2008 Football Yearbook Final

w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 1

Position Breakdown

46Quarterbacks

50Running Backs

54Wide Receivers

58Offensive Line

62Defensive Line

66Linebackers

70Defensive Backs

74Kickers

15

17

117

22

120

29

JUNE/JULY 2008 • VOLUME 28 • NO. 6

Columns

sPeCial features

neBraska

oPPosition

state of the huskers

nebraska’s all-time greats

from the beat

greatest walk-ons

final word

father figure

Head coach Bo Pelini tours the state of Nebraska to visit fans.

The Big 12 could play a major role in deciding who plays in the BCS Championship.

The Nebraska football helmet is recognized throughout college football. But the Husker helmets underwent a number of changes before reaching its current look.

32

34

todd & tyler

pride of the blackshirt

38

8486889092949698100102104108

predictions

Missouri

Kansas

Colorado

Kansas State

Iowa State

Oklahoma

Texas

Texas Tech

Oklahoma State

Texas A&M

Baylor

Non-Conference

40 season preview

44 nebraska roster

On THE COvERRunning back Marlon Lucky, photographed by Scott Bruhn, passed on the NFL draft and has a new outlook entering his senior season. He is featured on page 51 of this edition. This marks the first edition featuring the new cover design for Huskers Illustrated Magazine.

2 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8

from the editor By AAROn BABCOCK

Change can be scary.

Change can expose fear of the unknown.

Typically change does not come without risk.

For Husker fans, however, change has never

been better. After a tumultuous four years, it

feels like a giant weight has been lifted off the

back of Husker Nation.

Going to Memorial Stadium over the past

four years has been like going to a stranger’s

house. While it was only the spring game,

it felt good to be home with 80,000 of your

closest friends this past April.

That’s the calming presence Athletic

Director Tom Osborne and new head coach

Bo Pelini have brought back to Nebraska.

Huskers Illustrated has also undergone

significant changes for the first time in nearly

a decade. While this marks the 28th year for

Huskers Illustrated and this yearbook marks

our 474th issue, it marks my first as General

Manager and Editor.

I am thrilled to be back in the midst

of Husker athletics after working for the

University of Nebraska sports information

office from 1998-2000.

I proudly take over for Brian Hill, who has

delivered a quality publication to our readers

for the past nine years.

Brian has played a key role in my transition

and I appreciate his help. I know I will

continue to lean on him in the future as well.

I am especially thankful for contributing

editor Mike Babcock (and by the way, we’re

not related), who is a walking encyclopedia

of Husker history. Mike has been a source

of guidance and inspiration during my first

issue. Mike has been the driving force behind

Huskers Illustrated for each of its 28 years and

I’m glad to know that will not change.

As you can see, Huskers Illustrated has

undergone a significant transformation over

the last few weeks. I am excited to unveil

our new design, including a new look for our

cover, with the 2008 Football Yearbook.

We have big plans for the magazine this

coming year and will introduce a number of new

features, many at the request of our readers.

The pages in this year’s Football Yearbook

are packed with great features, including some

very entertaining lists. You can read our list

of the greatest walk-ons in the Osborne Era

beginning on page 22.

We have also compiled a team of what we

believe are the five greatest players at each

position in the post-Devaney era (see page 17).

I hope you have as much fun examining these

lists as we did preparing them.

You will also find features on Pelini,

Zach Potter, Todd Peterson, Tyler Wortman

and of course our annual predictions for the

Husker season from local and national media

members (see page 38).

We want to involve our readers in

future issues, so we are also bringing back

something our fans have enjoyed in the past –

the Big Red Mailbag, where we feature letters

from Husker fans. Send us your letters about

the magazine or Husker athletics and you

may see it in a future issue.

Change can bring uneasiness and it doesn’t

guarantee success. But this year, change

brings hope. We hope you enjoy the new

Huskers Illustrated.

Send us your comments or story ideas to

[email protected]

huskers, magazine sport new look in 2008

CHanGeIS In THE AIR

EDITOR,GEnERAL MAnAGER

Aaron Babcock

COnTRIBUTInG EDITORMike Babcock

COnTRIBUTInG WRITERSTerry Douglass, Bob Hamar, Curt McKeever,

Steve Sipple, Brent Robinson, Brian Rosenthal, Rick Shaw, Sean Stevens, Rivals.com

COnTRIBUTInG PHOTOGRAPHERSScott Bruhn, NU Sports Information,

Randy Hampton, Digital Camera Workshop,Rivals.com

SPORTS MARKETInG & ADvERTISInG DIRECTOR

Tim Francis(800) 524-9527, ext. 111

nATIOnAL DISTRIBUTORG Associates, Inc.

Huskers Illustrated (ISSN 0279-3474) is published monthly January through May and August, bi-monthly June/July and weekly September through mid-December, except open football dates. Single issue cost $3.95 (yearbook $9.95); subscription rate for one year (19 issues) is $51.95. First Class postage is available for an additional charge of $19 per year. Foreign postage is $34.

Huskers Illustrated is published by Landmark Community Newspapers, 2623 Regency Rd., Lexington, KY 40503. Periodicals postage paid at Lexington, KY, and additional mailing offices.

Postmaster: Send address changes to Huskers Illustrated, 7755 S. 23rd St., Lincoln, NE 68512.

Reproduction or use of editorial or graphics content in any manner without permission is prohibited. Photographs and manuscripts for publication are welcome, but will not be acknowledged or returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material.

For subscription inquiries, mail to Huskers Illustrated, 2623 Regency Rd., Lexington, KY 40503. Allow four to six weeks for response. Give old and new addresses and enclose latest mailing address label when writing about your subscription.

CUSTOMER SERvICE1-800-524-9527

To subscribe or renew

Huskers Illustrated Onlinewww.huskersillustrated.com

E-MAIL ADDRESSESEditorial: [email protected]

Advertising: [email protected]

JUNE/JULY 2008 • VOLUME 28 • NO. 6


Proceeds from Mission

Bean Coffee Company

help support the

People’s City Mission.

Available only at Hy-Vee,

84th & Holdrege, Lincoln.

m i s s i o n b e a n c o f f e e .c o m

D R I N K O N E C U P

A N D H E L P

F I L LA T H O U S A N D M O R E .

M I S S ION B E A N ®

C O F F E E C O M PA N Y

B A I L E Y L A U E R M A N Mission Bean Coffee “Drink One Cup”People081236Pub: Huskers Illustrated Color: 4-color (CMYK) Size: Live 7" x 9.75", Trim 8" x 10.75"


2minutedrill

SEInFELD nERD

When he’s not studying video of

opponent defenses, quarterback

JOE GAnz might be watching

re-runs of the television comedy

series Seinfeld, his “favorite show of

all time. My mom got me started

on it,” he said. “I’ve been addicted to

it. I’ve seen every episode probably

20 times. It’s a sickness.” Among his

favorite episodes is the “Soup Nazi.”

HUSKERS PHOnE HOME

Already a HuskersIllustrated.com

subscriber and want to get the

most out of your subscription?

If you are at the game or would

rather spend your weekend away

from the computer, text alerts

are a great way to quickly get any

breaking news items surrounding

Husker sports. They are free with

an annual membership, which you

can upgrade to by clicking the Text

Alerts link next to your username at

the top left hand of the page. If you

already have an annual membership,

you can to set up your text alerts

following that same link.

SIDELINES

oon after he arrived in 2005, early in

his first preseason of practice, Zack

Bowman was asked if he planned to

leave for the NFL after one season.

Such were the expectations.

Bowman had the size and speed (4.36) of

an NFL cornerback. He was a five-star, can’t-

miss prospect in former Cornhusker coach Bill

Callahan’s second and highest-ranked recruiting

class. The question wasn’t whether he would

play in the NFL; the question was when.

Three years and two major knee surgeries

later, Bowman has the opportunity as a fifth

round draft pick of the Chicago Bears. He was

the first Cornhusker selected, No. 142 overall.

Offensive lineman Carl Nicks

followed 22 picks later, going

to the New Orleans

Saints. Before the

second day

of the draft

ended,

linebacker

Bo Ruud’s

name also

was called.

He was

selected in the sixth round, No. 197 overall, by

the New England Patriots.

To put this year’s draft into a Nebraska

perspective, the last time a Cornhusker wasn’t

selected until the fifth round or later was 1970,

when tight end Jim McFarland and middle

guard (drafted as a linebacker) Ken Geddes

were taken in the seventh round.

The 6-2, 200-pound Bowman almost

certainly would have been drafted higher if not

for the injuries. His first was a torn anterior

cruciate ligament in his left knee on the third

day of fall practice before what would have

been his senior season. He rehabbed and came

back for practice in the spring, after looking

into the possibility of declaring for the draft.

Even though he was held out of contact

in the spring, he suffered a ruptured patellar

tendon in his right knee, requiring more

surgery and rehab.

Bowman started four games last season, nine

in his Cornhusker career after earning junior

college All-America honors at New Mexico

Military Institute. He broke up 20 passes,

including 14 as a junior, and intercepted three.

Greg Gabriel, Bears director of college

SBowman tops NU draft picks

new orleans saints head coach sean payton on carl nicks

as Quoted on team’s official web site

“I don’t want to speak for other clubs, but I’d be

surprised if his playing grades weren’t that of a

second-rounder or better.”

Continued on page 7

zack BowmaN

carL NIckS


Proceeds from Mission

Bean Coffee Company

help support the

People’s City Mission.

Available only at Hy-Vee,

84th & Holdrege, Lincoln.

m i s s i o n b e a n c o f f e e .c o mM I S S ION B E A N ®

C O F F E E C O M PA N Y

TH E V E RY

B E S TKI N D O F

P I C K- M E -UP.

B A I L E Y L A U E R M A N Mission Bean Coffee “Pick-Me-Up”People081236Pub: Huskers Illustrated Color: 4-color (CMYK) Size: Live 7" x 9.75", Trim 8" x 10.75"

ThE pErfEcT gIfT for EvEry hUSkEr faN!

SUBScrIpTIoN formyES, I want to order a one-year subscription (19 issues) of Huskers Illustrated for

myself or a friend

Check the appropriate box below

Second-class mail: $51.95 per subscription

First-class mail: $70.95 per subscription

Foreign postage: $85.95 per subscription

ORDERED By: DELIvER TO: (if different)

nAME: __________________________________ nAME: ________________________________

ADDRESS: _______________________________ ADDRESS: _____________________________

CITy: ___________________________________ CITy: __________________________________

STATE: _________________ zIP CODE:________ STATE: _______________zIP CODE: ________

CREDIT CARD #: ___________________________________ EXP. DATE: ____________________

vISA MASTERCARD DISCOvER

mail to: Huskers Illustrated, 2623 Regency Rd., Lexington, KY 40503

orDEr yoUr oNE-yEar SUBScrIpTIoN ToDay for

To orDEr, caLL US aT

1-800-524-9527S h o p h U S k E r S I L L U S T r a T E D . c o m

oNLy $51.95

huskers Illustrated is your original source for husker news for the past 28 years!

get weekly issues during football season,

complete with game recaps and previews

each week.


2minutedrill

cholarship recruit Khiry Cooper, a 6-2, 180-pound wide

receiver with 4.4 speed from Shreveport, La., was selected by

the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the fifth round (169th

pick overall) of the Major League Baseball Draft in early June. Cooper,

a center fielder, led Calvary Baptist Academy to a second consecutive

state championship. If Cooper doesn’t sign with the Angels, he’ll

play both football and baseball at Nebraska. He could sign with the

Angels and still play football for the Cornhuskers. Or he could sign and

focus on baseball. “I really don’t know right now,” he told the Omaha

(Neb.) World-Herald immediately after being drafted. “Each one is a

tremendous opportunity.”

Cooper is not the first Husker recruit to make such a decision. Carl

Crawford, an option quarterback from Houston, signed a letter of

intent with the Cornhuskers in 1999 but was selected by Tampa Bay in

the second round of the Major League Baseball Draft and decided to

sign and focus on baseball. He is a two-time all-star outfielder for the

Rays. Ross Pilkington, a wide receiver from Fort Collins, Colo., was a

Cornhusker scholarship recruit in 2000 but signed with the Colorado

Rockies as a 20th-round draft pick and spent two years in the Rockies’

farm system before returning to Nebraska. He earned letters in 2002,

2003 and 2004 (when he was a co-captain) before leaving the team.

khiry cooper weighing options after mLB draft

scouting, was quoted on the team’s official

Web site: “Bowman had a great combine. He’s

100 percent recovered now. He just wasn’t 100

percent during the season. He’s ready to go.”

Writing on chicagotribune.com, David

Haugh reported that Bears defensive

coordinator Bob Babich “raved” about

Bowman, “a cornerback with first-round talent

limited by two knee injuries.” According to

Babich, Bowman probably wouldn’t step in as a

starter his rookie season but he would have an

impact on special teams and “provide depth at

one of the outside corner spots,” Haugh wrote.

Nicks, like Bowman a junior college transfer,

earned second-team All-Big 12 recognition

from the conference coaches (AP honorable

mention). He started 11 of 12 games at left

tackle, helping to clear the way for Marlon

Lucky to rush for 1,019 yards.

The 6-5, 343-pound Nicks, who could play

guard with the Saints, might have the ability of

a second-round draft pick, according to Saints

coach Sean Payton, who was quoted on the

team’s official Web site: “I don’t want to speak

for other clubs, but I’d be surprised if his play-

ing grades weren’t that of a second-rounder or

better. There are some inconsistencies and there

are some questions about why he didn’t play at

a high level more consistently. He’s a guy that

has some maturing to do and is going to need

to take on some responsibilities.”

Nicks’ draft place was the highest for a

former Cornhusker offensive lineman since

2000, when Toniu Fonoti was selected in the

second round. However, the NFL’s all-time

draft list includes Richie Incognito as a former

Nebraska player – third round, 2005.

Ruud, who received a call from Patriots

head coach Bill Belichick on draft day, has an

opportunity to follow his dad Tom and brother

Barrett as NFL linebackers. Tom, a first-round

pick of the Buffalo Bills in 1975, played five

professional seasons, while Barrett was a

second-round pick in 2005 of the Tampa Bay

Buccaneers, for whom he now starts.

Bo started 33 of 46 games in which he

played during four seasons at Nebraska, earn-

ing first-team All-Big 12 recognition from the

conference coaches as a junior. His best season

statistically was as a sophomore, when he had

14 tackles-for-loss and 10 quarterback hurries.

He’ll be trying to earn a place on a New

England team with four linebackers 30-years-

old or older: Tedy Bruschi, Larry Izzo, Mike

Vrabel and Adalius Thomas. A fifth, T.J.

Slaughter, was released soon after the draft. But

the Patriots also drafted linebackers in the first

and third rounds, Tennessee’s Jerod Mayo and

Michigan’s Shawn Crable.

S

Continued From page 4

Nicks, ruud join Bowman among husker draftees

carL crawforD

Tam

pa B

ay R

ays/

Skip

Milo

s


2minutedrill

ThE oUTSIDErSaurice Purify expected to be

drafted. He wasn’t, even though

he had the credentials. In just two

seasons at Nebraska he caught 91

passes for 1,444 yards and nine touchdowns.

He caught seven passes for 158 yards and three

touchdowns against Kansas last season, often

with Jayhawks’ cornerback Aqib Talib covering

him. Talib was a first-round draft pick of the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 20th player selected.

Purify showed he could compete with the best.

And at 6-4 and 220 pounds, he has the size of an

NFL receiver. But he also had off-field issues, or

at least the perception of issues according to his

agent. So he had to go the free agent route.

Sam Keller also hoped to get drafted. When

he transferred to Nebraska from Arizona

State, he was hailed by the media as a sure-fire

NFL quarterback. Then-coach Bill Callahan

reinforced that belief. Like Purify, Keller had

pro-quarterback size, 6-4 and 230 pounds.

In nine starts as a Cornhusker, before

suffering a season-ending shoulder injury, he

completed 205-of-325 passes for 2,422 yards

and 14 touchdowns. His completion percentage

(63.1) is a school record. He also holds the

school single-game record for completions,

with 36 against Southern California. Like

Purify, he wasn’t drafted.

Purify eventually signed as a free agent with

the Cincinnati Bengals. Keller attended tryout

camps with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and

Oakland Raiders, before signing with the Los

Angeles Avengers in the Arena Football League.

Purify and Keller weren’t alone in not being

drafted. Rivals.com released an All-Undrafted

Team, in fact, and the two Cornhuskers were

included among the “reserves.”

Like Purify, former Cornhuskers Cortney

Grixby and Steve Octavien signed free agent

contracts. Grixby signed with the Carolina

Panthers, while Octavien signed with the

Kansas City Chiefs. Several other former

Cornhuskers attended tryout camps following

the draft but weren’t signed: Frantz Hardy

(Philadelphia Eagles), Brett Byford (New York

Jets), Tierre Green (Green Bay Packers), Corey

McKeon (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Lance

Brandenburgh (San Francisco 49ers).

OFFEnSEQB Paul Smith, TulsaRB Yvenson Bernard, Oregon StateRB Dantrell Savage, Oklahoma StateWR Davone Bess, HawaiiWR Adarius Bowman, Oklahoma StateTE Dorien Bryant, PurdueOT Pedro Sosa, RutgersOT Eric Young, TennesseeOG Robert Felton, ArkansasOG Adam Kraus, MichiganC Fernando Velasco, GeorgiaK Art Carmody, Louisville

DEFEnSEDE Bryan Mattison, IowaDT Eric Foster, RutgersDE Darrell Robertson, Georgia TechLB Vince Hall, Virginia TechLB Erin Henderson, MarylandLB Ali Highsmith, LSULB J Leman, IllinoisCB Marcus Walker, OklahomaCB Jonathan Zenon, LSUS Marcus Griffin, TexasS Jamie Silva, Boston CollegeP Brett Kern, Toledo

rIvaLS.com aLL-UNDrafTED TEam

m

maUrIcE pUrIfy


2minutedrill

big 12 breakdownThe Big 12 produced only one first-

round pick in this year’s NFL draft,

Kansas cornerback Aqib Talib. He was

the 20th player selected. The last Big

12 player to be drafted was Kansas

State’s Rob Jackson. He was taken in

the seventh round at No. 242.

Seven conference players followed

Talib in the second round, with 29

being selected overall. Texas and

Texas A&M each had five players

drafted. Kansas and Oklahoma

had four apiece. No Texas Tech,

Oklahoma State or Baylor players

were drafted.

EARLy OUTThe Big 12 lost eight juniors in 2007 to

the NFL draft, with Oklahoma taking

the biggest hit with three. Kansas and

Texas lost two players each.

ROUnD 1Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas No. 20, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

ROUnD 2Curtis Lofton, WR, Oklahoma No. 37, Atlanta FalconsMalcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma No. 51, Washington RedskinsMartellus Bennett, TE, Texas A&M No. 61, Dallas Cowboys

ROUnD 3Jamaal Charles, RB, Texas No. 73, Kansas City ChiefsReggie Smith, CB, Oklahoma, No. 75, San Francisco 49ersJermichael Finley, TE, Texas No. 91, Green Bay Packers

ROUnD 4Anthony Collins, OT, Kansas No. 112, Cincinnati Bengals

SIDELINESNU’S rUN of fIrST roUNDErSThese things go in cycles, of course, and the

balance of power changes. But from 1979 through

1998, Nebraska consistently produced first-round

NFL draft picks. During that 20-year stretch, 19

Cornhuskers were first-round selections.

Three of those were in the 1984 draft. Irving

Fryar was the first player selected overall, Dean

Steinkuhler the second, while Mike Rozier was

the first player picked in a supplemental round,

established in response to the short-lived United

States Football League.

Rozier signed with the USFL’s Pittsburgh

Maulers.

Nebraska has produced only two first-round

NFL draft picks since 1998, when Grant Wistrom

and Jason Peter were both first-rounders. Adam

Carriker was a first-round pick of the St. Louis

Rams a year ago, Fabian Washington of the

Oakland Raiders in 2005.

The NFL draft was established in 1936.

Nebraska has produced 31 first-round picks

beginning with Sam Francis, Lloyd Cardwell and

Les McDonald in 1937. The 1936 Cornhuskers

finished with a 7-2 record and No. 9 national

ranking in the first Associated Press poll.

D.X. Bible coached the team. It was his last at

Nebraska. Texas hired him away.

TraININg chaNgES To fooTBaLL SpEEDNew strength and conditioning

coach James Dobson has

emphasized speed in the team’s

workouts, according to offensive

tackle Lydon Murtha.

That’s in contrast to the past,

when “it was more geared toward distance running,”

said Murtha. Dobson’s “philosophy is game speed

and that’s what he wants. He doesn’t care if you

can run two miles. He also doesn’t care if you can

run short sprints fast. He cares what you do on the

football field. So all his workouts are geared toward

football, everything from our stretches to running to

conditioning.”

cLaSS IS IN SESSIoNCoaching is teaching. Coach Bo Pelini is “always talking about the teaching progression,” says linebackers coach MIKE EKELER. “That’s all we are; we’re just teachers. I call him a mad scientist. He’s just a professor, a professor of football.” Pelini’s emphasis on teaching, and on players getting an education, is based on his own experience. He was a three-time Academic All-Big 10 honoree at Ohio State. His major was business marketing. He also has a master’s degree in sports administration from Ohio University.

NEBraSka’S aLL-TImE fIrST roUND DrafT pIckS

1937 – Sam Francis, B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Philadelphia

Lloyd Cardwell, B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Detroit

Les McDonald, E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chicago

1964 – Bob Brown, G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Philadelphia

Lloyd Voss, T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Green Bay

1972 – Jerry Tagge, QB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Green Bay

Jeff Kinney, RB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kansas City

Larry Jacobson, DT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New York Giants

1973 – Johnny Rodgers, WR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . San Diego

1974 – John Dutton, DT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baltimore

1975 – Tom Ruud, LB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Buffalo

1979 – George Andrews, LB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Los Angeles Rams

Kelvin Clark, OT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Denver

1980 – Junior Miller, TE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Atlanta

1982 – Jimmy Williams, LB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Detroit

1983 – Dave Rimington, C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cincinnati

1984 – Irving Fryar, WR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New England

Dean Steinkuhler, OT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Houston

(Supplemental)

Mike Rozier, RB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Houston

1987 – Danny Noonan, DT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dallas

1988 – Neil Smith, DT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kansas City

1989 – Broderick Thomas, LB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tampa Bay

1991 – Bruce Pickens, DB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Atlanta

Mike Croel, LB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Denver

1992 – Johnny Mitchell, TE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New York Jets

1994 – Trev Alberts, OLB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Indianapolis

1996 – Lawrence Phillips, RB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .St. Louis

1997 – Michael Booker, CB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Atlanta

1998 – Grant Wistrom, DE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .St. Louis

Jason Peter, DT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carolina

2005 – Fabian Washington, CB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oakland

2007 – Adam Carriker, NT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .St. Louis

aDam carrIkEr

1 0 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8

2minutedrill

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SOnTy STEInKUHLER hasn’t done

many media interviews during his

time at Nebraska. Like his father

DEAn, the 1983 Outland Trophy and

Lombardi Award winner, he’s not

much on talking about himself. And

by his own admission, he’s quiet. If

not for football, “I wouldn’t have any

friends, probably, the way I talk,” he

said with a smile. “I’ve always been

quiet.” Not that quiet, though. “Naw,

I’m sure I’d have friends,” he said. He

also has a sense of humor.

OnE MORE THInG, TyDean Steinkuhler, a 6-3, 270-pound

guard, scored Nebraska’s first

touchdown in the 1984 Orange

Bowl game against Miami, running

19 yards after picking up an

intentional fumble. The play, known

as the “fumbleroosky,” was in coach

Tom Osborne’s bag of tricks until the

NCAA changed its rules to prevent

it. The last Cornhusker to run it was

Outland Trophy winner Will Shields

in 1992. Ty Steinkuhler has watched

his dad’s touchdown run “a hundred

times” and the 1984 Orange Bowl

game beginning to end “probably 10

times.” Osborne elected to attempt

a two-point conversion rather than

kicking an extra-point, which would

have produced a tie and an almost-

certain national championship. Few

questioned Osborne’s decision to

go for the victory then. What about

that, Ty? “They should have gone for

two,” he said.

SIDELINES

Offensive line coach and associate head coach

Barney Cotton had to do some adjusting during

the spring. “For the last 20 years, I’ve been a

coordinator,” he said. “My first job in Division II,

I was a coordinator. So it’s a little bit different. On

the other hand, it’s probably going to help me be a

little bit more detailed as a position coach because

you’re worried about five guys rather than worried

about all 50 guys (on offense), although I still catch

myself looking at routes and tight ends and backs

and stuff like that.” Most recently, he was offensive

coordinator at Iowa State (2004-06) after one

season as offensive coordinator for Frank Solich at

Nebraska.

Cotton still wants to be “a big-picture guy,”

and offensive coordinator Shawn Watson allows

that. He has “ownership” in the offensive meeting

room, Cotton said, as do running backs coach Tim

Beck, wide receivers coach Ted Gilmore and tight

ends coach Ron Brown. “Shawn’s good with that.

Bo wants that, too,” said Cotton. “Five heads are

better than one. I’ll tell you what, our GA (graduate

assistant Curt Baldus) has some ownership in the

room. It’s a comfortable, very workable situation in

the offensive staff room.”

oThErS who rETUrNEDMatt Donahue, who transferred from Ohio

University, will have company as a transfer redshirt

in the fall. Two other in-state athletes transferred after

their freshman seasons elsewhere and participated

in spring practice. Jim Ebke, an option quarterback

from Lincoln, transferred from South Dakota State,

and Tyler Legate, a fullback from Neligh, transferred

from South Dakota. Legate is a cousin of former

Cornhusker fullback Billy Legate (1995-98).

propEr pErSpEcTIvEBeau davis is among

the Cornhusker seniors. That

he is still in the program and

competing is a tribute to his

character, according to Senior

Thomas Lawson. The two were roommates as

freshmen, when Davis was pulled from a redshirt

to finish the fifth game of the season at Texas Tech.

He threw four interceptions and lost a fumble in the

70-10 loss. “To just be thrown out there and have a

good attitude . . . it was messed up,” said Lawson.

“The way he’s been approaching things the last four

years, that’s a lot of character. He’s really genuine

in that, a good person.” He also understands “we

came here to go to school. I think that’s one thing

Beau took advantage of, ‘I’m going to get my

degree.’ ” Davis is a sociology major.

‘five heads are better than one’

“From the outside looking in

you don’t understand it. From

the inside looking out you can’t

explain it. Nebraska football’s

the culture here. They can

laugh at us if they want. But

that’s the way we live.”

todd peterson to SportS IlluStrated on what

football means to the state.

BarNEy coTToN

w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 1 1

2minutedrill

DIffErENT pErSpEcTIvEThomas Lawson was excited by the coaching

change. “Coach Pelini and his staff, I wish they

had been here my whole time,” he said. Even

so, he won’t bad-mouth Bill Callahan. Quite the

contrary. “I love Coach Callahan,” Lawson said.

“It wasn’t really him. I think it was the people

under him. Coach Pelini and the people under

him, Coach (Tim) Beck and Coach (Marvin)

Sanders, Coach ‘Ek’ (Mike Ekeler) and his

brother Carl (Pelini), they try to meet you on a

level plane. They don’t talk down to you. They

talk to you as a coach should. Coach Callahan

helped keep me here as a walk-on. He was a good

person. I just wish people would have seen that.”

mILLarD NorTh aLUmMike Caputo must deal not only with

the anonymity of an offensive lineman but

also with the anonymity of a walk-on. The

redshirted freshman from Millard North

established himself as the second-team center

in the spring, behind junior Jacob Hickman.

Caputo, who is listed at 6-1 and 270 pounds, is a

“hard-working, coachable, blue-collar guy,” said

Cotton. The biggest adjustments Caputo had

to make, Cotton joked, were playing with only

one hand down and not being able to wrap tape

around his helmet. Linemen have both hands

down in Millard North’s option offense, and the

Mustangs wrap tape around their helmets.

TakINg chargEPhiLLiP diLLard, a junior, was among

those who stepped up as leaders during the

spring. His position, middle linebacker, requires

it. On defense “you’re always working together,”

he said. “But the MIKE (backer) has to speak the

loudest. If someone doesn’t hear the call, doesn’t

get the call, it’s your fault. It’s all on the MIKE

backer, no one else. That’s just the responsibility

you’ve got to have.” The Baltimore Ravens’

Ray Lewis is his model. “I love watching Ray

Lewis,” he said.

IN ThE TrENchESSophomore Mike Smith came to Nebraska

expecting to be a defensive end. But he was

moved to the offensive line in the spring of his

freshman year and will figure in the rotation at

tackle this fall. He got an opportunity late last

season, primarily on plays that required a pulling

tackle. The 6-6, 275-pound Smith, who also has

worked at center, runs like a tight end, according

to offensive line coach Barney Cotton. When

he pulls, fans might notice No. 65 wiping out

a defender. But as an offensive lineman, “you

don’t get any glory at all. Basically, you have to

do all the hard work in the trenches but nobody

knows your name,” said Smith.

aThLETE of ThE yEarCornhusker scholarship recruit John

Levorson was named the Lincoln (Neb.)

Journal Star boys Prep Athlete of the Year.

Levorson, whom Nebraska recruited as a

defensive back, is from Crete, Neb. He was the

honorary captain of the Journal Star Super-State

football team and excelled in basketball as well

as in track and field. The list of Journal Star

boys Prep Athlete of the Year award-winners

is replete with former Cornhusker football

players, among them Kurt Mann (2002),

Barrett Ruud (2001), Matt Davison (1997) and

Ahman Green (1995). Last year’s co-winners

are both at Nebraska now. Niles Paul saw

action at wide receiver as a true freshman.

Matt Donahue transferred to Nebraska after

seeing limited action, also as a wide receiver, at

Ohio University. He’ll have to sit out the 2008

season because of the transfer.

2minutedrillhat makes a high school athlete choose

one scholarship offer over another? In

the case of Roy Helu Jr., it’s not clear.

In part, Nebraska offered an opportunity to play

running back, while California recruited him as a

safety. But there was more to it than that. “I’ve lied

before and said it was the fans, I said it was facilities

and all that other stuff, but I really don’t know,” he

said. “I think it was just what God had planned for

me, and that’s probably to evangelize a lot of kids

over here.” He came to the realization late in his

freshman year that he had a responsibility to “talk to

kids about what God has done in my life and dreams

that are coming true.”

helu came to Lincoln as a man on a mission

w


2minutedrillrecruitingnotebook

oon after wrapping up spring practice

drills, the Nebraska football coaching

staff directed its attention towards

building the 2009 recruiting class.

The Huskers added four pledges in the month

following the spring game, bringing the total

number of known commitments to five.

Bo Pelini and his staff made strides in

building up the talent pool at the defensive

tackle position, gaining the commitment of

talented Texan Thaddeus Randle in early

May. Randle became the second interior

defensive line pledge of the Nebraska class,

joining in-state standout Cole Pensick (6-2,

250 pounds) of Lincoln (Neb.) Northeast.

“I really like Nebraska because it’s a Big 12

school and because of their tradition,” Randle

said. “I was really surprised that they offered

me so quickly. They are really the perfect fit for

me. Coach Pelini is defensive-minded and he

can help me develop quickly. I plan on visiting

the school early this summer.”

Though the Huskers were first to offer a

scholarship, the 6-1, 255-pound athlete out

of Galena Park (Texas) North Shore was

also receiving heavy recruiting interest from

Texas A&M, Houston and others. North

Shore coach David Aymond said he expects

Randall to do big things once he gets to

Lincoln.

“What the Nebraska coaches love about

Thad is his pad level and leverage at defensive

tackle and the fact that he never stops moving

his feet,” Aymond said. “That reminds them

of a young Glenn Dorsey.

“The fact that coach Pelini is a defensive-

minded head coach makes Nebraska very

attractive. It will be great for Thad to learn

from him.”

Nebraska also dipped into the Lone Star

state to land the May pledge of running

back Dontrayevous Robinson. Like Randle,

the 6-1, 215-pound Robinson out of Euless

(Texas) Trinity, committed to the Huskers

sight unseen.

“Man, this is like a marriage to me,”

Robinson said. “I’m not looking any more.

All I’m worried about now is my grades,

passing my classes and having a good season

next year.”

Robinson was named first-team all-district

as a junior, rushing for 886 yards and 17

touchdowns and adding 226 yards and an

additional score on 16 receptions. With

4.5-second speed in the 40-yard dash, the

Texas running back has the size to get the

tough yards inside and the quickness to break

the big play.

“He really had a good spring, and college

coaches that have been down all wanted

to know who he was,” Trinity coach Steve

Lineweaver said. “He was on the sprint relay

team that went to regionals and has really

good hands.”

huskers pick up four more pledgesby rick Shaw

S

DavID okU


2minutedrillScholarship offers from other schools had

already come in and more looked to be on the way

before Robinson opted for Nebraska. New Mexico,

Tulsa and Utah had also extended early offers and

TCU was showing a great deal of interest.

Shawn Bodtman traveled all the way from

Scranton, Pa., to be part of the 80,000 plus

crowd at the Nebraska spring game in April. Just

days later, the 6-0, 205-pound linebacker out of

West Scranton High School decided to formally

join the Husker fold.

“It was amazing,” Bodtman said. “I mean

people were telling me I was going to be blown

away, but I had no idea. When we got to the

stadium and walked in and I saw all those people

there at the spring game, sold out, it was just

incredible. Just the people there are amazing.

“I got a really good feeling from the players,”

he said. “They all said the same thing, that it’s

like the greatest thing to play for Nebraska. They

love the coaches, and they love the fans. They

really are dedicated to their program.”

The two-way prospect ran the ball for West

Scranton as a junior, rushing for more than

1,500 yards and 24 touchdowns. He also tallied

98 tackles on defense, picking up all-region and

all-conference honors.

Bodtman utilized good athleticism

(4.58-second 40-yard dash) and an aggressive

demeanor on the field to earn the early

recruiting interest of a trio of Division I

programs. In addition to the Huskers, Syracuse

and Army also extended scholarship offers to

the Pennsylvania standout.

“I’m known for being a tough player,”

Bodtman said. “I’m real hard-nosed and I’m real

durable.”

West Scranton coach Michael DeAntona said,

from talking with his star linebacker, the comfort

level with the Nebraska program was evident.

“You know, he felt really comfortable with the

coaching staff,” DeAntona said. “He liked how

he was able to interact with the players and the

team. He liked what the players and the team

were saying about the coaching staff out there.

The players out there really made a big impact

on Shawn with their comments on Bo Pelini and

the rest of the coaching staff. He just couldn’t see

a reason not to pull the trigger.”

C.J. Zimmerer, a 6-1, 215-pound fullback

out of Omaha (Neb.) Gross Catholic, was also

quickly convinced that Nebraska was the best fit

for him. After grabbing a Husker offer in mid-

May, he committed just two days later.

“Growing up in Nebraska, I’ve always been

a Husker fan and it’s always been a dream to

play with that ‘N’ on the side of my helmet,”

Zimmerer said. “Their facilities are amazing and

I really like the coaching staff there now. I think

they’re headed toward the right direction.”

The athlete out of Omaha rushed for 701

yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior, earning

first-team Class B all-state honors. He also added

123 tackles and five sacks from his linebacker

slot on defense. It’s on the offensive side of the

ball, however, where Zimmerer will focus his

attention in Lincoln.

“They were recruiting him as a fullback the

whole time,” Gross coach Tim Johnk said.

“They liked his physical play on film, they liked

his blocking ability, and they liked how he can

catch the ball out of the backfield. Really, they

liked everything about him.

“This is a big deal for our school and our

program. We are all proud of C.J. and he’s

worked hard for everything he’s gotten.”

With approximately 20 percent of

its recruiting class already in place, the

Nebraska staff was looking to add a few more

commitments during its summer camp sessions

in June. Prospects like Omaha Creighton Prep

offensive lineman Jon Lechner, who currently

holds a Husker offer, will be in attendance.

“I’m real excited about getting the Nebraska

offer,” Lechner said. “Coach (Barney) Cotton

seems very high on me and I’m excited to get the

chance to work with him at camp in June.”

Nebraska hopes to continue to build on the

recruiting momentum that was kick-started with

the hiring of Pelini and a new staff and ratcheted

up by a nation leading spring game attendance.

recruitingnotebook

POSITIOn SWITCHInGSophomore LATRAvIS

WASHInGTOn played quarterback

in high school in Bradenton, Fla. Ohio

State, West Virginia, South Florida

and Central Florida were among

the schools that recruited him as a

quarterback. But he picked Nebraska,

expecting to play defense – just not

weakside linebacker. Before coming

to Lincoln, he worked with his

cousin Fabian Washington, a former

Cornhusker and first-round NFL draft

pick, on defensive back techniques,

figuring he would be a safety. He

spent one practice at safety and was

moved to linebacker.

BACK AT SAFETyThe arrival of Bo Pelini and staff has

given Major Culbert a new lease on

football life. He returned to safety in

the spring, the position he planned

to play when he committed to the

Cornhuskers. He played safety his

first season but was moved to I-back

because of injuries there. And he

finished last season playing outside

linebacker. “He’s a real good kid,” de-

fensive backs coach Marvin Sanders

said. “He talks team first. I told him,

‘Do you feel good at safety? He says,

‘Coach, I want to play. I want to play

wherever I can help the team.’ He’s a

total team player.”

SIDELINES

“Growing up in Nebraska, I’ve always

been a Husker fan and it’s always been

a dream to play with that ‘N’ on the

side of my helmet.”

c.j. zimmerer - nebraska commit from omaha gross


recruitingnotebook

hile Nebraska has received

an oral commitment from

its targeted “big back” in

Dontrayevous Robinson and

a fullback in C.J. Zimmerer, Cornhusker

coaches remain in pursuit of a multi-faceted

back to both tote the rock and swing out of

the backfield into the passing game. Three

prospects are currently at the top of their list.

david oku (5-10/186/4.49) of Midwest

City, Okla. is among that group. The

nation’s top all-purpose back according to

Rivals.com, Oku rushed for 1,628 yards on

182 carries and 20 touchdowns as a junior.

That followed up his sophomore year when

he topped 1,400 yards and had 19 scores.

Oku currently holds scholarship offers

from around the country but recently

narrowed his list of schools under

consideration to seven and then to six,

eliminating USC. The Huskers made the

cut, along with Florida State, Illinois,

Michigan, Ohio State, and Tennessee.

“I feel like with Coach Bo (Pelini) back

and the AD (Tom Osborne) back, who was

the coach when Nebraska was down right

ruthless, I feel like they’re going to get back

to that kind of style of football,” Oku said.

He plans to visit Lincoln in the near

future.

Another speedster from the Southwest

is rex Burkhead (5-11/191/4.5) of Plano,

Texas. Burkhead is being courted by schools

in the SEC, Big 12, and Pac 10. He visited

Lincoln for the Red-White spring game.

“Nebraska was awesome,” Burkhead

said. “A big crowd for the spring game…

everything was amazing up there, facilities,

coaches, people, all of it.”

Burkhead, who followed up a sophomore

year where he was District 9-5A offensive

newcomer of the year with 1,768 yards

rushing and 29 touchdowns as a junior, is in

no hurry to make a decision.

“Right now, I want to still see what comes

my way and try to start narrowing things

down,” he said. “It’s kind of open. I never

had a favorite college team growing up.”

Sioux City, Iowa all-purpose back

Brandon Wegher (5-11/190/4.42) also has

NU on his short list. The four-star prospect

sports offers from schools such as Auburn,

Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Penn State, and

Wisconsin.

He was unable to make it to NU’s spring

game due to a scheduling conflict, however he

did visit Lincoln in March and enjoyed the trip.

“Oh, it went really good,” Wegher

said. “We met with the whole coaching

staff from the trainer to the strength and

conditioning coach, to the running backs

coach, and Coach (Marvin) Sanders the

defensive backs coach.

“We also met with Coach (Bo) Pelini, and

we met with Coach (Tom) Osborne, too.”

Although he rushed for over 2,700 yards

and 34 touchdowns as a junior, Wegher can

play multiple positions.

“They said they were projecting me to

either running back, slot receiver, outside

receiver, defensive back or safety,” he said.

“My position’s always been running back.

That’s always been my main position, but

I’m also willing to go play wherever I’d

get on the field soonest or where a college

program believes my best position will be.”

Nebraska continues search for big backby Sean Stevensw

name, Position Ht. Wt. HometownAntonio Bell, WR 6-2 180 Daytona Beach, Fla.

Will Compton, LB 6-2 230 Bonne Terre, Mo.

Khiry Cooper, WR 6-2 180 Shreveport, La.

Ben Cotton, TE 6-6 230 Ames, Iowa

Alfonzo Dennard, DB 5-10 190 Rochelle, Ga.

Sean Fisher, LB 6-6 225 Omaha, Neb.

David Grant, OL 6-6 295 Killeen, Texas

*Ricky Henry, OL 6-4 305 Omaha, Neb.

*#Tyson Hetzer, TE 6-6 245 Redding, Calif.

Micah Kreikemeier, LB 6-3 210 West Point, Neb.

John Levorson, DB 6-3 190 Crete, Neb.

Tim Marlowe, WR 5-10 160 Youngstown, Ohio

Cameron Meredith, DL 6-4 225 Santa Ana, Calif.

Collins Okafor, RB 6-1 195 Omaha, Neb.

Courtney Osborne, ATH 6-3 175 Garland, Texas

name, Position Ht. Wt. HometownSteven Osborne, WR 6-4 185 Garland, Texas

Kyler Reed, HB 6-3 220 Shawnee, Kan.

Justin Rogers, DB 5-11 180 Birmingham, Ala.

P.J. Smith, DB 6-2 205 River Ridge, La.

#Kody Spano, QB 6-2 205 Stephenville, Texas

Baker Steinkuhler, OL 6-6 290 Lincoln, Neb.

Brandon Thompson, OL 6-6 295 The Woodlands, Texas

Quentin Toailoa, DL 6-4 300 Highland, Calif.

Mason Wald, DB 5-11 205 Birmingham, Ala.

Lester Ward, RB 6-3 215 Brenham, Texas

Alonzo Whaley, LB/FB 6-1 225 Madisonville, Texas

David Whitmore, DB 6-2 185 Port Arthur, Texas

Josh Williams, DL 6-4 225 Denton, Texas

*junior college transfer #mid-year signee

husker 2008 Scholarship recruits

J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 1 5

n the months since being named

Nebraska’s head football coach, Bo

Pelini certainly hasn’t been a stranger to

Cornhusker fans.

Not only has Pelini taken on numerous

speaking engagements in the Lincoln and Omaha

areas, but he’s also visited several less-populated

areas. His trips have taken him from South Sioux

City to Mullen, connecting with members of

Husker Nation all along the way.

On several occasions, Pelini has brought his

entire coaching staff with him to the meet-and-

greet events, including a late February stop for

the Central Nebraska Big Red Luncheon in the

Heartland Events Center. In Grand Island Pelini

re-emphasized many of the points he made

the day he was named as the Huskers head

coach, speaking to a crowd of more than 1,100,

including Athletics Director Tom Osborne.

Pelini has told fans repeatedly that he’s

“humbled” by the opportunity to be the head

coach at Nebraska. The 40-year-old Youngstown,

Ohio, native also said he considers his job a

tremendous responsibility and that he’s here to

serve the football program, his players and the

people of this state.

“When Coach

Osborne presented this

opportunity to me

and we talked about

it, it became obvious

that this was where

I needed to be and

this was where my

family needed to be,”

Pelini said. “Because

what I’ve learned

over the

years that I’ve been coaching is this: It’s about

the people.”

Osborne, who fired former coach Bill

Callahan after Nebraska’s 5-7 season in 2007,

said the fiery Pelini and his strong defensive

resume simply seemed like the right man at the

right time for the program.

In visiting with coaches and players who had

associated with Pelini in the past, Osborne said

he failed to find anyone with a negative opinion

of Pelini. A winner of 255 games and three

national titles during his 25-year head coaching

career, Osborne said he liked Pelini’s ability to

communicate, motivate and the way Pelini’s

defenses have had a knack for creating turnovers.

The low-key Osborne said he also likes

Pelini’s passion.

“That was a problem throughout my

coaching career,” Osborne said. “I was

presumed to be too bland, too nice and wouldn’t

be able to win the big one, but we’ve got a guy

now who won’t be too bland and too nice.

“We have rectified that problem.”

Nebraska linebackers coach Mike Ekeler,

who worked with Pelini at LSU, said he has no

doubt that the Husker players will soon take on

the personality of their new head coach.

“There’s not a more fierce competitor in the

sport,” Ekeler said. “You want to talk about

somebody who hates to lose, hate isn’t the right

word. That man despises it.”

With Nebraska having suffered through

two losing seasons in the past four years under

Callahan, Pelini has told fans that he wants the

program to return to its roots.

“I heard somebody talking about the new

tradition, and I don’t believe that,” Pelini

said. “I believe it’s back to

THE tradition that’s the

old tradition.

“There’s nothing new

that I’m bringing here.

I want to lean on what

this place has been

built on for a long

time.”

Throughout

his travels around

the state, Pelini has

stressed that rebuilding

Nebraska’s football program is going to be a

process.

“Things don’t happen overnight and there

are no quick fixes in life,” Pelini said. “You have

to build a foundation, you have to do things

the right way, you have to get everybody on the

same page, you have to develop relationships,

you have to build trust, you have to develop

accountability in all areas, and that takes time.”

However, Pelini said he’s encouraged that

things are already headed in the right direction.

He said he’s been impressed with the players

the Huskers already have in the program and is

excited about the program’s new recruiting class,

which includes 30 walk-on players.

“It’s a tremendous group of young men with

high character and a lot of talent,” Pelini said.

“Our job is to develop that talent.”

Pelini thinks he has the coaching staff to do

just that.

“They’re not only good football coaches we’re

going to be on the cutting edge X- and O-wise,

but they are men of great character, they’re great

communicators and great teachers,” Pelini said.

“At the end of the day, our players are going to

know that we care about them.”

Pelini has been very open about his

expectations for a winning culture he plans to

build at Nebraska. The main objective for the

Huskers? Do things the right way in every aspect

of life and be accountable for everything, from

the minute they wake up in the morning until

they go to sleep each night.

“Everything counts,” Pelini said. “You can’t

let one part of your life slip and expect to make

up for it later in the day. We’re not just preparing

them to win on Saturday afternoon, we’re

preparing them for life after football as well

because it all goes hand in hand.”

As for the upcoming season, Pelini has

typically said that he’s not one to make

predictions in terms of wins and losses.

However, he has promised Nebraska fans one

thing they can count on this fall.

“When our team takes the field, you’re going

to have a group of men out there who will go out

there and play with their hearts, and they’re going

to play with passion,” Pelini said. “That’s what

football is all about, and how that translates into

wins and losses, that will take care of itself.”

pelini humbled to be home

I

stateofthehuskers By TERRy DOUGLASS



Quarterbacktommie frazier . . . . . . . . . . (1992-95)Turner Gill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1981-83)Eric Crouch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1998-01)Jerry Tagge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1969-71)Scott Frost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1996-97)often overlooked: Dennis Claridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1961-63)

naming husker greats no easy tasko Pelini’s coaching philosophy

involves eliminating the gray,

teaching concepts that are clearly

understood, black and white. In this

case, however, gray is the order of the day.

There is no black and white with such lists, no

certainty in ranking players.

The game evolves as do athletes, making

definitive comparisons impossible. A few players

mentioned here went both ways, offense and

defense. The game was much different in the

early 1960s when Bob Devaney arrived from

Wyoming to lay the foundation for Cornhusker

football’s modern tradition. Players went both

ways until the NCAA changed its rules to allow

for two platoons in 1964. The game also was

different in 1974, 1984, 1994 and 2004.

In addition, football is played 11 on a side.

So the accomplishments of individual players

are influenced by those around them. A team’s

quality affects how those on it are perceived.

These rankings include those who played at

least one season for Devaney and after, so you

won’t find those such as Tom Novak, Bobby

Reynolds, Ed Weir and Guy Chamberlin on

any of the lists, even though they’re just as

important to Nebraska’s rich tradition.

Finally, many deserving players aren’t

mentioned. Only five are included at each

position and not only can their order be

debated but also their inclusion over others.

For example, does Roger Craig belong in the

top five I-backs? Even though he was slowed by

injuries his senior season, his enthusiasm and

selflessness made him the definitive Husker. If

he is to be included, however, which of the five

should be replaced?

There are no right or wrong answers, no

black and white, only gray.

fullback

Arguing with Frazier’s inclusion at the top

of the list is difficult. He was a consensus All-

American and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm

Award winner in 1995, and he finished second

in voting for the Heisman Trophy. He also was

the United Press International “Player of the

Year” and a finalist for the Davey O’Brien

Award and Maxwell Trophy. Sport magazine

rated him among college football’s 10 greatest

players. Beyond the awards, however, he was

the definitive quarterback in Tom Osborne’s

option offense, in a progression that began with

Gill and culminated in back-to-back national

championships. He was 33-3 as a starter. don’t

Forget: Dennis Claridge was a key factor in

Nebraska’s dramatic turnaround under Devaney.

runningbackmike rozier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1981-83)Lawrence Phillips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1993-95)Ahman Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1995-97)Calvin Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1991-93)Jarvis Redwine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1979-80)often overlooked: Ken Clark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1987-89)

Like Frazier, Rozier belongs at the top of

the list. He remains Nebraska’s career-rushing

leader with 4,780 yards in three seasons. He

was the second player in NCAA history to

rush for 2,000 yards in a season, gaining 2,148

in 1983. He averaged 7.8 yards per carry that

season and 7.2 yards per carry for his career. He

was a two-time consensus All-American (once

unanimous). He won the Heisman Trophy

and Maxwell Award in 1983 as well as being

the Walter Camp Player of the Year. He also

was a two-time Big Eight Offensive Player of

the Year. He was durable and tough, playing

on teams that were national championship

contenders. He is a member of the College

Football Hall of Fame. don’t Forget: During

his final two seasons, Ken Clark rushed for 2,693

yards and 24 touchdowns.

joel makovicka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1995-98)

Andra Franklin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1977-80)

Tom Rathman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1983-85)

Dan Schneiss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1968-70)

Bill Thornton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1960-62)

often overlooked:

Dick Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1966-68)

The top three could be in any order here. Makovicka

gets the nod. He still holds the school career record for

touchdowns by a fullback with 13 and he’s third in school

history among fullbacks in rushing yards with 1,447.

Franklin tops the list with 1,738 yards. Makovicka was

the starter on the 1997 national championship team and

was named to the Sports Illustrated All-Walk-on Team

that season. He earned All-Big 12 honorable mention

from the conference coaches twice and was a co-captain

as a senior. He also was a two-time, first-team Academic

All-American and a National Football Foundation and

College Hall of Fame Postgraduate Scholarship winner,

the definitive student-athlete. don’t Forget: Dick Davis is

second among Husker fullbacks in career-rushing yards

with 1,477.

5 at each position (post-devaney era)

aLL-TImE grEaTS

B


wide receiverjohnny rodgers . . . . . . . . . (1970-72)Irving Fryar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1981-83)Maurice Purify . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2006-07)Terrence Nunn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2004-07)Matt Davison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1997-00)often overlooked: Freeman White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1963-65)

Tight End

No dispute here. Nebraska’s first Heisman

Trophy winner was the difference-maker in

back-to-back national championships. The

Cornhuskers were a combined 32-2-2 during

his career. He was first-team All-Big Eight

in each of his seasons and a consensus

All-American his last two, including a

unanimous selection as a senior. He set

41 school records, seven Big Eight records

and four NCAA records. Freshmen were

ineligible for varsity competition when he

played, limiting him to three seasons, in

which he caught 143 passes for 2,479 yards

and 25 touchdowns. Also, his records did

not include bowl game statistics, a book-

keeping procedure that was changed by

the NCAA in 2001. don’t Forget: Freeman

White played on teams that were a combined

29-4, and he earned consensus All-America

recognition as a senior.

offensive guard

center

aaron taylor . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1994-97)Dean Steinkuhler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1981-83)Will Shields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1989-92)Bob Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1961-63)Brendan Stai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1991-94)often overlooked: LaVerne Allers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1964-66)

dave rimington . . . . . . . . . . (1979-82)Dominic Raiola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1998-00)Rik Bonness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1973-75)Jake Young . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1986-89)Mark Traynowicz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1982-84)often overlooked: Aaron Graham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1992-95)

The top five here could be arranged in

just about any order. Taylor, whom most

schools considered too short for a lineman,

is the only player in school history to earn

All-America honors at two positions, center

as a junior (consensus), stepping in for the

departed Aaron Graham, and guard as a

senior (unanimous).

He was first-team all-conference three

times and the Outland Trophy winner in

1997. He also was a semifinalist for the

Lombardi Award. He played on three national

championship teams, including two as a

starter, and the Cornhuskers were a combined

49-2 during his career. He was a co-captain on

the 1997 national championship team. don’t

Forget: LaVerne Allers was a consensus All-

American as a senior and played for teams

that won three Big Eight championships, with

a combined record of 28-5.

Rimington is the most-decorated offensive

lineman in college football history, much

less Cornhusker history. He was a two-time,

unanimous All-American, the only two-time

Outland Trophy winner in history and the

Lombardi Award winner in 1982. He was

first-team All-Big Eight three times and the

conference Offensive Player of the Year as

a junior, the only time in conference history

a lineman was so honored. Teammate Mike

Rozier was the conference offensive player

of the year when he was a senior. Rimington

also was a two-time, first-team Academic All-

American. He has been inducted into both

the College Football Hall of Fame and the

Academic All-American Hall of Fame. don’t

Forget: Aaron Graham was the starter on the

1994 and 1995 national championship teams.

junior miller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1977-79)Todd Millikan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1985-88)Johnny Mitchell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1990-91)Jamie Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1979-82)Tracey Wistrom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1998-01)often overlooked: Jerry List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1970-72)

At 6-4 and 242 pounds, Miller was a physical presence.

Former Kansas State coach Jim Dickey once remarked,

“If that’s ‘Junior’ Miller, I’d hate to see ‘Senior’ Miller.”

Dickey had a way with words, and tremendous respect

for Miller, a consensus All-American in 1979, when he

caught 23 passes for 435 yards and seven touchdowns.

He was a two-year starter and two-time, first-team All-

Big Eight selection, and when he finished his career, he

held all of the school receiving records for tight ends.

Millikan wasn’t as physically imposing as Miller, but he

was a remarkably efficient receiver. He caught 40 passes

during his career, 14 for touchdowns. List was the best

during the Devaney era, starting on back-to-back nation-

al championship teams.

offensive Tacklezach wiegert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1991-94)Bob Newton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1969-70)Kelvin Clark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1976-78)Daryl White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1971-73)Larry Kramer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1962-64)often overlooked: Eric Anderson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1994-97)

Wiegert is among only six Cornhusker linemen (20

Cornhuskers overall) to earn first-team all-conference

recognition in three consecutive seasons. He was a

second-team All-American in 1993 and a consensus

first-team All-American in 1994, when he won the

Outland Trophy. Nebraska led the nation in rushing

that season, and, of course, won Tom Osborne’s first

national championship. Wiegert also was the United

Press International Lineman of the Year. He finished

ninth in voting for the Heisman Trophy. And he was

a finalist for the Lombardi Award. During his three

seasons as the starting right tackle, he allowed only one

quarterback sack. don’t Forget: Eric Anderson was a

three-year starter, earning first-team all-conference

recognition twice and third-team All-America honors

on the 1997 national championship team.

