

Nebraska athletic director Bill Moos (left) and football coach Scott Frost attended the announcement of the Huskers’ new athletic facility in September 2019 at the East Stadium Plaza.
Steven M. Sipple, Parker Gabriel and Chris Basnett talk through what’s on deck for the last week of Nebraska’s spring football session and what recruits are expected to be in town for the Red-White Spring Game next weekend. After that, a conversation about what NU has to do on the diamond to have a chance at hosting an NCAA regional, Thor’s decision not to come back to the men’s basketball program and the end of the volleyball season.
Nebraska athletic director Bill Moos has a couple of numbers in mind for what Husker fans will see this fall at Memorial Stadium.
The first is not actually a number at all but, to put it simply, a word: Full.
That’s what Moos anticipates in terms of the stadium’s capacity, though it will depend also on the advice of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department. Still, Moos said he thinks the Athletic Department will have a normal season-ticketing process, which will start soon, and that he hopes to be back to “normal” this fall.
“We’ll get back to business as usual in 2021 and I’m confident we’re going to be able to continue our sellout streak,” Moos said.
When those folks do file into the big house on Stadium Drive this fall, Moos expects them to watch a football team that admittedly faces a tough schedule, but also one that takes a big step forward under fourth-year coach Scott Frost.
Moos pegged his expectations well north of .500 for Frost in 2021 despite a loaded slate.
“We’ve got a lot better depth, a lot better experience, we have a solid coaching staff that is primarily intact and a real good feeling about the prospects of being competitive in every game this fall,” Moos said. “It would be great to get into that eight, nine-win (range) and start getting back into the picture of a conference championship and talking about more postseason. I think in Year 4 with Scott Frost, that’s a realistic expectation.
“But as I said before, we’re going to have to bring it every game and we’re going to have to — and this is important — protect our home field. This has got to be the toughest place to play in the Big Ten and have people fear it. That comes by how hard we play as a team, but also our great fans, who make the thrill of a home game in Memorial Stadium something that is unmatched.”
Moos didn’t put those numbers down as an ultimatum, but he and Frost did both say earlier this year that Nebraska should be ready at this point to compete for the Big Ten West Division title.
“As I’m sure our listeners know, we have both Michigan and Ohio State this year, albeit at home, and we also play at Oklahoma, which is being talked about as possibly being a contender for a national championship this season,” Moos said. “Then you start building in Wisconsin and Iowa and Northwestern, and we have not fared well against Illinois and others. We’ve got Michigan State. We’re going to have our work cut out for us.”
Moos also said the Athletic Department continues to look into the possibility of moving a Nov. 13 home game against FCS Southeast Louisiana up to Sept. 4, but nothing has been finalized yet.
The athletic director said NU has had conversations with Southeast Louisiana, but that team does have a game scheduled against North Alabama on Sept. 4.
“We’re hopeful that we can do some more jockeying and have a game on (Sept.) 4th,” Moos said.
A look at the 2021 Nebraska football schedule
Week 0 ➡️ Illinois
Nebraska’s Travis Vokolek (left) tries to pull in a pass with Illinois’ Tony Adams (6) defending on Nov. 21, 2020, at Memorial Stadium.
When: Aug. 28
Where: Champaign, Ill.
Illinois in 2020: 2-6
Last time the Huskers and Illini played: Illinois 41, Nebraska 23 (2020)
All-time series: Nebraska leads, 11-4
Week 2 ➡️ Buffalo
Buffalo running back Ron Cook Jr. (2) is tackled by Ball State’s Tye Evans during the second half of the Mid-American Conference championship NCAA college football game, Friday, Dec. 18, 2020 in Detroit.
When: Sept. 11
Where: Memorial Stadium
Buffalo in 2020: 6-1 (5-0 in MAC)
Last time the Huskers and Bulls met: No previous matchups
Week 3 ➡️ at Oklahoma
Nebraska and Oklahoma last met on the gridiron in the 2010 Big 12 championship game in Texas.
