No. 1 Nebraska spent Christmas with family and friends who have traveled to South Florida to watch the Cornhuskers play No. 3 Miami on New Year's Day in the Orange Bowl.
The team had a Christmas Eve party and religious services that night. Several players visited children at a Miami housing project before their Christmas Eve celebration.The players spent Christmas Day sightseeing and attending the Miami Dolphins-Detroit Lions game that night. Practice resumes Monday.
"It's been pretty much a beach-bum afternoon," said team spokeswoman Chris Anderson.
Nebraska, with its frequent visits to the Orange Bowl, has managed to gain a following in Hurricane country.
Attorney Tracey Skinner went to Miami, but says she is pulling for the Cornhuskers after meeting the players last year when they faced Florida State for the national championship. Nebraska lost 18-16.
"The guys are so nice, as are their family and friends," said Skinner, who met the team at the airport Friday. "It's a great organization."
For many upperclassmen, South Florida has become something of a winter home for the holidays.
"We've been here before - it feels like home to us," said linebacker Donta Jones.
Nebraska practiced the Friday it arrived and again Saturday. Quarterback Tommie Frazier took full contact hits for the first time since an October operation.