2014 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

2014 Nebraska Cornhuskers football
Logo of the Nebraska athletic teams 2004–
Holiday Bowl vs. USC, L 42–45
Conference Big Ten Conference
Division West Division
2014 record 9–4 (5–3 Big Ten)
Head coach Bo Pelini (Regular Season; 7th Year)
Barney Cotton (Bowl Game)
Offensive coordinator Tim Beck (4th year)
Offensive scheme Spread
Defensive coordinator John Papuchis (3rd year)
Base defense 4–3 defense
Home stadium Memorial Stadium
(Capacity: 87,091)
2014 Big Ten football standings
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  
East Division
#1 Ohio State x$#^   8 0         14 1  
#5T Michigan State   7 1         11 2  
Maryland   4 4         7 6  
Rutgers   3 5         8 5  
Michigan   3 5         5 7  
Penn State   2 6         7 6  
Indiana   1 7         4 8  
West Division
#13 Wisconsin x   7 1         11 3  
Minnesota   5 3         8 5  
Nebraska   5 3         9 4  
Iowa   4 4         7 6  
Illinois   3 5         6 7  
Northwestern   3 5         5 7  
Purdue   1 7         3 9  
Championship: Ohio State 59, Wisconsin 0
  • # College Football Playoff champion
  • ^ College Football Playoff participant
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
As of January 13, 2015; Rankings from AP Poll

The 2014 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 2014 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 West Division of the Big Ten Conference. They finished the season 9–4, 5–3 in Big Ten play to finish in a tie for second place in the West Division. Following losses to both Wisconsin and Minnesota and a come from behind win in overtime at Iowa, Pelini was relieved of his coaching duties following the conclusion of the regular season on November 30, 2014. On December 4, 2014, Mike Riley was announced as the next head coach of the Nebraska football team, and would begin his duties immediately. However, he would not coach the Huskers in the Holiday Bowl, with that job instead handled by Barney Cotton. The Cornhuskers lost the Holiday Bowl to USC.

Before the season

Recruiting

Scholarship recruits

Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight 40 Commit date
Akinmoladun, Freedom
TE
Grandview, MO Grandview 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 240 lb (110 kg) 4.7 Jul 4, 2013 
Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 82
Brown, Drew
PK
Southlake, TX Carroll 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 170 lb (77 kg) N/A Jun 7, 2013 
Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports:2/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 77
Bush, AJ
QB
Norcross, GA Norcross 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 214 lb (97 kg) 4.6 Feb 2, 2014 
Scout:2/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports:2/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 74
Cockrell, Byerson
DB
Scooba, MS East Mississippi CC 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) N/A Dec 6, 2013 
Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 73
Darlington, Zack
QB
Apopka, FL Apopka 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 210 lb (95 kg) N/A Jun 14, 2013 
Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 80
Farmer, Tanner
OL
Highland, IL Highland 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 315 lb (143 kg) 5.2 Jun 11, 2013 
Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 80
Foster, D.J.
OL
Lincoln, NE Southeast 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 312 lb (142 kg) 5.4 Jun 15, 2013 
Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 82
Gates, Nick
OL
Las Vegas, NV Bishop Gorman 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 272 lb (123 kg) N/A Jan 24, 2014 
Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 77
Gifford, Luke
ATH
Lincoln NE Southeast 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 198 lb (90 kg) N/A Mar 11, 2013 
Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 78
Harrison, Monte
WR
Lee's Summit, MO Lee's Summit West 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 4.5 Jul 4, 2013 
Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 81
Irons, Glenn
WR
New Orleans, LA Edna Karr 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 170 lb (77 kg) N/A Jan 25, 2014 
Scout:2/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports:2/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 71
Jones, Chris
DB
Jacksonville, FL Sandalwood 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) N/A Jan 20, 2014 
Scout:2/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 70
Kalu, Joshua
DB
Houston, TX Alief Taylor 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 169 lb (77 kg) N/A Oct 14, 2013 
Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 78
Keels, Joe
DE
Highland, KS Highland CC 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 280 lb (130 kg) 4.8 Dec 10, 2013 
Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 78
King, Sedrick
DE
Plant City, FL Plant City 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 230 lb (100 kg) N/A Jan 27, 2014 
Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 70
Mosley, Trai
DB
Pflugerville, TX Hendrickson 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 171 lb (78 kg) 4.4 Jun 14, 2013 
Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 78
Newell, Peyton
DE
Hiawatha, KS Hiawatha 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 285 lb (129 kg) 4.9 Aug 30, 2013 
Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 78
Pierson-El, Demornay
WR
Alexandria, VA West Potomac 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 174 lb (79 kg) 4.5 Jun 15, 2013 
Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 78
Stewart, Larenzo
RB
Klein, TX Klein Oak 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) 165 lb (75 kg) 4.4 Jul 5, 2013 
Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 77
Stoltenberg, Mick
OL
Gretna, NE Gretna 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 250 lb (110 kg) 4.8 Jun 15, 2013 
Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 75
Tolbert, Jariah
WR
New Orleans, LA Edna Karr 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) N/A Jan 9, 2014 
Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 77
Walton, Jaevon
ATH
New Orleans, LA Edna Karr 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 236 lb (107 kg) N/A Nov 16, 2013 
Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 72
Wilbon, Mmusicle
RB
Chicago, IL De La Salle 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) 191 lb (87 kg) N/A Jan 26, 2014 
Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 76
Wills, Deandre
DE
Lineville, AL Central of Clay County 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 250 lb (110 kg) N/A Feb 2, 2014 
Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports:2/5 stars    ESPN grade: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 34   Rivals: 32  ESPN: 39
  • ‡ 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:

