Sammy Vegas Says - R.I.P Orange Bowl

It's impossible to deny that as a Nebraska fan your most vivid and invigorating memories of modern day Husker football likely feature the ‘original’ Orange Bowl. Today, it was announced that the Miami Hurricanes will move to Pro Player Stadium, located on Dan Marino Blvd., in fall 2008. But I’ll touch on that in a bit.

Although the ‘Orange Bowl’ has been played at Pro Player since 1996, it's sad to think, that once the Hurricanes relocate, we will no longer be able to watch a football game in Coral Gables, near the U. of Miami, and have random memories of Husker triumphs and sorrows course through our minds.

From 1953 to 1963 and then 1975 to 1994, the Orange Bowl has hosted the Big 8 champion vs. an at-large opponent. In 1994, the inaugural Bowl Alliance matched Florida State and Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward, Warrick Dunn, and Derrick Brooks against the #1 ranked and 17 point underdog Nebraska Cornhuskers, who boasted the likes of Tommie Frazier, Lawrence Phillips, and Trev Alberts. It is fair to say that this game bolstered Nebraska over the next decade back to the college football elite.

Here is a great recap of that game from an FSU perspective. Although they fail to touch on the phantom flag and the obvious fumble, after the 80s and early 90s of being humiliated against big foes, it still brings chills.



Finally, one year later, the ’95 Orange Bowl brought us back on top...


Back to the issue at hand Mayor Diaz offered the University $206 million for upgrades and renovations for the Orange Bowl. Unfortunately, University of Miami president Donna Shallala turned it down, stating:

"Mayor Diaz and the commissioners of the City of Miami made an extraordinary effort to identify funds and design a renovation. But in the end it wasn't enough."

Wow, I guess 70 years as one of college football’s grandest stages just isn’t enough. Athletic Director, Paul Dee’s thoughts were even more disturbing:

"We are committed to providing the best facilities for our student-athletes and fans. The decision to move to Dolphin Stadium was made for that reason. Our student-athletes will be playing in one of the best facilities in the country and the 'fan experience' will be first-class."

HEY, Dolphin Stadium is 20 YEARS OLD! But, enough about that.

Since 1955, Nebraska has played in 16 Orange Bowls. Bob Devaney won his first championship there in 1970 after beating LSU 17-12. The following year, to the dismay of Kirk Herbstreit, the best team ever, the 1971 Huskers, dismantled Alabama and Bear Bryant 38-6 (the Bear’s worst defeat in his career at U. of Alabama). Whether it was Nebraska losing to Clemson in 1982 costing Osborne his first championship or Oklahoma exacting revenge on us in the 1979 Bowl (only ever Big 8 rematch in a Bowl), the memories are engraved in our heads whether you like it or not. The thick, humid air, the Orange Bowl patches on Big Red sleeves, and scores of Husker fans seeking a victorious beginning to another New Year, all fading before our eyes.

In closing, I pose a question for you. What is the one Orange Bowl moment that overtakes you with emotion unparalled by anything else? Well, this is mine...


A Great Husker Orange Bowl Trivia Question:

Can you name the year of Nebraska’s first Orange Bowl visit, who they played, and the outcome of that game?

...still thinking? (I would challenge any of your friends for a free beer to answer just one of these - no way anyone under 60 gets this right).

The Answer - 1955. Duke 34 - Nebraska 7.

Old School Video: Johnny "The Jet"

A collection of Johnny Rodgers returns. Complete with Lyle Bremser madness.

Insert obligatory - "Man, Woman and Child."

Tommie Frazier Highlights

Just to refresh your memories. Eat your heart out, Pat White.

1998 Texas at Nebraska on YouTube

From a Longhorn POV, but still worth your time. The game features two Heisman winners in Williams and Crouch. Also remembered for Mike Brown's 21 tackle performance. This game was also the only home game Nebraska lost during my time as a student at UNL. Sometimes I still can't believe I live in Texas.

First Half:



Second Half:



UT Students Celebrate in Austin on the Drag

Nebraska and Home Field Advantage

An interesting take on the concept of home field advantage at The Straight Dope of all places. The Straight Dope is a question and answer site run by Psuedonymous columnist Cecil Adams. If you have a question about just about anything, chances are The Straight Dope have attempted an answer.

Regarding home field advantage (HFA), The Straight Dope says:

What explains HFA? Several possibilities are often cited, including familiarity with home turf, no travel stress, and what football fans call "the 12th man," the home crowd. But establishing what's most important isn't easy. Take familiarity — one study of 7 baseball, 17 basketball, and 13 hockey teams that moved to new stadiums (without changing cities) between October 1987 and April 2001 showed a significant reduction in HFA in the season following the move. However, other studies purport to show that MLB teams do better in a new stadium. One clear-cut case of HFA arising from venue familiarity is the Colorado Rockies, who consistently display the largest differential between home and away records of any MLB team. All agree that's because only the Rockies are acclimated to high-altitude Coors Field.

Crowd effects are easier to demonstrate, at least in some sports. A study of more than 5,000 English soccer matches found that teams scored an average of 1.5 goals at home vs only 1.1 on the road, with the difference growing by 0.1 goals per 10,000 spectators. The researchers attribute this to cowed refs' giving the visitors more penalties. Schwartz and Barsky thought crowd effects explained why HFA for baseball and football was lower than for hockey (in the 70s anyway) and basketball — the latter two sports are invariably played indoors, where the noise is more intense. Travel stress is probably a minor factor, since HFA persists even among teams that are geographically close.

Whatever the reason, a home field advantage certainly exists in Lincoln.

Nebraska was 7-1 at home in 2006 and has won at least six home games in 17 of the past 19 seasons.

Nebraska is 116-11 at home in the last 18 seasons (since 1989), including a pair of losses against teams that went on to win the national championship–Colorado in 1990 and Washington in 1991.

Since 1986, only seven different schools have left Memorial Stadium with a victory (Colorado, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Southern Miss., Texas, Texas Tech, Washington).

During Nebraska’s run of success at home in the past 25 years, Nebraska has had three home winning streaks of 20 or more games.

Nebraska had a school-record 47-game home winning streak from 1991 to 1998, a 26-game home streak from 1998 to 2002 and a 21-game win streak in the early 1980s.

Nebraska has not been shut out at home since a 12-0 loss to Kansas State in 1968 (245 games), and has posted 40 unbeaten and untied home seasons.

All-time Nebraska is 481-129-20 (.779, 630 games, 117 years) in Lincoln.

The Huskers are 356-106-13 (.763, 475 games, 84 years) in Memorial Stadium (since 1923).

1983 Nebraska - Oklahoma Highlights

Part I



Part II



Another classic Nebraska YouTube find. What a great way to catch some highlights of our amazing football past. You'll really want to notice the diversity of Osborne's offense. Its complexity is almost always overlooked.

NFL Draft Analysis - The Lazy Version

This is all I've got, considering these two days are the last I will follow the NFL until playoff time.

When I heard the names of this year's crop of Huskers called on NFL Draft weekend, I thought the teams selecting them seemed familiar.

Adam Carriker - St. Louis
Brandon Jackson - Green Bay
Stewart Bradley - Philadelphia
Jay Moore - San Francisco

It just seemed at first glance, that we have had a lot of Nebraska players on the rosters of these particular NFL squads. That got me thinking about patterns among NFL teams and which colleges they tend to raid for talent. In particular I was interested in which teams seem to select Huskers at higher rates than others.

