Huskers and Boilermakers Meet Tonight on BTN

GAME 8: NEBRASKA at PURDUE
OCT. 28, 2017 | ROSS-ADE STADIUM
WEST LAFAYETTE, IND. | 6:30 p.m. (CT)

BROADCAST INFO
TV - BTN
RADIO - Husker Sports Network
SATELLITE RADIO - Sirius Channel 135, XM 195
INTERNET RADIO - Huskers.com

HUSKERS
Record: 3-4, 2-2 Big Ten
Last Game: lost to Ohio State, 56-14
Rankings: NR
Coach: Mike Riley
Career/NU Record: 111-95 (17th Year)/18-15 (3rd Year) 
vs. Purdue: 1-1

BOILERMAKERS
Record: 3-4, 1-3 Big Ten
Last Game: lost to Rutgers, 14-12
Rankings: NR
Coach: Jeff Brohm
Career/PU Record: 33-14 (4th Year)/3-4 (1st Year)
vs. Nebraska: first meeting

The Matchup
Nebraska returns to action following a bye week, as it travels to West Lafayette, Ind., to take on the Purdue Boilermakers in a Big Ten West division matchup. The game will kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT (7:30 p.m. local) from Purdue's Ross-Ade Stadium. Television coverage will be provided by BTN, with radio coverage on the IMG Husker Sports Network.

The Huskers head to West Lafayette with a 3-4 record and a 2-2 mark in Big Ten play, following consecutive setbacks against top-10 foes Wisconsin and Ohio State, prior to a bye week. The Huskers remain in a tie for second place in the West Divsiion with its 2-2 league mark, and has four remaining games against divisional opponents in the final five weeks, beginning with Saturday's game at Purdue.

Purdue has shown signs of being one of the nation's most improved teams in 2017, particularly at home at Ross-Ade Stadium. The Boilermakers have posted a 3-4 record and a 1-3 Big Ten mark in their first season under Head Coach Jeff Brohm. Purdue has posted a 2-1 record at home this season with their only setbak against nationally ranked Michigan.

Purdue is coming off a narrow 14-12 loss at Rutgers on Saturday, in a game the Boilermakers dominated statistically, outgaining Rutgers 474 yards to 217 yards. Three of the Boilermakers' four losses this season have come against teams that were nationally ranked at game time, with two of those losses by eight or fewer points.

Nebraska Football Top 10
• Nebraska is 892-376-40 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 359 consecutive sellouts.

Nebraska- Purdue Series
• Nebraska holds a 3-1 edge in the series as Big Ten opponents.

• The Huskers and Purdue are both members of the West Division and meet each year. The schools were in opposite divisions of the Big Ten from 2011 to 2013.  

• Prior to the first meeting as Big Ten opponents in 2013, the schools had not met since 1958.

Moos Named Nebraska Athletic Director
Bill Moos, a distinguished leader in collegiate athletics who elevated programs at the Oregon and Washington State to national prominence, was named Nebraska’s athletic director on Sunday, Oct. 15.

Moos, who had been director of athletics at Washington State since 2010, began his tenure in Lincoln on Monday, Oct. 23.

In his seven years at Washington State, Moos secured a 10-year, $35 million marketing rights agreement with IMG College and led a $130 million addition and remodel of WSU’s football stadium. He was in a leading position in securing the conference’s 12-year, $3 billion television contract with Fox and ESPN. In Moos’ time in Pullman, the Cougar Athletic Fund’s Annual Giving program has seen an 81 percent increase in gifts. From 2010-16, Cougar student-athletes and coaches earned 805 academic all-conference honors, 130 all-conference selections, 45 All-America accolades and three Pac-12 coach-of-the-year honors.

Moos led Oregon’s athletics from 1995-2007, during which time the athletic department grew to national prominence – its annual budget rose from $18.5 million in his first year to more than $40 million by 2007 and became self-sufficient. In Moos’ Oregon tenure, the Ducks won 13 Pac-10 championships in six different sports; and UO student-athletes earned 722 academic all-conference selections, 34 Academic All-America selections, nine NCAA post Graduate Scholars and one NCAA Top VIII Award.

Moos came to Oregon after five years as the University of Montana’s director of athletics. He began his career in 1982 as assistant athletic director at Washington State and also was the school’s associate director. He was director of development for more than five years and associate director for nearly two, supervising all external operations. For eight years prior to that, he managed and owned private businesses in Washington and Oregon.

Raised on a wheat and cattle ranch in eastern Washington, Moos went to high school in Olympia when his father was in the governor’s cabinet. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history in Pullman and was a three-year letterman in football. He co-captained Washington State’s 1972 team and was first-team All-Pac-8. He and his wife Kendra have three daughters, Christa, Brittany and Kaiti; and two sons, Bo and Benjamin

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 18-15 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.

