The 2009 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cornhuskers played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska and were led by head coach Bo Pelini. The Cornhuskers finished the season 10–4, 6–3 in Big 12 and were Big 12 North Division champions and represented the division in the Big 12 Championship Game, where they lost to Texas 13–12. Nebraska was invited to the Holiday Bowl, where they defeated Arizona 33–0.
Before the season The 2009 Cornhuskers began the regular season on Saturday, September 5, 2009, against the Florida Atlantic Owls. The Cornhuskers were led by second-year head coach Bo Pelini. Pelini previously served as defensive coordinator for LSU and Oklahoma following a season as Nebraska's defensive coordinator in 2003, and was brought back to Nebraska to lead the football program by Nebraska's former head coach and athletic director, Tom Osborne, after the conclusion of the 2007 season.
Schedule
Source:
Roster and coaching staff
Depth chart + Defensive starters FS Matt O'Hanlon Eric Hagg
SS Larry Asante P.J. Smith NICKEL Eric Hagg Austin Cassidy
LB Phillip Dillard Will Compton Sean Fisher
DIME DeJon Gomes Lance Thorell
CB Alfonzo Dennard Anthony West
DE DT DT DE Barry Turner Ndamukong Suh Jared Crick Pierre Allen Cameron Meredith Terrence Moore Baker Steinkuhler Josh Williams
CB Prince Amukamara Lance Thorell
+Offensive starters FB Tyler Legate Mike Hays
+ WR Niles Paul Chris Brooks Khiry Cooper
LT LG C RG RT Mike Smith Keith Williams Jacob Hickman Ricky Henry Marcel Jones Marcel Jones Derek Meyer Mike Caputo Andy Christensen D.J. Jones
TE Mike McNeil Dreu Young Kyler Reed Ben Cotton
WR Menelik Holt Curenski Gilleylen Brandon Kinnie
QB Zac Lee Cody Green
RB Roy Helu Rex Burkhead Dontrayevois Robinson
Game summaries
Florida Atlantic
This was the first time Nebraska had met the Florida Atlantic Owls, who, in 2008, finished 6–6 (4–3) for a 3rd place tie with Arkansas State in the Sun Belt Conference and finished with a 24–21 victory in the 2008 Motor City Bowl against Central Michigan. Nebraska entered the contest with a 4-game winning streak after defeating Clemson in the Gator Bowl. Nebraska defeated the Howard Schnellenberger-led Owls, 49–3. Nebraska's Roy Helu Jr. rushed for 152 yards and three touchdowns, while Zac Lee, in his first start as quarterback at Nebraska, threw for 213 yards and two touchdowns, along with one interception. The FAU offense gained 122 yards rushing and 230 yards passing. However, they were unable to score a touchdown, with their only points coming from a 21-yard field goal by Ross Gornall in the second quarter. A large part of this was because of 5 turnovers by the Owls. This win extended the Cornhuskers season-opener win streak to 24 games, the nation's longest.
Arkansas State
Cornhusker QB Zac Lee passed for over 340 yards and four touchdowns as the Cornhuskers defeated Arkansas State in Lincoln 38–9. Nebraska's defense held the Red Wolves out of the end zone except for a single touchdown and field goal, while the Cornhusker offense was able to gain yardage. This was the first time Nebraska had met the Arkansas State Red Wolves, who finished the 2008 season 6–6 (4–3) for a 3rd place tie with Florida Atlantic in the Sun Belt Conference, although they were not invited to a postseason bowl game.
Virginia Tech
The Huskers fell to 2–1 against the Hokies in the final seconds, having split the series with a 41–21 Nebraska victory in the 1996 Orange Bowl and a 30–35 Nebraska home field loss in non-conference play in 2008. Nebraska was poised to win its first touchdown-free game since 1937 on PK Alex Henery's career-high five field goals, but Virginia Tech escaped the home loss when Hokie QB Tyrod Taylor found receiver Dyrell Roberts on 3rd and goal from the 11 with just 21 seconds remaining to play. Statistically Nebraska outperformed the Hokies on offense, as Virginia Tech was held to just 11 first downs, only 4 first downs after the first quarter, pinned Hokie QB Taylor to −22 yards on the ground, and outgained Virginia Tech 343–278. 112 of the 278 Hokie yards were acquired on just three key plays.
Louisiana Lafayette
This was the first time Nebraska had met the Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns, who finished 6–6 (5–2) for a 2nd-place finish in the Sun Belt Conference in 2008. This game was also Nebraska's 300th consecutive sellout of Memorial Stadium (an ongoing NCAA record), and the Cornhuskers wore 'throwback'-style uniforms based on the team's 1962 appearance from when the NCAA-record streak began, to commemorate the milestone.
Nebraska smothered Louisiana Lafayette in front of an all-time Memorial Stadium record crowd, piling up 55 points while posting their first shutout since a 56–0 pasting of Troy in 2006. Nearly all of Nebraska's active roster found playing time, as the game was decided early.
Missouri
In a game that nearly was canceled twice—once by torrential rains, possible lightning hazards, and potential flooding, and again when a power outage darkened the stadium less than an hour before kickoff—Nebraska tied an all-time 4th-quarter comeback record, previously set in 1966, when the Cornhusker offense overcame the weather and penalties to roll off 27 unanswered points.
Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert was hobbled early in the game with an apparent ankle injury, but Tiger Head Coach Gary Pinkel opted to keep him in the game. Both teams struggled in heavy rain conditions to produce offensive output early on. The teams combined for 11 punts and two fumbles in the first half, with Missouri's safety early in the second quarter and a last-second touchdown just before halftime for the only points on the board.
With electrical problems persisting and scoreboards remaining dark throughout the night, the Cornhuskers attempted to regroup during the half in a locker room without lights.
The third quarter continued the scoring struggle, with Missouri still holding Nebraska off the scoreboard while only managing a field goal. In the fourth quarter, however, Nebraska managed to score with three touchdowns in 3:22, thanks in part to two turnovers forced by the Cornhusker defense. Protecting an 8-point lead, and with the stands quickly emptying of rain-soaked Tiger fans, Nebraska tried to run the ball for short gains in order to let the clock tick down. They did, however, score another touchdown with 56 seconds remaining to put the game out of reach.
The road win against #24 Missouri was Nebraska's first win against a ranked opponent since a 28–27 win against Texas A&M in 2006. This was Nebraska's first win in Columbia since 2001. Nebraska improved their series lead against Missouri, dating back to 1892, to 64–36–3. Although it was not known at the time the game was played, this would be the last conference meeting at Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri between these teams. Nebraska would leave the Big XII conference for the Big 10 in 2011.
Texas Tech
Nebraska's hopes for redemption following last year's heartbreaking loss in Lubbock against the then-#7 Texas Tech Red Raiders fell short as the Cornhuskers never found a groove in their offensive output, even after changing quarterbacks for much of the second half. The Cornhusker defensive effort was outstanding, holding the unranked Red Raiders to just 259 yards, less than half of their season average. Although the offensive unit outgained Texas Tech with 285 total yards of its own, penalties and miscues took a heavy toll that could not be overcome.
Nebraska's abrupt move to the Big Ten Conference would take effect for the 2011 season, leaving this series under the control of the Cornhuskers at 7–4.
Iowa State
Although the Iowa State Cyclones have historically fared poorly in the previous 103 meetings with Nebraska, the Cyclones entered Memorial Stadium without their leading quarterback and rushing threat and subsequently played an error-free game. The solid effort was enough to put up 9 points in the first half to lead Nebraska by 2, which concluded the game's scoring. The 9 points turned out to be sufficient to win against the poor Cornhusker offensive effort, which turned over the ball a school-record eight times (including four inside of Iowa State's five-yard line). The turnovers negated Nebraska's 362–239 edge in yards gained.
The Cyclones moved up to 5–3 (2–2) after a 2–10 (0–8) record the previous season and enjoyed their first win in Memorial Stadium since 1977. First-year Iowa State Head Coach Paul Rhoads said about the game, "When you don't win in a stadium on the road since 1977, it's big." Overall, Nebraska leads the series 85–17–2.
Baylor
As part of the effort to provide a spark to its nonproductive offense, true freshman quarterback Cody Green made his first start and notched his first win against the Bears in Waco. Although highly touted Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh had been making the most noise over the course of the season, to the point of generating early Heisman talk, it was DT Jared Crick who dominated Baylor, racking up seven additional tackles for loss and a school record five sacks, for a total of 13 tackles (10 solo), as well as a fumble recovery.
Baylor's own defense was also stubborn, only allowing the Cornhuskers 20 points in the first half before shutting them out in the second. Baylor managed a single field goal and a defensive touchdown off of an interception a short time later in the third quarter to end the scoring. The final score was 20–10 and gave Nebraska the road victory.
Just as with the Texas Tech game, it was not known at the time that this would be the last conference meeting between these teams, and the regular series drew to a close with Nebraska in command 11–1.
Oklahoma
The history of Nebraska's contests with the Oklahoma Sooners continued in this 85th meeting between these programs, with Oklahoma holding a 44–37–3 series lead. Oklahoma had defeated Nebraska in 2008 with a strong offensive output in Norman, which left Nebraska behind 0–35 in the first quarter.
In 2009, the defenses took control of the game. Oklahoma made their way down the field but were stopped in Nebraska territory. Tres Way tried for his first career field goal but instead sent it flying to the left. Later in the first quarter Oklahoma made it way back down and tried for another field goal but this time Ndamukong Suh made sure the game stayed tied by getting a hand on the kick. Later on, Oklahoma QB Landry Jones was intercepted by Prince Amukamara of Nebraska, who returned it to the one-yard line. Nebraska's offense struggled most of the game, but they got the 1 yard they needed as Zac Lee connected to Ryan Hill for the game's only touchdown. Later Oklahoma and Nebraska exchanged field goals, and then Matt O'Hanlon got three interceptions in the fourth quarter to seal an important victory for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and keep Oklahoma from recording even a single touchdown.
This game also turned out to be the unplanned final regular season conference meeting between these programs in their storied historical rivalry, and the Sooners and Cornhuskers parted ways with Oklahoma owning the series edge 44–38–3.
Kansas
The Nebraska offense tried to improve over their performance the previous week against Oklahoma. Chastised for playing close conservatively during the 10–3 win over Oklahoma, the Cornhuskers hit Kansas with a barrage of big plays to win in Lawrence for the first time since 2003. To start the game Niles Paul caught a Zac Lee pass for a 35-yard gain. Roy Helu Jr. ran for 156 yards and three touchdowns, and Nebraska used big plays on offense to beat Kansas 31–17 Saturday and take a share of the Big 12 North lead.
Kansas State