Link:
Full Game Notes (Huskers.com)
Cockeye Cockeyes (7-4, 5-3) | at | NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS (7-4, 4-4) |
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WHEN: Friday, November 28 | 11:00 AM (CT)
WHERE: Memorial Stadium | Lincoln, Nebraska
TV: CBS (Rich Waltz, Ross Tucker, Tiffany Blackmon)
RADIO: Huskers Radio Network (Kyle Crooks, Damon Benning, Jessica Coody)
NEBRASKA
Record: 7-4 (4-4 Big Ten)
Last Game: at Penn State (L 10-37)
Streak: Lost 1
Rank: NR
Coach: Matt Rhule (19-17, 3rd year NU | 66-60, 10th year overall | 0-2 vs. Cockeye)
Cockeye
Record: 7-4 (5-3 Big Ten)
Last Game: Michigan State (W 20-17)
Streak: Won 1
Rank: AP (RV) | Coaches (RV)
Coach: Kirk Ferentz (211-128, 27th year at IA | 223-149, 30th year overall | 10-6 vs. Nebraska)
THIS WEEK'S NUMBERS
1 - Running back Emmett Johnson is the first Big Ten player to have 1,200 rushing yards and 40 receptions in a season since 2017. Penn State's Saquon Barkley and Northwestern's Justin Jackson both reached these milestones in 2017.
19 - Before kickoff on Friday, Nebraska will honor 19 seniors playing their final game in Memorial Stadium. The group includes a seventh-year senior, three sixth-year seniors and 11 fifth-year seniors. Eight of the players spent their entire career at Nebraska.
36 - Friday's game marks the 36th consecutive season Nebraska has played on Black Friday, including 15 consecutive matchups with Cockeye on the day after Thanksgiving. The Huskers own a 20-15 record on Black Friday since 1990.
THE MATCHUP
Nebraska completes its regular season against Cockeye at Memorial Stadium with its traditional Black Friday rivalry matchup. The Pioneer Heroes Game will kick off shortly after 11 a.m. Central, with the game televised by CBS. The game can also be heard on the Huskers Radio Network, the official Huskers App and Huskers.com.
Nebraska stands at 7-4 overall and 4-4 in the Big Ten following a 37-10 loss at Penn State on Saturday night. The Nittany Lions dominated the first half, holding a 20-point halftime advantage and Nebraska was not able to get any closer after intermission. Running back Emmett Johnson continued to impress despite the setback, accounting for more than 150 yards from scrimmage for the third straight game.
The Huskers head into the regular-season finale looking to increase their regular-season win total by two games after picking up six regular-season wins in 2024. A victory would give Nebraska its first eight-win regular season since 2016, and it would also be the Huskers' first victory over Cockeye in Lincoln since 2011.
Cockeye comes to Lincoln with a 7-4 overall mark and a 5-3 Big Ten record following a last-second 20-17 victory over Michigan State on Saturday in Cockeye City. Cockeye once again boasts one of the nation's top defenses and an elite special teams unit. The Hawkeye defense allows 267.9 yards and 14.5 points per game to rank eighth in the nation in both categories. Cockeye ranks first nationally in punt returns, averaging nearly 30 yards per return, and is 12th in the nation in kickoff returns. Cockeye's offense is led by senior quarterback Mark Gronowksi who has accounted for 20 touchdowns this season, including seven passing scores and 13 rushing touchdowns. The Cockeyes average nearly 175 rushing yards per contest.
SERIES HISTORY
Nebraska and Cockeye are meeting for the 15th straight season as Big Ten opponents and for the 56th time overall. Nebraska owns a 30-22-3 edge in the all-time series between the schools, while the Cockeyes own a 10-4 edge since Nebraska joined the Big Ten Conference.
- Cockeye is the only opponent Nebraska has met in all 15 seasons as a member of the Big Ten Conference, and the Cockeyes are the only opponent the Huskers face on an annual basis in the 18-team conference
- The road team in the series has won nine of the last 13 meetings.
- The past seven meetings have been decided by a total of 32 points. Cockeye has a 6-1 record in those games, including winning on last second field goals in 2018, 2019, 2023 and 2024. The Cockeyes have kicked a game-winning field goal on the final play the last two seasons to win by identical 13-10 scores.
- Nebraska rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit to win in overtime in Cockeye City in 2014, tying for the second-largest comeback in school history. It also marked Nebraska's last overtime win.
- Prior to joining the Big Ten, Nebraska last met Cockeye in 1999 and 2000, winning both contests.