Veterans Leading Young 2017 Husker Team
The 2017 version of Nebraska football is one of the youngest teams in the Big Ten Conference. Coupled with that youth, Nebraska does feature several players with extensive starting experience. Six players have at least 20 career starts at Nebraska, led by place-kicker Drew Brown.

Overall, Nebraska has 19 players with at least 10 collegiate starts, including quarterback Tanner Lee, who made 19 starts at Tulane and has started each game in 2017 with the Huskers.

Numerous Huskers Make First Career Starts in 2017
Due to injuries and youth, Nebraska has had a number of players make their first career starts in 2017. Most recently, Nebraska saw redshirt freshman defensive back Dicaprio Bootle shift from cornerback to safety and make his first career start against Ohio State, while receiver Conor Young also make his first career start against the Buckeyes.

The starts by Bootle and Young brought Nebraska's first-time starters total in 2017 to 15 players.

First-Time starters in 2017
• Luke Gifford, LB (7)
• Eric Lee Jr., CB (6)
• Tyler Hoppes, TE (6)
• Connor Ketter, TE (6)
• Brenden Jaimes, Fr., OT (4)
• Michael Decker, So., C (4)
• Mikale Wilbon, Jr., IB (4)
• JD Spielman, RFr., WR (3)
• Sedrick King, Jr., LB (3)
• Tre Bryant, IB (2)
• Matt Farniok, RFr., OT (2)
• Gabe Rahn, Sr., WR (1)
• Ben Stille, RFr., LB (1)
• Dicaprio Bootle, RFr., DB (1)
• Conor Young, So., WR (1)

Jaimes Joins Rare Club for NU Offensive Linemen
True freshman Brenden Jaimes earned his first career start against Rutgers and has continued to hold down the right tackle position the past three games. Jaimes originally started at right tackle where senior David Knevel and redshirt freshman Matt Farniok were out with injury, but has continued to hold the No. 1 spot after those two have returned.

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.

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 (4 games, 2017)

Injuries Take Early Toll on 2017 Huskers
Nebraska is hopeful of a much healthier second half of the 2017 season. The injury hits started in the summer when All-America candidate cornerback Chris Jones was sidelined with a knee injury. Jones returned against Wisconsin in a part-time role at cornerback, and was back in the starting lineup against Ohio State.

Nebraska running back starter Tre Bryant went down with a knee injury after two games and has missed the past five games. His availability for the remainder of 2017 remains uncertain. 

Nebraska was also without Joshua Kalu (S), and Marcus Newby (LB) for several weeks, before they returned against Wisconsin. Starters and key reserves Mikale Wilbon (IB), Aaron Williams (S), Antonio Reed (S), David Knevel (RT), Cole Conrad (C), Stanley Morgan Jr. (WR), Matt Farniok (RT), Bryan Reimers (WR) and Tyrin Ferguson (LB) have all missed time as well. 

• Through seven games, Nebraska has lost 23 games by projected starters to injury.

Projected starters games missed
• Chris Jones, Sr., CB, 5 games
• David Knevel, Sr., OT, 3 games
• Joshua Kalu, Sr., S, 3 games
• Tre Bryant, So., RB, 5 games
• Marcus Newby, Sr., LB, 2 games
• Stanley Morgan Jr., Jr., WR, 1 game
• Cole Conrad, Jr., C, 1 game
• Mikale Wilbon, Jr., RB, 1 game
• Aaron Williams, Jr., S, 1 game
• Antonio Reed, Jr., S, 1 game

NU Features Triple Threat of Wideouts in Passing Attack
Nebraska began the season with the luxury of two veteran and proven pass catchers to lead the receiving corps. Senior De'Mornay Pierson-El and junior Stanley Morgan Jr. both had extensive playing experience entering 2017.

That duo has had a strong first half of the 2017 season, and redshirt freshman JD Spielman has emerged to give Nebraska three dangerous receiving options. 

Morgan has 33 receptions for 540 yards and six touchdowns, despite missing the Rutgers game. Spielman is coming off a Nebraska record 200-yard receiving day on 11 catches against Ohio State. He has 31 receptions for 475 yards in 2017. Pierson-El has caught 26 passes for 371 yards and four touchdowns.  

• Morgan ranks second in the Big Ten in receiving yards (540), second in receiving yards per game (90.0 ypg), third in receiving touchdowns (6) and is tied for first in 100-yard games (3). 

• The 540 receiving yards by Morgan through the team's first seven games is the third-most in NU history through seven contests. His 33 catches through seven games are tied for the fifth-most in school history.

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