Huskers Set to Entertain Top-Ranked Trojans

The eyes of the college football world will be squarely on Lincoln this weekend as Nebraska plays host to No. 1 USC at Memorial Stadium. The game will be carried nationally as part of ESPN on ABC’s Saturday Night Football package. Kickoff is set for 7:13 p.m. CDT. 

 

In addition to the national telecast of Saturday night’s non-conference showdown, ESPN’s College GameDay will air from Memorial Stadium from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday. It will mark the first time College GameDay has originated from Lincoln, since visiting Memorial Stadium twice in 2001.

 

The Huskers will enter the matchup with a 2-0 record following Saturday’s hard-fought 20-17 victory on the road at WakeForest. A week after using a punishing ground game to roll past Nevada, the Huskers showed firepower through the air, passing for 258 yards against the defending ACC champions, while the Blackshirt defense came up with key plays at several crucial points late in the game.

 

The victory gave Nebraska a 2-0 start for the third consecutive season and moved NU up to 14th in this week’s national polls. The No. 14 ranking is Nebraska’s highest since reaching No. 12 in the AP poll midway through the 2003 season.

 

Southern California was a near-unanimous preseason No. 1 choice in the national polls and maintains that ranking heading into Lincoln. The Trojans defeated Idaho, 38-10, on Sept. 1 in Los Angeles and were idle last weekend. The visit by No. 1 USC marks the first time a top-ranked team has traveled to Memorial Stadium since No. 4 Nebraska upended No. 1 Oklahoma, 17-14 in 1978. This will be the fourth time a top-ranked opponent has played the Huskers at Memorial Stadium (also Oklahoma in 1974 and 1955). Nebraska last faced a top-ranked opponent at any site in the 2002 Rose Bowl, when it was defeated by No. 1 Miami.

 

The meeting will mark the fourth all-time matchup between the two programs. USC’s 28-10 win last season at the Los Angeles Coliseum gave the Trojans a 2-0-1 advantage in the series. In the only meeting in Lincoln, USC defeated Nebraska, 31-21, to open the 1969 season.

 

 

Scouting the USC Trojans

Southern California comes to Lincoln for the first time since 1969 and only the second time in school history. The Trojans, who are ranked No. 1 in both polls, are 1-0 on the season after defeating Idaho, 38-10, Sept. 1, before an off week last weekend. Nebraska and Southern California have met only three times in program history, with the Trojans leading the series, 2-0-1.

 

Southern California has been among the elite programs in the nation this century, capturing 11 national championships, including title in 2003 and 2004 and five straight Pac-10 titles. The Trojans were ranked fourth when the No. 21 Huskers came to Los Angeles in September of 2006, with USC taking a 28-10 win on its way to an 11-2 season that included a Rose Bowl win over Michigan.

 

Senior quarterback John David Booty has filled big shoes left by Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart, throwing for 3,347 yards in 2006 and 23 touchdowns. In the season opener against Idaho, Booty was 21-for-32 for 206 yards and three touchdowns. The Blackshirt defense will need another strong effort to slow Booty from matching last year’s performance against NU when he threw for 257 yards and three scores, while getting sacked once.

 

The Trojan receiving corps has a new look from last year after losing All-American receivers Steve Smith and Dwayne Jarrett. In the opener, nine Trojans caught a pass from Booty with  David Ausberry and Stanley Havili tying for the team lead in catches with five each, while Fred Davis led USC receivers with 49 yards on two catches.

 

Defensively, the Trojans start six players who are returning Pac-10 honorees, led by star linebackers Rey Maualuga, who earned first-team All-Pac 10 honors as a true freshman, and Keith Rivers, who led USC in tackles last season with 85 along with 7.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles.  Sedrick Ellis, a first-team All-American last year, anchors a solid defensive line that returns three of four starters. 

 

 

USC Head Coach Pete Carroll

It didn’t take long for seventh-year head coach Pete Carroll to return the Trojan football program to national prominence. Carroll is 66-12 in six years as a college coach, the best winning percentage of any current Division I coach with at least five years of experience.

 

Carroll got to 50 career USC wins faster than any head coach in Trojan history. His losses have been by a total of 51 points and only one was by more than a touchdown. After starting off his USC career 2-5, he has gone 64-7 with a pair of national championships.

