1995 Sept 09 - Nebraska vs Michigan St

[@biglebowski923]

After the game when Nick Saban went to shake Tom Osborne’s hand Nick told Tom “ Boy we got a lot of work to do or this is going to be a long season.” Tom told him “ Don’t get discouraged we are pretty good, I think this is the best team I ever had. “. Nick said it did comfort him knowing that.

[@jesusrivera743]

Michigan State wasn’t a bad team but to see Nebraska be so dominant this early in the season must’ve had an impact on Coach Saban. Little did he know that he would become the goat .

[@kansasjayhawk8386]

I don't think we will ever witness a college football team as powerful and as talented as this 95 Nebraska team. The best college football team in history.

[@BlackStallionOne]

As a Florida State fan, I agree with that!

[@travisbrown3270]

ABSOLUTELY

[@travisbrown3270]

@@BlackStallionOne me and my dad watched the Fiesta Bowl I am die hard husker fan and he was a die hard gator. Florida had great athletes and was an awesome team but it just shows you how good Nebraska really was. I honestly think that Nebraska team is the best in college football team in history.

[@BlackStallionOne]

Travis Brown I’ll admit, I was actually rooting for Florida in this game because to me, it would’ve cushioned the blow of us losing to them a few weeks earlier, because at least I would’ve been able to say that they were the national champions LOL. But what Nebraska did that night, till this day, 25+ years later, is something that I will forever admire and respect. I tell people in sports groups on social media all the time, that Cornhusker team would’ve beaten ANY team that came after it…… USC, Miami, Alabama, Clemson, LSU, you name it.

[@1dawg243]

They wouldn’t have beaten that Miami ‘01 team. Miami had a running game (Clinton Portis) and the #1 defense. Florida that ‘95 year wasn’t a great running team and they gave up a lot of points against Tenn and Auburn that year. ‘95 Nebraska is behind ‘01 Miami

[@zeraphking1407]

Greatest college football team I've ever seen.

[@larrygro]

The night after this game was the beginning of Lawrence Phillips demise. RIP

[@Magicconchshell1]

Idk about you guys, but I love watching NE win

[@damienkirksey7026]

Team Shot Hero I didn't

[@planetbenji1493]

What a D we used to have!!!

[@robjohnson8861]

@@planetbenji1493 yeah, against a 1st yr coach and a team coming off an atrocious season that was made worse by the Pres of MSU forfeiting the 5 wins, Neb looked for real.

[@jasonc6812]

@@robjohnson8861 they look like National Champions 😊

[@StonedMeadowOfDoom]

@@robjohnson8861 they lost even worse the next year in year 2 of Saban. What's your excuse for that genius? Nebraska was also not nearly as good in 96. You are a very bad troll

[@NevitablePinholeBurn]

I'm not used to a game played at this pace anymore. I'm just so used to hurry up. Can you imagine this Husker team w/ a no huddle offense? Good lord.

[@mattbradford8227]

Nebraska, the Rolls Royce of College Football. How times have changed. The beginning of Nick Saban in major college football. And being from Alabama, seeing him step aside after 17 seasons here it's quite a step back into history. And how the game is light years different than this era, The Bowl Coalition now. Can't believe this was 29 years from this post.

[@traviskrause8509]

Nobody could even come close to competing with our 95 team nobody the best college football has ever seen and might ever see!!! They were that good on both sides of the ball!!! I'm so glad it was a nebraska team they were just awesome to watch how they would just systematically pick apart a team we used to bet on how long it would take before they say in the broadcast booth well this game is over and alot of times it was the first quarter and even the championship game was history in the 2 quarter!!! I'm not big on rubbing it in on people but I just can't help myself being a die hard nebraska fan and the 97 frost team was pretty damn close to being that good god bless you Scott frost for coming home and making nebraska great again!!! Not yet but he will just give it a little time!!!

[@travisbrown3270]

Hell yea.

[@robjohnson8861]

Well look, it's ding and dong.

[@robjohnson8861]

"god bless you Scott frost for coming home and making nebraska great again!!! Not yet but he will just give it a little time!!!" And 10 yrs in, you will still be saying that.

[@traviskrause8509]

@@robjohnson8861 I doubt that nebraska one way or another will be back to elite football status count on it!!!!!!!!!

[@robjohnson8861]

@@traviskrause8509 was that a typo? You doubt Neb will return to elite status?

[@DanielSong39]

Hang in there, Nick Saban! It will get better.

