1995 Huskers - In a league of their own

[TGHusker]

http://huskernsider.tumblr.com/post/73284061493/95-huskers-remain-in-a-league-of-their-own

 

Good article on how dominate the 95 team was. No wonder we long for the good old days.

 

PART OF THE ARTICLE:

To Honor the Old Big 8, Eight Dominating Facts

1) Nebraska’s smallest margin of victory in 1995 was 14 points in a 35-21 win over Washington State. It was the only game in which Nebraska trailed all season before taking a 28-7 lead into the fourth quarter and letting its subs get meaningful snaps. Reserve freshman I-back Ahman Green, who would go on to become the Green Bay Packers’ all-time leading rusher, finished the Washington State game with 176 yards rushing and one touchdown on 13 carries. The Huskers out-rushed the Cougars, 428-72. And get this: In the fifth game of the season, Washington State came into Lincoln with the nation’s fourth-ranked rushing defense, giving up only 69.7 yards per game.

2) In 1995, Nebraska averaged 400 yards rushing per game while allowing only 78 yards rushing per game to its opponents. The Huskers scored 51 rushing touchdowns in ’95 and gave up only six rushing TDs. Nebraska averaged a Division I-A record 7.0 yards per rushing attempt for the entire season, including the bowl game shellacking of Florida.

3) Question: With an offensive line anchored by 1995 All-America center Graham, guess how many quarterback sacks Nebraska gave up in that remarkable 12-0 season? Answer: If you said zero, you would be right.

4) Want to talk special teams? Kris Brown, one of college football’s and one of the NFL’s best kickers ever, connected on 13 of 16 field goal attempts whenever Nebraska’s offensive juggernaut hit a skid mark. And get this, the Huskers tied an NCAA record in ’95 by allowing only five punt returns all season for a grand net total of 12 yards. Yikes!

5) Nebraska’s average margin of victory in 1995 was more than 38 points, the largest average of any Division I-A team since World War II. The margin exceeded a six-touchdown average despite Nebraska resting its starters in the second halves of most games.

6) Here’s something to chew on. Nebraska averaged 29.8 points per first half in 1995. That’s a higher scoring average in one half than at least three national championship teams averaged in a whole game – Alabama (1992), Ohio State (2002) and Florida (2006).

7) For the 1995 season, Nebraska averaged 53.2 points per game and allowed only 14.5 points per game. When you think about making a big deal out of Florida State’s 2013 team having the possibility to win every game by at least 14 points like Nebraska did, this particular stat screams rather loudly that the Huskers should stand alone in this spotlight.

8) I saved my best stat for the last stat. In the final rankings from the 1995 season, Nebraska beat four teams that finished in the final AP Top Ten rankings – national runner-up Florida (62-24), No. 5 Colorado (44-21), No. 7 Kansas State (49-25) and No. 9 Kansas (41-3).

[ATLHusker]

 

3) Question: With an offensive line anchored by 1995 All-America center Graham, guess how many quarterback sacks Nebraska gave up in that remarkable 12-0 season? Answer: If you said zero, you would be right.

 

 

if you guessed zero on how many holding penalties they were called for, you would be right again.

[TGHusker]

That I did not know. That is truly amazing. No holding and no sacks - sounds like an breakable curtain. With our running game, the D did have to play honest and not rush our QB in mass. Of course, only being behind a couple of times a year allows for few for sure passing situations.

I don't know honestly and hopefully without bias how any other college team could compare. I think our 1971 team was considered the greatest all time up until then even wt the close game of the century win.

[Hingle McCringleberry]

Not only is 1971 the best Nebraska team of the past 50 years, it is the best team in the history of college football.

In addition to winning a second straight national championship, these Cornhuskers won the greatest game ever played, the 1971 Thanksgiving clash between No. 1 Nebraska and No. 2 Oklahoma, 35-31 in the friendly confines of Norman.

Nebraska won the National Championship in the Orange Bowl over the undefeated Alabama Crimson Tide of Bear Bryant, 38-6. With the win, Nebraska finished 13-0 for 1971, the first team ever to win 13 games in a season.

The '71 Cornhuskers, known as the "Big Red Machine" mowed down their opponents by an average of 39-8 per game. Only three of the 13 teams they faced scored in double figures.

How strong was the Big 8 Conference in 1971? To this day it is the only season to have league teams finish 1,2,3 in the final AP poll and that is where the Cornhuskers, Sooners, and Buffaloes wrapped up the season.

The best team in the best conference season of all time.

 

'95 was astounding, '71 still takes the cake.

[Foppa]

http://huskernsider....ue-of-their-own

 

Good article on how dominate the 95 team was. No wonder we long for the good old days.

