The Huskers enter the game at 3-0 after posting a 44-13 victory over Utah State on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium, in a contest that marked the 250th consecutive sellout at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska jumped to a 37-7 halftime advantage and had its most productive offensive outing of the season against Utah State with 418 total yards and 288 rushing yards.

Penn State is 1-0 entering this week?s contest with the Huskers, after a 27-24 victory at home against Central Florida on Aug. 31. The Nittany Lions were idle a week ago. Both teams are ranked heading into the contest, with the Huskers in the top 10 in both polls?No. 8 according to the Associated Press and seventh in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll. Penn State is ranked 25th by the coaches.

The meeting is the first between the two schools since 1983 and the 12th time the teams have met on the gridiron. Penn State holds a 6-5 advantage in the overall series, including a 4-1 edge in games played at University Park. With a sellout crowd of more than 108,000 expected at Beaver Stadium on Saturday night, the crowd will be the largest ever to watch a Nebraska football game. The current record is 93,781 at the 2002 Rose Bowl against Miami. The two largest regular-season crowds Nebraska has played before have both been at Beaver Stadium, in 1980 and 1982.

In addition to trying to open a season 4-0 for the sixth consecutive year, the Huskers will also be attempting to pick up their 23rd straight victory in a regular-season non-conference game.

The Blackshirt defense held Utah State on the opening drive of the game and the offense quickly established momentum driving 37 yards in eight plays to set up a 44-yard field goal by Josh Brown. Following a three-and-out by Utah State and a poor Aggie punt, the Huskers marched 22 yards in just four plays capped by a one-yard plunge by fullback Judd Davies, giving NU a 10-0 advantage. The Huskers? third touchdown came after DeJuan Groce?s 17-yard punt return set up the offense with another short field. Quarterback Jammal Lord connected with Wilson Thomas for a 23-yard TD strike on the first play of the drive, pushing the NU lead to 17-0.

Utah State countered with a score late in the first quarter, but Nebraska put two more TDs on the board in the first three minutes of the second quarter to surge to a 31-7 lead. Lord had a hand in both scores, connecting with true freshman Matt Herian on a 33-yard scoring pass on the first play of the second quarter, then scoring from a yard out less than three minutes later. Lord raced in from 28 yards later in the second quarter for his second rushing TD, giving NU a 37-7 edge at halftime.

Nebraska substituted freely in the second half, but did add one more score. Redshirt freshman Cory Ross scored from 13 yards out late in the third quarter to cap the Husker scoring. Utah State added two fourth-quarter field goals to account for the final margin. NU rushed for a season-high 288 yards, led by Dahrran Diedrick?s 93 yards, and gained a season-best 418 total yards. Lord finished with 59 yards rushing and completed 6-12 passes for 105 yards and two TDs.

While the Husker offense was establishing itself both on the ground and through the air, the Blackshirts exerted themselves against the pass-happy Aggies. Nebraska sacked Utah State quarterback Jose Fuentes four times before the half and a season-high six times on the night. The defense also picked off Fuentes three times, including two by Thorpe Award candidate DeJuan Groce. NU allowed just 70 yards rushing and had 10 tackles for loss in the game.

Coach Solich became just the third first-year Nebraska head coach to record nine wins in his first season at the helm, joining a pair of Hall of Fame Coaches?Tom Osborne (9-2-1 in 1973) and Bob Devaney (9-2 in 1962). Solich posted a 9-4 record in his first season, despite being hit heavy with injuries. He posted the best record of any Husker second-year coach as his team posted a 12-1 record in 1999, leading NU to a Big 12 championship and No. 2 (coaches poll) and No. 3 (AP poll) final national rankings. Solich?s 21 wins in his first two years at NU bettered Devaney?s previous school record of 19 and ranked in a tie for third all time among Division I coaches in their first two years at the helm. He went 10-2 in 2000 and his 31 wins in three years bettered both Osborne and Devaney?s 28 wins in their first three years. His 42 wins in four years is also a school best.

Solich is the only Husker coach to have won 12 games in either of his first two seasons. Devaney won nine games in his first year, 10 his second year, nine in his third and 10 in his fourth, while Osborne won nine, nine, 10 and nine, respectively. Devaney won his first conference title his second year, while Osborne tied for his first title in his third year at the helm. Solich was named the 1999 Big 12 Coach of the Year by his league peers and the AP after winning the league championship in 1999, and was named coach of the year by the conference coaches a second time in 2001.

Solich has continued Nebraska's winning tradition the Husker way?by identification of athletic talent regardless of position or recruiting rank; with successful recruitment nationwide of the country's best student-athletes; developing local talent and utilizing the envious Husker walk-on program; and by providing the best athletic facilities and support available for the student-athletes.

Although defensive coordinator Charlie McBride retired after the 1999 season, the rest of Coach Osborne's staff is intact. Solich replaced himself with recruiting specialist and running backs coach Dave Gillespie, who was the recruiting coordinator at Nebraska when the Huskers signed the athletes who won back-to-back national championships in 1994 and 1995, and hired former Husker Jeff Jamrog away from New Mexico State to replace McBride in January of 2000. Counting Solich, five members of the Husker coaching staff played for Nebraska. Solich is one of 17 current Division I-A football coaches who played for and now coach their alma mater.

Solich was named Nebraska?s 26th head coach on Dec. 10, 1997, after serving as an NU assistant for 19 years. He played fullback for Hall of Fame Coach Bob Devaney, lettering in 1963-64-65. Solich was the first Husker running back to rush for 200 yards in a game and remains the only fullback to accomplish that feat. He also lettered for the NU baseball team in 1965. After serving as a local high school football coach for 14 years, Solich took over the NU freshman program and posted a 19-1 record from 1979 to 1982. He was elevated to NU?s running backs coach after four seasons, a position he held for 15 years (1983-97). He was promoted to assistant head coach in 1991 and head coach following the 1997 season. Solich earned his bachelor?s and master?s degrees from NU in 1966 and 1972, respectively.

Solich was on the mark regarding Darlington?s accomplishment. Research indicates that Darlington is the first Division I-A assistant to be a part of 300 victories at the same school. Husker offensive line coach Milt Tenopir who joined Osborne?s staff after one season is not far behind Darlington with 291 wins as a Husker assistant. Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, a member of Joe Paterno?s staff for 31 seasons retired following the 1999 season after being a part of 293 Nittany Lion victories.

Sept. 29, 1979; Lincoln, Neb. (AP gametime rank)
Penn State (18) 17
Nebraska (6) 42

Sept. 27, 1980; State College, Pa.
Nebraska (3) 21
Penn State (11) 7
Nebraska?s defense kept the Nittany Lion offense in check for the second straight season, holding PSU to just 156 yards of total offense, including just 33 rushing yards. The Huskers jumped to a 14-0 first-quarter lead, then sealed the contest in the third quarter when Jarvis Redwine scored the second of his two rushing touchdowns. Redwine finished the game with 189 rushing yards, and NU gained 287 yards on the ground, 445 overall.

Sept. 26, 1981; Lincoln, Neb.
Penn State (3) 30
Nebraska (15) 24
The game saw five lead changes and more than 800 yards of total offense, but a standout performance by Penn State running back Curt Warner carried the Lions to victory. Nebraska took a 24-20 lead late in the third quarter, but Penn State rallied behind Warner, who finished with 238 rushing yards on 28 carries, the second-most yards ever vs. Nebraska. Roger Craig gained 121 yards for Nebraska, who suffered one of only 10 losses at Memorial Stadium since 1980.

Sept. 25, 1982; State College, Pa.
Nebraska (2) 24
Penn State (8) 27
In the most memorable game in series history, Nebraska rallied from a 21-7 third-quarter deficit to take a 24-21 lead with 1:18 to play. However, Penn State marched 65 yards in 10 plays capped by a Todd Blackledge to Kirk Bowman pass with four seconds left to pull out a 27-24 victory. The two teams combined for nearly 1,000 yards of offense, with Blackledge passing for 295 yards and three touchdowns, while NU?s Turner Gill threw for 239 yards and two scores. The game was Nebraska?s only loss of the 1982 season, as the Huskers went on to finish No. 3 in the final polls, while Penn State captured the national championship.

Aug. 29, 1983; Kickoff Classic; East Rutherford, N.J.
Nebraska (1) 44
Penn State (4) 6

The meeting between Nebraska and Penn State not only matches two of the nation?s top football programs, but also teams from two of the dominant conferences in college football?the Big 12 and Big Ten. Nebraska heads into Saturday?s game looking to continue a remarkable run of success against Big Ten foes.

