2010 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

2010 Nebraska Cornhuskers football
Big 12 North Division co-champion
Big 12 Championship vs. Oklahoma, L 20–23
Holiday Bowl vs. Washington, L 7–19
Conference	Big 12 Conference
Division	North
Ranking
Coaches	No. 19
AP	No. 20
Record	10–4 (6–2 Big 12)
Head coach	Bo Pelini (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Shawn Watson (4th season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Carl Pelini (3rd season)
Base defense	4–2
Home stadium	Memorial Stadium

2010 Big 12 Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
North Division
No. 20 Nebraska xy		6	–	2					10	–	4
No. 18 Missouri x		6	–	2					10	–	3
Kansas State		3	–	5					7	–	6
Iowa State		3	–	5					5	–	7
Colorado		2	–	6					5	–	7
Kansas		1	–	7					3	–	9
South Division
No. 6 Oklahoma xy$		6	–	2					12	–	2
No. 13 Oklahoma State x		6	–	2					11	–	2
No. 19 Texas A&M x		6	–	2					9	–	4
Baylor		4	–	4					7	–	6
Texas Tech		3	–	5					8	–	5
Texas		2	–	6					5	–	7
Championship: Oklahoma 23, Nebraska 20
$ – BCS representative as conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

The 2010 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Bo Pelini and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. They were members of the North Division of the Big 12 Conference. It was Nebraska's 102nd and last season in the Big 12 (including years in the MVIAA/Big Eight) as they began competing in the Big Ten Conference in 2011.

The Cornhuskers finished the season 10–4, 6–2 in the Big 12 and were co champions of the North Division with Missouri. Due to their victory over Missouri, Nebraska represented the North Division in the 2010 Big 12 Championship Game where they were defeated by Oklahoma 20–23. They were invited to the Holiday Bowl for the second consecutive season and played Washington. Despite defeating the Huskies 56–21 during the regular season, the Cornhuskers were defeated 19–7.

Before the season

The 2010 Cornhuskers took to the field on Saturday, September 4, 2010, against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. The Cornhuskers carried on despite losing a handful of key personnel losses to graduation after 2009, especially Heisman-candidate and #2 overall NFL draft pick DT Ndamukong Suh. The Nebraska coaching staff remained intact for the third straight year, since the return of Bo Pelini to the program.

During the spring of this year, several NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision teams began publicly discussing potential conference changes, which ultimately gained enough momentum to set off a chain reaction of university conference affiliation changes. On June 11, 2010, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln announced that its regents unanimously voted to end the university's affiliation with the Big 12 Conference, and would be joining the Big Ten Conference. The Big Ten Conference unanimously approved Nebraska's official application just hours later, and Nebraska announced that the Cornhusker athletic programs would transition into the Big Ten conference play schedule effective July 1, 2011. This is Nebraska's last year playing in the Big 12 Conference.

Nebraska's preseason #8 AP ranking was the highest starting rank for Nebraska since Eric Crouch's 2001 Heisman trophy season, which ultimately saw the Cornhuskers playing Miami in the BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl.

