2010 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team The 2010 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season . The team was coached by Bo Pelini and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln , Nebraska . They were members of the North Division of the Big 12 Conference . It was Nebraska ' s last season in the Big 12 as they will begin competing in the Big Ten Conference in 2011 . The Cornhuskers finished the season 10 – 4 , 6 – 2 in the Big 12 and were co champions of the North Division with Missouri . Due to their victory over Missouri , Nebraska represented the North Division in the 2010 Big 12 Championship Game where they were defeated by Oklahoma 20 – 23 . They were invited to the Holiday Bowl for the second consecutive season and played Washington . Despite defeating the Huskies 56 – 21 during the regular season , the Cornhuskers were defeated 19 – 7 . Before the season . The 2010 Cornhuskers took to the field on Saturday , September 4 , 2010 against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers . The Cornhuskers carried on despite losing a handful of key personnel losses to graduation after 2009 , especially Heisman - candidate and # 2 overall NFL draft pick DT Ndamukong Suh . The Nebraska coaching staff remained intact for the third straight year , since the return of Bo Pelini to the program . During the spring of this year , several NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision teams began publicly discussing potential conference changes , which ultimately gained enough momentum to set off a chain reaction of university conference affiliation changes . On June 11 , 2010 , the University of Nebraska – Lincoln announced that its regents unanimously voted to end the university ' s affiliation with the Big 12 Conference , and would be joining the Big Ten Conference . The Big Ten Conference unanimously approved Nebraska ' s official application just hours later , and Nebraska announced that the Cornhusker athletic programs would transition into the Big Ten conference play schedule effective July 1 , 2011 . This is Nebraska ' s last year playing in the Big 12 Conference . Nebraska ' s preseason # 8 AP ranking was the highest starting rank for Nebraska since Eric Crouch ' s 2001 Heisman trophy season , which ultimately saw the Cornhuskers playing Miami in the BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl . Game notes . Western Kentucky . This was the first ever meeting of the Hilltoppers and Cornhuskers . Redshirt Freshman QB Taylor Martinez was not revealed as the starter for Nebraska until kickoff , and subsequently became the first freshman quarterback to open a Nebraska season in the history of the program . On his first carry , Martinez rushed for 46 yards and a touchdown , paving the way for Nebraska to extend its ongoing NCAA record of consecutive season - opening victories to 25 . His 129 rushing yards on the day also marked the first time a Nebraska QB exceeded 100 yards on the ground since 2003 , and this was accomplished even while sharing snaps with the second and third string quarterbacks . The 2010 Blackshirts debut was marred somewhat when they allowed the Western Kentucky squad , which had lost their last 20 games in a row prior to this game , to accumulate 299 all - purpose yards , mostly during a second - half defensive letdown . Idaho . For the sixth straight year , Nebraska opened the season 2 – 0 . The 38 – 17 defeat of the Idaho Vandals in the first ever meeting of these teams improved the Cornhuskers to 22 – 1 against WAC opponents all - time . After an unimpressive outing the week prior , the Nebraska defense came forth with a strong defensive attack , holding the Vandals to just 60 yards on the ground and 279 total yards , while notching seven sacks for 80 yards lost . The Blackshirts intercepted five passes , three of which were converted into scores . A 28 – 3 scoring output in the 2nd quarter allowed the Cornhuskers to run away with the game and play some reserve personnel , which allowed the Vandals to outscore Nebraska 14 – 7 in the second half . Although the Nebraska offense recorded 471 all - purpose yards , numerous miscues resulted in stalled drives and lost opportunities . The home field win was Nebraska ' s 375th at Memorial Stadium , and the 500th home win in Lincoln all - time . Nebraska redshirt freshman QB Taylor Martinez had a second straight 100 - yard rushing game , and his 67 - yard second - quarter touchdown was the longest by a Nebraska QB since a 70 - yard dash by Eric Crouch against Colorado in 2001 . Cornhusker PK Alex Henery accounted for eight points on the day , which was enough to make him the fifth Nebraska player to ever exceed 300 career points . Despite the win , Nebraska slipped from # 6 to # 8 in the AP Poll following the game . Washington , September 2010 . Washington was in the second year of a rebuilding project under 2nd - year coach Steve Sarkisian , who took over in 2009 after Washington finished 0 – 12 the year before , when Nebraska arrived for the first Cornhusker road game of the 2010 season . Despite Nebraska ' s # 8 AP ranking , the spread was less than ten points in favor of the Cornhuskers as the week leading up to the game . Factoring into the spread was Nebraska ' s redshirt freshman QB making only his third start ever , and first on the road . The stature of senior Washington QB Jake Locker also played into the previews , as Locker was considered a top NFL prospect and an early candidate for the Heisman Trophy . Washington received the ball to start the game but gave up an interception four plays later , just 1 : 35 into the game . Shortly thereafter Nebraska scored a touchdown and never gave up the lead for the rest of the game . The Cornhuskers finished the day with 533 all - purpose yards , more than double Washington ' s totals in each category . This included three Nebraska players totaling over 100 yards of rushing , an accomplishment not met since 2001 and only the fourth time ever in program history . It was also the first time Washington had ever allowed three opponent players to exceed 100 rushing yards . The Cornhusker offense managed over 13 yards per pass attempt and over 7 yards per rush attempt , while the 56 total Nebraska points was the most points ever scored by a non - conference opponent in Husky Stadium ' s 90 - year history , also tying the most points ever scored there by a Washington conference opponent . An 80 - yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter by Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez was the longest TD run by a freshman QB , and the second - longest run by any Nebraska QB , in program history . The Blackshirts coverage prevented the Huskies from ever getting consistent momentum , and the highly - touted Locker ended the day only 4 of 20 in the air for 70 yards and two interceptions , one of which was returned for a Nebraska TD by junior CB Alfonzo Dennard . The sole highlight of the day for Washington was ending Nebraska ' s 10 - game streak of holding opponents to 20 points or less . Nebraska took over the series by moving to 4 – 3 – 1 against Washington all time . South Dakota State . Meeting for the first time since a 58 – 7 Nebraska victory in 1963 , the FCS South Dakota State Jackrabbits were not intimidated by the Memorial Stadium homecoming crowd despite entering the game at 0 – 2 , and gave the flat Cornhuskers the toughest test of the season to date . The 307th consecutive sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium was the largest crowd that the Jackrabbits team had ever played in front of , and the last two teams to hold Nebraska to fewer than 17 points had been the # 20 Oklahoma Sooners and # 3 Texas Longhorns . The game was closer than the 17 – 3 score would indicate , as the Jackrabbits had two touchdowns nullified by penalties , one of them on an interception returned 66 yards to the end zone . The large contingent of visiting fans from South Dakota were clearly heard chanting " Let ' s Go Rabbits " in the stadium as the home crowd was silenced by the spirited fight of the visiting team . While both teams suffered two interceptions each , Nebraska offered up four fumbles on the day , losing one of them to a fumble - free South Dakota State . Nebraska held the time of possession edge on the game by only 11 seconds , and converted only four of thirteen third downs . Cornhusker head coach Pelini summed up the Nebraska effort after the game , saying " We were a bad team . " Nonetheless , the win moved the Cornhuskers to 2 – 0 over the Jackrabbits all time , and put Nebraska at 4 – 0 for the first time since 2005 . Kansas State . Nebraska met Kansas State in Manhattan to open the final Cornhusker Big 12 Conference slate . It was the 95th time the teams had met , and the last time unless they are matched against each other in a future non - conference game or bowl game . Redshirt freshman Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez bounced back from his lackluster appearance in the previous contest against South Dakota State , rushing for four touchdowns and 241 yards to set a new all - time Cornhusker quarterback single - game rushing record . His 370 total yards on the day were the most all - purpose yards set by a Cornhusker freshman at any position in nineteen years . Martinez ' s efforts helped propel Nebraska to tally more yards against Kansas State than any other opponent in twenty one years . The Wildcat offense seemed to have success to start the game , marching down the field on their first possession , until they were stopped on a 4th - and - 2 in the Nebraska red zone with no points to show for it . The Blackshirts subsequently took control of the game defensively , notching their 13th straight game holding an opponent to 21 points or less and helping the Cornhuskers to hand Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder a home field loss , in the stadium named after him , on his 71st birthday . The Nebraska win moved the Cornhuskers to 5 – 0 for the first time since 2003 , and the series between the programs drew to a close with a Nebraska advantage of 78 – 15 – 2 . Texas . These teams came head - to - head for the 14th time in what has frequently been a contentious - if still respectful - clash of conference foes whose games often carry title implications , and often at the expense of the Cornhuskers . 2010 was no exception , as unranked Texas defeated # 5 Nebraska in Lincoln , in front of a fired - up home crowd that had long anticipated this contest . The loss leaves Nebraska 4 – 10 against Texas all time , and just 1 – 9 in the last ten attempts . With Nebraska ' s departure from the Big 12 Conference following this season , this was the last regular season league meeting of these teams . Unless they meet again in a future bowl game , there are no scheduled dates for these programs to meet again in the future . Oklahoma State . The Cornhuskers traveled to Stillwater following a high - profile disappointing loss to Texas the week prior , hoping to bounce back against their first ranked opponent of the year , the # 17 Oklahoma State Cowboys . Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez eclipsed the 300 - yard mark through the air for the first time in his career , passing for 323 yards and five touchdowns , while adding 112 yards on the ground . Nebraska ' s victory improved the Cornhuskers ' series lead to 37 – 5 – 1 , but was only Nebraska ' s second win in the last five matches between the squads . With Nebraska ' s departure from the Big 12 Conference following this season , this was the last league meeting of these teams in a series that dates back to when the Cowboys briefly joined the MVIAA from 1925 to 1928 . Oklahoma State later returned to the league for good in 1958 , leading the conference to be known as the " Big 8 " for the first time . Missouri . Nebraska ' s withdrawal from Big 12 play after this year ends a historical league affiliation with the Tigers that dates to 1892 , when these two programs joined with Kansas and Iowa to form the Western Interstate University Football Association ( WIUFA ) . Though the WIUFA disbanded after six seasons , all four WIUFA teams came together again with the formation of the MVIAA in 1907 . The conclusion of the 2010 season will mark the end of a 103 - year continuous conference partnership , and leaves the fate of the Victory Bell in question . Iowa State . Second - year Iowa State Head Coach Paul Rhoads hosted Nebraska in Ames for the first time , as the squads come together for their 105th contest . With Nebraska leaving Big 12 play after this season , this game marked the end of a historical series and conference relationship dating back to 1896 , almost as far back as the Nebraska - Missouri series . Nebraska , who leads the all - time series 86 – 17 – 2 , avenged last year ' s 7 – 9 loss , which was Iowa State ' s first win in Lincoln in 34 years . Nebraska and Iowa State traded scores in the 4th quarter before Nebraska led 31 – 24 in the final minutes . Iowa State scored a touchdown to make the score 31 – 30 Nebraska leading . ISU Head Coach Paul Rhoads called a 2 - point conversion . With the game on the line , ISU QB Austin Arnaud threw a pass that got intercepted by Nebraska DB Eric Hagg to give Nebraska the overtime win in Ames . Kansas . Kansas traveled to Lincoln to play the 105th and last game in the NCAA - record longest consecutive season series in all of college football . This game marked the 117th time overall that the teams have come together to settle things on the field . Nebraska ' s victory leaves the series closed for now with a decisive Cornhusker advantage of 91 – 23 – 3 . It was the first meeting between Kansas and Nebraska since the Jayhawk program was taken over by former legendary Nebraska quarterback Turner Gill . The departure of Nebraska from the Big 12 marked this game as the probable last game of one of the longest continuous series in the history of NCAA college football , as Kansas and Nebraska have met on the field every year without interruption since 1903 , and failed to meet in only two seasons overall since 1892 . No future meetings are scheduled , and the teams are unlikely to see the same field again unless they meet in a future non - conference game or are both selected to meet in a postseason bowl game . Texas A & M . With Nebraska ' s departure from the Big 12 Conference following this season , this was the last league meeting of these two teams . Following the Cornhuskers ' defeat by the Aggies , Nebraska Defensive Coordinator Carl Pelini was involved in an incident with Brandon Jones , a co - owner of a Texas A & M sports site , TexAgs . The photographer stated that Pelini had seized Brandon ' s camera and broken several pieces from it before throwing them to the ground . Video shows Pelini rushing towards the photographer and camera . Colorado . Colorado traveled to Lincoln as both teams closed their regular seasons . This series has produced many amazing and emotional finishes , but this 69th clash was not in doubt for long as Nebraska steadily pulled away for the win to clinch the Big 12 Conference North Division Title and a berth in the Big 12 Championship game . Colorado was denied a sixth win for the season and thus did not attain bowl eligibility , making this the final game of their 2010 season . As 2010 was the final year for both teams in the Big 12 , the long - running series has drawn to a close with Nebraska in command at 49 – 18 – 2 . Oklahoma . For the second year in a row , Nebraska appeared in the Big 12 football championship game . The team would play their final game as members of the Big 12 against Oklahoma in Arlington , Texas . Nebraska led 17 – 0 at one point in the first half , before Oklahoma reeled off 17 points of their own . A field goal just before halftime sent Nebraska into halftime with a 20 – 17 lead . In the second half , Oklahoma held Nebraska scoreless for the first time of the season and managed two field goals in each of the latter periods to win 23 – 20 . Nebraska had 4 turnovers in the game and Oklahoma held a 453 – 293 yard disadvantage . Washington – Holiday Bowl . Following Nebraska ' s loss to Oklahoma , Nebraska was selected as the Big 12 ' s representative at the 2010 Holiday Bowl , which also chose the Washington squad beaten by Nebraska in September , now 6 – 6 , to appear as the final opponent in the Cornhuskers 2010 season . Nebraska seemed unprepared and unmotivated in their second straight Holiday Bowl appearance , while Washington had rebounded from a 3 – 6 start and the demoralizing early loss to Nebraska , winning out the rest of their season to earn a bowl bid . Matched against the Cornhuskers and given a chance at redemption , the undermanned Huskies overcame their disadvantages to hold Nebraska to a single first - half touchdown on their way to downing the Cornhuskers 19 – 7 . After the season . Although there were high hopes for the year , three major goals were not achieved and resulted in a season that ended with a note of disappointment . After the last - second , one - point loss to Texas in the 2009 Big 12 Championship Game , the squad looked forward to a chance to avenge the loss against the Longhorns and to return to the league title game for the final Big 12 conference championship . The 2010 Big 12 Championship game was the last league title game for the foreseeable future , as the departure of Nebraska and Colorado from the league dropped the number of members to ten , which is not enough to hold a title game under NCAA rules . Texas started the season flat and had to face unbeaten Nebraska in Lincoln , which led many media analysts to predict an easy Nebraska win . Instead , Texas took advantage of Cornhusker mistakes to deny Nebraska a win in the final foreseeable match between the teams . The Cornhuskers remained on track for an appearance in the Big 12 championship game , clinching an appearance against historical rival Oklahoma . The Cornhuskers started strong and led 17 – 0 in the second quarter before the Sooners rallied for 23 points while holding Nebraska to just one more field goal . Having also lost to Texas A & M in the regular season , the 10 – 3 Nebraska team was invited to the Holiday Bowl for a rematch with Washington . Head coach Bo Pelini , 3 – 0 in bowls all time , was handed his first ever bowl loss at the hands of an inspired Husky squad , and Nebraska suffered its third loss in the previous four games , a mark last seen since the first part of 2008 . Nonetheless , Pelini ' s overall record improved on the season , to 30 – 12 ( . 714 ) overall , and 17 – 7 ( . 708 ) in the Big 12 , and his team won the Big 12 North Division title in each of his three seasons at the helm so far . This was not as successful a start as the programs of successful former head coaches Bob Devaney , Tom Osborne , or Frank Solich , but was a dramatic improvement over the first three years of his immediate predecessor , Bill Callahan . Callahan managed to get to just 22 – 15 ( . 595 ) overall and 13 – 11 ( . 542 ) in the league , with only a single division championship . Although 2010 ended on a disappointing note following Pelini ' s 2009 proclamation that " Nebraska was back " , it was apparent that Nebraska ' s fortunes had improved since Pelini ' s 2007 arrival .