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UPDATE 9/3/2015 - 1:30 PM: Due to safety concerns over the extreme heat, Memorial Stadium will be allowing fans to bring in two 20 oz bottles of water, per Dan Hoppen of HuskerOnline:
Due to heat concerns, Nebraska is allowing each fan to bring 2 20-ounce bottles of water to Saturday’s game.
— Dan Hoppen (@danhoppen) September 3, 2015
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What makes the fall special -- falling leaves, cool breezes -- often coincides with many things we like about college football.
Well, you'll have to wait for the fall weather. We often see very hot games when the season kicks off early, like in 1996 when BYU hosted Texas A&M on August 24. It will be that kind of day in Lincoln this Saturday as well, with temperatures heading into the mid-90s. Humidity will also be decently high.
How will this effect the game? First, both teams will want to make sure they are hydrated. Sure, that means water on the sidelines, which is a given. But proper hydration is an act of preparation. If one team falters in this area prior to kickoff, it could have a definite impact if key players cramp up and have to miss plays or series.
Given BYU's propensity to run its offense at an extremely high pace (ranking top-5 in pace in the last two seasons, rated by number of seconds in between snaps), it will be interesting to see who the heat impacts more: Nebraska in trying to keep up and stop BYU's offense? Or, BYU's offensive line?
It also means we might get Todd McShay on the sidelines talking about BYU drinking pickle juice.
Of course, if you're attending the game as a fan, you'll want to be prepared to spend money inside the stadium. According to 2015 stadium policies, Nebraska prohibits outside cans and beverage containers from entering the stadium, so I'd be wary of trying to get your own water bottles inside.
Hopefully, Nebraska has bottle-filling stations so fans can quickly refill whatever containers are available for purchase inside. (Personally, I think for the safety of fans, stadiums should suspend outside container rules in the face of such extreme heat.)
With kickoff at 2:30 p.m. local time, the teams will be hitting the field at the peak of the heat wave. There is also little hope for reprieve later as sunset won't come until 7:55 p.m.
Here's a look at the forecast, from weather.com: