2010 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
Encyclopedia
The 2010 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
. The team was coached by Bo Pelini
and played their home games at Memorial Stadium
in Lincoln, Nebraska
. They were members of the North Division of the Big 12 Conference
. It was Nebraska's last season in the Big 12 as they will begin competing in the Big Ten Conference
in 2011.
The Cornhuskers finished the season 10–4, 6–2 in the Big 12 and were co champions of the North Division with Missouri
. Due to their victory over Missouri, Nebraska represented the North Division in the 2010 Big 12 Championship Game
where they were defeated by Oklahoma
20–23. They were invited to the Holiday Bowl
for the second consecutive season and played Washington
. Despite defeating the Huskies 56–21 during the regular season, the Cornhuskers were defeated 19-7.
. The Cornhuskers carried on despite losing a handful of key personnel losses to graduation after 2009, especially Heisman
-candidate and #2 overall NFL draft pick DT Ndamukong Suh
. The Nebraska coaching staff remained intact for the third straight year, since the return of Bo Pelini to the program.
During the spring of this year, several NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision teams began publicly discussing potential conference changes, which ultimately gained enough momentum to set off a chain reaction of university conference affiliation changes
. On June 11, 2010, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln announced that its regents unanimously voted to end the university's affiliation with the Big 12 Conference
, and would be joining the Big Ten Conference
. The Big Ten Conference unanimously approved Nebraska's official application just hours later, and Nebraska announced that the Cornhusker athletic programs would transition into the Big Ten conference play schedule effective July 1, 2011. This is Nebraska's last year playing in the Big 12 Conference.
Nebraska's preseason #8 AP ranking was the highest starting rank for Nebraska since Eric Crouch
's 2001 Heisman
trophy season, which ultimately saw the Cornhuskers playing Miami
in the BCS National Championship Game
at the Rose Bowl
.
opponents all-time. After an unimpressive outing the week prior, the Nebraska defense came forth with a strong defensive attack, holding the Vandals to just 60 yards on the ground and 279 total yards, while notching seven sacks for 80 yards lost. The Blackshirts intercepted five passes, three of which were converted into scores. A 28-3 scoring output in the 2nd quarter allowed the Cornhuskers to run away with the game and play some reserve personnel, which allowed the Vandals to outscore Nebraska 14-7 in the second half. Although the Nebraska offense recorded 471 all-purpose yards, numerous miscues resulted in stalled drives and lost opportunities. The home field win was Nebraska's 375th at Memorial Stadium, and the 500th home win in Lincoln all-time. Nebraska redshirt freshman QB Taylor Martinez had a second straight 100-yard rushing game, and his 67-yard second-quarter touchdown was the longest by a Nebraska QB since a 70-yard dash by Eric Crouch
against Colorado in 2001. Cornhusker PK Alex Henery accounted for eight points on the day, which was enough to make him the fifth Nebraska player to ever exceed 300 career points. Despite the win, Nebraska slipped from #6 to #8 in the AP Poll following the game.
, who took over in 2009 after Washington finished 0-12 the year before, when Nebraska arrived for the first Cornhusker road game of the 2010 season. Despite Nebraska's #8 AP ranking, the spread
was less than ten points in favor of the Cornhuskers as the week leading up to the game. Factoring into the spread was Nebraska's redshirt freshman QB making only his third start ever, and first on the road. The stature of senior Washington QB Jake Locker
also played into the previews, as Locker was considered a top NFL
prospect and an early candidate for the Heisman Trophy
.
Washington received the ball to start the game but gave up an interception four plays later, just 1:35 into the game. Shortly thereafter Nebraska scored a touchdown and never gave up the lead for the rest of the game. The Cornhuskers finished the day with 533 all-purpose yards, more than double Washington's totals in each category. This included three Nebraska players totaling over 100 yards of rushing, an accomplishment not met since 2001 and only the fourth time ever in program history. It was also the first time Washington had ever allowed three opponent players to exceed 100 rushing yards. The Cornhusker offense managed over 13 yards per pass attempt and over 7 yards per rush attempt, while the 56 total Nebraska points was the most points ever scored by a non-conference opponent in Husky Stadium
's 90-year history, also tying the most points ever scored there by a Washington conference opponent. An 80-yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter by Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez was the longest TD run by a freshman QB, and the second-longest run by any Nebraska QB, in program history. The Blackshirts coverage prevented the Huskies from ever getting consistent momentum, and the highly-touted Locker ended the day only 4 of 20 in the air for 70 yards and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a Nebraska TD by junior CB Alfonzo Dennard
. The sole highlight of the day for Washington was ending Nebraska's 10-game streak of holding opponents to 20 points or less. Nebraska took over the series by moving to 4-3-1 against Washington all time.
