Going To Madison for the Game?

Well just a few things you should be aware of before you step into Camp Randall Stadium.

For one thing the Badger Band is well known from coast to coast and while nearly every major college band in the country presents some kind of post-game performance to entertain fans exiting the stadium, but nowhere except Camp Randall Stadium can you find 30,000 – 40,000 die-hards who will stay and stay and stay for as long as 45 – 50 minutes after the game. Fans stay to watch, sing, dance and enjoy the excitement of a latter-day Wisconsin tradition … the Fifth Quarter.

It was around 1977 that the Badger Band began to attract the attention of both students and the media with a unique approach to the “post-game show.” In addition to presenting “highlights” of the day’s pre-game and half-time shows, the Band would include an occasional arrangement that would “involve” the student section (initially it was little more than some hand clapping to You’ve Said It All or the arm waving to Varsity. Nevertheless, it was evident early on that everyone was having fun being part of the show.

As the repertoire of post-game specialties grew, so did the “choreography.” The Band members added to the festivities by adding their own bit of craziness: rolling vigorously on the ground, playing while standing on their heads or kicking their legs in the air while playing on their backs.

Then, in 1978, it was announced that the Band would delay playing You’ve Said It All until 10 minutes after the game had ended (to enable the weak-of-heart spectators to exit the upper deck before the “swaying” began), interest in the post-game grew by leaps and bounds. It was about that time that the press began referring to the post-game antics as “the Fifth Quarter.” The program for the Fifth Quarter is continually evolving there are many staples … namely, On Wisconsin, You’ve Said It All and Varsity. You will also hear (and participate in) the Beer Barrel Polka, Dance Little Bird (Chicken Dance), Tequila, Space Badgers and many, many more.

Now also be prepared for another Wisconsin specialty. The “Jump Around”. This takes place between the 3rd and 4th quarters and it is just that a Jump Around to the 1992 song Jump Around by House of Pain.

You will be warned before hand as on the video boards you will see an animated race and everyone is cheering for their section of the stadium. When the race is done, you hear the beginning of the music and the whole place goes crazy as everyone starts to jump around.

While the Jump Around is a student section venture, just look around and you will see numbers of Badger fans joining in, young ones, old ones even the band joins in going to the student section end zone. A giant mass of people having fun jumping around.

Now there is a special technique for the Jump Around. You put your arms straight up in the air and keep them up for the whole time, which is about two minutes. Then you jump up and down and sing along and then you will hear the whole stadium yelling “Jump Around”.

A number of people here in Saddlebrooke have attended games in Madison and they have told me this is the best place in the world to see a football game and really have a good time throughout the game.

Roger

The Red Clad Coot in the Desert.

            A Lot Of Winning Going On

Wow, it was a win, win, win, win, time for Husker athletes. All total there were 7 wins and only two losses over the weekend. So lets get started.

Softball:

Opening a home invitational tournament, the Huskers split games with Colorado State on Saturday. The Huskers winning the first game, 6-4, with Ashley Hageman picking up the win. Ashely ranked 10^thnationally with 31 victories last season. Sophomore Tatum Edwards took the 5-3 loss in game two. Freshman Mattie Fowler, from Tucson, hit two doubles in her first appearance as a Husker.

The Nebraska softball team swept past its competition on Sunday at the Husker Fall Classic, defeating Colorado State and UNO at Bowlin Stadium. NU opened the day with a 9-2 win over the Rams, before closing the tournament with a 10-0 victory over the Mavs.

The Husker offense came alive in the two victories, exploding for 19 runs and 28 hits. Nebraska hit three home runs in the wins, including two from junior Gabby Banda and one from sophomore Kylee Muir. Nebraska hit .453 as a team on the day with seven extra-base hits.

In the circle, Nebraska allowed only two runs on the day, including a two-hit shutout from senior right-hander Ashley Hagemann against UNO. Senior right-hander Haley Workman worked 3.0 scoreless innings against Colorado State, while sophomore right-hander Tatum Edwards earned the win with 4.0 innings against the Rams.

Soccer.

On the road, the Huskers took on Purdue on Friday and came away with a 3-0 win. Junior Morgan Marlborough’s second straight hat trick led the Huskers.

Marlborough, who now has three hat tricks on the season, is the first player in NU history to notch a hat trick in back-to-back games, while she also tied Kim Engesser (1998) for the most hat tricks in one season.

The Huskers were firing on all cylinders both offensively and defensively, as their 18 shots doubled the Boilermakers’ nine attempts and NU goalie Emma Stevens produced her second shutout of the season. The best of Stevens’ six saves came in the first half with a diving stop on Alexic Tryba’s shot on the left side of the box.

On Sunday, it was a little different as a pair of Indiana goals in the final 20 minutes of regulation resulted in the Nebraska soccer team’s first Big Ten Conference at Armstrong Stadium by a score of 2-1. After winning its first two conference games over Northwestern and Purdue, the Huskers now hold an overall record of 5-4-1 and a 2-1-0 record in league play.

The Huskers were first to strike in the second half, as Stacy Bartels scored her fifth goal of the season and her first conference goal at 49:14. After notching a pair of hat tricks in NU’s last two games, Morgan Marlborough crossed to Bartels, who put in the header at the back post. Nebraska continued to hold a 1-0 lead over the next 20 minutes until Orianica Velasquez put in the equalizer.

Carly Samp started the goal with a chip shot that got over the Husker defense, which Orianica gathered and then beat NU goalie Emma Stevens high to tie the game. The Hoosiers stuck once again at 80:30 on a rebound shot. Lisa Nouanesengsy blasted a shot that Stevens was able to block, but not hold onto, resulting in an easy goal for Devon Beach

Volleyball.

After defeating the 5^th ranked Nittney Lions, the Huskers played host to Ohio State. Rated 24^thin Lincoln. The Husker had a tough time in the first set as the score was tied eight times and finally at 23 all. Then a kill and an error gave the Huskers the first set 25-23.

In the second set, it was a replay of the first with first one then the other taking small leads and the score was again tied at 23 all. Only this time the score was 25-23 for the Buckeyes.

After the break the Huskers came out roaring and totally dominated Ohio State to win the 3^rd and 4^th sets 25-11 and 25-16 and notched their second B1G win.

Hannah Werth notched a season-high 13 kills on the night to lead and NU and pace Gina Mancuso and Morgan Broekhuis to double-figure kills as well, as both tabbed 11. Lauren Cook led NU defensively with 14 digs in addition to 41 assists. Lara Dykstra had 13 digs for the Huskers. Nebraska hit .342 for the match, while holding Ohio State to a .134 hitting percentage and only six blocks. The Buckeyes also committed 29 errors on the night.

Another Player of the Week Award.

Junior Gina Mancuso was named Co-Big Ten Player-of-the-Week for the first time in 2011 on Monday after leading Nebraska to wins over two top-25 opponents, No. 5 Penn State (3-2) and No. 24 Ohio State (3-1), last week.

