Dumbest playcalls

husk_powr04

Junior
Jan 29, 2004
5,613
327
83
How much time you got?

Before thinking of play calls, a few actual plays always come to mind. Some done,

- Obviously, LaKevin Smith just needed to fall down after his interception against Texas Tech. Instead, he fumbled, they recovered, got a new set of downs, and scored.

- Terrence Nunn's 3rd down catch against Texas at home. He had the first down that sealed the game. The defender made a great play and he fumbled. Texas marches 40 yards kicks a field goal and wins by 2.

I was a student at both games and these two live in my head.
 
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HuskAir

All-Conference
Oct 27, 2001
255,468
2,524
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Having Jammal Lord throw towards the endzone in regulation vs Texas.
 

10Trvln

All-Conference
Feb 5, 2011
5,581
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Onside kick vs NWestern has to be up there.
What else?
There’s been SO MUCH STUPIDITY the last couple decades that it’s hard to choose. A lot of it runs together too, so hard to remember what and when.
A couple of years ago, the Eldest Daniels (Darren?) recovered a fumble on the 3 F’n yard line. I’m pretty sure it was against Purdue. Scott feels like he should call cute plays instead of trying to pound/push it in. Thus, we lose.
 
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Aug 21, 2010
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IIRC, didn't we throw a swing pass for a Pick 6 on our first play from scrimmage against Oklahoma several years ago? Was that back in the Bo era?
 
Sep 29, 2001
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Because he trusted that his QB knew not to throw the ball in that situation.
Yeah I kind of remembered that being discussed after the fact...I guess I would have just handed the ball off to my RB without injecting any kind of QB reads or any other decision making. I wonder what the ESPN % chance to win was prior to those bonehead plays, had to be at least >95%
 

HuskerO58

All-Conference
Sep 11, 2006
14,067
2,275
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Yeah I kind of remembered that being discussed after the fact...I guess I would have just handed the ball off to my RB without injecting any kind of QB reads or any other decision making. I wonder what the ESPN % chance to win was prior to those bonehead plays, had to be at least >95%
I agree. Even of Tommy should have known better, why put your QB in that position to where he can throw it?

Tommy had a rough day, 10-31 passing with 1 INT, I think...
 
Feb 11, 2023
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If I'm not mistaken, Illinois did not have any timeouts either...
Nebraska had 3rd and 7 at the Illinois 37 yard line. 1:03 left and Illinois had no timeouts. It sure looked like a designed pass play. Ozigbo came out of the backfield and turned around like he was running a route as opposed to looking for someone to block.

This is just one of many inexplicable calls late in games during 2015 season.

BYU- Leading by one with 1:37 left and no timeouts at the BYU 22 yard line. 3rd down and 3. Nebraska calls a jet sweep to the boundary side that lost two yards and put the kicker at a tough angle, which he missed. Then, Nebraska only rushed 3 on the last play and let the QB roll out to the open field side and throw to the endzone.

Miami- Rather than run the ball, Nebraska called a complicated pass play on the first play of overtime that resulted in an interception.

Wisconsin- Leading by one and needing a first down to win with 1:26 left, Nebraska runs up the middle three straight times and gains three total yards, giving Wisconsin plenty of time to for a FG winning drive.
 

Mrs.Jeans15

Heisman
May 5, 2018
25,597
40,940
0
Nebraska had 3rd and 7 at the Illinois 37 yard line. 1:03 left and Illinois had no timeouts. It sure looked like a designed pass play. Ozigbo came out of the backfield and turned around like he was running a route as opposed to looking for someone to block.

This is just one of many inexplicable calls late in games during 2015 season.

BYU- Leading by one with 1:37 left and no timeouts at the BYU 22 yard line. 3rd down and 3. Nebraska calls a jet sweep to the boundary side that lost two yards and put the kicker at a tough angle, which he missed. Then, Nebraska only rushed 3 on the last play and let the QB roll out to the open field side and throw to the endzone.

Miami- Rather than run the ball, Nebraska called a complicated pass play on the first play of overtime that resulted in an interception.

Wisconsin- Leading by one and needing a first down to win with 1:26 left, Nebraska runs up the middle three straight times and gains three total yards, giving Wisconsin plenty of time to for a FG winning drive.
Coaches get paid for a reason..
 

huskerdrb

Sophomore
Feb 3, 2004
1,334
102
63
Nebraska had 3rd and 7 at the Illinois 37 yard line. 1:03 left and Illinois had no timeouts. It sure looked like a designed pass play. Ozigbo came out of the backfield and turned around like he was running a route as opposed to looking for someone to block.

This is just one of many inexplicable calls late in games during 2015 season.

BYU- Leading by one with 1:37 left and no timeouts at the BYU 22 yard line. 3rd down and 3. Nebraska calls a jet sweep to the boundary side that lost two yards and put the kicker at a tough angle, which he missed. Then, Nebraska only rushed 3 on the last play and let the QB roll out to the open field side and throw to the endzone.

