HuskersHQ

Covers.com predicts Huskers will go 9-3

2009-08-10T06:12:00.000-07:00

Wagering Web site Covers.com has weighed in on its prediction for Nebraska this season, offering that the Cornhuskers will finish the regular season with a 9-3 record.

Covers.com predicts the Huskers will be 7-1 heading into the Oklahoma game on Nov. 7 with he loss will come at Virginia Tech. However, the Web site says the Nebraska "isn't quite ready to upset the Sooners, who have as much talent as anyone in the country," and also forecasts a loss the following week at Kansas.

So, will 9-3 overall and 6-2 in the Big 12 Conference be good enough to win the North Division? "It could be because Kansas has to play both Oklahoma and Texas and at Texas Tech," Covers.com writes. "Kansas could easily lose three games in the conference.

"Nebraska's odds to win the Big 12 North are +175 and that's a solid bet."

I agree with the Covers.com prediction for the most part, but as I wrote in a column back in May, saying Nebraska will be 9-3 requires the Huskers to go 3-1 in what I consider "swing games" at Missouri, at home against Texas Tech, at Baylor and at Kansas. That could be a tall order, especially with a first-year quarterback in Zac Lee. I'll stick with 8-4.

What's your prediction?

Huskers open at No. 22 in coaches' poll

2009-08-07T07:36:00.000-07:00

Nebraska will open the season ranked No. 22 in the USA Today coaches' poll.

The poll, which was released Friday morning, has defending national champion Florida No. 1 with 1,466 points and 53 first-place votes. Texas, Oklahoma, Southern California and Alabama round out the top five.

The Cornhuskers, who finished last season unranked in the coaches' poll, earned 236 points. Nebraska was 9-4 in 2008, winning six of its last seven games and capped the season with a 26-21 victory over Clemson on Jan. 1 in the Gator Bowl.

In his poll analysis of the Huskers, USA Today's Jack Carey wrote: "After a bounce-back season that included a win in the Gator Bowl, the Cornhuskers need to settle on a QB, likely from among junior Zac Lee, redshirt freshman Kody Spano and true freshman Cody Green. TE Mike McNeill, OL Jacob Hickman and RB Roy Helu Jr. return to the offense. Defense brings back standout DT Ndamukong Suh and DE Pierre Allen. K Alex Henery also is back.

Nebraska opens its season Sept. 5 against Florida Atlantic at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. Virginia Tech, which hosts the Cornhuskers on Sept. 19, is ranked No. 7.

The other Big 12 Conference school ranked was No. 11 Oklahoma State. Kansas (138 points) was at the top of the list of other teams receiving votes and was joined in that category by Texas Tech (114 points), Missouri (44 points) and Colorado (two points).

TSN Today ranks Nebraska No. 29

2009-08-06T06:32:00.000-07:00

In its daily countdown of the top 100 preseason college football teams, The Sporting News Today has tabbed Nebraska at No. 29.

"It appears Nebraska still doesn't have the horses to battle at the Big 12's highest level. Nobody in the North does," writes Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star and Sporting News Yearbooks. "But this team wound up tied for first in the division last season, losing out on the title-game appearance with the Missouri loss.

"Enough is here for the Huskers to contend for at least that position this season, and defense is where this team will hang its hat."

Also on the Web, CollegeFootballNews.com has the Cornhuskers ranked No. 38 in its preseason rankings. That just one slot ahead of No. 39 Colorado.

Vegas weights in on Nebraska's prospects

2009-08-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering how the money men in Las Vegas are viewing Nebraska’s prospects this season, VegasInsider.com has set the over-under for wins by the Cornhuskers during the regular season at eight.

The odds on Nebraska to exceed or go “over” eight wins is -120, meaning that a winning $12 wager would be worth $10. The odds for the Huskers finishing under eight wins in the regular season is even money.

Looking ahead to 2010, the Web site has set Nebraska’s odds of making a BCS bowl at +7,500.

Gabbert likely to start at QB for Mizzou

2009-07-29T07:22:00.000-07:00

IRVING, Texas -- Former Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman is off to the NFL, but it appears that a familiar storyline for Nebraska fans will continue this season.

With Blaine Gabbert favored to win the starting quarterback job at Missouri, the Cornhuskers will once again likely be facing a highly touted quarterback recruit who gave Nebraska a verbal commitment before later signing with another Big 12 Conference North Division school. While that fact might be salt in the wounds for NU, Gabbert’s Tiger teammates are clearly excited about his emergence.

“That guy has grown so much,” Missouri defensive lineman Jaron Baston said of Gabbert. “Since winter conditioning, right up until last Friday, which was our last summer workout, that guy has become a leader.
“He has taken over our team, he has taken over our offense and everybody believes in him.”

Gabbert is favored to earn the unenviable task of taking over the job vacated by record-setting quarterback Chase Daniel. The Ballwin, Mo., native appeared in four games last season as a true freshman, completing 5-of-13 pass attempts for 43 yards.

However, it’s what Gabbert has displayed in scrimmages and the Black & Gold spring game that has Missouri’s players talking him up.

“He has the talent to be another guy like Sam Bradford, who came out of nowhere and blew up,” Baston said of the Heisman-winning Oklahoma quarterback. “He has that talent. He has a strong arm, he’s accurate, he’s fast and he’s athletic.”

Media picks Huskers to win North title

2009-07-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

This just in from the Big 12 Conference office:

Nebraska has been chosen as the favorite to win the Big 12 North Division according to the league’s football preseason poll, voted on by media representatives who cover the conference.

The Huskers received 17 of 32 first-place votes and totaled 172 points, just in front of Kansas which was picked first on 12 ballots and received 164 points. Missouri was picked third in the division, followed by Colorado, Kansas State and Iowa State.

Texas and Oklahoma tied for first place in the South Division preseason poll, each receiving 174 points. The Longhorns had 17 first-place votes to 15 for Oklahoma. Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Baylor and Texas A&M rounded out the South Division predictions.

Nebraska returns 13 starters from its 2008 team that finished 9-4 overall and captured a share of the Big 12 North Division title after being picked third in the preseason poll. The Huskers own a four-game winning streak heading into the 2009 campaign and were victors in six of their final seven games last fall.

This marks the first time since 2006 that Nebraska has been selected as the North favorite in the conference’s preseason media poll. That season the Huskers captured the North Division title and made their fourth trip to the Big 12 Championship Game. Nebraska has been picked to win the Big 12 North eight times in the 14-year history of the league and has made trips to the Big 12 title game in 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2006.

The Preseason All-Big 12 Team will be released on Friday in advance of next week’s Big 12 Football Media Days in Irving, Texas. Nebraska will take part in the event Monday afternoon and will be represented by coach Bo Pelini, I-back Roy Helu Jr., offensive lineman Jacob Hickman and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

Big 12 Football Media Preseason Poll

North Division

1. Nebraska (17) 172

2. Kansas (12) 164

3. Missouri (3) 124

4. Colorado 100

5. Kansas State 81

6. Iowa State 33

South Division

1. Texas (17) 174

1. Oklahoma (15) 174

3. Oklahoma State 130

4. Texas Tech 89

5. Baylor 75

6. Texas A&M 33

First-place votes in parentheses

Playing the scheduling game

2009-07-01T05:49:00.000-07:00

The Sporting News Today is in the midst of publishing a nine-part series looking into the strength of non-conference football schedules for BCS-conference schools.

It's interesting that while the Big 12 Conference does a decent job of avoiding the total patsies (the league was fifth with 19 percent of its non-conference games scheduled against I-AA teams), it isn't exactly fond of taking on the big boys, either. The Big 12 is last among BCS conferences when it comes to scheduling non-league games against fellow BCS schools (23 percent) and is first (58 percent) in scheduling non-conference games against non-BCS conference programs.

Also of note, TSN Today ranks Georgia as having the country's most difficult non-conference schedule. The Bulldogs play at Oklahoma State and Georgia Tech and host Arizona State and Tennessee Tech.

The rest of the top 10 for non-conference schedule strength: Virginia Tech, USC, Florida State, Washington, Oregon, Oklahoma, Miami (Fla.), Stanford, Illinois. Virginia Tech vs. Alabama at Atlanta is ranked by TSN Today as the best non-conference game, while the Nebraska-Hokies contest is No. 9.

TSN ranks Big 12 non-conference slates

2009-06-19T14:18:00.001-07:00

Nebraska’s 2009 non-conference football schedule ranks No. 7 in the Big 12 Conference in terms of difficulty, according to The Sporting News Today.

Oklahoma’s non-conference slate of BYU (at Dallas Cowboys Stadium), Idaho State, Tulsa and at Miami (Fla.) ranks No. 1 with Colorado (Colorado State, at Toledo, Wyoming and at West Virginia) second.

The Cornhuskers, whose non-league slate includes home games against Florida Atlantic, Arkansas State and Virginia Tech, were likely saved by their Sept. 19 road date with Virginia Tech. TSN Today ranked the NU-Hokies matchup as the second-best non-conference Big 12 game this season behind Georgia at Oklahoma State.

The easiest Big 12 non-conference schedule? TSN Today gave that distinction to Kansas State, which will host Massachusetts and Tennessee Tech and travel to Louisiana-Lafayette and UCLA.

Sadler: More players may head to Europe

2009-06-16T14:31:00.000-07:00

During Tuesday's teleconference with the Big 12 Conference's men's basketball coaches, Nebraska's Doc Sadler said that he views the trend of young players going to Europe to play professionally as something that's probably here to stay.

“With my background, I’ve been at different levels and it has been probably seven to 10 years ago that most kids went to junior college and most kids who didn’t qualify or whatever went to prep schools and now I think this is going to be the third option," Sadler said. "I do believe that this is probably going to be here to stay.
“Unfortunately, I think there are a lot of people out there who believe that kids can go overseas and just make all kinds of money and the fact of the matter is their economy is hurting as much as ours and you see so many teams go under, but I don’t know that the kids — more importantly, I don’t think the people who are involved with kids — ever think that option is going to be a bad option for them.
“So just as prep schools became a huge, huge player in college basketball, I do believe that kids going overseas now is fixing to be a huge factor, also.”

Sadler said he hasn't had much experience with potential recruits opting to go overseas to play professionally, but figures it could come up in the future.

“It’s a Catch 22," Sadler said. "You hope you have players who are either good enough to go professionally in one way or another, but at the same time, you just hope the kids make good decisions. I haven’t had that situation yet.
“Aleks Maric, when I took over the job here, strongly considered playing in Europe, but thankfully, he came back to us.”

Huskers Illustrated ranks NU at No. 19

2009-06-10T08:59:00.000-07:00

Huskers Illustrated magazine released its 2009 pre-season top 25 poll and pre-season All-Big 12 teams Tuesday. Five Big 12 teams cracked the top 25, while three Big 12 South teams were picked in the top 10. Nebraska is ranked No. 19 after entering the season unranked in 2008.

The rankings are included in the 2009 Huskers Illustrated Football Yearbook, which hits newsstands on Friday, June 12 for $9.95. The Yearbook is available at ShopHuskersIllustrated.com or as part of a 19-issue annual subscription for $51.95.

Florida was nearly a unanimous No. 1 pick, receiving 11 of the 12 first place votes. Texas (receiving the only other first place vote), Oklahoma, USC and Virginia Tech rounded out the top five. Oklahoma State, despite being picked third in the Big 12 South was ranked ninth and Kansas the Big 12 North favorite, 16th

Huskers Illustrated’s rankings reflect top 10 votes from Huskers Illustrated writers and other media members familiar with college football.

Husker senior nose tackle Ndamukong Suh, HI’s pick for Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, is featured on the cover of the magazine’s 500th issue after forgoing the 2009 NFL Draft. The 160-page magazine is the 500th issue in Huskers Illustrated’s 29-year history and includes a comprehensive season preview, including outlooks on every Big 12 team and each of Nebraska’s non-conference opponents.

Suh is one of three Nebraska players to earn first-team All-Big 12 honors, joining offensive lineman Jacob Hickman and kicker Alex Henery. 2008 Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford of Oklahoma was named the preseason Offensive Player of the Year.

2009 HUSKERS ILLUSTRATED PRE-SEASON TOP 25
1. Florida (11)
2. Texas (1)
3. Oklahoma
4. USC
5. Virginia Tech
6. Ohio State
7. Ole Miss
8. Alabama
9. Oklahoma State
10. LSU
11. Penn State
12. Boise State
13. Oregon
14. Georgia
15. California
16. Kansas
17. TCU
18. Georgia
19. Nebraska
20. Iowa
21. Utah
22. Florida State
23. Georgia Tech
24. Notre Dame
25. Oregon State

HUSKERS ILLUSTRATED PRE-SEASON ALL-BIG 12
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
POS. PLAYER HT. WT. YR. SCHOOL
WR Dez Bryant 6-2 215 Jr. Oklahoma State
WR Dezmon Briscoe 6-3 200 Jr. Kansas
WR Jordan Shipley 6-0 190 Sr. Texas
TE Jermaine Gresham 6-6 261 Sr. Oklahoma
OL Russell Okung 6-6 305 Sr. Oklahoma State
OL Adam Ulatoski 6-8 320 Sr. Texas
OL Chris Hall 6-4 300 Sr. Texas
OL JACOB HICKMAN 6-4 295 SR. NEBRASKA
OL Trent Williams 6-5 308 Sr. Oklahoma
QB Sam Bradford 6-4 218 Jr. Oklahoma
RB DeMarco Murray 6-1 205 Jr. Oklahoma
RB Kendall Hunter 5-8 190 Jr. Oklahoma State
PK ALEX HENERY 6-2 175 JR. NEBRASKA
KR Perrish Cox 6-0 195 Sr. Oklahoma State

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
POS. PLAYER HT. WT. YR. SCHOOL
DL Auston English 6-3 253 Sr. Oklahoma
DL NDAMUKONG SUH 6-4 300 SR. NEBRASKA
DL Gerald McCoy 6-4 295 Jr. Oklahoma
DL Sergio Kindle 6-4 239 Sr. Texas
LB Travis Lewis 6-2 232 So. Oklahoma
LB Joe Pawelek 6-2 240 Sr. Baylor
LB Sean Weatherspoon 6-2 245 Sr. Missouri
DB Jordan Lake 6-1 210 Sr. Baylor
DB Darrell Stuckey 6-1 205 Sr. Kansas
DB Dominique Franks 6-0 189 Jr. Oklahoma
DB Cha’pelle Brown 5-7 170 Sr. Colorado
P Derek Epperson 6-3 240 Jr. Baylor
PR Dez Bryant 6-2 215 Jr. Oklahoma State

Offensive Player of the Year: Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
Defensive Player of the Year: Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska

Huskers third in spring-game attendance

2009-05-18T06:15:00.000-07:00

The final numbers are in and Nebraska has finished third among BCS-conference schools in attendance for the Cornhuskers' annual Red-White spring football game, drawing 77,670 fans to Memorial Stadium.

