South Alabama’s only previous visit to Lincoln was the ultimate “let’s all feel better” balm to help soothe the sting of a Hail Mary upset by BYU the week before. The Huskers averaged 7.0 yards per carry on the ground and completed more than 68% of their passes in a 48-9 blowout victory in 2015. The next year, South Alabama did pull off a shocker to open the season, upsetting Mississippi State 21-20 enroute to a berth in the 2016 Arizona Bowl, where the Jaguars lost to the Air Force Academy.
After a 4-8 season in 2017, Steve Campbell replaced the program’s first head coach, Joey Jones.