husker notes
Nebraska Among Leaders in Associated Press National Titles
Notre Dame leads the nation by winning eight Associated Press national titles since 1936, with Oklahoma (7), Alabama (6), Miami (5), USC (5), Nebraska (4) and Minnesota (4) next in line. While the Huskers were awarded the national title by the coaches in 1997, NU finished second to Michigan in the AP poll. In 1970, Nebraska was awarded the AP national title, but not the coaches (Texas was first, Ohio State second and NU third) as the final poll was released before the bowl games were played. In the coaches poll (since 1950), NU is tied for fourth with Miami and Texas with four titles, behind Alabama and Oklahoma with six apiece, and USC with five.
Conference Crowns
Nebraska has won 43 football conference championships in school history, and made its debut in the Big Ten Conference in 2011. The Huskers won 13 conference titles under Tom Osborne and eight under Bob Devaney. During its 15-year history in the Big 12 Conference, Nebraska won league titles in 1997 and 1999, and also appeared in the Big 12 Championship Game in 1996, 2006, 2009 and 2010. Nebraska was one of just three teams to capture two or more Big 12 titles in the first 15 years of the league, joining Oklahoma and Texas. Nebraska’s six Big 12 title game appearances were second only to Oklahoma’s eight.
Shields Enters College Hall of Fame
One of the all-time greats in Nebraska history, Will Shields, has joined the elite of the elite in college football. The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame inducted Shields into the College Football Hall of Fame in early December in New York. Shields, was originally selected for the Hall of Fame last spring, and was honored with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute at the Ohio State game on Oct. 8. Shields earned unanimous All-America honors at offensive guard for Coach Tom Osborne in 1992, and earned four letters from 1989 to 1992 in his career. In 1992, Shields captured the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top interior lineman, and he was a three-time first-team All-Big Eight pick. Shields aided the Nebraska offense to three straight NCAA rushing championships and helped the Huskers to Big Eight crowns in 1991 and 1992. Shields went on to an impressive 14-year NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs and was recently named to the ballot for the 2012 NFL Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Huskers’ Top 10 Home Crowds
No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Attend. 86,304 86,115 86,107 85,998 85,938 85,907 85,831 85,800 85,732 85,719
Opponent Date La.-Lafayette (W, 55-0) Sept. 26, 2009 Oklahoma (W, 10-3) Nov. 7, 2009 Texas Tech (L, 31-10) Oct. 17, 2009 Kansas State (W, 17-3) Nov. 21, 2009 Iowa State (L, 9-7) Oct. 24, 2009 Missouri (W, 31-17) Oct. 30, 2010 Virginia Tech (L, 35-30) Sept. 27, 2008 Colorado (W, 37-14) Nov. 24, 2006 Idaho (W, 38-17) Sept. 11, 2010 Florida Atlantic (W, 49-3) Sept. 5, 2009
Largest Crowds To See Nebraska Play No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Opponent at Michigan, Nov. 19, 2011 at Penn State, Sept. 14, 2002 at Penn State, Nov. 12, 2011 Miami (Rose Bowl), Jan. 3, 2002 Stanford (Rose Bowl), Jan. 1, 1941 at USC, Sept. 16, 2006 7. at Texas A&M, Nov. 20, 2010 8. vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, Sept. 26, 2009 9. vs. Oklahoma, Nov. 7, 2009 10. vs. Texas Tech, Oct. 17, 2009 2011 games in bold
20
Attend. 113,718 110,753 107,903 93,781 92,000 92,000 90,079 86,304 86,115 86,107
Huskers Rally for Historic Comeback Against Ohio State
Nebraska overcame a 21-point deficit on Oct. 8 to defeat Ohio State, 34-27. Nebraska trailed 27-6 before a Taylor Martinez touchdown run with 7:23 left in the third quarter began the record-setting rally. 4The 21-point deficit was the largest Nebraska has overcome in 122 years of football. Nebraska’s previous largest comeback was 17 points on two occasions. Nebraska trailed at Texas A&M, 31-14, in the third quarter in 2002, but rallied for a 38-31 win. NU also trailed at Kansas, 17-0, in the first quarter in 1991, before rolling to a 59-23 rout. 4The win over Ohio State marked just the 14th time in school history Nebraska had rallied for victory after trailing by 14 points or more. Among that group, the Ohio State win was just the fourth time in school history NU had trailed by at least two touchdowns after halftime. 4The victory marked the first time Nebraska has trailed after three quarters (27-20) and rallied for a victory since trailing 12-0 at Missouri in 2009, but going on to a 27-12 win. NU’s most recent comeback after three quarters in Lincoln was in 2008, when NU trailed Colorado 31-27 after three quarters before winning 40-31.
