| Game Name: | Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl |
| Subheader: | 18th edition |
| Date Game Played: | December 31 |
| Year Game Played: | 1976 |
| Football Season: | 1976 |
| Stadium: | Astrodome |
| City: | Houston, Texas |
| Visitor Name Short: | Nebraska |
| Visitor Nickname: | Cornhuskers |
| Visitor Record: | 8–3–1 |
| Visitor Coach: | Tom Osborne |
| Visitor Conference: | Big Eight |
| Visitor Rank Ap: | 13 |
| Visitor Rank Coaches: | 19 |
| Visitor 1Q: | 7 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 7 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 13 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 0 |
| Home Name Short: | Texas Tech |
| Home Nickname: | Red Raiders |
| Home Record: | 10–1 |
| Home Coach: | Steve Sloan |
| Home Conference: | Southwest |
| Home Rank Ap: | 9 |
| Home Rank Coaches: | 8 |
| Home 1Q: | 3 |
| Home 2Q: | 14 |
| Home 3Q: | 7 |
| Home 4Q: | 0 |
| Referee: | Pat Flood (WAC) |
| Attendance: | 48,618 |
| Us Network: | TVS Television Network |
| Us Announcers: | Merle Harmon, Alex Hawkins, and Ron Franklin |
| Mvp: | Rodney Allison (Texas Tech QB)[1] |
The 1976 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl was the 18th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, on December 31. Part of the 1976–77 bowl game season, It matched the thirteenth-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers of the Big Eight Conference and the #9 Texas Tech Red Raiders of the Southwest Conference (SWC).[2] [3] Down by ten points in the second half, Nebraska rallied to win 27–24.[4] [5]
See main article: 1976 NCAA Division I-A football season. Both teams were making their only appearances in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl; this edition (ninth as "Astro-") was played on New Year's Eve at 7 p.m. CST.[2] [3] The Sugar Bowl had been played in this time slot the previous four years, but moved back to New Year's Day this season.
See main article: 1976 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team. The Cornhusers started the season ranked first,[3] but a tie to LSU dropped them to #8. Five straight victories made them rise back to third before a matchup with The home loss dropped them to ninth, with victories over Kansas and #13 Oklahoma State doing nothing to make them rise nor fall. Losses to Iowa State and dropped them to thirteenth, with a lopsided win at Hawaii ending the regular season on a high note. The Huskers tied for fourth in the Big Eight Conference (with Iowa State) at 4–3 in a year where Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Colorado all won a share of the conference title at 5–2. This was Nebraska's sixth bowl game of the decade along with their seventh straight bowl appearance.
See main article: Texas Tech Red Raiders football team. The Red Raiders won their first eight games, rising from unranked to fifth in the nation with wins over and being highlight wins. However, a loss to #9 Houston at home cost them a chance at an undefeated season, though wins at Arkansas and meant that the Red Raiders won a share of the SWC, their first conference title since 1955. This was Texas Tech's fifth bowl appearance of the decade. Nebraska 27 Texas tech 24
Reg Gast recovered a Red Raider fumble with 1:34 left in the game to seal the game for Nebraska, who rallied twice from ten-point
| Statistics | Nebraska | Texas Tech | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First downs | 21 | 24 | |
| Rushes–yards | 49–164 | 42–191 | |
| Passing yards | 232 | 193 | |
| Passes (C–A–I) | 14–24–0 | 15–23–0 | |
| Return Yards | 11 | 3 --> | |
| Total offense | 73–396 | 65–384 | |
| Punts–average | 3–36 | 4–40 | |
| Fumbles–lost | 2–2 | 4–1 | |
| Turnovers by | 2 | 1 | |
| Penalties–yards | 1–4 | 2–21 |
The teams switched places in the final AP poll, Nebraska climbed to ninth and Texas Tech fell to thirteenth.
The bowl win was Nebraska's seventh in the last eight seasons, and the Huskers had regular bowl appearances for the rest of Osborne's tenure. only reached three bowl games combined in rest of the decade and the next one. Neither returned to the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl after this game.