Weirdest losses

[goodnterribles]

This brings up an interesting point. Not a fun one, but one that might be more specific with the 'decline'. The defense definitely went first in terms of talent. If you look back at wins and losses, even against ASU in 98 the D was stout. Ahead of the times. 8 guys on the LOS prior to the snap. Didn't matter if it was 4-3 or 3-4 or whatever. There was always a blitz, run or pass, LBs rushing and DL's dropping back. Take away the run and any semblance of a short passing game. QB's limited to 3 step drops and always got hit hard no matter what.

Yes, I know, we got shut out in 98. But the D held their own against a very good team. We recovered however in 99 offensively. We did not defensively. One could argue the opposite down the road and point to Pelini's good defenses and bad offenses. However, after Frank, Callahan changed things so dramatically that it's impossible to do a comparison. Even with an entire Offensive overhaul, the D can still remain strong, talented and well-prepared. It wasn't any of those things after 99/2000.

That game against Colorado marked the decline of the D. Unable to stop the run. Unable to impose will. D Line got blocked and LB's forced out of position. Totally exposed. We haven't recovered since. I do realize the Suh defense was pretty good and our anemic offense should have done more against Texass. But the defense sure lost a ton of talent quickly. That 2001 game also marks a time when we seriously got outcoached. We were blindsided by a running attack and a passing attack that was well thought out and well rehearsed. We were not prepared at all. Which also marked the end of our preparation standards in practice in my opinion. Surely we had the talent to not get gouged like that over and over again throughout the game. We lacked leadership on all levels defensively.

I think you got your years mixed up unless I'm not reading what you wrote clearly. NU got shut out in 1996. The D wasn't great in 98 because of injuries (I believe that was the La Tech year), but was absolutely dominant in 99.

 

[Rednu]

I probably cried after all of them, except 2009 ISU. I was too old to cry so I broke things instead.

 

[KleinTxHusker]

'92 Iowa State should be the only option in the poll.

The rest are so far behind that game as it was truly as fluky as fluky could ever be.

2009 ISU ... Bo had more than a few absolute clunkers to mediocre teams (a horrible Texas team in Lincoln in 2010 is another fine example -- UT team that finished with a losing record and was supposed to be our revenge game after the 0.1 sec). Anyhow, Bo sucked often enough that these losses happened.

1996 ASU -- That Arizona State team was very, very good -- top 5, 11-1.

1978 Missouri was also a good team. Finished the season in the top 15.

1992 ISU ... as mentioned, the only time Osborne ever lost to a team that finished the season with a losing record. That's what made Osborne great -- he ALWAYS beat the teams he was supposed to beat -- EXCEPT Iowa State in Ames in 1992. That game turned Marv Sellers into a legend. He was the ISU QB for that game -- the first college game he had ever started. He was a senior. That was ISU's last home game -- so the last time Sellers would ever have a shot to start a game in Ames. A true Rudy story, which included a crushing 78 yard run by Sellers. I remember listening to that game on the radio. But the whole time it was the feeling that this wasn't real, and eventually -- as happened every time with Osborne -- Nebraska would simply wake up and crush the Clones. It never happened. No loss more stunning. None.

Close the poll. There is no competition for that '92 game in Ames.

Sorry, while you are likely correct, call it lack of TV for the 1992 ISU game. Didn't get to see it and didn't know it happened until way later (I am not sure if we still had games broadcast in Houston, I think not, and besides, I think I was at my kid's soccer game).

I saw the 2009 ISU game and the ASU game on TV.

I was at the 1978 Mizzou game. We should have been three point favorites, not 14 point favorites. I thought that was an insane spread after we came off the emotional upset over OU (we lose to that OU team 9 times out of 10). The fan overconfidence alone was incredible (people really believed we would easily beat Mizzou and go play Penn State in the Orange Bowl and easily beat them for the MNC). We were not that good and Mizzou was very, very good.

 

[OPHusker]

Sorry, while you are likely correct, call it lack of TV for the 1992 ISU game. Didn't get to see it and didn't know it happened until way later (I am not sure if we still had games broadcast in Houston, I think not, and besides, I think I was at my kid's soccer game).

I saw the 2009 ISU game and the ASU game on TV.

I was at the 1978 Mizzou game. We should have been three point favorites, not 14 point favorites. I thought that was an insane spread after we came off the emotional upset over OU (we lose to that OU team 9 times out of 10). The fan overconfidence alone was incredible (people really believed we would easily beat Mizzou and go play Penn State in the Orange Bowl and easily beat them for the MNC). We were not that good and Mizzou was very, very good.

Yes Missouri was very good that day, James Wilder ran for like 190 against Lance Van Zandt's defense.... and shortly thereafter TO took a look at what Colorado was offering but fortunately stayed home....

 

[HuskerJ]

I think you got your years mixed up unless I'm not reading what you wrote clearly. NU got shut out in 1996. The D wasn't great in 98 because of injuries (I believe that was the La Tech year), but was absolutely dominant in 99.

I did get my years mixed up.

 

[Hooked on Huskers]

Weirdest Pissed off losses in Husker history

1982 Ped State
Runner up: 1993 FSU or maybe be 1983 UThugs

Added 2010 finger gay A&M

1894 Crete Doane

 

[HuskerWeatherman]

Sorry, while you are likely correct, call it lack of TV for the 1992 ISU game. Didn't get to see it and didn't know it happened until way later (I am not sure if we still had games broadcast in Houston, I think not, and besides, I think I was at my kid's soccer game).

I saw the 2009 ISU game and the ASU game on TV.

I was at the 1978 Mizzou game. We should have been three point favorites, not 14 point favorites. I thought that was an insane spread after we came off the emotional upset over OU (we lose to that OU team 9 times out of 10). The fan overconfidence alone was incredible (people really believed we would easily beat Mizzou and go play Penn State in the Orange Bowl and easily beat them for the MNC). We were not that good and Mizzou was very, very good.

I wasn't at the '78 Missouri game -- but I was the game prior against OU.

As you suggest, the upset win over OU was more surprising than the upset loss to Missouri. That may have been OU's best team that didn't win a national title -- and their only loss that season was to Nebraska in Lincoln.

Definitely, the emotions following that upset over OU were as high as they've ever been. And that game had to take a physical toll on the Huskers. It was a true slobberknocker. While Missouri had just come off a 48-0 pasting of Kansas, in which they were able to coast -- and likely rest some starters in the second half. Missouri was a quality team in '78. Finished 14/15 in the two polls. Not only James Wilder running all over the Blackshirts, but future pro and college football hall of famer, Kellen Winslow had six catches for 132 yards and a TD against NU that day. Warren Powers was fully capable of upsetting a lot of teams back then. And we know the grudge he held against Nebraska. Heck, Missouri beat #5 Notre Dame in South Bend earlier in the '78 season.

I don't recall if the '92 NU-ISU game was televised. I know I listened to it on the radio and never felt like it was really happening to us.

 

[HuskerRedDread]

The most puzzling loss has to be the ISU 09 game........ We were never outplayed in anyway shape or form. We simply couldn't get out our own way that game. First thing that pops in my head about that game is seeing Niles Paul breaking away with NO ONE between him and the goal line and somehow he kicks the ball out of his own hands inside the 7 yard line taking away what would have been 6 easy points.

Hell, that entire season was just weird to me. We had one of the most DOMINATING college football players on the Dline in Suh, leading a national championship caliber defense.....all we needed was "average at best" offense. Cross the goal line once or twice every game rather than depending on Alex Henery's legendary foot. We beat VT, ISU, & definitely we don't have to worry about Texas getting that extra second added to the clock.

 

[TnHusker87]

Hell, that entire season was just weird to me. We had one of the most DOMINATING college football players on the Dline in Suh, leading a national championship caliber defense.....all we needed was "average at best" offense. Cross the goal line once or twice every game rather than depending on Alex Henery's legendary foot. We beat VT, ISU, & definitely we don't have to worry about Texas getting that extra second added to the clock.

In the context of those three losses ... yikes ... had not reflected back on how close that was to a far better season.

