Huskers – Page 151 – North Platte Post Archive

Huskers Wrap Up Preparations for MSU

Posted on November 14, 2013November 15, 2013

Lincoln, Neb.- The Nebraska football team finished up its week of preparation for Saturday’s Big Ten Legends Division showdown with Michigan State on Thursday evening. The team practiced in helmets for just over 90 minutes inside the Hawks Center and outside on a beautiful Lincoln fall afternoon at the Ed and Joyanne Gass Practice Fields.

Nebraska Head Coach Bo Pelini met with media members after practice, noting that the team is excited to get out on the field against the Spartans.

“I think our guys are looking forward to playing the football game, we prepared well and now we have to put it to the test on Saturday.” Pelini said, “It is going to be a heck of a challenge for our kids.”

In the last few weeks, the high-powered Husker offense has been struck with the injury bug, especially on the offensive line. Even though Pelini wasn’t sure who would be available Saturday, he did assure Husker fans that NU will have five offensive lineman to start versus MSU.

“We have had some guys iffy and we will see come game time who is available.” Pelini said, “I promise you this, we will have five guys lined up on the offensive line, it is going to be their job and their challenge to step up to the task.”

Junior standout receiver Jamal Turner has a 50-50 shot at playing this weekend according to Pelini, as the receiver tries to recover from minor injuries that have plagued him during the past few weeks.

Even with first place in the Legends Division on the line for the Huskers this Saturday, Pelini believes the team is still taking the same approach to this game.

“I think our guys are always locked in, it is the same ‘business as usual,’ as far is that is concerned.” Pelini said, “Every game has great magnitude, it is the same, no different for us.”

Nebraska will have a walkthrough Friday as the team moves closer to its sixth conference game of the season. The Huskers will host the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast nationally on ABC.

Heisman Winner Rodgers Receives Pardon for Holdup

Posted on November 14, 2013November 15, 2013

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Johnny Rodgers, the Heisman Trophy winner for Nebraska in 1972, has been granted a pardon for his role in the holdup of a Lincoln gas station in 1970.

The Nebraska Pardons Board voted 3-0 on Thursday to pardon the 62-year-old Rodgers.

Rodgers has said he’s long regretted what he called a drunken prank. It was after the last day of his freshman year that he and two other men robbed the gas station. The holdup netted $90.

The crime was first investigated as an armed robbery. Rodgers pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of felony larceny and was sentenced to two years of probation. Rodgers has repeatedly denied that he had a gun during the holdup.

A pardon restores the civil rights Rodgers lost after his conviction.

Abdullah Named Doak Walker Semifinalist

Posted on November 14, 2013

Nebraska junior running back Ameer Abdullah has been named one of 10 semifinalists for the 2013 Doak Walker Award, given annually to the nation’s top running back. The announcement was made by the SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors on Thursday morning.

Abdullah enters Saturday’s game with Michigan State with 1,213 rushing yards on the season. His 134.8 rushing yards per game leads the Big Ten and ranks fifth nationally. In conference games, Abdullah has ran for 149.6 yards per contest to easily lead the conference. His 1,213 rushing yards are the most by a Husker player through nine games since Ahman Green in 1997.

Abdullah has topped the century mark on the ground in eight of nine games, including each of the past six games. Abdullah’s streak of six straight 100-yard rushing games is the sixth-longest in school history, and his eight 100-yard games in a season are the fifth-most in school history. Abdullah has also caught 21 receptions for 179 yards and his 159.0 all-purpose yards per game leads the Big Ten and ranks 12^th nationally.

The selection of Abdullah as a Doak Walker semifinalist marks the second time in three years Nebraska has had a semifinalist for the award. Rex Burkhead was one of 10 semifinalists during his junior season in 2011.

Abdullah is one of two Big Ten running backs on the semifinal list, joining Wisconsin sophomore Melvin Gordon. Other semifinalists include Western Kentucky senior Antonio Andrews, Arizona junior Ka’Deem Carey, South Carolina sophomore Mike Davis, Stanford senior Tyler Gaffney, Auburn junior Tre Mason, Washington junior Bishop Sankey, Baylor junior Lache Seastrunk and Boston College senior Andre Williams.

