Hey Bay Area Husker Fans!
Lets hope the Huskers don’t get too complacent after what appeared to be an easy win at Minnesota. They are going to be playing a very charged up Michigan State team this weekend and they will have to be ready for a true Big 10 battle. According to all the reports (below) the coaches feel they are pretty psyched for the game so it should be a good one! Game time is pretty early out here on the coast (9 a.m.), so you’ll need to get up early for this one. More info below in the Watch Parties section.
The Husker Volleyball team beat the No. 1 team in the nation, Illinois, last weekend and traded places in the polls becoming the Number One team in the nation for the first time since 2007. Yahoo!! They will continue to be tested as they return to Big 10 play against some top rated competition in the next few weeks. Lets keep cheering them on and hopefully they will win their first Big 10 conference title and go on to great things in the NCAA tourney later this year.
Lots of stuff to pass along this week…some good stuff from Randy York and a great article about life in Lincoln from a writer for the Smithsonian. Enjoy!
Go Big Red (White and Blue)!
Carl
Go Big Red (White and Blue)!
Carl
Husker Watch Parties…
As I said above kickoff tomorrow is at 9 a.m. Pacific Time and it will be televised on ESPN (see below). All of our watch sites will be either open by kickoff, or shortly thereafter. So get there in time to get a good seat and order up some breakfast while you watch the Huskers take on the Spartans. Hope to see you there!
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UNL-MSU SET FOR 9 A.M….
The Big Ten Conference announced late Saturday night that Nebraska's matchup next Saturday with Michigan State will kick off at 9 a.m. Pacific Time and will be televised on ESPN.
Michigan State comes into the game as the Legends Division leader with a 3-0 record and 6-1 overall record following Saturday's win over Wisconsin. Nebraska is 2-1 in Big Ten play and 6-1 overall.
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HUSKERS WRAP UP PREPARATIONS FOR SPARTANS…
The Nebraska football team hit the practice field for its final workout of the week Thursday afternoon before its Legends division clash with No. 9 Michigan State on Saturday. The No. 13 Huskers practiced for just over 90 minutes in helmets only on the Ed and Joyanne Gass practice fields and the Hawks Championship Center northeast of Memorial Stadium.
Head Coach Bo Pelini was pleased with the week of practice and said the players are looking forward to the challenge the Spartans present.
"I thought we had a good week of practice," Pelini said. "I thought the tempo was good. I think our kids are looking forward to playing. It will be a good test for our team."
Pelini also touched on the development of his defensive backfield, specifically at the safety position. Pelini said they have improved as the year as progressed and looks for them to play a big part on Saturday.
"I think they are getting more comfortable, understanding and getting better," Pelini said. "With more repetition, you're going to get better, and I think that's happened. Hopefully, that will continue on Saturday because we need them to play well."
After three games of Big Ten Conference play, Pelini was asked how preparing for teams in a new conference has challenged him so far.
"It's not as easy. We've put in some late hours," Pelini said. "You always do as a coach, but it's been a long go. It's part of the deal. Its different getting familiar with a team and then getting the intricacies of preparing for them, plus making adjustments according to your own personnel and that kind of thing. It's been a challenge, but it's been a good one."
The Huskers and Spartans will kick off from Memorial Stadium at 11 a.m. and can be seen nationally on ESPN. Check back to Huskers.com for more coverage of the Nebraska football team.
Head Coach Bo Pelini was pleased with the week of practice and said the players are looking forward to the challenge the Spartans present.
"I thought we had a good week of practice," Pelini said. "I thought the tempo was good. I think our kids are looking forward to playing. It will be a good test for our team."
Pelini also touched on the development of his defensive backfield, specifically at the safety position. Pelini said they have improved as the year as progressed and looks for them to play a big part on Saturday.
"I think they are getting more comfortable, understanding and getting better," Pelini said. "With more repetition, you're going to get better, and I think that's happened. Hopefully, that will continue on Saturday because we need them to play well."
After three games of Big Ten Conference play, Pelini was asked how preparing for teams in a new conference has challenged him so far.
"It's not as easy. We've put in some late hours," Pelini said. "You always do as a coach, but it's been a long go. It's part of the deal. Its different getting familiar with a team and then getting the intricacies of preparing for them, plus making adjustments according to your own personnel and that kind of thing. It's been a challenge, but it's been a good one."
The Huskers and Spartans will kick off from Memorial Stadium at 11 a.m. and can be seen nationally on ESPN. Check back to Huskers.com for more coverage of the Nebraska football team.
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HUSKERS ROLL AT MINNESOTA…
Minneapolis, Minn. - No. 13 Nebraska scored on all five of its offensive possessions in the first half and added a defensive score to jump to a 34-0 halftime lead on its way to a 41-14 victory at Minnesota on Saturday afternoon.
With the win, which came in front of 49,187 fans at TCF Bank Stadium and an ABC television audience, the Huskers improved to 6-1 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten. The Golden Gophers slipped to 1-6 overall and 0-3 in the conference.
The victory marked Nebraska's 15th straight in the all-time series with the Gophers, and gave the Huskers their first Big Ten Conference road win in history.
Nebraska dominated in every phase of the game, amassing a season-high 515 yards of total offense compared to just 254 for the Golden Gophers. In fact 89 of Minnesota's 254 yards came on its final drive of the game against Husker reserves, which took 16 plays and chewed up 7:59 on the game clock.