Mancuso averaged 3.7 kills per set with a .319 hitting percentage, along with 1.6 digs and 0.4 blocks per set in the Huskers’ back-to-back wins. She recorded a double-double against the Nittany Lions with 22 kills and 10 digs, marking the fifth double-double of her career. She also tied her career-high mark for attacks against Penn State.

The honor marks the first conference player-of-the-week award for Mancuso and makes her the first Nebraska volleyball player to earn a Big Ten weekly award. She is averaging 3.82 kills per set and 2.46 digs per set in her junior season, while leading all NU hitters in kills. Her efforts have helped NU to a 9-1 record on the season, while starting 2-0 in conference play.

Football.

It was the biggest game played in Laramie. 32,617 fans packed the stadium and for the first half, the Cowboy fans had a lot to cheer as their team stood toe to toe with the 9^thranked Huskers and only trailed 14-7 at half time.

I read an article in the Billings, Montana paper that when the game was scheduled two years prior, fans from both sides were reserving rooms for the game. In fact some Husker fans out west bought Wyoming season tickets to make sure they had seats. It was also believed that this game with all of its fans would bring about 1.1 million dollars into Laramie.

Nebraska’s Rex Burkhead had his second 100 + rushing game with a total of 170 yards including that 46 yard dash for the first TD. This was a career high mileage and on 15 carries showed an average of 11.3 per carry. The Husker fleet of frosh backs, Abdullah, Green and Heard also had good gains accounting for a collective 88 yards.

Brett Maher missed his first field goal by a hair but his punting was fantastic. Three punts averaging 53 yards.

The second half showed a better Husker offense and defense as they racked up 24 points while allowing only one TD for the Cowboys. Line backers looked good, however the cornerbacks, well not at all like last year.

Hanging on to the ball still seems to be a problem. Four fumbles and only loosing one is luck not skill and that is something that in the next few weeks will make a big difference.

Passing finally topped 50% completion for 157 yards. Against Wisconsin, you can bet the Badger defense will be set to keep Taylor Martinez from running so his accuracy in passing will have to be better than it was Saturday. To many widely missed passes.

Did you notice a play we haven’t seen since last year? Kind of makes you wonder what else is in that play book that we haven’t seen yet. Remember the Wildcat formation? Burkhead ran it three times picking up 28 and 6. That’s the play he ran so successfully last year.

I kind of feel that the defense play book also carries some hidden things. We haven’t seen many rushes against the QB but that will have to come against Wisconsin. Last year at this time, we had 11 sacs. This year we only have 6. Russell Wilson, the Badger QB is adding a lot of passing attack as like Saturday he tossed for 345 yards going 19-25.

It is nice to have Alfonzo Dennard back although he wasn’t going full bore. I bet Wilson and his receivers are looking very close at our “young” secondary and planning their moves.

Roger

The Red Clad Coot in the Desert

                      Ragtime Cowboy Joe

       Wyoming-Ne is the most anticipated game in UW Football

It’s been a few years since we have taken on the Wyoming Cowboys. Now don’t confuse them with that team down in Oklahoma, these are the real Cowboys. Brown uniforms, just like leather. A school song that is Rag Time Cowboy Joe, and of course their team mascot that just happens to be a 4^th generation pony named Cowboy Joe who will circle the field after each Wyoming score. Lets hope Cowboy Joe has an easy day.

In the other matches between these two team it has always been in Lincoln. This is the first venture into the Cowboy corral. We haven’t played them since 1994.

The major desire of the Cowboys is to lasso the Huskers or at least really make them sweat it out. And they have the guns to do it. So far they are 3-0 with wins over Weber State 35-32, Texas State 45-10 and on the road they pulled one out with a blocked field goal attempt beating Bowling Green 28-27 in Ohio.

Freshman quarterback, Brett Smith, is the offensive leader hitting 61.8% in passing for an average of 265. He also just doesn’t stay in the box as he also averages 51 yards rushing. The offense is well balanced with a  226 rushing average with three good running backs: Jr. Ghaali Muhammad, So. Brandon Miller, and Alvester Alexander a Jr.

Receivers, wow there has been a big number of them and playing a west coast spread you need them. Robert Herron (6), Mazi Ogbouna (2) and Chris McNeill (80) are his main targets. All total there are 5 receivers with over 100 yards in receptions in three games.

On defense, the Cowboys have punctured the offense with 9 sacks to date. Korey Jones, a DE/LB has captured 4 of them and one other tackle for a loss. They also have three very active D-guys with each scoring 23 tackles or assists for the year.

Following Texas States lost to Wyoming, Coach Dennis Franchione was asked to describe the Cowboys. “They are Cowboy tough.” So beware Nebraska, the Cowboys would love nothing more than to treat their fans to a win over a #9 ranked team.

If you have never paid much attention to women’s volleyball, but for curiosity sake, you just tuned into BTN  Wednesday night to the match between Penn State and our Huskers, I am sure you are now convinced it is a great sport to watch.

Although winning the first two sets 25-18 and 25-16, the scores in no way describe the games as they were played. In the first set the score was either tied or a one point lead by either team for the first ten points. Slowly the Big Red pulled away for a 4 or 5 point lead , 15-11, 17-13, 18-14 then at 20-15 took control and finished with the 25-18 win.

In the second set, the Huskers took early control maintaining a 3 or 4 point lead until a short rally by the Lions closed it to 10-9. Back came the Huskers going 14-10 then up to 20-14 and closed it out at 25-16.

In the third set, the Lions told themselves they had enough of this and took an early lead. Up 11-5 the crowd got back in it and the Big Red fought back to tie the score at 17 all. Penn State grabbed the lead back and held it by one or two points finally closing it out at 23-25.

In the forth set, it seemed like Nebraska had run out of gas and had lost the tempo they showed in the first three sets. It wasn’t much to shout about as the Nittney Lions picked up the lead early and never looked back as they won 18-25.

The fifth set is a shortened one to 15 points but win by two. You got to start fast and with the roaring crowd of 4186 red clad fans on their feet the whole time, the team won the first 3 points and then kept it up going 6-4, 8-6, 10-6 and on to a 15-10 win. The first B1G win for the Vballers.

This was a big win and a very tough “welcome to the B1G”. Penn State is the 4 time winner of the NCAA Championship and have also won 8 straight conference championships.

Nebraska coach John Cook tried to downplay the match this week to his players and fans, calling it only the first of 20 conference matches. When reality hit and NU won, though, Cook had a wide smile. He even had a hug for Gina Mancuso, who had a team-high 22 kills in her biggest match as a regular starter.

“Even though they’re ranked fifth, they’re the defending national champs, so that’s why I call them Goliath,” Mancuso said. “It was just an amazing experience tonight. I’m so proud of how everyone played.”

“It feels good to see this team when we got into the defining moment — the game five — how well we executed,” Coach Cook added. “They took it up a notch. Even setter Lauren (Cook) got a stuff block, and they were working her pretty good.” (Yes, Lauren is the coaches daughter.)

