The Nebraska Recruiting Story

Just for fun, we are going to look a year down the road. Joe Ganz, Marlon Lucky, Nate Swift, Zach Potter, Barry Turner and the many others are graduated. These are the guys that generally you want this year's recruits to replace and or move up the depth charts. Who is left and are we bringing in the right players. Of course with this analysis, we have to make some assumptions that the recruits we have now will all end up coming to NU. We have also made some guesses as to what positions they will play. The recruits include 14 defensive players and 10 offensive players.

Let's start with the offense for the 2009 season.

Quarterback
1) Patrick Witt
2) Zac Lee

Recruits
None

This is a concern. Can we convince a top notch QB to run the offense. When coaches change, this is the hardest position to recruit because of the uncertainty of what the new offense will be. What kind of quarterback will fit the new offense? Nebraska needs to identify at least one quality QB to be part of the 2008 class. There is an opportunity for a good QB to have a year of learning the system before the 2009 class is in the books. Need 9 (A high number reflects the need to recruit this position yet this year.)

Running Back
1) Quentin Castille
2) Roy Helu

Recruits
Collins Okafor

Only one running back has verbally committed. We have good talent at this position but it is a position where you could lose two or three to injuries. Nebraska needs to recruit another running back. Need 8

Fullback
1) Justin Mackovicka

Recruits
None

We have three other walk-on FB's that will be on the team. The fullback needs to touch the ball by running or receiving 5-8 times each game. We have 11 men on the field and we need to utilize all of them. Remember the time Steve Kriewald ran the ball in 2004? He went 55 yards on one play against Oklahoma. He ran three times that year for 54 yards. An 18 yard average. Dane Todd ran one time in 2006 and that is four attempts for 54 yards the past four years. Need 8

H-Back/Tight End
1) Mike McNiel
2) Dreu Young

Recruits
Ben Cotton
Tyson Hetlzer
Kyler Reed

The addition of Cotton boost this position. McNiel and Young should develop well. We need to keep Hetzler and Reed as recruits. Need 4

Wide Receiver (X)
1) Menelik Holt
2) Will Henry

Wide Receiver (Y)
1) Niles Paul
2) Curenski Gilleylen

Recruits
Norian Hilburn

If we continue to run a west coast offense, we need another quality receiver in this recruiting class. In two years, our depth will be surprising thin. Need 8

Left Tackle
1) Mike Smith

Left Guard
1) Keith Williams

Center
1) Jacob Hickman

Right Guard
1) DJ Jones

Right Tackle
1) Jaivorio Burkes

Recruits
Bryce Givens
Rick Henry
Dan Hoch
Baker Steinkuhler
Brandon Thompson

We have some good talent in the line in two years. We also have a good recruiting class in this area. Let's hope we keep them.

So on offensive, the recruiting needs are quarterback, wide receiver, and possibly fullback.

DEFENSE in 2009

Left defensive End
None

Right Defensive end
1) Pierre Allen

Recruits
Eric Harper
Simi Kuli
Cameron Meredith
Riley Reiff
Doug Rippy
Josh Williams

Five recruits are projected to play defensive end. We should have this very important position covered. The defensive ends are the key position on defense.

Nose Tackle
1) None

Recruits
None

We will need to depend on other existing players to develop. It is possible that a defensive end recruit will develop into a line position. Also there could be a switch of an offensive lineman to defensive lineman.

Defensive Line
1) Ty Steinkuhler
2) Ben Martin

Recruit
Joseph Townsend

Joseph Townsend is an excellent player but he has to get himself eligible. Again, we could use a couple of recruits in the defensive line to shore up this position. Trouble is we don't have that many more spots open.
Interior line Need 8.

Sam linebacker
1) Blake Lawrence

Will linebacker
1) Major Culbert

Mike Linebacker
1) Philip Dillard

Recruits
Will Compton
Sean Fisher
Micah Kreikemeier
Shaun Mohler
Doug Rippy

We have a good bunch of linebackers coming in with the 2008 class. Let's hope we keep Mohler and Compton. Need 3

Left Cornerback
1) Anthony Blue

Right Cornerback
1) Anthony West

Recruits
David Whitmore

Blue and West will be exceptional players. Adding Whitmore will help. Prince Amukamaru is the fastest man on the team and will be a factor on special teams and defense in 2008. Need 5

Strong Safety
1) Larry Asante

Free Safety
1) Ricky Thenarse
2) Ricky Hagg

Recruits
Keelan Johnson
John Leverson

Can you imagine how good Thenarse will be for Bo Pelini? Talk about the perfect fit. Two good recruits to go with some great talent. Need 4

Kicker
1) Alex Henery
2) Adi Kunalic

Punter
None

We will need to recruit a punter in the next year or so. A walk-on this year would give us some experience.

In 2008 we will have seven defensive and seven offensive players back.

However for the purposes of analyzing the 2008 recruits, we have actually moved forward to the 2009 season.

There are definite needs yet with this recruiting class at quarterback, running back, and receiver on offense. We need to pick up one of each. On defense, we need two defensive linemen. Getting a good punter as a walk-on would be beneficial.

JEFF POKORNY

The Howells football team have been a power in football for many years. They were D-1 champions six years in a row from 2000-2005. There isn't another team in the state that has had the success that Howells has in the past eight years.

In 2007, all-stater Jeff Pokorny played for another great Howells team. Pokorny has a huge frame at 6'3" and 285 lbs. Pokorny benches 335 lbs, squats 455 lbs, and runs the 40 in 5.2. He has a vertical jump of 24 inches.

Jeff, who was coached by Mike Speirs, is an offensive and defensive lineman. He was one of the Nebraska's best. He is very strong, has speed, and quickness. He has all the qualities of a great leader and a team player.

We asked Jeff some questions:

Favorite Game Memory:
Recovering the game winning fumble in double overtime in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs.

Best Athlete You have Played Against:
Joel Nixon

Favorite Team (Pro and College):
Nebraska Cornhuskers/Indianapolis Colts

Favorite Player in High School or College Player:
Eric Burenheide

College(s) That Are Interested In You:
Kansas State, Nebraska, University of South Dakota, Wayne State College, Chadron State College

What college(s) Are Your Favorite:
Kansas State, Nebraska


PERSONAL

What is Your Favorite Book:
Something for Joey

Who Is Your Favorite Movie Actor:
Samuel L. Jackson

What Is Your Favorite Movie:
Friday Night Lights

What Is Your Favorite TV Show:
CSI/Miami

Which Person Do You Admire The Most:
My brothers

What Are Your Hobbies:
Sports, hunting, and working on cars

What is Important For You To Be Successful:

I think to be successful you should be able to pick up your teammates when they are down and be willing to sacrifice everything to reach your ultimate goals.


