This shutout win gave the Hurricanes their fourth national championship (1983, 1987, 1989), capping their "decade of dominance."
Miami dominated the second half with a touchdown run by fullback Larry Jones and a third field goal by Huerta, this one from 54 yards.
The Huskies, second in the AP, had achieved an identical 12–0 record, completed with a 34–14 win over #4 Michigan in the Rose Bowl.
A fantasy article in Sports Illustrated titled "The Dream Game" had Washington narrowly defeat Miami in a playoff.
It broke the Huskers' seven-game losing streak in bowls and vaulted them to the first of two consecutive national titles.
A four-game winning streak in bowls began, with three national championships (1994, 1995, 1997) in four seasons at the end of head coach Tom Osborne's career in Lincoln.