Do we win without the favorable 4th Down spot?

[theknife]

No real way to answer that. Maybe we get a safety or pick 6 with the crappy field position NW would have had. Maybe they drive down the field for 96 yards and we lose.

[NUance]

Do we win without the favorable 4th Down spot?

 

 

Wait, wut? I thought the score was 31-16. :

[Hedley Lamarr]

 

 

 

 

I havent seen anthing this year to suggest we wouldnt have found a way even after that. I have to go off what we've seen in terms of perseverance and resolve and assume we still win. But it takes a TD off the board and the game in the final few minutes becomes much more nitty gritty than what it turned out to be.

That's true. I also thought there was alot less time on the clock for some reason. There was still 12 minutes on the clock after we scored. Maybe it was the pressure of the situation or that the drive took forever in real time, but I thought there was under 6 min left. Still, the momentum shift could have been hard to handle.

Not a lot of sample size. We're only 5 games in. So it's kind of strange I have this feeling. But I'm at the point right now where we actually have to sh#t our pants with zeros on the clock before I get the shitpantsing feeling. I just dont feel a panicked feeling from this group.

Well the last staff actually pissed their pants...there is photographic evidence of it

[Bowfin]

Well the last staff actually pissed their pants...there is photographic evidence of it

 

 

That space that Pelini still rents inside your head...was that a 99-year lease you both signed?

[knapplc]

I think without question we win the game whether we get a favorable spot or not.

 

That 4th down was one play before Newby's go-ahead TD. We had already run a 17-play, ten-minute & 30-second drive at that point. Illinois' defense was gassed. That drive gutted them, took the life right out of them.

 

But let's say Illinois gets the ball at their 4 yard line. There would have been about 12 minutes of game clock left. Illinois had three possessions after that epic drive. They went:

 

Three plays, five yards gained, Time of Possession 1:37. Punt.

 

Three plays, nine yards, TOP 1:35. Punt.

 

Three plays, four yards, TOP :44. Punt.

 

Totals: 3:12 TOP, 18 yards, three punts.

 

Nebraska's next drive following Illinois' three-and-out was another grinder:

 

Eleven plays, 59 yards, TOP 5:49. Touchdown.

 

Let's say for the sake of argument Newby doesn't get that first down & Illinois takes over. It's 16-10 Illini, they go three-and-out and punt from inside their 15 yard line. That next drive likely still happens, we likely still score, and we continue to wear that defense down.

 

At that point it'd be a one-point Nebraska lead with less than five minutes to go, and Illinois had stopped moving the ball. It's unlikely they go down field to score again.

 

Maybe Newby doesn't get that lightning-bolt long touchdown run, but with a tired Illinois defense, a one-point lead and the ball, and the way Newby was running with authority at the end, I like our chances of winning.

 

I think it's pretty safe to say that, even if we don't score on the 18-play drive, that drive took the life out of Illinois.

[commando]

I felt like we were very fortunate to get the first down on Newby's 4th and 1 runaround the 20 yard line. My initial thought was that he was short and then even seeing the replay I think there could have been enough evidence to mark him down at least a half yard short. Did anyone else see it the same way? I'm not sure we would have been able to hold them from at least another field goal which would have maybe it a 9 point deficit. I haven't heard much said about that play so I was wondering how everyone else felt. I had a very bad feeling until we took the lead and even until Newby's long run.

half the ilini game thread is devoted to that call....they think they won the game without it. http://www.illinoisloyalty.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=23320&page=8

[alwayshusking]

Yeah. May have only been 24-16 but their offense was unlikely to move the ball starting at the 3. It was nothing but 3 and outs from them in the 4th.

[Mavric]

It does kinda feel like the breaks are going Nebraska's way this year.

 

Definitely. Just hope we aren't using them all up in the first half of the season.

[husker_rob]

I thought the spot was pretty good, objectively. Watched it on many replays, and it wasn't like Newby was stretching the ball, or anything. He was right in the middle of a pile, and where the ball was on his body is pretty much where the ball was spotted on the field. I just didn't see any evidence that it was super favorable towards us, but it only passed by a half inch, so I guess it just had to be favorable by the smallest of margins.

 

Just as big of a call -- one that I have not rewatched -- was the pass interference on Stanley Morgan Jr that occurred not too long before "the spot".

 

Anyone know -- was this legit? I was upset that they didn't show a replay. Anyone see it? Was defender climbing on his back, hook his arm, anything? I need to rewatch that play.

[Mavric]

[knapplc]

Looking at the replay in the video forum, there's a flash of an instant where you can see Newby's hand with the ball on the ground before bodies start falling around him.

 

He looks short of the first down. It's a tough call at that angle.

 

Still, the refs unpiled the bodies and took the ball from Newby where he lay. They set it down right next to his hand. If that's where he landed, it's a good spot.

[teachercd]

Yes, he was short.

Yes, the Huskers got a nice break, it happens.

 

If this was reversed and the break went for the Illini there would be so many screen-shots of the play with arrows marking things that it would be amazing!

[melscott62]

Yes we got a good spot. But we also got a terrible spot 2 plays before. I watched it several times via DVR. We Lost over a yard on it. They had a player get injured on the play.... maybe that distracted the refs. It should have been 3rd and less than a yard and we have yet to see qb sneak with Tommy stopped in that scenario. The 4th down spot was a make up call

[melscott62]

Yes we got a good spot. But we also got a terrible spot 2 plays before. I watched it several times via DVR. We Lost over a yard on it. They had a player get injured on the play.... maybe that distracted the refs. It should have been 3rd and less than a yard and we have yet to see qb sneak with Tommy stopped in that scenario. The 4th down spot was a make up call

[shyndy]

I think with all the time that drive had taken our defense had finally gotten things together, we allowed like 18 yards after that drive. I think we get a 3 and out there with great field position.