Nebraska has won eight straight games overall against members of the Big Ten Conference since a 27-23 loss to Michigan in the 1986 Fiesta Bowl. In the Huskers? eight straight wins against Big Ten opponents the Huskers have outscored the competition 418-75, for an average victory margin of 52.3-9.4.

In regular-season contests, Nebraska has not lost to a member of the Big Ten Conference since a 27-24 loss at Penn State in 1982, a streak of 11 straight victories. Since 1962, Nebraska is 35-5 against current members of the Big Ten Conference, including a 3-0 mark under Frank Solich.

In Nebraska?s season opener, the Huskers blocked two punts, one of which was returned for a touchdown, keying a 48-10 win over Arizona State. The punt return unit stole the show against Troy State. Senior DeJuan Groce tied an NCAA record with two punt return touchdowns in NU?s 31-16 victory. The Huskers enjoyed a 20-yard advantage in average field position against Utah State due in large part to specialty units.

Here?s a quick look at Nebraska?s special teams dominance through three games.

In the season opener against ASU, Nebraska scored via a blocked punt return and an interception return. DeJuan Groce supplied two special teams touchdowns against Troy State, returning punts 83 and 72 yards for scores, setting a school and Big 12 record and tying an NCAA record.

The first two games this season marked the first time Nebraska has recorded two or more non-offensive scores in consecutive games since the 1996 season. In that year, NU returned an interception (Ralph Brown) and a kickoff (Kenny Cheatham) for a TD at Oklahoma and the following week vs. Missouri returned a blocked punt for a score (Terrell Farley) and recorded a safety when the Tigers fumbled the ball out of the end zone.

The Huskers have now scored by defense or special teams in six of their last 10 games dating back to last season. Seven members of the 2002 team have scored non-offensive TDs in their career led by Groce?s four scores, all punt returns. Groce also became the first Husker to score two non-offensive touchdowns in a game since Julius Jackson had an interception return and a fumble return for TDs against Southern Mississippi in 1999.

The victory over Arizona State marked the first time since 1974 (Oregon) that Nebraska did not have a turnover in its season opener. That statistic is even more impressive considering the Huskers had a new starter at quarterback in Jammal Lord and were also breaking in three starters on the offensive front.

Lord posted the top total offense game of his career against Troy State with 206 total yards, including a career-best 114 through the air and 92 rushing yards and a touchdown on a career-high 23 carries. He had a third consecutive solid game against Utah State. Lord connected on 6-12 passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns and ran nine times for 59 yards and two additional touchdowns. The game marked the first time Lord had passed or ran for two touchdowns in a game in his career.

Lord follows Crouch, who compiled a 35-7 record as NU?s starter from 1999 to 2001, the most wins by any Husker quarterback. Lord is the eighth Husker (since 1946) to take over for a three-year starter at quarterback, following in the footsteps of Don Erway (1954), Bob Churchich (1964), Dave Humm (1972), Craig Sundberg (1984), Vince Ferragamo (1975), Gerry Gdowski (1989) and Scott Frost (1996). All but one of the seven previous replacements posted nine wins in their first year as a starter.

When comparing Lord with the 2002 Heisman winner, Lord has a definite size advantage, as Crouch stood 6-1, 200 and Lord is 6-2, 220. Coach Solich said that Lord has great scrambling abilities.

"One thing he does as well as any quarterback I can recall at Nebraska," Solich said, "is once a play breaks down, he makes something out of it. When scrambling, he instinctively will dump the ball off to someone running free."

Lord showed that scrambling ability early against Arizona State. On the first play of Nebraska?s third drive, Lord was pressured by the ASU defense, but broke out of the pocket and turned the play into a 33-yard gain. Later in that drive with NU facing a fourth-and-3, Lord scrambled for an eight-yard gain, keeping alive a drive that ended in a Husker touchdown.

Husker quarterbacks coach Turner Gill was very impressed by his pupil?s performance against Arizona State.

"I was even more impressed with Jammal?s play after watching the game film," Gill said. "He was in several adverse situations and made some nice plays out of them. I was very, very impressed with the way he performed under difficult circumstances."

In NU?s first three games Groce has shown why he is an All-America candidate and listed on the Jim Thorpe Award watch list. Groce had a pass breakup and intercepted two passes against Troy State, helping the Husker defense hold the Trojans to just 11 of 29 in the passing department. He backed up that performance with two more interceptions and a breakup against Utah State.

