Five National Championships College Football s Winningest Program Since 1970 NCAA-Record 277 Consecutive Sellouts 2006 Nebraska Schedule September 2.... LOUISIANA TECH (FSN)........ W, 49-10 9.... NICHOLLS STATE........... 12:30 p.m. 16... at USC (ABC)................... 7 p.m. 23... TROY.......................... TBA 30... KANSAS#....................... TBA October 7.... at Iowa State#.....................TBA 14... at Kansas State#..................TBA 21... TEXAS#........................ TBA 28... at Oklahoma State#................TBA November 4.... MISSOURI#..................... TBA 11... at Texas A&M#....................TBA 24... COLORADO# (ABC).......... 2:30 p.m. All times Central and subject to change # - Big 12 Conference Games This Week in Husker Football Monday, Sept. 4 11:50 a.m... Coach Callahan on Big 12 Teleconference Tuesday, Sept. 5 Weekly Press Conference 11 a.m... Lunch 11:30 a.m-noon...player Interviews Noon... Head Coach Bill Callahan 12:20-1:15 p.m...player Interviews 3:45-6 p.m...practice (Interviews after practice) Wednesday, Sept. 6 3:30-5:45 p.m...practice (Interviews after practice) Thursday, Sept. 7 3:40-5:25 p.m... Practice (Coach Callahan available) 7 p.m... Coach Callahan Radio Show (Randy Jordan) Friday, Sept. 8 6:50 a.m... Big Red Breakfast (Ted Gilmore)... Walk-Thru (No Media) Saturday, Sept. 9 12:30 p.m...kickoff vs. Nicholls State HUSKERS.COM Game 2 Matchup Nebraska (1-0) vs. Nicholls State (1-0) Date: Saturday, Sept. 9 Time: 12:35 p.m. Site: Lincoln, Neb. Stadium: Memorial Stadium/Tom Osborne Field Surface: FieldTurf (2005) Capacity: 81,067 Rankings: NU (20-AP, 22-Coaches); Nicholls State (No. 24, Division I-AA) Series Record: First meeting Broadcast Information Television None Nebraska Radio Pinnacle Sports Network 51-Station Network Jim Rose Play-by-Play Adrian Fiala Color Randy Lee--Booth Matt Davison Sideline Internet: Satellite Radio: Sirius Satellite, Channel 152 Special Events Nebraska Football Hall of Fame Weekend Presentation of Jake Young Memorial Scholarship Nebraska Set for Nicholls State After Impressive Opener After opening the season with a 49-10 victory over Louisiana Tech, Nebraska stays at Memorial Stadium this Saturday afternoon to play host to Nicholls State. The matchup with the Colonels will mark the 277th consecutive sellout at the expanded stadium and kickoff is set for 12:35 p.m. The victory over Louisiana Tech showcased Nebraska s ability to feature a balanced offensive attack. The Huskers rushed for 252 yards and threw for 332 yards in the win, marking the first time in 10 seasons Nebraska has topped 250 yards both on the ground and through the air. Nebraska also distributed the ball extremely well on offense, as seven different Huskers reached the end zone, including four tight ends and three I-backs, and 10 different receivers caught passes. Nicholls State was also successful in its season opener, recording a 35-0 shutout of Southern Arkansas last Thursday evening in Thibodaux, La. The Colonels wishbone attack churned out 195 yards on the ground, while the Nicholls defense limited Southern Arkansas to just 200 total yards. The Colonels have a history of success at the Division I-AA level, and were ranked 24th in the first I-AA poll of the season. A year ago, Nicholls State captured the Southland Conference championship, and lost in the first round of the I-AA playoffs. A Husker victory would be its fifth straight overall, and mark Nebraska s longest winning streak since opening the 2003 season with a 5-0 record. Balanced Offense, Strong Defense Propel Huskers to Win in Season Opener Fueled by a flurry of career firsts, a balanced offensive attack and a dominating performance by the Blackshirts, Nebraska rolled past Louisiana Tech, 49-10, in front of a Memorial Stadium record 85,181 fans. The victory marked Nebraska s 21st consecutive season-opening win, the longest streak in the nation. Offensively, NU threw for 332 yards and rushed for 252 more in amassing 584 total yards, the most in the Bill Callahan era. Seven different players scored a touchdown, including four Huskers who found the end zone for the first time in their career. Nebraska s balanced attack allowed the Huskers to dominate time of possession, where NU enjoyed an advantage of better than 10 minutes. Senior quarterback Zac Taylor tied a career high with three touchdown passes, with each touchdown toss to a different Husker tight end. Taylor finished the game 22-of-33 for 287 yards. Sophomore Cody Glenn paced the rushing attack, running for 88 yards on 13 carries while sophomore Marlon Lucky added 79 yards on 13 carries and scored his first career touchdown. Overall, the four Husker I-backs combined for 250 rushing yards on 44 carries. The receiving corps was busy all afternoon as 10 different players caught at least one pass, highlighted by tight end Matt Herian. The fifth-year senior returned to the field for the first time since 2004, and made his presence known with three catches for 61 yards, and a 13-yard touchdown catch to open the day s scoring. Nebraska Media Relations One Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE 68588-0123 Phone: (402) 472-2263 Fax: (402) 472-2005
NATIONAL POLLS Associated Press (Preseason) No. Team (1st) Record Points 1. Ohio State (35) 0-0 1,558 2. Notre Dame (10) 0-0 1,470 3. Texas* (8) 0-0 1,411 4. Auburn (3) 0-0 1,395 5. West Virginia (6) 0-0 1,354 6. Southern California* (3) 0-0 1,345 7. Florida 0-0 1,178 8. LSU 0-0 1,144 9. California 0-0 975 10. Oklahoma 0-0 960 11. Florida State 0-0 949 12. Miami (Fla.) 0-0 893 13. Louisville 0-0 844 14. Michigan 0-0 824 15. Georgia 0-0 743 16. Iowa 0-0 720 17. Virginia Tech 0-0 614 18. Clemson 0-0 479 19. Penn State 0-0 386 20. Nebraska 0-0 332 21. Oregon 0-0 324 22. TCU 0-0 257 23. Tennessee 0-0 215 24. Arizona State 0-0 182 25. Texas Tech 0-0 181 ESPN/USA Today/Coaches (Preseason) No. Team (1st) Record Points 1. Ohio State (28) 0-0 1,487 2. Texas* (11) 0-0 1,378 3. Notre Dame (9) 0-0 1,348 Southern California* (1) 0-0 1,348 5. Oklahoma (13) 0-0 1,320 6. Auburn (1) 0-0 1,206 7. West Virginia 0-0 1,202 8. Florida 0-0 1,054 9. LSU 0-0 1,037 10. Florida State 0-0 874 11. Miami (Fla.) 0-0 839 12. California 0-0 798 13. Louisville 0-0 785 14. Georgia 0-0 784 15. Michigan 0-0 778 16. Virginia Tech 0-0 591 17. Iowa 0-0 519 18. Clemson 0-0 493 19. Penn State 0-0 406 20. Oregon 0-0 373 21. TCU 0-0 270 22. Nebraska 0-0 261 23. Tennessee 0-0 216 24. Alabama 0-0 210 25. Texas Tech 0-0 198 *-Denotes 2006 NU opponent New polls to be released on Tuesday, Sept. 5 Huskers in the 2006 Polls Date A C H Results Pre. 20 22 def. Louisiana Tech, 49-10 9-5 A=Associated Press; C-Coaches; H-Harris Louisiana Tech wasted no time in responding, as the Bulldogs marched 80 yards on their ensuing drive, culminated by a 23-yard Danny Horwedel field goal to close the gap to 7-3. NU immediately answered the Bulldogs field goal with a 12-play, 74-yard drive capped by a 13-yard touchdown run by Lucky, the first of his career. Nebraska featured the power game on the drive, rushing eight straight times to cover the final 49 yards. Tech cut the Huskers lead to 14-10 when quarterback Zac Champion found Johnathan Holland on a 39-yard touchdown strike. NU then perfectly executed its two-minute offense as the Huskers covered 78 yards in just 2:28 with Glenn rushing over the right side for a one-yard touchdown plunge that gave Nebraska a 21-10 halftime advantage. On the drive, Taylor was brilliant in directing the Husker offense, as he connected on 8-of-9 passes, and found six different receivers. Nebraska carried its momentum into the second half as the Huskers marched for a touchdown on their opening drive. Taylor continued right where he left off, as he completed 4-of-4 passes on the drive and put the Huskers ahead 28-10 when he found junior tight end J.B. Phillips on a 6-yard touchdown pass. Taylor s third touchdown pass of the day, a six-yarder to tight end Josh Mueller put Nebraska up 35-10 with 12 minutes remaining. Nebraska added two additional touchdowns an impressive 25- yard run by junior Brandon Jackson and a pass from Joe Ganz to Hunter Teafatiller to complete the scoring. The Blackshirt defense held the Bulldogs off the scoreboard in the second half, and allowed just 13 first downs and 67 rushing yards, while forcing three turnovers. NU-La. Tech Stat Wrap Team Stats LT NU First Downs 13 30 Rushes-Yards 21-67 48-252 Passes 13-32-1 24-36-1 Passing Yards 238 332 Total Offense 305 584 Sacks by 0 2-17 Turnovers 3 2 NU Rushing Leaders Cody Glenn 13 carries, 88 yards, 1 TD Marlon Lucky 13 carries, 79 yards, 1 TD NU Passing Leader Zac Taylor 22-33-1, 287 yards, 3 TD NU Receiving Leaders Terrence Nunn 5 receptions, 54 yards Matt Herian 3 receptions, 61 yards, 1 TD NU Defensive Leaders Cortney Grixby 6 tackles, FC, FR, PBU Adam Carriker 2-7 TFL, 1-7 sack, 2 QBH NU Special Teams Leaders Dan Titchener 3 punts, 42.3 avg., long-53 Noting Game One...Nebraska 49, Louisiana Tech 10 Saturday s attendance was 85,181, a Memorial Stadium record. The previous record was 78,268 against Texas on Nov. 2, 2002. The crowd was also the fifth-largest ever to see Nebraska play, trailing only games at Penn State (1982, 2002) and two appearances in the Rose Bowl (1941, 2002). Nebraska s 49-10 victory extended its season-opening win streak to 21 games, dating back to a 17-13 loss to Florida State in the 1985 season opener. The streak is the longest such streak in the nation. Senior quarterback Zac Taylor completed 22-of-33 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns. The 287 passing yards was the third-most of his career and his seventh career game with more than 200 yards. Taylor s 287 passing yards also marked a Nebraska record for most passing yards in a season opener. The previous record was 218 yards by Joe Dailey against Western Illinois in 2004. Taylor s 287 passing yards moved him up three spots to seventh on the Nebraska career passing list. Taylor now has 2,940 career passing yards. In the game he moved past Scott Frost (2,677), Steve Taylor (2,815) and Jammal Lord (2,848). The three touchdown passes tied Taylor s career high, as he also threw three touchdown passes against Michigan in the Alamo Bowl. Saturday marked Taylor s 10th straight game with at least one touchdown pass. Taylor has thrown for at least two touchdowns in nine of those 10 games. Senior tight end Matt Herian caught a 13-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, his 11th career touchdown catch, three off the Nebraska tight end record. Herian finished the day with three receptions for 61 yards, and moved his career receiving yardage total to 1,154 yards, a tight end record. Herian passed Tracey Wistrom, who accumulated 1,150 yards from 1998 to 2001. Nebraska had four tight ends catch touchdown passes, tying a Nebraska position record (also 1987 vs. Missouri). Nebraska tight ends did not have a receiving touchdown last season, and the previous touchdown reception by a tight end was by Herian in 2004 against Southern Miss (Sept. 11, game two). Nebraska finished with 584 yards of total offense, its most since running up 595 yards against McNeese State in 2002. NU s best effort last year was 497 yards against Colorado in the regular-season finale. The previous high under Bill Callahan was 581 yards against Western Illinois in 2004. Nebraska finished with 252 rushing yards, its most on the ground since gaining 256 yards on the ground against Missouri in 2004. The Huskers top rushing effort in 2005 was 182 yards at Baylor. The rushing total is the fourth-best in Bill Callahan s three seasons as head coach. Nebraska posted its first game with at least 250 yards rushing and 250 yards passing since Nebraska threw for 273 yards and ran for 322 against Kansas in 1996. Terrence Nunn moved into 11th place on the Nebraska career receptions list, as he led the Huskers with five catches for 54 yards. Nunn now has 64 career receptions, one behind Todd Brown (1980-82). Defensive end Adam Carriker recorded a seven-yard sack on the game s third play. The sack moved Carriker s career total to 14.5 career sacks, a half-sack from the Nebraska career top 10. 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2006 Big 12 Standings Records Team Overall Big 12 This Week Kansas 1-0 0-0 vs. Florida International Kansas State 1-0 0-0 vs. Florida Atlantic Iowa State 1-0 0-0 vs. UNLV Missouri 1-0 0-0 vs. Ole Miss Nebraska 1-0 0-0 vs. Nicholls State Colorado 0-1 0-0 vs. Colorado State* *-Invesco Field; Denver, Colo. South Division Oklahoma 1-0 0-0 vs. Washington Oklahoma State 1-0 0-0 at Arkansas State Texas 1-0 0-0 vs. Ohio State Texas A&M 1-0 0-0 vs. La.-Lafayette Texas Tech 1-0 0-0 at UTEP Baylor 0-1 0-0 vs. Northwestern State 2006 Nebraska Non-Conference Opponents Team Record This Week Louisiana Tech 0-1 Idle Nicholls State 1-0 at Nebraska USC 1-0 Idle Troy 1-0 at Florida State 2006 Nicholls State Schedule Date Opponent Result/Time 8/31 Southern Arkansas W, 35-0 9/9 at Nebraska 12:30 p.m. 9/16 at Louisiana Tech 6 p.m. 9/23 South Dakota State 2 p.m. 10/7 Southeastern Louisiana 6:30 p.m. 10/14 at Sam Houston State 2 p.m. 10/21 Northwestern State 2 p.m. 10/28 Assumption College 2 p.m. 11/2 at Texas State 7 p.m. 11/11 Stephen F. Austin 2 p.m. 11/18 at McNeese State 7 p.m. Nebraska-Nicholls State Notes 4 The Huskers have one player from the state of Louisiana senior defensive tackle Barry Cryer (Marrero, La.). 4 NU is undefeated all-time (8-0-1) against teams from the state of Louisiana, including last week s 49-10 vs. Louisiana Tech. The Huskers own records of 5-0-1 against LSU, 2-0 against Louisiana Tech and 1-0 against McNeese State. Scouting the Nicholls State Colonels One year removed from its first Southland Conference championship, Nicholls State aims to return to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs for the second straight year. The school posted a 5-1 conference record (6-4 overall) in 2005 to earn the league s automatic playoff berth, and concluded the season with a hard-fought, 14-12 loss to No. 3 Furman in the NCAA I-AA playoffs first round. Nicholls State utilized a bruising ground attack and an opportunistic defense to open the 2006 season with a 35-0 win over Southern Arkansas last Thursday. The Colonels triple option offense controlled the game with 195 yards rushing, while the defense forced five turnovers. Junior cornerback Jermain Boggan opened his first season as a full-time starter with a phenomenal game. Boggan notched his first two career interceptions, while also recovering a Mulerider fumble, to help the Colonels finish the game plus-three in turnover margin. The Colonels allowed SAU to convert only 3-of-14 third-down conversions during the game. On offense, Nicholls State attempted only four passes en route to outgaining Southern Arkansas, 261-200, in total offense. Sophomore running back Zack Morgan led the way on the ground with 51 yards rushing and one touchdown on only five carries, while junior Michael McClendon chipped in 43 yards and two scores. Nicholls State boasts a triple-option offense featuring five returning starters from a 2005 squad that averaged nearly 365 yards a game on the ground. Fullback Broderick Cole, one of two Colonels to rush for more than 700 yards a year ago, ranks as the top returnee in the backfield for a squad that finished second in Division I-AA in rushing for 2005. Cole totaled 37 yards and one touchdown on eight carries against SAU. Sophomore quarterback Vincent Montgomery replaces 2005 SLC Player of the Year Yale Yannoy behind an offensive line that returns three starters from a year ago. Nicholls also returns its top tight end in junior Jared Landrum, as well as pair of wide receivers in junior Michael Okoronkwo and sophomore Patrick Gordon. The Colonels own the tall task of replacing eight starters from a stifling defense that led the SLC in total defense in 2005. Nicholls welcomes back its top tackler in linebacker Cory Vavala to a unit that allowed only 308.6 yards per game a year ago. Senior Greg Casnave is the lone returnee on the defensive line, while honorable mention All-SLC strong safety Toney Edison headlines the Colonel secondary. The kicking game should be an area of strength for Nicholls State in 2006, as sophomore place-kicker Alex Romero and junior punter each return Sean Comeaux each return, while nearly each of their kick-return specialists also are back. Nicholls State Head Coach Jay Thomas Coach Jay Thomas (Southern Miss, 1987) is in his third year at the helm of the Colonels and 10th season overall on the Nicholls State staff. Thomas owns a 12-9 record with the Colonels, including last season s 6-4 record and NCAA Division I-AA playoffs appearance. He was named 2005 Southland Conference Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year Award after guiding Nicholls to a share of the SLC championship and only the third playoffs bid in school history. Prior to being named head coach, Thomas served as the Colonel s assistant head coach and defensive coordinator from 1999 to 2003 after a seven-year stint as defensive line coach at Southeast Missouri State. He also previously coached the defensive ends at Nicholls State from 1990 to 1993 after a graduate assistanship at LSU (1988-89). Nebraska-Nicholls State Series...First Meeting Nebraska and Nicholls State will be meeting for the first time. The Colonels are the lone Division I-AA team on NU s 2006 schedule, while the Huskers are one of two Division I-A teams on Nicholls State s ledger. The Colonels will take on Louisiana Tech on Sept. 16. 2005 Nebraska-Nicholls State Statistical Comparison Nebraska (1-0, 0-0 Big 12) Nicholls State (1-0, 0-0 SLC) Category Avg. Big 12 Natl.* Avg. SLC Natl. Rushing Offense 252.00 2nd 11th 195.00 2nd 20th Passing Offense 332.00 3rd 7th 66.00 6th 93rd Total Offense 584.00 2nd 2nd 261.00 3rd 61st Scoring Offense 49.00 3rd T-9th 35.00 1st 13th Rushing Defense 67.00 6th 26th 94.00 2nd 31st Pass Defense 238.00 7th T-81st 106.00 1st 27th Pass Efficiency Defense 175.28 6th 45th 57.37 1st 8th Total Defense 305.00 8th 54th 200.00 1st 20th Scoring Defense 10.00 5th T-28th 0.00 1st T-1st Net Punting 30.30 8th 86th 37.00 2nd 16th Punt Returns 2.20 10th 73rd 9.50 3rd 29th Kickoff Returns 14.00 8th T-89th 17.00 4th T-66th Turnover Margin (+1.00) 1st T-16th (+3.00) 1st 6th Sacks 2.00 7th T-44th 0.00 4th T-76th Tackles For Loss 4.00 10th 77th 5.00 5th T-76th Sacks Allowed 0.00 1st T-1st 5.00 6th 97th bold indicates top-25 national ranking *-National rankings before Monday s Florida State-Miami game. Page 3
The callahan file Callahan Year-by-Year Year Record Pct. Postseason Nebraska 2004 5-6.455 None 2005 8-4.636 2006 1-0 1.000 Totals 14-10.583 Oakland Raiders 2002 13-6.684 2-1; Won AFC Championship, lost to Tampa Bay in Super Bowl XXXVII 2003 4-12.250 None NFL Totals 17-18.486 One playoff appearance From the Super Bowl to Campus Five coaches have taken a collegiate head coaching job after previously guiding their team to a Super Bowl appearance. In addition to Callahan, Bobby Ross is in his third year back in the college ranks, after taking over at Army in 2004. Coach NFL Team Super Bowls College (Year) Bill Callahan Oakland XXXVII Nebraska (2004) Bobby Ross San Diego XXIX Army (2004) Bill Walsh San Fran. XVI, XIX, XXII Stanford (1992) Forrest Gregg Cincinnati XVI SMU (1989) George Allen Washington VII Long Beach St. (1990) Huskers Under Callahan Overall... 14-10 vs. AP Ranked Teams... 2-2 vs. AP Top 10 Teams... 0-1 vs. Unranked Teams... 12-8 vs. Big 12 Teams... 7-9 When Rushing for 200 or more yards... 3-2 When Rushing for 300 or more yards... 1-0 When passing for 200 or more yards... 5-6 When passing for 300 or more yards... 4-1 When NU player rushes for 100 Yards... 6-3 When NU has two 100-yard rushers in same game... 1-0 When Opponent has 100 Yd. Rusher... 2-5 When Scoring 35 or More Points... 3-0 When Hold Opp. to 10 Pts. or less... 7-0 When Nebraska scores first... 9-0 When Nebraska leads at halftime... 12-0 When Nebraska trails at halftime... 0-9 When Nebraska is tied at halftime... 2-1 Record in games decided by 11 points or more... 7-5 Record in games decided by 10 or less... 7-5 Record in games decided by 7 or less... 6-5 Record in games decided by 3 or less... 2-1 Record in overtime games... 