For the second time in as many years the annual game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Colorado Buffaloes hinged on a last second field goal. In both cases the Huskers dodged what appeared to be certain defeat and claimed stunning victories.

In 1999 the Colorado Buffaloes stormed back from a 24 point deficit to tie the number three ranked Huskers 27-27 with one second left on the clock. Colorado kicker Jeremy Aldrich lined up for a 34-yard field goal to win the game but his kick sailed just wide. The Huskers prevailed in overtime 33-30.

In Saturday's matchup it was up to the Huskers to provide the last second climax.

The drama began unfolding with :53 left in the game and Nebraska ahead 31-24. Colorado had driven the ball from their own 32 yard line down to the Nebraska 15. With a first-and-goal, quarterback Craig Ochs lifted a high pass to the front corner of the left side of the end zone where John Minardi out-leaped a tripping Erwin Swiney and came down with the touchdown. Suddenly Colorado was an extra point away from tying the game at 31.

Colorado head coach Gary Barnett quickly called his players to the sideline for a meeting. He told his players they wouldn't settle for a tie and that they would go for the two-point conversion.

"I wanted to win it." said Barnett. "We didn't come here to tie and go into overtime; we came here to win it."

The decision came as no surprise to the Huskers.

"I thought that's what they would do when I saw him calling his team together on the sideline, every one of them." said Husker head coach Frank Solich.

The call would be simple. Ochs would roll out and look for one of three receivers in the end zone.

"We've had a two-point play ready all year and hadn't really had a chance to use it, but we had a really good play." Barnett said.

The Buffaloes lined up, Ochs rolled right and fired a strike to receiver Javon Green. Green bobbled the ball for a moment then fell to the ground with the ball in his hand and two points on the scoreboard. Colorado was now leading 32-31 with :47 seconds left.

"I really thought we had the game won." Green said. "But you know Nebraska fights till the very end."

Those words proved prophetic.

On the ensuing kickoff kicker Mark Mariscal was given the orders to make a short kick to avoid any potential big returns.

"The only thing we wanted to do was kick it down the middle and make them return it and take time off the clock. " Barnett stated. "The clock starts when they catch the ball. Make then take time on the return rather than give them full time."

Things didn't go as Barnett planned. The kick was fielded at the 29 yard line by Dahrran Diedrick who returned it to the Nebraska 41.

"We told those guys in the fullback position and tight end position that if the ball is kicked on the ground and you pick it up get as much as you can but work your way to the sideline and try to get out of bounds." Solich said.

The Huskers were in business with 44 ticks still on the clock. Quarterback Eric Crouch trotted onto the field knowing what needed to be done.

"There wasn't a doubt in my mind that this team could drive down the field , score the winning points and come out victorious," said Crouch.

The Huskers lined up in a shotgun formation, an usual set for a team best known for their running attack. It was obvious, however, that three-yards-in-a-cloud-of-dust would not get it done here.

"We needed to get in a hurry-up (offense) and drive down the field," Crouch said.

On the first snap Crouch looked to his left and fired the ball deep to split end Matt Davison. Things almost ended there for the Huskers when Buffaloe defender Phil Jackson got his hands on the pass and almost intercepted it. Davison was able to break the play up enough for the ball to fall harmlessly to the field. Thirty-seven seconds now remained.

On second down Crouch found John Gibson open on the right sideline. He fired over to Gibson who made the catch and stepped out of bounds at the Nebraska 47 yard line to stop the clock with 33 seconds left. On the next play they called the same route with similar success. Gibson pulled in the ball at the Colorado 44 yard line for a nine yard gain. Twenty-nine second remained.

"You've just got to find the open area in a situation like that." Crouch said. "Everybody was on the same page."

With a 3rd down and 4, Crouch stepped into the shotgun again, took the snap and fired down the middle to wingback Bobby Newcombe. It was Newcombe's first catch of the game and was good for a first down and more importantly, 13 yards. The Huskers now had the ball at the 31 with 22 seconds left.

