Nebraska Football: To Storm or Not to Storm the Field?

Dave Feit weighs in on the debate heading into the Huskers' showdown against Colorado: "Let the kids be kids" vs. "act like you've been there before."

Colorado fans stormed the field after wins over Nebraska in 2019 (above) and 2023. Should Nebraska fans return the favor Saturday night if the Huskers beat the Buffs? / Joe Hudson, HuskerMax

Storming the field after a big win. 

Prominent voices in the Husker media have suggested that if Nebraska beats Colorado on Saturday, the fans should storm the field. 

It's a controversial topic that stirs a lot of passionate debate. 

On one side is the "let the kids be kids" crowd who view a field storm* as a fun part of a big win. 

*Quick pause to note that for our purposes we're talking about going out onto the field and celebrating.  No tearing down the goalposts, no being rude or obnoxious to the opponents.  Just kids celebrating. 

On the other side is the "act like you've been there before" crowd, who feel that such celebrations should be reserved for specific types of wins (Top 10 wins, big upsets, etc.) 

* * * 

To the best of my knowledge and research, Husker fans have stormed the Memorial Stadium turf on nine occasions.  If I missed any, please let me know. 

The first was Halloween day in 1959.  Oklahoma - who was an absolute, unstoppable juggernaut - came into Lincoln ranked #19, but riding a 74-game winning streak in conference games.    Nebraska had not beaten the Sooners in 17 years.  Bill Jennings entered the game with a record of 6-20 as Nebraska's head coach. 

Somehow, unranked Nebraska won, 25-21.  It remains the greatest upset in school history. 

The goalposts were torn down, with portions ending up in the lawn at the Governor's Mansion.  Classes were canceled the following Monday. 

That is an unquestionably worthy field storming. 

There are three other field storms that are in the no-doubt category (listed chronologically): 

• The 1978 win over #1 Oklahoma - the first and only time Nebraska has beaten the #1 team in the AP poll. 

• The 1992 Colorado game.  Both teams entered ranked #8 in the country.  But Nebraska exploded to a 17-0 lead and never looked back, winning 52-7 on Halloween. 

• #3 Nebraska vs #2 Colorado in 1994.  College Gameday.  The 200th consecutive sellout.  The Blackshirts were impenetrable.  I stormed the field after this win.  The goalposts were coated with Crisco and I got a glob on the arm of my sweatshirt as they went by.  It was glorious. 

You may have noticed that these three games regularly turn up on the lists for "loudest games at Memorial Stadium".   

That's not a coincidence.  Games worthy of a field storm often have an unmistakable energy. 

* * * 

The next set of field storms are deeper cuts.  They're not games that fans typically think of as monumental wins in program history.  But in the moment, I can understand how tearing the goalposts down seemed like a good idea.   

Nov 26, 1982, Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska quarterback Turner Gill runs the ball against the Oklahoma Sooners. / Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

All three are against Oklahoma.  And in all three, the Huskers were the higher-ranked team. 

• 1982:  #6 NU 28 - #11 OU 24.  This game clinched the Big 8 for the second straight year and gave NU a shot at a national championship against Clemson.  This game was decided in the final seconds, with fans coming onto the field early.  It's worth noting that several people were injured when the goalposts came down. 

• 1991:  #11 NU 19 - #19 OU 14.  Another game that was not decided until the final minutes as Calvin Jones scored with 2:57 left in the game.  The victory clinched the Big Eight title for NU and sent the Huskers to the Orange Bowl. 

• 1993:  #2 NU 21 - #16 OU 7.  Often described as one of the coldest games in Memorial Stadium history, Tom Osborne's third straight win over the Sooners (and fifth out of six tries) sent the Huskers to the national championship game versus Florida State. 

So far, the staunch "only storm for big games" people can easily defend these games by noting that they were against a hated rival and helped NU win the conference - even if the Huskers were expected to win. 

