Huskers Face Test at Defending ACC Champs

A difficult non-conference schedule continues for Nebraska this weekend when the Huskers travel east to take on WakeForest, the defending champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The game will be carried nationally on ESPN, with kickoff set for Noon EDT, (11 a.m. CDT) at Groves Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C.

 

Nebraska will take a 1-0 record into Saturday’s game after a 52-10 victory over Nevada in the season opener at Memorial Stadium. The victory marked Nebraska’s nation-leading 22nd consecutive victory in a season opener and showcased a Husker offense with explosive potential.

 

The Huskers rolled up 625 yards of total offense, including 413 yards on the ground, while churning out 35 first downs and holding the football for more than 40 minutes. The total offensive output was Nebraska’s best since 2001 and the rushing total was the highest by a Nebraska team in five seasons.

 

Wake Forest will enter Saturday’s contest coming off a 38-28 loss at BostonCollege in the season opener for both teams. Despite the loss the Demon Deacons showed off an impressive passing attack, throwing for 366 yards in the game. The offensive output was not a surprise as Wake returned 10 offensive starters from last year’s Orange Bowl team. The Deacons also showed an opportunistic defense, returning an interception and a fumble for a touchdown.

 

The matchup with WakeForest is the second of eight 2007 games against teams that participated in bowls last season. It is also a rare matchup for the Huskers with an ACC foe. Nebraska’s 2005 victory over WakeForest was the Huskers’ first matchup against an ACC foe (at game time) in the regular season since 1973. In fact, Saturday’s game at WakeForest will mark Nebraska’s first-ever road game against an ACC opponent.                       

 

 

Nebraska Opens Season with Offensive Explosion Against Nevada

Nebraska opened the 2007 season in impressive fashion, rolling up huge offensive numbers in a 52-10 victory over Nevada at Memorial Stadium. The Huskers racked up their top offensive effort in several seasons, amassing 625 yards of total offense, 413 rushing yards and 35 first downs, while holding the football for more than 40 minutes.

 

Nebraska’s offensive explosion was paced by junior running back Marlon Lucky, who rushed for a career-high 233 yards and accounted for four touchdowns. Lucky’s big day started on the Huskers’ first scoring drive and continued until he went to the sidelines for the day at the end of the third quarter. Lucky accounted for 52 yards on a first-quarter scoring drive, capped by a 16-yard touchdown reception from Sam Keller to give NU a 7-0 edge.

 

Nevada held its own through the middle of the first half, driving for a field goal early in the second quarter, then taking the lead on an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown with 10:53 left in the first half. The return gave Nevada a 10-7 edge, but Nebraska quickly responded to the adversity, scoring the game’s final 45 points.

 

The Huskers went to the ground game on the ensuing drive, moving 39 yards on nine straight rushes to take the lead. Cortney Grixby set NU up in great field position with a 42-yard kickoff return. Lucky capped the drive with a one-yard TD run for a 14-10 lead. The Huskers stayed on the ground on their next drive, capped by a one-yard TD run by Quentin Castille to push the lead to 21-10 at half.

 

Lucky led a third-quarter offensive explosion, rushing for 136 yards and two touchdowns in the quarter. He scored from 17 yards out with 11:30 to play in the quarter, then ran in from three yards out with 8:59 left in the third to give NU a 35-10 edge. Freshman Adi Kunalic connected on a 46-yard field goal, and Castille went in from two yards out to extend the NU edge to 45-10 after three quarters. Nebraska capped the scoring with 8:31 left in the game, when sophomore I-back Major Culbert scored on a 17-yard run.

 

While the offense grabbed most of the headlines on the afternoon, the defense also held its own, allowing just 185 yards of total offense and nine first downs. Steve Octavien led the way with five tackles, and he was in on two tackles for loss, including a sack. Corey McKeon, Armando Murillo and Larry Asante added four tackles each.

 

 

Noting Game One...Nebraska 52, Nevada 10

►Nebraska’s 52-10 victory marked the Huskers’ 22nd straight win in a season opener, continuing the longest streak in the nation. The Huskers have won eight straight home games in the month of September and eight of their past nine home games overall.



►Junior I-back Marlon Lucky rushed for a career-high 233 yards on a career-best 30 carries. Lucky’s 233 rushing yards marked his third career 100-yard rushing game (also vs. Troy and NichollsState in 2006). Lucky has 1,090 career rushing yards, and became the 56th 1,000-yard career rusher in school history.

 

►The 233 rushing yards were the most by a Husker since quarterback Jammal Lord had 234 yards rushing against Texas in 2002. The 233 yards fell one yard shy of the top 10 on the NU single-game rushing chart, and was the 33rd, 200-yard rushing day in school history. Lucky is the 15th different Husker to rush for 200 yards in a game. The 233 rushing yards were the most ever for a Husker in a season opener, bettering the 208 yards by Dan Alexander against San JoseState in 2000.

