2008 football yearbook final
TRANSCRIPT
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 1
Position Breakdown
46Quarterbacks
50Running Backs
54Wide Receivers
58Offensive Line
62Defensive Line
66Linebackers
70Defensive Backs
74Kickers
15
17
117
22
120
29
JUNE/JULY 2008 • VOLUME 28 • NO. 6
Columns
sPeCial features
neBraska
oPPosition
state of the huskers
nebraska’s all-time greats
from the beat
greatest walk-ons
final word
father figure
Head coach Bo Pelini tours the state of Nebraska to visit fans.
The Big 12 could play a major role in deciding who plays in the BCS Championship.
The Nebraska football helmet is recognized throughout college football. But the Husker helmets underwent a number of changes before reaching its current look.
32
34
todd & tyler
pride of the blackshirt
38
8486889092949698100102104108
predictions
Missouri
Kansas
Colorado
Kansas State
Iowa State
Oklahoma
Texas
Texas Tech
Oklahoma State
Texas A&M
Baylor
Non-Conference
40 season preview
44 nebraska roster
On THE COvERRunning back Marlon Lucky, photographed by Scott Bruhn, passed on the NFL draft and has a new outlook entering his senior season. He is featured on page 51 of this edition. This marks the first edition featuring the new cover design for Huskers Illustrated Magazine.
2 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
from the editor By AAROn BABCOCK
Change can be scary.
Change can expose fear of the unknown.
Typically change does not come without risk.
For Husker fans, however, change has never
been better. After a tumultuous four years, it
feels like a giant weight has been lifted off the
back of Husker Nation.
Going to Memorial Stadium over the past
four years has been like going to a stranger’s
house. While it was only the spring game,
it felt good to be home with 80,000 of your
closest friends this past April.
That’s the calming presence Athletic
Director Tom Osborne and new head coach
Bo Pelini have brought back to Nebraska.
Huskers Illustrated has also undergone
significant changes for the first time in nearly
a decade. While this marks the 28th year for
Huskers Illustrated and this yearbook marks
our 474th issue, it marks my first as General
Manager and Editor.
I am thrilled to be back in the midst
of Husker athletics after working for the
University of Nebraska sports information
office from 1998-2000.
I proudly take over for Brian Hill, who has
delivered a quality publication to our readers
for the past nine years.
Brian has played a key role in my transition
and I appreciate his help. I know I will
continue to lean on him in the future as well.
I am especially thankful for contributing
editor Mike Babcock (and by the way, we’re
not related), who is a walking encyclopedia
of Husker history. Mike has been a source
of guidance and inspiration during my first
issue. Mike has been the driving force behind
Huskers Illustrated for each of its 28 years and
I’m glad to know that will not change.
As you can see, Huskers Illustrated has
undergone a significant transformation over
the last few weeks. I am excited to unveil
our new design, including a new look for our
cover, with the 2008 Football Yearbook.
We have big plans for the magazine this
coming year and will introduce a number of new
features, many at the request of our readers.
The pages in this year’s Football Yearbook
are packed with great features, including some
very entertaining lists. You can read our list
of the greatest walk-ons in the Osborne Era
beginning on page 22.
We have also compiled a team of what we
believe are the five greatest players at each
position in the post-Devaney era (see page 17).
I hope you have as much fun examining these
lists as we did preparing them.
You will also find features on Pelini,
Zach Potter, Todd Peterson, Tyler Wortman
and of course our annual predictions for the
Husker season from local and national media
members (see page 38).
We want to involve our readers in
future issues, so we are also bringing back
something our fans have enjoyed in the past –
the Big Red Mailbag, where we feature letters
from Husker fans. Send us your letters about
the magazine or Husker athletics and you
may see it in a future issue.
Change can bring uneasiness and it doesn’t
guarantee success. But this year, change
brings hope. We hope you enjoy the new
Huskers Illustrated.
Send us your comments or story ideas to
huskers, magazine sport new look in 2008
CHanGeIS In THE AIR
EDITOR,GEnERAL MAnAGER
Aaron Babcock
COnTRIBUTInG EDITORMike Babcock
COnTRIBUTInG WRITERSTerry Douglass, Bob Hamar, Curt McKeever,
Steve Sipple, Brent Robinson, Brian Rosenthal, Rick Shaw, Sean Stevens, Rivals.com
COnTRIBUTInG PHOTOGRAPHERSScott Bruhn, NU Sports Information,
Randy Hampton, Digital Camera Workshop,Rivals.com
SPORTS MARKETInG & ADvERTISInG DIRECTOR
Tim Francis(800) 524-9527, ext. 111
nATIOnAL DISTRIBUTORG Associates, Inc.
Huskers Illustrated (ISSN 0279-3474) is published monthly January through May and August, bi-monthly June/July and weekly September through mid-December, except open football dates. Single issue cost $3.95 (yearbook $9.95); subscription rate for one year (19 issues) is $51.95. First Class postage is available for an additional charge of $19 per year. Foreign postage is $34.
Huskers Illustrated is published by Landmark Community Newspapers, 2623 Regency Rd., Lexington, KY 40503. Periodicals postage paid at Lexington, KY, and additional mailing offices.
Postmaster: Send address changes to Huskers Illustrated, 7755 S. 23rd St., Lincoln, NE 68512.
Reproduction or use of editorial or graphics content in any manner without permission is prohibited. Photographs and manuscripts for publication are welcome, but will not be acknowledged or returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material.
For subscription inquiries, mail to Huskers Illustrated, 2623 Regency Rd., Lexington, KY 40503. Allow four to six weeks for response. Give old and new addresses and enclose latest mailing address label when writing about your subscription.
CUSTOMER SERvICE1-800-524-9527
To subscribe or renew
Huskers Illustrated Onlinewww.huskersillustrated.com
E-MAIL ADDRESSESEditorial: [email protected]
Advertising: [email protected]
JUNE/JULY 2008 • VOLUME 28 • NO. 6
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 3
Proceeds from Mission
Bean Coffee Company
help support the
People’s City Mission.
Available only at Hy-Vee,
84th & Holdrege, Lincoln.
m i s s i o n b e a n c o f f e e .c o m
D R I N K O N E C U P
A N D H E L P
F I L LA T H O U S A N D M O R E .
M I S S ION B E A N ®
C O F F E E C O M PA N Y
B A I L E Y L A U E R M A N Mission Bean Coffee “Drink One Cup”People081236Pub: Huskers Illustrated Color: 4-color (CMYK) Size: Live 7" x 9.75", Trim 8" x 10.75"
4 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
2minutedrill
SEInFELD nERD
When he’s not studying video of
opponent defenses, quarterback
JOE GAnz might be watching
re-runs of the television comedy
series Seinfeld, his “favorite show of
all time. My mom got me started
on it,” he said. “I’ve been addicted to
it. I’ve seen every episode probably
20 times. It’s a sickness.” Among his
favorite episodes is the “Soup Nazi.”
HUSKERS PHOnE HOME
Already a HuskersIllustrated.com
subscriber and want to get the
most out of your subscription?
If you are at the game or would
rather spend your weekend away
from the computer, text alerts
are a great way to quickly get any
breaking news items surrounding
Husker sports. They are free with
an annual membership, which you
can upgrade to by clicking the Text
Alerts link next to your username at
the top left hand of the page. If you
already have an annual membership,
you can to set up your text alerts
following that same link.
SIDELINES
oon after he arrived in 2005, early in
his first preseason of practice, Zack
Bowman was asked if he planned to
leave for the NFL after one season.
Such were the expectations.
Bowman had the size and speed (4.36) of
an NFL cornerback. He was a five-star, can’t-
miss prospect in former Cornhusker coach Bill
Callahan’s second and highest-ranked recruiting
class. The question wasn’t whether he would
play in the NFL; the question was when.
Three years and two major knee surgeries
later, Bowman has the opportunity as a fifth
round draft pick of the Chicago Bears. He was
the first Cornhusker selected, No. 142 overall.
Offensive lineman Carl Nicks
followed 22 picks later, going
to the New Orleans
Saints. Before the
second day
of the draft
ended,
linebacker
Bo Ruud’s
name also
was called.
He was
selected in the sixth round, No. 197 overall, by
the New England Patriots.
To put this year’s draft into a Nebraska
perspective, the last time a Cornhusker wasn’t
selected until the fifth round or later was 1970,
when tight end Jim McFarland and middle
guard (drafted as a linebacker) Ken Geddes
were taken in the seventh round.
The 6-2, 200-pound Bowman almost
certainly would have been drafted higher if not
for the injuries. His first was a torn anterior
cruciate ligament in his left knee on the third
day of fall practice before what would have
been his senior season. He rehabbed and came
back for practice in the spring, after looking
into the possibility of declaring for the draft.
Even though he was held out of contact
in the spring, he suffered a ruptured patellar
tendon in his right knee, requiring more
surgery and rehab.
Bowman started four games last season, nine
in his Cornhusker career after earning junior
college All-America honors at New Mexico
Military Institute. He broke up 20 passes,
including 14 as a junior, and intercepted three.
Greg Gabriel, Bears director of college
SBowman tops NU draft picks
new orleans saints head coach sean payton on carl nicks
as Quoted on team’s official web site
“I don’t want to speak for other clubs, but I’d be
surprised if his playing grades weren’t that of a
second-rounder or better.”
Continued on page 7
zack BowmaN
carL NIckS
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 5
Proceeds from Mission
Bean Coffee Company
help support the
People’s City Mission.
Available only at Hy-Vee,
84th & Holdrege, Lincoln.
m i s s i o n b e a n c o f f e e .c o mM I S S ION B E A N ®
C O F F E E C O M PA N Y
TH E V E RY
B E S TKI N D O F
P I C K- M E -UP.
B A I L E Y L A U E R M A N Mission Bean Coffee “Pick-Me-Up”People081236Pub: Huskers Illustrated Color: 4-color (CMYK) Size: Live 7" x 9.75", Trim 8" x 10.75"
ThE pErfEcT gIfT for EvEry hUSkEr faN!
SUBScrIpTIoN formyES, I want to order a one-year subscription (19 issues) of Huskers Illustrated for
myself or a friend
Check the appropriate box below
Second-class mail: $51.95 per subscription
First-class mail: $70.95 per subscription
Foreign postage: $85.95 per subscription
ORDERED By: DELIvER TO: (if different)
nAME: __________________________________ nAME: ________________________________
ADDRESS: _______________________________ ADDRESS: _____________________________
CITy: ___________________________________ CITy: __________________________________
STATE: _________________ zIP CODE:________ STATE: _______________zIP CODE: ________
CREDIT CARD #: ___________________________________ EXP. DATE: ____________________
vISA MASTERCARD DISCOvER
mail to: Huskers Illustrated, 2623 Regency Rd., Lexington, KY 40503
orDEr yoUr oNE-yEar SUBScrIpTIoN ToDay for
To orDEr, caLL US aT
1-800-524-9527S h o p h U S k E r S I L L U S T r a T E D . c o m
oNLy $51.95
huskers Illustrated is your original source for husker news for the past 28 years!
get weekly issues during football season,
complete with game recaps and previews
each week.
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 7
2minutedrill
cholarship recruit Khiry Cooper, a 6-2, 180-pound wide
receiver with 4.4 speed from Shreveport, La., was selected by
the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the fifth round (169th
pick overall) of the Major League Baseball Draft in early June. Cooper,
a center fielder, led Calvary Baptist Academy to a second consecutive
state championship. If Cooper doesn’t sign with the Angels, he’ll
play both football and baseball at Nebraska. He could sign with the
Angels and still play football for the Cornhuskers. Or he could sign and
focus on baseball. “I really don’t know right now,” he told the Omaha
(Neb.) World-Herald immediately after being drafted. “Each one is a
tremendous opportunity.”
Cooper is not the first Husker recruit to make such a decision. Carl
Crawford, an option quarterback from Houston, signed a letter of
intent with the Cornhuskers in 1999 but was selected by Tampa Bay in
the second round of the Major League Baseball Draft and decided to
sign and focus on baseball. He is a two-time all-star outfielder for the
Rays. Ross Pilkington, a wide receiver from Fort Collins, Colo., was a
Cornhusker scholarship recruit in 2000 but signed with the Colorado
Rockies as a 20th-round draft pick and spent two years in the Rockies’
farm system before returning to Nebraska. He earned letters in 2002,
2003 and 2004 (when he was a co-captain) before leaving the team.
khiry cooper weighing options after mLB draft
scouting, was quoted on the team’s official
Web site: “Bowman had a great combine. He’s
100 percent recovered now. He just wasn’t 100
percent during the season. He’s ready to go.”
Writing on chicagotribune.com, David
Haugh reported that Bears defensive
coordinator Bob Babich “raved” about
Bowman, “a cornerback with first-round talent
limited by two knee injuries.” According to
Babich, Bowman probably wouldn’t step in as a
starter his rookie season but he would have an
impact on special teams and “provide depth at
one of the outside corner spots,” Haugh wrote.
Nicks, like Bowman a junior college transfer,
earned second-team All-Big 12 recognition
from the conference coaches (AP honorable
mention). He started 11 of 12 games at left
tackle, helping to clear the way for Marlon
Lucky to rush for 1,019 yards.
The 6-5, 343-pound Nicks, who could play
guard with the Saints, might have the ability of
a second-round draft pick, according to Saints
coach Sean Payton, who was quoted on the
team’s official Web site: “I don’t want to speak
for other clubs, but I’d be surprised if his play-
ing grades weren’t that of a second-rounder or
better. There are some inconsistencies and there
are some questions about why he didn’t play at
a high level more consistently. He’s a guy that
has some maturing to do and is going to need
to take on some responsibilities.”
Nicks’ draft place was the highest for a
former Cornhusker offensive lineman since
2000, when Toniu Fonoti was selected in the
second round. However, the NFL’s all-time
draft list includes Richie Incognito as a former
Nebraska player – third round, 2005.
Ruud, who received a call from Patriots
head coach Bill Belichick on draft day, has an
opportunity to follow his dad Tom and brother
Barrett as NFL linebackers. Tom, a first-round
pick of the Buffalo Bills in 1975, played five
professional seasons, while Barrett was a
second-round pick in 2005 of the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers, for whom he now starts.
Bo started 33 of 46 games in which he
played during four seasons at Nebraska, earn-
ing first-team All-Big 12 recognition from the
conference coaches as a junior. His best season
statistically was as a sophomore, when he had
14 tackles-for-loss and 10 quarterback hurries.
He’ll be trying to earn a place on a New
England team with four linebackers 30-years-
old or older: Tedy Bruschi, Larry Izzo, Mike
Vrabel and Adalius Thomas. A fifth, T.J.
Slaughter, was released soon after the draft. But
the Patriots also drafted linebackers in the first
and third rounds, Tennessee’s Jerod Mayo and
Michigan’s Shawn Crable.
S
Continued From page 4
Nicks, ruud join Bowman among husker draftees
carL crawforD
Tam
pa B
ay R
ays/
Skip
Milo
s
8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
2minutedrill
ThE oUTSIDErSaurice Purify expected to be
drafted. He wasn’t, even though
he had the credentials. In just two
seasons at Nebraska he caught 91
passes for 1,444 yards and nine touchdowns.
He caught seven passes for 158 yards and three
touchdowns against Kansas last season, often
with Jayhawks’ cornerback Aqib Talib covering
him. Talib was a first-round draft pick of the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 20th player selected.
Purify showed he could compete with the best.
And at 6-4 and 220 pounds, he has the size of an
NFL receiver. But he also had off-field issues, or
at least the perception of issues according to his
agent. So he had to go the free agent route.
Sam Keller also hoped to get drafted. When
he transferred to Nebraska from Arizona
State, he was hailed by the media as a sure-fire
NFL quarterback. Then-coach Bill Callahan
reinforced that belief. Like Purify, Keller had
pro-quarterback size, 6-4 and 230 pounds.
In nine starts as a Cornhusker, before
suffering a season-ending shoulder injury, he
completed 205-of-325 passes for 2,422 yards
and 14 touchdowns. His completion percentage
(63.1) is a school record. He also holds the
school single-game record for completions,
with 36 against Southern California. Like
Purify, he wasn’t drafted.
Purify eventually signed as a free agent with
the Cincinnati Bengals. Keller attended tryout
camps with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and
Oakland Raiders, before signing with the Los
Angeles Avengers in the Arena Football League.
Purify and Keller weren’t alone in not being
drafted. Rivals.com released an All-Undrafted
Team, in fact, and the two Cornhuskers were
included among the “reserves.”
Like Purify, former Cornhuskers Cortney
Grixby and Steve Octavien signed free agent
contracts. Grixby signed with the Carolina
Panthers, while Octavien signed with the
Kansas City Chiefs. Several other former
Cornhuskers attended tryout camps following
the draft but weren’t signed: Frantz Hardy
(Philadelphia Eagles), Brett Byford (New York
Jets), Tierre Green (Green Bay Packers), Corey
McKeon (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Lance
Brandenburgh (San Francisco 49ers).
OFFEnSEQB Paul Smith, TulsaRB Yvenson Bernard, Oregon StateRB Dantrell Savage, Oklahoma StateWR Davone Bess, HawaiiWR Adarius Bowman, Oklahoma StateTE Dorien Bryant, PurdueOT Pedro Sosa, RutgersOT Eric Young, TennesseeOG Robert Felton, ArkansasOG Adam Kraus, MichiganC Fernando Velasco, GeorgiaK Art Carmody, Louisville
DEFEnSEDE Bryan Mattison, IowaDT Eric Foster, RutgersDE Darrell Robertson, Georgia TechLB Vince Hall, Virginia TechLB Erin Henderson, MarylandLB Ali Highsmith, LSULB J Leman, IllinoisCB Marcus Walker, OklahomaCB Jonathan Zenon, LSUS Marcus Griffin, TexasS Jamie Silva, Boston CollegeP Brett Kern, Toledo
rIvaLS.com aLL-UNDrafTED TEam
m
maUrIcE pUrIfy
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 9
2minutedrill
big 12 breakdownThe Big 12 produced only one first-
round pick in this year’s NFL draft,
Kansas cornerback Aqib Talib. He was
the 20th player selected. The last Big
12 player to be drafted was Kansas
State’s Rob Jackson. He was taken in
the seventh round at No. 242.
Seven conference players followed
Talib in the second round, with 29
being selected overall. Texas and
Texas A&M each had five players
drafted. Kansas and Oklahoma
had four apiece. No Texas Tech,
Oklahoma State or Baylor players
were drafted.
EARLy OUTThe Big 12 lost eight juniors in 2007 to
the NFL draft, with Oklahoma taking
the biggest hit with three. Kansas and
Texas lost two players each.
ROUnD 1Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas No. 20, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
ROUnD 2Curtis Lofton, WR, Oklahoma No. 37, Atlanta FalconsMalcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma No. 51, Washington RedskinsMartellus Bennett, TE, Texas A&M No. 61, Dallas Cowboys
ROUnD 3Jamaal Charles, RB, Texas No. 73, Kansas City ChiefsReggie Smith, CB, Oklahoma, No. 75, San Francisco 49ersJermichael Finley, TE, Texas No. 91, Green Bay Packers
ROUnD 4Anthony Collins, OT, Kansas No. 112, Cincinnati Bengals
SIDELINESNU’S rUN of fIrST roUNDErSThese things go in cycles, of course, and the
balance of power changes. But from 1979 through
1998, Nebraska consistently produced first-round
NFL draft picks. During that 20-year stretch, 19
Cornhuskers were first-round selections.
Three of those were in the 1984 draft. Irving
Fryar was the first player selected overall, Dean
Steinkuhler the second, while Mike Rozier was
the first player picked in a supplemental round,
established in response to the short-lived United
States Football League.
Rozier signed with the USFL’s Pittsburgh
Maulers.
Nebraska has produced only two first-round
NFL draft picks since 1998, when Grant Wistrom
and Jason Peter were both first-rounders. Adam
Carriker was a first-round pick of the St. Louis
Rams a year ago, Fabian Washington of the
Oakland Raiders in 2005.
The NFL draft was established in 1936.
Nebraska has produced 31 first-round picks
beginning with Sam Francis, Lloyd Cardwell and
Les McDonald in 1937. The 1936 Cornhuskers
finished with a 7-2 record and No. 9 national
ranking in the first Associated Press poll.
D.X. Bible coached the team. It was his last at
Nebraska. Texas hired him away.
TraININg chaNgES To fooTBaLL SpEEDNew strength and conditioning
coach James Dobson has
emphasized speed in the team’s
workouts, according to offensive
tackle Lydon Murtha.
That’s in contrast to the past,
when “it was more geared toward distance running,”
said Murtha. Dobson’s “philosophy is game speed
and that’s what he wants. He doesn’t care if you
can run two miles. He also doesn’t care if you can
run short sprints fast. He cares what you do on the
football field. So all his workouts are geared toward
football, everything from our stretches to running to
conditioning.”
cLaSS IS IN SESSIoNCoaching is teaching. Coach Bo Pelini is “always talking about the teaching progression,” says linebackers coach MIKE EKELER. “That’s all we are; we’re just teachers. I call him a mad scientist. He’s just a professor, a professor of football.” Pelini’s emphasis on teaching, and on players getting an education, is based on his own experience. He was a three-time Academic All-Big 10 honoree at Ohio State. His major was business marketing. He also has a master’s degree in sports administration from Ohio University.
NEBraSka’S aLL-TImE fIrST roUND DrafT pIckS
1937 – Sam Francis, B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Philadelphia
Lloyd Cardwell, B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Detroit
Les McDonald, E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chicago
1964 – Bob Brown, G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Philadelphia
Lloyd Voss, T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Green Bay
1972 – Jerry Tagge, QB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Green Bay
Jeff Kinney, RB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kansas City
Larry Jacobson, DT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New York Giants
1973 – Johnny Rodgers, WR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . San Diego
1974 – John Dutton, DT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baltimore
1975 – Tom Ruud, LB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Buffalo
1979 – George Andrews, LB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Los Angeles Rams
Kelvin Clark, OT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Denver
1980 – Junior Miller, TE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Atlanta
1982 – Jimmy Williams, LB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Detroit
1983 – Dave Rimington, C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cincinnati
1984 – Irving Fryar, WR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New England
Dean Steinkuhler, OT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Houston
(Supplemental)
Mike Rozier, RB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Houston
1987 – Danny Noonan, DT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dallas
1988 – Neil Smith, DT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kansas City
1989 – Broderick Thomas, LB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tampa Bay
1991 – Bruce Pickens, DB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Atlanta
Mike Croel, LB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Denver
1992 – Johnny Mitchell, TE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New York Jets
1994 – Trev Alberts, OLB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Indianapolis
1996 – Lawrence Phillips, RB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .St. Louis
1997 – Michael Booker, CB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Atlanta
1998 – Grant Wistrom, DE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .St. Louis
Jason Peter, DT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carolina
2005 – Fabian Washington, CB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oakland
2007 – Adam Carriker, NT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .St. Louis
aDam carrIkEr
1 0 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
2minutedrill
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SOnTy STEInKUHLER hasn’t done
many media interviews during his
time at Nebraska. Like his father
DEAn, the 1983 Outland Trophy and
Lombardi Award winner, he’s not
much on talking about himself. And
by his own admission, he’s quiet. If
not for football, “I wouldn’t have any
friends, probably, the way I talk,” he
said with a smile. “I’ve always been
quiet.” Not that quiet, though. “Naw,
I’m sure I’d have friends,” he said. He
also has a sense of humor.
OnE MORE THInG, TyDean Steinkuhler, a 6-3, 270-pound
guard, scored Nebraska’s first
touchdown in the 1984 Orange
Bowl game against Miami, running
19 yards after picking up an
intentional fumble. The play, known
as the “fumbleroosky,” was in coach
Tom Osborne’s bag of tricks until the
NCAA changed its rules to prevent
it. The last Cornhusker to run it was
Outland Trophy winner Will Shields
in 1992. Ty Steinkuhler has watched
his dad’s touchdown run “a hundred
times” and the 1984 Orange Bowl
game beginning to end “probably 10
times.” Osborne elected to attempt
a two-point conversion rather than
kicking an extra-point, which would
have produced a tie and an almost-
certain national championship. Few
questioned Osborne’s decision to
go for the victory then. What about
that, Ty? “They should have gone for
two,” he said.
SIDELINES
Offensive line coach and associate head coach
Barney Cotton had to do some adjusting during
the spring. “For the last 20 years, I’ve been a
coordinator,” he said. “My first job in Division II,
I was a coordinator. So it’s a little bit different. On
the other hand, it’s probably going to help me be a
little bit more detailed as a position coach because
you’re worried about five guys rather than worried
about all 50 guys (on offense), although I still catch
myself looking at routes and tight ends and backs
and stuff like that.” Most recently, he was offensive
coordinator at Iowa State (2004-06) after one
season as offensive coordinator for Frank Solich at
Nebraska.
Cotton still wants to be “a big-picture guy,”
and offensive coordinator Shawn Watson allows
that. He has “ownership” in the offensive meeting
room, Cotton said, as do running backs coach Tim
Beck, wide receivers coach Ted Gilmore and tight
ends coach Ron Brown. “Shawn’s good with that.
Bo wants that, too,” said Cotton. “Five heads are
better than one. I’ll tell you what, our GA (graduate
assistant Curt Baldus) has some ownership in the
room. It’s a comfortable, very workable situation in
the offensive staff room.”
oThErS who rETUrNEDMatt Donahue, who transferred from Ohio
University, will have company as a transfer redshirt
in the fall. Two other in-state athletes transferred after
their freshman seasons elsewhere and participated
in spring practice. Jim Ebke, an option quarterback
from Lincoln, transferred from South Dakota State,
and Tyler Legate, a fullback from Neligh, transferred
from South Dakota. Legate is a cousin of former
Cornhusker fullback Billy Legate (1995-98).
propEr pErSpEcTIvEBeau davis is among
the Cornhusker seniors. That
he is still in the program and
competing is a tribute to his
character, according to Senior
Thomas Lawson. The two were roommates as
freshmen, when Davis was pulled from a redshirt
to finish the fifth game of the season at Texas Tech.
He threw four interceptions and lost a fumble in the
70-10 loss. “To just be thrown out there and have a
good attitude . . . it was messed up,” said Lawson.
“The way he’s been approaching things the last four
years, that’s a lot of character. He’s really genuine
in that, a good person.” He also understands “we
came here to go to school. I think that’s one thing
Beau took advantage of, ‘I’m going to get my
degree.’ ” Davis is a sociology major.
‘five heads are better than one’
“From the outside looking in
you don’t understand it. From
the inside looking out you can’t
explain it. Nebraska football’s
the culture here. They can
laugh at us if they want. But
that’s the way we live.”
todd peterson to SportS IlluStrated on what
football means to the state.
BarNEy coTToN
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 1 1
2minutedrill
DIffErENT pErSpEcTIvEThomas Lawson was excited by the coaching
change. “Coach Pelini and his staff, I wish they
had been here my whole time,” he said. Even
so, he won’t bad-mouth Bill Callahan. Quite the
contrary. “I love Coach Callahan,” Lawson said.
“It wasn’t really him. I think it was the people
under him. Coach Pelini and the people under
him, Coach (Tim) Beck and Coach (Marvin)
Sanders, Coach ‘Ek’ (Mike Ekeler) and his
brother Carl (Pelini), they try to meet you on a
level plane. They don’t talk down to you. They
talk to you as a coach should. Coach Callahan
helped keep me here as a walk-on. He was a good
person. I just wish people would have seen that.”
mILLarD NorTh aLUmMike Caputo must deal not only with
the anonymity of an offensive lineman but
also with the anonymity of a walk-on. The
redshirted freshman from Millard North
established himself as the second-team center
in the spring, behind junior Jacob Hickman.
Caputo, who is listed at 6-1 and 270 pounds, is a
“hard-working, coachable, blue-collar guy,” said
Cotton. The biggest adjustments Caputo had
to make, Cotton joked, were playing with only
one hand down and not being able to wrap tape
around his helmet. Linemen have both hands
down in Millard North’s option offense, and the
Mustangs wrap tape around their helmets.
TakINg chargEPhiLLiP diLLard, a junior, was among
those who stepped up as leaders during the
spring. His position, middle linebacker, requires
it. On defense “you’re always working together,”
he said. “But the MIKE (backer) has to speak the
loudest. If someone doesn’t hear the call, doesn’t
get the call, it’s your fault. It’s all on the MIKE
backer, no one else. That’s just the responsibility
you’ve got to have.” The Baltimore Ravens’
Ray Lewis is his model. “I love watching Ray
Lewis,” he said.
IN ThE TrENchESSophomore Mike Smith came to Nebraska
expecting to be a defensive end. But he was
moved to the offensive line in the spring of his
freshman year and will figure in the rotation at
tackle this fall. He got an opportunity late last
season, primarily on plays that required a pulling
tackle. The 6-6, 275-pound Smith, who also has
worked at center, runs like a tight end, according
to offensive line coach Barney Cotton. When
he pulls, fans might notice No. 65 wiping out
a defender. But as an offensive lineman, “you
don’t get any glory at all. Basically, you have to
do all the hard work in the trenches but nobody
knows your name,” said Smith.
aThLETE of ThE yEarCornhusker scholarship recruit John
Levorson was named the Lincoln (Neb.)
Journal Star boys Prep Athlete of the Year.
Levorson, whom Nebraska recruited as a
defensive back, is from Crete, Neb. He was the
honorary captain of the Journal Star Super-State
football team and excelled in basketball as well
as in track and field. The list of Journal Star
boys Prep Athlete of the Year award-winners
is replete with former Cornhusker football
players, among them Kurt Mann (2002),
Barrett Ruud (2001), Matt Davison (1997) and
Ahman Green (1995). Last year’s co-winners
are both at Nebraska now. Niles Paul saw
action at wide receiver as a true freshman.
Matt Donahue transferred to Nebraska after
seeing limited action, also as a wide receiver, at
Ohio University. He’ll have to sit out the 2008
season because of the transfer.
2minutedrillhat makes a high school athlete choose
one scholarship offer over another? In
the case of Roy Helu Jr., it’s not clear.
In part, Nebraska offered an opportunity to play
running back, while California recruited him as a
safety. But there was more to it than that. “I’ve lied
before and said it was the fans, I said it was facilities
and all that other stuff, but I really don’t know,” he
said. “I think it was just what God had planned for
me, and that’s probably to evangelize a lot of kids
over here.” He came to the realization late in his
freshman year that he had a responsibility to “talk to
kids about what God has done in my life and dreams
that are coming true.”
helu came to Lincoln as a man on a mission
w
1 2 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
2minutedrillrecruitingnotebook
oon after wrapping up spring practice
drills, the Nebraska football coaching
staff directed its attention towards
building the 2009 recruiting class.
The Huskers added four pledges in the month
following the spring game, bringing the total
number of known commitments to five.
Bo Pelini and his staff made strides in
building up the talent pool at the defensive
tackle position, gaining the commitment of
talented Texan Thaddeus Randle in early
May. Randle became the second interior
defensive line pledge of the Nebraska class,
joining in-state standout Cole Pensick (6-2,
250 pounds) of Lincoln (Neb.) Northeast.
“I really like Nebraska because it’s a Big 12
school and because of their tradition,” Randle
said. “I was really surprised that they offered
me so quickly. They are really the perfect fit for
me. Coach Pelini is defensive-minded and he
can help me develop quickly. I plan on visiting
the school early this summer.”
Though the Huskers were first to offer a
scholarship, the 6-1, 255-pound athlete out
of Galena Park (Texas) North Shore was
also receiving heavy recruiting interest from
Texas A&M, Houston and others. North
Shore coach David Aymond said he expects
Randall to do big things once he gets to
Lincoln.
“What the Nebraska coaches love about
Thad is his pad level and leverage at defensive
tackle and the fact that he never stops moving
his feet,” Aymond said. “That reminds them
of a young Glenn Dorsey.
“The fact that coach Pelini is a defensive-
minded head coach makes Nebraska very
attractive. It will be great for Thad to learn
from him.”
Nebraska also dipped into the Lone Star
state to land the May pledge of running
back Dontrayevous Robinson. Like Randle,
the 6-1, 215-pound Robinson out of Euless
(Texas) Trinity, committed to the Huskers
sight unseen.
“Man, this is like a marriage to me,”
Robinson said. “I’m not looking any more.
All I’m worried about now is my grades,
passing my classes and having a good season
next year.”
Robinson was named first-team all-district
as a junior, rushing for 886 yards and 17
touchdowns and adding 226 yards and an
additional score on 16 receptions. With
4.5-second speed in the 40-yard dash, the
Texas running back has the size to get the
tough yards inside and the quickness to break
the big play.
“He really had a good spring, and college
coaches that have been down all wanted
to know who he was,” Trinity coach Steve
Lineweaver said. “He was on the sprint relay
team that went to regionals and has really
good hands.”
huskers pick up four more pledgesby rick Shaw
S
DavID okU
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 1 3
2minutedrillScholarship offers from other schools had
already come in and more looked to be on the way
before Robinson opted for Nebraska. New Mexico,
Tulsa and Utah had also extended early offers and
TCU was showing a great deal of interest.
Shawn Bodtman traveled all the way from
Scranton, Pa., to be part of the 80,000 plus
crowd at the Nebraska spring game in April. Just
days later, the 6-0, 205-pound linebacker out of
West Scranton High School decided to formally
join the Husker fold.
“It was amazing,” Bodtman said. “I mean
people were telling me I was going to be blown
away, but I had no idea. When we got to the
stadium and walked in and I saw all those people
there at the spring game, sold out, it was just
incredible. Just the people there are amazing.
“I got a really good feeling from the players,”
he said. “They all said the same thing, that it’s
like the greatest thing to play for Nebraska. They
love the coaches, and they love the fans. They
really are dedicated to their program.”
The two-way prospect ran the ball for West
Scranton as a junior, rushing for more than
1,500 yards and 24 touchdowns. He also tallied
98 tackles on defense, picking up all-region and
all-conference honors.
Bodtman utilized good athleticism
(4.58-second 40-yard dash) and an aggressive
demeanor on the field to earn the early
recruiting interest of a trio of Division I
programs. In addition to the Huskers, Syracuse
and Army also extended scholarship offers to
the Pennsylvania standout.
“I’m known for being a tough player,”
Bodtman said. “I’m real hard-nosed and I’m real
durable.”
West Scranton coach Michael DeAntona said,
from talking with his star linebacker, the comfort
level with the Nebraska program was evident.
“You know, he felt really comfortable with the
coaching staff,” DeAntona said. “He liked how
he was able to interact with the players and the
team. He liked what the players and the team
were saying about the coaching staff out there.
The players out there really made a big impact
on Shawn with their comments on Bo Pelini and
the rest of the coaching staff. He just couldn’t see
a reason not to pull the trigger.”
C.J. Zimmerer, a 6-1, 215-pound fullback
out of Omaha (Neb.) Gross Catholic, was also
quickly convinced that Nebraska was the best fit
for him. After grabbing a Husker offer in mid-
May, he committed just two days later.
“Growing up in Nebraska, I’ve always been
a Husker fan and it’s always been a dream to
play with that ‘N’ on the side of my helmet,”
Zimmerer said. “Their facilities are amazing and
I really like the coaching staff there now. I think
they’re headed toward the right direction.”
The athlete out of Omaha rushed for 701
yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior, earning
first-team Class B all-state honors. He also added
123 tackles and five sacks from his linebacker
slot on defense. It’s on the offensive side of the
ball, however, where Zimmerer will focus his
attention in Lincoln.
“They were recruiting him as a fullback the
whole time,” Gross coach Tim Johnk said.
“They liked his physical play on film, they liked
his blocking ability, and they liked how he can
catch the ball out of the backfield. Really, they
liked everything about him.
“This is a big deal for our school and our
program. We are all proud of C.J. and he’s
worked hard for everything he’s gotten.”
With approximately 20 percent of
its recruiting class already in place, the
Nebraska staff was looking to add a few more
commitments during its summer camp sessions
in June. Prospects like Omaha Creighton Prep
offensive lineman Jon Lechner, who currently
holds a Husker offer, will be in attendance.
“I’m real excited about getting the Nebraska
offer,” Lechner said. “Coach (Barney) Cotton
seems very high on me and I’m excited to get the
chance to work with him at camp in June.”
Nebraska hopes to continue to build on the
recruiting momentum that was kick-started with
the hiring of Pelini and a new staff and ratcheted
up by a nation leading spring game attendance.
recruitingnotebook
POSITIOn SWITCHInGSophomore LATRAvIS
WASHInGTOn played quarterback
in high school in Bradenton, Fla. Ohio
State, West Virginia, South Florida
and Central Florida were among
the schools that recruited him as a
quarterback. But he picked Nebraska,
expecting to play defense – just not
weakside linebacker. Before coming
to Lincoln, he worked with his
cousin Fabian Washington, a former
Cornhusker and first-round NFL draft
pick, on defensive back techniques,
figuring he would be a safety. He
spent one practice at safety and was
moved to linebacker.
BACK AT SAFETyThe arrival of Bo Pelini and staff has
given Major Culbert a new lease on
football life. He returned to safety in
the spring, the position he planned
to play when he committed to the
Cornhuskers. He played safety his
first season but was moved to I-back
because of injuries there. And he
finished last season playing outside
linebacker. “He’s a real good kid,” de-
fensive backs coach Marvin Sanders
said. “He talks team first. I told him,
‘Do you feel good at safety? He says,
‘Coach, I want to play. I want to play
wherever I can help the team.’ He’s a
total team player.”
SIDELINES
“Growing up in Nebraska, I’ve always
been a Husker fan and it’s always been
a dream to play with that ‘N’ on the
side of my helmet.”
c.j. zimmerer - nebraska commit from omaha gross
1 4 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
recruitingnotebook
hile Nebraska has received
an oral commitment from
its targeted “big back” in
Dontrayevous Robinson and
a fullback in C.J. Zimmerer, Cornhusker
coaches remain in pursuit of a multi-faceted
back to both tote the rock and swing out of
the backfield into the passing game. Three
prospects are currently at the top of their list.
david oku (5-10/186/4.49) of Midwest
City, Okla. is among that group. The
nation’s top all-purpose back according to
Rivals.com, Oku rushed for 1,628 yards on
182 carries and 20 touchdowns as a junior.
That followed up his sophomore year when
he topped 1,400 yards and had 19 scores.
Oku currently holds scholarship offers
from around the country but recently
narrowed his list of schools under
consideration to seven and then to six,
eliminating USC. The Huskers made the
cut, along with Florida State, Illinois,
Michigan, Ohio State, and Tennessee.
“I feel like with Coach Bo (Pelini) back
and the AD (Tom Osborne) back, who was
the coach when Nebraska was down right
ruthless, I feel like they’re going to get back
to that kind of style of football,” Oku said.
He plans to visit Lincoln in the near
future.
Another speedster from the Southwest
is rex Burkhead (5-11/191/4.5) of Plano,
Texas. Burkhead is being courted by schools
in the SEC, Big 12, and Pac 10. He visited
Lincoln for the Red-White spring game.
“Nebraska was awesome,” Burkhead
said. “A big crowd for the spring game…
everything was amazing up there, facilities,
coaches, people, all of it.”
Burkhead, who followed up a sophomore
year where he was District 9-5A offensive
newcomer of the year with 1,768 yards
rushing and 29 touchdowns as a junior, is in
no hurry to make a decision.
“Right now, I want to still see what comes
my way and try to start narrowing things
down,” he said. “It’s kind of open. I never
had a favorite college team growing up.”
Sioux City, Iowa all-purpose back
Brandon Wegher (5-11/190/4.42) also has
NU on his short list. The four-star prospect
sports offers from schools such as Auburn,
Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Penn State, and
Wisconsin.
He was unable to make it to NU’s spring
game due to a scheduling conflict, however he
did visit Lincoln in March and enjoyed the trip.
“Oh, it went really good,” Wegher
said. “We met with the whole coaching
staff from the trainer to the strength and
conditioning coach, to the running backs
coach, and Coach (Marvin) Sanders the
defensive backs coach.
“We also met with Coach (Bo) Pelini, and
we met with Coach (Tom) Osborne, too.”
Although he rushed for over 2,700 yards
and 34 touchdowns as a junior, Wegher can
play multiple positions.
“They said they were projecting me to
either running back, slot receiver, outside
receiver, defensive back or safety,” he said.
“My position’s always been running back.
That’s always been my main position, but
I’m also willing to go play wherever I’d
get on the field soonest or where a college
program believes my best position will be.”
Nebraska continues search for big backby Sean Stevensw
name, Position Ht. Wt. HometownAntonio Bell, WR 6-2 180 Daytona Beach, Fla.
Will Compton, LB 6-2 230 Bonne Terre, Mo.
Khiry Cooper, WR 6-2 180 Shreveport, La.
Ben Cotton, TE 6-6 230 Ames, Iowa
Alfonzo Dennard, DB 5-10 190 Rochelle, Ga.
Sean Fisher, LB 6-6 225 Omaha, Neb.
David Grant, OL 6-6 295 Killeen, Texas
*Ricky Henry, OL 6-4 305 Omaha, Neb.
*#Tyson Hetzer, TE 6-6 245 Redding, Calif.
Micah Kreikemeier, LB 6-3 210 West Point, Neb.
John Levorson, DB 6-3 190 Crete, Neb.
Tim Marlowe, WR 5-10 160 Youngstown, Ohio
Cameron Meredith, DL 6-4 225 Santa Ana, Calif.
Collins Okafor, RB 6-1 195 Omaha, Neb.
Courtney Osborne, ATH 6-3 175 Garland, Texas
name, Position Ht. Wt. HometownSteven Osborne, WR 6-4 185 Garland, Texas
Kyler Reed, HB 6-3 220 Shawnee, Kan.
Justin Rogers, DB 5-11 180 Birmingham, Ala.
P.J. Smith, DB 6-2 205 River Ridge, La.
#Kody Spano, QB 6-2 205 Stephenville, Texas
Baker Steinkuhler, OL 6-6 290 Lincoln, Neb.
Brandon Thompson, OL 6-6 295 The Woodlands, Texas
Quentin Toailoa, DL 6-4 300 Highland, Calif.
Mason Wald, DB 5-11 205 Birmingham, Ala.
Lester Ward, RB 6-3 215 Brenham, Texas
Alonzo Whaley, LB/FB 6-1 225 Madisonville, Texas
David Whitmore, DB 6-2 185 Port Arthur, Texas
Josh Williams, DL 6-4 225 Denton, Texas
*junior college transfer #mid-year signee
husker 2008 Scholarship recruits
J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 1 5
n the months since being named
Nebraska’s head football coach, Bo
Pelini certainly hasn’t been a stranger to
Cornhusker fans.
Not only has Pelini taken on numerous
speaking engagements in the Lincoln and Omaha
areas, but he’s also visited several less-populated
areas. His trips have taken him from South Sioux
City to Mullen, connecting with members of
Husker Nation all along the way.
On several occasions, Pelini has brought his
entire coaching staff with him to the meet-and-
greet events, including a late February stop for
the Central Nebraska Big Red Luncheon in the
Heartland Events Center. In Grand Island Pelini
re-emphasized many of the points he made
the day he was named as the Huskers head
coach, speaking to a crowd of more than 1,100,
including Athletics Director Tom Osborne.
Pelini has told fans repeatedly that he’s
“humbled” by the opportunity to be the head
coach at Nebraska. The 40-year-old Youngstown,
Ohio, native also said he considers his job a
tremendous responsibility and that he’s here to
serve the football program, his players and the
people of this state.
“When Coach
Osborne presented this
opportunity to me
and we talked about
it, it became obvious
that this was where
I needed to be and
this was where my
family needed to be,”
Pelini said. “Because
what I’ve learned
over the
years that I’ve been coaching is this: It’s about
the people.”
Osborne, who fired former coach Bill
Callahan after Nebraska’s 5-7 season in 2007,
said the fiery Pelini and his strong defensive
resume simply seemed like the right man at the
right time for the program.
In visiting with coaches and players who had
associated with Pelini in the past, Osborne said
he failed to find anyone with a negative opinion
of Pelini. A winner of 255 games and three
national titles during his 25-year head coaching
career, Osborne said he liked Pelini’s ability to
communicate, motivate and the way Pelini’s
defenses have had a knack for creating turnovers.
The low-key Osborne said he also likes
Pelini’s passion.
“That was a problem throughout my
coaching career,” Osborne said. “I was
presumed to be too bland, too nice and wouldn’t
be able to win the big one, but we’ve got a guy
now who won’t be too bland and too nice.
“We have rectified that problem.”
Nebraska linebackers coach Mike Ekeler,
who worked with Pelini at LSU, said he has no
doubt that the Husker players will soon take on
the personality of their new head coach.
“There’s not a more fierce competitor in the
sport,” Ekeler said. “You want to talk about
somebody who hates to lose, hate isn’t the right
word. That man despises it.”
With Nebraska having suffered through
two losing seasons in the past four years under
Callahan, Pelini has told fans that he wants the
program to return to its roots.
“I heard somebody talking about the new
tradition, and I don’t believe that,” Pelini
said. “I believe it’s back to
THE tradition that’s the
old tradition.
“There’s nothing new
that I’m bringing here.
I want to lean on what
this place has been
built on for a long
time.”
Throughout
his travels around
the state, Pelini has
stressed that rebuilding
Nebraska’s football program is going to be a
process.
“Things don’t happen overnight and there
are no quick fixes in life,” Pelini said. “You have
to build a foundation, you have to do things
the right way, you have to get everybody on the
same page, you have to develop relationships,
you have to build trust, you have to develop
accountability in all areas, and that takes time.”
However, Pelini said he’s encouraged that
things are already headed in the right direction.
He said he’s been impressed with the players
the Huskers already have in the program and is
excited about the program’s new recruiting class,
which includes 30 walk-on players.
“It’s a tremendous group of young men with
high character and a lot of talent,” Pelini said.
“Our job is to develop that talent.”
Pelini thinks he has the coaching staff to do
just that.
“They’re not only good football coaches we’re
going to be on the cutting edge X- and O-wise,
but they are men of great character, they’re great
communicators and great teachers,” Pelini said.
“At the end of the day, our players are going to
know that we care about them.”
Pelini has been very open about his
expectations for a winning culture he plans to
build at Nebraska. The main objective for the
Huskers? Do things the right way in every aspect
of life and be accountable for everything, from
the minute they wake up in the morning until
they go to sleep each night.
“Everything counts,” Pelini said. “You can’t
let one part of your life slip and expect to make
up for it later in the day. We’re not just preparing
them to win on Saturday afternoon, we’re
preparing them for life after football as well
because it all goes hand in hand.”
As for the upcoming season, Pelini has
typically said that he’s not one to make
predictions in terms of wins and losses.
However, he has promised Nebraska fans one
thing they can count on this fall.
“When our team takes the field, you’re going
to have a group of men out there who will go out
there and play with their hearts, and they’re going
to play with passion,” Pelini said. “That’s what
football is all about, and how that translates into
wins and losses, that will take care of itself.”
pelini humbled to be home
I
stateofthehuskers By TERRy DOUGLASS
1 6 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 1 7
Quarterbacktommie frazier . . . . . . . . . . (1992-95)Turner Gill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1981-83)Eric Crouch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1998-01)Jerry Tagge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1969-71)Scott Frost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1996-97)often overlooked: Dennis Claridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1961-63)
naming husker greats no easy tasko Pelini’s coaching philosophy
involves eliminating the gray,
teaching concepts that are clearly
understood, black and white. In this
case, however, gray is the order of the day.
There is no black and white with such lists, no
certainty in ranking players.
The game evolves as do athletes, making
definitive comparisons impossible. A few players
mentioned here went both ways, offense and
defense. The game was much different in the
early 1960s when Bob Devaney arrived from
Wyoming to lay the foundation for Cornhusker
football’s modern tradition. Players went both
ways until the NCAA changed its rules to allow
for two platoons in 1964. The game also was
different in 1974, 1984, 1994 and 2004.
In addition, football is played 11 on a side.
So the accomplishments of individual players
are influenced by those around them. A team’s
quality affects how those on it are perceived.
These rankings include those who played at
least one season for Devaney and after, so you
won’t find those such as Tom Novak, Bobby
Reynolds, Ed Weir and Guy Chamberlin on
any of the lists, even though they’re just as
important to Nebraska’s rich tradition.
Finally, many deserving players aren’t
mentioned. Only five are included at each
position and not only can their order be
debated but also their inclusion over others.
For example, does Roger Craig belong in the
top five I-backs? Even though he was slowed by
injuries his senior season, his enthusiasm and
selflessness made him the definitive Husker. If
he is to be included, however, which of the five
should be replaced?
There are no right or wrong answers, no
black and white, only gray.
fullback
Arguing with Frazier’s inclusion at the top
of the list is difficult. He was a consensus All-
American and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm
Award winner in 1995, and he finished second
in voting for the Heisman Trophy. He also was
the United Press International “Player of the
Year” and a finalist for the Davey O’Brien
Award and Maxwell Trophy. Sport magazine
rated him among college football’s 10 greatest
players. Beyond the awards, however, he was
the definitive quarterback in Tom Osborne’s
option offense, in a progression that began with
Gill and culminated in back-to-back national
championships. He was 33-3 as a starter. don’t
Forget: Dennis Claridge was a key factor in
Nebraska’s dramatic turnaround under Devaney.
runningbackmike rozier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1981-83)Lawrence Phillips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1993-95)Ahman Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1995-97)Calvin Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1991-93)Jarvis Redwine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1979-80)often overlooked: Ken Clark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1987-89)
Like Frazier, Rozier belongs at the top of
the list. He remains Nebraska’s career-rushing
leader with 4,780 yards in three seasons. He
was the second player in NCAA history to
rush for 2,000 yards in a season, gaining 2,148
in 1983. He averaged 7.8 yards per carry that
season and 7.2 yards per carry for his career. He
was a two-time consensus All-American (once
unanimous). He won the Heisman Trophy
and Maxwell Award in 1983 as well as being
the Walter Camp Player of the Year. He also
was a two-time Big Eight Offensive Player of
the Year. He was durable and tough, playing
on teams that were national championship
contenders. He is a member of the College
Football Hall of Fame. don’t Forget: During
his final two seasons, Ken Clark rushed for 2,693
yards and 24 touchdowns.
joel makovicka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1995-98)
Andra Franklin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1977-80)
Tom Rathman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1983-85)
Dan Schneiss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1968-70)
Bill Thornton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1960-62)
often overlooked:
Dick Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1966-68)
The top three could be in any order here. Makovicka
gets the nod. He still holds the school career record for
touchdowns by a fullback with 13 and he’s third in school
history among fullbacks in rushing yards with 1,447.
Franklin tops the list with 1,738 yards. Makovicka was
the starter on the 1997 national championship team and
was named to the Sports Illustrated All-Walk-on Team
that season. He earned All-Big 12 honorable mention
from the conference coaches twice and was a co-captain
as a senior. He also was a two-time, first-team Academic
All-American and a National Football Foundation and
College Hall of Fame Postgraduate Scholarship winner,
the definitive student-athlete. don’t Forget: Dick Davis is
second among Husker fullbacks in career-rushing yards
with 1,477.
5 at each position (post-devaney era)
aLL-TImE grEaTS
B
1 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
wide receiverjohnny rodgers . . . . . . . . . (1970-72)Irving Fryar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1981-83)Maurice Purify . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2006-07)Terrence Nunn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2004-07)Matt Davison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1997-00)often overlooked: Freeman White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1963-65)
Tight End
No dispute here. Nebraska’s first Heisman
Trophy winner was the difference-maker in
back-to-back national championships. The
Cornhuskers were a combined 32-2-2 during
his career. He was first-team All-Big Eight
in each of his seasons and a consensus
All-American his last two, including a
unanimous selection as a senior. He set
41 school records, seven Big Eight records
and four NCAA records. Freshmen were
ineligible for varsity competition when he
played, limiting him to three seasons, in
which he caught 143 passes for 2,479 yards
and 25 touchdowns. Also, his records did
not include bowl game statistics, a book-
keeping procedure that was changed by
the NCAA in 2001. don’t Forget: Freeman
White played on teams that were a combined
29-4, and he earned consensus All-America
recognition as a senior.
offensive guard
center
aaron taylor . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1994-97)Dean Steinkuhler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1981-83)Will Shields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1989-92)Bob Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1961-63)Brendan Stai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1991-94)often overlooked: LaVerne Allers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1964-66)
dave rimington . . . . . . . . . . (1979-82)Dominic Raiola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1998-00)Rik Bonness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1973-75)Jake Young . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1986-89)Mark Traynowicz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1982-84)often overlooked: Aaron Graham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1992-95)
The top five here could be arranged in
just about any order. Taylor, whom most
schools considered too short for a lineman,
is the only player in school history to earn
All-America honors at two positions, center
as a junior (consensus), stepping in for the
departed Aaron Graham, and guard as a
senior (unanimous).
He was first-team all-conference three
times and the Outland Trophy winner in
1997. He also was a semifinalist for the
Lombardi Award. He played on three national
championship teams, including two as a
starter, and the Cornhuskers were a combined
49-2 during his career. He was a co-captain on
the 1997 national championship team. don’t
Forget: LaVerne Allers was a consensus All-
American as a senior and played for teams
that won three Big Eight championships, with
a combined record of 28-5.
Rimington is the most-decorated offensive
lineman in college football history, much
less Cornhusker history. He was a two-time,
unanimous All-American, the only two-time
Outland Trophy winner in history and the
Lombardi Award winner in 1982. He was
first-team All-Big Eight three times and the
conference Offensive Player of the Year as
a junior, the only time in conference history
a lineman was so honored. Teammate Mike
Rozier was the conference offensive player
of the year when he was a senior. Rimington
also was a two-time, first-team Academic All-
American. He has been inducted into both
the College Football Hall of Fame and the
Academic All-American Hall of Fame. don’t
Forget: Aaron Graham was the starter on the
1994 and 1995 national championship teams.
junior miller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1977-79)Todd Millikan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1985-88)Johnny Mitchell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1990-91)Jamie Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1979-82)Tracey Wistrom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1998-01)often overlooked: Jerry List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1970-72)
At 6-4 and 242 pounds, Miller was a physical presence.
Former Kansas State coach Jim Dickey once remarked,
“If that’s ‘Junior’ Miller, I’d hate to see ‘Senior’ Miller.”
Dickey had a way with words, and tremendous respect
for Miller, a consensus All-American in 1979, when he
caught 23 passes for 435 yards and seven touchdowns.
He was a two-year starter and two-time, first-team All-
Big Eight selection, and when he finished his career, he
held all of the school receiving records for tight ends.
Millikan wasn’t as physically imposing as Miller, but he
was a remarkably efficient receiver. He caught 40 passes
during his career, 14 for touchdowns. List was the best
during the Devaney era, starting on back-to-back nation-
al championship teams.
offensive Tacklezach wiegert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1991-94)Bob Newton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1969-70)Kelvin Clark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1976-78)Daryl White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1971-73)Larry Kramer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1962-64)often overlooked: Eric Anderson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1994-97)
Wiegert is among only six Cornhusker linemen (20
Cornhuskers overall) to earn first-team all-conference
recognition in three consecutive seasons. He was a
second-team All-American in 1993 and a consensus
first-team All-American in 1994, when he won the
Outland Trophy. Nebraska led the nation in rushing
that season, and, of course, won Tom Osborne’s first
national championship. Wiegert also was the United
Press International Lineman of the Year. He finished
ninth in voting for the Heisman Trophy. And he was
a finalist for the Lombardi Award. During his three
seasons as the starting right tackle, he allowed only one
quarterback sack. don’t Forget: Eric Anderson was a
three-year starter, earning first-team all-conference
recognition twice and third-team All-America honors
on the 1997 national championship team.
