Bay Area Husker ENews 9-14-07

Hey Bay Area Husker Fans,

Whew! Too close for comfort but a "W" is a "W" for the books (and ratings). Lots of stuff below about the big game this weekend against USC.

All of our watch sites will be ready for the onslaught of Husker fans, so get there early, grab a seat and order some dinner because this one is going to be exciting. Jack's in Fremont will once again be putting on a Prime Rib for the gathered beefeaters in the group. They typically get around 20 servings out of a full rib rack, so first come first served.

Kickoff is a little after 5 p.m. Pacific Time and the game will be on ABC. In addition to the game, ESPN is bringing their GAMEDAY team to Lincoln and will set up for their early broadcast at 7 a.m. Pacific Time.

So set the alarm and watch their crazy football hype-team talk about the day's events live from Memorial Stadium, with a bunch of screaming Husker fans in the background. It will be interesting to see which team's headgear Corso pulls out to predict the winner.

There's a great Nebraska trivia piece at the end and a couple of great articles about the Huskers from ESPN and the L.A. Times for a different perspective below.

Enjoy and cheer on the Huskers...BEAT SC!

Go Big Red (White and Blue)!Carl

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ESPN COLLEGE GAMEDAYLIVE FROM MEMORIAL STADIUM...

Nebraska set an ESPN College GameDay record with more than 15,000 fans in attendance before the 2001 Notre Dame game.

Nebraska fans are encouraged to turn out in large numbers, wear red and be part of ESPN’s College GameDay Built by the Home Depot on Saturday morning at Memorial Stadium.

The production trucks for Saturday’s show are already in place, and part of College GameDay’s advance crew arrived in Lincoln on Wednesday. The show will air on Saturday from 9-11 a.m.

Seating for the show will be in the West Stadium, with gates opening at 7:30 a.m. The first live shots from Lincoln will be during the 8 a.m. SportsCenter.

Fans who plan to attend the show can enter Memorial Stadium through Gates 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 on the west side of the stadium. Lots around Memorial Stadium will be reserved for those with game parking passes, so fans attending only the ESPN College GameDay should plan on using downtown parking and other lots that do not require permits on game days.

Soda and water will be available for purchase during the show. Fans will be asked to clear the stands at the conclusion of the show at 11 a.m.

College GameDay last appeared at Memorial Stadium during the 2001 season. A College GameDay record of more than 15,000 fans attended the show before the Notre Dame game on Sept. 8. The show was televised before a packed stadium just prior to the Huskers’ 2001 victory over Oklahoma.

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HUSKERS SET TO HOST TOP-RANKED TROJANS...

The eyes of the college football world will be squarely on Lincoln this weekend as Nebraska plays host to No. 1 USC at Memorial Stadium. The game will be carried nationally as part of ESPN on ABC’s Saturday Night Football package. Kickoff is set for 5:13 p.m. PDT.

In addition to the national telecast of Saturday night’s non-conference showdown, ESPN’s College GameDay will air from Memorial Stadium from 9 to 11 a.m. (Central) on Saturday. It will mark the first time College GameDay has originated from Lincoln, since visiting Memorial Stadium twice in 2001.

The Huskers will enter the matchup with a 2-0 record following Saturday’s hard-fought 20-17 victory on the road at Wake Forest. A week after using a punishing ground game to roll past Nevada, the Huskers showed firepower through the air, passing for 258 yards against the defending ACC champions, while the Blackshirt defense came up with key plays at several crucial points late in the game.

The victory gave Nebraska a 2-0 start for the third consecutive season and moved NU up to 14th in this week’s national polls. The No. 14 ranking is Nebraska’s highest since reaching No. 12 in the AP poll midway through the 2003 season.

Southern California was a near-unanimous preseason No. 1 choice in the national polls and maintains that ranking heading into Lincoln. The Trojans defeated Idaho, 38-10, on Sept. 1 in Los Angeles and were idle last weekend. The visit by No. 1 USC marks the first time a top-ranked team has traveled to Memorial Stadium since No. 4 Nebraska upended No. 1 Oklahoma, 17-14 in 1978. This will be the fourth time a top-ranked opponent has played the Huskers at Memorial Stadium (also Oklahoma in 1974 and 1955). Nebraska last faced a top-ranked opponent at any site in the 2002 Rose Bowl, when it was defeated by No. 1 Miami.

