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Nebraska Cornhuskers football

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Nebraska Cornhuskers football
2024 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
First season1890; 134 years ago
Athletic directorTroy Dannen
Head coachMatt Rhule
2nd season, 11–13 (.458)
StadiumMemorial Stadium
(capacity: 85,458[1]
record: 91,585[2])
Field surfaceFieldTurf
LocationLincoln, Nebraska
NCAA divisionDivision I FBS
ConferenceBig Ten
Past conferencesWIUFA
(1892–1897)
Big Eight
(1907–1918; 1921–1995)
Big 12
(1996–2010)
All-time record923–430–40 (.677)
Bowl record26–27 (.491)
Claimed national titles5 (1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997)
Unclaimed national titles7 (1915, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1993)
Conference titles46
Division titles10
RivalriesColorado (rivalry)
Kansas (rivalry)
Kansas State (rivalry)
Miami (FL) (rivalry)
Minnesota (rivalry)
Missouri (rivalry)
Oklahoma (rivalry)
Wisconsin (rivalry)
Heisman winnersJohnny Rodgers – 1972
Mike Rozier – 1983
Eric Crouch – 2001
Consensus All-Americans54[3]
Current uniform
ColorsScarlet and cream[4]
   
Fight songHail Varsity
MascotHerbie Husker
Lil' Red
Marching bandCornhusker Marching Band
OutfitterAdidas
Websitehuskers.com

The Nebraska Cornhuskers football team competes as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, representing the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the Big Ten Conference. Nebraska has played its home games at Memorial Stadium since 1923 and sold out every game at the venue since 1962.[5]

Nebraska is among the most storied programs in college football history and has the eighth-most all-time victories among FBS teams.[6] NU has won forty-six conference championships and five national championships (1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, and 1997), along with seven other national titles the school does not claim. Its 1971 and 1995 title-winning teams are considered among the best ever.[7][8] Nebraska's three Heisman Trophy winners – Johnny Rodgers, Mike Rozier, and Eric Crouch – join twenty-four other Cornhuskers in the College Football Hall of Fame.[9]

The program's first extended period of success came just after the turn of the twentieth century. Between 1900 and 1916, Nebraska had five undefeated seasons and completed a stretch of thirty-four games without a loss, still a program record.[10] Despite a span of twenty-one conference championships in thirty-four seasons, the Cornhuskers did not experience major national success until Bob Devaney was hired in 1962. Devaney won two national championships and eight conference titles in eleven seasons as head coach, but perhaps his most lasting achievement was the hiring of Tom Osborne as offensive coordinator in 1969.[11] Osborne was named Devaney's successor in 1973 and over the next twenty-five years established himself as one of the best coaches in college football history with his trademark I-formation offense and revolutionary strength, conditioning, and nutrition programs.[12][13][14] Following Osborne's retirement in 1997, Nebraska cycled through five head coaches before hiring Matt Rhule in 2022.[15]

History

[edit]
Main article: History of Nebraska Cornhuskers football

Seasons

[edit]
Main article: List of Nebraska Cornhuskers football seasons

Conference affiliations

[edit]

Head coaches

[edit]
Tom Osborne coached Nebraska from 1973 to 1997, winning 255 games and three national championships
Main article: List of Nebraska Cornhuskers head football coaches

Nebraska has had thirty-one head coaches in the program's history, with five others coaching at least one game on a non-permanent basis. The program has been coached by Matt Rhule since 2023.

Seven past Nebraska head coaches have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame: Edward N. Robinson, Fielding H. Yost, Dana X. Bible, Biff Jones, Bob Devaney, Tom Osborne, and Frank Solich. Osborne is the program's all-time leader in most major categories; his 0.836 career winning percentage is fifth-highest in major college football history.[17] Thirteen Nebraska coaches have won a conference championship at the school, and Devaney and Osborne combined to win five national titles.

Championships

[edit]

National championships

[edit]

Nebraska has won five consensus national championships.[18] The first of these came in 1970 under the leadership of head coach Bob Devaney and featured a unique quarterback rotation between Van Brownson and Jerry Tagge.[19] Nebraska entered the 1971 Orange Bowl ranked third nationally, but losses by No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Ohio State – along with a late game-winning touchdown rush by Tagge – gave NU its first consensus title. The Cornhuskers repeated as national champion the following season with Tagge as the full-time starter, a team that is often considered one of the best in college football history.[20] Nebraska was challenged just once all season, a 35–31 victory over No. 2 Oklahoma in Norman that was billed the "Game of the Century."[20] Wins over Colorado and Alabama (the latter in the 1972 Orange Bowl) made NU the only national champion to defeat the teams that finished No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 in the final AP poll.[20]

Tom Osborne replaced Devaney in 1973, and despite several near-misses, did not win his first national title until over two decades into his tenure.[a] Nebraska's 1994 title-winning season, nearly derailed when star quarterback Tommie Frazier was sidelined with blood clots in September, was capped by a 24–17 victory over Miami in the Orange Bowl.[21] With Frazier at full strength the following season, NU repeated as national champion; its 62–24 Fiesta Bowl victory over Florida was the largest margin of victory in a national title game until 2023. The team is often considered among the best in college football history.[22][23] Osborne's final title came in 1997, two years later. The most significant moment of the season was a game-tying touchdown against Missouri that became known as the "Flea Kicker."[24] Top-ranked Nebraska won the game in overtime, but was jumped in both major polls by Michigan. Postseason wins over Texas A&M and Tennessee vaulted NU back ahead of the Wolverines in the Coaches Poll, though not the AP Poll, sharing the national championship.

Year Coach Record Bowl Result Final AP Final Coaches
1970 Bob Devaney 11–0–1 Orange W 17–12 vs. LSU No. 1 No. 3[b]
1971 13–0 Orange W 38–6 vs. Alabama No. 1 No. 1
1994 Tom Osborne 13–0 Orange (Bowl Coalition National Championship Game) W 24–17 vs. Miami (FL) No. 1 No. 1
1995 12–0 Fiesta (Bowl Alliance National Championship Game) W 62–24 vs. Florida No. 1 No. 1
1997 13–0 Orange (Bowl Alliance National Championship Game) W 42–17 vs. Tennessee No. 2 No. 1

Unclaimed national championships

Nebraska has been awarded seven other national championships from NCAA-designated major selectors the school does not claim.[18]

Year Coach Record Bowl Result Selector
1915 Ewald O. Stiehm 8–0 – – BR
1980 Tom Osborne 10–2 Sun W 31–17 vs. Mississippi State FACT
1981 9–3 Orange L 22–15 vs. Clemson NCF
1982 12–1 Orange W 21–20 vs. LSU Berryman QPRS
1983 12–1 Orange L 31–30 vs. Miami (FL) Berryman QPRS, DeS, FACT, L, MGR, Poling System, Sagarin
1984 10–2 Sugar W 28–10 vs. LSU L
1993 11–1 Orange L 18–16 vs. Florida State NCF

Conference championships

[edit]

Nebraska has won forty-six conference championships. The earliest of these came in the short-lived Western Interstate University Football Association, one of college football's first conferences, which NU participated in for six seasons with Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri.[25] The conference dissolved in 1897 and NU spent the next decade as an independent until the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association – which became the Big Eight – was founded in 1907. Nebraska dominated the MVIAA in its early years, winning nine championships in twelve years before leaving the conference in 1919 to again play as an independent. NU rejoined in 1921 and won the conference twelve times before 1940. Following Biff Jones's departure to become the athletic director at Army in 1941, NU went twenty-two seasons without a conference championship.

Devaney was hired in 1962 and quickly turned NU into a powerhouse, winning eight conference titles and two national titles during his eleven years as head coach. Osborne succeeded him in 1973 and won thirteen conference championships; the late-season meeting between Nebraska and Oklahoma often became a de-facto Big Eight championship game, as the two schools combined to win at least a share of the conference title thirty-three times during Devaney and Osborne's combined thirty-six-year tenure.[7] Osborne's final conference championship was a victory in the 1997 Big 12 Championship Game in the second year of its existence. Nebraska won the Big 12 again two years later, its most recent conference championship.