 

►Lucky also caught three passes for 33 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. The touchdown catch was the first of Lucky’s Nebraska career.

 

►In addition to the most rushing yards in a season opener, Lucky also set NU records for most all-purpose yards (266) and most touchdowns (4) in a season opener.

 

►The 266 all-purpose yards tied for the fifth-most in school history and were the most by a Husker since Calvin Jones had a school-record 298 all-purpose yards at Kansas in 1991.

 

►Lucky accounted for a career-high four touchdowns, bettering his three rushing TDs last year against Troy. The four touchdowns by Lucky marked the first time a Husker had scored four touchdowns in a game since David Horne had four rushing touchdowns at Texas A&M on Oct. 26, 2002 in a 38-31 Nebraska win.

 

►Nebraska continued two trends it established last season?Red Zone efficiency and dominance of the time of possession. The Huskers were 7-of-8 in the Red Zone after taking a knee inside the five-yard line on the game’s final play. In terms of time of possesion, Nebraska controlled the football for 40:38, including more than 20 minutes in each half.

 

►Nebraska rushed for 413 yards, marking the most by the Huskers under Bill Callahan, bettering the 363 yards against Western Illinois in the 2004 season opener. The rushing total was the highest for the Huskers since rushing for 444 yards against McNeeseState in 2002. Nebraska has topped 200 yards on the ground six times in the past two seasons.

 

►Nebraska finished with 625 yards of total offense, the most in Callahan’s four seasons as head coach and the sixth time NU has bettered 500 yards under Callahan. The game was the first time Nebraska had topped 600 yards of total offense since putting up 688 yards of total offense against Baylor in 2001.

 

►Nebraska senior Cortney Grixby returned a second-quarter kickoff 42 yards to set up a TD drive that put the Huskers ahead 14-10. The 42-yard return was longer than any return by a Husker player last season (32 yards was season-long).

 

►Freshman place-kicker Adi Kunalic connected on a 46-yard field goal in the third quarter, the longest for Nebraska since David Dyches hit a 46-yarder at Texas Tech in 2004. The last time a Nebraska player made a field goal longer than 46 yards was a 49-yarder by Dale Endorf against Colorado in 2002.

 

►Nebraska scored 24 points in the third quarter. A year ago, Nebraska totaled 49 third-quarter points in 14 games.

 

►Nebraska used seven true freshmen in the season opener. True freshmen who saw their first action as Huskers included I-backs Quentin Castille and Roy Helu, receiver Niles Paul, cornerback Anthony Blue, place-kicker Adi Kunalic, linebackers Thomas Grove and Blake Lawrence.

 

►Nebraska’s 52 points marked the seventh time in the past eight home games NU has scored at least 34 points. The Huskers averaged 41.6 points per game at home in 2006. Nebraska has now topped 50 points five times under Callahan.

 

 

Scouting the WakeForest Demon Deacons

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons welcome Nebraska to Groves Stadium on Saturday for their home opener in Winston-Salem. The Demon Deacons are coming off a tough loss at BostonCollege, 38-28, to start the season and will be looking for their first series win over the Huskers in program history.

 

Wake Forest in coming off an impressive 2006 season, which ended with an ACC title with a 9-6 win over Georgia Tech, and a trip to the FedEx Orange Bowl, where Wake Forest fell 24-13 to fifth-ranked Louisville.

Last season’s success continues a trend that has long been emerging for the Demon Deacons. In the last six seasons, Head Coach Jim Grobe’s program has won 37 contests, earned two bowl berths and won an ACC Championship. That is impressive given the recent ACC expansion that introduced three nationally-prominent programs into the league.

 

While the Demon Deacons were known for their balanced air and ground attack in 2006, that trend was lacking in WakeForest’s season-opening loss to BostonCollege. WakeForest notched 366 passing yards against the Eagles, but managed just two net rushing yards on 24 attempts.

 

The Demon Deacons split time under center between two quarterbacks, redshirt sophomores Brett Hodges and Riley Skinner. That was a surprising fact considering Skinner led WakeForest to 10 wins last season. Against BostonCollege, Skinner got the start and went 28 for 37 for 236 yards before he was pulled in favor of Hodges after throwing three interceptions. Hodges finished the game 17 for 23 for 130 yards and one interception.On the receiving end of the majority of WakeForest’s passing attempts was senior wide receiver Kenneth Moore. Moore caught an incredible 15 passes for 126 yards and one touchdown, but could not keep the Demon Deacons in the game against BC.

 

Defensively, WakeForest was unable to stop a powerful Eagle offense that racked up 462 yards and five passing touchdowns. The Demon Deacon secondary was hammered by BostonCollege, particulary downfield, with four of the Eagles’ five touchdowns coming on passing completions of 10 yards or more.

 

Junior linebacker Aaron Curry and senior defensive end Jeremy Thompson led the Wake Forsest defense against BostonCollege. Curry averaged nearly five tackles a game in his 14 starts last season and finished last weekend’s contest well above that with 11 tackles. Thompson, a three-year starter, broke through for two sacks for a loss of 14 yards against BostonCollege, while adding another six tackles. The WakeForest defense also kept the score close as it posted a pair of defensive touchdowns against BC.

 

 

Wake Forest Head Coach Jim Grobe

Demon Deacon Head Coach Jim Grobe is considered by many to have brought respectability back to the WakeForest football program. Long regarded as a coach who “gets the most out of his talent,” Grove credits an outstanding staff and a remarkable group of team-oriented players for the recent success of the program.

 

Grobe owns a 37-35 record after six seasons at the helm for Wake Forest, 70-68-1 in 12 seasons overall as a head coach. Prior to Grobe’s arrival in 2000, the Demon Deacons went a combined 26-63 in eight previous years. In 2006, Grobe led his team to a school-record 11 wins, an ACC title and a berth to the FedEx Orange Bowl. For his efforts, Grobe was the unanimous choice as the ACC’s Coach of the Year in a vote by the league’s media. He was selected as the National Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association, Bobby Dodd Foundation, the Associated Press, the Sporting News and CBS Sportsline.com.

 

 

Nebraska-Wake Forest Series

Nebraska and WakeForest will be meeting for the third time in program history. NU last played WakeForest in 2005, a contest that ended in a decisive 31-3 win for the Huskers in Lincoln behind a school-record three defensive touchdowns. Prior to that meeting, Nebraska had also notched a home win (36-12) over the Demon Deacons in 1970.

 

 

Nebraska-Wake Forest Notes

Nebraska owns a 2-0 record all-time against WakeForest dating back to the two programs’ first meeting in 1970.

►This is the first time Nebraska has traveled to Winston-Salem to meet the Demon Deacons. In fact, the Huskers have never played an Atlantic Athletic Conference team in a true road game.

►Husker fans will have the opportunity to watch Nebraska natives on both sides of the ball this Saturday, as the WakeForest roster includes sophomore offensive guard Boomer Peterson, who is a native of Lincoln. Peterson attended Lincoln Southeast and has played in two games so far for the Demon Deacons in his career. Nebraska does not have any players from North Carolina on its roster.

►Video intern and former Husker quarterback Zac Taylor will be among friends on Saturday, as he was a backup quarterback at WakeForest in 2002 and 2003.

►Husker fans traveling to Winston-Salem wille be greeted by a new-and-improved Groves Stadium. The facility is in the process of undergoing a three-phase renovation, which will include cosmetic and structural improvements, a new media and premium seating facility and the installation of FieldTurf.

►Nebraska i s one of six bowl teams from last season that Wake Forest will face, while Wake Forest is one of three bowl teams during the non-conference season alone for the Huskers.

 

 

Huskers Venture to ACC Country for First Time

Nebraska’s matchup with WakeForest marks its first-ever road game against an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent. The Huskers have played just four regular-season matchups against teams that were members of the ACC at game time, and all of those contests have been in Lincoln. The 31-3 victory by Nebraska over WakeForest in Lincoln in 2005 marked the Huskers’ first regular-season game against an ACC foe since 1973.

 

Nebraska has had numerous battles with current ACC members FloridaState and Miami since 1973. However, all of those matchups with Miami were before the Hurricanes joined the ACC for the 2004 season. Of the eight meetings with FloridaState, the four regular-season meetings (1980, 1981, 1985, 1986) all came while the ?Noles were an independent, and two of four bowl meetings occurred after FSU joined the conference. Nebraska has also faced Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Virginia Tech in bowl games, but never in the regular season.

 

NU owns a 13-14 all-time record against current members of the ACC. Only four of those games have been in the regular season (Wake Forest, 1970, 2005; N.C. State, 1962, 1973). Nebraska will play Virginia Tech in 2008 and 2009.

 

Nebraska vs. ACC

Team                Record              Last Meeting

Clemson            0-1                    1981*

Duke                 0-1                    1954*

Florida State      2-6                    1993

Georgia Tech     0-1                    1990*

Miami                5-5                    2001

North Carolina    1-0                    1977*

N.C. State          2-0                   1973

Virginia Tech      1-0                    1996*

Wake Forest      2-0                    1970

Overall              13-14   

*-Only meeting was in a bowl game

 

 

 

Matchup with WakeForest Continues Rugged 2007 Schedule

A year after taking on four top-10 foes, Nebraska once again faces one of the nation’s toughest schedules in 2007. Among Nebraska's 12 regular-season contests, eight will be against teams that participated in a bowl game following last season. That began last Saturday against Nevada (MPC Computers Bowl) and continues the next two weeks against 2006 Bowl Championship Series participants WakeForest (Orange Bowl) and USC (Rose).

