95 orange bowl Nebraska vs. Miami

[Notsince1985]

 

My favorite part was when the smack talking bitch Sapp couldn't even hardly stand up. He got beat all game long and by the end of 3rd quarter or maybe sooner he was no longer talking lol. That to me showed just how good out O-Line was that year. As far as the Defense from really 93 -99 there were many that didnt wanted to play against them. They punished people and did not have mercy AT ALL!

 

I watched the game again last night on the B1G Network. Sapp did not get beat all game long. In fact, we tried a couple of times to throw a shuffle pass to LP up the middle only to have it completely blown up by Sapp. Sapp for the most part played really well in that game. The one player who I'd kind of forgot about all these years was Ray Lewis. He made a few hits, but he wasn't nearly as disruptive that game as he went on to be in the NFL.

 

The other thing I'd completely forgot about all these years is how Miami for a lot of the game simply looked like a monkey humping a football. They had receivers who were wide open dropping passes. They also had that high snap on the punt giving us the ball on their four yard line. The way they were wracking up penalties and such reminded me of how undisciplined we are at times now.

 

 

Sapp was pretty dominant in the first half, but he was playing in a 1-3 defense, instead of a 4-3, so he was gassed by the 2nd half. As for Miami's WRs, that was not our most talented group of wideouts. Chris T. Jones, #85, went on to play for the Eagles, and he was good, but not great, but other than that, we didn't really have anyone who was a typical Miami WR. Yatil Green was a true freshman, so he wasn't the player he would become, and even he wasn't in the same line as previous Miami wideouts. This offense was not even close to Miami offenses from before. There was no Lamar Thomas, Randall Hill, Michael Irvin, Eddie Brown, etc.

[Guy Chamberlin]

The next year Danny Wuerffel didn't look too happy either. By the second quarter he had a look of genuine terror everytime he dropped back.

[HUSKER FREAK]

I wasn't meaning he was beat as far as play on the field as much as physically beatin all game long into submission

[grandpasknee]

As much as I loved the outcome of that game, I still have to say one of my two favorite games ever, of any team in any sport, was that damned 83/84 orange bowl loss. I still can feel the kick to the gut as the 2 pt conversion pass bounced away, but that was one hell of an exciting game. And to me, it is the moment the Huskers became TO's team outright. That missed 2 point conversion lead to his decade and a half of dominance eventually I think. I was at a lot of big OU/NU games in Lincoln over the years, but I still think the Orange Bowl loss to Miami is tops, despite losing.

 

My second favorite..very close behind the loss to Miami in the Orange Bowl was the Husker blowout of Florida in the Fiesta bowl. Those shots of a completely stunned and dumbfounded Spurrier on the sidelines, the sack for a safety and Tommie F's historic touchdown run still give me immeasurable joy.

[Hammerhead]

As much as I loved the outcome of that game, I still have to say one of my two favorite games ever, of any team in any sport, was that damned 83/84 orange bowl loss. I still can feel the kick to the gut as the 2 pt conversion pass bounced away, but that was one hell of an exciting game. And to me, it is the moment the Huskers became TO's team outright. That missed 2 point conversion lead to his decade and a half of dominance eventually I think. I was at a lot of big OU/NU games in Lincoln over the years, but I still think the Orange Bowl loss to Miami is tops, despite losing.

That game was a year and a half before my time, but just from what I've read/heard about it, that was the game where everybody in the country learned what T.O. was all about. He'd have most likely won his first National Championship with a tie, but he wanted to prove the Huskers deserved it.

 

 

My second favorite..very close behind the loss to Miami in the Orange Bowl was the Husker blowout of Florida in the Fiesta bowl. Those shots of a completely stunned and dumbfounded Spurrier on the sidelines, the sack for a safety and Tommie F's historic touchdown run still give me immeasurable joy.

That game would be my second favorite as well, but it'd be second to the '95 Orange Bowl. I think a lot of that's just nostalgia, but it was a much closer game, one that we had to come back to win. Somehow, I remember that game more clearly than the Fiesta Bowl.

[Hunter94]

 

 

 

Ah, the majestic fullback in its natural habitat, before it became an endangered species.

i am not sure anyone uses a FB anymore, maybe Wiscky?

We actually have used a FB a lot lately.

Not the way they could be.

 

i guess i was thinking in the old school, traditional sense.....??

[Notsince1985]

 

 

 

 

Ah, the majestic fullback in its natural habitat, before it became an endangered species.

i am not sure anyone uses a FB anymore, maybe Wiscky?

We actually have used a FB a lot lately.

Not the way they could be.

 

i guess i was thinking in the old school, traditional sense.....??

