Nebraska Unites Offense, Defense and Special

Transcription

1 Nebraska Unites Offense, Defense and Special Nebraska Will Feature Balanced Attack in 2002 Under the leadership of Coach Frank Solich, Nebraska played in its 13th national championship bowl game last season, and although the Huskers lost to undefeated Miami, 37-14, the stage was set on Jan. 3, 2002, for another outstanding season of Husker football. With 13 starters returning, Nebraska will build on that championship experience to put in place its 112th Husker squad, the fifth under Solich. Nebraska will feature a 2002 team without All-American and Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch at quarterback; All-American and Outland Trophy finalist Toniu Fonoti at left guard; and All-American and Jim Thorpe semifinalist Keyuo Craver at left corner. But as usual, Nebraska has talent and has worked hard to develop and train backups who are ready to move into starting roles. Solich will field a team totally his own and will be able to rely on players he has recruited the past five years. Each of his classes have ranked among the nation's top 20 and have boasted at least seven prep All-Americans. Solich is a firm believer in having all three aspects of a team in place in order to contend for championships, and this season, the offense, defense and special teams look to be well balanced. Although Solich may have to rely on younger athletes and in a few cases newcomers to fill in the positions vacated by senior veterans, the Huskers should show more speed across the board in NU Opens 112th Season with Streaks in Place Leading the nation in rushing last season and winning every home game, the Huskers finished with an 11-2 record in Nebraska was tied for first in the Big 12 North, and although Colorado played in the Big 12 championship, the Huskers got the nod to face Miami in the national championship Rose Bowl game, based on its No. 2 final BCS standing. NU finished with a final No. 7 coaches and No. 8 Associated Press ranking, which continued an unprecedented winning tradition no other school in the country can claim 33 consecutive years of being ranked among the AP's top 25. Nebraska will open its 112th season of intercollegiate football with several streaks in place, including an unprecedented 33 consecutive nine-win seasons. NCAA-record 247 consecutive sellouts in Memorial Stadium Nebraska will pass a milestone when hosting Utah State in game three this season with its 250th consecutive sellout. All eight of Nebraska's home games are sold out. "Nebraska football fans are the best football fans in the world," said famed broadcaster Keith Jackson. Since the North and South end zones were built in 1964, Husker fans started a tradition of saluting the opposing team as they leave the stadium with a standing ovation regardless of the game's outcome. 40 consecutive winning seasons Nebraska holds the current NCAA record and ranks second all time behind Notre Dame's 42 consecutive winning seasons from 1889 to The streak began in 1962, the first year under Coach Bob Devaney, who was lured to Nebraska from Wyoming by Director of Athletics Tippy Dye. 33 consecutive nine-win seasons Even more incredible than 40 consecutive winning seasons is Nebraska's NCAA record for consecutive nine-win seasons. Although some called for his resignation after a pair of 6-4 seasons in 1967 and 1968, Devaney stayed and redesigned the offense to an I-formation with an unbalanced line at the suggestion of thenassistant coach Tom Osborne. The Huskers won nine games in 1969 and 22 Media & Recruiting Guide Head Coach Frank Solich has a 42-9 four-year record. have won at least that many in every year since. 40 bowl appearances Biff Jones accepted the Huskers' first bowl bid following the 1940 season, agreeing to play in the 1941 Rose Bowl. The celebration in Lincoln lasted 24 hours and classes were canceled. While Nebraska lost to Stanford, 21-13, Nebraska has now appeared in 40 bowl games and is tied for fourth among all NCAA Division I-A schools behind Alabama's 51. Devaney used to joke that he lived in Lincoln several years before he found out Nebraska lost that first bowl game a true testament to the support Nebraska football receives in Lincoln. 33 consecutive bowl bids Nebraska's streak of 33 consecutive bowl appearances is an NCAA record and dates back to 1969 when Devaney took his eighth team to the Sun Bowl and defeated Georgia Only Michigan has attended more than 20 consecutive bowls with 27 straight appearances. 342 consecutive weeks ranked in the Associated Press Nebraska has been ranked in every Associated Press Poll for 342 consecutive weeks dating back to October 1981 (the first year Turner Gill took over quarterback starting duties). With the exception of three polls (one week in 1977 and two weeks in 1981), NU has been ranked in the last 519 polls, which dates back to consecutive weeks ranked in the Associated Press top 10 Nebraska has been ranked in the AP top 10 every week since the preseason poll in Since Florida State dropped out of the top 10 last season, NU's streak is the nation's longest. 33 consecutive years ranked in AP top 25 Since the 1969 season, Nebraska has been ranked each season among the top 25 in the final AP Poll. NU has also been ranked in the top 25 in every AP preseason poll since game home winning streak The Huskers have eight home games on the schedule in 2002 and hope to extend their home winning streak to 29. NU's 21-game home winning streak is the nation's longest current streak and is fourth best at NU, while the school record is 47 set from 1991 to The Huskers have won 89 of their last 92 home games record since 1993 In the last nine years, Nebraska has lost just 12 games and has lost more than two games in a season just once (1998). In that span, the Huskers went undefeated three times, winning national championships in 1994, 1995 and Nebraska also played for the national title in 1993 and Nebraska Head Coach Frank Solich Coach Frank Solich (Nebraska, 1966) enters his fifth season at the helm of the Husker program and owns a 42-9 school and career record (.824). With 11 wins in 2001, Solich moved into a tie for fourth on the all-time Division I list for wins in the first four seasons as a head coach. He will officially qualify to rank among his peers after this season with five years as a head coach, and with an.824 winning percentage, would rank tied for 19th among all coaches and second among active coaches in Division I-A. With another 11-win season, Solich would move into third among first-time Division I-A coaches with 53 wins in five years. Solich was named Nebraska s 26th head coach on Dec. 10, 1997, after serving as an NU assistant for 19 years. He played fullback for Hall of Fame Coach Bob Devaney, lettering in Solich was the first Husker running back to rush for 200 yards in a game and remains the only fullback to accomplish that feat. He also lettered for the NU baseball team in After serving as a local high school football coach for 14

2 years, Solich took over the NU freshman program and posted a 19-1 record from 1979 to He was elevated to NU s running backs coach after four seasons, a position he held for 15 years ( ). He was promoted to assistant head coach in 1991 and head coach following the 1997 season. Coach Solich became just the third firstyear Nebraska head coach to record nine wins in his first season at the helm, joining a pair of Hall of Fame Coaches Tom Osborne (9-2-1 in 1973) and Bob Devaney (9-2 in 1962). Solich posted a 9-4 record in his first season, despite being hit heavy with injuries. He posted the best record of any Husker secondyear coach as his team posted a 12-1 record in 1999, leading NU to a Big 12 championship and No. 2 (coaches poll) and No. 3 (AP poll) final national rankings. Solich s 21 wins in his first two years at NU bettered Devaney s previous school record of 19 and ranked in a tie for third all time among Division I coaches in their first two years at the helm. He went 10-2 in 2000 and his 31 wins in three years bettered both Osborne and Devaney s 28 wins in their first three years. His 42 wins in four years is also a school best. Solich is the only Husker coach to have won 12 games in either of his first two seasons. Devaney won nine games in his first year, 10 his second year, nine in his third and 10 in his fourth, while Osborne won nine, nine, 10 and nine, respectively. Devaney won his first conference title his second year, while Osborne tied for his first title in his third year at the helm. Solich was named the 1999 Big 12 Coach of the Year by his league peers and the AP after winning the league championship in 1999, and was named coach of the year by the conference coaches a second time in Solich has continued Nebraska's winning tradition the Husker way by identification of athletic talent regardless of position or recruiting rank; with successful recruitment nationwide of the country's best student-athletes; developing local talent and utilizing the envious Husker walk-on program; and by providing the best athletic facilities and support available for the student-athletes. Although defensive coordinator Charlie McBride retired after the 1999 season, the rest of Coach Osborne's staff is intact. Solich replaced himself with recruiting specialist and running backs coach Dave Gillespie, who was the recruiting coordinator at Nebraska when the Huskers signed the athletes who won back-to-back national championships in 1994 and 1995, and hired former Husker Jeff Jamrog away from New Mexico State to replace 2002 NEBRASKA FOOTBALL Teams to Meet Championship Goals of 2002 Division I-A Coaches Best Career Starts First Four Years by Wins Rank, Coach, School Years Record 1. Walter Camp, Yale George Woodruff, Penn *John Robinson, USC *Frank Solich, NU First Five Years by Wins Rank, Coach, School Years Record 1. Walter Camp, Yale, Stan George Woodruff, Penn Barry Switzer, Oklahoma *John Robinson, USC *Frank Solich, NU *active coaches Four Decades of Husker Dominance In the last 40 Years; Under Hall of Fame Coaches Bob Devaney ( ), Tom Osborne ( ) and Frank Solich ( ), Nebraska Has... Won five national championships (1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997) Posted four perfect seasons (1971, 1994, 1995, 1997) Won 22 Big Eight/Big 12 championships (leads the conference) Won 398 games (nearly 10 wins per year) Won nine or more games in 38 of 40 years and in each of the last 33 years (a continuing NCAA record) Played in 38 bowls and in 33 straight (current NCAA record) Been ranked in the final Associated Press Poll for 37 years and in each of the last 33 years (AP record) Won the national rushing title 15 times (best in the nation) Won eight Outlands, four Lombardis, three Heismans (one under each coach), three Walter Camp Player-of-the-Year Awards, one Butkus Award, one Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, one Davey O'Brien Award and one Rimington Award Received 75 first-team All-America certificates (best in the nation) Earned 57 first-team Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-America awards Earned nine NCAA Today's Top Eight Awards (leads the nation) Earned 30 NCAA postgraduate scholarships Had 27 first-round NFL draft picks Had 253 players drafted (an average of more than five per year) Played on national/regional television 184 times Played in five preseason games, winning all five McBride in January of Counting Solich, five members of the Husker coaching staff played for Nebraska. Solich is one of 17 current Division I-A football coaches who played for and now coach their alma mater. Solich earned his bachelor s and master s degrees from NU in 1966 and 1972, respectively. Coaches Game Day Assignments Following the lead of Tom Osborne, Coach Solich is his own offensive coordinator, calling the plays from the sideline. Defensive Coordinator Craig Bohl is also on the sideline, along with receivers coach Ron Brown, quarterbacks coach Turner Gill, defensive line coach Jeff Jamrog and kickers/offensive line coach Dan Young. Assisting from above in the press box is rush ends coach Nelson Barnes, defensive backs coach George Darlington, running backs coach Dave Gillespie and offensive line coach Milt Tenopir. The 2002 season will be Coach Bohl's third as defensive coordinator, after 23-year veteran Charlie McBride retired following the 1999 season. NU Staff Boasts 142 Years of Experience One very good reason Coach Solich was named as Osborne's replacement was to keep the staff intact. Director of Athletics Bill Byrne recognized that much of Nebraska's success should be attributed to its veteran assistants. Although NU lost 18-year defensive coordinator Charlie McBride to retirement after the 1999 season, NU still boasts 142 years of combined experience at NU and a staff that has participated in 142 bowl games. The 20-year veterans include Solich (23 years), secondary coach George Darlington (29) and offensive line coach Milt Tenopir (28). The others include offensive line/kickers coach Dan Young (19), receivers coach Ron Brown (15), quarterbacks coach Turner Gill (10), linebackers coach/defensive coordinator Craig Bohl (7/2), rush ends coach Nelson Barnes (5), running backs coach Dave Gillespie (4) and the newest member, defensive line coach Jeff Jamrog (2). Five members of the Husker coaching staff played at Nebraska, including Solich ( , fullback), Bohl ( , defensive back), Gill ( , quarterback), Gillespie ( , I-back) and Jamrog ( , defensive end) Season Review... Nebraska Plays in 13th National Championship Game The Huskers extended their NCAA leading streak of consecutive winning seasons to 40 and their NCAA record of consecutive nine-win seasons to 33 with an 11-2 record in The fourth season under Coach Solich was an exciting one, as NU played in the national Media & Recruiting Guide 23

3 championship game for the 13th time in school history. Nebraska's only two losses were to national champion Miami and to Colorado in Boulder. The Huskers finished among the AP top 10 for the ninth consecutive season at No. 8 and ranked seventh in the final coaches poll. For the first time since 1905 and just the fourth time ever, Nebraska's 2001 football schedule featured eight home games. The Huskers won all eight, posting a perfect home season for the ninth time in 10 years. The eighth home game and 12-game schedule came about on March 8, when Nebraska committed to host TCU in the NACDA Pigskin Classic. The Huskers first three opponents opened their seasons vs. Nebraska, and NU s Memorial Stadium played host to four straight night games for the first time in Husker history from the Sept. 8 Notre Dame game through the Oct. 20 Texas Tech contest. The rescheduled game with Rice was moved from Saturday, Sept. 15, to Thursday, Sept. 20, because of the tragic events of Sept. 11, and was the school s first non-holiday Thursday game and first Thursday home night game. The Huskers' 2001 schedule featured four straight home games for the first time since Nebraska opened the season with a 21-7 win over TCU in the NACDA Pigskin Classic, improving to 5-0 in preseason games. NU defeated Troy State, 42-14, in week two, holding the Trojans to minus 25 rushing yards, the lowest against a Solich defense. NU defeated its first ranked opponent, when No. 5/4 (AP/Coaches) Nebraska defeated then-no. 17/17 Notre Dame, 27-10, in the second and last game of a home-and-home series, on Sept. 8. NU handed Rice its first loss of the season, 48-3, on Thursday, Sept. 20. Rice and Troy State were both first-time opponents of NU. The Huskers hit the road to open conference play, defeating Missouri in Columbia, Nebraska returned home to defeat previously unbeaten Iowa State, 48-14, in NU s third night game of Nebraska won its second Big 12 road game, defeating Baylor, 48-7, with 641 rushing yards, the second-highest total in Husker history. Much of the game was played in a rainstorm, and the teams went to the locker rooms with 7:34 remaining in the first half for a 36-minute lightning delay. The 36-minute delay was the first time since the Utah State game on Sept. 7, 1991 (19-minute delay), that a Husker game was delayed by inclement weather and the first delay of any kind since lighting problems delayed the Kansas game seven minutes in Lawrence on Oct. 25, Nebraska tied an NCAA record with four 100-yard rushers against Baylor, as I-back Thunder Collins (165), I-back Dahrran Diedrick (137), quarterback Eric Crouch (132), and fullback Judd Davies (119) each rushed for 100 yards. NU kept a 33-game winning streak on Homecoming alive, defeating Texas Tech despite missing six starters for most of the game in a rash of injuries. NU gave up 28 first-half points, but led after three quarters and held on for a win. The Texas Tech game was Nebraska s 1,100th game, making Nebraska just the fifth NCAA Division I-A team to play 1,100 games. The Huskers broke an unprecedented streak of four consecutive home night games, playing host to defending national champion Oklahoma in an 11 a.m. kickoff on ABC. Nebraska ended No. 1 (BCS) OU s 20-game winning streak with a win in Lincoln. It was the first win by Solich over a top three team. Nebraska played its fifth night game of the season at Kansas on Nov. 3, as the Huskers defeated the Jayhawks, 51-7, and the series became the longest continuous series in NCAA Division I-A history at 96 games. The Husker Blackshirts held KU to 1-of-14 on third-down conversions. Nebraska defeated Kansas State, 31-21, in Nebraska s last home game of the season, holding the Wildcats to 4-of-18 passing. Kansas State had 24 Media & Recruiting Guide Quarterback Eric Crouch won the school's third Heisman Trophy in The first-team All-American also won the Davey O'Brien Award and was named the Walter Camp Player-of-the Year. been ranked as high as ninth early in the season. The Huskers ended the regular season at Colorado on the Friday after Thanksgiving. The Huskers fell to the Buffaloes, 62-36, despite a school-record performance from Eric Crouch, who tallied 360 yards of total offense. The nationally televised game marked NU s third against a ranked team (2-1) and the second non-saturday contest of the season (1-1). Colorado defeated Texas, 39-37, in the Big 12 Championship Game. A record eight Big 12 teams played in bowl games in 2001 and six of Nebraska's opponents earned bowl bids. Three of Nebraska's opponents were ranked among the final top 25, including No. 1/1 (AP/Coaches) Miami, No. 6/6 Oklahoma and No. 9/9 Colorado. Nebraska's nonconference opponents finished with a record, and TCU earned a bowl bid. The Huskers finished the non-conference portion of their schedule unscathed for the fifth consecutive year. NU was 2-2 against opponents ranked at game time, defeating then-no. 17 (AP) Notre Dame and then-no. 2 Oklahoma 20-10, and losing to then-no. 14 Colorado, 62-36, and to No. 1 Miami, Both of Nebraska's losses were away from home, and Nebraska was unbeaten at home for the 40th time and extended its home winning streak to 21 games, which is the longest active streak in the nation and is tied for fourth best at Nebraska. Nebraska led the nation in rushing for the second consecutive season, the second time under Coach Solich and the 15th time in school history, averaging yards per game. Nebraska also ranked among the top 25 in total offense (12th, ypg), scoring offense (seventh, 37.4 ppg), rushing defense (22nd, ypg), passing defense (ninth, ypg), pass efficiency defense (second, 83.8 rating), total defense (eighth, ypg), scoring defense (sixth, 15.8 ppg), punt returns (14th, 13.1 ypr) and kickoff returns (eighth, 25.2 ypr). Crouch wins Heisman, Huskers Boast Three All-Americans The 2001 awards list featured Eric Crouch, who brought home more hardware than any other Husker quarterback in school history. Crouch won the school's third Heisman Trophy, was the third player to be named the Walter Camp Player of the Year, and became the first Husker to win the Davey O'Brien Quarterback Award. Toniu Fonoti was a first-team All-American and was a finalist for the Outland Trophy, and cornerback Keyuo Craver was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award for the second consecutive year and was also a first-team All-American. Nebraska has had at least one All-American in all but two (1991, 1998) of the past 32 years (since 1970). The three honorees in 2001 marked the 15th time that Nebraska has had at least three All-Americans, and gives Solich eight All-America award winners in four years as head coach. Nebraska ranks ninth all time in Division I-A with 53 consensus All-Americans. Rush end Chris Kelsay was a secondteam All-American by Football News, and tight end Tracey Wistrom earned third-team All-America honors from the AP and The Sporting News. The Sporting News also named Mike linebacker Barrett Ruud to its second-team freshman All-America Team, while cornerback Lornell McPherson earned fourth-team freshman honors. Crouch was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year for the second time in his career (also co-honoree in 1999) and Coach Solich was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year by his peers. Crouch, Craver, Fonoti, Kelsay and I-back Dahrran Diedrick each earned first-team All-Big 12 honors, while Mike linebacker Jamie Burrow,