Ohio State led the way in 2009, setting a spring football game national attendance record of 95,722, according to SportsBusiness Daily. That figure marked an increase of 25.4 percent from the 76,346 Buckeye fans who turned out for their 2008 spring game.

Alabama was second with an attendance of 84,050. After Nebraska, the rest of the top 10 in spring attendance included: Penn State (76,500), Florida (65,000), Tennessee (51,488), Michigan (50,000), Auburn (45,381), Texas (44,000) and Georgia (42,458).

Athlon ranks Huskers preseason No. 16

2009-05-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

Athlon magazine is counting down its preseason college football top 25 and has Nebraska checking in at No. 16.

Does anyone else think that seems a little high? The Cornhuskers obviously have a lot of momentum going after last year's 9-4 season, but breaking in a new starting quarterback and returning the second-fewest number of starters in the Big 12 Conference won't be an easy chore.

Early feedback on our prediction that Nebraska will finish 8-5 in 2009 is running 50-50. One e-mailer says that prediction is not nearly optimistic enough and that the Huskers will at least be 10-3. Another e-mailer chided us for thinking NU has a chance to get wins in three swing games against Missouri, Texas Tech and Colorado. "Take off the rose-colored glasses" was his request.

NU in the mix for ex-Hurricane Marve?

2009-05-12T08:13:00.000-07:00

Sporting News Today lists Nebraska as the 10-1 second choice to gain the services of former Miami (Fla.) quarterback Robert Marve, who will be eligible to play in 2010.

As for Marve's potential for ending up in Lincoln, the online publication wrote: "A training camp duel next summer with Cody Green, an early enrollee this winter, would mirror Marve's competition with Jacory Harris at Miami."

Of course, that analysis might seem instantly shaky to Cornhusker fans, who have been told by head coach Bo Pelini that Zac Lee is clearly ahead in the race to nail down the starting quarterback job for the 2009 season opener as a junior. This seems to presume that Lee won't be around for his senior season.

For what it's worth, Sporting News Today lists Purdue as the 3-2 favorite to get Marve's services. Arizona State (15-1) and South Florida (15-1) are apparently also in the running.

Ex-Husker Keller suing NCAA, EA sports

2009-05-08T06:05:00.000-07:00

Interesting news from Friday's edition of USA Today as former Nebraska and Arizona State quarterback Sam Keller is suing the NCAA and video-game partner EA Sports for their unpaid use of the likenesses of college football players.

According to USA Today: "The class-action antitrust suit, filed this week in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, claims the games make illegal use of football and basketball players' names -- through the download of team rosters -- and unidentified but scarcely hidden likenesses and that the NCAA condones the practice in violation of its own rules."

Keller's lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages for every football and basketball player on an opening-game roster whose jersey number appeared in an EA game, according to USA Today.

What I'm really curious about is the genesis of this lawsuit. From what we knew of Keller during his time here at Nebraska, this move just seems a little curious.

Perhaps the most ironic part of the whole situation is that many of the guys who play college football also love playing EA Sports' college football game -- Husker players talk about it frequently -- and can't wait to see how their likeness is rated.

Cowherd's advice for Nebraska football

2009-05-06T07:44:00.001-07:00

The Nebraska football program received some advice from ESPN Radio’s Colin Cowherd during Tuesday’s program.

In a discussion about the differing talent levels in college football, Cowherd suggest that if the Cornhuskers want to be great again, they should go back to the option-based offensive style that helped them win three national championships in a four-year span from 1994-1997 under Hall of Fame coach Tom Osborne.

Just as opposing coaches always used to say about Nebraska at the time, Cowherd said having an unusual offense would make the Huskers difficult to prepare for. He also wondered why the Huskers wouldn’t try to recruit the best option quarterback in the country as opposed to trying to land the fifth-best passing QB in the country.

Here’s guessing there’s a segment of Husker Nation that would agree.

NU's Suh ranked as Big 12's sixth-best

2009-05-04T06:45:00.000-07:00

ESPN.com Big 12 Conference writer/blogger Tim Griffin has published an interesting list of the best players in the league for this coming season.

Not surprisingly, 2008 Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford of Oklahoma tops the list, followed fellow quarterback Colt McCoy of Texas. Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant is third, Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham is fourth and Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin rounds out the top five.

The amount of preseason expectations that have been built up for Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was evident as he was the top defensive player on the list at No. 6. I-back Roy Helu was the only other Cornhusker to crack the top 40, checking in at No. 20.

NU's Suh earns high praise from TSN

2009-04-24T07:01:00.000-07:00

In its look ahead to the 2010 NFL Draft, The Sporting News included Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh among five "rising seniors who could be top picks next year."

As for why Suh will be a first-round pick, TSN wrote: "After an amazing junior season, Suh could have challenged B.J. Raji as the top tackle in this year's draft. He has the power to jolt linemen off their feet and the agility and burst to beat them with quick moves."

In regard to the question of how high Suh could go in the 2010 draft, TSN wrote: "If Suh produces at the level he did in 2008, he will go in the top 10. Improved technique and finishing ability could elevate him tot he top overall pick."

A pretty lofty prediction, no doubt.

NU's Pelini deserves salary bump

2009-04-02T08:34:00.000-07:00

The results of an online poll taken on The Independent’s Web site and published in Thursday’s edition of the newspaper were predictable.

Of the 467 respondents, 54 percent voted that they did not agree with the 68-percent pay raise given to Nebraska head football coach Bo Pelini on Monday, bumping his annual salary to $1.851 million. The tag-on statement to the poll question option was “These salary figures are really out of control.”

Sure, it’s understandable how some -- especially in this current economic climate where people are losing jobs and others are taking paycuts and/or losing benefits -- could disagree with giving a $700,000 salary increase to someone already making more than $1 million a year. But when you explore the situation a little deeper, it’s obvious the opinion that Pelini is somehow overpaid shows a complete lack of understanding of the job and the pressure and responsibility that comes with it.

In Nebraska, the head football coach is arguably the state’s most important and most-scrutinized person as well as the biggest celebrity - - all wrapped up in one.

If you count Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy’s new proposed $2.2 million deal, Pelini’s annual salary still has him ranked in the bottom half of the Big 12 at No. 7. Bob Stoops of Oklahoma ($3.8 million per year), Mack Brown of Texas ($2.91 million), Mike Leach of Texas Tech ($2.54 million), Gary Pinkel of Missouri ($2.3 million), Mark Mangino of Kansas ($2.3 million) and Gundy all make or are scheduled to make more.

Forget the impressive dollar figures for a second and consider this: Does anyone who lives in this state really think that Cornhusker fans will be satisfied with having the seventh-best football program in the Big 12? Didn’t think so. Yet that’s the level Nebraska’s football coach is being paid at.

Newman: Nesseth's return to bullpen a no-brainer

2009-03-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

With the emergence of Casey Hauptman and Jordan Roualdes as starting pitchers and Nebraska’s early season bullpen struggles and an elbow injury to projected closer Erik Anderson, the decision to move ace starting pitcher Mike Nesseth back to the bullpen was a no-brainer, Huskers' coach Eric Newman said.

“When we evaluated it, Mike was obviously our best starting pitcher, but from a team standpoint, we really needed somebody at the end of the game that could get it done,” Newman said. “Mike had shown last year that he was that guy and able to do that. So when we realized that (finishing games) had become a little bit of a problem, it became a pretty easy decision.”

Newman said he expects Nesseth to serve as the closer for the Huskers for the remainder of the season, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

“He doesn’t look at this as a demotion, and I certainly don’t, either,” Newman said of Nesseth. “I look at it this way: We were putting the best closer in the conference back into his natural role.”

It was a role Nesseth was clearly comfortable in last year as a freshman. The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder from Windom, Minn., made 27 relief appearances in 2008, recording four saves and striking out 53 batters in 37 2/3 innings, while opponents batted just .201 against him.

Nesseth certainly doesn't seem to mind.

“I’d love to stay in the bullpen,” Nesseth said. “Obviously, I’m going to pitch whenever they tell me to pitch, but I think if it works out best for the team with me as the closer, I’d like to stay there.”

TSN Today analyst throws support for Lee

2009-02-25T07:03:00.000-08:00

Also from TSN Today, college football analyst Matt Hayes writes that he believes quarterback Patrick Witt’s departure will have “very little” impact on Nebraska’s football program.

“Witt likely saw where this offense is headed and realized he wasn’t part of the plans,” Hayes wrote. “The Huskers want to use more of a run game with the quarterback and Witt is more of a traditional pro-style quarterback. The positive reverb from Witt’s departure: incoming freshman Cody Green will likely get more reps with the No. 1 offense.”

Hayes is also bullish on the talents of quarterback Zac Lee, who now might look to be the front-runner heading into spring practice, noting that Lee beat out Jeremiah Masoli in 2006 for the starting job at City College of San Francisco.

“Masoli blossomed late last year at Oregon, and will be one of the nation’s top players next fall,” Hayes wrote. “This tells us, at the very least, Lee has some ability.”

Not so Swift?

2009-02-23T07:13:00.000-08:00

It comes as no surprise to Nebraska football fans that former Cornhuskers’ wide receiver Nate Swift came away from last week’s NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis with less than glowing reviews of his physical abilities.

According to The Sporting News Today, “scouts timed (Swift) between 4.66 and 4.69 seconds (in the 40-yard dash) and he did not show the necessary explosive ability. Swift didn’t look at quicker or faster in drills. He remains a likely free-agent prospect.”

What pro teams might do well to notice is that despite his supposed deficiencies, Swift is Nebraska’s all-time receptions leader (166) and ranks second in career receivers yards (2.476) while playing in the Big 12 Conference. Surely, those numbers should count for something.

ESPN.com has Nebraska No. 19 for 2009

2009-02-09T11:20:00.000-08:00

Since it's virtually college football season 365 days a year here in Nebraska, there's really no such thing as a time that's too early to talk about the upcoming season for the Cornhuskers. With that in mind, ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach has NU No. 19 in his revised preseason rankings for 2009.

In his commentary, Schlabach writes: "In his first season as Nebraska's coach, Bo Pelini went a long way toward restoring the pride in the Cornhuskers' defense. Nebraska will have to worry more about its offense going into the 2009 season after losing quarterback Joe Ganz, tailback Marlon Lucky and receivers Todd Peterson and Nate Swift. Patrick Witt and Zac Lee will battle to replace Ganz, and Roy Helu looked like Nebraska's best running back at times during the 2008 season. Seven starters should be back on defense, including Ndamukong Suh, who returned to school instead of entering the NFL draft. The Big 12 schedule might set up nicely for the Cornhuskers, who will play Texas Tech and Oklahoma at home and won't play Texas during the regular season."

As for the top five, Schlabach has Florida No. 1, followed by Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama and Virginia Tech. Nebraska will travel to Blacksburg, Va., to play the Hokies next September.

Pelini would prefer limited number of jucos

2009-02-06T18:04:00.000-08:00

LINCOLN — Shying away from a trend that seemed to be becoming popular with Nebraska's previous coaching staff under Bill Callahan, the Cornhuskers signed just two junior college players in their 2009 recruiting class Wednesday. The two jucos inked included defensive back Dejon Gomes, who comes from City College of San Francisco, and wide receiver Brandon Kinnie from Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College.

“We'd rather move toward high school athletes because you get a chance to get them into your program, into your culture right from the start and develop them right from the beginning,” Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said. “It's a thing that's going to help us down the road.”

When Nebraska does sign junior college players, Pelini said he prefers them to be players who have either three years of eligibility remaining or three years to play two for the Huskers.

“When we do take junior college kids, we're going to look into it and specifically know what we're getting,” Pelini said. “I thought these were two young men we felt that could come in and have an impact on us and were the right kids for our program. Not everybody is.”

Diaz planning to redshirt this season

2009-01-29T09:00:00.000-08:00

LINCOLN -- Nebraska coach Doc Sadler said Wednesday night after his team's 68-62 loss to Kansas that 6-foot-11 post player Brian Diaz has decided to redshirt this season.

Sadler said that the 19-year-old Diaz, who arrived from Puerto Rico less than two weeks ago, told him that he didn’t think he was ready and that he wasn’t in good enough shape to be able to help the team at this point

“I told him I disagree with him because I think he can help the team, but ultimately, I didn’t get him in school when I told him I was going to get him into school,” Sadler said. “I got him here late and I’m not going to penalize him, and it’s nobody’s fault. We just didn’t get a test score.”

Sadler being praised by Big 12 peers

2009-01-21T14:18:00.000-08:00

The coaching job being done by Nebraska’s Doc Sadler so far this season apparently hasn’t gone unnoticed by his peers in the Big 12 Conference.

Sadler, coaching a squad that was recently documented as the shortest team in the country, has the Cornhuskers 12-4 overall and 2-1 in conference play heading into Wednesday night’s 8:05 p.m. (ESPNU) game at No. 6-ranked Oklahoma (17-1, 3-0 Big 12). Nebraska is coming off a 73-51 home victory against Kansas State last Saturday, moving Sadler’s team into a four-way tie for third place.

While NU’s first three Big 12 opponents — Missouri, Iowa State and Kansas State — aren’t necessarily the strongest teams in the league, count Wildcats’ coach Frank Martin among those impressed by what Sadler is getting out of his under-sized crew.

“Doc Sadler has won championships in high school, junior college, won 27 games at UTEP — his teams are going to compete as hard as anybody’s in the country, consistently,” Martin said. “It’s what he does. They’ve got a lot to be proud of up there.”

Huskers fall short of top-25 ranking

2009-01-09T08:36:00.000-08:00

The final polls came out late Thursday night/early Friday morning and Nebraska was left on the outside looking in at the top 25 of both the Associated Press media poll and the USA Today coaches' poll.

Despite a 9-4 record and a Gator Bowl victory over Clemson, the Cornhuskers wound up No. 29 in the AP poll and No. 30 in the coaches' poll. Four-loss teams that did make the AP top 25 included Mississippi, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Missouri, Iowa, Florida State, Georgia Tech, West Virginia and Michigan State. Those teams and California were four-loss teams that finished inside the top 25 of the coaches' poll.

