Huskers Head to Wisconsin for Top-15 Matchup

GAME 8: NEBRASKA at WISCONSIN
OCT. 29, 2016 | CAMP RANDALL STADIUM
MADISON, WIS. | 6 p.m. (CT)

BROADCAST INFO
TV - ESPN (Joe Tessitore, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe)
RADIO - Husker Sports Network
SATELLITE RADIO - Sirius Channel 81, XM 81
INTERNET RADIO - Huskers.com

HUSKERS
Record: 7-0, 4-0 Big Ten
Last Game: Purdue, W, 24-14
Rankings: AP-7; Coaches-6
Series: Wisconsin, 6-4
Coach: Mike Riley
Career/NU Record: 106-87 (16th Year)/13-7 (2nd Year) 
vs. Wisconsin: 1-2

BADGERS
Record: 5-2, 2-2 Big Ten
Last Game: Iowa, W, 17-9
Rankings: AP-11; Coaches-11
Coach: Paul Chryst
Career/Wisonsin Record: 34-24 (5th Year)/15-5 (2nd Year)
vs. Nebraska: 1-0

The Matchup
Unbeaten Nebraska hits the road for its toughest test of the 2016 season, when the Huskers travel to Wisconsin for a prime-time matchup on Saturday night. Game time at UW's Camp Randall Stadium is set for 6 p.m. CT and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN.

The Huskers are off to their best start in 15 seasons, heading to Wisconsin with a 7-0 record, including a 4-0 mark in Big Ten play. Nebraska's most recent victory was a 27-14 win over Purdue on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. The Husker defense controlled the second half, holding the Boilermakers scoreless and to less than 100 yards after halftime.

Nebraska's win over Purdue allowed the Huskers to keep climbing in the national rankings. NU checked in at No. 7 in the Associated Press Poll this week and is tied for sixth in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

Wisconsin comes into the game with a 5-2 record and a 2-2 ledger in Big Ten play. The Badgers are ranked 11th in both polls this week. Wisconsin's only two losses this season have come against top-10 opponents Michigan and Ohio State and have both been by only seven points. Wisconsin features one of the nation's top defenses, allowing 300.6 yards and 14.3 points per game.

Saturday's game will be a key part of deciding the Big Ten West Division race. NU enters the weekend with a one-game lead over Northwestern with Wisconsin another game behind.

Nebraska Football Top 10
• Nebraska is 887-368-40 all-time, one of only 10 schools with 800 wins.

• The Cornhuskers rank fourth all-time with their 886 victories.

• Nebraska has won five national titles (1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997).

• The Huskers have won 46 conference championships.

• Nebraska’s 52 all-time bowl appearances rank third nationally.

• Three Huskers have won the Heisman Trophy (Rodgers, Rozier, Crouch).

• Nebraska’s 107 football Academic All-Americans lead the nation.

• The Huskers have 110 first-team All-Americans in school history.

• Nebraska football is the only team in any sport in NCAA history to total 100 athletic and academic All-Americans.

• Memorial Stadium has been sold out every game since Nov. 2, 1962, a streak of 352 consecutive sellouts.

Nebraska-Wisconsin Series
• Nebraska and Wisconsin are playing for the Freedom Trophy for the third season in 2016. The trophy debuted in 2014 when the schools started competing in the Big Ten West division and meeting each season.

• Nebraska and Wisconsin have met five times since the Huskers joined the Big Ten in 2011, with Wisconsin holding a 4-1 advantage, including both wins in both games in Madison.

• Saturday's game will mark the third meeting of ranked teams in the series, and the second matchup of top-10 teams. Nebraska has been ranked in nine of 11 all-time meetings with the Badgers.

Riley, Chryst Share Long History
Nebraska Head Coach Mike Riley and Wisconsin head man Paul Chryst are both relative newcomers to their schools. Both coaches are in their second year in charge at their respective universities. However, Riley and Chryst are very familiar and friendly foes.

