Six reasons for hope against UNL this year

[eastbaycat99]

The Cats lost to the Huskers by 49 last year. Here are 6 times the Cats lost a blowout but improved by more than 49 points against the same team the following year:

1) BC ‘92-‘93. 50 points
2) MSU ‘81-82. 51 points
3) MSU ‘99-‘00 54 points
4) PSU ‘02-‘03 59 points
5) Illinois’99-‘00 60 points
6) Wisconsin’94-‘95 67 points

 

[Sheffielder]

I appreciate the positivity.

 

[FeralFelidae]

Honorable mention was Air Force '02-'03. 48 point improvement, but the 'Cats fell just short (losing the '03 game by just one).

I think Air Force also said they'll never play Northwestern again after that game, if my memory serves me. There was some sort of nasty fallout between the two schools.

 

[willycat]

Honorable mention was Air Force '02-'03. 48 point improvement, but the 'Cats fell just short (losing the '03 game by just one).

I think Air Force also said they'll never play Northwestern again after that game, if my memory serves me. There was some sort of nasty fallout between the two schools.

Think it was the other way around. NU said no games vs. Air Force because of one sided penalty calls. Thinking Nebraska or some other Big Ten school said same.

 

[KramerCat91]

So there's a 50% chance we'll be B1G champs?

 

[Catreporter]

i remember that Air Force disaster and yes, the penalty discrepancy was ridiculous. Epic 4th quarter collapse in that one!

 

[FeralFelidae]

i remember that Air Force disaster and yes, the penalty discrepancy was ridiculous. Epic 4th quarter collapse in that one!

I just remember Baz's interceptions.

 

[FeralFelidae]

Think it was the other way around. NU said no games vs. Air Force because of one sided penalty calls. Thinking Nebraska or some other Big Ten school said same.

Well, I found this, for one (I didn't even remember this; it keeps getting worse!):

https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...erently/b10ab101-95f3-421e-ad0a-69ffa23f87e3/

I seem to remember that Northwestern lost some players to injury in the 2002 game and some associated with the program accused Air Force of throwing dirty blocks that caused the injuries. (Option teams make liberal use of cut blocks, which are legal under certain circumstances. Chop blocks are always illegal.)

Anyway, after the accusations from the 2002 game, I seem to remember Air Force, in turn, making a big stink about Northwestern playing dirty in the 2003 game.

Well, whatever the case, are the schools still mad at each other?

 

[FeralFelidae]

"A coward's cut block."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...a-stand/c508f4f6-6305-412d-a66f-af2340e7b400/

 

[CatManTrue]

The Cats lost to the Huskers by 49 last year. Here are 6 times the Cats lost a blowout but improved by more than 49 points against the same team the following year:

1) BC ‘92-‘93. 50 points
2) MSU ‘81-82. 51 points
3) MSU ‘99-‘00 54 points
4) PSU ‘02-‘03 59 points
5) Illinois’99-‘00 60 points
6) Wisconsin’94-‘95 67 points

Man I hope you’re right about this. We need a win to reverse last year’s bad mojo.

 

[CatManTrue]

i remember that Air Force disaster and yes, the penalty discrepancy was ridiculous. Epic 4th quarter collapse in that one!

It wasn’t about the penalty discrepancy entirely.

There was a skirmish on the sideline after one of the Air Force players ran into one of our assistants on the sideline. I think it was Pederson.

Anyway, I’m glad we don’t play them anymore. Screw the triple option and the horse it rode in on.

 

[CatManTrue]

Well, I found this, for one (I didn't even remember this; it keeps getting worse!):

https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...erently/b10ab101-95f3-421e-ad0a-69ffa23f87e3/

I seem to remember that Northwestern lost some players to injury in the 2002 game and some associated with the program accused Air Force of throwing dirty blocks that caused the injuries. (Option teams make liberal use of cut blocks, which are legal under certain circumstances. Chop blocks are always illegal.)

Anyway, after the accusations from the 2002 game, I seem to remember Air Force, in turn, making a big stink about Northwestern playing dirty in the 2003 game.

Well, whatever the case, are the schools still mad at each other?

Pat Durr blew his knee out on an illegal chop block against Air Force in 2002 IIRC.

I don’t know who is mad at who. And who cares. There’s no reason to play any team that runs the triple option these days. Aside from the nifty hand fakes and intrinsic misdirection, that offense should be extinct.

 

[FanatiCat]

It wasn’t about the penalty discrepancy entirely.

There was a skirmish on the sideline after one of the Air Force players ran into one of our assistants on the sideline. I think it was Pederson.

Anyway, I’m glad we don’t play them anymore. Screw the triple option and the horse it rode in on.

It appeared that he gave a slight forearm to the AFA guy coming at him. It may have been related to the non-calls for all the low blocks on our guys. That was also around the time we had our LB Szymul who was a good player but known for some after the whistle activity.

The worst officiating was the last time we went to Hawaii and got jobbed by the refs. MSU also went there the same year I think and got jobbed too; that probably ended B1G schools traveling to Hawaii for regular season games.

 

[FeralFelidae]

Pat Durr blew his knee out on an illegal chop block against Air Force in 2002 IIRC.

I don’t know who is mad at who. And who cares. There’s no reason to play any team that runs the triple option these days. Aside from the nifty hand fakes and intrinsic misdirection, that offense should be extinct.

Was it a chop block or a cut block? The sources I can find seem to indicate it was a cut block, which is not necessarily illegal.

As for whether or not an offense should be extinct, if it still wins games, it still has its place. But if it relies on a block that should be illegal because it blows out the knees of star linebackers, then maybe we should make that block illegal and then see if the triple option remains so effective.

But just because we suck against option offenses (we lost to Army and then cancelled our other game against them with our tail between our legs) doesn't mean the offense should be extinct. If other teams can beat these teams, why can't we?

 

[wildelk2]

Think it was the other way around. NU said no games vs. Air Force because of one sided penalty calls. Thinking Nebraska or some other Big Ten school said same.

Correct. Horrible chop blocking - Pat Durr's possible NFL career was done because of illegal blocks.