 

Carroll’s teams have recorded at least 11 victories in each of the past five years. Only Nebraska, FloridaState and Oklahoma have also achieved that feat in college football history. Under Carroll, USC is the first school to have three Heisman Trophy winners in a four-year period and he has helped produce 25 All-American first-teamers and 32 NFL draft picks, including seven first-round selections, during his tenure. Carroll’s last five recruiting classes have been ranked in the top five nationally.

 

 

Nebraska-USC Series History

Nebraska and USC will be meeting on the gridiron for just the fourth time in history, with the Huskers looking for their first ever win over the Trojans. The two teams have not met in Lincoln since 1969, and that contest ended in a 31-21 USC victory.

 

The last time Nebraska and Southern California met was just last season, as the Husker traveled to Los Angeles along with nearly 30,000 of the Nebraska faithful. However, the Husker fans were disappointed to witness a 28-10 win by the Trojans.

 

 

 

Nebraska-USC Notes

►USC has three coaches and a graduate assistant who have ties to current Nebraska coaches or administrators:
   ? Passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach John Morton, who is in his first season with the Trojans, was a senior offensive assistant with the Oakland Raiders in 2002 and 2003 under Bill Callahan, then the Raiders’ head coach.

   ? Tight ends coach Brennan Carroll, the son of head coach Pete Carroll, was a reserve tight end for Pittsburgh from 1999 to 2001, during the same time that current NU Athletic Director Steve Pederson was the A.D. for the Panthers.

   ? Pat Ruel, the Trojans’ offensive line coach, was an assistant coach at Texas A&M from 1982 to 1984, including two years while current Associate A.D. Tim Cassidy served as a graduate assistant with the Aggies. Ruel is extremely familiar with Nebraska and Memorial Stadium after coaching in the Big 12 from nine years at Kansas (1988 to 1996).

   ? Yogi Roth, the quarterbacks graduate assistant, also spent four seasons (2000 to 2003) playing for Pittsburgh including three while Pederson was athletic director.

►Nebraska has won three of four meetings against top-five teams at Memorial Stadium since the formation of the Big 12 Conference. All four were conference matchups with the only loss coming in a two-point setback last season against No. 5 Texas, 22-20

►Nebraska has 15 players listed on its roster who hail from the state of California. The USC roster does not include any players from Nebraska, however, 82 Trojans are from the GoldenState.

►Former Husker Jordan Congdon, a place-kicker, is currently a member of the Trojans. Congdon transferred closer to his San Diego home during the 2007 spring semester.

 

 

 

Nebraska Survives Road Test from Defending ACC Champions

The Nebraska defense made huge plays late in the game to preserve a 20-17 road victory against defending ACC champion WakeForest. After surrendering a quick touchdown to give WakeForest a 17-13 lead less than five minutes into the second half, the Blackshirts slammed the door on the Demon Deacons the rest of the way to seal the victory in front of a sellout crowd of 32,483, which included approximately 10,000 Husker fans.

 

No defensive play was bigger than an interception by senior cornerback Zackary Bowman in the end zone with just over six minutes remaining in the contest. The pick prevented a potential go-ahead touchdown by the Demon Deacons, and allowed the Huskers to dodge a bullet that followed a Wake interception at NU’s 10.

 

Bowman’s interception seemed to spark the Nebraska offense, as the Huskers took control and marched NU to the WakeForest 35.

 

The Demon Deacon defense held on fourth down with 1:45 left to give Wake Forest one final chance. The Husker defense allowed just one first down before forcing four straight incompletions, including key defensive plays by seniors Cortney Grixby and Ben Eisenhart, to secure the victory.

 

Although the Blackshirts took center stage in the second half, senior quarterback Sam Keller produced solid numbers by completing 24-of-41 passes for 258 yards with one touchdown. Junior I-back Marlon Lucky also continued his strong start to the season by carrying 24 times for 90 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown run.

 

Senior receiver Terrence Nunn led the receiving corps, pulling down six balls for 83 yards, while Nate Swift added five catches for 45 yards.

 

The Blackshirts had a hand in big plays throughout the day. Senior linebacker Corey McKeon came up with NU’s first big defensive play on his interception of a Brett Hodges pass. McKeon’s interception helped set up Alex Henery’s 22-yard field goal just over six minutes into the game.

 

The Husker offense moved the ball to the WakeForest 5, but settled for the short field goal. WakeForest answered with a short field goal of its own early in the second quarter. After a first-and-goal at the NU 2, the Blackshirts held Wake out of the end zone. Henery answered with another 22-yard field goal in the second quarter to give NU a 6-3 edge.

