Thousands of Husker fans across the nation were very disappointed last Saturday when Fox, the cable providers and DirecTV were unable to unscramble their signal to hundreds of sports bars who had paid the $500 PPV fee to watch the game (including our three watch sites). The situation was fixed at most outlets by halftime but many (like Legends in Concord) never did get to watch the game. Enterprising fans and bar owners managed to at least broadcast the audio from the game via Huskers.com over their speaker systems so fans could listen to part of the first half. Unfortunately the first half was the most exciting for the Huskers and the second half was a little disappointing on both sides of the ball for the Big Red. But the offense and defense scored about the same number of points and the Huskers beat a much improved Idaho team 38-17. None of our three main sports bars charged us for the broadcast and it appears DirecTV is providing refunds to anyone that paid the fee. Thanks to all the fans at Jack's who put money in the pitcher for the PPV fund and then allowed us to turn their contribution into a donation to our chapter scholarship fund...you guys are the greatest and you donated just over $500 to the fund! Make sure you write off your contribution on your taxes next April 15th!
The Huskers first away-game of the season brings the team out to the west coast, and Husker fans from all over the country will join our contingent of Bay Area fans as they head north to Seattle to see if we can outnumber another home crowd with a "Red-Out". As the joke goes...look for them on TV, they will be the ones wearing red! I got a couple of good articles from fans about the Husker migration to Seattle and a USA Today article about the Washington quarterback that is a good read.
The Volleyball and Soccer teams are still doing well and are at home this weekend for a couple of matchups...check out their info below for more details.
I've also included some good stuff from the Alumni Association and a little Husker Humor near the end of the email. Enjoy and...
Go Big Red (White and Blue),
Carl
Watch Parties...
Looks like we get a reprieve from PPV for a week as the game this Saturday will be a normal TV broadcast on ABC starting at 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time. As you can see from the broadcast map below, the Washington game will be available in most of the western states (Husker fans in other zones can watch on ESPN2). All five of our watch sites will have the game on at their sports bars, so get there early, grab some lunch and watch the Huskers whoop up on the Huskies with fellow Big Red fans. Hope to see you there. The game against SoDak State on the 25th will be another evening PPV game. More info on that in the article below.
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN2)
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HUSKERS HEAD TO PACIFIC NORTHWEST THIS WEEKEND...
Nebraska
Record: 2-0
Rankings: Coaches-8; AP-8
Last Game: def. Idaho, 38-17
Coach: Bo Pelini
Career/NU Record:
22-8/3rd year
vs. UW: first meeting
Game 3: Nebraska at Washington
Sept. 18, 2010 | Husky Stadium
Seattle, Wash. | 12:30 p.m. (PDT)
Game Information
Television: ABC
Radio:
Husker Sports Network
Series Record: Tied, 3-3-1
Capacity: 72,500
Surface: Fieldturf
Washington
Record: 1-1
Rankings: Not ranked
Last Game: def. Syracuse, 41-20
Coach: Steve Sarkisian
Career/UW Record:
6-8/2nd year
vs. NU: first meeting
The Matchup
Nebraska takes to the road for the first time in 2010, traveling to Seattle, Wash., to meet the Washington Huskies in a Big 12-Pac-10 showdown. Game time is set for 12:30 p.m. PDT (2:30 CT) at UW's Husky Stadium and the game will be carried to a regional audience on ABC-HD. Those markets not receiving the game on ABC will be able to see the contest on ESPN2.
The Cornhuskers will head to the Pacific Northwest with a 2-0 record after a 38-17 victory over Idaho last Saturday in Lincoln. The win gave NU a 2-0 record for a sixth straight season, but, Nebraska will be looking for just its third 3-0 start since 2004. Nebraska enters the Washington game ranked eighth in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls.
Washington enters Saturday's game with a 1-1 record after a 41-20 victory over Syracuse on Saturday evening in Seattle. The win allowed UW to even its record after a 23-17 road loss at BYU to open the 2010 season.
The Series
Saturday's game will mark the eighth meeting between Nebraska and Washington and the first since 1998. The all-time series is tied 3-3-1, with Nebraska winning each of the previous two meetings in 1997 and 1998. With Nebraska ranked eighth in this week's Associated Press Poll, this marks the fifth straight meeting between the two schools with at least one of the teams ranked in the top eight nationally. In fact, in all four meetings in the 1990s, both teams were ranked 12th or higher. Washington will return to Lincoln next year on Sept. 17.
The Coaches
Nebraska: Bo Pelini (Ohio State, '90) owns a 22-8 record in his third season. Pelini has guided NU to nine or more wins in each of his first two seasons as head coach, joining Bob Devaney, Tom Osborne and Frank Solich in accomplishing that feat. Pelini is the first coach in Big 12 history to guide his team to at least a share of division titles in each of his first two seasons.
Washington: Steve Sarkisian (BYU, '97) is in his second season as the Huskies' head coach and owns a 6-8 record at Washington. Sarkisian was an assistant at USC for seven seasons before taking over the Washington program.
Nebraska Football
Nebraska is 829-341-40 all-time, one of just eight schools with 800 all-time victories Nebraska has won five national championships (1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997). The Cornhuskers have won 43 conference championships. Nebraska's 46 all-time bowl appearances rank fifth nationally. Since 1970, Nebraska has 395 wins, 26 more than any other school. Nebraska's 98 football Academic All-Americans lead the nation. The Huskers have had 107 All-Americans in school history.
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BIG RED ERUPTION...
Lincoln - No. 6 Nebraska showed its explosiveness on both sides of the ball in 38-17 victory over visiting Idaho on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
Playing in front of 85,732 fans in the NCAA-record 306th consecutive sellout at Memorial Stadium, and an FSN pay-per-view television audience, the Huskers scored 28 unanswered points in a span of just 8:15 in the second quarter to bolt to a 31-0 lead with four minutes left in the first half. Nebraska improved to 2-0 with the victory, while Idaho slipped to 1-1.
Nebraska's scoring explosion came from both sides of the ball, as quarterback Taylor Martinez (67) and I-back Roy Helu Jr. (58) scored on back-to-back runs of more than 55 yards.