He also added that in that fifth set, the noise of the crowd was something that even hurt his ears and actually the floor shook, when the match ended.

Four Huskers racked up double-figure digs to help hold Penn State to .182 hitting (second lowest of season). Lauren Cook had 17 digs, Hannah Werth 13, Morgan Broekhuis 11 and Mancuso 10.

Now if your all excited about seeing volleyball, well tune into the Big Ten Network for a replay of the Saturday Ohio State at Nebraska match up. This will be a delayed broadcast but you can see it at 3 PM on Sunday.

Roger

The Red Clad Coot in the Desert

Another great article by Gary Anderson

To all Big Red Fans:

I know everyone is starting to gear up for the big road trip to Madison and the Big Red’s first B1G TEN football game. But that can wait. There is something else big happening way before then.

This Wednesday, the Nebraska volleyball team will host its first ever B1G TEN conference match. The match will be shown live on the B1G TEN Network, starting at 5:00 p.m. Tucson time. For the first time since I moved to Arizona, I can actually watch a regular season Nebraska volleyball match live on TV! I am hoping that Touchdowns will have the match on at least one screen. Volleyball and happy hour specials should go together.

As you already know, the B1G TEN does not welcome anyone with kid gloves. On Wednesday, the B1G TEN is throwing Nebraska’s volleyball team to the lions – the Nittany Lions of Penn State. This year’s Penn State’s volleyball team is currently ranked #5. Their record so far this year is 7-3, with all three losses to teams ranked in the top 15. Nebraska’s volleyball team is ranked #10 with a record of 7-1, having lost at top-20 Colorado State. This year’s rankings are impressive, to be sure. But they are just the tip of the iceberg.

Since the NCAA took over the sanctioning of women’s volleyball in 1981, most of the consistently elite teams have come from either California or Hawai’i. Even today, there is a very short list of teams east of the Rockies who get mentioned as volleyball powerhouses. Nebraska and Penn State are at the top of that list. From 1995 through 2006, a 12-year run when Big Red volleyball appeared in seven final fours and won three national titles [including 2006, when the final four was at the Qwest center in Omaha], Nebraska could lay claim to the title “Beast of the East”. Today, Penn State wears that crown, along with any other crown they can get their hands on. And they have earned it. The Penn State volleyball team has won the last eight B1G TEN conference titles. The Penn State volleyball team has also won the last four national titles, with a combined match record over those four years of 142-7.

Nebraska volleyball is still a powerhouse. But right now, Penn State volleyball is a dynasty.

These two programs know each other well. If I read the history books correctly, Nebraska and Penn State have faced each other 17 times already, with 9 of those coming in the NCAA tournament (that includes three regional finals and two final four matches). Their last meeting was at the 2008 Final Four, where Penn State won a five-game thriller in front of an NCAA record crowd of 17,430 at the Qwest Center. [The 2008 Penn State team was probably the greatest NCAA volleyball team of all time. Not only did they have a 38-0 match record, but they started the season by winning their first 110 games! [Nebraska was the only team to win any games against the 2008 Penn State team.] This is not an “instant rivalry”; the rivalry is already there.

This isn’t just any match. This is a volleyball showcase for two storied programs. This is also a showcase for the “Power of Red” in what just might be the finest volleyball venue on the mainland – the NU Coliseum.

The NU Coliseum has a lot of history. The Coliseum has hosted intercollegiate athletic events since 1926. Starting in 1975, it has been the primary home of the Nebraska volleyball team. My first experience with the Nebraska volleyball was at the Coliseum back in October 1989, when I was still a student. Hawai’i, ranked #1 at the time, came to Lincoln for two matches against #4 Nebraska. Even with minimal off-campus advertising, the Fire Marshall had to lock the doors 45 minutes before tipoff on both nights (seating capacity back then was about 3,000). The athletic talent and skill levels on both sides of the court were incredible. Nebraska got swept on Friday, but regrouped to win the rematch on Saturday. The Coliseum rocked, especially after every kill from Janet Kruse [pronounced “Kroo-oo-oo-oose”]. And I was hooked.

The NU Coliseum last underwent major renovations in 1991. The original plan was to relocate the Nebraska volleyball team to a 1,200-seat gym inside Mabel Lee Hall, perhaps permanently. However, when that plan was announced, there was such a cry of protest from volleyball fans and from the campus at large that the Athletic Department backpedaled. Home matches in 1991 were played at the Devaney Center. Plans for the renovated NU Coliseum were redrawn to expand seating and to improve the volleyball facilities. The renovated NU Coliseum reopened as a volleyball venue in 1992, and maintains much of that same configuration today. Nebraska Coach John Cook has said the NU Coliseum has a Roman feel to it. I think he is being very careful and diplomatic with his words. But as someone who has attended volleyball matches at the NU Coliseum after its renovation, I think I know what he is saying. And he is exactly right.

In its current configuration, the NU Coliseum is a volleyball pit! And it is perfect. If you ever have the chance to attend a volleyball match at the Coliseum, go. You’ll be glad you did.

The NU Coliseum is not a big facility. In fact, it may be the smallest volleyball venue in the B1G TEN. But what the NU Coliseum might lack in size, it more than makes up for with atmosphere and passion. And I will bet that the NU Coliseum is the most intimidating volleyball venue in the B1G TEN, if not on the mainland. The Big Red Nation loves its volleyball. The fans keep filling the NU Coliseum. Wednesday’s match will be the 153^rd consecutive Coliseum sellout – a streak that stretches back to 2001. That is why Nebraska normally trails only Hawai’i [where volleyball is a national sport] in average attendance. And that crowd support is a big part of why volleyball players want to come to Nebraska. As much as Nebraska fans love their volleyball, the Nebraska volleyball team loves the feel of the NU Coliseum and its crowds.

The NU Coliseum has a rated seating capacity for volleyball of 4,030, although for big matches the actual attendance will probably be around 4,200. The court is tucked into the south end of the Coliseum. There are permanent bleachers along the south wall of the building, while temporary bleachers are set up along the opposite sideline on what used to be the men’s basketball floor. The bleachers are fairly tight to the sidelines. There are balconies above the south bleachers and above the box seats behind both end lines. The fans are knowledgeable and practically on top of the court. And they are LOUD, especially when they sense the Big Red needs a boost. When the Coliseum crowd really gets rolling, you can’t hear yourself think.

By comparison, Penn State’s Rec Hall has over 6,800 seats for volleyball. Last year, Penn State had an average attendance for home volleyball matches of 3,274, which was fifth in the nation. Even though that is a good attendance number, it means the bleachers at Rec Hall are usually only half full. Now Rec Hall, like most NCAA volleyball venues, is a multi-purpose facility. At most NCAA venues, and even at the Devaney Center, the volleyball court is laid out inside a much larger basketball floor. A volleyball match at the Devaney Center has a much different feel than a match at the Coliseum. At the Devaney Center, there is a lot of empty space between the crowd and the court, which can make it difficult for the crowd to feel like a part of the match. The NU Coliseum does not have that “dead zone”. The crowd and the players are “up close and personal” with each other, and they bond.