Groce now has 35 career PBU to rank fourth on the NU career list and is the Huskers? single-season PBU record-holder with 17 in 2000. He has eight career interceptions, including four this season, just off the Husker top 10 season list and three from the school season record of seven, held by three players. Groce?s eight career interceptions are also just off the career top 10 list. Dana Stephenson holds the NU career mark with 14 picks from 1967 to 1969. Groce ranks ninth nationally in interceptions per game at 1.33 and is one of only two players to have four interceptions this season.

Groce is also an electrifying force on Husker special teams. Against Troy State, he set a school record and tied an NCAA mark with two punt return touchdowns. Groce averages 16.4 yards per punt return in his career and is averaging 25.1 yards on 10 returns this season to rank eighth in the nation. In his career, Groce ranks sixth on the NU punt return yardage list and is in position to finish his career in second place on the chart, behind only 1972 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers.

The standout play of Groce has not gone unnoticed on the national level. In a cbssportsline column, Groce is picked for the "August Heisman."

The 6-5, 260-pound Kelsay is off to a quick start in 2002. Through three games, Kelsay has five tackles for losses totaling 33 yards, including 3.5 sacks for 30 yards and also leads the Huskers with eight QB hurries. Kelsay recorded 1.5 sacks for 17 yards and four quarterback hurries against Arizona State and added his second career two-sack game against Utah State. Kelsay has also batted down two opposing passes and NU?s first three opponents have regularly double-teamed the senior captain.

Kelsay now has 9.5 sacks and 25 tackles for loss in his Husker career. Kelsay recorded 52 total tackles as a junior, including a team-best 17 tackles for losses totaling 58 yards and five sacks.

Last month, Diedrick was one of 42 players named to the preseason watch list for the Doak Walker Award, given annually to the nation's top running back. Diedrick was also named first-team preseason All-Big 12 by Football News and Athlon, which also listed him as a second-team preseason All-America pick. The Scarborough, Ontario, Canada native was also listed by Lindy?s and The Sporting News as one of the nation?s top 10 running backs entering the season.

Diedrick reached a milestone against Utah State when he became the 21st Husker to rush for 2,000 career yards. Diedrick finished the game with a season-high 93 yards on 16 carries and now ranks 21st in NU career rushing with 2,049 yards. For the year, Diedrick has rushed for 235 yards and two touchdowns.

Diedrick, who scored 15 touchdowns last year, rushed for 100 or more yards in seven of his 11 regular-season appearances and scored two or more TDs in five games. If Diedrick were to duplicate his yardage total of 2001, he would move into the top five on NU?s career rushing chart.

Thomas caught three or more passes in nine games last season, including six each against Oklahoma and Kansas State, and has 11 career three-catch games. He capped the 2001 regular season with a career-best 109 receiving yards against Colorado, including a career-long 78-yard reception.

Thomas has 47 career receptions and is just three catches from cracking the top 20 on the NU career list and is within striking distance of the top five. With 704 career receiving yards, Thomas ranks 23rd on the NU charts and is 296 yards short of becoming just the 12th Husker in school history to reach 1,000 career receiving yards.

Thomas? 37 receptions last year were the most by any Husker since All-American Irving Fryar caught 40 balls in 1983, and the sixth-most ever by a Husker. Thomas? 616 receiving yards ranked as the fifth-best single-season total in school history and was a record for Husker split ends.

The 6-6, 215-pound Thomas, has spent his past two offseasons playing for Coach Barry Collier?s Husker basketball team. Last season Thomas averaged 4.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 16 games, including a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds against Missouri in Lincoln.

Ruud was Nebraska?s leading tackler in the season opener with eight stops against Arizona State and has 15 stops on the season. The sophomore from Lincoln showed the type of toughness of the award?s namesake against Troy State when he broke his hand on the game?s second play, but returned in the second quarter. He will be in a cast for the next three weeks, but had four tackles and a sack vs. Utah State.

Shanle, the only returning starter in NU?s linebacking corps, has also made a big impact. He returned a blocked punt for a touchdown to give NU a 24-3 advantage in the third quarter against Arizona State and was NU?s leading tackler with seven stops against Utah State.

Senior center John Garrison has been named to the preseason watch list for the Outland Trophy and the Rimington Award, given annually to the nation's top center. The award is named in honor of former Husker Dave Rimington, a two-time Outland Trophy winner. Garrison is the leader of a re-tooled offensive line that features three first-year starters.

