| Nebraska Cornhuskers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Current season: 2025 Nebraska Cornhuskers
| |||
| |||
| First season | 1890 | ||
| Head coach | Matt Rhule | ||
| 3rd year, 13–13 (.500) | |||
| Home stadium | Memorial Stadium (Lincoln) | ||
| Stadium capacity | 85,458[1] Record: 91,585 | ||
| Stadium surface | FieldTurf | ||
| Location | Lincoln, Nebraska | ||
| Conference | Big Ten | ||
| Division | West | ||
| Past conferences | Independent (1890–91) WIUFA (1892–97) Independent (1898–1906) MVIAA (1907–18) Independent (1919–20) Big 8 Conference (1921–95) Big 12 (1996–2010) | ||
| All-time history | |||
| All-time record | 919–424–40 (.679) | ||
| Postseason bowl record | 26–27 (.491) | ||
| Claimed national titles | 5 (1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997) | ||
| Conference titles | 46 | ||
| Division titles | 10 (1996, 1997, 1999–2001, 2006, 2008–10, 2012) | ||
| Rivalries | Colorado (rivalry) Iowa (rivalry) Kansas Kansas State (rivalry) Miami (FL) (rivalry) Minnesota (rivalry) Missouri (rivalry) Oklahoma (rivalry) UCLA Texas (rivalry) Wisconsin (rivalry) | ||
| Heisman winners | 3 Johnny Rodgers (1972) Mike Rozier (1983) Eric Crouch (2001) | ||
| Consensus All-Americans | 54[2] | ||
| Current uniform | |||
 | |||
| Colors | Scarlet [3] and Cream[3]
| ||
| Fight song | There is No Place Like Nebraska, Hail Varsity | ||
| Mascot | Lil' Red/Herbie Husker | ||
| Marching band | Cornhusker Marching Band (The Pride of All Nebraska) | ||
| Outfitter | Adidas | ||
| Website | huskers.com | ||
The Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represents the University of Nebraska, Lincoln located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Cornhuskers, also known as the Huskers, are a member of the NCAA FBS Big Ten Conference, which they joined in 2011. Previously, Nebraska had been members of the Big 12 Conference from 1996-2010, and before that they were in the Big 8 Conference from 1928 to 1995.
The Cornhuskers play their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln and are currently coached by Matt Rhule.
History[]
Nebraska is among the most storied programs in college football history. The Cornhuskers trail only Michigan, Ohio State, and Texas in all-time victories among FBS teams, and have won more games against Power Five opponents than any other program.[4] Nebraska claims 46 conference championships and five national championships (1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, and 1997), and has won nine other national championships that the school does not claim.[5][6] NU's 1971 and 1995 title-winning teams are considered by many to be among the best in college football history.[7] Famous Cornhuskers include Heisman Trophy winners Johnny Rodgers, Mike Rozier, and Eric Crouch. Rodgers, named Nebraska's "Player of the Century" in 1999, and Rozier, who graduated as the NCAA's all-time yards per carry leader, join 22 other Cornhuskers in the College Football Hall of Fame. Notable among these are players Bob Brown, Guy Chamberlin, Tommie Frazier, Rich Glover, Dave Rimington, and Will Shields, and coaches Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne.[8]
The program's first extended period of success came just after the turn of the century. Between 1900 and 1916, Nebraska had five undefeated seasons and completed a stretch of 34 consecutive games without a loss, still a program record.[9] Despite a span of 21 conference championships in 33 seasons, the Cornhuskers didn't experience major national success until Bob Devaney was hired in 1962. In eleven seasons as head coach, Devaney won two national championships, eight conference titles, and coached 22 All-Americans, but perhaps his most lasting achievement was the hiring of Tom Osborne as offensive coordinator in 1969.[10] Osborne was named Devaney's successor in 1973, and over the next 25 years established himself as one of the best coaches in college football history with his trademark I-form offense and revolutionary strength, conditioning, and nutrition programs.[11] Following Osborne's retirement in 1997, Nebraska cycled through four head coaches before hiring state native Scott Frost in 2017.[12]
Championships[]
National championships[]
Nebraska has won five consensus national championships. The first of these came in 1970 under the leadership of head coach Bob Devaney and featured a unique quarterback rotation between Van Brownson and Jerry Tagge. Nebraska entered the 1971 Orange Bowl ranked third nationally, but losses by No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Ohio State – along with a late game-winning touchdown rush by Tagge – gave NU its first consensus title. The Cornhuskers repeated as national champion the following season with Tagge as the full-time starter, a team that is often considered one of the best in college football history. Nebraska was challenged just once all season, a 35–31 victory over No. 2 Oklahoma in Norman that was billed the "Game of the Century." Wins over Colorado and Alabama (the latter in the 1972 Orange Bowl) made NU the only national champion to defeat the teams that finished No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 in the final AP poll.
