7-5 record and the HAT is back; what an unbelievable season

[zeek55]

This LoL game feels like it took years off my life, but what a win for our Cats, 45-43 (on a 2nd onsides kick attempt after an 80 yard TD play).

7-5 and I still can't believe we have a record like this after the offseason, and 5-4 in Big Ten play.

And to win it on a game in which Illinois needed this win to guarantee a bowl slot and instead we put Bielema's Illinois at 5-7 in his 3rd year there.

5-1 at Ryan Field in its last year of the current stadium and the HAT to top it off. All credit to the players and coaches for sticking through it and making this happen.

I appreciate it a lot more seeing Illinois at 5-7 and a program like Nebraska in their 7th year of losing records. It's hard just to get to 6 wins these days and will get harder still in the years to come, so I'm going to treasure what this team gave us.

Braun earned his job 2 weeks ago, and the team kept delivering these past 2 games (though there are probably things to clean up after this Illinois game, but what a feeling after the past 2 years of uncompetitiveness in this game).

 

[PURPLE Book Cat]

Love beating Rantoul

 

[IGNORE2]

In one of our many closed threads, a poster bemoaned how unrealistic it would be to average 7 wins. We will have them he said but not average it.

Because at a place like NU, admissions take off a win or two. Can’t have a bad recruiting class. Can’t have any off field distractions. Can’t afford any injuries. Transfers won’t get in or will suck. Nobody could be expectedly to competently coach. And you only can win with defense.

See ya haters. This team got what it needed - a reboot. As a new coaching admin gets settled in, I’m looking forward to more seasons with greater number of wins than loyalty hires and retentions. Wonder if this stories season brings in some more players and coaches….

 

[Hungry Jack]

Truly an amazing performance by the team and the staff. It helped that the B1B West had craptastic quarterbacking, but we the second best team in the division when most of us thought we'd go oh-for.

Congrats to Coach Braun, the staff, and all of the those players.

I was especially thrilled for Garner Wallace today. He was too. What a moment for him.

 

[phatcat]

Today was the first Win I missed. Was dying to go today. Love this team

 

[NJcatsfan]

One of my favorite seasons because of how improbable it was. Kind of like last year in hoops. I’ll admit to being as stunned as anyone. Thrilled to have been this wrong, with a lot of company! GO CATS!

 

[AdamOnFirst]

This LoL game feels like it took years off my life, but what a win for our Cats, 45-43 (on a 2nd onsides kick attempt after an 80 yard TD play).

7-5 and I still can't believe we have a record like this after the offseason, and 5-4 in Big Ten play.

And to win it on a game in which Illinois needed this win to guarantee a bowl slot and instead we put Bielema's Illinois at 5-7 in his 3rd year there.

5-1 at Ryan Field in its last year of the current stadium and the HAT to top it off. All credit to the players and coaches for sticking through it and making this happen.

I appreciate it a lot more seeing Illinois at 5-7 and a program like Nebraska in their 7th year of losing records. It's hard just to get to 6 wins these days and will get harder still in the years to come, so I'm going to treasure what this team gave us.

Braun earned his job 2 weeks ago, and the team kept delivering these past 2 games (though there are probably things to clean up after this Illinois game, but what a feeling after the past 2 years of uncompetitiveness in this game).

This is a totally crap division filled with 6 teams that range from godawful to very mediocre and one team that's like mostly decent to above average. There are very few challenges on a weekly basis. It's one of the easiest possible places to have a good season in the country as a mediocre team.

And despite two disastrous seasons and a disastrous offseason that looked to portend potentially a decade or more of complete programmatic disaster, NU not only competed in that bad division, not only eeked on a few key wins in that bad division, not only won a bowl in that division, but finished in second place in that division. We crawled near the top of all the mediocrity and went 4-2 against this collection of misfits. Absurdly, we were actually a last minute 52 yard field goal from a ridiculous division title.

We didn't just have an improving season or a recovery season. We had a pretty decent season even without a big curve.

Completely incredible.

 

[BosCat]

I was especially thrilled for Garner Wallace today. He was too. What a moment for him.

Here's the great quote from him:

“When I first caught it, I thought, ‘Can I run with it?’ " Wallace said. “Then I started running and thought, 'I'm not going to get tackled.'"

 

[zeek55]

One of my favorite seasons because of how improbable it was. Kind of like last year in hoops. I’ll admit to being as stunned as anyone. Thrilled to have been this wrong, with a lot of company! GO CATS!

Yeah the similarities to the Hoops situation are definitely notable. Obviously coaching situation different, but I thought for sure it'd be really hard for CCC to keep his job (let alone get an extension), and I thought likewise it'd be extremely difficult for Braun to win his job.

CCC finished 2nd in the Big Ten with an NCAA bid, and Braun finished 2nd in the Big Ten West with a bowl bid.

Both teams rose to the occasion and delivered far beyond expectations. Thrilled for both CCC and Braun to get to continue here.

 

[IGNORE2]

One of my favorite seasons because of how improbable it was. Kind of like last year in hoops. I’ll admit to being as stunned as anyone. Thrilled to have been this wrong, with a lot of company! GO CATS!

With you. I’m in no position to bowl, or more fun, offer to fly a few of you with me. I booked Cozumel for scuba post Xmas long ago so I’ll watch from Mexico.

But, this season has me ready to figure how to watch the cats next year - preferably away game. Been wanting to add flying to FB games to my agenda and feeling good about it now.