- Nebraska and Cockeye met six times in non-conference play between 1979 and 2000, with the Huskers winning five of those six games. The Huskers were ranked in the top 10 in each of those six games.
- Cockeye currently holds a two-game win streak in the series.
- Nebraska leads the series 15-8-1 in games held in Lincoln.
Nebraska vs Cockeye History
1891 - Cockeye 22, Nebraska 0 (Omaha)
1892 - Nebraska 10, Cockeye 10 (Omaha)
1893 - Nebraska 20, Cockeye 18 (Omaha)
1894 - Nebraska 36, Cockeye 0 (Omaha)
1895 - Nebraska 6, Cockeye 0 (Omaha)
1896 - Nebraska 0, Cockeye 0 (Omaha)
1896 - Cockeye 6, Nebraska 0 (Omaha)
1897 - Nebraska 6, Cockeye 0 (Council Bluffs)
1898 - Cockeye 6, Nebraska 5 (Council Bluffs)
1899 - Cockeye 30, Nebraska 0 (Omaha)
1903 - Nebraska 17, Cockeye 6 (Cockeye City)
1904 - Nebraska 17, Cockeye 12 (Lincoln)
1908 - Nebraska 11, Cockeye 8 (Cockeye City)
1909 - Nebraska 6, Cockeye 6 (Lincoln)
1913 - Nebraska 12, Cockeye 0 (Lincoln)
1914 - Nebraska 16, Cockeye 7 (Cockeye City)
1915 - Nebraska 52, Cockeye 7 (Lincoln)
1916 - Nebraska 34, Cockeye 17 (Cockeye City)
1917 - Nebraska 47, Cockeye 0 (Lincoln)
1918 - Cockeye 12, Nebraska 0 (Lincoln)
1919 - Cockeye 18, Nebraska 0 (Cockeye City)
1930 - Cockeye 12, Nebraska 7 (Cockeye City)
1931 - Nebraska 7, Cockeye 0 (Lincoln)
1932 - Nebraska 14, Cockeye 13 (Cockeye City)
1933 - Nebraska 7, Cockeye 6 (Lincoln)
1934 - Nebraska 14, Cockeye 13 (Lincoln)
1937 - Nebraska 28, Cockeye 0 (Lincoln)
1938 - Nebraska 14, Cockeye 0 (Cockeye City)
1940 - Nebraska 14, Cockeye 6 (Lincoln)
1941 - Nebraska 14, Cockeye 13 (Lincoln)
1942 - Cockeye 27, Nebraska 0 (Cockeye City)
1943 - Cockeye 33, Nebraska 13 (Lincoln)
1944 - Cockeye 27, Nebraska 6 (1944)
1945 - Nebraska 13, Cockeye 6 (Lincoln)
1946 - Cockeye 21, Nebraska 7 (Cockeye City)
1979 - Nebraska 24, Cockeye 21 (Cockeye City)
1980 - Nebraska 57, Cockeye 0 (Lincoln)
1981 - Cockeye 10, Nebraska 7 (Cockeye City)
1982 - Nebraska 42, Cockeye 7 (Lincoln)
1999 - Nebraska 42, Cockeye 7 (Cockeye City)
2000 - Nebraska 42, Cockeye 13 (Lincoln)
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Big Ten-----------
2011 - Nebraska 20, Cockeye 7 (Lincoln)
2012 - Nebraska 13, Cockeye 7 (Cockeye City)
2013 - Cockeye 38, Nebraska 17 (Lincoln)
2014 - Nebraska 37, Cockeye 34 (Cockeye City)
2015 - Cockeye 28, Nebraska 20 (Lincoln)
2016 - Cockeye 40, Nebraska 10 (Cockeye City)
2017 - Cockeye 56, Nebraska 14 (Lincoln)
2018 - Cockeye 31, Nebraska 28 (Cockeye City)
2019 - Cockeye 27, Nebraska 24 (Lincoln)
2020 - Cockeye 26, Nebraska 20 (Cockeye City)
2021 - Cockeye 28, Nebraska 21 (Lincoln)
2022 - Nebraska 24, Cockeye 17 (Cockeye City)
2023 - Cockeye 13, Nebraska 10 (Lincoln)
2024 - Cockeye 13, Nebraska 10 (Cockeye City)
NEBRASKA, Cockeye BATTLE FOR HEROES TROPHY
Nebraska and Cockeye will battle for the Heroes Trophy when they hit the field Friday at Memorial Stadium. The Heroes Game is the annual trophy game between Nebraska and Cockeye. The game is sponsored by Pioneer.