5 aLL-TImE grEaTS
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 1 9
Defensive Tacklejason peter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1994-97)Larry Jacobson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1969-71)John Dutton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1971-73)Walt Barnes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1963-65)Neil Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1985-87)often overlooked: Jim Skow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1983-85)
Linebacker
It’s a toss-up between Peter and Jacobson. Both were starters on two national championship teams. Peter played sparingly as a redshirted freshman in 1994, but he was a key contributor in 1995 and 1997, when he was a co-captain. He was overshadowed to some extent by teammate Grant Wistrom, but earned first-team all-conference recognition twice and was a consensus All-American as a senior. The two of them were driving forces behind the 1997 national championship team
after both had given serious consideration to leaving for the NFL following the 1996 season. Jacobson won Nebraska’s first Outland Trophy as a senior on the 1971 national championship team. He also won the Knute Rockne Award
as the nation’s outstanding lineman. don’t
Forget: After starting only three games his first two seasons, the undersized Jim Skow earned All-America honors as a senior, with 25 tackles for loss, including 15 sacks for 139 yards in losses.
oLB/rush End
cornerback
grant wistrom . . . . . . . . . . . (1994-97)Broderick Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1985-88)Willie Harper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1970-72)Trev Alberts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1990-93)Jared Tomich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1994-96)Jimmy Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1979-81)often overlooked: Derrie Nelson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1978-80)
ralph brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1996-99)Dave Butterfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1974-76)Tyrone Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1993-95)Fabian Washington . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2002-04)Bruce Pickens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1988-90)often overlooked: Barron Miles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1992-94)
Six are listed here instead of five because of the number of players who deserve consideration at what arguably has been the showcase position on defense at Nebraska. Even so, Wistrom deserves to be at the top of the list, if for no other reason than his contributions to three national championships. He was in the regular rotation as a true freshman on the 1994 national championship team and a starter and first-team all-conference selection the next three seasons. He was a two-time, first-team, consensus All-
American and the Lombardi Award winner in 1997, when teammate Aaron Taylor won the Outland Trophy. Wistrom also was a two-time, first-team Academic All-American and an NCAA Top Eight Award winner. He holds the school career record for tackles for loss (58.5, 260
yards) and ranks second in sacks (26.5). don’t
Forget: Derrie Nelson, who walked on and had a well-deserved reputation for toughness, was the Big Eight Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-America honors as a senior co-captain.
Brown set a school record by starting
52 consecutive games, every one during his
career. And he played as a true freshman. He
also set school records for pass break-ups in
a game (seven), season (15) and career (50).
The 50 break-ups were 29 more than the
previous record.
He was the Associated Press Big 12
Defensive Newcomer of the year and a
Freshman All-American in 1996. He was a
three-time, first-team all-conference selection
and a consensus All-American in 1999,
when he was a co-captain. He completed a
degree in seven semesters and left Nebraska
(as a fifth-round NFL draft pick) with a
national championship ring. don’t Forget:
Barron Miles was a two-time, first-team all-
conference selection on teams that were 24-1
and played for the national championship
twice, winning it his senior year.
jerry murtaugh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1968-70)Marc Munford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1984-86)Barrett Ruud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2001-04)Ed Stewart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1991-94)Steve Damkroger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1979-82)often overlooked: Clete Pillen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1974-76)
Ruud has replaced Murtaugh as Nebraska’s career
leader in tackles. But Murtaugh, whose reputation for
toughness is legendary, remains the definitive Cornhusker
linebacker. He was credited with 142 tackles in 1970 and
earned All-America recognition from the Walter Camp
Foundation and the Associated Press. He was a two-time
first-team All-Big Eight honoree and a co-captain for the
1970 national championship team. Prior to the season,
during the Big Eight Skywriters’ stop in Lincoln, he
predicted a national championship, brash words for the
time and not something to make Bob Devaney happy.
When all was said and done, however, Murtaugh and
fellow co-captain Dan Schneiss were at the podium with
Devaney and President Richard Nixon, accepting the
Associated Press national championship plaque. don’t
Forget: Clete Pillen was the Cornhusker tackles leader in
1975 and 1976, with a combined 271.
middle guardrich glover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1970-72)Wayne Meylan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1965-67)Danny Noonan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1984-86)Kerry Weinmaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1976-79)Ken Geddes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1967-69)often overlooked: Ed Periard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1968-70)
When the Cornhuskers went to a 4-3 alignment, the middle guard was eliminated. The 6-1, 234-pound Glover set the standard at the position, with Meylan a close second. Glover emerged as a junior starter on the 1971 national championship team, earning consensus All-America recognition and gaining national attention with 22 tackles in the “Game of the Century.” He was a unanimous All-American as a senior, when he became the first Cornhusker to win both the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award in the same season. He was credited with a combined 192 tackles his final two seasons, including 22 for losses, evidence of his quickness. don’t Forget: Ed Periard was only 5-9 and 201 pounds. But he earned first-team all-conference recognition in his only season as a starter on Nebraska’s first national championship team.
5 aLL-TImE grEaTS
Get a subscription to
HUSKERS ILLUSTRATEDCall 1-800-524-9527
2 0 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
Safetymike brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1996-99)Josh Bullocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2002-04)Dana Stephenson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1967-69)Mike Minter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1993-96)Daniel Bullocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2002-05)often overlooked: Bill Kosch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1969-71)
punter
Brown was a back-up corner as a true
freshman then started 38 consecutive games
as a rover and free safety, earning All-
America honors from the Football Writers
and Associated Press in 1999. He was a two-
time, first-team all-conference selection and
finished second to Jerry Murtaugh on the
Cornhuskers’ career-tackles list with 287.
He was the team’s leading tackler for three
consecutive seasons, something only two
players before him had done, Jerry Murtaugh
and Marc Munford – both linebackers. He
intercepted nine passes during his career and
forced six fumbles. He also was a three-time,
first-team academic all-conference selection.
don’t Forget: Bill Kosch was a first-team
all-conference selection on Bob Devaney’s
back-to-back national championship teams.
kick returner
place kicker
johnny rodgers . . . . . . . . . . . . (1970-72)Tyrone Hughes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1989-92)Dana Brinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1985-88)DeJuan Groce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1999-02)Irving Fryar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1981-83)often overlooked: Joe Walker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1997-00)
kris brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1995-98)Josh Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1999-02)Byron Bennett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1990-93)Gregg Barrios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1986-90)Dale Klein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1984-86)often overlooked: Paul Rogers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1968-70)
Among the most memorable plays in
Cornhusker history was Rodgers’ 72-yard
punt return for a touchdown to open the scor-
ing against Oklahoma in the 1971 Game of
the Century. He also returned a punt 77 yards
for a touchdown in the 1972 Orange Bowl
game against Alabama, another match-up of
No. 1 versus No. 2. In all, Rodgers returned
seven punts for touchdowns during his career,
a total that is tied for the NCAA record. He
also returned 35 kickoffs during his career, for
847 yards and one touchdown – a 98-yarder
against Texas A&M in 1971. Rodgers is in the
College Football Hall of Fame. don’t Forget:
Joe Walker, a rover who played as a true fresh-
man, tied an NCAA record by returning a
kickoff, a punt and an interception for touch-
downs in the same season, 1998.
Brown is Nebraska’s career-scoring leader
with 388 points. He was the Cornhuskers’
place-kicker for four consecutive seasons,
beginning as a true freshman in the 1995
national championship season. He finished
his career with an NCAA record 217 extra-
point kicks, in an NCAA record-tying
222 attempts, and ranked seventh all-time
in scoring. He made 57-of-77 field goal
attempts, including 13-of-20 from 40 yards
or more, with a long of 51 yards. He was a
semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award as a
junior. His numbers would be even higher
if official NCAA statistics included bowl
games during the time he played. don’t
Forget: Paul Rogers kicked four first-
quarter field goals in a 45-6 victory against
Georgia in the 1969 Sun Bowl to set the
stage for the national championship run in
1970.
dan hadenfeldt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1998-00)Kyle Larson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2001-03)Sam Koch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2003-05)Jesse Kosch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1995-97)Mike Stigge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1989-92)often overlooked: Darin Erstad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1994)
Put the first three names in a hat and pick one. Ha-
denfeldt holds the school career record, averaging 44.54
yards on 104 punts, and ranks third in single-season aver-
age, 44.98 on 65 punts in 1999. Larson is the only punter
in Cornhusker history to earn first-team All-America
honors (AFCA, 2003). He ranks second on the single-
season average list, 45.12 yards in 2003, and third on
the career average list, 43.67 yards on 195 punts. Koch is
atop the single-season list, averaging 46.51 yards on 71
punts in 2005, and second on the career list, 44.04 yards
on 134 punts.
Erstad came from the baseball team to average 42.6
yards on 50 punts for the 1994 national championship
team. He also was 10-for-10 on extra-points and 3-of-8
on field goals, including a 48-yarder and a 46-yarder.
5 aLL-TImE grEaTS
CommEnTS?Have comments about our All-Time Greatest Huskers or
any other part of our magazine? Send us your comments
and it may be published in an upcoming issue of Huskers
Illustrated. SEnD COMMEnTS TO:Huskers Illustrated, 7755 S. 23rd St., Lincoln, NE 68512
or email [email protected].
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 2 1
2 2 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
Players walked on at Nebraska
before Tom Osborne became
head coach. But when Bob
Devaney was head coach, they
were more or less incidental.
Any player the Cornhuskers
wanted had a scholarship, and
until 1964, when NCAA rules
were changed to allow for two
platoons, the roster included
fewer players, anyway. The
freshman team might have some
non-scholarship players. But few
continued as sophomores.
Osborne quickly began
saving a handful of scholarships
for walk-ons. As the NCAA
reduced scholarship limits, they
became an important part of the
program. In 1981, more than 90
players walked on; in 1982, more
than 70.
By the early 1990s, the num-
bers had dropped. The NCAA
legislated freshman programs
out of existence with the
elimination of three graduate as-
sistants and one restricted-earn-
ings coach. And the end of the
freshman program was reflected
in the number of walk-ons. In
1990, Nebraska recruited nearly
50 walk-ons. Two years later, it
recruited about half that many.
Still, Osborne understood
the value of walk-ons, for
a variety of reasons, and
he and his staff evalu-
ated and recruited
them. Some showed
up and asked to
walk on, Mitch
Krenk and
Isaiah Hipp
among
them.
But most
walk-
ons were
encouraged
to do so.
What follows is an Osborne
Era all-walk-on team. It is not
meant to be the definitive walk-
on team for those 25 seasons,
only representative. The con-
tributions of walk-ons haven’t
necessarily been reflected in how
much playing time they earned.
The team includes players who
paid their own way to Nebraska
as freshmen. Players who trans-
ferred from other four-year
schools and paid their own
way their first season also are
part of the walk-on tradition.
For
simplicity’s sake,
however, they haven’t
been included.
Jarvis Redwine, for
example, isn’t on the team
even though he paid his own
way while he sat out a manda-
tory redshirt after transferring
from Oregon State. Neither is
John Parrella, whom Colorado
promised a scholarship and then
pulled it. Jim Scott deserves
consideration, but he transferred
from Kearney State – now
Nebraska-Kearney. On and on
the list goes.
In addition, players need to
have spent the majority of their
careers under Osborne.
Greatest Husker walk-ons durinG
osBorne eraoffenseWR – Todd Brown (1979-82)
WR – Brendan Holbein (1993-96)
OL – Joel Wilks (1992-94)
OL – Matt Hoskinson (1995-97)
OL – Kelly Saalfeld (1977-79)
OL – Keven Lightner (1985-87)
OL – Adam Treu (1994-96)
TE – Matt Shaw (1992-94)
QB – Matt Turman (1994-96)
IB – Isaiah Hipp (1977-79)
FB – Joel Makovicka (1995-98)
PK – Dale Klein (1984-86)
defenseDE – Jimmy Williams (1979-81)
DT – Tim Rother (1986-87)
DT – Toby Williams (1980-82)
MG – Mike Murray (1987-89)
DE – Derrie Nelson (1978-80)
RE – Jared Tomich (1994-96)
LB – Clete Pillen (1974-76)
LB – Bruce Dunning (1977-78)
LB – Mark Daum (1982-84)
DB – Charles Fryar (1986-88)
DB – Ric Lindquist (1979-81)
DB – Rodney Lewis (1979-81)
DB – Mark Blazek (1986-88)
P – Jesse Kosch (1995-97)
nebraska walk-on tradition
Greatest Husker Walk-ons
joel makoviCka
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 2 3
wr – todd brown (1979-82), Holdrege, Neb.
Brown drew interest from Nebraska because of his abilities in track and
field. He won state Class B titles in the long jump, triple jump and 100-yard
dash. But he turned his attention to football, after not playing his first fall,
effectively redshirting. He finished seventh on the school’s career-receptions
list with 65, for 1,092 yards (third) and 12 touchdowns (tied for fourth). He
was a three-year starter and rare four-year letterman at the time.
wr – brendan holbein(1993-96), Cozad, Neb.
Holbein caught 47 passes for 592 yards and seven touchdowns
but he worked his way up the depth chart because of his tenacity
as a perimeter blocker, an absolute necessity under then-receivers
coach Ron Brown, and his versatility; he could play both wide
receiver and wingback. He was a high school teammate of Corn-
husker offensive lineman Chris Dishman.
ol – joel wilks (1992-94), Hastings, Neb.
Wilks, a three-year letterman, was the forgotten man on
the 1994 national championship team’s “Pipeline.” He
started at left guard and led the “Pipeline” in pancake,
or knockdown, blocks with 142, an average of 11.8
per game. He missed the first five games in 1993
with a severe ankle sprain but came back to play in
the last six, starting once.
ol – matt hoskinson
(1995-97), Battle Creek, Neb.
Hoskinson, a high school linebacker and fullback, was
named to the Sports Illustrated All-Walk-on Team in 1997. Though
he never started (he appeared in 33 games) during his Cornhusker
career, he was considered a starter, the sixth man, on the 1997 national
championship team, rotating at center as well as both guard positions.
ol – kelly saalfeld(1977-79), Columbus, Neb.
A two-year starter at center, the 6-4, 249-pound Saalfeld was
among former Cornhusker offensive line coach Milt Tenopir’s fa-
vorite walk-ons. He was first-team all-conference and a first-team
Academic All-American as a senior, also earning third-team
All-America honors from The Football News.
ol – adam treu(1994-96), Lincoln, Neb.
Treu was a recruited walk-on, based on his athleti-
cism as displayed during a high school basketball game
Tom Osborne attended. He started 12 games at left
tackle and was the deep-snapper as a senior, after
playing in 12 games in 1995 and five games in 1994.
ol – keven lightner(1985-87), Hastings, Neb.
The 6-2, 285-pound Lightner earned first-team All-Big Eight recogni-
tion from United Press International as a senior, starting at tackle,
after alternating as a junior. He set a school record on the strength
index, based on clean, bench and squat lifting ability, after arriving as a
230-pound walk-on. His 40 time dropped from 5.37 to 4.98 at Nebraska.
te – matt shaw(1992-94), Lincoln, Neb.
Though Shaw didn’t catch a pass during his varsity career (he caught
two touchdown passes for the junior varsity in 1990), he was the epitome
of a walk-on, working his way up after redshirting. He was a tenacious
blocker, starting all but three games in a rotation with Mark Gilman
and Eric Alford on the 1994 national championship team. He also was
an Academic All-American that season. Among others who deserve
serious consideration at tight end are Mitch Krenk (1981-82) and Gerald
Armstrong (1991-93), both Nebraskans – Krenk from Nebraska City,
Armstrong from Ponca.
Qb – matt turman(1994-96), Wahoo, Neb.
With Tommie Frazier sidelined by blood clots and Brook Berringer
slowed by the effects of a collapsed lung, he started the Kansas State game
at Manhattan in 1994 and immediately became a fan favorite. That game
was his only start. The “Turmanator” was the son of a high school football
coach. He rushed for five touchdowns and passed for four during his career.
ib – isaiah hipp(1977-79), Chapin, S.C.
Sports information director Don Bryant promoted Hipp by using his
initials, I.M., and referring to him as “college football’s most famous
walk-on.” He finished as the school’s career-rushing leader, with 2,814
yards and 21 touchdowns, gaining at least 100 yards 10 times. Hipp
had to borrow money for a plane ticket to get to Nebraska. He was
hampered by a “turf toe” his senior year.
fb – joel makovicka(1995-98), Brainard, Neb.
The second of four Makovicka brothers to walk on, Joel rushed for
1,447 yards and 13 touchdowns, still tops among Cornhusker fullbacks.
He was a two-year starter, two-time Academic All-American, co-captain
and member of two national championship teams.
pk – dale klein(1984-86), Seward, Neb.
Klein is best remembered for the Missouri game in 1985. After twice
losing the starting job that season, he tied an NCAA record by kicking seven
field goals (in seven attempts) in a 28-20 victory against the Tigers on a wet
field in Columbia. Five of the field goals came in the first half, an NCAA
record. He also kicked an extra point for a Big Eight record 22 points by kick
scoring. The kicks were from 32, 22, 43, 44, 29, 43 and 43 yards.
dates back to devaney era
Greatest Husker Walk-ons
2 4 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
de – jimmy williams(1979-81), Washington, D.C.
The 6-3 Williams weighed 180 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in
4.8 seconds when he and his brother Toby walked on. By his senior year,
Jimmy weighed 215 pounds and ran the 40 in a team-best 4.34 seconds
during spring testing. He was the UPI Big Eight “Defensive Player of
the Year” as a senior and earned first-team All-America recognition
from the Associated Press and Walter Camp Foundation. He also was a
co-captain.
dt – tim rother(1986-87), Bellevue, Neb.
The 1987 Nebraska media guide described him as possibly the best
second-string defensive lineman in the country, after backing up Lee
Jones in a front that also included Neil Smith at tackle. With Jones ham-
pered by injury, Rother shed the second-team status as a senior, leading
the team with 10 sacks and earning first-team All-Big Eight recognition.
dt – toby williams(1980-82), Washington, D.C.
Jimmy Williams’ older brother redshirted his second season at
Nebraska, then earned Big Eight “Defensive Newcomer of the Year”
recognition from the Associated Press as a sophomore, starting part-time.
He was hampered by injuries and illness as a junior but came back strong
as a senior, earning second-team all-conference recognition despite miss-
ing two games late in the season because of a knee strain.
mg – mike murray(1987-89), Chicago, Ill.
The 5-10, 240-pound Murray didn’t have the size of a major col-
lege middle guard. But he had the heart and determination that have
characterized Cornhusker walk-ons. He backed up Lawrence Pete for
two seasons then earned the starting job as a senior. He started at middle
guard on the freshman team, was the second-leading tackler and didn’t
redshirt.
de – derrie nelson(1978-80), Fairmont, Neb.
The athletic Nelson was second to none in intensity. He was a three-
year starter, two-time, first-team All-Big Eight honoree, the Big Eight
“Defensive Player of the Year” in 1980 and a co-captain. He also earned
first-team All-America recognition from both the Football Writers of
America and The Football News as a senior. His high school coach was
Matt Turman’s dad.
re – jared tomich(1994-96), St. John, Ind.
Tomich, who played opposite Grant Wistrom, earned first-team
All-America recognition twice, from the Walter Camp Foundation as a
senior and from the Associated Press as a junior, when he led the 1995
national championship team in sacks with 10. He finished his career
with 26 tackles-for-loss, including 16 sacks, caused seven fumbles and
recovered three.
lb – clete pillen(1974-76), Monroe, Neb.
The 6-foot, 206-pound Pillen was the Cornhuskers’ leading tackler as
a junior (134) and senior (137), when he was a co-captain. He was the
United Press International Big Eight “Defensive Player of the Year” in
1976 and consensus first-team all-conference. He also earned second-
team All-America recognition from both the Associated Press and UPI.
He finished second on Nebraska’s career-tackles list, behind only Jerry
Murtaugh (1968-70).
lb - bruce dunning(1977-78), Arvada, Colo.
Dunning lettered twice but he played essentially just one season,
evidence of the perseverance and determination of walk-ons. He played
on the freshman team in 1974, redshirted in 1975 and didn’t see action
in 1976. As a junior, he contributed on special teams. As a senior, he was
the starting strongside linebacker and finished second on the team with
113 tackles, 52 unassisted. He also recovered two fumbles and inter-
cepted a pass for a team that defeated Oklahoma for the first time under
Osborne and might have played for a national championship if not for
a loss against Missouri in the final game of the
regular season.
Greatest Husker Walk-ons
Clete Pillen
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 2 5
reCruited walk-ons, 2008Bo Pelini supplemented his first recruiting class with a large
group of walk-ons. The names of those who have been accepted
for admission by the university can be released.
Most are from Nebraska. But there are a couple of Thomas
Lawsons on the list, including David Pillen from Stephen F. Austin
High School in Sugar Land, Texas. His dad, Clete, earned a place on
the Huskers Illustrated Tom Osborne Era All-Walk-on team.
nAME POS. HT. WT. HOMETOWn
Kenny Anderson DE 6-2 235 Omaha, Neb.
Damon Bechtold TE 6-4 215 Omaha, Neb.
Jase Dean FS 6-0 180 Bridgeport, Neb.
Taylor Dixon DB 5-11 170 Wauneta, Neb.
Tanner Foxhoven LB 6-3 210 Crofton, Neb.
Matt Holt RB/LB 6-0 200 Lee’s Summit, Mo.
KC Hyland WR 6-6 195 Lincoln, Neb.
Justin Jackson DL 6-3 255 Roca, Neb.
Jordan Makovicka RB 5-10 170 Ulysses, Neb.
Matt Manninger LB 6-1 225 Omaha, Neb.
Mychael McClure LB 6-5 210 Wisner, Neb.
Colin McDermott LB 6-2 225 Omaha, Neb.
Conor McDermott DE 6-2 230 Omaha, Neb.
Sam Meginnis LE 6-2 210 Lincoln, Neb.
Derek Meyer OL 6-5 300 Silver Lake, Neb.
Josh Molek DE 6-3 235 Omaha, Neb.
Brent Moravec FB/LB 6-0 180 Grand Island, Neb.
David Pillen FB/LB 5-11 230 Sugar Land, Texas
Zach Ruiz QB/ATH 6-3 210 Beatrice, Neb.
Marcus Smith LB 6-1 195 Crete, Neb.
Steve Spratte WR 5-11 180 Waukesha, Wis.
Graham Stoddard LB 6-2 215 Lincoln, Neb.
Brian Thorson OL 6-3 280 Omaha, Neb.
Jeremy Wallace RB 6-1 220 Omaha, Neb.
Brandon Brown RB/DB 5-10 205 Lincoln, Neb.
Seung Hoon Choi OL 6-2 320 Lincoln, Neb.
Ronnell Grixby DB 5-10 205 Omaha, Neb.
Brett Maher K 6-0 170 Kearney, Neb.
lb – mark daum(1982-84), Dix, Neb.
An eight-man player at a western Nebraska high school, Daum was the
team’s second-leading tackler in 1984. His toughness wasn’t questioned.
He suffered a knee injury against Iowa State as a junior and eight days after
arthroscopic surgery, he was back on the practice field. He missed only one
game and finished the season with 93 tackles, including nine for losses.
db – charles fryar(1986-88), Burlington, N.J.
The cousin of former Cornhusker wingback Irving Fryar was a three-
year starter at right cornerback. He broke up four passes as a senior to
tie the school career record, shared by three other players. Fryar tied the
school single-season record for pass break-ups with eight as a sophomore.
He earned first-team all-conference honors as a senior.
db – ric lindQuist(1979-81), Plattsmouth, Neb.
The 5-9, 180-pound Lindquist was a three-year starter at left cor-
nerback. He earned all-conference recognition as a senior, when the
Cornhuskers led the nation in pass defense, and was a first-team Academic
All-American with a pre-law major. He tied the school record for intercep-
tions in a game as a sophomore, with three in a 48-14 victory against
Kansas State.
db – rodney lewis(1979-81), Minneapolis, Minn.
Lewis came to Nebraska along with high school teammate Russell
Gary, a scholarship recruit and first-team All-Big Eight safety in 1980.
Lewis redshirted. Gary did not. Lewis started his final two seasons at
cornerback. He also competed for the Cornhusker track and field team,
qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 330-yard dash in
1980. Lewis was a third-round draft pick of the New Orleans Saints. He
and Gary were teammates with the Saints as well.
db – mark blazek(1986-88), Raymond, Neb.
Blazek’s best season was as a junior, when he started at free safety and
led the secondary in tackles (45) and the team in interceptions (three). He
was a two-time Academic All-American and a co-captain in 1988, when
he backed up both safety positions and started once. He missed the 1985
season to go through basic training with the Army National Guard.
p – jesse kosch(1995-97), Columbus, Neb.
The son of former Cornhusker defensive back Bill Kosch (1969-71) also
earned letters on two national championship teams. His best season was
as a junior in 1996, when he averaged a school-record 44.7 yards per punt.
Bill Lafleur, also an Osborne Era walk-on from Norfolk, broke that record
in 1998. Kosch finished his career with the best punting average in school
history, 41.92 yards. Lafleur would have broken that, too, but didn’t have
sufficient punts. Neither mark still stands. Both are held by walk-ons, Sam
Koch and Dan Hadenfeldt.
Continuing the walk-on tradition
Greatest Husker Walk-ons
2 6 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 2 7
alk-on? No way. Surely,
you’re on scholarship.
Thomas Lawson
often got such a response
during his freshman year at Nebraska. A
teammate would meet him for the first
time and assume he was on scholarship.
After all, why would someone from
Parker, Colo., walk on at Nebraska?
Walk-ons were supposed to be in-state
athletes who grew up wanting to play for
the Cornhuskers.
Except for the in-state part, that
described Lawson. He grew up a
Cornhusker fan from watching them
on television. They were always in the
national rankings, always playing in
bowl games. And Lawson wanted to
play for them, “to be part of something
big,” he said.
During his senior year at Ponderosa
High School, he thought
he might have that
opportunity. He was
a running back in a
wing-T offense on a state
championship team. He
rushed for 1,800 yards that
season. And he earned the
most valuable player award in
the state title game.
Frank Solich was Nebraska’s
coach at the time. And the
Cornhuskers talked to him about
walking on. After Solich was fired,
however, the interest disappeared.
Lawson set aside his dream of playing
for Nebraska and committed to walking
on at Colorado State. In the late summer,
he moved into the dorms in Fort Collins
and began preparing. The Colorado
State coaches told him they planned to
play him at linebacker. And if things
worked out, he would be able to earn a
scholarship, they assured him.
Then one day on the way to a pre-
season workout, Lawson got a call on
his cell phone from then-Nebraska
running backs coach Randy Jordan. Was
he interested in walking on?
Was he interested? Lawson couldn’t
believe his good fortune. He returned to
the dorm, wrapped his belongings in a
sheet, tied it up, tossed it in the trunk of
his car and headed west to Lincoln. He
told no one he was leaving. He didn’t
want to jeopardize the opportunity.
That was a positive about being
a walk-on. Classes hadn’t begun at
Colorado State, so he wasn’t bound to
remain in Fort Collins. He didn’t need a
scholarship release.
Though he’d like a scholarship, of
course, another positive of being a walk-
on is what it has taught him, “to stick
with it, to keep my work ethic up,” he
said.“You get one chance and if you mess
up, you get put to the back of the line.”
Lawson started from the bottom, as
he expected he would. He played on
the scout squad his first two seasons,
beginning as an I-back and then moving
to fullback after he gained weight.
He played at 263 pounds last
season, figuring the more weight he
carried, the more effective he would be
as a blocker. “I was just kind of eating
whatever,” he said.
Not so now. He expects to play at
between 240 to 245 his senior season.
Even during his third season, when
he was no longer practicing on the scout
squad, he wondered if he would ever
see significant action. Dane Todd was a
fixture at fullback, in his second season
as the starter, with walk-on Matt Senske
as the top back-up.
Lawson’s dad kept encouraging him,
as did Todd, “who took me under his
wing when I first got here. We hit it off.
Everything I had a question on, he had
an answer,” said Lawson. “It’s always
good to have someone there to lean on
since you’re away from home.
“He’d always tell me, ‘Man, just keep
your head up. I know what you can do,
just keep pushing.’ I can give it up to
Dane Todd. It’s like, ‘Look at me now.’”
Lawson alternated with Andy Sand
last season, starting twice and catching
three passes, all of them for touchdowns.
The first came against Iowa State (as did
the second). Sam Keller threw the pass,
on a “pivot” play. Lawson held on that
time, after dropping one against Nevada.
“It was cool. I’m never going to forget
it,” Lawson said.
He has the ball in his apartment,
signed and dated.
Despite wondering if he would get
an opportunity, “I always knew I could
play. I knew I had the ability. I just didn’t
know when my card was going to be
pulled,” he said.
It was pulled. And he was
prepared.
His story isn’t much different
from that of most walk-ons, except
that he’s from Colorado. He’s paying
his own way, playing for love of
the game and earning a degree in
communications. Typically, walk-ons
understand the importance of an
education.
“I wouldn’t change it for the
world,” he said.
Walk-on Wonderyou’ve dreamt of being a Husker your entire life. Would you drop whatever you’re doing when you finally get the call? Thomas Lawson did and now he’s reaping the benefits.
w by Mike Babcock
2 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 2 9
Father Figure
Bo Pelini has worked with some
of the biggest names in football.
But none of them can match
the influence of a retired
pharmaceutical salesman in
youngstown, ohio.
B y S T E v E S I p p L E
3 0 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
long list of coaches – a
lot of people, period
– have influenced Bo
Pelini’s development
as a coach since his start in the
business in 1991. There have been
too many influences to list. And
anyway, Pelini wouldn’t want to
leave out anybody.
However, the new Nebraska head
football coach doesn’t mind listing
one of his primary influences - his
father Anthony Pelini.
Bo Pelini said his father’s
impact began to take hold when
Bo was a kid playing a variety
of sports in his hometown of
Youngstown, Ohio. Anthony
Pelini taught his five sons to play
sports with a sense of pride and
respect for the game.
“That meant acting the right
way, which I didn’t always do,”
said 40-year-old Bo Pelini, the
youngest of five brothers. “But I
heard about it when I didn’t.”
His father’s tenets help guide
Pelini to this day. Play hard.
Play with sportsmanship. Be a
team player. Don’t worry about
individuality. Represent your
team the right way all the time –
not only in your play, but also in
your conduct.
“My dad would never criticize
me for how I played,” Bo Pelini
said. “But if I got a technical or
threw my helmet or something
like that, there was hell to pay
when I walked in my home. He
wouldn’t scream and yell, but he’d
say, ‘If you want to play, you’re
going to do it the right way.’
“Believe me,” Bo Pelini said,
“that went a long way.”
Nebraska fans by this time
probably have a good feel for
Pelini’s football coaching
background. He got his start in
1991 as a graduate assistant at
Iowa, then spent a year as an
assistant at Cardinal Mooney
High in Youngstown. Then came
his big break – a chance to work
as an assistant for the NFL San
Francisco 49ers. He ended up
working a total of nine years as
an NFL assistant before landing
a job as the Huskers’ defensive
coordinator in 2003.
Stints as a co-defensive
coordinator at Oklahoma (2004)
and defensive coordinator
at Louisiana State (2005-07)
preceded his return to Nebraska
as a first-time head coach.
In some ways, Husker fans
are still getting to know their
new head coach. Since being
formally hired Dec. 2, Pelini has
worked hard to instill a disciplined
approach on and off the field. He’s
been known to show up at Lincoln
downtown taverns to check if
players are abiding by team rules.
He also shows up in campus
classrooms on occasion to make
sure players are attending.
Anthony Pelini, a retired
pharmaceuticals salesman
who still lives in Youngstown,
probably would appreciate such
diligence from a coach.
In addition to his father’s
influence, Pelini’s coaching
style was shaped in part by
his experiences as a youth in
Youngstown, where he was a
multi-sport star at Cardinal
Mooney.
“I always go back to my high
school days as a key period,” Pelini
said. “We had good talent, don’t
get me wrong. But I saw how
the commitment part of things
and the sacrifice and the team-
building and the stresses from the
coaches to do things the right way
and be committed to team - all
those things are what I thought
separated us from everybody else
and enabled us to overachieve.
“It sticks with you.”
Those close to Pelini will tell
you that he’s found his calling,
that he’s a natural leader. But
Pelini at one point actually
considered another profession.
In the months before he was
hired by the 49ers in 1994, Pelini
was considering getting out of
coaching. He had a job offer from
Nike in sales and marketing and
was looking to start a career. It
seemed a good fit. “At that time,
I didn’t see myself wanting to be
a graduate assistant somewhere
for eight years and waiting for my
opportunity,” he said.
But San Francisco called, and
he seized the opportunity. He was
in his mid-20s. He originally was
hired to be part of the scouting
department. Whatever. He was
just thrilled to get a chance to get
his foot in the door. He almost
immediately was promoted to
assistant secondary coach and
wound up spending three seasons
with the franchise.
“How many times does an
opportunity like that come
around?” Pelini said. “I figured
I’d put my time in and see where
it went. Fortunately, I was given a
unique opportunity to move into
coaching really quickly.”
Nebraska fans have long since
gotten a feel for Pelini’s aura of
confidence. Tim McDonald got a
taste of it in 1994, as a Pro Bowl
strong safety with the Niners.
McDonald was a 29-year-old NFL
veteran when Pelini arrived on the
scene in San Francisco. McDonald
recalls Pelini being assertive in
meeting rooms and practices.
“That’s why Bo is where he is
right now,” said McDonald, now
43. “He was never afraid to test the
waters. If something didn’t sound
right, if something didn’t feel right,
Bo would step up and say, ‘Hey,
let’s work our way through this.’
“He would work with the
players and listen to the players.
But at the same time, he was
strong enough to say, ‘This is
right and this is the way we
should go about it.’”
Pelini’s coaching foundation
was fortified by teaching the likes
Father Figure
by Steve Sipplea
“My dad would never criticize me for
how I played. But if I got a technical or
threw my helmet or something like that,
there was hell to pay when I walked in
my home.” bo pelini
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 3 1
So, Bo Pelini was a heck of a high school
basketball player. In fact, he was the only
athlete ever from Cardinal Mooney High
School to play in the Ohio North-South all-
star game in football and basketball.
Who knew former Missouri basketball coach
Norm Stewart recruited Pelini?
Pelini has been known to keep a basketball
in his office at Memorial Stadium. He grew
up idolizing NBA players such as Dennis
Johnson and Elvin Hayes.
Is Bo a LeBron fan? Not especially, he said.
As a baseball fan growing up in Youngstown,
Ohio, Pelini followed the Cleveland Indians
and Pittsburgh Pirates (Pittsburgh is about 65
miles southeast of Youngstown).
"I didn't really get caught up in the teams as
much as I liked certain players," Pelini said.
Pelini remembers liking Pirates such as Willie
Stargell and Omar Moreno. His favorite
Indians included Duane Kuiper and Rick
Manning.
Pelini obviously was a fan of the Cleveland
Browns and followed the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Indeed, Mark "Bo" Pelini's nickname came
from Bo Scott, a former hard-nosed Browns
running back.
Pelini's also a boxing fan. Sugar Ray
Leonard and Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini
– a Youngstown native – were among his
favorites.
– Steven M. Sipple
of McDonald, free safety Merton Hanks and
cornerback Deion Sanders. Pelini also speaks
of the influence of former Niners head coach
George Seifert and assistants Pete Carroll and
Ray Rhodes.
“I saw how they attacked the job
psychologically and found ways to reach guys,”
Pelini said. “I saw how they communicated with
people. When you’re at the pro level when you
start (as a coach), you see at a young age the
levels you need to coach at and how much the
psychological part of the game comes into play.
I believe I was exposed to the right things early
on, and it really helped
shape me.”
In the NFL – he later
had stints as a linebackers
coach at both New
England (1997-99) and
Green Bay (2000-02) –
Pelini also was struck
by the commitment of
certain players.
“You see how they
practice and how hard
they work,” he said. “So
you try to stress to the
college guys that, ‘Hey,
if you have any aspirations to get to the NFL
level, you can either wait to try to adapt to that
level when you get there, or you can start to
approach the game that way right now and put
yourself that much further ahead.’ ”
The psychological part of coaching is “huge”
at every level, Pelini said.
“It’s a matter of finding ways to reach guys,”
he said. “The thing is, everybody’s different.
That’s what you learn. Every single guy is
different. Players have different hot buttons,
different cultural backgrounds, different family
backgrounds. You have to find a way to reach
all different sorts of people. The bottom line is,
you can’t treat everybody uniformly.”
In terms of reaching different types of
players, his extensive coaching resume to this
point in his career “is a huge benefit,” he said.
But his coaching style actually began to take
shape during all those days on the playgrounds
and gyms around Youngstown (pop. 80,000),
competing with and against neighborhood kids
and his brothers.
“I just had such a good experience with
sports growing up,” Pelini said. “I was into the
strategic parts of all sports. Coaching’s kind of
in my blood, I guess.
“You have to understand, where I grew up
was blue collar. That kind of work ethic, and
those kinds of values, I think it all goes hand-in-
hand with athletics. It all relates.”
Football became Pelini’s best sport. But
he also excelled as a basketball player in high
school (he was Mooney’s first 1,000-point
scorer). Playing point guard and off-guard, the
6-2 Pelini was talented and polished enough
to be recruited by “a number of” Division I
programs, he said, most notably Missouri and
head coach Norm Stewart.
“I had chances to commit to some schools
early,” Pelini said. “I don’t know how it would
have played out. When I didn’t commit early,
schools knew I was going to play football.
It was pretty much
assumed.”
Pelini played free
safety at Ohio State,
where he was a three-time
Academic All-Big Ten
selection and team captain
as a senior in 1990. All
those lessons learned at
Cardinal Mooney paid
dividends.
His father was
watching all the while –
mainly to make sure his
sons were working hard to
improve. Anthony Pelini instilled work ethic in
his sons before they could shave.
“It was never about stats,” Bo Pelini said.
“Going 3-for-3 in a baseball game, he didn’t
care about that, as long as I was giving my
best effort. He stressed that if you want to be
good, you have to do more than the next guy.
If you’re a basketball player, you have to be out
there shooting balls. If you miss free throws,
you’d better shoot 100. You had better practice
your trade at home.”
Pelini could even practice batting in his
home’s garage, where his father hung a baseball
from the ceiling on a cable. He even mapped
out a batter’s box.
“He didn’t sit there and watch me do it,
but he’d have things to say like, ‘This is how
you practice. This is what you do. You’re
not just going to show up and be good,’ ” Bo
Pelini recalls.
Pelini’s four older brothers – including Carl,
the Huskers’ defensive coordinator – also had a
huge impact on his development as an athlete
and person. Bo listened to his brothers’ wisdom.
“They would take me to the playground and
I’d play basketball against the older kids,” Bo
recalls. “Even though I was a little over my
head, they would take care of me.
“I learned a lot of lessons doing that stuff.”
Lessons that guide him to this day.
gETTINg To kNow Bo
wILLIE STargELL
3 2 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
Todd&Tylerhen Tyler Wortman
and Todd Peterson
agreed to walk on to
the Nebraska football
team in 2003, neither knew quite
what to expect.
As it turned out, that was
probably a good thing because
as the two Grand Island Central
Catholic graduates prepare
for their final season with the
Cornhuskers, both said they
could never have imagined the
almost surreal path their careers
have taken. From having contact
with three different coaching
staffs to experiencing Nebraska’s
first two losing seasons in the
past four decades, it has indeed
been a wild ride.
Peterson and Wortman were
asked to walk on by Frank Solich’s
staff. They then spent four years
under Bill Callahan and now, Bo
Pelini is Nebraska’s head coach.
“I don’t ever look back on it
too much, but when I do, you
realize that it has just been kind
of a crazy set of events,” said
Peterson, a senior wide receiver.
“It has been kind of a wacky,
winding road.”
There certainly have been
plenty of twists and turns.
“This has been something
that you would never have been
expecting, going into it,” said
Wortman, a senior linebacker.
“You just kind of have to roll
with the punches and keep
going.”
If there’s a constant thread
through the college football
careers of Peterson and
Wortman, it would have to be
perseverance. As roommates and
friends, Wortman and Peterson
have encouraged each other
to press on, especially during
troubled times.
Wortman’s path to a potential
spot in the starting lineup has
been filled with many hurdles. He
suffered a severely broken leg in
practice as a true freshman and
found himself stacked behind a
large group of more experienced
linebackers the past three
seasons before finally seeing
playing time in 2007.
After a standout performance
in this year’s Red-White Spring
Game, it appears Wortman’s
determination is on the verge of
finally paying off.
“There were a lot of situations
in the past where I was working
hard, but just seemed to
be staying under the radar,”
Wortman said. “Now, I hope
to be able to get out there in
the fall and get quite a bit of
playing time.”
No one has been happier to
see Wortman’s emergence than
Peterson.
“Tyler has been through a
lot,” Peterson said. “It was very
gratifying for him in the spring
game. I was glad that he got a lot
of recognition for the game that
he put up.
“All the hard work that he’s
been putting in behind the
scenes the past few years is
starting to pay off for him, and I
know that he’ll continue to work
hard to make the most of this
opportunity.”
n turn, Wortman said
he’s always taken
great inspiration from
watching Peterson’s career.
Peterson, who started
receiving playing time as a
redshirt freshman in 2005,
heads into his senior season
with 46 career receptions for
816 yards for an average of
17.7 yards per catch. The 6-4,
215-pounder is 184 receiving
yards shy of becoming the 17th
player in school history with
1,000 receiving yards and has a
chance to move into NU’s career
receptions and touchdown
receptions list.
w
I
by terry douglass
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 3 3
grand Island natives have no regrets“I have been really proud that
Todd was able to do as well as he
has been doing,” Wortman said. “I
remember watching him on TV in
away games and thinking that he
was doing really well, and it just
made me think that I could be
doing the same. I just had to keep
working at it.”
Even though Peterson saw the
field much earlier than Wortman,
the former high school basketball
standout said that early in his
career, he sometimes questioned
his decision to try and play at
Nebraska. He even wondered if
he’d picked the wrong sport.
“There were times when I
wondered if it wouldn’t have been
a good idea to transfer somewhere
smaller and play college basketball,
but I just kept with it,” Peterson
said. “I always tell people that if
you’re going to come here and try
to play at this level, you’ve got to
love football and you’ve got to love
competition.
“It’s so time-consuming and
so demanding that if you don’t
love it and want to do it every
day, then you’re going to be
miserable.”
iserable is probably
the best word to
describe the all-too-
common feeling for the Huskers
last year as they endured a 5-7
season.
nderstandably, Peterson and
Wortman said they try not to
spend much time looking back at
last season. That’s especially the
case on defense where Nebraska
set numerous records — not the
good kind — including allowing
a program-worst 76 points in a
loss at Kansas.
“It’s over with and it’s gone.
We’re not focusing on anything
from last year at all,” Wortman
said. “I think a lot of guys want
to improve greatly from that. We
want to focus on this season and
not waste our time on last year.”
Moving on was one of the
central themes brought to
Nebraska by Pelini and his
coaching staff.
“I think the morale of the
team is up a lot, which is good
because it was getting down
really bad, especially toward the
end of last season,” Wortman said.
“Everybody’s excited now and
Coach Pelini does a really good
job of just getting everybody
pumped up.”
Peterson agreed.
“So far, these coaches have
just been extremely upbeat
and positive and trying to keep
that positive energy around,”
Peterson said. “Obviously, that’s
easier when you haven’t gone
through any real adversity yet,
but I think that was something
they could probably sense in us
when they came is that we had
a lot of negative energy left over.”
While there are new coaches
and a new attitude on the team,
Peterson said Pelini’s decision
to retain offensive coordinator
Shawn Watson and wide receivers
coach Ted Gilmore gave a major
boost to the offense. Instead of
starting over, Peterson said he
feels like an experienced unit
that includes fifth-year senior
quarterback Joe Ganz, senior
running back Marlon Lucky,
senior receiver Nate Swift and a
veteran offensive line, can hit the
ground running.
“I can’t even tell you how
excited I was when I heard that
both of those guys were going to
get to stick around,” Peterson said.
Ever after starting from
scratch in the spring, Wortman
said there are also positive
feelings on the defensive side
of the ball. He said the system
installed by Pelini allows players
to do more reacting and less
thinking.
“It’s not simple in a bad way,
but the concepts are easier to
grasp,” Wortman said. “Everything
we do is predicated on a couple
of base defenses and that makes
it a lot easier than before.
“Before, we would put in new
defenses every week and they’d
just be really difficult for us to get
the hang of right away and that
kind of hurt us.”
All the changes have Wortman
and Peterson looking forward to
seeing how their careers finally
play out.
“I’m just excited to see where
this team can go, not only this
year, but in the future because
I think this program is going to
have a bright future,” Peterson
said. “I’m biased, of course, but
that’s what I think.”
m
3 4 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
Zach Potter
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 3 5
Andthe
thepride
fo blackshirt
Zach Potter
3 6 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
specialist, that’s what
Zach Potter was as a
freshman. He was known
in the residence hall,
where he roomed with grayshirt
Jacob Hickman, as the guy who
blocked kicks.
He earned the designation three
games into his freshman season.
Here’s how.
Less than 5 minutes into the
Pittsburgh game with no score,
Panthers’ coach Dave Wannstedt,
perhaps anticipating the defensive
battle the game would be, sent
All-Big East place-kicker Josh
Cummings onto the field to
attempt a 42-yard field goal.
Cummings’ kick had no chance.
Potter blocked it from the middle
of the line.
The block would have
implications at game’s end.
With 1 second remaining and
Nebraska clinging to a 7-6 lead,
Wannstedt sent Cummings back
onto the field to attempt a fifth field
goal. In addition to the one Potter
blocked, Cummings had missed
once and been successful from
38 and 27 yards during the third
quarter.
This time, the attempt would
be from 46 yards. If successful,
Pittsburgh would win.
Pittsburgh knew it had to
account for the 6-7 Potter and 6-3
Barry Turner, also a freshman.
Turner lined up over the middle on
the field goal block team, too.
The Cornhuskers knew
Pittsburgh’s blocking scheme on
field goals, not only because they
had seen it four times in the game
already but also because it was the
same as theirs.
As the final second went off the
clock, Adam Ickes lunged from
Cummings’ left and deflected
the ball. At the same time, a
leaping Potter extended his right
arm above everyone else’s. If
Ickes hadn’t deflected the ball,
Potter might have, as the cover
of Huskers Illustrated the next
week showed. Potter and Turner
probably deserved assists on
the play. The Panthers were so
concerned about accounting for
them that they allowed Ickes to
break through.
In any case, Potter’s reputation
as a kick-blocker was set. And it
was solidified seven games later,
when he blocked an extra-point
attempt in a 27-25 victory against
Kansas State.
That was nearly three years
ago. Much has changed. Potter is
more mature, probably 25 pounds
heavier. He’s wiser for having
backed-up Adam Carriker, who
left as a first-round draft choice of
the St. Louis Rams a season ago.
And he’s learning the philosophies
of a third position coach, John
Papuchis, and a second defensive
coordinator, Carl Pelini.
Once known as a kick-
blocker, “now I can look in the
mirror and honestly say I’m
a Blackshirt,” said the senior
defensive end. “I play defense.
I take pride in being a Blackshirt,
being on the d-line here.”
Technically, Potter isn’t a
Blackshirt right now, though Carl
Pelini has indicated the tradition
will be restored in the fall. And
barring the unforeseen, Potter is
certain to get one again.
He was a Blackshirt for fewer
than 50 days last season. He
received a black practice jersey
with his name and number (98)
on the Tuesday before the 2007
opener against Nevada. He was
among 15 players to earn them,
including five others for the first
time.
The first thing he did was call
his dad. Then he called his mom.
Getting the Blackshirt was a
rush. Less than two months later,
he called his parents to say the
Blackshirt was gone.
After a 45-14 loss against
Oklahoma State, in which the
Cowboys passed for 234 yards
and rushed for 317 yards, the
Blackshirts were taken away.
“They stripped the whole
defense and said we could earn
them back,” said Potter, who
made a career-high-tying six
tackles that day. “But none of us
earned them back.”
Some might have, Potter among
them. After all, he did earn All-Big
12 honorable mention from the
conference coaches. “But it’s a
team effort,” he said. “We tried
to play as much as a team as we
could. Stripping the Blackshirts
was the only thing to do.”
Potter understands the
Blackshirt tradition in a
special way, having grown up
in Nebraska. Although as a
youngster, basketball was his
Zach PotterAndthe
thepride
fo blackshirtby Mike Babcocka
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 3 7
favorite sport. Even though he first
played organized football when he
was a sixth-grader, he didn’t get
serious until after his sophomore
year at Omaha Creighton Prep.
That’s when Nebraska offered a
scholarship.
Frank Solich was the head
coach then. After Solich was fired
and Callahan hired, Potter was
uncertain about his status as a
Cornhusker scholarship recruit.
He also was considering, among
other schools, Notre Dame, which
took a serious interest in him and
vice versa. “I liked Notre Dame
a lot,” he said. But distance was
a factor. Attending games would
have been more difficult for his
parents. His dad lives in Omaha,
his mom in Fremont, Neb. And,
of course, growing up in Nebraska
meant something, too.
Plus, Notre Dame was going
through a coaching change.
Charlie Weis was replacing Tyrone
Willingham. Potter figured that
since Nebraska had already
gone through such a change and
Callahan had been in place for a
year, there would be stability.
“Obviously, that backfired on
me,” said Potter.
Nebraska’s coaching change
had been “nerve-wracking.” Potter
had the scholarship offer from
Solich, but nothing in writing,
no certainty Callahan would be
interested. His concern was quickly
alleviated, however. A couple of
days after becoming head coach,
Callahan visited Creighton Prep
and watched basketball practice.
The offer was still good.
Potter moved to Lincoln during
the summer to begin preparing
for a freshman season in which he
hoped to play despite the presence
of Carriker, a returning starter and
dominating presence at base end,
the position Potter planned to play.
Carriker immediately
befriended him. Potter even hung
out at Carriker’s apartment,
playing video games. During
summer workouts, Carriker
showed him how to use his hands,
how he couldn’t rely only on his
size and athleticism, as he had
done in high school.
In high school, players
of Potter’s ability don’t need
technique.
“You just go,” said Potter.
“I think that was the biggest
adjustment I had to make my
freshman year down here. You
have to keep your pads low and
use your hands. In high school,
you can just stay high and not use
your hands, just use swim move
after swim move after swim move
and you’ll be fine because you’re
bigger than everybody else.”
He wasn’t bigger than Carriker,
that’s for sure. And he didn’t have
illusions about earning a starting
position as long as Carriker was
healthy. Even so, he wanted to play
without redshirting. And defensive
line coach John Blake gave him the
opportunity, indirectly.
By the end of preseason
practice, Blake had decided that
Potter would be included on
the travel roster. He could travel
without giving up a redshirt.
If he was going to travel,
assistant Dennis Wagner told
Potter, then he, Wagner, was
going to use him on special teams,
including the field goal team and
the field goal block team. “I was
like, ‘Hey, that’s fine with me.
I just want to get out and play,
contribute,’” Potter said.
“At the time, I was saying, ‘This
is sweet.’ ”
He even got to play a down on
defense here and there in the first
couple of games. But the week
after the Pittsburgh game, a bye
week before the conference opener
against Iowa State, he suffered a
stinger in his left shoulder. He lost
strength in his left arm. From that
point on, he practiced on the scout
team and was used only as a kick-
block specialist.
“I was still doing what I was
basically brought in to do,” he said.
In retrospect, Potter would like
to have that season back.
“Even though we won those
games, it would be nice to say
right now, ‘Hey, I’m going into my
redshirt junior season. I still have
two years left,’ especially now that
Coach (Bo) Pelini is here and how
I could transform in his type of
defense,” said Potter. “I regret not
redshirting, but at the same time, I
think, ‘I had a part in two victories
for our team that year.’
“It seems like forever ago I
was blocking field goals, that’s for
sure.”
3 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
trev aLBerts (9-4)
CBS College Sports Network
I think when you look at Bo
Pelini heading into his first year at
Nebraska, there are a lot of things
you have to like. There is such a
familiarity with his coaching staff
and I think that’s really going to
help them in year one with the
overall transition. Then you factor in
that Shawn Watson is back, so the
offense really isn’t going to change
that much. You look at what they are
going to run and I think they’ll show
some remarkable improvement from
a year ago.
I think Nebraska is going to
compete for the Big 12 North and
I think they’ll win nine games. I
think the Virginia Tech game is a
huge game in terms of momentum,
because it comes right before the
Missouri game. If they can win that
Virginia Tech game, I think it can
really get the momentum ball rolling
and lead to a nine-win season.
When you look at Nebraska, it’s
always been about nine wins or
better. Hopefully they can win more
in 2008, but I think this team has
the ability for a nine-win season in
year one under Bo Pelini.
John BishoP (9-4)
KLIN 1400 AM
Some may think this crazy, but
I was this close to picking 10-3.
I am going with the mild upset
at home of the Hokies before
eventual Big 12 champ (yes, I
said it) Missouri hands Bo Pelini
his first defeat as a head coach.
I see other losses at Texas Tech,
at Oklahoma and vs. Kansas (I
believe Mark Mangino is no fluke).
There should be a respectable bowl
trip to a nice location like San
Diego in Nebraska’s future. The
offense should be really good with
a defense that will build confidence
under a coaching staff that breeds
hard work.
oLin Buchanan (8-5)
Rivals.com
Bo Pelini’s defensive expertise will
ensure the Cornhuskers are better,
but how much is the question. I’d
look for them to prevail in games
in which they would obviously
be favored, but the schedule isn’t
very forgiving with games against
Virginia Tech, Missouri, Kansas,
Oklahoma, Texas Tech and
Colorado. I’m betting the Huskers
will improve enough to pull off an
upset, maybe two.
sean caLLahan (9-4)
HuskersIllustrated.com
What I like about 2008 for first year
Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini is
the schedule. Never before has NU
opened the season up with five home
games in a row. This should allow
the Huskers to build up some early
confidence and momentum before
the meat of the Big 12 Conference
schedule. Nebraska obviously wins
its first three games pretty soundly,
and I think with a bye week and
Bo Pelini and Carl Pelini’s previous
knowledge of Virginia Tech from
the 2007 season, the Huskers beat
the Hokies in Lincoln. However, the
following two weeks, I see losses to
both Missouri and Texas Tech.
The Iowa State and Baylor games
should both be wins, but I see NU
losing at Oklahoma and losing one
of their final three games to either
Kansas or Colorado to finish a very
respectable 8-4, after last season’s
disappointing 5-7 year. As for a bowl
game, I’ll say the Huskers will head
to the Insight Bowl in Tempe and
beat Illinois to finish 9-4.
Brian christoPherson (8-5)
Lincoln Journal Star
I believe Nebraska’s offensive output will be similar to last year’s. Combine that with even an average defense (which would be a significant step up from last season), and I think you add a couple of
wins to the regular season, putting them right around 7-5. They’ll win one people don’t think they will and lose one people think they won’t, and probably end up in a place like Shreveport in a winnable bowl game. And as Husker fans know after last year, there are worse things than Shreveport.
toM dienhart (8-5)
The Sporting News
I think Nebraska will go 8-5. I
don’t expect miracles in Pelini’s first
season, but there still is enough for
Big Red to be a bowl team thanks to
what should be a strong offense. And
I expect the defense to compensate
for a lack of talent with a renewed
passion inspired by Pelini. Consider
2008 a transition year as the program
takes its first step back to greatness
under Pelini.
dennis dodd (7-5)
CBS Sportsline.com
This is a borderline bowl team.