5 aLL-TImE grEaTS


Defensive Tacklejason peter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1994-97)Larry Jacobson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1969-71)John Dutton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1971-73)Walt Barnes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1963-65)Neil Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1985-87)often overlooked: Jim Skow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1983-85)

Linebacker

It’s a toss-up between Peter and Jacobson. Both were starters on two national championship teams. Peter played sparingly as a redshirted freshman in 1994, but he was a key contributor in 1995 and 1997, when he was a co-captain. He was overshadowed to some extent by teammate Grant Wistrom, but earned first-team all-conference recognition twice and was a consensus All-American as a senior. The two of them were driving forces behind the 1997 national championship team

after both had given serious consideration to leaving for the NFL following the 1996 season. Jacobson won Nebraska’s first Outland Trophy as a senior on the 1971 national championship team. He also won the Knute Rockne Award

as the nation’s outstanding lineman. don’t

Forget: After starting only three games his first two seasons, the undersized Jim Skow earned All-America honors as a senior, with 25 tackles for loss, including 15 sacks for 139 yards in losses.

oLB/rush End

cornerback

grant wistrom . . . . . . . . . . . (1994-97)Broderick Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1985-88)Willie Harper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1970-72)Trev Alberts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1990-93)Jared Tomich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1994-96)Jimmy Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1979-81)often overlooked: Derrie Nelson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1978-80)

ralph brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1996-99)Dave Butterfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1974-76)Tyrone Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1993-95)Fabian Washington . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2002-04)Bruce Pickens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1988-90)often overlooked: Barron Miles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1992-94)

Six are listed here instead of five because of the number of players who deserve consideration at what arguably has been the showcase position on defense at Nebraska. Even so, Wistrom deserves to be at the top of the list, if for no other reason than his contributions to three national championships. He was in the regular rotation as a true freshman on the 1994 national championship team and a starter and first-team all-conference selection the next three seasons. He was a two-time, first-team, consensus All-

American and the Lombardi Award winner in 1997, when teammate Aaron Taylor won the Outland Trophy. Wistrom also was a two-time, first-team Academic All-American and an NCAA Top Eight Award winner. He holds the school career record for tackles for loss (58.5, 260

yards) and ranks second in sacks (26.5). don’t

Forget: Derrie Nelson, who walked on and had a well-deserved reputation for toughness, was the Big Eight Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-America honors as a senior co-captain.

Brown set a school record by starting

52 consecutive games, every one during his

career. And he played as a true freshman. He

also set school records for pass break-ups in

a game (seven), season (15) and career (50).

The 50 break-ups were 29 more than the

previous record.

He was the Associated Press Big 12

Defensive Newcomer of the year and a

Freshman All-American in 1996. He was a

three-time, first-team all-conference selection

and a consensus All-American in 1999,

when he was a co-captain. He completed a

degree in seven semesters and left Nebraska

(as a fifth-round NFL draft pick) with a

national championship ring. don’t Forget:

Barron Miles was a two-time, first-team all-

conference selection on teams that were 24-1

and played for the national championship

twice, winning it his senior year.

jerry murtaugh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1968-70)Marc Munford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1984-86)Barrett Ruud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2001-04)Ed Stewart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1991-94)Steve Damkroger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1979-82)often overlooked: Clete Pillen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1974-76)

Ruud has replaced Murtaugh as Nebraska’s career

leader in tackles. But Murtaugh, whose reputation for

toughness is legendary, remains the definitive Cornhusker

linebacker. He was credited with 142 tackles in 1970 and

earned All-America recognition from the Walter Camp

Foundation and the Associated Press. He was a two-time

first-team All-Big Eight honoree and a co-captain for the

1970 national championship team. Prior to the season,

during the Big Eight Skywriters’ stop in Lincoln, he

predicted a national championship, brash words for the

time and not something to make Bob Devaney happy.

When all was said and done, however, Murtaugh and

fellow co-captain Dan Schneiss were at the podium with

Devaney and President Richard Nixon, accepting the

Associated Press national championship plaque. don’t

Forget: Clete Pillen was the Cornhusker tackles leader in

1975 and 1976, with a combined 271.

middle guardrich glover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1970-72)Wayne Meylan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1965-67)Danny Noonan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1984-86)Kerry Weinmaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1976-79)Ken Geddes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1967-69)often overlooked: Ed Periard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1968-70)

When the Cornhuskers went to a 4-3 alignment, the middle guard was eliminated. The 6-1, 234-pound Glover set the standard at the position, with Meylan a close second. Glover emerged as a junior starter on the 1971 national championship team, earning consensus All-America recognition and gaining national attention with 22 tackles in the “Game of the Century.” He was a unanimous All-American as a senior, when he became the first Cornhusker to win both the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award in the same season. He was credited with a combined 192 tackles his final two seasons, including 22 for losses, evidence of his quickness. don’t Forget: Ed Periard was only 5-9 and 201 pounds. But he earned first-team all-conference recognition in his only season as a starter on Nebraska’s first national championship team.

5 aLL-TImE grEaTS

Get a subscription to

HUSKERS ILLUSTRATEDCall 1-800-524-9527


Safetymike brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1996-99)Josh Bullocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2002-04)Dana Stephenson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1967-69)Mike Minter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1993-96)Daniel Bullocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2002-05)often overlooked: Bill Kosch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1969-71)

punter

Brown was a back-up corner as a true

freshman then started 38 consecutive games

as a rover and free safety, earning All-

America honors from the Football Writers

and Associated Press in 1999. He was a two-

time, first-team all-conference selection and

finished second to Jerry Murtaugh on the

Cornhuskers’ career-tackles list with 287.

He was the team’s leading tackler for three

consecutive seasons, something only two

players before him had done, Jerry Murtaugh

and Marc Munford – both linebackers. He

intercepted nine passes during his career and

forced six fumbles. He also was a three-time,

first-team academic all-conference selection.

don’t Forget: Bill Kosch was a first-team

all-conference selection on Bob Devaney’s

back-to-back national championship teams.

kick returner

place kicker

johnny rodgers . . . . . . . . . . . . (1970-72)Tyrone Hughes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1989-92)Dana Brinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1985-88)DeJuan Groce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1999-02)Irving Fryar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1981-83)often overlooked: Joe Walker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1997-00)

kris brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1995-98)Josh Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1999-02)Byron Bennett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1990-93)Gregg Barrios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1986-90)Dale Klein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1984-86)often overlooked: Paul Rogers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1968-70)

Among the most memorable plays in

Cornhusker history was Rodgers’ 72-yard

punt return for a touchdown to open the scor-

ing against Oklahoma in the 1971 Game of

the Century. He also returned a punt 77 yards

for a touchdown in the 1972 Orange Bowl

game against Alabama, another match-up of

No. 1 versus No. 2. In all, Rodgers returned

seven punts for touchdowns during his career,

a total that is tied for the NCAA record. He

also returned 35 kickoffs during his career, for

847 yards and one touchdown – a 98-yarder

against Texas A&M in 1971. Rodgers is in the

College Football Hall of Fame. don’t Forget:

Joe Walker, a rover who played as a true fresh-

man, tied an NCAA record by returning a

kickoff, a punt and an interception for touch-

downs in the same season, 1998.

Brown is Nebraska’s career-scoring leader

with 388 points. He was the Cornhuskers’

place-kicker for four consecutive seasons,

beginning as a true freshman in the 1995

national championship season. He finished

his career with an NCAA record 217 extra-

point kicks, in an NCAA record-tying

222 attempts, and ranked seventh all-time

in scoring. He made 57-of-77 field goal

attempts, including 13-of-20 from 40 yards

or more, with a long of 51 yards. He was a

semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award as a

junior. His numbers would be even higher

if official NCAA statistics included bowl

games during the time he played. don’t

Forget: Paul Rogers kicked four first-

quarter field goals in a 45-6 victory against

Georgia in the 1969 Sun Bowl to set the

stage for the national championship run in

1970.

dan hadenfeldt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1998-00)Kyle Larson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2001-03)Sam Koch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2003-05)Jesse Kosch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1995-97)Mike Stigge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1989-92)often overlooked: Darin Erstad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1994)

Put the first three names in a hat and pick one. Ha-

denfeldt holds the school career record, averaging 44.54

yards on 104 punts, and ranks third in single-season aver-

age, 44.98 on 65 punts in 1999. Larson is the only punter

in Cornhusker history to earn first-team All-America

honors (AFCA, 2003). He ranks second on the single-

season average list, 45.12 yards in 2003, and third on

the career average list, 43.67 yards on 195 punts. Koch is

atop the single-season list, averaging 46.51 yards on 71

punts in 2005, and second on the career list, 44.04 yards

on 134 punts.

Erstad came from the baseball team to average 42.6

yards on 50 punts for the 1994 national championship

team. He also was 10-for-10 on extra-points and 3-of-8

on field goals, including a 48-yarder and a 46-yarder.

5 aLL-TImE grEaTS

CommEnTS?Have comments about our All-Time Greatest Huskers or

any other part of our magazine? Send us your comments

and it may be published in an upcoming issue of Huskers

Illustrated. SEnD COMMEnTS TO:Huskers Illustrated, 7755 S. 23rd St., Lincoln, NE 68512

or email [email protected].



Players walked on at Nebraska

before Tom Osborne became

head coach. But when Bob

Devaney was head coach, they

were more or less incidental.

Any player the Cornhuskers

wanted had a scholarship, and

until 1964, when NCAA rules

were changed to allow for two

platoons, the roster included

fewer players, anyway. The

freshman team might have some

non-scholarship players. But few

continued as sophomores.

Osborne quickly began

saving a handful of scholarships

for walk-ons. As the NCAA

reduced scholarship limits, they

became an important part of the

program. In 1981, more than 90

players walked on; in 1982, more

than 70.

By the early 1990s, the num-

bers had dropped. The NCAA

legislated freshman programs

out of existence with the

elimination of three graduate as-

sistants and one restricted-earn-

ings coach. And the end of the

freshman program was reflected

in the number of walk-ons. In

1990, Nebraska recruited nearly

50 walk-ons. Two years later, it

recruited about half that many.

Still, Osborne understood

the value of walk-ons, for

a variety of reasons, and

he and his staff evalu-

ated and recruited

them. Some showed

up and asked to

walk on, Mitch

Krenk and

Isaiah Hipp

among

them.

But most

walk-

ons were

encouraged

to do so.

What follows is an Osborne

Era all-walk-on team. It is not

meant to be the definitive walk-

on team for those 25 seasons,

only representative. The con-

tributions of walk-ons haven’t

necessarily been reflected in how

much playing time they earned.

The team includes players who

paid their own way to Nebraska

as freshmen. Players who trans-

ferred from other four-year

schools and paid their own

way their first season also are

part of the walk-on tradition.

For

simplicity’s sake,

however, they haven’t

been included.

Jarvis Redwine, for

example, isn’t on the team

even though he paid his own

way while he sat out a manda-

tory redshirt after transferring

from Oregon State. Neither is

John Parrella, whom Colorado

promised a scholarship and then

pulled it. Jim Scott deserves

consideration, but he transferred

from Kearney State – now

Nebraska-Kearney. On and on

the list goes.

In addition, players need to

have spent the majority of their

careers under Osborne.

Greatest Husker walk-ons durinG

osBorne eraoffenseWR – Todd Brown (1979-82)

WR – Brendan Holbein (1993-96)

OL – Joel Wilks (1992-94)

OL – Matt Hoskinson (1995-97)

OL – Kelly Saalfeld (1977-79)

OL – Keven Lightner (1985-87)

OL – Adam Treu (1994-96)

TE – Matt Shaw (1992-94)

QB – Matt Turman (1994-96)

IB – Isaiah Hipp (1977-79)

FB – Joel Makovicka (1995-98)

PK – Dale Klein (1984-86)

defenseDE – Jimmy Williams (1979-81)

DT – Tim Rother (1986-87)

DT – Toby Williams (1980-82)

MG – Mike Murray (1987-89)

DE – Derrie Nelson (1978-80)

RE – Jared Tomich (1994-96)

LB – Clete Pillen (1974-76)

LB – Bruce Dunning (1977-78)

LB – Mark Daum (1982-84)

DB – Charles Fryar (1986-88)

DB – Ric Lindquist (1979-81)

DB – Rodney Lewis (1979-81)

DB – Mark Blazek (1986-88)

P – Jesse Kosch (1995-97)

nebraska walk-on tradition

Greatest Husker Walk-ons

joel makoviCka


wr – todd brown (1979-82), Holdrege, Neb.

Brown drew interest from Nebraska because of his abilities in track and

field. He won state Class B titles in the long jump, triple jump and 100-yard

dash. But he turned his attention to football, after not playing his first fall,

effectively redshirting. He finished seventh on the school’s career-receptions

list with 65, for 1,092 yards (third) and 12 touchdowns (tied for fourth). He

was a three-year starter and rare four-year letterman at the time.

wr – brendan holbein(1993-96), Cozad, Neb.

Holbein caught 47 passes for 592 yards and seven touchdowns

but he worked his way up the depth chart because of his tenacity

as a perimeter blocker, an absolute necessity under then-receivers

coach Ron Brown, and his versatility; he could play both wide

receiver and wingback. He was a high school teammate of Corn-

husker offensive lineman Chris Dishman.

ol – joel wilks (1992-94), Hastings, Neb.

Wilks, a three-year letterman, was the forgotten man on

the 1994 national championship team’s “Pipeline.” He

started at left guard and led the “Pipeline” in pancake,

or knockdown, blocks with 142, an average of 11.8

per game. He missed the first five games in 1993

with a severe ankle sprain but came back to play in

the last six, starting once.

ol – matt hoskinson

(1995-97), Battle Creek, Neb.

Hoskinson, a high school linebacker and fullback, was

named to the Sports Illustrated All-Walk-on Team in 1997. Though

he never started (he appeared in 33 games) during his Cornhusker

career, he was considered a starter, the sixth man, on the 1997 national

championship team, rotating at center as well as both guard positions.

ol – kelly saalfeld(1977-79), Columbus, Neb.

A two-year starter at center, the 6-4, 249-pound Saalfeld was

among former Cornhusker offensive line coach Milt Tenopir’s fa-

vorite walk-ons. He was first-team all-conference and a first-team

Academic All-American as a senior, also earning third-team

All-America honors from The Football News.

ol – adam treu(1994-96), Lincoln, Neb.

Treu was a recruited walk-on, based on his athleti-

cism as displayed during a high school basketball game

Tom Osborne attended. He started 12 games at left

tackle and was the deep-snapper as a senior, after

playing in 12 games in 1995 and five games in 1994.

ol – keven lightner(1985-87), Hastings, Neb.

The 6-2, 285-pound Lightner earned first-team All-Big Eight recogni-

tion from United Press International as a senior, starting at tackle,

after alternating as a junior. He set a school record on the strength

index, based on clean, bench and squat lifting ability, after arriving as a

230-pound walk-on. His 40 time dropped from 5.37 to 4.98 at Nebraska.

te – matt shaw(1992-94), Lincoln, Neb.

Though Shaw didn’t catch a pass during his varsity career (he caught

two touchdown passes for the junior varsity in 1990), he was the epitome

of a walk-on, working his way up after redshirting. He was a tenacious

blocker, starting all but three games in a rotation with Mark Gilman

and Eric Alford on the 1994 national championship team. He also was

an Academic All-American that season. Among others who deserve

serious consideration at tight end are Mitch Krenk (1981-82) and Gerald

Armstrong (1991-93), both Nebraskans – Krenk from Nebraska City,

Armstrong from Ponca.

Qb – matt turman(1994-96), Wahoo, Neb.

With Tommie Frazier sidelined by blood clots and Brook Berringer

slowed by the effects of a collapsed lung, he started the Kansas State game

at Manhattan in 1994 and immediately became a fan favorite. That game

was his only start. The “Turmanator” was the son of a high school football

coach. He rushed for five touchdowns and passed for four during his career.

ib – isaiah hipp(1977-79), Chapin, S.C.

Sports information director Don Bryant promoted Hipp by using his

initials, I.M., and referring to him as “college football’s most famous

walk-on.” He finished as the school’s career-rushing leader, with 2,814

yards and 21 touchdowns, gaining at least 100 yards 10 times. Hipp

had to borrow money for a plane ticket to get to Nebraska. He was

hampered by a “turf toe” his senior year.

fb – joel makovicka(1995-98), Brainard, Neb.

The second of four Makovicka brothers to walk on, Joel rushed for

1,447 yards and 13 touchdowns, still tops among Cornhusker fullbacks.

He was a two-year starter, two-time Academic All-American, co-captain

and member of two national championship teams.

pk – dale klein(1984-86), Seward, Neb.

Klein is best remembered for the Missouri game in 1985. After twice

losing the starting job that season, he tied an NCAA record by kicking seven

field goals (in seven attempts) in a 28-20 victory against the Tigers on a wet

field in Columbia. Five of the field goals came in the first half, an NCAA

record. He also kicked an extra point for a Big Eight record 22 points by kick

scoring. The kicks were from 32, 22, 43, 44, 29, 43 and 43 yards.

dates back to devaney era



de – jimmy williams(1979-81), Washington, D.C.

The 6-3 Williams weighed 180 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in

4.8 seconds when he and his brother Toby walked on. By his senior year,

Jimmy weighed 215 pounds and ran the 40 in a team-best 4.34 seconds

during spring testing. He was the UPI Big Eight “Defensive Player of

the Year” as a senior and earned first-team All-America recognition

from the Associated Press and Walter Camp Foundation. He also was a

co-captain.

dt – tim rother(1986-87), Bellevue, Neb.

The 1987 Nebraska media guide described him as possibly the best

second-string defensive lineman in the country, after backing up Lee

Jones in a front that also included Neil Smith at tackle. With Jones ham-

pered by injury, Rother shed the second-team status as a senior, leading

the team with 10 sacks and earning first-team All-Big Eight recognition.

dt – toby williams(1980-82), Washington, D.C.

Jimmy Williams’ older brother redshirted his second season at

Nebraska, then earned Big Eight “Defensive Newcomer of the Year”

recognition from the Associated Press as a sophomore, starting part-time.

He was hampered by injuries and illness as a junior but came back strong

as a senior, earning second-team all-conference recognition despite miss-

ing two games late in the season because of a knee strain.

mg – mike murray(1987-89), Chicago, Ill.

The 5-10, 240-pound Murray didn’t have the size of a major col-

lege middle guard. But he had the heart and determination that have

characterized Cornhusker walk-ons. He backed up Lawrence Pete for

two seasons then earned the starting job as a senior. He started at middle

guard on the freshman team, was the second-leading tackler and didn’t

redshirt.

de – derrie nelson(1978-80), Fairmont, Neb.

The athletic Nelson was second to none in intensity. He was a three-

year starter, two-time, first-team All-Big Eight honoree, the Big Eight

“Defensive Player of the Year” in 1980 and a co-captain. He also earned

first-team All-America recognition from both the Football Writers of

America and The Football News as a senior. His high school coach was

Matt Turman’s dad.

re – jared tomich(1994-96), St. John, Ind.

Tomich, who played opposite Grant Wistrom, earned first-team

All-America recognition twice, from the Walter Camp Foundation as a

senior and from the Associated Press as a junior, when he led the 1995

national championship team in sacks with 10. He finished his career

with 26 tackles-for-loss, including 16 sacks, caused seven fumbles and

recovered three.

lb – clete pillen(1974-76), Monroe, Neb.

The 6-foot, 206-pound Pillen was the Cornhuskers’ leading tackler as

a junior (134) and senior (137), when he was a co-captain. He was the

United Press International Big Eight “Defensive Player of the Year” in

1976 and consensus first-team all-conference. He also earned second-

team All-America recognition from both the Associated Press and UPI.

He finished second on Nebraska’s career-tackles list, behind only Jerry

Murtaugh (1968-70).

lb - bruce dunning(1977-78), Arvada, Colo.

Dunning lettered twice but he played essentially just one season,

evidence of the perseverance and determination of walk-ons. He played

on the freshman team in 1974, redshirted in 1975 and didn’t see action

in 1976. As a junior, he contributed on special teams. As a senior, he was

the starting strongside linebacker and finished second on the team with

113 tackles, 52 unassisted. He also recovered two fumbles and inter-

cepted a pass for a team that defeated Oklahoma for the first time under

Osborne and might have played for a national championship if not for

a loss against Missouri in the final game of the

regular season.


Clete Pillen


reCruited walk-ons, 2008Bo Pelini supplemented his first recruiting class with a large

group of walk-ons. The names of those who have been accepted

for admission by the university can be released.

Most are from Nebraska. But there are a couple of Thomas

Lawsons on the list, including David Pillen from Stephen F. Austin

High School in Sugar Land, Texas. His dad, Clete, earned a place on

the Huskers Illustrated Tom Osborne Era All-Walk-on team.

nAME POS. HT. WT. HOMETOWn

Kenny Anderson DE 6-2 235 Omaha, Neb.

Damon Bechtold TE 6-4 215 Omaha, Neb.

Jase Dean FS 6-0 180 Bridgeport, Neb.

Taylor Dixon DB 5-11 170 Wauneta, Neb.

Tanner Foxhoven LB 6-3 210 Crofton, Neb.

Matt Holt RB/LB 6-0 200 Lee’s Summit, Mo.

KC Hyland WR 6-6 195 Lincoln, Neb.

Justin Jackson DL 6-3 255 Roca, Neb.

Jordan Makovicka RB 5-10 170 Ulysses, Neb.

Matt Manninger LB 6-1 225 Omaha, Neb.

Mychael McClure LB 6-5 210 Wisner, Neb.

Colin McDermott LB 6-2 225 Omaha, Neb.

Conor McDermott DE 6-2 230 Omaha, Neb.

Sam Meginnis LE 6-2 210 Lincoln, Neb.

Derek Meyer OL 6-5 300 Silver Lake, Neb.

Josh Molek DE 6-3 235 Omaha, Neb.

Brent Moravec FB/LB 6-0 180 Grand Island, Neb.

David Pillen FB/LB 5-11 230 Sugar Land, Texas

Zach Ruiz QB/ATH 6-3 210 Beatrice, Neb.

Marcus Smith LB 6-1 195 Crete, Neb.

Steve Spratte WR 5-11 180 Waukesha, Wis.

Graham Stoddard LB 6-2 215 Lincoln, Neb.

Brian Thorson OL 6-3 280 Omaha, Neb.

Jeremy Wallace RB 6-1 220 Omaha, Neb.

Brandon Brown RB/DB 5-10 205 Lincoln, Neb.

Seung Hoon Choi OL 6-2 320 Lincoln, Neb.

Ronnell Grixby DB 5-10 205 Omaha, Neb.

Brett Maher K 6-0 170 Kearney, Neb.

lb – mark daum(1982-84), Dix, Neb.

An eight-man player at a western Nebraska high school, Daum was the

team’s second-leading tackler in 1984. His toughness wasn’t questioned.

He suffered a knee injury against Iowa State as a junior and eight days after

arthroscopic surgery, he was back on the practice field. He missed only one

game and finished the season with 93 tackles, including nine for losses.

db – charles fryar(1986-88), Burlington, N.J.

The cousin of former Cornhusker wingback Irving Fryar was a three-

year starter at right cornerback. He broke up four passes as a senior to

tie the school career record, shared by three other players. Fryar tied the

school single-season record for pass break-ups with eight as a sophomore.

He earned first-team all-conference honors as a senior.

db – ric lindQuist(1979-81), Plattsmouth, Neb.

The 5-9, 180-pound Lindquist was a three-year starter at left cor-

nerback. He earned all-conference recognition as a senior, when the

Cornhuskers led the nation in pass defense, and was a first-team Academic

All-American with a pre-law major. He tied the school record for intercep-

tions in a game as a sophomore, with three in a 48-14 victory against

Kansas State.

db – rodney lewis(1979-81), Minneapolis, Minn.

Lewis came to Nebraska along with high school teammate Russell

Gary, a scholarship recruit and first-team All-Big Eight safety in 1980.

Lewis redshirted. Gary did not. Lewis started his final two seasons at

cornerback. He also competed for the Cornhusker track and field team,

qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 330-yard dash in

1980. Lewis was a third-round draft pick of the New Orleans Saints. He

and Gary were teammates with the Saints as well.

db – mark blazek(1986-88), Raymond, Neb.

Blazek’s best season was as a junior, when he started at free safety and

led the secondary in tackles (45) and the team in interceptions (three). He

was a two-time Academic All-American and a co-captain in 1988, when

he backed up both safety positions and started once. He missed the 1985

season to go through basic training with the Army National Guard.

p – jesse kosch(1995-97), Columbus, Neb.

The son of former Cornhusker defensive back Bill Kosch (1969-71) also

earned letters on two national championship teams. His best season was

as a junior in 1996, when he averaged a school-record 44.7 yards per punt.

Bill Lafleur, also an Osborne Era walk-on from Norfolk, broke that record

in 1998. Kosch finished his career with the best punting average in school

history, 41.92 yards. Lafleur would have broken that, too, but didn’t have

sufficient punts. Neither mark still stands. Both are held by walk-ons, Sam

Koch and Dan Hadenfeldt.

Continuing the walk-on tradition




alk-on? No way. Surely,

you’re on scholarship.

Thomas Lawson

often got such a response

during his freshman year at Nebraska. A

teammate would meet him for the first

time and assume he was on scholarship.

After all, why would someone from

Parker, Colo., walk on at Nebraska?

Walk-ons were supposed to be in-state

athletes who grew up wanting to play for

the Cornhuskers.

Except for the in-state part, that

described Lawson. He grew up a

Cornhusker fan from watching them

on television. They were always in the

national rankings, always playing in

bowl games. And Lawson wanted to

play for them, “to be part of something

big,” he said.

During his senior year at Ponderosa

High School, he thought

he might have that

opportunity. He was

a running back in a

wing-T offense on a state

championship team. He

rushed for 1,800 yards that

season. And he earned the

most valuable player award in

the state title game.

Frank Solich was Nebraska’s

coach at the time. And the

Cornhuskers talked to him about

walking on. After Solich was fired,

however, the interest disappeared.

Lawson set aside his dream of playing

for Nebraska and committed to walking

on at Colorado State. In the late summer,

he moved into the dorms in Fort Collins

and began preparing. The Colorado

State coaches told him they planned to

play him at linebacker. And if things

worked out, he would be able to earn a

scholarship, they assured him.

Then one day on the way to a pre-

season workout, Lawson got a call on

his cell phone from then-Nebraska

running backs coach Randy Jordan. Was

he interested in walking on?

Was he interested? Lawson couldn’t

believe his good fortune. He returned to

the dorm, wrapped his belongings in a

sheet, tied it up, tossed it in the trunk of

his car and headed west to Lincoln. He

told no one he was leaving. He didn’t

want to jeopardize the opportunity.

That was a positive about being

a walk-on. Classes hadn’t begun at

Colorado State, so he wasn’t bound to

remain in Fort Collins. He didn’t need a

scholarship release.

Though he’d like a scholarship, of

course, another positive of being a walk-

on is what it has taught him, “to stick

with it, to keep my work ethic up,” he

said.“You get one chance and if you mess

up, you get put to the back of the line.”

Lawson started from the bottom, as

he expected he would. He played on

the scout squad his first two seasons,

beginning as an I-back and then moving

to fullback after he gained weight.

He played at 263 pounds last

season, figuring the more weight he

carried, the more effective he would be

as a blocker. “I was just kind of eating

whatever,” he said.

Not so now. He expects to play at

between 240 to 245 his senior season.

Even during his third season, when

he was no longer practicing on the scout

squad, he wondered if he would ever

see significant action. Dane Todd was a

fixture at fullback, in his second season

as the starter, with walk-on Matt Senske

as the top back-up.

Lawson’s dad kept encouraging him,

as did Todd, “who took me under his

wing when I first got here. We hit it off.

Everything I had a question on, he had

an answer,” said Lawson. “It’s always

good to have someone there to lean on

since you’re away from home.

“He’d always tell me, ‘Man, just keep

your head up. I know what you can do,

just keep pushing.’ I can give it up to

Dane Todd. It’s like, ‘Look at me now.’”

Lawson alternated with Andy Sand

last season, starting twice and catching

three passes, all of them for touchdowns.

The first came against Iowa State (as did

the second). Sam Keller threw the pass,

on a “pivot” play. Lawson held on that

time, after dropping one against Nevada.

“It was cool. I’m never going to forget

it,” Lawson said.

He has the ball in his apartment,

signed and dated.

Despite wondering if he would get

an opportunity, “I always knew I could

play. I knew I had the ability. I just didn’t

know when my card was going to be

pulled,” he said.

It was pulled. And he was

prepared.

His story isn’t much different

from that of most walk-ons, except

that he’s from Colorado. He’s paying

his own way, playing for love of

the game and earning a degree in

communications. Typically, walk-ons

understand the importance of an

education.

“I wouldn’t change it for the

world,” he said.

Walk-on Wonderyou’ve dreamt of being a Husker your entire life. Would you drop whatever you’re doing when you finally get the call? Thomas Lawson did and now he’s reaping the benefits.

w by Mike Babcock



Father Figure

Bo Pelini has worked with some

of the biggest names in football.

But none of them can match

the influence of a retired

pharmaceutical salesman in

youngstown, ohio.

B y S T E v E S I p p L E


long list of coaches – a

lot of people, period

– have influenced Bo

Pelini’s development

as a coach since his start in the

business in 1991. There have been

too many influences to list. And

anyway, Pelini wouldn’t want to

leave out anybody.

However, the new Nebraska head

football coach doesn’t mind listing

one of his primary influences - his

father Anthony Pelini.

Bo Pelini said his father’s

impact began to take hold when

Bo was a kid playing a variety

of sports in his hometown of

Youngstown, Ohio. Anthony

Pelini taught his five sons to play

sports with a sense of pride and

respect for the game.

“That meant acting the right

way, which I didn’t always do,”

said 40-year-old Bo Pelini, the

youngest of five brothers. “But I

heard about it when I didn’t.”

His father’s tenets help guide

Pelini to this day. Play hard.

Play with sportsmanship. Be a

team player. Don’t worry about

individuality. Represent your

team the right way all the time –

not only in your play, but also in

your conduct.

“My dad would never criticize

me for how I played,” Bo Pelini

said. “But if I got a technical or

threw my helmet or something

like that, there was hell to pay

when I walked in my home. He

wouldn’t scream and yell, but he’d

say, ‘If you want to play, you’re

going to do it the right way.’

“Believe me,” Bo Pelini said,

“that went a long way.”

Nebraska fans by this time

probably have a good feel for

Pelini’s football coaching

background. He got his start in

1991 as a graduate assistant at

Iowa, then spent a year as an

assistant at Cardinal Mooney

High in Youngstown. Then came

his big break – a chance to work

as an assistant for the NFL San

Francisco 49ers. He ended up

working a total of nine years as

an NFL assistant before landing

a job as the Huskers’ defensive

coordinator in 2003.

Stints as a co-defensive

coordinator at Oklahoma (2004)

and defensive coordinator

at Louisiana State (2005-07)

preceded his return to Nebraska

as a first-time head coach.

In some ways, Husker fans

are still getting to know their

new head coach. Since being

formally hired Dec. 2, Pelini has

worked hard to instill a disciplined

approach on and off the field. He’s

been known to show up at Lincoln

downtown taverns to check if

players are abiding by team rules.

He also shows up in campus

classrooms on occasion to make

sure players are attending.

Anthony Pelini, a retired

pharmaceuticals salesman

who still lives in Youngstown,

probably would appreciate such

diligence from a coach.

In addition to his father’s

influence, Pelini’s coaching

style was shaped in part by

his experiences as a youth in

Youngstown, where he was a

multi-sport star at Cardinal

Mooney.

“I always go back to my high

school days as a key period,” Pelini

said. “We had good talent, don’t

get me wrong. But I saw how

the commitment part of things

and the sacrifice and the team-

building and the stresses from the

coaches to do things the right way

and be committed to team - all

those things are what I thought

separated us from everybody else

and enabled us to overachieve.

“It sticks with you.”

Those close to Pelini will tell

you that he’s found his calling,

that he’s a natural leader. But

Pelini at one point actually

considered another profession.

In the months before he was

hired by the 49ers in 1994, Pelini

was considering getting out of

coaching. He had a job offer from

Nike in sales and marketing and

was looking to start a career. It

seemed a good fit. “At that time,

I didn’t see myself wanting to be

a graduate assistant somewhere

for eight years and waiting for my

opportunity,” he said.

But San Francisco called, and

he seized the opportunity. He was

in his mid-20s. He originally was

hired to be part of the scouting

department. Whatever. He was

just thrilled to get a chance to get

his foot in the door. He almost

immediately was promoted to

assistant secondary coach and

wound up spending three seasons

with the franchise.

“How many times does an

opportunity like that come

around?” Pelini said. “I figured

I’d put my time in and see where

it went. Fortunately, I was given a

unique opportunity to move into

coaching really quickly.”

Nebraska fans have long since

gotten a feel for Pelini’s aura of

confidence. Tim McDonald got a

taste of it in 1994, as a Pro Bowl

strong safety with the Niners.

McDonald was a 29-year-old NFL

veteran when Pelini arrived on the

scene in San Francisco. McDonald

recalls Pelini being assertive in

meeting rooms and practices.

“That’s why Bo is where he is

right now,” said McDonald, now

43. “He was never afraid to test the

waters. If something didn’t sound

right, if something didn’t feel right,

Bo would step up and say, ‘Hey,

let’s work our way through this.’

“He would work with the

players and listen to the players.

But at the same time, he was

strong enough to say, ‘This is

right and this is the way we

should go about it.’”

Pelini’s coaching foundation

was fortified by teaching the likes

Father Figure

by Steve Sipplea

“My dad would never criticize me for

how I played. But if I got a technical or

threw my helmet or something like that,

there was hell to pay when I walked in

my home.” bo pelini


So, Bo Pelini was a heck of a high school

basketball player. In fact, he was the only

athlete ever from Cardinal Mooney High

School to play in the Ohio North-South all-

star game in football and basketball.

Who knew former Missouri basketball coach

Norm Stewart recruited Pelini?

Pelini has been known to keep a basketball

in his office at Memorial Stadium. He grew

up idolizing NBA players such as Dennis

Johnson and Elvin Hayes.

Is Bo a LeBron fan? Not especially, he said.

As a baseball fan growing up in Youngstown,

Ohio, Pelini followed the Cleveland Indians

and Pittsburgh Pirates (Pittsburgh is about 65

miles southeast of Youngstown).

"I didn't really get caught up in the teams as

much as I liked certain players," Pelini said.

Pelini remembers liking Pirates such as Willie

Stargell and Omar Moreno. His favorite

Indians included Duane Kuiper and Rick

Manning.

Pelini obviously was a fan of the Cleveland

Browns and followed the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Indeed, Mark "Bo" Pelini's nickname came

from Bo Scott, a former hard-nosed Browns

running back.

Pelini's also a boxing fan. Sugar Ray

Leonard and Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini

– a Youngstown native – were among his

favorites.

– Steven M. Sipple

of McDonald, free safety Merton Hanks and

cornerback Deion Sanders. Pelini also speaks

of the influence of former Niners head coach

George Seifert and assistants Pete Carroll and

Ray Rhodes.

“I saw how they attacked the job

psychologically and found ways to reach guys,”

Pelini said. “I saw how they communicated with

people. When you’re at the pro level when you

start (as a coach), you see at a young age the

levels you need to coach at and how much the

psychological part of the game comes into play.

I believe I was exposed to the right things early

on, and it really helped

shape me.”

In the NFL – he later

had stints as a linebackers

coach at both New

England (1997-99) and

Green Bay (2000-02) –

Pelini also was struck

by the commitment of

certain players.

“You see how they

practice and how hard

they work,” he said. “So

you try to stress to the

college guys that, ‘Hey,

if you have any aspirations to get to the NFL

level, you can either wait to try to adapt to that

level when you get there, or you can start to

approach the game that way right now and put

yourself that much further ahead.’ ”

The psychological part of coaching is “huge”

at every level, Pelini said.

“It’s a matter of finding ways to reach guys,”

he said. “The thing is, everybody’s different.

That’s what you learn. Every single guy is

different. Players have different hot buttons,

different cultural backgrounds, different family

backgrounds. You have to find a way to reach

all different sorts of people. The bottom line is,

you can’t treat everybody uniformly.”

In terms of reaching different types of

players, his extensive coaching resume to this

point in his career “is a huge benefit,” he said.

But his coaching style actually began to take

shape during all those days on the playgrounds

and gyms around Youngstown (pop. 80,000),

competing with and against neighborhood kids

and his brothers.

“I just had such a good experience with

sports growing up,” Pelini said. “I was into the

strategic parts of all sports. Coaching’s kind of

in my blood, I guess.

“You have to understand, where I grew up

was blue collar. That kind of work ethic, and

those kinds of values, I think it all goes hand-in-

hand with athletics. It all relates.”

Football became Pelini’s best sport. But

he also excelled as a basketball player in high

school (he was Mooney’s first 1,000-point

scorer). Playing point guard and off-guard, the

6-2 Pelini was talented and polished enough

to be recruited by “a number of” Division I

programs, he said, most notably Missouri and

head coach Norm Stewart.

“I had chances to commit to some schools

early,” Pelini said. “I don’t know how it would

have played out. When I didn’t commit early,

schools knew I was going to play football.

It was pretty much

assumed.”

Pelini played free

safety at Ohio State,

where he was a three-time

Academic All-Big Ten

selection and team captain

as a senior in 1990. All

those lessons learned at

Cardinal Mooney paid

dividends.

His father was

watching all the while –

mainly to make sure his

sons were working hard to

improve. Anthony Pelini instilled work ethic in

his sons before they could shave.

“It was never about stats,” Bo Pelini said.

“Going 3-for-3 in a baseball game, he didn’t

care about that, as long as I was giving my

best effort. He stressed that if you want to be

good, you have to do more than the next guy.

If you’re a basketball player, you have to be out

there shooting balls. If you miss free throws,

you’d better shoot 100. You had better practice

your trade at home.”

Pelini could even practice batting in his

home’s garage, where his father hung a baseball

from the ceiling on a cable. He even mapped

out a batter’s box.

“He didn’t sit there and watch me do it,

but he’d have things to say like, ‘This is how

you practice. This is what you do. You’re

not just going to show up and be good,’ ” Bo

Pelini recalls.

Pelini’s four older brothers – including Carl,

the Huskers’ defensive coordinator – also had a

huge impact on his development as an athlete

and person. Bo listened to his brothers’ wisdom.

“They would take me to the playground and

I’d play basketball against the older kids,” Bo

recalls. “Even though I was a little over my

head, they would take care of me.

“I learned a lot of lessons doing that stuff.”

Lessons that guide him to this day.

gETTINg To kNow Bo

wILLIE STargELL


Todd&Tylerhen Tyler Wortman

and Todd Peterson

agreed to walk on to

the Nebraska football

team in 2003, neither knew quite

what to expect.

As it turned out, that was

probably a good thing because

as the two Grand Island Central

Catholic graduates prepare

for their final season with the

Cornhuskers, both said they

could never have imagined the

almost surreal path their careers

have taken. From having contact

with three different coaching

staffs to experiencing Nebraska’s

first two losing seasons in the

past four decades, it has indeed

been a wild ride.

Peterson and Wortman were

asked to walk on by Frank Solich’s

staff. They then spent four years

under Bill Callahan and now, Bo

Pelini is Nebraska’s head coach.

“I don’t ever look back on it

too much, but when I do, you

realize that it has just been kind

of a crazy set of events,” said

Peterson, a senior wide receiver.

“It has been kind of a wacky,

winding road.”

There certainly have been

plenty of twists and turns.

“This has been something

that you would never have been

expecting, going into it,” said

Wortman, a senior linebacker.

“You just kind of have to roll

with the punches and keep

going.”

If there’s a constant thread

through the college football

careers of Peterson and

Wortman, it would have to be

perseverance. As roommates and

friends, Wortman and Peterson

have encouraged each other

to press on, especially during

troubled times.

Wortman’s path to a potential

spot in the starting lineup has

been filled with many hurdles. He

suffered a severely broken leg in

practice as a true freshman and

found himself stacked behind a

large group of more experienced

linebackers the past three

seasons before finally seeing

playing time in 2007.

After a standout performance

in this year’s Red-White Spring

Game, it appears Wortman’s

determination is on the verge of

finally paying off.

“There were a lot of situations

in the past where I was working

hard, but just seemed to

be staying under the radar,”

Wortman said. “Now, I hope

to be able to get out there in

the fall and get quite a bit of

playing time.”

No one has been happier to

see Wortman’s emergence than

Peterson.

“Tyler has been through a

lot,” Peterson said. “It was very

gratifying for him in the spring

game. I was glad that he got a lot

of recognition for the game that

he put up.

“All the hard work that he’s

been putting in behind the

scenes the past few years is

starting to pay off for him, and I

know that he’ll continue to work

hard to make the most of this

opportunity.”

n turn, Wortman said

he’s always taken

great inspiration from

watching Peterson’s career.

Peterson, who started

receiving playing time as a

redshirt freshman in 2005,

heads into his senior season

with 46 career receptions for

816 yards for an average of

17.7 yards per catch. The 6-4,

215-pounder is 184 receiving

yards shy of becoming the 17th

player in school history with

1,000 receiving yards and has a

chance to move into NU’s career

receptions and touchdown

receptions list.

w

I

by terry douglass


grand Island natives have no regrets“I have been really proud that

Todd was able to do as well as he

has been doing,” Wortman said. “I

remember watching him on TV in

away games and thinking that he

was doing really well, and it just

made me think that I could be

doing the same. I just had to keep

working at it.”

Even though Peterson saw the

field much earlier than Wortman,

the former high school basketball

standout said that early in his

career, he sometimes questioned

his decision to try and play at

Nebraska. He even wondered if

he’d picked the wrong sport.

“There were times when I

wondered if it wouldn’t have been

a good idea to transfer somewhere

smaller and play college basketball,

but I just kept with it,” Peterson

said. “I always tell people that if

you’re going to come here and try

to play at this level, you’ve got to

love football and you’ve got to love

competition.

“It’s so time-consuming and

so demanding that if you don’t

love it and want to do it every

day, then you’re going to be

miserable.”

iserable is probably

the best word to

describe the all-too-

common feeling for the Huskers

last year as they endured a 5-7

season.

nderstandably, Peterson and

Wortman said they try not to

spend much time looking back at

last season. That’s especially the

case on defense where Nebraska

set numerous records — not the

good kind — including allowing

a program-worst 76 points in a

loss at Kansas.

“It’s over with and it’s gone.

We’re not focusing on anything

from last year at all,” Wortman

said. “I think a lot of guys want

to improve greatly from that. We

want to focus on this season and

not waste our time on last year.”

Moving on was one of the

central themes brought to

Nebraska by Pelini and his

coaching staff.

“I think the morale of the

team is up a lot, which is good

because it was getting down

really bad, especially toward the

end of last season,” Wortman said.

“Everybody’s excited now and

Coach Pelini does a really good

job of just getting everybody

pumped up.”

Peterson agreed.

“So far, these coaches have

just been extremely upbeat

and positive and trying to keep

that positive energy around,”

Peterson said. “Obviously, that’s

easier when you haven’t gone

through any real adversity yet,

but I think that was something

they could probably sense in us

when they came is that we had

a lot of negative energy left over.”

While there are new coaches

and a new attitude on the team,

Peterson said Pelini’s decision

to retain offensive coordinator

Shawn Watson and wide receivers

coach Ted Gilmore gave a major

boost to the offense. Instead of

starting over, Peterson said he

feels like an experienced unit

that includes fifth-year senior

quarterback Joe Ganz, senior

running back Marlon Lucky,

senior receiver Nate Swift and a

veteran offensive line, can hit the

ground running.

“I can’t even tell you how

excited I was when I heard that

both of those guys were going to

get to stick around,” Peterson said.

Ever after starting from

scratch in the spring, Wortman

said there are also positive

feelings on the defensive side

of the ball. He said the system

installed by Pelini allows players

to do more reacting and less

thinking.

“It’s not simple in a bad way,

but the concepts are easier to

grasp,” Wortman said. “Everything

we do is predicated on a couple

of base defenses and that makes

it a lot easier than before.

“Before, we would put in new

defenses every week and they’d

just be really difficult for us to get

the hang of right away and that

kind of hurt us.”

All the changes have Wortman

and Peterson looking forward to

seeing how their careers finally

play out.

“I’m just excited to see where

this team can go, not only this

year, but in the future because

I think this program is going to

have a bright future,” Peterson

said. “I’m biased, of course, but

that’s what I think.”

m


Zach Potter


Andthe

thepride

fo blackshirt

Zach Potter


specialist, that’s what

Zach Potter was as a

freshman. He was known

in the residence hall,

where he roomed with grayshirt

Jacob Hickman, as the guy who

blocked kicks.

He earned the designation three

games into his freshman season.

Here’s how.

Less than 5 minutes into the

Pittsburgh game with no score,

Panthers’ coach Dave Wannstedt,

perhaps anticipating the defensive

battle the game would be, sent

All-Big East place-kicker Josh

Cummings onto the field to

attempt a 42-yard field goal.

Cummings’ kick had no chance.

Potter blocked it from the middle

of the line.

The block would have

implications at game’s end.

With 1 second remaining and

Nebraska clinging to a 7-6 lead,

Wannstedt sent Cummings back

onto the field to attempt a fifth field

goal. In addition to the one Potter

blocked, Cummings had missed

once and been successful from

38 and 27 yards during the third

quarter.

This time, the attempt would

be from 46 yards. If successful,

Pittsburgh would win.

Pittsburgh knew it had to

account for the 6-7 Potter and 6-3

Barry Turner, also a freshman.

Turner lined up over the middle on

the field goal block team, too.

The Cornhuskers knew

Pittsburgh’s blocking scheme on

field goals, not only because they

had seen it four times in the game

already but also because it was the

same as theirs.

As the final second went off the

clock, Adam Ickes lunged from

Cummings’ left and deflected

the ball. At the same time, a

leaping Potter extended his right

arm above everyone else’s. If

Ickes hadn’t deflected the ball,

Potter might have, as the cover

of Huskers Illustrated the next

week showed. Potter and Turner

probably deserved assists on

the play. The Panthers were so

concerned about accounting for

them that they allowed Ickes to

break through.

In any case, Potter’s reputation

as a kick-blocker was set. And it

was solidified seven games later,

when he blocked an extra-point

attempt in a 27-25 victory against

Kansas State.

That was nearly three years

ago. Much has changed. Potter is

more mature, probably 25 pounds

heavier. He’s wiser for having

backed-up Adam Carriker, who

left as a first-round draft choice of

the St. Louis Rams a season ago.

And he’s learning the philosophies

of a third position coach, John

Papuchis, and a second defensive

coordinator, Carl Pelini.

Once known as a kick-

blocker, “now I can look in the

mirror and honestly say I’m

a Blackshirt,” said the senior

defensive end. “I play defense.

I take pride in being a Blackshirt,

being on the d-line here.”

Technically, Potter isn’t a

Blackshirt right now, though Carl

Pelini has indicated the tradition

will be restored in the fall. And

barring the unforeseen, Potter is

certain to get one again.

He was a Blackshirt for fewer

than 50 days last season. He

received a black practice jersey

with his name and number (98)

on the Tuesday before the 2007

opener against Nevada. He was

among 15 players to earn them,

including five others for the first

time.

The first thing he did was call

his dad. Then he called his mom.

Getting the Blackshirt was a

rush. Less than two months later,

he called his parents to say the

Blackshirt was gone.

After a 45-14 loss against

Oklahoma State, in which the

Cowboys passed for 234 yards

and rushed for 317 yards, the

Blackshirts were taken away.

“They stripped the whole

defense and said we could earn

them back,” said Potter, who

made a career-high-tying six

tackles that day. “But none of us

earned them back.”

Some might have, Potter among

them. After all, he did earn All-Big

12 honorable mention from the

conference coaches. “But it’s a

team effort,” he said. “We tried

to play as much as a team as we

could. Stripping the Blackshirts

was the only thing to do.”

Potter understands the

Blackshirt tradition in a

special way, having grown up

in Nebraska. Although as a

youngster, basketball was his

Zach PotterAndthe

thepride

fo blackshirtby Mike Babcocka


favorite sport. Even though he first

played organized football when he

was a sixth-grader, he didn’t get

serious until after his sophomore

year at Omaha Creighton Prep.

That’s when Nebraska offered a

scholarship.

Frank Solich was the head

coach then. After Solich was fired

and Callahan hired, Potter was

uncertain about his status as a

Cornhusker scholarship recruit.

He also was considering, among

other schools, Notre Dame, which

took a serious interest in him and

vice versa. “I liked Notre Dame

a lot,” he said. But distance was

a factor. Attending games would

have been more difficult for his

parents. His dad lives in Omaha,

his mom in Fremont, Neb. And,

of course, growing up in Nebraska

meant something, too.

Plus, Notre Dame was going

through a coaching change.

Charlie Weis was replacing Tyrone

Willingham. Potter figured that

since Nebraska had already

gone through such a change and

Callahan had been in place for a

year, there would be stability.

“Obviously, that backfired on

me,” said Potter.

Nebraska’s coaching change

had been “nerve-wracking.” Potter

had the scholarship offer from

Solich, but nothing in writing,

no certainty Callahan would be

interested. His concern was quickly

alleviated, however. A couple of

days after becoming head coach,

Callahan visited Creighton Prep

and watched basketball practice.

The offer was still good.

Potter moved to Lincoln during

the summer to begin preparing

for a freshman season in which he

hoped to play despite the presence

of Carriker, a returning starter and

dominating presence at base end,

the position Potter planned to play.

Carriker immediately

befriended him. Potter even hung

out at Carriker’s apartment,

playing video games. During

summer workouts, Carriker

showed him how to use his hands,

how he couldn’t rely only on his

size and athleticism, as he had

done in high school.

In high school, players

of Potter’s ability don’t need

technique.

“You just go,” said Potter.

“I think that was the biggest

adjustment I had to make my

freshman year down here. You

have to keep your pads low and

use your hands. In high school,

you can just stay high and not use

your hands, just use swim move

after swim move after swim move

and you’ll be fine because you’re

bigger than everybody else.”

He wasn’t bigger than Carriker,

that’s for sure. And he didn’t have

illusions about earning a starting

position as long as Carriker was

healthy. Even so, he wanted to play

without redshirting. And defensive

line coach John Blake gave him the

opportunity, indirectly.

By the end of preseason

practice, Blake had decided that

Potter would be included on

the travel roster. He could travel

without giving up a redshirt.

If he was going to travel,

assistant Dennis Wagner told

Potter, then he, Wagner, was

going to use him on special teams,

including the field goal team and

the field goal block team. “I was

like, ‘Hey, that’s fine with me.

I just want to get out and play,

contribute,’” Potter said.

“At the time, I was saying, ‘This

is sweet.’ ”

He even got to play a down on

defense here and there in the first

couple of games. But the week

after the Pittsburgh game, a bye

week before the conference opener

against Iowa State, he suffered a

stinger in his left shoulder. He lost

strength in his left arm. From that

point on, he practiced on the scout

team and was used only as a kick-

block specialist.

“I was still doing what I was

basically brought in to do,” he said.

In retrospect, Potter would like

to have that season back.

“Even though we won those

games, it would be nice to say

right now, ‘Hey, I’m going into my

redshirt junior season. I still have

two years left,’ especially now that

Coach (Bo) Pelini is here and how

I could transform in his type of

defense,” said Potter. “I regret not

redshirting, but at the same time, I

think, ‘I had a part in two victories

for our team that year.’

“It seems like forever ago I

was blocking field goals, that’s for

sure.”


trev aLBerts (9-4)

CBS College Sports Network

I think when you look at Bo

Pelini heading into his first year at

Nebraska, there are a lot of things

you have to like. There is such a

familiarity with his coaching staff

and I think that’s really going to

help them in year one with the

overall transition. Then you factor in

that Shawn Watson is back, so the

offense really isn’t going to change

that much. You look at what they are

going to run and I think they’ll show

some remarkable improvement from

a year ago.

I think Nebraska is going to

compete for the Big 12 North and

I think they’ll win nine games. I

think the Virginia Tech game is a

huge game in terms of momentum,

because it comes right before the

Missouri game. If they can win that

Virginia Tech game, I think it can

really get the momentum ball rolling

and lead to a nine-win season.

When you look at Nebraska, it’s

always been about nine wins or

better. Hopefully they can win more

in 2008, but I think this team has

the ability for a nine-win season in

year one under Bo Pelini.

John BishoP (9-4)

KLIN 1400 AM

Some may think this crazy, but

I was this close to picking 10-3.

I am going with the mild upset

at home of the Hokies before

eventual Big 12 champ (yes, I

said it) Missouri hands Bo Pelini

his first defeat as a head coach.

I see other losses at Texas Tech,

at Oklahoma and vs. Kansas (I

believe Mark Mangino is no fluke).

There should be a respectable bowl

trip to a nice location like San

Diego in Nebraska’s future. The

offense should be really good with

a defense that will build confidence

under a coaching staff that breeds

hard work.

oLin Buchanan (8-5)

Rivals.com

Bo Pelini’s defensive expertise will

ensure the Cornhuskers are better,

but how much is the question. I’d

look for them to prevail in games

in which they would obviously

be favored, but the schedule isn’t

very forgiving with games against

Virginia Tech, Missouri, Kansas,

Oklahoma, Texas Tech and

Colorado. I’m betting the Huskers

will improve enough to pull off an

upset, maybe two.

sean caLLahan (9-4)

HuskersIllustrated.com

What I like about 2008 for first year

Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini is

the schedule. Never before has NU

opened the season up with five home

games in a row. This should allow

the Huskers to build up some early

confidence and momentum before

the meat of the Big 12 Conference

schedule. Nebraska obviously wins

its first three games pretty soundly,

and I think with a bye week and

Bo Pelini and Carl Pelini’s previous

knowledge of Virginia Tech from

the 2007 season, the Huskers beat

the Hokies in Lincoln. However, the

following two weeks, I see losses to

both Missouri and Texas Tech.

The Iowa State and Baylor games

should both be wins, but I see NU

losing at Oklahoma and losing one

of their final three games to either

Kansas or Colorado to finish a very

respectable 8-4, after last season’s

disappointing 5-7 year. As for a bowl

game, I’ll say the Huskers will head

to the Insight Bowl in Tempe and

beat Illinois to finish 9-4.

Brian christoPherson (8-5)

Lincoln Journal Star

I believe Nebraska’s offensive output will be similar to last year’s. Combine that with even an average defense (which would be a significant step up from last season), and I think you add a couple of

wins to the regular season, putting them right around 7-5. They’ll win one people don’t think they will and lose one people think they won’t, and probably end up in a place like Shreveport in a winnable bowl game. And as Husker fans know after last year, there are worse things than Shreveport.

toM dienhart (8-5)

The Sporting News

I think Nebraska will go 8-5. I

don’t expect miracles in Pelini’s first

season, but there still is enough for

Big Red to be a bowl team thanks to

what should be a strong offense. And

I expect the defense to compensate

for a lack of talent with a renewed

passion inspired by Pelini. Consider

2008 a transition year as the program

takes its first step back to greatness

under Pelini.

dennis dodd (7-5)

CBS Sportsline.com

This is a borderline bowl team.