In the end, after last year's 5-7 season, Nebraska's season probably lacked the kind of signature victory needed to recapture the attention of national voters -- something that could've happened if NU had been able to pull off an overtime upset at Texas Tech. Of the Huskers' nine wins this season, only one of them came with coach Bo Pelini's team as the underdog (Clemson).

Truth be told, Nebraska still has a lot of momentum heading into the offseason with its four-game winning streak and a ranking in the lower part of the top 25 would've been nice for the Huskers, but doesn't take away from what they accomplished.

Peterson not discounting Oklahoma defense

2009-01-08T13:51:00.000-08:00

Todd Peterson put his personal experiences to work recently as the former Nebraska Cornhuskers’ wide receiver played the role of college football analyst for a national sports magazine.

In a bowl preview for The Sporting News, Peterson provided his analysis of Thursday night’s BCS national championship game between Oklahoma and Florida. Of course, Peterson has first-hand knowledge of the Sooners, who beat Nebraska 62-28 on Nov. 1 in Norman, Okla.

“I played against Oklahoma’s defense and I’d say they don’t really have a weakness,” Peterson told TSN. “They’ve got athletes all across the board.”

Peterson discounts the notion frequently pushed forward by national media types that Oklahoma’s defense is suspect. The Grand Island native contends that the talented offenses in the Big 12 Conference have skewed people’s perception.

“We’ve put up outrageous offensive numbers, and I know the defensive guys don’t like to hear how we don’t play defense in this conference,” Peterson said. “I know Oklahoma played a tough non-conference schedule, and I think they played well defensively in those games.”

Offensively, Peterson told TSN that the Sooners obviously possess a host of weapons — led by Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford at quarterback.

“It will be a fun game to watch because Florida is the same way,” Peterson said. “It’s just a matter of who can limit the big plays because they’re both such explosive offenses.”

Carl Pelini grades his little brother

2009-01-02T12:01:00.000-08:00

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- After last year's 5-7 record, it's probably safe to say that that most Nebraska football fans -- at least the realistic ones -- would've been thrilled if they were told in the preseason that the Cornhuskers would come back and post a 9-4 record and win a New Year's Day bowl game.

That's exactly where Nebraska stands following Thursday's 26-21 victory over Clemson in the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl. Considering the rebuilding job that coach Bo Pelini and his staff undertook -- particular with the team's confidence -- it's safe to say that this group has earned high marks in its first season together.

So, what's defensive coordinator Carl Pelini's take on how his little brother, Bo, handled his first full season as a head coach?

“I think he would say that we’re not perfect, but I’ll tell you what, as a program and instilling the qualities that you need to win championships -- the fortitude he talked about, the perseverance, the work ethic, the accountability, the trust -- all those things are in place now as we move forward," Carl Pelini said. “Bo’s a modest guy. He doesn’t have a lot of ego and I think he probably would say that he failed in certain respects at times, but for me, I look at it and say I can’t think of too many things that I wish we had done differently.”

Gator Bowl prediction

2009-01-01T09:39:00.000-08:00

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The warm weather the Nebraska football team has enjoyed throughout its stay here as given way to slightly cooler temps as it's 57 degrees 10 minutes prior to kickoff at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.

The Cornhuskers will be wearing a round black sticker on the back of their helmets, showing the initials "AP" to honor the late Anthony Pelini, who died last week at the age of 85. Pelini was the father of Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini and defensive coordinator Carl Pelini.

While the win would obviously be meaningful for the Pelinis after going through some rough times in the last week and a half, Bo Pelini said Wednesday that winning the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl against Clemson is not about him or his family. Nebraska's players seem to think otherwise. Huskers' quarterback Joe Ganz said he and his teammates would like nothing more than to give their head coach and his brother a victory.

As for the game, it will be a battle of strength on strength when Nebraska's offense takes the field against Clemson's defense. While not statistically impressive, the Husker defense and Tiger offense made improvements in the closing weeks of the season, so that will be worth watching as well.

If there's one matchup that favors Nebraska, most figure it's the Huskers' defensive line against the Clemson offensive line. However, Carl Pelini warned several times this past week that the Tigers have solidified up front and not to put too much stock in the notion.

In the final analysis, this looks like a typical bowl-game toss-up and whoever can make a few big plays and avoid costly turnovers will come out on top. Oddsmakers list Clemson as a 2 1/2-point favorite, but we'll take Nebraska to win 27-24 on an Alex Henery field goal. Why not? After all, it's Henery's 57-yard kick against Colorado that got the Huskers here in the New Year's Day Bowl in the first place.

Remembering Woody's final punch

2008-12-29T10:19:00.000-08:00

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- There was an interesting story in Monday's Florida Times-Union about this year's Konica Minolta Gator Bowl being the 30th anniversary of the infamous sideline punch that ended the career of Ohio State coaching great Woody Hayes.

The story quotes former Clemson nose guard Charlie Bauman, who was on the receiving end of Hayes' fateful blow, and clearly doesn't seem to appreciate that he's the answer to the trivia question. Bauman intercepted an Art Schlichter pass with 1:59 remaining to all but seal a 17-15 victory for the Tigers over Ohio State in the 1978 Gator Bowl.

As a result, Hayes resigned as head coach of the Buckeyes the following morning before even leaving Jacksonville. Hayes, who died in 1987, finished his career with a 205-61-10 coaching record with the Buckeyes, including winning three national titles and 13 Big Ten championships.

NU gets physical in first on-site practice

2008-12-27T20:21:00.000-08:00

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Nebraska’s coaching staff didn’t wait long to set the tone for Gator Bowl practices, pitting the No. 1 offense against the No. 1 defense in a 10-minute scrimmage in the first team period of Saturday’s session.

NU offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said his team’s intensity was “real good” for the Huskers’ first practice since arriving in the Jacksonville area Friday afternoon. Outside of some dropped balls by receivers and a few timing issues, Watson said he was pleased with the two-hour workout at Hodges Stadium on the campus of the University of North Florida.

“They’re really fresh,” Watson said of the Huskers. “It looks like day one of fall camp in terms of legs and how fast they’re going.
“I think that there’s a level of expectation that has developed. They understand what it takes to win and how hard you’ve got to work to win -- and at that, there really are no guarantees -- so you’ve really got to put everything into it.”

Members of Nebraska’s coaching staff informed the players there would be a brief scrimmage Saturday morning.

“The kids enjoyed that,” Watson said. “We wanted to get back to hitting each other, our offense attacking and our defense actually tackling.
“There was a lot of spirit in practice. They played hard and they played physical, so it was a good way to start.”

1982 Orange Bowl: Missed opportunity

2008-12-17T13:53:00.000-08:00

With Nebraska and Clemson preparing to square off on Jan. 1 in the Gator Bowl at Jacksonville, Fla., it's interesting to look back and recall the last time the Cornhuskers and Tigers met on the gridiron in the 1982 Orange Bowl following the 1981 season.

As things shook out, a Nebraska victory could’ve given Nebraska coach Tom Osborne his first national title -- something he’d have to wait another dozen years to capture. Earlier on New Year’s Day, Pittsburgh’s win over No. 2-ranked Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and Texas’ victory over No. 3 Alabama in the Cotton Bowl had opened the door for the fourth-ranked Huskers - - if they could only beat No. 1 Clemson.

Although the Tigers were undefeated and ranked ahead of Nebraska, the Huskers were actually four-point favorites in the contest. NU came into the Orange Bowl winners of eight consecutive games after a 1-2 start.

“It was an interesting game and, of course, they were named national champions after that game, so it was memorable,” Osborne said of the Clemson Tigers. “Naturally, we would’ve liked to have done better, but on the other hand, I thought our team played very hard and played very well.
“Of course, Clemson played a great game.”

Despite taking a 7-3 first-quarter lead on Mike Rozier’s I-back option pass to Anthony Steels for a 25-yard touchdown, Nebraska was bottled up by Clemson’s defense most of the night, managing just 256 total yards. The Tigers led 22-7 after three quarters, powered by quarterback Homer Jordan, who finished as the game’s most valuable offensive player with 134 yards passing and 46 yards rushing.

Nebraska cut its deficit to 22-15 on Roger Craig’s 26-yard TD run and his two-point conversion run with 9:15 to play. However, a key penalty wiped out the Huskers’ best scoring opportunity after that as Rozier’s 13-yard run to midfield was nullified by a clipping penalty and NU eventually had to punt.

Clemson took over with 5:24 remaining at its own 20-yard line and didn’t give the football back to Nebraska until just six seconds remained. From their own 46, the Huskers’ last hope was a Hail Mary pass, but quarterback Mark Mauer’s attempt was broken up, leaving the Tigers with the victory and the national title.

Pelini votes Nebraska No. 22

2008-12-09T09:55:00.000-08:00

It's always fun every year as this time to take a peek at the USA Today coaches' poll as the media outlet publishes the ballot of each of the 61 coaches for the first time of the year.

There's little doubt that keeping tabs on every other team in the country, while trying to coach your own, is a difficult task, but it's interesting to see how some of the coaches feel about other teams around the country and the perceived slights that might exist. For instance, in this USA Today graphic, it's noteworthy that Missouri coach Gary Pinkel is apparently much less impressed with non-BCS conference programs like Utah and TCU than any of his peers.

Also of note to Nebraska fans is the ballot of Cornhuskers head coach Bo Pelini, who voted his squad No. 22. Pelini's top five (in order): Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, Southern California and Alabama.

Gator Bowl tickets available for NU fans

2008-12-04T15:57:00.000-08:00

Nebraska has yet to officially accept a bid to the Gator Bowl to play Clemson, but ...

The University of Nebraska has announced that fans may begin buying tickets for the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl, the Huskers' likely postseason destination. The game will be played on Jan. 1, 2009, at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium and the bowl announced on Wednesday that Clemson will represent the Atlantic Coast Conference in the game.

"It is all but certain that Nebraska will be playing in the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl," Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe said. "Formal Big 12 procedures prevent the conference from making an official announcement until Sunday afternoon. We are aware that fans from all of our schools, including Nebraska, want to begin making plans to attend these contests."

Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne encouraged Nebraska fans to purchase tickets from the school's allotment of 12,750 tickets for the Gator Bowl.

"The seats the Gator Bowl has set aside for the participating schools are in excellent locations, and we want our fans to get a chance to purchase those tickets as soon as possible," Osborne said. "Our fans have always supported us very well in past bowl games and we hope there will be outstanding support for our matchup with Clemson in the Gator Bowl."

Tickets may be purchased on-line at Huskers.com or by calling the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-8-BIG RED. Tickets for the 2009 Konica Minolta Gator Bowl are $50 each.

Nebraska-Colorado predictions

2008-11-28T11:55:00.000-08:00

LINCOLN -- The final game of the regular season has arrived. Doesn't it seem like yesterday that Nebraska kicked off the Bo Pelini era against Western Michigan?

Colorado comes to Lincoln in the same position the Huskers were in last year at Boulder: owners of a 5-6 record and needing a victory to become bowl eligible. As several Nebraska players pointed out this week, they'd like nothing better than to make sure the Buffaloes stay home for the holidays.

Nebraska is listed as an 18.5-point favorite, but as we know, anything can happen in these so-called "rivalry" games.

The picks:

Kevin Schuster, sports writer: Nebraska 38-17
Tony Boone, sports writer: Nebraska 41-20
Bob Gonderinger, sports writer: Nebraska 42-24
Bob Hamar, assistant sports editor: Nebraska 34-10
Terry Douglass, sports editor: Nebraska 38-21

Nebraska getting votes, preparing for CU

2008-11-23T12:00:00.000-08:00

The Nebraska football team is scheduled to return to practice Sunday in preparation for a short week, capped by Friday's 2:30 p.m. (ABC) regular-season finale against Colorado.

The Cornhuskers will be trying to head to a bowl game riding a wave of momentum with a third consecutive win. While coach Bo Pelini's team will be facing a beat-up bunch of Buffaloes, you can bet that Colorado coach Dan Hawkins will be pulling out all the stops in his team's annual red-letter game where a win would make CU bowl eligible.

Nebraska (7-4, 4-3 Big 12) was among teams receiving votes in both major polls Sunday. The Huskers were the equivalent of 34th in the USA Today coaches' poll with three points and tied for 36th in the Associated Press media poll with one point.

While it's not plausible to think that every team that beat another team should be ranked higher (see Oklahoma and Texas), it's interesting to note that Western Michigan is 30th in the coaches' poll and 32nd in the AP poll. Interesting because Nebraska defeated Western Michigan 47-24 in the season opener on Aug. 30 at Lincoln.

Offensive approach keys NU rebound

2008-11-21T07:13:00.001-08:00

Nebraska's Bo Pelini won't sniff any Big 12 Conference coach-of-the-year honors this season, but it says here that he should be at least considered after getting the Cornhuskers back to a bowl game and possibly an eight-win regular season.

The irony of the situation is that while Pelini was brought in to fix Nebraska’s defense and the Blackshirts (yes, they’re Blackshirts now) are improved, truth is it has been the Huskers’ ball-hogging offensive approach has been the key to the turnaround. Consider that last year’s defense allowed an average of 6.1 yards per play and this year’s defense is giving up 5.8 yards per snap.

The difference? With NU near the top of the country in time of possession, its defense is facing an average of 15 fewer plays per game.

Some might say that time of possession doesn't matter or is an overrated statistic. That may be true in some cases, but not for Nebraska.

Nebraska-Kansas predictions

2008-11-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

LINCOLN -- It's cold and windy here at Memorial Stadium and both teams will battle the elements with their high-powered passing games. Could it be one of those days that takes us back to the good ol' days of the Big Eight Conference when the team that could run the ball and stop the run best wins? We'll see.

Despite taking a 76-39 drubbing from the Jayhawks last year at Lawrence, the Cornhuskers insisted this week that revenge won't be a factor. Still, it's hard that won't be brought up at some point in Nebraska's locker room.

The predictions:

Tony Chapman, sports writer: Nebraska 38, Kansas 29

Dale Miller, staff writer: Nebraska 28, Kansas 24

Brian Ayers, sports writer: Kansas 35, Nebraska 30

Tony Boone, sports writer: Kansas 35, Nebraska 27

Terry Douglass, sports editor: Nebraska 35, Kansas 31

Nebraska-Oklahoma predictions

2008-11-01T16:22:00.000-07:00

NORMAN, Okla. -- The weather for tonight's Nebraska-Oklahoma game couldn't be much nicer. As we drove to the stadium this afternoon, the temperature was about 85 degrees with barely a breath of wind.

