Each Quarterback's Signature Win from Callahan to Riley

knapplc

knapplc

International Man of Mystery
Talking about Tanner Lee's signature win here at Nebraska a few days ago made me wonder what the signature wins of each of the last few eras have been. 

Help me out if I'm missing someone:

CALLAHAN ERA

Joe Dailey (2004) - I'm going with 2004 Baylor. Dailey was 25/40 for 300 yards, four TDs and one INT.  Huskers led 31-7 at half or Dailey could have rung up bigger stats.

Zac Taylor (2005-2006) - Couple to choose from, and they're back-to-back games. 2005 Colorado, the "Restore the Order" shirt game, where Colorado was supposed to beat Nebraska but instead, in Boulder, Zac and the boys crushed the Buffs 30-3, and the CU student section got ejected.  The next game was the 2005 Alamo Bowl against Michigan, where the #20 Wolverines were supposed to stomp little old Nebraska - and they appeared well on their way, leading 28-17 until Zac, despite getting sacked five times by Michigan's fierce pass rush, led a fourth-quarter comeback to score the go-ahead TD on a pass to Terrance Nunn... only to almost see it all evaporate with a crazy punt return featuring 800,000 laterals that almost scored as time expired.

Sam Keller (2007) - Not a whole lot to choose from here, so probably going to go with Keller's conference win against Iowa State. This was Nebraska's last win before the five-game losing streak that led to Callahan's termination, and while Keller wasn't stellar, the only other options are wins over Nevada, Wake Forest or Ball State, and only one of those was by more than one TD.

Joe Ganz (2007-2008) - Ganzy took over for the injured Sam Keller during the 2007 Texas game. He absolutely TORCHED Kansas State two weeks later in a 73-31 rout.  This was a hell of a fun game and easily my pick for the best of the Ganzy Era.  Ganzy needed a lot of help to win the others.

PELINI ERA

Joe Ganz (2008) - A couple of players span a couple of eras, so Ganzy gets two entries. Two more to consider for Ganzy: 2008 Colorado, which featured Alex Henery's school record 57-yard Field Goal and Suh's pick-six, but the problem with this game is Ganz' sack made that field goal attempt necessary - and highly unlikely.  The other option is 2008 Clemson in the Gator Bowl, where Nebraska beat Dabo Swinney's first-year Tigers. Personally, that Clemson win was far less likely, and took a far guttier performance by Ganz. The KSU game would be his biggest victory, but this was his toughest.

Zac Lee (2009-2010) - The 2009 Fightin' Pelinis were a defensive team, and Lee wasn't very flashy. He started all 13 games in 2009, but by 2010 he had ceded the team to Taylor Martinez. Lee wasn't much of a quarterback, more of a caretaker, but he was at the helm of the 2009 Holiday Bowl when Nebraska (and Ndamukong Suh) throttled Arizona 33-0. But Lee's signature win came against Missouri, in Columbia, in a driving rain when Nebraska had done absolutely nothing through three quarters.  Lee was actually going to be benched in this game, but a 56-yard pass to Niles Paul early in the fourth quarter sparked a 27-0 run that turned a sure loss into a laugher.  Lee followed that up with two more TDs, another to Paul and one to Mike McNeill, before Roy Helu iced the game with a rushing TD.

Taylor Martinez (2010-2013) - This is, by far, the hardest QB to pick just one signature win for.  T-Magic had so many highlight-reel plays, so many wins that fell squarely on his shoulders. He baffled defenses. He was a mismatch in the open field, and if he got a crease - boom! he was gone. Even after the lower leg injury of his Freshman year, Taylor reeled off some shockingly good plays.  The 2012 conference championship game against Wisconsin was utterly forgettable except for Kenny Bell absolutely clocking a Badger DB, and for Taylor's insane scramble-turned-bazillion-yard-touchdown run.  But of all the games, my pick for Martinez' signature win has to be the 2012 Michigan State game in East Lansing. Taylor set up Nebraska's first score on a long run, then tied the game up just before halftime with a 71-yard sprint.   Michigan State took a 24-14 lead into the fourth quarter until Taylor guided the team back with a 35-yard scoring run, and after getting the ball back, Martinez led them downfield for the game-winning TD - a fade to Jamal Turner with six seconds left. 

Tommy Armstrong (2013-2014) Tommy also spans a couple of coaching eras, so I'll pick two for him, too.  I think the Bo Pelini version of Tommy's signature win came against Georgia in the 2013 Gator Bowl.  This game featured Nebraska's longest play from scrimmage, a 99-yard bomb from Armstrong to Quincy Enunwa to seal the win.

RILEY ERA

Tommy Armstrong (2015-2016) - 2016 Oregon was a hell of a fun game, and Tommy was heroic, but his signature Riley Era win - probably the best win of his career - was the comeback victory over previously unbeaten and 6th-ranked Michigan State in 2015.  Tommy ran for two touchdowns and threw the game-winner, all in the fourth quarter, to equal Nebraska's largest fourth-quarter comeback in school history.

Tanner Lee - (2017) Purdue. Gotta be, right?  There's only four to choose from - unless you want to count the Spring Game. Lee was 32-50 for 431 yards, no INTs and two fourth-quarter touchdowns to lead the comeback in West Lafayette - again tying Nebraska's largest fourth-quarter comeback in school history. 

 
The game that sticks in my mind for Taylor Martinez is @ Kansas State his freshman year. We were #7 in the nation and were coming off a lousy effort against SDSU. Many analysts had us losing to K St and Martinez burned Manhattan down. Wildcats were 4-0 at the time with a win over UCLA. It was a Thursday night game with a lot of anticipation and he exploded for 241 rushing yards and 4 TD, only 15 carries. He only threw the ball 7 times and we won 48-13. 

 
BIG ERN said:
The game that sticks in my mind for Taylor Martinez is @ Kansas State his freshman year. We were #7 in the nation and were coming off a lousy effort against SDSU. Many analysts had us losing to K St and Martinez burned Manhattan down. Wildcats were 4-0 at the time with a win over UCLA. It was a Thursday night game with a lot of anticipation and he exploded for 241 rushing yards and 4 TD, only 15 carries. He only threw the ball 7 times and we won 48-13. 
Click to expand...


And that was Bill Snyder's birthday.  :lol:

 
For Joe Ganz, I am going to go with a 45-35 win over Kansas in 2008.  NU entered that game at 5-4 in Bo's first year, and just got shellacked at Oklahoma.  Ganz outdueled KU"s Todd Reesing by going 28 of 37 for 324 yards passing and 2 TD's.  It may not be remembered as a big game now, but this was a really big win in Bo's first year, as NU reeled off 4 straight wins to end the season 9-4.  I like this Ganz performance much better than the K-State game the year before in which Callahan decided to throw the ball nearly every down and rack up a bunch of stats in a meaningless game.

Here is the game recap from Huskermax.  https://www.huskermax.com/games/2008/kansas08.html

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I thought Sam Keller's best game as a Husker was actually a loss against Texas in 2007, and his last game as a QB.  Keller was 23-35 for 298 yards and 2 TD's and had NU leading against heavily favored Texas.  Of course, Jamaal Charles broke loose in the 4th quarter and Keller broke his collarbone getting sacked, and his career was over.

 
BIG ERN said:
The game that sticks in my mind for Taylor Martinez is @ Kansas State his freshman year. We were #7 in the nation and were coming off a lousy effort against SDSU. Many analysts had us losing to K St and Martinez burned Manhattan down. Wildcats were 4-0 at the time with a win over UCLA. It was a Thursday night game with a lot of anticipation and he exploded for 241 rushing yards and 4 TD, only 15 carries. He only threw the ball 7 times and we won 48-13. 
Click to expand...


That was my first and only trip to manhattan for a game, and may be my favorite husker game that I've been to! Before the game I was sitting by some older gentlemen who remembered the days of KSU absolutely blowing and they were extremely polite, even told me "they didn't have the horses to compete with a team the likes of Nebraska" but once the game started there was an idiot in front of them who kept turning around towards me and yelling F*CK NEBRASKA AND F*CK YOU! Needless to say I kept my cool until almost half when we were up by 3 scores, and he turned around to yell at me for what seemed like the one thousandth time, and I so politely yelled back "SCOREBOARD A**HOLE!". The dbag then called the number you call when there is a problem in stands and I got ushered to the top of the stadium where I was told I didn't have to leave but I couldn't go back to my seat! 

Needless to say I now wouldn't piss on Manhattan if it was on fire!

 
For Zac Taylor, give me @Texas A&M in 2007.  He may have had bigger stats against CU or a win against a bigger name in Michigan.in 2006, but this win clinched Bill Callahan's only Big 12 North division title, and put NU in the Big 12 title game for the first time since 1999.  Taylor led a game-winning TD drive in the closing seconds, and hit Mo Purify on a great fade pass to win the game.

 
Husker from Kansas said:
That was my first and only trip to manhattan for a game, and may be my favorite husker game that I've been to! Before the game I was sitting by some older gentlemen who remembered the days of KSU absolutely blowing and they were extremely polite, even told me "they didn't have the horses to compete with a team the likes of Nebraska" but once the game started there was an idiot in front of them who kept turning around towards me and yelling F*CK NEBRASKA AND F*CK YOU! Needless to say I kept my cool until almost half when we were up by 3 scores, and he turned around to yell at me for what seemed like the one thousandth time, and I so politely yelled back "SCOREBOARD A**HOLE!". The dbag then called the number you call when there is a problem in stands and I got ushered to the top of the stadium where I was told I didn't have to leave but I couldn't go back to my seat! 

Needless to say I now wouldn't piss on Manhattan if it was on fire!
Click to expand...
Every team has a few of those fans but other than Iowa and Colorado, kstate has the worst.  They never did learn how to win with grace. 

 
BIG ERN said:
The game that sticks in my mind for Taylor Martinez is @ Kansas State his freshman year. We were #7 in the nation and were coming off a lousy effort against SDSU. Many analysts had us losing to K St and Martinez burned Manhattan down. Wildcats were 4-0 at the time with a win over UCLA. It was a Thursday night game with a lot of anticipation and he exploded for 241 rushing yards and 4 TD, only 15 carries. He only threw the ball 7 times and we won 48-13. 
Click to expand...


Was at this game, and it was awesome.  That was T-Marts coming out party and got the Heisman hype train rolling which is hard to fathom looking back at how it eventually unfolded.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
ColoradoHusk said:
For Zac Taylor, give me @Texas A&M in 2007.  He may have had bigger stats against CU or a win against a bigger name in Michigan.in 2006, but this win clinched Bill Callahan's only Big 12 North division title, and put NU in the Big 12 title game for the first time since 1999.  Taylor led a game-winning TD drive in the closing seconds, and hit Mo Purify on a great fade pass to win the game.
Click to expand...
Taylor look out!

Don't forget Ganz doesn't remember much of the Gator Bowl. He finished the game out with a concussion by his own admission. We know now it was probably a really dumb move, but it was gusty and tough at the time.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
ZRod said:
Taylor look out!

Don't forget Ganz doesn't remember much of the Gator Bowl. He finished the game out with a concussion by his own admission. We know now it was probably a really dumb move, but it was gusty and tough at the time.
Click to expand...


Wind speed for the Gator Bowl on 1/1/09 was between 9 & 15mph, with gusts over 30mph.  Good memory.

 
That crazy last play with all the laterals against Michigan in the Alamo Bowl almost made me puke. It just felt like they were going to score.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top