"I thought we played a good football game," Coach Bo Pelini said. "I thought we came out fast. I thought we did a lot of good things on both sides of the ball and special teams. I thought it was a pretty complete effort."
Junior I-back Rex Burkhead led the Huskers by producing his second straight 100-yard rushing effort with 117 yards and one score on 23 attempts. Burkhead's fourth 100-yard performance of the season and eighth of his career powered a Husker ground game that rolled for a season-high 346 yards. That total bettered NU's previous season best of 333 yards at Wyoming, while giving the Huskers their third 300-yard rushing effort of the year.
In the process, Burkhead became the 26th Husker in history to cross the 2,000-yard career rushing mark. He finished the day with 2,049 career yards, including a team-leading 752 and 10 touchdowns through seven games this season for the Plano, Texas, native.
Sophomore quarterback Taylor Martinez provided balance for the Huskers by completing 13-of-22 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown, while Brion Carnes completed his only pass attempt for seven yards in the second half. Martinez added 52 yards rushing on just 10 carries, while eight different Huskers recorded carries on the afternoon.
Nebraska's most explosive rushing play came from wide receiver Kenny Bell, who provided a career highlight with his 82-yard touchdown run on a reverse early in the second quarter to put the Huskers up 17-0. Bell's run, which was the longest touchdown run by a freshman in Nebraska history, also marked NU's longest touchdown run since Cory Ross uncorked an 86-yard scoring sprint against Missouri on Oct. 30, 2004. Bell added four receptions for 25 yards on the day.
Freshman Braylon Heard added seven carries for 42 yards after missing NU's past two contests with an injury. Fellow freshman I-back Ameer Abdullah contributed seven carries of his own for 30 yards. Freshman I-back Aaron Green pitched in six carries for 20 yards and a third-quarter touchdown.
Senior Brandon Kinnie contributed one of his best receiving days of the season with two catches for 58 yards, including a career-long 61-yard reception midway through the second quarter to set up Nebraska's fourth offensive score of the day. Ben Cotton (25 yards) and Jamal Turner (20 yards) each pitched in a pair of receptions on the afternoon for the Huskers as well.
Fullback Tyler Legate added a 10-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter, which pushed Nebraska's lead to 10-0, after Brett Maher opened the scoring for the Huskers with a 22-yard field goal with 8:03 left in the game. It was the first on two field goals on the day for Maher, who has hit 13-of-16 on the season with all three misses coming from 50 yards or more.
Senior safety Austin Cassidy provided Nebraska's biggest defensive highlight by scooping up a second-quarter fumble by Minnesota quarterback MarQuies Gray and plunging into the end zone for Cassidy's second career touchdown. Cassidy's touchdown gave the Huskers a 27-0 lead and gave Nebraska its first fumble return for a score since Daniel Bullocks scored against Wake Forest in 2005.
Cassidy joined senior linebacker Lavonte David in leading the Blackshirt defense with six tackles apiece on the day. P.J. Smith and Andrew Green each pitched in five tackles to help the Huskers hold Minnesota to just 132 yards on the ground and just 122 through the air.
Nebraska opens a two-game homestand at Memorial Stadium next Saturday, when the Huskers play host to Michigan State. Game time and television coverage for the game against the Spartans will be announced Sunday.
Scoring Summary
Final: #13 Nebraska 41, Minnesota 14
Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011
Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, Neb.)
Final: #13 Nebraska 41, Minnesota 14
Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011
Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, Neb.)
First Quarter (NEB, 10-0)
NEB - 8:03 - Brett Maher 22 FG - 11 plays, 47 yards, 4:09, NEB 3-0
NEB - 3:27 - Tyler Legate 10 pass from Taylor Martinez (Maher kick) - 10 plays, 65 yards, 3:36, NEB 10-0
NEB - 8:03 - Brett Maher 22 FG - 11 plays, 47 yards, 4:09, NEB 3-0
NEB - 3:27 - Tyler Legate 10 pass from Taylor Martinez (Maher kick) - 10 plays, 65 yards, 3:36, NEB 10-0
Second Quarter (NEB, 34-0)
NEB - 14:38 - Kenny Bell 82 run (Maher kick) - 1 play, 82 yards, 0:15, NEB 17-0
NEB - 9:49 - Maher 25 FG - 6 plays, 68 yards, 2:06, NEB 20-0
NEB - 9:34 - Austin Cassidy 11 fumble return (Maher kick) - NEB 27-0
NEB - 0:33 - Rex Burkhead 4 run (Maher kick) - 14 plays, 73 yards, 5:35, NEB 34-0
NEB - 14:38 - Kenny Bell 82 run (Maher kick) - 1 play, 82 yards, 0:15, NEB 17-0
NEB - 9:49 - Maher 25 FG - 6 plays, 68 yards, 2:06, NEB 20-0
NEB - 9:34 - Austin Cassidy 11 fumble return (Maher kick) - NEB 27-0
NEB - 0:33 - Rex Burkhead 4 run (Maher kick) - 14 plays, 73 yards, 5:35, NEB 34-0
Third Quarter (NEB, 41-7)
MINN - 6:45 - MarQueis Gray 5 run (Chris Hawthorne kick) - 4 plays, 57 yards, 1:56, NEB 34-7
NEB - 0:39 - Aaron Green 4 run (Mauro Bondi kick) - 17 plays, 91 yards, 6:06, NEB 41-7
MINN - 6:45 - MarQueis Gray 5 run (Chris Hawthorne kick) - 4 plays, 57 yards, 1:56, NEB 34-7
NEB - 0:39 - Aaron Green 4 run (Mauro Bondi kick) - 17 plays, 91 yards, 6:06, NEB 41-7
Fourth Quarter (NEB, 41-14)MINN - 1:41 - Duane Bennett 6 run (Hawthorne kick) - 16 plays, 89 yards, 7:59, NEB 41-14
Final: #13 Nebraska 41, Minnesota 14
Attendance: 49,187
Time of Game: 2:59
Game Start: 2:36 p.m. (central)
Attendance: 49,187
Time of Game: 2:59
Game Start: 2:36 p.m. (central)
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NEBRASKA-NORTHWESTERN KICKOFF TIME SET…
The Big Ten Conference announced on Monday morning that Nebraska's Nov. 5 home game against Northwestern will be televised nationally on the Big Ten Network with kickoff set for 12:30 p.m. PDT.