and #3 Texas Longhorns. The game was closer than the 17-3 score would indicate, as the Jackrabbits had two touchdowns nullified by penalties, one of them on an interception returned 66 yards to the end zone. The large contingent of visiting fans from South Dakota were clearly heard chanting "Let's Go Rabbits" in the stadium as the home crowd was silenced by the spirited fight of the visiting team. While both teams suffered two interceptions each, Nebraska offered up four fumbles on the day, losing one of them to a fumble-free South Dakota State. Nebraska held the time of possession edge on the game by only 11 seconds, and converted only four of thirteen third downs. Cornhusker head coach Pelini summed up the Nebraska effort after the game, saying "We were a bad team." Nonetheless, the win moved the Cornhuskers to 2-0 over the Jackrabbits all time, and put Nebraska at 4-0 for the first time since 2005.
a home field loss, in the stadium named after him, on his 71st birthday. The Nebraska win moved the Cornhuskers to 5-0 for the first time since 2003, and the series between the programs drew to a close with a Nebraska advantage of 78-15-2.
Nebraska's victory improved the Cornhuskers' series lead to 37-5-1, but was only Nebraska's second win in the last five matches between the squads. With Nebraska's departure from the Big 12 Conference following this season, this was be the last league meeting of these teams in a series that dates back to when the Cowboys briefly joined the MVIAA from 1925 to 1928. Oklahoma State later returned to the league for good in 1958, leading the conference to be known as the "Big 8" for the first time.
Nebraska's withdrawal from Big 12 play after this year ends a historical league affiliation with the Tigers that dates to 1892, when these two programs joined with Kansas
and Iowa
to form the Western Interstate University Football Association
(WIUFA). Though the WIUFA disbanded after six seasons, all four WIUFA teams came together again with the formation of the MVIAA in 1907. The conclusion of the 2010 season will mark the end of a 103-year continuous conference partnership, and leaves the fate of the Victory Bell in question.
hosted Nebraska in Ames for the first time, as the squads come together for their 105th contest. With Nebraska leaving Big 12 play after this season, this game marked the end of a historical series and conference relationship dating back to 1896, almost as far back as the Nebraska-Missouri series. Nebraska, who leads the all-time series 86-17-2, avenged last year's 7-9 loss, which was Iowa State's first win in Lincoln in 34 years. Nebraska and Iowa State traded scores in the 4th quarter before Nebraska led 31-24 in the final minutes. Iowa State scored a touchdown to make the score 31-30 Nebraska leading. ISU Head Coach Paul Rhoads
called a 2-point conversion. With the game on the line, ISU QB Austin Arnaud threw a pass that got intercepted by Nebraska DB Eric Hagg to give Nebraska the overtime win in Ames.
.
The departure of Nebraska from the Big 12 marked this game as the probable last game of one of the longest continuous series in the history of NCAA college football, as Kansas and Nebraska have met on the field every year without interruption since 1903, and failed to meet in only two seasons overall since 1892. No future meetings are scheduled, and the teams are unlikely to see the same field again unless they meet in a future non-conference game or are both selected to meet in a postseason bowl game.
Following the Cornhuskers' defeat by the Aggies, Nebraska Defensive Coordinator Carl Pelini was involved in an incident with Brandon Jones, a co-owner of a Texas A&M sports site, TexAgs
. The photographer stated that Pelini had seized Brandon's camera and broken several pieces from it before throwing them to the ground. Video shows Pelini rushing towards the photographer and camera.
, the squad looked forward to a chance to avenge the loss against the Longhorns and to return to the league title game for the final Big 12 conference championship. The 2010 Big 12 Championship game was the last league title game for the foreseeable future, as the departure of Nebraska and Colorado
from the league dropped the number of members to ten, which is not enough to hold a title game under NCAA rules.
Texas started the season flat and had to face unbeaten Nebraska in Lincoln, which led many media analysts to predict an easy Nebraska win. Instead, Texas took advantage of Cornhusker mistakes to deny Nebraska a win in the final foreseeable match between the teams. The Cornhuskers remained on track for an appearance in the Big 12 championship game, clinching an appearance against historical rival Oklahoma. The Cornhuskers started strong and led 17-0 in the second quarter before the Sooners rallied for 23 points while holding Nebraska to just one more field goal. Having also lost to Texas A&M in the regular season, the 10-3 Nebraska team was invited to the Holiday Bowl for a rematch with Washington.
Head coach Bo Pelini, 3-0 in bowls all time, was handed his first ever bowl loss at the hands of an inspired Husky squad, and Nebraska suffered its third loss in the previous four games, a mark last seen since the first part of 2008. Nonetheless, Pelini's overall record improved on the season, to 30-12 (.714) overall, and 17-7 (.708) in the Big 12, and his team won the Big 12 North Division title in each of his three seasons at the helm so far. This was not as successful a start as the programs of successful former head coaches Bob Devaney
, Tom Osborne, or Frank Solich
, but was a dramatic improvement over the first three years of his immediate predecessor, Bill Callahan. Callahan managed to get to just 22-15 (.595) overall and 13-11 (.542) in the league, with only a single division championship. Although 2010 ended on a disappointing note following Pelini's 2009 proclamation that "Nebraska was back", it was apparent that Nebraska's fortunes had improved since Pelini's 2007 arrival.
2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on Thursday, September 2, 2010. The season progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game on Monday, January 10, 2011.-Rule changes for...
. The team was coached by Bo Pelini
Bo Pelini
Mark "Bo" Pelini is the head football coach at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He had previously been defensive coordinator for the LSU Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, and the Nebraska Cornhuskers...
and played their home games at Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium, Lincoln
Memorial Stadium is located on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. It is the home of the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team....
in Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
. They were members of the North Division of the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
. It was Nebraska's last season in the Big 12 as they will begin competing in the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
in 2011.
The Cornhuskers finished the season 10–4, 6–2 in the Big 12 and were co champions of the North Division with Missouri
2010 Missouri Tigers football team
The 2010 Missouri Tigers football team, in their 121st season, represented the University of Missouri in college football's 2010 season. The team was coached by Gary Pinkel, who returned for his tenth season with Mizzou, and played their home games at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. The team...
. Due to their victory over Missouri, Nebraska represented the North Division in the 2010 Big 12 Championship Game
2010 Big 12 Championship Game
The 2010 Big 12 Championship Game was played at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 4, 2010, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas to determine the 2010 football champion of the Big 12 Conference. It was the final championship game for the conference as two members of the Big 12 had announced their...
where they were defeated by Oklahoma
2010 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 2010 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 2010–2011. It was the 116th year of season play for the Sooners. The team was led by head coach Bob Stoops, a two-time Walter Camp Coach of the Year award winner, who has a contract...
20–23. They were invited to the Holiday Bowl
2010 Holiday Bowl
The 2010 Holiday Bowl was the thirty-third edition of the college football bowl game and was played at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The game started at 7:00 PM US PST on Thursday, December 30, 2010 and matched the Nebraska Cornhuskers against the Washington Huskies. The game was...
for the second consecutive season and played Washington
2010 Washington Huskies football team
The 2010 Washington Huskies football team represented the University of Washington in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Steve Sarkisian. The Huskies played their home games at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington, and were members of the Pacific 10 Conference...
. Despite defeating the Huskies 56–21 during the regular season, the Cornhuskers were defeated 19-7.
Before the season
The 2010 Cornhuskers took to the field on Saturday, September 4, 2010 against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers2010 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team
The 2010 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Hilltoppers were led by 1st year head coach Willie Taggart and played their home games at Houchens Industries – L. T. Smith Stadium...
. The Cornhuskers carried on despite losing a handful of key personnel losses to graduation after 2009, especially Heisman
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
-candidate and #2 overall NFL draft pick DT Ndamukong Suh
Ndamukong Suh
Ndamukong Suh is an American football defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Lions 2nd overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
. The Nebraska coaching staff remained intact for the third straight year, since the return of Bo Pelini to the program.
