CFB51 College Football Fan Community

The Power Four => Big Ten => Topic started by: ELA on May 28, 2026, 12:56:11 PM

Title: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on May 28, 2026, 12:56:11 PM: (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSOFmJ6qdkLD1mWHZHBajRHx5obfilpgiNvgw&s)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on May 28, 2026, 02:49:10 PM: Hoy shit, time flies.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on May 29, 2026, 08:25:52 PM: (https://i.imgur.com/s33jhAW.png)

Smith was a dominating defensive tackle and fearsome pass rusher. A 1987 Sports Illustrated article described Smith as "a 6'6", 261-pound defensive tackle with a 7'1½" arm span and a 35-inch vertical jump, who can run faster than any previous Nebraska lineman." He is easily on the short list of the greatest defensive linemen to ever play at Nebraska. 

As a junior in 1986, he recorded 10 sacks. At the time, it was the 5th most in school history (currently tied for 10th). In his senior season (1987), he earned All-Big Eight and All-America honors.

How about this stat line from his final regular season game (1987 at Colorado): 12 total tackles, 9 solo, 2 tackles for loss, a fumble recovery, and a blocked field goal.

After his senior year, the Kansas City Chiefs traded up in the draft to select Smith with the second overall pick. Smith had a long and successful NFL career with the Chiefs, Broncos, and Chargers, winning two Super Bowl rings.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on June 01, 2026, 01:23:25 PM: (https://www.detroitnews.com/gcdn/presto/2020/12/05/PDTN/4e5d1324-60dd-4072-8947-319278179bbc-2020-1205-dm-msu-ohiostate3456.jpg?width=700&height=520&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 01, 2026, 01:39:25 PM: True freshman DL will wear #96 this season.

(https://i.imgur.com/GYAGbTX.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 01, 2026, 02:18:55 PM: 1997 Lombardi Award winner (NU’s fourth).
One of 13 Huskers to be a first team All-American twice.
Two-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
Nebraska career leader in tackles for loss (58.5)
Second-most sacks in school history (26.5)
Set position records (Defensive Ends, Rush Ends, and Outside Linebackers) with 15 total tackles and 11 assists against Colorado in 1996.
Twice named a first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American.

(https://i.imgur.com/WJlPFzt.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 01, 2026, 02:21:54 PM: In his Huskers.com bio, Pat Engelbert is described as “one of the most decorated Husker student-athletes” earning Academic All-America honors twice (second team as a junior, first team as a senior), an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, and a place on the CFA Scholar-Athlete team.

On the field, Engelbert was no slouch. He was second team All-Big Eight as a senior and earned ESPN Player of the Game honors in the Colorado game. He also received the Guy Chamberlain Award, given to the Husker who “has shown by the play and contributions to the betterment of the University of Nebraska football squad that he has the qualities and dedication” of Chamberlin.

(https://i.imgur.com/HKl8gaY.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 01, 2026, 02:25:53 PM: Jimmy walked on and was placed on scholarship after his freshman season.

By the time he was a senior, Jimmy Williams had bulked up to 227 pounds but had dropped his time in the 40 to a blistering fast 4.34 seconds. Williams used that size and speed to become an All-American and the 1981 Big 8 Defensive Player of the Year. He recorded 10 sacks in 1981, which was the school record (1981 is the first year that sacks were tracked as an official stat). His 10-sack season is still tied (with four others) as the 10th-most in a season.

Jimmy Williams was a first-round draft pick and played 12 seasons in the NFL. He has gone on to become a college assistant coach, spending the 2003 season on Frank Solich’s staff.

(https://i.imgur.com/ksqHElJ.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 01, 2026, 02:42:00 PM: Gotta learn how to count around here.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on June 01, 2026, 03:19:00 PM: Dirt farmers
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 01, 2026, 05:31:48 PM: Quote from: 847badgerfan on June 01, 2026, 02:42:00 PM
Gotta learn how to count around here.
I'm caught up now
thanks
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on June 01, 2026, 08:18:06 PM: Quote from: FearlessF on June 01, 2026, 05:31:48 PM
I'm caught up now
thanks
We can start at 1, go from there, and once we get that worked out, we can work out counting backwards. Might get Lawrence Phillips 6 credits :57:
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 02, 2026, 11:33:28 PM: (https://i.imgur.com/NpZ0IAc.png)

It took time for the spotlight to shine on Danny Noonan. As a sophomore in 1984, he recorded six sacks, despite being a backup. In his junior year, he had 11 sacks and finished second on the team in tackles for loss. Noonan picked up second-team All-Big Eight honors behind two All-Americans (Jim Skow and Oklahoma’s Tony Casillas).

As a senior in 1986, Noonan was a dominating force. Seven more sacks to bring his career total to 24 (the fourth most in NU history). First team All-Big Eight. Big Eight Athlete of the Year. Consensus first team All-American. First-round draft pick by the Dallas Cowboys.

And he cemented his legacy as one of the greatest Huskers of all time.

So, he’s got that going for him, which is nice.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 03, 2026, 05:33:56 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/L3sy9WH.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 03, 2026, 07:12:33 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/FepHqAw.png)

Crick had a great junior season, putting up a team-high 9.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. He was an All-Big 12 selection again, this time as a unanimous pick. Crick was also a second team All-American.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on June 03, 2026, 08:40:21 AM: (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRwawKBIsw_GvH8sklXyH_KP12OITp2pmbDhw&s)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 04, 2026, 08:44:39 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/CS5q9Fy.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 04, 2026, 08:56:28 AM: 2009 Alabama defensive line: 98 tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 20 QB Hurries, 5 Pass Break Ups, 0 Interceptions, 1 Forced Fumble, and 3 blocked kicks. Alabama won the national championship in 2009.

2009 Ndamukong Suh: 82 tackles, 23 TFL, 12 sacks, 24 QBH, 10 PBU, 1 INT, 1 FF, 3 blocked kicks.

(https://i.imgur.com/GnFed8f.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on June 04, 2026, 09:12:32 AM: (https://draftwire.usatoday.com/gcdn/authoring/images/smg/2025/02/22/SDRF/79704826007-72-625859.jpeg?width=660&height=440&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on June 04, 2026, 12:29:05 PM: (https://i.imgur.com/MgJOTpi.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on June 05, 2026, 09:01:07 AM: (https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/gcdn/-mm-/d3642921f90e60acd33f103101e7b394de6c64db/c=0-174-3965-2404/local/-/media/2015/08/11/Lansing/B9318419985Z.1_20150811215919_000_GB8BJMO52.1-0.jpg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 05, 2026, 09:18:14 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/cba55FN.png)

As a senior in 1980, Nelson had one of the finest seasons of any former walk-on. He was a team captain, the Big Eight Defensive Player of the Year, first team All-American, and a finalist for the Lombardi Award. The 1980 defense may have been the best of Tom Osborne’s career. Nelson and crew held opponents to just 9.2 points per game (the lowest of the Osborne era) and recorded three shutouts.

Nelson was a fourth-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys and eventually became a special teams standout for San Diego. In 1998, Derrie Nelson was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame.

Not too shabby for a walk-on from Fairmont.

(https://i.imgur.com/1uqgS6Y.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 05, 2026, 09:56:05 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/VWW8nFT.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on June 05, 2026, 11:18:54 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/fa3E8Xs.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/c8GxWyv.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 06, 2026, 08:42:33 AM: Kent Wells, Defensive Tackle

Wells was recruited out of Lincoln East High as an offensive lineman but made the switch to defense during his freshman year. By the middle of his junior season (1988) Wells had earned a spot in the starting lineup.

Wells had incredible strength. Prior to his senior season (1989), Wells was bench pressing more than 440 pounds and had a squat of 540 pounds. In addition to football, he used that strength as a member of the Nebraska track and field team, earning four varsity letters. Wells won the 1989 Big Eight Outdoor title in shot put with an impressive throw of 57′ 3.5″.

(https://i.imgur.com/IOSGPNw.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 07, 2026, 08:58:46 AM: Henery holds NCAA records for the highest percentage of kicks (PATs and field goals) made in a season (98.6% in 2010) and for a career (96.7%). He owns the NCAA record for field goal percentage in a career (89.5%) as well as the marks for kicks over 40 yards (78.8%) and between 40-49 yards (a ridiculous 95.4%).

Alex Henery is Nebraska’s all-time leading scorer, averaging just under 100 points per season.

Nebraska's Alex Henery kicks a PAT against Missouri in 2009.
Alex Henery kicks a PAT against Missouri in 2009. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

He made 193 of the 194 PATs he attempted, including a school-record 116 in a row. But he was more a placekicker. Henery also punted for two seasons, finishing in the top 10 for career punting average (42.18 yards).

Henery was a first-team All-American, a finalist for the Lou Groza Award, and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors as both a punter and placekicker.

(https://i.imgur.com/UXm6Nyw.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 08, 2026, 08:23:22 AM: Broderick Thomas’s career was special. In his sophomore season (1986), Nebraska was #2 in total defense, allowing a stingy 235.6 yards per game. Thomas had six fumble recoveries and returned one for a touchdown. He was All-Big Eight and an honorable mention All-American. In his junior season, Thomas repeated as an All-Big Eight pick and earned first team All-America honors. He was fifth in the Big Eight with 6.5 sacks and led the team with 41 solo tackles.

As a senior in 1988, Thomas went to another level. He led – or tied for the team lead – in seven defensive categories. He earned All-Big Eight for the third year, All-American again, Big Eight Defensive Player of the Year, and was a finalist for the Butkus and Lombardi awards. Thomas lost the Butkus to Alabama’s Derrick Thomas by two votes.

(https://i.imgur.com/Tj1ETP0.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on June 08, 2026, 09:05:47 AM: (https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/gcdn/-mm-/66de9feddc972bac8c0d35aee8bed1ec53f2e6bf/c=0-77-1268-1767/local/-/media/2015/06/26/MIGroup/Lansing/635709595855796434-Billy-Joe-DuPree.jpg?width=660&height=880&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 09, 2026, 09:21:09 AM: diminutive end from Omaha Westside High, Guy Ingles.
As a sophomore in 1968, Ingles caught 14 passes for 146 yards. In Osborne’s 1969 offense, Ingles broke out with 26 catches, 408 yards* and three touchdowns. Against Oklahoma State, Ingles had a (then) school record 163 receiving yards on just five catches.

Ingles also has one of the great nicknames in Cornhusker history: “Guy the Fly.” It perfectly captured his speed, elusiveness and size (Ingles was listed at 5’9″ and just 158 pounds). I’m guessing defenses found him to be a pest as well.

In 1970, Ingles had 34 catches for 603 yards and a team-high eight touchdowns. Halfway through the season, he became Nebraska’s all-time leading receiver, and the first Husker to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a career.

Guy “The Fly” Ingles was a second-team All-Big Eight pick in 1970 and won the Guy Chamberlin Trophy, given to an outstanding senior. Ingles was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 1995.

(https://i.imgur.com/iaoyUaY.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/mx41Z5n.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on June 09, 2026, 10:12:28 AM: (https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/gcdn/-mm-/9859e00de2d5ff51b6ae71a3ef863c0b526776db/c=0-97-1363-1914/local/-/media/2015/07/09/MIGroup/Lansing/635720599639122725-Larry-Bethea.jpg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 10, 2026, 08:29:23 AM: Nate Swift was part of Bill Callahan's first recruiting class. After a redshirt year in 2004, he was ready to start rewriting the Husker record books. In 2005, he led the team in the big three receiving categories (receptions, yards and touchdowns). He was the first Husker with back-to-back 100-yard receiving games in 22 years.

Throughout his career, he just kept climbing the career charts. By the end of his senior season in 2008, Swift was the all-time leader in receptions and just three yards short of Johnny Rodgers' record 2,479 receiving yards. Swift's 22 receiving touchdowns were three behind the Jet's record.

In addition, Swift was an excellent punt returner. In 2008, he was second in the Big 12 (and eighth nationally) with 14.8 yards per return. He had an electrifying 88-yard punt return touchdown against Virginia Tech, then the fourth-longest in school history.

(https://i.imgur.com/D0A95mR.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on June 10, 2026, 11:08:40 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/uFeQOe8.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 11, 2026, 08:36:39 AM: As a freshman in 1990, Johnny Mitchell caught 11 passes for 282 yards. Seven of his 11 receptions resulted in a touchdown. He averaged a ridiculous 25.6 yards per reception. Mitchell became the first true freshman Husker to earn first-team All-Big Eight honors since the legendary Tom Novak did it in 1946. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Mitchell also played “Johnny B Goode” at a school dance.

Sophomore slump? No way. Mitchell set school records with 31 catches for 534 yards, and added five more touchdowns. In his final two games, Mitchell had 137 receiving yards against Oklahoma and 138 against Georgia Tech in the Citrus Bowl.* At the time, those were the sixth- and eighth-best receiving days in school history. They’re still in the top 30.

(https://i.imgur.com/F3JXjIs.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 11, 2026, 09:37:17 AM: I missed a lot of numbers in the past week.

(https://i.imgur.com/LlDQhTt.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 11, 2026, 10:01:19 AM: Quote from: 847badgerfan on June 01, 2026, 02:42:00 PM
Gotta learn how to count around here.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 11, 2026, 10:10:42 AM: I misread that as 89.

We're on 86 now? I lost count while away.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 12, 2026, 08:20:15 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/10kYIqW.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 12, 2026, 11:03:11 AM: This was an awesome game to be at. Unreal and electric. A nice curb stomping, it was.

(https://i.imgur.com/QZQp0yT.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 13, 2026, 07:28:19 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/9C6sfIK.png)

Mike Rucker finished his Husker career with 17 sacks, 40 tackles for loss and 36 quarterback hurries. He went on to have a lengthy and successful career with the Carolina Panthers.

(https://i.imgur.com/Gjugd4H.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 13, 2026, 09:36:52 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/cefYhlG.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 14, 2026, 08:37:25 AM: The Vincent dePaul Draddy Trophy (now known as the William Campbell Trophy) is given to the “absolute best in the country for his academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.” Presented since 1990, it is widely considered the most prestigious academic award in college football.

Few Huskers have ever epitomized the combination of “brains and brawn” more than Kyle Vanden Bosch. In addition to the “Academic Heisman,” he won several other national scholar-athlete awards. He is one of a dozen Huskers to be a two-time Academic All-American and was first-team Academic All-Big 12 three times.

Kyle Vanden Bosch was also a three-time finalist for Nebraska’s “Lifter of the Year” award, winning it twice. He owns position records for the Husker Power Performance Index, which showcased his speed, power, agility and explosiveness.

When his athletic gifts and intelligence were combined on the football field, Vanden Bosch carried on a legacy of outstanding play by Nebraska rush ends.

In his senior season, Vanden Bosch earned second-team All-Big 12 honors with a team-high 17 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks (tied with Randy Stella for the team lead).

Vanden Bosch blocked two field goals against Texas A&M in 1999, tying an NCAA record.

(https://i.imgur.com/wVlqQHT.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 14, 2026, 09:35:32 AM: #83 is retired in Madison.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 15, 2026, 09:24:44 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/omskXha.png)

Chancellor Brewington is a personal favorite for three reasons.

He was a viciously effective blocker.
He knew his role and executed it to perfection.
He’s a starter on the Nebraska All-Time Greatest Names Team.

Without any further ado – and with no disrespect intended – here are your greatest named Huskers of all time:

Offense
QB: Monte Christo (1994 – 1998)
RB: I.M. Hipp (1976 – 1979)
FB: Edsel Wibbels (1938)
WR: Decoldest Crawford (2022)
WR: Otis Whipple (1893 – 1896)
TE: Chancellor Brewington (2021 – 2022)
T: Ritchie Incognito (2002 – 2003)
G: Tanner Famer (2014 – 2018)
C: Barney Cotton (1976 – 1978)
G: Cornealius Fuamatu-Thomas (2004 – 2005)
T: Chongo Kondolo (2013 – 2015)

Honorary Captain: I.M. Hipp
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 15, 2026, 09:50:00 AM: Emmitt Bork will be a RSF TE for the Badgers this season.

(https://i.imgur.com/bx3xvlV.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 15, 2026, 09:52:29 AM: long legged young man
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on June 15, 2026, 09:57:48 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/Abmtr2K.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: CatsbyAZ on June 15, 2026, 10:03:59 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/BHFfTKp.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: SFBadger96 on June 15, 2026, 04:56:14 PM: John Taylor, Delaware State:
(https://i.imgur.com/9ZsMs8k.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 16, 2026, 09:03:12 AM: So many great catches. It's hard to pick just one.

(https://i.imgur.com/WNwhW5p.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 16, 2026, 09:23:22 AM: A standout performer on some of Nebraska’s (and college football’s) greatest teams, Willie Harper was a two time All-American and a three-year starter.

In his sophomore and junior seasons (1970 and 1971), Harper had double-digit tackles for loss, including an absurd 20 TFL in 1971. The combined yardage lost spanned the length of a football field, in each season. Harper was the most valuable lineman in the 1971 Orange Bowl against LSU, blocking a Tiger punt. During the 1971 season, Harper had three interceptions, which is both the single-season and career Nebraska record for defensive ends, rush ends and outside linebackers.

As a senior in 1972, Harper didn’t rack up gaudy TFL numbers, but he did anchor a defense that shut out four teams in a row. For his career, Harper has 41 TFL, which is tied (with Adam Carriker) for sixth-most in school history. It’s worth noting that the five players ahead of him all played four varsity seasons. Due to freshmen being ineligible, Harper played only three.

In the 1972 Orange Bowl, Willie Harper had six solo tackles and was named the defensive MVP. His efforts were a big reason that Bob finally beat the Bear in the final meeting between the two legendary coaches.

(https://i.imgur.com/lprn4oE.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 17, 2026, 09:59:31 AM: In 2011, Bell broke out as a redshirt freshman with 32 catches for 461 yards – the second-best receiving season by a freshman in school history (behind Nate Swift in 2005). He also had an 80-yard touchdown run against Minnesota. Wisconsin gave the Huskers a rude welcome to the Big Ten with a 48-17 nationally televised blowout. Michigan would do the same later in the season. Nebraska’s first win as a member of the Big Ten was against Ohio State.

As a sophomore in 2012, Bell set school records for his class in receptions (50), yards (863) and touchdowns (8). Pelini’s 2012 team had one of the more remarkable runs of the 21st century, responding to a blowout loss to Ohio State (Bo’s alma mater) by winning six straight to win the Big Ten Legends division. The cardiac Cornhuskers had comeback wins at Northwestern, Michigan State and Iowa.

The Big Ten Championship Game against Wisconsin was another embarrassing blowout loss as Nebraska – shorthanded on the defensive line – could not stop the Badgers’ jet sweep. Well after the game was decided, Kenny Bell had one of the most famous and vicious blocks* in Nebraska history.

*At the time, this was a legal block. The so-called “Kenny Bell Rule” went into effect the following season.

In his junior season, Bell continued to make highlight-reel plays. A 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Penn State was critical in an overtime win. A leaping, one-handed circus catch against Illinois. The comeback win at Michigan? It doesn’t happen without Bell’s 26-yard catch on 4th & 2 that gave NU first and goal. NU’s three conference losses (at Minnesota, Michigan State and Iowa) were all by 13 points or more. In the Iowa loss, Pelini – frustrated by a bad call – swung his hat, nearly hitting an official. During his postgame press conference, he dared NU’s administration to fire him. Pelini was retained for 2014.

As a senior in 2014, all Bell did was set (then) school records for career receptions (181) and career yards (2,689), earn All-Big Ten honors, and serve as a team captain. He had two touchdowns in the thrilling regular-season finale against Iowa,* including the game winner in overtime.

(https://i.imgur.com/Io04llo.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 17, 2026, 01:44:15 PM: #80 is retired in Madison in honor of Dave Schreiner.

(https://i.imgur.com/OkHxgpf.png)

Sixth Marine Division (https://www.sixthmarinedivision.com/16StorySchreiner1.html)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 17, 2026, 09:12:25 PM: No story on #83??
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 18, 2026, 07:48:48 AM: Quote from: FearlessF on June 17, 2026, 09:12:25 PM
No story on #83??
He was a 17 y/o QB who in 1944 was killed in his sixth game - a win against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 18, 2026, 09:35:28 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/68Ew1Gy.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/P0PVpWd.png)

In the game of the century vs the Sooners

It was a fitting end to what might be the greatest game ever played by a Cornhusker defender. For my money, only Ndamukong Suh in the 2009 Big 12 Championship Game comes close. Glover had an absurd 22 tackles. Twenty-two! Oklahoma ran 66 plays that ended with a player being tackled. That means in one-third of those plays, the tackle was made by Rich Glover.

The story goes that at some point in the Game of the Century, Devaney turned to his defense and asked, “Why don’t you guys give Rich Glover some help once in a while?”

Glover wasn’t all that big (6-feet-1, 230 pounds), but he used his strength and speed to make plays and chase down opponents. Heck, coming out of New Jersey, Glover was viewed by most schools as too small. He had offers from Wyoming and Villanova, but Monte Kiffin got him to Nebraska. Devaney later called Glover “the greatest defensive player I ever saw.”

Rich Glover’s career was much more than just the Game of the Century. In 1972, he had one of the greatest seasons by a defensive player not named Ndamukong Suh. All-Big Eight again. All-America again. Winner of the Outland and Lombardi Awards – one of just 13 players to ever do it. Despite not having 1971 Outland winner Larry Jacobson playing next to him, Glover had more tackles in 1972 than 1971.

And there’s one area where Glover has Suh beat: Glover finished third in the 1972 Heisman Trophy voting, better than Suh’s fourth and the second-best finish by a full-time defensive player in Heisman history (Pitt’s Hugh Green was the runner-up in 1980). Glover’s Heisman finish is even more impressive when you consider that his teammate Johnny Rodgers finished first. Who knows how many votes he split?

Glover was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame and the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame, and was named a starter on Sports Illustrated’s “All-Century” team in 1999.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 18, 2026, 09:54:15 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/9wcPA13.png)

As for this season, RSF OL Logan Powell will wear number 79.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 19, 2026, 08:03:54 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/2Tsh8bH.png)

Marcel Jones.
An absolute mountain of a man (6-feet-7, 320 pounds), he was part of a large haul of recruiting talent from a region Nebraska had not minded very often: Arizona.*

*Prior to 2007, Nebraska had just 12 letterwinners from Arizona. The other Arizona natives in the 2007 recruiting class: Prince Amukamara, Javorio Burkes, Eric Hagg, Armando Murrillo and William Yancy.

As a Husker, Marcel Jones played in 40 games, starting 21 despite battling multiple injuries. He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors as a senior. He was in the NFL for five years.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 19, 2026, 12:36:56 PM: (https://i.imgur.com/hQwSQwi.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 20, 2026, 08:06:07 AM: Greatest Husker to wear 77: Toniu Fonoti, Offensive Guard, 1999 – 2001
– a 340-pound guard from Hawaii – was dominant throughout the 2001 season. Big, quick and strong, he owns the school record for pancake blocks in a game (32 against Texas Tech – 41% of all offensive plays), a season (201) and a career (379). He earned All-Big 12 and first team All-America honors. Fonoti was a finalist for the Outland Trophy (won by Miami’s Bryant McKinnie).

(https://i.imgur.com/yXWq6PM.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/k6EQeqh.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MikeDeTiger on June 20, 2026, 10:32:50 AM: Minor thread hijack--

But it says "Countdown" and not "Jersey Countdown"...

When I think of "77" I can't help but think of LSU's home opener against Rice in 1977.....a 77-0 win that saw Carlos Carson, who had never caught a collegiate pass, catch 5, all for TD's. Amazingly, the streak continued the next week against Florida when his first reception was also for a TD. I know for a long time that stood as an NCAA record, 6 consecutive receptions, all for TDs. I think it still might, but I can't find any sites that list that specific category.

The week before Rice, LSU lost to Indiana in Bloomington. They shoulda thrown the ball to Carson.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 20, 2026, 11:40:05 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/CNziZMe.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 21, 2026, 09:50:05 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/HAnY9Vx.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/qDRINQ9.png)

A three-year letterman, Joel Wilks was the starting left guard for the national champion Huskers in 1994, leading the Big Red with 142 pancakes (knock-down blocks), an average of 11.8 per game. Nebraska led the nation in rushing offense (340.0 ypg), while ranking fifth in total offense (477.8 ypg) and sixth in scoring (36.3 ppg). Wilks and the offensive line helped the Huskers rally for a 24-17 win over Miami in the Orange Bowl to claim the national title by outscoring the Hurricanes 15-0 in the fourth quarter. He played in 23 regular-season games in his career and the 1994 and 1995 Orange Bowls. He started 13 regular-season games and the 1995 Orange Bowl.

1994 (Senior)
Wilks started all 12 regular-season games for the Huskers at left guard, before switching spots with All-American Brendan Stai at right guard to start Nebraska’s 24-17 win over Miami in the Orange Bowl to help the Big Red capture the national title. The 6-3, 280-pound Wilks led Nebraska’s “Pipeline” with 142 pancake blocks on the season.

1993 (Junior)
Wilks missed the first five games of the 1993 season with a severe ankle sprain, but returned to play in the last six contests, including his first career start against Iowa State when left guard Rob Zatechka was limited with an ankle spring. Wilks saw extensive actions against Colorado, Kansas and Iowa State. He also played in the 1994 Federal Express Orange Bowl against Florida State. The former walk-on from Hastings, Neb., helped the Huskers rank third in the NCAA in rushing with 287.9 yards per game, fifth in scoring (38.3 ppg) and 23rd in total offense (425.0 ypg).
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 22, 2026, 09:32:01 AM: At 6-foot-6, he was one of the tallest players in school history at that point. He used that size and strength to overpower offensive linemen. In 1970 – his junior season and first as a starter – Jake had 49 tackles with nine tackles for loss and a team-high three fumble recoveries. In the 1971 Orange Bowl, he forced a fumble that led to a Nebraska touchdown. Nebraska’s 17-12 win gave the Cornhuskers their first national championship. His backup in 1970 was a guy named Rich Glover, who would win the Outland the year after Jacobson.

1971 was Larry Jacobson’s best season. Arguably the best defensive player on one of the greatest college football teams of all time, Jake was an unstoppable force. He had 73 tackles, with 12 for loss and an interception. The 1971 Blackshirts finished in the top 5 in rushing defense, total defense and scoring defense. Jacobson was first-team All-Big Eight, a first-team All-American, won the Outland,* and was a finalist for the Lombardi Award. He was also an Academic All-American.

*Jacobson found out he won the Outland prior to the Oklahoma game, aka the Game of the Century. As Jacobson told HuskerMax, “(Monte Kiffin) called me at night at my apartment and told me that I won the Outland Trophy and we didn’t have any idea what the hell the Outland Trophy was,” Jacobson said. “I said, ‘Spell it for me. What the hell is it?’ Because we had never won it, so nobody knew what it was.”

Jacobson stood out in the Game of the Century. On OU’s final possession, he had a sack on third down and nearly had a sack on fourth down. The Huskers would crush Alabama in the Orange Bowl to win their second straight championship.

A month later, the Cornhuskers were at the White House being honored by President Richard Nixon. That’s where Jacobson learned that he had been drafted in the first round by the New York Giants.

Surprisingly, Larry Jacobson has not been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

(https://i.imgur.com/CVDhzBW.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/Yib4kLy.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 22, 2026, 09:38:22 AM: As a sophomore, Will Shields earned All-Big Eight honors – the first for an NU sophomore since Dave Rimington. Before his career was done, Shields would be first-team All-Big Eight three times, making him one of just six offensive linemen to do it.

In his junior year, Shields was a second-team All-American. In 1992, his senior season, Shields had one of the greatest seasons by a Cornhusker guard. First-team All-American. He received votes for the Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year – an award that almost always went to quarterbacks and running backs. Shields won the 1992 Outland Trophy, the fifth in Nebraska’s storied history.

Shields also led the 1992 Huskers in yards per carry. He picked up 16 yards on a fumblerooski against Colorado on Halloween night. Tom Osborne called Will’s number on 3rd & 4 in 17-7 game. The NCAA banned the fumblerooski after the 1992 season, so I feel confident in saying Will Shields ran the final one.

In addition to his athletic achievements, Shields was a decorated student, earning Academic All-America honors in 1992. It was important to him that he graduated before going to the NFL – a task made harder by not redshirting. Shields earned his degree before being a third-round draft pick* of the Kansas City Chiefs.

*A random factoid: Will Shields’ first agent was Kevin Warren, who would later become the commissioner of the Big Ten Conference.

Will Shields was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011. In 2015, he was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame along with former Husker offensive lineman Mick Tingelhoff. Shields is just one of three Huskers (along with Bob Brown and Guy Chamberlin) to be honored in both Halls of Fame.

Shields was named to the Walter Camp All-Century team in 1999 and has been named to the all-time Nebraska team. His son Shavon was a standout player for the Nebraska basketball team from 2012 – 2016. Recently, Will Shields completed a three-year term on the College Football Playoff selection committee.

(https://i.imgur.com/OeuxDlV.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 22, 2026, 09:54:10 AM: Great LT. Terrible AD.

(https://i.imgur.com/7E5mFRR.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 22, 2026, 10:11:38 AM: head injuries
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 22, 2026, 10:52:42 AM: Completely unqualified. Huge mistake by Barry.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: CatsbyAZ on June 23, 2026, 07:48:13 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/rV4wiW5.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 23, 2026, 08:21:13 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/bnhUpig.png)

Bob Newton, a 6-foot-4, 248-pound offensive tackle, didn’t need to be talked into strength training. He had previously lifted at his junior college in California. Newton, nicknamed “Big Fig,”

Great teams have great offensive lines, and the 1970 national champions were no exception. Newton played next to guard Dick Rupert, and they teamed to help the Huskers accumulate over 400 yards of total offense per game. All they had to do was create a hole and the offensive talent (Johnny Rodgers, Jeff Kinney, Joe Orduna, Jerry Tagge and others) would do the rest.

The Big Eight used to award a “Lineman of the Week” honor, which Newton won a record four times during the 1970 season. Those performances helped him become a unanimous All-Big Eight pick as well as a first-team All-American, the first of the Husker Power era.

(https://i.imgur.com/Y2SlGVy.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 23, 2026, 09:01:26 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/syIyCy2.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on June 23, 2026, 09:47:40 AM: (https://msuspartans.com/images/2015/12/15/11560493.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 24, 2026, 07:49:34 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/wlibzAE.png)

Kelvin Clark was an outstanding prep tackle in Odessa, Texas, with a 6-foot-4 frame. But he was reportedly 215 pounds as a college freshman in 1974 with a 40-yard dash time of 5.1 seconds. He did what so many other players – especially linemen – did during the Osborne era: He poured himself into Epley’s weight training program and worked on his technique with line coach Milt Tenopir. As a 230-pound sophomore, Clark played behind Bob Lingenfelter,* an All-Big Eight pick and honorable mention All-American. By his junior year (1977), Clark was up to 250 pounds and was starting at tackle.

As a senior in 1978, Clark had bulked up to 275, most of it pure muscle. He was voted “Weightlifter of the Year” by his teammates. His time in the 40 was down to 4.85 seconds. Clark was the left tackle on a line that helped Nebraska gain 501 yards of total offense, 337 yards rushing, and score 38 points per game. Tom Osborne beat Oklahoma for the first time in 1978, with Clark making excellent blocks on both of Nebraska’s touchdowns.

Clark was All-Big Eight and a consensus All-American. After the season, Osborne said Clark was “possibly the best offensive lineman ever to play at Nebraska.” Sure, that was said prior to the careers of Nebraska’s Outland Trophy-winning linemen, but it is still some high praise.

(https://i.imgur.com/lCXTMlg.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on June 24, 2026, 09:29:51 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/3ErHAFs.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 24, 2026, 09:40:02 AM: Dan Lanphear

(https://i.imgur.com/QZAJcgo.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on June 24, 2026, 09:40:17 AM: (https://i.pinimg.com/564x/e8/c7/cc/e8c7ccf812d6b4c80706a537e991dcae.jpg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 25, 2026, 07:49:44 AM: Zach Wiegert - #72
The anchor of the vaunted “Pipeline” offensive line, he was a dominating tackle. Coming into the 1994 season, Wiegert had already earned All-Big Eight twice, as well as second team All-America honors in 1993. But his 1994 season was special: a unanimous All-American, winner of the Outland Trophy, finalist for the Lombardi, and recipient of a first-place vote for the 1994 Heisman Trophy (he finished tied for ninth). Wiegert had 113 pancake blocks in 1994 en route to winning national lineman of the year honors by UPI and the Touchdown Club of Columbus (Ohio).

Wiegert played in 46 career games, starting 37 straight at right tackle. He allowed just one sack in his career. In 2022, he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Wiegert was a second-round draft pick and played 12 years in the NFL. But as Wiegert told Paul Koch, he would have remained a Cornhusker for much longer: “If they would’ve paid my rent and gave me as much food and beer that I wanted, I would have played there until I couldn’t play anymore.”

(https://i.imgur.com/t1o4niC.jpeg)

In the 1995 Orange Bowl, Miami players – especially the defenders – talked a lot of trash. Warren Sapp, Ray Lewis, even Bob Marley’s son Rohan ran their mouths for most of the game … except for the final drive of the fourth quarter.

After Tommie Frazier runs for 25 yards on third-down option keeper, Wiegert motions emphatically for a first down four straight times.

The 1995 Orange Bowl timeout with 3:14 left.

(https://i.imgur.com/MEpwBwZ.png)
There’s a famous picture taken during a timeout with 3:14 left in the game. The Pipeline is standing, ready to play. Sapp and other members of the Miami defense are on a knee, trying to catch their breath. What the picture doesn’t show is Wiegert clapping back, asking why the Hurricanes aren’t talking anymore.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 25, 2026, 07:59:02 AM: They don't get much better.

(https://i.imgur.com/ZtCpNq1.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on June 25, 2026, 09:18:56 AM: (https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/gcdn/presto/2019/09/21/PLSJ/af278806-040e-41a8-b9a6-7a19d873b484-USATSI_13390899.jpg?crop=1968,1107,x0,y0&width=1968&height=1107&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MikeDeTiger on June 25, 2026, 11:47:23 AM: A great #72. Second best all-around DT I ever saw, for my money.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXfjV1LHkyw&t=2s

So.....at 0:30....when did we ever play Dallas? Don't remember that.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 26, 2026, 10:44:44 AM: Greatest Husker to wear 71: Dean Steinkuhler, Offensive Guard, 1979 – 1983

(Dean is a friend of mine)

By his junior year, 1982, he was starting next to center Dave Rimington. Not surprisingly, Nebraska ran for an average of 394.3 yards per game. Heck, Tom Osborne could have called nothing but fullback dives and quarterback sneaks and the Huskers would have run for 325.

In 1983, Steinkuhler was the anchor for an offensive line that paved the way for the Scoring Explosion offense. Nebraska averaged a ridiculous 401.7 yards rushing and 52 points per game. He was a first-team All-American and won the Outland and Lombardi Trophies, the 13th player to sweep the awards.

Steinkuhler was the second overall pick in the 1984 NFL Draft,* the highest ever for a Nebraska lineman. His #71 jersey was retired in 1984. In 1999, he was named to the Sports Illustrated “All-Century” team.

(https://i.imgur.com/6y5nGff.png)

Tom Osborne called the fumblerooski three times during his legendary career. But the scenario in which Osborne called this one, in the 1984 Orange Bowl against Miami, is almost impossible to comprehend. Midway through the first quarter, his No. 1-ranked, undefeated team was losing 17-0 to the No. 5 Hurricanes. The high-flying Scoring Explosion offense was sputtering. Nebraska was in the red zone and desperately needed a touchdown.

Facing third-and-five from the Miami 19, who did Osborne want to touch the ball? Not Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier. Not wingback Irving Fryar, who would be the No. 1 overall pick in the 1984 NFL Draft. Quarterback Turner Gill – one of the best to ever play the position at Nebraska – technically did touch it … barely. He dropped on the ground behind his offensive line. There it awaited the 270-pound Steinkuhler, who scooped it up, chugged around the end and rumbled toward the end zone.

NBC announces Don Criqui and John Brodie – along with their cameramen, director and millions watching on TV – had no idea what happened. In the live shot, you can see Steinkuhler pick the ball up and run around the left end, but the camera follows Gill as he and Rozier execute a perfect option fake to the right. The camera whips to the goal line as big Dean crashes in over a defender.

Criqui calls the touchdown, then says, “Now we’re going to see how it happened, ’cause I don’t know.”

On the play, there are a million things that can go wrong. Footballs are notoriously unpredictable objects when they are dropped. One of his teammates could have accidentally kicked it. An alert defender could have jumped on it or warned his teammates. An unprepared ref could blow the play dead. And so on…

Yet, the ball passes perfectly from center Mark Traynowicz to Gill, who barely touches it. It drops straight down, bounces once and nearly comes to rest as Steinkuhler scoops it up. I cannot begin to imagine the number of times this play was run in practice to give Osborne the confidence to call it on third-and-five, down 17 points. If it fails, Nebraska is likely getting blown out and the “can’t win the big one” criticisms reach dangerous levels.

Thankfully, an offensive lineman was there to save the day.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on June 26, 2026, 10:47:12 AM: (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTXZy3BWCNGc4pxqJ-K0LxP6WGWC8dm3hwUzUA5PEsUhA&s=10)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 26, 2026, 11:04:41 AM: PJ Wilkins, a transfer from Ole Miss, will wear #71 this year, after Riley Mahlman wore it for 5 seasons. This is Cole Van Lanen - a very good player and maybe the best to wear #71 (so far).

(https://i.imgur.com/rhzdj9b.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 27, 2026, 08:16:07 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/5U5A9iM.png)

In 1988, Glaser became a full-time starter and picked up second-team All-Big Eight recognition. The 19th-ranked Buffaloes held the No. 7 Cornhuskers to almost 100 yards below their season average of 382.3 rushing yards per game and allowed only one touchdown. The Huskers were lucky to escape with a 7-0 victory.*

Doug Glaser’s senior season – 1989 – was his best. Despite missing three games with a broken big toe, he was All-Big Eight and All-America. He also was a team captain.

(https://i.imgur.com/i2XKk1J.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 27, 2026, 10:08:35 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/2j7Eobe.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/Irrbvqw.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 28, 2026, 08:52:57 AM: LaVerne Torczon was a sophomore center in 1954 and likely played on the second team. Torczon played six-man football in Platte Center, Neb. (near Columbus) and walked on to the Nebraska team.

Torczon (pronounced TORE-sun) gained the nickname “Tarzan” from his teammates. In 1955, he was an All-Big Seven pick as a center. In the 1956 season, Torczon moved to guard and again earned all-conference honors. He was a team captain in 1956 and was elected to the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 1987.

This is not the only “Greatest ____ by the Numbers” list that LaVerne Torczon appears on. After Nebraska, he was an All-AFL player with the Buffalo Bills. He is still considered the greatest Bill to ever wear #87.

Torczon died in 2015. After the funeral, Jim Murphy – a co-captain and friend from the 1956 team – sang “The Cornhusker” over Torczon’s casket. As captains, they would lead the team in the singing of that song (commonly referred to as “Come A Runnin’ Boys”) before games.

(https://i.imgur.com/VvsuDB9.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 28, 2026, 12:57:39 PM: #69 Derek Engler was a senior starter on the 1996 OL, helping pave the way for Ron Dayne's freshman breakout.

No CFB pictures are available - only NFL.

(https://i.imgur.com/O5c7H8u.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 28, 2026, 01:30:30 PM: (https://i.imgur.com/wOrsgMT.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 29, 2026, 08:10:14 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/xfoQxN5.png)

the odds are good that when you read Jake Cotton’s name, you knew exactly where we were headed. The one play – turned viral video clip – that will likely define his Husker career and overshadow his many accomplishments.

Nebraska at Michigan State, 2014. The Huskers are trailing 7-0 midway through the first quarter, but they’re close to field goal range. It’s third-and-eight from the 38-yard line. The Spartans are moving around as quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. looks to the sideline for the play call.

Cotton, at left guard, is locked into his two-point stance. Suddenly, something – A gust of wind? A loss of equilibrium? A minor earthquake? – causes him to slowly rock back. Armstrong is still looking to the sideline as the forces of momentum (and gravity) start to take over.

Cotton is going down, and nothing is going to stop it. He lands squarely on his backside with – as ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit described it – a “boink”.

And just like that, a very respectable career is overshadowed by a single blooper.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on June 29, 2026, 01:04:24 PM: We slanted the field before the game
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on June 29, 2026, 01:07:01 PM: (https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/gcdn/-mm-/971d25e4677573a3ed8226dc1f3d265d1cdb8b71/c=0-77-1466-2032/local/-/media/2018/06/27/MIGroup/Lansing/636657074972839490-68pic2.jpg?width=1466&height=1955&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 29, 2026, 02:47:36 PM: Walk-on to starter at RT to win a Rose Bowl and then to Green Bay to win a Superbowl.

(https://i.imgur.com/N2NWwtV.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 30, 2026, 06:49:42 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/Sphu4by.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on June 30, 2026, 08:47:12 AM: John Henry Outland was one of the first college football players to earn All-America honors at two different positions – as a tackle in 1897 as a tackle and then as a halfback in 1898. Knowing that linemen do not get the recognition they deserve, he donated $1,000 to establish the Outland Trophy in 1946.

