Game Week: Northern Iowa
NEBRASKA vs. NORTHERN IOWA
Sept. 14, 2024 | MEMORIAL STADIUM
LINCOLN, NEB. | 6:30 PM CT
HUSKERS
Record: 2-0, 0-0 B1G
Last Game: vs. Colorado (W, 28-10)
Rankings: AP - 23/Coaches – 24
Head Coach: Matt Rhule
Career/NU Record: 54-50 (9th Year)/7-7 (2nd Year)
vs. UNI: 0-0
PANTHERS
Record: 2-0, 0-0 MVFC
Last Game: at St. Thomas (W, 17-10)
Rankings: Coaches – 21 (FCS)
Head Coach: Mark Farley
Career/UNI Record: 182-103 (24th Year)/182-103 (24th Year)
vs. Nebraska: 0-0
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time Series: First Meeting
At Lincoln: ---
Last Game: ---
Win Streak: ---
BROADCAST INFO
TV – BTN (Guy Haberman, Yogi Roth, Rhett Lewis)
RADIO NETWORK – (Greg Sharpe, Damon Benning, Jessica Coody)
INTERNET RADIO – Huskers.com
APP AUDIO – Official Huskers App
The Matchup
Nebraska completes non-conference play on Saturday night when the Huskers take on the Northern Iowa Panthers at Memorial Stadium. The first meeting between the schools is set to kick off shortly after 6:30 p.m. BTN will provide the national television coverage and the game can be heard on the Huskers Radio Network and Huskers App.
The Huskers come into the contest at 2-0 after a 28-10 victory over Colorado in an electric environment in Memorial Stadium last Saturday. Nebraska jumped to a 28-0 halftime lead behind a dominant defensive effort and cruised to the win to improve to 2-0 for the first time since 2016. The win also vaulted Nebraska into the national polls at No. 23 in the AP poll and No. 24 in the USA Today Coaches poll.
Through two games, the Huskers have shown the ability to control the clock with a balanced offensive attack. Nebraska is averaging 186.0 yards per game on the ground, while throwing for 234.5 yards per game. The Blackshirt defense has limited opponents to just 36.0 rushing yards through two contests, while holding both opponents to 10 points or less. The Huskers have also won the turnover margin through two games, committing just one turnover in two contests, while forcing two takeaways against both UTEP and Colorado.
Northern Iowa also enters Saturday's game with a 2-0 record after a 17-10 victory at St. Thomas (Minn.) on Saturday. UNI trailed 10-7 entering the fourth quarter but scored 10 points in the final quarter, including the game-winning touchdown with 2:47 remaining. The Panthers opened the season with a win over Valparaiso on Aug. 31. UNI has controlled the line of scrimmage through two games, averaging 298.5 rushing yards per game, while allowing just 79.0 rushing yards per contest. The Panthers are ranked No. 21 in this week's FCS coaches poll.
Huskers to Take on FCS Foe in Panthers
Saturday's game is the first all-time meeting between Nebraska and Northern Iowa. It will mark Nebraska's 15th game all-time against an FCS foe (at time of game), with the Huskers holding a 14-0 record in those contests.
• In 2022, Nebraska defeated North Dakota, 38-17, in its most recent matchup with an FCS foe.
• All of Nebraska's games against FCS opponents have occurred since 1992, including facing an FCS opponent for five straight seasons from 2010 to 2014.
• Northern Iowa is a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Huskers are 19-1-2 all-time against current members of the MVFC, including 2-0 vs. North Dakota, 14-1-2 vs. South Dakota and 3-0 vs. South Dakota State. The majority of those games occurred before those schools moved to the FCS ranks.
Huskers Set to Shine Under the Lights
Nebraska's matchup with Northern Iowa is the second of three consecutive prime-time home games at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska hosted Colorado last week in a prime-time game, plays UNI this Saturday and will host Illinois on Friday, Sept. 20, in a night game in Lincoln.
• This marks just the third time in school history the Huskers have played three straight home night games. Nebraska also hosted three consecutive prime-time games in 2008 (New Mexico State, Virginia Tech, Missouri) and 2002 (Arizona State, Troy, Utah State).
• Nebraska has a strong history of success in night games in Lincoln. The Huskers are 51-10 in home night games at Memorial Stadium following last week's 28-10 victory over Colorado.
Huskers Return to National Polls
Nebraska is 2-0 following victories over Colorado and UTEP and the fast start has vaulted the Huskers back into the national polls. NU is ranked 23rd in this week's Associated Press Poll and 24th in the USA Today Coaches poll.
• The national ranking is Nebraska's first since 2019. The Huskers were ranked No. 25 in both polls after the season opener, but lost the following week at Colorado.
• The last time Nebraska was ranked higher than this week's No. 23 AP ranking was in 2016, when Nebraska was ranked 17th entering the regular-season finale at Iowa.
Nebraska Football Hall of Fame to Induct 2024 Class
Nebraska will honor the 2024 Nebraska Football Hall of Fame Class with an on-field recognition before Saturday's game. Seven Husker football standouts and a state college All-American comprise the 2024 class of the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame, which will be officially inducted in a reception on Friday night at Memorial Stadium.
• The seven former Huskers include defensive lineman Monte Johnson (Legends category) offensive lineman Keven Lightner (1980s category), safety Tyrone Byrd (1990s), linebacker Terrell Farley (1990s), defensive end Chris Kelsay (2000-07 era), defensive tackle Jared Crick (2008-14 era) and running back Rex Burkhead (2008-14 era). The state college representative in the 2024 class is Mike Miller, an All-America running back at Nebraska-Kearney in the early 2000s.
• To be eligible players must have been either an All-American or first (before 1996) or second-team (after 1996) all-conference selection to make the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame ballot.
Blackshirt Defense Off to Strong 2024 Start
The Nebraska defense was one of the nation's most improved units in 2023. The Blackshirts have opened the 2024 season with strong showings in victories over UTEP and Colorado. Nebraska has allowed just 17 combined points through two games, the fewest through two games since NU allowed 12 points in the first two games in 2009. The Blackshirts have also racked up eight sacks and limited the opposition to 36.0 rushing yards per game.
• Nebraska held UTEP to seven points and Colorado to 10 second-half points. Nebraska has now held nine straight opponents to 24 or fewer points. This is the longest stretch Nebraska has limited the opposition to 24 points or less since a 14-game stretch spanning the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
• Nebraska has been even more stingy at home. The Huskers have held each of their past six opponents at Memorial Stadium to 14 or fewer points. In fact, since the start of the 2023 season, just one of nine opponents at Memorial Stadium have scored more than 14 points.
• The Huskers have held both UTEP (205 total yards) and Colorado (260 total yards) to less than 300 total yards. Dating back to last season, Nebraska has held nine straight opponents to less than 400 total yards. The last time Nebraska had held nine straight opponents to less than 400 yards was part of a 14-game stretch spanning the final three games of 2008 and first 11 contests of 2009.
• Nebraska held Colorado to just 16 rushing yards on 22 attempts, the fewest rushing yards by an opponent since Purdue had -2 rushing yards in 2020. NU opened the season by allowing just 56 rushing yards against UTEP. In 14 games under Head Coach Matt Rhule, the Huskers have held the opponent to less than 100 rushing yards 10 times, including seven games with 75 yards or less.
Defense Putting Points on the Board
While limiting the opposition to just 17 points through two games, the Husker defense has also scored on its own. In the season opener against UTEP, Nebraska recorded a safety and followed up with a pick-six by Tommi Hill against Colorado.
• The interception for a touchdown by Hill against the Buffs was Nebraska's first pick-six since Cam Taylor-Britt had a 38-yard interception for a touchdown against Iowa in 2019. It was Nebraska's first defensive touchdown of any kind since Deontai Williams returned a fumble for a score against Penn State in 2020.
• In the 40-7 win over UTEP in the opener, defensive lineman Ty Robinson had a tackle for loss for a safety. It was Nebraska's first defensive safety since 2015.
• With scores in both games, it marks the first time the Husker defense has scored in consecutive games since 2015, when Joshua Kalu had an interception return for a touchdown at Minnesota, and a week later the Huskers had a safety against Northwestern in Lincoln.
Winning the Turnover Margin
Nebraska's defense has posted multiple takeaways in each of the first two games, gaining a pair of turnovers against both UTEP and Colorado. In turn, the Nebraska offense has just one turnover in two games, giving Nebraska a +3 turnover margin. Last year, Nebraska posted a -17 turnover margin.
• The multiple takeaways in consecutive games marks the first time the Husker defense has accomplished that since 2020 when Nebraska had multiple takeaways against Northwestern and Penn State.
• This is the first time Nebraska has had a positive turnover margin in consecutive games since the final two games of the 2022 season when the Huskers had a +1 (Wisconsin) and +3 (Iowa) turnover margin in consecutive games.
This Week’s Numbers
3 - A win on Saturday over UNI would give Nebraska a perfect 3-0 record in non-conference play. Nebraska last went undefeated in non-league action in 2016, and since 2000 also posted perfect non-conference records in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2011 and 2014.
14 - The Nebraska defense has held the opposition to 14 or fewer points in six consecutive home games, including 2024 wins over UTEP and Colorado. Under Matt Rhule, Nebraska has held eight of nine opponents at Memorial Stadium to 14 or fewer points.
23 - Nebraska is ranked No. 23 in this week's Associated Press Poll and 24th in the USA Today Coaches poll. It marks the first time Nebraska has been ranked in either poll since before the second game of the 2019 season.