More finest moments in Husker football history

Thursday, April 2, 2020

LINCOLN, Neb. — Tuesday featured huskers.com unveiling a “Vote For The Greatest Moment in Nebraska football history” with a bracket-style basketball format where fans can vote.

The Gazette showcased three of those brackets where sports scribber R.B. Headley offered his favorite picks.

A final region appears today with R.B. eventually running them down to his ultimate champion. Voting is taking place on twitter.com/HuskerFBNation.

The Top Moments

Regional

No. 1: Post 9/11 Tunnel Walk vs. Rice

The uncertainty and fear we’re feeling with today’s pandemic could be compared to feelings upon the 2001 terrorist attacks. Nebraska postponed its game against Rice until the following Thursday, and an emotional pregame Tunnel Walk featured First Responders carrying the American flag.

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No. 8: Mother Nature intervenes

Whether a 40-minute halftime of plowing snow off the field (1986, Kansas State), or a lightning delay (1991, Utah State) or thunderstorms canceling the Scott Frost’s debut as head coach (2018, Akron), we’re reminded of the line, “we all stick together in all kinds of weather.”

R.B.’s pick: No. 1 all the way with First Responders, the American Flag and just a great feeling over snow plows or lightning strikes.

No. 4: Henery + Suh = Euphoria

Nebraska wasn’t supposed to need such heroics to defeat Colorado in 2008, but kicker Alex Henery and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh provided, anyway. Henery booted a school-record 57-yard field goal with 1:43 remaining to put NU ahead, and Suh rumbled 30 yards for a touchdown after intercepting.

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No. 5: Notre Dame Takeover

Nebraska fans have long been famous for their loyalty and ability to overtake opposing teams’ stadiums, namely those 2-3 hours away in Lawrence or Manhattan. But in South Bend, Indiana? Notre Dame’s home was more than half red in the Huskers’ 2000 overtime victory.

R.B.’s pick: Close call but I’ll take the Suh-Henry heroics game. I was living in Colorado and Big Red gave up 70-plus the year before to CU for Callahan’s finale.

No. 3: Westerkamp’s Hail Mary

Sometimes forgotten in Nebraska’s 27-24 home victory against Northwestern in 2013 is Ameer Abdullah’s efforts to convert a fourth-and-15 pass earlier in the game-winning drive. But yes, Jordan Westerkamp catching backup quarterback Ron Kellogg’s 49-yard heave on the final play won’t soon be forgotten.

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No. 6: Osborne Victory No. 250

That Tom Osborne’s 250th career victory came against Oklahoma provided some irony, given his biggest nemesis was enduring perhaps its worst stretch in program history. Regardless, the 69-7 victory in 1997 prompted postgame fireworks at Memorial Stadium.

R.B.’s pick: Taking lower seed here since it’s T.O. and beating Oklahoma. Old Husker fans know nothing could top that for many seasons.

No. 2: No-Punter Formation for Foltz

Few dry eyes could be found in Memorial Stadium for Nebraska’s 2016 season opener against Fresno State, when the Huskers, on their first punt of the game, lined up without a punter. That came in honor and memory of punter Sam Foltz, who died less than two months earlier in a car accident.

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No. 7: First Tunnel Walk

Two new Husker Vision screens had a test run during a pep rally the night before Nebraska’s home opener against UCLA in 1994, then a packed Memorial Stadium crowd the next day

R.B.’s pick: Nothing like that Foltz moment.

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