth quarter points and pull within 42–25. Nebraska's starters re-emerged and drove for another touchdown, the final score of the game. Despite the strong fourth quarter, the Wildcats finished with just 256 total yards and minus-19 rushing yards, while the Nebraska defense recorded eight sacks and two interceptions. Frazier was 10 of 16 through the air for 148 yards and four touchdowns. Ahman Green ran for 109 yards on 22 carries and caught two touchdowns.

Kansas State went on to finish second nationally in scoring defense; more than a third of the 145 points that the Wildcats allowed during the regular season were scored by the Huskers.

### Colorado

[edit]

Nebraska at Colorado [box score]  |  | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

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• Nebraska | 21 | 10| 3| 10 | 44
Colorado | 7 | 7| 7| 0 | 21

* Date: October 28
* Location: Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado
* Game attendance: 54,063

Nebraska scored on a 57-yard run by I-back Ahman Green on its first play from scrimmage, committed no turnovers or penalties, and never trailed during a 44–21 win at no. 7 Colorado. Quarterback Tommie Frazier threw for a career-high 241 yards on 14 of 23 passing with two touchdowns (a 52-yarder to Clester Johnson in the first quarter and a 7-yarder to Jon Vedral in the second) and ran for 40 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Colorado quarterback John Hessler was 21 of 43 for 276 yards but threw two interceptions that led to 10 Husker points, and the Buffaloes were flagged 12 times for 92 yards. After Nebraska took a 31–14 halftime lead, Colorado scored on a 49-yard pass from Hessler to James Kidd on 4th and 2 to pull within 31–21. But the Buffaloes came no closer, as two field goals by Kris Brown and Frazier's touchdown run put the game away. Green finished the game with 97 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. One of the game's most memorable plays came when Colorado defensive end Greg Jones hit Frazier in the backfield. Frazier, who famously was not sacked during the entire 1995 season, absorbed the blow and completed a 35-yard pass down the sideline to Ahman Green on a drive that ended in a Husker field goal. On the day, Nebraska outgained the Buffaloes 467 to 382 and outrushed them 226 to 106.

### Iowa State

[edit]

Iowa State at Nebraska [box score]  |  | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

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Iowa State | 0 | 7| 0| 7 | 14
• Nebraska | 20 | 18| 28| 7 | 73

* Date: November 4
* Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
* Game attendance: 75,505

No. 1 Nebraska scored on its first ten possessions and posted 624 rushing yards (second-most in school history) and 776 total yards (fifth-most in school history) in a 73–14 win over the Cyclones. Freshman I-back Ahman Green led the way with 176 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries and added a touchdown reception. A 64-yard touchdown run by Green in the third quarter marked the team's sixth one-play touchdown drive of the season. The game marked the return of Lawrence Phillips, who gained 68 yards on 12 carries. Tommie Frazier rushed for 62 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries and threw for 118 yards and two more touchdowns on 10 of 15 passing. Nebraska's defense limited Iowa State to 254 total yards, which included 121 yards on 28 carries by Heisman Trophy candidate Troy Davis. The Blackshirts also recorded two interceptions and forced two fumbles, recovering one.

The 73 points were the most ever scored by Nebraska against Iowa State until the Cornhuskers scored 77 against the Cyclones in 1997.

### Kansas

[edit]

Nebraska at Kansas [box score]  |  | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

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• Nebraska | 14 | 0| 14| 13 | 41
Kansas | 0 | 3| 0| 0 | 3

* Date: November 11
* Location: Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, Kansas
* Game attendance: 53,300

No. 10 Kansas, unbeaten at home on the season and featuring its best team since it last beat the Cornhuskers in 1968, outplayed Nebraska for much of the first half. By the end of the first half, Kansas had outgained Nebraska 199–110 in yards, had 10 more first downs, and had run 23 more plays. However, Nebraska led 14–3 at intermission after recovering a muffed punt in the end zone for one touchdown and recovering a fumble near the Jayhawks' red zone for another. Kansas repeatedly drove deep into Nebraska territory but committed five turnovers. The Jayhawks' only points came on a field goal after an 86-yard drive stalled at the 2-yard line. Nebraska took over in the second half, and an 86-yard interception return by reserve defensive back Mike Fullman closed the scoring at 41–3. Tommie Frazier led all rushers with 99 yards on 10 carries; Kansas as a team ran for 72 yards on 32 rushing attempts. The Nebraska offense had three uncharacteristic turnovers, the first of which – a fumble by backup quarterback Brook Berringer – snapped a streak of 18 straight quarters without a turnover.