The meeting will mark the fourth all-time matchup between the two programs. USC’s 28-10 win last season at the Los Angeles Coliseum gave the Trojans a 2-0-1 advantage in the series. In the only meeting in Lincoln, USC defeated Nebraska, 31-21, to open the 1969 season.

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BLACKSHIRTS HOLD LATE IN WIN AT WAKE FOREST...

Ndamukong Suh helped the Blackshirts slow Wake Forest's high-powered passing attack on Saturday.

Winston-Salem, N.C. - The Nebraska Blackshirts made huge defensive plays late in the game to preserve an exciting 20-17 road victory by the No. 16 Huskers over defending ACC champion Wake Forest on Saturday at Groves Stadium. The rugged defensive effort helped NU improve to 2-0 on the season, while Wake Forest slipped to 0-2.

Nebraska Coach Bill Callahan said he was not surprised by the close contest, and actually anticipated the defensive struggle.

"This was a BCS championship football team with a lot of pride, and they have always had a good defensive football team," Nebraska Coach Bill Callahan said after the game. "We are pleased to come out of this game with a win. Our fans were tremendous. We had more than 10,000 fans in this stadium, about a third of this stadium and they were a factor in the game today."

After surrendering a quick touchdown to give Wake Forest a 17-13 lead less than five minutes into the second half, the Blackshirts slammed the door on the Demon Deacons the rest of the way to seal the victory in front of a sellout crowd of more than 32,000, which included between 10,000 and 15,000 Husker fans, in Winston-Salem.

No defensive play was bigger than a late fourth-quarter stop with just over six minutes to go when senior captain Zackary Bowman leaped to pickoff a Brett Hodges third-down pass in the end zone to stop the potential go-ahead touchdown by the Demon Deacons. Bowman's interception allowed the Huskers to dodge a big bullet that followed an interception by Wake Forest that gave the Demon Deacons a first-and-goal at NU's 10.

Bowman's interception seemed to spark the Nebraska offense, as the Huskers took control and marched NU to the Wake Forest 35.

The Demon Deacon defense held on fourth down with 1:45 left to give Wake Forest one final chance. Walk-on defensive back Ben Eisenhart from Culbertson, Neb., appeared to make the Blackshirts' final big play by intercepting a pass that was tipped by Omaha native Cortney Grixby, but the call on the field was reversed by replay officials to give Wake Forest one final chance on fourth-and-10.

Called on for one final time, the Blackshirts stepped up again by forcing an incompletion with just over one minute left to give the ball back to the Husker offense to run out the clock.

"When you are in these types of games where you are the road and the pendulum swings back and forth, the important thing is how you adjust and how you respond as a football team," Callahan said. "I was really proud of how our team responded to get the win today."

To view the rest of the article go to http://www.huskers.com/

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RANDY YORK'S N-SIDER...

Callahan Wants Fans 'Revved' and 'Amped' for No. 1 USC

So it’s USC week. Bill Callahan and his staff are camped out in their offices in Lincoln, and Pete Carroll and his staff are hunkered down in LA. The lights are out, the film is on and the little red laser is pointing all over the place trying to detect one team’s advantage over the other team’s weakness.

Hear Coach Callahan talk about the role Husker fans will play vs. No. 1-ranked USC.

Callahan and Carroll “may not sleep at all this week because they’ll be trying so hard to out-scheme each other,” Nebraska Athletic Director Steve Pederson laughingly told USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett Monday night on Pederson’s radio program.

Garrett, USC’s first-ever Heisman Trophy winner, said he’s seen Nebraska on TV forever, but never been to Lincoln. “We all finally get to go there and see for ourselves that sea of red,” Garrett said on Sports Nightly. “We’re excited about going back to where Johnny Rodgers played. There can’t be better football fans anywhere in the country.”