 

In league play, Nebraska will take on five 2006 bowl teams including home games against OklahomaState (Independence), Texas A&M (Holiday) and KansasState (Texas). On the road, Nebraska will face a pair of bowl teams during trips to Missouri (Sun) and Texas (Alamo). The Huskers' home schedule figures to be among the nation's best. Highlighted by a visit from preseason No. 1 USC on Sept. 15, the Huskers will face five 2006 bowl teams in Lincoln, one of just 13 schools to face five or more bowl teams on their home field this fall, including just two Big 12 schools.

 

Bowl Opponents at Home in 2007

7?Stanford

6?LSU, Michigan

5?Nebraska, Texas, Clemson, Rutgers, PennState, UCLA, Washington, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi

 

 

Huskers Continue Season-Opening Dominance Against Nevada

Nebraska extended the nation’s longest winning streak in season openers with a 52-10 victory over Nevada. The Huskers have been on the winning end in their last 22 season openers, dating back to a 17-13 loss to FloridaState in 1985.

 

The Huskers’ 22-game win streak in season openers is four better than the 18 straight opening wins by Florida. The Huskers have won each of their last 22 season openers by 10 or more points, and own an 87-26-5 all-time record in season openers.  Nebraska has scored 40 or more points in a season opener 15 of the past 22 seasons. In that same period, the Huskers have limited the opposition to 14 points or less 15 times.

 

Since 1973, NU is 30-4-1 in season openers, including 25-2 at Memorial Stadium, with losses only to FloridaState (1985) and WashingtonState (1977). In all-time home openers NU is 96-17-5, including 68-14-3 at Memorial Stadium. The Huskers are 32-2 in their last 34 home openers.

 

 

Husker Offense Opens with Blistering Start to 2007

Nebraska featured one of the nation’s most diverse offensive attacks in 2006, and if week one is any indication the Huskers should again find themselves near the top of the national rankings in offense this fall. A year ago, the Huskers made great improvement on offense and were one of only three teams in the country to rank in the top 25 in all four major offensive statistical categories (Louisville, Oregon).

 

Nebraska opened the season against Nevada by rolling up its largest rushing total in five years (413 yards), the top rushing total in the country on opening weekend. NU’s 625 total yards were its most since 2001 and the 35 first downs in the game were the most by the Huskers since recording 37 in a 1995 victory over IowaState.

 

The Huskers finished 14th nationally and third in the Big 12 in total offense at 414.6 yards per game. Those numbers represented a 94.3-yard improvement over the 2005 season, when the Husker offense clicked late in the year. The 2005 Huskers finished the season 96th nationally in total offense at 320.3 yards per game.

 

The Huskers' offensive gain was largely attributed to a much-improved running attack. In 2005, Nebraska finished last in the Big 12 and 110th nationally at 96.0 rushing yards per game. A year ago, Nebraska finished 23rd nationally in rushing offense at 170.5 yards per game, an improvement of 74.5 yards per contest.

 

Nebraska also made strong improvements in scoring offense going from 67th nationally in 2005 to 17th in 2006 at 30.6 points per contest. The Huskers also made a 31-spot jump in passing offense, improving from 54th in 2005 to 23rd in 2006.

 

 

Nebraska Offensive Numbers

                        2005 (Rank)             2006 (Rank)              Gain               2007

Rushing            96.0 ypg (110th)       170.5 ypg (23rd)        74.5 ypg          413.0 ypg (1st)

Passing            224.3 ypg (54th)       244.1 ypg (23rd)        19.8 ypg          212.0 ypg (56th)

Total                 320.3 ypg (96th)       414.6 ypg (14th)        94.3 ypg          625.0 ypg (3rd)

Scoring             24.7 ppg (67th)         30.6 ppg (17th)          5.9 ppg           52.0 ppg (10th)

 

 

Pounding the Rock and Controlling the Clock

The vast improvement in the running game in 2006 allowed Nebraska to lead the nation in total offensive attempts with 965, 83 offensive plays more than the opposition. Nebraska also ranked fifth nationally in time of possession in 2006, controlling the football an average of 32:41 per game.

 

Although it is just one game into the 2007 season, the Huskers are hopeful of developing a similar recipe for offensive success.

 

►Nebraska controlled the football for 40:38 against Nevada, including more than 20 minutes in each half. The possession time was the largest by any team in the country in week one, and the most by a Nebraska team since holding the ball for 42:50 in a 1992 win over Colorado.