During the spring of this year, several NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision teams began publicly discussing potential conference changes, which ultimately gained enough momentum to set off a chain reaction of university conference affiliation changes
2010 NCAA conference realignment
The 2010–11 NCAA conference realignment refers to several proposed and actual conference expansion plans among various NCAA Division I conferences beginning in the 2010-11 academic year and continuing into fall 2011...
. On June 11, 2010, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln announced that its regents unanimously voted to end the university's affiliation with the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
, and would be joining the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
. The Big Ten Conference unanimously approved Nebraska's official application just hours later, and Nebraska announced that the Cornhusker athletic programs would transition into the Big Ten conference play schedule effective July 1, 2011. This is Nebraska's last year playing in the Big 12 Conference.
Nebraska's preseason #8 AP ranking was the highest starting rank for Nebraska since Eric Crouch
Eric Crouch
Eric Eugene Crouch is an American quarterback for the Omaha Nighthawks. He also is a TV sports analyst and recreational equipment vendor....
's 2001 Heisman
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
trophy season, which ultimately saw the Cornhuskers playing Miami
2001 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 2001 Miami Hurricanes football team was the national champion of the 2001 college football season and is considered by many to be the greatest team in college football history.-Pre-season motivation:...
in the BCS National Championship Game
BCS National Championship Game
The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series and is intended by the organizers of the BCS to determine the U.S. national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
at the Rose Bowl
2002 Rose Bowl
The 2002 Rose Bowl, played on January 3, 2002, was a college football bowl game. It was the 88th Rose Bowl game and was the BCS National Championship Game of the 2001 college football season...
.
Recruiting
Schedule
Roster and coaching staff
Western Kentucky
This was the first ever meeting of the Hilltoppers and Cornhuskers. Redshirt Freshman QB Taylor Martinez was not revealed as the starter for Nebraska until kickoff, and subsequently became the first freshman quarterback to open a Nebraska season in the history of the program. On his first carry, Martinez rushed for 46 yards and a touchdown, paving the way for Nebraska to extend its ongoing NCAA record of consecutive season-opening victories to 25. His 129 rushing yards on the day also marked the first time a Nebraska QB exceeded 100 yards on the ground since 2003, and this was accomplished even while sharing snaps with the second and third string quarterbacks. The 2010 Blackshirts debut was marred somewhat when they allowed the Western Kentucky squad, which had lost their last 20 games in a row prior to this game, to accumulate 299 all-purpose yards, mostly during a second-half defensive letdown.Idaho
For the sixth straight year, Nebraska opened the season 2-0. The 38-17 defeat of the Idaho Vandals in the first ever meeting of these teams improved the Cornhuskers to 22-1 against WACWestern Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
opponents all-time. After an unimpressive outing the week prior, the Nebraska defense came forth with a strong defensive attack, holding the Vandals to just 60 yards on the ground and 279 total yards, while notching seven sacks for 80 yards lost. The Blackshirts intercepted five passes, three of which were converted into scores. A 28-3 scoring output in the 2nd quarter allowed the Cornhuskers to run away with the game and play some reserve personnel, which allowed the Vandals to outscore Nebraska 14-7 in the second half. Although the Nebraska offense recorded 471 all-purpose yards, numerous miscues resulted in stalled drives and lost opportunities. The home field win was Nebraska's 375th at Memorial Stadium, and the 500th home win in Lincoln all-time. Nebraska redshirt freshman QB Taylor Martinez had a second straight 100-yard rushing game, and his 67-yard second-quarter touchdown was the longest by a Nebraska QB since a 70-yard dash by Eric Crouch
Eric Crouch
Eric Eugene Crouch is an American quarterback for the Omaha Nighthawks. He also is a TV sports analyst and recreational equipment vendor....
against Colorado in 2001. Cornhusker PK Alex Henery accounted for eight points on the day, which was enough to make him the fifth Nebraska player to ever exceed 300 career points. Despite the win, Nebraska slipped from #6 to #8 in the AP Poll following the game.
Washington, September 2010
Washington was in the second year of a rebuilding project under 2nd-year coach Steve SarkisianSteve Sarkisian
Steve Sarkisian is an American football coach and former player of American and Canadian football. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Washington, a position he has held since the 2009 season...
