@Baron Winnebago
Scott Frost's inability to win close games, which included 22 one-score losses in just four-plus seasons, was a nightmare no Nebraska fan will soon forget.
www.sportingnews.com
How bad was it? Breaking down all 22 of Scott Frost's one-score losses at Nebraska
Bill Trocchi
6 hours ago•13 min read
Sporting News
When Scott Frost reflected after his team’s 30-22 Week 0 loss to Illinois in August 2021, the Nebraska coach commented that “it looked like the same movie.” For Nebraska fans, Frost’s tenure was an endless loop of “Friday the 13th” sequels, where Jason would kill the Huskers’ chances of winning just as it appeared they would escape with a “W.”
The latest, and final, version played out on Saturday, when Georgia Southern rallied for an improbable 45-42 win in Lincoln, scoring the winning points with 36 seconds left. It was the 22nd one-score loss of Frost’s four-plus-year tenure at his alma mater. The lights were then finally flipped on in the Nebraska Football Theater and Frost was shown the door.
As a dazed Nebraska attempts to look forward, we take a look back at all 22 one-score losses, and give them a Jason hockey-mask rating for the Nebraska faithful.
Colorado 33, Nebraska 28
Date: Sept. 8, 2018
Latest lead: Nebraska led 28-27 with 1:14 remaining.
Killer stat: Nebraska outgained Colorado by 170 yards but committed three turnovers and 11 penalties.
Moment of horror: With CU trailing 28-27 and facing a 3rd-and-24 at its own 45 yard line, Nebraska commits a roughing-the-passer penalty to give the Buffs a first down. CU throws a game-winning 40-yard touchdown pass on the next play.
Jason rating: Five hockey masks
Troy 24, Nebraska 19
Date: Sept. 15, 2018
Latest lead: Nebraska never led.
Killer stat: Nebraska won the yardage battle by 111, but missed a 33-yard field goal and allowed a 58-yard punt return for touchdown.
Moment of horror: With 2:15 remaining and Nebraska needing a touchdown, quarterback Andrew Bunch threw his second interception of the day.
Jason rating: Four hockey masks
Northwestern 34, Nebraska 31 (OT)
Date: Oct. 13, 2018
Latest lead: Nebraska led 31-24 with 17 seconds remaining.
Killer stat: Nebraska committed nine penalties to just one for Northwestern, and allowed a 99-yard touchdown drive in the final 1:50.
Moment of horror: Adrian Martinex threw an interception in the first overtime period as the Huskers fell to 0-6.
Jason rating: Five hockey masks
No. 10 Ohio State 36, Nebraska 31
Date: Nov. 3, 2018
Latest lead: With 6:03 remaining in the third quarter, Nebraska led 21-16
Killer stat: Nebraska’s first five possessions in the second half ended in punts.
Moment of horror: Trailing by five with 2:45 left and two timeouts, Nebraska was unable to get the ball back as Ohio State ran out the clock.
Jason rating: One hockey mask
Cockeyes 31, Nebraska 28
Date: Nov. 23, 2018
Latest lead: Nebraska never led, but the game was tied with three seconds left.
Killer stat: Nebraska lost the turnover battle (1-0) for the sixth time that season.
Moment of horror: On fourth-and-eight with 42 seconds left, Cockeyes’s Nate Stanley hits T.J. Hockenson with an 11-yard pass to get Cockeyes into field goal range.
Jason rating: Three hockey masks
Colorado 34, Nebraska 31
Date: Sept. 8, 2019
Latest lead: Nebraska led 31-24 with 54 seconds left.
Killer stat: Nebraska gave up 259 yards and 24 points in the fourth quarter.
Moment of horror: Isaac Armstrong missed a 48-yard field goal in the first overtime period.
Jason rating: Four hockey masks
Indianus 38, Nebraska 31
Date: Oct. 26, 2019
Latest lead: With 7:34 remaining in the third quarter, Nebraska led 21-16
Killer stat: Indianus backup quarterback Peyton Ramsey threw for 351 yards and two touchdowns.
Moment of horror: Trailing by seven with under four minutes to play, Noah Verdal’s fourth-down pass fell incomplete at the Indianus 34-yard line. Nebraska never got the ball back.
Jason rating: Two hockey masks
Purdoodoo 31, Nebraska 27
Date: Nov. 2, 2019
Latest lead: Nebraska led 27-24 with 1:14 remaining.
Killer stat: Nebraska gave up 159 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
Moment of horror: Trailing by four with 1:08 to play, Nebraska goes four-and-out.
Jason rating: Three hockey masks
No. 17 Cockeyes 27, Nebraska 24
Date: Nov. 29, 2019
Latest lead: Nebraska never led, but the game was tied with five seconds left.
Killer stat: Nebraska’s defense forced five punts and a fumble in the second half prior to Cockeyes's game-winning drive.
Moment of horror: Cockeyes started its game-winning drive on its own 26-yard line with 32 seconds left and no timeouts, but completed back-to-back 22-yard passes before kicking the game-winning 48-yard field goal.
Jason rating: Four hockey masks
Northwestern 21, Nebraska 13
Date: Nov. 7, 2020
Latest lead: With 9:59 left in the third quarter, Nebraska led 13-7
Killer stat: Nebraska had 28 first downs to Northwestern’s 14 and outgained the Wildcats by 125 yards.
Moment of horror: Down eight at the Northwestern 14-yard line with seven seconds left, an Adrian Martinez pass to Wan’Dale Robinson falls incomplete.