 

►The 96 offensive plays by Nebraska were its most since running 106 against Pacific in 1995, and the third-most by a Husker team in the past 20 years. Nebraska is tied for first nationally in most offensive snaps after week one.

 

►Nebraska ran the football 70 times against Nevada, the most since NU rushed the ball 72 times against PennState in 2003. The previous high for number of rushes in Callahan’s four seasons was 51 in a 23-14 win at Baylor in 2005.

 

 

Huskers Lucky to Have Marlon

Nebraska junior I-back Marlon Lucky had a career day in the opener against Nevada. Lucky toted the ball a career-high 30 times for 233 yards and three rushing touchdowns. He added another 33 yards on three receptions, including a 16-yard TD catch to open the scoring in the first quarter. The 6-0, 210-pound Lucky is expected to be the featured back for the Huskers this season and Saturday’s effort showed a glimpse of his potential.

 

Lucky’s big day earned him National Offensive Player-of-the-Week honors from the Walter Camp Football Foundation. The effort left him in the national lead in rushing yards per game, while ranking second in scoring.

In the process of running wild through the Wolf Pack defense, Lucky ran his way into the Husker record books.

 

►His 233 rushing yards shattered his previous career high of 156 yards on 10 carries last season against Troy. The 30 carries were five more than his previous career high of 25 against Auburn in the Cotton Bowl.

 

►Lucky became the 15th Husker player to rush for more than 200 yards in a game (33 games overall). Lucky’s 233 yards marked the 12th-best rushing day in school history, and was just one yard from the single-game top 10.

 

►The last time a Husker topped 200 rushing yards was quarterback Jammal Lord who ran for 234 yards against Texas on Nov. 2, 2002. Lucky’s 233-yard day was the first 200-yard effort by a Nebraska I-back since Dan Alexander rushed for 240 yards in the 2000 Alamo Bowl against Northwestern. The 233 rushing yards were also the most ever by a Husker in a season opener.

 

►Lucky pushed his career rushing total to 1,090 yards to become the 56th Husker to rush for 1,000 career yards. His 1,090 yards place him 49th on the career list.

 

►Lucky’s 266 all-purpose yards were the most by a Husker since 1991, when Calvin Jones had a school-record 298 yards against Kansas. The 266 yards tied for the fifth-best total in school history.

 

►His four touchdowns were the most by a Husker since David Horne had four rushing touchdowns at Texas A&M on Oct. 26, 2002.

 

 

Keller at Controls of Husker Offensive Attack

Nebraska Head Coach Bill Callahan turned the reins of the 2007 offense over to senior Sam Keller on Aug. 20. Keller and junior Joe Ganz entered fall camp listed jointly atop the depth chart, but Keller owned a slight edge during the fall to earn the starting nod.

 

Keller is in his second year in the Nebraska program. A year ago, the 6-4, 230-pound Keller sat out as a redshirt after transferring from ArizonaState in August. Keller directed the NU scout team offense and was the Huskers’ Scout Team MVP. Prior to coming to Lincoln, Keller had a standout career at ArizonaState, throwing for 3,018 yards and 26 touchdowns, including more than 2,100 yards in eight games in 2005.

 

Keller is the latest quarterback who will have the opportunity to flourish in Callahan’s West Coast Offense. A year ago, senior Zac Taylor re-wrote the Nebraska record book and was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. Of course, Callahan also enjoyed successful quarterback play in the NFL, as Rich Gannon was named the 2002 NFL MVP, while guiding the Raiders to the Super Bowl in Callahan’s first season as head coach.

 

The 6-4, 230-pound Keller had an efficient start to his Husker career, connecting on 14-of-25 passes for 191 yards and a 16-yard touchdown pass to Marlon Lucky. Keller managed an NU offense that produced 625 yards of total offense, the best offensive output for Nebraska in six seasons.

 

 

Imposing Offensive Line to Set Tone for Husker Offense        

Most offseason discussion about the Nebraska offense centered on Keller, Nebraska’s veteran receiving corps or its stable of running backs. However, one should not forget a veteran group of offensive linemen who entered the year with extensive starting experience. In game one, the offensive line showed why this year’s group could evoke memories of past great NU units.

 

Nebraska primarily employed a seven-man rotation for the first three quarters, with six of those players having entered the season with extensive starting experience. Center Brett Byford, guards Mike Huff, Andy Christensen and Matt Slauson, along with tackles Lydon Murtha and Carl Nicks made a combined 48 starts last season and form the nucleus of the group. In addition to game experience, the NU offensive line has another main feature--size. The six aforementioned players check in at an average of 6-4 1/2 and 313 pounds. Redshirt freshman tackle D.J. Jones (6-5, 310) also fit into the rotation for the first three quarters against Nevada.