Husker Nation has been too wrapped

up in the coaching change to see the

reality of Bo Pelini’s first season. In

the short term, changing coaches is

rarely a good thing. Remember Bill

Callahan’s first year, how did that go

for you Huskers? Here’s a reminder:

From 10-3 to 5-6. I’m actually

predicting a two-game improvement

so no whining about Husker hate.

There are too many swing games

on the schedule, too many to expect

Pelini to perform miracles. Unless

the talent gets a whole lot better real

quick expect a third- or fourth-place

finish in the Big 12 North.

terry douGLass (8-5)

Grand Island Independent

A home-friendly schedule gives

Nebraska an opportunity to get

off to a good start under first-year

coach Bo Pelini. While Virginia

Tech stands out on the non-

conference slate, the Cornhuskers

had better watch out for that season

opener against Western Michigan.

With a salty Big 12 schedule

awaiting, a winning season and a

return to a bowl game would be

a solid accomplishment for this

year’s team.

tiM GriFFin (8-5)

ESPN.com

Bo’s influence is immediate.

Mainly because I can’t believe

the Cornhuskers’ defense can be

anywhere as bad as it was last year.

Look for Nebraska to challenge for

second place in the North Division

and finish the season in San Antonio

or El Paso on their bowl trip with an

8-5 record.

2008 neBraska footBall sCHedule

Sat., Aug. 30 Western Michigan Memorial Stadium TBA

Sat., Sept. 6 San Jose State Memorial Stadium TBA

Sat., Sept. 13 New Mexico State Memorial Stadium TBA

Sat., Sept. 27 Virginia Tech Memorial Stadium TBA

Sat., Oct. 4 Missouri Memorial Stadium TBA

Sat., Oct. 11 Texas Tech at Lubbock, Texas TBA

Sat., Oct. 18 Iowa State at Ames, Iowa TBA

Sat., Oct. 25 Baylor Memorial Stadium TBA

Sat., Nov. 1 Oklahoma at Norman, Okla. TBA

Sat., Nov. 8 Kansas Memorial Stadium TBA

Sat., Nov. 15 Kansas State at Manhattan, Kan. TBA

Fri., Nov. 28 Colorado Memorial Stadium 2:30 p.m. (ABC)

Sat., Dec. 6 Big 12 Championship at Kansas City, Mo. 7 p.m. (ABC) (Arrowhead Stadium)

Huskers Illustrated pestered some of Nebraska’s most notorious media members as well as a number of national names, and forced them to give us their predictions for Nebraska’s first season under head coach Bo Pelini. Answers ranged across the board, but every prognosticator picked a bowl appearance for the Huskers. Check out the logic behind everybody’s picks:

huskerpreview2008 Predictions


Lane GrindLe (8-5)

Husker Sports Network

The 2008 football season is a

pretty big mystery. While everyone

expects a faster, more aggressive

defense, how much faster and more

aggressive will the Huskers be?

That’s a question that few have

answers to right now. I see this team

playing it’s best football late. Five

chances for big wins (Virginia Tech,

Missouri, Texas Tech, Oklahoma,

and Kansas) and I see this team

winning 1 or 2 of them. If they can

do that then an eight-win season

with an Alamo berth is likely.

Things that need to happen: (1)

Anthony Blue recovers from ACL

surgery (2) A young receiver steps

up (Paul, Gilleylen, etc.), (3) Phillip

Dillard emerges as a play-making

linebacker (4) Ndamukong Suh

realizes his potential. If these things

happen, the Huskers far exceed

anyone’s expectations.

BoB haMar (8-5)

Grand Island Independent

Everybody is a Bo Pelini fan,

at least until the Huskers step on

the field. The schedule is brutal to

say the least. Virginia Tech has its

problems, but the Hokies are still

an elite program. Oklahoma and

Missouri are easily top 10 teams

while Texas Tech isn’t far off.

Don’t forget a tough Kansas team

and don’t count that opener against

Western Michigan as an automatic

victory. A 7-5 regular-season record

and a bowl appearance they could

win would make the Huskers 8-5 for

the year. That wouldn’t be bad for

Pelini’s first year as a head coach.

Ken haMBLeton (7-6)


The Cornhuskers will finish 7-6

with a win in a bowl game.

New coach, new attitude should

be refreshing. But same old lack of

depth or experience in the offensive

line, receivers, means it will take some

time for the offense to load and fire.

Defense will have verve and vibrancy,

but no depth at linebacker, or

cornerback. I predicted 7-6 last year

and was hooted at for being negative.

dave hunt (8-5)

KLKN-TV

This is a team that I think will get

better each week. The Big Red lose

to Virginia Tech, Mizzou, Texas

Tech, and Oklahoma, but make

enough strides to take down Kansas

at home late in the year. Nebraska

finishes second or third in the Big 12

North, then loses to Penn State in

the Alamo Bowl.

rich KaiPust (8-5)

Omaha World-Herald

I really believe a major key is at

least splitting those back-to-back

home games with Virginia Tech

and Missouri, with the latter more

important for obvious reasons. NU

won’t win at either Texas Tech or

Oklahoma, but also won’t lose by

a combined 100-13 as in 2004. I

don’t think it would be optimistic

calling for an 8-4 regular season but

more a statement on last season’s

underachieving.

MerLyn KLaus (8-5)

WOWT-TV Sports

The Huskers will be improved on

defense, but there are way too many

unknowns for this team to move any

higher. I like Joe Ganz, but I think he

will really miss Maurice Purify – don’t

see any gamebreakers on offense

except Marlon Lucky. Schedule is

the best thing the Huskers have going

for them – 5 home games to start the

season. I think Bo and company will

ultimately succeed, but I don’t see the

talent to overtake Missouri and Kansas

(and perhaps Colorado) this season.

Kevin KuGLer (9-4)

1620 The Zone/NET Sports

I’m predicting a 9-4 record this

season for Nebraska. I think the

Huskers will start the season with

three straight wins. After they sneak

by a tough test from Virginia Tech,

the Missouri Tigers will grab their

first win in a generation at Memorial

Stadium in Lincoln. A loss in

Lubbock puts the Huskers at 4-2,

before back-to-back wins against

Iowa State and Baylor.

A closer than expected loss in

Norman gives Nebraska a 6-3

record. The Huskers then surprise

Kansas in Lincoln, swamp K-State

in Manhattan and eke out a close

win in the finale vs. Colorado. A

5-3 finish in the Big 12 is good for a

2nd place tie behind North Division

champ Missouri. A loss in the bowl

game ends Bo Pelini’s first year.

Brian rosenthaL (7-6)


It’s logical to think the defense will be

better in 2008. (It can’t get any worse,

right?) An improved defense, although

not a rock-solid one, will mean at

least two more victories than last

season. Nebraska won’t win the Big 12

North, but will return to a bowl game.

Shreveport isn’t the most coveted

destination, but it will do for now.

chris schMidt (10-3)

ESPN Radio 1480 KLMS

I’m predicting a 10-3 season, a win

over Oregon in the Holiday Bowl

and a tie for second in the Big 12

North.

Nebraska will be a much better

and passionate team in 2008. I like

the offensive firepower returning for

NU, which will keep them in most

games. The key game for the Big

Red happens early in the year against

Virginia Tech. If Nebraska can win

that game, it will provide momentum

for the rest of the year. If the

running game can be dependable,

it will help keep the defense off the

field until they find their way. Coach

Pelini will do a great job getting this

group to play with high intensity.

Nebraska is probably a couple years

away from being able to win tough

road games. Kansas State is the one

game I see as a trap game, late in the

season, and pressure on Ron Prince

to perform. A victory over Nebraska

could take some heat off of him.

Jon schuetz (9-4)

KETV Newswatch 7

Nebraska, under new coach Bo

Pelini and staff. will be much, much

better. If they win all of the games

they should win, the team will go

7-5. I think they will pull at least one

surprise for an 8-4 regular season

finish, and let’s make it 9-4 with a

Holiday Bowl win.

The three-game stretch of Virginia

Tech, Missouri and Texas Tech will

tell us a lot about this team. (I have

all of them in my national top 10.)

The defense will be better, but with

the offenses in the Big 12, better may

not be good enough.

MiKe’L severe (8-5)

1620 The Zone

Nebraska starts the season with

a very tough mid-major team.

Western Michigan has a lot of talent

including quarterback Tim Hiller

and one of the best wide receivers

NU will see all year in Jamorko

Simmons.

Nebraska continues its great start

against two very beatable teams in

San Jose State and New Mexico

State. Virginia Tech doesn’t have

enough playmakers to hurt NU in

the secondary, but being at home

helps the Huskers to the close win.

Missouri and Texas Tech throw

the ball too well for NU’s young and

inexperienced secondary. ISU and

Baylor are two of the worst teams

in the Big 12 with Kansas State a

close third. Oklahoma will run for

200-plus yards against the Huskers.

NU returns with a double-overtime

win against Kansas. Kansas State

can’t stay with Nebraska as long as

they play the 3-4, and NU’s O-line

will man-handle the Wildcats. The

season will end on a sour note

against the Buffs, leaving the Huskers

with a, invite to the Holiday Bowl

where they will fall to Arizona State.

GreG sharPe (8-4)

Voice of the Huskers

The one prediction that I’m

confident in for the 2008 Huskers

is that this team will play hard and

determined all season long. Now

trying to figure out how a first year

head coach will fare with a group

that was deflated by the end of

last season is difficult. I see four

games that are “swing” games for

the Huskers in 2008. That equates

to one third of the season. Now the

good news is that all four of those

games are at Memorial Stadium.

Virginia Tech, Missouri, Kansas,

and Colorado are the games that

will decide how good a season the

Huskers will have in 2008.

If NU can split those four games

I can see an 8-4 year, putting the

Huskers back into a bowl game

and back competing with the upper

echelon of the Big 12.

By TERRy DOUGLASS

huskerpreview2008 Predictions


here’s a sense of urgency. Seniors

always feel it.

“This is my last season,” said Lydon

Murtha. “Even though last season was

frustrating, it was more so for the seniors. It

was frustrating for us (non-seniors), too, just

because we contributed to the losses. But we

look to this as the year we need to get it done.”

Matt Slauson was more definitive. “I have

to put on the best show I can so I can get a

ring,” he said. “We have to win the Big 12

championship. It’s going to happen. And we’re

going to go to a BCS (bowl) game. I have to

make sure I tie up all the ends on my side.

“Last year’s done. This is a whole new era

here.”

Whole new era, yes. But Big 12

championship? BCS bowl? Players have to

believe in themselves and their potential,

certainly, though how realistic Slauson’s goals

are remains to be seen. The process of restoring

tradition and developing a culture has just

begun.

“There’s talent here,” Coach Bo Pelini said

following spring practice. “They’re eager and

they’re learning every day. What I’ve seen is

guys getting better. How that’s going to equate

to wins and losses, that’s not something we’re

focused on right now.

“I haven’t even had much time to evaluate

who we’re going to play against and what their

strengths and weaknesses are, how good of

talent they have. But I think there’s talent on

this football team. Our job is to get the most

out of that talent as we possibly can.”

Murtha and Slauson are among two dozen

seniors on Pelini’s first team. And those

seniors must provide leadership to allow the

Cornhuskers to maximize their potential.

From the news conference to introduce

him as head coach, Pelini has emphasized

developing a culture. “I think the key is

having a culture that runs throughout your

football team and finding the right guys to

enforce that culture and promote it,” he said.

“If there’s a crack built in the foundation,

they seal it real quick. I think that’s what’s

happening.

“I think guys are buying in. We’re

developing better relationships and trust that’s

going to help us be successful and stay together

for a long period of time, through good times

and bad, because no matter what, you’re going

to have rocky times and you’re going to have

good times, and you need to have leadership to

Tby Mike Babcock

Seniors look to finish careers on winning notemarLoN LUcky

huskerpreview


offset the bad times.”

Nebraska endured its share of bad times

last season, particularly on defense. It ranked

112th nationally in total defense, 114th in

scoring defense, 116th in rushing defense

and 117th in turnover margin. And the

Blackshirts were pulled after the Oklahoma

State game. “The way we were playing, we

didn’t deserve the (black) jerseys,” senior

defensive tackle Ty Steinkuhler said. “It

didn’t have anything to do with coaching or

anything. It was just bad play.”

Steinkuhler is among six returning starters

on defense. The others are nose tackle

Ndamukong Suh, who missed spring practice

following knee surgery, ends Zach Potter and

Barry Turner, cornerback Armando Murillo

and strong safety Larry Asante.

Despite the defensive deficiencies last

season, there’s reason for optimism.

As former Cornhusker defensive

coordinator Charlie McBride used to say,

if something doesn’t kill you, it will make

you stronger. Players who endured last

season’s frustrations should be better for the

experience. Perhaps the best illustration was

Nebraska’s ranking first in the nation in total

defense in 1984 after struggling with many of

the same players in 1983.

Also, Pelini’s background is defense, and his

resume is impeccable.

When he was Frank Solich’s defensive

coordinator in 2003, the Cornhuskers

ranked first in the nation in pass efficiency

defense, first in turnover margin, second in

scoring defense and 11th in total defense.

They produced a school-record 47 turnovers,

including 36 interceptions.

Last season, they managed only 11

turnovers, including eight interceptions.

Pelini spent one season as co-defensive

coordinator at Oklahoma then three seasons

as defensive coordinator at LSU. The Tigers

ranked third in the nation in total defense in

each of those seasons, and they produced 36

turnovers last season, third-most nationally.

The teams for which Pelini has been

defensive coordinator have been a combined

56-10. His system works. “We obviously have

a different system than what they played here

before,” he said. “But it’s not about the system.

It’s not what you do. It’s how you do it.

“It’s how . . . the passion you play with, the

discipline, the technique, the fundamentals,

the little things that are going to make the

difference in the end. The effort, that comes

first in our defense, how they run to the

football, how we go about our daily business

in every aspect of being football players. What

we’ve tried to do is enforce that every day.”

Pelini and his assistants have tried to leave

no room for interpretation. “We talk about

taking the gray out of it. It’s pretty black and

white what we’re asking them to do,” he said.

“Then the schemes, the X’s and O’s, that

stuff will come in time. But the foundation

has to begin with effort, discipline, trust and

playing team defense, and within that, playing

with the best fundamentals and techniques

possible. The scheme, that comes later.”

Schemes will be addressed “once we start

game-planning,” he said.

Pelini’s philosophy is multiple but simple,

according to linebackers coach Mike Ekeler.

“We’re teaching concepts so once you

understand a concept, you should be able

to build on that. It’s not just a bunch of

memorization,” said Ekeler. “They might do the

same concept in 50 different defenses. Bo’s big

thing is ‘same as.’ That’s what it’s based on.”

n addition to learning “same as”

concepts, the defense swarmed to the

ball in the spring with an enthusiasm

that appeared to be missing by the end

of last season.

Even so, defensive breakdowns weren’t the

only reason for a 5-7 record and staying home

from a bowl game for the second time in four

seasons, after 35 in a row.

“There were stupid comments made here

and there, but nobody really thought that one

side of the ball was the reason (for the losing

record),” Slauson said. “There were times

where the defense played great and the offense

didn’t get it done. Just because numbers wise it

didn’t look very good on defense, it wasn’t just

them. It was everyone. Our offense kept putting

the defense in bad positions with turnovers and

all that. So everyone was at fault.”

Actually, the turnovers often were a result of

forcing things in an effort to overcome deficits.

Still, Slauson’s point is well-taken. Success

depends on a team effort.

Nebraska ranked ninth nationally in total

offense, averaging 468.3 yards, and 28th in

scoring, averaging 33.42 points. So sweeping

changes weren’t needed on that side of the ball.

Shawn Watson was retained as offensive

coordinator, and though he had that title last

season, the offense was Bill Callahan’s. Now it

will have his imprint.

Watson’s credentials are solid, too. He

served as offensive coordinator at Colorado

from 2000 through 2005 and during that time

the Buffaloes won four Big 12 North Division

titles and one Big 12 championship with a

system that incorporated the run as well as

the pass. Their ability to run was never more

apparent than during Nebraska’s visit to

Boulder in 2001.

The Buffaloes rushed for 380 yards that day,

averaging more than 7 yards per carry. Chris

Brown rushed for 198 of those yards and six

touchdowns in a 62-36 victory.

Watson’s system is based on the West Coast

I

joE gaNz

By TERRy DOUGLASS

huskerpreview


shop ad

22 The Cats’ Pause Magazine

www.CatsPause.com Jan. 14, 2006

15The Cats’ Pause Magazine

www.CatsPause.comJan. 14, 2006

Name Pos Stars Ht Wt HometownMoncell Allen RB �� 5-9 215 New Orleans, LAMarckus Boswell WR �� 5-9 170 Greenville, SCChris Cessna LB �� 6-3 207 London, KYAshton Cobb DB �� 6-0 195 Monaca, PAJo'Dane Craigman DE �� 6-4 245 Ukiah, CAT.C. Drake TE �� 6-6 225 Chatham, VAChris Drayton DB �� 6-0 200 Augusta, GAWill Fidler QB �� 6-4 204 Henderson, KYLaRay Foote ATH �� 6-0 180 Memphis, TNChris Goode TE �� 6-4 225 Dunwoody, GACorey Goodson RB �� 6-2 210 Chatham, VAA.J. Grigsby DB �� 6-0 190 Torrence, CACalvin Harrison DB �� 6-0 188 Columbia, SCMichael Hartline QB �� 6-6 179 Canton, OHJustin Jefferies OL �� 6-5 300 Louisville, KYMicah Johnson DE �� 6-2 267 Ft. Campbell, KY

UK 2006 Verbals

FOR RECRUITING UPDATES DURING THE

19 - Jan. 14 bw pages 1/4/06 11:25 AM Page 15


offense principles of the last four years under

Callahan. But West Coast offense is just a label,

and a not-very-good one at that.

“Everybody wants to put a name on it

around here,” an exasperated Watson said

after a practice in the spring. “It’s the Nebraska

offense. How’s that? Sounds good to me.”

The foundation of any offense is the line,

and that figures to be a strength. Four of six

returning starters on offense are linemen, and

the Cornhuskers finished spring with two-deep

across the line, with an infusion of talented

young players.

In addition to Slauson (right guard) and

Murtha (left tackle), the likely starters will be

senior Mike Huff (left guard), junior Jacob

Hickman (center) and sophomore Jaivorio

Burkes (right tackle). Huff and Hickman also

are returning starters, and Burkes was pulled

from a redshirt and got an opportunity to

start when Murtha was injured late in the

season.

he second unit will include sophomore

Mike Smith and redshirted freshman

Marcel Jones at the tackles,

sophomores Keith Williams and D.J.

Jones at the guards and redshirted freshman

Mike Caputo, the only walk-on in the group,

at center.

In addition, there is position flexibility

within the group. “I think we can be as good

as we want to be,” Murtha said. “We want to

be one of the best lines in the nation. We have

that cohesiveness a lot of lines don’t have when

they incorporate other (young) players. There

are some young kids, and we accept them as

if they’ve been playing for three or four years.

It’s not one of those things that we’re kind of

stand-offish if a new kid’s coming in.”

The standard for offensive line play is high

at Nebraska. Most notable were the Pipeline

and the Pipeline II, which cleared the way for

national championships in 1994 and 1995.

But there were others, including the national

championship lines in 1970, 1971 and 1997, as

well as a sometimes forgotten group in 1982,

build around center Dave Rimington.

I-back Marlon Lucky and wide receiver Nate

Swift are the other returning starters on offense.

That quarterback Joe Ganz isn’t considered a

returning starter is a technicality. He started

the final three games after Sam Keller was

sidelined by a shoulder injury.

Ganz put up remarkable numbers in those

three games, passing for 1,399 yards and 15

touchdowns, including school records of 510

yards and seven touchdowns against Kansas

State. “Everybody always

knew Joey was good, but

they didn’t know he had that

in him,” said Slauson. “He

was just throwing the ball so

strong and making such great

decisions.”

Because of his versatility,

he’s going to be a dual-threat

quarterback, Slauson said.

Ganz has dealt with his

share of frustrations during

four years at Nebraska.

“He just needed to have

a chance to get out there

and play,” said Murtha. “He could have easily

transferred, quit. But he stayed here. This is his

senior year now, and he’s going to go out there

and just dominate, period. There’s no question

about it.”

Lucky, who also is versatile, could have

gone to the NFL. He considered leaving early,

following a junior season in which he rushed

for 1,019 yards and nine touchdowns and

caught a school-record 75 passes for 705 yards

and three touchdowns.

During spring practice, “I thought we

accomplished a lot,” Pelini said. “We started

laying the foundation for where we want the

program to be headed.

“Offensively, we’re probably a little ahead

of where we are defensively, just because we’re

introducing new things. But I thought we

accomplished a lot and set ourselves up to have

a productive summer and fall camp to get ready

for the season.”

Whether the Cornhuskers can challenge for

the Big 12 North Division title, much less make

a trip to the Big 12 championship game in

Kansas City on Dec. 6 remains to be seen.

Nebraska won the North Division two

seasons ago, but it hasn’t won a Big 12

championship since 1999 and it hasn’t played

in a BCS bowl since the 2001 season.

Those are Slauson’s goals, however. As a

player, “you’re always optimistic,” he said.

“You’re always hoping you’re going to be great,

expecting to do great.”

Seniors in particular have that sense of

urgency. It’s their last opportunity.

T

NaTE SwIfT

NDamUkoNg SUh

By TERRy DOUGLASS

huskerpreview


alphabetical roster* - Indicates Letters Earned

no. name pos. ht. wt. yr. hometown (high school/college)

95 *Allen, Pierre DE 6-5 265 So. Denver, Colo. (Thomas Jefferson)

21 *Amukamara, Prince DB 6-1 195 So. Glendale, Ariz. (Apollo)

4 *Asante, Larry S 6-1 210 Jr. Alexandria, Va. (Hayfield/Coffeyville CC)

56 *Barfield, Shukree DT 6-4 300 Sr. Camden, N.J. (Garden City CC)

66 Barrett, Cruz OL 6-4 325 So. Daytona Beach, Fla. (Mainland)

56 Baumgartner, Justin LS 6-2 250 Sr. Cheyenne, Wyo. (Chadron State/Laramie County CC)

14 *Blue, Anthony CB 5-10 180 So. Cedar Hill, Texas

1 Brooks, Chris WR 6-2 210 Jr. St. Louis, Mo. (Hazelwood East)

72 *Burkes, Jaivorio OL 6-5 325 So. Phoenix, Ariz. (Moon Valley)

42 Joseph Camarata LB 5-10 225 Fr. Overland Park, Kan.

82 **Cammack, Wes WR 5-11 195 Jr. DeWitt, Neb. (Tri-County)

58 Caputo, Mike OL 6-1 270 RFr. Omaha, Neb. (Millard North)

8 Cassidy, Austin S 6-1 205 RFr. Lincoln, Neb. (Southwest)

19 *Castille, Quentin IB 6-1 245 So. LaPorte, Texas

31 Covey, Nick LB 6-2 240 Jr. Glendale, Ariz. (Mountain Ridge)

94 Crick, Jared DE 6-6 270 RFr. Cozad, Neb.

6 **Culbert, Major S 6-0 205 Jr. Harbor City, Calif. (Nathaniel Narbonne)

15 Davis, Beau QB 6-4 180 Sr. Venice, Calif.

52 **Dillard, Phillip LB 6-1 245 Jr. Tulsa, Okla. (Jenks)

97 *Dixon, Kevin DT 6-3 285 Sr. Sebring, Fla. (Sebring/Garden City CC)

83 Donahue, Matt WR 6-2 175 So. Fremont, Neb.

16 Ebke, Jim QB 6-0 205 So. Lincoln, Neb. (East/South Dakota State)

74 Escamilla, Taylor DT 6-1 270 RFr. Fremont, Neb. (Archbishop Bergan)

92 Fahie, Tyrone DE 6-3 250 So. Virginia Beach, Va. (Ocean Lakes)

27 Ford, Ryan DB 5-11 175 Jr. Winfield, Ala.

12 **Ganz, Joe QB 6-1 210 Sr. Palos Heights, Ill. (Amos Alonzo Stagg)

41 Gillaspie, Aaron FB 6-2 240 So. Littleton, Colo.

11 Gilleylen, Curenski WR 6-0 210 RFr. Leander, Texas

34 ***Glenn, Cody IB 6-0 230 Sr. Rusk, Texas

41 *Grove, Thomas LB 6-2 220 So. Arlington, Neb.

28 *Hagg, Eric DB 6-1 200 So. Peoria, Ariz. (Ironwood)

80 Harvey, David DE 6-4 260 Jr. LaPlata, Md. (McDonough)

30 Hays, Mike LB 6-1 230 RFr. Papillion, Neb. (Papillion-LaVista)

10 *Helu Jr., Roy IB 6-0 215 So. Danville, Calif. (San Ramon Valley)

90 *Henery, Alex PK/P 6-2 170 So. Omaha, Neb. (Burke)

8 *Henry, Will WR 6-5 215 So. El Paso, Texas (J.M. Hanks)

85 Hetzer, Tyson TE 6-6 250 Jr. Redding, Calif. (Anderson/Citrus College)

67 **Hickman, Jacob OL 6-4 290 Jr. Bakersfield, Calif. (Centennial)

80 Hill, Ryan TE 6-3 245 RFr. Arvada, Colo. (West)

18 **Holt, Menelik WR 6-4 220 Jr. San Diego, Calif. (St. Augustine)

61 ***Huff, Mike OL 6-4 300 Sr. Ralston, Neb.

69 Iske, Cory OL 6-4 280 Fr. Omaha, Neb. (Millard West)

31 Jones, Austin IB 5-10 200 RFr. Aurora, Colo.

73 *Jones, D.J. OL 6-5 305 So. Omaha, Neb. (Central)

78 Jones, Marcel OL 6-7 310 RFr. Phoenix, Ariz. (Trevor Browne)

85 Faron Klingelhofer DE 6-2 250 Fr. Amherst, Neb.

54 Koehler, Colton LB 6-1 230 Jr. Harvard, Neb.

20 *Kunalic, Adi PK 6-0 185 So. Fort Worth, Texas (North Crowley)

12 *Lawrence, Blake LB 6-2 225 So. Shawnee Mission, Kan. (Shawnee Mission West)

36 **Lawson, Thomas FB 6-0 250 Sr. Parker, Colo. (Ponderosa)

numerical roster* - Indicates Letters Earned

no. name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . position

1 Chris Brooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WR

2 Patrick Witt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .QB

3 **Rickey Thenarse . . . . . . . . . . . . . S

3 Zac Lee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .QB

4 *Larry Asante . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S

5 ***Marlon Lucky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IB

5 *Armando Murillo . . . . . . . . . . . . CB

6 *Major Culbert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S

7 Kody Spano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .QB

8 *Will Henry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WR

8 Austin Cassidy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S

10 *Roy Helu Jr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IB

11 Curenski Gilleylen . . . . . . . . . . . WR

12 **Joe Ganz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .QB

12 *Blake Lawrence . . . . . . . . . . . . . LB

14 *Anthony Blue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CB

15 Beau Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .QB

16 Jim Ebke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .QB

17 ***Todd Peterson . . . . . . . . . . . WR

18 **Menelik Holt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WR

18 Shawn Sullivan . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DB

19 *Quentin Castille . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IB

20 *Adi Kunalic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PK

21 *Prince Amukamara . . . . . . . . . .DB

22 *Anthony West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CB

23 *Latravis Washington . . . . . . . . LB

24 *Niles Paul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WR

24 Adam Watson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DB

27 Ryan Ford. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DB

27 *Kenny Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IB

28 *Eric Hagg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DB

30 Mike Hays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FB

31 Nick Covey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LB

31 Austin Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IB

32 Marcus Mendoza . . . . . . . . . . . . . IB

33 **Matt O'Hanlon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S

34 ***Cody Glenn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IB

35 Austin Stafford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LB

36 **Thomas Lawson . . . . . . . . . . . FB

36 Matthew May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S

37 ***Jake Wesch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PK

37 Kevin Thomsen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FB

39 Lance Thorell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DB

41 Aaron Gillaspie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FB

41 *Thomas Grove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LB

42 Joseph Camarata . . . . . . . . . . . . LB

43 ***Ty Steinkuhler . . . . . . . . . . . . DT

44 *Mike McNeill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TE

45 Justin Makovicka . . . . . . . . . . . . . FB

huskerpreview2008 Roster


no. name pos. ht. wt. yr. hometown (high school/college)

3 Lee, Zac QB 6-2 210 So. San Francisco, Calif. (St. Ignatius Prep/San Francisco City College)

48 Legate, Tyler FB 5-10 220 So. Neligh, Neb. (Neligh-Oakdale/South Dakota)

88 Lester, Ben WR 5-10 165 RFr. Tecumseh, Neb.

75 Lingenfelter, Luke DE 6-4 250 RFr. Plainview, Neb.

5 ***Lucky, Marlon IB 6-0 215 Sr. North Hollywood, Calif.

45 Makovicka, Justin FB 6-1 240 So. Ulysses, Neb. (East Butler)

63 *Martin, Ben DT 6-4 270 So. Lincoln, Neb. (Southwest)

59 Martin, Jay LB 6-2 210 RFr. Waverly, Neb.

71 Masin, Mike OL 6-6 330 RFr. Lincoln, Neb. (Southeast)

36 May, Matthew S 6-1 195 RFr. Imperial, Neb. (Chase County)

44 *McNeill, Mike TE 6-4 240 So. Kirkwood, Mo.

54 Max McShane OT 6-6 290 Fr. Elkhorn, Neb.

32 Mendoza, Marcus IB 5-10 185 RFr. Houston, Texas (Spring Woods)

90 Moore, Terrence DT 6-3 270 RFr. New Orleans, La. (McDonogh 35)

5 *Murillo, Armando CB 6-0 190 Sr. Tampa, Fla. (Robinson/Eastern Arizona CC)

76 ***Murtha, Lydon OL 6-7 315 Sr. Hutchinson, Minn.

33 **O’Hanlon, Matt S 5-11 195 Sr. Bellevue, Neb. (Bellevue East)

82 **O’Leary, T.J. LS 6-1 235 Sr. Omaha, Neb. (Millard North/New Mexico State)

24 *Paul, Niles WR 6-1 210 So. Omaha, Neb. (North)

17 ***Peterson, Todd WR 6-4 215 Sr. Grand Island, Neb. (Central Catholic)

98 ***Potter, Zach DE 6-7 280 Sr. Omaha, Neb. (Creighton Prep)

89 Santin, Jonathon DE 6-3 225 RFr. Fullerton, Neb.

57 Sayre, Jeff LB 6-3 215 RFr. Barrington, Ill.

88 ***Sievers, Clayton DE 6-4 255 Sr. Elkhorn, Neb.

70 ***Slauson, Matt OL 6-5 325 Sr. Colorado Springs, Colo. (Air Force Prep)

65 *Smith, Mike OL 6-6 285 So. Las Vegas, Nev. (Palo Verde)

7 Spano, Kody QB 6-2 205 Fr. Stephenville, Texas

35 Stafford, Austin LB 6-2 205 RFr. Hayward, Calif.

43 ***Steinkuhler, Ty DT 6-3 280 Sr. Lincoln, Neb. (Southwest)

93 **Suh, Ndamukong DT 6-4 300 Jr. Portland, Ore. (Grant)

18 Sullivan, Shawn DB 5-10 190 RFr. Brenham, Texas

87 ***Swift, Nate WR 6-2 200 Sr. Hutchinson, Minn.

46 Tasa, Ben TE 6-4 240 So. Humphrey, Neb. (St. Francis)

89 ***Teafatiller, Hunter TE 6-3 235 Sr. Kingsburg, Calif. (San Joaquin Memorial)

3 **Thenarse, Rickey S 6-0 195 Jr. Los Angeles, Calif. (Jordan)

37 Thomsen, Kevin FB 6-2 240 RFr. Elkhorn, Neb.

39 Thorell, Lance DB 6-1 190 RFr. Loomis, Neb.

97 **Titchener, Dan P 6-0 200 Sr. Cheyenne, Wyo. (East)

99 ***Turner, Barry DE 6-3 260 Sr. Antioch, Tenn. (Brentwood Academy)

23 *Washington, Latravis LB 6-3 225 So. Bradenton, Fla. (Bayshore)

24 Watson, Adam DB 6-0 190 So. Lincoln, Neb. (Niwot [Colo.])

37 ***Wesch, Jake PK 6-1 205 Sr. North Bend, Neb.

22 *West, Anthony CB 6-0 200 So. San Diego, Calif. (Point Loma)

68 *Williams, Keith OL 6-5 310 So. Florissant, Mo. (McClure North)

27 *Wilson, Kenny IB 6-0 225 Sr. Liberal, Kan. (Butler County CC)

2 Witt, Patrick QB 6-4 225 RFr. Wylie, Texas

53 *Wortman, Tyler LB 6-3 235 Sr. Grand Island, Neb. (Central Catholic)

47 Yancy, William DE 6-4 245 RFr. Glendale, Ariz. (Ironwood)

49 *Young, Dreu TE 6-4 240 So. Cozad, Neb.

no. name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . position

46 Ben Tasa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TE

47 William Yancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE

48 Tyler Legate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FB

49 *Dreu Young . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TE

52 **Phillip Dillard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LB

53 *Tyler Wortman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LB

54 Colton Koehler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LB

54 Max McShane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OT

56 *Shukree Barfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . DT

56 Justin Baumgartner . . . . . . . . . . . LS

57 Jeff Sayre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LB

58 Mike Caputo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL

59 Jay Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LB

61 ***Mike Huff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL

63 *Ben Martin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DT

65 *Mike Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL

66 Cruz Barrett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL

67 **Jacob Hickman . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL

68 *Keith Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL

69 Cory Iske . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL

70 ***Matt Slauson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL

71 Mike Masin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL

72 *Jaivorio Burkes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL

73 *D.J. Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL

74 Taylor Escamilla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DL

75 Luke Lingenfelter . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE

76 ***Lydon Murtha . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL

78 Marcel Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL

80 David Harvey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE

80 Ryan Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TE

82 **Wes Cammack . . . . . . . . . . . . . WR

82 **T.J. O’Leary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LS

83 Matt Donahue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WR

85 Faron Kungelhoffer . . . . . . . . . . . DE

85 Tyson Hetzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TE

87 ***Nate Swift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WR

88 ***Clayton Sievers . . . . . . . . . . . . DE

88 Ben Lester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WR

89 ***Hunter Teafatiller . . . . . . . . . . TE

89 Jonathon Santin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE

90 *Alex Henery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PK

90 Terrence Moore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DT

92 Tyrone Fahie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DL

93 **Ndamukong Suh . . . . . . . . . . . . DT

94 Jared Crick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE

95 *Pierre Allen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE

97 **Dan Titchener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P

97 *Kevin Dixon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DT

98 ***Zach Potter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE

99 ***Barry Turner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE

huskerpreview2008 Roster


joE gaNz


QUarTErBackShey’d just watched their son, Joe

Ganz, shatter several Nebraska single-

game records in his first career start at

Memorial Stadium.

Mike Ganz and his wife, Debbie, the proud

parents of the Huskers’ newest quarterback,

were traveling home to Chicago. They stopped

at a truck stop along Interstate 80 in Nebraska.

Both entered the store. Mike

headed back to the car first, but

Debbie stayed a little longer.

When she reached the counter

to pay for her purchases, she

overheard another woman in line

talking to the clerk.

“Oh my God, that was Joe

Ganz’s dad!” cried the customer.

Debbie could only shake her

head in amazement. Mike had

been interviewed by the local

television stations earlier that day.

Already, Nebraska knew him.

Even the parents of the Huskers’ top signal

caller will find themselves in the spotlight.

“They like it,” Joe Ganz said. “They like it a

lot. They’re happy for me.”

Mom and Dad weren’t the only ones who’d

traveled to see Ganz play that day against

Kansas State. Three high school friends also

came. They watched Ganz complete 30-of-40

passes for a school-record 510 yards and a

school-record seven touchdown passes. His 528

yards of total offense also set a school record.

Nebraska won, 73-31.

After the game, fans in the parking lot

outside the stadium greeted Ganz with various

congratulatory messages.

“My friends were like, ‘People know who

you are when you’re walking down the street?’ ”

Ganz said. “I’m like, yeah … Well, I guess now

they do.”

True, it hadn’t always been this way for

Ganz. But maybe the years of obscurity finally

worked to his advantage. After all, when was the

last time a record-setting Nebraska quarterback

didn’t have his own jersey for sale in area athletic

apparel stores?

“They’ve been wearing old Joe Dailey jerseys

and passing them off as mine,” said Ganz, who

wears the same No. 12 as Dailey, Nebraska’s

quarterback in 2004. “Hopefully I can get a

jersey before I leave.”

It’s the least that could be done for Ganz,

who enters his senior season in sole possession,

at long last, of Nebraska’s starting quarterback

position. A new coaching staff, with offensive

coordinator Shawn Watson returning, figures

to tweak the offense to suit Ganz’s dual-threat

abilities. That could mean more zone reads and

option plays.

“I’d rather run the ball than just sit and hand

off every time,” Ganz said. “I kind of like

having the decision be in my hands. Kind of

like it was in high school; we hardly ever turned

and handed off. It was either option or zone

read, or we were throwing the ball. I like having

the decision rest on my shoulders rather than

handing off and hoping for the best.”

Ganz proved that with a remarkable stretch

of play late last season. When Sam Keller

suffered a season-ending shoulder injury at

Texas, Ganz, finally presented an opportunity

to prove himself, delivered masterfully in

Nebraska’s final three games.

“I just went out there and had fun,” Ganz

said. “I was kind of sick of sitting on the bench,

and all of the sudden, I got my shot. I kind of

went out there and made the most of it.”

In November alone, Ganz accounted for three

of the five 400-yard passing games in school

history, and three of the top five games in total

offense. Nebraska averaged nearly 600 yards of

offense in the three games Ganz started. His

15 touchdowns in a three-game stretch were a

school record.

“I’m glad I was prepared and

ready,” Ganz said. “There are a lot

of people who get their shot and

they’re not ready. They don’t take

advantage of it. And then they’re

back to where they started.

“I was ready. I was ready for

the last three years. I finally got

my number called, and I didn’t

want to be one of those guys who

wasn’t ready.”

Now, is Ganz ready to help

Nebraska’s program get back on

track? The one statistic Ganz points out from

last season is 1-2 – the Huskers’ record in the

three games he started.

“It would’ve been a lot better if we were 2-1

or 3-0,” Ganz said. “I share my success with

how well we do as a team.”

“If I have a good year and we’re 6-6, I won’t

really be happy. But if I have an OK year, where

I help the team win a couple games and we

finish 9-3, I’ll be a lot happier.”

anz has only one season, under new

coach Bo Pelini, to help turn things

around. It’s pressure he welcomes.

“It’s normal for the quarterback

to be under pressure,” he said. “Every team, if

you don’t have good quarterback play, you’re not

going to win. That’s how it is. I’m used to that

pressure and I understand it. It is a lot of pressure,

but I’d rather it be on me than anybody else.”

Quarterback Preview

T

Ganz rides record-setting finish into 2008

g

“I was ready for the last three years.

I finally got my number called, and I

didn’t want to be one of those guys who

wasn’t ready.”

joe ganz


In high school, Ganz was lightly recruited,

somebody who seemed destined for Eastern

Michigan. He was a late addition to former

Nebraska coach Bill Callahan’s hastily arranged

recruiting class of 2004.

As Ganz puts it, “I was a last-second grab.”

He then watched as the previous coaching

staff trotted in quarterback after quarterback

after quarterback, each one destined to take

Nebraska to greatness. The message to Ganz

always seemed to be something about better

competition or the need for depth.

“I don’t know how many ‘saviors’ I’ve had

in my time. Four?” Ganz said. “I think the only

one to pan out was Zac.”

That, of course, was Zac Taylor, who became

Nebraska’s all-time passing leader in only two

seasons.

Others didn’t live up to their hype. Jordan

Adams. Harrison Beck. Last season’s “savior,”

Keller, had strong moments, but the season-

ending injury, with three games remaining,

put his Husker career in the disappointment

category.

“It may hurt kids, coming in with all that

pressure,” Ganz said. “It was probably a little

easier for me. Nobody really expected anything

from me. Nobody really thought, ‘This kid’s

going to be the savior of the program,’ like they

did with Harrison, like they did with Sam.

“I’ve seen my fair share of saviors. Hopefully

dub me the next one.”

Ganz then second-guessed his own

statement.

“Actually, don’t dub me as the next savior,

please. It will just be a curse.”

poSITIoN oUTLookUnlike last season, there’s no uncertainty

about Nebraska’s starting quarterback as fall

camp approaches.

It’s Joe Ganz. The senior started the final

three games of 2007, shattering several Nebraska

single-game records along the way, and did

nothing in the spring to lose the confidence of a

new coaching staff.

In other words, Ganz, at long last, is the man.

There is, however, an important question

regarding the quarterback position.

Who’s the backup to Ganz? Patrick Witt?

Zac Lee?

“Up to this point, Patrick has had a little

edge,” Nebraska offensive coordinator and

quarterbacks coach Shawn Watson said after

the spring game.

Witt, the sophomore from Wylie, Texas,

started for the White team in the April spring

game and saw snaps for both teams. Combined,

Witt was 8-of-15 for 78 yards.

In leading the White team on a 75-yard

scoring drive, Witt completed all four of his

pass attempts.

“I think the confidence is a big part of it,”

Witt said after the game. “Knowing the plays,

being able to step in the huddle and really take

command of it. I think the guys in the huddle

respect me a lot more, knowing that I know

what I’m supposed to do.”

Lee, the junior college transfer who redshirted

last season, was 6-of-11 for 87 yards and a

touchdown in the spring game. He played as a

backup to Ganz on the Red team.

A sophomore, Lee was named Nebraska’s

offensive scout team MVP last season. He

played the 2006 season at San Francisco City

College and threw for more than 3,400 yards

and 35 touchdowns while completing 64 percent

of his passes, but a knee injury sidelined him in

the spring of 2007 at Nebraska.

Lee has built a reputation as a player with a

strong arm who possesses good mobility in the

pocket.

“What I’ve seen so far, he’s got a ridiculously

strong arm,” senior receiver Nate Swift said.

“He can make any throw.”

Swift told of how one day in spring practice,

Lee threw the ball some 50 yards off his back

foot.

“Didn’t even look like he was throwing it at

all,” Swift said.

Said Lee of his abilities: “I like to think that

I’m somebody that drops back, and then, when

needed, can create a play or extend a play and

get receivers time to get open.”

Witt, though, in addition to his strong

physical traits, appears to have a better grasp of

the offense.

“You’ve got to remember, this is the first time

Zac has been asked to run the offense,” Watson

said, “and he’s gotten better every week of the

spring.”

Senior Beau Davis shouldn’t be counted out,

although he had only five pass attempts in the

spring game. True freshman Kody Spano got

a jump start on his Husker career by enrolling

early and participating in spring practices. He

was 4-of-6 for 47 yards in the spring game, but

barring injury to those in front of Spano, it’s not

likely he’ll be a major factor come fall.

aT a gLaNcEReturning QuarterbacksBeau Davis 6-4 180 Sr.

Joe Ganz 6-1 210 Sr.

Zac Lee 6-2 210 So.

Patrick Witt 6-4 225 RFr.

Incoming QuarterbacksKody Spano 6-2 205 Fr.

Quarterback Preview

#12 • Joe GanzSr., Quarterback, 6-1, 210Palos Heights, Ill. (Amos Alonzo Stagg)

Ganz completed 58.6 percent of his passes for 1,435 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2007. He also rushed 20 times for 93 yards and three touchdowns. He finally got his chance at the end of the season, filling in for injured QB Sam Keller.

Ganz started the final three games (Kansas, Kansas State, Colorado) and accounted for three of the five 400-yard passing days in school history, in addition to three of the top five games in total offense. He is the Nebraska single-game record holder for passing yards (510), total offense (528) and passing touchdowns (7), all in last year’s 73-31 rout of Kansas State.

#2 • Patrick WittRedshirt Freshman, Quarterback, 6-4, 225Wylie, Texas

Witt has good size and has exhibited a strong arm and solid all-around skills. He joined the Huskers at mid-year last year and participated in 2007 spring drills. He has continued to learn the NU system and adds depth at the

quarterback position. As a senior at Wylie, Texas, High School he threw for 1,846 yards and 17 touchdowns while completing 57 percent of his pass attempts. He has adjusted well to the college classroom as he sports a 4.0 grade point average.

#3 • zac LeeSo., Quarterback, 6-2, 210San Francisco, Calif. (St. Ignatius Prep/San Francisco City College)

Lee continues to add depth at the quarterback position. He came to Nebraska with some impressive numbers compiled at San Francisco City College during the 2006 season. He led his team to a 10-2 record while throwing

for better than 3,400 yards and 35 touchdowns while completing 64 percent of his passes. He was ranked as the nation’s top junior college quarterback by Rivals.com and SuperPrep Magazine. Lee has a strong arm and good mobility.

Quarterback PreviewCoaches Call-inEvery Friday morning join hosts Coach Ron Brown,

the FCA staff, and Gordon Thiessen. Topics are prepared in order to address the connection between

God and sports by how to do sports God�s way.

7:00 am Central TimeCall 712.432.3900 - id 740984�

Fellowship of Christian Athletes • 6400 Cornhusker Hwy Ste 200, Lincoln NE 68507402-464-2343 www.nebraskafca.org


marLoN LUcky


rUNNINg BackShe rain fell steadily one day last spring

in Lincoln, Neb. It was cold rain – the

kind that makes you feel thankful you

brought your umbrella.

Unfortunately, the wise old man’s umbrella

was broken.

OK, so Marlon Lucky isn’t exactly ready for

retirement. He recently turned 22.

However, “seeing all the young fellas on the

team, you feel old,” the Nebraska

senior I-back says.

By the way, grandpa Lucky

wasn’t grousing about his broken

umbrella. Lucky rarely complains

at all these days. After all, he’s

weathered his share of storms

since his much-anticipated arrival

on campus in 2005. He seems

much more at peace these days.

“I remember when I first got here (to

Lincoln), I about lost my mind,” says the native

of North Hollywood, Calif. “I got homesick

and everything. You look back on some of those

things, and it’s kind of funny.”

Lucky says Nebraska feels like home now. His

homesickness gradually subsided and basically

disappeared in the spring of 2007, he says. He’s

no longer the shy and struggling student, the

unsure and hesitant rusher, who so often tried to

bounce inside running plays to the outside. He

no longer feels engulfed by the pressure of being

a five-star recruit.

In 2005, he was ranked by Rivals.com as the

nation’s No. 2 running back.

“To please the fans, I had to come out and just

rip up the field,” he says. “I learned you can’t do

that just coming into college football. The game is

much faster. You have to come in and learn first.”

Now, however, “that’s all way past me,” he

says.

He smiles a lot more than he used to, friends

say. In short, the homesick kid from California

has matured into a confident adult before our

eyes. He’s on track to complete his sociology

degree in December of 2009.

He also seems on track for a big senior season.

“I really didn’t have a great season last year

– at least not the season I wanted to have,” he

said. “But I finished it off great.”

Now Lucky hopes to carry that momentum

into the 2008 season. Continuing his late 2007

surge – he topped 100 all-purpose yards in each

of the final five games to finish with 1,743 – was

the impetus behind his decision to remain at

Nebraska instead of opting for the NFL.

He still wants to become a stronger runner

both mentally and physically.

Bottom line: He was unsure if he was ready

to make the big jump.

Nebraska first-year head coach Bo Pelini was

happy to keep Lucky in the fold. Lucky discussed

the NFL with Pelini about a week before the

mid-January deadline for underclassmen to

declare for the draft. That meeting was the first

time Lucky and Pelini visited at length.

“Bo keeps it really simple,” Lucky says with a

chuckle. “He said if you’re not going in the first

or second (round), you shouldn’t leave.”

The 6-0, 215-pound Lucky was projected

as a third-round selection in an NFL pre-draft

evaluation.

“(Pelini) wanted me to help our team out,”

Lucky said. “I’ve heard great things about him.

I liked his attitude when I talked to him, so I was

like, ‘I’ll stay.’ ”

When last season started, Lucky was leaning

strongly toward skipping his senior season.

However, “as the season went on and we

were losing, and we didn’t have that team spirit

anymore, I made the decision to stay,” he said.

But he reversed field once again after the

season.

“A lot of people put pressure on me, and I

started thinking about leaving again,” he said.

“Friends at home were saying I should go to the

NFL. Everybody was putting in their 2 cents,

and it was getting down to the nitty-gritty.”

“I’m just like any other player,” he adds. “I want

to go out with a winning season and get back to a

bowl game, because bowl games are fun. I want to

have fun my last year.”

So, Lucky no longer is holding

back. Not only has he matured off

the field, he evidently has grown

up on it. He raised eyebrows last

November when he admitted

he paced himself at times last

season, if ever so slightly, mindful

of the injury bug that slowed him

as a sophomore.

The thing is, Lucky knows he can’t afford to

hold back now, what with sophomore Roy Helu

Jr. enjoying a breakout spring and 6-1, 235-pound

Quentin Castille saying he’s determined to be an

every-down back. What’s more, redshirt freshman

Marcus Mendoza also flashed big-time speed a

few times in the Red-White Spring Game.

ucky says he was surprised when senior

Cody Glenn told him he was moving

from I-back to linebacker. However,

Lucky says, Glenn handled the transition

well during spring ball.

“He’s already like a leader over there,” Lucky

said. “He’s always talking. He’s really happy.”

Lucky can relate.

Some college kids hit a rough patch and drop

out, while others persevere even when the hard

and cold rain falls and it feels like it’ll never end.

At the end of the day, Lucky is thankful he

stayed in Lincoln.

“I guess I’ve learned that life has a lot to

offer,” he said.

Running Back Preview

T

Lucky brings fresh outlook to senior season

“I guess I’ve learned that life has a lot

to offer.” marlon lucky

L


poSITIoN oUTLookBottom line: Marlon Lucky stands atop the

Huskers’ I-back depth chart entering preseason

practice in early August. After all, he’s the Big

12 Conference leading returning rusher.

However, Roy Helu Jr. generated quite a

buzz in spring practice. To be sure, Lucky

and Helu will get a large share of the carries

in 2008, with Quentin Castille and Marcus

Mendoza also ready for a significant amount

of action.

Lucky, a senior from North Hollywood,

Calif., last season averaged 84.9 yards rushing

in 12 games while also catching a school-record

75 passes for 705 yards. The 6-foot, 215-pound

speedster led the nation in receptions by a

running back.

“It’s a tribute to Marlon that he doesn’t let the

ego get to him,” said Nebraska running backs

coach Tim Beck. “He’s ultimately the senior,

and he’s ultimately the guy who’s had a lot of

success and the guy we’re going to ride. But I

think he realizes we need those other guys, too.

The more success they have, the more success

he’s going to have.”

Beck said during spring ball that Lucky was

playing very well.

“He’s working on the things he needs to

work on,” the coach said. “You know, it’s easy

for him to catch a toss or screen pass or run an

option play. We’re working on him blocking.

He’s really done a better job of sticking his face

in there and doing those types of things – the

things we felt like he needed to improve in his

game to be an all-around back. So he may not

be really flashy out there in practice because

I’m not always using him in that (flashy type of)

manner, because I want him to be the guy pass

protecting, I want him to block that linebacker

or defensive end.”

Lucky played his best football late last

season, topping 100 all-purpose yards in each

of the final five games. Meanwhile, Castille

and Helu, competing as true freshmen,

finished with 343 yards and 209 yards rushing,

respectively. Cody Glenn, hobbled by a foot

injury, added 78 yards rushing. Glenn, a senior,

moved to linebacker during spring ball, helping

pave the way for Helu, Castille and Mendoza

to get increased repetitions.

Helu, of Danville, Calif., opened the coaches’

eyes with impressive play early on in spring drills.

“He does everything,” Beck said. “He’s a

physical presence blocking. He can run the ball

inside, outside. He has good vision and quick

feet in the hole. He’s catching the ball well for

us. He’s understanding (the offense) better, so I

think he’s playing faster. You put a young kid in

an offense like they had . . . That’s a lot of stuff,

man. Your head’s swimming.”

A standout at San Ramon Valley High

School, Helu finished his senior season with

1,085 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns while

adding 300 receiving yards on 20 catches. He

wasn’t nearly as ballyhooed coming out of high

school as Castille, a 6-1, 245-pounder who has

sneaky speed. As a senior at La Porte (Texas)

High School, Castille rushed for more than

1,800 yards and 22 touchdowns.

Castille’s tendency to fumble last season at

Nebraska caused nervousness. He was working

hard during the spring to break the habit.

At any rate, Beck is glad to have quality

depth.

How does he plan to rotate his backs?

“I think you go with who’s hot,” he said.

“(But) I think it matters which team you’re

playing and what your game plan is. But I

definitely think you need to have three. You

look at teams that have that, they are probably

more successful. When you play 12, 14 games,

someone’s going to get hurt. And it’s not

always an injury – sometimes it’s just getting

beat up.

“That happened to us at Kansas last season a

little bit. Both (Jake) Sharp and B Mac (Brandon

McAnderson) were beat up. They were day-to-

day, and we really didn’t have a third.”

Running Back Preview

#5 • MarLon LuckySr., I-Back, 6-0, 215North Hollywood, Calif.

Lucky is one of the top returning offensive players in the Big 12 Conference after earning Second Team All-Big 12 honors a year ago. He is the league’s top returning rusher after averaging 84.9 yards per game in 2007. In addition to rushing for over 1,000 yards, Lucky

also had a record-setting season as a receiver. He caught a Nebraska single-season record 75 passes for 705 yards and three touchdowns. The 75 catches bettered the previous Nebraska season record by 20 and he led the nation in catches by a running back. Overall, Lucky totaled 1,743 all-purpose yards in 2007, seventh in school history and the most by a Husker in 10 seasons.

#10 • roy Helu Jr.So., I-Back, 6-0, 215Danville, Calif. (San Ramon Valley)

Helu played a significant role in the Husker offense in 2007 despite just being a freshman. He finished as Nebraska’s third-leading rusher with 45 carries for 209 yards. He also caught five passes for 40 yards. His season-best was 56 yards on nine carries

against nationally-ranked Kansas.

#32 • Marcus MendozaRedshirt Freshman, I-Back, 5-10, 185Houston, Texas (Spring Woods)

Mendoza redshirted last season and is hoping to work his way into the mix at the I-Back position this fall. He was also a dangerous return threat during his prep career at Spring Woods High School in Houston, Texas. Coming out of high school, Mendoza was a

four-star prospect by Rivals.com, which ranked him the No. 12 all-purpose running back in the country.

#19 • Quentin castilleSo., I-Back, 6-1, 245LaPorte, Texas

Castille, a true freshman, served as Marlon Lucky’s top backup at I-Back in 2007. He was used heavily in short yardage and goal-line situations. He was Nebraska’s second-leading rusher with 76 carries for 343 yards and four touchdowns. He had four

games with 50 or more yards and he lost only four yards on his 76 rushing attempts. His top game was against Oklahoma State as he rushed 20 times for 102 yards.