Year Coach Overall Conf.
WIUFA (1892–1897)
1894† Frank Crawford 6–2 2–1
1895† Charles Thomas 6–3 2–1
1897 Edward N. Robinson 5–1 3–0
MVIAA (1907–1927)
1907† W. C. Cole 8–2 1–0
1910 7–1 2–0
1911† Ewald O. Stiehm 5–1–2 2–0–1
1912† 7–1 2–0
1913† 8–0 3–0
1914 7–0–1 3–0
1915 8–0 4–0
1916 E. J. Stewart 6–2 3–1
1917 5–2 2–0
1921 Fred Dawson 7–1 3–0
1922 7–1 5–0
1923 4–2–2 3–0–2
Big Six Conference (1928–1947)
1928 Ernest Bearg 7–1–1 4–0
1929 Dana X. Bible 4–1–3 3–0–2
1931 8–2 5–0
1932 7–1–1 5–0
1933 8–1 5–0
1935 6–2–1 4–0–1
1936 7–2 5–0
1937 Biff Jones 6–1–2 3–0–2
1940 8–2 5–0
Big Eight Conference (1960–1995)
1963 Bob Devaney 10–1 7–0
1964 9–2 6–1
1965 10–1 7–0
1966 9–2 6–1
1969† 9–2 6–1
1970 11–0–1 7–0
1971 13–0 7–0
1972[c] 9–2–1 5–1–1
1975† Tom Osborne 10–2 6–1
1978† 9–3 6–1
1981 9–3 7–0
1982 12–1 7–0
1983 12–1 7–0
1984† 10–2 6–1
1988 11–2 7–0
1991† 9–2–1 6–0–1
1992 9–3 6–1
1993 11–1 7–0
1994 13–0 7–0
1995 12–0 7–0
Big 12 Conference (1996–2010)
1997 Tom Osborne 13–0 8–0
1999 Frank Solich 12–1 7–1

Division championships

[edit]

Nebraska won ten division championships. Nine of these were in the Big 12's North Division, which NU played in until its departure for the Big Ten in 2011. Nebraska won one division title across thirteen seasons in the Big Ten's Leaders Division and West Division; the conference disbanded its divisions prior to the 2024 season.[27]

Year Coach Overall Conf. Conf. championship game
Big 12 Conference (North Division) (1996–2010)
1996 Tom Osborne 11–2 8–0 L 37–27 vs. Texas
1997 13–0 8–0 W 54–15 vs. Texas A&M
1999 Frank Solich 12–1 7–1 W 22–6 vs. Texas
2000† 10–2 6–2 Lost tiebreaker to Kansas State
2001† 11–2 7–1 Lost tiebreaker to Colorado
2006 Bill Callahan 9–5 6–2 L 21–7 vs. Oklahoma
2008† Bo Pelini 9–4 5–3 Lost tiebreaker to Missouri
2009 10–4 6–2 L 13–12 vs. Texas
2010† 10–4 6–2 L 23–20 vs. Oklahoma
Big Ten Conference (Legends Division) (2011–2013)
2012 Bo Pelini 10–4 7–1 L 70–31 vs. Wisconsin

† Co-champion

Bowl games

[edit]
Main article: List of Nebraska Cornhuskers bowl games

Nebraska has played in fifty-three bowl games, including a then-record thirty-five straight from 1969 to 2003, with a record of 26–27.[28]

Nebraska declined an invitation to play in the second-ever Rose Bowl Game following the 1915 season and did not make its bowl debut until 1941. Twenty-one years later, Bob Devaney's first season ended with the first bowl victory in program history, a 36–34 victory over Miami (FL) in the 1962 Gotham Bowl.[28] During Devaney's tenure, Nebraska began a stretch of thirty-five consecutive seasons with a bowl appearance, a streak that ended in 2004. The program regularly featured in the Orange Bowl due to the Big Eight's bowl affiliations, playing in the game seventeen times between 1954 and 1997, first against SEC opposition and later against the ACC.[28]

Memorial Stadium

[edit]
Main article: Memorial Stadium (Lincoln)
Nebraska vs. USC at Memorial Stadium on Sept. 15, 2007

Memorial Stadium, known as The Sea of Red, has been home of the Cornhuskers since 1923 and is the location of an ongoing NCAA-record 403-game sellout streak. The sellout streak dates back to 1962, Bob Devaney's first season at Nebraska.[29][30] The stadium becomes the "third-largest city in Nebraska" on game days, as its capacity exceeds that of every Nebraska town except for Omaha and Lincoln.[31]

The stadium has undergone a series of expansion since 1923, bringing the official capacity to 85,458.[1] The largest crowd in Memorial Stadium history occurred on September 20, 2014, a Nebraska win over Miami with an announced attendance of 91,585.[2]

Three statues sit outside of the stadium. The oldest, unveiled in 1997, depicts six Nebraska defenders tackling a ball carrier.[32] Creator Fred Hoppe said, "the monument displays the sense of pride that Nebraskans have for their football team." In 2006, Hoppe created a statue of Tom Osborne with his arm around quarterback Brook Berringer, which is located outside the Osborne Athletic Complex.[33] On August 30, 2013, a bronze statue of Bob Devaney was unveiled at the main entrance of the newly remodeled east stadium. Sculptor Joe Putjenter also created the Tunnel Walk gates inside the stadium.[34]

Before the construction of Memorial Stadium, Nebraska played its home games at Antelope Park and Nebraska Field.