Jason rating: Three hockey masks
No. 24 Cockeyes 26, Nebraska 20
Date: Nov. 27, 2020
Latest lead: With 5:51 left in the third quarter, Nebraska led 20-13
Killer stat: Nebraska fumbled twice in the fourth quarter.
Moment of horror: With 1:30 left and the ball on the Cockeyes 39 yard line trailing by six, Adrian Martinez is sacked and fumbles, ending Nebraska’s chances.
Jason rating: Three hockey masks
Minnesota 24, Nebraska 17
Date: Dec. 12, 2020
Latest lead: With 2:01 remaining in the first half, Nebraska led 14-10
Killer stat: Minnesota was missing 33 players because of COVID protocols and had not played a game in three weeks.
Moment of horror: With a seven-point lead, Minnesota killed the final 4:42 of the game with a 67-yard drive that led to two kneel-downs inside the Nebraska 10.
Jason rating: Three hockey masks
Illinois 30, Nebraska 22
Date: Aug. 28, 2021
Latest lead: With 3:20 remaining in the second quarter, Nebraska led 9-2.
Killer stat: Illinois backup quarterback Artur Sitkowski came off the bench and went 12-for-15 for 124 yards and two touchdowns.
Moment of horror: With 37 seconds left in the half and the game tied 9-9, an Adrian Martinez fumble was returned 41 yards for a touchdown and Illinois would not trail again.
Jason rating: Three hockey masks
No. 3 Oklahoma 23, Nebraska 16
Date: Sept. 18, 2021
Latest lead: Nebraska never led
Killer stat: Nebraska missed two field goals and had an extra point blocked in the seven-point loss.
Moment of horror: Trailing 14-3 late in the third quarter, Nebraska scored a touchdown. The extra point was blocked and returned for a defensive PAT worth two points, upping OU’s lead to 16-9.
Jason rating: Three hockey masks
No. 20 Michigan State 23, Nebraska 20
Date: Sept. 25, 2021
Latest lead: Nebraska led 20-13 with 4:01 remaining.
Killer stat: Nebraska outgained Michigan State by 188 yards and had 26 first downs to Michigan State’s 12.
Moment of horror: Michigan State returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown with 3:47 left to tie the game after Nebraska’s defense had forced four straight three-and-outs, then intercepted Nebraska on the first possession of overtime.
Jason rating: Five hockey masks
No. 9 Michigan 32, Nebraska 29
Date: Oct. 10, 2021
Latest lead: With 7:56 remaining, Nebraska led 29-26.
Killer stat: Nebraska scored touchdowns on four of five second-half possessions before an Adrian Martinez fumble set Michigan up for the win.
Moment of horror: With the game tied and under two minutes to play, Martinez had the ball ripped out and Michigan recovered deep in Nebraska territory. Three plays later, Michigan kicked the winning field goal.
Jason rating: Four hockey masks
Minnesota 30, Nebraska 23
Date: Oct. 16, 2021
Latest lead: Nebraska never led
Killer stat: Nebraska’s time of possession was 21:59
Moment of horror: In the second half, Nebraska was stopped on fourth-and-goal from the one, missed a 27-yard field goal and gave up a safety on an intentional grounding in the end zone.
Jason rating: Four hockey masks
Purdoodoo 28, Nebraska 23
Date: Oct. 30, 2021
Latest lead: With 5:46 remaining in the third quarter, Nebraska led 17-14
Killer stat: Nebraska had four turnovers, Purdoodoo had none
Moment of horror: Nebraska’s first seven possessions in the second half resulted in four punts and three interceptions before it scored a late touchdown to pull within five with 1:44 left.
Jason rating: Three hockey masks
No. 15 Wisconsin 35, Nebraska 28
Date: Nov. 20, 2021
Latest lead: Nebraska never led, but the game was tied with 4:50 to play
Killer stat: Nebraska outgained Wisconsin by 55 yards but lost the turnover battle 2-0.
Moment of horror: With 30 seconds to go, Nebraska reached the Wisconsin 11-yard-line. A holding penalty and four straight incompletions ended the game.
Jason rating: Four hockey masks
No. 16 Cockeyes 28, Nebraska 21
Date: Nov. 26, 2021
Latest lead: With 7:27 remaining, Nebraska led 21-18
Killer stat: Cockeyes outscored Nebraska 19-0 in the fourth quarter
Moment of horror: With 52 seconds to go and the ball at the Cockeyes 28, Logan Smothers threw an interception at the Cockeyes two-yard-line.
Jason rating: Five hockey masks
Northwestern 31, Nebraska 28
Date: Aug. 27, 2022
Latest lead: With 11:43 to remaining, Nebraska led 28-24
Killer stat: After a failed onside kick in the third quarter, Nebraska quarterback Casey Thompson was 6-for-14 for 56 yards and two interceptions the remainder of the game.
Moment of horror: Leading 28-17 with 9:09 left in the third quarter, Nebraska failed on an attempted onside kick. Momentum shifted, and Nebraska was outgained 222-85 and outscored 14-0 from that point on.
Jason rating: Five hockey masks
Georgia Southern 45, Nebraska 42
Date: Sept. 10, 2022
Latest lead: Nebraska led 42-38 with 41 seconds to go.
Killer stat: Georgia Southern gained 642 yards and punted just once.
Moment of horror: After allowing a 75-yard touchdown drive with 3:05 to play, Timmy Bleekrode missed a 52-yard field goal on the game’s final play.
Jason rating: Five hockey masks