You Never Forget Your First...Husker Game - Part 2

I asked for your “first Husker game” stories and did y’all ever come through! We got enough that I decided to break them up into multiple articles. Here’s the second set of stories. Where I could find a story or video about the game, I added it below the submission (in italics).

Bfroning2 -2000 - Baylor

This is the first game I actually remember watching. It was 2000 against Baylor. Nebraska was up by so many points after the first quarter that they pulled Eric Crouch. My parents didn’t get tickets very often, but they got club seats from my dad’s coworker and it was incredible. I’ll never forget that.

Here are highlights from that game (for some reason the plays are in random order rather than chronological). Baylor punted 11 times in this game!

Anonymous - 2012 - Northwestern

1st time in the BIG @ Northwestern 2012 (I live 15 minutes east of Notre Dame born & raised but grew up a husker fan by choice) bought season tickets to Northwestern to make sure we got tickets (their season tickets are DIRT cheap) northwestern had to use a silent count on their last drive AT HOME because of all the husker fans in attendance. Was with the wife my best friend & his late wife they got the hotel for our wedding gift.

Ah, Memorial East. The Huskers rallied for a come-from-behind win.

Highlights below - entire game here

watchthenanacrossing - 1992

I got to pick my first Husker game to go to when I was in 2nd grade. My dad and I were sitting on the roof of the house after helping him with some work, and he pulled out a pocket-sized schedule and told me to point to one of the games in bold red letters I would like to attend. I pointed to Arizona St. towards the beginning of the season. I remember how in awe I was of the number of people in one place and the noise. I also remember thinking Arizona St. had a kick-ass mascot. It was bright as hell that day and we won easily. Hooked for life.

Here is the DataOmaha recap of that game. The Blackshirts forced five turnovers in a 20 point win.

stuckinthemud - 1972

I really don’t remember much about the game except we beat Okie State handily (34-0 to be exact). The whole family went, and I am sure I was awed walking into the stadium. I was 11 at the time. I have much clearer memories of the other games I saw in Lincoln. We didn’t go to very many games growing up.On a tangent, I went to watch the Huskers play OSU in Stillwater in 1979. We won handily again, and all I remember was how close the wall for the stands was to the field. The aggies didn’t beat on the wall with paddles all game back then.

The Blackshirts were magnificent in this one - shutting out the Cowboys (their fourth shutout in a row according to DataOmaha.)

Jerrod.Koch - 2002 (2001 season)

Rose Bowl against the Canes. I was able to score a ticket from a friend of the family who was a Miami alumn. Had to stay in a Miami fans’ hotel, ride a Miami fans’ bus to Pasadena from Beverly Hills, and be the only red dot in a SLIVER of green and orange. It was a tough game against a Pro Bowl caliber Miami team. But the Miami fans where nothing but great and had a blast. Seeing Crouch’s last game and meeting Brett Musburger was a plus too. 34-17 Canes. I’ve been a die hard Husker fan since ‘93 and grew up in DFW, Texas in the heart of ‘Horn and Aggie land. My family is originally from Wynot, NE.

Ugggh. That Miami team was one of the best ever, but what probably stings more is that game was really the beginning of the end for Nebraska as a perpetual national power. Here’s the ESPN game recap. Highlights below.

TheChuckwagonisRolling - 2011

I moved to Nebraska in 2011, not knowing a thing about the Huskers, aside from the fact that they wore red and were good at football. As a engineering student, I signed up to be one of the giant Husker flag holders (who unveil the flag over where the students sit.) I had no idea what to expect or what to do. We stomped Chattanooga, but I barely remember any of the plays of the game. After we put the flag back, we all went our separate ways. I didn’t know a single person, so I began to climb the stairs looking for an open spot to stand, which was hard as the stands were packed. Some “bros” let me squeeze in next to them, and the next two hours were what really sold me as a Husker fan. Everyone was wild, crazy and definitely a “fanatic”, but were also highly respectful of the other team, kind to me, and in general, great fans.

This is what made me a Husker fan. Having grown up seeing Texas A&M games, which were far more vicious, mean-spirited and just kinda ugly and cult-y, the Huskers were a breath of fresh air.