Traditions

[edit]

Gameday traditions

The Tunnel Walk in 2013

Since 1993, Nebraska's home games have opened with the "Tunnel Walk" as the team takes the field before kickoff, typically to the Alan Parsons Project instrumental "Sirius." The team first emerged from the southwest corner of the field and later, upon the completion of the Osborne Athletic Complex in 2006, from the northwest corner. When NU's home locker room was moved to the Osborne Legacy Complex in 2023, the team's entrance was moved to the northeast corner of the stadium. The Tunnel Walk is preceded by a "Husker Power" chant – half the stadium chants "Husker" in unison and the other half responds with "Power."[35]

Fans have released red helium balloons when Nebraska scores its first points at home games since the 1930s.[36] Global helium shortages and environmental concerns in recent years have threatened the tradition, which was paused in 2012 and 2022.[37][38]

Walk-on program

NU accepted its first walk-ons in the early 1960s and Tom Osborne began an official program in 1973 when the NCAA reduced the number of scholarships schools could offer.[39] Nebraska stocked its program with walk-ons from across the region throughout Osborne's and Frank Solich's tenures, and as a result the school's rosters were often unusually large – NU had 202 players on its 2002 Rose Bowl team, while opponent Miami had 107.[40] Osborne credited his walk-ons with providing flexibility to better scout future opponents and provided them the same access to training facilities and academic counseling as those with scholarships.[41] Though NU's expansive walk-on program is most frequently associated with Osborne, the school has typically maintained a larger-than-usual roster since his retirement as well.[40][42]

Six former Nebraska walk-ons have become All-Americans and twenty-nine have played in the National Football League.[43]

Uniform history

[edit]

Helmets

Balloon release

Nebraska's first helmet was red with a single white stripe, later changed to plain white with a black number on the side. From 1967 to 1969, the helmet featured a red, offset "NU" on each side. In 1970, this was changed to the now-familiar single "N," although a few "NU" helmets remained as late as 1971. The change was necessitated due to a shortage of "U" stickers, and when the program claimed its first national championship, the single N remained.[44] Aside from a facemask swap from gray to red, the helmet design is unchanged since.

Jerseys

See also: Blackshirts (American football)

The Cornhuskers wore full shoulder stripes in the late 1960s and early 1970s, which were phased out as mesh and tearaway jerseys became popular. From 1980 to 1983, Nebraska's jerseys featured only a block "N" on the sleeves. Stripes and TV numbers were permanently re-added in 1984, although both have decreased in size as jersey sleeves have shortened.[45] A patch was added to the left shoulder to commemorate the hundredth season of Nebraska football in 1989; it remained for future seasons and was altered to read "Nebraska Football: A Winning Tradition."[46] Player last names first appeared on jerseys for road games and bowl games in the late 1970s, but home jerseys remained nameless except for seniors playing their final home game. Last names were permanently affixed to all jerseys in 1988.[45]

Nebraska's defense is often referred to as the "Blackshirts," a reference to the black jerseys worn by starting defensive players during practice. The tradition originated in 1964 when Bob Devaney wanted a way to more quickly distinguish between his various units.[47] Depictions of the Blackshirts often include a skull and crossbones.

Pants

Nebraska traditionally wears white pants at home and red on the road, with rare exceptions. The team first donned red pants with red jerseys for its 1986 contest with Oklahoma; the combination was unofficially retired after a Nebraska loss.[48] Nebraska first wore all-white uniforms in the 1991 Florida Citrus Bowl and again for its first three road games in 1992; NU lost three of these games and "surrender suits," as they became known, were not used again for a decade.[49] Nebraska wore white-on-white in Bill Callahan's final game as head coach, a 65–51 loss to Colorado in 2007, and again on four occasions in 2014.[50]

From 1968 through 1994, Nebraska's pants had two stripes down each side. These were removed prior to the 1995 season and the pants remained stripe-less until 2001. In 2002, Nebraska featured large side panels on its jersey and pants, and wore all-white in every road game – the changes were unpopular among fans and most were reverted, which included the return of pant stripes.[45] Pant stripes were again removed during Scott Frost's tenure as head coach as a tribute to the style from his playing career, and returned following his departure.[51]

Alternate uniforms

Nebraska vs. Wisconsin in alternate uniforms at Memorial Stadium on Sept. 29, 2012

