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Top 3 TD's in Husker History


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Old classmate of mine started blogging on Husker Football. Enjoyed this piece:

 

 

When I think of the tradition that is Nebraska Football, I always like to look back at all of the amazing plays, players, and games. One thing thats been fun to think about is what is the best touchdown in Nebraska history. With so many great plays to choose from, it basically comes down to ones personal opinion. Its very hard to look at all of the historic plays in Nebraska history and say Yes, I can 100% truly say that thats the best touchdown in Nebraska history.

https://bettgerblog.wordpress.com/2015/05/15/what-is-the-best-touchdown-in-nebraska-football-history-my-top-3/

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Ha ha! It’s impossible to limit it to just three.

Top 5:
1) The Return. Johnny Rodger’s impossible punt return
2) The Run. Tommie vs. the whole Florida defense.
3) The Scramble. Taylor Martinez dodges and weaves through the whole state of Wisconsin
4) The Flea kicker. Shevin Wiggins’ foot keeps the ’97 MNC hopes alive
5) Cory Schlesinger has a pair that Miami is jealous of

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1. Schlessinger's first TD against Miami to tie the game. Schlessinger's touchdown was The Play that told long-suffering Husker fans, This Time It Will Be Different. We'd just lost seven straight bowl games, including the previous year's National Championship on a wide-left FG attempt in heartbreaking fashion. The 1994 team was ready to change 20 years of Osborne Era frustration. Unfinished Business pulled that team through the season undefeated, and with a shot at Miami for the National Championship, the table was set. But Miami came out firing, and we gave up a disastrous touchdown to Miami on the opening drive of the 2nd half. Nebraska was down 17-7, seemed to be foundering, and that "Oh no" feeling once again settled over Husker Nation. The rest of the third quarter was a scrum, but the Huskers slowly gained the upper hand and began exerting their will. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Huskers down 17-9, Schlessinger rumbled through an exhausted Hurricanes defense and scored the tying touchdown. I would argue that was the single most important touchdown in the last 50 years of Nebraska football. That game was tied, but we may as well have had a 10-point lead. Tight limbs were loosed. The defense, who had been playing well before this, began flying around like hellions, burying Miami's Costa over and over. The Miami run game disappeared, and Nebraska got the ball back, leading to the winning touchdown. On both sides of the ball, Nebraska was a team possessed, exorcising the demons of 20 years of frustration and failure.

 

2. Johnny "The Jet" Rodgers tearing them loose from their shoes. Johnny Rodgers may have been the best player ever at Nebraska. His best TD, scored in The Game of the Century, has to be considered for #1 as well. "Here's Wiley's kick. It's high... it holds up there. Rodgers takes the ball at the 30. He's hit and got away. Back upfield to the 35, to the 40. He's to the 45, he's to the 50 to the 45! To the 40, to the 35! To the 20, to the 10, he's ALL THE WAY HOME! HOLY MOLY!! Man, woman and child, did that put 'em in the aisles! Johnny the Jet Rodgers... just tore 'em loose from their shoes!"

 

3. The Flea Kicker: Frost to Wiggins' foot to Davison. The TD that saved the 1997 National Championship was the most improbable of a string of very improbable plays, when Missouri improbably gave the Huskers more game than they wanted, taking the lead with one minute left in the game, and Nebraska 67 yards from the end zone. That 1997 team wasn't built for a hurry-up offense, but Frost engineered a 10-play scoring drive, every yard coming through the air, going 5/10, with the touchdown pass caught on 3rd-and-ten as time expired not three inches off the turf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I fondly remember Martinez' crazy run against Wisconsin. That may have been a top-five individual effort by any Husker, ever. But it didn't affect anything, and it lacked importance in the grand scheme of things.

 

Tommie Frazier's run against a demoralized and lackluster Florida defense late in the 1995 National Championship game doesn't merit consideration. Tommie himself doesn't think that was his best effort, and it didn't affect the outcome of anything. It was, perhaps, the most fun touchdown in Husker history, coming as it did in the midst of a three-quarter long celebration of Nebraska dominance, but the game was far out of reach by the time this run happened, and Florida very clearly just wanted to get off the field.

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1. Schlessinger's first TD against Miami to tie the game. Schlessinger's touchdown was The Play that told long-suffering Husker fans, This Time It Will Be Different. We'd just lost seven straight bowl games, including the previous year's National Championship on a wide-left FG attempt in heartbreaking fashion. The 1994 team was ready to change 20 years of Osborne Era frustration. Unfinished Business pulled that team through the season undefeated, and with a shot at Miami for the National Championship, the table was set. But Miami came out firing, and gave up a disastrous touchdown to Miami on the opening drive of the 2nd half. Nebraska was down 17-7, seemed to be foundering, and that "Oh no" feeling once again settled over Husker Nation. The rest of the third quarter was a scrum, but the Huskers slowly gained the upper hand and began exerting their will. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Huskers down 17-9, Schlessinger rumbled through an exhausted Hurricanes defense and scored the tying touchdown. I would argue that was the single most important touchdown in the last 50 years of Nebraska football. That game was tied, but we may as well have had a 10-point lead. Tight limbs were loosed. The defense, who had been playing well before this, began flying around like hellions, burying Miami's Costa over and over. The Miami run game disappeared, and Nebraska got the ball back, leading to the winning touchdown. On both sides of the ball, Nebraska was a team possessed, exorcising the demons of 20 years of frustration and failure.

 

2. Johnny "The Jet" Rodgers tearing them loose from their shoes. Johnny Rodgers may have been the best player ever at Nebraska. His best TD, scored in The Game of the Century, has to be #1. "Here's Wiley's kick. It's high... it holds up there. Rodgers takes the ball at the 30. He's hit and got away. Back upfield to the 35, to the 40. He's to the 45, he's to the 50 to the 45! To the 40, to the 35! To the 20, to the 10, he's ALL THE WAY HOME! HOLY MOLY!! Man, woman and child, did that put 'em in the aisles! Johnny the Jet Rodgers... just tore 'em loose from their shoes!"

 

3. The Flea Kicker: Frost to Wiggins' foot to Davison. The TD that saved the 1997 National Championship was the most improbable of a string of very improbable plays, when Missouri improbably gave the Huskers more game than they wanted, taking the lead with one minute left in the game, and Nebraska 67 yards from the end zone. That 1997 team wasn't built for a hurry-up offense, but Frost engineered a 10-play scoring drive, every yard coming through the air, going 5/10, with the touchdown pass caught on 3rd-and-ten as time expired not three inches off the turf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I fondly remember Martinez' crazy run against Wisconsin. That may have been a top-five individual effort by any Husker, ever. But it didn't affect anything, and it lacked importance in the grand scheme of things.

 

Tommie Frazier's run against a demoralized and lackluster Florida defense late in the 1995 National Championship game doesn't merit consideration. Tommie himself doesn't think that was his best effort, and it didn't affect the outcome of anything. It was, perhaps, the most fun touchdown in Husker history, coming as it did in the midst of a three-quarter long celebration of Nebraska dominance, but the game was far out of reach by the time this run happened, and Florida very clearly just wanted to get off the field.

Yeah, I can't really argue against your top 3. I'd probably reorder them myself, because I felt we were going to march down against Miami no matter what (even though it wasn't a given at the time especially after the INT in the end zone a little earlier. The Rodgers return was a fantastic run and an enormous play in The Game Of The Century, and the flea kicker instantly averted a "ruined" season and kept the championship run going. But that's a good justification for your #1.

 

Agree on Frazier's run too, that was more of a bunch of guys making a half effort to strip the ball rather than trying to take him down. It was, however, symbolic of the game and the whole season, that we wore teams down and then ran right over and away from them.