Jeff Pokorny is the real deal. He has shown this through his efforts at Howells. Jeff had 81 tackles this season as a lineman which is exceptional. We will be interested in seeing if Jeff Pokorny is playing for the University of Nebraska next fall. He would be an asset to the program.

Thanks Jeff for completing our questionnaire.

Bo Pelini is 1-0 as a head coach!

In Bo Pelini's one game as head coach he won. This was the Alamo Bowl vs. Michigan State on December 29, 2003. Now Pelini comes back to Nebraska to finish his business. See the stats from that game and the story after the game. Does it bring back memories? Nebraska had three interceptions that day. Story complementary of www.USAtoday.com.


Dec 29, 2003

1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH FINAL Michigan State 3 0 0 0 3 Nebraska 3 14 0 0 17

Scoring NEBRASKA D Dyches 29 YD MICHIGANST D Rayner 46 YD NEBRASKA C Ross 2 YD RUN (D Dyches KICK) NEBRASKA C Ross 6 YD RUN (D Dyches KICK)

Team Statistics Michigan State Nebraska First downs 13 20 Rushes-Yards 23 - 18 54 - 229 Passing yards 156 160 Sacked-Yards lost 5 - 37 0 - 0 Return yards 3 30 Passes 21 - 39 - 3 8 - 17 - 0 Punts-Average 8 - 46.4 7 - 42.9 Fumbles-Lost 0 - 0 1 - 0 Penalties-Yards 5 - 53 8 - 69 Time of Possession 29:31 30:29

Player Statistics Passing Michigan State Cmp Att Yds Int Smoker, Jeff 21 39 156 3 Nebraska Cmp Att Yds Int Lord, Jammal 8 17 160 0 Rushing Michigan State Att Yds Dortch, Tyrell 9 31 Hayes, Jaren 6 13 Smoker, Jeff 8 -26 Nebraska Att Yds Ross, Cory 37 138 Lord, Jammal 10 79 Kriewald, Steve 2 10 Davies, Judd 2 4 Fluellen, Isaiah 1 2 Team, - 2 -4 Receiving Michigan State Att Yds Alexander, Aaron 8 63 Brown, Kyle 4 41 Shabaj, Agim 4 31 Scott, Jerramy 1 18 Knott, Eric 1 10 Kavanaght, Ziehl 1 8 Hayes, Jaren 1 -6 Dortch, Tyrell 1 -9 Nebraska Att Yds Fluellen, Isaiah 4 84 Pilkington, Ross 3 70 Keiser, Dusty 1 6

Game Story

SAN ANTONIO (Ticker) -- Bo Pelini got Nebraska to play like
the "Blackshirts" of old.

The 21st-ranked Conhuskers shut down Michigan State's
high-powered offense and used two short second-quarter touchdown
runs by Cory Ross to defeat the Spartans, 17-3, in the Alamo
Bowl.

Ross rushed for a career-high 138 yards on 37 carries for
Nebraska (10-3), which was playing in its NCAA-record 35th
consecutive bowl game.

Named interim coach when Frank Solich was fired at the end of
the regular season, Pelini is not considered a serious candidate
for the job.  But as the Cornhuskers' defensive coordinator, he
devised a game plan that stifled Michigan State quarterback
Jeff Smoker.

"Our big key was to pressure Smoker with a four-man rush,"
Pelini explained.  "That allowed us to play back in coverage and
tackle well.  We pressured more than I would have thought."

After the teams traded field goals in the first quarter, Ross
scored on runs of two and six yards, giving Nebraska a 17-3
halftime lead.

"We pounded the ball on the ground," Ross said.  "Our offensive
line created holes."

Jamaal Lord rushed for 79 yards on 10 attempts for the
Cornhuskers, including a career-long 66-yard scamper that set up
Ross' second score.  Afterwards, he expressed support for
Solich.

"This 10-3 season was coach Solich all the way," Lord said.  "I
didn't care about my passing, 17-3 is all that matters."

The fiery Pelini gave Michigan State (8-5) an opening when he
was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty with the
Spartans facing 4th-and inches in the fourth quarter.  Pelini
was upset the officials did not give the ball to Nebraska after
Smoker fumbled a snap.

The penalty gave Michigan State a first down at the Nebraska 34
with more than seven minutes left.  But two plays later,
cornerback Pat Ricketts sealed the win with the Cornhuskers'
school-record 31st interception, which also is tops in Division
I-A.

Nebraska recorded three interceptions and five sacks while
holding Michigan State to 18 rushing yards and 174 total, more
than 200 below its average.

"They're an awful good football team," Spartans coach John L.
Smith said.  "They're very big, strong and athletic. ... We were
an inch away on some of the big plays that could have made this
a great night for us."

Smoker completed 21-of-39 passes for 156 yards.  His final pass
for the Spartans was intercepted by cornerback Fabian Washington
with 1:08 remaining.

"Jeff has done a lot for us this year.  Without him, it would
have been a long year," Smith said.  "He gave us an opportunity
to win."

Safety Josh Bullocks' interception gave Nebraska a first down at
the Spartans 36 early in the second quarter and led to Ross'
first TD.

• 
  

BRIAN HEGERT

Brian Hegert is a great athlete. He excelled for Kearney in football and also plays hockey for the Tri-City Storm. Kearney was the Class A champions in 2006 and made it to the semi-finals in 2007. The were beaten by Omaha Central who ended up the Class A 2007 champions.

Brian, who was coached by Brandon Cool, was an offensive and defensive lineman. He was one of the Nebraska's best.

Hegert is 5' 10" and 230 lbs. He benches 410 lbs and squats 585 lbs. He has run a 4.9 40 and has a vertical jump of 26 inches. He is very strong, has speed, and quickness. He has tremendous size for a hockey player.

We asked Brian some questions:

Favorite Game Memory:
Winning the State Championship game as a Junior.

Best Athlete You have Played Against:
Ronnell Grixby

Favorite Team (Pro and College):
Nebraska/Denver Broncos

Favorite Player in High School or College Player:
Mike Hart

College(s) That Are Interested In You:
Colorado School of the Mines, UNO, UNK, Morningside

What college(s) Are Your Favorite:
Colorado School of the Mines and UNO


PERSONAL

What is Your Favorite Book:
Lord of the Flies

Who Is Your Favorite Movie Actor:
Will Farrell

What Is Your Favorite Movie:
Friday Night Lights

What Is Your Favorite TV Show:
Sports Center

Which Person Do You Admire The Most:
Dad

What Are Your Hobbies:
Ice Hockey, hanging out with friends

What is Important For You To Be Successful:

HARD WORK/DEDICATION


Brain Hegert will be an asset for any college. He has shown this through his efforts at Kearney. Brian had 175 tackle, one interception, and 11 sacks on defense during his career playing Class A ball. It will be interesting to see where Brian ends up to play college football. He will be fun to follow in the next few years.

