Ranking the Husker teams, games and moments of the 1990s
By Chuck Green
NEBRASKA'S DECADE OF DOMINANCE
Ranking the Husker teams, games and moments of the
1990s
By Chuck Green
Best Teams
1. 1995 -- Simply put, this team had no weakness. An unstoppable offense, an immovable defense, excellent kicking game, over-achieving special teams, great unity and chemistry, and outstanding coaching. This team defeated four teams that finished the season in the top 10 by an average of 30 points each. In 1996, Lindy’s magazine polled a national panel of college football coaches, sportswriters, sports information directors, athletic directors and former players to determine the top-25 college teams of all time. This one came in first by a landslide - just ahead of the 1971 Huskers!
2. 1994 --This was virtually the ’95 team one year younger. With Tommie Frazier on the sidelines for most of the season with a recurring blood clot in his knee, second-string QB Brook Berringer led the team to an 11-0 regular season and a date with No. 3 Miami in the Orange Bowl to decide the national championship - a 24-17 come-from-behind Husker win on the Hurricanes’ home field. Penn State may have had a better offense, but Nebraska had the better team. Period.
3. 1997 -- This team capped off a remarkable five-year record of 60-3. Quarterback Scott Frost overcame early criticism, winning the hearts of Nebraska football fans with his fluid execution of the option. All-Americans Grant Wistrom and Jason Peter led the defense, and the thrashing of No. 3 Tennessee in the Orange Bowl gave Coach Tom Osborne an unforgettable retirement gift -- his third national championship in four years and Nebraska’s fifth since 1970.
4. 1993 -- At 11-1, this team was one missed field goal against Florida State away from the national title. The’93 Huskers laid the foundation for the rest of the decade. It was the first year Nebraska ran the 4-3 attack defense full-time, and it paid off. This squad always will be remembered as the blue-collar bunch that forever changed the face - and future - of Nebraska football.
5. 1996 -- Much of the talent from the ’95 team returned, but without Tommie Frazier’s leadership, the offense sputtered at times. The team suffered a heart-breaking defeat at the hands of Arizona State, ending a 26-game winning streak and allowing the rest of the college football world a sigh of relief - Nebraska’s tight grip on the national championship had finally loosened.
6. 1999 -- Sophomore QB Eric Crouch emerged as a star, returning the Husker offense to its rightful place among the nation’s elite after a one-year lull. Frank Solich, in his second year as Nebraska’s coach, overcame early season turmoil to find his coaching rhythm, notching a 12-1 record with a team some thought was the best in the country by season's end.
7. 1991 -- Keithen McCant, who started the season as the third-string QB, earned first-team All-Big Eight honors after wrapping up the starting job in the second half of the season-opener. Finished the season with a 9-2-1 record, with the losses coming at the hands of co-national champions Washington and Miami.
8. 1992 -- Went 9-3, humiliating No. 8 Colorado and No. 13 Kansas in back-to-back Saturdays, then inexplicably losing to Iowa State the following weekend. Lost to No. 2 Florida State 27-14 in the Orange Bowl. The silver lining: It was this season’s early defensive blunders that made Husker coaches re-think their defensive philosophy.
9. 1998 -- A team with ample young talent, but injuries depleted the ranks. Lost nine starters starters for an aggregate total of 45 games (including the QB, IB, FS, RE, DT, LB, an offensive lineman and the top two receivers) as well as several key backups. Those injuries, coupled with Frank Solich’s inevitable first-year growing pains, were just too much. The 9-4 record - the worst at Nebraska in 30 years - said it all.
10. 1990 -- The only Tom Osborne-coached team that ever flat-out quit. They quit during games, then quit on the season. Opened with a 13-0 win against Baylor and went downhill from there. This team simply wasn't vintage Nebraska football.
Best Offenses
1. 1995 -- Tommie Frazier was the best player in America and should have won the Heisman Trophy. Lawrence Phillips would have won it if not for his well-documented (and vastly exaggerated) off-field trouble. The Huskers had five I-backs capable of starting for most teams in the country, the best offensive line in the land and a savage defense that saw to it their offensive teammates had the ball early and often. Averaged 556.3 yards of total offense - 400 of which came on the ground -- and 52.4 points per game.