[@billtimmick112]

Mackovicka was a beast at fullback

[@bryanneideffer3969]

Bill Timmick both where! Was great to see them plow over people sure miss this offense

[@traviskrause8509]

Not as much as Tom rathman or Andre Franklin was now those were fullbacks!!!

[@robjohnson8861]

@@traviskrause8509 You were 10 to 12 years younger. I have noticed you remember things in a better light from the 80s. Makovica had more yds, more TDs, and was just shy of Rathmans avg per carry. Didn't look at Andre's numbers.

[@JG-hb4pw]

Nick Saban vs Tom Osborne. Honestly, Nick didn't have much of a chance. Amazing to see all these college football hall of famers on one field. Check out where some of the ppl there that day ended up. Tom Osborne- Retired NU Coach...Nick Saban- Alabama Coach......Frank Solich- Ohio Coach....Dean Pees- Baltimore Ravens D-Coordinator ....Mark Dantonio- Michigan State.....Craig Bohl- Wyoming Coach........Turner Gill- Liberty Coach.....Scott Frost- UCF Coach...Overall, it's strange looking back at this, knowing where Saban is now and how the Huskers finished out the 90s.

[@DNSKansas]

Turner Gill--unemployed

[@jesusrivera743]

@@DNSKansasAlways felt if Turner Gill would not have been injured and played in the bowl game against Clemson we win that game easily. 22-15 loss and Clemson wins the national championship?

[@StonedMeadowOfDoom]

You have to know these early blowouts at the hands of Nebraska really shaped Nick Saban and kicked him into gear. His process at Alabama was likely developed after witnessing the domination and power of these Nebraska teams he faced. The current Alabama dynasty is basically the modern version of 90's Nebraska. All about power and speed. Nebraska will hopefully get back to this tested formula for success. GBR!!

[@elhombrenegro4999]

Stoned Meadow Of Doom i hope so i wonder could they bring back that type of offense back in todays college football and be sucessful again

[@rickjason1786]

Interesting comment Meadow because Saban has actually talked about this game as helping to develop his character. Too bad Alabama can't run the football. They just don't dominate the line of scrimmage like Nebraska used to.

[@joedellaselva1251]

Any steroid use like Nebraska?

[@robjohnson8861]

Ha, Ha. 9-25-21 MSU 23, Neb, 20. Oh, how things changed after the Big Easy went belly up.

[@dustyrhoads5715]

@@joedellaselva1251 this is that team that steamrolled warren sapp and ray Lewis in orange bowl the year before

[@rooh5825]

They call Saban a "defensive genius" but the best defensive mind on the field that day was Charlie McBride.

[@shmobiden6860]

Nebraska was just a much better team

[@joannleichliter4308]

​@@shmobiden6860True. But I have sern teams with excellent (even superior) talent that couldn't win much. It is coaching that brings players together as a team. McBride was a genius.

[@brianshaughnessy4020]

Ahman Green was fourth on Nebraska's RB depth chart lol. Despite getting annihilated Michigan State had some talent: Tony Banks, Derrick Mason, Flozell Adams. My lasting memory of Saban at MSU was the win at Ohio State in 1998. That was a coaching masterpiece.

[@DeAngeloStevens]

In the Next Century Nick Saban made some Changes in the Southeastern Conference won their SEC Championship Crown since 1988 in 2001, a National Title in 2003. In 2007 returning Alabama Crimson Tide to Glory of the College Football's Elite after going 67-55 in the Last 10 years Under three Coaching Changes in Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione, and Mike Shula

[@xdhuntman132]

Mike einsphar for the huskers is now my high school football coach

[@briancook5622]

Mike Einspahr played for Nebraska Wesleyan, not the University of Nebraska.

[@SidelerMN]

Nice block by Vedral 55:08. Even the wingbacks/WRs were finishing their blocks on this team.

[@xavianperez8327]

Nick Saban knew all he could do was clap for the effort his team gave

[@DNSKansas]

He said the Spartans quit after the game.

[@ApoIIo95]

MSU had hot cheer leaders!

[@jay-rock6627]

Bringing back memories !!!

[@gynandroidhead]

I believe this was the worst loss of Nick Saban's entire coaching career. If you were going to have an epic loss, you might as well have it to a dominant team!

[@lindseysummers5351]

gynandroidhead 22 years later and this remains the worst loss of his career.

[@wessvoboda]

Except for the 41 point loss he suffered almost exactly a year later in Lincoln.

[@jontramel4003]

Nick Saben told ESPN last week that the 1995 Nebraska team was "The most complete football team he has ever seen in person. They had everything." and also said that Coach Osborne told him that he was going to be a good coach and you're not as bad as you think you are (because of the 50-10 loss).

