Groin Kick Chronicles: 60-51

In this edition of the Groin Kick Chronicles, the Shawn Eichorst and Mike Riley era comes to an end, Minnesota beats Nebraska in a myriad of ways, and Jonathan Taylor bookends his career against Nebraska with a couple 200+ yard rushing days.

Get caught up on the Groin Kick Chronicles, including how the data was put together, rankings, and more.

Prologue 70-61 50-41: July 3 40-31: July 10 30-21: July 17 20-11: July 241 0-6: July 31 5-1: August 7 Epilogue: August 14 The game : Wisconsin 38-17 2017 Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska What happened? With all sorts of Scott Frost to Nebraska dialogue as a backdrop, not to mention members of Nebraskas 1997 national championship team in the building, Wisconsin came into town in the midst of an eventual 12-0 regular season.

Under the lights, things got off to an inauspicious start.

Tanner Lee had entered the matchup with more interceptions, nine, than anybody in the country.

He made it 10 not even five minutes into the game.

It was the fourth pick-six of the season.

And yet, Nebraska bounced back.

After a field goal made it 10-0 to finish the first quarter, Stanley Morgan caught an 80-yard touchdown with 80 seconds left in the first half to make it 10-7.

And then...

Jonathan Taylor happened.

It wouldnt be his last touchdown of the day.

Early in the second half, Aaron Williams got a pick six of his own.

It was suddenly a ballgame in Lincoln.

Well, at least for a drive.

After that, Wisconsin would only throw the ball two more times.

The Badgers rushed 28 times in 30 plays to finish the game, for 177 yards no less, scoring three touchdowns, and pulling away for an easy 38-17 win.

What did it mean? It wasnt just that Nebraska lost, it was how they lost (a sentence I imagine well say three dozen times in this project).

The Badgers bullied Nebraska, in front of a group of players and coaches that bullied teams in 1997, rushing for 353 yards on a staggering 49 carries.

Meanwhile, Nebraska rushed for 110 on 26 carries.

Scott Frost and a top 25 UCF team was on their way towards a 28-point whooping of Cincinnati.

Nebraska fans and media wouldnt stop peeking at UCF the rest of the season.

Was there an (un)memorable play? Undoubtedly the pick-six that ended a great first drive of the game for the Cornhuskers.

Obligatory Jack Mitchell tweet: The game : Michigan 34-3 2022 Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan What happened? In one of the most forgettable games of the last decade, Nebraska put up 146 total yards to 412 by Michigan in a pedestrian 31-point win by the eventual Big Ten champs.

Casey Thompson was still sidelined by an injury as Chubba Purdy and Logan Smothers split time to go a combined 10-20 for 71 yards.

Michigan dominated time of possession, holding onto the ball for more than 35 minutes in wet conditions at the Big House.

The game is most remembered for offensive coordinator Mark Whipple getting crashed into on a kickoff return.

Whipple would undergo x-rays and eventually go upstairs for the remainder of the game.

What did it mean? The loss dropped Nebraska to 3-7, again ending any chance at Nebraska making a bowl game with multiple games left in the season.

It was their 21st-straight loss to a ranked team and showed how far Nebraska had fallen behind the top of the Big Ten.

Was there an (un)memorable play? Yes, but not for the reasons we normally hit on.

That Alante Brown popped up that quickly after getting hit in the jewels is still amazing to me all these years later.

Ouch! Obligatory Jack Mitchell tweet: The game : Minnesota 34-7 2019 TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota What happened? Noah Vedral made his first career start for an injured Adrian Martinez as Nebraska traveled north to face one of the few teams they beat in year one under Scott Frost.

The 2019 Minnesota squad was in the midst of a 9-0 start and 11-2 record on the season, the most theyd won in a season since 1904.

They absolutely dominated Nebraska.

322 rushing yards vs.

151.

Almost 33 minutes in time of possession.

The Gophers took a 14-point lead into halftime and led 34-0 going into the final 15 minutes.