*A sidebar on John Outland: After his playing and coaching careers, he was a surgeon in Kansas City and an occasional college football referee. One of the games he worked was Ames (Iowa State) at Nebraska in 1907. Trailing 10-9, Iowa State attempted a field goal. The ball landed short of the crossbar but bounced over.

Was that legal in 1907? Probably not, but this was an era where field goals were worth four points. Regardless, referee John Outland said the try was no good.** Nebraska won the game 10-9. To this day, Iowa State claims it as a 13-10 victory.

**Some Husker fans believe this 1907 game is the last time Nebraska benefitted from an official’s call.

It’s hard to believe that one of college football’s most decorated offensive linemen barely got any recruiting interest out of high school. Most of the big schools thought the 6’1″ Taylor was too small. A lot of the smaller schools didn’t bother because they could see he was clearly a Division 1 talent. If not for former Husker Scott Saltsman, Aaron Taylor might have ended up the New Mexico State or one of the smaller Texas schools.

Saltsman, also from Wichita Falls, Texas, graduated high school the year before Taylor. Assistant coach Dan Young was recruiting a different player from Wichita Falls, but he committed to Texas. That player’s coach said if you want the best player in our district, check out Aaron Taylor. Taylor visited Lincoln and was blown away by everything he saw. Saltsman showed him a good time and sold Nebraska well. Osborne offered Taylor a scholarship and he happily committed.

Taylor came to Nebraska as a guard. In his redshirt freshman season (1994), he played in every game on special teams and as a backup to Joel Wilks. When Wilks graduated, Taylor became the starting left guard for the 1995 Huskers, the greatest college football team of all time. He led the team with 128 pancake blocks and earned first team All-Big Eight honors.

Prior to the 1996 season, Taylor was asked to move from guard to center. Aaron Graham, the starter in 1995, had graduated, and offensive line coach Milt Tenopir felt Taylor would be the best one to fill the void. While not particularly thrilled with the idea, Taylor put the team first and threw himself into his new position. In addition to his duties at center, Taylor also served as a swing guard, giving one of the two starting guards and opportunity to rest. Taylor was All-Big 12, a first-team All-American center, and was a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award. For the 1997 Orange Bowl against Virginia Tech, Taylor was moved back to left guard.

(https://i.imgur.com/FhtEHYm.jpeg)

As a senior in 1997, Taylor started every game at left guard and set a (then) team record with 137 pancake blocks. A co-captain, he was one of the leaders on a team that won the national championship for the third time in four seasons. Taylor repeated as All-Big 12 and earned All-America honors as a guard. He was awarded the 1997 Outland Trophy, Nebraska’s eighth, and most recent by an offensive lineman.

Nebraska has one of the richest histories in all of college football. Ninety-five different Huskers have been a first team All-American. Thirteen Huskers have earned multiple All-America honors. But only Aaron Taylor was an All-American at two different positions.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on June 30, 2026, 09:02:56 AM: (https://www.cantonrep.com/gcdn/authoring/2010/09/02/NREP/ghows-OH-084c5426-af38-4658-9fd0-46692d6b1928-4d6d2b6a.jpeg?width=660&height=532&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 01, 2026, 08:02:10 AM: DE Mike Thompson. A pivotal part of Barry's first class, he still holds second place in TFL in Wisconsin history.

(https://i.imgur.com/Cj0i1SQ.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 01, 2026, 08:51:30 AM: In 1966, Bob Devaney’s Cornhuskers travelled to Madison, Wisconsin, for a game against the Badgers. But a different four-legged mammal stole the show.

At some point in the game, a cottontail rabbit ended up on the field. There’s a famous photo of the rabbit essentially lined up at strong safety in the Husker secondary. Play was stopped on a couple of occasions as Wisconsin officials tried unsuccessfully to capture the critter, or at a minimum, shoo him off the field.

The rabbit reappeared when the Huskers were on defense. Between plays, middle guard Wayne Meylan managed to catch the rabbit. Meylan carried the bunny over to a security officer and told him to release the rabbit outside the stadium.

That’s who Wayne Meylan was – fast enough to catch a rabbit, big enough to be one of the greatest defensive linemen of all time, and gentle enough to ensure all creatures remained unharmed.

Well… all creatures except for the Wisconsin Badgers.

Meylan had one of the best games of his legendary career against Wisconsin. In addition to his duties as an animal control officer, Meylan blocked a third-quarter punt and landed on the ball in the end zone for a touchdown. That started an avalanche that led to a 31-3 victory.*

*The Blackshirts had four interceptions in the game, one of them by linebacker Barry Alvarez – who would later become Wisconsin’s head coach and athletic director. Alvarez returned his interception 25 yards in what the Lincoln Star described as a “slow, but steady gallop” before being chased down by an offensive lineman.

In 1966, Meylan blocked three punts and recovered two for touchdowns. That stood as the school record for punt blocks in a season for nearly 30 years until cornerback Barron Miles broke it in 1994. “Coach Devaney told me to line up wherever I wanted to on punts,” Meylan said after the Wisconsin game. “I just moved up and down the line when they were punting.” Meylan’s pressure on a later attempt resulted in an 18-yard shank by Wisconsin’s rattled punter.

Meylan was a fearsome presence in the middle for the early Devaney teams. He was named Big Eight Player of the Year in his junior and senior seasons. He was a first team All-American in 1966 and 1967, the first Cornhusker to repeat as All-American since Ed Weir in 1924 – 25. Meylan finished ninth in the 1967 Heisman voting, with 11 first place votes.

Wayne Meylan grew up just 90 miles away from Michigan State’s campus in Bay City. He grew big and strong working on his dad’s navy bean farm. When the Spartans received a commitment from defensive lineman (and future NFL All-Pro) Bubba Smith, the door was open for Devaney to swoop in and snag a standout player from his old stomping grounds.

Meylan started out as an offensive lineman but was moved to defense because of his speed. At 6’1″ and 231 pounds, he was on the smaller end for a middle guard. But he brought other attributes to the table. Nebraska assistant George Kelly said, “Meylan is the only player I’ve ever coached or seen who combines all the ingredients we’re always looking for finesse, speed, blocker, strength, toughness and quickness.” He would often use his strength to throw offensive linemen out of the way before chasing down the backs.

He finished as Nebraska’s all-time leading tackler – a title he would hold until Jerry Murtaugh broke it in 1970. Meylan is still 20th in career tackles, ahead of players like Jay Foreman, Carlos Polk, Ndamukong Suh, Rich Glover and Grant Wistrom. His 119 tackles in 1967 remain the position record for a defensive tackle / middle guard / nose tackle.

After football, Meylan enjoyed flying World War II era fighter planes in air shows. Tragically, he was killed in 1987 when one of those planes crashed at a show in Michigan. He was posthumously elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991.

(https://i.imgur.com/HN1lMe2.png)

Wayne Meylan (66) rushes Kansas quarterback Bobby Douglass along with Jerry Patton (90) and Jim McCord (64) in 1967. | Nebraska Football Media Guide
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on July 01, 2026, 09:57:32 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/Pp5naVM.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MikeDeTiger on July 01, 2026, 10:13:10 AM: Probably the best guard ever to suit up in the purple and gold.

(https://i.imgur.com/1DwE6KK.png)

Faneca had a decent pro career too. 9 Pro Bowls, 6 First-Team All-Pro selections, a ring with the Steelers, and a 2021 HoF inductee.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on July 01, 2026, 10:45:00 AM: (https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/gcdn/-mm-/fd594d6d5aff302a7ef71cd0cfc00e36c4c47f6a/c=0-125-1998-1254/local/-/media/2015/11/28/MIGroup/Lansing/635843394437185873-MSUvPennState-40.JPG?width=660&height=373&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 02, 2026, 08:56:44 AM: At 6’10”, Teddy Prochazka is one of the tallest players in school history (R.G. Arneson, an offensive guard from North Platte on the 1987 team was listed at 6’11”). Prochazka has talent and promise to match his size. He was just the 16th true freshman in school history to start on the offensive line. But repeated knee injuries have robbed him of playing time over multiple seasons.

(https://i.imgur.com/kZGXitm.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 02, 2026, 11:59:54 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/h6Ex84q.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on July 02, 2026, 12:03:18 PM: (https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/gcdn/-mm-/840c6e7c61b5fafba31141fa6a5110cff19f2545/c=0-0-1493-1991/local/-/media/2015/06/19/MIGroup/Lansing/635703511964839530-Ed-Bagdon.jpg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 02, 2026, 12:04:47 PM: I wish I could find old pictures like that.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 03, 2026, 08:26:13 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/6XxeiZh.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 03, 2026, 10:06:22 AM: In 1963, Brown anchored the offensive line for a Cornhusker team that won the conference for the first time since 1940. Brown repeated as an all-conference selection and was a unanimous All-American – Nebraska’s first All-American player since Jerry Minnick in 1952. More importantly, Bob Brown was the first black player at Nebraska to earn All-America honors.

Brown was the first overall pick in the AFL draft (Denver) and the second overall pick in the NFL draft (Philadelphia). After a lengthy NFL career with the Eagles, Rams and Raiders, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

Brown is one of just three Cornhuskers to be enshrined in the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame. And yet, Brown said there was only one Hall of Fame he wanted to be in. “I didn’t need to be applauded. I needed for you, as a defensive end, to put me in YOUR Hall of Fame… I needed for you to walk off the field and look back over at me and think ‘Boy, I don’t want to see him again!'”

Bob Brown is one of the greatest players in Nebraska football history. Those who saw him play swear he is the greatest offensive lineman to ever play at Nebraska.

In 2004, the number 64 was permanently retired at Nebraska in honor of Robert “Boomer” Brown. He is one of just three Cornhuskers to have his number no longer issued.

(https://i.imgur.com/YsPGTJA.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 04, 2026, 11:28:32 AM: Not knowing what you’ll see – or miss – is a big reason I attend games in person. Television broadcasts of football games – and the TVs they’re shown on – have come a long way in my lifetime, but there is always something I notice by being in the stadium that the TV cameras don’t capture for the folks at home.

For example, let’s go back to the 2012 game against Wisconsin. The Huskers were wearing those ridiculous all-red superhero costumes with the gigantic “N” on the chest – the ones that made them look like the “Noid” character from the old Domino’s Pizza commercials.

The Huskers had gotten a dramatic stop on fourth-and-one to clinch the game. With just 1:11 to go, Taylor Martinez simply needed to kneel on the ball a few times to escape with a 30-27 win. With the Badgers all but officially beaten, most fans shifted their energy to trying to beat traffic. I could have been one of the tens of thousands of fans leaving.

Had I been standing in the aisles like a passenger on a plane that just landed, I would have missed something minor, yet rare.

On second down, the Badger defenders were flinching and fidgeting at the line of scrimmage. Their movements caused Nebraska’s right guard, Andrew Rodriguez, to jump offsides.

To be clear: I’m not picking on Nebraska’s “A-Rod,” a four-year letterman from Aurora. He was a strong as an ox with the ability to play multiple positions on the line. That came in handy in 2013 when the line was rocked by injuries. Rodriguez was one of just two linemen to start every game in 2013. That patchwork group – led by Rodriguez – did an excellent job paving the way for Ameer Abdullah (1,690 yards) and providing protection for quarterbacks Taylor Martinez, Tommy Armstrong and Ron Kellogg.

Rodriguez also possessed an ideal mix to tenacious and nasty – traits that many offensive lines in the 21st century have lacked. He was recognized as an honorable mention All-Big Ten player in 2013. I remember thinking he deserved higher honors.

So, with all due respect to Andrew Rodriguez, I’ll ask: have you ever seen anybody jump offsides in the victory formation? I’ve been watching football for the better part of 40 years and cannot remember ever seeing it before. I know I haven’t seen it since.

(https://i.imgur.com/bUBqVuN.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 05, 2026, 11:16:27 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/DbJND5l.jpeg)

Ken Mehlin, an offensive lineman from the early 1990s, is one of many examples of Nebraska’s offensive line assembly line.

Step 1: Get good raw materials

Mehlin played offensive line and linebacker for Humboldt (Neb.) High. As a senior, his team won the Nebraska Class D-2 championship and Mehlin was a first team all-state honoree. For those unfamiliar with how Nebraska classifies their high schools, D-2 is the smallest. Humboldt High played 8-man football. Meylan’s graduating class had 17 people. Two of them, Meylan and teammate Jamie Weyers, walked on at Nebraska.

Step 2: Mold and shape them

Mehlin played on the freshman team in 1989 before redshirting in 1990. Listed at 255 pounds, Mehlin poured himself into the weight room, into learning the playbook, and into his academics. By his senior year, he would weigh 275.

Step 3: Testing and Quality Control

As a redshirt sophomore in 1991, Mehlin played in four games – and the Orange Bowl – as a backup guard. In his junior year (1992), Mehlin earned a starting job – and a scholarship! – with a strong performance in the spring. He was still on the smaller end compared to his teammates (practically scrawny at 265 pounds), but it was obvious he had bought into Epley’s strength and conditioning program. The Huskers once again led the nation in rushing offense (328 yards per game). Mehlin was academic All-Big Eight.

Step 4: Finished products

As a senior, Mehlin played center and guard for the 1993 team that nearly won the national championship. He earned first-team All-Big Eight honors and was a second-team Academic All-American.

It didn’t matter than Mehlin had walked on from an eight-man high school team. Heck, two of his fellow offensive line starters in 1992 (center Jim Scott and tackle Lance Lundberg) also played on eight-man teams. The assembly line – combined with his effort and determination – made him a valuable player.

(https://i.imgur.com/uG9pl4p.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 06, 2026, 08:04:18 AM: McCormick followed the offensive lineman progression that should be very familiar by now: Freshman team, redshirt year, playing as a third-year sophomore. The notable difference is that McCormick was a starter.

(https://i.imgur.com/iJNk1tq.jpeg)
John McCormick | Nebraska Football Media Guide

I love this quote from Tenopir (in 1985) about his guards (McCormick, and fellow Gross alumnus Brian Blankenship (6’1″, 270)): “They’re stubby guys, but they’ve got a little punch in their hind ends. They’re kind of coach look-alikes – they’ve got little potbellies like coaches have.”

In 1986, McCormick’s junior year, he was second-team All-Big Eight and an honorable mention All-American. Instead of poking fun at his gut, his coaches were saying he was Nebraska’s best guard since Dean Steinkuhler.

As a senior, McCormick did his best to live up to such high praise, earning All-Big Eight and All-America honors in 1987. In the 1987 game at No. 12 Oklahoma State (a 35-0 Husker victory), McCormick graded out perfectly on his 65 snaps. He was named the Big Eight Offensive Player of the Week, the first time in 16 years that an offensive lineman won Player of the Week honors.

John McCormick served in the Omaha Fire Department for 30 years, rising to the rank of assistant chief. In a 2014 story by KETV in Omaha, they reported at least seven firefighters were former Huskers.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 06, 2026, 01:32:28 PM: Missed a few days.

(https://i.imgur.com/L1d6Zrd.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: EastAthens on July 06, 2026, 03:14:21 PM: Bear Bryant, Keith Jackson and Jim Thorpe all said Charley Trippi was the best football player they ever saw. That is one hell of a trio. He ran, passed and played safety. He is in both the NFL and college HOF. In early days NIL he was recruited from Pennsylvania by a Coca-Cola distributor a few years after Heisman winner Frank Sinkwich.

(https://i.imgur.com/lfNGXBF.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: EastAthens on July 06, 2026, 03:20:24 PM: Trippi at 100

(https://i.imgur.com/dEnzE3E.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 06, 2026, 10:32:14 PM: (https://i.imgur.com/ivRDx57.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 07, 2026, 08:37:40 AM: Bill (RIP) was a friend and a member of our tailgate - the best damn tailgate in Madison.

(https://i.imgur.com/36IBc0j.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/X4w9XEm.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 07, 2026, 09:19:14 AM: Quote from: 847badgerfan on July 07, 2026, 08:37:40 AM
Bill (RIP) was a friend and a member of our tailgate - the best damn tailgate in Madison.

agreed
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on July 07, 2026, 09:20:56 AM: (https://onthebanks.msu.edu/recordFiles/162-565-3931/A001065.jpg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 07, 2026, 09:26:13 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/v8Vhfb5.png)

Tom “Train Wreck” Novak is one of the true legends of Nebraska football history. Out of the nearly 3,400 young men to play for Nebraska, Novak was the first – and still only – Cornhusker to earn first-team all-conference honors in each of his four seasons. Only 20 Huskers have been an all-conference pick three times.

As a freshman and sophomore, Novak played fullback and center on offense and linebacker on defense, earning All-Big Six honors. As a junior and senior, he moved to center and picked up All-Big Seven recognition. Novak was a first-team All-American in 1949.

Novak still holds the Nebraska record for career interceptions by a linebacker with 11. Those 11 picks are tied for fifth most in school history, with modern era cornerbacks (and NFL players) like Ralph Brown, Fabian Washington and Tyrone Byrd. Novak’s five interceptions in 1948 are still tied for the eighth most in a single season.

In addition to football, Novak lettered three times for the Nebraska baseball team. He was on conference championship baseball teams in 1948 and 1950. Unfortunately, he didn’t have nearly the same level of team success on the football field.

Despite Novak’s standout performances, the Huskers were downright dreadful during his career. The Huskers went 11-26 in his four years. Novak played for three different head coaches (Bernie Masterson, George “Potsy” Clark and Bill Glassford). Throughout it all, Novak was a fan favorite.

The 1949 Colorado game was the last of Novak’s career. It was also his 23rd birthday. As the Huskers came out of the locker room after halftime, the Cornhusker Marching Band spelled out “TOM” and played “Happy Birthday.” A simple, yet touching tribute to a beloved player.

After the game, the Beatrice Sun wrote: “Through all the years of tribulation, Tom was the light, the hardy engine and the soul of Nebraska football. He was the refuge and an undefeated element. He will be a legend.”

***
You probably know that Nebraska permanently retired #60 following Novak’s senior season (1949), making it the first number to be retired* by NU, and one of just three numbers to be permanently out of circulation.

60 – Tom Novak. Nobody has worn #60 since Novak took it off for the last time in 1949.

(https://i.imgur.com/eYMYqCC.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 07, 2026, 09:35:48 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/XyeFJU3.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on July 07, 2026, 03:11:40 PM: Quote from: FearlessF on July 07, 2026, 09:26:13 AM
Tom “Train Wreck” Novak is one of the true legends of Nebraska football history. Out of the nearly 3,400 young men to play for Nebraska, Novak was the first – and still only – Cornhusker to earn first-team all-conference honors in each of his four seasons. Only 20 Huskers have been an all-conference pick three times.
I was called Train Wreck frequently in college, didn't know I could take it as a compliment
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 07, 2026, 06:22:03 PM: I was called Fearless in high school but it was because of other types of vehicles I wrecked.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 08, 2026, 07:54:42 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/Wp7h979.png)

A tough Oklahoman, Heskew helped anchor the offensive line for the 1997 national champions, averaging nearly 10 pancake blocks per game. He earned all-conference honors as a senior in 1998. A team captain in 1998, Heskew was elected to the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 2012.

Ironically, Heskew came to Nebraska as a defensive player - and almost didn't come to Lincoln at all.

In high school (Mustang, Okla.) he averaged two sacks per game. Heskew wanted to play for his beloved Oklahoma Sooners - young Josh once sported a Brian Bosworth haircut. But the Sooners told him he was too small to play for them. Oklahoma State had a scholarship available… only if their first choice didn't sign.

At an awards banquet in Oklahoma, Heskew's high school coach was chatting with legendary offensive line coach Milt Tenopir and brought up Heskew. His high school coach must have said the right thing. Tenopir called the following morning with a scholarship offer. Heskew went on to play in 47 games as a Husker, with 27 starts.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 08, 2026, 09:14:12 AM: He developed into a very good linebacker at UW (B.S. 2015).

(https://i.imgur.com/0BEP9gK.png)

He is now Michael Trotter, MD, Orthopedic Surgeon.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on July 08, 2026, 09:57:46 AM: (https://www.detroitnews.com/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2023/11/04/PDTN/71457465007-20231104-dmsptsmsunebraska-2759.jpg?crop=2254,2255,x0,y154)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 09, 2026, 09:40:28 AM: a good friend of mine.................

Harry Grimminger was a mainstay – and a force – on the left side of some dominating offensive lines in the 1980s.

Offensive linemen arguably benefited the most from a four-station practice, as it gave them more opportunities to practice their technique in a gamelike setting.

In a 2018 interview with KETV, Grimminger said he was a "guy of average talent - at best - and I just worked really hard." He's being modest. An all-state guard on a Grand Island High team that won a state title, Grimminger brought plenty of ability to Lincoln.

