Huskers – Page 76 – North Platte Post Archive

Mariota Walter Camp Player of the Year, Abdullah on Second Team

Posted on December 11, 2014

NEW HAVEN, CT – Player of the Year Marcus Mariota, quarterback from second-ranked Oregon, headlines the 2014 Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America Team, the 125th honored by the organization. The nation’s oldest All-America squad was announced this evening on The Home Depot ESPN College Football Awards Show.

Third-ranked Florida State had three players selected to the First Team, while top-ranked Alabama, Oregon and Utah all had two honorees. In all, 20 different schools from six conferences were represented on the All-America First Team. The Atlantic Coast Conference, Pac 12, and Southeastern Conference each had six selections.

The Walter Camp All-America teams are selected by the head coaches and sports information directors of the 125 Football Bowl Subdivision schools and certified by Marcum LLP, a New Haven-based accounting firm. Walter Camp Football Foundation President James Monico was pleased with the voting participation.

“Once again, we had more than 80 percent of the FBS schools participate in this year’s voting,” Monico said. “We are very appreciative of the continuing cooperation of the coaches and sports information directors in our annual effort to honor the nation’s most outstanding college players.”

Leading the offensive unit is Mariota, the 2014 Walter Camp Player of the Year. The nation’s leader in pass efficiency (186.3), Mariota has thrown for 3,783 yards and 38 touchdowns for the nation’s third-ranked scoring offense (46.3 points per game).

The nation’s top two rushers – both juniors and from the Big 10 Conference – are on the First Team. Junior Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin) has rushed for 2,336 yards and 179.7 yards per game, while Tevin Coleman (Indiana) has totaled 2,036 yards on the ground.

Junior Amari Cooper (Alabama) and sophomore Rashard Higgins (Colorado State) are the wide receivers. Cooper has 105 catches for 1,656 yards and 14 touchdowns, while Higgins has 89 catches for 1,640 yards and 17 touchdowns. The tight end is Nick O’Leary (Florida State).

On the offensive line, four seniors were selected: Brandon Scherff (Iowa), Tre’ Jackson (Florida State), Cedric Ogbuehi (Texas A&M) and Laken Tomlinson (Duke). Senior Reese Dismukes (Auburn) is the offensive center.

Placekicker Roberto Aguayo (Florida State) is a repeat First Team honoree. Aguayo has converted 25-of-27 field goals and all 53 of his point-after-kicks this season for the Seminoles.

Leading the defensive unit is sophomore linebacker Scooby Wright III (Arizona). Wright III has totaled 158 tackles (89 solo) for the Wildcats and leads the nation with 28 tackles for loss. Joining Wright in the middle is Hau’oli Kikaha (Washington) and Paul Dawson (TCU). Kikaha leads the nation with 18 sacks.

Repeat First Team All-American Vic Beasley (Clemson) is joined by senior Nate Orchard (Utah), junior Shane Ray (Missouri) and sophomore Joey Bosa (Ohio State). Orchard is second in the nation with 17.5 sacks.

Sophomore Gerod Holliman (Louisville), who leads the nation with 14 interceptions, anchors the defensive secondary. He is joined by seniors Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (Oregon), Senquez Golson (Ole Miss) and junior Landon Collins (Alabama). Ekpre-Olomu was a Second Team Walter Camp All-American in 2013.

The punter is junior Tom Hackett (Utah), who averages 47.0 yards-per-punt. The kick returner is senior Jamarcus Nelson (UAB), who has four kickoff returns for touchdowns this season.

The 2014 Walter Camp Player of the Year and members of the All-America team will be honored at the organization’s national awards banquet, presented by First Niagara Bank, on Saturday, January 17, 2015 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven.

In addition, the Foundation will recognize three individuals – broadcasting legend Verne Lundquist (Distinguished American), former Notre Dame and Pittsburgh Steeler standout running back Jerome Bettis (Man of the Year) and former Air Force All-American and Dallas Cowboy Chad Hennings (Alumnus of the Year) – with major awards.

The Foundation is offering a “Holiday Ticket Promotion” for the National Awards Dinner. Buy two tickets for $450 (you save $150) before December 31. Please call (203) 288-CAMP (288-2267) for more information.

Walter Camp, “The Father of American football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team.

The Walter Camp Football Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. Visit http://waltercamp.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b810683e15b74e3bcc163850e&id=975908061c&e=e3759d36e4.