I limited my analysis to the years of 1982-2007, as that seemed to be the most readily available. I also tried to do some combining of teams based on moves to new cities. For example, the LA Rams and the St. Louis Rams simply became the Rams.

Anyway, here is the chart showing the teams that have drafted the most Nebraska players from 1982-2007.


Not that enlightening and only the Rams selection of Carriker would seem to fit the data. Certianly we have had many players on rosters of other NFL teams, but these are the ones that have drafted the most Huskers during that time period.

Other random notes from the data:

We've had 141 players drafted during that time period.
Linebacker, DB, RB, and offensive line are the most common positions drafted.
We've had three players drafted with picks #6 and #39.
The players drafted at #6 were: Broderick Thomas, Lawrence Phillips, Grant Wistrom. The players picked at #39 were: Jared Tomich, Toniu Fonoti, Mike Brown

Meh.

If anyone else would like the data to play around with data, shoot me an email at jcadams(at)uh.edu and I'll send you the Excel file.

YouTube Husker History Lesson - 1986 Fiesta Bowl

Here is some classic bowl footage as Nebraska takes on Michigan in the 1986 Fiesta Bowl. It is from the Michigan perspective, which is fitting since they won the game, but it's worth seven minutes of your time all the same.

I was actually at that game with my family as we spent Christmas and my 9th birthday in Tempe. It was an amazing atmosphere as two storied programs met and their Midwestern fans made the trek to the sun-drenched valley.

I remember a lot of what shows up in the highlights. First, it was definitely the era of exposed midriffs and towels hanging from the players’ pants. McCathorn Clayton started the game at QB, but was replaced later by freshman Steve Taylor, who wore #11. Michigan RB Jamie Morris ran all over us as our linebackers lumbered aimlessly. And Jim Harbaugh was quarterbacking Michigan in the days before he was busy talking shit about Pete Carroll.

Nebraska went 9-3 in 1985 (just like every other year in the 80s it seemed). We started the season 0-1 after a loss at home to FSU. We then rattled off nine straight wins and were ranked second as we headed to Norman to take on #5 ranked Oklahoma. Oklahoma was led by Jamelle Holieway, who took over for Troy Aikman (broken ankle), four games into the season. Aikman had been injured in OU's only regular season loss, a 27–14 beating at Miami. The Sooners absolutely crushed us with Holieway at the helm, 27-7. They outgained us 423 yards to 161 and would have had the shut out, were it not for a Chris Spachman 76-yard interception return with 26 seconds remaining in the game.

After the OU loss, Nebraska dropped to #7 and would then meet fifth ranked Michigan in that Fiesta Bowl. Nebraska jumped out to a 14-3 halftime lead behind a 5-yard TD pass to Doug DuBose and a 3-yard TD run, also by DuBose. Everything fell apart for the Huskers, however, in the 3rd quarter. Sparked by two lost fumbles, a blocked punt and a short punt in the first 10 minutes of the third quarter Michigan'turned the 11-point deficit into a 27-14 lead. In the fourth quarter Nebraska scored on a 1-yard run by Taylor, but later his pass with under a minute remaining the game was intercepted.

Oklahoma would go on to win the National title in 1985. They met #1 Penn State in the Orange Bowl and came away with a convincing 25-10 win. Miami had gone to the Sugar Bowl ranked second hoping for a convincing win over SEC champ Tennessee to keep its title hopes alive should Penn State lose. Instead, the Hurricanes suffered their worst defeat of the year, 35–7.

Bo Jackson beat out Iowa QB Chuck Long for the 1985 Heisman.

Scoring Explosion Highlights

A recent YouTube find, and one that brings back pleasant early childhood memories. God, that offense was beautiful. Check out the option pitch to Irving Fryar who was lined up in the backfield at about the 2 minute mark. That's why I grew up wanting nothing more than to be a wingback for Dr. Tom.

The Safeties: A Rudimentary Semi-Historical Analysis

This year's safeties have taken a lot of heat from Nebraska fans (and especially from me). As a result, I thought it might be helpful to try and put their performance into some type of historical perspective. The results are below.

A few things to keep in mind: First, when we examine the statistics we must remember that these reflect four different defensive coordinators, each with his own system. Secondly, these statistics do not summarize all that is expected or required of a safety. Third, the performances include those of a "once in a generation" type player in Mike Brown along with 3 other players who made NFL rosters at one time or another. Fourth, I am not privy to film sessions or to how the performers graded out in the eyes of the coaches. And finally, the 2006 season is the only one of those included, in which both safety spots were filled by first-time starters.

2006

Player	Games	Tackles	TFL	INTs	FF	FmbRec
Tierre Green	13	48.5	.5	1	0	1
Andrew Shanle	13	47.5	0	4	0	1

2005

Player	Games	Tackles	TFL	INTs	FF	FmbRec
Daniel Bullocks	12	83	4	1	2	1
Blake Tiedtke	12	68	6	1	2	0

2004

Player	Games	Tackles	TFL	INTs	FF	FmbRec
Josh Bullocks	11	68	2	2	0	0
Daniel Bullocks	11	58	4	5	1	1

2003

Player	Games	Tackles	TFL	INTs	FF	FmbRec
Phillip Bland	4	7	1	0	0	0
Josh Bullocks	13	49	0	10	0	0
Daniel Bullocks	13	59	4	2	1	1

2002

Player	Games	Tackles	TFL	INTs	FF	FmbRec
Philllip Bland	13	84	6	1	1	1
Josh Bullocks	13	48	0	1	1	1
Shane Siegel	14	14	1	0	0	0
Aaron Terpening	14	17	2	0	0	0

2001

Player	Games	Tackles	TFL	INTs	FF	FmbRec
Dion Booker	12	62	1	1	0	0
Willie Amos	9	28	0	4	0	0
Phillip Bland	10	24	1	0	0	0

2000

Player	Games	Tackles	TFL	INTs	FF	FmbRec
Joe Walker	11	44	2	2	1	1
Dion Booker	11	34	2	0	0	0
Troy Watchorn	11	27	2	5	0	0
Clint Finley	11	22	1	0	0	0

1999

Player	Games	Tackles	TFL	INTs	FF	FmbRec
Mike Brown	12	96	8	5	6	1
Dion Booker	12	28	0	1	1	0
Clint Finley	12	27	0	1	0	1
Joe Walker	10	11	4	0	2	1

1998

Player	Games	Tackles	TFL	INTs	FF	FmbRec
Mike Brown	12	102	5	1	1	1
Clint Finley	9	28	3	3	3	1
Joe Walker	12	50	5	3	1	0

After looking things over, my take is that our safeties performed average to a little below average by way of statistical analysis. Shall we say, I don't know...mediocre? What do you guys think?

NU - OU 2005 - A Look Back

Here is a look at last year’s match up with Oklahoma.

Nebraska entered that game with a 5-2 record (2-2 Big 12), while OU came in with a 4-3 (3-1 Big 12) mark. It is also important to remember that Nebraska struggled most of the year with sluggish starts. In this particular game, the Sooners would use that to their advantage.

On Nebraska’s first play from scrimmage, OU’s Calvin Thibodeaux broke threw the line and sacked Zac Taylor for a 9-yard loss. This would be a harbinger of things to come. After forcing a three-and-out, the Sooners took possession. On their third play from scrimmage Adrian Peterson broke one right up the middle for a 36-yard TD and a 7-0 lead.

