November 8, 1997

History may call it "The Catch" or the "Immaculate Reception, Part Two", or simply "Divine Intervention"but Nebraska will always call it a win, and Missouri will call it a heartbreaking loss.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers turned to a miracle play in the game's final seconds to crush the upset hopes of the Missouri Tigers with a 45-38 victory.

Trailing 38-31 with 62 seconds left Nebraska had the ball at their own 33 yard line. Nebraska quarterback Scott Frost completed four passes to move down to the Missouri 12 yard line. After one attempt for the end zone fell incomplete Nebraska was facing a last gasp effort with 12 seconds left. Frost took the snap and rolled to his right. He fired a pass to Shevin Wiggins just in the end zone, but Missouri defender Julian Jones knocked the ball from Wiggins' hands. As he fell to the ground Wiggins kicked the ball into the air. Nebraska freshman Matt Davison dove for the ball and caught it with no time left on the clock. The extra point kick tied the game up and sent the match into overtime.

"I thought we were kind of down going in to overtime." said Missouri linebacker Kevin Ford. "No one knew what happened with that ball. It looked like it was tipped and people were flying around everywhere. But we thought we had it."

Nebraska got the ball first in the extra session and had little trouble advancing it to the end zone. The Cornhuskers needed just three plays to go the 25 yards, scoring on a 12 yard Scott Frost run. Missouri couldn't match that, throwing two incomplete passes and getting just a three-yard gain by quarterback Corby Jones. On the Tigers' fourth-and-seven play from the Nebraska 22-yard line, Jones tried to pass again, but was sacked by Husker lineman Grant Wistrom and Mike Rucker.

Missouri had been in control of things up until the games final minute.

The Tigers opened the game with a 12 play 78 yard drive for a touchdown and a quick 7-0 lead.

"I think it gave us a lot of confidence." said Missouri quarterback Corby Jones. "Usually the first drive gives you a lot of confidence, but playing against a team like this with a defense like this, we were going in thinking 'jeez', we know we can move the ball, but we need to prove it to ourselves right off. That's what we did."

Nebraska countered with their first score on a 16 yard Scott Frost quarterback draw on their opening drive and followed that with another Frost touchdown on their next possession.

Missouri was not about to let up and continued the shootout into the second period. An 18 yard pass from quarterback Corby Jones to Torey Coleman evened the scored. Nebraska then drove 71 yards to score again and regain the lead 21-14. The second quarter didn't stop there. Missouri added a 39 yard field goal to pull within 21-17. Missouri then caught a break when Scott Frost overthrew his intended receiver and was intercepted by Shad Criss. The return and a subsequent personal foul penalty on Nebraska gave Missouri the ball on the Nebraska 34. One play later Jones connected with Brock Olivo for a 34 yard touchdown pass. At half time the Tigers were up 27-24.

Things quieted down a bit in the third period. Neither team scored until 12 minutes into the period.

Nebraska drove 99 yards and scored on a Frost dive from one yard out to restore the lead for the Huskers. It didn't last long, however as Missouri responded with a 62 yard kickoff return to start the drive at the Nebraska 35. Six plays later Jones ran in on a six yard run for a 31-28 Tiger lead.

The fourth quarter fireworks continued until the last second ticked away.

A Kris Brown 44 yard field goal tied the score up again at 31. Missouri then took advantage of Nebraska's second intercepted pass to score again. Eddie Brooks hauled in a Jones pass from 15 yards out and Missouri was up 38-31 with 4:39 remaining.

The teams traded punts before Nebraska set up for the final, dramatic drive.

"I told them 'you gotta dig down deep'" said Frost. " This was our whole season. All of our games were based on winning the national championship. And luckily we found enough deep down inside to keep the dreams alive."

It was a sequence that will be replayed many times in the minds of many fans and players.

1:12 left with the ball at the MU 33 yard line. Frost completes a 27 yard pass to Kenny Cheatham. First and ten Nebraska at the Missouri 40. Then an incomplete pass intended for Lance Brown followed by another incomplete pass. Nebraska was facing third down and 10 with :45 left.

Frost then completed a 13 yard pass to Matt Davison for a first down. First and ten at the Missouri 27.

An eight yard pass to Cheatham takes the Huskers to the 19 yard line. Frost spikes the ball on the next snap to stop the clock with :21 left.

Then a seven yard pass to Cheatham and another spike set the Huskers up at the 12 yard line with :12 remaining.

Frost tries a pass to the end zone for Davison but it falls incomplete with 7 seconds left. Then the magic pass.

"This offense can't be stopped, by any defense" claimed Frost " Right now we have all the confidence in the world, 60 yards in 56 seconds, that was unbelievable."

Frost finished the game with 141 yards rushing and four touchdowns. He passed for 175 yards and one touchdown. Husker I-Back Ahman Green finished with 189 yards on the ground.

The win would not be enough, however, to convince pollsters as the Huskers fell from the number one ranking to number three in the AP poll.