Looking ahead, maryland, Iowa and Purdue look to be during Red Sea and excursions. So Michigan might be the ticket next year.

 

[NUCat320]

After the Rutgers game, I posted this wonderful old Joe Pera bit — so nice of the Cats to be bad again this year, so that we’d have our Saturdays free to spend with our families or on our hobbies or on personal growth.

Instead, I watched most everything as it happened, and I *wanted* to watch every one. How fun.

Credit to everyone with the courage to stay. Credit to everyone with the courage to buy in. Credit to everyone who believed when, truly, nobody else did.

The competition will improve next season, but this program is in a much better situation than any reasonable person could have expected in July.

Go Cats.

(Here’s the bit. You can stop at about 4:25.)

 

[Alaskawildkat]

This LoL game feels like it took years off my life, but what a win for our Cats, 45-43 (on a 2nd onsides kick attempt after an 80 yard TD play).

7-5 and I still can't believe we have a record like this after the offseason, and 5-4 in Big Ten play.

And to win it on a game in which Illinois needed this win to guarantee a bowl slot and instead we put Bielema's Illinois at 5-7 in his 3rd year there.

5-1 at Ryan Field in its last year of the current stadium and the HAT to top it off. All credit to the players and coaches for sticking through it and making this happen.

I appreciate it a lot more seeing Illinois at 5-7 and a program like Nebraska in their 7th year of losing records. It's hard just to get to 6 wins these days and will get harder still in the years to come, so I'm going to treasure what this team gave us.

Braun earned his job 2 weeks ago, and the team kept delivering these past 2 games (though there are probably things to clean up after this Illinois game, but what a feeling after the past 2 years of uncompetitiveness in this game).

Congratulations for most liked post of the day (at least by my calculations.)

 

[stpaulcat]

In one of our many closed threads, a poster bemoaned how unrealistic it would be to average 7 wins. We will have them he said but not average it.

Because at a place like NU, admissions take off a win or two. Can’t have a bad recruiting class. Can’t have any off field distractions. Can’t afford any injuries. Transfers won’t get in or will suck. Nobody could be expectedly to competently coach. And you only can win with defense.

See ya haters. This team got what it needed - a reboot. As a new coaching admin gets settled in, I’m looking forward to more seasons with greater number of wins than loyalty hires and retentions. Wonder if this stories season brings in some more players and coaches….

So are you on board, now?

 

[IGNORE2]

So are you on board, now?

I am. How could one not be? I’m still rooting for the departure of a bunch of coaches. And though I’ll be frustrated if that doesn’t happen, Braun earned some rope this year. Not years worth, but a season or two

 

[corbi296]

 

[DaCat]

Here’s a cool recap of the NU hat win.


https://youtu.be/e2m3uC93jGo?si=sRAnE5kXVFa-0dst

 

[zeek55]

Here’s a cool recap of the NU hat win.

View embedded media

View embedded media

Great to rewatch that. So much easier knowing the final result.

 

[phatcat]

Same

With you. I’m in no position to bowl, or more fun, offer to fly a few of you with me. I booked Cozumel for scuba post Xmas long ago so I’ll watch from Mexico.

But, this season has me ready to figure how to watch the cats next year - preferably away game. Been wanting to add flying to FB games to my agenda and feeling good about it now.

Looking ahead, maryland, Iowa and Purdue look to be during Red Sea and excursions. So Michigan might be the ticket next year.

Same, Bob. We are headed to Bremen, a trip booked when it seemed impossible that the Cats would go to a bowl. Might be hard to see it due to time zones. But I've witnessed 6 of the 7 wins. Great fun.

 

[kawacko]

This LoL game feels like it took years off my life, but what a win for our Cats, 45-43 (on a 2nd onsides kick attempt after an 80 yard TD play).

7-5 and I still can't believe we have a record like this after the offseason, and 5-4 in Big Ten play.

And to win it on a game in which Illinois needed this win to guarantee a bowl slot and instead we put Bielema's Illinois at 5-7 in his 3rd year there.

5-1 at Ryan Field in its last year of the current stadium and the HAT to top it off. All credit to the players and coaches for sticking through it and making this happen.

I appreciate it a lot more seeing Illinois at 5-7 and a program like Nebraska in their 7th year of losing records. It's hard just to get to 6 wins these days and will get harder still in the years to come, so I'm going to treasure what this team gave us.

Braun earned his job 2 weeks ago, and the team kept delivering these past 2 games (though there are probably things to clean up after this Illinois game, but what a feeling after the past 2 years of uncompetitiveness in this game).

I remember getting the tomahawk.

 

[docrugby1]

I will admit that I predicted one win and could not justify a trip to Evanston but Uber was able to get my tickets to NU fans.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

I will admit that I predicted one win and could not justify a trip to Evanston but Uber was able to get my tickets to NU fans.

Or at least to a bunch of us that were able to exit and get a fresh libation during half time.

 

[Katatonic]

This is a totally crap division filled with 6 teams that range from godawful to very mediocre and one team that's like mostly decent to above average. There are very few challenges on a weekly basis. It's one of the easiest possible places to have a good season in the country as a mediocre team.

It's been like that for most of the time the West has been in existence.

With just an average O (and the D not turning putrid), the Cats would have had another West title (maybe 2) in their belt.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

It's been like that for most of the time the West has been in existence.

With just an average O (and the D not turning putrid), the Cats would have had another West title (maybe 2) in their belt.

So would Iowa, Wisconsin and Minny,