The duo has a long coaching history together. Chryst worked for Riley on two different occasions at Oregon State, and was also on Riley's staff with the World League's San Antonio Riders.

Chryst served as the Beavers' offensive coordinator in 2003 and 2004 when Riley returned to Corvallis. Chryst was also on the OSU staff in 1997 and 1998 as an assistant coach. The two first worked together in 1991 and 1992 when Chryst was an offensive assistant on Riley's San Antonio staff.

Nebraska, Wisconsin Ties
The ties between Riley and Chryst are far from the only Nebraska-Wisconsin connections.

• Nebraska Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst was on the Wisconsin athletics staff from 2006 to 2011, including serving as the Badgers' Deputy Athletic Director from 2009 to 2011. Eichorst is a native of Lone Rock, Wis., and a UW-Whitewater graduate.

• Wisconsin Athletic Director Barry Alvarez is a graduate of the University of Nebraska and a former Blackshirt. Alvarez lettered as a linebacker for Coach Bob Devaney's Huskers from 1965 to 1967.

• Wisconsin assistants Ted Gilmore (2005 to 2010) and Joe Rudolph (2007) both spent time on the Nebraska coaching staff.

Huskers Continue Rise in National Rankings
Nebraska began the season unranked before entering the national polls after starting 3-0. The Huskers have continued a steady rise in the polls the past month. NU is ranked No. 7 in this week's AP poll and sixth in the coaches rankings.

• The No. 7 ranking in the AP poll is the Huskers' highest since being ranked No. 5 in the country in October of 2010.

• Nebraska moved into the top 10 on Oct. 10 prior to its game at Indiana. The Huskers' top-10 ranking was its first since November of 2011.

NU Enters Final Five Games with Unblemished Record
Nebraska improved to 7-0 in 2016 with its win over Purdue. The 7-0 record is Nebraska's first since opening the 2001 season with an 11-0 mark. Nebraska is one of nine remaining undefeated teams in the FBS ranks, including seven in Power Five Conferences.

• Nebraska has won eight straight games overall, including last year's bowl victory. The eight-game win streak is also NU's longest win streak since its 13-game win streak spanning 2000 and 2001. Nebraska had four six-game winning streaks between 2008 and 2014.

• The Huskers are 4-0 in Big Ten play for the first time since joining the league in 2011. The 4-0 conference start is Nebraska's best since 2001 when NU opened Big 12 play with a 4-0 record.

• Nebraska has won three straight Big Ten Conference road games, marking NU's longest conference road winning streak since winning four straight Big Ten games away from Lincoln spanning the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

• The 7-0 start for Nebraska is the best for Mike Riley in his 16 seasons as a college head coach. The Huskers' eight-game win streak is also the longest of Riley's career.

• While Nebraska's 7-0 start is its first since 2001, the program is no stranger to starting 7-0 or better. In the past 25 seasons, Nebraska has started the season 7-0 or better on seven occassions. Only Ohio State and Alabama have registered more 7-0 starts since 1992.

Huskers On Strong 11-Game Run
Nebraska has opened the year with a 7-0 record for the first time since 2001. Combined with a 3-1 finish to the 2015 campaign, the Huskers have now won 10 of their past 11 games.

• Nebraska's 10-1 record over a 11-game span is its best since the Huskers won 11 of 12 games spanning the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

• NU's 10-1 record in the past 11 games makes the Huskers one of eight teams in the FBS with a 10-1 or better record in the stretch. Only Alabama has an 11-0 record in that span.

Riley Hopes for Continued Success vs. Ranked Opponents
Nebraska's victory over Oregon on Sept. 17 continued Riley's strong history of knocking off ranked teams during his college coaching career.

The Huskers will have another opportunity for a win over a ranked foe Saturday night when they take on No. 11 Wisconsin in Madison. Nebraska is 2-1 against ranked teams under Riley.