Miami- Rather than run the ball, Nebraska called a complicated pass play on the first play of overtime that resulted in an interception.

Wisconsin- Leading by one and needing a first down to win with 1:26 left, Nebraska runs up the middle three straight times and gains three total yards, giving Wisconsin plenty of time to for a FG winning drive.
The Wisconsin part made me think of all the times against OU that TO and Huskers needed one first down. We wouldn’t get it and OU would pull something out their a** and win the game.
 

Husker.Wed._rivals

All-Conference
Feb 13, 2004
17,648
3,700
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Pick any close loss in the Frost era and their is bound to be a moronic decision(s) somewhere. Take Minnesota in 2021. Down 5 in the 4th, 4th and 4 at the Gopher 9. Nebraska's O had been averaging 8 yards a play in the second half. Culp was 5 of 10 on field goals to that point and had missed an extra point in the first half. So Frost goes for a 27 FG, which Culp missed. Nebraska loses 23-30 after another dumb play call, dropping Martinez back into the endzone, which resulted in a safety. The last few years play calling, game management and adjustments were so bad it was like watching a train wreck, you just couldn't look away.
 
Feb 11, 2023
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Pick any close loss in the Frost era and their is bound to be a moronic decision(s) somewhere. Take Minnesota in 2021. Down 5 in the 4th, 4th and 4 at the Gopher 9. Nebraska's O had been averaging 8 yards a play in the second half. Culp was 5 of 10 on field goals to that point and had missed an extra point in the first half. So Frost goes for a 27 FG, which Culp missed. Nebraska loses 23-30 after another dumb play call, dropping Martinez back into the endzone, which resulted in a safety. The last few years play calling, game management and adjustments were so bad it was like watching a train wreck, you just couldn't look away.
I wonder how much the FG kicking instability affected Frost's playcalling in the red zone. I imagine it changes your playcalling quite a bit when you don't trust that you have 3 points in your back pocket.
 

schuele

All-American
Apr 17, 2005
21,124
5,734
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Frank’s fake punt in the Independence Bowl was right up there. As was Callahan’s in the Cotton Bowl.

Nothing like handing your opponent free points.
 

Scat_Back

Redshirt
Sep 5, 2018
5,093
2
2
A few games early where Riley tried to turn Tommie Armstrong into Peyton Manning.

Tons of them with Frost and Martinez. I wanna say Purdue or Minnesota we threw two incompletions in a row from the 1 yard line then Martinez fumbled it away on 3rd down. Lost another close game.
 

HuskerO58

All-Conference
Sep 11, 2006
14,067
2,275
113
2008 vs Colorado.

We were attempting a FG when we tried the 'ol "holder takes the snap and blinding tosses the ball behind him while the kicker runs behind the holder to receive the toss" trick play.

It worked once earlier in the season, but Colorado sniffed it out big time. Pretty everyone saw it coming too. Colorado end went right to where it got tossed and housed it.

In hindsight, good thing Pelini was an idiot for calling that play because it gave us the chance to have one of the greatest comebacks ever.

Henry nailing a 57-yarder, then Suh with a pick 6 and trucking over Colorado's QB in the process. What a fun game!!
 

huskat

Senior
Jan 27, 2005
2,531
501
113
I think Bo called a fake field goal flop over the shoulder that was picked off for a touchdown. That one shook my belief.
 

BK12

Junior
Nov 20, 2001
3,055
230
63
Any play from the 1 yard line when the offense lines up in shotgun. Doesn’t matter which team. I’m sure it’s no coincidence Scott Frost chose this strategy often. Often failed.
 

HankMoody78

Sophomore
Dec 17, 2018
822
129
0
Gonna take heat for this... calling the all out 11 blitzers on 4th and 1 in the 1996 big 12 championship game. They had nothing to lose, had to keep 1 guy back.
 

king_kong_

Redshirt
Nov 3, 2021
24,413
4
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Will Compton has stated over and over again publicly that we called the same defense on every play against wisc vs jet sweep motion in the B1G title game

3 200-yard rushers later that gets my vote
 

salsa red

Senior
Dec 25, 2019
2,436
665
113
not dumb calls, but dumb plays was the fake kickoff vs OSU in 2018 (whiff) and the false start lineman fall vs MSU. Also we've had 2 (I think) fake punt conversion vs IL where we don't send anyone and the kicker runs for the first down.
 

Iroh2

Redshirt
Nov 9, 2019
874
0
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Protecting the right side of the punter against Iowa when they clearly overloaded the left…..
 

RBigredMax

Redshirt
Mar 23, 2023
4,700
2
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I would throw out a defensive play call - when we got boat races by Wiscy in Big10 title game and they averaged like 13 yards per rush. While constantly running a cheat-code sweep left and right. Pelini said something to the effect of ā€œwe had the right plays dialed up but didn’t executeā€ … over and over and over again.