All Huskers

Groin Kick Chronicles: 10-6

The Matt Rhule era gets off to the worst start imaginable, Wisconsin delivers two brutal losses, and a slow-motion car crash unfolds against Iowa.
Josh Peterson|
Logan Smothers and the Huskers fell to Iowa in a brutal defeat in 2021.
Logan Smothers and the Huskers fell to Iowa in a brutal defeat in 2021. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images/I-80 Club illustration

In this story:

Nebraska CornhuskersIowa HawkeyesWisconsin BadgersMinnesota Golden Gophers

Get caught up on the Groin Kick Chronicles, including how the data was put together, rankings, and more.

Prologue
70-61
60-51
50-41
40-31
30-21
20-11
5-1
Epilogue: August 14

2023 Minnesota
2023 Minnesota | Game On Paper/Matt Krohn-Imagn Images/I-80 Club illustration

The game: Minnesota 13-10 – 2023 – Huntington Bank Stadium – Minneapolis, Minnesota

What happened? It happened again.

57 minutes into their game vs. Minnesota, Nebraska led the Gophers 10-3. Three minutes later, they lost in regulation, as Minnesota banged in a field goal at the buzzer to leave Nebraska 0-1 for the fourth year in a row and fifth time since 2018. How on earth did it happen?

Well, in his first start as Nebraska’s QB, Jeff Sims threw three interceptions, including one in the final seconds of the first half when Nebraska was on the doorstep of taking the lead.

Not to mention, his third interception of the entire game gave Minnesota the ball a minute before they’d win. Anthony Grant, back after close to 1000 rushing yards in 2022, put up a stink bomb; Nine rushes, 27 yards, and a fumble near midfield late as Nebraska tried to ice the one-score lead.

And don’t forget about Minnesota tying the game on fourth down.

What did it mean? Say it with me: It’s not that they lost, it’s how they lost. The Matt Rhule era couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start, if only because they again lost in the same way they had throughout the entire Scott Frost era!

Within 60 minutes of football, everyone was asking if Jeff Sims was the right guy at quarterback for Nebraska. Not what you wanted to have happen after the first game of the season. Even the trick play that led to Nebraska’s first lead of the game didn’t look all that pretty.

Was there an (un)memorable play? I’d allow for either the goal line INT or the one that gave Minnesota the ball with 58 seconds left. Let’s go with the latter.

Obligatory Jack Mitchell tweet:

2023 Wisconsin
2023 Wisconsin | Game On Paper/Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images/I-80 Club illustration

The game: Wisconsin 24-17 (OT) – 2023 – Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin

What happened? Nine minutes into the game, Nebraska led 14-0. With four seconds left in regulation, they kicked a field goal to tie it up at 17 and force overtime.

It was that kind of game in Madison.

In his first start of 2023, Chubba Purdy scored from 55 yards to put Nebraska up a touchdown.

A drive later, he hit Jaylen Lloyd on second and 20 from his own 42 to go up 14-0.

By the time the second quarter arrived, Nebraska had all the momentum. Wisconsin had run 12 total plays for 12 total yards. Nebraska’s offense had the ball for the third time, moving from the shadow of their own goal posts to Wisconsin’s 33. It was fourth and one as Matt Rhule sensed an early opportunity to destroy Wisconsin’s will. He called for a rush, hoping to convert and add to the lead.

Nine plays later, Wisconsin was on the board.

It was 14-10 Huskers going into the break, and 17-14 Wisconsin halfway through the third quarter. Nebraska’s offense, 206 yards after their first three drives, ran 29 plays for 81 yards on their next six drives. Down 17-14 with 3:37, they finally moved the ball again, driving all the way down to the Wisconsin 12 before Tristan Alvano lined up to tie it.

Another Nebraska game was going to OT. And we know what happens to Nebraska in OT.

Wisconsin scored on their lone drive, Nebraska moved backwards, Nebraska had a fourth and long, Nebraska threw an INT.

Ballgame.

What did it mean? With their third chance to lock up a bowl bid, Nebraska lost, as always, by one score. The worst part about this one? The end of this game seemed to be an answer to the previous week’s loss to Maryland. In that one, they were too aggressive; in this one, they were too passive.

With 1:35 left, not only did Nebraska have the ball at the Wisconsin 26-yard line, but they had all three timeouts! One play later, they were down to Wisconsin’s 19, a seven-yard carry from Emmett Johnson moving the ball. And then… they let the clock tick. 

The offense only ran four plays before the field goal attempt, never really pushing for a touchdown and winning the game outright.

Was there an (un)memorable play? Second and three from the Wisconsin 19 with 1:29 left and you only run three more plays? Can we just pick that entire sequence?

Obligatory Jack Mitchell tweet:

2023 Iowa
2023 Iowa | Game On Paper/Reese Strickland-Imagn Images/I-80 Club illustration

The game: Iowa 13-10 – 2023 – Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska

What happened? With the game tied at 10, Nebraska picked off Iowa QB Deacon Hill. Only 31 seconds remained in the game. They had the ball at their own 45-yard line. 31 seconds.

Nebraska lost in regulation.

On a cold Black Friday in Lincoln, Nebraska once again had a chance to lock up their first bowl berth since 2016. Once again, confounding turnovers and decisions left them one win short, a long offseason about to begin.

That Nebraska was in the game to begin with can start with Iowa’s offensive ineptitude. Credit also goes to Jalen Lloyd, who caught a 66-yard score on third and 11 late in the first half.

