LINCOLN, Neb. -- Mike Riley needs a nickname.
A few suggestions whispered in the wake of Nebraska’s Halloween loss to Purdue -- a leading candidate as the program’s worst defeat in six decades -- are not fit for print. So how about Mr. November?
After a nightmarish, nine-game start to his career with the Cornhuskers, Riley won his first November game Saturday night, 39-38 over previously unbeaten, No. 7 Michigan State at Memorial Stadium, the highest-ranked opponent this program has defeated since Eric Crouch coined his Heisman moment against No. 2 Oklahoma in 2001.
Look, it’s been a tough 15 years for the Huskers, without a conference title since 1999.