ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Broncos running back Montee Ball returned to practice Tuesday, participating in individual drills in his first on-field workout since undergoing an appendectomy Aug. 4.
Ball sat out the team drills when the Broncos squared off against the Houston Texans.
Weakside linebacker Danny Trevathan made an appearance at practice, hobbling out on crutches. Trevathan fractured his left leg in practice last week and is out four to six weeks.
Linebacker Lamin Barrow was back on the field 48 hours after dodging a serious knee injury in Denver’s 34-0 win at San Francisco.
Tight end Gerell Robinson (ankle, knee) was also hurt in that game and was held out of practice along with cornerback Kayvon Webster (ankle), wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (thigh) and tight end Virgil Green (calf).
The Big Ten Conference announced on Tuesday that the Nebraska soccer team will make three appearances on the Big Ten Network this season.
The Huskers open BTN’s 2014 soccer coverage on Thursday, Sept. 11 against Northwestern at the Nebraska Soccer Field. The game is scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m.
Nebraska will host Big Ten newcomer Maryland on Sunday, Sept. 28 at 2 p.m., on BTN. The game was originally scheduled for 1 p.m., but was changed for TV scheduling. NU’s final regular season appearance on the network is Thursday, Oct. 2 at Michigan at 2:30 p.m.
The Big Ten Network will also provide coverage for both semifinal matches of the Big Ten Tournament as well as the championship game. The semifinals are slated for Friday, Nov. 7 in West Lafayette, Ind., while the title game is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 9. Times for all three matches will be announced at a later date.
In addition to its three BTN showings, Nebraska will appear seven times on the Big Ten Digital Network as part of its Student U production. For up-to-date information on Nebraska’s soccer schedule, visit Huskers.com.
Nebraska Soccer Appearances on Big Ten Network in 2014
Thursday, Sept. 11: Northwestern – 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28: Maryland – 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2: at Michigan – 2:30 p.m.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s Ryker Fyfe has turned his frustration over being a walk-on into positive energy.
To the surprise of many, but certainly not Fyfe, the redshirt sophomore has passed heralded 2013 recruit Johnny Stanton on his way to the No. 2 quarterback’s job behind Tommy Armstrong Jr.
It’s been quite the ascent for Fyfe, whose only scholarship offer coming out of Grand Island High was from Division II Nebraska-Kearney.
“It does fuel your fire,” Fyfe said. “I thought after my senior year I’d have a bunch of offers. I was like, ‘I feel I’m a D1 player.’ ”
Fyfe accepted Nebraska’s invitation to walk on and brought with him an “I’ll-show-them” attitude. He hopes to be among the players awarded scholarships at the end of the week.
Offensive coordinator Tim Beck said Nebraska didn’t have a scholarship available for Fyfe after Armstrong verbally committed to the 2012 recruiting class. That Fyfe wasn’t offered by any Division I school surprised Beck.
“I thought he was a good enough player,” Beck said, “but we didn’t really have enough to take two. Getting him was like getting two.”
It’s helped Fyfe that he has a year’s more experience than Stanton, who was on the scout team last year, and that the roster isn’t packed with quarterbacks. Four-year starter Taylor Martinez and backup Ron Kellogg III exhausted their eligibility. Four-star recruit Bubba Starling signed in 2011 but decided to pursue professional baseball, and Brion Carnes and walk-on Bronson Marsh transferred.
That left Fyfe the presumptive No. 3 QB last spring almost by default. Stanton led one of the nation’s top teams at Rancho Santa Margarita (Calif.) Catholic High and was ranked among the top 30 quarterback prospects. With those credentials, he was considered the front-runner to be the top backup or maybe challenge Armstrong for the starter’s job.
Fyfe ramped up his underdog approach to compete with and pull even with Stanton.
“I decided I’m going to go out there and attack it,” Fyfe said. “I don’t have much to lose. I’m a walk-on and I only get to do this once, so I’m going to go out and do it and prove myself.”
After his strong showing in the spring game, Fyfe was named co-No. 2 QB with Stanton, ahead of another big-time recruit, Zack Darlington. It became apparent early in preseason practice that Fyfe had separated himself from Stanton.
