NEW YORK (AP) — Melvin Gordon and Amari Cooper were just two guys talking football and posing for pictures with a big bronze trophy.
The day before the Heisman Trophy presentation, Gordon, the Wisconsin running back, and Cooper, the Alabama receiver, answered questions about their sensational seasons, their coaches, their chances to upset Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota and win college football’s most famous individual award and who might win the national championship.
Cooper wisely passed on making a prediction about how the top-ranked Crimson Tide will do in the College Football Playoff against Ohio State.
Gordon, however, said Friday he’s leaning toward ‘Bama. So much for Big Ten solidarity.
That was about as close to a scandal as you will find at this year’s Heisman ceremony, a welcome departure from recent years for many fans and voters.
The No. 12 Nebraska women’s basketball team returns home for another clash with postseason-caliber competition when the Huskers battle Bakersfield Saturday afternoon.
Tip-off between the Huskers (8-1) and Roadrunners (6-2) is set for 2 p.m. (central) at Pinnacle Bank Arena and tickets are available now at Huskers.com. Tickets also can be purchased at the Pinnacle Bank Arena Box beginning at noon on Saturday.
Live radio coverage will be provided by the Husker Sports Network, with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch on the call on stations across the network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and 93.3 FM in Omaha. Free live audio also will be available on Huskers.com. A live premium video stream will be available to subscribers of BTN Plus.
The Huskers are coming off a thrilling 60-57 win at Creighton on Thursday night. Nebraska built a 16-point halftime lead then withstood a pair of furious CU rallies in the second half. Senior forward Hailie Sample hit three free throws in the final 15 seconds to seal the win.
Fellow senior forward Emily Cady notched her fourth double-double of the year and 26th of her career with a team-high 18 points to go along with 11 rebounds and three blocks.
Junior All-America point guard Rachel Theriot added 16 points and a season-high nine assists, while senior guard Brandi Jeffery pitched in five points, four assists and a career-high 12 rebounds.
The Huskers will be challenged by a speedy and experienced bunch of Roadrunners from Bakersfield. All-American guard Tyonna Outland leads a small but explosive squad that was picked to win the Western Athletic Conference this season. Outland, a 5-9 redshirt senior, is averaging 17.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. She is joined by fellow senior guard Brooklynn Hinkens, who is contributing 14.0 points per game and shooting 44.9 percent from three-point range. Junior point guard Alyssa Shannon carries one of the nation’s top assist-to-turnover ratios, while helping CSUB carry a plus-8.8 team turnover margin.
#12 Nebraska Cornhuskers (8-1, 0-0 Big Ten)
3 – Hailie Sample – 6-1 – Sr. – F – 6.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg
23 – Emily Cady – 6-2 – Sr. – F – 13.9 ppg, 8.8 rpg
1 – Tear’a Laudermill – 5-9 – Sr. – G – 12.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg
13 – Brandi Jeffery – 5-7 – Sr. – G – 9.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg
33 – Rachel Theriot – 6-0 – Jr. – G – 17.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg Off the Bench
31 – Anya Kalenta – 6-3 – Jr. – F – 6.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg
5 – Natalie Romeo – 5-7 – Fr. – G – 4.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg
22 – Allie Havers – 6-5 – So. – C – 4.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg
34 – Jasmine Cincore – 5-8 – Fr. – G – 1.6 ppg, 0.4 rpg
30 – Chandler Smith – 6-0 – Fr. – G – 1.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
11 – Esther Ramacieri – 5-8 – So. – G – 0.2 ppg, 0.3 rpg
12 – Emily Wood – 5-5 – Fr. – G – 0.0 ppg, 0.7 rpg
50 – Darrien Washington – 6-2 – Fr. – F – High School Head Coach: Connie Yori (Creighton, 1986)
13th Season at NU (249-143); 25th Season Overall (444-283)
Bakersfield Roadrunners (6-2, 0-0 WAC)
15 – Erika Williams – 6-0 – So. – G/F – 5.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg
24 – Hali Ford – 6-1 – Jr. – G/F – 2.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg
1 – Alyssa Shannon – 5-2 – Jr. – G – 7.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg
11 – Brooklynn Hinkens – 5-7 – Sr. – G – 14.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg
44 – Tyonna Outland – 5-9 – Sr. – G/F – 17.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg Off the Bench
5 – Batabe Zempare – 6-2 – Jr. – F – 8.8 ppg, 9.0 rpg
3 – Shaquita Smith – 5-7 – Sr. – G – 6.5 ppg, 0.9 rpg
2 – Brittany Sims – 6-3 – So. – F – 4.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg
4 – Lunden Junious-Reliford – 6-0 – Jr. – G – 1.4 ppg, 1.0 rpg
22 – Airica Carmon – 6-0 – Fr. – G – 1.0 ppg, 0.7 rpg Head Coach: Greg McCall (Bakersfield, 1991)
4th Season at CSUB (44-53); 4th Season Overall (44-53)
Nebraska looks to snap a two-game losing streak on Saturday night, as the Huskers host Cincinnati at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
A limited number of tickets for Saturday’s contest are available, beginning at $7, by visiting Huskers.com, calling the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at 800-8-BIG RED or at the Pinnacle Bank Arena box office beginning Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
Tipoff is set for 8:06 p.m. (central) and will be nationally televised on BTN with Cory Provus and Shon Morris on the call. Saturday’s game is also available online at BTN.com and BTN2Go on mobile platforms.
