Riley keeps low profile for Nebraska

Incoming Nebraska coach Mike Riley has kept a low profile this week.

Riley was expected to arrive in San Diego on Saturday morning and watch the National University Holiday Bowl game from a suite. Riley should know his way around the place after coaching the Chargers from 1999-2001.

Nebraska fired head coach Bo Pelini on Nov. 30 and within a week Riley was hired away from Oregon State as Pelini’s replacement.

Nebraska interim head coach Barney Cotton was asked during Friday morning’s Holiday Bowl coaches press conference about meeting Riley and the Cornhuskers being in the midst of a transition.

“We spent about a half hour with him that night (he was hired),” said Cotton. “We had a good conversation.”

Riley, as well as assistant coaches he has brought with him from Oregon State, has spent much of his time out recruiting. But they have spent considerable time in Lincoln.

Cotton said Riley and his assistants “have been to darn near every Lincoln practice that we’ve had once they got off the road recruiting. So we’ve had some interaction with him. He seems like a good guy. He’s been very professional.”

Cotton said Nebraska’s players have reacted well under the circumstances.

“The way our players have attacked this bowl situation, you couldn’t have asked for anything more,” said Cotton. “They’ve been first class, high energy. I hope we play that way tomorrow night.”

SARKISIAN’S HOLIDAY BOWL MEMORIES

USC coach Steve Sarkisian said he has fond memories of several Holiday Bowl games, including BYU quarterback Jim McMahon throwing a Hail Mary pass to beat SMU in 1980 and Oklahoma’s Barry Sanders “running for a million yards” in a rout of Wyoming in 1988.

But Sarkisian said the 1990 game actually influenced his decision to attend BYU, where he was Cougars quarterback from 1995-96.

“I have vivid memories of Ty Detmer playing Texas A&M in this game, separating his left shoulder, continuing to battle and compete until he separated his right shoulder and they had to take him out of the game,” said Sarkisian. “I grew fond of Ty in that game and, ultimately, that was part of my decision to go to BYU. ... That game with Ty stands out to me just because of the grit that he showed.”

BIG CROWD ANTICIPATED

Bruce Binkowski, executive director for the Holiday Bowl, said Friday that a crowd of 55,000 is expected for the game. USC sold more than 10,000 tickets to the game and Nebraska sold more than 6,000 tickets to its fans.

Anyone who make a last-minute decision to attend the game can purchase tickets at Qualcomm Stadium at Gate F.