The “Sea of Red” that marks the University Of Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium is legendary. The state-wide support of fans whose devotion is unfettered by the presence of professional sports teams leaves the Nebraska Cornhuskers as the “only show in town” for major college football and since the arrival of Head Coach Bob Devaney in 1962, the love affair has grown to monumental proportions. Thirty consecutive winning seasons was kicked off by Devaney’s forty-seven victories during his first five seasons in Lincoln and two consecutive 6-4 years were followed by a burst of another forty-two victories in the former Michigan State assistant’s final four seasons at the Huskers’ helm. A number of stadium construction extensions were required to accommodate the overwhelming demand for tickets once Devaney’s on-the-field product caught the fancy of the state’s residents. Increases to 48,000 in 1964, 53,000 a year later, 65,000 in ’66, and in 1972 another 9,400 were necessary. Since Devaney passed the program on to Tom Osborne and the coaches who have followed him, stadium capacity has expanded to 81,067 but the 2008 record setting attendance figures noted an average crowd numbering 85,070! More impressively, beginning with the fifth home contest of the ’62 season against Missouri, Nebraska has set the NCAA record for consecutive sellouts with the September 26 game against Louisiana-Lafayette as the 300. No one else is close.

 

The 1962 team that began the streak wasn’t expected to be much improved from the five previous squads that had been unable to post a winning record. Ever the quipster, Devaney stated that he would “like to win just enough to keep the administration happy, but not warrant an NCAA investigation” and he did just that. The “big but slow” Huskers were pushed into incredible physical condition by Devaney and a number of stars emerged. 1961’s All Big Eight running back Bill “Thunder” Thorton stood out in the multiple offense directed by quarterback Dennis Claridge while big and strong, Bob Brown led the linemen. The talented staff presented opponents with multiple defensive alignments that left fans giddy with their surprising 9-2 mark that included a win over Miami (FL) in the Gotham Bowl. Young players who later developed into nationally known names or carved out NFL careers included Lloyd Voss and Kent McCloughan and the 1962 team set the standard of excellence in motion for what has become one of the premiere programs in all of college football.

 

The celebration of the historic 300^th consecutive sellout is noted by the Huskers throwback uniforms as provided by adidas. The 1962 white helmets that had replaced the red headgear worn by previous squads featured three-inch black player identification numerals placed high on each side and the jerseys stood out with a very  distinctive number style, the uniform that will be worn proudly during this celebratory game.