Husker Nation has been too wrapped
up in the coaching change to see the
reality of Bo Pelini’s first season. In
the short term, changing coaches is
rarely a good thing. Remember Bill
Callahan’s first year, how did that go
for you Huskers? Here’s a reminder:
From 10-3 to 5-6. I’m actually
predicting a two-game improvement
so no whining about Husker hate.
There are too many swing games
on the schedule, too many to expect
Pelini to perform miracles. Unless
the talent gets a whole lot better real
quick expect a third- or fourth-place
finish in the Big 12 North.
terry douGLass (8-5)
Grand Island Independent
A home-friendly schedule gives
Nebraska an opportunity to get
off to a good start under first-year
coach Bo Pelini. While Virginia
Tech stands out on the non-
conference slate, the Cornhuskers
had better watch out for that season
opener against Western Michigan.
With a salty Big 12 schedule
awaiting, a winning season and a
return to a bowl game would be
a solid accomplishment for this
year’s team.
tiM GriFFin (8-5)
ESPN.com
Bo’s influence is immediate.
Mainly because I can’t believe
the Cornhuskers’ defense can be
anywhere as bad as it was last year.
Look for Nebraska to challenge for
second place in the North Division
and finish the season in San Antonio
or El Paso on their bowl trip with an
8-5 record.
2008 neBraska footBall sCHedule
Sat., Aug. 30 Western Michigan Memorial Stadium TBA
Sat., Sept. 6 San Jose State Memorial Stadium TBA
Sat., Sept. 13 New Mexico State Memorial Stadium TBA
Sat., Sept. 27 Virginia Tech Memorial Stadium TBA
Sat., Oct. 4 Missouri Memorial Stadium TBA
Sat., Oct. 11 Texas Tech at Lubbock, Texas TBA
Sat., Oct. 18 Iowa State at Ames, Iowa TBA
Sat., Oct. 25 Baylor Memorial Stadium TBA
Sat., Nov. 1 Oklahoma at Norman, Okla. TBA
Sat., Nov. 8 Kansas Memorial Stadium TBA
Sat., Nov. 15 Kansas State at Manhattan, Kan. TBA
Fri., Nov. 28 Colorado Memorial Stadium 2:30 p.m. (ABC)
Sat., Dec. 6 Big 12 Championship at Kansas City, Mo. 7 p.m. (ABC) (Arrowhead Stadium)
Huskers Illustrated pestered some of Nebraska’s most notorious media members as well as a number of national names, and forced them to give us their predictions for Nebraska’s first season under head coach Bo Pelini. Answers ranged across the board, but every prognosticator picked a bowl appearance for the Huskers. Check out the logic behind everybody’s picks:
huskerpreview2008 Predictions
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 3 9
Lane GrindLe (8-5)
Husker Sports Network
The 2008 football season is a
pretty big mystery. While everyone
expects a faster, more aggressive
defense, how much faster and more
aggressive will the Huskers be?
That’s a question that few have
answers to right now. I see this team
playing it’s best football late. Five
chances for big wins (Virginia Tech,
Missouri, Texas Tech, Oklahoma,
and Kansas) and I see this team
winning 1 or 2 of them. If they can
do that then an eight-win season
with an Alamo berth is likely.
Things that need to happen: (1)
Anthony Blue recovers from ACL
surgery (2) A young receiver steps
up (Paul, Gilleylen, etc.), (3) Phillip
Dillard emerges as a play-making
linebacker (4) Ndamukong Suh
realizes his potential. If these things
happen, the Huskers far exceed
anyone’s expectations.
BoB haMar (8-5)
Grand Island Independent
Everybody is a Bo Pelini fan,
at least until the Huskers step on
the field. The schedule is brutal to
say the least. Virginia Tech has its
problems, but the Hokies are still
an elite program. Oklahoma and
Missouri are easily top 10 teams
while Texas Tech isn’t far off.
Don’t forget a tough Kansas team
and don’t count that opener against
Western Michigan as an automatic
victory. A 7-5 regular-season record
and a bowl appearance they could
win would make the Huskers 8-5 for
the year. That wouldn’t be bad for
Pelini’s first year as a head coach.
Ken haMBLeton (7-6)
Lincoln Journal Star
The Cornhuskers will finish 7-6
with a win in a bowl game.
New coach, new attitude should
be refreshing. But same old lack of
depth or experience in the offensive
line, receivers, means it will take some
time for the offense to load and fire.
Defense will have verve and vibrancy,
but no depth at linebacker, or
cornerback. I predicted 7-6 last year
and was hooted at for being negative.
dave hunt (8-5)
KLKN-TV
This is a team that I think will get
better each week. The Big Red lose
to Virginia Tech, Mizzou, Texas
Tech, and Oklahoma, but make
enough strides to take down Kansas
at home late in the year. Nebraska
finishes second or third in the Big 12
North, then loses to Penn State in
the Alamo Bowl.
rich KaiPust (8-5)
Omaha World-Herald
I really believe a major key is at
least splitting those back-to-back
home games with Virginia Tech
and Missouri, with the latter more
important for obvious reasons. NU
won’t win at either Texas Tech or
Oklahoma, but also won’t lose by
a combined 100-13 as in 2004. I
don’t think it would be optimistic
calling for an 8-4 regular season but
more a statement on last season’s
underachieving.
MerLyn KLaus (8-5)
WOWT-TV Sports
The Huskers will be improved on
defense, but there are way too many
unknowns for this team to move any
higher. I like Joe Ganz, but I think he
will really miss Maurice Purify – don’t
see any gamebreakers on offense
except Marlon Lucky. Schedule is
the best thing the Huskers have going
for them – 5 home games to start the
season. I think Bo and company will
ultimately succeed, but I don’t see the
talent to overtake Missouri and Kansas
(and perhaps Colorado) this season.
Kevin KuGLer (9-4)
1620 The Zone/NET Sports
I’m predicting a 9-4 record this
season for Nebraska. I think the
Huskers will start the season with
three straight wins. After they sneak
by a tough test from Virginia Tech,
the Missouri Tigers will grab their
first win in a generation at Memorial
Stadium in Lincoln. A loss in
Lubbock puts the Huskers at 4-2,
before back-to-back wins against
Iowa State and Baylor.
A closer than expected loss in
Norman gives Nebraska a 6-3
record. The Huskers then surprise
Kansas in Lincoln, swamp K-State
in Manhattan and eke out a close
win in the finale vs. Colorado. A
5-3 finish in the Big 12 is good for a
2nd place tie behind North Division
champ Missouri. A loss in the bowl
game ends Bo Pelini’s first year.
Brian rosenthaL (7-6)
Lincoln Journal Star
It’s logical to think the defense will be
better in 2008. (It can’t get any worse,
right?) An improved defense, although
not a rock-solid one, will mean at
least two more victories than last
season. Nebraska won’t win the Big 12
North, but will return to a bowl game.
Shreveport isn’t the most coveted
destination, but it will do for now.
chris schMidt (10-3)
ESPN Radio 1480 KLMS
I’m predicting a 10-3 season, a win
over Oregon in the Holiday Bowl
and a tie for second in the Big 12
North.
Nebraska will be a much better
and passionate team in 2008. I like
the offensive firepower returning for
NU, which will keep them in most
games. The key game for the Big
Red happens early in the year against
Virginia Tech. If Nebraska can win
that game, it will provide momentum
for the rest of the year. If the
running game can be dependable,
it will help keep the defense off the
field until they find their way. Coach
Pelini will do a great job getting this
group to play with high intensity.
Nebraska is probably a couple years
away from being able to win tough
road games. Kansas State is the one
game I see as a trap game, late in the
season, and pressure on Ron Prince
to perform. A victory over Nebraska
could take some heat off of him.
Jon schuetz (9-4)
KETV Newswatch 7
Nebraska, under new coach Bo
Pelini and staff. will be much, much
better. If they win all of the games
they should win, the team will go
7-5. I think they will pull at least one
surprise for an 8-4 regular season
finish, and let’s make it 9-4 with a
Holiday Bowl win.
The three-game stretch of Virginia
Tech, Missouri and Texas Tech will
tell us a lot about this team. (I have
all of them in my national top 10.)
The defense will be better, but with
the offenses in the Big 12, better may
not be good enough.
MiKe’L severe (8-5)
1620 The Zone
Nebraska starts the season with
a very tough mid-major team.
Western Michigan has a lot of talent
including quarterback Tim Hiller
and one of the best wide receivers
NU will see all year in Jamorko
Simmons.
Nebraska continues its great start
against two very beatable teams in
San Jose State and New Mexico
State. Virginia Tech doesn’t have
enough playmakers to hurt NU in
the secondary, but being at home
helps the Huskers to the close win.
Missouri and Texas Tech throw
the ball too well for NU’s young and
inexperienced secondary. ISU and
Baylor are two of the worst teams
in the Big 12 with Kansas State a
close third. Oklahoma will run for
200-plus yards against the Huskers.
NU returns with a double-overtime
win against Kansas. Kansas State
can’t stay with Nebraska as long as
they play the 3-4, and NU’s O-line
will man-handle the Wildcats. The
season will end on a sour note
against the Buffs, leaving the Huskers
with a, invite to the Holiday Bowl
where they will fall to Arizona State.
GreG sharPe (8-4)
Voice of the Huskers
The one prediction that I’m
confident in for the 2008 Huskers
is that this team will play hard and
determined all season long. Now
trying to figure out how a first year
head coach will fare with a group
that was deflated by the end of
last season is difficult. I see four
games that are “swing” games for
the Huskers in 2008. That equates
to one third of the season. Now the
good news is that all four of those
games are at Memorial Stadium.
Virginia Tech, Missouri, Kansas,
and Colorado are the games that
will decide how good a season the
Huskers will have in 2008.
If NU can split those four games
I can see an 8-4 year, putting the
Huskers back into a bowl game
and back competing with the upper
echelon of the Big 12.
By TERRy DOUGLASS
huskerpreview2008 Predictions
4 0 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
here’s a sense of urgency. Seniors
always feel it.
“This is my last season,” said Lydon
Murtha. “Even though last season was
frustrating, it was more so for the seniors. It
was frustrating for us (non-seniors), too, just
because we contributed to the losses. But we
look to this as the year we need to get it done.”
Matt Slauson was more definitive. “I have
to put on the best show I can so I can get a
ring,” he said. “We have to win the Big 12
championship. It’s going to happen. And we’re
going to go to a BCS (bowl) game. I have to
make sure I tie up all the ends on my side.
“Last year’s done. This is a whole new era
here.”
Whole new era, yes. But Big 12
championship? BCS bowl? Players have to
believe in themselves and their potential,
certainly, though how realistic Slauson’s goals
are remains to be seen. The process of restoring
tradition and developing a culture has just
begun.
“There’s talent here,” Coach Bo Pelini said
following spring practice. “They’re eager and
they’re learning every day. What I’ve seen is
guys getting better. How that’s going to equate
to wins and losses, that’s not something we’re
focused on right now.
“I haven’t even had much time to evaluate
who we’re going to play against and what their
strengths and weaknesses are, how good of
talent they have. But I think there’s talent on
this football team. Our job is to get the most
out of that talent as we possibly can.”
Murtha and Slauson are among two dozen
seniors on Pelini’s first team. And those
seniors must provide leadership to allow the
Cornhuskers to maximize their potential.
From the news conference to introduce
him as head coach, Pelini has emphasized
developing a culture. “I think the key is
having a culture that runs throughout your
football team and finding the right guys to
enforce that culture and promote it,” he said.
“If there’s a crack built in the foundation,
they seal it real quick. I think that’s what’s
happening.
“I think guys are buying in. We’re
developing better relationships and trust that’s
going to help us be successful and stay together
for a long period of time, through good times
and bad, because no matter what, you’re going
to have rocky times and you’re going to have
good times, and you need to have leadership to
Tby Mike Babcock
Seniors look to finish careers on winning notemarLoN LUcky
huskerpreview
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 4 1
offset the bad times.”
Nebraska endured its share of bad times
last season, particularly on defense. It ranked
112th nationally in total defense, 114th in
scoring defense, 116th in rushing defense
and 117th in turnover margin. And the
Blackshirts were pulled after the Oklahoma
State game. “The way we were playing, we
didn’t deserve the (black) jerseys,” senior
defensive tackle Ty Steinkuhler said. “It
didn’t have anything to do with coaching or
anything. It was just bad play.”
Steinkuhler is among six returning starters
on defense. The others are nose tackle
Ndamukong Suh, who missed spring practice
following knee surgery, ends Zach Potter and
Barry Turner, cornerback Armando Murillo
and strong safety Larry Asante.
Despite the defensive deficiencies last
season, there’s reason for optimism.
As former Cornhusker defensive
coordinator Charlie McBride used to say,
if something doesn’t kill you, it will make
you stronger. Players who endured last
season’s frustrations should be better for the
experience. Perhaps the best illustration was
Nebraska’s ranking first in the nation in total
defense in 1984 after struggling with many of
the same players in 1983.
Also, Pelini’s background is defense, and his
resume is impeccable.
When he was Frank Solich’s defensive
coordinator in 2003, the Cornhuskers
ranked first in the nation in pass efficiency
defense, first in turnover margin, second in
scoring defense and 11th in total defense.
They produced a school-record 47 turnovers,
including 36 interceptions.
Last season, they managed only 11
turnovers, including eight interceptions.
Pelini spent one season as co-defensive
coordinator at Oklahoma then three seasons
as defensive coordinator at LSU. The Tigers
ranked third in the nation in total defense in
each of those seasons, and they produced 36
turnovers last season, third-most nationally.
The teams for which Pelini has been
defensive coordinator have been a combined
56-10. His system works. “We obviously have
a different system than what they played here
before,” he said. “But it’s not about the system.
It’s not what you do. It’s how you do it.
“It’s how . . . the passion you play with, the
discipline, the technique, the fundamentals,
the little things that are going to make the
difference in the end. The effort, that comes
first in our defense, how they run to the
football, how we go about our daily business
in every aspect of being football players. What
we’ve tried to do is enforce that every day.”
Pelini and his assistants have tried to leave
no room for interpretation. “We talk about
taking the gray out of it. It’s pretty black and
white what we’re asking them to do,” he said.
“Then the schemes, the X’s and O’s, that
stuff will come in time. But the foundation
has to begin with effort, discipline, trust and
playing team defense, and within that, playing
with the best fundamentals and techniques
possible. The scheme, that comes later.”
Schemes will be addressed “once we start
game-planning,” he said.
Pelini’s philosophy is multiple but simple,
according to linebackers coach Mike Ekeler.
“We’re teaching concepts so once you
understand a concept, you should be able
to build on that. It’s not just a bunch of
memorization,” said Ekeler. “They might do the
same concept in 50 different defenses. Bo’s big
thing is ‘same as.’ That’s what it’s based on.”
n addition to learning “same as”
concepts, the defense swarmed to the
ball in the spring with an enthusiasm
that appeared to be missing by the end
of last season.
Even so, defensive breakdowns weren’t the
only reason for a 5-7 record and staying home
from a bowl game for the second time in four
seasons, after 35 in a row.
“There were stupid comments made here
and there, but nobody really thought that one
side of the ball was the reason (for the losing
record),” Slauson said. “There were times
where the defense played great and the offense
didn’t get it done. Just because numbers wise it
didn’t look very good on defense, it wasn’t just
them. It was everyone. Our offense kept putting
the defense in bad positions with turnovers and
all that. So everyone was at fault.”
Actually, the turnovers often were a result of
forcing things in an effort to overcome deficits.
Still, Slauson’s point is well-taken. Success
depends on a team effort.
Nebraska ranked ninth nationally in total
offense, averaging 468.3 yards, and 28th in
scoring, averaging 33.42 points. So sweeping
changes weren’t needed on that side of the ball.
Shawn Watson was retained as offensive
coordinator, and though he had that title last
season, the offense was Bill Callahan’s. Now it
will have his imprint.
Watson’s credentials are solid, too. He
served as offensive coordinator at Colorado
from 2000 through 2005 and during that time
the Buffaloes won four Big 12 North Division
titles and one Big 12 championship with a
system that incorporated the run as well as
the pass. Their ability to run was never more
apparent than during Nebraska’s visit to
Boulder in 2001.
The Buffaloes rushed for 380 yards that day,
averaging more than 7 yards per carry. Chris
Brown rushed for 198 of those yards and six
touchdowns in a 62-36 victory.
Watson’s system is based on the West Coast
I
joE gaNz
By TERRy DOUGLASS
huskerpreview
4 2 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
shop ad
22 The Cats’ Pause Magazine
www.CatsPause.com Jan. 14, 2006
15The Cats’ Pause Magazine
www.CatsPause.comJan. 14, 2006
Name Pos Stars Ht Wt HometownMoncell Allen RB ��� 5-9 215 New Orleans, LAMarckus Boswell WR �� 5-9 170 Greenville, SCChris Cessna LB �� 6-3 207 London, KYAshton Cobb DB ��� 6-0 195 Monaca, PAJo'Dane Craigman DE �� 6-4 245 Ukiah, CAT.C. Drake TE ��� 6-6 225 Chatham, VAChris Drayton DB �� 6-0 200 Augusta, GAWill Fidler QB ��� 6-4 204 Henderson, KYLaRay Foote ATH �� 6-0 180 Memphis, TNChris Goode TE �� 6-4 225 Dunwoody, GACorey Goodson RB ��� 6-2 210 Chatham, VAA.J. Grigsby DB �� 6-0 190 Torrence, CACalvin Harrison DB �� 6-0 188 Columbia, SCMichael Hartline QB ��� 6-6 179 Canton, OHJustin Jefferies OL �� 6-5 300 Louisville, KYMicah Johnson DE ���� 6-2 267 Ft. Campbell, KY
UK 2006 Verbals
FOR RECRUITING UPDATES DURING THE
19 - Jan. 14 bw pages 1/4/06 11:25 AM Page 15
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 4 3
offense principles of the last four years under
Callahan. But West Coast offense is just a label,
and a not-very-good one at that.
“Everybody wants to put a name on it
around here,” an exasperated Watson said
after a practice in the spring. “It’s the Nebraska
offense. How’s that? Sounds good to me.”
The foundation of any offense is the line,
and that figures to be a strength. Four of six
returning starters on offense are linemen, and
the Cornhuskers finished spring with two-deep
across the line, with an infusion of talented
young players.
In addition to Slauson (right guard) and
Murtha (left tackle), the likely starters will be
senior Mike Huff (left guard), junior Jacob
Hickman (center) and sophomore Jaivorio
Burkes (right tackle). Huff and Hickman also
are returning starters, and Burkes was pulled
from a redshirt and got an opportunity to
start when Murtha was injured late in the
season.
he second unit will include sophomore
Mike Smith and redshirted freshman
Marcel Jones at the tackles,
sophomores Keith Williams and D.J.
Jones at the guards and redshirted freshman
Mike Caputo, the only walk-on in the group,
at center.
In addition, there is position flexibility
within the group. “I think we can be as good
as we want to be,” Murtha said. “We want to
be one of the best lines in the nation. We have
that cohesiveness a lot of lines don’t have when
they incorporate other (young) players. There
are some young kids, and we accept them as
if they’ve been playing for three or four years.
It’s not one of those things that we’re kind of
stand-offish if a new kid’s coming in.”
The standard for offensive line play is high
at Nebraska. Most notable were the Pipeline
and the Pipeline II, which cleared the way for
national championships in 1994 and 1995.
But there were others, including the national
championship lines in 1970, 1971 and 1997, as
well as a sometimes forgotten group in 1982,
build around center Dave Rimington.
I-back Marlon Lucky and wide receiver Nate
Swift are the other returning starters on offense.
That quarterback Joe Ganz isn’t considered a
returning starter is a technicality. He started
the final three games after Sam Keller was
sidelined by a shoulder injury.
Ganz put up remarkable numbers in those
three games, passing for 1,399 yards and 15
touchdowns, including school records of 510
yards and seven touchdowns against Kansas
State. “Everybody always
knew Joey was good, but
they didn’t know he had that
in him,” said Slauson. “He
was just throwing the ball so
strong and making such great
decisions.”
Because of his versatility,
he’s going to be a dual-threat
quarterback, Slauson said.
Ganz has dealt with his
share of frustrations during
four years at Nebraska.
“He just needed to have
a chance to get out there
and play,” said Murtha. “He could have easily
transferred, quit. But he stayed here. This is his
senior year now, and he’s going to go out there
and just dominate, period. There’s no question
about it.”
Lucky, who also is versatile, could have
gone to the NFL. He considered leaving early,
following a junior season in which he rushed
for 1,019 yards and nine touchdowns and
caught a school-record 75 passes for 705 yards
and three touchdowns.
During spring practice, “I thought we
accomplished a lot,” Pelini said. “We started
laying the foundation for where we want the
program to be headed.
“Offensively, we’re probably a little ahead
of where we are defensively, just because we’re
introducing new things. But I thought we
accomplished a lot and set ourselves up to have
a productive summer and fall camp to get ready
for the season.”
Whether the Cornhuskers can challenge for
the Big 12 North Division title, much less make
a trip to the Big 12 championship game in
Kansas City on Dec. 6 remains to be seen.
Nebraska won the North Division two
seasons ago, but it hasn’t won a Big 12
championship since 1999 and it hasn’t played
in a BCS bowl since the 2001 season.
Those are Slauson’s goals, however. As a
player, “you’re always optimistic,” he said.
“You’re always hoping you’re going to be great,
expecting to do great.”
Seniors in particular have that sense of
urgency. It’s their last opportunity.
T
NaTE SwIfT
NDamUkoNg SUh
By TERRy DOUGLASS
huskerpreview
4 4 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
alphabetical roster* - Indicates Letters Earned
no. name pos. ht. wt. yr. hometown (high school/college)
95 *Allen, Pierre DE 6-5 265 So. Denver, Colo. (Thomas Jefferson)
21 *Amukamara, Prince DB 6-1 195 So. Glendale, Ariz. (Apollo)
4 *Asante, Larry S 6-1 210 Jr. Alexandria, Va. (Hayfield/Coffeyville CC)
56 *Barfield, Shukree DT 6-4 300 Sr. Camden, N.J. (Garden City CC)
66 Barrett, Cruz OL 6-4 325 So. Daytona Beach, Fla. (Mainland)
56 Baumgartner, Justin LS 6-2 250 Sr. Cheyenne, Wyo. (Chadron State/Laramie County CC)
14 *Blue, Anthony CB 5-10 180 So. Cedar Hill, Texas
1 Brooks, Chris WR 6-2 210 Jr. St. Louis, Mo. (Hazelwood East)
72 *Burkes, Jaivorio OL 6-5 325 So. Phoenix, Ariz. (Moon Valley)
42 Joseph Camarata LB 5-10 225 Fr. Overland Park, Kan.
82 **Cammack, Wes WR 5-11 195 Jr. DeWitt, Neb. (Tri-County)
58 Caputo, Mike OL 6-1 270 RFr. Omaha, Neb. (Millard North)
8 Cassidy, Austin S 6-1 205 RFr. Lincoln, Neb. (Southwest)
19 *Castille, Quentin IB 6-1 245 So. LaPorte, Texas
31 Covey, Nick LB 6-2 240 Jr. Glendale, Ariz. (Mountain Ridge)
94 Crick, Jared DE 6-6 270 RFr. Cozad, Neb.
6 **Culbert, Major S 6-0 205 Jr. Harbor City, Calif. (Nathaniel Narbonne)
15 Davis, Beau QB 6-4 180 Sr. Venice, Calif.
52 **Dillard, Phillip LB 6-1 245 Jr. Tulsa, Okla. (Jenks)
97 *Dixon, Kevin DT 6-3 285 Sr. Sebring, Fla. (Sebring/Garden City CC)
83 Donahue, Matt WR 6-2 175 So. Fremont, Neb.
16 Ebke, Jim QB 6-0 205 So. Lincoln, Neb. (East/South Dakota State)
74 Escamilla, Taylor DT 6-1 270 RFr. Fremont, Neb. (Archbishop Bergan)
92 Fahie, Tyrone DE 6-3 250 So. Virginia Beach, Va. (Ocean Lakes)
27 Ford, Ryan DB 5-11 175 Jr. Winfield, Ala.
12 **Ganz, Joe QB 6-1 210 Sr. Palos Heights, Ill. (Amos Alonzo Stagg)
41 Gillaspie, Aaron FB 6-2 240 So. Littleton, Colo.
11 Gilleylen, Curenski WR 6-0 210 RFr. Leander, Texas
34 ***Glenn, Cody IB 6-0 230 Sr. Rusk, Texas
41 *Grove, Thomas LB 6-2 220 So. Arlington, Neb.
28 *Hagg, Eric DB 6-1 200 So. Peoria, Ariz. (Ironwood)
80 Harvey, David DE 6-4 260 Jr. LaPlata, Md. (McDonough)
30 Hays, Mike LB 6-1 230 RFr. Papillion, Neb. (Papillion-LaVista)
10 *Helu Jr., Roy IB 6-0 215 So. Danville, Calif. (San Ramon Valley)
90 *Henery, Alex PK/P 6-2 170 So. Omaha, Neb. (Burke)
8 *Henry, Will WR 6-5 215 So. El Paso, Texas (J.M. Hanks)
85 Hetzer, Tyson TE 6-6 250 Jr. Redding, Calif. (Anderson/Citrus College)
67 **Hickman, Jacob OL 6-4 290 Jr. Bakersfield, Calif. (Centennial)
80 Hill, Ryan TE 6-3 245 RFr. Arvada, Colo. (West)
18 **Holt, Menelik WR 6-4 220 Jr. San Diego, Calif. (St. Augustine)
61 ***Huff, Mike OL 6-4 300 Sr. Ralston, Neb.
69 Iske, Cory OL 6-4 280 Fr. Omaha, Neb. (Millard West)
31 Jones, Austin IB 5-10 200 RFr. Aurora, Colo.
73 *Jones, D.J. OL 6-5 305 So. Omaha, Neb. (Central)
78 Jones, Marcel OL 6-7 310 RFr. Phoenix, Ariz. (Trevor Browne)
85 Faron Klingelhofer DE 6-2 250 Fr. Amherst, Neb.
54 Koehler, Colton LB 6-1 230 Jr. Harvard, Neb.
20 *Kunalic, Adi PK 6-0 185 So. Fort Worth, Texas (North Crowley)
12 *Lawrence, Blake LB 6-2 225 So. Shawnee Mission, Kan. (Shawnee Mission West)
36 **Lawson, Thomas FB 6-0 250 Sr. Parker, Colo. (Ponderosa)
numerical roster* - Indicates Letters Earned
no. name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . position
1 Chris Brooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WR
2 Patrick Witt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .QB
3 **Rickey Thenarse . . . . . . . . . . . . . S
3 Zac Lee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .QB
4 *Larry Asante . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S
5 ***Marlon Lucky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IB
5 *Armando Murillo . . . . . . . . . . . . CB
6 *Major Culbert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S
7 Kody Spano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .QB
8 *Will Henry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WR
8 Austin Cassidy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S
10 *Roy Helu Jr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IB
11 Curenski Gilleylen . . . . . . . . . . . WR
12 **Joe Ganz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .QB
12 *Blake Lawrence . . . . . . . . . . . . . LB
14 *Anthony Blue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CB
15 Beau Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .QB
16 Jim Ebke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .QB
17 ***Todd Peterson . . . . . . . . . . . WR
18 **Menelik Holt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WR
18 Shawn Sullivan . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DB
19 *Quentin Castille . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IB
20 *Adi Kunalic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PK
21 *Prince Amukamara . . . . . . . . . .DB
22 *Anthony West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CB
23 *Latravis Washington . . . . . . . . LB
24 *Niles Paul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WR
24 Adam Watson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DB
27 Ryan Ford. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DB
27 *Kenny Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IB
28 *Eric Hagg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DB
30 Mike Hays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FB
31 Nick Covey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LB
31 Austin Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IB
32 Marcus Mendoza . . . . . . . . . . . . . IB
33 **Matt O'Hanlon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S
34 ***Cody Glenn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IB
35 Austin Stafford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LB
36 **Thomas Lawson . . . . . . . . . . . FB
36 Matthew May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S
37 ***Jake Wesch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PK
37 Kevin Thomsen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FB
39 Lance Thorell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DB
41 Aaron Gillaspie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FB
41 *Thomas Grove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LB
42 Joseph Camarata . . . . . . . . . . . . LB
43 ***Ty Steinkuhler . . . . . . . . . . . . DT
44 *Mike McNeill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TE
45 Justin Makovicka . . . . . . . . . . . . . FB
huskerpreview2008 Roster
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 4 5
no. name pos. ht. wt. yr. hometown (high school/college)
3 Lee, Zac QB 6-2 210 So. San Francisco, Calif. (St. Ignatius Prep/San Francisco City College)
48 Legate, Tyler FB 5-10 220 So. Neligh, Neb. (Neligh-Oakdale/South Dakota)
88 Lester, Ben WR 5-10 165 RFr. Tecumseh, Neb.
75 Lingenfelter, Luke DE 6-4 250 RFr. Plainview, Neb.
5 ***Lucky, Marlon IB 6-0 215 Sr. North Hollywood, Calif.
45 Makovicka, Justin FB 6-1 240 So. Ulysses, Neb. (East Butler)
63 *Martin, Ben DT 6-4 270 So. Lincoln, Neb. (Southwest)
59 Martin, Jay LB 6-2 210 RFr. Waverly, Neb.
71 Masin, Mike OL 6-6 330 RFr. Lincoln, Neb. (Southeast)
36 May, Matthew S 6-1 195 RFr. Imperial, Neb. (Chase County)
44 *McNeill, Mike TE 6-4 240 So. Kirkwood, Mo.
54 Max McShane OT 6-6 290 Fr. Elkhorn, Neb.
32 Mendoza, Marcus IB 5-10 185 RFr. Houston, Texas (Spring Woods)
90 Moore, Terrence DT 6-3 270 RFr. New Orleans, La. (McDonogh 35)
5 *Murillo, Armando CB 6-0 190 Sr. Tampa, Fla. (Robinson/Eastern Arizona CC)
76 ***Murtha, Lydon OL 6-7 315 Sr. Hutchinson, Minn.
33 **O’Hanlon, Matt S 5-11 195 Sr. Bellevue, Neb. (Bellevue East)
82 **O’Leary, T.J. LS 6-1 235 Sr. Omaha, Neb. (Millard North/New Mexico State)
24 *Paul, Niles WR 6-1 210 So. Omaha, Neb. (North)
17 ***Peterson, Todd WR 6-4 215 Sr. Grand Island, Neb. (Central Catholic)
98 ***Potter, Zach DE 6-7 280 Sr. Omaha, Neb. (Creighton Prep)
89 Santin, Jonathon DE 6-3 225 RFr. Fullerton, Neb.
57 Sayre, Jeff LB 6-3 215 RFr. Barrington, Ill.
88 ***Sievers, Clayton DE 6-4 255 Sr. Elkhorn, Neb.
70 ***Slauson, Matt OL 6-5 325 Sr. Colorado Springs, Colo. (Air Force Prep)
65 *Smith, Mike OL 6-6 285 So. Las Vegas, Nev. (Palo Verde)
7 Spano, Kody QB 6-2 205 Fr. Stephenville, Texas
35 Stafford, Austin LB 6-2 205 RFr. Hayward, Calif.
43 ***Steinkuhler, Ty DT 6-3 280 Sr. Lincoln, Neb. (Southwest)
93 **Suh, Ndamukong DT 6-4 300 Jr. Portland, Ore. (Grant)
18 Sullivan, Shawn DB 5-10 190 RFr. Brenham, Texas
87 ***Swift, Nate WR 6-2 200 Sr. Hutchinson, Minn.
46 Tasa, Ben TE 6-4 240 So. Humphrey, Neb. (St. Francis)
89 ***Teafatiller, Hunter TE 6-3 235 Sr. Kingsburg, Calif. (San Joaquin Memorial)
3 **Thenarse, Rickey S 6-0 195 Jr. Los Angeles, Calif. (Jordan)
37 Thomsen, Kevin FB 6-2 240 RFr. Elkhorn, Neb.
39 Thorell, Lance DB 6-1 190 RFr. Loomis, Neb.
97 **Titchener, Dan P 6-0 200 Sr. Cheyenne, Wyo. (East)
99 ***Turner, Barry DE 6-3 260 Sr. Antioch, Tenn. (Brentwood Academy)
23 *Washington, Latravis LB 6-3 225 So. Bradenton, Fla. (Bayshore)
24 Watson, Adam DB 6-0 190 So. Lincoln, Neb. (Niwot [Colo.])
37 ***Wesch, Jake PK 6-1 205 Sr. North Bend, Neb.
22 *West, Anthony CB 6-0 200 So. San Diego, Calif. (Point Loma)
68 *Williams, Keith OL 6-5 310 So. Florissant, Mo. (McClure North)
27 *Wilson, Kenny IB 6-0 225 Sr. Liberal, Kan. (Butler County CC)
2 Witt, Patrick QB 6-4 225 RFr. Wylie, Texas
53 *Wortman, Tyler LB 6-3 235 Sr. Grand Island, Neb. (Central Catholic)
47 Yancy, William DE 6-4 245 RFr. Glendale, Ariz. (Ironwood)
49 *Young, Dreu TE 6-4 240 So. Cozad, Neb.
no. name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . position
46 Ben Tasa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TE
47 William Yancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE
48 Tyler Legate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FB
49 *Dreu Young . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TE
52 **Phillip Dillard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LB
53 *Tyler Wortman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LB
54 Colton Koehler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LB
54 Max McShane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OT
56 *Shukree Barfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . DT
56 Justin Baumgartner . . . . . . . . . . . LS
57 Jeff Sayre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LB
58 Mike Caputo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL
59 Jay Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LB
61 ***Mike Huff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL
63 *Ben Martin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DT
65 *Mike Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL
66 Cruz Barrett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL
67 **Jacob Hickman . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL
68 *Keith Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL
69 Cory Iske . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL
70 ***Matt Slauson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL
71 Mike Masin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL
72 *Jaivorio Burkes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL
73 *D.J. Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL
74 Taylor Escamilla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DL
75 Luke Lingenfelter . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE
76 ***Lydon Murtha . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL
78 Marcel Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OL
80 David Harvey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE
80 Ryan Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TE
82 **Wes Cammack . . . . . . . . . . . . . WR
82 **T.J. O’Leary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LS
83 Matt Donahue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WR
85 Faron Kungelhoffer . . . . . . . . . . . DE
85 Tyson Hetzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TE
87 ***Nate Swift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WR
88 ***Clayton Sievers . . . . . . . . . . . . DE
88 Ben Lester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WR
89 ***Hunter Teafatiller . . . . . . . . . . TE
89 Jonathon Santin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE
90 *Alex Henery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PK
90 Terrence Moore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DT
92 Tyrone Fahie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DL
93 **Ndamukong Suh . . . . . . . . . . . . DT
94 Jared Crick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE
95 *Pierre Allen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE
97 **Dan Titchener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P
97 *Kevin Dixon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DT
98 ***Zach Potter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE
99 ***Barry Turner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE
huskerpreview2008 Roster
4 6 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
joE gaNz
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 4 7
QUarTErBackShey’d just watched their son, Joe
Ganz, shatter several Nebraska single-
game records in his first career start at
Memorial Stadium.
Mike Ganz and his wife, Debbie, the proud
parents of the Huskers’ newest quarterback,
were traveling home to Chicago. They stopped
at a truck stop along Interstate 80 in Nebraska.
Both entered the store. Mike
headed back to the car first, but
Debbie stayed a little longer.
When she reached the counter
to pay for her purchases, she
overheard another woman in line
talking to the clerk.
“Oh my God, that was Joe
Ganz’s dad!” cried the customer.
Debbie could only shake her
head in amazement. Mike had
been interviewed by the local
television stations earlier that day.
Already, Nebraska knew him.
Even the parents of the Huskers’ top signal
caller will find themselves in the spotlight.
“They like it,” Joe Ganz said. “They like it a
lot. They’re happy for me.”
Mom and Dad weren’t the only ones who’d
traveled to see Ganz play that day against
Kansas State. Three high school friends also
came. They watched Ganz complete 30-of-40
passes for a school-record 510 yards and a
school-record seven touchdown passes. His 528
yards of total offense also set a school record.
Nebraska won, 73-31.
After the game, fans in the parking lot
outside the stadium greeted Ganz with various
congratulatory messages.
“My friends were like, ‘People know who
you are when you’re walking down the street?’ ”
Ganz said. “I’m like, yeah … Well, I guess now
they do.”
True, it hadn’t always been this way for
Ganz. But maybe the years of obscurity finally
worked to his advantage. After all, when was the
last time a record-setting Nebraska quarterback
didn’t have his own jersey for sale in area athletic
apparel stores?
“They’ve been wearing old Joe Dailey jerseys
and passing them off as mine,” said Ganz, who
wears the same No. 12 as Dailey, Nebraska’s
quarterback in 2004. “Hopefully I can get a
jersey before I leave.”
It’s the least that could be done for Ganz,
who enters his senior season in sole possession,
at long last, of Nebraska’s starting quarterback
position. A new coaching staff, with offensive
coordinator Shawn Watson returning, figures
to tweak the offense to suit Ganz’s dual-threat
abilities. That could mean more zone reads and
option plays.
“I’d rather run the ball than just sit and hand
off every time,” Ganz said. “I kind of like
having the decision be in my hands. Kind of
like it was in high school; we hardly ever turned
and handed off. It was either option or zone
read, or we were throwing the ball. I like having
the decision rest on my shoulders rather than
handing off and hoping for the best.”
Ganz proved that with a remarkable stretch
of play late last season. When Sam Keller
suffered a season-ending shoulder injury at
Texas, Ganz, finally presented an opportunity
to prove himself, delivered masterfully in
Nebraska’s final three games.
“I just went out there and had fun,” Ganz
said. “I was kind of sick of sitting on the bench,
and all of the sudden, I got my shot. I kind of
went out there and made the most of it.”
In November alone, Ganz accounted for three
of the five 400-yard passing games in school
history, and three of the top five games in total
offense. Nebraska averaged nearly 600 yards of
offense in the three games Ganz started. His
15 touchdowns in a three-game stretch were a
school record.
“I’m glad I was prepared and
ready,” Ganz said. “There are a lot
of people who get their shot and
they’re not ready. They don’t take
advantage of it. And then they’re
back to where they started.
“I was ready. I was ready for
the last three years. I finally got
my number called, and I didn’t
want to be one of those guys who
wasn’t ready.”
Now, is Ganz ready to help
Nebraska’s program get back on
track? The one statistic Ganz points out from
last season is 1-2 – the Huskers’ record in the
three games he started.
“It would’ve been a lot better if we were 2-1
or 3-0,” Ganz said. “I share my success with
how well we do as a team.”
“If I have a good year and we’re 6-6, I won’t
really be happy. But if I have an OK year, where
I help the team win a couple games and we
finish 9-3, I’ll be a lot happier.”
anz has only one season, under new
coach Bo Pelini, to help turn things
around. It’s pressure he welcomes.
“It’s normal for the quarterback
to be under pressure,” he said. “Every team, if
you don’t have good quarterback play, you’re not
going to win. That’s how it is. I’m used to that
pressure and I understand it. It is a lot of pressure,
but I’d rather it be on me than anybody else.”
Quarterback Preview
T
Ganz rides record-setting finish into 2008
g
“I was ready for the last three years.
I finally got my number called, and I
didn’t want to be one of those guys who
wasn’t ready.”
joe ganz
4 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
In high school, Ganz was lightly recruited,
somebody who seemed destined for Eastern
Michigan. He was a late addition to former
Nebraska coach Bill Callahan’s hastily arranged
recruiting class of 2004.
As Ganz puts it, “I was a last-second grab.”
He then watched as the previous coaching
staff trotted in quarterback after quarterback
after quarterback, each one destined to take
Nebraska to greatness. The message to Ganz
always seemed to be something about better
competition or the need for depth.
“I don’t know how many ‘saviors’ I’ve had
in my time. Four?” Ganz said. “I think the only
one to pan out was Zac.”
That, of course, was Zac Taylor, who became
Nebraska’s all-time passing leader in only two
seasons.
Others didn’t live up to their hype. Jordan
Adams. Harrison Beck. Last season’s “savior,”
Keller, had strong moments, but the season-
ending injury, with three games remaining,
put his Husker career in the disappointment
category.
“It may hurt kids, coming in with all that
pressure,” Ganz said. “It was probably a little
easier for me. Nobody really expected anything
from me. Nobody really thought, ‘This kid’s
going to be the savior of the program,’ like they
did with Harrison, like they did with Sam.
“I’ve seen my fair share of saviors. Hopefully
dub me the next one.”
Ganz then second-guessed his own
statement.
“Actually, don’t dub me as the next savior,
please. It will just be a curse.”
poSITIoN oUTLookUnlike last season, there’s no uncertainty
about Nebraska’s starting quarterback as fall
camp approaches.
It’s Joe Ganz. The senior started the final
three games of 2007, shattering several Nebraska
single-game records along the way, and did
nothing in the spring to lose the confidence of a
new coaching staff.
In other words, Ganz, at long last, is the man.
There is, however, an important question
regarding the quarterback position.
Who’s the backup to Ganz? Patrick Witt?
Zac Lee?
“Up to this point, Patrick has had a little
edge,” Nebraska offensive coordinator and
quarterbacks coach Shawn Watson said after
the spring game.
Witt, the sophomore from Wylie, Texas,
started for the White team in the April spring
game and saw snaps for both teams. Combined,
Witt was 8-of-15 for 78 yards.
In leading the White team on a 75-yard
scoring drive, Witt completed all four of his
pass attempts.
“I think the confidence is a big part of it,”
Witt said after the game. “Knowing the plays,
being able to step in the huddle and really take
command of it. I think the guys in the huddle
respect me a lot more, knowing that I know
what I’m supposed to do.”
Lee, the junior college transfer who redshirted
last season, was 6-of-11 for 87 yards and a
touchdown in the spring game. He played as a
backup to Ganz on the Red team.
A sophomore, Lee was named Nebraska’s
offensive scout team MVP last season. He
played the 2006 season at San Francisco City
College and threw for more than 3,400 yards
and 35 touchdowns while completing 64 percent
of his passes, but a knee injury sidelined him in
the spring of 2007 at Nebraska.
Lee has built a reputation as a player with a
strong arm who possesses good mobility in the
pocket.
“What I’ve seen so far, he’s got a ridiculously
strong arm,” senior receiver Nate Swift said.
“He can make any throw.”
Swift told of how one day in spring practice,
Lee threw the ball some 50 yards off his back
foot.
“Didn’t even look like he was throwing it at
all,” Swift said.
Said Lee of his abilities: “I like to think that
I’m somebody that drops back, and then, when
needed, can create a play or extend a play and
get receivers time to get open.”
Witt, though, in addition to his strong
physical traits, appears to have a better grasp of
the offense.
“You’ve got to remember, this is the first time
Zac has been asked to run the offense,” Watson
said, “and he’s gotten better every week of the
spring.”
Senior Beau Davis shouldn’t be counted out,
although he had only five pass attempts in the
spring game. True freshman Kody Spano got
a jump start on his Husker career by enrolling
early and participating in spring practices. He
was 4-of-6 for 47 yards in the spring game, but
barring injury to those in front of Spano, it’s not
likely he’ll be a major factor come fall.
aT a gLaNcEReturning QuarterbacksBeau Davis 6-4 180 Sr.
Joe Ganz 6-1 210 Sr.
Zac Lee 6-2 210 So.
Patrick Witt 6-4 225 RFr.
Incoming QuarterbacksKody Spano 6-2 205 Fr.
Quarterback Preview
#12 • Joe GanzSr., Quarterback, 6-1, 210Palos Heights, Ill. (Amos Alonzo Stagg)
Ganz completed 58.6 percent of his passes for 1,435 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2007. He also rushed 20 times for 93 yards and three touchdowns. He finally got his chance at the end of the season, filling in for injured QB Sam Keller.
Ganz started the final three games (Kansas, Kansas State, Colorado) and accounted for three of the five 400-yard passing days in school history, in addition to three of the top five games in total offense. He is the Nebraska single-game record holder for passing yards (510), total offense (528) and passing touchdowns (7), all in last year’s 73-31 rout of Kansas State.
#2 • Patrick WittRedshirt Freshman, Quarterback, 6-4, 225Wylie, Texas
Witt has good size and has exhibited a strong arm and solid all-around skills. He joined the Huskers at mid-year last year and participated in 2007 spring drills. He has continued to learn the NU system and adds depth at the
quarterback position. As a senior at Wylie, Texas, High School he threw for 1,846 yards and 17 touchdowns while completing 57 percent of his pass attempts. He has adjusted well to the college classroom as he sports a 4.0 grade point average.
#3 • zac LeeSo., Quarterback, 6-2, 210San Francisco, Calif. (St. Ignatius Prep/San Francisco City College)
Lee continues to add depth at the quarterback position. He came to Nebraska with some impressive numbers compiled at San Francisco City College during the 2006 season. He led his team to a 10-2 record while throwing
for better than 3,400 yards and 35 touchdowns while completing 64 percent of his passes. He was ranked as the nation’s top junior college quarterback by Rivals.com and SuperPrep Magazine. Lee has a strong arm and good mobility.
Quarterback PreviewCoaches Call-inEvery Friday morning join hosts Coach Ron Brown,
the FCA staff, and Gordon Thiessen. Topics are prepared in order to address the connection between
God and sports by how to do sports God�s way.
7:00 am Central TimeCall 712.432.3900 - id 740984�
Fellowship of Christian Athletes • 6400 Cornhusker Hwy Ste 200, Lincoln NE 68507402-464-2343 www.nebraskafca.org
5 0 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
marLoN LUcky
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 5 1
rUNNINg BackShe rain fell steadily one day last spring
in Lincoln, Neb. It was cold rain – the
kind that makes you feel thankful you
brought your umbrella.
Unfortunately, the wise old man’s umbrella
was broken.
OK, so Marlon Lucky isn’t exactly ready for
retirement. He recently turned 22.
However, “seeing all the young fellas on the
team, you feel old,” the Nebraska
senior I-back says.
By the way, grandpa Lucky
wasn’t grousing about his broken
umbrella. Lucky rarely complains
at all these days. After all, he’s
weathered his share of storms
since his much-anticipated arrival
on campus in 2005. He seems
much more at peace these days.
“I remember when I first got here (to
Lincoln), I about lost my mind,” says the native
of North Hollywood, Calif. “I got homesick
and everything. You look back on some of those
things, and it’s kind of funny.”
Lucky says Nebraska feels like home now. His
homesickness gradually subsided and basically
disappeared in the spring of 2007, he says. He’s
no longer the shy and struggling student, the
unsure and hesitant rusher, who so often tried to
bounce inside running plays to the outside. He
no longer feels engulfed by the pressure of being
a five-star recruit.
In 2005, he was ranked by Rivals.com as the
nation’s No. 2 running back.
“To please the fans, I had to come out and just
rip up the field,” he says. “I learned you can’t do
that just coming into college football. The game is
much faster. You have to come in and learn first.”
Now, however, “that’s all way past me,” he
says.
He smiles a lot more than he used to, friends
say. In short, the homesick kid from California
has matured into a confident adult before our
eyes. He’s on track to complete his sociology
degree in December of 2009.
He also seems on track for a big senior season.
“I really didn’t have a great season last year
– at least not the season I wanted to have,” he
said. “But I finished it off great.”
Now Lucky hopes to carry that momentum
into the 2008 season. Continuing his late 2007
surge – he topped 100 all-purpose yards in each
of the final five games to finish with 1,743 – was
the impetus behind his decision to remain at
Nebraska instead of opting for the NFL.
He still wants to become a stronger runner
both mentally and physically.
Bottom line: He was unsure if he was ready
to make the big jump.
Nebraska first-year head coach Bo Pelini was
happy to keep Lucky in the fold. Lucky discussed
the NFL with Pelini about a week before the
mid-January deadline for underclassmen to
declare for the draft. That meeting was the first
time Lucky and Pelini visited at length.
“Bo keeps it really simple,” Lucky says with a
chuckle. “He said if you’re not going in the first
or second (round), you shouldn’t leave.”
The 6-0, 215-pound Lucky was projected
as a third-round selection in an NFL pre-draft
evaluation.
“(Pelini) wanted me to help our team out,”
Lucky said. “I’ve heard great things about him.
I liked his attitude when I talked to him, so I was
like, ‘I’ll stay.’ ”
When last season started, Lucky was leaning
strongly toward skipping his senior season.
However, “as the season went on and we
were losing, and we didn’t have that team spirit
anymore, I made the decision to stay,” he said.
But he reversed field once again after the
season.
“A lot of people put pressure on me, and I
started thinking about leaving again,” he said.
“Friends at home were saying I should go to the
NFL. Everybody was putting in their 2 cents,
and it was getting down to the nitty-gritty.”
“I’m just like any other player,” he adds. “I want
to go out with a winning season and get back to a
bowl game, because bowl games are fun. I want to
have fun my last year.”
So, Lucky no longer is holding
back. Not only has he matured off
the field, he evidently has grown
up on it. He raised eyebrows last
November when he admitted
he paced himself at times last
season, if ever so slightly, mindful
of the injury bug that slowed him
as a sophomore.
The thing is, Lucky knows he can’t afford to
hold back now, what with sophomore Roy Helu
Jr. enjoying a breakout spring and 6-1, 235-pound
Quentin Castille saying he’s determined to be an
every-down back. What’s more, redshirt freshman
Marcus Mendoza also flashed big-time speed a
few times in the Red-White Spring Game.
ucky says he was surprised when senior
Cody Glenn told him he was moving
from I-back to linebacker. However,
Lucky says, Glenn handled the transition
well during spring ball.
“He’s already like a leader over there,” Lucky
said. “He’s always talking. He’s really happy.”
Lucky can relate.
Some college kids hit a rough patch and drop
out, while others persevere even when the hard
and cold rain falls and it feels like it’ll never end.
At the end of the day, Lucky is thankful he
stayed in Lincoln.
“I guess I’ve learned that life has a lot to
offer,” he said.
Running Back Preview
T
Lucky brings fresh outlook to senior season
“I guess I’ve learned that life has a lot
to offer.” marlon lucky
L
5 2 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
poSITIoN oUTLookBottom line: Marlon Lucky stands atop the
Huskers’ I-back depth chart entering preseason
practice in early August. After all, he’s the Big
12 Conference leading returning rusher.
However, Roy Helu Jr. generated quite a
buzz in spring practice. To be sure, Lucky
and Helu will get a large share of the carries
in 2008, with Quentin Castille and Marcus
Mendoza also ready for a significant amount
of action.
Lucky, a senior from North Hollywood,
Calif., last season averaged 84.9 yards rushing
in 12 games while also catching a school-record
75 passes for 705 yards. The 6-foot, 215-pound
speedster led the nation in receptions by a
running back.
“It’s a tribute to Marlon that he doesn’t let the
ego get to him,” said Nebraska running backs
coach Tim Beck. “He’s ultimately the senior,
and he’s ultimately the guy who’s had a lot of
success and the guy we’re going to ride. But I
think he realizes we need those other guys, too.
The more success they have, the more success
he’s going to have.”
Beck said during spring ball that Lucky was
playing very well.
“He’s working on the things he needs to
work on,” the coach said. “You know, it’s easy
for him to catch a toss or screen pass or run an
option play. We’re working on him blocking.
He’s really done a better job of sticking his face
in there and doing those types of things – the
things we felt like he needed to improve in his
game to be an all-around back. So he may not
be really flashy out there in practice because
I’m not always using him in that (flashy type of)
manner, because I want him to be the guy pass
protecting, I want him to block that linebacker
or defensive end.”
Lucky played his best football late last
season, topping 100 all-purpose yards in each
of the final five games. Meanwhile, Castille
and Helu, competing as true freshmen,
finished with 343 yards and 209 yards rushing,
respectively. Cody Glenn, hobbled by a foot
injury, added 78 yards rushing. Glenn, a senior,
moved to linebacker during spring ball, helping
pave the way for Helu, Castille and Mendoza
to get increased repetitions.
Helu, of Danville, Calif., opened the coaches’
eyes with impressive play early on in spring drills.
“He does everything,” Beck said. “He’s a
physical presence blocking. He can run the ball
inside, outside. He has good vision and quick
feet in the hole. He’s catching the ball well for
us. He’s understanding (the offense) better, so I
think he’s playing faster. You put a young kid in
an offense like they had . . . That’s a lot of stuff,
man. Your head’s swimming.”
A standout at San Ramon Valley High
School, Helu finished his senior season with
1,085 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns while
adding 300 receiving yards on 20 catches. He
wasn’t nearly as ballyhooed coming out of high
school as Castille, a 6-1, 245-pounder who has
sneaky speed. As a senior at La Porte (Texas)
High School, Castille rushed for more than
1,800 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Castille’s tendency to fumble last season at
Nebraska caused nervousness. He was working
hard during the spring to break the habit.
At any rate, Beck is glad to have quality
depth.
How does he plan to rotate his backs?
“I think you go with who’s hot,” he said.
“(But) I think it matters which team you’re
playing and what your game plan is. But I
definitely think you need to have three. You
look at teams that have that, they are probably
more successful. When you play 12, 14 games,
someone’s going to get hurt. And it’s not
always an injury – sometimes it’s just getting
beat up.
“That happened to us at Kansas last season a
little bit. Both (Jake) Sharp and B Mac (Brandon
McAnderson) were beat up. They were day-to-
day, and we really didn’t have a third.”
Running Back Preview
#5 • MarLon LuckySr., I-Back, 6-0, 215North Hollywood, Calif.
Lucky is one of the top returning offensive players in the Big 12 Conference after earning Second Team All-Big 12 honors a year ago. He is the league’s top returning rusher after averaging 84.9 yards per game in 2007. In addition to rushing for over 1,000 yards, Lucky
also had a record-setting season as a receiver. He caught a Nebraska single-season record 75 passes for 705 yards and three touchdowns. The 75 catches bettered the previous Nebraska season record by 20 and he led the nation in catches by a running back. Overall, Lucky totaled 1,743 all-purpose yards in 2007, seventh in school history and the most by a Husker in 10 seasons.
#10 • roy Helu Jr.So., I-Back, 6-0, 215Danville, Calif. (San Ramon Valley)
Helu played a significant role in the Husker offense in 2007 despite just being a freshman. He finished as Nebraska’s third-leading rusher with 45 carries for 209 yards. He also caught five passes for 40 yards. His season-best was 56 yards on nine carries
against nationally-ranked Kansas.
#32 • Marcus MendozaRedshirt Freshman, I-Back, 5-10, 185Houston, Texas (Spring Woods)
Mendoza redshirted last season and is hoping to work his way into the mix at the I-Back position this fall. He was also a dangerous return threat during his prep career at Spring Woods High School in Houston, Texas. Coming out of high school, Mendoza was a
four-star prospect by Rivals.com, which ranked him the No. 12 all-purpose running back in the country.
#19 • Quentin castilleSo., I-Back, 6-1, 245LaPorte, Texas
Castille, a true freshman, served as Marlon Lucky’s top backup at I-Back in 2007. He was used heavily in short yardage and goal-line situations. He was Nebraska’s second-leading rusher with 76 carries for 343 yards and four touchdowns. He had four
games with 50 or more yards and he lost only four yards on his 76 rushing attempts. His top game was against Oklahoma State as he rushed 20 times for 102 yards.
#27 • kenny WilsonSr., I-Back, 6-0, 225Liberal, Kan. (Butler County CC)
Wilson is trying to work himself back into the mix at I-Back for the Huskers. He missed the entire 2007 season because of injury and redshirted. Wilson was a key part of a four-man running back rotation in 2006. He rushed for 335 yards and four touchdowns.
aT a gLaNcEReturning Running BacksMarlon Lucky 6-0 215 Sr.
Roy Helu Jr. 6-0 215 So.
Quentin Castille 6-1 245 So.
Marcus Mendoza 5-10 185 Rfr.
Returning FullbacksThomas Lawson 6-0 240 Sr.
Justin Makovicka 6-1 235 So.
Kevin Thomsen 6-2 240 Rfr.
Aaron Gillaspie 6-2 240 So.
Tyler Legate 5-10 220 So.
Incoming Running BacksCollins Okafor 6-1 195 Fr.
Lester Ward 6-3 215 Fr.
A general hospital can save your life ... Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital, can get you back to living.Most general hospitals and nursing homes offer therapy after a stroke or injury...but therapy isn’t enough. To get your life back, rehabilitation is the only option.
Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital is the region’s ONLY rehabilitation hospital that provides more than just therapy.
Madonna has 40 years of experience in rehabilitaiton for:
spinal cord injury pediatrics
traumatic brain injury stroke
That’s the Madonna experience. And the experience matters.
50 years of hope and healing 1958-2008
Quick-reference Phone Numbers
General admission (402) 489-7102Toll-free (800) 676-5448Admissions (402) 486-8260Physician Services (402) 483-9531TDD for Hearing Impaired (402) 483-9416Madonna TherapyPlus (402) 420-0004Madonna ProActive (402) 420-0000 Lincoln, NE www.Madonna.org
Experienced, clinical teams Patient-focused research Specialized programs
• 30-minute classes designed specifically for beginners at convenient, after- work hours
• State-of-the-art cardio and strength-training equipment• LifeBalance programs for heart, health and wellness• Aqua track, plus indoor and outdoor pools• Dance classes for all ages and abilities• Comfortable, welcoming environment• Soteria, a holistic healing spa
• Yoga and meditation• Sports acceleration program
7111 Stephanie Lane(55th & Pine Lake Road)402-420-0000www.MadonnaProActive.org
Total wellness is within reach.
Wellness is more than just a workout … at Madonna ProActive, it’sa life-changing experience. Get out of the heat and enjoy the cool,clean surroundings at ProActive. You’ll find the support youneed to reach your goals at Madonna’s medically based, totalwellness facility featuring:
5 4 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
NaTE SwIfT
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 5 5
wIDE rEcEIvErSredshirt season, for many players, is a
challenging, exhausting, unrewarding
period that doesn’t exactly conjure
joyful images.
For some, the following season doesn’t get
much better.
It wasn’t that way for wide receiver Nate Swift.
A fifth-year senior, Swift enters his final season
with Nebraska with fond memories of his early
Husker years.
Swift, a native of Hutchinson,
Minn., came to Lincoln with the
mindset of redshirting. He figured
he wouldn’t grasp the offense
immediately. And running on the
scout team really wasn’t all that
bad. In fact, Swift enjoyed it.
“I was going up against
Fabian Washington and Lornell
McPherson and all those guys.
They made it a lot of fun,” Swift said. “They
went hard every time, and I went hard.
“I beat them every once in a while, and that
makes you feel good when you beat a senior.”
Swift felt even better when he started beating
opposing defensive backs the following season.
His 45 receptions in 2005 led the team and set a
Nebraska freshman record.
Since then, Swift has been a key cog in
Nebraska’s offense. Don’t expect that to change,
even as a new coaching staff tinkers with former
coach Bill Callahan’s West Coast offense.
“If there is a difference, I think it’s going to be
instead of basing the run off the pass, it might be
basing the pass off the run – establishing the run
a little bit more in the game early on, and then
going to the pass,” Swift said.
“We kind of said we used to do that a lot, but I
think it was a little bit more pass-oriented the last
couple of years.”
Swift still envisions a balanced offense.
Whether it’s balanced enough to give Swift a
chance at making more dents in the Nebraska
record books remains to be seen.
Swift, who’s played in all 38 games over the
past three seasons, enters his senior season with
103 career receptions. That ranks fourth on
Nebraska’s all-time charts, and is 40 receptions
shy of Nebraska’s all-time record, held by
Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers.
Swift has always played the “X” position,
and sometimes the Zebra, or slot receiver. He’s
playing under his same receivers coach, Ted
Gilmore, and his same offensive coordinator,
although Shawn Watson will be solely in charge
of play-calling.
“Every year there’s going to be new routes
here and there, but mostly it’s the same thing,”
Swift said. “There are different concepts every
year. They throw a couple new plays here and
there. It doesn’t really change that much.”
The biggest wrinkle to the offense appears to be
more option and zone read plays, something that
suits the abilities of senior quarterback Joe Ganz.
“It’s not that bad to block for him out there
on the end,” Swift said of running option plays.
“But I don’t think we’re going to be doing it 15,
20 times a game.”
Ironically, this offense could be more similar to
the one Swift expected to run when he committed
to Nebraska in 2003. He was being recruited by
head coach Frank Solich, offensive coordinator
Barney Cotton and assistant coach Turner Gill.
That staff, though, was replaced by Callahan.
Only Gill remained, and that for only one season.
Swift said he reconsidered his decision to
come to Nebraska.
“Yeah, there was a little doubt in there,” he
said. “I didn’t really know if I wanted to stay,
who the coach was going to be for that two- or
three-week period.”
When Callahan came to Lincoln, bringing the
West Coast offense with him, Swift knew he was
going to remain a Husker.
The decision seemed a good one almost
immediately. After a productive redshirt season
in 2004, Swift entered 2005 penciled in as
the starting “X” receiver. But he sprained his
shoulder in fall camp, sat out nearly two weeks,
and lost his starting spot.
He still played in every non-conference game,
entering the game for a play here and there, but
didn’t catch a pass.
“I had a couple thrown to me,” Swift said,
“but didn’t catch ‘em.”
That changed immediately
when Nebraska began conference
play. In the Huskers’ Big 12
Conference opener against
Iowa State, Swift turned in a
breakthrough performance. He
recorded his first five career
catches, for 81 yards, helping
Nebraska to a 27-20 double-
overtime victory over the
Cyclones in Lincoln.
“Once I got that chance, it felt good,” Swift
said. “I felt right, I guess.”
wift hasn’t missed a game since. His
numbers weren’t as impressive in 2006
– when Maurice Purify came to Lincoln
– with a mere 22 catches in 14 games.
But Swift had 36 receptions last season, and as
one of only two veteran receivers returning,
figures to have solid numbers again this season.
Nebraska will also count upon Swift for
leadership – he’s a member of the Unity Council,
something new coach Bo Pelini has returned to
the program.
“It seems like my time here has gone fast, but
it also seems like it’s taken a long time,” Swift
said. “Five years here, it’s quite a long time with
the redshirt and everything. But I’ve had a lot of
excitement and a lot of playing time.
“Everyone I’ve talked to who’s done with
football said the biggest thing they miss isn’t really
the game, it’s being in the locker room and being
around the team. It’s going to be tough when it’s
over, not having those guys with you.”
Wide Receiver Preview
a
Swift survives many changes over career
“Five years here, it’s quite a long time
with the redshirt and everything. But
I’ve had a lot of excitement and a lot of
playing time.”nate swift
S
5 6 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
poSITIoN oUTLookWhen Menelik Holt catches a pass in practice,
teammates call it a “Mo” catch.
That’s a good thing.
The comparison is to Maurice Purify, the
big, tall, physical receiver who caught 91 passes
for 1,444 yards and 16 touchdowns in his two
seasons with Nebraska.
Holt, who will be a junior, has only four career
catches. But when looking at the 6-4, 220-pound
Holt, it’s hard not to think of Purify.
Holt seems OK with that.
“My thing is, I’m just as big as him. I’m just
as strong,” Holt said. “I’ve just got to work on
playing just as big.”
Holt is one of many young or unproven
receivers in Nebraska’s offense who has a chance
to make his name known this fall.
In fact, the emergence of new players will
be somewhat of a necessity for Nebraska’s
passing game. The Huskers lose four seniors
who combined for 293 career receptions and 34
touchdowns – most notably, Purify.
In Purify, the Huskers lose their big-body
receiver. In Terrence Nunn and Frantz Hardy,
they lose speed.
That’s where Curenski Gilleylen has his
chance. A redshirted freshman from Leander,
Texas, Gilleylen ran the 100 meters in 10.22
seconds in high school, breaking a school
record.
Husker fans saw that speed in the spring game,
when Gilleylen beat cornerback Anthony West
for a 77-yard touchdown pass from Joe Ganz.
“It’s nice to have somebody like that who can
stretch the field vertical,” Ganz said.
After the game, coach Bo Pelini said Gilleylen
“could be a big weapon in our offense.”
Other players with opportunities to shine
include sophomore Niles Paul, sophomore Will
Henry and junior Chris Brooks. Combined, they
have two career catches – one each by Paul and
Brooks.
“We all look at it as it’s our time,” Brooks said.
“We have to step up. We have to fill a lot of shoes
and we’re going to fill them.”
Keep an eye on Paul. He wasn’t used as much
last season as many anticipated – Paul had a
reception in the first game against Nevada. He
had none thereafter.
Receivers coach Ted Gilmore said after the
Spring Game that the battle for playing time is
wide open.
The youngsters will be able to lean on a couple
of veterans, Nate Swift and Todd Peterson. Ganz
said they’ll be his go-to receivers, his “security
blanket.”
Youth could also be served at tight end, where
Nebraska loses three players, including Sean Hill,
who had 18 catches and three touchdowns last
season.
Hunter Teafatiller is the most experienced of
the returning tight ends, although sophomores
Mike McNeill and Dreu Young proved during
the spring they could be a valuable part of the
offense.
“I think there’s some guys who can get
downfield and make some plays,” said Ron
Brown, the longtime Nebraska receivers coach
who’s returned to coach the tight ends. “We’re
not the largest tight ends in the world. We’ve got
to work real hard in the blocking phase, but that’s
going to come.”
Junior college transfer Tyson Hetzer hopes
to return for fall practice; he injured his knee
early in the spring and missed the rest of spring
practice. Redshirted freshman Ryan Hill could
also be a factor.
Wide Receiver Preview
#44 • Mike McNeillSo., Tight End, 6-4, 240Kirkwood, Mo.
McNeill is in line to make a significant jump in playing time in 2008. The sophomore has great receiving skills and has worked hard in the weight room to build on his 6-4 frame. He played in eight games as a redshirt freshman
in 2007, serving as a reserve behind J.B. Phillips, Josh Mueller and Sean Hill. McNeill’s lone catch was a 25-yarder against Nevada in the season-opener.
#89 • Hunter TeafatillerSr., Tight End, 6-3, 235Kingsburg, Calif. (San Joaquin Memorial)
Teafatiller has played a key role among Husker tight ends the past two seasons. He was used primarily as a blocker, seeing action in the final 11 games of 2007. He caught four passes for 34 yards and also contributed on
special teams, running back four kickoffs for 37 yards. His biggest season came as a sophomore as he caught five passes for 78 yards, but four of those catches went for touchdowns. Due to off the field problems, his status for the upcoming season was uncertain at press time.
#49 • Dreu youngSo., Tight End, 6-4, 240Cozad, Neb.
Young may be in line to see a significant increase in playing time after seeing limited action as a reserve tight end last season. However, with the departure of three seniors and the questionable status of Hunter Teafatiller, Young
could be getting a chance this fall. Originally a walk-on from Cozad, NE, Young earned his way in the tight end rotation with a strong showing in fall camp last year. He played in eight games and had a 14-yard reception against Nevada in the season-opener.
#24 •niles PaulSo., Wide Receiver, 6-1, 210Omaha, Neb. (North)
With the loss of four senior wide receivers, Paul is one of a handful of talented young wideouts who will be looking to work their way in the receiving rotation in 2008. He played in seven games last season, serving as a reserve
receiver and also assisting on kickoff coverage. He had one catch in the season-opener against Nevada. The Omaha native was one of the top recruits in Nebraska’s 2007 class and was one of 11 true freshmen to see action last fall.
aT a gLaNcEReturning ReceiversChris Brooks 6-2 210 Jr.
Wes Cammack 5-11 195 Jr.
Curenski Gilleylen 6-0 210 RFr.
Will Henry 6-5 215 So.
Menelik Holt 6-4 220 So.
Ben Lester 5-10 165 RFr.
Niles Paul 6-1 210 So.
Todd Peterson 6-4 215 Sr.
Nate Swift 6-2 200 Sr.
Returning Tight EndsRyan Hill 6-3 245 RFr.
Mike McNeill 6-4 240 So.
Ben Tasa 6-4 240 So.
Hunter Teafatiller 6-3 235 Sr.
Dreu Young 6-4 240 So.
Incoming ReceiversAntonio Bell 6-2 180 Fr.
Khiry Cooper 6-2 180 Fr.
Tim Marlowe 5-10 160 Fr.
Steven Osborne 6-4 185 Fr.
Incoming Tight EndsBen Cotton 6-6 230 Fr.
Tyson Hetzer 6-6 245 Jr.
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 5 7
#17 • Todd PetersonSr., Wide Receiver, 6-4, 215Grand Island, Neb. (Central Catholic)
Peterson has 46 career catches for 816 yards, an average of 17.7 yards per catch, entering the 2008 season. The Grand Island native needs 184 receiving yards this season to become the 17th player in school history with 1,000
receiving yards. He could also move into the top 10 on Nebraska’s career receptions and career touchdown lists. In 2007 he finished the year with 18 receptions for 359 yards and five touchdowns. He is also a standout in the classroom, three times earning First Team Academic All-Big 12 honors.
#87 • nate SwiftSr., Wide Receiver, 6-2, 200Hutchinson, Minn.
Swift has played in all 38 games over the past three seasons and enters his senior year in position to challenge the Huskers’ all-time receptions record. For his career, Swift has 103 receptions good for 1,535 yards. The 103 catches
ranks fourth on the Husker career charts, 40 receptions behind Johnny Rodgers’ school-record total. Swift’s yardage total is third on the NU list, trailing Rodgers and former teammate Terrence Nunn, while his 12 career touchdown receptions place him within striking distance of second on that list. He played in all 12 games last year with 36 catches for 520 yards. He holds the freshman records for receptions (45), receiving yards (641) and touchdowns (7).
#8 • Will HenrySo., Wide Receiver, 6-5, 215El Paso, Texas (J.M. Hanks)
Henry’s size is what makes him such an attractive target for the Husker passing offense. At 6-5, he has the stature to create mismatches against opposing defenders. He appeared in two games last season, seeing action
against Ball State and Iowa State. Henry developed a reputation as one of the hardest workers on the squad during his redshirt year in 2006.
#3 • Wes cammackJr., Wide Receiver, 5-11, 195DeWitt, Neb. (Tri County)
Cammack has provided great depth for the Huskers at the wide receiver position and has also found a way to get onto the playing field via special teams work. He played in 11 of 12 games, primarily on special teams. He has
also been a key contributor in the classroom as he has three times been named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Fall Academic Honor Roll. In 2007 he was First Team Academic All-Big 12.
#11 • curenski GilleylenRedshirt Freshman, Wide Receiver, 6-0, 210Leander, Texas
Gilleylen hopes to take advantage of opportunities provided with the departure of four experienced wide receivers from a year ago. He redshirted a year ago but made some favorable impressions in spring practice. He could
challenge for playing time with a good showing this fall.
#18 • Menelik HoltJr., Wide Receiver, 6-4, 220San Diego, Calif. (St. Augustine)
Holt saw action in all 12 games last season. His playing time increased late in the season and he made the most of his opportunity. He caught four passes for 97 yards in the season’s final four games, the first catches of his career.
#1 chris brooksJr. Wide Receiver 6-2, 210St. Louis, Mo. (Hazelwood East)
Brooks has seen limited action at Nebraska, after a heralded prep career. Rivals.com ranked him the No. 2 prospect in Missouri following a senior season in which he caught 66 passes for 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns in the state’s
large-schools classification. He played in four games as a true freshman in 2005 then redshirted. He played in only one game last season, with one reception.
Wide Receiver Preview
Men’s/Women’sLeather All-Star
$89.95
Men’s/Women’sBracelet All-Star
$99.95
Men’s Rookie$39.95
P rospect$27.95
Men’s Pro II$69.95
Starlette Leather$79.95
Starlette SS$89.95
HUSKER TIMELogoArt
Checks payable to: Huskers Illustrated, PO Box1498, Shelbyville KY 40066
Order number: 800-524-9527, 859-278-3477 (fax)Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, Visa, DiscoverSales Tax: 5.5% Nebraska State sales tax is includ-
ed in product prices. Sales tax will bededucted from out of state orders.
Shipping: $10. UPS groundshipping and handling. Allow 2-4weeks for delivery.
Shop for additional Nebraska merchandise at www.shophuskersillustrated.com
®
5 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
mIkE hUff
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 5 9
offENSIvE LINEhen Omaha native Mike Huff says
he was set to be a Husker at an
early age, he means it.
His parents made certain of it.
“When they took me from the delivery
room,” Huff said, “they brought me home in
a Huskers onesie.”
No wonder, then, that Huff believes he
was bred “to be a Nebraska boy,” or, more
specifically, a member of the Husker football
team.
That dream came true. And, like most
dreams, it’s gone fast for Huff, who’s entering
his senior season as a member of Nebraska’s
offensive line.
“I’m a senior now, and I still don’t think
it’s set in that I’ve accomplished something I
wanted to do since I was a little kid,” Huff said.
“One day I’ll sit back and think about it all.”
He’ll have much to ponder.
Huff could begin by reflecting
on his reunion, of sorts, with
Barney Cotton, and what could
be the resurgence of Nebraska’s
pipeline. Both are key storylines
in Huff ’s fifth and final season in
Lincoln.
Huff, the Huskers’ starting
left guard, is one of four players
returning who made at least six starts last
season on the offensive line. He’s started 19
games over the past two seasons.
“I’ve always thought that we had talent, but
now we have a lot of experience coming back,”
Huff said. “In past years, I wouldn’t be able to
say that about our two-deep.”
And then there’s Cotton, the Nebraska
coach who recruited Huff, a standout at
Ralston High School, throughout the 2003
season. That was Cotton’s first go-round with
Nebraska’s coaching staff. It lasted one year
before the staff overhaul of 2004 that brought
in Bill Callahan as head coach and Dennis
Wagner as offensive line coach; Cotton landed
at Iowa State as offensive coordinator, the same
position he’d held at Nebraska.
“When he went to Iowa State, he actually
talked about me going there, too, but I decided
to stay here,” Huff said. “We had some
really good conversations, and we built that
relationship up, which made it really hard,
but I wanted to go to Nebraska, and I think he
understood that.”
Huff felt more comfortable with his decision
after meeting Nebraska’s new coaching staff.
“They told me right away, when they got the
whole staff in, that I was a good fit,” Huff said.
“Coach Callahan and Coach Wagner actually
came to my house and said I was a good fit for
their system, too, and they hoped that I’d stay
with them.”
Huff ’s dream, though, had become reality
long before Callahan and Wagner stepped
through his front door. It began – and,
appropriately, will end – with Cotton.
“It’s really weird,” Huff said, “but I’m really
excited to work with him for at least a year.”
Huff, now 6-4, 300 pounds, began turning
heads as a high school freshman. That’s when
his coach, Tyler Zahn, a former Husker walk-
on who lettered in 1991, inserted Huff into the
starting lineup.
By the time he was a junior, recruiters were
telling Huff to stick to the mentality of being
an offensive lineman; that’s what he would
play in college, they told him.
No problem. That’s where Huff had always
played; even in Pop Warner football, he was
deemed too big to play any other position but
offensive line.
The lone exception in Huff ’s career came
when he lined up as the fullback
in a jumbo pro-set in high school
– “I scored a touchdown once,”
he said.
It’s one of those rare times
Huff remembers receiving glory.
That’s OK. It comes with the
territory of being a lineman.
“You’re going to know if
you’re doing a good job, and everybody else is
going to know if you’re doing a bad job,” Huff
said. “It’s a funny deal, because nobody knows
about us until we mess up.”
The offensive line, at times, received such
notoriety during the Callahan era, especially
early, as Nebraska transitioned to the West
Coast offense. At that same time, Huff was also
transitioning to college football.
“When you come in as a freshman, you’re
so used to firing off the ball and just hitting
the guy in front of you,” Huff said. “You’re
Offensive Line Preview
w
huff nearing end of life-long journey as husker
“I know what Nebraska fans think of
the program, and I know what it means
to be a player here.”mike huff
aT a gLaNcEReturningCruz Barrett 6-4 325 So.
Jaivorio Burkes 6-5 325 So.
Mike Caputo 6-1 270 RFr.
Jacob Hickman 6-4 290 Jr.
Mike Huff 6-4 300 Sr.
D.J. Jones 6-5 305 So.
Marcel Jones 6-7 310 RFr.
Mike Masin 6-6 330 RFr.
Lydon Murtha 6-7 315 Sr.
Matt Slauson 6-5 325 Sr.
Mike Smith 6-6 285 So.
Keith Williams 6-5 310 So.
IncomingDavid Grant 6-6 295 Fr.
Ricky Henry 6-4 305 Fr.
Baker Steinkuhler 6-6 290 Fr.
Brandon Thompson 6-6 295 Fr.
6 0 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
not worried about, ‘Well, on this play, I need
to take this footwork, or on this play I need
to have a wide landmark instead of a tight
landmark.’ ”
Huff made the most of his scout team work
in 2004, going against the likes of Le Kevin
Smith and Adam Carriker, a couple of future
NFL Draft picks.
A lot of guys can just show up on the scout
squad and just go through the motions,” Huff
said. “You’re not making yourself better, and
you’re not making your teammates better. The
coaches see that. Even if you think they’re
not watching you on the scout team, they’re
watching you.”
Huff had a solid spring in 2006 and started
all but one game that fall. A winter conditioning
injury to his Achilles following the season was
a bit of a setback, although Huff still started six
games at right guard last season, including four
of the last six games.
That has set the stage for what Huff believes
can be a memorable senior season.
“I know what Nebraska fans think of the
program, and I know what it means to be a
player here,” Huff said. “Me being a Nebraska
kid, I know what kind of tradition’s here, and
all of the players that have played here. I’m
actually doing it. I’m strapping on the uniform
they put on.”
poSITIoN oUTLookThe offensive line is deep, and it’s talented.
Experience abounds. Expectations are high.
Those are usually comments heard
when discussing a position that performed
extraordinarily well the previous season.
That’s not entirely true with Nebraska’s
group of big men.
The Huskers, in 2007, averaged a mere 120
rushing yards per game over the final 11 games.
For the season, nearly 70 percent of Nebraska’s
yards came through the air.
The general theory, of course, is that
Nebraska, with its porous defense, was always
playing from behind, trying to keep pace with
the quick-striking offenses of Kansas, Missouri,
Colorado, etc.
Pass, pass, pass, and pass some more. That
meant passing on the run.
Now, Nebraska’s new coaching staff wants
to return to the Husker ways
of old.
“We’re going to be as
physical as we can,” said
Barney Cotton, who’s returned
to Nebraska as offensive line
coach. “We’re going to play as
hard as we can.”
Don’t misunderstand
Cotton. Being versatile, he said,
is still key.
“But the big thing is, we
have a chance to be physical,”
Cotton said. “Coaches always
talk about wanting players to
play until the whistle. You’d
better finish one step after the
whistle if you really want to be
the best.”
Cotton, Nebraska’s offensive
coordinator for one season in
2003, has returned to Lincoln
and inherited what figures to
be Nebraska’s biggest team
strength in 2008.
“(Coaches) always say that
our offensive line is one of the
best they’ve seen talent-wise,”
Matt Slauson said. “Now, we
just need a little direction.”
Offensive Line Preview
maTT SLaUSoN
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 6 1
#61 • Mike HuffSr., Offensive Line, 6-4, 300Ralston, Neb.
Huff, a Ralston, Neb., native, has started 10 games at guard the past two seasons. He suffered an Achilles injury during winter conditioning in 2007, but returned in time to start six games at right guard, including four of the last six
contests. He is being counted on to anchor an offensive line that figures to be a strength for this year’s Huskers.
#76 • Lydon MurthaSr., Offensive Line, 6-7, 315Hutchinson, Minn.
Murtha anchored the right side of the Husker offensive line for a majority of last season. He missed the final four games of 2007 with a foot injury. He is one of four returning offensive linemen who made at least eight starts
last season. He has 14 career starts entering his senior season. His play earned him 2007 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 status among the league’s coaches.
#70 • Matt SlausonSr., Offensive Line, 6-5, 325Colorado Springs, Colo. (Air Force Prep)
Slauson is one of Nebraska’s most experienced performers on either side of the ball. He has been a regular on the Husker offensive line since late in his freshman campaign in 2005. He has started 22 games over the past three
seasons and brings a physical presence to the O-line. Slauson made eight starts last season at three different positions, both tackle spots and right guard.
#72 • Jaivorio BurkesSo., Offensive Line, 6-5, 325Phoenix, Ariz. (Moon Valley)
Burkes is one of five returning offensive linemen who made at least three starts during the 2007 season. He earned his first start against the Texas Longhorns. He played in the final four games of the season, also starting against
Kansas and Kansas State. He earned first-team freshman All-Big 12 honors from The Sporting News.
#66 cruz BarrettSo. Offensive Lineman 6-4 325Daytona Beach, Fla. (Mainland)
Barrett was a heralded member of the 2006 recruiting class, which included two other similarly publicized offensive linemen – Keith Williams and D.J. Jones. Oklahoma, Florida, Florida State and West Virginia were
among the schools interested in Barrett. He redshirted as a freshman, as did Williams and Jones, but hasn’t developed as quickly as they have. He didn’t see action last season.
Offensive Line Preview
#73 • D.J. JonesSo., Offensive Line, 6-5, 305Omaha, Neb. (Central)
Jones saw extensive action as a redshirt freshman in 2007 and hopes to make a push for a starting spot this fall. He has the ability to play both guard and tackle. Jones sat out his first season in Lincoln as a redshirt.
#78 • Marcel JonesRedshirt Freshman, Offensive Line, 6-7, 320Phoenix, Ariz. (Trevor Browne)
Jones sat out last fall as a redshirt but figures to work his way into the mix this fall on the offensive line. The big 6-7, 320-pound product of Trevor Browne High School was a three-star prospect by Rivals.com and was ranked as
the 13th best prospect overall in the state of Arizona after his senior year.
#65 • Mike SmithSo., Offensive Line, 6-6, 285Las Vegas, Nev. (Palo Verde)
Smith originally came to Nebraska as a defensive end but has established himself on the offensive line and figures to battle for playing time this year for the Huskers. He earned valuable playing time last year as a reserve
tackle and helps make the offensive line a strength for the 2008 Nebraska squad.
#68 • keith WilliamsSo., Offensive Line, 6-5, 310Florissant, Mo. (McClure North)
Williams is a key figure in a Nebraska offensive line that returns eight lettermen for the 2008 season. He has all the physical tools and last season gained valuable game experience. Williams played in 10 games last
season at guard. He also saw action as a blocker on PAT and field goal units.
#67 • Jacob HickmanJr., Offensive Line, 6-4, 290Bakersfield, Calif. (Centennial)
Hickman has seen action at guard the past two seasons, but could also be a candidate to take over at center in 2008. After missing spring ball because of a knee injury, Hickman played in all 12 games in 2007, including starting
the final nine games at offensive guard. His steady play earned him honorable-mention All-Big 12 status among the league’s coaches.
Slauson, who’s bounced between guard
and tackle throughout his career, will focus
on right guard. The rest of the starting lineup
will probably look like this: Lydon Murtha
at left tackle, Mike Huff at left guard, Jacob
Hickman at center and Jaivorio Burkes at
right tackle.
Slauson, Huff and Murtha are seniors, giving
the Huskers ample experience. Nebraska, in
fact, returns a total of 67 career starts along the
offensive line, including 32 from last season.
(Gone are Brett Byford at center and Carl Nicks
at tackle.)
ut it’s the players behind the starters
that make this unit perhaps the
team’s strongest. Sophomores Keith
Williams, D.J. Jones and Mike
Smith have game experience and were among
those promising Callahan recruits.
Williams plays primarily left guard, Jones
can play either tackle or guard, and Smith
has dabbled at all positions, including center
during the spring. Smith has since begun to
settle at tackle, probably as a backup to Murtha.
Sophomore Cruz Barrett could see more time,
too, as a backup at guard.
A couple of redshirted freshmen could also
make an impact, including Marcel Jones at
tackle, and walk-on Mike Caputo at center.
Caputo, a Millard North graduate, was
particularly impressive during the spring.
Don’t forget, either, about the arrival of
highly touted freshman Baker Steinkuhler,
although coaches haven’t confirmed he’ll play
offense; he could give the thin defensive line
some help.
Should Steinkuhler follow in the footsteps of
his father, former Husker and Outland Trophy
winner Dean Steinkuhler, and play offensive
line, look for the younger Steinkuhler to
contribute immediately.
Then, of course, there’s Cotton, who Slauson
said will rally the troops.
“I think he’s going to be a great leader for us,”
Slauson said. “He’ll motivate us in productive
ways, and I’m excited about it.”
B
6 2 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
Ty STEINkUhLEr
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 6 3
DEfENSIvE LINEes, Ty Steinkuhler is often asked about
his No. 43 jersey. And no, he isn’t about
to ask for a different one, even though it
isn’t a defensive tackle’s number.
There’s significance to 43 but not, as is often
the case, because he wore it in high school. His
number was 55 at Lincoln (Neb.) Southwest. He
was a linebacker.
If he could have had 55 when he got to
Nebraska, he’d be wearing it now. But Wali
Muhammad had 55, and he was a senior. Plus,
he played defensive end. Two players can have
the same jersey number, as long as they’re not
on the same side of the ball.
So Steinkuhler, who was recruited as a
defensive end, picked three numbers from those
available for incoming players at his position.
And he was assigned 43.
“Is this just a coincidence?” he wondered.
Sure, he had worn 43 in the Nebraska
Shrine Bowl all-star game. But the coincidence
went well beyond that.
Specifically, his dad, Dean,
once wore 43.
Dean wore 71 at Nebraska,
of course. He earned All-
America honors, the Outland
Trophy and Lombardi Award
as an offensive guard on the
1983 “Scoring Explosion” team.
But he wore 43 as an eight-man player at
Sterling (Neb.) High School, where he was a
fullback and a linebacker, and any other position
he wanted to play.
Dean’s success was such that a lady in
Sterling, Neb., painted a bobblehead doll with
a “43” and “Steinkuhler” on it and presented
it to him. The bobblehead was kept in a trophy
case at home. Ty asked his dad one day why 43?
Because he wore it in high school, his dad said.
Ty thought about the bobblehead the day he
was assigned 43.
“I was like, ‘This is really weird. I’ve got to
keep this number,’ ” he said.
So even when he was asked if he would be
interested in moving from defensive end to
defensive tackle before his sophomore season,
he didn’t give it up.
Playing inside appealed to him, but not
changing jersey numbers. “I kind of looked at
it like, ‘These guys are fast.’ The defensive ends
are guys that are speed rushers,” he said. “I’m
not that type of guy at all. When they asked me,
I was like, ‘That would almost be better.’ ”
Nebraska was thin at defensive tackle, while
Adam Carriker and Jay Moore were established
defensive ends. Plus, Steinkuhler was competing
with Zach Potter, who had played as a true
freshman, and “I knew Potter needed to get a lot
more reps,” Steinkuhler said.
Initially, he thought the move inside “would
be a huge adjustment.” But that wasn’t the case.
The biggest difference was, “outside, you’re just
farther from the center,” he said.
“You pretty much get the same reads.”
Steinkuhler had already dealt with a significant
adjustment as a Cornhusker freshman. Not only
was he a linebacker in high school but also he
was a better athlete than most of those against
whom he played. He just ran to the ball, never
concerning himself with technique.
He never used his hands and never read
blocks because high school offensive linemen
usually blocked only one way. Besides, they
rarely got to him, anyway.
“It was a big transition,” said Steinkuhler.
He made the transition during a redshirt
season, playing on the scout team. For some,
a redshirt season drags. For him,
however, it went by fast. Redshirts don’t
have the pressures of preparing to play.
And scout squad players just read off
cards and go as hard as they can.
Even so, “I wouldn’t want to do it
for two years. I was like, ‘Geez, I’m
not ever going to play here,’ when I
was on the scout team. But you get over it in the
spring. That’s when you get a glimpse of what
you’re going to be able to do,” Steinkuhler said.
His time at Nebraska has gone quickly, which
isn’t surprising. He grew up a Cornhusker,
attending his first game at Memorial Stadium
during the 1994 national championship season,
and he never saw himself playing college football
anywhere else.
He began playing organized football in
Syracuse, Neb., moving to Lincoln before
his junior year in high school. He considered
Defensive Line Preview
y
Steinkuhler more than a name to Nebraska
“I was like, ‘Geez, I’m not ever going
to play here,’ when I was on the scout
team.”ty steinkuhler
aT a gLaNcEReturning EndZach Potter 6-7 280 Sr.
Barry Turner 6-3 260 Sr.
Pierre Allen 6-5 265 So.
Clayton Sievers 6-4 255 Sr.
William Yancy 6-4 245 RFr.
David Harvey 6-4 260 Jr.
Luke Lingenfelter 6-4 250 RFr.
Faron Klingelhoefer 6-2 250 Fr.
Jonathon Santin 6-3 225 RFr.
Tyrone Fahie 6-3 250 RFr.
Returning TacklesTy Steinkuhler 6-3 280 Sr.
Ndamukong Suh 6-4 300 Jr.
Kevin Dixon 6-3 285 Sr.
Shukree Barfield 6-4 300 Sr.
Ben Martin 6-4 270 So.
Terrence Moore 6-3 270 RFr.
Jared Crick 6-6 270 RFr.
Taylor Escamilla 6-1 270 RFr.
IncomingCameron Meredith 6-4 225 Fr.
Quentin Toailoa 6-4 300 Fr.
Josh Williams 6-4 225 Fr.
6 4 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
enrolling at Southeast High, but settled on
Southwest, which played its first season of varsity
football that year. Southeast had a tradition of
success, and Steinkuhler figured he would have
a better chance to play at Southwest.
He got his chance, all right, on a team that
went 0-9. Playing for a winless team didn’t affect
Nebraska’s recruiting him, however. He had a
scholarship offer before his senior year.
He has compared his junior season to
Nebraska’s 5-7 finish last fall.
“After the USC game, I don’t know, it
just went downhill,” he said. “At Southwest,
everybody knew we were going to lose, and by
the end of (last) year, we had the same mindset,
‘We’re not going to win,’ ” he said. “We never
gave in physically, but mentally, I think some
people had a lot of doubts. I think that’s what
kills you, the mental thing.”
His senior season, Southwest went 5-5 and
qualified for the state playoffs.
Three years ago, the Silver Hawks reached
the Class A state championship game, and a
year ago, they were ranked No. 1 through much
of the season, finishing 10-1. They also had the
player regarded by recruiting analysts as the best
in the state – Ty’s brother Baker, a lineman.
The two will be Cornhusker teammates in
the fall, possibly on the defensive line, although
that’s a longshot. Baker did play defense in the
U.S. Army All-American Game, to the surprise
of his brother. But he is projected as an offensive
lineman at Nebraska.
Wherever Baker plays, “it’s going to be
fun,” Ty said. “I’ve never played with him
because he was always too young. I think it’ll
be pretty cool.”
Presumably, Baker will pick a jersey number
appropriate to his position.
Mike Masin, a redshirted freshman offensive
lineman, wore 71 in the spring, by the way. But
no one wore 55, which was Baker’s number in
high school, too.
poSITIoN oUTLookThe defensive line has something to prove.
Though last season’s defensive problems can’t all be
placed on the line, it starts up front, and “I think we
underplayed for the talent we have,” Ndamukong
Suh said. “We want to come out and prove to
everybody that, ‘Oh yeah, we’re still Nebraska and
we still can play defense and…stop people.’ ”
The line is experienced. The top eight return,
with six of them seniors. Suh, the only returning
Defensive Line Preview
zach poTTEr
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 6 5
Defensive Line Preview
starter who isn’t a senior, missed spring practice
following knee surgery, but he is expected to be
full-speed in the fall, and trimmed down from the
300 pounds at which he’s listed.
Everyone has been energized by the arrival of
coach Bo Pelini and staff.
“Personally, I think our defensive line is in
a great mindset,” said Suh. “We don’t have
anything to lose. Coming off a not-very-good
season, you can only go up.”
Zach Potter was the leading tackler among
defensive linemen with 45, including 12 for
losses and 2.5 sacks to earn All-Big 12 honorable
mention from the conference coaches.
Barry Turner became an every-down player
after being primarily a pass rusher his first two
seasons, the best of which was in 2005 when he
earned Freshman All-America recognition with
six sacks for 46 yards in losses. He was credited
with three sacks last season.
Ty Steinkuhler is the other returning starter
and has the versatility to move outside, after
beginning his career at Nebraska as a defensive
end. Kevin Dixon started three games and
Shukree Barfield one, after transferring from
Garden City (Kan.) Community College.
The linemen have had to adjust to a third
position coach in the past three seasons, with
defensive coordinator Carl Pelini and John
Papuchis (ends), following John Blake and
Buddy Wyatt. “It wasn’t a huge difference
between Coach Blake and Coach Wyatt,” said
Steinkuhler. “But there’s a lot of new stuff with
Coach (Carl) Pelini.”
He has adjusted well. “It makes a lot of sense
how he’s (Pelini) coaching certain blocks and how
you play them. It’ll be great,” Steinkuhler said.
Carl Pelini was satisfied with what he saw in
the spring.
“I’m excited about the progress of the
defensive line. I think they’re really taking to
the new techniques,” he said. “They’re asking
good questions. The want-to is there, which is
the biggest thing. When you talk about defensive
line play, you talk about process. It is a process
because it’s so reactional. You can’t think and
play defensive line. Repetition is the key. So
we’re not nearly where we want to be come
opening game next year. But that’s going to take
repetition over the course of the summer, to
where their reactions are split-second.”
When it reaches that point, “you can really
evaluate where we are,” he said.
Bo Pelini also was satisfied with what he saw
from the defensive linemen during the spring.
They’re “not even close to where they were
when we started,” he said. “We’ve made great
progress there.”
#98 • zach PotterSr., Defensive End, 6-7, 280Omaha, Neb. (Creighton Prep)
Potter is part of the Nebraska defensive line that returns intact for the 2008 season. He had a great season in 2007, finishing second on the team in tackles for loss. He played in all 12 games, starting 11 at base end. He finished with 45
tackles, the most among defensive linemen. His play earned him honorable-mention All-Big 12 honors from the conference coaches.
#43 • Ty SteinkuhlerSr., Defensive Tackle, 6-3, 280Lincoln, Neb. (Southwest)
Steinkuhler had a rough year, battling injuries during the first half of the 2007 season. Nevertheless, he played in 10 games with eight starts. He finished the year with 13 total tackles and had four tackles for loss. Steinkuhler figures to be one of the
leaders of this year’s Husker defensive line.
#93 • ndamukong SuhJr., Defensive Tackle, 6-4, 200Portland, Ore. (Grant)
Suh had knee surgery in early March but figures to be full speed for the start of fall camp in August. He is one of four returning starters on the defensive line. He played in all 12 contests last year with 11 starts. He finished the year with 34 tackles,
including 20 solos and had six tackles for loss. He was First Team Freshman All-Big 12 as selected by The Sporting News in 2006.
#99 • Barry TurnerSr., Defensive End, 6-3, 260Antioch, Tenn. (Brentwood Academy)
Turner is the most experienced of the four returning starters along the Nebraska defensive line. He has been in the Huskers regular rotation at defensive end since bursting onto the scene as a true freshman in 2005. He has great speed and uses
that to pressure quarterbacks on the outside. He enters his senior season with 10.5 career sacks and 17 career tackles for loss. He missed spring ball after shoulder surgery, but played in all 12 games with 11 starts at the open end spot in 2007.
#97 • kevin DixonSr., Defensive Tackle, 6-3, 285Sebring, Fla (Garden City CC)
Dixon saw considerable playing time in his first year in the Nebraska program. He eventually worked his way into the regular rotation at defensive tackle. He played in all 12 games in 2007, earning starts against Wake Forest, USC, Ball State
and Oklahoma State. The Sebring, FL product, by way of Garden City Community College, finished the season with 19 tackles, including 11 solo stops.
#95 • Pierre allenSo., Defensive End, 6-5, 265Denver, CO (Thomas Jefferson)
Allen has high hopes of earning more playing time this season after a solid redshirt freshman season in 2007. He saw significant action as a reserve end last fall, playing in 11 games as the No. 2 base end behind Zach Potter. He finished the year
with 16 total tackles, including three tackles for loss. He showed improvement late in the year as 15 of his 16 tackles came in the final six games.
#56 • Shukree BarfieldSr., Defensive Tackle, 6-4, 300Camden, NJ (Garden City CC)
Barfield had a respectable first season in the Husker program in 2007. He served as the top backup behind Ndamukong Suh in the middle of the defensive line and played in all 12 games, with a start against Oklahoma State. He finished
the year with 15 total tackles, including seven solos, and had one tackle for loss.
#88 • clayton SieversSr., Defensive End, 6-4, 255Elkhorn, NE
Sievers began his Husker career on the offensive side of the football before moving to the defensive side two years ago. He has spent the past two seasons splitting time between defensive end and linebacker. Sievers played in 11
games in 2007, serving primarily as Barry Turner’s top backup at open end. He finished the season with seven total tackles. He also served on several Nebraska special teams units.
#63 • Ben MartinSo., Defensive Tackle, 6-4, 270Lincoln, NE (Southwest)
Martin’s versatility made him valuable to last year’s Nebraska team. He earned playing time as a redshirt freshman. He has the ability to play either defensive end or defensive tackle for the Huskers. Martin played in seven games in
2007, serving as a backup defensive tackle behind fellow Lincoln Southwest graduate Ty Steinkuhler, and Kevin Dixon. He finished the year with three tackles.
6 6 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
coDy gLENN
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 6 7
LINEBackErSo say former Cornhusker Broderick
Thomas wasn’t a fan of Bill Callahan
and his staff would be understating.
That influenced Thomas’s attitude,
without a doubt.
Still, the two-time All-America linebacker
did see it coming.
“He saw before everything happened how
they ran stuff and how it was going to go,”
Cody Glenn said. “He used to tell me, and I’d
go, ‘OK.’ Then I saw he was right.”
Glenn and Thomas are cousins. They talk
regularly. And had Glenn taken his cousin’s
advice when he was a sophomore, he probably
wouldn’t be at Nebraska now.
He remained optimistic, however, believing
his time would come. And when it came, he
needed to be ready. He prepared accordingly. “It
just never came,” said Glenn.
Last season, he finally realized Thomas was
right, that his time wasn’t going to come as long
as Callahan was the coach. If not for
the arrival of Bo Pelini, “I wouldn’t
be here now,” Glenn said. “If Coach
Callahan and all of them would have
stayed, I’d be gone.”
That’s moot now, unpleasant
history as far as Glenn is concerned.
Pelini’s his coach, and he has a new
lease on football life – not as a running back, as
a linebacker.
Glenn’s move to linebacker was a major story
during the spring, how he asked Pelini if he
could try linebacker and if it didn’t work out,
return to running back.
Initially, “I really didn’t think it was going to
work,” said Glenn. “I was real skeptical. But I
just kind of stuck with it, and it started getting
easier and easier, and a lot of fun.”
Glenn hadn’t had that much fun since his
first year at Nebraska, when he was among 13
true freshmen who played on Callahan’s second
team. He was realistic about his situation then.
Cory Ross was the veteran running back,
and he was going to be used in short-yardage
situations.
He scored four touchdowns in seven games.
But he didn’t want to be labeled a short-yardage
back. He was more versatile, as he showed
during the spring. Or so he thought.
“After that spring, I just knew I was going
to be the starter. It was going to work out,”
Glenn said. “I felt like I was pretty much the
best player we had at the position at that time
and that there was no way I wasn’t going to
be the starter. The next three years were going
to be great.
“But things changed. Things don’t always
happen the way you think they will.”
Despite his play during the spring, Glenn
found himself in an I-back committee with
Marlon Lucky, Kenny Wilson and Brandon
Jackson in 2006. Lucky started the first five
games before giving way to Jackson, who rushed
for 989 yards and eight touchdowns.
Glenn also rushed for eight touchdowns,
but never got to start. And after suffering a foot
injury scoring a touchdown at Texas A&M, he
was effectively shelved. He carried 27 times in
five games last season. He said he was healthy.
The coaches said he wasn’t.
That’s when his thoughts of leaving were
strongest. “But I was fortunate enough and
blessed to have them (Pelini and staff) come in
here and have a clean slate,” he said.
Glenn wrote “linebacker” on that figurative
slate, something he never imagined he would do
when he signed a letter of intent with Nebraska.
Coming out of high school in Rusk, Texas, he
had scholarship offers from schools interested in
him as a defensive player.
Texas was among those schools. “But I
wanted to play running back. That was one of
the big reasons I came to Nebraska,” Glenn
said. “But, I mean, things change.”
The physical aspect wasn’t difficult, “just
the mental part, being able
to read things I’m not used
to reading. On offense I read
things differently than I do on
defense,” he said.
Blake Lawrence helped,
going over the defense with
him the day after he moved.
The two sat in linebackers coach Mike Ekeler’s
office while Ekeler was in a meeting.
Glenn had joked with Ekeler about his
switching to defense long before spring practice
began. Ekeler told him he needed to be on
defense. His response was, “Yeah, right.”
When Ekeler learned he really was making
the switch, “he was all kind of fired up and
happy,” said Glenn. “You know Coach ‘Ek.’
You can imagine how happy he was.”
Thomas was happy about the switch to
defense, too. “He was like, ‘Welcome to the
family. You’re one of us now. We need to get
you one of those Blackshirts,’ ” Glenn said.
Linebackers Preview
T
glenn completes switch to linebackeraT a gLaNcE
Returning LinebackersPhillip Dillard 6-1 245 Jr.
Cody Glenn 6-0 230 Sr.
Tyler Wortman 6-3 235 Sr.
Blake Lawrence 6-2 225 So.
Latravis Washington 6-3 225 So.
Colton Koehler 6-1 230 Jr.
Nick Covey 6-2 240 Jr.
Thomas Grove 6-2 220 So.
Austin Stafford 6-2 205 Rfr.
Mike Hays 6-1 230 Rfr.
Jeff Sayre 6-3 215 Rfr.
Joseph Camarata 5-10 225 Fr.
incoming linebackersWill Compton 6-2 230 Fr.
Sean Fisher 6-6 225 Fr.
Micah Kreikemeier 6-3 210 Fr.
*Alonzo Whaley 6-1 225 Fr.
*could play fullback
“I really didn’t think it was going to
work. I was real skeptical.”
cody glenn
6 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
Having played offense his first three years at
Nebraska, and being from out of state, Glenn
didn’t fully understand the Blackshirt tradition.
But he has learned quickly.
Thomas has told him about it, as have former
defensive players who have been welcomed
back into the program by Pelini. Glenn talked to
Demorrio Williams the weekend of the Spring
Game, and “you can just see the passion he has
about it,” said Glenn.
He has been compared to Williams, who
emerged as a dominant linebacker during Pelini’s
one season as Cornhusker defensive coordinator.
Glenn is flattered by the comparison.
“I’ve heard that a lot, just because of how he
was,” Glenn said.
“He was fast, a really good athlete and kind
of how they used him at defensive end and
different things like that. I guess only time will
tell. He was a great player here.”
Comparisons aside, Glenn is just happy for
the opportunity to get on the field and contribute
in any way he can. He’s even looking forward to
playing on special teams, something he hasn’t
done during his time at Nebraska. In the spring,
he was on all of them.
Even though he’s a linebacker now, the
running back hasn’t been taken out of him.
“I know I could be an every-down back for
anybody,” he said.
Thomas always told him that. Thomas also
told him how it would be. And it was.
Linebackers Preview
#52 • Phillip DillardJr., Linebacker, 6-1, 245Tulsa, Okla. (Jenks)
Dillard is the most experienced of Nebraska’s returning linebacker corps. He played all 12 games at the MIKE linebacker spot in 2007, splitting time with senior Corey McKeon. Dillard finished the year with 37 tackles, including 22 solo stops. He was one of the nation’s
top linebacker prospects after earning Oklahoma all-state honors for two consecutive seasons at Jenks High School.
#34 • cody GlennSr., Linebacker, 6-0, 230Rusk, Texas
Glenn will be leaving the Husker offense in an attempt to solidify the linebacker position on defense for this year’s team. He had a respectable spring and hopes are high that he can be a key contributor this year. In 2007, Glenn was slowed by injury and
saw limited action. Early in his career, Glenn made his mark as a short-yardage back. The Rusk, Texas native has all the tools to be a contributor if he can avoid further injuries. #53 • Tyler WortmanSr., Linebacker, 6-3, 235Grand Island, Neb. (Central Catholic)
Wortman had served as a scout team player through his first three years in the Husker program but finally got his chance on the field in 2007. He played in nine games during his junior season, including each of the final eight contests. Wortman finished the year with
nine total tackles, including three solo stops. He also had three tackles for loss. He is hoping to play even a bigger role for the Huskers this fall. #23 • Latravis WashingtonSo., Linebacker, 6-3, 225Bradenton, Fla. (Bayshore)
Washington saw limited action as a true freshman in 2007, playing primarily on special teams. He played in six games, both on kickoff coverage and as a reserve linebacker. He finished the year with two tackles, both coming in Nebraska’s win over Kansas State.
Washington is the cousin of former Husker standout Fabian Washington.
#12 • Blake LawrenceSo., Linebacker, 6-2, 225Shawnee Mission, KS (West)
Lawrence played in eight games as a true freshman in 2007. He was a backup to senior Bo Ruud at the SAM linebacker spot. He also was a regular member of the Huskers kickoff coverage unit. Lawrence saw his most extensive action of the season against Texas A&M
when Ruud went out with a knee injury. He made his first career tackle against the Aggies.
LaTravIS waShINgToN
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 6 9
#41 • Thomas GroveSo., Linebacker, 6-2, 220
Arlington, Neb.
Grove was one of 11 true
freshmen to see action in 2007
– and he did it after walking on
from Arlington, Neb., High School.
He participated on special teams
for the Huskers and this fall looks
to make a push at linebacker. Grove has also got off to
a good start in the classroom, as he was named to the
2007 Big 12 Commissioner’s Fall Academic Honor Roll.
#54 • colton koehlerJr., Linebacker, 6-1, 230
Harvard, Neb. (Nebraska Wesleyan)
Koehler is hoping to battle for
playing time at the linebacker
position this fall for the Huskers.
He joined Nebraska in January
of 2006 and worked as a fullback
initially. He began his college
career at Nebraska Wesleyan University after an
outstanding prep career at Harvard, Neb.. High School.
#45 • nick coveyJr., Linebacker, 6-2, 240
Glendale, Ariz. (Mountain Ridge)
Covey is hoping to work his way
into playing time this year as a
junior linebacker for the Huskers.
He missed the entire 2006 season
with a knee injury, after missing
spring drills in 2006 following
shoulder surgery. Covey had a great prep career at
Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale, Ariz.
poSITIoN oUTLookLinebackers coach Mike Ekeler stepped
into a difficult situation. Last season’s top four
linebackers are gone: Bo Ruud, Corey McKeon,
Steve Octavien and Lance Brandenburgh.
They were four of the top seven tacklers, and
Brandenburgh was even sidelined by injury
the final three games. Octavien led the way
with 92 tackles, including 15 for losses, also
a team high.
Even so, Ekeler was undaunted when spring
practice began. “We’ve got plenty of guys.
We’ve got guys who are sharp. We’ve got guys
who are going to be great players,” he said.
“Anywhere you’re at, you’re always going to
have turnover. You’re always going to have guys
graduating, every single year. It’s no different
for us.”
That attitude hadn’t changed by spring’s end,
quite the contrary.
A trimmed down Phillip Dillard is the most
experienced of the linebackers and figures to
hold down the middle. He started twice last
season and was credited with 37 tackles.
Walk-on Tyler Wortman, who got an
opportunity late last season, was among the
surprises of the spring, while Cody Glenn made
a successful transition from running back.
Wortman played the strongside, primarily,
and Glenn the weakside. But linebackers could
line up differently depending on the situation.
“If you want to talk about BUCK linebacker
or MIKE linebacker or WILL, I hate to do that
because we’re moving guys around,” defensive
coordinator Carl Pelini said. “We’re looking at
them in different positions.”
Like Ekeler, Pelini isn’t concerned about
inexperience. “We’re fine at the linebacker
position,” he said late in the spring. “We’ve got
a lot of guys. They understand multiple roles.
They understand the different positions and that
whole corps is coming around.”
Communication is essential at linebacker,
and Pelini saw that communication developing
during the spring. “It’s a demanding,
intellectual position in this scheme,” he said.
“You have to understand what’s going on in
front of you. You have to understand what’s
going on behind you. There is constant
communication involved. You can really judge
the success or failure of that unit as they start
to hear communication. You know they’re
beginning to understand.”
For Wortman, getting an opportunity has
been a dream come true.
“I knew it was going to take time and my
hard work would pay off,” he said. “At times,
I was getting down on myself, but in the end,
it paid off.”
Wortman has a near-perfect grade-point
average in mechanical engineering, a quality
required of what Ekeler considers a perfect
linebacker, a “guy who is sharp.” A perfect
linebacker also has to play “with fanaticism,
his hair on fire, a guy who’s just going to be
relentless, refuses to get blocked,” said Ekeler.
“That’s perfect for me. There’s a balance.”
Linebackers Preview
TyLEr worTmaN
7 0 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
maTT o’haNLoN
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 7 1
DEfENSIvE BackSt was a risk, one Matt O’Hanlon wishes
he would have taken immediately
following his senior year in high school
instead of doing what was reasonable.
Reasonable was accepting a football
scholarship from South Dakota. And in the
late summer of 2004, O’Hanlon headed to
Vermillion, S.D., for two-a-day practices.
He spent three weeks there, earning a job as
the starting nickel back. But he wasn’t happy. So
he returned to Nebraska, intent on walking on,
an uncertain proposition at best.
Bill Callahan was in his first year as
Cornhusker coach, and he was downsizing the
roster. In particular, he was eliminating walk-ons,
or so it seemed. That was never made specific.
But it was a hot rumor among Cornhusker fans,
given credence early in the season.
South Dakota’s roster included some former
Nebraska walk-ons who had left after Callahan
was hired. O’Hanlon tried “to steer
clear” of them. He was considering
transferring soon after two-a-days
began and “didn’t want any negative
effects on my confidence,” he said.
If Callahan didn’t embrace walk-
ons, O’Hanlon didn’t want to hear
about it.