But he, like so many of his teammates, understood what could happen if they put in the work on the practice field.

As a redshirt sophomore in 1982, Grimminger backed up Dean Steinkuhler. He broke into the starting lineup in 1983, helping to pave the way for the Scoring Explosion to set numerous offensive records. As a senior, Grimminger earned All-Big Eight and All-America honors.

Harry Grimminger, who was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 2003. approached every Husker practice with a simple goal: "Try every day to be better than the day before."

(https://i.imgur.com/EITUp1X.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 09, 2026, 09:53:08 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/p8C5bot.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 10, 2026, 07:26:27 AM: another friend of mine.............

How would you like to be the guy who follows the greatest center in college football history?

In 1982, Dave Rimington's senior season, Mark Traynowicz was a backup right tackle. At 6'6" and a relatively slender 265 pounds, he seemed like a safe bet to stay at tackle. But offensive line coaches Milt Tenopir and Cletus Fischer saw something in Traynowicz to move him to center. Maybe it was his background as a state champion wrestler at Bellevue West. Maybe they wanted somebody with excellent intelligence (Traynowicz earned Academic All-Big Eight honors twice and eventually became an engineer who designed bridges for the Nebraska Department of Transportation).

(https://i.imgur.com/rRlCiIK.jpeg)

Mark Traynowicz (57) helps clear the way for I-back Mike Rozier. | Nebraska Football Media Guide

By his own admission, the coaches didn't see somebody who could match Rimington's brute strength. In a 2015 interview with the Omaha World-Herald, Traynowicz humbly said, "I contend I was probably the weakest guy ever to start on the offensive line at Nebraska."

Whatever the coaches saw in Mark Traynowicz, they were spot on.

In his first year as a center, Traynowicz was the anchor for the offensive line for the 1983 "Scoring Explosion" offense. He regularly graded out as well as - or better than - Outland and Lombardi Trophy winner Dean Steinkuhler. He earned All-Big Eight honors and got Nebraska to the brink of a national championship (and was photographed telling a Miami player that he was #1)

(https://i.imgur.com/lD1a5r4.jpeg)

As a senior, Traynowicz was All-Big Eight, a consensus All-American and a first-team Academic All-American.

Mark Traynowicz may have had some big shoes to fill as Dave Rimington’s replacement, but he left big shoes of his own.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 10, 2026, 08:05:17 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/LOhx4Xc.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on July 10, 2026, 09:20:37 AM: (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS4aFTvEJtH9LHFYwVVajDvIubVCKSxLivE8NAN9-SmPygnZ1gNbOAt91Y&s=10)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 11, 2026, 08:19:07 AM: Do you want a good example of how much football has changed in the last 50+ years?

Ed Periard was a two-year starter at middle guard, earning first team All-Big Eight honors in 1970. He was listed at 5' 9" and 198 pounds, which by today’s standards is undersized for pretty much any position other than piccolo in the Cornhusker Marching Band.

Okay… that's not entirely true.

You see, even 55 years ago, everybody knew Ed Periard was undersized. A 1970 Lincoln Star article said "Let's face it… at 5-9, 201 Periard is too small to play middle guard for the No. 4 ranked Cornhuskers."

The problem was getting Periard to understand it. He simply refused to listen to the word "no."

Assistant Coach Mike Corgan was recruiting in Michigan when he first saw Ed Periard, a running back at a small high school with dreams of playing for Nebraska. Corgan passed. Too slow.

The Nebraska coaches received more film from Periard, which was watched by Bob Devaney. Devaney also passed.

Undeterred, Periard and his parents drove to Lincoln. They begged Devaney for a tryout. Fine. There would be no scholarship, but he could try out for the freshman team. Go get a physical and prove yourself on the field.

Periard failed his physical due to a bad knee. The doctors would not let him play.

Frustrated, Periard stormed into Devaney's office and barked "Look, I didn't come to Nebraska for a knee operation. I came to play football."

Devaney came to two realizations:

"We figured he deserved a chance with an attitude like that."
He knew he had to keep Periard on the team, because he sure as heck didn't want to play against him.
After playing linebacker in 1968, he was moved by assistant coach Monte Kiffin to middle guard. Despite being 40 pounds lighter than the average offensive lineman of the day, Periard started the next two years on the line.

"That's one time we were really wrong," Devaney said. "He's tough and quick."

(https://i.imgur.com/EHay8ss.png)
Ed Periard | Nebraska Football Media Guide
Periard may have been too slow to be a running back, but on the defensive line, he earned the nickname "Fast Eddie" because - let's face it - offensive linemen are often the slowest guys on the field. Periard used his cat-like speed to go around blockers and make tackles. Eventually, teams started double-teaming Periard to a) keep him contained, and b) try to inflict some damage on his diminutive frame.

During the 1970 Colorado game, he got the wind knocked out of him. As he was lying on the field, teammate Jerry Murtaugh tried to call the trainers onto the field. Gasping for breath, Periard looked up at Murtaugh and said "I'll kick your ass if you allow me to go off this field. I'm not leaving. You shut your mouth." Laughing, Murtaugh helped Periard up, and they finished the game.

The following week, Murtaugh got the wind knocked out of him after a play. Periard came and stood over his linebacker. "Murt," he said wryly "you want us to call for a stretcher to get you off the field?" If you've ever lost your breath after a hit, you know it can be hard to get it back. It's even harder when you're laughing.

In his senior season (1970), Periard had 79 total tackles (second on the team behind Murtaugh) and a team-high 15 tackles for loss. I'd wager he is the one last first-team all-conference lineman from a power conference to weigh less than 200 pounds.

On the bus ride to the stadium before the 1971 Orange Bowl, Periard learned that No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Ohio State had both lost their bowl games. This meant No. 3 Nebraska now had a chance at a national championship. "We got a shot at winning this!" he said.

(https://i.imgur.com/wg1DtJg.png)
Ed Periard (56) joins Bob Devaney and his assistants in celebrating the Huskers' 1971 Orange Bowl win over LSU. | Nebraska Football Media Guide

Never one to waste an opportunity, 198-pound Ed Periard had seven solo tackles from the middle guard position. The LSU Tigers rushed 45 times for 51 yards.

Nebraska won the game 17-12, and earned its first national championship.

Ed Periard refusing to take "no" for an answer had a lot to do with it.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 11, 2026, 09:22:44 AM: From walk-on QB to LB, first team All B1G and first team AA, to NFL All-pro and Superbowl champ. I love these stories.

(https://i.imgur.com/2RI8lZw.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: CatsbyAZ on July 11, 2026, 12:03:54 PM: (https://i.imgur.com/2ohKm0F.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 12, 2026, 07:35:16 AM: In 1998 Russ Hochstein A redshirt sophomore from Hartington, Neb., was an honorable mention All-Big 12 performer despite starting only the final four games of the season.

The remainder of Russ Hochstein's career (1999 and 2000) felt like the Nebraska of old.

1999 was a bounce-back year. Nebraska finished 12-1, winning the Big 12 Conference championship game. A four-point loss at Texas, hindered by three Husker fumbles, was the Huskers' only blemish. As a junior in 1999, Hochstein started full time and averaged over 10 pancake blocks per game. He has a first-team All-Big 12 selection.

Before the 2000 season, Offensive line coach Milt Tenopir raved about Hochstein: "If you had to identify the ideal lineman, Russ would be that guy. His size, quickness, effort and love for the game would rank him as one of the outstanding linemen that have come through our program. He is a great leader on and off the field. In starting a team, Russ would be one of the first players you would pick."

Hochstein went on to back up his coach's glowing praise. He was a consensus first-team All-Big 12 choice and a first-team All-American in 2000. In Nebraska's overtime win against Notre Dame,* he set a school record with 23 pancakes.

the 2000 season was another strong showing. The Huskers finished 10-2 with the only losses coming at the No. 3 and No. 16 teams (Oklahoma and Kansas State).

(https://i.imgur.com/hCKOU86.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 12, 2026, 08:53:52 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/MiBcWul.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 13, 2026, 08:20:20 AM: the first recipient of the Rimington Award: Dominic Raiola.

Dom was the first Hawaiian to become a Husker.

(https://i.imgur.com/dOSw2y5.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on July 13, 2026, 09:03:24 AM: (https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/gcdn/-mm-/08874ea95db0d6fc356271cbed7125c1ce5eb927/c=10-0-394-512/local/-/media/2015/07/09/MIGroup/Lansing/635720348353168750-Carl-Banks---Bob-Hope.jpg?width=384&height=512&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 13, 2026, 09:25:28 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/7tvkLeI.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 14, 2026, 07:55:48 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/NC2P0XM.png)

Randy Schleusener was an excellent guard on those Nebraska teams at the end of the 1970s. He was a team captain as a senior in 1980 and earned All-Big Eight and All-America honors. Equally impressive in the classroom, Schleusner was a two-time academic All-American and a winner of the prestigious NCAA Today's Top Eight.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 14, 2026, 08:18:59 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/elxHCOB.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on July 14, 2026, 08:57:45 AM: (https://s3media.247sports.com/Uploads/Assets/76/946/11946076.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 14, 2026, 10:18:18 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/upuFmbw.png)

Woody Hayes called Gradishar the best linebacker he ever coached at Ohio State. In his senior season of 1973, he finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting—rare for a defensive player. The same year, he was named All-America for a second time and All-Big Ten first team for a third time, and he helped the Buckeyes to a 10-0-1 season and Rose Bowl win over USC.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on July 15, 2026, 08:39:28 AM: (https://www.freep.com/gcdn/-mm-/4acf963c1b171a378524e4bb422c480c9ffc99e7/c=0-56-1997-1184/local/-/media/2017/02/21/DetroitFreePress/DetroitFreePress/636232916114098015-MSUvPennSt-14.JPG)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 15, 2026, 08:49:52 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/Xw7pN9I.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 15, 2026, 02:56:46 PM: (https://i.imgur.com/WKn1vmH.png)

As a senior, Phillip Dillard found success. Pelini's defense and Ekeler's coaching were clicking. Playing behind Suh and Jared Crick didn't hurt. But mostly, Phillip Dillard had confidence and a positive attitude. He ended his season with 83 tackles (second on the team) and 11 tackles for loss, including three sacks. In the 2009 game against his home state Oklahoma Sooners, Dillard had a fourth-quarter interception to go along with eight tackles tackles and two tackles for loss. He was named to the All-Big 12 second team and was a fourth-round pick of the New York Giants.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 16, 2026, 11:24:36 AM: Greatest Husker to wear 51: Mick Tingelhoff, Center, 1958 - 1961

He started 259 consecutive games for the Minnesota Vikings. That is still the longest streak for an offensive lineman and is tied for 12th longest in NFL history. Ironically, Tingelhoff did not become a starter at Nebraska until his senior season.

Tingelhoff grew up on the family farm outside Lexington, Nebraska. His German immigrant parents thought football was "a waste of time." They may have been right: as a high school sophomore, his Lexington High team went 0-9. His parents never attended one of his games - they were too busy on the farm.

But by his senior season, Tingelhoff and his Lexington teammates - including Monte Kiffin, a future Husker and NFL legend in his own right - went 9-0, winning a state title and allowing just one touchdown all season.

1957-58 was a year of change for the Tingelhoff family: They got electricity for the first time, and despite his parents' wishes that he would stay on the farm, Mick went to Lincoln on scholarship.

Mick Tingelhoff didn't have a stellar career at Nebraska. He lettered three years, backing up Don Fricke in his first two seasons. As a senior, he was named a team captain but did not earn all-conference honors as NU's starting center. The Bill Jennings-led teams he played on won a total of 10 games in his three varsity seasons.

The biggest highlight from his playing career was the Halloween 1959 game against Oklahoma. The Sooners had won 74 consecutive conference games. Nebraska had not beaten Oklahoma since 1942. The Memorial Stadium goal posts were torn down for the first time and paraded down to the Governor's Mansion. Classes were canceled the following Monday. Tinglehoff was pictured carrying coach Jennings off the field.

Tingelhoff received invites for the Senior Bowl and All-American Bowl but did not get selected in the 20 rounds of the 1962 NFL Draft. He signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Vikings. That's where his career took off.

He started for the Vikings as a rookie - the first of his 259 consecutive starts over 17 seasons. He played in four Super Bowls and six Pro Bowls, and he earned All-NFL honors seven times. His NFL number (53) was retired by the Vikings, who inducted him into their Ring of Honor. Two of his Husker teammates (Pat Fischer and Ron McDole) also had lengthy pro football careers. Fischer played 17 seasons and McDole had 18 between the NFL and AFL.

Mick Tingelhoff was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015, just the fourth Cornhusker to reach the pinnacle of professional football. (Will Shields, who was also inducted in 2015, is the fifth).

Not too shabby for a farm kid from Lexington.

(https://i.imgur.com/zW8r0cH.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 16, 2026, 11:48:19 AM: Not too many good/great #51's for Wisconsin.

(https://i.imgur.com/lz2xofR.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 16, 2026, 12:10:53 PM: Second-Team All-Big Ten (2012, Coaches, Phil Steele)
Academic All-Big Ten (2011, 2012)
2012 Nebraska Defensive MVP
2012 Nebraska Team Captain

(https://i.imgur.com/JYYKDnM.jpeg)

Middle linebacker Will Compton was the centerpiece of the Blackshirt defense in 2012, providing a stabilizing force on a veteran defense. The 6-2, 230-pound senior had an outstanding senior season, leading the team with 110 tackles and earning second-team All-Big Ten honors.

In addition to his team-leading tackle total, Compton added six tackles for loss and three sacks. He also broke up seven passes and recovered a team-high three fumbles, while intercepting a pass for a touchdown in the final game of his career against Georgia. His play helped Nebraska field one of the nation's top pass defensive units in 2012.

Compton's senior season put an exclamation point on an outstanding Husker career. He played in his 50th game as a Husker in the bowl game and made his 37th career start, including all 14 games in 2012. Compton finished his career with 247 tackles to rank 12th on the Nebraska all-time tackles chart. Compton had six games in 2012 with at least 10 tackles, including a season-high 12 tackles in each of the first two games.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 16, 2026, 12:21:59 PM: Centerpiece of the blackshirt defense?

In 2012?
I remember that "defense" very well.

~:P
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 16, 2026, 12:45:11 PM: they were pretty good at pass defense

because every opponent was too busy running the ball!
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 16, 2026, 12:46:32 PM: Running the call at the centerpiece? Seems odd to place him in that fashion.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 16, 2026, 12:49:42 PM: I agree. Obviously, I wasn't the creative writer
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 16, 2026, 12:54:04 PM: AI Overview

The 2012 Nebraska Cornhuskers defense, coordinated by John Papuchis in his first season, operated out of a 4-3 base scheme. The unit was a Jekyll-and-Hyde group, finishing 58th nationally in scoring defense (27.6 points per game) but historically porous in crucial games.
Key Personnel and Stats

Linebackers: Will Compton served as the emotional and statistical leader of the defense, bringing experience to a core that featured Zaire Anderson and David Santos.
Metrics: The unit gave up 360.6 total yards per game but showed the ability to close out regular-season games, eventually helping the team secure a 10-4 overall record and a Big Ten Legends Division title.
For a breakdown of some of the impressive offensive and defensive highlights from this era, including a massive comeback win against Wisconsin:
Nebraska 17 Point Comeback vs Wisconsin (2012)
Defining MomentsDespite an impressive 10-win regular season, the 2012 defense is notoriously remembered for two historically bad blowouts late in the year:
The Big Ten Championship Game: Nebraska suffered an infamous 70-31 blowout loss to Wisconsin, giving up an agonizing 539 rushing yards to the Badgers.
The Capital One Bowl: The defense struggled again in the postseason, giving up 45 points in a 45-31 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on July 16, 2026, 01:15:21 PM: (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRxDgN-1gwZiRLKeZK8w11lQHg2GAV1hrdpmSe78nmt85qcCt36jmO-0fEd&s=10)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 17, 2026, 08:39:06 AM: Tim Krumrie

(https://i.imgur.com/maYD3uf.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 17, 2026, 08:58:49 AM: The only two-time winner of the Outland Trophy (1981, 1982).
One of just 14 players to win the Outland and Lombardi Award in the same season (1982).
1981 Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year. In the long history of the Big Eight, this was the first and only time a lineman won that honor.
First Nebraska student-athlete (regardless of sport) to be inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-American Hall of Fame. For a school that rightfully touts its nation-leading number of Academic All-Americans, Rimington is still at the head of the class.

(https://i.imgur.com/UGhiDy5.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/wGxgfR6.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 17, 2026, 09:17:12 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/2V3Z0Ep.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 17, 2026, 09:18:26 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/gH3RExl.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 17, 2026, 09:19:45 AM: Quote from: 847badgerfan on July 17, 2026, 09:17:12 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/2V3Z0Ep.png)
Dick Butkus never won a Butkus award.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 17, 2026, 09:47:40 AM: same for Rimmington and his award

but, a Husker was the first recipient
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on July 17, 2026, 10:21:41 AM: (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT9ALrGg6b5gzFyt_2gHq8obIciGGCQfuqNOgd0sgXWDg&s=10)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on July 17, 2026, 10:22:30 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/uJkcY2I.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: medinabuckeye1 on July 17, 2026, 12:07:39 PM: Didn't want to make a new thread for it but . . .

Happy birthday @FearlessF (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=10) !
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 17, 2026, 12:08:46 PM: Thanks

I thought about the weird history thread
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 17, 2026, 12:19:10 PM: FORE!!!
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: Wildcat4E on July 17, 2026, 02:48:51 PM: News of note for yours truly

Beer is going to be sold everywhere in Bill Snyder Family Stadium this year, and you can take it to your "cheap" seat instead of having to stay in a beer garden!

It's a bad year to be a beer at The Bill, my newly 21 yo daughter advised.

And the stadium being full in the 2nd half might be the advantage the Cats need!
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 17, 2026, 10:46:45 PM: we can only hope
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: utee94 on July 17, 2026, 10:54:46 PM: Quote from: Wildcat4E on July 17, 2026, 02:48:51 PM
News of note for yours truly

Beer is going to be sold everywhere in Bill Snyder Family Stadium this year, and you can take it to your "cheap" seat instead of having to stay in a beer garden!

It's a bad year to be a beer at The Bill, my newly 21 yo daughter advised.

And the stadium being full in the 2nd half might be the advantage the Cats need!
Take it to the Beer Thread, it's over there ----------->
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 17, 2026, 10:57:02 PM: the big 12 is lost
thanks to Texas

;)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: utee94 on July 17, 2026, 11:00:23 PM: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/SlZfoJS0zL4
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 18, 2026, 10:57:39 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/X5jAQo5.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 18, 2026, 11:03:23 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/K4dBFJx.png)

Listed at 6-foot-3 Anthony is one of the tallest running backs to ever play for Nebraska. He looked like a deer running through (and over) defenses. But his long frame was not a hinderance to his production. Anthony’s 2,077 career rushing yards were the fourth-most in Nebraska history when he graduated (currently 31st all time).

Anthony won the Tom Novak Award as a senior and was an eighth-round draft pick by the Baltimore Colts.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 19, 2026, 09:02:54 AM: Jamie Burrow got the opportunity to start in 2001. Twice, he was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week. In the epic 2001 game against Oklahoma, Burrow had 17 tackles. His fourth-quarter sack ended OU’s comeback hopes. He was a second-team All-Big 12 selection and helped lead the Blackshirts to the Rose Bowl.

You may not know this, but Jamie is part of a family with deep Husker roots. His little brother Dan – a safety – also played for the Huskers.

Their dad, Jimmy, played at Nebraska in the 1970s and later was a graduate assistant under Frank Solich. When Solich went to Ohio University, the elder Burrow followed. Jim was Solich’s defensive coordinator at Ohio from 2005-2018.

(https://i.imgur.com/w756iJT.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 19, 2026, 09:57:50 AM: Three Sack Jack!

(https://i.imgur.com/bGFg9tQ.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 20, 2026, 08:47:35 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/DMOsy4m.png)

1988 (Senior)
LeRoy Etienne (pronounced ay-TEE-en) claimed first-team All-Big Eight honors for the second straight season as Nebraska’s starting strong-side linebacker in 1988. The 6-1, 230-pounder from New Iberia, La., produced career bests with 79 total tackles, including 52 solos, while adding eight tackles for loss (35 yards) with three sacks (20 yards). He also notched three pass breakups on the season. Etienne closed his Blackshirt career with a monster 12-tackle performance that included seven solos in the 1989 Orange Bowl against Miami. Etienne led Nebraska to the Big Eight title with an unbeaten (7-0) conference regular season on its way to an 11-2 overall record. The Blackshirts finished sixth nationally in pass defense (134.8 ypg) and seventh in total defense (262.8 ypg).