Junior punter Kyle Larson continues to prove he is one of the nation?s best, averaging 47.3 yards on 15 punts this season to lead the nation in punting average. Larson boomed four punts for a 57.3-yard average vs. Utah State, just off the single-game school record. Larson is one of 34 punters on the Ray Guy preseason watch list. For a full listing of Husker players on preseason watch lists and other preseason honors, please see the left column on page 6.

While this week?s contest is away from home, the Huskers have been especially dominant in night games in Lincoln, posting a 17-1 all-time record. NU has won 13 consecutive home night games, including 11 of the 13 wins by 17 or more points.

Solich has guided the Huskers to one victory over a ranked team in a road opener, a 27-24 overtime win at Notre Dame two seasons ago. Penn State is ranked 25th in the coaches poll this week.

Since 1980, Nebraska is 17-5 in its first game on an opponent?s home field, including a 7-3 mark against ranked teams in those contests. Nebraska also played its road opener at Penn State in 1980 and 1982, splitting the contests.

Nebraska?s AP preseason ranking was its lowest since opening at No. 11 in 1992, but marks the fifth straight season under Solich that NU has been in the preseason top 10. Under Solich, Nebraska?s loftiest preseason ranking came in 2000, when the Huskers were listed first in both AP and coaches polls.

Nebraska remains in the top 10 in both polls this week. The Huskers are seventh in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll and stand at No. 8 in the AP poll. Nebraska is one of five Big 12 teams ranked in the both polls, joining Oklahoma (2 AP/3 Coaches), Texas (3/2), Colorado (18/19) and Texas A&M (21/23). Big 12 schools Kansas State and Iowa State are among the leaders in others receiving votes in both polls, while 2-0 Missouri is also receving votes in both polls. This week?s opponent, Penn State, is ranked 25th in the coaches poll.

Kelsay is the second member of his family to serve as a Nebraska football captain, joining his brother, Chad, a captain on Solich?s first team in 1998. The Kelsays are the fifth brother combination in school history to serve as team captains, joining Mike (1983) and Andy Keeler (1988), Erik (1991) and Zach Wiegert (1994), Christian (1995) and Jason Peter (1997) and Grant (1997) and Tracey Wistrom (2001). The 2002 campaign marks the first season Nebraska has had only three captains since the 1987 campaign. The Huskers had five captains a year ago and six in 2000.

Nebraska suffered a pair of injuries in its defensive line earlier this season. Senior nose tackle Jason Lohr went down with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Nebraska's final scrimmage on Aug. 16. Lohr, who underwent surgery on Aug. 23, is lost for the year after missing the final 10 games of last season with an LCL tear in the same knee. In NU's victory over Arizona State, reserve defensive tackle Jared Helming also tore the ACL in his left knee and is out for the season.

Also on the defensive side, the middle linebacker spot has been hit with injuries. No. 2 Mike ?backer Chad Sievers missed Nebraska?s opener because of a knee strain, then returned to action against Troy State. Sievers then missed the Utah State contest to rest a sore abdominal muscle, but is expected to be at full strength this week. No. 1 Mike linebacker Barrett Ruud broke his left hand against Troy State, but returned to action later in the contest and will play with a cast in the Penn State contest.

Nebraska has also had minor injuries hamper members of the offensive backfield. Reserve I-back Robin Miller is expected to return to practice this week after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Aug. 17. Fullback DeAntae Grixby missed the Troy State game because of a bone bruise in his left knee, but returned to action against Utah State.

True freshman cornerback Fabian Washington missed the Utah State game to attend the funeral of his grandmother, but will be back at practice on Monday. Husker head coach Frank Solich announced last week that co-No. 2 I-back Thunder Collins will not play in Nebraska's next two games. After failing to comply with NCAA regulations, Collins was ruled ineligible and according to NCAA guidelines will sit out a total of four games. Collins' suspension started with the Troy State game.

Among Nebraska?s notable alumni on NFL rosters are 10-year veteran offensive guard Will Shields of the Kansas City Chiefs, who has appeared in seven consecutive Pro Bowls. Green Bay?s Ahman Green finished fourth in the NFL in rushing last season with 1,387 yards, while St. Louis defensive end Grant Wistrom has been a key component in a Ram defense that has helped the team to the Super Bowl in two of the last three years.

Since 1994, Nebraska has had 53 players selected in the NFL Draft, the third-most of any school in the nation and tops among Big 12 Conference schools.