The 1996 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
This was the first season for Nebraska in the Big 12 Conference, which took on that name after adding four schools from the disbanded Southwest Conference; the conference had been known as the Big Eight Conference since 1964, and was the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association before that. Nebraska was placed in the North Division with the four other Midwest schools in the conference, plus Colorado, all of which were in the conference prior to 1996; the Oklahoma schools joined with the former SWC members (all of which were in Texas) to form the South Division.
Nebraska participated in the first Big 12 Championship Game by winning the North Division. They were upset by the unranked winners of the South Division, Texas. They still played in an Alliance bowl, the Orange Bowl, where they beat Virginia Tech.
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|
| September 7 | 11:00 am | Michigan State* | No. 1 | | ABC | W 55–14 | 75,590 |
| September 21 | 9:15 pm | at No. 17 Arizona State* | No. 1 | | FSN | L 0–19 | 74,089 |
| September 28 | 11:30 am | Colorado State* | No. 8 | - Memorial Stadium
- Lincoln, NE
| ABC | W 65–9 | 75,575 |
| October 5 | 11:30 am | at No. 16 Kansas State | No. 7 | | ABC | W 39–3 | 43,916 |
| October 12 | 1:00 pm | Baylor | No. 5 | - Memorial Stadium
- Lincoln, NE
| | W 49–0 | 75,478 |
| October 19 | 2:30 pm | at Texas Tech | No. 5 | | ABC | W 24–10 | 51,344 |
| October 26 | 6:00 pm | Kansas | No. 5 | - Memorial Stadium
- Lincoln, NE (rivalry)
| FSN | W 63–7 | 75,158 |
| November 2 | 11:00 am | at Oklahoma | No. 5 | | ABC | W 73–21 | 75,004 |
| November 9 | 1:00 pm | Missouri | No. 5 | - Memorial Stadium
- Lincoln, NE (rivalry)
| | W 51–7 | 75,133 |
| November 16 | 1:00 pm | at Iowa State | No. 5 | | | W 49–14 | 47,850 |
| 1:30 pm | No. 5 Colorado | No. 4 | - Memorial Stadium
- Lincoln, NE (rivalry)
| ABC | W 17–12 | 75,695 |
| December 7 | 12:00 pm | vs. Texas | No. 3 | | ABC | L 27–37 | 63,109 |
| 7:00 pm | vs. No. 10 Virginia Tech* | No. 6 | | CBS | W 41–21 | 51,212 |
- *Non-conference game
- Homecoming
- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
- All times are in Central time
|
[1]
Rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes | Week |
|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Final |
|---|
| AP | 1 (50) | 1 (50) | 1 (49) | 1 (57) | 1 (58) | 8 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 (1) | 6 | 6 |
|---|
| Coaches | 1 (47) | | 1 (51) | 1 (57) | 1 (58) | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 6 |
|---|
Personnel
Roster
| 1996 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team roster
|
| Players
|
Coaches
|
Offense
| Pos. |
# |
Name |
Class
|
| FB
|
38
|
Dan Alexander
|
Fr
|
| OT
|
70
|
Eric Anderson
|
Jr
|
| WB
|
35
|
Sean Applegate
|
Fr
|
| RB
|
|
Rod Baker
|
Fr
|
| C
|
57
|
Matt Baldwin
|
Fr
|
| OL
|
|
Sasho Becvarovski
|
Fr
|
| IB
|
21
|
Damon Benning
|
Sr
|
| SE
|
|
Tom Beveridge
|
Fr
|
| WB
|
14
|
Lance Brown
|
So
|
| TE
|
90
|
Tim Carpenter
|
Jr
|
| SE
|
6
|
Kenny Cheatham
|
So
|
| QB
|
9
|
Monte Christo
|
So
|
| OT
|
68
|
Jeff Clausen
|
Fr
|
| FB
|
42
|
Josh Cobb
|
So
|
| TE
|
83
|
T.J. DeBates
|
Fr
|
| C
|
|
Chris Deitloff
|
Fr
|
| OL
|
|
Billy Diekmann
|
Fr
|
| G
|
75
|
Chris Dishman
|
Sr
|
| OL
|
|
Trenton Douglas
|
Fr
|
| SE
|
|
J.R. Edwards
|
Fr
|
| IB
|
22
|
Chad Eicher
|
Jr
|
| IB
|
4
|
DeAngelo Evans
|
Fr
|
| OL
|
|
Justin Ferrell
|
Fr
|
| SE
|
87
|
Demond Finister
|
Fr
|
| QB
|
|
Clint Finley
|
Fr
|
| SE
|
88
|
Craig Fischer
|
Fr
|
| SE
|
|
Tim Frame
|
Fr
|
| QB
|
7
|
Scott Frost
|
Jr
|
| OT
|
53
|
Lonnie Fulton
|
Fr
|
| WB
|
|
Mike Gentile
|
Fr
|
| OT
|
72
|
Ben Gessford
|
So
|
| WB
|
|
John Gibson
|
Fr
|
| IB
|
30
|
Ahman Green
|
So
|
| SE
|
80
|
Billy Haafke
|
So
|
| TE
|
|
Chris Hastings
|
Fr
|
| C
|
54
|
Aaron Havlovic
|
Fr
|
| SE
|
82
|
Ryan Held
|
Jr
|
| OT
|
74
|
Kyle Henson
|
So
|
| C
|
59
|
Josh Heskew
|
Jr
|
| OL
|
|
Russ Hochstein
|
Fr
|
| SE
|
5
|
Brendan Holbein
|
Sr
|
| G
|
66
|
Joe Horst
|
Jr
|
| G
|
62
|
Matt Hoskinson
|
Jr
|
| TE
|
88
|
Sheldon Jackson
|
So
|
| TE
|
34
|
Vershan Jackson
|
Jr
|
| G
|
52
|
Marcus Johnson
|
Fr
|
| OT
|
69
|
Adam Julch
|
Fr
|
| FB
|
22
|
Ben Kingston
|
So
|
| TE
|
83
|
Chad Kobus
|
Fr
|
| SE
|
89
|
Jeff (Robert) Lake
|
Jr
|
| FB
|
40
|
Billy Legate
|
So
|
| QB
|
1
|
Frankie London
|
Fr
|
| FB
|
45
|
Joel Makovicka
|
So
|
| TE
|
|
Jake McKee
|
Fr
|
| OT
|
78
|
Kory Mikos
|
Sr
|
| WB
|
17
|
Andy Miller
|
So
|
| FB
|
|
Willie Miller
|
Fr
|
| IB
|
24
|
Jason Olnes
|
Fr
|
| QB
|
12
|
Jeff Perino
|
Fr
|
| RB
|
|
Hank Piening
|
Fr
|
| OT
|
73
|
Fred Pollack
|
Jr
|
| IB
|
27
|
Steve Raymond
|
Fr
|
| TE
|
86
|
Dorrick Roy
|
So
|
| QB
|
|
Jay Runty
|
Fr
|
| OL
|
|
Chris Saalfeld
|
Fr
|
| FB
|
|
Matt Schoening
|
Fr
|
| FB
|
28
|
Brian Schuster
|
Sr
|
| G
|
65
|
Jason Schwab
|
Fr
|
| C
|
56
|
Doug Seaman
|
Jr
|
| G
|
63
|
James Sherman
|
Fr
|
| IB
|
31
|
James Sims
|
Jr
|
| RB
|
|
Travis Soucie
|
Fr
|
| FB
|
|
Jeremy Stanislav
|
Fr
|
| OT
|
69
|
Jim Tansey
|
Fr
|
| C
|
67
|
Aaron Taylor
|
Jr
|
| FB
|
|
Arby Todd
|
Fr
|
| OT
|
77
|
Adam Treu
|
Sr
|
| QB
|
11
|
Matt Turman
|
Sr
|
| G
|
71
|
Mike Van Cleave
|
Jr
|
| WB
|
25
|
Jon Vedral
|
Sr
|
| C
|
51
|
Matt Vrzal
|
Sr
|
| G
|
61
|
Brandt Wade
|
So
|
| OL
|
|
Brian Walters
|
Fr
|
| TE
|
|
Brandon Wardyn
|
Fr
|
| OL
|
|
David Webber
|
Fr
|
| WB
|
33
|
Sean Wieting
|
Jr
|
| WB
|
29
|
Shevin Wiggins
|
So
|
| QB
|
|
Chad Wiles
|
Fr
|
