Greatest Husker to wear 5: DeJuan Groce, Cornerback/Punt Returner, 1998-2002
Good news: In Nebraska's first four games against the University of Texas, the Huskers went 3-1, including Tom Osborne's first postseason win in the 1974 Cotton Bowl.
Bad news: Nine of the next ten games Nebraska played against Texas. Seven one-score losses, a stunning upset in the inaugural Big 12 title game, with a healthy dose of pain and misery* in every game.
*Stay with me, we won't revel in the pain for too long.
The Longhorns were the stone that the Sisyphus Cornhuskers could never get to the top of the hill before it rolled back down, crushing their hopes and dreams. It has been 15 years since Nebraska and Texas last met on the football field, but many Husker fans still count the Longhorns among their most hated teams.
Some of the lowlights from those nine losses*:
Nebraska missing out on the chance to play for a three-peat due to a team-wide flu outbreak and a fourth-down pass.
The end of Nebraska's 47-game winning streak at Memorial Stadium.
Multiple fumbles cost Nebraska a chance to play for a national championship.
A fumble after successfully converting a third down pass when trying to run out the clock.
The "one second" game.
Multiple missed opportunities in the "Red Out Around the World" revenge game.
*And this is just the on-field stuff. We won't get into how Nebraska fans felt about Texas's influence over the Big 12 Conference.
DeJuan Groce played Texas three times. As a redshirt freshman, he played as a backup cornerback in the 1999 regular-season loss and the 1999 Big 12 Championship Game win - Nebraska's last win over the Longhorns.
But Groce's showing in the 2002 Texas game was one of the greatest individual performances in school history. As a cornerback, Groce had a career-high 15 tackles, including 12 solo stops. He also played a key role in Nebraska's rally against the No. 7 'Horns.
Dahrran Diedrick scored a touchdown to make it a 27-24 deficit with 2:22 left in the game. The Blackshirts stopped Texas on three plays, forcing a punt with 49 seconds to go. Groce, who was leading the nation in punt returns, stood at his own 30. It was a shorter kick, so Groce came up to catch it at the 40 with a Texas player so close that he was flagged for a "halo rule" penalty.
It didn't matter.
Groce burst to his right, running down the 40-yard line as his blocking got set up. Before he got to the numbers, he made a lightning-fast cut upfield. He slammed on the brakes at the Texas 30 to avoid being pushed out of bounds. Finally, after a 44-yard return, he was tackled at the 16-yard line. The Huskers were easily in kicker Josh Brown's range for a game-tying field goal.
But with 34 seconds left, Frank Solich wanted to play for the win. An option play on first down was stuffed for no gain. The Huskers, out of timeouts, scrambled to get set so quarterback Jammal Lord could spike the ball. With seven seconds left, Solich wanted one more shot at the win before he kicked the field goal. Receiver Mark Leflore had his man beat, so Lord threw in his direction. Unfortunately, Lord didn't see defensive back Nathan Vasher, who jumped in front of Leflore for a leaping interception.
Another Texas game, another kick in the groin.
DeJuan Groce was an excellent cornerback, earning second-team All-Big 12 honors as a senior. He finished his career tied for second on the career pass breakup chart, and owns the single-season record with 17 PBUs in 2000. Groce is one of two Huskers to have two interceptions in back-to-back games (Bill Kosch is the other). He was a 2002 team captain and won the Guy Chamberlain Award.
But make no mistake, DeJuan Groce is not on this list for his work in the secondary. Groce is here because he is one of the best return men in school history, trailing only Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers in career punt return yards and touchdowns. Groce owns the fourth- and ninth-longest punt returns in school history, 89 and 83 yards.
In his senior year, Groce racked up a school-record 732 yards on punt returns and scored four touchdowns, including an NCAA-record-tying two against Troy State. For his efforts as a return man, Groce was named All-Big 12 and All-America as a return specialist.
He was one of the greatest return men in Nebraska history and did everything he could to put Nebraska in a position to knock off one of their most hated rivals.