The first documented instance of Nebraska wearing alternate uniforms came against South Dakota in 1920 – the Cornhuskers were forced into blue jerseys when the visiting Coyotes mistakenly brought their home reds to Lincoln.[52] The same situation arose three years later against Oklahoma in the first-ever game at Memorial Stadium.[52] Nebraska celebrated the stadium's hundredth anniversary in 2023, wearing blue-trimmed jerseys to commemorate the occasion.[53]

Nebraska did not use a pre-planned alternate design until 2009, and has used one each season since 2012. Many of these were throwback or "fauxback" uniforms, worn to commemorate past events or championships: 2009 (the 300th consecutive sellout at Memorial Stadium),[54] 2017 (the twentieth anniversary of Nebraska's 1997 national championship),[55] 2018 (the hundredth anniversary of the end of World War I),[56] 2021 (the twentieth anniversary of the September 11 attacks),[57] 2022 (to honor Nebraska's 1983 team),[58] and 2023 (the hundredth anniversary of Memorial Stadium).[53]

Nebraska and Wisconsin played the first "Adidas Unrivaled" game in 2012; both schools wore uniforms featuring block letters instead of front numbers.[59] NU wore black jerseys with white stencil font numbers against UCLA the following year.[60] Nebraska wore an all-red uniform featuring black metallic stripes on the jersey and pants in 2014, and used similar all-black and all-white designs the next two seasons.[61] Nebraska wore Blackshirt-themed alternate uniforms in 2019, featuring a black jersey with a Blackshirts logo on both sleeves.[62] Scott Frost suggested this iteration may become a permanent alternate design to be worn after Nebraska's defense plays particularly well.[63] Nebraska used the uniforms again in 2020, and unveiled a white version to be worn away from home, but has not used either since.[64]

Adidas has been Nebraska's official shoe and uniform sponsor since 1996. In 2017, the school and sponsor signed an eleven-year, $128 million apparel deal.[65]

Rivalries

[edit]

Colorado

[edit]
Main article: Colorado–Nebraska football rivalry

The "rivalry" between Nebraska and Colorado, one-sided for much of its history, gained traction with Colorado's resurgence in the 1990s. The teams have met 71 times, with the series dating back to 1898, a 23–10 Nebraska win. The Cornhuskers lead the series 50–21–2. The "rivalry" began when Bill McCartney dictated that Nebraska would become Colorado's rival by writing their name in red on the schedule when he arrived in 1982.[66] A bison head named Mr. Chip was presented to the winning team throughout the 1950s, but this exchange ended when Colorado misplaced the trophy in 1961.[67] The teams have not played annually since both programs exited the Big 12 in 2011.[citation needed]

Iowa

[edit]
Main article: Iowa–Nebraska football rivalry
Nebraska vs. Iowa at Memorial Stadium on Nov. 25, 2011

The Iowa–Nebraska rivalry debuted in 1891, a 22–0 Iowa win. Since 2011, the game is held annually the Friday after Thanksgiving. Also, the game was named the Heroes Game, and the winner keeps the Heroes Trophy. The teams have met 54 times, with the Cornhuskers leading the series 30–22–3.[citation needed]

Kansas

[edit]
Main article: Kansas–Nebraska football rivalry

Nebraska and Kansas share a natural border rivalry and maintained the longest non-interrupted rivalry in college football history at 105 years. The teams have met 117 times, with the series dating back to 1892, a 12–0 Kansas win. The Cornhuskers lead the series 91–23–3, which includes 36 consecutive victories from 1969 to 2004. Since Nebraska's move to the Big Ten in 2011, the series has been dormant. No future games are scheduled.[citation needed]

Kansas State

[edit]
Main article: Kansas State–Nebraska football rivalry

Nebraska and Kansas State were conference rivals from 1913 to 2010. With only 135 miles separating the schools, they were the nearest cross-border rivals in the Big Eight and Big 12 conferences. The teams have met 95 times, with the series dating back to 1911, a 59–0 Nebraska win. Nebraska leads the series 78–15–2, which includes 29 consecutive victories from 1969 to 1997. Since Nebraska's move to the Big Ten in 2011, the series has been dormant. No future games are scheduled.[citation needed]

The 1939 game was televised in Manhattan, Kansas, making it the second televised college football game. The 1992 contest was held in Tokyo as the Coca-Cola Classic.

