The Huskers are two days away from opening their season. They’re aiming to extend their home opener winning streak to 27 years as they host Southern Miss. Nebraska’s defensive coaches have repeatedly cited the speed of the Golden Eagles as a chief concern entering Saturday. The visitors have dynamic playmakers at running back in Kendrick Hardy and at wide receiver in Tracy Lampley. The Huskers expect to play in a nickel defensive package almost exclusively, with Ciante Evans manning the nickel back position.

Husker kicker Brett Maher received preseason first-team All-American honors from ESPN yesterday. The senior from Kearney is the reigning Big Ten Kicker of the Year and Punter of the Year, the first time a kicker had taken home both honors in the conference since 2001. He had previously been named a second-team All-American by Athlon.

The Denver Broncos wrap up their preseason schedule tonight in Phoenix against the Arizona Cardinals. Peyton Manning will sit out the game, allowing Caleb Hanie and rookie Brock Osweiler to battle it out for the backup QB spot. It’s also the last chance for borderline players to make their impression before the Broncos will have to cut their roster down to 53 players by Friday. ESPN Radio 1410 has the broadcast of tonight’s game. Pregame coverage starts at 8:05 with the kickoff at 10.

A nine-run deficit proved too much to overcome for the Colorado Rockies, who were denied a sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 10-8 loss at Coors Field yesterday. The Rockies rallied for seven runs in the eighth inning after falling behind 10-1, but they would get no closer. Chris Nelson had three hits and Tyler Colvin drove in two runs to lead the Rockies offensively. The Rockies have an off day today after playing 20 games in 20 days, and going 13-7 in that stretch. They open a three-game home series against San Diego on Friday night.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) – Tim Tebow would be the starting quarterback for the New York Jets this season if Mark Sanchez was sidelined by injury.

Coach Rex Ryan says Wednesday that Tebow would “expand his role” for the Jets, rather than the team turning to a more conventional-style quarterback such as third-stringer Greg McElroy – which some fans and media have speculated might be the case.

Tebow is listed as the No. 2 quarterback, so it seems obvious that he would fill in. But the fact the Jets plan to use Tebow in specific packages raises questions over whether he would remain in that role if Sanchez were hurt.

“We feel good about what Tim can do,” Ryan says, adding that he’s also confident in McElroy, who’ll start Thursday at Philadelphia.

MONTREAL (AP) – Lance Armstrong introduced himself as a seven-time Tour de France champion at a cancer conference in Montreal on Wednesday.

“My name is Lance Armstrong. I am a cancer survivor,” he said to open his speech to the World Cancer Congress. “I’m a father of five. And yes, I won the Tour de France seven times.”

Armstrong announced last week he would no longer challenge the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s drug charges against him. USADA threw out his competitive victories dating to 1998, which would include all seven Tour wins.

Armstrong, who has maintained his innocence, focused on his experience as a cancer survivor and the work of his charitable foundation. He added he refuses to be distracted from the fight against cancer.

UNDATED (AP) – The Los Angeles Dodgers look to avoid the three-game sweep in Denver this afternoon when they visit the Colorado Rockies. The Dodgers are 1-3 since a nine-player trade that brought Adrian Gonzalez and Josh Beckett to L.A., and they’ve fallen 3 1/2 games behind first-place San Francisco in the NL West.

The only AL matinee has 13 game-winner CC Sabathia on the mound as the Yankees host Toronto. The Yanks’ AL East lead has been trimmed to 3 1/2 games over Baltimore. The Orioles host the White Sox tonight after taking the first two games of this four-game set.

Chicago’s lead in the Central is down to two games over Detroit. The Tigers visit Kansas City.

The AL West standings show Texas on top with a 5 1/2 game lead over Oakland. The Rangers host the Tampa Bay Rays while the Athletics, who are riding a four-game winning streak, visit Cleveland.

Oakland and Baltimore are the AL wild card leaders.

Back to the National League where Central-leading Cincinnati has an afternoon game at Arizona. The Reds enter with a seven-game lead over St. Louis.

The West-leading Giants continue their series in Houston and Washington goes for a split in their two-game set at Miami.

The Nationals have dropped five in a row to match a season-high losing streak. Washington leads the East by four games over Atlanta. The Braves have a late-afternoon game at San Diego.

