Saturday, September 24, 2011

Bay Area Huskers E-News 9/22/11

Hey Bay Area Husker Fans!

First of all let me apologize to anyone who has been added to our list in the last month. I’ve been struggling with a change to a new email server and have finally figured out how to transfer and send emails to the group’s email addresses on this new system. I had been sending previous emails from the old server which didn’t have any changes made since July. You will note that this email comes from carl@countyairports.com . Please don’t send it to your Spam account because of the change. I can also be reached at my old email addresses carl.honaker@rda.sccgov.org and carl@countyairports.org as they all get forwarded to the .com address. Let me know if you have problems receiving this and future emails. I will be sending a request for updates related to kickbacks and bad email addresses in the near future to refine our Bay Area Husker email roster. Thanks for your patience.

Although it wasn’t the prettiest game we’ve had in recent memory (especially in the first half), the Huskers pulled it together in the third quarter and toward the end of the 4th quarter to win the rubber match for a “W” against the UW Dawgs. Heard from folks who went to the game that the weather was akin to what the Huskies were used to in Seattle (misty and cold)…musta brought it with them.

The game against the Wyoming Cowboys in Laramie is our first road trip and should be a fun one to watch (see more below about watch parties). Tough tickets to come by if you wanted to attend in person since the stadium only holds around 30K. Last we saw, tickets were going for between $150-700, and hotels that normally have rates less than $80 per night are over $200 for the game weekend. Normal home game tickets are around $40 face value but a ticket for our game was $75 face value. Guess they figured they need to soak the Husker fans while they have the chance…must have a good marketing program in their Business College ;o)

The Husker Volleyball team won a big one last night be defeating their first Big 10 conference rival, and the #5 ranked team in the nation, the Nittany Lions who have won more national championships than all the other Big Ten schools combined.

Check out the articles below…especially the one at the end from the Seattle Times about Husker fans (thanks Gretchen!).

Go Big Red (White and Blue),
Carl
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Watch Parties:


The game against Wyoming will be broadcast on the Versus Channel with kickoff at 4:30 pm Pacific Time. As many of you know Versus isn’t universally available on many cable systems or satellite packages. So to avoid confusion, come on out to our 4 Bay Area Husker Watch Sites and join fellow Husker fans as the team takes on the Cowboys in Laramie. Check out watch site details at our website: www.BayAreaHuskers.org

Plan to get there early, grab a good seat and order up some great pub grub for dinner at halftime. See you there!

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HUSKERS HIT THE ROAD FOR FIRST TIME IN 2011…

Game 4: Nebraska vs. Wyoming
Sept. 24, 2011 |  War Memorial Stadium
Laramie, Wyo. |   4:30 p.m. PDT
Game Information
Television: Versus
Radio: Husker Sports Network (radio affiliates)
Capacity: 29,086
Surface: FieldTurf
Series Record: NU Leads, 5-0
In Laramie: First Meeting
Last Meeting: Nebraska 42-32 in Lincoln, 1994

Huskers
Record: 3-0
Rankings: Coaches-9; AP-9
Last Game: def. Washington, 51-38
Coach: Bo Pelini
Career/NU Record: 33-12/4th year
vs. Wyo: first meeting

Cowboys
Record: 3-0
Rankings: Not ranked
Last Game: def. Bowling Green, 28-27
Coach: Dave Christensen
Career/UW Record: 13-15/3rd year
vs. NU: first meeting

The Matchup

Nebraska heads on the road for the first time in 2011, when it travels to Laramie, Wyo., Saturday evening to take on the Wyoming Cowboys. The game will be televised nationally on Versus with kickoff at Wyoming’s War Memorial Stadium set for 5:30 p.m. local time (6:30 p.m. CT).

The Huskers enter the game with a 3-0 record following a 51-38 victory over Washington in Lincoln. The Nebraska offense topped 40 points for the third straight game and rolled up more than 300 yards on the ground to key the victory. The Huskers’ 3-0 start leaves them ranked ninth in both the AP and Coaches polls this week.

The Nebraska-Wyoming game is one of only seven matchups in the nation this week between a pair of unbeaten teams. This year’s meeting is the first in a three-game series that will bring the Cowboys to Lincoln in 2013 and 2016.

The Series

The matchup between Nebraska and Wyoming will be the sixth all-time between the schools, with the Huskers holding a 5-0 edge in the series. Saturday’s game will be the first-ever meeting between the teams in Laramie, with the five previous NU wins all in Lincoln. Most recently, Nebraska defeated Wyoming, 42-32, in 1994. The 10-point margin was the second-closest game in NU’s 13-0 national championship season.

Noting Game 3...Nebraska 51, Washington 38

*-Nebraska's scored 51 points, marking the third straight game to open the season with at least 40 points. The last time Nebraska had at least 40 points in the first three games was the 1995 season when NU topped 40 points against

Oklahoma State (64), Michigan State (50) and Arizona State (77). The first three games marks the first time Nebraska has scored 40 or more points in three straight games at any point in the season since games 10-12 of the 2008 season, when NU topped 40 points against Kansas, Kansas State and Colorado.

*-Nebraska scored 50 or more points in both games of the regular-season series with Washington in 2010 and 2011, joining the 56 points the Huskers scored in Seattle last season. It marked the first time NU had scored 50 or more against the same opponent in consecutive seasons since accomplishing the feat against Kansas in 2000 and 2001.

*-Nebraska scored a touchdown on its opening drive, marking the first time it scored a touchdown on the opening possession since last season against Missouri (nine games), when Roy Helu Jr. scored on a 66-yard touchdown run on Nebraska’s first play from scrimmage. Prior to Saturday, Nebraska had not scored a point on the first drive since kicking a field goal on its opening possession at Texas A&M last season.

*-Nebraska started three offensive linemen that originally joined the program as walk-ons–center Mike Caputo, and guards Spencer Long and Seung Hoon Choi. The game marked the first time since the first two games of 1988 Nebraska has started three walk-ons on the offensive line. In games against Texas A&M and Utah State to open 1988, NU started Jeff Anderson at center, John Nelson at guard and Bob Sledge at tackle.

*-Junior I-back Rex Burkhead produced his fifth career 100-yard rushing game with 120 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 22 carries. Burkhead scored his touchdowns on back-to-back one-yard plunges just nine seconds apart early in the third quarter. Burkhead moved up five spots to 33rd on NU’s career rushing list with 1,547 career yards.

*-Sophomore quarterback Taylor Martinez completed 10-of-21 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns. The two touchdown passes marked just the second time in Martinez’s career he has thrown for more than one touchdown in a game. Martinez had five touchdown passes at Oklahoma State last season.

*-With his 155 passing yards, Martinez became the 18th Nebraska quarterback with more than 2,000 career passing yards. Martinez now has 2,119 career passing yards to rank 17th on the Husker career chart. Martinez also rushed for 83 yards on 17 carries with one touchdown, as he accounted for 238 total yards on 38 attempts.

*-Freshman running back Aaron Green caught a 25-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, on his first career reception. Green added 36 rushing yards on five carries, including a six-yard TD run in the fourth quarter.

*-Senior fullback Tyler Legate had a 36-yard run in the third quarter, the longest rush by a NU fullback since Steve Kriewald had a 48-yard run at Oklahoma in 2004. Legate also caught his third career touchdown pass.

*-Nebraska rushed for 309 yards, improving to 13-0 in the past two seasons when rushing for at least 200 yards. NU is 20-2 under Bo Pelini when rushing for at least 200 yards. Nebraska had 92 first-half rushing yards, before churning out 217 rushing yards in the second half. The Huskers’ 313 rushing yards were their most since rushing for 328 in a win over Missouri in 2010. Nebraska rushed for 383 yards at Washington last year.

*-Freshman running back/returner Ameer Abdullah had three kickoff returns for 129 yards, including a 66-yard return to set up a second-quarter touchdown. Abdullah is now averaging 42.5 yards on eight returns.

*-Nebraska had six plays from scrimmage of at least 38 yards in the game, including three runs by Martinez (57, 38, 46) and passes by Martinez of 43 yards to Turner, 42 yards to Bell and 53 yards to Reed.

*-Nebraska senior defensive tackle Jared Crick had a one-yard sack in the second quarter, giving him 20 career sacks. Crick is the ninth player in school history with 20 career sacks and he has moved within 9.5 sacks of Trev Alberts’ NU career record of 29.5. Crick finished the day with six tackles, including two solos.

*-Nebraska senior linebacker Lavonte David had a first-quarter interception, marking his first career interception. David also had eight tackles in the game. Daimion Stafford led the Blackshirts with nine tackles, including six solo stops.

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BIG SECOND HALF POWERS BIG RED WIN OVER HUSKIES…

Lincoln, Neb. - Nebraska's offense produced its best performance of the season and the Husker special teams made big plays again to power NU to a 51-38 win over Washington on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

With the victory, No. 11 Nebraska improved to 3-0 and produced 40 or more points for the third consecutive game to open the season. It marked the first time since 1995 that the Huskers have accomplished that feat to open a season.

Rex Burkhead scored on a pair of one-yard runs on back-to-back plays from scrimmage in a nine-second span in the third quarter and notched his fifth 100-yard rushing game of his career. The junior from Plano, Texas finished with 120 yards on a career-high 22 carries to lead an NU rushing attack that amassed a season-high 309 yards on the ground. The Huskers finished with 464 yards of total offense.

Sophomore quarterback Taylor Martinez, who added 83 yards and NU's final touchdown on 17 carries, also threw for 155 yards in the game. Martinez, who completed 10-of-21 passes for the game, needed only 10 passing yards to help the Huskers roll up 31 second-half points on their way to victory.

Special teams was huge again for the Huskers, just like its been through the first two games of the season. Arguably the biggest play of the game came on Mathew May's recovery of a muffed Washington kickoff early in third quarter. UW's Bishop Sankey dropped the ball in the end zone, then kicked it out of the end zone where it was recovered by a diving May at the UW 1. One play later, Burkhead plunged over the top for his second one-yard run in a nine-second span to turn a tie ball game with two seconds left in the first half, into a 17-point Nebraska lead less than five minutes later.

The Huskers built the lead to 37-17 on a Brett Maher field goal with 7:20 left in the third quarter. Maher was perfect on three field goals and six extra points on the afternoon, while booting four punts for a 40.3-yard average.

Nebraska pushed the lead to 44-17 early in the third quarter by capping its longest drive of the season on freshman Aaron Green's six-yard touchdown run with 12:18 left in the game. Green, who finished with five carries for 36 yards, and added a 25-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter, put an exclamation point on a nine-play, 86-yard drive that consumed 4:51.

Trailing by 27, the Huskies continued to fight. UW quarterback finished with 274 yards and four touchdowns on 21-of-37 passing. He also threw two interceptions, including Lavonte David's first career pick, and Austin Cassidy's interception on UW's final offensive play of the game.

Price hit James Johnson with a pair of fourth-quarter passes, including a 10-yarder to cut the Huskers' lead to 44-31 with 7:21 left. The duo also hooked up on a 52-yard strike following a five-play, 43-yard NU drive that was capped by Martinez's touchdown to put the Huskers back up 51-31 with 4:42 to play.

Johnson finished with six catches for 108 yards and two scores to lead the UW receivers, while Jermaine Kearse added five receptions and a pair of scores for the Huskies.

Washington finished with 420 yards of total offense, including 146 rushing yards. Chris Polk led the UW ground game with 22 carries for 130 yards and a score.

Freshman Kenny Bell led the Nebraska receivers with two catches for 59 yards, including a 50-yard catch on the opening play of the game. Bell's catch followed a 40-yard return by freshman Ameer Abdullah on the opening kickoff and set up Martinez's three-yard touchdown pass to fullback Tyler Legate to put NU up 7-0 just 34 seconds into the game.

Washington provided a quick response, racing 80 yards in just six plays capped by Kearse's 38-yard touchdown catch from Price to tie the score just over three minutes into the game.

Maher booted a 44-yard field goal to put the Huskers back on top 10-7 with 7:39 left in the quarter.

The two defenses gained control the rest of the quarter, before Washington took its first lead of the game on Price's six-yard scoring strike to Kearse with 13:40 left in the half to put UW up 14-10.

After an offsides penalty against the Huskies on the ensuring kickoff wiped out an apparent touchback, Abdullah raced 66 yards with a return to set Martinez and the Huskers up with a short field. At that point, Abdullah had already accounted for 141 all-purpose yards, including 129 kickoff return yards, but was injured at the end of the run and did not return.

Martinez and the Huskers capitalized four plays later, as he hit Green on a 25-yard touchdown pass to give Nebraska the lead back at 17-14 with 12:17 to play in the half.

Erik Folk tied the score at 17 with a 40-yard field goal three minutes later to cap an eight-play, 44-yard drive for the Huskies, before Maher's go-ahead, 35-yard field goal to end the half put the Huskers on top 20-17.

Nebraska hits the road for the first time next week, as the Huskers travel to Laramie to battle Wyoming on Saturday, Sept. 24. Kickoff against the Cowboys is set for 6:30 p.m. (central) with live television coverage provided by Versus-HD.

Scoring Summary
Final: #11 Nebraska 51, Washington 38
Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011
Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, Neb.)

First Quarter (NU, 10-7)
NU - 14:26 - Tyler Legate 3 pass from Taylor Martinez (Brett Maher kick) - 2 plays, 53 yards, 0:34, NU 7-0
UW - 11:54 - Jermaine Kearse 38 pass from Keith Price (Erik Folk kick) - 6 plays, 80, 2:32, 7-7
NU - 7:39 - Maher 44 FG, 7 plays, 42 yards, 1:47, NU 10-7

Second Quarter (NU, 20-17)
UW - 13:40 - Kearse 6 pass from Price (Folk kick) - 4 plays, 23 yards, 1:47, UW 14-10
NU - 12:17 - Aaron Green 25 pass from Martinez (Maher kick) - 4 plays, 34 yards, 1:13, NU 17-14
NU - 9:24 - Folk 40 FG - 8 plays, 44 yards, 2:45, 17-17
NU - 0:00 - Maher 35 FG - 10 plays, 42 yards, 1:49, 20-17

Third Quarter (NU, 37-17)
NU - 10:18 - Rex Burkhead 1 run (Maher kick) - 9 plays, 56 yards, 3:38, NU 27-17
NU - 10:09 - Burkhead 1 run (Maher kick) - 1 play, 1 yard, 0:04, NU 34-17
NU - 7:20 - Maher 29 FG - 6 plays, 31 yards, 1:24, NU 37-17

Fourth Quarter (NU, 51-38)
NU - 12:18 - Green 6 run (Maher kick) - 9 plays, 86 yards, 4:51, NU 44-17
UW - 10:15 - Chris Polk 2 run (Folk kick) - 5 plays, 32 yards, 1:50, NU 44-24
UW - 7:21 - James Johnson 10 pass from Price (Folk kick) - 3 plays, 53 yards, 0:56, NU 44-31
NU - 4:50 - Martinez 6 run (Maher kick) - 5 plays, 43 yards, 2:37, NU 51-31
UW - 4:27 - Johnson 52 pass from Price (Folk kick) - 1 play, 52 yards, 0:10, NU 51-38

Final: #11 Nebraska 51, Washington 38
Attendance: 85,110
Time of Game: 3:32
Game Start: 2:42 p.m. (central)

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RANDY YORK’S N-SIDER

PACK YOUR BLACK FOR WISCONSIN BUT BE SURE TO YELL GO BIG RED!...

Here's an unusual news flash for every Nebraska football fan planning to travel to Madison for Nebraska's first-ever Big Ten Conference football game against the Wisconsin Badgers in Camp Randall Stadium: Pack your black and warm up your lungs for a nationally televised game at a classic venue.

In this case, fan support is merely an extension of team support. "We want our players and coaches to be able to visualize the support of Husker fans up in Madison," said Michael Stephens, Nebraska's assistant athletic director for marketing and licensing. Before Big Red traditionalists think about objecting to the decision that's already in motion, Stephens offers one more important point. "I don't really see any other scenarios where we would ask our fans to wear black," he said. "But in this case, as a road game in a venue that traditionally wears the exact same red as we do, we think this is a good solution for an historic game, and we're looking forward to our fans having a big impact in our visit to Camp Randall."

Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne sent a note Thursday to fans who have purchased tickets from the Athletic Department for the Wisconsin game, encouraging them to support the team. "We love our tradition of a Husker Sea of Red wherever we go, but in order for us to stand out amongst the Badgers and be visible to our team, I ask that you join me in celebrating our Blackshirts' tradition by wearing black to the game," Osborne said. "Simply choose your favorite Husker blackshirt item from your closet or visit your local Husker store to purchase something new. You are also welcome to check out our Blackshirts selection on Huskers.com by visiting http://shop.huskers.com. I look forward to seeing you in black in Madison!"

Memories from Six Members of '71 National Champions

Two weekends ago, when 56 Huskers returned to Lincoln to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their 1971 national championship, several shared their favorite memories for the N-Sider. Read them, and you'll see two obvious themes - how close-knit this team was and how competitive the Huskers were. You don't have to read between the lines with these six guys:

Bill Kosch: "The defense didn't like the offense except on game day. If close-knit means being competitive, then we were all melted together in one pot. The mold was red steel and cast into a champion."

Carl Johnson: "We had Coach Devaney's spunk, Coach Osborne's dedication and commitment and Coach Kiffin's nastiness. Earning a role on this team was not easy. When I showed up for my first spring practice as a sophomore JC transfer, I was placed as the No. 3 right offensive tackle. My best friend, Keith Wortman, another JC transfer, was placed as the No. 3 right guard. I noticed that I was not the tallest or the biggest lineman here the way I was at Phoenix College. Everybody was as big as me! I looked around and noticed that each position on the line was 5 to 8-deep with players. That's when I knew I had hit the "big time". From the one-on-one fighting in the "stick drill" to the weight lifting to the scrimmages in spring ball, it was always "all out" Through all of that we developed a confidence and trust in each other that never was shaken."

Larry Jacobson: "Many of us learned about high expectations from the 1969 and 1970 seasons, and we developed a lot of poise by doing what we knew how to do through the whole 1971 season. We just wanted to prove we were the best team in the nation. In fact, I read an article recently that included a quote by Dan Jenkins, who had written the OU-NU preview article for Sports Illustrated, 'This Year's Game of the Decade'. I guess, when he visited Lincoln a few weeks before the game, he remembered the look in my eyes. He said, "You could almost look at his face and know 'If you're going to beat us, you're gonna have to kill us.'"

Joe Blahak: "Coach Osborne stepped in one time and ran a pattern against me. It was a 3-yard out pattern, and the offense completed it. The week before the Game of the Century, Johnny Pitts broke his finger, but he still played in the game."

Randy Borg: "A constant theme throughout the year came from a player who did not play one second. Rex Lowe was an end from Milwaukee who became ill the spring before and spent the season in the Mayo Clinic with his own battle. Jerry Tagge and Jim Anderson, our captains, mentioned Rex often and no one wanted to let Rex down. We were practicing in Miami when at the end of a session at Dade Junior College, an ambulance pulled up. Rex had made it to Miami. That was the first time I had seen him on the stretcher smiling. Rex also was one of the last people to speak in the locker room before we took the field to beat the Bear and Alabama. He thanked us for letting him be part of the team. I remember how I thought we should thank him for being such an inspiration to us."

Alan Austin: "It's difficult to put a moment or an event on that season. The feeling I had was that we were a team, and even though there were individuals that were standouts and leaders, we were all in it together. No one wanted to let down for a second."

