Stukenholtz: Wedding Reception Nebraska Football Viewing Experience is One of a Kind

Fall weddings.

You get a “save the date,” maybe a year or so out, and you see it’s an October Saturday. Then your college football team’s schedule comes out. Oh yeah, that wedding, which day is it again?

Crap. Huskers play that same day. Cue the teeth-gnashing, right?

Truthfully, I won’t scold any couple for setting up their big day on a weekend where it’s inconvenient for some, or even many, of their friends and family. Venues for rehearsal and receptions, churches, caterers, photographers, travel, and on and on, all make for a difficult process as it is. To eliminate a third of the year can be a bridge too far.

If you do schedule a wedding in October – in Nebraska – on a gameday – then you better understand that folks are going to have their attention elsewhere at times. If you’re cool with that, great.

Most people don’t get real excited to find out that one of 12 chances to watch their team will be dictated by an event they can’t control. But if the timing and the game result end up working out, it can turn into an unforgettable sports memory.

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My cousin Taylor got married on Saturday in Gretna. The ceremony began at 2:00. Nebraska and Maryland kicked off at 2:39. It was a full Catholic mass, so we weren’t out of there until almost 3:00. By the time we were ushered through the receiving line, NU had already come up short on a fourth down attempt, and the Terps were about to return the favor.

With the cocktail hour at the reception starting at 5:00, the plan was to head to my Mom’s house, a couple of minutes away from the church. You know, watch the rest of the first half before heading to downtown Omaha.

Dylan Raiola and Nyziah Hunter connected on a familiar explosive receiver screen for a long touchdown, and my wife Katey and I hadn’t even walked into the house. Then Aunt Jeanne and Uncle Joe arrived with my Grandma (who *loves* the volleyball team…and also likes football). I rewind the DVR to show everyone Hunter’s touchdown.

My cousin Joe and his wife Laura, and my Uncle Donnie and Aunt Lori joined us shortly after that. We watched as NU added a field goal, lamented Maryland’s back-to-back touchdown drives to take a 14-10 lead, and cheered as Kenneth Williams answered with the long kick return.

That big-time momentum swing led to Luke Lindenmeyer’s sweet feet touchdown catch two plays later. Another short-field TD drive, three Maryland personal foul penalties, and a pair of 3-and-outs for the Blackshirts had us all thinking it would be a party at the party.

NU led 24-14 and was driving again late second quarter when Raiola tossed his second interception, which soured the mood right before halftime as the Terps added a field goal.

It was time to drive to the reception.

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As me, Katey, and my Mom traveled together, we listened to the game on the radio. Nearly to our exit off I-80, we hear Nebraska forces a fumble inside the 5-yard line and recovers it. As the review plays out, we approach the venue. Call overturned. Next play, Maryland touchdown. Tie game. I park and we head inside the courtyard at Bohemian Gardens.

By now, the travel is done and I’ve got the TV broadcast streaming on my cell phone. My cousin Joe and Uncle Donnie are doing the same. Ope, Mom left something in the car. I volunteer to go back for it…and the pick-six happens. Not good.

As I walk back to the car, I pass my cousin Brett on the sidewalk outside. His phone is also out and turned wide for viewing the game. He shakes his head, “What was he thinking?” I agree, “it’s bad, man, they gotta figure it out.”

Once I returned with the needed items, my family had locked in on a table. At the happy couple’s request, this was a kid-free event, so our long table was populated with me and Katey, Mom, Grandma, cousins, aunts, and uncles. I was on one end of the table with the game on my phone, Uncle Donnie in the middle, and Joe on the end. Everyone had eyes on College Park.

As the 3rd quarter ended, murmurs around the table were fairly pessimistic. The Huskers hadn’t scored since the mid-second quarter, trailed 31-24, were underwater 3-0 on turnovers, and the Terrapins were driving in Nebraska territory with a chance to damn near put the game away.

Then Dasan McCollough explodes into the backfield to blow up a 3rd & 2. And a delay of game penalty. Maryland sends the punt team on, and we exhale. Downed at the 8. Groans. A few of us mosey over to the bar.

At some point in there, Taylor and Thomas had arrived and made their entrance. Oh yeah, them. Congratulations, but don’t bother us for a few minutes, ok?

Cole, his family, and a wedding photographer watch the fourth quarter of Nebraska's 34-31 win over Maryland. | Jan Stukenholtz, Cole's mom

A waiter stops by, “Are we still losing?” The offense overcomes penalty-induced 1st & 19 and 2nd & 16, advancing to their own 40-yard line.

Then, a timeout for a Maryland injury. Time to everyone to play offensive coordinator. “They have to get the ball out quick on any passes.” “We can’t get lucky overcoming any more penalties.” “Gimme some Emmett Johnson right here.”

