2012 CornHUSKE r F o o TB ALL Nebraska Media Relations w One Memorial Stadium w Lincoln, NE 68588-0123 w Phone: (402) 472-2263 w [email protected] 2012 Nebraska Schedule Game 7: Date Opponent (TV) Time/Result Sept. 1 Southern Miss (ABC) W, 49-20 Nebraska at Sept. 8 at UCLA (FOX) L, 36-30 Sept. 15 Arkansas State (ESPN2) W, 42-13 Northwestern Sept. 22 Idaho State (BTN) W, 73-7 Oct. 20, 2012 | Ryan Field Sept. 29 Wisconsin (ABC) W, 30-27 Evanston, Ill. | 2:30 p.m. (CT) Oct. 6 at Ohio State (ABC) L, 63-38 Wildcats Oct. 20 at Northwestern (ABC) 2:30 p.m. Huskers Record: 4-2, 1-1 Record: 6-1, 2-1 Oct. 27 Michigan (ABC/ESPN/2) 7 p.m. Rankings: Nov. 3 at Michigan State (TBA) TBA Rankings: Game Information Television: ABC AP-NR; Coaches-NR Nov. 10 Penn State (TBA) TBA AP-NR; Coaches-NR Radio: Husker Sports Network Nov. 17 Minnesota (TBA) TBA Last Game: Last Game: Nov. 23 at Iowa (ABC) 11 a.m. lost to Ohio State, 63-38 Capacity: 47,130 def. Minnesota, 21-13 Dec. 1 Big Ten Championship (FOX) 7 p.m Coach: Bo Pelini Surface: Natural Grass Coach: Pat Fitzgerald at Indianapolis, Ind. Career/NU Record: Series Record: Nebraska leads, 3-2 Career/NU Record: All times Central 43-18/5th year at Evanston: Northwestern leads, 1-0 46-37/7th year vs. Northwestern: 0-1 Last Year: Northwestern 28, Nebraska 25 (Lincoln) vs. Nebraska: 1-0 Television ABC/ESPN2 The Matchup Bob Wischusen, Play-by-Play Nebraska heads into the second half of its 2012 schedule with its first Legends Division contest of the year, taking Danny Kanell, Analyst on Northwestern on Saturday afternoon at Ryan Field in Evanston, Ill. The game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. and will Maria Taylor, Sidelines be televised on ABC. The game will be available on ESPN2 in markets not carrying the game on their ABC affiliate. The Huskers are coming off a bye week at the midway point in their season and sit at 4-2 overall and 1-1 in Big Ten Radio Conference play after a loss at Ohio State on Oct. 8. The loss to the Buckeyes dropped Nebraska out of the national rankings. At 1-1 in Big Ten play, Saturday’s matchup with the Wildcats is crucial to the Huskers’ hopes of contending Husker Sports Network for a berth in the Big Ten Championship Game in December. Greg Sharpe, Play-by-Play Northwestern comes into the contest with a 6-1 overall record and a 2-1 mark in Big Ten action, following a Matt Davison, Analyst hard-fought 21-13 win at Minnesota on Saturday. The Wildcats opened the year with five straight victories, before a Lane Grindle, Sidelines narrow loss at Penn State on Oct. 6. Northwestern features a strong rushing attack, averaging better than 225 yards per game to rank among the nation’s top 20 rushing teams. Internet Neither team is ranked entering the contest, but both schools are among the top teams receiving votes in both Huskers.com major polls. The Nebraska-Northwestern matchup will help begin to shape the Legends Division race. Five of Nebraska’s HSN free audio final six regular-season games are against division opponents, including each of the next three games. Live stats, game-day information, photos The Series Other Saturday’s game is the sixth all-time meeting between the two schools and just the second matchup in Evanston. Satellite Radio Nebraska’s only other trip to Northwestern came in 1931, when the Wildcats defeated Nebraska, 19-7. Northwestern won the first Big Ten matchup between the schools last year, defeating No. 9 Nebraska in Lincoln, 28-25. Sirius Channel 112, XM 190 The Coaches A Numbers Game Nebraska: Bo Pelini (Ohio State, ‘90) owns a 43-18 record (.717) in his fifth season. Pelini has guided NU to nine or more wins in each of his first four seasons as head coach, joining Bob Devaney, Tom Osborne and Frank Solich in accomplishing that feat. Pelini is one of only six first-time head coaches in NCAA history to win at least nine games 23.2 in each of his first four seasons at a BCS conference school. Northwestern: Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern, 97) owns a 46-37 record in his seventh season at his alma mater. The average yards per reception for Nebraska Fitzgerald has guided the Wildcats to bowl appearances in each of the past four seasons and already has Northwestern sophomore receiver Kenny Bell, who has bowl-eligible in 2012. Fitzgerald was an All-America linebacker at Northwestern in the mid 1990s and also served as 20 catches for 