Dumbest playcalls

Aug 27, 2006
27,799
5,563
0
Not sure if this was mentioned already...but the fake punt against Iowa....WHEN THEY LEFT THEIR NORMAL DEFENSE ON THE FIELD.

Bo was begging to be fired and....it worked.
 

Mrs.Jeans15

Heisman
May 5, 2018
25,597
40,940
0
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 “we had the right plays dialed up but didn’t execute” … over and over and over again

Missed Baker bad that game.
 
Sep 23, 2005
18,868
3,620
0
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...
I mean you would expect a college QB to know that the one thing he shouldn’t do is to try an ad-lib throw in that situation.

Wasn’t this the game where we could run the ball at will but they kept having Tommy throw deep bombs into gale force winds? Probably each one of those passes was a stupid play call.
 

HuskerO58

All-Conference
Sep 11, 2006
14,067
2,275
113
I mean you would expect a college QB to know that the one thing he shouldn’t do is to try an ad-lib throw in that situation.

Wasn’t this the game where we could run the ball at will but they kept having Tommy throw deep bombs into gale force winds? Probably each one of those passes was a stupid play call.
Not sure about gale force winds, but I remember Purdue had one of the worst run D's in the country and we decided to throw it around nearly 50 times without Tommy (Ryker Fyfe was QB), De'Moarnay or Alonzo at WR...
 
Sep 23, 2005
18,868
3,620
0
Not sure about gale force winds, but I remember Purdue had one of the worst run D's in the country and we decided to throw it around nearly 50 times without Tommy (Ryker Fyfe was QB), De'Moarnay or Alonzo at WR...
Maybe that was the game. So many bad games and bad plays and bad losses to bad teams. They all kind of blend together after a while 😖
 
Feb 11, 2023
325
0
0
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
It looks like Nebraska ran a 4-3 stack with two high safeties and mixed in some over/under fronts in that game. The safeties were tasked with diagnosing jet sweeps and coming up in run support from 10 yards back, which resulted in numerous missed tackles and poor pursuit angles. They could get away with that in 2009 team when Asante and O'hanlon routinely shut jet sweeps down.
 

HuskerO58

All-Conference
Sep 11, 2006
14,067
2,275
113
It looks like Nebraska ran a 4-3 stack with two high safeties and mixed in some over/under fronts in that game. The safeties were tasked with diagnosing jet sweeps and coming up in run support from 10 yards back, which resulted in numerous missed tackles and poor pursuit angles. They could get away with that in 2009 team when Asante and O'hanlon routinely shut jet sweeps down.
And having DL able to hold their ground rather than getting pushed back 7+ yards.

Poor Cam Meredith had to play NT and it wasn't pretty.
 
Aug 21, 2010
1,148
334
0
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!!
This has been lost to history, but I believe Henery's miracle FG was necessitated by Ganz taking a 10-15 yard sack on 3rd down. Alex saved both Joe's and Bo's butts that day.
 
Oct 7, 2003
1,552
545
113
Punting the ball to the left side of the field against MSU when everyone went right. We absolutely dominated the second half and found yet another way to lose a game.

The Onside against Northwestern in Ireland. I was begging for them to leave Scott overseas.
 
Nov 28, 2016
3,382
803
92
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.
I remember both plays and was actually at the Texas Tech game. Ugh!

Le Kevin Smith was trying to be hero and could have been if he just went down. Instead that play was a zero!
 
Nov 28, 2016
3,382
803
92
I’d say under the Frost era too often at the goal line Frost would try and get cute and too often it would backfire.

His ego often got in the way and a simple up the middle run call wouldn’t do smh
 

Scat_Back

Redshirt
Sep 5, 2018
5,093
2
2
I’d say under the Frost era too often at the goal line Frost would try and get cute and too often it would backfire.

His ego often got in the way and a simple up the middle run call wouldn’t do smh
Using Wandale as a goal line back when he’s literally a tiny NFL receiver. Mind melting stuff. I eventually chalked Frost up to point shaving. It was the only way I could accept it. His stuff in the red zone was simply too stupid to be real for an AP coach of the year.
 

mgbreeze

All-Conference
Dec 16, 2004
10,100
3,535
113
So much pain and self-flagellation in this thread.
 