“He’s a walk-on, and nothing is really given to him,” Armstrong said. “He’s earned everything. He’s in the film room, and he’s making the right decisions and he’s leading the right way. He’s in the same grade as I am, and we’re making each other better by coming out here and competing.”
Fyfe passed for 3,400 yards and 34 touchdowns his last two years of high school. He was 15-6 those two years and never advanced Grand Island past the second round of the playoffs.
That he wasn’t offered a scholarship by Nebraska followed a trend. The last homegrown quarterback who arrived in Lincoln on scholarship, and who took snaps in a game, was 2001 Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch. Kellogg, an Omaha native who split time with Armstrong last year, was put on scholarship for his final season.
“I’m sure Nebraska high school football isn’t as good as it is down in Texas or in California and Florida,” Fyfe said, naming the home states of Armstrong, Stanton and Darlington. “You’ve got kids like Johnny and Zack who won state championships, and that’s appealing to the coach’s eye. I didn’t even win in Nebraska.”
Now that he’s the top backup, he refuses to slip into complacency.
“I have to keep hold of it right here to end fall camp,” he said, “and still keep pushing Tommy every day for No. 1.”
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles was still held out of Chiefs practice Tuesday after hurting his foot in an accident while moving out of the dorms last week.
Charles did not make the trip to Carolina for Sunday’s preseason game after getting hurt on the final day of practice at Missouri Western. The Chiefs resumed training camp at their own facility in Kansas City in anticipation of Saturday night’s game against Minnesota.
With Charles out, Knile Davis and Cyrus Gray have been getting the majority of snaps.
Other players not participating Tuesday included safety Eric Berry (heel), wide receivers Dwayne Bowe (quad) and Junior Hemingway (hip), linebackers Joe Mays (wrist) and Josh Martin (quad), offensive tackle Ryan McKee (knee) and defensive tackle Jermelle Cudjo (hamstring).
Lincoln – Sophomore Tai Webster survived the final round of cuts early Tuesday morning and was selected for the New Zealand National Team that will compete in this month’s FIBA World Cup.
Webster, who has started for New Zealand during its most recent training swing in Lithuania this week, has helped the team to a 7-3 record during its current overseas tour following Monday’s loss to Greece. New Zealand has two more pretournament games in Serbia before heading to Spain for the competition.
Webster will be in the second Husker to play in the FIBA World Cup, which until 2010 was known as the FIBA World Championships. In 1954, Bill Johnson was a forward on the gold medal winning United States team in Rio de Janeiro.
New Zealand is in Group C, a six-team bracket which includes Team USA (Sept. 2) along with Turkey (Aug. 30), Dominican Republic (Aug. 31), Ukraine (Sept. 3) and Finland (Sept. 4). A complete schedule is listed below.
Webster started 30 games for the Huskers in 2013-14, helping Nebraska make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998. He averaged 3.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. He topped the Huskers with 63 assists and scored in double figures four times as a true freshman.
The FIBA World Cup will be Webster’s second major international competition representing his country. In 2012, he made his national team debut, leading New Zealand in scoring three times in six contests in his first competition on the senior national team. He averaged 13.5 points per game in the 2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, while shooting 52.5 percent from the field. He made his debut at age 17, becoming the youngest player to make the New Zealand National Team at the time.
Webster is the second Husker to make a national team this season, joining forward Leslee Smith, who played for the British Virgin Islands earlier this summer.
New Zealand FIBA World Cup Schedule
Date Opponent Time Saturday, Aug. 30 vs. Turkey 9 a.m.
Sunday, Aug. 31 vs. Dominican Republic 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2 vs. United States 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3 vs. Ukraine 8 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 4 vs. Finland 8 a.m.
Sat.-Sun., Sept. 6-7 Round of 16 TBA
Tues.-Wed., Sept. 9-10 Quarterfinals TBA
Thurs.-Fri., Sept. 11-12 Semifinals TBA Saturday, Sept. 13 Third-place game 11 a.m. Sunday, Sept, 14 Championship 2 p.m. All times listed are central
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Erik Kratz homered twice after replacing an ailing Salvador Perez, and Jason Vargas pitched seven strong innings to lead the first-place Kansas City Royals to a 6-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night.