The game will be broadcast across the state of Nebraska on the IMG Husker Sports Radio Network, including KLIN 1400 AM in Lincoln, 1110 KFAB in Omaha and KRVN 880 AM in Lexington with Kent Pavelka calling the action and Matt Davison adding color commentary. The game can be heard for free on Huskers.com and available on the Huskers’ app on iOS or android devices, as well as on TuneIn Radio and SiriusXM Satellite Radio.
The Huskers are 5-3 on the season following a 74-73 loss to Incarnate Word on Wednesday. In that game, the Huskers saw a seven-point lead vanish in the final 2:32, as they were outscored 14-6 down the stretch. The Huskers were done in by 14 turnovers which led to 18 Incarnate Word points, including Kyle Hittle’s baseline jumper with 2.7 seconds left.
While Nebraska had three players finish in double figures, including a game-high 19 points and nine rebounds from junior Shavon Shields, the Huskers allowed Incarnate Word to shoot 48 percent from the field, including 57 percent in the second half. Prior to the two-game losing streak, Nebraska was holding opponents to 38 percent shooting, including 28 percent from 3-point range.
Without the services of Moses Abraham, who suffered a broken hand on Tuesday in practice, a pair of freshmen saw some of their most extensive action of the season on Wednesday. Nick Fuller played a career-high 13 minutes and had six points and a pair of assists, while Jake Hammond played six minutes after playing a total of 16 minutes in NU’s first seven contests.
Cincinnati will pose another tough test for the Huskers, as the Bearcats are 6-1 on the season, but have been off for exams since Dec. 2. The Bearcats rank sixth nationally in scoring defense (52.3 ppg) and are 18th in blocked shots (6.1 per game). UC has held five of its first seven opponents to under 60 points.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Take out a loan or even a second mortgage, forgo Christmas presents or split a hotel room.
Faced with the possibility of two big postseason trips under the new college football playoff system, some players’ parents are doing all they can to see their kids under the spotlight.
Ohio State coach Urban Meyer brought the issue up last week after his team was picked as one of the four to compete in the first College Football Playoff.
Some players’ families can get up to $800 under NCAA guidelines to cover postseason travel. But now that teams could play in two games, some are worried about how they’ll pay to see their kids in the games when bowl trips cost thousands.
DENVER (AP) — Matt Duchene had a goal and an assist in regulation and got the decisive goal in the shootout, Calvin Pickard had 30 saves through overtime and stopped two more shots with the game on the line, and the Colorado Avalanche rallied to beat the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 on Thursday night.
Ryan O’Reilly and Jarome Iginla also had regulation goals as Colorado stopped a four-game skid.
Mark Scheifele, who had a goal and two assists, gave Winnipeg a 3-1 lead with a goal at 4:32 of the third, but Colorado rallied late. Iginla’s wrister with 7:05 left got the Avalanche within a goal and O’Reilly tied it with 2:42 remaining in regulation.
After a scoreless overtime, Nathan MacKinnon and Duchene beat goalie Ondrej Pavelec with a couple of backhanders. Pickard stopped Mathieu Perreault and Blake Wheeler in the shootout to get the win.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Emily Cady scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Hailie Sample made 3 of 4 free throws in the final 14 seconds Thursday night and No. 12 Nebraska held on to defeat in-state rival Creighton 60-57.