The game will mark Nebraska's third appearance of the year on BTN, following appearances on the network against Chattanooga and Fresno State.
Other Big Ten games selected for telecast on Nov. 5 include Minnesota at Michigan State (11 a.m., BTN), Indiana at Ohio State (11 a.m., BTN), Michigan at Iowa (11 a.m., ESPN) and Purdue at Wisconsin (2:30 p.m., ABC). All times listed are Central Time starts.
Nebraska's matchup this Saturday against Michigan State will be televised by ESPN with an 9 a.m. PT kickoff. Kick times for November games at Penn State and Michigan will be announced six to 12 days in advance. The Huskers' regular-season finale against Iowa in Lincoln on Friday, Nov. 25 will kick at 9 a.m. Pacific Time.
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DAVID NAMED TO BUTKUS AWARD SEMIFINALIST…
Nebraska linebacker Lavonte David was named one of 12 semifinalists for the 2011 Butkus Award Monday night. David is Nebraska's first Butkus Award semifinalist since Demorrio Williams in 2003.
This season, David has team-high 64 tackles, including 25 solos stops, along with seven tackles for loss and an interception for the 13th ranked Huskers. He leads the Huskers in tackles, TFLs and interceptions and is second in sacks (2.0). David is fourth in the Big Ten in tackles per game this season, while he ranks fourth nationally with 10.9 career tackles per game during his two-year Husker career. His 216 career tackles are just four short of the top 20 on the Nebraska career tackles list.
David is the only Big Ten player on the 12-member semifinalist list. The 2011 finalists will be announced November 22 and winner will be announced by December 7.
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HUSKERS IN THE NFL – WEEK 7…
Former Nebraska offensive lineman Matt Slauson anchored the New York Jets up front in their come-from-behind win over the San Diego Chargers to lead former Huskers in the NFL during week seven of the season. Slauson helped pave the way for 318 yards of total offense for the Jets, including 162 yards on the ground in their 27-21 win.
Rookie wide receiver Niles Paul was in the starting lineup for the Washington Redskins in their loss to the Carolina Panthers. Paul brought in his first career reception in the NFL, while totaling two catches for 25 yards. On the other side of the football, Adam Carriker finished with 1.5 sacks for 11 yards and three tackles.
Tennessee linebacker Barrett Ruud recorded 10 tackles for the second straight week in the Titans loss to the Houston Texans. Ruud has racked up 47 tackles so far this season. Ndamukong Suh picked up another sack and five tackles in Detroit's loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The former Heisman Trophy finalist now how three sacks for the season to go along with 23 tackles, including 16 solo stops.
Rookie wide receiver Niles Paul was in the starting lineup for the Washington Redskins in their loss to the Carolina Panthers. Paul brought in his first career reception in the NFL, while totaling two catches for 25 yards. On the other side of the football, Adam Carriker finished with 1.5 sacks for 11 yards and three tackles.
Tennessee linebacker Barrett Ruud recorded 10 tackles for the second straight week in the Titans loss to the Houston Texans. Ruud has racked up 47 tackles so far this season. Ndamukong Suh picked up another sack and five tackles in Detroit's loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The former Heisman Trophy finalist now how three sacks for the season to go along with 23 tackles, including 16 solo stops.
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CONDITIONING COULD BE PIVOTAL TO HUSKER-SPARTAN SHOWDOWN…
Randy York’s Blog…
Some members of the media don't always cater to Taylor Martinez's short answers at weekly press conferences, but Nebraska's sophomore quarterback is honest, quick to the point and doesn't mince words. And, when it comes right down to it, don't most answers depend on asking the right questions? I mean, Martinez was asked 18 questions Monday before one yielded something that I believe has a meaningful impact on No. 13 Nebraska's nationally televised showdown Saturday against No. 9 Michigan State on ESPN.
Asked if he's noticed defenses getting tired later in the games, Martinez said: "I think in the Ohio State game their defense got a little tired. I think that's a key factor for us ... our conditioning aspect. I think early on in the game, they might be really amped up, but later on in the game, they might get tired. That's really good for us." Why? Because the Huskers have a no-huddle offense, and the only way to run it requires superb conditioning. "We'd run pretty much every day in practice," Martinez said, adding that the Huskers would even run on Sundays "so we're pretty used to it."
