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As recently as a few years ago, the notion of Nebraska venturing to Wake Forest for a football game would have triggered punch lines.

But in case you missed the Demon Deacons' 2006 ACC championship or that seismic event in Ann Arbor, Mich., last weekend, college football has changed. The advent of a 12th game, the influx of TV money and other factors have made this sort of pairing not only plausible but real.

Wake went to Lincoln two years ago and the Huskers agreed to return. Owner of five national titles, Nebraska is about to become the most storied program outside the ACC to visit Winston-Salem. Here's an alphabetical look at various things Husker and Deacon:

Academics: Nebraska boasts more Academic All-Americans (248) than any school. Since 2001, Wake has graduated 93 percent of its football players.

Boomer: Nickname of Wake reserve offensive lineman Tyler Peterson, a redshirt sophomore from Southeast High School in Lincoln, Neb.

Commitment: On Tuesday, Cornhuskers coach Bill Callahan signed a five-year contract extension through the 2011 season. In February, Wake signed coach Jim Grobe to a 10-year extension through 2016.

Deacon Tower: The $35 million upgrade of Wake's stadium got a major contribution Wednesday when BB&T announced it had acquired naming rights to what has been known as Groves Stadium.

ESPN: They're televising and/or producing a Wake game on one of their platforms for the 12th time in the Deacons' past 15 contests.

Fans: Wake sold a record 17,000 season tickets, about 1,000 to Huskers fans. The 17,000 figure represents approximately one-third of Wake's living alumni base. Over the past six years, Nebraska has averaged 61,000 fans. For its spring game.

Governor: Political office to which legendary former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne aspired in 2006. A member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2001-07, Osborne lost in the Republican primary.

Heisman: Three Huskers have won college football's most coveted individual honor: Johnny Rodgers (1972), Mike Rozier (1983) and Eric Crouch (2001).

Itinerant: The professional lifestyle of Cornhuskers assistant coach Phil Elmassian. In 34 years in the business, Elmassian has worked at 16 schools: William & Mary, Richmond, Ferrum, East Carolina, Minnesota, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Syracuse, Washington, Boston College, Wisconsin, LSU, West Virginia, Marshall, Purdue and now Nebraska, where he has settled down for four seasons. If he returns to the Huskers in 2008, he ties a career high for longevity at a single institution.

Jump shot: The sporting skill Wake QB Brett Hodges perfected before all others. An all-state basketball player in high school, he had a hard time giving up hoops for football.

Kenneth: Official first name of Wake wide receiver Moore. (Teammates call him Kenny.) What's the frequency, Kenneth? When it comes to receptions, the answer last week was 15, the highest total for any individual in the country.

Late: That's what you'll be if you leave for the game at your accustomed hour. Stadium construction issues have created new parking locations and traffic patterns.

Media: Eight Nebraska TV stations routinely travel to Huskers road games. Among the newspapers expected to staff Saturday's contest is The Star Herald in Scottsbluff, a 416-mile drive from Lincoln. How far is 416 miles? It's like driving from Greensboro to Pittsburgh.

Nicknames: Throughout their histories, both programs have employed coaches with distinctive monikers. Among those who have guided the Huskers: Walter C. "Bummy" Booth; W.C. "King" Cole; Ewald O. "Jumbo" Stiehm; Lawrence McCeney "Biff" Jones; and George "Potsy" Clark. On the Wake side, we offer Dixie Clyde "Peahead" Walker.

Offense: Callahan took the job in 2004 with the reputation as a West Coast, fling-it-all-over-the-field guy. But in the opening win over Nevada, the Huskers ran for 413 yards. Just like old times. Conversely, Wake earned its stripes with the ground game but threw for 366 yards at BC last week.

Population: On the six Saturdays when it's full each year, Memorial Stadium (pop. 85,044) is the third-largest city in Nebraska. At those times, it's home to one of every 20 residents of the state.

Quarterbacks: Nebraska's Sam Keller was an Arizona State backup when the Sun Devils won at North Carolina 33-31 on Oct. 18, 2003. Wake's starter, Brett Hodges, was a junior in Winter Springs (Fla.).

Red: The Huskers' hue, and a dominant one. A year ago, 30,000 Nebraska supporters ventured to the L.A. Coliseum to see their team play USC.

Sellouts: The Huskers have sold out 283 consecutive home games since failing to fill Memorial Stadium Oct. 20, 1962. And there was an excuse that day: a distraction called the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Tokyo: That's where Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman and 100 other Cornhuskers will watch the game. They'll be taking a break from a trade mission to head to Legends Sports Bar and Grill, which caters to American tourists. The entourage returns home Sept. 13, two days before the Huskers' game with USC.

Unprecedented: The Huskers have never played on an ACC team's home field. The Deacs lost in Lincoln, 31-3, on Sept. 10, 2005, and 36-12 on Sept. 12, 1970. (That 1970 season was pretty good for both teams; the Huskers won the national title and the Deacons claimed the ACC crown.)

Venue: Wake's stadium (official capacity 31,500) is the smallest facility to host a Nebraska game since the Huskers played Hawaii in 25,000-seat Honolulu Stadium, affectionately known as "The Termite Palace," on Dec. 4, 1971.

Winning: Nebraska's winning percentage in its football history is .704; Wake's is .407.

X-rays: Examination of Wake defensive end Matt Robinson revealed a high ankle sprain and not a fracture. Robinson is out of action indefinitely.

Yellow: A color Wake didn't see much in last week's loss at BC. The Deacs were penalized only twice for 15 yards.

Zac Taylor: Played quarterback for both teams. Transferred from Wake to Nebraska and threw for 113 yards for the Huskers when the Deacons played in Lincoln two years ago. He's a graduate assistant coach for the Huskers.

Contact Rob Daniels at 373-7028 or rdaniels@news-record.com