In the second quarter OU added another touchdown run from Peterson, and Jordan Congdon notched a field goal for the Huskers. With just over a minute to play in the second quarter Nebraska found itself trailing 14-3 with the ball on the OU 42-yard line. After calling a timeout to regroup, Zac Taylor launched a pass that was intercepted by Chijioke Onyenegecha and returned 63-yards for a Sooner score. Nebraska went into halftime behind 21-3.

The third period was essentially dominated by Nebraska. The Blackshirts gave up 3 points during this period and limited the Sooners to just six yards offensively. Unfortunately, the Husker offense managed just one touchdown in the third quarter on a 3-yard pass to Terrence Nunn. As the fourth quarter began, NU trailed 24-10.

The Nebraska offense finally showed signs of life early in the fourth period and scored on a 25-yard completion to Nate Swift to cut the lead to 24-17. Oklahoma’s next series would then be marked by controversy. With the ball on the NU 17, Kejuan Jones got the call and found a crease in the Nebraska defense. As he got to the corner, however, he appeared to benefit from a hold by one of the Sooner receivers. The partisan Nebraska crowd lobbied for the call, but with no laundry littering the field, a chorus of boos rained down. This no-call continues to live in infamy thanks to a dubious gesture on the part of Coach Callahan following a confrontation with the officials.



I personally never saw what the hubbub was about. I see frustration rather than malice and doubt that Callahan’s intentions were to threaten, intimidate or maim the officials. Honestly I am far more offended by the asinine "jump shot" celebration that is all the rage these days.

Anyway, Nebraska would get the ball back and start its next to last series on its 30-yard line. Taylor would then complete consecutive passes of 14 yards, 15 yards and 23 yards to Terrence Nunn, Cory Ross and Nate Swift. The Huskers then broke out the trickery and Cory Ross found a wide open Nate Swift on an I-Back pass. Thus, with 5:56 left to play in the game, Nebraska trailed just 31-24.

Oklahoma then reclaimed possession and managed to burn 3:19 before punting the ball away. Nebraska would, therefore, open its final series from its own 27, with 2:37 on the clock. That final drive looked like this:

Taylor hits Grant Mulkey for 9 yards. NU is at its own 36.
Taylor’s pass was incomplete.
On third-and-one at the 36. Taylor picks up the first down with a 2-yard rush.
First down at NU’s 38. False start penalty.
First-and-14 at the 34. Taylor is sacked for a loss of seven.
Second and 21 at the 27. Taylor is pressured and the pocket collapses. He manages to find some room and hurries a throw deep down field. His rushed toss overshoots a wide open Nate Swift who would have walked into the endzone.

Of this play, Taylor would later say:

“I think that play will probably haunt me for the rest of my life. It's tough. He was open, and just a little too much adrenaline, I guess. I would love to take that play back, but that's football.”

Instead the drive continued.

Third and 21 at the NU 27. Taylor completes a 19-yard pass to I-back Cory Ross at the NU 46. Five yard penalty - Ineligible man downfield..
Third and 26 at the NU 22.Taylor throws incomplete to Frantz Hardy.
Fourth and 26 at the Husker 22. Taylor is sacked for the ninth (are you kidding me?) and final time.

Key Statistics

Final Score: Oklahoma 31 – Nebraska 24
NU Rushing: 34 carries – 16 yards (I-Backs: 18 carries – 31 yards)
NU Passing: 26-46-2, 267 yards

Scripted Plays (First 20 play calls):
7 Runs/13 Passes (First 5 drives were all 3 and out)
Total Yards: 49
First Downs: 2
Points: 3

1st Down Run/Pass Balance:
9 runs/24 passes

Commentary

· I would rather us not show up at all than produce just 16 yards rushing this year.

· Speaking of our running game, it looks like BJax will once again carry the load. Both Marlon Lucky (back) and Cody Glenn (foot) are questionable. Unfortunately, our two healthy backs have both shown a propensity for fumbles. We have to have a positive turnover margin to win.

· With a non-existent running attack, take a look at Callahan’s first down play calls from a year ago. So do we see more balance this year on 1st down or a run-heavy split instead?

· I fully expect us to get off to a better start this year. Last year OU became the third straight opponent to score on its first drive against the Blackshirts. This season most fans are probably more concerned about another 2nd half collapse.

· Oklahoma has been known for its aggressive, attacking defense. I like that their secondary may have to avoid selling out on the run this year, due to concerns about trick plays.

· Finally, we have to keep Zac Taylor clean (and alive) this year. The offensive line is still banged up, but ought to protect him better than a year ago. Something to keep an eye on is how Taylor responds to poor protection or early troubles getting into a rhythm. Teams that keep him off balance early on have had pretty good success.

Random OU Memories

I'm not going to go into the Nebraska - Oklahoma rivalry with the same gusto as I did with the CU series. But I would be remiss if I didn't at least touch on the amazing history these two teams have.

First we have a video of Keith Jackson's 88-yard touchdown on an end-around in 1985. In case you had forgotten how slow our teams in the 80s were, this should help. This is a tight end absolutely blowing by the Blackshirts!



Next we have more from Keith Jackson a year later in Lincoln making a phenomenal one-handed grab to set up the game-winning field goal for OU. I will never, ever forget this game. Although I was only 9 at the time, I was already extremely passionate about the Huskers. For a little context - I named my first teddy bear Jarvis. Anyway, I cried myself to sleep after this game and wondered if we would ever beat OU again. I couldn't say it then, but I can say it now - Fuck Sooner Magic.



Finally we have a collection of Barry Switzer locker room speeches. God I hated Barry Switzer. Even as a youngster I could tell that he was the antithesis of Tom Osborne and everything his Nebraska program stood for. While most kids have nightmares of the bogeyman or evil clowns, it was Barry Switzer and that cocky, shit-eating grin that haunted my childhood dreams.



So, lets get some discussion going. What is your favorite/least favorite Nebraska - Oklahoma memory? Bonus points for mentioning Elvis Peacock or Neil Harris.

Birth of a Rivalry - The Present

Well, the game is fast approaching, which means the “Birth of a Rivalry” series is coming to an end (finally). Boy, that escalated quickly... I mean, that really got out of hand fast. I had no idea it was headed for an 11-part series of pieces, but I’m glad I did it and hopefully you enjoyed it.

Today we take a look at this year’s match up. Nebraska has the Big XII North title wrapped up and Colorado limps in with a 2-9 record. Dan Hawkins takes over and immediately “shucks” the red-letter treatment. So, I guess all that rivalry talk will take a back seat this year.

Not so fast my friend...












First we see a video espousing the death of the Colorado football program following their loss to Montana State. This just had to be made by a Husker fan.



Next we have these words from CU running back coach (and star of several Buff victories over Nebraska) Darian Hagan:

"... It's always a red-letter game. We're going to go in there with fire in our eyes and try and hit them in the mouth and kick their butt. So when they go in there two weeks from now and play in the Big 12 Championship, they're going to be limping in. That's our goal."

Then we have the resurfacing of the infamous words of Coach Hawkins at a CU Homecoming function:

“Just remember this, at 0-5 the worst days as a Buff is better than the best days as a Husker. Just remember that.”

You can check the video evidence below.


So, it might not be Ohio State – Michigan or even Florida – Florida State, but it is something.

And just in case you forgot:


Stay classy Nebraska.