For the Nebraska volleyball team, the Devaney Center is a nice place to visit once a year, as they did this last Saturday. Even the Qwest Center is a nice place to visit. But the NU Coliseum is home. The Nebraska volleyball team loves to play there, and hates to lose there. In NCAA play, Nebraska has lost only 5 conference matches at the NU Coliseum. That is five Big 8 and/or Big XII conference matches in 30 years. Now that is a home court advantage!

I can almost hear it now, rising from the Nebraska locker room and ringing from the rafters. “You may be Penn State, the Beast of the East and the queens of the B1G TEN. But this is the NU Coliseum. We are Nebraska! We must protect this house!”

Bring it on. Go Big Red!

Gary Anderson

.

Who won the first outing in the Big Ten?

The Women’s Soccer team.

Armed with another hat trick by Morgan Marlborough, the Lady Huskers notched our first ever Big Ten win by downing Northwestern University 3-1. Morgan notched her first goal to open the game and then ten minutes later scored her second goal and the 50^th goal of her collegiate career when senior Katie Goetzmann booted a perfect ball from 40 yards out to senior Molly Thomas, who setup a cross that was deflected in by Marlborough.

The Wildcats got their goal in the second half following a handball error by Stacy Bartels. The penalty kick landed in the back of the net to make it 2-1. The Huskers sealed the victory at 76:10 with Marlborough’s third goal of the game. The 2010 All-American cut through the Wildcat defense and nearly put the shot too high, but it hit the crossbar at just the right angle to drop in.

Junior Morgan Marlborough made her conference debut in dramatic style with her second hat trick of the season and the fourth of her career. She also became just the fourth Husker in school history to score 50 or more goals in a career and now sits third on Nebraska’s career list with 51 goals, trailing Christine Latham (69) and Kim Engesser (53).

Did you ever wonder where A hat-trick or hat trick in sports came from? It’s the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson’s feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he was presented with a hat bought with the proceeds.  The term was used in print for the first time in 1878.

Another first was achieved by the No. 10 Volleyball Team, as they met the No. 12 Iowa State Cyclones for the first time in non conference play. With a 3-0 sweep, in front of 10,380 fans at the Devaney Center, the Huskers increased their record to 79-1 against ISU in a series that dates back to 1975.

Junior Gina Mancuso led the Huskers totaling 14 kills on 35 attacks and a hitting percentage of .371. Mancuso also had 11 digs on the night, giving her the fourth double-double of her career. She also totaled three service aces for the Huskers. Sophomore Morgan Broekhuis notched 11 kills of her own, while junior Lauren Cook tallied 38 assists.

The first set was a tight one with the teams tying at 20-20 before the Huskers broke away to win 25-23. The second and third sets were far easier with wins of 25-15 and 25-18.

This series will continue as the volleyball relations between the two schools is very solid. Coach Christy Johnson of Iowa State is a former Nebraska All American and the team is always loaded with a number of Nebraska girls and naturally all our Nebraska native players know the Iowa State Nebraska girls. So its a great get together again.

You probably knew that Coach John Cook was named Big 12 Coach of the Year four times. But did you also know that he has also been named Big Ten Coach of the Year as coach of the Wisconsin Badgers?

The Big Ten is again rated as a top volleyball conference. Illinois is ranked 3^rd and Penn State 5^th while Minnesota is 9^th and the Huskers 10^th. Other B1G teams are purdue 14, Michigan 18 and Ohio State 25. Only the PAC 12 has this kind of record.

The Huskers return to the Coliseum on Wednesday, Sept. 21 for their first Big Ten Conference match against Penn State. NU will take on the No. 5 Nittany Lions at 5 p.m. (our time) in a match that will air live on the Big Ten Network. So if your going to be on your way home at that time, make sure you have preset your TV to record the match so you can catch the action.

The Nebraska women’s cross country team captured its 17th title at the 22nd annual Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational Saturday at Pioneers Park. The women’s university division victory marked their seventh consecutive Woody Greeno title, while the Husker men added a third-place finish.

Jessica Furlan led the Huskers with a third-place individual finish in a time of 21:32.08, which placed her 11th on the all-time Pioneers Park performance list. The Huskers placed three more in the top 15, including senior Erica Hamik’s fifth-place showing and Katie White’s sixth-place effort. Ashley Miller added a 12th-place performance.

Trevor Vidlak led the Nebraska men with a fourth-place finish in a time of 24:46.22. Vidlak’s time was more than 2:30 faster than his time at the Woody Greeno a year ago. Jim Walmsley of Air Force claiming the individual title. Walmsley claimed his second straight Greeno title in the sixth-fastest time (24:15.3) in Pioneers Park history. Wyoming’s Greg Miller took second and Air Force’s Jeremy Drenckhahn finished third.

Now will the real Big Red Football team take the stage. There were moments when, yes, the real team was on the field.

Remember these: # 22 rushed right for 7 yards

# 22 rushed right for 9 yards

# 22 rushed right for 18 yards

and then,

# 22 rushed right for 3 yards

Ok, not another rush to the right.

# 22 rushed LEFT for 6 yards and a TD.

This was all one series of plays. Good old hard core Nebraska football. Pound them and do it again and again and again. And this required the OL to be very active.

Did you also notice that fullback Tyler Legate carried off the right side twice. The first time to catch a short pace and score. Then later on took a handoff and went right again for a 36 yard gain to set up another score. It looked like the old fullback draw, but there usually was some hesitation before the handoff. I remember against Miami in ‘94 two draws that Cory Schlesinger turned into gold crested scores to beat Miami 24-17 for the National Championship.

In the second half it seemed the true OL came into being and we got to see some new talent in this game. How about Aaron Green 5 for 36 on the ground and one pass reception for 25 and six points and he also scored a TD on a 6 yard run. Hey that’s not bad, six ball touches and two touchdowns.  Braylon Heard also contributed 34 yards on 5 plays with his longest run of 25.

Did you notice how any times Taylor Martinez hit the ground or ran OB? That guy is learning and Coach Beck is reminding him all the time not to sacrifice his body for another yard or two. Also saw he had both hands on the ball before he was tackled, too.

Another sign of the Real Huskers was a couple of tackles by Meredith and Crick on the Washington Quarterback. Meredith hit him head on and Crick hit him from the back side. My bones are still aching after seeing those two hits. Did you know that Quarterback Keith Price’s nickname is Teeth? That’s ‘cause he is always smiling and darn, after those two hits he did get up smiling.

This is the best game the Huskers have played this year, although there were still enough times that Bo and Carl were shaking their heads. Defense. The 4thQ was a little, well, but remember there were a lot of non starters on the field and the Huskies didn’t have far to go starting on the 32, 43 and 52 slots. Black shirts still haven’t been handed out and probably wont be after this game. Especially with the opponents scoring 25 a game.

Well that’s about all for now and the door is opening on more Big Ten match ups. Today I did all of this while watching the Big Ten Network with the Husker Soccer and Volleyball games. In case I haven’t told you, I really love this network.  Hope you are enjoying it too.

Roger

The Red Clad Coot in the Desert

Its Game Day: The Huskies vs. The Huskers.

The series sets with one game apiece. The Huskers winning a year ago and the Huskies winning in the bowl game. Saturday is game three and I saw a pole that UNL was a 16 point favorite. But then the betters didn’t say which Nebraska team would show up, but it looks like they are betting on the team that played in Seattle last year.

Head Coach Steve Sarkisian made it clear Monday, in the same forum he used to challenge his players seven days earlier: He will not let up on his young team, even though it is 2-0 for just the second time in 10 seasons and on a six-game winning streak overall, tied with Oklahoma and Central Florida for the nation’s fourth-longest active one.

“You try to paint a picture. I’m not going to send them in there without them knowing anything about it,” said Sarkisian, who coached USC’s offense to an 18-point win in 2007 at Nebraska’s 81,000-seat Memorial Stadium and calls it a “tremendous environment.”

“But the reality of it is part of it is I’m not here to coddle these guys, either. … We will make sure they are mentally tough enough to handle the environment.

QB Keith Price opened the game against Hawaii with his first eight passes all completed. He hit for 272 yards and three scores before the first half ended. All total Keith hit 31-45 with total yardage of 333 yards. His favorite was Devin Aquilar with 5 nabs for 131 yards and Jenkins Seferian with 3 for 91 yards. There were also 7 other receivers for the day.

In punting, well, it didn’t look to good just averaging 24.3 yards on 3 attempts. For two games they are only averaging 38.4. Compare that with our 50.+ per kick of the Huskers.

Based on two games, Chris Polk is averaging 116 yards rushing while Price is averaging 208 yards in passing.

A negative for the Huskies defense has been in pass protection. In two games the opponents have allowed an average of 403 yards passing and another 43 yards rushing for a total of 446 yards per game.

Our defense in the secondary will have to carry a big load in this game. Our defensive line, which collected no sacks last game, will have to come alive to hinder the QB who is throwing at a 70.0% completion record for two games.

Its time to see the rushing game being conducted by more than one player. Rex Burkhead ran for 55 yards but most of those, 30+ were in the last quarter. All three of the remaining backs can also carry the ball and get yardage. We have seen that already. I get jumpy seeing  T-Magic the way he carries the ball loosely and again we saw how easy it is for the ball to come loose.

Game time here in the Old Pueblo will be 12:30 and both watch sites will be open. If you can’t make it to one of them, well catch them on ESPN.

The Nebraska men’s golf team won the season-opening Fairway Club Invitational by eight strokes after shooting 302 at Arbor Links Golf Course in Tuesday’s final round. The victory marks the Huskers’ first since the 2010 Mizzou Intercollegiate.

Sophomore Manuel Lavin led the way for NU, earning a career-best second place finish after firing an even-par 72 in the final round. Lavin finished two strokes behind the medalist, Missouri State’s Daily Young, who finished at 3-under-par 213.

Also notching top-10 results for the Huskers were Neil Dufford and Scott Willman. Dufford added a 75 to the NU total on Tuesday, while Willman posted 77. Dufford produced a career-best tie for seventh place finish, with 221 strokes. Willman tied for 10^th at 223.

Kayla Knopik, Steffi Neisen tied for low Husker scores and Madeleine Sheils finished strong so that all three produced top-10 individual finishes. T he Nebraska women’s golf team finished fourth in a hotly contested Chip-N Club Invitational at the Country Club of Lincoln on Tuesday.

Knopik, a senior from Papillion, Neb., fired a three-over-par 75 to tie for sixth and produced the first top-10 finish of her collegiate career. Knopik’s three-round total of 227 (75-77-75) also matched her career best, which she set last season at the UNLV Spring Invitational. Knopik’s previous best tournament finish came at the 2010 BYU Entrada Classic, when she tied for 14th.

Neisen, a sophomore from New Prague, Minn., added the best tournament finish of her young career by tying Knopik for sixth at 227. Neisen, who entered the final round in a third place after firing a tournament-best 71 on the Country Club’s 6,186-yard, par-72 layout in the second round, settled for a final-round 78 Tuesday.

Senior Madeleine Sheils matched Knopik for the Huskers’ best round of the day with a 75 to move up two spots on the leader board to finish in 10th place. The Boise, Idaho, native finished at 229 (77-77-75).

Sophomore Katelyn Wright provided Nebraska’s fourth score in the final round with a 79. The Incline Village, Nev., native closed the tournament in a tie for 38th at 243.

Nebraska junior Janine Weinreich claimed Big Ten Women’s Tennis Athlete-of-the-Week honors, when the conference announced its first weekly award winner on Wednesday.

It is Weinreich’s first career weekly Big Ten honor and the first by any Husker tennis player in history. It also marks only the fifth individual Big Ten Conference honor awarded to a Nebraska athlete since the Huskers joined the conference in July.

Weinreich, a native of Tespe, Germany, won the Flight A singles title at the Drake Invitational in Des Moines, Iowa over the weekend. She turned in a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Northern Iowa’s Jessica Kunzelmann in the semifinals, before defeating Husker teammate Mary Weatherholt, 6-4, 6-2 in the final round.

Yes this is a very busy weekend for Husker Sports with women’s tennis, cross country, football, volleyball, and soccer all lining up for your attention. The last three events are all on TV. Saturday at 12:30 on ESPN will be the Husker-Huskies best of three match up.

Saturday night at 6 PM the #10 ranked Huskers pair off against Iowa State ranked 15^th. This will be a delayed broadcast till 3 PM on Sunday. Also on Sunday is another tape delayed match between UNL and Northwestern in soccer and will be at 1:00 PM.. This will be the first Big Ten event of the year. This will also be replayed at 6:00 pm on Monday.

Now get yourself used tuning into Big Ten Network and the home page. At the top you will see all the pages and click on Shows then go to TV Schedule. You will find a listing of all the scheduled broadcasts of all the Big Ten sports for the next two weeks. These will be either live events, delayed broadcasts or reruns.

Roger

The Red Clad Coot in the Desert

I remember, as a retiree, that I was working on a golf course in Lincoln and had come into the shop to use the bathroom. The inside staff were circled around a small TV and someone mentioned World Trade Centers and what had happened, and my reaction was, “Oh yea sure.” When I came back I stopped and that is when the second plan hit the other tower. This was real. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing as well as thousands of other Americans. I saw people jumping off the upper floors, I saw the buildings coming down, I saw the waves of dust rolling through the canyon streets and people running for their lives.

I cried.

I would encourage you to read Randy York’s column which is listed on the Home Page.

