Link: Full Game Notes (Huskers.com)
WHEN: Saturday, September 23, 2023 | 2:30 PM (CT)
WHERE: Memorial Stadium | Lincoln, Nebraska
TV: Big Ten Network (Mark Followill, Matt Millen, Meghan McKeown)
RADIO: Huskers Radio Network (Greg Sharpe, Damon Benning, Jessica Coody)
HUSKERS
Record: 1-2 (0-1 Big Ten)
Last Game: vs. Northern Illinois (W 35-11)
Rankings: NR
Coach: Matt Rhule (1-2, 1st year NU / 48-45, 8th year overall)
Rhule vs. Louisiana Tech: 0-0
BULLDOGS
Record: 2-2 (1-0 Conference USA)
Last Gmae: vs. North Texas (L 37-40)
Rankings: NR
Coach: Sonny Cumbie (5-11, 2nd year LT / 7-14, 3rd year overall)
Cumbie vs. Nebraska: 0-0
NUMBERS TO KNOW
2 - Nebraska ranks second nationally in rushing defense allowing 46.3 yards per game. NU has held each of its first three opponents to less than 60 yards rushing. The last time Nebraska held three straight opponents to under 60 rushing yards was he final three games of the 2008 season (Kansas State, Colorado, Clemson).
4 - Quarterback Heinrich Haarberg was just the fourth Nebraska native to start a game at quarterback for the Huskers since 2001. The Kearney native joined Noah Vedral (Wahoo, 2019), Ryker Fyfe (Grand Island, 2015 and 2016) and Ron Kellogg III (Omaha, 2013) as native Nebraskans to start since Eric Crouch completed his career in 2001.
8 - Seven former Huskers and one former Nebraska coach will become the eight newest Huskers in the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame this weekend. The group will be officially inducted on Friday evening and honored on the field before Saturday's game.
THE MATCHUP
Nebraska continues a three-game homestand on Saturday afternoon when the Huskers play host to the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Memorial Stadium. The Huskers will complete their non-conference schedule with the contest, which will kick off shortly after 2:30 p.m. Central in Lincoln. The game will be televised by Big Ten Network and available on the Fox Sport App. The radio broadcast will be available on the Huskers Radio Network, Huskers.com and the official Huskers App.
The Huskers picked up their first victory of the 2023 season last Saturday with a decisive 35-11 victory over Northern Illinois at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska was paced by a strong defensive effort as the Huskers limited NIU to just 149 total yards, including just 73 yards through three quarters. On the offensive side, quarterback Heinrich Haarberg had a solid outing in his first career start, accounting for 256 yards of total offense and three total touchdowns. The Huskers picked up 244 yards on the ground, including 96 rushing yards in the fourth quarter.
Nebraska will be playing host to Louisiana Tech for the third time in school history. The Huskers hold a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series, with the Bulldogs, most recent trip to Lincoln coming in 2006.
Louisiana Tech will bring a 2-2 record to Lincoln, following a 40-37 loss at North Texas on Saturday night. The Bulldogs trailed by 17 points in the fourth quarter, before rallying to tie the game in the final three minutes. North Texas kicked the game-winning field goal in the waning seconds. Louisiana Tech's offense will challenge the Huskers, as the Bulldogs' balanced attack averages better than 400 yards and 31.0 points per game.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's meeting between Nebraska and Louisiana Tech will be the third all-time matchup between the two schools. Nebraska has won both previous meetings with victories at Memorial Stadium in 1998 and 2006.
- The 1998 meeting came in the Eddie Robinson Football Classic and was Nebraska's first game under Frank Solich. In that game, Louisiana Tech's Troy Edwards set NCAA records with 21 receptions for 405 yards in a 56-27 Nebraska win.
- The 2006 matchup featured the first crowd of more than 80,000 in Memorial Stadium history in what was a 49-10 Husker victory.
- Nebraska has a 7-0 all-time record against current members of Conference USA, most recently defeating Western Kentucky in 2010. Nebraska has CUSA member UTEP on its 2024 and 2028 home schedules.
MEMORIAL STADIUM CELEBRATES 100 YEARS
One of the most iconic venues in all of college sports reaches a milestone this fall as Nebraska's Memorial Stadium hits the 100-year mark. Nebraska will celebrate the anniversary of Memorial Stadium throughout the 2023 home season.
- Memorial Stadium was built at a cost of $450,000 in 1923 and had an original capacity of 31,080.
