Huskerkill: Brock Huard
6 comments so far
June 12, 2008 by
There are any number of quarterbacks over the years we could have selected as Huskerkill, but Washington’s Brock Huard stands out both because he lead a top ten team into two contests with Nebraska but also because he didn’t finish either game.
In 1997, the seventh-ranked Huskers traveled to face the second-ranked Huskies in an early non-conference showdown. Washington lost Huard to a sprained ankle after only their third possession of the game with freshman Marques Tuiasosopo playing most of the way. Huard completed four of eight passes for just 29 yards and was sacked by Chad Kelsay for a seven yard loss. On the second series of the game, he had a pass batted down at the line, took the sack from Kelsay, and then got whacked and flagged for intentional grounding. By the time he walked off the field, the Huskies trailed 14-0 and were on their way to a 27-14 loss.
In 1998, the second-ranked Cornhuskers hosted the ninth-ranked Huskies and this time Huard hung around much longer. Not that that was a good thing, considering Washington would lose by a 55-7 margin. Huard completed 18 of 32 passes on the day for only 160 yards with two interceptions. His rushing line was six carries for minus five yards.
When Huard stepped on the field, his team was already down seven points and the fans in Memorial Stadium were juiced. After failing to get a first down on their opening series, DeAngelo Evans needed one play to make the score 14-0. The fans were now in a frenzy but Huard settled down and led his team to the NU 31. After two false starts and an intentional grounding penalty, Washington found themselves back at their own 41 yard line and needing to punt.
The Huskies’ defense finally held only to see Huard throw an interception deep in his own territory setting up NU’s third touchdown of the day. When Washington got the ball back they drove down to the Husker two-yard line only to see their running back fumble the ball to Erwin Swiney. Nebraska then drove 91 yards to make the score 28-0. But wait, there’s more!
On the next possession Huard saw another drive killed when he took a sack near midfield. Another touchdown drive (featuring NU’s second-team backfield) made the score 35-0. Huard managed to engineer a 65-yard touchdown drive just before the half (even overcoming a false-start and a sack along the way), but still saw his team trailing by four touchdowns at halftime.
Huard then started the second half by fumbling the ball to Steve Warren on the first play from scrimmage. Mackovicka then fumbled the ball back only to see Huard fumble the ball again to set up NU’s sixth touchdown. After another quick three and out by Washington set up a short field goal drive by NU (a rare miss by Kris Brown), Huard threw an interception on the very next play. The Huskers punched it in again to make the score 49-7 and in came Marques Tuiasosopo. And all of this took place before the end of the third quarter.
Cherished victories for Husker fans, but games Huard would surely rather forget.
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Cubehead Jun 12 08
Didn't Huard say something after the 97 season about how he wasn't turning pro so he could beat Nebraska the next year? Bad medicine.
ze bop Jun 12 08
I remember that 55-7 game a being very sweet and lloking like D. Evans was going to be a force... Too bad how thats guy's career devolved.
I had lived in Seattle from 84-94 and sat it out in a bar when NE traveled to UDub in '92 or something and lost 29-15 or so. All the UDub fans were hollering at how they were 'blowing us out', and I'm like, 'this is a blow out???'!!!!. I mean, we almost came back in the 4th qtr of that game.
Then later the 55-7 game: now thats a blow out!
Boulder Husker Jun 13 08
If I remember correctly, the announcers noted that during the 55-7 blowout Huard actually told the Husker D to "stop hitting me," or words to the affect.
teamster Jun 13 08
I'm hitching my wagon to the sage insight of Barry Switzer from last winter, when he stated...."You could win big today with Tom's formula of the 90's. Don't think you couldn't." Relentless passion is relentless passion!! Yea, and Spurrier was heralded as the revolutionary god of the new age college passing game during that era. How'd that work out for him during the championship game? Relentless passion won the day. (and excellent execution) Yes, the game evolves but it isn't a totally different animal from ten years ago.
teamster Jun 13 08
I'm expecting this series to cover Danny Waffle, uh' I mean Danny Wuerffle(sp?), soon. I gave him the waffle tag before that game started. Pass happy quarterback meets the madmen from sack city.
Greg Morrow Jun 13 08
That home and home with the Huskies reminds me of how far Nebraska's slipped. The speed, power and precision, of that offensive design.
Washington in '98 got dismantled by a team that basically, just threw wild "haymakers" on offense, even with an already injured Bobby Newcombe.
I thought Huard would make a sure fire pro. He just seemed like your standard pro quarterback prospect, like his brother. The kind of guy who could have played in the current offense, at least how it's been configured.
But wow, at the time, I sure wouldn't have taken him over Nebraska's quarterbacks, up to Crouch. Such great athletes, at Quarterback.