UTAH STATE University takes its annual leave of its senses this Saturday for its semi-regular visit to play football against the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Every few years the Aggies agree to visit the Cornhusker State for a terrific financial guarantee - this year it will be in excess of $300,000 - in exchange for an almost certain loss.
The Aggies are just one of a dozen or so schools on the Nebraska Christmas card list - Utah is another program that takes the money and loses - that are content to glossy up the Cornhuskers' record. South Dakota, South Dakota State, Minnesota, Wyoming, Oregon, Oregon State, Wisconsin, UNLV, Northern Illinois, to name several, are other September regulars in the 73,650-seat Memorial Stadium that hasn't had an empty seat since 1962.As a result of these most inequitable rivalries - as well as conference games every year against perennial weak Big Eight programs - Nebraska has turned into a true bully on its own block. The Cornhuskers have one of the country's winningest programs - along with no discernible conscience.
The Cornhusker facade began in 1962, when Bob Devaney started coaching and sellouts started happening. In the 29 seasons since, with Tom Osborne spelling Devaney in 1973 without missing a beat, Nebraska has never had a losing record, has had 22 straight seasons with nine wins or more, has been to 22 consecutive bowl games (all three are NCAA records), and hasn't lost to a Big Eight opponent outside of Oklahoma or Colorado in 61 games dating back to 1978. Overall, from 1962 through 1990, the 'Huskers are 278-61-4 for an .810 winning percentage.
On paper, it's an enviable record. But upon closer inspection it's much like a flyweight boxing contender who has mostly knocked out guys with glass jaws and no forwarding addresses.
The biggest reason for Nebraska's consistent winning is because Utah States keep checking into Lincoln motels.
Nebraska has played 77 games in Lincoln against non-conference opponents since 1962 - an average of about three games a year. In those contests, all but 13 against programs whose only relationship to the top 20 is every Tuesday on the evening news, the Cornhuskers are 71-6. Usually, to the delight of the red-wearing Nebraska crowd, they win by big scores. The Aggies, for instance, have lost by scores of 42-6, 35-14, 56-12 and 63-13 in their four games in Lincoln the past 20 years (the Cornhuskers have never paid a return visit to Logan). Utah's losses - the Utes are scheduled to play in Lincoln next season - have been by 55-9, 31-0 and 42-30.
Nevada slot machines give better odds than Memorial Stadium on any given Saturday afternoon.
In contrast to the 77 non-conference games it has played at home the past 29 years, the Big Red Machine has gone on the non-conference road 33 times, or about once a season. Nebraska is 25-6-2 in those games, which have also mostly been against lower echelon programs.
Only 10 times in 29 years has Nebraska played a big-time program at its field. In those games, against Michigan, Washington, USC, UCLA (three times), Penn State (once), Auburn and Alabama, the 'Huskers are 5-4-2. That's a mark consistent with their bowl record of 14-13 for the past 29 seasons.
If you add in Nebraska's 11-18 record since 1962 against its nemesis, Oklahoma (2-12 in Norman, 9-6 in Lincoln), and if you also add two neutral-field Kickoff Classic wins over Texas A&M and Penn State, and then if you throw in Nebraska's 7-4 record in the 11 home games it's had since 1962 against non-conference teams that have been ranked in the top 20, the Cornhuskers are 39-39-2 the past 29 years against programs their own size.
You have to hand it to the Cornhuskers. They found a formula for winning in 1962 and they've stuck with it. Every year they play either six or seven of their regular-season games in Lincoln. Every year they have seven games against the rather weak Big Eight Conference (other than Oklahoma and, lately, Colorado). Every other year or so they sparingly schedule a big-time school (Nebraska plays Washington in Lincoln this year on Sept. 21). And every year they're careful to stack the deck with easy games in Lincoln - the rule is, if you're not going to be favored by double figures, don't offer the $300,000.
The past five years, however, a trend seems to suggest that the steady diet of hand-picked victims may be getting to the 'Huskers. They may be playing down with their competition. In six tries, they haven't beaten another ranked opponent since the 1988 regular season, and since 1983 they are 2-6 in their bowl appearances.
Nonetheless, it will business as usual this Saturday in sold-out Memorial Stadium - as Utah State tries to become only the seventh non-Big Eight team in the modern era to taste victory inside Nebraska's state lines (the others to win in Lincoln in the past 29 years are Penn State in 1981, Florida State in 1980 and 1985, USC in 1969, Washington State in 1977 and Air Force in 1963). Nebraska will again be Lucy and the Aggies will be Charlie Brown.