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HUSKERS IN THE NFL – WEEK 2…

Rookie running back Roy Helu led a group of former Huskers in the NFL during week two of the season, amassing 74 yards on ten carries while also catching three passes for 38 yards helping the Washington Redskins defeat the Arizona Cardinals to improve to 2-0.

On the other side of the football, the Cardinal's Stewart Bradley recorded seven total tackles from his middle linebacker position. All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh recorded three tackles and one sack for nine yards in Detroit's 48-3 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, while fellow former Husker Kyle Van Bosch also registered a sack to go along with his four tackles for Detroit.

Carl Nicks (Saints), Richie Incognito (Dolphins), Dominic Raiola (Lions) and Matt Slauson (Jets) all started for their respective teams on the offensive line. Nicks helped the Saints accumulate 382 total yards, while Raiola helped the Lions total 411 yards of total offense.

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CRICK NAMED TO GOOD WORKS TEAM…

Lincoln - University of Nebraska All-America defensive tackle Jared Crick was one of 22 players named to the 2011 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team on Tuesday.

Crick, a two-time first-team all-conference selection on the field, is being recognized for his many off-field endeavors, as the senior is a two-time member of the Brook Berringer Citizenship team. During his time as a Husker, Crick has made several hospital visits, read at elementary schools, visited with World War II veterans and spoke at churches.

Crick is the 11th Husker football player to receive the honor since its inception in 1992 and the first since Dane Todd in 2006. Other Huskers who have been selected for the Good Works team in previous years include Troy Branch (LB, 1992, 1993), Donta Jones (OLB, 1994), Aaron Graham (C, 1995), Jared Tomich (RE, 1996), Dan Alexander (IB, 1999), Patrick Kabongo (DT, 2001), Troy Hassebroek (WR, 2002), Mark LeFlore (WR, 2005) and Sandro DeAngelis (P/PK, 2003).

A program-record 132 players were nominated for the award this summer. From the nominations, a special voting panel, including former Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® members and current college football broadcasters, selected 22 players from across the country to the team. Of the two 11-member teams, one comprises players competing in the NCAA® Football Bowl Subdivision and the other is a combined team representing the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III, and the NAIA.

Fans will be able to vote for an Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® Captain by visiting ESPN.com and searching "Good Works". By viewing the player profiles on the website, fans can learn more about this year's team members and their selfless acts of kindness. The Team Captain and his fellow award recipients will be invited to New Orleans to take part in a special volunteer project leading up to the 2012 Allstate® Sugar Bowl®.

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HUSKERS TOP NO. 5 PENN STATE IN FIVE SETS…

Lincoln, Neb.- The No. 10 Nebraska Volleyball team (8-1) opened the conference schedule with a bang on Wednesday night, taking down the fifth-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions in five sets (25-18, 25-16, 23-25, 19-25, 15-10) at the NU Coliseum. With 4,186 fans on their feet, Penn State could not overcome a dramatic effort by NU to win their inaugural Big Ten Conference match.

"Welcome to the Big Ten," Head Coach John Cook said. "That's what it's going to be like every night, I think. This was a great match for both teams. I know Penn State-we almost had them in three there, and they didn't quit. I thought we played, besides that missed serve, almost perfect in game five. We executed exactly like we'd been trying to do in games three and four. You never know what your team's got until you see them in that situation. Our fans and Husker Nation, our team's got to be really pleased with how they responded."

The Huskers saw Gina Mancuso lead all NU hitters with 22 kills. She tallied her fifth double-double of the season with 10 digs on the night. Morgan Broekhuis tallied the second double-double of her career with 12 kills and 11 digs. Lauren Cook notched 53 assists, while Hannah Werth led the Huskers defensively with 13 digs.

The Huskers held PSU to a .182 hitting percentage for the match, the second lowest hitting percentage for the Nittany Lions on the season. Nu also out-blocked Penn State 11 to nine and also out-dug PSU 66-60.

The last time the Huskers beat a top-five team was in 2010 when NU topped then-No. 3 Illinois in five sets at the Bob Devaney Sports Center

The Huskers and Nittany Lions came out ready to compete in the first set, with both teams tying each other eight different times, last at 10-10 on an ace by Penn State. Nebraska then began to pull away, eventually gaining a lead of 15-11 on a kill by Broekhuis. The Huskers stretched the lead to 20-15 on a service error by PSU and later to 22-16 on another error by the Nittany Lions. Nebraska eventually took the match 25-18 on a kill by Broekhuis.

"I told the team, whether we win or lose this, it's just the first match of 20 in the Big Ten," Cook said. "It feels good to see this team, when we got into the defining moment of game five, how well we executed. I mean, they just took it up a notch. Even Lauren (Cook) got a stuff block in game five, and they were working her pretty good. I think that just showed them they have an unbelievable amount of trust in what we've been training and what we're telling them and in each other. They got tested tonight, and they proved it. It feels really good, because you know how hard we work on that mindset. We've been doing this since January, trying to get them to believe that they can be a great team."

The Huskers will return to the NU Coliseum on Saturday, Sept. 24 to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes at 7 p.m. The match will air live on NET and can also be seen on BTN.com.

More at Huskers.com

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HUSKERS BURY IOWA STATE…

Lincoln, Neb.- The No. 10 Nebraska volleyball team made quick work of No. 12 Iowa State on Saturday night, sweeping the Cyclones 3-0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-18) in front of 10,380 fans at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

The Huskers and Cyclones faced off the first time as non-conference opponents. With the Huskers sweep on Saturday night, NU holds a 79-1 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to 1975.

Junior Gina Mancuso led the Huskers at the Devaney Center, totaling 14 kills on 35 attacks and a hitting percentage of .371. Mancuso also had 11 digs on the night, giving her the fourth double-double of her career. She also totaled three service aces for the Huskers. Sophomore Morgan Broekhuis notched 11 kills of her own, while junior Lauren Cook tallied 38 assists.

The Huskers held ISU to a .087 hitting percentage and 36 kills. The Cyclones committed 25 errors on the night, while Nebraska only committed 11. Iowa State and NU were nearly identical in digs, as the Cyclones had 56 and NU notched 55.
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HUSKER SOCCER TEAM HITS THE ROAD FOR BIG TEN PLAY…

Game 9 - Purdue (3-6-1, 0-1-0)
Series History - Nebraska Leads, 2-1-0
When - Friday, Sept. 23 (6 p.m.)
Where - Varsity Soccer Complex
Live Radio - PurdueSports.com
Live Stats - PurdueSports.com

Game 10 - Indiana (4-4-1, 0-1-0)
Series History - Nebraska Leads, 1-0-0
When - Sunday, Sept. 25 (Noon)
Where - Armstrong Stadium
Live Stream - BTN.com
Live Stats - IUHoosiers.cstv.com

Lincoln - After winning the first ever Big Ten Conference game for the University of Nebraska with a 3-1 victory of Northwestern at the Nebraska Soccer Field on Sunday, the Huskers take their 4-3-1 (1-0-0) record on the road for a pair of games with Purdue and Indiana.

The weekend starts on Friday night in West Lafayette, Ind., when the Boilermakers (3-6-1, 0-1-0) and Huskers meet at Varsity Soccer Complex for a 6 p.m. (CT) kickoff. The Huskers hold a 2-1-0 lead in the all-time series, with their lone loss, 2-1, coming in their only other visit to West Lafayette during the 2005 season. NU's pair of wins came at home in 2000 (4-1) and 2004 (3-0). PurdueSports.com will have both a live radio feed and live stats for the game.

The road swing will continue on Sunday when the Huskers head two hours south to Bloomington, Ind., for a Noon meeting with the Hoosiers at Armstrong Stadium. IU enters the week with a 4-4-1 (0-1-0) record on the year and will host Nebraska after a home game with Iowa on Friday. It will be a familiar trip for the Huskers as NU visited Bloomington last season and won the first-ever meeting between the two programs, 3-1. Sunday's game is scheduled to be shown live on BTN.com (subscription required) and live stats will be available at IUHoosiers.com.

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MARLBOROUGH EARNS SECOND BIG TEN WEEKLY HONOR…

Lincoln - Junior Morgan Marlborough earned a share of the Big Ten Offensive Player-of-the-Week award for the second time in 2011 on Monday after posting a hat trick in Nebraska's 3-1 conference-opening win over Northwestern on Sunday. Michigan State's Laura Heyboer was also picked for the honor after scoring five goals on the weekend in wins over Detroit (4-3, OT) and Purdue (2-1), including a hat trick against Detroit.

Sunday's game was the first-ever Big Ten Conference game for the University of Nebraska and the Huskers improved to 8-0-0 when opening conference play at home. Head Coach John Walker's squad also improved its all-time record against Big Ten teams to 17-5-2.

Marlborough made her conference debut in dramatic style with her second hat trick of the season and the fourth of her career. She also became just the fourth Husker in school history to score 50 or more goals in a career and now sits third on Nebraska's career list with 51 goals, trailing Christine Latham (69) and Kim Engesser (53). The junior tied a career high with a goal in six straight games, dating back to the Huskers loss at Denver. Marlborough also scored in six straight games as a freshman in 2009.

Marlborough earned her first conference honor on Monday, Sept. 5, after scoring five goals during a pair of wins over Arkansas and Northern Arizona. She notched her first hat trick of 2011 in the 8-1 win over Northern Arizona.

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STRENGTH COMPLEX NAMED FOR DAVID AND CAROL ALLOY…

The University of Nebraska Athletic Department is proud to announce the receipt of a major gift from David and Carol Alloy of Omaha, toward the building of a new strength facility in the Hawks Championship Center.

The Alloys have followed University of Nebraska athletics since 1962. David Alloy is a native of Omaha and a graduate of the University of Nebraska, earning his degree in 1973, while Carol Alloy hails from Grand Forks, North Dakota. The couple discovered a passion for volleyball after attending their first Husker game in 1988 at the Big Eight Volleyball Tournament in Omaha. Their love for Nebraska volleyball has grown over the years and they have made previous contributions to the Volleyball Husker Award Club, Match Club, and Nebraska athletic department.

The Alloys said, "We have been very fortunate in our lives and wanted to do something more substantial by giving back to the University and the volleyball program, in addition to supporting a wide range of other sports."

"When the baseball and softball batting cages were moved to Haymarket Park," Athletic Director Tom Osborne said, "that enabled us to build a beautiful new strength complex in the Hawks Championship Center. We are very appreciative of the gift from the Alloys. Because of their generosity, we are able to have a wonderful strength facility for our student-athletes. We are pleased to name this complex in their honor."

The new facility will be utilized by Husker volleyball, baseball, softball, rifle, soccer, and women's gymnastics student-athletes. The Alloys' generous contribution will provide all these sports with one of the finest strength and conditioning facilities in the nation. In honor of their donation, the renovated facility will be named the David and Carol Alloy Strength Complex.

"Our intent is that this facility will help our athletes build their strength and endurance to compete at the highest level, and with the inspiration and determination to go beyond what is expected," the Alloys said. "Our hope is that the young men and women training in this facility will also build teamwork, loyalty, friendships, and memories, and leave as successful people in their future endeavors."

Renovation on the center began this summer and was completed in time for this fall.

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FROM THE OMAHA WORLD HERALD…

Trying to reclaim what river stole

With floodwaters mostly receded, it's time for dozens of home and cabin owners along the Missouri in Nebraska, South Dakota and Iowa to determine whether structures can be saved and, if so, decide what needs to be done and how to pay for it.

Barfknecht: Legends champion needn't be legendary

Bo Pelini's chipper reaction to Nebraska's 51-38 victory over Washington — gushing about being 3-0, pumping up the positives — probably caught some fans by surprise. It shouldn't have, for two reasons. One, Pelini saw certifiable advancement from enough young players who look like they now are riding the growth curve, not reaching for it.

Plenty of Green ahead

You might have to go back and find some of Aaron Green's old high school video to see how the blue-chip back used to run the football. Or at least get the film from that Nebraska scrimmage last month when Green tried one of his old tricks. The Husker I-back slammed on the brakes as a play was going nowhere, then started heading a combination of sideways and backward in an attempt to find something better on the other side.

Sky falling on defense? No, says Bo

Just when it looked like Nebraska's defense had found its groove Saturday, the Huskers started providing reminders that the unit has lots of room to grow. Washington's Chris Polk powered over the goal-line for a 2-yard score. He later bounced off a few failed tackle attempts before getting pulled down from behind for a 25-yard run. Receiver James Johnson hauled in a long pass over the middle and capped his 52-yard touchdown by rumbling through a couple Huskers.

Notes: Corners seeking their swagger

The members of Nebraska's secondary played the game of their lives last September against Washington. Future first-rounder Jake Locker never stood a chance. He threw the ball 20 times. Four of them went to Husky receivers. Two of them went to Huskers.

Football only part of Choi's journey

Here's how kids — including college football players — can be: They'll find the one thing that seems different about you and pick at it. And so as Washington's defensive linemen crouched in their stances last Saturday, they saw 290-pound junior Nebraska left guard Seung Hoon Choi and had some fun with his size and ethnicity. Maybe the Huskies thought that Choi — a native of Seoul, South Korea — might get rattled. Some players would. But what Washington didn't know — what it couldn't know — is that Choi isn't rattled by much.
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NEWS FROM THE HOMELAND…

* Nebraska defeats Washington, looks to undefeated Wyoming

During the Big 12 days of yesteryear the Cowboys who challenged
Nebraska were the ones from Oklahoma State. Things have changed,
since the Cornhuskers switched their brand to the Big 10. No more
shootouts with the pokes. This week the 3-0 Huskers head for Wyoming
to take on that state's 3-0 Cowboys.
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2011/09/19/4e774590cf5d7

* Nebraska Football: Big Red fans will take more than enthusiasm to Madison

The headline in the Chicago Sun-Times did succinct justice to
sportswriter Joe Cowley’s story about NU's first Big Ten Conference
football game. But Joe C. missed an important factor in that upcoming
game against Wisconsin.
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2011/08/16/4e4a0222a7f9d

* Lopers picked to win title in final RMAC season

In its final year in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the
University of Nebraska-Kearney football team is picked to win the
league title.
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2011/08/10/4e426fa14ca65

* Listeria cases reported in Nebraska

Four cases of listeriosis, a foodborne illness, have been confirmed
in Nebraska residents, and all appear to be associated with an
outbreak connected to Colorado-grown cantaloupe.
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2011/09/20/4e78bcc93b172

* GOP demands Unicam loyalty on primary election change

State lawmakers are officially elected on a nonpartisan ballot.
Although it sounds like a contradiction in terms, Nebraska actually
has what can be called “a nonpartisan, Republican Legislature.”
And the Republican Party expects loyalty in 2012 when it seeks to
rewrite the law on awarding electoral votes.The
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2011/09/19/4e773d541cd60

* Private donations fund increases for top NU system leaders

The president of the University of Nebraska has received a 12 percent
pay raise, and the four campus chancellors in the university system
are getting higher pay. None of the money comes from taxpayers.
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2011/09/14/4e70bf027e780

* Domestic migration improvements widespread among Nebraska counties

A new analysis shows many Nebraska counties had a net in-migration of
people from other states, reversing a 10-year run of net departures
from the state.
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2011/09/13/4e6f6cedea9f2

* NU makes U.S. News and World report rankings

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is listed at 101st, tied with
seven others schools, among the best American universities. But NU
also finished behind all the other schools in the Big Ten.
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2011/09/13/4e6f5f3b74a3a

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ARTICLE FROM THE SEATTLE TIMES…(thanks Gretchen!)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/take2/2016209324_taketwo15.html?prmid=obinsite

Nebraska's Sea of Red awaits Huskies' fans Saturday
Posted by Tony Guadagnoli














ERIC FRANCIS / GETTY IMAGES

Nebraska fans make noise as their team kicks off Saturday against Fresno State.

Editor's note: Tony Guadagnoli of The Seattle Times will look at a unique or famous college football tradition each Thursday in Take 2.

Red. Everywhere you look. From flannel pajamas to onesies on babies to the T-shirts on men with fake corn foam heads. Red.

From the airport to Stadium Drive, it's a monochromatic nightmare for the opponent.

When the Washington Huskies and their fans walk into Nebraska's Memorial Stadium in Lincoln on Saturday the red will engulf them, just like it engulfs the state. For the 314th consecutive time, 81,091-seat Memorial Stadium will be sold out, a streak dating to 1962. The next longest sellout streak is Notre Dame at 221.

The string of sellouts becomes even more remarkable when you consider Nebraska ranks 38th among states in population at 1.8 million. Memorial Stadium becomes the third-largest city in the state on home games. Even when you consider the success of Cornhuskers football, which has produced just two losing seasons since 1962, almost 50 consecutive seasons of sellouts is remarkable.

Nebraska has traditions that stand out. The Tunnel Walk and touching the lucky horseshoe before entering Memorial Stadium is the most famous. But it's the collective passion of the Nebraska fans that makes the place special.

Sure, every school has passionate fans, but Nebraska's really never appreciate what they have until they leave. And they do leave, traveling by the thousands to see their team on the road.

Former Nebraska running back Roger Craig once said of Cornhusker fans, "If someone ever decided to play a game on Mars, I know Nebraska fans would find a way to get up there and watch it."

The Sea of Red has had many opponents seeing red. Nebraska is 381-115-13 (.761) in Memorial Stadium and has had 42 straight winning home seasons.

In my few trips there it never ceases to amaze me just how much red the Cornhuskers pack into the stadium. An hour before kickoff it looks like there is not an empty seat. Yet another 10,000 red-clad fans are at the gates waiting to get in.

Every entrance at Memorial Stadium welcomes Huskers fans with the following phrase: "Through these gates pass the Greatest Fans in College Football."

Disproving that statement is kind of like trying to tie knots with wet spaghetti. It probably can be done but not very easily.

What is also striking is that Nebraska fans didn't start calling themselves the greatest fans, they earned the title through sportsmanship and respect.

Nebraska fans like to think they are the best on earth and the salt of the earth. They take their cues from athletic director Tom Osborne, the even-keeled native from Hastings who brought most of the glory to Nebraska as coach. Now 74, Osborne's last five Nebraska teams were 60-3 and won three national titles (1994, 1995, 1997).

"I think almost every opponent that comes into Memorial Stadium has a sense that the fans here are fairly knowledgeable and that they are respectful of opponents," said Osborne via email. "Nearly all opponents are treated very well here and their fans also are treated well. We hope that this is the experience of the Washington Huskies this week.

"Often times our fans will applaud the visiting team as they leave the stadium if they have played well, even if they happen to be victorious."

While Cornhusker fans have hardly suffered in the past 50 years, the 19th century was unkind to Nebraska in terms of nickname. The team was called Bugeaters (most prominently), Rattlesnake Boys, Tree Planters and Antelopes, among others. In 1900, sports writer Cy Sherman, who later helped originate The Associated Press football poll, starting using Cornhuskers, and the name stuck.

The simple "N" on the side of Nebraska helmets has been used since 1971 and the source of derision from opponents who claim it stands for "knowledge." Nebraskans like to say it stands for national champions -- five of them -- or point to the NCAA-leading 99 football Academic All-Americans.

"Nebraska lived up to everything I thought it was, but the older I get, the more I realize what made Nebraska more special than anyplace else -- it was the fans," Craig is quoted on the school's website.

No need to ask them to paint the town red, though. They have been doing that for decades.

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Visit our Bay Area Huskers website for additional Husker information, Links, Upcoming Events, Past Events, Watch Sites, and the Schedule of Games. Also order Merchandise online, and get information on Husker Scholarships. Check out the History of the Huskers and meet our Directors. Say hello today, email us, sign up for our newsletter, and become a member of the Bay Area Huskers Alumni Chapter.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Bay Area Huskers E-News 9/13/11

Hey Bay Area Husker Fans!