The game marked Nebraska's third win over a top ten team in less than a month, with an average victory margin of 45–16. With the win, Nebraska clinched the final Big 8 football championship, its fifth in a row.

### Oklahoma

[edit]

Oklahoma at Nebraska [box score]  |  | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

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Oklahoma | 0 | 0| 0| 0 | 0
• Nebraska | 10 | 3| 10| 14 | 37

* Date: November 24
* Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
* Game attendance: 75,662

Nebraska entered favored by more than 30 points, one of the largest point spreads in the history of the series. But the Sooners played tough defensively, as Nebraska failed to score a first-half touchdown on offense for the first time all season. The Huskers nonetheless led 13–0 at halftime, thanks to a pair of field goals by Kris Brown and a 36-yard interception return for a score by linebacker Jamel Williams. A 57-yard fumble return by free safety Tony Veland pushed the score to 20–0 early in the third quarter. Frazier went 12 of 25 for 136 passing yards with one touchdown and one interception; the unspectacular performance likely factored into his finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting behind Ohio State running back Eddie George. Late in the game, backup quarterback Brook Berringer scrambled to convert a long fourth down; during the same drive, reserve fullback Joel Mackovicka scored the game's final touchdown. The Husker offense finished with 271 rushing yards and 407 total. The Husker defense, meanwhile, limited the Sooners to 241 total yards and forced three turnovers. The game marked Nebraska's first shutout of Oklahoma since 1942. At the time, the game was also the second-largest victory ever by the Huskers over the Sooners (44–6, 1928).

The game stretched the Huskers' conference unbeaten streak to 23 games and completed three straight undefeated regular seasons. Nebraska ended the regular season averaging 52.4 points per game, which set an all-time school record and a modern-era college football record. It was the final conference football game for the Big Eight Conference, whose members would join with four members of the Southwest Conference to form the Big 12 the next season.

### Florida

[edit]

Florida vs Nebraska [box score]  |  | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

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Florida | 10 | 0| 8| 6 | 24
• Nebraska | 6 | 29| 14| 13 | 62

* Date: January 2
* Location: Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
* Game attendance: 79,864

Entering the 1996 Fiesta Bowl, Nebraska had won 24 consecutive games, but some (including Sports Illustrated in their 12/26/1995 issue) still picked Florida to win the game due to the no. 2 Gators' overwhelming speed on both sides of the ball, even though oddsmakers had made Nebraska a substantial favorite.[7] Florida coach Steve Spurrier's "Fun 'n' Gun" offense, led by future Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel, provided a stark contrast Tom Osborne's I-form power option.

Nebraska defeated Florida 62–24, marking the largest margin of victory and highest score in a national championship game in history until the Georgia Bulldogs broke this record in 2023. Included among several NCAA bowl records the Huskers set was a rushing total of 524 yards (out of an offensive output of 629 yards). I-back Lawrence Phillips carried 25 times for 165 yards and two touchdowns and caught a 16-yard touchdown. Quarterback Tommie Frazier finished the game with 199 yards on 16 carries. The game also included one of the most famous plays in college football history: a 75-yard touchdown run in the third quarter by Frazier in which he broke no fewer than seven tackles. Florida had won every one of their first 12 games by double digits and the Gator offense averaged over 44 points, 360 passing yards, and 534 yards of total offense per game. The Nebraska defense limited the Gators to 269 yards of offense and -28 rushing yards while registering a safety, seven quarterback sacks, and three interceptions, including one returned 42 yards for a touchdown by Michael Booker. The Huskers' 29 points in the second quarter set a Fiesta Bowl record.

