NEBRASKA vs NORTHWESTERN
OCT. 5, 2019 | MEMORIAL STADIUM
LINCOLN, NEB. | 3 P.M. (CT)

BROADCAST INFO
TV - FOX (Tim Brando, Spencer Tillman, Coley Harvey)
RADIO - Husker Sports Network (Greg Sharpe, Matt Davison, Ben McLaughlin
SATELLITE RADIO - Sirius Channel 83, XM 83
INTERNET RADIO - Huskers.com, TuneIn.com
APP AUDIO - Official Huskers App, TuneIn App
SPANISH RADIO - Huskers.com, Huskers App, 97.7 FM (Omaha/Lincoln), 93.3 FM (Grand Island) 

HUSKERS
2019 Record: 3-2, 1-1 Big Ten
Last Game: Ohio State (L, 48-7)
Rankings: NR
Coach: Scott Frost
Career/NU Record: 26-17 (4th Year)/7-10 (2nd Year) 
vs. Northwestern: 0-1

WILDCATS
2019 Record: 1-3, 0-2 Big Ten
Last Game: Wisconsin (L, 24-15)
Rankings: NR
Coach: Pat Fitzgerald
Career/NW Record: 97-73 (14th Year)/Same
vs. Nebraska: 4-4

The Matchup
Nebraska plays its second straight home game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon, as the Huskers entertain Northwestern in a Big Ten West battle. The game will mark Homecoming 2019 in Lincoln. Kickoff is set for shortly after 3 p.m. with national television coverage on Fox. The game can be heard on the Husker Sports Network from Learfield-IMG. 

Nebraska will look to bounce back from a loss to fifth-ranked Ohio State on Saturday night in Lincoln. The setback dropped Nebraska to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in Big Ten Conference play. The Huskers now head into a key stretch of two Big Ten West games in the next two weeks, with games against Northwestern and at Minnesota before heading into their first bye week of the 2019 season. 

Northwestern heads to Lincoln with a 1-3 overall mark and an 0-2 record in Big Ten Conference play. The Wildcats have faced a difficult early-season schedule, opening Big Ten play against a pair of nationally ranked opponents in Wisconsin and Michigan State. The reigning Big Ten West champ Wildcats again have a strong defense, allowing 318.8 yards and 21.5 points per game in 2019. 

Since Nebraska joined the Big Ten, the series between the Huskers and Wildcats has consistently provided some of the most entertaining and tightly contested league games on an annual basis.

Series History
Nebraska holds a 7-5 all-time lead in the series between the two schools. Since Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011, the schools have split eight games, with the visiting team winning six of the eight contests.  

•     Prior to Nebraska joining the Big Ten, the schools had met four times. Nebraska held a 2-1 edge in regular-season matchups, and also defeated the Wildcats in the 2000 Alamo Bowl.

Nebraska has History of Tight Matchups with Wildcats
Six of the eight meetings have been decided by three or fewer points or in overtime, with the teams needing overtime the past two seasons. 

•     The four games in Lincoln between the two schools have all went down to the wire. The first three meetings at Memorial Stadium between 2011 and 2015 were decided by a total of eight points. The 2017 meeting in Lincoln went to overtime before the Wildcats posted a 31-24 victory. 

•     Nebraska holds a 226-205 scoring edge in the eight meetings as Big Ten opponents.

Huskers on Homecoming
Nebraska will play host to Northwestern on Saturday as part of the annual Homecoming festivities on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus. The game will be the 109th all-time Homecoming contest in school history. The Huskers boast an all-time record of 81-23-4 (.769 winning percentage) in Homecoming games. 

The Huskers lost last year's Homecoming game against Purdue in Lincoln, ending a streak of nine straight Homecoming victories. Nebraska is 6-1 against Big Ten teams in Homecoming games since 2011. 

Nebraska Joins 900-Win Club
Nebraska reached a major milestone in the history of its program with its win at Illinois on Sept. 21, becoming the fifth program in the country with 900 all-time victories. Nebraska joined Michigan (956), Ohio State (916), Texas (911), and Alabama (910) in the 900-win club. Oklahoma and Notre Dame joined the 900-win club a week later on Sept. 28.
all-time wins

Rk. School (Wins)
1. Michigan (956)
2. Ohio State (916)
3. Texas (911)
4. Alabama (910)
5. Nebraska (900)
    Notre Dame (900)
    Oklahoma (900)

Frost Offenses Impressive on Opening Drives
One common theme of a Scott Frost-led offense has been a fast start, and that has held true for Frost's tenure in Lincoln. NU has scored on its opening drive in three of the first five games in 2019. 

