Former Nebraska quarterback great Dennis Claridge, who guided the Huskers to an Orange Bowl triumph following the 1963 season, has died at age 76 following a 3½-year battle with cancer.
A mainstay in the Nebraska program’s rise under the late Bob Devaney, Claridge also guided NU to a 36-34 victory against Miami in the 1962 Gotham Bowl -- the program’s first bowl triumph in history. He was the starter when Nebraska's ongoing streak of sellouts began in 1962 at Memorial Stadium.
A two-time All-Big Eight selection, Claridge served as a captain for the 1963 team that was 10-1 overall while capturing the program’s first Big Eight championship with a 7-0 record.