Hey Cat fans... a little nostalgia going back 1996. The following story came from a conversation with 'Cat great, Brian Musso. As many of you know, his dad, Johnny (the Italian Stallion), was an All-American for Bear Bryant at Bama and later backed up the great Walter Payton in Chicago. But Brian has painted a more vivid memory for us than good ole dad likely did.
During the 1996 game against Michigan at Dyche Stadium, trailing by 2 on 4th down and 9 at the Michigan 46, Musso made a HUGE clutch catch against the Wolverines in a bullet delivered by one of the BEST Wildcat QBs (stats aside), Steve Schnur. Immediately upon making that haul, Gary Danielson commented that in clutch situations, "you go to players, not plays".
So I asked Musso, what made you the player to go to in the clutch (on that play)?
Muss laughed and said, "I'm not sure if the coaches want me telling you this story, but before that play, we were coming out of a timeout. The referees blew the whistle to start play and we were looking to QB coach Craig Johnson to send a play for the huddle. Nothing. We said, 'coach, we need a play!'. Coach Johnson kind of [exasperatingly] put his hands up as he was trying to get something from coach Meyer up in the box. So Steve Schnur sort of waves him off and pulls me and (D'Wayne) Bates in and says to run a comeback; 'just get open, I'll hit you'.
So they ran the play and Musso found the sticks and upon his turn, Schnur put the ball right on #22 in front of two Michigan defenders for a game-extending first down (at which Musso stretched his right arm forward at the elbow, in the traditional "first down" animation we are so accustomed to seeing).
Shortly after, Gowins hit the game-winning field, not once but TWICE, after whistles blew the first one dead. NU knocks off Michigan AGAIN, this time when Michigan KNEW what was coming, 17-16. Two in a row over the Maize and Blue in Cardiac Cats fashion was oh so sweet.
More to come in the book, ChampioN Underdog. Go 'Cats!
During the 1996 game against Michigan at Dyche Stadium, trailing by 2 on 4th down and 9 at the Michigan 46, Musso made a HUGE clutch catch against the Wolverines in a bullet delivered by one of the BEST Wildcat QBs (stats aside), Steve Schnur. Immediately upon making that haul, Gary Danielson commented that in clutch situations, "you go to players, not plays".
So I asked Musso, what made you the player to go to in the clutch (on that play)?
Muss laughed and said, "I'm not sure if the coaches want me telling you this story, but before that play, we were coming out of a timeout. The referees blew the whistle to start play and we were looking to QB coach Craig Johnson to send a play for the huddle. Nothing. We said, 'coach, we need a play!'. Coach Johnson kind of [exasperatingly] put his hands up as he was trying to get something from coach Meyer up in the box. So Steve Schnur sort of waves him off and pulls me and (D'Wayne) Bates in and says to run a comeback; 'just get open, I'll hit you'.
So they ran the play and Musso found the sticks and upon his turn, Schnur put the ball right on #22 in front of two Michigan defenders for a game-extending first down (at which Musso stretched his right arm forward at the elbow, in the traditional "first down" animation we are so accustomed to seeing).
Shortly after, Gowins hit the game-winning field, not once but TWICE, after whistles blew the first one dead. NU knocks off Michigan AGAIN, this time when Michigan KNEW what was coming, 17-16. Two in a row over the Maize and Blue in Cardiac Cats fashion was oh so sweet.
More to come in the book, ChampioN Underdog. Go 'Cats!
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