 

Wake Forest took its first lead of the day with a touchdown with 5:13 left before half, but Nebraska took momentum into the locker room as Keller executed the two-minute drill to perfection. The drive was capped on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Keller to tight end Sean Hill with 16 seconds left in the half. Hill’s first career reception gave the Huskers a 13-10 lead at the half.

 

Wake Forest regained the lead on the first drive of the second half by marching the distance of the field capped on Kenneth Moore’s five-yard touchdown run. Keller and the Husker offense then produced its final answer of the day for the Demon Deacons, marching the length of the field. This time, Lucky sprinted 22 yards for a touchdown to give the Huskers a 20-17 lead with 8:13 left in the third quarter.The two defenses did the rest, shutting out the offenses for the final 23 minutes.

 

The Huskers managed 373 yards of total offense, including 258 yards passing and 115 yards rushing. WakeForest churned out 376 total yards, including 140 passing and 236 yards on the ground. Safety Larry Asante posted nine tackles to lead the Blackshirts in that category, while Bowman produced a big day with seven tackles and his fourth-quarter interception. Linebacker Steve Octavien added six solo tackles, including two tackles for loss.

 

 

Noting Game Two...Nebraska 20, Wake Forest 17

►Nebraska’s win gave the Huskers a 2-0 start for the third consecutive season. It also marked Nebraska’s 10th win in its past 12 non-conference games and improved Nebraska to 3-1 in road openers under Bill Callahan. The Huskers improved to 3-0 against WakeForest and 5-0 in the regular season against ACC opponents.

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►The attendance of 32,483 was the smallest for a Nebraska game since 30,150 fans were in attendance at NU’s 1991 win at OklahomaState.

 

►Senior wide receiver Terrence Nunn caught six passes for 83 yards, the second-most receptions in his career, trailing only his eight-reception effort against IowaState in 2005. The game marked the 15th time in Nunn’s career that he has caught four or more passes.

 

►Nunn has caught a pass in 29 straight games, the second-longest streak in school history. Nunn’s streak is also tied for the fourth-longest such streak in the nation.

 

►Nunn’s six receptions pushed his career total to 109, the second-highest total in school history, trailing Johnny Rodgers’ school record of 143. Nunn’s 83 receiving yards gave him 1,429 in his career, 27 yards shy of second on the NU career chart.

 

►Quarterback Sam Keller completed passes to seven different receivers, a week after 11 Husker receivers caught passes against Nevada.

 

►Keller was sharp on Nebraska’s scoring drive in the two-minute drill before halftime, connecting on 8-of-11 passes for 80 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Sean Hill.

 

►The 25-yard touchdown reception by Sean Hill was the first catch of his Nebraska career.

 

►Nebraska senior linebacker Corey McKeon intercepted a WakeForest pass in the first quarter, the fifth of his career, but his first since 2005.

 

►Nebraska senior cornerback Zackary Bowman notched his third career interception in the fourth quarter.

 

►Junior wide receiver Nate Swift had five receptions, pushing his career total to 74. Swift passed Cory Ross and Tim Smith on the NU career receptions list and moved into a tie for fifth with Guy Ingles.

 

►Junior I-back Marlon Lucky caught four passes in the game, marking the sixth time in the past eight games Lucky has had three or more receptions.

 

►Lucky rushed 24 times for 90 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown was Lucky’s fifth of the season, after entering the year with six career touchdowns.

 

►Nebraska freshman place-kicker Alex Henery connected on his first two career field-goal attempts, hitting a pair of 22-yarders in the first half. 

 

►Nebraska junior punter Dan Titchener punted five times for a 45.0 average, the best average in his NU career. Titchener connected on punts of 51 and 49 yards in the first quarter and had three punts downed inside the Wake 20.

 

 

USC First No. 1 Team to Visit Memorial Stadium Since 1978

USC will enter Saturday night’s game at Memorial Stadium as the nation’s top-ranked team in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls. The Trojans will be the first top-ranked team (AP poll) to visit Lincoln since No. 1 Oklahoma was upset by fourth-ranked Nebraska, 17-14, in 1978. The only other visits by a No. 1 team to Memorial Stadium were also by Oklahoma teams (1955, 1974). The Sooners won both of those games in Lincoln.

 

It should also be noted that Oklahoma was the top-ranked team in the BCS rankings in 2001 when NU upended the Sooners, 20-10, in Lincoln. In 1987, Oklahoma dropped to second behind Nebraska in the polls a week before the teams met in Lincoln, with OU winning, 17-7.