The Cornhuskers obviously face a tall order as 22-point underdogs against the No. 4-ranked Sooners. Oklahoma is 58-2 at home in Bob Stoops' 10 years as head coach, making things even more difficult for Nebraska in a night game at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

OU has be prone to giving up big plays in recent weeks, but the Sam Bradford-led Sooner offense has also be virtually unstoppable. Nebraska will likely try to keep things close by continuing its ball-control style of offense. Will it be enough for the Huskers to still be hanging around in the fourth quarter?

The picks:

Terry Douglass, sports editor: Oklahoma 45, Nebraska 27
Bob Hamar, assistant sports editor: Oklahoma 35, Nebraska 21
Tony Boone, sports writer: Oklahoma 45, Nebraska 24

Nebraska-Baylor predictions

2008-10-25T09:11:00.000-07:00

LINCOLN -- Nebraska returns home for the first time since Oct. 4 for a home game as the Cornhuskers host the Baylor Bears.

Remarkably, Nebraska will be bidding for its first October home victory since its 2005 double-overtime win (27-20) against Iowa State in 2005. Since then, the Huskers are 0-6 at Memorial Stadium in October with losses to Texas Tech (34-31) and Oklahoma (31-24) in 2005, Texas (22-20) in 2006, Oklahoma State (45-14) and Texas A&M (36-14) in 2007 and Missouri (52-17) earlier this season.

Time for the Huskers to end the skid?

Predictions:

Terry Douglass, sports editor: Nebraska 35, Baylor 21
Dale Miller, staff writer: Nebraska 35, Baylor 10
Kevin Schuster, sports writer: Nebraska 38, Baylor 20
Brian Ayers, sports writer: Nebraska 31, Baylor 21
Tony Chapman, sports writer: Nebraska 31, Baylor 17

NU-Oklahoma set for prime-time telecast

2008-10-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

LINCOLN -- Nebraska and Oklahoma will renew one of college football’s traditional rivalries before a prime-time national television audience on Nov. 1. The Big 12 Conference has announced that the Huskers’ matchup with No. 4-ranked Oklahoma in Norman will be televised nationally by either ABC or ESPN, beginning at 7 p.m.

The network for the telecast will be determined after this Saturday’s games. It will either be on ABC or ESPN.

The national telecast against Oklahoma will mark the fifth consecutive week Nebraska has been televised nationally. The Huskers have also been on national television against Missouri (ESPN), Texas Tech (FSN), Iowa State (Versus) and will be this week against Baylor (Versus).

The matchup between Texas and Texas Tech will also be played at 7 p.m. on Nov. 1 and will be carried on ABC or ESPN. Other Big 12 games selected for telecast on Nov. 1 include Kansas State at Kansas (11:30 a.m., FSN) and Iowa State at Oklahoma State (2:30 p.m., ABC).

The meeting between Nebraska and Oklahoma is the first regular-season meeting between the schools since a 2005 matchup in Lincoln. The teams also met in the 2006 Big 12 Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

Game times and television information for Nebraska’s Nov. 8 game against Kansas and Nov. 15 game at Kansas State will be determined six to 12 days in advance. The Huskers’ Nov. 28 game against Colorado will be televised nationally on ABC, beginning at 2:30 p.m.

Nebraska-Iowa State predictions

2008-10-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

AMES, Iowa -- Husker fans, don't freak out when you turn on the TV for this morning's game. Despite what you initially see, Nebraska isn't playing USC -- those are just Iowa State Cyclones disguised in Trojan gear.

Anyway, Nebraska comes into Jack Trice Stadium trying to shake a three-game losing streak. The Huskers are emerging from a brutal stretch that included losses to Virginia Tech, Missouri and Texas Tech -- all ranked teams -- and must avoid thinking they can let up any today. After all, ISU is 5-5 on its home field under second-year coach Gene Chizik and led ranked Kansas 20-0 at halftime two weeks ago before eventually losing to the Jayhawks 35-33.

Will the Huskers bounce back today?

The predictions:

Bob Hamar, assistant sports editor: Nebraska 31, Iowa State 17

Tony Boone, sports writer: Nebraska 20, Iowa State 14

Terry Douglass, sports editor: Nebraska 27, Iowa State 24

Nebraska-Texas Tech predictions

2008-10-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Nebraska returns to the site of its infamous 70-10 loss to Texas Tech in 2004. Fortunately for the Huskers, not many players in the program now were here for that one, so it shouldn't be much of a factor.

That said, this is probably a much better Texas Tech team than Nebraska faced back in 2004. Judging from last week's performance in a 52-17 home loss to Missouri, it would appear the Huskers will have a difficult time keeping it close against the Red Raiders at Jones AT&T Stadium.

The predictions:

Terry Douglass, sports editor: Texas Tech 56, Nebraska 28
Dale Miller, sports writer: Texas Tech 63, Nebraska 17
Chad Covey, correspondent: Texas Tech 45, Nebraska 27

Nebraska-Missouri predictions

2008-10-04T18:01:00.000-07:00

LINCOLN -- Nebraska and Missouri are about to kick things off here in Memorial Stadium in the Big 12 Conference opener for both teams. The Tigers come in looking for their first victory at Memorial Stadium since 1978.

Will Mizzou's misery in Lincoln end tonight? We'll find out shortly.

The predictions:

Kevin Schuster, sports writer: Missouri 42-21
Tony Boone, sports writer: Missouri 41-23
Bob Hamar, assistant sports editor: Missouri 48-20
Tony Chapman, sports writer: Nebraska 31-26
Terry Douglass, sports editor: Missouri 38-24

Nebraska-Virginia Tech predictions

2008-09-27T17:02:00.000-07:00

LINCOLN -- No time for intros today. Here are the picks:

Dale Miller, staff writer: Nebraska 24, Virginia Tech 20
Kevin Schuster, sports writer: Nebraska 17, Virginia Tech 13
Brian Ayers, sports writer: Nebraska 29, Virginia Tech 16
Bob Gonderinger, sports writer: Nebraska 31, Virginia Tech 21
Terry Douglass, sports editor: Nebraska 20, Virginia Tech 17

SI.com asks: When will Nebraska regain national relevance?

2008-09-26T07:17:00.000-07:00

The Nebraska football team steps back onto a national stage Saturday night against Virginia Tech. Well, it's at least a semi-national stage as ABC's split national telecast will send the Penn State-Illinois game to most of the country.

Still, this marks a chance for the Cornhuskers to show just how much progress they've made under first-year head coach Bo Pelini and his staff. On Thursday, SI.com's Stewart Mandel asks: "When will Nebraska regain its national relevance?"

Clearly, this is a big game for Nebraska, but not just because its the first true test for the Huskers or the fact that Pelini's team could scratch and claw its way into the top 25. It's huge from a confidence standpoint as NU a desperately needs a victory over the Hokies to gain as much momentum as possible as top-10 foes Missouri and Texas Tech await.

A loss Saturday night and Nebraska could easily be looking at a three-game losing skid that would drop it back to .500. After last season's confidence-shattering campaign, that could serve as a major setback.

Then again, it might be all about how the Huskers play. Even if it would go 0-3 or 1-2 in the upcoming three-game stretch, but remained competitive, that could be something this team could build on. Certainly, there's no shame in not beating a top-10 team (not many do), but performances like last year's losses to Missouri and Oklahoma State aren't going to be viewed kindly, even in a year of transition.

Peterson: Va. Tech measuring stick for NU

2008-09-22T06:31:00.001-07:00

In another installment of his player diary for The Sporting News Today, Nebraska’s Todd Peterson said Saturday night’s game against Virginia Tech will be serve as a good measuring stick for the Cornhuskers.

“We haven’t played our best yet,” wrote Peterson, a senior wide receiver from Grand Island. “We still have a lot to improve, and it’s going to be important that we improve heading into this stretch.”

After Virginia Tech, Nebraska (3-0) faces No. 6-ranked Missouri at home and No. 10 Texas Tech on the road.

Peterson also wrote that playing the Hokies gives the Huskers an opportunity to prove that Nebraska “can be in the upper-echelon again.”

TSN Today debates: Huskers for real, or not?

2008-09-18T09:04:00.000-07:00

In a column for Sporting News Today, college football writer Matt Hayes debates (with himself) whether or not three fallen powers are headed back to their glory days of past, noting that Nebraska, Notre Dame and Florida State will all get their first true tests of the season in their next game.

Notre Dame plays at Michigan State Saturday, while Florida State hosts No. 18 Wake Forest. Nebraska's test comes Sept. 27 when the Cornhuskers host Virginia Tech.

Of Nebraska, Hayes wrote: "Nebraska (3-0), which in four years under Bill Callahan looked more like a bad NFL team than the Big Red 18-wheeler we've come to love, is off this week before playing host to Virginia Tech in first-year coach Bo Pelini's first big test."

Hayes' case for Nebraska being legit? "For the first time in four years, this team is playing with passion -- and more importantly, playing smart and aggressive on defense.

His case for the Huskers possibly being a fraud? "Who on this offense scares you?"

NU-Virginia Tech to meet in prime time on ABC

2008-09-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

LINCOLN -- ABC Sports and the Big 12 Conference announced on Monday that Nebraska’s Sept. 27 home game against Virginia Tech will be televised by ABC with the telecast set for 7 p.m. The game will be carried as part of ABC’s Saturday Night football package.

The game will be carried on a split-national basis along with the Illinois-Penn State game. The ABC coverage map for the Nebraska-Virginia Tech game will be available next week and announcers for the contest will also be determined at that time.

The matchup with Virginia Tech will be the Huskers’ first appearance of the season on ABC. Entering the 2008 season, Nebraska has played on ABC at least three times in each of the past 15 seasons, and this also marks the 16th straight year the Huskers have had a non-conference game televised by ABC.

Nebraska is also set to appear on ABC against Colorado in the regular-season finale, and any additional games on the network will be announced six to 12 days in advance of game day.

The Nebraska-Virginia Tech will mark Nebraska’s third home night game of the 2008 season. The Huskers have defeated Western Michigan and New Mexico State in night contests at Memorial Stadium this season. Overall, Nebraska has a 26-3 all-time record in home night games.

Nebraska-New Mexico State predictions

2008-09-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

LINCOLN -- It could be a late night at Memorial Stadium as New Mexico State coach Hal Mumme and his pass-happy attack will almost certainly be chucking it all over the place with quarterack Chase Holbrook.

The biggest questions for Nebraska are will the Huskers be able to finally get their running game going against the Aggies and how will the defense handle what is expected to be the best version of the spread offense it has faced to far this year.

Coach Bo Pelini and his squad would obviously like a sharp performance that would allow them to take some momentum into the bye week. Is this the week the Huskers play as well as they've practiced?

Predictions:

Terry Douglass, sports editor: Nebraska 56, New Mexico State 20
Dale Miller, staff writer: Nebraska 35, New Mexico State 14
Brian Ayers, sports writer: Nebraska 51, New Mexico State 21
Tony Boone, sports writer: Nebraska 34, New Mexico State 20
Bob Gonderinger, sports writer: Nebraska 42, New Mexico State 35

Nebraska-San Jose State predictions

2008-09-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

LINCOLN -- We're getting ready to kick things off for game two of the 2008 season as Nebraska hosts 26 1/2-point underdog San Jose State at Memorial Stadium.

The Cornhuskers will be looking to cut down on their defensive mistakes and pump up the running game after having a few problems in both areas in last week's 47-24 victory over Western Michigan. This week affords Nebraska's defense an opportunity to test itself against a spread offense -- something that defensive coordinator Carl Pelini's unit will be seeing a lot of in the near future.

The picks:

Terry Douglass, sports editor: Nebraska 44, San Jose State 20

Bob Hamar, assistant sports editor: Nebraska 48, San Jose State 21

Brian Ayers, sports writer: Nebraska 35, San Jose State 0

Tony Boone, sports writer: Nebraska 51, San Jose State 13

Tony Chapman, sports writer: Nebraska 52, San Jose State 10

Nebraska-Western Michigan predictions

2008-08-30T15:36:00.000-07:00

LINCOLN -- Best T-shirt of the day seen on the way to Memorial Stadium goes to young lady wearing one that read: "My Bo-Friend's Back." Yes indeed, the Bo Pelini era at Nebraska kicks off tonight at Memorial Stadium and there's obviously plenty of anticipation for his debut.

It should be a very interesting season, to say the least. Considering East Carolina's victory over Virginia Tech this afternoon, a 4-0 start could be a distinct possibility for the Huskers. Then again, let's see how things go against the Broncos tonight.

The predictions:
--Terry Douglass, sports editor: Nebraska 35, Western Michigan 17
--Dale Miller, staff writer: Nebraska 37, Western Michigan 24
--Brian Ayers, sports writer: Nebraska 31, Western Michigan 10
--Tony Boone, sports writer: Nebraska 28, Western Michigan 20
--Kevin Schuster, sports writer: Nebraska 27, Western Michigan 17

NU depth chart for Western Michigan

2008-08-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

LINCOLN -- Nebraska released its depth chart for Saturday night's season opener against Western Michigan today.

There were no major surprises with the possible exception of Mike Smith being listed as the No. 1 left tackle ahead of Jaivorio Burkes, who was No. 1 at right tackle going into fall camp, but has missed practice time dealing with blood-pressure issues. Lydon Murtha, listed as the starter at left tackle on the preseason depth chart, is now listed as the starting right tackle.

At I-back, you can add another "or" as now there's not only an "or" between Marlon Lucky and Roy Helu, but also an "or" between Helu and Quentin Castille.

On defense, no preseason depth chart No. 1s were unseated. True freshmen linebackers Will Compton (Mike) and Sean Fisher (Buck) have moved into backup roles.