Walter Camp 2014 All-America Notebook

A Little History
This is the 125th edition of the Walter Camp All-America team – the nation’s oldest All-America team. Twenty-six players have been selected to the first team by the 125 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors. In addition, 25 players have been selected to the Second Team.

• From 1889 to 1964, eleven players were selected.
• In 1965, both offensive and defensive teams were picked.
• In 1972, the first punter (Ray Guy, Southern Mississippi) was honored.
• In 1975, the first placekicker (Chris Bahr, Penn State) was selected.
• In 1998, the first-ever Second Team All-America team was recognized.
• In 2001, the first kick returner (Herb Haygood, Michigan State) was picked.

Conference Info
Twenty different schools representing six conferences have players on the 2014 Walter Camp All-America First Team. The Southeastern Conference (5 schools), Atlantic Coast Conference (4 schools) and Pac-12 (4 schools) each had six players on the First Team. The Big Ten Conference had four players from four member schools. Florida State had the most First Team honorees with three, while Alabama, Utah and Oregon each had two.

Then and Now
Twenty different schools are represented on the 2014 Walter Camp All-America First Team – the 125th honored in the name of the former Yale University football coaching legend. Of those 20 schools, Wisconsin has the honor of being the first represented on a Walter Camp All-American squad – tackle Bob Butler was recognized in 1912.

Good to See You Again
Two players – placekicker Robert Aguayo (Florida State) and defensive end Vic Beasley (Clemson) – are repeat First Team All-Americans.

Player of the Year Marcus Mariota
The 48th recipient of the Walter Camp Player of the Year award, Oregon junior quarterback Marcus Mariota is the first Duck to win the prestigious honor. Mariota is the 16th quarterback to earn the honor, and the eighth player from a Pac-12 school. Mariota and defensive back Ifo Ekpre-Olomu were first team All-Americans – the first time Oregon has had two First Team selections.

Class Distinction
Of the 25 First Team selections, 13 are seniors. There are seven juniors and five sophomores. On the Second Team, there are nine seniors, 10 juniors, four sophomores and two freshmen (both from the University of Florida – Dante Fowler, Jr. and Vernon Hargreaves III).

Streaking
Texas A&M and Florida State have had at least one Walter Camp First Team All-American in each of the last five years. It is the longest current streak. The all-time record belongs to Notre Dame (18 straight years, 1964 to 1981). After not having an All-American from 1999-2009, Texas A&M has had eight First Teamers in the last five years.

Big Time Backs from Big Ten
Two running backs from the Big Ten Conference – Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon and Indiana’s Tevin Coleman – were selected as First Team All-Americans. It is the fourth time since 1965 (the first year there were offensive and defensive teams selected) that the backfield hailed from the same conference.

1996 – Big 8 (Troy Davis, Iowa State and Byron Hanspard, Texas Tech)
2004 – Big 12 (Cedric Benson, Texas and Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma)
2008 – Big 10 (Javon Ringer, Michigan State and Shonn Greene, Iowa)

Lockett’s Back
Kansas State senior Tyler Lockett is a Second Team honoree at both wide receiver and kick returner. Lockett was a 2011 Walter Camp First Team All-American (kick returner). In addition, Lockett is the third player (all since 2009) to be a twice-honored Walter Camp All-American in the same year. Former Oregon star Cliff Harris was selected to the 2010 Second Team as a defensive back and kick returner. In 2009, former Clemson standout C.J. Spiller was also dually honored – Spiller was a First Team kick returner and Second Team running back.

The First Since…
Several schools are represented on the First Team All-American squad in some time.

• UAB kick returner Jamarcus Nelson is the first Blazer to be honored.
• Colorado State wide receiver Rashard Higgins is the first Ram to be honored since 1995 (defensive back Greg Myers).
• Louisville defensive back Gerod Holliman is the first Cardinal honored on the First Team since 2005 (defensive end Elvis Dumervill).
• Duke offensive lineman Laken Tomlinson is the first Blue Devil First Teamer since 1989 (wide receiver Clarkston Hines).
• Washington linebacker Hau’oli Kikaha is the first Husky to be honored since 1997 (offensive linemen Olin Kreutz and Benji Olson).
• Indiana running back Tevin Coleman is the first Hoosier First Team honoree since 1989 (running back Vaughn Dunbar).