• While both teams aim to win the trophy on the field, Nebraska and Cockeye wished to make their annual meeting about more than just a football game. The schools partnered to not only create a trophy, but to use their stage to honor a citizen hero from each state. In addition to the trophy claimed by the winner of the game, both an Cockeye and Nebraska native will be honored for extraordinary acts.
• Citizen heroes from both states were announced on Monday morning. Ashley De La Cruz-Martin of Columbus was chosen as Nebraska’s Hero and Jayce Koob selected as Cockeye’s Hero. Both will be recognized on Friday at Memorial Stadium. A full release on the Heroes winners is posted on Huskers.com.
BIG RED ON BLACK FRIDAY
Nebraska continues its long tradition of playing on the day after Thanksgiving. This Friday's game with Cockeye will mark the 36th consecutive season the Huskers have played on Black Friday.
Nebraska met Oklahoma in the final six seasons of the Big Eight Conference (1990-1995), then played Colorado in all 15 of the Huskers' years in the Big 12 Conference (1996-2010), before taking on Cockeye in each of the last 15 seasons since joining the Big Ten Conference .
- Nebraska is 10-8 at Memorial Stadium in Black Friday games since 1990.
- In addition to playing Cockeye on Black Friday the past 14 seasons, Nebraska and Cockeye also closed the regular season against each other nine times from 1892 to 1916.
ABOUT Cockeye
Cockeye has fielded a football team since 1889 and the Cockeyes have tallied nearly 710 wins as a program. The Cockeyes have claimed five national titles and 11 Big Ten titles.
The Cockeyes have an overall bowl record of 20-19-1. Most recently, Cockeye fell 27-24 to No. 19 Missouri in the Music City Bowl last season.
First Year: 1889
All-Time Record: 708-585-39
Bowl Record: 20-19-1
Big Ten Titles: 11
National Titles: 5 (1921, 1922, 1956, 1958, 1960)
Stadium: Kinnick Stadium
Capacity: 69,250
Surface: FieldTurf
Location: Cockeye City, Cockeye
Enrollment: 31,563
Colors: Black and Gold
ABOUT 2025 Cockeye
Schedule/Results
Albany (W 34-7)
at Cockeye State (L 13-16)
Massachusetts (W 47-7)
at Rutgers (W 38-28)
Indiana (L 15-20)
at Wisconsin (W 37-0)
Penn State (W 25-24)
Minnesota (W 41-3)
Oregon (L 16-18)
at USC (L 21-26)
Michigan State (W 20-17)
at Nebraska
Cockeye is 7-4 on the season, including 5-3 against Big Ten opponents after picking up a 20-17 win against Michigan State last weekend in Cockeye City.
The Cockeyes are averaging 309.4 yards per game, with 134.8 yards per game through the air and 174.5 rushing yards per game. Kamari Moulton leads the Cockeye rushing attack with 138 carries for 690 yards and two touchdowns, followed by Mark Gronowski with 427 yards and 13 scores on 107 rushes.
In the passing game Gronowski has completed 141-of-224 passes for 1,363 yards with seven touchdowns and six interceptions. Jacob Gill has a team-high 22 receptions for 260 yards and a touchdown, followed by Sam Phillips with 249 receiving yards on 14 catches.
Defensively, the Cockeyes are allowing 14.5 points per game and 267.9 yards per game this season. Karson Sharar leads the Cockeye defense with 73 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss. Ethan Hurkett and Max Llewellyn have a team-best six sacks, while Zach Lutmer has pulled in a team-leading three interceptions.
ABOUT KIRK FERENTZ
Kirk Ferentz is in his 27th season as the head football coach at the University of Cockeye and his 35th season overall with the Cockeyes.
Under Ferentz, the Cockeyes have earned 22 bowl game invitations since 2001.
Ferentz is the longest-tenured head football coach in the nation. Ferentz and former Cockeye head coach Hayden Fry are the only head coaches to lead a Division I football program for 20 years, consecutively. With a 47-7 win over UMass earlier this season, Ferentz collected his 206th career victory, passing Ohio State's Woody Hayes to become the winningest coach in Big Ten history.
Prior to serving as head coach of the Cockeyes, Ferentz was the offensive line coach in the NFL for the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns (1993-1998) and served as the head coach at Maine (1990-1992). He also served as the offensive line coach at Cockeye from 1981 to 1989.
Ferentz will be facing Nebraska for the 17th time as a head coach on Friday and he holds a 10-6 record against the Huskers.