Rex Burkhead, Nebraska's steadiest offensive threat on a 6-1 team, ranks fourth in the Big Ten Conference and No. 17 nationally in rushing yards per game (107.4), while Martinez ranks sixth in the Big Ten and No. 41 nationally (90.9 yards per game). Burkhead apparently agrees with Martinez that conditioning could be a Nebraska edge in a game that's pivotal to which team might represent the Legends Division in the first-ever Big Ten Conference Championship game Dec. 3 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Asked why Nebraska's offensive line seems to get better in the fourth quarter, Burkhead said: "Depth and conditioning. I would say. I think we rotate them in and out a good amount. The younger guys are definitely coming along. I've seen their improvement throughout the year. We have a high tempo in practice, so I think that definitely helps." Burkhead, of course, seems to get better as the game wears on and somehow, he manages to get stronger, shiftier and infinitely more difficult to tackle.
Credit an obsessive embrace of Nebraska's strength and conditioning program, not to mention being an addicted ambassador to the Huskers' nationally prominent nutrition program, for Burkhead's fourth-quarter strength and power game. Asked if 50 yards rushing in the fourth quarter means more to him than 50 yards rushing in the first quarter, Burkhead said: "Absolutely. That's a critical point in the game. Whenever you can close out a game at the end, that is definitely going to mean more to the team."
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HUSKER FANS WILL APPLAUD COUSINS, SPARTANS, WIN OR LOSE…
This blog has some required watching, so I'm asking everyone to click here and learn why Michigan State's Kirk Cousins came into the season as a legend in the first-ever Legends Division. Cousins was such a hit at last summer's Big Ten Media Days that you'll notice at the end of the video that such coaches as Mark Dantonio, Brady Hoke and Bo Pelini all rise to their feet and give Cousins what he truly deserved at a kickoff luncheon speech - a standing ovation for representing all Big Ten Conference football players the way all college football players should be represented ... as someone who embraces his sport - and his passion - as a privilege rather than any kind of entitlement.
Joe Paterno, the king of the hill for Division I coaches, gave Cousins a standing O. Tom Osborne was in Chicago that day, too, and Nebraska's athletic director joined everyone on their feet to salute a worthy message and the one who delivered it. Later, Osborne showed 2½ minutes of that nearly 8-minute Cousins' speech to more than 600 Nebraska student-athletes at an early-morning meeting, explaining why Nebraska was "all in" as a first-year member of the Big Ten, competitively and culturally.
There are tons of things about college football I do not know, but one thing I think I know is this: Sometime next Saturday afternoon, when Cousins exits Memorial Stadium, Nebraska fans will applaud a leader that Sports Illustrated's Andy Staples describes as the face of the Big Ten, plus his teammates and everything they stand for. The Spartans, after all, have a regimen and a process very similar to Nebraska's - all-out physicality, every play, every day.
Whether a still young Nebraska team can apply some brakes on that runaway train that Cousins engineers is the question of the week and maybe even the season. The senior that led Michigan State to an 11-1 regular-season record last year is coming off the most incredible triple play he's ever executed, directing back-to-back-to-back wins over Ohio State (10-7), Michigan (28-14) and Wisconsin (37-31). That last win, of course, came Saturday night on a game-ending Cousins' Hail Mary pass to Keith Nichol, a quarterback that Cousins beat out but still cares about and motivates.
Nebraska Has a Chance to Redeem Itself
Michigan State will baske in national media attention all week long, and Cousins and his teammates rightfully have earned that kind of visibility. But don't expect the Huskers to back down from a challenge that plays right into their hands, according to former Texas Tech Coach Mike Leach, who said just that Saturday night on national satellite radio. Leach believes Nebraska is much better than it showed at Wisconsin and now has a golden chance to redeem itself after the disappointment in Madison.
Suddenly, Saturday's 11 a.m. kickoff in Lincoln has some serious Big Ten amp for ESPN. If the Huskers beat the Spartans Saturday - and Michigan beats Purdue in Ann Arbor and Iowa wins at Minnesota - four teams will be tied with 3-1 records for the Legends Division lead. That makes this the game of the season in Lincoln, at least this week, and I'm convinced Memorial Stadium will show affection for Cousins, one of the greatest leaders college football has ever known.
Remember, a Penn State All-American that made an acrobatic touchdown catch in the South end zone once got major cheers from Memorial Stadium, which also applauded Bobby Bowden when Florida State upset Nebraska in Lincoln. That's why I believe Husker fans will show their appreciation for Cousins and his teammates, win or lose.
In between Saturday morning's opening kickoff and their customary postgame sportsmanship behavior, however, I believe Big Red fans also will generate a noise level louder than Cousins has ever heard ... the ultimate sign of respect for a great competitor that will experience Lincoln for the first time ... and the last time.
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MEMORIES FROM THE SCORING EXPLOSION’S ROAD TRIP TO MINNEAPOLIS…
Randy York’s Blog…
Yes, I was in the Metrodome in Minneapolis on Sept. 17, 1983, when Nebraska scored 21 points in the first quarter, 21 in the second quarter, 21 in the third quarter and 21 in the fourth quarter to beat Minnesota, 84-13.
For a proud Golden Gopher program that won three national championships in the mid-1930s, two in the '40s and a sixth in 1960, the lopsided loss was the worst defeat in the school's first 100 years of college football. And it was all so ... well ... avoidable. It didn't have to be that bad. Fans should remember the Big Ten Conference travel roster limit was 60 players, and all 60 Huskers that could suit up had played by the third quarter.
I remember talking to Nebraska broadcasting legend Lyell Bremser, who admitted it was a tough game to call because Minnesota kept blitzing every down, practically begging the Huskers to turn routine dive plays into eye-popping gains.