Players of the Week
Each week during the regular-season, the Walter Camp Foundation recognizes a National Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week. Seven First and Second All-American members were recognized during the 2014 regular season. First Team All-Americans recognized included: Arizona linebacker Scooby Wright III (Oct. 26 and Nov. 30), Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper (Nov. 30), Louisville defensive back Gerod Holliman (Nov. 9) and Oregon quarterback and Player of the Year Marcus Mariota (Sept. 7). Second Team honorees included: TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin (Oct. 26) and UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks (Aug. 31).

www.waltercamp.org

First Team Offense
Pos. Name, School Ht Wgt Yr. Hometown
WR Amari Cooper, Alabama 6-1 210 Jr. Miami, FL
WR Rashard Higgins, Colorado State 6-2 188 Soph. Mesquite, TX
TE Nick O’Leary, Florida State 6-3 247 Sr. Palm Beach, FL
OL Brandon Scherff, Iowa 6-5 320 Sr. Denison, Iowa
OL Tre’ Jackson, Florida State 6-4 330 Sr. Jesup, GA
OL Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M 6-5 305 Sr. Allen, TX
OL Laken Tomlinson, Duke 6-3 330 Sr. Chicago, IL
C Reese Dismukes, Auburn 6-3 295 Sr. Spanish Fort, AL
QB Marcus Mariota, Oregon 6-4 219 Jr. Honolulu, HI
RB Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin 6-1 213 Jr. Kenosha, WI
RB Tevin Coleman, Indiana 6-1 210 Jr. Tinley Park, IL
PK Roberto Aguayo, Florida State * 6-1 213 Soph. Mascotte, FL

First Team Defense
Pos. Name, School Ht Wgt Yr. Hometown
DL Nate Orchard, Utah 6-4 255 Sr. Salt Lake City, UT
DL Shane Ray, Missouri 6-3 245 Jr. Kansas City, MO
DL Vic Beasley, Clemson * 6-3 235 Sr. Adairsville, GA
DL Joey Bosa, Ohio State 6-5 278 Soph. Fort Lauderdale, FL
LB Scooby Wright III, Arizona 6-1 246 Soph. Windsor, CA
LB Hau’oli Kikaha, Washington 6-3 246 Sr. Laie, HI
LB Paul Dawson, TCU 6-2 230 Sr. Dallas, TX
DB Gerod Holliman, Louisville 6-2 213 Soph. Miami, FL
DB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Oregon @ 5-10 195 Sr. Chino Hills, CA
DB Senquez Golson, Ole Miss 5-9 176 Sr. Pascagoula, MS
DB Landon Collins, Alabama 6-0 222 Jr. New Orleans, LA
P Tom Hackett, Utah 5-11 187 Jr. Melbourne, Australia
KR Jamarcus Nelson, UAB 5-11 160 Sr. Midfield, AL

Second Team Offense
Pos. Name, School Ht Wgt Yr. Hometown
WR Kevin White, West Virginia 6-3 210 Sr. Plainfield, NJ
WR Tyler Lockett, Kansas State # 5-11 175 Sr. Tulsa, OK
TE Maxx Williams, Minnesota 6-4 250 Soph. Waconia, MN
OL Andrus Peat, Stanford 6-7 316 Jr. Chandler, AZ
OL Spencer Drango, Baylor 6-6 310 Jr. Cedar Park, TX
OL A.J. Cann, South Carolina 6-4 311 Sr. Bamberg, SC
OL Arie Kouandjio, Alabama 6-5 316 Sr. Hyattsville, MD
C Hronus Grassu, Oregon 6-3 297 Sr. Los Angeles, CA
QB Trevone Boykin, TCU 6-2 205 Jr. Dallas, TX
RB James Conner, Pittsburgh 6-2 250 Soph. Erie, PA
RB Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska 5-9 195 Sr. Homewood, AL
PK Brad Craddock, Maryland 6-0 185 Jr. Adelaide, Australia

Second Team Defense
Pos. Name, School Ht Wgt Yr. Hometown
DL Malcolm Brown, Texas 6-2 320 Jr. Brenham, TX
DL Leonard Williams, USC 6-5 300 Jr. Daytona Beach, FL
DL Shilique Calhoun, Michigan State @ 6-5 256 Jr. Middletown, NJ
DL Dante Fowler, Jr., Florida 6-3 277 Fr. St. Petersburg, FL
DL Danny Shelton, Washington 6-2 339 Sr. Auburn, WA
LB Jordan Hicks, Texas 6-1 234 Sr. Cincinnati, OH
LB Eric Kendricks, UCLA 6-0 230 Sr. Fresno, CA
LB Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State 6-5 249 Jr. Tunica, MS
DB Jeremy Cash, Duke 6-2 205 Jr. Miami, FL
DB Trae Waynes, Michigan State 6-1 182 Jr. Kenosha, WI
DB Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida 5-11 192 Fr. Tampa, FL
DB Kendall Fuller, Virginia Tech 6-0 190 Soph. Baltimore, MD
P Austin Rehkow, Idaho * 6-3 215 Soph. Veradale, WA
KR Tyler Lockett, Kansas State # 5-11 175 Sr. Tulsa, OK

Riley Announces Hiring of Four Assistant Coaches

Posted on December 11, 2014

University of Nebraska Head Football Coach Mike Riley announced on Thursday the hiring of four assistant football coaches that will help lead the Husker football program into the future. All four assistant coaches worked for Riley at Oregon State, and all have proven track records as great coaches, teachers, mentors and outstanding recruiters.

The full-time coaches announced on Thursday include defensive assistants Mark Banker and Trent Bray, offensive assistant Mike Cavanaugh, and one of the nation’s most respected special teams experts in Bruce Read. No coordinator designations, other than special teams, have been made to this point.

The staff members Coach Riley added on Thursday have a combined 97 years of coaching experience and a combined 45 years working with Riley, including time at Oregon State and the San Diego Chargers.

“I am excited to have the first pieces in place regarding our staffing,” Riley said. “I’m very excited about the coaches that are on board right now. I’ve worked with them and trust them and know the kind of work they do. They are excited to represent the University of Nebraska and our football program, and we are fortunate to have them on staff.”

Mark Banker has worked with Riley for 18 seasons, including 14 seasons together at Oregon State, where Banker served as defensive coordinator. Banker worked strictly as defensive coordinator since 2012, but also spent time coaching the Beaver linebackers and safeties during his time on Riley’s staff.

Under Banker’s direction, the Beaver defense was regularly among the top units in the Pac-12 Conference. More than 70 of Banker’s defenders have earned all-conference honors during his tenure in Corvallis.

The Oregon State defense has ranked near the top of the Pac-12 in total defense several times under Banker, most recently ranking third in 2012. Banker’s 2007 Beaver defense led the nation in rushing defense and ranked eighth nationally in total defense.

Trent Bray has spent the past three seasons tutoring linebackers at Oregon State. In his first season on the Beaver staff in 2012, Oregon State ranked second in the Pac-12 in scoring defense and third in total defense, rushing defense and pass defense. Bray also coached linebackers at Arizona State from 2009 to 2011.

Bray was a standout linebacker for the Beavers from 2002 to 2005. In his career he totaled 337 tackles to rank among the top 10 tacklers in Oregon State history. He earned Pac-10 all-conference honors as both a junior and senior.

Mike Cavanaugh has spent the past 10 seasons on Riley’s staff, coaching the Beaver offensive line. Cavanaugh also spent time in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers, and has several collegiate coaching stops, including six years as the offensive line coach at Hawaii.

The play of Cavanaugh’s offensive lines has helped the Beavers to record-setting offensive numbers. Quarterback Sean Mannion set single-season and career Pac-12 records for passing yards, while also paving the way for several all-conference runners. Beaver running backs Yvenson Bernard and Jacquizz Rodgers each produced three 1,000-yard rushing seasons behind Cavanaugh-coached lines. Cavanaugh’s offensive lines were also regularly among the league’s best at protecting the passer, and 23 of his players earned all-conference honors in the past decade.

Bruce Read has focused on special teams throughout his 29 years in coaching. Most recently, Read has been on Riley’s Oregon State staff since 2009, Read’s third stint at Oregon State. He also coached the Beaver special teams in 1997 and 1998, and from 2004 to 2006. The OSU special teams have achieved numerous school records under Read’s direction, including James Rodgers becoming the school’s career all-purpose yardage leader in 2011, partially fueled by 2,385 career return yards.