Unlike so many games on this list, Minnesota didnt do this with massive, gashing plays.

They scored on touchdowns of 15, 15, five, one, and one-yard, with the latter coming with 1:41 left in the third quarter.

A Dedrick Mills score with 12:23 left in the ballgame was the only reason why Nebraska wasnt shut out for the first time since 1996.

The loss dropped Nebraska to 4-3.

What did it mean? Well, its interesting that you should ask! If the loss was bad enough and it was, given it was a laugher the entire game what happened after might have been worse.

Two weeks later, after Nebraska dropped a game to Indiana, Scott Frost brought pointed criticism towards players on his team for wearing hoodies in warmups in Minneapolis.

The irony was not lost on many that Frost said these complaints while wearing a hoodie himself.

The program was continuing to move in the wrong direction.

Was there an (un)memorable play? Does a soundbite 14 days after count? Otherwise, it was a workmanlike victory by the Gophers.

Obligatory Jack Mitchell tweet: The game : Indiana 38-31 2019 Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska What happened? Wearing black jerseys ordained with the Blackshirts skull and crossbones logo, Nebraska dropped to .500 with their second consecutive loss, and were outscored 35-17 after leading 14-3 early in the first quarter.

For the second straight game, Adrian Martinez was held out, though not after an awkward warm up period before the game that saw him, Noah Vedral, and true freshman Luke McCaffrey all throwing the football.

Vedral got the start and would split snaps with McCaffrey, but a fumble from Vedral in the Indiana red zone early in the second quarter was costly, as the 68-yard return gave the Hoosiers the ball at Nebraskas eight-yard line.

Indiana took their first lead one play later.

Trailing 31-24 at the start of the fourth quarter, Nebraska completed a pass into Indiana territory, only for Kanawai Noa to fumble the football, the second turnover of the day.

Indiana scored seven plays later, going up 38-24 in a game theyd hold on to win by seven.

What did it mean? The vibes were terrible.

Adrian Martinezs early-season struggles had led to some calling for one of the backup QBs to get in the game.

With two games started by Noah Vedral, plus a bevy of snaps from Luke McCaffrey, we were learning the issues at QB went beyond Martinez.

And the issues with the team overall went beyond the QB position.

On top of that, Scott Frosts bizarre press conference featured complaints two weeks in the making, as he criticized some of his players for wearing hoodies during warmups in Minneapolis earlier in the month.

Was there an (un)memorable play? What, oh what, happens if Nebraska doesnt turn the ball over deep in Indiana territory? Well never know.

Obligatory Jack Mitchell tweet: The game : Northern Illinois 21-17 2017 Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska What happened? The end of the Shawn Eichorst era.

In particular, two Tanner Lee pick sixes in the first quarter put Nebraska behind 14-0.

Nebraska would actually take the lead in this one, going up 17-14 early in the fourth quarter.

Northern Illinois would finish the day with 213 total yards of offense, with 75 coming on the only drive they had all day trailing.

Jordan Huff punched in a two-yard touchdown with 8:52 to go in the game and that would somehow be enough.

Nebraskas following eight-play drive ended up downs before Lee threw his third pick of the day on the final drive for him and the offense.

NIU ran out the clock and dropped Nebraska to 1-2.

What did it mean? Well, lets start here: Depending on your view of BYU, it was Nebraskas first loss to a non-Power 5 school since 2015.

If you say, no Josh, BYU is a Power school, great! It was their first loss to one of those since 2004.

On top of that, it literally was the beginning of the end for Eichorst.

The normally quiet AD spoke to Nebraska media after the loss, trying to calm things down and save his job.

The following week, it came out that he was ok with Nebraska moving off Black Friday, the fans reacted with much negativity, and that was all she wrote.

He was fired, paving the way for Bill Moos, Mike Rileys ouster, and Scott Frosts hiring.

This game truly was the moment the Mike Riley era ended, even if it wouldnt be official for two more months.

Was there an (un)memorable play? That first pick six was disgusting.

Nebraska players said the offense pressed after that first score.