After the offensive showed its firepower, the Blackshirt defensive backs got into the action with back-to-back interception returns from DeJon Gomes (40) and Rickey Thenarse (47) for touchdowns, each covering at least 40 yards.
Nebraska's four consecutive scoring plays of 40 or more yards marked the first time since a 73-21 win over Oklahoma in Norman on Nov. 2, 1996, that the Big Red scored on four plays of 40 or more yards in the same game - let alone the same quarter.
The 31-point cushion was more than enough for a Blackshirt defense that intercepted five passes and recovered a fumble on the afternoon.
The Blackshirts held a high-powered Idaho offense to just 279 total yards, while the NU offense rolled up 471 total yards, including 360 rushing yards on 41 carries. It was NU's highest rushing total since a season-opening win over Nevada in 2007.
Martinez, whose 67-yard touchdown run with 12:15 left in the second quarter started Nebraska's outburst, led the high-powered Husker ground game with 157 yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries. It was the second straight 100-yard rushing effort by the redshirt freshman quarterback. The Corona, Calif., native opened his career a 127-yard effort on just seven carries in a season-opening win over Western Kentucky last week.
Martinez's 67-yard touchdown run was the longest run ever by a Husker freshman quarterback, surpassing a 59-yard run by former NU Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch against UAB in 1998.
Martinez was joined across the century mark by Helu, who rushed for 107 yards on just nine carries, including his 57-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Martinez and Helu became the first NU duo to rush for 100 yards in the same game since Cody Glenn and Brandon Jackson accomplished the feat against Iowa State on Oct. 7, 2006. It was the 66th double-100-yard game in Nebraska football history.
Sophomore I-back Rex Burkhead nearly gave the Huskers a third back in the 100-yard club, rushing for 77 yards on just nine carries.
Defensively, Gomes led the Huskers with 10 tackles and a pass breakup, while starting Nebraska's defensive onslaught with his 40-yard interception return for a score. Thenarse then took a 47-yard interception return of his own to paydirt on Idaho's next drive to cap the Huskers' second-quarter eruption.
For the day, Nebraska intercepted five passes and recovered one fumble, while registering seven sacks for 80 yards lost. Defensive tackle Jared Crick notched six total tackles, including 2.5 sacks for 30 yards lost among his four tackles for 32 yards lost. Fellow defensive tackle Baker Steinkuhler added 1.5 sacks for 14 yards lost, while Terrence Moore, Lavonte David and Pierre Allen each recorded sacks for the Huskers.
North Platte, Neb., native Nathan Enderle completed 16-of-31 passes for 141 yards as Idaho's starting quarterback. Enderle threw all five of Idaho's interceptions and was sacked five times. Daniel Hardy led the Vandal receivers with five catches for 75 yards, while Deonte' Jackson led Idaho's ground game with 11 carries for 67 yards.
Nebraska takes to the road for the first time next Saturday, when the Huskers travel to Seattle to battle Washington. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. (central) with an ABC telecast.
Scoring Summary
Final: Nebraska 38, Idaho 17
First Quarter (NU, 3-0)
NU - 7:40 - Alex Henery 24 FG - 14 plays, 60 yards, 5:30, NU 3-0
Second Quarter (NU, 31-0)
NU - 12:15 - Taylor Martinez 67 run (Henery kick) - 5 plays, 87 yards, 2:39, NU 10-0
NU - 8:22 - Roy Helu Jr. 58 run (Henery kick) - 1 play, 58 yards, 0:09, NU 17-0
NU - 6:07 - DeJon Gomes 40 INT return (Henery kick), NU 24-0
NU - 4:00 - Ricky Thenarse 47 INT return (Henery kick), NU 31-0
IDAHO - 0:00 - Trey Farquhar 34 FG, 12 plays, 60 yards, 3:55, NU 31-3
Third Quarter (NU, 38-10)
IDAHO - 5:23 - Michael LaGrone 2 pass from Nathan Enderle (Farquhar kick) - 3 plays, 12 yards, 1:08, NU 31-10
NU - 1:22 - Martinez 20 run (Henery kick) - 9 plays, 73, 3:55, NU 38-10
Fourth Quarter (NU 38-17)
IDAHO - 2:31 - Armauni Johnson 19 pass from Brian Reader (Farquhar kick) - 10 plays, 98 yards, 3:48, NU 38-17
Final: Nebraska 38, Idaho 10
Attendance: 85,732
Time of Game: 2:57
Game 2...Nebraska 38, Idaho 17
*-Nebraska improved to 2-0, marking the sixth straight year Nebraska has started 2-0. The Huskers improved to 22-1 all-time against WAC opponents, including 21 straight victories. The win was also NU's 500th all-time home victory.
*-Nebraska redshirt freshman quarterback Taylor Martinez rushed 14 times for 157 yards and two touchdowns. The 157 rushing yards tied for the fifth-most ever by a Nebraska freshman. It also tied for the 10th-most by a Nebraska quarterback. Martinez opened the year with 127 rushing yards against Western Kentucky.
*-Martinez's back-to-back 100-yard rushing games are the first for a Nebraska quarterback since Jammal Lord rushed for more than 100 yards against in back-to-back 2003 games against Missouri (111) and Texas A&M (109).
*-Martinez had a 67-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, marking the longest run by a Nebraska quarterback since Eric Crouch had a 70-yard run at Colorado in 2001. It was also the longest run by any Husker since Cory Ross had an 86-yard touchdown run against Missouri in 2004.
*-Senior I-back Roy Helu Jr. rushed for 107 yards on nine carries, including a 58-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Helu's 58-yard run was his longest since his career-long 63-yarder last season against Oklahoma. Helu's 107 yards pushed his career total to 2,295 yards, moving him to No. 18 on NU's career rushing list. Helu Jr. passed Bobby Reynolds, Doug DuBose and Jeff Kinney on the career chart. Helu Jr. posted his eighth career 100-yard rushing game.
*-Sophomore I-back Rex Burkhead rushed for 77 yards on nine carries. Burkhead has 134 yards on just 14 carries through two games. He also caught three passes for 41 yards to give him five receptions for 88 yards on the season.