Big bo fan

All-American
Jan 8, 2019
19,151
6,420
113
In the snow with no time outs. It was 2 minutes because we fumbled.
It was a third down play Texas had 1 time out left , The play worked the player just didn’t finish. Calling this a dumb play call shows yore knowledge of the game.
 
Feb 11, 2023
325
0
0
Wisconsin and Illinois situations near identical and you’re mad at them for doing the opposite thing each time good grief
These are two completely different scenarios. Against Illinois, Nebraska had the ball in Illinois territory with less than a minute left and Illinois had no timeouts. Nebraska could have taken a knee on third down and almost run the clock out. Against Wisconsin, Nebraska had the ball in their own territory and Wisconsin had three timeouts and over a minute left.

Nebraska should have flipped the play calling in both scenarios. They should have been conservative against Illinois when they needed to run clock and more aggressive against Wisconsin when they needed a first down. It was part of a broader pattern of late game mismanagement during the 2015 season.
 

Mrs.Jeans15

Heisman
May 5, 2018
25,597
40,940
0
It was a third down play Texas had 1 time out left , The play worked the player just didn’t finish. Calling this a dumb play call shows yore knowledge of the game.

Who won?

Keep the ball im the hands of your best player not have your 2nd rate receiver against the best dB in the conference.

You mean the timeout we didn't force them to burn they kicked the game winning field goal with?

Lmao...stick to NCAA football.
 
Last edited:

timnsun

All-American
Jan 25, 2008
13,815
7,519
3
Who won?

Keep the ball im the hands of your best player not have your 2nd rate receiver against the best dB in the conference.

You mean the timeout we didn't force them to burn they kicked the game winning field goal with?

Lmao...stick to NCAA football.
We’ve seen this game over and over. We run it and get stuffed they go down the field in 33 seconds and kick the game winner. The reality is, there are a lot dumber play calls than this one. Terrence Nunn was one of our top receivers, so I have no problem with the play call since it was executed for a first down. I do have a problem with Nunn fumbling. But the fumble doesn’t make it a dumb play call. Just dumb execution.

I get what you’re saying, play it safe, but if there’s no fumble, the game is over. Period. And playing it safe doesn’t guarantee a victory.
 
Feb 11, 2023
325
0
0
We’ve seen this game over and over. We run it and get stuffed they go down the field in 33 seconds and kick the game winner. The reality is, there are a lot dumber play calls than this one. Terrence Nunn was one of our top receivers, so I have no problem with the play call since it was executed for a first down. I do have a problem with Nunn fumbling. But the fumble doesn’t make it a dumb play call. Just dumb execution.

I get what you’re saying, play it safe, but if there’s no fumble, the game is over. Period. And playing it safe doesn’t guarantee a victory.
I have to agree here. There was 2:23 on the clock, Nebraska on its own 35 yard line, and Texas had no timeouts. Even if you run it and punt, Texas gets the ball back with time to drive the field. I'm okay with playing to get a first down and winning the game.
 

Mrs.Jeans15

Heisman
May 5, 2018
25,597
40,940
0
I have to agree here. There was 2:23 on the clock, Nebraska on its own 35 yard line, and Texas had no timeouts. Even if you run it and punt, Texas gets the ball back with time to drive the field. I'm okay with playing to get a first down and winning the game.
We we gave them.ball.at the 45. Maybe the call wasn't dumb

But in that weather and I had faith in the defense with our fans as crazy as I have ever seen them.. I thought we could get a stop. We held them down all game..

That was a freshmen QB not the veteran he was in 2009.
 

jozimmer

Redshirt
Sep 3, 2005
176
13
0
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.
That wasn't Frank's decision. That was the player(s) decision as "they saw something" and they audibled.
 

timnsun

All-American
Jan 25, 2008
13,815
7,519
3
We we gave them.ball.at the 45. Maybe the call wasn't dumb

But in that weather and I had faith in the defense with our fans as crazy as I have ever seen them.. I thought we could get a stop. We held them down all game..

That was a freshmen QB not the veteran he was in 2009.
No argument from me, if we had run it and punted it, maybe we win. But in the pantheon of bad calls, this is pretty low on my list.