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16 for '16: Huskers get redemption against Penn State in 1983

Some might argue the 1982 Nebraska team was just as good or even better than the 1983 squad, but a controversial 27-24 loss to Penn State in State College took away their national championship hopes.

The Nittany Lions went on to win the 1982 title, while the Huskers finished 12-1 and No. 3 in the final polls after beating LSU 21-20 in the Orange Bowl.

In 1983 the Huskers would get another shot at PSU, this time in East Rutherford, N.J. in the inaugural Kickoff Classic Game played on Monday night, Aug. 29. Preseason No. 1 ranked Nebraska would not leave any doubt this time around, dismantling No. 4 Penn State 44-6 and the "1983 Nebraska Scoring Explosion" offense would go on to take college football by storm.

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Nebraska's 44-6 win over Penn State in East Rutherford helped set the stage for running back Mike Rozier's 1983 Heisman Trophy winning season. ()

How it went down 

After dropping a controversial game to Penn State in 1982 that took away their national championship hopes, the Huskers got the rare opportunity to earn payback against PSU on a neutral field.

The Kickoff Classic was college football's first neutral site regular season showcase game, and it would be played from 1983 to 2002 in East Rutherford, N.J. Today the Kickoff Classic has been recreated by the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game played in Atlanta each season on the opening weekend of the year.

Nebraska played in the Kickoff Classic three times, beating Penn State in 1983, Texas A&M in 1988 and West Virginia in 1994.

In a nationally televised game on ABC, the Husker offense racked up 500 yards against Penn State's nationally respected defensive unit.

The Huskers scored on two of their first three possessions, jumping up 14-0 after the first quarter.

NU nearly handed the Nittany Lions a shutout, but PSU would go on to score their only touchdown with 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The 44-6 loss was the worst defeat Joe Paterno had ever suffered in career at that time.

“I was kind of amazed at the way it went," Nebraska head coach Tom Osborne said. "I don’t think you can say that tonight’s game was a true indication of the strength of Penn State or the strength of Nebraska. I think the thing snowballed. I don’t know if we’re that good. I thought if we played well and they played well if would be a five or seven-point game. I thought we could win strictly on Turner Gill’s experience.”

The other amazing stat that came out of that game was NU fumbled the ball nine times, and recovered eight of them, so things easily could've been much different that day in New Jersey.

“I don’t think our defense played too badly," Paterno said. "I just think our offense couldn’t get anything going and you can’t give them the football that often. You don’t beat Nebraska with defense. You have to score some points. Nebraska was a great football team tonight. They beat us in every way."

Even with a 500-yard offensive performance, things were very balanced for Nebraska in the win. Eventual Heisman Trophy winning running back Mike Rozier had just 71 yards rushing, the only time in the regular season he was held under 100 yards in 1983.

Quarterback Turner Gill's passing probably was NU's most effective weapon, as Gill went 11-of-14 for 158 yards throwing for a touchdown and also rushing for another.

Nebraska head coach Tom Osborne and Penn State head coach Joe Paterno pose next to the inaugural 1983 Kickoff Classic Trophy. (Associated Press)

They said it

"That ’82 team was a great team. We had all the guys from that great ’83 team, plus all the guys in my class. It was special team.

"We had a good enough team that we just kept playing after that Penn State loss, but it hurt at the end because we knew that this we a special team that probably should’ve won it all. In that era if you lost one you lost the whole year."

--Dave Rimington, 1982 Nebraska offensive lineman

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“I think we’re a very good football team. The question in my mind is where do we go from here? It’d be very easy for our players to believe our No. 1 ranking and the nice things said about them and not work hard. If that happens, we’ll lose some games. On the other hand, they could feel it’s a good beginning and want to improve some. I think we have a lot of potential, and if we pay attention to business, we can be very good.”

--Tom Osborne, Nebraska head coach

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“I feel deep down inside we are unbeatable. You have to feel deep inside nobody can beat you.”

--Turner Gill, Nebraska quarterback

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16 for '16 archive 

1996: Nebraska 62, Florida 24

2008: Suh's INT helps Huskers bull over Buffaloes

2000: Big Red invasion takes over Notre Dame Stadium

2005: Husker run past Michigan in Alamo Bowl thriller

1958: Nebraska's greatest upset victory in program history

2006: Purify, Huskers stun No. 24 Texas A&M

2001: 'Black 41 Flash Reverse' goes down in Husker history

1925: Nebraska takes down the Notre Dame Four Horsemen a second time

2013: 'The Westercatch'

1992: Huskers take down Kansas State in Tokyo

2011: Huskers have biggest second half comeback in school history vs. Ohio State

1964: Nebraska earns first major bowl win vs. Auburn

1995: Huskers earn Osborne his first national title with win over Miami

1997: Davison delivers catch for the ages at Missouri

1971: 'The Game of the Century'

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