What are the most memorable Husker touchdowns for every yard on the field, from 1 to 100? HuskerExtra revisits the Lincoln Journal-Star's 2016 series on the 100 greatest touchdowns in Nebraska football history.
44 yards: Twice as nice for Miller
The distance: 44 yards
The star: Junior Miller
The date: Nov. 4, 1978
The outcome: Huskers 63, Kansas 21
What was so memorable about tight end Junior Miller’s 44-yard touchdown pass from Tom Sorley on that unseasonable 85-degree day in Lawrence, Kan.?
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That depends. Which one are you talking about?
Fact is, Miller caught two 44-yard touchdown passes from Sorley.
In the same game. In the same quarter.
They were part of Nebraska’s then-school-record 799 yards of total offense in a 63-21 rout of the Jayhawks.
“When you make eight yards on a quarterback sneak,” NU coach Tom Osborne said, “there isn’t much you can do about holding down the score.”
Miller’s touchdowns were part of a five-touchdown outburst in the second quarter that gave the Huskers a 42-7 halftime lead. His second TD came with 21 seconds remaining before halftime, and shortly after KU had just scored its first touchdown.
The play was intended to be a short sideline pass.
“I hollered at him to get out of bounds,” NU receivers coach Gene Huey said after the game. “Next thing I know, he’s breaking a tackle and racing down the sidelines for a touchdown. It shows I must overcoach him.”
Miller's first 44-yard touchdown was part of three Husker touchdowns in a five-minute span, coming after a 1-yard sneak by Sorley and a 64-yard run by Craig Johnson, a third-string I-back who had three touchdowns on his first six carries.
Victory didn’t come without concern, though. Sorley injured his knee in the second half, and I-back Rick Berns was battling muscle spasms.
Not exactly the injury report fans wanted to hear the week before hosting No. 1 Oklahoma.