During the football season his
senior year at East High in Bellevue,
Neb., O’Hanlon was recruited as a walk-on by
then-coach Frank Solich and his staff. O’Hanlon
was a running back and defensive back, starting
at safety in the Nebraska Shrine Bowl All-Star
Game.
He might have lacked the size for which
Callahan was looking, with a philosophy
based on recruiting service rankings and NFL
potential. But he was athletic, having also
earned four letters in high school soccer, and
exceptionally strong. He was a power-lifter.
He won a state power-lifting title in 2003 and
was a runner-up in 2004.
Beyond those qualities, however, O’Hanlon
had something that couldn’t be measured,
the passion for Cornhusker football that has
characterized its walk-ons. Coach Bo Pelini has
placed a premium on that passion, and walk-ons
are again an essential part of recruiting.
“I wanted to be here since I was 6-years old,
since I saw all those guys running through the
tunnel (at Memorial Stadium),” O’Hanlon said
following a practice late in the spring.
“But that scholarship at South Dakota kind
of drew me there.”
Again, it was the reasonable thing to do. So
when he decided to give up the scholarship,
some who knew him well were skeptical. Maybe
most were skeptical, in fact, but they didn’t say
anything. If that’s what he wanted to do, they
were going to support him.
His parents supported him “completely.
Everything I do they always support me,” he
said. “There are always the people who are like,
‘You’re not going to be able to do that.’ But
thank God, I have two great parents. Without
them, I probably wouldn’t be here.”
Without former Cornhusker assistant Bill
Busch, O’Hanlon might not be at Nebraska,
either. Leaving South Dakota didn’t ensure he
would make the team as a walk-on.
In January of 2005, he survived cuts in
a tryout for walk-ons. Then he had to avoid
getting lost in the shuffle. “I got to know Coach
Busch well,” said O’Hanlon. Busch coached
special teams and “gave me
my shot. I’m grateful for the
opportunity he gave me.”
After a mandatory redshirt
because of the transfer,
O’Hanlon earned playing time
on special teams. He has been
on the kickoff, kickoff return
and punt return teams.
He was never given an
opportunity at safety, however. And that was
discouraging. All he wanted was a chance,
which he got during the spring. Now it’s up to
him.
“When the new coaching staff came in,
I knew I was going to get a chance at least.
It’s definitely true. Guys like me, like Tyler
Wortman, who have been walk-ons for four or
five years, are finally getting a chance our senior
year,” O’Hanlon said.
Like Wortman who climbed to the top of the
Defensive Backs Preview
I
o’hanlon takes risks, accepts challenges as walk-on
aT a gLaNcEReturning CornerbacksArmando Murillo 6-0 190 Sr.Anthony Blue 5-10 180 So.Anthony West 6-0 200 So.Prince Amukamara 6-1 195 So.
Returning SafetiesLarry Asante 6-1 210 Jr.Rickey Thenarse 6-0 195 Jr.Matt O’Hanlon 5-11 195 Sr.Major Culbert 6-0 205 Jr.Austin Cassidy 6-1 205 Rfr.Matthew May 6-1 195 Rfr.
OthersEric Hagg 6-1 200 So.Shawn Sullivan 5-10 190 Rfr.Adam Watson 6-0 190 So.Ryan Ford 5-11 175 Jr.Lance Thorell 6-1 190 Rfr.
Incoming Defensive BacksAlfonzo Dennard 5-10 190 Fr.John Levorson 6-3 190 Fr.Justin Rogers 5-11 180 Fr.P.J. Smith 6-2 205 Fr.Mason Wald 5-11 205 Fr.David Whitmore 6-2 185 Fr.
“You kind of have to be (a risk taker)
to be where I’m at right now. If I wasn’t
a risk-taker, I’d still be in South Dakota.
I wouldn’t be here.”matt o’hanlon
7 2 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
depth chart at linebacker, he’s a solid student, a
fact that alleviated some of the risk of leaving a
sure thing at South Dakota. Earning a degree
is important to O’Hanlon. He was first-team
Academic All-Big 12 in 2006 and second team
in 2007, with a secondary education-social
sciences major.
O’Hanlon is a risk-taker. “You kind of have
to be to be where I’m at right now,” he said. “If
I wasn’t a risk-taker, I’d still be in South Dakota.
I wouldn’t be here.”
He also is persistent, “definitely,” he said.
“There have always been those doubts in
my mind, ‘I’m never going to get to play.’
But as time goes on, you realize that you
love being here, not just for the playing
time but for the experiences and being
with the guys.
“I look at it as a blessing to even be
here with my teammates.”
Spring practice can often be drudgery
for veteran players. But that wasn’t the
case for O’Hanlon, and not just because
of the coaching change – though that was
a part.
He was eager to go to practice every
day, to fix mistakes and improve. His
being a senior, there was a sense of
urgency. He had to make up for lost time.
He didn’t want it to end.
Even if his contributions are limited
to special teams again this season, he
had a chance. And he appreciates being
at Nebraska. “It’s amazing to be in one
of the greatest programs in the country,
really not even being given a shot out of
high school,” he said.
“It’s amazing I have this opportunity
to play in front of 85,000 on Saturdays.”
The first time he took the Tunnel Walk,
he was “so nervous.” But the nervousness
quickly subsided after he made a tackle
his first time on the kickoff team.
Giving up the scholarship at South
Dakota and coming to Nebraska required
“a leap of faith,” said O’Hanlon. “I had
no idea if I was going to make the team
or not.
“I prayed about it and luckily, I got my
chance.”
He has no regrets . . . well, maybe one.
“I wish I would have just come straight here,”
he said.
poSITIoN oUTLookArmando Murillo and Larry Asante are the
only returning starters in the secondary, and
they represent most of the experience there
besides. Murillo and Matt O’Hanlon are the
only seniors under new defensive backs coach
Marvin Sanders. The secondary is young.
“I’m ‘Pops,’ ” said the quiet Murillo. “That’s
what they say.”
Murillo started every game last season in a
four-cornerback rotation that included Cortney
Grixby, Andre Jones and Zack Bowman. He was
fourth on the team in tackles with 71 (including
43 unassisted and three for losses) and seven
pass break-ups.
Asante, who earned All-Big 12 honorable
mention from the conference coaches, was
second on the team in tackles with 78, including
Defensive Backs Preview
Larry aSaNTE
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 7 3
#33 • Matt o’Hanlon5-11, 195, Sr., SafetyBellevue, Neb. (East)
O’Hanlon saw action in 10 games last year, primarily working on the Huskers special teams units. He finished the year with three tackles, including solo stops against Nevada and Iowa State. In 2006, O’Hanlon played in all
14 games and contributed on one of the nation’s best kickoff coverage units. He had eight total tackles that year.
#21 • Prince amukamara6-1, 195, So., Defensive BackGlendale, Ariz. (Apollo)
Amukamara saw limited action in 2007 as a true freshman. Nevertheless, after losing a majority of the defensive secondary, he will have an opportunity to step into considerable playing time this
fall. He has the versatility to play both cornerback and safety. After not playing in 2007’s first three games, he saw action in eight of the final nine contests. He was a regular on the Huskers kickoff coverage unit. He recorded four tackles last season.
#6 • Major culbert6-0, 205, Jr., SafetyHarbor City, Calif. (Nathaniel Narbonne)
Culbert landed on the defensive side of the football after beginning 2007 as a reserve I-back. He carried the ball five times for 35 yards and a touchdown against Nevada. His move to defense came midway
though 2007. He recorded eight tackles in the season’s final five games as a reserve linebacker. He also participated on the Huskers special teams. This fall, look for Culbert to try to land the starting safety job.
#28 • eric Hagg6-1, 200, So., Defensive BackPeoria, Ariz. (Ironwood)
Hagg is like several of Nebraska’s young defenders – licking his chops at a chance to replace the six outgoing regulars in the defensive backfield. He saw limited action as a true freshman last fall. He has the athletic ability
to compete for playing time at both cornerback and safety. Hagg played in seven games last fall as both a reserve in the secondary and on special teams. He recorded two assisted tackles.
#4 • Larry asante6-1, 210, Jr., SafetyAlexandria, Va. (Hayfield/Coffeyville CC)
Asante had a good first season for the Huskers after transferring from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College. He earned the starting job at strong safety and played in all 12 games, including 10 starts. He finished
second on the team with 78 tackles, including 38 solo stops. Asante was named to the honorable mention All-Big 12 team by the conference coaches.
#14 • anthony Blue5-10, 180, So., CornerbackCedar Hill, Texas
Blue worked his way up the ladder last season as a freshman in the defensive secondary. He earned playing time at the start of the season and went on to start the final two games. He played in all 12 games and
recorded 18 tackles, including nine solos. He also saw extensive action on special teams. Blue had the misfortune of suffering a knee injury in winter conditioning and had surgery in early March. It is hopeful he will be ready for the beginning of fall drills in early August.
#5 • armando Murillo6-0, 190, Sr., CornerbackTampa, Fla. (Robinson/Eastern Arizona CC)
Murillo is the lone returnee from a four-player cornerback rotation in 2007. He started all 12 games last year and is being counted on to be a leader with the departure of six regulars from last year’s secondary. He was one of only
two defenders to be in the starting lineup in every game. Murillo finished fourth on the team in tackles with 71 stops, including 43 solo tackles. He had a season-high seven pass breakups.
#22 • anthony West6-0, 200, So., CornerbackSan Diego, Calif. (Point Loma)
West served as a reserve cornerback throughout the 2007 season and also saw time on special teams. He finished the year with six tackles, including four solo stops. West had prepared to play in an injury-
plagued secondary in 2006, but he ultimately sat out the season as a redshirt. This could be the year the Point Loma High School product out of San Diego gets his chance.
a high of 10 against Texas A&M. Both he and
Murillo are being counted on for leadership. He
gained confidence every day during the spring,
according to coach Bo Pelini. “He has good
understanding,” Pelini said.
Tierre Green, the only defensive player
besides Murillo to start every game last season,
is gone, along with Bryan Wilson and Ben
Eisenhart, creating opportunities at safety.
Most prominent among the candidates is
Rickey Thenarse, a two-time special teams
MVP with a penchant for making big hits.
Major Culbert appears to have found a home at
safety after beginning last season as a running
back and finishing as a linebacker.
“I feel real great at safety,” Culbert said.
“Hopefully, I’ll stay there.”
O’Hanlon had to be force-fed during
the spring, according to Pelini, because his
experience the past two seasons has been limited
to special teams.
Anthony Blue had an immediate impact as a
true freshman, including starting the final two
games against Kansas State and Colorado. But
he suffered an ACL injury during a seven-on-
seven passing drill during winter conditioning
and missed spring practice.
With Blue sidelined, Anthony West stepped
up in the spring. He played primarily on special
teams last season, after redshirting. Prince
Amukamara and Eric Hagg will figure in the
mix somewhere after seeing action as true
freshmen on special teams.
It appeared both Amukamara, who worked
as a nickel back in the spring, and Hagg would
redshirt last season. However, Amukamara
was pulled from a redshirt three games into the
season and Hagg was asked to shed his redshirt
one week later.
The secondary has room for improvement.
Nebraska ranked 84th in the nation in pass
defense and 75th in pass efficiency defense,
allowing 20 touchdown passes with only eight
interceptions – and only three were by defensive
backs. Grixby had two, Bowman one.
The eight interceptions were tied for the
fewest in the Big 12. During the past four seasons,
Nebraska’s cornerbacks have intercepted 11
passes total. By comparison, cornerbacks
intercepted 12 passes in 2003, when Pelini was
the defensive coordinator.
The Cornhuskers allowed 21 pass plays of 25
yards or more last season.
What the defensive backs lack in experience,
they make up for with enthusiasm. The return
of Pelini has energized them. “Last year, guys
were passionate,” Murillo said.
“It’s just a better attitude.”
Defensive Backs Preview
7 4 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
DaN TITchENEr
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 7 5
kIckErSuring the team breakfast before the Texas
A&M game last October, Tim Cassidy,
Nebraska’s former associate athletic
director for football operations, motioned
for Dan Titchener to come over to the table at
which he and then-coach Bill Callahan sat.
Former Cornhusker Mike Minter also was
among those at the table. Callahan introduced
Titchener to Minter, who retired in 2007 after
10 seasons in the NFL.
“This is our ‘scholarship’ punter,” Callahan
told Minter.
Titchener looked at Callahan as if to say, Uh,
Coach, I don’t have a scholarship.
Callahan read the look and smiled. He hadn’t
misspoken.
“You’re on scholarship,” he said. “We put
you on scholarship.”
That’s how Titchener learned,
with five games remaining in his
junior season, he had achieved a goal
he brought with him as a walk-on
from Cheyenne, Wyo.
Even better, the scholarship was
retroactive to the beginning of the
season. The next Monday, he signed
the paperwork and was reimbursed
for the semester’s tuition as well as
for the cost of textbooks. “For my
parents, it was nice,” Titchener said.
It also certified his
accomplishments over two seasons, though
“with or without the scholarship, it still
would have been worth coming here, just for
the experiences. Getting to play in front of
80,000-plus people every game is worth any
amount of money,” he said.
Four years at Nebraska, including one as a
redshirt and another spent watching Sam Koch
set the school single-season record for punting
average (46.51 yards), haven’t diminished the
excitement of playing in front of sellout crowds
at Memorial Stadium.
Emerging from the Tunnel Walk into a
stadium packed in red is the “one moment that
will never get old,” said Titchener. “It was nice
to experience it in the stands when I came as a
recruit, but it’s completely different as a player.
It’s something that can’t be described.”
Titchener experienced it in the stands when he
was in high school. Former coach Frank Solich
and his staff recruited Titchener as a walk-on
in 2003. Scott Downing was the contact. After
Solich was fired, however, Titchener didn’t hear
from Nebraska.
Then, after Callahan was hired, Titchener
came home one day to find a message on the
telephone answering machine from Downing,
who had been retained on staff.
Nebraska was still interested in him. And he
was still interested in Nebraska.
That seems like a long time ago. Much has
changed.
“It’s totally different than when I was getting
recruited,” Titchener said.
When he came to Lincoln for the spring game
prior to his freshman season, for example, the
team’s post-game barbeque was held in Schulte
Fieldhouse. Then the venerable but out-dated
structure was torn down to make way for the
Tom and Nancy Osborne Complex.
There are many other differences, too many
to mention. Downing remained for two seasons
and worked with the punters as well as tight
ends, before leaving to become head coach
at Northern Colorado. He was succeeded by
Shawn Watson and then Joe Rudolph.
Punters often are on their own anyway, but
after Downing left, that was even more the case,
“a lot of learning on our own, going to camps
and stuff,” said Titchener.
Now, John Papuchis works with the punters,
and “he has helped me a ton, in terms of
technique,” Titchener said. Papuchis doesn’t tell
him what to change. Rather, “he’ll say, ‘Look at
this, see if this is something you need to change;
try this and see if it works.’ ”
Titchener doesn’t need to change much, just
refine technique and continue to be consistent.
After all, he’ll be going into his third season as
the Cornhuskers’ punter, something only seven
others have done since 1946, when annual
records were first kept.
Mike Stigge set the standard, holding the
job for four seasons (1989-92).
The others, all three seasons,
were: Kyle Larson (2001-03),
Jesse Kosch (1995-97), John
Kroeker (1986-88), Tim Smith
(1977-79), Randy Lessman
(1974-76) and Dennis Claridge
(1961-63).
Smith and Claridge also
were regular position players,
Smith a split end and Claridge
a quarterback. Titchener played
defensive end and tight end in
high school. But giving up that aspect of football
wasn’t difficult. “I thought it was going to be
fairly hard,” he said.
“Then I got here and saw how huge everybody
was compared to me and I realized there was no
way I could play another position at this level.
That made a pretty easy transition.”
During his first two seasons, he shadowed
Koch. He was always right there, doing what
Koch did, figuring that was a way to get better.
“I paid real close attention to pretty much every
move he made. I wanted to see how to react at
practice if things went wrong, how to improve,
what to do, what kind of drills to do to, that kind
of stuff,” Titchener said.
He also watched how Koch carried himself.
Titchener maintains contact with Koch
Kickers Preview
D
Titchener aims for the sky as a senioraT a gLaNcE
Returning Place-KickersAlex Henery 6-2 170 So.
Adi Kunalic 6-0 185 Sr.
Returning PuntersDan Titchener 6-0 200 Sr.
Returning SpecialistsJake Wesch 6-1 205 Sr.
T.J. O’Leary 6-1 235 Sr.
Justin Baumgartner 6-2 250 Sr.
“Then I got here and saw how huge
everybody was at this level and I
realized there was no way I could play
another position at this level.
dan titchener
7 6 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
and Koch’s predecessor Kyle Larson, whose
45.12-yards-per-punt average in 2003 ranks
second on the Cornhuskers’ single-season list.
He would like to challenge Koch and Larson
at the top of that list this season. He averaged
39.3 yards on 66 punts in 2006 and 41.3 yards on
49 punts in 2007 to rank fifth in the Big 12 and
48th nationally and earn All-Big 12 honorable
mention from the conference coaches. His punts
have been downed inside the 20-yard line 42
times over the past two seasons.
“My goal is to lead the nation in punting,”
said Titchener. “It’s something I can definitely
attain. That’s what I’m striving toward. I always
want to be the best.
“But whether it’s a certain number (average)
out there, I don’t know. I’d want to average
about 45 yards . . . maybe 44 would be on the
lower end of what I want.”
Last season’s NCAA leader, Cincinnati’s
Kevin Huber, averaged 46.88 yards on 57 punts.
A top-six finish would have required at least a
45-yard average.
Kansas State’s Tim Reyer led Big 12 punters
with a 44.53-yard average.
Actually, even if his average improves,
Titchener would forego leading the nation in
punting if the team is successful. If the offense
is potent enough to limit the number of punts,
he might not meet the minimum requirement.
That would be OK with him. “I’d take 12 punts
all year,” Titchener said. “I want to play in each
game, so I’ll take one a game.”
And make the most of each one.
poSITIoN oUTLookThe Cornhuskers are set for kickers. Alex
Henery and Adi Kunalic are returning starters
as place-kickers. Their continued competition
will make both better.
Henery was something of a surprise, earning
the job kicking extra points and handling short
and mid-range field goals after walking on and
redshirting. He was perfect in his first collegiate
season, making 45-of-45 extra-point kicks and
8-of-8 field goals.
He was the ninth kicker in school history to be
perfect on extra points and the first to be perfect
on field goal attempts, with a minimum of five.
The field goal distances ranged from 22 to 39
yards.
Henery’s efficiency was particularly
important given the fact Nebraska attempted
the fewest field goals in the conference. Baylor
attempted the second fewest, with 14.
Henery could also punt in a pinch. He was
first team All-Nebraska and first team Super-
State as a punter in high school – and he
expected to punt in college.
Kunalic attempted, and made, the
Cornhuskers’ first field goal of the season, a
46-yarder in the opener against Nevada. He also
kicked an extra point against the Wolfpack, and
he’ll likely continue as the choice on long field
goals, although Henery, who kicked a 48-yard
field goal as a high school sophomore, has
shown good range, as well.
Kunalic has left no doubt about who will
handle kickoffs. Even though the NCAA moved
kickoffs back 5 yards, to the 30, he sent 28 of
his 66 kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks,
averaging 65.7 yards per kickoff. Nebraska
managed only 12 touchbacks in 2006.
Kunalic’s strong right leg was much in
evidence in the spring game. After his first
kickoff was returned from the 11-yard line, the
next seven were touchbacks.
Jake Wesch is valuable because of his
versatility. He’ll be the top holder for a third
consecutive season. He can punt, as evidenced in
the spring game, when he punted twice, for 44
and 62 yards. And he can kick off. He handled
the majority of kickoffs beginning with the Texas
game in 2006, stepping in for Jordan Congdon.
Finally, T.J. O’Leary will be the deep snapper
for a third season, after stepping in when Lane
Kelly was sidelined early in 2006 (he continued
to snap on punts when Kelly returned).
The most pressing question about the kicking
game is: Who will handle returns? Nothing was
decided in the spring. Sophomore wide receiver
Niles Paul and redshirted freshman I-back Marcus
Mendoza were among those who got looks, but
the list of candidates is much longer. Senior wide
receiver Nate Swift’s sure-handedness again
makes him a possibility on punt returns.
The Cornhuskers ranked eighth in the
conference in both punt returns and kickoff
returns last season, the latter despite the efforts
of Cortney Grixby, who set a Big 12 record with
1,094 yards on 45 returns. They need to improve
in both areas.
Kickers Preview
#90 • alex HenerySo., Place-Kicker, 6-2, 170Omaha, NE (Burke)
Henery handled the Huskers extra-point duties and short and mid-range field goals in 2007. He had a perfect season going 45-for-45 on extra points and made all eight of his field goal attempts. He earned First Team All-Big 12 honors from
The Sporting News. A football and soccer standout at Omaha Burke High School, Henery walked on and redshirted his first year at Nebraska.
#20 • adi kunalicSo., Place-Kicker, 6-0, 185Fort Worth, TX (North Crowley)
Kunalic gives Nebraska a key defensive weapon with his long-range kicking ability. As a true freshman last year, he helped the Huskers rank among the nation’s best kickoff teams. He negated the move of kickoffs to the
30-yard line by holding teams to 28 touchbacks in 66 attempts and his 42.4 percent touchback rate was the best of any kicker in the country. He was also Nebraska’s long-range field goal kicker. He made his only attempt of the season, from 46 yards, against Nevada.
#97 • Dan TitchenerSr., Punter, 6-0, 200Cheyenne, Wyo., (East)
Senior punter Dan Titchener has been a consistent performer for the Huskers over the past two seasons. He has downed 42 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line during that time and had just one punt blocked in two seasons.
He punted 49 times for a 41.3 yard average in 2007. He showed improvement as in 2006 he averaged 39.3 yards per punt. He has also excelled in the classroom as he has been named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Fall Academic Honor Roll four times and is a two-time First Team Academic, All-Big 12 selection.
#82 • T.J. o’LearySr., Long Snapper, 6-1, 235Omaha, NE (Millard North/New Mexico State)
O’Leary returns for his senior season after handling the long snapping chores for the Huskers each of the past two years. He was perfect in 2007 as NU kickers converted on every PAT and field goal attempt. He also had three
tackles on punt coverage. O’Leary redshirted in 2005 after transferring from New Mexico State. He played in every game for the Aggies in 2004 as a freshman. He also served as the NMSU long snapper.
#37 • Jake WeschSr., Holder/Place-Kicker, 6-1, 205North Bend, NE
Wesch played in all 12 games as Nebraska’s holder last fall. He was consistent as the Huskers posted the first perfect kicking season in school history. Nebraska place kickers went 46-for-46 on extra point tries and 9-for-9 on field
goals. Wesch also hopes to continue to battle for place-kicking and kickoff duties. He has also shown the ability to be diverse as he has thrown a touchdown pass for the Huskers. He helped pull off a perfectly executed fake field goal against Kansas State in 2006 with a 17-yard TD strike to tight end Hunter Teafatiller.
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 7 7
7 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
Big 12 Preview
BIg 12 prEvIEwhe standard for Big 12 quarterbacks is high.
Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell led the nation in total offense. And
Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford led the nation in passing efficiency. But
neither was first-team all-conference.
Harrell was on the coaches’ all-conference second team, sharing the
position with Kansas’ Todd Reesing, while Bradford received honorable
mention.
Reesing, alone at second on the Associated Press team, posted numbers
that would have merited first-team honors most seasons. But 2007 wasn’t
most seasons.
The Big 12 was loaded with quality quarterbacks, none better than
Missouri’s Chase Daniel, first-team all-conference according to both the AP
and the coaches.
Daniel, who also finished fourth in voting for the Heisman Trophy, had
impressive numbers. Beyond that, however, he elevated his team, took the
Tigers to another level.
Missouri climbed to No. 1 in the AP poll the last week in November and
finished No. 4 with a 12-2 record, its only losses coming against Oklahoma
and Bradford.
Daniel is back, as are Reesing, Harrell and Bradford. Texas quarterback
Colt McCoy also is back, along with Oklahoma State’s Zac Robinson,
Kansas State’s Josh Freeman, Colorado’s Cody Hawkins, Texas A&M’s
Stephen McGee and Baylor’s Blake Szymanski.
That’s 10 of 12 starters returning.
Only Nebraska and Iowa State don’t
have returning starters – and in
the Cornhuskers’ case, that’s a
technicality. Joe Ganz started the
last three games and produced
remarkable numbers, passing
for 1,399 yards and 15
touchdowns.
Quarterbacks
characterize the
conference and
contribute to its
overall strength.
“I think this will
be the best balanced
league we’ve had since I’ve been
here, the 10 years we’ve been at
Texas,” said Longhorns coach
Mack Brown. “It is because
everybody’s better.
“You can just look at the number of schools that played close games
and upset some perennial teams last year, and the ones that ended up in
the Top 10.”
In addition to Missouri’s being No. 4 in the final AP rankings, Kansas
was No. 7 and Oklahoma was No. 8, with Texas finishing No. 10.
The quarterbacks were a factor, Brown said, but so were the coaches.
“Everybody’s got a good football team in this league now, so you can no
longer plan on winning a game. You’re going to have to earn the right to win
that game before you can count it.”
Consider that Kansas was picked in the conference-area media pre-
season poll to finish fourth in the North Division but tied Missouri for first.
Nebraska, in contrast, was picked to finish second in the division but ended
up in a fifth-place tie with Iowa State.
The South Division was more predictable, although Texas Tech finished
in a three-way tie for third and ranked No. 22 in the AP poll after being
TQuarterbacks dominate the conference scene
Big 12 conference previewnortH
MISSOURI . . . national title contender, maybe
nEBRASKA . . . back on track with Bo
KAnSAS . . . tough inter-division games
COLORADO . . . joining no-huddle ranks
KAnSAS STATE . . . better if juco experiment works
IOWA STATE . . . deciding between quarterbacks
soutH
OKLAHOMA . . . in Big 12 title game again
TEXAS . . . new defensive coordinator
TEXAS TECH . . . defense is key in Lubbock
OKLAHOMA STATE . . . new offensive coordinator
TEXAS A&M . . . Aggies get NFL perspective
BAyLOR . . . new coach, same sad scenario
mISSoUrI’S chaSE DaNIELS
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 7 9
picked fifth in the division.
Texas Tech coach Mike Leach also attributes that success, as well as high
expectations for South Division teams this season, to more than marquee
quarterbacks. Competition is “always at such a high level that maybe it’s just
in degrees,” he said. “I mean, even though quarterbacks are big this year…
if not for that, there are running backs…
“I remember one year, this was such a scary conference because of
d-linemen. But I think the South Division’s always good, and maybe the
flavor of the month this year is quarterbacks. But I don’t know, better (the
division)? It’s hard to say, maybe different.”
Despite finishing with the highest national ranking of any conference
team and reaching the Big 12 championship game for the first time, Missouri
couldn’t win a rematch with Oklahoma, which has won three of the last four
conference titles and five total. South Division teams have won the last four
conference titles, in fact, and eight of 12.
Sooners coach Bob Stoops isn’t dismissing teams in the North Division,
however. “Those North teams look pretty good, too, with everybody that’s
back,” he said. “The overall strength of all the quarterbacks back just makes
the whole league strong. And even though we were (strong) a year ago, you
would expect it to be even more so this year.”
One season doesn’t produce divisional parity. “You don’t just have one
good year in the North and all of a sudden we’re balanced with the South,”
said Missouri coach Gary Pinkel. “We’ve got a great league. We’ve got great
teams in this league, in both divisions, and I think if the North can continue
to improve, it just makes our league that much stronger.”
Kansas coach Mark Mangino, the consensus national coach of the
year, doesn’t “try to analyze the North versus South. We’re in the Big 12
Conference, and eventually, you have to play everybody,” he said. “You can
see some signs of teams in the North, teams emerging. But I still am a firm
believer that things go in cycles, and there’ll be a back and forth.”
Offense and defense can be cyclical, too, and offense seems to be on the
upswing in the Big 12, which led all conferences with seven teams ranked in
the NCAA Top 20 in total offense. In addition, four Big 12 teams ranked in
the top eight nationally in scoring.
Nebraska averaged 35.3 points in eight conference games yet finished in
the lower half.
The no-huddle, spread offense has been a factor in the scoring. “I think
right now that the innovations that have occurred on the offensive side of the
ball, most of those have to do with creating space for very athletic players,”
Kansas State coach Ron Prince said.
Speed is at a premium, with defensive players “out in space, one-on-one
against a very athletic blocker and athletic, sometimes, runner,” he said.
Defenses will adjust. “You’ve got a lot of people in this profession who
are terrific at thinking about the game from the defensive perspective,”
said Prince.
Nebraska coach Bo Pelini is among those Prince described. Louisiana
State ranked third nationally in total defense the past three seasons with him
as coordinator.
The SEC is “probably a little bit more of a defensive league, I guess,”
Pelini said. “When I first came back in the league (Big 12) and I saw the
numbers in the league, I was a little bit blown away at how skyrocketed the
numbers were on the offensive side of things.
Big 12 Preview
all-Big 12 TeamfIrST TEam
offensePos. Player Ht. Wt. yr. SchoolWR Michael Crabtree 6-3 208 So. Texas TechWR Jeremy Maclin 6-1 200 So. MissouriWR Dexton Fields 6-0 204 Sr. KansasTE Chase Coffman 6-6 245 Sr. MissouriOL Daniel Sanders 6-3 325 Sr. ColoradoOL Duke Robinson 6-5 352 Sr. OklahomaOL Luis Vasquez 6-6 335 Sr. Texas TechOL Lydon Murtha 6-7 315 Sr. NebraskaOL Phil Loadholt 6-8 350 Sr. OklahomaQB Chase Daniel 6-0 225 Sr. MissouriRB Marlon Lucky 6-0 215 Sr. NebraskaRB Mike Goodson 6-0 206 Jr. Texas A&MPK Jeff Wolfert 6-2 185 Sr. MissouriKR DeMarco Murray 6-0 191 So. Oklahoma
defenseDL Auston English 6-3 257 Jr. OklahomaDL George Hypolite 6-1 285 Sr. ColoradoDL Ziggy Hood 6-4 295 Sr. MissouriDL Ian Campbell 6-5 249 Sr. Kansas StateLB Joe Mortensen 6-1 250 Sr. KansasLB Sean Weatherspoon 6-1 235 Jr. MissouriLB Rashad Bobino 5-11 238 Sr. TexasDB Chris Harris 6-0 180 So. KansasDB Jacob Lacey 5-11 175 Sr. Oklahoma StateDB William Moore 6-1 230 Sr. MissouriDB Nic Harris 6-3 226 Sr. OklahomaP Justin Brantly 6-3 241 Sr. Texas A&MPR Jeremy Maclin 6-1 200 So. Missouri
SEcoND TEamoffenseWR Juaquin Iglesias 6-1 201 Sr. OklahomaWR Quan Cosby 5-11 205 Sr. TexasWR Nate Swift 6-2 200 Sr. NebraskaTE Brandon Pettigrew 6-6 260 Sr. Oklahoma StateOL Jon Cooper 6-2 285 Sr. OklahomaOL Matt Slauson 6-5 325 Sr. NebraskaOL Rylan Reed 6-7 314 Sr. Texas TechOL Adam Ulatoski 6-8 310 Jr. TexasOL Alesana Alesana 6-4 299 Sr. Kansas StateQB Graham Harrell 6-3 202 Sr. Texas TechRB DeMarco Murray 6-0 191 So. OklahomaRB Jake Sharp 5-10 190 Jr. KansasPK Brooks Rossman 6-0 178 Sr. Kansas StateKR Marcus Herford 6-3 208 Sr. Kansas
defenseDL Brian Orakpo 6-4 260 Sr. TexasDL Gerald McCoy 6-4 289 So. OklahomaDL Brandon Nicholas 6-3 290 Sr. ColoradoDL Stryker Sulak 6-5 250 Sr. MissouriLB Joe Pawelek 6-3 236 Jr. BaylorLB Brock Christopher 6-2 235 Sr. MissouriLB James Holt 6-3 222 Sr. KansasDB Justin Thornton 6-1 202 Jr. KansasDB Jamar Wall 5-10 194 So. Texas TechDB Ryan Walters 6-0 200 Sr. ColoradoDB Jordan Lake 6-2 206 Jr. BaylorP Matt Fodge 6-1 195 Sr. Oklahoma StatePR Deon Murphy 5-10 170 Sr. Kansas State
8 0 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
“It’s just a trend. I think when it’s all said
and done, you see the teams that are usually
in it at the top finding a way to play good
defense because you’re never going to win
championships without having success on
defense. It’s cyclical, like everything else.”
Statistically, Kansas was the top defensive
team in the conference last season.
The Jayhawks also run a spread offense,
which has contributed to their success on
defense. “Just watching our defense, they’re
starting to pick up on some of the little
nuances on offense that we do because they’re
seeing it every day,” said Mangino.
The terms “spread” and “no-huddle” don’t
describe a single offensive system. “Every
offense you play against has a different
rhythm,” Pelini said. “Some teams, even
though they get up to the football in a hurry,
they’re not going real fast-paced. The bottom
line is, a lot of these offenses these days, the
offensive coordinators want to see what the
defense comes out in and they want to see if
they can get themselves into the right plays.
“So you have to evaluate what they’re
trying to accomplish and try and offset it by
how you disguise, how you hold your looks
and still be able to get your calls in and match
personnel at the same time. Every offense is
different and presents, I guess, a unique set of
problems.”
Spread offenses “are a lot different,” said
Pinkel.
Missouri’s spread, no-huddle system,
installed by offensive coordinator Dave
Christensen in 2005, is different than West
Virginia’s, which is different than Oregon’s.
And the Tigers’ offense is different than both.
That “makes it good, and really makes a
difference in college football and high school
football. It’s a lot different than the NFL,
where every offense and every defense looks
absolutely identical,” Pinkel said.
Regardless of the offensive system, the key
component is the quarterback. And the Big
12 has an abundance of veteran quarterbacks,
proven leaders, in 2008.
BowL BoUNDFor the sixth time in the past seven
seasons, eight Big 12 teams played in bowl
games in 2007. With Oklahoma and Kansas
in BCS bowl games, the conference was not
represented in the Texas Bowl, however. The
Big 12 bowl results were:
4Orange: Kansas 24, Virginia Tech 21
4Fiesta: West Virginia 48, Oklahoma 28
4Gator: Texas Tech 30, Virginia 27
4Cotton: Missouri 38, Arkansas 7
4Music City: Oklahoma State 49, Indiana 33
4Independence: Alabama 30, Colorado 24
4Alamo: Penn State 24, Texas A&M 17
4Holiday: Texas 52, Arizona State 34
Eleven conference teams have played in
bowl games since 2005. Baylor hasn’t played
in a bowl game since 1994, when the Bears
lost to Washington State in the Alamo Bowl.
offENSIvESeven Big 12 teams ranked in the NCAA’s
Top 20 in total offense in 2007:
rk. school yards
2. Texas Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529.6
5. Missouri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490.3
7. Oklahoma State . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486.3
8. Kansas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 479.8
9. Nebraska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468.2
13. Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462.9
19. Oklahoma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448.9
pUTTINg Up poINTSSix Big 12 teams ranked in the NCAA’s Top
20 in scoring:
rk. school Points
2. Kansas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42.8 points
5. Oklahoma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42.3
7. Texas Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40.9
8. Missouri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39.9
14. Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37.2
18. Kansas State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35.2
coNSENSUSEight Big 12 players earned consensus All-
America recognition, a conference high.
4Michael Crabtree*, WR, Texas Tech
4Jordon Dizon, LB, Colorado
4Curtis Lofton, LB, Oklahoma
4Jeremy Maclin*, WR/R, Missouri
4Jordy Nelson, WR, Kansas State
4Martin Rucker, TE, Missouri
4Duke Robinson*, OL, Oklahoma
4Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas
* Return in 2008
Big 12 Preview
Big 12 NotebookrULES chaNgEThe NCAA will use a 40-second clock like the NFL this
season. The 40 seconds will begin as soon as the ball is
blown dead. Previously, teams had 25 seconds to snap
the ball after officials marked it ready for play. After a
change of possession, the 25-second clock will be in
effect, and the 40-second clock will not be used in the
final two minutes of games.
“It sounds like it would slow it down,” Brown said of
the new rule. “But the purpose is to try to get the game
through more quickly with dead time, not take away
plays from kids. If it’s a long pass, you’re going to have
to get back to work and move forward immediately
because we felt like there was definitely a quicker pace
this spring than there has been in the past.”
Most of the coaches agreed. “I think the game is
speeded up to some degree,” said Stoops. “I guess the
best way of saying it is there’s a more consistent speed
of play. Some officials spot the ball and get the clock
started sooner than others when we didn’t have the
40-second clock.”
Leach is less certain. “I haven’t noticed just a lot of
difference,” he said. “We no-huddle it some and try to get
after it. The biggest thing is those long plays, you have to
hustle down there.”
NEw facESPelini isn’t the only new head coach in the conference.
Texas A&M hired Mike Sherman and Baylor hired Art
Briles. Pelini hasn’t been surprised by the enthusiastic
reaction of Cornhusker fans. “I guess nothing here
surprises me from being here the first time for a year,”
said Pelini, Nebraska’s defensive coordinator and interim
head coach for one game in 2003.
“It became obvious in 12 months how passionate the
people of the state of Nebraska are about their football.
We’ve had a great reception.”
TIckET DEmaNDTotal attendance in the Big 12 surpassed 4.6 million
for a second consecutive year. Attendance was 4,652,267
in 2007. Big 12 stadiums were 96.6 percent filled in 2007,
the ninth consecutive year of over 90 percent. Nebraska
continues to set the standard with its on-going NCAA
record 289 consecutive sellouts at Memorial Stadium.
The Cornhuskers were third in the conference in total
and average attendance behind Texas and Oklahoma.
Texas averaged 85,144, Oklahoma 84,858 and Nebraska
84,515.
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 8 1
The Big 12’s best quarterback can be debated. But Kansas has an edge
at the position with an experienced back-up. The back-up is always only
one snap away, of course. Few back-ups can perform the way Joe Ganz
did for Nebraska last season, after Sam Keller was sidelined late in the
Texas game. Ganz was an unknown. Kerry Meier is not. He was the starter
in 2006 but was moved to wide receiver in order to get on the field with
the emergence of Reesing. No question, the Jayhawks’ continued success
depends on Todd Reesing remaining healthy. He makes the offense go,
throwing for 3,486 yards and 33 touchdowns, with only seven interceptions
last season. But Meier could fill in if the need were to arise. He completed
25-of-29 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns, in addition to catching
two touchdown passes and running for a touchdown.
Rest: “You have to have team guys at the quarterback position,” Texas
coach Mack Brown said. Colt McCoy, who ranked 22nd nationally in
total offense last season, is his quarterback. But John Chiles gives the
Longhorns’ offense a different dimension with his zone-read running.
Missouri’s back-up to Chase Daniel is another Chase, Patton. Iowa State
is the only Big 12 team without a quarterback who has starting experience.
The Cyclones will continue to evaluate Phillip Bates and Austen Arnaud
during pre-season practice.
Gone: Keller; Bret Meyer, Iowa State.
Texas’ Jamaal Charles declared for the NFL draft after leading the
Big 12 in rushing as a junior, with 1,619 yards and 18 touchdowns. The
Kansas City Chiefs selected him in the third round (the 73rd player taken).
With his departure, Marlon Lucky, who also considered leaving early, is
the leading returning rusher in the Big 12. He ran for 1,019 yards and
nine touchdowns and caught a school-record 75 passes for 705 yards and
three touchdowns. Lucky won’t be alone in the Cornhusker backfield.
Quentin Castille and Roy Helu, who had a solid spring, both played
as true freshmen. Marcus Mendoza, a redshirted freshman, provides
some situational diversity. And Kenny Wilson, a member of a four-man
committee in 2006, remains optimistic about returning from a broken leg.
The fullback also might do some running again in Nebraska’s offense.
Rest: Tony Temple is gone, but Missouri coach Gary Pinkel expects to
replace him with a group of running backs, including sophomore Derrick
Washington (5-11, 215), redshirted freshman De’Vion Moore (5-9, 195) and
senior Jimmy Jackson (5-9, 200). Texas A&M used 285-pound Jorvorskie
Lane at fullback in an I-formation alignment with Mike Goodson during
the spring. Kansas will replace Brandon McAnderson with Jake Sharp
(821 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jocques Crawford, the junior college
national offensive player of the year.
Gone: Charles; Temple; McAnderson; Dantrell Savage, Oklahoma
State.
Texas Tech had to replace three senior wide receivers, among them Joel
Filani, a year ago and did quite nicely. Filani’s replacement was Michael
Crabtree, a redshirted freshman from Dallas who caught 134 passes for
1,962 yards and 22 touchdowns to earn consensus All-America honors.
He was complemented by Danny Amendola (109 catches, 1,245 yards, six
touchdowns), who is gone. Even so, opposing teams can’t focus on Crabtree
to the exclusion of Eric Morris and Ed Britton. Morris caught 75 passes
for 767 yards and nine touchdowns – which tied for fourth in the Big 12
behind Crabtree, Kansas State’s Jordy Nelson (122 catches, 1,606 yards,
11 touchdowns) and Kansas’ Marcus Henry (54 catches, 1,014 yards, 10
touchdowns). Britton, among the fastest Red Raiders, started 10 games
and caught 48 passes for 631 yards and four touchdowns. Lewis is a likely
successor to Amendola. Aaron Crawford can catch out of the backfield.
Rest: Kansas lost Henry and tight end Derek Fine but returns a
talented group of receivers, led by Dexton Fields and Dezmon Briscoe,
who combined to catch 106 passes for 1,330 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Missouri lost Will Franklin and All-America tight end Martin Rucker but
has another All-America tight end candidate in Chase Coffman as well
as Jeremy Maclin, who earned consensus All-America recognition as a
multi-purpose player, receiver and kick returner. Maclin shared Big 12
Freshman Offensive Player of the Year honors with Crabtree.
Gone: Amendola; Nelson; Henry; Rucker; Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma;
Adarius Bowman, Oklahoma State; Todd Blythe, Iowa State; Maurice
Purify, Terrence Nunn, Nebraska.
Big 12 Preview
Breaking down the Big 12 position by position
QUarTErBackbest: kansas
Todd Reesing, 5-11, 200, Jr.Kerry Meier, 6-3, 220, Jr.
rUNNINg Backbest: nebraska
Marlon Lucky, 6-0, 215, Sr.Roy Helu Jr., 6-0, 215, So.
Quentin Castille, 6-1, 245, So.
rEcEIvErbest: texas tech
Michael Crabtree, 6-3, 208, So.Ed Britton, 6-0, 183, Jr.Eric Morris, 5-8, 174, Sr.
Detron Lewis, 6-0, 198, So.Aaron Crawford, 5-11, 199, So.
8 2 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
Seven of the top eight on the two-deeps and all five starters return. The
Sooners allowed only 14 sacks, which made for the nation’s most efficient
passing game, but the running game needs to be more consistent. They
ranked fourth in the conference in rushing, averaging just under 200 yards
per game. Consistency in the running game also starts up-front. Jon Cooper
has 29 consecutive starts over the past three seasons and anchors the line at
center. Phil Loadholt, a junior college transfer, had an immediate impact at
left tackle, protecting quarterback Sam Bradford’s blindside. Duke Robinson
lined up alongside Loadholt. Both were all-conference selections. Brandon
Walker earned the highest grade among all of the Oklahoma linemen.
Williams and Braxton again will compete at right tackle.
Rest: Texas has a veteran line, built around junior tackle Adam Ulatoski,
senior guard Cedric Dockery and junior Chris Hall, who has started
at least one game at all five interior positions. Ulatoski was a second-
team all-conference selection last season. Nebraska’s offensive linemen
are experienced and have settled into positions after consistent moving
around. And the Cornhuskers are two-deep, with promising young players
in the mix. Kansas State has seven linemen with multiple starts, including
left tackle Alesana Alesana and center Jordan Bedore, who was sidelined
five games into last season.
Gone: Anthony Collins, Kansas; Adam Spieker, Missouri; Tyler
Luellen, Missouri; Cody Wallace, Texas A&M; Tony Hills, Texas; David
Koenig, Oklahoma State.
The Sooners will look about the same up-front as they did at the
beginning of last season if John Williams can come back from an Achilles
injury. He was granted a sixth season of eligibility after starting three of
the first four games a year ago. English, an outstanding pass rusher, led the
conference and ranked 15th nationally with 9.5 sacks among 13 tackles for
loss. DeMarcus Granger was credited with 3.5 sacks and eight quarterback
hurries, while Gerald McCoy was the coaches’ choice as Big 12 Defensive
Freshman of the Year. He was credited with two sacks and six tackles for
loss. The Sooners led the conference in sacks, with 32 for 239 yards in
losses, and were second in total defense, behind Kansas. Inexperienced
linebackers will put added responsibility on the line.
Rest: Missouri lost Lorenzo Williams but returns Stryker Sulak, Ziggy
Hood and Tommy Chavis. Sulak had 60 tackles, including 11 for losses
and six sacks. Hood and Chavis combined for 9.5 sacks. Colorado also
has three returning starters: George Hypolite, Brandon Nicholas and
Maurice Lucas. Statistically, Nebraska’s defense has nowhere to go except
up. A veteran front is the place to start. The top eight return, six of them
seniors, plus junior Ndamukong Suh, who was sidelined by injury during
the spring.
Gone: Lorenzo Williams; James McClinton, Kansas; Frank Okam,
Texas; Derek Lokey, Texas; Nathan Peterson, Oklahoma State.
The Jayhawks are loaded at linebacker. Not only do the starters – the
team’s top three tacklers – return but also every letterman at the position.
Kansas led the conference and ranked 12th nationally in total defense, and
the linebackers played a significant role. Joe Mortensen earned first-team
all-conference recognition, with 106 tackles, including 15 for losses. James
Holt and Mike Rivera both earned all-conference honorable mention,
combining on 195 tackles, including 23.5 for losses. The experience at
linebacker should help offset the loss of All-Big 12 defensive tackle James
McClinton, who plugged the middle.
Rest: Missouri’s starters also return, including Sean Weatherspoon
(130 tackles, 9.5 for losses) and Brock Christopher (106 tackles, 7.5 for
losses). Oklahoma has to restructure with the loss of consensus All-
American Curtis Lofton, who was credited with 157 tackles, and Lewis
Baker. Ryan Reynolds, the starter on the weakside, could end up in the
middle. Colorado is without the nation’s No. 2 tackler, Jordon Dizon. He
was credited with 162, including 114 unassisted.
Gone: Lofton; Dizon; Alvin Bowen, Iowa State; Misi Tupe, Texas
A&M; Mark Dodge, Texas A&M.
Big 12 Preview
offENSIvE LINEbest: oklahomaPhil Loadholt, 6-8, 350, Sr.
Duke Robinson, 6-5, 330, Sr.Jon Cooper, 6-2, 285, Sr.
Brandon Walker, 6-3, 306, Sr.Trent Williams, 6-5, 321, Jr.
Branndon Braxton, 6-6, 312, Sr.
DEfENSIvE LINEbest: oklahoma
Auston English, 6-3, 257, Jr.DeMarcus Granger, 6-3, 300, Jr.
Gerald McCoy, 6-4, 289, So.John Williams, 6-5, 249, Sr.
LINEBackErbest: kansas
Joe Mortensen, 6-1, 250, Sr.Mike Rivera, 6-3, 255, Sr.James Holt, 6-3, 222, Sr.
joE morTENSEN, kaNSaS
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 8 3
The Jayhawks took a hit when consensus All-American cornerback
Aqib Talib opted to bypass his senior season in favor of the NFL draft
– the Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked him in the first round (20th player
selected). However, everyone else returns from a secondary that helped
Kansas rank first in the Big 12 and ninth nationally in pass efficiency
defense and second and 49th in pass defense. The Jayhawks led the
conference in interceptions with 23, five of them by Justin Thornton,
who started the last four games at strong safety. He also broke up nine
passes. Chris Harris started 10 games as a true freshman and had two
interceptions as well as 65 tackles. Darrell Stuckey, the free safety, was the
leading tackler in the secondary, with 72.
Rest: Oklahoma also lost junior cornerback Reggie Smith to the NFL
draft, as well as D.J. Wolfe and Marcus Walker, leaving safety Nic Harris
as the only returning starter. Texas Tech, which led the conference and
ranked 12th nationally in pass defense, has two starters returning: free
safety Darcel McBath and left cornerback Jamar Wall, who had a breakout
season as a sophomore, intercepting five passes and breaking up six.
Gone: Talib; Smith; Wolfe; Terrence Wheatley, Colorado; Marcus
Griffin, Texas; “Pig” Brown, Missouri; Justin McKinney, Kansas State.
The kicking game is no longer the problem it once was for the Tigers.
Jeff Wolfert led the Big 12 in scoring by a kicker (and ranked second
overall) with 130 points. He was perfect on 67 extra-point kicks and made
21-of-25 field goal attempts. The versatile Jeremy Maclin, who ranked first
in the conference and seventh nationally in all-purpose yardage, returned
two punts and one kickoff for touchdowns. He averaged 24.2 yards on 43
kickoff returns and 12.3 yards on 25 punt returns. With the loss of Adam
Crossett, who averaged just 37.9 yards, the Tigers need a new punter. To
that end, the recruiting class included junior college transfer Jake Harry.
Rest: Kansas State coach Ron Prince emphasizes special teams. The
Wildcats led the nation in punt returns, and Deon Murphy is back. He led
the conference and ranked third in the nation with a 17.5-yards-per-return
average. He returned one for a touchdown. Jordy Nelson, who is gone,
returned two. Place-kicker Brooks Rossman is back, after making 22-of-28
field goals and 44-of-46 extra-point kicks. Tim Reyer, the Big 12’s best punter,
must be replaced. Oklahoma led the nation in kickoff returns, and both
returners are back, DeMarco Murray and Juaquin Iglesias. Murray returned
two for touchdowns and averaged 29.3 yards, seventh best in the nation.
Gone: Nelson; Reyer; Alex Trlica, PK, Texas Tech; Garrett Hartley,
PK, Oklahoma.
Big 12 Preview
DEfENSIvE Backbest: kansas
Chris Harris, 6-0, 180, So.Kendrick Harper, 5-9, 190, Sr.Darrell Stuckey, 6-1, 205, Jr.Justin Thornton, 6-1, 202, Jr.
Patrick Resby, 6-0, 200, Sr.
kIckINgbest: missouri
Jeremy Maclin, kick returner, 6-1, 200, So.Jeff Wolfert, place-kicker, 6-2, 185, Sr.
8 4 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
Missouri has the look
of a title contender, and
maybe not just a Big 12 title
contender, though that in
itself would be a significant accomplishment.
The Tigers haven’t won a conference title
since 1969, when they shared the Big Eight
championship with Nebraska. And they haven’t
won an outright title since 1960.
They came close last season, losing to
Oklahoma, for a second time, in the Big 12
championship game. And they regrouped with
an impressive 38-7 victory against
Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl to finish
12-2 and No. 4 in the Associated Press
rankings.
Not only that, they were No. 1 in
the AP and BCS rankings going into
the Oklahoma rematch. The question
is: Can they continue to compete at
that level?
Sophomore Jeremy Maclin is
convinced they can. “There is no
doubt that we will pick up where we
left off last season,” he said following
Missouri’s spring game.
“The team chemistry is definitely
there.”
So are many of the players who
produced the dream season in 2007.
Maclin, a consensus All-America
wide receiver and kick returner, and
quarterback Chase Daniel, the Big 12
Offensive Player of the Year, are the
most notable.
Both figure to be Heisman Trophy
candidates, serious candidates in fact.
Daniel finished fourth in Heisman
voting last season, passing for 4,306
yards and 33 touchdowns.
“A quarterback will generally be
the difference in taking your team to
another level,” eighth-year coach Gary
Pinkel said. “And Chase does that for us.”
Success depends on more than one player.
But “when the quarterback plays at the level
Chase does, it increases your chances of
winning,” said Pinkel.
The same could be said of Maclin, who
caught 80 passes for 1,055 yards and nine
touchdowns and had 2,276 all-purpose yards,
the fifth-most in NCAA Bowl Subdivision
(formerly I-A) history. He also returned three
kicks for touchdowns.
With a year’s maturity, he’s going to be even
better, according to Pinkel.
Daniel and Maclin are Missouri’s marquee
players on offense, with tight end Chase
Coffman close behind. Coffman, who already
holds the school career record for touchdown
catches with 20 and needs 47 receptions to break
that career record, caught 52 passes for 531
yards and seven touchdowns to earn second-
team all-conference recognition from the AP.
The first-team pick was teammate Martin
Rucker, also a consensus All-American. Rucker
is among several key losses on offense. Others
include wide receiver Will Franklin, tailback
Tony Temple, center Adam Spieker and left
tackle Tyler Luellen.
Spieker, the coaches’ Big 12 Offensive
Lineman of the Year, and Luellen, who
protected Daniel’s blindside, had 90
consecutive starts between them.
Missouri ranked eighth nationally and first
in the Big 12 in conference games in scoring
offense. With place-kicker Jeff Wolfert,
touchdowns were always worth seven points.
Wolfert was perfect on 67 attempts, as well as
making 21-of-25 field goal attempts
to lead the Big 12 in kick-scoring with
130 points, good for second in the
conference overall.
The Tigers’ no-huddle, spread
offense attracted most of the
attention, but the development of
their defense as the season went on
was at the center of their success.
They led the Big 12 in total defense
in conference games only, allowing
353.9 yards per game.
Just one Cotton Bowl defensive
starter is gone, tackle Lorenzo
Williams. “We can definitely be
a great defense,” linebacker Sean
Weatherspoon told the Columbia Daily
Tribune in the spring. “Last year, we
were a good defense. But this year, we
can be great.”
Prominent among the defenders, in
addition to Weatherspoon, are safety
William Moore, linemen Ziggy Hood
and Stryker Sulak and linebacker
Brock Christopher.
Weatherspoon and Christopher
were involved in 230 tackles and 4.5
sacks between them while Moore was
credited with 115 tackles and led the
Big 12 with eight interceptions.
Sulak had six sacks and forced
four fumbles, as Missouri ranked second in
the conference and 11th nationally in turnover
margin, with a plus-13.
Moore was sidelined in the spring, following
surgery to repair a torn labrum. Weatherspoon
and Van Alexander, the other linebacker, also
big12 conference
oct. 4 at lincoln, neb.mISSoUrI
Tigers
chaSE DaNIELS
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 8 5
Tigers at a glance
projected 2008 finish1st
STrENgThSHow about getting stronger? Gary Pinkel would
like the running game to be more productive,
which means finding a replacement for Temple.
“Generally, we’re at our best on offense when our
running game is working, so that’s going to be real
important to try to get that going and to have some
degree of consistency, game by game.” The top
candidates are sophomore Derrick Washington,
redshirted freshman De’Vion Moore and senior
Jimmy Jackson.
QUESTIoN markSIt’s not a weakness but there is some uncertainty
in the offensive line, with the loss of Adam Spieker
and Tyler Luellen and two top back-ups. “I don’t
want to overuse the word ‘concern’ because you go
through this all of the time with graduation,” said
Pinkel. But “that’s almost half of your offensive
line depth you’re replacing.” Punting is also a
concern, though the Tigers probably won’t have to
do much of that, anyway. Junior college transfer
Jake Harry drew some boos after a 21-yard punt in
the Spring Game.
DIffErENcE-makErSTake your pick, Chase Daniel or Jeremy Maclin.
