1966 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

The 1966 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln as a member of the Big Eight Conference in the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. The team was coached by Bob Devaney and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.

1966 Nebraska Cornhuskers football
Big 8 champion
Sugar Bowl, L 7–34 vs. Alabama
Conference	Big Eight Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 7
AP	No. 6
Record	9–2 (6–1 Big 8)
Head coach	Bob Devaney (5th season)
Home stadium	Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 1965 1967 →

1966 Big Eight Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 6 Nebraska $	6	–	1	–	0			9	–	2	–	0
Colorado	5	–	2	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
Missouri	4	–	2	–	1			6	–	3	–	1
Oklahoma State	4	–	2	–	1			4	–	5	–	1
Oklahoma	4	–	3	–	0			6	–	4	–	0
Iowa State	2	–	3	–	2			2	–	6	–	2
Kansas	0	–	6	–	1			2	–	7	–	1
Kansas State	0	–	6	–	1			0	–	9	–	1
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 17	2:00 pm	TCU*	No. 3	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE		W 14–10	60,974
September 24	2:00 pm	Utah State*	No. 4	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE		W 28–7	63,543
October 1	12:30 pm	at Iowa State	No. 6	Clyde Williams Field Ames, IA		W 12–6	25,548
October 8	12:30 pm	at Wisconsin*	No. 7	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI		W 31–3	52,428
October 15	2:00 pm	Kansas State	No. 6	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE (rivalry)		W 21–10	64,108
October 22	1:30 pm	at Colorado	No. 7	Folsom Field Boulder CO (rivalry)		W 21–19	46,112
October 29	12:15 pm	Missouri	No. 8	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE (rivalry)	ABC	W 35–0	64,489
November 5	1:30PM	at Kansas	No. 6	Memorial Stadium Lawrence, KS (rivalry)		W 24–13	40,881
November 12	2:00PM	Oklahoma State	No. 4	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE		W 21–6	65,102
November 24	2:00PM	at Oklahoma	No. 4	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK (rivalry)	ABC	L 9–10	42,884
January 2, 1967	1:00 pm	vs. No. 3 Alabama*	No. 6	Tulane Stadium New Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl)	NBC	L 7–34	82,000
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