* * * 

But these last two games… Well, I'd love to hear what the "only storm for big games" folks justify these.  Other than "because it was Oklahoma, and force of habit kicked in*", I'm not sure what they have - and I was there for one of them. 

• 1989:  #6 NU 42 - (unranked) OU 25.  At the time, this was the most points NU had ever scored against Oklahoma.  The Sooners - on NCAA probation and led by first-year coach Gary Gibbs - entered the game with a record of 7-3.  In defense of this field storm, it was Nebraska's first win over Oklahoma at Memorial Stadium since 1982. 

• 1995:  #1 NU 37 - (unranked) OU 0.  In the final game in the history of the Big 8 Conference, the greatest college football team of all time had - by their standards - an off day.  Tommie Frazier only had 35 yards rushing and 128 passing, which arguably hurt him in the Heisman race.  The Sooners - then coached by Howard Schnellenberger - came to Lincoln with a dismal 5-4-1 record.  Admittedly, this was a bit of a lackluster storm.  I was in the student section and not only did I not participate, I had no recollection of it until I saw video evidence. 

*Something I'm just realizing: Nebraska fans stormed the field after every home win over Oklahoma from 1978 through 1995.  Now, I'm a little mad we didn't make an effort to tear down the goalposts after the 69-7 win in 1997.  

To my fellow Gen X'ers and our Boomer parents: I wouldn't suggest playing the "act like you've been there before" card on somebody (potentially) storming the field against a mediocre team.  It will backfire. 

* * * 

There was a stretch in my Husker fandom when I was a big "act like you've been there before" guy.  I can remember thinking "We're Nebraska.  We don't do that". 

But times change. 

I remember having lunch with one of my cousins after he had graduated from UNL.  We were talking about going to Husker games as students.  I told him about my experiences in the 1990s (32-0 at home during my four and a half years at UNL).  He told me about being a student during the Mike Riley / Scott Frost era where, aside from 2016, NU was a mediocre to bad team. 

Nov 11, 1978; Lincoln, NE, USA; Oklahoma Sooners running back Billly Sims in action against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium . / Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

So, as we're talking about (potentially) storming the field at some point in future, I can look at it through my experiences.  I don't see myself storming the field for anything short of a home playoff win. 

But let's think about a hypothetical UNL student who came to Lincoln in the fall of 2020.  The first year, he couldn't get into the stadium.  Since then, he's seen a grand total of ten wins at Memorial Stadium, only two (Northern Illinois and Northwestern in 2023) against teams who went to a bowl game. 

Are we really going to tell this kid and buddies to not (safely) enjoy the best atmospheres and wins of his college experience?  Just because we were fortunate enough to go to school when NU had a Hall of Fame coach, a well-oiled machine of a program, and NFL talent everywhere?  "Go ahead and celebrate the win - but just not too much.  That team didn't win enough games last year for a full victory party". 

Or are we going realize that there is an entire generation of fans who have never experienced the intoxicating high of a big win (even if those of us older than 35 need to put "big win" in air quotes and chase it with a gigantic asterisk)? 

Those moments of jubilation and celebration - shared with your buddies and complete strangers - are some of the best parts of being a fan.  That high is what keeps us coming back throughout the rough times.   

I don't know when the students will storm the field for the first time since 1995.  Maybe it's Saturday night.  Maybe it's a year or two from now.  But whenever it happens, I'm not going to shake my fist and yell at the clouds - even if I think the opponent isn't "worthy" of all the fuss.   

Instead, I'm going to enjoy the moment and know that a new generation of Husker fans - fans who will be tasked with maintaining the history and traditions of the program - are making core memories as they take selfies on the 50-yard line. 

MORE: Nebraska Football's Emmett Johnson: Running Back Room 'Expects to Dominate'

MORE: Nebraska Is In Need Of A Class Of 2026 Break Through

MORE: Nebraska Set To Have One Of Their Biggest Recruiting Weekends Ever

MORE: Nebraska To Host Alabama Linebacker Commit

---

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, following HuskerMax on X, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.