Hey Bay Area Husker Fans,
Sorry about the late delivery…crazy week. How many ways can you say “OUCH”? That one really hurt and was painful to watch. Nuff said…on to the next challenge!
The Huskers host the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first Big 10 conference game at Memorial Stadium. All kinds of pomp and circumstance for this one. Ceremonies, announcements, special tickets, homecoming…the works! We’re favored and lets hope we do better than we did last week.
The Volleyball team is undefeated in Big 10 play and the Softball Team wrapped up a great fall season! Another great article from Randy York about a champion Husker wrestler and lots of other good stuff to read…enjoy!
Go Big Red (White and Blue),
Carl
Watch Parties:
All of our watch sites will be active this Saturday night at the Huskers take on the Buckeyes on ABC at 5 p.m. Pacific Time. Come on out and join other Red Clad Husker fans as we cheer on the team in their home conference opener!
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HUSKERS WELCOME BUCKEYES FOR HOMECOMING…
Game 6: Nebraska vs. Ohio State
Oct. 8, 2011 | Memorial Stadium
Lincoln, Neb. | 5 p.m. Pacific Time
Huskers
Record: 4-1, 0-1
Rankings: Coaches-15; AP-14
Last Game: lost to Wisconsin, 48-17
Coach: Bo Pelini
Career/NU Record: 34-13/4th year
vs. OSU: first meeting
Buckeyes
Record: 3-2, 0-1
Rankings: not ranked
Last Game: lost to Michigan State, 10-7
Coach: Luke Fickell
Career/OSU Record: 3-2/1st year
vs. NU: first meeting
Game Information
Television: ABC
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Capacity: 80,321
Capacity: 81,091 (315th Consecutive Sellout)
Surface: FieldTurf
Series Record: Ohio State, 2-0
In Lincoln: first meeting
Special Events: Homecoming, Will Shields College Football Hall of Fame Salute, Honoring Legends. Building Leaders Mobile Tour
The Matchup
Nebraska continues its history-making season on Saturday night when the Huskers play host to their first-ever Big Ten Conference home game at Memorial Stadium against Ohio State. The matchup between Nebraska and the Buckeyes will be televised nationally on ABC with kickoff set for shortly after 5 p.m. PT.
Nebraska enters the game with a 4-1 record after a 48-17 loss at No. 7 Wisconsin on Saturday night. The loss marked just the third time in the past 37 years that Nebraska has lost its conference opener. The setback also dropped Nebraska to 14th in the Associated Press Poll and 15th in the USA Today Coaches poll this week.
Ohio State is 3-2 in 2011 following a 10-7 loss to Michigan State on Saturday afternoon in Columbus. Both Nebraska and Ohio State will be looking to avoid a rare 0-2 conference start. Nebraska has started conference play with two losses just one time since 1968. The Buckeyes have won at least a share of the past six Big Ten Conference championships entering 2011 and have not started Big Ten play 0-2 since 2004, the last time OSU did not win a conference crown.
In addition to the first-ever Big Ten game at Memorial Stadium, Saturday's contest is also Homecoming in Lincoln.
The Series
Nebraska and Ohio State are meeting for just the third time and the first time in Lincoln. The Buckeyes own a 2-0 edge with a pair of victories in Columbus. Sixth-ranked Ohio State defeated Nebraska, 28-20, in 1955 and the No. 8 Buckeyes beat Nebraska, 34-7, in 1956. Nebraska has played every other Big Ten school more recently than Ohio State.
The Coaches
Nebraska: Bo Pelini (Ohio State, '90) owns a 34-13 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.
Ohio State: Luke Fickell (Ohio State, '97) owns a 3-2 record in his first season as Ohio State's head coach. Fickell had previously served as a Buckeye assistant from 2002 to 2010, before being named head coach in May. Fickell played at Ohio State, starting a school-record 50 straight games from 1993 to 1996
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HUSKERS BIT BY NO. 7 BADGERS…(for those that like to pick at open sores)…
Madison, Wis. - No. 8 Nebraska led No. 7 Wisconsin 14-7 in the second quarter, but the Badgers turned three interceptions into three touchdowns en route to a 48-17 victory at Camp Randall Stadium Saturday.
