Both teams featured stout defenses, and at the end of three quarters, the underdog Gators held a 10–0 lead over the favored Huskers, who had committed five turnovers up to that point.
The Gators were also 8-3 leading up to the Sugar Bowl but had plummeted from #6 to #18 in the AP poll after having lost two of three games to end the regular season, dropping them to fifth place in the SEC standings.
Head coach Doug Dickey had debuted the wishbone offense in 1974, and with quarterback Don Gaffney guiding the option attack, Florida relied heavily on its running game along with a stout defense that had five starters named to the 1974 All-SEC football team.
The Gators ran an option pitch to the left side and running back James Richards slipped and fell while trying to cut towards the goal line, giving Nebraska possession on downs.
[3] Nebraska head coach Tom Osborne inserted reserve quarterback Terry Luck into the game as his offense lined up in the shadow of their own goal posts, but the backup would not factor prominently in the outcome.
The lengthy drive culminated in a short touchdown run by freshman back Monte Anthony early in the fourth quarter, cutting the Gators' lead to 10–7.