Nebraska Depth Chart
OFFENSE
Left tackle--Mike Smith, So.; Jaivorio Burkes, So.
Left guard--Mike Huff, Sr.; Keith Williams, So.
Center--Jacob Hickman, Jr.; Mike Caputo, RFr.
Right guard--Matt Slauson, Sr.; D.J. Jones, So.
Right tackle--Lydon Murtha, Sr.; Marcel Jones, RFr.
Tight end--Mike McNeill, So.; Dreu Young, So.; Ryan Hill, RFr.; Ben Cotton, Fr.
Wide receiver (X)--Nate Swift, Sr.; Menelik Holt, Jr.; Will Henry, So.; Chris Brooks, Jr.
Wide receiver (Z)--Todd Peterson, Sr.; Niles Paul, So. (or) Curenski Gilleylen, RFr.
Quarterback--Joe Ganz, Sr.; Patrick Witt, RFr.; Zac Lee, So.
Fullback--Thomas Lawson, Sr.; Justin Makovicka, So.
I-back--Marlon Lucky, Sr. (or) Roy Helu Jr., So. (or) Quentin Castille, So.

DEFENSE
Base end--Zach Potter, Sr.; Clayton Sievers, Sr.
Nose tackle--Ndamukong Suh, Jr.; Shukree Barfield, Sr.; Terrence Moore, RFr.
Defensive tackle--Ty Steinkuhler, Sr.; Jared Crick, RFr.
Open end--Barry Turner, Sr.; Pierre Allen, So.
Will linebacker--Cody Glenn, Sr.; Blake Lawrence, So.
Mike linebacker--Phillip Dillard, Jr.; Will Compton, Fr.; Colton Koehler, Jr.
Buck linebacker--Tyler Wortman, Sr.; Sean Fisher, Fr.
Right cornerback--Anthony West, So.; Prince Amukamara, So.
Strong safety--Larry Asante, Jr.; Major Culbert, Jr.
Free safety--Rickey Thenarse, Jr.; Matt O’Hanlon, Sr.
Left cornerback--Armando Murillo, Sr.; Eric Hagg, So.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Place-kicker--Alex Henery, So. (or) Adi Kunalic, So.
Punter--Dan Titchener, Sr.; Jake Wesch, Sr.
Long snapper--T.J. O'Leary, Sr.; Justin Baumgartner, Sr.
Punt returns--Nate Swift, Sr.; Niles Paul, So.
Kickoff returns--Larry Asante, Jr.; Niles Paul, So.

KSU's Freeman recalls recruiting reverse

2008-08-19T15:18:00.000-07:00

With quarterback Josh Freeman set to enter his junior year at Kansas State, the story of how he de-committed from Nebraska to sign with the Wildcats and coach Ron Prince is old news.

However, Freeman did touch on the subject at last month’s Big 12 media days, noting how Prince won him over back in December of 2005.

“At that time, I would say I was maybe kind of wavering in my commitment to Nebraska,” Freeman said. “Missouri coaches have been in my ear, my dad really wanted me to go visit Oklahoma and several coaches were wanting to schedule in-home visits.”

After Prince was named the head coach at Kansas State, Freeman was told by his father that Prince wanted want of those in-home visits.

“At that point, I didn’t really even seen Kansas State anywhere in the picture,” Freeman said. “I was like, ‘Well, it’s his time. He can waste it if he wants.”

Freeman said Prince arrived soon after and visited with his parents for an hour before he got home from school. Then, he started putting the full-court press on Freeman.

“Man, he just really blew us out of the water and with just the type of man he was,” Freeman said. “Coach Prince had similar types of beliefs and morals and the type of stuff we believed in. My parents loved him.

“I still wasn’t sold on the idea of coming to Kansas State, but in the back of my mind, I was kind of thinking (Prince) was the right guy to play for.”

Freeman said he then took an unofficial visit to KSU’s campus in Manhattan, Kan., on a December day during the semester break to check things out.

“It was like a ghost town and a cloudy day and I was thinking, ‘Why would I want to come here?” Freeman said. “But I talked to my parents about it, prayed about it and it ended up being the right decision.”

Former NU coach Frank Solich chats with TSN Today

2008-08-11T06:19:00.000-07:00

It's difficult to believe, but it's coming up on five years this November since Frank Solich was fired as the head coach at Nebraska, despite his 58-19 record. Since the controversial move, Solich has guided Ohio to a 19-18 record over the past three years and took the program to its first bowl game in 38 years (2006 GMAC Bowl).

In Saturday's edition of The Sporting News Today, Solich was the subject of a brief Q&A for the online magazine. Of course, Solich was asked about the biggest adjustment from coaching at Nebraska to coaching at Ohio.

Solich's response: "There is interest in athletics here, but the interest at Nebraska really is at the top. You look at the fact that it is the only Division I school in the state, and we have several Division I schools here (in Ohio). The competition for support is a lot different than what it was at Nebraska."

Read Solich's complete Q&A here.

GICC grad Wortman featured on Huskers.com

2008-08-06T07:55:00.000-07:00

Grand Island Central Catholic graduate Tyler Wortman is featured in a story posted Tuesday on www.huskers.com.

The senior linebacker entered fall camp Monday as the starter on the depth chart at the "Buck" linebacker position. The story details Wortman's now-infamous knock down of the staged option play pitch in the spring game as well as his academic accomplishments at Nebraska.

As the story notes, Wortman is a recipient of both a Regents and Kiewit Scholarship. He owns a 3.956 grade-point average, majoring in mechanical engineering, and the first-team academic All-Big 12 selection is scheduled to graduate in May 2009.

FSN to preview Nebraska's 2008 football season

2008-08-02T08:54:00.000-07:00

I'm guessing most Husker fans already have the DVRs fired up for this one, but just in case ...

FSN previews the 2008 Nebraska football season in a 30-minute special premiering Saturday and airing throughout August on FSN Kansas City and FSN Midwest.

FSN’s Nebraska Football Preview includes:

· An interview with new head coach Bo Pelini

· A profile of quarterback Joe Ganz

· Interviews with offensive lineman Matt Slauson and defensive end Barry Turner

· A review of the Huskers 2007 season

· Analysis of Nebraska’s competition in the Big 12 North

The Nebraska Football Preview airs at the following dates and times on FSN Kansas City and FSN Midwest:

· Saturday, Aug. 2 at 3 p.m.

· Monday, Aug. 4 at 9 p.m. (FSN Midwest only)

· Monday, Aug. 4 at 11:30 p.m. (FSN Kansas City only)

· Saturday, Aug. 9 at 12 p.m.

· Saturday, Aug. 16 at 2:30 p.m. (FSN Midwest only)

· Monday, Aug. 18 at 9:30 p.m.

· Friday, Aug. 22 at 12 p.m.

· Friday, Aug. 22 at 10:30 p.m. (FSN Kansas City only)

· Saturday, Aug. 23 at 8 p.m. (FSN Midwest only)

· Monday, Aug. 25 at 9:30 p.m. (FSN Midwest only)

· Saturday, Aug. 30 at 1:30 p.m.

The Nebraska Preview will also air on other FSN regional networks. Check local listings for dates and times. FSN is also producing football previews for other schools in the Big 12. Air dates on FSN Midwest and FSN Kansas City for those shows can be found at FoxSports.com/Midwest or FoxSports.com/Kansas City.

- FSN -

(all times central)

NU's Peterson makes debut as sports columnist

2008-07-31T12:52:00.001-07:00

Nebraska senior wide receiver Todd Peterson has earned many different accolades to put on his resume during his college football career with the Cornhuskers. Now he can add another: sports columnist.

Peterson is one of several college football players who have written first-person perspective columns for The Sporting News Today, a new sports publication that’s distributed daily online. Peterson's column: "Life as a Cornhusker just the life for me" was published in Wednesday's edition.

In his column, Peterson explains what it's like to grow up as a Cornhusker football fan in the state of Nebraska. The Central Catholic High School graduate recalled his grade school days back in Grand Island when he and his classmates would have contests predicting the final score of NU football games each week.

"That's when Nebraska was on that incredible run and no one ever played them close," Peterson wrote. "So every week, it was picking scores like 62-7, 56-9, and if you were the closest, you got a piece of candy or got out of homework or something like that."

Media poll pegs Huskers third in the North

2008-07-17T12:48:00.000-07:00

While hopes might be higher in the Cornhusker state, media regularly covering the Big 12 Conference have picked Nebraska to finish third in the North Division this season. That's probably a fair assessment considering that NU is coming of a 5-7 campaign and has plenty of confidence to try and rebuild on the defensive side of the football.

Missouri is everyone's choice to win the North Division and face Oklahoma in a repeat of last year's Big 12 championship game. Texas did get two first-place votes in the South.

As for the Huskers, they barely edged Colorado for the No. 3 spot in the North by a two-point margin in the voting. That probably has a lot to do with the fact that this year's NU-CU matchup will be in Lincoln, perhaps giving Nebraska the edge.

In other Big 12 football news, Nebraska running back Marlon Lucky was named to the All-Big 12 preseason team, also voted on by media types. Lucky was the lone Husker named to the squad.

2008 Big 12 Preseason Football Poll (Media Vote)
North
1. Missouri (51) 306
2. Kansas 234
3. Nebraska 183
4. Colorado 181
5. Kansas State 108
6. Iowa State 59

South
1. Oklahoma (49) 304
2. Texas (2) 230
3. Texas Tech 227
4. Oklahoma State 140
5. Texas A&M 118
6. Baylor 52

First-place votes in parentheses

NU's Anderson: Pitching Jennings not a risk

2008-05-30T12:25:00.000-07:00

LINCOLN -- There's an old saying among baseball coaches that goes something like this: "Game one, gotta throw your gun."

Several well-intentioned skippers have attempted to fly in the face of that long-standing logic over the years at many different levels. Some of them have met with disastrous results as they dared to temp the fate of the baseball gods.

However, that's exactly what Nebraska baseball coach Mike Anderson plans to do in Friday's NCAA Tournament regional opener against fourth-seeded Eastern Illinois when he'll "pitch off" and start junior left-hander Dan Jennings against the Panthers. The move allows the Huskers to save No. 1 starter Johnny Dorn for a Saturday start against either No. 2 seed UC Irvine or No. 3 seed Oral Roberts, ideally in a winner's-bracket game.

Anderson recognizes that the decision not to throw Dorn in game one opens him up to criticism should the Cornhuskers either get upset or have to deplete their bullpen to pull off a victory against the regional's bottom seed. But the sixth-year coach insists that he doesn't feel like pitching Jennings, who has a 6-3 record with four saves and a 2.95 ERA, classifies as a risk and that his pitching plan gives top-seeded Nebraska its best opportunity to win the regional.

"I feel like it's the right move," Anderson told reporters Thursday after his team's practice at Haymarket Park. "Other people can categorize it as a risk or not.
"I feel like it's the right move and feel confident Dan Jennings, feel confident in Johnny Dorn and if it works, great. If it doesn’t, we still feel confident in it."

The bubble hasn't burst yet for Nebraska

2008-05-21T00:13:00.000-07:00

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Despite what transpired over the weekend in Columbia, Mo., it's too soon to push the panic button on the Nebraska baseball team just yet.

Sure, the Cornhuskers could've helped themselves out greatly in terms of national perception by winning just one of the three games against a No. 12-ranked Missouri squad. Or, simply not getting blown out 22-9 in last Saturday's game against the Tigers would probably have helped matters.

However, in a sport like baseball where every team truly is capable of beating every other team on a given day and hot and cold streaks are commonplace, it's a bit radical to think that Nebraska's bid to earn a national seed will be completely dashed by one weekend. The Huskers (39-12-1) are No. 7 in the country in the pseudo-RPI rankings posted at www.warrennolan.com, have a winning record against top-50 RPI teams and still managed to win seven of nine series in Big 12 Conference play.

When the NCAA selection committee puts its collective head together, it will presumably consider a team's total body of work as well as the competition it faced. If so, both factors would seemingly be in favor of the Huskers, especially if they can put together a good showing this week in the Big 12 Tournament.

BASEBALL: Baylor coach gives NU nod over Texas A&M

2008-05-08T12:53:00.001-07:00

While most coaches tend to shy away from handicapping matchups between other conference opponents, Baylor's Steve Smith didn't hold back in his analysis of this weekend's key Big 12 series between Nebraska and Texas A&M.

In short, Smith said he gives No. 5-ranked Nebraska the nod this weekend based on home-field advantage and pitching experience. The No. 6 Aggies are scheduled to start freshman Brooks Raley on Friday, freshman Barret Loux on Saturday and sophomore Clayton Ehlert Sunday. The Huskers counter with senior starters Johnny Dorn and Thad Weber, followed by a junior in Sunday starter Aaron Pribanic.

Nebraska is 26-2-1 this season when playing at Haymarket Park in Lincoln.

"A&M is very good offensively, but I think it will be a real test for the two freshman starters on the mound to go to Lincoln in a series of this magnitude," Smith said Thursday during the Big 12 coaches' teleconference. "That will be a challenge for them. I think Nebraska is extremely tough, mentally -- they compete really well -- and they've got two seniors on the mound and they're playing at home.
"When I was asked that question before, that's kind of how I worked it out. I would give the advantage to Nebraska."

A&M swept Smith’s Baylor squad during the regular season, losing to the Aggies 2-1 at College Station, Texas, before falling 11-1 and 13-12 in 11 innings the next two days in Waco, Texas, during the mid-April series. The Bears lost two of three at home to Nebraska the following weekend as the Huskers swept a doubleheader 6-4 in 10 innings and 14-1 in seven innings on April 26 before the Bears claimed the series finale 8-3.

2008-04-19T16:45:00.000-07:00

LINCOLN -- More than 80,000 people piled into Memorial Stadium Saturday for Nebraska's 15th and final practice of the spring season. Yes, we're talking about practice, man. Practice.

With the all the hype associated with the first glimpse of the Bo Pelini-coached Cornhuskers, it was almost easy to forget that the Red-White spring "game" was -- and always has been -- a glorified scrimmage. Indeed, it may have been a little shocking for unsuspecting novices who shelled out in the neighborhood $100 for a ticket to see coaches on the field, reds and whites mixed together on special teams units and a few small pockets of empty bleachers on the north and south ends of the stadium for the 24-14 Red team victory.

But then realize that Saturday's proceedings weren't so much about a game or a scrimmage as much as it was an event. This was Nebraska fans, largely united again under the leadership of athletics director Tom Osborne, turning out to show their support and give a hurting program a collective hug.

"I thought it was a pretty special atmosphere out there," Pelini said. "Obviously, I want to thank the fans and everybody who came out today. That's something, obviously, I've never been a part of before and I don't know if any of these coaches have -- that kind of turnout and passion and enthusiasm for the spring game."

Sports Illustrated gets into the fray

2008-04-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

First it was the New York Times, then came The Sporting News and now Sports Illustrated has jumped into the fray of examining the new-look, but old-school approach with Nebraska athletics director Tom Osborne hiring Bo Pelini to be the head coach. SI's take on the Big Red shakeup, headlined "Nebraska Lost, Nebraska Found" will be in this week's edition of the magazine and is posted on the Web site.

With an Associated Press story about Nebraska fans paying $95 a ticket for the spring game going national -- we've heard rumors of people paying more -- and 100 recruits scheduled to be in Memorial Stadium Saturday, the Cornhuskers have to be please with the mostly positive pub they've been getting around the country.

Expect another round of similar stories in August.

COLLEGE BASEBALL: NU-Creighton game postponed

2008-04-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

OMAHA -- Tuesday night's baseball game between ninth-ranked Nebraska and Creighton at Rosenblatt Stadium has been rescheduled and will now be played at 6:30 p.m. on April 23.

The change was made due to the cold weather forecast for Tuesday night, which could see the temperature dip into the 30s. Future games between Creighton (18-7) and Nebraska (21-4-1) on April 22 (in Lincoln) and May 13 (in Omaha) will not be affected by the change.

The April 23 game will be broadcast on television by WOWT's 6.20 (Cox Channel 120) and on MyTV (Ch. 110 on Time Warner Cable and Ch. 17 on DirecTV) as well as on the Husker Sports Radio Network.

All tickets, media credentials and parking passes already distributed for the game should be kept and will be honored when the April 23 game takes place.

The Huskers will return to action this weekend, as they begin a three-game series with Texas Tech. Friday’s first pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. and tickets for all three games this weekend can be purchased at Huskers.com or by calling the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at 800-8-BIGRED.

Huskers ink three-game series with Southern Mississippi

2008-03-31T13:37:00.000-07:00

LINCOLN -- Nebraska announced on Monday that it has agreed to a three-game football series with Southern Miss, with games scheduled in Lincoln during the 2012 and 2015 seasons, along with a 2013 contest in Hattiesburg, Miss.

The first game in the series will be played on Sept. 1, 2012, in Lincoln, and will mark the Huskers' season opener. The Huskers will travel to Southern Miss for a game on Sept. 7, 2013, with the final meeting in the three-game contract set for Sept. 5, 2015.

The games in 2012 and 2013 are the second non-conference games scheduled for those seasons. Nebraska previously agreed to a home-and-home series with UCLA that will send Nebraska to Pasadena in 2012, with the Bruins playing in Memorial Stadium in the 2013 season. The Nebraska-USM game in 2015 is the first non-conference game on the Huskers’ 2015 schedule.

"Southern Miss has an outstanding football program with a tradition of taking on top programs around the country," Nebraska athletics director Tom Osborne said. "We had a competitive three-game series with them a few years back and this should be another challenging set of games for our football team against a good opponent."

The three-game series with the Golden Eagles will mark the second such agreement between the two schools, following three games between 1999 and 2004. Nebraska defeated USM in Lincoln in 1999 and was victorious at Hattiesburg in 2003, before the Golden Eagles knocked off Nebraska in Lincoln in 2004. The three recent games are the only meetings between the two schools on the gridiron.

Southern Miss is coming off a 7-6 season in 2007, including a trip to the PapaJohns.com Bowl. The Golden Eagles have been to a bowl game in nine of the past 11 seasons and 2008 will mark the debut of first-year head coach Larry Fedora.

Nebraska has completed its non-conference schedules through the 2010 season, and Big 12 Conferences schedules are set through 2015.

Tipoff time set for NU men's NIT game at Mississippi

2008-03-20T13:00:00.001-07:00

LINCOLN -- The Nebraska Cornhuskers will try to keep their men's basketball season alive on Monday when they travel to Oxford, Miss., to take on the Mississippi Rebels in the second round of the 2008 Mastercard National Invitation Tournament.

The game time has been set for an 8 p.m. tipoff and the contest will be seen nationally on ESPNU. It will be the Huskers' second telecast on ESPNU this season, as Nebraska defeated Arizona State (62-47) in Lincoln in December on the network.

Nebraska is coming off a first-round win over Charlotte on Wednesday night. The Huskers held the 49ers 22 points below their season average as they shot less than 32 percent from the field to let Nebraska run away with the 67-48 victory.

It was the eighth time this season, including the third time in the past seven games, that NU has held an opponent to less than 50 points. The Huskers, who own a 20-12 record, rank among the top 13 teams in the country in scoring defense, allowing 59.9 points per game.

Mississippi earned a chance to host its second straight NIT game after defeating UC Santa Barbara 83-68 at Tad Smith Coliseum. Ole Miss owns a 22-10 record with the win Wednesday and is 15-2 at home this season. The Rebels are led by freshman Chris Warren's 15.5 points and 4.5 assists per game.

BASKETBALL: Sadler says NIT bid represents progress

2008-03-19T13:41:00.000-07:00

LINCOLN -- Playing in the MasterCard National Invitation Tournament certainly wasn't the ultimate goal for Nebraska this season, but for a Cornhusker team that sat home last year during the postseason, it at least represents progress.

"Obviously, we're very excited to be still playing," Nebraska second-year coach Doc Sadler said. "When you go into your second year and you have the opportunity to be playing in postseason play, you've got to appreciate it and then hope that, even though it's not the tournament that we ultimately want to get into, it is another positive step in the right direction."

No. 3-seeded Nebraska (19-12) opens play in the NIT at 8:05 p.m. Wednesday by hosting sixth-seeded Charlotte (20-13). ESPN Classic will televise the game live from the Devaney Sports Center.

BASEBALL: Abeita starts season on power surge

2008-03-07T13:08:00.000-08:00

LINCOLN -- While pleasantly surprised by Mitch Abeita's early season power surge, Nebraska coach Mike Anderson doesn't expect it to last.

That's not a knock on Abeita. It's just that hitting home runs isn't really the Cornhusker catcher's forte.

"It's short-term," Anderson said with a grin. "Mitch is a line-drive hitter. One (homer) he hit pretty good and actually I think two of the three had wind behind them, so I'm not going to give him too much credit yet.
"Love him -- think he's a great, but we want him to hit line drives. We want him to just stay in his groove."

Heading into Saturday's 2:05 p.m. opener of a four-game home series against Northern Colorado (5-4), Abeita is batting .409 with three home runs and eight RBIs, helping Nebraska to a 6-2 start. After hitting just one homer in 133 at-bats last year, Abeita has three in his first 22 at-bats in 2008.

Abeita said the credit for his early season success goes to the other players in Nebraska's lineup and their ability to work pitchers and build their pitch counts. The Huskers are batting .293 as a team and have drawn 29 bases on balls in their first eight games.

"I don't know the stats, but I believe every guy batting for us sees a bunch of pitches and wears the pitcher down," Abeita said. "The other day, we had a pitcher up to 27 or 29 pitches in the first inning alone. That will wear down a pitching staff when you see nine guys coming up to you like that."

Nebraska football season ticket prices remain the same

2008-02-28T09:37:00.000-08:00

From Nebraska's sports information department:

LINCOLN -- Nebraska football season ticket holders will see no increase in cost per game of tickets for the 2008 home schedule, and will once again receive a discount compared to the full face value of a season ticket.

Season ticket holders will pay $52 a ticket for eight home games in 2008 ($416 total), a 15 percent savings ($74) over the full face value of a season ticket at $490. Individual tickets to Nebraska home games will cost $65 each for contests against four Big 12 opponents and Virginia Tech, and $55 each for home games against Western Michigan, San Jose State and New Mexico State.

For the sixth consecutive year, Nebraska students will not see an increase in their season ticket prices. UNL students will pay a total of $168 for the eight games, or $21 per game. UNL faculty and staff will pay $392 for season tickets, a 20 percent discount on the full face value of season tickets.

Husker ticket holders will see an attractive home schedule in 2008, including games against three teams that finished in the top 10 of the final 2007 rankings. Defending Big 12 North Champion Missouri (Oct. 4) finished No. 4 in the Associated Press Poll, with Kansas (Nov. 8) at No. 7 and Virginia Tech (Sept. 27) ranked ninth.

Schedule notes

--Nebraska will have eight home games for the first time since the 2002 season and just the sixth time in school history.

--The Huskersâ€™ first five games of 2008 will be played at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska last played its first five games at home in 2005, and the 2008 season will mark just the fifth time in school history NU has opened with five straight home games (1906, 1918, 1975, 2005).

--The Oct. 4 game against Missouri will be Nebraskaâ€™s Homecoming contest.
Nebraskaâ€™s meeting with Western Michigan will be the first between the two schools, while its matchup with Virginia Tech will be the first regular-season meeting between the two programs. Nebraska holds a 1-0 series edge over the Hokies, defeating Virginia Tech in the 1996 Orange Bowl.

--Nebraska faces a total of six 2007 bowl teams this fall including Virginia Tech, Missouri, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado.

--Tickets for the April 19 Red-White Spring Game continue to be on sale at Huskers.com, by calling 1-800-8 BIG RED or 402-472-3111, and in person at the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office. As of Wednesday, approximately 39,000 advance tickets had been sold for the game. Fans are encouraged to buy their tickets in advance to avoid long lines on game day. Kickoff on April 19 is set for 1 p.m.

2008 Nebraska Football Schedule
Aug. 30 Western Michigan
Sept. 6 San Jose State
Sept. 13 New Mexico State
Sept. 27 Virginia Tech
Oct. 4 Missouri (HC)
Oct. 11 at Texas Tech
Oct. 18 at Iowa State
Oct. 25 Baylor
Nov. 1 at Oklahoma
Nov. 8 Kansas
Nov. 15 at Kansas State
Nov. 28 Colorado

Ticket Prices Summary
2008 Single-Game Home Total (Average) $490 ($61.25)
Season Ticket Total (Average) $416 ($52)
UNL Student Ticket Total (Average) $168 ($21)

New York Times features Pelini stop in G.I.

2008-02-25T07:20:00.000-08:00

OK, so one item from the list of Bo Pelini "facts" circulating the Internet on Husker fan sites was disproven last Thursday at the Heartland Events Center. Apparently, former Nebraska coaching great Tom Osborne and current Cornhuskers' coach Bo Pelini actually can be in the same room without it exploding due to the high volume of "awesome."

However, the Central Nebraska Big Red Luncheon did make it into Monday's edition of the New York Times. Writer Joe Drape, noting that he enjoyed his stay in Grand Island, was kind enough to give us a heads up and his story on Bo Pelini and his effect on Husker Nation can be viewed online.

BASEBALL: Dorn won't be holding back in 2008

2008-02-12T15:24:00.000-08:00

LINCOLN -- Nebraska pitcher Johnny Dorn won't be holding anything back this season -- and not just because it's his senior year.

Despite posting a 31-9 record with a 3.69 ERA in his first three seasons with the Cornhuskers, Dorn admitted he hasn't always given it all on the mound. It wasn't that the right-hander from Grand Island was necessarily dogging it or didn't care, but instead, he operated by the philosophy that he always wanted to leave a little extra left in the tank for crucial situations.

Under the direction of first-year pitching coach Eric Newman, Dorn’s approach has changed radically.

"I think I've always been a 90-percent guy and would save that 100 percent for when you need it to get somebody out," Dorn said Tuesday during Nebraska's preseason media day. "Coach Newman has brought a new philosophy, especially for me, that I need to get my (velocity) up and just to go after it on every pitch.
"It's more of an attack mode rather than trying to finesse guys, so I like it."

Newman said that there's something to be said for being able to reach back for a little extra to get out of a jam. However, his view is that it's difficult for a pitcher to fully realize his potential if they're not putting everything they've got into every pitch.

"If you want to be a sprinter, you've got to run hard," Newman said. "If you want to be a pitcher who throws hard, you've got to practice throwing hard. It's pretty simple."

BASKETBALL: Who did Doc make mad?

2008-01-29T15:09:00.000-08:00

The start of the Big 12 Conference season has been a dreary one for the Nebraska men's basketball team. The Cornhuskers are 11-6 overall and 0-4 in the league heading into Wednesday night's 7:05 p.m. game at Missouri.

To add a little perspective, realize that Nebraska’s 0-4 conference start includes two losses to undefeated and No. 2-ranked Kansas. The scheduling quirk of having to play the talented Jayhawks twice in the first four games is something Sadler said he hasn’t spoken to anyone in the Big 12 offices about.

"I guess I made somebody mad," Sadler joked before admitting that the two lopsided losses to Kansas have tested his team's confidence.

Nebraska lost to Kansas 79-58 on Jan. 12 at Lincoln, but then suffered an 84-49 loss to the Jayhawks last Saturday in Lawrence, Kan.

"We've just got our brains beaten in -- twice -- and you've got to hope in some small way that your team is strong in character," Sadler said. "Because if it's not, I don't care who you are, you're going to take a step back. But I do think our team does have a strong character about it and I think we’ll continue to play hard."

BASEBALL: 2008 Huskers have 'different dynamics'

2008-01-26T11:49:00.000-08:00

During Saturday's Nebraska baseball season preview stop in Grand Island, Cornhuskers' coach Mike Anderson said he's looking forward to seeing the program somewhat return to its roots.

"We want to get back to being hard-nosed, team-oriented -- that type of stuff," said Anderson, whose team finished 32-27 last year and uncharacteristically had several off-the-field problems. "We had several guys that signed professional contracts and that's a good thing, but you also have different dynamics and with those different dynamics, there was a lot of individual stuff.
"I'm not saying selfish, but there were different dynamics."

Other notables from Anderson:

--Kash Kalkowski, a Nebraska recruit who still has his senior year of high school baseball and a summer of American Legion baseball ahead of him, has impressed Anderson. "We're absolutely thrilled with him and I think the high level of competitiveness that he has is going to be great," Anderson said. "From seeing him play basketball and everything else, we know what we're getting. He's going to do everything he can to figure out a way to win."

--Anderson said Joe Broekemeier, a redshirt freshman pitcher from Aurora, is still bothered by a shoulder injury. "We know the type of athlete he is, but when you have an arm injury, it takes time," Anderson said. "I wouldn't anticipate seeing him the first half of the year and, unless things go very well, it still may be a year that we don’t see much of Joe."

--Like most Husker fans, Anderson said he enjoyed watching former Huskers Alex Gordon (Kansas City Royals) and Joba Chamberlain (New York Yankees) make it to the major-league level. "It was exciting for Alex to see what he was able to do after his slow start," Anderson. "Watching Alex and Joba both this year was great."