A four-time letterman, Etienne finished his Husker career with 195 total tackles (115 solos), including 13 TFLs (42 yards) with four sacks (21 yards). He added seven pass breakups and one fumble recovery. He also played in the East-West Shrine All-Star game following his senior season.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MikeDeTiger on July 20, 2026, 10:10:57 AM: Quote from: FearlessF on July 19, 2026, 09:02:54 AM
Jamie Burrow got the opportunity to start in 2001. Twice, he was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week. In the epic 2001 game against Oklahoma, Burrow had 17 tackles. His fourth-quarter sack ended OU’s comeback hopes. He was a second-team All-Big 12 selection and helped lead the Blackshirts to the Rose Bowl.

You may not know this, but Jamie is part of a family with deep Husker roots. His little brother Dan – a safety – also played for the Huskers.

Their dad, Jimmy, played at Nebraska in the 1970s and later was a graduate assistant under Frank Solich. When Solich went to Ohio University, the elder Burrow followed. Jim was Solich’s defensive coordinator at Ohio from 2005-2018.

Is that Joe's family? I know he had some brothers and maybe his dad who played for Nebraska.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 20, 2026, 10:21:04 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/niw1xHk.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 20, 2026, 10:45:41 AM: Quote from: MikeDeTiger on July 20, 2026, 10:10:57 AM

Is that Joe's family? I know he had some brothers and maybe his dad who played for Nebraska.
Ed Zachery
Jimmy is his Father - Jamie and Dan are big brothers
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on July 20, 2026, 11:30:01 AM: (https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/gcdn/-mm-/f2b85b492a1b07cc691c1e8676855d061c97f60c/c=0-100-1076-1535/local/-/media/2015/10/14/MIGroup/Lansing/635804440698744593-Scott-Greene-95.jpg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 21, 2026, 07:32:14 AM: Tony Felici was a relatively small defensive end, even by the standards of the early 1980s – his playing weight as a senior was listed at 205 pounds – but that did not stop him from being a presence on the defensive line. A walk-on from Omaha Central, he was an All-Big Eight selection in 1981 and 1982.

In the 1981 game versus Florida State, linebacker Mike Knox blasted a Seminole kick returner so hard that the ball flew out of his hands. Felici caught it on the fly and returned it for a 13-yard touchdown. During his Husker career, Felici recorded 14 sacks and made numerous other tackle for loss.

(https://i.imgur.com/IASBc8d.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 21, 2026, 11:16:19 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/vK4NGrl.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 22, 2026, 07:23:45 AM: “Fearless Frankie.”

Generously* listed at 5’8″ and 160 pounds, Solich was believed to be the smallest major-college fullback of his era. But he was full of speed, toughness and want-to.

*The classic story goes that Solich – in a desperate attempt to not officially be the smallest guy on the team – wore a baggy sweatshirt on the day the team was weighed in. Why a sweatshirt? Well, it was necessary to conceal the weight(s) Frank had taped inside his shorts. Alas, he was still a pound lighter than teammate Larry Wachholtz.

Regardless of what the scale showed, Solich was a heavyweight on the field. He was the first Husker to rush for 200 yards in a game. His 204 rushing yards at Air Force in 1965 stood as the most in school history for 11 years. I’d be willing to wager those 204 yards are an unbreakable record for the fullback position.

He returned punts – an 80-yard touchdown return against Auburn in the 1964 Orange Bowl was nullified when he was ruled to have stepped out of bounds. Solich was an all-conference player in 1965.

(https://i.imgur.com/F50JL8I.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/SEPr9VP.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 22, 2026, 07:45:20 AM: One of my favorites.

(https://i.imgur.com/7tRTuLw.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MikeDeTiger on July 22, 2026, 09:54:21 AM: Quote from: FearlessF on July 22, 2026, 07:23:45 AM
“Fearless Frankie.”

Nebraska should not have fired him after 2003. It was all downhill since Callahan.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on July 22, 2026, 12:37:34 PM: (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSqA7oD8RA82TQp_XHclTufbQt3zHrT9Fu6ker5GOmTQw&s=10)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 22, 2026, 10:03:25 PM: Quote from: MikeDeTiger on July 22, 2026, 09:54:21 AM
Nebraska should not have fired him after 2003. It was all downhill since Callahan.
Ed Zachery!!!
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 23, 2026, 07:41:38 AM: As a redshirt freshman in 1991, Jones came off the bench for an injured Derek Brown at Kansas. In that game, Jones had 27 carries for a (then) school-record 294 yards and a Big Eight record six touchdowns. A few weeks later against Oklahoma, Nebraska had a shot at the Big Eight title and a trip to the Orange Bowl. However, the Huskers were trailing 14-13 late in the game.

A freezing rain fell most of the day, turning the Memorial Stadium Astroturf into a green sheet of ice. Yet, on the go-ahead scoring drive, Jones was sure-footed, cutting and sprinting his way down the field – and into the end zone. Nebraska’s final drive covered 80 yards and took 10 plays. Calvin Jones had nine carries for 78 yards, including a gutsy fourth-and-1 conversion and 15-yard touchdown on the next play.

One of the most memorable moments of Jones’s Husker career was a 47-yard touchdown against Colorado in 1992.

(https://i.imgur.com/hLWWQJj.png)
As a junior in 1993, his final season at Nebraska, Jones had another 1,000-yard season despite missing time with a knee injury. He was an All-Big Eight pick for the second straight season and a finalist for the Doak Walker Award. Jones finished his standout career as Nebraska’s second leading rusher (currently seventh) even though he started just 12 games in his career.

Calvin Jones had a successful NFL career, winning a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers. He was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 2004. Jones died in his home of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in 2025. He was 54.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 23, 2026, 08:27:05 AM: Still hard to believe OSU let this one get out of Ohio.

(https://i.imgur.com/kJ1c55R.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: CatsbyAZ on July 23, 2026, 10:52:02 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/6f7jmmK.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 24, 2026, 05:37:01 PM: Terrell Farley - a junior college transfer - was an immediate impact player in Charlie McBride's defense in 1995. He had a 29-yard pick-six in the 1995 opener at Oklahoma State and a 21-yarder against Arizona State. He led the team in tackles, blocked two punts, had five sacks, 12 quarterback hurries. He was an easy choice for Big Eight Defensive Newcomer of the Year and first-team All-Big Eight.

In the 1996 Fiesta Bowl, he led the team with eight tackles and two sacks. He nearly intercepted a Danny Wuerffel pass that likely would have been his third pick six of the year. Later, Farley was furious after sacking Wuerffel in the end zone, as the Florida QB just barely got the ball over the goal line. (Jamel Williams got the safety on the next play).

Kansas State didn't have a chance against the mighty 1995 team (a 45-28 win). Terrell Farley was a defensive star in that game with 10 tackles and two sacks. But in 1996, the Wildcats felt confident that they would finally win. Frazier was gone, and NU had just been shut out by Arizona State. Plus, the game was in Manhattan.

K-State got the ball to start the game and drew NU offside on first down. On first-and-five, Terrell Farley came shooting through the line and sacked KSU quarterback Brian Kavanagh for a four-yard loss. To this day, I cannot remember a faster play. Farley almost took the snap. He had another 11-yard tackle for loss later in the game - a 39-3 romp.

(https://i.imgur.com/8kaJnkY.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 25, 2026, 07:29:21 AM: Murtaugh broke into the starting lineup in 1968, recording a team-high 99 tackles. He was named honorable mention All-Big Eight. As a junior in 1969, Murtaugh had 126 tackles, which broke Wayne Meylan's single-season record. Murtaugh earned first-team All-Big Eight honors.

(https://i.imgur.com/hKRMIba.png)
Jerry Murtaugh was a team captain in 1970 despite his tendency to land in coach Bob Devaney's doghouse. | Nebraska Athletics

The Cornhuskers won their first national championship in 1970. He ended the 1970 season with 142 tackles, breaking his own record (back then, bowl games were not included in the stat totals). Murtaugh also set the school record for most tackles (342). That mark stood for over 30 years until Barrett Ruud broke it in 2004. In addition to being All-Big Eight and All-America, Murtaugh was the 1970 Big Eight Defensive Player of the Year.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 25, 2026, 08:35:53 AM: Wisconsin needs more Wattage in the Cottage. These Watt guys need to have more boys.

(https://i.imgur.com/NGenAiR.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 26, 2026, 09:36:32 AM: If you’re compiling a list of the best linebackers in school history, Marc Munford’s name should be on that list. A strong tackler, he led the team in tackles in each of his final three seasons. He is in an elite group of Huskers to win all-conference honors in three seasons.

As a sophomore, he had a breakout performance against Missouri with a career-high 16 tackles and a 57-yard interception return for a touchdown. A devasting knee injury cost Munford the final two games of his junior season, but he still led the team in tackles and repeated as an All-Big Eight pick. In his senior season, he was a captain of a Blackshirt defense that held Kansas to minus-21 yards on 22 carries.

Munford was an excellent prep baseball player with offers to the some of the top college programs of the day. He wanted to moonlight with the Nebraska baseball team, but the coaches wouldn't allow it. He was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 1997.

(https://i.imgur.com/uKF4vKM.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 26, 2026, 10:04:51 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/FZHH4sx.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 27, 2026, 08:39:27 AM: Pat Tyrance is one of those players who embraced the "student" part of the student athlete. In fact, let’s start on the academic side:

Tyrance, a Biology/Pre-Med major, was a two-time Academic All-American. He was named a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete in 1990. He earned the prestigious NCAA Today's Top Six Award in 1990, one of the top honors for student athletes.*

*Tyrance's wife, Renita Robinson - the 1989 NCAA triple jump champion for Nebraska's track team - was also an Academic All-American and was Today's Top Six finalist the previous semester.

(https://i.imgur.com/Z2HvBoo.png)

On the football field, Tyrance was no slouch.

Lightly recruited out of Millard North High School, Tyrance played in every game as a redshirt sophomore, with five starts. In his junior season (1989), he was an All-Big Eight pick. His senior season (1990) got off to an unconventional start. In addition to having a wife and newborn son at home, Tyrance missed the spring game to take the Medical College Admission Test. He did find time to hit the weight room, as evidenced by his team-best 446-pound bench press.

In the 1990 season opener against Baylor, Nebraska was clinging to a 6-0 lead in the fourth quarter. The Bears had second-and-goal from the 5, but Tyrance forced a fumble at the three. Nebraska scored a late touchdown to win 13-0. In a loss to eventual co-national champion Colorado, Tyrance forced two more fumbles and an interception with his pressure on quarterback Darian Hagan. Tyrance led the team in tackles his last two seasons and finished 13th in career tackles . A team captain, Tyrance repeated as an All-Big Eight pick. He was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

After a year in the NFL, Tyrance started medical school at Harvard Medical School, where he earned his Doctor of Medicine. Since that wasn't enough of a challenge, he also earned a Master of Public Policy in Healthcare Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. In 2015, he received an MBA from the George Washington School of Business. Dr. Pat Tyrance is currently an orthopedic surgeon. In 2009, he was inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-American Hall of Fame, making him just the second Nebraska football player (Dave Rimington)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on July 27, 2026, 09:38:03 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/snxiYSc.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 28, 2026, 08:05:40 AM: Andra Franklin was different. He was a best-of-both-worlds hybrid who could block and tote the rock. Born and raised in Alabama, he turned down Bear Bryant to come to Nebraska.

A four-year letterman, Franklin gained 1,753 yards in his career. That is the most by a NU fullback, and almost 200 yards ahead of second place (Dick Davis, who followed Solich in the 1960s). When he graduated, Franklin had the ninth-most rushing yards in Nebraska history. Franklin was an All-Big Eight selection in 1980, his senior season.

As any Osborne-era fullback will tell you, their primary role was to block for the I-back. The I-back in Franklin's junior and seasons (Jarvis Redwine) rushed for 2,213 yards on a ridiculous 7.1 yards per carry. Obviously, Marvelous Jarvis and the offensive line deserve a ton of credit, but I guarantee that Franklin's blocking and threat as a runner made Redwine's life much easier.

(https://i.imgur.com/NdZ0LnP.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/scLkyim.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 28, 2026, 09:58:19 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/QDxdi85.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 29, 2026, 07:39:32 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/ZXOPyQa.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 29, 2026, 08:41:01 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/P6OunKS.png)

Barrett Ruud was an outstanding player. Ruud is Nebraska’s all-time leader in tackles, third in career tackles for loss,

Ruud broke Murtaugh's 30-year-old mark for career tackles early in his senior season. Ruud would finish his career with 432 total tackles, 90 tackles ahead of Murtaugh.

Barrett's 2003 season total of 149 stops. That was a record until Lavonte David beat him by three tackles in 2010.

A three-year starter, Ruud was a force all over the field. He had a nose for the football on running plays, but also excelled in pass coverage, recording 12 breakups and two interceptions in his career. Strangely, he earned first team All-Big 12 honors only as a senior. But he was a three-time academic All-Big 12 performer.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on July 29, 2026, 06:20:47 PM: (https://i.imgur.com/Eu1lgX0.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 30, 2026, 09:07:01 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/rcrSqVA.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on July 31, 2026, 07:41:33 AM: I missed #37. Oh well.

(https://i.imgur.com/q055ik4.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on July 31, 2026, 07:43:42 AM: There have been 95 different Nebraska Cornhuskers who earned first-team All-America honors. At 5-foot-8 and 163 pounds,* Wachholtz is the shortest and lightest of them all.

But don't let his size fool you. The North Platte native known as "Cactus" packed a lot of ability – and punch – into his small frame.

(https://i.imgur.com/avandxG.png)
Larry Wachholtz tackles Kansas star Gale Sayers in 1963. | Cornhusker yearbook

For starters, it really isn’t fair to Larry Wachholtz to simply list him as a “safety.” Yes, he was an outstanding defensive back, earning All-Big Eight honors twice and first-team All-American honors as a senior. His seven interceptions as a senior ranked in the top 10 nationally.

(https://i.imgur.com/Bmk3A9f.png)
Larry Wachholtz intercepts an Alabama pass during the 1966 Orange Bowl. | Courtesy of Orange Bowl Committee

But that is not all he did. Not even close.

Wachholtz was an excellent punt returner, leading the Big Eight in return yards twice. In 1965, his junior season, he missed out on the national lead by just seven yards. And if that was not enough, Wachholtz also kicked PATs (36 of 39) and field goals (3 of 5). In 1965, he played - and kicked - with an injured foot. Here's what Bob Devaney had to say about him:

"He's just not an outstanding defensive player. He's so much more to us. Larry is a great punt returner, a real team leader, and a tremendous placekicker. He kicked six PATs against Kansas with a big toe the size of a baseball." Never missing an opportunity for a laugh, Devaney added, "We're afraid to let a doctor work on his toe for fear it'll hurt his kicking ability."

Wachholtz left Nebraska holding multiple school records for punt returns, tackles and interceptions. In 1982 he was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame.

Larry Wachholtz was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 1982.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on July 31, 2026, 03:06:31 PM: Deserved better than one shot as the interim for Tugger. Guy bleeds green and white

(https://i.imgur.com/xLjubWy.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: Mdot21 on July 31, 2026, 03:42:53 PM: Quote from: ELA on July 31, 2026, 03:06:31 PM
Deserved better than one shot as the interim for Tugger. Guy bleeds green and white

(https://i.imgur.com/xLjubWy.png)
no idea he ever played college ball for the Spartans. only know who he is because Barry Sanders turned the dude inside out on a long TD run vs the Patriots. one of the great runs of all-time. but you could say that about hundreds of Barry Sanders carries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl94uX4JiTY
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 01, 2026, 08:16:50 AM: another tailgate friend of mine

(https://i.imgur.com/FdgvKY4.png)

1982 (Senior)
Damkroger closed his career as Nebraska's all-time leader in assisted tackles with 157 and fourth in total tackles with 269. He led NU for the second straight year in tackles with 79 stops on the year. His best game as a senior was against Colorado when he made seven tackles and set up a pair of Husker TDs with the only two TDs of his career. He also matched his career-high of 13 tackles against Missouri.

1981 (Junior)
Damkroger led the Huskers in tackles with 116 and was named a second-team All-Big Eight performer. He led a Blackshirt defense that ranked first in the nation in pass defense (100.1 yards per game), and led the Big Eight in every defensive category. Damkroger averaged 10.5 tackles per game, with a 13-tackle performance against Florida State his top tackle day of the season. He led all tacklers with 11 stops including nine solo tackles in the 1982 Orange Bowl vs. Clemson.

1980 (Sophomore)
Damkroger moved into the starting lineup at strongside linebacker and had 17 tackles (8 solo) against Oklahoma. On the year, Damkroger finished with 58 tackles, including 37 unassisted stops.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 01, 2026, 10:38:56 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/GdaKoTN.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 01, 2026, 10:43:17 AM: seems like I remember watching him play for the colts with Johnny U but, I'm not that old
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 02, 2026, 11:07:45 AM: Need more Wattage in the Cottage. Dereck! Have more boys!

Not sure why he's Derek and not DJ.

(https://i.imgur.com/SiR50Z3.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: betarhoalphadelta on August 02, 2026, 11:10:27 AM: Quote from: 847badgerfan on August 02, 2026, 11:07:45 AM
Need more Wattage in the Cottage. Dereck! Have more boys!

Not sure why he's Derek and not DJ.

(https://i.imgur.com/SiR50Z3.png)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPQwhR5TG18
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 02, 2026, 11:21:36 AM: Alberts was a two-time All-Big Eight selection. A first-team All-American. The Big Eight Player of the Year. His 1993 season, featuring a school-record 15 sacks, remains one of the greatest campaigns by a Blackshirt.

Alberts won the 1993 Butkus Award as the nation's best linebacker (the only Husker ever to win that award). In the 1994 Orange Bowl, he sacked Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Charlie Ward three times, despite having dislocated his elbow a month earlier. Trev's #34 is one of 17 retired jerseys at Nebraska. As such, his name will remain on the Memorial Stadium façade forever.

(https://i.imgur.com/5LbiC6P.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/yZVM6LL.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 02, 2026, 12:48:08 PM: ^^^ Asshole.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: utee94 on August 03, 2026, 12:02:34 AM: (https://www.heisman.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/williams_ricky_j98023-1536x1200.jpg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 03, 2026, 07:58:23 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/36N177I.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 03, 2026, 08:04:52 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/DzdcrHF.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MrNubbz on August 03, 2026, 08:07:46 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/QxWUeWQ.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 03, 2026, 08:28:27 AM: Quote from: FearlessF on August 03, 2026, 07:58:23 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/36N177I.png)
A great Badger.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: Mdot21 on August 03, 2026, 08:04:01 PM: Quote from: utee94 on August 03, 2026, 12:02:34 AM
(https://www.heisman.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/williams_ricky_j98023-1536x1200.jpg)
people forget how fkn awesome he was...insane player.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 04, 2026, 06:04:40 AM: I was going to put up Ron Dayne as #33, as he is the greatest Badger to ever wear it. That, and nobody else has since or will ever wear it. It's on the facade at Camp Randall.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: utee94 on August 04, 2026, 06:21:00 AM: RIP

(https://www.kxan.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2019/08/GettyImages-1689953.jpg?w=806)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 04, 2026, 06:39:59 AM: Benson? Sad story.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: utee94 on August 04, 2026, 06:41:47 AM: Yeah.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 04, 2026, 06:42:21 AM: 2010.

The last time Wisconsin beat O$U, and the only game not vacated by the Buckeyes that season.

(https://i.imgur.com/AQlsSix.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 04, 2026, 08:22:46 AM: As a redshirt freshman in 1991, Stewart broke up a pass on Oklahoma's final play to preserve a 19-14 win. He had 11 tackles in the 1992 Orange Bowl. During the 1992 season, he was described in the media guide as "one of the most pleasant surprises on defense," earning honorable mention All-Big Eight recognition. Against Oklahoma, Stewart had a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown. Stewart's junior year (1993) was even better: Second on the team in tackles, and he accumulated sacks, tackles for loss, pass breakups, fumble recoveries and interceptions from sideline to sideline. He was a second-team All-Big Eight honoree.

In Ed Stewart's senior season (1994), he put together an excellent campaign. He was the defensive leader and a force on Tom Osborne’s first national championship team. All-Big Eight, Big Eight Defensive Player of the Year, consensus All-American, Defensive Player of the Year finalist by the Football Writers, and finalist for the Butkus Award as the nation's best linebacker.*

*Personally, I think Stewart was robbed of the Butkus Award. Dana Howard of Illinois? C’mon. If you ask me, they didn’t want to give the award to two Huskers in a row.

(https://i.imgur.com/8whDpdO.png)

In the 1995 Orange Bowl, Stewart suffered a serious hamstring strain. But Nebraska's co-captain was not going to sit out. In the fourth quarter, Stewart came back on the field with his thigh wrapped in what looked like two rolls of athletic tape. Even though Stewart was running like a pirate with a peg leg, he made a critical tackle as the Blackshirts kept Miami from getting a single first down in the decisive quarter.

After leading Nebraska to the national championship, Ed Stewart has continued to be a leader throughout his professional career. He has been an associate athletic director at Missouri, the associate commissioner for football of the Big 12 Conference, and is currently the senior associate AD at Southern Cal. The last two times Nebraska's athletic director job has come open, Stewart has been a very popular candidate among the fan base.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MikeDeTiger on August 04, 2026, 10:24:22 AM: Quote from: utee94 on August 04, 2026, 06:21:00 AM
RIP

(https://www.kxan.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2019/08/GettyImages-1689953.jpg?w=806)

Always crazy to me how productive he was, and then Texas win the NC the first year he's not there anymore, with a handful of niche backs, none of whom approached his overall talent.

Sort of like Tennessee winning the NC as soon as Peyton left. Probably other examples. Just feels funny.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 04, 2026, 10:55:26 AM: He didn't work out very well in Chicago. 4th pick of the draft.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: SFBadger96 on August 04, 2026, 12:25:05 PM: Quote from: 847badgerfan on August 04, 2026, 06:42:21 AM
2010.

The last time Wisconsin beat O$U, and the only game not vacated by the Buckeyes that season.

(https://i.imgur.com/AQlsSix.png)
Kid had a lot of promise, but I don't think he had the heart/drive to become what his body might have allowed.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: utee94 on August 04, 2026, 12:32:06 PM: Quote from: 847badgerfan on August 04, 2026, 10:55:26 AM
He didn't work out very well in Chicago. 4th pick of the draft.
Yeah well, Chicago sucked so there's that.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 04, 2026, 12:34:42 PM: Quote from: SFBadger96 on August 04, 2026, 12:25:05 PM
Kid had a lot of promise, but I don't think he had the heart/drive to become what his body might have allowed.
Yep.

Bert and Barry had to fight like hell to get him admitted too. He was first denied by UW and also deemed ineligible by the NCAA.

The final decision wasn't made until July of his freshman season. I have no idea how they pulled it off.

Kid had offers from everyone.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 04, 2026, 12:36:47 PM: Quote from: utee94 on August 04, 2026, 12:32:06 PM
Yeah well, Chicago sucked so there's that.
Did they? All I know is he couldn't beat out Thomas Jones for his first two seasons, which looked like

(https://i.imgur.com/1PHfRSn.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: betarhoalphadelta on August 04, 2026, 08:03:01 PM: Quote from: 847badgerfan on August 04, 2026, 10:55:26 AM
He didn't work out very well in Chicago. 4th pick of the draft.
Chicago is only slightly smarter in the draft than the Raiders.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 04, 2026, 08:24:38 PM: I blame Ditka. Not for the draft. Good pick.

For the offense
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on August 05, 2026, 01:42:28 AM: Could be worse, they could still have the Cardinals.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 05, 2026, 07:52:53 AM: Jay Sims was a talented back with excellent speed. He owned the highest score - ever - on Nebraska's performance index, which measured a player's athleticism. Many teammates and reporters who saw him in practice believed Sims could have started for the majority of the schools in the Big Eight.

But at Nebraska, he spent the most of his career no higher than third string.

That said, how many fifth string I-backs can say they scored an 80-yard touchdown against a Nick Saban defense? In the 1995 Michigan State game, Sims took his first touch 80 yards to the house. It was his fifth career carry.

At the end of Nebraska's blowout win over Florida in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl, Sims was in the backfield (along with quarterback Matt Turman) for the final series. Sims got loose for an impressive 32-yard run. He was tackled at the 2-yard-line. While I wanted Sims to score, the run put Nebraska over 600 yards of total offense for the game.

Turman – another beloved backup - took a knee to end the game.

(https://i.imgur.com/p8rqpQr.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 05, 2026, 08:37:51 AM: Quote from: FearlessF on August 04, 2026, 08:24:38 PM
I blame Ditka. Not for the draft. Good pick.

For the offense
You may want to look into this a little bit.

Benson was drafted in 2005.

(Curtis Penis was the fifth overall pick in 1998. salaam was 21st in 1995. We could go on and on.)

Ditka was fired in 1993.

The 'aint's hired him in 1997. Ricky Williams rings a bell.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 05, 2026, 09:03:51 AM: oops, my memory is legendary
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: CatsbyAZ on August 05, 2026, 10:05:57 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/TXBM63B.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 05, 2026, 10:12:06 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/5dlWkvH.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on August 05, 2026, 10:15:57 AM: One of the best ever to tote the rock on The Hill.

(https://i.imgur.com/eKOGJVi.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on August 06, 2026, 01:23:21 AM: One of the worst to tote the rock on the banks of the Olentangy.

(https://media.gettyimages.com/id/2710203/photo/columbus-oh-tailback-lydell-ross-of-the-ohio-state-buckeyes-carries-the-ball-against-safety.jpg?s=612x612&w=gi&k=20&c=_BR9vGlJUrkItZN-sDPhjKGzS6t9nQVsYbcTIDeB3pA=)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 06, 2026, 06:37:10 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/0PVidRX.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 06, 2026, 09:12:45 AM: Mike Rozier's 1983 season.

Try to process these numbers from 1983:

2,148 yards rushing.
29 touchdowns.
7.8 yards per carry.
230 rushing yards and four TDs against Kansas… in the first half.
Averaged 179 yards per game for the season, and 198.4 ypg in conference games.
Ran for 929 yards in his final four regular-season games.

And here's two of my favorite stats: 3 and 29. In all of 1983, Mike Rozier scored only three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Why? In their 12 regular season games, the Huskers led by an average of 29 points at the start of the fourth quarter. Rozier rarely played a full game that season.

The winner of the 1983 Heisman, Maxwell and Walter Camp awards sits at the top of Nebraska's all-time rushing charts.

(https://i.imgur.com/ICweEbq.png)

As a sophomore in 1981, Mike Rozier burst onto the scene with a 93-yard touchdown against Kansas State. Rozier rushed for "only" 943 yards, running behind future NFL All-Pro Roger Craig. But by the start of the 1982 season, Rozier was starting and Craig was moved to fullback.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 06, 2026, 09:27:12 AM: (https://images.sidearmdev.com/resize?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Fmsuspartans.com%2Fimages%2F2004%2F12%2F14%2F99684.jpeg&width=1600&type=jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on August 06, 2026, 09:51:29 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/6maB74H.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 07, 2026, 10:59:15 AM: current governor of Nebraska - is Jim Pillen.

Pillen, who also served 10 years on the NU Board of Regents, is originally from Monroe, Neb. He attended school in nearby Columbus. Jim illen would earn All-Big Eight honors as a defensive back in 1977 and 1978.

Jim Pillen had his most memorable moment in the 1978 game against #1 ranked Oklahoma. With the Huskers clinging to a three-point lead late in the game, the Sooners were driving. At the NU 20 with 3:45 to play, the Sooners ran a play from their classic wishbone formation. A fake to the fullback. Quarterback Thomas Lott looked like he was going to keep it before flipping it to Billy Sims streaking around the right end.

Sims - who would win the Heisman Trophy in 1978 - was at full speed and headed for the end zone. At the seven, Jeff Hansen hit Sims, knocking the ball free. Jim Pillen dived on the ball at the three. It was his second fumble recovery of the day. The Huskers ran out the clock on a victory that changed the trajectory of Osborne's career.*

(https://i.imgur.com/6pU5x3b.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on August 07, 2026, 11:05:11 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/iFYwOtf.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 07, 2026, 11:12:01 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/5ZO7B7U.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 07, 2026, 03:05:39 PM: (https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/gcdn/presto/2019/11/10/PLSJ/97ea4a31-bd17-44c9-9282-39be6e48e064-USATSI_13645695.jpg?width=660&height=866&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on August 07, 2026, 03:53:05 PM: Quote from: ELA on August 07, 2026, 03:05:39 PM
(https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/gcdn/presto/2019/11/10/PLSJ/97ea4a31-bd17-44c9-9282-39be6e48e064-USATSI_13645695.jpg?width=660&height=866&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)

State has such sweet uni's.....they really shouldn't do dumb shit like that ^^^^ @ELA (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=55)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 07, 2026, 05:59:32 PM: I couldn't agree more
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 08, 2026, 08:18:42 AM: Jeff Smith's 24-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-8 in the final minute of the 1984 Orange Bowl set the stage for Tom Osborne's decision.

(https://i.imgur.com/c5HVxkN.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 08, 2026, 08:37:10 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/uYTZMCd.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 08, 2026, 10:55:01 AM: (https://s3media.247sports.com/Uploads/Assets/832/123/1123832.JPG)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 09, 2026, 09:04:44 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/vGU9Wva.png)

On the magical 1983 squad, Fryar touched the ball 83 times (catches, runs and kick returns). He averaged a staggering 14.6 yards per touch. He averaged 19.5 yards per reception.

Fryar easily earned All-Big 8 and All-America honors in 1983. Do you understand how rare it is – and how good you need to be – to earn consensus All-America honors as a receiver on a team that leads the nation in rushing? Think about it, if your offense is rolling up 400 yards rushing every game, how many opportunities will you get to catch passes?

That’s probably why Fryar was only the second player in college football history to ever do it, Another Husker legend – Freeman White – was the first.

Fryar went on to become Nebraska’s second-ever No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 09, 2026, 09:22:22 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/PJTFQmN.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 09, 2026, 01:31:53 PM: (https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2NG1AF4/michigan-state-linebacker-sirdarean-adams-27-takes-an-interception-to-the-end-zone-for-a-touchdown-during-a-college-football-game-against-ohio-state-saturday-oct-20-2007-in-columbus-ohio-ap-photojay-laprete-2NG1AF4.jpg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: Mdot21 on August 10, 2026, 07:09:16 AM: (https://www.si.com/.image/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/MTY4MTI2MTg5MDYxMzUwNjcz/jourdan-lewis-interception-michigan-wisconsinjpg.jpg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 10, 2026, 08:03:22 AM: MoFo took away a TD with that one.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 10, 2026, 08:19:19 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/XmUuKxz.png)

Tom Rathman is one of the greatest fullbacks in Nebraska history. In 1985, he set the position record for rushing yards in a season (881, 164 more than Dick Davis). He was the fifth-leading rusher in the Big Eight.

That 60-yard touchdown against FSU wasn't even his longest run of the 1985 season. Later in the year, Rathman scored from 84 yards out against Colorado.* His 12 career rushing touchdowns tied the position record (set by Mark Schellen).
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 10, 2026, 08:24:51 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/wQsiDYh.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on August 10, 2026, 09:45:38 AM: Don't care that I missed yesterday. My favorite defensive player of all time is going up.

(https://i.imgur.com/QkAEEgP.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 10, 2026, 10:46:28 AM: (https://nflpastplayers.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/herb-adderly-michigan-state.jpg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MikeDeTiger on August 10, 2026, 10:59:18 AM: Quote from: 847badgerfan on August 09, 2026, 09:22:22 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/PJTFQmN.png)

Is this from the time Wisconsin embarrassed us, or from the time Wisconsin embarrassed us but then fell asleep and lost but still embarrassed us?
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 10, 2026, 11:23:40 AM: That looks like turf to me, so Wisconsin gifted LSU that one by benching Melvin Gordon for complaining at the half about the coach's choice of playing a Safety at QB.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MikeDeTiger on August 10, 2026, 12:31:03 PM: Quote from: 847badgerfan on August 10, 2026, 11:23:40 AM
That looks like turf to me, so Wisconsin gifted LSU that one by benching Melvin Gordon for complaining at the half about the coach's choice of playing a Safety at QB.

I had surgery the day before that game and was on the good stuff at the time. Plus your body just wants to sleep a lot after surgery. So my memories are of struggling to stay awake through the first half, realizing early in the second half that it was over, texting you congratulations, then passing out, then waking up much later and before putting myself in bed, checking the final score and thinking "That can't be right." I had recorded it and I did watch it later.

Notably, that game was and remains a fanbase (ours) disagreement that some still debate to this day. Particularly, what did happen with Melvin Gordon? Crowd A, in a nutshell, says Wisconsin gave the game away because they mostly quit using him when he abused us in the first half (well, actually it was Wisconsin's offensive line that abused us, but whatever). Crowd B says no, look how ineffective he was once we'd made adjustments, it makes sense that Wisconsin didn't keep feeding him because he wasn't getting yards anymore. Crowd A predictably responds that you don't quit feeding a guy just because he gets bottled up for a while. Crowd B predictably comes back with yeah, but once we were able to start scoring Wisconsin was wise to stay aggressive, look for something else that worked, and move away from what was no longer working.

The whole thing exhausted me then, but amuses me now. I see both sides. And also I don't care. Only thing I knew for sure after that was I never wanted to see Melvin Gordon again.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 10, 2026, 12:43:34 PM: Gary Andersen was a clown coach.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 11, 2026, 09:55:14 AM: Quote from: MikeDeTiger on August 10, 2026, 12:31:03 PM
Only thing I knew for sure after that was I never wanted to see Melvin Gordon again.
Well, he ya go @MikeDeTiger (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=1588) - Just for you (and @FearlessF (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=10) for old times' sake).

(https://i.imgur.com/TgrUEnE.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/t3lnY7u.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 11, 2026, 09:56:33 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/V4JzJl2.png)

At Nebraska, Sauer was listed as a fullback. He also played linebacker on defense. He threw for 701 career yards and served as NU's punter too.

Sauer was something special from the start. A recap of the 1931 Northwestern game said this about Sauer: "The individual work of George Sauer, Husker sophomore back, was the outstanding feature of the game. Sauer ran, passed and punted in All-American style, and stood out as a bulwark on defense."

That was the second game of his career.

Sauer scored a touchdown in his first game (against South Dakota). By his third career game (against Oklahoma), Sauer had moved into the starting lineup. The game appeared destined for a scoreless tie when Sauer took a direct snap and ran for a 47-yard touchdown.*

*Or, as Frederick Ware of the described it: "(Sauer) pried open the Sooner line at right guard, shook his hula hips at most of the secondary defense and began a prance in double-quick time that ended 47 yards from where he began."

Old-timey sports writing is the best.

Near the end of the game, the Sooners were driving for the tying score. A pass into the flat was intercepted by Sauer and returned 70 yards for a touchdown. He also averaged 53 yards on three punts.

Again, this was just his third career game. No wonder the kids were begging their mothers to sew a "25" on their sweaters. Sauer was All-Big Six in 1931, the first of his three years as an all-conference performer.

As a junior in 1932, Sauer led Nebraska to one of its greatest seasons to date. The Cornhuskers finished 7-1-1, with a one-point loss to Minnesota and a scoreless tie against a Pittsburgh team that played in the Rose Bowl. George Sauer was an honorable mention All-American.

In Sauer's senior season (1933), Nebraska improved on its 1932 success, going 8-1. In the 1933 clash at Pittsburgh, the Panthers frequently drove the ball into NU's red zone. But time and time again, they were turned away without a score. The Cornhusker yearbook claimed that "more than three-fourths of the tackles made inside the 15-yard line" were made by Sauer. The Huskers lost 6-0 as Pittsburgh completed a three-yard pass in the fourth quarter. Sauer's play was widely credited with drawing more national attention to Nebraska.

Sauer ended the season as a first-team All-American. He was the leading vote-getter for the nationwide East-West Shrine Game all-star game on New Year's Day - where Sauer starred. He scored the only touchdowns in the game and intercepted multiple passes.

The first Heisman Trophy would not be awarded for another two years. Had it existed in 1933, Sauer likely would have been a finalist - if not the winner. National writer Lawrence Perry said that Sauer "stands clearly as the premier ball carrier in the nation." Clyde McBride of the Kansas City Star wrote, "In George Henry Sauer, Nebraska has a man who need doff his cap to no football player in the country."

Head coach Dana X. Bible absolutely raved about Sauer.* In the 1934 Cornhusker yearbook, Bible said: "He is one the best all-around players with whom I have ever been associated. He can kick and pass, and he is a very fine ball carrier. He backs up the line on defense and is a player whose spirit is never broken." Bible also said, "(Sauer) was probably my best all-around athlete. He was great at carrying the ball and he was one of the best on defense. He simply rolled up his sleeves and met the ball carrier head on."
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 11, 2026, 09:58:54 AM: (https://media.gettyimages.com/id/72452981/photo/mike-austin-of-the-michigan-spartans-stands-ready-on-the-defensive-line-during-the-football.jpg?s=612x612&w=gi&k=20&c=1cOBHYqYAkP8BS08FzGHqE47RwNr2n8_XfJoz0iYtf8=)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on August 11, 2026, 10:36:42 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/FGcbt2K.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: SFBadger96 on August 11, 2026, 11:57:27 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/Ftha8eu.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 11, 2026, 12:28:34 PM: Rough day for the blackskirts.

Was a great game to be at!

~:P
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MikeDeTiger on August 11, 2026, 12:31:01 PM: What part of "I never want to see him again" did y'all not understand?
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 11, 2026, 12:35:51 PM: We don't speak Cajun.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 11, 2026, 02:30:45 PM: Quote from: MikeDeTiger on August 11, 2026, 12:31:01 PM
What part of "I never want to see him again" did y'all not understand?
I completely understood :96:
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 11, 2026, 02:31:51 PM: Quote from: 847badgerfan on August 11, 2026, 12:28:34 PM
Rough day for the blackskirts.

Was a great game to be at!

~:P
if yer gonna tackle that high...... gonna be a rough day

I enjoyed the 1st quarter and the snow after that
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 12, 2026, 08:07:39 AM: In October of 1934, sophomore halfback Lloyd Cardwell - already a rising star - got a carry against Iowa State.

According to reports, he "stormed around end, knocked several of Iowa State's would-be tacklers off their feet and ran 45 yards for a touchdown."

After the game, Frederick Ware of the Omaha World-Herald wrote: "It's his roaring, tearing, gay, freebooting way that reminds me of the defiant, joyous, speeding wild horse that loves to run with the wind on the plains."

This beautiful piece of prose begat one of the great nicknames in school history: Lloyd Cardwell, the Wild Hoss of the Plains.*

Like a galloping horse, Cardwell took powerful strides, seeming to glide on top of the field. Where some players would run around would-be tacklers, the Wild Hoss of the Plains knew the shortest distance between two points was a straight line. He was going through, thank you, not around.

In the 1935 season opener, Nebraska hosted the University of Chicago and its star back Jay Berwanger. Berwanger scored on an 18-yard run. The Wild Hoss of the Plains had a 7-yard touchdown run, a 9-yard touchdown reception and a 86-yard kickoff return touchdown. The Lincoln Star wrote, "With Jay Berwanger galloping hither and yon no margin was considered safe. He did all that was expected of him. The difference between he and Cardwell was that Cardie did more than any human could or should expect."

Berwanger would win the first Heisman Trophy later that year.

After his senior season in 1936, Lloyd Cardwell was a first-round draft pick of the Detroit Lions.

A Seward, Neb., native, Cardwell scored 20 touchdowns in his 24-game career. He helped lead the Cornhuskers to back-to-back Big Six titles and the program's first-ever ranking in the AP poll (ninth in 1936, the first year of the poll). Cardie's final carry as a Cornhusker? A 58-yard touchdown run against Oregon State in 1936.

(https://i.imgur.com/vAhcOly.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 12, 2026, 08:15:59 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/ffMTdAb.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on August 12, 2026, 09:44:52 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/sEwd9X8.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 12, 2026, 12:08:34 PM: (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSlbmz7Zr17_Amq_lCMge_SVajiAb0QF2T3ZfIpFY3G_v_iC79Ddk3v7xw&s=10)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 13, 2026, 11:17:04 AM: (https://image.mlive.com/home/mlive-media/width2048/img/kzgazette/sports_impact/photo/24114861-standard.jpg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on August 13, 2026, 11:18:19 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/UjtP8I0.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 13, 2026, 11:35:29 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/w3a3ZpK.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: SFBadger96 on August 13, 2026, 12:05:25 PM: This guy was pretty good

(https://i.imgur.com/Cgzrjeu.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 13, 2026, 02:31:16 PM: Quote from: SFBadger96 on August 13, 2026, 12:05:25 PM
This guy was pretty good

(https://i.imgur.com/Cgzrjeu.jpeg)
Best to ever play at Wisconsin, and maybe the best to ever play college football.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MikeDeTiger on August 13, 2026, 03:01:54 PM: Ehhh....