Recruiting

College recruiting information (2010)
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	40‡	Commit date
Walker Ashburn DE	River Ridge, Louisiana	John Curtis	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	245 lb (111 kg)	4.74	Sep 8, 2009
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 77
Kenny Bell ATH	Boulder, Colorado	Fairview	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	173 lb (78 kg)	4.45	Jan 5, 2010
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 76
Brion Carnes QB	Bradenton, Florida	Manatee	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	181 lb (82 kg)	4.64	Feb 3, 2010
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 77
Corey Cooper S	Maywood, Illinois	Proviso East	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	203 lb (92 kg)	4.38	Feb 3, 2010
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 79
Jake Cotton OL/DL	Lincoln, Nebraska	Lincoln Southeast	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	265 lb (120 kg)	4.75	Nov 9, 2009
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A
Lavonte David LB	Miami, Florida	Fort Scott	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	214 lb (97 kg)	4.55	Dec 9, 2009
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A
Quincy Enunwa WR	Moreno Valley, California	Rancho Verde	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	4.58	Oct 26, 2009
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 76
Ciante Evans CB	Arlington, Texas	Juan Seguin	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	4.5	Sep 8, 2009
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 76
Tyler Evans ATH	Waverly, Nebraska	Waverly	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	4.48	Aug 5, 2009
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A
Jay Guy DT	Aldine, Texas	Eisenhower	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	300 lb (140 kg)	5.1	Nov 8, 2009
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 78
Jermarcus Hardrick OT	Batesville, Mississippi	Fort Scott	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	315 lb (143 kg)	5	Dec 9, 2009
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A
Chase Harper TE	Pflugerville, Texas	Navarro JC	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	248 lb (112 kg)	Nov 11, 2009
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A
Braylon Heard* RB	Youngstown, Ohio	Cardinal Mooney	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	4.4	Dec 29, 2009
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 79
Harvey Jackson S	Missouri City, Texas	Hightower	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	4.6	Sep 6, 2009
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 76
Bronson Marsh ATH	Omaha, Nebraska	Millard South	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	4.5	Jan 26, 2010
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A
Joshua Mitchell CB	Corona, California	Eleanor Roosevelt	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	165 lb (75 kg)	4.4	Nov 8, 2009
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A
Mike Moudy OT	Castle Rock, Colorado	Douglas County	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	291 lb (132 kg)	5	Apr 18, 2009
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 77
Tobi Okuyemi DE	Plymouth, Minnesota	Wayzata	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	250 lb (110 kg)	4.68	Nov 8, 2009
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 77
Andrew Rodriguez OT	Aurora, Nebraska	Aurora	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	298 lb (135 kg)	4.75	Nov 25, 2008
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 80
Chase Rome DE	Columbia, Missouri	Rock Bridge	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	4.73	Oct 9, 2009
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 79
Donovan Vestal DE	Arlington, Texas	Bowie	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	240 lb (110 kg)	4.8	Aug 22, 2009
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 23   Rivals: 22
‡ Refers to 40 yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Yahoo! Sports: Rivals.com 2010 Nebraska Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 26, 2010. "Scout.com 2010 Nebraska Commitments". Scout.com. Retrieved September 26, 2010. "ESPN 2010 Nebraska Commitments". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 26, 2010. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved September 26, 2010. "2010 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 26, 2010.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 4	6:00 p.m.	Western Kentucky*	No. 8	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, Nebraska	FSN PPV	W 49–10	85,555
September 11	11:30 a.m.	Idaho*	No. 6	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, Nebraska	FSN PPV	W 38–17	85,732
September 18	2:30 p.m.	at Washington*	No. 8	Husky Stadium Seattle	ABC/ESPN2	W 56–21	72,876
September 25	6:00 p.m.	South Dakota State*	No. 6	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, Nebraska	FSN PPV	W 17–3	85,573
October 7	6:30 p.m.	at Kansas State	No. 7	Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium Manhattan, Kansas (rivalry)	ESPN	W 48–13	51,015
October 16	2:30 p.m.	Texas	No. 5	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, Nebraska	ABC/ESPN	L 13–20	85,648
October 23	2:30 p.m.	at No. 17 Oklahoma State	No. 14	Boone Pickens Stadium Stillwater, Oklahoma	ABC	W 51–41	55,935
October 30	2:30 p.m.	No. 7 Missouri	No. 14	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, Nebraska (rivalry)	ABC/ESPN	W 31–17	85,907
November 6	2:30 p.m.	at Iowa State	No. 9	Jack Trice Stadium Ames, IA	ABC	W 31–30 OT	51,159
November 13	6:00 p.m.	Kansas	No. 9	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, Nebraska (rivalry)	FSN PPV	W 20–3	85,587
November 20	7:00 p.m.	at No. 18 Texas A&M	No. 9	Kyle Field College Station, Texas	ABC	L 6–9	90,079
November 26	2:30 p.m.	Colorado	No. 16	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, Nebraska (rivalry)	ABC	W 45–17	85,646
December 4	7:00 p.m.	vs. No. 10 Oklahoma	No. 13	Cowboys Stadium Arlington, Texas (Big 12 Championship Game) (rivalry)	ABC	L 20–23	78,802
December 30	9:00 p.m.	vs. Washington*	No. 18	Qualcomm Stadium San Diego, California (Holiday Bowl)	ESPN	L 7–19	57,921
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