Aha, finally, we see a role Nebraska fans can play in this first No. 1 team to visit Memorial Stadium in 29 years. For those 81,000 Husker fans lucky enough to get a ticket into this nationally-televised showdown, there is something you can do – take the noise level to an unprecedented level.

“I know this. They (the Trojans) are going to come in, and they are going to try and audible and check. They do a lot of things at the line of scrimmage, so our fans, our fan base, our stadium . . . it has to be revved up ” Nebraska Coach Bill Callahan said Sunday on his weekly TV show.

“It’s got to be amped up like it never has before to really try and diffuse those checks at the line of scrimmage,” Callahan said. “So, the louder, the better. And hopefully, this will be the loudest stadium ever in the history of Nebraska.”

Tuesday, when someone asked how important crowd noise would be against USC, Callahan didn’t hesitate to seize another opportunity to drive home the same message at his weekly press conference.

What's the loudest game you can remember at Memorial Stadium? Here is just a sampling from Huskers.com staff.

1978 (17-14 win #4 Nebraska over #1 Oklahoma)
1986 (34-17 win #8 Nebraska over #11 Florida State)
1987 (17-7 loss #1 Nebraska to #2 Oklahoma)
1992 (52-7 win #8-t Nebraska over #8-t Colorado)
1994 (24-7 win #3 Nebraska over #2 Colorado)
2001 (27-10 win #5 Nebraska over #17 Notre Dame)
2001 (20-10 win #3 Nebraska over #2 Oklahoma)
2006 (22-20 loss #17 Nebraska to #5 Texas)

Respond to Randy with comments on these games or others that you think would qualify as loud.

“It’s a huge, huge, huge difference,” he said. “I hope our fans out there are listening because I don’t think I have to encourage them to be loud. These are the best fans in football in my eyes. I’m anticipating a loud venue on Saturday night.”

USC Coach Pete Carroll is anticipating the same thing. “I’m sure Nebraska will give us everything we can handle,” Carroll said Tuesday at his press conference. “They’re a fantastic crowd. They get all ramped up. It’s a great atmosphere. That’s what the home field is all about. The crowd is going to do everything it can to make it difficult for us. It’s tremendous opposition, I’m sure. As a team, we have to play over and above all those factors.”

Carroll and Callahan, two former NFL head coaches, love the college crowds and relish how much they can influence the outcome of a game.

For Nebraska football, there seems to be a statistic for just about everything except crowd noise. For that, your opinions are the only stats that count. So, here’s the question: From personal experience, what is the loudest game you can remember watching at Memorial Stadium?
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HUSKERS FOCUS ON THIRD DOWN IN WEDNESDAY WORKOUT...

Lincoln – With 72 hours remaining before Saturday night’s highly-anticipated contest with No. 1 Southern California, the Nebraska football team focused on third-down efficiency during a 2 1/2-hour workout inside Memorial Stadium Wednesday afternoon.

The Husker coaching staff expects third down will be vital against the Trojans.

“We’re challenged by third downs,” Head Coach Bill Callahan said. “In last year’s game we didn’t do well with third downs. That’s a key area. It’s going to be one of the deciding factors in this game.”

In Southern California’s 28-10 win over Nebraska on Sept. 16, 2006, the Trojans were successful on 9-of-15 third-down situations, while the Huskers were 5-of-14. In 2007, Nebraska has converted 33 percent (10-for-30) of its third downs, while USC was 8-for-17 (47 percent) in its opener against Idaho.

“They’ve got a great third-down pass defense and a great third down pass and rush offense,” Callahan added. “It’s going to be necessary and crucial (for us). It’s one of those situations where it will come down to that area in a lot of ways.”

Off the field, Callahan reiterated the impact a sellout Memorial Stadium could have on the game when college football’s No. 1 ranked team comes to Lincoln for the first time since 1978. The last two match-ups between Nebraska and USC have taken place in Los Angeles, including last year’s game.

“I think any time you’re in your home venue, there is a little more comfort,” he said. “We have great fans and this is a great place to play. I know our team’s excited.

“(But) USC has been in big games too. They’ve been on the road and played a lot of great teams and done well. It’s going to be interesting. We’ll just have to see how it all turns out.”

