ANNUAL OR4NE PICNIC AUGUST 19TH

…The Annual OR4NE Picnic Is Coming Up On Saturday, August 19th…

OR4NE Picnic

The annual OR4NE picnic at Sellwood Park…SE Miller & 7th Ave. in the Sellwood neighborhood of Portland on Saturday, August 19th from 11 AM to 4 PM(THIS IS A NEW LOCATION).

There will be plenty of good food, fun and games, so bring the kids to this family friendly event. Look for the red balloons to find our group.

It will be a pot luck event, so please plan on bringing your favorite side dish or dessert and the Oregonians for Nebraska will provide everything else…burgers, dogs, plates, utensils, etc.!

Water and soft drinks will also be provided. If you would like alcohol, it’s BYO. Cost for the picnic is free for members and their immediate family and $5 for non-members.

YOU WILL EVEN HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN A PAIR OF NEBRASKA VS OREGON TICKETS!

The picnic is a great opportunity for members to renew their OR4NE membership $30…that includes a special gift. You might even find someone who is interested in discussing the upcoming football season.

HAPPENINGS FOR THE OREGON GAME!

On Friday night, Sept. 8th, there will be a gathering downtown at Rock Bottom Brewery. This event will will start at 6 PM.

On Saturday, the Alumni Association in connection with the Nebraska Athletic Dept. will have a tail gate in Eugene at PK Park next to Autzen Stadium from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM. There will be a cash bar and catered lunch along with guest speakers and entertainment. The cost for that is $45 per person and reservations can be made though the Athletic Dept. at 402-472-3111.

For those who will not be heading to Eugene, the game will be shown at the Oregonian’s For Nebraska watch party site (Duke’s Country Bar and Grill) at 146th and Division.

Keep an eye out for future emails highlighting other OR4NE activities, and thanks for helping make OR4NE a successful
chapter!

Oregonians For Nebraska (OR4NE) is the local chapter of the Nebraska Alumni Association.

Husker Huddle

Make sure you have the ultimate game day experience and join fellow Nebraska fans at the official Husker Pregame Party at scenic PK Park, adjacent to Autzen Stadium!

The event will be held from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and features a catered lunch, cash bar, live entertainment, special guest appearances and more!

The cost is $45 per person which covers admission and the buffet lunch.

We look forward to seeing you at the official Husker Pregame Party!

Tickets Here

 

Music City Bowl…Friday December 30th at 12:30 PM PST

…Last Football Game of the 2016 Season on Friday!…
We hope everyone has had a wonderful Holiday season so far…the one thing that could make it even better is a Husker win this Friday against the Tennessee Volunteers in the Music City Bowl!
The Huskers have a tall order this Friday as they face a good 8-4 Tennessee team that has been hot and cold this season.  In some ways the Volunteers season has been very similar to the Huskers…some really good play mixed in with some not so good play.  Tennessee’s biggest struggles have come on defense where during the last 3 games of the season, Tennessee gave up an average of over 600 yards per game.
These defensive struggles may come in handy for a beat up Husker offense. Although the starting QB has not been determined, it appears Ryker Fife will start because Tommy Armstrong is still fighting his hamstring injury suffered in the Minnesota game. In addition, Jordan Westercamp will miss this game due to an injury suffered during a practice earlier in December.
The Husker defense has its own challenges going up against a potent Tennessee offense that averages 437 yard per game.  The Husker defense will be playing without their star safety Nathan Gerry who was deemed academically ineligible for the bowl game.
The Husker coaches are confident that other players will be able to step up and fill the holes left by some of the starters.  One nice thing about all the injuries this past season, some of the backups have gotten a lot of playing time so they should be prepared to fill in.
Statistically, Tennessee is the better team on offense and Nebraska has the edge on defense.  Tennessee looks to be the better team on special teams as they are ranking in the top 20 in punting, punt returns and kickoff returns. With the exception of kicking, Nebraska special teams have struggled all season long.  The Huskers poor special teams performance lead to the firing of the special teams coach shortly after the Iowa game and that work is now being done by Riley and others.
If the Huskers can win their bowl game, it will give them their best record  in 13 seasons.  Can they do it?  Join us at Dukes and find out. Bring some friends and help us fill the house!
Friday, December 30th Watch Party
Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Tennessee Volunteers
Game Coverage Begins at 12:30 PM PST

