53 posts tagged “football”
I'm glad that I held off, Nebraska ended up winning their last 5 regular season games along with sole possession of the North crown (they split it with Missouri in 2008, with Mizzou holding the tie breaker). The stadium is down the street from my apartment, I've thought about taking a taxi to the game. I have a few friends going, I even thought about buying a parking pass so I could tailgate with the other Husker faithful. The only problem is that my ticket is on the South side where all the Texas fans will be seated. This diehard, who has lived behind enemy lines since leaving Nebraska in 1995, will be seated among the burnt orange Saturday night at 7. Ugh. I hope that I can find an open bar at Jerry World.
Earlier tonight while browsing online, I figured I'd check to see if tickets were still available and the asking price per. Wow! The area where I'm seated (or will be) is going for almost $300.00....WTF? Nice price gouge there. Of course, if I wanted to make a quick buck (or $300 for that matter), I could pawn this ticket on gameday... Nah. Hey, you never know... there could be some miracle that the Pelini brothers could have under their collective hats for the Big Red to knock of Mack Brown's undefeated squad and really shake up the BCS picture. I'm sure that teams like Cincy and TCU will be among the Husker faithful cheering for the upset. I'm holding off on my end of the year travel plans until Saturday has been decided. Also, when you try circulating for an after party, make sure you double check your "finished" product before you submit it.
If this poster is accurate, not only will Nebraska win the conference title by beating Texas, but they'll have the National Title along with it. Wow, so it really is winner take all. So, Nebraska could wind up in San Diego (Holiday) or back in Arlington (Cotton) if they lose to Texas. But if they win, then they're a BCS automatic berth and get a big money bowl!
I love college football.
Geaux Big Red!
Nebraska's biggest football rival makes its once-every-four-year stop in Lincoln Saturday, and the Cornhuskers aren't about to waste a golden opportunity like this to show Oklahoma how much the Huskers respect their program, especially since the Sooners have played a big role in NU's own rise to national prominence.
The level of competition, of course, will determine if ABC made a good decision to put this game in prime time under the bright lights of its television cameras. But one thing is certain. It's a unique chance to showcase what a good rivalry stands for and how much one program respects the other program.
Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne decided last spring to invite Oklahoma's major individual award winners to Lincoln for a Friday night banquet at the Champions Club. Then, at halftime, OU's marquee players and coaches will be honored at the same time we introduce our own legends to another record sellout crowd.
It would be nice to say that only in Nebraska can something like this happen. But the truth is, Osborne's decision is merely a reciprocating gesture to a class move made last year by OU Athletic Director Joe Castiglione to honor the 1971 Game of the Century participants in Norman.
So get ready Husker fans. Start warming up now to show your appreciation for OU's four living Heisman Trophy winners - Steve Owens, Billy Sims, Jason White and Sam Bradford. They will be introduced Saturday along with Nebraska Heisman winners Johnny Rodgers, Mike Rozier and Eric Crouch.
Other Husker major award winners who will attend this weekend's festivities are Trev Alberts, Tommie Frazier, Larry Jacobson, Dave Rimington, Will Shields, Dean Steinkuhler, Aaron Taylor and Zach Wiegert. Other Sooner major award winners who will be in Lincoln are Brian Bosworth, Tom Brahaney, Tony Casillas, Rickey Dixon, Josh Heupel, Greg Pruitt, J.D. Roberts, Derrick Strait and Joe Washington.
Osborne, Switzer Equally Popular in Rival States
This is just a guess, but look for Barry Switzer to get the same kind of ovation that Turner Gill, Barry Alvarez and Frank Solich got when they popped up on the big screen in Nebraska's NCAA record 300th consecutive sellout celebration.
Memorial Stadium will be rocking, and Switzer will be smiling, waving and ingratiating himself to Husker fans who had a hard time liking him when he kept breaking their hearts. But they respect him now because the emotional wounds have healed, and they realize that he set a benchmark that forced Nebraska to get better and better and better.
Saturday night, tradition will frame a pair of 5-3 teams that have always set higher standards for themselves and will never lose sight of those who have won so much before them. Bob Devaney and Chuck Fairbanks may have been the icons for their respective programs in the early 1960s, but Osborne and Barry Switzer certainly continued the unparalleled standards of excellence set by their predecessors.
