Saturday, November 19, 2011

Bay Area Huskers E-News 11/10/11

Hey Bay Area Husker Fans!
Well, that was a real bummer of a game last Saturday.  The team had lots of good stats, but not the one that counted.  Summary is below for those that can stand the added pain ;o). 

Events at Penn State have unfortunately come at a bad time for our game this weekend.  I’m sure you are all aware of the controversy…lets hope it doesn’t overshadow the game and the good sportsmanship that should prevail.  

Happy Veterans Day to all the veterans on our list…many thanks for your service to our country.  I won’t add it to this email but there are a lot of special offers out there from restaurants, retailers and other businesses for veterans to take advantage of this weekend.  If you are a vet and are interested, drop me a line and I’ll try to send you the list I have.

The Volleyball team is doing well after their loss to Penn State a couple weeks ago, and have a couple of tough conference matches this weekend that you can follow on BTN and Huskers.com.  Lots of other good reading below…enjoy!
Go Big Red (White and Blue),


Watch Parties:
Kickoff for the Penn State game is at 9 a.m. Pacific Time on Saturday, and it will be broadcast on ESPN.  Soooo…lets rise and shine and get to our favorite watch sites early for this one.  I know Jack’s and Legends serve some great breakfast fare for these early games, so get there in time for a good seat and cheer on the Huskers.

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HUSKERS VISIT NITTANY LIONS ON ESPN…
GAME 10: NEBRASKA at PENN STATE
NOV. 12, 2011 | BEAVER STADIUM
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. | 11 A.M. (CT)

HUSKERS
Record: 7-2, 3-2
Rankings: Coaches-17; AP-19
Last Game:  lost Northwestern, 28-25
Coach: Bo Pelini
Career/NU Record: 37-14/4th year
vs. PSU: 0-0

NITTANY LIONS
Record: 8-1, 5-0
Rankings: Coaches-12; AP-12
Last Game:  def. Illinois, 10-7
Coach: Joe Paterno
Career/PSU Record: 406-136-3/46th year
vs. NU: 3-4

The Matchup
Nebraska continues a difficult stretch run in Big Ten Conference play this Saturday when the Huskers travel to Penn State for a matchup with the Big Ten’s only unbeaten team in league play. Game time for the meeting between two of college football’s traditional powers is set for Noon ET at Beaver Stadium, with ESPN providing the television coverage.

Nebraska dropped to 3-2 in the Big Ten and 7-2 overall with a 28-25 loss to Northwestern last Saturday in Lincoln. The loss dropped Nebraska one game behind Legends Division leader Michigan State with three weeks of conference
action remaining. Following this week’s trip to No. 12 Penn State, the Huskers travel to 22nd-ranked Michigan on Nov. 19 and close out the regular season on Nov. 25 against Iowa. The loss to Northwestern ended Nebraska’s eight-game home winning streak and dropped the Huskers to 19th in the AP Poll, No. 17 in the Coaches Poll and 19th in the latest BCS rankings.

Penn State has won seven straight games since a loss to No. 4 Alabama on Sept. 10. The 8-1 Nittany Lions are 5-0 in Big Ten play and can clinch a spot in the Big Ten title game by winning two of their final three games, but Penn State also faces a difficult road. After the visit from Nebraska, the Nittany Lions finish with road games at Ohio State and Wisconsin. Penn State is ranked 12th in both the AP and Coaches Poll, and also 12th in the BCS rankings.

The matchup with Penn State will be Nebraska’s second game of the 2011 season between two programs with 800 all-time wins, following a meeting earlier this fall with Ohio State. Nebraska’s sixth such game in school history will come with another 800-win meeting at Michigan on Nov. 19.
The Series
The game will be the first between the two schools as members of the Big Ten and the 14th all-time matchup. Penn State holds a 7-6 advantage, including a 5-1 advantage on its home field. The schools most recently met in 2002 and 2003 when they split a home-and-home series. This will the sixth time in the series that both teams have been ranked.

The Coaches
Nebraska:
Bo Pelini (Ohio State, ‘90) owns a 37-14 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.
Penn State: Joe Paterno (Brown, ‘50) owns a 409-136-3 record in his 46th season as Penn State’s head coach. Paterno became the winningest coach in Division I history with PSU’s win over Illinois on Oct. 29. He has guided the Nittany Lions to two national championships, five unbeaten seasons and 37 bowl appearances.
Nebraska Football
*-Nebraska is 844-347-40 all-time, one of just eight schools with 800 all-time victories
*-Nebraska has won five national championships (1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997).
*-The Cornhuskers have won 43 conference championships.
*-Nebraska's 47 all-time bowl appearances rank fifth nationally.
*-Since 1970, Nebraska has 410 wins, 25 more than any other school.
*-Nebraska's 99 football Academic All-Americans leads the nation.
*-The Huskers have had 107 All-Americans in school history.
Scouting Penn State
Penn State has the Big Ten’s best record at 8-1 this season, and the Nittany Lions are on top of the Leaders Division with a 5-0 mark as the only team unbeaten in conference play. The Nittany Lioins can clinch at least a share of the division title with a win over the Huskers on Saturday. Penn State is 5-1 at home this season and has held three of its five home oponents to a touchdown or less this season.
Overall, Penn State possesses one of the nation’s best defenses. The Nittany Lions rank third nationally in scoring defense, third in pass efficiency defense, seventh in pass defense, eighth in total defense and 24th in rushing defense. PSU is allowing only 12.4 points per game, which leads the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions have held six of their first nine opponents to 10 or fewer points.
Penn State also brings pressure, as the Nittany Lions rank 12th nationally with an average of 7.7 tackles-for-loss per game and are tied for 24th nationally with an average of 2.6 sacks per game. Devon Still ranks fourth nationally
with 15.5 TFLs this season.