*-Nebraska rushed for 360 yards, after opening the year with 289 rushing yards against Western Kentucky. It was NU's highest rushing total since amassing 413 yards in a 2007 season-opening win over Nevada. The back-to-back 250-plus yard rushing games marked the first time NU has topped 250 yards on the ground in consecutive games since opening 2006 with 252 rushing yards against Louisiana Tech and 261 against Nicholls State.
*-With both Martinez and Helu Jr. topping 100 yards rushing, it marked the first time since Oct. 7, 2006 at Iowa State that Nebraska had a pair of 100-yard rushers. Both Brandon Jackson and Cody Glenn topped 100 yards on the ground in that game. The Idaho contest marked the 66th time in school history NU has had two 100-yard rushers in a game.
*-Nebraska had four scoring plays of 40 yards or more, all coming in the second quarter. The last time Nebraska had four scoring plays of 40 yards or more came at Oklahoma on Nov. 2, 1996. Nebraska had scoring passes of 41 and 51 yards in that game, along with an 83-yard interception return and an 85-yard kickoff return.
*-Senior place-kicker Alex Henery had eight points in the game, making him the fifth Husker to top 300 career points. Henery now has 304 career points.
*-Nebraska intercepted two passes for a touchdown in the second quarter, tying the school record for interception returns in a game. The game marked the sixth time in school history NU had returned two interceptions for a touchdown in a game, and the first since a win over Wake Forest in 2005. It marked the first time in school history NU had two interception returns for a touchdown in a quarter or a half. In the Wake Forest win in 2005, Nebraska did score a pair of defensive touchdowns in the first quarter, scoring on an interception return and a fumble return.
*-Nebraska senior safety DeJon Gomes' 40-yard interception return for a touchdown was his first career INT return for a score. Gomes' 40-yard return tied his previous long of 40 yards at Missouri last season. Gomes has had a hand in nine turnovers in Nebraska's past 12 games, including a fumble caused in the opener against Western Kentucky.
*-Nebraska senior safety Rickey Thenarse had a 47-yard interception return for a touchdown, his third career interception and his first career interception for a touchdown.
*-Nebraska intercepted five passes, marking the fourth time in the past seven games Nebraska had at least three interceptions in a game. Nebraska also had five interceptions last season against Oklahoma.
*-Senior receiver Niles Paul caught four passes for 31 yards, moving him into 10th place on the Nebraska career receptions list at 73. Paul also moved within 19 yards of the top 10 on the Nebraska career receiving yardage list.
*-Nebraska recorded seven sacks for 80 yards lost, its most sacks since recording nine for 52 yards against Texas in the 2009 Big 12 Championship Game.
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NEBRASKA-SDSU GAME TO BE TELEVISED ON PAY-PER-VIEW...
The University of Nebraska and Fox Sports Midwest have announced that the Sept. 25 Nebraska contest with South Dakota State in Lincoln will be televised on a pay-per-view basis. The telecast will begin at 4 p.m. PDT.
The telecast will be available on participating cable systems in Nebraska as well as nationally on participating satellite and telco systems. Suggested retail price for the telecasts is $39.95 and full ordering details will be available in the next few days. The game is being televised on a pay-per-view basis because it was not selected for over-the-air broadcast or cable television coverage.
In addition to the South Dakota State game, game times and television information are known for three other upcoming Nebraska games. This week's game at Washington will be shown regionally on ABC with kickoff set for 12:30 p.m. PT. Those markets not seeing the game on their ABC affiliate will be able to watch the game on ESPN2. NU's Big 12 opener at Kansas State on Thursday, Oct. 7 will be a 4:30 p.m. (PDT) kickoff on ESPN, and the regular-season finale against Colorado will be televised nationally by ABC with a 12:30 p.m. PT kick.
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SECONDARY PREPARES FOR WASHINGTON OFFENSE...
Lincoln - The Nebraska football team crossed the midpoint of the week with a two-hour workout inside the Hawks Championship Center and on the Ed and Joyanne Gass Practice Fields on Wednesday afternoon.
The headline challenge for this week's road test at Washington is containing Huskie quarterback Jake Locker, a fourth-year starter who has thrown for over 5,300 yards during his career. Locker's talent will challenge a Nebraska secondary that had five interceptions in last week's win over Idaho.
"He (Locker) does a lot of things good," secondary coach Marvin Sanders said. "There's a reason people think he's the top rated quarterback in college football. He can do a lot of things with his arm, but he can also hurt you with his feet. With a quarterback as accurate as he is, they will try you deep, they'll try you short. They will do a whole bunch of things that pose challenges."
Four of Locker's five touchdown passes this season have gone to wide receiver Jermaine Kearse, including three scores in last weekend's victory over Syracuse. Sanders said they tough test of facing Locker and Kearse will not change the NU defense's goal to attack.
"That's our goal every week," Sanders said. "If we have an opportunity, we want to take advantage of those opportunities that are presented to us. Whether or not those opportunities come, we won't know until Saturday."
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VOLLEYBALL: HUSKERS ESCAPE WITH WIN OVER NO. 11 IOWA STATE...
Ames, Iowa - Playing in front of a hostile crowd at Ames High School, the No. 4 Nebraska volleyball team stayed a perfect 11-0 under Head Coach John Cook in Big 12 openers with a 3-1 win over the No. 11 Iowa State Cyclones (25-22, 24-26, 25-23, 28-26). Previously scheduled to be played at Hilton Coliseum, the match was moved to Ames High School due to water damage from a flood in August.
Lindsey Licht carried the Huskers with 15 kills and seven blocks, while Brooke Delano had seven kills and seven blocks while Tara Mueller added her third double-double of the season with 10 kills and 11 digs.
Sydney Anderson and Lauren Cook continued to drive the Husker attack with 26 assists apiece, as three Huskers totaled double-digits kills.
The Huskers will now prepare for their Big 12 home opener against Colorado on Saturday at the NU Coliseum. Set for 7 p.m. (CT), the match will be carried across the state on NET and will be available everywhere else for free on Huskers.com. Fans also can listen to all of the action with John Baylor and Diane Mendenhall on the 25-station Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Twister 93.3 FM in Omaha. Fans outside the state will also be able to catch the live audio feed for free on Huskers.com.