Walk-on recruits

Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight 40 Commit date
Arneson, Noah
DT
Omaha, NE Omaha Gross 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 300 lb (140 kg) N/A  
Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Boryca, Alex
LB
Cozad, NE Cozad 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 220 lb (100 kg) N/A  
Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Conrad, Cole
OL
Fremont, NE Fremont Bergan 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 280 lb (130 kg) N/A  
Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Freudenberg, Ryan
OL
Norfolk, NE Lutheran High Northeast 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 290 lb (130 kg) N/A  
Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Graham, Nolan
DB
Firth, NE Norris 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 195 lb (88 kg) N/A  
Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Holtmeier, Blake
WR
Kearney, NE Kearney Catholic 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) N/A  
Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Jakub, Cameron
DB
Columbus, NE Columbus 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 170 lb (77 kg) N/A  
Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Jarzynka, Matt
DE
Loup City, NE Loup City 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 220 lb (100 kg) N/A  
Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Kitrell, Bo
FB/LB
Ashland, NE Ashland-Greenwood 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 210 lb (95 kg) N/A  
Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Koley, Creighton
DB
Omaha, NE Omaha Skutt 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) N/A  
Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Meduna, Nate
TE
Wahoo, NE Wahoo Neumann 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 220 lb (100 kg) N/A  
Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Ortmeier, Trent
OL
West Point, NE Guardian Angels Central Catholic 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 270 lb (120 kg) N/A  
Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Owen, Dylan
DL
Westchester, NY Bridgton Academy 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 240 lb (110 kg) N/A  
Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Pelzer, Brady
WR
Bellevue, NE Bellevue East 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 170 lb (77 kg) N/A  
Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Poppen, Garrett
LB
Giltner, NE Giltner 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 215 lb (98 kg) N/A  
Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Reimers, Bryan
TE
Lincoln, NE Lincoln East 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) N/A  
Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Rose, Austin
RB
Lincoln, NE Lincoln North Star 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 220 lb (100 kg) N/A  
Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Van Almen, Jack
LB
Rochester Hills, MI Stoney Creek 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 215 lb (98 kg) N/A  
Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 34   Rivals: 32  ESPN: 39
  • ‡ 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:

Schedule

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result Attendance
August 30 2:30 p.m. Florida Atlantic* No. 22 Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE BTN W 557   91,441
September 6 11:00 a.m. No. 7 (FCS) McNeese State* No. 19 Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE ESPNU W 3124   91,082
September 13 9:30 p.m. at Fresno State* Bulldog StadiumFresno, CA CBSSN W 5519   41,031
September 20 7:00 p.m. Miami (FL)* No. 24 Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE ESPN2 W 4131   91,585
September 27 8:00 p.m. Illinoisdagger No. 21 Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE BTN W 4514   91,255
October 4 7:00 p.m. at No. 10 Michigan State No. 19 Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI ABC L 2722   75,923
October 18 6:30 p.m. at Northwestern No. 19 Ryan FieldEvanston, IL BTN W 3817   47,330
October 25 11:00 a.m. Rutgers No. 16 Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE ESPN2 W 4224   91,088
November 1 2:30 p.m. Purdue No. 17 Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE ABC/ESPN2 W 3514   91,107
November 15 2:30 p.m. at No. 22 Wisconsin No. 11 Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI (Freedom Trophy) ABC L 5924   80,539
November 22 11:00 a.m. Minnesota No. 21 Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE ($5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy) ESPN L 2428   91,186
November 28 11:00 a.m. at Iowa Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA (Heroes Game) ABC W 3734 OT  66,897
December 27 7:00 p.m. vs. No. 24 USC No. 25 Qualcomm StadiumSan Diego, CA (Holiday Bowl) ESPN L 42–45   55,789
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

