What if Matt Davison hadn't been wearing a special pair of gloves that day? Then a radio engineer might not be getting some love … nearly 10 years after one of the most memorable plays in Nebraska foo
BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Wednesday, October 3, 2007 7:00 pm
“Frost to the middle … Juggled, diving … Touchdown, Nebraska! Davison on the deflection! Nebraska’s a point away from tying the game! We could be headed to overtime!” — ABC’s Brent Musburger
And what if Matt Davison hadn’t been wearing a special pair of gloves that day?
Then a radio engineer might not be getting some love … nearly 10 years after one of the most memorable plays in Nebraska football history.
Mike Elliott, producer and director of technical operations for Nebraska football radio broadcasts, and Davison, a Husker color commentator, today share a booth on game days.
Their relationship, though, began Nov. 7, 1997 — the day before Davison’s miracle catch at Missouri — unbeknownst to either, at the time.
Elliott, you see, hand-delivered those gloves that helped Davison barely snare a deflected pass in the end zone. That touchdown pass from Scott Frost with no time remaining, you might recall, helped force overtime, as Nebraska won 45-38 en route to its third national championship in four years.
“Matt and I ran into each other a couple of years later,” Elliott said, “and that’s when we started talking about it.
“I didn’t know that day that those were the gloves Matt wore.”
Elliott just knew he was carrying something very important. At least that’s what Pat Logsdon, then director of football operations, was explaining that Friday afternoon to airport officials.
“She was so adamant at the airport,” Elliott said, describing how Logsdon hurriedly arrived at the ticket counter with a box under her arm.
“I HAVE to get these down there.”
The gloves had been specially ordered for the Missouri game, with the anticipation of wet weather. Problem was, they arrived in Lincoln too late to make the equipment truck, and team was already in Columbia. Airport employees told Logsdon the plane — a small twin-engine — was full and couldn’t accept any extra cargo.
That’s when Elliott, a passenger on that very flight who was checking in, intervened. He offered to transport the special package as his carry-on.
Everybody obliged, and equipment manager Glenn Abbott met Elliott at the airport in Columbia, took the box and headed back to the hotel.
Davison said he was one of only two or three players who wore that particular kind of gloves.
“They’re not sticky, but they have a texture that is like sandpaper,” Davison said. “Nothing will slide off.”
Especially a ball off Shevin Wiggins’ foot.
“I wore those gloves that game, and I never wore them again,” Davison said. “They’re at my house.”
Of course, it’s impossible to say how much impact, if any, those gloves had in Davison’s catch. Although Davison often wonders how he’d be linked to Husker history if he’d — gasp — dropped that ball.
“I humbly remind him,” Elliott said, “I said, ‘Matt, it was your talent that made the catch, not the gloves.’”
And when Elliott’s not feeling as humble?
“Hey, buddy!” Elliott said, “you wouldn’t be where you are if you didn’t have your gloves.”
Part of Davison believes that. He said he’s certain he wouldn’t have his current radio and TV gig had he not made that catch.
Davison says he never goes two days without talking about his play. For a few years, it was every day.
“For years following that thing, every time I would see Coach (Tom) Osborne, he would greet me with, ‘Nice catch, Matt.’ He’d always say that.”
Osborne, of course, retired after that season. Davison, in addition to providing color commentary, sells advertising and corporate sponsorships for the Husker Sports Network. Wiggins lives in Florida and works for UPS. Frost is an assistant coach at Northern Iowa.
Two current Missouri players — starting linebacker Van Alexander and backup quarterback Chase Patton — were among those who prematurely stormed the field to celebrate what they thought was a Missouri victory against the No. 1 Huskers.
With Nebraska returning to Missouri on Saturday, 10 years later, talk of Davison’s play has picked up again. Davison said he’s done six or seven media interviews in the last week or so.
Does he ever tire talking about the play?
“Not really. I really don’t,” Davison said. “It’s cool, because everybody I talk to about it has a special feeling about it. Everybody that I meet that brings it up has a smile on their face because they remember where they were. It’s a positive memory that they have.”
Davison has numerous relatives, including a sister and several cousins, who live in Missouri — Sedalia, Springfield, Columbia.
Lucky for them, they don’t share the same last name.
“I’m definitely not very well-liked down there,” Davison said.
In his basement, Davison has a picture of him, Gerard Phelan (who caught Doug Flutie’s Hail Mary pass in November 1984) and Dwight Clark (recipient of “The Catch” from Joe Montana in the 1982 NFC Playoffs). The trio met two summers ago at a golf tournament.
Davison points out he’s the only one in the picture who wasn’t the intended receiver on his memorable play.
He’s also the only one whose gloves were specially delivered by a radio engineer.
Has Davison offered his thanks?
“Yes, he has,” Elliott said. “Many times.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.