- The first game in Memorial Stadium occurred on Oct. 13, 1923, with the official dedication of the stadium a week later when Nebraska hosted Kansas on Oct. 20, 1923. Memorial Stadium was dedicated to honor Nebraskans who served in the Civil War and the Spanish-American War, and Nebraskans who died in World War I. Later the dedication was expanded to honor Nebraskans who died in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
- Nebraska owns an all-time record of 429-147-13 at Memorial Stadium.
- The Huskers have posted 33 unbeaten seasons in Memorial Stadium history, most recently in 2016.
- Every game at Memorial Stadium since 1962 has been sold out, a streak of 390 consecutive games. The 390-game sellout streak spans nearly two-thirds of all games played at Memorial Stadium.
- Nebraska opened the 2023 home season under the lights at Memorial Stadium against Northern Illinois. The first night game in Memorial Stadium occurred in the 1986 season opener in a win over Florida State. Nebraska is 50-10 all-time in home night games following the win over NIU.
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH FOOTBALL
Louisiana Tech has fielded a football team since 1901, and the Bulldogs have totaled over 600 wins as a program. LA Tech has claimed three national titles (Division II) and 25 conference championships.
The Bulldogs have made 13 bowl game appearances, claiming eight wins. Tech's last bowl appearance came in 2020 when the Bulldogs took on Georgia Southern in the New Orleans Bowl.
First Year: 1901
All-Time Record: 641-491-38
Bowl Record: 8-4-1
Conference Titles: 25
National Titles: 3 (1972, 1973, 1974 - Division II)
Stadium: Joe Aillet Stadium
Capacity: 28,562
Surface: FieldTurf
Location: Ruston, Louisiana
Enrollment: 11,083
Colors: Blue & Red
2023 Louisiana Tech Schedule/Results
Florida International (W 22-17)
at Southern Methodist (L 14-38)
Northwestern State (W 51-21)
North Texas (L 37-40)
at Nebraska
at UTEP
Western Kentucky
at Middle Tennessee State
New Mexico State
at Liberty
Sam Houston State
at Jacksonville State
ABOUT 2023 LOUISIANA TECH FOOTBALL
Louisiana Tech has split its first four games of the season after falling 40-37 in a high-scoring affair against non-conference foe North Texas last weekend.
The Bulldogs enter Saturday averaging 406.5 yards per game, with 225.5 yards per game through the air and 181.0 yards per game on the ground. Hank Bachmeier has completed 70-of-106 passes for 756 yards, five touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. Smoke Harris has 24 receptions for 288 yards and three touchdowns, followed by Cyrus Allen with 11 grabs for 144 yards and a score. Keith Willis Jr. has carried the ball 33 times for 240 yards and three touchdowns, while Tyre Shelton has 214 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries.
Defensively, the Bulldogs are allowing 29.0 points per game and 381.3 yards per game this season. Myles Heard leads the LA Tech defense with a team-high 44 tackles, followed by Brevin Randle with 32 stops. Jeslord Boateng has recorded a team-high five tackles for loss through four games, while Deshon Hall Jr. has posted a team-high two sacks this season.
ABOUT HEAD COACH SONNY CUMBIE
Sonny Cumbie is in his second season as the head coach at Louisiana Tech. Cumbie joined the Bulldogs in 2022 after serving one season as the offensive coordinator and interim head coach at Texas Tech in 2021. In his first season at the helm of the LA Tech program, Cumbie led the Bulldogs to a 3-9 overall record and posted wins over Stephen F. Austin, UTEP, and Middle Tennessee State.
Prior to his one-year gig at Texas Tech, Cumbie was the offensive coordinator at TCU from 2014 to 2020. Cumbie began his coaching career in the college ranks as a graduate assistant at Texas Tech in 2009, before becoming an assistant coach with the Red Raiders in 2010 and offensive coordinator in 2013.
The 42-year-old Cumbie is a graduate of Texas Tech (2005) and was a starting quarterback for the Red Raiders in the 2004 season, when he led the nation in passing yards and total offense while leading TTU to the 2004 Holiday Bowl. Cumbie played professionally in the Arena Football League, Indoor Football League and briefly in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens.
Saturday's matchup will mark the first all-time meeting between Sonny Cumbie and Nebraska.
LAST MEETING: SEPTEMBER 2, 2006
#20 Nebraska 49, Louisiana Tech 10
LINCOLN - Zac Taylor matched his career high with three touchdown passes and No. 20 Nebraska won its 21st consecutive season opener with a 49-10 victory over Louisiana Tech on Saturday.
The Cornhuskers effectively mixed the run and pass against their overmatched opponent and amassed 584 total yards. They scored on the last series of the first half and opening series of the second to break open a 14-10 game on their way to extending the longest winning streak in openers in the nation.
Taylor, who has thrown at least two touchdown passes in nine of his last 10 games, was 22 of 34 for 287 yards. He was intercepted once on a deflected pass. Four tight ends caught touchdown passes. Taylor's were thrown to Matt Herian, J.B. Phillips and Josh Mueller, and backup quarterback Joe Ganz threw one to Hunter Teafatiller late in the game.
The Huskers, 105th nationally in rushing last season, ran for 252 yards. It was the first time in 14 games that the Huskers had rushed for more than 200 yards. Coach Bill Callahan made good on his promise to involve all four of his I-backs. Cody Glenn had 88 yards on 13 carries, Marlon Lucky 79 on 13, Kenny Wilson 47 on 15 and Brandon Jackson 36 on three. Glenn, Lucky and Jackson each had touchdowns.
First-time starter Zac Champion completed 12 of 27 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown, with one interception for Louisiana Tech.
Glenn finished an 11-play, 78-yard drive with a 1-yard run seven seconds before halftime, and Taylor threw a 6-yard TD pass to Phillips for a 28-10 lead early in the third. Taylor completed 12 of 13 passes on the two scoring drives, including 10 in a row. Herian, who hadn't played since October 2004 because of a broken leg, caught a 13-yard pass from Taylor to open the scoring in the first quarter.
Tech had to settle for Danny Horwedel's 23-yard field goal after driving from its 20 to the Nebraska 5 on its next possession.
The Huskers then made it 14-3, with Lucky scoring his first career touchdown on a 13-yard run. Tech's Johnathan Holland made the catch of the game to pull his team to 14-10. It looked as if Champion had overthrown Holland along the left sideline, but Holland accelerated and stretched to pull in the ball with his left hand at the 2, crossed the goal line for a 39-yard touchdown and bounded over a padded wall into the first row of the end zone seats.
The Huskers squandered three scoring chances. What would have been a 29-yard touchdown run by Wilson was nullified by a holding penalty far behind the play, Taylor was intercepted on a deflected pass by D'Anthony Smith inside the 5 and Wilson fumbled inside the 10.
Attendance of 85,181 was a Memorial Stadium record. The stadium was expanded by 6,500 seats as part of a $50 million facilities project.
LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGS (2-2) | at | NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS (1-2) |
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WHEN: Saturday, September 23, 2023 | 2:30 PM (CT)
WHERE: Memorial Stadium | Lincoln, Nebraska
TV: Big Ten Network (Mark Followill, Matt Millen, Meghan McKeown)
RADIO: Huskers Radio Network (Greg Sharpe, Damon Benning, Jessica Coody)
HUSKERS
Record: 1-2 (0-1 Big Ten)
Last Game: vs. Northern Illinois (W 35-11)
Rankings: NR
Coach: Matt Rhule (1-2, 1st year NU / 48-45, 8th year overall)
Rhule vs. Louisiana Tech: 0-0
BULLDOGS
Record: 2-2 (1-0 Conference USA)
Last Gmae: vs. North Texas (L 37-40)
Rankings: NR
Coach: Sonny Cumbie (5-11, 2nd year LT / 7-14, 3rd year overall)
Cumbie vs. Nebraska: 0-0
NUMBERS TO KNOW
2 - Nebraska ranks second nationally in rushing defense allowing 46.3 yards per game. NU has held each of its first three opponents to less than 60 yards rushing. The last time Nebraska held three straight opponents to under 60 rushing yards was he final three games of the 2008 season (Kansas State, Colorado, Clemson).
4 - Quarterback Heinrich Haarberg was just the fourth Nebraska native to start a game at quarterback for the Huskers since 2001. The Kearney native joined Noah Vedral (Wahoo, 2019), Ryker Fyfe (Grand Island, 2015 and 2016) and Ron Kellogg III (Omaha, 2013) as native Nebraskans to start since Eric Crouch completed his career in 2001.
8 - Seven former Huskers and one former Nebraska coach will become the eight newest Huskers in the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame this weekend. The group will be officially inducted on Friday evening and honored on the field before Saturday's game.
THE MATCHUP
Nebraska continues a three-game homestand on Saturday afternoon when the Huskers play host to the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Memorial Stadium. The Huskers will complete their non-conference schedule with the contest, which will kick off shortly after 2:30 p.m. Central in Lincoln. The game will be televised by Big Ten Network and available on the Fox Sport App. The radio broadcast will be available on the Huskers Radio Network, Huskers.com and the official Huskers App.
The Huskers picked up their first victory of the 2023 season last Saturday with a decisive 35-11 victory over Northern Illinois at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska was paced by a strong defensive effort as the Huskers limited NIU to just 149 total yards, including just 73 yards through three quarters. On the offensive side, quarterback Heinrich Haarberg had a solid outing in his first career start, accounting for 256 yards of total offense and three total touchdowns. The Huskers picked up 244 yards on the ground, including 96 rushing yards in the fourth quarter.
Nebraska will be playing host to Louisiana Tech for the third time in school history. The Huskers hold a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series, with the Bulldogs, most recent trip to Lincoln coming in 2006.
Louisiana Tech will bring a 2-2 record to Lincoln, following a 40-37 loss at North Texas on Saturday night. The Bulldogs trailed by 17 points in the fourth quarter, before rallying to tie the game in the final three minutes. North Texas kicked the game-winning field goal in the waning seconds. Louisiana Tech's offense will challenge the Huskers, as the Bulldogs' balanced attack averages better than 400 yards and 31.0 points per game.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's meeting between Nebraska and Louisiana Tech will be the third all-time matchup between the two schools. Nebraska has won both previous meetings with victories at Memorial Stadium in 1998 and 2006.
- The 1998 meeting came in the Eddie Robinson Football Classic and was Nebraska's first game under Frank Solich. In that game, Louisiana Tech's Troy Edwards set NCAA records with 21 receptions for 405 yards in a 56-27 Nebraska win.
- The 2006 matchup featured the first crowd of more than 80,000 in Memorial Stadium history in what was a 49-10 Husker victory.
- Nebraska has a 7-0 all-time record against current members of Conference USA, most recently defeating Western Kentucky in 2010. Nebraska has CUSA member UTEP on its 2024 and 2028 home schedules.
MEMORIAL STADIUM CELEBRATES 100 YEARS
One of the most iconic venues in all of college sports reaches a milestone this fall as Nebraska's Memorial Stadium hits the 100-year mark. Nebraska will celebrate the anniversary of Memorial Stadium throughout the 2023 home season.
- Memorial Stadium was built at a cost of $450,000 in 1923 and had an original capacity of 31,080.
- The first game in Memorial Stadium occurred on Oct. 13, 1923, with the official dedication of the stadium a week later when Nebraska hosted Kansas on Oct. 20, 1923. Memorial Stadium was dedicated to honor Nebraskans who served in the Civil War and the Spanish-American War, and Nebraskans who died in World War I. Later the dedication was expanded to honor Nebraskans who died in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
- Nebraska owns an all-time record of 429-147-13 at Memorial Stadium.
- The Huskers have posted 33 unbeaten seasons in Memorial Stadium history, most recently in 2016.
- Every game at Memorial Stadium since 1962 has been sold out, a streak of 390 consecutive games. The 390-game sellout streak spans nearly two-thirds of all games played at Memorial Stadium.
- Nebraska opened the 2023 home season under the lights at Memorial Stadium against Northern Illinois. The first night game in Memorial Stadium occurred in the 1986 season opener in a win over Florida State. Nebraska is 50-10 all-time in home night games following the win over NIU.
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH FOOTBALL
Louisiana Tech has fielded a football team since 1901, and the Bulldogs have totaled over 600 wins as a program. LA Tech has claimed three national titles (Division II) and 25 conference championships.
The Bulldogs have made 13 bowl game appearances, claiming eight wins. Tech's last bowl appearance came in 2020 when the Bulldogs took on Georgia Southern in the New Orleans Bowl.
First Year: 1901
All-Time Record: 641-491-38
Bowl Record: 8-4-1
Conference Titles: 25
National Titles: 3 (1972, 1973, 1974 - Division II)
Stadium: Joe Aillet Stadium
Capacity: 28,562
Surface: FieldTurf
Location: Ruston, Louisiana
Enrollment: 11,083
Colors: Blue & Red
2023 Louisiana Tech Schedule/Results
Florida International (W 22-17)
at Southern Methodist (L 14-38)
Northwestern State (W 51-21)
North Texas (L 37-40)
at Nebraska
at UTEP
Western Kentucky
at Middle Tennessee State
New Mexico State
at Liberty
Sam Houston State
at Jacksonville State
ABOUT 2023 LOUISIANA TECH FOOTBALL
Louisiana Tech has split its first four games of the season after falling 40-37 in a high-scoring affair against non-conference foe North Texas last weekend.