4 defensive tackle Jeremy Slechta and offensive tackle Dave Volk earned second-team honors. Cornerback DeJuan Groce, Wistrom and punter Kyle Larson earned third-team honors, while rush end Demoine Adams, rover/free safety Dion Booker, fullback Judd Davies, center John Garrison, offensive guard Jon Rutherford, Sam linebacker Scott Shanle and split end Wilson Thomas took home honorable-mention honors. Nebraska returns two of its five first-team all-conference honorees, including Kelsay at left rush end and Diedrick at I-back. Nebraska continued its streak of 15 straight years with at least one first-team Verizon/CoSIDA All-American when tight end Tracey Wistrom won first-team honors. Judd Davies, Chris Kelsay and Dave Volk each earned Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-District VII First-Team honors. Wistrom also earned a National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete Award, while Volk won a NACDA Postgraduate Scholarship. Nebraska led the Big 12 with 19 first-team academic All-Big 12 honorees in 2001 and had 30 total with 11 additional second-team selections. Volk and Jamie Burrow earned academic All- Big 12 honors for the fourth consecutive year, while Davies, Kelsay, Wistrom, Demoine Adams, Jeff Hemje and Wes Woodward were three-time winners. Troy Hassebroek, Trevor Johnson, Pat Ricketts, Aaron Terpening and Justin Smith won honors for the second consecutive year. Returning first-team honorees include, Joe Chrisman, Sandro DeAngelis, Davies, Gabe Fries, Hassebroek, Johnson, Kelsay, Phil Peetz, Ricketts, Kyle Ringenberg and Terpening. The Final 2001 Polls Nebraska began the 2001 season ranked fourth in both preseason polls. NU dropped to fifth in the AP poll for one week, but remained fourth in each of the first seven coaches polls. After defeating Iowa State, 48-14, NU moved up to third in both polls and ranked second in the first BCS poll the second week of October. NU remained first in the BCS poll and second in the AP poll for four weeks, until losing at Colorado. The Huskers dropped to sixth in the AP and coaches polls, but with a series of other losses in the top 10, moved back to fourth in the AP and coaches poll and second in the BCS to win a spot in the national championship Rose Bowl vs. Miami. After the loss to the undefeated Hurricanes, Nebraska finished ranked seventh in the coaches poll and eighth in the AP, extending its AP poll record to 342 consecutive weeks and finished among the nation's top 25 for the 33rd consecutive year and among the nation's top 10 for the 23rd time in the last 31 years. Since 1990, NU has finished in the AP top 15 every year but two (1990 and 1998). Nebraska posted a 2-2 record against ranked teams in The Big 12 sent a record eight teams to bowls (3-5 record) and saw four teams ranked in the final polls, including Texas (5 Associated Press/5 Coaches) Oklahoma (6/6), Nebraska (8/7) and Colorado (9/9). Experience Returning and Lost Total Lettermen Returning (57) 28 offense, 26 defense, 3 kickers Total Starters Returning (13) 5 offense, 6 defense, 2 kickers Offensive Starters Returning: (5) SE Wilson Thomas C John Garrison RT Dan Vili Waldrop FB Judd Davies IB Dahrran Diedrick Defensive Starters Returning: (6) LRE Chris Kelsay RRE Demoine Adams NT Jon Clanton SLB Scott Shanle FS Willie Amos RCB DeJuan Groce Starting Kickers Returning: (2) PK Josh Brown P Kyle Larson 2002 NEBRASKA FOOTBALL 2002 Outlook... The 2002 Schedule For the first time in school history, Nebraska has 13 regular-season games on the schedule. Nebraska added McNeese State in March as its 12th game of the season and will play host to Arizona State in the Aug. 24 Black Coaches Association Football Classic. The Huskers are 5-0 in preseason games. For the second straight year and just the fifth time in Husker history, Nebraska will host eight home games. With arguably one of the toughest road schedules of any Division I team this season, Nebraska first hits the road at Penn State on Sept. 14, then travels to Iowa State on Sept. 28 to open the Big 12 Conference season. ISU finished 7-5 last year, and played in the Independence Bowl. The Huskers travel to Oklahoma State on Oct. 19, playing in Stillwater for the first time since The OSU-NU game was moved to Kansas City in 1998 and the two teams did not meet in 1996 and 1997 or in Total Lettermen Lost (25) 10 offense, 15 defense, 0 kickers Total Starters Lost (11) 6 offense, 5 defense, 0 kickers Offensive Starters Lost: (6) LT Dave Volk LG Toniu Fonoti RG Jon Rutherford TE Tracey Wistrom QB Eric Crouch WB John Gibson Defensive Starters Lost: (5) DT Jeremy Slechta MLB Jamie Burrow WLB Mark Vedral LCB Keyuo Craver ROV Dion Booker Starting Kickers Lost: (0) 2000 or 2001 because of the Big 12 league format. The last two road games are against two more 2001 bowl participants, at Texas A&M (8-4, Galleryfurniture.com Bowl) on Oct. 26 and at Kansas State (6-6, Insight.com Bowl) on Nov. 16. Nebraska's home schedule is highlighted by a Nov. 2 contest with Texas, the last team to beat Nebraska in Lincoln (11-2, Holiday Bowl), and Colorado on Nov. 29 (10-3, Fiesta). Injury Update The Huskers were moving through spring fairly healthy until Willie Amos suffered a major knee injury that required reconstructive surgery. He had just made the switch from free safety to cornerback and was expected to take over for departed All- American Keyuo Craver at left corner, but now is doubtful to play in 2002, as he is not 100 percent and still has a redshirt year available. Offensive tackle Chris Loos, who underwent major knee surgery a second time last October, still has a way to go before returning to full speed, but the rest of the Huskers held out of spring for various minor surgeries will all be able to report early to fall camp. That list includes projected starters Will linebacker T.J. Hollowell and left rush end Chris Kelsay. In addition, I-back Thunder Collins also missed spring camp. All three had shoulder surgeries in January. Others who missed spring ball, but will return this fall, include Jon Bowling, TE (back), Nate Kolterman, OT (knee), Kyle Ringenberg, TE (clavicle), Le Kevin Smith, DT (knee) and split end John Klem (knee). On March 15, five Huskers were granted medical hardships from the Big 12 Conference for the season. Each of the players saw limited action in 2001, because of season-ending injuries, and will request an additional season of competition from the NCAA, after the individual's eligibility is exhausted. Senior Jason Lohr, a starter in Nebraska's first three games before suffering a knee injury, has been given approval to play in his fifth year. The others Huskers Perfect in Five Preseason Games Date Opponent Site Game` AP Rank Score 8/29/1983 Penn State E. Rutherford Kickoff 1/4 W, /27/1988 Texas A&M E. Rutherford Kickoff 2/10 W, /28/1994 West Virginia E. Rutherford Kickoff 4/24 W, /29/1998 Louisiana Tech Lincoln Robinson 4/ W, /25/2001 TCU Lincoln Pigskin 4/ W, 21-7 are senior cornerback Rodney Burgess, redshirt sophomore rover Lannie Hopkins, redshirt sophomore rush end Jeff McBride and junior Will linebacker Tim Miller. Media & Recruiting Guide 25

5 Huskers Return 13 Starters From 11-2 Team Nebraska returns a total of 13 starters (five on offense, six on defense and both kickers) from a team that dropped just two games last season to national champion Miami, and to Colorado. Both losses came on the road at the end of the season. Nebraska's losses are significant, as NU loses three first-team All- Americans including Heisman Trophy winner, Davey O'Brien Quarterback Award winner and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Eric Crouch at quarterback, Outland Trophy finalist Toniu Fonoti at left guard and two-time Jim Thorpe semifinalist Keyuo Craver at left cornerback. NU also loses Dave Volk and Jon Rutherford off the offensive line, academic All-American and third-team All-American Tracey Wistrom at tight end and John Gibson at wingback. On defense, NU loses Jeremy Slechta off the defensive line, two of its three linebackers in Jamie Burrow (Mike) and Mark Vedral (Will), free safety/ rover Dion Booker and right cornerback Erwin Swiney. The Big 12's leading rusher, I-back Dahrran Diedrick, returns to pace the Husker offensive ground attack. Wilson Thomas also returns at split end after leading the team in receiving last year. Linemen John Garrison (center/snapper) and Dan Vili Waldrop (right tackle) and fullback Judd Davies complete the returning starters on offense. Other first-team returnees with significant experience include tight end Aaron Golliday and I-back Thunder Collins. On defense, NU returns rush ends Chris Kelsay and Demoine Adams, nose tackle Jon Clanton, Sam linebacker Scott Shanle, free safety Willie