Thanks Brian for completing our questionnaire.

Sport Shorts

Jason Whitlock says Stoops and the Sooners are SCARED of the Missouri Tigers.

Jason Whitlock

The Fiesta Bowl could have Oklahoma vs. Kansas. If Oklahoma wins, Joseph Duarte says they could play Kansas.

Houston Chronicle

Bo Pelini will let his offensive coordinator call the offensive plays. This will be a huge hire for him. As soon as Pelini is hired, it will be interesting, with his connections, who he will hire for assistants. The assistant coaches will determine most of the success of a football team. I do see Pelini calling the defense himself. That is is strong point and he will utilize it.

Osborne would like to announce the new coach tomorrow but will he be reluctant to do it on a Sunday. We may have to wait until Monday. That would give Pelini a head start to put together his coaching staff. We won't see the fall out of over 20 players quitting like four years ago. I wonder what the impact would have been if they all would have stayed. We lost a lot of offensive and defensive lineman in the process.

Rustin Dring

PICTURE SOURCE-RIVALS.COM
In 2006, Kearney was the Class A champs. In 2007, they were ranked #1 a lot of the season, but they were beaten by Omaha Central in the semi-finals. Omaha Central ended up winning it all in Class A this year. A big part of Kearney's success is due to Rustin Dring.

Rustin plays running back and linebacker. In 2007, Dring ran for 1221 yards and 23 touchdowns. In 2006, he had 1184 yards rushing. On defense Dring had two interceptions.

Dring is 6' and 190 lbs. He benches 285 lbs and squats 440 lbs. He has run a 4.52 40 and has a vertical jump of 34.5 inches. He is very athletic, has speed, and quickness. He will have a great career in college for any college who signs him.

We asked Rustin some questions:

Favorite Game Memory:
Scoring in overtime against Millard South my junior year to propel my team into the state championship.

Best Athlete You have Played Against:
Ty Kildow, Millard South

Favorite Team (Pro and College):
Dallas Cowboys, USC

Favorite Player in High School or College
Noah Keller of Ohio University because he was a good teammate of mine last year.

College That Are Interested In You:
UNK, UNO, South Dakota State University, University of South Dakota

What college(s) Are Your Favorite:
South Dakota State, UNO, Colorado State, Ohio, Iowa, Iowa State

PERSONAL

Who Is Your Favorite Movie Actor:
Adam Sandler

What Is Your Favorite Movie:
Friday Night Lights

What Is Your Favorite TV Show:
Two and 1/2 Men

Which Person Do You Admire The Most:
Adrian Peterson

What Are Your Hobbies:
Football, Track, Working Out, Hunting, Fishing, and Spending Time with Friends and Family

What is Important For You To Be Successful:
I think a lot of my success to this point has come from hard work and dedication. I always try to be a leader on and off the field. But I think most of my success has come from heart and passion.

Rustin Dring will be an asset for any college both as a leader and a teammate. He has shown this through his efforts and success with Kearney High School. It will be interesting to see where Rustin ends up to play college football.

Thanks Rustin for completing our questionnaire.

YOU SAW IT HERE FIRST!

This writer thinks the next coach will be a motivator with a keen sense of football. Our choice is a motivator with success on both sides of the ball. He is not all X's and O's but a man that the fans will love. He is from the Doc Sadler mold where hard work is the most important thing.

Leave your comments after you read the link! There will not be a lot of ink spent on this blog as to all the rumors in the next few weeks as who the next coach will be.

HERE IS OUR CHOICE!!

Next New Coach

Callahan didn't get the send off he deserved. READ!!!

Daily Nebraskan

Press Conference

Tom Osborne has scheduled a press conference for 8:30 this morning. He wll be meeting with the NU football coaches prior to that.

Nebraska will win today!

Nebraska will win today by a score of 34-24. The weather will be a factor. Four of the six losses for NU have been against teams rated in the Top 12. Look for the defense to have two-three turnovers. Should be a good finish to the year!

Sean Fisher

PICTURE SOURCE:RIVALS.COM

Sean Fisher, a 6'5" 215 lb free safety and running back, plays for Millard North. They play against Omaha Central this Friday night for the Class A Championship at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. Last week Millard North beat Millard West 31-28 victory in overtime. Millard North, coached by Fred Petito, always seems to have great players that finish their season strong.

Sean Fisher is committed to Nebraska to play football next year. His size should be a tremendous asset in developing into an outside linebacker. Sean benches 275 lbs, squats 495 lbs. and has a 33 inch vertical jump. He runs the 40 in 4.6. Sean has 150 career tackles and four interceptions for Millard North.

We asked Sean some questions:

Favorite Game Memory:
Five over-time victory over Lincoln Southwest

Best Athlete You have Played Against:
Tyler Vandament

Favorite Team (Pro and College):
Nebraska

College That Are Interested In You:
Committed To Nebraska

Are You a Solid Commit To Nebraska:
Yes

PERSONAL

Who Is Your Favorite Movie Actor:
Denzel Washington

What Is Your Favorite Movie:
Man of Fire

What Is Your Favorite TV Show:
Prison Break

Which Person Do You Admire The Most:
Coach

What Are Your Hobbies:
Football, Working On Cars

What is Important For You To Be Successful:
Determination

We wish Sean good luck in the title game vs. Omaha Central. It will be a great game to watch. Sean has a tremendous future for Nebraska and we are excited to watch his progress in the coming years.

Lance Thorell

Nebraska walk-on Lance Thorell was named Scout team player of the week last week. Thorell is a 2007 graduate from Loomis, Ne. He is a freshman and has redshirted this year.

Sport Shorts

Nebraska'a football season is quickly coming to an end even if we do go to a bowl. This is another year NU football will be talked about until the opening game of 2008 no matter what happens in the coaching arena.

As far as recruits go they should hang tight because no matter what happens with the coaching situation Nebraska will have excellent coaches and excellent facilities with an emphasis on academics. The only position that might be effected by a new coaching staff would be QB.

The NU receivers and Joe Ganz looked superior against KSU on Saturday. The receivers had their best game of the year Saturday and would get an A+. Their performance was as good as NU has ever seen. Joe Ganz wasn't too bad either. The team seems to have a lot of spirit when Ganz enters the game.