[@traviskrause8509]

Well you sure wouldn't want lose like this to some patsy bottom of the barrel team that's for sure if you did you wouldn't last long before getting the boot!!!

[@robjohnson8861]

Oh palease, would you all stop. MSU lost their previous game by 28 points. MSU that finished 5-6 in 94, but whose 5 wins were forfeited by the school president. Tell me that morale was great at MSU. And one more tidbit. This was Saban's first game in 5 years. Another joke in the 60-3 farcical run.

[@marcvslicinivscrassvs7536]

That stutter step of Phillips tho

[@Cms927]

Clinton Child's for Nebraska was the truth

[@RollOnToVictory]

So Nick Saban was baptized in fire.

[@traviskrause8509]

Lawrence phillips would have been a hall of fame player if he could have just cleaned up his life because he was a bad ass running back no doubt about that!!!

[@stlyelove417]

Ikr..RIP

[@elhombrenegro4999]

Travis Krause i don't know about all of that, but he Lawrence Phillips sure would've won The 1995 Heisman Trophy, if he didn't get into that off the field trouble that season

[@robjohnson8861]

and you'd be a boy, if you weren't a girl.

[@DNSKansas]

Tough shit. He chose to beat up Kate McEwen. He chose to be a thug. I hope he's rotting in hell.

[@danielnowak6469]

Actually, Nebraska would beat Michigan State by a slightly bigger margin the following year, 55-14 in Lincoln. Some of Nick Saban's worst losses occurred while he coached at Michigan State. This game, the blowout loss to Nebraska next year, 45-14 loss to Wisconsin later this season, a 38-0 shutout loss to Stanford in the 1996 Sun Bowl, a 51-23 loss to Washington in the 1997 Aloha Bowl, a 48-14 loss to Oregon in early in the 1998 season, a 51-28 loss to Penn State later that year, A 52-28 beat down by Purdue the following year followed by a 40-10 shellacking by Wisconsin the next week.

[@michaelward6479]

daniel nowak Nick Saban should win most improved coach award after hearing of those losses and the fact that he has lost by no more than 2 touchdowns in the last 10 years.

[@roselengyel2258]

It was a different game though. Nebraska scored more Defensive and Special Teams tds in 96 then I think I have ever seen in one game. Nebraska had a little over 300 yards.

[@johnbos9688]

The last normal day of Lawrence Philips life.

[@bleakhouse5646]

21 years later, I still shake my head.

[@Gold-oj8do]

I remember it too. When they got back to Lincoln that night.....well....no need to talk about it. Lawrence Philips was as good as any of them. Just a waste. RIP.

[@evielovejoe]

@@Gold-oj8do I thought it was after the K State game when he went haywire

[@Gold-oj8do]

@@evielovejoe It was after this game, I remember it and this is from his wikipedia page. So sad.... Kate McEwen was from Kansas I believe. Hours after the team returned from East Lansing on September 10, 1995, Phillips broke into backup quarterback Scott Frost's apartment by climbing the outside of the building to the third floor and entering through some sliding doors. He then assaulted basketball player Kate McEwen. Phillips dragged McEwen out of the apartment by the hair and down three flights of stairs before smashing her head into a mailbox. Phillips was subsequently arrested, and eventually suspended by head coach Tom Osborne.

[@shawnpeat]

If the boy's head had been right he would have probably won the Heisman instead of Eddie George and could have become one of the all time great NFL running backs. Instead his life started to spiral out of control on this night after team returned to Lincoln.

[@jgodoy_]

My goodness Phillips ran so beautifully so much talent wasted smh

[@rds990]

It pains me but Nebraska still can't figure it out even with all these videos. It all starts up front and until they can recruit some 5 star (not 3 star or even 4 star) O-linemen, they'll never challenge for a title again. Go Big Red.

[@djamo1969]

I agree. Every coach since Solich has forgotten about O-Line dominance and how important it is to the game. Wasn’t the biggest fan of Solich, but at least Tom must’ve beaten that into his head.

[@rds990]

@@djamo1969 Yep...Watch the film "off the ball"....the combo blocks and second level stuff.. Linemen holding their blocks...not just hitting and releasing like today. They actually stay with their blocks for 10-15 yards. Amazing.

[@colbyvlach1093]

5 star O-linemen Brandon Baker has Nebraska as one of his top schools and is going to announce a commitment in a few days. Hope we pull it off

[@Magicconchshell1]

My left ear really enjoyed this wtf

[@rooh5825]

Haha, I spit out my shake reading this.