 

The offensive line allowed NU to roll up 413 rushing yards, 625 total yards, 35 first downs and more than 40 minutes of possession time against Nevada. The Huskers also got extensive playing time in the fourth quarter for valuable reserves.

 

Record-Setting Receiving Corps Back for More in 2007

Nebraska's switch to a balanced offensive attack three seasons ago has allowed Husker passers and receivers to re-write the Nebraska record book. Last season, quarterback Zac Taylor was the beneficiary of the Husker offense, becoming Nebraska's career leader in passing yards and touchdowns.  NU receivers have also put their names in a prominent position in the record book. The entire corps of wideouts returned for 2007, along with three of four tight ends who saw extensive action last season.

 

Leading the way are senior Terrence Nunn and junior Nate Swift. Both have played prominent roles in the Nebraska passing attack in Coach Bill Callahan’s offense. Nunn has his sights on the Nebraska career receptions record, while Swift has two seasons remaining to place his name among the Huskers’ all-time leading receivers.

 

A Houston native, Nunn has joined Johnny Rodgers as the only Huskers to record two 40-reception seasons in a career after Nunn posted 43 and 42 catches, respectively, the past two seasons. Nunn's career receptions total of 103 ranks second only to Rodgers on the Husker charts, 40 catches behind the 1972 Heisman Trophy winner. Nunn has also caught a pass in 28 straight games, 10 games behind Rodgers' record 38-game streak. In addition to his receptions total, Nunn ranks third in school history in receiving yardage at 1,346 yards, 110 yards behind Matt Davison, who ranks second.

 

Swift set a Nebraska freshman record with 45 receptions in 2005, the third-best receptions total in school history regardless of class. His 641 receiving yards that season ranked fifth on the season charts. He has 69 career catches, eighth on the NU list and just 24 catches out of third place behind Rodgers and Nunn. His 1,043 career receiving yards also make him one of just 14 Huskers with 1,000 career receiving yards.

 

Senior Maurice Purify had an outstanding first season at Nebraska, catching 34 passes for a team-leading 630 yards. Purify also led the team with seven receiving touchdowns and averaged 18.5 yards per catch. Purify's 630 receiving yards marked the sixth-best season total in school history, while his seven touchdowns tied for fifth place on the season charts.

Senior Frantz Hardy does not possess the same volume of catches, but boasts two of the most explosive receiving games in NU history. His 152 receiving yards against Maine in his Nebraska debut in 2005 rank as the fifth-best single-game total in school history. Last season, Hardy had three catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns against Kansas, the No. 4 game on the single-season receiving yards list.

 

Junior Todd Peterson and senior Dan Erickson also had extensive game experience entering 2007.

 

 

Ruud, McKeon Climbing Nebraska Career Tackles List

The Nebraska Blackshirt defense is anchored by a veteran linebacking corps. The leaders of that unit are a pair of two-year starters in Corey McKeon and Bo Ruud. Both McKeon and Ruud figure to move well up the Nebraska career tackle list this fall.

 

McKeon has 171 career tackles, including 31 tackles for loss and eight sacks. McKeon registered a NU linebacker record 22 tackles for loss as a sophomore in 2005 and earned second-team All-Big 12 honors. Last season, he finished third on the team with 69 tackles and had eight tackles for loss. His career tackle total places him 38th at Nebraska. McKeon is 49 tackles from the top 20 on the tackle list and 77 stops from the No. 10. His 31 tackles for loss are just 6.5 stops outside the career top 10 on that list.

 

Ruud posted similar numbers to McKeon in two seasons as NU's starting WILL linebacker, before moving to the SAM ?backer spot this fall. The Lincoln native finished 2006 with 65 tackles, including seven tackles for loss, while also intercepting two passes and recovering a pair of fumbles to earn first-team All-Big 12 honors. Ruud has 163 total tackles and needs 57 tackles to join his father, Tom, and brother, Barrett, in the top 30 on the NU tackle list. Barrett is the Huskers' all-time leader with 432 tackles.

 

 

Three Seniors Chosen as 2007 Captains                                 

A trio of Husker seniors were elected by their teammates as captains for 2007. Center Brett Byford, linebacker Bo Ruud and cornerback Zack Bowman join the prestigious list of those who have served as captains at Nebraska.

 

Byford started the final 13 games of the 2006 season, anchoring the Husker offensive line. He is a candidate for all-conference honors this fall and is on the preseason watch list for the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation’s top center. Byford is the first-ever Nebraska captain from the state of Alabama.

 

The 6-2, 200-pound Bowman is Nebraska’s first captain from the state of Alaska. Bowman missed the entire 2006 season with a knee injury and suffered a second knee injury during fall camp. Bowman returned to practice in late August and saw his first action since 2005 against Nevada. Bowman finished with one tackle and a quarterback hurry.

