Dave Feit's Greatest Huskers by the Numbers: 7 - Eric Crouch

At the end of the day, fans get to like who they like and dislike for whatever silly/illogical/petty reasons they want. But before we switch over to discussing the good, allow me to make this point: How many of the criticisms of Crouch also apply to several of the winningest and/or statistically best quarterbacks in Nebraska history? More than you'd likely care to admit.

Moving on.

The 2001 Heisman Trophy winner, Crouch remains one of the fastest people to ever wear the scarlet and cream. He was a threat to score from anywhere on the field (he holds the school record for longest touchdown run, 95 yards versus Missouri in 2001), and often scored in spectacular fashion (Black 41 Flash Reverse).

He's one of two players in this countdown to throw, catch and run for a touchdown in a game. Johnny Rodgers did it in his final game against Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. Eric Crouch did it as a sophomore in less than eight minutes of game time. He rushed from one yard out, threw a 70-yard pass to Tracey Wistrom and took a short pass 60 yards for a score.

Crouch led (some might say carried) Nebraska to the BCS Championship game in the 2002 Rose Bowl, picking up the Heisman Trophy and the Walter Camp and Davey O'Brien awards along the way. He left NU holding most of the quarterback records. He still holds the marks for most rushing touchdowns (59) and is the fourth-leading rusher in school history. He is the only Nebraska quarterback to be in the all-time top 10 for rushing yards, passing yards and scoring. Crouch left college as one of three quarterbacks in the history of Division I-A to rush for 3,000 yards and pass for 4,000 in a career.

Eric Crouch was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 2002. His jersey was retired the same year. In 2020, Crouch became the 19th Cornhusker player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

*My Mount Rushmore of Husker quarterbacks (listed chronologically): Jerry Tagge, Turner Gill, Tommie Frazier and Eric Crouch. To bump any of these greats will require a mantle full of hardware and/or multiple championships.

* * *

It was loud.

Very loud.

I attended four different Nebraska-Missouri games in Columbia, including the classic in 1997. But this was the loudest I had ever heard Faurot Field.

Leading 16-3, Nebraska was facing third-and-eight from its own five-yard line. Nebraska was backed up so far that it seemed like our south end zone seats were in the Husker huddle. Tiger fans - thirsty for a stop… or a safety - were in full throat.

Crouch took the snap under center and dropped back to pass. Mizzou's defensive end worked around Dahrran Diedrick's block and hit Crouch three yards deep in the end zone. As the volume somehow increases, Crouch manages to escape out to his right. He's now on the run.

As he nears the 10-yard line, Crouch sees a defender in his path. Crouch needs to get to the 13 for a first down. If not, Nebraska has to punt, and Missouri gets the ball with great field position. Crouch breaks down and does a stutter step - tap-a-tap-tap - before punching the accelerator to the floor. The Tiger defender drives at the spot where Crouch's ankles once resided. By the time he hits the turf, Crouch is already three yards away.

Wingback John Gibson comes running across the field to help clear a path as Crouch cuts behind him. Does Gibson possibly block one of the two Tigers in the back? The game was not filmed in HD, so it is hard to say definitively if he made illegal contact. No flags are on the ground. I will note that earlier in his career, Crouch was nearly decapitated in a game at Kansas State without a flag being thrown. He's due a little payback.

While I typed that sentence, Eric Crouch has flown by another potential tackler and across one of the red, white, and blue 9/11 ribbons painted on the field. On the radio call, color commentator Adrian Fiala shouts "HE'S GONNA GO! YES!!" before Crouch crosses midfield. His counterpart on the Fox Sports Net broadcast, Dave Lapham, can only say "WOW!" over and over. By the time Crouch runs by the other 9/11 ribbon, it's all academic. The closest player to Crouch is teammate Wilson Thomas, who follows him into the end zone.

Eric Crouch has just run for a 95-yard touchdown - the longest in school history. He turned a safety into a touchdown, a nine-point swing.

The fans at Faurot Field are much quieter than they were 19 seconds earlier, except for the few thousand Husker fans who are losing their minds.

"Strike the Heisman pose, Eric."

Lapham, the TV color commentator, has regained his ability to speak, and understands what just happened. Crouch has just added another exclamation point to his Heisman campaign. Crouch was a very deserving winner of the top prize in college football.