## Legacy

[edit]

Due to their performance against Florida, victories over four teams that finished in the top 10 (by an average score of 49–18), consistent dominance (smallest margin of victory was 14 points, trailed only once all season, rushed for 51 touchdowns and 400 yards per game while allowing only 6 rushing touchdowns all season and 78 rushing yards per game), their record-setting offensive performance, and their statistically impressive defense throughout the season, the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers are widely regarded as one of the greatest teams in college football history. The team set Division I-A records by averaging 7.0 yards per rushing attempt, allowing zero holding penalties all season, allowing zero quarterback sacks, and allowing five punt returns (for 12 yards) over the entire season. The Cornhuskers average margin of victory was over 38 points, the largest of any Division I-A team since World War II, despite regularly resting starters after halftime. Analysts often make comparisons to other recent highly regarded champions, such as the 2001 Miami Hurricanes and the 2004 USC Trojans.[8] Such comparisons, as noted by the experts themselves, are nearly impossible to make, as rankings vary from evaluation to evaluation. The 1994 and 1995 Nebraska teams, which went a combined 25–0, remain the only undefeated and untied back-to-back national champions since Oklahoma in 1955 and 1956. In 2011, the 1995 Cornhuskers were named by Playboy Magazine as the greatest college football team of the Playboy era (since 1957).[9] Several ESPN analysts such as Paul Finebaum and Mark May have declared 1995 huskers as the greatest CFB team of all time. Nebraska won the final Big Eight Conference football championship in 1995, as the league expanded to form the Big 12 Conference the following season.

## Personnel

[edit]

### Roster and coaching staff

[edit]

1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team roster

Players  | Coaches
Offense | Pos. | # | Name | Class

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WB | `27` | Jacques Allen | Sr
OT | `70` | Eric Anderson | So
RB | `` | Erick Arens | Fr
OL | `` | Matt Baldwin | Fr
SE | `7` | Reggie Baul | Sr
IB | `21` | Damon Benning | Jr
QB | `18` | Brook Berringer | Sr
WB | `14` | Lance Brown | So
OT | `74` | Jerry Buettner | Fr
TE | `90` | Tim Carpenter | So
SE | `6` | Kenny Cheatham | So
IB | `26` | Clinton Childs | Sr
QB | `9` | Monte Christo | So
OL | `` | Jeff Clausen | Fr
FB | `49` | Josh Cobb | So
OT | `75` | Chris Dishman | Jr
IB | `37` | Chad Eicher | So
OL | `` | Korey Evans | Fr
WB | `` | Demond Finister | Fr
QB | `15` | Tommie Frazier | Sr
RB | `17` | Brayden Herring | Fr
QB | `16` | Scott Frost | So
OL | `` | Lonnie Fulton | Fr
OT | `72` | Ben Gessford | Fr
TE | `87` | Mark Gilman | Sr
C | `54` | Aaron Graham | Sr
IB | `30` | Ahman Green | Fr
TE | `82` | Trent Gumm | Fr
SE | `29` | Billy Haafke | So
C | `` | Aaron Havlovic | Fr
QB | `10` | Ryan Held | So
C | `59` | Josh Heskew | So
SE | `5` | Brendan Holbein | Jr
TE | `85` | Joe Horst | So
G | `62` | Matt Hoskinson | So
TE | `88` | Sheldon Jackson | Fr
TE | `34` | Vershan Jackson | So
OT | `` | Kevin James | Fr
WB | `33` | Clester Johnson | Sr
OL | `` | Marcus Johnson | Fr
OL | `` | Adam Julch | Fr
FB | `` | Ben Kingston | Fr
SE | `89` | Jeff (Robert) Lake | So
C | `53` | Troy Langan | Jr
FB | `36` | Billy Legate | Fr
G | `65` | Mike Lesser | So
QB | `` | Gregg List | Fr
QB | `1` | Frankie London | Fr
FB | `22` | Jeff Makovicka | Sr
FB | `45` | Joel Makovicka | Fr
RB | `` | Alex McClymont | Fr
RB | `` | Corey McIntyre | Fr
OT | `78` | Kory Mikos | Jr
WB | `12` | Andy Miller | Fr
FB | `38` | Chris Norris | Sr
OT | `63` | Brian Nunns | Sr
G | `69` | Steve Ott | Sr
QB | `` | Jeff Perino | Fr
TE | `84` | Brent Petersen | Fr
IB | `1` | Lawrence Phillips | Jr
OT | `73` | Fred Pollack | So
RB | `` | Steve Raymond | Fr
WB | `32` | David Reddick | Fr
TE | `86` | Dorrick Roy | Fr
G | `66` | Anthony Schmode | Fr
FB | `28` | Brian Schuster | Jr
C | `57` | Doug Seaman | So
OL | `` | James Sherman | Fr
IB | `31` | James Sims | So
RB | `` | Jeff Small | Fr
FB | `35` | Mike Smith | Jr
OT | `` | Jim Tansey | Fr
G | `67` | Aaron Taylor | So
OT | `77` | Adam Treu | Jr
C | `` | Theron Troxel | Fr
OT | `76` | Kyle Tully | Fr
QB | `11` | Matt Turman | Jr
IB | `24` | Todd Uhlir | So
G | `71` | Mike Van Cleave | So
WB | `25` | Jon Vedral | Jr
G | `68` | Steve Volin | Sr
C | `51` | Matt Vrzal | Jr
G | `61` | Brandt Wade | Fr
WB | `3` | Riley Washington | Jr
WB | `` | Jeff Wells | Fr
WB | `17` | Sean Wieting | So
WB | `` | Shevin Wiggins | So
G | `64` | Jon Zatechka | So
Defense | Pos. | # | Name | Class