Roster and coaching staff

2010 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class OL 70 Nick Ash RFr TE 82 Robert Barry RFr WR 80 Kenny Bell Fr WR 9 Joe Broekemeier Sr IB 22 Rex Burkhead So OL 58 Mike Caputo Jr QB 16 Brion Carnes Fr OL 51 Brandon Chapek RFr OL 77 Seung Hoon Choi So OL 72 Jesse Coffey RFr WR 1 Khiry Cooper So TE 81 Ben Cotton So OL 67 Scott Criss RFr WR 87 Taylor Dixon So WR 18 Quincy Enunwa Fr WR 88 Tyler Evans Fr WR 11 Curenski Gilleylen Jr QB 17 Cody Green So OL 50 Jermarcus Hardrick Jr IB 10 Roy Helu Jr. (C) Sr OL 74 Ricky Henry Sr WR 8 Will Henry Sr TE/FB 33 Ryan Hill Jr FB 34 Mitch Hron RFr WR 45 Keegan Hughes Fr WR 85 KC Hyland So WR 83 Stanley Jean-Baptiste RFr OL 55 Rob Jensen Fr IB 28 Austin Jones Jr OL 73 D.J. Jones Sr OL 52 Dwight Jones RFr OL 78 Marcel Jones Jr QB 12 Ron Kellogg III RFr TE 89 J.T. Kerr RFr WR 4 Ty Kildow RFr WR 84 Brandon Kinnie Jr QB 5 Zac Lee Sr FB 48 Tyler Legate Jr OL 75 Luke Lingenfelter Jr TE 41 Jake Long RFr OL 61 Spencer Long RFr WR 6 Tim Marlowe So FB 35 Jay Martin Jr QB 3 Taylor Martinez RFr TE 86 Mychael McClure So TE/WR 44 Mike McNeill Sr OL 57 Mike Moudy Fr OL 69 Brodrick Nickens RFr IB 29 Collins Okafor So WR 21 Steven Osborne So WR 24 Niles Paul Sr OL 56 Mark Pelini Fr OL 62 Cole Pensick RFr OL 76 Brent Qvale RFr TE 25 Kyler Reed So IB 27 Dontrayevous Robinson So OL 63 Andrew Rodriguez Fr WR 43 Dillon Schrodt Fr OL 71 Jeremiah Sirles RFr WR 39 Jacob Smith Fr OL 65 Mike Smith Sr QB 7 Kody Spano So RB 40 Zach Taylor Fr OL 79 Brandon Thompson So OL 59 Brian Thorson So IB 14 Lester Ward So QB 15 Latravis Washington Sr TE 47 Brett Wells RFr OL 68 Keith Williams Sr WR 26 Tyler Wullenwaber Fr TE 49 Dreu Young Sr FB 31 C.J. Zimmerer RFr	Defense Pos. # Name Class DE 95 Pierre Allen (C) Sr CB 21 Prince Amukamara (C) Sr DE 70 Kenny Anderson So DE 9 Jason Ankrah RFr DE 47 Walker Ashburn Fr DB 40 Josh Bart Fr CB 2 Antonio Bell So DB 39 Justin Blatchford So CB 14 Anthony Blue Jr S 8 Austin Cassidy Jr LB 51 Will Compton So DB 6 Corey Cooper Fr DT 96 Jake Cotton Fr DT 94 Jared Crick Jr LB 4 Lavonte David Jr CB 31 Jase Dean So CB 15 Alfonzo Dennard Jr S 32 Jim Ebke Jr DB 17 Ciante Evans Fr DE 92 Tyrone Fahie Sr DB 25 Joey Felici Fr LB 42 Sean Fisher So DB 30 Derek Foster Fr DE 80 Andy Gdowski Fr DB 7 DeJon Gomes Sr DB 11 Andrew Green RFr LB 41 Thomas Grove Sr DL 99 Jay Guy Fr DB 28 Eric Hagg Sr DB 35 Andrew Holt Fr DB 26 Harvey Jackson Fr DT 58 Justin Jackson So DB 29 Seth Jameson RFr DT 85 Faron Klingelhoefer Jr LB 44 Micah Kreikemeier So LB 37 Tyrone Lewis RFr LB 49 Matt Manninger So LB 46 Eric Martin So LB 36 Mathew May Jr DE 65 Colin McDermott So DE 89 Conor McDermott So LB 33 Tyson McGill Fr CB 32 Marcus Mendoza Jr DE 34 Cameron Meredith So CB 2 Lazarri Middleton RFr DB 18 Josh Mitchell Fr DT 68 Josh Molek So DE 52 J.C. Moore Fr DT 90 Terrence Moore Jr DB 43 Brent Moravec So DE 48 Tobi Okuyemi Fr S 12 Courtney Osborne So LB 56 Devin Paulsen RFr DL 53 Thaddeus Randle RFr DB 19 Wil Richards RFr LB 54 Trevor Roach Fr DT 97 Chase Rome Fr S 13 P.J. Smith So LB 59 Colby Starkebaum RFr DT 55 Baker Steinkuhler So LB 38 Graham Stoddard So S 3 Rickey Thenarse Sr DE 37 Kevin Thomsen Jr DB 23 Lance Thorell Jr DL 61 Jeff Uher Fr DE 91 Donovan Vestal Fr DB 38 Yusef Wade Fr CB 10 Dijon Washington RFr DB 16 Adam Watson Sr DB 5 Anthony West Sr LB 45 Alonzo Whaley So DB 24 Austin Williams Fr DE 98 Josh Williams So	Special teams Pos. # Name Class P/PK 27 Jon Damkroger Jr PK/P 97 Jason Dann Fr LS 66 Beaux Greenfield Fr PK/P 90 Alex Henery (C) Sr PK 1 Adi Kunalic Sr P/PK 96 Brett Maher So LS 92 P.J. Mangieri So LS/LB 67 Sam Meginnis So	Head coach Bo Pelini    3rd season    4th year at Nebraska    Alma mater: Ohio State Coordinators/assistant coaches Shawn Watson    4th season as OC/QB coach    5th year at Nebraska    Alma mater: Southern Illinois Carl Pelini    3rd season as DC/DL coach    3rd year at Nebraska    Alma mater: Youngstown State Tim Beck    3rd season as RB coach    3rd year at Nebraska    Alma mater: Central Florida Ron Brown    3rd season as TE coach    20th year at Nebraska    Alma mater: Brown Barney Cotton    3rd season as AHC/OL coach    4th year at Nebraska    Alma mater: Nebraska Mike Ekeler    3rd season as LB coach    3rd year at Nebraska    Alma mater: Kansas State Ted Gilmore    3rd season as AHC/Rec coach    6th year at Nebraska    Alma mater: Wyoming John Papuchis    3rd season as DE/ST coach    3rd year at Nebraska    Alma mater: Virginia Tech Marvin Sanders    3rd season as Sec coach    4th year at Nebraska    Alma mater: Nebraska James Dobson    3rd season as S&C coach    3rd year at Nebraska    Alma mater: Wisconsin Curt Baldus    3rd season as GA coach    4th year at Nebraska    Alma mater: St. Cloud State Ross Watson    3rd season as GA coach    3rd year at Nebraska    Alma mater: Mount Union Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: January 10, 2011

Defense
NICKEL Eric Hagg Austin Cassidy ⋅
FS DeJon Gomes D-Courtney Osborne Anthony West		WILL MIKE Eric Martin Will Compton Lavonte David Alonzo Whaley Mathew May ⋅ ⋅					SS Austin Cassidy Rickey Thenarse D-P.J Smith ⋅
CB Alfonzo Dennard Antonio Bell ⋅		DE DT DT DE Cameron Meredith Baker Steinkuler Jared Crick Pierre Allen Josh Williams Terrence Moore Thad Randle Jason Ankrah ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅						CB Prince Amukamara Ciante Evans ⋅
Offense
WR Niles Paul Joe Broekemeier ⋅	WR Brandon Kinnie Will Henry ⋅	LT LG C RG RT Jeremiah Sirles Keith Williams Mike Caputo Ricky Henry D.J Jones Jermarcus Hardrick Andrew Rodriguez Cole Pensick Brent Qvale Marcel Jones ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅					TE Kyler Reed Ben Cotton Jake Long ⋅	WR Mike McNeil Quincy Enunwa ⋅
				QB Taylor Martinez Cody Green Zac Lee
Key reserves FB Tyler Legate FB C.J Zimmerer FB Ryan Hill							Special teams PK Alex Henery P Alex Henery KR Niles Paul PR Niles Paul LS P.J. Mangieri
				RB Roy Helu Rex Burkhead Dontrayevous Robinson

Game summaries

Western Kentucky

Western Kentucky at Nebraska

1 2 3 4 Total Western Kentucky 0 0 3 7 10 • #8 Nebraska 14 7 14 14 49 Date: September 4 Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska Game start: 6:10 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:04 Game attendance: 85,555 Game weather: Sunny, 78 °F (26 °C), Wind S@12 mph (19 km/h), 52% Humidity Referee: Cooper Castleberry TV announcers (FSN PPV): Ron Thulin (Play-by-play), Rich Baldinger (Color) & Brent Stover (Sideline)

This was the first ever meeting of the Hilltoppers and Cornhuskers. Redshirt Freshman QB Taylor Martinez was not revealed as the starter for Nebraska until kickoff, and subsequently became the first freshman quarterback to open a Nebraska season in the history of the program. On his first carry, Martinez rushed for 46 yards and a touchdown, allowing for Nebraska to extend its ongoing NCAA record of consecutive season-opening victories to 25. Martinez's 129 rushing yards on the day also marked the first time a Nebraska QB exceeded 100 yards on the ground since 2003, and this was accomplished while sharing snaps with the second and third string quarterbacks. The 2010 Blackshirts debut was marred somewhat when they allowed the Western Kentucky squad, which had lost their last 20 games in a row prior to this game, to accumulate 299 all-purpose yards, mostly during a second-half defensive letdown.

Idaho

Idaho at Nebraska

1 2 3 4 Total Idaho 0 3 7 7 17 • #6 Nebraska 3 28 7 0 38 Date: September 11 Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska Game start: 11:39 a.m. CST Elapsed time: 2:57 Game attendance: 85,732 Game weather: Sunny, Clear, 73 °F (23 °C), Wind WNW@5–10 mph (8.0–16.1 km/h) Referee: Dan Romeo TV announcers (FSN PPV): Dave Armstrong (Play-by-play), Gary Reasons (Color) & Brent Stover (Sideline)

Remembering 9/11 during the tunnel walk

For the sixth straight year, Nebraska opened the season 2–0. The 38–17 defeat of the Idaho Vandals in the first ever meeting of these teams improved the Cornhuskers to 22–1 against WAC opponents all-time. The Nebraska defense held the Vandals to just 60 yards on the ground and 279 total yards, while notching seven sacks for 80 yards lost. The Blackshirts intercepted five passes, three of which were converted into scores. A 28–3 scoring output in the 2nd quarter allowed the Cornhuskers to run away with the game and play some reserve personnel, which allowed the Vandals to outscore Nebraska 14–7 in the second half. The Nebraska offense recorded 471 all-purpose yards. The home field win was Nebraska's 375th at Memorial Stadium, and the 500th home win in Lincoln all-time. Nebraska redshirt freshman QB Taylor Martinez had a second straight 100-yard rushing game, and his 67-yard second-quarter touchdown was the longest by a Nebraska QB since a 70-yard dash by Eric Crouch against Colorado in 2001. Cornhusker PK Alex Henery accounted for eight points on the day, which was enough to make him the fifth Nebraska player to ever exceed 300 career points. Despite the win, Nebraska slipped from #6 to #8 in the AP Poll following the game.

Washington, September 2010

Nebraska at Washington

1 2 3 4 Total • #8 Nebraska 14 14 21 7 56 Washington 7 7 7 0 21 Date: September 18 Location: Husky Stadium, Seattle Game start: 2:37 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:06 Game attendance: 72,876 Game weather: Scattered Clouds, 66 °F (19 °C), Wind: Variable Referee: Jack Wood TV announcers (ABC): Sean McDonough (Play-by-play), Matt Millen (Color) & Shelley Smith (Sideline)

The game against Washington was led by Steve Sarkisian, who took over in 2009. This was Nebraska's first road game of the 2010 season. The game featured redshirt freshman Martinez QB Washington QB Jake Locker.

Early in the 4th quarter as Husker fans stay until the end of the game

Washington received the ball to start the game but gave up an interception four plays later, just 1:35 into the game. Shortly thereafter Nebraska scored a touchdown and never gave up the lead for the rest of the game. The Cornhuskers finished the day with 533 all-purpose yards, more than double Washington's totals in each category. This included three Nebraska players totaling over 100 yards of rushing, an accomplishment not met since 2001 and only the fourth time ever in program history. It was also the first time Washington had ever allowed three opponent players to exceed 100 rushing yards. The Cornhusker offense managed over 13 yards per pass attempt and over 7 yards per rush attempt, while the 56 total Nebraska points was the most points ever scored by a non-conference opponent in Husky Stadium's 90-year history, also tying the most points ever scored there by a Washington conference opponent. An 80-yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter by Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez was the longest TD run by a freshman QB, and the second-longest run by any Nebraska QB, in program history. The Blackshirts coverage prevented the Huskies from ever getting consistent momentum, and Locker ended the day only 4 of 20 in the air for 70 yards and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a Nebraska TD by junior CB Alfonzo Dennard. Washington did manage to end Nebraska's 10-game streak of holding opponents to 20 points. Nebraska took over the series by moving to 4–3–1 against Washington all time.

South Dakota State

South Dakota State at Nebraska

1 2 3 4 Total South Dakota State 0 0 3 0 3 • #6 Nebraska 0 14 0 3 17 Date: September 25 Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska Game start: 6:08 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 2:55 Game attendance: 85,573 Game weather: Sunny, 64 °F (18 °C), Winds ENE@10 mph (16 km/h) Referee: Rick Loumiet TV announcers (FSN PPV): Ron Thulin (Play-by-play), Kelly Stouffer (Color) & Jim Rose (Sideline)

Meeting for the first time since a 58–7 Nebraska victory in 1963, the FCS South Dakota State Jackrabbits entered the game at 0–2. The 307th consecutive sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium was the largest crowd that the Jackrabbits team had ever played in front of, and the last two teams to hold Nebraska to fewer than 17 points had been the #20 Oklahoma Sooners and #3 Texas Longhorns. The game was closer than the 17–3 score would indicate, as the Jackrabbits had two touchdowns nullified by penalties, one of them on an interception returned 66 yards to the end zone. Both teams suffered two interceptions each and Nebraska offered up four fumbles on the day, losing one of them to a fumble-free South Dakota State. Nebraska held the time of possession edge on the game by 11 seconds, and converted four of thirteen third downs. Cornhusker head coach Pelini summed up the Nebraska effort after the game, saying "We were a bad team." Nonetheless, the win moved the Cornhuskers to 2–0 over the Jackrabbits all time, and put Nebraska at 4–0 for the first time since 2005.

Kansas State

Nebraska at Kansas State

1 2 3 4 Total • #7 Nebraska 7 10 21 10 48 Kansas State 0 3 3 7 13 Date: October 7 Location: Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium, Manhattan, Kansas Game start: 6:30 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:11 Game attendance: 51015 Game weather: Clear, 79 °F (26 °C), Winds E@7 mph (11 km/h) Referee: Randy Christal TV announcers (ESPN): Rece Davis (Play-by-play), Craig James (Color), Jesse Palmer (Color) & Jenn Brown (Sideline)

Nebraska met Kansas State in Manhattan to open the final Cornhusker Big 12 Conference slate and the 95th time the teams had met. Redshirt freshman Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez bounced back from his lackluster appearance in the previous contest against South Dakota State, rushing for four touchdowns and 241 yards to set a new all-time Cornhusker quarterback single-game rushing record. His 370 total yards on the day were the most all-purpose yards set by a Cornhusker freshman at any position in nineteen years. Martinez's efforts helped Nebraska to tally more yards against Kansas State than any other opponent in twenty one years. The Wildcat offense seemed to have success to start the game, marching down the field on their first possession, until they were stopped on a 4th-and-2 in the Nebraska red zone with no points to show for it. The Blackshirts subsequently took control of the game defensively, notching their 13th straight game holding an opponent to 21 points or less and helping the Cornhuskers to hand Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder a home field loss, in the stadium named after him, on his 71st birthday. The Nebraska win moved the Cornhuskers to 5–0 for the first time since 2003, and the series between the programs drew to a close with a Nebraska advantage of 78–15–2.

Texas

Texas at Nebraska

1 2 3 4 Total • Texas 10 7 3 0 20 #5 Nebraska 0 3 3 7 13 Date: October 16 Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska Game start: 2:34 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:16 Game attendance: 85,648 Game weather: Sunny, 75 °F (24 °C), Winds NNE@8 mph (13 km/h), Humidity 39% Referee: Greg Burks TV announcers (ABC/ESPN): Sean McDonough (Play-by-play), Matt Millen (Color) & Quint Kessenich (Sideline)

The teams came head-to-head for the 14th time with Texas defeating #5 Nebraska in Lincoln. The loss left Nebraska with a 4–10 record against Texas all time, and just 1–9 in the last ten attempts. With Nebraska's departure from the Big 12 Conference following this season, this was the last regular season league meeting of these teams.

Oklahoma State

Nebraska at Oklahoma State

1 2 3 4 Total • #14 Nebraska 14 17 10 10 51 #17 Oklahoma State 13 14 7 7 41 Date: October 23 Location: Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, Oklahoma Game start: 2:30 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:34 Game attendance: 55,935 Game weather: Fair and Cloudy, 64 °F (18 °C), Winds SSW@16 mph (26 km/h) Referee: Tom Walker TV announcers (ABC): Ron Franklin (Play-by-play), Ed Cunningham (Color) & Jeannine Edwards (Sideline)

The Cornhuskers traveled to Stillwater following a disappointing loss to Texas the week prior, hoping to bounce back against their first ranked opponent of the year, the #17 Oklahoma State Cowboys. Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez eclipsed the 300-yard mark through the air for the first time in his career, passing for 323 yards and five touchdowns, while adding 112 yards on the ground.

Nebraska's victory improved the Cornhuskers' series lead to 37–5–1, but was only Nebraska's second win in the last five matches between the squads. Their first win in Stillwater since 1995. With Nebraska's departure from the Big 12 Conference following this season, this was the last league meeting of these teams in a series that dates back to when the Cowboys briefly joined the MVIAA from 1925 to 1928. Oklahoma State later returned to the league for good in 1958, leading the conference to be known as the "Big 8" for the first time.

Missouri

Missouri at Nebraska

1 2 3 4 Total #7 Missouri 0 7 10 0 17 • #14 Nebraska 24 0 7 0 31 Date: October 30 Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska Game start: 2:36 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:26 Game attendance: 85,907 Game weather: Clear, 67 °F (19 °C), Winds NE@12 mph (19 km/h) Referee: Randy Christal TV announcers (ABC/ESPN): Ron Franklin (Play-by-play), Ed Cunningham (Color) & Jeannine Edwards (Sideline)

See also: Missouri–Nebraska football rivalry

#7 Missouri arrived in Lincoln to take on Nebraska for the 104th contest between the schools since 1892, trying to make progress to catch up to Nebraska in the series. The Tigers trail behind the Cornhuskers 36–65–3 all-time.

Nebraska's withdrawal from Big 12 play after this year ends a historical league affiliation with the Tigers that dates to 1892, when these two programs joined with Kansas and Iowa to form the Western Interstate University Football Association (WIUFA). Though the WIUFA disbanded after six seasons, all four WIUFA teams came together again with the formation of the MVIAA in 1907. The conclusion of the 2010 season will mark the end of a 103-year continuous conference partnership, and leaves the fate of the Victory Bell in question.

Iowa State

Nebraska at Iowa State

1 2 3 4 OT Total • #9 Nebraska 0 7 17 0 7 31 Iowa State 0 10 0 14 6 30 Date: November 6 Location: Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, IA Game start: 2:30 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:18 Game attendance: 51,159 Game weather: Mostly Sunny, 54 °F (12 °C), Winds SSE@15 mph (24 km/h) Referee: Greg Burks TV announcers (ABC): Dave Pasch (Play-by-play), Bob Griese (Color), Chris Spielman (Color) & Quint Kessenich (Sideline)

Second-year Iowa State Head Coach Paul Rhoads hosted Nebraska in Ames for the first time, as the squads come together for their 105th contest. With Nebraska leaving Big 12 play after this season, this game marked the end of a historical series and conference relationship dating back to 1896, almost as far back as the Nebraska-Missouri series. Nebraska, who leads the all-time series 86–17–2, avenged last year's 7–9 loss, which was Iowa State's first win in Lincoln in 34 years. Nebraska and Iowa State traded scores in the 4th quarter before Nebraska led 31–24 in the final minutes. Iowa State scored a touchdown to make the score 31–30 Nebraska leading. ISU Head Coach Paul Rhoads called a 2-point conversion. With the game on the line, ISU QB Austen Arnaud threw a pass that got intercepted by Nebraska DB Eric Hagg to give Nebraska the overtime win in Ames.

Kansas

Kansas at Nebraska

1 2 3 4 Total Kansas 0 0 3 0 3 • #9 Nebraska 7 7 3 3 20 Date: November 13 Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska Game start: 6:09 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 2:37 Game attendance: 85,587 Game weather: Clear, 34 °F (1 °C), Winds NNW@5-10 mph (16 km/h), Humidity 84% Referee: Karl Richins TV announcers (FSN PPV): Dave Armstrong (Play-by-play), Gary Reasons (Color) & Jim Rose (Sideline)

Kansas traveled to Lincoln to play the 105th and last game in the NCAA-record longest consecutive season series in all of college football. This game marked the 117th time overall that the teams have come together to settle things on the field. Nebraska's victory leaves the series closed for now with a decisive Cornhusker advantage of 91–23–3. It was the first meeting between Kansas and Nebraska since the Jayhawk program was taken over by former legendary Nebraska quarterback Turner Gill.

The departure of Nebraska from the Big 12 marked this game as the probable last game of one of the longest continuous series in the history of NCAA college football, as Kansas and Nebraska have met on the field every year without interruption since 1903, and failed to meet in only two seasons overall since 1892.

Texas A&M

Nebraska at Texas A&M

1 2 3 4 Total #9 Nebraska 3 0 0 3 6 • #18 Texas A&M 0 3 0 6 9 Date: November 20 Location: Kyle Field, College Station, Texas Game start: 7:12 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:05 Game attendance: 90,079 Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C), Winds SE@9 mph (14 km/h), Humidity 71% Referee: Greg Burks TV announcers (ABC): Brent Musburger (Play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (Color) & Heather Cox (Sideline)

With Nebraska's departure from the Big 12 Conference following this season, this was the last league meeting of these two teams. The Cornhuskers were penalized 16 times for 145 yards and lost the game 9–6. Several of the calls were controversial, and played key role in the outcome of the game. For example, Texas A&M player Tony Jerod-Eddie grabbed and squeezed the testicles of Nebraska player Ben Cotton when he recovered a fumble, and Cotton was flagged 15 yards when he tried to protect himself.

Following the Cornhuskers' defeat by the Aggies, Nebraska Defensive Coordinator Carl Pelini was involved in an incident with Brandon Jones, a co-owner of a Texas A&M sports site, TexAgs. The photographer stated that Pelini had seized Brandon's camera and broken several pieces from it before throwing them to the ground. Video shows Pelini rushing towards the photographer and camera.

Colorado

Colorado at Nebraska

1 2 3 4 Total Colorado 0 3 14 0 17 • #15 Nebraska 3 14 21 7 45 Date: November 26 Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska Game start: 2:37 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:11 Game attendance: 85,646 Game weather: Sunny, 49 °F (9 °C), Winds WNW@17 mph (27 km/h), Humidity 37% Referee: Rick Loumiet TV announcers (ABC): Ron Franklin (Play-by-play), Ed Cunningham (Color) & Jeannine Edwards (Sideline)

Scoring summary 1 5:13 NEB Alex Henery 42-yard field goal NEB 3–0 2 13:47 NEB Rex Burkhead 2-yard run (Alex Henery kick) NEB 10–0 2 10:22 COL Aric Goodman 22-yard field goal NEB 10–3 2 0:49 NEB Brandon Kinnie 26-yard pass from Rex Burkhead (Alex Henery kick) NEB 17–3 3 11:58 NEB Brandon Kinnie 16-yard pass from Cody Green (Alex Henery kick) NEB 24–3 3 10:53 NEB Kyler Reed 4-yard pass from Rex Burkhead (Alex Henery kick) NEB 31–3 3 8:19 COL Paul Richardson 50-yard pass from Cody Hawkins (Aric Goodman kick) NEB 31–10 3 3:38 NEB Kyler Reed 1-yard pass from Cody Green (Alex Henery kick) NEB 38–10 3 0:00 COL Will Jefferson 29-yard pass from Cody Hawkins (Aric Goodman kick) NEB 38–17 4 12:55 NEB Cody Green 1-yard run (Alex Henery kick) NEB 45–17

See also: Colorado–Nebraska football rivalry

Colorado traveled to Lincoln as both teams closed their regular seasons. Nebraska steadily pulled away for the win to clinch the Big 12 Conference North Division Title and a berth in the Big 12 Championship game. Colorado was denied a sixth win for the season and did not attain bowl eligibility, making this the final game of their 2010 season. As 2010 was the final year for both teams in the Big 12, the long-running series has drawn to a close with Nebraska in command at 49–18–2.

