2016 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

The 2016 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by second-year head coach Mike Riley and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. They were members of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference. This would be the last winning season for Nebraska until 2024.

Offseason On July 23, 2016, senior punter and returning starter Sam Foltz was killed in a single-car crash in Waukesha County, Wisconsin following serving as staff for a training camp for high school kickers and punters. Former Michigan State punter Mike Sadler was also killed; LSU kicker Colby Delahoussaye was also in the accident but sustained only non-life-threatening injuries.

Transfers

Outgoing Name Number Pos. Destination Derrion Grim #7 WR San Joaquin Delta Blake Holtmeier #25 WR Nebraska-Kearney Lane Hovey #13 WR Montana Garrett McKay #33 LB Santa Ana College Trai Mosley #2 CB Central Arkansas Garrett Poppen #54 LB Nebraska–Kearney Jordan Stevenson #2 RB Navarro JC Adrienne Talan #13 LB Navarro JC Kevin Williams #92 DT Michigan State (Grad. transfer) Paul Thurston #55 C Colorado State (Grad. transfer) AJ Bush Jr. #6 QB Iowa Western CC

Incoming Name Number Pos. Previous School Year Tanner Lee* #13 QB Tulane Junior Donovan McDonald† #39 WR Fork Union Military RS Freshman Keyan Williams** #9 WR Fresno State Sophomore Matt Watts† #51 OL NevadaButte CC Junior Tanner Zlab† #33 DB Doane Senior *Player is not eligible to play in 2016 season due to transfer regulations **Son of Nebraska WR coach Keith Williams

†Walk-on transfer

Coaching departures Name Pos. Destination Replacement Hank Hughes DL Coach unknown John Parrella

2016 recruiting class

Position key BackBCenterCCornerbackCBDefensive backDBDefensive endDEDefensive linemanDLDefensive tackleDTEndEFullbackFBGuardGHalfbackHBKickerKKickoff returnerKROffensive tackleOTOffensive linemanOLLinebackerLBLong snapperLSPunterPPunt returnerPRQuarterbackQBRunning backRBSafetySTight endTEWide receiverWR

Nebraska Football 2016 Recruiting Class2016 Nebraska Cornhuskers Recruiting Class

Walk-on recruits

National signing day was on Wednesday, February 3, 2016.

Tryout walk-ons

Returning starters

Offense Player Class Position Tommy Armstrong Jr. Senior Quarterback Terrell Newby Senior Running back Jordan Westerkamp Senior Wide receiver Brandon Reilly Senior Wide receiver Cethan Carter Senior Tight end Dylan Utter Senior Guard Nick Gates Sophomore Offensive tackle Ryker Fyfe Senior Quarterback Devine Ozigbo Sophomore Running back De'Mornay Pierson-El Junior Wide receiver Stanley Morgan Jr. Sophomore Wide receiver Sam Cotton Senior Tight endReference:

Defense Player Class Position Mick Stoltenberg Sophomore Defensive tackle Kevin Maurice Senior Defensive tackle Freedom Akinmoladun Sophomore Defensive end Dedrick Young Sophomore Linebacker Josh Banderas Senior Linebacker Marcus Newby Junior Linebacker Joshua Kalu Junior Cornerback Chris Jones Junior Cornerback Aaron Williams Sophomore Strong safety Nathan Gerry Senior Free safety Ross Dzuris Senior Defensive end Michael Rose-Ivey Senior Linebacker Chris Weber Junior Linebacker Tyrin Ferguson Sophomore Linebacker Luke Gifford Sophomore Linebacker Boaz Joseph Junior Cornerback Kieron Williams Junior Free safety Antonio Reed Sophomore Free safetyReference:

Special teams Player Class Position Drew Brown Junior Kicker Jordan Ober Sophomore Long SnapperReference:

Spring practice

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72,992 fans attended the Nebraska spring game, continuing the streak of 60,000+ in attendance for Nebraska spring games since 2008. Unlike previous spring games, the teams did not trade the ball but Team Red was the offense and Team White was the defense for the entire game. Additionally, the scrimmage used a unique scoring system that allowed the defense (White) to score and rewarded plays that would otherwise be non-scoring in a normal football game. At the end of the game, Kyle Kasun intercepted the ball as the time expired, allowing the white team to win. The final score was White 46–41. Tommy Armstrong Jr., Ryker Fyfe and Patrick O'Brien all played at quarterback for team Red.