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WLB | `47` | Matt Aden | So
FS | `2` | Dave Alderman | Jr
DL | `` | Derek Allen | Fr
OLB | `` | Travis Antholz | Fr
SLB | `23` | Larry Arnold | Jr
FS | `14` | Dennis Bailey | So
OLB | `27` | Jason Benes | So
RCB | `17` | Chad Blahak | Jr
LCB | `20` | Michael Booker | Jr
LB | `` | Ryan Brauer | Fr
OLB | `89` | Darren Brummond | Fr
LB | `` | Ben Buettenback | Fr
MLB | `46` | Doug Colman | Sr
MLB | `45` | Steve Cook | Fr
LB | `` | Rance Cooley | Fr
FS | `12` | Tray Crayton | Fr
LB | `` | T.J. DeBates | Fr
DL | `48` | John DiLiberto | Fr
DL | `` | Brandon Drum | Fr
MLB | `41` | Phil Ellis | Sr
LB | `43` | Terrell Farley | Jr
SLB | `56` | Jay Foreman | So
SLB | `40` | Russell Froehlich | Fr
RCB | `12` | Mike Fullman | Jr
OLB | `88` | Sean Gard | So
OLB | `58` | Luther Hardin | Sr
ROV | `19` | Chris Herron | Fr
OLB | `44` | Jon Hesse | Jr
DT | `57` | Michael Hoffman | So
WLB | `49` | Quint Hogrefe | Fr
WLB | `38` | Matt Hunting | So
LCB | `24` | Jai Jackson | Fr
LB | `` | Julius Jackson | Fr
DT | `96` | Jason Jenkins | Sr
LB | `` | Chad Kelsay | Fr
DE | `` | Chad Kobus | Fr
LB | `` | Josh Kohl | Fr
WLB | `51` | Charlie Leece | Fr
WLB | `59` | Casey Macken | Fr
DB | `` | Karnell Matthews | Fr
ROV | `4` | Octavious McFarlin | So
DB | `` | Greg McGraw | Fr
DT | `` | Tom Milius | Fr
OLB | `83` | Bryce Miller | Jr
ROV | `10` | Mike Minter | Jr
DT | `76` | Erik Nelson | Fr
DT | `97` | Jeff Ogard | Jr
DB | `` | Jason Olnes | Fr
LB | `` | Tony Ortiz | Fr
WLB | `52` | Aaron Penland | Sr
DT | `55` | Christian Peter | Sr
DT | `95` | Jason Peter | So
DB | `` | Jerome Peterson | Fr
DB | `` | Chris Rainey | Fr
ROV | `39` | Mike Roberts | Jr
OLB | `84` | Mike Rucker | Fr
DT | `74` | Scott Saltsman | Jr
ROV | `` | Nick Sassaman | Jr
LCB | `37` | Darren Schmadeke | Sr
DT | `` | Jason Schwab | Fr
LB | `` | Kareem Sears | Fr
LB | `` | Brian Shaw | Fr
MLB | `35` | Adam Skoda | Fr
LCB | `16` | Eric Stokes | Jr
DL | `` | Chris Taylor | Fr
WLB | `91` | Ryan Terwilliger | Jr
DT | `53` | Ross Tessendorf | Fr
OLB | `92` | Travis Toline | Fr
OLB | `93` | Jared Tomich | Sr
DT | `94` | Larry Townsend | Jr
FS | `9` | Tony Veland | Sr
RCB | `6` | Eric Walther | Fr
DB | `` | Eric Warfield | So
WLB | `28` | Jamel Williams | Jr
RCB | `8` | Tyrone Williams | Sr
OLB | `` | Aaron Wills | Fr
DT | `99` | Jason Wiltz | Fr
OLB | `82` | Shalis Winder | Jr
OLB | `98` | Grant Wistrom | So
SLB | `34` | Ramone Worthy | So
FS | `` | Chad Young | Sr
OLB | `80` | Brendan Zahl | So
Special teams | Pos. | # | Name | Class