Read was also on Riley’s San Diego Chargers staff and was an NFL special teams assistant with the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys.

Quoting Nebraska’s New Assistant Coaches

Mark Banker

“I’m very excited to join the University of Nebraska family, and be a part of a football program with such an extensive tradition of excellence on the football field and in the classroom. Specifically as a defensive coach, it is an honor to be a part of the Blackshirts and I look forward to helping continue that tradition.”

Trent Bray

“It is an honor to be here at Nebraska in a program with such great history and legacy. I am very excited to get started. I have great faith in and loyalty to Coach Riley and the opportunity to continue to work with him at a place like Nebraska is an unbelievable opportunity.”

Mike Cavanaugh

“I am more than excited to be with Coach Riley at the University of Nebraska. The tradition of excellence here is amazing. I am really honored to be able to work with the offensive line at a program with such a history of success in that area.”

Bruce Read

“This is a great opportunity to be a part of a program with such outstanding tradition and success like the University of Nebraska. I am really excited to be here and it is an honor to be able to continue to work with Coach Riley. I have been with him a lot of years and he provides a great environment for coaches and student-athletes. It is fun to go to work for him every day of the year.”

Huskers and Huskies Renew NCAA Tourney Rivalry

Posted on December 11, 2014

The 14th-seeded Nebraska volleyball team will face No. 3 seed Washington on Friday at 8:30 p.m. (CT) in the Seattle Regional Semifinal at Alaska Airlines Arena.

The match will be televised on ESPNU. It is the first time ESPNU has aired a regional semifinal. The rest of the Sweet 16 matches will be streamed at ESPN3.com. The first match, BYU vs. No. 6 seed Florida State, will begin at 6 p.m. (CT). Nebraska-Washington will begin at either 8:30 p.m. or 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first match, whichever is later.

Friday’s winners will meet in the regional final on Saturday at 10:30 p.m. (CT) on ESPNU. The Huskers played Washington in the Seattle Regional in both 2010 and 2008. The teams will now have met every other NCAA Tournament since 2008.

Abdullah, Pierson-El Receive All-America Honors

Posted on December 11, 2014

Nebraska standouts Ameer Abdullah and De’Mornay Pierson-El each received All-America honors on Thursday for their outstanding 2014 performances.

Abdullah was named a second-team All-America running back by CBS Sports.com, while Pierson-El was honored by USA Today as the second-team All-America return specialist.

A senior from Homewood, Ala., Abdullah rushed for 1,523 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2014, including four 200-yard rushing games. Abdullah also became Nebraska’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards, while ranking second on the school’s career rushing yardage list.

Abdullah is one of three finalists for the Doak Walker Award, which will be announced tonight. He has also received All-Big Ten honors for the past three seasons and was a third-team AP All-American in 2013.

Big Ten running backs Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin) and Tevin Coleman (Indiana) were the first-team selections on the CBS Sports.com All-America team, while Abdullah was joined on the second team by James Connor of Pittsburgh.

De'Mornay Pierson-El — De’Mornay Pierson-El

Pierson-El had a record-setting season as a punt returner in his first year in the Nebraska program. He led the nation in total punt return yards with 589 yards on 33 returns, an average of 17.8 yards per return. Pierson-El’s punt return yardage total is more than 200 yards higher than any other player in the nation and his average ranks third in the nation.

Pierson-El also returned three punts for a touchdown, including a pair of returns of 80 yards or more. The three punt return touchdowns ties for the national lead and is one off the Nebraska school season record.

Pierson-El was one of only two freshmen on the USA Today All-America first or second team squads, joining Alabama punter JK Scott, who was a first-team choice.

Additional All-America teams will be announced in the coming days.

Dec. 27 Storm Game To Begin At 3:05 PM

Posted on December 11, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm have moved up their scheduled game with the Sioux City Musketeers on Dec. 27 to a matinee start of 3:05 p.m.

The game, which was originally scheduled to start in the evening, will begin earlier to allow for fans to watch the University of Nebraska football team play in the Holiday Bowl.

In addition, the “Daddy Daughter Princess Night” promotion will be moved to Jan. 3 when Tri-City takes on Omaha at 7:05 p.m.

As part of the promotion, the Storm will have characters from Disney’s “Frozen” on hand to greet fans. The game will also include themes from the movie.

