Charlie Ward, Michael Irvin, Tommie Frazier, Steve Walsh, and Bernard Clark Among Players Featured Tonight
Coaching Legends Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer, Bobby Bowden, and Tom Osborne Highlight Tonight’s Coverage
NBC’s Notre Dame Football Host Liam McHugh Introduces Tonight’s Orange Bowl Coverage
Ward, Walsh, and Clark Highlight Tonight’s Special Commentary
30+ Hours of Classic College Football Moments from Notre Dame Football, Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl, and Rose Bowl Throughout the Week
STAMFORD, Conn. – April 30, 2020 – NBC Sports From the Vault continues tonight at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN with classic Orange Bowl games, highlighted by national championship victories by the Miami Hurricanes, Nebraska Cornhuskers and Florida State Seminoles. From coaches to players, some of the biggest names in college and NFL football will be on display, including Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer, Charlie Ward, Michael Irvin, Tommie Frazier, Bobby Bowden, Tom Osborne, Steve Walsh, Bernard Clark.
Ward, Heisman Trophy winner and 1993 national champion with Florida State, will offer new commentary throughout the 1994 Orange Bowl, while Walsh and Clark, members of the 1987 University of Miami national championship team, will provide commentary during the 1988 Orange Bowl.
NBC’s Notre Dame Football host Liam McHugh introduces the Orange Bowl presentations on tonight’s coverage. Game presentations will include a specialized ticker featuring live tweets. Fans can tweet #NBCSNVault for the chance to see their tweets live on air. Programming will also stream on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.
THURSDAY, APRIL 30 – ORANGE BOWL
The night kicks off with the 1994 Orange Bowl, as the top two teams in the country, Florida State and Nebraska, battled until the last play of the game to determine the 1993 national champion. At 9:30 p.m. ET, the following season’s Orange Bowl again featured unbeaten Nebraska, which avenged the prior season’s defeat by defeating Miami to capture the national title. The night concludes with a battle of undefeated teams with high-profile coaches in the 1988 Orange Bowl: Jimmy Johnson and the Miami Hurricanes against Barry Switzer and the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners.
NBC has aired each of the five most watched Orange Bowls on record since 1988, led by 1988’s nearly 35 million viewers for No. 1 Oklahoma-No. 2 Miami. 1995’s Orange Bowl is the third-most watched edition of the annual game, while the 1994 Orange Bowl is the fifth-most watched.
| EVENT | TIME (ET) | NETWORK |
| 1994 Orange Bowl: No. 1 Florida State vs. No. 2 Nebraska | 7 p.m. | NBCSN |
| 1995 Orange Bowl: No. 1 Nebraska vs. No. 3 Miami | 9:30 p.m. | NBCSN |
| 1988 Orange Bowl: No. 1 Oklahoma vs. No. 2 Miami | Midnight | NBCSN |
1994 ORANGE BOWL: NO. 1 FLORIDA STATE VS. NO. 2 NEBRASKA AT 7 P.M. ET
An Orange Bowl crowd of 81,536 witnessed just the 11th meeting ever between the top two teams in the country, and the third such matchup in the Orange Bowl, as Florida State faced Nebraska. Coached by a pair of college football legends, the No. 1 Seminoles were led by Bobby Bowden, while the second-ranked Cornhuskers were led by Tom Osborne.
Led by Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward, the Seminoles needed Scott Bentley’s late field goal to defeat the Cornhuskers, 18-16. With the victory, Florida State secured the school’s first-ever national championship. A pair of star quarterbacks were named MVPs of the game: Florida State’s Ward and Nebraska’s Tommie Frazier.
The game was called on NBC by play-by-play announcer Dick Enberg and color commentator Bob Trumpy.
1995 ORANGE BOWL: NO. 1 NEBRASKA VS. NO. 3 MIAMI AT 9:30 P.M. ET
In front of a record-breaking Orange Bowl crowd of 81,753, two fourth-quarter touchdowns helped unbeaten and top-ranked Nebraska overcome a 17-9 deficit, giving head coach Osborne a 24-17 win over the third-ranked Miami Hurricanes and his first national championship as a head coach.
Nebraska’s defense took control after halftime and sacked Miami quarterback Frank Costa four times in the second half (five times total). Miami’s defense forced two Nebraska turnovers, but the Cornhuskers’ offensive line controlled the final quarter of play. Nebraska’s Frazier and Miami wide receiver Chris Jones were named MVPs of the game.
The game was called on NBC by play-by-play announcer Tom Hammond, color commentator Cris Collinsworth, and sideline reporter John Dockery. Bob Costas hosted coverage on-site at the Orange Bowl.
1988 ORANGE BOWL: NO. 1 OKLAHOMA VS. NO. 2 MIAMI AT MIDNIGHT
The night concludes with a battle of undefeated teams, featuring a pair of coaching legends in the 1988 Orange Bowl: Jimmy Johnson and the Miami Hurricanes against Barry Switzer and the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners.
For the second time in five years, the second-ranked Hurricanes became national champions, defeating the Sooners 20-14. With a win against the Sooners for the third straight season, Miami posted a 12-0 record, which marked the first perfect season for the school.
Bernard Clark, a backup linebacker for Miami, had 12 unassisted tackles (14 total stops), and shared the game’s MVP award with Oklahoma defensive end Darrell Reed. The Hurricanes defense limited the Sooners to just 255 yards in total offense, while the Miami offense was paced by quarterback Steve Walsh, who was 18-of-30 passing for 209 yards and two touchdowns. Other notable names from Miami include Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin, who went on to win three Super Bowls (two with Johnson and one with Switzer) with the Dallas Cowboys, and safety Bennie Blades.
The game was called on NBC by play-by-play announcer Don Criqui, color commentator Bob Trumpy, and sideline reporter Tom Hammond.
Below is each night’s highlighted content throughout the week:
- Thursday, April 30: Orange Bowl
- Friday, May 1: Fiesta Bowl and Orange Bowl
- Saturday, May 2: Rose Bowl
- Sunday, May 3: PGA TOUR (THE PLAYERS Championship and Arnold Palmer Invitational)
--NBC SPORTS--