Nebraska 385 Idaho State 31

That was the rushing yards total for each team in Lincoln on September 22, but it seemed like it could have been the score, considering how easy it was for Nebraska to score.

The actual score was 73-7 in a game, that in my opinion, should have never been played. This game was played purely for money.  Nebraska got a home game with the millions it brings into the Athletic Department and the community.  Idaho State received $600,000 for offering up their football players on a platter.

But, there I go editorializing again.  I made the comment to three people on Saturday evening that I try not to do that.  That remark caused one of them to blow cola out her nose (I bet that stung) and the other two to yell, “What?”  OK, OK, so occasionally I have an opinion. 

This type of blowout isn’t good for anybody. The Idaho State players surely didn’t get anything out of getting beat up that bad.  The Nebraska fans and players get a false sense of accomplishment and athletic ability. Nobody wins in the end except the money counters.

It reminds me of the time many years ago when I rode a crowded Wayne State College bus all day to play football at Northeast Missouri State Teachers College (now Truman State University) in Kirksville, Missouri.  We later found out that NMSTC was some kind of farm team for a Big Ten school.  I have forgotten the exact final score but it wasn’t pretty.

It was also the only time I ever carried the ball in college.  We kicked off and one of their linemen raised himself up to his full height of 7 or 8 feet at least and roared like King-Kong.  While he was roaring, the ball bounced off his chest and came back to me.  I caught it and kept on running forward.  The next thing I remember was laying on my back on our sideline with two man-mountains, nicknamed Earthquake and Landslide sitting on my chest.  At least I held onto the ball.

That was when we decided that the definition of an Athletic Director is a guy who is willing to dedicate your body for the good of the school, or more accurately, his athletic budget.

But, I digress. Ignoring the fact that Idaho State may have been one of the worst teams to ever play in Lincoln, Nebraska did look good.  Rex Burkhead  was wearing a knee brace, but it didn’t appear to me to hamper his running (8 carries for 119 yards and 2 TDs).  Plus, a lot of Nebraska players got to play.

The crowd got bored in the second quarter during a seemly 10 minute Big Ten Network TV timeout, but the students came through to save the day.  They started a Wave, like they usually do.  But, when it came back to them, they changed it to a Super Slow Wave.  They fan next to me said it looked like a Tsunami coming toward us.  When it got back to the students, they  changed it to a Super Fast Wave, which probably set a new speed record for Waves.  But they weren’t done yet.  They started two Waves going in opposite directions, which when they met bounced off each other and started back in the opposite directions.  Great fun!

I rarely leave the game early but this was finally more than I could take.  We left early, along with most of the students and a lot of other fans.

After the Mississippi State game we had tried a shortcut back to our car, only to run up against a closed gate.  I thought I could slither under it.  While I was on the ground working on my slithering, Karol walked over and opened the gate.  It turns out it was closed but not locked,   The Roadrunner always was smarter than me. This game we took the correct route and were out of town while they were still counting the money.

On September 29, Nebraska gets back to playing the game the way it was meant to be played with the opening of the Big Ten schedule.  Wisconsin comes to town for a 7 PM game and a chance for us to have a little payback for the loss in Madison last year.

I’ll end this on a sad note.  Earlier in the day on Saturday we said our final goodbyes to a very good man.  May your Huskers and your Cardinals always make you proud, Ralph.

Go Big Red!

Nebraska 49 Mississippi State 20

Before I start writing on our experiences at the 49-20 Nebraska win over Mississippi State in Lincoln on Saturday, September 1, I need to make a few introductory remarks.

First, I keep forgetting to put a notice on all the pictures in any of my posts that they can be enlarged by clicking on them.  Also, I found out Saturday how hard it is to get really good sports photographs.  I almost had an award winning touchdown photo, but at the last second a guy wearing a cornhead jumped up and blocked the shot.  Now all I have is a great shot of a cornhead if I ever decide to make on post on sports hats.

That experience makes me appreciate even more the work that professional photographers do at the games.  A good example would be the game photos by Omaha World-Herald photographer and amateur radio friend of mine, Jeff Beiermann, in the game coverage in Sunday’s edition.  His photo of Coach John Papuchis was even selected for the two-page photo on page 10CF.  Great job Jeff!  Now, how about some of those sequence photos from the good old days? 

Second, when preparing these posts I try to never read the write-ups by the professional writers until after I have completed mine.  I don’t want to be influenced by what they write.  Although, if you want play-by-play descriptions you are not going to get those from me anyway.  I’ll let them handle the X’s and O’s.  I try to provide, as Paul Harvey used to say, “the rest of the story”.”

I do download the game statistics from http://www.huskers.com/  It is easy to compile a game story just from the statistics.  For my comments on how computer software handles it, see my post in my Archives from January 22, 2012.

With all of that out of the way, I can proceed with my story.  On the drive down to Lincoln, Karol and I couldn’t help but notice the effects of the hot dry summer.  The beans are already starting to turn color, which I think is early.  Actually, I was surprised that more corn had not been cut or combined as most of it is still in the field.  The dry-land corn really looks pathetic.  I’m working on a post about the summer weather statistics for Fremont, which should be ready in a day or two.

We parked in a parking garage on 14th Street northeast of the stadium.  I had forgotten about my amateur radio antenna on the top of the truck, so BAM, BAM, BAM all the way to the top as it hit the roof of the garage every few feet.  And to make matters worse, on the way out I did the very same thing.  BAM, BAM, BAM all the way down.  Too bad our kids or grandkids weren’t with us as it would have embarrassed them to no end.  But, isn’t that an unwritten requirement to be a parent or grandparent?  Embarrass kids and grandkids whenever possible?

Entering the stadium, the massive stadium expansion project is the first thing that is visible.  The next thing I noticed was that the Dorothy Lynch signs were still up.  Over on the sideline, the Fairbury Brand Hot Dog Man was getting Der Wiener Schlinger ready to go.  Actually, he looks a little smaller this year, as if he might have been eating the lo-fat variety.

Did you remember to click on the picture to enlarge it?

The next thing I noticed was the heat.  The kick-off temperature in Lincoln was 92 but I always add 10 degrees for “crowd heat” to come up with a stadium temperature, so that would equate to 102 degrees.  The flag on the top of the construction crane showed a brisk north wind, but the ribbons on the top of the goal posts barely moved during the game.  One good thing about sitting in the west stadium is that eventually we sit in the shade.  Fortunately, for this game that happened at the end of the 1st quarter.

The Lincoln Journal-Star reported that nearly 300 people were treated at the game with heat-related issues, but that only 15 people, including one of our neighbors, required transport to the hospital.   We talked to her after the game though and she is ok.

It wasn’t as bad as a few years ago when the kick-off temperature was around 100 on two consecutive Saturdays.  The only thing that kept me conscious was the belief that Karol would probably sell my season ticket to the highest bidder before the paramedics could revive me!

Nebraska’s team entry into the stadium with the Tunnel Walk Music (Sirius by the Alan Parsons Project) never fails to get me excited.  The other 85,424 people at the game pretty much feel the same way judging by their reaction. See and listen to this clip from 2011:     

Other items of interest included a humorous spot on HuskerVision by new head basketball coach Tim Miles, getting everybody but the team fired up and ready for the upcoming season.

Coach Bo Pelini has always been open about his strong Catholic upbringing.  But he must be pulling out all the stops this year, because I spotted a Priest patrolling the Nebraska sideline.  Hey, if it occasionally works for Notre Dame, why not us?  I suppose now all the ministers from the other faiths will be demanding equal time on the sideline.  Come to think of it, I might try that gig myself.  There are websites on the Internet where a person can become licensed to marry and bury people.  I could be Father Dave from The Church of What’s Happening Now!  Trivia question:  Who founded that church?  No fair using Google.  Answer at the bottom.

I never could tell why Taylor Martinez’s throwing motion didn’t look “natural”.  But the summer coaching and his attendance at two high profile quarterback camps seems to have paid off.  He does seem more “natural” now.  But, when he is 26 of 34 for 354 yards and 5 touchdowns he can throw it anyway he sees fit.

Nebraska looked good, but it will take a stronger opponent to tell how good.  Now to go read what the pros had to say.

Don’t forget the second Husker Luncheon in Fremont at the Wooden Windmill on Wednesday, September 5.  Sean Callahan will be the speaker.  The doors open at 11 AM with the program starting at Noon.  The next game will be on September 8 at UCLA.

Trivia answer – Comedian Flip Wilson founded The Church of What’s Happening Now.

Go Big Red!!