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Part of what makes the gameday experience at Memorial Stadium is the sounds. The roar of a plane after the national anthem. The crack of a Blackshirt's hard tackle. The rowdy night games.
Here's a closer look at the sweet sounds of a Saturday in the fall.
THE FLYOVERS
Gamedays at Memorial Stadium are not short of pregame sounds.
The marching band. The fight song. "Sirius," of course. "Go Big Red' chants. It all would make for a good soundtrack.
Randy Douglas lays down tracks from well above the stadium.
A pilot with the 173rd Air Refueling Squadron with the Nebraska National Guard, Douglas plays a role in another college football tradition. Piloting flyovers.
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"It's really cool to get to expose a stadium full of people to the mission we do," said Maj. Tyler Sandberg. "The appearance can sometimes be that it's just a use of flight hours and fuel, but the reality is that it gives us an opportunity to take a normal flying training (session), which is what all of these are."
As one might imagine, a lot of planning goes into gameday flyovers. It requires weeks of laying out charts and identifying navigation points.
The big moment comes on gameday when the pilots try to stay in sync with the national anthem.
"We want to hit the stadium just right as the last note of 'The Star Spangled Banner' is resonating," Sandberg said.
Easier said than done, right? You bet.
The planes are in the air well before the national anthem is performed, traveling at 240 knots (4 miles a minute). A spotter at the stadium can relay information — slow down or speed up — to the pilots. Geometry points are built into the flight plan, so the planes can "either cut corners, literally, or leave a hold early" to make for the well-executed flyover.
"We start with a number on the clock," Sandberg said. "That's dynamic because there are events in the stadium that maybe prevent the national anthem from starting exactly when it's supposed to."
Douglas has been a part of three flyovers at Memorial Stadium in his 33 years with the 173rd. Born (in Ravenna) and raised in Nebraska, performing a flyover over Memorial Stadium is pretty special. The pilots will later arrive at the stadium to be honored on the field during a timeout.
"It's kind of surreal to actually be in the airplane to come over the top," Douglas said.
Douglas has also been inside the stadium when a flyover has taken place.
"What's fun for me is to look at the reactions, because we're kind of spoiled, right? We get to see it every day," Douglas said. "Just kind of watching the reaction of the people around me, I actually enjoy that more than actually the flyover. It's pretty cool to see."
It's pretty cool to fly over a Sea or Red, too.
When these opportunities arise for the 173rd Air Refueling Squadron, let's just say Sandberg, who coordinates the flights, doesn't have to talk any of the pilots into it.
"That's actually one of my problems," he said. "I have to figure out a way to select the flyers because everybody wants to fly on Husker (gamedays). I don't want to say it goes to blows, but there's a lot of jockeying here because everybody is a Husker fan and everybody wants to fly over Memorial Stadium."
The next opportunity will come Sept. 11, which marks the 20th anniversary of 9/11. The 173rd unit will team with four F-16 fighter pilots from the South Dakota Air National Guard to perform a flyover for the Buffalo game.
— Clark Grell
SMACK-TALKING ARTISTS
There probably isn’t as much trash talking during a college football game as you would imagine, but there are definitely some trash-talking artists on most college rosters.
For some positions, like quarterback and center, there aren't as many opportunities, or time, to do so.
Defensive backs really like to talk, though, according to several players on the Nebraska football team.
“They just love to try and get in your head,†said Nebraska tight end Travis Vokolek. “There’ll be times when you’re running and the quarterback overthrows you and (defensive backs will) act like they did something.â€
“DBs like to talk a lot,†said Nebraska wide receiver Samori Toure. “But I feel like that’s DBs at any program. That’s just part of the DB swag.â€
Who ranks among the most active trash talkers for the Huskers? A defensive back, of course.
“Cam (Taylor-Britt) is pretty good at it,†Vokolek said. “He’s just a ball of energy and a great player. He can get in your head pretty good.â€
Others players put cornerback Quinton Newsome on Nebraska’s list.