Amos and right cornerback DeJuan Groce. Kelsay and Groce will contend for Big 12 and national honors after leading the defense last season. Amos returns but is doubtful to play after tearing his left ACL and LCL in the spring. In addition, senior nose tackle Jason Lohr was granted a medical hardship from the Big 12 Conference and received an additional year of eligibility. Both of NU's kickers return, including place-kicker Josh Brown and punter Kyle Larson. Nebraska's top two kick returnees also return, including punt returner DeJuan Groce (ranked ninth nationally with 14.2 ypr) and kickoff returner Josh Davis (ranked 14th with 27.0 ypr). Sandro DeAngelis, who was NU's No. 1 place-kicker in the first four games, also returns, giving NU one of the deepest special teams corps in the country Huskers by Position... The Offense Nebraska loses six starters (including All-Americans Eric Crouch and Toniu Fonoti) and returns five. Nebraska loses three of its five starters on the offensive line, three-year starter Tracey Wistrom at tight end and sixth-year wingback John Gibson. NU returns the rest of the backfield minus Crouch, as starting fullback Judd Davies returns as well as the top five I-backs, including starter Dahrran Diedrick, who led the Big 12 last season in rushing. The Huskers led the nation the last two years in rushing and look to have a strong rushing game again in The Offensive Line Like last season, Nebraska loses three of its five starters. Toniu Fonoti was an All-American and a finalist for the Outland Trophy. He would have been a front-runner for both the Outland and Lombardi in 2002, but opted to pass on his senior year to enter the NFL Draft. 26 Media & Recruiting Guide Fonoti broke a school record with an astounding 32 pancakes vs. Texas Tech. He set a new season record with 201, 46 more than his schoolrecord total of 155 in 2000 and established a new career record of 379, set in three years. NU also loses starting left tackle Dave Volk, a threeyear starter who ranks fifth on the all-time pancake list (333), and right guard Jon Rutherford. Right tackle Dan Vili Waldrop and center John Garrison return to defend the team's back-to-back NCAA rushing titles and hope to lead Nebraska to a third consecutive 300-plus yards average. Garrison was second on the team in pancakes in 2001 averaging 10.4 per game, behind Fonoti's school-record 16.8 per game. Vili Waldrop was fifth on the team with 95, averaging 7.9 per game in his first year as a starter. He had 24 pancakes in the last two regular-season games. Nebraska has just seven lettermen returning on the line, including the two returning starters and junior left tackle Chris Returning Offensive Starters Player, Year, Pos. G/S 2001 Season Statistics Career Stats Dahrran Diedrick, Sr., IB 11/ , rush323-1, rush Wilson Thomas, Sr., SE 12/ receiving John Garrison, Sr., C 12/ pancakes (10.4 avg.) 131 pancakes Dan Vili Waldrop, Jr., RT 12/12 95 pancakes (7.9 avg.) 102 pancakes Judd Davies, Jr., FB 11/ rush rush receiving Other Key Returnees Thunder Collins, Sr., IB 12/ rush; rec rush Jammal Lord, Jr., QB 12/ rush; 5-8, 65 pass rush Aaron Golliday, Sr., TE 12/ receiving receiving Returning Kickers Josh Brown, Sr., PK 12/ PAT, FG PAT, FGs Loos, who sat out spring ball after suffering his second major knee injury. Loos is still working to get back to full speed. Mike Erickson is a sophomore letterman who will contend for left guard duties and senior Wes Cody is a two-year letterman and the projected starter at right guard. Junior Tagoa'i has one letter and will back up Cody. Senior lettermen Nate Kolterman and Scott Koethe are expected to be solid backups for Vili Waldrop at right tackle. Two-year letterman Matt Shook will pass on his senior season because of reoccurring injuries. Newcomers contending for positions on the line include redshirt freshman Richie Incognito, who could become the third Husker offensive lineman to earn a starting nod in his first year of competition. Incognito would follow in the footsteps of Rob Zatechka (1991) and Dominic Raiola (1999) who started one and two games, respectively, in their redshirt freshman seasons, but the freshman from Glendale, Ariz., would be the first freshman to start a season opener. Sophomore Nick Povendo will also vie for time at left tackle behind Incognito. At left guard, sophomore Jake Andersen and junior Tim Green will vie for action behind Erickson. A trio of walk-ons will back up Garrison at center, including junior Josh Sewell, redshirt freshman Brandon Koch and senior David Kolowski. At right tackle, sophomore M.J. Flaum will back up Waldrop, Kolterman and Koethe. Receivers Nebraska's leading receiver, Wilson Thomas, returns at split end, but NU loses its other two starters, including tight end Tracey Wistrom and wingback John Gibson. Thomas set a Nebraska split end record with 616 receiving yards (on 37 catches) and also led the team with three touchdowns. Wistrom was second with 21 receptions for 323 yards and two touchdowns, and Gibson was fourth on the team with 18 for 266 yards and one touchdown. Thomas will be joined at split end by two other returning letterwinners, including senior John Klem and sophomore Ben Zajicek. Zajicek had one catch in 2001, while Klem had one catch for nine yards, before his season ended in November because of a major knee injury and subsequent surgery. Three other non-letterwinners, including junior Tim Liley, true freshman Ross Pilkington and junior Kelly Cook will also provide depth and contend for playing time. Despite the loss of Wistrom, tight end is one of Nebraska's deepest positions. Senior Aaron Golliday has started at least two games at tight end in each of the past three years and is an experienced receiver ( career receiving) and excellent blocker. Three other lettermen return at

6 tight end, including seniors Kyle Ringenberg (3-49-0), Jon Bowling ( ) and junior Phil Peetz (0-0-0). Senior walk-on Will Dabbert and sophomore Chris Septak will also lend depth. At wingback, two lettermen return in seniors Troy Hassebroek and Ben Cornelsen. Hassebroek at 6-4, 215, is an excellent blocker, while Cornelsen has good speed. Sophomore Kiffen Wigert and redshirt freshman Mike McLaughlin, who moved to wingback from quarterback in the spring, and sophomore DeWayne Long look to gain experience this fall. Running Backs Coach Frank Solich freely admits that Eric Crouch was much more than a quarterback and that he was utilized as a running back as well, particularly in This season, the game plan will shift back to putting the burden more fully on the shoulders of the running backs. The Heisman winner rushed for 1,115 yards and 18 TDs, but with senior I-backs Dahrran Diedrick and Thunder Collins both returning, Solich is confident the running game will be full speed in Last year, Diedrick and Crouch made a great pair, as each rushed for more than 1,000 yards. Diedrick not only led the team, but also the Big 12 with 1,299 yards and 15 TDs, averaging 5.6 yards per carry and yards per game, to rank 14th nationally. This year, the senior I-back, who had seven 100-yard rushing games, is ready to carry even more of the load. So is his running mate, Thunder Collins. While Diedrick is a strong, powerful, straight-ahead runner, Collins is a perfect complement to Diedrick, as Collins is a tall, fluid and flashy back with excellent hands. Collins rushed for 647 yards on 94 carries (6.9 ypc, 53.9 ypg), and ranked third on the team in receptions with 19 for 189 yards. Behind the seniors are three more talented returning juniors. Josh Davis rushed eight times for 32 yards and led the team in kickoff returns. DeAntae Grixby battled injuries last season but carried the ball 25 times for 104 yards, while Robin Miller carried three times for 15 yards and has also practiced at fullback the past two years. Marques Simmons and Cory Ross both redshirted as scholarship freshmen last season and after a solid spring should contribute and gain valuable experience. Simmons boasts excellent speed and with Davis, will back up senior starters Diedrick and Collins. The top three fullbacks also return, headlined by junior Judd Davies, who had 40 carries for 238 yards and four TDs last season. He was backed by sophomore Steve Kriewald ( ) and senior Paul Kastl (8-32-0). Davies (5.9) and Kriewald (5.3) each averaged better than five yards per carry in Davies was the only offensive player to score against Miami in the Rose Bowl and should contend for honors this fall. Quarterbacks With Crouch rushing for 3,434 yards and passing for 4,481 yards the past four years, the new starting quarterback in his place is guaranteed to have little experience. This spring, Nebraska went looking for a starting signal caller for the first time since the start of the 1998 season. Crouch I-back Dahrran Diedrick earned first-team All-Big 12 honors after leading the Big 12 with 1,299 rushing yards in Returning Defensive Husker Starters 2001 Statistics Player, Year, Pos. GP/GS TT TFL Other Scott Shanle, Sr., SLB 12/ sacks, 8 PBU Chris Kelsay, Sr., LRE 12/ sacks, 12 QBH DeJuan Groce, Sr., RCB 11/ PBU, 3 int. Willie Amos, Jr., FS/CB* 9/ int. Demoine Adams, Sr., RRE 12/ sacks, 12 QBH Jon Clanton, Sr., NT 12/ sacks Other Key Returnees Barrett Ruud, So., MLB 12/ sacks, 1 QBH Lornell McPherson, So.,LCB 12/ PBU, 2 int. Pat Ricketts, Jr., LCB 12/ PBU, 1 int. T.J. Hollowell, Jr., WLB 11/ sacks, 5 QBH Philip Bland, So., FS 10/ PBU, 1 QBH Jason Lohr, Sr., NT+ 3/ sacks *injured in spring, may not play in fall; +injured three games into NEBRASKA FOOTBALL rushed for 1,115 yards and passed for another 1,510 yards in 2001, becoming just the 13th Division I history quarterback to rush and pass for 1,000 yards in one season. In his career, he became one of just three quarterbacks in Division I to rush for 3,000 and pass for 4,000 yards and posted a 35-7 record as a starter. Junior Jammal Lord (Bayonne, N.J.), who has been Crouch's backup the past two years, has limited action in close contests with 213 career rushing