Miami (FL)

[edit]
Main article: Miami–Nebraska football rivalry

Nebraska's series with Miami is among the most significant "bowl rivalries" in college football. The teams have met twelve times, with the series dating back to 1951, a 19–7 Miami win. The series is tied, 6–6. No future game is yet scheduled.[citation needed]

The rivalry's most notable game is the 1984 Orange Bowl. Top-ranked Nebraska scored with seconds remaining to make the game 31–30, but NU head coach Tom Osborne opted to try for a two-point conversion instead of an extra point, even though a tie would have given Nebraska the national championship. Miami won the game and its first national title.[68]

Minnesota

[edit]
Main article: Minnesota–Nebraska football rivalry

The $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy has been awarded to the winner of the Minnesota–Nebraska game since 2014. The teams have met 61 times, dating back to 1900, a 20–12 Minnesota win. The Golden Gophers lead the series 35–25–2. Minnesota holds the trophy after defeating the Cornhuskers in 2023. The teams will meet next in 2025.[citation needed]

Missouri

[edit]
Main article: Missouri–Nebraska football rivalry

The Victory Bell (also known as the Missouri–Nebraska Bell) has been awarded to the winner of the Missouri–Nebraska game since 1927. The teams have met 104 times, with the series dating back to 1892, a 1–0 NU win when Missouri forfeited to protest the presence of African-American George Flippin on Nebraska's roster.[69] The Cornhuskers lead the series 65–36–3. Nebraska holds the Victory Bell after defeating the Tigers in 2010. Since Nebraska's move to the Big Ten in 2011, the series has been dormant. No future games are scheduled.[citation needed]

Oklahoma

[edit]
Main article: Nebraska–Oklahoma football rivalry

Nebraska and Oklahoma has long been considered one of the great college football rivalries. The teams have met 87 times dating back to 1912, a 13–9 Nebraska win. The Sooners lead the series 46–38–3. Since Nebraska's move to the Big Ten in 2011, the series was dormant until 2021 when Oklahoma beat Nebraska 23–16 in Norman. Future non-conference games are scheduled for 2029 and 2030. Notably, the 2021 game in Norman marked the 50th anniversary of Nebraska's 35–31 victory over Oklahoma in the "Game of the Century".[citation needed]

Nebraska dominated the series until 1942, going 16–3–3 in the first twenty-two meetings. The Sooners then won sixteen consecutive games, the longest streak in the series. Nebraska's 1959 win both ended the Cornhuskers' drought against the Sooners and snapped Oklahoma's 74-game conference win streak. Nebraska won the "Game of the Century" in 1971, of which Dave Kindred of The Courier-Journal wrote, "They can quit playing now, they have played the perfect game." Oklahoma won every matchup from 1972 to 1977, a streak that ended in 1978, when Nebraska upset No. 1 Oklahoma; less than two months later, OU won a rematch in the Orange Bowl. Nebraska controlled the 1990s, including a 69–7 win in 1997, the largest margin of victory in series history. When the Big 12 was formed in 1996, the schools no longer played annually, ending a stretch of 68 consecutive years they had met. The teams met for the last time as conference opponents in the 2010 Big 12 Championship Game, when Oklahoma defeated Nebraska 23–20.

The two programs combined to win 74 of 89 Big Eight championships, 41 by Nebraska and 33 by Oklahoma. The teams played eighteen times when both were ranked in the AP Poll top ten, and nine times when both were in the top five.

Wisconsin

[edit]
Main article: Nebraska–Wisconsin football rivalry

The Freedom Trophy has been awarded to the winner of the Nebraska–Wisconsin game since 2014. The teams have met eighteen times, with the series dating back to 1901, an 18–0 Wisconsin win. The Badgers lead the series 13–5. Nebraska holds the Freedom Trophy after defeating the Badgers in 2024. The teams play annually.

Honors and awards

[edit]

Individual award finalists

[edit]

Winners in bold.

Tommie Frazier won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award in 1995
Mike Rozier won the Heisman Trophy, Walter Camp Award, and Maxwell Award in 1983

Heisman Trophy

Chuck Bednarik Award

Dick Butkus Award

Walter Camp Award

Ray Guy Award

Lott Trophy

Lombardi Award

Maxwell Award

Bronko Nagurski Trophy

Davey O'Brien Award

Outland Trophy

Dave Rimington Trophy

Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award

Doak Walker Award

William V. Campbell Trophy

AP Player of the Year

College Football Hall of Fame

[edit]
Bob Devaney was elected to College Football Hall of Fame in 1981

Twenty-seven former Nebraska coaches and players have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.[70]

