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• Video Below: See Tom Osborne and Bo Pelini talk Penn State
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LINCOLN — Maybe Husker fans should just leave their Big Red sweatshirts in their suitcases this weekend.
University of Nebraska Regent Randy Ferlic, proud owner of a red sports jacket, recalls that when he attended the 2002 Penn State-Nebraska showdown, "by nighttime they were drunk and throwing things at us, and running at us, and saying mean things about our mothers."
And that was when Penn State won.
Beloved football coach Joe Paterno was fired Wednesday in the wake of the child sex abuse scandal involving former assistant Jerry Sandusky.
After seeing angry students riot over Paterno's firing, Husker fans with Penn State tickets say they're bracing for a hostile reception Saturday.
Michaela Sova, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln senior broadcasting major from Omaha, was en route Thursday with two classmates for a school project on sports reporting. Their families are worried, she said.
"We've gotten lots of calls and text messages," Sova said.
Travis Cordes, an Omaha native who's working on a doctorate in organic chemistry at Penn State, said he doesn't blame Huskers for feeling uneasy.
"Emotions are running so high, I wouldn't be surprised to hear some horror stories this weekend," he said.
Even Husker Athletic Director Tom Osborne said he would understand if some fans preferred to be inconspicuous Saturday.
"Most people have a winter coat that's not red, so if they want to wear that, that might not be a bad idea," he said.
However, he also added that he's "99 percent sure that it's going to be pretty much like a normal football game."
Husker coach Bo Pelini brushed aside concerns about security and the stadium atmosphere.
"People got to do their job," he said. "That isn't my job. That's somebody else's concern, and you got to trust the powers that be are going to make sure that they do their job. That's what we're trusting in."
Husker fans will be the minority among the 106,000 or so expected to attend the game. The Nebraska Alumni Association did not offer a trip to the Penn State game because it was not a top choice for those who frequently travel to games, said the association's director, Diane Mendenhall.
However, an off-campus Husker Huddle event for UNL alumni sold out, with 400 people expected to attend.
Fans on both sides of the field can expect additional security. Both the Penn State University Police and the Pennsylvania State Police said they would beef up game-related security.
"We're taking a considerable amount of precautions," said Trooper Beron Steger of the Pennsylvania State Police's Rockview Station.
UNL Police Chief Owen Yardley, who routinely sends a security detail to away football games to protect the team and coaches, said he plans to send extra officers to Happy Valley.
The UNL officers also will help keep an eye on the Husker Huddle alumni event.
"This is a little different situation because the environment for game day has changed in the last couple of days, and it's going to change again before the game, I'm sure," Yardley said. "We're staying in constant contact."
Yardley said it's up to individual fans whether they wear Husker red on Saturday. He noted that Penn State is asking its fans to wear blue — instead of the usual white — to show their support for victims of child sexual abuse.
Husker fans were divided on whether they'd show their colors Saturday.
Cordes, who has tickets in the Penn State student section, said he's seriously considering substituting a black Husker sweatshirt for the bright red Husker jersey he'd planned to wear.
Stuart Sanders of Lincoln is planning to attend the game with his wife, who is a "huge Penn State fan." He was wearing Husker red when he arrived in Happy Valley on Thursday and planned to keep wearing it through the weekend.
After seeing news coverage of Wednesday's riot, NU Regent Tim Clare of Lincoln on Thursday urged Husker officials to take a hard look at Penn State's security plans before sending players, fans and staff to the game. He said he was not willing to take Penn State's word for it that Husker travelers will be safe in Beaver Stadium.
In statements later Thursday, Osborne and UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman both emphasized the extra security. Perlman said UNL officials were monitoring the situation but saw no reason to cancel the game.
After meeting with athletic department officials Thursday, Clare said he was reassured by the precautions.
"I hope I'm overreacting, I really do," he said. "After what I saw . I thought 'We're just going to throw our kids in that? No way.' "
World-Herald staff writers Kay Kemmet and Rich Kaipust contributed to this report.
Contact the writer:
402-473-9581, leslie.reed@owh.com
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• Video: Tom Osborne on Penn State:
• Video: Bo Pelini on Penn State:
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