The three finalists for the Doak Walker Award will be named on Monday, Nov. 25, and the winner will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, Dec. 12 on ESPN.

Blackshirts Look to Shut Down Spartans

Posted on November 13, 2013

Lincoln, Neb.- The Nebraska football team continued its week of preparation for Saturday’s Big Ten conference showdown with Michigan State on Wednesday afternoon. The team practiced in helmets and shoulder pads for just over two hours inside the Hawks Center and outside at the Ed and Joyanne Gass Practice Fields.

Defensive Coordinator John Papuchis addressed the media after practice, noting even though Michigan State is known for its nation-leading defense, their offense is still a huge threat for the Nebraska defense.

“I think they are a physical group. That has always been a trademark of who they are.” Papuchis said, “I like their young quarterback (Connor Cook), I think he does a good job. I think he has a strong arm and throws the outside throws really well.”

An Ohio native, Cook is the man under center for Michigan State. The sophomore first-year starter has been making Papuchis lose sleep at night, as Papuchis mentioned, he is deceptively athletic.

“There is not a lot of quarterback designed runs, but there is some. He is a good athlete.” Papuchis said, “I don’t know if that is a huge part in what he tries to do, but if he gets out and runs, he is a good athlete.”

Even though Cook may not be the most mobile quarterback in the country, he does present a lot of challenges to the Blackshirt defense. A main concern for the Husker defense is trying to take the ball away from Michigan State’s offense, especially Cook, who has thrown for 13 touchdowns with only three interceptions. According to Papuchis, forcing turnovers this weekend will be vital for the Huskers to succeed.

“We’ve got to take advantage of the opportunities. He hasn’t made a lot of bad decisions with the ball and hopefully we get enough pressure on him that guys are getting up in his face.” Papuchis said, “We are going to need some takeaways this game.”

Nebraska will hit the practice field again on Thursday as the team moves closer to its sixth conference game of the season. The Huskers will host the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast nationally on ABC.

Huskers Will Honor Academic All-Americans Saturday

Posted on November 13, 2013

Nebraska is celebrating a milestone this weekend, one made possible by the countless hours Husker student-athletes put in on the field and in the classroom. The Nebraska Athletic Department surpassed 300 all-time CoSIDA Academic All-Americans during the 2012-13 academic year, enabling NU to become the first college or university in any division to produce 300 Academic All-Americans. To honor that achievement, Nebraska is welcoming back its best and brightest student-athletes for Saturday’s Husker game against Big Ten Legends rival Michigan State. An estimated 120 Husker Academic All-Americans will be honored at midfield after the Cornhusker Marching Band’s halftime performance.

A total of 223 Nebraska student-athletes have earned NU’s nation-leading total of 307 CoSIDA Academic All-America certificates. Björn Barrefors is the Huskers’ first and only four-time CoSIDA Academic All-American across all sports. The 2012 Big Ten decathlon champion was a third-team selection in 2010, then earned First-Team Academic All-America status in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Former Husker Mike Brown will be honored twice Saturday – in the first half as a First-Team All-America defensive back who last August was voted one of the Huskers’ Top Eight Blackshirts over the last 50 years; and secondly as a First-Team Academic All-American who will be recognized with the group at halftime. Mary Weatherholt is another accomplished scholar-athlete who will be individually introduced at Saturday’s game. Earlier this week, she was announced as a 2014 Top Ten Award Winner – the most prestigious award the NCAA presents on an annual basis. Nebraska leads the nation in Top Ten winners with 17. Stanford has 15 recipients of the award, which is based on academic achievement, athletic accomplishment and community service.

The Huskers’ 307 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans across all sports lead second place Notre Dame (231) and third place MIT (204), the only other schools to produce 200 Academic All-Americans. Penn State (182) and Stanford (176) complete the top five. Nebraska’s football team leads all programs nationally with 104 Academic All-Americans. On the women’s side, the NU volleyball program has captured more Academic All-America awards (37) than any other women’s team in the nation, while the Husker softball program (29) ranks second on that list. Nebraska also leads all NCAA women’s gymnastics programs with 14 Academic All-Americans. In addition, NU ranks among the nation’s top 10 schools in CoSIDA Academic All-Americans in baseball, women’s basketball and men’s and women’s track and field/cross country.

