Mike Babcock is in his 47th season covering Nebraska football. Babcock also covered most other Husker sports at some point in his journalism career. Mike earned his undergraduate degree in English from Cal State-Chico and Masters in English (teacher preparation) from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Babcock spent seven years teaching English and Introductory Literature at Parkland Community College. Mike wrote sports part-time at the Champaign-Urbana Courier as well as for Lincoln Journal and Star for 17 years for the sports department covering Nebraska as a sports columnist. Babcock then wrote for Huskers Illustrated before Hail Varsity and Hurrdat Sports.
It’s a time-honored belief. Tom Osborne acknowledged it every Nebraska football season. “I remember Coach Osborne, Coach (Frank) Solich said it,” Matt Rhule said during his Monday media availability, adding, Penn State Coach Joe Paterno “used to say (it) to us all the...
Conditions weren’t right for passing when fifth-ranked Nebraska football played Kansas in late October 1996 at Memorial Stadium — the Huskers’ first home night game in four seasons. Temperature at kickoff was 71 degrees but the wind was gusting from 30 to 45 miles per...
On Cincinnati’s final possession Thursday night at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium, Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson encouraged nickel Malcolm Hartzog Jr. to make a play. Nebraska was clinging to a 20-17 lead when the Bearcats took over at their own 9-yard line,...
No doubt you have the big picture by now. Matt Rhule’s third team at Nebraska opens against Cincinnati Thursday night in Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium, kickoff slated for 8 p.m. CT. It will be a “home game-lite,” Rhule said Tuesday. Husker fans will pack the stadium...
Seven seconds into fifth-ranked Nebraska football's sixth game in 1996, in Lubbock, Texas, Husker weak side linebacker Terrell Farley picked up a Byron Hanspard fumble and ran 21 yards for a touchdown. Seven seconds. The first play from scrimmage. Such a play right...
When you think of Tom Osborne’s national championship teams with Nebraska football, what players first come to mind? Tommie Frazier? Grant Wistrom? Lawrence Phillips? Ahman Green? How about the offensive lines? The “Pipeline” nickname was established in 1994, featured...
The Nebraska football defense posted a shutout, and the offense scored 49 points against 3-1 Baylor on a 75-degree afternoon in mid-October 1996, before a Homecoming crowd of 75,478 at Memorial Stadium. “We played against the best team in America,” said Baylor Coach...
Recollection has it that Jon Hesse recounted this, though as long as I’ve been around Nebraska football, details have become jumbled or lost. But I’ll say it was Hesse. He was a four-year Husker letterman (1993-96) at linebacker, playing on two national championship...
Questions remained for 1996 Nebraska football because of the 19-0 loss at Arizona State, even though Nebraska had defeated Colorado State in its third game a week later 65-9. At least some of those questions were answered when the seventh-ranked Huskers defeated...