Traditional Powerhouses Collide Under the Lights

By Jeff Griesch
Two of college football's most storied programs go head-to-head tonight at Memorial Stadium as the Penn State Nittany Lions come to Lincoln to collide with the No. 18 Nebraska Cornhuskers in front of Nebraska's NCAA-record 258th consecutive sellout and an ABC prime-time television audience.

Both teams trace their traditions back to the late 1800s, with Penn State playing its first game in 1887, while Nebraska took to the gridiron for the first time in 1890. Since their first games, both programs have established themselves among the top five in the nation. Nebraska and Penn State have combined for 1,527 victories, with 773 coming from the Huskers and 754 from the Nittany Lions. The schools have also combined for 78 bowl appearances, with Nebraska making 41 trips and Penn State 37. The head coaches have combined for 79 seasons on the sidelines at their schools, including 54 seasons overall and 38 as head coach for Penn State's Joe Paterno, and 25 seasons overall and six as head coach for Nebraska's Frank Solich.

While the traditions make for staggering numbers, only the players on the field tonight will be able to decide the outcome of this clash of college football titans. The Huskers enter the game with a 2-0 record after solid victories over then-No. 24 Oklahoma State (17-7) to open the season, before pounding their way past Utah State (31-7) last Saturday. Nebraska's defense has been the story through the first two contests, allowing lone first-quarter touchdowns in both games before slamming the door on the opposition over the final three quarters.

Senior linebacker Demorrio Williams provided the Blackshirts with the biggest hits against Utah State. Williams almost single-handedly turned a 7-6 NU deficit after one quarter into a 15-7 halftime lead with his stellar defensive work. In the second quarter, Williams sacked Utah State quarterback Travis Cox from the blind side to force a fumble that Williams recovered at the USU 1-yard line. Judd Davies scored the go-ahead touchdown on Nebraska's next play.

Pregame Show

• Fanfares/There Is No Place Like Nebraska
• Visitor's School Song
• Star Spangled Banner
• Mr. Touchdown USA/ Univ. of Nebraska March
• March Grandioso/March of the Cornhuskers
• Hail Varsity

Halftime Show

• "Go Big Red, White and Blue"
• Land of the Free
• Battle Cry of Freedom
• Battle Hymn of the Republic

On Utah State's next offensive play, Williams hit Cox again from the blind side for his second sack and another forced fumble, which was recovered by defensive end Titus Adams. The turnover set up David Dyches' first field goal and gave NU a 15-7 edge at intermission.

Williams added a third sack of Cox later in the second quarter to tie a Nebraska linebacker single-game record. Williams finished the day with nine total tackles, one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry to earn Big 12 Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors.

While Williams was NU's second-quarter star, plenty of Blackshirts played well throughout the game. Junior linebacker Barrett Ruud led the Huskers with 11 total tackles, while adding two breakups and a forced fumble. Senior linebacker T.J. Hollowell added seven tackles, including a 10-yard sack and a quarterback hurry. Senior defensive end Trevor Johnson added a sack of his own to give the Blackshirts five sacks on the day. The Blackshirts also forced three Utah State turnovers, including sophomore free safety Josh Bullocks' third interception of the year to tie for the national lead.

Nebraska will be looking for a similar defensive exhibition against the Nittany Lions, a team that amassed 476 total yards in a 40-7 victory over the Huskers at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa., last season. While the Blackshirts may seek redemption from last year's performance against Penn State, the Nittany Lions might be out to redeem themselves as well.

After a season-opening 23-10 win over Temple in State College, Pa., on Aug. 30, Penn State suffered a 27-14 home loss to unranked Boston College last Saturday. Junior quarterback Zack Mills, who completed 19-of-31 passes for 259 yards and added 32 yards rushing last season against the Huskers, was replaced by sophomore Michael Robinson on Penn State's fourth drive of the third quarter against Boston College. Mills finished the day by completing 15-of-28 passes for 144 yards with one interception. Robinson completed just 4-of-11 passes for 41 yards, but added 24 rushing yards and a touchdown. Last year against the Huskers, Robinson rushed four times for 56 yards and two scores.

Fortunately for Nebraska, a pair players with the last name of Johnson won't be on the field at Memorial Stadium this year. Larry Johnson, the 2002 Maxwell, Walter Camp and Doak Walker award winner, carried the ball 19 times for 123 yards and two scores while adding four receptions for 35 yards against NU. Bryant Johnson hauled in eight passes for 147 yards as Mills' favorite target. Both Larry and Bryant Johnson went in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft, joining two other Nittany Lions - All-America defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy and All-America defensive end Michael Haynes - in the first round.

The Nittany Lions have averaged just 182 yards on the ground and 132.0 yards through the air for an average of 314 yards of total offense through two games. Penn State's total offense average is nearly 110 yards less than the 423.7 yards per game the Nittany Lions averaged a year ago, when they produced 228.6 yards rushing and 195.1 yards passing per game.

Nebraska Penn StateCategory Avg. Big 12 Natl. Rk.
Avg.
Natl. Rk. Rushing Offense
270.5 1
8
182.0
43 Passing Offense
105.0 12
112
132.0
106 Total Offense
375.5 6
59
314.0
83 Scoring Offense
24.0 10
72
18.5
88 Rushing Defense
73.0 1
19
200.0
99 Pass Defense
137.5 3
14
170.0
35 Pass Effic. Defense
82.04 3
15
102.0
32 Total Defense
210.5 1
5
370.0
69 Scoring Defense
7.0 1
8
18.5
42 Net Punting
36.4 8
56
39.3
24 Punt Returns
12.6 4
39
13.3 36 Kickoff Returns
23.3 6
43
14.8
107 Turnover Margin
+2.0 2 5 -1.5 95

While the loss of Larry and Bryant Johnson has obviously slowed the Penn State offense, the Nittany Lion defense has also struggled without Kennedy and Haynes up front. Opponents are averaging 200 yards rushing per game against PSU, while adding 170 yards per game through the air for an average of 370 total yards per game.

Nebraska may try to exploit Penn State's inability to stop the run, since the Huskers rank eighth nationally with 270.5 rushing yards per game. Boston College grounded out 238 yards against PSU and now ranks 34th nationally in rushing offense (196.50 yards per game). Temple pounded its way for 162 yards on the ground against the Nittany Lions, and the Owls rank 69th nationally in rushing offense.

Those are encouraging numbers for a Nebraska offense that is averaging 375.5 total yards per game, while showing steady progress through the first two contests. After producing just two scores in the opener against Oklahoma State, the offense reeled off seven scoring drives on the Huskers' 13 possessions against Utah State which helped NU keep control of the pigskin for more than 38 minutes.

If Nebraska can continue to improve and maintain possession like it has through the first two games, the Huskers could pull closer to evening the series record between these two college football dynasties. Penn State enters tonight's game with a 7-5 advantage, including last year's win. The Nittany Lions have claimed victories in three of the last four meetings, but Nebraska has won four of the last seven games. Penn State and Nebraska locked horns every season from 1979 to 1983, but last year's meeting in University Park, Pa., was the first between the two schools since 1983 in Nebraska's 44-6 Kickoff Classic win in the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J.

Regardless of tonight's outcome, the game will certainly add to the storied traditions of both the series and the schools.