In a battle of top-10 teams in the Huskers' first-ever Big Ten Conference game, the Huskers executed well during the first 20 minutes in front of 81,384 fans and an ABC primetime national television audience.
With the loss, Nebraska slipped to 4-1 overall and 0-1 in the Big Ten, while Wisconsin improved to 5-0 and 1-0 in the conference.
Junior I-back Rex Burkhead led the Huskers with 96 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, while sophomore quarterback Taylor Martinez added 61 yards and a score on 20 carries. Martinez added 176 passing yards while completing 11-of-22 attempts, but was intercepted three times during a six-minute span from late in the second quarter to early in the third quarter.
Freshman Jamal Turner led the Husker receivers with career highs of five receptions for 84 yards.
Montee Ball led the Badger ground game with 151 yards and four touchdowns on 30 carries, while Russell Wilson completed 14-of-20 passes for 255 yards and two scores through the air. Wilson added 32 yards and another score on six carries for Wisconsin.
Jared Abbrederis led the Badger receivers with five catches for 95 yards including a touchdown, while Nick Toon pitched in four catches for 94 yards and a score.
Overall, the balanced Badger attack amassed 486 yards of total offense, including 231 rushing and 255 passing. Nebraska managed 335 total yards, including 159 rushing yards and 176 yards passing.
Following a one-yard touchdown plunge by Burkhead with 12:45 left in the second quarter, the Huskers claimed a 14-7 edge and appeared to be matching the Badgers on the ground, through the air and on the defensive side of the football.
Despite a 77-yard touchdown drive engineered by Wilson provided an answer for Wisconsin on the ensuing drive, the Huskers maintained a 14-13 lead. Following Ball's second of four touchdown runs, Husker defensive tackle Jared Crick blocked the extra point with 9:48 left in the half.
It was the second big special teams play in the first 20 minutes by the Huskers, following a fumble forced by P.J. Smith on Abbrederis' first Wisconsin punt return of the game. NU turned that Badger miscue into the game's first touchdown on a one-yard plunge by Martinez with 6:02 left in the first quarter.
After Wilson led the Badgers 91 yards on nine plays on their first scoring drive, which was capped by Ball one-yard plunge with 1:27 left in the first quarter, the teams headed to the second quarter tied at seven.
The Huskers maintained that 14-13 lead until Wilson connected with Abbrederis on a 36-yard touchdown strike with 2:03 left in the half. Wisconsin's third scoring drive was set up by an interception from Badger Mike Taylor on 3rd-and-16 at the Wisconsin 46 with 5:37 left.
Trailing 20-14, Nebraska had a chance to answer and regain the lead heading into the locker room. Martinez connected with Jamal Turner on a 26-yard strike to push the Huskers to the 50. Martinez then found Brandon Kinnie on a short completion, before misfiring on another attempted hookup with Kinnie to set up a 3rd-and-6 at the Wisconsin 46.
But Martinez was intercepted by Aaron Henry at the Badger 26, and Henry returned it 11 yards to set up Wilson and Wisconsin with 1st-and-10 with 1:18 left in the half.
The Badgers converted in less than a minute, as Wilson found Toon on a 46-yard touchdown to put the Wisconsin up 27-14 with 27 seconds left in the half.
While the momentum had shifted, the Husker offense marched quickly to end the half, as Martinez found Turner on a 25-yard pass play to give Brett Maher a chance at a 50-yard field goal attempt to end the half. However, Maher's attempt sailed wide right on the kick from the left hash mark, and the Huskers headed to the locker room down 13 knowing they would start the second half with the football.
But after a 38-yard kickoff return by Ameer Abdullah set the offense up at the NU 39 to start the second half, Martinez threw his third interception on the Huskers' opening play from scrimmage in the half. The interception by Antoni Fenelus gave the Badgers the ball back at the NU 42, and they converted seven plays later on a 10-yard run by Wilson to push Wisconsin's lead to 34-14 with 11:21 left in the quarter.
Ball added his third touchdown run of the game with 2:36 left in the third quarter to push the edge to 41-14, before Maher finally stopped Wisconsin's 34-point run with a 32-yard field goal with 13:35 left in the game.
Ball put the exclamation point on the night for Wisconsin with his fourth touchdown run, this time from 15 yards out, with 5:11 left to end the scoring.
Nebraska maintained possession the rest of the game and drove to the Wisconsin 1, but did not score on 2nd-and-Goal from the 1 with 12 seconds left.
Nebraska returns home after back-to-back road games to play Ohio State on Saturday, Oct. 8. Kickoff between the Huskers and Buckeyes in their first meeting at Memorial Stadium in history, is set for 7 p.m. with live television coverage by ABC.
Scoring Summary
Final: #7 Wisconsin 48, #8 Nebraska 17
Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011 | Camp Randall Stadium (Madison, Wis.)
First Quarter (7-7)
NU - 6:02 - Taylor Martinez 1 run (Brett Maher kick) - 9 plays, 39 yards, 3:14, NU 7-0
WIS - 1:27 - Montee Ball 1 run (Philip Welch kick) - 9 plays, 91 yards, 4:31, 7-7
Second Quarter (WIS, 27-14)
NU - 12:45 - Rex Burkhead 1 run (Maher kick) - 10 plays, 74 yards, 3:36, NU 14-7
WIS - 9:48 - Ball 3 run (Welch kick blocked) - 6 plays, 77 yards, 2:50, NU 14-13
WIS - 2:03 - Jared Abbrederis 36 pass from Russell Wilson (Welch kick) - 6 plays, 54 yards, 2:49, WIS 20-14
WIS - 0:32 - Nick Toon 46 pass from Wilson (Welch kick) - 5 plays, 63 yards, 0:46
Third Quarter (WIS, 41-14)
WIS - 11:21 - Wilson 10 run (Welch kick) - 7 plays, 42 yards, 3:25, WIS 34-14
WIS - 2:36 - Ball 4 run (Welch kick) - 14 plays, 81 yards, 7:06, WIS 41-14
Fourth Quarter (WIS, 48-17)
NU - 13:35 - Maher 32 FG - 10 plays, 52 yards, 3:56, WIS 41-17
WIS - 5:11 - Ball 15 run (Welch kick) - 13 plays, 73 yards, 8:15, WIS 48-17
Final: #7 Wisconsin 48, #8 Nebraska 17
Attendance: 81,384
Time of Game: 3:22
Game Start: 7:12 p.m. (central)
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WILL SHIELDS TO BE HONORED IN HALL OF FAME ON-CAMPUS SALUTE…
The University of Nebraska and the National Football Foundation will jointly honor Shields, a 2011 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, as the Cornhuskers host Ohio State.
DALLAS, Oct. 5, 2011 - The University of Nebraska and The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today that they will jointly honor Will Shields with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments®, on Oct. 8 during the game between the Cornhuskers and Ohio State. Coverage of the game will start at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC.
"It's really, cool, it's shocking - like wow - I was a good player, but then to be considered one of the best..." Shields said to The Kansas City Star when his induction was announced in May. "You didn't work for that goal, but to be able to put your numbers together with everyone else, and say, 'You know, I had a pretty good career, and it was fun on the way to do it.'''
The NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute program is a hallowed tradition that began with the inaugural class in 1951, and to this day the salutes remain the first of numerous activities in each inductee's Hall of Fame experience. During the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, each inductee returns to his alma mater to accept a Hall of Fame plaque that will remain on permanent display at the institution. The events take place on the field during a home game, and many inductees cite the experience as the ultimate capstone to their careers, providing them one more chance to take the field and hear the crowd roar their name.
"A giant on the Nebraska offensive line, Will Shields' talent, size and durability combined to create the ultimate blocking machine," said NFF President and CEO Steve Hatchell. "He literally paved the way as the Cornhuskers claimed three NCAA rushing titles. It will be a thrill to honor him in front of the Nebraska fans on October 8."
Shields, who played in Lincoln from 1989-92 and earned unanimous All-American honors in 1992, distinguished himself as a highly decorated offensive guard for College Football Hall of Fame coach Tom Osborne. He won the Outland Trophy as the nation's top interior lineman in 1992, and he was a three time First Team All-Big Eight selection. He also earned recognition as a semifinalist for the Lombardi Award. A major contributor to three NCAA rushing champions, he led Nebraska to back-to-back Big Eight crowns as a junior and a senior. He appeared in four bowl games as the Cornhuskers amassed an impressive 37-10-1 record during his four years in Lincoln.
Selected in the third-round selection of the 1993 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, Shields played 14 seasons for the Chiefs, never missed a game, and started 223 of his 224 career games. He holds a franchise record with 12 Pro Bowl appearances and was named a First Team All-Pro in 2002 and 2003. He was awarded the 2003 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, and on September 29 of this year, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced him as a first-year candidate for induction in Canton, Ohio.
Shields founded the Will to Succeed Foundation in 1993. He is also a member of several boards in the Kansas City area and serves as the spokesperson for multiple local charities. He was a member of the NFL-USO tour to the Persian Gulf in 2007 and was the 2005 Kansas City Philanthropic Award winner. Shields lives in Overland Park, Kan., with his wife, Senia, and their three children.
Shields becomes the 15th Cornhusker player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Recent Nebraska inductees (with year of induction) include Grant Wistrom (2009), Mike Rozier (2006), Johnny Rodgers (2000), Dave Rimington (1997), and Rich Glover (1995). Hall of Fame coaches with stops in Lincoln include Tom Osborne (1999), Bob Devaney (1981), Eddie "Robbie" Robinson (1955), Lawrence "Biff" Jones (1954), Dana Bible (1951), and Fielding Yost (1951). Including the 2011 FBS class, only 900 players and 194 coaches have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame from the nearly five million who have played or coached the game over the past 143 years. In other words, less than .0002 percent have been deemed worthy of this distinction. For a complete list of players and coaches in the hall, please visit www.collegefootball.org.
This year's class includes: Carlos Alvarez (Florida), Doug English (Texas), Bill Enyart (Oregon State), Eddie George (Ohio State), Marty Lyons (Alabama), Russell Maryland (Miami, Fla.), Deion Sanders (Florida State), Jake Scott (Georgia), Will Shields (Nebraska), Sandy Stephens (Minnesota), Darryl Talley (West Virginia), Clendon Thomas (Oklahoma), Rob Waldrop (Arizona), Gene Washington (Michigan State), coach Lloyd Carr (Michigan), and coach Fisher DeBerry (Air Force).
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OHIO STATE FOOTBALL: HELP ISN’T ON THE WAY…(thanks Mac and Donna)
Interesting article about the Buckeyes’ expectations for the rest of the season in light of even more NCAA infractions. From the Columbus Ohio Dispatch:
This was supposed to be the week Ohio State’s football team became whole again — or at least as complete as it could be without quarterback Terrelle Pryor.
But the seemingly never-ending wave of player suspensions has struck again.
The Buckeyes will get left tackle Mike Adams and defensive lineman Solomon Thomas back from five-game suspensions for a game Saturday at Nebraska. But they will still be without running back Daniel Herron and receiver DeVier Posey.
All four — plus Pryor, who left for the NFL in the offseason — were suspended for their roles in the memorabilia-for-tattoos scandal, which broke in December.
Now, Herron, Posey and starting right guard Marcus Hall will miss at least one more game for another violation of NCAA rules. The three are suspended for accepting inflated paychecks for their work at the business of Cleveland-area booster Robert “Bobby” DiGeronimo.
It’s another black eye for Ohio State’s reputation. The effect Saturday could be significant.
For the rest of the article see:
http://www.buckeyextra.com/content/stories/2011/10/04/help-isnt-on-the-way.html
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MISSOURI CURATORS VOTE TO CONSIDER LEAVING BIG 12…(ed. comment: that would make it the Big 8 again…Texas and the 7 dwarfs)
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/7060457/missouri-tigers-curators-vote-consider-leaving-big-12
Speculation has centered on a possible Missouri move to the Southeastern Conference, which recently agreed to accept Texas A&M from the Big 12 starting next year.
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BIG TEN MOBILE TOUR VISITS LINCOLN THIS WEEKEND…
The Big Ten's Honoring Legends. Building Leaders. Mobile Tour will visit the 12 conference campuses in 12 weeks leading up to the Big Ten Football Championship Game on Dec. 3 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
This week, the tour visits Lincoln for this Saturday's game against Ohio State. The mobile tour will be on Nebraska campus Thursday through Saturday and will make several stops while in town. A complete schedule is listed below.
Thursday, October 6
11 a.m. - 3 p.m. (Union Plaza)
Friday, October 7
10:30 - 1:30 p.m. (Embassy Suites Hotel)
4:30-6 p.m. (Wick Alumni Center) - Football Friday
6-7 p.m. - Homecoming Parade
Saturday, October 8
4 - 7 p.m. (Husker Nation Pavilion)
Nebraska student Makayla Hipke will be reporting on the tour's events while it is in Lincoln. Follow her accounts by visiting the blog at www.bigten.org/blog/mobile-tour and on Twitter @B1GMobileTour. Video can be found at www.YouTube.com/B1GMobileTour.
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HUSKER VOLLEYBALL WELCOMES PURDUE, INDIANA TO NU COLISEUM…
No. 6 Nebraska vs. No. 11 Purdue • Friday, Oct. 7 • NU Coliseum • 7 p.m.
Radio: Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KTWI 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com
Web Video: BTN.com
Live Stats: huskers.com
No. 6 Nebraska vs. Indiana • Saturday, Oct. 8 • NU Coliseum • 3 p.m.
TV: ESPN3.com (Live), ESPN2 (Tape Delay on Oct. 9 at noon)
Radio: Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KTWI 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com
Live Stats: huskers.com
The No. 6 Nebraska volleyball team returns home this weekend to welcome Purdue and Indiana to the NU Coliseum. The Huskers will take on No. 11 Purdue on Friday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. and Indiana on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 3 p.m. NU's match with Purdue will air via Student U on BTN.com, while Nebraska's match against the Hoosiers will air live on ESPN3.com and via tape delay on ESPN2 on Sunday, Oct. 9 at noon.
Nebraska (11-1) enters this weekend undefeated in conference play after going 2-0 on the road last weekend. The Huskers pulled out a gutsy 3-2 win over Michigan State on Friday, Sept. 30 in East Lansing, Mich., and went on to sweep No. 18 Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 1 in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Purdue and Nebraska have met 13 times, with NU holding a 9-4 record over the Boilermakers. The last time the two teams met was on Sept. 8, 1995 when Nebraska won 3-0 (15-2, 15-2, 15-3).
Indiana and Nebraska have met twice, with the all-time series tied at 1-1. The last time the two teams met was on Sept. 24, 1988, with the Huskers winning 3-1 (16-14, 15-0, 13-15, 16-14).
Fans can listen to all of the action with John Baylor and Diane Mendenhall on the 25-station Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Twister 93.3 FM in Omaha. Fans outside the state will also be able to catch the live audio feed for free on Huskers.com.
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HUSKERS FINISH OFF MICHIGAN…
Ann Arbor, Mich. - The No. 7 Nebraska Volleyball team (11-1, 4-0) closed out its first weekend of conference play on the road with a 3-0 (25-17, 26-24, 25-16) sweep of the No. 17 Michigan Wolverines at Keen Arena on Saturday night. The Huskers stayed undefeated in the conference after beating both Michigan State and Michigan over the weekend.
Morgan Broekhuis led all Huskers in the match with 13 kills. Brooke Delano tallied nine kills as Gina Mancuso had seven of her own. Lauren Cook tabbed 37 assists and Lara Dykstra had 12 digs defensively for NU.
The Huskers hit .268 for the match and held the Wolverines to a .157 hitting percentage. Nebraska saw Michigan commit 23 errors.
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HUSKERS OVERCOME SPARTANS, STAY UNDEFEATED IN CONFERENCE PLAY…
East Lansing, Mich. - The No. 7 Nebraska volleyball team (10-1) outlasted the Michigan State Spartans 3-2 (27-25, 16-25, 21-25, 25-17, 16-14) on Saturday night in front of 2,024 fans at Jenison Fieldhouse. With the victory, the Huskers improved to 3-0 in conference play.