Prior to Wednesday’s practice, the production trucks for ESPN’s College GameDay arrived in Lincoln. The show will air on Saturday from 9-11 a.m. (Central) on the west side of Memorial Stadium.

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L.A. TIMES ARTICLE ABOUT KELLER'S PATH TO NEBRASKA AND A SECOND CHANCE AT USC...

Square peg Keller comes full circle

Quarterback found he didn't fit in at Arizona State, where he was a rising star before a USC comeback and an injury derailed him. Now at Nebraska, he's about to get another shot at No. 1 Trojans.

By Chris Dufresne
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
September 11 2007

LINCOLN, Neb. -- "Destiny is not a matter of chance," the quotation reads above the entrance to the Osborne Athletic Complex. "It is a matter of choice."

The complete article can be viewed at: http://www.latimes.com
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HERE'S ANOTHER ONE FROM THE LA TIMES ABOUT USC'S DEFENSIVE STRATEGY...

Missed opportunities

After finishing in the top five in turnover margin for five straight seasons, USC slipped to 38th in 2006. The defense is trying to figure out how to turn it around.

By Gary Klein
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
September 12 2007

Rey Maualuga and his fellow USC defensive players spent the spring, summer and training camp focusing on one theme: creating turnovers.

The complete article can be viewed at: http://www.latimes.com
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GREAT STORY FROM ESPN ABOUT HUSKER FANS DONATING TICKETS TO ARMY VETS (thanks to Dick and Shirley for finding the story)...

Big Red is Golden for Those Serving Red, White and Blue
By Gene Wojciechowski (a great Nebraska name if I ever saw one!)ESPN.com

http://sports.espn.go.com
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NO. 1 HUSKERS SWEEP NO. 7 LONGHORNS...

Sarah Pavan had 16 kills to lead the Huskers to a sweep of No. 7 Texas at the NU Coliseum on Wednesday.

Lincoln – Behind 16 kills from AVCA National Player of the Year Sarah Pavan, top-ranked Nebraska opened Big 12 action with a 3-0 sweep over No. 7 Texas, winning 30-24, 30-17, 30-25 in front of a national television audience Wednesday evening.

Pavan hit a blistering .520 on 25 swings and keyed a Husker attack that hit .400 against the Longhorns, the second straight match that Nebraska (8-0, 1-0 Big 12) eclipsed the .400 mark as a team. It was the highest NU hit against a top-10 foe since hitting .400 against fifth-ranked Hawaii in 2001.

The senior, who also chipped in five digs and two blocks, moved in sole possession of second place on NU’s career kills list, moving past three-time All-American Lisa Reitsma. Pavan now has 1,637 career kills and is within striking distance of Allison Weston's career record.

While Pavan was the only Husker to reach double figures, Nebraska enjoyed superb offensive balance against Texas in posting its 60th consecutive home win. All-American setter Rachel Holloway guided an attack that hit .300 in all three games and featured all six starters with at least six kills. The sophomore from Franklin, Tenn., had six kills on nine swings and added six digs in one of her best all-around performances of the year.
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HOUGHTELLING LEADS HUSKERS TO AMERITAS TITLE...

Lincoln – Behind a season-high 15 kills from tournament MVP Christina Houghtelling, the top-ranked Nebraska volleyball team improved to 7-0 on the season with a 30-17, 30-25, 30-22 sweep of New Mexico State Saturday night at the Nebraska Coliseum.

Houghtelling, who missed all of the 2006 season after shoulder surgery, was dominant against the Aggies, hitting .519 on 27 swings and adding three blocks and nine digs. For the weekend, she averaged 4.17 kills per game on .535 hitting and 3.00 digs per game, as the Huskers collected their third tournament title in as many weeks heading into Wednesday’s Big 12 opener.

Houghtelling was joined by teammates Tracy Stalls and Rachel Holloway on the seven-member all-tournament squad.

Stalls finished with nine kills and set season bests in both hitting percentage (.692) and blocks (five) while hitting .654 in two matches this weekend. Holloway guided the Huskers to a season-high .409 hitting against the Aggies, while recording season bests in both kills (six) and blocks (four) and added eight digs.