Nebraska received the opening kickoff against South Alabama and drove nine plays and 81 yards for a touchdown to a take a 7-0 lead. At Colorado, Nebraska drove 96 yards in five plays on its first possession to take a 7-0 lead. The Huskers opened with a field goal on the game's first drive against Northern Illinois, covering 58 yards in eight plays. The opening-drive success has continued a theme throughout Frost's head coaching tenure. 

• Nebraska scored on its first possession seven times in 12 games last season, including six of the final seven games. All seven of NU's opening scoring drives resulted in touchdowns. In Frost's two seasons, Nebraska has scored on its opening possession 10 times in 17 games.

• NU received the opening kickoff nine times in 2018 and scored touchdowns on six of those drives while punting only once. The Huskers had a game-opening touchdown drive to take a 7-0 lead in five straight games during the Big Ten Conference season.

• The Huskers scored on nearly 60 percent of their opening possessions in 2018, even with a pair of drive-ending turnovers in opponent territory. Nebraska's average touchdown drive covered more than 74 yards, including one 80-yard touchdown march and five 75-yard scoring drives.
• Over the last three seasons - 2018-19 at Nebraska and 2017 at UCF - Frost's offenses have scored a touchdown on their opening possession 18 times in 30 games (60 percent). The average length of the touchdown drive in that span is 74 yards.

• In three-plus years as a head coach, Frost's offenses have scored on their opening drive 23 times in 43 games, with 21 touchdowns and two field goals. In 83 games over six-plus seasons as a play-caller, Frost's offenses have scored on their first possession of the game 44 times, putting points on the board in more than half of their opening possessions.

• Frost's Opening Drive Scoring Percentage: 53% (44 of 83 drives)    
• Frost's Opening Drive Touchdown Percentage: 46% (38 of 83 drives)

Barry Continues to Pile Up Tackles as Blackshirt Leader
Senior inside linebacker Mohamed Barry is serving as a team captain in 2019 after a breakthrough junior season in 2018. Barry totaled 112 tackles as a junior after recording only 44 tackles in his first two seasons combined.

• Barry leads the Nebraska defense with 41 tackles in 2019. He opened the season with a team-high 12 tackles against South Alabama, tying his career high. He added a team-high 10 tackles against Northern Illinois for his ninth career double-figure tackle game.  He has led Nebraska in tackles in 12 of 17 games since the start of the 2018 season. 

• Barry is looking to become the sixth Husker to have back-to-back 100-tackle seasons, joining David (2010-11), his position coach Barrett Ruud (2003-04), Lee Kunz (1977-78), Clete Pillen (1975-76) and Jerry Murtaugh (1969-70). 

• Barry led Nebraska with 112 tackles in 2018, the most by a Husker since Lavonte David made 133 stops in 2011. Barry was second in the Big Ten and 38th nationally with an average of 9.3 tackles per game, and he was the Big Ten's leading returner in that category.

• Barry was tabbed as a third-team All-Big Ten selection by the conference media in 2018 and was an honorable-mention selection by the league's coaches. He is on the 2019 preseason watch lists for the Butkus Award and the Lott IMPACT Trophy.

Bootle and Jackson Break Up Opponent Passing Games
Junior Dicaprio Bootle wreaked havoc on opponent passing games in 2018. Bootle broke up 15 passes and had a career-high 39 tackles in his first season as a starter in 2018, helping Nebraska rank 34th nationally in pass efficiency defense, a 61-spot improvement from the 2017 season. This season Bootle ranks second on the team with four breakups.

• Bootle ranked ninth nationally in breakups and 16th nationally in passes defended per game (1.3) in 2018. His 15 pass breakups ranked second on Nebraska's season chart and were the most by a Husker since DeJuan Groce broke up a school-record 17 passes in 2000. Bootle has four pass breakups in 2019.

• Bootle earned third-team All-Big Ten honors last year, becoming the first Husker cornerback to be honored by the conference in four seasons.

• Senior Lamar Jackson lines up opposite Bootle at corner, giving Nebraska one of the conference's best cornerback tandems. Jackson has an interception and a team-high nine PBU in 2019.

• Jackson ranks third in the nation in passes defended per game at 2.0 per contest and is tied for the national lead with his nine breakups.