Midway through the third, it was 10-10, a Tristan Alvano field goal from 44 yards being the difference. Nebraska’s defense continually stepped up, shutting down Iowa’s offense to the tune of 21 plays and 40 yards on their first six drives of the second half. In that stretch, they had just one first down.

But Nebraska gifted Iowa the ball with just seconds left and one play later, they were 22 yards closer. And again, Iowa had a chance to walk Nebraska off.

Of course they did.

What did it mean? The fourth-straight loss dropped Nebraska to 5-7 on the season. They’d finish Matt Rhule’s first season going 1-5 in one-score games, the lone win coming against Northwestern in October. Along the way, Nebraska wasted multiple timeouts, not having enough late in the game to help their cause. Matt Rhule and game management would be a talking point all offseason, and still are to this day.

Was there an (un)memorable play? The Chubba Purdy INT that gave Iowa the ball in the waning seconds takes the cake.

Obligatory Jack Mitchell tweet:

2022 Wisconsin
2022 Wisconsin | Game On Paper/Dylan Widger-Imagn Images/I-80 Club illustration

The game: Wisconsin 15-14 – 2022 – Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska

What happened? Nebraska entered the fourth quarter against Wisconsin leading 14-3. They were 15 minutes away from their first win over the Badgers in a decade, hoping to spit out the bad taste in their mouths from a lost, lost season.

And then, they did what they always did. They lost.

Outrushing Nebraska 235 to 65, and holding onto the ball for almost 37 minutes, Wisconsin ultimately prevailed, scoring two touchdowns in the final 10:07 of action, including the final score with just 35 seconds left.

Casey Thompson, returning from injury, gave Nebraska a 14-3 in the third quarter, before Nebraska’s final three drives of the game totaled 13 plays and just 27 yards.

What did it mean? It was Nebraska’s fifth-straight loss, guaranteeing at least eight losses in a year for the fourth time since 2017. It also pushed Nebraska’s losing streak to Wisconsin past a decade. 

Oddly enough, this was the last loss of 2022, as Nebraska picked up a surprising win over Iowa on Black Friday.

Was there an (un)memorable play? Not really, which is probably for the best.

Obligatory Jack Mitchell tweet:

2021 Iowa
2021 Iowa | Game On Paper/Dylan Widger-Imagn Images/I-80 Club illustration

The game: Iowa 28-21 – 2021 – Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska

What happened? A horror show, plain and simple.

It was the last game of the most forgettable season in generations. A win wouldn’t mean anything for a possible bowl berth. It was all about pride against a team and program Husker fans despised.

On an absolute gorgeous Black Friday, Iowa entered the contest 9-2, ranked 13th in the College Football Playoff rankings, needing a win to avoid a tiebreaker in the Big Ten West standings. A victory and they’d head to Indianapolis to take on the Michigan Wolverines. A loss, and it would Nebraska’s first win in the series since 2014.

Nothing was at stake but everything was at stake.

After a first quarter touchdown, Nebraska led the rest of the first half.

It was 7-0, 7-3, 14-3.

It was 14-6 after 30 minutes.

With 5:54 left in the third, Logan Smothers, starting the game for an injured Adrian Martinez, punched in a one-yard score. There were fewer than 21 minutes left in the game and Nebraska was up on Iowa 21-6. Iowa kicked a field goal with 27 seconds left in the third quarter to make it 21-9. Nebraska was 15 minutes away from ending the season on a high note and heading into the offseason with a good taste in their mouths.

And then, everything changed.

Nebraska’s two-score lead was evaporated in seconds as Iowa pulled to within 21-16. The mood of the entire stadium – one of a party and celebration for much of the first 45 minutes – had shifted. It was sour, full of dread, for what was to come.

Nebraska moved into Iowa territory on their next drive, before this happened.

Somehow, Nebraska would get a stop! The Hawkeyes would actually lose two yards in three plays, punting the ball down to the Nebraska seven-yard line. Which, of course, led to this.

Going back to the end of the third quarter, Iowa had scored three separate times but still trailed Nebraska 21-18. They’d make it a fourth score on their next drive, when they knocked in a 44-yard field goal to tie the game. Nebraska led by as many as 15 points in the second half and now it was tied. But don’t worry, there was more pain to come!

A quick three and out by Nebraska gave the ball right back to Iowa, where they put together their lone touchdown drive on offense of the entire game, driving 76 yards in six plays, taking a 28-21 lead with under three to go.

Nebraska’s offense would have one more chance, again driving into Iowa territory, converting on two third downs and a fourth down in the process. Then, on second and 10 with 52 seconds left, Logan Smothers capped off his very up-and-down day with an INT.

What did it mean? In the worst season imaginable, Nebraska somehow ended in the worst way possible. The fact that there’s healthy debate all these years later about which loss was worse – this one or the game in East Lansing vs. Michigan State – is normal. The fact they happened within the same season seems impossible.

It marked the seventh-straight win in the series by Iowa, including the fourth-straight by one score. 

I am absolutely stunned this one didn’t even make the top five.

Was there an (un)memorable play? I’d say so!

Obligatory Jack Mitchell tweet:

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Josh Peterson
JOSH PETERSON

Josh Peterson has been covering Husker athletics for over a decade. He currently hosts Unsportsmanlike Conduct with John Bishop on 1620 The Zone and is a co-founder of the I-80 Club with Jack Mitchell. When he's not watching sports, Josh is usually going for a run or reading a book next to his wife or dog. If you have a comment for Josh, send him an email: joshpeterson.huskermax@gmail.com.

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