Four former Husker football players were chosen First-Team Academic All-Americans by an organization other than CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America. Don Fricke (1960), Pat Clare (1960), Jim Osberg (1965) and Tony Jeter (1965) are Academic All-Americans who are not included in Nebraska’s nation-leading 307 total because the NCAA uses CoSIDA as a single standard for all schools. Four Husker Academic All-Americans are deceased – Curt Hedberg (1978) and Jack Moore (1981), both basketball players, plus two-time Academic All-Americans Jake Young (football, 1988, ’89) and Alex Lamme (track and field, 1996, ’97).

Nebraska’s complete list of all-time Academic All-Americans is listed below by sport:

Football (104): Bob Oberlin (1952 and 1953), Jim Huge (1962), Dennis Claridge (1963), Marv Mueller (1966), Randy Reeves (1969), John Adkins (1970), Bill Kosch (1970 and 1971), Dave Walline (1970), Jeff Kinney (1971), Larry Jacobson (1971), Dick Rupert (1971), Frosty Anderson (1973), Ritch Bahe (1973), Rik Bonness (1975), Tom Heiser (1975), Vince Ferragamo (1976), Ted Harvey (1976 and 1977), Stan Waldemore (1977), Jim Pillen (1978), George Andrews (1978), Rod Horn (1979), Kelly Saalfeld (1979), Randy Schleusener (1979 and 1980), Jeff Finn (1980), Ric Lindquist (1980 and 1981), Dave Rimington (1981 and 1982), Randy Theiss (1981 and 1982), Kris Van Norman (1982), Bill Weber (1982), Scott Strasburger (1983 and 1984), Rob Stuckey (1983 and 1984), Mark Traynowicz (1984), Dale Klein (1986), Tom Welter (1986), Micah Heibel (1987), Jeff Jamrog (1987), Mark Blazek (1987 and 1988), Jake Young (1988 and 1989), John Nelson (1988), John Kroeker (1988), Pat Tyrance (1989 and 1990), Gerry Gdowski (1989), Jim Wanek (1990), David Edeal (1993), Pat Engelbert (1990 and 1991), Mike Stigge (1991 and 1992), Rob Zatechka (1992, 1993 and 1994), Ken Mehlin (1993), Terry Connealy (1993 and 1994), Trev Alberts (1993), Matt Shaw (1994), Aaron Graham (1994 and 1995), Steve Volin (1995), Steve Ott (1995), Brian Schuster (1995), Grant Wistrom (1996 and 1997), Jon Hesse (1996), Chad Kelsay (1997 and 1998), Jon Zatechka (1997), Scott Frost (1997), Joel Makovicka (1997 and 1998), Brian Shaw (1998 and 1999), Bill Lafleur (1998), Mike Brown (1999), Kyle Vanden Bosch (1999 and 2000), Tracey Wistrom (2001), Judd Davies (2003), Pat Ricketts (2003), Kellen Huston (2004), Chad Sievers (2004), Dane Todd (2005 and 2006), Kurt Mann (2005), Todd Peterson (2008), Tyler Wortman (2008), Austin Cassidy (2010 and 2011), Rex Burkhead (2011 and 2012) and Sean Fisher (2011 and 2012).

Baseball (18): Adrian Fiala (1970), Gene Stohs (1970 and 1972), Steve Achelpohl (1972), Steve Oakley (1980), Todd Oakes (1983), Mark Kister (1985), Matt Schuldt (1998), Erik Mumm (1999), Jeff Leise (2001, 2002 and 2003), John Cole (2001) Shane Komine (2002), Aaron Marsden (2003), Daniel Bruce (2005), Brandon Buckman (2006), D.J. Belfonte (2010) and Casey Hauptman (2011)

Men’s Basketball (7): Chuck Jura (1972), Curt Hedberg (1978), Jack Moore (1981), John Matzke (1984) and Beau Reid (1989 and 1991).

Men’s Gymnastics (14): Tom Schlesinger (1986 and 1988), Patrick Kirksey (1990), Mark Warburton (1990), Sumner Darling (1992, 1993 and 1994), Rick Kieffer (1995), Jason Christie (1996), Ted Harris (1997), Jim Koziol (1999), Marshall Nelson (2000), Ryan Sneed (2003) and Stephen Tetrault (2007 and 2008).

Men’s Swimming & Diving (4): Justin Switzer (1993 and 1994), Michael Windisch (2000) and Jon Hahn (2001).

Men’s Tennis (1): Steve Jung (1989).

Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country (23): James Blackledge (1988), Brady Bonsall (1995 and 1996), Alex Lamme (1996 and 1997), Kyle Wyatt (2002), Dana Carne (2004), Danny Hill (2004), Aaron Plas (2006), Nate Probasco (2006 and 2007), Issar Yazhbin (2007), Nicholas Gordon (2010 and 2011), Bjorn Barrefors (2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013), Nate Polacek (2011 and 2012), Adam Dailey (2011), Tyler Hitchler (2011) and Brett Grieb (2012).

Rifle (3): Rachel Spiry (2001 and 2002) and Ryann McGough (2011).

Soccer (4): Shannon Tanaka (2001), Meghan Anderson (2001), Shay Powell (2009) and Morgan Marlborough (2010).

Softball (29): Denise Day (1984 and 1985), Denice Feldhaus (1984), Shelby Mertins (1984), Lori Richins (1985, 1986 and 1987), Margie Ogrodowicz (1987 and 1988), Ruth Chatwin (1987), Lori Sippel (1988), Janelle Frese (1989), Jill Rishel (1990), Ann Halsne (1991 and 1992), Denise McMillan (1992, 1993 and 1994), Karla Knicely (1996), Jenny Smith (1998), Jamie Fuente (2001), Kim Ogee (2002), Lizzy Rock (2006), KoKo Tacha (2006), Molly Hill (2008 and 2009), Robin Mackin (2010), Ashley Hagemann (2011) and Nikki Haget (2011).

Volleyball (37): Karen Dahlgren (1984, 1985 and 1986), Virginia Stahr (1987, 1988 and 1989), Kathi DeBoer (1987), Lori Endicott (1988), Janet Kruse (1989, 1990 and 1991), Carla Baker (1989), Becky Bolli (1990), Allison Weston (1994 and 1995), Christy Johnson (1995), Lisa Reitsma (1996), Megan Korver (1998), Nancy Metcalf (1999 and 2001), Laura Pilakowski (2000, 2001 and 2002), Greichaly Cepero (2001), Amber Holmquist (2002), Anna Schrad (2003), Christina Houghtelling (2005 and 2007), Sarah Pavan (2005, 2006 and 2007), Tracy Stalls (2007), Kori Cooper (2008 and 2009), Amanda Gates (2008), Jordan Larson (2008), and Gina Mancuso (2012).

Women’s Basketball (8): Kelli Benson (1984), Cathy Owen (1984), Terri Parriott (1985), Stephanie Bolli (1986 and 1988) and Karen Jennings (1991, 1992 and 1993).

Women’s Golf (1): Heidi Wall (1996).

Women’s Gymnastics (14): Mary Ocel (1988), Jane Clemons (1990), Nicole Duval (1993, 1994 and 1995), Joy Taylor (1995 and 1996), Kim DeHaan (1996), Bree Dority-O’Callaghan (2001), Jen French (2002 and 2003), Libby Landgraf (2004), Richelle Simpson (2005) and Emily Wong (2013).

Women’s Swimming & Diving (2): Courtney Jensen (2000) and Kaitlin Arntz (2010).

Women’s Tennis (3): Rachel Collins (1992) and Imke Reimers (2007 and 2008).

Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country (26): Nicole Ali (1985 and 1986), Lynne Frey (1990), Kathy Travis Miiller (1996), Nicola Martial (1996), Janet Blomstedt (1997), Jill Myatt (1997), Cassandra Morelock (2000), Stella Klassen (2000), Jenna Lucas (2002), Kate Livesey (2002), Melissa Price (2002), Cheryl Harmon (2003), Ann Gaffigan (2004), Tia DeSoto (2004), Ashley Selig (2006 and 2007), Jenny Green (2006 and 2007), Kim Shubert (2007 and 2008), Natalie Willer (2010 and 2011), Ashley Miller (2011), Mara Griva (2013) and Morgan Wilken (2013).