Offensively, Silas Redd leads the Penn State rushing attack, as he ranks third in the Big Ten and 18th nationally with an average of 111.8 yards per game. Redd has posted five straight 100-yard rushing games.
As a team, Penn State rushes for 162.4 yards per contest, while adding 194.2 yards through the air. The Nittany Lions rank 88th nationally in total offense and 100th in scoring offense, having been held to 16 points or less five
times this season.

Matt McGloin, who made his first start two weeks ago, is the Nittany Lions’ top passer, throwing for 1,193 yards and seven touchdowns.
Series History
Penn State leads the all-time series 7-6, including a 5-1 edge at University Park. The teams have only met twice over the past 28 seasons, with each team winning at home. The 18th-ranked Huskers defeated Penn State, 18-10, at Memorial Stadium in 2003, when Bo Pelini was the Huskers’ defensive coordinator. The unranked Nittany Lions cruised to a 40-7 victory over No. 8 NU at Beaver Stadium the previous season.
Prior to those meetings, the teams last met every season during a five-year stretch from 1979 to 1983. Both teams were ranked in the top 20 each of those meetings, including two battles of top-10 teams and one top-five matchup. Nebraska won three of those five meetings, including a 1-1 record at Penn State. The Huskers have lost two straight games at Beaver Stadium and are looking for their first win in the venue since a 21-7 victory in 1980. NU has been held to 59 points in their six trips to Penn State, including two shutouts and two games where they were held to seven point.
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HUSKERS FALL TO WILDCATS…
Lincoln - Taylor Martinez completed 28-of-37 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn't enough to prevent No. 9 Nebraska from being upset by visiting Northwestern, 28-25, at Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
With their first home loss of the season, the Huskers slipped to 7-2 overall and 3-2 in the Big Ten while playing in front of the NCAA-record 317th consecutive sellout at Memorial Stadium and a Big Ten Network television audience. Northwestern improved to 4-5 overall and 2-3 in the conference.
Despite producing one of the most efficient passing days of his career, and rushing 12 times for 53 yards, Martinez and the Husker offense managed just 25 points against a stingy Wildcat defense.
Martinez and the Huskers managed 397 yards of total offense, but Nebraska trailed from nearly start to finish against the Wildcats. Northwestern produced 470 yards of total offense with a balanced attack that included 261 passing yards and 209 rushing yards.
Northwestern held Nebraska's rushing game to just 122 yards on 35 carries, led by Rex Burkhead's 69 yards on 22 carries. Kain Colter led the Wildcat running game with 17 carries for 58 yards and two scores, while Treyvon Green added 14 carries for 54 yards, and Jacob Schmidt added 13 carries for 53 yards and a touchdown.
Martinez played a turnover-free game for the Huskers at quarterback, but Nebraska lost two other fumbles. However, the Blackshirts forced three Northwestern turnovers on the afternoon, including Austin Cassidy's interception in the end zone and 50-yard return to set up Nebraska's first touchdown in the third quarter. Northwestern committed just two penalties for 20 yards on the day, while Nebraska was flagged six times for just 41 yards.
The Wildcats led 7-0 at the end of the first quarter thanks to a two-yard touchdown run by Schmidt.
Nebraska cut the lead to 7-3 at the half on Brett Maher's 36-yard field goal in the second quarter. The Huskers were unable to take advantage of several scoring opportunities in the quarter, including losing a fumble inside the Wildcat 5. The Huskers also lost a fumble on a completed pass later in the quarter as they were approaching the red zone.
Northwestern went up 14-3 early in the third quarter on Colter's three-yard run, before Nebraska answered with Martinez's 15-yard touchdown pass to Tim Marlowe. It was Marlowe's first career touchdown.
The Wildcats struck quickly in the fourth quarter, as Colter connected with Jeremy Ebert on an 81-yard touchdown pass. It was Northwestern's longest play from scrimmage of the season and capped a career-best 147-yard receiving day on six catches for Ebert.
Nebraska answered less than four minutes later to cut the Cat lead to 21-18 on Burkhead's one-yard touchdown plunge and Martinez's ensuing two-point conversion run with 8:55 left in the game.
The Blackshirts needed to stop the Wildcats on the next drive, but Colter engineered a 13-play, 66-yard drive that consumed 7:14 and resulted in his one-yard touchdown run. Northwestern went up 28-18 with 1:34 left and left Nebraska in need of a miracle.
Martinez and the Husker offense answered the call by covering 74 yards in 10 plays and just 1:10 capped by Martinez's 14-yard touchdown strike to Kenny Bell with 18 seconds left.
After Maher's extra point cut the lead to 28-25, he attempted an onside kick to give Martinez and the offense one last shot at victory. But the Wildcats recovered the kick and claimed their first-ever win in Lincoln.
Nebraska returns to road action next week when the Huskers travel to University Park, Pa., to take on Penn State. Kickoff time and television information for the game between Nebraska and the Nittany Lions will be announced by Sunday afternoon.
Scoring Summary
Final: Northwestern 28, #9 Nebraska 25
Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011
Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, Neb.)
First Quarter (NW, 7-0)
NW - 2:08 - Jacob Schmidt 2 run (Jeff Budzien kick) - 13 plays, 80 yards, 4:48, NW 7-0
Second Quarter (NW, 7-3)
NEB - 2:26 - Brett Maher 36 FG - 5 plays, 18 yards, 1:38, NW 7-3
Third Quarter (NW, 14-10)NW - 12:13 - Kain Colter 3 run (Budzien kick) - 6 plays, 59 yards, 2:39, NW 14-3
NEB - 3:52 - Tim Marlowe 15 pass from Taylor Martinez (Maher kick) - 8 plays, 50 yards, 2:53, NW 14-10
Fourth Quarter (NW, 28-25)NW - 12:16 - Jeremy Ebert 81 pass from Colter (Budzien kick) - 2 plays, 84 yards, 0:40, NW 21-10
NEB - 8:55 - Rex Burkhead 1 run (2PAT Good, Martinez run) - 12 plays, 74 yards, 3:15, NW 21-18
NW - 1:34 - Colter 1 run (Budzien kick) - 13 plays, 66 yards, 7:14, NW 28-18
NEB - 0:18 - Kenny Bell 14 pass from Martinez (Maher kick) - 10 plays, 74 yards, 1:10, NW 28-25
Final: Northwestern 28, #9 Nebraska 25
Attendance: 85,115
Time of Game: 3:15
Game Start: 2:42 p.m. (central)