Tri-City is currently preparing for a weekend series against the Youngstown Phantoms. Friday’s game gets underway at 7:30 p.m., while Saturday’s contest starts at 3:05.

For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the Viaero Event Center Box Office at 308.338.8011 or visit www.stormhockey.com.

PETA Wants Raccoon-Killing Huskers Player Punished

Posted on December 11, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The president of an animal rights group wants Nebraska athletic director Shawn Eichorst to punish a football player for killing a raccoon that bit him during his attempt to take a picture of himself with the animal.

Jack Gangwish spotted the raccoon on the side of a road near Lincoln on Dec. 3 and stopped to take a selfie. When Gangwish approached, the raccoon bit him on the calf. Gangwish used a wrench from his truck to kill the raccoon.

PETA president Ingrid Newkirk wrote to Eichorst: “It’s time for acts of cruelty to animals committed by players to be taken extremely seriously, and with violence in football culture now under the microscope, this is the time to address the issue.”

A message was left for Eichorst on Thursday.

D1 Newcomer Incarnate Word Shocks Nebraska 74-73

Posted on December 10, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Kyle Hittle hit a contested baseline jumper after Nebraska’s Terran Petteway threw away an inbound pass, and Incarnate Word upset Nebraska 74-73 on Wednesday night for the biggest victory in the Cardinals’ one-plus seasons making the transition from Division II to Division I.

The Cornhuskers looked like they might survive after Shawn Johnson made 2 of 3 free throws to leave Incarnate Word (6-1) down a point with 6.7 seconds left.

But Petteway threw to no one on the inbound play, and the ball rolled out of bounds near the half court line. Mitchell Badillo inbounded to Hittle, who took two steps and made his 10-footer along the baseline.

Petteway’s desperation shot at the buzzer was short.

Jontrell Walker scored 19 points to lead five Incarnate Word players in double figures. Shavon Shields had 19 to lead the Huskers (5-3).

Huskers Begin Holiday Bowl Practice

Posted on December 10, 2014

Lincoln, Neb.- The Nebraska football team returned to the practice field for the first time in preparation for its Dec. 27 National University Holiday Bowl game in San Diego against the USC Trojans. The Huskers went through a 60-minute practice under the guidance of Interim Head Coach Barney Cotton.

Cotton met with media members following the conclusion of practice. Cotton mentioned that the team’s first practice back together was really good and upbeat.

“It was a good practice today, very high tempo, a lot of good energy and a good serious conditioning session after practice,” Cotton said. “Up-beat practice—proud of them today.”

According to Cotton, he has a pretty simple message for the team moving forward, four basic things that the team should live by for the next three weeks.

“I am basically telling them four things—honor God with your effort. Honor your teammates with your effort. Honor Coach Bo (Pelini) with your loyalty and love and support, along with your effort.” Cotton said. “And let’s reveal our character one last time in the Holiday Bowl.”

As for the response has been getting from the players, Cotton said that the team has been working extremely hard to get back into good physical health.

“I think it has been very good so far, staying in touch with Coach Dobson and checking down in the weight room, I have been getting good—better than good, great reviews from the weight room,” he said. “I have been stopping down in the training room, everyone is trying to get themselves healed up for the bowl game and we are encouraging the guys to finish strong academically.”

Cotton added, “It was nice to honor 21 Academic All-Big Ten guys, their teammates game them a big round of applause there after practice.”

The Nebraska football team will be back on the practice field Thursday afternoon in preparation for their Dec. 27 Holiday Bowl matchup against the USC Trojans. Kickoff between the Huskers and Trojans will be at 7p.m., and the game can be seen on ESPN.

Husker Wrestling Battles Badgers on Saturday

Posted on December 10, 2014

No. 8 Nebraska (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) returns home for its final dual of 2014 when the Huskers host Big Ten rival Wisconsin on Saturday at the Devaney Center at 6 p.m. (CT). The dual can be followed on TrackWrestling.com as well as on Twitter by following @HuskerWrestling.

NU enters the matchup after a sixth-place finish at the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas, Nev., last weekend. Senior Robert Kokesh won the 174-pound title, while James Green (2nd at 157), Justin Arthur (4th at 149) and TJ Dudley (7th at 184) also placed for the Big Red. Following the competition, Kokesh ascended to No. 1 in the country at 174 pounds in every major NCAA wrestling poll.