Name Pos. Years at NU[d] Inducted
Dana X. Bible Coach 1926–1936 1951
Ed Weir T 1923–1925 1951
Fielding H. Yost Coach 1898 1951
George Sauer FB 1931–1933 1954
Biff Jones Coach 1937–1941 1954
Edward N. Robinson Coach 1896, 1897 1955
Guy Chamberlin E 1913–1915 1962
Clarence Swanson E 1918–1920 1973
Sam Francis FB 1934–1936 1977
Bob Devaney Coach 1962–1972 1981
Bobby Reynolds HB 1950–1952 1984
Forrest Behm T 1938–1940 1988
Wayne Meylan MG 1965–1967 1991
Bob Brown OT 1961–1963 1993
Rich Glover MG 1970–1972 1995
Dave Rimington C 1979–1982 1997
Tom Osborne Coach 1973–1997 1999
Johnny Rodgers WB 1970–1972 2000
Mike Rozier IB 1981–1983 2006
Grant Wistrom DE 1994–1997 2009
Will Shields OG 1989–1992 2011
Tommie Frazier QB 1992–1995 2013
Trev Alberts LB 1990–1993 2015
Aaron Taylor OG 1994–1997 2018
Eric Crouch QB 1998–2001 2020
Zach Wiegert OT 1991–1994 2022
Frank Solich Coach 1998–2003 2024

Retired numbers and jerseys

[edit]

Nebraska has retired the number of three players and the jersey of twenty-two others.[71] The first of these was Tom Novak, the only four-time first-team all-conference selection in NU history, whose No. 60 was permanently retired shortly after the end of his playing career in 1949.[e][72] Johnny Rodgers became the second player to have his number retired after winning the 1972 Heisman Trophy – though Rodgers allowed his No. 20 to be worn by his son Terry (and several others, most recently in 2008), the university considers it "permanently retired."[73] Rich Glover's jersey was retired at the same time as Rodgers's, but his No. 79 remained in circulation. Over the next several decades Nebraska retired the jersey of each of its major award winners, typically during the offseason following the end of their collegiate career.[73]

Bob Brown, the first All-American coached by Bob Devaney at NU, had his No. 64 permanently retired in 2004.[f][73] In 2017, the school recognized eight of its early College Football Hall of Fame inductees – including Guy Chamberlin, whose career predated the use of numbers on jerseys – by retiring their jerseys in a ceremony celebrating the 125th anniversary of the N Club, an organization of past letterwinners.[72] The name and number of each honoree is displayed at Memorial Stadium, directly below the North Stadium press box.

No. Player Pos. Career Retired
Retired numbers
20 Johnny Rodgers WB 1970–1972 1972
60 Tom Novak C 1946–1949 1949
64 Bob Brown OT 1961–1963 2004
Retired jerseys
1 Clarence Swanson E 1918–1921 2017
7 Eric Crouch QB 1998–2001 2002
12 Bobby Reynolds HB 1950–1952 2017
15 Tommie Frazier QB 1992–1995 1996
25 George Sauer FB 1931–1933 2017
30 Mike Rozier IB 1981–1983 1983
33 Forrest Behm OT 1938–1940 2017
34 Trev Alberts LB 1990–1993 1994
35 Ed Weir OT 1923–1925 2017
38 Sam Francis FB 1934–1936 2017
50 Dave Rimington C 1979–1982 1982
54 Dominic Raiola C 1998–2000 2002
66 Wayne Meylan MG 1965–1967 2017
67 Aaron Taylor OG 1994–1997 1998
71 Dean Steinkuhler OG 1980–1983 1983
72 Zach Wiegert OT 1991–1993 1995
75 Larry Jacobson DT 1969–1971 1994
Will Shields OG 1989–1992 1994
79 Rich Glover MG 1970–1972 1972
93 Ndamukong Suh DT 2005–2009 2010
98 Grant Wistrom DE 1994–1997 1998
Guy Chamberlin HB / E 1913–1915 2017

All-Americans

[edit]
Main article: List of Nebraska Cornhuskers football All-Americans

Academic All-Americans

[edit]
Main article: Nebraska Cornhuskers academic honors and awards

Nebraska leads the nation in Academic All-America selections, both in football and across all sports. Nebraska boasts seventy CoSIDA First-Team and 108 overall Academic All-America selections, both tops in the nation. The list includes fifteen Huskers that have been named first team Academic All-Americans twice in their careers. The Huskers also lead the nation with a total of 330 Academic All-Americans across all sports.[74]

Nebraska has four players that have been selected as a First Team Academic All-American by entities other than CoSIDA: Don Fricke (1960), Pat Clare (1960), Jim Osberg (1965), and Tony Jeter (1965).