Oklahoma

Nebraska vs. Oklahoma

1 2 3 4 Total #13 Nebraska 10 10 0 0 20 • #9 Oklahoma 0 17 3 3 23 Date: December 4 Location: Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas Game start: 7:06 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:37 Game attendance: 78,802 Game weather: (indoors) Referee: Scott Novak TV announcers (ABC): Brent Musburger (Play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (Color) & Holly Rowe (Sideline)

See also: 2010 Big 12 Championship Game and Nebraska–Oklahoma football rivalry

For the second year in a row, Nebraska appeared in the Big 12 football championship game. The team would play their final game as members of the Big 12 against Oklahoma in Arlington, Texas. Nebraska led 17–0 at one point in the first half, before Oklahoma reeled off 17 points of their own. A field goal just before halftime sent Nebraska into halftime with a 20–17 lead. In the second half, Oklahoma held Nebraska scoreless for the first time of the season and managed two field goals in each of the latter periods to win 23–20. Nebraska had 4 turnovers in the game and Oklahoma held a 453–293 yard disadvantage.

Washington–Holiday Bowl

Nebraska vs. Washington

1 2 3 4 Total #18 Nebraska 0 7 0 0 7 • Washington 10 0 7 2 19 Date: December 30 Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego Game start: 9:15 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:16 Game attendance: 57,921 Game weather: Partly cloudy, 48 °F (9 °C), Winds NNW@5 mph (8.0 km/h) Referee: Land Clark TV announcers (ESPN): Chris Fowler (Play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (Color) & Erin Andrews (Sideline)

See also: 2010 Holiday Bowl

Following Nebraska's loss to Oklahoma, Nebraska was selected as the Big 12's representative at the 2010 Holiday Bowl, which also chose the Washington squad beaten by Nebraska in September, now 6–6, to appear as the final opponent in the Cornhuskers 2010 season. This was Nebraska's second straight Holiday Bowl appearance. Washington had rebounded from a 3–6 start and the demoralizing early season loss to Nebraska, winning out the rest of their season to earn a bowl bid. The Huskies held Nebraska to a single first-half touchdown on their way to winning 19–7.

Rankings

See also: 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	8	6	8	6	6	7	5	14	14	9	9	9	16	13	17	20
Coaches	9	7	8	7	6	6	4 (2)	13	12	10	8	9	15	13	16	19
Harris	Not released						5	34	14	11	9	9	15	13	17	Not released
BCS	Not released							16	14	7	8	8	15	13	18	Not released

After the season

Although there were high hopes for the year, three major goals were not achieved and resulted in a season that ended with a note of disappointment. After the last-second, one-point loss to Texas in the 2009 Big 12 Championship Game, the squad looked forward to a chance to avenge the loss against the Longhorns and to return to the league title game for the final Big 12 conference championship. The 2010 Big 12 Championship game was the last league title game for the foreseeable future, as the departure of Nebraska and Colorado from the league dropped the number of members to ten, which is not enough to hold a title game under NCAA rules.

Texas started the season flat and had to face unbeaten Nebraska in Lincoln, which led many media analysts to predict an easy Nebraska win. Instead, Texas took advantage of Cornhusker mistakes to deny Nebraska a win in the final foreseeable match between the teams. The Cornhuskers remained on track for an appearance in the Big 12 championship game, clinching an appearance against historical rival Oklahoma. The Cornhuskers started strong and led 17–0 in the second quarter before the Sooners rallied for 23 points while holding Nebraska to just one more field goal. Having also lost to Texas A&M in the regular season, the 10–3 Nebraska team was invited to the Holiday Bowl for a rematch with Washington.

Head coach Bo Pelini, 3–0 in bowls all time, was handed his first ever bowl loss at the hands of an inspired Husky squad, and Nebraska suffered its third loss in the previous four games, a mark last seen since the first part of 2008. Nonetheless, Pelini's overall record improved on the season, to 30–12 (.714) overall, and 17–7 (.708) in the Big 12, and his team won the Big 12 North Division title in each of his three seasons at the helm so far. This was not as successful a start as the programs of successful former head coaches Bob Devaney, Tom Osborne, or Frank Solich, but was a dramatic improvement over the first three years of his immediate predecessor, Bill Callahan. Callahan managed to get to just 22–15 (.595) overall and 13–11 (.542) in the league, with only a single division championship. Although 2010 ended on a disappointing note following Pelini's 2009 proclamation that "Nebraska was back", it was apparent that Nebraska's fortunes had improved since Pelini's 2007 arrival.

Draft picks, signees, or other future professional players

• Prince Amukamara, 2011 1st–round pick of the New York Giants
• DeJon Gomes, 2011 5th–round pick of the Washington Redskins
• Eric Hagg, 2011 7th–round pick of the Cleveland Browns
• Roy Helu, 2011 4th–round pick of the Washington Redskins
• Alex Henery, 2011 4th–round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles
• Ricky Henry, 2011 UFL 1st–round pick of the Hartford Colonials
• D.J. Jones, 2011 UFL 6th–round pick of the Omaha Nighthawks
• Niles Paul, 2011 5th–round pick of the Washington Redskins
• Mike Smith, 2011 UFL 5th–round pick of the Omaha Nighthawks
• Keith Williams, 2011 6th–round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers

In popular culture

The 2010 Cornhuskers were referenced in the season 6 Better Call Saul episode Nippy. Protagonist Saul Goodman discusses the team's fortunes with a mall security guard to distract him while an acquaintance robs a clothing store.