 

 

Miami often runs a two back offense with a blocking FB. We did a lot more under previous OCs, not as much under the current one. Our FB also got hurt against Arky State, and I don't know if he's healthy this weekend.

[The Dude]

Apparently Kansas State has a Gronkowski playing fullback.

[4skers89]

As much as I loved the outcome of that game, I still have to say one of my two favorite games ever, of any team in any sport, was that damned 83/84 orange bowl loss. I still can feel the kick to the gut as the 2 pt conversion pass bounced away, but that was one hell of an exciting game. And to me, it is the moment the Huskers became TO's team outright. That missed 2 point conversion lead to his decade and a half of dominance eventually I think. I was at a lot of big OU/NU games in Lincoln over the years, but I still think the Orange Bowl loss to Miami is tops, despite losing.

What is funny in an odd way is how the two-point conversion factored into subsequent big games for the Canes. Reading through this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Hurricanes_football I found:

 

 

 

Led by Michael Irvin and new quarterback Steve Walsh, the 1987 Miami Hurricanes won the school's second national championship and completed its first undefeated varsity season.^[6] The season was highlighted by one of the most memorable games in the history of theMiami – Florida State rivalry. Trailing No. 4 Florida State 19–3 in the third quarter at Doak Campbell Stadium, the Hurricanes rallied to take a 26–19 lead late in the fourth quarter on a 73-yard touchdown pass from Walsh to Irvin. Florida State responded with a touchdown in the final minute, but Seminoles head coach Bobby Bowden opted to go for two points and the win rather than kick the extra-point for a tie, and Miami's Bubba McDowell broke up the conversion pass in the end zone to preserve the 26–25 victory.

and this

 

 

The Hurricanes had a then-school record 12 players from the 1987 team selected in the following spring's NFL Draft, including Irvin and Bennie Blades, but with Walsh returning in 1988, the team gained the number one ranking with a season-opening 31–0 shutout of then-No. 1 Florida State at the Orange Bowl.^[6] The following week, Miami scored 17 points in the final 5 minutes and 23 seconds to top No. 4 Michigan 31–30 at Michigan Stadium.^[51] Hopes of a repeat national championship were dashed, however, in the so-called "Catholics vs. Convicts" game, with Miami dropping an emotional 31–30 loss to eventual-national champion Notre Dame on a failed two-point conversion pass in the final minute.

 

 

The final hurdle to the 2002 Rose Bowl BCS National Championship Game was at Virginia Tech. Miami jumped on Virginia Tech early, leading 20–3 at halftime, and 26–10 in the fourth quarter. But despite being outgained by the Hurricanes by 134 yards and being dominated in time-of-possession, the Hokies never quit. Virginia Tech added a couple of late touchdowns, attempting two-point conversions on each. The first conversion was successful, pulling them to 26–18, but receiver Ernest Wilford dropped a pass from quarterback Grant Noel in the endzone for the second conversion. Still, the resilient Hokies had one more chance to win the game late, taking possession of the ball at midfield and needing only a field goal to take the lead. But a diving, game-saving interception by Ed Reed sealed the Miami victory, 26–24. Defeating Virginia Tech earned the top-ranked Hurricanes an invitation to the Rose Bowl to take on BCS #2 Nebraska for the national championship.

I would say it was the curse of TO but most went their way.

[MichiganDad3]

 

 

I watched the first half off of Youtube last night.

 

What I found really interesting is how Miami was prancing around the first quarter acting like they are auditioning for dancing with the stars or something. But, by shortly into the second quarter, they realized they were in a dog fight and we were hitting them in ways they hadn't been hit all year. Sapp has this....WTF????....look on his face and poor Costa is getting pounded play after play after play.

 

Nebraska's defense used to really pound the QB if he is going to stand back there and throw the ball. I think Nebraska fans remember that and want that back. However, I wonder how many of those hits would result in a flag now days. I bet quite a few.

Back in the day when our D was feared. From 94-99 we had Ds that really pressured the QBs.

 

I agree that our D-line was dominant for most of the 90s, and we all would love that dominant D-line back at NU. However, the D-lines in the 90s were helped so much by going against Statue QB's. The D-line could pin their ears back and rush the QB without any fear of the QB breaking the pocket and running/passing on the run. Mobile QB's are everywhere now, and it forces the D-lines to play more of contain style rush. Right now, it seems like the most effective pass rushes come from up the middle. That's why Suh was so great.

 

You never heard of Kordell Stuart?

[Timotheus]

I couldn't even watch most of this game because I was so nervous.

[ColoradoHusk]

 

 

 

I watched the first half off of Youtube last night.

