1996 Fiesta Bowl

The 1996 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game in which the Nebraska Cornhuskers won the national championship for the 1995 college football season by defeating the Florida Gators, 62-24. Played on January 2, 1996, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, the game matched the #1 and #2 ranked teams in the nation, respectively, Nebraska and Florida. The game was part of the 1995-1996 Bowl Alliance.

Pregame hype
The game was billed as a classic #1 vs. #2 matchup, featuring two completely different but equally potent offenses.

Nebraska, the defending national champion, opened the season by defeating Oklahoma State by a score of 64-21. During the 1995 season, no opponent came within 13 points, including three Top-10 ranked opponents whom the Huskers defeated by a combined score of 134-49. The Huskers averaged more than 53 points per game and 400 yards rushing.

Florida, behind the passing of future Heisman winner Danny Wuerffel, had racked up similarly impressive offensive numbers, though mostly through the air, and had emerged through a brutal Southeastern Conference schedule unbeaten, having throttled rivals Tennessee and Florida State, and whipping Arkansas 34-3 in the SEC championship game. Florida, like Nebraska, had rarely been tested; its closest margin of victory being 11 points.

Oddsmakers had made Nebraska about a 3-point favorite going into the game. However, many experts picked Florida to win, as it was thought that Nebraska's option attack would not succeed very well on Sun Devil Stadium's grass field, and that Wuerffel's passing arm would be too deadly for Nebraska to stop.

First Quarter
Florida received the opening kickoff and drove to the Nebraska 5, before settling for a 23 yard Edmiston field goal. Aided by good field position, the Huskers countered on their opening series with a 53 yard scoring drive, capped by a 16-yard cross-field throwback pass from Tommie Frazier to Lawrence Phillips. The Gators blocked the Huskers' extra point, and Nebraska led 6-3. Late in the period, Florida went back ahead on a short 1-yard sneak from Wuerffel and led 10-6. As the Gators scored, the CBS announcer stated 'Nebraska better not get too far behind.'

Second Quarter
The Huskers exploded for 29 points. Phillips began the quarter with a dazzling 42-yard touchdown run that put the Huskers back in front. On the very next possession, Florida took over at its own 22, but was pushed back into the shadow of its own end zone. On second down, the Huskers appeared to have sacked Wuerffel in the end zone for a safety, but officials ruled his forward progress had brought him out to the 1. On the very next play from scrimmage, Jamel Williams blitzed and sacked Wuerffel untouched in the middle of the end zone, forcing the resulting safety that had been denied from the play before, and the score was 15-10. A 1-yard dive from freshman Ahman Green and a Kris Brown field goal made the margin 15 points. Then, cornerback Michael Booker picked off a Wuerffel pass and returned it 42 yards for another Nebraska score, this one making it 32-10. Nebraska quickly forced a punt and added a second Brown field goal to take a decisive 35-10 advantage into the locker room.

Third Quarter
Florida continued to struggle against Nebraska's aggressive, blitzing defense. On their first possession of the second half, Wuerffel was intercepted by Eric Stokes at the NU 28. The Huskers' first two possessions both ventured deep into Florida territory before turning it over on an interception and on downs. Frazier then broke through the line for a blazing 35-yard touchdown run later in the third, putting the Huskers further in front at 42-10. Florida countered with a 77-yard scoring drive, capped by a 35-yard pass from Wuerffel to Ike Hilliard, and a 2-point conversion made the score 42-18. The Huskers took over possession at their own 20 with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter. What followed was one of the most memorable plays in Nebraska football and Fiesta Bowl history.

The run
On second down from the NU 25, Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier ran an option play to the right, and decided to keep the ball rather than pitch. He gained 11 yards before being met by a group of Florida defenders at the 36 yard line, which he then dragged approximately 10 yards before shrugging them off and breaking free, streaking 75 yards down the sideline to give Nebraska a 49-18 lead. Frazier had broken no less than six tackles on the play. Frazier would finish the game with 199 yards rushing. Nebraska also set records for most rushing yards in a bowl game, with 524, and the most points in the second quarter of a bowl game, with 29.

Fourth Quarter
The fourth quarter was something of an anti-climax, with the result having more or less been decided. Nebraska backup quarterback Brook Berringer came in to relieve Frazier and led the Huskers on two more scoring drives, the latter of which he capped himself with a 3-yard scoring run, and the Huskers led 62-18. Reidel Anthony of Florida returned the ensuing kickoff 92 yards to end the scoring.

Florida attempted a two point conversion, but the quarterback was sacked and appeared to fumble. Nebraska defensive tackle Christian Peter recovered to return it for two points but the play had been blown dead.

Third-string quarterback Matt Turman drove the Huskers to the Florida goal line before taking a knee to run out the clock. Nebraska won 62-24 and claimed a second consecutive national championship. They were the first team to win back-to-back titles since Alabama in 1978-1979. As of 2010, the 1994 and 1995 Nebraska teams remain the only undefeated and untied - as well as the only consensus - back-to-back national champions since Oklahoma in 1955 and 1956.

Epilogue
The 1995 Nebraska squad has been voted as the greatest college football team of all-time in many surveys, including the all-time Sagarin ratings. An ESPN poll has them at #3, only behind the 1971 Huskers and 1972 USC Trojans.