• Riley-coached teams have 16 wins over ranked teams in his 16 seasons as a college coach, 14 at Oregon State and wins over Michigan State in 2015 and Oregon in 2016.

• Last year's win over No. 6 Michigan State marked the sixth top-10 opponent a Riley-coached team defeated since 2006. The win was Nebraska's first over a top-10 opponent since October of 2011.

Huskers Hammering Foes in Fourth Quarter
Nebraska has proven to be a dominant fourth-quarter team in opening the season with a 7-0 record. Nebraska owns a nation-best 85-point advantage in fourth-quarter scoring.

• The Huskers closed out their win over Purdue with a 10-0 fourth-quarter edge. NU out-yarded Purdue, 114-52, in the final quarter.

• In Nebraska's win at Indiana, the Huskers scored 10 fourth-quarter points to secure a victory. NU outgained Indiana 150-80 in the final quarter and held the ball for 11:16.

• Against Illinois, Nebraska had a 149-18 advantage in yards in the final quarter. The Huskers also had a 6-0 advantage in first downs and held the ball for 10:59.

• Nebraska's 98 fourth-quarter points rank third nationally in points in the final quarter. The 13 points allowed are also third in the nation.

• The Huskers' 85-point fourth-quarter advantage is the best in the nation in that category.

• Nebraska averages an impressive 10:09 in time of possession in the final quarter. The Huskers held the ball for 11:11 in the fourth quarter against Purdue.

• Nebraska dominates on the ground in the fourth quarter, averaging 85.4 rushing yards in the fourth quarter to 18.7 for the opposition. Six of seven NU foes have rushed for 10 or fewer yards in the fourth quarter.

The Huskers have also dominated the opening quarter of games this season, outscoring the opposition 55-15 in the first quarter, allowing only touchdowns by Oregon and Purdue.

Big Red Balancing Act
The Nebraska offense is showing outstanding balance in its second season under Head Coach Mike Riley and offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf. The 2016 success comes a year after Nebraska ranked second in the Big Ten in total offense and passing offense, while finishing third in scoring offense.

Nebraska made a powerful running game and a balanced offense primary goals for 2016. Through seven games the results have been outstanding.

• Nebraska is averaging 211.4 rushing yards per game to rank fourth in the Big Ten and 35th nationally. NU had a season-high 310 rushing yards at Northwestern and has rushed for at least 200 yards four times in 2016.
• Nebraska is among the nation's most balanced offensive attacks. The Huskers average 236.0 passing yards per game and 447.4 total yards per game, which ranks third in the Big Ten and 39th in the nation.

• Nebraska's 15.7 yards per completion ranks sixth in the nation. The Huskers had five passing plays of at least 25 yards against Wyoming and had five of 20 or more vs. Purdue.

• Nebraska's 310 rushing yards at Northwestern marked the Huskers' fifth-highest rushing total in a Big Ten Conference game.

• The 556 yards of total offense at Northwestern marked the second-highest total in a Big Ten game in NU's six seasons in the league, trailing only a 624-yard effort against Illinois in 2014.

• Nebraska has gained at least 400 yards of total offense in eight of its past nine games overall.

• Nebraska has topped 27 points in 12 of its past 14 games, and has scored at least 31 points in four of five home games this season.

• Nebraska is averaging 34.1 points per game in 2016 to rank third in the Big Ten. The 52 points against Wyoming were the most in two seasons under Mike Riley.

• Nebraska topped the 300-yard passing mark for the seventh time in two seasons under Mike Riley with 412 passing yards against Wyoming. The yardage total was the fifth highest in school history and most since the 2007 season.

• In addition to its 310-yard rushing effort at Northwestern, the Huskers rushed for 292 yards on 51 carries in the win over Fresno State. NU also had 228 rushing yards against Oregon, including 166 after half.

* Check out the attached Nebraska Games Notes PDF for more notes