See above.
wELcomE BackDaniel, Chase Coffman, William Moore,
Ziggy Hood and Stryker Sulak all looked into the
possibility of bypassing their senior seasons in favor
of the NFL draft. All decided to return to school,
with the announcement coming in early January.
Pinkel breathed a sigh of relief.
ToUgh TImE IN LINcoLNIf the Tigers are to win a conference title, they’ll
probably have to do something they haven’t done
since 1978, defeat Nebraska in Lincoln. After an
off-week, they open conference play at Memorial
Stadium on Oct. 4. Missouri won 35-31 in 1978. The
Cornhuskers had moved up to No. 2 in the AP poll
after upsetting No. 1 Oklahoma the previous week.
missed the spring game because of injuries,
a torn knee ligament and torn labrum,
respectively. They should be ready by fall.
Obviously, high expectations are
justified. But “redeveloping the leadership
and chemistry on our team is really
important,” Pinkel said going into the
spring. “Just because you had that one year
it doesn’t automatically happen the next
year. It doesn’t just carry over. You still
have to work at it, and we’re constantly
working on developing those things.”
The confidence built during a 12-2
season should carry over, however.
“I saw our team deal with rankings like
you want a mature team to do last year, for
the first time,” said Pinkel. “In the past,
it was kind of overwhelming. I think last
year we kind of broke down that barrier of
it not being such a big deal, just more of
welcoming it and accepting it for what it is
and moving on to the next thing at hand.”
The Tigers are looking at their highest
pre-season ranking in the AP poll since
1969, when they were No. 10 (and finished
No. 6). And they’re looking forward to it.
“There’s more of an air of confidence
around us,” Daniel said following the
spring game. “That’s good. It’s not
cockiness, it’s confidence.”
The confidence, like the high expecta-
tions, is justified.
Can you say “conference title?” How
about “national title?”
OK, first things first.
OFFEnSE (Returning starters in bold)XWR Danario Alexander 6-5 210 Jr. Jared Perry 6-1 180 Jr.HWR Jeremy Maclin 6-1 200 So. Forrest Shock 6-1 205 So.ZWR Tommy Saunders 6-0 210 Sr. Earl Goldsmith 5-9 200 Sr.LT Dain Wise 6-5 305 Jr. Elvis Fisher 6-5 290 Rfr.LG ryan Madison 6-5 305 Sr. Jayson Palmgren 6-3 305 Rfr.C Tim Barnes 6-4 305 So. J.T. Beasley 6-4 285 Rfr.RG kurtis Gregory 6-5 305 Jr. Austin Wuebbels 6-4 285 Rfr.RT colin brown 6-8 325 Sr. Mike Prince 6-4 300 So.TE Chase Coffman 6-6 245 Sr. Jon Gissinger 6-3 240 Jr.QB chase daniel 6-0 225 Sr. Chase Patton 6-5 220 Sr.TB Jimmy Jackson 5-9 200 Sr. Derrick Washington 5-11 215 So.PK Jeff Wolfert 6-2 185 Sr.
DEFEnSEDE Tommy chavis 6-2 255 Sr. Jaysen Corbett 6-4 260 Sr.DT ziggy Hood 6-4 295 Sr. Jason Townson 6-4 305 Jr.NT Jaron Baston 6-1 300 Jr. Andy Maples 6-4 300 Jr.DE Stryker Sulak 6-5 250 Sr. Tyler Crane 6-3 225 So.WLB sean weatherspoon 6-1 235 Jr. Connell Davis 6-3 215 Jr.MLB brock christopher 6-2 235 Sr. Luke Lambert 6-3 225 So.SLB Van alexander 6-0 235 Sr. Steve Redmond 6-0 230 Sr.SS justin garrett 6-2 200 Sr. Del Howard 5-11 200 Jr.FS william moore 6-1 230 Sr. Hardy Ricks 6-0 190 Jr.CB castine bridges 6-2 210 Sr. Tremane Vaughns 5-9 170 Sr.CB carl gettis 5-11 200 So. Kevin Rutland 6-0 190 So.P Jake Harry 6-1 190 Jr.
TENTaTIvE DEpTh charT
2007 RECORD (12-2), BIG 12 FInISH (7-1)9/1 Illinois W 40-349/8 Ole Miss W 38-259/15 Western Michigan W 52-249/22 Illinois State W 38-1710/6 Nebraska W 41-610/13 Oklahoma L 31-4110/20 Texas Tech W 41-1010/27 Iowa State W 42-2811/3 Colorado W 55-1011/10 Texas A&M W 40-2611/17 Kansas State W 49-3211/24 Kansas W 36-2812/1 Oklahoma L 17-381/1 Arkansas W 38-7
2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 Illinois St. Louis, Mo.9/6/08 SE Missouri St. Columbia, Mo.9/13/08 Nevada Columbia, Mo. 9/20/08 Buffalo Columbia, Mo.10/4/08 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb.10/11/08 Oklahoma State Columbia, Mo.10/18/08 at Texas Austin, Texas10/25/08 Colorado Columbia, Mo.11/1/08 at Baylor Waco, Texas11/8/08 Kansas State Columbia, Mo.11/15/08 at Iowa State Ames, Iowa11/29/08 Kansas Kansas City, Mo.
“A quarterback will generally
be the difference in taking your
team to another level. And
Chase does that for us.”
coach gary pinkel on Quarterback chase daniel
8 6 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
The response was brief,
shorter than the question.
During the Big 12 coaches
post-spring teleconference,
Kansas coach Mark Mangino was asked which
was harder, getting to the top or staying there.
“They’re both equally difficult; I can assure
you that,” he said.
“Thanks,” said the questioner.
“You’re welcome,” said Mangino.
In the context of Jayhawk football,
Mangino’s sixth team reached the top last
season. It finished 12-1, a school record for
victories, and ranked seventh in both
polls. It also played in, and won, its
first New Year’s Day bowl since the
1968 season.
As a result, Mangino, whose record
at Kansas was 25-35 previously,
reached the top of his profession.
He was a consensus pick as national
coach of the year.
But that was then. “We’re not even
talking about last year,” sophomore
defensive back Chris Harris said
following the Blue-White Spring
Game. “We just have to rebuild.”
Harris was the coaches’ Big 12
Defensive Freshman of the Year.
Junior quarterback Todd Reesing
expressed a similar attitude. “Things
aren’t just going to happen for us,” he
said. “We have to show up and make
them happen. We learned that from
last year. The Orange Bowl doesn’t
mean anything this season.”
What does mean something is
the return of 15 starters, though the
departures are significant. Among
those gone are cornerback Aqib Talib
and offensive tackle Anthony Collins,
first-team All-Americans who both
declared for the NFL draft following
junior seasons.
Also gone are second-team All-America
defensive tackle James McClinton, running
back Brandon McAnderson and wide receiver
Marcus Henry. McAnderson rushed for 1,125
yards and 16 touchdowns. Henry caught 54
passes for 1,014 yards and 10 touchdowns.
But key players return as well, beginning with
Reesing, who set single-season school records
for passing yards (3,486) and touchdowns (33).
He completed 61.9 percent of his passes and
threw only seven interceptions. And he has
another season of eligibility after this.
A season’s experience in the Jayhawks’ no-
huddle spread offense should serve him well.
“All I expect Todd to do is what he can, play
within his abilities,” Mangino said. “I don’t
expect him to put up obscene numbers this
year. I expect him to have another strong year.
“There’s no reason for him not to. But the
biggest thing we don’t want is for him to feel he
has to carry the offense on his back every play.
We’re trying to surround him with playmakers.
We lost a few of them from last year, but we
feel like we have plenty of playmakers on our
offense that make for a good, strong supporting
cast for Todd.”
Wide receivers Dexton Fields and Dezmon
Briscoe are such players, as is versatile Kerry
Meier, Reesing’s back-up as well as a wide
receiver and punter during the spring. Fields
and Briscoe combined to catch 106 passes for
1,330 yards and 13 touchdowns.
“We feel like our receivers will be a strong
suit for us,” said Mangino, who noted that at
the end of spring practice, Fields and Meier
were the “most dependable” of the receivers.
Defense has the most experience with nine
returning starters, including all the
linebackers Joe Mortensen, the man
in the middle, was credited with 106
tackles, 15 of them for losses, to earn
first-team all-conference recognition.
James Holt and Mike Rivera both
received all-conference honorable
mention and were the second and
third tacklers, respectively.
Perhaps the most significant loss
on defense was coordinator Bill
Young, who came to Kansas with
Mangino. He left for Miami (Fla.)
and was replaced by Clint Bowen,
co-defensive coordinator the past two
seasons and the only coach retained
when Mangino arrived.
Though the Jayhawk offense was
impressive, ranking second in the
nation in scoring (42.8) and eighth
in total yards (479.8), the defense
was dominating. Kansas was first in
the conference in scoring and total
defense and second in rushing and
passing defense.
The Jayhawks led the nation in
turnover margin, with a plus-21.
McClinton was a major factor.
And no one player can fill the void
his departure leaves. “But we have a
committee of guys that’ll give us the repetitions
we need,” Mangino said.
Likewise, no one player can fill the void left by
Talib, who intercepted five passes and had 13 pass
break-ups. But all-conference honorable mention
free safety Darrell Stuckey made plays, too. He
nov. 8 at lincoln, neb.kaNSaS
jayhawks
big12 conference
ToDD rEESINg
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 8 7
jayhawks at a glance
projected 2008 finish3rd
STrENgThSNot only do all of the starters at linebacker
return but also all of the back-ups. Every linebacker
who earned a letter is back. Identifying those who
would provide depth at the position was a spring
goal, and “I think we have some young kids that
have stepped up to help us in that area,” said Coach
Mark Mangino. The same is true of the secondary.
Kendrick Harper started three games at cornerback in
the middle of the season, in between injuries.
QUESTIoN markSBrandon McAnderson’s production at running
back must be replaced. Jake Sharp rushed for
821 yards and seven touchdowns and caught two
touchdown passes. But he’ll be pressed in the fall by
junior college transfer Jocques Crawford, who brings
size to the position at 6-3 and 230 pounds. A new left
tackle to protect Reesing is a must.
DIffErENcE-makErSTodd Reesing makes the offense go. At 5-11 and
200 pounds, he’s not big. But he plays big. Based on
spring practice, he is “in sync and looking good from
last fall,” Mangino said.
wELcomE BackKansas is scheduled to come to Lincoln on Nov.
8. The Jayhawks haven’t won at Memorial Stadium
since 1968. Nebraska shouldn’t need motivation after
losing at Lawrence 76-39 last season. The 76 points
were the most ever scored against Nebraska. The
crowd of 51,910 was a record. Kansas set a record
attendance at home for a third consecutive season.
formIDaBLE SoUThErN foESThe Jayhawks didn’t play Texas Tech, Texas or
Oklahoma last season in the Big 12’s inter-division
scheduling of two years on, two years off. So this
season, they’ll play all three. Reproducing a 7-1
conference record will be more difficult.
was credited with 72 tackles, intercepted two
passes and recovered two fumbles.
Justin Thornton, who started the final
four games at strong safety after Patrick
Resby was injured, also intercepted five
passes. Add Harris and the secondary still
should be solid.
In addition, several players saw action
in special packages. “You just try to get
the right chemistry together, and it started
to come together about the last third of
spring,” said Mangino. “You could kind
of see the kids were comfortable with
each other, comfortable with the schemes,
executing things fundamentally, so we feel
pretty good about our defense.
“We think our defense is going to be
pretty stellar again.”
Whether or not the kicking game is
stellar remains to be seen. The Jayhawks
have to settle on a new place-kicker as well
as a punter, which is why Meier punted
in the spring. Marcus Herford, also a
wide receiver, returned two kickoffs for
touchdowns in 2007.
Last season’s success hasn’t led to
complacency in Lawrence. During the
spring, “the kids really took a business-
like approach to it,” Mangino said. “Last
year’s team wanted to prove something.
This year’s team wants to maintain the
excellence last year’s team had.”
Those things represent similar
challenges.
“I don’t see a major difference in it at
all,” he said.
OFFEnSE (Returning starters in bold)WR Dexton Fields 6-0 205 Sr. Kerry Meier 6-2 220 Jr.WR Dezmon Briscoe 6-3 200 So. Rod Harris 6-2 200 So.WR Marcus Herford 6-3 205 Sr. Johnathan Wilson 6-3 185 So.LT Jeff Spikes 6-6 312 Rfr. Ian Wolfe 6-5 280 So.LG adrian Mayes 6-3 305 Sr. Jeremiah Hatch 6-3 311 Rfr.C ryan cantrell 6-3 290 Sr. Sal Capra 6-3 285 So.RG chet Hartley 6-4 310 Sr. Carl Wilson 6-4 285 So.RT Matt Darton 6-6 305 Sr. Nathan D’Cunha 6-6 307 Jr.TE Bradley Dedeaux 6-3 245 So. Nick Plato 6-6 235 Fr.QB todd reesing 5-11 200 Jr. Kerry Meier 6-2 220 Jr.RB Jocques Crawford 6-1 230 Jr. Jake Sharp 5-10 190 Jr.PK Stephen Hoge 6-4 216 Rfr.
DEFEnSEDE russell brorsen 6-4 240 Sr. Jake Laptad 6-4 237 So.DT caleb Blakesley 6-5 290 Jr. Richard Johnson, Jr. 6-4 279 Rfr.DT Todd Haselhorst 6-4 290 Sr. Jamal Greene 6-4 301 So.DE john larson 6-3 250 Sr. Max Onyegbule 6-5 240 Jr.SLB james holt 6-3 220 Sr. Arist Wright 6-0 220 Jr.MLB joe mortensen 6-1 250 Sr. Justin Springer 6-4 232 So.WLB mike rivera 6-3 255 Sr. Jake Schermer 6-2 220 Jr.CB chris harris 6-0 180 So. Anthony Webb 6-0 185 Jr.CB Kendrick Harper 5-9 190 Sr. Isiah Barfield 6-0 175 Rfr.SS Darrell Stuckey 6-1 205 Jr. Patrick resby 6-0 200 Sr.FS Justin Thornton 6-1 195 Jr. Phillip Strozier 6-0 196 So.P Alonso Rojas 6-3 220 So.
TENTaTIvE DEpTh charT
2007 RECORD (12-1), BIG 12 FInISH (7-1)9/1 Central Michigan W 52-79/8 SE Louisiana W 62-09/15 Toledo W 45-139/22 Florida International W 55-310/6 at Kansas State W 30-2410/13 Baylor W 58-1010/20 at Colorado W 19-1410/27 at Texas A&M W 19-1111/3 Nebraska W 76-3911/10 at Oklahoma State W 43-2811/17 Iowa State W 45-711/24 Missouri L 28-361/3 #Virginia Tech W 24-21# at Orange Bowl
2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 Florida International Lawrence, Kan.9/6/08 Louisiana Tech Lawrence, Kan.9/12/08 at South Florida Tampa, Fla.9/20/08 Sam Houston State Lawrence, Kan.10/4/08 at Iowa State Ames, Iowa10/11/08 Colorado Lawrence, Kan.10/18/08 at Oklahoma Norman, Okla.10/25/08 Texas Tech Lawrence, Kan.11/1/08 Kansas State Lawrence, Kan.11/8/08 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb.11/15/08 Texas Lawrence, Kan.11/29/08 Missouri Kansas City, Mo.
“Things aren’t just going to
happen for us. We have to show
up and make them happen. We
learned that from last year.”
Quarterback todd reesing
8 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
Yes, Dan Hawkins had
planned a trip to the
Amazon this summer. But
no, he and his family aren’t
going. Their trip was cancelled because of a
potential health risk.
That Hawkins considered such a trip,
however, is evidence of his sense of adventure
and willingness to accept a challenge. As if
coaching in the Big 12 isn’t challenge enough.
“It’s definitely a dogfight, but that’s certainly
what makes it fun and that’s why I don’t
think you can assume your record is going
to continue to improve when you’ve got to
scratch and claw every week,” Hawkins said
during the Big 12 coaches post-spring
teleconference.
The third-year coach was
responding to a question regarding
the possibility of his Buffaloes’ being
improved over last season but perhaps
not having a better record.
“I don’t know that any of that’s a
given,” he said.
Colorado was 2-10 in his first
season and 6-7 a year ago, qualifying
for the Independence Bowl by
defeating Nebraska 65-51 in the final
regular-season game, of course.
Achieving a better record will
be complicated by a difficult non-
conference schedule that includes
not only the annual game in Denver
against rival Colorado State but
also games against West Virginia
in Boulder and Florida State in
Jacksonville, Fla. Then the Buffaloes
open conference play against Texas
before traveling to Kansas.
The rugged start is broken only
by a home game against Eastern
Washington.
At least Hawkins has players with
experience in his system now, including 15
returning starters, depending on what happens
with Riar Greer. The junior tight end was
suspended for an off-campus incident and
didn’t participate in spring practice.
Offensively, however, the system has
changed. The Buffaloes went to a no-huddle
spread in the spring, to pick up the pace. The
offense wasn’t completely new to Hawkins.
“We’ve used it in the past, in the 90’s, and we
had part of it in last year as well,” he said.
“So it’s really kind of a modification that
way. But I like it.”
He also likes the fact that there were more
offensive linemen available for the modification
this spring. A year ago, the Buffaloes had
to make do with only five to seven healthy
linemen. This year, they had enough to run two
or three stations during practice.
Three starters in the line return: senior
center Daniel Sanders, a post-season honors
candidate; sophomore tackle Ryan Miller and
junior guard Devin Head.
The offense needed modification. Colorado
ranked in the bottom half of the conference
in rushing, passing and scoring. The Buffaloes
averaged 27 points, and that included the
Nebraska debacle as well as a combined 85
points against Baylor and Miami (Ohio).
Sophomore Cody Hawkins, the coach’s
son, returns at quarterback as does sophomore
wideout Scotty McKnight, the leading
receiver with 43 catches for 488 yards and four
touchdowns in 12 games (Colorado totals don’t
include bowl statistics).
Counting the Independence Bowl loss against
Alabama, Cody Hawkins completed 263-of-463
passes for 3,015 yards and 22 touchdowns with
17 interceptions. Though he needs to cut down
on interceptions, he has shown the ability to
make the offense work.
Tailback Hugh Charles is gone, however,
and that’s a concern because even
with him, the Buffaloes averaged just
144 yards per game on the ground.
The no-huddle offense isn’t limited to
passing. “I think you can do both,”
said Hawkins. “You definitely can do
both.”
Demetrius Sumler was listed first
in the post-spring “tailback grouping,”
following a freshman season in which
he rushed for 335 yards and scored
five touchdowns.
But incoming freshman Darrell
Scott could have an immediate impact
at tailback. The 6-2, 215-pound Scott
was No. 1 on the Long Beach Press-
Telegram “Best of the West” list and
considered by many as the nation’s
top high school running back.
Eight starters return on defense,
most notably senior tackle George
Hypolite, a first-team all-conference
selection by both the Associated Press
and coaches. Hypolite was credited
with 44 tackles, the most among
defensive linemen, six sacks and seven
quarterback hurries.
He is included on the watch list for
the 2008 Lott Trophy.
“If we can bear down and do what we’re
supposed to do and stay in our gaps, we can
be a special defense,” Hypolite said following
the Buffaloes’ spring game. “But that’s what it
comes down to; we have to prepare. We have to
nov. 28 at lincoln, neb.coLoraDo
Buffaloes
big12 conference
gEorgE hypoLITE
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 8 9
Buffaloes at a glance
projected 2008 finish4th
STrENgThSIn five seasons at Boise State, Coach Dan Hawkins
earned a reputation for his offensive imagination. So
the Buffaloes’ offensive woes shouldn’t be chronic.
“I love the long pass,” said Hawkins. “As I’ve come
along in this game, I’ve learned you’ve got to pound it
and launch it.”
QUESTIoN markSUncertainty might be a better description for the
situation at cornerback. Terrence Wheatley is gone
and the availability of senior Benjamin Burney is in
doubt because of the effects of multiple surgeries.
The top cornerbacks on the post-spring depth chart,
junior Cha’pelle Brown (5-7, 180) and senior Gardner
McKay (5-11, 165) are small. The others are young,
sophomores and redshirted freshmen. Increased
pressure up-front would help.
DIffErENcE-makErSIf a defensive lineman can be considered, then
Hypolite is the man.
hUSkEr DE-commITSColorado capitalized on Nebraska’s change in
coaching staffs, signing three players who had made
non-binding oral commitments to the Cornhuskers:
linebacker Doug Rippey from Trotwood, Ohio;
offensive lineman Bryce Givens from Castle Rock,
Colo.; and linebacker Shaun Mohler from Newport
Beach, Calif., by way of Orange Coast College.
whErE’S kaIKai Maiva started the final nine games at offensive
guard as a true freshman last season. The plan was
to move him to fullback. He lost 20 pounds for that
purpose, switched jersey numbers from 51 to 40 and
then announced that he was transferring to be closer
to home.
out-work people.”
Seniors Brandon Nicolas and Maurice
Lucas also are returning starters up-front.
The most significant losses on defense
are linebacker Jordan Dizon, the Big
12’s leading tackler, and cornerback
Terrence Wheatley. Both were first-team
all-conference picks, along with Hypolite.
Returning starters Jeff Smart and Brad
Jones will have to pick up the slack at
linebacker, while senior free safety Ryan
Walters is a leader in the secondary.
Though Colorado ranked in the middle
of the conference in total defense, it was
vulnerable to the pass, in part because of
an inability to pressure quarterbacks. The
Buffaloes managed only 20 sacks in 13
games, to rank 95th in the nation.
During the spring, “I thought we
did a much better job of pressuring the
quarterback,” said Hawkins. “But we’re
kind of going into year three, so we’re able
to add a lot more wrinkles, and I just think
a lot of the details and communication and
specifics get a lot better.”
All things considered, Colorado might
be even more competitive in the Big 12
than last season, when it finished 4-4. But
the record might not reflect it.
A reporter on the Big 12 post-spring
teleconference asked Hawkins if the Big 12
might be the best conference in the country.
“It’s definitely got great coaches and tradi-
tion, a lot of teams that are used to win-
ning a national championship,” he said.
“So I don’t think the Big 12 has to take a
back seat to anybody.”
OFFEnSE (Returning starters in bold)WRX patrick williams 6-2 205 Sr. Josh Smith 6-0 180 So.WRZ Scotty Mcknight 5-11 180 So. Cody Crawford 5-11 175 Sr.LT Nate Solder 6-8 280 So. Ethan Adkins 6-4 295 Rfr.LG Matthew Bahr 6-4 280 Rfr. Shawn Daniels 6-3 280 Rfr.C daniel sanders 6-3 325 Sr. Keenan Stevens 6-2 280 So.RG Devin Head 6-4 295 Jr. Eric Faatagi 6-2 310 Sr.RT ryan Miller 6-7 315 So. Sione Tau 6-5 320 Rfr.TE riar greer 6-4 250 Jr. Patrick Devenny 6-3 240 Jr.QB cody Hawkins 5-11 190 So. Nick Nelson 6-1 230 Sr.TB Demetrius Sumler 5-10 215 So. Kevin Moyd 5-7 185 Jr.FB Maurice Cantrell 6-0 240 Sr. Jake Behrens 6-0 230 Jr.PK Jameson Davis 5-10 195 Fr.
DEFEnSELE maurice lucas 6-4 260 Sr. Lagrone Shields 6-3 250 Rfr.DT George Hypolite 6-1 285 Sr. Taj Kaynor 6-5 265 Jr.NT brandon nicolas 6-3 290 Sr. Eugene Goree 6-1 295 Rfr.RE Marquez Herrod 6-2 270 So. Jason Brace 6-4 250 Jr.MLB Jeff Smart 6-0 210 Jr. Michael Sipili 6-1 255 So.WLB Marcus Burton 6-0 255 Jr. Bryan Stengel 6-2 225 Jr.SLB brad jones 6-3 225 Sr. B.J. Beatty 6-2 220 So.LCB Gardner McKay 5-11 165 Sr. Jimmy Smith 6-2 195 So.FS ryan Walters 6-0 200 Sr. Anthony Perkins 5-10 190 Rfr.SS Daniel Dykes 6-2 210 Sr. Travis Sandersfeld 6-0 190 Rfr.RCB Cha’pelle Brown 5-7 180 Jr. Jalil Brown 6-1 205 So.P matt dilallo 6-1 190 Jr.
TENTaTIvE DEpTh charT
2007 RECORD (6-7), BIG 12 FInISH (4-4)9/1 vs. Colorado State W 31-289/8 at Arizona State L 14-339/15 Florida State L 6-169/22 Miami, Ohio W 42-09/29 Oklahoma W 27-2410/6 at Baylor W 43-2310/13 at Kansas State L 20-4710/20 Kansas L 14-1910/27 at Texas Tech W 31-2611/3 Missouri L 10-5511/10 at Iowa State L 28-3111/23 Nebraska W 65-5112/30 #vs. Alabama L 24-30# at Independence Bowl
2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/31/08 Colorado State Denver, Colo.9/6/08 Eastern Washington Boulder, Colo.9/18/08 West Virginia Boulder, Colo.9/27/08 Florida State Jacksonville, Fla.10/4/08 Texas Boulder, Colo.10/11/08 at Kansas Lawrence, Kan.10/18/08 Kansas State Boulder, Colo.10/25/08 at Missouri Columbia, Mo.11/1/08 at Texas A&M College Station, TX11/8/08 Iowa State Ames, Iowa11/15/08 Oklahoma State Boulder, Colo.11/28/08 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb.
“It’s (The Big 12) definitely got
great coaches and tradition, a lot
of teams that are used to winning
a national championship”
coach dan hawkins
9 0 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
After his first season as
Kansas State’s coach, Ron
Prince was applauded. After
his second season, he was
asked to defend the outcome of the Wildcats’
spring game.
“I guess I saw the game a little bit differently
than maybe those who might like to write
otherwise,” he said during the Big 12 coaches
post-spring teleconference.
“I was very pleased with the game.”
The spring game was decided by a 51-yard,
fourth-quarter field goal by freshman Josh
Cherry, a back-up. No need to
defend that, really.
Obviously, the game was
competitive. But there was no other
scoring. And the combined total
offense was 204 yards. “I thought
our defense played real well,” said
Prince.
Plus, he said, the focus of the
intrasquad scrimmage was playing
to win. Those on the losing team
ate bologna sandwiches, while those
on the winning team ate steak.
But to quote Allen Iverson, we’re
talking about practice, man, game-
conditions certainly, but practice
nonetheless. So Prince probably
shouldn’t have to defend it.
He might not have if his second
team hadn’t collapsed down the
stretch. The Wildcats were 5-3,
needing to win only one of four
remaining games to be bowl
eligible. They lost all four, and
allowed 198 points in the process –
including 73 to Nebraska.
Based on that, the spring game
outcome would seem positive.
Instead, it has been regarded as a
negative, coming on the heels of
another perceived negative. Kansas
State’s recruiting class included 19 junior
college transfers, six of whom enrolled for
second semester.
More than one writer has described that
as a sign of “desperation,” though Prince
indicated the plan was to take “a high number
of community college players this year.”
Typically, junior college players aren’t part
of a long-range plan. Prince was looking for
immediate help. Eleven of the 19 are defensive
players; four are wide receivers.
The needs on defense are obvious. So
too is the need at wide receiver, where the
departure of Jordy Nelson leaves a significant
void. Nelson, the ninth consensus All-
American in Kansas State history, caught 122
passes for 1,606 yards and 11 touchdowns
last season.
“I don’t know that you can replace Jordy
Nelson, certainly in the state of Kansas,”
offensive coordinator Dave Brock said prior to
the start of spring practice. “We need to replace
the production that he had.”
Deon Murphy is among those who will help
replace Nelson’s production. Murphy caught
57 passes for 605 yards and five touchdowns,
rushed for 103 yards and three touchdowns
and ranked third in the nation in punt returns,
averaging 17.3 yards per return.
The transfer from Coffeyville (Kan.)
Community College was the Big 12 Offensive
Newcomer of the Year, while safety Gary
Chandler, also a transfer from Coffeyville
Community College, was the Big 12 Defensive
Newcomer of the Year.
The offense is built around junior
quarterback Josh Freeman, a
two-year starter who threw for
a school-record 3,353 yards
and 18 touchdowns last season,
and a veteran line that includes
Rimington Trophy watch list
center Jordan Bedore and left
tackle Alesana Alesana.
Freeman and Bedore will be
co-captains along with defensive
end Ian Campbell and safety Chris
Carney. Freeman and Campbell
also were voted captains last
season.
Campbell, a two-time, first-team
All-Big 12 selection, has been
credited with 28.5 tackles-for-loss
(17.5 in 2006) and 16 sacks the past
two seasons. After playing outside
linebacker in a 3-4 alignment a year
ago, he has returned to defensive
end. He’ll still move around,
however, so that teams “can’t zero
in on him,” defensive coordinator
Tim Tibesar said.
The linebacking, with returning
starters John Houlik and Reggie
Walker, will be bolstered by the
return of Antwon Moore, who
was sidelined by injury two games
into last season. “Since we are
probably the smallest defense in the Big 12, we
have to play more aggressive and faster than
anyone else,” the 5-10, 210-pound Moore said
following the spring game.
He is a transfer from Northeast Oklahoma
nov. 15 at manhattan, kan.kaNSaS STaTE
wildcats
big12 conference
joSh frEEmaN
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 9 1
wildcats at a glance
projected 2008 finish5th
STrENgThSExpect the Wildcats’ special teams to be strong,
though Tim Reyer must be replaced, Jordy Nelson
contributed to their leading the nation in punt return
average. He had two punt returns for touchdowns.
Deon Murphy had one. The team had five, total. Six
offensive linemen have multiple starts, and Freeman
continues to get better.
QUESTIoN markSKansas State ranked in the lower half of the
conference, statistically, in scoring defense, total
defense, pass defense and rushing defense. So
obviously, the defense needs a boost, although last
season’s problems were a result of “multiple layers of
things,” according to Coach Ron Prince. Offensively,
the production of running back James Johnson, 1,106
yards and 12 touchdowns, must be replaced. Leon
Patton rushed for 390 yards and four touchdowns,
with two starts. Keithen Valentine, a walk-on (from
junior college), played well in the spring and could be
a factor.
DIffErENcE-makErSIan Campbell, who walked on from Cimarron,
Kan., and earned a scholarship in the spring before
his sophomore year, is a proven pass rusher and
candidate for Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and
All-America honors. He’s already on the Lombardi
Award watch list.
BEEfED Up SchEDULEThe Wildcats recruited junior colleges heavily
under Snyder, though nothing on the order of 19
transfers in one season. But Prince has diverged
from Snyder’s scheduling of less-than-formidable
non-conference opponents. Although Kansas State
opted out of a game against Fresno State this season,
replacing it with one against Montana State, it has
future non-conference series with UCLA, Miami
(Fla.), Oregon and Virginia Tech.
A&M, so it’s not as if Prince hasn’t
done well with junior college transfers.
Alesana and Penisini Liu, another
returning starter in the offensive line, are
among others on whom the Wildcats are
counting.
They’re also counting on George
Pierson, who will arrive in the fall from
Tyler (Texas) Junior College, to replace
Tim Reyer, the Big 12’s leading punter.
Place-kicker Brooks Rossman returns,
after making 22-of-28 field goals in his first
season at Kansas State. The 22 field goals
tied a school record. He’s a transfer, but not
from junior college. He came from Ohio,
where he kicked for former Cornhusker
coach Frank Solich.
Kansas State finished last in the Big 12
North for two consecutive seasons before
Prince arrived. The Wildcats were 7-6 and
played in the Texas Bowl in his first season.
But Kansas State had six 11-win seasons
under former coach Bill Snyder from 1997
to 2003, and that’s the standard to which
Prince is being held. And that’s why he
was asked to defend the defense-dominated
Spring Game, even though it was just a
glorified practice.
As for the late collapse last season,
what’s done is done. “I’ve said it before,
every year the team has to be reborn,”
Prince said. “I think that’s critical in every
circumstance.
“And that’s the case this year.”
The Wildcats are being reborn, with an
influx of junior college transfers.
OFFEnSE (Returning starters in bold)WR Deon Murphy 5-10 170 Sr. Adrian Hilburn 6-1 190 Jr.WR Cedric Wilson 6-1 181 Sr. Lamark Brown 6-3 229 So.WR Ernie Pierce 6-3 209 Sr. Aubrey Quarles 6-2 190 Jr.LT alesana alesana 6-4 299 Sr. Edward Prince 6-5 280 Jr.LG Wade Weibert 6-5 300 Jr. Brock Unruh 6-5 301 Jr.C jordan bedore 6-3 308 Sr. trevor viers 6-5 270 Jr.RG Gerard Spexarth 6-6 280 Sr. Nick Stringer 6-6 270 Jr.RT penisini liu 6-6 325 Sr. Kaleb Drinkgern 6-6 260 Rfr.TE jeron mastrud 6-6 259 Jr. Brett Alstatt 6-4 224 Sr.QB Josh Freeman 6-6 250 Jr. Carson Coffman 6-3 200 So.RB Leon Patton 5-7 187 Jr. Daniel Thomas 6-2 227 Jr.PK brooks rossman 6-0 178 Sr.
DEFEnSEDE ian campbell 6-5 249 Sr. Brandon Howard 6-5 260 Fr.NT Bandon Balkcom 6-6 266 Sr. Xzavier Stewart 6-1 304 So.DE Chidubamu Abana 6-5 280 Sr. Jack Hayes 6-4 270 Jr.LB eric childs 6-3 227 Jr. Ulla Pomele 6-1 235 Jr.LB Antwon Moore 5-10 210 Sr. John Houlik 5-11 217 Jr.LB reggie walker 6-1 231 Sr. Cortney Herndon 5-11 206 Jr.LB Olu Hall 6-3 232 Jr. Hansen Sekona 6-0 230 Jr.CB Joshua Moore 5-11 187 So. Ray Cheatham 6-0 185 Sr.CB Blair Irvin 5-11 185 Jr. Kendrick Matthews 5-10 180 So.FS chris carney 6-1 185 Jr. Darhnaz Tigner 6-2 200 So.SS Gary chandler 5-11 195 Sr. Andrew Erker 6-1 187 Sr.P George Pierson 6-0 180 Jr.
TENTaTIvE DEpTh charT
2007 RECORD (5-7), BIG 12 FInISH (3-5)9/1 at Auburn L 13-239/8 San Jose State W 34-149/15 Missouri State W 61-109/29 at Texas W 41-2110/6 Kansas L 24-3010/13 Colorado W 47-2010/20 at Oklahoma State L 39-4110/27 Baylor W 51-1311/3 at Iowa State L 20-3111/10 at Nebraska L 31-7311/17 Missouri L 32-4911/24 at Fresno State L 29-45
2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 North Texas Manhattan, Kan.9/6/08 Montana State Manhattan, Kan.9/17/08 at Louisville Louisville, Ky.9/27/08 UL Lafayette Manhattan, Kan.10/4/08 Texas Tech Manhattan, Kan.10/11/08 at Texas A&M College Station, TX10/18/08 at Colorado Boulder, Colo.10/25/08 Oklahoma Manhattan, Kan.11/1/08 at Kansas Lawrence, Kan.11/8/08 at Missouri Columbia, Mo.11/15/08 Nebraska Manhattan, Kan.11/22/08 Iowa State Manhattan, Kan.
“I don’t know that you can
replace Jordy Nelson, certainly
in the state of Kansas. We need
to replace the production that
he had.”dave brock,
offensive coordinator
9 2 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
The term Gene Chizik used
was “star-power player.” Iowa
State doesn’t have such a
player to replace the departed
Todd Blythe at wide receiver.
“We don’t have that guy that we can target
and say ‘We must get the ball to him,’ ” the
Cyclones’ coach said during the Big 12’s post-
spring teleconference.
“Quite frankly, we don’t have that here.”
That’s not necessarily a bad thing, however,
Chizik added, because “we’re into team any-
way, and we’re into not worrying about who
gets the credit and all those things.
We’ve got guys who play within our
system and we still feel can be very
productive.”
That the Cyclones don’t have
another Blythe waiting in the wings
is certainly no surprise. He finished
his career as Iowa State’s all-time
leader in pass receptions, receiving
yards and touchdown catches. But
they don’t even have a reasonable
facsimile.
“We have solid guys. We don’t
have any guys who just make you
go ‘Wow.’ We just don’t have a
bunch of big-time players there,”
Chizik said of his wide receivers.
“They’re all solid guys who try hard
and they really care about football,
they really love the game.
“And we can win games with
guys like that.”
The question is: How many
games can the Cyclones win?
They won three with Blythe, and
quarterback Bret Meyer last season.
Meyer, who’s also gone, is the
school’s all-time leader in passing
yardage and total offense.
Meyer’s replacement will be
either Austen Arnaud or Phillip
Bates, or both. “It’s not out of the realm for
us to end up playing two quarterbacks,” said
Chizik.
“I think Phillip gives us a little bit more of a
run threat. I think Austen, right now, is a little
further ahead in the passing game, probably
doesn’t quite bring to the table what Phillip
does when it comes to making things happen
on his feet.”
Arnaud, a sophomore, saw limited action
as Meyer’s back-up last season, while Bates,
though recruited as a quarterback, played
wideout as a true freshman.
The bottom line is, “we can run our offense
with both of them,” Chizik said.
The situation at quarterback, like the situa-
tion at wide receiver, is characteristic of Chizik’s
second team on both sides of the ball, players
who appear to be solid but not “star power”
quality, at this point anyway. So the program
will continue to experience growing pains.
“I feel that athletically we are still a little bit
off,” said Chizik.
“If you have a lot of solid recruiting classes,
you will eventually crawl your way back to
competing with some of the upper-echelon
teams.”
Based on the Cyclones’ 2008 recruiting class,
Chizik isn’t looking for a quick fix. It included
only one junior college transfer – Jason Carl-
son, a wide receiver.
The defense also has to replace its top play-
ers from last season, linebackers Alvin Bowen
and Jon Banks and tackles Athyba Rubin and
Bryce Braaksma.
Bowen, the nation’s leading
tackler in 2006 and a second-team
all-conference selection last season,
and Rubin were both selected in the
NFL draft.
Those four contributed to a
defense that made marked improve-
ment in Chizik’s first season. The
Cyclones were respectable statisti-
cally, ranking 65th nationally and
seventh in the conference in total
defense and 44th and sixth in rush-
ing defense.
By comparison they ranked
102nd in both categories in 2006.
The top returning tacklers are
both named Smith, linebacker
Jesse and safety James. They each
were credited with 79. Defensive
end Kurtis Taylor, the team’s
comeback player of the year (he
missed 2006 with a knee injury),
finished with 41 tackles, including
6.5 sacks.
Junior defensive end Christopher
Lyle is among those who played
well in the spring, according to
Chizik, and senior Chris Singleton
is a veteran cornerback.
Even with Blythe and Meyer,
the offense struggled. Iowa State averaged
only 18.2 points per game, tying the Big 12’s
Baylor for 111th in the nation and last in the
conference.
oct. 18 at ames, iowaIowa STaTE
cyclones
big12 conference
jaSoN ScaLES
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 9 3
cyclones at a glance
projected 2008 finish6th
STrENgThSThe offensive line could be a strength, with four
starters returning, though all four were first-time
starters last season. One of the four, sophomore
tackle Ben Lamaak, played quarterback at the end
of his high school career and was recruited by Iowa
State as a tight end. Redshirted freshman Kelechi
Osemele, the offensive scout team player of the year,
is competing for the other starting job, at guard. He is
listed at 6-5 and 341 pounds.
QUESTIoN markSIn addition to the offensive struggles last season,
the Cyclones hardly distinguished themselves on
special teams. They ranked last in the conference in
kickoff returns and punt returns – they ranked last
in the nation, in fact. Obviously, those areas need to
improve. Also, Bret Culbertson, who was 100-for-100
on career extra-point kicks, is gone.
DIffErENcE-makErThe 5-10, 181-pound Alexander Robinson, who had
the Cyclones’ longest run from scrimmage last season
(37 yards for a touchdown against Missouri), “is going
to be a threat to break it,” said Chizik. “He can make
guys miss in the open field. You know he can spark
our offense, but it is certainly going to take more than
just him.” The line has to be consistent, for example.
cycLoNE commITmENTIowa State is in a $19.5 million, first-phase
refurbishing of Jack Trice Stadium. The phase
includes the addition of suites, the remodeling of
the donor-club section and the widening of the
concourse. Average attendance last season (49,462)
was the highest since 1982.
NEBraSka coNNEcTIoNPhillip Bates is the son of former Cornhusker
fullback Phil Bates (1980-81) and an Omaha North
High teammate of current Cornhusker wide receiver
Niles Paul. The 6-1, 207-pound Bates has “enough
athletic ability when he gets himself in trouble to get
himself out, and of course, in this league that’s huge,”
Chizik said.
The Cyclones also were 102nd in total
offense and 95th in rushing.
“We tried to run the football last year
and weren’t very good at it,” Chizik said.
“But we’re going to have to run the football
here. We just feel very strongly about that.
“We had some flashes of some running
backs doing some nice things.”
Three of the backs rushed for 100 or
more yards in a game, and all three return,
although senior J.J. Bass was suspended in-
definitely in the spring for not meeting team
standards. The others are sophomore Alex-
ander Robinson and senior Jason Scales.
Robinson finished strong, rushing for
391 yards and six touchdowns in the final
four games. And he “definitely stepped to
the front of the pack” during the spring,
said Chizik.
Senior R.J. Sumrall was the team’s lead-
ing receiver last season, with 54 catches for
434 yards, but he didn’t have a touchdown
catch. Junior Marquis Hamilton, who
caught 45 passes for 534 yard and one
touchdown, provides size at the posi-
tion; he’s 6-3 and 220 pounds. And junior
Houston Jones played well in the spring.
But none is in Blythe’s category.
“We don’t have a guy that’s here on
campus right now that really is what Todd
Blythe was,” Chizik said. “We’ve got solid
guys that are role players.
“But as far as big-play capability, a guy
that can go up and catch four touchdown
passes in a game, things like that, we don’t
feel like we have that guy.”
OFFEnSE (Returning starters in bold)WR r.j. sumrall 6-1 203 Sr. Euseph Messiah 5-10 171 Sr.WR Marquis Hamilton 6-3 220 Jr. Wallace Franklin 6-3 169 Sr.LT doug dedrick 6-4 282 Sr. Matt Hulbert 6-7 287 So.LG reggie stephens 6-4 320 Jr. Alex Alvarez 6-2 282 So.C brandon johnson 6-3 305 Sr. Mike Knapp 6-3 270 Jr.RG Joe Blaes 6-2 289 Sr. Kelechi Osemele 6-5 341 Rfr.RT ben lamaak 6-4 306 So. Trey Baysinger 6-6 292 Rfr.TE Collin Franklin 6-6 231 So. Derrick Catlett 6-4 251 Jr.QB Austen Arnaud 6-3 222 So. Phillip Bates 6-2 209 So.RB Alexander Robinson 5-10 181 So. jason scales 5-9 212 Sr.FB derrick catlett 6-4 251 Jr. Brian Eklelundu 5-10 237 Jr.PK Zach Guyer 6-3 180 Rfr.
DEFEnSEWE rashawn parker 6-0 252 Jr. Christopher Lyle 6-4 248 Jr.DT Bailey Johnson 6-3 266 So. Chris Weir 6-3 274 Sr.NG Nate Frere 6-2 307 Jr. Jerrod Black 6-2 290 Rfr.DE kurtis Taylor 6-2 257 Sr. Nick Frere 6-2 248 Sr.SLB Michael Bibbs 6-2 225 Sr. Cameron Bell 6-1 223 So.MLB jesse smith 6-0 235 Jr. Derec Schmidgall 6-1 222 Jr.WLB Josh Raven 5-11 218 Jr. Fred Garrin 6-1 219 Jr.LCB allen bell 6-2 189 Jr. Devin McDowell 5-9 183 So.RCB chris singleton 5-10 191 Sr. Zac Sandvig 5-10 184 So.SS chris brown 5-10 177 Sr. Steve Johnson 5-11 201 Jr.FS james smith 5-8 192 Jr. Brandon Hunley 5-11 205 Sr.P Mike Brandtner 6-1 208 Jr.
TENTaTIvE DEpTh charT
2007 RECORD (3-9), BIG 12 FInISH (2-6)8/30 Kent State L 14-239/8 Northern Iowa L 13-249/15 Iowa W 15-139/22 at Toledo L 35-369/29 at Nebraska L 17-3510/6 at Texas Tech L 17-4210/13 Texas L 3-5610/20 Oklahoma L 7-1710/27 at Missouri L 28-4211/3 Kansas State W 31-2011/10 Colorado W 31-2811/17 at Kansas L 7-45
2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/28/08 South Dakota State Ames, Iowa9/6/08 Kent State Ames, Iowa9/13/08 at Iowa Iowa City, Iowa9/20/08 at UNLV Las Vegas, Nev.10/4/08 Kansas Ames, Iowa10/11/08 at Baylor Waco, Texas 10/18/08 Nebraska Ames, Iowa10/25/08 Texas A&M Ames, Iowa11/1/08 at Oklahoma State Stillwater, Okla.11/8/08 at Colorado Boulder, Colo.11/15/08 Missouri Ames, Iowa11/22/08 at Kansas State Manhattan, Kan.
“If you have a lot of solid
recruiting classes, you will
eventually crawl your way back
to competing with some of the
upper-echelon teams.”
coach gene chizik
9 4 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
Although last season
finished with a second
consecutive bowl-game flop,
it’s doubtful that anyone in the
Big 12 will start feeling sorry
for Oklahoma anytime soon.
In the past eight seasons, the Sooners have
captured five league titles – three more than any
other Big 12 school. Since winning the national
title in 2000, no college football program can
boast more than Oklahoma’s 90 victories and
OU has failed to win 10 or more games just two
times in that span.
It would seem that coach Bob Stoops has
everything aligned for yet another
successful season as Oklahoma eyes
its third consecutive Big 12 title.
No less than 10 players return with
significant starting experience on the
offensive side of the football and five
regular starters return on defense
from a team that finished 11-3 and
defeated Missouri 38-17 in the Big 12
Championship game. OU still wound
up No. 8 in the final national polls,
despite falling to West Virginia 48-28
in the Fiesta Bowl.
“I think we have a chance to be a
solid team, but a lot of it is going to be
determined by what kind of attitude and
what kind of toughness and commitment
this team wants to have,” said Stoops,
who is 97-22 (.815) entering his 10th
season at Oklahoma.
While Stoops-led teams are
traditionally solid on the defensive side,
this year’s squad expects to feature an impressive
offensive attack. Oklahoma averaged 6.4 yards
per play last season, which was the program’s
highest since 1987 when the Sooners led the
country in rushing, scoring and total offense.
OU was fifth nationally in scoring offense in
2007, averaging 42.3 points per game.
Stoops has always said that inexperience at
the quarterback position is not a major concern
to him as the Sooners have won their five Big 12
titles with five different quarterbacks. However,
here’s guessing that Stoops and his staff knew
they had something special waiting in the wings
prior to last year in quarterback Sam Bradford,
who was then a redshirt freshman.
Bradford produced one of the top freshman
seasons in NCAA history, completing
237-of-341 pass attempts (69.5 percent) for 3,121
yards and 36 touchdowns, breaking the NCAA
freshman TD record by seven. He also led the
nation in passing efficiency with a 176.53 rating
that placed him just ahead of 2007 Heisman
Trophy winner Tim Tebow of Florida.
While some might expect even bigger things
from Bradford in 2008, Stoops said he wants
the sophomore to simply continue on a steady
progression of growth, both mentally and
physically. Stoops said Bradford has added 10 to
15 pounds to his 6-5 frame and has come a long
way in the knowledge of the game as well.
“Our caution to him is to try not to do too
much and force things – that’s not how we
operate – and trust the guys around you like
you did last year to make plays and play within
yourself and within this system,” Stoops said.
Despite all his success, Bradford seems to
be taking the approach that he’s still trying to
win the starting quarterback job – just like he
did last year.
“I’ve got to go out there and compete and
show that I belong on that field every day,”
Bradford said. “There are a lot of little things
– footwork, mechanics – that I need to get a lot
better on. I want to be quicker with my release
and quicker with my drops. Overall, I just want
to do everything quicker in the pocket.
“On the other hand, I’ve been through
a season and I am more comfortable in the
huddle, so I think I am able to relax a little bit
more and play the way that I know I can.
In the spring, Bradford and his teammates
took on the new challenge of learning the no-
huddle offense.
“That’s something we’re going to
have to continue to get comfortable
with and learn the pace, so it will be
fine,” Stoops said. “We’re no different
than anyone else. We just have to keep
working it and I just think with the
clock-management issues it becomes
more of a factor than anything else, so
we’ll keep working it.”
With the implementation of a
40-second play clock and other teams
in the Big 12 having success with no-
huddle systems, Stoops said he felt it was
important for the Sooners to keep pace.
“I just want to make sure that we’re
getting the same number of tries at it and
the same opportunities,” Stoops said. “I
think to have an opportunity to change the
plays at the line of scrimmage, you need to
be at the line of scrimmage quicker.”
Despite losing wide receiver Malcolm
Kelly one year early to the NFL draft and tight
end Joe Jon Finley and running back Allen
Patrick completing their eligibility, Oklahoma
returns players who accounted for 83.2 percent
of their total yards last season.
DeMarco Murray missed the final three
games of last season due to injury, but still
rushed for 764 yards and 13 TDs as a freshman.
A major break-away threat, Murray had a
92-yard scoring run against Utah State and
returned two kickoffs for TDs – a 91-yarder
against Baylor and an 82-yarder against Tulsa,
nov. 1 at norman, okla.okLahoma
Sooners
big12 conference
Sam BraDforD
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 9 5
Sooners at a glance
projected 2008 finish1st
STrENgThSIt all starts up front for Oklahoma, which returns
tons of experience on the offensive line. Junior
tackle Phil Loadholt and junior guard and 2007
All-American George “Duke” Robinson are on the
Outland Trophy Watch list, while guard Brandon
Walker and center Jon Cooper also return as full-time
starters from a unit that scored the second-most
points (592) in school history. The Sooners averaged
190.7 yards rushing and 258.2 yards passing, while
giving up just 14 sacks.
QUESTIoN markSGraduation and early departures of linebacker
Curtis Lofton and cornerback Reggie Smith leave
Oklahoma relatively inexperienced in the back seven
of its defensive unit. Ryan Reynolds, who started
at weakside linebacker last year, will likely move
to middle linebacker. Three-year starter Nic Harris
returns at strong safety, but the Sooners will need
former nickel back Lendy Holmes, junior college
transfer David Sims and redshirt freshman Sam
Proctor to take on key roles.
DIffErENcE-makErQuarterback Sam Bradford enjoyed one of the best
freshman years in college football history in 2007,
but running back DeMarco Murray displayed play-
making ability that simply can’t be coached. Even
thought he missed the final three games of the season
due to injury, the freshman rushed for 764 yards
and 13 touchdowns, including a 92-yard scoring run
against Utah State. He’s equally dangerous as a return
man, taking two kickoffs back for TDs in 2007.
ThaT wINNINg fEELINgEven though Oklahoma’s last national title came
in 2000, there’s little doubt that coach Bob Stoops has
fully restored the Sooners’ winning tradition. Last
season, OU captured its 41st conference championship
in the program’s history, produced their 143rd and
144th All-Americans in linebacker Curtis Lofton and
guard George “Duke” Robinson and won 10 or more
games for the nation-leading 30th time. Alabama is
second on the list with 28 10-win campaigns.
helping Oklahoma lead the country in
kickoff return average.
In short-yardage situations, Oklahoma
will continue to rely on Chris Brown. The
junior rushed for 611 yards and scored nine
TDs in 2007.
With Murray and Brown sitting out
spring practice while rehabilitating from
offseason surgery, Mossis Madu had an
opportunity to put his talents on display.
The Sooners also bring in a pair of highly
touted high school running backs in Jermie
Calhoun and Justin Johnson.
With Kelly foregoing his senior season,
Juaquin Iglesias likely moves into the No. 1
receiver role. Last year as a junior, Iglesias
led Oklahoma with 68 receptions for 907
yards and five TDs. Fellow receiver Quentin
Chaney was impressive in the Fiesta Bowl,
catching four passes for 129 yards.
The Sooners are stacked on the offensive
line as all five starters and seven of the top
eight players on last year’s two-deep depth
chart are back for a unit that allowed just
14 sacks a year ago. The unit is led by a pair
of players named to the Outland Trophy
watch list in junior guard George Robinson
and junior tackle Phil Loadholt – the tallest
player in OU football history, standing 6-8.
Oklahoma’s defensive strength is up front
where Outland Trophy watch list nominee
DeMarcus Granger at defensive tackle.
Defensive end will be bolstered by the
return of John Williams, who was granted
a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA after
an injury to his Achilles’ tendon. Austin
English, who ranked 15th in the country last
year with 9.5 sacks, also returns.
The linebacker positions and secondary
present Stoops with perhaps his biggest con-
cerns. Both units took a hit to the NFL draft
as linebacker Curtis Lofton and cornerback
Reggie Smith bypassed their senior seasons
to go pro. Linebacker Ryan Reynolds and
safety Nic Harris will be counted on heavily
as returning starter to lead their units.
OFFEnSE (Returning starters in bold)LT phil loadholt 6-8 352 sr. Cory Brandon 6-7 296 So.LG duke robinson 6-5 352 jr. Jason Hannan 6-3 270 Fr.C jon cooper 6-2 276 sr. Ben Habern 6-4 275 Fr.RG brandon walker 6-3 307 sr. Brian Simmons 6-4 305 Jr.RT Branndon Braxton 6-5 325 Sr.-or- trent williams 6-5 305 jr.TE Jermaine Gresham 6-5 263 Jr. Eric Mensik 6-5 246 So.WR juaquin iglesias 6-0 202 sr. Tyler Stradford 6-1 173 So.WR manuel johnson 5-11 180 sr. Brandon Caleb 6-1 196 Jr.QB sam bradford 6-4 214 so. Joey Halzle 6-3 208 Sr.FB Brody Eldridge 6-4 260 Jr. Matt Clapp 6-2 242 Jr.RB Chris Brown 5-10 202 Jr. DeMarco Murray 6-0 191 So.PK Jimmy Stevens 5-5 149 Fr.
DEFEnSEDE auston english 6-3 253 jr. Alan Davis 6-2 253 Sr.DT demarcus granger 6-2 307 jr. Cory Bennett 6-2 284 Sr.DT Gerald Mccoy 6-4 291 So. Cordero Moore 6-2 297 Jr.DE Jeremy Beal 6-4 268 So. John Williams 6-5 249 Sr.SLB Keenan Clayton 6-1 240 Jr. J.R. Bryant 6-3 230 Jr.MLB ryan reynolds 6-2 231 Jr. Curtis Lofton 6-0 238 Sr.WLB Brandon Crow 6-1 220 So. Travis Lewis 6-2 220 Fr.CB Lendy Holmes 6-0 193 Sr. Brian Jackson 6-1 190 Jr.SS nic harris 6-2 232 sr. David Sims 5-11 198 Jr.FS Desmond Jackson 5-11 187 Fr. Sam Proctor 6-0 202 Fr.CB Dominque Franks 5-10 187 So. Jonathan Nelson 5-11 176 So.P mike knall 5-9 192 sr.