463 yards and four touchdowns. an assistant for five seasons with the Wildcats. Bell’s average yards per catch is tops in the nation among players in the top 100 in Nebraska Football the country in receiving. Only nine Nebraska is 850-351-40 all-time, one of just seven schools with 800 all-time victories w Nebraska has won five players on that list are averaging better national championships (1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997). w The Cornhuskers have won 43 conference championships. than 20 yards per reception. w NU’s 48 all-time bowl appearances rank fourth nationally. w Since 1970, NU has 416 wins, 26 more than any other school. w Nebraska’s 102 football Academic All-Americans lead the nation. w The Huskers have 110 All-Americans in school history. Game 7 at Northwestern 1 2012 Nebraska Football 2012 Nebraska Football Huskers.com Nebraska-Ohio State Stat Wrap Noting Game 6...Ohio State 63, Nebraska 38 Team Stats NU OSU 4Nebraska rushed for 223 yards, marking the first time in 2012 Nebraska did not reach 250 rushing yards. NU also First Downs 21 19 lost for just the fourth time under Bo Pelini when it has rushed for 200 yards (28-4). The five-game stretch of 250- Rushes-Yards 46-223 48-371 yard rushing games to open the season was NU’s longest since rushing for 250 yards in seven straight games in 2002. Passes 15-25-3 7-14-0 Passing Yards 214 127 4Nebraska scored 38 points and has scored 30 points or more in each of its first six games. The last time Nebraska Total Offense 437 498 had reached 30 points in six or more straight games was a seven-game stretch including the final three games of 3rd-Down Conversions 5-of-14 5-of-11 2007 and the first four games in 2008. Turnovers 4 1 4Nebraska finished with 437 yards of total offense and has topped 400 yards in each of the first six games of the Penalties 9-75 9-76 season. The last time NU had a longer stretch of 400-yard total offense games was a seven-game stretch in 2008. Time of Possession 31:52 28:08 4Senior I-back Rex Burkhead rushed 14 times for 119 yards, including a career-long 73-yard run in the first quarter. NU Rushing Leaders The 73-yard run bettered Burkhead’s previous long run of 61 yards against Idaho State on Sept. 22. Burkhead has Rex Burkhead–14 carries, 119 yards Taylor Martinez–18 carries, 40 yards, 2 TD posted the three longest runs of his career this season (57 yards vs. Southern Miss, 61 yards vs. Idaho State, 73 yards Ameer Abdullah–7 carries, 28 yards, 2 TD vs. Ohio State). NU Passing Leader 4With his 119 yards, Burkhead pushed his career rushing total to 3,042 yards to become the seventh Husker to rush Taylor Martinez–15-25-3, 214 yards, TD for 3,000 career yards. Burkhead hit exactly 3,000 yards with his 73-yard run in the first quarter. Burkhead moved up NU Receiving Leaders to sixth place on the NU career rushing list, moving past Ken Clark (3,037 career yards). Kenny Bell–5 receptions, 133 yards Ben Cotton–2 receptions, 19 yards, TD 4Sophomore Ameer Abdullah finished with eight kickoff returns for 128 yards. He increased his career total to NU Defensive Leaders 1,033 return yards to become the seventh Husker to surpass 1,000 kickoff return yards. Will Compton–3 UT, 7 AT, 10 TT, sack, 3 TFL, 2 PBU 4Sophomore receiver Kenny Bell had a career-long 74-yard reception in the second quarter, setting up a touchdown. Alonzo Whaley–4 UT, 5 AT, 9 TT, sack, 2 TFL, 2 FC The 74-yard reception bettered his previous career long of 68 yards against Idaho State on Sept. 22. Bell has had at Daimion Stafford–4 UT, 4 AT, 8 TT, sack, PBU least one reception in 18 straight games, with at least three receptions in 10 of those games. NU Special Teams Leader Brett Maher–FG, 5-5 PAT, 43.5-yard punt average 4Bell finished the game with five receptions for a career-high 133 yards, marking his second career 100-yard Ameer Abdullah–128 KOR yards, 49 PR yards receiving game. Bell’s 133 receiving yards betters his 108 yards on six catches earlier this season at UCLA. 4Senior tight end Ben Cotton had a three-yard TD reception in the third quarter for his second career touchdown 2012 Big Ten Standings reception, and first since a 2009 TD catch at Colorado in his redshirt freshman season. Legends Division Records 4Junior quarterback Taylor Martinez passed for 214 yards and a touchdown in tonight’s game, while rushing for 40 Team Big Ten Overall Next Game yards and two touchdowns.