 

PART OF THE ARTICLE:

To Honor the Old Big 8, Eight Dominating Facts

1) Nebraska’s smallest margin of victory in 1995 was 14 points in a 35-21 win over Washington State. It was the only game in which Nebraska trailed all season before taking a 28-7 lead into the fourth quarter and letting its subs get meaningful snaps. Reserve freshman I-back Ahman Green, who would go on to become the Green Bay Packers’ all-time leading rusher, finished the Washington State game with 176 yards rushing and one touchdown on 13 carries. The Huskers out-rushed the Cougars, 428-72. And get this: In the fifth game of the season, Washington State came into Lincoln with the nation’s fourth-ranked rushing defense, giving up only 69.7 yards per game.

2) In 1995, Nebraska averaged 400 yards rushing per game while allowing only 78 yards rushing per game to its opponents. The Huskers scored 51 rushing touchdowns in ’95 and gave up only six rushing TDs. Nebraska averaged a Division I-A record 7.0 yards per rushing attempt for the entire season, including the bowl game shellacking of Florida.

3) Question: With an offensive line anchored by 1995 All-America center Graham, guess how many quarterback sacks Nebraska gave up in that remarkable 12-0 season? Answer: If you said zero, you would be right.

4) Want to talk special teams? Kris Brown, one of college football’s and one of the NFL’s best kickers ever, connected on 13 of 16 field goal attempts whenever Nebraska’s offensive juggernaut hit a skid mark. And get this, the Huskers tied an NCAA record in ’95 by allowing only five punt returns all season for a grand net total of 12 yards. Yikes!

5) Nebraska’s average margin of victory in 1995 was more than 38 points, the largest average of any Division I-A team since World War II. The margin exceeded a six-touchdown average despite Nebraska resting its starters in the second halves of most games.

6) Here’s something to chew on. Nebraska averaged 29.8 points per first half in 1995. That’s a higher scoring average in one half than at least three national championship teams averaged in a whole game – Alabama (1992), Ohio State (2002) and Florida (2006).

7) For the 1995 season, Nebraska averaged 53.2 points per game and allowed only 14.5 points per game. When you think about making a big deal out of Florida State’s 2013 team having the possibility to win every game by at least 14 points like Nebraska did, this particular stat screams rather loudly that the Huskers should stand alone in this spotlight.

8) I saved my best stat for the last stat. In the final rankings from the 1995 season, Nebraska beat four teams that finished in the final AP Top Ten rankings – national runner-up Florida (62-24), No. 5 Colorado (44-21), No. 7 Kansas State (49-25) and No. 9 Kansas (41-3).

 

That is awesome. Well done +1

[JTrain]

[NUance]

How many tackles can one man break?

[tschu]

The zero sacks stat will never cease to blow my mind.

[mnhusker]

I just loved this read, reminds me of how I got to be so spoiled watching those teams. Some say parody today has made competition tougher but the other side of the coin is that before the parody the top tier teams were all deeper and better so to rack of wins and stats against other top ten team speaks even more to what a great combination of Talent and Coaching the Huskers had.

[NUance]

The zero sacks stat will never cease to blow my mind.

Will never be equaled. Evar.

[TGHusker]

Not only is 1971 the best Nebraska team of the past 50 years, it is the best team in the history of college football.

In addition to winning a second straight national championship, these Cornhuskers won the greatest game ever played, the 1971 Thanksgiving clash between No. 1 Nebraska and No. 2 Oklahoma, 35-31 in the friendly confines of Norman.

Nebraska won the National Championship in the Orange Bowl over the undefeated Alabama Crimson Tide of Bear Bryant, 38-6. With the win, Nebraska finished 13-0 for 1971, the first team ever to win 13 games in a season.

The '71 Cornhuskers, known as the "Big Red Machine" mowed down their opponents by an average of 39-8 per game. Only three of the 13 teams they faced scored in double figures.

How strong was the Big 8 Conference in 1971? To this day it is the only season to have league teams finish 1,2,3 in the final AP poll and that is where the Cornhuskers, Sooners, and Buffaloes wrapped up the season.

The best team in the best conference season of all time.

 

'95 was astounding, '71 still takes the cake.

Yes that is the debate us Husker fans after deal wt - such a heavy burden - Which of our 2 teams were the best all time in all of college football. The 1-3 finish by the big 8 is really amazing. Even Iowa State would have been ranked 23 if the poll was extended. Co wt 2 loses was still ahead of several 1 lose teams. Of course the 95 team beat 4 top 10 teams as noted in my OP.

[REDSTEEL]

I wouldn't hesitate taking the 94 team against any past national champion team. Just look how good the OL was and what their backups did the very next year.

[TonyStalloni]

All it takes to win is coaching, talent, depth and attitude. Opponents eventually break down somewhere when they face this combination.

[Guy Chamberlin]

That was a pretty complicated offense that also needed a perfect storm of personnel. Osborne had been following a recruiting blueprint for years and it finally came together with a avengence.

 

Osborne is on record as saying the coaching philosophy that made the biggest difference was recruiting for defensive speed.