[@pretorious700]

Left side would be your right ear unless you're looking in the wrong direction.

[@robjohnson8861]

​@@pretorious700 What? His left ear is his left ear. Period. God, you're stupid.

[@JohnSmith-xl4sx]

I wonder if this Nick Saben guy ever panned out?

[@damienkirksey7026]

John Smith He probably did since this game Nick Saban 6 -Nebraska 2

[@alfeinstein4168]

Only because our coach retired. Should've hired Saban.

[@jontramel4003]

Nick Saben told ESPN last week that the 1995 Nebraska team was "The most complete football team he has ever seen in person. They had everything." and also said that Coach Osborne told him that he was going to be a good coach and you're not as bad as you think you are (because of the 50-10 loss).

[@chadshepard3449]

Nick is a joke

[@brauckstar]

Saban is 4 deep at every position and has 1 unbeaten season. No one has done less with more.

[@gynandroidhead]

Boy did they underestimate the power of the Big 8 conference in hindsight

[@gynandroidhead]

Absolutely, and since Nebraska beat Alabama in the 1972 Orange Bowl, the Huskers beat the 2,3,4 teams in the country

[@DanielNowak-d6e]

Nick Saban is a defensive " genius" according to ABC Announcer Mark Jones, yet Saban's defense on this day gave up a total of. 666 yards and 50 points to Nebraska in a blowout loss at home. 😊😊😊😊

[@jesusrivera743]

Nebraska was on a mission after losing the national championship to Florida State 18-16 on a missed field goal the previous year. Osborne had this team in rare form so early in the season.

[@honestmike3255]

Hey I was at this game. My arm was on espn the next day

[@jesusrivera743]

Strong quick offensive linemen is the key to controlling a game. Even if you don’t pass the ball. By the same token, if you have an offensive line that is a depth at pass blocking you can win on any given Saturday even with a mediocre running game. The key is you must have a dominant defense and Nebraska did.

[@robjohnson8861]

Osborne could have been the #1 horse manure salesman in the world. He said (1:10), "I think it's gonna be a tough game, I think it will go into the 4th qtr and will be a real head knocker"

[@DNSKansas]

Then how come he lost the 2006 gubernatorial primary?

[@robjohnson8861]

@@DNSKansas Even people in Neb began to see things for what they were 10 years after his silly "skip along."

[@grandcanyonyodelers394]

Anyone know where to find the Nebraska games against Missouri, Washington State, or Iowa State from 1995?

[@bmboldt]

Those games were not televised. Here are the 95 season highlights. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jofNaJePfpV1hLM

[@grandcanyonyodelers394]

bmboldt Got ya. Yeah I didn't know if there were any more videos like the Arizona State game, where the game footage was recorded. I think there is a website that sells the games on DVD, but I'm not sure I wanna pay $20 for a DVD of an old game... Love watching these mid to late 90s Nebraska teams though.

[@georgesouthwick7000]

Back in the good old days when the University of Nebraska football program was relevant.

[@ripperduck]

Lawrence Phillips was a beast...

[@pretorious700]

For a dominant team, Nebraska sure fumbled a lot.

[@don4476]

Their ball security is and always has been horrible. It's freakish.

[@martyhowell4043]

It is in the nature of option football. One need only look at the great Oklahoma teams under Switzer--they fumbled a lot as well.

[@chadshepard3449]

Phillips was the guy

[@jdvanny4897]

For as good as this team was man their kick returners were idiots.. let it go...and the fumbles...ugh

[@leemontgomery7914]

I forgot Saban coached Mich State. He’s been around.

[@carsondyle6116]

You knew the game was already over and won by Nebraska when Michigan State's Derrick Mason fumbled the opening kickoff.

[@guillermobarrio55]

He only lost 5 fumbles in his entire NFL career. Lots of credit for the Huskers, I guess.

[@scottdevaney3928]

The arguments for how good the 95 Nebraska team was we just left out of the argument is phillipston play after the Michigan State game until the end of the season due to being suspended for what happened between him and his girlfriend can you imagine the steamrolling that would have went on if Lawrence had played the rest of the year and if he would have came back for the 96 season if it would have been allowed so the handoffs would have been maybe a little bit awkward

[@jesusrivera743]

LP wasn’t able to escape his demons. Arguably the most talented running back Nebraska ever had. I’d bet Lawrence didn’t know how good he was.

[@williamdiemert2116]

Nebraska and Michigan State in the B1G

[@huskerhammer6325]

Lawrence Phillips was a man. What a horrible waste of talent. Guy could have been NFL Hall of Famer.