Wrestling (8): Ryan Tobin (1996 and 1998), Matt Murray (2004 and 2005), Tucker Lane (2011 and 2012) and Josh Ihnen (2012 and 2013).

Jacob Hammond Signs National Letter-of-Intent to Play for Miles

Posted on November 13, 2013November 13, 2013

Lincoln – University of Nebraska Men’s Basketball Coach Tim Miles announced that Jacob Hammond has signed a National Letter-of-Intent with the Husker basketball program on Wednesday, the first day of the fall signing period.

Hammond, a 6-foot-10, 230-pounder from Comanche, Okla., is considered one of the nation’s top big men in the class of 2014. Hammond is rated among the top 150 players in the country by Rivals.com, while he was a consensus three-star selection by ESPN.com, Scout.com and 247 Sports.com. The 6-foot-10, 230-pounder is rated as the No. 2 prospect in the state of Oklahoma by both ESPN.com and 247 Sports. Hammond is the first Rivals’ top-150 recruit Nebraska has signed since the site began ranking prospects in 2003. Hammond selected Nebraska over a number of schools, including Oklahoma, TCU and Texas Tech.

While Miles has upgraded the talent at Nebraska since arriving in March of 2013, finding a quality big man who compete in the Big Ten was a priority in this year’s recruiting, and Hammond has all the tools to be successful.

“I am really excited about Jacob Hammond joining the Huskers,” Miles said. ”He has excellent size and length. He is a great kid who wants to get better and better. I was very impressed with him all summer. He plays in a physical manner and has excellent athleticism. I really think he has a lot of room for growth and development and is someone who will be a great asset to our program. It has been fun getting to know him as a person. I truly like him and think he’ll be a valuable part of the future of Husker basketball.”

Hammond currently attends Comanche High School, where he will look to play his senior season for Coach Nick Price. As a junior, he played for national power Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kan., for Coach Kyle Lindsted when he averaged 12 points per game in helping the school to a 29-1 record and a No. 6 ranking in the MaxPreps Academy Top-10 in 2012-13. Hammond, who grew up in the Dallas area before his family moved to Oklahoma, spent the summer playing for the Dallas-based Pro Skills and the Oklahoma Magic AAU programs. As a sophomore, Hammond averaged 14 points, 15 rebounds and six blocks per game for the Oklahoma City Storm, a home school team, and began his high school career at Duncan High School as a freshman.

The Huskers are currently 2-0 on the season and play host to South Carolina State Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Pitchford Leads Huskers Past Western Illinois

Posted on November 13, 2013

Lincoln – Walter Pitchford led four Huskers in double figures, as Nebraska improved to 2-0 on the season with a 62-47 win over Western Illinois Tuesday night.
Pitchford, a 6-foot-10 sophomore, totaled a game-high 14 points, including a trip of 3-pointers, to pace the Big Red. Sophomores Shavon Shields and Terran Petteway added 13 apiece, while Leslee Smith came off the bench with 10 points and five rebounds in 20 minutes.
Petteway nearly recorded a double-double, finishing with 13 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes, as Nebraska had a 34-30 advantage on the glass and forced 15 Leatherneck turnovers.
Pitchford and Smith keyed a decisive first-half run, as the Huskers (2-0) used a 23-7 spurt to seize momentum and build a 17-point first-half cushion. Leading 8-7 after a 7-0 WIU run, Smith came off the bench for two quick baskets and a pair of free throws to stake the Huskers a 16-9 lead. Moments later, Pitchford’s conversional 3-point play started a run of eight straight points for the Florida transfer as his second 3-pointer of the half pushed the lead to 13 points at 24-11.
A 3-pointer from Jabari Sandifer stopped the run for the Leathernecks, but baskets by Benny Parker and Shavon Shields sandwiched between a Pitchford 3-pointer put the Huskers up 31-14 and the Huskers took a 19-point lead into the locker room.
Nebraska shot 56 in the first half, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range, while holding Western Illinois (0-2) to 32 percent in the half and 38 percent on the night, including 4-of-19 from long range.
Petteway carried the Huskers in a sluggish second half, scoring 10 of his 13 points in the final 20 minutes, as Nebraska cooled off after halftime. Despite shooting just 32 percent in the second half, the Huskers led by as many as 23 points on several occasions, the last being at 58-35 with 4:56 remaining after a Petteway 3-point play, and cruised to a 15-point win.
The Huskers return to action Sunday afternoon as they take on South Carolina State. Tipoff at Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 2 p.m. and the game will be carried on the Husker Sports Radio Network and shown online on the Big Ten Digital Network.
Game Notes:
*-Tim Miles collected his 300th career win tonight. He is now 300-238 in 19 seasons as a head coach.
*-Sophomore transfer Walter Pitchford finished with a career-high 14 points, including three 3-pointers. Pitchford has hit at least two 3-pointers in each of his first two games.
*-Shavon Shields reached double figures for the fourth straight game dating back to last season, finishing with 13 points in the victory.
*-Nebraska has not trailed in either game this season, as both of its first two games came against teams which reached the postseason in 2012-13.

Beck Focused on Spartan Defense

Posted on November 13, 2013

Nebraska was back on the practice field on Tuesday afternoon as the Huskers continued preparations for Saturday’s key Big Ten Legends Division matchup with Michigan State at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska practiced in pads for about two hours inside the Hawks Championship Center and on the Ed and Joyanne Gass practice fields.

Offensive coordinator Tim Beck addressed the media after practice. He said a Michigan State defense that leads the nation in rushing defense, pass efficiency defense, total defense and opponent third-down percentage will be a challenge for the Husker offense. But Beck was encouraged by the offense’s late-game performance in a come-from-behind win at Michigan last Saturday.

“I thought our guys did some really good things on the field (on Saturday at Michigan), but we left some plays out there,” said Beck. “The guys played pretty well for the most part and handled the situation well, especially at the end.”

The offensive coordinator spoke highly of redshirt freshman quarterback Tommy Armstrong and the ‘it’ factor that he carries with confidence as he grows into the starting role.

“He made a couple of big throws for us and they were key,” Beck said. “I thought he played really well, handled himself well, made good decisions back there and didn’t panic.”

Nebraska will return to the practice field on Wednesday afternoon. Saturday’s matchup between Nebraska and the 14th-ranked Spartans is set for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff at Memorial Stadium. The game will be televised on ABC.

Gregory Named to Hendricks Award Mid-Season Watch List

Posted on November 13, 2013

Nebraska sophomore defensive end Randy Gregory is one of 18 players who have earned a spot on the mid-season watch list for the Ted Hendricks Award.

The Hendricks Award is given to the nation’s premier defensive end and is named in honor of Ted Hendricks, a three-time All-American at the University of Miami who went on to an outstanding NFL career.

The 6-6, 255-pound Gregory has emerged as a dominant defender for the Nebraska defense. Gregory leads the Big Ten with 7.5 sacks and has had a hand in 13 tackles for loss. Gregory is third on the team with 39 overall tackles through nine games.

He also has a team-high 11 quarterback hurries, an interception return for a touchdown, a fumble caused and a fumble recovery.

Gregory is coming off his finest performance of the season at Michigan, when he registered three sacks to lead the Blackshirts to their best effort of the season. Gregory and the Nebraska defense held Michigan to -21 rushing yards and 175 total yards in the 17-13 victory. For his play, Gregory was named the Big Ten co-Defensive Player of the Week.

Gregory is the only Big Ten defensive end named to the Hendricks mid-season watch list.

This watch list will remain open to additions and deletions until the selection committee completes its first vote on November 25. The Hendricks Award voting committee will cast two votes: one to narrow the list of candidates to 4-6 finalists, and one to choose the winner for this season. The Final Mid-Season Watch List will be announced in late November. The 2013 winner will be announced on December 11.

On-field performance, exceptional winning attitude, leadership abilities, contributions to school and community and academic preparedness are some of the criteria used to determine the Award’s winner. Members of the national media, head coaches, professional scouts and former winners are included in the Award’s voting committee. Candidates may represent any class (Freshman through Senior) as well as any four-year NCAA accredited school. The candidate’s primary position must be Defensive End.