Sure, the Huskers put on a fireworks display in the first quarter. Mark Schellen zipped 27 yards to start the touchdown parade. Then Turner Gill connected with Irving Fryar on TD passes of 68 and 70 yards before fans could get comfortable in their seats.
No one ever mentions it, but on that odd, mismatched night, Nebraska rushed for 595 yards, passed for 195 yards and accumulated 196 return yards for a grand total of 986 yards (with only 22 minutes and 35 seconds of offensive possession time).
The Triplets: Earth, Wind and Fryar
No wonder the 1983 Minnesota game introduced Fryar as the third member of Nebraska's legendary Scoring Explosion.
Barry Switzer called Mike Rozier, Turner Gill and Irving Fryar The Triplets, and some preferred to call them Earth, Wind and Fryar while they were becoming the highest scoring team in college football history. Heisman Trophy winner Rozier was Earth, Gill was Wind and Fryar was Fire that night, catching two passes for 138 yards (none in the last three quarters) and rushing for 92 yards on just three carries.
Rozier gained 196 yards on 15 carries and scored three touchdowns. Gill rushed for 100 yards on four carries and scored once. Nebraska was basic vanilla all night, and when Jeff Smith and Paul Miles got winded in the third quarter, Rozier had to go back in for a dive play, and you guessed it ... Minnesota blitzed and Rozier went straight up the middle for 71 yards.
That play, in particular, sent a well-known Minneapolis columnist into an absolute tizzy.
Nearly three decades later, a still perplexed Tom Osborne referred to the columnist without naming him on his monthly radio show on the Husker Sports Network last week. Osborne remembers getting raked over the coals for something that probably never should have happened, but did, because the Gophers decided to take themselves out of play after play all night long.
Devaney, Osborne 14-0 Against Minnesota
To this day, I believe that Minneapolis columnist ripped the idea of a juggernaut more than he reprimanded a team, a school or a state. Bob Devaney, you must understand, had gone 8-0 against the Gophers, winning by an average margin of 19 points. Osborne then went 6-0 against Minnesota, winning by an average margin of 50 points. For some, those widened gaps created by an offensive powerhouse were unfathomable. Apparently, poison darts in the pre-Internet days seemed like the right way to send the villains back to Lincoln ... even if it was all so ... well ... dad-gum avoidable.
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HUSKER VOLLEYBALL RANKED NO. 1 IN AVCA POLL…
Lincoln - The Nebraska volleyball team moved up to No. 1 in the latest AVCA Coaches poll released Monday afternoon. The Huskers, who improved to 17-1 on the year following a 4-1 win over previously top-ranked Illinois on Saturday night, had a total of 1,448 points and received 38 of the 60 first-place votes.
The ranking represents the 82nd week that Nebraska has been ranked No. 1 in the poll. Since 2001, the Huskers have been ranked No. 1 for 49 weeks, including holding the top spot nationally for the entire 2006 season and for 15 weeks during the 2005 season. The last time Nebraska was ranked No. 1 was in October of 2007.
California is ranked second this week with a total of 1,384 points and collected eight first-place votes. Illinois dropped to third and collected two first-place votes. USC, which tallied 12 first-place votes, and Stanford round out the top five. Five other Big Ten teams are in the poll this week, including Penn State (No. 8), Purdue (No. 11), Minnesota (No. 15), Michigan (No. 22) and Ohio State (No. 23).
The Huskers will face two of these ranked teams this weekend, as they travel to face the No. 23 Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m., before heading to University Park, Pa., for a showdown with the No. 8 Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. The Huskers' match with Penn State will air live on BTN.
AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll
Rank
|
School (First-Place Votes)
|
Total Points
|
2011 Record
|
Last Week
|
1
|
Nebraska (38)
|
1448
|
17-1
|
4
|
2
|
California (8)
|
1384
|
21-2
|
2
|
3
|
Illinois (2)
|
1377
|
20-1
|
1
|
4
|
Southern California
|
1358
|
17-3
|
3
|
5
|
Stanford
|
1236
|
16-3
|
5
|
6
|
UCLA
|
1217
|
18-3
|
6
|
7
|
Hawaii
|
1099
|
21-1
|
8
|
8
|
Penn State
|
1086
|
15-5
|
9
|
9
|
Texas
|
981
|
14-4
|
10
|
10
|
Washington
|
955
|
16-4
|
7
|
11
|
Purdue
|
854
|
18-3
|
12
|
12
|
Northern Iowa
|
829
|
22-1
|
11
|
13
|
Florida
|
813
|
17-3
|
13
|
14
|
Iowa State
|
689
|
16-3
|
15
|
15
|
Minnesota
|
635
|
12-7
|
17
|
16
|
Oregon
|
596
|
14-6
|
18
|
17
|
San Diego
|
585
|
22-1
|
16
|
18
|
Pepperdine
|
505
|
14-5
|
17
|
19
|
Flordia State
|
406
|
17-4
|
19
|
20
|
Tennessee
|
388
|
17-3
|
20
|
21
|
Oklahoma
|
235
|
19-5
|
22
|
22
|
Michigan
|
159
|
15-7
|
21
|
23
|
Ohio State
|
153
|
15-8
|
23
|
24
|
Kentucky
|
142
|
19-4
|
24
|
25
|
Colorado State
|
86
|
15-4
|
NR
|
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HUSKERS TAKE WINNING STREAK TO OHIO STATE, PENN STATE…
No. 1 Nebraska at No. 23 Ohio State • Friday, Oct. 28 • St. John Arena • 6 p.m.