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1. Schlessinger's first TD against Miami to tie the game. Schlessinger's touchdown was The Play that told long-suffering Husker fans, This Time It Will Be Different. We'd just lost seven straight bowl games, including the previous year's National Championship on a wide-left FG attempt in heartbreaking fashion. The 1994 team was ready to change 20 years of Osborne Era frustration. Unfinished Business pulled that team through the season undefeated, and with a shot at Miami for the National Championship, the table was set. But Miami came out firing, and we gave up a disastrous touchdown to Miami on the opening drive of the 2nd half. Nebraska was down 17-7, seemed to be foundering, and that "Oh no" feeling once again settled over Husker Nation. The rest of the third quarter was a scrum, but the Huskers slowly gained the upper hand and began exerting their will. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Huskers down 17-9, Schlessinger rumbled through an exhausted Hurricanes defense and scored the tying touchdown. I would argue that was the single most important touchdown in the last 50 years of Nebraska football. That game was tied, but we may as well have had a 10-point lead. Tight limbs were loosed. The defense, who had been playing well before this, began flying around like hellions, burying Miami's Costa over and over. The Miami run game disappeared, and Nebraska got the ball back, leading to the winning touchdown. On both sides of the ball, Nebraska was a team possessed, exorcising the demons of 20 years of frustration and failure.

 

2. Johnny "The Jet" Rodgers tearing them loose from their shoes. Johnny Rodgers may have been the best player ever at Nebraska. His best TD, scored in The Game of the Century, has to be considered for #1 as well. "Here's Wiley's kick. It's high... it holds up there. Rodgers takes the ball at the 30. He's hit and got away. Back upfield to the 35, to the 40. He's to the 45, he's to the 50 to the 45! To the 40, to the 35! To the 20, to the 10, he's ALL THE WAY HOME! HOLY MOLY!! Man, woman and child, did that put 'em in the aisles! Johnny the Jet Rodgers... just tore 'em loose from their shoes!"

 

3. The Flea Kicker: Frost to Wiggins' foot to Davison. The TD that saved the 1997 National Championship was the most improbable of a string of very improbable plays, when Missouri improbably gave the Huskers more game than they wanted, taking the lead with one minute left in the game, and Nebraska 67 yards from the end zone. That 1997 team wasn't built for a hurry-up offense, but Frost engineered a 10-play scoring drive, every yard coming through the air, going 5/10, with the touchdown pass caught on 3rd-and-ten as time expired not three inches off the turf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I fondly remember Martinez' crazy run against Wisconsin. That may have been a top-five individual effort by any Husker, ever. But it didn't affect anything, and it lacked importance in the grand scheme of things.

 

Tommie Frazier's run against a demoralized and lackluster Florida defense late in the 1995 National Championship game doesn't merit consideration. Tommie himself doesn't think that was his best effort, and it didn't affect the outcome of anything. It was, perhaps, the most fun touchdown in Husker history, coming as it did in the midst of a three-quarter long celebration of Nebraska dominance, but the game was far out of reach by the time this run happened, and Florida very clearly just wanted to get off the field.

Good selections!

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Great thread.

 

I gotta almost go with Knapp on the Schlesinger TD at No.1. You could put the Missouri "Flea Kicker" up there too as far as importance, but the Schlesinger run had the most important timing. It was when Tom and his team finally broke through. You knew it when that run happened too, at least I did. Miami was wearing down, Sapp was huffing and puffing, hands on hips. It was all coming together and it was happening the Nebraska way. We beat em' in their place but with our style of football. That final nail was just waiting to be driven. I still get goosebumps when I watch that game. I love that play, but when you watch that whole game you get the full understanding of how brilliant that all unfolded. Some of the younger Huskers out there just have no idea......

 

No. 2 The Flea Kicker. It saved the season. It was miraculous. Without that touchdown Tom Osborne doesn't retire as a Champion. That in itself is worth a ton.

 

No. 3. I gotta go just from my perspective and say the Black 41 Flash Reverse Pass - Stuntz to Crouch. I just went nuts watching that play happen. Not unlike Suh's catch, or watching Rodgers run (before my time) are easily enough to get you on your feet, but that Oklahoma game had so much build up. Two top teams in the country. Crouch was on a march to the Heisman and that play was one of em that solidified his place in history, amongst a few other amazing plays that year. I love going into the Heisman room at the Stadium and re-living that play.

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