[1]

Roster and coaching staff

2014 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
IB 8 Abdullah, AmeerAmeer Abdullah (C) Sr
TE 88 Akinmoladun, FreedomFreedom Akinmoladun Fr
WR 7 Allen, TaariqTaariq Allen Jr
WR 43 Appleget, NoahNoah Appleget Fr
QB 4 Armstrong, Jr., TommyTommy Armstrong, Jr. So
WR 33 Bailey, ChristianChristian Bailey RFr
WR 80 Bell, KennyKenny Bell (C) Sr
TE 83 Blum, JaredJared Blum So
QB 9 Broekemeier, TysonTyson Broekemeier Jr
WR 9 Burtch, SamSam Burtch Jr
QB 6 Bush, AJAJ Bush Fr
TE 11 Carter, CethanCethan Carter So
OL 62 Conrad, ColeCole Conrad Fr
OL 68 Cotton, JakeJake Cotton (C) Sr
TE 84 Cotton, SamSam Cotton So
IB 32 Cross, ImaniImani Cross Jr
QB 2 Darlington, ZackZack Darlington Fr
OL 63 Farmer, TannerTanner Farmer Fr
OL 59 Finnin, MattMatt Finnin Jr
OL 67 Foster, JeraldJerald Foster Fr
TE 42 Foster, TreyTrey Foster So
OL 51 Freudenburg, RyanRyan Freudenburg Fr
QB 17 Fyfe, RykerRyker Fyfe So
OL 69 Gates, NickNick Gates Fr
WR 81 Gladney, KevinKevin Gladney RFr
OL 73 Hahn, SamSam Hahn So
OL 72 Hannon, ZachZach Hannon RFr
TE 85 Hart, GregGreg Hart RFr
WR 25 Holtmeier, BlakeBlake Holtmeier Fr
WR 13 Hovey, LaneLane Hovey So
WR 18 Irons, GlennGlenn Irons Fr
FB 35 Janovich, AndyAndy Janovich Jr
OL 76 Johnson Jr., DwayneDwayne Johnson Jr. RFr
FB 38 Jordan, HarrisonHarrison Jordan RFr
TE 89 Ketter, ConnorConnor Ketter RFr
FB 30 Kitrell, BoBo Kitrell Fr
OL 77 Knevel, DavidDavid Knevel RFr
OL 70 Kondolo, ChongoChongo Kondolo Jr
IB 24 Kuzu, MuratMurat Kuzu Jr
OL 71 Lewis, AlexAlex Lewis Jr
OL 75 Long, ChrisChris Long Jr
FB 44 McCann, MitchMitch McCann So
TE 41 McNitt, LukeLuke McNitt So
TE 90 Meduna, NateNate Meduna Fr
WR 82 Moore, AlonzoAlonzo Moore So
OL 74 Moudy, MikeMike Moudy Sr
IB 29 Nabity, GrahamGraham Nabity So
IB 39 Nelson, JordanJordan Nelson So
IB 34 Newby, TerrellTerrell Newby So
OL 59 Ortmeier, TrentTrent Ortmeier Fr
OL 54 Painter, RobbyRobby Painter So
OL 56 Pelini, MarkMark Pelini Sr
WR 26 Pelzer, BradyBrady Pelzer Fr
WR 15 Pierson-El, De'MornayDe'Mornay Pierson-El Fr
OL 78 Price, GivensGivens Price Jr
WR 48 Rahn, GabeGabe Rahn RFr
OL 65 Reeves, RyneRyne Reeves Jr
WR 87 Reilly, BrandonBrandon Reilly So
TE 45 Reimers, BryanBryan Reimers Fr
IB 23 Rose, AustinAustin Rose Fr
QB 5 Stanton, JohnnyJohnny Stanton RFr
OL 57 Sterup, ZachZach Sterup Jr
TE 86 Sutton, DavidDavid Sutton Jr
IB 28 Taylor, AdamAdam Taylor RFr
OL 55 Thurston, PaulPaul Thurston So
WR 19 Tolbert, JariahJariah Tolbert Fr
WR 10 Turner, JamalJamal Turner Sr
OL 66 Utter, DylanDylan Utter So
WR 1 Westerkamp, JordanJordan Westerkamp So
OL 58 Whitaker, CoreyCorey Whitaker So
IB 21 Wilbon, MikaleMikale Wilbon Fr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
S 2 Alexander, LeRoyLeRoy Alexander So
LB 13 Anderson, ZaireZaire Anderson Sr
DL 61 Arneson, NoahNoah Arneson Fr
LB 52 Banderas, JoshJosh Banderas So
LB 53 Boryca, AlexAlex Boryca Fr
DB 28 Cockrell, ByersonByerson Cockrell Jr
DT 7 Collins, MaliekMaliek Collins So
LB 26 Connely, ThomasThomas Connely Fr
S 6 Cooper, CoreyCorey Cooper (C) Sr
CB 23 Davie, DanielDaniel Davie Jr
DE 88 Dzuris, RossRoss Dzuris So
DE 49 Evans, ErikErik Evans RFr
CB 31 Felici, JoeyJoey Felici Sr
CB 30 Foster, DerekDerek Foster Sr
DE 95 Gangwish, JackJack Gangwish Jr
DB 25 Gerry, NateNate Gerry So
DB 12 Gifford, LukeLuke Gifford Fr
DB 29 Graham, NolanNolan Graham Fr
DE 4 Gregory, RandyRandy Gregory Jr
DE 91 Hoppes, TylerTyler Hoppes So
DB 21 Jackson, CharlesCharles Jackson Jr
DB 39 Jakub, CameronCameron Jakub Fr
DE 47 Jarzynka, MattMatt Jarzynka Fr
DL 50 Johns, GarretGarret Johns So
DB 11 Jones, ChrisChris Jones Fr
DB 1 Joseph, BoazBoaz Joseph RFr
DB 10 Kalu, JoshuaJoshua Kalu Fr
DE 19 Keels, JoeJoe Keels Jr
DE 17 King, SedrickSedrick King Fr
DB 42 Koley, CreightonCreighton Koley Fr
DL 58 Lopez, JoelJoel Lopez So
LB 51 Love, CourtneyCourtney Love RFr
DT 55 Maurice, KevinKevin Maurice So
LB 33 McKay, GarrettGarrett McKay So
DE 90 McMullen, GregGreg McMullen So
CB 5 Mitchell, JoshJosh Mitchell (C) Sr
DB 16 Mosley, TraiTrai Mosley Fr
DE 45 Natter, A.J.A.J. Natter RFr
LB 3 Newby, MarcusMarcus Newby RFr
DL 99 Newell, PeytonPeyton Newell Fr
DL 76 Owen, DylanDylan Owen Fr
LB 54 Poppen, GarrettGarrett Poppen Fr
DL 97 Rath, LoganLogan Rath So
DB 22 Ridder, AnthonyAnthony Ridder Jr
LB 43 Roach, TrevorTrevor Roach Sr
CB 14 Rose, JonathanJonathan Rose Jr
LB 15 Rose-Ivey, MichaelMichael Rose-Ivey So
LB 41 Santos, DavidDavid Santos Jr
LB 56 Simpson, BradBrad Simpson So
DB 8 Singleton, D.J.D.J. Singleton RFr
DL 44 Stoltenberg, MickMick Stoltenberg Fr
DB 36 Stovall, ZachZach Stovall RFr
DT 98 Valentine, VincentVincent Valentine So
LB 49 Weber, ChrisChris Weber RFr
LB 24 Williams, AustinAustin Williams Sr
DT 92 Williams, KevinKevin Williams Jr
DB 27 Williams, KieronKieron Williams Fr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
PK 37 Bondi, MauroMauro Bondi Jr
PK 34 Brown, DrewDrew Brown Fr
LS 92 Faulkenberry, JoshJosh Faulkenberry Fr
P 27 Foltz, SamSam Foltz So
PK 95 Lindsay, SpencerSpencer Lindsay So
LS 91 Miller, GabrielGabriel Miller So
PK 47 Schumacher, GrantGrant Schumacher RFr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
  • Tim Beck
       4th season as OC/QB coach
       7th year at Nebraska
       Alma mater: UCF
  • John Papuchis
       3rd season as DC coach
       7th year at Nebraska
       Alma mater: Virginia Tech
  • Ron Brown
       4th season as RB coach
       24th year at Nebraska
       Alma mater: Brown
  • Barney Cotton
       2nd season as AHC/TE coach
       8th year at Nebraska
       Alma mater: Nebraska
  • Ross Els
       4th season as LB coach
       4th year at Nebraska
       Alma mater: Nebraska-Omaha
  • Rich Fisher
       4th season as WR coach
       4th year at Nebraska
       Alma mater: Colorado
  • John Garrison
       2nd season as OL coach
       4th year at Nebraska
       Alma mater: Nebraska
  • Rick Kaczenski
       3rd season as DL coach
       3rd year at Nebraska
       Alma mater: Notre Dame
  • James Dobson
       7th season as S&C coach
       7th year at Nebraska
       Alma mater: Wisconsin
  • Charlton Warren
       1st season as Sec coach
       1st year at Nebraska
       Alma mater: Air Force

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured
  • Redshirt

Roster
Last update: August 25, 2014

Game notes

Florida Atlantic

Florida Atlantic at Nebraska
1 234Total
Florida Atlantic 7 000 7
#22 Nebraska 14 17177 55
  • Date: August 30
  • Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
  • Game start: 2:43 PM CST
  • Elapsed time: 3:20
  • Game attendance: 91,441
  • Game weather: Sunny, 81°F, Wind N@2mph, Humidty 68%
  • Referee: Greg Blum
  • TV announcers (BTN): Kevin Kugler, Eric Crouch, Damon Benning

Nebraska opened the 2014 season, the 125th season in program history, with a home game against the Florida Atlantic Owls. Nebraska dominated the game and led from start to finish in a 55–7 rout. The Huskers ended the game with a Big Ten Conference record 784 yards of total offense, while allowing just 200 total yards to FAU. Nebraska now leads the all-time series with FAU 2–0.

Jordan Westerkamp about to catch a touchdown pass during the first quarter of the Nebraska vs. Florida Atlantic game, August 30, 2014

McNeese State

McNeese State at Nebraska
1 234Total
McNeese State 7 7010 24
#19 Nebraska 14 737 31
  • Date: September 6
  • Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
  • Game start: 11:01 AM CST
  • Elapsed time: 3:23
  • Game attendance: 91,082
  • Game weather: Sunny, 64°F, Wind N@7mph, Humidty 66%
  • Referee: Shawn Smith
  • TV announcers (ESPNU): Adam Amin, John Congemi

Nebraska struggled with FCS opponent McNeese State. Running back Ameer Abdullah broke five tackles on a 58-yard TD reception with 20 seconds remaining in the game to lead Nebraska to a 31–24 win at Memorial Stadium. The Huskers totaled 437 yards in offense and allowed 338 to the Cowboys. Tommy Armstrong was 16-of-31 for 242 yards with 2 TDs and an INT passing, and was also the leading rusher with 11 carries for 131 yards and a score. Abdullah added 54 yards rushing with a TD on the ground and was the top receiver with three catches for 96 yards and the game-winning score. Jordan Westerkamp added four catches for 61 yards and a TD.

Fresno State

Nebraska at Fresno State
1 234Total
Nebraska 14 131414 55
Fresno State 2 377 19
  • Date: September 13
  • Location: Bulldog Stadium, Fresno, California
  • Game start: 7:40 PM PST
  • Elapsed time: 3:41
  • Game attendance: 41,031
  • Game weather: 99°F, Wind SSE@6mph, Partly Cloudy
  • Referee: Ron Snodgrass
  • TV announcers (CBS Sports Network): Carter Blackburn, Aaron Taylor, Jamie Erdhal

This was Nebraska's first road game of the 2014 season, taking on the Fresno State Bulldogs in Fresno, California. The two teams had only met once before, a 42–29 Nebraska win in Lincoln in 2011. Nebraska gained 562 yards of offense and never trailed in a 55–19 win over Fresno State. Tommy Armstrong threw for 260 yards and Ameer Abdullah rushed for 110 to lead the Huskers to a 3–0 start on the season. For the first time since 2007, Nebraska wore all-white uniforms whereas Fresno State wore alternate all-red ones.

Miami (FL)

Miami (FL) at Nebraska
1 234Total
Miami (FL) 7 7710 31
#24 Nebraska 7 101410 41
  • Date: September 20
  • Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE
  • Game start: 7:06 PM CST
  • Elapsed time: 3:24
  • Game attendance: 91,585
  • Game weather: Sunny, 76° F, Wind NNW@5-12mph, Humidty 42%
  • Referee: Dennis Hennigan
  • TV announcers (ESPN2): Joe Tessitore, Brock Huard, Shannon Spake

Nebraska hosted the Miami Hurricanes in game four of the 2014 season. This was the 11th meeting in the all-time series which was tied at five wins apiece. It was the first regular season meeting between the two since a 17–9 Nebraska win in 1976. The first meeting between the two took place in 1951 was the first-ever night game at Memorial Stadium. The Gotham Bowl matchup was Nebraska's first-ever bowl victory. Each of the past five bowl meetings for the two saw the winner declared the national champion. Nebraska won 41–31 making it the 400th win in Memorial Stadium history. The tunnel walk before the game featured the 1994 team including former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne to commemorate the 20th anniversary of defeating Miami for the national championship.

Opening kickoff.
Ameer Abdullah about to receive a snap from center.
Nebraska with the ball on their final touchdown drive.

Illinois

Illinois at Nebraska
1 234Total
Illinois 7 700 14
#24 Nebraska 7 2477 45
  • Date: September 27
  • Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE
  • Game start: 8:13 PM CST
  • Elapsed time: 3:24
  • Game attendance: 91,255
  • Game weather: Clear, 74°F, Wind S@11mph, Humidty 56%
  • Referee: Dave Witvoet
  • TV announcers (BTN): Kevin Kugler, Chuck Long, Rebecca Haarlow

Nebraska opened up Big Ten play with a game against Illinois at home on Homecoming. The Huskers improved to 9–2–1 all-time against the Illini behind the rushing of Ameer Abdullah who put up 196 yards in the first half and 208 total yards and 3 TDs. The Huskers rushed for over 400 yards as a team en route to a dominating 45–14 victory. Nebraska broke out their "Red Rising" alternate uniforms from Adidas in this game. During the halftime performance, Nebraska's marching band spelled out "Fear Ameer" on the field.

Michigan State

Nebraska at Michigan State
1 234Total
#19 Nebraska 0 0319 22
#10 Michigan State 7 10100 27

19th-ranked Nebraska traveled to East Lansing, Michigan to take on #10 Michigan State in a key Big Ten conference matchup. Heading into the game Nebraska was 7–1 all-time against the Spartans, with MSU picking up their first ever win over Nebraska last year in Lincoln by a score of 41–28. In the game Michigan State jumped out to a 27–3 lead going into the fourth quarter before the Huskers rallied with a 19-point final quarter. Nebraska was driving with the ball with less than a minute to go before throwing a game-ending interception to lose the first game of the year 27–22.

Northwestern

Nebraska at Northwestern
1 234Total
#19 Nebraska 0 14717 38
Northwestern 7 1000 17

19th-ranked Nebraska traveled to Evanston, Illinois to take on the Northwestern Wildcats in a Big Ten West Division match-up. Coming into the game Nebraska led the all-time series with the Wildcats five games to two. Last year the Huskers captured a 27–24 victory on a last second Hail Mary touchdown pass. This year's game the two teams played even through two quarters of football before Nebraska pulled away in the second half. Ameer Abdullah recorded a career-high four TDs as the Huskers pulled out a 38–17 victory. Once again, Nebraska wore all white uniforms for this game while Northwestern wore alternate ones for Homecoming.

Rutgers

Rutgers at Nebraska
1 234Total
Rutgers 7 0107 24
#16 Nebraska 7 14147 42
  • Date: October 25
  • Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE
  • Game start: 11:01 AM CST
  • Elapsed time: 3:13
  • Game attendance: 91,088
  • Game weather: Sunny, 61°F, Wind N@5-10mph, Humidity 71%
  • Referee: Mike Cannon
  • TV announcers (ESPN2): Beth Mowins, Joey Galloway, Paul Carcaterra

Nebraska returned home for the first time in four weeks as the Huskers hosted Big Ten newcomer Rutgers. This was the first ever visit to Memorial Stadium by the Scarlet Knights, and was just the second all-time meeting between the two programs. The only other meeting came back in 1920, with the Huskers prevailing 28–0 at the New York Polo Grounds. The 94-year gap between games in the series is the longest for Nebraska against any opponent in school history.

In the matchup, Ameer Abdullah rushed for 225 yards and set a single-game school record with 341 all-purpose yards and scored three TDs to lead Nebraska to a 42–24 win over the Scarlet Knights. Abdullah now has 6,604 career all-purpose yards, extending his school record and moving past Ohio State's Archie Griffin into second place in Big Ten history. Also, wide receiver Kenny Bell became Nebraska's career receptions leader with 167.

Ameer Abdullah running for a 53-yard touchdown (Nebraska vs Rutgers, 2014).
Bo Pelini on the sideline (Nebraska vs. Rutgers, 2014).
Rutgers' quarterback Chris Laviano runs for a long gain (Nebraska vs. Rutgers, 2014).
Tommy Armstrong Jr. rolls out to pass (Nebraska vs. Rutgers, 2014).

Purdue

Purdue at Nebraska
1 234Total
Purdue 0 707 14
#17 Nebraska 7 1477 35
  • Date: November 1
  • Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE
  • Game start: 2:37 PM CST
  • Elapsed time: 3:28
  • Game attendance: 91,107
  • Game weather: Sunny, 50°F, Wind S@15-25mph, Humidity 37%
  • Referee: Dan Capron
  • TV announcers (ABC / ESPN2): Mike Patrick, Ed Cunningham, Jeannine Edwards

Purdue visited Memorial Stadium for the first time in program history on Saturday, November 1, 2014. Nebraska came away with a 35–14 victory in a game that saw Heisman Trophy candidate Ameer Abdullah suffer a knee injury early in the game that knocked him out of the contest.