 

Nebraska is 1-9 all-time against teams ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Poll.

 

 

Nebraska vs. Top Five Teams in Lincoln

Nebraska has had success against top-five teams at Memorial Stadium in recent years. The Huskers’ 22-20 loss to No. 5 Texas at Memorial Stadium last season ended a four-game winning streak against top-five foes in Lincoln. Prior to the two-point setback against Texas, Nebraska had not lost a home game against a top-five team since a 36-21 setback to No. 4 Washington in 1991. 

 

In USC’s only other visit to Memorial Stadium, the No. 5 Trojans defeated unranked Nebraska, 31-21, in 1969. USC has been ranked in the top five in all four meetings with Nebraska, including No. 5 in 1969, third in 1970 and No. 4 last season in Los Angeles.

 

Recent Matchups with Top-Five Teams in Lincoln

 Year  Opponent (AP Rank)  NU Rank  Result 2006 Texas (5) 17 UT, 22-20

 2001 Oklahoma (2) 3 NU, 20-101999 Kansas State (5) 7 NU, 41-151996 Colorado (5) 3 NU, 17-121994 Colorado (2) 3 NU, 24-71991 Washington (4) 9 UW, 36-21

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Huskers, Pac-10 are Familiar Foes

Nebraska has made matchups with the Pac-10 fairly commonplace in recent years. The Huskers are 33-19-3 all-time against teams from the conference, including an 0-2-1 mark against USC. In their last 10 meetings against Pac-10 opponents, the Huskers are 7-3, including last year’s 28-10 setback at No. 4 USC.

 

►Nebraska faced at least one Pac-10 opponent in the regular season for 17 straight years from 1983 to 1999.

 

►Nebraska has played every Pac-10 team at least once.

 

►The Huskers do not face a Pac-10 team in 2008 or 2009, but have future home-and-home series scheduled with Washington (2010, 2011) and UCLA (2012, 2013).

 

 

Matchup with USC Continues Rugged 2007 Schedule

It does not get any more difficult than facing the nation’s top-ranked team. However, Saturday’s matchup with USC is one of many highlights in a rugged 2007 Nebraska schedule. Among Nebraska's 12 regular-season contests, eight will be against teams that participated in a bowl game following last season. That began in the season’s first two weeks with games against Nevada (MPC Computers Bowl) and WakeForest (Orange Bowl).

 

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 Look to Continue Magic Under Memorial Stadium Lights

Nebraska has had great success when playing under the lights at Memorial Stadium. Since the first night game in Lincoln in 1986, Nebraska has posted a 24-2 record under the lights at home. Nebraska’s lone setbacks under the Memorial Stadium lights were a 36-21 loss to No. 4 Washington in 1991, and a 27-24 loss against No. 7 Texas in 2002.

 

The Huskers’ dominance at night in Lincoln has been impressive, as 21 of the 24 home night wins have been decided by 13 points or more. Nebraska is 13-1 in home night games against non-conference opponents, and 4-2 against ranked opponents at night in Lincoln. A full list of NU’s home night games is in the left column.

 

 

Memorial Stadium Firepower

Nebraska finished 17th nationally in scoring offense at 30.6 points per game in 2006, thanks primarily to an impressive offensive output at home. NU averaged 50.0 points per game in its first four home games and averaged 41.6 per game at home in 2006.

 

That trend continued in the 2007 season opener, as the Huskers erupted for 52 points in a win over Nevada. The victory marked the seventh time in its last eight home games Nebraska has scored at least 34 points. The Huskers have scored 20 or more points in 12 straight home games.

 

►Last season Nebraska had a streak of 10 straight quarters at home with 14 or more points, including the final quarter against Louisiana Tech, the Nicholls State and Troy games, and the first quarter against Kansas. NU scored at least one touchdown in 24 of 28 quarters at home last season, and scored a touchdown in all four quarters against Nevada.

►Nebraska scored at least 49 points in three straight home games to open 2006. The last time Nebraska scored 49 or more points in three straight home games was in 1996, when NU defeated Baylor (49-0), Kansas (63-7) and Missouri (51-7). Last season marked only the third time in school history Nebraska has scored 49 or more points in each of its first three home games (1996, 1974).

 

 

Husker Offense Opens 2007 in Impressive Fashion

Nebraska featured one of the nation’s most diverse offensive attacks in 2006, and if the start of the 2007 season is any indication the Huskers could 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. NU posted 373 total yards against a stout WakeForest defense in a 20-17 road win last weekend.

