• Photo Showcase: NU-Texas (game action)
• Photo Showcase: NU-Texas (fans)
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LINCOLN — Go Big Green?
That was what one fan shouted at the biggest recruiting target Nebraska hosted Saturday, running back prospect Aaron Green.
The 5-foot-11, 195-pound high school senior out of San Antonio was among the headliners in NU's largest recruiting weekend of the season. The brother of NU redshirt freshman defensive back Andrew Green is a four-star recruit according to rivals.com and the only major target Nebraska has pursued at the position.
Cyrus Hobbi, the country's No. 2 guard prospect, was also on hand. The 6-foot-4, 285-pound Hobbi has offers from the likes of USC, Michigan, Alabama, Notre Dame and Oklahoma. Saturday was his third official visit. Nebraska already has four offensive line pledges for the class of 2011, and each is a four-star prospect.
Braylon Heard, one of the top-rated running backs in the country last season, was also in Lincoln Saturday. Heard signed with NU in February, but didn't qualify.
Other top targets on hand Saturday included three highly regarded defensive ends: James Adeyanju, a three-star prospect out of Chicago; Lake Koa-Ka'ai, a three-star recruit out of Hawaii; and Devonte Wilson, a three-star player out of Taylor Martinez's hometown of Corona, Calif. Patrick Onwuasor, a three-star wide receiver out of California, was the other Husker target making an official visit Saturday.
Almost all of the prospects had phones or cameras out during the Tunnel Walk. Green just shook his head and smiled at the entrance.
NU pledges Bubba Starling, Jamal Turner, Kevin Williams, Tyler Moore and Tevin Mitchell were also making official visits.
Signing day
Brenna Robinson's outfit told her story.
A red dress and cowboy boots pretty much summed up her allegiances this weekend.
Robinson, a freshman at Texas and an Omaha Westside graduate, did the sign language interpretation for the national anthem before kickoff. Majoring in deaf education at UT, Robinson has done signing at NU games for four years.
She thought going away to college meant that her days of signing at Memorial Stadium were over. But when NU officials told her they'd like her to do one game, and that game just happened to be against the school she's currently attending, Robinson could hardly contain herself.
“I've been waiting for this weekend for so long,” she said.
Robinson was also sporting bright red nail polish.
“I got them done and went back to my dorm yelling ‘Go Big Red,'” Robinson said. “People were calling me Herbie and stuff.”
After attending Nebraska games all her life, Robinson has tried out a couple of Texas games this season, including the Red River Rivalry weekend against Oklahoma.
“It's just not the same,” she said. “They play in a big stadium and everything, but there's not the noise and passion. Here it just vibrates in your chest. It's not like that there.”
Red Out
A new segment for Saturday's “Red Out Around the World” promotion lit the fire on pregame festivities.
The video ended with a big red “N” in the middle of the word “finish,” bringing a huge eruption from the crowd. The video then rolled right into the Tunnel Walk, setting quite the mood before kickoff.
A word from Suh
Quite a few former players and coaches were in attendance Saturday, but one who wasn't near Memorial Stadium drew the loudest ovation.
Ex-Husker Ndamukong Suh, a rookie with the Detroit Lions, taped a quick message that was played during the first quarter. In it, Suh urged Nebraska fans to be loud. His other words of encouragement were to NU players, whom he advised to “play hard and beat Texas.”
Sign of the times
NU was on the receiving end of its fair share of signs at Kansas State. Saturday the Husker faithful got a chance to show their cleverness.
Among some of the better ones: a sign that read “We don't need no stinkin' second,” referring to the extra tick put on the clock in last year's Big 12 championship game.
Another reminded Texas that it was the reason Saturday's game wasn't on a bigger stage.
“Erin Andrews and ‘GameDay' shoulda been here,” it read. “Thanks Texas.”
This 'n that
A four-jet flyover immediately followed the national anthem. ... Nebraska's three Heisman Trophy winners were all in the house. Mike Rozier, Johnny Rodgers and Eric Crouch were all introduced to the crowd during a break in action in the second quarter. The NU student section gave a “we're not worthy” bow to the trio. ... One scalper said before Saturday's game that ticket prices were still well above average, despite Texas' two losses. Although most declined to name prices, one scalper said he had sold a pair of tickets for more than $1,000 earlier in the day.
— Nick Rubek
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• Video: Bo Pelini after the NU-Texas game:
• Video: Niles Paul after the NU-Texas game:
• Video: Roy Helu after the NU-Texas game:
• Video: NU-Texas highlight reel:
• Video: NU-Texas postgame analysis:
• Video: Sights and sounds from the NU-Texas game:
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