yards and 181 career passing yards, completing 14-of-24 passes (58.4 percent), but had an impressive spring and enters the fall as the Huskers' No. 1 signal caller. Lord has good size and scrambling ability. True freshman Curt Dukes, who came to the Huskers in January from Stony Point, N.C., had an impressive first 15 practices in the spring. Showing good strength, Dukes finished spring camp alone at No. 2. Sophomore Mike Stuntz, who threw the pass on a reverse to Crouch against Oklahoma, has excellent passing ability and is third on the fall depth chart, along with senior walk-on Joe Chrisman. Other than Lord, Chrisman is the only other returning letterwinner at quarterback and has yet to complete a pass, while serving as NU's holder. The Huskers are committed to these four quarterbacks as scholarship redshirt freshman Mike McLaughlin (wingback) and junior walk-on Brett Lindstrom (free safety) moved to new positions in midspring. The Defense Nebraska loses five starters on defense, including All-America cornerback Keyuo Craver. The Huskers also lose defensive tackle Jeremy Slechta, Mike linebacker Jamie Burrow, the team's leading tackler in 2001, Will linebacker Mark Vedral and rover Dion Booker. Erwin Swiney was a part-time starter the past few years and will also be missed. Nebraska's top four tacklers have graduated, but the Huskers will have strong leadership from seniors Chris Kelsay and DeJuan Groce. NU received good word two weeks before spring camp that nose tackle Jason Lohr was granted a medical hardship for the 2001 season, even though he played and started three games before suffering a season-ending knee injury. As he did not redshirt, he was granted an additional year of competition, which gives him his senior year back without applying to the NCAA. The Huskers return six starters on defense, not counting Lohr. With Lohr, the defensive line has four returnees with starting experience, including both rush ends in Kelsay and Demoine Adams, and Jon Clanton, who took over at nose tackle when Lohr went down with the injury. Although NU lost two of its three starting linebackers, senior Scott Shanle, a former walk-on and two-year starter at Sam linebacker returns. The Huskers will also be looking for players to step up in the secondary, where two of the four starters are gone, but there is talent to choose from, despite the knee injury to junior Willie Amos, who after tearing his ACL and LCL, may sit out this season. Media & Recruiting Guide 27

7 Senior DeJuan Groce (right corner) and Lornell McPherson and Pat Rickets (left corner), who return to man the corners, and free safety Philip Bland all have some starting experience. Defensive Line Defensive line is one of the strongest positions for the Huskers, as four players return with starting experience. Both starting rush ends, Chris Kelsay and Demoine Adams, return for their senior seasons. Kelsay ranked sixth on the team with 52 tackles, led the team in tackles for loss (17) and tied for the team lead in quarterback hurries (12). Adams led the team in sacks (5.5) and had 25 tackles, two pass breakups and tied Kelsay for the team lead in quarterback hurries (12). Senior Justin Smith (27 tackles, nine for losses) and junior Benard Thomas (seven tackles, five for loses) will again back up Kelsay at left rush end and Trevor Johnson (nine tackles, two for losses) will back up Adams on the right side. Nose tackle Jason Lohr received an additional year of eligibility after tearing his left ACL in the third game of the season. Before his injury, he recorded three tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. In his place, Jon Clanton started the last 10 games and performed well with 24 tackles, six for losses, and scored on a 20-yard fumble return against Troy State. Kelsay, Adams, Lohr and Clanton are all seniors and will be looked to for leadership. Junior Ryon Bingham (18 tackles, five for losses) is finally fully recovered from a lower leg injury and looked strong in the spring. He will contend with Lohr and Clanton for playing time. NU looks to replace starting tackle Jeremy Slechta. Junior Patrick Kabongo (nine tackles in 2001) and redshirt freshman Seppo Evwaraye will contend for the starting role, but redshirt freshman Le Kevin Smith, who also suffered a knee injury last season, could quickly become a contributor. Clanton or Bingham could move from nose to tackle, if needed, where NU also lost three-year letterman Casey Nelson. A wealth of young talent exists at both interior line positions and redshirt freshmen Titus Adams and Jared Helming will look for playing time at nose tackle. Linebackers The Huskers lost two of three starting linebackers, including the team's leading tackler in Mike linebacker Jamie Burrow. Burrow had 83 tackles and was second in tackles for loss with 12. Nebraska also loses starting Will linebacker Mark Vedral, who ranked third on the team in tackles with 62. Former walk-on and two-year starter Scott Shanle returns at Sam linebacker after ranking fifth on the team in tackles last season. His 56 tackles are the most among returnees, and he also had eight pass breakups, an NU position record. Sophomore Ira Cooper and senior Gabe Fries will back up Shanle at the Sam position, while T.J. Hollowell and junior college transfer Demorrio Williams will battle for the starting Will linebacker position. Williams had an impressive spring, while Hollowell sat out after having shoulder surgery. A second-team freshman All-American, sophomore Barrett Ruud is the heir-apparent at Mike linebacker after ranking seventh on the team in tackles, with 49 stops including six for losses in Sophomore Chad Sievers, a transfer from New Mexico State, and returning lettermen Tony Tata and Steve Safranek will also contend for playing time at Mike linebacker. 28 Media & Recruiting Guide Consecutive Winning Seasons (Division I-A) Current or More Winning 9-Win Rank Team Seasons Seasons 1. Nebraska Florida State Florida All-time Division I-A 1. Notre Dame ( ) Nebraska (1962-present) Alabama ( ) 38 Secondary The Husker secondary loses All-American Keyuo Craver at left cornerback, starting rover/free safety Dion Booker and part-time starter Erwin Swiney at right corner, as well as six other lettermen. But the Huskers return five players who started at least two games last year. The secondary will be led by All-America candidate DeJuan Groce at right corner. Groce followed Craver (60) and Booker (62) in tackles with 31, but led the team in pass breakups (14) for the second consecutive year and was second in interceptions with three. Amos, who led the team with four pickoffs, started seven games at free safety last season, but moved to left corner in the spring to play opposite Groce. He was making a great transition, but midway through spring, tore his left ACL and LCL. Because he has not redshirted and will still be rehabilitating the knee in August, Amos may not play in Instead junior Pat Ricketts and sophomore Lornell McPherson will man left corner. Ricketts (two) and McPherson (three) each had starts last season when Nebraska opened in the penny and nickel packages, respectively. Both saw extensive playing time and each had 29 tackles, five or more breakups and at least one interception. Senior Rodney Burgess will add depth at left corner while redshirt freshman Shane Siegel, junior letterwinner Terrell Butler and sophomore Kellen Huston add depth on the right. Philip Bland played in 10 contests as a true freshman last season and started three games at rover when Booker moved to free safety to cover for Amos when he was out with a hamstring pull. Bland saw action in every game until a foot injury knocked him out of the last three. The injury required surgery, but did not keep him from spring camp. Bland recorded 24 tackles and had one breakup in He is penciled in to start at free safety for the Huskers in 2002, but could also move back to rover. At free safety, Bland will be backed by the talented Jerrell Pippens, a junior former walk-on from Philadelphia. Redshirt freshman Josh Bullocks will back up Bland and Pippens at free safety, while his twin brother Daniel will contend for playing time at rover. Without Bland, Lannie Hopkins, who was injured after three games in 2001 is expected to back up senior former walk-on Aaron Terpening at rover. Kickers/Return/Specialists The only player missing from the Huskers' solid special teams of 2001 is punt returner Keyuo Craver. All other specialists return, including three kickers. Sandro DeAngelis began the season as NU's No. 1 place-kicker, then gave way to veteran Josh Brown. Brown is expected to handle place-kicking duties again in 2002, and as a senior looks to build upon his 140 PATs and 29 field goals. Last season, Brown hit on 34- of-37 PATs and 10-of-14 field goals. Brown hit all 60 of his PATs in 2000, tying a school record. DeAngelis converted 15-of-16 PATs and 2-of-3 field goals. Spring ball reaffirmed Brown's No. 1 position, but DeAngelis is a talented backup to the senior, who is seventh on NU's all-time scoring list. Senior corner and punt return specialist DeJuan Groce will contend In his first year as punter, Kyle Larson for All-America honors in averaged 42.5 yards per punt and earned honorable-mention All-Big 12 honors. Larson will be backed by freshman Sam Koch at home, and by Brown on the road. Snapping on the specialty units is three-year veteran John Garrison, who also returns as Nebraska's starting center. David Kolowski and

