Relive ‘09 in less than 10 minutes
You're starting to feel it, aren't you? The long languor of the off-season is starting to set in.
The next 10 minutes should help.
It's sometimes valuable to see a season broken down into an easily digestible chunk such as this, removed from the emotion of the week to week rhythm of the fall. Some general thoughts...
1) No matter how many times I hear that Pelini pep talk that opens the video, I always think he's going to mistakenly slip into the old "the 'N' stands for knowledge" bit. Every time.
2) The video does a good job of showing the highs and the lows for the most part, but there's one game that's conspicuously absent: Texas Tech. Might seem like an artful dodge but it's really not that surprising. That was the outlier, the one game that didn't fit the mood of the season, the one loss that wasn't in the shoulda/coulda been a win category. In that respect, good riddance.
3) How good is Alex Henery? Good enough to have not one but two PUNTS featured in the highlight reel. That's rare (and possibly reflects on the offensive woes).
4) This isn't a title to throw around lightly, but I'm going to go ahead and label Dejon Gomes "clutch." It's mostly a basketball term--best defined by Robert Horry--but watching this again did anyone make more clutch plays than Gomes? Suh made better plays more often, but Gomes had at least three HUGE plays this season:
- Missouri You can't eclipse Suh's freakish interception in this game, but look at it like a boxing match. Nebraska took punches for nine rounds before finally knocking the Tigers down with Paul's long touchdown. Then, right after they restarted things, Suh knocked them down again. Upperhand gone, Mizzou's in trouble. Gomes is the one who delivers the knockout blow with his INT while the Huskers are clinging to a one-point lead and it's not just the first interception of his career, but an interception and return that sets up a touchdown. Nice to meet you, Dejon.
- Kansas On a day that was far from the Blackshirts best, Gomes again made the play that probably turned this game. Tied at 10 at the half, Kansas comes out--after picking up 173 yards in the 2nd quarter, a total Arizona wouldn't match in the Holiday Bowl--and goes on an 86-yard drive before Gomes forces a fumble as Kerry Meier is on his way into the endzone. O'Hanlon recovers and the Huskers go and get a field goal.
- Texas Down one with 11 minutes to go in the fourth quarter the Huskers catch a break as Texas' return man slips and their drive starts at the one yard line. Despite that, the Longhorns fight their way out of the corner and cross midfield in what looks like a game ending drive as the clock ticks down below seven minutes. What happens? Gomes happens. He literally takes a reception away from Buckner for McCoy's third interception of the day.
I'm glad that guy's coming back.
5) That said, I'm very wary of bowl game momentum. Yes, Nebraska held Arizona to 109 yards but let's not forget that they only gained 106 against Texas. Not trying to be negative, just realistic. I've seen too many big bowl performances followed by next season flops to put a lot of stock in those games.
1/19/2010
Great recap.
I am going to disagree slightly though. I have seen more bowl games propel a team to better things the following year, than the other way around. Especially a team with 10 returning starters on offense, the core of a special defense and all the special teams. Do you think the offence will remember the UT game or the AZ game to build on this off season. And to use the BB analogy, I have seen lots of NIT champions do great things the following year.
I don’t think there will be two games we wont be favored in? And we might be favored in everyone. Which game wouldnt we be favored in, the UT game at home? OSU away? If that is the case, from what I have seen from Bo so far is that he like Dr Tom, wins most games that they are supposed to, Iowa St is an obvious exception this year but I like our chance of going the entire year next year without an 8 turnover game.
GO BIG RED
1/19/2010
the Misery fans in disbelief over Suh and Co. putting them in their places, that is beautiful footage
1/19/2010
My nipples just got hard.
1/19/2010
Texas Tech was “conspicuosly absent” you say? Really? Sounds a hell of a lot like my description of the same video, which I posted this morning on Double Extra Point:
“For those of you who spent the past year under a rock, here is the 2009 Husker football season in 10 short minutes. Aside from the Texas Tech game, which is CONSPICUOUSLY ABSENT, it is all here—from the exhilarating highs (OU and the Holiday Bowl) to the soul-crushing lows (busted coverage at VT, fumbleitis versus Iowa St, and the last 0:01 against Texas).”
Unless your word choice is but a remarkable coincidence, it would seem that you’ve used what I’ve written without attributing it to me. If this is the case, please stop immediately.
1/19/2010
http://www.doubleextrapoint.com/2010-archives/january/2009-in-10-minutes.html
1/19/2010
I’m with GFW. I read his post earlier and there is some material that looks to be outright stolen. Post your sources, and give credit where credit is due. If it’s legitimately a mere coincidence, so be it. That, however, is highly unlikely.
Omaha, NE
1/19/2010
GFW/XFactor,
I assure you, it’s not the case. I don’t plagiarize. Never have, never will. It’s merely a coincidence.
I wrote this post last night at approximately 6pm and scheduled it to run this morning. Anyone on our staff can back me up on that.
Here’s our Twitter post from when we posted the piece:
http://twitter.com/bigrednetwork/status/7947818755
Feel free to email me if you want to discuss it further.
1/19/2010
Brandon,
If you say you wrote your piece last night, I believe you—I read BRN regularly and have never before seen such similarity. That said, I don’t consider “conspicuously absent” to be generic language, and for that reason it practically jumped off the page when I read it in your piece.
Chicago, IL
1/19/2010
GFW, Brandon didn’t plagiarize your description. Period.
I just emailed you screen shots of our CMS to confirm that Brandon wrote his post yesterday (hours before yours was published).
I wish you had contacted us privately and given us a chance to address your concerns before making a spectacle of it in public on our site and yours.
1/20/2010
Fight, Fight, Fight…
Okay only kidding.
Instead lets all sign together…
“Why can’t we be friend, why can’t we be friend…”
Okay now hugs all around. We are the best fan in America right?
1/20/2010
I think I plagerized in junior high. I definately got busted for it. I essentially took material and reworded it. Plagerism? I guess so. I’ve never really understood it though. My next piece I’ll make sure I quotation the who thing. Better to be safe than sorry. ;)
1/20/2010
81 yards, 8 turnovers, and one second. . .
That’s what I take away from this season. THAT close to the first signature year of Coach Pelini’s tenure here. . .
1/22/2010
GFW, get over yourself already. Two words? Really?
San Diego, Ca.
1/22/2010
How ‘bout the BRN take a break from posting doubleextrapoint links in the Wire column. That way, I don’t accidently visit, then peruse a site that’s “conspicuously” a notch south of this one.
Canned and base…
On the whole, a whole lotta not worth bothering with.