|
|
|

P | `` | Andy Bilanzich | Fr
PK | `` | Kris Brown | Fr
P/PK | `` | Dan Hadenfeldt | Fr
P | `19` | Jesse Kosch | So
P/PK | `30` | Bill Lafleur | Fr
P | `10` | Brian Morro | Fr
P | `9` | Jeff Nolting | So
PK | `13` | Ted Retzlaff | So
PK | `` | Tom Royce | Jr

Head coach

* Tom Osborne
23rd season
32nd year at Nebraska
Alma mater: Hastings College

Coordinators/assistant coaches

* Charlie McBride
15th season as DC/DL coach
19th year at Nebraska
Alma mater: Colorado
* Turner Gill
4th season as QB coach
4th year at Nebraska
Alma mater: Nebraska
* Craig Bohl
1st season as LB coach
4th year at Nebraska
Alma mater: Nebraska
* Ron Brown
9th season as WR/TE coach
9th year at Nebraska
Alma mater: Brown
* Dan Young
13th season as OL/K coach
13th year at Nebraska
Alma mater: Reed
* Milt Tenopir
22nd season as OL coach
22nd year at Nebraska
Alma mater: Sterling
* Tony Samuel
10th season as OLB coach
10th year at Nebraska
Alma mater: Nebraska
* George Darlington
DB coach
23rd year at Nebraska
Alma mater: Rutgers
* Frank Solich
13th season as RB coach
17th year at Nebraska
Alma mater: Nebraska
* Boyd Epley
27th season as S&C coach
27th year at Nebraska
Alma mater: Nebraska

* * *

Legend

* (C) Team captain
* (S) Suspended
* (I) Ineligible

* Injured
* Redshirt

* * *

Roster
Last update: January 17, 2011

### Depth chart

[edit]

Defense

| FS

Tony Veland
Eric Stokes
Eric Warfield

| WILL | MIKE | SAM

|
|

Terrell Farley  | Phil Ellis
Doug Colman  | Jay Foreman
Jamel Williams
Ryan Terwilliger  | Jon Hesse  | Larry Arnold
Aaron Penland  | Adam Skoda  | Ramone Worthy
| ROVER

