Nebraska 24, Missouri 20, Oct. 28, 1944

Missouri and Nebraska often bring out the best in each other.

In the Nov. 9, 1901, meeting, Nebraska played the “most spectacular football contest ever seen on the local gridiron,” in a 51-0 victory against Missouri.

Later, Nebraska upset Notre Dame, stopped Red Grange, and had some excellent seasons.

But the Oct. 28, 1944, meeting between the Huskers and Tigers may have been the biggest upset in the longtime series —  until 1978,  when Missouri stunned the same Nebraska team that upset unbeaten Oklahoma a week earlier.

From the Nov. 10, 1944, paper that reported on the Battle of Leyte Gulf (effectively ending the Japanese Navy) and the Allies driving the Germans back through Holland, we learned of the major Nebraska victory.

Under the headline: “Cornhuskers rise to greatest heights in nosing out Tiger 11.”

“In one of the most amazing upsets in Nebraska’s 54 years of football, Coach A.J. Lewandowski’s Cornhusker kids surprised the gridiron world in general and the University of Missouri in particular by walloping the Tigers 24 to 20 before a homecoming crowd of 9,000 at Memorial Stadium.

“It was a great comeback by a team that hadn’t scored in three games; an eleven that was slated by experts to lose by 30 to 50 points and it was a personal victory for Nebraska’s head tutor of football.

“Leading by only four points with Missouri in possession and four minutes to go, the Scarlet club fought its heart out. When the game ended Nebraska had regained the leather on a pass interception and the fans poured out on the field to give the home club as great an ovation as ever tendered great Husker teams of the past.

“Chick Knight, Junior Collopy, Bill Betz and Dick Lamberty probably were the backfield standouts but the whole gang, every last one of them, played a great game. And the line — well it came thru under fire.”