Go Big Red | Nebraska Cornhuskers Football

[MGomaha]

Go Big Red | Nebraska Cornhuskers Football

Dynasty Rules

Game: NCAA Football 14
Platform: Xbox 360
Sliders: SECElit3's NCAA 14 Heisman Sliders
Rosters: NCAA 14 OS Community Rosters
Difficulty: Heisman
Quarter Length: 9 minutes


This dynasty will start in the 2014 season. 2013 recap will be in the next post.

University of Nebraska - Lincoln History

Established: 1869
Chancellor: Harvy Perlman
President: J.B. Milliken
Athletics Director: Shawn Eichorst
Colors: Scarlet and Cream
Football stadium: Tom Osborne Field at Memorial Stadium
Stadium Capacity: 87,091
Fight Song: There is No Place Like Nebraska, Hail Varsity
Marching Band: Cornhusker Marching Band (The Pride of All Nebraska)
Head Coach: Bo Pelini - 6th year, 60-22
Conference: Big Ten
Division: West
Past Conferences: WIUFA, MVIAA, Big 6/7/8, Big XII
All-Time Record: 867-355-40 (.701)
Postseason Record: 25-25 (.500)
National Championships: 5 (70, 71, 94, 95, 97)
Conference Championships: 46
Heisman Winners: 3 - Johnny Rodgers (1972), Mike Rozier (1983), Eric Crouch (2001)
Consensus All - Americans: 54

[MGomaha]

Cornhuskers Surpass 2013 Expectations with Flying Colors
James Massengale – huskers.com

Coming into 2013, not much was known about Nebraska. Sure, there was senior quarterback Taylor Martinez coming off of his most prolific and efficient season under center, and junior receiver Kenny Bell coming off of an 8 touchdown season, with an exclamation point block in the Big Ten Championship. There was Ameer Abdullah, who looked like a more than serviceable replacement for Rex Burkehead his first two season in Lincoln, looking to take a big role in the offense.

But the Husker defense was very young. Many people would point to the defense when reasoning why the Huskers could compete, but ultimately would not win the Big Ten Legends division. That young defense would only be a problem a couple times during the 2013 season, as Taylor Martinez led Nebraska to its best offensive year since the 1990s.

Martinez threw a school record 39 touchdown passes, while limiting throwing only 3 interceptions all year. His 2,865 yards ranked him third in the Big Ten, while his 66.8% completion percentage ranked also him 3rd in the conference. His 13:1 touchdown to interception ratio was the best of quarterbacks with 200 or more attempts in the country, and he added 3 more touchdowns on the ground. Martinez will not return in 2014 due to graduation. Tommy Armstrong, possibly his replacement, threw 5 touchdowns in limited action this season, and added in 273 rush yards and 5 touchdowns.


Ameer Abdullah had a very nice year, racking up over 1000 yards on the ground and 10 touchdowns. He also had 26 receptions for 383 yards and 6 touchdowns. His 4.8 yards per carry was 3rd on the team behind Martinez and Imani Cross, at 4.9 and 5.0 respectively. Cross showed that he was worthy of playing time, rushing for over 650 yards of his own, while adding 5 touchdown. Fullback Andy Janovich had 6 rushes in limited action.

Kenny Bell led the team in receptions, receiving touchdowns, and receiving yards with 63, 13, and 1089 respectively. Elkhorn – product Jake Long, brother of All – American Spencer Long, reeled in 62 passes for 744 yards and 8 touchdowns while earning All – Big Ten 2nd team honors. Quincy Enunwa caught 55 balls for 802 yards and 11 touchdowns, ending a very productive career with the Huskers.

David Santos led the team in tackles with 78, while adding 5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss, good for second and first on the team, respectively. Zaire Anderson added 75 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and an interception. Jason Ankrah had 16 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Michael Rose and Randy Gregory each had 11 tackles for loss, while pitching in 1.5 and 3.5 sacks, respectively. Thad Randle led the Huskers with 7.5 sacks and tied for second on the team in tackles for loss at the defensive tackle position.

Nebraska got out to a quick start in 2013, winning 10 of its first 11 games, with the only blemish coming in an overtime time loss to lowly Purdue, 36-33. The Huskers had wins against #8 Michigan and #17 Michigan State and were one win away from the Big Ten Championship when they met with the #8 Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa would dominate the Huskers all game, winning 38-7. It was Nebraska’s worst home loss since Bill Callahan was head coach, but the Huskers were still invited to the Orange Bowl, where they knocked off the Florida State Seminoles in a thriller, 42-39.

Taylor Martinez was playing great in the first half of the Orange Bowl, leading the Huskers to a 28-10 lead behind his 3 touchdown passes. However, he ended up spraining his ankle and was out the remainder of the game, as redshirt freshman Tommy Armstrong, Jr. was put into the game. The Cornhuskers would be outscore 29-14 over the last quarter, but were able to muster just enough offense to hang on.

[MGomaha]

2013 Season Review

NCAA Football Rankings - Coaches Poll - Updated: Jan 7, 2014
RK	LW	TEAM (VOTES)	W	L	POINTS
1	2	Ohio State	12	2	1525
2	3	Florida	11	2	1349
3	1	Alabama	13	1	1268
4	4	Texas A&M	10	3	1260
5	5	Oklahoma	12	1	1240
6	6	Nebraska	11	2	1172
7	7	Texas	11	2	1151
8	9	Michigan	10	3	1112
9	8	Kansas State	10	3	1081
10	15	Iowa	10	4	828
11	14	West Virginia	9	4	811
12	17	Virginia Tech	12	2	687
13	11	Southern California	11	3	687
14	13	Boise State	11	3	649
15	20	North Carolina	10	3	570
16	21	Fresno State	11	2	540
17	16	Oregon	11	3	512
18	23	Michigan State	9	4	465
19	19	Louisville	10	3	451
20	--	Clemson	9	4	371
21	--	Notre Dame	9	4	342
22	10	Oklahoma State	8	5	281
23	--	San Diego State	10	3	262
24	--	Arkansas State	10	3	240
25	12	Georgia	9	5	202

Heisman Watch - Updated: Dec 14, 2013
NAME	POS	SCHOOL		SEASON STATS
Braxton Miller	QB	Ohio State		3478 yards, 31 TDs, 939 rush yds, 11 rush TDs
TJ Yeldon	RB	Alabama		1374 yards, 6.7 YPC, 19 TDs
Johnny Manziel	QB	Texas A&M		3130 yards, 33 TDs, 938 rush yards, 9 rush TDs
Blake Bell	QB	Oklahoma		2621 yards, 28 TDs, 925 rush yards, 9 rush TDs
DeAnthony Thomas	RB	Oregon		1183 yards, 5.1 YPC, 15 TDs

Nebraska Cornhuskers 2013 Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Aug 31	vs Wyoming	Won, 49-0
Sep 7	vs Southern Mississippi	Won, 37-6
Sep 14	vs UCLA	Won, 45-28
Sep 21	vs South Dakota State	Won, 34-3
Oct 5	vs Illinois	Won, 56-30
Oct 12	at Purdue	Lost, 36-33
Oct 26	at Minnesota	Won, 38-14
Nov 2	vs Northwestern	Won, 34-21
Nov 9	at Michigan	Won, 38-31
Nov 16	vs Michigan State	Won, 36-20
Nov 23	at Penn State	Won, 49-21
Nov 29	vs Iowa	Lost, 38-7
Jan 3	vs Florida State	Won, 42-39

Huskers in 2014 NFL Draft
Taylor Martinez (2nd Round)
Quincy Enunwa (2nd Round)
Cionte Evans (4th Round)
Spencer Long (5th Round)
Thad Randle (5th Round)
Jake Long (6th Round)

[MGomaha]

Reserved for future use.

Writer's note: You may post now if you want! I'm a decently experienced chiser, but have not done one since NCAA 12 I believe, so I'm pretty excited for this. Have some good ideas that I'm excited to use. Thanks for reading!

[HAILTOPITT]

Good looking dynasty. Will be following!

[MGomaha]

Huskers Surprise With Late Surge on NSD
By James Massengale – huskers.com

The Huskers did not bring in the biggest class this year, but they definitely filled some needs with some serious talent. The biggest surprise was Brandon Harwell (left), a top ten player and top tight end in the nation, committing to Nebraska on signing day. Most thought Harwell was a lock to commit to his home state Texas Longhorns, but ended up signing the dotted line for Nebraska. The 6’7 Harwell fills and immediate void at tight end that was left by All – Big Ten performer Jake Long and gives Johnny Stanton or Tommy Armstrong yet another weapon to throw to.

The second ranked cornerback in the country also picked the Cornhuskers on signing day. Edmond Morrow selected Nebraska over Ohio State, Texas, and Michigan. The 6’0 172 pound Morrow looks to compete right away in a defensive backfield that lost two seniors to graduation. The Cornhuskers received signatures from receievers Kyle Ingram and Joe Davis, who will most likely redshirt in 2014 before competing for spots in 2015.

Nebraska also received a commitment from Stevie Williams, who selected the Huskers over Penn State, Miami, and Auburn. He will most likely get a redshirt in 2014, as well. Emmanuel Holman is a player the Huskers are very excited about. The four star athlete from Novato is a player Bo Pelini will want to get on the field right away. Holman picked Nebraska over home state Cal, Minnesota, Tennessee, and Pittsburgh. Four - star receiver Ben Moss is someone who could see playing time early in his career, especially on special teams.

The Huskers gained two commitments from quarterbacks in 2014, adding depth to a position that has two players left after graduation. Travis Slaughter, a four star who chose Nebraska over Oklahoma State, Michigan, Oregon, and Virginia Tech, looks to have the early edge over Ronald Campbell. Coaches rave about Campbell’s raw athletic ability, but it’s apparent he needs to work on his footwork and technique.

The successful 2013 campaign helped a little with the 2014 class, but it's more evident in the 2015 and 2016 classes, where the Cornhuskers are in early on a lot of elite talent. Mike Farrell of Rivals had high praise for the Cornhuskers. "They are going to be a force on the trail in the foreseeable future. They did themselves wonders during 2013, and it will show more in the next few cycles." Farrell said. "In terms of recruiting, the Big Ten will no longer be Michigan, Ohio State, and every one else. Those three will be in the top 15 year in and year out, and it's definitely a good thing for the Big Ten.

With only 19 players taken in the class, Coach Bo Pelini knew he had to hit on key needs and fill his roster with a lot of talented athletes. "I really like the guys we've got coming in. We already have a few [2014] kids taking classes and working with our strength coaches, and we're very excited about them. And the guys that will be coming in the summer, we're pretty excited about too. " said Pelini. "A lot of these guys will push for immediate playing time, so we'll see what happens in spring ball and once we get into the summer and closer to the start of fall camp."

The Cornhuskers open spring practice on March 3rd and play the annual Red-White Spring Game on April 5th.

[MGomaha]

Five things to watch in '14 Fall Camp
By James Massengale - huskers.com



1. Ameer Abdullah
The loss of Taylor Martinez is going to be felt the most by the Cornhuskers running game, as the focus for both Nebraska and their opponent is going the be the senior running back. He is a early Heisman candidate and will be the focal point of the Nebraska offense with a new starter at quarterback. And speaking of quarterbacks…

2. Quarterback competition
Johnny Stanton and Tommy Armstrong Jr. have been battling since spring practice and will continue their battle in fall camp, as Bo Pelini and the Cornhuskers replace one of the most prolific players in Nebraska history. Look for a decision to come around a week before the Florida Atlantic game, when fall camp starts to come to an end and game preparations start to begin.

3. Brandon Harwell
The big time tight end has some big shoes to replace, as Jake Long is off in the National Football League with the Oakland Raiders. Harwell not only has to replace a fan - favorite, he also has to replace 62 receptions, 744 yards, and 8 touchdowns. If there is any freshman that can do it, it's Harwell. Reports are that Harwell came into Lincoln this June at 6'7" and a very, very solid 247 pounds. He is the early favorite to start at the position.

4. Defense & Special Teams
The defense for Nebraska is young this year, but it is not void of talent. The special teams unit returns both punter and place kickers and has plenty of options at the returner positions. This is the year that the team has to bring it all together if the Cornhuskers want to truly be elite, they need both the defense and special teams units to play at as high of a level as the offense. That's been one problem under Bo Pelini at Nebraska: all three phases of the game never truly play great at one time. That has to change.

5. Building off of 2013's Orange Bowl season
The Cornhuskers had their best season since the 2002 season, capping it with a BCS Bowl win in the Orange Bowl over Florida State and Jameis Winston, but it remains to be seen how they handle this success. Coach Pelini knows what he is doing, having had a lot of success at LSU and Oklahoma, so Nebraska fans should not be worried. The ultimate goal for the Pelini and the Cornhuskers this year is to win the Big Ten and get to the National Championship game in Glendale, Arizona.

[MGomaha]

Coach Pelini: Armstrong, Stanton making it tough on coaches
James Massengale - huskers.com


Photo: Johnny Stanton and Tommy Armstrong inside Hawks Championship Center

Lincoln, NE -- The highly competitive quarterback competition between Tommy Armstrong and Johnny Stanton has reached a fever pitch after reports came in that both completed over 80% of their passes in the team's first full scrimmage of the fall at Memorial Stadium. Both quarterbacks looked very comfortable in the offense, and either way the Huskers decide to go, offensive coordinator Tim Beck is very confident the team won't miss a beat.

"Taylor is a guy you don't replace, and he'll be missed, but Johnny and Tommy are doing a hell of a job convincing us and the team otherwise. Both guys are compeititors and have made fall camp very fun for me. I don't think John [defensive coordinator Papuchis] has had much fun defending these guys." Coach Beck said with a laugh. "Both of these guys have made the coaching staff happy, and at this point are 1A and 1B in my eyes. There is not much separating them."

Coach Bo Pelini shared the same sentiment.

"Anytime you have two guys competing like Tommy and Johnny are, it makes our football team better. They go out twice a day and work their tails off for a few hours at a time, and then come in and spend a few more hours watching film." Pelini said. "We'll look at deciding on a starter once we get to Florida Atlantic week. After that, we will evaluate our decision and move forward."

Nebraska opens their season in 17 days against Florida Atlantic at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.


Writer's note: This will be the (almost) last update before the first game, as I'll put up a quick game preview right before the game post tomorrow. Thanks for reading!