Roster

Official Roster
2 Ahlschwede, Bob LG (So.) 67 Allers, LaVerne LG (Sr.) 55 Alvarez, Barry LB (Jr.) 65 Armstrong, Joe RG (So.) 90 Ashman, Carl LT (So.)  8 Beechner, Sam S (So.) 27 Best, Bob S (So.) 76 Brichacek, Gary LT (Sr.) 69 Brichacek, Mel LG (So.) 40 Brunk, Kenny HB (Jr.) 41 Buckler, George FB (Jr.) 52 Buda, Joe C (So.) 95 Buda, Sam DT (So.) 68 Canarsky, Leonard LT (So.) 21 Carstens, Kaye CB (Sr.) 71 Casbeer, Tom DT (So.) 15 Churchich, Bob QB (Sr.) 62 Coleman, (Edward)Ricard LB (Sr.) 80 Coleman, Langston DT (Sr.) 99 Cooper, Louis DT (So.) 35 Critchlow, Paul FB (So.) 70 Czap, Dick DT (Sr.) 13 Daiss, Bill CB (So.) 45 Davis, Dick HB (So.) 92 Delaney, Dan DE (So.) 32 Fiala, Adrian CB (So.) 11 Fierro, Al QB (So.) 74 Fitzgerald, Richard LT (Sr.) 28 Frost, Larry HB (So.) 47 Galbraith, Denis FB (So.) 78 Gatziolis, Jim RT (Sr.)  3 Green, Laurie CB (So.) 34 Green, Mike HB (So.) 22 Gregory, Ben HB (Jr.) 57 Grell, Stan LG (Sr.) 38 Haasch, Richard HB (Jr.) 58 Hansen, Ed LT (So.) 79 Hansen, Larry DT (Jr.) 16 Harding, Bruce QB (So.) 39 Hartman, Dan S (So.) 53 Hill, Robert C (Sr.) 98 Hornbacher, Bill MG (So.) 43 Janik, Leonard LB (Jr.) 81 Jarmon, Sherwin E (So.)  4 Jubeck, Tom FB (So.) 84 Kimmel, Miles E (So.) 20 Kirkland, Ron HB (Sr.) 13 Kobza, Dan LB (So.) 61 Kudrna, Roger RG (Sr.)		42 Kuehl, Alan CB (Jr.) 94 Kusserow, Ken C (So.) 91 Liggett, Bob DE (So.) 49 Lints, Bob MG (So.) 93 McCarthy, Curtis DE (So.) 64 McCord, M.Jim DT (Jr.) 58 Meagher, Harry MG (Jr.) 66 Meylan, Wayne MG (Jr.) 37 Moore, Bob DE (So.) 89 Morrison, Dennis E (Jr.) 30 Mueller, Marv CB (Jr.) 56 Narish, Louis DT (Sr.) 17 Nettelmann, Bill S (Jr.) 59 Osberg, James RG (Sr.) 33 Pappas, Tom LB (Sr.) 10 Patrick, Frank QB (So.) 88 Patton, Jerry DE (Jr.) 77 Pavoris, Ed DT (Sr.) 85 Penney, Tom E (So.) 54 Petersen, Kelly C (Sr.) 73 Pickens, Robert RT (Sr.) 26 Poggemeyer, Ronald S (Sr.)  6 Quinten, Karl CB (So.)  5 Raymondi, Mike LB (So.) 82 Richnafsky, Dennis SE (Jr.) 97 Rudd, Michael RG (Sr.) 63 Senkbeil, Lynn LB (Sr.) 12 Sigler, Ernie QB (So.) 83 Smith, Tom E (Jr.) 50 Stigge, Russ LB (So.) 72 Stith, Carel DT (Sr.) 48 Tatman, Pete FB (Sr.) 75 Taucher, Robert RT (Jr.) 25 Thorell, Dennis S (Sr.) 51 Unrath, James C (Sr.) 36 Wachholtz, Larry S (Sr.) 18 Walls, Don MG (Jr.) 46 Washington, Joe DE (So.)  7 Watson, Jim S (So.) 14 Weber, Wayne QB (Jr.) 90 Weinman, Bob DE (Jr.) 96 Wilks, Jerry RT (Sr.) 31 Wilson, Harry HB (Sr.) 44 Winters, Charlie FB (Jr.) 87 Wynn, Mike E (So.) 24 Yannon, Buster HB (So.)  1 Young, Lynn RT (So.) 29 Ziegler, Mick HB (So.) 86 Zimmer, Ivan DE (Jr.)

Source:

Depth chart

Defensive starters HB Dennis Thorell Bob Best HB Larry Wachholtz Ronald Poggemeyer LB LB Rick Coleman Lynn Senkbeil Barry Alvarez Leonard Janik CB Marv Mueller Alan Kuehl DE DT NT DT DE Jerry Patton Carel Stith Wayne Meylan Jim McCord Langston Coleman Ivan Zimmer John Strohmyer Bob Lints Harry Meagher Bob Weinman CB Kaye Carstens Ben Gregory

Offensive starters TE Dennis Morrison Miles Kimmel LT LG C RG RT Gary Brichacek LaVerne Allers Kelly Petersen Joe Armstrong Robert Pickens Ed Hansen Mel Brichacek Robert Hill James Osberg Robert Taucher TE Tom Penney Dennis Richnafsky QB Bob Churchich Wayne Weber LB RB FB Ron Kirkland Harry Wilson Pete Tatman Ben Gregory Dick Davis Charlie Winters

|}

Coaching staff

Name	Title	First year in this position	Years at Nebraska	Alma mater
Bob Devaney	Head coach	1962	1962–1972	Alma
Tom Osborne		1964	1964–1997	Hastings
John Melton	Freshman	1962	1962–1988	Wyoming
Cletus Fischer	Freshman Line	1960	1960–1985	Nebraska
Mike Corgan	Offensive backs	1962	1962–1982	Notre Dame
George Kelly	Defensive line	1960	1960–1968
Monte Kiffin	Graduate assistant	1966	1966–1976	Nebraska
Jim Ross	Defensive backs	1962	1962–1976
Carl Selmer	Offensive line	1962	1962–1972

