A Nebraska- ACC Chrestomathy

Let’s just call this Saturday’s match-up with Wake Forest a pork game. Playing in the Big 12, Nebraska fans get only a few chances for decent barbecue every couple of seasons. When we head down to Austin in October that will be a brisket game. Last year at the Big 12 championship game in Kansas City was a rib game. North Carolina? That’s a pork state albeit one divided—vinegar-based sauce in the East, ketchup-based in the West for those of you wondering—but no matter how long you’ve been following the Cornhuskers or how you prefer your pulled-pork one thing is certain you haven’t been there before.

Nebraska’s game against Wake Forest will mark their first trip to the Rip Van Winkle State (nobody really knows) and their first ever ACC road trip in school history. Since 1900 Nebraska has played an ACC foe 11 times compiling a 6-5 record against the Coast. Let’s crack the history books.

It all began in 1955 when Nebraska lost to Duke in the Orange Bowl 34-7. After that ignominious beginning, Nebraska was perfect through the 60s and 70s beating North Carolina State twice and South Carolina, Wake Forest and North Carolina once each, all at home minus that 1977 match-up against the Tar Heels which marked the Huskers lone appearance in the Liberty Bowl.

The 80s and 90s were much less forgiving for Nebraska in ACC games (0-4 from ’82 to ’94) and you’ll probably remember most of them as every loss occurred in a bowl game. There was the 1982 Orange Bowl loss to Clemson, the 1991 Citrus Bowl defeat at the hands of Georgia Tech and then back to back Orange Bowl losses to Florida State in ’93 and ’94.

Throw in Nebraska’s 31-3 win at home over the Demon Deacons in 2005 and that’s everything. Eleven games, six wins. Depending on how you want to look at it, Nebraska is either undefeated all-time against Wake Forest or 1-5 against the ACC in their last six games. What does this have to do with Saturday’s game? Nothing beyond a little historical perspective.

Perhaps the biggest logical fallacy college football fans face every week is the series stat. What does it mean that Texas Tech beat SMU for the 12^th straight time yesterday, a streak dating back to 1986? It means that Texas Tech has talent befitting a Big 12 team and SMU probably shouldn’t have cheated so much. However, I'll never believe that because Tech pasted the Pony Express in 1989 that somehow gives us some insight into the next game or yesterday's game. What do the '89 Red Raiders have in common with the Leach-led Raiders? A helmet logo.

So here’s what we do know going into Winston-Salem:

• Wake Forest will likely be without starting quarterback Riley Skinner and defensive end Matt Robinson. In Skinner's absence last week, back-up QB Brett Hodges performed admirably going 17-23 with a touchdown and an interception.
• Nebraska opened as a 7.5-point favorite but that number is likely to go up.
• Nebraska destroyed Nevada on the ground.
• Wake Forest "limited" Boston College to 52 yards rushing. Of course, BC wasn't really interested in running the ball with Matt Ryan putting up 406 yards passing and five TDs.
• On the other hand, the Deacons were even worse in the running game rushing 24 times for one freakin' yard!
• Teams that can a) run the ball effectively and b) stop the run usually win.

It won't be a vacation for Nebraska, but the Cornhusker faithful might have a hard time being convinced otherwise. It's not often that the Husker Nation get's a chance to take the red tide effect to foreign shores but that's what we'll have this Saturday.

If you're RVing to the game go ahead and add that North Carolina sticker to the back of your mobile home but remember it'll be nothing more than a painful reminder without a win. Even the best barbecue tastes pretty salty when tinged with defeat. Nebraska looks to have the edge on paper but how many of Wake Forest's opponents said that last year?