NEBRASKA GATOR BOWL GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS Phillip Dillard, Curenski Gilleylen, Thomas Grove & Eric Hagg ...................................... 60 Introduction (1-6) Mike Hays & Roy Helu Jr. .................................................................................................61 2008 Game by Game in Pictures ................................................................................... 2-3 Alex Henery, Will Henry & Jacob Hickman ..................................................................... 62 Gator Bowl Matchup Brief Breakdown ......................................................................... 4-5 Ryan Hill, Menelik Holt & Mike Huff............................................................................... 63 Media Schedule/Travel Itinerary ...................................................................................... 6 D.J. Jones, Marcel Jones, Colton Koehler & Adi Kunalic ................................................ 64 Blake Lawrence, Thomas Lawson, Zac Lee & Mathew May ........................................... 65 Nebraska Notes (7-26) Mike McNeill, Marcus Mendoza & Terrence Moore ...................................................... 66 Nebraska Gator Bowl Notes ........................................................................................ 8-26 Armando Murillo & Lydon Murtha ................................................................................. 67 Matt O’Hanlon & T.J. O’Leary ......................................................................................... 68 Coaches & Staff (27-40) Niles Paul & Clayton Sievers ........................................................................................... 69 Head Coach Bo Pelini ................................................................................................. 28-29 Mike Smith & Ty Steinkuhler .......................................................................................... 70 Defensive Coordinator Carl Pelini .................................................................................. 30 Hunter Teafatiller & Rickey Thenarse ..............................................................................71 Offensive Coordinator Shawn Watson ............................................................................31 Lance Thorell & Dan Titchener ....................................................................................... 72 Assistant Coaches ...................................................................................................... 32-35 Mason Wald, Latravis Washington, Adam Watson & Jake Wesch .................................... 73 Football Support Staff ............................................................................................... 36-37 Anthony West, Keith Williams & Patrick Witt .................................................................74 Athletic Director Tom Osborne ...................................................................................... 38 Tyler Wortman & Dreu Young......................................................................................... 75 Athletic Administration/Football Support Groups ........................................................ 39 Additional 2008 Nebraska Cornhusker Head Shots .................................................. 76-77 University Administration/Nebraska Board of Regents ................................................ 40 2008 Review & Statistics (79-103) 2008 Huskers (41-78) 2008 Nebraska Statistics ...........................................................................................80-94 2008 Honors & Awards ....................................................................................................42 2008 Nebraska Game by Game Recaps ................................................................... 95-100 Gator Bowl Depth Chart ................................................................................................. 43 2008 Big 12 Conference Statistical Rankings ........................................................ 101-103 Gator Bowl Alphabetical & Numerical Rosters .........................................................44-45 Joe Ganz ..................................................................................................................... 46-47 Nebraska Bowl History & Records (104-116) Nate Swift .................................................................................................................. 48-49 Nebraska Bowl Game Records .............................................................................. 104-107 Marlon Lucky .................................................................................................................. 50 Recaps of Nebraska’s 44 All-Time Bowl Games .................................................... 108-115 Todd Peterson ..................................................................................................................51 Nebraska Bowl Game History & Breakdown .................................................................116 Zach Potter.......................................................................................................................52 Matt Slauson ................................................................................................................... 53 GATOR BOWL MEDIA GUIDE CREDITS Ndamukong Suh .............................................................................................................. 54 The Nebraska Gator Bowl Media Guide was written by Media Relations Director Keith Pierre Allen & Prince Amukamara .................................................................................. 55 Mann, Assistant Directors Matt Smith and Jerry Trickie and interns Amil Anderson and Larry Asante & Shukree Barfield .................................................................................... 56 Jeremy Foote. Editing assistance provided by Director of Operations Jeff Griesch and Chris Brooks, Jaivorio Burkes, Wes Cammack & Mike Caputo .......................................57 Administrative Assistant Vicki Cartwright. Cover design by Design Specialist Annie Wood. Austin Cassidy & Quentin Castille .................................................................................. 58 Photos by Athletic Department Photographer Scott Bruhn. The book was printed by the Nick Covey, Jared Crick, Major Culbert & Alfonzo Dennard ...........................................59 University of Nebraska Printing Services. Cost of the Gator Bowl Media Guide is $10. 2009 KONICA MINOLTA GATOR BOWL 2008 NEBRASKA GAME BY GAME HIGHLIGHTS GAME 1 GAME 2 GAME 3 Nebraska 47 Nebraska 35 NEBRASKA 38 Western Michigan 24 San Jose State 12 NEW MEXICO STATE 7 Nebraska won its season opener for a nation’s An 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Joe Ganz helped Nebraska build a 35-0 lead by best 23rd consecutive season in the first home Niles Paul was the first of three fourth-quarter running for a touchdown, throwing for another game for Head Coach Bo Pelini. NU scored the scores that turned a tight 14-12 contest into a score and catching a TD pass. Ganz joined a pair first 17 points of the game and led 34-10 at the 35-12 runaway. The Husker defense also added of Heisman Trophy winners as the only Huskers half, while totaling 483 yards and holding WMU a score in the game, as Ndamukong Suh scored to gain the touchdown trifecta. NU ran up 553 to eight yards rushing. on a 49-yard interception return. yards of offense, including 330 on the ground. GAME 4 GAME 5 GAME 6 Virginia Tech 35 Missouri 52 Texas Tech 37 Nebraska 30 Nebraska 17 Nebraska 31 (OT) Head Coach Bo Pelini suffered the first loss of On Homecoming, Nebraska lost its conference Nebraska saw its losing streak reach three his career when the Huskers’ late rally came up opener as No. 4 Missouri ended a 30-year straight in the Huskers’ first road game of the just short. Mike McNeill caught a first-quarter losing streak in Lincoln. Marlon Lucky led year. Trailing 24-10 entering the fourth quarter, touchdown pass, but NU trailed 28-10 late in the Nebraska in rushing, as the Huskers were only Todd Peterson caught a 17-yard touchdown pass third quarter before scoring three touchdowns outgained 462-369, but NU was minus-two in with 29 seconds left to tie the game and force in 13 minutes to twice pull within one score. turnovers. overtime, where No. 7 Texas Tech prevailed. HUSKER FOOTBALL NEBRASKA VS. CLEMSON 2008 NEBRASKA GAME BY GAME HIGHLIGHTS GAME 7 GAME 8 GAME 9 Nebraska 35 Nebraska 32 Oklahoma 62 Iowa State 7 Baylor 20 Nebraska 28 NU won at Iowa State behind a dominating The Huskers pulled into a first-place tie in the Fourth-ranked Oklahoma used big plays to performance by the Blackshirts. Armando Big 12 North Division standings with a strong build a 35-0 lead after the first quarter and Murillo led NU in tackles and recovered a finish. Trailing 20-17 at the half, NU outscored Nebraska could not recover. The Husker offense fumble, as ISU totaled an NU opponent season- Baylor 15-0 in the final 30 minutes. Nate Swift totaled 418 yards, but could not overcome low 218 total yards. NU eclipsed that total in the caught two second-half touchdown passes to four turnovers. Roy Helu Jr. was a bright spot, air (328 yards) and on the ground (220). become Nebraska’s career receptions leader. rushing for 157 yards and one TD on 16 carries. GAME 10 GAME 11 GAME 12 Nebraska 45 Nebraska 56 Nebraska 40 Kansas 35 Kansas State 28 Colorado 31 Nebraska began a strong finish with a win NU won