Tom Osborne replaced Devaney in 1973, and despite several near-misses, did not win his first national title until over two decades into his tenure. Nebraska's 1994 title-winning season, nearly derailed when star quarterback Tommie Frazier was sidelined with blood clots in September, was capped by a 24–17 victory over Miami in the Orange Bowl. With Frazier at full strength the following season, NU repeated as national champion; its 62–24 Fiesta Bowl victory over Florida was the largest margin of victory in a national title game until 2023. The team is often considered among the best in college football history. Osborne's final title came in 1997, two years later. The most significant moment of the season was a game-tying touchdown against Missouri that became known as the "Flea Kicker." Top-ranked Nebraska won the game in overtime, but was jumped in both major polls by Michigan. Postseason wins over Texas A&M and Tennessee vaulted NU back ahead of the Wolverines in the Coaches Poll, though not the AP Poll, sharing the national championship.
| Year | Coach | Record | Bowl | Result | Final AP | Final Coaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Bob Devaney | 11–0–1 | Orange | W 17–12 vs. LSU | No. 1 | No. 3 |
| 1971 | 13–0 | Orange | W 38–6 vs. Alabama | No. 1 | No. 1 | |
| 1994 | Tom Osborne | 13–0 | Orange | W 24–17 vs. Miami (FL) | No. 1 | No. 1 |
| 1995 | 12–0 | Fiesta | W 62–24 vs. Florida | No. 1 | No. 1 | |
| 1997 | 13–0 | Orange | W 42–17 vs. Tennessee | No. 2 | No. 1 |
Unclaimed national championships
Nebraska has been awarded seven other national championships from NCAA-designated major selectors the school does not claim.
| Year | Coach | Record | Bowl | Result | Selector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | Ewald O. Stiehm | 8–0 | – | – | BR |
| 1980 | Tom Osborne | 10–2 | Sun | W 31–17 vs. Mississippi State | FACT |
| 1981 | 9–3 | Orange | L 22–15 vs. Clemson | NCF | |
| 1982 | 12–1 | Orange | W 21–20 vs. LSU | Berryman QPRS | |
| 1983 | 12–1 | Orange | L 31–30 vs. Miami (FL) | Berryman QPRS, DeS, FACT, L, MGR, Poling System, Sagarin | |
| 1984 | 10–2 | Sugar | W 28–10 vs. LSU | L | |
| 1993 | 11–1 | Orange | L 18–16 vs. Florida State | NCF |
Conference championships[]
Nebraska has won forty-six conference championships. The earliest of these came in the short-lived Western Interstate University Football Association, one of college football's first conferences, which NU participated in for six seasons with Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri. The conference dissolved in 1897 and NU spent the next decade as an independent until the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association – which became the Big Eight – was founded in 1907. Nebraska dominated the MVIAA in its early years, winning nine championships in twelve years before leaving the conference in 1919 to again play as an independent. NU rejoined in 1921 and won the conference twelve times before 1940. Following Biff Jones's departure to become the athletic director at Army in 1941, NU went twenty-two seasons without a conference championship.
Devaney was hired in 1962 and quickly turned NU into a powerhouse, winning eight conference titles and two national titles during his eleven years as head coach. Osborne succeeded him in 1973 and won thirteen conference championships; the late-season meeting between Nebraska and Oklahoma often became a de-facto Big Eight championship game, as the two schools combined to win at least a share of the conference title thirty-three times during Devaney and Osborne's combined thirty-six-year tenure. Osborne's final conference championship was a victory in the 1997 Big 12 Championship Game in the second year of its existence. Nebraska won the Big 12 again two years later, its most recent conference championship.