Now for Nebraska Sports.

“Anybody, Anywhere, Anytime.” Well you heard that before, but it also describes the Husker Soccer team as they traveled to Blacksburg, VA to take on a pair of top-25 ranked teams. First up was Virginia Tech, 6-0, and ranked 25^th and then 4-1, 18^th ranked Wake Forest. Combined, those team are 10-1 and both are in the ACC. This was the first Husker meeting with these schools.

The match against Tech was a real shootout with both teams scoring 3 goals in regulation time. Jordan Jackson, with two goals and Morgan Marlborough adding one led the team back to a tie after they fell behind 3-1. In the second overtime Stacy Bartels booted one in to defeat the previously unbeaten Hokies 4-3.

In the second match, the Huskers and the Demon Deacons battled to a scoreless first half although both teams had a number of shots at goal. The home team scored first on a rebound from a corner kick but Nebraska came right back with Marlborough scoring on a rebound. It was a scoreless first eight minutes of overtime with both teams playing tight defense but then Rachel Nussolese scored the winning goal the Wake Forest.

“Our team played well and competed intensely versus an excellent team,” Head Coach John Walker said. “The result is disappointing but the performance and effort were strong. We are a much better and much tougher team now than we were a week ago.”

The Huskers will now prepare for their first Big Ten Conference game, which is slated for Sunday, Sept. 18, against Northwestern. Kickoff is set for Noon at the Nebraska Soccer Field and the game will be streamed live on BTN.com. The game will also be shown on the Big Ten Network on tape delay at 1 p.m. on Sunday. (Oh I love this Big Ten Network.)

The No. 11 Nebraska volleyball team made quick work of the Weber State Wildcats 3-0 (25-15, 25-7, 25-16) in the final match of the 2011 Ameritas Player’s Challenge.

Gina Mancuso led the way for NU with 15 kills on 26 attempts, notching a hitting percentage of .500. Morgan Broekhuis had six kills of her own, as Hayley Thramer and Brooke Delano both had five. Lauren Cook tabbed 33 assists and Lara Dykstra had 16 digs for NU. Nebraska out-blocked Weber State six to three in the match.

The Wildcats committed 16 errors and hit only .071 for the match. Nebraska hit .398, aided by a .522 second set. NU held Weber State to a match-high 16 points in set three.

Starting Saturday, we will see the women on BTN starting with Iowa State and then Penn State on the 21^st followed by Ohio State on the 24^th.

(Gosh, I love this BTN, or did I already say that?) Any way the games will be at 6 and then at 5 for the last two.

Monday and Tuesday sees the women and men tee it up for the start of the Fall Golf Season. The ladies will be playing at home at the Country Club of Lincoln hosting 17 other teams, one of whom is Iowa, a Big Ten companion. The men will play host at Arbor Links at Nebraska City for 12 other teams. Arbor was a course built with the USGA as a control test for environmental control. This was built in a somewhat marshy area with controls of new fertilizers to keep water contamination at an exact minimum. You can follow both tournaments on Golfstat.com and it is live scoring with results for every team posted on a hole by hole mark up.

The University of Washington is preparing themselves for their upcoming duel with the ‘Skers. They are wondering which team will show up. The one that played a year ago or the one they played in a bowl game, or the one who played the first half against Fresno State, particularly the Husker Defense.

Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere is right about the Dogs of Fresno State. They came to play, but it didn’t seem the Huskers did. Living on laurels already? The offensive line, well they are young.

Offense: Burkhead carried the ball 15 times with his longest run 9 yards. He averaged 3.7 yards. Last year he was averaging 5-6 yards a carry. Where is the running game, besides Martinez?

OK, now for a couple of high points, particularly in the true freshman ranks.

Ameer Abdullah: 5 kickoff returns for a total of 211 yards, a new school record. One of these returns was 100 yards for a TD.

Jamal Turner: he is a guy who we need for more play time. 3 receptions for 63 yards and the longest was 43 yards.

Brett Maher: well he didn’t have a chance for a field goal, but his punting slipped some.

Last week he averaged 52 yards and this time he was only 50.8. Hey Bret we still love you guy since you dumped two of them within the 20 yard line.

On defense Will Compton, Lavonte David and Damion Stafford were the definite leaders as they totaled 16 solos, 25 assists. At the end of two games, these three guys rank the three top defensive spots.

Now a question. Are we still suffering from the Callahan era? Well remember the Osborne era. A player would join as a Freshman and get beaten up on the scrimmage team., then as a Soph maybe get some playing time and far more as a Junior, and maybe even a starting position. Then of course the senior year, a leader of the team.

The problem today is that those guys who would be Seniors this year, from the Callahan recruiting eare all gone, both on defense and offense. And they were gone before this year. So we are suffering with a not fully Husker squad, who are still learning the style and history of Nebraska. That aloing with an offense that ventures away from the west coast offensive to the new Beck game plan, has lead a lot of learning time. To bad Bo didn’t get rid of Watson a couple of years ago and insert Beck in so the team is familiar with the new offense, and experienced in it.

So I guess the role for us Husker fans is to be patient, to let the team grow, be satisfied with a winning season. Our time will come within the next few years. We have a great coaching staff and the Husker will climb back to a top rated team is under way.

The Husker Nation will get there. As the new student chant goes:

“We Cant Be Beat, We Wont Be Beat”

Roger

The Red Clad Coot in the Desert

“Anybody, Anytime, Anywhere”

One thing you can say about Fresno State, the Bull Dogs from the Joaquin Valley in California, they do have an Attitude. And what you see above is their Attitude.

Like Head Coach Pat Hill says, “”Many people debate our schedule, but our schedule has allowed us to recruit better athletes. It has also given us great national exposure and I truly believe our fans love the chance to see a high level of competition in Bulldog Stadium. Our community gets to see the Bulldogs compete against the best in the nation here in the Valley.”

And just to prove that they live up to their Attitude they have chalked up a 17-15 record against BCS -AQ foes. In bowl games, the Dogs are 4-1 against BCS teams. This year’s schedule is an example. They start off with Cal then follow up with Nebraska and then Oct 1 they take on Ole Miss. This is the last years for Fresno in the Western Athletic Conference as next year they will be in the Mountain West Conference. In their season opener against USC, the Dogs had a little trouble getting started, similar to Nebraska’s game. Fresno played a far better second half but lost 36-21.

Coach Hill has installed a Pro Style offense, geared to make his players very desirable for NFL drafting. In the early practice sessions, Sophomore Derek Carr and a band of receivers showed just what they can do. There was no doubt these guys had worked hard over the summer “vacation” to insure they could live up to their Attitude.

Key new receivers for Carr are Red Shirt Frosh Josh Harper (3) and Greg Watson (10) who made some outstanding catches in the spring camp. The real go to guy is Red Shirt Senior Devon Wylie (7) finishes out an array of receivers that will give Nebraska’s secondary a real match up. Against USC, Carr threw 21-33 for 142 yards and Wylie pulled in 5 passes for 75 yards. Carr needs a little more help from his OL as he was sacked for a total of 33 yards.