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DAVID NAMED LOTT TROPHY SEMIFINALIST…
Nebraska senior linebacker Lavonte David was one of eight players named a semifinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy on Wednesday. The Lott Trophy is presented annually to college football's Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year.
David was one of five linebackers on the list and one of two players from the Big Ten Conference, along with Ohio State defensive lineman John Simon. The Huskers boast a semifinalist for the award for the second time in three seasons, as Ndamukong Suh was a finalist in 2009.
A Miami native, David leads Nebraska with 88 tackles this season, after setting a school record with 152 tackles in 2010. David has also paced the Huskers this fall with seven tackles-for-loss, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He ranks in the top 25 nationally with an average of 9.78 tackles per game, including four games with at least 10 tackles this season. He has twice been named the Lott Trophy IMPACT Player of the Week this season, earning the honor against both Ohio State and Michigan State.
In his career, David's 240 tackles are the most among two-year players in school history. He enters Saturday's game at Penn State in 13th place on Nebraska's career tackle chart, needing only nine tackles to move into the top 10. David's career numbers also stack up well against his current peers, as his career average of 10.4 tackles per game ranks fourth nationally among all active players.
2011 Lott Trophy SemifinalistsEmmanuel Acho, LB, Texas
Brodrick Brown, DB, Oklahoma State
Lavonte David, LB, NebraskaDont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama
Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College
Chase Minnifield, DB, Virginia
John Simon, DL, Ohio State
Manti Te'o, LB, Notre Dame

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HUSKER VOLLEYBALL LOOKS TO INDIANA, PURDUE…
No. 2 Nebraska at Indiana • Friday, Nov. 11 • University Gym • 6 p.m. (central)
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: iuhoosiers.com
No. 2 Nebraska at No. 10 Purdue • Saturday, Nov. 12 • Intercollegiate Athletic Facility • 6 p.m. (central)
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: purduesports.com
The No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team travels to take on the Indiana Hoosiers on Friday, Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. and the No. 10 Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. The Huskers' matches with both Indiana and Purdue will be available on BTN.com (subscription). 
The Huskers (20-2, 13-1) went 2-0 over the weekend, topping No. 23 Michigan 3-1 and sweeping Michigan State 3-0.
Purdue and Nebraska have met 14 times, with NU holding a 10-4 record over the Boilermakers. The last time the two teams met was on Oct. 7 when Nebraska posted its 10th-straight win over Purdue in a 3-1 (25-22, 20-25, 25-14, 25-22) victory.
Indiana and Nebraska have met three times, with Nebraska leading the all-time series 2-1. The last time the two teams met was on Oct. 8, with the Huskers winning 3-0 (25-19, 25-14, 25-13).
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 STIFLE SPARTANS…
Lincoln, Neb. - The No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team (20-2, 13-1) outmatched Michigan State on Saturday night, sweeping the Spartans 3-0 (25-11, 25-18, 25-23) in front of 4,136 fans at the NU Coliseum.
The Huskers used a fantastic defensive effort to take down one of the top-hitting percentage teams in the conference. Nebraska held MSU to a .026 hitting percentage, while hitting .263 on their own. NU out-dug Michigan State 49-36 and out-blocked the Spartans 11-5, while forcing them to commit 27 errors on the night.
Mancuso led Nebraska in the match with 13 kills on 26 attacks for a .385 hitting percentage. Hannah Werth tallied 11 kills and 10 digs for her seventh double-double on the season. Morgan Broekhuis had eight kills for the Huskers and also notched five blocks. Hayley Thramer also had five blocks of her own, while Brooke Delano tallied four. Brigette Root guided Nebraska on the night with 34 assists in her second career start, while Lara Dykstra led NU defensively with 11 digs.
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HUSKERS FIGHT BACK, TOP MICHIGAN 3-1…
Lincoln, Neb. - The No. 2 Nebraska Volleyball team (19-2, 12-1) fought back from one set down to overcome the No. 23 Michigan Wolverines 3-1 (17-25, 26-24, 25-20, 25-21) Friday night. The Huskers were led by a rock solid performance from Brigette Root in her first career start at setter.
Root notched the first double-double of her career in front of a roaring 4,156 at the NU Coliseum with 25 assists and 11 digs. She paced Nebraska on the night in a gutsy comeback win.  
Gina Mancuso guided the team  with an impressive 16 kills for a hitting percentage of .341. Morgan Broekhuis had nine kills for NU, while Brooke Delano notched eight and Hannah Werth tabbed six, rounding out an impressive even attack for the Huskers. Werth led NU defensively with 17 digs.
Despite Michigan tallying 18 more kills and 24 more digs on the night, the Huskers outmatched the Wolverines and out-hit them .189-.142. Nebraska committed only 16 errors, while U-M committed 38.
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WISCONSIN VOLLEYBALL MATCH TO BE TELEVISED ON NET AND BTN.COM…
Lincoln, Neb. - Fans of the Nebraska volleyball team will have another chance to catch the Huskers on NET Television as NU's match against Wisconsin on Saturday, Nov. 19 will be televised statewide on NET-1 and NET-HD at 7 p.m. CT
The NET Sports broadcast team of Larry Punteney and Kathi Wieskamp will bring fans all of the action from the NU Coliseum, as the Huskers take on the Badgers in their final home match of the regular season.

