1990 Husker Football revisited

[bmb81664]

I have been on vacation lately and decided to go back and watch some old games. I checked out the 1990 season to see if it was as bad as I remembered it. There were only four games on TV that season and they lost three of them. I watched Baylor, Colorado and Ga Tech. I couldn't find OU. The team started out 8-0. They then imploded in the 4th qtr against CU, lost badly to OU and again to Ga Tech.

They really didn't play anyone good until they played CU. In the Baylor game Mike Grant started at QB and didn't look great. The game was close until the last couple minutes. The weather was terrible in the CU game. I would use the same adjective to describe Mickey Joseph that game. I will give him some slack because of the weather. NU was up 12-0 going into the 4th qtr partly due to CU turnovers. Nothing went right in the 4th qtr and NU lost 27-12. Joseph got hurt in the OU game I remember. Not sure if that was a factor in the blowout.

The Ga Tech game wasn't as bad as I remembered. We did get behind 21-0 but pulled back to within 21-14. Mike Grant started this game and looked really bad. He was pulled for Tom Haase late in the 1st qtr. Haase didn't look too bad. We got two quick TD's from Derek Brown and Johnny Mitchell when Haase came in. It was a good coming out party for the two of them. NU ended up going for it on 4th down a couple of times late and failed which led to a couple more GT TD's.

The defense was fairly solid but it seemed like they wore down late in the season possibly due to the offense looking so bad the last few games. Rggie Cooper, Kenny Walker and Mike Croel were standouts. Leodis Flowers who started most of the season at IB only had one carry in the bowl game. It was his last game as he quit the team shortly after. Scott Baldwin started the game and we remember what happened with him. Oddly enough we never heard much from Haase again. Keithen McCant who apparently was 4th string in the bowl ended up beating out Joseph, Grant and Haase the next season. Watching those guys makes me appreciate Tommy Armstrong despite some of his shortcomings.

 

[newAD]

I have been on vacation lately and decided to go back and watch some old games. I checked out the 1990 season to see if it was as bad as I remembered it. There were only four games on TV that season and they lost three of them. I watched Baylor, Colorado and Ga Tech. I couldn't find OU. The team started out 8-0. They then imploded in the 4th qtr against CU, lost badly to OU and again to Ga Tech.

They really didn't play anyone good until they played CU. In the Baylor game Mike Grant started at QB and didn't look great. The game was close until the last couple minutes. The weather was terrible in the CU game. I would use the same adjective to describe Mickey Joseph that game. I will give him some slack because of the weather. NU was up 12-0 going into the 4th qtr partly due to CU turnovers. Nothing went right in the 4th qtr and NU lost 27-12. Joseph got hurt in the OU game I remember. Not sure if that was a factor in the blowout.

The Ga Tech game wasn't as bad as I remembered. We did get behind 21-0 but pulled back to within 21-14. Mike Grant started this game and looked really bad. He was pulled for Tom Haase late in the 1st qtr. Haase didn't look too bad. We got two quick TD's from Derek Brown and Johnny Mitchell when Haase came in. It was a good coming out party for the two of them. NU ended up going for it on 4th down a couple of times late and failed which led to a couple more GT TD's.

The defense was fairly solid but it seemed like they wore down late in the season possibly due to the offense looking so bad the last few games. Rggie Cooper, Kenny Walker and Mike Croel were standouts. Leodis Flowers who started most of the season at IB only had one carry in the bowl game. It was his last game as he quit the team shortly after. Scott Baldwin started the game and we remember what happened with him. Oddly enough we never heard much from Haase again. Keithen McCant who apparently was 4th string in the bowl ended up beating out Joseph, Grant and Haase the next season. Watching those guys makes me appreciate Tommy Armstrong despite some of his shortcomings.

That was a discouraging end to the season, and thank goodness the Internet didn't exist after the GA Tech bowl loss. The game had passed TO by, and he was never going to take Nebraska to a championship.

I remember how good Haase looked and everyone IIRC expected him to start. McCants just apparently came out of nowhere in 1991.

 

[Blackshirt30]

The talent on the 1990 defense was superb. The schedule that year was about as weak as we had faced under Osborne so getting to the CU game undefeated was expected. The 4th quarter collapse against the Buffs was dreadful and IMO, led to that team finishing the season the way they did.

 

[Charlie Marlow]

The talent on the 1990 defense was superb. The schedule that year was about as weak as we had faced under Osborne so getting to the CU game undefeated was expected. The 4th quarter collapse against the Buffs was dreadful and IMO, led to that team finishing the season the way they did.

...and the formation of the unity council, which led us to three more national championships.