Web Video: BTN.com (subscription)
Radio: Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KTWI 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com
Live Stats: ohiostatebuckeyes.com
No. 1 Nebraska at No. 8 Penn State • Saturday, Oct. 29 • Rec Hall • 7 p.m.
Radio: Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KTWI 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com
Live Stats: ohiostatebuckeyes.com
No. 1 Nebraska at No. 8 Penn State • Saturday, Oct. 29 • Rec Hall • 7 p.m.
TV: BTN (live)
Web Video: BTN2Go
Radio: Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KTWI 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com
Live Stats: gopsusports.com
Web Video: BTN2Go
Radio: Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KTWI 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com
Live Stats: gopsusports.com
The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team will travel to face the No. 23 Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m., before heading to University Park, Pa., for a showdown with the No. 8 Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. The Huskers' match with Ohio State will be available on BTN.com (subscription) and the match with Penn State will air live on BTN.
The Huskers (17-1, 10-0) outlasted previously top-ranked Illinois 4-1 last Saturday in a Big Ten Conference showdown of then-undefeated teams.
Ohio State and Nebraska have met 11 times, with Nebraska leading the series 8-3. The last time the two schools met was on Sept. 24, when Nebraska beat the Buckeyes 3-1 (25-23, 23-25, 25-11, 25-16).
Penn State and Nebraska have met 18 times, with Nebraska leading the series 12-6. The last time the two schools met was on Sept. 21, when the Huskers held on for a 3-2 (25-18, 25-16, 23-25, 19-25, 15-10) victory over the Nittany Lions.
Fans can listen to all of the action with John Baylor and Lindsay Peterson 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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HUSKERS DEFEAT NO. 1 ILLINOIS 3-1…
Lincoln, Neb.- The No. 4 Nebraska volleyball) team (17-1, 10-0) made history Saturday night, overcoming the No. 1 Illinois Fighting Illini in a 3-1 (24-26, 25-18, 25-19, 25-11) victory. With the win, the Huskers advance as the only undefeated team in Big Ten Conference play.
The last time a Husker team beat the No. 1 team in the country was on Sept. 6, 1990 when the No. 3 Huskers took down No. 1 UCLA in a 3-2 win.
Morgan Broekhuis led Nebraska on the night with 17 kills and a career-high-tying 11 digs for the fourth double-double of her career. She paced three other Huskers for double-digit kills as Gina Mancuso tallied 15, Brooke Delano had 11 and Hannah Werth tabbed 14. Mancuso also notched 14 digs for her ninth double-double in addition to Werth who had a team-high 17 digs for her third double-double of the year.
Hayley Thramer was on fire at the net for the Huskers, racking up a career-high 10 blocks. Lauren Cook had 54 assists in leading the NU to a .361 team hitting percentage for the match.
The Huskers out-blocked the Fighting Illini 11-5 for the match and out-dug Illinois by 20 (70-50). NU held Illinois to a .196 hitting percentage for the match. The Fighting Illini also committed 23 errors, compared to NU's 14.
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MANCUSO HONORED AS BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK…Lincoln- Junior Gina Mancuso was named Big Ten Player-of-the-Week for the second time in 2011 on Monday after leading Nebraska to wins over Iowa and previously top-ranked Illinois last week.
Mancuso posted 4.1 kills, 3.3 digs and 1.0 block per set in No. 1 Nebraska's wins over the Hawkeyes and Fighting Illini. She recorded her 10th double-double of the season with 15 kills and 14 digs, adding five blocks and two aces to help the Huskers take down Illinois. She also notched 14 kills, nine digs and two blocks against Iowa. Her efforts helped Nebraska earn its first win over a top-ranked opponent since 1990.
The honor marks the second conference player-of-the-week award for Mancuso. She is averaging 3.64 kills per set and 2.75 digs per set in her junior season, while leading all NU hitters in kills. Her efforts have helped NU to a 17-1 record on the season, while advancing to 10-0 in conference play.
The Huskers travel to face the No. 23 Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m., before heading to University Park, Pa., for a showdown with the No. 8 Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. The Huskers' match with Penn State will air live on BTN.
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HUSKER SOCCER TEAM HEADS NORHT FOR REGULAR SEASON FINALE…
Game 18 - Minnesota (7-9-2, 4-4-2)Series History - NU leads, 5-0-0
When - Friday, Oct. 28 (7 p.m. CT)
Where - Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium
Live Video - GopherSports.com (Premium)
Live Radio - None
Live Stats - Huskers.com
Lincoln - The Nebraska soccer team (7-9-1, 4-6-0 Big Ten) will finish the 2011 regular season on Friday with a must-win 7 p.m. road game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers (7-9-2, 4-4-2) at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn. To have a shot at earning a bid to the Big Ten Tournament, the Huskers must beat the Gophers and then get some help from other teams in the league. Along with a win, NU will need a pair of losses from Purdue, Michigan, Iowa or Ohio State. Fans will be able to watch the game live on BTN.com, but a subscription is needed.
The Huskers are coming off a 1-1 week with a win over Iowa and a loss to Illinois, who is ranked No. 20 in the latest NSCAA poll. Nebraska and Iowa played to a 0-0 tie in regulation, but the Hawkeyes couldn't keep All-American Morgan Marlborough quiet anymore, as the junior connect on a goal from Stacy Bartels in the first overtime to win the game. The Huskers were unable to keep the momentum on Sunday against Illinois, as the Fighting Illini left Lincoln with a 3-1 victory.