2. 1994 -- Quarterback Brook Berringer did a masterful job replacing an injured Tommie Frazier and third-string QB Matt Turman also showed he could be counted on. This offensive unit averaged 340 rushing yards per game and finished the season ranked No. 6 nationally in scoring.
3. 1997 -- Scott Frost’s execution of the option attack was almost flawless behind a typically brutal offensive line. This team led the country in total offense (513.7 yards per game), scoring offense (47.1) and rushing offense (392.6). Frost became only the 10th player in Div. I-A history to run and pass for more than 1,000 yards in a single season.
4. 1993 -- Tommie Frazier’s sophomore season was a good one, with a supporting cast of I-back Calvin Jones and freshman Lawrence Phillips, Corey Dixon and Abdul Muhammad at split end and wingback, and the usual breed of Husker offensive linemen clearing the way. Averaged 38.3 points per game.
5. 1996 -- Scott Frost’s first year at Nebraska got off to a shaky start, but was rolling by season's end. Averaged 422.4 yards of offense per game. Freshman I-back DeAngelo Evans filled in well for an injured Ahman Green.
6. 1999 -- After the four-loss debacle in 1998, Nebraska fans were praying for a return to a ground-pounding, clock-chewing Husker offenses of old. They got their wish, as quarterback Eric Crouch had a stellar season and Coach Frank Solich showed he was ready to step up to the next level.
7. 1991 -- Averaged more than 500 yards of total offense per game with Keithen McCant at the controls, but no real stars to speak of. I-back Derek Brown led the rushers with 1,313 yards and 14 touchdowns.
8. 1992 -- Calvin Jones emerged as the Huskers’ go-to man in the backfield, and Tommie Frazier showed that true freshman quarterbacks could master the Nebraska option. The Huskers led the country in rushing, but finished 11th in total offense.
9. 1990 -- Although this team was No. 2 in the country in rushing, the Huskers were just No. 13 in total offense. Quarterback Mickey Joseph was less-than-impressive, while Leodis Flowers led the team in rushing -- with 940 yards!
10. 1998 -- With four new starters on the line, new starters at all the skill positions and backup players with little experience, the Huskers could ill-afford injuries. Unfortunately, that’s just what they got, and the team generated the lowest numbers in years.
Best Defenses
1. 1995 -- Only one of this unit’s starters wasn’t drafted into the NFL -- linebacker Terrell Farley. The other 10 ended up in the pros after stifling No. 2 Florida’s vaunted Fun ‘N’ Gun offense in the ’96 Fiesta Bowl. Christian and Jason Peter stopped up the front line, allowing rush ends Grant Wistrom and Jared Tomich to wreak havoc in opposing backfields. Farley, Jamel Williams and freshman Jay Foreman were stellar at linebacker, and Tyrone Williams, Michael Booker, Mike Minter and Tony Veland stuck to opposing receivers like glue. Other Husker teams of the decade posted better defensive numbers, but none had as much talent.
2. 1994 -- Finished the season No. 4 in total defense. Much of the same talent as the ’95 version, along with All-American Ed Stewart, Terry Connealy, Donta Jones, Kareem Moss and Barron Miles.
3. 1997 -- Only No. 5 in the country in total defense, primarily because with the high-scoring offense, most defensive starters were on the sidelines midway through the third quarter, allowing reserves to give up yards late in lopsided games. Grant Wistrom and Jason Peter earned All-American honors.
4. 1996 -- Fifth against the rush and seventh against the pass, this unit was essentially a younger version of the ’97 national championship defense. Jason Peter anchored the middle, while All-American Jared Tomich and Grant Wistrom handled the ends. Held Arizona State’s high-octane offense to one touchdown -- on the game’s opening drive. The All-Americans up front give this defense the nod over the '99 edition.
5. 1999 -- Charlie McBride’s last defense, consisting of 11 starters and several backups who simply loved to pin their ears back and play. Ralph Brown finished his career having started every game, and Mike Brown may have been the best Husker rover ever. Possibly NU's most complete defense.
6. 1993 -- All-American Trev Alberts re-defined the role of Nebraska’s defensive end, even warranting a name-change to "rush end." This was the first season Charlie McBride & Co. switched to a full-time 4-3 attack mode, and dividends came early and often. Ask Kordell Stewart.