• Jackson had a career-high four breakups against Northern Illinois, bettering his previous career high of two breakups in a single game.

Spielman Continues to Climb Husker Charts
Junior wide receiver JD Spielman has already made Husker history as the only player in program history to have a 200-yard receiving game. Spielman is also leaving his mark on Nebraska's career record book. He has 140 career catches for 2,039 yards, ranking sixth all-time at Nebraska in both categories.

• Spielman reached 2,000 and 1,000 career receiving yards faster than any other Husker. He hit 2,000 yards at Illinois on Sept. 21, breaking the 2,000-yard barrier in 25 games. He reached 1,000 career yards in only 15 games, eclipsing Heisman winner Johnny Rodgers (16 games).
 
• Spielman needs 50 catches and 708 yards to become Nebraska's all-time leader in both categories. He averaged 61 catches and 842 receiving yards per season in his first two years. On a per-game basis in his 26-game career, Spielman averages 5.4 receptions and 78.4 receiving yards. 

• Spielman is the only player in school history to record 100 catches prior to his junior season.

• Spielman owns the only two 200-yard receiving games in Husker history (200 yards vs. Ohio State in 2017 and 209 yards at Wisconsin in 2018).

• Spielman is the only wide receiver in school history to have two career games with double-digit receptions (11 vs. Ohio State in 2017 and 10 vs. Purdue in 2018). Running back Marlon Lucky is the only other Husker to have two career games with double-digit catches.

• Spielman had more than 800 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons, joining Johnny Rodgers and Stanley Morgan Jr. as the only Huskers with two 800-yard receiving seasons. No Husker has ever had three 800-yard receiving seasons.

• Spielman had more than 50 catches in each of his first two seasons, joining Johnny Rodgers, Kenny Bell and Stanley Morgan Jr. as the only players in program history with multiple 50-catch seasons. No Husker has ever had three 50-catch seasons.

• Spielman opened the 2019 season with a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown against South Alabama, marking his second career punt return score. He had a 77-yard punt return touchdown last season against Bethune-Cookman. He also had a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in his first career touch against Arkansas State in the 2017 season opener. Spielman is one of only eight players in program history to return both a punt and kickoff for a touchdown.

• Spielman had a 65-yard TD reception at Colorado, his sixth career touchdown of at least 65 yards. 

• Spielman had seven catches for 160 yards at Illinois, marking his third-highest receiving total at Nebraska. It was his sixth career 100-yard receiving game. 

Huskers Discuss Homecoming Bout with Northwestern

Nebraska Head Coach Scott Frost and Husker football players met with members of the media at Memorial Stadium on Monday afternoon to kick off Northwestern week. The Huskers host the Wildcats on Saturday at 3 p.m. (CT) in a game televised nationally by FOX.

Nebraska comes into the game with a 3-2 overall record, and a 1-1 Big Ten mark following a 48-7 loss to No. 5 Ohio State Saturday in Lincoln. The Wildcats will travel to Lincoln with a 1-3 record, including an 0-2 mark in the Big Ten. Northwestern's lone victory was a 30-14 home win over UNLV. The Wildcats own conference losses to nationally ranked Big Ten teams Michigan State (31-10) and Wisconsin (24-15).

For complete transcripts of Coach Frost's session with the media, and those of Nebraska players, click on the links below:

Minnesota Game Time and TV Information Announced

The Big Ten Conference announced on Monday morning that Nebraska's Oct. 12 game at Minnesota will kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT and will be televised on FS1 or BTN. The network designation will be determined following this Saturday's games.  
 
Nebraska's game this Saturday against Northwestern at Memorial Stadium will be televised on FOX with kickoff shortly after 3 p.m. CT.  Game times and television announcements for remaining 2019 Nebraska football games will be made six to 12 days in advance.

Old School Offense Will Stay

Nebraska's sudden dose of fullback traps, option runs and toss sweeps stunned Ohio State's defense for a series Saturday night and provided fond flashbacks for a delighted Memorial Stadium crowd.
 
They're staying in the Huskers' playbook, too.
 
"We'll see more of that stuff going forward," Nebraska coach Scott Frost said Monday at his weekly news conference. "I want that to be a piece of what we're doing. It's part of what Nebraska has been built on and the fabric of what we are, what we need to get back to a little bit."
 
The highlight series came late in the first quarter, with Nebraska trailing 14-0. Quarterback Adrian Martinez went under center, the Huskers assumed the I-formation, and suddenly, a stagnant Nebraska offense had the Buckeyes on their heels.
 
A couple of 12-yards by Dedrick Mills, playing fullback, an 8-yard option keeper by Martinez and a toss to I-back Wan'Dale Robinson for 5 yards helped Nebraska drive from its 25 to the Ohio State 26. So surprised was OSU coach Ryan Day that he called time out to slow the Huskers' momentum as much as he did to make adjustments.
 
"I think it took them off guard a little bit, and it is something that we have been working on," Martinez said, "and again, the guys had an attack mentality and the offensive line did a great job with that series of plays."
 
An interception by Ohio State's Jeff Okudah on the first play after the timeout ended the series, though, and Nebraska, trailing 17-0 the next time it touched the ball, had to return to its normal up-tempo, spread attack to try to rally.
 
But Frost liked what he saw from the I-formation, which has been a part of Nebraska's practices for some time, and was a staple in the 80s and 90s, including when Frost played quarterback.
 
"You can't run that stuff unless you've been working on it," Frost said. "We've been working on it for a long time.
 
"Some of the things we're running fit the defense that they gave us. I thought the guys went out and executed that well. So, we'll pick our spots, but it certainly looked pretty good the first time out."
 
Frost added the wrinkle because he felt he had the personnel to run it, beginning with Mills, who was familiar with that type of offense when he flourished his freshman year at Georgia Tech.
 
"I was happy to be running the ball the same way again," Mills said, noting the Huskers have been having success in practice with the I-formation. "Had a good feel for it in practice. Just doing the same thing I did in the game is the same thing I did in practice. The way I practice is the way I play."
 
Martinez, of course, has the perfect coach to show him, literally, how to run the option.
 
"I think it is a little bit of a different read (than out of the shotgun), but it is something that we practice," Martinez said, "and I think just being a dual-threat athletic quarterback, getting those reps and just working on it, you get used to reacting in that way.
 
"I think it could be a real weapon for us moving forward, and we are going to continue to work on it and progress with it, and we will see where it goes in the coming future."

Sweet Mission
 
Whatever motivated outside hitter Jazz Sweet over the weekend for the Nebraska volleyball team, John Cook wants more of it.
 
"Jazz was on a mission this weekend," Cook said Monday. "Hope it keeps up. She was on a mission. Finally, finally saw her on a mission."
 
That mission resulted in 13 kills on .526 hitting in No. 3 Nebraska's sweep at Northwestern on Saturday. She had the first three points, all kills, in the second game. That came a day after Sweet collected a career-high 17 kills on .333 hitting to help the Huskers rally for a five-game victory at No. 20 Illinois.
 
"She was a very inspired, determined player," Cook said, "and had a really big weekend."
 
Cook said Sweet's success resulted from a combination of Nicklin Hames setting Sweet more often and Sweet simply being more aggressive.
 
"They were in a good rhythm, and we've been working really hard with Nicklin on how to set her, but Jazz was just very motivated," Cook said. "That's the only way I can say it. She was on a mission."
 
What's the mission?
 
"I don't know. She wants to be a great player. That's the mission," Cook said. "We started off the year and she didn't seem very inspired, but she sure brought it this weekend. It was fun to watch."
 
Cook said Nebraska needs Sweet to continue playing in that manner because it gives the Huskers a needed balanced attack.
 
"When you got a leftie over there, you can set her in a lot more situations than you can with a righty," Cook said, "and that's what really helps us and takes a load off our left sides."

Here Comes Northwestern
 
Buckle up.
 
Nebraska plays Northwestern on Saturday at Memorial Stadium, and you know what that means – a nail-biter.
 
It's the ninth meeting between the schools as Big Ten rivals, and six of the previous eight games have been decided by seven or fewer points. That includes Nebraska's famous Hail Mary pass on the game's final play in 2013 and 12-point, fourth-quarter comeback on the road in 2012, when the Wildcats missed a field goal with 1:10 left in a 29-28 Husker victory.
 
Northwestern, meanwhile, has won the last two games, both in overtime, and is 3-1 in Lincoln, the lone loss the aforementioned Hail Mary game.
 
So, yeah, pay no attention to the Wildcats' 1-3 start. Frost and his team know better.
 
"They're just such a well-coached team year-in and year-out," Frost said. "They're disciplined and they're smart. They're not going to beat themselves. Those kinds of teams end up in a lot of close games.
 
"If we're in one, we need our guys to respond well."