, who took over in 2009 after Washington finished 0-12 the year before, when Nebraska arrived for the first Cornhusker road game of the 2010 season. Despite Nebraska's #8 AP ranking, the spread
Spread betting
Spread betting is any of various types of wagering on the outcome of an event, where the pay-off is based on the accuracy of the wager, rather than a simple "win or lose" outcome, such as fixed-odds betting or parimutuel betting. A spread is a range of outcomes and the bet is whether the outcome...
was less than ten points in favor of the Cornhuskers as the week leading up to the game. Factoring into the spread was Nebraska's redshirt freshman QB making only his third start ever, and first on the road. The stature of senior Washington QB Jake Locker
Jake Locker
Jacob Cooper "Jake" Locker is an American football quarterback selected by the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League in the 2011 Draft...
also played into the previews, as Locker was considered a top NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
prospect and an early candidate for the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
.
Washington received the ball to start the game but gave up an interception four plays later, just 1:35 into the game. Shortly thereafter Nebraska scored a touchdown and never gave up the lead for the rest of the game. The Cornhuskers finished the day with 533 all-purpose yards, more than double Washington's totals in each category. This included three Nebraska players totaling over 100 yards of rushing, an accomplishment not met since 2001 and only the fourth time ever in program history. It was also the first time Washington had ever allowed three opponent players to exceed 100 rushing yards. The Cornhusker offense managed over 13 yards per pass attempt and over 7 yards per rush attempt, while the 56 total Nebraska points was the most points ever scored by a non-conference opponent in Husky Stadium
Husky Stadium
Husky Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the home of the Washington Huskies...
's 90-year history, also tying the most points ever scored there by a Washington conference opponent. An 80-yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter by Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez was the longest TD run by a freshman QB, and the second-longest run by any Nebraska QB, in program history. The Blackshirts coverage prevented the Huskies from ever getting consistent momentum, and the highly-touted Locker ended the day only 4 of 20 in the air for 70 yards and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a Nebraska TD by junior CB Alfonzo Dennard
Alfonzo Dennard
Alfonzo Dennard is an American football cornerback with the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. He is considered one of the best overall prospects for the 2012 NFL Draft.-College career:...
. The sole highlight of the day for Washington was ending Nebraska's 10-game streak of holding opponents to 20 points or less. Nebraska took over the series by moving to 4-3-1 against Washington all time.
South Dakota State
Meeting for the first time since a 58-7 Nebraska victory in 1963, the FCS South Dakota State Jackrabbits were not intimidated by the Memorial Stadium homecoming crowd despite entering the game at 0-2, and gave the flat Cornhuskers the toughest test of the season to date. The 307th consecutive sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium was the largest crowd that the Jackrabbits team had ever played in front of, and the last two teams to hold Nebraska to fewer than 17 points had been the #20 Oklahoma Sooners2009 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 2009 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 2009-2010. It was the 115th year of season play for the Sooners. The team was led by head coach Bob Stoops, a two-time Walter Camp Coach of the Year award winner, who has a contract...
and #3 Texas Longhorns. The game was closer than the 17-3 score would indicate, as the Jackrabbits had two touchdowns nullified by penalties, one of them on an interception returned 66 yards to the end zone. The large contingent of visiting fans from South Dakota were clearly heard chanting "Let's Go Rabbits" in the stadium as the home crowd was silenced by the spirited fight of the visiting team. While both teams suffered two interceptions each, Nebraska offered up four fumbles on the day, losing one of them to a fumble-free South Dakota State. Nebraska held the time of possession edge on the game by only 11 seconds, and converted only four of thirteen third downs. Cornhusker head coach Pelini summed up the Nebraska effort after the game, saying "We were a bad team." Nonetheless, the win moved the Cornhuskers to 2-0 over the Jackrabbits all time, and put Nebraska at 4-0 for the first time since 2005.
