Gimmicks Like "Jump Around" Not Necessary For The Greatest Fans In College Football
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| A Nebraska fan's sign hanging outside before #22 Nebraska's Sept. 29th game against Wisconsin |
I am a loyal season ticket holder at Nebraska, have been for years, and the atmosphere at Memorial Stadium still never seizes to amaze me. The way our stadium, and it's fans, come alive in a "B1G" game is truely a sight to behold. Saturday at the old stadium was no exception when #22 Nebraska took on Wisconsin. This wasn't just any conference opener for Nebraska. This was the conference opener against a team, in Wisconsin, that so rudely welcomed us to the B1G no more than a year earlier.
You got the sense that this game was going to be special. This game meant something to not only the players, who played in Madison last year, but also the fans. We wanted this one. Bad. It was going to be payback for last year's embarassing 48-17 defeat at the hands of the Badgers.
We've been in these situations before under the current coaching staff mind you. Texas Tech 2009, Missouri 2007, Virginia Tech 2008 come to mind. But one game stands out above all others when discussing this topic...
Texas 2010. You remember; It was the game that was supposed to serve as retribution for the previous year's loss in Jerry's House (Cowboy's Stadium in Fort Worth, TX). Nebraska lost to Texas in the Big 12 title game in a game that most people thought Nebraska won. Mr. Suh had his way with the offensive front from Texas most of the night and Nebraska had taken a lead late into the game. It had looked as though Nebraska had stopped Texas when Colt McCoy threw a 4th down pass out of bounds as time expired. After the officials decided to review the play it was decided that one second was to be put back on the clock. That's all it took for Texas to hit a game winning fieldgoal that ended Nebraska's hopes at their first Conference Title in over 10 years.
All everyone in Nebraska could think about the following summer was the payback that needed to be given to Texas. They would be in "our" house! We would finally make them pay for robbing us of what was rightfully ours. A conference title against a team that the whole state detested. We all know what happened in that game and I don't really feel like reliving it again. Nebraska came out flat and let a Texas Longhorn team that was "ripe for the picking" come in and do what they had done to us so many times in the past. Beat Nebraska. There's no question that Nebraska was the better team that year. So what happened? Did they want it too much? Did they get too excited for this game and the "payback" that was supposed to accompany it? In the end, it really didn't matter the reason. A loss is a loss is a loss. At least we would never have to play Texas again as Nebraska was jumping ship for the greener pastures of the B1G (Big Ten Conference).
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| My dad and I before the Nebraska vs Texas game in Lincoln, NE 2010 |
Flash forward back to last Saturday's game against Wisconsin. Everyone fully expected a better Nebraska team to welcome the Badgers to Lincoln in the same style we had been welcomed a year prior. Nebraska was just the better team. Sure there was some legitimate concerns on the defensive side of the ball, but that is the area where Bo Pelini, Nebraska's Head Coach, hangs his hat on. Surely he would have a game plan to stop Montee Ball and the struggling Badger offense. Right? Not to mention that Nebraska has the best offense in the B1G. Insert B1G joke here.
The game started out like so many other disappointments over the years. Nebraska came out of the gates flat. The coaches looked too amped up and the players looked too timid. Perhaps they wanted this one too badly - scared to make a mistake. Taylor Martinez did not look like the same QB we had seen so far this year. Instead he looked like the Taylor of old. The one who had a funny throwing motion and tended to throw off of his back foot. It looked as though he wouldn't be able to hit the broad side of a barn all night.
Penalties, turn overs and mental errors looked sure to doom Taylor and Nebraska to the same fate as the disappointments listed earlier. Wisconsin was in a zone with their Freshman QB making only his second start. Stave was hitting passes that no Freshman should make in such a game, against a team like Nebraska, in a stadium like Memorial. The only touchdown from Nebraska's "high powered" offense in the first half coming from a Martinez pass to senior Rex Burkhead in the second quarter.
As the first half was winding down Nebraska found itself down 20-10. It didn't feel that close. In fact, Nebraska was lucky to only be down 10 after that ugly first half display. There was still hope coming into the second half if only Nebraska could make some adjustments on both sides of the ball. Wisconsin got the ball first after the half. Nebraska did get a stop, but a turnover turned out to be another 7 points for Wisconsin. Head in my hands and tail between my legs, I was about ready to submit and admit defeat until something happened...
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| View from my seasts in the South Stadium just before kickoff against Wisconsin |
Not the same something that had happened in those games in which Nebraska collapsed. Nebraska dug in deep and put together a long drive ending in a 38 yard Touchdown scamper by much maligned QB Taylor Martinez. Nebraska was back to within 10 and this time was not going to go away.
This was more reminisant of last year's game against Ohio State in which Nebraska, after another slow start, rallied to come back from 21 point to give NU the biggest comeback victory in school history. Surely they couldn't pull off the same feat again could they? This was going to turn into a dog fight and Nebraska knew they could comeback even though so many had doubted them after getting down by 17 points in the third quarter. After that Martinez touchdown, that cut Wisconsin's lead to 10, you could feel the atmosphere in Memorial Stadium start to turn. There was hope in the air once again. This wasn't over!
With the crowd behind them now, and the players starting to believe, Nebraska started another comeback. This one would end up being the second biggest comeback in school history, only behind the 21 point comeback against Ohio State the previous year. Nebraska stopped Wisconsin and the Blackshirt Defense really started to dig in and get pressure on the QB. Stave didn't look like a veteran QB anymore, but instead looked like what he was. A freshman QB starting a big game in hostile territory. He was rattled. Nebraska's front seven was getting pressure and forcing Stave to make bad throws. The crowd was LOUD. You got the feeling that Wisconsin was on their heels now.
Nebraska, after another stop, drove down and scored again with a Martinez Touchdown pass to Senior tightend Kyler Reed in traffic. Nebraska had cut the lead to 3 points. If anyone in the stadium didn't believe before, they did now! Chants of "HUSKER" "POWER" filled the night air. As Nebraska hit two more fieldgoals by kicker/punter Brett Maher to tie the game and then to ultimately take their first lead of the game. It would be the only lead they needed as Nebraska had sealed the deal and came all the way back from 17 points down to clinch a victory over Wisconsin.
During the historic fourth quarter comeback Saturday, I stopped to look around and drink in the atmosphere. There is nothing like being in our stadium, in a big game, when our team is playing well. The entire stadium was moving and juiced up. Nebraska had made every mistake you could possibly make and yet the team pulled themselves off the mat.
My take from the game:
The offense is very talented and effective as long as they don't stop themselves. Burkhead does not seem to be completely healthy yet, but Abdullah is electric. Nebraska needs to continue focusing on running the ball and passing when we choose to. Beck did a really good job of staying within himself Saturday.
Our defense couldn't stop them in the first half and completely stopped them in second half. I have great confidence in Bo as a defensive coach. However, it is disconcerting to see so many late substitutions. There are many times they don't get lined up or do so at the last second. Hopefully this will improve as the season progresses.
You would think that when you have attended as many big games as I have, one would become callous to the atmosphere. But after all the games and all the years, I never lose the excitment and youthful joy of being in Memorial Stadium - Especially for a conference night game. Go Big Red!
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