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VOLLEYBALL: BIG 12 HONORS DELANO AND BANWARTH...
Lincoln - The Nebraska volleyball team took two of the three weekly Big 12 honors on Monday, as junior Brooke Delano was name Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and senior Kayla Banwarth was tabbed as the Defensive Player of the week.
The two Huskers were honored after Nebraska posted a perfect 3-0 record this weekend at the Ameritas Players Challenge, including wins over No. 20 Dayton and a thrilling five-set comeback win over No. 3 Illinois.
Delano shined for the Huskers all weekend, as she was named the tournament's MVP. The Bellevue, Neb., native led Nebraska's offensive attack in all three matches, hitting over .400 each match. For the tournament, she totaled 40 kills on 68 swings to hitting .529.
Delano's biggest match came against the Fighting Illini, when she put away a career best 15 kills on 32 swings and also totaled eight blocks.
Banwarth continued to pilot the Husker defense as she was named the all-tournament libero, after being honored as the MVP of the BYU Nike Invitational a week ago.
Banwarth was the match-leader in digs in all three of her matches, as she accumulated 65 digs in 12 sets. Along with 22 digs against Illinois, she added two assists and chipped in an ace
Nebraska has now earned three Big 12 Player of the Week honors in 2010 after Lindsey Licht was honored in week one with the league's offensive award.
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SOCCER: NEBRASKA RETURNS HOME TO CONCLUDE NON-CONFERENCE PLAY...
Game 8: Cal State Fullerton (2-4-0) at Nebraska (5-2-0)
Date: Friday, Sept. 17, 2010
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: Nebraska Soccer Field, Lincoln, Neb.
Live Audio: 90.3 KRNU
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Promotion: UNL Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day
Game 9: Iowa (6-1-0) at Nebraska (5-2-0)
Date: Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Nebraska Soccer Field, Lincoln, Neb.
Live Audio: 90.3 KRNU
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Promotion: Hometown Husker Day (Omaha)
The Husker soccer team returns to the friendly confines of the Nebraska Soccer Field this week when it hosts Cal State Fullerton and Iowa to wrap up non-conference play. The Big Red has not lost at home in the past 15 matches and will look to keep that streak alive Friday at 5 p.m. against the Titans, before meeting the Hawkeyes on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. Live radio broadcasts will be available for both matches by 90.3 KRNU (krnu.unl.edu) in addition to live stats on Huskers.com.
Nebraska brings a 5-2-0 record into this week after splitting matches against Arizona and No. 25 Arizona State last week in Tempe. The Huskers had won five in a row before falling to the ranked Sun Devils and will aim to get back on the winning track in a four-game homestand over the next two weeks. Cal State Fullerton (2-4-0) will be the first California school NU has faced since 2008 and will be UNL Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day at the Nebraska Soccer Field, giving free admission, popcorn and a drink to UNL faculty and staff. Sunday will be a preview of future Big Ten opponents when Nebraska faces Iowa (6-1-0), who is currently riding a six-game winning streak. It will also be Omaha Hometown Husker Day, as NU will honor the city's eight players on the 2010 roster.
Sophmore Morgan Marlborough enters this week tied for the Big 12 Conference scoring lead with 13 points. Along with Texas A&M's Alyssa Mautz, Marlborough's total has come on five goals and three assists. Her most recent goal in last Friday's win over Arizona was the 26th of her career, putting the Lee's Summit, Mo., native into a tie for 10th place on Nebraska's all-time goal chart. Former Husker Christine Latham (1999-2002) holds the school record with 69 career goals. Marlborough could ascend quickly through the next three players on the list, as Nikki Baker (2002-04) is seventh with 30 career goals.
Nebraska remains at home following this weekend, as the Huskers begin Big 12 Conference action against Texas and No. 6 Texas A&M. The Huskers and Longhorns square off Friday, Sept. 24 at 4:30 p.m., while the defending Big 12 champion Aggies meet NU on Sunday, Sept. 26 at 1 p.m.
Huskers Carry Nation's Seventh-Longest Home Unbeaten Streak
Nebraska currently has the nation's seventh-longest home unbeaten streak, carrying a 13-0-2 record since its last loss at the Nebraska Soccer Field, a 2-1 setback to No. 15 Colorado on Oct. 17, 2008. During that span, NU compiled a 9-0-2 record in 2009 that was the best home record since the 2001 Huskers went 12-0-0 at the Abbott Sports Complex. Since moving on campus in 2005, Nebraska has won 74 percent (41-11-10) of its home matches. Last season's home success included a 2-1 upset of No. 14 Texas A&M, while the two ties came against Arizona State and Baylor. The Huskers scored at least two goals in 9-of-11 home matches and a combined 29 goals in the first four games.
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RED'S BIG - EVEN IN SEATTLE...
By David Hendee WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Posted: 09/15/2010 3:32 PM
SEATTLE - A Big Red tide is about to wash across car-congested, caffeine-crazed Seattle.
The first Nebraska football fans flooding into this Pacific Northwest seaport arrive Wednesday for the weekend game with Washington. The trickle will build to a surge by Saturday, when an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 red-clad Nebraska fans pour into Husky Stadium.
The reinforcements will be greeted warmly by several hundred Huskers - true believers who have kept the embers of the faith burning in this damp, cool region since NU's win at Washington during the 1997 national championship season.
These transplanted Nebraskans call themselves the Washington Cornhuskers. They are a group of alumni and friends of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and they have been working on plans to paint Seattle red since the game was scheduled 3 1/2 years ago.
"The response has been overwhelming,'' said Jason Grotelueschen of West Seattle, past president of the Washington Cornhuskers. "I've been fielding questions and requests for tickets since 2007.''
The Nebraska Alumni Association's 450 tickets and tour packages sold out in July, earlier than any previous migration game, said Diane Mendenhall, the group's executive director.
Interest has intensified because of Nebraska's strong finish last year, with a Holiday Bowl shutout over Arizona, and because Washington quarterback Jake Locker is a top-rated pro prospect.
"It's a big game,'' said Grotelueschen, a 1998 UNL graduate who grew up on a farm near Columbus, Neb. He is a website manager for Microsoft Corp.
Visiting fans will be wined and dined.
The Washington Cornhuskers arranged a "Nebraska Night'' at a Seattle Mariners baseball game, tee times at a public golf course with scenic views of the Space Needle and downtown skyline, a walking tour of historic Seattle, restaurant discounts and a variety of pre- and post-game events for visiting fans.
These Husker fans in a foreign land even licensed a Washington winery to sell a line of red and white table wines with a souvenir "Battle in Seattle'' label. The label features a Jeff Koterba cartoon of a big red N flag flying from the top of the Space Needle. Koterba is The World-Herald's editorial cartoonist.
The Seattle-based Husker organization - with about 225 households as members - is among the most active of the Nebraska Alumni Association's 63 chapters.
The group started in the 1970s, when a group of faithful NU alumni and fans gathered to watch the few nationally televised Husker football games each year. Now two football watch sites in the Seattle metropolitan area attract hundreds of Husker fans every game day for pay-for-view or network broadcasts. Thousands more listen to radio broadcasts.
"They fill us to the brim,'' said Mike Heelan, who operates O'Blarney's Irish Pub in Olympia, Wash.
"Washington is about the worst place to live if you own a sports bar,'' Heelan said. "The Mariners are miserable. The football team (Seattle Seahawks) is bottom-tier. The basketball team (Seattle SuperSonics) left town for Oklahoma. The Huskies were 4-5 last year in the Pac-10. Our biggest fan base is the Huskers.''
Heelan - whose parents, John and Eileen Heelan, are from Valentine, Neb. - said he quickly learned to admire Nebraska fans.
"They get here early. They watch every down,'' he said. "They don't leave when the team runs the score up or in the fourth quarter, whether it's close or not. I've never seen such loyalty to a football team.''
Nearly 300 Nebraska fans pushed the fire code occupancy limit at the area's other watch site - the Lucky 7 in Kirkland, Wash. - during a broadcast of the season-opening victory over Western Kentucky.
The sports bars tug at something deep in displaced Nebraskans.
"When I'm there, I'm around people from home,'' said Jim Burkhardt of Everett, Wash. Burkhardt, vice president of the Washington Cornhuskers, grew up in Grand Island and worked as a law enforcement officer in Minden and Fremont. He is a special agent for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and flies an N flag from a 20-foot pole in his front yard.
"When you live in Nebraska, you don't think much about the quality of people in Nebraska, but when you move away, you realize how true that is,'' Burkhardt said. "It's just like being back home.''
John Utecht, a medical helicopter pilot from Normandy Park, Wash., moved to the Seattle area in 1988. Utecht grew up in Lincoln and was a student manager for the Lincoln Southeast High School football team coached by Frank Solich, before Solich joined the NU staff.
A few years after arriving in Washington, Utecht noticed in the newspaper that a local radio station was broadcasting Nebraska games. He tuned in and heard a radio advertisement that a local sports bar featured televised Nebraska games. Utecht showed up the next week.
"I walked in and saw all this red,'' he said. "Oh, my gosh, I thought, this is where I need to be. ''
Now Utecht helps the Washington Cornhuskers raise money by raffling Husker football memorabilia at one of the sports bars during games.
During the season opener, all but one of the 20 televisions at the Lucky 7 were tuned to the Nebraska game. One screen above the bar featured the Washington loss at Brigham Young. Husker banners hang from the wall. Servers wear Husker shirts.
"We bring him a lot of business,'' Burkhardt said.
The sports bars flourish during Nebraska games, even though the Washington Cornhuskers have arranged Husker Sports Network radio broadcasts of all regular-season football matchups over a local station, KKNW (1150 AM).
The Washington Cornhuskers group pays about $18,000 a season to the radio station to broadcast the games, recouping the money by selling advertising to local and Nebraska-based businesses and individuals, most with Nebraska roots.
Among them are Jeff and Tricia Raikes and their Alderbrook Resort & Spa in Union, Wash. Raikes is from Ashland, Neb., and is a retired Microsoft executive. He now is chief executive of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Other sponsors include Dick (Schuyler, Neb.) and Helen (Curtis, Neb.) Asche, owners of Bremerton, Kitsap Airporter Shuttle, and Irene Bjorklund (Greeley, Neb.), an owner of T-Bar Construction Co.
Max and Jeannette McLean of McLean Beef near Benedict, Neb., have advertised their mail-order meat business during the broadcasts in Seattle.
For Saturday's game, the Washington Cornhuskers improvised to scrape together tickets. Some members had spouses or friends with seniority in the Washington alumni association, and the Huskies fans placed orders for more than 400 tickets on behalf of their Nebraska friends. The Washington Cornhuskers then sold the tickets to the group's members.
"They were gone in 48 hours,'' Burkhardt said.
The Washington Cornhuskers take their game off the football field, too.
The group participates in local food drives. It also sponsors golf tournaments, taste-of-Nebraska dinners - shipping in frozen, half-baked Valentino's pizzas and serving Dorothy Lynch salad dressing - and other activities to raise money for scholarships for Washington students attending UNL. The current recipient is Maddy Grahn of Kent, Wash., a junior majoring in nutritional science and dietetics.
Utecht, whose Ford Expedition carries "HUSKERS" license plates, said the Washington Cornhuskers organization gives far-away Husker fans a link to their roots.
"This is the time of year I want to wear red and be with like-minded people.''
Contact the writer:
444-1127, david.hendee@owh.com
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Dogged Husky: Washington's Locker has done it all but win
By Steve Wieberg, USA TODAY
SEATTLE — Whatever else Jake Locker has going for him — and the list is a lengthy one — he could stand some better timing.
Washington football was in all its mid-1990s, top-of-the-polls glory when he was growing up in small-town Ferndale, Wash., just shy of the Canadian border. A storied schoolboy quarterback, Locker could have gone and played almost anywhere but chose to stay home and be a part of a U-Dub program that, as it turned out, was free-falling. Two years after he arrived in 2006, the Huskies went winless.
Top 25: The latest USA TODAY Coaches Poll
They're no longer as bad but still far from a powerhouse, and Locker takes an unseemly 9-21 career record as a starter into Saturday's game against No. 8 Nebraska.
"Yeah, it's frustrating. It's hard," he says. "Nothing matters but winning football games."
It hasn't obscured the big right arm — or the mobility, the stunning overall athleticism and 100-yard-long competitive streak — that by some accounts make the fifth-year senior the potential top overall pick in next year's NFL draft. Washington coach Steve Sarkisian can tick off a succession of gifted quarterbacks who came through his watch while he was an offensive assistant and coordinator at Southern California. Carson Palmer. Matt Leinart. Mark Sanchez. And he says Locker is every bit their equal or better.
But a .300 winning percentage is … well, an imperfection the NFL talent evaluators may not be able to ignore. Not at his position on the field. Not when the stakes that far up in the draft are so high.
Twenty-eight quarterbacks have gone in the first round of the draft since 2000. Only five had losing records as college starters, and the names aren't particularly reassuring: Patrick Ramsey, Kyle Boller, J.P. Losman, Jay Cutler and Josh Freeman.
The eight QBs who were overall No. 1s in that time, from Michael Vick in 2001 to Sam Bradford this year, were a combined 189-58 in their college starts.
"It's a barometer," says former Dallas Cowboys personnel director Gil Brandt, now an analyst for NFL.com. "I don't think (in Locker's case) there's any question that'll be a consideration."
Brandt loves Locker's arm and 6-3, 228-pound build, he says, and puts his toughness and competitiveness on a par with Tim Tebow's. Like Tebow, Locker also can factor into the running game. But Brandt cautions that his pre-Sarkisian time at Washington did little to hone his passing mechanics.
Locker needs a little more touch on his throws. A 54% career passer, he could stand to show more accuracy — and has thus far this season, connecting on 60% of his attempts.
"If you're evaluating what you have seen, I don't think you can say he's the top guy right now," Brandt says. "If you're evaluating on potential, then I think you could say he's the top guy. But as you know, sometimes guys with potential never reach that potential
"This is going to have to be a very strongly studied player for you to take him No. 1 overall. You're going to have to have a lot of conviction."
Sarkisian, settling into his second season at Washington, sniffs at the doubts.
Press him, and he'll tell you that Palmer, now the cornerstone of the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals, was the most talented in USC's line of premier quarterbacks. Compared with Locker, "Carson might have been a little better pure, pure thrower," he says. "But Jake is a better pure, pure athlete. This guy has the ability to make some plays that a lot of guys can't."
The comparisons Locker has heard since high school are with John Elway. They embarrasses him — "I don't think I can gain anything from it," he says — but note this about the two-time Super Bowl winner and pro Hall of Famer: Elway barely had one winning season at Stanford, at 6-5 in 1980, and left with a four-year record of 20-23.
He made a decent pro.
Locker, coming off a 22-for-33, 289-yard, four-touchdown performance in a 41-20 win vs. Syracuse, "can beat you in a lot of different ways, hurt you in a lot of different ways," Nebraska coach Bo Pelini says. "Somebody who's as athletic as he is and still can throw the way he can, that's unusual these days. He presents a lot of problems."
It has long run in the family. Locker's grandfather, Hugh, starred in football in high school in Ballard, Wash., and his dad, Scott, was a running back and backup quarterback at Division II Western Washington. Three uncles played there, too.
Most everybody in the clan has stayed close to Ferndale, a city of about 11,000 that revolves around farming and two local oil refineries. Locker, who shares a house near Washington's campus with four roommates and his chocolate Labrador, Ten (Locker's jersey number), says he'll also make his way back someday.
"You went to the store and knew everybody there. You could walk to school, I could ride to my buddy's house on my bike, and my parents didn't have to worry about it. It's very safe, very comforting," he says. "That's where I want to live and raise my family."
It's where he retreated to mull his future earlier this year. The 2010 draft loomed. There was talk of Locker going first. He sought and got an NFL evaluation of his prospects, but says he still doesn't know how it reads. He hasn't opened it.
He made up his mind to return for his senior season with the Huskies after a country-roads drive and conversation with his dad.
"He said, 'Make a decision that, when you're my age (45), you're not going to regret. You want look back and go: What if I had done this? What might I have been able to do?' " Locker says.
"I really thought about that. I won't ever have the opportunity to come back and play college football again. It's an amazing sport. You still get some of that school atmosphere, having school pride and school spirit, but it's on an NFL scale. I think it's the best of both worlds. … And to be part of it for one more year, especially with a team like this, a coaching staff like this and the opportunities we have in front of us, I didn't want to miss out on that."
Locker has come back from a broken thumb and surgery on his throwing hand that prematurely ended his sophomore season — he had pins removed this spring — and now sits near the top of Washington's record book in all passing and total offense categories.
You still won't find him ranked among the nation's 30 most efficient passers or even among the top five in the Pacific 10 Conference (he's 28th overall and sixth in the Pac-10, due in part to a still-modest completion rate). But every additional day with Sarkisian, himself a former standout quarterback and Brigham Young, and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier is a valuable one. Locker is taking on polish and precision.
"For the first time now, we're seeing guys around him making plays," Sarkisian says. "That's what really great quarterbacks have the ability to do, get the ball to playmakers accurately and on time so they can make plays for you. … We're seeing (receivers) Jermaine Kearse and Devin Aguilar and (running back) Chris Polk make big plays, explosive plays, because they're getting the ball in space."
"Probably the greatest thing to ever happen to him," Brandt says, "was hiring Sarkisian. He's pretty good at teaching quarterbacks. I think we found that out."
Locker had options, and still does, beyond the NFL. He was both Washington's high school 3A football and baseball player of the year at Ferndale. A strong-armed center fielder, he was drafted by baseball's Los Angeles Angels out of high school and again in June 2009, finally signing with them with the full understanding that he was keeping both feet in football.
The Angels are willing to wait, paying their 10th-round pick a reported $250,000 signing bonus — "that's pretty accurate," Locker says — over the six years they hold his rights (through 2015). NCAA rules allow players who are pro in one sport to maintain college eligibility in another.
