2007 Nebraska Football: Oklahoma State Game Was “Rock Bottom”

Introduction Note:

My name is Nate and I’m a new contributor to Corn Nation. I enjoy writing so when I saw the opportunity to write for Corn Nation I jumped at it. I live in a small town between Lincoln and Omaha and, like most of you, I love the Huskers. To be clear: I am a Husker fan, not a Jaysker fan. I spent the years 2008-2011 at Creighton and never attended a single Creighton Basketball game even though I could have gone for free. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Thanks for letting me be a part of the community.

[Jon: We’re still working on getting Nate set up on the system, which is why you see my byline on this article.]

Rock bottom.

It is common to say that those who deal with addictions may not address the underlying issue of their addiction until they hit “rock bottom.”

When did Husker nation hit rock bottom?

Sept 22nd, 2007 — Ball State marched up and down the field to the tune of 610 yards of total offense. If it was not for a Ball State missed field goal with only second remaining then Nebraska likely loses 43-41 in Memorial Stadium.

Hope: Yes, the defense was a concern. But the silver lining of the day might have been Sam Keller breaking the single game passing record set by Zach Taylor in 2005. Obviously the Sam Keller led offense was going to have to carry Nebraska this season until the defense catches up.

October 6th, 2007 — Chase Daniel and the Missouri Tigers put up over 600 yards for 41 points in Columbia. Obviously the defense still had a lot to improve upon. Sam Keller and that vaunted offense scored six points.

Hope: Going into the game we knew Missouri would be motivated and Nebraska ran into a buzz saw. The defense can only get better from here and the offense would get back on track the following week.

It had to.

October 13th, 2007 — It was halftime against Oklahoma State as a friend and I sat in section 36C of Memorial Stadium. I had the opportunity to do something I was never able to do in Memorial Stadium during a Nebraska football game prior to that day. I leaned back on the row behind me and spread out both my arms like I was in my living room. Then I used the row in front of me as a foot stool. I had all the room in the world to stretch out since approximately half of the Nebraska fans left by halftime.

I told my friend that we had all the room in the world to witness Nebraska coming back from being down 38-0. It was going to be historic. All we needed was one stop to get the ball rolling. The 1997 national championship team was there on the sidelines to cheer them on.

Delusional.

Oklahoma State’s first possession of the second half ended with a punt. It was their first punt of the game.

Hope.

Nebraska’s first possession of the second half ended with an incomplete pass to Maurice Purify on fourth down.

My friend and I left the stadium.

Rock bottom.

That fateful day was less than 10 years ago. In that same season we would lose to Kansas, Kansas State and Colorado by a combined score of 214-121. But it was that Oklahoma State game in which Nebraska Football fans hit rock bottom, or at least this Nebraska fan hit rock bottom. Everything which happened after that game was mostly irrelevant.

In the years that followed that 2007 season, we had a few highs and some deep dark lows. Unfortunately, those deep dark lows happened on national television in prime time spots to the likes of Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa and Wisconsin.

Many might think that after hitting rock bottom, everything is sunlight and lollipops on the way back up but I suppose that is rarely the case. On the way back up we have experienced our own relapses. But it will all be worth it when we get back near the top.

Unless of course, we have yet to rock bottom.

That is a scary thought.