 

Bo Ruud continues a long family history of serving as Husker captains. He joins his brother, Barrett, who served as a captain in 2004, making the Ruud’s the seventh brother combination to serve as Husker captains. In addition, Bo’s father, Tom, was a Husker captain in 1974, making Tom Ruud and his two sons the only father-son combinations to serve as captains. Bo’s great grandfather, Clarence Swanson, was also a Nebraska captain.

 

 

NCAA Record 283 Consecutive Home Sellouts

Nebraska boasts an incredible NCAA-record 283 consecutive sellouts at Memorial Stadium. The sellout streak dates back to Hall of Fame Coach Bob Devaney's first year in 1962 (vs. Missouri on Nov. 3). Notre Dame is second in all-time consecutive sellouts with 191, 92 fewer than Nebraska. The Huskers are 249-34 during the 283 sellouts.  The mark includes a 39-22 record against ranked teams. Nebraska is 5-0 in the five milestone sellouts during that period (50th, 100th, 150th, 200th and 250th sellouts), including a 24-7 win over No. 2 Colorado on Oct. 29, 1994 (No. 200) and a 44-13 victory over UtahState on Sept. 7, 2002 (No. 250).

 

The fan support at Memorial Stadium has led to a dominant home advantage for the Huskers. NU has won at least six home games in 18 of the past 20 seasons and is 161-18 at home since 1981. Nine of the losses in the span have come against teams that finished in the top eight of the final AP poll. Nebraska's sellout streak will reach 289 by season's end.

 

 

Nebraska Owns Dominant Edge at Memorial Stadium

Nebraska has rewarded the loyality of its fans with incredible success at Memorial Stadium through the years. Nebraska finished 6-1 at home in 2006, and has won at least six home games in 18 of the past 20 seasons. Nebraska is 117-11 at home in the last 18 seasons (since 1989), including a pair of losses against teams that went on to win the national championship?Colorado in 1990 and Washington in 1991.

 

Since 1986, only seven schools have left Memorial Stadium with a victory. During Nebraska’s run of success at home in the past 25 years, Nebraska has had three home winning streaks of 20 or more games. Nebraska had a school-record 47-game home winning streak from 1991 to 1998, a 26-game home streak from 1998 to 2002 and a 21-game win streak in the early 1980s.

 

Nebraska has not been shut out at home since a 12-0 loss to KansasState in 1968 (249 games), and has posted 40 unbeaten and untied home seasons. The Huskers are 484-130-20 (.779, 634 games, 118 years) in Lincoln, 359-107-13 (.763, 479 games, 85 years) in Memorial Stadium (since 1923).

NU Looks to Continue Success vs. Big 12 North

 

Nebraska earned a trip to the Big 12 Championship Game in 2006 due largely to its play within the conference’s North Division. The Huskers posted a perfect 5-0 mark within the division and dating back to 2005, NU has won seven straight games against North foes.

 

The seven-game win streak is Nebraska’s longest divisional winning streak since NU won nine straight from 1998 to 2000. The Huskers won their final North game in 1998, all five in 1999 and the first three in 2000.

 

Including 2006, in each of the four seasons Nebraska has represented the North in the Big 12 title game (also 1996, 1997, 1999), the Huskers have posted a 5-0 record in divisional games. In 2006, Nebraska was the first North Division team to complete divisional play undefeated since 2003.

 

 

Conference Crowns

Nebraska enters 2007 with the goal of returning to the Big 12 title game for the second straight season and the fifth time overall. The game will be played on Dec. 1 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Nebraska’s Big 12 titles in 1997 and 1999 both came in the Alamodome.

 

Nebraska made its first appearance in the contest since 1999 last fall. The Huskers played in three of the first four Big 12 title games. Nebraska is one of three teams to capture two or more Big 12 titles in the first 11 years of the conference, joining Oklahoma with four and Texas with two. Kansas State, Texas A&M and Colorado each captured one Big 12 crown. Oklahoma leads the way with five Big 12 title game appearances, followed by Nebraska, Colorado and Texas with four each.

 

The Huskers have won 43 football conference championships overall, including eight under Coach Bob Devaney and 13 under Coach Tom Osborne. Oklahoma has won 36 conference championships to rank second behind NU among league schools.

 

 

Huskers Among Leaders in AP National Titles

Notre Dame leads the nation by winning eight Associated Press national titles since 1936, with Oklahoma (7), Alabama (6), Miami (5), USC (5), Nebraska (4) and Minnesota (4) next in line. While the Huskers were awarded the national title by the coaches in 1997, NU finished second to Michigan in the AP poll.

