Well I am filling in for Carl for a few weeks while he and Karen are off on vacation.
Last weeks game was a nail bitter for sure for all Husker fans. Unfortunately the defense looked the same as it did the previous week against USC. At least the offense was able to keep pace with Ball State and the both sides of the ball did take care of business when it counted. Bo Ruud's timely interception return for a touchdown seemed to be the big turning point in the game. Of course, I along with many other Husker faithful were not able to breathe until the field goal sailed wide left to preeserve the one point victory. The defense definitely needs to get better quickly as Big 12 conference games start this weekend forr the Huskers. Hopefully, better things are yet to come as Carl said last week!
This week's game against Iowa State is not available for TV viewing. Game is set to set at 11:05 PST Saturday morning. The only way to follow the game may be by radio if you live in an area where Husker Sports Network is available which is not the Bay Area typically.
Our next planned watch party won't be till the following week when we take on the Missouri Tigers in Columbia with a kickoff at 6:15 PST and TV coverage provided by ESPN.
Go Big Red
Brian Webmaster
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Nebraska Set to Open Big 12 Play Against Cyclones
Nebraska vs. Iowa State Game Notes
Nebraska opens the Big 12 season this Saturday against Iowa State.
Nebraska moves into the second phase of its schedule this Saturday when the Huskers open Big 12 Conference play against Iowa State in Lincoln. Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m. in front of the 286th consecutive sellout at Memorial Stadium. There is no television for the contest, but the game can be heard on the Husker Sports Network.
The two teams enter Saturday’s game after coming out on the opposite end of one-point games against opponents from the Mid-American Conference last weekend. The Huskers rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat Ball State, 41-40, while Iowa State dropped a 36-35 decision at Toledo on Saturday night.
The victory over Ball State allowed Nebraska to complete the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 3-1 mark, giving the Huskers a winning non-league record for the 26th straight season. The Huskers will enter Saturday’s game ranked 25th in the Associated Press poll and 22nd in the USA Today Coaches poll.
Iowa State comes to Lincoln with a 1-3 record, following its loss at Toledo on Saturday. The Cyclones, under the direction of first-year coach Gene Chizik, also suffered close losses to Kent State and Northern Iowa, while posting an impressive 15-13 victory over in-state rival Iowa on Sept. 15 in Ames.
The Huskers have historically dominated Iowa State in Lincoln, winning each of the past 14 matchups between the two schools at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska also has a long history of success in conference openers, winning 31 of its last 32 league openers, including 10 of 11 since the inception of the Big 12 Conference in 1996.
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Huskers Use Record-Setting Passing Performance to Survive Shootout with Ball State
On a record-setting day at Memorial Stadium, the Nebraska offense rolled up 552 yards to power the Huskers to a 41-40 victory over visiting Ball State in a game that featured eight lead changes. Senior quarterback Sam Keller completed 29-of-37 passes for three touchdowns and a school-record 438 yards to overcome a high-powered Cardinal offense.
Keller threw for 322 yards and three touchdowns in the second half alone, including an 11-yard scoring strike to Maurice Purify with 3:13 to play to account for the final margin. However, the victory was not secure until Ball State missed a 55-yard field goal attempt with 17 seconds remaining.
Keller’s record-setting day highlighted an offensive explosion, as the two teams combined for 1,162 yards of total offense, including 610 by Ball State, keyed by quarterback Nate Davis’ 422 passing yards. The teams combined for 57 points after halftime and the final punt of the afternoon occurred midway through the third quarter.
In addition to Keller, several other Huskers had big offensive days. I-back Marlon Lucky set a record of his own by catching an NU running back record 11 passes for 81 yards. His 11 catches were the second-most ever by any Husker and he totaled 183 all-purpose yards with 102 rushing yards on 21 carries. Tight end Sean Hill caught three passes for 129 yards, while wide receiver Maurice Purify had six catches for 122 yards, marking the first time in school history Nebraska had a pair of 100-yard receivers in the same game.