A quick one this week. We were fortunate to be able to watch the Fresno State game live in Lincoln, but it was a nail biter til the Huskers got a little extra ‘motivation’ at half time and eventually took control of the game for the ‘W’. Halftime was very emotional as the Husker marching band was joined by hundreds of alums who joined in to play a series of tribute pieces to the memories of the victims of 9/11.

It was a Chamber of Commerce day in the homeland with the Blue Angels doing an airshow at the Lincoln airport in the early afternoon before the game, and then the Huskers played in perfect weather under a full moon. Lets hope Coach Pelini’s half time speech still rings in their ears next Saturday as the Huskers try to settle the rubber match with the Washington Huskies.

Found some good stuff below from Randy York, an article from the Fresno State viewpoint, some pics of a Husker theme garage in Southern California, and a series of articles from the UNL Foundation at the end about whats happening on campus and around the Husker Nation. Enjoy!

Go Big Red (White and Blue),
Carl

Watch Parties:

We will once again gather at our favorite watering holes to enjoy a national broadcast (ABC) of the game this Saturday. Kickoff is at 12:30 local time so get there in time for a little lunch and a good seat. See you there!
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HUSKERS HOST WASHINGTON SATURDAY AFTERNOON…
Game 3: Nebraska vs. Washington
Sept. 17, 2011 | Memorial Stadium
Lincoln, Neb. | 12:30 p.m. (PDT)

Game Information
Television: ABC
Radio: Husker Sports Network (radio affiliates)
Capacity: 81,091 (314th Consecutive Sellout)
Surface: FieldTurf
Series Record: Series tied 4-4-1
In Lincoln: Series tied, 1-1-1
Last Meeting: Washington 19, Nebraska 7 (2010 Holiday Bowl)

Huskers
Record: 2-0
Rankings: Coaches-10; AP-10
Last Game: def. Fresno State, 42-29
Coach: Bo Pelini
Career/NU Record: 32-12/4th year
vs. UW: 1-1

Huskies
Record: 2-0
Rankings: Not ranked
Last Game: def. Hawaii, 40-32
Coach: Steve Sarkisian
Career/UW Record: 14-13/3rd year
vs. NU: 1-1

The Matchup

Nebraska completes a three-game homestand to open the season on Saturday afternoon, when the Huskers play host to Washington at Memorial Stadium. The game will be televised by ABC, with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. The contest can be seen on ESPN in areas not carrying the game on the local ABC affiliate.

The Huskers enter the game with a 2-0 record after a 42-29 victory over Fresno State last Saturday in Lincoln. Nebraska trailed 20-14 early in the second half, but rallied with an explosive offensive and special teams effort, scoring four touchdowns in the game's final 23 minutes. The Huskers' 2-0 start leaves them ranked 10th in both major national polls entering the matchup with Washington.

Washington will bring a 2-0 record to Lincoln following a 40-32 victory over Hawaii last Saturday afternoon in Seattle. The Huskies opened the year with a 30-27 victory over defending FCS national champion Eastern Washington a week earlier. Washington is receiving votes in both national polls this week following its 2-0 start.

The meeting between the two schools is the third in the last 12 months, after the Huskers won a regular-season matchup at Washington last season, and the Huskies defeated Nebraska in the 2010 Holiday Bowl.

The Series

Saturday's meeting will be the 10th all-time meeting between the two schools with the series tied 4-4-1. The series in Lincoln is also tied at 1-1-1, most recently a 55-7 Nebraska victory in September of 1998. Nebraska has entered the last six regular-season matchups between the schools ranked in the top 12 nationally.

The Coaches

Nebraska: Bo Pelini (Ohio State, '90) owns a 32-12 record in his fourth season. Pelini has guided NU to nine or more wins in each of his first three seasons as head coach, joining Bob Devaney, Tom Osborne and Frank Solich in accomplishing that feat. Pelini has guided Nebraska to a conference championship game the past two seasons and to at least a share of the Big 12 divisional crown his first three seasons as head coach.

Washington: Steve Sarkisian (BYU, '97) owns a 14-13 record in his third season as Washington's head coach. He guided UW to its first bowl game since 2002 last season when Washington defeated Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl. Prior to being named Washington head coach, Sarkisian served as offensive coordinator for USC.

Nebraska Football

Nebraska is 839-345-40 all-time, one of just eight schools with 800 all-time victories w Nebraska has won five national championships (1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997). * The Cornhuskers have won 43 conference championships. * Nebraska's 47 all-time bowl appearances rank fifth nationally. * Since 1970, Nebraska has 405 wins, 24 more than any other school. * Nebraska's 99 football Academic All-Americans lead the nation. * The Huskers have had 107 All-Americans in school history.

Noting Game 2...Nebraska 42, Fresno State 29

*-Nebraska's win marked the Huskers' eighth consecutive non-conference home win and NU's 22nd straight vicotry against a WAC opponent. The Huskers are 23-1 all-time against the WAC. It also marks the seventh straight season NU has started the season 2-0.

*-Sophomore quarterback Taylor Martinez rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, marking his seventh career 100-yard rushing game. Martinez's seven 100-yard rushing games are the third-most ever for a Nebraska quarterback, trailing only Eric Crouch (18) and Jammal Lord (8).

*-Martinez's 385 yards of total offense (166 rush, 219 pass) ranked eighth in school history and marked his second-highest career total, trailing only his 435-yard performance last season at Oklahoma State (112 rush, 323 pass).

*-Martinez had a 57-yard run in the first quarter, a 37-yard run in the second quarter and a 46-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, giving him five runs of at least 30 yards this season. Martinez had 10 30-plus yard runs last season, giving him 15 in 15 career games.

*-Martinez had touchdown runs of 1 and 46 yards, following his three-touchdown effort on opening weekend. Martinez has six career multiple rushing touchdown games, including four games with at least three touchdowns.

*-Martinez threw for 219 yards and a touchdown, giving him seven career games with 100 rushing and 100 passing yards. Martinez's 219 passing yards were the second-highest total of his career, trailing only his career-high 323 passing yards at Oklahoma State last season. Martinez has the only two games in Nebraska history with 200 passing and 100 rushing yards.

*-Freshman Ameer Abdullah had five kickoff returns for 211 yards, establishing a Nebraska single-game record. The previous record was 186 yards by Josh Davis on seven returns at Kansas State in 2002. Abdullah had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, and a 38-yard kick return earlier in the game. The 100-yard return for a touchdown marked the Huskers' second kickoff return for a touchdown in the past 10 games (also Niles Paul, 100 yards at Oklahoma State last season).

*-Abdullah's 100-yard kickoff return tied for the second-longest in school history and is just the fourth kickoff return of 100 yards or more in school history.

*-Freshman receiver Jamal Turner had three receptions for 63 yards, including a 43-yard catch in the third quarter to set up a touchdown that put Nebraska ahead 21-20. Turner averages 20.5 yards on four receptions this season.

*-Redshirt freshman Kenny Bell had his first career reception--a 42-yarder in the second quarter--to set up a TD that tied the game at 14-14.

*-Junior tight end Kyler Reed had a 53-yard reception in the fourth quarter to set up a touchdown. The 53-yard catch was the fourth catch of Reed's career that covered at least 40 yards. He finished with two catches for 61 yards.

*-Nebraska had six plays from scrimmage of at least 38 yards in the game, including three runs by Martinez (57, 38, 46) and passes by Martinez of 43 yards to Turner, 42 yards to Bell and 53 yards to Reed.

*-Senior linebacker Lavonte David had a team-high 15 tackles, marking his ninth career double-figure tackle game and fourth with at least 15 tackles.

*-Junior linebacker Will Compton matched David's tackle total with a career-high 15. His previous career best was seven on two occasions.

*-Nebraska trailed 17-14 at half, before rallying for the victory. The win improved Nebraska to 5-9 under Bo Pelini when trailing at the half. It was NU's first win in that situation since trailing 10-7 at Iowa State at halftime last year, before winning 31-30 in overtime.

*-Fresno State's 29 points were the most by a non-conference opponent against Nebraska at Memorial Stadium since Virginia Tech scored 35 in a 35-30 win in 2008.

*-Fresno State's Devon Wylie had a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter, marking the first punt return for a score against NU since Oct. 20, 2001, when Texas Tech's Wes Welker had an 85-yard return for a touchdown.

Scouting Washington

Washington brings a 2-0 record into its first road game of the 2011 season. The Huskies opened their season with a come-from-behind victory over in-state FCS school, Eastern Washington, 30-27. UW pulled out another close victory last weekend, topping Hawaii, 40-32.

After being out-gained 504-250 against Eastern Washington, the Huskies racked up 466 yards of offense against Hawaii and held the Rainbows to 388 yards. Washington enters play this weekend with the worst pass defense in the country with an average of 403.0 yards per game, but they will go up against a ground-oriented Nebraska offense that ranks 91st nationally in passing. Contrastly, Washington ranks seventh nationally against the run, allowing only 43.0 rushing yards per game.

Offensively, UW ranks 83rd nationally in total offense, but the Huskies feature a balanced attack. UW is averaging 208.5 passing yards per contest and 149.5 rushing yards per game. First-year starting quarterback Keith Price is completing 70 percent of his passes this season and has thrown for 417 yards and seven touchdowns against only one interception. Running back Chris Polk, who totaled more than 230 yards rushing in the two games against Nebraska last season, ranks 25th nationally with an average of 116.0 rushing yards per game this season.

Washington also boasts a solid special teams unit, led by place-kicker Erik Folk, who is a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals this season, including a long of 53 yards.

Series History

Nebraska and Washington are meeting for the third time in 12 months Saturday afternoon, after the teams split a pair of games last season. The Huskers won the regular-season meeting in 2010, handing Washington a 56-21 loss in Seattle, before the Huskies avenged the loss with a 19-7 victory in the Holiday Bowl. The all-time series between the two schools is tied 4-4-1, including a 1-1-1 mark inside Memorial Stadium. Nebraska has won three of the last four meetings in the series, outscoring the Huskies 145-61 during that stretch.