| TE
|
85
|
Aaron Wills
|
Fr
|
| G
|
64
|
Jon Zatechka
|
Jr
|
|
Defense
|
Special teams
|
- Head coach
- Coordinators/assistant coaches
- Charlie McBride
16th season as DC/DL coach
20th year at Nebraska
Alma mater: Colorado
- Turner Gill
5th season as QB coach
5th year at Nebraska
Alma mater: Nebraska
- Craig Bohl
2nd season as LB coach
5th year at Nebraska
Alma mater: Nebraska
- Ron Brown
10th season as WR/TE coach
10th year at Nebraska
Alma mater: Brown
- Dan Young
14th season as OL/K coach
14th year at Nebraska
Alma mater: Reed
- Milt Tenopir
23rd season as OL coach
23rd year at Nebraska
Alma mater: Sterling
- Tony Samuel
11th season as OLB coach
11th year at Nebraska
Alma mater: Nebraska
- George Darlington
DB coach
24th year at Nebraska
Alma mater: Rutgers
- Frank Solich
14th season as RB coach
18th year at Nebraska
Alma mater: Nebraska
- Boyd Epley
28th season as S&C coach
28th year at Nebraska
Alma mater: Nebraska
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (S) Suspended
- (I) Ineligible
Roster
Last update: January 17, 2011
|
Depth chart
Defense
|
| FS
|
| Eric Stokes
|
| Eric Warfield
|
| Eric Walther
|
|
| WILL
|
MIKE
|
SAM
|
Terrell Farley
Ryan Terwilliger
|
John Hesse
|
Jamel Williams
|
Mike Minter
Octavious McFarlin
|
Jay Foreman
|
Brian Shaw
|
| Eric Johnson
|
Julius Jackson
|
Tony Ortiz
|
|
| ROVER
|
| Mike Minter
|
| Octavious McFarlin
|
| Gregg List
|
|
| CB
|
| Michael Booker
|
| Jerome Peterson
|
| Mike Fullman
|
|
|
| DE
|
DT
|
DT
|
DE
|
| Grant Wistrom
|
Jason Peter
|
Jeff Ogard
|
Jared Tomich
|
| Chad Kelsay
|
Scott Saltsman
|
Jason Wiltz
|
Mike Rucker
|
| Kareem Sears
|
Derek Allen
|
Steve Warren
|
Travis Toline
|
|
|
| CB
|
| Ralph Brown
|
| Mike Brown
|
| Leslie Dennis
|
|
Offense
|
| WR
|
| Jon Vedral
|
| Lance Brown
|
| Shevin Wiggins
|
|
|
| LT
|
LG
|
C
|
RG
|
RT
|
| Adam Treu
|
Chris Dishman
|
Aaron Taylor
|
Jon Zatechka
|
Eric Anderson
|
| Fred Pollack
|
James Shreman
|
Josh Heskew
|
Matt Hoskinson
|
Kory Mikos
|
| Adam Julch
|
Brandt Wade
|
Matt Vrzal
|
Mike Van Cleave
|
Jeff Clausen
|
|
| TE
|
| Tim Carpenter
|
| Vershan Jackson
|
| Sheldon Jackson
|
|
| WR
|
| Brandon Holbein
|
Kenny Cheatham
Jeff Lake
|
| ⋅
|
|
|
|
| QB
|
| Scott Frost
|
| Matt Turman
|
| Monte Christo
|
|
|
|
|
| RB
|
| Ahman Green
|
| DeAngelo Evans
|
Damon Benning
James Sims
|
|
|
| FB
|
| Brian Schuster
|
| Joel Makovicka
|
| Billy Legate
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Game summaries
Michigan State
Michigan State at Nebraska [box score]
Arizona State
Nebraska at Arizona State [box score]
Colorado State
Colorado State at Nebraska [box score]
Kansas State
Nebraska at Kansas State [box score]
Baylor
Baylor at Nebraska [box score]
| Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Baylor |