The match will also be streamed live on BTN.com and will be shown on BTN on a tape-delayed basis. In addition, audio for every match of the 2011 season will be carried on the Husker Sports Radio Network and on the Internet at Huskers.com.

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OMAHA WORLD HERALD ARTICLES…
Four years ago, Tim Marlowe was just an undersized, under-recruited high schooler tagging along with his best friend. Mike Zordich was one of the best linebacker prospects in the nation. He had scholarship offers from across the country, but his choice was easy. His dad was an All-American safety at Penn State and his mom was a Nittany Lion cheerleader. The kid didn't need to be sold on playing for Joe Paterno, but he took the visits to Happy Valley anyway. On one of them, Zordich brought his buddy with him.

The stench of the child sex-abuse charges at Penn State makes it mighty difficult to focus on Big Ten football right now. While the details of the grand jury testimony are nauseating enough, the actions of Penn State President Graham Spanier in the aftermath add to the general queasiness. The day after perjury charges were filed against Penn State's athletic director and another administrator, Spanier issued a statement offering "unconditional support" to the two.

Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez said Monday that he and his offensive mates weren't the only ones glancing over to see plays being signaled in on Saturday. The Northwestern defense also was taking a peek. "I kind of caught on that every time we would look over there, (they) were looking at me for the play or at the sidelines for the play," Martinez said. "So during the game we kind of mixed up each signal." Northwestern ranked No. 98 in total defense and No. 90 in scoring defense heading into a Big Ten game in which it limited Nebraska to three first-half points. The Huskers eventually threw for a season-high 289 passing yards, but never really got their running game untracked in the 28-25 loss.

The White House considers requiring TransCanada to reduce environmental risks to gain approval.

The offense stumbled early. The defense withered late. And a notable giant-slayer notched another mark on its Big Ten slingshot. Northwestern 28, Nebraska 25. It's the fifth straight year the Huskers have lost to an unranked team at home. "We laid an egg," defensive end Eric Martin said. Nebraska lost control of the Big Ten Legends Division as quickly as it gained it. NU's newly anointed Blackshirts were red-faced after giving up 468 yards — 308 in the second half — to the Wildcats' three-headed quarterback.

Johnny Carson's foundation gives $1 million to establish a performing arts scholarship at UNL.

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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.

Bay Area Huskers E-News 11/4/11

Hey Bay Area Husker Fans!
Wow!  Now THAT was a great game!  The Huskers appear to have found their stride and confidence, and as a result they jumped back into the Top 10 spot in the BCS poll. 

But if you want to get a little insight into why you saw a team that had changed so dramatically, check out the link to the Ohio State post-game locker room speech by Coach Pelini below…awesome and incredibly inspirational.  This is a truly cohesive group of guys, and you have to attribute it to their tenacity, and the second half gut check which allowed them to do something special and come back after being 3 touchdowns behind, and then win so convincingly against MSU last Saturday!

The Husker Volleyball team stubbed their toe in their rematch with Penn State after beating the Buckeyes last weekend.  It dropped them a notch or two in the polls, but I’m sure this will motivate them for the eventual rubber match in the Big 10 Tourney later this month.

The Husker Soccer team ended the season on a sour note in Minnesota, but they had an OK season.

In addition to selected pieces from the World Herald and the Nebraska State Paper, I’ve added some links to a few items from the Bleacher Report below.  Enjoy the reading and…
GO BIG RED (White and Blue)!
Carl

P.S. Don’t forget, Daylight Savings Time ends this weekend, so set your clocks back one hour Saturday night.

Watch Parties…
No need to get up early this Saturday…game time against Northwestern isn’t until 12:30 our time.  The game is being televised on the Big Ten Network and all of our watchsites have those channels.  So come on out to your fav spot, grab a good seat, get some great pub grub for lunch and cheer on the Huskers as they take on the Wildcats!


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HUSKERS HOST THE WILDCATS SATURDAY ON BTN…
GAME 9: NEBRASKA VS. NORTHWESTERN
NOV. 5, 2011 | MEMORIAL STADIUM
LINCOLN, NEB. |12:30 P.M. PDT

HUSKERS
Record: 7-1, 3-1
Rankings: Coaches-9; AP-9
Last Game:  def. Michigan State, 24-3
Coach: Bo Pelini
Career/NU Record: 37-13/4th year
vs. NU: 0-0

WILDCATS
Record: 3-5, 1-4
Rankings: Coaches-NR; AP-NR
Last Game:  def. Indiana, 59-38
Coach: Pat Fitzgerald
Career/NU Record: 37-34/6th year
vs. NU: first meeting

The Matchup
Nebraska remains at Memorial Stadium for the second straight week, as the Huskers take on Northwestern in a Big Ten Legends Division matchup. Kickoff for the first-regular season meeting since 1974 between the schools is set for 12:30 p.m. PDT in Lincoln, with the Big Ten Network providing the television coverage.
The Huskers enter the contest with a three-game win streak following an impressive 24-3 victory over No. 9 Michigan State in Lincoln last Saturday. The Blackshirt defense limited MSU to less than 200 yards of total offense, helping Nebraska improve to 7-1 overall and 3-1 in Big Ten Conference play. The win left Nebraska in a three-way tie atop the Legends Division with Michigan State and Michigan.
The victory also allowed Nebraska to move up four spots in both major polls, and the Huskers now check in at No. 9 in the Associated Press Poll and USA Today Coaches poll. The Huskers check in 10th in the latest BCS rankings.
Northwestern picked up its first Big Ten victory on Saturday with a 59-38 win at Indiana. The loss snapped a five-game slide for the Wildcats and improved them to 3-5 overall in 2011. The Wildcats have led in the second half in each of their five losses. Northwestern boasts an explosive offense, averaging better than 430 yards per game.

The Series
Nebraska owns a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series with Northwestern, including a 2-0 mark in Lincoln. The schools have met just once since 1974, with Nebraska posting a 66-17 victory in the 2000 Alamo Bowl. NU also captured wins in Lincoln in 1902 and 1974, while Northwestern was victorious in Evanston in 1931.

The Coaches
Nebraska:
Bo Pelini (Ohio State, ‘90) owns a 37-13 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.
Northwesterb: Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern, ‘97) owns a 37-34 record in his sixth season as head coach at his alma mater. Fitzgerald has guided the Wildcats to three consecutive bowl appearances in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Before taking over the program, Fitzgerald was a Northwestern assistant from 2001 to 2005. He was a two-time All-America linebacker for the Wildcats in 1995 and 1996.
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BURKHEAD BULLS NO. 13 HUSKERS PAST NO. 9 SPARTANS…
Lincoln - Rex Burkhead put on an offensive display with three touchdowns and 157 all-purpose yards to power No. 13 Nebraska to a 24-3 pounding of No. 9 Michigan State at Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
With the victory, Nebraska improved to 7-1 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten, while handing the Spartans (6-2, 3-1) their first conference loss of the year. The Huskers pulled even with MSU in the Legends Division standings, while also notching their second win over an Associated Press top-10 team in the past two seasons under Coach Bo Pelini. 
Playing in front of 85,641 fans in the NCAA-record 316th consecutive sellout at Memorial Stadium and an ESPN national television audience, Burkhead dominated the game with 130 yards and two scores on a career-high 35 carries. He added a 27-yard touchdown catch late in the third quarter that put the Huskers up 24-3.
At the time, Burkhead had produced 141 yards from scrimmage on 32 touches, while the Spartans had managed just 109 yards on 40 touches against a hard-hitting Husker defense.
Burkhead's 35 carries came up just two carries shy of Nebraska's single-game record of 37 carries by Cory Ross againsts Michigan State in the 2003 Alamo Bowl - a game Pelini served as NU's interim coach in a 17-3 Husker victory. It was Burkhead's fifth 100-yard rushing effort of the season and ninth of his career.
The junior I-back from Plano, Texas, accounted for more than half of Nebraska's 271 total yards on the day, finishing with 157 all-purpose yards and all three of NU's touchdowns. The Huskers finished with 190 rushing yards on 58 attempts, while Taylor Martinez completed 7-of-13 passes for 80 yards, including a third-quarter scoring strike to Burkhead to seal the win.
Leading 10-3 at the half, Burkhead and the Huskers put the game away in the third quarter with a dominant all-around effort. Nebraska's two third-quarter possessions covered 169 yards on 26 plays and 11:06 of the clock with both resulting in touchdowns. In the quarter, Burkhead carried 14 times for 64 yards, while adding his only catch for 27 yards to finish with 91 yards.
Burkhead and the Huskers jumped to a quick 10-0 first-quarter by taking advantage of a Michigan State mistake while playing strong defense.
After the Spartans picked up two first downs on the ground on the game's opening drive, Husker senior defensive back Lance Thorell stepped in front of MSU receiver B.J. Cunningham and picked off a Kirk Cousins pass at the NU 49 and returned it 26 yards to the Michigan State 25. It was the first career interception for the former walk-on from Loomis, Neb.
The Huskers capitalized seven plays later when Burkhead spun into the end zone from one yard out to give Nebraska a 7-0 lead with 9:01 left in the opening quarter.
The Blackshirts forced three-and-outs on Michigan State's next two possessions, before the offense pushed the Nebraska lead to 10 on Brett Maher's 20-yard field goal with 1:21 left in the quarter. Maher's 14th field goal of the season was set up by Tim Marlowe's career-long 39-yard run on an end-around on second-and-10 from MSU 40.
The Spartans finally put points on the board with 1:38 left in the half on Dan Conroy's 28-yard field goal. Conroy's kick followed Nebraska's lone turnover of the half, when a pass from Martinez was intercepted by Johnny Adams at the MSU 47 and returned 25 yards to the NU 28.
Although Michigan State scored on the drive, Husker defensive backs nearly picked off three Cousins' passes on the possession, starting with a near-miss by Andrew Green on a lateral. Austin Cassidy then had a pass go through his hands near the NU 10 with nothing but open field in front of him, before Daimion Stafford dropped a pass near his knees with plenty of open field in front of him on third down. 
Nebraska concludes a two-time homestand by playing host to Northwestern next Saturday in Lincoln. Kickoff between the Huskers and Wildcats is set for 2:30 p.m. (central) with live national television coverage on the Big Ten Network.
Scoring Summary
Final: #13 Nebraska 24, #9 Michigan State 3
Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011
Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, Neb.)
First Quarter (NEB, 10-0)
NEB - 9:12 - Rex Burkhead 1 run (Brett Maher kick) - 7 plays, 25 yards, 2:49, NEB 7-0
NEB - 1:21  - Maher 20 FG - 6 plays, 38 yards, 2:31, NEB 10-0
Second Quarter (NEB, 10-3)
MSU - 1:38 - Dan Conroy 28 FG - 7 plays, 17 yards, 3:10, NEB 10-3
Third Quarter (NEB, 24-3)NEB - 5:28 - Burkhead 1 run (Maher kick) - 14 plays, 80 yards, 5:28, NEB 17-3
NEB - 0:20 - Burkhead 27 pass from Taylor Martinez (Maher kick) - 12 plays, 89 yards, 5:44, NEB 24-3
Fourth Quarter (NEB, 24-3)No scoring
Final: #13 Nebraska 24, Michigan State 3
Attendance: 85,641
Time of Game: 3:14
Game Start: 11:02 a.m. (central)

