Huskers and No. 9 Badgers Meet Saturday Night on BTN

GAME 6: NEBRASKA vs. WISCONSIN
OCT. 7, 2017 | MEMORIAL STADIUM
LINCOLN, NEB. | 7 p.m. (CT)

BROADCAST INFO
TV - BTN
RADIO - Husker Sports Network
SATELLITE RADIO - Sirius Channel 81, XM 81
INTERNET RADIO - Huskers.com

HUSKERS
Record: 3-2, 2-0 Big Ten
Last Game: def. Illinois, 28-6
Rankings: NR
Coach: Mike Riley
Career/NU Record: 111-93 (17th Year)/18-13 (3rd Year) 
vs. Wisconsin: 1-3

BADGERS
Record: 4-0, 1-0 Big Ten
Last Game: def. Northwestern, 33-24
Rankings: AP-9; Coaches-8
Coach: Paul Chryst
Career/WIS Record: 44-25 (6th Year)/25-6 (3rd Year)
vs. Nebraska: 2-0

The Matchup
Nebraska returns to Lincoln for a difficult two-game homestand at Memorial Stadium, beginning with a Saturday night matchup against No. 9 Wisconsin. The Big Ten West Division showdown is set for shortly after 7 p.m. CT, with national television coverage on BTN and radio coverage on the IMG Husker Sports Network.

The Huskers come into the game with a 3-2 record and a 2-0 mark in the Big Ten Conference following a 28-6 win against Illinois last Friday. The Huskers continued to play outstanding defense in the victory, holding Illinois to just two field goals and 199 total yards. The Blackshirt defense has allowed just 23 points in its past 14 quarters of football. The Husker offense also excelled at Illinois, scoring touchdowns on all three of its first half possessions.

Wisconsin will bring a perfect 4-0 record and a 1-0 mark in Big Ten play to Lincoln. The Badgers opened conference play with a 33-24 victory over Northwestern on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium. Coach Paul Chryst's squad is ranked ninth in the Associated Press Poll this week and No. 8 according to the USA Today Coaches Poll.

The Badgers feature a balanced offensive attack, averaging 233 yards on the ground and 226 yards per game through the air. Wisconsin also features one of the Big Ten's top defenses, allowing just 13.5 points and 247.0 yards per game.

Nebraska Football Top 10
• Nebraska is 892-374-40 all-time, one of only 10 schools with 800 wins.

• The Cornhuskers rank fourth all-time with their 892 victories.

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

• The Huskers have won 46 conference championships.

• Nebraska’s 53 all-time bowl appearances rank second in NCAA history.

• 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 357 consecutive sellouts.

Nebraska-Wisconsin Series
• Nebraska and Wisconsin are playing for the Freedom Trophy for their fourth season in 2017. 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 six times since the Huskers joined the Big Ten in 2011, with the Badgers holding a 5-1 advantage. The teams have split two games in Lincoln.

Riley, Chryst Share Long History
Nebraska Head Coach Mike Riley and Wisconsin head man Paul Chryst are both in their third seasons at their respective schools, but have a long history.

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 Interim Director of Athletics Dave Rimington served as a graduate assistant coach at Wisconsin under Barry Alvarez. Rimington was on the Wisconsin staff in the early 1990s, helping the Badgers to the 1993 Rose Bowl. Rimington earned a master's degree in international business from Wisconsin in 1992. 

• 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, Badgers Have Recent History of Late-Game Drama
The two most recent meetings between Nebraska and Wisconsin have provided for dramatic finishes.

Wisconsin escaped the 2015 game in Lincoln with a 23-21 victory after connecting on a field goal in the game's final seconds. Nebraska had taken the lead in the final four minutes of the contest, before losing in the waning seconds. That loss was one of four games in 2015 Nebraska lost on the opponent's final play or in overtime. 

Last season, No. 7 Nebraska lost a 23-17 overtime decision to the 11th-ranked Badgers in Madison. The Huskers rallied from a 17-7 fourth-quarter deficit to force the extra session, but the Badgers prevailed in overtime. 

• The two most recent matchups between Nebraska and Wisconsin in Lincoln (2012, 2015) have been decided by a total of five points.

Riley Hopes for Continued Success vs. Ranked Opponents
Nebraska will likely face back-to-back ranked teams in its next two games. Wisconsin is ranked ninth in the Associated Press Poll heading into this week's game. Ohio State will visit Memorial Stadium on Oct. 14 and is currently ranked No. 10th in the country.

• Mike Riley-coached teams have 16 wins over ranked teams in his 17 seasons as a college coach, 14 at Oregon State and Husker wins over Michigan State in 2015 and Oregon in 2016.

• The 2015 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 Look to Defeat Top-10 Foe in Lincoln
The opportunity against a top-10 opponent at Memorial Stadium is not a new occasion for Nebraska.

• The win over No. 6 Michigan State in 2015 was Nebraska's first over a top-10 opponent since a 24-3 victory over No. 9 Michigan State in 2011. 

• An unranked Nebraska team has defeated a top 10 foe three times in school history, most recently the 2015 win over MSU.  

• Nebraska has won six of its past nine matchups against ranked teams at Memorial Stadium dating back to 2009. 

• Nebraska has won three of its past four gameas at Memorial Stadium against top-10 opponents dating back to 2010. 

• The Huskers are 3-2 against ranked Big Ten teams at Memorial Stadium since 2011.

