THURSDAY
No. 17 Nebraska (10-3) vs. Washington (6-6), 10 p.m. (ESPN)
Line: Nebraska by 14.
Series Record: Nebraska leads 4-3-1.
Last Meeting: Nebraska 56-21 at Seattle, Sept. 18, 2010
WHAT’S AT STAKE
This is a rematch of Nebraska’s 56-21 blowout of the Huskies in Seattle on Sept. 18. The Cornhuskers are coming off a disappointing 23-20 loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game in which they blew a 17-point lead. The Huskies needed a 35-28 win over Washington State, the last-place team in the Pac-10, to become bowl eligible. The teams are scheduled to play again in Lincoln, Neb., on Sept. 17, 2011.
KEY MATCHUP
Washington didn’t put up much of a fight at home against the Huskers, allowing 533 yards of total offense, including 383 rushing. Taylor Martinez (137 yards, 3 TDs), Roy Helu Jr. (110 yards, 2 TDs) and Rex Burkhead (104 yards, 1 TD) combined for the fifth triple-100-yard game in school history and the first since 2001.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Nebraska: Redshirt freshman QB Taylor Martinez is from Corona in Southern California. He had five 100-yard rushing games, including 241 against Kansas State. For the season, he’s rushed for 942 yards and 12 touchdowns, and thrown for 1,578 yards and nine TDs, with six INTs. He’s coming off a disappointing performance against Oklahoma, when he was 12 of 24 for 143 yards with an interception. He was sacked seven times and had three fumbles, losing one.
Washington: QB Jake Locker will be playing his last college game. He passed up a chance to leave early for the NFL draft in order to play his senior season, then the Huskies fell well short of the Pac-10 championship. Locker, who missed the Oregon game with a broken rib, has thrown for 2,209 yards and 17 touchdowns, with nine interceptions.
FACTS & FIGURES
Two seasons removed from going 0-12, Washington is in a bowl game for the first time since the 2002 season. … The Huskies will be making their fourth Holiday Bowl appearance. They lost their previous three, to Colorado in 1996, Kansas State in 1999 and Texas in 2001. … Nebraska is in the Holiday Bowl for the second straight year after beating Arizona 33-0 last season. It was the first shutout in the Holiday Bowl, which has a history of wacky, high-scoring games. … Nebraska also played in the Holiday Bowl in 1998, losing to Arizona.
Add A Comment