 

[redwine65]

cu, ga tech and 0u, all went on ncaa probation.

 

[Blackshirt30]

cu, ga tech and 0u, all went on ncaa probation.

Not true. Oklahoma was in the middle of a 4 year probation in 1990 after the Switzer debacle. Colorado never got put on probation under McCartney even though an argument could be made that they should have been. Georgia Tech was never on football probation until the mid-2000's.
http://www.footballgeography.com/college-football-fbs-and-ncaa-probation/

 

[inorbit]

I remember going to the Minnesota game in Lincoln. My Dad and I barely got to our seats, and I watch Derek Brown go like 80 yards or something right down the sideline for a td. I miss that happening with our tailbacks. Brown was special that 90 season.

 

[Tulsa Tom]

I don't think Osborne had pressure other than to fire McBride. Giving up 45 two games in a row was almost unheard of for top teams at that time. It was about that time that Osborne forced Charlie to change up the defense if Charlie wanted to keep his job.

 

[Gonzo3705]

I remember going to the Minnesota game in Lincoln. My Dad and I barely got to our seats, and I watch Derek Brown go like 80 yards or something right down the sideline for a td. I miss that happening with our tailbacks. Brown was special that 90 season.

Derek Brown was one of the most underrated backs in the history of the program. I preferred him to Calvin Jones.

 

[redwine65]

Not true. Oklahoma was in the middle of a 4 year probation in 1990 after the Switzer debacle. Colorado never got put on probation under McCartney even though an argument could be made that they should have been. Georgia Tech was never on football probation until the mid-2000's.
http://www.footballgeography.com/college-football-fbs-and-ncaa-probation/

pretty much anyone who beat us in the 80's went on ncaa probation. washington, miami, etc. maybe there was 1 or 2 that were not cheating. but if the were not cheating they were getting calls catching the ball 3 foot out of bounds. which is also a form of cheating

 

[redwine65]

Georgia Tech 1998 - 2004 2005 (Nov) - 2007 2 - 0
Georgia Tech 2009 - 2010 2011 - 2014 4 - 0
(georgia tech = cheating bastards)

Colorado 1972? 1973 1 - 0
Colorado 1959 - 1961 1962 - 1963 2 1962 - 1963 2
Colorado 1971 - 1979 1980 (Dec) - 1982 2 1981 1
Colorado 1996 - 1999 2002 (Oct) - 2004 2 - 0
Colorado 2000 - 2005 2007 - 2008
(colorado = consistent cheating bastards)

Oklahoma 1952, 1954 - 1955 1960 1 1960 1
Oklahoma 1953? 1955 - 1956 2 - 0
Oklahoma 1972 1973 - 1974 2 1973 - 1974 2
Oklahoma 1983 - 1986 1988 (Dec) - 1991 3 1989 - 1990 2
Oklahoma 2005 - 2006 2008 - 2009 2 - 0
(bury switzer)

http://www.footballgeography.com/college-football-fbs-and-ncaa-probation/

 

[redwine65]

okies are tied for 4th of all time cheating bastards, and cu 7th..

and thats just when the ncaa actually did their job. most the time they looked the other way or swept it under the rug.

1 Southern Methodist (TX) 17 seasons 7 times
2 Southern California 15 seasons 6 times
3 Auburn (AL) 11 seasons 4 times
4t Alabama 10 seasons 3 times
4t Michigan St. 10 seasons 3 times
4t Oklahoma 10 seasons 5 times
7t Colorado 9 seasons 5 times
7t Illinois 9 seasons 5 times
7t Texas A&M 9 seasons 4 times
7t Wisconsin 9 seasons 4 times

 

[spinner4]

That was a discouraging end to the season, and thank goodness the Internet didn't exist after the GA Tech bowl loss. The game had passed TO by, and he was never going to take Nebraska to a championship.

I remember how good Haase looked and everyone IIRC expected him to start. McCants just apparently came out of nowhere in 1991.

But that's the thing, the game had passed TO up in many ways at that point. However, the great thing about TO is he NEVER stopped evaluating himself and his staff. Obviously, he didn't fire guys but that staff (especially on defense) evolved after that GA Tech game. That's why that man was so great, he looked inside himself for improvement. I don't want to make this into a Banker/Riley deal, but this is exactly my main fear with Banker. Does he know how to reinvent himself and his scheme? i can't wait until 2016 season starts and we see if we get a different look at D or if we get same old same old. I'm seriously optimistic. I just don't believe our coaches are too dumb to realize that shit has to change to be successful at the level our fan base needs. The change needed includes that they have to change. Riley knows this. He's a smart guy. jury still pending on Banker.