The first quarter did not give an indication of the shootout to come. Nebraska took the opening kickoff and marched 63 yards in nine plays, capped by Lucky’s 28-yard touchdown run. Ball State tied the score early in the second quarter after a 10-play, 80-yard drive, when the Cardinals converted three third-and-long situations. Ball State added a field goal to take a 10-7 lead before Nebraska responded with an impressive 73-yard drive just before halftime to take a 14-10 edge into the locker room.
A Nebraska fumble on its first drive of the second half set up a BSU touchdown for a 17-14 lead. Following a pair of punts, Keller hooked up with Hill for a perfect 73-yard touchdown pass on third down. The Cardinals re-took the lead on a 43-yard touchdown by MiQuale Lewis, but the third-quarter explosion was not over. Keller capped Nebraska’s next drive with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Nate Swift in the corner of the end zone to give the Huskers a 28-24 edge. The see-saw affair continued as Davis hooked up with Dante Love for a 58-yard touchdown with just 54 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
The Cardinals took the largest lead of the game at 37-28 with 12:50 to play following a long touchdown drive, but Ball State missed the extra point. Nebraska fumbled deep in Ball State territory on its next drive, but senior linebacker Bo Ruud made the biggest defensive play of the day by intercepting a Davis pass and racing 34 yards for a score to pull NU within 37-35 with 9:21 left. Davis marched the Cardinals down the field for a field goal and a 40-35 edge with 7:05 to play, but Keller was again up to the task.
Keller was 7-of-7 passing for 78 yards on the ensuing drive, capped by the touchdown pass to Purify. NU’s two-point try failed, but the Huskers led 41-40 with just over three minutes remaining. Ball State drove to the Nebraska 38 before stalling and Jake Hogue’s 55-yard field goal try to win the game sailed wide left.
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Huskers Hope to Continue Dominance of ISU in Lincoln
Iowa State has won just six times in 54 tries against Nebraska in Lincoln and in recent years, the Huskers have made life at Memorial Stadium miserable for the visitors from the east. Nebraska has won the past 14 matchups against the Cyclones in Lincoln, and has scored at least 27 points in each of those 14 games. The Huskers have had a victory margin of at least 28 points in 13 of the last 14 matchups with Iowa State in Lincoln, with the lone exception a 27-20, double-overtime victory in 2005.
Since a 24-21 Iowa State win at Memorial Stadium in 1977, the Huskers have outscored ISU 666-155 in 14 matchups in Lincoln, an average score of 47.6-11.1. Iowa State scored more than 14 points in Lincoln just once since 1989, and that occurred in the 2005 overtime contest.
Nebraska in the Midst of Rugged 2007 Schedule
The non-conference schedule that Nebraska has finished is just the start of a difficult 2007 Nebraska schedule. Among Nebraska's 12 regular-season contests, eight will be against teams that participated in a bowl game following last season. That began in the season’s first three weeks with games against Nevada (MPC Computers Bowl), Wake Forest (Orange Bowl) and USC (Rose Bowl). In league play, Nebraska will take on five 2006 bowl teams including home games against Oklahoma State (Independence), Texas A&M (Holiday) and Kansas State (Texas). On the road, Nebraska will face a pair of bowl teams during trips to Missouri (Sun) and Texas (Alamo). The Huskers' home schedule figures to be among the nation's best, and NU faces five 2006 bowl teams in Lincoln, one of just 13 schools to face five or more bowl teams on their home field, including just two Big 12 schools.
Bowl Opponents at Home in 2007
7–Stanford
6–LSU, Michigan
5–Nebraska, Texas, Clemson, Rutgers, Penn State, UCLA, Washington, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi
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Huskers Explode for Record-Setting Passing Day Against Ball State
Nebraska opened the season with a strong rushing effort against Nevada, but the past two weeks NU has unleashed a high-powered passing attack directed by senior quarterback Sam Keller.
Keller has threw for a school-record 438 yards against Ball State on Saturday, one week after throwing for 389 yards against USC. The 389-yard effort ranks as the No. 5 passing day in school history, and the back-to-back 300-yard passing days mark the first time in school history Nebraska has accomplished that feat.
In addition to Keller’s 438 yards, several other passing notables occurred in the 41-40 shootout with Ball State, including:
►Nebraska featured two 100-yard receivers in a game for the first time in school history. Tight end Sean Hill led the way with 129 yards, while receiver Maurice Purify added 122 yards on six receptions.