Rated as probably the best receiver in the WAC is Junior Jamel Hamler who led last year with 812 reception yards and 6 TDS. Another Junior to keep your eyes on is Rachel Evans (9) who was limited last year due to injuries. In spite of that he was the second leading receiver. He is heavily used in punt returns, ranking third in the WAC.

In the back field, Coach Pitt says, “.Robbie Rouse (8) is our starter. That’s clear cut. He’s an every-down back. Both A.J. Ellis (23) and Milton Knox (2) had a good camp and Michael Harris (26) is starting to come on. We feel we have four really good backs and any of them can play, but Rouse is definitely our starter. If one gets a hot hand, we’ll roll with them for a while. It’s not running back by committee, but we got good running backs and hopefully they’ll all get their shots. It’s good to have a stable of running backs as we’ve found out here in the past. We’ve got a good group.”

On defense, they are returning a very solid and experienced bunch of hungry guys. Ten players figured into all their games so rotation is key to their defense. Two leaders of the defense are Derron Smith and L.J. Jones, each getting 7 solo tackles against USC.

The first Player of the Week awards of the Big Ten was announced. Would you believe 2 Huskers were selected for this weekly award. That’s right, so ladies first.

Junior Morgan Marlborough earned her first Big Ten Offensive Player-of-the-Week award after scoring five goals over last weekend, including a hat trick against Northern Arizona on Sunday. Marlborough shared the honor with Penn State sophomore Maya Hayes, who also had a hat trick against Pittsburgh.

Marlborough’s hat trick on Sunday was the 28th hat trick in Nebraska soccer history and her third career hat trick. The Lee’s Summit, Mo., native has notched three of NU’s last four hat tricks, as Ann Caniglia produced the other against Kansas in 2009.

Now for the Gentleman, Brett Mahar.Nebraska place-kicker/punter Brett Maher was recognized for his performance in the Huskers’ season opener, while also making Nebraska football history. The junior from Kearney, Neb., was named the Big Ten Special Teams Co-Player of the Week this morning and earned the College Football Performance Award as National Place Kicker of the Week this afternoon.

Maher’s Big Ten honor is the first individual honor won by a Husker football player. He shared the Big Ten honor with Penn State kick returner Chaz Powell.

Maher went 4-for-4 on field goals, including kicks of 50 and 48 yards, and 4-for-4 on extra points in helping the Huskers to a 40-7 win over Chattanooga. In addition, he punted four times, averaging 52.0 yards per kick, and placed a pair of kicks inside the UTC 20-yard line. Maher’s was the highest single-game average by a Husker since 2005 and the best at home since the 2002 campaign.

Its time for the Ameritas Player’s Challenge Volleyball tournament. Each year, four teams gather to battle it out and after dropping to11^th after their lost to 15^th ranked Colorado State last weekend, the Huskers pounded Creighton 3-0 (25-14, 26-24, 25-16) on Thursday night in front of a sold-out crowd at the NU Coliseum to kick off the 2011 Ameritas Player’s Challenge.

While celebrating the 150^th consecutive sellout at the NU Coliseum, the Huskers saw junior Gina Mancuso tally the second double-double of her career, with 12 kills and 10 digs. Sophomore Morgan Broekhuis totaled 13 kills for Nebraska, while junior Lauren Cook had 33 assists. Nebraska notched 55 digs, compared to Creighton’s 41 and held the Bluejays to a .053 hitting percentage for the match.

Nebraska will be back at the Coliseum today for the second day of the Ameritas Players Challenge to take on Saint Mary’s. The Huskers then conclude the tournament on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. with a match against Weber State at the Coliseum.

Now if you would like to see the Lady Huskers play, well thank Tom Osborne for moving us to the Big Ten and to the Big Ten Network. Check out the schedule at Huskers.com and notice that the Volleyballers will be on the tube 14 times with the first conference match against Penn State on Sept 21.

I had to miss last nights BTN coverage since we had a board meeting for SOAZ4NE. Hey Mr. President we will have to watch our scheduling of future meetings so we can watch our Husker Sports on the Big Ten Network.

Now remember this the next time you go to web site. Register to receive notices that a new posting has been made on the site. That way you will get your information on time and know what is going on with SOAZ4NE.

Now one other little tidbit for those who populate our Watch Sites. During half time we would like to help you celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, getting engaged or what ever else your celebrating and let us join you. If you will be suffering from one of these or other celebrations let the Team Captains know. That’s Scott Fruit at Fox and Hounds or Keith Bauman at Touchdown. That’s just another way all of us can have more fun at our watch sites. You will get your picture taken and show up in the Events Gallery.

Roger

The Red Clad Coot in the Desert

Huskers & The Mocs

I was more concerned that UNL would have such an easy time that we wouldn‘t have any way to examine ourselves. My whole credit goes to the Mocs as they presented a very admirable first game opponent. They were tough and wouldn’t quit.

Now to the game. Obviously, since I am not a top ten coach, my comments don’t mean a lot to anyone, but it is fun for me. So if you think I am the dumb bum I appear to be, send me an e-mail and I will publish it.

On Defense: Jarod Crick was double and triple timed a lot and still was in to do considerable damage to the Mocs offense like two TFL. Since he was drawing all the attention, that’s probably why the huskers had a total of 14 tackles for losses of 64 yards.

One player that really impressed me was Cameron Meridith. Early in the game when he was helped of the field I just had to pray he would return. And that he did. Wow, what a performance from a guy who switched from LB to DE. He had two sacks for 22 yard losses and two other tackles behind the line. Then toss in a volley ball style interception just outside the goal line. And did he lower the boom a couple of times. Ouch! Later in the 4th quarter when the Mocs had a field goal blocked guess who grabbed up the loose ball.

Another player, Damion Stafford just lowered the boom, big time, on a Moc in the third quarter. One of the hardest hits I’ve seen in a long time. He ended up with 5 solos and 1 assist. There were some other big hits and power pancake blocks and that is good.

On Offense: Not to impressed with the OL. Seems like lots of time plays were stopped very early for little if any yards, or worse yet, a loss.

Rex Burkhead carried 11 times for 75 yards with one of 52 yards. The other 10 carries only averaged 2.3 yards each. Last year he was hitting around 5 yards per carry. We need to have 2nd and 5 or 4 not 8 or 9. To this extent I do have to be concerned about the OL. This was our weakness last year.

Yes this is just the first game, and we were playing some young guys. Thus they will have to improve in next two weeks as they take on Fresno State and Washington and then the Big 10. Neither one of those games will be easy. We had 18 plays with long yardage to make up and converted 9.

Taylor Martinez lead the offense with 3 nice runs for TD and passing for 116 for a total of 251 yards. His favorite receiver was Sophomore Quinch Enunwa grabbed 4 for 58 yards.

