When the Washington Huskies walk into Memorial Stadium on Halloween night, they will enter one of the rowdiest environments in all of college football. The trip to Lincoln marks the first matchup between Washington and Nebraska as members of the Big Ten, but battling the Cornhuskers is nothing new to defensive coordinator Ryan Walters.
During his playing days at Colorado, the former standout safety went 2-3 against the Buffs' former Big 12 rival, including a performance consisting of 7 tackles, a pass deflection, and a forced fumble in a 65-51 victory in Boulder in 2007.
"Nebraska is very unique," Walters said on Tuesday when asked about his experience playing and coaching on the road against the Huskers. "I've played there as a player, coached
there as a coach. That fan base is extremely passionate. You know, I think they've had a sellout since like 1962 or something like that. You know, it's hostile; they understand the game, and it gets really quiet when you make plays there. It'll be a great atmosphere."
"He's the most challenging quarterback that we will have faced to date."
— Hail Varsity (@HailVarsity) October 29, 2026
Washington defensive coordinator Ryan Walters on the challenges of facing Anthony Colandrea. pic.twitter.com/iE4LQXbqEQ
Growing up in Aurora, Colorado, the defensive play caller has spoken about his distaste for Big Red in the past, famously stating that he didn't "like that N on the helmet" while in his first year as Purdue's head coach. This time around, the message was much more mellow, as the former Buff was sure to share his respect for the storied program and their fan base.
Since joining the Big Ten as a coach in 2021, Walters has batted .500 against the Cornhuskers, going 2-0 as the defensive coordinator at Illinois before dropping back-to-back games against Nebraska as the head coach of the Boilermakers. Now, he'll have to prepare his unit for another strong showing as Washington looks to play spoiler in what will be a blackout for the program.
Coming off an emotional win against a program he once called home in West Lafayette, the aggressive-minded play caller will look to come away with another road win against a team that he is all too familiar with.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Ryan Walters Reflects on Past Experiences Against Nebraska
