THE WORST OFFENSIVE SERIES EVER IN THE HISTORY OF EVER
The good doctor once did this better than we possibly could, but the piece is lost somewhere in the mists of the internet in the cached archives of Sunday Morning Quarterback.
The header on this video is “One of the worst offensive series ever in college football,” and if you limit the definition of “worst” to “a series where, while not turning the ball over for a change of possession or a score, the offense displays repeated, consistent, and diverse ways of stepping face first in front of the red boxing glove on an expanding arm time and time again,” then yes; we’re talking about what might legitimately be not one, but the worst series of offensive football every played.
Ladies and gentlemen: Nicholls State versus Northwestern State. Northwestern has the ball on the Nicholls State 47, and is down 33-14. Watch from between your fingers if you have to.
1st and 10: incomplete pass. The best drive for Northwestern State all drive, as it is merely an incompletion.
2nd and 10: Illegal procedure, NW State. Also, an oncoming pass rusher flies sideways into the qb’s knee after the play.
2nd and 15: False start, NW State. General look of confusion as players fuddle around as if someone has abandoned them coachless on the sideline.
2nd and 20: Ball on the 43. A near interception, which would have been a merciful stroke of fate. Instead a holding penalty is called, and the penalty sets them back even further to the 33 yard line.
2nd and 30: Sometimes you shoot yourself in the foot, and sometimes you shoot yourself in the foot and remember that your foot is made not of human flesh, but of high-grade explosives. The quarterback kicks the ball, which is an illegal kicking penalty taken at half the distance to the goal from the end of the run backwards to find the ball. Hold yourself fo the resulting count:
3rd and 61: The second best play all drive, as the qb is pressured, does not step out of bounds and into a waiting tree shredder, and throws the ball out of bounds outside of the tackle box.
4th and 61: Punt. Well, presumably punt. We really don’t know what happens here. Perhaps they actually do get the punt off; perhaps the punter takes the ball, attempts a fake, and is struck by an 18 wheeler speeding out of control off a local highway and over the hapless special teamer. Maybe it’s blocked. Whatever happens, the universe decided to truncate the video here, and with good reason, too. You don’t see the Joker kill anyone in the Dark Knight’s scary videos, either, but they’re still enough to give you screaming nightmares for weeks.









1
SpartanDan says:
I think there was a Michigan-Indiana game a few years back that rivaled this. Not sure exactly how it happened, but Indiana got to 3rd and 42, attempted a quick-kick, got it blocked, recovered, then got their punt blocked again on 4th down.
And of course, the “MAKE PLAYS!” game featured a rather terrifying sequence of two holding penalties, two timeouts, a false start, and a sack taking us from first down in makeable FG range (even in that godawful rain) to 2nd and 43.
June 16th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
2
WallaDawg says:
One more reason (as if you needed another) to avoid having a quarterback named after an elusive and succent mushroom.
June 16th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
3
Jams says:
Also note the ref tumbling backward in shock as he tries to throw a flag after the kicked ball.
June 16th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
4
now_a_hoo says:
Northwestern State had Toby Zeigler?
On the West Wing they said he went to CCNY.
June 16th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
5
Philip says:
I really could see an eighteen wheeler smashing through the fenceline careening out of control into the endzone, brights glaring and horn blaring. The punter, who has already received the snap, turning with hands in the air as if to say “I regret nothing!” is mangled under thousands of pounds of steel, aluminum, various polymers and gallons upon gallons of high octane gasoline. After settling on upturned turf amongst the hallowed screams of the few spectators the gas tanks rupture into a magnificent fireball. A fitting end to the most horrid of drives…
June 16th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
6
Doug says:
Tommy Tuberville and Sylvester Croom have talked it over and they agree there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this. Punting is winning!
June 16th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
7
VHDawg says:
I’ve always been partial to Florida’s 3rd-and-57 against Mississippi State in 2000, after two consecutive shotgun snaps over Rex Grossman’s head. Third down was a run out of the endzone by Grossman for a safety.
June 16th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
8
Holly says:
I work in the White House.
June 16th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
9
Kreg says:
The Florida 3rd & 57 in question. I say this is worse because it gave away 2 points.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCu8n4eo63I
June 16th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
10
HeadThief says:
I’m just amazed John Blake wasn’t coaching this team.
