Huskers’ spring game draws 80,000-plus

LINCOLN, Neb. – After an agonizing end to the Bill Callahan era, Nebraska fans couldn’t wait to see what Bo Pelini’s Cornhuskers had to offer.

Nebraska’s first spring game under the new coach drew a school-record crowd of 80,149, with some tickets reportedly selling for upward of $100.

The Reds beat the Whites 24-14 in a scrimmage in which the first- and second-stringers were spread across both squads to make things competitive.

The crowd was the second largest for a spring game in college football history behind the 92,138 that showed up at Alabama last spring. The scrimmage was declared a sellout 10 days before, and some ticket brokers were finding buyers willing to pay 10 times the face value of $10 for a reserved seat.

“I thought it was a pretty special atmosphere,” Pelini said. “I want to thank the fans and everybody who came out today.”

Fans lined up outside the stadium gates three hours before kickoff. Minutes before the scrimmage, some people were giving away their tickets, and early in the second half large sections of the general admission seats in the north end zone had cleared.

Those looking for spectacular performances were out of luck. That was OK with Pelini.

He said this spring was about installing his system, changing attitudes and improving work ethic after last year’s 5-7 debacle, the Cornhuskers’ second losing season in four years under Callahan.

“We’re not where we want to be, but we’re headed in the right direction,” said Pelini, LSU’s defensive coordinator last season. “We’ve set ourselves up to the point where the guys are starting to gain confidence.”