Wisconsin

Nebraska at Wisconsin
1 234Total
#11 Nebraska 10 707 24
#22 Wisconsin 3 21287 59

Nebraska traveled to Madison, Wisconsin to take on the Wisconsin Badgers in a key Big Ten West Division game on Saturday. Melvin Gordon ran for a new FBS single-game rushing record 408 yards. The Badgers scored 56 unanswered points after the Huskers started the game with a 17–3 lead to win the contest and the inaugural Freedom Trophy by a 59–24 score.

Minnesota

Minnesota at Nebraska
1 234Total
Minnesota 7 0147 28
#21 Nebraska 7 1430 24
  • Date: November 22
  • Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE
  • Game start: 11:02 AM CST
  • Elapsed time: 3:20
  • Game attendance: 91,186
  • Game weather: Overcast, 44°F, Wind SSW@13mph, Humidity 37%
  • Referee: Jerry McGinn
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Dave Pasch, Brian Griese, Tom Luginbill

Nebraska completed its 2014 home schedule when Minnesota came to Memorial Stadium on Saturday, November 22 for Senior Day. The Golden Gophers lead the all-time series 30–22–2, and Nebraska leads 2-1 since joining the Big Ten Conference. The Gophers overcame a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat Nebraska for the second straight season and clinch a winning Big Ten season for the first time since the 2003 season with a 28–24 win.

Iowa

Nebraska at Iowa
1 234OTTotal
Nebraska 0 77176 37
Iowa 0 101473 34

Kenny Bell caught a 9-yard TD pass in overtime as Nebraska rallied to beat Iowa 37-34 in the Heroes Game on Black Friday. The Huskers trailed at one point 24-7 before starting their comeback. The game featured turnovers, big special teams play and stretches of solid defense. Nebraska improves to 3-1 against Iowa since joining the Big Ten and 29-13-3 overall.

Holiday Bowl

Nebraska vs. USC
1 234Total
#25 Nebraska 17 0178 42
#24 USC 10 14210 45

Nebraska traveled to San Diego to take on the USC Trojans in the Holiday Bowl. This was the fifth all-time meeting with the Trojans, but the Huskers have never won in this series, with USC leading all-time 0–3–1 before the game. The Huskers nearly came back from an 18-point second half deficit, but the Trojans prevailed 45-42. Nebraska was led by interim-coach Barney Cotton in this contest.

Big Ten Players of the Week

All-Conference honors

2014 Big Ten All-Conference honors:[22]

Coaches
Position Player
First Team Offense
WR Kenny Bell
First Team Defense
DL Randy Gregory
Second Team Offense
RB Ameer Abdullah
Second Team Defense
DL Maliek Collins
Honorable Mention
LB Zaire Anderson
OL Jake Cotton
P Sam Foltz
DB Nate Gerry
OL Alex Lewis
DB Josh Mitchell

Media
Position Player
First Team Defense
DL Randy Gregory
Second Team Offense
RB Ameer Abdullah
Second Team Defense
DB Nate Gerry
Honorable Mention
LB Zaire Anderson
WR Kenny Bell
DL Maliek Collins
DB Corey Cooper
OL Jake Cotton
OL Alex Lewis
DB Josh Mitchell

All-Americans

All-America Teams:[23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]

RB - Ameer Abdullah (CBS Sports - 2nd Team | Walter Camp - 2nd Team | Athlon Sports - 2nd Team | AP - 2nd Team | Scout - 2nd Team | SI - 2nd Team | Phil Steele - 3rd Team)

RET - De'Mornay Pierson-El (USA Today - 2nd Team | Athlon Sports - 3rd Team | SI - 2nd Team | Sporting News - 2nd Team | FWAA - 2nd Team | Phil Steele - 2nd Team)

DE - Randy Gregory (AP - 3rd Team | FWAA - 2nd Team | Phil Steele - 2nd Team)

NFL Draft

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. ( ) = First place votes.
Week
Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Final 
AP 22 19 RV 24 21 19 21 19 16 17 15 11 21 RV 25 25 RV 
Coaches 22 18 21 22 19 17 21 19 16 16 14 11 19 RV 23 22 RV 
CFP Not released 15 13 16 23 NR NR NR Not released

References

  1. "Nebraska Cornhuskers Schedule – 2014". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Department of Athletics. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
  2. "Scoring Summary (Final), 2014 Nebraska Football, Florida Atlantic vs #22 Nebraska (Aug. 30, 2014 at Lincoln, Neb.)" (PDF). University of Nebraska–Lincoln Department of Athletics. August 30, 2014. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
  3. "Scoring Summary (Final), 2014 Nebraska Football, McNeese State vs #19 Nebraska (Sept. 6, 2014 at Lincoln, Neb.)" (PDF). University of Nebraska–Lincoln Department of Athletics. September 6, 2014. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
  4. "Scoring Summary (Final), 2014 Nebraska Football, Nebraska vs. Fresno State (Sept. 13, 2014 at Fresno, Ca.)". Fresno State Athletics. September 13, 2014. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
  5. "Scoring Summary (Final), 2014 Nebraska Football, Nebraska vs. Miami (Sept. 20, 2014 at Lincoln, NE.)" (PDF). University of Nebraska–Lincoln Department of Athletics. September 20, 2014. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  6. "Scoring Summary (Final), 2014 Nebraska Football, Nebraska vs. Illinois (Sept. 27, 2014 at Lincoln, NE.)" (PDF). University of Nebraska–Lincoln Department of Athletics. September 27, 2014. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  7. "Scoring Summary (Final), 2014 Nebraska Football, Nebraska vs. Michigan State (Oct. 4, 2014 at East Lansing, MI.)" (PDF). University of Nebraska–Lincoln Department of Athletics. October 4, 2014. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
  8. "Scoring Summary (Final) 2014 Nebraska Football #19 Nebraska vs Northwestern (Oct 18, 2014 at Evanston, Ill.)" (PDF). University of Nebraska–Lincoln Department of Athletics. October 18, 2014. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  9. "Scoring Summary (Final) 2014 Nebraska Football Rutgers vs #16 Nebraska (Oct 25, 2014 at Lincoln, Neb.)" (PDF). University of Nebraska–Lincoln Department of Athletics. October 25, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 11, 2009. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  10. "Scoring Summary (Final) 2014 Nebraska Football Purdue vs #17 Nebraska (Nov 01, 2014 at Lincoln, Neb.)" (PDF). University of Nebraska–Lincoln Department of Athletics. November 1, 2014. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
  11. "Scoring Summary (Final) 2014 Nebraska Football #11 Nebraska at #22 Wisconsin (Nov 15, 2014 at Madison, Wis.)" (PDF). University of Nebraska–Lincoln Department of Athletics. November 15, 2014. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  12. "Scoring Summary (Final) 2014 Nebraska Football: Minnesota at #21 Nebraska (Nov 22, 2014 at Lincoln, Neb.)" (PDF). University of Nebraska–Lincoln Department of Athletics. November 22, 2014. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
  13. "Scoring Summary (Final) 2014 Nebraska Football Nebraska vs Iowa (Nov. 28 at Iowa City, Iowa)" (PDF). University of Nebraska–Lincoln Department of Athletics. November 28, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  14. "Scoring Summary (Final) 2014 Nebraska Football Holiday Bowl Nebraska vs. USC (San Diego, CA)" (PDF). University of Nebraska–Lincoln Department of Athletics. December 27, 2014. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  15. "Big Ten Players of the Week". Big Ten Conference. September 1, 2014. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  16. "Big Ten Players of the Week". Big Ten Conference. September 8, 2014. Retrieved September 8, 2014.
  17. "Big Ten Players of the Week". Big Ten Conference. September 15, 2014. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  18. "Big Ten Players of the Week". Big Ten Conference. September 22, 2014. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  19. "Big Ten Players of the Week". Big Ten Conference. September 29, 2014. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  20. "Big Ten Players of the Week". Big Ten Conference. October 27, 2014. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
  21. 1 2 "Big Ten Players of the Week". Big Ten Conference. December 1, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  22. "2014 Big Ten All-Conference Awards" (PDF). Big Ten Conference. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  23. Lassan, Steven (December 12, 2014). "College Football's 2014 Postseason All-America Team". Athlon Sports. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  24. "2014 CBS Sports College Football All-America Team". CBS Sports. December 10, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  25. "125th Walter Camp All-America Teams Announced". Walter Camp Foundation. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  26. "2014 AP All-America Team, List". Associated Press. December 16, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  27. "Scout 2014 All-America Team". Scout. December 11, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  28. "Melvin Gordon, Amari Cooper Lead SI.com's 2014 All-America Team". Sports Illustrated. December 15, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  29. "SN All-American Team: Mariota, Cooper, Gordon Lead Way". Sporting News. December 16, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  30. "FWAA Names 2014 All-America Team". Football Writers Association of America. December 17, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  31. "Phil Steele All-America Selections". Phil Steele's Publications. December 16, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
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