January 2, 1984 – Orange Bowl Stadium
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
 
Golden Game for Hurricanes
In arguably the greatest college football bowl game ever played, Miami won its first national championship 31-30, after Nebraska missed a two-point conversion attempt in the 50^th anniversary Orange Bowl Classic.
 
The ’Huskers had pulled within one with 48 seconds to play, but Miami strong safety Ken Calhoun stepped in front of a Turner Gill attempted two-point conversion pass to preserve the win. The 11-0 ’Huskers were the favorites, but they quickly found themselves behind 17-0, after Miami freshman quarterback Bernie Kosar threw two touchdowns to his tight end Glenn Dennison.
 
The first ’Husker points came in the second quarter on Dean Steinkuhler's controversial 19-yard "fumblerooskie" play. The Huskers added a 1- yard Gill run to close the gap to 17-14.
 
A Nebraska field goal tied it at 17 in the third, but Alonzo Highsmith and Albert Bentley scored touchdowns at the end of long Kosar-led drives. Nebraska responded at the close of the third with a Jeff Smith 1-yard run and. After Miami missed a field goal in the fourth, Smith ran it in from the 24 yards out with 48 second left in the game. Then, the Nebraska comeback hopes were dashed when the conversion pass was batted away.
 

SCORING SUMMARY
MIAMI: Dennison 2-yard pass from Kosar (Davis kick); MIAMI: Davis 45-yard FG; MIAMI: Dennison 22-yard pass from Kosar (Davis kick); NEB: Steinkuhler 19-yard run (Livingston kick); NEB: Gill 1-yard run (Livington kick); NEB: Livingston 34-yard FG; MIAMI: Highsmith 1-yard run (Davis kick); MIAMI: Bentley 7-yard run (Davis kick); NEB: Smith 1-yard run (Livingston kick); NEB: Smith 24-yard run (pass failed) MOP: Bernie Kosar (Miami), Jack Fernandez (Miami)
 
Miami Head Coach: Howard Schnellenberger
Nebraska Head Coach: Tom Osborne