Yikes.

Obligatory Jack Mitchell tweet: The game : Purdue 55-45 2015 Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Indiana What happened? After missing the start of the season with an injury, DeMornay Pierson-El was injured yet again while...

celebrating.

It was that kind of day.

Nebraska went up 3-0 halfway through the first quarter.

The Pierson-El injury happened after Nebraska pulled to within 14-9 in the second quarter.

After trailing 21-9 at the half, an Imani Cross touchdown drew the Cornhuskers within five points.

Heres what followed.

Five-yard Purdue touchdown pass.

83-yard Purdue touchdown pass.

Nine-yard Purdue touchdown pass.

It was 42-16 entering the fourth quarter.

The two teams combined for an otherworldly 42 points in the final 15 minutes, but Nebraska didnt have enough, falling 55-45.

What did it mean? If the 3-5 record coming into the game had the fanbase arguing and bickering in ways they hadnt expected to in the first Riley season, this loss turned up the heat.

After every loss leading up to this Halloween massacre, there wasnt a whole lot of pushback that you couldnt fire Mike Riley after one year.

Nine games into his tenure, you couldnt really say that anymore.

On top of it all, Purdue entered the game with one conference win since 2012.

They doubled that number over the course of 60 minutes.

You could make an argument that this loss was the single lowest moment of the last decade.

Was there an (un)memorable play? DPEs injury? One of Ryker Fyfes four interceptions? The whole damn day was unmemorable.

Lets just move on.

Obligatory Jack Mitchell tweet: The game : Wisconsin 37-21 2019 Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska What happened? Mercifully, Jonathan Taylor played his final game vs.

Nebraska.

And for the third-straight season, the junior running back put up 200+ yards on the ground, rushing for 204 yards on 25 carries.

Nebraska actually led in this one halfway through the second quarter, clinging to a 14-10 lead following a two-yard touchdown run by Adrian Martinez.

Over the next 17 minutes of game action, Wisconsin would go on a 24-0 run, all but icing the game with 30 minutes left.

The run started with one of the more ridiculous plays of the season by Nebraskas defense, leaving Matt Millen dumbfounded.

It was Wisconsins third-straight win over Nebraska by 16 points or more and it dropped Nebraska to 4-6 on the year; their fourth consecutive defeat.

What did it mean? Well, here was something odd: Nebraska announced a two-year contract extension the morning of the game.

What he and the program had done to deserve it, given his 8-13 record (before it moved to 8-14) is something we can still wonder about all these years later.

What more to say though? Wisconsin came into Memorial Stadium and again pushed Nebraska around, reminding the home fans of what Nebraska used to do inside that same stadium.

Before Nebraskas 19-point win against Wisconsin in 2024, this was the last game in this series to feature a win by more than one score.

At the time, it seemed like those types of wins would never stop.

Was there an (un)memorable play? Remember the kick return from Aron Cruickshank? Yeah, me too.

Obligatory Jack Mitchell tweet: The game : Minnesota 24-17 2020 Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska What happened? This game almost wasnt played.

Minnesota, very much shorthanded after a COVID outbreak amongst the team, made it to Lincoln with a roster size that rivaled NFL teams.

You figured Nebraska would have been able to run the ball at will against a group like this, but only rushed for 197 yards nine fewer than Minnesota on 36 carries.

Minnesota would take a 10-0 lead into the second quarter and a 17-14 lead into the second half.

The Gophers physically beat Nebraska up over the course of all 60 minutes, appearing to be the team with a roster full of healthy players, not the one limited by the virus that was spreading throughout the world.

A scoreless third quarter led to the final 15 minutes, with Mo Ibrahim scoring on fourth and goal with 11:26 to go to put Minnesota up by 10.

Nebraska would kick a field goal seven minutes later, but that was as close as the game got.

Minnesota ended Nebraskas regular season with a whimper, as the Huskers finished 2020 2-5.

What did it mean? Nebraska would play one more game in 2020, a previously unscheduled bout with Rutgers where Nebraska would pick up a win to move to 3-5, but the damage was done.