TENTaTIvE DEpTh charT
2007 RECORD (11-2), BIG 12 FInISH (6-2)9/1 North Texas W 79-109/8 Miamai W 51-139/15 Utah State W 54-39/21 at Tulsa W 62-219/29 at Colorado L 24-2710/6 vs. Texas W 28-2110/13 Missouri W 41-3110/20 at Iowa State W 17-711/3 Texas A&M W 42-1411/10 Baylor W 52-2111/17 at Texas Tech L 27-3411/24 Oklahoma State W 49-1712/1 *vs. Missouri W 38-171/2 #vs. West Virginia L 28-48* Big 12 Championship, # at Fiesta Bowl
2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 Chattanooga Norman, Okla.9/6/08 Cincinnati Norman, Okla.9/13/08 at Washington Seattle, Wash.9/27/08 TCU Norman, Okla.10/4/08 at Baylor Waco, Texas10/11/08 Texas Dallas, Texas10/18/08 Kansas Norman, Okla.10/25/08 at Kansas State Manhattan, Kan.11/1/08 Nebraska Norman, Okla.11/8/08 at Texas A&M College Station, TX11/22/08 Texas Tech Norman, Okla.11/29/08 at Oklahoma State Stillwater, Okla.
9 6 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
Entering his 11th
season as head coach
at Texas, there’s little
debate that Mack
Brown has turned the Longhorns into one of
the nation’s most dominant college football
programs.
With a 10-3 record last season, Texas has
posted double figures in victories for each of
the past seven seasons – the only team in the
country that can make such a claim. With
their victory over Arizona State in the Holiday
Bowl, the Longhorns set a school record with
their fourth consecutive bowl wins and have
now won six bowl games in the past
seven years.
While Texas annually lands one
of the nation’s most highly regarded
recruiting classes and departures simply
just allow a different, talented player
to step into the starting lineup, Brown
admits the Longhorns did have some
concerns heading into spring practice.
Brown’s team lost five starters on offense
and will have to replace seven starters on
defense this season.
“There are a lot of question marks
on our team because of the youth and
the inexperience, so we really went
after it in drills with a very competitive
nature,” Brown said. “We’re excited
about the challenge. When you play at
the University of Texas and you lose a
great player, which you do every year at
certain positions, if we’re doing our jobs
as coaches when you have so much talent
in this state, you should have someone ready to
step up.”
Somehow, most figure the Longhorns will
find a way. Texas has a nation-best 103 wins
over the past seven seasons and has a Big 12
Conference-leading 65 victories during that
same timeframe.
Still, Brown considers the challenges greater
than ever. Every South Division team is slated
to return its starting quarterback, and he sees
the North Division as much-improved.
“I think this will be the best-balanced league
that we’ve had since I’ve been here, and it is
because everybody’s better,” Brown said. “I
think Kansas and Missouri are listed above
us in the preseason polls for next year, so I do
think that because of quarterbacks, partly, but
also because the coaches have done a great job
and everybody’s deeper and everybody’s got a
good football team in this league now.
“You can no longer plan on winning a game
in this league. You’re going to have to earn the
right to win that game before you can count it.”
Texas will have a different look, defensively,
as Brown brought in former Auburn defensive
coordinator Will Muschamp to take the same
position with the Longhorns.
“Will is high-energy, he’s tough, but he’s
also very, very positive,” Brown said.
Muschamp said the Longhorns were able
to install most of his defensive playbook in
the spring, but noted that the greater focus
was placed on developing the proper defensive
attitude.
“I just wanted the guys to play hard, play
fast and play physical,” Muschamp said. “I
think that the players are a reflection of their
coach and I told them that I want to be the
most over-achieving defense in the country.
We want to be a blue-collar defense, a blue-
collar football team and we’re able to do that
because we have enough talent to have some
success.“It’s an every-day process – consistency
and performance as a coach and as a player –
and that is what we’re demanding from them.”
Texas is arguably more experienced on
defense than it would appear at first glance.
While the Longhorns technically return full-
time starters at three positions, Muschamp’s
unit actually brings back five players who have
been full-time starters in their careers and 10
players who have made collegiate starts.
Senior linebacker Rashad Bobino, a
two-time All-Big 12 selection with 38 career
starts, returns to lead the defense. Senior
cornerback Ryan Palmer is back with 36
career starts, while junior defensive end
Lamarr Houston leads a group up front
that also returns part-time defensive end
starters Aaron Lewis and Brian Orakpo,
who each have 32 or more career starts.
While Texas ranked No. 8 in the
country in rushing defense last year,
allowing, 93.4 yards per game, a No.
109-ranked pass defense ultimately led
to the Longhorns finishing 52nd in total
defense (371.2 yards per game).
“One thing I know we’re going to do
smarter is that we’re going to have more
pass rushers and more speed on the field
on third downs than we’ve ever had,”
Brown said. “We’re going to try to get
more pressure with four down (linemen).
“We’ve talked about that a lot, but there
are going to be four ends in the game in
most pass-rushing situations. We’re going
to be going after the quarterback better.”
Offensively, Texas should have a similar
look as two-year starting quarterback Colt
McCoy returns for his junior season. McCoy
is 20-6 in two seasons as a starter since taking
on the difficult task of following Vince Young’s
national title-winning season in 2005 and ranks
first in school history in completion percentage
(66.4) and passer rating (148.9).
After being named the national freshman of
the year in 2006, McCoy passed for 3,303 yards
and 22 touchdowns last season.
Behind McCoy, Texas ranked 13th in the
TExaSLonghorns
big12 conference
QUaN coSBy
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 9 7
Longhorns at a glance
projected 2008 finish2nd
STrENgThSDespite losing four major offensive weapons from
2007 in running back Jamaal Charles, tight end
Jermichael Finley and wide receivers Limas Sweed
and Nate Jones, quarterback Colt McCoy returns
with plenty of weapons to make an offense potent.
Heading into his junior year, McCoy is 20-6 as a
starter and already ranks fourth in school history in
touchdown passes (51) and sixth in passing yards
(5,863). The Longhorns averaged 37.2 points per
game last season.
QUESTIoN markSEven at talent-laden Texas, replacing a running
back with 10.1-second speed in the 100-yard dash
isn’t easy and so it goes as the Longhorns look to fill
the shoes of 1,600-yard rusher Jamaal Charles. Fifth-
year senior Chris Ogbonnaya sophomore Vondrell
McGee, redshirt freshman Fozzy Whittaker and in-
coming freshmen Jeremy Hills and Tre Newton could
all get a shot at taking over, or coach Mack Brown
says he might use the running-back-by-committee
approach.
DIffErENcE-makErBrian Orakpo has been placed on to the watch list
for the 2008 Lott Trophy, wich is awarded annually
to college football’s top defensive player. The 6-4,
260-pound defensive end has appeared in 35 career
games and has 19 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, 32
quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and a fumble
recovery. Orakpo may have set the tone in last year’s
final game as he was named defensive MVP in Texas’
Holiday Bowl victory over Arizona State.
major aDDITIoNLook who’s back in burnt orange, it’s none
other than former Texas quarterback great Major
Applewhite, who joined Mack Brown’s staff as the
assistant head coach/running backs coach. He was
a graduate assistant at Texas (2003-04) and coached
quarterbacks at Syracuse in 2005. He served as the
offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Rice
in 2006 and held the same position on Nick Saban’s
staff at Alabama in 2008.
country in total offense last season (462.9
yards per game) and 14th in scoring offense
(37.2 points per game).
While leading rusher and three-time All-
Big 12 running back Jamaal Charles and
two-time All-Big 12 wide receiver Limas
Sweed are gone, McCoy will still have
several key players around him coming
back. That includes four offensive linemen
with 20 or more career starts in senior
Outland Trophy candidate Chris Dockery
and juniors Chris Hall, Charlie Tanner and
Adam Ulatoski.
Experienced senior receivers Quan
Cosby (120 career receptions) and Jordan
Shipley (43 career receptions) also return.
Cosby caught 60 passes last year for 680
yards and five TDs.
Chris Ogbonnaya, Vondrell McGee and
Fozzy Whittaker are expected to compete
for the right to replace Charles. Ogbonnaya
is the most experienced of the group, but
had just 13 carries for 66 yards and a pair
of TDs last season while appearing in all
13 games.
“Chris Ogbonnaya has got the most
experience because he’s been in there for
two years as a third-down back and Chris
can play,” Brown said. “Those three guys
would still be competing in the fall to see
who will step up.”
On special teams, Texas returns senior
place-kicker Ryan Bailey. A former
walk-on who burst onto the scene in 2006
with a chip-shot game-winning field goal
at Nebraska, Bailey has made 24 of 28
career field-goal attempts, including 18 of
22 last year.
OFFEnSE (Returning starters in bold)FL Jordan Shipley Sr. 6-0 195 Brandon Collins Fr. 6-0 170TE Blaine Irby So. 6-3 240 Peter Ullman Sr. 6-4 260RT Kyle Hix So. 6-7 320 Aundre McGaskey Fr. 6-5 295RG cedric Dockery Sr. 6-4 320 Michael Huey So. 6-5 315C chris hall jr. 6-4 300 Buck Burnette So. 6-3 320LG charlie tanner jr. 6-4 300 Britt Mitchell So. 6-5 300LT adam ulatoski jr. 6-8 310 Tray Allen So. 6-5 320SE Quan cosby Sr. 5-11 205 Malcolm Williams Fr. 6-3 225TB Vondree McGee So. 5-10 205 Chris Ogbonnaya Sr. 6-1 225FB Antwan Cobb So. 6-0 222 Cody Johnson Fr. 5-11 255QB colt Mccoy Jr. 6-3 210 John Chiles So. 6-2 215PK ryan Bailey Sr. 6-2 205 Hunter Lawrence Jr. 6-0 180
DEFEnSEDE brian orakpo sr. 6-4 260 Eddie Jones So. 6-3 260DT Roy Miller Sr. 6-2 300 Aaron Lewis Sr. 6-4 265DT lamarr houston jr. 6-2 275 Ben Alexander Jr. 6-0 310DE Henry Melton Sr. 6-3 265-or- aaron lewis sr. 6-4 265SLB Sergio Kindle Jr. 6-4 239 Keenan Robinson Fr. 6-3 220MLB rashad bobino sr. 5-11 238 Jared Norton Jr. 6-3 242WLB Roddrick Muckelroy Jr. 6-2 230 Dustin Earnest So. 6-3 233CB ryan Palmer Sr. 5-10 190-or- Curtis Brown So. 6-1 178S Earl Thomas Fr. 5-10 190-or- Christian Scott Fr. 6-1 208S Ishie Oduegwu Jr. 5-10 210 Ben Wells Fr. 6-1 195CB Deon Beasley Jr. 5-10 175-or- Chykie Brown So. 6-1 185P Justin Tucker Fr. 6-1 171-or- Trevor Gerland Jr. 6-2 195
TENTaTIvE DEpTh charT
2007 RECORD (10-3), BIG 12 FInISH (5-3)9/1 Arkansas State W 21-139/8 TCU W 34-139/15 at Central Florida W 35-329/22 Rice W 58-149/29 Kansas State L 21-4110/6 *vs. Oklahoma L 21-2810/13 at Iowa State W 56-310/20 at Baylor W 31-1010/27 Nebraska W 28-2511/3 at Oklahoma State W 38-3511/10 Texas Tech W 59-4311/23 at Texas A&M L 30-3812/27 vs. Arizona State W 52-34*-at Dallas # - Holiday Bowl
2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 Florida Atlantic Austin, Texas9/6/08 at UTEP El Paso, Texas9/13/08 Arkansas Austin, Texas9/20/08 Rice Austin, Texas10/4/08 at Colorado Boulder, Colo.10/11/08 Oklahoma Dallas, Texas10/18/08 Missouri Austin, Texas10/25/08 Oklahoma State Austin, Texas11/1/08 at Texas Tech Lubbock, Texas11/8/08 Baylor Austin, Texas11/15/08 at Kansas Lawrence, Kan.11/27/08 Texas A&M Austin, Texas
“I think this will be the best-
balanced league that we’ve had
since I’ve been here, and it is
because everybody’s better.”
coach mack brown
9 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
Opposing defensive
coordinators performing due
diligence with their offseason
research of 2008 opponents
probably won’t like what they
see if they find Texas Tech on their schedule.
Yes, one of the most prolific offensive units in
the country is expected to be even better than
last year.
No less than 10 offensive players with starting
experience return from a unit that helped the
Red Raiders finish with a 9-4 season and a No.
23 national ranking following a 31-28 come-
from-behind victory over Virginia in the Gator
Bowl. In 2007, Texas Tech averaged 40.9 points
and 529.6 yards per game of total offense
with the help of Sammy Baugh Trophy
winner Graham Harrell at quarterback
and Biletnikoff Award winner Michael
Crabtree at wide receiver.
With eight defensive starters returning
and several significant special teams
performers back, many college football
analysts are predicting this might be the
best season yet for coach Mike Leach and
the Red Raiders. While Leach obviously
recognizes the potential, the ninth-year
Texas Tech coach is trying to curb the
enthusiasm of Red Raider fans.
“You just keep working, keep
improving and try to keep everyone’s
perspective right to understand that all
that counts is what you do together,”
Leach said. “Anything outside of our
program provides distraction because you
have to go work and grind. Potential and
nice articles and all that are not anything
unless you go out there and you make it
happen.”
As for this potentially being Leach’s best
team? “I don’t know – I guess we’ll find out,”
Leach said. “We haven’t played a snap yet, but
we’ve done some good things in spring. I think if
we continue to improve, any team that improves
has got a chance to do some good things.
“With this group here, I guess we’ll find out.”
Harrell should receive some preseason
Heisman Trophy buzz as he enters his senior year
needing 43 touchdown passes to break the major-
college record of 131 set last year by Hawaii’s
Colt Brennan. That mark is certainly within reach
as Harrell had 48 scoring passes a year ago.
“It would be a huge honor for me personally,’’
Harrell told the Avalanche-Journal in Lubbock,
Texas, in regard to the career TD passes record.
“More than that, I think it would be a huge honor
for this team, because it’s a team effort.
“The receivers have to make plays for that
to happen. The offensive line has to protect on
those touchdowns. It’d be a huge honor for the
whole team. It’d be exciting and a fun moment.’’
The final numbers for Harrell last year
were staggering. The 6-3, 202-pound senior
from Ennis, Texas, completed 512-of-713 pass
attempts (71.8 percent) for 5,705 yards and 48
TDs with 14 interceptions, breaking former Red
Raider Kliff Kingsbury’s NCAA records for
single-season completions and pass attempts.
Harrell, who has surpassed the 10,000-yard
mark for career passing yards, capped his 2007
season with a Gator Bowl-record 407-yard
passing performance to earn MVP honors.
Hauling in many of Harrell’s passes was
Crabtree, who came out of nowhere to record
arguably the greatest freshman season by a
receiver in NCAA history. He set freshman
records for receptions (134), yards (1,962) and
TD receptions (22), earning first-team All-
America honors.
Now, what to do for an encore?
“Will we put up the same numbers? I have
no idea. The season he had will be unbelievably
hard to match,” Harrell said. “But at the same
time, I think we can take it to another level (by)
just understanding where each other’s going to
be – him understanding where I’m going to put
the ball, me understanding where he’s going to
be, stuff like that. I think we have a chance to be
better in that aspect.’’
Crabtree agreed, telling the Avalanche-Journal
that he and Harrell actually had “a lot of
miscommunications” last season.
“This year, we look forward to getting better
on communicating with each other and being on
the same page at all times,” Crabtree said.
Crabtree leads a group of returning
receivers that accounted for 65 percent of
Texas Tech’s receptions last year. After the
spring, it appeared that sophomore wide
receiver Detron Lewis is well on his way to
replacing the Red Raiders’ only lost starter
in Danny Amendola.
Senior receiver Eric Morris (75
receptions) and junior wideout Ed Britton
(48 receptions) also return.
A solid offensive line is largely back
in place, led by senior left guard Louis
Vasquez, who has started 24 consecutive
games. A first-team All-Big 12 selection
by the Associated Press, Vasquez and right
guard Brandon Carter lead a unit that
allowed 18 sacks in 763 pass attempts last
year (1.38 per game).
Perhaps the biggest question mark on
the offensive line is left tackle Rylan Reed,
who suffered a serious leg injury in the
Gator Bowl.
The running back spot is the greatest
unknown for the Red Raiders. Senior Shannon
Woods, junior Kobey Lewis and sophomores
Aaron Crawford and Baron Batch are all
expected to compete for playing time this fall.
Woods, who led the Big 12 in all-purpose yards
as a sophomore in 2006, started the first eight
games last year before falling out of favor with
the coaching staff.
While Tech’s offense tends to grab all the
headlines, the Red Raiders quietly improved
on defense last season under the direction of
interim defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill.
oct. 11 at Lubbock, TexasTExaS TEch
red raiders
big12 conference
mIchaEL craBTrEE
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 9 9
red raiders at a glance
projected 2008 finish3rd
STrENgThSAs everyone has come to expect from a Mike
Leach-coached team, Texas Tech’s offense is heavy
on firepower. After passing for 5,705 yards and 48
touchdowns last year, quarterback Graham Harrell
is looking for even more with another year of experi-
ence. He’s got almost all his weapons back, including
All-American wide receiver Michael Crabtree (134
receptions for 1,962 yards and 22 TDs in 2007) and a
solid offensive line.
QUESTIoN markSWhile there appears to be talent in the backfield,
the battle for the starting running back job between
Shannon Woods, Kobey Lewis, Aaron Crawford
and Baron Batch won’t be decided until fall camp.
Texas Tech also needs to find a replacement for Alex
Trlica, a four-year starter at place-kicker who set an
NCAA record by making all 233 point-after attempts
during his college career. Trlica was outstanding in
the clutch.
DIffErENcE-makErAfter serving on Leach’s staff as a defensive posi-
tion coach, Ruffin McNeill was elevated to interim
defensive coordinator prior to last year’s game against
Northwestern Louisiana State. McNeill brought a
more aggressive approach and stressed playing with
passion to his players. The formula worked well as
the Red Raiders led the Big 12 in total defense over
the last eight regular-season games. The interim tag
was lifted in January.
propS To LEachWhile sometimes a little unorthodox, it’s impos-
sible to deny the success Mike Leach (65-37) has
had in his first eight seasons as Texas Tech’s head
coach, taking the program to an unprecedented eight
consecutive bowl game appearances, including wins
in five of the last six. The Red Raiders have won the
NCAA passing title five consecutive seasons and
Tech’s No. 10 final ranking in 2006 was the program’s
first top-10 finish since 1976.
Leach has removed the interim tag from
McNeill, who helped Tech lead the Big 12
in total defense over the last nine games of
the 2007 regular season.
Junior defensive tackle Rajon Henley
came into his own last season, while
sophomore-to-be Colby Whitlock earned
freshman All-America honors for his play at
nose guard. Junior defensive end Brandon
Williams is coming off a year in which he led
Tech in sacks (six) and tackles for loss (12).
Linebacker could be Tech’s deepest
position. Sophomore Brian Duncan, who
started nine games at strongside linebacker,
moved to middle linebacker in the spring.
Sophomore Bront Bird is expected to step
into the strongside linebacker spot, while
junior Marlon Williams is No. 1 on the
depth chart at weakside linebacker after
ranking second on the team with 81 tackles
a year ago.
The Red Raiders are experienced in
the secondary as strong safety Joe Garcia,
free safety Darcel McBath and cornerback
Chris Parker return. The trio has 37
combined starts from a unit that helped
allow a Big 12-low 188.4 yards passing per
game last season.
Leach said it’s imperative that the defense
play well early. After a slow start in the
spring, he said the defense finally played up
to its capability in the final spring practice.
“We have a chance to be good on
defense if we build from this point, but if
we have to spend two weeks getting to this
point when we get to (preseason) camp,
we haven’t accomplished as much as we
hope,” Leach said. “This needs to be our
next starting point.”
The chief special teams concern will be
replacing place-kicker Alex Trlica. A four-
year starter, Trlica was good in the clutch –
his last kick at Tech was a 41-yard field goal
to win the Gator Bowl – and set an NCAA
record by converting all 233 point-after
attempts in his career.
OFFEnSELT Mickey Okafor 6-7 320 Fr. Chris Olson 6-5 303 So.LG Louis Vasquez 6-6 335 Sr. Adrian Archie 6-5 313 So.C Shawn Byrnes 6-4 303 Jr.-or- Stephen Hamby 6-3 287 Jr.RG brandon carter 6-7 374 jr. Lonnie Edwards 6-5 313 Fr.RT marlon winn 6-6 329 jr. Chris Olson 6-5 303 So.QB graham harrell 6-3 203 sr. Taylor Potts 6-5 221 So.RB aaron crawford 5-11 202 so.-or- Kobey Lewis 5-5 173 Jr.WR eric morris 5-8 174 sr. Adam James 6-3 211 Fr.WR Detron Lewis 6-0 198 So. Tramain Swindall 6-3 176 Fr.WR edward britton 6-0 183 jr. Lyle Leong 6-1 165 So.WR michael crabtree 6-3 208 so. Todd Walker 6-1 184 Jr.PK Cory Fowler 5-8 157 Sr. Jonathan LaCour 6-2 206 So.
DEFEnSEDE Jake ratliff 6-7 247 Sr. Daniel Howard 6-3 238 Jr.NT colby Whitlock 6-2 281 So. Bobbie Agoucha 6-4 328 Fr.DT rajon Henley 6-3 265 Jr. Richard Jones 6-1 277 Jr.DE brandon williams 6-5 253 jr. Sandy Riley 6-0 248 Jr.SLB Bront Bird 6-3 222 So. Tyrone Sonier 6-2 215 Fr.MLB brian duncan 6-1 239 so. Victor Hunter 5-11 256 Jr.WLB marlon williams 6-0 211 jr. Blake Collier 6-2 212 Jr.CB jamar wall 5-10 194 so. LaRon Moore 5-9 186 So.SS Anthony Hines 6-1 212 Sr. Lance Fuller 6-2 222 Sr.FS darcel mcbath 6-1 196 sr. Daniel Charbonnet 5-11 195 Sr.CB Marcus Bunton 5-8 196 Sr.-or- Pete Richardson 5-11 196 Jr.P jonathan lacour 6-2 206 so. Cory Fowler 5-8 157 Sr.
TENTaTIvE DEpTh charT
2007 RECORD (9-4), BIG 12 FInISH (4-4)9/3 at SMU W 49-99/8 UTEP W 45-319/15 at Rice W 59-249/22 at Oklahoma St. L 45-499/29 NW (La.) St. W 75-710/6 Iowa St. W 42-1710/13 Texas A&M W 35-710/20 at Missouri L 10-4010/27 Colorado L 26-3111/3 at Baylor W 38-711/10 at Texas L 43-5911/17 Oklahoma W 34-271/1 vs. Virginia* W 31-28*-Gator Bowl at Jacksonville, Fla.
2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 Eastern Washington Lubbock, Texas9/6/08 at Nevada Reno, Nev.9/13/08 SMU Lubbock, Texas9/20/08 Massachusetts Lubbock, Texas10/4/08 at Kansas State Manhattan, Kan.10/11/08 Nebraska Lubbock, Texas10/18/08 at Texas A&M College Station, TX10/25/08 at Kansas Lawrence, Kan.11/1/08 Texas Lubbock, Texas11/8/08 Oklahoma State Lubbock, Texas11/22/08 at Oklahoma Norman, Okla.11/29/08 Baylor Lubbock, Texas
1 0 0 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
The old saying goes that
if it isn’t broke, don’t
fix it. That’s exactly the
approach that Oklahoma
State coach Mike Gundy
plans to take with the high-powered Cowboys
offense, despite the fact that former offensive
coordinator Larry Fedora left to become the
head coach at Southern Miss.
Led by quarterback Zac Robinson, Okla-
homa State’s offense thrived in 2007 as the
Cowboys finished with a 7-6 record, using amaz-
ing balance. In a strange but true stat, OSU’s
no-huddle attack wound up gaining 3,161 yards
rushing and, yes, 3,161 yards passing.
No team in the country could come
close to matching Oklahoma State’s
balance of averaging 243 yards per game
both on the ground and through the air.
Oregon State was the runner-up in offen-
sive balance, averaging 251 yards rushing
and 215 yards passing.
Even with Fedora’s departure, Gundy
said the Cowboys plan to keep the foun-
dation of their offensive scheme intact.
“We’ve stayed very consistent with
what we’ve done,” Gundy said. “Obvi-
ously, we’ve made a few changes in the
spring. We’ve tinkered with certain plays
and personnel moves that may alter the
way that we attack a team in the upcom-
ing season, but we’re comfortable with
our system. We feel like our players have
a good grasp of what’s going on.
“We’re convinced that the no-huddle
and the fastbreak give us an advantage,
and we like that, and I think our players
like it.”
Recruiting is yet another reason Gundy likes
OSU’s current offensive system. In February,
the Cowboys landed their third consecutive
top-25 recruiting class.
“It helps us in recruiting,” Gundy said of
OSU’s offense. “I think there are players out
there that want to be a part of it, so for those
reasons, we will look very, very similar.”
In the spring, the biggest question for the
Cowboys was who was going to call the plays?
When Fedora left, Gundy successfully called
the shots in a 49-33 Insight Bowl victory over
Indiana. While Gunter Brewer and Trooper
Taylor are listed as co-offensive coordinators,
Gundy said the final plan is still up in the air.
“My personal opinion is that offenses and
defenses both have gotten so much more com-
plex in the last five or six years that the concern
that I have is whether or not there’s a enough
time to be able to study tape and be prepared to
give your team that advantage in a play call and
still be the head coach,” Gundy said. “Obvi-
ously, it’s different for everybody.”
Regardless of who winds up actually calling
the plays, Gundy said he intends to be heavily
involved with the offense. He said play-calling
was somewhat of a group effort by the offen-
sive coaches in the spring.
“If you are the head coach and you aren’t
studying enough tape to give your team an
opportunity to have success calling plays on
Saturday, then it’s going to have to come from
somewhere,” Gundy said. “We’ve got several
guys in the room that are qualified to do that.”
The Cowboys return eight starters from a
unit that finished No. 7 in the country in total
offense last season. The biggest shoes to fill will
be those of second-team All-American offen-
sive lineman David Koenig, 1,200-yard rusher
Dantrell Savage and second-team All-Big 12
wide receiver Adarius Bowman. All three
completed their eligibility.
Robinson returns after a record-setting
sophomore season where he supplanted Bobby
Reid as the starting quarterback and became
one of the country’s top dual-threat quarter-
backs. Robinson completed 201 of 333 pass
attempts (60.4 percent) for 2,824 yards for 23
touchdowns and nine interceptions, while also
gaining 847 yards and nine TDs rushing.
Sophomore Dez Bryant (43 receptions for
622 yards and six TDs in 2007) will be
counted on to lead the wide receivers.
Senior tight end Brandon Pettigrew (35
receptions for 540 yards) is one of the
best in the Big 12, if not in the country.
At running back, junior Keith Toston
and sophomore Kendall Hunter (696
yards rushing in 2007) are expected to
battle to replace Savage in the starting
lineup. Beau Johnson, the most valuable
player in last year’s junior college national
championship game, arrived on campus
for the second semester and impressed
coaches in spring drills.
With the return of center David
Washington, a two-year starter who was
lost in the third game of the 2007 season
with a broken leg, the Cowboys return
five players with starting experience on
the offensive line. Tackles Russell Okung
and Brady Bond lead the way for a unit
that allowed just 11 sacks in 13 games last
year, ranking third in the country in few-
est sacks allowed. Plus, OSU has added junior
college All-American Andrew Mitchell.
Defense is the area Gundy wants to see the
most improvement in. The Cowboys allowed
33 or more points in eight of their 13 games
last season.
“We believe, just like a lot of other people,
that ultimately, you have to play really good
defense to win a conference championship,”
Gundy said. “We’re in the stage of trying to
improve in that area.”
To that end, second-year defensive coordina-
okLahoma STaTEcowboys
big12 conference
jacoB LacEy
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 1 0 1
cowboys at a glance
projected 2008 finish4th
STrENgThSEven with the loss of second-team All-American
David Koenig, Oklahoma State’s offensive line could
be even better than last year when it ranked third in
the nation by allowing only 11 sacks in 13 games.
Junior tackles Russell Okung and Brady Bond have
started since they were freshmen and the Cowboys
get starting center David Washington back after los-
ing him to a broken leg last year in game three. First-
team junior college All-American Andrew Mitchell
also joins the fold.
QUESTIoN markSFinding a replacement for 1,200-yard rusher
Dantrell Savage is a bit of a concern, although junior
running back Keith Toston has shown positive signs
and sophomore Kendall Hunter rushed for 696 yards
last year, averaging 6.5 yards per carry. Beau Johnson,
the MVP in the junior college national title game,
could also be in the mix. Another concern is the front
seven where just defensive tackle Jeray Chatham and
linebacker Patrick Lavine return as starters.
DIffErENcE-makErTaking over as the starting quarterback in the third
game of his sophomore season, Zac Robinson quickly
developed into one of the country’s best dual-threat
signal-callers. He set a single-season school record
for total offense (3,671) and had six of the top 18
total-offense performances in OSU history. That
included a 486-yard day in which Robinson passed for
a school-record 430 yards against Texas. His average of
7.52 yards per play was second only to West Virginia’s
Pat White.
a QUIck fIx?Oklahoma State added seven junior college trans-
fers who enrolled in classes in January. The list of
junior college newcomers includes safety Lucien An-
toine, defensive tackle Chris Donaldson, cornerback
Maurice Gray, running back Beau Johnson, offensive
lineman Andrew Mitchell and defensive linemen
Swanson Miller and Jeremiah Price.
tor Tim Beckman’s defense will have a
much different look. The hope is that six
returning starters can meld with six junior
college transfers to give the Cowboys an
instant upgrade.
Gundy said he and his staff have been
impressed by the five incoming junior col-
lege transfers who enrolled early and took
part in spring ball at OSU.
“When you bring that many players
in at mid-term, you’re always a little con-
cerned about how they’re going to gel with
the team … but we’ve been very fortunate,”
Gundy said.
The secondary is the defense’s strength
as all four starters return. Cornerbacks
Jacob Lacey and Perrish Cox return as
starters, but could be pressed by Terrance
Anderson and Al’Darius Thompson for
playing time.
Starters Quinton Moore (free safety)
and Ricky Price (strong safety) could be
challenged by Lucien Antoine. The junior
college All-American impressed Gundy
with his ability to make big plays and
deliver big hits in the spring.
Patrick Lavine, who led the Cowboys
in tackles in his first two years in the
program, is the only returning starter at
linebacker. Orie Lemon and Justin Gent
will battle for the other linebacker spot,
while Andre Sexton, a starter for the past
two years at safety, is expected to start at
the “star” linebacker spot. The position is a
hybrid of the linebacker/safety position in
Beckman’s scheme.
At defensive end, junior Derek Burton
and sophomore Ugo Chinasa will be
counted on to replace a pair of good ones
in Marque Fountain and Nathan Peterson,
who was among the program’s all-time
leaders in sacks. Jeray Chatham returns as
a starter at defensive tackle — a position
that could get some additional help from
junior college transfers Chris Donaldson
and Swanson Miller.
OFFEnSELT russell okung 6-5 300 jr. Trent Perkins 6-5 300 So.LG michael booker 6-3 310 so. Jonathan Rush 6-5 300 Fr.C andrew lewis 6-5 290 jr. Grant Garner 6-3 280 So.RG steve denning 6-5 295 sr. Noah Franklin 6-5 310 Jr.RT Brady Bond 6-6 290 Jr. Andrew Mitchell 6-5 305 Jr.WR Dez Bryant 6-2 210 So. Jeremy Broadway 6-0 195 Jr.WR Damian Davis 6-5 180 So. Josh Cooper 5-11 190 Fr.WR DeMarcus Conner 6-1 200 Jr. Hubert Anylam 6-0 185 Fr.TE brandon pettigrew 6-6 260 sr. Wilson Youman 6-4 245 Fr.RB Kendall Hunter 5-8 190 So. Keith Toston 6-1 210 Jr.FB Bryant Ward 5-11 215 So. John Toben 6-1 235 So.QB zac robinson 6-3 205 jr. Alex Cate 6-1 195 So.PK Dan Bailey 6-0 205 So. Patrick Kollars 6-0 200 Jr.
DEFEnSEDE Ugo Chinasa 6-6 250 So. Richetti Jones 6-4 240 Fr.DT Jeray chatham 6-3 280 Sr. Tonga Tea 6-0 300 Sr.DT Quencey Patrick 6-3 275 So. Shane Jarka 6-4 270 So.DE Derek Burton 6-5 265 Jr. Jamie Blatnick 6-3 255 Fr.SLB andre Sexton 6-1 210 Jr. Deron Fontenot 5-10 200 Fr.MLB Orie Lemon 6-1 240 Jr. Justin Gent 6-2 235 So.WLB patrick lavine 6-3 225 jr. Seb Clements 6-1 225 Sr.CB Terrance Anderson 6-0 180 Jr. Perrish cox 6-1 190 Jr.FS Quinton Moore 5-11 185 Sr. Lucien Antoine 6-1 205 Jr.SS ricky Price 6-1 195 Sr. T.J. Bell 6-0 195 Sr.CB Jacob Lacey 5-11 175 Sr. Al’Darius Thompson 5-11 180 Jr.P matt fodge 6-1 195 sr. Dan Bailey 6-0 205 So.
TENTaTIvE DEpTh charT
2007 RECORD (7-6), BIG 12 FInISH (3-5)9/1 at Georgia L 14-359/8 Florida Atlantic W 42-69/14 at Troy L 23-419/22 Texas Tech W 49-459/29 Sam Houston State W 39-310/6 at Texas A&M L 23-2410/13 at Nebraska W 45-1410/20 Kansas State W 41-3911/3 Texas L 35-3811/10 Kansas L 28-4311/17 at Baylor W 45-1411/24 at Oklahoma L 17-4912/31 #vs. Indiana W 49-33# at Insight Bowl
2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 Washington State Seattle, Wash.9/6/08 Houston Stillwater, Okla.9/13/08 Missouri State Stillwater, Okla.9/27/08 Troy Stillwater, Okla.10/4/08 Texas A&M Stillwater, Okla.10/11/08 at Missouri Columbia, Mo.10/18/08 Baylor Stillwater, Okla.10/25/08 at Texas Austin, Texas11/1/08 Iowa State Stillwater, Okla.11/8/08 at Texas Tech Lubbock, Texas11/15/08 at Colorado Boulder, Colo.11/29/08 Oklahoma Stillwater, Okla.
1 0 2 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
Time is ticking away at
Texas A&M – or at least
that’s the message that first-
year coach Mike Sherman
is trying to get across to the
Aggies as the program starts in a new direction.
The importance Sherman places on time
became evident when the former NFL coach
had digital clocks installed throughout the
A&M football facilities. Sherman, who had
been an offensive line coach for the Aggies
under R.C. Slocum, said there was a distinct
reason for the change.
“I hit them over the head a lot about time
and how it’s constantly ticking,” Sherman said.
“The clock is ticking on your football career, as
a student and as an athlete, so I think the
digital clocks are a reminder, functionally,
to get them to meetings on time.”
Sherman added that digital clocks also
remove any arguments about whether or
not someone is late.
“If it’s a digital clock and it says 6
o’clock, it’s 6 o’clock,” Sherman said.
“I don’t want to argue if the hand was
a fraction of a millimeter to the left of
6 o’clock. It kind of sends the message
that way.”
For Sherman, being on time not only
teaches discipline, but also respect.
“You respect your teammates, your
coaches, your school and yourself and I
think the initial element of respect from
a football player’s standpoint is to be on
time for meetings,” Sherman said. “If
you have 110 players in a meeting and
one guy is late for one minute, that’s 110
minutes that you’ve wasted.”
Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee
said Sherman’s approach has made a definite
impression on the Aggies.
“Just the way he takes care of business,
he gets everybody to buy in and make sure
they are doing what they are supposed to do,”
McGee said in an interview with the Houston
Chronicle. “He did that from day one.”
With the difficult chore that lies ahead for
the Aggies, Sherman said there’s no time to
waste. A&M returns a Big 12 Conference-low
11 starters, including just four on offense from
a team that finished a disappointing 7-6 last
year as former head coach Dennis Franchione
was forced out at the end of the regular season.
“I think transition is difficult in any business,
even in football, particularly at the collegiate
level,” Sherman said. “You come into a place
and you ask players to trust you and give a leap
of faith almost immediately to get done what
you need to get done. It’s difficult.”
Trust, Sherman said, is essential for the
Aggies to move ahead as quickly as possible.
“As I told them, ‘You can trust us now or
you can trust us later … but if you trust us
now, we’ll be able to get through this a little bit
faster,’ and I think they’ve done that,” Sherman
said. “I think our spring was evident of that as
they really put forth a very good effort.”
Offensively, the good news for A&M is that
there’s plenty of returning experience in the
backfield.
If McGee wins the starting job in fall camp –
Sherman has left the competition open between
McGee and sophomore Jerrod Johnson – he’ll
be a third-year starter. As a junior, the fiery 6-3,
207-pound McGee completed 211 of 364 pass
attempts (58 percent) for 2,311 yards and 12
touchdowns with eight interceptions, while also
leading the Aggies in rushing with 899 yards
and five TDs.
The most noteworthy backfield news was
that Sherman has ended the tailback platoon
between senior Jorvorskie Lane and Mike
Goodson. The 6-foot, 285-pound Lane will be
making the switch to fullback while Goodson
is expected to be the feature back in Sherman’s
pro-style offense.
“He’s a very dangerous weapon,” Sherman
said of Goodson. “He’s certainly a guy who
needs the ball in his hands.”
Goodson, who is more of a true breakaway
threat, finished with 711 yards and four TDs
as both he and Lane averaged 4.6 yards per
carry. Splitting time last season, Lane rushed
for 780 yards and 16 TDs – 44 scores for
his career.
Essential to the success of A&M’s
offense is the emergence of an offensive
line that lost four full-time starters.
Robbie Frost played well enough in the
spring to possibly win the starting left
tackle spot, while senior Travis Schneider
is a returning starter and should man the
other tackle position.
Sherman seems equally concerned
about the receiving positions after
losing starting wideouts Kerry Franks
and Earvin Taylor as well as talented
tight end Martellus Bennett to the NFL
draft. In the A&M spring game, McGee
completed just five passes – none of them
to a wide receiver.
Pierre Brown and E.J. Shankle look to
be two of the top receiving prospects for
the Aggies. Redshirt freshman Jeff Fuller
also impressed during the spring.
“There are a lot of numbers in the group,
but we really haven’t found anybody who has
just separated themselves as the guy,” Sherman
said. “Certain days, certain players will step up,
but I’m looking for consistency at that position.
“I think we dropped more balls the first day
of practice than I have had before in a whole
season, but that part of it has improved and
continued to improve.”
Sherman said he attributed many of the
problems to players trying to learn a new offense,
TExaS a&maggies
big12 conference
STEphEN mcgEE
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 1 0 3
aggies at a glance
projected 2008 finish5th
STrENgThSThe backfield stands out as Texas A&M features
the 1-2 punch of 285-pound senior bruiser Jorvorskie
Lane and junior speedster Mike Goodson, who
is one of the top break-away threats in the Big
12 Conference. Lane, who has scored 44 career
touchdowns and rushed for 780 yards and 16 TDs a
year ago, has made the move to fullback. Goodson
will now move into the starting lineup at tailback
after finishing last year with 711 yards rushing and
four TDs
QUESTIoN markSThe offensive line went from a major strength in
2007 to a source of concern for the upcoming season
as Texas A&M lost four starters, including a trio of
three-year starters to graduation. Senior tackle Travis
Schneider is the only full-time returning starter for
the Aggies on the offensive line, while guard Michael
Shumard also returns with past starting experience.
Coaches were impressed with tackle Robbie Frost in
the spring.
DIffErENcE-makErAggies senior quarterback Stephen McGee rushed
back for spring practice after undergoing surgery to
his left (non-throwing) shoulder in January. McGee
brings the experience of being a two-year starter and
is coming off a year when he led the Aggies in both
rushing and passing. In 2007, McGee completed
211-of-364 pass attempts for 2,311 yards and 12
touchdowns with eight interceptions. He also rushed
for 899 yards and five TDs.
NEBraSka fLavorFirst-year Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman’s staff
is littered with names recognizable to many Nebraska
Cornhusker football fans. Two coaches, running
backs coach Randy Jordan and defensive line coach
Buddy Wyatt, were on Bill Callahan’s staff at last
year Nebraska. Also making the trek from Lincoln to
College Station, were football operations director Tim
Cassidy, who had previously worked at A&M, and
strength and conditioning coach Dave Kennedy.
saying that he and his coaching staff threw
an awful lot at the Aggies in the spring.
“The volume that they had to learn
– it takes away sometimes from your
effectiveness,” Sherman said. “I do think,
over the course of time as they begin to
assimilate the information that we’ve given
to them and they transfer it to the football
field and they become more comfortable,
they’ll become better players.”
The secondary will be counted on to be
the strength of the defense. Several position
changes were made in the spring, but four
defensive backs with starting experience re-
turn in seniors Arkeith Brown, Devin Gregg
and Alton Dixon and junior Jordan Pugh.
The front seven is largely inexperienced
as defensive end Cyril Obiozor is
essentially the only full-time returning
starter. However, Obiozor said he and his
teammates have enjoyed new defensive
coordinator Joe Kines’ philosophy, which
is based on more of an attacking style than
the base scheme the Aggies used last year.
“I always thought that defense was
never meant to be played defensively,”
Obiozor told reporters after the spring
game. “You want to play aggressively. We
aren’t sitting back waiting for things. We’re
going after it before it happens.”
Matt Featherston was a highlight at
the middle linebacker spot in the spring,
but the linebacker corps appears largely
unsettled. The Aggies also got some bad
news in late May when highly touted
freshman linebacker prospect Derrick
Stephens was told that he had to give up
football due to multiple concussions.
“We’re still a work in progress,”
Sherman said. “We’ve got a lot of work to
do, as evidenced by our spring game, but
some days this past spring we took baby
steps. Other days, we took great strides and
a couple of times, we might have taken a
step or two backwards, but as a long as we
keep working, I think we’ll move forward.”
OFFEnSEWR pierre brown 6-2 193 sr. E.J. Shankle 5-11 179 Jr.T travis schneider 6-8 303 sr. Yemi Babalola 6-4 315 Sr.G Lee Grimes 6-6 339 Jr. Corey Clark 6-6 326 Sr.C Kevin Matthews 6-4 300 Jr. Chris Yoder 6-4 314 Sr.G Vincent Williams 6-4 306 Jr. Michael Shumard 6-5 309 Jr.T Robbie Frost 6-6 302 Jr. Cody Wallace 6-4 296 Sr.TE Terrence McCoy 6-4 198 So. Ryan Vaughan 6-4 228 Sr.WR Cody Beyer 6-1 182 Jr. Jeff Fuller 6-4 209 Fr.QB stephen mcgee 6-3 220 sr. Jerrod Johnson 6-6 232 So.FB jorvorskie lane 6-0 285 sr. Nick LaMantia 6-1 226 Sr.TB Mike Goodson 6-0 206 Jr. Cornell Tarrant 5-10 190 So.PK Matt Szymanski 6-1 194 Jr. Richie Bean 6-0 171 Sr.
DEFEnSEDE Michael Bennett 6-4 265 Sr. Amos Gbunblee 6-5 250 Sr.DT Chris Smith 6-4 270 Sr.-or- Lucas Patterson 6-5 299 So.NT Kellen Heard 6-6 345 Jr.-or- David Tufuga 6-1 295 Jr.DE cyril obiozor 6-5 266 Sr. Ben Bass 6-5 268 Fr.SLB Von Miller 6-3 214 So. Billy Chavis 6-4 233 So.MLB Matt Featherston 6-3 233 Jr. Anthony Lewis 6-2 205 So.WLB Garrick Williams 6-2 217 Fr. Kenny Brown 6-2 205 So.CB arkeith brown 6-0 173 sr. Danny Gorrer 6-0 173 Sr.FS devin gregg 6-0 191 sr. Jordan Peterson 5-11 184 Jr.SS alton Dixon 5-11 196 Sr. Chevar Bryson 6-0 188 Jr.CB jordan pugh 6-0 185 jr. Johnathan Batson 6-1 195 Sr.P Justin Brantly 6-4 245 Sr. Matt Szymanski 6-1 194 Jr.
TENTaTIvE DEpTh charT
2007 RECORD (7-6), BIG 12 FInISH (4-4)9/1 Montana St. W 38-79/8 Fresno St. W 47-43 (3OT)9/15 La.-Monroe W 54-149/20 at Miami (Fla.) L 17-349/29 Baylor W 34-1010/6 Oklahoma St. W 24-2310/13 at Texas Tech L 7-3510/20 at Nebraska W 36-1410/27 Kansas L 11-1911/3 at Oklahoma L 14-4211/10 at Missouri L 26-4011/23 Texas W 38-3012/29 vs. Penn St.-* L 17-24*-Alamo Bowl at San Antonio
2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 Arkansas State College Station, TX9/6/08 at New Mexico Albuquerque, N.M.9/20/08 Miami College Station, TX9/27/08 Army College Station, TX10/4/08 at Oklahoma State Stillwater, Okla.10/11/08 Kansas State College Station, TX10/18/08 Texas Tech College Station, TX10/25/08 at Iowa State Ames, Iowa11/1/08 Colorado College Station, TX11/8/08 Oklahoma College Station, TX11/15/08 at Baylor Waco, TX11/27/08 at Texas Austin, TX
1 0 4 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
Art Briles accepted the
head coaching position at
Baylor with his eyes wide
open. Despite inheriting a
college football program
that has become a perennial Big 12 Conference
doormat, the 52-year-old Texas native didn’t
shy away from the challenge.
Baylor hasn’t had a winning season for the
past 12 years — the entire lifespan of the Big
12 — and takes a 12-game conference losing
streak into the 2008 season. Since Chuck
Reedy led the Bears to a 7-4 record in 1995, the
program is 35-101 overall and 11-85 in league
play, only once managing to not finish in the
South Division cellar, tying for fifth
in 2005.
Starting in 1997, three previous
coaches have tried and failed to
turn Baylor’s football program
around. The list includes Dave
Roberts, Kevin Steele and Guy
Morriss, who was fired last
November after a 3-9 season that
left him with a five-year record of
18-40.
But unlike Baylor’s previous
three choices, Briles has a proven
track record when it comes to
turning a program around. In his
most recent job at Houston, Briles
inherited a Cougars team that was
two years removed from finishing
0-11 and led them to a 34-28 record
in five seasons, which included
three bowl bids and a Conference-
USA title in 2006.
For Briles, the first step in the
rebuilding project is eliminating
all memories and perceptions of
Baylor’s troubled recent history. The key, he
says, is to always look ahead.
“We live in the present,” Briles said. “We
live right now. That’s what matters. What
happened four years ago with me or them, it
makes no difference.
“We’re going to be judged by what we do from
this day forward, so that’s what we’re preparing
for and that’s where our energy is going.”
While the Bears have obviously yet to play
a game under their new coaching staff, Briles
said that he believes Baylor’s players have fully
bought into his system.
“It’s not tough to get anybody to believe
that they need to do well and that they need to
work hard to be successful,” said Briles, who
received a seven-year contract that will pay
him up to $1.8 million per season, including all
incentives. “That’s human nature.”
Plus, as Baylor junior linebacker Joe
Pawelek points out, Briles’ track record speaks
for itself. After winning four state titles and
going 136-29-2 in 12 seasons at Stephenville
(Texas) High School, Briles served as the
running backs coach at Texas Tech under coach
Mike Leach from 2000-03 before taking the
Houston job in 2003.
“He’s a guy that has obviously had success
everywhere he has been at and he is a down
to earth football coach,” Pawelek said. “We’re
excited that we are going to be able to play for a
guy like that.”
While the record may not necessarily reflect
it in the rugged Big 12 South, most college
football analysts believe that the Bears did
make progress under Morriss. Baylor produced
its first Big 12 road victory in 2005 at Iowa
State and recorded its first three-win Big 12
season in 2006.
After what he labeled a successful spring
practice season and with some highly regarded
recruits on the way, Briles said his program is
not without talent.
“I like the guys we have on campus. I like
the guys we recruited and we’re going to go to
war with them,” Briles said. “We’ve got people
here to win football games for us. That’s a good
step in the right direction.”
In fall camp, the focus will likely
be on the quarterback competition.
Returning starter Blake Szymanski,
who completed 57.3 percent of
his pass attempts for 2,844 yards
and 22 touchdowns last year, is
battling Miami (Fla.) transfer
Kirby Freeman as well as surprise
freshman Robert Griffin for the No.
1 job.
“We’ve got some guys that can
do that, no doubt,” Briles said.
“That’s my job is to put somebody
on the field who will produce in that
capacity. I really feel good about our
QBs on campus … they’re going to
compete, they’re going to play hard
and they’re going to be intelligent
with the football.”
Baylor returns nine players with
starting experience on an offensive
unit that ranked No. 85 in the
country last season in total offense
(351.3 yards per game) and No. 111
in scoring offense (18.2 points per
game). While the Bears were 27th nationally in
passing offense (273.4), they were just 113th in
rushing offense (77.8).
At Houston, Briles’ offense ranked No. 10
in the country in rushing yards with an average
of 223.9 per game. With four returning starters
back on the offensive line that allowed just
21 sacks in a school-record 561 pass attempts
last year, including two of the Big 12’s better
BayLorBears
oct. 25 at lincoln, neb.
big12 conference
joE pawELEk
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 1 0 5
Bears at a glance
projected 2008 finish6th
STrENgThSBaylor’s offensive line will be anchored by
arguably one of the Big 12 Conference’s top tackle
tandems in seniors Jason Smith (6-5, 298) and Dan
Gay (6-5, 290). Regarded as the best pro prospect for
the Bears since cornerback Gary Baxter was selected
in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft, Smith
heads into the season with 29 career starts. New
coach Art Briles said Smith, Gay and junior center
J.D. Walton are going to be “the heart and soul” of
BU’s offense.
QUESTIoN markSWhile repair work is needed in the secondary
where two new starting cornerbacks need to be
identified, the results of the quarterback competition
will obviously have a huge impact on Baylor’s
season. Junior Blake Szymanski started nine games
and passed for 2,844 yards and 22 touchdowns last
year, but was inconsistent at times. Miami (Fla.)
transfer Kirby Freeman will also get a look while true
freshman Robert Griffin opened some eyes with his
spring performance.
DIffErENcE-makErIt appears highly touted wide receiver David
Gettis might finally be ready to live up to the hype.
While the 6-4, 213-pound junior from Los Angeles
has been blessed with all the physical tools, he was
fifth on the team with 31 receptions for 402 yards
last year. In the spring, however, Briles said Gettis
flashed plenty of promise. “We’re in the process of
showing him how to play with power and speed,”
Briles said. “And once he figures that out … he’ll be
a dominant receiver. Dominant.”
fEELINg LEfT oUTBaylor is the lone Big 12 Conference team that has
failed to make a bowl appearance since the league’s
inception in 1996. In fact, the only BCS conference
team with a longer bowl drought is Vanderbilt, which
finished 5-7 last year to extend its bowless streak to
25 years. The last time the Bears appeared in a bowl
game was in 1994 when they finished 7-5 after a 10-3
Alamo Bowl loss to Washington State under coach
Chuck Reedy.
returning tackles in Jason Smith and Dan
Gay, the Bears will look to beef up their
ground game, although they’ll lose leading
rusher Brandon Whitaker (488 yards).
Outside of Whitaker, who caught a
team-high 58 passes out of the backfield,
Baylor returns its top four receivers in
terms of receptions. Tight end Justin
Akers had 43 catches last year, while tight
end Brad Taylor (35) and wide receivers
Thomas White and David Gettis (31) also
topped the 30-catch mark.
Defensively, Baylor is switching to a
4-3 alignment after playing a 4-2-5 scheme
under Morriss. A change was probably
in order as the Bears ranked No. 112
nationally in scoring defense (37 points per
game) and No. 110 in total defense (461.6
yards per game) in 2007.
Junior safety Jordan Lake is one of five
defensive starters returning, leading the
team with 120 tackles last season, tying
him for third in the Big 12. Pawelek was
second on the squad with 99 tackles from
his middle linebacker position.
Briles said the secondary is his largest
concern as Baylor will have to break in a
pair of new starting cornerbacks. Senior
Dwain Crawford has moved from rover to
cornerback and sophomore Krys Buerck
has switched from receiver to corner in
hopes of addressing the situation.
The Bears do return some experience
on the defensive line, led by defensive ends
Leon Freeman, who led Baylor in tackles
for loss (9.5), and Jason Lamb as well as
defensive tackle Vincent Rhodes and nose
tackle Trey Bryant.
“We’ve got speed on defense. Were not
inventing that, everyone is doing it,” Briles
said. “We’re going to pack some guys on
the field and make the field look small.
That’s what our key is and we’ve got some
guys who are playing with a high tempo
and a fast motor and that is what they’ve
got to do.”
OFFEnSEWR david gettis 6-4 206 jr. Luke La Mar 6-2 191 So.LT jason smith 6-5 298 sr. Jordan Hearvey 6-4 281 Jr.LG Chris Griesenbeck 6-6 268 Jr. Courtney Green 6-4 287 Fr.C j.d. walton 6-3 302 jr. Hunter Hightower 6-5 268 Fr.RG james barnard 6-4 286 jr. John Jones 6-5 305 Fr.RT Dan Gay 6-5 288 Sr. Larry Bradley 6-5 291 Fr.TE justin akers 6-5 231 jr. Brad Taylor 6-3 233 So.QB Robert Griffin 6-3 200 Fr.-or- Kirby Freeman 6-3 210 Sr.-or- Blake Szymansky 6-4 205 Jr.RB Jay Finley 5-11 202 So. Jacoby Jones 5-11 227 Sr.WR ernest smith 6-3 187 jr. Kyle Mitchell 6-2 224 Jr.WR Thomas White 6-2 204 Sr. Justin Fenty 5-10 178 Jr.PK Shea Brewster 6-0 167 So. Derek Epperson 6-3 212 So.
DEFEnSEDE Leon Freeman 6-2 241 Sr. Jameon Hardeman 6-1 238 So.DT vincent rhodes 6-2 305 sr. Sam Sledge 6-2 266 Jr.NT Trey Bryant 6-3 321 Jr. Nicolas Jean-Baptiste 6-2 317 Fr.DE jason lamb 6-6 260 jr. Zac Scotton 6-6 259 Fr.SLB Antonio Jones 6-2 218 Jr. Earl Patin 6-2 220 So.MLB Joe pawelek 6-3 233 jr. Chris Francis 5-11 225 So.WLB Antonio Johnson 6-1 206 So. Elliot Coffey 6-0 206 Fr.CB dwain crawford 6-0 197 sr. Antareis Bryan 6-1 180 So.FS jordan lake 6-2 203 jr. Jake La Mar 6-0 193 Sr.SS Jeremy Williams 5-10 205 Jr. Marlon Price 6-2 194 Sr.CB Krys Buerck 6-1 174 So. Cliff Odom 5-11 194 So.P Derek Epperson 6-3 212 So. Shea Brewster 6-0 167 So.