#27 • kenny WilsonSr., I-Back, 6-0, 225Liberal, Kan. (Butler County CC)

Wilson is trying to work himself back into the mix at I-Back for the Huskers. He missed the entire 2007 season because of injury and redshirted. Wilson was a key part of a four-man running back rotation in 2006. He rushed for 335 yards and four touchdowns.

aT a gLaNcEReturning Running BacksMarlon Lucky 6-0 215 Sr.

Roy Helu Jr. 6-0 215 So.

Quentin Castille 6-1 245 So.

Marcus Mendoza 5-10 185 Rfr.

Returning FullbacksThomas Lawson 6-0 240 Sr.

Justin Makovicka 6-1 235 So.

Kevin Thomsen 6-2 240 Rfr.

Aaron Gillaspie 6-2 240 So.

Tyler Legate 5-10 220 So.

Incoming Running BacksCollins Okafor 6-1 195 Fr.

Lester Ward 6-3 215 Fr.

A general hospital can save your life ... Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital, can get you back to living.Most general hospitals and nursing homes offer therapy after a stroke or injury...but therapy isn’t enough. To get your life back, rehabilitation is the only option.

Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital is the region’s ONLY rehabilitation hospital that provides more than just therapy.

Madonna has 40 years of experience in rehabilitaiton for:

spinal cord injury pediatrics

traumatic brain injury stroke

That’s the Madonna experience. And the experience matters.

50 years of hope and healing 1958-2008

Quick-reference Phone Numbers

General admission (402) 489-7102Toll-free (800) 676-5448Admissions (402) 486-8260Physician Services (402) 483-9531TDD for Hearing Impaired (402) 483-9416Madonna TherapyPlus (402) 420-0004Madonna ProActive (402) 420-0000 Lincoln, NE www.Madonna.org

Experienced, clinical teams Patient-focused research Specialized programs

• 30-minute classes designed specifically for beginners at convenient, after- work hours

• State-of-the-art cardio and strength-training equipment• LifeBalance programs for heart, health and wellness• Aqua track, plus indoor and outdoor pools• Dance classes for all ages and abilities• Comfortable, welcoming environment• Soteria, a holistic healing spa

• Yoga and meditation• Sports acceleration program

7111 Stephanie Lane(55th & Pine Lake Road)402-420-0000www.MadonnaProActive.org

Total wellness is within reach.

Wellness is more than just a workout … at Madonna ProActive, it’sa life-changing experience. Get out of the heat and enjoy the cool,clean surroundings at ProActive. You’ll find the support youneed to reach your goals at Madonna’s medically based, totalwellness facility featuring:


NaTE SwIfT


wIDE rEcEIvErSredshirt season, for many players, is a

challenging, exhausting, unrewarding

period that doesn’t exactly conjure

joyful images.

For some, the following season doesn’t get

much better.

It wasn’t that way for wide receiver Nate Swift.

A fifth-year senior, Swift enters his final season

with Nebraska with fond memories of his early

Husker years.

Swift, a native of Hutchinson,

Minn., came to Lincoln with the

mindset of redshirting. He figured

he wouldn’t grasp the offense

immediately. And running on the

scout team really wasn’t all that

bad. In fact, Swift enjoyed it.

“I was going up against

Fabian Washington and Lornell

McPherson and all those guys.

They made it a lot of fun,” Swift said. “They

went hard every time, and I went hard.

“I beat them every once in a while, and that

makes you feel good when you beat a senior.”

Swift felt even better when he started beating

opposing defensive backs the following season.

His 45 receptions in 2005 led the team and set a

Nebraska freshman record.

Since then, Swift has been a key cog in

Nebraska’s offense. Don’t expect that to change,

even as a new coaching staff tinkers with former

coach Bill Callahan’s West Coast offense.

“If there is a difference, I think it’s going to be

instead of basing the run off the pass, it might be

basing the pass off the run – establishing the run

a little bit more in the game early on, and then

going to the pass,” Swift said.

“We kind of said we used to do that a lot, but I

think it was a little bit more pass-oriented the last

couple of years.”

Swift still envisions a balanced offense.

Whether it’s balanced enough to give Swift a

chance at making more dents in the Nebraska

record books remains to be seen.

Swift, who’s played in all 38 games over the

past three seasons, enters his senior season with

103 career receptions. That ranks fourth on

Nebraska’s all-time charts, and is 40 receptions

shy of Nebraska’s all-time record, held by

Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers.

Swift has always played the “X” position,

and sometimes the Zebra, or slot receiver. He’s

playing under his same receivers coach, Ted

Gilmore, and his same offensive coordinator,

although Shawn Watson will be solely in charge

of play-calling.

“Every year there’s going to be new routes

here and there, but mostly it’s the same thing,”

Swift said. “There are different concepts every

year. They throw a couple new plays here and

there. It doesn’t really change that much.”

The biggest wrinkle to the offense appears to be

more option and zone read plays, something that

suits the abilities of senior quarterback Joe Ganz.

“It’s not that bad to block for him out there

on the end,” Swift said of running option plays.

“But I don’t think we’re going to be doing it 15,

20 times a game.”

Ironically, this offense could be more similar to

the one Swift expected to run when he committed

to Nebraska in 2003. He was being recruited by

head coach Frank Solich, offensive coordinator

Barney Cotton and assistant coach Turner Gill.

That staff, though, was replaced by Callahan.

Only Gill remained, and that for only one season.

Swift said he reconsidered his decision to

come to Nebraska.

“Yeah, there was a little doubt in there,” he

said. “I didn’t really know if I wanted to stay,

who the coach was going to be for that two- or

three-week period.”

When Callahan came to Lincoln, bringing the

West Coast offense with him, Swift knew he was

going to remain a Husker.

The decision seemed a good one almost

immediately. After a productive redshirt season

in 2004, Swift entered 2005 penciled in as

the starting “X” receiver. But he sprained his

shoulder in fall camp, sat out nearly two weeks,

and lost his starting spot.

He still played in every non-conference game,

entering the game for a play here and there, but

didn’t catch a pass.

“I had a couple thrown to me,” Swift said,

“but didn’t catch ‘em.”

That changed immediately

when Nebraska began conference

play. In the Huskers’ Big 12

Conference opener against

Iowa State, Swift turned in a

breakthrough performance. He

recorded his first five career

catches, for 81 yards, helping

Nebraska to a 27-20 double-

overtime victory over the

Cyclones in Lincoln.

“Once I got that chance, it felt good,” Swift

said. “I felt right, I guess.”

wift hasn’t missed a game since. His

numbers weren’t as impressive in 2006

– when Maurice Purify came to Lincoln

– with a mere 22 catches in 14 games.

But Swift had 36 receptions last season, and as

one of only two veteran receivers returning,

figures to have solid numbers again this season.

Nebraska will also count upon Swift for

leadership – he’s a member of the Unity Council,

something new coach Bo Pelini has returned to

the program.

“It seems like my time here has gone fast, but

it also seems like it’s taken a long time,” Swift

said. “Five years here, it’s quite a long time with

the redshirt and everything. But I’ve had a lot of

excitement and a lot of playing time.

“Everyone I’ve talked to who’s done with

football said the biggest thing they miss isn’t really

the game, it’s being in the locker room and being

around the team. It’s going to be tough when it’s

over, not having those guys with you.”

Wide Receiver Preview

a

Swift survives many changes over career

“Five years here, it’s quite a long time

with the redshirt and everything. But

I’ve had a lot of excitement and a lot of

playing time.”nate swift

S


poSITIoN oUTLookWhen Menelik Holt catches a pass in practice,

teammates call it a “Mo” catch.

That’s a good thing.

The comparison is to Maurice Purify, the

big, tall, physical receiver who caught 91 passes

for 1,444 yards and 16 touchdowns in his two

seasons with Nebraska.

Holt, who will be a junior, has only four career

catches. But when looking at the 6-4, 220-pound

Holt, it’s hard not to think of Purify.

Holt seems OK with that.

“My thing is, I’m just as big as him. I’m just

as strong,” Holt said. “I’ve just got to work on

playing just as big.”

Holt is one of many young or unproven

receivers in Nebraska’s offense who has a chance

to make his name known this fall.

In fact, the emergence of new players will

be somewhat of a necessity for Nebraska’s

passing game. The Huskers lose four seniors

who combined for 293 career receptions and 34

touchdowns – most notably, Purify.

In Purify, the Huskers lose their big-body

receiver. In Terrence Nunn and Frantz Hardy,

they lose speed.

That’s where Curenski Gilleylen has his

chance. A redshirted freshman from Leander,

Texas, Gilleylen ran the 100 meters in 10.22

seconds in high school, breaking a school

record.

Husker fans saw that speed in the spring game,

when Gilleylen beat cornerback Anthony West

for a 77-yard touchdown pass from Joe Ganz.

“It’s nice to have somebody like that who can

stretch the field vertical,” Ganz said.

After the game, coach Bo Pelini said Gilleylen

“could be a big weapon in our offense.”

Other players with opportunities to shine

include sophomore Niles Paul, sophomore Will

Henry and junior Chris Brooks. Combined, they

have two career catches – one each by Paul and

Brooks.

“We all look at it as it’s our time,” Brooks said.

“We have to step up. We have to fill a lot of shoes

and we’re going to fill them.”

Keep an eye on Paul. He wasn’t used as much

last season as many anticipated – Paul had a

reception in the first game against Nevada. He

had none thereafter.

Receivers coach Ted Gilmore said after the

Spring Game that the battle for playing time is

wide open.

The youngsters will be able to lean on a couple

of veterans, Nate Swift and Todd Peterson. Ganz

said they’ll be his go-to receivers, his “security

blanket.”

Youth could also be served at tight end, where

Nebraska loses three players, including Sean Hill,

who had 18 catches and three touchdowns last

season.

Hunter Teafatiller is the most experienced of

the returning tight ends, although sophomores

Mike McNeill and Dreu Young proved during

the spring they could be a valuable part of the

offense.

“I think there’s some guys who can get

downfield and make some plays,” said Ron

Brown, the longtime Nebraska receivers coach

who’s returned to coach the tight ends. “We’re

not the largest tight ends in the world. We’ve got

to work real hard in the blocking phase, but that’s

going to come.”

Junior college transfer Tyson Hetzer hopes

to return for fall practice; he injured his knee

early in the spring and missed the rest of spring

practice. Redshirted freshman Ryan Hill could

also be a factor.


#44 • Mike McNeillSo., Tight End, 6-4, 240Kirkwood, Mo.

McNeill is in line to make a significant jump in playing time in 2008. The sophomore has great receiving skills and has worked hard in the weight room to build on his 6-4 frame. He played in eight games as a redshirt freshman

in 2007, serving as a reserve behind J.B. Phillips, Josh Mueller and Sean Hill. McNeill’s lone catch was a 25-yarder against Nevada in the season-opener.

#89 • Hunter TeafatillerSr., Tight End, 6-3, 235Kingsburg, Calif. (San Joaquin Memorial)

Teafatiller has played a key role among Husker tight ends the past two seasons. He was used primarily as a blocker, seeing action in the final 11 games of 2007. He caught four passes for 34 yards and also contributed on

special teams, running back four kickoffs for 37 yards. His biggest season came as a sophomore as he caught five passes for 78 yards, but four of those catches went for touchdowns. Due to off the field problems, his status for the upcoming season was uncertain at press time.

#49 • Dreu youngSo., Tight End, 6-4, 240Cozad, Neb.

Young may be in line to see a significant increase in playing time after seeing limited action as a reserve tight end last season. However, with the departure of three seniors and the questionable status of Hunter Teafatiller, Young

could be getting a chance this fall. Originally a walk-on from Cozad, NE, Young earned his way in the tight end rotation with a strong showing in fall camp last year. He played in eight games and had a 14-yard reception against Nevada in the season-opener.

#24 •niles PaulSo., Wide Receiver, 6-1, 210Omaha, Neb. (North)

With the loss of four senior wide receivers, Paul is one of a handful of talented young wideouts who will be looking to work their way in the receiving rotation in 2008. He played in seven games last season, serving as a reserve

receiver and also assisting on kickoff coverage. He had one catch in the season-opener against Nevada. The Omaha native was one of the top recruits in Nebraska’s 2007 class and was one of 11 true freshmen to see action last fall.

aT a gLaNcEReturning ReceiversChris Brooks 6-2 210 Jr.

Wes Cammack 5-11 195 Jr.

Curenski Gilleylen 6-0 210 RFr.

Will Henry 6-5 215 So.

Menelik Holt 6-4 220 So.

Ben Lester 5-10 165 RFr.

Niles Paul 6-1 210 So.

Todd Peterson 6-4 215 Sr.

Nate Swift 6-2 200 Sr.

Returning Tight EndsRyan Hill 6-3 245 RFr.

Mike McNeill 6-4 240 So.

Ben Tasa 6-4 240 So.

Hunter Teafatiller 6-3 235 Sr.

Dreu Young 6-4 240 So.

Incoming ReceiversAntonio Bell 6-2 180 Fr.

Khiry Cooper 6-2 180 Fr.

Tim Marlowe 5-10 160 Fr.

Steven Osborne 6-4 185 Fr.

Incoming Tight EndsBen Cotton 6-6 230 Fr.

Tyson Hetzer 6-6 245 Jr.


#17 • Todd PetersonSr., Wide Receiver, 6-4, 215Grand Island, Neb. (Central Catholic)

Peterson has 46 career catches for 816 yards, an average of 17.7 yards per catch, entering the 2008 season. The Grand Island native needs 184 receiving yards this season to become the 17th player in school history with 1,000

receiving yards. He could also move into the top 10 on Nebraska’s career receptions and career touchdown lists. In 2007 he finished the year with 18 receptions for 359 yards and five touchdowns. He is also a standout in the classroom, three times earning First Team Academic All-Big 12 honors.

#87 • nate SwiftSr., Wide Receiver, 6-2, 200Hutchinson, Minn.

Swift has played in all 38 games over the past three seasons and enters his senior year in position to challenge the Huskers’ all-time receptions record. For his career, Swift has 103 receptions good for 1,535 yards. The 103 catches

ranks fourth on the Husker career charts, 40 receptions behind Johnny Rodgers’ school-record total. Swift’s yardage total is third on the NU list, trailing Rodgers and former teammate Terrence Nunn, while his 12 career touchdown receptions place him within striking distance of second on that list. He played in all 12 games last year with 36 catches for 520 yards. He holds the freshman records for receptions (45), receiving yards (641) and touchdowns (7).

#8 • Will HenrySo., Wide Receiver, 6-5, 215El Paso, Texas (J.M. Hanks)

Henry’s size is what makes him such an attractive target for the Husker passing offense. At 6-5, he has the stature to create mismatches against opposing defenders. He appeared in two games last season, seeing action

against Ball State and Iowa State. Henry developed a reputation as one of the hardest workers on the squad during his redshirt year in 2006.

#3 • Wes cammackJr., Wide Receiver, 5-11, 195DeWitt, Neb. (Tri County)

Cammack has provided great depth for the Huskers at the wide receiver position and has also found a way to get onto the playing field via special teams work. He played in 11 of 12 games, primarily on special teams. He has

also been a key contributor in the classroom as he has three times been named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Fall Academic Honor Roll. In 2007 he was First Team Academic All-Big 12.

#11 • curenski GilleylenRedshirt Freshman, Wide Receiver, 6-0, 210Leander, Texas

Gilleylen hopes to take advantage of opportunities provided with the departure of four experienced wide receivers from a year ago. He redshirted a year ago but made some favorable impressions in spring practice. He could

challenge for playing time with a good showing this fall.

#18 • Menelik HoltJr., Wide Receiver, 6-4, 220San Diego, Calif. (St. Augustine)

Holt saw action in all 12 games last season. His playing time increased late in the season and he made the most of his opportunity. He caught four passes for 97 yards in the season’s final four games, the first catches of his career.

#1 chris brooksJr. Wide Receiver 6-2, 210St. Louis, Mo. (Hazelwood East)

Brooks has seen limited action at Nebraska, after a heralded prep career. Rivals.com ranked him the No. 2 prospect in Missouri following a senior season in which he caught 66 passes for 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns in the state’s

large-schools classification. He played in four games as a true freshman in 2005 then redshirted. He played in only one game last season, with one reception.


Men’s/Women’sLeather All-Star

$89.95

Men’s/Women’sBracelet All-Star

$99.95

Men’s Rookie$39.95

P rospect$27.95

Men’s Pro II$69.95

Starlette Leather$79.95

Starlette SS$89.95

HUSKER TIMELogoArt

Checks payable to: Huskers Illustrated, PO Box1498, Shelbyville KY 40066

Order number: 800-524-9527, 859-278-3477 (fax)Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, Visa, DiscoverSales Tax: 5.5% Nebraska State sales tax is includ-

ed in product prices. Sales tax will bededucted from out of state orders.

Shipping: $10. UPS groundshipping and handling. Allow 2-4weeks for delivery.

Shop for additional Nebraska merchandise at www.shophuskersillustrated.com

®


mIkE hUff


offENSIvE LINEhen Omaha native Mike Huff says

he was set to be a Husker at an

early age, he means it.

His parents made certain of it.

“When they took me from the delivery

room,” Huff said, “they brought me home in

a Huskers onesie.”

No wonder, then, that Huff believes he

was bred “to be a Nebraska boy,” or, more

specifically, a member of the Husker football

team.

That dream came true. And, like most

dreams, it’s gone fast for Huff, who’s entering

his senior season as a member of Nebraska’s

offensive line.

“I’m a senior now, and I still don’t think

it’s set in that I’ve accomplished something I

wanted to do since I was a little kid,” Huff said.

“One day I’ll sit back and think about it all.”

He’ll have much to ponder.

Huff could begin by reflecting

on his reunion, of sorts, with

Barney Cotton, and what could

be the resurgence of Nebraska’s

pipeline. Both are key storylines

in Huff ’s fifth and final season in

Lincoln.

Huff, the Huskers’ starting

left guard, is one of four players

returning who made at least six starts last

season on the offensive line. He’s started 19

games over the past two seasons.

“I’ve always thought that we had talent, but

now we have a lot of experience coming back,”

Huff said. “In past years, I wouldn’t be able to

say that about our two-deep.”

And then there’s Cotton, the Nebraska

coach who recruited Huff, a standout at

Ralston High School, throughout the 2003

season. That was Cotton’s first go-round with

Nebraska’s coaching staff. It lasted one year

before the staff overhaul of 2004 that brought

in Bill Callahan as head coach and Dennis

Wagner as offensive line coach; Cotton landed

at Iowa State as offensive coordinator, the same

position he’d held at Nebraska.

“When he went to Iowa State, he actually

talked about me going there, too, but I decided

to stay here,” Huff said. “We had some

really good conversations, and we built that

relationship up, which made it really hard,

but I wanted to go to Nebraska, and I think he

understood that.”

Huff felt more comfortable with his decision

after meeting Nebraska’s new coaching staff.

“They told me right away, when they got the

whole staff in, that I was a good fit,” Huff said.

“Coach Callahan and Coach Wagner actually

came to my house and said I was a good fit for

their system, too, and they hoped that I’d stay

with them.”

Huff ’s dream, though, had become reality

long before Callahan and Wagner stepped

through his front door. It began – and,

appropriately, will end – with Cotton.

“It’s really weird,” Huff said, “but I’m really

excited to work with him for at least a year.”

Huff, now 6-4, 300 pounds, began turning

heads as a high school freshman. That’s when

his coach, Tyler Zahn, a former Husker walk-

on who lettered in 1991, inserted Huff into the

starting lineup.

By the time he was a junior, recruiters were

telling Huff to stick to the mentality of being

an offensive lineman; that’s what he would

play in college, they told him.

No problem. That’s where Huff had always

played; even in Pop Warner football, he was

deemed too big to play any other position but

offensive line.

The lone exception in Huff ’s career came

when he lined up as the fullback

in a jumbo pro-set in high school

– “I scored a touchdown once,”

he said.

It’s one of those rare times

Huff remembers receiving glory.

That’s OK. It comes with the

territory of being a lineman.

“You’re going to know if

you’re doing a good job, and everybody else is

going to know if you’re doing a bad job,” Huff

said. “It’s a funny deal, because nobody knows

about us until we mess up.”

The offensive line, at times, received such

notoriety during the Callahan era, especially

early, as Nebraska transitioned to the West

Coast offense. At that same time, Huff was also

transitioning to college football.

“When you come in as a freshman, you’re

so used to firing off the ball and just hitting

the guy in front of you,” Huff said. “You’re

Offensive Line Preview

w

huff nearing end of life-long journey as husker

“I know what Nebraska fans think of

the program, and I know what it means

to be a player here.”mike huff

aT a gLaNcEReturningCruz Barrett 6-4 325 So.

Jaivorio Burkes 6-5 325 So.

Mike Caputo 6-1 270 RFr.

Jacob Hickman 6-4 290 Jr.

Mike Huff 6-4 300 Sr.

D.J. Jones 6-5 305 So.

Marcel Jones 6-7 310 RFr.

Mike Masin 6-6 330 RFr.

Lydon Murtha 6-7 315 Sr.

Matt Slauson 6-5 325 Sr.

Mike Smith 6-6 285 So.

Keith Williams 6-5 310 So.

IncomingDavid Grant 6-6 295 Fr.

Ricky Henry 6-4 305 Fr.

Baker Steinkuhler 6-6 290 Fr.

Brandon Thompson 6-6 295 Fr.


not worried about, ‘Well, on this play, I need

to take this footwork, or on this play I need

to have a wide landmark instead of a tight

landmark.’ ”

Huff made the most of his scout team work

in 2004, going against the likes of Le Kevin

Smith and Adam Carriker, a couple of future

NFL Draft picks.

A lot of guys can just show up on the scout

squad and just go through the motions,” Huff

said. “You’re not making yourself better, and

you’re not making your teammates better. The

coaches see that. Even if you think they’re

not watching you on the scout team, they’re

watching you.”

Huff had a solid spring in 2006 and started

all but one game that fall. A winter conditioning

injury to his Achilles following the season was

a bit of a setback, although Huff still started six

games at right guard last season, including four

of the last six games.

That has set the stage for what Huff believes

can be a memorable senior season.

“I know what Nebraska fans think of the

program, and I know what it means to be a

player here,” Huff said. “Me being a Nebraska

kid, I know what kind of tradition’s here, and

all of the players that have played here. I’m

actually doing it. I’m strapping on the uniform

they put on.”

poSITIoN oUTLookThe offensive line is deep, and it’s talented.

Experience abounds. Expectations are high.

Those are usually comments heard

when discussing a position that performed

extraordinarily well the previous season.

That’s not entirely true with Nebraska’s

group of big men.

The Huskers, in 2007, averaged a mere 120

rushing yards per game over the final 11 games.

For the season, nearly 70 percent of Nebraska’s

yards came through the air.

The general theory, of course, is that

Nebraska, with its porous defense, was always

playing from behind, trying to keep pace with

the quick-striking offenses of Kansas, Missouri,

Colorado, etc.

Pass, pass, pass, and pass some more. That

meant passing on the run.

Now, Nebraska’s new coaching staff wants

to return to the Husker ways

of old.

“We’re going to be as

physical as we can,” said

Barney Cotton, who’s returned

to Nebraska as offensive line

coach. “We’re going to play as

hard as we can.”

Don’t misunderstand

Cotton. Being versatile, he said,

is still key.

“But the big thing is, we

have a chance to be physical,”

Cotton said. “Coaches always

talk about wanting players to

play until the whistle. You’d

better finish one step after the

whistle if you really want to be

the best.”

Cotton, Nebraska’s offensive

coordinator for one season in

2003, has returned to Lincoln

and inherited what figures to

be Nebraska’s biggest team

strength in 2008.

“(Coaches) always say that

our offensive line is one of the

best they’ve seen talent-wise,”

Matt Slauson said. “Now, we

just need a little direction.”


maTT SLaUSoN


#61 • Mike HuffSr., Offensive Line, 6-4, 300Ralston, Neb.

Huff, a Ralston, Neb., native, has started 10 games at guard the past two seasons. He suffered an Achilles injury during winter conditioning in 2007, but returned in time to start six games at right guard, including four of the last six

contests. He is being counted on to anchor an offensive line that figures to be a strength for this year’s Huskers.

#76 • Lydon MurthaSr., Offensive Line, 6-7, 315Hutchinson, Minn.

Murtha anchored the right side of the Husker offensive line for a majority of last season. He missed the final four games of 2007 with a foot injury. He is one of four returning offensive linemen who made at least eight starts

last season. He has 14 career starts entering his senior season. His play earned him 2007 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 status among the league’s coaches.

#70 • Matt SlausonSr., Offensive Line, 6-5, 325Colorado Springs, Colo. (Air Force Prep)

Slauson is one of Nebraska’s most experienced performers on either side of the ball. He has been a regular on the Husker offensive line since late in his freshman campaign in 2005. He has started 22 games over the past three

seasons and brings a physical presence to the O-line. Slauson made eight starts last season at three different positions, both tackle spots and right guard.

#72 • Jaivorio BurkesSo., Offensive Line, 6-5, 325Phoenix, Ariz. (Moon Valley)

Burkes is one of five returning offensive linemen who made at least three starts during the 2007 season. He earned his first start against the Texas Longhorns. He played in the final four games of the season, also starting against

Kansas and Kansas State. He earned first-team freshman All-Big 12 honors from The Sporting News.

#66 cruz BarrettSo. Offensive Lineman 6-4 325Daytona Beach, Fla. (Mainland)

Barrett was a heralded member of the 2006 recruiting class, which included two other similarly publicized offensive linemen – Keith Williams and D.J. Jones. Oklahoma, Florida, Florida State and West Virginia were

among the schools interested in Barrett. He redshirted as a freshman, as did Williams and Jones, but hasn’t developed as quickly as they have. He didn’t see action last season.


#73 • D.J. JonesSo., Offensive Line, 6-5, 305Omaha, Neb. (Central)

Jones saw extensive action as a redshirt freshman in 2007 and hopes to make a push for a starting spot this fall. He has the ability to play both guard and tackle. Jones sat out his first season in Lincoln as a redshirt.

#78 • Marcel JonesRedshirt Freshman, Offensive Line, 6-7, 320Phoenix, Ariz. (Trevor Browne)

Jones sat out last fall as a redshirt but figures to work his way into the mix this fall on the offensive line. The big 6-7, 320-pound product of Trevor Browne High School was a three-star prospect by Rivals.com and was ranked as

the 13th best prospect overall in the state of Arizona after his senior year.

#65 • Mike SmithSo., Offensive Line, 6-6, 285Las Vegas, Nev. (Palo Verde)

Smith originally came to Nebraska as a defensive end but has established himself on the offensive line and figures to battle for playing time this year for the Huskers. He earned valuable playing time last year as a reserve

tackle and helps make the offensive line a strength for the 2008 Nebraska squad.

#68 • keith WilliamsSo., Offensive Line, 6-5, 310Florissant, Mo. (McClure North)

Williams is a key figure in a Nebraska offensive line that returns eight lettermen for the 2008 season. He has all the physical tools and last season gained valuable game experience. Williams played in 10 games last

season at guard. He also saw action as a blocker on PAT and field goal units.

#67 • Jacob HickmanJr., Offensive Line, 6-4, 290Bakersfield, Calif. (Centennial)

Hickman has seen action at guard the past two seasons, but could also be a candidate to take over at center in 2008. After missing spring ball because of a knee injury, Hickman played in all 12 games in 2007, including starting

the final nine games at offensive guard. His steady play earned him honorable-mention All-Big 12 status among the league’s coaches.

Slauson, who’s bounced between guard

and tackle throughout his career, will focus

on right guard. The rest of the starting lineup

will probably look like this: Lydon Murtha

at left tackle, Mike Huff at left guard, Jacob

Hickman at center and Jaivorio Burkes at

right tackle.

Slauson, Huff and Murtha are seniors, giving

the Huskers ample experience. Nebraska, in

fact, returns a total of 67 career starts along the

offensive line, including 32 from last season.

(Gone are Brett Byford at center and Carl Nicks

at tackle.)

ut it’s the players behind the starters

that make this unit perhaps the

team’s strongest. Sophomores Keith

Williams, D.J. Jones and Mike

Smith have game experience and were among

those promising Callahan recruits.

Williams plays primarily left guard, Jones

can play either tackle or guard, and Smith

has dabbled at all positions, including center

during the spring. Smith has since begun to

settle at tackle, probably as a backup to Murtha.

Sophomore Cruz Barrett could see more time,

too, as a backup at guard.

A couple of redshirted freshmen could also

make an impact, including Marcel Jones at

tackle, and walk-on Mike Caputo at center.

Caputo, a Millard North graduate, was

particularly impressive during the spring.

Don’t forget, either, about the arrival of

highly touted freshman Baker Steinkuhler,

although coaches haven’t confirmed he’ll play

offense; he could give the thin defensive line

some help.

Should Steinkuhler follow in the footsteps of

his father, former Husker and Outland Trophy

winner Dean Steinkuhler, and play offensive

line, look for the younger Steinkuhler to

contribute immediately.

Then, of course, there’s Cotton, who Slauson

said will rally the troops.

“I think he’s going to be a great leader for us,”

Slauson said. “He’ll motivate us in productive

ways, and I’m excited about it.”

B


Ty STEINkUhLEr


DEfENSIvE LINEes, Ty Steinkuhler is often asked about

his No. 43 jersey. And no, he isn’t about

to ask for a different one, even though it

isn’t a defensive tackle’s number.

There’s significance to 43 but not, as is often

the case, because he wore it in high school. His

number was 55 at Lincoln (Neb.) Southwest. He

was a linebacker.

If he could have had 55 when he got to

Nebraska, he’d be wearing it now. But Wali

Muhammad had 55, and he was a senior. Plus,

he played defensive end. Two players can have

the same jersey number, as long as they’re not

on the same side of the ball.

So Steinkuhler, who was recruited as a

defensive end, picked three numbers from those

available for incoming players at his position.

And he was assigned 43.

“Is this just a coincidence?” he wondered.

Sure, he had worn 43 in the Nebraska

Shrine Bowl all-star game. But the coincidence

went well beyond that.

Specifically, his dad, Dean,

once wore 43.

Dean wore 71 at Nebraska,

of course. He earned All-

America honors, the Outland

Trophy and Lombardi Award

as an offensive guard on the

1983 “Scoring Explosion” team.

But he wore 43 as an eight-man player at

Sterling (Neb.) High School, where he was a

fullback and a linebacker, and any other position

he wanted to play.

Dean’s success was such that a lady in

Sterling, Neb., painted a bobblehead doll with

a “43” and “Steinkuhler” on it and presented

it to him. The bobblehead was kept in a trophy

case at home. Ty asked his dad one day why 43?

Because he wore it in high school, his dad said.

Ty thought about the bobblehead the day he

was assigned 43.

“I was like, ‘This is really weird. I’ve got to

keep this number,’ ” he said.

So even when he was asked if he would be

interested in moving from defensive end to

defensive tackle before his sophomore season,

he didn’t give it up.

Playing inside appealed to him, but not

changing jersey numbers. “I kind of looked at

it like, ‘These guys are fast.’ The defensive ends

are guys that are speed rushers,” he said. “I’m

not that type of guy at all. When they asked me,

I was like, ‘That would almost be better.’ ”

Nebraska was thin at defensive tackle, while

Adam Carriker and Jay Moore were established

defensive ends. Plus, Steinkuhler was competing

with Zach Potter, who had played as a true

freshman, and “I knew Potter needed to get a lot

more reps,” Steinkuhler said.

Initially, he thought the move inside “would

be a huge adjustment.” But that wasn’t the case.

The biggest difference was, “outside, you’re just

farther from the center,” he said.

“You pretty much get the same reads.”

Steinkuhler had already dealt with a significant

adjustment as a Cornhusker freshman. Not only

was he a linebacker in high school but also he

was a better athlete than most of those against

whom he played. He just ran to the ball, never

concerning himself with technique.

He never used his hands and never read

blocks because high school offensive linemen

usually blocked only one way. Besides, they

rarely got to him, anyway.

“It was a big transition,” said Steinkuhler.

He made the transition during a redshirt

season, playing on the scout team. For some,

a redshirt season drags. For him,

however, it went by fast. Redshirts don’t

have the pressures of preparing to play.

And scout squad players just read off

cards and go as hard as they can.

Even so, “I wouldn’t want to do it

for two years. I was like, ‘Geez, I’m

not ever going to play here,’ when I

was on the scout team. But you get over it in the

spring. That’s when you get a glimpse of what

you’re going to be able to do,” Steinkuhler said.

His time at Nebraska has gone quickly, which

isn’t surprising. He grew up a Cornhusker,

attending his first game at Memorial Stadium

during the 1994 national championship season,

and he never saw himself playing college football

anywhere else.

He began playing organized football in

Syracuse, Neb., moving to Lincoln before

his junior year in high school. He considered

Defensive Line Preview

y

Steinkuhler more than a name to Nebraska

“I was like, ‘Geez, I’m not ever going

to play here,’ when I was on the scout

team.”ty steinkuhler

aT a gLaNcEReturning EndZach Potter 6-7 280 Sr.

Barry Turner 6-3 260 Sr.

Pierre Allen 6-5 265 So.

Clayton Sievers 6-4 255 Sr.

William Yancy 6-4 245 RFr.

David Harvey 6-4 260 Jr.

Luke Lingenfelter 6-4 250 RFr.

Faron Klingelhoefer 6-2 250 Fr.

Jonathon Santin 6-3 225 RFr.

Tyrone Fahie 6-3 250 RFr.

Returning TacklesTy Steinkuhler 6-3 280 Sr.

Ndamukong Suh 6-4 300 Jr.

Kevin Dixon 6-3 285 Sr.

Shukree Barfield 6-4 300 Sr.

Ben Martin 6-4 270 So.

Terrence Moore 6-3 270 RFr.

Jared Crick 6-6 270 RFr.

Taylor Escamilla 6-1 270 RFr.

IncomingCameron Meredith 6-4 225 Fr.

Quentin Toailoa 6-4 300 Fr.

Josh Williams 6-4 225 Fr.


enrolling at Southeast High, but settled on

Southwest, which played its first season of varsity

football that year. Southeast had a tradition of

success, and Steinkuhler figured he would have

a better chance to play at Southwest.

He got his chance, all right, on a team that

went 0-9. Playing for a winless team didn’t affect

Nebraska’s recruiting him, however. He had a

scholarship offer before his senior year.

He has compared his junior season to

Nebraska’s 5-7 finish last fall.

“After the USC game, I don’t know, it

just went downhill,” he said. “At Southwest,

everybody knew we were going to lose, and by

the end of (last) year, we had the same mindset,

‘We’re not going to win,’ ” he said. “We never

gave in physically, but mentally, I think some

people had a lot of doubts. I think that’s what

kills you, the mental thing.”

His senior season, Southwest went 5-5 and

qualified for the state playoffs.

Three years ago, the Silver Hawks reached

the Class A state championship game, and a

year ago, they were ranked No. 1 through much

of the season, finishing 10-1. They also had the

player regarded by recruiting analysts as the best

in the state – Ty’s brother Baker, a lineman.

The two will be Cornhusker teammates in

the fall, possibly on the defensive line, although

that’s a longshot. Baker did play defense in the

U.S. Army All-American Game, to the surprise

of his brother. But he is projected as an offensive

lineman at Nebraska.

Wherever Baker plays, “it’s going to be

fun,” Ty said. “I’ve never played with him

because he was always too young. I think it’ll

be pretty cool.”

Presumably, Baker will pick a jersey number

appropriate to his position.

Mike Masin, a redshirted freshman offensive

lineman, wore 71 in the spring, by the way. But

no one wore 55, which was Baker’s number in

high school, too.

poSITIoN oUTLookThe defensive line has something to prove.

Though last season’s defensive problems can’t all be

placed on the line, it starts up front, and “I think we

underplayed for the talent we have,” Ndamukong

Suh said. “We want to come out and prove to

everybody that, ‘Oh yeah, we’re still Nebraska and

we still can play defense and…stop people.’ ”

The line is experienced. The top eight return,

with six of them seniors. Suh, the only returning


zach poTTEr



starter who isn’t a senior, missed spring practice

following knee surgery, but he is expected to be

full-speed in the fall, and trimmed down from the

300 pounds at which he’s listed.

Everyone has been energized by the arrival of

coach Bo Pelini and staff.

“Personally, I think our defensive line is in

a great mindset,” said Suh. “We don’t have

anything to lose. Coming off a not-very-good

season, you can only go up.”

Zach Potter was the leading tackler among

defensive linemen with 45, including 12 for

losses and 2.5 sacks to earn All-Big 12 honorable

mention from the conference coaches.

Barry Turner became an every-down player

after being primarily a pass rusher his first two

seasons, the best of which was in 2005 when he

earned Freshman All-America recognition with

six sacks for 46 yards in losses. He was credited

with three sacks last season.

Ty Steinkuhler is the other returning starter

and has the versatility to move outside, after

beginning his career at Nebraska as a defensive

end. Kevin Dixon started three games and

Shukree Barfield one, after transferring from

Garden City (Kan.) Community College.

The linemen have had to adjust to a third

position coach in the past three seasons, with

defensive coordinator Carl Pelini and John

Papuchis (ends), following John Blake and

Buddy Wyatt. “It wasn’t a huge difference

between Coach Blake and Coach Wyatt,” said

Steinkuhler. “But there’s a lot of new stuff with

Coach (Carl) Pelini.”

He has adjusted well. “It makes a lot of sense

how he’s (Pelini) coaching certain blocks and how

you play them. It’ll be great,” Steinkuhler said.

Carl Pelini was satisfied with what he saw in

the spring.

“I’m excited about the progress of the

defensive line. I think they’re really taking to

the new techniques,” he said. “They’re asking

good questions. The want-to is there, which is

the biggest thing. When you talk about defensive

line play, you talk about process. It is a process

because it’s so reactional. You can’t think and

play defensive line. Repetition is the key. So

we’re not nearly where we want to be come

opening game next year. But that’s going to take

repetition over the course of the summer, to

where their reactions are split-second.”

When it reaches that point, “you can really

evaluate where we are,” he said.

Bo Pelini also was satisfied with what he saw

from the defensive linemen during the spring.

They’re “not even close to where they were

when we started,” he said. “We’ve made great

progress there.”

#98 • zach PotterSr., Defensive End, 6-7, 280Omaha, Neb. (Creighton Prep)

Potter is part of the Nebraska defensive line that returns intact for the 2008 season. He had a great season in 2007, finishing second on the team in tackles for loss. He played in all 12 games, starting 11 at base end. He finished with 45

tackles, the most among defensive linemen. His play earned him honorable-mention All-Big 12 honors from the conference coaches.

#43 • Ty SteinkuhlerSr., Defensive Tackle, 6-3, 280Lincoln, Neb. (Southwest)

Steinkuhler had a rough year, battling injuries during the first half of the 2007 season. Nevertheless, he played in 10 games with eight starts. He finished the year with 13 total tackles and had four tackles for loss. Steinkuhler figures to be one of the

leaders of this year’s Husker defensive line.

#93 • ndamukong SuhJr., Defensive Tackle, 6-4, 200Portland, Ore. (Grant)

Suh had knee surgery in early March but figures to be full speed for the start of fall camp in August. He is one of four returning starters on the defensive line. He played in all 12 contests last year with 11 starts. He finished the year with 34 tackles,

including 20 solos and had six tackles for loss. He was First Team Freshman All-Big 12 as selected by The Sporting News in 2006.

#99 • Barry TurnerSr., Defensive End, 6-3, 260Antioch, Tenn. (Brentwood Academy)

Turner is the most experienced of the four returning starters along the Nebraska defensive line. He has been in the Huskers regular rotation at defensive end since bursting onto the scene as a true freshman in 2005. He has great speed and uses

that to pressure quarterbacks on the outside. He enters his senior season with 10.5 career sacks and 17 career tackles for loss. He missed spring ball after shoulder surgery, but played in all 12 games with 11 starts at the open end spot in 2007.

#97 • kevin DixonSr., Defensive Tackle, 6-3, 285Sebring, Fla (Garden City CC)

Dixon saw considerable playing time in his first year in the Nebraska program. He eventually worked his way into the regular rotation at defensive tackle. He played in all 12 games in 2007, earning starts against Wake Forest, USC, Ball State

and Oklahoma State. The Sebring, FL product, by way of Garden City Community College, finished the season with 19 tackles, including 11 solo stops.

#95 • Pierre allenSo., Defensive End, 6-5, 265Denver, CO (Thomas Jefferson)

Allen has high hopes of earning more playing time this season after a solid redshirt freshman season in 2007. He saw significant action as a reserve end last fall, playing in 11 games as the No. 2 base end behind Zach Potter. He finished the year

with 16 total tackles, including three tackles for loss. He showed improvement late in the year as 15 of his 16 tackles came in the final six games.

#56 • Shukree BarfieldSr., Defensive Tackle, 6-4, 300Camden, NJ (Garden City CC)

Barfield had a respectable first season in the Husker program in 2007. He served as the top backup behind Ndamukong Suh in the middle of the defensive line and played in all 12 games, with a start against Oklahoma State. He finished

the year with 15 total tackles, including seven solos, and had one tackle for loss.

#88 • clayton SieversSr., Defensive End, 6-4, 255Elkhorn, NE

Sievers began his Husker career on the offensive side of the football before moving to the defensive side two years ago. He has spent the past two seasons splitting time between defensive end and linebacker. Sievers played in 11

games in 2007, serving primarily as Barry Turner’s top backup at open end. He finished the season with seven total tackles. He also served on several Nebraska special teams units.

#63 • Ben MartinSo., Defensive Tackle, 6-4, 270Lincoln, NE (Southwest)

Martin’s versatility made him valuable to last year’s Nebraska team. He earned playing time as a redshirt freshman. He has the ability to play either defensive end or defensive tackle for the Huskers. Martin played in seven games in

2007, serving as a backup defensive tackle behind fellow Lincoln Southwest graduate Ty Steinkuhler, and Kevin Dixon. He finished the year with three tackles.


coDy gLENN


LINEBackErSo say former Cornhusker Broderick

Thomas wasn’t a fan of Bill Callahan

and his staff would be understating.

That influenced Thomas’s attitude,

without a doubt.

Still, the two-time All-America linebacker

did see it coming.

“He saw before everything happened how

they ran stuff and how it was going to go,”

Cody Glenn said. “He used to tell me, and I’d

go, ‘OK.’ Then I saw he was right.”

Glenn and Thomas are cousins. They talk

regularly. And had Glenn taken his cousin’s

advice when he was a sophomore, he probably

wouldn’t be at Nebraska now.

He remained optimistic, however, believing

his time would come. And when it came, he

needed to be ready. He prepared accordingly. “It

just never came,” said Glenn.

Last season, he finally realized Thomas was

right, that his time wasn’t going to come as long

as Callahan was the coach. If not for

the arrival of Bo Pelini, “I wouldn’t

be here now,” Glenn said. “If Coach

Callahan and all of them would have

stayed, I’d be gone.”

That’s moot now, unpleasant

history as far as Glenn is concerned.

Pelini’s his coach, and he has a new

lease on football life – not as a running back, as

a linebacker.

Glenn’s move to linebacker was a major story

during the spring, how he asked Pelini if he

could try linebacker and if it didn’t work out,

return to running back.

Initially, “I really didn’t think it was going to

work,” said Glenn. “I was real skeptical. But I

just kind of stuck with it, and it started getting

easier and easier, and a lot of fun.”

Glenn hadn’t had that much fun since his

first year at Nebraska, when he was among 13

true freshmen who played on Callahan’s second

team. He was realistic about his situation then.

Cory Ross was the veteran running back,

and he was going to be used in short-yardage

situations.

He scored four touchdowns in seven games.

But he didn’t want to be labeled a short-yardage

back. He was more versatile, as he showed

during the spring. Or so he thought.

“After that spring, I just knew I was going

to be the starter. It was going to work out,”

Glenn said. “I felt like I was pretty much the

best player we had at the position at that time

and that there was no way I wasn’t going to

be the starter. The next three years were going

to be great.

“But things changed. Things don’t always

happen the way you think they will.”

Despite his play during the spring, Glenn

found himself in an I-back committee with

Marlon Lucky, Kenny Wilson and Brandon

Jackson in 2006. Lucky started the first five

games before giving way to Jackson, who rushed

for 989 yards and eight touchdowns.

Glenn also rushed for eight touchdowns,

but never got to start. And after suffering a foot

injury scoring a touchdown at Texas A&M, he

was effectively shelved. He carried 27 times in

five games last season. He said he was healthy.

The coaches said he wasn’t.

That’s when his thoughts of leaving were

strongest. “But I was fortunate enough and

blessed to have them (Pelini and staff) come in

here and have a clean slate,” he said.

Glenn wrote “linebacker” on that figurative

slate, something he never imagined he would do

when he signed a letter of intent with Nebraska.

Coming out of high school in Rusk, Texas, he

had scholarship offers from schools interested in

him as a defensive player.

Texas was among those schools. “But I

wanted to play running back. That was one of

the big reasons I came to Nebraska,” Glenn

said. “But, I mean, things change.”

The physical aspect wasn’t difficult, “just

the mental part, being able

to read things I’m not used

to reading. On offense I read

things differently than I do on

defense,” he said.

Blake Lawrence helped,

going over the defense with

him the day after he moved.

The two sat in linebackers coach Mike Ekeler’s

office while Ekeler was in a meeting.

Glenn had joked with Ekeler about his

switching to defense long before spring practice

began. Ekeler told him he needed to be on

defense. His response was, “Yeah, right.”

When Ekeler learned he really was making

the switch, “he was all kind of fired up and

happy,” said Glenn. “You know Coach ‘Ek.’

You can imagine how happy he was.”

Thomas was happy about the switch to

defense, too. “He was like, ‘Welcome to the

family. You’re one of us now. We need to get

you one of those Blackshirts,’ ” Glenn said.

Linebackers Preview

T

glenn completes switch to linebackeraT a gLaNcE

Returning LinebackersPhillip Dillard 6-1 245 Jr.

Cody Glenn 6-0 230 Sr.

Tyler Wortman 6-3 235 Sr.

Blake Lawrence 6-2 225 So.

Latravis Washington 6-3 225 So.

Colton Koehler 6-1 230 Jr.

Nick Covey 6-2 240 Jr.

Thomas Grove 6-2 220 So.

Austin Stafford 6-2 205 Rfr.

Mike Hays 6-1 230 Rfr.

Jeff Sayre 6-3 215 Rfr.

Joseph Camarata 5-10 225 Fr.

incoming linebackersWill Compton 6-2 230 Fr.

Sean Fisher 6-6 225 Fr.

Micah Kreikemeier 6-3 210 Fr.

*Alonzo Whaley 6-1 225 Fr.

*could play fullback

“I really didn’t think it was going to

work. I was real skeptical.”

cody glenn


Having played offense his first three years at

Nebraska, and being from out of state, Glenn

didn’t fully understand the Blackshirt tradition.

But he has learned quickly.

Thomas has told him about it, as have former

defensive players who have been welcomed

back into the program by Pelini. Glenn talked to

Demorrio Williams the weekend of the Spring

Game, and “you can just see the passion he has

about it,” said Glenn.

He has been compared to Williams, who

emerged as a dominant linebacker during Pelini’s

one season as Cornhusker defensive coordinator.

Glenn is flattered by the comparison.

“I’ve heard that a lot, just because of how he

was,” Glenn said.

“He was fast, a really good athlete and kind

of how they used him at defensive end and

different things like that. I guess only time will

tell. He was a great player here.”

Comparisons aside, Glenn is just happy for

the opportunity to get on the field and contribute

in any way he can. He’s even looking forward to

playing on special teams, something he hasn’t

done during his time at Nebraska. In the spring,

he was on all of them.

Even though he’s a linebacker now, the

running back hasn’t been taken out of him.

“I know I could be an every-down back for

anybody,” he said.

Thomas always told him that. Thomas also

told him how it would be. And it was.

Linebackers Preview

#52 • Phillip DillardJr., Linebacker, 6-1, 245Tulsa, Okla. (Jenks)

Dillard is the most experienced of Nebraska’s returning linebacker corps. He played all 12 games at the MIKE linebacker spot in 2007, splitting time with senior Corey McKeon. Dillard finished the year with 37 tackles, including 22 solo stops. He was one of the nation’s

top linebacker prospects after earning Oklahoma all-state honors for two consecutive seasons at Jenks High School.

#34 • cody GlennSr., Linebacker, 6-0, 230Rusk, Texas

Glenn will be leaving the Husker offense in an attempt to solidify the linebacker position on defense for this year’s team. He had a respectable spring and hopes are high that he can be a key contributor this year. In 2007, Glenn was slowed by injury and

saw limited action. Early in his career, Glenn made his mark as a short-yardage back. The Rusk, Texas native has all the tools to be a contributor if he can avoid further injuries. #53 • Tyler WortmanSr., Linebacker, 6-3, 235Grand Island, Neb. (Central Catholic)

Wortman had served as a scout team player through his first three years in the Husker program but finally got his chance on the field in 2007. He played in nine games during his junior season, including each of the final eight contests. Wortman finished the year with

nine total tackles, including three solo stops. He also had three tackles for loss. He is hoping to play even a bigger role for the Huskers this fall. #23 • Latravis WashingtonSo., Linebacker, 6-3, 225Bradenton, Fla. (Bayshore)

Washington saw limited action as a true freshman in 2007, playing primarily on special teams. He played in six games, both on kickoff coverage and as a reserve linebacker. He finished the year with two tackles, both coming in Nebraska’s win over Kansas State.

Washington is the cousin of former Husker standout Fabian Washington.

#12 • Blake LawrenceSo., Linebacker, 6-2, 225Shawnee Mission, KS (West)

Lawrence played in eight games as a true freshman in 2007. He was a backup to senior Bo Ruud at the SAM linebacker spot. He also was a regular member of the Huskers kickoff coverage unit. Lawrence saw his most extensive action of the season against Texas A&M

when Ruud went out with a knee injury. He made his first career tackle against the Aggies.

LaTravIS waShINgToN


#41 • Thomas GroveSo., Linebacker, 6-2, 220

Arlington, Neb.

Grove was one of 11 true

freshmen to see action in 2007

– and he did it after walking on

from Arlington, Neb., High School.

He participated on special teams

for the Huskers and this fall looks

to make a push at linebacker. Grove has also got off to

a good start in the classroom, as he was named to the

2007 Big 12 Commissioner’s Fall Academic Honor Roll.

#54 • colton koehlerJr., Linebacker, 6-1, 230

Harvard, Neb. (Nebraska Wesleyan)

Koehler is hoping to battle for

playing time at the linebacker

position this fall for the Huskers.

He joined Nebraska in January

of 2006 and worked as a fullback

initially. He began his college

career at Nebraska Wesleyan University after an

outstanding prep career at Harvard, Neb.. High School.

#45 • nick coveyJr., Linebacker, 6-2, 240

Glendale, Ariz. (Mountain Ridge)

Covey is hoping to work his way

into playing time this year as a

junior linebacker for the Huskers.

He missed the entire 2006 season

with a knee injury, after missing

spring drills in 2006 following

shoulder surgery. Covey had a great prep career at

Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale, Ariz.

poSITIoN oUTLookLinebackers coach Mike Ekeler stepped

into a difficult situation. Last season’s top four

linebackers are gone: Bo Ruud, Corey McKeon,

Steve Octavien and Lance Brandenburgh.

They were four of the top seven tacklers, and

Brandenburgh was even sidelined by injury

the final three games. Octavien led the way

with 92 tackles, including 15 for losses, also

a team high.

Even so, Ekeler was undaunted when spring

practice began. “We’ve got plenty of guys.

We’ve got guys who are sharp. We’ve got guys

who are going to be great players,” he said.

“Anywhere you’re at, you’re always going to

have turnover. You’re always going to have guys

graduating, every single year. It’s no different

for us.”

That attitude hadn’t changed by spring’s end,

quite the contrary.

A trimmed down Phillip Dillard is the most

experienced of the linebackers and figures to

hold down the middle. He started twice last

season and was credited with 37 tackles.

Walk-on Tyler Wortman, who got an

opportunity late last season, was among the

surprises of the spring, while Cody Glenn made

a successful transition from running back.

Wortman played the strongside, primarily,

and Glenn the weakside. But linebackers could

line up differently depending on the situation.

“If you want to talk about BUCK linebacker

or MIKE linebacker or WILL, I hate to do that

because we’re moving guys around,” defensive

coordinator Carl Pelini said. “We’re looking at

them in different positions.”

Like Ekeler, Pelini isn’t concerned about

inexperience. “We’re fine at the linebacker

position,” he said late in the spring. “We’ve got

a lot of guys. They understand multiple roles.

They understand the different positions and that

whole corps is coming around.”

Communication is essential at linebacker,

and Pelini saw that communication developing

during the spring. “It’s a demanding,

intellectual position in this scheme,” he said.

“You have to understand what’s going on in

front of you. You have to understand what’s

going on behind you. There is constant

communication involved. You can really judge

the success or failure of that unit as they start

to hear communication. You know they’re

beginning to understand.”

For Wortman, getting an opportunity has

been a dream come true.

“I knew it was going to take time and my

hard work would pay off,” he said. “At times,

I was getting down on myself, but in the end,

it paid off.”

Wortman has a near-perfect grade-point

average in mechanical engineering, a quality

required of what Ekeler considers a perfect

linebacker, a “guy who is sharp.” A perfect

linebacker also has to play “with fanaticism,

his hair on fire, a guy who’s just going to be

relentless, refuses to get blocked,” said Ekeler.

“That’s perfect for me. There’s a balance.”

Linebackers Preview

TyLEr worTmaN


maTT o’haNLoN


DEfENSIvE BackSt was a risk, one Matt O’Hanlon wishes

he would have taken immediately

following his senior year in high school

instead of doing what was reasonable.

Reasonable was accepting a football

scholarship from South Dakota. And in the

late summer of 2004, O’Hanlon headed to

Vermillion, S.D., for two-a-day practices.

He spent three weeks there, earning a job as

the starting nickel back. But he wasn’t happy. So

he returned to Nebraska, intent on walking on,

an uncertain proposition at best.

Bill Callahan was in his first year as

Cornhusker coach, and he was downsizing the

roster. In particular, he was eliminating walk-ons,

or so it seemed. That was never made specific.

But it was a hot rumor among Cornhusker fans,

given credence early in the season.

South Dakota’s roster included some former

Nebraska walk-ons who had left after Callahan

was hired. O’Hanlon tried “to steer

clear” of them. He was considering

transferring soon after two-a-days

began and “didn’t want any negative

effects on my confidence,” he said.

If Callahan didn’t embrace walk-

ons, O’Hanlon didn’t want to hear

about it.

During the football season his

senior year at East High in Bellevue,

Neb., O’Hanlon was recruited as a walk-on by

then-coach Frank Solich and his staff. O’Hanlon

was a running back and defensive back, starting

at safety in the Nebraska Shrine Bowl All-Star

Game.

He might have lacked the size for which

Callahan was looking, with a philosophy

based on recruiting service rankings and NFL

potential. But he was athletic, having also

earned four letters in high school soccer, and

exceptionally strong. He was a power-lifter.

He won a state power-lifting title in 2003 and

was a runner-up in 2004.

Beyond those qualities, however, O’Hanlon

had something that couldn’t be measured,

the passion for Cornhusker football that has

characterized its walk-ons. Coach Bo Pelini has

placed a premium on that passion, and walk-ons

are again an essential part of recruiting.

“I wanted to be here since I was 6-years old,

since I saw all those guys running through the

tunnel (at Memorial Stadium),” O’Hanlon said

following a practice late in the spring.