June 16th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
11
domer.mq says:
I’m reminded of a particular starting “drive” that was “executed” by the Notre Dame offense in 2007 in Ann Arbor.
June 16th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
12
DrB says:
Sort of reminds me of half of Clemson’s series against Wake Forest last season.
June 16th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
13
Bunkie Perkins says:
Orgeron went to Northwestern St., this series and that fact cannot be a coincidence.
June 16th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
14
Sundawg says:
Philip @ 5 – 18 wheelers use diesel which burns with more smoke, explaining why you could not see the actual punt at the end of the video.
June 16th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
15
RedDawg says:
Wow. It could have been worse. What if Pam Ward had called that game?
June 16th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
16
ALGator says:
Re: Mississippi State – Want to know the last time UF beat Miss. St. in Starkville? Think Ronald Reagan.
Upset alert of the year: October 24th, 2009.
June 16th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
17
Ltrain says:
#9, Like Goodwill Hunting asking for the wrench, Spurrier ordered the safety, because, well, F*&# that drive, that’s why.
June 16th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
18
yoyofutbawl says:
6
Beat me to it. Now we know where Woody McCorvey learned his offensive schemes.
June 16th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
19
Jack Fact says:
This same Northwestern State team won the Southland Conference championship and made the Div II playoffs. So, they have that going for them.
June 16th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
20
Kenny says:
I looked at the drive chart for a few interesting facts. Nicholls was ranked 9th going into the game. This was not the only fourth and 20-plus yards in the game.
As for the punt, NWState got off a 39 yard work of art. It was returned 11 yards.
NWState blocked Nicholls’ ensuing field goal attempt.
40-14 final.
June 16th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
21
Philip says:
Sundawg, diesel doesn’t work well with my imagery…
June 16th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
22
Mark says:
2006 Liberty Bowl. CUSA champ Houston is in a shootout with South Carolina and they have third and goal on the Cocks 8. The UH snapper flings the ball but it goes way way over the head QB Kevin Kolb (you can see where this is going). Kolb gives chase to the ball but he can’t keep up. When he finally does 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage he decides to kick it backwards and out of the end zone. The ball lands at the 35, UH gets a 15 yard illegal kick penalty, and now they have 4th and goal at midfield. Houston punts on 4th and goal, USC wins, Kolb becomes a swear word in Philadelphia.
The play pretty much sealed Kolb’s fate to be an Eagle, and it’s pretty indicative of what Houston football has been since Andre Ware won the Heisman – a 20-year long series of epic failure that still manages to out entertain Houston’s NFL entry.
June 16th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
23
JD says:
Just for the hell of it, Miami cashing in a 3rd and 43 against Notre Dame in 1989. Watch Pat Haden very politely calling out Dr. Lou for being stupid enough to only have 4 DBs in the game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw1zUKJVEw8
June 16th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
24
Wes Tex says:
@ JD
I will probably be the first and only to say this on this site but I like college football better when Miami is competitive. They don’t have to be great and no need for a NC, but at least good enough for the swagger and smack talk that is needed in this game. I like pure athleticism mixed with genuine thuggery in a program the uses “sportsmanship” as a punchline. I miss you “U” – come back and show what blazing speed and olympic high-jumping can do on a passing route (only to be offset by the inevitable holding and/or late hit on the next play).
June 16th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
25
cocknfire says:
@15
But wouldn’t it have been great to hear late-game Brent Musberger trying to get this one right.
“And they’re 3rd and … well, pardner, I’m not sure I’m reading this right. Think I might be a bit too lubricated here.
“No, I believe it is 3rd and 61. Heh heh. I bet Pete Carroll has a play for this situation.”
June 16th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
26
lawdawg1919 says:
I feel there is a glaring lack of carnival music in this clip.
June 17th, 2009 at 7:49 am
27
The Rabbi says:
The Index did an awesome breakdown of this game back in February.
http://15of19.blogspot.com/2009/02/n-is-for-natchitoches-travelin-pants.html
June 17th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
28
THETexasStateUniversity says:
@19: IT’S DIVISION 1(aa) FOOTBALL!
I have to say, I never in my life thought that my school’s conference would be represented on edsbs. Oh happy day
June 17th, 2009 at 3:45 pm