1985 Sugar Bowl

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Use American English|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox college football game | name = | year_game_played = 1985 | game_name = Sugar Bowl | image = Louisiana Superdome - Unbranded - 26 July 2021.jpg | caption = The Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, hosted the Sugar Bowl. | subheader = 51st Sugar Bowl | football_season = 1984

| date_game_played = January 1 | stadium = Louisiana Superdome | city = New Orleans, Louisiana | MVP = Craig Sundberg (Nebraska QB) | odds = Nebraska by 7½ points<ref name=btln>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=P1UiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=N6cFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6605%2C162251 |work=Reading Eagle |location=Pennsylvania |title=Betting line: Sugar Bowl |date=January 1, 1985 |page=15}}</ref><ref name=tltln>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_wcOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=P24DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4825%2C183360 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |title=The latest line |date=January 1, 1985 |page=39}}</ref> | referee = Dixon Holman (SWC) | attendance = 75,608 | us_network = ABC | us_announcers_link = List of announcers of major college bowl games | us_announcers = Keith Jackson, Frank Broyles }} The '''1985 Sugar Bowl''' was the 51st edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Tuesday, January 1. Part of the 1984–85 bowl game season, it matched the fifth-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers of the Big Eight Conference and the #11 LSU Tigers of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).<ref name=obprev>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_dpVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ieEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2917%2C72017 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |title=Sugar Bowl |date=January 1, 1985 |page=2B}}</ref><ref name=tltobl>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=524xAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7gIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6790%2C116763 |work=Toledo Blade |location=Ohio |agency=Associated Press |title=Louisiana State's talent-laden offense is test for Nebraska defense in Sugar Bowl |date=January 1, 1985 |page=26}}</ref> The teams had met two years earlier in the Orange Bowl. Favored Nebraska trailed early, but rallied to win 28–10.<ref name=redeag>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QFUiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=N6cFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1773%2C726841 |work=Reading Eagle |location=Pennsylvania |agency=''(Dallas Morning News)''|last=Tracy |first=Steve |title=Nebraska too much for Tigers |date=January 2, 1985 |page=34}}</ref><ref name=hffpff>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9LFRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=P24DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5884%2C309853 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |title=Huskers huff, puff in 2nd-half rally, whip LSU, 28-10 |date=January 2, 1985 |page=22}}</ref><ref name=nbrltcq>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_tpVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ieEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6624%2C310826 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |agency=Associated Press |title=Nebraska rallies to conquer LSU |date=January 2, 1985 |page=5C}}</ref>

==Game summary== The game kicked off shortly after 7 p.m. CST, televised by ABC, at the same time as the Orange Bowl on NBC,<ref name=obprev/><ref name=tltobl/> which matched #2 Oklahoma and #4 Washington.

In the first quarter, Ronnie Lewis kicked a 37-yard field goal to give LSU an early lead. In the second quarter, Tiger running back Dalton Hilliard scored on a two-yard touchdown run and LSU {{nowrap|led 10–0.}} Nebraska quarterback Craig Sundberg threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to I-back Doug DuBose as Nebraska closed the gap to {{nowrap|10–7}} at the half.

In the third quarter, Sundberg scored on a nine-yard run to give the Huskers a {{nowrap|14–10 lead.}} In the fourth quarter, Sundberg threw touchdown passes of 24 and 17 yards to tight end Todd Frain as Nebraska won 28–10. For his four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) Sundberg was named the game' MVP.<ref name=hffpff/><ref name=nbrltcq/>

===Scoring=== ;First quarter: *LSU – Ronnie Lewis 37-yard field goal ;Second quarter: *LSU – Dalton Hilliard 2-yard run (Lewis kick) *Nebraska – Doug DuBose 31-yard pass from Craig Sundberg (Dale Klein kick) ;Third quarter: *Nebraska – Sundberg 9-yard run (Klein kick) ;Fourth quarter: *Nebraska – Todd Frain 24-yard pass from Sundberg (Klein kick) *Nebraska – Frain 17-yard pass from Sundberg (Klein kick)

:{{small|Source:}}<ref name=redeag/><ref name=nbrltcq/>

==Statistics== :{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center" ! Statistics !!  Nebraska  !! {{spaces|5}}LSU{{spaces|5}} |- |align=left|First downs || 23|| 19 |- |align=left|Rushes–yards|| 59–280|| 34–183 |- |align=left|Passing yards || 143 || 221 |- |align=left|Passing (C–A–I) || 10–18–3 || 20–38–5 |- |align=left|Total offense || 77–423 || 72–404 |- |align=left|Return yards ||16|| 15 |- |align=left|Punts–average ||5–31|| 4–40 |- |align=left|Fumbles–lost ||0–0|| 3–1 |- |align=left|Turnovers||3||6 |- |align=left|Penalties–yards ||9–74|| 5–36 |- |align=left|Time of possession ||32:29||27:31 |} :{{small|Source:}}<ref name=redeag/><ref name=nbrltcq/>

==Aftermath== Nebraska climbed one spot to fourth in the final AP poll, and LSU fell to fifteenth.<ref name=bywihut>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zFhWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Cu8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6546%2C1430831 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |agency=wire services |title=It's close, but Huskies are No. 2 |date=January 3, 1985 |page=19}}</ref><ref name=byunon>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fxpTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-4IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6108%2C786694 |work=Deseret News |location=Salt Lake City, Utah |last=Robinson |first=John |title=BYU No. 1 |date=January 3, 1985 |page=D1}}</ref>

The Cornhuskers and Tigers met in the Sugar Bowl two years later, with Nebraska winning 30-15.

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{1984 bowl game navbox}} {{Sugar Bowl navbox}} {{LSU Tigers bowl game navbox}} {{Nebraska Cornhuskers bowl game navbox}}

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