The Huskers (8-1) dominated the first half, building a 33-17 lead, but had to hold on as Alexis Akin-Otiko rallied the Bluejays (4-5) by hitting all six of her 3-pointers and 20 of her career-high 23 points in the second half.
Rachel Theriot had 16 points and 9 assists for Nebraska, which out-rebounded Creighton 36-23, with Brandi Jeffery grabbing 12.
MC McGrory had a career-high 14 points for Creighton, but leading scorer Marissa Janning was held scoreless in the first half and finished with five points, 11 below her averaging, ending a streak of 17 double-figure games.
Akin-Otiko entered the season with two 3-pointers and had 10 for her career entering the game.
NEW HAVEN, CT – Player of the Year Marcus Mariota, quarterback from second-ranked Oregon, headlines the 2014 Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America Team, the 125th honored by the organization. The nation’s oldest All-America squad was announced this evening on The Home Depot ESPN College Football Awards Show.
Third-ranked Florida State had three players selected to the First Team, while top-ranked Alabama, Oregon and Utah all had two honorees. In all, 20 different schools from six conferences were represented on the All-America First Team. The Atlantic Coast Conference, Pac 12, and Southeastern Conference each had six selections.
The Walter Camp All-America teams are selected by the head coaches and sports information directors of the 125 Football Bowl Subdivision schools and certified by Marcum LLP, a New Haven-based accounting firm. Walter Camp Football Foundation President James Monico was pleased with the voting participation.
“Once again, we had more than 80 percent of the FBS schools participate in this year’s voting,” Monico said. “We are very appreciative of the continuing cooperation of the coaches and sports information directors in our annual effort to honor the nation’s most outstanding college players.”
Leading the offensive unit is Mariota, the 2014 Walter Camp Player of the Year. The nation’s leader in pass efficiency (186.3), Mariota has thrown for 3,783 yards and 38 touchdowns for the nation’s third-ranked scoring offense (46.3 points per game).
The nation’s top two rushers – both juniors and from the Big 10 Conference – are on the First Team. Junior Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin) has rushed for 2,336 yards and 179.7 yards per game, while Tevin Coleman (Indiana) has totaled 2,036 yards on the ground.
Junior Amari Cooper (Alabama) and sophomore Rashard Higgins (Colorado State) are the wide receivers. Cooper has 105 catches for 1,656 yards and 14 touchdowns, while Higgins has 89 catches for 1,640 yards and 17 touchdowns. The tight end is Nick O’Leary (Florida State).
On the offensive line, four seniors were selected: Brandon Scherff (Iowa), Tre’ Jackson (Florida State), Cedric Ogbuehi (Texas A&M) and Laken Tomlinson (Duke). Senior Reese Dismukes (Auburn) is the offensive center.
Placekicker Roberto Aguayo (Florida State) is a repeat First Team honoree. Aguayo has converted 25-of-27 field goals and all 53 of his point-after-kicks this season for the Seminoles.
Leading the defensive unit is sophomore linebacker Scooby Wright III (Arizona). Wright III has totaled 158 tackles (89 solo) for the Wildcats and leads the nation with 28 tackles for loss. Joining Wright in the middle is Hau’oli Kikaha (Washington) and Paul Dawson (TCU). Kikaha leads the nation with 18 sacks.
Repeat First Team All-American Vic Beasley (Clemson) is joined by senior Nate Orchard (Utah), junior Shane Ray (Missouri) and sophomore Joey Bosa (Ohio State). Orchard is second in the nation with 17.5 sacks.
Sophomore Gerod Holliman (Louisville), who leads the nation with 14 interceptions, anchors the defensive secondary. He is joined by seniors Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (Oregon), Senquez Golson (Ole Miss) and junior Landon Collins (Alabama). Ekpre-Olomu was a Second Team Walter Camp All-American in 2013.
The punter is junior Tom Hackett (Utah), who averages 47.0 yards-per-punt. The kick returner is senior Jamarcus Nelson (UAB), who has four kickoff returns for touchdowns this season.
The 2014 Walter Camp Player of the Year and members of the All-America team will be honored at the organization’s national awards banquet, presented by First Niagara Bank, on Saturday, January 17, 2015 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven.
