Top-ranked Nebraska had its 26-game winning streak snapped Saturday night in a shocking 19-0 loss to No. 17 Arizona State on the same field where the Cornhuskers won their second straight national championship in January.
The Sun Devils, routed by the Huskers 77-28 last season, recorded three safeties in handing the Huskers their first defeat since losing the 1994 Orange Bowl to Florida State.It was Nebraska's first shutout since a 22-0 loss to Miami in the 1992 Orange Bowl, and its first regular-season loss since dropping a 19-10 decision to Iowa State on Nov. 14, 1992.
It also was just the second regular-season shutout during coach Tom Osborne's 24-year tenure at Nebraska. Oklahoma beat the Huskers 27-0 in 1973, Osborne's first year as head coach in Lincoln.
Nebraska (1-1), which opened the season with a 55-14 win over Michigan State, committed three turnovers against Arizona State, which was a 24-point underdog.
Arizona State (3-0) pulled off the huge upset before a capacity crowd of 74,089 on a 91-degree night when the university honored former coach Frank Kush, who led the Sun Devils to undefeated seasons in 1970 and 1975. The Sun Devils capped their 1975 season by beating Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl, where the Huskers won the national title last season by beating Florida 62-24.
Kush watched the game from the Arizona State sideline at newly renamed Frank Kush Field at Sun Devil Stadium.
Jake Plummer threw for 292 yards and a touchdown and Robert Nycz kicked two field goals for the Sun Devils, who outgained Nebraska 401 yards to 216.
The three safeties, while not crucial to the final margin, best typified the Sun Devils' defensive dominance over the Huskers.
Arizona State went ahead 7-0 on its first possession, with Plammer throwing 25 yards to Keith Poole to complete the drive.
Two penalties backed up Nebraska to its 6 and disaster struck when Scott Frost's pitchout got away from Ahman Green. The ball was batted around the end zone before going out of bounds, and Arizona State led 9-0 after only 4:22 of play.
Safety No. 2 followed Nycz's first field goal and gave Arizona State a 14-0 lead with 3:09 left in the half. On this occasion, the ball was snapped past Frost's right shoulder while the quarterback, lined up in a shotgun formation at his 20, was looking left. He chased it into the end zone and was tackled.
The third safety, the only score of the second half, was credited to defensive end Derrick Rodgers, who looped past two blockers inside and tackled Frost in the end zone with 6:43 to play.