Kansas State
Nebraska met Kansas State in Manhattan to open the final Cornhusker Big 12 Conference slate. It was the 95th time the teams had met, and the last time unless they are matched against each other in a future non-conference game or bowl game. Redshirt freshman Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez bounced back from his lackluster appearance in the previous contest against South Dakota State, rushing for four touchdowns and 241 yards to set a new all-time Cornhusker quarterback single-game rushing record. His 370 total yards on the day were the most all-purpose yards set by a Cornhusker freshman at any position in nineteen years. Martinez's efforts helped propel Nebraska to tally more yards against Kansas State than any other opponent in twenty one years. The Wildcat offense seemed to have success to start the game, marching down the field on their first possession, until they were stopped on a 4th-and-2 in the Nebraska red zone with no points to show for it. The Blackshirts subsequently took control of the game defensively, notching their 13th straight game holding an opponent to 21 points or less and helping the Cornhuskers to hand Kansas State head coach Bill SnyderBill Snyder
Bill Snyder is the head football coach at Kansas State University. He was rehired to the position on November 24, 2008, making Snyder one of the rare college football head coaches to have non-consecutive tenure at the same school. Snyder previously served as head coach at the school from 1989 to...
a home field loss, in the stadium named after him, on his 71st birthday. The Nebraska win moved the Cornhuskers to 5-0 for the first time since 2003, and the series between the programs drew to a close with a Nebraska advantage of 78-15-2.
Texas
These teams came head-to-head for the 14th time in what has frequently been a contentious - if still respectful - clash of conference foes whose games often carry title implications, and often at the expense of the Cornhuskers. 2010 was no exception, as unranked Texas defeated #5 Nebraska in Lincoln, in front of a fired-up home crowd that had long anticipated this contest. The loss leaves Nebraska 4-10 against Texas all time, and just 1-9 in the last ten attempts. With Nebraska's departure from the Big 12 Conference following this season, this was the last regular season league meeting of these teams. Unless they meet again in a future bowl game, there are no scheduled dates for these programs to meet again in the future.Oklahoma State
The Cornhuskers traveled to Stillwater following a high-profile disappointing loss to Texas the week prior, hoping to bounce back against their first ranked opponent of the year, the #17 Oklahoma State Cowboys. Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez eclipsed the 300-yard mark through the air for the first time in his career, passing for 323 yards and five touchdowns, while adding 112 yards on the ground.Nebraska's victory improved the Cornhuskers' series lead to 37-5-1, but was only Nebraska's second win in the last five matches between the squads. With Nebraska's departure from the Big 12 Conference following this season, this was be the last league meeting of these teams in a series that dates back to when the Cowboys briefly joined the MVIAA from 1925 to 1928. Oklahoma State later returned to the league for good in 1958, leading the conference to be known as the "Big 8" for the first time.
Missouri
#7 Missouri arrived in Lincoln to take on Nebraska for the 104th contest between the schools since 1892, trying to make progress to catch up to Nebraska in the series. The Tigers trail behind the Cornhuskers 36-65-3 all-time.Nebraska's withdrawal from Big 12 play after this year ends a historical league affiliation with the Tigers that dates to 1892, when these two programs joined with Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
and Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
to form the Western Interstate University Football Association
Western Interstate University Football Association
The Western Interstate University Football Association was one of the first intercollegiate athletic conferences in the United States, existing from 1892 to 1897.-Formation, history and evolution:...
(WIUFA). Though the WIUFA disbanded after six seasons, all four WIUFA teams came together again with the formation of the MVIAA in 1907. The conclusion of the 2010 season will mark the end of a 103-year continuous conference partnership, and leaves the fate of the Victory Bell in question.
Iowa State
Second-year Iowa State Head Coach Paul RhoadsPaul Rhoads
Paul Rhoads is an American college football head coach at Iowa State University. Rhoads was formerly the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach of the Auburn University football team before then-head coach Tommy Tuberville was forced to resign at the 2008 season's end...
hosted Nebraska in Ames for the first time, as the squads come together for their 105th contest. With Nebraska leaving Big 12 play after this season, this game marked the end of a historical series and conference relationship dating back to 1896, almost as far back as the Nebraska-Missouri series. Nebraska, who leads the all-time series 86-17-2, avenged last year's 7-9 loss, which was Iowa State's first win in Lincoln in 34 years. Nebraska and Iowa State traded scores in the 4th quarter before Nebraska led 31-24 in the final minutes. Iowa State scored a touchdown to make the score 31-30 Nebraska leading. ISU Head Coach Paul Rhoads
Paul Rhoads
Paul Rhoads is an American college football head coach at Iowa State University. Rhoads was formerly the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach of the Auburn University football team before then-head coach Tommy Tuberville was forced to resign at the 2008 season's end...
called a 2-point conversion. With the game on the line, ISU QB Austin Arnaud threw a pass that got intercepted by Nebraska DB Eric Hagg to give Nebraska the overtime win in Ames.
