The Husker Football Data Summary Page

Last update: 2/4/09

Signing Day Post:  Don't know if you're into the hype, but
signing day is today and and we just snuck back into Rivals' Top 25:

http://rivals100.rivals.com/teamrank.asp?SID=880


We didn't get more guys, but they seem to have "revalued" some of
ours, raising our overall score.  We had two 2-star guys and now they
have 3 stars.  We also have five 4-star guys and I don't remember
having that many before.  And they're still giving just 3 stars to
Martinez, the CA state champ QB (who may get a look there for us, even 
with Green coming in).  #25 is a great ranking for Bo's first full
year, esp when you consider he could only spend 21 scholarships right now.

***********

Bo and his guys have really delivered everything we'd hoped they
would.  TO's intuition that this guy was the second coming of his old
boss The Bobfather appears to have been spot on.  We have 30 guys
coming off of redshirts next fall, and a few rookie stars from the new
class. We need a new QB but we've got 2 guys ready and 2-3 stars
coming up.  WR also suffered from graduation but TE and RB look very
strong.  On D, we have 11 of 12 DBs returning, plus a man named Suh (and
I'm so glad I get to chant his name for one more season).  With Mizzou
and KU down we'll be favored to win the North and get back to where we
want to be, namely competing for the Big 12 championship on an annual
basis.  It's a bigger league than the Big 8, but if we can dominate
our division like we should, it's a system that can work very much
like our old Big 8 system (beat OU and then win the bowl game). 

All this in one year from Bo. Really makes the Pederson-Callahan story
even harder to fathom.  ;)


GBR -- B the Hypemonger

*******************************

Hey Husker fans -- here's the final 2008 season dataset:

team          spread    NU   Opp    Win?   vs Spr? 

W MICH         14.0     47    24     1       9.0
SAN JOSE ST    26.5     35    12     1      -3.5
NEW MEX ST     25.0     38     7     1       6.0
VA TECH         7.0     30    35     0     -12.0
MIZZOU        -11.0     17    52     0     -24.0
Tex Tech      -21.0     31    37     0      15.0
Iowa St         7.5     35     7     1      20.5
BAYLOR         13.0     32    20     1      -1.0
Oklahoma      -22.0     28    62     0     -12.0
KANSAS          1.0     45    35     1       9.0
Kans St         6.0     56    28     1      22.0
COLO           18.0     40    31     1      -9.0

Clemson        -2.5     26    21     1       7.5
  (Gator Bowl)


Here are the annual summaries since the late Osborne years:  

                       1993   1994   1995   1996   1997   1998   1999   2000
Final record:          11-1   13-0   12-0   11-2   13-0    9-4   12-1   10-2
Record vs spread:       7-4  8-4-1   10-2    7-6    6-7    4-9    8-5    5-7

Avg margin vs spread:  0.27   1.54  11.17   0.42   0.04  -5.00   1.88  -0.08  
   std dev vs spread: 10.44  12.70  13.78  20.56  18.00  15.56  15.03  18.85

                          2001   2002   2003   2004   2005   2006   2007   2008
Final record:             11-2    7-7   10-3    5-6    8-4    9-5    5-7    9-4
Record vs spread:          7-6    6-7    8-5    4-6    6-5  7-4-2    3-9    7-6

Mean margin vs spread:   -3.31  -7.92  -0.77  -7.85   2.54   3.23  -5.46   2.12
Median margin vs spread:   3.5  -10.0    2.5  -7.75    1.0    3.0  -9.75    6.0
   std dev vs spread:    15.46  15.40  15.20  20.69  18.75  13.42  24.18  13.79


The 2008 Huskers finish 9-4, 7-6 against the spread.  Statistically,
Bo clearly has us back on track, covering the spread on average and
reducing the standard deviation back down to more comfortable,
historical levels; the team once again beat the teams it was supposed
to beat.  Bo's Year 1 numbers are comparable to those of Bill
Callahan's best year (2006).  

Our coaching staff's ability to make in-game adjustments was on full
display again in the bowl game:  we really came out and dominated the
3rd quarter, after that kick-in-the-gut interception and subsequent
score right before halftime.   

Clemson's 2 great tailbacks got only about 40 yards between them.
Steinkuhler and Suh were magnificent.  Clemson scored all their points
off mistakes by our offense, so the 21 points really does not indicate
how well our D played.  We had the #66 D in the country and theirs was
ranked #15.  But we outplayed them.  You just can't say enough about
how quickly Bo and his staff got this thing turned around.  The
recruiting class is Top 20 and provided Suh really does come back for
his senior year, we are going to be tough to beat next year.  I hope
Dr. Tom gives Bo and his staff a nice raise; they have certainly
earned it. 

Here in Minneapolis, we had a nice-sized Husker pep band at the
Bloomington Joe Senser's (tho I was the only bone player after
halftime) and the team scored enough that we got to play quite a lot,
esp 2nd half.  I hope many of you Twin Citians can come see us play
sometime next fall, so you can experience our MN4NE gameday atmosphere
now that the team is winning again.  The band especially likes it when
we win since the crowd buys us more pitchers when that happens  ;)

See you on signing day -- Cheers, Husker Brad

PS  I'm going to leave my NU/CU post up here; it was so fun to be part
of that experience  :)

***************

I was at the game and happened to be sitting in the NE stadium around
the 20 yard line with my 10-year-old son Nate (my other two boys were
sitting in the NW stadium over the tunnel).  So Nate and I saw the
kick go through -- at least we *thought* we saw it, and when the refs
signaled good the place went crazy;  everybody high-fiving everybody.
Then when Ducky ran the pick back for a TD, blowing up the opposing
QB's lame attempt at a tackle around the 10, well, that was fun. 
Nate (who is also a DT) was throwin' the bones on every play after the
kick.  It was great. :)