The Braves and Cardinals head up the race for the two NL wild card spots.

UNDATED (AP) – The winless Miami Dolphins are one of six teams closing out the NFL preseason tonight. Outscored 66-30 in their first three exhibition games, the Dolphins visit the Dallas Cowboys.

The New York Giants host New England in a meeting of last February’s Super Bowl teams. And Washington plays Tampa Bay.

Don’t expect to see any big names playing in these games as teams generally rest their starters in the preseason finale and get a final look at mostly obscure players trying to earn roster spots.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Toronto at N-Y Yankees 12:05 p.m.
Chi White Sox at Baltimore 6:05 p.m.
Oakland at Cleveland 6:05 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Texas 6:05 p.m.
Detroit at Kansas City 7:10 p.m.
Seattle at Minnesota 7:10 p.m.
Boston at L.A. Angels 9:05 p.m.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
L.A. Dodgers at Colorado 2:10 p.m. (LISTEN LIVE on ESPN Radio 1410)
Cincinnati at Arizona 2:40 p.m.
Atlanta at San Diego 5:35 p.m.
N-Y Mets at Philadelphia 6:05 p.m.
St. Louis at Pittsburgh 6:05 p.m.
Washington at Miami 6:10 p.m.
Milwaukee at Chi Cubs 7:05 p.m.
San Francisco at Houston 7:05 p.m.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PRESEASON
New England at N-Y Giants 6:00 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Washington 6:00 p.m.
Miami at Dallas 7:30 p.m.

Hershey athletics are raring to go for the 2012 season! The football team has a group of seniors who want to do something that’s never been done before. Head coach Ryan Smith talks about the outlook for his team this coming season. Also, Lady Panther volleyball begins their season this weekend, and they join their football program in competing in Class C2. It’s all here in our first Hershey Sports Update, airing Wednesdays on Q-Country 107.3!

It was a great start for the Wallace Wildcat football team as they routed South Platte in their season opener. Head coach Gary Hager talks about the keys to the victory and what his team still needs to work on moving forward. Also, there’s a new head coach for Lady Wildcat volleyball. Get all caught up in this week’s Wallace Wildcat Sports Update!

Nats slipping…Braves gaining…Cueto wins 17th

UNDATED (AP) – The Washington Nationals, who have been the most pleasant surprise of the baseball season, have hit the late-season doldrums. The last-place Miami Marlins, languishing 19 games back of the NL East leaders, handed the Nats their fifth straight loss, 9-0. That ties Washington’s longest skid of the season.

Even ace Stephen Strasburg couldn’t turn around the Nats’ fortunes. Strasburg was touched for seven runs on nine hits in his five innings, one of his shortest stints of the season. Justin Ruggiano started the rout in the first inning, touching Strasburg for his 13th home run in the second batter of the night. It went downhill for the Nats from there.

After scoring just five runs in three losses in Philadelphia over the weekend, the Nats bats went silent. Ricky Nolasco tossed a five-hitter.

In the rest of the NL:

– Johnny Cueto scattered four hits over seven innings for his major league-leading 17th win and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-2.

– Dan Uggla hit his 16th homer and Atlanta moved within four games of the Nationals by blanking San Diego 2-0.

– Pinch-hitter Hector Sanchez connected on the go-ahead RBI single in a two-run ninth inning uprising and the San Francisco Giants rallied for a 3-2 win over the Houston Astros.

– Jeff Bianchi hit a three-run shot for his first big league homer in the Milwaukee Brewers’ 4-1 win over the Chicago Cubs.

– Ike Davis hit a tiebreaking double during a four-run 10th inning, Kelly Shoppach had a two-run homer and the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 9-5 for their third straight victory.

– Pittsburgh blanked St. Louis 9-0. Pedro Alvarez homered twice and drove in four runs. James McDonald scattered two hits over seven innings.

Over in the AL:

– Nick Swisher extended his hot hitting with an RBI single and the New York Yankees handed Ricky Romero his 11th straight loss with a 2-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

– Nick Markakis drove in three runs and the Baltimore Orioles defeated Chris Sale and the Chicago White Sox 6-0 for their fourth straight win.

– Tommy Milone and three Oakland relievers extended Cleveland’s scoreless streak to 22 innings and the Athletics beat the Indians 7-0.

– Texas blanked Tampa Bay 1-0. Yu Darvish and two relievers combined on a seven-hit shutout. Ian Kinsler’s 16th homer was all the scoring. Darvish struck out 10 over seven innings in outdueling James Shields for the victory.

– The Kansas City Royals roughed up Detroit ace Jason Verlander in their 9-8 win over the Tigers. The Royals scored eight runs on 12 hits in Verlander’s five and two-thirds innings

– Dustin Ackley hit a three-run home and the Seattle Mariners beat the stumbling Minnesota Twins 5-2. The Twins have lost 16 of 19.

– The L.A. Angels rallied with two in the bottom of the ninth to beat Boston 6-5. Torii Hunter’s sacrifice fly ended it. Albert Pujols hit his 39th and rookie Mike Trout added his 25th homer for the Angels.

Williams sisters coast…American teen-ager wins

NEW YORK (AP) – Venus Williams’ return to the U.S. Open was a victorious one. The seven-time Grand Slam tournament champ rolled to a first round win over Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-3, 6-1. Williams missed last year’s Open while battling the effects of an autoimmune disease.

Sister Serena also cruised. The defending Wimbledon and Olympic gold medalist crushed Coco Vandewehge 6-1, 6-1.

Second-seed Agnieszka Radwanska moved on as did American teenager Sloane Stephens who upset 22nd-seeded Francesca Schiavone.

On the men’s side, defending champion Novak Djokovic lost the first game then ran off 18 of the next 19 en route to a 6-1, 6-love, 6-1 win over Paolo Lorenzi of Italy.

Andy Roddick advanced as did by fellow American Querrey.

Fifth-seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, sixth-seed Tomas Berdych and women’s sixth-seed Angelique Kerber were among the other first round winners.

Clippers’ Griffin says knee is good to go

LOS ANGELES (AP) – L.A. Clippers All-Star center Blake Griffin says his left knee is healed after last month’s surgery that forced him to miss the London Olympics. Griffin’s latest knee injury had nothing to do with the stress fracture of his left patella and surgery that forced him to miss the 2009-10 season.

Griffin signed a five-year contract extension worth $95 million.

Redskins cut Cooley

UNDATED (AP) – The Redskins have said goodbye to tight end Chris Cooley. The 30-year old, who has spent his entire eight-season career with the Redskins, was released after a career with 428 receptions, including three seasons of at least 70. Injuries limited him to five games and eight receptions last season.

Ex-Penn State faculty leaders blast Freeh Report, NCAA…Lobos QB suspended

UNDATED (AP) – Former Penn State faculty leaders blasted the NCAA and former FBI director Louis Freeh (LOO’-ee free) over their handling of the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal. The group says Freeh’s report on the scandal and the NCAA’s $60 million in fines unfairly punish the entire university community.

Freeh defended his work in an interview with The Associated Press. Addressing specific criticism that his team did not interview key witnesses, Freeh said his team respected requests by state prosecutors to rely on their grand jury testimony.

In other college football news:

– New Mexico junior quarterback David Vega has been suspended from the team indefinitely. The suspension was announced Tuesday by Lobos coach Bob Davie, who says Vega was arrested early Sunday by Albuquerque police.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Baltimore 6 Chi White Sox 0
Oakland 7 Cleveland 0
N-Y Yankees 2 Toronto 1
Texas 1 Tampa Bay 0
Kansas City 9 Detroit 8
Seattle 5 Minnesota 2
L.A. Angels 6 Boston 5

NATIONAL LEAGUE
N-Y Mets 9 Philadelphia 5, 10 Innings
Pittsburgh 9 St. Louis 0
Miami 9 Washington 0
Milwaukee 4 Chi Cubs 1
San Francisco 3 Houston 2
Colorado 8 L.A. Dodgers 4
Cincinnati 5 Arizona 2
Atlanta 2 San Diego 0

The North Platte Lady Knights volleyball team takes their act on the road for the first time this season, facing the Hastings College JV tonight. The Lady Knights went 4-1 in their season opening Subway Invite at McDonald-Belton Gymnasium last weekend. They defeated Eastern Wyoming, Colby, McCook and Williston State, and their only defeat came by the narrowest of margins in three sets against Northeastern JC. ESPN Radio 1410 will have the call of tonight’s match. Pregame coverage starts at 6:45 with the first serve at 7.