After the Iowa game, the Huskers dropped to #21 in the coaches poll, #24 in the AP poll and dropped out of the College Football Playoff poll.  Heading into the contest with Tennessee, the Huskers are 6-7 point underdogs.  As I mentioned above, with some of their stars out of this game, several guys will have to step up in order for the Huskers to win, but Riley has a great record in bowl games.  Just look at last year when UCLA was favored over the Huskers.  I’m hoping for another one of those games!

We hope you can join us Friday, December 30th at Duke’s…doors open at 11:30 AM. 
Duke’s will be offering a variety of lunch items. Arrive early for good seats! Families with children are welcome, however OLCC rules dictate that minors may not remain if a game goes beyond 9 PM.
That’s all for now…look for another message soon and Go Big Red!

Maryland Game – 11/19/2016

…Huskers Bounce Back After Two Losses to Win Against Minnesota…
…OR4NE Toy Drive THIS SATURDAY!  Bring An Unwrapped Toy and Get Raffle Tickets…
…OR4NE Holiday Party Scheduled for December 4th…Sign Up Soon…
…OR4NE Elections Coming Up…
MINNESOTA REVIEW
The Minnesota game was much easier to watch than Ohio State, but it was not without some drama.  The Huskers followed the same script they have used much of this season where they got off to a slow start, fell behind, then made adjustments in the second half and pulled ahead for the win.
The Husker offense got Jerald Foster back last week on the O-line which helped a little, but this team is still limping along with several injuries.  It was good that Armstrong completed the concussion protocol and was cleared for action this past Saturday, because without him, I’m not sure the Huskers would have won.  Not only was he MVP for the Husker offense last Saturday, but he was also named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week…Congratulations Tommy!  He even had to come back from an ankle injury that occurred during the game to score the winning TD in the 4th quarter.  Tommy never gives up!!!
Getting Foster back on the line, helped with both the run game and the passing game.  Terrell Newby was able to run for 85 yards and Tommy received a little better protection in the pass game, helping him complete 19 of 28 passes for 217 yards.  The Huskers still did not reach their average offensive production for the year, but they were up against a pretty good defense.
Defensively, the Huskers looked much better this week holding Minnesota to 265 total yards…well below their 400 plus yard average.  Run defense was excellent with the blackshirts holding the Gophers to 85 yards on the ground.  Josh Banderas and Aron Williams both had great days, each with 11 tackles and Kevin Maurice had another strong game on the line with 8 tackles.  Maurice made the Pro Football Focus Team of the week for his play.
Like a few other games this year, the special teams play was not so special.  A key Husker penalty in the first half when Minnesota was punting gave the Gophers a first down, which eventually lead to a TD.  Also, a -2 yard Husker punt right before the half gave the Gophers a short field which led to a field goal.  That was 10 points that could have easily cost Nebraska the game.  That part of the game needs to get fixed quickly.
MARYLAND GAME
 
This week the Huskers face the 5-5 Maryland Terrapins. This will be the first time Nebraska and Maryland have ever played each other. In Big Ten play, the Terrapins have beaten Purdue and Michigan State, and lost to Penn State, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio State and Michigan.  The last two games to Michigan and Ohio State have both been blowouts.
Maryland is dealing with injuries and some suspensions that will likely hurt them.  Their starting QB, Perry Hills is questionable after suffering a should injury last week against Ohio State.  Also, freshman running back Lorenzo Harrison, who has been part of a running tandem, has been suspended and is not expected to play.
Maryland’s strength is their running game.  So far this year, they have averaged over 200 yards per game.  They are ranked as the #3 best rushing team in the Big Ten and #31 in the country.
Defensively, they have some holes.  In the past two games, they have given up 59 and 62 points. Their run defense is particularly weak with a ranking of 113th nationally, Newby could have a fun day against this group.
The Huskers win the statistical battle in this game with slightly better numbers on offense and significantly better numbers on defense.
One of the big questions about this game is the status of Tommy Armstrong.  At the end of his 4th quarter TD run in the Minnesota game, he pulled a hamstring and his status as of this writing is day-to-day.  I think it will be hard to keep Tommy off the field on Senior day of his final Husker season, but I hope they use him sparingly to ensure he is ready for Iowa.  It looks like the Huskers will have Brandon Reilly back this week, which will be a nice addition to the receiving corps.
Can the Huskers use the momentum from the Minnesota game to keep winning?  Come Join us this Saturday at Dukes and find out!
Saturday, November 19th Watch Party
Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Maryland Terrapins
Game Coverage Begins at 9:00 AM PST
Well, Nebraska move up a little in the polls this week.  They are #17 in the coaches poll, #19 in the AP poll and #18 in the College Football Playoff poll.  The pundits have the Huskers as clear favorites in this game.  The point spread by the folks in Las Vegas is currently about 2 touchdowns.
Nebraska has beaten the spread 5 times this year, missed it twice and tied twice.  If the Huskers can get a good running game going, they should have no problem winning…even if Tommy cannot play.  If they can’t run the ball, the game could be interesting.
We hope you can join us Saturday, November 19th at Duke’s…doors open at 8:00 AM. 
Duke’s will be offering a variety of breakfast and lunch items. Arrive early for good seats! Families with children are welcome, however OLCC rules dictate that minors may not remain if a game goes beyond 9 PM.
NEXT GAME
The next game is on November 25th, against the Iowa, with the kickoff time to be determined.
HOLIDAY PARTY
 
The annual OR4NE holiday party is scheduled for Sunday evening, December 4th at Gold Valley Brewery in Beaverton. The party runs from 5:30-9 PM and includes dinner and a voluntary white elephant gift exchange, that always leads to some interesting surprises!  Sign up at watch parties over the next few weeks or respond to this email.
ELECTIONS
 
OR4NE is holding elections for Executive Board members this month.  If you are a current member of OR4NE, you have a vote.  In addition, if you would like to serve on the Executive Board, or just want to help however you can, please let a current board member know. Executive Board positions include President (must have served at least 1 year as a board member), Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer, but we have many other ways people can get involved.
 
The Executive Board then appoints individuals to a variety of committees (watch party, merchandise, pubic service, etc.) If you don’t want to be an Executive Board member, but would like to help in other ways, notify a board member or respond to this email.
 
Ballots will be distributed at the watch parties on November 19th and November 25th. Ballots will be due by the end of the game on November 25th.  
 
If you are unable to attend either of those games and would like a ballot, please respond to this email.      
 
That’s all for now…look for another message soon and Go Big Red!
Oregonians For Nebraska (OR4NE) is the local chapter of the Nebraska Alumni Association.
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Ohio State Week
…Despite The Loss, Huskers Show They Can Play With Anyone!…
…OR4NE Food Drive This Saturday…Bring Some Non-Perishable Food Items And Get Free Raffle Tickets…
…OR4NE Holiday Party Scheduled for December 4th…
…OR4NE Elections Coming Up…
WISCONSIN REVIEW
Has Wisconsin got the Husker’s number or what?  The Huskerdefense continues to improve and it showed again last Saturday.  The Blackshirt secondary held Wisconsin to 114 passing…one of the lower totals of the year, and light years better than last year.  The one thing they struggled with was stopping the run, and it really showed in the OT.
Offensively, it was tough sledding.  The Huskers played one of the best defenses in the country and it showed.  Nebraska ran for a little over 3 yards per carry which left too many 3rd and long situations.  At times, the Husker’s receiving corps were able to get open and get some good yardage after their catches, and other times they could not get an inch of separation from their defenders.  They did have their 4th quarter rally, coming from 10 down to tie the game, and I really thought when Wisconsin missed the FG in regulation and the extra point in OT, it was destiny that the Huskers would win, but is was not to be…sigh.
While the loss was disappointing, this team showed they could play with anyone!
OHIO STATE GAME
 
