Greatest Husker Performances of All-Time

[Doc Fumble]

I was originally going to add this to the Suh retired thread but as we await B1G Media Days and the start of fall practice, I thought it might to fun to make a list of the all-time great one-game performances in the history of Husker football. Here's a few that come to my mind to start us off...

Ndamukong Suh - Missouri 2010
IMO, The Most Dominating Performance ever. The Mizzou game seriously kicked off Suh's Heisman Trophy campaign (which, by all rights, he should have won.) As I recall, he did win AP's Player of the Year Award.

Ndamukong Suh - Texas 2010 Big XII Championship Game
A close second in The Most Dominating Performance ever. He threw Colt McCoy around that game like a rag doll.

Tommie Frazier - Florida 1996 Fiesta Bowl
If this game against the supposed #2 team in the nation has taken place during the regular season, Frazier would have won the Heisman Trophy.

Johnny 'the Jet' Rodgers - 1973 Orange Bowl
For all of Johnny's heroics in our national championship games, his greatest game was his last one in the OB where he led Nebraska to a total thumping of Notre Dame, 40-6. In the game Johnny: 1) ran for three touchdowns; 2) caught a 50 yard pass for another TD; and threw a 54 yard TD---before leaving the game in the third quarter!

Okay, one more...

Rex Burkhead - 2011 Ohio State
I don't know what Burkhead's stats were that rainy night, but it was one of the most inspirational performances I've ever witnessed in Memorial Stadium. After the Huskers trailed by three TD, Rex helped lead the Huskers' biggest comeback of all time. One play I'll always remember was his TD to tie the game up where he caught a swing pass and made one sick move to juke a defender and race to the endzone. That beauty was followed by his game-winning runs on Nebraska's final drive that led his dive to the pylon for the winning score.

What are some of your favorite performances?

 

[justino52]

Roy Helu, 2010 vs Missouri.
I was there for that game. He shredded them. 28 carries, 307 yards, TD runs of 66, 73 and 53.

 

[valiantsailor]

Ndamukong Suh - Texas 2010 Big XII Championship Game
A close second in The Most Dominating Performance ever. He threw Colt McCoy around that game like a rag doll. Wrong Doc, this was the performance of a lifetime. Second belongs to Tommie Frazier in the Florida game for the NTG

 

[HuskerJ]

My good Dr. How did you miss Rich Grover’s game against Oklahoma?

Maybe you’re not as old as me.

 

[RED ED]

Roy Helu, 2010 vs Missouri.
I was there for that game. He shredded them. 28 carries, 307 yards, TD runs of 66, 73 and 53.

This was my first thought.

 

[Doc Fumble]

Ndamukong Suh - Texas 2010 Big XII Championship Game
A close second in The Most Dominating Performance ever. He threw Colt McCoy around that game like a rag doll.

Wrong Doc, this was the performance of a lifetime. Second belongs to Tommie Frazier in the Florida game for the NTG

I realize we're judging two absolute masterpieces, val. I gave the edge to his Mizzou game because there was no way in hell we'd have won that night without the Big Guy.

My good Dr. How did you miss Rich Grover’s game against Oklahoma?
Maybe you’re not as old as me.

Ah, I'm probably older than you. Glover's performance was on my list. You just beat me to it.

As I recall, Devaney told the rest of the defense on the sideline during the game, "Would you guys give Glover some help??!?"

Roy Helu, 2010 vs Missouri.
I was there for that game. He shredded them. 28 carries, 307 yards, TD runs of 66, 73 and 53.

I'll agree with that one. But, it needs to be said, that our OL created holes that first quarter that a freight train could've gone through.

 

[Uenth]

I give Matt Turman props for leading the Mighty Men of Corn to a victory against K-State in '94. Hub and I had a KSU alum. He came into hub's cubicle rubbing his hands together, almost gleefully when Frazier's blood clots surfaced. We knew he was scared of Berringer as Frazier's replacement. We could see the hopeful look on his face when Berringer had his collapsed lung. He was so solicitous in offering his sympathy but still pretty much rubbing his hands together in anticipation of a Wildcat victory. Turman was NOT going to lose that game, that was obvious. Man was our co-worker quiet the following Monday.

Good times!!

 

[RED ED]

I give Matt Turman props for leading the Mighty Men of Corn to a victory against K-State in '94. Hub and I had a KSU alum. He came into hub's cubicle rubbing his hands together, almost gleefully when Frazier's blood clots surfaced. We knew he was scared of Berringer as Frazier's replacement. We could see the hopeful look on his face when Berringer had his collapsed lung. He was so solicitous in offering his sympathy but still pretty much rubbing his hands together in anticipation of a Wildcat victory. Turman was NOT going to lose that game, that was obvious. Man was our co-worker quiet the following Monday.

Good times!!

I would argue. Our O line was not going to lose that game

 

[Uenth]

I would argue. Our O line was not going to lose that game

Everyone had to do their part that night for us to prevail. However, if the Turmanator had started fumbling or overthrowing passes, etc; that game would have gone the other way. I gave props to Turman because I believe, in most cases, the QB makes or breaks a game.

Absolutely, though, the O-Line really played their hearts out. I just have a soft spot for Turman. Probably because of the K-State alum we worked with. Every EMAW was absolutely convinced that without Frazier or Berringer, that game was KSUcks. They were wrong!

 

[HuskersNC949597]

Suh didn't play in 2010. Pedantic Man's work here is done.

It was an utterly meaningless game in the grand scheme, but watching Joe Ganz torch Kansas State for 500+ yards and 7 touchdowns in 2007 sure was hilarious.

