Best playcalls

I remember a fake option pass that we ran ver early against the smackdown of Notre Dame that crushed their spirit, back when Notre Dame was regarded as good. I thought it was probably the best call I had seen in a long time, totally unexpected.

 
Greatest play call? There are just too many. But greatest play by play announcing is easy for me...

"And an option to the right, Tommie on the keep turns the corner 25 30, eludes a tackler, 35, Tommie Fraizer 37 38 39 40, 45, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, he's gonna go! Holy Cow, Touchdown Tommie Frazier!"

Gives me goosebumps all the time.
Don't you mean,"Touchdown Tommie Frazaaaah!"??

How about ol' Lyle's "HOLY MOLEY!!!... MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD DID THAT PUT 'EM IN THE AISLES!!! JOHNNY THE JET RODGERS JUST TORE 'EM LOOSE FROM THEIR SHOES! ...

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I also liked the inside flanker reverse trap that Rodgers ran so well in the early 70s. Tried to find video, but all mostly they have kick returns and pass receptions.

 
The fake "Timeout" against CU in '06 was a beauty. (At the 3:00 mark)

8cMNPUDg8UQ

Although he gets bashed, one thing Bill Callahan knew, was the perfect time for some trickery.

 
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there are some really good ones on here. But remember for others, there is a difference between a great player making plays and a great play call... E.C. against the entire MU D, that was actually a bad play call. Went right into what the D was doing, should have been a safety. What he did to avoid that and turn it into a 99 yd td. was a great play by a great player.

anyway. 3 that come to mind that were great play calls...(2 for MU)

1. Riccio to Seasay down 3 in the 4 QTR in 2003 against NE. Great fake FG call that gave MU the lead for good.

2. sorry another MU/NE game. But in 05 when NU called an all out blitz bringing presure from the corners and pressed the WR's, MU audibled to a QB draw and Brad Smith smoked the D for a something like 80 yrs and the TD.

3- trusting your kicker to nail a kick instead of pressing a 4th and long. Alex Henery

Good call - Blitz on Reesing in 2007 and a resulting face plant for safety :)

Bad call - Blitz on Reesing in 2008 on 4th and 8 resulting in KU winning, getting a bowl and staying above 6-6 :(

 
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1. Riccio to Seasay down 3 in the 4 QTR in 2003 against NE. Great fake FG call that gave MU the lead for good.
I was screaming at the TV before that play took place cause I could see it coming. Pinkel had done it earlier that year. Probably would have still lost, but that was a huge momentum swing.

 
He does love those fake FG's. There was also a throwback to Brad Smith for a TD in that game. All in all a good game to watch.

And you are right about that play. The MU D went to a differnt level after that play. I think that might have been the first time I had seen NE fold also. It seemed like they just cracked and fizzled at the end. I was not used to seeing that. They had loses before, and close games before. But that night they looked "human". It was the first time that I could remember seeing them look that way. And trust me...as a MU fan I have seen that defeated look before. ;)

 
I like the "knock that guy's helmet off" punt return playcall from the K-State game in 1996. Rucker executed it to perfection.

 
The fake "Timeout" against CU in '06 was a beauty. (At the 3:00 mark)

8cMNPUDg8UQ

Although he gets bashed, one thing Bill Callahan knew, was the perfect time for some trickery.
I am absolutely going to agree with you on this one - it was a thing of beauty. I wonder if Bo/Wats kept that potential gem for sometime down the road.

 
Also for me going for two in the 84 Orange Bowl is the greatest decision in Husker history(just barely ahead of firing Pud and he who shall not be named). Go for the win, know you won a game/title outright. I even liked the call but maybe Gill could've rolled out a little more, but who knows.
Totally agree. The two-point conversion call was the right move.

 
The entire defensive game strategy against Colorado in 1994.

Colorado was the biggest threat to NU that year. They ran the option with Kordell Stewart and Rashaan Salaam (who would win the Heisman) and could pass, too. with Westbrook their star receiver. I think they were ranked #2.

Osborne was famous for trick plays, but he was pretty conservative with game plans. Yet for Colorado he decided to do something risky. Every play was designed to hit Kordell. Even if he pitched to Salaam. Even if committing to Kordell meant letting Salaam break a play or two. Or three. Which they did. The Nebraska D blizted. They got burned a couple times. But kept blizting. Kordell got hit on every play. By the second quarter he was hearing footsteps before they even snapped the ball. The whole high-octane Buffalo offense totally folded, scoring only one touchdown all day.

I guess the defensive coach deserves credit, but as I recall Osborne was given credit for the strategy.

 
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