Morgan Broekhuis led NU on the night with a career-high 22 kills on 33 attacks for a .545 hitting percentage. Hannah Werth tabbed 13 kills on 27 attacks, while Gina Mancuso had 12 kills of her own. Mancuso tabbed the sixth double-double of her career with an additional 10 digs. The Huskers hit .279 on the match, while Michigan State hit .296. Lauren Cook notched 50 assists for Nebraska, while Lara Dykstra had 16 digs on the night.
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HUSKER SOFTBALL SWEEPS CREIGHTON IN FALL FINALE…
Lincoln - The Nebraska softball team swept a doubleheader from Creighton on Sunday in the Huskers' final competition of the fall exhibition season. NU shut out the Bluejays 8-0 in game one, before an 11-run fourth inning powered the Huskers to a 14-2 win in game two.
Nebraska's offense totaled 22 runs and 24 hits in the two games. Senior Ashley Guile had three hits and four RBIs in the two victories, while classmate Nikki Haget had three hits and three RBIs. Freshman Jordan Bettiol totaled four hits, two RBIs and two runs scored, while sophomore Tatum Edwards had three hits, two RBIs and four runs scored. Senior Madison Drake went 3-for-4 in game one, while sophomore Kylee Muir went 2-for-3 with three RBIs in game two.
Guile, Muir and Tatum Edwards all homered on the day, while Taylor Edwards and Haget added doubles and freshman Mattie Fowler added a double and a triple.
In the circle, senior right-hander Ashley Hagemann fired a three-hit shutout with eight strikeouts in game one. In game two, sophomore right-hander Tatum Edwards tossed a three-hitter of her own and did not allow an earned run.
Nebraska finished its fall season with a 7-1 victory with wins over Colorado State (twice), Creighton (twice), Nebraska-Omaha and Wayne State (twice) and a loss to Colorado State. In eight games, the Huskers outscored their opponents 64-17.
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HUSKER SOCCER LOOKS TO END THREE-GAME SLIDE…
Game 13 - Wisconsin (7-4-2, 2-1-2)
Series History - NU leads, 2-0-1
When - Friday, Oct. 7 (4 p.m.)
Where - Nebraska Soccer Field
Live Video - Huskers.com (Premium)
Live Radio - KRNU.unl.edu (Free)
Live Stats - Huskers.com
Lincoln - The Nebraska soccer team (5-6-1, 2-3-0 Big Ten) will try to put an end to its three-game losing streak on Friday, Oct. 7, when the Huskers host the Wisconsin Badgers (7-4-2, 2-1-2 Big Ten) at the Nebraska Soccer Field. Slated for a 4 p.m. kickoff, the Huskers and Badgers have previously met on three occasions as non-conference foes, with the Huskers holding a 2-0-1 advantage in the series. The last meeting came on Sept. 1, 2006, when the two teams tied, 2-2, in Lincoln.
Nebraska and Wisconsin are each looking to get back on the winning track as neither team has posted a win in its last three games. NU won it's first two Big Ten games of the season over Northwestern and Purdue, before losing three straight. The Badgers posted wins over Penn State and Michigan State, but then followed the wins up with two ties and a loss to Ohio State.
Friday's game will be streamed live on Huskers.com, but a subscription to HuskersNside is needed. UNL's student radio station, KRNU, will also broadcast the game and fans outside of Lincoln can find the stream here online at krnu.unl.edu. As always, Huskers.com will have live stats.
The Huskers will play just once this weekend, as they will be off on Sunday. NU will hit the road for games with Penn State and Ohio State next weekend, with Sunday's game against the Buckeyes streamed on BTN.com.
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HUSKER BASEBALL…FOUR RUN THIRD INNING POWERS WHITE TEAM TO VICTORY…
Lincoln - The Red squad struck first with one run in the bottom of the first inning, but a four-run third inning for the White team was the difference in a 6-3 win for the Whites in the first game of the Huskers' annual Red-White Series.
Kash Kalkowski and Bryan Peters each had two RBIs for the White team, while their pitching staff gave up one earned run and struck out seven Red batters. Offensively for the Reds, freshman Austin Darby blasted a triple to right field and Richard Stock, a transfer from USC, accounted for the team's two RBIs.
