The Fresno State football team opens its season on the road against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday. Similar to the Bulldogs, Nebraska is looking to rebound from a tough 2015 season.
Nebraska went 6-7 in 2015, suffering just its third losing season since 1962. Head coach Mike Riley enters his second season in Lincoln and looks forward to getting it started with Fresno State.
In his weekly press conference, Riley said, “Fresno has had a really good football history. Through the years, they’ve won a lot of football games, been ranked well, had a lot of players come out of there. We expect talent.”
He said he watched the team for many years when he was the head coach at Oregon State, and is great friends with former Bulldog head coach Pat Hill. He is expecting to face a fast and physical team.
The Cornhuskers return three-year starter and senior Tommy Armstrong at quarterback, though he was not elected a team captain after serving as one in 2015. Speaking of the team’s decision not to vote him a captain, Armstrong said: “I think captains are chosen, but leaders are born. I know from Day One I’ve always been a leader here.”
Fresno State head coach Tim DeRuyter addressed the upcoming game in his weekly press conference. He said, “What a great opportunity and challenge we have this week, playing one of the storied programs in college football.”
DeRuyter praised Nebraska’s program altogether, from the fans to the stadium. He went on to discuss the importance of playing a team of Nebraska’s caliber. He said the Bulldogs are going in with many young players, but they understand the opportunity they have to gain national attention when playing big-name schools.
Nebraska has great experience at wide receiver, starting with senior team captain Jordan Westerkamp. He has 129 receptions and 13 touchdowns in his career and caught a touchdown in the 55-19 win against Fresno State in 2014. Seniors Brandon Reilly and Alonzo Moore will also be starting at wide receiver.
To counter Nebraska’s depth and experience at receiver, Fresno State returns seniors Jamal Ellis and Tyquwan Glass at cornerback. Neither played against Nebraska in 2014, but both ended their seasons strong in 2015, cementing their spots as starters. Glass transferred to Fresno State in 2015 and made an immediate impact. Ellis brings experience — his 20 career starts lead the team.
Father and son duo Keith and Keyan Williams of Nebraska coached and played for Fresno State, respectively. Keith Williams coached wide receivers in Fresno from 2009-11 while his son played wide receiver for the Bulldogs in 2014 and 2015 before transferring to Nebraska in January 2016. The younger Williams will be unable to play in the 2016 season due to NCAA transfer rules.
The game starts at 5 p.m. PDT on Sept. 3 in Lincoln, Nebraska, at Memorial Stadium. It will be televised on the Big Ten Network and broadcast locally on 940 AM ESPN Radio.