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HUSKERS IN THE NFL – WEEK 8…
Barrett Ruud helped the Tennessee Titans defeat the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday to lead a group of 30 former Huskers on a NFL roster during week eight of the season. Ruud recorded four total tackles, but did most of his damage in pass coverage by recording one interception and two pass break-ups. Ruud has 51 total tackles so far this season.

Rookie Roy Helu caught three passes for a total of 20 yards in Washington's loss to Buffalo in Toronto. Helu has 92 receiving yards on the season to go along with his 131 rushing yards as the Redskins' No. 2 running back. Fellow rookie Eric Hagg got his first taste of NFL action on Sunday seeing time in Cleveland's loss to San Francisco, but did not record any stats. The seventh-round draft pick was injured during training camp.

In the kicking game, Alex Henery was perfect after he connected on two field goals from 23 and 26 yards and all four of his PAT attempts in Philadelphia's triumph over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. Josh Brown was also flawless in the Rams' victory over the New Orleans Saints, making his only field goal attempt from 38 yards and all four extra-point kicks.

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DAVID, BURKHEAD HONORED…
David Named Bednarik Award SemifinalistNebraska senior linebacker Lavonte David was named one of 16 semifinalists for the 2011 Chuck Bednarik Award for the Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year Monday morning.
David leads the Huskers in tackles (77), tackles for loss (7-30) and interceptions (one), while ranking second with a pair of sacks. He has three double-digit tackle efforts this season, including a 13-tackle effort in Nebraska's 24-3 win over then-No. 9 Michigan State.
A semifinalist for the Butkus Award as well, David has 229 career tackles in two seasons at Nebraska and is fourth nationally among all players averaging 10.2 tackles per game during his career.
Burkhead Named Rivals.com Big Ten Player of the WeekNebraska junior I-back Rex Burkhead was named Rivals.com Big Ten Player of the Week following his effort against No. 9 Michigan State on Saturday. Burkhead cracked the 100-yard mark for the fifth time in six games, rushing for 130 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 35 carries.
Burkhead keyed an offense that totaled 190 yards on the ground against a defense that was eighth nationally in rushing yards and had only allowed one team to top 130 yards on the ground.
His 35 carries were third most in school history, and Burkhead also added a third touchdown, a 27-yard catch from Taylor Martinez in the third quarter. In all, he accounted for 157 yards and three touchdowns in giving Nebraska a win over a top-10 team for the second straight season.
David Named Lott IMPACT Player of the WeekLavonte David racked up another award Monday morning, as he was named Lott IMPACT Player of the Week for the second time this season.
The Miami, Fla., native totaled a team-high 13 stops, as the Huskers held then-No. 9 Michigan State to 187 yards and its lowest point total since 2003. On the season, David leads the Blackshirts with 77 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss.

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MAHER NAMED GROZA AWARD SEMIFINALIST…
Nebraska's Brett Maher was named one of 20 semifinalists for the 2011 Lou Groza Award announced Friday by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission.
Maher has been impressive in his first season as the Huskers' kicker, going 13-of-16 in field goal attempts, including a pair of 50-yarders. He is one of only two Groza semifinalists who have made at least two field goals of 50+ yards this season. Maher is also 31-of-31 in PATs for the No. 13 Huskers, who are 6-1 on the season and ranked 13th nationally this week.
Maher is fourth nationally in field goals per game (1.86 field goals per game), and 12th nationally in scoring (10.0 points per game) while also averaging 45.5 yards per punt and placing 10 of his 25 kicks inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
The three finalists will be honored at the 20th annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Banquet on December 6 in West Palm Beach, Florida.  The presentation will be featured on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, December 8, 2011.

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ESPN/ABC USES SIX-DAY PICK FOR NU AT PSU…
The Big Ten Conference announced on Monday that ESPN/ABC will exercise one of its six-day selection rights in identifying the Nov. 12, 2011 football games it will broadcast.
Five Nov.12th Big Ten games are being held on ESPN/ABC's 'ready list':
Michigan State at Iowa
Michigan at Illinois
Wisconsin at Minnesota
Ohio State at Purdue
Nebraska at Penn State
Two of the five games will be produced and distributed by ESPN, ESPN2, or possibly ESPNU, at 11 a.m. (CT). One of the five games will be an ABC telecast at 2:30 p.m. (CT). The other two games will be produced and distributed by BTN, with one game scheduled for 11 a.m. (CT) and the other game at 2:30 p.m. (CT).
ESPN/ABC must select its November 12 games no later than 12:30 p.m. (CT) on Monday, Nov. 7.
It is possible ESPN/ABC's decision will be made late Saturday night, soon after the conclusion of all this week's college football games.
Check back with Huskers.com next week for more information.

