Nebraska Cornhusker Football 2001 Results and predictions

Wally's View
from the cheap seats

2001 Game Predictions and Commentary

The 2001 Nebraska Cornhuskers are 11-2. The next kickoff is August 24 against Arizona State in Lincoln. GO BIG RED!

Other seasons: 2002, 2000, 1999, 1998

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2001 Cornhuskers

Date	Opponent	Result
08/25	Texas Christian	W 21-7
09/01	Troy State	W 42-14
09/08	Notre Dame	W 27-10
09/15	Rice	W 48-3
09/29	@Missouri	W 36-3
10/06	Iowa State	W 48-14
10/13	@Baylor	W 48-7
10/20	Texas Tech	W 41-31
10/27	Oklahoma	W 20-10
11/03	@ Kansas	W 51-7
11/10	Kansas State	W 31-21
11/23	@Colorado	L 36-62
01/03	Rose Bowl	L 14-37

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Wally's prediction: Nebraska 42 Miami Hurricanes 38
Actual score: Nebraska 14 Miami Hurricanes 37

January 3rd in the Rose Bowl	1	2	3	4	F
Nebraska	0	0	7	7	14
Miami	7	27	0	3	37

Wally's fearless prediction:

Alright, we�ve had just about enough of all this Cornhusker bashing. From Los Angeles
newspaper columnists calling Nebraska women fat to Miami players saying the Nebraska
team �lifted up their skirts� for Colorado. The Cornhusker team was booed at a Laker
game for crying out loud! Of course, those are the same fans who burn down their city
and go on looting sprees when the Lakers win a championship. There�s no place like L.A.
And then there�s Colorado coach Gary Barnett putting the ASS in classless. His lobbying
for BCS votes was downright shameless and the incessant whining has grown very old.

These Nebraska Cornhuskers are a worthy opponent and have nothing to apologize for.
They have carried themselves with a quiet confidence and a seething anger that will be
unleashed on the unsuspecting Hurricanes. The Canes are heavy favorites and have more
raw talent than Nebraska. Then again, so did the heavily favored Florida Gators in the
1996 Fiesta Bowl and we all remember that game. The last time we met the swaggering
Hurricanes was on New Year's Day in 1995 when they brought a 10-1 record into the
Orange Bowl. A home game for them, but the Cornhuskers went on to victory and the
first of two back-to-back National Championships. It's time for the Sears Trophy to come
home to Lincoln where it belongs. The Oregon-CU winner can keep the wooden plaque.

Forget the orange pants and army fatigues. Cornhuskers 42, Hurricanes 38 in a shootout.

Series history: Nebraska leads Miami 5-4
Last game: Nebraska won in 1995 Orange Bowl 24-17
Last Miami victory: 1992 Orange Bowl 22-0

Wally's view from the cheap seats:
Speed. You�ve heard what they say about it: Speed kills. Miami killed the Cornhuskers
with blazing team speed and Nebraska killed themselves by hara-kiri with turnovers. The
game was over in the first half after Nebraska gave up it's second touchdown on yet more
turnovers. The Cornhuskers were out-manned and needed to play an error-free game to
have a chance to win but they didn�t. NU joined the ranks of Maryland, Michigan and CU
in Bowl game blowouts. Sorry Ducks, NU couldn�t win a piece of the MNC for you. The game
was a shootout alright, just as I had predicted. But Nebraska turned up shooting blanks
tonight. At least the Nebraska Cornhusker marching band looked good. But dangit! That's
two videotaped games in a row where I included all the great pregame fluff and edited
out all of the commercials and halftime crap from, only to have them never to be played
in my VCR again. On a much more positive note, Nebraska won the second half!

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Wally's prediction: Nebraska 29 Colorado Buffaloes 28
Actual score: Nebraska 36 Colorado Buffaloes 62

November 23 in Boulder	1	2	3	4	F
Nebraska	3	20	7	6	36
Colorado	28	14	0	20	62

Wally's fearless prediction:
Strange things happen when these two teams meet. Throw out season records and prepare
to be entertained. The last four matchups between these schools have been decided by a
total of 10 points. 10 total points in four games, 15 points in five. YIKES! Bring on the full
moon because there are weird things brewing here. Wally's fearless prediction envisions the
Cornhuskers scoring on a safety as time expires to earn a rematch with Oklahoma. Weird.

Series history: Nebraska leads 42-14-2
Last game: Nebraska won in Lincoln 34-32 in 2000
Last Colorado victory: 1990 CU 27 NU 12 (19-19 tie in 1991)
Folsom Stadium

Wally's view from the cheap seats:
Uhmmm, make that 51 points in six games. Holy, moley, Lyell must be spinning in his grave. This was the worst
Nebraska defensive effort EVER. Give the Buffs credit for taking the Blackshirts completely out of their game.
Colorado stuck it to the shell-shocked Cornhuskers. It's simple, really. Turn the ball over four times in Boulder
and you lose. There's a search party out looking for NU's linebackers. Maybe they'll show up on a milk carton.
Nebraska can't win every game but they do win most of them. I sure wouldn't want to be NU's bowl opponent.

Wally's view on The Bludgeoning in Boulder

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Wally's prediction: Nebraska 35 Kansas State 17
Actual score: Nebraska 31 Kansas State 21

November 10th in Lincoln	1	2	3	4	F
Kansas State	0	14	0	7	21
Nebraska	0	13	15	3	31

Wally's fearless prediction:

This Kitty team is better than their woeful 4-4 record. Just ask Iowa State. But can these Cats handle NU?
They hang their hats on a defense that gave up 38 points to both Oklahoma and Texas Tech. They'll bring
their best effort into Lincoln to try and salvage a disappointing season. Cat fans, prepare for disappointment.

Series history: Nebraska leads 70-12-3
Last game: NU lost 28-29 in Manhattan in 2000
Last KSU victory: KSU 29 NU 28 in 2000

Wally's view from the cheap seats:
Nebraska tried their best to hand the game to the kitties in the first half with turnovers and special teams
blunders. But the Blackshirts had other ideas and were virtually impenetrable in the 3rd quarter. This was
a fitting way to send off a very memorable class of seniors, including one deserving of a Heisman Trophy.

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Wally's prediction: Nebraska 42 Kansas Jayhawks 3
Actual score: Nebraska 51 Kansas Jayhawks 7

Nov 3rd in Lawrence	1	2	3	4	F
Nebraska	0	20	7	24	51
Kansas	0	0	0	7	7

Wally's fearless prediction:
Now that the Sooners are out of the way, for now, we can finally talk about the Kansas game. Yeah, right.
The Jayhawks should just stick to the hardwood and leave football alone, although they do have an inexplicable
win over Texas Tech under their belts. This will be a week to heal up players as NU heads into the final stretch.

Series history: Nebraska leads 80-16-3
Last game: Nebraska won in Lincoln 56-17 in 2000
Last Kansas victory: 1968 KU 23 NU 13

Wally's view from the cheap seats:
There was never any doubt that this contest would tilt in Nebraska's direction. Six yards of total offense
is all that the Jayhawks could muster in the first half. Are the Blackshirts that good or is Kansas that bad?
That's a yes on both counts. A workmanlike effort for the Cornhuskers. Our boys are on a mission for roses.
But I'm heeding the words of the FoxSportsNet announcer: "Don't celebrate G-Damnit". Wise words indeed.

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Wally's prediction: Nebraska 31 Oklahoma Sooners 28
Actual score: Nebraska 20 Oklahoma Sooners 10

Oct 27 in Lincoln	1	2	3	4	F
Oklahoma	0	10	0	0	10
Nebraska	0	10	3	7	20

Wally's fearless prediction:
To say that this game will be a war is inappropriate given the current circumstances. It is only a game afterall.
But what a game this should be. #1 OU playing #2 NU in Lincoln. All is right in the world of college football.
I'm just going to sit back and enjoy this one. I'm like a little kid on Christmas morning hoping that Santa Claus
will bring me a new bike. I only hope that Saint Stoops doesn't bring me a stupid sweater or snowpants instead.

Series history: Oklahoma leads 40-36-3
Last game: NU lost 31-14 in Norman in 2000
Last Oklahoma victory: 2000

Wally's view from the cheap seats:
That was one heck of a football game. I lost my voice yelling at Brent Musberger and sprained an
ankle from jumping up and down. Wally's status for the Kansas game next Saturday is day to day.

This was a huge win that doesn't mean squat because the Cornhuskers still have their work cut out for them.
We'll see the Sooners again. Hopefully OU fans will have quit whining about the facemask penalty by then.

Win, lose or draw we knew we were seeing one of the finest college football games ever played. It had it all:
History, drama, winning streaks on the line, Heisman hype, BCS hype, NC hype, and Brent Musberger.

According to ABC, Barry Switzer and Dr. Tom are great buds. Friendly and cordial, yes. Bossom buddies, no.
I can hear it now: Barry- "Yo, Tommy. Let's go hit the fishing hole and talk X's and O's." Tom- "Hell yeah,
Baremeister. I'll get the beer, you bring the bait. Mind if my friend Debbie tags along?" It's just not happening.

Groce getting a Rocky leg-twister, Hybl stumbling around like a skid row drunk, Stoops throwing a hissy fit
on the sidelines over a ref's call, OU fans suspiciously absent from NU message boards. Gotta love college
football. It was sure nice to give the Stoops chuckwagon a flat tire and silence the OU bandwagon jumpers.

I thoroughly enjoyed the NU-OU game. That is what makes college football the greatest sporting event going.

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Wally's prediction: Nebraska 49 Texas Tech Red Raiders 14
Actual score: Nebraska 41 Texas Tech Red Raiders 31

Oct 20 in Lincoln	1	2	3	4	F
Texas Tech	13	15	3	0	31
Nebraska	21	7	10	3	41

Wally's fearless prediction:
This game should be similar to the one last year in Lubbock in a lot of respects. The Red Raiders have a
pass happy offense and no rushing game whatsoever. Nebraska held them to 19 yards last year and they are
averaging 87 in 5 games this season. Meanwhile, they come into Lincoln giving up an average of 203
rushing yards to the likes of Kansas, North Texas and New Mexico. This is not a good sign for them,
especially when considering that Nebraska has a much more balanced offense and a stingier defense. This
is going to be more of the same for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. And it could get ugly before it�s over.

Series history: Nebraska leads 6-0
Last game: NU won 59-3 in Lubbock in 2000
Last Texas Tech victory: Never

Wally's view from the cheap seats:
The Raiders came to play and the Cornhusker defense did not. The good news is that Nebraska scored
at will. The bad news is that Texas Tech has virtually no defense to speak of. The really bad news is that
the Raiders showed just how vulnerable the Nebraska defense is to a good passing attack. Give Texas Tech the
credit they deserve for designing and executing a great game plan. Let's just write this game off as a wakeup call.
But the Huskers had better be wide awake when the Oklahoma Sooners come knocking on the door next Saturday.

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Wally's prediction: Nebraska 56 Baylor Bears 0
Actual score: Nebraska 48 Baylor Bears 7

October 13 in Waco	1	2	3	4	F
Nebraska	7	7	7	27	48
Baylor	0	7	0	0	7

Wally's fearless prediction:
The Huskers travel to Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco to take on the 2-2 Baylor Bears. There will
be a special guest to sing the National Anthem and I'm betting it's the fat lady. Baylor won a moral
victory of sorts last weekend by taking the Aggies to the wire before falling 16-10. But there will be
no Bear victories this Saturday, moral or otherwise. It will be all Cornhuskers from start to finish.

Series history: Nebraska leads 6-1
Last game: Nebraska won in Lincoln 59-0 in 2000
Last Baylor victory: 1956 BU 26 NU 7

Wally's view from the cheap seats:
This was the type of game that will serve the Huskers well in their quest for a National Championship.
Playing in a hurricane against a scrappy Baylor defense. Overcoming five weather related turnovers.
One only had to check the Weather Channel before kickoff to know how this game would be very sloppy
and butt ugly. There was a thirty minute lightning delay in the first half that caused many in the meager
crowd to head for the parking lot. But not the Husker faithful who braved the conditions to see Nebraska
explode in the second half. Four Cornhusker players rushed for over 100 yards for the first time ever.