“But that scholarship at South Dakota kind

of drew me there.”

Again, it was the reasonable thing to do. So

when he decided to give up the scholarship,

some who knew him well were skeptical. Maybe

most were skeptical, in fact, but they didn’t say

anything. If that’s what he wanted to do, they

were going to support him.

His parents supported him “completely.

Everything I do they always support me,” he

said. “There are always the people who are like,

‘You’re not going to be able to do that.’ But

thank God, I have two great parents. Without

them, I probably wouldn’t be here.”

Without former Cornhusker assistant Bill

Busch, O’Hanlon might not be at Nebraska,

either. Leaving South Dakota didn’t ensure he

would make the team as a walk-on.

In January of 2005, he survived cuts in

a tryout for walk-ons. Then he had to avoid

getting lost in the shuffle. “I got to know Coach

Busch well,” said O’Hanlon. Busch coached

special teams and “gave me

my shot. I’m grateful for the

opportunity he gave me.”

After a mandatory redshirt

because of the transfer,

O’Hanlon earned playing time

on special teams. He has been

on the kickoff, kickoff return

and punt return teams.

He was never given an

opportunity at safety, however. And that was

discouraging. All he wanted was a chance,

which he got during the spring. Now it’s up to

him.

“When the new coaching staff came in,

I knew I was going to get a chance at least.

It’s definitely true. Guys like me, like Tyler

Wortman, who have been walk-ons for four or

five years, are finally getting a chance our senior

year,” O’Hanlon said.

Like Wortman who climbed to the top of the

Defensive Backs Preview

I

o’hanlon takes risks, accepts challenges as walk-on

aT a gLaNcEReturning CornerbacksArmando Murillo 6-0 190 Sr.Anthony Blue 5-10 180 So.Anthony West 6-0 200 So.Prince Amukamara 6-1 195 So.

Returning SafetiesLarry Asante 6-1 210 Jr.Rickey Thenarse 6-0 195 Jr.Matt O’Hanlon 5-11 195 Sr.Major Culbert 6-0 205 Jr.Austin Cassidy 6-1 205 Rfr.Matthew May 6-1 195 Rfr.

OthersEric Hagg 6-1 200 So.Shawn Sullivan 5-10 190 Rfr.Adam Watson 6-0 190 So.Ryan Ford 5-11 175 Jr.Lance Thorell 6-1 190 Rfr.

Incoming Defensive BacksAlfonzo Dennard 5-10 190 Fr.John Levorson 6-3 190 Fr.Justin Rogers 5-11 180 Fr.P.J. Smith 6-2 205 Fr.Mason Wald 5-11 205 Fr.David Whitmore 6-2 185 Fr.

“You kind of have to be (a risk taker)

to be where I’m at right now. If I wasn’t

a risk-taker, I’d still be in South Dakota.

I wouldn’t be here.”matt o’hanlon


depth chart at linebacker, he’s a solid student, a

fact that alleviated some of the risk of leaving a

sure thing at South Dakota. Earning a degree

is important to O’Hanlon. He was first-team

Academic All-Big 12 in 2006 and second team

in 2007, with a secondary education-social

sciences major.

O’Hanlon is a risk-taker. “You kind of have

to be to be where I’m at right now,” he said. “If

I wasn’t a risk-taker, I’d still be in South Dakota.

I wouldn’t be here.”

He also is persistent, “definitely,” he said.

“There have always been those doubts in

my mind, ‘I’m never going to get to play.’

But as time goes on, you realize that you

love being here, not just for the playing

time but for the experiences and being

with the guys.

“I look at it as a blessing to even be

here with my teammates.”

Spring practice can often be drudgery

for veteran players. But that wasn’t the

case for O’Hanlon, and not just because

of the coaching change – though that was

a part.

He was eager to go to practice every

day, to fix mistakes and improve. His

being a senior, there was a sense of

urgency. He had to make up for lost time.

He didn’t want it to end.

Even if his contributions are limited

to special teams again this season, he

had a chance. And he appreciates being

at Nebraska. “It’s amazing to be in one

of the greatest programs in the country,

really not even being given a shot out of

high school,” he said.

“It’s amazing I have this opportunity

to play in front of 85,000 on Saturdays.”

The first time he took the Tunnel Walk,

he was “so nervous.” But the nervousness

quickly subsided after he made a tackle

his first time on the kickoff team.

Giving up the scholarship at South

Dakota and coming to Nebraska required

“a leap of faith,” said O’Hanlon. “I had

no idea if I was going to make the team

or not.

“I prayed about it and luckily, I got my

chance.”

He has no regrets . . . well, maybe one.

“I wish I would have just come straight here,”

he said.

poSITIoN oUTLookArmando Murillo and Larry Asante are the

only returning starters in the secondary, and

they represent most of the experience there

besides. Murillo and Matt O’Hanlon are the

only seniors under new defensive backs coach

Marvin Sanders. The secondary is young.

“I’m ‘Pops,’ ” said the quiet Murillo. “That’s

what they say.”

Murillo started every game last season in a

four-cornerback rotation that included Cortney

Grixby, Andre Jones and Zack Bowman. He was

fourth on the team in tackles with 71 (including

43 unassisted and three for losses) and seven

pass break-ups.

Asante, who earned All-Big 12 honorable

mention from the conference coaches, was

second on the team in tackles with 78, including


Larry aSaNTE


#33 • Matt o’Hanlon5-11, 195, Sr., SafetyBellevue, Neb. (East)

O’Hanlon saw action in 10 games last year, primarily working on the Huskers special teams units. He finished the year with three tackles, including solo stops against Nevada and Iowa State. In 2006, O’Hanlon played in all

14 games and contributed on one of the nation’s best kickoff coverage units. He had eight total tackles that year.

#21 • Prince amukamara6-1, 195, So., Defensive BackGlendale, Ariz. (Apollo)

Amukamara saw limited action in 2007 as a true freshman. Nevertheless, after losing a majority of the defensive secondary, he will have an opportunity to step into considerable playing time this

fall. He has the versatility to play both cornerback and safety. After not playing in 2007’s first three games, he saw action in eight of the final nine contests. He was a regular on the Huskers kickoff coverage unit. He recorded four tackles last season.

#6 • Major culbert6-0, 205, Jr., SafetyHarbor City, Calif. (Nathaniel Narbonne)

Culbert landed on the defensive side of the football after beginning 2007 as a reserve I-back. He carried the ball five times for 35 yards and a touchdown against Nevada. His move to defense came midway

though 2007. He recorded eight tackles in the season’s final five games as a reserve linebacker. He also participated on the Huskers special teams. This fall, look for Culbert to try to land the starting safety job.

#28 • eric Hagg6-1, 200, So., Defensive BackPeoria, Ariz. (Ironwood)

Hagg is like several of Nebraska’s young defenders – licking his chops at a chance to replace the six outgoing regulars in the defensive backfield. He saw limited action as a true freshman last fall. He has the athletic ability

to compete for playing time at both cornerback and safety. Hagg played in seven games last fall as both a reserve in the secondary and on special teams. He recorded two assisted tackles.

#4 • Larry asante6-1, 210, Jr., SafetyAlexandria, Va. (Hayfield/Coffeyville CC)

Asante had a good first season for the Huskers after transferring from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College. He earned the starting job at strong safety and played in all 12 games, including 10 starts. He finished

second on the team with 78 tackles, including 38 solo stops. Asante was named to the honorable mention All-Big 12 team by the conference coaches.

#14 • anthony Blue5-10, 180, So., CornerbackCedar Hill, Texas

Blue worked his way up the ladder last season as a freshman in the defensive secondary. He earned playing time at the start of the season and went on to start the final two games. He played in all 12 games and

recorded 18 tackles, including nine solos. He also saw extensive action on special teams. Blue had the misfortune of suffering a knee injury in winter conditioning and had surgery in early March. It is hopeful he will be ready for the beginning of fall drills in early August.

#5 • armando Murillo6-0, 190, Sr., CornerbackTampa, Fla. (Robinson/Eastern Arizona CC)

Murillo is the lone returnee from a four-player cornerback rotation in 2007. He started all 12 games last year and is being counted on to be a leader with the departure of six regulars from last year’s secondary. He was one of only

two defenders to be in the starting lineup in every game. Murillo finished fourth on the team in tackles with 71 stops, including 43 solo tackles. He had a season-high seven pass breakups.

#22 • anthony West6-0, 200, So., CornerbackSan Diego, Calif. (Point Loma)

West served as a reserve cornerback throughout the 2007 season and also saw time on special teams. He finished the year with six tackles, including four solo stops. West had prepared to play in an injury-

plagued secondary in 2006, but he ultimately sat out the season as a redshirt. This could be the year the Point Loma High School product out of San Diego gets his chance.

a high of 10 against Texas A&M. Both he and

Murillo are being counted on for leadership. He

gained confidence every day during the spring,

according to coach Bo Pelini. “He has good

understanding,” Pelini said.

Tierre Green, the only defensive player

besides Murillo to start every game last season,

is gone, along with Bryan Wilson and Ben

Eisenhart, creating opportunities at safety.

Most prominent among the candidates is

Rickey Thenarse, a two-time special teams

MVP with a penchant for making big hits.

Major Culbert appears to have found a home at

safety after beginning last season as a running

back and finishing as a linebacker.

“I feel real great at safety,” Culbert said.

“Hopefully, I’ll stay there.”

O’Hanlon had to be force-fed during

the spring, according to Pelini, because his

experience the past two seasons has been limited

to special teams.

Anthony Blue had an immediate impact as a

true freshman, including starting the final two

games against Kansas State and Colorado. But

he suffered an ACL injury during a seven-on-

seven passing drill during winter conditioning

and missed spring practice.

With Blue sidelined, Anthony West stepped

up in the spring. He played primarily on special

teams last season, after redshirting. Prince

Amukamara and Eric Hagg will figure in the

mix somewhere after seeing action as true

freshmen on special teams.

It appeared both Amukamara, who worked

as a nickel back in the spring, and Hagg would

redshirt last season. However, Amukamara

was pulled from a redshirt three games into the

season and Hagg was asked to shed his redshirt

one week later.

The secondary has room for improvement.

Nebraska ranked 84th in the nation in pass

defense and 75th in pass efficiency defense,

allowing 20 touchdown passes with only eight

interceptions – and only three were by defensive

backs. Grixby had two, Bowman one.

The eight interceptions were tied for the

fewest in the Big 12. During the past four seasons,

Nebraska’s cornerbacks have intercepted 11

passes total. By comparison, cornerbacks

intercepted 12 passes in 2003, when Pelini was

the defensive coordinator.

The Cornhuskers allowed 21 pass plays of 25

yards or more last season.

What the defensive backs lack in experience,

they make up for with enthusiasm. The return

of Pelini has energized them. “Last year, guys

were passionate,” Murillo said.

“It’s just a better attitude.”



DaN TITchENEr


kIckErSuring the team breakfast before the Texas

A&M game last October, Tim Cassidy,

Nebraska’s former associate athletic

director for football operations, motioned

for Dan Titchener to come over to the table at

which he and then-coach Bill Callahan sat.

Former Cornhusker Mike Minter also was

among those at the table. Callahan introduced

Titchener to Minter, who retired in 2007 after

10 seasons in the NFL.

“This is our ‘scholarship’ punter,” Callahan

told Minter.

Titchener looked at Callahan as if to say, Uh,

Coach, I don’t have a scholarship.

Callahan read the look and smiled. He hadn’t

misspoken.

“You’re on scholarship,” he said. “We put

you on scholarship.”

That’s how Titchener learned,

with five games remaining in his

junior season, he had achieved a goal

he brought with him as a walk-on

from Cheyenne, Wyo.

Even better, the scholarship was

retroactive to the beginning of the

season. The next Monday, he signed

the paperwork and was reimbursed

for the semester’s tuition as well as

for the cost of textbooks. “For my

parents, it was nice,” Titchener said.

It also certified his

accomplishments over two seasons, though

“with or without the scholarship, it still

would have been worth coming here, just for

the experiences. Getting to play in front of

80,000-plus people every game is worth any

amount of money,” he said.

Four years at Nebraska, including one as a

redshirt and another spent watching Sam Koch

set the school single-season record for punting

average (46.51 yards), haven’t diminished the

excitement of playing in front of sellout crowds

at Memorial Stadium.

Emerging from the Tunnel Walk into a

stadium packed in red is the “one moment that

will never get old,” said Titchener. “It was nice

to experience it in the stands when I came as a

recruit, but it’s completely different as a player.

It’s something that can’t be described.”

Titchener experienced it in the stands when he

was in high school. Former coach Frank Solich

and his staff recruited Titchener as a walk-on

in 2003. Scott Downing was the contact. After

Solich was fired, however, Titchener didn’t hear

from Nebraska.

Then, after Callahan was hired, Titchener

came home one day to find a message on the

telephone answering machine from Downing,

who had been retained on staff.

Nebraska was still interested in him. And he

was still interested in Nebraska.

That seems like a long time ago. Much has

changed.

“It’s totally different than when I was getting

recruited,” Titchener said.

When he came to Lincoln for the spring game

prior to his freshman season, for example, the

team’s post-game barbeque was held in Schulte

Fieldhouse. Then the venerable but out-dated

structure was torn down to make way for the

Tom and Nancy Osborne Complex.

There are many other differences, too many

to mention. Downing remained for two seasons

and worked with the punters as well as tight

ends, before leaving to become head coach

at Northern Colorado. He was succeeded by

Shawn Watson and then Joe Rudolph.

Punters often are on their own anyway, but

after Downing left, that was even more the case,

“a lot of learning on our own, going to camps

and stuff,” said Titchener.

Now, John Papuchis works with the punters,

and “he has helped me a ton, in terms of

technique,” Titchener said. Papuchis doesn’t tell

him what to change. Rather, “he’ll say, ‘Look at

this, see if this is something you need to change;

try this and see if it works.’ ”

Titchener doesn’t need to change much, just

refine technique and continue to be consistent.

After all, he’ll be going into his third season as

the Cornhuskers’ punter, something only seven

others have done since 1946, when annual

records were first kept.

Mike Stigge set the standard, holding the

job for four seasons (1989-92).

The others, all three seasons,

were: Kyle Larson (2001-03),

Jesse Kosch (1995-97), John

Kroeker (1986-88), Tim Smith

(1977-79), Randy Lessman

(1974-76) and Dennis Claridge

(1961-63).

Smith and Claridge also

were regular position players,

Smith a split end and Claridge

a quarterback. Titchener played

defensive end and tight end in

high school. But giving up that aspect of football

wasn’t difficult. “I thought it was going to be

fairly hard,” he said.

“Then I got here and saw how huge everybody

was compared to me and I realized there was no

way I could play another position at this level.

That made a pretty easy transition.”

During his first two seasons, he shadowed

Koch. He was always right there, doing what

Koch did, figuring that was a way to get better.

“I paid real close attention to pretty much every

move he made. I wanted to see how to react at

practice if things went wrong, how to improve,

what to do, what kind of drills to do to, that kind

of stuff,” Titchener said.

He also watched how Koch carried himself.

Titchener maintains contact with Koch

Kickers Preview

D

Titchener aims for the sky as a senioraT a gLaNcE

Returning Place-KickersAlex Henery 6-2 170 So.

Adi Kunalic 6-0 185 Sr.

Returning PuntersDan Titchener 6-0 200 Sr.

Returning SpecialistsJake Wesch 6-1 205 Sr.

T.J. O’Leary 6-1 235 Sr.

Justin Baumgartner 6-2 250 Sr.

“Then I got here and saw how huge

everybody was at this level and I

realized there was no way I could play

another position at this level.

dan titchener


and Koch’s predecessor Kyle Larson, whose

45.12-yards-per-punt average in 2003 ranks

second on the Cornhuskers’ single-season list.

He would like to challenge Koch and Larson

at the top of that list this season. He averaged

39.3 yards on 66 punts in 2006 and 41.3 yards on

49 punts in 2007 to rank fifth in the Big 12 and

48th nationally and earn All-Big 12 honorable

mention from the conference coaches. His punts

have been downed inside the 20-yard line 42

times over the past two seasons.

“My goal is to lead the nation in punting,”

said Titchener. “It’s something I can definitely

attain. That’s what I’m striving toward. I always

want to be the best.

“But whether it’s a certain number (average)

out there, I don’t know. I’d want to average

about 45 yards . . . maybe 44 would be on the

lower end of what I want.”

Last season’s NCAA leader, Cincinnati’s

Kevin Huber, averaged 46.88 yards on 57 punts.

A top-six finish would have required at least a

45-yard average.

Kansas State’s Tim Reyer led Big 12 punters

with a 44.53-yard average.

Actually, even if his average improves,

Titchener would forego leading the nation in

punting if the team is successful. If the offense

is potent enough to limit the number of punts,

he might not meet the minimum requirement.

That would be OK with him. “I’d take 12 punts

all year,” Titchener said. “I want to play in each

game, so I’ll take one a game.”

And make the most of each one.

poSITIoN oUTLookThe Cornhuskers are set for kickers. Alex

Henery and Adi Kunalic are returning starters

as place-kickers. Their continued competition

will make both better.

Henery was something of a surprise, earning

the job kicking extra points and handling short

and mid-range field goals after walking on and

redshirting. He was perfect in his first collegiate

season, making 45-of-45 extra-point kicks and

8-of-8 field goals.

He was the ninth kicker in school history to be

perfect on extra points and the first to be perfect

on field goal attempts, with a minimum of five.

The field goal distances ranged from 22 to 39

yards.

Henery’s efficiency was particularly

important given the fact Nebraska attempted

the fewest field goals in the conference. Baylor

attempted the second fewest, with 14.

Henery could also punt in a pinch. He was

first team All-Nebraska and first team Super-

State as a punter in high school – and he

expected to punt in college.

Kunalic attempted, and made, the

Cornhuskers’ first field goal of the season, a

46-yarder in the opener against Nevada. He also

kicked an extra point against the Wolfpack, and

he’ll likely continue as the choice on long field

goals, although Henery, who kicked a 48-yard

field goal as a high school sophomore, has

shown good range, as well.

Kunalic has left no doubt about who will

handle kickoffs. Even though the NCAA moved

kickoffs back 5 yards, to the 30, he sent 28 of

his 66 kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks,

averaging 65.7 yards per kickoff. Nebraska

managed only 12 touchbacks in 2006.

Kunalic’s strong right leg was much in

evidence in the spring game. After his first

kickoff was returned from the 11-yard line, the

next seven were touchbacks.

Jake Wesch is valuable because of his

versatility. He’ll be the top holder for a third

consecutive season. He can punt, as evidenced in

the spring game, when he punted twice, for 44

and 62 yards. And he can kick off. He handled

the majority of kickoffs beginning with the Texas

game in 2006, stepping in for Jordan Congdon.

Finally, T.J. O’Leary will be the deep snapper

for a third season, after stepping in when Lane

Kelly was sidelined early in 2006 (he continued

to snap on punts when Kelly returned).

The most pressing question about the kicking

game is: Who will handle returns? Nothing was

decided in the spring. Sophomore wide receiver

Niles Paul and redshirted freshman I-back Marcus

Mendoza were among those who got looks, but

the list of candidates is much longer. Senior wide

receiver Nate Swift’s sure-handedness again

makes him a possibility on punt returns.

The Cornhuskers ranked eighth in the

conference in both punt returns and kickoff

returns last season, the latter despite the efforts

of Cortney Grixby, who set a Big 12 record with

1,094 yards on 45 returns. They need to improve

in both areas.

Kickers Preview

#90 • alex HenerySo., Place-Kicker, 6-2, 170Omaha, NE (Burke)

Henery handled the Huskers extra-point duties and short and mid-range field goals in 2007. He had a perfect season going 45-for-45 on extra points and made all eight of his field goal attempts. He earned First Team All-Big 12 honors from

The Sporting News. A football and soccer standout at Omaha Burke High School, Henery walked on and redshirted his first year at Nebraska.

#20 • adi kunalicSo., Place-Kicker, 6-0, 185Fort Worth, TX (North Crowley)

Kunalic gives Nebraska a key defensive weapon with his long-range kicking ability. As a true freshman last year, he helped the Huskers rank among the nation’s best kickoff teams. He negated the move of kickoffs to the

30-yard line by holding teams to 28 touchbacks in 66 attempts and his 42.4 percent touchback rate was the best of any kicker in the country. He was also Nebraska’s long-range field goal kicker. He made his only attempt of the season, from 46 yards, against Nevada.

#97 • Dan TitchenerSr., Punter, 6-0, 200Cheyenne, Wyo., (East)

Senior punter Dan Titchener has been a consistent performer for the Huskers over the past two seasons. He has downed 42 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line during that time and had just one punt blocked in two seasons.

He punted 49 times for a 41.3 yard average in 2007. He showed improvement as in 2006 he averaged 39.3 yards per punt. He has also excelled in the classroom as he has been named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Fall Academic Honor Roll four times and is a two-time First Team Academic, All-Big 12 selection.

#82 • T.J. o’LearySr., Long Snapper, 6-1, 235Omaha, NE (Millard North/New Mexico State)

O’Leary returns for his senior season after handling the long snapping chores for the Huskers each of the past two years. He was perfect in 2007 as NU kickers converted on every PAT and field goal attempt. He also had three

tackles on punt coverage. O’Leary redshirted in 2005 after transferring from New Mexico State. He played in every game for the Aggies in 2004 as a freshman. He also served as the NMSU long snapper.

#37 • Jake WeschSr., Holder/Place-Kicker, 6-1, 205North Bend, NE

Wesch played in all 12 games as Nebraska’s holder last fall. He was consistent as the Huskers posted the first perfect kicking season in school history. Nebraska place kickers went 46-for-46 on extra point tries and 9-for-9 on field

goals. Wesch also hopes to continue to battle for place-kicking and kickoff duties. He has also shown the ability to be diverse as he has thrown a touchdown pass for the Huskers. He helped pull off a perfectly executed fake field goal against Kansas State in 2006 with a 17-yard TD strike to tight end Hunter Teafatiller.



Big 12 Preview

BIg 12 prEvIEwhe standard for Big 12 quarterbacks is high.

Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell led the nation in total offense. And

Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford led the nation in passing efficiency. But

neither was first-team all-conference.

Harrell was on the coaches’ all-conference second team, sharing the

position with Kansas’ Todd Reesing, while Bradford received honorable

mention.

Reesing, alone at second on the Associated Press team, posted numbers

that would have merited first-team honors most seasons. But 2007 wasn’t

most seasons.

The Big 12 was loaded with quality quarterbacks, none better than

Missouri’s Chase Daniel, first-team all-conference according to both the AP

and the coaches.

Daniel, who also finished fourth in voting for the Heisman Trophy, had

impressive numbers. Beyond that, however, he elevated his team, took the

Tigers to another level.

Missouri climbed to No. 1 in the AP poll the last week in November and

finished No. 4 with a 12-2 record, its only losses coming against Oklahoma

and Bradford.

Daniel is back, as are Reesing, Harrell and Bradford. Texas quarterback

Colt McCoy also is back, along with Oklahoma State’s Zac Robinson,

Kansas State’s Josh Freeman, Colorado’s Cody Hawkins, Texas A&M’s

Stephen McGee and Baylor’s Blake Szymanski.

That’s 10 of 12 starters returning.

Only Nebraska and Iowa State don’t

have returning starters – and in

the Cornhuskers’ case, that’s a

technicality. Joe Ganz started the

last three games and produced

remarkable numbers, passing

for 1,399 yards and 15

touchdowns.

Quarterbacks

characterize the

conference and

contribute to its

overall strength.

“I think this will

be the best balanced

league we’ve had since I’ve been

here, the 10 years we’ve been at

Texas,” said Longhorns coach

Mack Brown. “It is because

everybody’s better.

“You can just look at the number of schools that played close games

and upset some perennial teams last year, and the ones that ended up in

the Top 10.”

In addition to Missouri’s being No. 4 in the final AP rankings, Kansas

was No. 7 and Oklahoma was No. 8, with Texas finishing No. 10.

The quarterbacks were a factor, Brown said, but so were the coaches.

“Everybody’s got a good football team in this league now, so you can no

longer plan on winning a game. You’re going to have to earn the right to win

that game before you can count it.”

Consider that Kansas was picked in the conference-area media pre-

season poll to finish fourth in the North Division but tied Missouri for first.

Nebraska, in contrast, was picked to finish second in the division but ended

up in a fifth-place tie with Iowa State.

The South Division was more predictable, although Texas Tech finished

in a three-way tie for third and ranked No. 22 in the AP poll after being

TQuarterbacks dominate the conference scene

Big 12 conference previewnortH

MISSOURI . . . national title contender, maybe

nEBRASKA . . . back on track with Bo

KAnSAS . . . tough inter-division games

COLORADO . . . joining no-huddle ranks

KAnSAS STATE . . . better if juco experiment works

IOWA STATE . . . deciding between quarterbacks

soutH

OKLAHOMA . . . in Big 12 title game again

TEXAS . . . new defensive coordinator

TEXAS TECH . . . defense is key in Lubbock

OKLAHOMA STATE . . . new offensive coordinator

TEXAS A&M . . . Aggies get NFL perspective

BAyLOR . . . new coach, same sad scenario

mISSoUrI’S chaSE DaNIELS


picked fifth in the division.

Texas Tech coach Mike Leach also attributes that success, as well as high

expectations for South Division teams this season, to more than marquee

quarterbacks. Competition is “always at such a high level that maybe it’s just

in degrees,” he said. “I mean, even though quarterbacks are big this year…

if not for that, there are running backs…

“I remember one year, this was such a scary conference because of

d-linemen. But I think the South Division’s always good, and maybe the

flavor of the month this year is quarterbacks. But I don’t know, better (the

division)? It’s hard to say, maybe different.”

Despite finishing with the highest national ranking of any conference

team and reaching the Big 12 championship game for the first time, Missouri

couldn’t win a rematch with Oklahoma, which has won three of the last four

conference titles and five total. South Division teams have won the last four

conference titles, in fact, and eight of 12.

Sooners coach Bob Stoops isn’t dismissing teams in the North Division,

however. “Those North teams look pretty good, too, with everybody that’s

back,” he said. “The overall strength of all the quarterbacks back just makes

the whole league strong. And even though we were (strong) a year ago, you

would expect it to be even more so this year.”

One season doesn’t produce divisional parity. “You don’t just have one

good year in the North and all of a sudden we’re balanced with the South,”

said Missouri coach Gary Pinkel. “We’ve got a great league. We’ve got great

teams in this league, in both divisions, and I think if the North can continue

to improve, it just makes our league that much stronger.”

Kansas coach Mark Mangino, the consensus national coach of the

year, doesn’t “try to analyze the North versus South. We’re in the Big 12

Conference, and eventually, you have to play everybody,” he said. “You can

see some signs of teams in the North, teams emerging. But I still am a firm

believer that things go in cycles, and there’ll be a back and forth.”

Offense and defense can be cyclical, too, and offense seems to be on the

upswing in the Big 12, which led all conferences with seven teams ranked in

the NCAA Top 20 in total offense. In addition, four Big 12 teams ranked in

the top eight nationally in scoring.

Nebraska averaged 35.3 points in eight conference games yet finished in

the lower half.

The no-huddle, spread offense has been a factor in the scoring. “I think

right now that the innovations that have occurred on the offensive side of the

ball, most of those have to do with creating space for very athletic players,”

Kansas State coach Ron Prince said.

Speed is at a premium, with defensive players “out in space, one-on-one

against a very athletic blocker and athletic, sometimes, runner,” he said.

Defenses will adjust. “You’ve got a lot of people in this profession who

are terrific at thinking about the game from the defensive perspective,”

said Prince.

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini is among those Prince described. Louisiana

State ranked third nationally in total defense the past three seasons with him

as coordinator.

The SEC is “probably a little bit more of a defensive league, I guess,”

Pelini said. “When I first came back in the league (Big 12) and I saw the

numbers in the league, I was a little bit blown away at how skyrocketed the

numbers were on the offensive side of things.

Big 12 Preview

all-Big 12 TeamfIrST TEam

offensePos. Player Ht. Wt. yr. SchoolWR Michael Crabtree 6-3 208 So. Texas TechWR Jeremy Maclin 6-1 200 So. MissouriWR Dexton Fields 6-0 204 Sr. KansasTE Chase Coffman 6-6 245 Sr. MissouriOL Daniel Sanders 6-3 325 Sr. ColoradoOL Duke Robinson 6-5 352 Sr. OklahomaOL Luis Vasquez 6-6 335 Sr. Texas TechOL Lydon Murtha 6-7 315 Sr. NebraskaOL Phil Loadholt 6-8 350 Sr. OklahomaQB Chase Daniel 6-0 225 Sr. MissouriRB Marlon Lucky 6-0 215 Sr. NebraskaRB Mike Goodson 6-0 206 Jr. Texas A&MPK Jeff Wolfert 6-2 185 Sr. MissouriKR DeMarco Murray 6-0 191 So. Oklahoma

defenseDL Auston English 6-3 257 Jr. OklahomaDL George Hypolite 6-1 285 Sr. ColoradoDL Ziggy Hood 6-4 295 Sr. MissouriDL Ian Campbell 6-5 249 Sr. Kansas StateLB Joe Mortensen 6-1 250 Sr. KansasLB Sean Weatherspoon 6-1 235 Jr. MissouriLB Rashad Bobino 5-11 238 Sr. TexasDB Chris Harris 6-0 180 So. KansasDB Jacob Lacey 5-11 175 Sr. Oklahoma StateDB William Moore 6-1 230 Sr. MissouriDB Nic Harris 6-3 226 Sr. OklahomaP Justin Brantly 6-3 241 Sr. Texas A&MPR Jeremy Maclin 6-1 200 So. Missouri

SEcoND TEamoffenseWR Juaquin Iglesias 6-1 201 Sr. OklahomaWR Quan Cosby 5-11 205 Sr. TexasWR Nate Swift 6-2 200 Sr. NebraskaTE Brandon Pettigrew 6-6 260 Sr. Oklahoma StateOL Jon Cooper 6-2 285 Sr. OklahomaOL Matt Slauson 6-5 325 Sr. NebraskaOL Rylan Reed 6-7 314 Sr. Texas TechOL Adam Ulatoski 6-8 310 Jr. TexasOL Alesana Alesana 6-4 299 Sr. Kansas StateQB Graham Harrell 6-3 202 Sr. Texas TechRB DeMarco Murray 6-0 191 So. OklahomaRB Jake Sharp 5-10 190 Jr. KansasPK Brooks Rossman 6-0 178 Sr. Kansas StateKR Marcus Herford 6-3 208 Sr. Kansas

defenseDL Brian Orakpo 6-4 260 Sr. TexasDL Gerald McCoy 6-4 289 So. OklahomaDL Brandon Nicholas 6-3 290 Sr. ColoradoDL Stryker Sulak 6-5 250 Sr. MissouriLB Joe Pawelek 6-3 236 Jr. BaylorLB Brock Christopher 6-2 235 Sr. MissouriLB James Holt 6-3 222 Sr. KansasDB Justin Thornton 6-1 202 Jr. KansasDB Jamar Wall 5-10 194 So. Texas TechDB Ryan Walters 6-0 200 Sr. ColoradoDB Jordan Lake 6-2 206 Jr. BaylorP Matt Fodge 6-1 195 Sr. Oklahoma StatePR Deon Murphy 5-10 170 Sr. Kansas State


“It’s just a trend. I think when it’s all said

and done, you see the teams that are usually

in it at the top finding a way to play good

defense because you’re never going to win

championships without having success on

defense. It’s cyclical, like everything else.”

Statistically, Kansas was the top defensive

team in the conference last season.

The Jayhawks also run a spread offense,

which has contributed to their success on

defense. “Just watching our defense, they’re

starting to pick up on some of the little

nuances on offense that we do because they’re

seeing it every day,” said Mangino.

The terms “spread” and “no-huddle” don’t

describe a single offensive system. “Every

offense you play against has a different

rhythm,” Pelini said. “Some teams, even

though they get up to the football in a hurry,

they’re not going real fast-paced. The bottom

line is, a lot of these offenses these days, the

offensive coordinators want to see what the

defense comes out in and they want to see if

they can get themselves into the right plays.

“So you have to evaluate what they’re

trying to accomplish and try and offset it by

how you disguise, how you hold your looks

and still be able to get your calls in and match

personnel at the same time. Every offense is

different and presents, I guess, a unique set of

problems.”

Spread offenses “are a lot different,” said

Pinkel.

Missouri’s spread, no-huddle system,

installed by offensive coordinator Dave

Christensen in 2005, is different than West

Virginia’s, which is different than Oregon’s.

And the Tigers’ offense is different than both.

That “makes it good, and really makes a

difference in college football and high school

football. It’s a lot different than the NFL,

where every offense and every defense looks

absolutely identical,” Pinkel said.

Regardless of the offensive system, the key

component is the quarterback. And the Big

12 has an abundance of veteran quarterbacks,

proven leaders, in 2008.

BowL BoUNDFor the sixth time in the past seven

seasons, eight Big 12 teams played in bowl

games in 2007. With Oklahoma and Kansas

in BCS bowl games, the conference was not

represented in the Texas Bowl, however. The

Big 12 bowl results were:

4Orange: Kansas 24, Virginia Tech 21

4Fiesta: West Virginia 48, Oklahoma 28

4Gator: Texas Tech 30, Virginia 27

4Cotton: Missouri 38, Arkansas 7

4Music City: Oklahoma State 49, Indiana 33

4Independence: Alabama 30, Colorado 24

4Alamo: Penn State 24, Texas A&M 17

4Holiday: Texas 52, Arizona State 34

Eleven conference teams have played in

bowl games since 2005. Baylor hasn’t played

in a bowl game since 1994, when the Bears

lost to Washington State in the Alamo Bowl.

offENSIvESeven Big 12 teams ranked in the NCAA’s

Top 20 in total offense in 2007:

rk. school yards

2. Texas Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529.6

5. Missouri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490.3

7. Oklahoma State . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486.3

8. Kansas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 479.8

9. Nebraska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468.2

13. Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462.9

19. Oklahoma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448.9

pUTTINg Up poINTSSix Big 12 teams ranked in the NCAA’s Top

20 in scoring:

rk. school Points

2. Kansas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42.8 points

5. Oklahoma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42.3

7. Texas Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40.9

8. Missouri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39.9

14. Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37.2

18. Kansas State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35.2

coNSENSUSEight Big 12 players earned consensus All-

America recognition, a conference high.

4Michael Crabtree*, WR, Texas Tech

4Jordon Dizon, LB, Colorado

4Curtis Lofton, LB, Oklahoma

4Jeremy Maclin*, WR/R, Missouri

4Jordy Nelson, WR, Kansas State

4Martin Rucker, TE, Missouri

4Duke Robinson*, OL, Oklahoma

4Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas

* Return in 2008

Big 12 Preview

Big 12 NotebookrULES chaNgEThe NCAA will use a 40-second clock like the NFL this

season. The 40 seconds will begin as soon as the ball is

blown dead. Previously, teams had 25 seconds to snap

the ball after officials marked it ready for play. After a

change of possession, the 25-second clock will be in

effect, and the 40-second clock will not be used in the

final two minutes of games.

“It sounds like it would slow it down,” Brown said of

the new rule. “But the purpose is to try to get the game

through more quickly with dead time, not take away

plays from kids. If it’s a long pass, you’re going to have

to get back to work and move forward immediately

because we felt like there was definitely a quicker pace

this spring than there has been in the past.”

Most of the coaches agreed. “I think the game is

speeded up to some degree,” said Stoops. “I guess the

best way of saying it is there’s a more consistent speed

of play. Some officials spot the ball and get the clock

started sooner than others when we didn’t have the

40-second clock.”

Leach is less certain. “I haven’t noticed just a lot of

difference,” he said. “We no-huddle it some and try to get

after it. The biggest thing is those long plays, you have to

hustle down there.”

NEw facESPelini isn’t the only new head coach in the conference.

Texas A&M hired Mike Sherman and Baylor hired Art

Briles. Pelini hasn’t been surprised by the enthusiastic

reaction of Cornhusker fans. “I guess nothing here

surprises me from being here the first time for a year,”

said Pelini, Nebraska’s defensive coordinator and interim

head coach for one game in 2003.

“It became obvious in 12 months how passionate the

people of the state of Nebraska are about their football.

We’ve had a great reception.”

TIckET DEmaNDTotal attendance in the Big 12 surpassed 4.6 million

for a second consecutive year. Attendance was 4,652,267

in 2007. Big 12 stadiums were 96.6 percent filled in 2007,

the ninth consecutive year of over 90 percent. Nebraska

continues to set the standard with its on-going NCAA

record 289 consecutive sellouts at Memorial Stadium.

The Cornhuskers were third in the conference in total

and average attendance behind Texas and Oklahoma.

Texas averaged 85,144, Oklahoma 84,858 and Nebraska

84,515.


The Big 12’s best quarterback can be debated. But Kansas has an edge

at the position with an experienced back-up. The back-up is always only

one snap away, of course. Few back-ups can perform the way Joe Ganz

did for Nebraska last season, after Sam Keller was sidelined late in the

Texas game. Ganz was an unknown. Kerry Meier is not. He was the starter

in 2006 but was moved to wide receiver in order to get on the field with

the emergence of Reesing. No question, the Jayhawks’ continued success

depends on Todd Reesing remaining healthy. He makes the offense go,

throwing for 3,486 yards and 33 touchdowns, with only seven interceptions

last season. But Meier could fill in if the need were to arise. He completed

25-of-29 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns, in addition to catching

two touchdown passes and running for a touchdown.

Rest: “You have to have team guys at the quarterback position,” Texas

coach Mack Brown said. Colt McCoy, who ranked 22nd nationally in

total offense last season, is his quarterback. But John Chiles gives the

Longhorns’ offense a different dimension with his zone-read running.

Missouri’s back-up to Chase Daniel is another Chase, Patton. Iowa State

is the only Big 12 team without a quarterback who has starting experience.

The Cyclones will continue to evaluate Phillip Bates and Austen Arnaud

during pre-season practice.

Gone: Keller; Bret Meyer, Iowa State.

Texas’ Jamaal Charles declared for the NFL draft after leading the

Big 12 in rushing as a junior, with 1,619 yards and 18 touchdowns. The

Kansas City Chiefs selected him in the third round (the 73rd player taken).

With his departure, Marlon Lucky, who also considered leaving early, is

the leading returning rusher in the Big 12. He ran for 1,019 yards and

nine touchdowns and caught a school-record 75 passes for 705 yards and

three touchdowns. Lucky won’t be alone in the Cornhusker backfield.

Quentin Castille and Roy Helu, who had a solid spring, both played

as true freshmen. Marcus Mendoza, a redshirted freshman, provides

some situational diversity. And Kenny Wilson, a member of a four-man

committee in 2006, remains optimistic about returning from a broken leg.

The fullback also might do some running again in Nebraska’s offense.

Rest: Tony Temple is gone, but Missouri coach Gary Pinkel expects to

replace him with a group of running backs, including sophomore Derrick

Washington (5-11, 215), redshirted freshman De’Vion Moore (5-9, 195) and

senior Jimmy Jackson (5-9, 200). Texas A&M used 285-pound Jorvorskie

Lane at fullback in an I-formation alignment with Mike Goodson during

the spring. Kansas will replace Brandon McAnderson with Jake Sharp

(821 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jocques Crawford, the junior college

national offensive player of the year.

Gone: Charles; Temple; McAnderson; Dantrell Savage, Oklahoma

State.

Texas Tech had to replace three senior wide receivers, among them Joel

Filani, a year ago and did quite nicely. Filani’s replacement was Michael

Crabtree, a redshirted freshman from Dallas who caught 134 passes for

1,962 yards and 22 touchdowns to earn consensus All-America honors.

He was complemented by Danny Amendola (109 catches, 1,245 yards, six

touchdowns), who is gone. Even so, opposing teams can’t focus on Crabtree

to the exclusion of Eric Morris and Ed Britton. Morris caught 75 passes

for 767 yards and nine touchdowns – which tied for fourth in the Big 12

behind Crabtree, Kansas State’s Jordy Nelson (122 catches, 1,606 yards,

11 touchdowns) and Kansas’ Marcus Henry (54 catches, 1,014 yards, 10

touchdowns). Britton, among the fastest Red Raiders, started 10 games

and caught 48 passes for 631 yards and four touchdowns. Lewis is a likely

successor to Amendola. Aaron Crawford can catch out of the backfield.

Rest: Kansas lost Henry and tight end Derek Fine but returns a

talented group of receivers, led by Dexton Fields and Dezmon Briscoe,

who combined to catch 106 passes for 1,330 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Missouri lost Will Franklin and All-America tight end Martin Rucker but

has another All-America tight end candidate in Chase Coffman as well

as Jeremy Maclin, who earned consensus All-America recognition as a

multi-purpose player, receiver and kick returner. Maclin shared Big 12

Freshman Offensive Player of the Year honors with Crabtree.

Gone: Amendola; Nelson; Henry; Rucker; Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma;

Adarius Bowman, Oklahoma State; Todd Blythe, Iowa State; Maurice

Purify, Terrence Nunn, Nebraska.

Big 12 Preview

Breaking down the Big 12 position by position

QUarTErBackbest: kansas

Todd Reesing, 5-11, 200, Jr.Kerry Meier, 6-3, 220, Jr.

rUNNINg Backbest: nebraska

Marlon Lucky, 6-0, 215, Sr.Roy Helu Jr., 6-0, 215, So.

Quentin Castille, 6-1, 245, So.

rEcEIvErbest: texas tech

Michael Crabtree, 6-3, 208, So.Ed Britton, 6-0, 183, Jr.Eric Morris, 5-8, 174, Sr.

Detron Lewis, 6-0, 198, So.Aaron Crawford, 5-11, 199, So.


Seven of the top eight on the two-deeps and all five starters return. The

Sooners allowed only 14 sacks, which made for the nation’s most efficient

passing game, but the running game needs to be more consistent. They

ranked fourth in the conference in rushing, averaging just under 200 yards

per game. Consistency in the running game also starts up-front. Jon Cooper

has 29 consecutive starts over the past three seasons and anchors the line at

center. Phil Loadholt, a junior college transfer, had an immediate impact at

left tackle, protecting quarterback Sam Bradford’s blindside. Duke Robinson

lined up alongside Loadholt. Both were all-conference selections. Brandon

Walker earned the highest grade among all of the Oklahoma linemen.

Williams and Braxton again will compete at right tackle.

Rest: Texas has a veteran line, built around junior tackle Adam Ulatoski,

senior guard Cedric Dockery and junior Chris Hall, who has started

at least one game at all five interior positions. Ulatoski was a second-

team all-conference selection last season. Nebraska’s offensive linemen

are experienced and have settled into positions after consistent moving

around. And the Cornhuskers are two-deep, with promising young players

in the mix. Kansas State has seven linemen with multiple starts, including

left tackle Alesana Alesana and center Jordan Bedore, who was sidelined

five games into last season.

Gone: Anthony Collins, Kansas; Adam Spieker, Missouri; Tyler

Luellen, Missouri; Cody Wallace, Texas A&M; Tony Hills, Texas; David

Koenig, Oklahoma State.

The Sooners will look about the same up-front as they did at the

beginning of last season if John Williams can come back from an Achilles

injury. He was granted a sixth season of eligibility after starting three of

the first four games a year ago. English, an outstanding pass rusher, led the

conference and ranked 15th nationally with 9.5 sacks among 13 tackles for

loss. DeMarcus Granger was credited with 3.5 sacks and eight quarterback

hurries, while Gerald McCoy was the coaches’ choice as Big 12 Defensive

Freshman of the Year. He was credited with two sacks and six tackles for

loss. The Sooners led the conference in sacks, with 32 for 239 yards in

losses, and were second in total defense, behind Kansas. Inexperienced

linebackers will put added responsibility on the line.

Rest: Missouri lost Lorenzo Williams but returns Stryker Sulak, Ziggy

Hood and Tommy Chavis. Sulak had 60 tackles, including 11 for losses

and six sacks. Hood and Chavis combined for 9.5 sacks. Colorado also

has three returning starters: George Hypolite, Brandon Nicholas and

Maurice Lucas. Statistically, Nebraska’s defense has nowhere to go except

up. A veteran front is the place to start. The top eight return, six of them

seniors, plus junior Ndamukong Suh, who was sidelined by injury during

the spring.

Gone: Lorenzo Williams; James McClinton, Kansas; Frank Okam,

Texas; Derek Lokey, Texas; Nathan Peterson, Oklahoma State.

The Jayhawks are loaded at linebacker. Not only do the starters – the

team’s top three tacklers – return but also every letterman at the position.

Kansas led the conference and ranked 12th nationally in total defense, and

the linebackers played a significant role. Joe Mortensen earned first-team

all-conference recognition, with 106 tackles, including 15 for losses. James

Holt and Mike Rivera both earned all-conference honorable mention,

combining on 195 tackles, including 23.5 for losses. The experience at

linebacker should help offset the loss of All-Big 12 defensive tackle James

McClinton, who plugged the middle.

Rest: Missouri’s starters also return, including Sean Weatherspoon

(130 tackles, 9.5 for losses) and Brock Christopher (106 tackles, 7.5 for

losses). Oklahoma has to restructure with the loss of consensus All-

American Curtis Lofton, who was credited with 157 tackles, and Lewis

Baker. Ryan Reynolds, the starter on the weakside, could end up in the

middle. Colorado is without the nation’s No. 2 tackler, Jordon Dizon. He

was credited with 162, including 114 unassisted.

Gone: Lofton; Dizon; Alvin Bowen, Iowa State; Misi Tupe, Texas

A&M; Mark Dodge, Texas A&M.

Big 12 Preview

offENSIvE LINEbest: oklahomaPhil Loadholt, 6-8, 350, Sr.

Duke Robinson, 6-5, 330, Sr.Jon Cooper, 6-2, 285, Sr.

Brandon Walker, 6-3, 306, Sr.Trent Williams, 6-5, 321, Jr.

Branndon Braxton, 6-6, 312, Sr.

DEfENSIvE LINEbest: oklahoma

Auston English, 6-3, 257, Jr.DeMarcus Granger, 6-3, 300, Jr.

Gerald McCoy, 6-4, 289, So.John Williams, 6-5, 249, Sr.

LINEBackErbest: kansas

Joe Mortensen, 6-1, 250, Sr.Mike Rivera, 6-3, 255, Sr.James Holt, 6-3, 222, Sr.

joE morTENSEN, kaNSaS


The Jayhawks took a hit when consensus All-American cornerback

Aqib Talib opted to bypass his senior season in favor of the NFL draft

– the Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked him in the first round (20th player

selected). However, everyone else returns from a secondary that helped

Kansas rank first in the Big 12 and ninth nationally in pass efficiency

defense and second and 49th in pass defense. The Jayhawks led the

conference in interceptions with 23, five of them by Justin Thornton,

who started the last four games at strong safety. He also broke up nine

passes. Chris Harris started 10 games as a true freshman and had two

interceptions as well as 65 tackles. Darrell Stuckey, the free safety, was the

leading tackler in the secondary, with 72.

Rest: Oklahoma also lost junior cornerback Reggie Smith to the NFL

draft, as well as D.J. Wolfe and Marcus Walker, leaving safety Nic Harris

as the only returning starter. Texas Tech, which led the conference and

ranked 12th nationally in pass defense, has two starters returning: free

safety Darcel McBath and left cornerback Jamar Wall, who had a breakout

season as a sophomore, intercepting five passes and breaking up six.

Gone: Talib; Smith; Wolfe; Terrence Wheatley, Colorado; Marcus

Griffin, Texas; “Pig” Brown, Missouri; Justin McKinney, Kansas State.

The kicking game is no longer the problem it once was for the Tigers.

Jeff Wolfert led the Big 12 in scoring by a kicker (and ranked second

overall) with 130 points. He was perfect on 67 extra-point kicks and made

21-of-25 field goal attempts. The versatile Jeremy Maclin, who ranked first

in the conference and seventh nationally in all-purpose yardage, returned

two punts and one kickoff for touchdowns. He averaged 24.2 yards on 43

kickoff returns and 12.3 yards on 25 punt returns. With the loss of Adam

Crossett, who averaged just 37.9 yards, the Tigers need a new punter. To

that end, the recruiting class included junior college transfer Jake Harry.

Rest: Kansas State coach Ron Prince emphasizes special teams. The

Wildcats led the nation in punt returns, and Deon Murphy is back. He led

the conference and ranked third in the nation with a 17.5-yards-per-return

average. He returned one for a touchdown. Jordy Nelson, who is gone,

returned two. Place-kicker Brooks Rossman is back, after making 22-of-28

field goals and 44-of-46 extra-point kicks. Tim Reyer, the Big 12’s best punter,

must be replaced. Oklahoma led the nation in kickoff returns, and both

returners are back, DeMarco Murray and Juaquin Iglesias. Murray returned

two for touchdowns and averaged 29.3 yards, seventh best in the nation.

Gone: Nelson; Reyer; Alex Trlica, PK, Texas Tech; Garrett Hartley,

PK, Oklahoma.

Big 12 Preview

DEfENSIvE Backbest: kansas

Chris Harris, 6-0, 180, So.Kendrick Harper, 5-9, 190, Sr.Darrell Stuckey, 6-1, 205, Jr.Justin Thornton, 6-1, 202, Jr.

Patrick Resby, 6-0, 200, Sr.

kIckINgbest: missouri

Jeremy Maclin, kick returner, 6-1, 200, So.Jeff Wolfert, place-kicker, 6-2, 185, Sr.


Missouri has the look

of a title contender, and

maybe not just a Big 12 title

contender, though that in

itself would be a significant accomplishment.

The Tigers haven’t won a conference title

since 1969, when they shared the Big Eight

championship with Nebraska. And they haven’t

won an outright title since 1960.

They came close last season, losing to

Oklahoma, for a second time, in the Big 12

championship game. And they regrouped with

an impressive 38-7 victory against

Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl to finish

12-2 and No. 4 in the Associated Press

rankings.

Not only that, they were No. 1 in

the AP and BCS rankings going into

the Oklahoma rematch. The question

is: Can they continue to compete at

that level?

Sophomore Jeremy Maclin is

convinced they can. “There is no

doubt that we will pick up where we

left off last season,” he said following

Missouri’s spring game.

“The team chemistry is definitely

there.”

So are many of the players who

produced the dream season in 2007.

Maclin, a consensus All-America

wide receiver and kick returner, and

quarterback Chase Daniel, the Big 12

Offensive Player of the Year, are the

most notable.

Both figure to be Heisman Trophy

candidates, serious candidates in fact.

Daniel finished fourth in Heisman

voting last season, passing for 4,306

yards and 33 touchdowns.

“A quarterback will generally be

the difference in taking your team to

another level,” eighth-year coach Gary

Pinkel said. “And Chase does that for us.”

Success depends on more than one player.

But “when the quarterback plays at the level

Chase does, it increases your chances of

winning,” said Pinkel.

The same could be said of Maclin, who

caught 80 passes for 1,055 yards and nine

touchdowns and had 2,276 all-purpose yards,

the fifth-most in NCAA Bowl Subdivision

(formerly I-A) history. He also returned three

kicks for touchdowns.

With a year’s maturity, he’s going to be even

better, according to Pinkel.

Daniel and Maclin are Missouri’s marquee

players on offense, with tight end Chase

Coffman close behind. Coffman, who already

holds the school career record for touchdown

catches with 20 and needs 47 receptions to break

that career record, caught 52 passes for 531

yards and seven touchdowns to earn second-

team all-conference recognition from the AP.

The first-team pick was teammate Martin

Rucker, also a consensus All-American. Rucker

is among several key losses on offense. Others

include wide receiver Will Franklin, tailback

Tony Temple, center Adam Spieker and left

tackle Tyler Luellen.

Spieker, the coaches’ Big 12 Offensive

Lineman of the Year, and Luellen, who

protected Daniel’s blindside, had 90

consecutive starts between them.

Missouri ranked eighth nationally and first

in the Big 12 in conference games in scoring

offense. With place-kicker Jeff Wolfert,

touchdowns were always worth seven points.

Wolfert was perfect on 67 attempts, as well as

making 21-of-25 field goal attempts

to lead the Big 12 in kick-scoring with

130 points, good for second in the

conference overall.

The Tigers’ no-huddle, spread

offense attracted most of the

attention, but the development of

their defense as the season went on

was at the center of their success.

They led the Big 12 in total defense

in conference games only, allowing

353.9 yards per game.

Just one Cotton Bowl defensive

starter is gone, tackle Lorenzo

Williams. “We can definitely be

a great defense,” linebacker Sean

Weatherspoon told the Columbia Daily

Tribune in the spring. “Last year, we

were a good defense. But this year, we

can be great.”

Prominent among the defenders, in

addition to Weatherspoon, are safety

William Moore, linemen Ziggy Hood

and Stryker Sulak and linebacker

Brock Christopher.

Weatherspoon and Christopher

were involved in 230 tackles and 4.5

sacks between them while Moore was

credited with 115 tackles and led the

Big 12 with eight interceptions.

Sulak had six sacks and forced

four fumbles, as Missouri ranked second in

the conference and 11th nationally in turnover

margin, with a plus-13.

Moore was sidelined in the spring, following

surgery to repair a torn labrum. Weatherspoon

and Van Alexander, the other linebacker, also

big12 conference

oct. 4 at lincoln, neb.mISSoUrI

Tigers

chaSE DaNIELS


Tigers at a glance

projected 2008 finish1st

STrENgThSHow about getting stronger? Gary Pinkel would

like the running game to be more productive,

which means finding a replacement for Temple.

“Generally, we’re at our best on offense when our

running game is working, so that’s going to be real

important to try to get that going and to have some

degree of consistency, game by game.” The top

candidates are sophomore Derrick Washington,

redshirted freshman De’Vion Moore and senior

Jimmy Jackson.

QUESTIoN markSIt’s not a weakness but there is some uncertainty

in the offensive line, with the loss of Adam Spieker

and Tyler Luellen and two top back-ups. “I don’t

want to overuse the word ‘concern’ because you go

through this all of the time with graduation,” said

Pinkel. But “that’s almost half of your offensive

line depth you’re replacing.” Punting is also a

concern, though the Tigers probably won’t have to

do much of that, anyway. Junior college transfer

Jake Harry drew some boos after a 21-yard punt in

the Spring Game.

DIffErENcE-makErSTake your pick, Chase Daniel or Jeremy Maclin.

See above.

wELcomE BackDaniel, Chase Coffman, William Moore,

Ziggy Hood and Stryker Sulak all looked into the

possibility of bypassing their senior seasons in favor

of the NFL draft. All decided to return to school,

with the announcement coming in early January.

Pinkel breathed a sigh of relief.

ToUgh TImE IN LINcoLNIf the Tigers are to win a conference title, they’ll

probably have to do something they haven’t done

since 1978, defeat Nebraska in Lincoln. After an

off-week, they open conference play at Memorial

Stadium on Oct. 4. Missouri won 35-31 in 1978. The

Cornhuskers had moved up to No. 2 in the AP poll

after upsetting No. 1 Oklahoma the previous week.

missed the spring game because of injuries,

a torn knee ligament and torn labrum,

respectively. They should be ready by fall.

Obviously, high expectations are

justified. But “redeveloping the leadership

and chemistry on our team is really

important,” Pinkel said going into the

spring. “Just because you had that one year

it doesn’t automatically happen the next

year. It doesn’t just carry over. You still

have to work at it, and we’re constantly

working on developing those things.”

