It seemed like old times, old, old times, like Nebraska football’s “Scoring Explosion” team in 1983, almost. The Huskers defeated Akron 68-0 at Memorial Stadium Saturday night — again, 68-0. The last time they scored more was in 2012, a 73-7 victory against Idaho...
Mike Babcock
Week-to-Week Improvement Focus for Nebraska Football Heading into Home Opener
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...
Hail Varsity Historical: Nebraska Football Takes to Air, Sort of, to Rout Kansas
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...
A Win’s a Win: Nebraska Football Sneaks by Cincinnati
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,...
Cincinnati Up First for Nebraska Football
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...
Hail Varsity Historical: Not Pretty in Lubbock, but a Nebraska Football Victory
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...
Nebraska Football Needs to Depend on “Watering Bamboo”
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...
Hail Varsity Digest | Back on Track, 1996 Nebraska Football Bounces Baylor | 8-19-25
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...
Babcock: It’s Off the Field as Well as On for Nebraska Football
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...