FOOTBALL: Not so fine at the Shrine Classic

2008-01-25T07:26:00.000-08:00

According to the Sporting News' NFL Insider, two former Nebraska Cornhuskers didn't exactly help their NFL draft stock with their performances in last week's East-West Shrine Classic in Houston.

In fact, ex-Nebraska cornerback Zackary Bowman was listed No. 1 on the list of West team players who hurt themselves the most. "He has very quick feet, but he is not back to pre-knee injury form yet (and the question is whether he ever will be)," TSN's NFL Insider wrote. "Bowman was choppy in backpedals and struggled to change direction."

Former Huskers' quarterback Sam Keller was ranked No. 4 on the "hurt themselves most" list. "Until he revamps his mechanics -- the ball comes out almost shot-put style -- he will struggle to throw the ball accurately," TSN's NFL Insider wrote about Keller.

NU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Cake for Connie?

2008-01-24T08:27:00.000-08:00

LINCOLN -- The 100th victory of Connie Yori's coaching career at Nebraska apparently barely made a ripple inside the team's locker room Wednesday night.

The Cornhuskers gave Yori the milestone with a 73-60 victory over No. 21-ranked Texas A&M Wednesday night. However, it appeared Nebraska forward Danielle Page was unaware of the significance, or at least not until she was fed the information by a NU sports information department staffer mid-interview.

"It was her 100th win, I heard," Page said in jest. "Well, actually, we have a cake, but we haven't given it to her yet -- maybe tomorrow, yeah."

Then, Page apparently stopped for a moment to contemplate the logistics.

"A hundred candles are hard to come by," Page said. "Have you ever tried to light a hundred candles, too? It's impossible."

Yori is now 100-73 in her sixth season at Nebraska. She is 270-188 at the Division I level, including 10 seasons as the head coach at Creighton.

Nebraska gets linebacker recruit from Texas

2008-01-21T13:25:00.000-08:00

The Nebraska football team picked up a verbal commitment over the weekend as outside linebacker Alonzo Whaley has pledged to join the Cornhuskers' recruiting class, according Rivals.com.

Whaley, a 6-foot, 213-pounder from Madisonville, Texas, committed after his recruiting visit to Lincoln this past weekend. He has also received scholarship offers from Arizona State, Houston, Louisiana Tech, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and UTEP.

With Haley giving his verbal commitment, Nebraska's class is back at 18 members. On Friday, the Huskers reportedly lost Mesa, Ariz., defensive back Keelan Johnson, who de-commited and is now expected to sign with Arizona State.

National letter-of-intent day is Feb. 6

In other Nebraska football news, The Birmingham News in Alabama reported Monday that Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban has approached Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson about filling the same position at Alabama.

New Nebraska coach Bo Pelini underpaid?

2008-01-19T12:35:00.000-08:00

Reports have come out of Lincoln that new Nebraska head football coach Bo Pelini has agreed to a contract that will pay him $1.1 million annually. Official terms of the multi-year deal are expected to officially be announced soon.

While it's difficult for most of us to fathom the concept that someone making more than $1 million per year is underpaid, I think that might be the case with Pelini at Nebraska. Sure, he's unproven as a head coach, but Pelini's reported salary would make him only the eighth highest-paid coach in the Big 12 Conference.

Previous Nebraska coach Bill Callahan was hired for $1.5 million a year to replace Frank Solich back in 2004. Callahan's salary was increased to $1.75 million in early September when he received a contract extension.

You wouldn't expect Nebraska to pay Pelini in the range of Oklahoma's Bob Stoops ($3.6 million a year) or Mack Brown ($2.8 million), but it is interesting to note that not only Missouri, Texas A&M are paying their football coaches more, but the Huskers' head coach makes less than his peers at Baylor, Texas Tech and Kansas as well.

Big 12 Coaching Salaries
Coach, School Annual Salary
Bob Stoops, Oklahoma $3.6 million
Mack Brown, Texas $2.8 million
Gary Pinkel, Missouri $1.9 million
Mike Sherman, Texas A&M $1.8 million
Art Briles, Baylor $1.8 million
Mike Leach, Texas Tech $1.7 million
Mark Mangino, Kansas $1.5 million
Bo Pelini, Nebraska $1.1 million
Gene Chizik, Iowa State $1 million
Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State $950,000
Dan Hawkins, Colorado $940,000
Ron Prince, Kansas State $760,000

Huskers 80-1 long shot to win 2008 national title

2008-01-15T11:56:00.000-08:00

Nebraska is an 80-1 long shot to win the 2008 college football national title, according to Bodog.com. Kentucky, Louisville and Oregon State all share the same odds as the Cornhuskers.

Southern California is the favorite to win it all next season, coming in at 3-1. Florida, Georgia and Ohio State are all next at 6-1.

Oklahoma is the top Big 12 team, coming in at 8-1. Also in the Big 12, Texas is 12-1, Missouri is 20-1 and Kansas is 30-1.

2008-01-14T12:56:00.000-08:00

Coach Doc Sadler’s Nebraska men's basketball team now needs to try and steal a road victory at Colorado Tuesday night to avoid an 0-2 start in conference play for the fourth time in the past six seasons. The Cornhuskers opened Big 12 action last Saturday night with a 79-58 home loss to No. 3-ranked Kansas.

While senior center Aleks Maric had 19 points against the Jayhawks and sophomore guard Ryan Anderson scored 12, the majority of Nebraska's newcomers struggled to score against Kansas. That was particularly the case for Ade Dagunduro, who was held scoreless on 0-of-6 shooting from the field.

"As a team, I was not that disappointed," said Sadler, who team shot 40 percent against Kansas. "Obviously, offensively, I think some of our new guys may have struggled a little bit, but the fact is that the bar was set pretty high Saturday. The thing that I’ve tried to tell those guys is, 'You’ve gone against the best defensive team, maybe, in this league,' and we only turned the basketball over 12 times.
"So we're going to make shots and we've just got to stick with what we're trying to do."

Pelini rounds out coaching staff by hiring KU assistant

2008-01-07T13:47:00.000-08:00

From Nebraska sports information:

LINCOLN -- Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini has announced that Tim Beck will serve as the Cornhuskers' running backs coach. Beck joined the Huskers on Monday after completing his third season as an assistant coach at Kansas in the Orange Bowl last Thursday.

Beck is the final full-time assistant to be named to the Nebraska staff, as Pelini announced the other eight members of his coaching staff in mid-December. Like the other members of Nebraska's new staff, Beck has prior experience coaching in the Big 12 Conference.

Beck helped Kansas to its best season in school history with a 12-1 record in 2007, capped by a 24-21 victory over Virginia Tech in the FedEx Orange Bowl. In each of his three seasons on Mark Mangino's staff, Beck served as the Jayhawks’ receivers coach, and he added the title of pass game coordinator in 2007.

In 2007, Beck helped engineer one of the nation's most potent offenses as Kansas ranked second nationally in scoring offense (42.8 ppg), eighth in total offense (479.8 ypg) and 17th in passing offense (291.0 ypg). KU senior receiver Marcus Henry caught 54 passes for 1,014 yards and 10 touchdowns to earn All-Big 12 honors, while three other Jayhawks caught more than 40 passes each.

Before joining the Kansas staff, Beck was one of the most respected high school coaches in the state of Texas, serving three seasons at Summit High in Mansfield. He was the 2003 District Coach of the Year after leading Summit to its first-ever playoff appearance and district championship. Beck also served as the head coach at R.L. Turner High in Carrollton, Texas, from 1999 to 2001.

He also had a successful run as the head coach at Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Ariz., from 1993-1995. Among the standouts Beck coached at Saguaro High was former Nebraska All-America safety Mike Brown.

In addition to Kansas, Beck’s collegiate experience includes three seasons at Missouri State (1996-98), two seasons as a graduate assistant at Kansas State (1991-92) and one season at Illinois State (1990).

Beck is a native of Youngstown, Ohio, and graduated from Cardinal Mooney High, the same high school that Bo and Carl Pelini attended. Beck played college football at Central Florida.

Osborne accepts offer to be Nebraska's AD until 2010

2007-12-19T11:24:00.001-08:00

From the Nebraska media relations department:

LINCOLN -- University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Harvey Perlman announced Wednesday that the "interim" has been removed from Tom Osborne's title, and Osborne has agreed to serve as Nebraska's Director of Intercollegiate Athletics until June 30, 2010.

"I appreciated Tom's willingness to step in as interim athletic director during a very difficult time for the athletic department," Perlman said. "His presence and his decisions have significantly reduced the controversy surrounding the department and particularly the football program."

The decision to ask Osborne to serve as NU's permanent athletic director is based on timing.

"It is now beneficial to provide the department with stability in leadership, so it can take full advantage of the progress that already has been made," Perlman said.

"I don't think conducting a search for a permanent athletic director would serve the university's interests at this time," added Perlman. "That's why I offered Tom the opportunity to remove 'interim' from his title and invited him to accept an appointment as athletic director for a term of approximately 2 1/2 years until June 30, 2010."

Perlman and Osborne agreed that a search for Osborne's successor will begin in early 2010 with the intention that Osborne will both assist in the search and help with the transition of a new athletic director.

Osborne, 70, accepted Perlman's offer to direct the department on an ongoing basis and will continue to work as athletic director under the same terms of his original contract, signed on Oct. 24. Perlman and Osborne finalized the new agreement Tuesday.

"When Chancellor Perlman asked me to lead the athletic department and to help unify the state, he gave me the responsibility and the authority to do whatever needed to be done," Osborne said. "We've made some great strides over the last two months, but the chancellor and I agree that these next two years are crucial to keep our program moving forward."

Osborne said he has never been "enamored" with titles.

"At the same time, I think it's important for our entire department to realize that we will continue moving down the same path we're already going," Osborne said. "Change always breeds at least some uncertainty, and if removing 'interim' from my title helps everyone understand that we'll continue to be consistent in our approach, I'm all for that."

Added Osborne: "Everyone associated with the program -- coaches, student-athletes, administrators, fans and alumni -- want what’s best for Nebraska. My focus is on working together and giving our best, so the athletic department can continue to improve in every way possible."

Pelini announces football coaching staff

2007-12-17T13:09:00.001-08:00

From Nebraska's sports information department:

LINCOLN -- Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini announced Monday that he has completed the process of hiring his first Cornhuskers' coaching staff.

Eight of the assistant coaches have been announced, with all of those having previous coaching experience in the Big 12 Conference, including six coaches who have spent time at Nebraska. Pelini finalized his staff over the weekend with the addition of a running backs coach.

However, Pelini said the announcement of that individual will come in early January, after that coach has finished his work in a bowl game with his current school.

The offensive staff includes Barney Cotton as associate head coach/offensive line coach; Shawn Watson as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks; Ted Gilmore as assistant head coach/receivers coach/recruiting coordinator; and Ron Brown as tight ends coach. Watson and Gilmore were retained from the previous Nebraska coaching staff.

On the defensive side, the Husker staff will include Carl Pelini as defensive coordinator/defensive line coach, Mike Ekeler as linebackers coach, John Papuchis as defensive ends coach and Marvin Sanders as secondary coach.

Pelini also announced that former Husker player and assistant coach Jeff Jamrog will serve as assistant athletics director for football operations for the Nebraska football program.

Pelini said the coaching staff he has hired brings the overall characteristics he was looking for in Nebraska assistants.

"I was asked about the qualities I look for in assistant coaches, and I mentioned teachers, communicators and high-energy people," Pelini said. "I think this group of coaches will be great teachers for the young men in our program, and they are a good fit for Nebraska football."

Pelini said Cotton and Gilmore will assist him in a variety of roles in their positions as associate and assistant head coach, respectively.

"In addition to coaching the offensive line, Barney will assist me in a number of key administrative duties within our program," Pelini said. "Ted will continue as our receivers coach and recruiting coordinator, and he will also play a key role in the overall direction of our program."

The offensive staff will be led by Watson, who directed the Nebraska offense this season. The Huskers ranked eighth nationally in passing offense and 11th in total offense, and Pelini is excited to build on that success.

"Offensively, there has been good success here recently," Pelini said. "I think we can add some wrinkles to what has worked well the past few years. Coach Watson is a proven offensive coordinator in the Big 12 Conference, and our offensive assistants have extensive collegiate experience, specifically in the Big 12 North."

Defensively, Pelini said he will be involved in all aspects of the preparation and expects his defensive staff to operate as one cohesive unit.

"Our defensive coaches will all have equal input on what we are doing, regardless of titles or positions," Pelini said. "Our defensive coaches are outstanding teachers who will bring great energy to the practice field. I have worked with each of them during my career and have great confidence in this group. This staff plans to build on the tradition of hard-nosed Blackshirt defenses at Nebraska."

Two Husker hoopsters earn Big 12 honors

2007-12-17T08:51:00.000-08:00

IRVING, Texas -- A pair of Nebraska athletes -- senior Aleks Maric and junior Ade Dagunduro - have been chosen as the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Player and Rookie of the Week for Dec. 10-16, in voting by a panel of media covering the conference.

It's the third career weekly honor for Maric and marks the first time in Big 12 history that NU has earned both accolades in the same week.

Maric helped Nebraska to a 2-0 record last week with wins over Savannah State (82-37) and No. 16 Oregon (88-79, OT). The senior center averaged a team-high 16.5 points to go along with 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game.

Maric's top effort came against the Ducks, as he posted his third 20-point game of the season with a team-best 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting. The 6-foot-11 senior had 17 points after halftime to lead NU to its first win in school history against a ranked non-conference opponent outside of Lincoln.

Maric’s defense helped hold Oregon's starting post players to seven points after they entered the contest averaging 24 points combined. He shot 63.2 percent (12-of-19) on the week, plus 75 percent (9-of-12) from the free-throw line.

Dagunduro registered 12 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game in the two victories for the Huskers last week. The junior had 15 points and seven rebounds versus Oregon, helping NU hold the Ducks 12 points below their season scoring average.

Dagunduro added nine points, four rebounds and four steals earlier in the week, as his defense led the Huskers in holding Savannah State to one field goal in the first 13 minutes of the game. The Englewood, Calf., native has scored in double digits in five of his last six outings and is second on the team in scoring this season with 11.8 points per contest.

Pelini tells Rome that Watson will run Husker offense

2007-12-07T15:09:00.000-08:00

While no official announcements have been made by the University of Nebraska, new Cornhuskers coach Bo Pelini indicated Friday that offensive coordinator Shawn Watson will remain in that role for the program.