In addition, the Foundation will recognize three individuals – broadcasting legend Verne Lundquist (Distinguished American), former Notre Dame and Pittsburgh Steeler standout running back Jerome Bettis (Man of the Year) and former Air Force All-American and Dallas Cowboy Chad Hennings (Alumnus of the Year) – with major awards.
The Foundation is offering a “Holiday Ticket Promotion” for the National Awards Dinner. Buy two tickets for $450 (you save $150) before December 31. Please call (203) 288-CAMP (288-2267) for more information.
Walter Camp, “The Father of American football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team.
The Walter Camp Football Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. Visit https://waltercamp.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b810683e15b74e3bcc163850e&id=975908061c&e=e3759d36e4.
Walter Camp 2014 All-America Notebook
A Little History This is the 125th edition of the Walter Camp All-America team – the nation’s oldest All-America team. Twenty-six players have been selected to the first team by the 125 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors. In addition, 25 players have been selected to the Second Team.
• From 1889 to 1964, eleven players were selected. • In 1965, both offensive and defensive teams were picked. • In 1972, the first punter (Ray Guy, Southern Mississippi) was honored. • In 1975, the first placekicker (Chris Bahr, Penn State) was selected. • In 1998, the first-ever Second Team All-America team was recognized. • In 2001, the first kick returner (Herb Haygood, Michigan State) was picked.
Conference Info Twenty different schools representing six conferences have players on the 2014 Walter Camp All-America First Team. The Southeastern Conference (5 schools), Atlantic Coast Conference (4 schools) and Pac-12 (4 schools) each had six players on the First Team. The Big Ten Conference had four players from four member schools. Florida State had the most First Team honorees with three, while Alabama, Utah and Oregon each had two.
Then and Now Twenty different schools are represented on the 2014 Walter Camp All-America First Team – the 125th honored in the name of the former Yale University football coaching legend. Of those 20 schools, Wisconsin has the honor of being the first represented on a Walter Camp All-American squad – tackle Bob Butler was recognized in 1912.
Good to See You Again Two players – placekicker Robert Aguayo (Florida State) and defensive end Vic Beasley (Clemson) – are repeat First Team All-Americans.
Player of the Year Marcus Mariota The 48th recipient of the Walter Camp Player of the Year award, Oregon junior quarterback Marcus Mariota is the first Duck to win the prestigious honor. Mariota is the 16th quarterback to earn the honor, and the eighth player from a Pac-12 school. Mariota and defensive back Ifo Ekpre-Olomu were first team All-Americans – the first time Oregon has had two First Team selections.
Class Distinction Of the 25 First Team selections, 13 are seniors. There are seven juniors and five sophomores. On the Second Team, there are nine seniors, 10 juniors, four sophomores and two freshmen (both from the University of Florida – Dante Fowler, Jr. and Vernon Hargreaves III).
Streaking Texas A&M and Florida State have had at least one Walter Camp First Team All-American in each of the last five years. It is the longest current streak. The all-time record belongs to Notre Dame (18 straight years, 1964 to 1981). After not having an All-American from 1999-2009, Texas A&M has had eight First Teamers in the last five years.
Big Time Backs from Big Ten Two running backs from the Big Ten Conference – Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon and Indiana’s Tevin Coleman – were selected as First Team All-Americans. It is the fourth time since 1965 (the first year there were offensive and defensive teams selected) that the backfield hailed from the same conference.
1996 – Big 8 (Troy Davis, Iowa State and Byron Hanspard, Texas Tech) 2004 – Big 12 (Cedric Benson, Texas and Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma) 2008 – Big 10 (Javon Ringer, Michigan State and Shonn Greene, Iowa)
Lockett’s Back Kansas State senior Tyler Lockett is a Second Team honoree at both wide receiver and kick returner. Lockett was a 2011 Walter Camp First Team All-American (kick returner). In addition, Lockett is the third player (all since 2009) to be a twice-honored Walter Camp All-American in the same year. Former Oregon star Cliff Harris was selected to the 2010 Second Team as a defensive back and kick returner. In 2009, former Clemson standout C.J. Spiller was also dually honored – Spiller was a First Team kick returner and Second Team running back.
The First Since… Several schools are represented on the First Team All-American squad in some time.
• UAB kick returner Jamarcus Nelson is the first Blazer to be honored. • Colorado State wide receiver Rashard Higgins is the first Ram to be honored since 1995 (defensive back Greg Myers). • Louisville defensive back Gerod Holliman is the first Cardinal honored on the First Team since 2005 (defensive end Elvis Dumervill). • Duke offensive lineman Laken Tomlinson is the first Blue Devil First Teamer since 1989 (wide receiver Clarkston Hines). • Washington linebacker Hau’oli Kikaha is the first Husky to be honored since 1997 (offensive linemen Olin Kreutz and Benji Olson). • Indiana running back Tevin Coleman is the first Hoosier First Team honoree since 1989 (running back Vaughn Dunbar).
Players of the Week Each week during the regular-season, the Walter Camp Foundation recognizes a National Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week. Seven First and Second All-American members were recognized during the 2014 regular season. First Team All-Americans recognized included: Arizona linebacker Scooby Wright III (Oct. 26 and Nov. 30), Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper (Nov. 30), Louisville defensive back Gerod Holliman (Nov. 9) and Oregon quarterback and Player of the Year Marcus Mariota (Sept. 7). Second Team honorees included: TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin (Oct. 26) and UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks (Aug. 31).
First Team Offense Pos. Name, School Ht Wgt Yr. Hometown WR Amari Cooper, Alabama 6-1 210 Jr. Miami, FL WR Rashard Higgins, Colorado State 6-2 188 Soph. Mesquite, TX TE Nick O’Leary, Florida State 6-3 247 Sr. Palm Beach, FL OL Brandon Scherff, Iowa 6-5 320 Sr. Denison, Iowa OL Tre’ Jackson, Florida State 6-4 330 Sr. Jesup, GA OL Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M 6-5 305 Sr. Allen, TX OL Laken Tomlinson, Duke 6-3 330 Sr. Chicago, IL C Reese Dismukes, Auburn 6-3 295 Sr. Spanish Fort, AL QB Marcus Mariota, Oregon 6-4 219 Jr. Honolulu, HI RB Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin 6-1 213 Jr. Kenosha, WI RB Tevin Coleman, Indiana 6-1 210 Jr. Tinley Park, IL PK Roberto Aguayo, Florida State * 6-1 213 Soph. Mascotte, FL
First Team Defense Pos. Name, School Ht Wgt Yr. Hometown DL Nate Orchard, Utah 6-4 255 Sr. Salt Lake City, UT DL Shane Ray, Missouri 6-3 245 Jr. Kansas City, MO DL Vic Beasley, Clemson * 6-3 235 Sr. Adairsville, GA DL Joey Bosa, Ohio State 6-5 278 Soph. Fort Lauderdale, FL LB Scooby Wright III, Arizona 6-1 246 Soph. Windsor, CA LB Hau’oli Kikaha, Washington 6-3 246 Sr. Laie, HI LB Paul Dawson, TCU 6-2 230 Sr. Dallas, TX DB Gerod Holliman, Louisville 6-2 213 Soph. Miami, FL DB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Oregon @ 5-10 195 Sr. Chino Hills, CA DB Senquez Golson, Ole Miss 5-9 176 Sr. Pascagoula, MS DB Landon Collins, Alabama 6-0 222 Jr. New Orleans, LA P Tom Hackett, Utah 5-11 187 Jr. Melbourne, Australia KR Jamarcus Nelson, UAB 5-11 160 Sr. Midfield, AL
Second Team Offense Pos. Name, School Ht Wgt Yr. Hometown WR Kevin White, West Virginia 6-3 210 Sr. Plainfield, NJ WR Tyler Lockett, Kansas State # 5-11 175 Sr. Tulsa, OK TE Maxx Williams, Minnesota 6-4 250 Soph. Waconia, MN OL Andrus Peat, Stanford 6-7 316 Jr. Chandler, AZ OL Spencer Drango, Baylor 6-6 310 Jr. Cedar Park, TX OL A.J. Cann, South Carolina 6-4 311 Sr. Bamberg, SC OL Arie Kouandjio, Alabama 6-5 316 Sr. Hyattsville, MD C Hronus Grassu, Oregon 6-3 297 Sr. Los Angeles, CA QB Trevone Boykin, TCU 6-2 205 Jr. Dallas, TX RB James Conner, Pittsburgh 6-2 250 Soph. Erie, PA RB Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska 5-9 195 Sr. Homewood, AL PK Brad Craddock, Maryland 6-0 185 Jr. Adelaide, Australia