Minnesota is also coming off a 1-1 weekend after beating Indiana (3-1) on Friday, before dropping a 2-1 decision to Purdue. The Golden Gophers are 3-3-0 in their last six games and are 1-2-1 at home during Big Ten play. A win on Friday guarantees the Gophers a bid to the Big Ten Tournament, but they have a shot at still qualifying with a tie or loss.
Penn State, who has already clinched the regular-season title, along with Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Northwestern have already secured trips to Evanston, Ill., for the conference tournament. Northwestern will finish the regular season in 12th place, but the Wildcats earned an automatic bid to the tournament as the host school.
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HUSKERS HELP MAKE STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER…
Lincoln - The Nebraska softball team joined nearly 3,000 participants in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk at Holmes Lake on Sunday, Oct. 23. Every member of the team and coaching staff participated in the walk, which raised nearly $100,000 for the American Cancer Society.
The walk is one of many community outreach activities that the softball program participates in throughout the year. The softball program is particularly active in breast cancer awareness events, hosting an awareness event at Bowlin Stadium last year, when the team wore pink uniforms.
Head Coach Rhonda Revelle said the walk provided a memorable experience for her team.
"The Making Strides Walk was a wonderful experience for our team," Revelle said. "To be among so many survivors and family members whose lives have been changed because of a loved one having cancer made a huge impact on all of us. It was an inspiring day...one we all felt blessed to be a part of."
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NU TEAMS SCORE WELL IN GRADUATION SUCCESS RATE…
Five Nebraska teams ranked at the top of the Big Ten Conference in the Graduation Success Rate (GSR) report released on Tuesday by the NCAA.
Five of Nebraska's 11 women's sports achieved perfect GSR scores of 100 percent-basketball, golf, softball, tennis and volleyball. Those teams all led or tied for the lead in the Big Ten Conference in GSR scores. In addition, the women's soccer program topped 90 percent in the GSR with a 92 percent rate.
On the men's side, six teams scored at a 67 percent or better GSR score, including football, basketball, golf, cross country/track, gymnastics and tennis. Coach Doc Sadler's men's basketball team compiled a 75 percent GSR score and Coach Bo Pelini's football team achieved a 67 percent rate, placing both programs in the upper half of the Big Ten Conference in their respective sports.
Pelini has made academic performance in the football program a priority. The cumulative team grade-point average is above 3.0, its highest mark ever. Among Nebraska's 21-player 2011 senior class, 14 are on track to graduate by the end of the fall semester, and all 21 are scheduled to graduate by next August.
The Graduation Success Rate is an NCAA measurement that, unlike the federally mandated graduation rates, includes transfer data in the calculation. This marks the sixth year the NCAA has released GSR rates.
The GSR scores released on Tuesday are based on four classes of scholarship student-athletes who entered college from the fall of 2001 to the fall of 2004. They allow a six-year window in which student-athletes can earn their degree. Although GSR scores include student-athletes who transferred to Nebraska, they do not count student-athletes who transferred to another school and were academically eligible at the time of their transfer.
Nebraska also continues to boast an impressive 95 percent exhausted eligibility graduation rate. Although the NCAA no longer computes the Exhausted Eligibility Graduation Rate, the University of Nebraska continues to make graduating all student-athletes who compete for the Huskers a focus.
The exhausted eligibility rate surveys the graduation rate of scholarship student-athletes in 10 incoming freshman classes who complete their eligibility at the university. Nebraska's exhausted eligibility rate has improved 23 percentage points since the rate was first calculated in 1991-92.
Nebraska's exhausted eligibility rate includes members of the incoming classes from 1995-96 through 2004-05. During that period, 408 of the 428 Nebraska scholarship student-athletes who completed their eligibility earned their degrees.
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LINCOLN NEBRASKA: HOME ON THE PRARIE…(thanks Donna)
The college city's big sky and endless farmland gave this New Yorker some fresh perspective
By Meghan Daum Smithsonian magazine, November 2011,
In Nebraska, storms are a violence from which no amount of caution or privilege can protect you. Their warnings crawl across television screens in every season.
Ryan McGinnis / Getty Images
Ryan McGinnis / Getty Images
The thing you have to understand about Lincoln is that it falls under the radar. Unless you’re from Nebraska—or possibly South Dakota or Iowa—it’s probably not a place you’d think of visiting, much less moving to. No matter how unaffordable life becomes in Brooklyn or Portland or Austin, Lincoln is unlikely to turn up on a list of “unexpected hipster destinations.” But, being extremely unhip, I moved there anyway. In 1999, when I was 29, I traded New York City for it and stayed nearly four years. This was a strange thing to do, and it perplexed a lot of people, particularly because I did not, contrary to some assumptions, go there for school or a guy or because I was in the witness protection program. As a result, there’s a part of me that feels like an impostor whenever I write or even talk about Lincoln. I’m not from there, I don’t live there now, and when I did live there, I occupied an often awkward middle ground between guest and resident. By this I mean that even though I lived in a house and had friends and a relationship and a book club and a dog, I was always regarded as “the person who moved here from New York for no particular reason.” In Nebraska that translates loosely into “deeply weird person.”
Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/Lincoln-Nebraska-Home-on-the-Prairie.html#ixzz1bqlZxIE1
Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/Lincoln-Nebraska-Home-on-the-Prairie.html#ixzz1bqlZxIE1
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OMAHA WORLD HERALD ARTICLES OF INTEREST…
Barfknecht: Michigan State stakes its claim
OK, so Big Ten football isn't just Bucky Badger and the 11 dwarfs. Michigan State, now ranked No. 9, proved that Saturday night with a 37-31 win over then-No. 4 Wisconsin. The Spartans (6-1, 3-0) are looking like one of those teams on a magic carpet ride.
OK, so Big Ten football isn't just Bucky Badger and the 11 dwarfs. Michigan State, now ranked No. 9, proved that Saturday night with a 37-31 win over then-No. 4 Wisconsin. The Spartans (6-1, 3-0) are looking like one of those teams on a magic carpet ride.
McKewon: NU has chance to atone for Madison
Signs, signs, signs. They're everywhere in this city and at TCF Bank Stadium. Arrows, symbols and pictures. Road markers that may not exist outside of here. Are Minnesotans thinking challenged? They seem pretty with it and cosmo. Maybe it's the independent Nebraska spirit in me, but it's odd, when you push a crosswalk button, for a calm voice to say "Wait." You know how to do that.
Signs, signs, signs. They're everywhere in this city and at TCF Bank Stadium. Arrows, symbols and pictures. Road markers that may not exist outside of here. Are Minnesotans thinking challenged? They seem pretty with it and cosmo. Maybe it's the independent Nebraska spirit in me, but it's odd, when you push a crosswalk button, for a calm voice to say "Wait." You know how to do that.
The pictures don't lie. Ron Brown cuts them from newspapers and brings them to his Nebraska running backs. The running backs are frozen in time for all to see. Perfect learning tools. With I-back Rex Burkhead, Brown said, there's usually less to point out or say than with the others in the Husker backfield. "Rex, you see ball security almost every picture," said Brown, the longtime NU assistant coach.
Perspective. From Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez's vantage point — a Saturday-morning spot in front of a TV — Michigan State's defense didn't harass, bully and cajole Michigan's Denard Robinson into one of the worst games of his collegiate career two weeks ago. The 40 mph wind gusting through Spartan Stadium did. "I really don't think they slowed him down," Martinez said Monday. "I think the key factor was the wind kind of slowed him down. ... Hopefully we can exploit what Denard Robinson didn't do."
Huskers show fight to Illini
A first-set loss against top-ranked Illinois proved to be just a minor setback Saturday night for the fourth-ranked Nebraska volleyball team. The Huskers, with the help of a noisy crowd that kept the emotion ramped up all night, rallied to defeat the Illini 24-26, 25-18, 25-19, 25-11. The victory boosted Nebraska to 17-1 overall and 10-0 in the Big Ten while Illinois fell to 20-1 and 9-1.
A first-set loss against top-ranked Illinois proved to be just a minor setback Saturday night for the fourth-ranked Nebraska volleyball team. The Huskers, with the help of a noisy crowd that kept the emotion ramped up all night, rallied to defeat the Illini 24-26, 25-18, 25-19, 25-11. The victory boosted Nebraska to 17-1 overall and 10-0 in the Big Ten while Illinois fell to 20-1 and 9-1.
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OTHER NEWS FROM THE HOMELAND….
* Nebraska Public Power District is going underground in a big way
The state's largest electric utility is embarking on an innovative
energy project to store compressed air in a geological formation
3,000 feet below ground and use the same pressurized air later to
turn a turbine to produce power.
There...
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2011/10/17/4e9c39e91570f
* Nebraska Bye Week leads to some speculation
- Michigan State’s going to be a tough bunch to beat. Kirk Cousins
and Edwin Baker...
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2011/10/17/4e9c4bc015347
* The Angst and Adulation of Bo Pelini
Everyone talks about Bo, here is some psychological insight ... umm,
we think....
If you had told me prior to the 2011 season that Nebraska would rally
from 21 points down in the second half against THE Ohio State
University to beat the Buckeyes, I would have downed a celebratory
shot, danced a jig and reached for my iPad....
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2011/10/14/4e9811279cd96
The state's largest electric utility is embarking on an innovative
energy project to store compressed air in a geological formation
3,000 feet below ground and use the same pressurized air later to
turn a turbine to produce power.
There...
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2011/10/17/4e9c39e91570f
* Nebraska Bye Week leads to some speculation
- Michigan State’s going to be a tough bunch to beat. Kirk Cousins
and Edwin Baker...
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2011/10/17/4e9c4bc015347
* The Angst and Adulation of Bo Pelini
Everyone talks about Bo, here is some psychological insight ... umm,
we think....
If you had told me prior to the 2011 season that Nebraska would rally
from 21 points down in the second half against THE Ohio State
University to beat the Buckeyes, I would have downed a celebratory
shot, danced a jig and reached for my iPad....
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2011/10/14/4e9811279cd96
* Crossing Shoal Creek
Most of us have received the delayed news of the death of a family
member or friend, and perhaps have reflected on lost opportunities.
Here’s a fine poem by J. T. Ledbetter, who lives in California but
grew up on the...
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2011/10/17/4e9c53420122b
Most of us have received the delayed news of the death of a family
member or friend, and perhaps have reflected on lost opportunities.
Here’s a fine poem by J. T. Ledbetter, who lives in California but
grew up on the...
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2011/10/17/4e9c53420122b
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