Gordon averaged over 1 full ypc more than Taylor, which is huge. Sure, Taylor had the 6000+ yards total volume to just 5k for Gordon, but he did it on 300 more carries.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 13, 2026, 03:02:53 PM: Gordon also had a lot of NFL linemen. Like all of them.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 13, 2026, 03:25:09 PM: Melvin barely got touched vs Bo's defense

huge holes and wide open spaces - just needed the speed

probably got 1 full ypc more than Taylor in that game alone
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: SFBadger96 on August 13, 2026, 05:08:47 PM: Interesting to me, other than Taylor, James White had the best NFL career. We will get to him in a few days.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 13, 2026, 05:51:17 PM: Ball, Gordon and White. In the same room. Would not happen today with all the $$$ flying around.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 14, 2026, 09:58:32 AM: (https://live.staticflickr.com/5286/5345349825_75fc06e705_b.jpg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on August 14, 2026, 10:05:25 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/FNnqwTa.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: SFBadger96 on August 14, 2026, 12:45:40 PM: (https://i.imgur.com/UzahwRz.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 14, 2026, 01:01:45 PM: Darlington managed to secure a wintertime official visit from a top cornerback prospect from Hacienda Heights, Calif. When the few snowflakes turned into a blizzard, Osborne thought they had no chance. But Ralph Brown saw the snow and said "I'm home."

How good a cornerback was Ralph Brown? He was a starter in his very first game at Nebraska, for the two-time defending national champs. By the end of the 1996 season, he was named Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year.

Over the course of his legendary Nebraska career, Brown rewrote the records for pass breakups, setting the marks for a game (7), season (15) and career (50). As one of Nebraska’s greatest cornerbacks of all time, Brown was all-conference three straight years and an All-American as a senior. After that first start, Brown started each of the 51 other games in his NU career, setting another record.

(https://i.imgur.com/w5cTG1y.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 14, 2026, 01:07:23 PM: (https://i.imgur.com/ROl6Siw.png)

Honors & Awards

First-Team CoSIDA Academic All-American (2011, 2012)
National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete Award (2012, 1 of 15)
Academic All-District VII (2011, 2012)
Academic All-Big Ten (2011, 2012)
Allstate AFCA Good Works Team (1 of 11; Captain)
Big Ten Sportsmanship Award (2012)
Guy Chamberlin Trophy (2012)
Honorable-Mention All-American (Sports Illustrated, 2011)
Doak Walker Semifinalist (1 of 10, 2011)
First-Team All-Big Ten (Coaches, Media, ESPN, Phil Steele, 2011)
Second-Team All-Big Ten (Yahoo.com, 2011)
Rivals.com Big Ten Player of the Week (vs. Ohio St., vs. Michigan St., 2011)
School Record Holder for Single-Game Carries (38 vs. Iowa, 2011)
Tied School Record For Most Consecutive Games with a Touchdown (10, 2011)
Nebraska Team MVP (2011)
Nebraska Team Captain (2011, 2012)
Honorable-Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches, 2010)
First-Team Academic All-Big 12 (2010)
Nebraska Lifter of the Year (2010, 2011)
Big 12 Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll (Fall, 2009, Fall 2010, Spring 2011)
Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall, 2011, 2012; Spring, 2012)
Brook Berringer Citizenship Team (2010, 2011, 2012)
Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Award (2012)
I-back Rex Burkhead wrapped up one of the most successful all-around careers in Nebraska football history in 2012. Burkhead finished his career among the top five all-time rushers in Nebraska history, while also making his mark in the classroom and the community during his time in the NU program.

The 5-11, 210-pound Burkhead was limited throughout his senior season because of a sprained knee he suffered early in the season opener against Southern Miss. Burkhead returned to action three weeks later, but twice re-aggravated the injury during Big Ten action. The injury limited Burkhead to just eight games in 2012.

Burkhead made the most of his limited action, rushing for 675 yards and five touchdowns on just 98 carries in his senior season. Burkhead averaged 6.9 yards per carry and also caught 11 passes, including two touchdown receptions. His rushing yardage pushed Burkhead's career total to 3,329 yards, good for fifth on the NU career rushing list. He also had three 100-yard rushing games, giving him 14 games with at least 100 rushing yards in his career. Burkhead closed his career in outstanding fashion, rushing for 140 yards and a touchdown against Georgia, while also catching four passes including a touchdown grab.

In addition to his impact on the field, Burkhead continued to earn accolades for his work off the field. The Plano, Texas, native earned Capital One/CoSIDA first-team Academic All-America honors for the second straight season, and became the 15th Husker football student-athlete to be a two-time first-team academic All-American. He also earned his degree in history in December, completing his undergraduate work in just 3 1/2 years. Burkhead was also among an elite group of 15 FBS football student-athletes to be named a National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete in 2012.

Burkhead was one of 11 FBS football players named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, and in December he was named captain of that team. Burkhead was also honored by his teammates being elected a team captain for the second straight season.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 14, 2026, 01:14:29 PM: Quote from: SFBadger96 on August 14, 2026, 12:45:40 PM
(https://i.imgur.com/UzahwRz.png)
I'm trying to figure out who that is. Why is he wearing corn shucker gloves?

The current #22 is Stecker's nephew, I believe. True freshman.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 14, 2026, 01:22:00 PM: AI generated
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: SFBadger96 on August 14, 2026, 04:04:43 PM: Quote from: 847badgerfan on August 14, 2026, 01:14:29 PM
I'm trying to figure out who that is. Why is he wearing corn shucker gloves?

The current #22 is Stecker's nephew, I believe. True freshman.
Troy Vincent.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 14, 2026, 04:05:36 PM: Ah, I missed that because I forgot he played for Barry with the W.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: SFBadger96 on August 14, 2026, 04:09:41 PM: The gloves are strange, but that image is all over the internet (including signed copies for sale on eBay), so I doubt it is AI.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 14, 2026, 04:12:42 PM: (https://i.imgur.com/f4qeH6n.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MrNubbz on August 14, 2026, 05:42:00 PM: Quote from: ELA on August 14, 2026, 09:58:32 AM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/5286/5345349825_75fc06e705_b.jpg)
Javon Ringer, Chaminade Catholic High School in Dayton. Tressell screwed the pooch letting that one get away
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 14, 2026, 08:08:14 PM: Quote from: SFBadger96 on August 14, 2026, 04:09:41 PM
The gloves are strange, but that image is all over the internet (including signed copies for sale on eBay), so I doubt it is AI.
AI isn't all over the internet?
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 15, 2026, 07:31:46 AM: Mike Brown was a multi-year starter at Nebraska and led the team in tackles his final three seasons, finishing his career as the second-leading tackler in school history (currently fourth). As a senior, Brown posted career bests in tackles (96) and interceptions (5, tied with several others for the eighth most in a season). Brown was also a team captain and won the Guy Chamberlain Trophy. He was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 2011 and enjoyed a successful career in the NFL with the Chicago Bears.

(https://i.imgur.com/k9bPpvs.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 15, 2026, 07:42:01 AM: My favorite player...................... I have this 8x10 glossy that was signed by Roger when I met him in my cousin's office on campus in 1981 (I was a freshman) The 1981 Florida St game was my first experience in Memorial Stadium

(https://i.imgur.com/qU6IY45.png)

Second-Round Draft Pick, 1983 NFL Draft (San Francisco)
1981 All-Big Eight

1982 (Senior)
Craig was second on the Huskers with 586 yards as senior, finishing his career at Nebraska just three yards shy of Rick Berns for No. 3 on the NU career rushing list. Injuries hampered an early-season experiment that saw Craig at fullback and Mike Rozier at I-back. His top rushing game of the season was a 127-yard performance in the regular-season finale against Hawaii.

1981 (Junior)
The third-leading rusher in the Big Eight, Craig led NU in rushing yards with 1,060 yards on 173 carries and six touchdowns to earn All-Big Eight honors from the Omaha World-Herald. He averaged 6.1 yards per carry and 96.5 per game. He became Nebraska's seventh single-season 1,000-yard rusher. Craig and Mike Rozier combined for 2,003 yards from Nebraska's I-back spot. Craig topped 100 yards four times--121 vs. Penn State, 121 vs. Oklahoma, 102 vs. Oklahoma St. and a career-best 234 vs. Florida State, the third-best single-game performance in Nebraska history at the time. Craig tied the longest run in NU history with a 94-yard touchdown run against the Seminoles as he earned national back-of-the-week honors from both AP and Sports Illustrated, as well as Big Eight offensive player-of-the-week accolades. In addition to his rushing exploits, Craig was fourth on the team with 12 receptions (87 yards). He had 10 carries for 87 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown against No. 1 Clemson in the Orange Bowl.

1980 (Sophomore)
Even though he was the third-string I-Back, Craig gained 769 yards on 108 carries for a 7.1 average and scored 15 TDs, good for sixth nationally in scoring. He was second in the Big Eight in scoring and seventh in rushing. He was named Big Eight Offensive Player-of-the-Week after rushing 21 times for 176 yards and three touchdowns against Colorado with Jarvis Redwine and Craig Johnson both injured. Against Kansas State, he ran nine times for 183 yards, including touchdown runs of 32 and 69 yards.

Roger was from IOWA - Hayden Fry really wanted him as a Hawkeye

At Davenport Central HS
Craig was an All-American and all-state performer for Coach Jim Fox at Davenport Central High School. Craig was a teammate of NU tight end Jamie Williams.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 15, 2026, 08:09:09 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/o3Xvb3M.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 15, 2026, 01:58:41 PM: Quote from: MrNubbz on August 14, 2026, 05:42:00 PM
Javon Ringer, Chaminade Catholic High School in Dayton. Tressell screwed the pooch letting that one get away
That's actually Larry Caper.

OSU and UM stopped recruiting Ringer after his second ACL tear
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 15, 2026, 04:06:06 PM: (https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/gcdn/-mm-/645c76214c599631042c950da7b7f38f870c9869/c=22-0-1778-2341/local/-/media/2015/07/03/MIGroup/Lansing/635714826938036867-Earl-Morrall-action.jpg?width=1733&height=2311&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 16, 2026, 08:35:39 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/2ffwDXI.jpeg)
Johnny Rodgers is arguably the greatest return specialist who ever lived.

His eight touchdowns on kickoffs and punt returns in a career is still an NCAA record (since tied by nine others).

He holds Nebraska records for career punt return touchdowns (7), career punt return yards (1,515), punt return yards in a game (170) and the longest punt return touchdown in a bowl game (77 yards). He previously held the mark for the longest punt return touchdown in a game (92 yards), but is now third.

In 2002, DeJuan Groce beat Johnny's record for punt return yards in a season, but Rodgers still holds the second-, fourth- and eighth-best punt return seasons in school history.

Rodgers didn't return as many kickoffs as he did punts, but he was still an electric returner. He is one of two Huskers (Joe Walker being the other) to return a punt and kickoff for a touchdown in the same season. That kickoff return (98 yards) is tied for the ninth longest. For his career, Rodgers left school as the leader in career kickoff return yards (847) and is still in the top 10.

His returns have been described as improvisational jazz. A little scat, a little bebop and a loud crescendo to the goal line.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 16, 2026, 08:38:09 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/UsbeXdX.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: CatsbyAZ on August 16, 2026, 10:16:37 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/EPalSCH.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 16, 2026, 12:03:02 PM: (https://www.detroitnews.com/gcdn/-mm-/a416a8975e1ecd4873ba0a649aded1c1a5811a4a/c=0-20-1729-997/local/-/media/DetroitNews/None/2014/10/18/635492513328343522-101814-dy-MSUvINDIANAftbl0415.jpg?width=660&height=372&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 17, 2026, 11:29:53 AM: (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRuQwCr8-QUhtcKFGQ8IHEdZWkvieXCz4WmiKaGQEZcBw&s=10)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: utee94 on August 17, 2026, 11:39:46 AM: Missed posting this yesterday but it's too great not to be shared, even a day late:

https://twitter.com/FBGreatMoments/status/1847723895039627651
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 17, 2026, 11:43:56 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/hlvGRHo.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MikeDeTiger on August 17, 2026, 11:50:46 AM: Quote from: utee94 on August 17, 2026, 11:39:46 AM
Missed posting this yesterday but it's too great not to be shared, even a day late:

https://twitter.com/FBGreatMoments/status/1847723895039627651

Little known fact: Earl Campbell was set to do hard time for murdering that would-be tackler on video, but he stiff-armed the jury and scored 6 pts.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on August 17, 2026, 12:09:51 PM: (https://i.imgur.com/caKG7Cf.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: SFBadger96 on August 17, 2026, 12:56:09 PM: Quote from: utee94 on August 17, 2026, 11:39:46 AM
Missed posting this yesterday but it's too great not to be shared, even a day late:

https://twitter.com/FBGreatMoments/status/1847723895039627651
I love the old fashioned line judge (or whatever that official is called) jumping in the air to signal the touchdown. Classic.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 17, 2026, 10:32:57 PM: (https://i.imgur.com/N96nW69.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 18, 2026, 07:34:27 AM: As a sophomore, Bostick averaged 24.08 yards per reception. He was just .07 yards (about 2.5 inches) per reception from tying the school record.

his senior season, Jon Bostick had his best season as a Husker, with career highs in receptions (24) and yards (419), and earning All-Big Eight honors.

(https://i.imgur.com/7Tor0xt.png)
Jon Bostick with a catch against Washington in 1991.

Bostick left Nebraska tied for sixth in career receiving yards (1,083). Not too shabby for a player who was told he wouldn't catch any passes if he left the West Coast to play at run-heavy Nebraska.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 18, 2026, 12:14:40 PM: Jimmy for the Pick Six!

(https://i.imgur.com/D56HTKX.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 18, 2026, 12:43:26 PM: Little Giants!

(https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_3204,h_1802/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/spartan_nation/01j830qv6d69042w0c28.jpg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MikeDeTiger on August 18, 2026, 12:50:29 PM: (https://i.imgur.com/MMi2z9t.jpeg)

ETA: Forgot to say, I usually don't take the time to post in this thread much, but #18 is now a tradition at LSU, and this is the guy who originated it. Matt Mauck, QB for the 2003 team, wore #18 and requested to hand his number down to Jacob Hester. Both were team leader kind of guys, and since then, #18 has been given to someone the team looks up to. I believe the number is voted on by the team now instead of directly handed from player to player. It's also at the discretion of the coach, and there's been no word on if Kiffin will keep the tradition going, but no reason so far to think he won't. #18 has been worn at a variety of positions at this point, including at least one lineman who had to get NCAA permission to wear a #18 patch on his sleeve, as his position precluded him from using 18 on the front and back of the jersey.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on August 18, 2026, 12:55:23 PM: (https://i.imgur.com/Ub1XZ1O.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: SFBadger96 on August 18, 2026, 01:57:29 PM: Quote from: ELA on August 18, 2026, 12:43:26 PM
Little Giants!

(https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_3204,h_1802/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/spartan_nation/01j830qv6d69042w0c28.jpg)
I would like to dislike this post, but I actually love it. Moments like that are good for college football...and enough time has passed that I'm not frustrated by it anymore.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 19, 2026, 09:10:58 AM: Reggie Cooper was a player ahead of his time. At 6'3" and 210 pounds, he was a man among boys in the defensive backfield. Cooper used that size and speed to earn four letters, playing with the varsity as a true freshman. As a sophomore, Cooper racked up eight tackles in his first career start (against Texas A&M in the Kickoff Classic). He would earn a spot on the All-Big Eight second team.

Cooper was a sure tackler, leading all defensive backs in tackles his final three seasons, and breaking Larry Wachholtz's school record for tackles by a defensive back. Cooper is still 44th on the career tackles list, tied with fellow Louisiana native LeRoy Etienne.

As a junior in 1989, Cooper led the Big Eight in interceptions despite playing with cartilage damage in his left knee. He returned blocked a punt 17 yards and recovered a second blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown. He was a first-team All-Big Eight selection, second-team All-American and finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award.

Reggie Cooper vs. Arizona State in 1988.
Reggie Cooper vs. Arizona State in 1988. | Nebraska Football Media Guide
Cooper's senior season was even more of the same. He led the team in pass breakups, led all defensive backs with 71 tackles and once again was named first-team All-Big Eight.

Reggie Cooper played in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys and was inducted to the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

(https://i.imgur.com/NeUiX0s.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 19, 2026, 09:32:30 AM: Touchdown, Wisconsin!

(https://i.imgur.com/zusbAHy.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 19, 2026, 09:36:59 AM: (https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2NGGG8D/michigan-states-roderick-maples-17-stops-eastern-michigans-chris-talley-after-a-pass-reception-during-the-second-quarter-saturday-aug-31-2002-in-east-lansing-mich-ap-photoal-goldis-2NGGG8D.jpg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on August 19, 2026, 10:42:45 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/uRybkso.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MikeDeTiger on August 20, 2026, 09:03:27 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/zI4mEcK.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 20, 2026, 09:09:02 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/lsjJTtl.png)

In just two seasons in Lincoln, Maurice Purify accumulated the sixth-most receptions in school history (currently 14th) and fourth-most receiving yards (currently 12th).

(https://i.imgur.com/9i68IbF.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 20, 2026, 09:43:42 AM: (https://www.fayobserver.com/gcdn/authoring/2020/01/25/NTFO/ghows_image-NC-b4d31703-7f2f-46f3-b5b3-8bdb5bd35f94.jpeg?width=388&height=610&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 20, 2026, 09:48:27 AM: This kid will wear #16 for Wisconsin this season. He transferred from Minnesota, and before that he was at Nebraska. No clue where he'll be next season or the following, but it would have to be among Purdue, Iowa, Northwestern, or Illinois. Gotta complete the B1G West tour.

(https://i.imgur.com/d120GUw.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on August 20, 2026, 10:01:44 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/tC8h74x.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 20, 2026, 10:34:36 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/bGUUT3n.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 21, 2026, 01:16:44 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/J5Ct4vp.png)
De'Mornay Pierson-El was a versatile and electryifying performer for Nebraska throughout his Cornhusker career. A Virginia native, Pierson-El burst onto the scene in 2014 earning All-America honors as a punt returner as a true freshman. He continued to be a difference-maker on special teams throughout his career, while also producing an outstanding Nebraska career as a receiver.

The 5-9, 190-pound Pierson-El finished his career third in Nebraska history with 904 career punt return yards, including 596 yards and three punt return touchdowns in 2014. Pierson-El finished his career with 12 career punt returns of at least 25 yards. He also became the 11th player with 100 career receptions in a Nebraska uniform, finishing his career with exactly 100 catches. He also ranked 13th in school history in receiving yardage with 1,309 yards. In addition to his three career punt return touchdowns, Pierson-El caught 11 touchdown passes and threw for one in his career.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 21, 2026, 07:15:52 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/FcHooeJ.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on August 21, 2026, 08:14:33 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/2X7MA15.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on August 21, 2026, 08:14:57 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/1psLE8P.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on August 21, 2026, 08:15:30 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/2ea922T.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on August 21, 2026, 08:16:06 AM: And finally, the piece-of-resistance....
(https://i.imgur.com/s0QDvDo.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 21, 2026, 10:04:40 AM: (https://images.sidearmdev.com/resize?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Fmsuspartans.com%2Fimages%2F2008%2F10%2F8%2F1761516.jpeg&width=1600&type=jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on August 21, 2026, 11:39:45 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/ZHDvGAU.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 21, 2026, 11:44:17 AM: It's quite obvious that we need a pic of Tommie Frazier
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MikeDeTiger on August 21, 2026, 01:28:24 PM: (https://i.imgur.com/tmouLUV.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 22, 2026, 10:05:57 AM: Going into his senior season Gerry Gdowski's career statistics at Nebraska were: 6 of 10 passing for 72 yards with zero touchdowns, 35 carries for 289 yards and four touchdowns. Those stats were accumulated in 13 games… mostly at the end of blowout wins. That said, he did lead the freshman team in passing, rushing and total offense. On varsity, Steve Taylor (a former high school All-American) and Clete Blakeman (a future NFL referee) were among those ahead of him on the depth chart.

71-136 passing for 1,326 yards
19 passing touchdowns (then the second-most in school history, currently tied for eighth).
Just two interceptions. His interception percentage of 1.47 broke Turner Gill's school record.
117 carries for 925 yards, the most by a NU quarterback (breaking Steve Taylor's record from the previous season by 99 yards).
7.91 yards per carry, which broke Mike Rozier's school record from his 1983 Heisman season.
13 rushing touchdowns, tying Taylor's 1988 school record).
Just 75 yards shy of becoming the first Cornhusker quarterback to throw and rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
Would have set an NCAA record for QB rating (177.3) but didn't meet the minimum number of attempts.

This was one of the best seasons any Nebraska quarterback has ever had.

The Huskers went 10-2, finished as Big Eight runner-up and finished 11th in the AP poll. Lost to #2 ranked Buffs in Boulder and #5 ranked Seminoles in the Fiesta

Gdowski was the Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year, an Academic All-American and a finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award.

(https://i.imgur.com/uEMBV3E.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 22, 2026, 10:10:40 AM: sorry, gotta have one for the old timers and back to back champs

old school LSU

(https://i.imgur.com/VUD3DZG.png)

and the next year over Bama
(https://i.imgur.com/JSCvuqw.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 22, 2026, 10:57:32 AM: The Nebraska homer board is somewhere in the cloud.

:96:
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 22, 2026, 11:02:20 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/nAM2nfQ.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 22, 2026, 11:03:45 AM: I said I was sorry

(https://i.imgur.com/gL48aGU.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 23, 2026, 09:58:01 AM: Carlos Polk, a 250-pound bruiser with deceptive speed and a strong nose for the football. A four-year contributor, he was a two-time All-Big 12 performer and an anchor on one of the finest defenses in school history (1999). In his senior season (2000), Polk was a first team All-America in 2000 and a Butkus Award semifinalist.

In the 2000 Colorado game, Polk had a 39-yard interception return for a touchdown on the second play of the game.*

He led the team in tackles in 1999 and 2000, and he left school ranked 14th in career tackles (currently 23rd). His 32 career tackles for loss was the fifth best in school history (now 10th).

(https://i.imgur.com/Ip4L2so.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 24, 2026, 08:35:57 AM: (https://thefalconswire.usatoday.com/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2026/07/26/SFAL/91055321007-2249107479.jpg?width=1200&disable=upscale&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 24, 2026, 08:50:13 AM: Turner Gill

28-2 as a starter, including three straight Big Eight championships. Gill never lost a Big Eight game as starting quarterback.
He was the fuse for the Scoring Explosion offense that averaged 52 points and 546.7 yards per game.
The only Husker quarterback to earn first team all-conference honors three straight seasons.
Fourth in the 1983 Heisman Trophy voting, won by his teammate Mike Rozier.

Gill was a superb runner - the first Husker QB to rush for over 1,000 yards in a career - and excellent passer. After throwing a pick in the 1981 Auburn game, he threw just 10 more over his next 30 games. When he graduated, Gill was right behind Humm and Jerry Tagge at the top of Nebraska's passing charts.

(https://i.imgur.com/0Tkljqn.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 24, 2026, 09:12:51 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/P6hsIND.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 25, 2026, 07:42:40 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/FnyEhm0.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 25, 2026, 07:50:46 AM: Another example in a long line of examples where a HS QB finds success elsewhere in Madison.

(https://i.imgur.com/KaG9Kft.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 25, 2026, 09:58:01 AM: (https://www.mlive.com/resizer/v2/LGACB25ZBNHGJHSQV4NH7VO76Y.jpg?auth=f7f071b88c981c77f7d9229327188a3d051b6ae94f7bd0b508f573b2f683a207&width=1280&smart=true&quality=90)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 26, 2026, 08:15:34 AM: Roy Helu Jr. - At the end of the 2010 Missouri game, Helu had 307 rushing yards

(https://i.imgur.com/ZZD90oe.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: SFBadger96 on August 26, 2026, 12:56:05 PM: (https://i.imgur.com/2FlFZMc.png)
oops, wrong sport.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 26, 2026, 01:48:15 PM: True freshman QB of the future.

(https://i.imgur.com/AtP7zLm.jpeg)

When you win a Rose Bowl, you make the countdown (the below was taken during the first game in which Jump Around was played - we were there, of course).

(https://i.imgur.com/5IVtcHf.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 26, 2026, 03:32:53 PM: (https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_29,w_2400,h_1350/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/spartan_nation/01k4v6xn0q3w36dgk87c.jpg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MikeDeTiger on August 27, 2026, 09:03:26 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/T3T0noG.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 27, 2026, 09:03:33 AM: (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Otis_Grant_%28American_football%29.jpg?utm_source=en.wikipedia.org&utm_campaign=index&utm_content=original)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 27, 2026, 09:16:20 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/aXl9dTc.png)

Steve Taylor had great speed and elusive moves as a runner (over 2,000 career rush yards and a (then) single-game record 157 QB rush yards against Utah State in 1987). He also finished as the (then) fifth-leading passer in school history. He threw a school-record five TDs against No. 3 UCLA in 1987 and four more against Missouri a few games later. Remember, this was out of Tom Osborne's 1980s power option offense, which was not exactly a prolific passing scheme.

Taylor came off the bench - as a true freshman - in the 1986 Fiesta Bowl against Michigan. Although his fourth-quarter comeback attempt fell just short, that performance helped him earn the starting job in 1986. Every season, his production got better and better. Taylor earned All-America honors as a junior in 1987. In his senior season, Taylor improved in almost every statistical category and repeated as an All-Big Eight selection.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: CatsbyAZ on August 27, 2026, 11:12:48 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/Z8MUzTB.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: SFBadger96 on August 27, 2026, 02:34:47 PM: Tough TE to cover; didn't last very long in the NFL. What made him good in college, was a liability in the league: he wasn't quite a WR, and he wasn't quite a TE.
(https://i.imgur.com/ot8NbLg.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 28, 2026, 07:54:24 AM: Ameer Abdullah's in the Nebraska football record book.

Here's a sampling of the records Ameer Abdullah holds:

Rushing: First in attempts (813), second in career yards (4,588) and 100-yard games (24), as well as the fourth- and sixth-most rushing yards in a season.

Receiving: Most career TD receptions by a running back (7).

All-purpose yards: Most in a game (341 vs Rutgers in 2014), most in a career (7,186), and the second-, fourth- and eighth-best seasons in school history. Ameer holds the career record by 1,600 yards over Johnny Rodgers. He has the second-most all-purpose yards in Big Ten history.

Kickoff returns: Tied for the longest return (100 yards), most return yards in a game (211), fourth-best single season, and third most in a career.

Scoring: Tied for second with 22 touchdowns scored in a season. Seventh all-time in scoring, and third among non-kickers.

(https://i.imgur.com/HGtibbG.jpeg)

Abdullah made an early splash as a kick returner. In his second career game, Abdullah returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and set his first school record: Most kickoff return yards (211) in a game. He finished his true-freshman season with 1,020 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns.

A knee injury to Burkhead pushed Abdullah into the starting lineup early in the 2012 season. Abdullah seized the opportunity with 1,137 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Ameer had over 100 yards in each of his first five starts, something that had not been done since Lawrence Phillips in 1994.

Abdullah kept getting better and better. In 2013, he was one yard shy of 2,000 all-purpose yards, including 1,690 rush yards. Ameer returned for his senior season, stating "my chances of long-term success in life will be greatly enhanced by completing my college education."

Ameer was a force of nature in 2014. 232 rushing yards against Florida Atlantic. 229 yards and two touchdowns against Miami. 208 and three TDs against Illinois. Four touchdowns (and 146 yards) versus Northwestern. A school-record 341 all-purpose yards against Rutgers, including his fourth 200-yard rushing game of the season.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 28, 2026, 10:10:48 AM: Quote from: SFBadger96 on August 27, 2026, 02:34:47 PM
Tough TE to cover; didn't last very long in the NFL. What made him good in college, was a liability in the league: he wasn't quite a WR, and he wasn't quite a TE.
(https://i.imgur.com/ot8NbLg.png)
5* LB out of HS. Everyone wanted him. Bert made it happen.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 28, 2026, 10:26:43 AM: perhaps he should have stayed at LB?
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 28, 2026, 10:37:41 AM: Couldn't get on the field as an LB. Too many ahead of him.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 29, 2026, 10:52:45 AM: Malcom Hartzog Jr. was a versatile and highly experienced defender during his time in Lincoln, starting 32 games across multiple positions in the secondary. Known for his high-energy, "pit bull" playing style, he was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection in 2024 when he led Nebraska with four interceptions.His 2025 season started with a dramatic, game-winning interception against Cincinnati, but a severe lower-body injury in Week 2 forced him to undergo season-ending surgery and take a medical redshirt. Fully recovered by late 2026, he moved to Tucson via the NCAA transfer portal to anchor a rebuilding Arizona secondary in the Big 12

(https://i.imgur.com/y2476HW.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 30, 2026, 08:42:47 AM: At Illinois in 1986, Jones ran a counter from the Nebraska 22-yard line that was a thing of beauty.

(https://i.imgur.com/rWyxXQX.png)
Keith Jones sprints 78 yards for a Nebraska touchdown against Illinois in 1986. | Nebraska Football Media Guide

"End Zone"* Jones shows off his (electronically timed) 4.3 speed and sprints 78 yards, untouched, for a touchdown.

But Keith Jones was more than just a speed guy. Earlier in that same game, Jones lowered his pads, crumpled a safety into the turf and picked up another seven yards. Jones would finish the 1986 season with a team-high 830 yards and 14 touchdowns, earning All-Big Eight honors.

As a senior, Jones battled injuries but still rushed for 1,232 yards and 13 more TDs. Jones was once again a first team All-Big Eight performer and honorable-mention All-American.

For his career, Keith "End Zone" Jones" left Nebraska as the third-leading rusher in school history (currently 17th). He ended his final regular season with 240 yards against Iowa State, 94 against Oklahoma and a career-best 248 rushing yards against Colorado.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 30, 2026, 09:24:14 AM: I/we missed 7 and 8 for UW. Some really good current players. Shit.

Darrion Dupree. Junior at Wisconsin.

(https://i.imgur.com/qeo2mOT.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MrNubbz on August 30, 2026, 11:16:15 AM: Evan Spencer, WR (2011-2014)
High School: Vernon Hills (Vernon Hills, IL)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhsISsfUsZA&t=9s

Ohio State
The Buckeyes were 44-10 with Spencer on the team.
2014 National Champion.
2014 Big Ten Title.
2014 Big Ten East Title.
2013 Big Ten Leaders Title.
2012 Undefeated season.
2012 B1G Leaders Title.
Defeated No. 1 Alabama 42-35 to win the 2015 Sugar Bowl.
Defeated No. 2 Oregon 42-20 to win the 2015 CFP National Championship.
Went 3-1 against That Team.

Honors
2014 Team MVP.
2014 Team Captain
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 30, 2026, 11:57:40 AM: That's a great high school (academics).
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 31, 2026, 08:39:20 AM: (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT-jw_nbFvGuliDISAJX6vxaLxg4DXn1H5CK71FszhSQGrBsYQRcMymPHM&s=10)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on August 31, 2026, 08:46:21 AM: DeJuan Groce was an excellent cornerback, earning second-team All-Big 12 honors as a senior. He finished his career tied for second on the career pass breakup chart, and owns the single-season record with 17 PBUs in 2000. Groce is one of two Huskers to have two interceptions in back-to-back games (Bill Kosch is the other). He was a 2002 team captain and won the Guy Chamberlain Award.

But make no mistake, DeJuan Groce is not on this list for his work in the secondary. Groce is here because he is one of the best return men in school history, trailing only Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers in career punt return yards and touchdowns. Groce owns the fourth- and ninth-longest punt returns in school history, 89 and 83 yards.

In his senior year, Groce racked up a school-record 732 yards on punt returns and scored four touchdowns, including an NCAA-record-tying two against Troy State. For his efforts as a return man, Groce was named All-Big 12 and All-America as a return specialist.

(https://i.imgur.com/bBV2E5T.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on August 31, 2026, 09:49:30 AM: My all-time favorite Badger.

(https://i.imgur.com/ojqj5Ia.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MikeDeTiger on August 31, 2026, 10:25:37 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/xRAoWzb.png)

I hope I can afford the legal fees.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on August 31, 2026, 12:45:06 PM: (https://i.imgur.com/sxzKzrW.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on August 31, 2026, 12:52:03 PM: Quote from: 847badgerfan on August 31, 2026, 09:49:30 AM
My all-time favorite Badger.

[img width=500 height=395.996]https://i.imgur.com/ojqj5Ia.png[/img]
Same
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: SFBadger96 on August 31, 2026, 01:14:11 PM: Not mine, but he was solid, no doubt.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on September 01, 2026, 07:29:09 AM: Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010
Fittingly, Nebraska's final game as a member of the Big 12 Conference was against Oklahoma in the championship game. Given the history between the two teams, the outcome - a disappointing 23-20 loss - was also fitting.

LaVonte David had 17 tackles, including 11 solo stops. He would set a school record for tackles in a season (152), breaking Barrett Ruud's record. David was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and second-team All-American.

(https://i.imgur.com/s8BwFZD.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on September 01, 2026, 08:24:59 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/HTO160N.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on September 01, 2026, 09:03:12 AM: (https://images.sidearmdev.com/resize?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Fmsuspartans.com%2Fimages%2F2011%2F10%2F15%2F5728725.jpeg&height=300&type=webp)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on September 01, 2026, 10:21:39 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/RkSZFEK.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: SFBadger96 on September 01, 2026, 11:42:06 AM: Quote from: 847badgerfan on September 01, 2026, 08:24:59 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/HTO160N.jpeg)
This is the way.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MikeDeTiger on September 01, 2026, 12:13:29 PM: Alexander the Great

(https://i.imgur.com/xfJc3u4.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on September 02, 2026, 08:10:14 AM: Keyuo Craver wasn’t especially big (he was listed at 5’11,” 190 pounds), but he was fast, athletic, and always around the ball. He ended his career second all-time in pass breakups and first in career tackles among cornerbacks. Craver was also a special-teams standout, blocking four kicks and scoring two touchdowns. He returned punts as a senior and ranked 25th in the nation in return average (11.7 yards).

As a senior in 2001, Craver was All-Big 12 and a first-team All-American. He was a finalist for the Mosi Tatupu Special Teams Award and a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award. He was also a team co-captain.

Craver, who skipped a redshirt season, played in every game of his career and was a three-year starter. Back when Husker Vision would run a "Hits of the Game" feature, the hard-hitting Texan was regularly featured.

In addition to football, Craver earned three letters on the NU track and field team, competing in the triple jump. According to Huskers.com, Craver was the first Husker male athlete in 20 years to earn seven varsity letters.

(https://i.imgur.com/3c1yo4A.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on September 02, 2026, 08:31:41 AM: Back when UW used to beat OSU.

(https://i.imgur.com/pAB0c3N.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on September 02, 2026, 09:09:56 AM: (https://aadl.org/sites/default/files/photos/N033_1035_001.jpg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: SFBadger96 on September 02, 2026, 02:23:32 PM: Quote from: 847badgerfan on September 02, 2026, 08:31:41 AM
Back when UW used to beat OSU.

(https://i.imgur.com/pAB0c3N.png)
This was a no brainer. And nonetheless, well played.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MrNubbz on September 02, 2026, 04:24:57 PM: (https://i.imgur.com/7UILKEc.png)

Michael Thomas was ranked as the #98 receiving prospect in his high school class is the latest reminder that the coaching staff recruiting a player almost always knows more about him than Random Internet Guys.

Michael Thomas, WR (2012-2015)
High School: Northmont (Dayton, Ohio)

Ohio State
The Buckeyes were 50-4 with Thomas on the team.
2012 Undefeated Season.
2012 Big Ten Leaders Title.
2013 Big Ten Leaders Title.
2014 National Champion.
2014 Big Ten Title.
2014 Big Ten East Title.
2015 Big Ten East Title.
2016 Big Ten East Title.
Defeated No. 1 Alabama 42-35 to win the 2015 Sugar Bowl.
Defeated No. 2 Oregon 42-20 to win the 2015 CFP National Championship.
Defeated No. 8 Notre Dame 44-28 to win the 2016 Fiesta Bowl.
Went 4-0 against That Team.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on September 02, 2026, 05:55:28 PM: can't quite make out the # in that pic
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on September 03, 2026, 08:07:46 AM: (https://www.freep.com/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2023/11/04/PLSJ/71455115007-231104-msu-neb-football-202-a.JPG?crop=1774,1330,x0,y0)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on September 03, 2026, 08:12:32 AM: Adrian Martinez's five-yard touchdown run gives Nebraska a fourth-quarter lead against Michigan in 2021. His fumble minutes later contributed to yet another one-score loss for the Huskers.

(https://i.imgur.com/HfvIF5j.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on September 03, 2026, 08:23:51 AM: Another one of my favorites.

(https://i.imgur.com/nil7335.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on September 03, 2026, 10:01:38 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/DqYmauh.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: SFBadger96 on September 03, 2026, 11:44:44 AM: I see your Joel Stave and raise a Jamar Fletcher...sealing the Rose Bowl with a pick 6 against UCLA:
(https://i.imgur.com/nKK4dyS.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on September 03, 2026, 11:49:32 AM: A former walk-on QB was a starter, got a civil engineering degree, and is now in the consulting and construction industry, and is a leader in philanthropy. Love that kid.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on September 04, 2026, 10:16:47 AM: Lawrence Phillips may have been the greatest running back Nebraska has ever had.

His 1994 season was amazing. Nebraska struggled with quarterback injuries and depth for much of the season. Tom Osborne's solution was "give the ball to Lawrence." In 1994, Phillips had a school-record 286 carries for 1,722 yards (then the second-most all-time). He scored 16 touchdowns. He had more than 100 yards rushing in 11 straight games

(https://i.imgur.com/TW9khPK.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: jgvol on September 04, 2026, 10:18:00 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/Mgoi6ev.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on September 04, 2026, 10:29:30 AM: Quote from: FearlessF on September 04, 2026, 10:16:47 AM
Lawrence Phillips may have been the ~~greatest running back~~ biggest POS Nebraska has ever had.
Edited for accuracy.
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on September 04, 2026, 10:30:50 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/cvLrTaT.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on September 04, 2026, 10:48:41 AM: Quote from: 847badgerfan on September 04, 2026, 10:29:30 AM
Edited for accuracy.
perhaps accurate, he wasn't the only POS

most other programs have had one or two along the way
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on September 04, 2026, 11:15:11 AM: (https://images.sidearmdev.com/resize?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Fmsuspartans.com%2Fimages%2F2025%2F9%2F21%2FMMR35114_BGIQ7_FbPBa.jpg&height=300&type=webp)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MrNubbz on September 04, 2026, 12:29:23 PM: (https://i.imgur.com/AGUc9Zz.png)
Tom Skladany, P/K (1973-76)
Born: 1955 (Bethel Park, PA)
High School: Bethel Park

Ohio State
The Buckeyes were 40-5-2 with Skladany on the team.
1973 Big Ten Title.
1974 Big Ten Title.
1975 Big Ten Title.
1976 Big Ten Title.

1976 Captain.
1974, '75, '76 All-American.
1975-76 All-Big Ten.

2-1-1 vs That Team Up North
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: ELA on September 04, 2026, 12:33:26 PM: Nice perm
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MrNubbz on September 04, 2026, 12:41:41 PM: Quote from: ELA on September 04, 2026, 12:33:26 PM
Nice perm
Hey if they go the next 4 yrs losing just 5 games send them all to get their locks gussied up
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on September 04, 2026, 08:33:12 PM: Quote from: MrNubbz on September 04, 2026, 12:29:23 PM
(https://i.imgur.com/AGUc9Zz.png)
Tom Skladany, P/K (1973-76)
Born: 1955 (Bethel Park, PA)
High School: Bethel Park

Ohio State
The Buckeyes were 40-5-2 with Skladany on the team.
1973 Big Ten Title.
1974 Big Ten Title.
1975 Big Ten Title.
1976 Big Ten Title.

1976 Captain.
1974, '75, '76 All-American.
1975-76 All-Big Ten.

2-1-1 vs That Team Up North

a kicker???
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: 847badgerfan on September 05, 2026, 07:38:11 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/U79A7rK.jpeg)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: LetsGoPeay on September 05, 2026, 07:54:07 AM: (https://images.sidearmdev.com/resize?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Fiuhoosiers.com%2Fimages%2F2025%2F9%2F1%2FLDJ_2332.JPG&height=300&type=webp)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: FearlessF on September 05, 2026, 08:23:08 AM: Hutmacher came to Lincoln with an impressive prep résumé, a ton of potential, and a tremendous nickname ("Polar Bear"). As a junior in 2023, Hutmacher had his best season with 40 tackles, eight TFL and 4.5 sacks. He used his brute strength and superior wresting skills (undefeated in high school, qualified for the NCAA Championships in his one season with the Husker wrestling program) to become an immovable object at the line of scrimmage.

He earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten recognition in 2024 despite a knee injury that limited his explosiveness and hampered his productivity.

(https://i.imgur.com/iyAGmb2.png)
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MrNubbz on September 05, 2026, 08:54:48 AM: Quote from: FearlessF on September 04, 2026, 08:33:12 PM
a kicker???
A very,very good kicker
He was the first kicker in Big Ten history to get a full football scholarship.
He earned All-American honors in 1974, 1975, and 1976.
He led the entire country in punting average in 1975 with a hefty 46.7 yards per kick.
The school inducted him into the Ohio State Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991.

:106:
Title: Re: Countdown to College Football Saturday
Post by: MrNubbz on September 05, 2026, 09:04:40 AM: (https://i.imgur.com/OsUq3ok.png)
Sonny Styles