Nebraska Head Coach John Cook was pleased with how the Huskers responded after the first match between Duke and Louisville pushed the start time back an hour. In that match, Louisville rallied from a 0-2 deficit and three match points to stun the No. 11 Blue Devils in five games.
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NEBRASKA SWEEPS NO. 11 DUKE...

Lincoln – Behind a double-double from All-American Jordan Larson, No. 1 Nebraska improved to 6-0 on the season with a 3-0 sweep of No. 11 Duke Friday night in the first round of the Ameritas Players Challenge.

Larson, who picked up her 30th career double-double, led the Huskers with 16 kills and 14 digs, helping the Huskers to their fifth sweep of the year. It was Larson’s fourth double-double in the Huskers’ last five contests, all of which have come against ranked foes.

Larson was one of three Huskers to finish in double figures, as All-Americans Sarah Pavan and Christina Houghtelling chipped in 12 and 10 kills, respectively. Houghtelling, who is averaging 3.36 kills per game on .349 hitting over her last four matches, fell one dig shy of a double-double, totaling 10 kills on .562 hitting and nine digs along with a pair of aces.

"I feel a lot more confident," Houghtelling said of her performances in recent weeks. "It was just different coming back. It’s something you really can’t explain in words. In that game situation, I was a little hesitant because I hadn’t been in that game situation for a while. Things are fine now."

With her 12 kills on Friday, Pavan moved past three-time All-American Nancy Metcalf for sole possession of third place on NU’s career kills list with 1,608, bettering Metcalf’s total of 1,603 from 1997 to 2001.

The Huskers hit .336 as a team against Duke, as Houghtelling and Tracy Stalls (nine kills on .615 hitting) combined for most of the damage against a Blue Devil squad that had lost just one – a five-game setback at fourth-ranked USC – in their first six matches.

With Friday’s win, the Huskers will meet New Mexico State, a 3-2 winner over Louisville earlier Friday, in the championship match Saturday at 7 p.m. Nebraska will look for its 59th consecutive home win and move past Florida for sole possession of fourth place on the NCAA all-time consecutive home wins list.
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HUSKER VOLLEYBALL ANNOUNCES TELEVISION SCHEDULE (all time Central)...

Lincoln – Fans who are unable to see the top-ranked Nebraska volleyball team in person will have ample opportunities to watch the Huskers during the 2007 season.

The Nebraska Athletic Department announced its volleyball television schedule on Thursday and it includes seven home matches shown statewide on Nebraska Educational Television. It also features an appearance on FSN at Texas on Oct. 24 as part of the Big 12 Conference television package.

Five of the NET matches will be simulcast on College Sports Television (CSTV), as part of the AVCA’s Match of the Week series. Nebraska already has made two appearances on NET and CSTV as part of the AVCA’s College Volleyball Showcase in Omaha last month.

The seven-match NET broadcast schedule begins on Wednesday, Sept. 12, as the Huskers take on seventh-ranked Texas in the Big 12 opener for both teams. The NET broadcast team of Larry Punteney and Kathi Wieskamp will bring fans all of the action. All of the NET volleyball telecasts will be shown in high definition across the state on NET-HD.

The NU-Texas match is the first of five matches carried live on both NET and CSTV with the others being Big 12 contests against Kansas State (Oct. 3; 7 p.m.), Iowa State (Oct. 10; 7 p.m.), Missouri (Oct. 31; 7 p.m.) and Colorado (Nov. 7; 7 p.m.).

In addition, NET also will exclusively carry Nebraska’s matches against Texas A&M on Saturday, Sept. 22, and against Hawaii from the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Sunday, Oct. 21.
Nebraska’s match at Texas on Oct. 24 will be carried on FSN – the only Big 12 volleyball match as part of the conference’s television package this season. That match will begin at 6:30 p.m.