Birth of a Rivalry - A Year Ago

A year ago Nebraska entered the Colorado game with a 6-4 record. Two weeks earlier they had snapped a 3-game conference losing streak by beating Kansas State 27-25 on a last minute FG. Colorado came into the match up with a 7-3 mark with losses to Miami, Texas and Iowa State. While the teams lacked the luster of previous editions, the game remained important for both squads.

The action in the contest started before the ball was even kicked off, when the Colorado team confronted Nebraska during pregame warm-ups began taunting them. When the tension died down, Nebraska got the ball first, but was held to a three-and-out on its first series of the game. Senior punter Sam Koch then boomed a 56-yard punt that sailed out of bounds at the CU 31. After Koch's effort, CU running back Hugh Charles raced 45 yards to the NU 24 on Colorado's first offensive play. The Blackshirts stiffened, however, holding CU to a 33-yard field goal from Mason Crosby that gave the Buffaloes an early 3-0 lead. The Huskers answered on their ensuing drive, sparked by a key third-down conversion. On third and five from the NU 25, Taylor connected with Ross for a 15-yard gain to keep the drive alive. The conversion energized the Husker offense and on the next play, Taylor found redshirt freshman Nate Swift for a 33-yard gain to the Buffalo 25-yard line. Freshman Jordan Congdon then ctapped the drive when he nailed a 26-yard field goal attempt to tie the game at 3-3 with 8:06 remaining in the first period.

After stops by both defenses, Taylor found Ross on a short pass that the senior back turned into a touchdown by sprinting untouched into the end zone to give Nebraska its first lead of the game at 10-3 very early in the second quarter. After another stop by the Blackshirts Taylor then fired a strike to a wide open Todd Peterson for a gain of 38 yards down to the CU 9. Cody Glenn then rushed up the middle for nine yards to the one and took the next carry into the end zone for the touchdown. On the Huskers’ next possession Ross took a pitch from Taylor, which he pitched back to Taylor. With no one open downfield, Taylor tossed it back to Ross in the flat, who raced down the sidelines for a 25-yard gain to the CU 25. Nebraska soon found itself, however, in a second-and-28 situation, but Taylor was unfazed and found junior Frantz Hardy for a gain of 35 yards inside the Buffs' 10. After a holding penalty wiped out an apparent touchdown pass to Peterson, Congdon nailed a 30-yard field goal to increase the Huskers' lead to 20-3 with 4:44 remaining in the first half.

Colorado picked up one first down on its next drive, but soon found themselves punting once again. Nebraska picked up a third and inches with a Taylor quarterback sneak on its next drive before three consecutive incompletions forced an NU punt with 1:26 left in the half. Koch came on to punt and unleashed a 63-yard punt out of the CU end zone for a touchback. A completion and a pass-interference penalty gave CU a chance to score before the half, but a Klatt pass was intercepted by NU's Adam Ickes that set the Huskers up at the CU 49 with 53 seconds remaining in the period. With 10 seconds remaining, Taylor found junior Grant Mulkey for a 34-yard gain inside the CU 5 with two seconds left on the clock. With the clocked stopped after the first down, NU was set waiting for the official's whistle to spike the ball and set up a field goal, but the officials ruled the Huskers did not spike the ball before the clock ran out, so the Huskers' took a 20-3 lead into the break. Although Nebraska failed to score in its hurry-up offense, CU coach Gary Barnett apparently took the attempt personally, as evidenced by this video.



NU began its second drive of the second half at its own 24 and moved the ball to the CU 48 on a 26-yard pass from Taylor to Ross. Taylor teamed up with Nunn for a 10-yard gain on third-and-nine and added 15 more yards after Colorado was flagged for a late hit to move the ball to the 21. Following a Nebraska timeout, Taylor found Swift with a 21-yard touchdown strike to push the Huskers' lead to 27-3 with 6:30 remaining in the third quarter. The Nebraska defense continued its dominating performance in the 2nd half, preventing the Buffs from getting anything going offensively. In the fourth quarter true freshman Harrison Beck led the offense into field-goal range, where Congdon's 32-yard kick tied Kris Brown's single-season school record of 18 field goals. It also provided the final margin of victory as Nebraska left the field in Boulder with a 30-3 victory. You can see the Nebraska highlights from the 2005 CU game below.



The game was marred in the fourth quarter by unruly fans who hurled debris onto the field, leading to an unprecedented ejection of an entire section of CU students from the stadium.

Colorado never recovered from the loss. They would be crushed by Texas in the Big 12 Championship Game 70-3 and also fall to Clemson in the Champs Sports Bowl. Nebraska, on the other hand, would use the game as a spring board to an unexpected victory over Michigan in the Alamo Bowl.

Birth of a Rivalry - The Disaster

So you knew it was coming and here it is. In the time that has passed, the sting from this game has subsided very little. I suppose part of what keeps the rivalry alive for Husker fans are the bitter thoughts of 2001.

Nebraska entered 2001 ranked 4th nationally. The Huskers opened with four non-conference wins, including a 27-10 home win over 17th ranked Notre Dame. Nebraska then kicked off its Big 12 slate with wins over Missouri, Iowa State, Baylor and Texas Tech. This set up a match up between #3 Nebraska and #2 Oklahoma in Lincoln. With help from the now notorious Black 41 Flash Reverse Pass to Eric Crouch, Nebraska emerged victorious 20-10. The Huskers would then move up to #2 in the polls and would roll to wins over Kansas and Kansas State.

Colorado’s 2001 season began in a less than stellar fashion. The Buffaloes lost their first game of the year at home to unranked Fresno State. After the loss, CU bounced back and won five straight games, including victories over ranked opponents Colorado State and Texas A&M. A week after the A&M win, the Buffaloes were trounced by Texas in Austin 41-7. After this loss, Colorado again rebounded for victories over Oklahoma State, Missouri and Iowa State.

This produced a November 23rd battle between #2 Nebraska and #14 Colorado in Boulder. Colorado started the game quickly when tailback Bobby Purify raced through a gaping hole up the middle for a 39-yard TD run 2:43 into the contest. Nebraska's Dahrran Diedrick fumbled on next Husker possession, and Buff QB Bobby Pesavento soon followed that with a 21-yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Graham. Pesavento later threw a 49-yard pass to Graham, setting up a one-yard TD run on a quarterback sneak to give CU a 21-0 lead than 10 minutes into the game. Nebraska’s Josh Davis returned the ensuing kickoff 74-yards, which set up the Huskers’ first score, a 27-yard field goal by Josh BrowN.

Sophomore Chris Brown then got rolling for the Buffs and had TD runs of 12 yards late in the first quarter and 36 yards in the second. This gave Colorado a 35-3 lead early in the second quarter. Nebraska rallied for touchdowns on its next three possessions. Fullback Steve Kriewald had a 24-yard scoring run, and Dahrran Diedrick went in from 32 yards out. After another Chris Brown touchdown, the Huskers needed just two plays to counter, on Diedrick's short run with 2:53 to go in the half. Colorado would go into halftime with a 35-3 advantage.