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OHIO STATE POST-GAME LOCKER ROOM VIDEO…(thanks Don!)
From Randy York’s N-Sider Blog…read the article and comments too!

This video of Coach Bo Pelini addressing the team was shot in the Husker locker room after the Ohio State game.
I would say it's a Must-See for any Husker fan. Speakers on.......................


By Randy York
Two weekends ago, Nebraska players beat the odds, walked on clouds and made school history. The Huskers banded together, joined hands, knelt down and waited patiently. They knew their head coach would be rising up, keying in and flying high, so in the locker room, they hung on every word that Bo Pelini said when he led a celebration that honored history with joy and jubilation, chants and cheers, love and laughter, and energy and excitement.
The greatest comeback in Nebraska football history was achieved when the Huskers stared down adversity and refused to panic even though they were 21 points behind midway through the third quarter against an Ohio State team that has won or shared six straight Big Ten Conference championships. 
See the link for the rest of the article…

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HUSKER VOLLEYBALL TEAM SET FOR MICHIGAN, MICHIGAN STATE…
No. 2 Nebraska vs. No. 23 Michigan • Friday, Nov. 4 • NU Coliseum • 7 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: huskers.com
No. 2 Nebraska vs. Michigan State • Saturday, Nov. 5 • NU Coliseum • 7:30 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: huskers.com
The No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team returns home this weekend to take on the No. 23 Michigan Wolverines on Friday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. and the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. The Huskers' matches with both Michigan and Michigan State will be available on BTN.com (subscription). 
The Huskers (18-2, 11-1) went 1-1 over the weekend, topping No. 23 Ohio State 3-1, but falling 3-1 at No. 8 Penn State.
Michigan and Nebraska have met five times and Nebraska leads the all-time series 4-1. The last time the two programs met was on Oct. 1, 2011. The Huskers swept the Wolverines, 3-0 (25-17, 26-24, 25-16).
Michigan State and Nebraska have met 11 times, with Nebraska leading the series 9-0-2. The last time the two programs met was on Sept. 30, 2011. The Huskers beat the Spartans, 3-2 (27-25, 16-25, 21-25, 25-17, 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 BEAT OHIO STATE BUT FALL TO PENN STATE…
Columbus, Ohio- The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team (18-1, 11-0) fought off a pesky Ohio State Buckeye squad for a 3-1 (19-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-17) victory Friday night at St. John's Arena. The Huskers overcame a 0-1 deficit to top the No. 23 Buckeyes.
Morgan Broekhuis led NU on the night with 18 kills on 39 attacks (.359). Gina Mancuso had 14 kills, while Hannah Werth tallied 11. Werth also had a team-high 13 digs for her sixth double-double of the year. Lauren Cook had 47 assists, while leading the Huskers to a .281 hitting percentage. Ohio State hit .262 for the night.
University Park, Pa. - The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team (18-2, 11-1) fell 3-1 (17-25, 15-25, 25-17, 17-25) to the No. 8 Penn State Nittany Lions at Rec Hall on Saturday night. The Huskers' loss marks their first conference loss of the season.  
Gina Mancuso led Nebraska with 14 kills, while Morgan Broekhuis had 11 kills. Hannah Werth guided NU defensively with 16 digs as Lara Dykstra had 13 of her own. Lauren Cook had 32 assists on the night, but the Huskers only hit .116. Penn State hit .194 and out-dug Nebraska 64-56. PSU boasted 14 team blocks as NU had eight.
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HUSKER SOCCER…
MARLBOROUGH, JACKSON EARN ALL-BIG TEN HONORS…
Lincoln – Nebraska juniors Morgan Marlborough and Jordan Jackson each earned All-Big Ten honors on Monday afternoon with the release of the conference’s 2011 awards. Voted on by the conference’s head coaches, Marlborough was a first-team pick at forward, while Jackson was a second-team selection at midfielder. Sophomore Stacy Bartels was also honored on Monday as Nebraska’s nominee for the Big Ten Soccer Sportsmanship Award.
A native of Lee's Summit, Mo., Marlborough ranked second in the Big Ten this season in both points (2.56) and goals (2.56) per game, while also ranking in the top ten in assists with 0.33 per game. During conference play, Marlborough scored 11 goals and averaged 2.27 points per game in 11 Big Ten contests. An All-American in 2010, Marlborough notched three hat tricks on the year, including two during the Big Ten season against Northwestern and Purdue.
Jackson was one NU’s premier offensive threats again in 2011 with eight goals and six assists. Her six assists tied for the team high along with Marlborough and senior Molly Thomas. The Overland Park., Kan., native had two multiple goal games on the year and set a career high for assists in a game with three against Northern Arizona in a 8-1 Husker win.
As members of the Big 12 Conference, the Huskers totaled 70 All-Big 12 selections, including 44 first-team honorees.
Bartels was one of 12 student-athletes honored with the Sportsmanship Award. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These student-athletes must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.
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SOCCER…BARTEL’S TWO GOALS NOT ENOUGH AT MINNESOTA…
Minneapolis, Minn. - The Nebraska soccer team saw its 2011 season come to a close on Friday night with a 6-3 loss to the Minnesota Gophers at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium. Sophomore Stacy Bartels tied a career high with two goals to lead the Huskers, while junior Jordan Jackson also added a goal for NU.
The three goals scored by the Huskers matched a season high for goals allowed by the Gophers, as they also allowed three to Michigan State in a 3-0 loss to the Spartans on Sept. 25. Minnesota freshman Taylor Uhl was too much for NU, as the freshman notched her second hat trick of the season.
With their postseason hopes on the line, the Huskers jumped on the board right away with Bartels' first goal less than 30 seconds into the game. All-American Morgan Marlborough notched her sixth assist of the season when she found Bartels for her sixth goal of the year. Uhl would score her first goal of the game at 11:54 to tie the game.
Minnesota would add to two more goals in the first half to take a 3-1 lead into halftime following goals from Shari Eckstrom and Olivia Bagnall.
Sheridan Reinders found the back of the net at 49:22 for her first goal of the season to push the Gophers' lead to 4-1. The Huskers didn't give up though, as Bartels would come calling again at 53:21. Senior Michaella Fulmer produced her first point of the season when she found Bartels in the box to help setup the sophomore's second goal of the game. Uhl responded though on UM's next possession to again put the Huskers in a three-goal hole.
Again, the Huskers kept fighting and Jackson cut the Gopher lead to two with just under 20 minutes left in regulation at 71:17. Marlborough produced another assist when she connected with Jackson for her eighth goal of the season.
Uhl completed the hat trick with less than two minutes to go in the game when NU goalie Emma Stevens came away from the net to try and assist the Husker offense, but Uhl got to the ball first and was able to put the ball in an empty net.
The Huskers end the 2011 season with a 7-10-1 record overall, as well as a 4-7-0 record in their first season as members of the Big Ten Conference.