0 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
0 |
| • Nebraska |
7 |
21 | 14 | 7 |
49 |
Texas Tech
Nebraska at Texas Tech [box score]
| Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Nebraska |
7 |
3 | 7 | 7 |
24 |
| Texas Tech |
7 |
3 | 0 | 0 |
10 |
Kansas
Kansas at Nebraska [box score]
| Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Kansas |
0 |
7 | 0 | 0 |
7 |
| • Nebraska |
7 |
35 | 14 | 7 |
63 |
Oklahoma
Nebraska at Oklahoma [box score]
| Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Nebraska |
0 |
17 | 28 | 28 |
73 |
| Oklahoma |
0 |
0 | 0 | 21 |
21 |
Missouri
Missouri at Nebraska [box score]
| Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Missouri |
0 |
0 | 0 | 7 |
7 |
| • Nebraska |
7 |
16 | 28 | 0 |
51 |
Iowa State
Nebraska at Iowa State [box score]
| Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Nebraska |
20 |
8 | 14 | 7 |
49 |
| Iowa State |
0 |
0 | 7 | 7 |
14 |
Colorado
Colorado at Nebraska [box score]
| Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colorado |
6 |
0 | 3 | 3 |
12 |
| • Nebraska |
7 |
10 | 0 | 0 |
17 |
Texas
Nebraska vs Texas [box score]
| Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Nebraska |
7 |
10 | 7 | 3 |
27 |
| • Texas |
7 |
13 | 3 | 14 |
37 |
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech vs Nebraska [box score]
Rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking | Week |
|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Final |
|---|
| AP | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 6 |
|---|
| Coaches | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 |
|---|
Awards
[2]
| Award
|
Name(s)
|
| All-America 1st team
|
Aaron Taylor, Jared Tomich, Grant Wistrom
|
| All-America 2nd team
|
Chris Dishman
|
| Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
|
Grant Wistrom
|
| All-America Freshman 1st team
|
Ralph Brown
|
| All-Big 12 1st team
|
Chris Dishman, Jon Hesse, Jared Tomich, Mike Minter, Jason Peter, Aaron Taylor, Grant Wistrom
|
| All-Big 12 2nd team
|
Eric Anderson, Michael Booker, Kris Brown, Jeff Ogard, Jamel Williams
|
| All-Big 12 3rd team
|
Scott Frost, Terrell Farley, Ahman Green
|
| All-Big 12 honorable mention
|
Ralph Brown, DeAngelo Evans, Brendan Holbein, Vershan Jackson, Jesse Kosch, Brian Schuster, Eric Stokes, Jon Vedral, Jamel Williams
|
| Big 12 coach of the Year
|
Tom Osborne
|
NFL and pro players
The following Nebraska players who participated in the 1996 season later moved on to the next level and joined a professional or semi-pro team as draftees or free agents.[3]
References
|
|---|
| Venues | |
|---|
| Rivalries | |
|---|
| Games | |
|---|
| Culture and lore | |
|---|
| People | |
|---|
| Seasons | |
|---|
National championship seasons in bold |