One thing is for sure, Husker fans love a good debate.

Whether it's who should be the starting quarterback, or if Herbie Husker should stay, or what single play was the greatest play in all of Husker history, Husker fans are sure to have an opinion.

The Husker Press Box conducted a survey to have Husker fans select the greatest Husker play in history. The survey attracted over 1,200 entries from as far away as New Delhi, India, each one selecting from a list of ten top moments for the honor.

In collecting almost 30 percent of the vote, Johnny Rodgers' first quarter punt return against Oklahoma in 1971 was dubbed the winner of the "Greatest Husker Play Of All Time"

Husker fan Sid Jablonski of Omaha punctuated his vote for the play with the simple comment. "It was the most electrifying play in the most electrifying game by the most electrifying player in Nebraska football history."

Rodgers' return propelled Nebraska on to a dramatic victory in a game that, according to Jim Pospichal of Lexington, Virginia, transcended the game itself. "This may have been the first contest hyped by the media as the 'Game of the Century' and it certainly was the first to truly live up to the billing." Pospichal commented. "The game is still considered one of the best ever played not just by Husker fans but by all college football fans. The Rodgers return was simply a spectacular if not mythic individual effort that symbolized the whole game for the Nebraska players."

For Derrick Weimer of Albuquerque, New Mexico, the play meant a little more than a football game, "The play and the game caused so much excitement in my parents household that my mother went into labor over 3 weeks early and gave birth to me the next day. Bringing forth another die hard Husker fan."

Rodgers' return didn't walk away for the honor, however. Close behind with over 24 percent of the was the play known as "The Fleakicker" from the 1997 Missouri game.

Under improbable circumstances, Matt Davison's diving catch of a kicked pass saved the Huskers' undefeated season as regulation ran out.

Richard Redfield of Houston, Texas places the Fleakicker among the plays for the ages "Not only did that one catch seal the '97 Huskers' national championship fate, it furthered the respect and mystique of Nebraska football at that point in time and for years to come." Redfield said. " It will be the quintessential college football replay for eternity."

As for the man responsible for the play, Matt Davison was honored for the selection of his play but he hopes he won't be remembered for that play alone when his Husker days are over. "I want to go out and make a lot of plays. It was a great moment in my career, but it's a young career." Davison said. "I have three years left. Hopefully I can add more memories to the book."

Two other Husker plays were able to earn enough votes to make a run for the title. Tommie Frazier's 75 yard tackle-breaking touchdown run against Florida in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl finished third with almost 19 percent, while Cory Schlesinger's tumbling touchdown in the 1995 Orange Bowl garnered 13 percent of the vote, good enough for fourth place.

Erik Ehlers of Fort Collins, Colorado felt Frazier's run embodied an entire championship season. "First Frazier takes hit after hit but he keeps running, he keeps focused on the end zone and finally he reaches his goal." Ehlers said "It was the definitive moment of the best college football team of all time and I will remember it forever."

With the exception of the game ending plays, perhaps no play burned a game clock time into Husker fan memories the way Schlesinger's touchdown with 2:47 left in the 1995 Orange Bowl has.

Brian Hayes of Cambridge, Massachusetts picked that play for not just when it was or what it was, but where it was. "In the most reviled place for Dr. Tom, playing Miami in the Orange Bowl, he earned the national championship his way -- a rugged fullback trap up the middle." Hayes said. Jeff Brown of St. Petersburg, Florida agreed. "This play exemplifies Nebraska football, power football - the fullback blasting forward on a trap. Not the glamour back, but the guy who is usually blocking to spring a play open." noted Brown. "It also ended a series of heartbreaking and frustrating losses to Miami. And it was in front of the Miami crowd at the Orange Bowl."

There was a strong drop off in the voting for fifth place and beyond, but certainly enough quality plays to elicit some strong emotions.

The failed two-point attempt against Miami in the 1984 Orange Bowl finished in fifth place with seven percent of the voting. Most fans who selected this play praised coach Tom Osborne's resolve in seeking the win over the tie. Fan Bob Berg of Virginia Beach, Virginia waxed poetic with his vote. "It was the best of times...it was the worst of times." Berg said. "Osborne stamped out his future as a class act without peer by going for the win. If the play had succeeded, that Husker team would have gone down as the BEST team in college history. It also gave Miami that confidence it needed to go on to dominate the 80's."

Sixth place went to Billy Sims' fumble in the 1978 Nebraska-Oklahoma game that sealed Tom Osborne's first win over the dreaded Sooners. Carl Wacker of Rochester, Minnesota selected that play because he felt it " launched Nebraska from the shadows of OU as a Big Eight "also ran" under Tom Osborne. The play is so memorable because in one second the fans went from certain heartbreaking defeat, to victory."

Tom Osborne's bag of tricks earned a seventh place finish with the "Fumbleroosky". The play originated in the 1984 Orange Bowl and appeared occasionally after that. The NCAA powers that be studied the play and soon changed the rules making the play illegal. For Terry Mackel of Savage, Minnesota, the pure fact that such a play could never happen again was enough for him. "The play was so good, it changed the rules of college football. this play you will never see again. enough said."

Seventh place went to Jerry Tagge's stretching touchdown in the 1971 Orange Bowl. That play helped gain the fist of five Husker National Championships and, according to Mark Clark of Manhattan, Kansas, was the play that made all the other great plays possible. it put Nebraska on the Football map to stay. I believe it directly reflects how Nebraska has played Football for nearly 30 years, hard and relentless.

The voting was rounded off by Bobby Reynolds' wild run in the 1951 Missouri game (1 percent of the vote for ninth place) and Mike Rozier's sideline to sideline run against UCLA in 1984. (1 percent). Bob Barnett of Bethesda, Maryland chose the Reynolds run because, although he has seen all the plays on the list. "I was younger then and the impression has remained for 48 years that it was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen." Patty Horwart of Marietta, Georgia chose Rozier's run because "I was sitting in that end zone when Rozier ran that play. It seemed to be the longest 3 yards ever played."

Now that Husker fans have decided that issue, how about that Herbie Husker thing....