7. 1992 -- Trev Alberts and Terry Connealy were studs up front, and Nebraska coaches used this squad as a guinea pig for its future switch to the 4-3 attack. The Huskers played a full-time nickel set against West Coast offense-converts Colorado and Kansas -- and destroyed them both. It’s hard to forget the deer-in-the-headlights look of Buff QBs and coaches alike when the Huskers came out playing something never before seen in Lincoln.
8. 1998 -- Like their offensive counterparts, the ’98 defense had to endure too many injuries and too many young, inexperienced players forced into key roles before their time. The team slowed high-caliber offenses from Kansas State and Arizona, but the absence of several starters eventually took its toll.
9. 1991 -- Statistically, the worst Husker defensive team of the decade, giving up 343 yards - 138 on the ground! - and 19 points per game. But after the preceding year, this team was determined to not give up, to play for four quarters and to overachieve. Nebraska’s two losses in ’91 were to Washington and Miami -- the co-national champions and two of the country’s best offenses.
10. 1990 -- Quitters. Although this team finished seventh in total defense and No. 12 in pass-efficiency defense, it was torched by Oklahoma and Georgia Tech. And who can forget the four fourth-quarter touchdowns surrendered to Colorado in Memorial Stadium? Again, two losses to the eventual co-national champs. But for this unit, when the going got tough, they quit. Turds.
1990s All-Husker Three-Deep
OFFENSE
QB -- Tommie Frazier, Scott Frost, Brook Berringer
FB -- Joel Makovicka, Corey Schlesinger, Lance Lewis
IB -- Lawrence Phillips, Ahman Green, Calvin Jones
WB -- Abdul Muhammad, Clester Johnson, Bobby Newcombe
SE -- Reggie Baul, Corey Dixon, Matt Davison
TE -- Johnny Mitchell, Mark Gilman, Tracey Wistrom
OT -- Rob Zatechka, Eric Anderson, Jason Schwab
OG -- Will Shields, Brendan Stai, Eric Wiegert
C -- Aaron Graham, Dominic Railoa, Jim Scott
OG -- Aaron Taylor, Joel Wilks, Steve Ott
OT -- Zach Wiegert, Adam Treu, Chris Dishman
PK -- Kris Brown, Byron Bennett
DEFENSE
RE -- Grant Wistrom, Travis Hill, Donta Jones
DT/NT -- Christian Peter, John Parella, Steve Warren
DT/NT -- Jason Peter, Kenny Walker, Terry Connealy
RE -- Trev Alberts, Jared Tomich, Mike Rucker
WLB -- Terrell Farley, Ed Stewart, Pat Tyrance
MLB -- Carlos Polk, Doug Colman, Jay Foreman
SLB -- Jamel Williams, Troy Dumas, Tony Ortiz
CB -- Tyrone Williams, Ralph Brown, Bruce Pickens
CB -- Barron Miles, Tyrone Legette, Michael Booker
Rover -- Mike Brown, Mike Minter, Toby Wright
FS -- Tony Veland, Eric Warfield, Eric Stokes
Punter -- Jesse Kosch, Dan Hadenfeldt, Mike Stigge
SPECIALISTS
Punt returns -- Mike Fullman, Bobby Newcombe
Kickoff returns -- Tyrone Hughes, Damon Benning
Best Wins
1. Miami 24-17, ’95 Orange Bowl -- Finally, the Miami monkey was swatted from the Huskers’ collective back. Beating the hated Hurricanes in their house, coming from behind to do it and seeing Frank Costa crushed over and over made this win especially sweet. The fact that it sealed Tom Osborne’s first national title was almost secondary.
2. Florida 62-24, ’96 Fiesta Bowl -- For sheer entertainment value, this one’s hard to beat. The spectacle of Steve Spurrier not knowing whether to sh#t or go blind was alone worth the price of admission, but seeing the Husker defense hold the Gators to minus-28 yards rushing, sack Danny Weurffel seven times and pick off the Florida Fun ‘N’ Gun three times was even more glorious -- all while the Husker offense ran up and down the field like it was playing Baylor. The game wasn’t as close as the final score. Men against boys. ‘Nuff said.
3. Tennessee 42-17, ’98 Orange Bowl -- It was Tom Osborne’s last game and the Huskers turned in a brilliant performance, offensively and defensively. While the Blackshirts were holding Vol QB Peyton Manning to minimal yardage, Scott Frost engineered Nebraska's option to near-perfection, and scored a touchdown on his final play in a Husker uniform. Tom Osborne had his third national championship in four years.