A 25-yard run by Crouch later in the third quarter put the Cornhuskers deep in Colorado territory. But Diedrick fumbled at the goal line with 8:33 left to keep the score at 42-23. Later in the third quarter, six-yard TD run by Crouch would cut the deficit to 42-30 with 4:17 left in the third quarter. Unfortunately the Huskers never got any closer as Colorado went on a 93-yard drive capped by Chris Brown’s fourth TD, which gave the Buffaloes a 49-30 lead. CU Safety Michael Lewis then intercepted Eric Crouch moments later, and Brown ran 13 yards for his fifth score. Crouch was then intercepted again by linebacker Joey Johnson which led to Brown’s sixth TD giving Colorado another 32-point advantage, 62-30, with 9:41 left. Nebraska would add a late score to make the final score Colorado 62 – Nebraska 36.



The Nebraska defense allowed the most points in school history on that day, topping the 61 surrendered in a loss to Minnesota on October 6, 1945. Heisman Trophy hopeful Eric Crouch carried 18 times for 162 yards and two touchdowns and completed 13-of-28 passes for 198 yards. But he also threw a pair of interceptions, accounting for half of the Cornhuskers' four turnovers. Dahrran Diedrick accounted for the other two turnovers, but did carry 16 times for 94 yards and 2 TDs.

The victory over Nebraska propelled Colorado the Big 12 Championship game and a match up with #4 ranked Texas. The Buffaloes surprised the Longhorns 39-37, which would lead to a trip to the Fiesta Bowl versus Oregon. The Ducks would start fast and defeat CU 38-16 ending Colorado’s five game winning streak.

After the devastating defeat, Nebraska was given a second chance at the national title by the BCS computers. The Huskers would meet Miami in the Rose Bowl for a shot at redemption. Unfortunately, Nebraska fans would soon learn just how wide the talent-gap was becoming between the Huskers and college football’s elite. Miami exploded for 27 second quarter points and all but snuffed out NU’s rushing attack on their way to a 37-14 victory. Nebraska finished the year 11-2 and ranked 8th.

Birth of a Rivalry - The Close Games

My rivalry-envy continues. It is often said of rivalry games that you can "throw out the records", as the two teams seem to fight hard no matter their supposed chances. As the late 1990s began, the Nebraska-Colorado rivalry began to take on this quality. Check out the battles that took place between 1996 and 2000.

1996 Nebraska 17 – Colorado 12. The 1996 contest featured 4th ranked Nebraska (9-1, 7-0), versus 5th ranked Colorado (8-2, 6-1), as a constant rain fell in Lincoln. Colorado jumped to a 6-0 lead on field goals of 45 and 40 yards by Jeremy Aldrich in the first 7:17 of the game. The Buffaloes got the ball back 83 seconds after the second field goal, but Jay Foreman picked off a Koy Detmer pass and raced 21 yards untouched for a score that put Nebraska up 7-6.

Kris Brown then kicked a 30-yard field goal 2:14 into the second quarter and DeAngelo Evans bulled in from the seven as Nebraska extended the lead to 17-6 before halftime. Colorado had more luck stopping Nebraska in the third quarter, but the Buffaloes were able to manage only a 38-yard field goal by Aldrich with 7:57 left in the period, cutting the deficit to 17-9. Aldrich later booted a 27-yarder with 8:46 to go in the game as Colorado closed within 17-12. The Buffaloes got the ball back and drove into Nebraska territory again, but Koy Detmer's pass on 4th-and-11 fell incomplete with 2:53 remaining. DeAngelo Evans finished with 123 yards on the ground and Scott Frost was 6-of-14 for 56 yards. Grant Wistrom led the Blackshirt attack recording 13 tackles and a pair of sacks. The win clinched the Big 12 North title for Nebraska setting up a showdown with Texas in the inaugural Big 12 Championship Game.

1997 Nebraska 27 – Colorado 24. 2nd ranked Nebraska (10-0, 7-0), came into the game over unranked Colorado (5-5, 3-4) looking for a lopsided win to impress the pollsters. Nebraska scored on its first two possessions, but had only a 10-3 halftime lead over the Buffaloes who were 21-point underdogs coming into the contest. On the first play of the second half Ahman Green bolted 64 yards to the CU 16-yard line. He then scored on the next play. Colorado then countered quickly as John Hessler found Darrin Chiaverini for 45 yards, and then lofted a screen pass to Dwayne Cherrington who went 35 yards to cut the deficit to 17-10. Nebraska then struck right back when Green capped a 77-yard drive with an 11-yard run and Kris Brown then added a 46-yard field goal late in the quarter for a 27-10 lead.

The Buffs would rally, however, late in the fourth quarter as John Hessler threw two TD passes -- a 32-yarder to Marcus Stiggers with 3:16 left and, after a successful onside kick, an 18-yarder to Robert Toler with 2:37 left. Colorado regained possession with 52 seconds remaining. Facing a key fourth down with time running out Phil Savoy caught a pass off the right side and struggled toward the first down marker, but was stopped three yards short by Erwin Swiney with 12 seconds left. Ahman Green finished the day with 202 yards and 2 TDs and Scott Frost passed for 92 yards and ran for another 76 yards and a score for the Huskers.

1998 Nebraska 16 – Colorado 14. In his first season as head coach, Frank Solich led the 14th ranked Huskers (8-3, 4-3) into Boulder to face the unranked Buffaloes (6-3, 4-3). With its offense struggling, Nebraska looked to its defense for help. In the first quarter Clint Finley returned an interception 42 yards for Nebraska’s only touchdown on the day, putting the Huskers up 7-0. Colorado soon answered when Mike Moschetti found Javon Green with a 17-yard scoring strike. Nebraska would then take a 10-7 halftime lead when Kris Brown connected on a 30-yard FG as time expired in the half. Brown would then add another FG in the third quarter to make the score 13-7. Colorado took their first lead of the game with 2:11 left in the third period when Moschetti rolled right and threw to tight end Andy Peeke, who went untouched 15 yards into the end zone. In the fourth quarter with the Buffs facing 3rd and-22 at their own 35 Moschetti went back to throw. Mike Rucker got a hand on Moschetti's throwing arm as the pocket collapsed, knocking the ball loose. Jeremey Slechta recovered for the Huskers at the Nebraska 43. The Huskers then marched 49-yards in 10 plays to set up a 25-yard goal by Brown with 8:48 to play. Brown’s third FG would prove the difference as Nebraska squeaked out a 16-14 win.

1999 Nebraska 33 – Colorado 30 (OT). The 1999 edition saw 3rd ranked Nebraska (9-1) with national title hopes enter Folsom Field to face another unranked Colorado (6-4) team. Nebraska started quickly when Dan Alexander bolted 50-yards for a score on the game’s first play from scrimmage. Alexander later busted an 80-yard run in which he outraced CU’s Ben Kelly (see video below), as well as a 1-yard TD to help NU to a 24-3 halftime lead. After a sluggish 3rd quarter marred by Husker fumbles, Nebraska led 27-3 with 14 minutes remaining in the game. Much like the year, before, however, CU mounted a 4th quarter comeback. CU managed to roar back with three touchdowns in 5 minutes, 48 seconds to tie the game 27-27 with 2:59 left in the regulation. The game-tying touchdown was set up by Nebraska's seventh fumble when All-America rover Mike Brown couldn't handle an onside kick.

Nebraska had a chance to win in regulation when Colorado's Cortlen Johnson fumbled at his own 16 with 1:49 left. With three runs into the line, Solich and Nebraska could have set up a chip-shot field goal for the win. Instead, Colorado got the ball back six seconds later when Crouch tossed an errant pitch to Alexander for NU’s 8th fumble of the day. The Buffs then marched through Nebraska's suddenly porous defense 69 yards to set up Jeremy Aldrich with a game-winning 34-yard field goal attempt with two seconds left. Aldrich missed wide right -- barely -- as time ran out. Nebraska escaped with the win on Eric Crouch's game-winning 1-yard sneak, after the Blackshirts held CU to a field goal on their first OT possession. Although Nebraska won on the scoreboard, the listless second half cost them any chance they had at that point to meet Florida State in the Sugar Bowl.