The Angels also are covering Locker's final-year scholarship costs at Washington, technically making him a celebrated walk-on.
It seems a long-odds gamble for the three-time defending American League West champions. Barring injury, Locker's immediate future in football seems secure. And that's where his heart remains.
"It's the ultimate team game," he says. "In baseball, you can have a pitcher who's 'on' and it's him against every hitter. Nobody in the field has to do anything on a particular play. That's not the case in football. You can't have a lineman miss a block and be successful all the time.
"You do have great athletes who can turn broken plays into good plays every once in awhile. But time in and time out, you have to be sound at every position to have success and be consistently good."
He's 9-21 at Washington. He speaks from experience
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BLEACHER REPORT: WILL THE HUSKERS BE ON UPSET ALERT AGAINST THE HUSKIES??
http://bleacherreport.com/nebraska-cornhuskers-football
And check out the other articles they have about the game this weekend!
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FOR OLDEST WALK-ON IN NEBRASKA HISTORY, FAHIE KNOWS WHY ITS NOT ABOUT ME...
Rany York's N-Sider (parts of the article were edited for space)
How else do you explain the decision to have the oldest walk-on in Husker history lead the football team out of its famous Tunnel Walk on the ninth anniversary of 9/11?
Meet Tyrone Fahie, a 6-3, 255-pound senior defensive end from Virginia Beach, Va. The son of Floyd and Dafney Fahie (pronounced Foy) was born in the nation's capital and will be 28 years old three days after Nebraska completes its non-conference schedule.
Hardly a household name, perhaps because he's only played in one game in four years, Fahey was nevertheless the team's choice to lead the 6th and 7th-ranked Huskers into battle against Idaho Saturday.
When Memorial Stadium's hallowed gates swung open, shortly after two WWII planes flew over, there was Fahie, flanked by two police officers and two firefighters, all five carrying American flags. It was quite a sight to see a Nebraska football uniform in the midst of this nation's real heroes in uniform (military, police officers and firefighters).
It was also an appropriate sight.because no one is prouder to wear a Big Red uniform than Fahie, who spent six years in the U.S. Navy and was deployed twice to the battlefields of Iraq.
One experience heavily influenced the other. Going from a battlefield that means life or death to another that means winning or losing makes Fahie one of the most unique walk-on stories in Nebraska history.
Know up front that he enlisted in the Navy at age 17 after getting his high school diploma, and understand that he didn't play a down of football during his last three years of high school.
Memorial Stadium All About Sacrifice, Freedom
"Every time we step inside Memorial Stadium, it reminds us of the freedoms we enjoy and the sacrifices others have made," Fahie said, adding that "We should never take for granted what police officers and firefighters do. They put their lives on the line every day, too. just like the military."
In other words, they all know why "It's not about me."
Now, hopefully, you know that, too.
For the full article go to Huskers.com
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NEW STUDENT LIFE COMPLEX DEDICATED, THEN PRAISED AS A RECRUITING ADVANTAGE...
Nebraska's new Student Life Complex was formally dedicated Friday night to commemorate 50,000 square feet of a renovated West Stadium that will more fully serve the academic needs of 600 Husker student-athletes in 23 varsity sports.
Nebraska Athletic Donors David and Peggy Sokol attended the dedication ceremony to unveil the Enrichment Center that is named in their son's honor. Soon afterwards, they attended another banquet Friday night, where they were honored as recipients of the Clarence E. Swanson Meritorious Service Award at the 2010 Nebraska Football Hall of Fame Induction Dinner.
David Sokol saw enough of the $8.7 million Student Life Complex to declare it a recruiting advantage for Nebraska as the Huskers prepare to finish their last year in the Big 12 Conference.
"This is classic Nebraska," Sokol said. "I've been to other universities, and they don't have what we have here. This has been built like a large living room where student-athletes can enjoy their home away from home. The others I've seen are more cafeteria style and don't have the personality this place has."
The Secret to Nebraska's Success: Centralization
That's not all. Unlike Nebraska, which has centralized student-life needs in one major area, others have scattered their facilities, causing student-athletes to spend more time getting to and from the facilities.
"I've been to two Big Ten facilities," Sokol said. "One of them is a great facility, but it's not like this. A couple of athletes told me that the campus is so huge, they can spend two hours a day getting back and forth to the places they need to be.
"You only have a limited amount of time to study and work and practice," Sokol said. "Two hours are a long time. Most student-athletes struggle to get enough sleep."
That's not the case at Nebraska, where the expanded Student Life Complex gives student-athletes one central hub to eat, study, practice and connect quickly to their classes on campus.
Sokol praised the vision of Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne to transform existing space beneath the stadium for a state-of-the-art Student Life Complex.
"Actually, in a way, this is a bizarre place to use," Sokol said, "yet it's the perfect place to make that living room type of environment."
Four members of Nebraska's Board of Regents agreed with Sokol after attending the dedication ceremony.
New Complex Amazes Chairman of the Regents
"It's incredible, amazing even. I'm just in awe of what they've been able to do with this space to serve the student-athletes," said Bob Phares, chairman of the Regents. "It's beautiful, and these student-athletes appreciate it."
Regent Jim McClurg thought injured Nebraska linebacker Sean Fisher and Nebraska women's basketball guard Dominique Kelley "communicated articulately why this complex is so important. They have a fundamental understanding of what this is all about."
McClurg said that Nebraska student-athletes understand the discipline required and the sacrifices they have to make to excel both athletically and academically. "Student-athletes and prospective student athletes and their parents can't help but get excited when they see this," McClurg said. "I'll tell you, it has an effect on you because it just feels so good to be in here. I look up at the diploma that's wallpapered on the wall, and it's Ndamukong Suh's diploma. I really do think this place will enhance recruiting. It will help us get the kind of kids we want to compete here, study here and succeed here."
Bob Whitehouse, vice-chairman of the Regents, said he saw the "wow factor" the minute he walked into the complex. "It says 'This is Nebraska' and all I can say is how proud can we be, and how exciting can this be to young athletes who will study in this role model type of atmosphere? I can't see how anybody could walk through this and not say Nebraska is a gem academically because we're willing to help these young athletes in every possible way."
Osborne told donors and staff members attending the dedication that Nebraska's tradition of academic excellence had "something to do with our attractiveness to the Big Ten."
Nebraska's athletic director also said the Huskers have come a long way since Bob Devaney earmarked $500,000 from Nebraska's appearance in the Kickoff Classic against Penn State to build its first academic center a quarter century ago.
Doc Sadler: The Proof is in the Academic Stats
Doc Sadler, Nebraska men's head basketball coach, said "having everything you need right here in one place" is a huge recruiting advantage. "All people have to do is look at the success we've had," he said. "Numbers don't lie. We are the best in the country at producing Academic All-Americans. We are the best in the country in our graduation rates. I had a recruit in here yesterday. He spent four hours in this facility, and I can't even tell you what his parents thought. They were speechless."
Regent Tim Clare said the new facility underscores the commitment Nebraska makes to its student-athletes.
"We're interested in what young men and women do after they put the ball away or run their last race or whatever," Clare said. "At Nebraska, we focus on preparing everyone for life after sports. When student-athletes are recruited here, they know that if they do their part, go to class and put in the time, they're going to be successful. It's worked well through all these years and looking at this new facility, it's going to keep working well for many more."
Among others, Osborne praised Maggi Thorne, a former Nebraska track and field letterwinner who helped oversee the capital planning and construction of the Student Life Complex.
"Everyone who was here tonight and saw this for the first time saw a transformation," Thorne said. "I don't think anyone could have imagined an old weight room under the stadium being brought back to life like this.
"It makes you feel like you're stepping on a cloud when you see this facility with the lights, the stone and the granite,' Thorne said. "It has become a beautiful place and such a quiet place to study. It really is a facility that can transform someone's life when they decide to come to Nebraska."
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UNL MARCHING BAND TRIBUTE TO JOHNNY CARSON AT KENNEDY CENTER HONORS...
Many of you have probably seen this before (and some of us saw it live), but its always worth watching again...
Nebraska & Johnny Carson fans must watch this entire U-Tube
This was done in 1993 before Internet sharing. --- It's really neat to watch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K09Ac-dbrW8
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HUSKER HUMOR...
Billy Bob...
Cletus is passing by Billy Bob's hay barn one day when through a gap in the door he sees Billy Bob doing a slow and sensual striptease in front of an old green John Deere.
Buttocks clenched he performs a slow pirouette and gently slides off first the right strap of his overalls, followed by the left. He then hunches his shoulders forward and in a classic striptease move and lets his overalls fall down to his hips revealing a torn and frayed plaid shirt.
Grabbing both sides of his shirt he rips it apart to reveal his stained tee shirt underneath. With a final flourish he tears the tee shirt from his
body and hurls his baseball cap onto a pile of hay.
Having seen enough Cletus rushes in and says "what the heck are you doing Billy Bob."
"Jeez Cletus ,ya scared the snot out of me," says an obviously embarrassed Billy Bob, "but me and the Ole lady been having trouble lately in the
bedroom department, and the Therapist suggested I do something sexy to a tractor."
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ALUMNI NUz...
Homecoming Jester – A New Tradition!
The Wick Alumni Center is homecoming central on Friday, Sept. 24. In addition to Football Friday, the homecoming parade and a Husker pep rally, the alumni association is sponsoring the first annual homecoming jester competition. Cheer for your favorite student as jester candidates amuse the crowd with their antics and costumes. The winner will be introduced at the halftime of the football game.
ALUMNI NEWS
Awards Nominations Due Nov. 1
Alumni Chapters Form in Indiana, Iowa, S. Carolina
Give Big Red!
Take part in a UNL Homecoming tradition and save lives at the same time! While students are donating through the campus blood drive, alumni and friends can take part by donating at a blood bank in their town. Then, register the donation to make it count toward the "Give Big Red" total. Five lucky blood donors will receive prizes for participating. All donations registered between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15 will be counted.
Think Ahead to Spring Homecoming
A number of reunions are already set for the 2011 Big Red Weekend, April 15-16, including the Chemistry Department's 125th anniversary, Sigma Phi Epsilon’s centennial, the Honors Program's 25th anniversary, University Housing and Scarlet Guard. If you are interested in planning reunion activities or arranging gatherings for groups of any size for this third annual "spring homecoming," get started now by contacting Shelley Zaborowski.
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Research Funding Sets Record
Thompson Forums Sept. 30, Oct. 14
L's E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues launches its 2010-11 season Sept. 30 with E. Benjamin Skinner, author of "A Crime So Monstrous: Face to Face with Modern Day Slavery." On Oct. 14, Christine Todd Whitman, former Environmental Protection Agency administrator, will offer the Governor's Lecture in the Humanities, "Staying Ahead While Going Green." Lectures are presented at the Lied Center and are free and open to the public, but require a ticket to attend.
ASUN Joins Big Ten
At a conference comprised of student leaders from Big Ten universities, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln student government, ASUN, was accepted for membership into the Association of Big Ten Students – the official student voice for Big Ten schools. The UNL student leaders agreed to be the lead hosts for the inaugural Big Ten student advocacy effort in Washington, D.C. Learn more.
UNL Enrollment Up Again
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's fall 2010 estimated enrollment reached a 15-year high of 24,610, including an increase of 113 first-time freshmen over fall 2009. The figures show 19,383 undergraduates (an increase of 2.3 percent); 4,620 graduate students (an increase of 0.6 percent); and 510 students in professional programs (an increase of 2.1 percent). Read more.
ATHLETICS NEWS
Big Ten Schedule, Divisions Announced
Play Golf With Stai, Davison
The day before the Oct. 16 Nebraska-Texas football game, Jason Peter is reaching out to his fellow Huskers to support two causes that are important to him – Junior Achievement and the Nebraska Athletic Department. Peter has received commitments from a well-known cast of Husker Legends who will play in the Jason Peter all fore! Junior Achievement event at Lincoln's Hillcrest Country Club. The opportunity to play in foursomes with two of those legends – Brenden Stai and Matt Davison – is up for auction on Huskers.com. Learn more.
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