In the NFL

[edit]
Ndamukong Suh was drafted second overall by the Detroit Lions in 2010
See also: List of Nebraska Cornhuskers in the NFL draft

Nebraska has had 368 former players drafted into the National Football League, including thirty-four first-round picks, two players selected first overall (Sam Francis in 1937 and Irving Fryar in 1984), and one player selected with the last pick of the draft (Stan Hegener in 1971).

Guy Chamberlin, Nebraska's first consensus All-American, signed with the Decautur Staleys (now the Chicago Bears) in 1920 and a year later, scored the game-winning touchdown in the controversial "Staley Swindle" game.[75] Chamberlin went on to win four more APFA/NFL championships as a player and coach and still has the highest winning percentage of any coach in NFL history (0.784, among coaches with at least fifty wins).[76]

Former Nebraska I-back Roger Craig became the first player in NFL history to score three touchdowns in a Super Bowl in 1985. The following season, he became the first player with 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a single NFL season, and in 1988 he was named Offensive Player of the Year.[77] Craig and fullback Tom Rathman, another former Cornhusker, played five seasons together on a high-powered San Francisco 49ers offense, winning two more Super Bowls.

Vince Ferragamo, Nebraska's quarterback in 1975 and 1976, started Super Bowl XIV for the Los Angeles Rams, the only former Cornhusker to start at quarterback in a Super Bowl.[78] Zac Taylor, another former Nebraska quarterback, was the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.[78] NU was represented by at least one player in each Super Bowl from 1993 until 2019, the longest active streak of any school at the time it was snapped.[g][79]

Pro Football Hall of Fame

[edit]
Guy Chamberlin was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965

Five former Nebraska players have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[80]

Name Pos. Years at NU Inducted
Link Lyman OT 1918–1919, 1921 1964
Guy Chamberlin E 1913–1915 1965
Bob Brown OT 1961–1963 2004
Will Shields OG 1989–1992 2015
Mick Tingelhoff C 1959–1961 2015

Active players

[edit]

There are nineteen Huskers on NFL rosters, along with three coaches.[81]

Players

Coaches

Future schedule

[edit]

The Big Ten Conference added four new member schools prior to the 2024 season and disbanded the division system it had used in some form since 2011.[82] Nebraska annually faces one protected rivalry in this scheduling format, Iowa. The remaining eight conference games rotate amongst the remaining sixteen teams.[83]

Year Non-conference opponents[84][85] Home conference opponents[86] Away conference opponents
2025 Akron, Cincinnati (at Arrowhead Stadium), Houston Christian Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, USC Maryland, Minnesota, Penn State, UCLA
2026 Ohio, Tennessee, North Dakota Indiana, Maryland, Ohio State, Washington Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Oregon, Rutgers
2027 Northern Illinois, at Tennessee Iowa, Minnesota, Oregon, Purdue, Rutgers Northwestern, Ohio State, Washington, Wisconsin
2028 UTEP, South Dakota State, Arizona Northwestern, Penn State, UCLA, Wisconsin Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Purdue, USC
2029 at Oklahoma TBA TBA
2030 South Dakota State, Oklahoma
2031 at Arizona
2032 Cincinnati
2033 TBA
2034 Oklahoma State
2035 at Oklahoma State

Notes

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  1. ^ Osborne's teams were awarded national titles by NCAA-designated major selectors in 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, and 1993, but the school does not claim any of these
  2. ^ Until 1974, the final Coaches Poll was published at the conclusion of the regular season
  3. ^ Claimed by both Nebraska and Oklahoma. In early 1973, Oklahoma voluntarily forfeited eight of its wins from the previous season when it was discovered the Sooners had used players who were ineligible under NCAA rules, which gave second-place Nebraska the conference title. Decades later, Oklahoma reversed course and recognized these wins[26]
  4. ^ Only includes the individual's years in the role for which they were primarily inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Several listed here also served at Nebraska in a separate capacity.
  5. ^ Novak also wore No. 68 and No. 61 during his career, which are not retired
  6. ^ Brown's No. 64 was worn by many players prior to its retirement, most recently offensive lineman Kurt Mann, who switched to No. 50 when No. 64 was taken out of circulation
  7. ^ This includes Zaire Anderson as Nebraska's representative in Super Bowl 50, though Anderson was on Denver's practice squad when the game was played

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