Mike Minter
Octavious McFarlin
Dave Alderman
| CB

Michael Booker
Mike Fullman
Darren Schmadeke

| DE | DT | DT | DE

|
|
|

Grant Wistrom  | Jason Peter  | Christian Peter  | Jared Tomich
Chad Kelsay  | Scott Saltsman  | Jeff Ogard  | Luther Hardin
Mike Rucker  | Jason Jenkins  | Larry Townsend  | Travis Toline
|  | CB

Tyrone Williams
Leslie Dennis
Chad Blahak

Offense

| WR

Clester Johnson
Jon Vedral
Kenny Cheatham
|  | LT | LG | C | RG | RT

|
|
|
|

Chris Dishman  | Aaron Taylor  | Aaron Graham  | Steve Ott  | Eric Anderson
Kory Mikos  | Steve Volin  | Matt Vrzal  | Jon Zatechka  | Adam Treu
Fred Pollack  | Matt Hoskinson  | Josh Heskew  | Mike Van Cleave | Brian Nunns
| TE

Mark Gilman
Tim Carpenter
Sheldon Jackson
Vershan Jackson
| WR

Reggie Baul
Brandon Holbein
Lance Brown
|  | QB

Tommie Frazier
Brook Berringer
Matt Turman
|  | RB

Lawrence Phillips
Ahman Green
Clinton Childs
Damon Benning
James Sims
|  | FB

Jeff Makovicka
Brian Schuster
Joel Makovicka
| Special teams

PK Kris Brown
P Ted Retzlaff

|  |

## Awards

[edit]

[10]

Award  | Name(s)

|

Sporting News Player of the Year  | Tommie Frazier
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award | Tommie Frazier
UPI Player-of-the-Year  | Tommie Frazier
Maxwell Award | Tommie Frazier
All-America 1st team  | Tommie Frazier, Aaron Graham, Jared Tomich
All-America 2nd team  | Terrell Farley
All-America 3rd team  | Grant Wistrom, Aaron Taylor
All-America honorable mention  | Chris Dishman, Ahman Green, Christian Peter
Big 8 Offensive Player of the Year  | Tommie Frazier
Big 8 Defensive Newcomer of the Year  | Terrell Farley
Big 8 Freshman of the Year  | Ahman Green
Big 8 Offensive Newcomer of the Year  | Ahman Green
All-Big 8 1st team  | Eric Anderson, Chris Dishman, Terrell Farley, Tommie Frazier, Aaron Graham, Ahman Green, Christian Peter, Aaron Taylor, Jared Tomich, Tyrone Williams, Grant Wistrom
All-Big 8 2nd team  | Reggie Baul, Mike Minter, Tony Veland
All-Big 8 honorable mention  | Kris Brown, Phil Ellis, Brendan Holbein, Clester Johnson, Jeff Makovicka, Jason Peter

## NFL and pro players

[edit]

The following Nebraska players who participated in the 1995 season later moved on to the next level and joined a professional or semi-pro team as draftees or free agents.[11]

Name  | Team

|

Eric Anderson | Amsterdam Admirals
Michael Booker | Atlanta Falcons
Kris Brown | Pittsburgh Steelers
Doug Colman | New York Giants
Chris Dishman | Arizona Cardinals
Jay Foreman | Buffalo Bills
Tommie Frazier | Montreal Alouettes
Scott Frost | New York Jets
Aaron Graham | Arizona Cardinals
Ahman Green | Seattle Seahawks
Jon Hesse | Green Bay Packers
Sheldon Jackson | Buffalo Bills
Vershan Jackson | Kansas City Chiefs
Chad Kelsay | Pittsburgh Steelers
Bill Lafleur | Barcelona Dragons
Joel Makovicka | Arizona Cardinals
Mike Minter | Carolina Panthers
Tony Ortiz | Scottish Claymores
Christian Peter | New York Giants
Jason Peter | Carolina Panthers
Lawrence Phillips | St. Louis Rams
Mike Rucker | Carolina Panthers
Eric Stokes | Seattle Seahawks
Jared Tomich | New Orleans Saints
Larry Townsend | Berlin Thunder
Adam Treu | Oakland Raiders
Tony Veland | Denver Broncos
Eric Warfield | Kansas City Chiefs
Jamel Williams | Washington Redskins
Tyrone Williams | Green Bay Packers
Jason Wiltz | New York Jets
Grant Wistrom | St. Louis Rams
Jon Zatechka | Berlin Thunder