2000 Nebraska 34 – Colorado 32. In 2000, Nebraska hosted Colorado at Memorial Stadium. The Husker defense got on the scoreboard first as Carlos Polk intercepted Craig Ochs' first pass at the 39 and returned it for the early touchdown. Offensively NU struggled early and when their second drive stalled, Colorado blocked the Husker punt giving the Buffs the ball on the NU 23. Colorado, however, went 3-and-out and Randy Stella blocked the CU FG attempt, which was picked up by Chris Kelsay and returned to the Buff 27. Eric Crouch took it on the next play 27 yards for the touchdown and a 14-0 Husker lead with 4:48 left in the first. The Buffaloes dominated the second period and put a 32-yard field goal on the board in the opening moments of the period and added a touchdown later when Cortlen Johnson dove in from one yard out. At halftime the Husker lead had been trimmed to 14-10.

Colorado then took their first lead of the game midway through the third quarter after a 12 play, 73 yard drive was capped by a 2-yard TD run by Johnson. Nebraska regained the advantage following a 75-yard drive that ended with an Eric Crouch 3-yard TD run giving NU a 21-17 lead with 5:39 left in the third. The see-sawing continued as the Buffs took the lead on Johnson’s third rushing score of the day early in the 4th quarter. Josh Brown tied the game for the Huskers with a 20-yard field goal on the subsequent drive to tie the score up 24-24. Keyou Craver then blocked another CU FG attempt and Crouch capped a five play drive with a 26 yard keeper for a touchdown giving the Huskers a 31-24 lead 5:20 left in the game. Colorado then drove the field scoring on a TD pass with less than a minute remaining. Trailing by one, the Buffs then converted a two-point conversion giving them a 32-31 lead. Starting on their own 42 with 47 seconds left, Crouch completed four of five pass attempts to move them down to the CU 22 with four seconds left. Sophomore kicker Josh Brown, who had already kicked a 20-yard field goal and missed a 32-yard attempt, lined up and booted the winning kick as time ran out.

Although Nebraska won all five of these contests, we have a stretch of five games decided by a combined 15 points. By comparison the Michigan - Ohio State games during those same years were decided by 44 combined points. I'm starting to convince myself this rivalry actually exists.

Birth of a Rivalry - Part VII

Today the series continues with a look at one of the most highly anticipated matchups between Nebraska and Colorado as the rivalry continues to intensify.
Coming off an emotional Orange Bowl effort that fell just short, Nebraska entered the 1994 season ranked 4th. The Huskers began their season early in the Kickoff Classic versus #24 West Virginia, where Nebraska was victorious 31-0. Big Red then cruised to victories over non-conference foes Texas Tech, #13 UCLA, and Pacific. Following the Pacific game Tommie Frazier was taken to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a blood clot in his leg. With backup Brook Berringer forced into action Nebraska defeated Wyoming 42-32. The Huskers then kicked off their Big 8 slate ranked #2 against Oklahoma State. Berringer had suffered a collapsed lung versus Wyoming, but would make the start against the Cowboys. He later re-collapsed his lung forcing third-string walkon Matt Turman to help guide the Huskers to a 32-3 win over OSU. The next week Nebraska went on the road to face #11 Kansas State with Turman as the starter. With Lawrence Phillips carrying the load the Huskers escaped Manhattan with a 17-6 win. The following week Berringer returned to guide Nebraska to a 42-7 win over Missouri. The third ranked Huskers were now ready for a showdown with the Buffs.

Colorado entered the year ranked #8 behind a high powered offense led by Kordell Stewart, Rashaan Salaam and Michael Westbrook. The Buffaloes began the season with blowout wins over NE Louisiana and 10th ranked Wisconsin. In week three they traveled to Ann Arbor to square off with #4 Michigan. The hard fought game came down to the final play, when Kordell Stewart completed a last second, 64-yard Hail Mary to Westbrook to defeat the Wolverines in the Big House. The next week the Buffs overpowered Texas 34-31 in Austin. Colorado then opened Big 8 play with wins over Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas State to set up the highly anticipated match up with the Huskers.

The two teams came into the game with the exact same rankings as they had in 1989, as Colorado was #2 and Nebraska was #3 nationally. The game also marked the 200th consecutive Memorial Stadium sellout, and the home fans would not be disappointed. Nebraska scored on their opening drive which was capped by a 14-yard run by fullback Cory Schlesinger. In the second quarter the Huskers added a 24-yard field goal by Tom Sieler and a 2-yard TD run by Clinton Childs. Their efficient offense and stingy defense propelled Nebraska to a 17-0 halftime lead. Statistically the Huskers dominated the Buffaloes in the first half outrushing them 234 to 89. Brook Berringer also out passed his counterpart Kordell Stewart 100 yards to 7.

In the third quarter Berringer connected with tight end Eric Alford for a pretty 30-yard touchdown to conclude Nebraska’s scoring. Colorado finally managed to get on the scoreboard on a Rashaan Salaam 6-yard run with 1:06 left in the third quarter. Following a scoreless fourth quarter Nebraska walked off the field with an impressive 24-7 win, which would propel them to the number one ranking.

Individual Statistics

RUSHING:
Colorado - Salaam 22-134, Stewart 14-24, Troutman 1-(minus 3). Nebraska - Phillips 24-103, Schlesinger 8-65, Makovicka 3-32, Benninger 8-2, Childs 5-14, Benning 3-1, Muhammad 1-1, team 1-(minus 15).

PASSING:
Colorado - Stewart 12-28-0-150, Detmer 1-2-0-9. Nebraska - Berringer 12-17-1-142.

RECEIVING:
Colorado - Westbrook 6-80, Lepsis 2-18, Carruth 2-28, Salaam 2-24, Savoy 1-9. Nebraska - Alford 5-78, Gillman 4-46, Muhammad 2-14, Phillips 1-4.

After falling to the Huskers the Buffaloes would finish their Big 8 conference run with wins over Oklahoma State, Kansas and Iowa State. After rushing for over 2000 yards in the regular season, Rashaan Salaam became the first player from the University of Colorado to win the Heisman Trophy. Colorado later accepted an invitation to play in the Fiesta Bowl, where they met unranked Notre Dame. The Buffaloes would defeat the Irish 41-24.

Fresh off the victory over CU, #1 Nebraska closed out its regular season with wins over Kansas, Iowa State and Oklahoma. The Huskers then focused on its next challenge, which was facing 3rd ranked Miami in the Orange Bowl. Nebraska would go on to beat the Hurricanes in dramatic fashion giving Tom Osborne his first national title. Zach Wiegert would be named the Outland Award winner for his efforts on the year. In addition, sophomore Lawrence Phillips finished 8th in the Heisman balloting, while Wiegert finished tenth.

You can check all of the highlights from Nebraska's 1994 Championship season below.

Birth of a Rivalry - Part VI

Nebraska came into the 1992 season hoping to improve on their 9-2-1 mark of a year ago. The Huskers once again found themselves looking for help at the quarterback position. They would begin the year with Mike Grant as the starter. However, both fans and coaches knew that hot-shot recruit Tommie Frazier was available on the bench. Nebraska began the year with blowout wins over Utah and Middle Tennessee State. The schedule got tougher, however, in week three as the 12th ranked Huskers had to travel to Seattle to take on the 2nd ranked Washington Huskies. Washington utilized its edge in the quickness department to defeat Nebraska 29-14. After suffering their first loss, the Huskers bounced back to beat Arizona State, Oklahoma State and Missouri. Nebraska was now 5-1 and ready for a Homecoming date with Colorado.

Colorado begin the 1992 season ranked 12th nationally. With quarterback Koy Detmer, the Buffaloes were looking to switch from an option-oriented attack to a pass-first attack. CU began its campaign with easy victories over non-conference opponents Colorado State, Baylor, Minnesota and Iowa. Their conference schedule then kicked off with a tough fought 6-0 victory at Missouri. The following week the Buffaloes hosted unranked Oklahoma and managed to escape with a 24-24 tie. After shellacking Kansas State, Colorado was 5-0-1 as it headed to Lincoln.

This game would mark the only meeting ever between two teams tied for the same spot in the AP Poll, as the teams shared the #8 ranking. To add to the frenzy, it was Halloween night and the home crowd was jacked up despite a constant drizzle. Colorado's T.J. Cunningham fumbled the opening kickoff. CU recovered, but then quarterback Koy Detmer threw an interception on the first play. The Huskers needed just 15 yards for their first touchdown. Nebraska’s second score came just as easily as I-back Calvin Jones took a handoff 47 yards on the first play of a drive. Detmer, who had three interceptions and a fumble, threw an interception on the next drive, and the Huskers turned that into a field goal for a 17-0 lead.

Colorado then had an 81-yard touchdown drive, with all but three of the yards on coming on passes. Then after the Huskers punted, CU had the ball, trailing just 17-7 with 1:49 to play in the half. On the next play, however, Detmer fumbled at the CU 27. Nebraska then set up its final touchdown of the half by dusting off one of its most famous trick plays - The Fumblerooskie. Center Jim Scott appeared to snap the ball, but instead put it back on the ground for 305-pound guard Will Shields, who picked it up and rumbled 16 yards to the CU 5. Of his one shining moment, Shields said:

"I felt great once I got going. I doubt I'll run very often, though. We've got enough quality backs in there."

Nebraska went into halftime with a 24-7 lead, and although they had no intention of letting up, the game was over before they took the field for the start of the third quarter. In the end, Nebraska outgained the Buffalos 428-144 on their way to a 52-7 blowout win. The goalposts came down and Husker fans celebrated their first win over a Top-10 team since 1988. The game also marked the Buffaloes' largest margin of defeat since 1983, when they lost by 50.

While the match up was supposed to showcase Colorado’s “modern” passing offense, it instead highlighted the power of Nebraska’s running game. When asked about the differing styles after the game Osborne said:

"I guess there's always a temptation when things go your way to say, ‘I told you so’. I've been at it long enough to know you shouldn't do that. But at this locale, with this climate, you've still got to be able to jam it at people some. Colorado's defense was on the field so much. You can only take so much pounding. And they had to take a lot of it because they were three plays and out so much on offense."

After its loss to Nebraska, Colorado recovered to win out over Oklahoma State, Kansas and Iowa State. They were 9-1-1 as they headed into the Fiesta Bowl against #6 Syracuse. The Orangeman defeated the Buffaloes 26-22 and Colorado finished 1992 9-1-1.

The momentum of the win over CU carried over into the following week as Nebraska rolled over #13 Kansas 49-7. However, just when the Huskers seemed to be playing their best along came an unassuming trip to Ames, Iowa and a match up with unranked Iowa State. In what remains arguably NU’s most shocking loss, Marv Seiler and ISU defeated the Huskers 19-10. After the ISU loss Nebraska finished the regular season with victories over Oklahoma and Kansas State in the Tokyo Dome. This finish again sent Nebraska to the Orange Bowl where they would face 3rd ranked Florida State. Nebraska played fairly well, but fell to the Seminoles 27-14.

Although the Huskers were big winners against Colorado in 1992, the teams seemed to have pretty similar levels of talent at this point in time. Where the Huskers seemed to lag behind the Buffaloes for a few years prior to this, might things be swinging in the opposite direction?

Birth of a Rivalry - Part V

When the 1991 season began Nebraska was looking to shake off the after-effects of a late-season disintegration that led to a 1-3 finish. Tom Osborne was also facing criticism for failing to produce a national title since becoming head coach in 1973. Conventional wisdom dictated he couldn’t win big games and his offense was thought to be far too one-dimensional. Despite recent struggles Nebraska began the season ranked #14 nationally, but the team would need consistent play at quarterback if the Huskers were to succeed.

Nebraska opened at home against Utah State under the direction of senior Mickey Joseph. Early in the game Keithen McCant spelled Joseph and helped lead the Huskers to a 59-28 win. The following week McCant got the nod and Nebraska cruised to a 71-14 victory over Colorado State. The next week Nebraska faced a tough challenge in #4 ranked Washington in Lincoln. Despite leading 21-9 in the third quarter, Nebraska could not stop the Huskies who escaped with a 36-21 win. After the loss, the Huskers ran off four straight victories over Arizona State, Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Missouri. This meant Nebraska was 6-1 and ranked 9th headed into a November 2 showdown with Colorado.

Coming off their first National Championship, Colorado began the year ranked 12th nationally. They kicked off their year with a 30-13 win over Wyoming to set up a date with #23 Baylor. Despite the home field advantage, the Buffaloes never got on track and the Bears left Boulder with a surprising 16-14 win. After a blowout win over Minnesota, CU traveled to Palo Alto to meet Stanford. Although few gave them a shot in the game, the unranked Cardinal took down the Buffalos 28-21, giving CU a disappointing 2-2 start to the 1991 season. Despite the slow start, Colorado quickly regrouped to defeat Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas State in Big 8 play. This set up a match up between 9th ranked NU and 15th ranked CU in Boulder.

Nationally, the rivalry was beginning to garner attention. Despite this, Coach Osborne remained low-key.

"I don't believe in having bonfires or trying to psyche the team up with anti-Colorado campaigns or things like that. I've never bought into that philosophy. We've never built up any one team in any special way. A year ago, somehow or another, it got to be that most of the things we did were not of a great deal of consequence because it got to the point with our players where the Colorado game was the whole measuring stick for the season. And then when we lost . . ."

While Osborne attempted to remain unassuming, tight end Johnny Mitchell took upon himself to speak on behalf of the team.

"Colorado is just Kansas State or Kansas to me. I don't think they can compete on our level for a long time. We gave them life the last couple years; I don't think we should have given them that much respect."

The game kicked off under sub-zero temperatures in Boulder. Nebraska got the ball first and appeared to score on its second play from scrimmage when Derek Brown ran 24 yards for a touchdown, however, it was called back due to an illegal procedure penalty. Aided by a roughing-the-passer penalty on third and 15, the Cornhuskers then continued the drive and scored on Byron Bennett's 27-yard field goal. Colorado then came right back on their first possession and took a 7-3 lead on Darian Hagan's 11-yard TD run, which capped an 11-play, 75-yard drive that featured three completions by Hagan.