1-0 Nebraska Walk-on Tradition Thrives Under Callahan s Leadership The Nebraska walk-on program is alive and well under the leadership of Head Coach Bill Callahan. Since the conclusion of spring ball, four native Nebraskans who originally joined the program as walk-ons have been awarded scholarships. The group includes senior safety Brandon Rigoni (Lincoln), senior linebacker Andy Kadavy (Seward), junior safety Ben Eisenhart (Culbertson) and sophomore receiver Todd Peterson (Grand Island). The four walk-ons who were awarded scholarships pushed the total of former walk-ons Callahan has put on scholarship to 17 since his arrival in January of 2004. Of that group, 13 were native Nebraskans. Nebraska Head Coach Bill Callahan Bill Callahan is in his third season as the head coach of the Nebraska football program and owns a 14-10 record with the Huskers. Callahan is the 27th head coach in Husker history, taking the reins of the program in January of 2004. Callahan capped his second season at Nebraska with three consecutive wins, including a triumph over Michigan in the Alamo Bowl. The 2005 season marked the first time Nebraska has won its final three games of the season since 1999. Callahan also guided Nebraska to wins over Kansas State and Colorado in the same season for the first time since 1999. Callahan came to Nebraska after two seasons as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders. He guided Oakland to the AFC Championship and Super Bowl XXXVII in his rookie season as a head coach in 2002, and compiled a 17-18 overall record as the Raiders' head man. Callahan is one of five coaches to take a collegiate head coaching job after previously guiding a team to a Super Bowl appearance. Army Head Coach Bobby Ross is also active in the college ranks, while George Allen, Forrest Gregg and Bill Walsh previously led teams to the Super Bowl and returned to the college game. The 50-year-old Callahan spent nine years in the National Football League, beginning his pro coaching career with the Philadelphia Eagles from 1995 to 1997. He served as an assistant with the Raiders for four seasons from 1998 to 2001, before taking over the top job in Oakland in 2002. Callahan had extensive experience at the collegiate level before taking the job at Nebraska. Before moving into the professional ranks, Callahan served as the offensive line coach at Wisconsin for five seasons and also had assistant coaching stints at Illinois, Northern Arizona and Southern Illinois. Overall, Callahan is in his 29th year in the coaching profession. In addition to his nine years in the National Football League and 15 previous seasons as a collegiate assistant, Callahan was an assistant coach for two seasons in the Illinois prep ranks in 1978 and 1979. Callahan has Midwest roots, as he is a native of Chicago. He earned his bachelor's degree from Illinois Benedictine in 1978. He was an NAIA honorable-mention All-America selection as a quarterback in each of his final two seasons. Huskers Boast Championship Coaching Staff Callahan has built a coaching staff with championship credentials, both on the collegiate and professional level. There was just one change on the 2006 coaching staff. Former Colorado offensive coordinator Shawn Watson joined the Huskers last winter and serves as the Huskers tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator. Watson and Callahan worked together at the University of Illinois in the early 1980s. Watson was the architect of a Colorado offense that helped the Buffs to four Big 12 North titles in the past five years and a conference championship in 2001. Watson s strong coaching backgrond adds to an impressive staff that has had success at all levels, both on the field and on the recruiting trail. 4Callahan's coaching staff features four coaches who have either played or coached in the Super Bowl. Callahan and Offensive Coordinator Jay Norvell coached in Super Bowl XXXVII with Oakland, and running backs coach Randy Jordan was a player on that team. John Blake was part of the Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl championship teams in both 1993 and 1995. 4In addition to the NFL success of the coaches, Callahan's staff has a history of winning championships at the collegiate level. Members of the Nebraska coaching staff have been part of teams that have captured league titles in each of the following conferences Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12, Mid-American, Mountain West, Pac-10 and Western Athletic. 4The staff has recruiting ties in nearly every part of the United States. Recruiting analyst Tom Lemming compiled a list of the 10 best recruiters in college history in 2001. Callahan was included on the list although he had been out of the college ranks for six years at that time. Defensive line coach John Blake was recognized by Rivals.com as one of the nation s top recruiters in 2005. Callahan Has Busy Off-Season of Charity Events Since his arrival at Nebraska, Callahan has impressed upon his players the importance of a well-rounded experience including community outreach and involvement. In that area, Callahan has led by example. Callahan continues to spend significant time in the off-season with community events, including several Coach Callahan Charities functions. The third Football 101 for Women took place in early June in Lincoln, with more than 1,100 participants learning more about the game of football. For the first time the event took place at Nebraska s Hawks Championship Center. The day included demonstrations on all parts of football, a Q&A forum with Husker players, and the event again concluded with participants breaking into beginning, intermediate and advanced groups to learn more about the X s and O s of the game from members of the Husker staff. The Football 101 event raised more than $50,000 to benefit the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Callahan and his wife, Valerie, also spearheaded Coach Callahan s Fun Run/Walk for Resources on Saturday, Aug. 19. Coach Callahan was the starter for the race and also weclomed the winners to the finish line on Stadium Drive. The event raised funds for Juvenile Diabetes and the University Libraries. Callahan was the featured speaker at the Make-a-Wish Foundation s Red Tie Dinner in Lincoln in late July, and was the featured speaker at the Special Olympics Breakfast of Champions last spring. Page 4
NEBRASKA MEDIA RELATIONS Mailing Address One Memorial Stadium P.O. Box 880123 Lincoln, NE 68588-0123 Shipping Address: 600 Stadium Drive Phone... 402-472-2263 FAX... 402-472-2005 E-Mail...sportsinfo@huskers.com Media Relations Football Contacts Media Relations Director... Keith Mann Phone... 402-472-0237 E-Mail...kmann@huskers.com Assistant... Jerry Trickie Phone... 402-472-7779 E-Mail... jtrickie@huskers.com Intern...Andy Anderson Phone... 402-472-0271 E-Mail...aanderson@huskers.com Graduate Assistant... Sarah Sherman Phone... 402-472-7781 E-Mail...ssherman@huskers.com Weekly Football Press Conference Nebraska will hold its regular weekly press conferences on Tuesdays throughout the 2006 season. The press conferences are held in the Don Bryant Media Facility on Level 6 of West Stadium and will begin with lunch at 11 a.m. Volleyball Coach John Cook will address the media at 11:15 a.m., with selected players available at 11:30 a.m. Head Coach Bill Callahan will speak to the media at Noon, and selected players will be available following Callahan. Each press conference will be available via teleconference and selected conferences will be carried on satellite. Quotes will be transcribed and posted by mid-afternoon on, while edited sound bites are available on NebraskaNet.com. The teleconferences are also carried live on HuskersNSide.com. Media wishing to participate in the teleconference should contact the Media Relations office at (402) 472-2263 for more information. The toll-free number for the teleconference is (877) 229-1563 and media can acquire the weekly passcode by calling the Media Relations office. Media wishing to speak to