When: Sept. 18
Where: Norman, Oklahoma
Oklahoma in 2020: 9-2 (6-2 Big 12)
Last time Huskers and Sooners played: Oklahoma 23, Nebraska 20 (Dec. 5, 2010, Big 12 Championship)
All-time series: Oklahoma, 45-38-3
Week 4 ➡️ Michigan State
Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez runs downfield in a Nov. 30, 2018, game at Memorial Stadium.
When: Sept. 25
Where: East Lansing, Michigan
Michigan State in 2020: 2-5
The last time the Huskers and Spartans played: Nebraska 9, Michigan State 6 (Nov. 17, 2018)
All-time series: Nebraska leads, 9-2
Week 5 ➡️ Northwestern
Nebraska’s Ty Robinson (99) and Garrett Nelson (right) attempt to tackle Northwestern’s Drake Anderson on Nov. 7, 2020, in Evanston, Ill.
When: Oct. 2
Where: Memorial Stadium
Northwestern in 2020: 7-2, Big Ten runner-up
The last time the Huskers and Wildcats met: Northwestern 21, Nebraska 13 (Nov. 7, 2020)
All-time series: Nebraska leads, 8-6
Week 6 ➡️ vs. Michigan
Nebraska fans greet the team as they arrive at Michigan Stadium for their game against the Wolverines on Sept. 22, 2018, in Ann Harbor, Mich.
When: Oct. 9
Where: Memorial Stadium
Michigan in 2020: 2-4
The last time the Huskers and Wolverines played: Michigan 56, Nebraska 10 (Sept. 22, 2018)
All-time series: Michigan leads, 5-4
Week 7 ➡️ at Minnesota
Nebraska’s Ben Stille (right) pass rushes Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan in the first quarter Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
When: Oct. 16
Where: Minneapolis
Minnesota in 2020: 3-4
The last time the Huskers and Gophers played: Minnesota 24, Nebraska 17 (Dec. 12, 2020)
All-time series: Minnesota, 34-25-2
Week 9 ➡️ Purdue
Nebraska wide receiver Wyatt Liewer scores a touchdown against Purdue during the second quarter Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind.
When: Oct. 30
Where: Memorial Stadium
Purdue in 2020: 2-4
The last time the Huskers and Boilermakers met: Nebraska 37, Purdue 27 (Dec. 5, 2020)
All-time series: Nebraska leads, 5-4
Week 10 ➡️ Ohio State
Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez (2) runs the ball against Ohio State last month at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The Nebraska quarterback said the Huskers know they have to make individual sacrifices to make the season work amid pandemic.
When: Nov. 6
Where: Memorial Stadium
Ohio State in 2020: 7-1 (national runner-up)
The last time the Huskers and Buckeyes met: Ohio State 52, Nebraska 17 (Oct. 24, 2020)
All-time series: Ohio State leads, 8-1
Week 11 ➡️ Southeastern Louisiana
Southeastern Louisiana quarterback Chason Virgil (9) hands the ball off to running back Devonte Williams (1) during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019.
When: Nov. 13
Where: Memorial Stadium
Southeastern Louisiana in 2020: 2-2 (split-schedule concludes in April)
The last time the Huskers and Lions met: No previous matchups
Week 12 ➡️ at Wisconsin
Nebraska running back Dedrick Mills (26) carries the ball against Wisconsin’s Matt Henningsen (92), Michael Balistreri (57) and Reggie Pearson (2) during first-half action Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
When: Nov. 20
Where: Madison, Wisconsin
Wisconsin in 2020: 4-3
The last time the Huskers and Badgers met: Wisconsin 37, Nebraska 21 (Nov. 16, 2019)
All-time series: Wisconsin leads, 10-4
Week 13 ➡️ Iowa
Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez and the Husker offensive line push toward the goal line on Martinez’s 1-yard touchdown run against Iowa on Nov. 27, 2020, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
When: Nov. 26
Where: Memorial Stadium
Iowa in 2020: 6-2
The last time the Huskers and Hawkeyes met: Iowa 26, Nebraska 20 (Nov. 27, 2020)
All-time series: Nebraska leads, 29-19-3
Contact the writer at pgabriel@journalstar.com or 402-473-7439. On Twitter @HuskerExtraPG.