Schedule Nebraska announced its 2016 football schedule on July 11, 2013. The 2016 schedule consists of 7 home and 5 away games in the regular season. The Cornhuskers will host Big Ten opponents Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, and Purdue, and will travel to Indiana, Iowa, Northwestern, Ohio State, and Wisconsin.

The team hosted all three of the non–conference games which are against the Fresno State Bulldogs and the Wyoming Cowboys both from the Mountain West Conference, and the Oregon Ducks from the Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12). This was Nebraska's 7th game against Oregon, and head coach Mike Riley's 13th overall game against Oregon, as he previously coached for Oregon rival Oregon State.

Roster and coaching staff

Depth chart

Game summaries

Fresno State

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Series record Previous meeting Previous winner 2–0 September 13, 2014 Nebraska, 55–19 Nebraska opened the 2016 season with a non-conference matchup against Fresno State at Memorial Stadium. The game marked the start of the second season for head coach Mike Riley. The game marked the completion of a three-game series with Fresno State. The Huskers defeated Fresno State in Lincoln 42–29 in 2011 before winning on the road in Fresno 55–19 in 2014. These three games are the only meetings between the Huskers and Bulldogs in program history. Before the game, there was a tribute to the late Nebraska punter Sam Foltz, who was killed in a car crash in July. Before their first punt, the Huskers observed a moment of silence for Foltz by sending only 10 players onto the field with no punter waiting for the snap. A delay of game penalty was called on the Huskers, which the Bulldogs declined.

Fresno State Game starters

PositionPlayerQuarterbackTommy ArmstrongRunning BackTerrell NewbyWide ReceiverStanley MorgonWide ReceiverAlonzo MooreWide ReceiverJordan WesterkampTight EndCethan CarterLeft TackleDavid KnevalLeft GuardSam HahnCenterDylan UtterRight GuardTanner FarmerRight TackleNick Gates

PositionPlayerDefensive EndRoss DzurisDefensive tackleKevin MauriceDefensive tackleMick StoltenbergDefensive EndFreedom AkinmoladunLinebackerMarcus NewbyLinebackerJosh BanderasLinebackerDedrick YoungCornerbackChris JonesStrong SafetyKieron WilliamsFree SafetyAaron WilliamsCornerbackJoshua Kalu

Wyoming

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Series record Previous meeting Previous winner 7–0 August 31, 2013 Nebraska, 37–34

The 2016 edition of the Nebraska–Wyoming series marked the 8th meeting between the two neighboring state programs. Nebraska entered the game with a perfect 7–0 all-time record against the Wyoming Cowboys. Senior quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. threw three touchdown passes during this matchup, in which he set the record for most career touchdown passes in the Nebraska program history, surpassing Taylor Martinez's previous record of 56. The Cornhuskers defeated the Cowboys 52–17 in front of a crowd of 89,895, the stadium's 349th consecutive sellout.