 

In 1970, Nebraska was awarded the AP national title, but not the coaches (Texas was first, OhioState second and NU third) as the final poll was released before the bowl games were played. In the coaches poll (since 1950), Nebraska is tied for fourth with Miami and Texas with four titles, behind Alabama and Oklahoma with six apiece, and USC with five.

 

When Nebraska and USC meet on the field on Sept. 15, it will mark a meeting between the two schools with at least a share of five national titles since 1970.

 

 

Callahan's Huskers Continue to Perform in Classroom

Nebraska has continued its tradition of excellence in the classroom under Head Coach Bill Callahan. In 2006, senior Dane Todd was selected as a second-team CoSIDA Academic All-American. Todd completed his career with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average in biological sciences.

 

Todd was a first-team selection as a junior. In addition to his academic All-America honors, Todd also received the 2007 Walter Byers Award, the highest honor bestowed on a student-athlete by the NCAA.

 

The selection of Todd as a second-team academic All-American gave the Husker football program 93 all-time CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, a nation-leading total. The Husker athletic program as a whole also leads the nation with 252 academic All-America selections across all teams and all sports.

 

 

Big 12 Leader in First-Team Academic All-Conference Selections

A Big 12-leading 15 Nebraska football players were named first-team academic All-Big 12 in 2006. Overall, 22 Huskers received either first- or second-team recognition by the Big 12. Dane Todd was one of five Huskers who were named first-team academic All-Big 12 for the third time in their careers. Also named to the first team for the third time were 2006 seniors  Kurt Mann, Brandon Rigoni and Andrew Shanle, along with tight end J.B. Phillips. A 2007 senior on the field, Phillips earned his undergraduate degree in 3 1/2 years, finishing last December. He plans to complete his master’s degree in marketing by May of 2008.

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23 Seniors on Track to Graduate by December

J.B. Phillips will be in good company by bowl season. A remarkable number of 23 seniors are on track to earn their undergraduate degrees by the completion of the fall semester. 

 

Among Callahan’s first three senior classes, 53 of 64 student-athletes have graduated with several others very near completion of their degrees.   

 

 

Nebraska Leads Big 12 in Exhausted Eligibility Graduation Rates

The University of Nebraska is the Big 12 leader in exhausted eligibility graduation rates for the fourth consecutive year. Nebraska boasts an impressive 94 percent rate, a percentage point higher than last year’s mark of 93 percent. The exhausted eligibility rate surveys the graduation rate of scholarship student-athletes in 10 incoming freshman classes who complete their eligibility at the University.

 

Nebraska’s exhausted eligibility rate has increased from 87 to 94 percent in the past six years and has improved 22 percentage points since the inception of the rate in 1991-92.

 

The current exhausted eligibility rate includes members of incoming classes from 1990-91 through 1999-2000. During that time, 424 of 453 Nebraska scholarship student-athletes who completed their eligibility earned their undergraduate degree.

 

Nebraska’s 94 percent rate is three points higher than Baylor, which was second in the conference at 91 percent. The national average for exhausted eligibility is 85 percent for Division I schools.

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NU Leads in Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll

In addition to leading the league in first-team academic All-Big 12 picks, Nebraska also paced the field in Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll selections.

 

During the fall 2006 semester, Nebraska placed 39 players on the Big 12 Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll, including six student-athletes who had perfect 4.0 grade-point averages for the semester. During the spring, 35 Huskers were named to the honor roll, with six players recording 4.0 GPAs for the spring semester. The honor roll recognizes all student-athletes who earned a 3.0 grade-point average or better in the previous semester.

 

 

Nebraska Honored by AFCA for Grad Rate

The Husker football program was one of 34 schools from across the nation honored this spring by the American Football Coaches Association with the 2007 Academic Achievement Award.

 

The 34 schools that were honored achieved a graduation rate of 70 percent or better for the 2000-01 incoming freshman class. This year marked the seventh straight year Nebraska has received the honor and the 11th time since 1994 Nebraska has been recognized.

 

Former Huskers Making their Mark in the NFL

Nebraska has a long-standing tradition of placing large numbers of players in the NFL. When final 53-man rosters were determined on Sept. 1, Nebraska had 26 players on active NFL rosters, three players on injured reserve and one on a practice squad. Others could be added to practice squads in coming days. 

 

Included in the group of players on NFL rosters are four players who were selected in the 2007 NFL Draft?defensive end Adam Carriker (1st round, St. Louis), running back Brandon Jackson (2nd round, Green Bay), linebacker Stewart Bradley (3rd round, Philadelphia) and defensive end Jay Moore (4th round, San Francisco).

 

Nebraska has two starting punters and two starting place-kickers in the NFL. The combined four kickers are the most of any school in the country.  A full listing of Nebraska’s players in the NFL is included in the left margin.