David Max Gives His Tuesday Takeaways on the Home Opener

My experiences during the season opener of Husker football

Aug 31, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers cheerleaders perform during the fourth quarter against the UTEP Miners at Memorial Stadium. Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports / dylan widger-usa today sports

Looking back on game 1 here are a few takeaways that I observed.

The Game

The game could not have gone much better. I look at three stats as a key and Nebraska won them all; time of possession, turnovers, and scoring drives over 50 yards. If we do the same next week the results could be similar.

The Experience

Getting into the game: May want to rethink not allowing people to bring in their own water bottles when the temperature is as high as it was. Used to do that in the past. Heard there were at least 50 heat related evacuations. Did not see a single water vendor walking the stands.

Cashless Concessions: A mixed bag here. The lines to the concession stands before the game were abnormally long and the concourse was a zoo. Running out of Runzas in the third quarter was a first in my experience. The number of vendors walking through the stands were noticeably fewer. I can't blame them since I would bet the amount of tips they got was probably way down. Feel free to add a dollar bill when you hand your credit card down the line to the vendors that make the effort so you don't have to get out of your seat.

Stadium WiFi: Still sucks. There were periods when it was not even available and when it was I couldn't even get a connection, a text to go through, let alone a phone call.

Unable to join FanXP.jpg /

No Internet FanXP /

Send Texts /

Time Outs: Other than way too many and way too long why did they take the timeout clock off the stadium signage and put it in a two dimensional box on the field. Half the crowd can't see it until the guy rotates it every now and then. I know it's national now but can we supplement it with the stadium signage again or use a 3 or 4 dimensional sign so everyone in the stadium can see it all the time?

Time Out Clock /

Time Out Activities: Noticed they moved the Come a Running Boys song from the third quarter break to the first quarter. Glad they are keeping it somewhere. Got my first catch ever from the Weiner Slinger when they were shooting off T-Shirts. Started to unwrap the rubber bands to see what it was when the lady behind me tapped me on the shoulder and said it looks like this and pointed at her daughter. She had two daughters there and the other one didn't have the T-Shirt so I gave her mine. Made my day to see their smiles.

Husker t-shirt /

HuskerMax Coverage: Giving ourselves a pat on the back. This season Joe and I are ramping up by bringing on Kaleb Henry full time along with several new writers to give up to the minute coverage before, during and after the game. This year is the 25th anniversary of HuskerMax and we truly appreciate your continued support as we celebrate our Silver Anniversary. New HuskerMax Koozies will be at the Colorado tailgate.

The HuskerMax Tree: Several years ago the members of the HuskerMax bulletin board got together and raised funds to sponsor the planting of a tree to honor my parents, Carl and Margaret Max that is planted outside the south stadium. Donna and I stop there every game to take a picture. It is one of the kindest gestures I have received and will be forever appreciative of this gift.

The Carl and Margaret Max Tree /

The Carl and Margaret Max Tree Sign /

This is my 62nd season as a Husker Fan. Started with Bob Devaney's first season in 1962 listening to Lyell Bremser on the radio in Page, NE. Went to my first game in 1963 (the loss to Air Force) and Dad bought six season tickets in 1964. Donna and I still sit in those same seats along with friends and family. I hope the dual 62s are a sign of a special season in 2024. Not getting any younger and fortunate to have lived through and gone to many home and bowl games in the glory years and experienced the recent bad years in order to appreciate more of what I expect to see while I am on the "back nine".

Beating Colorado and Deion Sanders this Saturday will make poor WiFi and cashless concessions issues a faint memory that I did not have in 1962. Let's beat the Buffs.

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