Hendricks Award Watch List
Vic Beasley, Clemson
Scott Crichton, Oregon State
Kasim Edebali, Boston College
Jayrone Elliott, Toledo
Dee Ford, Auburn
Randy Gregory, Nebraska
Martin Ifedi, Memphis
Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas
Demarcus Lawrence, Boise State
Kareem Martin, North Carolina
Lorenzo Mauldin, Louisville
Ryan Mueller, Kansas State
Cedric Reed, Texas
Michael Sam, Missouri
Chris Smith, Arkansas
Marcus Smith, Louisville
Chidera Uzo-Diribe, Colorado
Tony Washington, Oregon

Spartans Hoping for First Win over Nebraska

Posted on November 12, 2013November 13, 2013

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State’s next obstacle is one the Spartans have never overcome.

Beat Nebraska, and a spot in the Big Ten championship game is all but assured — but the Cornhuskers have won all seven meetings between the schools.

“We’ve never run from facing Nebraska, but that is the one football team that we have not beaten since coming here, so that remains a goal of ours,” Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said.

“But I think there are bigger and more important things to worry about — we’ve got to beat Nebraska to accomplish our goals, and that’s why it’s such a big game.”

The 14th-ranked Spartans can clinch at least a share of the Legends Division title with a victory at Nebraskaon Saturday, but since joining the Big Ten, the Cornhuskers have beaten Michigan State each of the past two years. The teams first faced each other in 1914, and Nebraska has won by at least two touchdowns in every game except last season’s.

The Spartans nearly broke through in 2012, but Nebraska scored two touchdowns in the final 7:02 to win 28-24. Taylor Martinez threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jamal Turner with 6 seconds left to win it.

That TD came after a pass interference call on Michigan State put the ball at the 5 with 17 seconds left. The Spartans also allowed a fourth-down conversion on that drive — and earlier in the game, they had an interception return for a touchdown that was nullified by a penalty.

“The football game last year was difficult to swallow the way it went down at the end, and I’ll leave it at that,” Dantonio said. “There were some different things that went on in the game that were unconventional. I’ll leave it at that.”

Michigan State (8-1, 5-0 Big Ten) is favored by about a touchdown this week. The Spartans had last weekend off after shutting down rival Michigan 29-6. Michigan State is ranked No. 1 in the country in total defense.

If the Spartans win this weekend, they would need only one victory in the final two games to be certain of a spot in the conference title game. Nebraska (7-2, 4-1) has remained on Michigan State’s heels with a pair of dramatic victories.

The Cornhuskers beat Northwestern 27-24 two weekends ago by completing a 49-yard touchdown pass on the final play. Last week, they edged Michigan 17-13.

Martinez is injured, and Tommy Armstrong Jr. has started five games in his place.

“We still have to respect the quarterback that’s in there, but he’s not Taylor Martinez,” Michigan State defensive lineman Shilique Calhoun said. “He’s not taking off like he is. He’s a little more stationary.”

Nebraska has leaned on running back Ameer Abdullah, who has already rushed for 1,213 yards this season. Armstrong is not the running threat that Martinez is, but the Cornhuskers have had time to adjust to their star quarterback’s injury problems.

“I think they’re going to try and do the same things with Armstrong long term that they do with Martinez,” Dantonio said. “Taylor was such a great runner that could take it the distance . so he’s a very good football player, but I do think that Tommy Armstrong is an exceptional football player as a redshirt freshman.”

Michigan State went to the Big Ten title game two years ago despite losing 24-3 at Nebraska. The Spartans said Tuesday that the trip to Memorial Stadium in Lincoln was an eye opener — players were almost taken aback by the friendliness of the Nebraska fans.

“Going to a hostile environment, you’re not expecting people to welcome you the way they did,” offensive lineman Fou Fonoti said. “I don’t know what it was — you walked in, people saying, ‘Hey, welcome to Lincoln, pleasure having you here, we wish you all the best.'”

Of course, Michigan State hasn’t traditionally been a threat to Nebraska. Perhaps the rivalry will intensify if the Spartans finally beat the Cornhuskers.

“I have not been to Nebraska yet. This is going to be my first time,” Calhoun said. “But I’ve actually heard about it, and heard about how they’re extremely kind, and it kind of throws you off a little bit. You just have to go in with the mindset that you have something to do — a job.”