Throwback Thursday: 'So Long, Lincoln; It's Been An Exciting Run(za)'

Editor's note: Eight years ago, the Colorado Buffaloes were preparing for what many thought could be their last trip to Lincoln for their last game with the Huskers. Conference brethren since 1948, the two schools had played every year as members of the Big 7, Big 8 and Big 12. But after the 2010-11 school year, Colorado was headed to the Pac-12 while Nebraska was moving to the Big Ten. Veteran sports writer B.G. Brooks wrote this column before the two teams' final meeting in the Big 12.

LINCOLN, Neb. - Did I miss something here? Over the past five days, I've read thousands of words - many in poignant, reflective pieces - about Colorado-Nebraska football, maniacal fans, the impending end of the series, vehement arguments about whether it's a rivalry, both schools bolting into different conferences, the relative merits of Lincoln and The World of Big Red . . .

And not one mention of the Runza? The doughy pocket of cabbage and beef (or pork) was created in Lincoln in 1949 and reportedly is popular enough now in Nebraska to have a place among the basic food groups. Like locusts, it has spread to several neighboring states, including Colorado.

I've been told if you don't know Runza, you don't know Nebraska. A confession: I know a little bit about Nebraska, but I don't know Runza. That's probably to my detriment, but I couldn't get past the name. I have visions of . . . never mind.

But enough of that; this isn't the on-line version of Man vs. Food. This is CU vs. Nebraska and we're here to pay homage to (or at least lightly reflect on) trips to Lincoln that began in 1988.

Not that there haven't been many agreeable visits over those 23 years, and not that fine friendships haven't developed, but unless the CU-Nebraska series is resumed in my lifetime, I'm logging out of Lincoln on Friday night.

Forever.

But now, let's go back in time . . .

In 1988, my second season on the CU beat for the late Rocky Mountain News, the Buffs were just beginning to find themselves under former coach Bill McCartney. They came to Nebraska in search of their first victory here since 1967, and after playing the Huskers to an early 0-0 tie, leaving with a win appeared a real possibility.

Tailback J.J. Flannigan would have memorable games at CU, and this one qualified - but not for a reason he liked. With the Buffs driving, Flannigan took a handoff, broke into the secondary and was by himself at the Huskers' 21-yard line (that number comes courtesy of preeminent SID Dave Plati, whose memory bank is more well-stocked than mine and more accessible than my misplaced or trashed '88 play-by-play).

J.J. dropped the ball . . . just dropped the ball. He said later he was switching hands with it, which proved to be a fatal swap. Nebraska recovered and went on to score and win, 7-0.

The "open-field fumble" was enough to make my first visit to Lincoln noteworthy, but the press box scene also made an impression. In '88, the FWAA (Football Writers Association of America) hadn't delivered its no-cheering-in-the-press-box edict. Or, if it had, word was late getting to Memorial Stadium and to the squad of gentlemen in bright red blazers who pounded the desktop in front of them and hooted whenever the Huskers offered an opportunity.

A bit of decorum, gentlemen? That's changed now in Lincoln, where FWAA press box rules-and-regs are followed and the overall operation is top-flight.

Two seasons later - 1990 - would be my second trip to Big Red Country for what would be one of the top five CU football games I've witnessed. Having beaten Oklahoma in Boulder the previous week, the Buffs needed a win at Nebraska to clinch at least a share of its second consecutive Big Eight championship.

On a chilled, sloppy night, CU opened the same way, fumbling seven times (tailback Eric Bieniemy lost three) and trailing 12-0 entering the fourth quarter. His drops killed drives at the Nebraska 2- and 21-yard lines, but redemption awaited.

In the fourth quarter, Bieniemy regained his focus and grip on the ball, scoring four TDs and leading the Buffs to a 27-12 win. You already know how the rest of the '90 season unfolded.

Flash forward two seasons to 1992 and McCartney's next-to-last visit. Several times a season, the national TV guys remind us that Huskers fans are among the most considerate and knowledgeable in America. McCartney might buy the knowledgeable part, but don't try selling him the other.

Two years later, for a "Mac" retrospective being done for the News when he announced his retirement, I asked him to name the most hostile environment he'd encountered as CU's coach. With no hesitation, he said, "Lincoln, 1992."

After the Buffs' back-to-back wins in 1989-90 and a 19-19 tie in Boulder in '91, the Huskers and their fans were frothing for pay-back. They got it in a big, big way, 52-7.

Over my next 10 trips to Lincoln for football games, I saw two more CU wins (2002, 28-13; 2004, 26-20). Most of the losses were close, with kicking game breakdowns foiling CU in a couple of them. But the most puzzling loss was in '94, when McCartney took what arguably was his best team - at least the one the NFL thought most highly of - to Lincoln.

Yet the number of future pros in CU's lineup, including quarterback Kordell Stewart, couldn't overcome a questionable (or fatally rigid) game-plan. Curiously, Stewart was asked to beat the Huskers with his arm on an afternoon when he was clearly rattled. No adjustment was made and the Buffs lost, 24-7.

I also visited Lincoln for many CU-Nebraska basketball games, and what happened on the court doesn't stick with me as much as what happened at the team hotel in 1990 when CU fired coach Tom Miller after the final regular-season game.

The Huskers beat Miller's team that Wednesday night - every other Big Eight team was doing it with regularity - and the plug was pulled on the coach after the game. Problem was, news leaked to a Denver television station before it made its way to Lincoln - and Miller. A Boulder Daily Camera beat guy and me had to track down Miller for a response on something he didn't know had happened.

It was neither a pleasant assignment nor a pretty scene. It obviously left a mark on the psyche - just as Lincoln has.

I probably should scroll back up and hit the delete button in my reference to staying clear of Lincoln "forever" after Friday's game. Maybe the CU-Nebraska football series resurfaces in some future September as a non-conference game. Maybe I get nostalgic and return for a long fall weekend. Maybe I get help long before then.

For now, I'm going to enjoy Friday. Time to get the game face on for a final time in Lincoln . . . I might even get a Runza to go.

On second thought, I think I'll just go. Later, Lincoln. Much, much later.

Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU