22 November 2008, 11:48 pm
The Husker football team began competitive play in 1890 and has claimed 46 conference championships and part or all of five national championships:[4] 1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, and 1997. The latter three marking one of only two times that a team has won three NCAA Division I-A national football championships in four seasons. The other was Notre Dame in 1946, 1947 and 1949. Over the past 25 years, the Huskers' three Division I national championships are the second most of any Division I university, behind only the University of Miami, which has won five. The coach who brought about the most wins, and incidentally the most losses, in Cornhusker history is Tom Osborne, who led the team for 25 seasons, from 1973 to 1997; his final record at Nebraska was 255 wins, 49 losses and 3 ties. During his tenure, the team won three national titles, including one (USA Today Coaches' Poll) in his final season. Osborne was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Nebraska's 3rd congressional district in 2000. Nebraska's home games always open with the Tunnel Walk, which signifies the entry of the team onto the field. When the Cornhuskers play at home in Memorial Stadium, the stadium holds more people than Bellevue (the third-largest city in Nebraska). The current attendence record was set on September 27, 2008 when 85,831 fans filled the stadium. They currently hold the NCAA record for the most consecutive sold out home games; the sellout streak dates back to November 3, 1962. The most recent Husker coach was Bill Callahan, (after being fired by interim Athletic Director Tom Osborne on November 24, 2007); the previous three coaches were Frank Solich, Tom Osborne, and Bob Devaney. Callahan represented a break from tradition in many ways. First, Callahan was the first head coach since 1956 not to be hand-picked by his predecessor. Second, Bill Callahan had implemented the West Coast Offense at Nebraska. The Huskers had previously been known for the tough running game; specifically, running the option with a strong backfield, while their new style relies heavily on a balance between the run and the pass. Nebraska became one of only 4 teams in division 1-A football to reach 800 lifetime wins on October 14, 2006 with a 21-3 victory over Kansas State. Other teams with 800 wins are Texas, Notre Dame, and Michigan. On December 2, 2007 athletic director Tom Osborne named Bo Pelini head football coach at Nebraska. Bo Pelini took the job, leaving his position as defensive coordinator at LSU after the 2008 National Championship win against Ohio State. Pelini was defensive coordinator at Nebraska in 2003 and was interim head coach for the 2003 Alamo Bowl game replacing former head coach Frank Solich. Coach Pelini went on to win the bowl game making him 1-0 as head coach at Nebraska. Currently the Cornhuskers have a 7-4 record for the 2008 season bringing Coach Pelini's all time head-coaching record 8-4... Read More »
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