►Hill’s 129 receiving yards were the third-most ever by a Nebraska tight end and the most since 1991.
►I-back Marlon Lucky set a Nebraska running back record with 11 receptions for 81 yards. The 11 catches are the second-most in school history regardless of position. Lucky has a team-leading 24 receptions in four games and is well on his way to the Nebraska running back record of 43 receptions in a season, set by Cory Ross in 2005.
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NCAA-Record 286 Consecutive Home Sellouts
Nebraska boasts an incredible NCAA-record 286 consecutive sellouts at Memorial Stadium (including Iowa State). The sellout streak dates back to Hall of Fame Coach Bob Devaney's first year in 1962 (vs. Missouri on Nov. 3). Notre Dame is second in all-time consecutive sellouts with 193, 93 fewer than Nebraska. Entering Saturday’s game, the Huskers are 250-35 during the 285 sellouts. The mark includes a 39-23 record against ranked teams. Nebraska is 5-0 in the five milestone sellouts during that period (50th, 100th, 150th, 200th and 250th sellouts), including a 24-7 win over No. 2 Colorado on Oct. 29, 1994 (No. 200) and a 44-13 victory over Utah State on Sept. 7, 2002 (No. 250).
The fan support at Memorial Stadium has led to a dominant home advantage for the Huskers. NU has won at least six home games in 18 of the past 20 seasons and is 162-19 at home since 1981. Nine of the losses in the span have come against teams that finished in the top eight of the final AP poll. Nebraska's sellout streak will reach 289 by season's end.
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Peterson Receives Brook Berringer Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Nebraska junior wide receiver Todd Peterson was this year's recipient of the Brook Berringer Memorial Endowed Scholarship. The scholarship was endowed in the memory of former Nebraska quarterback Brook Berringer, who died in a plane crash on April 18, 1996. Peterson received the honor before the Ball State game.
Criteria for the Brook Berringer Memorial Scholarship includes the following: Must be a football student-athlete; must be involved in community service along with high ideals, excellent character and integrity.
A native of Grand Island, Peterson embodies the description of the Berringer Scholarship criteria. He has been a contributor to the Nebraska receiving corps since his freshman season in 2005 and has made 37 career receptions, including six touchdown grabs. Off the field, Peterson is heavily involved in community outreach. He was selected to the 2007 Brook Berringer Citizenship Team, which recognizes Husker football players who take a leading role in Nebraska's community outreach activities. Peterson is also a member of the Nebraska Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Peterson is majoring in nutrition, exercise and health science and carries a 3.726 cumulative grade-point average. He is a two-time first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection.
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No. 1 Huskers Volleyball Host Bears on Saturday
Match Preview: Nebraska vs. Baylor
Baylor (8-7, 1-4 Big 12) at No. 1 Nebraska (11-0, 4-0 Big 12)
Sat., Sept. 29 • NU Coliseum • 7 p.m.
Tickets: Sold Out (97th consecutive sellout at NU Coliseum)
Television: None
Radio: B107.3 FM in Lincoln and on Huskers.com
Video: HuskersNside (subscription required)
Live Stats: Huskers.com
The Nebraska volleyball team closes the month on Saturday night, as it hosts the Baylor Bears. First serve between the Huskers (11-0, 4-0 Big 12) and Bears (8-7, 2-2 Big 12) is set for 7 p.m. from the NU Coliseum - the 97th consecutive volleyball sellout in the historic arena. Fans can listen to all of the action on B107.3 FM in Lincoln and on the Internet on Huskers.com. Saturday’s match will also be video-streamed on HuskersNside.
The Huskers continued their winning ways on Wednesday, sweeping Kansas on the road to remain among a handful of undefeated Division I programs. All-American Jordan Larson led the Huskers’ efforts against the Jayhawks, totaling match-highs in kills (17), digs (11) and aces (three), while hitting .389 on 36 swings. Larson, who is 10th in the Big 12 in both kills (3.85) and digs (3.50), recorded her team-best sixth double-double on Wednesday and now has 33 during her Husker career. Larson, who is fifth in the Big 12 in service aces, recorded her first multiple ace match in a month in style, ripping off three consecutive aces at one point in game three.
