2000 NEBRASKA FOOTBALL Huskers Earn NCAA-Record 32nd Consecutive Bowl Bid Nebraska Takes on Northwestern in Eighth Annual Alamo Bowl Game #12–The Alamo Bowl No. 9/8/8 (AP/Coaches/BCS) Nebraska (9-2) vs. No. 18/19 Northwestern (8-3) Bowl, Date, Time: Sylvania Alamo Bowl, Saturday, Dec. 30, 2000, 7 p.m., Central Stadium (Capacity), Game Site, Surface: Alamodome (65,000), San Antonio, Texas, AstroTurf The Coaches: Nebraska–Frank Solich (Nebraska, ‘66), 30-7, third year career/at Nebraska Northwestern–Randy Walker (Miami-Ohio, ‘76), 70-46-5, 11 year career, 11-11, 2nd year at NU National TV: ESPN, Dave Barnett (Play-by-Play), Bill Curry and Mike Golic (Color), Michele Tafoya (Sideline) Nebraska Radio: Pinnacle Sports, Warren Swain (Play-by-Play); Adrian Fiala (Color) National Radio: Westwood One, Chuck Cooperstein-(Play-by-Play); Jim Wacker-(Color) No. 9/8/8 Nebraska to Face No. 18/19 Northwestern in the Alamo Bowl The No. 9/8/8 (AP/Coaches/BCS) Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-2, 6-2 in Big 12, second Big 12 North) are headed to San Antonio, Texas, to face No. 18/19 Northwestern (8-3, 6-2, Big 10 Co-Champions) in the eighth annual Sylvania Alamo Bowl. The game features two teams who have not met since 1974 and two schools who will be playing in the Alamo Bowl for the first time. The Huskers will go bowling for the 32nd consecutive year (longest NCAA streak), and this is Nebraska’s 39th bowl Nebraska Head Coach Frank Solich appearance overall, which ranks tied for fourth all time behind Alabama (50), Tennessee (41), Texas (40) and USC (39). This is Northwestern’s fourth bowl overall, third in the last five years, and the 4 30-7 in three years at helm of Huskers first since the 1997 Citrus Bowl. 4 has led NU to nine-win seasons each year While the Huskers have never played in the Alamo Bowl, Nebraska is 2-0 in the Alamodome, 4 has had five first-team All-Americans having defeated Texas A&M in the 1997 Big 12 Championship game, 54-15, and Texas in the 1999 4 has had six first-team Academic All- Americans under his tenure Big 12 Championship game, 22-6. For the 10th time this season and the fifth consecutive game, Nebraska will appear on television. ESPN will broadcast the game that kicks off at 7 p.m., Central, 4 is 1-1 in bowl games, having defeated Tennessee, 31-21, in 2000 Fiesta Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 30. It will also be carried on the Pinnacle Sports Radio Network and Westwood One national radio. 4 is coaching in his 22nd consecutive bowl game with the Nebraska Cornhuskers The Huskers are 9-2 this season, having lost to two ranked Big 12 teams. Nebraska is 1-2 vs. ranked teams this season, having defeated No. 23 Notre Dame in South Bend on Sept. 9, 27-24 in overtime, losing to then-No. 3 Oklahoma, 31-14, in Norman on Oct. 28, and a heartbreaker to then- Husker Records and Streaks No. 16 Kansas State in Manhattan by one point, 28-29. Northwestern will be the Huskers’ fourth 4 NCAA-record 239 consecutive sellouts in ranked opponent this season. Nebraska is 2-1 all time vs. Northwestern. The Wildcats are 3-2 vs. Memorial Stadium ranked teams this season, defeating Wisconsin and Michigan State on the road in back-to-back 4 39 consecutive winning seasons–current weekends, Michigan at home, but losing at TCU and at home against Purdue. NCAA best, second all time A Husker win would give Coach Frank Solich 31 wins in his first three years at the helm of the 4 32 consecutive nine-win seasons–NCAA Huskers. With 31 wins, he will tie for fourth in victories among Division I coaches in their first three record years at the helm. Entering the game ranked ninth, Nebraska will finish among the AP top 25 for 4 32 consecutive bowl bids–NCAA record the 32nd consecutive year (every season since Bob Devaney went 6-4 and finished the season 4 39 bowl appearances–tied-fourth in NCAA unranked in 1968) and a win would keep NU among the top 10 in the AP, where Nebraska has finished 4 324 consecutive weeks ranked in the in six of the last seven years, and in the top 10 in 22 of the last 30 years. Since 1969, NU has finished Associated Press, a continuing AP record in the AP top 15 every year but two (1990-24th and 1998-19th). 