[@gynandroidhead]

The memories he brought Husker fans with his athletic prowess will never fade.

[@huskerhammer6325]

This was the game where he came back and found his GF screwing Scott Frost and went beserk. LP was never the same.

[@gynandroidhead]

Among the many stats of the 1995 Huskers, I think that beating four teams that were ranked in the top ten when they played them, had a combined 42-7 record, and were in the top ten at the end of the season by an average score of 49-18 is just sick. Colorado, K-State, and Kansas - all in the Big 8 only lost games to Nebraska and to each other (Colorado to Kansas, K-State to Colorado, and Kansas to K-State) while winning their respective bowl games. It was a great way for the Big 8 to go out with half of its conference finishing in the top 10 nationally.

[@huskerhammer6325]

The Nebraska Cornhuskers 1994-1997 went 63-3. The only recent team to get close to that is Alabama over the last few years. If NU had beaten Texas in the 1996 Big 12 championship NU may have been the only modern football team (after 1950) to win 4 national titles in a row. Instead this group won 3 out of 4 years.

[@gynandroidhead]

They went 60-3 from 1993-1997, and 49-2 from 1994 to 1997. That class of 1994 won three NC's, two back-to-back with all undefeated seasons, and yes - they were within a game from winning four straight (remember, ASU lost) if they had beaten Texas in '96.

[@Mr.56Goldtop]

Between Lawrence Phillips and Reggie Baul, how many years in prison is that combined? Two huge wastes of talents.

[@jasonsturek6510]

Watching these old games a Husker fan . . . it's fun. One takeaway is that you realize how many big plays were given up or bad plays on offense but these teams just didn't panic. They kept playing until the other team just couldn't quite keep up . . . maybe an extra touchdown every quarter and you win by 30-ish. That's an art that the current team has to relearn with all these close losses in recent seasons.

[@LogoAttitude]

It took a relative decline of Nebraska and a move of them to the Big Ten for MSU to finally beat them in 2013.

[@ddddd9665]

Do this day nick saban teams struggle to defend the option.

[@DavidBrothers-j2o]

Whatever happened to that Nick Saban fella

[@hollywoocdg]

Saban was the nail before he became the hammer

[@modernenglishman7802]

I've engaged with Rob Johnson a few times until I realized he's just bitter and has a lot of misplaced anger. About what? I have no idea. I've suggested counseling, whether he gets the help he needs is entirely up to him. Engaging in his asinine arguments and fueling his pugilistic bitterness is not helping him. We should encourage him to get help. 👍

[@edlawn5481]

That Saban guy can't coach, I don't see much of a future for him in college football.

These were the O Shit days of Nebraska. When teams would say O Shit were playing Nebraska. Lately it's been Nebraska saying O Shit

[@jesusrivera743]

I feel you after kicking everybody’s ass for so many years and having such a long bowl streak it’s about time someone kicked our ass. Can’t believe we haven’t been to a bowl game since 2016.

[@taylorsmith9629]

Rams legend Tony Banks lol

[@pajamamar2011]

Why can't players just walk to and from the sidelines and the team tunnels instead of looking like a bunch of ants running?

[@oaw972]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🏈

[@realgoose5471]

Defense wins championships. HIT HIM. Gooooooo Biiiiiiig Reeeeeeeed!!!!!!!!!

[@mr.billthrower7392]

Stupid camera man had it zoomed in too much

[@yankeesny1572]

Now nebraska is a rutgers how does that happen

[@jesusrivera743]

To many coaching changes and athletic directors making the wrong hires. Firing Solich and Changing the football culture from running option to the West Coast offense of Callahan set the program back 5 to 6 years. Bo Pelini should’ve been hired instead of Callahan. Firing Pelini and replacing him with another West Coast offense guy, Mike Riley was another bad hire. Scott Frost inherited a mediocre roster. And hired bad assistant coaches that couldn’t develop players .

[@michaelward4683]

Not sure that this type of offense would survive in the current SEC all year long. Frazier taking those hits from multiple teams loaded with 5 and 4 star defensive linemen and safeties would take it's toll.

[@douglasnovak4584]

He didn't take any more hits than he delivered.

[@timothyball7502]

Tony Banks and Tiger Woods, both have that extra (S). Why? There's only one Tony and only one Tiger. Dumb to have that extra (S). But this is my opinion. I don't (S) my four letter name. Sigh, 4-30-2022

[@sheilamclaughlin963]

We won the NC the year before with 3 starting quarterbacks, 2 were walk ons