request interviews with Nebraska players at Tuesday s press luncheon should contact Andy Anderson or Sarah Sherman in the Media Relations Office by 2 p.m. on Monday. NU Extends Run of Success in Season Openers Nebraska extended the nation s longest winning streak in season openers with its 49-10 victory over Louisiana Tech on Saturday. The Huskers have now been on the winning end in each of their last 21 season openers, dating back to a 17-13 loss to Florida State in 1985. Louisiana Tech is the second team (also Utah State) to twice be a victim in Nebraska s season-opening win streak. Nebraska also defeated the Bulldogs in the 1998 opener. Saturday s victory marked one of 14 times in the past 21 years Nebraska has scored 40 or more points in a season opener. In that same period, the Huskers have limited the opposition to 14 points or less 14 times. The Huskers 21-game win streak in season openers is four better than the 17 straight season-opening wins by both Kansas State and Florida, who were both victorious on Saturday. The Huskers have won each of their last 21 season openers by 10 or more points, and own an 86-26-5 all-time record in season openers. Since 1973, Nebraska is 29-4-1 in season openers, including 24-2 at Memorial Stadium, with losses only to Florida State (1985) and Washington State (1977). In all-time home openers Nebraska is now 95-17-5, including 67-14-3 at Memorial Stadium. The Huskers are 31-2 in their last 33 home openers. Nebraska Season Opening Win Streak Year Opponent (Rank) Result 1986 Florida State (11) W, 34-17 1987 Utah State W, 56-12 1988 Texas A&M (10)* W, 23-14 1989 Northern Illinois W, 48-17 1990 Baylor W, 13-0 1991 Utah State W, 59-28 1992 Utah W, 49-22 1993 North Texas W, 76-14 1994 West Virginia (24)* W, 31-0 1995 at Oklahoma State W, 64-21 1996 Michigan State W, 55-14 1997 Akron W, 59-14 1998 Louisiana Tech# W, 56-27 1999 at Iowa W, 42-7 2000 San Jose State W, 49-13 2001 TCU$ W, 21-7 2002 Arizona State% W, 48-10 2003 Oklahoma State (24) W, 17-7 2004 Western Illinois W, 56-17 2005 Maine W, 25-7 2006 Louisiana Tech W, 49-10 *-Kickoff Classic, East Rutherford, N.J. # Eddie Robinson Football Classic $ Pigskin Classic; % BCA Classic 2006 Schedule to Provide Nebraska with Stern Test Nicholls State is the second of eight 2006 Nebraska opponents that posted winning records a year ago. The Colonels finished 6-4 a year ago and captured the Soutland Conference title. Louisiana Tech was the first of seven Husker opponents that won seven or more games last season. Nebraska faces the challenge of taking on both of last year s national championship game participants with a Sept. 16 date at USC and an Oct. 21 game in Lincoln against defending national champion Texas. The Huskers are the only team in the country to face both of last year s title game participants in the regular season. In addition to both of last year s Rose Bowl teams, Nebraska also faces Kansas (Fort Worth), Iowa State (Houston), Missouri (Independence) and Colorado (Champs Sports). Additionally, both Louisiana Tech and Nicholls State posted winning seasons in 2005. Bigger Memorial Stadium to See 277th Consecutive Sellout on Saturday Saturday s game will mark the 277th consecutive sellout at Memorial Stadium, an ongoing NCAA record. The sellout streak dates back to Hall of Fame Coach Bob Devaney s first year at Nebraska in 1962 (vs. Missouri on Nov. 3). Nebraska s 277 consecutive sellouts easily outdistance Notre Dame, which ranks second nationally with 183 consecutive sellouts. Nebraska has had remarkable success during the sellout streak, posting a 243-33 record during the 276 sellouts. The mark includes a 39-21 record against ranked teams. Nebraska is 5-0 in the five milestone sellouts during that period (50th, 100th, 150th, 200th and 250th sellouts), including a 24-7 win over A Closer Look at the 2006 Nebraska Football Schedule Date... Opponent... Time/Result...TV... Series... Last Meeting (Site)/Notes Sept. 2... Louisiana Tech... W, 49-10...FSN... NU, 2-0... Nebraska records 21st straight season-opening victory; Taylor 22-33, 287, 3 TD Sept. 9... Nicholls State... 12:30 p.m...none... first meeting... First Meeting/Huskers face two teams from Louisiana in a season for first time Sept. 16... at USC... 7 p.m...abc... USC, 1-0-1... 1970 (Los Angeles), Tie, 21-21/NU has won 5 of last six against Pac-10 foes Sept. 23... Troy... TBA...TBA... NU, 3-0... 2003 (Lincoln), NU, 30-0/Trojans making fourth trip to Lincoln in six seasons Sept. 30... Kansas... TBA...TBA... NU, 87-22-3... 2005 (Lawrence), KU 40-15/Huskers have won 18 straight meetings in Lincoln Oct. 7... at Iowa State... TBA...TBA... NU, 82-16-2... 2005 (Lincoln), NU 27-20 (2OT)/NU looking for first win in Ames since 2000 Oct. 14... at Kansas State... TBA...TBA... NU, 73-15-2... 2005 (Lincoln), NU 27-25/Huskers look to snap four-game losing streak at KSU Oct. 21... Texas... TBA...TBA... UT, 6-4... 2003 (Austin), UT 31-7/Game to pit No. 3 and No. 4 team in all-time victories Oct. 28... at Oklahoma State... TBA...TBA... NU, 36-3-1... 2003 (Lincoln), NU 17-7/Huskers have won 15 of 18 all-time meetings in Stillwater Nov. 4... Missouri... TBA...TBA... NU, 62-34-3... 2005 (Columbia), MU 41-24/Home team has won past four meetings in series Nov. 11... at Texas A&M... TBA...TBA... NU, 9-2... 2003 (Lincoln), NU 48-12/Nebraska has won 4 of 5 as members of Big 12 Nov. 25... at Colorado#... 2:30 p.m...abc... NU, 45-17-2... 2005 (Boulder), NU 30-3/Road team has won past four meetings Dec. 2... Big 12 Champ. Game*.. 7 p.m...abc... Nebraska appeared in 1996, 1997 and 1999; League titles in 1997 and 1999 All times Central and subject to change; *-Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Mo. Page 5
Huskers' Top 10 Home Crowds No. Attend. Opponent Date 1. 85,181 La. Tech (W, 49-10) Sept. 2, 2006 2. 78,268 Texas (L, 27-24) Nov. 2, 2002 3. 78,176 Utah State (W, 44-13) Sept. 7, 2002 4. 78,118 Notre Dame (W, 27-10) Sept. 8, 2001 5. 78,096 Kansas (W, 56-17) Nov. 4, 2000 6. 78,070 Iowa (W, 42-13) Sept. 23, 2000 7. 78,058 Oklahoma St. (W, 17-7) Aug. 30, 2003 8. 78,031 Oklahoma (W, 20-10) Oct. 27, 2001 9. 78,014 Missouri (W, 24-13) Oct. 12, 2002 78,014 Kansas State (L, 38-9) Nov. 15, 2003 Largest Crowds To See Nebraska Play No. Opponent Attend. 