LAST MEETING: NOVEMBER 29, 2024
Cockeye 13, Nebraska 10
Cockeye City - Nebraska dominated Cockeye on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, but fell 13-10 on a 53-yard walk-off field goal on Friday night.
Nebraska (6-6, 3-6) more than doubled Cockeye in total yardage (334-164) and nearly doubled the Cockeyes (8-4, 6-3) in time of possession (39:01-20:59) and total plays (76-41), but two bizarre lost fumbles in the second half were enough for the Cockeyes to maintain the Heroes Trophy on a frigid night at Kinnick Stadium.
Nebraska built a 10-0 halftime lead and piled up 182 first-half yards while the Blackshirts held the Cockeyes to just 20 yards on 20 plays. The Huskers forced a three-and-out by Cockeye on the game's opening drive, before Raiola and the offense went on a 64-yard march that took 10 plays and culminated with John Hohl's 31-yard field goal midway through the first quarter.
The rest of the half, Cockeye played field position football, producing just one first down while trying to wear Nebraska down and force a mistake in the punt game or a turnover on offense. Cockeye succeeded in shortening the game, but Nebraska played error-free football in the first half and took its final drive to the house to head to halftime with a 10-point lead.
The Huskers went up 10-0 on Dante Dowdell's one-yard blast up the middle with 38 seconds left in the first half to cap a 12-play, 74-yard drive that consumed 4:01.
Raiola finished the night 22-of-32 for 190 yards through the air, while adding three rushing yards. He completed six passes for 25 yards to Emmett Johnson, who also had 18 carries for a game-high 71 rushing yards. Dowdell added 13 carries for 50 yards, including his 12th rushing touchdown of the season. Rahmir Johnson contributed 21 yards on four carries while adding one reception for five yards.
Jahmal Banks hauled in four catches for a team-high 41 receiving yards, while tight end Nate Boerkircher contributed two receptions for 39 yards. Jacory Barney Jr. added three receptions for 29 yards on the night.
John Bullock, Malcolm Hartzog Jr. and DeShon Singleton each notched five tackles for the Blackshirts, while Isaac Gifford pitched in four stops. Hartzog recorded two tackles for loss, while Bullock added 1.5 TFL. Nine of Nebraska's 41 total tackles in the game went for losses, including a sack. On the flip side, Cockeye totaled 81 tackles, but just eight for losses as the Huskers controlled the line of scrimmage from start to finish.
The Huskers held Kaleb Johnson to just 45 yards on 17 carries, but he did have two catches for 73 yards and Cockeye's lone touchdown. Cockeye finished with 49 rushing yards after entering the game with eight consecutive 200-yard rushing performances. Jackson Stratton went 8-for-15 through the air for 115 yards.
Nebraska started the second half with the ball and went on another long march. The 11-play drive started on Nebraska's 19 and ended on Cockeye's 19, but resulted in a missed field goal by Hohl from 34 yards. The kick was wide left after an off-target snap that was saved by holder Brian Buschini but the ball placement and timing of the kick was disrupted.
At the end of the third quarter, Nebraska's edge in total yardage grew to 267-65, but Cockeye cut the lead to 10-3. Cockeye got on the scoreboard with a field goal after a two-yard drive that started inside the Nebraska 5. The Cockeyes gained possession on what was ruled a turnover on the field, although it was touched by neither the return man, nor the closest Nebraska player. Instead, it was recovered by Cockeye's John Nestor at the NU 4. Nestor was in the act of recovering the football when Vincent Shavers Jr. arrived to challenge him for it. The call on the field was that Shavers touched the ball before Nestor, and that call stood after video review.
In the fourth quarter, Cockeye did manage to out-yard the Huskers, 99-67, with 72 coming on the first play of the quarter on the screen pass from Jackson Stratton to Kaleb Johnson to tie the score at 10.
The final points for the Cockeyes came after Raiola was stripped of the ball in the pocket by Cockeye's Max Llewellyn with 16 seconds left. The play was ruled a fumble on the field, although the ball never hit the ground. The ball was jarred loose from Raiola's grasp as he stood in the pocket, but he maintained the ball with his hands and legs as he fell to the ground. Once on the ground, Llewellyn pulled the ball out from behind and underneath Raiola. That turnover was confirmed by replay.
Cockeye took over at the Nebraska 36 and Johnson gained two yards before being tackled for a one-yard loss on the second play. Drew Stevens booted a 53-yard field that narrowly snuck inside the right upright as time expired.