The top of the third opened with an error by shortstop Kurt Farmer on a ball of the bat of Michael Siwa and then pitcher Brandon Pierce walked Kevin Terry to give the White team runners on first and second with no outs. Following a strikeout by Ty Kildow, leadoff hitter Michael Pritchard beat out an infield single to Farmer to load the bases. Peters then worked a seven-pitch walk to tie the game at 1-1. Kale Kiser followed with a sac fly to center to score Terry before Kalkowski delivered a single to plate Peters and Pritchard.
Pritchard added another run in the fifth after reaching first on a two-out infield single and then stole second base. Peters followed with a single to center drive in Prichard, extending the White lead to 5-1.
The Red team entered the bottom of the seventh down 6-2, but had life following a lead-off single from Cory Burleson. Rich Sanguinetti moved Burleson to second on a fielder's choice and then Stock drove him in with a two-out single following a strikeout by Chad Christenson. Austin Christensen drew a walk to move Stock to second, which brought up the tying run in Farmer, but Chris Williams got him to ground out to end the game.
The Huskers will play game two of their three-game series tomorrow at 5 p.m. with a seven-inning game at Hawks Field, before wrapping up the series on Saturday with a nine-inning game at 11 a.m. Admission is free on both days and parking is free on Friday, but it will cost $25 to park on Saturday in the parking lot due to the football game. Fans are encouraged to try and find parking on the street.
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RANDY YORK’S N-SIDER
BURROUGHS, WRESTLING’S VERSION OF SUH…DESERVES A MEMORIAL STADIUM ROAR!
"Jordan Burroughs is our Ndamukong Suh. The experts say Suh may be the best all-time and a living legend. Well, Jordan has that same mindset and that same potential in wrestling." -- Nebraska Wrestling Coach Mark Manning
Nebraska hosts its first game Saturday as a member of the Legends Division in the Big Ten Conference, and do the Huskers ever have a legend worthy of his own Memorial Stadium roar whenever he's introduced.
The schedule calls for a timeout and a short video presentation sometime during the first quarter of Saturday's historic game against six-time defending Big Ten champion Ohio State. Nebraska P.A. announcer Patrick Combs will direct fans' attention to the field and finish with his customary crowd cue: "Husker fans, please welcome your two-time NCAA national champion and 2011 Hodge Trophy winner and 2011 World Champion ... Jordan Burroughs!"
Talk about perfect timing to honor one of Nebraska's greatest athletes ever, an athlete that Mark Manning can't help but think will become a household name by the end of next summer's Olympic Games in London. Burroughs, Manning said, is an athlete destined for greatness, and even though his personal Twitter account is @alliseeisgold (all I see is gold), that's not all that glitters for this relentless energizer that's in wrestling for the love, not the glory.
"You know how Ndamukong Suh came to Nebraska from the West Coast (Portland, Oregon) and took college football by storm?" Manning asks. "Well, Jordan Burroughs came to Nebraska from the East Coast (Sicklerville, New Jersey) and took college wrestling by storm."
The most decorated defensive player in college football history, Suh redefined the mindset of an NFL rookie, and Burroughs seized that same aggressive mindset in his move to the top of world competition - an ascent accelerated by his training habits, competitive hunger and genuine humility.
Suh and Burroughs: Both Game-Changing Forces
"Ndamukong and Jordan are both game-changers," Manning said. "They used Nebraska's environment to grow, and, in the process, they developed such great discipline and accountability that they went straight to the highest levels of their sport. To perform to the absolute max like they have shocks everyone but Jordan and Ndamukong and those of us who are fortunate enough to be around them. They train to be the best. They think that way, and they compete that way - every day of the year."
Burroughs also lives that way, but still found the time to earn Nebraska's 2011 Heart and Soul Award that recognizes his consistent commitment to service and leadership. "Jordan was not only dominant on the mat, but equally impressive in the community," said Keith Zimmer, Nebraska's associate athletic director for Life Skills. "He's a high-character guy who's truly committed to making a difference."