| Year | Coach | Overall | Conf. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WIUFA (1892–1897) | ||||||||
| 1894† | Frank Crawford | 6–2 | 2–1 | |||||
| 1895† | Charles Thomas | 6–3 | 2–1 | |||||
| 1897 | Edward N. Robinson | 5–1 | 3–0 | |||||
| MVIAA (1907–1927) | ||||||||
| 1907† | W. C. Cole | 8–2 | 1–0 | |||||
| 1910 | 7–1 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 1911† | Ewald O. Stiehm | 5–1–2 | 2–0–1 | |||||
| 1912† | 7–1 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 1913† | 8–0 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 1914 | 7–0–1 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 1915 | 8–0 | 4–0 | ||||||
| 1916 | E. J. Stewart | 6–2 | 3–1 | |||||
| 1917 | 5–2 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 1921 | Fred Dawson | 7–1 | 3–0 | |||||
| 1922 | 7–1 | 5–0 | ||||||
| 1923 | 4–2–2 | 3–0–2 | ||||||
| Big Six Conference (1928–1947) | ||||||||
| 1928 | Ernest Bearg | 7–1–1 | 4–0 | |||||
| 1929 | Dana X. Bible | 4–1–3 | 3–0–2 | |||||
| 1931 | 8–2 | 5–0 | ||||||
| 1932 | 7–1–1 | 5–0 | ||||||
| 1933 | 8–1 | 5–0 | ||||||
| 1935 | 6–2–1 | 4–0–1 | ||||||
| 1936 | 7–2 | 5–0 | ||||||
| 1937 | Biff Jones | 6–1–2 | 3–0–2 | |||||
| 1940 | 8–2 | 5–0 | ||||||
| Big Eight Conference (1960–1995) | ||||||||
| 1963 | Bob Devaney | 10–1 | 7–0 | |||||
| 1964 | 9–2 | 6–1 | ||||||
| 1965 | 10–1 | 7–0 | ||||||
| 1966 | 9–2 | 6–1 | ||||||
| 1969† | 9–2 | 6–1 | ||||||
| 1970 | 11–0–1 | 7–0 | ||||||
| 1971 | 13–0 | 7–0 | ||||||
| 1972 | 9–2–1 | 5–1–1 | ||||||
| 1975† | Tom Osborne | 10–2 | 6–1 | |||||
| 1978† | 9–3 | 6–1 | ||||||
| 1981 | 9–3 | 7–0 | ||||||
| 1982 | 12–1 | 7–0 | ||||||
| 1983 | 12–1 | 7–0 | ||||||
| 1984† | 10–2 | 6–1 | ||||||
| 1988 | 11–2 | 7–0 | ||||||
| 1991† | 9–2–1 | 6–0–1 | ||||||
| 1992 | 9–3 | 6–1 | ||||||
| 1993 | 11–1 | 7–0 | ||||||
| 1994 | 13–0 | 7–0 | ||||||
| 1995 | 12–0 | 7–0 | ||||||
| Big 12 Conference (1996–2010) | ||||||||
| 1997 | Tom Osborne | 13–0 | 8–0 | |||||
| 1999 | Frank Solich | 12–1 | 7–1 | |||||
Division championships[]
Nebraska won ten division championships. Nine of these were in the Big 12's North Division, which NU played in until its departure for the Big Ten in 2011. Nebraska won one division title across thirteen seasons in the Big Ten's Leaders Division and West Division; the conference disbanded its divisions prior to the 2024 season.
| Year | Coach | Overall | Conf. | Conf. championship game | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big 12 Conference (North Division) (1996–2010) | ||||||||
| 1996 | Tom Osborne | 11–2 | 8–0 | L 37–27 vs. Texas | ||||
| 1997 | 13–0 | 8–0 | W 54–15 vs. Texas A&M | |||||
| 1999 | Frank Solich | 12–1 | 7–1 | W 22–6 vs. Texas | ||||
| 2000† | 10–2 | 6–2 | Lost tiebreaker to Kansas State | |||||
| 2001† | 11–2 | 7–1 | Lost tiebreaker to Colorado | |||||
| 2006 | Bill Callahan | 9–5 | 6–2 | L 21–7 vs. Oklahoma | ||||
| 2008† | Bo Pelini | 9–4 | 5–3 | Lost tiebreaker to Missouri | ||||
| 2009 | 10–4 | 6–2 | L 13–12 vs. Texas | |||||
| 2010† | 10–4 | 6–2 | L 23–20 vs. Oklahoma | |||||
| Big Ten Conference (Legends Division) (2011–2013) | ||||||||
| 2012 | Bo Pelini | 10–4 | 7–1 | L 70–31 vs. Wisconsin | ||||
† Co-champion
Logos/Images[]
Seasons[]
2020s[]
| Season | Coach | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Matt Rhule | |
| 2024 | Matt Rhule | 7-6 |
| 2023 | Matt Rhule | 5-7 |
| 2022 | Scott Frost; Mickey Joseph | 4-8 |
