Colorado-2001

[StoneTempleHusker]

I was at that game.

It was supposed to be an ass-whooping put on by our undefeated and #1 ranked Huskers.

Then the highway opened up on our defense and Chris Brown and Bobby Purify ran for like 2,000 yards against our vaunted Blackshirts.

Crouch tried his best to rally, but we were simply out-manned, out-coached, and outworked that day/night. The Buffs ran 3 simple inside run plays that had us mystified that day, and it changed our program forever. (Actually, I think it was just 2. A Trap and an Inside Counter that we used to run train on the entire Big 8 back in the day. And the Buffs shoved our 'stuff' right down our very own throats.)

Much like the great song sung by Don Maclean of "American Pie", it 'twas the day the Huskers that we all loved and cherished died.

 

[Jhollenbeck41]

He never should have been a qb, but was literally our only option that year. Running back was an equal disaster that year as well. You should have heard the post game call-in show that season, it was brutal.

How many calls for Frank's head?

 

[Crazyhole]

How many calls for Frank's head?

It was more about personnel and staff choices. Gillespie and Barnes were big targets. Frank had a lot of criticism directed towards him but it was pretty much across the board criticism until the Texas game, then it was almost all about Frank.

 

[Jhollenbeck41]

It was more about personnel and staff choices. Gillespie and Barnes were big targets. Frank had a lot of criticism directed towards him but it was pretty much across the board criticism until the Texas game, then it was almost all about Frank.

What happened in the TX game?

 

[cubsker]

What happened in the TX game?

We let Lord pass down 3 with 20 seconds left and he threw an Int.

 

[SeaOfRed75]

98g again and again iirc.

 

[Crazyhole]

What happened in the TX game?

Just watch the last quarter. The rest of the game was pretty boring.

 

[Jhollenbeck41]

We let Lord pass down 3 with 20 seconds left and he threw an Int.

......seems to be the difference between TO and Frankie right there

 

[huskerssalts]

Actually took the time last night to watch this game. Don't remember it as a child and have really only seen highlight clips from youtube's "recommended for you". Is this the day the dynasty ended? I know we played for the title that year but that ended up being basically the same.



Is this the game the dynasty officially ended? Offense clearly wasn't as powerful or dominant as it had been, and the blackshirts weren't the blackshirts.


Thoughts?

only thing I have to say on this game is it’s funny because Colorado fans actually think they were the team that cause our Huskers down fall. If any team was the cause (which is far from the case) it would have been that 2001 Hurricane team. It definitely wasn’t the Fluff team. They had our number that year and they had a good team but they weren’t our down fall.

 

[cubsker]

the lack of talent, exacerbated by losing TO and McBride, was our downfall.

 

[saluno22]

You could see the cracks in the game prior to 2001 Colorado when we struggled against a Kansas State team who finished 6-6. Our 10-0 Huskers trailed 14-13 at halftime to a team who was 4-4 at the time.

 

[CatColumbia]

Talent ran out and our assistants were old. Colorado had been knocking on our door for a few years but we always found a way to win against them, so they had us circled for the entire year. That game definitely sent a shockwave to the nation. Prior to that Black Friday, Nebraska had never been blown out and never allowed 60+ points. I know now it seems like it happens quite often and we’ve grown accustomed to beat downs but in 2001, nobody saw this coming.

Oklahoma winning the natty in 2000 also hurt our recruiting in the Midwest and Texas.

 

[9and4]

My only memory of attending the 2001 Colorado-Nebraska game was the graciousness of the victorious fans. I believe they cheered our Huskers off the field and bade us fans well as we left their fair city. Kumbaya moment, for sure.

 

[litespeedhuskerfan]

I remember getting down 21-0 to Colorado and having to resort to trick plays. Then one of the broadcasters at halftime said something to the effect of "If you told Frank Solich he would score 23 in the first half at Colorado, he'd be ecstatic. The only problem is, Nebraska gave up 42."

Up the middle, over and over.

Wait until you see what happened in the 2007 home game against USC...

All I remember about the USC game is we went up 3-0 early....don't tell me we lost after going up big to start!!

 

[Blindcheck]

Chris Brown (CU tailback) ran through the heart of NU's defense all day that day, with no, or at least no effective, adjustments by NU. Craig Bohl lost his job that day, and Brown's performance was a pre-cursor to many more like it over the next 20 years. Prior to that day, while I had seen the Blackshirts give up big days to some running backs over the years - those were usually to generational talents like Billy Sims, Marcus Dupree and Barry Sanders - not Chris Brown.

I have told some buddies that the Colorado game showed me how good of a coach that Craig Bohl actually was. Nebraska had the number 1 ranked defense (or close to it) going into that game and was exposed by Colorado. What this told me is that there was glaring deficiencies in our defense and Bohl managed to hide them for the entire season until that game was played.

I know it is a contrary view, but sometimes you are who you are and if you can hide it as a coach then you are doing a pretty good job.