Nebraska had a mostly-healthy roster whereas Minnesota entered the game running on fumes.

You wouldnt have known it by what took place.

Years later, if you ask fans about the 2020 games they remember the most, the list starts and ends with the Illinois and Minnesota losses.

The rest are window dressing.

Was there an (un)memorable play? It was actually the touchdown that wasnt scored, as Ibrahim slid to the turf with under two minutes to go, icing the game and delivering the final knockout blow to Nebraska.

Obligatory Jack Mitchell tweet: The game : Minnesota 54-21 2017 TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota What happened? Minnesota scored on the opening kickoff, the first of many big plays by the Gophers in their absolute route of Nebraska.

Nebraska trailed by seven at the end of one, 16 at the end of two, and 26 at the end of three.

The Gophers rushed for over 400 yards, including touchdowns on runs of 73 and 43 over the course of the afternoon.

Meanwhile, Nebraska rushed for an absolute putrid 69 yards on 33 carries.

Not nice, indeed.

But hey, at least Tanner Lee didnt throw any INTs? What did it mean? It was the sixth loss of the season, which all but guaranteed Nebraska wouldnt be going to a bowl game.

In a season full of low points, the road loss in Minneapolis was the final straw for many fans.

Was there an (un)memorable play? Late in the fourth quarter, in the midst of (what we presume was Kobe McCrarys 43-yarder to ice the game), an OH NO was reportedly heard in Bill Moos box.

In 2018, the Omaha World Herald immortalized the moment in their Scott Frost comic book.

OH NO? OH YES! Obligatory Jack Mitchell tweet: The game : Colorado 36-14 2023 Folsom Field Boulder, Colorado What happened? In Nebraskas second game of the Matt Rhule era, the Cornhuskers traveled to Boulder for the second time since 2019 to face their old conference rival.

The Deion Sanders era at Colorado was in full swing, after the Buffaloes pulled off an upset win over TCU in the first game of the season.

All offseason long, this game was circled.

The obvious reasons were there: History.

But other reasons played a big part, including the way Rhule and Sanders were trying to build their programs.

Which side would leave feeling better about the state of things? Well, it was Colorado.

After Nebraska turned the ball over on their first drive of the game, the two teams traded punts on each of the next five drives.

Early in the second quarter, Nebraska finally moved the ball down the field, only to miss a field goal attempt, keeping the game locked at zeros.

Nebraskas defense again answered the challenge, forcing their fourth punt of the game and second three and out.

Then, the unraveling happened.

Nebraskas second turnover of the half gave the Buffs their first lead of the game after they kicked a field goal four plays later.

Nebraska got the ball back, trailing only 3-0, with a chance to take the lead.

By this point, Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt openly wondered if it was time to bench Jeff Sims.

To have that discussion right before the third turnover of the half? Brutal.

Colorado turned that into a 10-0 lead and tacked on an additional field goal to finish the first half on a 13-0 run.

The game was getting away from Nebraska.

Early in the second half, Sims finally showed why he had been such an anticipated player for the Big Red, when he ripped off a 57-yard scamper to bring Nebraska to within six.

Colorado answered with a touchdown of their own, kicked another field goal in the quarter, and entered the final frame up 23-7.

Another turnover awaited the Huskers.

Colorado would add two more touchdowns on their next two drives, extending the lead to 36-7 before a garbage time touchdown on the last play of the game by Nebraska made the score a tiny bit more palatable.

What did it mean? The good will of the entire offseason was suddenly gone for Matt Rhules first squad.

No one saw 0-2 coming in the offseason.

On top of that, they had just lost to Deion Sanders and Colorado! The mood was soured and the season had barely started.

Was there an (un)memorable play? The Jeff Sims INT at the end of the first half might have been the play people pointed to as reason to think he just didnt have it as Nebraskas QB.

Obligatory Jack Mitchell tweet: If you have a comment for Josh, send him an email: [email protected].

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