Dear Old Nebraska U. (Cont'd)

under the stadium and onto the gridiron, while the band belted out "Hail Varsity,” and the “Sea of Red” erupted in a thunderous welcome.

Moments later, the battle was on.

The defenses controlled the first quarter, as the teams fought for field position. The Huskers fell behind as the defense surrendered a TD in the second quarter, then answered with an 80 yard scoring march of their own, capped by a 3 yard Dahrran Diedrich TD run to tie it, 7-7. The band played “Hail Varsity” after the touchdown, while the Husker Faithful roared, then “No Place Like Nebraska,” after the PAT.

Nebraska took the lead 10-7, on a 27-yard field goal, but yielded a three pointer 15 seconds prior to intermission, 10-10 at half.

Early in the third quarter, Erwin Swinney’s interception led to a 13-10 Cornhusker lead, which held up heading into the fourth quarter. ”Go Big Red!” reverberated across the gridiron as the final stanza unfolded.

With 6:17 left to play, Nebraska put it away, with a 63 yard TD on a reverse-pass, from freshman Mike Stuntz to QB Eric Crouch. ‘Lil Red bounced on his head with glee, and Herbie pumped his fist in triumph, as Memorial Stadium rocked.  

At the final gun, Cap was pulled along with the happy thousands, spilling out of the stadium, into the afternoon, onto the campus.

He walked steadily back to the Cornhusker hotel, where exuberant fans streamed into the second-floor bar. He paused long enough to catch up on the latest scores from the TV behind the bar, then he heard it again - Misty’s calling his name.

Out of the parking garage and east, not to be denied - he varied his route - winding through the traffic until he was squeezed into a corner table in the Quarterback Lounge at Misty’s.

A burger, a bowl of chili, and a piece of Misty’s homemade cheesecake hit the spot, as other autumn showdowns flashed across the screen. TC lingered at Misty’s, as the evening games hit halftime across the country, then eased out and drove easily back downtown, listening to happy talk-show callers, predicting the next Husker victory.

Back in his room, armed with his 50-yard line ticket from autumnspectacle.com, Cap followed the evening games to the end, and caught ESPN Game Day Final, for the wrap-up. Stories of dramatic struggles, where the only thing you know for sure is that you’ve GOT to win THIS game. Another chapter of Autumn Showdowns. Another great gameday.

Exhausted, Cap fought sleep until the final helmet sticker was awarded - to Eric Crouch of Nebraska’s Cornhuskers - then clicked off the tube, whistling "Hail Varsity" - beginning to end. "Go Big Red" he spoke into the darkness - and was quickly asleep.

Lincoln is the State Capitol and a thriving, productive community in its own right. But first and foremost, Lincoln is the football team and the "Sea of Red" – those people who fill Memorial Stadium every autumn Saturday, and live and die with the fortunes of Husker football. Their joy and sorrow form the undercurrent which defines gameday at Nebraska, as they long for a return to greatness.

Cap will be headed back to Lincoln in the future for sure - to join that Sea of Red on some autumn Saturday, to help keep the sellout streak alive, and to bring home a glorious victory.

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