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "1995 Florida Football".
2. ^ Merriman, Sean (June 16, 2014). "NFL.Ccom lists 1995 Huskers as Greatest of All Time". Big Ten Network.
3. ^ "1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers crushed all comers en route to title". Sports Illustrated. July 20, 2011.
4. ^ Bause, Rick (November 24, 2021). "The 10 Best College Football Teams of All Time". Bleacher Report.
5. ^ "espn says the 1995 huskers are still the gold standard". 247sports.
6. ^ "No doubt about it: Huskers No. 1". Arizona Daily Star. January 3, 1996. Retrieved February 8, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ "The Gold Sheet 1-800-798-Gold(4653)".
8. ^ Top 10 Perfect Seasons SportsIllustrated
9. ^ "Top 10 All-Time College Football Teams of the Playboy Era". Playboy.com. Archived from the original on November 23, 2011. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
10. ^ 1995 Husker Honors
11. ^ "All Time NFL Huskers". Archived from the original on August 15, 2009. Retrieved May 15, 2009.

* v
* t
* e

1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers football—consensus national champions

* Brook Berringer
* Michael Booker
* Kris Brown
* Doug Colman
* Chris Dishman
* Jay Foreman
* Tommie Frazier
* Scott Frost
* Aaron Graham
* Ahman Green
* Ryan Held
* Jon Hesse
* Sheldon Jackson
* Chad Kelsay
* Bill Lafleur
* Joel Makovicka
* Mike Minter
* Christian Peter
* Jason Peter
* Lawrence Phillips
* Mike Rucker
* Eric Stokes
* Aaron Taylor
* Jared Tomich
* Adam Treu
* Tony Veland
* Eric Warfield
* Jamel Williams
* Tyrone Williams
* Jason Wiltz
* Grant Wistrom

* Head coach: Tom Osborne

* Assistant coaches: Craig Bohl
* Turner Gill
* Charlie McBride
* Tony Samuel
* Frank Solich

* v
* t
* e

Nebraska Cornhuskers football

Venues|

* Lincoln Park (1891–1893)
* Antelope Field (1894–1908)
* Nebraska Field (1909–1922)
* Memorial Stadium (1923–present)

Bowls and rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Colorado
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Kansas State
* Miami (FL)
* Minnesota
* Missouri
* Oklahoma
* Wisconsin

Culture and lore|

* History
* Herbie Husker
* Lil' Red
* "Dear Old Nebraska U"
* "Hail Varsity"
* Cornhusker Marching Band
* Blackshirts
* Origin of "Cornhuskers" nickname
* 1939 Kansas State game
* Game of the Century (1971 Oklahoma game)
* Fumblerooski
* 1982 Penn State game
* Flea Kicker
* Black 41 Flash Reverse Pass
* 2009 Big 12 Championship Game
* Yes Man

People|

* Head coaches
* All-Americans
* NFL draftees
* Statistical leaders

Seasons|

* 1890
* 1891
* 1892
* 1893
* 1894
* 1895
* 1896
* 1897
* 1898
* 1899
* 1900
* 1901
* 1902
* 1903
* 1904
* 1905
* 1906
* 1907
* 1908
* 1909
* 1910
* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1916
* 1917
* 1918
* 1919
* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943
* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024

National championship seasons in bold

* v
* t
* e

College football national champions (championship game era)

