1967 Sugar Bowl
33rd edition
Nebraska Cornhuskers Alabama Crimson Tide
(9–1) (10–0)
Big Eight SEC
7 34
Head coach: 
Bob Devaney		 Head coach: 
Bear Bryant
APCoaches
66
APCoaches
33
1234 Total
Nebraska 0007 7
Alabama 17737 34
DateJanuary 2, 1967
Season1966
StadiumTulane Stadium
LocationNew Orleans, Louisiana
MVPKen Stabler (Alabama QB)
FavoriteAlabama by 9 points[1]
National anthemMarguerite Piazza
RefereeEarl Jansen (Big Eight;
split crew, Big Eight and SEC)
Attendance82,000
United States TV coverage
NetworkNBC
AnnouncersJim Simpson, Charlie Jones

The 1967 Sugar Bowl was the 33rd edition of the college football bowl game, played at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Monday, January 2 . Part of the 1966–67 bowl game season, it matched the undefeated and third-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the #6 Nebraska Cornhuskers of the Big Eight Conference. Favored by nine points,[1] Alabama won 34–7.[2][3]

New Year's Day was on a Sunday in 1967, so the game was played the following day.

Teams

Alabama

Alabama finished the regular season as SEC champions with a record of 10–0. Although undefeated and playing as two-time defending national champions, Alabama did not win the national title in 1966.[4] Instead voters rewarded Notre Dame after coach Ara Parseghian, with his team tied 10–10 with Michigan State with 1:10 to go, chose to play for the tie rather than attempt to win the game.[4] The Fighting Irish and Spartans both finished 9–0–1, did not play in a bowl game, and were ranked first and second in the polls, while Alabama was third;[4] both major polls released their final editions in early December, prior to the bowl games.

This was the Tide's fifth Sugar Bowl, and their twentieth bowl appearance.

Nebraska

Nebraska finished the regular season as Big Eight champions with a record of 9–1. The only loss of the season came in their final game against Oklahoma by a score of 10–9.[5] In a rematch of the previous season's Orange Bowl, it was the first time for Nebraska in the Sugar Bowl, and their seventh bowl appearance.[5]

Game summary

The Sugar Bowl was the first game of a major bowl tripleheader (Rose, Orange) on NBC, and kicked off at 1 pm CST. There was no competition with the Cotton Bowl for television viewers this year, as that game was played two days earlier, on New Year's Eve.

Alabama scored on its first three offensive possessions to take a 17–0 lead.[2] Leslie Kelley and quarterback Ken Stabler scored touchdowns on runs of one and 14 yards, with Steve Davis adding a 30-yard field goal late in the quarter.[6] A six-yard Wayne Trimble touchdown run in the second quarter gave the Crimson Tide a 24–0 lead at the half.[6]

Alabama extended their lead to 27–0 after a 40-yard field goal by Davis. Nebraska scored their first points early in the fourth quarter, as Dick Davis made a 15-yard touchdown reception from Bob Churchich to cut the lead to 27–7.[6] Alabama closed the game with a 45-yard Ray Perkins touchdown reception from Stabler to bring the final score to 34–7.[6] Stabler was selected as the game's Most Valuable Player for completing 12 of 18 passes for 218 yards and two total touchdowns.[7]

Scoring

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP Nebraska Alabama
1 10:03 8 72 Alabama Leslie Kelley 1-yard touchdown run, Steve Davis kick good 0 7
1 7:27 4 71 Alabama Ken Stabler 14-yard touchdown run, Davis kick good 0 14
1 0:26 4 8 Alabama 30-yard field goal by Davis 0 17
2 7:01 10 71 Alabama Wayne Trimble 6-yard touchdown run, Davis kick good 0 24
3 3:31 Alabama 40-yard field goal by Davis 0 27
4 70 Nebraska Dick Davis 15-yard touchdown reception from Bob Churchich, Larry Wachholtz kick good 7 27
4 6 80 Alabama Ray Perkins 45-yard touchdown reception from Stabler, Davis kick good 7 34
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 7 34

Statistics

StatisticsNebraska Alabama 
First downs1619
Rushing yards25–8444–157
Passing22–38–515–26–2
Passing yards279279
Total offense63–29770–436
Punts–average5–38.84–35.2
Fumbles lost5–23–1
Turnovers73
Penalties–yards2–301–15
Source:[2][3][6]

Aftermath

It was Alabama's last win in a bowl for nine years, until the Sugar Bowl in December 1975. Nebraska did not make a bowl in the next two seasons, but returned the favor five years later in the 1972 Orange Bowl, with a decisive 38–6 win over the #2 Tide to repeat as national champions.

References

  1. 1 2 "Alabama solid choice over Huskers". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 2, 1967. p. 17.
  2. 1 2 3 "Alabama's passes rip Nebraska, 34-7". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. January 3, 1967. p. 1, part 2.
  3. 1 2 "Alabama 'Greatest' to Bryant". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. January 3, 1967. p. 39.
  4. 1 2 3 "Notre Dame No. 1, Tide's third". Tuscaloosa News. (Alabama). Associated Press. December 6, 1966. p. 6. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  5. 1 2 "Alabama hopes to prove it's No. 1". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. December 31, 1966. p. 7. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Land, Charles (January 3, 1967). "Tide makes believer of Nebraska, 34–7". Tuscaloosa News. (Alabama). p. 9. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  7. ↑ Land, Charles (January 3, 1967). "Ken Stabler named MVP". Tuscaloosa News. (Alabama). p. 10.
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