1. at Penn State, Sept. 14, 2002 110,753 2. Miami (Rose Bowl), Jan. 3, 2002 93,781 3. Stanford (Rose Bowl), Jan. 1, 1941 92,000 4. at Penn State, Sept. 25, 1982 85,304 5. vs. Louisiana Tech, Sept. 2, 2006 85,181 6. at Oklahoma, Nov. 13, 2004 84,916 7. at Penn State, Sept. 27, 1980 84,585 8. at UCLA, Sept. 10, 1988 84,086 9. at Texas, Oct. 23, 1999 84,012 10. at Texas, Nov. 1, 2003 83,308 Huskers on Watch Lists Adam Carriker, DE, Sr. Lott Trophy Watch List (Impact Defensive Player) Lombardi Award Watch List Jordan Congdon, So., PK Lou Groza Award Watch List Kurt Mann, Sr., C Lombardi Award Watch List Rimington Trophy Watch List Corey McKeon, Jr., LB Butkus Award Watch List Zac Taylor, Sr., QB Manning Award Watch List Davey O Brien Award Watch List Big 12 Conference POW Nominees Game Offense Defense Special Teams La. Tech Taylor Carriker none Nicholls USC Troy Kansas Iowa St. K-State Texas Okla. St. Mizzou A&M Colorado Bold indicates winner Zac Taylor Game-by-Game in 2006 Game Att. Comp. Yards TD INT Long La. Tech 33 22 287 3 1 31 Totals 33 22 287 3 1 31 No. 2 Colorado on Oct. 29, 1994 (No. 200) and a 44-13 victory over Utah State on Sept. 7, 2002 (No. 250). Although sellouts have become commonplace in Lincoln, there are a few more folks dressed in red packing Memorial Stadium this season. Capacity at Memorial Stadium is 81,067, with the addition of 6,500 new seats in the North Stadium. The Louisiana Tech game featured a stadium record crowd of 85,181, the fifth-largest crowd to see Nebraska play. Nebraska had played before 10 crowds of more than 82,000 fans in school history entering the 2006 season, but are likely to have nine games this season with crowds in excess of 82,000. Huskers Look for Win No. 800 in 117th Season of Storied Program Nebraska is in its 117th season of college football in 2006, and is the fourth-winningest program in terms of victories. The Huskers own a 795-321-40 all-time record in 1,156 games (.705) in 117 years of football. This season, Nebraska hopes to become just the fourth program in college All-Time Victories football history to record 800 all-time victories. Texas picked up its 800th win in last season s Rose Bowl, joining Michigan and Notre Dame in the exclusive club. The Huskers and Longhorns will meet on Oct. 21 in Lincoln in Nebraska s eighth game of the season. The other two members of the 800-club, Michigan and Notre Dame will square off on Sept. 16 in South Bend, Ind. 4Since the first season of Nebraska football in 1890, Husker teams have won 11 or more games 12 times, including seven times since 1993. 4Nebraska has won 12 or more games seven times, including three seasons with 13 wins (1971, 1994, 1997). 4Nebraska (702), Michigan (705), Alabama (728) and Notre Dame (736) were the only programs to win 700 games in the 1900s. Nebraska College Football s Winningest Program Since 1970 The bulk of Nebraska s football success has come since 1962 when Bob Devaney arrived from Wyoming and resurrected the Husker program. Devaney capped his career with consecutive national titles in 1970 and 1971, starting an unbelievable run of 10-plus victory seasons, conference and national championships. In the past 37 seasons (including 2006), beginning with 1970, Nebraska has posted a remarkable 361 victories, an average of exactly 10 wins per season. The Huskers overall record in that time period is 361-80-5 for an.815 winning percentage in 446 games. In that time span, Nebraska has easily established itself as the nation s winningest program, posting 29 more victories than second-place Michigan, followed by Oklahoma (323), Ohio State (323) and Penn State (320). 4Nebraska has won 10 games or more 24 times since 1962, including 21 times since 1970. 4The Huskers have finished the regular season undefeated and untied seven times since 1965, and played in 13 national title games (for one of the two teams) and won the national title five times since 1970. 4Nebraska was the first team in college football history to win 100 or more games in consecutive decades, ranking first in the 1980s (103-20,.837) and second in the 1990s (108-16-1,.868). Nebraska narrowly missed 100 victories in the 1970s with 98 wins, and posted a nation-leading 309 wins from 1970 to 1999. Quarterback Taylor Off to Strong Start in 2006 Senior quarterback Zac Taylor excelled during fall camp and after an impressive opening-day performance against Louisiana Tech he appears to be poised for a strong year as Nebraska s field general. Despite entering just his second year as a Husker, Taylor has numerous NU career passing records in his sights. In the season opener, Taylor showed why he is a candidate for postseason honors in 2006. Among his notable accomplishments against Louisiana Tech were... Taylor completed 22-of-33 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns. The three touchdowns tied his career high, also against Michigan in the Alamo Bowl. Taylor s 287 yards was the third-highest total of his Nebraska career and his seventh game with 200 or more yards passing. After missing on his first five pass attempts, Taylor got in the groove. On Nebraska scoring drives to end the first half and start the second half, Taylor completed 12-of-13 passes for 161 yards, including 8-of-9 for 97 yards on the drive to close the first half. On those two drives, Taylor completed passes to seven different receivers and hit on 11 straight passes at one point. For the game, Taylor completed passes to nine different receivers, including eight with at least two receptions. School Victories 1. Michigan 850 2. Notre Dame 812 3. Texas 801 4. Nebraska 795 5. Alabama 775 Ohio State 775 Winningest Progams Since 1970 School Victories 1. Nebraska 361 2. Michigan 332 3. Ohio State 323 Oklahoma 323 5. Penn State 320 Nebraska Season Passing Player, Year Yards 1. Zac Taylor, 2005 2,653 2. Dave Humm, 1972 2,074 3. Vince Ferragamo, 1976 2,071 4. Joe Dailey, 2004 2,024 5. Jerry Tagge, 1971 2,019 Nebraska Career Passing Player, Years Yards 1. Dave Humm, 1972-74 5,035 2. Jerry Tagge, 1969-71 4,704 3. Eric Crouch, 1998-2001 4,481 4. Tommie Frazier, 1992-95 3,521 5. Turner Gill, 1980-83 3,317 6. Vince Ferragamo, 1975-76 3,224 7. Zac Taylor, 2005-present 2,940 8. Jammal Lord, 2000-03 2,848 9. Steve Taylor, 1985-88 2,815 10. Scott Frost, 1996-97 2,677 Page 6
Three Seniors Tabbed as 2006 Captains A trio of Husker seniors were elected by their teammates as captains for the 2006 Huskers. Quarterback Zac Taylor, defensive end Adam Carriker and safety/special teams standout Brandon Rigoni join the prestigious list of those who have served as captains at Nebraska. Taylor, a native of Norman, Okla., set a Nebraska single-season passing record as a junior last season. Taylor becomes the second member of his family to serve as a team captain in college football. His father, Sherwood, was a starting defensive back at Oklahoma in the late 1970s and served as a Sooner captain. Carriker is a preseason All-America selection by several media outlets after recording 9.5 sacks as a junior last season. A native of Kennewick, Wash., Carriker is the first Washington native to serve as a Nebraska captain. Rigoni continues the tradition of Nebraska captains from Lincoln. The 2006 season marks the third time in the past four years Nebraska has had a hometown captain. At the start of fall camp Rigoni was awarded a scholarship for his senior season. National Champs Headline 2006 Nebraska Football Hall of Fame Class The Nebraska Football Hall of Fame Class features a distinct national championship flavor in 2006, with five former Huskers from NU's back-to-back title-winning teams in 1994-95. The Nebraska Football Hall of Fame is sponsored by the Nebraska Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame. The College Football Hall of Fame opened in South Bend, Ind., in 1995. The Nebraska Hall of Famers will be enshrined at a special reception on Friday night, and