Going Deep: Moos Embraces Iowa as Rival

One of the newest members of the Nebraska Athletics Department has weighed in on the topic of whether the Huskers should continue to establish Iowa as their Big Ten Conference football rival.

Given his name and job title, Nebraska fans should probably hear what Bill Moos has to say, too.

“I’m going to really push to establish Iowa as being our rival,” said Moos, hired in October as Nebraska’s Director of Athletics.

“Since we came into the Big Ten, we’ve needed a rivalry game, and I’ve already been to the Big Ten and talked to them about that, so hopefully we can keep that Black Friday game and have that be Iowa each year.”

Moos made those comments Monday night on the Huskers Sports Network’s Sports Nightly program, broadcast live from Hop Cat restaurant in the Lincoln Haymarket District.

Nebraska (4-7, 3-5 Big Ten Conference) hosts Iowa (5-6, 3-5) at 3 p.m. Friday at Memorial Stadium in the Huskers’ season finale. Nebraska will be playing on the day after Thanksgiving for a 28th consecutive season, with Iowa the opponent for a seventh straight year.

That streak will end in 2020 and 2021, when Minnesota will become Nebraska’s fourth season-ending opponent since 1990, joining Oklahoma, Colorado and Iowa.

Moos isn’t the only one on Nebraska’s staff who believes Iowa should again emerge as Nebraska’s final foe each season.

“Don’t you guys think that is what it should be? I mean, it feels right,” Nebraska football coach Mike Riley said. “Whatever amount of time we have been in the Big Ten, with the proximity there, it just seems like a lot of common ground there, and it is right over there that it feels like it should be embraced in that way.

“I think in due time, the whole division will feel like that, but I think there is a special quality with Iowa that should only grow.”

Nebraska and Iowa have split six meetings since the Huskers joined the Big Ten, with each team boasting a 2-1 record in the other team’s home stadium. The Hawkeyes have won two straight in the series, which features the traveling HyVee Heroes Game Trophy as the reward for the winner. 

At least one Nebraska senior, playing Iowa for the final time, considers the Hawkeyes the Huskers’ main rival.

“Come on now, who really likes Iowa?” receiver De’Mornay Pierson-El said. “Of course it’s a rivalry. It is what it is.”

Early Impressions

In his first week on the job, Moos toured Nebraska’s athletics facilities, courtesy Bob Burton, senior associate athletic director for facilities and capital planning.

“We went 5 ½ hours,” Moos said, “and we were only half done. That kind of says a lot.”

Moos conceded some sports could use upgrades, but across the board he was “really impressed” by what he saw.

“I ate at the training table, and I had to stop because I gained 7 pounds in one week,” Moos said. “I need to make an appointment with a nutritionist.”

Moos also reflected on his first Nebraska volleyball match, against Purdue, before the accustomed sellout crowd of nearly 9,000 at the Devaney Sport Center. He called it a “championship caliber” program with “very knowledgeable fans” in support.

“I was blown away,” Moos said. “I’d heard it was something very special.”

Volleyball coach John Cook had already had Moos visit with his team only a day or so after Moos was hired.

“I said you’re the post child for what I want us to be in athletics across the board,” Moos said.

As for football, Moos acknowledged Nebraska, which enters its season finale on a three-game losing streak and will miss a bowl game for only the third time since 1969, has had a disappointing season, which he deems unacceptable.

“We’re all disappointed our record is what it is. I’ve had a chance to talk to coach Riley on a number of occasions,” Moos said. “It’s a disappointing season, but it’s always good to finish on a high note, and we can still do that here at home.”

 

Spielman All-American Candidate

While Nebraska’s team has failed to meet expectations, a couple of receivers could put the finishing touches on outstanding seasons Friday.

Junior receiver Stanley Morgan Jr., who has 912 receiving yards, can become the first Nebraska player in school history to reach 1,000 receiving yards in one season.

Following closely in Morgan’s footsteps is redshirt freshman receiver JD Spielman, who’s making a very strong case for freshman All-American honors.

Spielman set the Nebraska single-game receiving record with 200 yards against Ohio State. That’s the most receiving yards by a freshman this season among Football Bowl Subdivision schools.

With six receptions for 96 yards last week at Penn State, Spielman increased his season totals to 55 catches for 830 yards and four touchdowns. The reception and yardages numbers easily are Nebraska freshman records, previously set by Nate Swift in 2005.

Among FBS freshmen, Spielman ranks first in receiving yards, second in receptions and second in all-purpose yards. And in Big Ten games only, Spielman leads all conference players by averaging 88.1 receiving yards per game. The only person even within 10 yards of that average? That would be Morgan.

Let’s also not forget Spielman returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in his first career game, a 43-36 victory over Arkansas State. He’s averaging 24.8 yards per kickoff return.

 

Remembering Bob Elliott

Nebraska will take a moment Friday to remember Bob Elliott, the longtime college football assistant who coached at both Iowa and Nebraska. He died of cancer in July at age 64.

Elliott was an Iowa alum who grew up in Iowa City. He played defensive back for the Hawkeyes from 1972-75 when he was a two-time Academic All-American, and worked as a graduate assistant for his alma mater before rising to the position of defensive coordinator under legendary coach Hayden Fry.

Elliott coached collegiately for 38 years at Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Notre Dame and, mostly recently, Nebraska. Riley hired Elliott in February as safeties coach, a position Elliott had to relinquish when his cancer returned. He served as a defensive analyst before his death.

Elliott’s wife, Joey; son, Grant; daughter, Jessica and her husband, Kyle, will be recognized on the field between the first and second quarters. His family asks fans to consider giving blood or signing up for the bone marrow registry.

“Bob was the recipient of this kind of hope," Joey Elliott said, "and we had so many great memories added to our family because of it."

Reach Brian at brosenthal@huskers.com or follow him on Twitter @GBRosenthal.