Husker senior running back Rex Burkhead should be good to go when his team resumes their season next Saturday. Head coach Bo Pelini said in his weekly Big Ten teleconference that the left knee injury Burkhead suffered in the loss to Ohio State was not serious and that he expects Burkhead to be able to play. But Pelini did say that he and his staff will go easy on Burkhead this week in practice. The 4-2 Huskers face Northwestern next week in Evanston.

The Colorado Rockies have parted ways with third base coach Rich Dauer and hitting coach Carney Lansford, as their coaching staff continues to turn over after the worst season in franchise history. Lansford, a former Major League batting champion, coached the Rockies hitters the last two seasons. The 2012 Rockies batted .274 as a team, the best mark in the National League. Dauer had been with the Rockies for the past seven seasons, coaching third base and serving as the infield coach and coordinator of defensive positioning. The departures come after Sunday’s news that manager Jim Tracy was resigning. The Rockies have not given a timetable for their managerial search. Bench coach Tom Runnells and Triple-A manager Stu Cole are expected to be the top in-house candidates if the Rockies go in that direction.

Sandusky unlikely to outlive sentence

BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) — Jerry Sandusky has been sentenced to at least 30 years in prison in the child sexual abuse scandal that brought shame to Penn State and led to football coach Joe Paterno’s downfall.

The sentence means the 68-year-old former Penn State assistant coach will be in prison at least until he’s nearly 100 years old.

Judge John Cleland issued the sentence three months after a jury convicted Sandusky on 45 counts of child sexual abuse.

Sandusky says he is not a monster and he didn’t do the “alleged disgusting acts.” He plans to appeal.

Reds and Tigers looking to complete sweeps

UNDATED (AP) — The Reds and Giants are first up on today’s two-game postseason baseball schedule. Cincinnati goes for a sweep on its home field after winning the opening two games of the best-of-five NL Division Series in San Francisco.

The NL Central champions hand the ball to Homer Bailey. The Reds are hoping the 26-year-old right-hander can pitch them to their first home playoff victory in 17 years just a couple of weeks after he tossed the 15th no-hitter in franchise history.

The NL West champion Giants are relying on right-hander Ryan Vogelsong to help them extend their season.

After capturing the first two games of their ALDS at home, Detroit will be looking to complete a sweep of the Athletics tonight in Oakland. The Tigers send midseason acquisition Anibal Sanchez to the mound to face left-hander Brett Anderson.

The two other division series resume tomorrow. Baltimore and New York are tied at a game apiece following the Orioles’ 3-2 victory last night. And the Cardinals and Nationals are dead even after the Cards’ 12-4 win yesterday in Game 2.

Lions saddened by news of Karras’ condition

DETROIT (AP) — Detroit Lions president Tom Lewand says the franchise is deeply saddened to learn of Alex Karras’ condition.

The Detroit Free Press and Detroit News reported Monday that the former All-Pro defensive lineman and actor has kidney failure and has been given only a few days to live.

The 77-year-old Karras has been suffering from dementia. He is among the many former NFL players suing the league regarding the treatment of head injuries. He was an NFL standout for 12 seasons.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Detroit at Oakland 8:07 p.m.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
San Francisco at Cincinnati 4:37 p.m.

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASON
Milwaukee at Cleveland 6:00 p.m.
Charlotte at New Orleans 7:00 p.m.
Memphis at Chicago 87:00 p.m.

Orioles and Cards get even

UNDATED (AP) — The Orioles and Cardinals head out on the road for Game 3 of their respective division series after salvaging a split of the opening two games at home.

Baltimore rookie Wei-Yin Chen outdueled 40-year-old Andy Pettitte in a 3-2 victory under the lights at Camden Yards.

Chen held the Yanks to one earned run on six hits in six and a-third innings. Pettitte gave up three runs on seven hits in his seven innings.

Chris Davis got the Birds on the board with a two-run single in the third. Mark Reynolds added a run-scoring single in the sixth.

One night after getting beat up by the Yanks, O’s closer Jim Johnson pitched a perfect ninth to earn a save.

They’ll play Game 3 of this AL Division Series in New York on Wednesday.

St. Louis jumped on Washington starter Jordan Zimmerman with five runs on seven hits in three innings and routed the Nationals 12-4 in Game 2 of the NLDS to knot that series at one game apiece.

Carlos Beltran hit two of the Cards’ four homers and drove in three. Allen Craig and Daniel Descalso also went deep for the Cards. Craig hit his fifth career postseason homer and scored three times. St. Louis starter Jaime (HY’-mee) Garcia was ineffective, pitching just two innings.

Ryan Zimmerman and Adam LaRoche hit consecutive homers in the fifth inning for the Nationals, who head home for the rest of the series. The first postseason game in the Nation’s Capital since 1933 will be Game 3 Wednesday afternoon.

Houston joins Atlanta at 5-0

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Arian Foster ran for 152 yards and a touchdown, and the Houston Texans stayed unbeaten by defeating the New York Jets for the first time in team history, 23-17.

With a chance to lead the Jets on a winning drive, Mark Sanchez was intercepted by Kareem Jackson on a pass that tipped off the hands of Jeff Cumberland with 1:51 left and the 5-0 Texans joined the Atlanta Falcons as the NFL’s only teams without a loss.