By now, a pretty sizable chunk of the guests have arrived, sipping their drinks and waiting for the bride and groom. And EJ rips off that 50-yard run along the far sideline. The crowd – out east and in Little Bohemia – cheers approvingly. It’s clear whose phones are ahead and behind in the action. My Uncle Donnie jokingly asks me, “Will you slow your stream down by like five seconds?”

After Raiola’s third-down scramble to set up 4th & goal from the 4-yard line, the OC calls are loud as Matt Rhule leaves the offense on the field. “Run it!” “They’re not gonna get this!” “Why aren’t we kicking the field goal?” Delay of game. Kyle Cunanan hits the field goal. “That penalty may be the best thing that could have happened.” Huskers still trailed 31-27, 7:47 to go.

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If you’re reading this, you’ve almost certainly watched your team play a close game while surrounded by some total strangers. Even if you are with a group you know, there is interaction with all sorts of people you have known for just a few hours. When your team makes a big play, you’re high-fiving those people like you’ve known them your entire life.

Cole, his family, and someone there for the groom look on as Nebraska and Maryland play in the fourth quarter. | Jan Stukenholtz, Cole's mom

Once Nebraska forced Maryland to punt, it was clear that this was it. Down four points with 3:42 left, it was touchdown or bust. The viewing parties were set: Joe’s younger brother Michael was watching over his shoulder. Uncle Donnie had propped up his phone so Grandma could see. And on my end of the table, Brett was sitting next to me and his parents, my Uncle Mike and Aunt Cindy, were standing behind him. A photographer was also behind us to watch the finish. That guy on the end? No idea who that is.

Luke Lindenmeyer catch and run for 23 yards. Again, you can tell from the reactions who has less delay. Two plays later, Raiola delivers while falling down to Hunter for 33 yards. Two-minute warning. More play calls like we think Dana Holgorsen can hear us. I’m offered a beer (open bar) but I decline so as to not throw things off. “I’ll have one after they finish the comeback.”

We’re back. This is it. Some conversation happening around us, but not at our table. Then Heinrich Haarberg snags the best catch of his tight end career as he falls out of bounds at the 4-yard line. Of course, there is chatter about whether the review will overturn the call on the field. “Doesn’t he need to survive the ground?” “It looks like he takes four steps, that’s gotta be a catch.” Call upheld.

It’s 1st & goal. “Run the ball!” “They have to run it here, right?” “Gotta take some more time off the clock so they can’t come back.”

Incomplete. “Ugh, why didn’t they run it?” “They better run it now!” “Interception, game’s over.”

Raiola to Dane Key at the goal line, it’s caught, touchdown. Someone yelps, then quickly stops as they (me) remember they shouldn’t spoil the more delayed streams elsewhere at the table. Everyone looks up and around at each other, hands go up to signal touchdown, and within seconds everyone at the party knows what just happened. Nebraska takes the lead, 34-31.

Cole peeks down the long reception table at the rest of his family as Dane Key catches the winning touchdown at Maryland. | Jan Stukenholtz, Cole's mom

The father of the bride, Uncle Mitch, stops to check it out. Even though he’s a Hawkeye, deep down, he knows it’ll make for a happier crowd if NU wins.

With 1:08 on the clock, Maryland must score at least a field goal. It takes them two plays to get to their 45-yard line. “Make the call, what happens?” “I think they’ll drive down and miss the field goal.” “They’re gonna blow it.”

Maryland QB Malik Washington throws it away, flag comes out, intentional grounding. We all lean forward to try and identify the tackle box on the replays. “Good call,” we say.

As the 4th down last-gasp pass falls harmlessly incomplete, someone we don’t know yells from across the room just before we see it. High fives all around, even for that other guy we don’t know. Spoiler alerts aside, Husker fans at the reception got what they wanted. NU racked up 164 yards on the last two drives, and they held Maryland to just 70 total yards after the pick-six.

It was finally time for a beverage.

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Dinner was served shortly after the game ended. We recounted the critical plays from the second half. Mom informed me that she took some pictures of us huddled around my phone. I peruse Twitter and share the good memes, stats, and other postgame reactions.

Congrats again to the new Mr. and Mrs. Bullock, as Saturday marked the official end of their single days and the beginning of their married lives. Perhaps it was also the end of close game blues and a newfound 4th quarter optimism toward Nebraska football. Sitting at 5-1 with three close wins, it seems as if they are turning a corner and learning how to pass these tests. A road win despite being minus-3 in turnovers? It took a ton of toughness and character, but this team has both.

The food was delicious, the toasts were heartfelt and maybe a bit long, and the music was solid. Most importantly, as I passed Mitch later I asked him, “How about those Huskers?” He, the Iowa fan, couldn’t help but respond, “Go Big Red.”

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