Crick Misses Second Half of Senior Season
Nebraska senior defensive tackle Jared Crick played in just five games in 2011, after entering the year as a preseason All-American. The 6-6, 285-pound Crick missed the Wyoming game with an injury, then was lost for the season against Ohio State when he suffered a torn pectoral muscle. 4Crick registered 22 tackles, including three tackles for loss and a sack this season. He also had a pass breakup and a blocked kick. Before missing the game at Wyoming, Crick had made 31 consecutive starts and he finished his career with 33 career starts. 4Crick finished with 20 career sacks, including 9.5 in both 2009 and 2010. His 20 sacks are eighth in school history. His 35 tackles for loss were three shy of the top 10 on the career chart. He had 17 tackles for loss (91 yards) in 2010. He had 70 tackles in 2010 to rank third on the team and first among linemen. He led all Big 12 defensive linemen in 2010 with 5.0 tackles per game. Crick finished with 167 career tackles, ninth among NU interior linemen. 4 In 2009, Crick had 73 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 16 quarterback hurries and two fumble recoveries. His 5.2 tackles per game were second behind Ndamukong Suh among Big 12 defensive linemen. 4 Crick had one of the most prolific defensive days in school history with a record-setting performance at Baylor in 2009. Crick had a school-record five sacks for 24 yards in the game. His five sacks were the most in a single game by any player in the nation in 2009. Crick had seven tackles for loss, tying the NU school record also held by Jim Skow (1985 vs. Missouri) and Suh (2009 vs. Texas).
Pelini Continues to Place Importance on Nebraska Walk-on Program
Nebraska Coach Bo Pelini announced during fall camp that four Huskers had been placed on scholarship after originally joining the team as walk-ons. The group included senior I-back Austin Jones, senior fullback Tyler Legate, senior defensive back Lance Thorell and junior long snapper P.J. Mangieri. Pelini has made the walk-on program a huge priority since taking over the Nebraska program. In his first four recruiting classes, Nebraska has welcomed more than 80 walk-on players into the Nebraska program. In his first four seasons, Pelini has placed 14 players on scholarship prior to the start of the season. A senior from Aurora, Colo., Jones has played in 17 games as a reserve I-back in his career and compiled 114 rushing yards and a touchdown on 26 career carries. Legate joined the Nebraska program in 2008 after one season at South Dakota. Legate has played in 38 games, including 16 starts at fullback. He has seven career receptions, including four touchdown grabs. Legate was Nebraska’s 2009 walk-on MVP and was a first-team academic All-Big 12 pick in 2010. A native of Loomis, Neb., Thorell has been a fixture in the Nebraska secondary for the past four seasons. Thorell has played in 51 games, including nine career starts, and has often being used in a nickel or dime role. He had a career-high 15 tackles against Northwestern. Thorell is a four-time academic all-conference selection. Mangieri joined the Nebraska program as a walk-on from Peoria, Ill., in 2009 and has started every game the past three seasons as Nebraska’s long snapper. His work helped former NU place-kickers Alex Henery and Brett Maher rank among the nation’s best the past three seasons.
Huskers Play in Front of Largest Crowd in School History
Nebraska played in front of two of the three largest crowds in school history in November. A week after 107,903 fans saw NU’s win at Penn State on Nov. 12, the Huskers played in front of the largest crowd in school history at Michigan Stadium on Nov. 19, when 113,718 fans witnessed the contest. Prior to November, Nebraska had played in front of just one crowd of 100,000 or more, 110,753 at Penn State in 2002.
NCAA Record Sellout Streak Continues
One of the most remarkable streaks in collegiate sports will continue into the 2012 season. Nebraska has sold out every game at Memorial Stadium since November of 1962, a streak of 318 straight sellouts. Nebraska celebrated the 300th consecutive sellout at Memorial Stadium on Sept. 26, 2009 against Louisiana-Lafayette, with a stadium record crowd of 86,304. Notre Dame is second in all-time consecutive sellouts with 225, 94 fewer than Nebraska.
Memorial Stadium Provides Huskers with Huge Home-Field Edge
Nebraska has rewarded the loyalty of its fans with incredible success at Memorial Stadium through the years. 4 Nebraska has won at least six home games in 21 of the past 26 seasons, including a 6-1 record in 2011. Nebraska is 141-20 at home in the last 23 seasons (since 1989). 4 During Nebraska’s run of success at home in the past 25 years, NU has had three home winning streaks of 20 or more games. Nebraska has posted 40 unbeaten and untied home seasons. 4 The Huskers are 510-139-20 (.777, 669 games, 122 years) in Lincoln, and 385-116-13 (.762, 514 games, 89 years) in Memorial Stadium (since 1923). Nebraska has had 43 straight winning home seasons.
2012 capital one bowl