As another look at the offense, how about the services of Mr. Maher with his kicks. Under the pressure of replacing last years star I do believe he did very well and should be a big asset to our offense. On his punts he averaged a fantastic 52 yards a kick.

Surprises in the True Frosh Ranks: What more could be said about our frosh.

Take Jamal Turner for one. A flat pass to the side lines, a catch on the side lines and then a job on the defensive back followed by a 19 yard return as he raced to mid field. Ameer Abdullah handling punt returns, 5 for 69 yards and one was for 28 yards. I think we will see him on special teams a lot.

First Game Results: OK, lets not get to excited about the Husker first win. There is room to improve. First, we have a one man offense. Shut down Taylor and where are we? We do have very good backs, so broaden the attack and have the OL open holes.

The receivers have to show more control of the passes thrown to them. To many dropped passes. On the other hand the QB must realize that he knows the rout the receiver is to take so don’t follow him with you eyes, look for the defense. We also had a few red on red crashes that didn’t help. This can and will be worked out in practice.

It’s the beginning of a new football life for Nebraska and this will be a season of absolute excitement as we mend our way through the Big Ten Conference. Nest up is Fresno State. You will find out about them Thursday, here on the web site.

The Volleyballers traveled to Ft. Collins, Colorado to battle the 15th ranked Colorado State Rams and then with the Albany Great Danes on Friday and Saturday matches.

Against Colorado State the Huskers moved out quick with easy wins at 25-12 and 25-11 in the first two sets. At the break, the Rams Coach must have said something to change the games as they won the third set 16-25 and then the 4th set became a real battle before CSU came out with a 20-25 win. Then the polished off the Huskers 9-15 in the final set.

The next night it was Albany. Not about to loose two in a row, the gals did a 25-12, 25-13 and 25-12 number on the Great Danes.

Gina Mancuso lead the team with 33 kills with Hannah Werth adding 24 and Brooke Delano contributing 20 for the two nights work.

Soccer: After scoring four goals through the first three games of the 2011 season, the Nebraska soccer team (1-2-1, 0-0-0) more than doubled its goal total on Friday night in a 6-0 shutout of Arkansas at the Nebraska Soccer Field.

 The Huskers were led by juniors Morgan Marlborough and Jordan Jackson, who each scored two goals while sophomore Stacy Bartels scored her second goal of the season and sophomore Ari Romero chipped in her first goal of 2011.

Morgan Marlborough’s third career hat trick powered the Nebraska soccer team (2-2-1, ) to a 8-1 win over the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (0-5-0)  on Sunday afternoon. Marlborough put NU up 2-0 going into halftime before notching the 28th hat trick in Nebraska soccer history with an unassisted goal at 58:32 to put the Huskers up 4-0. Six Huskers scored goals on the day, including the first career goals for Bri Badje, Samantha Areman and Maddie Hanssler. Stacey Bartels and Jordon Jackson filled out the scoring for the Huskers.

Cross Country: The Nebraska cross country team opened the 2011 season with the Husker women capturing their third straight Creighton/Nebraska-Omaha team title. Ashley Miller raced to an individual crown on the women’s side, while Jarren Heng took second on the men’s side to help the Huskers place second as a team.

The win in Omaha marked the sixth title for the Husker women in the past seven years. The Husker women were dominant over Creighton and Nebraska-Omaha, as Miller led a 1-2-4-5-6 finish for the Huskers with a time of 19:04.21 in the 5K race. Miller was followed by Erica Hamik, Katie White, Sarah Plambeck and Isabel Andrade.

“The women ran solid as a group,” Head Coach Jay Dirksen said. “All the sophomores ran really well, and I was especially impressed with Sarah Larson as she ran really well for her first ever cross country meet.”

For the men, the Huskers placed six runners in the top 15. Heng paced the pack with an 8K time of 27:31.24. A sophomore from Norfolk, Neb., Heng was joined in the top 15 by Tommy Brinn (6th), Peter Falcon (11th), Connor Gibson (12th), Dani Dapo (14th) and Alney Tobias (15th).

Roger

 The Red Clad Coot in the Desert

Things I will be looking for on Saturday.

The number one thing is Quarterback. Two different players last year. The one who started the season and the one who finished it. We need a consistent one taking the snaps. The coaches say he is far different than last year and has matured a lot. We have enough “green” players” and while he isn’t totally experienced we do need him at his best for all games. I do believe he has been learning to be a leader since last year. The Bleacher Report ranks T Magic at 10 nationally. Another one to look for is RSF Brion Carnes who had a great spring game and did very well all fall. I believe he is going to push Taylor all year. He is a very dynamic young player and will make some errors, but he has the talent.

Number two is the running backs. Rex is the leader of the band and behind him we have three very talented running backs, each with a different running style: Braylon Heard, Aaron Green and Ameer Abdullay. But this is college and the Big Ten. Its going to be great to see them mature and which will be the order they play in this year. Right now they are all equal. So these two games will mean a lot in determining their future. On the newly release depth chart, they are even.

Offensive line

in action. This was a weak spot from last year and it may very well be our pride this year. First off, a true freshman, Tyler Moore will start at one tackles spot. He has been very impressive in the fall camp. He’s a tough guy and can mix it up as we will see in these two games. Behind him we also have some talented players like Hardrick, Qvale, Siries and Marcel Jones. If Moore fits in, well these guys can be used elsewhere to beef up our whole OL.

Receivers.

Gone are the good hands from last year and we have a not to highly experienced field of hands waiting for their chance. One of them, another true frosh, came on early in the spring game, Jamal Turner. But a spring game is different than going against the competition of this year and what he will face in the Big Ten. He is one player who can fit in to a lot of different places besides a receiver. He can play QB, catch punts and kickoffs and yes, he can run.

Our other receivers, Brandon Kinnie, Tim Marlow and Quincy Enunwa are the only ones with any experience. It will be fun watching these melt into the receivers we really need.

The new offense of Coach Beck should be able to run very efficiently by these receivers.

Line Backers.

Welcome back Sean Fisher. Here is praying you will stay healthy this year and pair up with Will Compton and Lavonte David to give us a solid bunch behind the line. Another guy to watch is Alonzo Whaley, and between these four guys there is a lot of competition to be on the playing field.

Corner Backs.

Wow, Alfonzo Dennard is down and out for a while. That takes a lot of talent out of the CB players but one man has stepped up very nicely Andrew Green. Yes we lost three great players in The Prince, Gomes and Hagg but things are looking up very well for this group of players. You can count on a lot of rotation in this area and we do have the talent to fill in.

Some big shoes to be filled

. You can bet that all the eyes will be on Brett Maher who will do the PAT and Punt routine. Lets just say we will be very satisfied if he has to kick a lot of PATs and very few punts.

One last item the Watch Sites will be open and awaiting the massive and fun crowd of Big Red Fans. Game Time: 12:30. Get there early so you can have lunch.

Roger

The Red Clad Coot in the Desert