Game Day
Story by David L. Bristow, photography by Jeremy Buss
My car radio crackles in the pre-dawn darkness as I drive south along Highway 81. It is a chilly, late October morning. Saturday morning. Game Day.
“Only in Nebraska would you find a game between a 6-1 team and a 2-5 team sold out,” the announcer says brightly. He mentions several big games in other states that still have thousands of unsold tickets. “Only in Nebraska!”
But he wonders aloud about the Blackshirt defense. How will they perform today? “We'll put' em under a microscope after this break!” It is 6:30 a.m.
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I am heading south from Hartington toward Lincoln. Up and down the dial, the radio speaks of all things Husker. A static-filled discussion of the vagaries of Nebraska offense cuts in and out with lively music from a Spanish-language station.
As the eastern sky brightens from purple to orange, an Omaha dentist offers two free game tickets to first-time customers. Another station warns, “If you're going to the game today in Lincoln, you'll be cold. Not that I feel sorry for you — lucky devils!” The sun is rising over Colfax County as punter Kyle Larson explains how he curls his toes for extra distance. By the time I pass Valparaiso on Highway 79, I'm seeing crowded cars with Husker flags fluttering from windows, and big “N” magnets stuck to doors and fenders. The back roads are busy, and we are all converging on Lincoln.
(The complete story and many more photos are in the Nov/Dec 2004 issue of Nebraska Life.)