And believe this - both states have a healthy respect for each other. "When Barry comes to Nebraska, he's still one of the most popular attractions for banquets and other events," Osborne said last week, adding that he gets a similar reception whenever he speaks in Oklahoma.
Osborne thinks he knows why Nebraska and Oklahoma play every game against each other with respect instead of rancor. "For almost 30 years in a row, the winner of the Nebraska-Oklahoma game determined the Big 12 champion and an Orange Bowl berth," he said. "Most of the time, we were both in the Top 10, and sometimes, we were both in the Top 5.
"OU went through a dip in the '90s, and we went through ours more recently," Osborne said. "Most of the time, the games were highly competitive. They were never nasty. There was never any trash talk. Games were always played very hard with proper respect shown on both sides. The fans of both schools picked up on that healthy respect for each other, so this has been a great rivalry, but never a bitter rivalry."
And that fact alone puts the NU-OU football rivalry in a league of its own.
A month ago, a Huskers.com poll asked fans to name Nebraska's biggest rival in football. A total of 12,310 of you cast a vote, and 7,159 - or 58 percent said Oklahoma is our biggest rival. Colorado and Missouri each received 19 percent of the total vote with CU edging Mizzou by 80 votes - 2,376 to 2,296. Kansas (228 votes) finished fourth with 2 percent of the vote, and K-State (131) and Iowa State (120) each garnered 1 percent.
Osborne: Rivalries Cannot Be Declared
Rivalries, Osborne said, cannot be declared like Colorado tried to do with Nebraska when he was still the head coach. They must be earned through tradition, a consistently high level of play and an acknowledgement from both schools that they are indeed rivals.
Unlike Michigan-Ohio State and USC-UCLA, the NU-OU rivalry thrives and prospers because the Huskers and Sooners have decidedly different recruiting bases. OU recruits Texas primarily, and NU recruits the entire country to complement the Huskers' base that includes important forays into Texas.
"While we have recruited many of the same players, we've never been embroiled in recruiting battles like Oklahoma-Texas or some of the other big rivalries," Osborne said. "We recruit a lot of the players they don't and vice versa."
Last year, when OU hosted Nebraska the night before the game in Norman, Switzer said: "We could never do something like this with Texas."
Recruiting was one big reason why, but former Husker All-America defensive tackle John Dutton was struck by something else Switzer said that evening - that OU coaches, players and fans have never quite grasped how Nebraska has been able to beat the Sooners so often with players they never would have considered recruiting themselves.
Dutton's answer to that is a simple one. "We were always in better physical condition than the teams we played against," he said, "and everyone pushed everyone in practice every single day. It was a relentless mindset. From the scout team to the first team, no one would even think about losing."
The NU-OU rivalry proves that respect can be an integral part of an intense rivalry, and Osborne said Nebraska lobbied to keep the annual game intact when the Big 12 was organizing into two divisions. "It's my understanding that because Oklahoma's prime recruiting ground was Texas, they preferred to be in the South," he said.
"So I guess they were leaning more toward their rivalry with Texas than ours," Osborne said. "We tried to find a way to keep our game going on an annual basis, but it would throw the conference structure out of kilter, so we are where we are now. We still have the same respect for each other, but the rivalry just isn't the same when you don't get to play each other every year."
The weekend is pretty much over, but it was a great weekend. Nebraska won with a few "green" players in the starting lineup on offense. Cody Green was the first QB to start as a true freshman since Tommie Frazier did it back in 1992. He's still getting to know the offense, but still they responded well to having him under center. With the 20-10 win over Baylor, the Huskers are sitting at 5-3 (2-2 Big 12) and are one game closer to being eligible for post season play. Below is a list of possible bowl games (including BCS bowls), not saying the Huskers will run the table and go to the national title game (not yet anyway). I'm hoping the Huskers make it to the Cotton Bowl since the new Cowboys stadium is down the street from my apartment.
Another great bowl game is the Alamo Bowl. I've gone down there twice (2003, 2005), great overall experience down in San Antonio. The Holiday Bowl is another possible game that the Huskers could land. I'd fly out for that one. I think Tane said the drive is not far for her to come along. She had a great time down in Waco and even had her picture taken with Herbie. This weekend the Huskers take on Oklahoma who is also sitting at 5-3. Every game in college football is important as the teams jockey for position in the polls, but this one is very important since it's a possible turning point for the program. A win vs. OU and the Huskers are 6-3 with Kansas, Kansas State and Colorado left on the list. They'd also have the Big 12 North crown to add to their trophy case and a ticket down to Arlington with a December 5th date with Texas (from the looks of things right now).
Can Nebraska win the rest of their conference games? I think so, if their offensive line holds up, their receivers hold on to the ball, the running backs learn how to run straight through the hole vs. dancing around, and the defense plays solid. Is that asking a bit much? Maybe, we'll see. I think there's plenty of magic left at Memorial Stadium for this historic rivalry meeting again.
|
AdvoCare V100 Independence |
Shreveport, La. |
Dec. 28 |
ESPN2 |
|
Pacific Life Holiday |
San Diego |
Dec. 30 |
ESPN |
|
Brut Sun |
El Paso,
Texas |
Dec. 31 |
CBS |
|
Texas |
Houston |
Dec. 31 |
ESPN |
|
Insight |
Tempe,
Ariz. |
Dec. 31 |
NFL Network |
|
Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi |
Pasadena,
Calif. |
Jan. 1 |
ABC |
|
Allstate Sugar |
New Orleans |
Jan. 1 |
FOX |
|
AT&T Cotton |
Arlington,
Texas |
Jan. 2 |
FOX |
|
Valero Alamo |
San Antonio |
Jan. 2 |
ESPN |
|
Tostitos Fiesta |
Glendale, Ariz. |
Jan. 4 |
FOX |
|
FedEx Orange |
Miami |
Jan. 5 |
FOX |
|
Citi BCS National Championship Game |
Pasadena,
Calif. |
Jan. 7 |
ABC |
ADDENDUM
BCS Fiesta Bowl
Nebraska must: Win the Big 12 Championship.
Likely opponent: Boise State or TCU
Odds: Very Poor. NU can't beat Texas in its current state.
Cotton Bowl
Nebraska must: Win out but lose to Texas in the Big 12 title game
Likely opponent: Some SEC West leftover or Fightin Kiffins
Odds: Zero. One trip to Cowboys Stadium would be enough.
Holiday Bowl
Nebraska must: Beat OU, win North, lose to UT
Likely opponent: USC
Odds: Fair. But only if Nebraska beats Oklahoma.
Alamo Bowl
Nebraska Must: Win eight games, preferably the North title.
Likely Opponent: Minnesota or Northwestern
Odds: Good. We like NU to win North, but lose to OU.
Sun Bowl
Nebraska Must: Finish at least 7-5
Likely Opponent: California, Stanford or Arizona
Odds: Fair. If NU wins 7 but loses North, here's the spot.
Insight Bowl
Nebraska Must: Finish at least 6-6
Likely Opponent: Michigan State, Michigan, Northwestern.
Odds: Poor. NU would rather play in Shreveport, wethinks.
Independence Bowl
Nebraska Must: Finish 6-6
Likely Opponent: Arkansas, Ole Miss or Georgia
Odds: Poor. We think Nebraska wins at least two more.
Texas Bowl
Nebraska Must: Finish 6-6
Opponent: Navy
Odds: Very poor. This spot seems made for Iowa State or Texas A&M.
It's 0442, I'm still up doing laundry and cleaning my apartment, getting everything ready for Tane's weekend visit. I can't believe that this weekend is finally here. We've talked about this trip the past couple of months and BAM! Now it's here. I just printed her itinerary, I'll place it by my keys so I don't leave it on my printer. I'm really looking forward to the visit. We're going to head down to Waco, Tx for the Nebraska (GEAUX BIG RED!) and Baylor game Saturday. Kickoff is set at 1130 which is a bit early, but it may actually work in our favor since tomorrow is Halloween. Wow, I'm glad that I printed it just now otherwise I would've driven out to the wrong airport. Whoa!
We really haven't been able to talk as much this week since she was trying to get everything in order for her trip, but we'll have a 3 day period to hang out. This is her first taste of Nebraska (or college for that matter) football, she's more into the NFL. We briefly talked about what we'd like to do after the game. I think the game will end around 1530-1600, we talked about driving down to Austin to party down on 6th street later in the evening. I know a few great places for drinks and good food. Plus my cousin lives there and we could meet up with him (and his gf) to party the night away. The only downside of this is her flight leaves at 1130 Sunday morning! GASP! Time is a factor here.