4 90-10 record since 1993 (eight years) The Cornhuskers improved to 9-2 on the year with a 34-32 season-finale win in Lincoln over 4 13-game home winning streak the Colorado Buffaloes on Nov. 24. It was an exciting down-to-the-wire contest with Nebraska 2000 Nebraska Football Schedule / Results (9-2, 6-2 Big 12 Conference, 2nd North Division) Date Opponent Site Time/ScoreTV Quick Bit Sept. 2 San Jose St. Lincoln W 49-13 ^ NU rushed for 500 yards for first time since ‘95 season; Alexander had 208; Buckhalter had 117 Sept. 9 at Notre Dame So. Bend W 27-24 OTNBC NU now 3-0 in OT; Crouch scored three TDs for second week; Alexander rushed for 112 yards Sept. 23 Iowa Lincoln W 42-13 ABC Crouch ties school record with five TD passes; three to Wistrom and two to Davison Sept. 30 Missouri # Lincoln W 42-24 FOX Crouch rushes for 110 yards, passes for 173; Newcombe has 94-yard punt return TD in win Oct. 7 at Iowa State # Ames W 49-27 ABC Defense holds ISU to 37 rushing yards; Crouch had 302 total offense yards including 138 rushing Oct. 14 at Texas Tech # Lubbock W 56-3 FOX TTU had 19 yards rushing and 200 total; NU had 442 rushing--Alexander-113, Buckhalter-105 Oct. 21 Baylor # Lincoln W 59-0 None First NU shutout as Blackshirts held Bears to five rushing yards and 84 total; NU had 459 on ground Oct. 28 at Oklahoma # Norman L 14-31 ABC No. 1 NU upset at No. 3 OU; Crouch had 101 rushing yards; NU commits two costly turnovers Nov. 4 Kansas # (HC) Lincoln W 56-17 ABC NU rushed for 493 with three 100-yard rushers (Crouch-128, Alexander-119, Buckhalter-100) Nov. 11 at Kansas St. # Manhattan L 28-29 FOX Despite more than 100 rushing yards by Dan Alexander in the fourth quarter, KSU wins 29-28 Nov. 24 Colorado # Lincoln W 34-32 ABC For the first time since records were kept, Nebraska won on the last play of regulation on a FG Dec. 30 Northwestern San Antonio, 7 p.m. ESPN Huskers extend nation-leading consecutive bowl streak to 32 games by appearing in Alamo Bowl for the first time in school history vs. Northwestern. NU is 2-1 all time vs. Northwestern # Big 12 Conference Game; (HC) Homecoming; ^Not Televised but live internet broadcast on FOXSPORTS.COM 6 32 STRAIGHT BOWLS winning the game with no time remaining on a 29-yard field goal by Josh NU Looks to Turn Corner on Bowl Record Brown. The game-winning field goal marked the first time since statistics Nebraska has won five of its last six bowl games. Overall in bowl games, were kept (from 1960) that NU has won on the last play of regulation. NU is 19-19, (0-1 under Biff Jones, 0-1 under Bill Glassford, 6-3 under With a 9-2 record, the Huskers successfully extended their nation-leading Bob Devaney, 12-13 under Tom Osborne and 1-1 under Frank Solich). and NCAA record streak of nine-win seasons to 32. The Huskers had Four of Nebraska’s last seven bowl games have been for the national title. already secured their 39th consecutive winning season (a streak which Nebraska is 0-1 vs. the Big 10 in bowl games, losing to Michigan in the 1986 leads the nation and ranks as the second-longest winning streak behind Fiesta Bowl. Notre Dame’s 42). After the 1994 season, No. 1 Nebraska defeated No. 2 Miami, 24-17, The Wildcats feature one of the nation’s most explosive offenses, and in the Federal Express Orange Bowl to post its first national championship although a 27-17 loss to Iowa on Nov. 11 prevented a Rose Bowl bid and under Osborne. In 1995, NU defeated Florida, 62-24, in the Fiesta Bowl outright Big Ten Championship, Northwestern secured a part of the for a second national crown. In 1996, No. 6 Nebraska defeated No. 10 three-way conference title with a 61-23 season-finale win over Illinois on Virginia Tech, 41-21, in the Orange Bowl. In 1997, No. 2 NU won its third Nov. 18. national title in four years, defeating No. 3 Tennessee, 42-17, in Osborne's last game. Under first-year head coach Frank Solich, Arizona defeated In This Week’s National Polls Nebraska, 23-20, in the 1998 Holiday Bowl. That game marked the 14th Nebraska moved up one spot in both polls this week, to No. 9 in AP time in 18 years that the Huskers entered the game as the lower-ranked and to No. 8 in the ESPN/USA Today/Coaches polls of Dec. 3, after team, as Nebraska was 14th in the AP and Arizona was No. 5. Last season, dropping to a season-low 10th in the Nov. 12 and Nov.