4. Texas 22-6, ’99 Big 12 Championship Game -- Speaking of monkeys on backs . . . After a heartbreaking loss to the Longhorns during the regular season in Austin (thanks to two lost fumbles inside the UT 10-yard line) and a three-game losing streak to the Burnt Orange, the Huskers finally had their revenge. The highlight of the day for Longhorns fans: Bevo bidding the fans farewell by taking a dump in Nebraska's end zone.
5. Colorado 52-7, ’92 -- This game was a turning point for the Nebraska football program: It was the first time the Huskers played an entire game without their outdated 5-2 defensive set, in favor of a four-man front with a nickel back. It paid off, causing confusion and panic among Colorado players and coaches alike. Nebraska’s offense, with freshman QB Tommie Frazier at the controls, pounded the Buffs at the height of the bitter rivalry, and Husker defensive coaches knew they were onto something big.
6. Washington 27-14, ’97 -- After a rickety showing against Central Florida one week earlier, the Huskers traveled to Seattle to face No. 2-ranked Washington in one of the loudest stadiums in America. Two first-quarter sprints to the end zone by QB Scott Frost silenced both the Husky fans and the Husker signal-caller's critics. Rush end Grant Wistrom put Washington QB Brock Huard on the sidelines in the second quarter with a sprained ankle, and the Huskers were on their way to another undefeated national-championship season.
7. Colorado 24-7, ’94 -- Perhaps Colorado’s best team ever came into Lincoln with high hopes and left with visions of Nebraska defenders dancing in their heads -- and on the ruins of their national championship dreams. Nebraska's defense shut down QB Kordell Stewart, Heisman winner Rashaan Salaam and wideout Michael Westbrook, sending the Buffs back to Boulder with a loss that was more lopsided than the final score.
8. Missouri 45-38 (OT), ’97 -- The game never should have been close. But it was, and the finish was one of the best ever in college football. The throw, the bobble, the kick and the catch will be part of Nebraska football lore for generations to come. The win preserved the Huskers' drive to the national title.
9. Tennessee 31-21, ’00 Orange Bowl -- This may go down in history as the game when Nebraska Coach Frank Solich turned the corner in his coaching career. The Husker offense put together a stellar second half, featuring back-to-back drives of 96 and 99 yards, blending the run and pass to near perfection and giving the 2000 Huskers something to build upon. Unfinished Business, Part II?
10. Kansas State 41-15, ’99 -- Revenge is like sex; it's always good, and you can't possibly have too much. After the four-loss ’98 season, there was plenty to hand out (revenge, not sex), but none was sweeter than that administered the night the cocky, loud-mouthed Wildcats came to town, spouting something about “two in a row.” Dan “The Fumble Machine” Alexander was benched after losing the ball on NU's first drive, and freshman I-back Dahrran Diedrick emerged as a possible force of the future as the Huskers squashed the paper tigers . . . er, Wildcats in Lincoln.
Worst Losses
1. Florida State 18-16, ’94 Orange Bowl -- The Huskers found themselves in the unfamiliar role of 17-point underdogs heading into the game against Florida State, led by Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward. Nebraska outplayed the top-ranked Seminoles, outrushing them 183-47 and holding a 389-333 edge in total yardage. The game came down to a Byron Bennett field-goal attempt, which sailed wide to the left as time ran out. This loss prevented the Huskers from becoming the first team to win three national championships in a row. Ugh!
2. Texas 37-27, ’96 Big 12 Championship Game -- Before the game, Longhorns QB James Brown predicted -- guaranteed-- a Texas win. Unfortunately, he was a man of his word. The Huskers’ troubles began before the game did. Throughout the week leading up to the contest, two-thirds of NU's starters suffered a bad strain of the flu, likely contracted in the cold, rainy game against Colorado a week earlier. The Blackshirts had lost their best player (linebacker Terrell Farley, who was dismissed from the team after being arrested for DUI) and the flu-riddled, realigned defense wasn’t up to the task. The famous fourth-down conversion by Texas sealed the Huskers’ fate and kept Nebraska from playing -- and probably beating -- Florida State in the Sugar Bowl for the national championship.
3. Arizona State 19-0, ’96 -- The Sun Devils' Jake Plummer-led offense managed a touchdown on the game's opening drive, but that was Arizona State's only trip to the end zone. Two Husker turnovers led to two ASU field goals, and the sputtering NU offense gave up three safeties. Their win put the Sun Devils in the national title hunt, which ended in the Rose Bowl -- ASU's only loss of the season.
4. Iowa State 19-10, ’92 -- In the words of a great American, “What the f**k was up with that s**t?!” On the heels of dominating wins over No. 8 Colorado and No. 13 Kansas, the Huskers simply forgot to show up in Ames, Iowa. Nebraska was held to 192 yards rushing while ISU quarterback Marv Seiler ran for 144 all by himself. One of Tom Osborne’s most inexcusable losses in his 25-year reign as Nebraska’s coach.
5. Colorado 27-12, ’90 -- Ahh, yes. Four fourth-quarter touchdowns by CU tailback Eric Bienemy against NU's quitter defense in the rain at Memorial Stadium. The Huskers had the game in hand, leading 12-0 after three quarters, but fell apart in the final 15 minutes.
6. Texas 24-20, ’99 -- The Huskers fumbled twice inside the 10-yard line -- once at the goal line -- to virtually hand the Longhorns the game. Nebraska outplayed Texas, outgaining the Longhorns in first downs (23-13), rushing yardage (192-62) and total yardage (429-275), and holding a 34:13-25:47 time of possession advantage. The loss kept the 12-1 Huskers from a national championship-deciding date with Florida State in the Sugar Bowl.
7. Texas 20-16, ’98 -- Texas had Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams. Nebraska had several starters injured and freshman quarterback Eric Crouch at the helm. It should've been enough, but cornerback Erwin Swiney's blown coverage on two key third-and-long situations gave the Longhorns the boost they needed to end the Huskers' 47-game win streak at Memorial Stadium.
8. Kansas State 40-30, ’98 -- Against what probably was Kansas State's best team, the injury-slowed Huskers held their own, trading points with the Wildcats to set up the deciding fourth quarter. But a blatant, uncalled facemask on Husker quarterback Eric Crouch on fourth down ended NU's upset dreams. The play would have given the Huskers the ball near midfield with more than two minutes remaining, trailing by four.
9. Oklahoma 45-10, ’90 -- Rout city. Nebraska quarterback Mickey Joseph was injured early when he slid into the bench and severed his thigh, knocking him from the game. That set the tone for the day, as the Sooners moved the ball through the air at will against the worst Husker team of the decade, giving Oklahoma Coach Gary Gibbs the only win he would ever get against Nebraska.
10. Washington 36-21, ’91 -- The Huskers had ‘em, then let ‘em off the hook. Nebraska led 14-6 at halftime. But Washington, led by quarterback Billy Joe Hobert's 286 passing yards, bombarded NU with 20 fourth-quarter points. Meanwhile, the Husky defense, led by All-American Steve Emtman, closed the door on NU's comeback attempts. It would be the last loss at Memorial Stadium until the '98 Texas game.
Best Moments
1. Tom Osborne retires with another title -- Simply put, Tom Osborne was Nebraska football. A legend in his own time, Osborne guided every one of his 25 teams to at least nine wins and helped mold the lives of thousands of young men, on and off the field. Even in retirement, Osborne remains committed to positive guidance through various mentoring and anti-drug programs. He is now campaigning for Nebraska's Third District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Osborne's final game, the 42-17 thrashing of No. 3 Tennessee in the 1998 Orange Bowl, gave him his third national title in four years and closed the book on the career of one of the greatest college football coaches.
2. Nebraska switches to the 4-3 attack defense -- It was Halloween night 1992, and the Huskers were dressed up in something special. Colorado, which had converted to a West Coast passing attack that season, came to Lincoln dreaming of ripping NU's traditional 5-2 set with zone pass coverage. Instead, the Buffs were greeted with a four-man front, a fifth defensive back and defensive ends blitzing on every play. It was the beginning of the era of 4-3 pressure defense at Nebraska, and the Buffs were the first victims.
3. Tommie Frazier signs with Nebraska -- The heavily recruited quarterback from Bradenton, Fla., ignored pleas from teams closer to home and headed for Lincoln -- a move that put a primary piece of the puzzle in place for the Huskers' incredible mid-decade run. As a starter at NU, Frazier eclipsed Turner Gill as the player to whom future Husker quarterbacks would be compared. Two weeks before he signed his letter of intent, one recruiting expert said the chances of Frazier becoming a Cornhusker were "slim and none."
