Husker junior setter Lauren Cook was formally charged with a felony count of leaving the scene of an injury accident yesterday, nine days after her arrest. Cook was involved in an accident on October 30^th that injured two motorcyclists. Cook drove away from the accident before stopping half a mile down the road and eventually calling the police. The felony charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, but Cook will apply for a pretrial diversion program. The program is available to certain first-time offenders in Lancaster County, and the accused person can have the charges against them dismissed after completing community service. Athletic director Tom Osborne says that Cook will be allowed to play again once she is accepted into the program. The second-ranked Huskers visit Indiana and Purdue this weekend.

The ninteenth-ranked Husker football team will get a boost defensively this Saturday if Chase Rome returns as expected from injury. The sophomore defensive tackle sat out Saturday’s loss to Northwestern with a pulled muscle but has resumed practice this week. Without Rome available, Baker Steinkuhler and Terrence Moore played almost the entire game at defensive tackle. The Huskers are remaining silent on the off-field situation surrounding their opponents on Saturday, Penn State. Bo Pelini told the media at the Big Ten Coaches Teleconference yesterday that he and his team have not and will not discuss the child abuse scandal surrounding the university and their head coach Joe Paterno. The Huskers and the twelvth-ranked Nittany Lions kick off at 11 AM on Saturday.

The ninteenth-ranked Husker football team returned to the practice field yesterday to begin preparations for a difficult road test. The Huskers, fresh off a stunning 28-25 loss to Northwestern at Memorial Stadium, will head to one of the largest stadiums in the country, Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennslyvania, and face twelfth-ranked Penn State. The Nittany Lions are 8-1 and two games clear in the Big Ten Leaders Division. Husker offensive coordinator Tim Beck acknowledges that the 110,000 fans expected on Saturday could be a factor. “Our communication is going to have to be really good,” Beck said. “I know it can get really loud there and they’re a great football team. We will have to come to play and that is our challenge. Our challenge is laying it all on the line and being able to communicate to give us a chance. We can’t dig ourselves into bad situations like we did last game.” The Huskers and Nittany Lions kick off at 11 AM Saturday.

The Husker men’s basketball team played their lone preseason game last night and took home a 76-54 win over Doane College at the Devaney Center. The Huskers were sloppy at times, committing 28 turnovers, and allowed a 20-point halftime lead to shrink down to nine halfway through the second half before pulling away for the victory. Brandon Ubel and Dylan Talley led the Huskers with 12 points apiece as the team’s only double-figure scorers. The Huskers dominated on the glass, outrebounding the Tigers 48-24, with Ubel’s eight rebounds leading the team. The team shot 53 percent from the field but only made four of their fifteen three point attempts while allowing the Tigers to make 10 of 25 from behind the arc. The Huskers host South Dakota Friday night in their regular season opener.

A stunning loss sent the Huskers plummeting in the latest batch of college football polls. Saturday’s 28-25 loss to Northwestern dropped the Huskers ten spots to 19^th in the AP poll and eight spots to 17^th in the USA Today Coaches poll. The Huskers fell to 19^th in the fourth BCS rankings of the season. The rankings represent the lowest the Huskers have sat in the national polls this season. But more worrying than their place in the polls is their place in the Big Ten Legends Division Standings. With three games left to play, the Huskers sit in a three-way tie for second place with Michigan and Iowa, with Michigan State one game ahead in first. The Huskers will try and rebound on the road as they head east to play 12^th ranked Penn State on Saturday. The Big Ten has set the kickoff for 11 AM.

The Nebraska women’s basketball team concluded their two-game exhibition schedule with an easy 85-55 victory over Nebraska-Kearney at the Devaney Center yesterday afternoon. The Huskers jumped out to an 18-6 lead and led by 21 points at halftime on their way to the win. Jordan Hooper poured in 28 points to lead the Husker offense in the victory. Lindsey Moore joined Hooper in double figures with 14 points and also handed out seven assists. The Husker women open their regular season this Saturday, when they host Arkansas Pine-Bluff. Tonight, the Husker men’s basketball team opens up their own exhibition slate. The Huskers, who return four starters from last season’s team that won 19 games and reached the NIT, welcome Doane College to the Devaney Center. Tip off is set for 7 PM.

Tonight on ESPN Radio 1410, it’s North Platte Community College men’s basketball. The hoops season opens tonight for the Knights men and head coach Kevin O’Connor. The Knights return just two players, Nick Tomsick and Darian Doleman, from last season’s team that finished a disappointing 14-15 and was eliminated in the first round of the Region IX tournament. Their season opens tonight at the McCook Community College Classic, where they will play a pair of all-star teams. Tonight’s game pits the Knights against the Southwest Nebraska All-Stars. ESPN Radio 1410 has the action with pregame coverage at 5:45 and the tip-off at 6. The North Platte Lady Knights are in action as well, hosting the NPCC Classic beginning tonight. The 1-0 Lady Knights play the Doane College JV at 7:30.