GAME 1: NEBRASKA vs BYU
SEPT 5, 2015 | MEMORIAL STADIUM
LINCOLN, NEB. | 2:30 p.m. (CT)
BROADCAST INFO
TV – ABC (Sean McDonough, Chris Spielman, Todd McShay)
RADIO – Husker Sports Network
SATELLITE RADIO – Sirius Channel 84, XM 84
INTERNET RADIO – Huskers.com
HUSKERS
Record: 0-0, 0-0
Rankings: AP-RV; Coaches-RV
Coach: Mike Riley
Career/NU Record: 93-80 (15th Year)/ 0-0 (1st Year)
vs. BYU: 1-2
COUGARS
Record: 0-0, 0-0
Rankings: AP-RV; Coaches-RV
Coach: Bronco Mendenhall
Career/BYU Record: 90-39 (11th Year)/Same
vs. Nebraska: 0-0
The Matchup
Nebraska opens the 2015 season on Saturday afternoon with an intersectional matchup against BYU at Memorial Stadium. The game is set for a national television audience on ABC, with kickoff set for shortly after 2:30 p.m. CT.
The game will mark the Cornhuskers’ debut under head coach Mike Riley. While Riley is new to Lincoln, he is a proven winner in the coaching profession. Before taking at Nebraska, Riley spent the previous 12 seasons as the head man at Oregon State.
Riley will guide a Nebraska team that returns 16 starters from a team that finished 9-4 in 2014. Nebraska will also be looking to win its season opener for the 30th consecutive season, a streak that leads the nation.
BYU finished the 2014 campaign with an 8-5 record, but was a perfect 3-0 against Power Five opponents, including victories at Texas and California. The Cougars are one of 10 programs in the country to have appeared in a bowl game each of the past 10 seasons.
Saturday’s game will mark the first-ever meeting between the two schools, which rank first and fifth, respectively, in victories in the past 40 seasons. Saturday’s game will also be the 341st consecutive sellout at Memorial Stadium.
Nebraska Football Top 10
• Nebraska is 873-350-40 all-time, one of only 10 schools with 800 wins.
• The Cornhuskers rank fourth all-time with their 873 victories.
• Nebraska has won five national titles (1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997).
• The Huskers have won 43 conference championships.
• Nebraska’s 51 all-time bowl appearances rank third nationally.
• Three Huskers have won the Heisman Trophy (Rodgers, Rozier, Crouch).
• Nebraska’s 107 football Academic All-Americans lead the nation.
• The Huskers have 110 first-team All-Americans in school history.
• Nebraska football is the only team in any sport in NCAA history to total 100 athletic and academic All-Americans.
• Memorial Stadium has been sold out every game since Nov. 2, 1962, a streak of 341 consecutive sellouts.
Riley to Make Debut as Nebraska Head Coach
The matchup with BYU marks Mike Riley’s debut as Nebraska head coach. A 41-year coaching veteran, Riley is in his 24th season overall as a head coach and his 15th year as a college head coach.
• Only five FBS head coaches have more experience as a head coach.
• Riley has a 93-80 career record as a college head coach, all at Oregon State.
• Riley is the 29th head coach in Nebraska history. The previous 28 head coaches have combined for a 20-7-1 record in their Cornhusker debut, and each of the past five NU head coaches have won their first game on the NU sideline.
Huskers look to add to season-opening win streak
Nebraska will look to extend its streak of winning its season opener to 30 straight years when the Huskers take on BYU. A 55-7 win over Florida Atlantic in the 2014 season opener extended NU’s win streak to 29 straight games, dating back to a 1985 loss to Florida State.
• The season-opening win streak leads the nation, bettering Florida’s 25 straight season-opening wins.
• Nebraska has scored at least 40 points in 21 of the past 29 season openers, while limiting the opposition to 14 points or less 19 times.
Season-Opening Win Streaks
• Nebraska – 29
• Florida – 25
• USC – 15
First-Time Opponents
Nebraska will open the season with a pair of first-time opponents in BYU and South Alabama. Nebraska last opened the season with a first-time opponent in 2011 when the Huskers defeated Chattanooga. NU met an opponent for the first time in a season opener five straight years from 2007 to 2011.
The 2011 campaign also marks the most recent season the Huskers faced a pair of first-time foes to open a season, as Nebraska defeated Chattanooga and Fresno State in its first-ever meetings with the schools.
Huskers Face Rare Matchup with Independent
The contest with BYU marks the Huskers’ first game against an FBS Independent since playing Troy in Lincoln in 2003. The Huskers have since played 50 non-conference opponents without facing an FBS Independent.
Huskers highlighted on preseason watch lists
Several Nebraska players were included on preseason watch lists for national awards. Sophomore punt returner/receiver De’Mornay Pierson-El was named a preseason All-America punt returner. He was also one of 11 players on the Big Ten Players to Watch list, along with junior defensive tackle Maliek Collins.
