The 2016 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of NebraskaâÂÂLincoln in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by second-year head coach Mike Riley and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. They were members of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference. This would be the last winning season for Nebraska until 2024.
On July 23, 2016, senior punter and returning starter Sam Foltz was killed in a single-car crash in Waukesha County, Wisconsin following serving as staff for a training camp for high school kickers and punters. Former Michigan State punter Mike Sadler was also killed; LSU kicker Colby Delahoussaye was also in the accident but sustained only non-life-threatening injuries.
<nowiki>*</nowiki>Player is not eligible to play in 2016 season due to transfer regulations<br> <nowiki>**</nowiki>Son of Nebraska WR coach Keith Williams
â Walk-on transfer
Nebraska Football 2016 Recruiting Class
National signing day was on Wednesday, February 3, 2016.
72,992 fans attended the Nebraska spring game, continuing the streak of 60,000+ in attendance for Nebraska spring games since 2008. Unlike previous spring games, the teams did not trade the ball but Team Red was the offense and Team White was the defense for the entire game. Additionally, the scrimmage used a unique scoring system that allowed the defense (White) to score and rewarded plays that would otherwise be non-scoring in a normal football game. At the end of the game, Kyle Kasun intercepted the ball as the time expired, allowing the white team to win. The final score was White 46âÂÂ41. Tommy Armstrong Jr., Ryker Fyfe and Patrick O'Brien all played at quarterback for team Red.
Nebraska announced its 2016 football schedule on July 11, 2013. The 2016 schedule consists of 7 home and 5 away games in the regular season. The Cornhuskers will host Big Ten opponents Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, and Purdue, and will travel to Indiana, Iowa, Northwestern, Ohio State, and Wisconsin.
The team hosted all three of the nonâÂÂconference games which are against the Fresno State Bulldogs and the Wyoming Cowboys both from the Mountain West Conference, and the Oregon Ducks from the Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12). This was Nebraska's 7th game against Oregon, and head coach Mike Riley's 13th overall game against Oregon, as he previously coached for Oregon rival Oregon State.
Nebraska opened the 2016 season with a non-conference matchup against Fresno State at Memorial Stadium. The game marked the start of the second season for head coach Mike Riley. The game marked the completion of a three-game series with Fresno State. The Huskers defeated Fresno State in Lincoln 42âÂÂ29 in 2011 before winning on the road in Fresno 55âÂÂ19 in 2014. These three games are the only meetings between the Huskers and Bulldogs in program history. Before the game, there was a tribute to the late Nebraska punter Sam Foltz, who was killed in a car crash in July. Before their first punt, the Huskers observed a moment of silence for Foltz by sending only 10 players onto the field with no punter waiting for the snap. A delay of game penalty was called on the Huskers, which the Bulldogs declined.
Fresno State Game starters
The 2016 edition of the NebraskaâÂÂWyoming series marked the 8th meeting between the two neighboring state programs. Nebraska entered the game with a perfect 7âÂÂ0 all-time record against the Wyoming Cowboys. Senior quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. threw three touchdown passes during this matchup, in which he set the record for most career touchdown passes in the Nebraska program history, surpassing Taylor Martinez's previous record of 56. The Cornhuskers defeated the Cowboys 52âÂÂ17 in front of a crowd of 89,895, the stadium's 349th consecutive sellout.
Wyoming Game starters
Nebraska and Oregon played for the 7th time between the two programs on September 17, 2016, at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Ducks went for the two point conversion after every touchdown, only succeeding once, early in the game. Nebraska went on to win the game 35âÂÂ32, giving Oregon their first loss of the season, and Nebraska their third win to improve their record to 3âÂÂ0. Nebraska had 428 total offensive yards the whole game, and the Ducks had 482. The Cornhuskers will travel to Eugene, Oregon in the 2017 season to face the Ducks at Autzen Stadium, game 2 of the home-and-home series between the two programs.
Oregon Game starters
Nebraska opened conference play with their first road game of the season in Evanston, Illinois against Northwestern. The Cornhuskers won the contest by a score of 24âÂÂ13. Early in the game, I-back Terrell Newby fumbled the ball at the sideline near the end zone, resulting in a touchback, giving Northwestern the ball. In the second quarter, Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson ran the ball 42 yards for a touchdown. Thorson also had a 24-yard touchdown pass to Austin Carr in the 3rd quarter. Nebraska will play the Wildcats at home in 2017 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Northwestern Game starters
Nebraska played its second conference game at home against the Illinois Fighting Illini on October 1, 2016. Nebraska beat the Illini by a score of 31âÂÂ16, claiming their 5th win on the season to make the Cornhuskers 5âÂÂ0.
Illinois Game starters
Indiana Game starters
Purdue Game starters
Nebraska played the Wisconsin Badgers on October 29, 2016, at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. The Cornhuskers entered the game ranked at #7 in the AP Poll, while Wisconsin sat not far behind at #11. The game was the 11th game in the series, Wisconsin winning the previous matchup, 23âÂÂ21 in Lincoln on October 10, 2015. Wisconsin won the game 23âÂÂ17 in overtime. Wisconsin scored first in overtime, but missed the extra point attempt. Nebraska failed to score after, allowing Wisconsin to win the game. The all-time series record is now 7âÂÂ4 in Wisconsin's favor.
Wisconsin Game starters
Ohio state Game starters
Minnesota Game starters
Nebraska went undefeated at home for the first time in 4 years thanks to their win over Maryland.
Maryland Game starters
Iowa Game starters
Tennessee Game starters
2016 Big Ten All-Conference Honors
2016 Nebraska Football Team Awards