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SOFTBALL…
HUSKERS EARN MORE ACADEMIC HONORS…
Seven Husker softball players were named All-America Scholar Athletes by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association in October, highlighting what was an outstanding academic season for the entire program.
Seniors Julie Brechtel and Heidi Foland, juniors Madison Drake, Ashley Guile, Ashley Hagemann and Nikki Haget and sophomore Megan Southworth were each named to the list. The seven honorees helped Nebraska finish with an overall team grade-point average of 3.151.
The NFCA honors capped a terrific year in the classroom for the 2011 Huskers. Brechtel, Foland, Hagemann and Haget each earned first-team academic all-district honors, while Hagemann (second team) and Haget (third team) each earned Capital One Academic All-America honors. Nebraska's two academic All-America selections ranked second nationally and increased the Huskers' all-time total to a nation-leading 29 selections, seven more than any other school. NU's four first-team all-district selections also tied for the national lead.
On the conference level, six Huskers earned academic All-Big 12 accolades, including five first-team selections. Nebraska players also combined for a total of 23 selections to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll in both the fall and spring semesters.
Nebraska was also active in the community during the 2010-11 school year. The Huskers won the Life Skills team competition as the athletic department's most active female team in the community. Brechtel also became Nebraska's first-ever nominee for the Lowe's Senior CLASS award, honoring student-athletes for their excellence in the community, classroom, character and competition.
On the field, Nebraska finished with a 41-14 record, an appearance in an NCAA Regional final and a No. 21 national ranking last spring. The Huskers got off to the best start in school history, rose to as high as No. 11 in the national rankings and produced their first All-American (freshman catcher Taylor Edwards) in six seasons.

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OMAHA WORLD HERALD ARTICLES…
Nebraska's top defenders had just left their position meetings when they walked into the locker room to change for the week's first practice. That's when they saw them. Blackshirts. A sigh of relief for some. A moment of validation for others. A source of motivation for the rest. But none could let the feeling linger too long. Yes, a couple of players used their phones to take photos. Others paused for a moment of self-reflection.

Barney Cotton has been around offensive linemen long enough to know that they always think their team can run the football, whether they're being reasonable or not. When his Nebraska linemen came to him at halftime on Saturday, though, the veteran assistant was already thinking the same thing before they said it. "They were asking us to get back to our personality that third quarter," Cotton said. "The linemen, the tight ends ... guys were saying, 'Hey, we just need to keep running at these guys.'"

Carlos Polk hasn't worn the black practice jersey in 11 years. But the former Husker linebacker still gets sappy talking about it. About the "brotherhood" of former Blackshirts. About the battles for starting positions. About NFL teammates who used to ask what it felt like to be part of a Nebraska defense. "That blackshirt," Polk says, "that hits home when you talk to me. It's sacred."

People quickly cornered Army Corps of Engineers officials for face-to-face talks about the Missouri River.

A bill to create an "exclusion zone" is offered on the third and final day to introduce legislation.

The section of roadway between Interstate 29 and the Missouri River, rebuilt after it was flooded out, is scheduled to reopen at 2 p.m.

Hundreds of people packed into the Wahoo High School football stadium to greet the Nebraska National Guard's 623rd Engineer Company, which returned from a year in Afghanistan.

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OTHER NEWS FROM THE HOMELAND…
Nebraska wins, Harvest near complete, Pheasants are fewer this year, but
shooting and missing them is still good fun.

We offer a special tribute to native Nebraskan, Ted Sorensen, who died a
year ago on Halloween. 

* A Personal Tribute to Ted Sorensen

   Ted Sorensen was a prolific writer, counselor to presidents and heads
   of state, and a friendly Nebraskan.  Interesting personal tribute.

   "Honey," Ruth exhaled, falling onto or sofa pillows "we just spent
   the evening with Democracy."  So my wife condensed our shared meal
   and evening with  Ted Sorensen  and guests at our Lincoln home in
   early 2006.

    -----...
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2011/10/31/4eaebcf9af70a

* Nebraska Football:  The Top Five Things Nebraska can do to be Big Ten Champions

   We can do it!

   This seems obvious, but it’s easy to overlook. As dismal as parts
   of Nebraska’s season have been, there have been bright spots. Ameer
   Abdullah and Brett Maher have made special teams...
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2011/10/31/4eaec72e0f7ed

SELECTED PIECES FROM BLEACHER REPORT…




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