Eric Crouch pretty much did everything that a college football quarterback could do besides win a National Championship. Not many though win it all, much less play in a title game.
Crouch, so far, has been my favorite player to watch at Nebraska. Every time he had the ball, you felt like you had the chance to see something special and had the ability to put the team on his back and carry them to victory. In 1999, had it not been for everyone fumble the ball, or if the numbers had not been stitched onto the jerseys, we probably would have won the National Title that year. Crouch was good that year, but not as good as his 2000 or 2001 self. The 1999 defense was flat out awesome and National Championship caliber, except for the fumbles. We still should have been playing for the National Title that year and we would have won it. We were the best team playing at the end of the 1999-2000 year.
I loved watching him run the option because he was always trying to get vertical up the field as fast as possible, he took a ton of punishment and made good pitches to sell the option. He was always trying to get as much yards as possible as fast as he could. He always got up, represented toughness that we want to see on the field, and had a never say die attitude, and kept fighting on every drive and every play.
We had no business being in the 2002 Rose Bowl. You cannot blame Crouch for the debacle in Colorado. The defense was gutted by Shawn Watson of all people, and we could not adjust. We also looked slow as molasses against Miami. Our linebackers and defensive line was not as fast as they needed to be to keep up with Miami. The 01 team had good play-makers around Crouch, but I feel the 2000 offense was much better all-around. I think at times it was Crouch verses the world, not only because when nothing was working Eric tried to make something out of nothing, but that's how Solich called the plays, unfortunately.
I fault Solich for designing the offense around Crouch only. Yes, Crouch should be used for the option and quarterback run game to open the pass, but it was Solich's fault for not getting other play-makers involved more, recruiting better players, and taking some heat off of Crouch. I still can't believe Wilson Thomas was under-utilized as much as he was.
Not everyone is perfect. Crouch went back to Omaha after not being named the starter, that is not disputed. Some say he quit and have sources, some say that he never quit and he was just frustrated because he felt he performed better. Could Solich have lost credit for the decision? Maybe. But he also kicked DeAngello Evans off the team before that year. Perhaps it was truly two different situations and each situation was treated differently, much like we see with Bo now. Even Crouch today, admits that he wish he would have handled the NFL differently. Showing signs of maturity. Maybe he was just a little immature in that regard. However, I hear he is one of the nicest guys off the field, and would even send "Thank you" notes to trainers for taping his ankles and taking care of any and all injuries. That doesn't seem like a selfish attitude or a "me" attitude at all.
I think it is really hard and really unfair to pin Nebraska's downfall on one guy. No one guy is bigger than the program. You can pin 2002 for a number of reasons for why we went 7-7. Crouch was not a part of that equation. It was mostly on the coaches for not recruiting well or getting guys in games earlier, that part I agree. But Crouch has not been a member of the football team since 2001. Crouch had a good statistical day at Colorado, but the defense blew it horribly. Against Miami, the team was not prepared, and Miami was one of the best teams ever. No shame in losing to a team of their caliber, but the way they lost was pretty embarrassing and you wished they would have shown up better, and that is on the coaches. Miami just had to key on Crouch and that's how you stopped the 2001 offense. Had the coaches throughout the season gotten more play-makers involved, much like Osborne did, maybe things would have turned out different. I still wonder how Osborne would have utilized Crouch during those years.
Crouch did come back after not being named the starter, and all he did was, win the starting job, win a boatload of games, awards, a Big XII Championship and do the best he could with what was on the team offensively, defensively, and coaching wise.
I think you can blame Solich's staff for not keeping up with recruiting and getting players involved for slipping off the radar, but I just think it's unfair to blame ONE player for a downfall.
If you blame ANY one person for the downfall at Nebraska. Look at Steve Pederson, not Eric Crouch.