Second Team Defense Pos. Name, School Ht Wgt Yr. Hometown DL Malcolm Brown, Texas 6-2 320 Jr. Brenham, TX DL Leonard Williams, USC 6-5 300 Jr. Daytona Beach, FL DL Shilique Calhoun, Michigan State @ 6-5 256 Jr. Middletown, NJ DL Dante Fowler, Jr., Florida 6-3 277 Fr. St. Petersburg, FL DL Danny Shelton, Washington 6-2 339 Sr. Auburn, WA LB Jordan Hicks, Texas 6-1 234 Sr. Cincinnati, OH LB Eric Kendricks, UCLA 6-0 230 Sr. Fresno, CA LB Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State 6-5 249 Jr. Tunica, MS DB Jeremy Cash, Duke 6-2 205 Jr. Miami, FL DB Trae Waynes, Michigan State 6-1 182 Jr. Kenosha, WI DB Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida 5-11 192 Fr. Tampa, FL DB Kendall Fuller, Virginia Tech 6-0 190 Soph. Baltimore, MD P Austin Rehkow, Idaho * 6-3 215 Soph. Veradale, WA KR Tyler Lockett, Kansas State # 5-11 175 Sr. Tulsa, OK
KEARNEY, Neb. – Tri-City Storm defenseman Jalen Schulz is playing his third season of hockey in Nebraska, having spent time both in Kearney and Omaha with the AAA program.
Now the Cambridge, Minn. native will call the state home for four more years after committing to play collegiately at the University of Nebraska-Omaha Thursday.
Schulz, who already has 75 USHL games under his belt, was relieved to have made a decision for his future.
“It’s amazing. It’s the world off my shoulders,” Schulz said. “It’s nice to know I’ll be someplace safe where I want to be for the next four years. I’m very happy.”
An assistant captain of this year’s team who is in his third season of junior hockey after playing 48 games for the Corpus Christi IceRays in the NAHL during 2012-13, Schulz will be happy to move on to the NCAA ranks next year.
“Over the summer they talked to me about coming down on a visit and said they watched a little bit last year,” Schulz said. “I actually went to visit the school on my way out to Kearney this season, and then kept in touch with assistant coach Alex Todd.
“Coach Todd told me that Coach [Dean] Blais was coming out to watch Tuesday night’s game against Lincoln so I met coach Blais after the game and then received a phone call with an offer the next day.”
Schulz also said that staying in Nebraska seemed to be the perfect fit for him.
“I love it here. I have extended family with my billet families, one in Omaha and now in Kearney and it means a lot for them to support me the way they have.”
The defenseman will become the 10th player in Storm history to move on to UNO, and the first to wear a Mavericks sweater since Kyle Ensign and Alex Hudson in 2012.
Now having earned a scholarship, Schulz said his approach won’t change, and he is looking forward to the rest of the season in Kearney.
“My number one priority is getting back on the ice and helping the team win.”
Including Schulz, Tri-City now has 18 players committed to play Division I college hockey.
The Storm will battle the Youngstown Phantoms in a two-game series this weekend. Friday’s game gets underway at 7:30 p.m., while Saturday’scontest starts at 3:05.
For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the Viaero Event Center Box Office at 308.338.8011 or visit www.stormhockey.com.
University of Nebraska Head Football Coach Mike Riley announced on Thursday the hiring of four assistant football coaches that will help lead the Husker football program into the future. All four assistant coaches worked for Riley at Oregon State, and all have proven track records as great coaches, teachers, mentors and outstanding recruiters.
The full-time coaches announced on Thursday include defensive assistants Mark Banker and Trent Bray, offensive assistant Mike Cavanaugh, and one of the nation’s most respected special teams experts in Bruce Read. No coordinator designations, other than special teams, have been made to this point.
The staff members Coach Riley added on Thursday have a combined 97 years of coaching experience and a combined 45 years working with Riley, including time at Oregon State and the San Diego Chargers.
“I am excited to have the first pieces in place regarding our staffing,” Riley said. “I’m very excited about the coaches that are on board right now. I’ve worked with them and trust them and know the kind of work they do. They are excited to represent the University of Nebraska and our football program, and we are fortunate to have them on staff.”
