ESPN names Black 41 Flash Reverse Pass one of the top 25 plays in football since 2000
Eight ESPN writers and two editors nominated fifty-one plays, and that list was whittled down to 25 plays. The eight writers then ranked the moments from 1 to 25, with 25 points awarded for the top play, 24 for second place, and so on, until play No. 25.
Advertisement
With the No. 3-ranked Cornhuskers leading the No. 2-ranked Sooners 13-10 in the fourth quarter and the ball at its own 37-yard line, head coach Frank Solich called Black 41 Flash Reverse Pass. ESPN described the play in detail.
"His heroics mostly came from running the option, but on this play against Oklahoma, Crouch handed off the ball, peeled out into the flat and up the field as a receiver. The original ball carrier, Thunder Collins, handed it to Mike Stuntz on a reverse, and he hit Crouch sprinting down the sideline for a 63-yard touchdown."
Nebraska would go on to win the game 20-10, and Eric Crouch would win the Heisman Trophy in one of the closest votes in the award's history. Crouch beat Florida sophomore quarterback Rex Grossman 770 points to 708 votes.
Crouch's 770 points are the fewest by a Heisman winner since Terry Baker won the award in 1962 with 707 points. Joining Crouch and Grossman at the Downtown Athletic Club that year were Miami quarterback Ken Dorsey and Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington.
Advertisement
Watch the famous play below.
Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Nebraska football play named one of the top 25 plays since 2000
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


USA Today
6 minutes ago
- USA Today
Former Wisconsin football wide receiver signs one-year contract with 49ers
Former Wisconsin Badgers' standout wide receiver Quintez Cephus signed a one-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday. To accommodate Cephus on the roster, San Francisco's front office waived running back Israel Abanikanda, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. The move marks Cephus' first NFL opportunity since he suited up for the Houston Texans before the 2024 regular season. Cephus now joins a wide receiver room headlined by Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson and Equanimeous St. Brown. The departure of former star wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders appears to have shifted general manager John Lynch's attitude at the position, prompting the 49ers to take a low-risk flyer on Cephus. Similar to his move with San Francisco, Cephus signed with Houston in July 2024 before the preseason. There, he flashed his offensive ability with six catches for 40 yards in three contests. Despite his strong performance, the Texans opted to release the former Badger before finalizing their 53-man roster. Before the stop in Houston, Cephus laced up with the Buffalo Bills in early 2024 and the Detroit Lions from 2020-23. He totaled 35 catches for 553 yards and four touchdowns during his first two professional campaigns before missing 2022 with an injury and 2023 due to a gambling suspension. Nonetheless, Cephus has displayed his ability to contribute as a pass catcher. During his tenure in Madison, the wideout reeled in 93 catches for 1,496 yards and 13 touchdowns in 37 appearances. In 2019, he accounted for a career-best 59 receptions for 901 yards and seven touchdowns. During the 2020 season with Detroit, Cephus lined up behind Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola as the team's No. 3 wide receiver. The one-year deal with San Francisco indicates that Cephus could contribute as a depth wide receiver. The 49ers are seeking a return to playoff contention, something the former Badger has yet to do as a professional. San Francisco begins its preseason on Aug. 9 against the Denver Broncos. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion


USA Today
6 minutes ago
- USA Today
Barstool Sports ranks Nebraska's Dylan Raiola as one of the Big Ten's best quarterbacks
Another round of rankings arrived this week for Big Ten quarterbacks, with Barstool Sports' Brandon Walker releasing his preseason list. Nebraska's Dylan Raiola found himself in the top ten, nestled in the No. 6 spot. Raiola's been finding himself ranked highly among quarterbacks across the league. The Athletic put him No. 40 across all 136 starting quarterbacks, and USA TODAY Sports placed him at No. 17. According to Walker, Raiola is ranked higher than eight of the nine Big Ten quarterbacks Nebraska's set to face this season. The one quarterback ranked higher than Raiola that will play Nebraska this season is Penn State's Drew Allar, who sits atop the list, with Illinois's Luke Altmyer in second. Although Ohio State has not yet named a starter, the position of 'Buckeyes starting QB' is ranked third. Incoming Michigan freshman Bryce Underwood sits at No. 10, who Nebraska is set to face in September. Raiola and the Huskers are already entering the season with high expectations following their 7-6 season and victory in the Bad Boy Mowers' Pinstripe Bowl. Last year, Raiola led FBS freshmen in completion percentage and also ranked 14th nationally in completion percentage, tossing 275-for-410. His mark is also the best completion percentage by a freshman in school history. Raiola also set the freshman record at Nebraska in passing yards, racking up 2,819 yards. He also ranked third among all freshmen in passing yards and was a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award. Nebraska will open the 2025 college football season on Thursday, August 28, when the Huskers face the Cincinnati Bearcats at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. CT. Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.


USA Today
35 minutes ago
- USA Today
Notre Dame alum, Tampa Bay Bucs rookie CB Benjamin Morrison grateful to be healthy again
Former Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison is on the comeback trail during his first NFL training camp. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie says he is grateful to be back on the football field after his season-ending injury with the Fighting Irish last season. Morrison is feeling like himself again, which is great news for the Irish alum. Morrison was considered one of the top cornerbacks in this past April's draft, but he underwent bilateral hip surgery that cup short his 2024 season with the Fighting Irish to just six games. So there was some uncertainty as to where he would be drafted, but Tampa Bay ended up selecting him at No. 53 overall (the fifth player taken at his position). And when he received a phone call from Bucs general manager Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles, he let out all of his emotions in a video that ended up going viral. Hopefully a return to full health is what we see from Morrison, as when he's out on the field, he's a lock-down corner. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions. Follow Dave on X: Miller_Dave