The 2-3 Jets were heavy underdogs after coming off a 34-0 loss to San Francisco last week. But the Jets hung tough. Backup quarterback Tim Tebow got the crowd fired up at times throughout the game, including running for a first down on a fake punt, but had little impact otherwise.

Houston also overcame a 100-yard kickoff return by Joe McKnight that cut the Jets’ deficit to 20-14.

The Jets played without starting cornerback Darelle Revis, who is out with a torn knee ligament, New York lost top receiver Santonio Holmes to a season-ending foot injury last week.

Locker to miss Thursday night tussle…RGIII OK…Cassel out

UNDATED (AP) — Tennessee coach Mike Munchak says quarterback Jake Locker will miss his second straight game with an injured left shoulder Thursday night when the Titans play the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Munchak also said Monday that backup running back Javon Ringer will miss four to six weeks after spraining his left knee in yesterday’s loss to Minnesota.

Munchak says Locker is improving but Matt Hasselbeck will get his second straight start due to the short week. Locker will not be active.

In other NFL news:

— Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu will miss Thursday’s game against Tennessee after aggravating his strained right calf. And linebacker LaMarr Woodley is doubtful with a mild right hamstring injury.

— The Kansas City Chiefs are down to their backup quarterback for the second year in a row. Matt Cassel sustained a concussion in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against Baltimore and is unlikely to play in next weekend’s game at Tampa Bay, which means Brady Quinn is preparing to start an NFL game for the first time in nearly three years.

— Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan says “right now it looks good” that Robert Griffin III will be able to play Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. Shanahan says his prized rookie quarterback is experiencing no dizziness, headaches or vomiting a day after suffering a concussion in a loss to Atlanta.

— Minnesota Vikings strong safety Harrison Smith won’t be punished further for his shove of an official that drew a 15-yard penalty and automatic ejection from Sunday’s game against Tennessee. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello says Smith’s disqualification from the majority of the game was a “significant penalty.”

— Wes Welker told reporters he was only joking when he said after Sunday’s game that he enjoyed catching 13 passes against the Denver Broncos to “stick it” in coach Bill Belichick’s face. Welker made a rare Monday appearance in the locker room during media availability to straighten things out. Welker did not start the season opener after unsuccessful negotiations on a long-term deal, leading to speculation that Belichick was upset with him over the negotiations.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Baltimore 3 N-Y Yankees 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE
St. Louis 12 Washington 4

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Houston 23 N-Y Jets 17

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASON
Golden State 83 Utah 80

Nebraska senior Lauren Cook was honored by the Big Ten Conference on Monday as she was selected as the Big Ten Setter of the Week. The award marks her second Setter of the Week honor this season.

Cook earned the award after averaging 11.3 assists and 2.1 digs per set in road wins over No. 12 Purdue (3-0) and Indiana (3-2). She led the Huskers to a .348 hitting percentage on the weekend, including a .361 clip against the Boilermakers. Cook also dished out 52 assists against Indiana and 38 against Purdue.

— Hilary Winter, Nebraska Sports Information

DENVER (AP) — Players who stood by Jim Tracy while the Colorado Rockies endured their worst season in franchise history are reiterating their support for him following the manager’s resignation over the weekend.

Left-hander Jeff Francis said he was surprised to hear Tracy had decided to step down, telling The Associated Press in an email: “I loved playing for him and I think everyone did. The Rockies will miss him for sure.”

Among the most vocal supporters was outfielder Dexter Fowler, who appreciated Tracy sticking with him through protracted slumps over the last two seasons before a breakout 2012. He tweeted, “Man I’m gonna miss Tracy, thanks for believing in me! You are a wonderful and stand up guy!”

Rex Brothers, Tyler Colvin and Josh Rutledge also tweeted praise for Tracy.

Nebraska sophomore Mayme Conroy was tabbed as the Big Ten Conference’s Co-Offensive Player of the Week on Monday morning along with Illinois’ Vanessa DiBernardo. The honor is the first weekly award for a Nebraska soccer player this season.

Conroy was selected for the honor after producing her first career hat trick in a 3-2 overtime win at Wisconsin on Friday night. Conroy put in the game winner just over one minute into overtime to notch the 31st hat trick in NU history.

A native of Omaha, Neb., Conroy leads the Huskers with 11 goals on the year after scoring one goal as a true freshman in 2011. She has scored at least one goal in each of Nebraska’s last five games and at least one goal in seven of NU’s last eight games.

Conroy’s 11 goals tie her with Penn State’s Christine Nairn and Iowa’s Cloe Lacasse for second in the Big Ten, while Minnesota’s Taylor Uhl leads the conference with 13 goals in 14 games. Conroy is also one of five players in the Big Ten Conference to notch a hat trick this season.

— Jeremy Foote, Nebraska Sports Information

Tri-City Storm defenseman Garrett Cecere was named the CCM Defensive Player of the Week by the United States Hockey League. The first-year Storm player scored his first career USHL goal in Tri-City’s 4-3 win over Sioux City in their home opener last Friday night. He also tallied an assist on Brian Ward’s game-winning goal with under a minute to play. Cecere was a plus-three on the night, a game-high mark. The Storm play a home-and-home with the Lincoln Stars this weekend.