| 2021 | Scott Frost | 3-9 |
| 2020 | Scott Frost | 3-5 |
2010s[]
| Season | Coach | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Scott Frost | 5-7 |
| 2018 | Scott Frost | 4-8 |
| 2017 | Mike Riley | 4-8 |
| 2016 | Mike Riley | 9-4 |
| 2015 | Mike Riley | 6-7 |
| 2014 | Bo Pelini, Barney Cotton | 9-4 |
| 2013 | Bo Pelini | 9-4 |
| 2012 | Bo Pelini | 10-4 |
| 2011 | Bo Pelini | 9-4 |
| 2010 | Bo Pelini | 10-4 |
2000s[]
| Season | Coach | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Bo Pelini | 10-4 |
| 2008 | Bo Pelini | 9-4 |
| 2007 | Bill Callahan | 5-7 |
| 2006 | Bill Callahan | 9-5 |
| 2005 | Bill Callahan | 8-4 |
| 2004 | Bill Callahan | 5-6 |
| 2003 | Frank Solich, Bo Pelini | 10-3 |
| 2002 | Frank Solich | 7-7 |
| 2001 | Frank Solich | 11-2 |
| 2000 | Frank Solich | 10-2 |
1990s[]
| Season | Coach | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Frank Solich | 12-1 |
| 1998 | Frank Solich | 9-4 |
| 1997 | Tom Osborne | 13-0 |
| 1996 | Tom Osborne | 11-2 |
| 1995 | Tom Osborne | 12-0 |
| 1994 | Tom Osborne | 13-0 |
| 1993 | Tom Osborne | 11-1 |
| 1992 | Tom Osborne | 9-3 |
| 1991 | Tom Osborne | 9-2-1 |
| 1990 | Tom Osborne | 9-3 |
1980s[]
| Season | Coach | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Tom Osborne | 10-2 |
| 1988 | Tom Osborne | 11-2 |
| 1987 | Tom Osborne | 10-2 |
| 1986 | Tom Osborne | 10-2 |
| 1985 | Tom Osborne | 9-3 |
| 1984 | Tom Osborne | 10-2 |
| 1983 | Tom Osborne | 12-1 |
| 1982 | Tom Osborne | 12-1 |
| 1981 | Tom Osborne | 9-3 |
| 1980 | Tom Osborne | 10-2 |
1970s[]
| Season | Coach | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Tom Osborne | 10-2 |
| 1978 | Tom Osborne | 9-3 |
| 1977 | Tom Osborne | 9-3 |
| 1976 | Tom Osborne | 9-3-1 |
| 1975 | Tom Osborne | 10-2 |
| 1974 | Tom Osborne | 9-3 |
| 1973 | Tom Osborne | 9-2-1 |
| 1972 | Bob Devaney | 9-2-1 |
| 1971 | Bob Devaney | 13-0 |
| 1970 | Bob Devaney | 11-0-1 |
1960s[]
| Season | Coach | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Bob Devaney | 9-2 |
| 1968 | ||
| 1967 | ||
| 1966 | ||
| 1965 | ||
| 1964 | ||
| 1963 | ||
| 1962 | ||
| 1961 | ||
| 1960 |
Notable Alumni[]
- Eric Crouch - 2001 Heisman Trophy winner
- Barrett Ruud - Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ 2018 Nebraska Game Notes. University of Nebraska. Retrieved on August 28, 2018.
- ↑ Husker Football First-Team All-Americans – Huskers.com – Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site. Huskers.com. Retrieved on April 12, 2014.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Toolbox & Brand Book,Toolbox & Brand Book. University of Nebraska–Lincoln Communications & Strategic Marketing. Retrieved on August 12, 2016. ISBN .
- ↑ http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2015/fbs.pdf
- ↑ Nebraska Conference Championships. Retrieved on October 23, 2016.
- ↑ Title teams -- HuskerMax™. Retrieved on October 23, 2016.
- ↑ Best college football teams of all-time. Retrieved on October 6, 2018.
- ↑ Major Football Award Winners. Huskers.com. Retrieved on June 21, 2010.
- ↑ Nebraska Football Schedules 1910–1919. HuskerMax. Retrieved on September 2, 2010.
- ↑ Tom's Time: Devaney Selects His Successor. HuskerMax. Retrieved on May 24, 2019.
- ↑ Epley leaving Huskers. Retrieved on May 24, 2019.
- ↑ Nebraska officially announces hiring of Scott Frost, introductory press conference scheduled for Sunday. Retrieved on May 24, 2019.
