Football

Hail Varsity Digest | Mike Babcock Edition | 01/21/25

Hail Varsity Digest | Mike Babcock Edition | 01/21/25

UPON FURTHER REVIEW ​Unfortunately for Nebraska, the NCAA didn’t institute video review in football games until the 2005 season, after the Big Ten experimented with it in 2004. ​Had it been used in 1993, Tom Osborne’s national championship run might’ve been four in...

read more

Rest in Peace, Jack

Near the end of the Nebraska football team’s 2013 spring intrasquad game in mid-April, Jack Hoffman took a handoff from quarterback Taylor Martinez and ran 69 yards for a touchdown. Hoffman was accompanied by members of both teams. He was 7 years old. Coach Bo Pelini...

read more
Hail Varsity Digest | Mike Babcock Edition | 01/14/25

Hail Varsity Digest | Mike Babcock Edition | 01/14/25

GOODBYE GIFT ​Nearly 30 years have passed. Times have changed, as they always do. ​On December 10, 1997, four days after No. 2 Nebraska defeated No. 14 Texas A&M 54-15 in the Big 12 Championship game in San Antonio, a Wednesday, Tom Osborne held a news conference...

read more
Hail Varsity Digest | Mike Babcock Edition | 01/07/25

Hail Varsity Digest | Mike Babcock Edition | 01/07/25

UP TO THE CHALLENGE ​Texas A&M outside linebackers John Roper and Chris Wallace were nicknamed the “Blitz Brothers.” Nebraska had to deal with them in the first game of the 1988 season, the Kickoff Classic. ​Roper and Husker outside linebacker Broderick Thomas...

read more
Hail Varsity Digest | Mike Babcock Edition | 12/31/24

Hail Varsity Digest | Mike Babcock Edition | 12/31/24

HERE AND THERE ​Since the Digest following Nebraska’s victory against Boston College in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl focused on game MVP Rahmir Johnson, here are a couple of other takeaways. ​Ty Robinson was among the seniors who opted to play even though he’s a...

read more

More than Football for Nebraska

Rahmir Johnson, who had returned home to New York City, was named MVP of Nebraska’s 20-15 victory against Boston College in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Had the Huskers chosen an MVP, Johnson almost certainly would’ve won that honor, too. Yes,...

read more
Hail Varsity Digest | Mike Babcock Edition | 12/27/24

Hail Varsity Digest | Mike Babcock Edition | 12/27/24

NUMERICAL CONSIDERATION During a news conference before the Huskers left for New York City, offensive coordinator Dana Holgerson was asked how Donte Dowdell’s decision to enter the transfer portal would affect the running back room—Dowdell led Nebraska in scoring with...

read more
Hail Varsity Digest | Mike Babcock Edition | 12/19/24

Hail Varsity Digest | Mike Babcock Edition | 12/19/24

NEW YORK, NEW YORK ​Start spreading the news . . . ​Even before Nebraska received its official invitation to play in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl against Boston College at Yankee Stadium, Rahmir Johnson was preparing to go “home,” just in case. ​The Huskers’...

read more
Hail Varsity Digest | Mike Babcock Edition | 12/17/25

Hail Varsity Digest | Mike Babcock Edition | 12/17/25

DEFINING LOSS ​It was arguably the most meaningful game in Tom Osborne’s coaching career until the national championship run in the 1990s, and maybe the most defining overall. ​Undefeated and No. 1 Nebraska lost to No. 5 Miami 31-30 in the Orange Bowl—the 50th. Miami,...

read more

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get bi-weekly emails from Mike Babcock about Nebraska history and what’s top of mind for him in Husker athletics each week.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.