The confidence built during a 12-2

season should carry over, however.

“I saw our team deal with rankings like

you want a mature team to do last year, for

the first time,” said Pinkel. “In the past,

it was kind of overwhelming. I think last

year we kind of broke down that barrier of

it not being such a big deal, just more of

welcoming it and accepting it for what it is

and moving on to the next thing at hand.”

The Tigers are looking at their highest

pre-season ranking in the AP poll since

1969, when they were No. 10 (and finished

No. 6). And they’re looking forward to it.

“There’s more of an air of confidence

around us,” Daniel said following the

spring game. “That’s good. It’s not

cockiness, it’s confidence.”

The confidence, like the high expecta-

tions, is justified.

Can you say “conference title?” How

about “national title?”

OK, first things first.

OFFEnSE (Returning starters in bold)XWR Danario Alexander 6-5 210 Jr. Jared Perry 6-1 180 Jr.HWR Jeremy Maclin 6-1 200 So. Forrest Shock 6-1 205 So.ZWR Tommy Saunders 6-0 210 Sr. Earl Goldsmith 5-9 200 Sr.LT Dain Wise 6-5 305 Jr. Elvis Fisher 6-5 290 Rfr.LG ryan Madison 6-5 305 Sr. Jayson Palmgren 6-3 305 Rfr.C Tim Barnes 6-4 305 So. J.T. Beasley 6-4 285 Rfr.RG kurtis Gregory 6-5 305 Jr. Austin Wuebbels 6-4 285 Rfr.RT colin brown 6-8 325 Sr. Mike Prince 6-4 300 So.TE Chase Coffman 6-6 245 Sr. Jon Gissinger 6-3 240 Jr.QB chase daniel 6-0 225 Sr. Chase Patton 6-5 220 Sr.TB Jimmy Jackson 5-9 200 Sr. Derrick Washington 5-11 215 So.PK Jeff Wolfert 6-2 185 Sr.

DEFEnSEDE Tommy chavis 6-2 255 Sr. Jaysen Corbett 6-4 260 Sr.DT ziggy Hood 6-4 295 Sr. Jason Townson 6-4 305 Jr.NT Jaron Baston 6-1 300 Jr. Andy Maples 6-4 300 Jr.DE Stryker Sulak 6-5 250 Sr. Tyler Crane 6-3 225 So.WLB sean weatherspoon 6-1 235 Jr. Connell Davis 6-3 215 Jr.MLB brock christopher 6-2 235 Sr. Luke Lambert 6-3 225 So.SLB Van alexander 6-0 235 Sr. Steve Redmond 6-0 230 Sr.SS justin garrett 6-2 200 Sr. Del Howard 5-11 200 Jr.FS william moore 6-1 230 Sr. Hardy Ricks 6-0 190 Jr.CB castine bridges 6-2 210 Sr. Tremane Vaughns 5-9 170 Sr.CB carl gettis 5-11 200 So. Kevin Rutland 6-0 190 So.P Jake Harry 6-1 190 Jr.

TENTaTIvE DEpTh charT

2007 RECORD (12-2), BIG 12 FInISH (7-1)9/1 Illinois W 40-349/8 Ole Miss W 38-259/15 Western Michigan W 52-249/22 Illinois State W 38-1710/6 Nebraska W 41-610/13 Oklahoma L 31-4110/20 Texas Tech W 41-1010/27 Iowa State W 42-2811/3 Colorado W 55-1011/10 Texas A&M W 40-2611/17 Kansas State W 49-3211/24 Kansas W 36-2812/1 Oklahoma L 17-381/1 Arkansas W 38-7

2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 Illinois St. Louis, Mo.9/6/08 SE Missouri St. Columbia, Mo.9/13/08 Nevada Columbia, Mo. 9/20/08 Buffalo Columbia, Mo.10/4/08 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb.10/11/08 Oklahoma State Columbia, Mo.10/18/08 at Texas Austin, Texas10/25/08 Colorado Columbia, Mo.11/1/08 at Baylor Waco, Texas11/8/08 Kansas State Columbia, Mo.11/15/08 at Iowa State Ames, Iowa11/29/08 Kansas Kansas City, Mo.

“A quarterback will generally

be the difference in taking your

team to another level. And

Chase does that for us.”

coach gary pinkel on Quarterback chase daniel


The response was brief,

shorter than the question.

During the Big 12 coaches

post-spring teleconference,

Kansas coach Mark Mangino was asked which

was harder, getting to the top or staying there.

“They’re both equally difficult; I can assure

you that,” he said.

“Thanks,” said the questioner.

“You’re welcome,” said Mangino.

In the context of Jayhawk football,

Mangino’s sixth team reached the top last

season. It finished 12-1, a school record for

victories, and ranked seventh in both

polls. It also played in, and won, its

first New Year’s Day bowl since the

1968 season.

As a result, Mangino, whose record

at Kansas was 25-35 previously,

reached the top of his profession.

He was a consensus pick as national

coach of the year.

But that was then. “We’re not even

talking about last year,” sophomore

defensive back Chris Harris said

following the Blue-White Spring

Game. “We just have to rebuild.”

Harris was the coaches’ Big 12

Defensive Freshman of the Year.

Junior quarterback Todd Reesing

expressed a similar attitude. “Things

aren’t just going to happen for us,” he

said. “We have to show up and make

them happen. We learned that from

last year. The Orange Bowl doesn’t

mean anything this season.”

What does mean something is

the return of 15 starters, though the

departures are significant. Among

those gone are cornerback Aqib Talib

and offensive tackle Anthony Collins,

first-team All-Americans who both

declared for the NFL draft following

junior seasons.

Also gone are second-team All-America

defensive tackle James McClinton, running

back Brandon McAnderson and wide receiver

Marcus Henry. McAnderson rushed for 1,125

yards and 16 touchdowns. Henry caught 54

passes for 1,014 yards and 10 touchdowns.

But key players return as well, beginning with

Reesing, who set single-season school records

for passing yards (3,486) and touchdowns (33).

He completed 61.9 percent of his passes and

threw only seven interceptions. And he has

another season of eligibility after this.

A season’s experience in the Jayhawks’ no-

huddle spread offense should serve him well.

“All I expect Todd to do is what he can, play

within his abilities,” Mangino said. “I don’t

expect him to put up obscene numbers this

year. I expect him to have another strong year.

“There’s no reason for him not to. But the

biggest thing we don’t want is for him to feel he

has to carry the offense on his back every play.

We’re trying to surround him with playmakers.

We lost a few of them from last year, but we

feel like we have plenty of playmakers on our

offense that make for a good, strong supporting

cast for Todd.”

Wide receivers Dexton Fields and Dezmon

Briscoe are such players, as is versatile Kerry

Meier, Reesing’s back-up as well as a wide

receiver and punter during the spring. Fields

and Briscoe combined to catch 106 passes for

1,330 yards and 13 touchdowns.

“We feel like our receivers will be a strong

suit for us,” said Mangino, who noted that at

the end of spring practice, Fields and Meier

were the “most dependable” of the receivers.

Defense has the most experience with nine

returning starters, including all the

linebackers Joe Mortensen, the man

in the middle, was credited with 106

tackles, 15 of them for losses, to earn

first-team all-conference recognition.

James Holt and Mike Rivera both

received all-conference honorable

mention and were the second and

third tacklers, respectively.

Perhaps the most significant loss

on defense was coordinator Bill

Young, who came to Kansas with

Mangino. He left for Miami (Fla.)

and was replaced by Clint Bowen,

co-defensive coordinator the past two

seasons and the only coach retained

when Mangino arrived.

Though the Jayhawk offense was

impressive, ranking second in the

nation in scoring (42.8) and eighth

in total yards (479.8), the defense

was dominating. Kansas was first in

the conference in scoring and total

defense and second in rushing and

passing defense.

The Jayhawks led the nation in

turnover margin, with a plus-21.

McClinton was a major factor.

And no one player can fill the void

his departure leaves. “But we have a

committee of guys that’ll give us the repetitions

we need,” Mangino said.

Likewise, no one player can fill the void left by

Talib, who intercepted five passes and had 13 pass

break-ups. But all-conference honorable mention

free safety Darrell Stuckey made plays, too. He

nov. 8 at lincoln, neb.kaNSaS

jayhawks

big12 conference

ToDD rEESINg


jayhawks at a glance

projected 2008 finish3rd

STrENgThSNot only do all of the starters at linebacker

return but also all of the back-ups. Every linebacker

who earned a letter is back. Identifying those who

would provide depth at the position was a spring

goal, and “I think we have some young kids that

have stepped up to help us in that area,” said Coach

Mark Mangino. The same is true of the secondary.

Kendrick Harper started three games at cornerback in

the middle of the season, in between injuries.

QUESTIoN markSBrandon McAnderson’s production at running

back must be replaced. Jake Sharp rushed for

821 yards and seven touchdowns and caught two

touchdown passes. But he’ll be pressed in the fall by

junior college transfer Jocques Crawford, who brings

size to the position at 6-3 and 230 pounds. A new left

tackle to protect Reesing is a must.

DIffErENcE-makErSTodd Reesing makes the offense go. At 5-11 and

200 pounds, he’s not big. But he plays big. Based on

spring practice, he is “in sync and looking good from

last fall,” Mangino said.

wELcomE BackKansas is scheduled to come to Lincoln on Nov.

8. The Jayhawks haven’t won at Memorial Stadium

since 1968. Nebraska shouldn’t need motivation after

losing at Lawrence 76-39 last season. The 76 points

were the most ever scored against Nebraska. The

crowd of 51,910 was a record. Kansas set a record

attendance at home for a third consecutive season.

formIDaBLE SoUThErN foESThe Jayhawks didn’t play Texas Tech, Texas or

Oklahoma last season in the Big 12’s inter-division

scheduling of two years on, two years off. So this

season, they’ll play all three. Reproducing a 7-1

conference record will be more difficult.

was credited with 72 tackles, intercepted two

passes and recovered two fumbles.

Justin Thornton, who started the final

four games at strong safety after Patrick

Resby was injured, also intercepted five

passes. Add Harris and the secondary still

should be solid.

In addition, several players saw action

in special packages. “You just try to get

the right chemistry together, and it started

to come together about the last third of

spring,” said Mangino. “You could kind

of see the kids were comfortable with

each other, comfortable with the schemes,

executing things fundamentally, so we feel

pretty good about our defense.

“We think our defense is going to be

pretty stellar again.”

Whether or not the kicking game is

stellar remains to be seen. The Jayhawks

have to settle on a new place-kicker as well

as a punter, which is why Meier punted

in the spring. Marcus Herford, also a

wide receiver, returned two kickoffs for

touchdowns in 2007.

Last season’s success hasn’t led to

complacency in Lawrence. During the

spring, “the kids really took a business-

like approach to it,” Mangino said. “Last

year’s team wanted to prove something.

This year’s team wants to maintain the

excellence last year’s team had.”

Those things represent similar

challenges.

“I don’t see a major difference in it at

all,” he said.

OFFEnSE (Returning starters in bold)WR Dexton Fields 6-0 205 Sr. Kerry Meier 6-2 220 Jr.WR Dezmon Briscoe 6-3 200 So. Rod Harris 6-2 200 So.WR Marcus Herford 6-3 205 Sr. Johnathan Wilson 6-3 185 So.LT Jeff Spikes 6-6 312 Rfr. Ian Wolfe 6-5 280 So.LG adrian Mayes 6-3 305 Sr. Jeremiah Hatch 6-3 311 Rfr.C ryan cantrell 6-3 290 Sr. Sal Capra 6-3 285 So.RG chet Hartley 6-4 310 Sr. Carl Wilson 6-4 285 So.RT Matt Darton 6-6 305 Sr. Nathan D’Cunha 6-6 307 Jr.TE Bradley Dedeaux 6-3 245 So. Nick Plato 6-6 235 Fr.QB todd reesing 5-11 200 Jr. Kerry Meier 6-2 220 Jr.RB Jocques Crawford 6-1 230 Jr. Jake Sharp 5-10 190 Jr.PK Stephen Hoge 6-4 216 Rfr.

DEFEnSEDE russell brorsen 6-4 240 Sr. Jake Laptad 6-4 237 So.DT caleb Blakesley 6-5 290 Jr. Richard Johnson, Jr. 6-4 279 Rfr.DT Todd Haselhorst 6-4 290 Sr. Jamal Greene 6-4 301 So.DE john larson 6-3 250 Sr. Max Onyegbule 6-5 240 Jr.SLB james holt 6-3 220 Sr. Arist Wright 6-0 220 Jr.MLB joe mortensen 6-1 250 Sr. Justin Springer 6-4 232 So.WLB mike rivera 6-3 255 Sr. Jake Schermer 6-2 220 Jr.CB chris harris 6-0 180 So. Anthony Webb 6-0 185 Jr.CB Kendrick Harper 5-9 190 Sr. Isiah Barfield 6-0 175 Rfr.SS Darrell Stuckey 6-1 205 Jr. Patrick resby 6-0 200 Sr.FS Justin Thornton 6-1 195 Jr. Phillip Strozier 6-0 196 So.P Alonso Rojas 6-3 220 So.


2007 RECORD (12-1), BIG 12 FInISH (7-1)9/1 Central Michigan W 52-79/8 SE Louisiana W 62-09/15 Toledo W 45-139/22 Florida International W 55-310/6 at Kansas State W 30-2410/13 Baylor W 58-1010/20 at Colorado W 19-1410/27 at Texas A&M W 19-1111/3 Nebraska W 76-3911/10 at Oklahoma State W 43-2811/17 Iowa State W 45-711/24 Missouri L 28-361/3 #Virginia Tech W 24-21# at Orange Bowl

2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 Florida International Lawrence, Kan.9/6/08 Louisiana Tech Lawrence, Kan.9/12/08 at South Florida Tampa, Fla.9/20/08 Sam Houston State Lawrence, Kan.10/4/08 at Iowa State Ames, Iowa10/11/08 Colorado Lawrence, Kan.10/18/08 at Oklahoma Norman, Okla.10/25/08 Texas Tech Lawrence, Kan.11/1/08 Kansas State Lawrence, Kan.11/8/08 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb.11/15/08 Texas Lawrence, Kan.11/29/08 Missouri Kansas City, Mo.

“Things aren’t just going to

happen for us. We have to show

up and make them happen. We

learned that from last year.”

Quarterback todd reesing


Yes, Dan Hawkins had

planned a trip to the

Amazon this summer. But

no, he and his family aren’t

going. Their trip was cancelled because of a

potential health risk.

That Hawkins considered such a trip,

however, is evidence of his sense of adventure

and willingness to accept a challenge. As if

coaching in the Big 12 isn’t challenge enough.

“It’s definitely a dogfight, but that’s certainly

what makes it fun and that’s why I don’t

think you can assume your record is going

to continue to improve when you’ve got to

scratch and claw every week,” Hawkins said

during the Big 12 coaches post-spring

teleconference.

The third-year coach was

responding to a question regarding

the possibility of his Buffaloes’ being

improved over last season but perhaps

not having a better record.

“I don’t know that any of that’s a

given,” he said.

Colorado was 2-10 in his first

season and 6-7 a year ago, qualifying

for the Independence Bowl by

defeating Nebraska 65-51 in the final

regular-season game, of course.

Achieving a better record will

be complicated by a difficult non-

conference schedule that includes

not only the annual game in Denver

against rival Colorado State but

also games against West Virginia

in Boulder and Florida State in

Jacksonville, Fla. Then the Buffaloes

open conference play against Texas

before traveling to Kansas.

The rugged start is broken only

by a home game against Eastern

Washington.

At least Hawkins has players with

experience in his system now, including 15

returning starters, depending on what happens

with Riar Greer. The junior tight end was

suspended for an off-campus incident and

didn’t participate in spring practice.

Offensively, however, the system has

changed. The Buffaloes went to a no-huddle

spread in the spring, to pick up the pace. The

offense wasn’t completely new to Hawkins.

“We’ve used it in the past, in the 90’s, and we

had part of it in last year as well,” he said.

“So it’s really kind of a modification that

way. But I like it.”

He also likes the fact that there were more

offensive linemen available for the modification

this spring. A year ago, the Buffaloes had

to make do with only five to seven healthy

linemen. This year, they had enough to run two

or three stations during practice.

Three starters in the line return: senior

center Daniel Sanders, a post-season honors

candidate; sophomore tackle Ryan Miller and

junior guard Devin Head.

The offense needed modification. Colorado

ranked in the bottom half of the conference

in rushing, passing and scoring. The Buffaloes

averaged 27 points, and that included the

Nebraska debacle as well as a combined 85

points against Baylor and Miami (Ohio).

Sophomore Cody Hawkins, the coach’s

son, returns at quarterback as does sophomore

wideout Scotty McKnight, the leading

receiver with 43 catches for 488 yards and four

touchdowns in 12 games (Colorado totals don’t

include bowl statistics).

Counting the Independence Bowl loss against

Alabama, Cody Hawkins completed 263-of-463

passes for 3,015 yards and 22 touchdowns with

17 interceptions. Though he needs to cut down

on interceptions, he has shown the ability to

make the offense work.

Tailback Hugh Charles is gone, however,

and that’s a concern because even

with him, the Buffaloes averaged just

144 yards per game on the ground.

The no-huddle offense isn’t limited to

passing. “I think you can do both,”

said Hawkins. “You definitely can do

both.”

Demetrius Sumler was listed first

in the post-spring “tailback grouping,”

following a freshman season in which

he rushed for 335 yards and scored

five touchdowns.

But incoming freshman Darrell

Scott could have an immediate impact

at tailback. The 6-2, 215-pound Scott

was No. 1 on the Long Beach Press-

Telegram “Best of the West” list and

considered by many as the nation’s

top high school running back.

Eight starters return on defense,

most notably senior tackle George

Hypolite, a first-team all-conference

selection by both the Associated Press

and coaches. Hypolite was credited

with 44 tackles, the most among

defensive linemen, six sacks and seven

quarterback hurries.

He is included on the watch list for

the 2008 Lott Trophy.

“If we can bear down and do what we’re

supposed to do and stay in our gaps, we can

be a special defense,” Hypolite said following

the Buffaloes’ spring game. “But that’s what it

comes down to; we have to prepare. We have to

nov. 28 at lincoln, neb.coLoraDo

Buffaloes

big12 conference

gEorgE hypoLITE


Buffaloes at a glance

projected 2008 finish4th

STrENgThSIn five seasons at Boise State, Coach Dan Hawkins

earned a reputation for his offensive imagination. So

the Buffaloes’ offensive woes shouldn’t be chronic.

“I love the long pass,” said Hawkins. “As I’ve come

along in this game, I’ve learned you’ve got to pound it

and launch it.”

QUESTIoN markSUncertainty might be a better description for the

situation at cornerback. Terrence Wheatley is gone

and the availability of senior Benjamin Burney is in

doubt because of the effects of multiple surgeries.

The top cornerbacks on the post-spring depth chart,

junior Cha’pelle Brown (5-7, 180) and senior Gardner

McKay (5-11, 165) are small. The others are young,

sophomores and redshirted freshmen. Increased

pressure up-front would help.

DIffErENcE-makErSIf a defensive lineman can be considered, then

Hypolite is the man.

hUSkEr DE-commITSColorado capitalized on Nebraska’s change in

coaching staffs, signing three players who had made

non-binding oral commitments to the Cornhuskers:

linebacker Doug Rippey from Trotwood, Ohio;

offensive lineman Bryce Givens from Castle Rock,

Colo.; and linebacker Shaun Mohler from Newport

Beach, Calif., by way of Orange Coast College.

whErE’S kaIKai Maiva started the final nine games at offensive

guard as a true freshman last season. The plan was

to move him to fullback. He lost 20 pounds for that

purpose, switched jersey numbers from 51 to 40 and

then announced that he was transferring to be closer

to home.

out-work people.”

Seniors Brandon Nicolas and Maurice

Lucas also are returning starters up-front.

The most significant losses on defense

are linebacker Jordan Dizon, the Big

12’s leading tackler, and cornerback

Terrence Wheatley. Both were first-team

all-conference picks, along with Hypolite.

Returning starters Jeff Smart and Brad

Jones will have to pick up the slack at

linebacker, while senior free safety Ryan

Walters is a leader in the secondary.

Though Colorado ranked in the middle

of the conference in total defense, it was

vulnerable to the pass, in part because of

an inability to pressure quarterbacks. The

Buffaloes managed only 20 sacks in 13

games, to rank 95th in the nation.

During the spring, “I thought we

did a much better job of pressuring the

quarterback,” said Hawkins. “But we’re

kind of going into year three, so we’re able

to add a lot more wrinkles, and I just think

a lot of the details and communication and

specifics get a lot better.”

All things considered, Colorado might

be even more competitive in the Big 12

than last season, when it finished 4-4. But

the record might not reflect it.

A reporter on the Big 12 post-spring

teleconference asked Hawkins if the Big 12

might be the best conference in the country.

“It’s definitely got great coaches and tradi-

tion, a lot of teams that are used to win-

ning a national championship,” he said.

“So I don’t think the Big 12 has to take a

back seat to anybody.”

OFFEnSE (Returning starters in bold)WRX patrick williams 6-2 205 Sr. Josh Smith 6-0 180 So.WRZ Scotty Mcknight 5-11 180 So. Cody Crawford 5-11 175 Sr.LT Nate Solder 6-8 280 So. Ethan Adkins 6-4 295 Rfr.LG Matthew Bahr 6-4 280 Rfr. Shawn Daniels 6-3 280 Rfr.C daniel sanders 6-3 325 Sr. Keenan Stevens 6-2 280 So.RG Devin Head 6-4 295 Jr. Eric Faatagi 6-2 310 Sr.RT ryan Miller 6-7 315 So. Sione Tau 6-5 320 Rfr.TE riar greer 6-4 250 Jr. Patrick Devenny 6-3 240 Jr.QB cody Hawkins 5-11 190 So. Nick Nelson 6-1 230 Sr.TB Demetrius Sumler 5-10 215 So. Kevin Moyd 5-7 185 Jr.FB Maurice Cantrell 6-0 240 Sr. Jake Behrens 6-0 230 Jr.PK Jameson Davis 5-10 195 Fr.

DEFEnSELE maurice lucas 6-4 260 Sr. Lagrone Shields 6-3 250 Rfr.DT George Hypolite 6-1 285 Sr. Taj Kaynor 6-5 265 Jr.NT brandon nicolas 6-3 290 Sr. Eugene Goree 6-1 295 Rfr.RE Marquez Herrod 6-2 270 So. Jason Brace 6-4 250 Jr.MLB Jeff Smart 6-0 210 Jr. Michael Sipili 6-1 255 So.WLB Marcus Burton 6-0 255 Jr. Bryan Stengel 6-2 225 Jr.SLB brad jones 6-3 225 Sr. B.J. Beatty 6-2 220 So.LCB Gardner McKay 5-11 165 Sr. Jimmy Smith 6-2 195 So.FS ryan Walters 6-0 200 Sr. Anthony Perkins 5-10 190 Rfr.SS Daniel Dykes 6-2 210 Sr. Travis Sandersfeld 6-0 190 Rfr.RCB Cha’pelle Brown 5-7 180 Jr. Jalil Brown 6-1 205 So.P matt dilallo 6-1 190 Jr.


2007 RECORD (6-7), BIG 12 FInISH (4-4)9/1 vs. Colorado State W 31-289/8 at Arizona State L 14-339/15 Florida State L 6-169/22 Miami, Ohio W 42-09/29 Oklahoma W 27-2410/6 at Baylor W 43-2310/13 at Kansas State L 20-4710/20 Kansas L 14-1910/27 at Texas Tech W 31-2611/3 Missouri L 10-5511/10 at Iowa State L 28-3111/23 Nebraska W 65-5112/30 #vs. Alabama L 24-30# at Independence Bowl

2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/31/08 Colorado State Denver, Colo.9/6/08 Eastern Washington Boulder, Colo.9/18/08 West Virginia Boulder, Colo.9/27/08 Florida State Jacksonville, Fla.10/4/08 Texas Boulder, Colo.10/11/08 at Kansas Lawrence, Kan.10/18/08 Kansas State Boulder, Colo.10/25/08 at Missouri Columbia, Mo.11/1/08 at Texas A&M College Station, TX11/8/08 Iowa State Ames, Iowa11/15/08 Oklahoma State Boulder, Colo.11/28/08 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb.

“It’s (The Big 12) definitely got

great coaches and tradition, a lot

of teams that are used to winning

a national championship”

coach dan hawkins


After his first season as

Kansas State’s coach, Ron

Prince was applauded. After

his second season, he was

asked to defend the outcome of the Wildcats’

spring game.

“I guess I saw the game a little bit differently

than maybe those who might like to write

otherwise,” he said during the Big 12 coaches

post-spring teleconference.

“I was very pleased with the game.”

The spring game was decided by a 51-yard,

fourth-quarter field goal by freshman Josh

Cherry, a back-up. No need to

defend that, really.

Obviously, the game was

competitive. But there was no other

scoring. And the combined total

offense was 204 yards. “I thought

our defense played real well,” said

Prince.

Plus, he said, the focus of the

intrasquad scrimmage was playing

to win. Those on the losing team

ate bologna sandwiches, while those

on the winning team ate steak.

But to quote Allen Iverson, we’re

talking about practice, man, game-

conditions certainly, but practice

nonetheless. So Prince probably

shouldn’t have to defend it.

He might not have if his second

team hadn’t collapsed down the

stretch. The Wildcats were 5-3,

needing to win only one of four

remaining games to be bowl

eligible. They lost all four, and

allowed 198 points in the process –

including 73 to Nebraska.

Based on that, the spring game

outcome would seem positive.

Instead, it has been regarded as a

negative, coming on the heels of

another perceived negative. Kansas

State’s recruiting class included 19 junior

college transfers, six of whom enrolled for

second semester.

More than one writer has described that

as a sign of “desperation,” though Prince

indicated the plan was to take “a high number

of community college players this year.”

Typically, junior college players aren’t part

of a long-range plan. Prince was looking for

immediate help. Eleven of the 19 are defensive

players; four are wide receivers.

The needs on defense are obvious. So

too is the need at wide receiver, where the

departure of Jordy Nelson leaves a significant

void. Nelson, the ninth consensus All-

American in Kansas State history, caught 122

passes for 1,606 yards and 11 touchdowns

last season.

“I don’t know that you can replace Jordy

Nelson, certainly in the state of Kansas,”

offensive coordinator Dave Brock said prior to

the start of spring practice. “We need to replace

the production that he had.”

Deon Murphy is among those who will help

replace Nelson’s production. Murphy caught

57 passes for 605 yards and five touchdowns,

rushed for 103 yards and three touchdowns

and ranked third in the nation in punt returns,

averaging 17.3 yards per return.

The transfer from Coffeyville (Kan.)

Community College was the Big 12 Offensive

Newcomer of the Year, while safety Gary

Chandler, also a transfer from Coffeyville

Community College, was the Big 12 Defensive

Newcomer of the Year.

The offense is built around junior

quarterback Josh Freeman, a

two-year starter who threw for

a school-record 3,353 yards

and 18 touchdowns last season,

and a veteran line that includes

Rimington Trophy watch list

center Jordan Bedore and left

tackle Alesana Alesana.

Freeman and Bedore will be

co-captains along with defensive

end Ian Campbell and safety Chris

Carney. Freeman and Campbell

also were voted captains last

season.

Campbell, a two-time, first-team

All-Big 12 selection, has been

credited with 28.5 tackles-for-loss

(17.5 in 2006) and 16 sacks the past

two seasons. After playing outside

linebacker in a 3-4 alignment a year

ago, he has returned to defensive

end. He’ll still move around,

however, so that teams “can’t zero

in on him,” defensive coordinator

Tim Tibesar said.

The linebacking, with returning

starters John Houlik and Reggie

Walker, will be bolstered by the

return of Antwon Moore, who

was sidelined by injury two games

into last season. “Since we are

probably the smallest defense in the Big 12, we

have to play more aggressive and faster than

anyone else,” the 5-10, 210-pound Moore said

following the spring game.

He is a transfer from Northeast Oklahoma

nov. 15 at manhattan, kan.kaNSaS STaTE

wildcats

big12 conference

joSh frEEmaN


wildcats at a glance


STrENgThSExpect the Wildcats’ special teams to be strong,

though Tim Reyer must be replaced, Jordy Nelson

contributed to their leading the nation in punt return

average. He had two punt returns for touchdowns.

Deon Murphy had one. The team had five, total. Six

offensive linemen have multiple starts, and Freeman

continues to get better.

QUESTIoN markSKansas State ranked in the lower half of the

conference, statistically, in scoring defense, total

defense, pass defense and rushing defense. So

obviously, the defense needs a boost, although last

season’s problems were a result of “multiple layers of

things,” according to Coach Ron Prince. Offensively,

the production of running back James Johnson, 1,106

yards and 12 touchdowns, must be replaced. Leon

Patton rushed for 390 yards and four touchdowns,

with two starts. Keithen Valentine, a walk-on (from

junior college), played well in the spring and could be

a factor.

DIffErENcE-makErSIan Campbell, who walked on from Cimarron,

Kan., and earned a scholarship in the spring before

his sophomore year, is a proven pass rusher and

candidate for Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and

All-America honors. He’s already on the Lombardi

Award watch list.

BEEfED Up SchEDULEThe Wildcats recruited junior colleges heavily

under Snyder, though nothing on the order of 19

transfers in one season. But Prince has diverged

from Snyder’s scheduling of less-than-formidable

non-conference opponents. Although Kansas State

opted out of a game against Fresno State this season,

replacing it with one against Montana State, it has

future non-conference series with UCLA, Miami

(Fla.), Oregon and Virginia Tech.

A&M, so it’s not as if Prince hasn’t

done well with junior college transfers.

Alesana and Penisini Liu, another

returning starter in the offensive line, are

among others on whom the Wildcats are

counting.

They’re also counting on George

Pierson, who will arrive in the fall from

Tyler (Texas) Junior College, to replace

Tim Reyer, the Big 12’s leading punter.

Place-kicker Brooks Rossman returns,

after making 22-of-28 field goals in his first

season at Kansas State. The 22 field goals

tied a school record. He’s a transfer, but not

from junior college. He came from Ohio,

where he kicked for former Cornhusker

coach Frank Solich.

Kansas State finished last in the Big 12

North for two consecutive seasons before

Prince arrived. The Wildcats were 7-6 and

played in the Texas Bowl in his first season.

But Kansas State had six 11-win seasons

under former coach Bill Snyder from 1997

to 2003, and that’s the standard to which

Prince is being held. And that’s why he

was asked to defend the defense-dominated

Spring Game, even though it was just a

glorified practice.

As for the late collapse last season,

what’s done is done. “I’ve said it before,

every year the team has to be reborn,”

Prince said. “I think that’s critical in every

circumstance.

“And that’s the case this year.”

The Wildcats are being reborn, with an

influx of junior college transfers.

OFFEnSE (Returning starters in bold)WR Deon Murphy 5-10 170 Sr. Adrian Hilburn 6-1 190 Jr.WR Cedric Wilson 6-1 181 Sr. Lamark Brown 6-3 229 So.WR Ernie Pierce 6-3 209 Sr. Aubrey Quarles 6-2 190 Jr.LT alesana alesana 6-4 299 Sr. Edward Prince 6-5 280 Jr.LG Wade Weibert 6-5 300 Jr. Brock Unruh 6-5 301 Jr.C jordan bedore 6-3 308 Sr. trevor viers 6-5 270 Jr.RG Gerard Spexarth 6-6 280 Sr. Nick Stringer 6-6 270 Jr.RT penisini liu 6-6 325 Sr. Kaleb Drinkgern 6-6 260 Rfr.TE jeron mastrud 6-6 259 Jr. Brett Alstatt 6-4 224 Sr.QB Josh Freeman 6-6 250 Jr. Carson Coffman 6-3 200 So.RB Leon Patton 5-7 187 Jr. Daniel Thomas 6-2 227 Jr.PK brooks rossman 6-0 178 Sr.

DEFEnSEDE ian campbell 6-5 249 Sr. Brandon Howard 6-5 260 Fr.NT Bandon Balkcom 6-6 266 Sr. Xzavier Stewart 6-1 304 So.DE Chidubamu Abana 6-5 280 Sr. Jack Hayes 6-4 270 Jr.LB eric childs 6-3 227 Jr. Ulla Pomele 6-1 235 Jr.LB Antwon Moore 5-10 210 Sr. John Houlik 5-11 217 Jr.LB reggie walker 6-1 231 Sr. Cortney Herndon 5-11 206 Jr.LB Olu Hall 6-3 232 Jr. Hansen Sekona 6-0 230 Jr.CB Joshua Moore 5-11 187 So. Ray Cheatham 6-0 185 Sr.CB Blair Irvin 5-11 185 Jr. Kendrick Matthews 5-10 180 So.FS chris carney 6-1 185 Jr. Darhnaz Tigner 6-2 200 So.SS Gary chandler 5-11 195 Sr. Andrew Erker 6-1 187 Sr.P George Pierson 6-0 180 Jr.


2007 RECORD (5-7), BIG 12 FInISH (3-5)9/1 at Auburn L 13-239/8 San Jose State W 34-149/15 Missouri State W 61-109/29 at Texas W 41-2110/6 Kansas L 24-3010/13 Colorado W 47-2010/20 at Oklahoma State L 39-4110/27 Baylor W 51-1311/3 at Iowa State L 20-3111/10 at Nebraska L 31-7311/17 Missouri L 32-4911/24 at Fresno State L 29-45

2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 North Texas Manhattan, Kan.9/6/08 Montana State Manhattan, Kan.9/17/08 at Louisville Louisville, Ky.9/27/08 UL Lafayette Manhattan, Kan.10/4/08 Texas Tech Manhattan, Kan.10/11/08 at Texas A&M College Station, TX10/18/08 at Colorado Boulder, Colo.10/25/08 Oklahoma Manhattan, Kan.11/1/08 at Kansas Lawrence, Kan.11/8/08 at Missouri Columbia, Mo.11/15/08 Nebraska Manhattan, Kan.11/22/08 Iowa State Manhattan, Kan.

“I don’t know that you can

replace Jordy Nelson, certainly

in the state of Kansas. We need

to replace the production that

he had.”dave brock,

offensive coordinator


The term Gene Chizik used

was “star-power player.” Iowa

State doesn’t have such a

player to replace the departed

Todd Blythe at wide receiver.

“We don’t have that guy that we can target

and say ‘We must get the ball to him,’ ” the

Cyclones’ coach said during the Big 12’s post-

spring teleconference.

“Quite frankly, we don’t have that here.”

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, however,

Chizik added, because “we’re into team any-

way, and we’re into not worrying about who

gets the credit and all those things.

We’ve got guys who play within our

system and we still feel can be very

productive.”

That the Cyclones don’t have

another Blythe waiting in the wings

is certainly no surprise. He finished

his career as Iowa State’s all-time

leader in pass receptions, receiving

yards and touchdown catches. But

they don’t even have a reasonable

facsimile.

“We have solid guys. We don’t

have any guys who just make you

go ‘Wow.’ We just don’t have a

bunch of big-time players there,”

Chizik said of his wide receivers.

“They’re all solid guys who try hard

and they really care about football,

they really love the game.

“And we can win games with

guys like that.”

The question is: How many

games can the Cyclones win?

They won three with Blythe, and

quarterback Bret Meyer last season.

Meyer, who’s also gone, is the

school’s all-time leader in passing

yardage and total offense.

Meyer’s replacement will be

either Austen Arnaud or Phillip

Bates, or both. “It’s not out of the realm for

us to end up playing two quarterbacks,” said

Chizik.

“I think Phillip gives us a little bit more of a

run threat. I think Austen, right now, is a little

further ahead in the passing game, probably

doesn’t quite bring to the table what Phillip

does when it comes to making things happen

on his feet.”

Arnaud, a sophomore, saw limited action

as Meyer’s back-up last season, while Bates,

though recruited as a quarterback, played

wideout as a true freshman.

The bottom line is, “we can run our offense

with both of them,” Chizik said.

The situation at quarterback, like the situa-

tion at wide receiver, is characteristic of Chizik’s

second team on both sides of the ball, players

who appear to be solid but not “star power”

quality, at this point anyway. So the program

will continue to experience growing pains.

“I feel that athletically we are still a little bit

off,” said Chizik.

“If you have a lot of solid recruiting classes,

you will eventually crawl your way back to

competing with some of the upper-echelon

teams.”

Based on the Cyclones’ 2008 recruiting class,

Chizik isn’t looking for a quick fix. It included

only one junior college transfer – Jason Carl-

son, a wide receiver.

The defense also has to replace its top play-

ers from last season, linebackers Alvin Bowen

and Jon Banks and tackles Athyba Rubin and

Bryce Braaksma.

Bowen, the nation’s leading

tackler in 2006 and a second-team

all-conference selection last season,

and Rubin were both selected in the

NFL draft.

Those four contributed to a

defense that made marked improve-

ment in Chizik’s first season. The

Cyclones were respectable statisti-

cally, ranking 65th nationally and

seventh in the conference in total

defense and 44th and sixth in rush-

ing defense.

By comparison they ranked

102nd in both categories in 2006.

The top returning tacklers are

both named Smith, linebacker

Jesse and safety James. They each

were credited with 79. Defensive

end Kurtis Taylor, the team’s

comeback player of the year (he

missed 2006 with a knee injury),

finished with 41 tackles, including

6.5 sacks.

Junior defensive end Christopher

Lyle is among those who played

well in the spring, according to

Chizik, and senior Chris Singleton

is a veteran cornerback.

Even with Blythe and Meyer,

the offense struggled. Iowa State averaged

only 18.2 points per game, tying the Big 12’s

Baylor for 111th in the nation and last in the

conference.

oct. 18 at ames, iowaIowa STaTE

cyclones

big12 conference

jaSoN ScaLES


cyclones at a glance


STrENgThSThe offensive line could be a strength, with four

starters returning, though all four were first-time

starters last season. One of the four, sophomore

tackle Ben Lamaak, played quarterback at the end

of his high school career and was recruited by Iowa

State as a tight end. Redshirted freshman Kelechi

Osemele, the offensive scout team player of the year,

is competing for the other starting job, at guard. He is

listed at 6-5 and 341 pounds.

QUESTIoN markSIn addition to the offensive struggles last season,

the Cyclones hardly distinguished themselves on

special teams. They ranked last in the conference in

kickoff returns and punt returns – they ranked last

in the nation, in fact. Obviously, those areas need to

improve. Also, Bret Culbertson, who was 100-for-100

on career extra-point kicks, is gone.

DIffErENcE-makErThe 5-10, 181-pound Alexander Robinson, who had

the Cyclones’ longest run from scrimmage last season

(37 yards for a touchdown against Missouri), “is going

to be a threat to break it,” said Chizik. “He can make

guys miss in the open field. You know he can spark

our offense, but it is certainly going to take more than

just him.” The line has to be consistent, for example.

cycLoNE commITmENTIowa State is in a $19.5 million, first-phase

refurbishing of Jack Trice Stadium. The phase

includes the addition of suites, the remodeling of

the donor-club section and the widening of the

concourse. Average attendance last season (49,462)

was the highest since 1982.

NEBraSka coNNEcTIoNPhillip Bates is the son of former Cornhusker

fullback Phil Bates (1980-81) and an Omaha North

High teammate of current Cornhusker wide receiver

Niles Paul. The 6-1, 207-pound Bates has “enough

athletic ability when he gets himself in trouble to get

himself out, and of course, in this league that’s huge,”

Chizik said.

The Cyclones also were 102nd in total

offense and 95th in rushing.

“We tried to run the football last year

and weren’t very good at it,” Chizik said.

“But we’re going to have to run the football

here. We just feel very strongly about that.

“We had some flashes of some running

backs doing some nice things.”

Three of the backs rushed for 100 or

more yards in a game, and all three return,

although senior J.J. Bass was suspended in-

definitely in the spring for not meeting team

standards. The others are sophomore Alex-

ander Robinson and senior Jason Scales.

Robinson finished strong, rushing for

391 yards and six touchdowns in the final

four games. And he “definitely stepped to

the front of the pack” during the spring,

said Chizik.

Senior R.J. Sumrall was the team’s lead-

ing receiver last season, with 54 catches for

434 yards, but he didn’t have a touchdown

catch. Junior Marquis Hamilton, who

caught 45 passes for 534 yard and one

touchdown, provides size at the posi-

tion; he’s 6-3 and 220 pounds. And junior

Houston Jones played well in the spring.

But none is in Blythe’s category.

“We don’t have a guy that’s here on

campus right now that really is what Todd

Blythe was,” Chizik said. “We’ve got solid

guys that are role players.

“But as far as big-play capability, a guy

that can go up and catch four touchdown

passes in a game, things like that, we don’t

feel like we have that guy.”

OFFEnSE (Returning starters in bold)WR r.j. sumrall 6-1 203 Sr. Euseph Messiah 5-10 171 Sr.WR Marquis Hamilton 6-3 220 Jr. Wallace Franklin 6-3 169 Sr.LT doug dedrick 6-4 282 Sr. Matt Hulbert 6-7 287 So.LG reggie stephens 6-4 320 Jr. Alex Alvarez 6-2 282 So.C brandon johnson 6-3 305 Sr. Mike Knapp 6-3 270 Jr.RG Joe Blaes 6-2 289 Sr. Kelechi Osemele 6-5 341 Rfr.RT ben lamaak 6-4 306 So. Trey Baysinger 6-6 292 Rfr.TE Collin Franklin 6-6 231 So. Derrick Catlett 6-4 251 Jr.QB Austen Arnaud 6-3 222 So. Phillip Bates 6-2 209 So.RB Alexander Robinson 5-10 181 So. jason scales 5-9 212 Sr.FB derrick catlett 6-4 251 Jr. Brian Eklelundu 5-10 237 Jr.PK Zach Guyer 6-3 180 Rfr.

DEFEnSEWE rashawn parker 6-0 252 Jr. Christopher Lyle 6-4 248 Jr.DT Bailey Johnson 6-3 266 So. Chris Weir 6-3 274 Sr.NG Nate Frere 6-2 307 Jr. Jerrod Black 6-2 290 Rfr.DE kurtis Taylor 6-2 257 Sr. Nick Frere 6-2 248 Sr.SLB Michael Bibbs 6-2 225 Sr. Cameron Bell 6-1 223 So.MLB jesse smith 6-0 235 Jr. Derec Schmidgall 6-1 222 Jr.WLB Josh Raven 5-11 218 Jr. Fred Garrin 6-1 219 Jr.LCB allen bell 6-2 189 Jr. Devin McDowell 5-9 183 So.RCB chris singleton 5-10 191 Sr. Zac Sandvig 5-10 184 So.SS chris brown 5-10 177 Sr. Steve Johnson 5-11 201 Jr.FS james smith 5-8 192 Jr. Brandon Hunley 5-11 205 Sr.P Mike Brandtner 6-1 208 Jr.


2007 RECORD (3-9), BIG 12 FInISH (2-6)8/30 Kent State L 14-239/8 Northern Iowa L 13-249/15 Iowa W 15-139/22 at Toledo L 35-369/29 at Nebraska L 17-3510/6 at Texas Tech L 17-4210/13 Texas L 3-5610/20 Oklahoma L 7-1710/27 at Missouri L 28-4211/3 Kansas State W 31-2011/10 Colorado W 31-2811/17 at Kansas L 7-45

2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/28/08 South Dakota State Ames, Iowa9/6/08 Kent State Ames, Iowa9/13/08 at Iowa Iowa City, Iowa9/20/08 at UNLV Las Vegas, Nev.10/4/08 Kansas Ames, Iowa10/11/08 at Baylor Waco, Texas 10/18/08 Nebraska Ames, Iowa10/25/08 Texas A&M Ames, Iowa11/1/08 at Oklahoma State Stillwater, Okla.11/8/08 at Colorado Boulder, Colo.11/15/08 Missouri Ames, Iowa11/22/08 at Kansas State Manhattan, Kan.

“If you have a lot of solid

recruiting classes, you will

eventually crawl your way back

to competing with some of the

upper-echelon teams.”

coach gene chizik


Although last season

finished with a second

consecutive bowl-game flop,

it’s doubtful that anyone in the

Big 12 will start feeling sorry

for Oklahoma anytime soon.

In the past eight seasons, the Sooners have

captured five league titles – three more than any

other Big 12 school. Since winning the national

title in 2000, no college football program can

boast more than Oklahoma’s 90 victories and

OU has failed to win 10 or more games just two

times in that span.

It would seem that coach Bob Stoops has

everything aligned for yet another

successful season as Oklahoma eyes

its third consecutive Big 12 title.

No less than 10 players return with

significant starting experience on the

offensive side of the football and five

regular starters return on defense

from a team that finished 11-3 and

defeated Missouri 38-17 in the Big 12

Championship game. OU still wound

up No. 8 in the final national polls,

despite falling to West Virginia 48-28

in the Fiesta Bowl.

“I think we have a chance to be a

solid team, but a lot of it is going to be

determined by what kind of attitude and

what kind of toughness and commitment

this team wants to have,” said Stoops,

who is 97-22 (.815) entering his 10th

season at Oklahoma.

While Stoops-led teams are

traditionally solid on the defensive side,

this year’s squad expects to feature an impressive

offensive attack. Oklahoma averaged 6.4 yards

per play last season, which was the program’s

highest since 1987 when the Sooners led the

country in rushing, scoring and total offense.

OU was fifth nationally in scoring offense in

2007, averaging 42.3 points per game.

Stoops has always said that inexperience at

the quarterback position is not a major concern

to him as the Sooners have won their five Big 12

titles with five different quarterbacks. However,

here’s guessing that Stoops and his staff knew

they had something special waiting in the wings

prior to last year in quarterback Sam Bradford,

who was then a redshirt freshman.

Bradford produced one of the top freshman

seasons in NCAA history, completing

237-of-341 pass attempts (69.5 percent) for 3,121

yards and 36 touchdowns, breaking the NCAA

freshman TD record by seven. He also led the

nation in passing efficiency with a 176.53 rating

that placed him just ahead of 2007 Heisman

Trophy winner Tim Tebow of Florida.

While some might expect even bigger things

from Bradford in 2008, Stoops said he wants

the sophomore to simply continue on a steady

progression of growth, both mentally and

physically. Stoops said Bradford has added 10 to

15 pounds to his 6-5 frame and has come a long

way in the knowledge of the game as well.

“Our caution to him is to try not to do too

much and force things – that’s not how we

operate – and trust the guys around you like

you did last year to make plays and play within

yourself and within this system,” Stoops said.

Despite all his success, Bradford seems to

be taking the approach that he’s still trying to

win the starting quarterback job – just like he

did last year.

“I’ve got to go out there and compete and

show that I belong on that field every day,”

Bradford said. “There are a lot of little things

– footwork, mechanics – that I need to get a lot

better on. I want to be quicker with my release

and quicker with my drops. Overall, I just want

to do everything quicker in the pocket.

“On the other hand, I’ve been through

a season and I am more comfortable in the

huddle, so I think I am able to relax a little bit

more and play the way that I know I can.

In the spring, Bradford and his teammates

took on the new challenge of learning the no-

huddle offense.

“That’s something we’re going to

have to continue to get comfortable

with and learn the pace, so it will be

fine,” Stoops said. “We’re no different

than anyone else. We just have to keep

working it and I just think with the

clock-management issues it becomes

more of a factor than anything else, so

we’ll keep working it.”

With the implementation of a

40-second play clock and other teams

in the Big 12 having success with no-

huddle systems, Stoops said he felt it was

important for the Sooners to keep pace.

“I just want to make sure that we’re

getting the same number of tries at it and

the same opportunities,” Stoops said. “I

think to have an opportunity to change the

plays at the line of scrimmage, you need to

be at the line of scrimmage quicker.”

Despite losing wide receiver Malcolm

Kelly one year early to the NFL draft and tight

end Joe Jon Finley and running back Allen

Patrick completing their eligibility, Oklahoma

returns players who accounted for 83.2 percent

of their total yards last season.

DeMarco Murray missed the final three

games of last season due to injury, but still

rushed for 764 yards and 13 TDs as a freshman.

A major break-away threat, Murray had a

92-yard scoring run against Utah State and

returned two kickoffs for TDs – a 91-yarder

against Baylor and an 82-yarder against Tulsa,

nov. 1 at norman, okla.okLahoma

Sooners

big12 conference

Sam BraDforD


Sooners at a glance

projected 2008 finish1st

STrENgThSIt all starts up front for Oklahoma, which returns

tons of experience on the offensive line. Junior

tackle Phil Loadholt and junior guard and 2007

All-American George “Duke” Robinson are on the

Outland Trophy Watch list, while guard Brandon

Walker and center Jon Cooper also return as full-time

starters from a unit that scored the second-most

points (592) in school history. The Sooners averaged

190.7 yards rushing and 258.2 yards passing, while

giving up just 14 sacks.

QUESTIoN markSGraduation and early departures of linebacker

Curtis Lofton and cornerback Reggie Smith leave

Oklahoma relatively inexperienced in the back seven

of its defensive unit. Ryan Reynolds, who started

at weakside linebacker last year, will likely move

to middle linebacker. Three-year starter Nic Harris

returns at strong safety, but the Sooners will need

former nickel back Lendy Holmes, junior college

transfer David Sims and redshirt freshman Sam

Proctor to take on key roles.

DIffErENcE-makErQuarterback Sam Bradford enjoyed one of the best

freshman years in college football history in 2007,

but running back DeMarco Murray displayed play-

making ability that simply can’t be coached. Even

thought he missed the final three games of the season

due to injury, the freshman rushed for 764 yards

and 13 touchdowns, including a 92-yard scoring run

against Utah State. He’s equally dangerous as a return

man, taking two kickoffs back for TDs in 2007.

ThaT wINNINg fEELINgEven though Oklahoma’s last national title came

in 2000, there’s little doubt that coach Bob Stoops has

fully restored the Sooners’ winning tradition. Last

season, OU captured its 41st conference championship

in the program’s history, produced their 143rd and

144th All-Americans in linebacker Curtis Lofton and

guard George “Duke” Robinson and won 10 or more

games for the nation-leading 30th time. Alabama is

second on the list with 28 10-win campaigns.

helping Oklahoma lead the country in

kickoff return average.

In short-yardage situations, Oklahoma

will continue to rely on Chris Brown. The

junior rushed for 611 yards and scored nine

TDs in 2007.

With Murray and Brown sitting out

spring practice while rehabilitating from

offseason surgery, Mossis Madu had an

opportunity to put his talents on display.

The Sooners also bring in a pair of highly

touted high school running backs in Jermie

Calhoun and Justin Johnson.

With Kelly foregoing his senior season,

Juaquin Iglesias likely moves into the No. 1

receiver role. Last year as a junior, Iglesias

led Oklahoma with 68 receptions for 907

yards and five TDs. Fellow receiver Quentin

Chaney was impressive in the Fiesta Bowl,

catching four passes for 129 yards.

The Sooners are stacked on the offensive

line as all five starters and seven of the top

eight players on last year’s two-deep depth

chart are back for a unit that allowed just

14 sacks a year ago. The unit is led by a pair

of players named to the Outland Trophy

watch list in junior guard George Robinson

and junior tackle Phil Loadholt – the tallest

player in OU football history, standing 6-8.

Oklahoma’s defensive strength is up front

where Outland Trophy watch list nominee

DeMarcus Granger at defensive tackle.

Defensive end will be bolstered by the

return of John Williams, who was granted

a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA after

an injury to his Achilles’ tendon. Austin

English, who ranked 15th in the country last

year with 9.5 sacks, also returns.

The linebacker positions and secondary

present Stoops with perhaps his biggest con-

cerns. Both units took a hit to the NFL draft

as linebacker Curtis Lofton and cornerback

Reggie Smith bypassed their senior seasons

to go pro. Linebacker Ryan Reynolds and

safety Nic Harris will be counted on heavily

as returning starter to lead their units.

OFFEnSE (Returning starters in bold)LT phil loadholt 6-8 352 sr. Cory Brandon 6-7 296 So.LG duke robinson 6-5 352 jr. Jason Hannan 6-3 270 Fr.C jon cooper 6-2 276 sr. Ben Habern 6-4 275 Fr.RG brandon walker 6-3 307 sr. Brian Simmons 6-4 305 Jr.RT Branndon Braxton 6-5 325 Sr.-or- trent williams 6-5 305 jr.TE Jermaine Gresham 6-5 263 Jr. Eric Mensik 6-5 246 So.WR juaquin iglesias 6-0 202 sr. Tyler Stradford 6-1 173 So.WR manuel johnson 5-11 180 sr. Brandon Caleb 6-1 196 Jr.QB sam bradford 6-4 214 so. Joey Halzle 6-3 208 Sr.FB Brody Eldridge 6-4 260 Jr. Matt Clapp 6-2 242 Jr.RB Chris Brown 5-10 202 Jr. DeMarco Murray 6-0 191 So.PK Jimmy Stevens 5-5 149 Fr.

DEFEnSEDE auston english 6-3 253 jr. Alan Davis 6-2 253 Sr.DT demarcus granger 6-2 307 jr. Cory Bennett 6-2 284 Sr.DT Gerald Mccoy 6-4 291 So. Cordero Moore 6-2 297 Jr.DE Jeremy Beal 6-4 268 So. John Williams 6-5 249 Sr.SLB Keenan Clayton 6-1 240 Jr. J.R. Bryant 6-3 230 Jr.MLB ryan reynolds 6-2 231 Jr. Curtis Lofton 6-0 238 Sr.WLB Brandon Crow 6-1 220 So. Travis Lewis 6-2 220 Fr.CB Lendy Holmes 6-0 193 Sr. Brian Jackson 6-1 190 Jr.SS nic harris 6-2 232 sr. David Sims 5-11 198 Jr.FS Desmond Jackson 5-11 187 Fr. Sam Proctor 6-0 202 Fr.CB Dominque Franks 5-10 187 So. Jonathan Nelson 5-11 176 So.P mike knall 5-9 192 sr.


2007 RECORD (11-2), BIG 12 FInISH (6-2)9/1 North Texas W 79-109/8 Miamai W 51-139/15 Utah State W 54-39/21 at Tulsa W 62-219/29 at Colorado L 24-2710/6 vs. Texas W 28-2110/13 Missouri W 41-3110/20 at Iowa State W 17-711/3 Texas A&M W 42-1411/10 Baylor W 52-2111/17 at Texas Tech L 27-3411/24 Oklahoma State W 49-1712/1 *vs. Missouri W 38-171/2 #vs. West Virginia L 28-48* Big 12 Championship, # at Fiesta Bowl

2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 Chattanooga Norman, Okla.9/6/08 Cincinnati Norman, Okla.9/13/08 at Washington Seattle, Wash.9/27/08 TCU Norman, Okla.10/4/08 at Baylor Waco, Texas10/11/08 Texas Dallas, Texas10/18/08 Kansas Norman, Okla.10/25/08 at Kansas State Manhattan, Kan.11/1/08 Nebraska Norman, Okla.11/8/08 at Texas A&M College Station, TX11/22/08 Texas Tech Norman, Okla.11/29/08 at Oklahoma State Stillwater, Okla.


Entering his 11th

season as head coach

at Texas, there’s little

debate that Mack

Brown has turned the Longhorns into one of

the nation’s most dominant college football

programs.

With a 10-3 record last season, Texas has

posted double figures in victories for each of

the past seven seasons – the only team in the

country that can make such a claim. With

their victory over Arizona State in the Holiday

Bowl, the Longhorns set a school record with

their fourth consecutive bowl wins and have

now won six bowl games in the past

seven years.

While Texas annually lands one

of the nation’s most highly regarded

recruiting classes and departures simply

just allow a different, talented player

to step into the starting lineup, Brown

admits the Longhorns did have some

concerns heading into spring practice.

Brown’s team lost five starters on offense

and will have to replace seven starters on

defense this season.

“There are a lot of question marks

on our team because of the youth and

the inexperience, so we really went

after it in drills with a very competitive

nature,” Brown said. “We’re excited

about the challenge. When you play at

the University of Texas and you lose a

great player, which you do every year at

certain positions, if we’re doing our jobs

as coaches when you have so much talent

in this state, you should have someone ready to

step up.”

Somehow, most figure the Longhorns will

find a way. Texas has a nation-best 103 wins

over the past seven seasons and has a Big 12

Conference-leading 65 victories during that

same timeframe.

Still, Brown considers the challenges greater

than ever. Every South Division team is slated

to return its starting quarterback, and he sees

the North Division as much-improved.

“I think this will be the best-balanced league

that we’ve had since I’ve been here, and it is

because everybody’s better,” Brown said. “I

think Kansas and Missouri are listed above

us in the preseason polls for next year, so I do

think that because of quarterbacks, partly, but

also because the coaches have done a great job

and everybody’s deeper and everybody’s got a

good football team in this league now.

“You can no longer plan on winning a game

in this league. You’re going to have to earn the

right to win that game before you can count it.”

Texas will have a different look, defensively,

as Brown brought in former Auburn defensive

coordinator Will Muschamp to take the same

position with the Longhorns.

“Will is high-energy, he’s tough, but he’s

also very, very positive,” Brown said.

Muschamp said the Longhorns were able

to install most of his defensive playbook in

the spring, but noted that the greater focus

was placed on developing the proper defensive

attitude.

“I just wanted the guys to play hard, play

fast and play physical,” Muschamp said. “I

think that the players are a reflection of their

coach and I told them that I want to be the

most over-achieving defense in the country.

We want to be a blue-collar defense, a blue-

collar football team and we’re able to do that

because we have enough talent to have some

success.“It’s an every-day process – consistency

and performance as a coach and as a player –

and that is what we’re demanding from them.”

Texas is arguably more experienced on

defense than it would appear at first glance.

While the Longhorns technically return full-

time starters at three positions, Muschamp’s

unit actually brings back five players who have

been full-time starters in their careers and 10

players who have made collegiate starts.

Senior linebacker Rashad Bobino, a

two-time All-Big 12 selection with 38 career

starts, returns to lead the defense. Senior

cornerback Ryan Palmer is back with 36

career starts, while junior defensive end

Lamarr Houston leads a group up front

that also returns part-time defensive end

starters Aaron Lewis and Brian Orakpo,

who each have 32 or more career starts.

While Texas ranked No. 8 in the

country in rushing defense last year,

allowing, 93.4 yards per game, a No.

109-ranked pass defense ultimately led

to the Longhorns finishing 52nd in total

defense (371.2 yards per game).

“One thing I know we’re going to do

smarter is that we’re going to have more

pass rushers and more speed on the field

on third downs than we’ve ever had,”

Brown said. “We’re going to try to get

more pressure with four down (linemen).

“We’ve talked about that a lot, but there

are going to be four ends in the game in

most pass-rushing situations. We’re going

to be going after the quarterback better.”

Offensively, Texas should have a similar

look as two-year starting quarterback Colt

McCoy returns for his junior season. McCoy

is 20-6 in two seasons as a starter since taking

on the difficult task of following Vince Young’s

national title-winning season in 2005 and ranks

first in school history in completion percentage

(66.4) and passer rating (148.9).

After being named the national freshman of

the year in 2006, McCoy passed for 3,303 yards

and 22 touchdowns last season.

Behind McCoy, Texas ranked 13th in the

TExaSLonghorns

big12 conference

QUaN coSBy


Longhorns at a glance

projected 2008 finish2nd

STrENgThSDespite losing four major offensive weapons from

2007 in running back Jamaal Charles, tight end

Jermichael Finley and wide receivers Limas Sweed

and Nate Jones, quarterback Colt McCoy returns

with plenty of weapons to make an offense potent.

Heading into his junior year, McCoy is 20-6 as a

starter and already ranks fourth in school history in

touchdown passes (51) and sixth in passing yards

(5,863). The Longhorns averaged 37.2 points per

game last season.

QUESTIoN markSEven at talent-laden Texas, replacing a running

back with 10.1-second speed in the 100-yard dash

isn’t easy and so it goes as the Longhorns look to fill

the shoes of 1,600-yard rusher Jamaal Charles. Fifth-

year senior Chris Ogbonnaya sophomore Vondrell

McGee, redshirt freshman Fozzy Whittaker and in-

coming freshmen Jeremy Hills and Tre Newton could

all get a shot at taking over, or coach Mack Brown

says he might use the running-back-by-committee

approach.

DIffErENcE-makErBrian Orakpo has been placed on to the watch list

for the 2008 Lott Trophy, wich is awarded annually

to college football’s top defensive player. The 6-4,

260-pound defensive end has appeared in 35 career

games and has 19 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, 32

quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and a fumble

recovery. Orakpo may have set the tone in last year’s

final game as he was named defensive MVP in Texas’

Holiday Bowl victory over Arizona State.

major aDDITIoNLook who’s back in burnt orange, it’s none

other than former Texas quarterback great Major

Applewhite, who joined Mack Brown’s staff as the

assistant head coach/running backs coach. He was

a graduate assistant at Texas (2003-04) and coached

quarterbacks at Syracuse in 2005. He served as the

offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Rice

in 2006 and held the same position on Nick Saban’s

staff at Alabama in 2008.

country in total offense last season (462.9

yards per game) and 14th in scoring offense

(37.2 points per game).

While leading rusher and three-time All-

Big 12 running back Jamaal Charles and

two-time All-Big 12 wide receiver Limas

Sweed are gone, McCoy will still have

several key players around him coming

back. That includes four offensive linemen

with 20 or more career starts in senior

Outland Trophy candidate Chris Dockery

and juniors Chris Hall, Charlie Tanner and

Adam Ulatoski.

Experienced senior receivers Quan

Cosby (120 career receptions) and Jordan

Shipley (43 career receptions) also return.

Cosby caught 60 passes last year for 680

yards and five TDs.

Chris Ogbonnaya, Vondrell McGee and

Fozzy Whittaker are expected to compete

for the right to replace Charles. Ogbonnaya

is the most experienced of the group, but

had just 13 carries for 66 yards and a pair

of TDs last season while appearing in all

13 games.

“Chris Ogbonnaya has got the most

experience because he’s been in there for

two years as a third-down back and Chris

can play,” Brown said. “Those three guys

would still be competing in the fall to see

who will step up.”

On special teams, Texas returns senior

place-kicker Ryan Bailey. A former

walk-on who burst onto the scene in 2006

with a chip-shot game-winning field goal

at Nebraska, Bailey has made 24 of 28

career field-goal attempts, including 18 of

22 last year.

OFFEnSE (Returning starters in bold)FL Jordan Shipley Sr. 6-0 195 Brandon Collins Fr. 6-0 170TE Blaine Irby So. 6-3 240 Peter Ullman Sr. 6-4 260RT Kyle Hix So. 6-7 320 Aundre McGaskey Fr. 6-5 295RG cedric Dockery Sr. 6-4 320 Michael Huey So. 6-5 315C chris hall jr. 6-4 300 Buck Burnette So. 6-3 320LG charlie tanner jr. 6-4 300 Britt Mitchell So. 6-5 300LT adam ulatoski jr. 6-8 310 Tray Allen So. 6-5 320SE Quan cosby Sr. 5-11 205 Malcolm Williams Fr. 6-3 225TB Vondree McGee So. 5-10 205 Chris Ogbonnaya Sr. 6-1 225FB Antwan Cobb So. 6-0 222 Cody Johnson Fr. 5-11 255QB colt Mccoy Jr. 6-3 210 John Chiles So. 6-2 215PK ryan Bailey Sr. 6-2 205 Hunter Lawrence Jr. 6-0 180

DEFEnSEDE brian orakpo sr. 6-4 260 Eddie Jones So. 6-3 260DT Roy Miller Sr. 6-2 300 Aaron Lewis Sr. 6-4 265DT lamarr houston jr. 6-2 275 Ben Alexander Jr. 6-0 310DE Henry Melton Sr. 6-3 265-or- aaron lewis sr. 6-4 265SLB Sergio Kindle Jr. 6-4 239 Keenan Robinson Fr. 6-3 220MLB rashad bobino sr. 5-11 238 Jared Norton Jr. 6-3 242WLB Roddrick Muckelroy Jr. 6-2 230 Dustin Earnest So. 6-3 233CB ryan Palmer Sr. 5-10 190-or- Curtis Brown So. 6-1 178S Earl Thomas Fr. 5-10 190-or- Christian Scott Fr. 6-1 208S Ishie Oduegwu Jr. 5-10 210 Ben Wells Fr. 6-1 195CB Deon Beasley Jr. 5-10 175-or- Chykie Brown So. 6-1 185P Justin Tucker Fr. 6-1 171-or- Trevor Gerland Jr. 6-2 195


2007 RECORD (10-3), BIG 12 FInISH (5-3)9/1 Arkansas State W 21-139/8 TCU W 34-139/15 at Central Florida W 35-329/22 Rice W 58-149/29 Kansas State L 21-4110/6 *vs. Oklahoma L 21-2810/13 at Iowa State W 56-310/20 at Baylor W 31-1010/27 Nebraska W 28-2511/3 at Oklahoma State W 38-3511/10 Texas Tech W 59-4311/23 at Texas A&M L 30-3812/27 vs. Arizona State W 52-34*-at Dallas # - Holiday Bowl

2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 Florida Atlantic Austin, Texas9/6/08 at UTEP El Paso, Texas9/13/08 Arkansas Austin, Texas9/20/08 Rice Austin, Texas10/4/08 at Colorado Boulder, Colo.10/11/08 Oklahoma Dallas, Texas10/18/08 Missouri Austin, Texas10/25/08 Oklahoma State Austin, Texas11/1/08 at Texas Tech Lubbock, Texas11/8/08 Baylor Austin, Texas11/15/08 at Kansas Lawrence, Kan.11/27/08 Texas A&M Austin, Texas

“I think this will be the best-

balanced league that we’ve had

since I’ve been here, and it is

because everybody’s better.”

coach mack brown


Opposing defensive

coordinators performing due

diligence with their offseason

research of 2008 opponents

probably won’t like what they

see if they find Texas Tech on their schedule.

Yes, one of the most prolific offensive units in

the country is expected to be even better than

last year.

No less than 10 offensive players with starting

experience return from a unit that helped the

Red Raiders finish with a 9-4 season and a No.

23 national ranking following a 31-28 come-

from-behind victory over Virginia in the Gator

Bowl. In 2007, Texas Tech averaged 40.9 points

and 529.6 yards per game of total offense

with the help of Sammy Baugh Trophy

winner Graham Harrell at quarterback

and Biletnikoff Award winner Michael

Crabtree at wide receiver.

With eight defensive starters returning

and several significant special teams

performers back, many college football

analysts are predicting this might be the

best season yet for coach Mike Leach and

the Red Raiders. While Leach obviously

recognizes the potential, the ninth-year

Texas Tech coach is trying to curb the

enthusiasm of Red Raider fans.

“You just keep working, keep

improving and try to keep everyone’s

perspective right to understand that all

that counts is what you do together,”

Leach said. “Anything outside of our

program provides distraction because you

have to go work and grind. Potential and

nice articles and all that are not anything

unless you go out there and you make it

happen.”

As for this potentially being Leach’s best

team? “I don’t know – I guess we’ll find out,”

Leach said. “We haven’t played a snap yet, but

we’ve done some good things in spring. I think if

we continue to improve, any team that improves

has got a chance to do some good things.

“With this group here, I guess we’ll find out.”

Harrell should receive some preseason

Heisman Trophy buzz as he enters his senior year

needing 43 touchdown passes to break the major-

college record of 131 set last year by Hawaii’s

Colt Brennan. That mark is certainly within reach

as Harrell had 48 scoring passes a year ago.

“It would be a huge honor for me personally,’’

Harrell told the Avalanche-Journal in Lubbock,

Texas, in regard to the career TD passes record.

“More than that, I think it would be a huge honor

for this team, because it’s a team effort.

“The receivers have to make plays for that

to happen. The offensive line has to protect on

those touchdowns. It’d be a huge honor for the

whole team. It’d be exciting and a fun moment.’’

The final numbers for Harrell last year

were staggering. The 6-3, 202-pound senior

from Ennis, Texas, completed 512-of-713 pass

attempts (71.8 percent) for 5,705 yards and 48

TDs with 14 interceptions, breaking former Red

Raider Kliff Kingsbury’s NCAA records for

single-season completions and pass attempts.

Harrell, who has surpassed the 10,000-yard

mark for career passing yards, capped his 2007

season with a Gator Bowl-record 407-yard

passing performance to earn MVP honors.

Hauling in many of Harrell’s passes was

Crabtree, who came out of nowhere to record

arguably the greatest freshman season by a

receiver in NCAA history. He set freshman

records for receptions (134), yards (1,962) and

TD receptions (22), earning first-team All-

America honors.

Now, what to do for an encore?

“Will we put up the same numbers? I have

no idea. The season he had will be unbelievably

hard to match,” Harrell said. “But at the same

time, I think we can take it to another level (by)

just understanding where each other’s going to

be – him understanding where I’m going to put

the ball, me understanding where he’s going to

be, stuff like that. I think we have a chance to be

better in that aspect.’’

Crabtree agreed, telling the Avalanche-Journal

that he and Harrell actually had “a lot of

miscommunications” last season.

“This year, we look forward to getting better

on communicating with each other and being on

the same page at all times,” Crabtree said.

Crabtree leads a group of returning

receivers that accounted for 65 percent of

Texas Tech’s receptions last year. After the

spring, it appeared that sophomore wide

receiver Detron Lewis is well on his way to

replacing the Red Raiders’ only lost starter

in Danny Amendola.

Senior receiver Eric Morris (75

receptions) and junior wideout Ed Britton

(48 receptions) also return.

A solid offensive line is largely back

in place, led by senior left guard Louis

Vasquez, who has started 24 consecutive

games. A first-team All-Big 12 selection

by the Associated Press, Vasquez and right

guard Brandon Carter lead a unit that

allowed 18 sacks in 763 pass attempts last

year (1.38 per game).

Perhaps the biggest question mark on

the offensive line is left tackle Rylan Reed,

who suffered a serious leg injury in the

Gator Bowl.

The running back spot is the greatest

unknown for the Red Raiders. Senior Shannon

Woods, junior Kobey Lewis and sophomores

Aaron Crawford and Baron Batch are all

expected to compete for playing time this fall.

Woods, who led the Big 12 in all-purpose yards

as a sophomore in 2006, started the first eight

games last year before falling out of favor with

the coaching staff.

While Tech’s offense tends to grab all the

headlines, the Red Raiders quietly improved

on defense last season under the direction of

interim defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill.

oct. 11 at Lubbock, TexasTExaS TEch

red raiders

big12 conference

mIchaEL craBTrEE


red raiders at a glance

projected 2008 finish3rd

STrENgThSAs everyone has come to expect from a Mike

Leach-coached team, Texas Tech’s offense is heavy

on firepower. After passing for 5,705 yards and 48

touchdowns last year, quarterback Graham Harrell

is looking for even more with another year of experi-

ence. He’s got almost all his weapons back, including

All-American wide receiver Michael Crabtree (134

receptions for 1,962 yards and 22 TDs in 2007) and a

solid offensive line.

QUESTIoN markSWhile there appears to be talent in the backfield,

the battle for the starting running back job between

Shannon Woods, Kobey Lewis, Aaron Crawford

and Baron Batch won’t be decided until fall camp.

Texas Tech also needs to find a replacement for Alex

Trlica, a four-year starter at place-kicker who set an

NCAA record by making all 233 point-after attempts

during his college career. Trlica was outstanding in

the clutch.

DIffErENcE-makErAfter serving on Leach’s staff as a defensive posi-

tion coach, Ruffin McNeill was elevated to interim

defensive coordinator prior to last year’s game against

Northwestern Louisiana State. McNeill brought a

more aggressive approach and stressed playing with

passion to his players. The formula worked well as

the Red Raiders led the Big 12 in total defense over

the last eight regular-season games. The interim tag

was lifted in January.

propS To LEachWhile sometimes a little unorthodox, it’s impos-

sible to deny the success Mike Leach (65-37) has

had in his first eight seasons as Texas Tech’s head

coach, taking the program to an unprecedented eight

consecutive bowl game appearances, including wins

in five of the last six. The Red Raiders have won the

NCAA passing title five consecutive seasons and

Tech’s No. 10 final ranking in 2006 was the program’s

first top-10 finish since 1976.

Leach has removed the interim tag from

McNeill, who helped Tech lead the Big 12

in total defense over the last nine games of

the 2007 regular season.

Junior defensive tackle Rajon Henley

came into his own last season, while

sophomore-to-be Colby Whitlock earned

freshman All-America honors for his play at

nose guard. Junior defensive end Brandon

Williams is coming off a year in which he led

Tech in sacks (six) and tackles for loss (12).

Linebacker could be Tech’s deepest

position. Sophomore Brian Duncan, who

started nine games at strongside linebacker,

moved to middle linebacker in the spring.

Sophomore Bront Bird is expected to step

into the strongside linebacker spot, while

junior Marlon Williams is No. 1 on the

depth chart at weakside linebacker after

ranking second on the team with 81 tackles

a year ago.

The Red Raiders are experienced in

the secondary as strong safety Joe Garcia,

free safety Darcel McBath and cornerback

Chris Parker return. The trio has 37

combined starts from a unit that helped

allow a Big 12-low 188.4 yards passing per

game last season.

Leach said it’s imperative that the defense

play well early. After a slow start in the

spring, he said the defense finally played up

to its capability in the final spring practice.

“We have a chance to be good on

defense if we build from this point, but if

we have to spend two weeks getting to this

point when we get to (preseason) camp,

we haven’t accomplished as much as we

hope,” Leach said. “This needs to be our

next starting point.”

The chief special teams concern will be

replacing place-kicker Alex Trlica. A four-

year starter, Trlica was good in the clutch –

his last kick at Tech was a 41-yard field goal

to win the Gator Bowl – and set an NCAA

record by converting all 233 point-after

attempts in his career.

OFFEnSELT Mickey Okafor 6-7 320 Fr. Chris Olson 6-5 303 So.LG Louis Vasquez 6-6 335 Sr. Adrian Archie 6-5 313 So.C Shawn Byrnes 6-4 303 Jr.-or- Stephen Hamby 6-3 287 Jr.RG brandon carter 6-7 374 jr. Lonnie Edwards 6-5 313 Fr.RT marlon winn 6-6 329 jr. Chris Olson 6-5 303 So.QB graham harrell 6-3 203 sr. Taylor Potts 6-5 221 So.RB aaron crawford 5-11 202 so.-or- Kobey Lewis 5-5 173 Jr.WR eric morris 5-8 174 sr. Adam James 6-3 211 Fr.WR Detron Lewis 6-0 198 So. Tramain Swindall 6-3 176 Fr.WR edward britton 6-0 183 jr. Lyle Leong 6-1 165 So.WR michael crabtree 6-3 208 so. Todd Walker 6-1 184 Jr.PK Cory Fowler 5-8 157 Sr. Jonathan LaCour 6-2 206 So.

DEFEnSEDE Jake ratliff 6-7 247 Sr. Daniel Howard 6-3 238 Jr.NT colby Whitlock 6-2 281 So. Bobbie Agoucha 6-4 328 Fr.DT rajon Henley 6-3 265 Jr. Richard Jones 6-1 277 Jr.DE brandon williams 6-5 253 jr. Sandy Riley 6-0 248 Jr.SLB Bront Bird 6-3 222 So. Tyrone Sonier 6-2 215 Fr.MLB brian duncan 6-1 239 so. Victor Hunter 5-11 256 Jr.WLB marlon williams 6-0 211 jr. Blake Collier 6-2 212 Jr.CB jamar wall 5-10 194 so. LaRon Moore 5-9 186 So.SS Anthony Hines 6-1 212 Sr. Lance Fuller 6-2 222 Sr.FS darcel mcbath 6-1 196 sr. Daniel Charbonnet 5-11 195 Sr.CB Marcus Bunton 5-8 196 Sr.-or- Pete Richardson 5-11 196 Jr.P jonathan lacour 6-2 206 so. Cory Fowler 5-8 157 Sr.


2007 RECORD (9-4), BIG 12 FInISH (4-4)9/3 at SMU W 49-99/8 UTEP W 45-319/15 at Rice W 59-249/22 at Oklahoma St. L 45-499/29 NW (La.) St. W 75-710/6 Iowa St. W 42-1710/13 Texas A&M W 35-710/20 at Missouri L 10-4010/27 Colorado L 26-3111/3 at Baylor W 38-711/10 at Texas L 43-5911/17 Oklahoma W 34-271/1 vs. Virginia* W 31-28*-Gator Bowl at Jacksonville, Fla.

2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 Eastern Washington Lubbock, Texas9/6/08 at Nevada Reno, Nev.9/13/08 SMU Lubbock, Texas9/20/08 Massachusetts Lubbock, Texas10/4/08 at Kansas State Manhattan, Kan.10/11/08 Nebraska Lubbock, Texas10/18/08 at Texas A&M College Station, TX10/25/08 at Kansas Lawrence, Kan.11/1/08 Texas Lubbock, Texas11/8/08 Oklahoma State Lubbock, Texas11/22/08 at Oklahoma Norman, Okla.11/29/08 Baylor Lubbock, Texas

1 0 0 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8

The old saying goes that

if it isn’t broke, don’t

fix it. That’s exactly the

approach that Oklahoma

State coach Mike Gundy

plans to take with the high-powered Cowboys

offense, despite the fact that former offensive

coordinator Larry Fedora left to become the

head coach at Southern Miss.

Led by quarterback Zac Robinson, Okla-

homa State’s offense thrived in 2007 as the

Cowboys finished with a 7-6 record, using amaz-

ing balance. In a strange but true stat, OSU’s

no-huddle attack wound up gaining 3,161 yards

rushing and, yes, 3,161 yards passing.

No team in the country could come

close to matching Oklahoma State’s

balance of averaging 243 yards per game

both on the ground and through the air.

Oregon State was the runner-up in offen-

sive balance, averaging 251 yards rushing

and 215 yards passing.

Even with Fedora’s departure, Gundy

said the Cowboys plan to keep the foun-

dation of their offensive scheme intact.

“We’ve stayed very consistent with

what we’ve done,” Gundy said. “Obvi-

ously, we’ve made a few changes in the

spring. We’ve tinkered with certain plays

and personnel moves that may alter the

way that we attack a team in the upcom-

ing season, but we’re comfortable with

our system. We feel like our players have

a good grasp of what’s going on.

“We’re convinced that the no-huddle

and the fastbreak give us an advantage,

and we like that, and I think our players

like it.”

Recruiting is yet another reason Gundy likes

OSU’s current offensive system. In February,

the Cowboys landed their third consecutive

top-25 recruiting class.

“It helps us in recruiting,” Gundy said of

OSU’s offense. “I think there are players out

there that want to be a part of it, so for those

reasons, we will look very, very similar.”

In the spring, the biggest question for the

Cowboys was who was going to call the plays?

When Fedora left, Gundy successfully called

the shots in a 49-33 Insight Bowl victory over

Indiana. While Gunter Brewer and Trooper

Taylor are listed as co-offensive coordinators,

Gundy said the final plan is still up in the air.

“My personal opinion is that offenses and

defenses both have gotten so much more com-

plex in the last five or six years that the concern

that I have is whether or not there’s a enough

time to be able to study tape and be prepared to

give your team that advantage in a play call and

still be the head coach,” Gundy said. “Obvi-

ously, it’s different for everybody.”

Regardless of who winds up actually calling

the plays, Gundy said he intends to be heavily

involved with the offense. He said play-calling

was somewhat of a group effort by the offen-

sive coaches in the spring.

“If you are the head coach and you aren’t

studying enough tape to give your team an

opportunity to have success calling plays on

Saturday, then it’s going to have to come from

somewhere,” Gundy said. “We’ve got several

guys in the room that are qualified to do that.”

The Cowboys return eight starters from a

unit that finished No. 7 in the country in total

offense last season. The biggest shoes to fill will

be those of second-team All-American offen-

sive lineman David Koenig, 1,200-yard rusher

Dantrell Savage and second-team All-Big 12

wide receiver Adarius Bowman. All three

completed their eligibility.

Robinson returns after a record-setting

sophomore season where he supplanted Bobby

Reid as the starting quarterback and became

one of the country’s top dual-threat quarter-

backs. Robinson completed 201 of 333 pass

attempts (60.4 percent) for 2,824 yards for 23

touchdowns and nine interceptions, while also

gaining 847 yards and nine TDs rushing.

Sophomore Dez Bryant (43 receptions for

622 yards and six TDs in 2007) will be

counted on to lead the wide receivers.

Senior tight end Brandon Pettigrew (35

receptions for 540 yards) is one of the

best in the Big 12, if not in the country.

At running back, junior Keith Toston

and sophomore Kendall Hunter (696

yards rushing in 2007) are expected to

battle to replace Savage in the starting

lineup. Beau Johnson, the most valuable

player in last year’s junior college national

championship game, arrived on campus

for the second semester and impressed

coaches in spring drills.

With the return of center David

Washington, a two-year starter who was

lost in the third game of the 2007 season

with a broken leg, the Cowboys return

five players with starting experience on

the offensive line. Tackles Russell Okung

and Brady Bond lead the way for a unit

that allowed just 11 sacks in 13 games last

year, ranking third in the country in few-

est sacks allowed. Plus, OSU has added junior

college All-American Andrew Mitchell.

Defense is the area Gundy wants to see the

most improvement in. The Cowboys allowed

33 or more points in eight of their 13 games

last season.

“We believe, just like a lot of other people,

that ultimately, you have to play really good

defense to win a conference championship,”

Gundy said. “We’re in the stage of trying to

improve in that area.”

To that end, second-year defensive coordina-

okLahoma STaTEcowboys

big12 conference

jacoB LacEy

w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 1 0 1

cowboys at a glance


STrENgThSEven with the loss of second-team All-American

David Koenig, Oklahoma State’s offensive line could

be even better than last year when it ranked third in

the nation by allowing only 11 sacks in 13 games.

Junior tackles Russell Okung and Brady Bond have

started since they were freshmen and the Cowboys

get starting center David Washington back after los-

ing him to a broken leg last year in game three. First-

team junior college All-American Andrew Mitchell

also joins the fold.

QUESTIoN markSFinding a replacement for 1,200-yard rusher

Dantrell Savage is a bit of a concern, although junior

running back Keith Toston has shown positive signs

and sophomore Kendall Hunter rushed for 696 yards

last year, averaging 6.5 yards per carry. Beau Johnson,

the MVP in the junior college national title game,

could also be in the mix. Another concern is the front

seven where just defensive tackle Jeray Chatham and

linebacker Patrick Lavine return as starters.

DIffErENcE-makErTaking over as the starting quarterback in the third

game of his sophomore season, Zac Robinson quickly

developed into one of the country’s best dual-threat

signal-callers. He set a single-season school record

for total offense (3,671) and had six of the top 18

total-offense performances in OSU history. That

included a 486-yard day in which Robinson passed for

a school-record 430 yards against Texas. His average of

7.52 yards per play was second only to West Virginia’s

Pat White.

a QUIck fIx?Oklahoma State added seven junior college trans-

fers who enrolled in classes in January. The list of

junior college newcomers includes safety Lucien An-

toine, defensive tackle Chris Donaldson, cornerback

Maurice Gray, running back Beau Johnson, offensive

lineman Andrew Mitchell and defensive linemen

Swanson Miller and Jeremiah Price.

tor Tim Beckman’s defense will have a

much different look. The hope is that six

returning starters can meld with six junior

college transfers to give the Cowboys an

instant upgrade.

Gundy said he and his staff have been

impressed by the five incoming junior col-

lege transfers who enrolled early and took

part in spring ball at OSU.

“When you bring that many players

in at mid-term, you’re always a little con-

cerned about how they’re going to gel with

the team … but we’ve been very fortunate,”

Gundy said.

The secondary is the defense’s strength

as all four starters return. Cornerbacks

Jacob Lacey and Perrish Cox return as

starters, but could be pressed by Terrance

Anderson and Al’Darius Thompson for

playing time.

Starters Quinton Moore (free safety)

and Ricky Price (strong safety) could be

challenged by Lucien Antoine. The junior

college All-American impressed Gundy

with his ability to make big plays and

deliver big hits in the spring.

Patrick Lavine, who led the Cowboys

in tackles in his first two years in the

program, is the only returning starter at

linebacker. Orie Lemon and Justin Gent

will battle for the other linebacker spot,

while Andre Sexton, a starter for the past

two years at safety, is expected to start at

the “star” linebacker spot. The position is a

hybrid of the linebacker/safety position in

Beckman’s scheme.

At defensive end, junior Derek Burton

and sophomore Ugo Chinasa will be

counted on to replace a pair of good ones

in Marque Fountain and Nathan Peterson,

who was among the program’s all-time

leaders in sacks. Jeray Chatham returns as

a starter at defensive tackle — a position

that could get some additional help from

junior college transfers Chris Donaldson

and Swanson Miller.

OFFEnSELT russell okung 6-5 300 jr. Trent Perkins 6-5 300 So.LG michael booker 6-3 310 so. Jonathan Rush 6-5 300 Fr.C andrew lewis 6-5 290 jr. Grant Garner 6-3 280 So.RG steve denning 6-5 295 sr. Noah Franklin 6-5 310 Jr.RT Brady Bond 6-6 290 Jr. Andrew Mitchell 6-5 305 Jr.WR Dez Bryant 6-2 210 So. Jeremy Broadway 6-0 195 Jr.WR Damian Davis 6-5 180 So. Josh Cooper 5-11 190 Fr.WR DeMarcus Conner 6-1 200 Jr. Hubert Anylam 6-0 185 Fr.TE brandon pettigrew 6-6 260 sr. Wilson Youman 6-4 245 Fr.RB Kendall Hunter 5-8 190 So. Keith Toston 6-1 210 Jr.FB Bryant Ward 5-11 215 So. John Toben 6-1 235 So.QB zac robinson 6-3 205 jr. Alex Cate 6-1 195 So.PK Dan Bailey 6-0 205 So. Patrick Kollars 6-0 200 Jr.

DEFEnSEDE Ugo Chinasa 6-6 250 So. Richetti Jones 6-4 240 Fr.DT Jeray chatham 6-3 280 Sr. Tonga Tea 6-0 300 Sr.DT Quencey Patrick 6-3 275 So. Shane Jarka 6-4 270 So.DE Derek Burton 6-5 265 Jr. Jamie Blatnick 6-3 255 Fr.SLB andre Sexton 6-1 210 Jr. Deron Fontenot 5-10 200 Fr.MLB Orie Lemon 6-1 240 Jr. Justin Gent 6-2 235 So.WLB patrick lavine 6-3 225 jr. Seb Clements 6-1 225 Sr.CB Terrance Anderson 6-0 180 Jr. Perrish cox 6-1 190 Jr.FS Quinton Moore 5-11 185 Sr. Lucien Antoine 6-1 205 Jr.SS ricky Price 6-1 195 Sr. T.J. Bell 6-0 195 Sr.CB Jacob Lacey 5-11 175 Sr. Al’Darius Thompson 5-11 180 Jr.P matt fodge 6-1 195 sr. Dan Bailey 6-0 205 So.


2007 RECORD (7-6), BIG 12 FInISH (3-5)9/1 at Georgia L 14-359/8 Florida Atlantic W 42-69/14 at Troy L 23-419/22 Texas Tech W 49-459/29 Sam Houston State W 39-310/6 at Texas A&M L 23-2410/13 at Nebraska W 45-1410/20 Kansas State W 41-3911/3 Texas L 35-3811/10 Kansas L 28-4311/17 at Baylor W 45-1411/24 at Oklahoma L 17-4912/31 #vs. Indiana W 49-33# at Insight Bowl

2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 Washington State Seattle, Wash.9/6/08 Houston Stillwater, Okla.9/13/08 Missouri State Stillwater, Okla.9/27/08 Troy Stillwater, Okla.10/4/08 Texas A&M Stillwater, Okla.10/11/08 at Missouri Columbia, Mo.10/18/08 Baylor Stillwater, Okla.10/25/08 at Texas Austin, Texas11/1/08 Iowa State Stillwater, Okla.11/8/08 at Texas Tech Lubbock, Texas11/15/08 at Colorado Boulder, Colo.11/29/08 Oklahoma Stillwater, Okla.


Time is ticking away at

Texas A&M – or at least

that’s the message that first-

year coach Mike Sherman

is trying to get across to the

Aggies as the program starts in a new direction.

The importance Sherman places on time

became evident when the former NFL coach

had digital clocks installed throughout the

A&M football facilities. Sherman, who had

been an offensive line coach for the Aggies

under R.C. Slocum, said there was a distinct

reason for the change.

“I hit them over the head a lot about time

and how it’s constantly ticking,” Sherman said.

“The clock is ticking on your football career, as

a student and as an athlete, so I think the

digital clocks are a reminder, functionally,

to get them to meetings on time.”

Sherman added that digital clocks also

remove any arguments about whether or

not someone is late.

“If it’s a digital clock and it says 6

o’clock, it’s 6 o’clock,” Sherman said.

“I don’t want to argue if the hand was

a fraction of a millimeter to the left of

6 o’clock. It kind of sends the message

that way.”

For Sherman, being on time not only

teaches discipline, but also respect.

“You respect your teammates, your

coaches, your school and yourself and I

think the initial element of respect from

a football player’s standpoint is to be on

time for meetings,” Sherman said. “If

you have 110 players in a meeting and

one guy is late for one minute, that’s 110

minutes that you’ve wasted.”

Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee

said Sherman’s approach has made a definite

impression on the Aggies.

“Just the way he takes care of business,

he gets everybody to buy in and make sure

they are doing what they are supposed to do,”

McGee said in an interview with the Houston

Chronicle. “He did that from day one.”

With the difficult chore that lies ahead for

the Aggies, Sherman said there’s no time to

waste. A&M returns a Big 12 Conference-low

11 starters, including just four on offense from

a team that finished a disappointing 7-6 last

year as former head coach Dennis Franchione

was forced out at the end of the regular season.

“I think transition is difficult in any business,

even in football, particularly at the collegiate

level,” Sherman said. “You come into a place

and you ask players to trust you and give a leap

of faith almost immediately to get done what

you need to get done. It’s difficult.”

Trust, Sherman said, is essential for the

Aggies to move ahead as quickly as possible.

“As I told them, ‘You can trust us now or

you can trust us later … but if you trust us

now, we’ll be able to get through this a little bit

faster,’ and I think they’ve done that,” Sherman

said. “I think our spring was evident of that as

they really put forth a very good effort.”

Offensively, the good news for A&M is that

there’s plenty of returning experience in the

backfield.

If McGee wins the starting job in fall camp –

Sherman has left the competition open between

McGee and sophomore Jerrod Johnson – he’ll

be a third-year starter. As a junior, the fiery 6-3,

207-pound McGee completed 211 of 364 pass

attempts (58 percent) for 2,311 yards and 12

touchdowns with eight interceptions, while also

leading the Aggies in rushing with 899 yards

and five TDs.

The most noteworthy backfield news was

that Sherman has ended the tailback platoon

between senior Jorvorskie Lane and Mike

Goodson. The 6-foot, 285-pound Lane will be

making the switch to fullback while Goodson

is expected to be the feature back in Sherman’s

pro-style offense.

“He’s a very dangerous weapon,” Sherman

said of Goodson. “He’s certainly a guy who

needs the ball in his hands.”

Goodson, who is more of a true breakaway

threat, finished with 711 yards and four TDs

as both he and Lane averaged 4.6 yards per

carry. Splitting time last season, Lane rushed

for 780 yards and 16 TDs – 44 scores for

his career.

Essential to the success of A&M’s

offense is the emergence of an offensive

line that lost four full-time starters.

Robbie Frost played well enough in the

spring to possibly win the starting left

tackle spot, while senior Travis Schneider

is a returning starter and should man the

other tackle position.

Sherman seems equally concerned

about the receiving positions after

losing starting wideouts Kerry Franks

and Earvin Taylor as well as talented

tight end Martellus Bennett to the NFL

draft. In the A&M spring game, McGee

completed just five passes – none of them

to a wide receiver.

Pierre Brown and E.J. Shankle look to

be two of the top receiving prospects for

the Aggies. Redshirt freshman Jeff Fuller

also impressed during the spring.

“There are a lot of numbers in the group,

but we really haven’t found anybody who has

just separated themselves as the guy,” Sherman

said. “Certain days, certain players will step up,

but I’m looking for consistency at that position.

“I think we dropped more balls the first day

of practice than I have had before in a whole

season, but that part of it has improved and

continued to improve.”

Sherman said he attributed many of the

problems to players trying to learn a new offense,

TExaS a&maggies

big12 conference

STEphEN mcgEE


aggies at a glance


STrENgThSThe backfield stands out as Texas A&M features

the 1-2 punch of 285-pound senior bruiser Jorvorskie

Lane and junior speedster Mike Goodson, who

is one of the top break-away threats in the Big

12 Conference. Lane, who has scored 44 career

touchdowns and rushed for 780 yards and 16 TDs a

year ago, has made the move to fullback. Goodson

will now move into the starting lineup at tailback

after finishing last year with 711 yards rushing and

four TDs

QUESTIoN markSThe offensive line went from a major strength in

2007 to a source of concern for the upcoming season

as Texas A&M lost four starters, including a trio of

three-year starters to graduation. Senior tackle Travis

Schneider is the only full-time returning starter for

the Aggies on the offensive line, while guard Michael

Shumard also returns with past starting experience.

Coaches were impressed with tackle Robbie Frost in

the spring.

DIffErENcE-makErAggies senior quarterback Stephen McGee rushed

back for spring practice after undergoing surgery to

his left (non-throwing) shoulder in January. McGee

brings the experience of being a two-year starter and

is coming off a year when he led the Aggies in both

rushing and passing. In 2007, McGee completed

211-of-364 pass attempts for 2,311 yards and 12

touchdowns with eight interceptions. He also rushed

for 899 yards and five TDs.

NEBraSka fLavorFirst-year Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman’s staff

is littered with names recognizable to many Nebraska

Cornhusker football fans. Two coaches, running

backs coach Randy Jordan and defensive line coach

Buddy Wyatt, were on Bill Callahan’s staff at last

year Nebraska. Also making the trek from Lincoln to

College Station, were football operations director Tim

Cassidy, who had previously worked at A&M, and

strength and conditioning coach Dave Kennedy.

saying that he and his coaching staff threw

an awful lot at the Aggies in the spring.

“The volume that they had to learn

– it takes away sometimes from your

effectiveness,” Sherman said. “I do think,

over the course of time as they begin to

assimilate the information that we’ve given

to them and they transfer it to the football

field and they become more comfortable,

they’ll become better players.”

The secondary will be counted on to be

the strength of the defense. Several position

changes were made in the spring, but four

defensive backs with starting experience re-

turn in seniors Arkeith Brown, Devin Gregg

and Alton Dixon and junior Jordan Pugh.

The front seven is largely inexperienced

as defensive end Cyril Obiozor is

essentially the only full-time returning

starter. However, Obiozor said he and his

teammates have enjoyed new defensive

coordinator Joe Kines’ philosophy, which

is based on more of an attacking style than

the base scheme the Aggies used last year.

“I always thought that defense was

never meant to be played defensively,”

Obiozor told reporters after the spring

game. “You want to play aggressively. We

aren’t sitting back waiting for things. We’re

going after it before it happens.”

Matt Featherston was a highlight at

the middle linebacker spot in the spring,

but the linebacker corps appears largely

unsettled. The Aggies also got some bad

news in late May when highly touted

freshman linebacker prospect Derrick

Stephens was told that he had to give up

football due to multiple concussions.

“We’re still a work in progress,”

Sherman said. “We’ve got a lot of work to

do, as evidenced by our spring game, but

some days this past spring we took baby

steps. Other days, we took great strides and

a couple of times, we might have taken a

step or two backwards, but as a long as we

keep working, I think we’ll move forward.”

OFFEnSEWR pierre brown 6-2 193 sr. E.J. Shankle 5-11 179 Jr.T travis schneider 6-8 303 sr. Yemi Babalola 6-4 315 Sr.G Lee Grimes 6-6 339 Jr. Corey Clark 6-6 326 Sr.C Kevin Matthews 6-4 300 Jr. Chris Yoder 6-4 314 Sr.G Vincent Williams 6-4 306 Jr. Michael Shumard 6-5 309 Jr.T Robbie Frost 6-6 302 Jr. Cody Wallace 6-4 296 Sr.TE Terrence McCoy 6-4 198 So. Ryan Vaughan 6-4 228 Sr.WR Cody Beyer 6-1 182 Jr. Jeff Fuller 6-4 209 Fr.QB stephen mcgee 6-3 220 sr. Jerrod Johnson 6-6 232 So.FB jorvorskie lane 6-0 285 sr. Nick LaMantia 6-1 226 Sr.TB Mike Goodson 6-0 206 Jr. Cornell Tarrant 5-10 190 So.PK Matt Szymanski 6-1 194 Jr. Richie Bean 6-0 171 Sr.

DEFEnSEDE Michael Bennett 6-4 265 Sr. Amos Gbunblee 6-5 250 Sr.DT Chris Smith 6-4 270 Sr.-or- Lucas Patterson 6-5 299 So.NT Kellen Heard 6-6 345 Jr.-or- David Tufuga 6-1 295 Jr.DE cyril obiozor 6-5 266 Sr. Ben Bass 6-5 268 Fr.SLB Von Miller 6-3 214 So. Billy Chavis 6-4 233 So.MLB Matt Featherston 6-3 233 Jr. Anthony Lewis 6-2 205 So.WLB Garrick Williams 6-2 217 Fr. Kenny Brown 6-2 205 So.CB arkeith brown 6-0 173 sr. Danny Gorrer 6-0 173 Sr.FS devin gregg 6-0 191 sr. Jordan Peterson 5-11 184 Jr.SS alton Dixon 5-11 196 Sr. Chevar Bryson 6-0 188 Jr.CB jordan pugh 6-0 185 jr. Johnathan Batson 6-1 195 Sr.P Justin Brantly 6-4 245 Sr. Matt Szymanski 6-1 194 Jr.


2007 RECORD (7-6), BIG 12 FInISH (4-4)9/1 Montana St. W 38-79/8 Fresno St. W 47-43 (3OT)9/15 La.-Monroe W 54-149/20 at Miami (Fla.) L 17-349/29 Baylor W 34-1010/6 Oklahoma St. W 24-2310/13 at Texas Tech L 7-3510/20 at Nebraska W 36-1410/27 Kansas L 11-1911/3 at Oklahoma L 14-4211/10 at Missouri L 26-4011/23 Texas W 38-3012/29 vs. Penn St.-* L 17-24*-Alamo Bowl at San Antonio

2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 Arkansas State College Station, TX9/6/08 at New Mexico Albuquerque, N.M.9/20/08 Miami College Station, TX9/27/08 Army College Station, TX10/4/08 at Oklahoma State Stillwater, Okla.10/11/08 Kansas State College Station, TX10/18/08 Texas Tech College Station, TX10/25/08 at Iowa State Ames, Iowa11/1/08 Colorado College Station, TX11/8/08 Oklahoma College Station, TX11/15/08 at Baylor Waco, TX11/27/08 at Texas Austin, TX


Art Briles accepted the

head coaching position at

Baylor with his eyes wide

open. Despite inheriting a

college football program

that has become a perennial Big 12 Conference

doormat, the 52-year-old Texas native didn’t

shy away from the challenge.

Baylor hasn’t had a winning season for the

past 12 years — the entire lifespan of the Big

12 — and takes a 12-game conference losing

streak into the 2008 season. Since Chuck

Reedy led the Bears to a 7-4 record in 1995, the

program is 35-101 overall and 11-85 in league

play, only once managing to not finish in the

South Division cellar, tying for fifth

in 2005.

Starting in 1997, three previous

coaches have tried and failed to

turn Baylor’s football program

around. The list includes Dave

Roberts, Kevin Steele and Guy

Morriss, who was fired last

November after a 3-9 season that

left him with a five-year record of

18-40.

But unlike Baylor’s previous

three choices, Briles has a proven

track record when it comes to

turning a program around. In his

most recent job at Houston, Briles

inherited a Cougars team that was

two years removed from finishing

0-11 and led them to a 34-28 record

in five seasons, which included

three bowl bids and a Conference-

USA title in 2006.

For Briles, the first step in the

rebuilding project is eliminating

all memories and perceptions of

Baylor’s troubled recent history. The key, he

says, is to always look ahead.

“We live in the present,” Briles said. “We

live right now. That’s what matters. What

happened four years ago with me or them, it

makes no difference.

“We’re going to be judged by what we do from

this day forward, so that’s what we’re preparing

for and that’s where our energy is going.”

While the Bears have obviously yet to play

a game under their new coaching staff, Briles

said that he believes Baylor’s players have fully

bought into his system.

“It’s not tough to get anybody to believe

that they need to do well and that they need to

work hard to be successful,” said Briles, who

received a seven-year contract that will pay

him up to $1.8 million per season, including all

incentives. “That’s human nature.”

Plus, as Baylor junior linebacker Joe

Pawelek points out, Briles’ track record speaks

for itself. After winning four state titles and

going 136-29-2 in 12 seasons at Stephenville

(Texas) High School, Briles served as the

running backs coach at Texas Tech under coach

Mike Leach from 2000-03 before taking the

Houston job in 2003.

“He’s a guy that has obviously had success

everywhere he has been at and he is a down

to earth football coach,” Pawelek said. “We’re

excited that we are going to be able to play for a

guy like that.”

While the record may not necessarily reflect

it in the rugged Big 12 South, most college

football analysts believe that the Bears did

make progress under Morriss. Baylor produced

its first Big 12 road victory in 2005 at Iowa

State and recorded its first three-win Big 12

season in 2006.

After what he labeled a successful spring

practice season and with some highly regarded

recruits on the way, Briles said his program is

not without talent.

“I like the guys we have on campus. I like

the guys we recruited and we’re going to go to

war with them,” Briles said. “We’ve got people

here to win football games for us. That’s a good

step in the right direction.”

In fall camp, the focus will likely

be on the quarterback competition.

Returning starter Blake Szymanski,

who completed 57.3 percent of

his pass attempts for 2,844 yards

and 22 touchdowns last year, is

battling Miami (Fla.) transfer

Kirby Freeman as well as surprise

freshman Robert Griffin for the No.

1 job.

“We’ve got some guys that can

do that, no doubt,” Briles said.

“That’s my job is to put somebody

on the field who will produce in that

capacity. I really feel good about our

QBs on campus … they’re going to

compete, they’re going to play hard

and they’re going to be intelligent

with the football.”

Baylor returns nine players with

starting experience on an offensive

unit that ranked No. 85 in the

country last season in total offense

(351.3 yards per game) and No. 111

in scoring offense (18.2 points per

game). While the Bears were 27th nationally in

passing offense (273.4), they were just 113th in

rushing offense (77.8).

At Houston, Briles’ offense ranked No. 10

in the country in rushing yards with an average

of 223.9 per game. With four returning starters

back on the offensive line that allowed just

21 sacks in a school-record 561 pass attempts

last year, including two of the Big 12’s better

BayLorBears

oct. 25 at lincoln, neb.

big12 conference

joE pawELEk


Bears at a glance


STrENgThSBaylor’s offensive line will be anchored by

arguably one of the Big 12 Conference’s top tackle

tandems in seniors Jason Smith (6-5, 298) and Dan

Gay (6-5, 290). Regarded as the best pro prospect for

the Bears since cornerback Gary Baxter was selected

in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft, Smith

heads into the season with 29 career starts. New

coach Art Briles said Smith, Gay and junior center

J.D. Walton are going to be “the heart and soul” of

BU’s offense.

QUESTIoN markSWhile repair work is needed in the secondary

where two new starting cornerbacks need to be

identified, the results of the quarterback competition

will obviously have a huge impact on Baylor’s

season. Junior Blake Szymanski started nine games

and passed for 2,844 yards and 22 touchdowns last

year, but was inconsistent at times. Miami (Fla.)

transfer Kirby Freeman will also get a look while true

freshman Robert Griffin opened some eyes with his

spring performance.

DIffErENcE-makErIt appears highly touted wide receiver David

Gettis might finally be ready to live up to the hype.

While the 6-4, 213-pound junior from Los Angeles

has been blessed with all the physical tools, he was

fifth on the team with 31 receptions for 402 yards

last year. In the spring, however, Briles said Gettis

flashed plenty of promise. “We’re in the process of

showing him how to play with power and speed,”

Briles said. “And once he figures that out … he’ll be

a dominant receiver. Dominant.”

fEELINg LEfT oUTBaylor is the lone Big 12 Conference team that has

failed to make a bowl appearance since the league’s

inception in 1996. In fact, the only BCS conference

team with a longer bowl drought is Vanderbilt, which

finished 5-7 last year to extend its bowless streak to

25 years. The last time the Bears appeared in a bowl

game was in 1994 when they finished 7-5 after a 10-3

Alamo Bowl loss to Washington State under coach

Chuck Reedy.

returning tackles in Jason Smith and Dan

Gay, the Bears will look to beef up their

ground game, although they’ll lose leading

rusher Brandon Whitaker (488 yards).

Outside of Whitaker, who caught a

team-high 58 passes out of the backfield,

Baylor returns its top four receivers in

terms of receptions. Tight end Justin

Akers had 43 catches last year, while tight

end Brad Taylor (35) and wide receivers

Thomas White and David Gettis (31) also

topped the 30-catch mark.

Defensively, Baylor is switching to a

4-3 alignment after playing a 4-2-5 scheme

under Morriss. A change was probably

in order as the Bears ranked No. 112

nationally in scoring defense (37 points per

game) and No. 110 in total defense (461.6

yards per game) in 2007.

Junior safety Jordan Lake is one of five

defensive starters returning, leading the

team with 120 tackles last season, tying

him for third in the Big 12. Pawelek was

second on the squad with 99 tackles from

his middle linebacker position.

Briles said the secondary is his largest

concern as Baylor will have to break in a

pair of new starting cornerbacks. Senior

Dwain Crawford has moved from rover to

cornerback and sophomore Krys Buerck

has switched from receiver to corner in

hopes of addressing the situation.

The Bears do return some experience

on the defensive line, led by defensive ends

Leon Freeman, who led Baylor in tackles

for loss (9.5), and Jason Lamb as well as

defensive tackle Vincent Rhodes and nose

tackle Trey Bryant.

“We’ve got speed on defense. Were not

inventing that, everyone is doing it,” Briles

said. “We’re going to pack some guys on

the field and make the field look small.

That’s what our key is and we’ve got some

guys who are playing with a high tempo

and a fast motor and that is what they’ve

got to do.”

OFFEnSEWR david gettis 6-4 206 jr. Luke La Mar 6-2 191 So.LT jason smith 6-5 298 sr. Jordan Hearvey 6-4 281 Jr.LG Chris Griesenbeck 6-6 268 Jr. Courtney Green 6-4 287 Fr.C j.d. walton 6-3 302 jr. Hunter Hightower 6-5 268 Fr.RG james barnard 6-4 286 jr. John Jones 6-5 305 Fr.RT Dan Gay 6-5 288 Sr. Larry Bradley 6-5 291 Fr.TE justin akers 6-5 231 jr. Brad Taylor 6-3 233 So.QB Robert Griffin 6-3 200 Fr.-or- Kirby Freeman 6-3 210 Sr.-or- Blake Szymansky 6-4 205 Jr.RB Jay Finley 5-11 202 So. Jacoby Jones 5-11 227 Sr.WR ernest smith 6-3 187 jr. Kyle Mitchell 6-2 224 Jr.WR Thomas White 6-2 204 Sr. Justin Fenty 5-10 178 Jr.PK Shea Brewster 6-0 167 So. Derek Epperson 6-3 212 So.

DEFEnSEDE Leon Freeman 6-2 241 Sr. Jameon Hardeman 6-1 238 So.DT vincent rhodes 6-2 305 sr. Sam Sledge 6-2 266 Jr.NT Trey Bryant 6-3 321 Jr. Nicolas Jean-Baptiste 6-2 317 Fr.DE jason lamb 6-6 260 jr. Zac Scotton 6-6 259 Fr.SLB Antonio Jones 6-2 218 Jr. Earl Patin 6-2 220 So.MLB Joe pawelek 6-3 233 jr. Chris Francis 5-11 225 So.WLB Antonio Johnson 6-1 206 So. Elliot Coffey 6-0 206 Fr.CB dwain crawford 6-0 197 sr. Antareis Bryan 6-1 180 So.FS jordan lake 6-2 203 jr. Jake La Mar 6-0 193 Sr.SS Jeremy Williams 5-10 205 Jr. Marlon Price 6-2 194 Sr.CB Krys Buerck 6-1 174 So. Cliff Odom 5-11 194 So.P Derek Epperson 6-3 212 So. Shea Brewster 6-0 167 So.


2007 RECORD (3-9), BIG 12 FInISH (0-8)9/1 at TCU L 0-279/8 Rice W 42-179/15 Texas St. W 34-279/22 at Buffalo W 34-219/29 at Texas A&M L 10-3410/6 Colorado L 23-4310/13 at Kansas L 10-5810/20 Texas L 10-3110/27 at Kansas St. L 13-5111/3 Texas Tech L 7-3811/10 at Oklahoma L 21-5211/17 Oklahoma St. L 14-45

2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 Wake Forest Waco, Texas9/6/08 Northwestern State Waco, Texas9/13/08 Washington State Waco, Texas9/19/08 at Connecticut Storrs, Conn.10/4/08 Oklahoma Waco, Texas10/11/08 Iowa State Waco, Texas10/18/08 at Oklahoma State Stillwater, Okla.10/25/08 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb.11/1/08 Missouri Waco, Texas11/8/08 at Texas Austin, Texas11/15/08 Texas A&M Waco, Texas11/29/08 at Texas Tech Lubbock, Texas


AutismFamilyNetwork.org

Brought to you by the Advertising Federation of Lincoln.

BAILEY LAUERMAN Autism Family Network “Rocket”Miscel081237Pub: Huskers Illustrated Color: 4-color (CMYK) Size: Live 7” x 9.75”, Trim 8” x 10.75”

Miscel081237 AFN Huskers Illus.indd 1 6/19/08 9:58:12 AM



Western Michigan head

coach Bill Cubit has some

idea what his team will be

facing when he brings the

Broncos into Lincoln to

face the Huskers on Aug. 30.

Cubit remembers Memorial Stadium

from back in 2000 when he was offensive

coordinator at Missouri. The Tigers came to

Lincoln that year and absorbed a 42-24 defeat.

But Cubit said he loved

the atmosphere at Memorial

Stadium.