Wyoming Game starters

PositionPlayerQuarterbackTommy ArmstrongRunning BackDevine OzigboWide ReceiverBrandon ReillyWide ReceiverAlonzo MooreWide ReceiverJordan WesterkampTight EndCethan CarterLeft TackleDavid KnevalLeft GuardSam HahnCenterDylan UtterRight GuardTanner FarmerRight TackleNick Gates

PositionPlayerDefensive EndRoss DzurisDefensive tackleKevin MauriceDefensive tackleCarlos DavisDefensive EndFreedom AkinmoladunLinebackerMarcus NewbyLinebackerJosh BanderasLinebackerDedrick YoungCornerbackChris JonesStrong SafetyNate GerryFree SafetyKieron WilliamsCornerbackJoshua Kalu

Oregon

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Series record Previous meeting Previous winner 5–1 September 27, 1986 Nebraska, 48–14

Nebraska and Oregon played for the 7th time between the two programs on September 17, 2016, at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Ducks went for the two point conversion after every touchdown, only succeeding once, early in the game. Nebraska went on to win the game 35–32, giving Oregon their first loss of the season, and Nebraska their third win to improve their record to 3–0. Nebraska had 428 total offensive yards the whole game, and the Ducks had 482. The Cornhuskers will travel to Eugene, Oregon in the 2017 season to face the Ducks at Autzen Stadium, game 2 of the home-and-home series between the two programs.

Oregon Game starters

PositionPlayerQuarterbackTommy ArmstrongRunning BackTerrell NewbyWide ReceiverStanley MorgonWide ReceiverDe'mornay Pierson-ElWide ReceiverJordan WesterkampTight EndCethan CarterLeft TackleDavid KnevalLeft GuardSam HahnCenterDylan UtterRight GuardTanner FarmerRight TackleNick Gates

PositionPlayerDefensive EndRoss DzurisDefensive tackleKevin MauriceDefensive tackleCarlos DavisDefensive EndFreedom AkinmoladunLinebackerMichael RoseLinebackerJosh BanderasLinebackerDedrick YoungCornerbackChris JonesStrong SafetyNate GerryFree SafetyKieron WilliamsCornerbackJoshua Kalu

Northwestern

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Series record Previous meeting Previous winner 6–3 October 24, 2015 Northwestern, 30–28

Nebraska opened conference play with their first road game of the season in Evanston, Illinois against Northwestern. The Cornhuskers won the contest by a score of 24–13. Early in the game, I-back Terrell Newby fumbled the ball at the sideline near the end zone, resulting in a touchback, giving Northwestern the ball. In the second quarter, Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson ran the ball 42 yards for a touchdown. Thorson also had a 24-yard touchdown pass to Austin Carr in the 3rd quarter. Nebraska will play the Wildcats at home in 2017 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Northwestern Game starters

PositionPlayerQuarterbackTommy ArmstrongRunning BackTerrell NewbyWide ReceiverStanley MorganWide ReceiverAlonzo MooreWide ReceiverJordan WesterkampTight EndCethan CarterLeft TackleDavid KnevalLeft GuardSam HahnCenterDylan UtterRight GuardTanner FarmerRight TackleNick Gates

PositionPlayerDefensive EndRoss DzurisDefensive tackleKevin MauriceDefensive tackleCarlos DavisDefensive EndFreedom AkinmoladunLinebackerMichael RoseLinebackerDedrick YoungCornerbackChris JonesNickelbackAaron WilliamsStrong SafetyNate GerryFree SafetyKieron WilliamsCornerbackJoshua Kalu

Illinois

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Series record Previous meeting Previous winner 9–3–1 October 3, 2015 Illinois, 14–13

Nebraska played its second conference game at home against the Illinois Fighting Illini on October 1, 2016. Nebraska beat the Illini by a score of 31–16, claiming their 5th win on the season to make the Cornhuskers 5–0.

Illinois Game starters

Indiana

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Series record Previous meeting Previous winner 7–9–3 September 30, 1978 Nebraska, 69–17

Indiana Game starters

PositionPlayerQuarterbackTommy ArmstrongRunning BackTerrell NewbyWide ReceiverStanley MorgonWide ReceiverDe'Mornay Pierson-ElWide ReceiverBrandon ReillyTight EndSam CottonLeft TackleDavid KnevalLeft GuardSam HahnCenterDylan UtterRight GuardTanner FarmerRight TackleNick Gates

2016 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

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