"There wasn't a guy out there that had lost his composure, that was rattled, that didn't believe we had a chance to win that football game.," Solich said.

The Huskers then tried to catch Colorado off guard. Crouch took the snap and rushed to the right end looking for more yardage. He found little as he was tackled at the 29. Nebraska was forced to use their final timeout with 10 seconds left.

The play call raised some eyebrows from the Husker faithful.

"Even with the headsets on, I heard a few groans," said Frank Solich, "But the groans were there because the fans wanted a pass and expected a pass, just as Colorado expected a pass. We just felt that it was a play that if Eric could have broken through he could have gotten a lot of yards."

Crouch knew the Huskers still had time to give it one more shot.

"I think we were going to give it another chance to run one more play and get in a better position, " Crouch said. "I think it would have been 50 yard or so for the field goal. it would have been a long one and that's tough to put on a kicker."

After a conference on the sideline the Huskers lined up with hopes of moving just a bit closer to improve their odds at stealing the win away. The plan worked. Crouch fired a sideline pass to Newcombe who ran straight out of bounds at the 12 to stop the clock with 4 seconds left on the clock.

There was time for just one play, a field goal attempt from 29 yards out. The tension had reached a peak on the field and on the sidelines.

"I was sitting over by (Loran) Kaiser. He asked me if I'd come sit with him and hold his hand. I had to comfort him," said rush end Kyle Vanden Bosch. "He was a little shaken up I think."

Senior guard Russ Hochstein found the man of the moment, kicker Josh Brown, as he ran from the field.

"I just pointed to him and said 'get it done' and he said 'you betcha'," Hochstein said. "Everybody on the sideline got in a single line and locked it up and held hands. I'm sure there was a lot of praying going on."

Brown lined up for the critical kick. Earlier in the quarter he had kicked a 20-yard field goal, but he also had missed one earlier in the game.

"I felt good going out there," Brown said. "I didn't think it would come down to this, but I'm actually kind of glad it did."

Dan Hadenfeldt was set to hold the snap. The kick would have to go from right to left. Brown tried to keep his concentration on the basics of kicking.

"I was (thinking) 'This is exactly what I've already done today. Don't yank it, please don't yank it.'" Brown said.

The snap was perfect and Brown stepped up and kicked the ball. Colorado defenders Michael Lewis, Scott Nemeth and Jasher Sykes jumped as high as they could in hopes of blocking it. The ball sailed up and through the uprights for the win.

"It seemed like a split second. I kicked the ball, looked up and everybody just went crazy." Brown said.

"I saw the kick on the Husker Vision (video) screens," said Vanden Bosch. "It was just so exciting when that field goal went through the uprights."

The sidelines and stands of Memorial Stadium erupted. Frank Solich uncharacteristically leaped into the air in celebration. Meanwhile Gary Barnett stabbed in arm into the air in frustration.

The celebration quickly centered on Brown. He was mobbed by teammates who were overcome with relief.

"There must have been 1,000-some pounds on me," Brown said. "I was kicking and screaming and punching, trying to get people off of me. When you have (offensive tackle Jason Schwab) stuck right on top of you, it's not looking too good."

Colorado, meanwhile had to pick up the pieces of a crushing defeat.

"It's more frustrating this year than last year," said Minardi "You think with 47 seconds left you have the game won, but it's a heartbreaking loss, there is nothing really else you can say about that."

The lack of words was echoed by Barnett as he dismissed a request to describe the disappointment.

"I don't want to describe it. You can guess," Barnett said.

For the Huskers, the jubilation continued.

"I've waited for a moment like this my whole entire life. I got it, and I'm a happy man," Brown said. "I could die a happy man right now."

"I'm extremely happy to come out on top. We didn't want another blemish on this season," said Vanden Bosch.

The win keeps several streaks alive for Nebraska. It extended their string of nine win seasons to 32, lengthened their home winning streak to 13 games and marked the ninth straight win over Colorado. Those wins haven't been easy for the Huskers. All of the last five Nebraska-Colorado games have been decided by five points or less.