Husker preseason watch lists
Tommy Armstrong Jr., QB
• Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award
• Maxwell Award Watch List
• Manning Award Watch List
Sam Burtch, WR
• AFCA Good Works Team Nominee
Maliek Collins, DT
• Lombardi Award Watch List
• Outland Trophy Watch List
• Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List
• Bednarik Award Watch List
• Big Ten Players to Watch List
• Preseason All-American (3rd-Athlon’s)
• Preseason All-Big Ten (Athlon’s; Sporting News, ESPN.com)
Nate Gerry, S
• Preseason All-Big Ten (Lindy’s)
De’Mornay Pierson-El, WR/PR
• Paul Hornung Award Watch List
• Big Ten Players to Watch List
• Preseason First-Team All-American PR (1st-Athlon’s, Sporting News, Phil Steele)
• Preseason Second-Team All-American PR (SI.com)
• Preseason All-Big Ten PR (Athlon’s, Phil Steele, CBSSports.com, ESPN.com)
• Preseason All-Big Ten All-Purpose (Athlon’s)
Riley & Staff Bring Diverse Offensive Attack to Lincoln
Head Coach Mike Riley has a long history of offensive success in his previous coaching stops. Riley’s offenses have shown the ability to attack defenses both on the ground and through the air.
• In 2003, Oregon State was the first team in NCAA FBS history to have a 4,000-yard passer (Derek Anderson), a 1,500-yard rusher (Steven Jackson) and two 1,000-yard receivers (James Newson and Mike Hass).
• The 2003 Beaver offense was the first offense in the history of the Pac-12 conference to accumulate 6,000 yards of total offense in a season.
Major individual Pac-12 records under mike Riley at Oregon state
• Season Passing Yards (Sean Mannion: 4,662)
• Career Passing Yards (Sean Mannion: 13,600)
• Career Rushing TDs (Ken Simonton: 59)
• Season Receiving Yards (Brandin Cooks: 1,730)
• Season Receptions (Brandin Cooks: 128)
Decade of triple threats (2005-14)
• Six 1,000-yard rushers
• Seven 2,500-yard passers
• 15 receivers with 50-catch seasons
Riley’s Quarterbacks
• Oregon State quarterbacks under Riley compiled two of the top four single-season passing performances in Pac-12 history, including a conference-record 4,662 passing yards by Sean Mannion in 2013.
• Six of OSU’s top 10 season passing totals were set under Riley, including the top four.
• Beaver signal callers had seven 3,000-yard passing seasons in Riley’s second stint in Corvallis from 2003 to 2014.
• Oregon State quarterbacks earned seven all-conference honors under the direction of Riley and his staff.
• Three of Riley’s OSU quarterbacks are active in the NFL (Derek Anderson, Sean Mannion and Matt Moore).
• Six of the top 10 single-season rushing totals in OSU history were under Riley.
Riley’s Running Backs
• Oregon State running backs Steven Jackson and Jacquizz Rodgers both earned multiple All-America awards playing in Riley’s offense.
• Oregon State running backs earned 11 all conference honors under Riley, including 2008 Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year Jacquizz Rodgers, the first freshman in conference history to win the award.
• Oregon State running backs produced nine 1,000-yard rushing seasons in 14 years with Riley as head coach.
• All four 3,000-yard rushers in Beaver history played under Riley.
Riley’s Receivers
• Two of Riley’s receivers at OSU – Mike Hass in 2005 and Brandin Cooks in 2013 – won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver.
• Riley is the only current FBS coach who has had two players win the Biletnikoff Award.
• Brandin Cooks set Pac-12 season records for most receptions and receiving yards in 2013.
• Three of the top 12 receptions leaders in Pac-12 history played under Riley at OSU.
• Two of the top three players in Pac-12 single-season receiving yardage played for Riley.
• Seven of the top eight receivers in Oregon State history were coached by Riley.
• Beaver receivers earned All-America honors six times under Riley and his staff and Pac-10/12 postseason honors seven times.
True Freshmen to Hit Field
Mike Riley announced last week that he anticipates seven true freshmen participating in the season opener against BYU.
• Tyrin Ferguson, LB
• Stanley Morgan Jr., WR
• Jordan Ober, LS
• Devine Ozigbo, RB
• Antonio Reed, S
• Aaron Williams, S
• Dedrick Young, LB
In 2014, Nebraska had five true freshmen see action, led by freshman All-America punt returner De’Mornay Pierson-El.
First-Time Starters to Hit Field
Numerous Huskers could make their first career starts against BYU, potentially including several true and redshirt freshmen, according to the first Husker depth chart.
Offensive First-Time Starters
• Chongo Kondolo, RG
• Nick Gates, RT
• Terrell Newby, IB
• Lane Hovey, WR
• David Sutton, TE
Defensive First-Time Starters
• Jonathan Rose, CB
• Dedrick Young, LB
Running Game Dominant in Openers
Nebraska exploded for 498 rushing yards vs. FAU in the 2014 season opener, marking the second straight year Nebraska rushed for at least 375 yards in the season opener.
• Over the past six openers, the Huskers have rushed for at least 229 yards in each game.
• The Huskers have averaged 321.3 rushing yards per game in the past six season openers.
Schuetz to Handle Public Address Duties
Nebraska native and long-time Omaha television personality Jon Schuetz will handle the public address duties at Memorial Stadium beginning in 2015. Schuetz is just the third public address announcer at Memorial Stadium since 1994.
Schuetz worked for more than 15 years at KETV in Omaha, and 24 years overall in local television. Schuetz left the television business in 2010 and works in private business in Omaha.