Nebraska adds the Spartans to 2003 football schedule
LINCOLN, Neb. -- The University of Nebraska football team has added San Jose State to its schedule and has moved the date of its home game with Oklahoma State during the 2003 season.
The Huskers will play host to San Jose State on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2003. With the addition of the Spartans, Nebraska has the full allotment of 12 regular-season games on its 2003 regular-season schedule. In 2002 and 2003, the NCAA is allowing all collegiate football teams to play in a 12th regular-season game because of the availability of 14 Saturdays between the last Saturday in August and the last Saturday in November.
With the addition of the San Jose State game, the Huskers have also moved their home game with Oklahoma State, originally set for Oct. 4, to the season opener on Aug. 30 in Lincoln. The move will give the Huskers a weekend off from competition after playing their first five regular-season games. Big 12 Conference procedures were followed for moving a league game.
The game with the Cowboys will mark the first time since Big 12 Conference play began in 1996 that the Huskers have opened the season with a league opponent. However, Nebraska did open its 1995 national championship season by playing Oklahoma State in Stillwater on Aug. 31.
The 2002 Spartans, under head coach Fitz Hill, will play one of the school's most rigorous schedules in history. The team will play 13 games in 13 weeks, including six contests against teams that participated in bowl games in 2001. The Spartans will play nine of their 13 games away from home. Under Hill's leadership, San Jose State had one of its best recruiting years in the last 20 seasons, with three junior college All-Americans and several top high school prospects hoping to be on the field when the two teams meet in 2003.
Nebraska went 11-2 last season, losing to national champion Miami in the Rose Bowl. The Huskers return 56 lettermen and 13 starters, including five on offense, six on defense and two kickers.
Nebraska Head Coach Frank Solich, who has posted a 42-9 record in his first four years at Nebraska, said he looks forward to playing host to the Spartans, who played in Lincoln two years ago. Nebraska defeated San Jose State, 49-13, in the 2000 season opener and leads the series 1-0 over the Spartans.
"We are pleased to get some finalization to our 2003 schedule," Solich said. "We know that the Big 12 Conference will always provide us a with a challenging schedule, and opening with Oklahoma State will be a difficult task. Our non-conference schedule in 2003 will also be challenging. What I like about our schedule is the midseason break before we hit the heart of our conference schedule, that was key for us to be able to add an additional game."
Utah State and Penn State at home and Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss., are Nebraska's other non-conference opponents in 2003.