“Cam likes to chat. So does (Newsome),†Toure said. “Those are the guys that I hear a lot. If they make a play or an interception, they’re going to let you know.â€
Vokolek said there is “quite a bit†of trash talking.
“There are just funny conversations,†he said. “People are calling you names and making funny jokes. It’s fun. It’s part of football, and kind of part of all sports. It adds a little more fun to the game.â€
Toure says there is more trash talking during practice than in games. But if Toure gets a chance to say something during a game, he’s going to take it.
“I’m going to say something basic like, ‘You can’t guard me,’ or ‘What happened on that, I thought you were supposed to be clamps,’†Toure said. “I don’t usually initiate it. I’ll wait until they say something, and then I’ll be like, ‘So what were you saying earlier?’â€
Husker center Cam Jurgens says there is a lot of trash talking at other positions, but he can't partake because he's already talking a lot while making calls for the linemen.
Jurgens said defensive linemen talk trash “sometimes.†Jurgens said he doesn’t talk trash much. But he can’t say he doesn’t talk trash at all.
“Some (defensive linemen) are a little too out of shape to be talking the whole game,†he said.
— Brent C. Wagner
NIGHT AND DAYÂ
Some of the loudest Nebraska football games in the past decade were night games.
Nebraska began taking decibel readings at home games in 2017. During a game against ninth-ranked Wisconsin in 2017 that began at 7 p.m., the sound level in the stadium reached 104 decibels.
Other games typically ranged from 90 to 102.
What factors lead to some of the louder games being at night? First, those are typically highly anticipated matchups, and often against ranked teams.
In the evening there is less outside noise, such as public transportation, so it’s all about the game.
Also, fans may have more time to tailgate or visit restaurants and bars in the hours leading up to the game, instead of heading right to the stadium.
“It’s more acceptable to be intoxicated at night, which could contribute,†said sociologist Angela Adler. “There are all kinds of social phenomena. It’s generally more acceptable to be intoxicated during the day at a sports event, but you can really go for it if it’s at night and you have all day to do that. That could be part of it. There could be lower inhibitions.â€
Adler is doctoral candidate at UNL who was previously a professor for the Sociology of Sport class at UNL.
Contributing to a loud environment at Memorial Stadium are fans acting in a way that they may not otherwise.
“What we know is that when people are in a group, there is kind of a shared ethos,†Adler said. “And so there is almost a different social code of conduct in these events with tons of people. And so what we see, especially say in the Philadelphia area, what’s really common among Philadelphia professional sports fans to be very violent, especially toward fans of the other team. And that’s seen as normative, even though in society in general it’s unacceptable to be violent.â€
— Brent C. Wagner
STADIUM INTROS
When kickoff is just minutes away, nothing gets fans going more than seeing their team run out to a dramatic, adrenaline-inducing stadium entrance. Some Big Ten schools have traditions that span decades, while others have just recently found a successful formula.
From first to worst, here are all 14 stadium entrances from around the Big Ten:
Michigan: Perhaps the longest-standing stadium entrance in the Big Ten, Michigan has been welcomed to the field by the iconic “Go Blue†banner since 1962. With the team entering the field at the 50-yard line, the Wolverines always swarm out of the locker room with energy.
Nebraska: Scott Frost may have switched the Tunnel Walk music for several games, but the “Sirius†backing is truly an iconic entrance song. With the Sea of Red also chanting “Husker Power,†few stadiums get louder than Memorial Stadium during the team entrances.
Iowa: The iconic guitar riff from AC/DC’s “Back in Black†gets fans going in Kinnick Stadium, where the Hawkeyes often walk out aptly wearing black uniforms. Along with chants of "I-O-W-A," the whole stadium gets involved in the entrance.
Penn State: The Nittany Lions bring energy to their stadium entrance that often features Kanye West’s “Power.†When it’s one of their famed white-out games, the energy only goes even further up.
Michigan State: AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck†is an all-time great pump-up anthem, and the Spartans have been walking out to it since 1999. Along with mascot Sparty’s run to midfield, there’s an adrenaline spike.
