The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, November 27, 2000, Page 6, Image 6
With kick, Brown flies out of bad dream Sometimes, our best dreams come true. How sweet they are when they come on the heels of our worst night mares. After kick ing the game _•_•_c.u winning uciu : _ goal against John Colorado, josh Gaskins Brown is on cloud nine. He’s basking in the highlights and still frames of that ball splitting the uprights as Memorial Stadium went nuts, while Brown jumped around like a little kid receiving an early Christmas present before his teammates mobbed and dog piled him - and later hoisted him on their shoulders and carried him off the field in a scene Hollywood couldn't write any bet ter. “It’s a moment you dream of and never think will happen to you,” Brown said. “It’s a moment I’ll never forget and cherish forev er ... just like the movies. It was like ‘Rudy.’ If you want to call me Rudy, so be it I don't care. I’m just glad I made it” Two weeks ago, though, Brown’s life was a living hell after missing a 28-yard chip shot on a cold, miserable night at Kansas State. Had it been good, we all know, NU would likely be in the Big 12 Championship this week end and competing for a national title. Of course, it wasn’t the only reason NU lost. But, as a kicker, Brown has always understood that you're either the hero or the goat, no matter how good or bad die rest of the team plays, no mat ter how many other factors lead to a win or loss. Brown has experienced being both a goat and a hero in a span of two weeks. In between, Brown was in limbo. He was relaxing, playing pool and hanging out with his friends and family from Oklahoma at Old Chicago a week after K-State, seemingly well removed from the nightmare kick and ensuing nightmare week of his life. Well-removed until you asked him about it Brown felt like a goat for quite some time after that sickening, bitter-cold night in Manhattan. A week later, he could smile about it but you could tell it still pained him... ho matter how happy he seemed to be with his girlfriend and buddies. “I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t do anything for a few days after that,” Brown said. “There’s no way I could get it off my mind. It was a nightmare.” A fan in a Texas shirt came up to him one night at another local establishment and lambasted him for losing the game and the season for NU - that he was a dis grace to the team and the state. He hadn’t heard cheap shots like that since thousands of fellow Oklahomans called him a traitor when he chose to come to Nebraska. The game and week that fol lowed was the ultimate low of a young career that had fallen well short of both his and fans’ expec tations when he arrived as a red shirt freshman in 1998 - destined to replace Kris Brown, the Huskers’ four-year record-break ing place kicker. Josh came back to the dorms every night that year beaming, telling his friends and calling his mom about the 60-yarders he was booming in practice. Long before anyone knew who he was, he was sure he would not only be Kris’ replacement, but surpass him as NU’s best kicker ever. Then came his freshman year. Good, but not great. Plenty of misses. Then came this year. He’s made nearly 100 straight extra point attempts, but what people remembered him by before Friday were his missed field goals - especially that nightmare miss atKSU. Please see GASKINS on 9 David Gasen/DN Brown kick gives Nil a dose victory BY BRIAN CHRISTOPH ERSON This year’s Nebraska-Coiorado nail-biter saw an unlikely hero reduce college football gladiators to tears. On Friday, oft-maligned sophomore Nebraska kicker Josh Brown claimed the spotlight with a 29 yard field goal as time expired, gaving the No. 8 Comhuskers a 34-32 comeback win over Colorado before 77,672 Memorial Stadium fans and a national television audience. The win kept 27 Nebraska seniors from ending their home careers on a sour note and salvaged any Husker hopes of claiming an at-laige bid to one of the Bowl Championship Series games. Meanwhile, Colorado junior linebacker Andy Peeke summarized the mood of most Buffaloes as he sat on die 10-yard line, tears streaming down his face, watching Nebraska offensive lineman dog-pile their winning kicker. The Huskers have now won the past five meetings with a combined total of 15 points. This loss ended Colorado’s season at 3-8. Nebraska moved its made to 9-2, the 32nd consecutive nine-win season for the Huskers, who will now play the waiting game to see which bowl site they will vaca tion over the holidays. As heartbreaking as die end was for the Buffaloes, nobody could argue with the game’s high level of drama. It was, in tact, the first time that Nebraska has ever won a game on the last play of regulation since at least 1960, when statistics of such things first began to be kept Nobody was happier about the game’s finish than Brown. The Oklahoma native admittedly had strug gled this season, having made a not-so-reliable four of nine attempts as he lined up for a 29-yard chip shot from the right hash marie with five seconds left and Colorado ahead 32-31. "There were a lot of prayers going on,” senior Nebraska right tackle Russ Hochstein said. “Just do your job,” Nebraska’s fiery junior center Dominic Raiola said to Brown moments before his kick. Brown did his job, knocking the ball squarely through the uprights, setting off a euphoric celebra tion among spectators and players alike. Brown was easy to spot even from the nosebleed seats, as his teammates hoisted him on their shoul ders for all to see. “I’d call it a redemption kick for the whole season,” Brown said. “For me personalty, I don't think I’ve had the year that I’ve expected myself to have. It definitely makes up for a lot of mistakes I've made along the Td call it a redemption kick for the whole season. For me personally; / don't think I’ve had the year that I’ve expected myself to have.” Josh Brown NU kicker road this season.” Brown owes a great deal of thanks to the Husker offense, who nickel and dimed Colorado’s prevent defense down the field, moving the ball from the NU 41-yard line down to the Buffs' 12-yard line in only 39 seconds with a mixture of short passes. Colorado Coach Gary Barnett said he regretted squib kicking the ball to Nebraska after his team has taken a 32-31 lead on a 2-point conversion with 47 seconds left The short kick gave the Nebraska offense a fight ing chance with the Huskers taking over on their own 41-yard line with 44 seconds and one timeout remaining. "This is going to be the longest 44 seconds of my life,” a Colorado assistant coach muttered under his breath as Nebraska’s junior quarterback Eric Crouch and company took the field. Nebraska Coach Frank Solich said his offensive unit had die right mindset to mount a game-winning drive. “When you re in a situation that we were in, nine out of 10 people are going to tell you that you can’t do it,” Solich said. “But if you say you can do it, you have a chance to get it done. I think that’s what our players said at that given time.” Crouch misfired on a first-down pass to senior wide receiver Matt Davison, but came back to com plete two passes to another senior receiver John Gibson for gains of six and nine yards to the Colorado 44-yard line for a Nebraska first down. Crouch then connected on a pass to senior wide receiver Bobby Newcombe for another first down to die 31-yard line with 22 seconds left It was Newcombe’s first catch of the day, but not his last Crouch ran a quarterback countertrap on the next play, but it only netted two yards and forced-the Huskers to spend their final timeout “Even through the headsets, I heard a few groans Please see GAME on 9