Another option we discussed was just renting movies or going out to the movies back in the metroplex. I still have to find a shirt that will fit her, not to mention I have to swing by the Halloween costume store to pick up some makeup. I'm probably going to paint my face for the game (think back to the game vs. Auburn). Yeah, that's right.... skull. My Lattimer tribute once again, but this time I'll take my time with the application. It's 0451, I should be in bed, but I still have to check on the laundry. Hmm, even after Tane lands tomorrow, Chuck was talking about heading out to Wish Lounge. Apparently, he placed us on the list to get in. I've never been there, just heard it was a decent place to party.
I'm not sure if that will be a good idea since we have to get up and hit the road by 0800 for Waco. We may just pass. Damn the luck. Speaking of luck, one great turn in my favor had to do with my days off. I only requested Friday-Saturday for Tane's trip and the game, but amended it to include Sunday and Monday. My GM was okay with this request so now I have a 96 hour liberty! Sweet! So far it's shaping up nicely. I plan on shopping for a new couch and some shelves from IKEA to move to my apartment. I love that store! Right now, it's looking like IKEA will be right along side Chipotle in having all my money. HA!
I'll be sure to post the photos and video from the weekend as I can (some will be from my iphone, the rest from my camera). I plan on taking Tane to a few places in my area to eat. Of course I have to take her out for crawfish! Mmmmmm. She's not looking forward to it, but is open to the idea. Should be fun. I need to log off, check on my laundry, finish cleaning my apartment, and go through some scales work on my guitar. Speaking of guitar, I need to return my GM's acoustic to him. He dropped it off at work for me to check out, it's a Fender. Not bad, but not made in the U.S.A. (Korean made), still, a free guitar is a great guitar (to an extent). I checked the strings (they're still good), tuned it and then strummed a few chords, it's holding a tune and has a nice sound to it. He was just going to give it to me when I told him that I played, but then I didn't stop talking about guitar and then he was excited to pick it up again. I should learn to keep my mouth shut at times.
That is all...
Geaux Big Red!
| I even wore my "redemption" t-shirt.
And boy, was it ever worth it. Nebraska passed its first major Big 12 Conference test, partly through guts and determination, partly through strong defense, but mainly because Zac Lee and the Cornhuskers found out that they could make big plays when they had to. And the Huskers had to do it in a place that has been their house of horrors this decade. The Cornhuskers had lost three straight in Columbia by lopsided margins, and last year the Tigers gave Nebraska one of its worst homefield beatings ever. In the days leading up to the game, Missouri fans and media milked that fact for all it was worth. Missouri owned the Big 12 North now, they said. Lee would not be able to survive the pressure the Tigers would bring, they said. And for three horrendous quarters, it looked like they were right. To win this one, the Huskers had to tie their best-ever fourth-quarter comeback, matching the 1966 Huskers, who trailed Colorado 19-7 in the final period but came back to win 21-19 in Boulder. Lee survived a baptism of fire in a deluge of near-Biblical proportions and put together a tremendous closing burst long after much of Husker Nation — including me — was seriously wondering if Shawn Watson was going to pull him and try his luck with freshman Cody Green. It was going that badly for Lee, who at one point was eight-for-23 passing and looking more and more uncertain by the minute as his offensive line started to self-destruct with the same kind of penalties that plagued it during the loss at Virginia Tech. Meanwhile, sophomore quarterback Blaine Gabbert, the one that got away from Nebraska, was gutting out a reasonably good first three quarters on what looked like a sprained right ankle. He was moving the Tigers just enough to take advantage of a self-destructive Nebraska offense and kicking game that seemed determined to put as much pressure on the NU defense as they possibly could. And the demons — or whatever they were — continued to plague Nebraska. A short Missouri kick caromed off an unsuspecting Husker to give the Tigers good field position, something that happened about the same place on the same field in 2003 when Missouri started