“When I was at Missouri,

it was one of my favorite

places to play in the

country,” Cubit said. “I’m

sure it will be a lot more

electric now than when I was

back there.”

That’s because that Aug.

30 game will be the season

opener for the Huskers and

new head coach Bo Pelini.

Cubit said that will give the

atmosphere an extra shot of

adrenaline.

Cubit said the Broncos

haven’t experienced anything

like they will face in Lincoln,

even though they have

experience playing in large

venues.

The Broncos went into

Iowa City and beat the

Hawkeyes 28-19 last year

to keep Iowa out of a bowl

game. In 2006, Western

Michigan won 17-10 at

Virginia and lost a tough

28-20 decision at Florida State.

“We went on the road and we beat Virginia

and we beat Iowa,” Cubit said. “We went to

Florida State and we were close. But this is

going to be a different deal. I think it will be

pretty electric with Bo back. You can see the

hunger in them.”

But the Broncos may be a little hungry

themselves. Their 5-7 record wasn’t up to the

standards of the 7-4 mark in 2005 or the 8-5

record in 2006 when Western Michigan went

to the International Bowl where it dropped a

27-24 decision to Cincinnati.

“Last year, we lost four games in the last

two minutes,” Cubit said. “The year before,

we won four games in the last two minutes. It

goes back to how they handle adversity. They

didn’t do that really well last year. It goes back

to senior leadership. They have to understand

how hard it is. Hopefully we got through that

last year.”

The Broncos have a proven leader at

quarterback in Tim Hiller. The redshirt junior

started all 12 games a year ago. He completed

267-of-421 passes (63.4 percent) and became

the first Western Michigan quarterback to

throw for over 3,000 yards (3,021) and added

20 touchdowns to boot.

“This is really his fourth year in the system,”

Cubit said of Hiller. “He should have a good

grasp of it by now. He’s a tall guy at about 6-5,

and he doesn’t have great arm strength, but his

accuracy has gotten a lot better.”

Hiller’s statistics look pretty good, at least

until you see the 15 interceptions he threw.

“He didn’t play real well last year even

though he threw for over

3,000 yards,” Cubit said.

“He would admit the same

thing. He’s No. 1 going into

fall camp unless something

drastic happens.”

Junior Brandon West is a

solid No. 1 at running back as

well, even though he missed

the spring game with a slight

knee injury. West rushed for

848 yards on 183 carries (4.4

per attempt) a year ago and

set a school record with 2,119

all-purpose yards.

Cubit also likes back-ups

like Kirk Elsworth and Glenis

Thompson. Thompson

gained 127 yards on 36

carries.

“We’re probably about as

deep as we’ve been at running

back since I’ve been here,”

Cubit said.

The wide receiving corps

is led by Jamarko Simmons.

The 6-2, 234-pound junior,

who was a first-team

All-MAC selection as a

sophomore, caught 84 passes

for 980 yards and six touchdowns in 2007.

“He has had some success here,” Cubit said.

“He’s a pretty good player. I wouldn’t say he’s a

burner, but he does some nice things.”

The offensive line is a work in progress. The

Broncos lost three starters from a year ago, but

return Anthony Parker who is moving from

right tackle to left tackle and Phillip Swanson

wESTErN mIchIgaNBroncos

aug. 30 at lincoln, neb.

non-conference opponent

jamarko SImmoNS


Broncos at a glanceaffILIaTIoNMid-American Conference

STrENgThSWith a load of experience returning, the defense

would appear to be a strength for the Broncos. With

Zach Davidson and Greg Marshall crashing from

their defensive end spots, the Broncos should be able

to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Davidson

and Marshall combined for 13 of the team’s 28 sacks

in 2008.

QUESTIoN markSThe offensive line needs to be reworked this sea-

son. Coach Bill Cubit thinks Anthony Parker, who is

moving from right tackle to left, will be able to handle

those important duties on the other side of the line.

Still, with players being added and moved, it may

take a little time for the Broncos to develop chemistry

up front.

DIffErENcE-makErSQuarterback Tim Hiller will be a key player the of-

fensive side of the ball as he tries to cut down on his

15 interceptions from a year ago. Cornerback Londen

Fryar led the team with 16 pass breakups last season.

kIckINg QUESTIoNS Junior Chris Kelly is listed as the Broncos’ kicker

for next season, but Cubit said things could change in

the fall. He said incoming freshman John Potter was

the No. 1-rated punter in Michigan and No. 2 in the

Midwest. As of now, redshirt freshman Ben Armer

will handle the punting duties.

ToUgh SchEDULEThe Broncos’ 5-7 mark last year may not seem too

impressive at first glance. However, Western Michi-

gan had the 10th toughest schedule among non-Bowl

Championship Series teams in 2007. The Broncos

played five teams that participated in bowl games,

including Cotton Bowl winner Missouri.

who started all 12 games last year as a

redshirt freshmen at left guard.

Nick Mitchell and Paul Wasikowski,

who started three games at guard last

season, are the front runners at center.

Cubit said Nick Clemens and Lee Pethan

are battling it out at right guard. Andy

Laue, who started 11 games last year, and

Rob Johnson are the top two at right tackle.

“What I like is they’re young but eager,”

Cubit said of the offensive line. “There’s a

hunger there with them that I really like.

They’re young kids who want to get better

every day.”

Tight end Brandon Ledbetter caught 38

passes for 550 yards a year ago.

Cubit expects good things from his

defense this season. The Broncos return a

number of players who have been starters

since their freshman season.

“We’re really old on defense,” Cubit

said. “We played 34 freshmen the first year

I was here. Fourteen of them started at one

time or another. They have a lot of game

experience.”

The Broncos will feature four-year

starter Zach Davidson at one defensive end

with two-year starter Greg Marshall at the

other. Davidson and Marshall led Western

Michigan with 6.5 sacks apiece in 2007.

Tackle Nick Varcadipane and tackle

Cory Flom are also four-year starters.

Weakside linebacker Boston McCornell

led the Broncos with 99 tackles, including

eight for losses. Middle linebacker Dustin

Duclo was third a year ago with 74 tackles.

Austin Pritchard started the first game

a year ago at strongside linebacker and led

the team with 11 tackles, but missed the

remainder of the season with an injury.

C.J. Wilson is another four-year starter

in the defensive backfield. Londen Fryar ,

the son of former Nebraska All-American

Irving Fryar, is a three-year starter at

cornerback with four-year starter E.J.

Biggers at the other corner.

OFFEnSELT Anthony Parker 6-5 305 Fr. Steve Elingsen 6-4 307 Sr.lg phillip swanson 6-4 307 so. Josh Droppers 6-3 295 Fr.C Nick Mitchell 6-1 290 So. Paul Wasikowski 6-3 291 Jr.RG Nick Clemens 6-5 307 So. Lee Pethan 6-4 295 Fr.RT Rob Johnson 6-5 338 Sr. Andy Laue 6-4 295 Jr.WR X Jordan White 6-0 206 So. Deshon Lawrence 6-0 175 Fr.wr t jamarko simmons 6-2 234 sr. Jamelle Murray 5-8 167 So.te braden ledbetter 6-5 230 sr. Anthony Middleton 6-4 215 So.wr z schneider julien 5-10 175 sr. Juan Nunez 6-0 172 So.Qb tm hiller 6-5 228 jr. Robert Amheim 6-2 180 Fr.rb brandon west 5-10 169 jr. Glenis Thompson 5-8 210 J

DEFEnSElde greg marshall 6-0 245 sr. Fernand Kashama 6-3 221 Sr.NG Cody Cielenski 6-2 290 Jr. cory Flom 6-4 276 Sr.DT Nick Varcadipane 6-2 285 Sr. Chris Pyant 6-3 269 So.rde zach davidson 6-2 239 sr. Justin Braska 6-4 234 Jr.wlb boston mccornell 6-1 233 Harrison Porter 6-0 220 So.slb austin pritchard 6-4 233 jr. Scott Gajos 6-0 233 Jr.hb e.j. biggers 6-0 180 sr. David Lewis 5-10 170 So.FS Louis Deimas 5-11 196 Sr. Andy Dorcely 6-0 194 Jr.ss c.j. wilson 6-2 206 sr. Mario Armstrong 6-0 188 So.cB Londen Fryar 5-11 192 Sr. Desman Stephen 6-0 190 Sr.


2007 RECORD (5-7), MAC FInISH (3-4)9/1 @ West Virginia L 24-629/8 Indiana L 27-379/15 @ Missouri L 24-529/22 Cen. Conn. St. W 51-149/29 @ Toledo W 42-2810/6 Akron L 38-3910/13 at N. Illinois W 17-1310/20 Ball State L 23-2710/27 @ Eastern Michigan L 2-1911/6 Central Michigan L 31-3411/17 @ Iowa W 28-1911/24 Temple W 16-3

2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb.9/6/08 Northern Illinois Kalamazoo, Mich.9/13/08 at Idaho Moscow, Idaho9/20/08 Tennessee Tech Kalamazoo, Mich.9/27/08 at Temple Philadelphia, Pa.10/4/08 Ohio Kalamazoo, Mich.10/11/08 at Buffalo Buffalo, N.Y.10/18/08 at Central Michigan Mt. Pleasant, Mich.11/1/08 Eastern Michigan Kalamazoo, Mich.11/8/08 Illinois Detroit, Mich.11/15/08 Toledo Kalamazoo, Mich.11/25/08 at Ball State Muncie, Ind.


The bad news for San

Jose State coach Dick

Tomey is that the Spartans

will enter fall practice

still looking for a No. 1

quarterback.

The good news is Tomey has some good

quarterbacks to choose from to replace the

graduated Adam Tafralis.

The top candidates are returners Myles

Eden and sophomore Jordan La Secla along

with Kyle Reed, a transfer

from Cal.

None of the San Jose

State quarterbacks lit things

up in the spring game. Reed

missed the spring game with

a foot injury while Eden,

La Secla and senior Sean

Flynn combined to complete

11-of-28 passes for 108 yards

in a game dominated by the

Spartans’ defense.

Eden completed 7-of-15

passes for 30 yards while

La Secla was 8 for 18 for 64

yards and Flynn 10 for 17 for

56 yards in the spring game.

Eden has a head start in

the competition. He had

seven carries for 33 yards

in the Spartans’ 34-14 loss

to Kansas State early in

the season. He completed

his first three passes in that

game, all three to Tafralis

who lined up as a wide

receiver.

“I would say Myles Eden

is ahead,” Tomey said. “He

did a wonderful job for us

last year. He’s a consistent

playmaker. Last year, he did a great job against

Kansas State. When we put him in, he did a

great job throughout the year.

“He’s doing what we ask him to do. His

running ability was a major factor in our last

game against Nevada.”

Reed was a highly sought prospect out of

McClymonds High School in Oakland, Calif.,

when he committed to Cal in 2004. Reed was

redshirted his first year at Cal, then didn’t

see any playing time in 2006. He decided to

transfer to San Jose State last August when

the Bears named Nate Longshore as the No. 2

quarterback.

“What we have to do is make some tough

decisions in the fall about who gets the reps,”

Tomey said. “Certainly Kyle will get his

opportunity, because he deserves that and his

injury was unfortunate. There’s no question

that Myles is No. 1 right now, but that doesn’t

mean anything beyond that.”

Tomey said Eden picked up some big

yards for the Spartans in their 27-24 win over

Nevada that allowed the Spartans to finish the

season 5-7 overall and 4-4 in Western Athletic

Conference play.

“This is the first time that San Jose State has

had two .500-or-better seasons in the conference

back-to-back,” Tomey said. “Sometimes the

most gratifying seasons are not the ones where

you have the most wins, necessarily.”

The Spartans are hoping for even more

this season even though they will have to do it

without Tafralis, who finished his career with

school records for career total offense, passing

yards and completions.

Whoever ends up as his

replacement will have a

couple of experienced wide

receivers to throw to. Kevin

Jurovich caught 86 passes

for 1,183 yards and nine

touchdowns last year while

David Richmond caught 55

passes for 852 yards and 3

touchdowns.

Both players showed

great promise in their first

action at receiver last year.

Jurovich played as a

defensive back his first two

years at San Jose State before

moving to receiver prior

to last season. Richmond

didn’t take up football until

enrolling at Santa Ana

Community College and

caught one pass in his only

game there.

“Kevin was an amazing

competitor for a young man

that never caught a pass

until (last) year,” Tomey

said. “He was kind of like

David Richmond. If you

look at David two years ago

as a receiver, he caught one

pass or something his freshman year of junior

college. Kevin didn’t catch a pass (in 2007)

obviously since he was playing defense.”

The Spartans must replace both starting

running backs from last year. Former safety

Dominique Hunsucker, Chris Reese and

Cameron Island are the leading contenders

SaN joSE STaTESpartans

sept. 6 at lincoln, neb.


kEvIN jUrovIch


Spartans at a glanceaffILIaTIoNWestern Athletic Conference

QUESTIoN markSWho is going to replace Adam Tafralis at quar-

terback is the most important question the Spartans

must answer this fall. It appears either Myles Eden or

Cal transfer Kyle Reed are the most likely candidates.

The Spartans must also replace their top two running

backs.

DIffErENcE-makErSWide receivers Kevin Jurovich and David

Richmond, the top two pass catchers from last year,

are both back. Place-kicker Jared Strubeck was a

perfect 22-for-22 in extra-point tries a year ago and

stands second all-time on the school’s career field

goal list with 30. Defensive back Coye Francies, a

transfer from Oregon State, returned 22 kickoffs for

453 yards for the Beavers in 2006.

ShorT oN SchoLarShIpSThe Spartans were hurt by the NCAA’s new Aca-

demic Progress Report. The NCAA took away seven

scholarships because of poor academic performances.

That means the Spartans, who brought in 18 players

in this year’s recruiting class, may be hurting for

depth in the next couple of years.

TomEy SaySDick Tomey, now in his third season as head

coach, is still at San Jose State, although rumors in

January had him headed for the University of Hawaii

as a replacement for coach June Jones or possibly

as athletic director. Tomey, now 69, may like to try

leading a big-time program one more time before he

retires. Tomey coached at Hawaii 1977 to 1986 and at

Arizona from from 1987 to 2000.

BowL BoUND?The Spartans will be shooting for their second

bowl in three years this season. They defeated New

Mexico 20-12 in the 2006 New Mexico Bowl. It may

be tough for San Jose State to move into the top two

in the conference after being outscored, 72-7, by

Boise State and Fresno State last year, but a winning

record and a bowl bid certainly appear possible.

heading into the season.

“The picture in the fall, hopefully,

will look a lot different,” Tomey said.

“I’ve been pleased with Dom Hunsucker.

Chris Reese has done some good things.

Cameron Island played better in the spring

than since he’s been here.

“I think we have a chance to have a

good situation, but we’re counting on

several guys. If none of that works out,

with the guys we have now, we’ll still be

functional.”

San Jose State returns three starters up

front in tackle Fred Koloto, guard Isaac

Leatiota and center Ronnie Castillo.

The Spartans were short handed up

front during spring practice because of

injuries to players like Justin Paysinger, Jon

Moreno, Bradis McGriff amd Jon Konye.

Tomey said he expects Moreno to be

a starter at one tackle, while McGriff and

Konye will battle for a starting spot at the

other tackle.

“None of those guys practiced this

spring,” he said. “Those guys will all be in

the mix.”

The Spartans return six players on the

defensive side of the ball, including four

on the defensive line in Jarron Gilbert

and Adonis Davis inside and ends Carl

Ihenacho and Justin Cole.

Ihenacho led San Jose State with five

sacks a year ago.

Cornerback Christopher Owens and

safety Duke Ihenacho return in the

defensive backfield.

Tomey liked what he saw from former

running back turned linebacker Mohamed

Marah, defensive end Liam Smith and

defensive tackle Kalvin Cressel.

“He (Marah) moved to linebacker and

lost 40 pounds,” Tomey said. “He’s really

shown some good stuff. Liam Smith was

not a major contributor last year, but has

really done a nice job. Kalvin Cressel – the

same way.”

OFFEnSEwr david richmond 6-4, 200, sr. Josh Harrison 5-11 170 Fr.lt fred koloto 6-3 290 so. Andres Vargas 6-4 280 Fr.lg isaac leatiota 6-4 295 so. Joe Zusin 6-5 310 Jr.c ronnie castillo 6-0 292 jr. Robbie Reed 6-3 290 So.RG Ailao Eliapo 6-2 320 So. Steve Lightsy 6-4 350 Jr.RT Jon Moreno 6-4 280 Jr. Bradis McGriff 6-6 355 Sr.TE Jeff Clark 6-5 250 Sr. brian elledge 6-3 230 sr.QB Myles Eden 6-1 182 Jr. Sean Flynn 6-4 220 Sr. or Jordan LaSecla 6-3 198 So. or Kyle Reed 6-3 215 Jr.RB James Callier 6-0 225 Sr. Philip Knight 6-1 225 Jr.RB Dominique Hunsucker 5-10 194 Jr. Chris Reese 5-9 205 Jr. or Cameron Island 5-9 187 Jr.wr kevin jurovich 6-0 183 sr. Michael Avila 5-9 165 Fr.WR Jalal Beauchman 6-4 220 Jr. Terrance Williams 6-5 225 Jr.

DEFEnSEDE Jeff Schweiger 6-5 285 Sr. Liam Smith 6-5 250 Jr.dt jarron gilbert 6-6 280 sr. Aaron Gilbert 6-3 290 Jr.DT Kalvin Cressel 6-4 282 Jr. Justin Willis 6-1 305 Jr. or adonis davis 6-1 295 jr.de carl ihenacho 6-3 245 jr. Marcus Keli 6-2 250 Jr.lb duke ihenacho 6-1 200 so. Dimitrous Chattman 6-0 190 Sr.LB Travis Jones 6-1 220 Jr. Jason Swisher 6-0 216 So.lb justin cole 6-3 240 jr. Mohamed Marah 6-0 242 Jr. or Kyler O’Neal 6-0 213 Fr.cb christopher owens 5-10 170 sr. Devin Newsome 5-10 165 So.CB Coye Francies 6-1 185 Sr. Austin Carter 5-10 170 Jr.S Andrew Ryan 6-0 195 Sr. Pompey Festejo 6-0 200 So. or Jay Atkins 6-0 185 So.S Devin Newsome 5-10 165 So. Kyle Flynn 6-2 205 Sr.


2007 RECORD (5-7), WAC FInISH (4-4)9/1 at Arizona St. L 3-459/8 at Kansas St. L 14-349/15 at Stanford L 0-379/22 at Utah St. W 23-209/29 UC Davis W 34-1410/6 Idaho W 28-2010/12 Hawaii L 35-4210/20 at Fresno St. L 0-3011/3 at Boise St. L 7-4211/10 NMSU W 51-1711/17 at La. Tech L 23-2711/24 Nevada W 27-24

2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 UC Davis San Jose, Calif.9/6/08 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb.9/13/08 San Diego State San Jose, Calif.9/20/08 at Stanford Palo Alto, Calif.9/27/08 at Hawaii Honolulu, Hawaii10/11/08 Utah State San Jose, Calif.10/18/08 at New Mexico State Las Cruces, N.M.10/24/08 Boise State San Jose, Calif.11/1/08 at Idaho Moscow, Idaho11/8/08 Louisiana Tech San Jose, Calif.11/15/08 at Nevada Reno, Nev.11/21/08 Fresno State San Jose, Calif.


New Mexico State will

bring an unusual defense to

Lincoln when the Aggies face

Nebraska on Sept. 13.

Head coach Hal Mumme

wanted something different, so when Woody

Widenhofer retired after last season, Mumme

hired veteran coach Joe Lee Dunn as his

defensive coordinator. Dunn’s specialty is the

3-3-5 defense.

“I’m excited about having Joe Lee Dunn

as our defensive coordinator,” Mumme said.

“I wanted to stay with an odd defense and

because of our personnel, I thought the 3-3-5

would be a good fit. Who better

to put that in but the guy who

invented it?”

Dunn has had success every-

where he’s been. He served as

defensive coordinator at Memphis

from 1989 to 1991, and later re-

turned to the Tigers in the spring

of 2003 after six years at Missis-

sippi State. Memphis immediately

went from near the bottom of the

NCAA rankings to a top 10 finish

the next fall.

Dunn also spent a year as de-

fensive coordinator at Arkansas,

where the Razorbacks were fifth

nationally against the run, and

earlier in his career was defensive

coordinator at South Carolina.

In 1987, the Gamecocks were in

the top three nationally in all five

major defensive categories.

Mumme said the 3-3-5 has

been a big part of Dunn’s success

everywhere he’s been.

“There aren’t a lot of those

guys around who know that

defense,” Mumme said. “Our first

goal is to get Joe Lee and his guys comfortable.

We’re not there, but we’re getting close.”

The Aggies return seven defensive starters

from last year’s team, including defensive end

Rhyan Anderson up front along with lineback-

ers La’Auli Fonoti, Jamar Cotton and Chris

Nwoko.

Safety Derrick Richardson and defensive

back Davon House are back to anchor the

defensive backfield.

Mumme said he liked what he saw from

both the defense and Dunn during spring

practices.

“He’s a veteran coach,” Mumme said.

“He’s been good everywhere. I really like his

enthusiasm. He gets guys to the football and

they make tackles.

“He’s just a great coach running that 3-3-5.

It’s a scheme that’s hard to contend with.”

The defense may be improved, but offense

has always been Mumme’s specialty. Kentucky

found that out when the Wildcats hired him as

their head coach in 1997.

The next year, Kentucky went from being

109th in the nation in total offense to sixth and

beat Alabama for the first time in 75 years.

Mumme took Kentucky to two bowl games

in six years before moving on to Southeastern

Louisiana for two seasons. He took over the

New Mexico State job in 2005 and went 0-12

his first year.

The Aggies improved to 4-8 in 2006 and

were 4-9 last season despite suffering a slew

of injuries that contributed to their five-game

losing streak at the end of the season.

The key returning player for the Aggies

is quarterback Chase Holbrook. The senior

had a huge year in 2007 when he threw for

3,866 yards passing and ranked fifth in the

nation in total offense with 322.6 yards per

game. Holbrook has already set

school records for passing yards,

touchdowns and total offense in

a career.

Holbrook had some big games

for the Aggies, including 47

completions for 473 yards and

four touchdowns in a 44-34 loss to

New Mexico last season.

With Holbrook leading the

way, offense wasn’t a problem for

the Aggies. They were fifth in the

nation in passing offense per game

(331.9) and 35th in total offense

per game (423.5).

Holbrook was injured early in

a loss to Boise State, then missed

the following game, a 22-21 loss to

Louisiana Tech.

Holbrook flirted briefly with

the NFL draft, but Mumme said

he was told he would probably

be a fifth rounder or so. Mumme

said Holbrook should have a good

chance to go much higher after his

senior season.

“I think if he had stayed

healthy, we probably would have

gone to a bowl game,” Mumme said. “If that

had happened, he might have shot up there a

lot higher. His only problem is we haven’t won

enough games. He’s missed four games in two

years.

“But he’s 6-5 and 246. He throws every ball

NEw mExIco STaTEaggies



chrIS wILLIamS


aggies at a glanceaffILIaTIoNWestern Athletic Conference

STrENgThSThe Aggies are loaded at wide receiver with Chris

Williams and A.J. Harris returning from injuries. Wes

Neiman had a good 2007 season as well. Quarterback

is also a strong position for New Mexico State, at

least as long as senior Chase Holbrook stays healthy.

Holbrook was projected as a fifth-round selection this

spring if he had entered the NFL draft. He’ll likely go

much higher if he has a good senior season.

QUESTIoN markSThere are plenty of questions with Rhyan

Anderson, who began his college career at Miami,

returning on the defensive line. The Aggies return

three starters on the offensive line, but have to replace

both tackles, including the all-important left tackle

spot where a pair of redshirt sophomores are leading

the way in Kyle Smith and Joel Buschmann.

UNUSUaL DEfENSEThe Aggies may be much improved on defense

with veteran coach Joe Lee Dunn taking over, but

the players must first learn the unusual 3-3-5 Dunn

teaches. Its a defense opponents don’t see very often,

and that should work to the advantage of the Aggies.

coach oN ThE hoT SEaT?Coach Hal Mumme’s program has certainly

improved since the 0-12 record in his first season back

in 2005. But eight wins in two years isn’t what New

Mexico State fans or the administration expected

when Mumme was hired. The Aggies had a couple

of tough losses to Nevada (40-38) and Fresno State

(30-23) last year as well as a bunch of injuries that

helped slow the team’s progress.

rUNNINg mENThe Aggies are known as a passing team, but

Mumme is looking to improve the running game. He

lost Justine Buries, one of the team’s leading rushers

the past two years, after he transferred to Hofstra.

But Tony Glynn, who missed time late last year with

a broken ankle, returns and junior college transfers

Marquell Colston and Seth Smith could push for

playing time as well.

well. He’s really smart and he knows the

game.”

Holbrook will have plenty of targets to

throw at this season. Senior receiver Chris

Williams returns to be one of Holbrook’s

top targets. Williams played in just eight

games last season because of an injury,

but was still a second-team all-conference

selection and a Biletnikoff Award finalist

for the top receiver in the nation.

Williams averaged 96.5 yards receiving

per game and 13.8 per catch.

Senior AJ Harris caught 81 passes for

611 yards in 2007 and broke the school

record for receptions in a career with 191.

Sophomore Wes Neiman caught 44

passes for 423 yards last year as a redshirt

freshman.

The Aggies return three of their starting

offensive linemen from last year in right

guard Polo Gutierrez, left guard Chuck

Taylor and center Richie Bolin.

Mumme said Patrick Blount, David

Norman, Kyle Smith and Joel Buschmann

are all battling for the tackle positions.

“We have some young kids who red-

shirted around here,” Mumme said. “They

have kind of grown up. There’s a good

battle between four of them for the two

tackle spots.”

The running back spot is up for grabs

with Tony Glynn, Seth Smith and Brandon

Perez leading the way. Mumme said Perez

may well play at fullback again this season.

“It’s a pretty good contest between

Brandon Perez and Seth Smith,” Mumme

said “Tony was a starter last year but

missed five games. He had a good season

as a sophomore but he got injured.”

Mumme said the Aggies worked hard

during spring practice to improve their

depth on offense.

“Offensively, we wanted to work on our

depth,” Mumme said. “We were pretty

good last year until we got hurt. Then we

kind of struggled.”

OFFEnSEQb chase holbrook 6-5 240 sr. J.J. McDermott 6-5 220 So.RB Tony Glynn 5-8 190 Jr. Seth Smith 5-9 200 Jr.FB Brandon Perez 5-9 233 Jr.fl chris williams 5-8 157 sr. LaVorick Williams 6-3 178 Fr.se a.j. harris 6-0 208 sr. Julius Fleming 5-8 170 Fr.SLT Marcus Anderson 5-7 170 Jr. wes neiman 5-10 185 so.TE Kyle Nelson 6-4 228 So. Ryan Franzoy 6-4 238 So.RT Patrick Blount 6-3 270 So. David Norman 6-5 300 Jr.LT Kyle Smith 6-6 323 So. Joel Buschmann 6-3 286 So.LG Joe Suder 6-6 330 Jr. chuck Taylor 6-3 345 So.c richard bolin 6-1 291 sr. Joe Palmer 6-3 313 Jr.rG Polo Gutierrez 6-2 304 Sr. Michael Grady 6-3 320 Fr.

DEFEnSELT rhyan anderson 6-4 280 Sr. Sioeli Fakalata 6-3 312 Jr.NG E.J.Cannon 6-0 305 Jr. Justen Alford 6-1 221 Jr.RT Oren Long 6-2 245 Sr. Chris Romero 6-4 257 Jr.MLB Nick Paden 6-3 235 Jr. chris nwoko 6-1 230 sr.lob la’auli fonoti 6-4 253 sr. Jason Scott 5-10 200 Jr.ROB Ross Conner 5-10 215 Jr. jamar cotton 6-0 216 jr.RCB Marvin Betts 5-9 170 Sr. Ben Bradley 5-10 180 Fr.lcb davon house 6-0 168 so. Marc Waters 5-10 180 Fr.LB Brennan Baiamonte 6-0 204 Sr. Baer Philipbar 5-10 194 So.RB Alfonso Powell 5-9 176 So. Vince Butler 5-10 177 Sr.fs derrick richardson 5-11 190 sr. Kenny Evora 6-4 218 So.


2007 RECORD (4-9), WAC FInISH (1-7)8/30 SE Louisiana W 35-149/8 at New Mexico L 34-449/15 UTEP W 29-249/22 at Auburn L 20-559/29 Arkansas PB W 20-1710/7 at Boise St. L 0-5810/13 at La.Tech L 21-2210/20 Idaho W 45-3110/27 at Hawaii L 13-5011/2 Nevada L 38-4011/10 @ San Jose St. L 17-5111/17 Utah St. L 17-3511/30 Fresno St. L 23-30

2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location9/4/08 Nicholls State Las Cruces, N.M.9/13/08 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb.9/20/08 at UTEP El Paso, Texas9/27/08 New Mexico Las Cruces, N.M.10/11/08 at Nevada Reno, Nev.10/18/08 San Jose State Las Cruces, N.M.10/25/08 at Idaho Moscow, Idaho11/1/08 Boise State Las Cruces, N.M.11/8/08 Hawaii Las Cruces, N.M.11/15/08 at Fresno State Fresno, Calif.11/22/08 Louisiana Tech Las Cruces, N.M.11/29/08 at Utah State Logan, Utah


Virginia Tech has

no clear-cut No. 1

quarterback heading

into fall practice, but

there is definitely a top two.

When the Hokies visit Lincoln on Sept.

27, either senior Sean Glennon or sophomore

Tyrod Taylor will be behind center.

Or, possibly both.

That’s what veteran coach Frank Beamer did

in 2007. Glennon was a more affective passer

(143-of-225, 1,796 yards, 12 TDs) than Taylor

(72-of-136, 927 yards, 5

TDs), but Taylor could do it

on the ground.

Taylor was the team’s

second leading rusher with

429 yards on 102 carries

(4.2 per try).

Although Glennon

outperformed Taylor in the

spring game, Beamer said

no decision would be made

until the fall.

“We feel like we have

two good quarterbacks, two

really good quarterbacks,”

Beamer said. “What we’re

going to do with them is

yet to be determined. We’re

going to carry that battle

over into the fall, but we feel

good about that.

“We are fortunate.

We have two really good

quarterbacks. We’re going

to let them continue to

compete and see what’s best

for them and what’s best for

our football team.”

Glennon won the

starting job as a sophomore

and threw for more than 2,000 yards and 11

touchdowns that season. Glennon said he

definitely wants to be the starter again this year.

“Obviously, I think any quarterback

would be lying if he said he didn’t want the

job,” Glennon said. “That’s part of being a

competitor. At the same time, I would not be

disappointed if we rotated. If that’s the case,

I’ll do what I can to help this team win.”

The Hokies are still looking for answers at

running back after last year’s leading rusher

Branden Ore (287 carries for 992 yards) was

dismissed from the team during the offseason.

Things got even tougher for Beamer when

junior Kenny Lewis, who was listed No. 1 on

the depth chart, was lost for four to six months

with a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

That was followed by junior Jahre

Cheeseman’s broken leg later in spring practice.

“Both Cheeseman and Lewis ended up

getting surgery at the end of spring practice,”

Beamer said. “Cheeseman we feel like will

be back fairly quickly. Kenny Lewis’ injury is

going to be a little bit longer.”

Beamer said some other younger backs

performed well in the spring, and he’s also high

on incoming freshman Ryan Williams, who

was rated the No. 4 running back prospect by

ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc.

“We’re going to give him a shot in there,”

Beamer said. “Before it’s over, I think we’ll be

OK. There are still question marks of who is

where and who’s going to be one, who’s going

to be two, who’s going to be three. But we’re

dealing with some good kids and some good

talent.”

The Hokies, who rebuilt their offensive line

a year ago, appear to be strong up front this

season. They return both

offensive guards in Sergio

Render and Nick Marshmann

along with tackle Ed Wang

and center Ryan Shuman

who missed spring practice

with a knee injury.

Beamer said the offensive

line had a good spring as a

whole.

“Overall, the effort was

good,” Beamer said. “I think

the offensive line got a little

tougher. I think we showed

better as a group. We know

we have to continue to

work.”

The Hokies also must

replace every receiver that

caught a pass last year.

Beamer said junior Brandon

Dillard showed a lot during

spring drills.

“Brandon Dillard had a

really good spring practice,”

Beamer said. “He’s a walk-

on, but he’s a fast walk-on.

He was probably the guy

who did the most things you

noticed in the spring game.”

Beamer also likes junior Ike Whitaker, a

converted quarterback.

“I’m really pulling for Ike Whitaker,”

Beamer said. “He really came on at the end of

the spring. He was a quarterback. He has a big

body. He made a really tough catch at the end

of the spring game.”

vIrgINIa TEchhokies



SEaN gLENNoN


hokies at a glanceaffILIaTIoNAtlantic Coast Conference

STrENgThSWith four starting offensive linemen back as well

as two tight ends with starting experience, the Hokies

should be strong up front. The quarterback position

appears to be a strength, even though there isn’t a

clear No. 1. Senior Sean Glennon has two years of

starting experience under his belt while sophomore

Tyrod Taylor saw considerable action as a freshman.

QUESTIoN markSWith the loss of top rusher Branden Ore and the

injuries to the top two running backs on the spring

roster (Kenny Lewis and Jahre Cheeseman), the

Hokies may well be looking to true freshman Ryan

Williams to contribute in the fall. Head coach Frank

Beamer likes Williams’ potential and says the Hokies

have good talent at the position, but how it will all

work out in the fall remains to be seen.

DIffErENcE makErSThe kicking game could be the biggest difference

for the Hokies. Punter Brett Bowden was 24th in the

nation with a 42.52 average per kick. Speedy junior

Brandon Dillard could provide the deep threat the

Hokies need at wide receiver.

rETUrN SpEcIaLISTSVirginia Tech had nine return touchdowns a year

ago. Five of those came on interceptions, three on

punt returns and one on a kickoff return. Victor

“Macho” Harris, who returned a kickoff and an

interception for touchdowns last year, will likely

handle punt returns, but the kickoff return duties

probably won’t be decided until fall.

macho maNVictor “Macho” Harris spent the first six spring

practices on the offense, then returned to defense.

Harris was an All-ACC selection a year ago with

five interceptions and flirted with the NFL before

deciding to return to Virginia Tech for his senior

season. Harris spent the first three years of his career

at the field corner, but will replace All-American

Brandon Flowers at the boundary corner this season.

Virginia Tech has two tight ends back

with some starting experience from last

season. Greg Boone caught 11 passes for

187 yards while starting seven games while

Sam Wheeler caught 9 passes for 211 yards

and a touchdown in eight starts.

The Hokies have to do some rebuilding

on defense with just four starters returning,

including defensive end Orion Martin,

linebacker Cam Martin, cornerback Victor

Harris and rover Kam Chancellor.

Beamer said John Graves and

Cordarrow Thompson played well in the

spring at defensive tackle along with ends

Jason Worilds and Nekos Brown.

“Defensively, particularly our first

group, played well,” Beamer said. “Guys

like John Graves came along. I thought he

really turned it up a notch. Thompson lost

30 pounds and he’s a different player in

there at tackle.”

The linebackers are led by Brett Warren

and Purnell Sturdivant.

“Our first two linebackers, Warren and

Sturdivant I think are good,” Beamer said.

“Cam Johnson makes a difference back

there at free safety.

“I think the thing with our defense is

finding some back-up guys that can play at

a high level.”

With just 11 starters returning, Beamer

and the Virginia Tech coaching staff are

hoping to build enough depth to defend

their ACC championship.

“Hopefully, we can get to be a good

enough football team to compete in this

league, but we’re going to do it with a lot

of young players,” Beamer said. “I think

we have a lot of willing young players and

a lot of talented young players.

“Some of the freshmen coming in I

think will affect this football team, but

I look forward to that challenge. I think

we’re working with some talented people.

It will be interesting to see how quickly we

can become a good football team.”

OFFEnSERT Blake DeChristopher 6-5 297 Fr. Richard Graham 6-6 288 Jr.RG sergio render 6-4 324 jr. Jaymes Brooks 6-2 304 Fr.C ryan Shuman 6-3 313 Sr. Beau Warren 6-3 276 So.LG nick marshman 6-5 357 sr. William Alvarez 6-5 327 Fr.LT ed wang 6-5 310 jr. Greg Nosal 6-6 289 Fr.SE Danny Coale 6-0 203 Fr. Cory Holt 6-4 223 Sr.TE sam wheeler 6-3 269 jr. Greg Boone 6-3 290 Jr.QB sean glennon 6-4 223 sr. Tyrod Taylor 6-1 213 So.FB Kenny Jefferson 5-9 216 Jr. Devin Perez 5-8 242 Sr.TB Kenny Lewis 5-9 199 Jr. Jahre Cheeseman 5-10 205 Jr.FL Brandon Luckett 5-11 180 Jr. Zack Luckett 6-3 212 So.

DEFEnSEDE Jason Worilds 6-2 252 So. Steven Friday 6-4 235 So.DT John Graves 6-3 292 So. Demetrius Taylor 6-0 254 Jr.DT Cordarrow Thompson 6-2 323 Jr. Justin Young 6-3 276 Fr.DE orion marton 6-3 252 sr. Nekos Brown 6-2 252 Jr.OLB cam martin 6-1 204 jr. Cody Grimm 5-11 198 Jr.ILB Brett Warren 6-1 223 Sr. Barquell Rivers 6-0 233 Fr.ILB Purnell Sturdivant 5-10 234 Sr. Jonas Houseright 6-0 223 Sr.FC Rashad Carmichael 5-10 193 So. OR Cris Hill 5-11 185 Fr.FS kam chancellor 6-3 225 jr. Ron Cooper 5-10 191 Jr.ROV Dorian Porch 5-11 211 Jr. OR Davon Morgan 6-0 190 So.BC victor harris 6-0 192 sr. Stephan Virgil 5-11 177 Jr.


2007 RECORD (11-3), ACC FInISH (7-1)9/1 East Carolina W 17-79/8 at LSU L 7-489/15 Ohio W 28-79/22 William & Mary W 44-39/29 North Carolina W 17-1010/6 at Clemson W 41-2310/13 at Duke W 43-1410/25 Boston College L 10-1411/1 at Georgia Tech W 27-311/10 Florida St. W 40-2111/17 Miami W 44-1411/24 at Virginia W 33-21121 +Boston College W 30-161/3 &Kansas L 21-24+ACC Championship Game&FedEx Orange Bowl, Miami

2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 East Carolina Charlotte, N.C.9/6/08 Furman Blacksburg, Va.9/13/08 Georgia Tech Blacksburg, Va.9/20/08 at North Carolina Chapel Hill, N.C.9/27/08 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb.10/4/08 Western Kentucky Blacksburg, Va.10/18/08 at Boston College Chestnut Hill, Mass.10/25/08 at Florida State Tallahassee, Fla.11/6/08 Maryland Blacksburg, Va.11/13/08 at Miami Miami, Fla.11/22/08 Duke Blacksburg, Va.11/29/08 Virginia Blacksburg, Va.


nationalscene

1 USC 2 Ohio State 3 Georgia 4 Oklahoma 6 LSU 5 West Virginia 7 Missouri 8 Florida 9 Clemson 10 Texas 11 Wisconsin 12 Arizona State 13 BYU 14 Auburn 15 South Florida 16 Illinois 17 Texas Tech 18 Oregon 19 Kansas 20 Tennessee 21 Wake Forest 22 Fresno State 23 Rutgers 24 South Carolina 25 Virginia Tech

Aug. 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Illinois-Missouri (St. Louis)

Sept. 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kansas at South Florida

Sept 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ohio State at USC

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michigan at Notre Dame

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UCLA at BYU

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arkansas at Texas

Sept. 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .LSU at Auburn

Oct. 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ohio State at Wisconsin

Oct. 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clemson at Wake Forest

Oct. 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LSU at Florida

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oklahoma at Texas

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Arizona State at USC

Oct. 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Missouri at Texas

Oct. 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Auburn at West Virginia

Oct. 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Georgia at LSU

nov. 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Florida-Georgia (Jacksonville)

nov. 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Georgia Auburn

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ohio State at Illinois

nov. 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michigan at Ohio State

nov. 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Missouri-Kansas (Kansas City)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Florida at Florida State

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Auburn at Alabama

Dec. 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . South Florida at West Virginia

gamES of NaTIoNaL SIgNIfIcaNcEprESEaSoN Top 25


see where Florida and Ohio State are

nearly everyone’s pre-summer favorites

to play in the next BCS title game.

Wow! That’s really going out on a limb.

But I guess you can’t blame the experts for

playing the odds.

Never mind that the Gators and Buckeyes

are stockpiled with NFL draft-caliber talent yet

again. Even if that didn’t appear to be the case,

anyone would be remiss to leave them out of

national championship talk.

History proves they’re among the minority

of teams even in the top-25 polls that deserve

consideration.

Consider that only eight other schools,

LSU, Tennessee, Texas, USC, Miami (Fla.),

Oklahoma, Nebraska and Virginia Tech, have

ever played in the BCS championship game.

Defending champ LSU is among the six that

have played in it more than once (USC, Miami,

Florida State, Oklahoma and Ohio State are

the others), and the only one to win it more

than once.

All of this is to illustrate just how difficult

it will be for a club from the Big 12 to wind up

hoisting the National Football Foundation’s

MacArthur Bowl trophy in Miami on Jan. 8.

In 10 years, that’s happened twice – to

Oklahoma at the end of the 2000 season and to

Texas in 2005.

Now, if you’re asking what are the chances

of a Big 12 team making it to Miami this

season, you’re a lot closer to a heads-tails call.

The league has sent a representative to the

BCS game five times.

It’s way at the end of spring practice,

Colorado coach Dan Hawkins, echoing the

thoughts of his peers around the conference,

stated: “I don’t think the Big 12 has to take a

back seat to anyone.”

With that in mind, the Big 12 figures to, at

the least, factor heavily on the national scene

again in 2008.

In case you’ve forgotten, the final Associated

Press rankings last season had Missouri at No.

4, Kansas at No. 7, Oklahoma at No. 8 and

Texas at No. 10.

Everyone in that bunch returns a top-flight

quarterback and expects to be every bit as

tough in 2008.

Texas Tech also thinks it’s ready to jump

into that elite group.

“This will be the best-balanced league in

the 10 years we’ve been at Texas,” Longhorns

coach Mack Brown said. “It’s because

everybody is better.”

Lucky Nebraska gets to play the Big 12’s

highest three top-10 teams from last season, in

addition to another top-10 club, Virginia Tech.

That Sept. 27 game in Lincoln against

the Hokies should be among the marquee

inter-league, national-scene-shaping matchups

involving a Big 12 team. Others that fall into

that category include: Illinois-Missouri on

Aug. 30, Arkansas at Texas and Oklahoma at

Washington on Sept. 13, and Miami at Texas

A&M on Sept. 20.

Once league play begins, the Sooners

and Longhorns’ Oct. 11 tussle in Dallas will

have the biggest early bearing on the pecking

order in the South Division. One week later,

Oklahoma will have to deal with Kansas, while

Texas will take on Missouri in Austin.

And yet, two late-November contests –

Texas A&M at Texas on the 27th and Missouri-

Kansas on the 29th – not only could settle both

divisions, but determine whether the Big 12 is

positioned to make it 6-for-11 getting a team to

the BCS championship.

A popular belief among those trying to

pick their national title favorites before teams

even started summer conditioning was that the

winner of the Sept. 13 Ohio State-USC game

in Los Angeles would have an inside track to

one of the BCS spots.

A lot of those forecasters also see either

Florida or Georgia emerging from their Nov.

1 meeting in Jacksonville, Fla., in similar shape.

Within the Big 12, Oklahoma and Missouri

are getting the most attention, but Texas,

Kansas and Texas Tech are all in nearly

everyone’s preseason top 25.

A picky sort still could find something about

each to make them think they’ll come up short

of making the BCS championship.

Missouri, thanks to its Cotton Bowl

destruction of Arkansas, finished as the Big

12’s highest-ranked team last season. But the

Tigers went 0-for-2 against Oklahoma and got

bypassed for a BCS game.

Though the Sooners have won three of the

last four league titles, they’ve also lost four

straight BCS games.

Texas hasn’t been to one since it won its

national title.

And Kansas and Texas Tech have just one

BCS game appearance between them.

Somehow, at least a couple of these Big 12

teams will find a way to be in position for a

league title in late November, and whichever

secures it could hunt for the largest prize of all.

Here’s why they’re considered threats.

oKLahoMa

Sam Bradford could prove even more

difficult to defend running a no-huddle

offense and throwing to tight end Jermaine

Gresham and receiver Juaquin Iglesias. Middle

linebacker Ryan Reynolds has all the game of

departed Big 12 defensive player of the year

Curtis Lofton.

Missouri

With Heisman Trophy finalist Chase Daniel,

the Tigers could begin the season in the top

five. Mizzou needs to replace running back

Tony Temple and the majority of its offensive

line, but if those holes are plugged, look out,

because there’s experience everywhere else.

texas

Jamaal Charles, the Big 12’s leading rusher

in 2007, is gone, as well as most of Colt

McCoy’s receiver corps. Don’t feel too bad for

the Longhorns. Chances are by the end of the

season Chris Ogbonnaya, Vondrell McGee

and/or Foswhitt Whittaker will be well-known

running backs, and Quan Cosby and Jordan

Shipley favorite targets of McCoy. Oh yeah, the

Longhorns also should take well to first-year

defensive coordinator Will Muschamp’s love

of the blitz.

texas tech

When quarterback Graham Harrell (5,705

yards passing last year) and receiver Michael

Crabtree (1,962 yards receiving) are hooked

up, they can be impossible to stop. The Red

Raiders have everybody back on offense, and

showed improvement after Ruffin McNeill took

over the defense in mid-season. As Crabtree

told ESPN, “The goal is to go undefeated.”

Kansas

There’s enough experience back (15 starters)

to believe the Jayhawks’ 12-1 season of 2007

was no one-year wonder. Quarterback Todd

Reesing gets a lot of props for being game

savvy, but it takes more than that to throw

for 3,486 yards and 33 touchdowns at a 61.9

percent completion rate.

Big 12 in BcS driver’s seat

I

fromthebeat By CURT MCKEEvER


bowl site date time (et) network matchup

R&L New Orleans New Orleans 12/19/08 8:00 PM ESPN2 Sun Belt vs. C-USA

Congressional Washington D.C. 12/20/08 3:30 PM ESPN Navy vs. ACC

New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico 12/20/08 4:30 PM ESPN M-West vs. WAC

Pioneer Las Vegas Las Vegas 12/20/08 8:00 PM ESPN M-West vs. Pac-10

St. Petersburg St. Petersburg, Florida 12/20/08 6:30 PM ESPN2 C-USA vs. Big East

San Diego Poinsettia San Diego 12/23/08 8:00 PM ESPN M-West vs. Pac-10

Sheraton Hawaii Honolulu 12/24/08 8:00 PM ESPN Pac-10 vs. WAC

Motor City Detroit 12/26/08 7:30 PM ESPN Big Ten vs. MAC

Champs Sports Orlando, Florida 12/27/08 4:30 PM ESPN ACC vs. Big Ten

Emerald San Francisco 12/27/08 8:00 PM ESPN Pac-10 vs. ACC

Meineke Car Care Charlotte, North Carolina 12/27/08 1:00 PM ESPN ACC vs. Big East

petro independence shreveport 12/28/08 8:00 pm espn big 12 vs. sec

Papajohns.com Birmingham, Alabama 12/29/08 2:00 PM ESPN Big East vs. SEC

valero alamo san antonio 12/29/08 8:00 pm espn big ten vs. big 12

Gaylord Music City Nashville, Tennessee 12/30/08 3:30 PM ESPN ACC vs. SEC

pacific life holiday san diego 12/30/08 8:00 pm espn pac-10 vs. big 12

Roady’s Humanitarian Boise, Idaho 12/30/08 4:30 PM ESPN ACC vs. WAC

texas houston 12/30/08 8:00 pm nfl big 12 vs. c-usa

Bell/Armed Forces Fort Worth, Texas 12/31/08 11:00 AM ESPN M-West vs. C-USA

brut sun el paso, texas 12/31/08 2:00 pm cbs pac-10 vs. big east/big 12

Chick-Fil-A Atlanta 12/31/08 7:30 PM ESPN ACC vs. SEC

insight tempe, arizona 12/31/08 5:30 pm nfl big ten vs. big 12

Capital One Orlando, Florida 1/1/09 1:00 PM ABC SEC vs. Big Ten

FedEx Orange Miami 1/1/09 8:00 PM FOX BCS

kinoka gator jacksonville, florida 1/1/09 1:00 pm cbs acc vs. big east/big 12

Outback Tampa 1/1/09 11:00 AM ESPN Big Ten vs. SEC

Rose Pasadena 1/1/09 5:00 PM ABC BCS

at&t cotton dallas 1/2/09 2:00 pm fox big 12 vs. sec

Allstate Sugar New Orleans 1/2/09 8:00 PM FOX BCS

Autozone Liberty Memphis Tennessee 1/2/09 5:00 PM ESPN SEC-vs. C-USA

International Toronto 1/3/09 Noon ESPN2 MAC vs. Big East

Tostitos Fiesta Glendale, Arizona 1/5/09 8:00 PM FOX BCS

GMAC Mobile, Alabama 1/6/09 8:00 PM ESPN C-USA vs. MAC

BCS National Championship Miami 1/8/09 9:00 PM FOX BCS

big 12 bowl games in bold

2008 Bowl Schedule


across 3 2008 Big 12 championship game city 5 Sept. 6 opponent 7 Threw final touchdown pass in Spring Game 8 First Husker taken in 2008 NFL Draft 10 Bo Pelini’s alma mater 11 Threw 2 touchdown passes in Spring Game 15 Leading rusher in Spring Game 16 Bo Pelini’s college position 17 Linebackers coach 19 Opponent in 2008 opener 22 Wide receiver from California 24 Running back coach Tim Beck’s former school 25 Third Husker taken in 2008 NFL Draft 26 Network for Nebraska-Colorado game 28 Ndamukong Suh’s home state 29 Winning team in Spring Game 30 Number of home games in 2008

down 1 Non-conference opponent on 2010 schedule 2 Nate Swift’s home state 4 Cody Glenn’s new position 6 Wears No. 43 9 Second Husker taken in 2008 NFL Draft 11 Assistant head coach 12 Wears No. 61 13 Associate head coach 14 Tight ends coach 18 2008 Homecoming opponent 20 Wears No. 70 21 Shawn Watson’s former school 23 First 2008 road opponent 27 Wears No. 72

Answers will appear in August issue

may croSSworD SoLUTIoN

Crossword/Trivia

HAVE IDEAS? Do you have some inspiration for a HuskerNutz cartoon?

If we use your idea, we’ll give you credit and send you and

autographed full-color print of your HuskerNutz cartoon!

send ideas to: Paul Fell Cartoons,

3215 Jamestown Lane, Lincoln, NE 68516

or email to: [email protected]


irst, some helmet history . . .

Nebraska’s football helmets underwent

a major makeover in 1966. A red stripe

was added to the crown of the white

helmets and red numbers were affixed to the

sides.

I know this to be true. My uncle, Gib

Babcock, was the equipment manager and I

helped him apply the stripes. It was before my

sophomore year at the university. I lived with

him and my aunt during the first semester, until

a room opened up in the campus dorms.

In any case, Nebraska’s varsity roster

included about 90 players, and my uncle and

I spent a couple of evenings in the north field

house, where both varsity and freshman locker

areas were located, removing helmets from

open lockers and applying the stripes.

The numbers (no duplicates back then) came

later. Or maybe my uncle had already added

them to the sides. I don’t recall. I only assisted

with the stripes.

For four seasons prior to that, dating from

the arrival of coach Bob Devaney in 1962, the

Cornhuskers wore white helmets with large

black numbers high up on the sides. There were

no stripes. Previously, the helmets had been

red, some seasons with white stripes, some not.

In 1967, the helmets were changed again.

The red stripe remained but the side numbers

were replaced with red “NU” decals. The “U”

was offset, slightly below the “N.”

The helmets weren’t changed in 1969,

though as did other schools, Nebraska added a

“100” decal across the helmet front in tribute to

a century of college football.

In 1970, the “U” was removed, leaving only

an “N” on the sides and a stripe down the

middle. In the first season of the “N,” Nebraska

won its first national championship.

Though the size of the “N” has varied over

the years, it remains the distinctive feature

of the helmets, an immediately recognizable

symbol of Cornhusker tradition.

Fans understand. But in recent seasons,

not every player has, or so it seems. After the

Spring Game, referring to the crowd of 80,149,

coach Bo Pelini said, “That sends a bolt of

energy through your team. The more current

players are exposed to that, they start feeling

that sense of responsibility they have when they

put that ‘N’ on the side of their helmet.”

The sense of responsibility to tradition is

essential, which is why that has been a priority

under Pelini and Athletic Director Tom

Osborne. Former players have been welcomed

back, encouraged to return. And their presence

has influenced current players.

“You hear all those stories about the past,”

said senior defensive tackle Ty Steinkuhler. “I

wish that had been portrayed to us more when

we got here. You don’t know any of it.”

Actually, he knows something about it

because he grew up in Nebraska

and because his dad was a

Cornhusker All-American. But

he hasn’t learned much beyond

that, he said.

The past four years, for

whatever reason, tradition was

largely ignored, if not intentionally

set aside. “It really

wasn’t talked about

that much,”

Steinkuhler

said.

“A lot of

players in the

program didn’t

know about it.”

Though he

grew up in the

Chicago area,

quarterback

Joe Ganz knows a lot

about Cornhusker tradition and

understands the responsibility

to it. “You don’t want to

let them (former players)

down,” he told Huskers

Illustrated prior to the start

of spring practice.

“That ‘N’ on the side

of your helmet is very

heavy when you start

losing.”

The “N” has been there

for more than a quarter of

a century, and all five national championships.

And it has become the symbol not just of

the intervening years but of a tradition that

pre-dates the nickname “Cornhusker” and the

colors scarlet and cream.

Pelini’s message in speaking engagements

has been that the Nebraska football program

isn’t his or Osborne’s, it is the state’s, that

student-athletes (another emphasis) aren’t

playing at Nebraska, they’re playing for

Nebraska and for the people of the state.

Senior offensive guard Matt Slauson,

another who grew up outside the state, is

among those who understand. Asked about

last season at the pre-spring news conference,

he replied, “In your own mind, you’re

like, ‘Wow, I really let down the state of

Nebraska.’ ”

Slauson’s attitude can’t be the

exception. It has to be the rule.

Among many things, Pelini has

embraced walk-ons. He has

resurrected the players’

Unity Council. And

he has emphasized

that Frank Solich’s

contributions

to the program

should not be

ignored, as was

the case the

past four years.

Solich is a part of

Cornhusker football

history, as player, assistant

coach and head coach. His

firing in 2003 didn’t change

that.

Pelini says he isn’t

building tradition. Rather,

he is leaning on it, trying

to restore it.

And that tradition is

represented by the red

“N.”

Tradition begins with the helmet

f

BoBBY reYnolds sPorts tHe earlY red Helmets

finalword By MIKE BABCOCK

Documents

2008 Football Yearbook Final