Vargas (10-5) allowed one run on four this and struck out three, but had his scoreless innings streak snapped at 17 when Oswaldo Arcia hit a solo homer in the seventh. Perez had two hits and two RBIs before leaving in the seventh because of discomfort in his right knee, helping the Royals win for the 21st time in 26 games.
Kansas City extended its lead over the idle Detroit Tigers in the AL Central to two games.
Trevor May (0-2) gave up three runs on seven hits and walked four in 4 2-3 innings for the Twins.
Lincoln, Neb.- The Nebraska football team began its third week of the 2014 fall camp Monday afternoon, as the Huskers practiced for just under two hours at the Ed and Joyanne Gass Practice fields outside of the Hawks Championship Center.
Nebraska offensive coordinator Tim Beck spoke with the media following practice, noting that he has seen some progress with the NU offense, but would like to see the team continue to progress going through the final week of fall camp.
“I am pleased. There is progress, and I think that is all you can ask at this point,” Beck said. “Too many drops today, but we threw the ball on time and our guys are doing some good things. Again, I like where we are at and where we are going.”
Sophomore quarterback Tommy Armstrong has really been impressing the NU coaching staff as of late. According to Beck, Armstrong, who started eight games last season, had a great week of practice last week, and brought it with him today on the practice field.
“He seemed to really step his game up, much more crisp in the passing game, much more decisive in the running game, read and option games.” Beck said. “I saw a little extra gear in him (Armstrong), separating himself a little bit.”
The competition is still hot for the back-up quarterback position Beck said. Noting that all three quarterbacks bring something special to the field.
“We are still evaluating that right now. I am really still evaluating all of them at this point,” he said. “Tommy has been doing some really good things, Ryker and Johnny both had a good day today. They all possess some things that make them pretty good players.”
An offensive lineman that has been catching the eyes of the coaching staff has been junior offensive tackle Matt Finnin of Crete, Ill. Standing in at a towering 6-foor-7, Beck hopes Finnin can play a key role in the right side of the offensive line in 2014.
“Matt has really kicked it into gear (this past week). I have been really pleased with his camp. He has been doing some really good things, and I think he will be able to help us this year.”
The Huskers will be back on the practice fields Tuesday to continue the 2014 Fall Camp. Check back here or at Huskers.com for a practice report and video coverage following practice immediately.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA could soon find itself in the awkward position of arguing against capping compensation for future players, based on the ruling in the Ed O’Bannon case.
Several attorneys with antitrust or labor law experience told The Associated Press that the $5,000 annual limit for players was the weakest link in U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken’s decision earlier this month. They claim it may also be the strongest argument for the NCAA in its appeal.
When the decision was originally announced, the cap was seen as a partial victory for the NCAA. But lawyers not involved in this case say Wilken’s number could be seen as arbitrary, creating a potential opening to overturn the ruling.
KEARNEY, Neb. – Tri-City Storm Head Coach Jim Hulton announced his team’s 2014 preseason schedule on Monday. The slate will consist of seven games against other Western Conference teams, including the annual Fall Classic West at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Ia. Sept. 19-20.
The Storm will host one preseason game on Saturday, Sept. 13 at the Viaero Event Center against the Lincoln Stars at 7:05 p.m.
Tickets to the exhibition contest will be $5 for the general public, while current season ticket holders will be granted admission free of charge.
Tri-City’s Fall Classic schedule begins on the 19th against Des Moines at 1 p.m., and continues the following morning when they’ll battle the Fargo Force at 10 a.m.
The Fall Classic matchup with the Buccaneers will be the third meeting of the teams during the preseason, as they’ll play a doubleheader at a neutral site on Sept. 7. While the site of the games is still to be determined, the teams will play at 12 p.m. and then again at 7 p.m. The day of two games will be the Storm’s first contests of the preseason.