Bowl Coalition|

* 1992: Alabama
* 1993: Florida State
* 1994: Nebraska

Bowl Alliance|

* 1995: Nebraska
* 1996: Florida
* 1997: Michigan (AP, FWAA, NFF) / Nebraska (Bowl Alliance, Coaches)

Bowl Championship Series|

* 1998: Tennessee
* 1999: Florida State
* 2000: Oklahoma
* 2001: Miami (FL)
* 2002: Ohio State
* 2003: LSU (BCS, Coaches, NFF) / USC (AP, FWAA)
* 2004: USC (AP)(BCS vacated)
* 2005: Texas
* 2006: Florida
* 2007: LSU
* 2008: Florida
* 2009: Alabama
* 2010: Auburn
* 2011: Alabama
* 2012: Alabama
* 2013: Florida State

College Football Playoff|

* 2014: Ohio State
* 2015: Alabama
* 2016: Clemson
* 2017: Alabama
* 2018: Clemson
* 2019: LSU
* 2020: Alabama
* 2021: Georgia
* 2022: Georgia
* 2023: Michigan

* v
* t
* e

Big Eight Conference football champions

MVIAA|

* Iowa & Nebraska (1907)
* Kansas (1908)
* Missouri (1909)
* Nebraska (1910)
* Iowa State & Nebraska (1911)
* Iowa State & Nebraska (1912)
* Missouri & Nebraska (1913)
* Nebraska (1914)
* Nebraska (1915)
* Nebraska (1916)
* Nebraska (1917)
* Missouri (1919)
* Oklahoma (1920)
* Nebraska (1921)
* Drake & Nebraska (1922)
* Kansas & Nebraska (1923)
* Missouri (1924)
* Missouri (1925)
* Oklahoma A&M (1926)
* Missouri (1927)

Big Six|

* Nebraska (1928)
* Nebraska (1929)
* Kansas (1930)
* Nebraska (1931)
* Nebraska (1932)
* Nebraska (1933)
* Kansas State (1934)
* Nebraska (1935)
* Nebraska (1936)
* Nebraska (1937)
* Oklahoma (1938)
* Missouri (1939)
* Nebraska (1940)
* Missouri (1941)
* Missouri (1942)
* Oklahoma (1943)
* Oklahoma (1944)
* Missouri (1945)
* Kansas & Oklahoma (1946)
* Kansas & Oklahoma (1947)

Big Seven|

* Oklahoma (1948)
* Oklahoma (1949)
* Oklahoma (1950)
* Oklahoma (1951)
* Oklahoma (1952)
* Oklahoma (1953)
* Oklahoma (1954)
* Oklahoma (1955)
* Oklahoma (1956)
* Oklahoma (1957)
* Oklahoma (1958)
* Oklahoma (1959)

Big Eight|

* Missouri (1960)
* Colorado (1961)
* Oklahoma (1962)
* Nebraska (1963)
* Nebraska (1964)
* Nebraska (1965)
* Nebraska (1966)
* Oklahoma (1967)
* Kansas & Oklahoma (1968)
* Missouri & Nebraska (1969)
* Nebraska (1970)
* Nebraska (1971)
* Nebraska (1972)
* Oklahoma (1973)
* Oklahoma (1974)
* Nebraska & Oklahoma (1975)
* Colorado, Oklahoma, & Oklahoma State (1976)
* Oklahoma (1977)
* Nebraska & Oklahoma (1978)
* Oklahoma (1979)
* Oklahoma (1980)
* Nebraska (1981)
* Nebraska (1982)
* Nebraska (1983)
* Nebraska & Oklahoma (1984)
* Oklahoma (1985)
* Oklahoma (1986)
* Oklahoma (1987)
* Nebraska (1988)
* Colorado (1989)
* Colorado (1990)
* Colorado & Nebraska (1991)
* Nebraska (1992)
* Nebraska (1993)
* Nebraska (1994)
* Nebraska (1995)

National championships in bold
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Conf]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[T]: Ties
*[No.]: Number