College football’s 150th anniversary: The 150 best moments that stood the test of time

45. The Flea Kicker (1997)

In Tom Osborne’s final season as the Nebraska head coach, his last roster was right back in the thick of the national title hunt. When they traveled to Faurot Field in early November to face Missouri in Big 12 play, the Cornhuskers were ranked No. 1 in the Coaches Poll and No. 2 in the AP Poll thanks to their gaudy 8-0 record.

Missouri, though, put up a tremendous fight at home. Up 24-21 at halftime, the Tigers maintained the pressure on their visitors in the second half. When quarterback Corby Jones found Eddie Brooks in the fourth quarter to give Missouri a 38-31 lead, it appeared that a losing streak against Nebraska dating back to 1978 might finally come to an end. Osborne’s team, though, proved resilient in the face of impending defeat.

Still down seven with only seven seconds left and 12 yards to the endzone, Nebraska quarterback Scott Frost took the snap and quickly threw to Sheldon Wiggins. The ball hit the receiver in the chest, then bounced back into the air off a Missouri defender’s foot. As Wiggins was tackled, his leg caught the ball and deflected it once again. Falling into the diving arms of Cornhuskers receiver Matt Davison, the inexplicable play forced overtime and allowed Nebraska to remain perfect in the end as they continued their march toward a third national championship in four years.

44. Harrell and Crabtree Foil Texas (2008)

When Texas and Texas Tech met up in Lubbock back in 2008, both teams sported spotless 8-0 records. The Longhorns sat at No. 1 in the BCS standings and both major polls, while the Red Raiders lingered between fifth and seventh in the various rankings. By the end of the game, fortunes had turned for both teams in dramatic fashion.

In the first half, Texas Tech ran up a 22-6 lead. After the intermission, the Longhorns came out and exerted their will for much of the second half. Clawing their way back, Texas took a lead for the first time with only 1:29 remaining. When Vondrell McGee ran in the ball from four yards out and Hunter Lawrence converted the extra point to put Mack Brown’s team up 33-32, it looked like Texas had survived another week atop the rankings.

But a minute and a half proved too much time to leave on the clock. Starting on their own 38 after the kickoff, Texas Tech worked quickly downfield as Graham Harrell completed four straight passes. At the Texas 28 with 15 seconds remaining, Harrell’s pass was deflected right to Longhorns safety Blake Gideon, who dropped the game-sealing pick.

On the ensuing play, Harrell threw a dart Michael Crabtree in double coverage. Shaking off a tackle at the 6, Crabtree ran in for the winning score with one second left. The result led to a three-way tie in the Big 12 South that opened the door for Oklahoma to go to both the Big 12 and BCS championship game ahead of both Texas and Texas Tech.

43. One Second Left (2009)

Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh chased down Texas quarterback Colt McCoy in the waning seconds of the 2009 Big 12 championship game, forcing the Longhorns passer to throw the ball out of bounds. For the first time since 1999, it looked like the Cornhuskers were going to emerge as conference champions.

The scoreboard read zeroes on the clock and showed Nebraska ahead 12-10. But a video review by the officials showed that a game clock error had kept time ticking away despite McCoy’s pass hitting a stadium railing out of bounds. After the review, the Longhorns were granted a reprieve and one second was placed back on the clock.

With the extra second, Texas lined up for a 46-yard field goal attempt. Hunter Lawrence struck his kick true through the uprights, and Nebraska’s upset bid was foiled. Texas finished the regular season as an undefeated Big 12 champion and earned a trip to the BCS title game thanks to One Second Left.