Husker Killers: Priest Holmes
3 comments so far
March 6, 2008 by
Not many running backs have ever hurt the Huskers so badly with so few touches. In the 1996 Big 12 Championship game, Priest Holmes stat line read as follows: 9 carries, 120 yards, 3 touchdowns.
In the final loss of the Tom Osborne era, the third-ranked Huskers were expected to soundly beat Texas in the Big 12 title game and then face Florida State in the national championship game. Then Priest happened.
He got the Longhorns on the board first with a five-yard touchdown run. In the second quarter he ripped off a 61-yard touchdown burst to put Texas back up by seven. His fifteen yard run in the waning moments of the first half helped set up a Longhorn field goal that gave Texas a 20-17 halftime lead. In the waning minutes of the game he scored on an 11-yard touchdown run to put the game out of reach at 37-27.
Holmes went on to play 10 pro seasons and amass more than 11,000 total yards and 94 touchdowns in the NFL. He was named All-Pro three times and lead the league in rushing once, in rushing yards per game once, rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns each twice, yards from scrimmage twice, and scoring once.
He faced the Huskers only once, but he cost NU a conference title and a chance to play for a national championship. The win gave Texas a surge of confidence that may have carried over to the 1998 and 1999 losses. And he did it with only nine carries.
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Tyler Hughes Mar 06 08
I hate watching these highlights! However, it was this game that initiated my being a Husker fan. Sitting in college watching the game with my roommate. We had no other options on Saturdays that Fall as the Huskers were ALWAYS on. I saw him live and die with their season. It was that passion that made me, a Mizzouri boy, decide that I wanted to identify and follow a team like that with a fan base like that. I've loved them ever since. Of course, '97 was fun, but then think about the period following. That has proven to me that you bleed RED thick and thin. GBR!
doombob Mar 06 08
Remember Priest Holmes also broke the touchdown record in 2003 (where it was then broken by Shaun Alexander and then Tomlinson in the next few years). I'm a now a Chiefs fan, and by proxy a Preist fan, but this was the first game to "hit me" as a Husker fan. I didn't know pain until that 4th down pass and Holmes TD.
James Moore Mar 07 08
Until 2001 Colorado that was the most painful game for me as a Husker fan. Arizona State that year was a shocker but not painful. I remember being in college at the time and a friend of mine came up to me and said "dude yall are losing to Arizona State". As Vinnie Jones said in Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels: 'I'll put that one down to shock'. Texas was painful and the beginning of a very hateful frame of mind vis-a-vis Texas (see ending home winning streak in 1998 & the loss down in Austin in 1999 due to 3 fumbles inside the Texas 5 costing us a national championship). What I remember the most about that 4th & 1 was the expression on Dr. Tom's face during Lewis' run down the sideline. BUT Priest Holmes was a classy guy, still is, played very well (see stats), and is worthy of mention in this fine series of articles you guys are running. . .
Keep up the great work!!!