2007 Nebraska Volleyball Broadcast Schedule

Date Opponent Time NET CSTV FSN
Sept. 12 Texas 7 p.m. Live Live --
Sept. 22 Texas A&M 7 p.m. Live -- --
Oct. 3 Kansas State 7 p.m. Live Live --
Oct. 10 Iowa State 7 p.m. Live Live --
Oct 21 Hawaii 5 p.m. Live -- --
Oct. 24 at Texas 6:30 p.m. -- -- Live
Oct. 31 Missouri 7 p.m. Live Live --
Nov. 7 Colorado 7 p.m. Live Live --
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HUSKER SOCCER TEAM HEADS WEST FOR USC TOURNEY...

Lincoln - After a grueling early-season schedule, the Nebraska soccer team takes the week off before heading west to partake in the USC Tournament at McAlister Field. NU will have little time to take in the attractions as it faces two tough Southeastern Conference opponents in Tennessee and Georgia. The Huskers will face their first ranked opponent of the season in No. 13 Tennessee on Friday at 3 p.m. before a 12:30 p.m. showdown with Georgia on Sunday.

The Huskers tangled with four teams last week, but came out unscathed as NU remained unbeaten on the year at 2-0-2. Nebraska notched a 2-0 win over Northwestern to open the season Sept. 2. The team battled Drake to a 1-1 overtime tie on Sept. 5 in Des Moines, Iowa, but came back home to put up a 2-1 victory over Missouri State last Friday. The Huskers followed up with a 0-0 tie with San Diego State last Sunday to end a long week.

One area of the Husker squad that never faltered was the defense. Nebraska has allowed just two goals on the season behind the inspiring play of freshman goalkeeper Jessica Mills. She recorded her second shutout of the season on Sunday against San Diego State and lowered her goals-against average to 0.45, which ranks second in the Big 12.

That Husker defense will get tested this week by the Lady Vols and Bulldogs. Tennessee enters the game ranked No. 13 in the NSCAA/adidas poll, after opening the season with a 2-1 win over then-No. 7 Penn State. Georgia presents its own challenges as the Bulldogs enter the weekend undefeated at 4-0 with four straight home wins. Nebraska has never faced either school, but is 9-1-0 all-time against SEC teams. The Huskers have a 25-10-1 record in games at neutral sites.
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Lincoln – The Nebraska soccer team battled brisk fall conditions and a stout San Diego State defense on Sunday afternoon, as the Huskers tied the Aztecs 0-0 after two overtimes at the Nebraska Soccer Field.

Despite the scoreless affair, Nebraska generated the bulk of the offense. Showing no ill effects of playing their third game in five days, the Huskers (2-0-2) dominated control of the ball as they recorded 24 shots while only allowing seven for the Aztecs (1-1-2). NU had 10 shots on goal to SDSU’s four and racked up eight corners to SDSU’s one.

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Lincoln – Nebraska remained unbeaten on the year by notching a 2-1 victory over Missouri State at the Nebraska Soccer Field on Friday night in front of more than 400 fans.

The Huskers ran their record to 2-0-1 on goals from junior Shay Powell and senior Sari Raber. The match up was essentially won on Nebraska’s early offensive success as the Huskers registered two first-half goals after being shut out in the first 45 minutes in their first two contests. NU recorded 12 shots in the match to MSU’s 11. Nebraska had a slight advantage in corner kicks 7-5, while both teams recorded 14 fouls.

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FREE HUSKER FOOTBALL COMPUTER WALLPAPERS ARE HERE...

Lincoln - Show your loyalty to Nebraska football by downloading free, exclusive Husker football wallpapers to your computer screens. Throughout the 2007 season, Huskers.com will bring you new wallpapers to display at home and at work.

Huskers.com currently has six new football player wallpapers available for the 2007 season, including this week's featured player Marlon Lucky.

To download these exclusive Nebraska football wallpapers created by Dustin Tomes with photographs from Scott Bruhn, simply visit the Nebraska football home page on Huskers.com and click on "2007 Wallpaper" on the left-side menu.

You can also access the wallpapers directly at this link.

Once inside the wallpaper site, simply click on the magnifying glass below the image and when the larger screen appears, click on the "Larger" icon at the top of the screen. Then, click on the photo image and select "Set as Background" or "Set as Desktop Wallpaper."

To view more wallpaper images, simply click on the numbers above the photo to view other images.