The Huskers last competed in a dual on Nov. 22 when NU defeated Duke and NC State on the road. Nebraska opened the season with a road victory over No. 25 Wyoming and added a home win over Maryland at the NU Coliseum.

The Badgers are 3-1, with a 1-0 record in Big Ten competition. Saturday’s dual will mark the 18th meeting in series history, with Wisconsin holding a 9-6-2 advantage. Last season, NU emerged with a 22-15 triumph in Madison, Wis., on Feb. 21, 2014.

In addition to Nebraska’s placers in Las Vegas, Tim Lambert (125), Eric Montoya (133), No. 20 Anthony Abidin (141), No. 20 Austin Wilson (165) and No. 14 Collin Jensen are all projected to start this weekend. At 184 pounds, either TJ Dudley or Aaron Studebaker will start, while the Huskers could see Micah Barnes or Spencer Johnson at 197 pounds.

21 Football Student-Athletes Named Academic-All-Big Ten

Posted on December 10, 2014

The Big Ten Conference announced its fall Academic All-Big Ten honorees on Wednesday, including 21 members of the Nebraska football program.

The 21 football student-athletes named to the Academic All-Big Ten team, include seven three-time academic all-conference selections and six players who earned the honor for the second time in their Nebraska careers.

To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, student-athletes must be letterwinners who are in at least their second academic year at their institution and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.

Nebraska’s honorees were highlighted by sophomore wide receiver Lane Hovey, who earned Academic All-Big Ten honors for the second straight season. Hovey was one of three football student-athletes and 26 overall student-athletes recognized for maintaining a perfect 4.0 grade-point average. An Adel, Iowa, native, Hovey is majoring in business administration and already has a senior academic standing, despite having two seasons of eligibility remaining.

The three-time Academic All-Big Ten selections include senior offensive guard Jake Cotton, senior cornerback Josh Mitchell, senior offensive guard Mike Moudy, senior center Mark Pelini, junior offensive tackle Givens Price, junior center Ryne Reeves and senior linebacker Trevor Roach.

Joining Hovey as two-time honorees were senior I-back Ameer Abdullah, sophomore tight end Sam Cotton, sophomore receiver Brandon Reilly, junior tight end David Sutton and sophomore receiver Jordan Westerkamp.

Eight additional Huskers earned Academic All-Big Ten honors for the first time.

The 21 football student-athletes were among a group of 47 Nebraska student-athletes earning Academic All-Big Ten honors in their respective sports. The group includes nine members of the soccer program, nine volleyball student-athletes and four members of both the men’s and women’s cross country teams.

Football Academic All-Big Ten Selections (Year listed reflects academic standing, not eligibility)

Ameer Abdullah, Sr., History, Homewood, Ala. (2nd Selection)
Josh Banderas, Soph., Broadcasting, Lincoln, Neb.
Maliek Collins, Soph., Undeclared, Kansas City, Mo.

Jake Cotton, Graduate, History, Lincoln, Neb. (3)

Sam Cotton, Jr., Business Administration, Lincoln, Neb. (2)

Joey Felici, Sr., Management/Business Administration, Omaha, Neb.

Kevin Gladney, Soph., Child, Youth and Family Services, Akron, Ohio

Greg Hart, Soph., Finance/Marketing, Dayton, Ohio

Lane Hovey, Sr., Business Administration, Adel, Iowa (2)

Harrison Jordan, Soph., Business Administration, Omaha, Neb.

Alex Lewis, Sr., Sociology, Tempe, Ariz.

Josh Mitchell, Sr., Communication Studies, Corona, Calif. (3)

Mike Moudy, Sr., English, Castle Rock, Colo. (3)

Mark Pelini, Sr., Mathematics/History, Youngstown, Ohio (3)

Givens Price, Sr., Accounting/Management, Houston, Texas (3)

Ryne Reeves, Sr., Economics/Management, Crete, Neb. (3)

Brandon Reilly, Jr., Marketing, Lincoln, Neb. (2)

Trevor Roach, Sr., Finance/Management, Elkhorn, Neb. (3)

David Sutton, Sr., Management/Marketing, Lincoln, Neb. (2)

Chris Weber, Jr., Undeclared, Omaha, Neb.

Jordan Westerkamp, Jr., Business Administration, Lombard, Ill. (2)