Well here we were with another perfect autumn afternoon in Memorial Stadium and just like the previous 5 weeks, Nebraska was involved in a route of epic proportion. Only this time the Huskers were not on the receiving end of this beat-down. No this time it was hated rival Kansas State Wildcats who were being beaten to a bloody pulp. 5-year junior Joe Gantz smashed all previous Husker quarterback statistics with a 30-40 game for 510 yards and 7, yes that's right seven touchdown passes. Also, just for good measure he had 6 carries for 18 yards. Ganz, who completed 11 of 14, passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns in the first half alone to shoot the Huskers to a 38-10 halftime lead.

This was senior day, the final home game of the 2007 season and for the 29 seniors it was their chance to redeem their season, to show all of us fans that they did have some heart and desire and could actually win a game. The defense played with the intensity that goes with the term "Blackshirts" as they held the Wildcats to no points while Ganz and company scored an unanswered 45 to turn a 10-7 deficient into a 52-10 lead with 3 minutes to go in the 3^rd quarter. Just how "on" were the Huskers on this day; how about the fact that when facing a 4^th and 20, Ganz took off and gained 23 yards on a run where he actually flattened Kansas State safety Gary Chandler at the end of the run. Ganz connected with 8 different receivers on the day and 4 different receivers caught TD passes on the day. Frantz Hardy tied a school record with three touchdown receptions for a total of 83 yards, while Terrence Nunn added five catches for 56 yards and a touchdown. Senior walk-on Dan Erickson added a career-high three catches for 25 yards. It was so bad for the K-State defense that their coach Ron Prince stormed onto the field during the field and chewed the defense out for their play.

This was something that Bill Callahan had been waiting for all season long. "You get one of those days where everything clicks, it's a great feeling," said embattled Nebraska coach Bill Callahan, who bolted off the field quickly after the game with his two patrolmen at his side, evidently with no interest whatsoever in singing the fight song with his players in front of the student section.

He was asked what he was thinking as he left the Memorial Stadium field, most likely for the final time. "I thought about a lot of things," he said. "I'll keep that private." After seeing the Huskers play a game like this, especially on the offensive side of the ball one might wonder if in fact the right quarterback had been playing the whole season. Here was a vertical passing game that had not been around all season long, as Ganz had at least 10 completions of 20 yards or more. The Huskers hadn't won since September and had been outscored 226-98 during their worst skid in 50 seasons. "I think when you have a season like we've had, down every game and losing big, you just want to go out there and score points and score as many times as you can," NU receiver Nate Swift said. "I wouldn't say it's anything against K-State or anything like that, but I think we just wanted to go let loose and score as many as we could."

It doesn't matter if this was Bill Callahan's last home game, no this was about the 29 seniors, who have seen and heard all of the negative talk since October began. This wasn't about the coaches, no, this was about his players, and in particular the 29 seniors trying to make something of their final home game before a crowd of 84,665. The game had started as the previous 5 had started, with the K-State driving down the field for a score and the Huskers going 3 and out. Then after K-State scored, something magical happened. The kickoff to Grixby came down to the 6 yard line, Grixby went straight up the middle and all the sudden 94 yards later was in the end zone and the game was tied. On the next series K-State again drove the filed, but the Husker's D held and forced a field goal. Over the next 2 and half quarters it was like 1995 all over again. As the Huskers scored at will and a 10-7 deficit tuned into a 52-10 lead late into the 3^rd quarter.

Now, believe it or not the Huskers, after a week off have a chance, if they can defeat Colorado in Boulder the Friday after Thanksgiving to go to 6-6 and actually earn a bowl game. Whether that will happen or not remains to be seen, but at least for once this season, we of Husker Nation got a glimpse of what might have been. GBR!

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JEH45 said:

	Just amazing. One strange year of college football!
	report abuse vote down vote up

November 13, 2007
Votes: +0

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