its run of success against NU. Missouri used well-timed blitzes to disrupt the Husker running game and Lee’s passing, in much the same way they did to sophomore quarterback Turner Gill and NU back in 1981. | When Prince Amukamara dropped a likely pick-six in the second quarter, then slipped and fell on a pass play just before halftime that resulted in an unlikely touchdown for Missouri, and when Ndamukong Suh and Larry Asante dropped back-to-back interceptions that allowed the Tigers to eke out another field goal and a 12-0 lead at the end of three quarters, you had to wonder if a plague of locusts in slickers paddling up the Mighty Mo in rubber rafts to pillage the Cornhusker State was next on the docket. The Huskers seemingly were back to their old tricks — almost making big plays. But to their credit, the Huskers didn’t crack. The Blackshirts refused to buckle, Bo Pelini didn’t lose his cool and Zac Lee dropped back in the rain and tossed a perfect pass to Niles Paul streaking toward the end zone on a well-designed post pattern. Fifty-six yards and a touchdown. That was all it took to break through the barricades of frustration that Missouri had constructed. Suh, who became a frontrunner for All-American honors at defensive tackle in this game, plucked an interception out of the wet night sky and returned it to the Missouri 18. Two plays later, Paul made another big play, outfighting two Missouri defenders for a 13-yard touchdown pass. The dam burst and the demons rushed downstream like so many gallons of putrid Missouri flood water. A few moments later, Dejon Gomes jumped a short route and picked Gabbert clean, returning the interception to the Tiger 10. Moments later, Lee beat a blitz and hit a wide-open Mike McNeill with a perfect strike. Was that the superstructure of Missouri’s claim to Big 12 North dominance I saw floating downstream? There go Missouri’s talking points. Now the Show Me State has to prove that it can come back and fight through a tough stretch in its schedule to stay in contention in the North. This was potentially a big tiebreaker win for the Big Red. "We showed a lot of character when things weren't going our way in some tough conditions," Nebraska Coach Bo Pelini said. "But we made some plays, got some turnovers and I'm really proud of our guys." Despite the demons, despite the penalties, despite the lackluster offense and troubling kicking game, Nebraska broke through and grabbed a big road win that will help the Huskers gain credibility around the nation — and in their own division. |
1 2 3 4 - Final
Nebraska 0 0 0 27 - 27
Missouri 0 9 3 0 - 12
2nd quarter
MU - TEAM safety, 14:01
MU - Blaine Gabbert 1 run (Grant Ressel kick), 0:00
3rd quarter
MU - Grant Ressel 33 field goal, 1:26
4th quarter
NU - Niles Paul, 56 pass from Zac Lee
(Alex Henery kick), 13:56
NU - Niles Paul, 13 pass from Zac Lee
(pass failed), 12:59
NU - Mike McNeill, 8 pass from Zac Lee
(Alex Henery kick), 10:34
NU - Roy Helu Jr., 5 run (Alex Henery kick), 00:56
NU MU
FIRST DOWNS................... 14 15
RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............ 33-105 35-91
PASSING YDS (NET)............. 158 134
Passes Att-Comp-Int......... 33-14-0 43-17-2
TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS..... 66-263 78-225
Fumble Returns-Yards.......... 0-0 0-0
Punt Returns-Yards............ 4--5 4-63
Kickoff Returns-Yards......... 1-2 5-82
Interception Returns-Yards.... 2-40 0-0
Punts (Number-Avg)............ 8-39.4 8-44.6
Fumbles-Lost.................. 5-2 2-1
Penalties-Yards............... 12-108 8-100
Possession Time............... 29:32 30:28
Third-Down Conversions........ 8 of 17 5 of 18
Fourth-Down Conversions....... 0 of 1 1 of 2
Red-Zone Scores-Chances....... 3-3 2-2
Sacks By: Number-Yards........ 2-15 1-7
RUSHING
NU: Helu Jr., Roy 18-88; Burkhead, Rex 5-34;
Lee, Zac 8-7; TEAM 2-minus 24.
MU: Washington, Der 20-80; Moore, De'Vion 6-9;
Gabbert, Blaine 9-2.
PASSING
NU: Lee, Zac 14-33-0-158.
MU: Gabbert, Blaine 17-43-2-134.
RECEIVING
NU: Paul, Niles 6-102; Gilleylen, C. 3-14;
Holt, Menelik 2-26; McNeill, Mike 1-8;
Reed, Kyler 1-4; Burkhead, Rex 1-4.
MU: Alexander, Dana 6-43; Perry, Jared 4-68;
Washington, Der 3-10; Jackson, Jerrel 2-11;
Moore, De'Vion 1-4; Kemp, Wes 1-minus 2.
Attendance: 65,826
ULL radio man Jay Walker comes away enthralled by the Lincoln experience.
Sep 28
Monday, September 28, 2009 8:53 AM
This is my 18th season covering Cajuns football. And, for eight years before that, I had the opportunity to broadcast selected games on TV as well.