Marlon Lucky is developing into an excellent back. He is starting to break tackles and with his speed and quickness, he could become one of the best ever. He needs to be more aggressive getting to the hole like Helu but he continues to improve.

On the defensive side of the ball, Zach Bowman must be hurt or he just has never fully recovered. Anthony Blue played well. Prince A. has unbelievable speed. Did you see him run down Murphy of KSU to save a TD. Murphy has tremendous speed.

We may want to keep Callahan as coach and give him the opportunity to straighten out the weaknesses of the coaching staff. Turnover of the coaching staff doesn't always change the performance of the team. It is extremely hard on the players. New Systems, new plays, new schemes, player transfers, recruits decommitting, and a letdown mentally will occur with a huge shakeup. However if the decision is made to make a big change, the new coaches will be excellent. Either way Coach Osborne will be criticized wrongfully. Those that complain the most have never contributed to the program and better yet never played football or at the very least weren't very good.

Ronnel Grixby looks like a player who could play in the Big 12. Better make an offer and get him quickly.

NU basketball will be great this year whether they win or not. You just have to love Doc Sadler.

The state finals are set.

Maxpreps

Sport Shorts

Jason Whitlock talks about why it doesn't pay to give veteran running backs the big bucks.

Jason Whitlock

Husker Extra has a short take on Nebraska basketball.

Husker Extra

116 dogs taken from elderly woman. In addition to the dogs she had many other animals including a donkey.

Houston Chronicle

Joseph Duarte rates the BCS conferences. Who is #1?

Houston Chronicle

This writer is confident the Cornhuskers will be back on the winning track this. In fact, it should be a big victory. Nebraska is due in the turnover department. Nebraska is due in getting some breaks in the game. It is Senior Day and the last time 28 players will play in Lincoln except for Kenny Wilson who has a year of eligibility left. Look for NU to run more option. Look at NU to get to Josh Freeman and put pressure on him. Why, this week? Because we are DUE! NU 41 KSU 24.

Why would an elderly lady have 116 dogs?

Do you suppose AD Coach Osborne and Larry The Cable Guy have met?

Coach Osborne: Larry, can I call you Dan?
Larry The Cable Guy: Sure Coach, you can call me that. You know my grandma calls me Danny. You know my grandma has been having a lot of gas lately and..........
Coach Osborne: That's ok Don, you don't have to get into to that. I just wanted to tell you that I am here to bring unity back to the state and get UNL's athletics, especially football back on track. We very much appreciate your donation for the player's lounge and we hope you continue to support the program.
Larry The Cable Guy: Sure coach, did I tell that my sister has moles all over her face. She has so many moles that..........
Coach Osborne: DON!! Uh, I need to get to my next meeting but I just wanted to..
Larry The Cable Guy: Holy Frankenberries! Git-R-Done!!!!

Sport Shorts

College football right now isn't as much fun this year due to the Huskers season so far. Let's hope we end the season on a high note. The story for this week should have been how fired up the Huskers would be playing against Josh Freeman and the Wildcats. Freeman was a Nebraska verbal commit who in the 12th hour switched to Kansas State. Now it has become a season of survival.

Jason Whitlock talks about Brett Favre and his mood wings. Favre directed the Green Bay Packers to a 7-1 record today. He is playing as well as he ever has.

Jason Whitlock

Josh Freeman has passed for over 4300 yards this year. Jordy Nelson had a 14 catch 214 yard day against Iowa State. Read about the game.

Kstatesports.com

Nebraska beat their first exhibition opponent Friday night. See the details.

huskers.com

HuskerlandPrep looks at the C-2 and D-1 high school football playoffs. See their predictions.

huskerlandpreps

Craziest college football season ever!

It is possible that Kansas or Missouri will be playing for the national championship in January. This whole year is just crazy! How about Kansas and Arizona St. playing for the national championship? It could happen this year.

How would you even rate the teams from 5 to 25? One week a team looks dominate and then they get beaten by a mediocre team. Look at the Top 25. The #2 Team is Boston College, #4 Oregon, #6 Arizona St., #8 Kansas, #9 Missouri, #12 Hawaii, #16 Connecticut, #20 South Florida, and #21 Wake Forest (remember we beat them at Wake Forest). Troy received some votes.

Notre Dame (1-7), Nebraska, Wisconsin, Penn St., UCLA, and Rutgers are not rated! Four of the Top 14 teams are from the Big 12. Seven SEC teams are in the top 25. The Big East conference has three teams in the elite 25 bu the Big 10 only has two. The Pac 10 only has three teams in the polls.

The #1 team, Ohio State, will not win out! Michigan will knock them off in the last game of the season if Illinois or Wisconsin don't beat them at home before that. Not a big prediction. It just isn't going to happen. Arizona St. may lose three or four games before the bowls although they are unbeaten today.

The national champions could easily have two losses.

This writer was proud and heartbroken of the kids and coaches in our loss to Texas. It appears that Sam Keller could be out for a while after having a great game against Texas. Joe Ganz is ready to take over. He is very good and he will play very well also. What happens if Joe Ganz goes down? Bad for me to say but does Patrick Witt burn his redshirt? Marlon Lucky had his best game ever as a Cornhusker.

Did you know there is a World Series going on. Boston will sweep tonight. Colorado's streak was absolutely unbelievable but it has ended.

The NASCAR race is between Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. It is a toss-up as to who will win but Jimmie Johnson will win in a close one.

The smaller class Nebraska high school football playoffs continue Thursday. Here is the preview by Maxpreps.

Maxpreps

Sports Shorts

Jason Whitlock says the Chiefs are still a mystery.

Jason Whitlock

Ryan Bailey's first kick for a FG was good. It was the winning kick against Nebraska last year. Mack Brown gave him a scholarship for the "kick" because it was so big for their season. See Joseph Duarte's column in the Houston Chronicle here.

Houston Chronicle

The Nebraska high school playoffs are ready to begin. Maxpreps breaks down the games in each class.

Class A Playoffs

Small Class Playoffs

This week's Big 12 Roundtable. Worth reading.........

Big Red Network

Husker Mike explains what is wrong with the NU football team.

Husker Mike

The following is a letter that is making the rounds on the internet. This is fake. One, the guy doesn't work for Husker Vision. Two, his address is not the address of the Athletic Department, and the e-mail address does not end in huskers.com which means he does not work in the athletic department. It is a guy having fun and except for one or two paragraphs, he might have started it when Solich was fired. Here is this week's FICTION novel.