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Wally's prediction: Nebraska 42 ISU Cyclones 14
Actual score: Nebraska 48 ISU Cyclones 14

Oct 6 in Lincoln	1	2	3	4	F
Iowa State	0	0	14	0	14
Nebraska	20	21	0	7	48

Wally's fearless prediction:
Iowa State comes into the Nebraska game undefeated again this season and they are averaging 39 points
in three games. While that is impressive, the Blackshirts will reduce the Cyclones to a gentle breeze. The key
will be stopping stud running back Ennis Haywood who led the Big 12 in rushing last season and is gaining
ground this year at 5.6 yards a pop. The Twisters will blow into Lincoln in a fury but leave with a whimper.

Series history: Nebraska leads 77-13-2
Last game: NU won 49-27 in Ames in 2000
Last ISU victory: 1992 ISU 19 NU 10

Wally's view from the cheap seats:
Bring it on. Bring. It. On. This Cornhusker team can play with anybody. OU? KSU? Texass? Colorado? Bring
it on. Miami? Florida? Michigan? Bring it on. This NU team can hang with you. And this team will beat you.
Planning to score 21 points on the Cornhuskers? Nope. Planning to hold NU to a field goal? Double nope.
The imposters were exposed this weekend. The Huskers looked good, yet unappreciated. Nothing new here.
Lee and Beano can just kiss my husk. These Cornhuskers are for real so we have 3 words for you: Bring it on.

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Wally's prediction: Nebraska 42 Missouri Tigers 10
Actual score: Nebraska 36 Missouri Tigers 3

Sept 29 in Columbia	1	2	3	4	F
Nebraska	0	13	9	14	36
Missouri	3	0	0	0	3

Wally's fearless prediction:
In deference to my Missouri friends, I'll be brief. The Tigger's season in review amounts
to a loss to Bowling Green and a win against D-1AA powerhouse SW Texas State.
Hmmmm. After many hours of reflection on this I have to go with the Cornhuskers.
It's just a hunch, but the Cornhuskers are on a roll and Missouri is ... well, they just suck.
There, I've said it. My Nostradamus-like instincts say 94-3, but I'm sticking with 42-10.

Series history: Nebraska leads 54-29-3
Last game: Nebraska won in Lincoln 42-24 in 2000
Last Missouri victory: 1978 in Lincoln 35-31

Wally's view from the cheap seats:
The Tigers played toe to toe with Nebraska for the first quarter, thanks to penalties and turnovers by NU.
But then Eric Crouch wiggled out of a sack in the endzone and ran 102 yards the other way. That was the
turning point that took the wind out of Missouri's sails. Mr. Crouch, meet Mr. Heisman. This game was a
bit ugly at times but the final score and statistics indicate another dominant, workmanlike effort for NU.

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Wally's prediction: Nebraska 48 Rice Owls 10
Actual score: Nebraska 48 Rice Owls 3

Sept 20 in Lincoln	1	2	3	4	F
Rice	0	0	0	3	3
Nebraska	14	14	20	0	48

Wally's fearless prediction:
This game will be played on a Thursday night in Lincoln, the first such mid-week night game ever
in NU history. The home game sellout streak is in jeopardy and we have cowardly terrorists to thank
for that. But you know what? It is only a game and it has certainly been put into proper perspective.
Oh, we'll tune in and cheer for the Cornhuskers. That's what we do. But it won't be the same for awhile.

Series history: Series tied 0-0
Last game: NU had never played Rice before this season
Last Rice victory: N/A

Wally's view from the cheap seats:
I'll spare you the Rice Krispies and Uncle Ben's metaphors, but Rice-A-Roni is no longer just a San Francisco treat.
The Cornhuskers dominated the game from start to finish and managed to get some necessary playing time for the
future stars. This was a much needed diversion from recent events and right now we're just thankful for that.

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Wally's prediction: Nebraska 28 Fighting Irish 14
Actual score: Nebraska 27 Fighting Irish 10

Sept 8 in Lincoln	1	2	3	4	F
Notre Dame	0	3	0	7	10
Nebraska	17	10	0	0	27

Wally's fearless prediction:
This one is for scoreboard. The golden buggies will be streaming into Lincoln only to leave disappointed.
The preseason is over so let the games begin. The Huskers have shown vulnerabilities in the preseason
but 2-0 sounds OK so far. The season begins Saturday against the Fighting Amish and this game promises to
deliver on the hype. Just don't expect to see a sea of gold and blue inside Memorial Stadium. It will be all red.

Series history: Series tied 7-7-1
Last game: Nebraska won 27-24 in 2000 in South Bend
Last ND victory: 1948 44-13

Wally's view from the cheap seats:
There will be no Sears Trophy for Notre Dame this year. But cheer up Domers, there�s always the Sears
Catalog. The Trophy was in the house tonight and the Cornhuskers have their eyes on that sucker. The
Huskers took it to the Domers right from the opening snap. The O-line was blowing open huge holes that
my mother could have run through. The Irish brought some trick plays to throw NU off guard, like the "hike
it over the punter's head" play and the "12 men on the field and we still can't stop them" play. This was a
dominating performance by Nebraska - in the first half. But things got really sloppy in the second half as the
Cornhuskers became a bit too comfortable with their 24 point lead. They have yet to play four consecutive
quarters of solid football so far this season. And it's lucky that they didn't need to tonight against Notre Dame.

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Wally's prediction: Nebraska 63 Troy State 13
Actual score: Nebraska 42 Troy State 14

Sept 1 in Lincoln	1	2	3	4	F
Troy State	7	7	0	0	14
Nebraska	14	14	7	7	42

Wally's fearless prediction:
The Troy State Trojans have taken their jump to Division 1A seriously by scheduling Nebraska
{gulp} in Lincoln. The players who didn't get many looks from Division 1A programs coming out of
high school will start their season in front of 74,000 Big Red fanatics. That has got to be awesome
motivation for these players. The reality, of course, is that this game will be over by halftime at
best. But that won't matter. The Husker faithful will rise and applaud the TSU Trojan players as
they leave the field and they will fondly remember this day for the rest of their lives. But why is
this game even on the schedule? Because TSU has 475,000 rea$on$ to play and NU has a million.

Series history: Nebraska has never played Troy State
Last game: Never played prior to 2001
Last Troy State victory: N/A

Wally's view from the cheap seats:
This was the kind of game that really was a no-win situation for the Cornhuskers. If they blow out
Troy State it's "so what?". Don't blow out Troy State and "Boy, the Cornuskers must really suck".
The truth lies somewhere in between. This year's version of the Huskers could possibly lose two games.
There were too many mental mistakes made today. Dropped passes, missed assignments on the O-line,
a blocked field goal and turnovers. These things need to be fixed heading into the Notre Dame game.
Having the Trojans shut down Nebraska's offense on two separate goal line stands can't be a good sign.
Overall it was another lackluster effort against an overmatched opponent. But next week will be different.

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Wally's prediction: Nebraska 35 Texas Christian 16
Actual score: Nebraska 21 Texas Christian 7

Aug 25th in Lincoln	1	2	3	4	F
TCU	7	0	0	0	7
Nebraska	13	0	8	0	21

Wally's fearless prediction:
What can one say about a team that agreed to play the Huskers in a home and away series, then backed out
of it at the last minute? And then had the gall to say that they wished they had a shot at Nebraska last season
in an attempt to prove their merit as a BCS contender? Well, Dennis Franchione has left but the bitter taste
in NU fans� mouths has not. Just look at the scheduling of the Troy State Trojans for this season and you�ll
see what I mean. The TCU program has come a long way but they aren�t in Nebraska�s class. Look for this one
to be close early on before the Cornhuskers pull away and put the Horned Frogs into the proverbial blender.

Series history: Nebraska leads 5-1
Last game: 1976 Nebraska won 64-10 in Lincoln
Last TCU victory: 9/29/51 28-7

Wally's view from the cheap seats:
The offensive line had no more answers for a blitzing TCU defense than Gary Condit had for Connie Chung.
It will be difficult for Eric Crouch to stay off the operating table if these offensive line woes continue. The
offensive line had more holes than [insert a cliche here]. Note- Mrs. Wally censored the brothel reference.
Eric Crouch looked impressive at times when he wasn�t being being sacked or having his passes dropped.

On a positive note the Blackshirts were solid in holding TCU to 186 yards and one lone score on a broken
play. The defensive secondary looked good after a rocky first quarter. Kyle Larson showed an impressive
leg but out-kicked coverage a few times. Having the punter on the field 8 times in a game is not a good sign.
It was a decent but not an impressive start for the Cornhuskers. The defense stepped it up and answered some
nagging questions. But what about the offensive line? Didn't they see those blitzes that I saw from my recliner?

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