Baylor comes to Lincoln looking to snap a two-match losing streak after getting swept by Texas A&M on Wednesday night in Waco. The Bears, who feature three sophomores and a freshman in their starting lineup, have played better on the road, winning six of their eight matches away from home, while winning twice in seven tries at home. The Bears feature one of the Big 12’s best middle blockers in Anna Breyfogle, who leads the Big 12 with 1.63 blocks per game, while setter Taylor Barnes leads the conference with 0.54 aces per game.
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NU Volleyball Quick Hits
•-If the Huskers can sweep Baylor on Saturday, NU can close the month without dropping a game. It would be the third time NU has gone an entire September without dropping a game with the others coming in 1995 (11-0) and 1976 (7-0).
•-The Huskers have held their last three foes to a combined .091 hitting, and now lead the Big 12 in opponent hitting percentage (.146).
•-The Huskers have swept their last 13 straight Big 12 foes at home dating back to 2005.
•-Baylor was one of only four Big 12 teams to take a game from the Huskers in 2006.
•-NU is 256-22 (.921) in September since 1983 and has won its last 37 matches in the month since the 2004 season.
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Nebraska Soccer Opens Conference Play at Home
Game Notes
Carly Peetz and Nebraska enter conference play at 3-2-3.
Lincoln-Fresh off two up-tempo games, the Huskers kick off their conference schedule at the Nebraska Soccer Field this weekend against two teams from the Panhandle state.
Nebraska's offense burst onto the scene in a big way last Friday as the Huskers defeated Saint Louis University. NU set several Nebraska Soccer Field records on the way to a 5-1 victory. The Huskers followed that with a spirited match against No. 12 Florida on Sunday. Nebraska had its chances as its offense showed marked improvement, but the game ended in a 1-1 tie.
The Huskers now turn their focus to Big 12 play as Oklahoma and No. 16 Oklahoma State visit the Nebraska Soccer Field this weekend. Nebraska opens conference play at home for just the fifth time in school history with a 4:30 p.m. showdown with the Sooners. The Huskers' offense looks to be coming around at the right time. Nebraska is perfect in conference openers, racking up an impressive 11-0 record and outscoring opponents 39-5.
Oklahoma State travels to Lincoln on Sunday to face the Huskers at 1 p.m. The game looks to be a battle of strengths as Oklahoma State's high-powered offense will square off with Nebraska's stout defense. The Cowgirls are off to a fast start, as they sit tied atop the Big 12 standings at 6-1-1 on the season, but the Huskers have had their number. Nebraska is 9-2-0 all-time against OSU.
The Huskers are 81-24-4 all-time in regular-season conference play.
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Anne Marie Rye, is representing Nebraska and the Big XII in the sideline spirit contest.
Please cast your vote for Anne Marie Rye, a Junior who is representing Nebraska and the Big XII in the sideline spirit contest. She is competing against individuals from the other major conferences.
Lets show our support for a fellow Husker by casting votes for Anne Marie.
Please click on the link below and you can vote as often as you like.
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NEWS FROM THE HOMELAND...
Huskers Seek Toughness, Improvement After USC Debacle
*Callahan says NU will open up jobs and put on the pads
Here comes the crucible. After gathering his whole team Sunday to suffer through the game film of Southern California's 49-31 victory – and running that film personally – NU Coach Bill Callahan took an entirely new tone in Tuesday's press conference. It was a style he had not previously shown in the 2007 season. . . .
McKeon Bares His Soul; Will Blackshirts Bow Their Backs?
*Linebacker's honesty cuts to the heart of team's struggle
It's not easy to hear vulnerability. Especially from a football player. But as Nebraska linebacker Corey McKeon spoke on Tuesday, he drew a clear, unsettling picture of the Blackshirts' collective psyche after two . . .
Sixteen New West Niles Cases Reported
*Sixteen new cases of West Nile virus have been reported to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services since last week. That brings the total number of cases reported so far this year to 98. There have been three deaths. Four new counties were added to the list of counties reporting cases of West Nile
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