Nebraska's Herbie Husker goes blond in first update in 20 years

The Cornhuskers unveiled a makeover of their mascot on Monday, giving him blond hair again after spending the past 20 years as a brunette. Perhaps he was inspired by Ryan Gosling's look in the upcoming "Barbie" film.

Or, for the superstitious, it's a sign Nebraska football will soon return to prominence.

Per the Lincoln Journal Star, Herbie had blond hair from 1974-2002. During that time, the Cornhuskers were a juggernaut, winning no fewer than nine games every season except for 2002 when they went 7-7.

His ear of corn also returns, as well as his overalls and potbelly. All were absent in the version of Herbie Husker the university used from 2003-22. Interestingly, the leaner Herbie coincided with the leanest years of Huskers football since the 1950s.

New head coach Matt Rhule is the latest to attempt resurrecting a once-storied program. All the little details add up and while a mascot update is a seemingly innocuous gesture, it's a reminder of how great Nebraska football once was and gives this new group a standard to strive to reach.

It's also not the only way Rhule is trying to bridge the gap between the program's rich history and its recent struggles.

Earlier this month, the program announced plans to honor former player, longtime assistant and six-year head coach Frank Solich at the team's spring game, where the blond Herbie will also make his official return. 

Solich's arrival ends a long-standing beef between him and the program after Solich was unfairly maligned while head coach from 1998-2003 despite posting a 58-19 record. He was ultimately fired after a 9-3 regular season and hasn't made a public appearance at the university since.

Rhule has his work cut out for him to get Nebraska football to the place it once was, and if the program does improve, it will be because of the players, not a nostalgia tour. But by knowing the Cornhuskers' history, perhaps Rhule is hoping this new squad will be bound to repeat it.