4. HuskerVision is installed -- State-of-the-art JumboTrons and a top-flight sound system are ushering Memorial Stadium into the 21st Century. The Husker Tunnel Walk has become one of college football’s greatest entrances, and anyone who remembers the previous sound system should be on his or her knees thanking God for the crisp, clear state-of-the-art system now in place. Remember the old P.A. and its breaks? ". . . first and 10 at the . . . ive . . . aska ball . . . We have a news . . . tin . . . the Civil Defense Comm . . . nuclear device . . . in shelters. Second and five at the thir . . . even . . ."
5. Any football Saturday in Lincoln -- The crisp fall air, the tailgate parties, the Sea of Red, the Tunnel Walk, red balloons filling the sky after NU's first touchdown, post-game prime rib at Misty's.
Worst Moments
1. Brook Berringer’s death -- In April 1996, the country was shocked to learn that Brook Berringer, the quarterback who guided the 1994 Huskers through most of their undefeated season, was killed in a plane crash. The lead story on ESPN's SportsCenter brought the news to millions of homes. One personal note: I bumped into Brook at a Lincoln restaurant two nights before his death. I didn’t know him well, but had interviewed him several times, etc. He came over and said hello, chatted with me for about five minutes and said something about possibly going flying "tomorrow or the next day." I wish it would've rained that week.
2. Lawrence Phillips’ off-field troubles -- Just hours after the Husker I-back solidified himself as the leading Heisman Trophy candidate in East Lansing, Mich., Phillips assaulted both his ex-girlfriend and the image of Nebraska football. Although the facts surrounding the September 1995 incident have been clouded by myth and misinformation, one thing is crystal clear: The assault ended both a promising pro football career and, fairly or unfairly, the squeaky-clean reputation of NU's football program.
3. The Scott Baldwin tragedy -- In January 1992, Scott Baldwin, a talented Husker I-back who spent much of the '91 season injured, suffered a psychotic episode (i.e., a nervous breakdown) and assaulted a Lincoln woman who was walking her dog, almost killing her and leaving her with brain damage. A judge declared him not guilty by reason of insanity and ordered that he undergo psychiatric treatment, which included daily doses of Lithium. Unfortunately, the drug made him ill, and by the following September, he had had enough. On the Saturday before Labor Day -- one day after he stopped taking his medication (unbeknownst to his doctors) -- Baldwin attended a football game in Omaha and suffered another episode. He stripped off his clothes and ran off through an Omaha neighborhood before his friends could stop him. When two police officers were dispatched caught up with him, they found Baldwin slamming his naked body against a locked apartment building door. Moments later, he charged the officers, tackling one of them and pinning her down. After allegedly reaching for her holstered gun, Baldwin was shot in the back by the other officer. One of the bullets severed his spinal cord, leaving the one-time NFL prospect permanently paralyzed from the chest down.
4. 1991 Colorado-Nebraska game -- The abhorrent behavior of Colorado fans is well-known among Nebraska fans: Decades of vandalized cars, verbal and physical assaults, thefts, thrown bottles, beer and human waste, published and broadcast attacks from the Colorado media, etc. But at the 1991 Buff-Husker game, it was on display for the rest of the world to see. The two teams were tied 19-19 late in the game as the Huskers drove to within field-goal range. As NU placekicker Byron Bennett lined up for what would have been the game-winning kick, hundreds of snowballs pelted the field surrounding him, some hitting him as he started his motion toward the ball. The kick was too low and was blocked, allowing the game to end in a tie and reaffirming the venomous atmosphere Husker fans have come to expect in Boulder.
5. DeAngelo Evans -- After a promising freshman season in '96, the future looked bright for the player from Wichita who, as a high school senior, had shattered Barry Sanders' prep records. But after an abdominal injury sidelined him the next season and plagued him throughout his sophomore year, Evans became distressed about the amount of carries in the '99 season-opener against Iowa. After unsuccessfully -- and unwisely -- demanding that Nebraska Coach Frank Solich increase his carries, Evans quit the team. He then begged to return, but was denied after most of his teammates cited his degenerating attitude and refused to take him back. Evans plans to play out his remaining college eligibility at a non-Division I school.
Best Performances
1. 1997 Seniors -- This group, made up of '93 and '94 recruits, completed the best five-year run in NCAA Division I-A history: A 60-3 record, three national championships in four years and four conference titles. Incredible!
2. Frank Solich, ’99 season -- After a 9-4 first-year campaign -- the worst record for a Nebraska football team in 30 years -- fueled by nine starters missing an aggregate total of more than 45 games due to injuries, Tom Osborne's hand-picked replacement found himself surrounded by more turmoil with the '99 season on the horizon. Before the Huskers' season-opener against Iowa, Nebraska lost Jason Schwab, the team's leader on the offensive line, to a torn knee ligament, and starting wingback Shevin Wiggins to legal troubles. After naming Bobby Newcombe as NU's starting quarterback, second-string signal caller Eric Crouch became upset, and rumors (which turned out to be untrue) abounded that he had quit the team. Third-string QB Jay Runty did quit, as did starting I-back DeAngelo Evans and, for a short time, backup I-back Correll Buckhalter. After the problems subsided, Solich pulled his troops aside and asked them to reaffirm their commitment to success. By the end of the season, Solich had found his coaching rhythm, mustering a 12-1 season, earning Big 12 Coach of the Year honors and giving Husker fans everywhere reason to be optimistic about the future of Nebraska football.
3. Brook Berringer, ’94 season -- After star quarterback Tommie Frazier went down nine plays into the Huskers' fourth game with a knee injury and subsequent life-threatening blood clots, Brook Berringer was called upon to take the helm. He responded like a champion, churning out gutsy performances week after week -- two with a punctured lung. He led the Huskers through an undefeated season and into the Orange Bowl matchup with Miami, where he and Frazier shared the spotlight and capped off Nebraska's 13-0 campaign.
4. Nebraska defense vs. Florida, ’96 Fiesta Bowl -- One of the greatest defensive performances in Nebraska history. The Huskers faced the Gators' Fun 'N' Gun spread attack with one primary goal: to stop the run. They did, holding Florida to minus-28 yards on the ground and making Steve Spurrier's offense one-dimensional. Once Gator QB Danny Weurffel had no choice but to pass, the Blackshirts teed off, sacking the future Heisman winner seven times and intercepting him three times. Spurrier said it best after the game: "They just clobbered us."
5. Tommie Frazier, ’95 Orange Bowl -- After missing most of the season with a blood clot in his knee, Tommie Frazier returned for action in the national championship game against Miami. Osborne took full advantage of his junior QB, sidelining him for much of the third quarter in favor of second-stringer Brook Berringer. But late in the third, with Miami's defense on its heels, Osborne sent Frazier back into the fray. With fresh legs, "Touchdown Tommie" engineered drives to lead the Huskers from a 17-7 third-quarter deficit to 17 unanswered points and Tom Osborne's first national title.
6. Tommie Frazier, ’96 Fiesta Bowl -- Apparently, the '95 Orange Bowl was just a tune-up. Tommie Frazier ran wild on the Gators, surpassing 200 yards in the game before a tackle behind the line of scrimmage on his last carry put his total at 199. His amazing eight-tackle-breaking 72-yard touchdown run at the end of the third quarter put the final nail in the Gators' coffin, and gave college football fans an unforgettable highlight clip.
7. Matt Turman, ’94 Kansas State game -- Called upon to start after Frazier's regular season-ending injury and Brook Berringer's deflated lung, the third-string walkon sophomore quarterback from Wahoo, Neb., faced a stiff test in Manhattan, Kan., against No. 11-ranked Kansas State. Turman led the Huskers to a touchdown on their second drive and a 17-6 win in the cold rain.
8. Lawrence Phillips, ’96 Fiesta Bowl -- Ignoring the media attention surrounding his controversial return to the NU lineup, Phillips shrugged off both the distractions and Florida defenders to turn in one of his best performances. He gained 165 yards on 25 carries, scoring two touchdowns in his last game as a Husker.
9. Scott Frost, ’97 Washington game -- After being booed by a handful of drunken students one week earlier, Frost went to Seattle determined to have a break-out performance. He did, rushing for 97 yards and two first-quarter touchdowns on 18 carries, and completing 8 of 15 passes for 88 yards. The game silenced his critics and became the turning point for NU's '97 run at the national title.
10. Calvin Jones, ’91 Kansas game -- The
statistics say it all: 294 yards and six touchdowns on 27 carries.