will be introduced at the Nicholls State game on Saturday. The Nebraska Chapter will present its Clarence Swanson Award to the Richard A. Robinson Family of Norfolk, Neb., and its Lyell Bremser Special Merit Award to Irv Veitzer of Omaha. The 2006 Inductees Chris Dishman A four-year letterman on the offensive line who helped Nebraska to back-to-back national titles in 1994 and 1995. A native of Cozad, Neb., Dishman helped Nebraska to a 47-3 record in his career. Bob Lingenfelter A three-year letterman as a tackle, Lingenfelter earned All-Big Eight honors in 1976. The Plainview, Neb., native helped the Huskers capture Hall of Fame Coach Tom Osborne's first Big Eight title in 1975. His son, Newton, is a senior on the 2006 Nebraska team. Christian Peter A starting defensive tackle on Nebraska's 1994 and 1995 national championship teams, Peter was at the center of a dominant Blackshirt defense. The Locust, N.J., native was an All-Big Eight selection as a senior in 1995. Jared Tomich The only Husker All-American in this year's class, Tomich earned All-America honors as a rush end in 1995 and 1996. The St. John, Ind., native closed his NU career with 91 total tackles, including 26 tackles for loss and 16 sacks. Kerry Weinmaster A four-year letterman and an All- Big Eight middle guard for the Huskers in 1979, the North Platte native Weinmaster finished his career with 165 tackles, including 39 tackles for loss. Tyrone Williams A two-time first-team All-Big Eight honoree as a cornerback, Williams was a three-year starter in the secondary from 1993 to 1995. The Palmetto, Fla., native helped NU to an amazing 36-1 record, two national titles and three Big Eight crowns. Note: Mike Minter, Rover, 1993-96 was elected into the Hall of Fame, but will be officially inducted after his NFL playing career is over. New Hall of Famers from the State College ranks are: Dr. Herbert Meyer, Concordia College Dr. Rex Grosshart, Doane College Carl Meyers, Nebraska-Omaha Robert Oetting, Concordia College 4 The 287-yard outing continued Taylor s ascension up the Nebraska career passing chart. He now has 2,940 career passing yards and moved up three spots to seventh on the Nebraska career passing list. If Taylor were to duplicate his 2005 passing yardage total, he would break the school career passing record of 5,035 yards set by Dave Humm from 1972 to 1974. 4Taylor is also in position to challenge the Nebraska record for career touchdown passes, held by Tommie Frazier who had 43 scoring strikes from 1992 to 1995. Taylor threw 19 touchdown passes last season, the most by a Husker quarterback in 16 seasons and just one shy of the school record of 20 touchdown passes by Vince Ferragamo in 1976. Taylor added three in the 2006 opener to give him 22 career TD passes. He has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 10 straight games. Last season, Taylor shattered several Nebraska game and season passing records in his first season after transferring from Butler County Community College in Kansas. Among the top accomplishments for the 6-2, 210-pound Taylor in 2005 were: 4 Taylor's 2,653 passing yards established a Nebraska single-season record, shattering the previous singleseason NU record of 2,074 yards by Dave Humm in 1972. Taylor's passing total marked just the fifth time in school history a quarterback had passed for more than 2,000 yards in a single season. 4 Taylor posted the top two single-game passing totals in school history with 431 yards against Iowa State and 392 yards at Colorado. All four individual 300-yard passing days in Nebraska history have come in Bill Callahan's two seasons as head coach. 4 Taylor threw for two or more touchdown passes in eight of the season s final nine games, including a careerhigh three TD passes against Michigan in the Alamo Bowl. 4 Taylor set numerous other school records, including most pass attempts (55) and completions (36) in a game vs. Iowa State, and most pass attempts (430) and completions (237) in a season. Huskers Open 2006 With Balanced and Explosive Offensive Attack Nebraska s 49-10 victory over Louisiana Tech featured one of the Huskers most impressive offensive outputs in recent seasons. The Huskers rolled up 584 yards of total offense, including 252 rushing yards and 332 yards through the air. Nebraska s offense also produced an impressive 30 first downs 16 by rush and 14 through the air and controlled the clock for 35:05. Nebraska was also impressive on third-down conversions, picking up 11-of-16 on the day. The offensive performance stacked up well when compared to recent Husker offenses. 4 The 584 yards of total offense were the most by Nebraska in Bill Callahan s three seasons as head coach and the most by Nebraska since a 595-yard output against McNeese State in 2002. 4 Nebraska s rushing total was its most since 2004 against Missouri and the fourth-most rushing yards in Callahan s tenure as head coach. 4 Nebraska topped 250 yards in both rushing and passing for the first time in a decade (Kansas, 1996). Herian Leads Memorable Day for Nebraska Tight Ends Senior tight end Matt Herian made a memorable return to the field on Saturday afternoon after missing all of last season with a broken leg. However, Herian s fellow tight ends did not allow him to have all of the attention, as Saturday proved to be a record setting day for the Nebraska tight end position. Herian caught three passes for 61 yards and a 13-yard touchdown in the first quarter to give Nebraska a 7-0 lead. Later in the game, Herian added a 31-yard reception, and on the play pushed his career receiving yardage total to 1,154 yards, a Nebraska tight end record, bettering the 1,150 yards by Tracey Wistrom from 1998 to 2001. Herian also climbed to third place on the Nebraska career chart for receptions by a tight end. In the second half, three of Herian s tight end teammates juniors Charting the 06 Husker Offense Coach Bill Calalhan stressed the importance of an improved run game in 2006. Week one provided excellent results with Nebraska rushing for 252 yards. Game Rushes Rush Yds. Passes Pass Yds. TO TOP LT 48 252 36 332 2 35:05 NU Career Tight End Receptions Rank, Player, Years Catches 1. Jerry List, 1970-72 61 2. Tracey Wistrom, 1998-01 58 3. Matt Herian, 2002-present 56 4. Junior Miller, 1977-79 55 Jim McFarland, 1968-69 53 J.B. Phillips and Josh Mueller, and sophomore Hunter Teafatiller also got into the end zone. Phillips and Mueller were each on the receiving end of a six-yard TD pass from Taylor, while Teafatiller capped the scoring with a 29-yard scoring reception from Joe Ganz. The tight end outburst was quite notable... The four tight ends combined for eight receptions for 108 yard and four touchdowns. The four touchdowns tied a Nebraska single-game record for touchdowns by a tight end (also 4 at Missouri in 1987). The game marked the first time in school history four different tight ends caught touchdown passes. Nebraska tight ends did not have a TD catch in 2005. The previous touchdown catch by a Husker tight end was by Herian in the second game of the 2004 season against Southern Miss. Page 7