In last year's regular-season matchup, Nebraska never trailed and outgained the Huskies 533-246. The Huskers ran for 383 yards, as Rex Burkhead, Roy Helu Jr. and Taylor Martinez each rushed for more than 100 yards. Martinez also completed 7-of-11 passes for 150 yards and one touchdown, with Brandon Kinnie catching five of those seven completions for 105 yards.

In the Holiday Bowl, the roles were reversed as Washington never trailed, held Nebraska to 91 yards rushing and outgained the Huskers, 340-189.
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BIG PLAYS LEAD HUSKERS PAST BULLDOGS…

Lincoln, Neb. - Quarterback Taylor Martinez threw for 219 yards and rushed for 166 more, and freshman Ameer Abdullah set a school record with 211 kick return yards, including a 100-yard fourth-quarter explosion to lead Nebraska to a 42-29 win over Fresno State at Memorial Stadium on Saturday night.

Playing in front of the NCAA-record 313th consecutive sellout (85,101 attendance) at Memorial Stadium and a Big Ten Network television audience, Nebraska used big plays all night long to improve to 2-0 on the season. Fresno State slipped to 0-2 despite leading 20-14 midway through the third quarter. The Bulldogs rolled up 444 yards in total offense against the Blackshirts thanks to 169 rushing yards from Robbie Rouse on 36 carries and 254 yards passing from Derek Carr. Fresno State's balanced offensive attack allowed them to maintain possession for more than 37 minutes in the game.

While the Bulldogs used four scoring drives of 10 or more plays to produce one touchdown and three field goals, the Huskers used four scoring drives of six or fewer plays to outlast the Bulldogs.

Martinez's 46-yard touchdown run on 3rd-and-3 with 2:02 left clinched the victory to cap an explosive night for the Husker offense. Along with a pair of touchdown runs, Martinez added a third-quarter touchdown pass to Quincy Enunwa.

Martinez finished with 385 yards of total offense - the second-best total of his career and the eighth-highest mark in Nebraska history. It was his seventh career 100-yard rushing performance, and his second-best passing total of his career.

For the game, Martinez added long runs of 57 and 38 yards, while adding a 53-yard pass to Kyler Reed, a 43-yard connection with Jamal Turner and a 42-yard hookup with Kenny Bell. Those six plays accounted for 279 of Nebraska's 438 yards of total offense. Abdullah added a 38-yard kickoff return to his 100-yard score to give the Huskers eight total plays of 38 or more yards in the game.

Fresno State used a big play on special teams to strike first, as returner Devon Wiley took Brett Maher's 49-yard punt back 67 yards for a touchdown to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead with 7:45 left in the first quarter. It was the first punt return for a touchdown by a Husker opponent since Wes Welker's 85-yard return for Texas Tech in 2001.

Martinez provided a quick answer for the Huskers, pushing NU 80 yards in just five plays capped by his one-yard touchdown run. The Husker drive was sparked by Martinez's 57-yard run on the opening play of the march, and included a 20-yard completion from Martinez to tight Ben Cotton to set up the tying score.

Bulldog sophomore quarterback Derek Carr than provided an answer of his own with a high-flying four-yard touchdown run as he stretched ball inside the pylon on the NU sideline across the goal while soaring out of bounds. Carr's run gave Fresno State a 14-7 with 28 seconds left in the opening quarter.

The Huskers answered again midway through the second quarter, as Martinez opened the drive with a 38-yard run, then connected with Bell on a 42-yard pass on the next play to put NU on the Bulldogs' doorstep.

Junior I-back Rex Burkhead, who finished with 15 carries for 55 yards and two touchdowns, capped the drive by diving over the pile on 4th-and-Goal from the 1 to tie the score at 14 with 4:43 left in the half.

But Fresno State carried the lead to the locker room by marching 67 yards on 11 plays capped by Kevin Goessling's 22-yard field goal with 25 seconds.

The Bulldogs built their lead to 20-14 on the opening drive of the third quarter, as Goessling tacked on a 36-yard field goal with 10:17 left. Goessling kick capped a 10-play, 61-yard drive.

Martinez then gave the Huskers their first lead of the game by showing more big-play ability. On 3rd-and-10 from the NU 39, Martinez hooked up with Turner on a 43-yard completion. Two plays later, Martinez found Enunwa on a 16-yard touchdown strike. Maher's extra point gave Nebraska a 21-20 lead with 8:20 left in the third quarter.

The two defenses played to a draw the rest of the third quarter, before Martinez and the Huskers used another big play to strike again to open the fourth. Martinez found tight end Kyler Reed down the middle for a 53-yard strike to open the drive after forcing a Fresno State punt. After another Reed catch for an eight-yard gain, Burkhead burst up the middle to cap the drive with a six-yard touchdown run to give the Huskers a 28-20 advantage with 12:59 left in the game.

Less than a minute later, Fresno State used its quickest scoring strike of the night by covering 76 yards in just four plays capped by Carr's 26-yard touchdown pass to Josh Harper to cut the NU lead to 28-26. Carr's two-point conversion pass to tie failed with 12:06 left.

Abdullah answered with Nebraska's quickest score of the night, covering 100 yards with a dazzling return to put the Huskers up 35-26 with 11:50 left.

True to their namesake, the Bulldogs kept fighting and marched 52 yards in 14 plays over the next 6:19. However, Fresno State had to settle for a 37-yard Goessling field goal to pull within a score at 35-29 with 5:24 left.

Nebraska then responded with its longest sustained drive of the night, covering 80 yards in seven plays in 3:22. Burkhead carried the ball the first six times for 34 yards on the drive, before Martinez exploded over the left side on an option play to race 46 yards for the final score with 2:02 left.

Nebraska continues its three-game season-opening homestand next week when the Huskers play host to Washington. Kickoff with the Huskies at Memorial Stadium is set for 2:30 p.m. (central) with an ABC telecast.

Scoring Summary
Final: #10 Nebraska 42, Fresno State 29
Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011
Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, Neb.)

First Quarter (FS, 14-7)
FS - 7:45 - Devon Wiley 67 punt return (Kevin Goessling kick) - FS, 7-0
NU - 5:54 - Taylor Martinez 1 run (Brett Maher kick) - 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:51, 7-7
FS - 0:28 - Derek Carr 4 run (Goessling kick) - FS, 14-7

Second Quarter (FS, 17-14)
NU - 4:52 - Rex Burkhead 1 run (Maher kick) - 6 plays, 85 yards, 2:49, 14-14
FS - 0:25 - Goessling 22 FG - 11 plays, 67 yards, 4:18, FS 17-14

Third Quarter (NU, 21-20)
FS - 10:17 - Goessling 36 FG (Maher kick) - 10 plays, 61 yards, 4:43, FS, 20-14
NU - 8:20 - Quincy Enunwa 16 pass from Martinez (Maher kick) - 5 plays, 61 yards, 1:50, NU 21-20

Fourth Quarter (NU, 42-29)
NU - 12:59 - Burkhead 6 run (Maher kick) - 3 plays, 67 yards, 1:00, NU 28-20
FS - 12:06 - Josh Harper 26 pass from Carr (Carr pass failed) - 4 plays, 76 yards, 0:46, NU 28-26
NU - 11:50 - Ameer Abdullah 100 kickoff return (Maher kick) - NU, 35-26
FS - 5:24 - Goessling 37 FG, 14 plays, 52 yards, 6:19 - NU 35-29
NU - 2:02 - Martinez 46 run (Maher kick) - 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:22, NU 42-29

Final: #10 Nebraska 42, Fresno State 29
Attendance: 85,101
Time of Game: 3:36

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ABDULLAH HONORED FOR PERFORMANCE VS. FRESNO STATE…

Lincoln - Nebraska freshman Ameer Abdullah captured several honors for his electrifying performance against Fresno State. The I-back/returner was named the Big Ten Special Team Player of the Week as well as the Freshman of the Week, while he also captured the College Football Performance Award for National Kickoff Returner of the Week.

Abdullah totaled 231 all-purpose yards on eight touches, an average of 28.9 yards per attempt, in Saturday's 42-29 win over the Bulldogs. The freshman from Homewood, Ala., set Nebraska's single-game record with 211 kickoff return yards, breaking the previous mark of 186 by Josh Davis in 2002, including a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown after Fresno State pulled to within 28-26 in the fourth quarter. Abdullah also set up Nebraska's go-ahead score in the third quarter with a 38-yard return after the Huskers fell behind 20-14. He also had one punt return for 17 yards and two rushes.

After two weeks, Abdullah is second nationally in kickoff return average (42.00 per return) and 13th nationally in punt returns (16.80 per return). He joins West Virginia's Tavon Anderson and Eric Page from Toledo as the only players ranked in the top-20 nationally in both punt and kickoff returns after two weeks of action.

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FRESNO BEE REPORT ON NEBRASKA…

A California reporter’s view as to what makes Nebraska tick in the college football level is heart warming. We take the rich tradition in stride, but when seen through a visitor’s eye, our Nebraska pride swells.

Bulldogs face raucous fans and steep Nebraska tradition

By Marek Warszawski

The Fresno Bee

September 10, 2011

LINCOLN, Neb. – This is how the big boys do it.

Walk up the steps that lead to the Tom and Nancy Osborne Athletic Complex on the Nebraska campus and you'll pass a bronze statue of Tom Osborne, the former Cornhuskers coaching legend and current athletic director, instructing quarterback Brook Berringer during a game.

Swing open the heavy glass door, and the first thing you notice is a gleaming 40-foot-tall waterfall with a large red "N" in its center. Covering another wall is a gigantic mosaic mural depicting Cornhuskers football made up of 616 individual tiles.

Glass display cases are packed with Orange Bowl trophies (with oranges in them), vintage helmets, mounted newspaper pages and three crystal footballs honoring Nebraska's No. 1 ranking in the final coaches' poll in 1994, '95 and '97.

Where are the Heismans, you ask? A female security guard nods and leads you to an adjoining room (called "The Nebraska Experience Room") where the three stiff-arming statuettes awarded to Johnny Rogers (1972), Mike Rozier (1983) and Eric Crouch (2001) appear with the flick of a switch on rotating wall units. The wall doubles as a large video screen that plays highlights of each Heisman Trophy winner's career.

And that's just the lobby. There's also Nebraska's renowned strength and conditioning center, recently renovated thanks to a $2 million donation by Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (who also gave $600,000 to the engineering school), and a home locker room said to make Oregon boosters blush.

"I've been traveling [with the Bulldogs] for 11 seasons and these are the best facilities I've ever seen," said Vincent Ricchiuti, the Fresno State booster and former director of football operations. "They're unbelievable."

Will any of this make a difference at 4 p.m. today when Fresno State faces the 10th-ranked Cornhuskers in the 313th consecutive sellout at 81,091-seat Memorial Stadium? Probably not. But it does illustrate the caliber of program the Bulldogs are up against.

To fans, Fresno State playing big-name opponents on the road is nothing new. But it's new for this bunch. Thirty-two of the 65 Bulldogs who suited up for last week's 36-21 season-opening loss to Cal were playing their first college game.

Friday, before the Bulldogs held a 45-minute stadium walk-through, coach Pat Hill said that a significant number of the players ("somewhere in the high teens") had just taken their first plane trip.

"I'm a little anxious about how the younger guys are going to react when this place is rocking," Hill said. "Sure, we practiced with crowd noise. But I've got a center that's taken about 40 snaps in practice. Out here, it's a little different."

Fresno State's reshuffled offensive line in the wake of center Richard Helepiko's ankle injury is certain to be a key factor. But Hill sounded confident that junior left guard Matt Hunt will be up to the task blocking Jared Crick, Nebraska's all-America defensive tackle.

Meanwhile, Nebraska coach Bo Pelini predicted the Bulldogs will pose a tougher test for the Cornhuskers than in last week's 40-7 rout of Chattanooga.

"They've given a lot of people problems over the years," Pelini said. "They're a well-coached football team that plays a very aggressive style. It'll be a good test for us."

It'll be an even better test for Fresno State, which has won seven of its past 11 games against BCS opponents but has lost 12 straight against Top-25 teams.

Even if the Bulldogs get off to an 0-2 start for the first time since 2000, Hill said his team won't get discouraged: "We're going to find out real early who we are instead of playing a bunch of nobodies and then getting slapped."

Fresno State, a 28-point underdog, might get slapped anyway. But at least the slapping will be done by a program with all the trappings of success.

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HUSKERS IN THE NFL – WEEK 1…

Rookie kicker and former Husker All-American Alex Henery led a group of 25 former Nebraska football players on NFL active rosters during the league's opening weekend. Henery, a fourth-round selection fo the Philadelphia Eagles, was perfect in his professional debut connecting on a 34 yard field goal and all four PAT attempts for the Eagles, who posted a 31-13 victory.

Barrett Ruud, who moved to the Tennessee Titans after six seasons with Tampa Bay, recorded 14 tackles against the Jacksonville Jaguars and former Husker defensive end Zach Potter, who played at tight end for the Jaguars. Ruud is tied with Green Bays' Morgan Burnett for the league lead in tackles after amassing 118 last season. Playing at Lambeau Field against the defending NFL champions Green Bay, Scott Shanle was credited with seven tackles for the New Orleans Saints.

Four former offensive linemen got the starting nod in the opening week, including Matt Slauson (Jets), Carl Nicks (Saints), Dominic Raiola (Lions) and Richie Incognito (Dolphins). Slauson helped the Jets in their dramatic come-from-behind 27-24 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, while Raiola, Nicks and Incognito were all part of offenses that are ranked in top five of the league after the opening weekend of action.

A total of five Huskers, including Henery, from last year's squad made their pro debut this week. Roy Helu, Niles Paul and Dejon Gomes all played in the Redskins' 28-14 win over the New York Giants, with Helu recording one run for two yards. After going undrafted, Mike McNeill saw playing time in the Colts loss to the Texans.

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BIG RED ANTHEM…pretty cool!

RAP version, I couldn't catch all the words – but thought you might get a kick out of this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg5vbyqxtPc#big-red-anthem-music-video

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HUSKER GARAGE AND SUH MEMORABILIA…

I wanted to pass this along because it's soooooo cool. My boyfriend, Chad, owns Vault Garage and a Husker fan contacted him to do his garage. Here's pics and the story.

Here is an overview of the project:

This Nebraska Cornhuskers themed garage, features the actual throwback jersey, helmet and pants worn by Ndamukong Suh. The Husker red cabinets were furnished by VAULTT (www.vaultgarage.com). Read about the story behind how Suh's items were acquired and used as inspiration to create the ultimate man cave for a Husker fan in Southern California.

(http://huskerextra.com/sports/football/article_6f36ee87-a795-553a-b162-5856ad9e00c8.html).

Here are links to some pictures on FlickR:

1. http://www.flickr.com/photos/vaultgarage/6140890478/in/set-72157627294294601
2. http://www.flickr.com/photos/vaultgarage/6140335675/in/set-72157627294294601/
3. http://www.flickr.com/photos/vaultgarage/6140335733/in/set-72157627294294601/

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NEBRASKA ROLLS PAST WEBER STATE…

Lincoln, Neb.- The No. 11 Nebraska volleyball team made quick work of the Weber State Wildcats 3-0 (25-15, 25-7, 25-16) Saturday afternoon in the final match of the 2011 Ameritas Player's Challenge.

Gina Mancuso led the way for NU with 15 kills on 26 attempts, notching a hitting percentage of .500. Morgan Broekhuis had six kills of her own, as Hayley Thramer and Brooke Delano both had five. Lauren Cook tabbed 33 assists and Lara Dykstra had 16 digs for NU. Nebraska out-blocked Weber State six to three in the match.

The Wildcats committed 16 errors and hit only .071 for the match. Nebraska hit .398, aided by a .522 second set. NU held Weber State to a match-high 16 points in set three.

The Huskers saw three players earn spots on the Ameritas Player's Challenge All-Tournament Team as Cook led the way with MVP honors. Broekhuis and Mancuso were also recognized as well as Gabby Jolly from Saint Mary's, Creighton's Michelle Sincer and Laurel Sanford and Sarah Reams from Saint Mary's.

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HUSKERS HOLD OFF SAINT MARYS…

Lincoln, Neb.- The No. 11 Nebraska volleyball team prevailed 3-2 (25-13, 21-25, 25-18, 23-25, 15-13) over the Saint Mary's Gaels in front of a sold-out crowd at the NU Coliseum on Friday night to post its second win of the 2011 Ameritas Players Challenge.

In a match that kept the 4,097 in attendance on the edge of their seats, the Huskers saw sophomore Morgan Broekhuis lead the way with 17 kills. Junior Gina Mancuso notched her third double-double of the season with 15 kills and 11 digs for NU. Junior Lauren Cook posted 51 assists, tying her season-high mark, while junior Hannah Werth also tabbed a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs in the match.

Nebraska's defense held the Gaels to a .148 hitting percentage, while the Huskers totaled 14.5 team blocks and 64 digs on the night. Saint Mary's recorded 32 errors in the match and nine team blocks.

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HUSKERS TAKE DOWN CREIGHTON…

Lincoln, Neb.- The No. 11 Nebraska Huskers swept Creighton 3-0 (25-14, 26-24, 25-16) on Thursday night in front of a sold-out crowd at the NU Coliseum to kick off the 2011 Ameritas Player's Challenge.

While celebrating the 150th consecutive sellout at the NU Coliseum, the Huskers saw junior Gina Mancuso tally the second double-double of her career, with 12 kills and 10 digs. Sophomore Morgan Broekhuis totaled 13 kills for Nebraska, while junior Lauren Cook had 33 assists. Nebraska notched 55 digs, compared to Creighton's 41 and held the Bluejays to a .053 hitting percentage for the match.

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HUSKER SOCCER TEAM OPENS BIG TEN SCHEDULE…

Opponent - Northwestern (0-6-0, 0,0,0)
Series History - Nebraska Leads, 2-1-0
When - Sunday, Sept. 18 (Noon)
Where - Nebraska Soccer Field
TV - BigTenNetwork (Tape Delay - 3 p.m.)
Live Stream - BTN.com
Live Stats - Huskers.com

Lincoln - The Nebraska soccer team will make history on Sunday when it competes in the first ever Big Ten Conference game for the University of Nebraska. The Huskers are set to host Northwestern at the Nebraska Soccer Field, with kickoff set for 12:05 p.m. The game will be streamed live on BTN.com and will be shown on tape delay later on Sunday at 3 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.

The Huskers are currently ranked ninth in the Big Ten Conference team standing with a (3-3-1, 0-0-0), while Northwestern (0-6-0, 0-0-0) is still in search of its first win on the year and is in 12th place. The Wildcats will host Loyola Chicago on Wednesday night before making the trip to Lincoln.

The Huskers are coming off a weekend split that saw them play a pair of overtime games at the Hilton Garden Hokie Invitational. Nebraska scored a big win on Friday night when it came back from a 3-1 second-half deficit to defeat No. 25 Virginia Tech by a score of 4-3 on a goal by Stacy Bartels in overtime.

Nebraska then met No. 18 Wake Forest on Sunday for the tournament title and played the Demon Deacons to a 1-1 tie through regulation. Wake Forest captured its sixth win of the year just over eight minutes into the first overtime on a goal from Rachel Nuzzolese.

Northwestern played just once this past weekend, as the team made the short trip to Illinois State. The two teams were tied at 1-1 through regulation and the first overtime period, but the Redbirds' Rachel Tejada found the back of the net at 103:07 to deny the Wildcats their first win of the season.