Source:^[1][2][3]

Game summaries

TCU

1 2 3 4 Total TCU 0 7 3 0 10 • #3 Nebraska 7 7 0 0 14 Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska Game attendance: 60,974

^[4][5][6][7]

Utah State

1 2 3 4 Total Utah State 0 0 7 0 7 • #4 Nebraska 7 0 3 18 28 Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska Game attendance: 63,543

^{[4][8][9][10]}

Iowa State

1 2 3 4 Total • #6 Nebraska 6 0 0 6 12 Iowa State 0 6 0 0 6 Location: Clyde Williams Field, Ames, Iowa Game attendance: 28,543

^{[4][8][11][12]}

Wisconsin

1 2 3 4 Total • #7 Nebraska 3 7 14 7 31 Wisconsin 3 0 0 0 3 Location: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin Game attendance: 52,428

^[4][13][14]

Kansas State

1 2 3 4 Total Kansas State 0 0 3 7 10 • #6 Nebraska 7 7 0 7 21 Date: October 15 Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska Game attendance: 64,108

^[4][13][15]

Colorado

1 2 3 4 Total • #7 Nebraska 7 0 0 14 21 Colorado 6 13 0 0 19 Date: October 22 Location: Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado Game attendance: 46,112

See also: Colorado–Nebraska football rivalry

^[4][16][17]

Missouri

1 2 3 4 Total Missouri 0 0 0 0 0 • #8 Nebraska 0 14 14 7 35 Date: October 29 Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska Game attendance: 64,489

See also: Missouri–Nebraska football rivalry

^[4][16][18]

Kansas

1 2 3 4 Total • #6 Nebraska 0 18 0 6 24 Kansas 0 0 7 6 13 Date: November 5 Location: Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, Kansas Game attendance: 40,881

^{[4][16][19][20]}

Oklahoma State

1 2 3 4 Total Oklahoma State 0 6 0 0 6 • #4 Nebraska 0 7 7 7 21 Date: November 12 Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska Game attendance: 65,102

^[4][21][22]

Oklahoma

1 2 3 4 Total #4 Nebraska 0 3 6 0 9 • Oklahoma 0 7 0 3 10 Date: November 24 Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, Oklahoma Game attendance: 42,884 TV announcers (ABC): Chris Schenkel, Bud Wilkinson

See also: Nebraska–Oklahoma football rivalry

^{[4][21][23][24]}

Alabama

1 2 3 4 Total #6 Nebraska 0 0 0 7 7 • #3 Alabama 17 7 3 7 34 Date: January 2 Location: Tulane Stadium, New Orleans Game attendance: 82,000 Referee: Earl Jensen

^[4][25][26]

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
AP	3	4	6	7	6	7	8	6	4	4	6	6
Coaches	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	7

Awards

• NCAA 5th District Coach of the Year: Bob Devaney
• UPI Big 8 Player of the Year: Wayne Meylan
• All American: LaVerne Allers, Wayne Meylan, Larry Wachholtz
• All Big 8: LaVerne Allers, Kaye Carstens, Bob Churchich, Wayne Meylan, Kelly Petersen, Bob Pickens, Lynn Senkbeil, Carel Stith, Larry Wachholtz, Harry Wilson

^[27]

Future professional players

• Kaye Carstens, 1967 13th-round pick of the Chicago Bears
• Dick Czap, 1966 12th-round pick of the Cleveland Browns
• Dick Davis, 1969 12th-round pick of the Cleveland Browns
• Ben Gregory, 1968 5th-round pick of the Buffalo Bills
• Ron Kirkland, 1967 9th-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts
• Wayne Meylan, 1968 4th-round pick of the Cleveland Browns
• Bob Pickens, 1966 3rd-round pick of the Bears
• Carel Stith, 1967 4th-round pick of the Houston Oilers
• Bob Taucher, 1968 7th-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys
• Pete Tatman, 1967 10th-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings
• Harry Wilson, 1967 3rd-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles