Game Week: vs. Northern Illinois

NEBRASKA vs. NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Sept. 16, 2023 | MEMORIAL STADIUM
LINCOLN, NEB. | 6 PM CT

HUSKERS
Record: 0-2, 0-1 B1G
Last Game: at No. 22 Colorado (L, 36-14)
Rankings: NR
Coach: Matt Rhule
Career/NU Record: 47-45 (8th Year)/0-2 (1st Year)
vs. Northern Illinois: 0-0

HUSKIES
Record: 1-1, 0-0 MAC
Last Game: vs. Southern Illinois (L, 14-11)
Rankings: NR
Coach: Thomas Hammock
Career/NIU Record: 18-28 (5th Year/Same
vs. Nebraska: 0-1

SERIES HISTORY
All-Time Series: Nebraska leads, 3-1
In Lincoln: Nebraska leads, 3-1
Last Game: Nebraska, 44-8 in Lincoln (2019)
Win Streak: Nebraska, 1 game

BROADCAST INFO
TV – FS1 (Jeff Levering, Mark Helfrich)
RADIO NETWORK – Husker Radio Network (Greg Sharpe, Damon Benning, Jessica Coody)
INTERNET RADIO – Huskers.com
APP AUDIO –  Official Huskers App

The Matchup
After a two-game road trip to open the season, Nebraska opens its 2023 home season on Saturday night when the Huskers play host to Northern Illinois at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff between the Huskers and Huskies is set for shortly after 6 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on FS1 and the radio broadcast can be heard on the Huskers Radio Network, Huskers.com and the official Huskers App.

Nebraska's Sept. 16 home opener is the latest in the calendar for the Huskers since they opened their 1981 home schedule on Sept. 19 (excluding 2020 Covid season). The home opener begins a celebration of the 100th anniversary of Memorial Stadium in 2023. Nebraska began playing its home games at Memorial Stadium in 1923 and has won nearly 75 percent of its home games in the historic venue over the past century. Included in that is a 77-19-4 record in home openers at Memorial Stadium.

Nebraska enters Saturday's matchup with an 0-2 record following a 36-14 loss at then-No. 22 Colorado on Saturday. The Huskers and Buffs were scoreless for the game's first 25 minutes before the Buffs scored 13 points in the final 4:20 of the first half to take control. Nebraska pulled within six midway through the third quarter but could get no closer. Colorado capitalized on Nebraska miscues, with 17 of its points coming off of Husker turnovers.

Northern Illinois heads to Lincoln with a 1-1 record following a 14-11 loss against Southern Illinois on Saturday in DeKalb, Ill. Like Nebraska, a big factor in the loss was in the turnover department, as the Huskies were -3 in the loss to Southern Illinois. The Huskies had opened the season with an impressive 27-24 overtime victory at Boston College on Sept. 2.

Series History: Nebraska vs. Northern Illinois
Nebraska and Northern Illinois will meet for the fifth time in program history on Saturday night in Lincoln. The Huskers hold a 3-1 edge with all four games being played at Memorial Stadium.

• Nebraska rushed for better than 400 yards in each of the first two series meetings in 1989 and 1990.

• The Huskers won the most recent meeting between team teams in 2019, with a 44-8 victory. Ironically, that game also followed a Husker trip to Boulder to play Colorado.

• Northern Illinois' lone victory in the series was in 2017, with the Huskies escaping Lincoln with a 21-17 victory on the strength of two defensive touchdowns.

• Nebraska has a 7-1 all-time record against current members of the Mid-American Conference, with the lone setback the 2017 loss to the Huskies. Nebraska's most recent game against a MAC opponent was a 28-3 win over Buffalo in 2021.

Huskers in Home Openers
Nebraska plays the first of seven 2023 home games at Memorial Stadium on Saturday night after opening the season with road games at Minnesota and Colorado.

• This is the first time Nebraska has opened with a pair of road games since 1995. The Sept. 16 home opener is the latest in the calendar since the 1981 season. (excluding 2020 Covid season)

• The Huskers have won their past four home openers and 35 of its past 37 home openers at Memorial Stadium.

Under the Lights in Lincoln
Nebraska will host its first night game of the 2023 season on Saturday, hosting the NIU Huskies under the Memorial Stadium lights.

• Nebraska has a history of success in night games at Memorial Stadium. The Huskers are 49-10 all-time in home night games since the first prime-time game at Memorial Stadium in 1986.

• Nebraska has won its past 12 night games at Memorial Stadium against non-conference opponents, most recently the 2019 win over Northern Illinois.

This Week’s Numbers
5 – Saturday's game between Nebraska and Northern Illinois will be the fifth matchup between the two schools, with all five contests at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska holds a 3-1 edge, most recently posting a 44-8 victory in 2019.

8 – Nebraska's defense registered eight sacks last Saturday at Colorado. The eight sacks are the most by the Husker defense since Nebraska had nine sacks in the 2009 Big 12 Championship Game against Texas.

100 - Nebraska is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Memorial Stadium throughout its 2023 home season. The first game played at Memorial Stadium took place on Oct. 13, 1923.