Kansas
Kansas traveled to Lincoln to play the 105th and last game in the NCAA-record longest consecutive season series in all of college football. This game marked the 117th time overall that the teams have come together to settle things on the field. Nebraska's victory leaves the series closed for now with a decisive Cornhusker advantage of 91-23-3. It was the first meeting between Kansas and Nebraska since the Jayhawk program was taken over by former legendary Nebraska quarterback Turner GillTurner Gill
Turner Hillery Gill is an American football coach who most recently served as the head coach at Kansas from 2010-2011, and was one of 11 African-American head coaches in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision at the time of his hiring.-College:Gill graduated from Arlington Heights High...
.
The departure of Nebraska from the Big 12 marked this game as the probable last game of one of the longest continuous series in the history of NCAA college football, as Kansas and Nebraska have met on the field every year without interruption since 1903, and failed to meet in only two seasons overall since 1892. No future meetings are scheduled, and the teams are unlikely to see the same field again unless they meet in a future non-conference game or are both selected to meet in a postseason bowl game.
Texas A&M
With Nebraska's departure from the Big 12 Conference following this season, this was the last league meeting of these two teams.Following the Cornhuskers' defeat by the Aggies, Nebraska Defensive Coordinator Carl Pelini was involved in an incident with Brandon Jones, a co-owner of a Texas A&M sports site, TexAgs
TexAgs
TexAgs is an independent Texas A&M University fan website. It features articles, chat, forums, and recruiting information about Texas A&M Aggie sports. Receiving an average of 500,000 hits per day, , TexAgs was the sixth most-visited college sports website and the most visited NCAA Division I-A...
. The photographer stated that Pelini had seized Brandon's camera and broken several pieces from it before throwing them to the ground. Video shows Pelini rushing towards the photographer and camera.
Colorado
Colorado traveled to Lincoln as both teams closed their regular seasons. This series has produced many amazing and emotional finishes, but this 69th clash was not in doubt for long as Nebraska steadily pulled away for the win to clinch the Big 12 Conference North Division Title and a berth in the Big 12 Championship game. Colorado was denied a sixth win for the season and thus did not attain bowl eligibility, making this the final game of their 2010 season. As 2010 was the final year for both teams in the Big 12, the long-running series has drawn to a close with Nebraska in command at 49-18-2.Oklahoma
For the second year in a row, Nebraska appeared in the Big 12 football championship game. The team would play their final game as members of the Big 12 against Oklahoma in Arlington, Texas. Nebraska led 17-0 at one point in the first half, before Oklahoma reeled off 17 points of their own. A field goal just before halftime sent Nebraska into halftime with a 20-17 lead. In the second half, Oklahoma held Nebraska scoreless for the first time of the season and managed two field goals in each of the latter periods to win 23-20. Nebraska had 4 turnovers in the game and Oklahoma held a 453-293 yard disadvantage.Washington–Holiday Bowl
Following Nebraska's loss to Oklahoma, Nebraska was selected as the Big 12's representative at the 2010 Holiday Bowl, which also chose the Washington squad beaten by Nebraska in September, now 6-6, to appear as the final opponent in the Cornhuskers 2010 season. Nebraska seemed unprepared and unmotivated in their second straight Holiday Bowl appearance, while Washington had rebounded from a 3-6 start and the demoralizing early loss to Nebraska, winning out the rest of their season to earn a bowl bid. Matched against the Cornhuskers and given a chance at redemption, the undermanned Huskies overcame their disadvantages to hold Nebraska to a single first-half touchdown on their way to downing the Cornhuskers 19-7.Rankings
| Poll | Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP | 8 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 14 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 20 |
| Coaches | 9 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 19 |
| Harris | Not released | 5 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 15 | 13 | 17 | ||||||
| BCS | Not released | 16 | 14 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 15 | 13 | 18 | |||||||
After the season
Although there were high hopes for the year, three major goals were not achieved and resulted in a season that ended with a note of disappointment. After the last-second, one-point loss to Texas in the 2009 Big 12 Championship Game2009 Big 12 Championship Game
The 2009 Dr. Pepper Big 12 Championship Game was held on December 5, 2009 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The divisional winners from the Big 12 Conference squared off in the 14th edition of the game. The Texas Longhorns represented the South Division and the Nebraska Cornhuskers...