"There are several people still close to Steve Pederson in his
administrative staff and provided the following information yesterday
from TO's office coming and goings.

Bo will be named head coach within days of the Colorado game if LSU is
not in the SEC championship game. If they are they will string it out
for a week talking about reviewing options, etc. Then once Bo is named
he can move quickly on getting with some of the recruits and keeping
them in place. Bill Busch will be retained in some position to assist
with this turnover.

Although rough around the edges, Tom thinks Bo reminds him of a Bob
Devaney type and does not feel the new coach has to be just like he was.

Tom Rathman who is now the RB coach for Lane Kiffen has been contacted
by Bo Pellini and asked about taking the offensive coordinator job at
Nebraska next year. The connections with Pellini and the Kiffens has
facilitated this possibly happening. TO however is possibly interested
in keeping Watson but of course is open to letting Bo select some of the
staff and as Rathman is a Nebraska guy he may get the nod.

Bo is holding the D-coordinator job open at this point in hopes of
getting Mike Stoops if he does not go back to Oklahoma. If not he is
hoping that Marvin Sanders can find a way out of the contract to take
the position.
(His current contract allows him to vest in the State of NC Pension plan
and that is why he has not started working anywhere else yet.).

Scott Frost will be brought back from Northern Iowa to coach defense in
some way and to spearhead Nebraska in state recruiting primarily for the
walk-on program. The new Tight ends coach will be retained possibly, he
is a little familiar with Bo through some Ohio State connection.

Most of the current staff will be relieved at the end of the season if
not before, it could be as early as Sunday depending on the drive and
motivation. Most of the team expressed willingness to help out with
coaching through the end of the year.

Strength and conditioning coach will leave as well and Bailey will come
back from USC, he loved Lincoln and is not as happy with living in LA.
although is being well paid by USC. Doak Ostergard, Paul Miles and Paul
Meyers have all been asked to return at the end of the year as well.

Look for many ex-huskers to be on hand on the sideline trying very hard
over the next several weeks to get these old players talking with the
current players and getting the husker pride back.

We were looking to include something about TO into the tunnel walk
although Tom has asked us not to do it and to keep the focus on the
team.

I will let you know if I hear anything else.

Mick L. Richards
Senior Producer Husker Vision
One HuskerPlaza
North Stadium Drive
Lincoln, NE68510
Email: Mickr@huskermarketing.com"

Kansas Jayhawks are #9 in the BCS poll

Rock Chalk Talk is excited about the Jayhawks year! Will they continue to excel?
Read the story..........

rockchalktalk.com

Sport Shorts

The Class A Playoff picture is discussed in detail in Maxpreps.

Maxpreps

Maxpreps has new ratings out for Class B through C-2. Also the playoff picture is laid out.

Maxpreps

Jason Whitlocks writes about the Missouri Tigers. He says they are Top 10 BCS material. You have to think he may be right after they thump Texas Tech.

Jason Whitlock

The Houston Chronicle's story on the NU-Texas A & M game is next.

Houston Chronicle

The Texas A & M post game reaction by Corn Nation.

Corn Nstion

21 ways to motivate yourself to exercise!

zenhabits.com

Sport Shorts

Nebraska is 10-2 against Texas A & M. The Big Red Report discusses how Nebraska has come back and beat Texas A & M after they have lost a game.

Big Red Report

Corn Nation discusses his feelings about Notre Dame, the coaches that should be fired, and more about college football.

Corn Nation

MaxPreps reports on this week's Nebraska high school football games and also a detailed look at the playoffs.

Maxpreps

Sport Shorts

Mendoza may play some at running back this week. Read the letter Tom Osborne wrote to former players.

Lincoln Journal

Aggies

Texas A & M has a poor pass defense and a season ending injury doesn't help the situation. See what the Houston Chronicle has to say.

Houston Chronicle

Who are the Fantasy Football picks for this week? Why are my players listed as Duds again?

USA TODAY

Jason Whitlock is critical of Larry Johnson. See what he has to say.

Jason Whitlock

The Colorado are unbelievable. They have won 22 out of 23 games. They were nine games back at one time. They were seven games back in September. They were two games back with two games to play. Just remarkable. They won't win the World-Series however. The American League will win it all. It will probably be Cleveland.

Maxpreps has their new ratings for all classes.

Maxpreps

Who are the MVPs in Nebraska High School football? See who Huskerland Prep picks by class.

Huskerlandprep

Remember when some Nebraska fans said Barrett Ruud was not that good and was too slow? He now leads the NFL in tackles. Some fans know so little.

Huskers will win this week!

There were no blackshirts at practice today. The players voted unanimously to give up their blackshirts because of the way they have been playing. This is a positive move and a show of uniformity.

Football Pre-game Prayer
Dear Lord,
In the battles we go through life
We ask for a chance that's fair
A chance to equal all our strife
A chance to do or dare
And if we win,
Let it be by the code
With faith and honor held high
And if we lose,
Let us stand by the road
And cheer as the winners go by.
Day by day
We get better and better
A team that can't be beat
Won't be beat,

The Huskers say this before every game. This week, the team we will take a stance that they can't be beat. Cheer them on, be positive, and have fun. We will be back to the win column this week! A team that can't be beat won't be beat!!

For those that have to be critical, remember the players are still kids. The coaches have family and many of them have kids. What if these kids were yours? How would you feel?

Nebraska vs. Oklahoma St.

Joseph Duarte from the Houston Chronicle predicts the Big 12 games.

Houston Chronicle

This writer picks NU to defeat Okie St. this week. This is a very pivotal game for the Huskers. We need to win the next two home games to make a bowl and have any chance to win the North division. We'll see what this week brings. Go Huskers!

Wake Forest beats No. 21 Florida St.

USA TODAY

Sport Shorts

Jason Whitlock talks about the Oklahoma-Missouri game.

Jason Whitlock

Suh may be suspended for the Oklahoma State game. The reason. He got in a fight at practice with Victory Haines. The report is that he suffered a broken nose. I think it is great that we have some fire going and I hope he doesn't get suspended. Please note however that this writer doesn't know the details. It is just good to see some spunk.

Husker Extra

The Big Red Report Interviews Johnny Rodgers

Johnny Rodgers is interviewed. He discusses the current status of the Huskers and recruiting. Did you know he was drafted out of high school to play baseball for the LA Dodgers.

Big Red Report

What's the latest news from Corn Nation. Interesting reading!

Corn Nation

Joe Paterno is being investigated for ROAD RAGE!!

Fanblogs

Read what Husker Mike says about the rest of the season!

Husker Mike

This is the BEST video of the week. Thank you Kim!

You Tube

This is no fun!

Last night was no fun! Missouri scored 41 points and accumulated over 600 yards. They didn't even have a turnover. The Huskers did not score a touchdown and yielded less than 300 yards. Final 41-6.

They just aren't having fun! Nebraska has no emotion. They were completely dominated. They aren't guaranteed a bowl anymore without winning two more games and with this season's performance less the Nevada game, they may not get there. Who knows if it is talent, which it shouldn't be, or lack of leadership but the makeup of the team is labeled at best as "confused." Chase Daniels was Superman last night in every phase of the game.

It is time for a team only meeting with the leadership of the team having a serious talk as to which way they are going to go for the rest of the season. It could be a long meeting but it needs to take place. No coaches, just players. You are accountable to yourselves so it is time to figure it out before it is too late!

This week we have Oklahoma State and we know what they did to us last year. It was similar to what we have been experiencing this season. Have the meeting today. Don't wait. Figure out a way to have fun again!

Jason Whitlock talks about the Kansas Jayhawks and how Mangino has made them a contender for the Big 12 North.

Jason Whitlock

Sport Shorts

The Big Red Network says NU wins the matchup war against Missouri. See the stats.

Big Red Network

Corn Nation makes its predictions and talks about GameDay's interview with Danny Woodhead.

Corn Nation

Double Extra Point discusses Nebraska's ability to convert on 3rd downs. Did you know we rank 20th nationally but how were we on our only away game.

Double Extra Point

Rocky Top Talk discusses Georgia vs. Tennessee game.

SB Nation

Celebrate The Memories

A year ago today, the greatest dad in the world passed away. He was my dad and I am so glad that I have so memories to celebrate. He was so special. I miss him so much each day.

God looked around his Garden and found an empty place.
He then looked down upon his earth and saw your loving face.
He put his arms around you and lifted you to rest.
His Garden must be beautiful, he always takes the best.
He knew that you were suffering, he knew you were in pain.
And knew that you would never get well on earth again.
He saw your path was difficult, he closed you tired eyes,
He whispered to you "Peace be Thine" and gave you wings to fly.
When we saw you sleeping so calm and free of pain,
We would not wish you back to earth to suffer once again.
You've left us precious memories, your love will be our guide,
You live on through your children, you're always by our side.
It broke our hearts to lose you, but you did not go alone.
For part of us went with you on the day God called you home.

Sport Shorts

Corn Nation reports on Steve, Fran, and Tom and the Death of Option Football. Read the comment section also.

Corn Nation

BLAINE GABBERT'S HIGH SCHOOL WILL PLAY ON ESPNU ON FRIDAY NIGHT AT 7.

Hook and Bullet talks about the upcoming HUNTING season. What's under your feet? See the videos. Good stuff!

Houston Chronicle

Check out how your high school team is projected to do this week.

MaxPreps

This game on the surface looks like it could go 52-50. Yes a very high scoring affair. However for NU to win, we will need to run, run and run some more which will shorten the game. Coach Callahan has a history of running in the away Big 12 games and this week will be no different.

Keys to an NU win is:
1. NU needs to run at least 40 times for 175 yards.
2. NU needs to be +2 on the turnover battle.
3. Special teams or the defense will need to score 14 points.

All are probable to happen this week so we see NU 28 Missouri 27!!

Another tragedy for Maurice Purify

Maurice Purify lost his brother a few weeks ago and now his girlfriend! Keep him in your prayers! His status this week to play against Missouri is in doubt. College football doesn't seem that important right now. Read what the Big Red Network reports.

Big Red Network

Is October or November the crucial month for the Huskers?
Read what Husker Mike's Blasphemy has to say...

huskermike

Big 12 Roundtable-The Rise of the North.

crimson and cream machine

Maxpreps has its newest ratings for Nebraska high school football. They do an excellent job of reporting and you will find this week's comments interesting.

maxpreps.com

Bob Stoops plays Mack Brown. See how they stack up against each other in an article in the Houston Chronicle.

Houston Chronicle

How will October treat the Huskers?

The next few games will tell us how good Nebraska is. Starting this week with Missouri, Nebraska will have to step it up a couple of notches. The pollsters did not reward Nebraska a higher ranking even with all the upsets this past week. They are skeptical. It is time to remember our tradition and for the team to jell. The talent is there as individuals but it is now time to play as a team. Iowa State was a start. Some of the intangibles are starting to happen to make us a top team.

Watch the Tribute to the Huskers video and get mentally ready for the challenge.

youtube.com

Tomorrow NU plays its easiest game!

In June, this writer predicted we would beat Iowa State. It is felt that Iowa State will be the easiest team we will face this year. Here is what was written at that time.

"The Big 12 season starts with Iowa State in Lincoln. This writer thinks this will be our easiest game of the year. Iowa State returns five offensive starters and five defensive starters from a team that was 4-8 for the season and 1-7 in the Big 12 in 2006. They will be led by first year coach Gene Chizek, the defensive coordinator from the Texas Longhorns. They will return QB Bret Meyer. NU wins easy."

We should win easily however due to the weather, the score will be lower. The score should be in the 28-6 area. Yes, the defense will not give up a TD. We need the revival of "Restore the Order" now. The talent is there but the passion seems to have left the blackshirts. This week we see some spark and they will play well.

Next week's game vs. Missouri will be the TEST!

Sport Shorts

Maxpreps talks about high school mascots. They also make this week's predictions. One of them is Cozad 15 Holdrege 14. Other predictions are Minden 27 Southern Valley 12 and Elwood 70 Loomis 12. See how they say your local team will do.

maxpreps

Jake Gdowski reports from Colorado State.
"hey,
Everything here is still going really well. i've realized i have to actually study now, unlike in high school.Football is still going good too. For being 0-3 the team is still pretty confident that we can do well. We should of had Cal but our starting tight end, a potential first rounder, tore his ACL in the first half so now he's medical redshirting. I'm still redshirting as well, i'm pretty sure they've made up their minds on that. I think i'll have to start watching boston legal online since I'm in study hall till 9:30 just about every night. But other than that I'm still liking it out here.
I probably better get back to studying here. Talk to you later, Jake"

A report on the NU basketball team!

journalstar

Sport Shorts

Huskerlandprep reports on Region I high school football. See details on Holdrege's loss to Alliance.

Huskerland Prep

If you haven't seen it yet, watch Mike Gundy's explosion on Jenni Carlson, a columnist for the Daily Oklahoman. It will be played on TV numerous times in the next few days. Jason Whitlock didn't like what she wrote either. Read what he says about it.

kansascity.com

The Big Red Report sizes up the Iowa State Cyclones.