I've been to nine SEC stadiums. (I'll go to a tenth next season at Georgia.) I've seen the grove at Ole Miss, experienced the Gator Chomp, the Mississippi State cowbells, been a part of Alabama football in both Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. I've been called "Tigerbait" in Baton Rouge and experienced some pretty good hospitality in South Carolina.
I've said hello to the folks at Illinois and Minnesota. Felt September heat in Tempe, AZ.
Been to Manhattan, Lubbock, Austin, Stillwater and College Station. College Station was probably the best. Folks say "Howdy" when they see you. And they say "welcome."
Haven't been to the Horseshoe, the Big House or Happy Valley. Nor have I seen Touchdown Jesus.
But I've been to College Football Nirvana.
It's located in Lincoln, Nebraska.
From the time we touched down ("Welcome to Lincoln," the police officers doing the escort said) to the time we left the stadium ("Thanks so much for coming, have a safe trip home. We hope you'll come back again") every Cajun fan felt like a guest.
That's right. A guest. Not the opposition...not the enemy....a guest.
Check into the Cornhusker Marriott, not far from campus. Fans of Big Red Nation are already there. Smiles, handshakes....welcome to Lincoln. Good luck tomorrow.
Board the bus for dinner. Arrive at Misty's, Lincoln's famous steakhouse (I mean, you gotta eat a steak, right?). There were about 25 in our party. We had to wait about twenty minutes for them to get everything ready. No problem. As soon as the patrons saw the Cajun gear, they wanted to talk...introduce themselves....welcome to Lincoln....thanks so much for coming. Hope you enjoy the game.....
Is this for real??
And, it continued throughout the evening and into the night. We made lots of friends. We Cajun people make friends pretty easily, but it's even easier when folks want to be friends.
In Lincoln, they all want to be your friend.
Gameday is different in Lincoln. They tailgate, sure....but it's tougher because, well, there's just not a lot of tailgaiting spots. But they do open the soccer field next to the stadium. Families can let the kids roam free. Nebraska radio does a pregame show there. And, a band plays during the commercial breaks.
I did an interview at the soccer field with the Nebraska radio folks. And then, had a pretty good trek to the media entrance. At each gate, the sight was the same. Hundreds lined up, waiting for the gates to open so they could get into the stadium and watch their team warm up.
By the time Nebraska came out, about 45 minutes before kickoff, the stadium was about 65% full. There was no "hey, let's stay outside and pound a few more beers."
Because it was gameday. And they came to see football.
By the time the band was ready to come out, 86000 strong were in their seats. They stood and clapped along when the Cornhusker Band played "Fight on Cajuns" to honor their guests. And when the band played "There is no Place Like Nebraska" I knew that the statement was true.
For the first time ever in my years covering the Cajuns, I did not hear a single boo when the Cajuns came out of their tunnel onto their sidelines; in fact, I heard a smattering of applause.
During the game, 86000 cheered as Nebraska rolled. They didn't leave at halftime to go out and start drinking (and remember it was 34-0 at the half). Some were outside, but they had passes to get back in and by the time the second half was ready to kick off, they were all back in their seats.
In the fourth quarter there were STILL over 80000 in the stands. Security keeps an eye out for the sign of alcohol in the stands, which is how trouble starts. If they see alcohol they don't turn a blind eye. After all, college football is about a FAMILY atmosphere.
And when it ended, the fans stayed for another Cornhusker tradition. They applauded the Cajuns as they left the field.
Now you might say...sure, it's easy to clap for someone when you just beat them 55-0. But they do that when their team LOSES. The newspaper on Saturday morning reprinted a handwritten letter from Florida State coach Bobby Bowden after the Seminoles got a hard fought 18-14 win years ago. Yep, the Nebraska fans cheered them as they left.
More of the same post game. There was a young man in a wheelchair where the Cajun players were getting their postgame meal. As each player came out, the young man thanked them for coming and wished them safe travels home. Many of the players stopped to chat for a minute.
Then it was over. And, as the buses left for the airport, the fans that were still there waved and applauded. No one finger salutes. No "you suck" chants. Simply, safe travels, my friends.
If the two teams should play again in the future, plan ahead Cajun Fans. Make the long drive or the relatively short flight. Come in Friday...leave Sunday. And, you will learn what REAL college football atmosphere is about.
Because, trust me.....there is no place like Nebraska.