Mark Banker has worked with Riley for 18 seasons, including 14 seasons together at Oregon State, where Banker served as defensive coordinator. Banker worked strictly as defensive coordinator since 2012, but also spent time coaching the Beaver linebackers and safeties during his time on Riley’s staff.
Under Banker’s direction, the Beaver defense was regularly among the top units in the Pac-12 Conference. More than 70 of Banker’s defenders have earned all-conference honors during his tenure in Corvallis.
The Oregon State defense has ranked near the top of the Pac-12 in total defense several times under Banker, most recently ranking third in 2012. Banker’s 2007 Beaver defense led the nation in rushing defense and ranked eighth nationally in total defense.
Trent Bray has spent the past three seasons tutoring linebackers at Oregon State. In his first season on the Beaver staff in 2012, Oregon State ranked second in the Pac-12 in scoring defense and third in total defense, rushing defense and pass defense. Bray also coached linebackers at Arizona State from 2009 to 2011.
Bray was a standout linebacker for the Beavers from 2002 to 2005. In his career he totaled 337 tackles to rank among the top 10 tacklers in Oregon State history. He earned Pac-10 all-conference honors as both a junior and senior.
Mike Cavanaugh has spent the past 10 seasons on Riley’s staff, coaching the Beaver offensive line. Cavanaugh also spent time in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers, and has several collegiate coaching stops, including six years as the offensive line coach at Hawaii.
The play of Cavanaugh’s offensive lines has helped the Beavers to record-setting offensive numbers. Quarterback Sean Mannion set single-season and career Pac-12 records for passing yards, while also paving the way for several all-conference runners. Beaver running backs Yvenson Bernard and Jacquizz Rodgers each produced three 1,000-yard rushing seasons behind Cavanaugh-coached lines. Cavanaugh’s offensive lines were also regularly among the league’s best at protecting the passer, and 23 of his players earned all-conference honors in the past decade.
Bruce Read has focused on special teams throughout his 29 years in coaching. Most recently, Read has been on Riley’s Oregon State staff since 2009, Read’s third stint at Oregon State. He also coached the Beaver special teams in 1997 and 1998, and from 2004 to 2006. The OSU special teams have achieved numerous school records under Read’s direction, including James Rodgers becoming the school’s career all-purpose yardage leader in 2011, partially fueled by 2,385 career return yards.
Read was also on Riley’s San Diego Chargers staff and was an NFL special teams assistant with the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys.
Quoting Nebraska’s New Assistant Coaches
Mark Banker
“I’m very excited to join the University of Nebraska family, and be a part of a football program with such an extensive tradition of excellence on the football field and in the classroom. Specifically as a defensive coach, it is an honor to be a part of the Blackshirts and I look forward to helping continue that tradition.”
Trent Bray
“It is an honor to be here at Nebraska in a program with such great history and legacy. I am very excited to get started. I have great faith in and loyalty to Coach Riley and the opportunity to continue to work with him at a place like Nebraska is an unbelievable opportunity.”
Mike Cavanaugh
“I am more than excited to be with Coach Riley at the University of Nebraska. The tradition of excellence here is amazing. I am really honored to be able to work with the offensive line at a program with such a history of success in that area.”
Bruce Read
“This is a great opportunity to be a part of a program with such outstanding tradition and success like the University of Nebraska. I am really excited to be here and it is an honor to be able to continue to work with Coach Riley. I have been with him a lot of years and he provides a great environment for coaches and student-athletes. It is fun to go to work for him every day of the year.”
The 14th-seeded Nebraska volleyball team will face No. 3 seed Washington on Friday at 8:30 p.m. (CT) in the Seattle Regional Semifinal at Alaska Airlines Arena.
The match will be televised on ESPNU. It is the first time ESPNU has aired a regional semifinal. The rest of the Sweet 16 matches will be streamed at ESPN3.com. The first match, BYU vs. No. 6 seed Florida State, will begin at 6 p.m. (CT). Nebraska-Washington will begin at either 8:30 p.m. or 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first match, whichever is later.
Friday’s winners will meet in the regional final on Saturday at 10:30 p.m. (CT) on ESPNU. The Huskers played Washington in the Seattle Regional in both 2010 and 2008. The teams will now have met every other NCAA Tournament since 2008.
NEW YORK (AP) — Melvin Gordon and Amari Cooper were just two guys talking football and posing for pictures with a big bronze trophy.
