The last time Nebraska sat out the bowl season for seven years in a row, the Big 12 was still the Big 8, the 10 schools in the Big Ten didn’t include the Cornhuskers, and Yankee Stadium was still the House that Ruth Built.

That slump ended with an appearance in the short-lived Gotham Bowl at the original Yankee Stadium. The ballpark has been replaced, and so has the bowl game played in it.

The Huskers (6-6) will play Boston College (7-5) in the Pinstripe Bowl, ending the longest active bowl drought in any of the power conferences. Nebraska last appeared in the postseason in 2016, a stretch of losing seasons that was its longest in more than 60 years.

“It’s been a while,” athletic director Troy Dannen said after accepting the bowl invitation.

The trip ends Nebraska’s longest bowl drought since the one that ended in 1961. The program would go on to postseason appearances in 56 of the next 60 years, including a 35-year streak that included four national championships.

“Nebraska has a great, storied history,” Dannen said. “A lot of people are making references back to the Gotham Bowl in ’62, which is the last time Nebraska was in the city. For our fans to get back into the bowl mix again, to get to do it in the city in December, there is something special.”

After beating Wisconsin to gain bowl eligibility, coach Matt Rhule said he wants Husker fans to be thinking big again.

“This will be the last time we ever celebrate six wins,” he said.

Keying the Huskers’ turnaround is quarterback Dylan Raiola, who has thrown for almost 2,600 yards and 12 touchdowns as a freshman. More importantly, Raiola has reaffirmed his desire to stay in Lincoln while almost two dozen of his teammates entered the transfer portal, including running backs Dante Dowdell and Gabe Ervin, defensive lineman Jimari Butler and linebacker Princewill Umanmielen.

Cornerback Tommi Hill (foot), offensive lineman Micah Mazzccua (shoulder) and receiver Isaiah Neyor (opt out) have said they will sit out the Pinstripe Bowl, leaving a depleted roster to face an Eagles team that lost coaches after last season and changed quarterbacks in the middle of this one.

After a victory over SMU in last year’s Fenway Bowl, Jeff Hafley left to become the defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers and was replaced by former Penn State and Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien.

O’Brien has the Eagles on the verge of what would be their first eight-win season since linebacker Luke Kuechly led them to an 8-5 mark in 2009. This year’s defense is led by lineman Donovan Ezeiruaku, a consensus All-American and the winner of the Hendricks Award for the best defensive end.

“The guy just had a special, special year,” O’Brien said, standing in front of a wall of Eagles who went on to play in the NFL. “His picture will be up here soon.”

The Eagles switched quarterbacks midseason, with Florida International transfer Grayson James replacing Thomas Castellanos, who started 20 games over the past two years. After losing to SMU in his first start, James led BC to wins over North Carolina and Pittsburgh to end the regular season.

Christmas in the city

As part of their trip to New York, the teams will hit all the Christmas highlights: Checking out the tree at Rockefeller Center, seeing the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, visiting the Sept. 11 memorial and the Statue of Liberty. The captains and head coaches will ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

The Huskers will practice at the New York Giants’ stadium and at Fordham’s field, with one walkthrough in Central Park and another at Yankee Stadium.

“We aren’t going there for an experience. We are going there to win the game,” Rhule said. “We will have experiences along the way.”

Nebraska is celebrating the end of its bowl drought by bringing around 150 members of the marching band, cheerleaders and others to root on the team.

“It’s also going to be a new experience for everybody else that gets to be a part of this,” Dannen said. “The band, for Pete’s sakes, is going to be on the field in Yankee Stadium. Who would have imagined when you signed up as a freshman, when you signed up for band at the University of Nebraska, that this is something you get to do in your career?”

O’Brien was also looking forward to experiencing the city’s culinary scene.

“I’m looking forward to eating. I enjoy eating. I know the restaurants and all those things are great,” said the Boston native who has never been to Yankee Stadium. “I think it’s going to be a cool four or five days in New York City. I’m looking forward to the whole thing.”

LINCOLN — It was 1979, and a college freshman was searching the State Capitol for lobbyist Walt Radcliffe, who was scheduled to speak to young leaders from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Eventually, the freshman, Scott Moore, caught up with Radcliffe, who posed a profane question to the student that was something like, “What the heck am I supposed to say to these kids?”

“I knew right then that this was someone I was going to like,” said Moore, who went on to become a state senator, Nebraska Secretary of State and later, a top executive at Union Pacific.

Stories like that, and many more, circulated across the state as word spread about the death of Radcliffe, 77, on Thursday afternoon.

Work spanned 10 governors

A Lincoln native whose work spanned 10 governors, Radcliffe was the undisputed dean of the statehouse lobbying corps. He had his own padded bench in the Capitol Rotunda.

His firm, Radcliffe Gilbertson & Brady, annually ranked among the state’s top in annual revenue.

He also served as a valuable — and engaging — font of institutional knowledge about the Legislature for lawmakers and governors as such knowledge was disappearing due to term limits.

His storytelling was legendary, as were his counsel and history lessons for lawmakers and others.

“He really cared about the institution,” said Patrick O’Donnell, the former clerk of the Legislature and a long-time friend who met Radcliffe in a UNL fraternity. “The Legislature had a big loss today.”

“Nobody knew the legislative process better than him,” said Lynn Rex, executive director League of Nebraska Municipalities. She said Radcliffe was a mentor to her and many other lobbyists.

Former State Sen. John Stinner, who chaired the budget-writing Appropriations Committee, said Radcliffe once gave him valuable advice on how to tap into a state health care fund to help close a monumental $1 billion shortfall in the budget.

“He was extremely helpful in many instances,” Stinner said. “I’m going to miss him.”

Part of the place

U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., a former speaker of the Legislature, said “people probably think we were too close to Walt as a lobbyist.”

“But he was bigger than a lobbyist,” Flood said. “He was just part of the fabric of the Legislature.”

A graduate of UNL and the NU College of Law, Radcliffe liked to point out that he worked only a couple of miles from where he grew up.

His first jobs at the Capitol were as a legislative page and a proofreader. He later served as an assistant clerk of the Legislature and as legal counsel to the Judiciary and Banking Committees, and as chief legal counsel in the clerk’s office.

Radcliffe’s lobbying career began in 1977 as a partner with former State Sen. David Tews. He purchased the firm a couple of years later, which became Radcliffe and Associates before the latest name change.

He continued to lobby this spring, though his trips to his bench — which for a time had its own Twitter account — became less frequent.

“He was a people person. That job was his lifeblood,” said Korby Gilbertson, a long-time associate at the firm. “We always knew he’d work until he couldn’t, because that’s what he did.”

Known for NU advocacy

His firm long represented the University of Nebraska, fighting for its programs and funding. But Radcliffe also represented liquor, tobacco and gambling clients because, Gilbertson said, he “wasn’t afraid of a good battle.”

In addition, Radcliffe also lobbied free-of-charge for entities opposed to the death penalty, and, his friends said, was genuinely interested in helping the state, and its institutions, do well.

Moore said that Radcliffe’s greatest skill as a lobbyist was his ability to boil down complicated subjects into simple terms. He worked long hours and was a good listener and storyteller, he said, who didn’t seek to “poach” clients from other lobbyists and was very clear where his clients stood.

”He was a man of integrity,” Moore said. “That’s why people respected him, and why he got so many things passed.”

Former Gov. Dave Heineman described Radcliffe as “very professional, very knowledgeable and a very straightforward lobbyist.”

“I enjoyed working with him,” Heineman said.

Petition work got him in trouble

Radcliffe briefly got in trouble in 1986, when he was indicted for hiring and paying petition circulators seeking to get an issue on the statewide ballot to allow a state lottery. But the charge was dismissed on appeal. Paying petition circulators is now legal and commonplace in the state.

Radcliffe received a liver transplant in 1999, but in recent years battled other health issues. Gilbertson said he entered hospice care on Thursday morning after battling an infection for several days. He died hours later from kidney failure and other health issues.

Flood said he spent many hours in Radcliffe’s office across the street from the Capitol as a young state senator and later as speaker, listening and learning about past lawmakers and speakers.

“It wasn’t like he was telling me what to do in a certain situation, but he’d say, ‘We had this same problem, and this is what a past speaker did,’ and how it worked or didn’t work,” Flood said.

“While he was an advocate, he wanted the Legislature to look good, too.”

Funeral arrangements are pending.

At first, Nebraska playing in a bowl in late December in New York City sounded  like a form of punishment rather than a reward for a successful season.

It’s true, playing in a balmy Florida, Arizona or California might be more appealing.   But consider this:  NU is playing  at noon this Saturday.  That’s great day and time for a college football game.

As a result, I believe a lot of people are going to be able to watch the game. TV viewers aren’t going to care a rip about the cold.  Most football fans think forty degrees is ideal football weather.  

Playing in Florida does have some advantages, but three early bowl games that were played in Florida weren’t seen by many people. Why?

Bad dates and times.

Boca Raton Bowl (Boca Raton, FL)
Wednesday, December 18th 5:30pm (EST)  
Western Kentucky vs James Madison 

Staffdna Cure Bowl (Orlando, FL)
Friday, December 20th 12:00pm (EST)
Ohio vs Jackson State

Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl (Tampa, FL)
Friday December 20th 3:30 pm (EST)
Tulane vs Florida

Raise your hands if you watched any of those games.

I didn’t think so.

My point is, playing in a cold clime in late December is not necessarily a bad thing.  The Pinstripe Bowl matchup between Nebraska and Boston College should be a TV ratings success.

The Pinstripe Bowl Matchup

To win the game, NU is going to have to:

1.)  Stop the Eagles’ running game and make them one dimensional,

2.)  Move the chains consistently on offense.

3.)  Be able to pass on BC’s defense (BC is 111th pass defense)

4.)  Win the turnover battle (NU ranks 66th while BC is 21st)

If the Huskers are able to do those things, they will come back to Lincoln with another bowl trophy to add to its collection.

What’s a stake:  Win the game and NU ends the season with a winning record-its first since 2016.  Lose the game and NU limps into ’25 with a 6-7 record. 

You may contact me at:  HuskerDan@cox.net

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