This week the Huskers face the 7-1 Ohio State Buckeyes.  So what is a Buckeye?  It is a small brown nut that grows on the Ohio State tree…the Buckeye tree.  All season long, this was expected to the toughest game for the Huskers.  I don’t think a lot has changed in that regard, however in recent weeks, Ohio State has shown they are human.  Two weeks ago, they were beaten by Penn State, and last week, they barely beat Northwestern at home 24-20.
Ohio State is loaded with exceptional athletes including their QB J.T. Barrett.  Running backCurtis Samuel leads the team with 8 TDs this year. Defensively, the Buckeyes are loaded with guys that will likely be playing on Sunday some day soon.
Statistically, the Buckeyes out shine the Huskers both on offense and defense.  Ohio State currently has the 6th best defense in the country compared to the Huskers who have a respectable ranking of 20th.  On offense, Ohio State is ranked 20th while the Huskers are 48th.
One of the few places the Huskers have the edge is in penalties…believe it or not, the Huskers average less penalties, unfortunately, the Huskers have more penalty yards.
Still, the Buckeyes have not been playing great ball lately and they look beatable.  One thing that will definitely help the Huskers is the return of Cethan Carter.  It looks like Carter will be back for the game this week and he can be a real match-up problem for anyone.
Can the Huskers pull this one out and move to 8-1? Come Join us this Saturday at Dukes and find out!  We had about 120 folks at the game last week and expect even more this week.
Saturday, November 5th Watch Party
Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Ohio State Buckeyes
Game Coverage Begins at 5:00 PM PDT
Well, Nebraska dropped in the polls, but not much.  They are ranked 9th in the AP poll, 10th in the Coaches poll and 10th in the first week of the College Football Playoff rankings.  The Buckeyes are heavy favorites this Saturday being favored by the vast majority of pundits.  The folks in Las Vegas are making the Buckeyes 17 point favorites.
Nebraska has beaten the spread 5 times this year, missed it once and tied one time.  As with last week, I think the current spread is too high, and I think the Huskers have a shot.
We hope you can join us Saturday, November 5th at Duke’s…doors open at 4:00 PM. 
Duke’s will be offering a variety of dinner items. Arrive early for good seats! Families with children are welcome, however OLCC rules dictate that minors may not remain if a game goes beyond 9 PM.
NEXT GAME
The next game is on November 12th at 4:30 PM PST against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
HOLIDAY PARTY
 
The annual OR4NE holiday party is scheduled for Sunday evening, December 4th at Gold Valley Brewery in Beaverton. The party runs from 5-9 PM and includes dinner and a voluntary white elephant gift exchange, that always leads to some interesting surprises!  Sign up at watch parties over the next few weeks or respond to this email.
ELECTIONS
 
Yes, I know we are all sick of election talk this time of year, but OR4NE is holding elections for Executive Board members later this year.  If you are a current member of OR4NE, you have a vote.  In addition, if you would like to serve on the Executive Board, please let a current board member know by November 12th and we can put you on the ballot.  Executive Board positions include President (must have served at least 1 year as a board member), Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.
 
The Executive Board then appoints individuals to a variety of committees (watch party, merchandise, pubic service, etc.) If you don’t want to be an Executive Board member, but would like to help in other ways, notify a board member or respond to this email.
 
Ballots will be distributed at the watch parties on November 19th and November 25th. Ballots will be due by the end of the game on November 25th.  
 
If you are unable to attend either of those games and would like a ballot, please respond to this email.      