 

[Cigarman]

Alex Henery's 57-yard field goal against Colorado.

 

[Cigarman]

Niles Paul, 99-yard TD reception against Georgia.
Game winning Hail Mary, Kellog to Westerkamp to beat Northwestern.
Westerkamp's behind the back catch.
Kenny Bell's block against Wisconsin.

 

[Doc Fumble]

Mike Rozier - Missouri, 1982
You might assume, if I'm mentioning our Heisman Trophy winner, I'd be talking about a game like UCLA with his spectacular "2 yard" TD run or his 285 yard rushing day versus Kansas. But Mike became one of my all-time favorites back in his junior year when we played Mizzou at home. The 1982 Mizzou game ranks in my book as The Grittiest Performance I've ever been privileged to see in person.

What's wild about the game is that Rozier wasn't supposed to play that day. No one expected to see him because all week he was listed as 'out' for the game because he was suffering from a painful hip pointer he'd gotten the previous week.

But with Nebraska trailing Missouri 7 to 6 at halftime, Mike came off the bench in the second half to rush for 139 yards (that's one half, people) and lead the Huskers to a dramatic, fourth-quarter comeback win. From the stands, you could literally 'feel' the pain Mike was dealing with each and every play. I was blown away by the heart Rozier displayed that afternoon. The following Monday he was named Big Eight player of the week for his efforts.

 

[Doc Fumble]

Alex Henery's 57-yard field goal against Colorado.

I've told this story here many times before -- but I'm officially an Old Geezer now so I'm allowed to tell it again.

Pelini called a timeout before the kick so the crowd began chattering with each other in disbelief when we saw the FG unit go out on the field. On the radio, Greg Sharpe was commenting that its hard to kick long FGs on cold days (which this night was.) Also our section had some super-loud, obnoxious guy I'd never seen before who was heckling Bo. He was saying how assinine it was to give up our only shot at a win by not going for it on fourth down. So my son and I had zero positive vibes leading up to Alex's kick.

But as soon as he kicked it, I could tell from my angle that he'd put enough leg into it. So I was looking at the North Stadium fans to see if he'd hit it straight enough. It became one of my all-time favorite fan reactions inside Memorial Stadium. Everybody in the stadium was jumping up and down shouting, "Oh My God! Oh My God!" in amazement.

But the night got even crazier a couple minutes later when Suh intercepted a Hawkins' pass and then proceeded to RUN OVER HIM on his way to clinching the win. Suh finished by slamming the ball against the fence in the back of the endzone (he probably should have been called for a penalty but he wasn't.) It was yet another one of my all-time favorite fan reactions. That's two all-time classics within the span of five minutes.

 

[innmc]

Berringer backed up Frazier the first three games, and had seven yards of total offense vs. West Virginia; 15 vs. Texas Tech; 27 vs. UCLA; then played extensively vs. Pacific in the fourth game (8-15, 120 yards passing and three TDs, 6-32 rushing with one score). He got his first career start against Wyoming when Frazier went out with a blood clot. Berringer unknowingly played the second half of the game with a partially-collapsed left lung (30-40 percent), suffered on NU's last scoring drive of the first half on a hit that also cracked a rib. Nebraska was down 21-7 with 2:12 left before halftime when Berringer orchestrated a beautiful two-minute drill beginning at the NU 36-yard line, completing seven straight passes for 59 yards and scoring on a five-yard jaunt. Despite the injury, he still led NU back from a 21-14 halftime deficit, rushing for 74 yards and three TDs while going 15-of-22 passing for 131 yard

 

[ATX_Husker]

Niles Paul, 99-yard TD reception against Georgia.

Not to nitpick but that was Quincy Enunwa (similar body type as Niles)

 

[Navy60]

• 1973 Bowl game, NU vs ND. Johnny Rogers 4 TDs, 3 rushing, 1 receiving, and another passing. Absolutely proved he was indeed worthy of the Heisman Trophy.

There was a NU vs UCLA game in the 80's, and I can't remember the QB, but he threw 5 TD passes to win the game because of UCLA loading the box to stop the run.

 

[Doc Fumble]

There was a NU vs UCLA game in the 80's, and I can't remember the QB, but he threw 5 TD passes to win the game because of UCLA loading the box to stop the run.

Steve Taylor - UCLA 1987
As Navy60 reminded us, Taylor threw five TD passes that afternoon, tying an old Big Eight record.

 

[Doc Fumble]

Jeff Kinney - Oklahoma 1971
When it comes to 'stepping it up for a big game,' there's no better example than Kinney. He played the game of his life that afternoon. Jeff scored four TDs (his last one in the final minutes of a Kinney-led final drive) and rushed for 171 yards -- 150 of them in the second half -- to lead the Huskers to victory in The Game of the Century. Jeff was a good player but you wouldn't call him a great running back. But he played his very best game when it counted the most.

 

[KansasRed]

I give Matt Turman props for leading the Mighty Men of Corn to a victory against K-State in '94. Hub and I had a KSU alum. He came into hub's cubicle rubbing his hands together, almost gleefully when Frazier's blood clots surfaced. We knew he was scared of Berringer as Frazier's replacement. We could see the hopeful look on his face when Berringer had his collapsed lung. He was so solicitous in offering his sympathy but still pretty much rubbing his hands together in anticipation of a Wildcat victory. Turman was NOT going to lose that game, that was obvious. Man was our co-worker quiet the following Monday.

Good times!!

I was at that game; walked by the KSucks frat boys lineup on the way in and they were all shouting Tommie insults, etc. Then milling through the crowd I heard lots of "This is it! We got 'em today!" Pretty quiet on the way back out though.