Big Red Report

Corn Nation wonders "Has NU found a defensive leader?" Read.....

corn nation

Double Extra Point talks about the issues facing the Huskers.

Double Extra Point

Athletic Director Bill Byrne addresses whether he will fire Coach Dennis Franchione.

fanblogs

Notre Dame loses its third player. This one is a tight end and, correct this writer if he is wrong, but NU recruited him heavily.

Nfanblogs

Defense the Way it Used To BE!

Watch this video of the NU defense in the 90's. Nebraska needs to get back to fundamentals and making things happens. It needs to start this week. Thanks Jessica for sharing!

youtube.com

Major Culbert switches to Mike linebacker on defense. Corey McKeon speaks out.

journalstar

Deep Thoughts from the Shallow End of the Gene Pool

Well, what a difference a week makes. You could really feel the electricity in the state leading up to the show down in Lincoln last week. As for this week, you feel the frustration once again. Several questions come to mind in regards to the USC/NU game. Is Craig Bohl still our defensive coordinator? Not since Colorado embarrassed us the day after Thanksgiving (this game is still looked at as one of the major catalyst for change at NU) has NU looked that bad at stopping the run. So, what is it; coaching or players? Well it could be a little of both. My overall concern is that it is coaching however. If you saw any of the game film, you saw NU miss a ton of tackles and they were constantly out of position. Being out of position, in the third quarter, after they have ran the same play all night long is clearly, to me, a coaching problem. You make adjustments; simply not acceptable. Yes, players have to be held accountable and it would appear for the most part that the players step up this week and held themselves accountable. Please don't let us forget in all this mayham, that USC was and still is, debatably, the number one team in the nation. Okay, let's put that game away, burn the film and move on with life. On a side bar, I'm sure I stated last week in order to be successful the ball would need to be ran between the tackles; too bad I was talking about NU instead of USC.

As for this week, if you couldn't find a ticket to the game you had to be under house arrest. I'm sure there will be plenty laying on the ground out in front of the stadium if you still have the desire to go. I hope that the ticket situation speaks more towards the opponent than to the status of the program. Its really quite a shame and kind of shows how spoiled we as Husker fans still are. Good grief, you don't think Michigan or Notre Dame fans would trade us in heartbeat? Be proud to be a Husker; my opinion is we still might be the second best team in the Big 12.

Today's game will provide a little more insight in the 2007 Huskers. How do we recover after a loss? Who are the leaders on this team? Will we see more younger players on the field? Ball State is in the top 40 in passing and rushing yards per game. Yes, this wasn't against top 25 teams, however they do have talent specifically at quarterback and running back. Nebraska needs to find its ground game again, however their ability to rush the football may be contingent upon our defenses' ability to get off the field. Look for Callahan to try and establish the run early in order to aid his defense. We should continue to get better on offense but we will be scored upon. The spread is around 22 and NU should cover; NU 48-21.

Sport Shorts

BALL STATE- NEBRASKA CABLE INFORMATION!

FOXSPORTS.COM

Elkhorn will have a new school. The Elkhorn South Storm. Maxpreps discusses this and makes this week's prediction for Nebraska high schools. See what they predict for your school!

maxpreps.com

Maybe David Letterman this week!

Ball State will be solid test this week!

This is the last of the non-conference scheduled games. The Cardinals went 5-7 last year. They return 13 starters. Ball State almost beat Michigan last year but lost with freshman QB Nate Davis 34-26. A much matured Davis should make Ball State competitive this year. The defense is still a weakness and won't be able to stop NU.

Look for a 34-7 victory for the Huskers! They will be 3-1!

What will the Huskers say now when the break huddle. National Champions! Could be hard to continue saying this!

The answer to last week's trivia question "When was the last time Nebraska was rated in the Top 10?". It was in the last season Frank Solich was coach which was 2003.

Check out the latest on the injury to Zac Potter. Also read about Zac Taylor signing a contract for pro football.

Huskerextra.com

Kearney football is for real. Brandon Cool coached them to a deciding victory over Millard South last week. The Kearney team have developed a tremendous program.

The above picture was taken last week at the USC game. It is a picture of Will Ferrel and my daughter, Sarah Boehler.

If David Letterman comes this week will he spend a lot of time with Larry The Cable Guy?

Ferrell discusses crashing weddings with Sarah!

Saturday night the Nebraska fans thought for a while that we were back. Back to the Top Ten that is! USC 457 Nebraska 427. The total yardage may not entirely represent how close the game was as some yards were piled up by NU late in the game against second teamers but the game may have been closer than what the score would indicate.

At the nine minute mark of the second quarter, Nebraska had taken a 10-7 lead. The special teams created a fumble on the kickoff and Nebraska recovered the ball, right? No! A USC player took the fumble and ran 30 yards up the field. That was the play of the day as a Nebraska recovery would have changed the complexion of the game entirely.

USC took a 21-10 lead by half and little did we know at that time that the game was over. USC started running the ball like Colorado did in 2003. They averaged over ten yards a carry and the defense wore down. Suh was double teamed most of the game and the linebackers just seemed to be in the wrong place. Final score USC 49 NU 31.

Sam Keller played his best game of the year and the receivers played real well. Todd Peterson played his best game ever. Cody Glenn had his best game of the season.

Problem areas were our offensive line. The injury to Christensen does not look good. The defensive line did not play well and except for Octavian, the linebackers were not in plays. The secondary did ok but they need to tackle the ball carrier and not the ball. Hitting the runner high only leaves the defensive player going backward. Do we tackle around the knees anymore? The injury to Bowman did not look good and he could be out for a while again. This writer hopes that doesn't come true.

Nebraska remains in the top 25 with rating of 22nd and 24th.

The crowd included Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Rush Limbaugh, Will Ferrell, Keanu Reeves, and Larry The Cable Guy. The crowd was electric for much of the game. It was fun!

The above caption shows my daughter, Sarah Boehler, talking to Will Ferrell in the background. Lucky her!! He is letting her know he plans to be a wedding crasher for her wedding next April. She tells him if he does, that her dad will streak the reception. Pretty sure he won't be showing up now. Larry The Cable Guy is holding his baby. Hopefully he can have a few more babies and at least one of them can be an offensive lineman for NU. I don't care what you say that would be funny right there. Larry the Cable Guy was hoping we would Git-R-Done but we we couldn't quite muster the win.

Fearless Predictions!