The following weekend, Hulton has his team playing three games in three days, starting with a Friday night tilt in Lincoln on Sept. 12 at 7:05 p.m. The two in-state rivals will play in Kearney the next day, and Tri-City will complete the weekend in Omaha against the Lancers on Sunday, Sept. 14 at 4 p.m.
Tri-City will host the Sioux Falls Stampede to open the 2014-15 regular season on Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. Below is a look at the preseason schedule in full.
2014 Tri-City Storm Preseason Schedule
Sept. 7 – Tri-City Storm vs. Des Moines Buccaneers – 12 p.m. – TBA
Sept. 7 – Tri-City Storm vs. Des Moines Buccaneers – 7 p.m. – TBA
Sept. 12 – Tri-City Storm vs. Lincoln Stars – 7:05 p.m. – Lincoln, Neb. Sept. 13 – Lincoln Stars vs. Tri-City Storm – 7:05 p.m. – Kearney, Neb. Sept. 14 – Tri-City Storm vs. Omaha Lancers – 4:00 p.m. – Omaha, Neb.
Sept. 19 – Tri-City Storm vs. Des Moines Buccaneers – 1 p.m. – Sioux City, Ia.
Sept. 20 – Tri-City Storm vs. Fargo Force – 10 a.m. – Sioux City, Ia.
Lincoln – University of Nebraska Basketball Coach Tim Miles announced Monday that Andrew White III has transferred to the University of Nebraska and joined the Husker basketball program. White, who spent the previous two seasons at the University of Kansas, will sit out the 2014-15 season and have two years of eligibility remaining beginning with the 2015-16 campaign.
White, a 6-foot-7, 220-pound guard from Richmond, Va., spent the last two seasons at Kansas, playing in 44 contests. He helped the Jayhawks to a pair of Big 12 titles in his time at the school. White chose Nebraska over Maryland, Richmond, Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Miami and Florida State.
“I am really excited to add Andrew to our program. I believe he can be an impact guy for us. He has pro potential and reminds me of Paul Pierce.” said Miles, the 2014 Big Ten Coach of the Year. “Andrew has been involved in the elite levels of high school, AAU, and college basketball and that will continue with the Huskers.
“I really liked getting to know Andrew throughout this process. He is mature and thoughtful and wants the best for all involved,” Miles said. “He wants to get better, and he definitely wants Nebraska to continue to rise in major college basketball.”
White joins a Husker team that returns all five starters, including All-Big Ten performers Terran Petteway and Shavon Shields, from a team that went 19-13, finished fourth in the Big Ten and reached the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament. The Huskers have been ranked in the top 25 of several preseason polls for the 2014-15 season.
This past season, he appeared in 19 games off the bench for the Jayhawks, averaging 2.3 points per game on 44 percent shooting and added 1.2 rebounds per game. He posted a pair of double-figure efforts off the bench, highlighted by 13 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, in 14 minutes against Towson. He also had 12 points, including 3-of-5 from long range, in a season-high 19 minutes against Louisiana Monroe.
White played in 25 games as a freshman, averaging 5.0 minutes and 2.2 points per game in 2012-13. A three-point sharpshooter, White scored a career-high 15 points against Belmont and grabbed a personal-best six rebounds against Oregon State during his freshman year. As a freshman at Kansas, he also led the team in scoring and steals during the Jayhawks’ European Exhibition Tour.
White is a strong performer in the classroom, where he was a two-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and Athletic Director’s Honor Roll at Kansas. He was also a member of the National Society of College Scholars.
White attended the Miller School in Charlottesville, Va., where he averaged 22.9 points and 10 rebounds per game for Coach Scott Willard as he was named the Virginia State Player of the Year in 2012. White’s senior season featured a game with 46 points, 19 rebounds and seven assists. He was ranked No. 48 by ESPNU100 and No. 51 by Rivals.com in the class of 2012 and ESPN’s No. 11 small forward in the country that season. He originally selected Kansas over North Carolina State, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Richmond, Texas and Georgetown among others. Andrew White III is the son of Andrew, Jr. and Sheryl White.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Broncos running back Montee Ball returned to practice Tuesday, participating in individual drills in his first on-field workout since undergoing an appendectomy Aug. 4.