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HUSKER BASEBALL ANNOUNCES RED-WHITE SERIES…

Lincoln - Nebraska Baseball Coach Darin Erstad announced on Tuesday the dates and times for the Huskers' annual Red-White Series at Hawks Field. The three-game series will begin on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. and will continue on Friday, Oct. 7 at 5 p.m. The final game of the series will kickoff a busy day in Lincoln for Husker fans on Saturday, Oct. 8, as the baseball game will start at 11 a.m., while the Husker volleyball team will host Indiana at 3 p.m. before the football team concludes the day's activities with a 7 p.m. game against Ohio State at Memorial Stadium.

Admission is free for all three games of the Red-White Series and a concession stand will be open at Hawks Field. Parking details for Saturday morning's Red-White Series finale will be announced at a later date.

The Huskers start a new era of Nebraska baseball in 2012, with not only a new head coach in Erstad, but Nebraska will also play its first season as a member of the Big Ten Conference. NU has already released its 2012 schedule, as the Huskers will play 31 home games at Hawks Field and will have 13 contests against 2011 NCAA Tournament teams, including a four-game home stand against 2011 College World Series qualifier California.

The 56-game schedule starts with 10 games on the road before the Huskers host their home opener against former Big 12 foe Kansas State on Tuesday, March 6. The Huskers will play eight Big Ten Conference series, with the only conference teams not on the schedule including Penn State and Michigan State, as well as Wisconsin, which doesn't have a baseball program.

Red-White Series Dates
Game 1 - Thursday, Oct. 6 (7 p.m.)
Game 2 - Friday, Oct. 7 (5 p.m.)
Game 3 - Saturday, Oct. 8 (11 a.m.)
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RANDY YORK’S N-SIDER HAS 5 RECOMMENDATIONS TO ADD PERSPECTIVE ON 9/11…

Today is the 10-year anniversary of one of America's darkest days in history ... an anniversary we will never forget. Multiple attacks on September 11, 2001, left us stunned, horrified and confused. As grueling as the experience was for almost all Americans, somehow it produced the exact opposite of what terrorists wanted. Instead of bringing down America, it bonded us together and helped us recover from grief, restore our strength and appreciate something we will never take for granted again ... life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Sports, of course, is one of those pursuits that Americans seem to embrace most because athletics is all about the power of the human spirit and how it can persevere and press on against all odds.

Lincoln's Memorial Stadium showcased that great intersection between sports and life Saturday night. As I sat with my brother-in-law in the East Stadium to watch a halftime tribute to nearly 3,000 victims of 9/11, I was never prouder of Nebraska's loyal fans. Instead of grumbling about a 17-14 deficit to an underdog Fresno State team, fans remained in their seats and gave heart-felt, stadium-wide support for the re-enactment of a 9/11 tribute from 2001.

I was equally proud, of course, of a football team that showed great resolve and even greater resilience in the second half. If you watch this Huskers.com video feature, you will understand the roots of that character. The video follows NU All-America defensive tackle candidate Jared Crick and offensive line anchor Mike Caputo from their teammates' practice-week American flag discussions with Navy Seal Jack Riggins to the game itself. At the end, you will see a sizable group of Huskers kneeling on one knee when the battle's over.

Recommended Reading Enables Context

Today is not only time for reflection on 9/11, but also time to reframe that infamous day and put into perspective something that should be forever etched into our nation's collective mind and conscience. Words cannot make that happen, but they can enable the process. That's why I offer up a five-article list designed to broaden perspective. Whether you read one or all five, you can't help but have a better framework to appreciate and honor this special day. Our recommendations are:

1) ESPN Columnist Rick Reilly: Let's Keep Rolling
2) USA Today Columnist Mike Lopresti: A Twist of Fate
3) ESPN Columnist Elizabeth Merrill: In the Spirit of Julie Geis
4) Omaha W-H Columnist Michael Kelly: Image of Resilience
5) Sports Illustrated Photos: The Week that Sports Stood Still

Having read countless newspaper, magazine and online articles and having watched numerous TV specials on 9/11, I can honestly say that each was compelling and each delivered an inspired message, some in heart-wrenching ways. The five recommendations above are substantive and likely to hit home with Husker fans.

Reilly's Gripping Account from United Flight 93

Reilly's column captures the extraordinary courage that resides in ordinary citizens ... the kind that starts with Todd Beamer's cry of "Let's roll!" to the legacy that he and other brave passengers on United Flight 93 left behind: "Let's keep rolling!"

Lopresti's column chronicles a simple decision Notre Dame women's basketball coach Muffet McGraw made one day that kept her from boarding a fatal flight. The column makes you think about your own "twists of fate" and how they relate to everyday decisions in a fast-moving world.

Merrill's column honors the spirit of Julie Geis, one of our own. She was a Husker softball player, and a scholarship remains endowed in her honor.

Kelly's column dwells on the resilience we introduced earlier and includes a twist of fate for Dave Rimington, the only Husker "legend" officially recognized by the Big Ten Conference ... a legend that was not in his New York office that day. The Husker Academic All-American and Outland Trophy winner would have been in the World Trade Center's North Tower on 9/11, but his prep alma mater, had invited him to speak at its Hall-of-Fame banquet, and legends don't turn down alma maters.

Paul Critchlow, an Omaha Benson High School graduate, former Husker football player and Vietnam veteran, was in his 31st-floor office at Merrill Lynch when the first plane hit the adjacent World Trade Center. A senior vice president at Merrill, Critchlow helped evacuate 9,000 employees and then ran northward, just ahead of the debris cloud. "He smelled sulfur," Kelly wrote, "and feared, as if back in Vietnam, that people would be strafed from the air."

Athletes on One Knee, a Flag on an Empty Seat

Obviously, there have been so many stories written and so many videos produced on 9/11 that it would take weeks, if not months, to read and watch. That's why we end with a special Sports Illustrated Photo Gallery and add another, USA Today Photos in the Aftermath of 9/11, for good measure. We've always thought photos are worth a thousand words, and they certainly can provide a truer context for how we viewed September 11, 2001, then and how we still view that day now: Very simply, as "the week that sports stood still" and never shall we forget.
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NEWS FROM THE HOMELAND…

* Nebraska Football diagnosis: signs of Anemic Game Day Performance syndrome

If you think something’s wrong and you see a doctor, and you
aren’t sure the doc is all that sharp, you might want a second
opinion. Same thing when your college football team looks sickly.
And a survey of several sports scribes shows the same diagnosis: The
Huskers aren't as robust and previously supposed.
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2011/09/12/4e6dedd061ac7

* NU will require fewer credit hours for most degrees
The University of Nebraska Board of Regents has taken steps intended
to make it easier to graduate in four years. It will also save them
some money.
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2011/09/12/4e6dfc2145e06
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The Campaign for Nebraska: Unlimited Possibilities

MS patient’s success leads to Train The Brain Fund















Downhill.

That’s the direction Omahan Kurt Shafer was heading last summer.

Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the early 2000s, the now 61-year-old would enter a room and rather than look for someone he knew, he’d look for a place to sit.

If he did attempt to walk, he’d use a stick or he would cling to his wife, Mary.

The Shafers, married for 37 years, prepared themselves for further decline. But, to their surprise, that’s not what happened.

Find out more about Kurt, and how a UNMC scientist is helping him pay it forward.
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Solving for why students should teach math












She was one of those kids in class who’d hide in the corner.

She liked math. She’d always finish the homework early. But math class bored her because her teachers bored her.

“Lots of my teachers just lectured at me.”

Angie Hodge grew up in northern Minnesota. (That wasn’t so long ago. She’s only 31.) In those days, she never would have pictured herself becoming a math teacher, let alone a math professor whose job now is to encourage students to become math teachers.

“I didn’t fall in love with the idea of teaching math right away,” says Hodge, who recently was named the first Dr. George Haddix Community Chair in Mathematics in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. “I’m a first-generation college student. My parents were just happy I was in school. I started out an elementary-education major, because I knew I wanted to teach.”

Learn how a few professors made all the difference for her, and how she now wants to do the same for students at UNO.

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Studying abroad gives UNK graduate a broader perspective













Studying in the Czech Republic and China created experiences that Ben Cooney can’t describe using dollar signs.

It left him with lifelong, intangible benefits. It forced him to leave his comfort zone.

It exposed him for the first time ever to different cultures and people.

“I saw, heard, smelled, and tasted what I had never before,” said the 2011 University of Nebraska at Kearney graduate from Clay Center.

Learn more about Ben’s journey, and how studying abroad changed his life.

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Who’s Calling You? Paul Francis












Paul Francis, a 22-year-old Spanish and International Business major at UNL, has traveled to many places in the world. He dreams of seeing every continent before he hits 25.

If he visits Antarctica in the next three years, he’ll meet his goal.

You might talk to him on the phone some evening, if you’re on our phonathon list. He’s one of our student callers – the students from all the University of Nebraska campuses who call you and ask you questions about your mailing address, if we have a correct e-mail address and if you would like to give a gift to support your college.

We thought it’d be fun to turn the tables and ask our own student callers some questions.

If you could only eat the same thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Chilaquiles, it’s a Mexican breakfast dish that consists of tortilla chips, salsa, eggs and meat. It’s delicious!

Would you rather go skydiving or bungee jumping?

I would go skydiving only because I have already tried bungee jumping.

If someone wrote a book about your life, what would they title it?

“Here and There: A Lifetime of Journeys.”

We’re starting a feature this month – “Who’s Calling You?” – about Paul and our other student callers. We think they’re pretty great.

We think you will, too.

Read more of our Q&A with Paul, and about one special phone conversation that led to a friendship.

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Campaign for Nebraska. Unlimited Possibilities

The University of Nebraska Foundation is involved in a campaign to raise $1.2 billion to fund university priorities such as student scholarships, faculty recruitment, research and program support. The campaign will conclude in 2014. To learn more about the Campaign for Nebraska, or to contribute, go to campaignfornebraska.org.
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