Fox Sports has their fearless prediction of the week! Get ready Big Red fans! Thanks Sarah for sharing this.

foxsports.com

The Nebraska State Paper gives the five ways to beat USC.

statepaper.c

Callahan says this is a mature team.

statepaper.com

Deep Thoughts from the Shallow End of the Gene Pool

Happy Friday. Well one more day to the showdown in Lincoln. I meant to get on here last Sunday and post my thoughts on the Wake Forest game. Heck, I even thought about doing it Saturday right after the game, but the heartburn I was experiencing was a little overbearing. I'm still not exactly sure what to think about the Wake game and maybe we really won't until a few weeks pass. Maybe this is why the rational people in college football think we shouldn't have polls until .................. we ACTUALLY see these team play a few games. I know, I know, but what would we debate and how would we measure these teams.

I would like to think that all-in-all, the Wake Forest game may have provided a reality check at just the right time. Let's pretend we walked into that game and destroyed them 35-10. Now think about how much different the predictions by fans and "experts" would be this week. Don't you think the players would have had a little different attitude headed into this week? The talk last week before the game was not losing focus on Wake as it was a trap game. The good news this week is we won't have any players looking forward to the that big Ball State game.

Now then, for the USC game. Head versus heart. The head has the ideas of what USC is suppose to be. The "experts" say this is the best defensive in college football history with up to seven potential first day draft picks. After one game, v/s Idaho, I would say the jury is still out on that one (seriously, are you kidding me?). I think that this game is going to come down to how well Nebraska can run the football, specifically between the tackles. USC has some injuries but they also have depth. How good is that stable of running backs they have? They are young at the wide receiver and I personally think Booty is over hyped. The focus has been on USC defense v/s Nebraska offense. What about NU's defense v/s USC's offense? If Nebraska can grab an early lead the crowd will be able to sustain the early energy and help carry this team. If it is the opposite, the home field advantage may go away quickly and it could get ugly. As is in every game, turnovers will be key. The heart would like to believe that this game will go down in the great storybook of Nebraska football. The spread is around ten in favor of USC. Collectively, the "experts" are in favor of USC. The head says USC 31 -24; the heart says NU 24-17.

The regular season for baseball will be wrapping up soon. My Cardinals have hit the skids, losing seven in a row. The pitching has been the catalyst. Not making the postseason will be disappointing, but the Cardinals have still amazed me this year. Chris Carpenter, Yadier Molina, Adam Kennedy, David Eckstein, Scott Rolen, Chris Duncan, Jimmy Edmonds and Juan Encarnacion; a list of the Cardinals opening day line up right? Yes and no, these players along with Scott Spezio, Mark Mulder, Braden Looper, Preston Wilson, Josh Kinney, Tyler Johnson, Todd Wellemeyer and Mike Maroth are players that have spent time on the sidelines this year. Sixteen players that have missed significant time on a typical 25 man roster and the team is still near .500. The Cardinals have multiple decisions to make this offseason, starting in the front office w/ Walt Jocketty who is the GM. LaRussa is also in the final year of his contract. The Cardinals brass would be complete idiots to not retain this group. The Cardinal fans will be a little ticked at the fall off this year. I liken it more to injuries, parity, and a few poor decisions on pitching that were made in the offseason. The Cardinals fans are a lot like Husker fans and when things don't go right they are going to be looking for someone to blame, so there will be a call for LaRussa to exit stag left. I think LaRussa wants to continued to manage and hopefully St. Louis is the place for him. If he or the Cardinals decide this is no longer a fit, I would think Jose Oquendo would get a hard look at his first managerial opportunity. He is an excellent coach and relates extremely well to the players. I personally think LaRussa will be back because ironically Dave Duncan is signed through 2008 and he has been w/ LaRussa forever. The Cardinals will continue to want to be thrifty in their dealings, which it would appear in a market thin of free agent pitching, might be very difficult. They currently have two starters they could feel good about penciling in next year (Wainright & Looper). The problems from there are great. Looper is at best a number three, Mulder has not looked good in his first two outing's of the year but should be better next year. After that is Kip Wells (free agent), Joel Pinerio & Anthony Reyes; YUCK! Carpenter will be lucky to be back by August, so pitching will need to be a priority. Do not be surprised if the Cardinals try to get better at this department by dealing a position player or two over the offseason. The minor league prospects are still, at best, a year away. All this offseason talk before October 1st, I guess I finally know what it feels like to be a Cubs fan. Wow, how can you do that year after year after year after 98 years?

Enjoy the USC/NU game. I will be back next week w/ a review of the game and a look at the Royals season and what lies ahead for them in 2008.

Praying for a win!

Maybe emotion is taking over or maybe it is contrary opinion. Most Nebraskans think NU will get killed this week because of what happened last week against Wake Forest. Most of the time the fans are wrong. So.............my prediction is Nebraska 30 USC 27. Yes Nebraska will win. USC is going to see what NU fans are made of and they will see at site that they have never seen before as the stadium will be rockin!

Even though this writer's preseason prediction was a loss, Nebraska will prove that guess wrong. They will win and this is how they will do so.

1. Nebraska will attack USC's speed by running directly at the linebackers between the tackles. Cody Glenn and Quentin Castille will run 20 times and with Marlon Lucky our line will wear down USC. Strength against speed.
2. Maurice Purify will have a great game scoring twice. Sam Keller will be more accurate. Todd Peterson will have the game of his life.
3. Suh and Octavian will be possessed. Booty won't make it through the game as the fans will jack up the defense. USC will have four turnovers and Nebraska will score on two of them and the offensive will score after one of them.
4. Nebraska will take care of the ball and will only have one turnover.
5. The fans and the home field will be worth 10 points.
6. Zach Potter will block one crucial USC FG.
7. Special teams will get an A+ rating.
8. Zach Bowman will show his leadership and captain the secondary to a very respectable game.
9. One trick play will result in a TD.
10. USC has had the week off and has only played Idaho. The NU-Wake Forest game was great preparation for the USC shootout.
11. USC's kicker is David Buehler (pronounced Beeler). No Boehler or Buehler have ever won a big game.

So, start doing your research because this writer would guess that the trivia question on next week's Big Red Wrap-up show will be "Prior to this week, when was the last time Nebraska was rated in the Top 10?" Nebraska moves up to #7 after this game. And keep praying!

USC pay tribute to Mario Denelo

Mario Denelo tragically died earlier this year. He was the placekicker for USC. Watch this touching video of how USC honored him. You have never seen anything like this before. Mike's Blasphemy has an article and the video.

Mike's Blasphemy

By the way, when you are looking at a video and it keeps stopping to loud, it may be easier to pause it for 30-60 seconds and then you can watch it uninterrupted.