Indiana Game This Saturday (Oct. 15th at 12:30 PM PDT)

…Special Auction For Team Jack This Week…
Great To See The Huskers 5-0!
…Back Into The Top 10 After Several Years!…
This is “Team Jack Week” at the Indiana game, and we are helping Team Jack raise money for pediatric brain cancer.  We are having a silent auction on a number of really cool items that are must-haves for any Husker Fan. OR4NE will also kick in half of the proceeds from our normal raffle, and Dukes is planning to help with a portion of their receipts.
Silent auction items include a San Diego Chargers mini-helmet signed by Danny Woodhead (most prolific college running back of all time…and he is from Nebraska)…a football signed by Kenny Bell…a #22 jersey signed by Jack Hoffman…an autographed picture of Jordan Larson from the NU woman’s volley ball team and more!
ILLINOIS REVIEW
There were some tense moments a couple of weeks ago against Illinois, but after being down at the end of the 3rd quarter, the Huskers came through again in the 4th quarter to put the game away.  So far this year, the Huskers are out scoring opponents 78-6 in the 4th quarter!
The Illinois defensive front helped keep their team in the game through 3 quarters.  The Huskers struggled to run the ball until the 4th quarter when they wore down the Illinois defense.  Also, the Huskers did not help themselves by loosing the turnover battle in this game 0-2.
The Huskers did well on offense in this game, but much of it was in the 4th quarter…it will become increasingly necessary to play well all game long as the quality of teams gets better.  The Blackshirts also did a good job overall by holding Illinois to under 300 yards for the day, but they did show some lapses in both run defense and pass defense at times. Still, the NU defense is way better this year than last year. If I had to single out players, I like Ross Dzuris…he continues to be a leader on a young D-line!
The worst part of the Illinois game were the injuries that Nebraska suffered.  It appears the Huskers have lost Jordan Westercamp and Cethan Carter for the Indiana game at least and perhaps Ozigbo.  Other players that are banged up include Alonzo Moore and Tanner Farmer.
INDIANA GAME
 
Next up are the 3-2 Indiana Hoosiers. This will be the first time Nebraska has played the Hoosiers since 1978. Early in the season, this game looked like a win for the Huskers, and it still leans that way, but the Hoosiers are much better than what many people originally thought. Indiana teams in the recent past have had fairly prolific offenses, but their defenses tended to be weak.  This year, under a new defensive coordinator, the defense is impressive.  Last week they held Ohio State to 38 points and under 400 yards, the lowest point and yardage totals for Ohio State this season and well below their averages. They also beat a good Michigan State team a couple weeks ago in OT 24-21.
Indiana has a couple of QB’s that could see playing time.  One is new Junior College transfer named Rich Lagow.  He was rated the top pocket passing quarterback in the junior college ranks in 2015 according to ESPN, with a 66% completion percentage.  The other is Zander Diamont who has played in a couple of games this year, but also has game experience from last year.  The Hoosiers also have a tough running back named Devine Redding that the Huskers will need to keep an eye on.  While Illinois threw a lot of short passes, Indiana tends to throw more down field and they have a few receivers who can stretch the field with their speed.  In particular, they will need be careful with play action passes and not bite too hard on run fakes.
Comparing statistics, Nebraska has the edge in almost all areas, but to be fair, Indiana has probably had a little tougher schedule thus far.  The teams are pretty close on offense with Nebraska ranked 32nd nationally and Indiana ranked 39th.  The Huskers have a little bigger edge on defense with a 28th place ranking vs the Hoosiers 47th place ranking.
Can the Huskers go 6-0?  Join us this week at Dukes to find out!
Saturday, October 15th Watch Party
Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Indiana Hoosiers
Game Coverage Begins at 12:30 PM PST

 

Well, Nebraska jumped up again and they didn’t even play.  They reached the top 10 for the first time in nearly 5 years.  They are ranked 10 in the AP poll and 9 in the coaches poll.
This is only the second road game this year, but they did pretty well in their last one.  Early predictions for this game are running 2-1 for the Huskers and the spread is running about 2 or 3 points, so this looks to be a close game.
The Huskers need to continue making improvement in order to keep on the winning track.  We hope you can join us Saturday, October 15th at Duke’s…doors open at 11:30 AM. 
Duke’s will be offering a variety of lunch items. Arrive early for good seats! Families with children are welcome, however OLCC rules dictate that minors may not remain if a game goes beyond 9 PM.
NEXT GAME
The next game is on October 22nd at 12:30 PM PST against the Purdue Boilermakers