Speaking during an interview on Jim Rome's radio program, Pelini said that Nebraska won't be making a lot of changes offensively.

"We're tweaking a little bit here and there and coach Watson will put his flavor on it, but they have moved the football and that's a real positive, and we have a lot of guys returning on offense," Pelini told Rome. "We have some building to do on defense, but I believe that I can get that done. I'm looking forward to that challenge."

While posting a 5-7 record under former head coach Bill Callahan in 2007, Nebraska averaged 33.4 points and 468.2 yards of total offense per game. However, the Huskers' defense also allowed 37.9 points and 476.8 yards of total offense per game.

"The offense has been on solid ground -- they've really done a good job," Pelini said. "For whatever reason, they've struggled here a little bit defensively as of late. That's obviously where I come in.

"There's never a quick fix. Things have to be developed and a culture has to be built, but there’s talent here. We just need to build on that talent, keep recruiting the right way and get the kids buying in and believing again."

Even after a season that included Nebraska's first five-game losing streak since 1958, Pelini said he doesn't think the Huskers are that far away from being a good team again.

"You starting going through some tough times and people forget what it takes to win and how to win and a bit of doubt starts creeping into their minds," Pelini said. "We've got to remove that doubt, get to believing again and knowing what we have in front of us and knowing how good we can be.
"A lot of that is attitude and building a culture within your program and that's something I’ve had a lot of success doing."

Osborne a built-in mentor for first-time head coach

2007-12-04T06:56:00.000-08:00

While Nebraska's Bo Pelini figures he'll encounter several new challenges as a first-time head coach, the 39-year-old said he has the built-in advantage of having Tom Osborne as his interim athletics director. During his 25 seasons as Nebraska's head coach, all Osborne did was record 255 victories and win three national titles, never failing to produce at least nine wins and take his team to a bowl game.

Pelini said Osborne has provided him with a lot of insight about what has been going on at Nebraska, which just completed a 5-7 season, and what needs to occur in the short term to get the program turned around.

"I think that's one of the advantages that I have is I'm going to be working as a first-time head coach under a legend, who’s going to be right there and somebody I can lean on and ask questions of," Pelini said of Osborne. "Because one thing I understand is that in this business and really anything you do in life, you never really have it all figured out.

"The first time you do something, there are going to be things that come up that you're not sure of. Having Coach Osborne here and being the athletic director and being able to draw on his experience and his knowledge will do nothing but benefit me."

Osborne calls press conference to name new coach

2007-12-02T10:59:00.000-08:00

From the Nebraska media relations department:

University of Nebraska Interim Athletic Director Tom Osborne has scheduled a 4 p.m. news conference today to introduce the Huskers new head football coach.

Several metro news outlets are reporting that LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini arrived at the Lincoln airport Sunday morning and is currently at Memorial Stadium.

Report: LSU regent says Pelini is headed to Nebraska

2007-12-01T17:25:00.000-08:00

A Louisiana newspaper joins the list of news outlets reporting tht Bo Pelini will be Nebraska's next coach. Below is the report from the Associated Press:

LINCOLN (AP) -- A Baton Rouge, La., newspaper has reported that a Louisiana State University supervisor confirmed Bo Pelini will step down as defensive coordinator to become the head coach at Nebraska.

"I think it's pretty clear and it's our idea that Bo will be the next coach at Nebraska," Charles Weems told The Advocate on Saturday.

Pelini and Nebraska interim athletic director Tom Osborne have denied previous reports of the hiring.
If hired, the 39-year-old Pelini would replace Bill Callahan, who was fired last Saturday after the Huskers' second losing season in four years.

Osborne had said when announcing Callahan's firing that the next coach didn't have to have Nebraska ties. Pelini was only at Nebraska in 2003, but his no-nonsense, hardworking style of coaching defense quickly made him a beloved figure.

Pelini was interim coach after Frank Solich was fired following the 2003 regular season, coaching the Huskers to an Alamo Bowl victory over Michigan State. As he walked off the field in San Antonio, Huskers fans chanted "We want Bo."

Osborne has interviewed Pelini and Buffalo coach Turner Gill, a former star Nebraska quarterback and longtime assistant, and reportedly spoke informally with Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe.

Pelini had been a candidate for the Nebraska job after Solich's firing. Former athletic director Steve Pederson interviewed Pelini but elected to go with Callahan.

Pelini the odds on favorite?

2007-11-26T12:29:00.000-08:00

Obviously, this has nothing to do with who will actually become Nebraska's next football coach, but here are the odds e-mailed to media outlets by the gambling Web site bodog.com.

While I might agree with Bo Pelini as the 3-1 favorite, I would guess that Turner Gill's odds might be better than 6-1 -- the same odds given to Boise State coach Chris Petersen. Just a guess.

This also begs the question: Is there anything you can't bet on these days?

Who will be hired as the next head coach of the Nebraska football team?
Bo Pellini 3/1
Turner Gill 6/1
Chris Petersen 6/1
Barry Alvarez 7/1
Paul Johnson 8/1
Greg Schiano 8/1
Brian Kelly 9/1
Jim Leavitt 10/1
Tommy Tuberville 12/1
Rich Rodriguez 12/1
Field 3/1

Press conference: 9:30 a.m. Saturday

2007-11-24T05:16:00.000-08:00

Just received word that Nebraska interim athletics director Tom Osborne has called a 9:30 a.m. press conference this morning at Memorial Stadium. Stayed tuned for more.

Nebraska-Colorado predictions

2007-11-23T09:06:00.000-08:00

BOULDER, Colo. -- Fans have been dusting a little snow off their seats and the windchill factor is 15 degrees, but it's about time to kick things off in the annual battle between Nebraska and Colorado.

Most suspect this will be the final game for Cornhuskers coach Bill Callahan and his staff. That decision will likely be announced Saturday. Now, it's time for some football.

The picks:

--Terry Douglass, sports editor: Colorado, 41-34
--Bob Hamar, assistant sports editor: Nebraska, 28-24
--Brian Ayers, sports writer: Nebraska 34-17

Nebraska-Kansas State predictions

2007-11-10T09:20:00.000-08:00

LINCOLN -- It's the home finale for Nebraska and the Cornhuskers find themselves in a most unusal situation heading into today's game against Kansas State. Not only is NU looking to snap a five-game losing, but needs a win over the Wildcats to avoid having a losing home record for the first time since 1968.

There are several other subplots to today's game. It's the last home contest for 29 Nebraska seniors and could very well be the last hurrah here for coach Bill Callahan and his coaching staff. Plus, here's guessing one or two Husker fans will remind Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman of his recruiting flip-flot as he spurned NU to become a Wildcat. Should be interesting.

The picks:
--Terry Douglass, sports editor: Kansas State, 41-24
--Kevin Schuster, sports writer: Kansas State, 38-31
--Brian Ayers, sports writer: Kansas State, 49-20

Nebraska-Kansas predictions

2007-11-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- The Joe Ganz era begins today as Nebraska (4-5, 1-4 Big 12) limps to Kansas with a four-game losing streak. In past years, that would've been a good thing for the Huskers as they have won 37 of the past 38 games against the Jayhawks.

Obviously, things are much, much different this year. Kansas is off to an 8-0 start and has a defense that ranks among the best in the nation statistically. Nebraska put together a spirited effort last week in a 28-25 loss at Texas, but with the injury situation the Huskers are facing and the unknown of Ganz replacing the injured Sam Keller at quarterback, an upset bid seems unlikely.

The picks:
--Terry Douglass, sports editor: Kansas 34-27
--Kevin Schuster, sports writer: Kansas 40-15
--Brian Ayers, sports writer: Kansas, 17-0

NU's Keller, Brandenburgh out for the season

2007-10-29T10:18:00.001-07:00

Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said Monday that starting quarterback Sam Keller will miss the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury.

Keller suffered the injury during last Saturday's 28-25 loss at Texas. The senior transfer from Arizona State was 23-of-35 passing for 298 yards and two touchdowns before suffering the injury with three minutes to play.

Callahan declined to go into detail about Keller's injury, saying only that it was his shoulder and that he is out for the season. Callahan said Joe Ganz will be the starting quarterback for Saturday's 11:30 a.m. game at unbeaten Kansas and that Patrick Witt and Beau Davis would likely compete for the No. 2 quarterback spot this week.

Keller finishes the season 205-of-325 passing (63.1 percent) with 2,422 yards, 14 touchdown and 10 interceptions. His yardage total ranks third on the Nebraska single-season passing list, despite playing in just nine games for NU.

The Cornhuskers will also be without the services of senior linebacker Lance Brandenburgh for the remainder of the season. Callahan said Brandenburgh, who is Nebraska's fourth-leading tackler with 51 stops also suffered a shoulder injury.

Struggling Huskers take show on the road

2007-10-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

AUSTIN, Texas -- How bad has it gotten? ESPN talking heads Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso gave Nebraska a "zero percent change" and a "one percent chance," respectively, in today's 2:30 p.m. game against Texas.

What's worse is that even the most ardent Big Red rooter is likely to agree. The Cornhuskers are 21-point underdogs who are riding a three-game losing streak. Don't be surprised to see coach Bill Callahan pull out a few additional stops in what might have to serve as Nebraska's bowl game this season.

Even then, will it be enough to keep things interesting in the fourth quarter?

The picks:
--Terry Douglass, sports editor: Texas, 37-17
--Dale Miller, sports writer: Texas, 34-14

FSN to televise Nebraska-Kansas game

2007-10-22T14:22:00.001-07:00

LINCOLN -- The Big 12 Conference and Fox Sports Net have announced that Nebraska's Nov. 3 contest at Kansas will be televised by the network. Game time from KU's Memorial Stadium is set for 11:30 a.m.

The NU-Kansas game will mark the first time in 2007 that a Husker game will be part of FSN's regular Big 12 television package. The Huskers have had games against Ball State and Oklahoma State televised by FSN on a pay-per-view basis.

This will mark the second consecutive year the Husker-Jayhawk game has been televised by FSN. A year ago, Nebraska defeated Kansas 39-32 in overtime in Lincoln.

Nebraska's matchup with Texas this Saturday in Austin will be televised regionally by ABC, with a 2:30 p.m. kickoff. A game time and television information for the Huskers' Nov. 10 home finale against Kansas State will be announced six to 12 days in advance, while NU's Nov. 23 regular-season finale at Colorado will be televised nationally by ABC beginning at 11 a.m.

Nebraska-Texas A&M predictions

2007-10-20T10:26:00.000-07:00

LINCOLN -- The sun is shining here again at Memorial Stadium. The weather seems to match the disposition of Cornhusker fans -- at least for now -- there's still a football game to play against Texas A&M, after all.

Yes, Tom Osborne's return to the athletic program has brightened the situation in Husker Nation. T.O. just got a standing 'O' as he left the field about 25 minutes before game time. However, even the Hall of Fame coach might not be able to save this Husker team from its current slide. We'll see.

The picks:
Terry Douglass, sports editor: Texas A&M, 35-20
Bob Hamar, assistant sports editor: Nebraska, 22-21
Kevin Schuster, sports writer: Texas A&M, 17-13
Brian Ayers, sports writer: Texas A&M, 28-27
Bob Gonderinger, sports writer: Texas A&M 35-1

Osborne to be named Nebraska's interim AD

2007-10-16T13:10:00.000-07:00

The press release:

LINCOLN -- In a new development in leadership changes in the athletic department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Chancellor Harvey Perlman announced today that Tom Osborne has agreed to serve as director of intercollegiate athletics on an interim basis.

Osborne left his head coaching post at Nebraska in 1997 after 30 years coaching football, including leading the Nebraska Cornhuskers to three national championships, 12 Big Eight titles and one Big 12 title. Osborne's teams finished in the top 10 17 times.

The Hastings native ended his head-coaching career with a record of 255-49-3.
Since Osborne left his post as 3rd district U.S. representative following a gubernatorial bid in 2006. He has been a senior lecturer in the UNL College of Business Administration, teaching leadership and business ethics.

Osborne met with Perlman this morning to discuss the interim post and Osborne agreed to serve, on an open-ended arrangement, until Perlman finds a permanent athletics director. On Monday, Perlman fired Steve Pederson, who had held the AD post since 2002.

Osborne said he looks forward to the challenge.

"I've spent the majority of my life working with the Athletic Department at the university and I want to do what I can at this point to continue in the pursuit of excellence that has been previously established," he said.

Osborne said he anticipated taking over duties right away and would also finish the semester teaching his two classes, which he enjoys.

Chancellor Perlman said he is pleased that Osborne agreed to provide leadership and that the university will benefit from Osborne's vast experience.

"I am very pleased that Tom Osborne has agreed to help bring some leadership and direction to our athletic program. Tom is committed to making the entire program successful. He brings the right experience, an understanding of Nebraska, and our aspirations. I look forward to working with him."

Press conference scheduled for 5:15 p.m. today

2007-10-16T12:07:00.001-07:00

LINCOLN -- Word is that a press conference has been scheduled for 5:15 p.m. today here in Lincoln. The assumption here is that Nebraska chancellor Harvey Perlman will announce that former Cornhuskers' coaching legend Tom Osborne will be named as the program's interim athletics director. Stay tuned.

ABC to televise NU-Texas game on Oct. 27

2007-10-15T12:15:00.001-07:00

The Big 12 Conference and ABC Sports have announced that Nebraska's Oct. 27 game at Texas will be carried on the network. ABC will televise the game on a regional basis with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m.

The Huskers' appearance on the network will be their third ABC contest of the season, after home contests on the network against Nevada and USC. It will be the Huskers’ fifth appearance of the season on ABC or ESPN, as NU's road games at Wake Forest and Missouri were carried on ESPN.

This marks the third straight meeting between Nebraska and Texas that has been carried by ABC. Next Saturday's meeting will be the eighth between the schools since the formation of the Big 12, with seven of those games televised by ABC.

Nebraska will also be shown on ABC for its Nov. 23 regular-season finale against Colorado in Boulder. Game times and television information for the Huskers’ Nov. 3 game at Kansas and Nov. 10 home game against Kansas State will be announced six to 12 days in advance.

The other Big 12 games selected for Oct. 27 telecast were: Colorado at Texas Tech (11 a.m., ABC) and Kansas at Texas A&M (6 p.m. ESPN2).

Nebraska's game this Saturday against Texas A&M will not be televised. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.