 

What I found really interesting is how Miami was prancing around the first quarter acting like they are auditioning for dancing with the stars or something. But, by shortly into the second quarter, they realized they were in a dog fight and we were hitting them in ways they hadn't been hit all year. Sapp has this....WTF????....look on his face and poor Costa is getting pounded play after play after play.

 

Nebraska's defense used to really pound the QB if he is going to stand back there and throw the ball. I think Nebraska fans remember that and want that back. However, I wonder how many of those hits would result in a flag now days. I bet quite a few.

Back in the day when our D was feared. From 94-99 we had Ds that really pressured the QBs.

 

I agree that our D-line was dominant for most of the 90s, and we all would love that dominant D-line back at NU. However, the D-lines in the 90s were helped so much by going against Statue QB's. The D-line could pin their ears back and rush the QB without any fear of the QB breaking the pocket and running/passing on the run. Mobile QB's are everywhere now, and it forces the D-lines to play more of contain style rush. Right now, it seems like the most effective pass rushes come from up the middle. That's why Suh was so great.

 

You never heard of Kordell Stuart?

 

Yeah, I was at NU when Stewart was at CU, I'm not an idiot. Stewart was a stud, but I don't think they unleashed his running abilities as much as it could have been done. Corby Jones is a great example of QB who's skills match the dual threat QB's of today. Corby Jones torced NU in 1997, in many ways that the old statue QB's couldn't.

[Guy Chamberlin]

 

 

 

 

I watched the first half off of Youtube last night.

 

What I found really interesting is how Miami was prancing around the first quarter acting like they are auditioning for dancing with the stars or something. But, by shortly into the second quarter, they realized they were in a dog fight and we were hitting them in ways they hadn't been hit all year. Sapp has this....WTF????....look on his face and poor Costa is getting pounded play after play after play.

 

Nebraska's defense used to really pound the QB if he is going to stand back there and throw the ball. I think Nebraska fans remember that and want that back. However, I wonder how many of those hits would result in a flag now days. I bet quite a few.

Back in the day when our D was feared. From 94-99 we had Ds that really pressured the QBs.

 

I agree that our D-line was dominant for most of the 90s, and we all would love that dominant D-line back at NU. However, the D-lines in the 90s were helped so much by going against Statue QB's. The D-line could pin their ears back and rush the QB without any fear of the QB breaking the pocket and running/passing on the run. Mobile QB's are everywhere now, and it forces the D-lines to play more of contain style rush. Right now, it seems like the most effective pass rushes come from up the middle. That's why Suh was so great.

 

You never heard of Kordell Stuart?

 

Yeah, I was at NU when Stewart was at CU, I'm not an idiot. Stewart was a stud, but I don't think they unleashed his running abilities as much as it could have been done. Corby Jones is a great example of QB who's skills match the dual threat QB's of today. Corby Jones torced NU in 1997, in many ways that the old statue QB's couldn't.

 

 

I think Tom Osborne gets special credit for shutting down Kordell Stewart in a huge mid-season showdown where Colorado was ranked higher than Nebraska (#2 vs. #3)

 

As I recall, the offense minded Osborne stepped into the DC role and assigned an LB to spy on Stewart. On every single play. Not just to "spy" on Stewart, but to target and hit him. Colorado was a team that ran a similar option game, with the Heisman Trophy winner Rashan Salaam the RB behind Stewart. The Nebraska spy hit Stewart on every play. Even after he pitched the ball to Salaam. Which is risky, since defenders typically follow the ball. Salaam definitely got some yards he wouldn't have, but the strategy spooked Kordell Stewart and the Colorado attack never clicked.

 

That was one of the best games Osborne ever coached.

[Blackshirtsguru]

I was lucky enough to be at that game...I had a TON of fun that night!

[knapplc]

Kordell Stewart was my favorite Colorado Buff, ever. Played three years against us (his Freshman year doesn't count, he just saw mop-up duty).

 

Kordell's career stats against Nebraska:

 

Rushing

34 attempts, 17 yards, 0.5 yards per carry average. Zero touchdowns. Of special note was the 1992 game where he rushed four times for -15 yards.

 

Passing

64 attempts, 23 completions (36%), 282 total yards (4.4 yards per attempt) 3 interceptions (all from the 1993 game in Boulder), zero touchdowns. I couldn't find sack numbers, but we put him to the turf many, many times.

 

Kordell always had that deer-in-the-headlights look against Nebraska. He just never got comfortable against our defense, even though he had quite a bit of talent around him, and he was quite talented himself. He was supposed to be Colorado's answer to Tommie Frazier, but he ended up being pretty average against us.