After the fast start, both defenses settled down and took control. Neither team scored until Jim Harper, who earlier missed a 36-yard field-goal attempt, booted a 27- yarder to put Colorado ahead 10-3 with 6:54 left in the half. This score was set up by Hagan's 27-yard return of a punt from the Nebraska end zone (the starting QB returned punts?).

Nebraska then scored its first touchdown on a 49-yard pass from Keithen McCant to Jon Bostick with 1:17 remaining in the half. Unfortunately, Colorado's Greg Thomas blocked the extra point and the ball was scooped up by Greg Biekert, who returned it 85 yards for two points to give the Buffaloes a 12-9 halftime lead (see video).



In the third quarter Nebraska’s Byron Bennett connected from 35-yards out to tie the game at 12-12. Unfortunately, Nebraska was still struggling to contain Hagan in the second half. The Buffaloes ultimately took a 19-12 lead on Hagan's 4-yard touchdown run with 27 seconds left in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter Nebraska finally managed to tie the game on Derek Brown's 7-yard scoring run with 6:41 remaining in the game.

Very late in the game Nebraska had a final chance to win after driving from its own 46 to the Colorado 23 with four seconds left. Sophomore kicker Byron Bennett, who had already kicked field goals of 27 and 35-yards then came on the field to attempt a game winning 41-yard field goal. Colorado tried to put extra pressure on Bennett by calling three consecutive time-outs and CU fans pelted the field with snowballs before his final kick. When he did try it, Thomas leaped and blocked the ball with his left elbow. The ball rolled out of bounds as time expired.

Individual Statistics

Rushing
Nebraska, D.Brown 30-96, McCant 8-11, Lewis 1-6, Hughes 1-(-1). Colorado, Warren 17-55, Hagan 19-40, Hill 8-40, Kahl 3-12, Bussey 1-7, Joseph 1-4, Phillips 1-1, Westbrook 1-1.

Passing
Nebraska, McCant 8-20-0-181. Colorado, Hagan 10-22-0-140, Joseph 0-1-0-0.

Receiving
Nebraska, Mitchell 2-70, Bostick 2-59, Turner 2-32, Garrett 1-12, D.Brown 1-8. Colorado, S.Brown 4-60, Warren 2-35, Westbrook 2-17, R.Smith 1-17, C.Johnson 1-11.

The dramatic finish left Colorado, 5-2-1, and Nebraska, 6-1-1, and both were 3-0-1 in the Big Eight with three league games remaining. Colorado ended its conference run with wins over Oklahoma State, Kansas, and Iowa State. Nebraska closed out the Big 8 season with victories over Kansas, Iowa State and Oklahoma to finish the regular season 9-1-1 and ranked 11th nationally. With both teams finishing with identical 6-0-1 conference records the Orange Bowl committee selected Nebraska to go to the January 1st game. The Huskers once again met #1 Miami on their home field. The Hurricanes were bigger, stronger and faster and saddled the Huskers with their first shutout loss since 1973. The Hurricanes earned a share of the national championship with Washington. In a bizarre twist, it was the second straight year that the Huskers lost games to two teams that shared the national title. The Buffaloes settled on an invitation to the Blockbuster Bowl, where they fell to #8 ranked Alabama 30-25.

After Nebraska dominated Colorado for 25 years, the Buffalos began to show signs of life in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Beginning with the upset win in 1986, Colorado won 3, lost 2 and tied 1 of the battles with Nebraska between 1986 and 1991. Although Husker fans still identified Oklahoma as Nebraska’s major rival, the Buffaloes were becoming a force to be reckoned with in the Big 8 conference.

Birth of a Rivalry - Part IV

Here is the continuation of the birth of a rivalry series. Today we look at another game that helped drive the rivalry to new heights.

Nebraska began the 1990 season ranked 7th nationally. The Huskers cruised through their non-conference schedule with victories over Baylor, Northern Illinois, Minnesota, and Oregon State. The Big Red then began their conference schedule with wins over Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma State and Iowa State. The Huskers were now 8-0 and their closest game was a 13-0 season opening win over Baylor.

After defeating Nebraska in Boulder in 1989, Colorado came within one win of a possible national title. As a result, they began the 1990 season with extremely high expectations. Their season started in Anaheim, California in the Disneyland Pigskin Classic against Tennessee, where the Buffaloes tied the Volunteers 31-31. After a win over Stanford, CU went on the road and lost to #21 ranked Illinois 23-22. Following the unexpected loss Colorado ran off five straight wins including the infamous 5th down victory at Missouri. This set up a November 3rd match up between #9 Colorado and #2 Nebraska.

The weather in Lincoln for this showdown was rainy, cold and windy. After a slow start by both teams, Nebraska led 6-0 early in the 3rd quarter. NU fans hungry for a national title soon went crazy when the Memorial Stadium scoreboard flashed that #1 Virginia had lost to Georgia Tech. The cheering would continue when the Huskers recovered an Eric Bieniemy fumble at the CU 45. On the next play, Nebraska quarterback Mickey Joseph sprinted down the right sideline, and looked to be about to score. Unfortunately he stepped out of bounds at the 9, despite not being touched by a defender. Nebraska failed to score on the next three plays, and Gregg Barrios then missed a 20-yard field-goal attempt.

Nebraska managed to maintain the momentum and two drives later, they drove 80 yards and scored on Joseph's 46-yard pass to Johnny Mitchell for a 12-0 lead with 2:38 left in the third quarter. From that point on Colorado dominated. The Buffaloes drove 71 yards and scored on Bieniemy's 1-yard run with 14:43 left in the game. Colorado then stopped the Huskers and started driving again. Bieniemy had an 8-yard run, which was followed quickly by a Darian Hagan 34-yard pass. Three plays later, Bieniemy scored on a 2-yard run. CU missed on the two-point conversion but led 13-12 with 8:37 left.

With less than 7 minutes to play Nebraska had the ball and faced a fourth down still trailing by a point. The Huskers lined up in punt formation, but the generally conservative Osborne called for a fake. NU failed to pick up the first down and Colorado had the ball with 6:38 left. Of the fake, Osborne said:

"I'll probably catch heck for it since it didn't work. I began to see that we weren't stopping them very well, and I thought maybe that was our best chance to move the ball down the field."

Six plays later Bieniemy found the endzone again and Colorado went up 20-12. Nebraska’s offense sputtered once more and the Buffs got the ball back. As time ran down Bieniemy scored the final touchdown, his fourth of the day, with 1:20 remaining.

When the game ended Bieniemy, who had 161 yards, ran off, grabbed an orange from an assistant coach and held it over his head while facing the southwest corner of the stadium, where CU's fans were sitting. Colorado had defeated Nebraska for the second year in a row and the Buffaloes were headed back to the Orange Bowl.

After the Colorado loss Nebraska bounced back to defeat Kansas. Two weeks later, however, the Huskers were dismantled 45-10 by Oklahoma in Norman. At 9-2 Nebraska headed to the Citrus Bowl to face #2 ranked Georgia Tech. Nebraska continued its season-ending collapse and the Yellow Jackets thrashed Big Red 45-21. Nebraska finished the year 9-3 and ranked tied for17th in the UPI poll and 24th in the AP poll.

Colorado, which was now ranked #1 met #5 Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. The Buffaloes got revenge on the Irish by defeating them 10-9. This led to a split national title, in which Colorado won the AP title, while Georgia Tech took home the UPI honor.

National Titles
Bill McCartney - 1
Tom Osborne - 0

The rivalry grows.