Nebraska Season Receptions Player, Year Receptions 1. Johnny Rodgers, 1972 55 2. Johnny Rodgers, 1971 53 3. Nate Swift, 2005 45 4. Terrence Nunn, 2005 43 Cory Ross, 2005 43 Nebraska Career Receptions Player, Years Receptions 1. Johnny Rodgers, 1970-72 143 2. Matt Davison, 1997-2000 93 3. Jeff Kinney, 1969-71 84 4. Guy Ingles, 1968-70 74 5. Tim Smith, 1977-79 72 6. Cory Ross, 2002-05 71 7. Wilson Thomas, 1999-2002 68 8. Irving Fryar, 1981-83 67 9. Tom Penney, 1966-68 66 10. Todd Brown, 1980-82 65 11. Terrence Nunn, 2004-present 64 12. Ross Pilkington, 2002-04 63 13. Abdul Muhammad, 1991-94 61 Jerry List, 1970-72 61 Dennis Richnafsky, 1965-67 61 16. Tracey Wistrom, 1998-2001 58 17. Matt Herian, 2002-present 56 Bobby Thomas, 1974-76 56 Chuck Malito, 1974-76 56 20. Jon Bostick, 1989-91 55... Junior Miller, 1977-79 55 26. Nate Swift, 2005-present 48 Charting the Husker Backs in 2006 Game Lucky Glenn Jackson Wilson Total LT 13-79-1 13-88-1 3-36-1 15-47-0 44-250-3 Avg. Carries per game: 44.0 Avg. yards per game: 250.0 Avg. per carry: 5.7 2006 Sacks Game-by-Game Nebraska led the nation in 2005 with 50 sacks. The 50 sacks were the second-most in school history, just behind the school-record of 53 quarterback sacks in 1999. Many of the players responsible for the sack attack return in 2006. Game Sacks Yds. TFL Yards La. Tech 2 17 4 20 Totals 2 17 4 20 2005 Husker Takeaways Game Fumb. INT Total La. Tech 2 1 3 2005 Blackshirts Against the Run Game Att. Yds. TD Long La. Tech 21 67 0 19 Yards per Game 67.0 Yards per Attempt 3.2 2005 Blackshirts Against the Pass Game Passes Yds. TD Long Sacks La. Tech 32-13-1 238 1 56 2-17 Yards per Game 238.0 Yards per Attempt 7.4 Pass Efficiency Defense Rating 107.14 Receiving Tandem Looks for Another Big Season Tight ends were not the only Huskers that enjoyed an outstanding start to the 2006 season. Quarterback Zac Taylor s two favorite targets from the 2005 season showed they will again be fixtures in the 2006 gameplan. Junior wideout Terrence Nunn led Nebraska with five catches, while sophomore Nate Swift had three catches against Louisiana Tech. A year ago, the duo combined for 88 receptions, 1,136 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. In the process, both Nunn and Swift finished in the top five on Nebraska's single-season receptions list. Both players are quickly moving up the career pass receptions list, with Nunn now just one reception from the top 10, and 29 catches from second on the list. In 2005, Swift and Nunn were the most productive single-season pass catching duo in Nebraska history. Swift did not catch a pass in the first three games of 2005, but exploded at the start of conference play. He had five receptions against Iowa State, then had consecutive nine-reception efforts against Missouri and Oklahoma. He finished the year with 45 receptions for 641 yards and seven touchdowns, all Husker freshman records. His 45 catches were the most by a player in 33 seasons and the third-most ever by a Husker. Nunn caught at least one pass in all 12 games of his sophomore season in 2005, including nine games with three or more receptions. Like Swift, Nunn also caught seven touchdown passes from Taylor, including a pair of TD receptions in the Alamo Bowl. Overall, Nunn had 43 catches to tie for fourth on the NU single-season receptions list with former teammate Cory Ross. The 2005 season marked the first time in school history Nebraska had three players with 40 or more catches in a single season. Husker I-Backs Have Productive Committee Meeting Against Bulldogs Entering the start of the 2006 season both Head Coach Bill Callahan and running backs coach Randy Jordan have regularly indicated Nebraska would utilize the talents of all four of its I-backs and operate with use of a committee. The Louisiana Tech game proved the plan was solid, as four Husker I-backs combined for 44 carries for 250 yards and three touchdowns. The productive effort by the four running backs allowed Nebraska to rush for 252 yards its top rushing effort in the past 16 games since a 2004 victory over Missouri. In 2005, Nebraska averaged less than 100 yards on the ground, and its top rushing effort was 182 yards at Baylor. Saturday s rushing success was truly a team effort, as each of the backs made significant contributions... Sophomores Marlon Lucky and Cody Glenn each had career bests in rushing attempts and yardage. Lucky shouldered much of the rushing load in the first half and finished with 13 carries for 79 yards, while also adding 42 receiving yards. Lucky also had 13 carries in last year s opener against Maine when he posted his previous high of 44 rushing yards. Lucky recorded his first career score with a 13-yard second-quarter touchdown run. Glenn led the team in rushing with 88 yards on 13 carries, and pounded the Louisiana Tech defense in the second half. Glenn added his fifth career touchdown on a one-yard run late in the second quarter. Junior I-backs Brandon Jackson and Kenny Wilson also got into the act. Wilson carried a team-high 15 times for 47 yards in his Nebraska debut, while Jackson rushed three times for 36 yards, including a spectacular 25-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. After rushing for 390 yards as freshman, Jackson had just 52 yards on 18 carries during an injury-plagued 2005 campaign. Senior Bookends Carriker, Moore Hope to Lead Blackshirt Sack Attack to Encore Nebraska led the nation in sacks and tackles for loss in 2005, registering 50 sacks and 140 tackles for loss. That effort helped the Huskers finish in the top 30 nationally in total defense, rushing defense, scoring defense and pass efficiency defense. The Huskers entered the 2006 season with hopes of again making a push for the school single-season sack record of 53, set in1999. The Huskers returned players who accounted for 34.5 of the 50 sacks in 2005, led by dominant senior defensive ends Adam Carriker and Jay Moore, who set the tone for 2006 by each recording first-quarter sacks against Louisiana Tech. The 6-6, 295-pound Carriker snuffed out the Bulldogs first drive of the game with a seven-yard sack on third down. The sack gave Carriker 14.5 career sacks, just outside of the Nebraska top 10 list. Carriker earned All-Big 12 honors in 2005 when he led the team with 9.5 sacks from his base end position. A native of Elkhorn, Neb., Moore lines up opposite Carriker at the open end spot. The 6-4, 280-pound Moore made a two-yard tackle for loss on Tech s first play of the game, then added a 10-yard sack later in the first quarter to thwart another Bulldog drive. In addition to Carriker and Moore, Nebraska s top sack threats also include junior middle linebacker Corey McKeon who had seven sacks in 2005, and fellow end Barry Turner who had a Nebraska freshman record six sacks on his way to frosh All-America honors in 2005. The 2006 Blackshirts are poised to put together the best two-year sack total in school history. The most sacks Nebraska has recorded over the course of back-to-back seasons is 93 sacks in the 1984 (44) and 1985 (49) campaigns. Page 8