Look for more wallpaper images here each week during football season and show your support for Nebraska football.

Huskers.com also has football wallpapers available from the 2005 and 2006 seasons through the same link. Last season, more than 800,000 free football wallpapers were downloaded by Husker fans around the world.
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INTERESTING HUSKER WEBSITE LINKS...

Hello!
Can you please list HuskerSpot.com on your website? Its a FREE social networking site for Husker fans where they can join to share pictures, videos, and stay connected with each other.
It's absolutely FREE to join (please join yourself!) - help me spread the word about this online community of the greatest fans in college football... Husker fans!
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NEWS FROM THE HOMEFRONT...

* Carroll Excited to Invade Lincoln

Well, look who stood up for The Good Life. Sam McKewon's latest on the latest thing said about Nebraska by the USC coach.
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/
ART/2007/09/12/46e88f3480915

* Just Another Game? Callahan, Huskers Say So

Sam Keller has discovered the wonders of pop psychology. With his typical polish, NU's senior quarterback waxed philosophical on the importance of Saturday's contest against Southern California. The latest from Sam McKewon, whose copy is guaranteed to keep the Feedback flowing in. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/
2007/09/12/46e7755a0da4e

* Fast, Furious USC Defense Has Few Soft Spots

Two downs to get two yards. That's all that separated Nebraska from essentially running out the clock against Wake Forest. McKewon's look at USC. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/
ART/2007/09/11/46e749950382d

* Southern Cal's Top Receiver Overcomes Injury In Time To Play Against Nebraska

The Trojans have been bitten hard by the injury bug over the last couple weeks, but a top receiver will be back for the Nebraska game. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/
ART/2007/09/11/46e6d029c2135

* Callahan Finds 'No Visible Signs of Weakness' on USC

Nebraska Coach Bill Callahan played his comments close to the vest on Monday's Big 12 Coaches Teleconference as he talked about the upcoming game against Southern California. The latest Husker coverage from Sam McKewon - and more follows. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/
ART/2007/09/10/46e57bc157b94

* Defense Secures Huskers' 20-17 Win at Wake Forest

It ended so serenely, with just a couple knees to the ground by Nebraska quarterback Sam Keller. But there was a lot of excitement first! http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/
ART/2007/09/08/46e31e762f79c

* Keller Still Growing in Huskers' Offense

For about two minutes Saturday, Nebraska quarterback Sam Keller looked like he was in his element. Time flies, however, when you're having fun. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/
ART/2007/09/09/46e46f2532a74

* ESPN Gameday Coming to Lincoln

ESPN's College Gameday crew is packing its bags for Lincoln. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/
ART/2007/09/09/46e4756c90bca

* USC Drags Media, Myth to Lincoln

Good morning from the center of the world. And this time, it's not just a metaphor. It's Southern California week.
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/
ART/2007/09/10/46e5628cafe1a

* CSC Looks For 16th Straight Regular Season Win

Chadron State will seek its 16th consecutive regular season win Saturday when the Eagles take on Northern Colorado of the Big Sky Conference. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/
ART/2007/09/07/46e0a135d8df3

* The Champ Is Dead

Mother Nature has robbed Nebraska of America's largest cottonwood tree. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/
ART/2007/09/11/46e6fb5b66b72

* Hagel Makes It Official - No Senate Or Presidential Race

Senator Chuck Hagel is out. The odds are Kerrey and Johanns are in. Keep the comments coming. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/
ART/2007/09/10/46e5694f73a31

* The Cow, The Hole In The Lane, And The List

Cows have a puzzling outlook on the world. Tammy Hansen Snell analyzes it. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/
ART/2007/09/07/46e0b5ad72788

* Fire Safety Plan Approved By NU Regents

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents has unanimously approved a new fire safety and protection plan for all university housing. The policy requires all university-sanctioned housing to have sprinklers installed by 2017. It includes... http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/
ART/2007/09/07/46e1523b842ac
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Interesting Husker facts (thanks Venna):

I. Who We Are:

A) Big 12 School Enrollments: (Undergraduate and Graduate; Source: Kansas City Star, 6/06)

