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Heisman Trophy Winner
the Independent
Fourth time's a charm?
Nebraska gets one last chance this season at toppling a top-10 foe
By Terry Douglass
terry.douglass@theindependent.com
LINCOLN -- The Nebraska football team is hoping that the fourth time will be a charm on New Year's Day.
When the No. 22-ranked Cornhuskers (9-4) play No. 10 Auburn (10-2) on Jan. 1 in the AT&T Cotton Bowl at Dallas, it will mark the fourth top-10 opponent Nebraska has faced this season. So far this season, Nebraska is 0-3 against teams ranked in the top 10.
Nebraska senior nose tackle Ola Dagunduro said the Huskers are looking forward to getting one last chance to take down a marquee opponent.
"They're a top-10 team, so I like it," Dagunduro said. "You've got another chance to just show for real how Nebraska is and that Nebraska is back."
This season, the Huskers have fallen to then-No. 4 Southern California (28-10), at home to then-No. 5 Texas (22-20) and against then-No. 8 Oklahoma (21-7) at Kansas City, Mo., in the Big 12 title game. The game against Auburn will mark the first time Nebraska has played four top-10 opponents in the same season since the 1995 national championship campaign.
The last time Nebraska defeated a top-10 team was in 2001 when the Huskers beat No. 2 Oklahoma 20-10 at Memorial Stadium. The Huskers' two closest calls since have been a 27-24 home loss to Texas in 2002 and a 22-20 home loss to the Longhorns this season in a game where a late fumble cost NU the victory.
Against Auburn, Nebraska also gets one final chance for a so-called signature victory that would stamp the Huskers as officially being back on the national scene. NU coach Bill Callahan wouldn't want it any other way.
"We want to play the best and we have played the best," said Callahan, who is 22-14 in his three seasons with the Huskers. "That's the mark of Nebraska -- the standard of Nebraska is to play the very best teams in the country and if I had my druthers, I'd play one through 10 if I could.
"If you're going to be great, you've got to beat them all. You've got to play the best that you can."
Nebraska senior defensive end Adam Carriker agreed.
"You come to Nebraska to play the big boys, so that's fine with me," Carriker said of playing the Tigers. "We played Michigan last year and beat them, so we've just got to do the same things we did last year."
No doubt, Nebraska got plenty of mileage out of its 32-28 come-from-behind win over a 20th-ranked Michigan team in last season's Alamo Bowl. The victory got the Huskers back into the national top-25 rankings and helped springboard them into 2006.
Nebraska senior quarterback Zac Taylor said a win over Auburn could do the same thing for next year's squad.
"It's huge," Taylor said. "To end the season with a win over a top-10 team like Auburn would do a lot for this team next year -- just like the Michigan game did for us this year.
"You know the seniors want to go out with a big bowl game win, so there's still a lot left to play for and you know we're going to get a great opportunity."
Carriker said a victory over the Tigers might even trump what the Huskers did last year against Michigan, which entered the Alamo Bowl with a 7-4 record
"It would be right up there -- maybe a little bit bigger because Auburn is rated a little higher and has a better record than Michigan had," Carriker said. "It's going to be a challenge, but winning that game would be big."
Dagunduro said he views the Cotton Bowl as a statement game for the future of Nebraska's program.
"It would be just a little bit more recognition, knowing that Nebraska's coming around," Dagunduro said. "We're coming back to where we used to be, so it would be great for the whole program."
Fourth time's a charm?
Nebraska gets one last chance this season at toppling a top-10 foe
By Terry Douglass
terry.douglass@theindependent.com
LINCOLN -- The Nebraska football team is hoping that the fourth time will be a charm on New Year's Day.
When the No. 22-ranked Cornhuskers (9-4) play No. 10 Auburn (10-2) on Jan. 1 in the AT&T Cotton Bowl at Dallas, it will mark the fourth top-10 opponent Nebraska has faced this season. So far this season, Nebraska is 0-3 against teams ranked in the top 10.
Nebraska senior nose tackle Ola Dagunduro said the Huskers are looking forward to getting one last chance to take down a marquee opponent.
"They're a top-10 team, so I like it," Dagunduro said. "You've got another chance to just show for real how Nebraska is and that Nebraska is back."
This season, the Huskers have fallen to then-No. 4 Southern California (28-10), at home to then-No. 5 Texas (22-20) and against then-No. 8 Oklahoma (21-7) at Kansas City, Mo., in the Big 12 title game. The game against Auburn will mark the first time Nebraska has played four top-10 opponents in the same season since the 1995 national championship campaign.
The last time Nebraska defeated a top-10 team was in 2001 when the Huskers beat No. 2 Oklahoma 20-10 at Memorial Stadium. The Huskers' two closest calls since have been a 27-24 home loss to Texas in 2002 and a 22-20 home loss to the Longhorns this season in a game where a late fumble cost NU the victory.
Against Auburn, Nebraska also gets one final chance for a so-called signature victory that would stamp the Huskers as officially being back on the national scene. NU coach Bill Callahan wouldn't want it any other way.
"We want to play the best and we have played the best," said Callahan, who is 22-14 in his three seasons with the Huskers. "That's the mark of Nebraska -- the standard of Nebraska is to play the very best teams in the country and if I had my druthers, I'd play one through 10 if I could.
"If you're going to be great, you've got to beat them all. You've got to play the best that you can."
Nebraska senior defensive end Adam Carriker agreed.
"You come to Nebraska to play the big boys, so that's fine with me," Carriker said of playing the Tigers. "We played Michigan last year and beat them, so we've just got to do the same things we did last year."
No doubt, Nebraska got plenty of mileage out of its 32-28 come-from-behind win over a 20th-ranked Michigan team in last season's Alamo Bowl. The victory got the Huskers back into the national top-25 rankings and helped springboard them into 2006.
Nebraska senior quarterback Zac Taylor said a win over Auburn could do the same thing for next year's squad.
"It's huge," Taylor said. "To end the season with a win over a top-10 team like Auburn would do a lot for this team next year -- just like the Michigan game did for us this year.
"You know the seniors want to go out with a big bowl game win, so there's still a lot left to play for and you know we're going to get a great opportunity."
Carriker said a victory over the Tigers might even trump what the Huskers did last year against Michigan, which entered the Alamo Bowl with a 7-4 record
"It would be right up there -- maybe a little bit bigger because Auburn is rated a little higher and has a better record than Michigan had," Carriker said. "It's going to be a challenge, but winning that game would be big."
Dagunduro said he views the Cotton Bowl as a statement game for the future of Nebraska's program.
"It would be just a little bit more recognition, knowing that Nebraska's coming around," Dagunduro said. "We're coming back to where we used to be, so it would be great for the whole program."