Nebraska Looks to Extend Prime-Time Home Dominance
Memorial Stadium is always a tough environment for visiting teams in Lincoln. That is never more true than in night games at Memorial Stadium.

The Huskers have won 20 straight home night games in Lincoln. NU is 46-5 all-time in Memorial Stadium night games. Included in the 20-game home night win streak was a 30-27 win over Wisconsin in 2012.

• The Huskers’ dominance at night in Lincoln has been impressive, as 33 of the home night wins have been by at least 13 points.

• Nebraska’s five losses in home night games have all come against teams that won at least 10 games in that season (Washington, 1991; Texas, 2002; USC, 2007; Virginia Tech and Missouri, 2008).

• Nebraska is 1-0 in home night games this season, defeating Arkansas State 43-36 in the season opener.

• Nebraska's most recent loss in a night game at Memorial Stadium came against No. 4 Missouri in 2008.

Nebraska to Honor 1997 National Title Team
Nebraska will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 1997 national championship team this weekend, including a Friday night banquet and recognition on the field on Saturday.

• The 1997 Huskers (13-0) won the fifth national title in school history and third in four years. Nebraska was voted No. 1 in the coaches' poll, while Michigan (12-0) was voted No. 1 in the Associated Press poll.

• The 1997 season marked Tom Osborne's final season on the Husker sideline, as the Hall-of-Fame coach capped his career with a 42-17 win over No. 3 Tennessee in the Orange Bowl. 

• Nebraska's senior class capped a remarkable run with its 1997 national title. In their four seasons, the Husker seniors compiled a 49-2 record with three undefeated national championship seasons.

13 Numbers on NU's 13-0 1997 Season

255—Head Coach Tom Osborne capped his Hall of Fame career in 1997 with his third national title, finishing his 25-year career with 255 victories.

60—Nebraska’s 1997 season culminated a five-year run that saw the Huskers post a 60-3 record and win three national championships.

30—NU’s average margin of victory in its 13 wins, including eight victory of 28 points or more. 

513.7—Nebraska’s total offense per game average which ranked first in the country.

392.7—Nebraska ranked first in the nation by averaging 392.7 yards rushing per game. NU ran for at least 335 yards in all 13 games.

47.1—Nebraska led the nation in scoring, averaging better than 47 points per game. The Huskers scored at least 42 points eight times in 1997.

17—Nebraska had 17 individual 100-yard rushing games in 1997, including 12 by I-back Ahman Green.

1,000—Senior quarterback Scott Frost topped 1,000 yards both rushing and receiving and was the first Husker to accomplish that feat. 

44—The Nebraska defense recorded 44 sacks during the season, including eight games with at least four sacks of opposing quarterbacks.

257.3—Nebraska allowed opponents 257.3 yards of total offense per game to rank fifth nationally in total defense. The Huskers held eight opponents to 260 or fewer yards.

73.4—The Blackshirts allowed opponents to rush for an average of 73.4 yards per game and ranked third in the nation in rush defense. Five opponents gained less than 50 yards rushing in 1997. 

3—Nebraska had three first-team All-Americans in 1997—offensive guard Aaron Taylor, defensive tackle Jason Peter and defensive end Grant Wistrom. Ahman Green earned second-team All-America honors. 

2—Senior Grant Wistrom and junior Joel Makovicka earned first-team CoSIDA Academic All-America honors during the 1997 season. 

Husker Great Dave Rimington Serving at Interim A.D.
Dave Rimington, a native of Omaha and a two-time Husker All-American, is serving as Nebraska's Interim Director of Athletics. Rimington was named to the post by Chancellor Ronnie Green on Tuesday, Sept. 26.

Widely considered to be the greatest center in college football history, Rimington is president of the New York-based Boomer Esiason Foundation. He has agreed to take a leave of absence from the foundation to lead Nebraska Athletics on an interim basis. The appointment is scheduled for up to 60 days.

A four-year letter winner at Nebraska, Rimington is the only player to win the Outland Trophy in consecutive years – 1981 and 1982 – and is among the most decorated offensive linemen in college football history. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of fame in 1997 and is one of just 25 Huskers to have his jersey retired.

Riley in Third Season at Helm of Husker Program
Head Coach Mike Riley is in his third season as the Nebraska head coach in 2017. Riley has guided the Huskers to an 18-13 record.

• Riley is in his 26th season as a head coach, tying for the second-most experience of any FBS head coach entering the 2017 season.

• Riley is one of eight active FBS head coaches who also has experience as an NFL head coach.

• Riley owns 16 victories over nationally ranked opponents during his college head coaching tenure.

Jaimes Joins Rare Club for NU Offensive Linemen
True freshman Brenden Jaimes earned his first career start against Rutgers. Jaimes started at right tackle where senior David Knevel and redshirt freshman Matt Farniok were both limited by injury.

A native of Austin, Texas, Jaimes became just the fifth true freshman offensive lineman to start a game at Nebraska since 1972, and the first since 2011. Jaimes is also just the 11th offensive lineman to play at Nebraska as a true freshman.

The status of Knevel and Farniok for this week's game at Illinois remains uncertain.

True Freshman OL Starters in Nebraska History (Since 1972)
• Matt Slauson, OG (3 games, 2005)
• Jacob Hickman, C (1 game, 2006)
• Javorio Burkes, OT (3 games, 2007)
• Tyler Moore, OT (4 games, 2011)
• Brenden Jaimes, OT (2 game, 2017)

Nebraska's full notes package can be found in the PDF file at the top of this page