8 Richie Incognito will back up Garrison. Reserve quarterback Joe Chrisman returns as the Husker holder. Although Craver is gone after returning 21 punts for 246 yards, DeJuan Groce returns after ranking ninth nationally, averaging 14.2 yards per return (33-469). He had a 60-yard touchdown during the regular season vs. Kansas State and a 71-yard return against Miami in the Rose Bowl. Senior Ben Cornelsen returned 10 punts for 124 yards and a touchdown last season and will again serve as Groce's backup. As the lone return man on kickoffs, junior Josh Davis returned a school-record 25 kicks for a school-record 675 yards. He averaged 27.0 yards per return to rank 14th nationally. Senior Thunder Collins and redshirt freshman Marques Simmons could also see action on returns. Husker Team and Individual Notes... Unprecedented Winning Tradition Nebraska, the nation's third-winningest program all time (fourth by percentage), boasts a record in 1,105 games (.710). In the last 32 years, NU is tops, posting a record of for an.842 winning percentage (395 games), an average of more than 10 wins per year. In terms of victories, the Huskers are third in NCAA Division I-A history with 764. NU has won 10-or-more games 22 times in the Devaney/Osborne/Solich eras (since 1962), went undefeated and untied through the regular season seven times, played in 13 national title games (for at least one of the teams) and won the championship five times. Since the first Nebraska season in 1890, Husker teams have won 11 or more games 12 times, including seven of the last nine years. NU has won 12 or more games seven times, and 13 games three times (1971, 1994 and 1997). No one can match Nebraska's current 40-year winning season streak, or its 33-year nine-win streak, and by the same token, no other school has averaged 10 wins per season over the last 32 years. Nebraska's 40 years of consecutive winning records rank second all time behind Notre Dame s 42 ( ) and third in terms of non-losing seasons, behind Penn State s 46 ( ) and Notre Dame's 42 ( ) and tied with Texas s 40 ( ). Nebraska (702), Michigan (705), Alabama (728) and Notre Dame (736) are the only four programs to have won 700 games in the last century. Nebraska became the first Division I team to win 100 or more games in back-to-back decades, ranking first in the 1980s ( ,.837) and second in the 1990s ( record,.890) and posted a nation s best record in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Huskers Win Three National Titles in Four Years In 1993, the Huskers went 11-1 losing only to Florida State, 18-16, in the Orange Bowl for the national championship. That loss began a run of wins, records and crystal collections. Nebraska followed 1993 with three perfect seasons in four years, winning national titles in 1994 (13-0), 1995 (12-0) and 1997 (13-0). No other team won three titles in the 1990s. Nebraska posted incredible numbers from 1993 on, consider... In the Past Nine Years, the Huskers Have... Posted a record Played in five national title games (1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2001) Won three national titles (1994, 1995, 1997) in four years Won five conference crowns (three Big Eight, two Big 12) Posted a 62-7 conference record (.899) Won 57 of 58 home games (21 straight) Gone vs. Associated Press Top 25 teams (14-5 vs. top 10) NU First to Win 100 Games in Back-to-Back Decades Nebraska recorded its 100th win of the 1990s with a win over Missouri in Columbia on Sept. 25, 1999, and finished with a mark in the decade (.868, second behind Florida State). Nebraska is the Records in the 1990s (Division I-A) 1. Florida State Nebraska Florida Records In Last Three Decades 1. Nebraska Michigan Penn State Alabama Ohio State NEBRASKA FOOTBALL first Division I program to win 100-plus games in consecutive decades as NU won 103 games to 20 losses in the 1980s. The only other team to post 100-plus wins in the 1980s was Brigham Young with 102 wins and 26 losses. Oklahoma ( ) and Alabama ( ) posted 100-plus wins in the 1970s, while Nebraska came close to achieving the mark in three consecutive decades, as NU won 98 games in the 1970s. Florida State finished the 1990s with a record (.890, first), but had just 87 wins in the 1980s. By decade, the Huskers were in the 1960s (.712); in the 1970s (.820, fifth nationally), in the 1980s (.837, first), in the 1990s (second) and is 21-4 in this decade. Nebraska's 1990s record was aided by an unprecedented 60-3 five-year run from 1993 to Nebraska owns the best record over the past three-plus decades with a record, including an NCAA-best record (.842) from 1960 to The Huskers have not lost more than 20 games in any of the last three decades. Devaney Established Tradition Retiring as the winningest active coach in the nation, Tom Osborne took over a program firmly entrenched in solid ground in 1973, when Hall of Fame Coach Bob Devaney named Osborne as his successor. Devaney posted a record in his 11 years at Nebraska, won two national championships (1970 and 1971) and was the winningest active coach in the nation upon his retirement in 1972 with a career record (.806) including a record at the University of Wyoming. Osborne followed suit and was selected to the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame shortly after he announced his retirement (inducted on Dec. 8, 1998). Osborne retired as the nation's winningest active coach, posting a record (.836). Among all divisions of coaches with career winning percentages of.800 or better over a span of at least 10 years, Osborne is the fifth-winningest coach in Division I-A history, while the late Devaney is not far behind at No. 11. Devaney and Osborne were the third Division I coaching duo to post back-to-back 100-win careers at the same institution (following Penn State's Rip Engle and Joe Paterno and Georgia Tech's John Heisman, Bill Alexander and Bobby Dodd), but were the first pair to do so in an unbelievable 21 years. Devaney and Osborne had a combined record for an incredible.834 winning percentage (36 years, 430 games). Solich went 9-4 in his inaugural season, matching the wins of Devaney and Osborne in their first years and posted a schoolrecord 12-1 record his second year (winning his first conference championship), a 10-2 record his third season, and went 11-2 last year, playing in the national championship game, to post a school-best 42-9 four-year record. Like Osborne, he is on pace to hit 100 wins in 10 years. Devaney went 10-1 his second year (1963) winning his first Big Eight championship, while Osborne first won 10 games his third year when he also won a share of his first Big Eight title (1975). NU in Big 12 Conference Action Nebraska is all time vs. Big 12 Conference teams. Since the Big 12 was formed in 1996, Nebraska is 41-7 in the league (23-1 at home), losing to Texas A&M in College Station (28-21), Texas in Lincoln (20-16) and Kansas State in Manhattan (40-30) in 1998; to Texas (24-20) in Austin in 1999; and to Oklahoma in Norman (31-14) and K-State in Manhattan (29-28) in 2000; and at Colorado (62-36) in Nebraska is 25-7 in the Big 12 under Coach Solich. Nebraska has won 13 straight conference games at home, since Texas defeated the Huskers on Oct. 31, 1998, which ended NU's school-record 47-game home winning streak. NU Leads Conference in Crowns Nebraska is the only team to capture two Big 12 titles in the first six years of the championship game. Texas, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Colorado, in order, have won the six Big 12 titles. NU has Media & Recruiting Guide 29

9 played in three of the six possible title games. NU lost to Texas, 37-27, in the inaugural championship in St. Louis in 1996, defeated Texas A&M in 1997 in San Antonio, 54-15, and defeated Texas in San Antonio in 1999, The Nebraska vs. Texas matchup in the 1999 Big 12 Championship Game marked the first time the game featured two teams that played each other in the regular season. In the last nine years, Nebraska has won five conference crowns (three Big Eight, two Big 12). Nebraska has won 43 football conference championships overall, including eight under Coach Bob Devaney, 13 under Coach Tom Osborne and one under Coach Solich. Happy at Home Nebraska takes a nation-best 21-game home winning streak into the 2002 season and will play eight games at home for the second consecutive year. Nebraska is 89-3 at home the last 14 years, losing to two teams that went on to win a share of the national championship (Colorado in 1990 and Washington in 1991), and to Texas in The Huskers are (.779, 598 games, 112 years) in Lincoln, (.762, 443 games, 79 years) in Memorial Stadium (since 1923) and 26-1 at home under Coach Solich. Nebraska has not lost more than one home game in a season since a 5-2 home record in Since then, the Huskers are at Memorial Stadium, with eight of those losses coming against teams that finished in the top six in the final AP poll. Included in that stretch are four of the six longest home winning 30 Media & Recruiting Guide Husker Incredible Numbers Nebraska is when rushing for 300 or more yards in a game since Nebraska is 95-0 since 1973 when rushing for 400 or more yards. Nebraska is all time when scoring 35 or more points. Nebraska has won 101 straight games when holding opponents to 10 points or less. NU has not been shut out in 213 home games and in 75 games overall. streaks in school history, including a school-record 47-game streak (fifth longest in nation all time) from 1991 to 1998, a 19-game streak from 1988 to 1990, a 21-game streak from 1981 to 1984 and the current 21-game winning string. Nebraska also had a 33-game home winning streak from 1901 to 1906 (which is tied for the 11th-longest streak in Division I-A). Since 1986 (16 years), NU is in Lincoln, with losses to Colorado, Washington, Oklahoma (twice) and Texas. Those five teams posted a combined mark of in their respective seasons. Nebraska has not been shut out at home since a 12-0 loss to Kansas State in 1968 (208 games). NU has posted 40 unbeaten and untied home seasons, including 2001 when NU went 8-0. Against Notre Dame in 2001, the Huskers set a new attendance record in Memorial Stadium when 78,118 fans attended. NCAA Record 247 Consecutive Sellouts Nebraska's Memorial Stadium boasts an NCAA-record 247 consecutive sellouts, dating back to Hall of Fame Coach Bob Devaney's first year in 1962 (vs. Missouri on Nov. 3). Notre Dame is second in all-time consecutive sellouts with 161, 86 fewer than Nebraska. NU is during the 247 sellouts (50-9 under Devaney, under Osborne, 26-1 under Solich). The mark includes a record against ranked teams. NU is 4-0 in the four milestone sellouts during that period (50th, 100th, 150th and 200th sellouts), including a 24-7 win over No. 2 Colorado on Oct. 29, 1994, for the 200th sellout. Nebraska's 2002 schedule includes eight home games. All eight games are sold out, which will give NU 255 consecutive sellouts at the end of the 2002 season. The Utah State Nebraska game on Sept. 7 will mark Memorial Stadium's 250th consecutive sellout. Huskers Grind Out 15th Rushing Title For the second straight year and 15th time in school history, Nebraska led the nation in rushing offense. In 12 games, the Huskers averaged yards, 33 yards per game more than runner-up Rice s total of The Huskers led the nation with 47 touchdowns (six more than second-place BYU) and yards per rush (5.62), edging out BYU, which averaged 5.61 per carry. The Huskers won their 14th NCAA rushing title in 2000, averaging yards per game. The Huskers have won the rushing title seven times in the last 10 years and 13 of the last 22 titles. Since 1978, Nebraska has ranked in the top six in rushing average every year and has averaged 300 or more yards rushing per game in all but four of the last 25 years (1993, 1996, 1998 and 1999). More Husker Rushing Numbers NU is in the last 29 years when rushing for 300 or more yards in a game (since 1973) and had won 110 straight when rushing for 300-plus yards before the loss at Colorado on Nov. 23, when the Huskers rushed for 354 yards. Nebraska is 95-0 since 1973 when rushing for 400 or more yards and has topped the 400-yard mark twice in 2001, most recently rushing for 641 yards at Baylor. NU has had 365, 100-yard rushing performances all time (52 under Coach Solich, most recently Eric Crouch, 114 vs. Miami) including 56 games in which two or more Huskers rushed for 100 yards (most recently Dahrran Diedrick, 108, and Crouch, 106, against Kansas State). Before having four rushers top the century mark against Baylor on Oct. 13, 2001, NU had three rushers top the 100-yard mark in a game only twice in school history, recording the feat against Kansas in 2000 (Dan Alexander, Correll Buckhalter and Crouch) and against Arizona State in 1998 (Ken Clark, Steve Taylor and Terry Rodgers). The Iowa game in 2000 marked the only time in the 56 games where there were two-or-more 100-yard rushers, and Nebraska failed to score at least one rushing touchdown. The Huskers have had 30, 200-yard rushing performances (most recently 240 by Alexander vs. Northwestern). Nebraska is 23-1 under Coach Solich when the team rushes for 300 or more yards; 10-0 when rushing for 400 or more and 2-0 when rushing for 500 or more. Solich is 29-6 when a Husker rushes for at least 100 yards, and 8-5 when an opponent has a 100-yard rusher (1-2 in 2001). Among current Huskers, Diedrick has seven 100-yard games, all coming in 2001 to lead the team. Thunder Collins and Judd Davies both eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the first time at Baylor in Oklahoma State is the last conference team to hold the Huskers to less than 100 yards rushing, when NU had just 73 yards against the Pokes in Nebraska rushed for an NCAA and school-bowl-record 524 yards vs. Florida in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl on a school-bowl-record 68 attempts with a school-bowl-record six rushing touchdowns. NU also had six rushing touchdowns in the 1998 Orange Bowl vs. Tennessee. Adding up the Points For the 15th time in the last 16 years, the Huskers averaged more than 35 points per game, as Nebraska finished the 2001 season with an average of 37.4 points per game to finish sixth nationally and second in the Big 12. NU scored 35 or more points in seven of the last 10 games and eight times last season. The offensive output is not surprising since Nebraska has averaged 30 or more points per game for 24 straight years (since 1978) and has averaged 40 or more points eight times since 1982, including four of the past seven seasons. The Huskers have ranked among the nation's top 10 in scoring average for 22 of the last 24 years (since 1978) and finished first on four occasions (1982, 1983, 1994 and 1997). Before the loss at Colorado, NU had won 236 consecutive games when scoring 35 or more points, and the Huskers are all time when scoring 35 or more points, losing only to Oklahoma, 49-35, in 1950 and at Colorado, 62-36, in The last time the Huskers were shut out was a 19-0 loss at Arizona State in Nebraska has since scored in 75 straight games. Nebraska has not been shut out at home since KSU shut out the Huskers, 12-0, on Homecoming in 1968 (213 games). Offensively, the Huskers have been shut out just five times since 1962, including once at home during that span. NU was shut out by Miami in the 1992 Orange Bowl (22-0), the only time the Huskers have been shut out in a bowl game.

10 Nebraska was held scoreless in the first half at Kansas in 1999, marking the first time that a regular-season opponent had accomplished that feat since the Arizona State game in Miami also held the Huskers scoreless in the first half of the 2002 Rose Bowl. The Huskers have scored 30 or more points in six of their last eight bowl games, including a school and NCAA bowl-record 66 vs. Northwestern in the 2000 Alamo Bowl. Holding Opponents off the Scoreboard After allowing 19.4 points per game last season to rank 26th nationally, Nebraska s defense was enjoying a superb year entering the season finale at Colorado. Through 11 games, NU had allowed just 11.5 points per game to rank second nationally. Even after the loss at CU, the Husker defense dropped to sixth nationally in scoring defense, allowing 15.8 points per game, nearly a field goal per game less than in The average ranked third in the Big 12, as NU held seven opponents to 14 points or less last season. The Huskers have won 101 straight games when holding opponents to 10 or less dating back to a 10-7 loss to Iowa on Sept. 12, In fact, NU is since 1962 (Devaney s first year) when holding opponents to 10 or fewer points, including 19-0 under Solich. NU has posted 100 shutouts in school history with 62 of them taking place since Bob Devaney s first season in The Huskers have four shutouts under Solich, most recently a 59-0 whitewash of Baylor in Attack Defense is Solid vs. the Rush Since going to the 4-3 attack defense in 1993, the Husker "D" has posted five of the school s top seven rush defense averages, allowing 79.3 ypg in 1994, 78.4 ypg in 1995 (back-to-back national championship teams), 83.8 ypg in 1996, 73.4 ypg in 1997 and 77.1 ypg in The 1997 average ranked second best all time at NU and third nationally. Nebraska has never led the nation in rushing defense, but has ranked in the top 20 in six of the last eight years. Since 1946, the Nebraska defense has allowed 100 or fewer rushing yards per game over the course of the season 13 times, the first of which was In 2001, the Blackshirts ranked 22nd nationally allowing yards per game, despite facing three of the top 10 rushing teams in the nation. The Huskers held 11 of their 13 opponents under their season averages. Against Troy State, the Huskers held the Trojans to minus-25 yards, the fourth-lowest total in school history. Associated Press Poll Record Hits 342 Nebraska finished the season ranked eighth by the AP, extending its AP poll record to 342 consecutive weeks (every weekly AP poll since Oct. 17, 1981 to Jan. 4, 2001). Nebraska's streak is the nation's longest active streak, after Florida State dropped out in the Nov. 18, 2001, poll, breaking a string of 210 straight weeks in the poll. Florida is second to the Huskers at 201 weeks. Nebraska s nation-leading streak of consecutive weeks in the AP top 10 ended at 96 with the 1998 loss to Texas, but NU has been ranked in the top 10 for 147 of the last 153 weeks from the 1993 preseason poll to present. NU's current streak of 50 weeks in the top 10 is the longest in the nation after FSU dropped out of the top 10 in the Sept. 23, 2001, poll, ending the Seminole's 53-week run in the top 10. Nebraska has been in 516 of the last 519 AP polls since 1969 (33 consecutive years), missing one week in 1977 and two weeks in Nebraska was ranked among the top 10 in the 2001 preseason poll, which marked the 26th time in the last 29 years that NU has opened the season in the top 10. With a No. 8 final AP ranking in 2001, NU finished among the AP top 10 for the 30th time since the first poll in 1936 and for the 24th time since Nebraska has been among the top 10 in eight of the last nine years (all except 1998). NU is the nation's fifth-most successful program based on AP rankings since the poll began, scoring 547 points, and NU was the only team to be ranked in every poll of the 1990s NEBRASKA FOOTBALL Nebraska as the Associated Press No. 1 Team Nebraska began the 2000 season at the top of the Associated Press poll for the sixth time since the AP s first preseason poll in 1950, also entering the season as the No. 1 pick in 1965, 1972, 1976, 1983 and Nebraska did not retain the No. 1 position throughout an entire season, in any of those years. In 2001, NU began the year ranked fourth and although the Huskers moved up to No. 1 in the coaches poll for one week (Nov. 11) and ranked No. 1 four weeks in the BCS poll, the Huskers never reached No. 1 in the AP poll last season. In the history of the Associated Press poll (which began in 1936), Nebraska has been ranked No. 1 a total of 70 times, including one week in 1965, one week in 1970, 14 weeks in 1971 (all but preseason poll), one week in 1972 (preseason poll only), one week in 1976 (preseason poll only), 15 weeks in 1983 (all but final poll), four weeks in 1984, one week in 1987, eight weeks in 1994, seven weeks in 1995, the first five weeks of 1996, three weeks in 1997 and nine weeks in 2000 (all but one of the first 10 polls). The Huskers were ranked No. 1 for 12 consecutive weeks spanning the seasons (Oct. 29, 1995, after a win over No. 7 Colorado, until Sept. 22, 1996, after a 