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Tempe, Ariz.-Nebraska's record-tying six-game bowl win streak was
snapped by Arizona State in the 1975 Fiesta Bowl, when the Sun Devils
edged the Huskers 17-14, before 51,396 partisan fans on ASU's home field
(video). While coach Frank Kush will remain
a legendary coach as ASU, it was his son Danny who will be most
remembered in this game. Kush booted a 29-yard field goal with 4:50
remaining to cap an 11-point comeback in front of a record crowd at Sun
Devil Stadium. With their fourth victory in as many appearances, the Sun
Devils succeeded in winning what many call the game that put the Fiesta
Bowl on the map.
Nebraska took a 7-6 lead into the locker room at the half and marched 91
yards after the second-half kickoff to go up by eight points before the
ASU comeback. Dennis Sproul threw for 135 yards for the Sun Devils, but
it was back-up Fred Mortensen who found Offensive Player of the Game
John Jefferson in the fourth quarter for a 10-yard strike. Mortensen
then hit Larry Mucker with the two-point conversion before Kush was able
to hit the game-winning field goal on the next possession. Fighting to
the very end, Nebraska took the ensuing kickoff and drove to the Arizona
State 31-yard line with less than two minutes to play. The Huskers' next
two plays were incomplete passes, but on third down, quarterback Terry
Luck hit fullback Tony Davis with a pass at the ASU 21-yard line. Davis
was hit hard by two Arizona State players and fumbled the ball. The Sun
Devils recovered, killed the clock and claimed their 17-14 win.
 Nebraska ended the 1975 season at 10-2 and ranked No. 9 in the country.
The Huskers lost their last two games of the year to top-ranked
Oklahoma, 35-10, and the second-ranked Sun Devils. Arizona State was
proclaimed the national champions of college football by the Sporting
News:
January 17, 1976
From the Sporting News, Joe Marcin, staff writer:
When a college football team goes unbeaten and untied through its 11
regular season games, defeats the co-champion of the nation’s toughest
conference in a post-season bowl game, ending the campaign with a
perfect record, it has done all that can be asked of it and deserves the
highest accolade.
Such is the case with Arizona State and the Sun Devils earned the No. 1
position in THE SPORTING NEWS final rankings for the 1975 season.
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Attendance- 51,396
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
ASU-FG Kush 27
Second Quarter
NU- Anthony 1 run (Coyle kick)
ASU- FG Kush 33
Third Quarter
NU- Anthony 4 run (Coyle kick)
Fourth Quarter
ASU- Jefferson 10 pass from Mortensen (Mucker pass from Mortensen)
ASU- FG Kush 29
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