Part of the 1988–89 bowl game season, it matched the independent and second-ranked Miami Hurricanes and the #6 Nebraska Cornhuskers of the Big Eight Conference.
Despite the high rankings of both teams,[5] the game was not determining of the national title since top-ranked and undefeated Notre Dame (which had defeated Miami by one point earlier in the season) convincingly won the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona earlier in the day.
Nebraska finally scored with a 50-yard field goal in the third quarter, but Miami responded with its own in the fourth.
[2] Hurricanes quarterback Steve Walsh also set a new Orange Bowl record with 44 attempted passes, with 21 completions, and was named the game's MVP on offense.
[8] Miami retained its #2 ranking in the final AP poll and Nebraska fell to tenth.