, the squad looked forward to a chance to avenge the loss against the Longhorns and to return to the league title game for the final Big 12 conference championship. The 2010 Big 12 Championship game was the last league title game for the foreseeable future, as the departure of Nebraska and Colorado
2010 Colorado Buffaloes football team
The 2010 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by fifth-year head coach Dan Hawkins for the first nine games and interim head coach Brian Cabral for the final three games. Colorado played their...
from the league dropped the number of members to ten, which is not enough to hold a title game under NCAA rules.
Texas started the season flat and had to face unbeaten Nebraska in Lincoln, which led many media analysts to predict an easy Nebraska win. Instead, Texas took advantage of Cornhusker mistakes to deny Nebraska a win in the final foreseeable match between the teams. The Cornhuskers remained on track for an appearance in the Big 12 championship game, clinching an appearance against historical rival Oklahoma. The Cornhuskers started strong and led 17-0 in the second quarter before the Sooners rallied for 23 points while holding Nebraska to just one more field goal. Having also lost to Texas A&M in the regular season, the 10-3 Nebraska team was invited to the Holiday Bowl for a rematch with Washington.
Head coach Bo Pelini, 3-0 in bowls all time, was handed his first ever bowl loss at the hands of an inspired Husky squad, and Nebraska suffered its third loss in the previous four games, a mark last seen since the first part of 2008. Nonetheless, Pelini's overall record improved on the season, to 30-12 (.714) overall, and 17-7 (.708) in the Big 12, and his team won the Big 12 North Division title in each of his three seasons at the helm so far. This was not as successful a start as the programs of successful former head coaches Bob Devaney
Bob Devaney
Robert S. "Bob" Devaney was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Wyoming from 1957 to 1961 and at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln from 1962 to 1972, compiling a career college football record of 136–30–7...
, Tom Osborne, or Frank Solich
Frank Solich
Frank Solich is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at Ohio University, a position he has held since the 2005 season...
, but was a dramatic improvement over the first three years of his immediate predecessor, Bill Callahan. Callahan managed to get to just 22-15 (.595) overall and 13-11 (.542) in the league, with only a single division championship. Although 2010 ended on a disappointing note following Pelini's 2009 proclamation that "Nebraska was back", it was apparent that Nebraska's fortunes had improved since Pelini's 2007 arrival.
Draft picks, signees, or other future professional players
- Prince AmukamaraPrince Amukamara-College career:After arriving at Nebraska, Amukamara contemplated playing basketball on top of football, but dropped those plans after fall football practices began. As a freshman in 2007, Amukamara was described as being a newcomer "with a lot of personality" by senior linebacker Corey McKeon. He...
, 2011 1st–round pick of the New York GiantsNew York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... - DeJon GomesDejon GomesDejon Gomes is an American football safety who plays for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League.- Early life and career :...
, 2011 5th–round pick of the Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... - Eric HaggEric HaggEric Hagg is an American football safety for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Browns in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska, and high school football in Arizona at Ironwood High School.-External links:**...
, 2011 7th–round pick of the Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... - Roy Helu, 2011 4th–round pick of the Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
- Alex HeneryAlex HeneryAlex Henery is an American football kicker for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, setting an NCAA record for field goal accuracy with a 89.5% success rate...
, 2011 4th–round pick of the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... - Ricky Henry, 2011 UFL 1st–round pick of the Hartford Colonials
- D.J. Jones, 2011 UFL 6th–round pick of the Omaha NighthawksOmaha NighthawksThe Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
- Niles PaulNiles PaulNiles Paul is an American football wide receiver for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Nebraska.-College career:...
, 2011 5th–round pick of the Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... - Mike Smith, 2011 UFL 5th–round pick of the Omaha NighthawksOmaha NighthawksThe Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
- Keith WilliamsKeith Williams (offensive lineman)Keith Williams is an American football offensive guard for the Buffalo Bills of the NFL. He was drafted by the Steelers in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska.-Early years:...
, 2011 6th–round pick of the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...