STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Sunday, December 4, 2005 6:00 pm
Nebraska quarterback Zac Taylor says he kept a little secret last week as he listened to buzz about the Huskers possibly playing in the Holiday Bowl against a Pac-10 team. He silently preferred to play in the Alamo Bowl against either Michigan or Iowa. He got his wish.
Nebraska (7-4) was matched Sunday against Michigan (7-4) in the Dec. 28 Alamo Bowl at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The game pits two of the nation’s traditional gridiron powers, as the Wolverines’ 848 all-time wins lead the nation, while the Huskers’ 793 triumphs rank fourth.
“I wanted to play one of those Big Ten teams, because it’s just one of those classic matchups,” Taylor said. “Everybody always thinks of the Big Ten, Big 12 and Big Eight having all those powerhouses.
“I’m excited. I don’t think we could have been put into a better bowl game at this time.”
As recently as Nov. 5, following a 40-15 loss at Kansas, Nebraska’s chances to play in any bowl seemed in jeopardy. The Huskers, however, rebounded to win their final two games, including a resounding 30-3 victory Nov. 25 at Colorado.
Nebraska returns to bowl status after missing out last season for the first time since 1968.
“It feels like we’re back on the uprise,” said Husker senior defensive tackle Titus Adams. “It feels like a reward to be back in one of the higher bowls.”
Any chance for Nebraska to play Iowa (7-4) vanished when the Hawkeyes were selected to play Florida (7-3) in the Jan. 2 Outback Bowl. The Dec. 29 Holiday Bowl, which picks a spot ahead of the Alamo in the Big 12 pecking order, selected Oklahoma (7-4) to play Oregon (10-1).
Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said his players and coaches are excited to play Michigan. He noted that six of his nine Husker assistants once coached in the Big Ten, with defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove spending 22 seasons in the league at Wisconsin and Illinois. Callahan coached a total of 12 seasons as an assistant at the same schools.
“They were always very sound,” Callahan said of the Wolverines. “You had to earn everything you got against them. They’re very well-schooled.”
Callahan didn’t see Michigan play this season. The Wolverines were 3-3 overall following a 23-20 home loss to Minnesota. They rallied to win four of their last five contests, including road games against Iowa and Northwestern.
Most notably, Michigan was the only team to defeat Penn State this season, prevailing 27-25.
“I thought our team, despite some of the things we were challenged with, took a great stand and fought back and played through some adversity,” 11th-year Wolverines head coach Lloyd Carr said Sunday. “I’m very proud of this team.”
Taylor regards the Alamo Bowl as a chance for the Husker program to gain respect nationally, while Callahan sees an opportunity for continued growth. He described the extra practice time as “invaluable.”
“We’re a young football team that’s really learning how to win,” the coach said.
Nebraska, though, picked up a heavy dose of confidence with its win at Colorado. Taylor said it was important to keep the victory in perspective during bowl preparation. The Huskers begin bowl practices in earnest Wednesday in Lincoln. They plan to work out in their new practice facility for the first time after using Cook Pavilion throughout the regular season.
NU’s bowl travel party is tentatively scheduled to leave Dec. 23 for San Antonio.
“We’re feeling confident,” Taylor said. “We’re in a good state of mind right now.”
Taylor regarded the bowl as a “business trip.”
“I’m sure we’ll have fun while we’re down there,” Taylor said. “The coaches will help keep us loose. But this is a game we want to win. We don’t want to go down there and have all the fun in the world, and then lose the game. We want to get the win more than anything else.”
Michigan is likely to pose a formidable challenge. The Wolverines are led by Jason Avant, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound senior wideout who has 74 receptions for 936 yards and eight touchdowns. They feature three All-Big Ten choices on their offensive line, while all-conference defensive lineman Gabe Watson helps lead a unit that ranks 19th nationally in points allowed (19.3 per game).
The teams have met only five times and just twice since 1917. In their last meeting, Michigan prevailed 27-25 in the Fiesta Bowl following the 1985 season.
Like Michigan, Nebraska battled through adversity this year to reach a bowl game.
“Midway through the season, when we were slumping, we didn’t know what our postseason would look like,” Taylor said. “Really, even going into the (Nov. 12) K-State game, we didn’t know what our chances would be to go to a good bowl.
“But we finished strong, played as well as we could have played, and got a big reward. We’ll try to make the most of the opportunity.”
Briefly
Husker coaches plan to experiment this month with using “a minimal” number of players at different positions, Callahan said. “We want to see where else they can help the team.”
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.