Purdue:Â Forget about songs, the Boilermakers have a miniature locomotive that leads the team across the field during its entrance. A real life-sized version would be pretty cool, too.
Wisconsin: The Badgers roll with U2’s “Where the Streets Have no Name†overlaid on a video of the school’s all-time football greats. Fans often join in with the song, making for a loud entrance scene.
Minnesota: With players swaying from side to side and carrying oars that represent head coach PJ Fleck’s “Row the Boat†motto, the Golden Gophers bring the energy. The sprint to take the field lets it all out.
Indiana:Â The Hoosier marching band plays to a crescendo, and with portable flame towers spread across the end zone and fireworks going off above the stadium, the noise level is stellar.
Ohio State: The Ohio State band’s pregame routine has been a long-standing tradition in Columbus, but the Buckeyes have a fairly tame entrance to the stadium in comparison to other Big Ten opponents. There is no signature music nor setup, but there are fireworks.
Illinois: The Illini enter from a corner of the stadium and lack an iconic song or tradition, but they do get bonus points for installing a “97 Strong†sign that players tap before entering the field. The sign honors former lineman Bobby Roundtree, who passed away in July.
Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights play a pregame video telling the school’s history as the birthplace of college football, while smoke cannons and a blaring horn help pump up the crowd.
Northwestern: The Wildcats like to switch up their entrance music, but a constant under Pat Fitzgerald has been the players tapping a “Trust Yourself†sign as they take the field.
Maryland: The Terrapins make sure to get some good luck in their pregame entrance by rubbing a statue of their mascot, Testudo the Terrapin. There’s not much more to Maryland’s entrance, though.
— Luke Mullin
TOP HITTERS
The pop of football pads — back when pads were truly pads — had a nice sound about it. It's music to a defensive player's ears.
Nebraska's Blackshirt tradition has churned out players who knew how to deliver pop, hits that were immediately followed by a big pop from the home crowd.
With apologies to Ndamukong Suh and Rich Glover, here are a handful of Huskers who brought the pop — the focus being on pass rushers, linebackers and defensive backs (and not necessarily the best Huskers).
Tony Veland:Â Veland's bone-crunching hits helped the Huskers win back-to-back national championships in the 1990s. Not bad for a player who started his collegiate career at quarterback.
Ed Stewart:Â The 6-foot-1, 215-pound linebacker was a Butkus Award finalist and the 1994 Big Eight defensive player of the year. He had 96 tackles as a senior, many of them of the ear-ringing variety.
Terrell Farley: There is a YouTube video showing 4 minutes of Farley's greatest hits at Nebraska, including when Farley buzzed through the K-State line to tackle the punter … on a punt attempt! The 6-1, 200-pound outside backer made an immediate impact after juco ball, and was named the Big Eight newcomer of the year.
Broderick Thomas:Â In a game against Illinois, the 6-4, 250-pound Thomas blew through the fullback to make a tackle. The Sandman was a disruptive force, especially as a senior, when he registered 98 tackles, 10 sacks, 35 QB hurries and six pass breakups.
Carlos Polk:Â The 6-2, 250-pound middle backer was a first-team All-American and a Butkus Award finalist in 2000.
Mike Minter:Â At 5-10 and 190 pounds, Minter brought a physical presence to the Huskers' back seven, rotating between rover and Will linebacker.
Toby Wright:Â The 6-1, 200-pound safety was one of the more relentless defenders in the glory days of Husker football.
Grant Wistrom: One of the greatest Blackshirts of all-time, Wistrom had a big motor, he was fast and he terrorized quarterbacks. Quite the combination. A Lombardi Award winner and two-time Big 12 defensive player of the year, Wistrom racked up 26½ sacks.
Trev Alberts: One of Nebraska's best rush ends, Alberts made a living behind the line of scrimmage, finishing with 44½ tackles for loss. Indeed, Alberts let his tackling do the talking, and it was loud.
— Clark Grell