Remembering Nebraska's Historic '94'-'97 run
- Thread starter zoogs
- Start date
Landlord
Banned
Granted, if someone went 60-3 in the SEC over the last decade or so it would be far more impressive than our run at the same record, but that's no knock whatsoever against what we did. Nobody will ever have a 5 year run like that ever again, regardless of how good or bad their level of competition is.
walksalone
Heisman Trophy Winner
Bama has a great team, and are doing it in the toughest conference right now, but...
They don't have the greatest team ever to play D1 football...
by the way, I hope Ingram is keeping Suh's Heisman warm
They don't have the greatest team ever to play D1 football...
by the way, I hope Ingram is keeping Suh's Heisman warm
Last edited by a moderator:
Count 'Bility
Banned
this stand out to me as the missing ingredient to this day...
"The Florida State game proved to us that we were capable of taking this thing to another level, and the way we lost it gave everybody the motivation we needed to do it," offensive tackle Eric Anderson said. "That game was probably about as important to that four-year run as any of them. It essentially laid the foundation for the next four years."
That foundation was then topped with a degree of commitment and unselfishness by the players that Osborne said was as strong as any he witnessed during his 25 years as the team's head coach.
"We had very strong team leaders, guys who were willing to sacrifice their personal goals for the team, and the rest of the players followed their lead," said Osborne, who retired as head coach after the '97 season and currently is the Nebraska athletic director. "The level of team unity that we had was really exceptional during that stretch. It was probably the best of all the teams I had."
Osborne helped foster that sense of solidarity by creating a group he called the Unity Council. Each segment of the team (offensive line, running backs, linebackers, etc.) elected two players to represent it on the council. Those 16 players were responsible for a considerable amount of the day-to-day handling of team issues. This amplified the feeling among the players that they were personally accountable for the success or failure of the team.
"Guys took ownership of the program, because Coach Osborne made us feel like it was ours," said defensive end Grant Wistrom, who won the 1997 Lombardi Award and played in the NFL for nine years. "When you feel like you have a stake in something, you're going to work a little bit harder for it.
"I fully believe that's why we had the success that we had, because we felt like it was our team. There's a whole different level of commitment when you feel like it's your blood on the line. You're not just a cog in the wheel. You're the engine that drives it."
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/ncaa/08/23/nebraska-1997/index.html#ixzz24vuRVwTO
"The Florida State game proved to us that we were capable of taking this thing to another level, and the way we lost it gave everybody the motivation we needed to do it," offensive tackle Eric Anderson said. "That game was probably about as important to that four-year run as any of them. It essentially laid the foundation for the next four years."
That foundation was then topped with a degree of commitment and unselfishness by the players that Osborne said was as strong as any he witnessed during his 25 years as the team's head coach.
"We had very strong team leaders, guys who were willing to sacrifice their personal goals for the team, and the rest of the players followed their lead," said Osborne, who retired as head coach after the '97 season and currently is the Nebraska athletic director. "The level of team unity that we had was really exceptional during that stretch. It was probably the best of all the teams I had."
Osborne helped foster that sense of solidarity by creating a group he called the Unity Council. Each segment of the team (offensive line, running backs, linebackers, etc.) elected two players to represent it on the council. Those 16 players were responsible for a considerable amount of the day-to-day handling of team issues. This amplified the feeling among the players that they were personally accountable for the success or failure of the team.
"Guys took ownership of the program, because Coach Osborne made us feel like it was ours," said defensive end Grant Wistrom, who won the 1997 Lombardi Award and played in the NFL for nine years. "When you feel like you have a stake in something, you're going to work a little bit harder for it.
"I fully believe that's why we had the success that we had, because we felt like it was our team. There's a whole different level of commitment when you feel like it's your blood on the line. You're not just a cog in the wheel. You're the engine that drives it."
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/ncaa/08/23/nebraska-1997/index.html#ixzz24vuRVwTO
[/left]
California Husker
Starter
...and it should have been 61-2 with 4 national titles. The Huskers were robbed in the `94 (`93 season) Orange Bowl in the days before instant replay. FSU's only TD in the game came on a play when William Floyd clearly fumbled a yard short of the end zone. The ball was recovered in the end zone by the Huskers so it should have been our ball on the 20. The officials also called a phantom clip (not reviewable even now, but bad call just the same) that negated a punt return for a touchdown. So we lost a national championship that by all rights we should have won 23 - 12.
That 5 year run may never be duplicated.
Last edited by a moderator:
junior4949
All-American
I don't disagree that Huskernation is split. However, I don't think this era had a lot to do with it. It was split when an ignorant AD fired a coach and brought in a loser. This is ultimately what split Huskernation, and we've never really recovered. All of the Clownahan apologists see Bo as not really accomplishing much more which keeps the saga going. A conference championship would go a long way towards healing old wounds.
RedRedJarvisRedwine
All-American
I had that poster of the William Floyd fumble.... Animated with the sideline ref blowing his nose during the play!!! The poster was funny............. Cause it was true!!!!California Husker said:
California Husker
Starter
Post the pic here if you know where to find it. I had a newspaper clipping where a sideline photog caught it right at the goal line and you could see Floyd, clearly NOT down, and clearly a yard short of the end zone and the ball was on the ground. Whenever an FSU fan (yes, out here in Cali the "fans" are "fans" of whomever happens to be winning) would start talking crap about the Semenholes winning the NC, I would take the clipping out to show them.I had that poster of the William Floyd fumble.... Animated with the sideline ref blowing his nose during the play!!! The poster was funny............. Cause it was true!!!!California Husker said: