Canes To Face Off Against Cornhuskers
MIAMI (AP) -- There's little question that Nebraska and Miami are two of college football's most storied programs with a combined 10 national titles - four earned by winning bowl games over the other.
These teams haven't met in the regular season since 1976, and both are eager to see where they stand Saturday night.
The No. 24 Cornhuskers' offense, led by quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr., figures to be tested by a stout Hurricanes defense in this marquee matchup in Lincoln.
This game can't be discussed without mentioning the past. Miami posted Orange Bowl wins over Nebraska to earn national titles in 1983 and '91 before Tom Osborne won his first national title in '94 with an Orange Bowl win over the Hurricanes that capped a 13-0 season. That 1994 team will be honored Saturday.
The last meeting was Miami's championship victory in the Rose Bowl after the 2001 season.
"There's a lot of tradition there," Cornhuskers coach Bo Pelini said. "Just the amount of time that Nebraska went down there to play in the Orange Bowl."
Nebraska is seeking its first 4-0 start since 2011 thanks to an explosive offense led by Armstrong, who has had more than 300 yards of total offense in each game. The Cornhuskers are averaging 594.3 yards to rank fifth in the nation.
"It's plain and simple: we know it, and our coaches know, when we prepare the right way, we know defenses better than they know themselves," Armstrong said. "I don't think anybody can stop us."
The competition hasn't been top-notch, with wins over Florida Atlantic, McNeese State and Fresno State - teams with a combined 2-6 record.
Armstrong figures to have his hands full against Miami, ranked eighth in total defense by allowing 259.7 yards a game. Linebacker Thurston Armbrister leads the ACC with four sacks.
"I think they have some good size up front," Pelini said. "They have a couple of very good linebackers. I think it will be a good test for our guys."
While Armstrong has seven touchdown passes and two on the ground, the Huskers' attack also features Ameer Abdullah - the Big Ten's second-leading rusher with 132.0 yards per game with three rushing scores.
Miami (2-1) has recovered from a season-opening 31-13 defeat at Louisville with wins by an average of 27.5 points over Florida A&M and Arkansas State.
Now the competition gets tougher, with seven of the next nine opponents currently unbeaten.
"Any big win like that would elevate our program," center Shane McDermott said. "Nebraska has a great defense. We're getting ready to go up there, give them our all. To beat any big program like that, of course, that would be a very big deal."
Brad Kaaya turned in his first four-touchdown effort with 342 yards - a Miami true freshman record - in last Saturday's 41-20 win over Arkansas State.
"We knew he had a good arm," coach Al Golden said. "But since he's arrived on campus he's lost about 22 pounds, he's learned a lot of football, he's moving better, he's quicker and he's just really mature."
Kaaya will need to continue to play well to keep his job since senior Ryan Williams is nearing a return from knee surgery.
"Ryan has been cleared," Golden said Monday. "He's been cleared for the last two weeks to progress as he can. He looked good out there today, took some reps with the 1's and 2's. That was positive."
The Huskers are focusing on slowing down running back Duke Johnson, who has gained a team-high 277 yards. Miami averages 138.0 rushing yards for the ACC's third-worst mark.
"I think their game and philosophy starts with the running game," Pelini said. "They want to be physical and they want to pound you some. They kind of set up their passing game with the running game by getting some play-actions with things down the field and making you have to honor that running game."
Miami could welcome back receiver Stacy Coley, who had a team-best seven TD catches a year ago. Coley sat out last weekend due to a shoulder injury.
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