Black 41 Flash Reverse Pass
Encyclopedia
In college football
, the Black 41 Flash Reverse Pass is a play that the Nebraska Cornhuskers
used against the Oklahoma Sooners
and became one of the signature plays in quarterback
Eric Crouch
’s Heisman Trophy
-winning season.
on October 27, 2001, the defending national champion Sooners were ranked No. 2 and the Cornhuskers were ranked No. 3.Crouch had led the Cornhuskers to an 8-0 start and was considered a contender for the 2001 Heisman trophy. His most notable highlight in the season thus far had been a scramble against Missouri
that turned into a 95-yard touchdown
run.
The game between the longtime rivals was a hard-fought, defensive battle, with the Cornhuskers leading 13-10 as they went into the fourth quarter. With nine minutes left in regulation, the Cornhuskers took possession at their own four yard-line. They managed to move the ball to the 32 yard-line before Crouch was stopped short of a first down on third-and-two. A facemask call against Oklahoma gave Nebraska a first down on its own 37 and Nebraska head coach Frank Solich
called the Black 41 Flash Reverse Pass.
Thunder Collins for a run. Familiar with the formation, Oklahoma’s safeties were baited to come forward to stop the run. This time, however, Crouch pitched the ball to Collins who then pitched a reverse
to split end Mike Stuntz, a true freshman who had been a quarterback in high school but had seen limited playing time at Nebraska. Meanwhile, Crouch sprinted downfield to become a receiver as Stuntz threw him the ball. Crouch made the catch at the Oklahoma 40 and ran untouched to the endzone for a 63-yard touchdown.
stunned Nebraska 62-36 the day after Thanksgiving. Nevertheless, Crouch became the first true option
quarterback to win the Heisman trophy, edging out Florida’s Rex Grossman
and Miami’s Ken Dorsey
.
The Cornhuskers ended up No. 2 in the BCS Rankings, earning them a bid to play for the national championship in the 2002 Rose Bowl where they lost to the Miami Hurricanes
37-14.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
, the Black 41 Flash Reverse Pass is a play that the Nebraska Cornhuskers
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
used against the Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
and became one of the signature plays in quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Eric Crouch
Eric Crouch
Eric Eugene Crouch is an American quarterback for the Omaha Nighthawks. He also is a TV sports analyst and recreational equipment vendor....
’s Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
-winning season.
Background
When the teams met in LincolnLincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
on October 27, 2001, the defending national champion Sooners were ranked No. 2 and the Cornhuskers were ranked No. 3.Crouch had led the Cornhuskers to an 8-0 start and was considered a contender for the 2001 Heisman trophy. His most notable highlight in the season thus far had been a scramble against Missouri
Missouri Tigers football
The Missouri Tigers football team represents the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team has competed in the North Division of the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996...
that turned into a 95-yard touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
run.
The game between the longtime rivals was a hard-fought, defensive battle, with the Cornhuskers leading 13-10 as they went into the fourth quarter. With nine minutes left in regulation, the Cornhuskers took possession at their own four yard-line. They managed to move the ball to the 32 yard-line before Crouch was stopped short of a first down on third-and-two. A facemask call against Oklahoma gave Nebraska a first down on its own 37 and Nebraska head coach Frank Solich
Frank Solich
Frank Solich is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at Ohio University, a position he has held since the 2005 season...
called the Black 41 Flash Reverse Pass.
The play
The Cornhuskers lined up in a formation they had used twice already that ended with Crouch pitching the ball to I-backRunning back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Thunder Collins for a run. Familiar with the formation, Oklahoma’s safeties were baited to come forward to stop the run. This time, however, Crouch pitched the ball to Collins who then pitched a reverse
Reverse (American football)
A reverse is a relatively common trick play in American football that involves one or more abrupt changes in the lateral flow of a rushing play.-Variations:...
to split end Mike Stuntz, a true freshman who had been a quarterback in high school but had seen limited playing time at Nebraska. Meanwhile, Crouch sprinted downfield to become a receiver as Stuntz threw him the ball. Crouch made the catch at the Oklahoma 40 and ran untouched to the endzone for a 63-yard touchdown.
Aftermath
Immediately after Crouch scored the touchdown, the jubilant Nebraska crowd watched as the video board displayed a computerized image of Crouch in the Heisman pose and a picture of the Heisman trophy itself. After Nebraska won 20-10, Crouch would lead the Cornhuskers to two more victories before the Colorado BuffaloesColorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
stunned Nebraska 62-36 the day after Thanksgiving. Nevertheless, Crouch became the first true option
Option offense
The option offense is a generic term that is used to describe a wide variety of offensive systems in American football. Option offenses are characterized as such due to the predominance of option running plays employed in these schemes. Option offenses have traditionally relied heavily upon running...
quarterback to win the Heisman trophy, edging out Florida’s Rex Grossman
Rex Grossman
Rex Daniel Grossman, III is an American football quarterback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League . Grossman played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he has played professionally for the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans and Washington Redskins of...
and Miami’s Ken Dorsey
Ken Dorsey
Kenneth Simon "Ken" Dorsey is a former football quarterback. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami. A two-time Heisman Trophy finalist at Miami, Dorsey played for the Cleveland Browns from 2006–2008...
.
The Cornhuskers ended up No. 2 in the BCS Rankings, earning them a bid to play for the national championship in the 2002 Rose Bowl where they lost to the Miami Hurricanes
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
37-14.