19-0 loss to Arizona State). After a 14-week hiatus, NU returned to No. 1 on Oct. 19, 1997, where it has been for at least a couple of weeks in five of the last nine seasons ( ). In 1993, NU was No. 1 by the coaches for three weeks, but never higher than No. 2 in AP. But from 1994 to 1997, Nebraska was No. 1 by AP for at least two weeks in each season. Its two streaks of 15 consecutive weeks being ranked No. 1 ( , and entire 1983 regular season) still rank in a tie for third in AP history. The Huskers have played in 54 games as the No. 1 AP team, posting a record (.861). NU s mostrecent streak of winning nine straight as the AP No. 1 team ended when Nebraska lost to Oklahoma on Oct. 28, The school record for wins while being ranked No. 1 is 12 weeks, established twice, within the 1971 and 1983 seasons. Against AP Ranked Teams Nebraska is (.492, 184 games) all time vs. AP ranked opponents, not a bad percentage considering NU started with a 7-35 mark before Coach Bob Devaney came on the scene in Over the last nine seasons, the Huskers have gone against ranked foes, with none of the losses at home. Nebraska has won 14 of its last 18 games against top 10 AP teams (since 1994), including seven straight at home. Nebraska went 2-2 vs. ranked teams last season, with both losses occurring away from the friendly confines of Memorial Stadium. No. 3 Nebraska's win over No. 2 Oklahoma in 2001 was NU s last win over a higher ranked team. Over the last 29 years, NU is (.611, 117 games) vs. ranked teams. In the 1990s, NU was (counting the Jan. 2, 2000, win over Tennessee). Solich is 10-8 vs. ranked teams (4-4 vs. top 10 AP teams), winning eight of the last 12 matchups and has not lost at home to a ranked AP team (6-0 home, 1-6 away, 3-2 neutral). NU vs. the Unranked The Huskers have lost just 13 of 241 games to unranked opponents since 1973 (32-1 record under Solich). Nebraska has lost just five games to unranked opponents at home in that time. Nebraska s most recent loss to an unranked foe was to Texas at home on Oct. 31, 1998, and the Huskers have won the last 27 straight vs. the unranked. NU s last road loss to an unranked opponent was to Texas in the 1996 Big 12 Championship Game. In both losses to Texas, the Longhorns were not ranked in the top 25, but had enough votes to rank in the top 30. In a regular-season road game, Nebraska has not lost to an unranked opponent since Iowa State upset the Huskers, 19-10, in In fact, in the last 29 years, Nebraska has gone against unranked opponents (.942, 241 games, five losses in the 1990s) and suffered only one loss to a team that finished the season below.500 (Iowa State in 1992). The last time Nebraska lost in Lincoln to a team with a losing record at game time was to Kansas State (12-0) in 1968 (2-5 record at game time). Media & Recruiting Guide 31

11 Husker Title Runs The Huskers have the skill to be in the hunt for their sixth national title in NU has played in 13 national championship bowl contests, winning back-to-back national championship titles in 1970 and 1971 and again in 1994 and The Huskers had a shot at the 1996 title until they were upset in the Big 12 championship by Texas. NU entered that game ranked No. 3, despite an early season loss at Arizona State. In 1997, Nebraska went 13-0 and played in its fourth title game in a five-year period, winning the national title as named by the coaches poll, but not by the AP. Most recently, the Huskers played Miami for the national title in the 2002 Rose Bowl. The Huskers' back-to-back national championships in 1994 and 1995 marked the ninth time overall (by just six Division I schools) and first time in 16 years that a team had repeated, since Alabama won back-to-back titles in Nebraska is only the second school to win undefeated and consensus back-to-back national titles, the first since Oklahoma accomplished that feat in No Division I-A school has won three consecutive national championships. Hall of Fame Coach Bob Devaney (who passed away in May of 1997) won Nebraska's first national title in 1970 and repeated in Three teams, counting Nebraska, have repeated twice, including Oklahoma ( and ) and Alabama ( and ). Nebraska and Oklahoma are the only schools, since the coaches began picking national champions, to be unanimous repeat champions, in both polls, posting perfect, back-to-back national championship seasons. OU went 11-0 in 1955 and 10-0 in Nebraska (1994, 1995, 1997 by coaches) and Notre Dame (1946, 1947, 1949 by AP) are the only two teams to win three national titles in a four-year period. NU Tied for Fifth in AP Titles Notre Dame leads the nation winning eight Associated Press national titles since Oklahoma won seven, Alabama six, Miami five, and Nebraska and Minnesota are tied for fourth with four. While the Huskers were awarded the national title by the coaches in 1997, NU finished second to Michigan in the Associated Press poll. In 1970, NU was awarded the AP national title, but not the coaches (Texas was first, Ohio State second and NU third as the final poll was released before the bowl games were played). In the coaches poll (since 1950), Nebraska is tied for third with USC and Miami with four titles, behind Alabama's and Oklahoma's six. The Huskers vs. AP No. 1 In the past 12 years, the Cornhuskers have faced seven teams that finished the season ranked No. 1 and shared the national title Colorado and Georgia Tech (Citrus Bowl) in 1990, Washington and Miami (Orange Bowl) in 1991, Florida State in the 1994 Orange Bowl; Oklahoma in 2000; and Miami in the 2002 Rose Bowl. In addition, Nebraska's 1993 Federal Express Orange Bowl opponent, Florida State, missed winning the 1992 national title by a field goal and finished No. 2. Nebraska's 1996 Fiesta Bowl opponent, Florida, went on to win the national title in the 1996 season, after Nebraska won the title in 1994 and After Nebraska defeated Tennessee in the Orange Bowl that followed the 1997 season, Tennessee went on to win the national championship in The Fiesta Bowl game between Nebraska and Florida was the 30th meeting between the No. 1 and No. 2 AP teams, 32 Media & Recruiting Guide including 11 bowl games. The Huskers won 62-24, as Nebraska's 38-point margin of victory over Florida was the second largest in such games. Nebraska is 3-2 in No. 1 vs. No. 2 games, and 3-1 as the No. 1 team. Huskers in No. 1 vs. No. 2 AP Games (3-2) National AP Poll Titles by Team (since 1936) Notre Dame , 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988 Oklahoma , 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000 Alabama , 1964, 1965, 1978, 1979, 1992 Miami , 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001 Nebraska , 1971, 1994, 1995 Minnesota , 1940, 1941, 1960 Ohio State , 1954, 1968 USC , 1967, 1972 (six teams have won two titles, 14 teams have won one) National Coaches Poll Titles by Team (since 1950) Alabama , 1964, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1992 Oklahoma , 1955, 1956, 1975, 1985, 2000 Nebraska , 1994, 1995, 1997 USC , 1967, 1972, 1978 Miami , 1987, 1989, 2001 Texas , 1969, 1970 Notre Dame , 1977, 1988 (five teams have won two titles, 13 teams have won one) NU (1) vs. Oklahoma (2), W, (regular season) NU (1) vs. Alabama (2), W 38-6 (Orange Bowl) NU (1) vs. Oklahoma (2), L, 7-17 (regular season) NU (2) vs. Florida State (1), L, (Orange Bowl) NU (1) vs. Florida (2), W, (Fiesta Bowl) NU Has Faced 32 AP Top Three Teams Since 1962 The Rose Bowl matchup against No. 1 Miami (L 37-14) marked the 32nd top three AP team the Huskers have faced since 1962 Bob Devaney's first season as head coach. NU also faced No. 2 Oklahoma last season in Lincoln (W 20-10). Nebraska has posted a record in those matchups and was the lower ranked team in all but eight of those games. NU is 6-2 when it is the higher-ranked team. Under Solich, NU is 1-3 vs. top three AP teams, with all three losses on the road or at neutral sites. The Huskers have won six of their last nine matchups against the AP top three, and 11 of the last 14 games against AP top 10 teams since The K-State game in Manhattan in 1998, when the Wildcats were ranked No. 1 in the coaches poll, was the first time NU faced a No. 1 team (in either the AP or coaches poll) in the regular season since facing No. 1 Oklahoma in 1978, when OU was No. 1 in both polls. (NU defeated the Sooners in Lincoln). NU had to face the Sooners again in the 1979 Orange Bowl (OU won 31-24). OU was ranked No. 1 in the BCS poll in 2001, but was No. 2 in both the AP and coaches poll. In the stretch of 32 games, Nebraska has faced Oklahoma nine times. NU is 3-6 vs. Oklahoma when OU is ranked in the top three, 1-3 in Norman. In seven seasons, Nebraska has faced two or more top three teams (1971, 1978, 1981, 1987, 1992, 1994 and 2001) and in 1987 played three top three teams in (UCLA, Oklahoma and Florida State). NCAA-Best Streak of 33 Straight Bowls Including the 2002 Rose Bowl national championship game against Miami, Nebraska has now participated in 33 straight bowls, a continuing NCAA record. Nebraska's 40 bowl appearances overall are tied for fourth best, trailing Alabama's 50, Tennessee s 42, Texas' 41 and tied with USC's 40. Nebraska has participated in a "major" bowl (BCS, Jan. 1 or top four) in 19 of the past 21 years. The 1998 Holiday Bowl appearance broke a streak of 17 consecutive major bowls. NU's 33 consecutive bowls streak began with a 45-6 win over Georgia in the 1969 Sun Bowl. Nebraska is all time in bowl games, 6-2 over the last seven years (2-2 under Solich). The 2002 Rose Bowl marked the 15th time in 17 years that Nebraska has squared off against a team ranked among the top six. Nebraska's 1941 Rose Bowl appearance was the school's first bowl appearance, when NU lost to Stanford, Nebraska won four of its five national championships at the Orange Bowl, defeating Louisiana State in 1970, Alabama in 1971, Miami in 1994 and Tennessee in Nebraska defeated Florida in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl for the national championship following the 1995 season.