1. Texas: 50,377

2. Texas A&M: 44,435

3. Colorado: 32,362

4. Texas Tech: 28,325

5. Oklahoma: 27,483

6. Missouri: 27,003

7. Kansas: 26,980

8. Iowa State: 26,380

9. Oklahoma State: 23,819

10. Kansas State: 23,151

11. Nebraska: 21,792

12. Baylor: 13,799

B) Population Density: People per Square Mile (Big 12 states; Source: U.S Census, 2000)

1. Missouri: 81.2

2. Texas: 79.6

3. Iowa: 52.4

4. Oklahoma: 50.3

5. Colorado: 41.5

6. Kansas: 32.9

7. Nebraska: 22.3 people/square mile

C) State Population: (Big 12 states; Source: U.S. Census, 2006 estimate)

1. Texas: 23.5

2. Missouri: 5.8

3. Colorado: 4.8

4. Oklahoma: 3.6

5. Iowa: 3.0

6. Kansas: 2.8

7. Nebraska: 1.8-million

[Note: The Texas population (23.5-mil) is more than all of the other Big 12 states combined (21.8-mil).]

II. How We're Known:

The nation knows us mostly for our football---it's become a major part of our identity.

--The state name is typically in national rankings.

--High-profile bowl games are frequent.

--Memorial Stadium is known as "the state's third largest city."

--The phrase "A sea of red".. it's ours.

For a humble state in America's outback.... that's quite a bit.

A) Average Football Attendance: (2006. NCAA)

1. Texas: 88,505

2. Nebraska: 85,044

3. Oklahoma: 84,561

4. Texas A&M: 75,985

5. Missouri: 55,918

6. Texas Tech: 50,874

7. Kansas State: 46,693

8. Iowa State: 46,177

9. Colorado: 46,084

10. Kansas: 44,137

11. Oklahoma State: 40,954

12. Baylor: 37,080

B) Fan Support: Football Attendance / School Size

1. Nebraska: 3.9 fans in attendance per student enrolled.

2. Oklahoma: 3.1

3. Baylor: 2.7

4. Missouri: 2.1

5. Kansas State: 2.0

6. Texas: 1.8

7. Iowa State: 1.8

8. Texas Tech: 1.8

9. Texas A&M: 1.7

10. Oklahoma State: 1.7

11. Kansas: 1.6

12. Colorado: 1.4

C) Accomplishments In All Sports: 2007 "Directors Cup" points/school size:

1. Baylor: 37.0

2. Nebraska: 31.4 points / 1,000 students

3. Oklahoma: 25.6

4. Oklahoma State: 21.2

5. Texas: 20.6

6. Texas A&M: 19.8

7. Texas Tech: 16.0

8. Colorado: 15.9

9. Missouri: 14.5

10. Kansas: 11.1

11. Iowa State: 10.3

12. Kansas State: 6.3

The Bottom Line:

Recognize that the University of Nebraska is a smaller university in a thinly populated state. We don't have as much as other schools in the Big 12 to draw on---either in alumni base or in state wealth. But in terms of performance and support we're always near the top.

Good things don't happen by themselves. Devaney and Osborne started it. Others have pushed it foward. Among them:

--Bill Byrne was seen as "Dollar Bill"---but he was among the first to show how to build skyboxes that largely paid for themselves. And he put Husker baseball and Hawkes Field on the map.

--Steve Pederson will be known for moving along Solich. But he'll also be known for answering needs that had been there for years---the need for more stadium seating and the need for top-of-the-line football facilities. (Of course, he'll be known for some transgressions too...)

--Husker fans: Outsiders may try to minimize our loyalties.. "There's nothing else to do there." But we've filled our stadium 282 consecutive times (yes, a national record). And among those who care (e.g., bowl selection committees), we've become well-known for traveling to support our team.

Is it true "There is no place like Nebraska"? Yep. We made it that way.

Is it also true that all we've got is each other? You better believe it. There's no one else out there in the media (or in the flesh) doing Nebraska any favors. It's just us.

There's some advice that applies here:

--Know who you are.

--Be grateful for what you've got.

We're working on doing both. Just some things to think about..

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