Manning is well aware that Nebraska already claims several Olympic gold medalists who competed as Huskers (Charlie Green, Donald Quarrie, Rulon Gardner, Jim Hartung, Scott Johnson, Penny Heyns and Curtis Tomasevicz). "But right now," Manning said, "it would be hard to find two better trademarks of Nebraska tradition than Jordan and Ndamukong. Suh brings a different style to the NFL, and Jordan brings a different style to international wrestling. The U.S. is usually the most aggressive country in wrestling, and right now, Jordan is the most aggressive U.S. wrestler internationally."
Burroughs' two unbeaten, NCAA national championship seasons enabled him to win the Hodge Trophy, wrestling's equivalent of the Heisman. For many, that would be the capstone to a career, but Burroughs' motor runs at the same jet-like speed as Suh's, and that means his heart burns to learn, and his mind makes him wrestle like his hair's always on fire. Consider this: Even though Burroughs is a reigning world champion that almost guarantees him a spot in the Olympics, he's the first to tell you that he sees gigantic room for personal improvement between the Pan American Games beginning Oct. 14 in Guadalajara, Mexico, to the Olympics beginning July 27, 2012 in London. A rookie at the world championships, Burroughs didn't turn one wrestler, and he got turned in a couple matches. Because he is so inexperienced internationally, all five of his world championship opponents took him down and scored points on him in Istanbul, Turkey, last month.
Still, he swept through the biggest day of his wrestling life like a combine thrashes corn. He beat a Ukrainean in the first round, the two-time defending world champion from Russia in the second round, a Venezuelan in the quarterfinals, a wrestler from Azerbaijan (the old Soviet Union) in the semifinals and an Iranian in the finals.
He's America's First World Champion in Five Years
"The world wrestling community couldn't believe what Jordan did so soon after college," Manning said. "He's the United States' first world champion in five years (since Iowa's Bill Zadick in 2006). Jordan is really tough, man. He had the toughest weight class in the NCAA, and he had the toughest weight class in the biggest world championships ever. There were 48 wrestlers in Jordan's weight in Turkey. People don't understand that sometimes, it's harder to win a world championship than it is an Olympic championship because there are only 20 guys in the Olympics."
Watching Burroughs win a title in his first time on the world stage "was absolutely amazing," said Bryan Snyder, Nebraska's assistant wrestling coach who leads Burroughs' daily training regimen. "He was so emotionally drained after upsetting (Denis) Tsargush (Russia's two-time defending world champ) in the second round, I didn't know if we could calm him down and then pump right back up for the quarterfinals 20 minutes later."
Burroughs knew the meat-grinding schedule of five matches in one whirlwind world championship day would be infinitely more grueling and more challenging than having to win five matches in three days in the NCAA, so he prepared himself accordingly. "Having Coach Manning and Coach Snyder there was definitely comforting and made me feel a lot more confident," Burroughs said. "Having them made me feel like I was training for another dual instead of a world championship."
With Manning and Snyder in his corner, Burroughs was so-laser focused that he didn't realize the magnitude of his accomplishment until he pushed his finals opponent out of bounds with 12 seconds left. "It was amazing, almost surreal," Burroughs said. "The clock goes by so slow. When I looked over and saw I was up by three points with 12 seconds left, I knew it was over. I knew he would have to do something spectacular to come back and win the match."
Certain Reality in Magnitude of the Accomplishment
The second the decision was official, Burroughs exhaled. "I tried to make it like any other tournament, but with all the excitement around me, it made me realize how important it was and the magnitude of the accomplishment," he said. "We hadn't had a world champion in the U.S. in five years, and we hadn't had someone win both the NCAA and a world championship in 12 years. It's a tough thing to do, and I'm definitely excited about it."
He's excited enough to do what Suh does - come back to Lincoln to train in the environment that made both what they are in the first place. "Winning a world championship is awesome," Burroughs said. "When some guys leave college, they go live and train somewhere else. I mean, I'm a Husker for life. Lincoln is my home now, and no one can convince me to leave. I love it here. Lincoln will always be my home."
Maybe Jordan Burroughs deserves more than a loud roar from Memorial Stadium when he's introduced Saturday night. Maybe this New Jersey transplant and Cornhusker convert deserves a real Ndamukong Suh-like standing ovation.
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