 

[KleinTxHusker]

The most puzzling loss has to be the ISU 09 game........ We were never outplayed in anyway shape or form. We simply couldn't get out our own way that game. First thing that pops in my head about that game is seeing Niles Paul breaking away with NO ONE between him and the goal line and somehow he kicks the ball out of his own hands inside the 7 yard line taking away what would have been 6 easy points.

Hell, that entire season was just weird to me. We had one of the most DOMINATING college football players on the Dline in Suh, leading a national championship caliber defense.....all we needed was "average at best" offense. Cross the goal line once or twice every game rather than depending on Alex Henery's legendary foot. We beat VT, ISU, & definitely we don't have to worry about Texas getting that extra second added to the clock.

In the context of those three losses ... yikes ... had not reflected back on how close that was to a far better season.

You all are forgetting about the worst loss of all, Texas Tech at home.

 

[North Cove]

I'm a bit surprised more people thus far feel '09 loss to ISU was the weirdest. But I suppose that depends on your definition of weird. I also think there's a few who have voted who weren't old enough to fully grasp the '92 loss to Iowa State.

Of the four teams listed, '92 ISU was the only team that had a losing record. '

09 ISU had a winning record and played in a bowl game. '78 Missouri finished 14/15 in the two major polls. '96 Arizona State went undefeated in the regular season, only loss was by 3 to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl -- otherwise, ASU would have laid a claim as national champ.

Sure, I know how NU had to do literally everything wrong to lose that game in 2009. But I saw sloppy games and stupid errors too many times under Bo (and Callahan and Riley). There was a point last decade where I began to take keystone cops games like that as expected at times. But you never expected Osborne to lose a game to a really bad team -- starting a 3rd string senior QB who had never started a game in his college career. That was so completely out of the ordinary for anything else you saw in the entire Osborne era. An absolute gimme game. 25 years of never losing to a team with a losing record -- with that one exception in 1992 in Ames. But so many times from the 2001 NU-CU game to current times -- almost every season -- I witnessed crap shows like the 2009 NU-ISU game.

To me, weird is something completely unexpected and out of the norm under the coach. '92 ISU fits that bill unlike any other. Obviously, I'm in the minority.

I voted '09 ISU but I agree with your logic here.

 

[HuskerRedDread]

In the context of those three losses ... yikes ... had not reflected back on how close that was to a far better season.

Yea, it's crazy what could have been with that 09 team. On the road vs VT, in Linconl vs ISU, and CCG vs Texas........each of those games I still say NU was the better team, but on one side of the ball, we had no pulse.

I still don't feel that 09 defensive unit gets enough credit for how great they were top to bottom. The literally gave us an opportunity to win each game, and even won some games. And that was the time where the Big 12 had high power offenses at every corner.

Pelini's sophomore coaching season should have been his best year, but he had all his game changers on one side of the ball. The lack of production by the offense is what forced the coaches to move that California kid, who played WR on the scout team, to QB, regardless of the fact he struggled with some of the necessary attributes you look for in a QB...... "But he was fast, though".........

 

[HuskerRedDread]

You all are forgetting about the worst loss of all, Texas Tech at home.

Didn't forget about it. Just didn't want to put it with the other 3 losses because TTU I dare say, came out and beat us. VT, ISU, & Texas.......we simply gave them a win simply because we refused to get in the endzone.........just once.

 

[KleinTxHusker]

Didn't forget about it. Just didn't want to put it with the other 3 losses because TTU I dare say, came out and beat us. VT, ISU, & Texas.......we simply gave them a win simply because we refused to get in the endzone.........just once.

Got it... I guess I didn't realize we never saw the end zone in the VT game... I think I only caught the last 10 minutes.... makes me think I caused the loss... we were doing better when I was out of internet range and not near a TV... we got back into Estes after a day in the park and I told my wife we had to catch the end of the game... ruined the day...

 

[wheat]

The '99 loss to Texas sticks in my mind. It probably cost us a national title. We doubled them up on yards but kept fumbling as we were about to score. The '09 ISU game was surreal but the '99 Texas loss was both weird and costly.