Nos. 8 & 80 Deserve Historic Husker Endings

Randy York’s N-Sider

They’re graduates, co-captains and Nebraska career record-holders in rushing and receiving. Ameer Abdullah and Kenny Bell have different personalities, but No. 8 and No. 80 share a bond and a passion and Saturday night, both will end their team-related collegiate football careers at an historic intersection in San Diego’s Holiday Bowl against USC. For only the second time in 37 years, the Holiday Bowl will be live on a Saturday night. The 9-3 Huskers and 8-4 Trojans have ESPN’s 7 p.m. prime time spotlight all to themselves, launching an intriguing storyline for two of Nebraska's most explosive offensive weapons ever. Even though both NFL prospects will be operating behind a makeshift line, here’s hoping No. 8 Abdullah and No. 80 Bell can deliver peak performances that elevate their teammates and set a tone for an upset. Both all-time Husker leaders deserve a positive ending to their remarkable careers.

What we have is the football version of the game of life, where the Huskers are prepared to tackle their problems, block their fears, and score points whenever they get the opportunity. That means some serious weight falls on the broad shoulders of: 1) Abdullah, a 5-foot-9, 200-pound second-team All-America running back who is Nebraska’s career leader with 6,917 all-purpose yards; and 2) Bell, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound wide receiver who is the Huskers’ career leader in both catches (124) and in receiving yards (2,479). That total is 139 yards more than Johnny Rodgers. We also have the only bowl game in America this season that pits two of the nation’s top six programs in all-time bowl appearances against each other. Nebraska ranks third in that category with 51 bowls; USC ranks sixth with 49. Alabama (62) and Texas (53) rank 1-2 and Georgia and Tennessee rank 4-5 with 50 bowl appearances each. USC is making its 49th bowl appearance to rank sixth. Oklahoma (48), LSU (46), Ohio State (44) and Michigan (43) complete the top 10. Interestingly, Nebraska’s and USC’s combined 99 all-time bowl appearances rank as the second highest total in the 2014-15 overall bowl game lineup, trailing only the January 1 Sugar Bowl, where Ohio State and Alabama have a combined 105 bowl appearances.

Despite Injury, Abdullah Continues Statistical Climb

Once a primary Heisman Trophy candidate, Abdullah sprained his left MCL trying to pick up a fumbled snap against Purdue. The injury simultaneously sidetracked Abdullah’s health and his momentum, but teammates and coaches insist that Abdullah is running at what appears to be full speed. Now ranked second (behind Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne) on the all-time Big Ten career all-purpose yardage list, Abdullah could become just the 11th player in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision history with 7,000 career all-purpose yards. He needs 83 yards against USC to reach that milestone. Abdullah’s 4,500 career rushing yards trail only Mike Rozier’s record 4,780 career rushing yards. Ameer is the first player in school history with three 1,000-yard rushing seasons, including 1,523 this year despite playing his last four games against Purdue, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa at less than full speed.

Bell sustained a head injury that sent him to the sidelines after catching a pass in Nebraska’s pivotal 28-24 loss against Minnesota. A catalyst in the Huskers’ 37-34 win at Iowa, he helped the Huskers rally from 17 points down to win and match the largest road comeback in school history. Bell has accepted his role in a run-first offense and has become an accomplished blocker in his team-first approach. The picture at the top of this column reflects the mindset of both Husker record-holders who have earned praise from professional football scouts as well as the respect of their teammates, coaches, opponents and fans. The photo is a “selfie” of two proud, confident and determined student-athletes at Pinnacle Bank Arena commencement exercises two weekends ago. Now also is an appropriate time to point out that 15 Husker football student-athletes made the Holiday Bowl trip as graduates, including all 13 members of Nebraska’s 2014 senior class.

Tie with USC in 1970 Triggered 23-Game NU Win Streak

In making its first-ever Holiday Bowl appearance, USC has a 3-0-1 overall record against Nebraska. The marquee matchup in the short series was a 21-21 tie in Los Angeles, a 1970 result that helped Nebraska become the nation’s only unbeaten team and claim the school’s first-ever national championship under Bob Devaney. That memorable deadlock triggered a 23-game Husker winning streak and back-to-back national championships in ’70 and ’71. Interestingly, even though Nebraska never has beaten USC, in each of the four previous matchups, the Trojans have been ranked among the nation’s top five teams in the Associated Press poll.

As Husker Nation awaits Saturday night’s opportunity for Nos. 8 and 80 to help lead an upset in their tradition-rich Husker careers, it’s important to point out that Nebraska’s all-time record in bowl games is 25 wins and 25 losses. That includes 11 Husker wins in their last 18 bowl games and a reminder that Nebraska’s 35 consecutive bowl appearances from 1969 to 2003 remains the longest streak in NCAA history. The Huskers’ streak of 17 consecutive January bowl appearances from 1981 to 1997 is also the longest streak in NCAA history.

17 Orange Bowls Frame Nebraska's National Reputation

For history buffs who want the full-meal deal, Nebraska has played in 14 different bowl games, including 17 Orange Bowls, 11 under head coach Tom Osborne (pictured two photos above while commemorating an East Stadium statue of Bob Devaney, who coached five Orange Bowl teams). Bill Glassford coached Nebraska's first Orange Bowl game in 1955. The Huskers also played in six Fiesta Bowls, and Saturday marks Nebraska's fourth Holiday Bowl appearance (featured above at a Friday team luncheon aboard the USS Essex, anchored in San Diego Harbor). Saturday night's third Nebraska Holiday Bowl in the last six seasons (plus a 23-20 loss to Arizona in the 1998 Holiday Bowl) matches the Huskers' four Sugar Bowl and Cotton Bowl appearances. NU's total also includes three appearances in both the Citrus Capital One Bowl and the Alamo Bowl, plus two appearances each in the Gator, Rose and Sun Bowls. Nebraska has competed once in four bowls – the Independence, Liberty, Astro-Bluebonnet and Gotham Bowls. Equally noteworthy are six Huskers returning to their home state for the 2014 Holiday Bowl. The six California natives represent the fifth-highest total from any state on Nebraska’s current roster. They include wide receiver Christian Bailey (San Clemente), linebacker Garrett McKay (Anaheim Hills), cornerback co-captain Josh Mitchell (Corona), running back Terrell Newby (Los Angeles), quarterback Johnny Stanton (Rancho Santa Margarita), and offensive lineman Corey Whitaker (Murrieta).

Husker Television, Radio and Social Media Coverage

A crowd of at least 60,000 is expected at San Diego’s 66,000-capacity Qualcomm Stadium, where Nebraska has won one and lost two Holiday Bowls. Rece Davis will be ESPN’s play-by-play announcer with Jesse Palmer and David Pollack serving as analysts and Samantha Ponder reporting from the sidelines. Greg Sharpe (play-by-play, above left), Matt Davison (color) and Lane Grindle (sideline, above right) will describe the action on the Husker Sports Network with free audio, live stats, game-day information, photos and more on Huskers.com, including Facebook.com/Huskers; @Huskers on Twitter and @HuskerFBNation. The Holiday Bowl also will be broadcast on ESPN national radio and on Sirius XM satellite radio, Channel 83.

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