 

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   2007Rushing   96.0 ypg (110th)  170.5 ypg (23rd)  74.5 ypg  264.o ypg (14th)Passing  224.3 ypg (54th)  244.1 ypg (23rd)  19.8 ypg  235.0 ypg (50th)Total  320.3 ypg (96th)  414.6 ypg (14th)  94.3 ypg  499.0 ypg (17th)Scoring  24.7 ppg (67th)  30.6 ppg (17th)  5.9 ppg  36.0 ppg (26th)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

In the opener against Nevada, Nebraska showed 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. Nebraska ranks fifth nationally in time of possession this week.

 

►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 has snapped the ball 171 times in its first two games, the second-most in the country behind Minnesota’s 172 plays. The Gophers have played two overtime games to start the season.

 

►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 his play to start the season has shown a glimpse of his potential.

 

Lucky’s big day against Nevada earned him National Offensive Player-of-the-Week honors from the Walter Camp Football Foundation. He was also named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, the second time in his career he has earned that honor.

 

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 became the 56th Husker to rush for 1,000 career yards against Nevada. He now has 1,180 yards to rank 44th on the NU 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.

 

Lucky gained 90 hard-fought yards on 24 carries at WakeForest, including a 22-yard touchdown run. Lucky also caught four passes out of the backfield, and has at least three receptions in six of his past eight games dating back to last season. Entering the USC contest, Lucky ranks fifth nationally in rushing (161.5 ypg), sixth in scoring (15.0 ppg) and 14th in all-purpose running (195.0 ypg)

 

 

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 against Nevada. Keller managed an NU offense that produced 625 yards of total offense, the best offensive output for Nebraska in six seasons.

 

In NU’s win over WakeForest, Keller passed for 258 yards and a 25-yard touchdown pass to tight end Sean Hill.

 

 

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.

 

Against Wake Forest, Nebraska’s O-line provided the push for a 373-yard offensive effort. For the second straight week, the big guys up front provided Keller with strong pass protection. Entering the third week of the season, Nebraska is one of just four teams in the country that has not allowed a sack.

 

 

Nunn Closing Fast on Receiving Records

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 is senior Terrence Nunn, who has his sights on the Nebraska career receptions record. The Houston native has been a steady performer in the Nebraska offense since starting the season opener as a true freshman in 2004.

 

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 109 ranks second only to Rodgers on the Husker charts, 34 catches behind the 1972 Heisman Trophy winner. Nunn has also caught a pass in 29 straight games, nine games behind Rodgers' record 38-game streak and the fourth-longest streak in the nation.

 

In addition to his receptions total, Nunn ranks third in school history in yardage at 1,429 yards, 27 yards behind Matt Davison, who ranks second.

 

Nunn had one of his finest games as a Husker against WakeForest, catching six passes for 83 yards in a 20-17 win. The six catches were the second-highest output of Nunn’s career and the 15th time he has caught four or more passes in a game.

 

 

Others Give Nunn Company in Receiving Record Books

Junior Nate Swift is not far behind Nunn in terms of production in Coach Bill Callahan’s offense. Swift caught five passes at WakeForest to give him 74 career receptions, good for a tie for fifth on the NU chart. Swift is just 19 receptions from third place on the career chart. He also moved into 10th place on the receiving yardage list with 1,088 career receiving yards. 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 chart.

 

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 list.

 

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 176 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 36th at Nebraska. McKeon is 44 tackles from the top 20 on the tackle list and 72 stops from the No. 10. His 31 tackles for loss are just 6.5 stops outside the career top 10 on that list. McKeon also recorded his fifth career interception at WakeForest.

 

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 167 total tackles and needs 53 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.

 

Typically, Nebraska will elect game captains to serve with the three season-long captains.

 

 

2007 Game Captains

Wake Forest?Todd Peterson

 

 

NCAA Record 284 Consecutive Home Sellouts

Nebraska boasts an incredible NCAA-record 284 consecutive sellouts at Memorial Stadium (including USC). 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, 93 fewer than Nebraska. Entering Saturday’s game, 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).

 

 

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.

 

 

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.

 

 

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. Phillips has already completed 18 hours toward his MBA.

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Eighteen 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.

           

 

Husker Freshmen off to Strong Start in the Classroom

The Husker football program had 18 incoming freshmen take courses in the 2007 summer session. Those newcomers quickly made the transition to the college classroom, completing a combined 102 credit hours with an average GPA of 3.720.

 

 

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.