"Statement Game for Callahan/Taylor"

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

Sorry if this has been posted already.

 

OWH

 

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Paintbrush, please.

 

The scoreboard read 1:57. Zac Taylor and the Nebraska offense jogged onto the field. They had 75 yards in front of them. They were out of timeouts. Not faith.

 

Meanwhile, venerable Kyle Field was quaking from the spine-chilling noise of 83,000 12th men roaring down on this last-ditch effort.

 

The rest, as they say, is history.

 

[Syzygyone]

Sorry if this has been posted already.

 

OWH

 

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Paintbrush, please.

 

The scoreboard read 1:57. Zac Taylor and the Nebraska offense jogged onto the field. They had 75 yards in front of them. They were out of timeouts. Not faith.

 

Meanwhile, venerable Kyle Field was quaking from the spine-chilling noise of 83,000 12th men roaring down on this last-ditch effort.

 

The rest, as they say, is history.

 

 

 

Could you post the story please. I don't like OWH requiring that I log in so they can see what I read.

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

My bad. I forgot not everyone is registered. Here ya go!

 

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Paintbrush, please.

 

The scoreboard read 1:57. Zac Taylor and the Nebraska offense jogged onto the field. They had 75 yards in front of them. They were out of timeouts. Not faith.

 

Meanwhile, venerable Kyle Field was quaking from the spine-chilling noise of 83,000 12th men roaring down on this last-ditch effort.

 

The rest, as they say, is history.

 

This was one suitable for framing. This one will find its way onto the walls of every shag-carpeted basement from Auburn to Alliance.

 

It will show Zac Taylor throwing a pass and Maurice Purify going up to snatch the jump ball out of the air. In the background the scoreboard will read "Nebraska 28, Texas A&M 27." The clock will read :21."

 

This was one of those games that folks will tell their grandkids about, whether they were there or not.

 

This will be a poster they'll sell at Husker Hounds, right next to the ones of the Mike Stuntz pass and the Matt Davison catch. It will be entitled "The Drive" or "Taylor's Masterpiece."

 

"Different circumstances," said Davison, the former Husker receiver and current radio analyst, comparing this winning drive to his own miracle catch against Missouri in 1997. "But it was very similar."

 

Davison's catch helped save a national championship. But this was no less dramatic - or important to the men in red on the sidelines.

 

Last week, some mocked the idea that beating an unranked Missouri team could be a "signature win" for coach Bill Callahan.

 

Who's laughing now?

 

Signature win. Statement win. Gone with the win. Whatever you want to call it, this one was different for Nebraska's coach and his third-year program.

 

The Huskers clinched the Big 12 North on Saturday, but the picture was much bigger than that.

 

Callahan's program went from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs.

 

It couldn't have been worse. Then it couldn't have been better.

 

The Huskers went from looking inept and getting outcoached and blowing a big lead to rallying on the road, showing big heart and bigger preparation.

 

They went from looking at four losses, and possibly five or six, to 8-3 and a shot at nine or 10 wins and tangible evidence of progress.

 

They went from the lonely road to El Paso, Texas, and the Sun Bowl to the Holiday or Cotton Bowl - or perhaps the Fiesta Bowl. They're feeling a lot better about their chances of winning a game on Dec. 2.

 

Callahan went from a coach who couldn't win a big road game, couldn't beat a good South Division team, to a coach with a Big 12 South pelt for his office.

 

Taylor went from having a nice career at Nebraska to a quarterback with a moment in time. Taylor became NU's all-time leading passer on his first touchdown pass of the day. But all anybody will remember is his last one.

 

And the defensive coaching staff went from looking at pink slips to receiving a pardon.

 

Strangely enough, this classic finish started with a play and a tackle from a defense that had made too few of either.

 

Taylor had thrown an interception with 2:50 left. The Aggies had the ball at the NU 29-yard line and the lead, 27-21. On the first play, Mike Goodson ran wide and was pushed out of bounds by corner Andre Jones to stop the clock.

 

Two more running plays, and two NU timeouts. Texas A&M tried a 42-yard field goal. Nebraska's Barry Turner blocked it.

 

The Huskers had owned the first half, then given the game back in the second half. Could they possibly wrap their hands around it again?

 

They jogged out onto the field with 1:57 left, and nobody believed but them.

 

"There was a confidence, a calmness," Callahan said. "I'm not speaking out of turn or trying to be arrogant, but we practice this every week. This very situation, every week."

 

Every Thursday. But this was Saturday at Kyle Field. With no timeouts.

 

"We usually cheat and give ourselves one timeout," Taylor said. "But we didn't need it."

 

They had plenty of time. And leadership.

 

"Zac said, 'We can do this,'" Purify said. " 'Just keep your head in the game.'"

 

Put two unlikely heroes in the painting. Taylor completed 5 of 11 passes on the drive. Three completions went to walk-ons Todd Peterson and Dan Erickson.

 

"When you're out there, you aren't paying attention to who you're throwing to," Taylor said. "You're looking for the guy that's open."

 

Add a brush stroke of fate. On third-and-10 at the Aggies' 17, Taylor threw incomplete. But Texas A&M got flagged for roughing the quarterback.

 

The door was open. First and goal at the 9. Taylor wanted the fade to Purify again. The 6-4 junior had the size advantage on the Aggies' smallish corners. It was the perfect call.

 

"He said, 'I'll get you the ball, no matter what,'" Purify said. "All I was thinking was, I have to get it. I can't drop it."

 

With that, Purify made the statement of the day. He released a deep, exhausted breath.

 

It was that kind of game. Laugh all you want, but this was a signature day, statement game, for a coach and quarterback looking for identities. They may have found a lot more.

 

[ttheKid1*18]

Great article imo. I will never forget that game. I think I'm going to watch it again later today on DVR!

[Syzygyone]

 

It was that kind of game. Laugh all you want, but this was a signature day, statement game, for a coach and quarterback looking for identities. They may have found a lot more.

 

[/i]

 

[DJR313]

Yeah, pretty much an awesome game. I think Shatel captured the moment accurately. I wonder if Zac Taylor is still "overrated"?

[BIGREDIOWAN]

That was a good article gave me goosebumps to read about it again........

[Syzygyone]

Yeah, pretty much an awesome game. I think Shatel captured the moment accurately. I wonder if Zac Taylor is still "overrated"?

 

What a great article.

 

 

I wonder if the Big 12 coach that said ZT was good but not great is eating his words?

[hskrfan4life]

overall it was a GREAT GAME and an even better article

[ttheKid1*18]

Yeah, pretty much an awesome game. I think Shatel captured the moment accurately. I wonder if Zac Taylor is still "overrated"?

 

What a great article.

 

 

I wonder if the Big 12 coach that said ZT was good but not great is eating his words?

Don't forget about Beck's mom. He is just an "ok" player, who will hopefully be bringing us to an "ok" BCS Bowl.

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

That was a good article gave me goosebumps to read about it again........

 

Me too!!

 

 

Don't forget about Beck's mom. He is just an "ok" player, who will hopefully be bringing us to an "ok" BCS Bowl.

 

[CENTEXHUSKER]

Yeah, pretty much an awesome game. I think Shatel captured the moment accurately. I wonder if Zac Taylor is still "overrated"?

 

What a great article.

 

 

I wonder if the Big 12 coach that said ZT was good but not great is eating his words?

Don't forget about Beck's mom. He is just an "ok" player, who will hopefully be bringing us to an "ok" BCS Bowl.

 

Who is Beck?

[TaraTony]

Isn't Beck a semi-grunge-rock artist?