The Bulldogs enter Saturday averaging 406.5 yards per game, with 225.5 yards per game through the air and 181.0 yards per game on the ground. Hank Bachmeier has completed 70-of-106 passes for 756 yards, five touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. Smoke Harris has 24 receptions for 288 yards and three touchdowns, followed by Cyrus Allen with 11 grabs for 144 yards and a score. Keith Willis Jr. has carried the ball 33 times for 240 yards and three touchdowns, while Tyre Shelton has 214 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries.
Defensively, the Bulldogs are allowing 29.0 points per game and 381.3 yards per game this season. Myles Heard leads the LA Tech defense with a team-high 44 tackles, followed by Brevin Randle with 32 stops. Jeslord Boateng has recorded a team-high five tackles for loss through four games, while Deshon Hall Jr. has posted a team-high two sacks this season.
ABOUT HEAD COACH SONNY CUMBIE
Sonny Cumbie is in his second season as the head coach at Louisiana Tech. Cumbie joined the Bulldogs in 2022 after serving one season as the offensive coordinator and interim head coach at Texas Tech in 2021. In his first season at the helm of the LA Tech program, Cumbie led the Bulldogs to a 3-9 overall record and posted wins over Stephen F. Austin, UTEP, and Middle Tennessee State.
Prior to his one-year gig at Texas Tech, Cumbie was the offensive coordinator at TCU from 2014 to 2020. Cumbie began his coaching career in the college ranks as a graduate assistant at Texas Tech in 2009, before becoming an assistant coach with the Red Raiders in 2010 and offensive coordinator in 2013.
The 42-year-old Cumbie is a graduate of Texas Tech (2005) and was a starting quarterback for the Red Raiders in the 2004 season, when he led the nation in passing yards and total offense while leading TTU to the 2004 Holiday Bowl. Cumbie played professionally in the Arena Football League, Indoor Football League and briefly in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens.
Saturday's matchup will mark the first all-time meeting between Sonny Cumbie and Nebraska.
LAST MEETING: SEPTEMBER 2, 2006
#20 Nebraska 49, Louisiana Tech 10
LINCOLN - Zac Taylor matched his career high with three touchdown passes and No. 20 Nebraska won its 21st consecutive season opener with a 49-10 victory over Louisiana Tech on Saturday.
The Cornhuskers effectively mixed the run and pass against their overmatched opponent and amassed 584 total yards. They scored on the last series of the first half and opening series of the second to break open a 14-10 game on their way to extending the longest winning streak in openers in the nation.
Taylor, who has thrown at least two touchdown passes in nine of his last 10 games, was 22 of 34 for 287 yards. He was intercepted once on a deflected pass. Four tight ends caught touchdown passes. Taylor's were thrown to Matt Herian, J.B. Phillips and Josh Mueller, and backup quarterback Joe Ganz threw one to Hunter Teafatiller late in the game.
The Huskers, 105th nationally in rushing last season, ran for 252 yards. It was the first time in 14 games that the Huskers had rushed for more than 200 yards. Coach Bill Callahan made good on his promise to involve all four of his I-backs. Cody Glenn had 88 yards on 13 carries, Marlon Lucky 79 on 13, Kenny Wilson 47 on 15 and Brandon Jackson 36 on three. Glenn, Lucky and Jackson each had touchdowns.
First-time starter Zac Champion completed 12 of 27 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown, with one interception for Louisiana Tech.
Glenn finished an 11-play, 78-yard drive with a 1-yard run seven seconds before halftime, and Taylor threw a 6-yard TD pass to Phillips for a 28-10 lead early in the third. Taylor completed 12 of 13 passes on the two scoring drives, including 10 in a row. Herian, who hadn't played since October 2004 because of a broken leg, caught a 13-yard pass from Taylor to open the scoring in the first quarter.
Tech had to settle for Danny Horwedel's 23-yard field goal after driving from its 20 to the Nebraska 5 on its next possession.
The Huskers then made it 14-3, with Lucky scoring his first career touchdown on a 13-yard run. Tech's Johnathan Holland made the catch of the game to pull his team to 14-10. It looked as if Champion had overthrown Holland along the left sideline, but Holland accelerated and stretched to pull in the ball with his left hand at the 2, crossed the goal line for a 39-yard touchdown and bounded over a padded wall into the first row of the end zone seats.
The Huskers squandered three scoring chances. What would have been a 29-yard touchdown run by Wilson was nullified by a holding penalty far behind the play, Taylor was intercepted on a deflected pass by D'Anthony Smith inside the 5 and Wilson fumbled inside the 10.
Attendance of 85,181 was a Memorial Stadium record. The stadium was expanded by 6,500 seats as part of a $50 million facilities project.