TENTaTIvE DEpTh charT
2007 RECORD (3-9), BIG 12 FInISH (0-8)9/1 at TCU L 0-279/8 Rice W 42-179/15 Texas St. W 34-279/22 at Buffalo W 34-219/29 at Texas A&M L 10-3410/6 Colorado L 23-4310/13 at Kansas L 10-5810/20 Texas L 10-3110/27 at Kansas St. L 13-5111/3 Texas Tech L 7-3811/10 at Oklahoma L 21-5211/17 Oklahoma St. L 14-45
2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 Wake Forest Waco, Texas9/6/08 Northwestern State Waco, Texas9/13/08 Washington State Waco, Texas9/19/08 at Connecticut Storrs, Conn.10/4/08 Oklahoma Waco, Texas10/11/08 Iowa State Waco, Texas10/18/08 at Oklahoma State Stillwater, Okla.10/25/08 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb.11/1/08 Missouri Waco, Texas11/8/08 at Texas Austin, Texas11/15/08 Texas A&M Waco, Texas11/29/08 at Texas Tech Lubbock, Texas
1 0 6 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
AutismFamilyNetwork.org
Brought to you by the Advertising Federation of Lincoln.
BAILEY LAUERMAN Autism Family Network “Rocket”Miscel081237Pub: Huskers Illustrated Color: 4-color (CMYK) Size: Live 7” x 9.75”, Trim 8” x 10.75”
Miscel081237 AFN Huskers Illus.indd 1 6/19/08 9:58:12 AM
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 1 0 7
1 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
Western Michigan head
coach Bill Cubit has some
idea what his team will be
facing when he brings the
Broncos into Lincoln to
face the Huskers on Aug. 30.
Cubit remembers Memorial Stadium
from back in 2000 when he was offensive
coordinator at Missouri. The Tigers came to
Lincoln that year and absorbed a 42-24 defeat.
But Cubit said he loved
the atmosphere at Memorial
Stadium.
“When I was at Missouri,
it was one of my favorite
places to play in the
country,” Cubit said. “I’m
sure it will be a lot more
electric now than when I was
back there.”
That’s because that Aug.
30 game will be the season
opener for the Huskers and
new head coach Bo Pelini.
Cubit said that will give the
atmosphere an extra shot of
adrenaline.
Cubit said the Broncos
haven’t experienced anything
like they will face in Lincoln,
even though they have
experience playing in large
venues.
The Broncos went into
Iowa City and beat the
Hawkeyes 28-19 last year
to keep Iowa out of a bowl
game. In 2006, Western
Michigan won 17-10 at
Virginia and lost a tough
28-20 decision at Florida State.
“We went on the road and we beat Virginia
and we beat Iowa,” Cubit said. “We went to
Florida State and we were close. But this is
going to be a different deal. I think it will be
pretty electric with Bo back. You can see the
hunger in them.”
But the Broncos may be a little hungry
themselves. Their 5-7 record wasn’t up to the
standards of the 7-4 mark in 2005 or the 8-5
record in 2006 when Western Michigan went
to the International Bowl where it dropped a
27-24 decision to Cincinnati.
“Last year, we lost four games in the last
two minutes,” Cubit said. “The year before,
we won four games in the last two minutes. It
goes back to how they handle adversity. They
didn’t do that really well last year. It goes back
to senior leadership. They have to understand
how hard it is. Hopefully we got through that
last year.”
The Broncos have a proven leader at
quarterback in Tim Hiller. The redshirt junior
started all 12 games a year ago. He completed
267-of-421 passes (63.4 percent) and became
the first Western Michigan quarterback to
throw for over 3,000 yards (3,021) and added
20 touchdowns to boot.
“This is really his fourth year in the system,”
Cubit said of Hiller. “He should have a good
grasp of it by now. He’s a tall guy at about 6-5,
and he doesn’t have great arm strength, but his
accuracy has gotten a lot better.”
Hiller’s statistics look pretty good, at least
until you see the 15 interceptions he threw.
“He didn’t play real well last year even
though he threw for over
3,000 yards,” Cubit said.
“He would admit the same
thing. He’s No. 1 going into
fall camp unless something
drastic happens.”
Junior Brandon West is a
solid No. 1 at running back as
well, even though he missed
the spring game with a slight
knee injury. West rushed for
848 yards on 183 carries (4.4
per attempt) a year ago and
set a school record with 2,119
all-purpose yards.
Cubit also likes back-ups
like Kirk Elsworth and Glenis
Thompson. Thompson
gained 127 yards on 36
carries.
“We’re probably about as
deep as we’ve been at running
back since I’ve been here,”
Cubit said.
The wide receiving corps
is led by Jamarko Simmons.
The 6-2, 234-pound junior,
who was a first-team
All-MAC selection as a
sophomore, caught 84 passes
for 980 yards and six touchdowns in 2007.
“He has had some success here,” Cubit said.
“He’s a pretty good player. I wouldn’t say he’s a
burner, but he does some nice things.”
The offensive line is a work in progress. The
Broncos lost three starters from a year ago, but
return Anthony Parker who is moving from
right tackle to left tackle and Phillip Swanson
wESTErN mIchIgaNBroncos
aug. 30 at lincoln, neb.
non-conference opponent
jamarko SImmoNS
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 1 0 9
Broncos at a glanceaffILIaTIoNMid-American Conference
STrENgThSWith a load of experience returning, the defense
would appear to be a strength for the Broncos. With
Zach Davidson and Greg Marshall crashing from
their defensive end spots, the Broncos should be able
to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Davidson
and Marshall combined for 13 of the team’s 28 sacks
in 2008.
QUESTIoN markSThe offensive line needs to be reworked this sea-
son. Coach Bill Cubit thinks Anthony Parker, who is
moving from right tackle to left, will be able to handle
those important duties on the other side of the line.
Still, with players being added and moved, it may
take a little time for the Broncos to develop chemistry
up front.
DIffErENcE-makErSQuarterback Tim Hiller will be a key player the of-
fensive side of the ball as he tries to cut down on his
15 interceptions from a year ago. Cornerback Londen
Fryar led the team with 16 pass breakups last season.
kIckINg QUESTIoNS Junior Chris Kelly is listed as the Broncos’ kicker
for next season, but Cubit said things could change in
the fall. He said incoming freshman John Potter was
the No. 1-rated punter in Michigan and No. 2 in the
Midwest. As of now, redshirt freshman Ben Armer
will handle the punting duties.
ToUgh SchEDULEThe Broncos’ 5-7 mark last year may not seem too
impressive at first glance. However, Western Michi-
gan had the 10th toughest schedule among non-Bowl
Championship Series teams in 2007. The Broncos
played five teams that participated in bowl games,
including Cotton Bowl winner Missouri.
who started all 12 games last year as a
redshirt freshmen at left guard.
Nick Mitchell and Paul Wasikowski,
who started three games at guard last
season, are the front runners at center.
Cubit said Nick Clemens and Lee Pethan
are battling it out at right guard. Andy
Laue, who started 11 games last year, and
Rob Johnson are the top two at right tackle.
“What I like is they’re young but eager,”
Cubit said of the offensive line. “There’s a
hunger there with them that I really like.
They’re young kids who want to get better
every day.”
Tight end Brandon Ledbetter caught 38
passes for 550 yards a year ago.
Cubit expects good things from his
defense this season. The Broncos return a
number of players who have been starters
since their freshman season.
“We’re really old on defense,” Cubit
said. “We played 34 freshmen the first year
I was here. Fourteen of them started at one
time or another. They have a lot of game
experience.”
The Broncos will feature four-year
starter Zach Davidson at one defensive end
with two-year starter Greg Marshall at the
other. Davidson and Marshall led Western
Michigan with 6.5 sacks apiece in 2007.
Tackle Nick Varcadipane and tackle
Cory Flom are also four-year starters.
Weakside linebacker Boston McCornell
led the Broncos with 99 tackles, including
eight for losses. Middle linebacker Dustin
Duclo was third a year ago with 74 tackles.
Austin Pritchard started the first game
a year ago at strongside linebacker and led
the team with 11 tackles, but missed the
remainder of the season with an injury.
C.J. Wilson is another four-year starter
in the defensive backfield. Londen Fryar ,
the son of former Nebraska All-American
Irving Fryar, is a three-year starter at
cornerback with four-year starter E.J.
Biggers at the other corner.
OFFEnSELT Anthony Parker 6-5 305 Fr. Steve Elingsen 6-4 307 Sr.lg phillip swanson 6-4 307 so. Josh Droppers 6-3 295 Fr.C Nick Mitchell 6-1 290 So. Paul Wasikowski 6-3 291 Jr.RG Nick Clemens 6-5 307 So. Lee Pethan 6-4 295 Fr.RT Rob Johnson 6-5 338 Sr. Andy Laue 6-4 295 Jr.WR X Jordan White 6-0 206 So. Deshon Lawrence 6-0 175 Fr.wr t jamarko simmons 6-2 234 sr. Jamelle Murray 5-8 167 So.te braden ledbetter 6-5 230 sr. Anthony Middleton 6-4 215 So.wr z schneider julien 5-10 175 sr. Juan Nunez 6-0 172 So.Qb tm hiller 6-5 228 jr. Robert Amheim 6-2 180 Fr.rb brandon west 5-10 169 jr. Glenis Thompson 5-8 210 J
DEFEnSElde greg marshall 6-0 245 sr. Fernand Kashama 6-3 221 Sr.NG Cody Cielenski 6-2 290 Jr. cory Flom 6-4 276 Sr.DT Nick Varcadipane 6-2 285 Sr. Chris Pyant 6-3 269 So.rde zach davidson 6-2 239 sr. Justin Braska 6-4 234 Jr.wlb boston mccornell 6-1 233 Harrison Porter 6-0 220 So.slb austin pritchard 6-4 233 jr. Scott Gajos 6-0 233 Jr.hb e.j. biggers 6-0 180 sr. David Lewis 5-10 170 So.FS Louis Deimas 5-11 196 Sr. Andy Dorcely 6-0 194 Jr.ss c.j. wilson 6-2 206 sr. Mario Armstrong 6-0 188 So.cB Londen Fryar 5-11 192 Sr. Desman Stephen 6-0 190 Sr.
TENTaTIvE DEpTh charT
2007 RECORD (5-7), MAC FInISH (3-4)9/1 @ West Virginia L 24-629/8 Indiana L 27-379/15 @ Missouri L 24-529/22 Cen. Conn. St. W 51-149/29 @ Toledo W 42-2810/6 Akron L 38-3910/13 at N. Illinois W 17-1310/20 Ball State L 23-2710/27 @ Eastern Michigan L 2-1911/6 Central Michigan L 31-3411/17 @ Iowa W 28-1911/24 Temple W 16-3
2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb.9/6/08 Northern Illinois Kalamazoo, Mich.9/13/08 at Idaho Moscow, Idaho9/20/08 Tennessee Tech Kalamazoo, Mich.9/27/08 at Temple Philadelphia, Pa.10/4/08 Ohio Kalamazoo, Mich.10/11/08 at Buffalo Buffalo, N.Y.10/18/08 at Central Michigan Mt. Pleasant, Mich.11/1/08 Eastern Michigan Kalamazoo, Mich.11/8/08 Illinois Detroit, Mich.11/15/08 Toledo Kalamazoo, Mich.11/25/08 at Ball State Muncie, Ind.
1 1 0 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
The bad news for San
Jose State coach Dick
Tomey is that the Spartans
will enter fall practice
still looking for a No. 1
quarterback.
The good news is Tomey has some good
quarterbacks to choose from to replace the
graduated Adam Tafralis.
The top candidates are returners Myles
Eden and sophomore Jordan La Secla along
with Kyle Reed, a transfer
from Cal.
None of the San Jose
State quarterbacks lit things
up in the spring game. Reed
missed the spring game with
a foot injury while Eden,
La Secla and senior Sean
Flynn combined to complete
11-of-28 passes for 108 yards
in a game dominated by the
Spartans’ defense.
Eden completed 7-of-15
passes for 30 yards while
La Secla was 8 for 18 for 64
yards and Flynn 10 for 17 for
56 yards in the spring game.
Eden has a head start in
the competition. He had
seven carries for 33 yards
in the Spartans’ 34-14 loss
to Kansas State early in
the season. He completed
his first three passes in that
game, all three to Tafralis
who lined up as a wide
receiver.
“I would say Myles Eden
is ahead,” Tomey said. “He
did a wonderful job for us
last year. He’s a consistent
playmaker. Last year, he did a great job against
Kansas State. When we put him in, he did a
great job throughout the year.
“He’s doing what we ask him to do. His
running ability was a major factor in our last
game against Nevada.”
Reed was a highly sought prospect out of
McClymonds High School in Oakland, Calif.,
when he committed to Cal in 2004. Reed was
redshirted his first year at Cal, then didn’t
see any playing time in 2006. He decided to
transfer to San Jose State last August when
the Bears named Nate Longshore as the No. 2
quarterback.
“What we have to do is make some tough
decisions in the fall about who gets the reps,”
Tomey said. “Certainly Kyle will get his
opportunity, because he deserves that and his
injury was unfortunate. There’s no question
that Myles is No. 1 right now, but that doesn’t
mean anything beyond that.”
Tomey said Eden picked up some big
yards for the Spartans in their 27-24 win over
Nevada that allowed the Spartans to finish the
season 5-7 overall and 4-4 in Western Athletic
Conference play.
“This is the first time that San Jose State has
had two .500-or-better seasons in the conference
back-to-back,” Tomey said. “Sometimes the
most gratifying seasons are not the ones where
you have the most wins, necessarily.”
The Spartans are hoping for even more
this season even though they will have to do it
without Tafralis, who finished his career with
school records for career total offense, passing
yards and completions.
Whoever ends up as his
replacement will have a
couple of experienced wide
receivers to throw to. Kevin
Jurovich caught 86 passes
for 1,183 yards and nine
touchdowns last year while
David Richmond caught 55
passes for 852 yards and 3
touchdowns.
Both players showed
great promise in their first
action at receiver last year.
Jurovich played as a
defensive back his first two
years at San Jose State before
moving to receiver prior
to last season. Richmond
didn’t take up football until
enrolling at Santa Ana
Community College and
caught one pass in his only
game there.
“Kevin was an amazing
competitor for a young man
that never caught a pass
until (last) year,” Tomey
said. “He was kind of like
David Richmond. If you
look at David two years ago
as a receiver, he caught one
pass or something his freshman year of junior
college. Kevin didn’t catch a pass (in 2007)
obviously since he was playing defense.”
The Spartans must replace both starting
running backs from last year. Former safety
Dominique Hunsucker, Chris Reese and
Cameron Island are the leading contenders
SaN joSE STaTESpartans
sept. 6 at lincoln, neb.
non-conference opponent
kEvIN jUrovIch
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 1 1 1
Spartans at a glanceaffILIaTIoNWestern Athletic Conference
QUESTIoN markSWho is going to replace Adam Tafralis at quar-
terback is the most important question the Spartans
must answer this fall. It appears either Myles Eden or
Cal transfer Kyle Reed are the most likely candidates.
The Spartans must also replace their top two running
backs.
DIffErENcE-makErSWide receivers Kevin Jurovich and David
Richmond, the top two pass catchers from last year,
are both back. Place-kicker Jared Strubeck was a
perfect 22-for-22 in extra-point tries a year ago and
stands second all-time on the school’s career field
goal list with 30. Defensive back Coye Francies, a
transfer from Oregon State, returned 22 kickoffs for
453 yards for the Beavers in 2006.
ShorT oN SchoLarShIpSThe Spartans were hurt by the NCAA’s new Aca-
demic Progress Report. The NCAA took away seven
scholarships because of poor academic performances.
That means the Spartans, who brought in 18 players
in this year’s recruiting class, may be hurting for
depth in the next couple of years.
TomEy SaySDick Tomey, now in his third season as head
coach, is still at San Jose State, although rumors in
January had him headed for the University of Hawaii
as a replacement for coach June Jones or possibly
as athletic director. Tomey, now 69, may like to try
leading a big-time program one more time before he
retires. Tomey coached at Hawaii 1977 to 1986 and at
Arizona from from 1987 to 2000.
BowL BoUND?The Spartans will be shooting for their second
bowl in three years this season. They defeated New
Mexico 20-12 in the 2006 New Mexico Bowl. It may
be tough for San Jose State to move into the top two
in the conference after being outscored, 72-7, by
Boise State and Fresno State last year, but a winning
record and a bowl bid certainly appear possible.
heading into the season.
“The picture in the fall, hopefully,
will look a lot different,” Tomey said.
“I’ve been pleased with Dom Hunsucker.
Chris Reese has done some good things.
Cameron Island played better in the spring
than since he’s been here.
“I think we have a chance to have a
good situation, but we’re counting on
several guys. If none of that works out,
with the guys we have now, we’ll still be
functional.”
San Jose State returns three starters up
front in tackle Fred Koloto, guard Isaac
Leatiota and center Ronnie Castillo.
The Spartans were short handed up
front during spring practice because of
injuries to players like Justin Paysinger, Jon
Moreno, Bradis McGriff amd Jon Konye.
Tomey said he expects Moreno to be
a starter at one tackle, while McGriff and
Konye will battle for a starting spot at the
other tackle.
“None of those guys practiced this
spring,” he said. “Those guys will all be in
the mix.”
The Spartans return six players on the
defensive side of the ball, including four
on the defensive line in Jarron Gilbert
and Adonis Davis inside and ends Carl
Ihenacho and Justin Cole.
Ihenacho led San Jose State with five
sacks a year ago.
Cornerback Christopher Owens and
safety Duke Ihenacho return in the
defensive backfield.
Tomey liked what he saw from former
running back turned linebacker Mohamed
Marah, defensive end Liam Smith and
defensive tackle Kalvin Cressel.
“He (Marah) moved to linebacker and
lost 40 pounds,” Tomey said. “He’s really
shown some good stuff. Liam Smith was
not a major contributor last year, but has
really done a nice job. Kalvin Cressel – the
same way.”
OFFEnSEwr david richmond 6-4, 200, sr. Josh Harrison 5-11 170 Fr.lt fred koloto 6-3 290 so. Andres Vargas 6-4 280 Fr.lg isaac leatiota 6-4 295 so. Joe Zusin 6-5 310 Jr.c ronnie castillo 6-0 292 jr. Robbie Reed 6-3 290 So.RG Ailao Eliapo 6-2 320 So. Steve Lightsy 6-4 350 Jr.RT Jon Moreno 6-4 280 Jr. Bradis McGriff 6-6 355 Sr.TE Jeff Clark 6-5 250 Sr. brian elledge 6-3 230 sr.QB Myles Eden 6-1 182 Jr. Sean Flynn 6-4 220 Sr. or Jordan LaSecla 6-3 198 So. or Kyle Reed 6-3 215 Jr.RB James Callier 6-0 225 Sr. Philip Knight 6-1 225 Jr.RB Dominique Hunsucker 5-10 194 Jr. Chris Reese 5-9 205 Jr. or Cameron Island 5-9 187 Jr.wr kevin jurovich 6-0 183 sr. Michael Avila 5-9 165 Fr.WR Jalal Beauchman 6-4 220 Jr. Terrance Williams 6-5 225 Jr.
DEFEnSEDE Jeff Schweiger 6-5 285 Sr. Liam Smith 6-5 250 Jr.dt jarron gilbert 6-6 280 sr. Aaron Gilbert 6-3 290 Jr.DT Kalvin Cressel 6-4 282 Jr. Justin Willis 6-1 305 Jr. or adonis davis 6-1 295 jr.de carl ihenacho 6-3 245 jr. Marcus Keli 6-2 250 Jr.lb duke ihenacho 6-1 200 so. Dimitrous Chattman 6-0 190 Sr.LB Travis Jones 6-1 220 Jr. Jason Swisher 6-0 216 So.lb justin cole 6-3 240 jr. Mohamed Marah 6-0 242 Jr. or Kyler O’Neal 6-0 213 Fr.cb christopher owens 5-10 170 sr. Devin Newsome 5-10 165 So.CB Coye Francies 6-1 185 Sr. Austin Carter 5-10 170 Jr.S Andrew Ryan 6-0 195 Sr. Pompey Festejo 6-0 200 So. or Jay Atkins 6-0 185 So.S Devin Newsome 5-10 165 So. Kyle Flynn 6-2 205 Sr.
TENTaTIvE DEpTh charT
2007 RECORD (5-7), WAC FInISH (4-4)9/1 at Arizona St. L 3-459/8 at Kansas St. L 14-349/15 at Stanford L 0-379/22 at Utah St. W 23-209/29 UC Davis W 34-1410/6 Idaho W 28-2010/12 Hawaii L 35-4210/20 at Fresno St. L 0-3011/3 at Boise St. L 7-4211/10 NMSU W 51-1711/17 at La. Tech L 23-2711/24 Nevada W 27-24
2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 UC Davis San Jose, Calif.9/6/08 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb.9/13/08 San Diego State San Jose, Calif.9/20/08 at Stanford Palo Alto, Calif.9/27/08 at Hawaii Honolulu, Hawaii10/11/08 Utah State San Jose, Calif.10/18/08 at New Mexico State Las Cruces, N.M.10/24/08 Boise State San Jose, Calif.11/1/08 at Idaho Moscow, Idaho11/8/08 Louisiana Tech San Jose, Calif.11/15/08 at Nevada Reno, Nev.11/21/08 Fresno State San Jose, Calif.
1 1 2 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
New Mexico State will
bring an unusual defense to
Lincoln when the Aggies face
Nebraska on Sept. 13.
Head coach Hal Mumme
wanted something different, so when Woody
Widenhofer retired after last season, Mumme
hired veteran coach Joe Lee Dunn as his
defensive coordinator. Dunn’s specialty is the
3-3-5 defense.
“I’m excited about having Joe Lee Dunn
as our defensive coordinator,” Mumme said.
“I wanted to stay with an odd defense and
because of our personnel, I thought the 3-3-5
would be a good fit. Who better
to put that in but the guy who
invented it?”
Dunn has had success every-
where he’s been. He served as
defensive coordinator at Memphis
from 1989 to 1991, and later re-
turned to the Tigers in the spring
of 2003 after six years at Missis-
sippi State. Memphis immediately
went from near the bottom of the
NCAA rankings to a top 10 finish
the next fall.
Dunn also spent a year as de-
fensive coordinator at Arkansas,
where the Razorbacks were fifth
nationally against the run, and
earlier in his career was defensive
coordinator at South Carolina.
In 1987, the Gamecocks were in
the top three nationally in all five
major defensive categories.
Mumme said the 3-3-5 has
been a big part of Dunn’s success
everywhere he’s been.
“There aren’t a lot of those
guys around who know that
defense,” Mumme said. “Our first
goal is to get Joe Lee and his guys comfortable.
We’re not there, but we’re getting close.”
The Aggies return seven defensive starters
from last year’s team, including defensive end
Rhyan Anderson up front along with lineback-
ers La’Auli Fonoti, Jamar Cotton and Chris
Nwoko.
Safety Derrick Richardson and defensive
back Davon House are back to anchor the
defensive backfield.
Mumme said he liked what he saw from
both the defense and Dunn during spring
practices.
“He’s a veteran coach,” Mumme said.
“He’s been good everywhere. I really like his
enthusiasm. He gets guys to the football and
they make tackles.
“He’s just a great coach running that 3-3-5.
It’s a scheme that’s hard to contend with.”
The defense may be improved, but offense
has always been Mumme’s specialty. Kentucky
found that out when the Wildcats hired him as
their head coach in 1997.
The next year, Kentucky went from being
109th in the nation in total offense to sixth and
beat Alabama for the first time in 75 years.
Mumme took Kentucky to two bowl games
in six years before moving on to Southeastern
Louisiana for two seasons. He took over the
New Mexico State job in 2005 and went 0-12
his first year.
The Aggies improved to 4-8 in 2006 and
were 4-9 last season despite suffering a slew
of injuries that contributed to their five-game
losing streak at the end of the season.
The key returning player for the Aggies
is quarterback Chase Holbrook. The senior
had a huge year in 2007 when he threw for
3,866 yards passing and ranked fifth in the
nation in total offense with 322.6 yards per
game. Holbrook has already set
school records for passing yards,
touchdowns and total offense in
a career.
Holbrook had some big games
for the Aggies, including 47
completions for 473 yards and
four touchdowns in a 44-34 loss to
New Mexico last season.
With Holbrook leading the
way, offense wasn’t a problem for
the Aggies. They were fifth in the
nation in passing offense per game
(331.9) and 35th in total offense
per game (423.5).
Holbrook was injured early in
a loss to Boise State, then missed
the following game, a 22-21 loss to
Louisiana Tech.
Holbrook flirted briefly with
the NFL draft, but Mumme said
he was told he would probably
be a fifth rounder or so. Mumme
said Holbrook should have a good
chance to go much higher after his
senior season.
“I think if he had stayed
healthy, we probably would have
gone to a bowl game,” Mumme said. “If that
had happened, he might have shot up there a
lot higher. His only problem is we haven’t won
enough games. He’s missed four games in two
years.
“But he’s 6-5 and 246. He throws every ball
NEw mExIco STaTEaggies
sept. 13 at lincoln, neb.
non-conference opponent
chrIS wILLIamS
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 1 1 3
aggies at a glanceaffILIaTIoNWestern Athletic Conference
STrENgThSThe Aggies are loaded at wide receiver with Chris
Williams and A.J. Harris returning from injuries. Wes
Neiman had a good 2007 season as well. Quarterback
is also a strong position for New Mexico State, at
least as long as senior Chase Holbrook stays healthy.
Holbrook was projected as a fifth-round selection this
spring if he had entered the NFL draft. He’ll likely go
much higher if he has a good senior season.
QUESTIoN markSThere are plenty of questions with Rhyan
Anderson, who began his college career at Miami,
returning on the defensive line. The Aggies return
three starters on the offensive line, but have to replace
both tackles, including the all-important left tackle
spot where a pair of redshirt sophomores are leading
the way in Kyle Smith and Joel Buschmann.
UNUSUaL DEfENSEThe Aggies may be much improved on defense
with veteran coach Joe Lee Dunn taking over, but
the players must first learn the unusual 3-3-5 Dunn
teaches. Its a defense opponents don’t see very often,
and that should work to the advantage of the Aggies.
coach oN ThE hoT SEaT?Coach Hal Mumme’s program has certainly
improved since the 0-12 record in his first season back
in 2005. But eight wins in two years isn’t what New
Mexico State fans or the administration expected
when Mumme was hired. The Aggies had a couple
of tough losses to Nevada (40-38) and Fresno State
(30-23) last year as well as a bunch of injuries that
helped slow the team’s progress.
rUNNINg mENThe Aggies are known as a passing team, but
Mumme is looking to improve the running game. He
lost Justine Buries, one of the team’s leading rushers
the past two years, after he transferred to Hofstra.
But Tony Glynn, who missed time late last year with
a broken ankle, returns and junior college transfers
Marquell Colston and Seth Smith could push for
playing time as well.
well. He’s really smart and he knows the
game.”
Holbrook will have plenty of targets to
throw at this season. Senior receiver Chris
Williams returns to be one of Holbrook’s
top targets. Williams played in just eight
games last season because of an injury,
but was still a second-team all-conference
selection and a Biletnikoff Award finalist
for the top receiver in the nation.
Williams averaged 96.5 yards receiving
per game and 13.8 per catch.
Senior AJ Harris caught 81 passes for
611 yards in 2007 and broke the school
record for receptions in a career with 191.
Sophomore Wes Neiman caught 44
passes for 423 yards last year as a redshirt
freshman.
The Aggies return three of their starting
offensive linemen from last year in right
guard Polo Gutierrez, left guard Chuck
Taylor and center Richie Bolin.
Mumme said Patrick Blount, David
Norman, Kyle Smith and Joel Buschmann
are all battling for the tackle positions.
“We have some young kids who red-
shirted around here,” Mumme said. “They
have kind of grown up. There’s a good
battle between four of them for the two
tackle spots.”
The running back spot is up for grabs
with Tony Glynn, Seth Smith and Brandon
Perez leading the way. Mumme said Perez
may well play at fullback again this season.
“It’s a pretty good contest between
Brandon Perez and Seth Smith,” Mumme
said “Tony was a starter last year but
missed five games. He had a good season
as a sophomore but he got injured.”
Mumme said the Aggies worked hard
during spring practice to improve their
depth on offense.
“Offensively, we wanted to work on our
depth,” Mumme said. “We were pretty
good last year until we got hurt. Then we
kind of struggled.”
OFFEnSEQb chase holbrook 6-5 240 sr. J.J. McDermott 6-5 220 So.RB Tony Glynn 5-8 190 Jr. Seth Smith 5-9 200 Jr.FB Brandon Perez 5-9 233 Jr.fl chris williams 5-8 157 sr. LaVorick Williams 6-3 178 Fr.se a.j. harris 6-0 208 sr. Julius Fleming 5-8 170 Fr.SLT Marcus Anderson 5-7 170 Jr. wes neiman 5-10 185 so.TE Kyle Nelson 6-4 228 So. Ryan Franzoy 6-4 238 So.RT Patrick Blount 6-3 270 So. David Norman 6-5 300 Jr.LT Kyle Smith 6-6 323 So. Joel Buschmann 6-3 286 So.LG Joe Suder 6-6 330 Jr. chuck Taylor 6-3 345 So.c richard bolin 6-1 291 sr. Joe Palmer 6-3 313 Jr.rG Polo Gutierrez 6-2 304 Sr. Michael Grady 6-3 320 Fr.
DEFEnSELT rhyan anderson 6-4 280 Sr. Sioeli Fakalata 6-3 312 Jr.NG E.J.Cannon 6-0 305 Jr. Justen Alford 6-1 221 Jr.RT Oren Long 6-2 245 Sr. Chris Romero 6-4 257 Jr.MLB Nick Paden 6-3 235 Jr. chris nwoko 6-1 230 sr.lob la’auli fonoti 6-4 253 sr. Jason Scott 5-10 200 Jr.ROB Ross Conner 5-10 215 Jr. jamar cotton 6-0 216 jr.RCB Marvin Betts 5-9 170 Sr. Ben Bradley 5-10 180 Fr.lcb davon house 6-0 168 so. Marc Waters 5-10 180 Fr.LB Brennan Baiamonte 6-0 204 Sr. Baer Philipbar 5-10 194 So.RB Alfonso Powell 5-9 176 So. Vince Butler 5-10 177 Sr.fs derrick richardson 5-11 190 sr. Kenny Evora 6-4 218 So.
TENTaTIvE DEpTh charT
2007 RECORD (4-9), WAC FInISH (1-7)8/30 SE Louisiana W 35-149/8 at New Mexico L 34-449/15 UTEP W 29-249/22 at Auburn L 20-559/29 Arkansas PB W 20-1710/7 at Boise St. L 0-5810/13 at La.Tech L 21-2210/20 Idaho W 45-3110/27 at Hawaii L 13-5011/2 Nevada L 38-4011/10 @ San Jose St. L 17-5111/17 Utah St. L 17-3511/30 Fresno St. L 23-30
2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location9/4/08 Nicholls State Las Cruces, N.M.9/13/08 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb.9/20/08 at UTEP El Paso, Texas9/27/08 New Mexico Las Cruces, N.M.10/11/08 at Nevada Reno, Nev.10/18/08 San Jose State Las Cruces, N.M.10/25/08 at Idaho Moscow, Idaho11/1/08 Boise State Las Cruces, N.M.11/8/08 Hawaii Las Cruces, N.M.11/15/08 at Fresno State Fresno, Calif.11/22/08 Louisiana Tech Las Cruces, N.M.11/29/08 at Utah State Logan, Utah
1 1 4 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
Virginia Tech has
no clear-cut No. 1
quarterback heading
into fall practice, but
there is definitely a top two.
When the Hokies visit Lincoln on Sept.
27, either senior Sean Glennon or sophomore
Tyrod Taylor will be behind center.
Or, possibly both.
That’s what veteran coach Frank Beamer did
in 2007. Glennon was a more affective passer
(143-of-225, 1,796 yards, 12 TDs) than Taylor
(72-of-136, 927 yards, 5
TDs), but Taylor could do it
on the ground.
Taylor was the team’s
second leading rusher with
429 yards on 102 carries
(4.2 per try).
Although Glennon
outperformed Taylor in the
spring game, Beamer said
no decision would be made
until the fall.
“We feel like we have
two good quarterbacks, two
really good quarterbacks,”
Beamer said. “What we’re
going to do with them is
yet to be determined. We’re
going to carry that battle
over into the fall, but we feel
good about that.
“We are fortunate.
We have two really good
quarterbacks. We’re going
to let them continue to
compete and see what’s best
for them and what’s best for
our football team.”
Glennon won the
starting job as a sophomore
and threw for more than 2,000 yards and 11
touchdowns that season. Glennon said he
definitely wants to be the starter again this year.
“Obviously, I think any quarterback
would be lying if he said he didn’t want the
job,” Glennon said. “That’s part of being a
competitor. At the same time, I would not be
disappointed if we rotated. If that’s the case,
I’ll do what I can to help this team win.”
The Hokies are still looking for answers at
running back after last year’s leading rusher
Branden Ore (287 carries for 992 yards) was
dismissed from the team during the offseason.
Things got even tougher for Beamer when
junior Kenny Lewis, who was listed No. 1 on
the depth chart, was lost for four to six months
with a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
That was followed by junior Jahre
Cheeseman’s broken leg later in spring practice.
“Both Cheeseman and Lewis ended up
getting surgery at the end of spring practice,”
Beamer said. “Cheeseman we feel like will
be back fairly quickly. Kenny Lewis’ injury is
going to be a little bit longer.”
Beamer said some other younger backs
performed well in the spring, and he’s also high
on incoming freshman Ryan Williams, who
was rated the No. 4 running back prospect by
ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc.
“We’re going to give him a shot in there,”
Beamer said. “Before it’s over, I think we’ll be
OK. There are still question marks of who is
where and who’s going to be one, who’s going
to be two, who’s going to be three. But we’re
dealing with some good kids and some good
talent.”
The Hokies, who rebuilt their offensive line
a year ago, appear to be strong up front this
season. They return both
offensive guards in Sergio
Render and Nick Marshmann
along with tackle Ed Wang
and center Ryan Shuman
who missed spring practice
with a knee injury.
Beamer said the offensive
line had a good spring as a
whole.
“Overall, the effort was
good,” Beamer said. “I think
the offensive line got a little
tougher. I think we showed
better as a group. We know
we have to continue to
work.”
The Hokies also must
replace every receiver that
caught a pass last year.
Beamer said junior Brandon
Dillard showed a lot during
spring drills.
“Brandon Dillard had a
really good spring practice,”
Beamer said. “He’s a walk-
on, but he’s a fast walk-on.
He was probably the guy
who did the most things you
noticed in the spring game.”
Beamer also likes junior Ike Whitaker, a
converted quarterback.
“I’m really pulling for Ike Whitaker,”
Beamer said. “He really came on at the end of
the spring. He was a quarterback. He has a big
body. He made a really tough catch at the end
of the spring game.”
vIrgINIa TEchhokies
sept. 27 at lincoln, neb.
non-conference opponent
SEaN gLENNoN
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 1 1 5
hokies at a glanceaffILIaTIoNAtlantic Coast Conference
STrENgThSWith four starting offensive linemen back as well
as two tight ends with starting experience, the Hokies
should be strong up front. The quarterback position
appears to be a strength, even though there isn’t a
clear No. 1. Senior Sean Glennon has two years of
starting experience under his belt while sophomore
Tyrod Taylor saw considerable action as a freshman.
QUESTIoN markSWith the loss of top rusher Branden Ore and the
injuries to the top two running backs on the spring
roster (Kenny Lewis and Jahre Cheeseman), the
Hokies may well be looking to true freshman Ryan
Williams to contribute in the fall. Head coach Frank
Beamer likes Williams’ potential and says the Hokies
have good talent at the position, but how it will all
work out in the fall remains to be seen.
DIffErENcE makErSThe kicking game could be the biggest difference
for the Hokies. Punter Brett Bowden was 24th in the
nation with a 42.52 average per kick. Speedy junior
Brandon Dillard could provide the deep threat the
Hokies need at wide receiver.
rETUrN SpEcIaLISTSVirginia Tech had nine return touchdowns a year
ago. Five of those came on interceptions, three on
punt returns and one on a kickoff return. Victor
“Macho” Harris, who returned a kickoff and an
interception for touchdowns last year, will likely
handle punt returns, but the kickoff return duties
probably won’t be decided until fall.
macho maNVictor “Macho” Harris spent the first six spring
practices on the offense, then returned to defense.
Harris was an All-ACC selection a year ago with
five interceptions and flirted with the NFL before
deciding to return to Virginia Tech for his senior
season. Harris spent the first three years of his career
at the field corner, but will replace All-American
Brandon Flowers at the boundary corner this season.
Virginia Tech has two tight ends back
with some starting experience from last
season. Greg Boone caught 11 passes for
187 yards while starting seven games while
Sam Wheeler caught 9 passes for 211 yards
and a touchdown in eight starts.
The Hokies have to do some rebuilding
on defense with just four starters returning,
including defensive end Orion Martin,
linebacker Cam Martin, cornerback Victor
Harris and rover Kam Chancellor.
Beamer said John Graves and
Cordarrow Thompson played well in the
spring at defensive tackle along with ends
Jason Worilds and Nekos Brown.
“Defensively, particularly our first
group, played well,” Beamer said. “Guys
like John Graves came along. I thought he
really turned it up a notch. Thompson lost
30 pounds and he’s a different player in
there at tackle.”
The linebackers are led by Brett Warren
and Purnell Sturdivant.
“Our first two linebackers, Warren and
Sturdivant I think are good,” Beamer said.
“Cam Johnson makes a difference back
there at free safety.
“I think the thing with our defense is
finding some back-up guys that can play at
a high level.”
With just 11 starters returning, Beamer
and the Virginia Tech coaching staff are
hoping to build enough depth to defend
their ACC championship.
“Hopefully, we can get to be a good
enough football team to compete in this
league, but we’re going to do it with a lot
of young players,” Beamer said. “I think
we have a lot of willing young players and
a lot of talented young players.
“Some of the freshmen coming in I
think will affect this football team, but
I look forward to that challenge. I think
we’re working with some talented people.
It will be interesting to see how quickly we
can become a good football team.”
OFFEnSERT Blake DeChristopher 6-5 297 Fr. Richard Graham 6-6 288 Jr.RG sergio render 6-4 324 jr. Jaymes Brooks 6-2 304 Fr.C ryan Shuman 6-3 313 Sr. Beau Warren 6-3 276 So.LG nick marshman 6-5 357 sr. William Alvarez 6-5 327 Fr.LT ed wang 6-5 310 jr. Greg Nosal 6-6 289 Fr.SE Danny Coale 6-0 203 Fr. Cory Holt 6-4 223 Sr.TE sam wheeler 6-3 269 jr. Greg Boone 6-3 290 Jr.QB sean glennon 6-4 223 sr. Tyrod Taylor 6-1 213 So.FB Kenny Jefferson 5-9 216 Jr. Devin Perez 5-8 242 Sr.TB Kenny Lewis 5-9 199 Jr. Jahre Cheeseman 5-10 205 Jr.FL Brandon Luckett 5-11 180 Jr. Zack Luckett 6-3 212 So.
DEFEnSEDE Jason Worilds 6-2 252 So. Steven Friday 6-4 235 So.DT John Graves 6-3 292 So. Demetrius Taylor 6-0 254 Jr.DT Cordarrow Thompson 6-2 323 Jr. Justin Young 6-3 276 Fr.DE orion marton 6-3 252 sr. Nekos Brown 6-2 252 Jr.OLB cam martin 6-1 204 jr. Cody Grimm 5-11 198 Jr.ILB Brett Warren 6-1 223 Sr. Barquell Rivers 6-0 233 Fr.ILB Purnell Sturdivant 5-10 234 Sr. Jonas Houseright 6-0 223 Sr.FC Rashad Carmichael 5-10 193 So. OR Cris Hill 5-11 185 Fr.FS kam chancellor 6-3 225 jr. Ron Cooper 5-10 191 Jr.ROV Dorian Porch 5-11 211 Jr. OR Davon Morgan 6-0 190 So.BC victor harris 6-0 192 sr. Stephan Virgil 5-11 177 Jr.
TENTaTIvE DEpTh charT
2007 RECORD (11-3), ACC FInISH (7-1)9/1 East Carolina W 17-79/8 at LSU L 7-489/15 Ohio W 28-79/22 William & Mary W 44-39/29 North Carolina W 17-1010/6 at Clemson W 41-2310/13 at Duke W 43-1410/25 Boston College L 10-1411/1 at Georgia Tech W 27-311/10 Florida St. W 40-2111/17 Miami W 44-1411/24 at Virginia W 33-21121 +Boston College W 30-161/3 &Kansas L 21-24+ACC Championship Game&FedEx Orange Bowl, Miami
2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent / Event Location8/30/08 East Carolina Charlotte, N.C.9/6/08 Furman Blacksburg, Va.9/13/08 Georgia Tech Blacksburg, Va.9/20/08 at North Carolina Chapel Hill, N.C.9/27/08 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb.10/4/08 Western Kentucky Blacksburg, Va.10/18/08 at Boston College Chestnut Hill, Mass.10/25/08 at Florida State Tallahassee, Fla.11/6/08 Maryland Blacksburg, Va.11/13/08 at Miami Miami, Fla.11/22/08 Duke Blacksburg, Va.11/29/08 Virginia Blacksburg, Va.
1 1 6 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
nationalscene
1 USC 2 Ohio State 3 Georgia 4 Oklahoma 6 LSU 5 West Virginia 7 Missouri 8 Florida 9 Clemson 10 Texas 11 Wisconsin 12 Arizona State 13 BYU 14 Auburn 15 South Florida 16 Illinois 17 Texas Tech 18 Oregon 19 Kansas 20 Tennessee 21 Wake Forest 22 Fresno State 23 Rutgers 24 South Carolina 25 Virginia Tech
Aug. 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Illinois-Missouri (St. Louis)
Sept. 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kansas at South Florida
Sept 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ohio State at USC
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michigan at Notre Dame
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UCLA at BYU
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arkansas at Texas
Sept. 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .LSU at Auburn
Oct. 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ohio State at Wisconsin
Oct. 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clemson at Wake Forest
Oct. 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LSU at Florida
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oklahoma at Texas
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Arizona State at USC
Oct. 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Missouri at Texas
Oct. 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Auburn at West Virginia
Oct. 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Georgia at LSU
nov. 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Florida-Georgia (Jacksonville)
nov. 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Georgia Auburn
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ohio State at Illinois
nov. 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michigan at Ohio State
nov. 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Missouri-Kansas (Kansas City)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Florida at Florida State
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Auburn at Alabama
Dec. 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . South Florida at West Virginia
gamES of NaTIoNaL SIgNIfIcaNcEprESEaSoN Top 25
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 1 1 7
see where Florida and Ohio State are
nearly everyone’s pre-summer favorites
to play in the next BCS title game.
Wow! That’s really going out on a limb.
But I guess you can’t blame the experts for
playing the odds.
Never mind that the Gators and Buckeyes
are stockpiled with NFL draft-caliber talent yet
again. Even if that didn’t appear to be the case,
anyone would be remiss to leave them out of
national championship talk.
History proves they’re among the minority
of teams even in the top-25 polls that deserve
consideration.
Consider that only eight other schools,
LSU, Tennessee, Texas, USC, Miami (Fla.),
Oklahoma, Nebraska and Virginia Tech, have
ever played in the BCS championship game.
Defending champ LSU is among the six that
have played in it more than once (USC, Miami,
Florida State, Oklahoma and Ohio State are
the others), and the only one to win it more
than once.
All of this is to illustrate just how difficult
it will be for a club from the Big 12 to wind up
hoisting the National Football Foundation’s
MacArthur Bowl trophy in Miami on Jan. 8.
In 10 years, that’s happened twice – to
Oklahoma at the end of the 2000 season and to
Texas in 2005.
Now, if you’re asking what are the chances
of a Big 12 team making it to Miami this
season, you’re a lot closer to a heads-tails call.
The league has sent a representative to the
BCS game five times.
It’s way at the end of spring practice,
Colorado coach Dan Hawkins, echoing the
thoughts of his peers around the conference,
stated: “I don’t think the Big 12 has to take a
back seat to anyone.”
With that in mind, the Big 12 figures to, at
the least, factor heavily on the national scene
again in 2008.
In case you’ve forgotten, the final Associated
Press rankings last season had Missouri at No.
4, Kansas at No. 7, Oklahoma at No. 8 and
Texas at No. 10.
Everyone in that bunch returns a top-flight
quarterback and expects to be every bit as
tough in 2008.
Texas Tech also thinks it’s ready to jump
into that elite group.
“This will be the best-balanced league in
the 10 years we’ve been at Texas,” Longhorns
coach Mack Brown said. “It’s because
everybody is better.”
Lucky Nebraska gets to play the Big 12’s
highest three top-10 teams from last season, in
addition to another top-10 club, Virginia Tech.
That Sept. 27 game in Lincoln against
the Hokies should be among the marquee
inter-league, national-scene-shaping matchups
involving a Big 12 team. Others that fall into
that category include: Illinois-Missouri on
Aug. 30, Arkansas at Texas and Oklahoma at
Washington on Sept. 13, and Miami at Texas
A&M on Sept. 20.
Once league play begins, the Sooners
and Longhorns’ Oct. 11 tussle in Dallas will
have the biggest early bearing on the pecking
order in the South Division. One week later,
Oklahoma will have to deal with Kansas, while
Texas will take on Missouri in Austin.
And yet, two late-November contests –
Texas A&M at Texas on the 27th and Missouri-
Kansas on the 29th – not only could settle both
divisions, but determine whether the Big 12 is
positioned to make it 6-for-11 getting a team to
the BCS championship.
A popular belief among those trying to
pick their national title favorites before teams
even started summer conditioning was that the
winner of the Sept. 13 Ohio State-USC game
in Los Angeles would have an inside track to
one of the BCS spots.
A lot of those forecasters also see either
Florida or Georgia emerging from their Nov.
1 meeting in Jacksonville, Fla., in similar shape.
Within the Big 12, Oklahoma and Missouri
are getting the most attention, but Texas,
Kansas and Texas Tech are all in nearly
everyone’s preseason top 25.
A picky sort still could find something about
each to make them think they’ll come up short
of making the BCS championship.
Missouri, thanks to its Cotton Bowl
destruction of Arkansas, finished as the Big
12’s highest-ranked team last season. But the
Tigers went 0-for-2 against Oklahoma and got
bypassed for a BCS game.
Though the Sooners have won three of the
last four league titles, they’ve also lost four
straight BCS games.
Texas hasn’t been to one since it won its
national title.
And Kansas and Texas Tech have just one
BCS game appearance between them.
Somehow, at least a couple of these Big 12
teams will find a way to be in position for a
league title in late November, and whichever
secures it could hunt for the largest prize of all.
Here’s why they’re considered threats.
oKLahoMa
Sam Bradford could prove even more
difficult to defend running a no-huddle
offense and throwing to tight end Jermaine
Gresham and receiver Juaquin Iglesias. Middle
linebacker Ryan Reynolds has all the game of
departed Big 12 defensive player of the year
Curtis Lofton.
Missouri
With Heisman Trophy finalist Chase Daniel,
the Tigers could begin the season in the top
five. Mizzou needs to replace running back
Tony Temple and the majority of its offensive
line, but if those holes are plugged, look out,
because there’s experience everywhere else.
texas
Jamaal Charles, the Big 12’s leading rusher
in 2007, is gone, as well as most of Colt
McCoy’s receiver corps. Don’t feel too bad for
the Longhorns. Chances are by the end of the
season Chris Ogbonnaya, Vondrell McGee
and/or Foswhitt Whittaker will be well-known
running backs, and Quan Cosby and Jordan
Shipley favorite targets of McCoy. Oh yeah, the
Longhorns also should take well to first-year
defensive coordinator Will Muschamp’s love
of the blitz.
texas tech
When quarterback Graham Harrell (5,705
yards passing last year) and receiver Michael
Crabtree (1,962 yards receiving) are hooked
up, they can be impossible to stop. The Red
Raiders have everybody back on offense, and
showed improvement after Ruffin McNeill took
over the defense in mid-season. As Crabtree
told ESPN, “The goal is to go undefeated.”
Kansas
There’s enough experience back (15 starters)
to believe the Jayhawks’ 12-1 season of 2007
was no one-year wonder. Quarterback Todd
Reesing gets a lot of props for being game
savvy, but it takes more than that to throw
for 3,486 yards and 33 touchdowns at a 61.9
percent completion rate.
Big 12 in BcS driver’s seat
I
fromthebeat By CURT MCKEEvER
1 1 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
bowl site date time (et) network matchup
R&L New Orleans New Orleans 12/19/08 8:00 PM ESPN2 Sun Belt vs. C-USA
Congressional Washington D.C. 12/20/08 3:30 PM ESPN Navy vs. ACC
New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico 12/20/08 4:30 PM ESPN M-West vs. WAC
Pioneer Las Vegas Las Vegas 12/20/08 8:00 PM ESPN M-West vs. Pac-10
St. Petersburg St. Petersburg, Florida 12/20/08 6:30 PM ESPN2 C-USA vs. Big East
San Diego Poinsettia San Diego 12/23/08 8:00 PM ESPN M-West vs. Pac-10
Sheraton Hawaii Honolulu 12/24/08 8:00 PM ESPN Pac-10 vs. WAC
Motor City Detroit 12/26/08 7:30 PM ESPN Big Ten vs. MAC
Champs Sports Orlando, Florida 12/27/08 4:30 PM ESPN ACC vs. Big Ten
Emerald San Francisco 12/27/08 8:00 PM ESPN Pac-10 vs. ACC
Meineke Car Care Charlotte, North Carolina 12/27/08 1:00 PM ESPN ACC vs. Big East
petro independence shreveport 12/28/08 8:00 pm espn big 12 vs. sec
Papajohns.com Birmingham, Alabama 12/29/08 2:00 PM ESPN Big East vs. SEC
valero alamo san antonio 12/29/08 8:00 pm espn big ten vs. big 12
Gaylord Music City Nashville, Tennessee 12/30/08 3:30 PM ESPN ACC vs. SEC
pacific life holiday san diego 12/30/08 8:00 pm espn pac-10 vs. big 12
Roady’s Humanitarian Boise, Idaho 12/30/08 4:30 PM ESPN ACC vs. WAC
texas houston 12/30/08 8:00 pm nfl big 12 vs. c-usa
Bell/Armed Forces Fort Worth, Texas 12/31/08 11:00 AM ESPN M-West vs. C-USA
brut sun el paso, texas 12/31/08 2:00 pm cbs pac-10 vs. big east/big 12
Chick-Fil-A Atlanta 12/31/08 7:30 PM ESPN ACC vs. SEC
insight tempe, arizona 12/31/08 5:30 pm nfl big ten vs. big 12
Capital One Orlando, Florida 1/1/09 1:00 PM ABC SEC vs. Big Ten
FedEx Orange Miami 1/1/09 8:00 PM FOX BCS
kinoka gator jacksonville, florida 1/1/09 1:00 pm cbs acc vs. big east/big 12
Outback Tampa 1/1/09 11:00 AM ESPN Big Ten vs. SEC
Rose Pasadena 1/1/09 5:00 PM ABC BCS
at&t cotton dallas 1/2/09 2:00 pm fox big 12 vs. sec
Allstate Sugar New Orleans 1/2/09 8:00 PM FOX BCS
Autozone Liberty Memphis Tennessee 1/2/09 5:00 PM ESPN SEC-vs. C-USA
International Toronto 1/3/09 Noon ESPN2 MAC vs. Big East
Tostitos Fiesta Glendale, Arizona 1/5/09 8:00 PM FOX BCS
GMAC Mobile, Alabama 1/6/09 8:00 PM ESPN C-USA vs. MAC
BCS National Championship Miami 1/8/09 9:00 PM FOX BCS
big 12 bowl games in bold
2008 Bowl Schedule
w w w . h u s k e r s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D 1 1 9
across 3 2008 Big 12 championship game city 5 Sept. 6 opponent 7 Threw final touchdown pass in Spring Game 8 First Husker taken in 2008 NFL Draft 10 Bo Pelini’s alma mater 11 Threw 2 touchdown passes in Spring Game 15 Leading rusher in Spring Game 16 Bo Pelini’s college position 17 Linebackers coach 19 Opponent in 2008 opener 22 Wide receiver from California 24 Running back coach Tim Beck’s former school 25 Third Husker taken in 2008 NFL Draft 26 Network for Nebraska-Colorado game 28 Ndamukong Suh’s home state 29 Winning team in Spring Game 30 Number of home games in 2008
down 1 Non-conference opponent on 2010 schedule 2 Nate Swift’s home state 4 Cody Glenn’s new position 6 Wears No. 43 9 Second Husker taken in 2008 NFL Draft 11 Assistant head coach 12 Wears No. 61 13 Associate head coach 14 Tight ends coach 18 2008 Homecoming opponent 20 Wears No. 70 21 Shawn Watson’s former school 23 First 2008 road opponent 27 Wears No. 72
Answers will appear in August issue
may croSSworD SoLUTIoN
Crossword/Trivia
HAVE IDEAS? Do you have some inspiration for a HuskerNutz cartoon?
If we use your idea, we’ll give you credit and send you and
autographed full-color print of your HuskerNutz cartoon!
send ideas to: Paul Fell Cartoons,
3215 Jamestown Lane, Lincoln, NE 68516
or email to: [email protected]
1 2 0 H U S K E R S I L L U S T R AT E D J U N E / J U LY 2 0 0 8
irst, some helmet history . . .
Nebraska’s football helmets underwent
a major makeover in 1966. A red stripe
was added to the crown of the white
helmets and red numbers were affixed to the
sides.
I know this to be true. My uncle, Gib
Babcock, was the equipment manager and I
helped him apply the stripes. It was before my
sophomore year at the university. I lived with
him and my aunt during the first semester, until
a room opened up in the campus dorms.
In any case, Nebraska’s varsity roster
included about 90 players, and my uncle and
I spent a couple of evenings in the north field
house, where both varsity and freshman locker
areas were located, removing helmets from
open lockers and applying the stripes.
The numbers (no duplicates back then) came
later. Or maybe my uncle had already added
them to the sides. I don’t recall. I only assisted
with the stripes.
For four seasons prior to that, dating from
the arrival of coach Bob Devaney in 1962, the
Cornhuskers wore white helmets with large
black numbers high up on the sides. There were
no stripes. Previously, the helmets had been
red, some seasons with white stripes, some not.
In 1967, the helmets were changed again.
The red stripe remained but the side numbers
were replaced with red “NU” decals. The “U”
was offset, slightly below the “N.”
The helmets weren’t changed in 1969,
though as did other schools, Nebraska added a
“100” decal across the helmet front in tribute to
a century of college football.
In 1970, the “U” was removed, leaving only
an “N” on the sides and a stripe down the
middle. In the first season of the “N,” Nebraska
won its first national championship.
Though the size of the “N” has varied over
the years, it remains the distinctive feature
of the helmets, an immediately recognizable
symbol of Cornhusker tradition.
Fans understand. But in recent seasons,
not every player has, or so it seems. After the
Spring Game, referring to the crowd of 80,149,
coach Bo Pelini said, “That sends a bolt of
energy through your team. The more current
players are exposed to that, they start feeling
that sense of responsibility they have when they
put that ‘N’ on the side of their helmet.”
The sense of responsibility to tradition is
essential, which is why that has been a priority
under Pelini and Athletic Director Tom
Osborne. Former players have been welcomed
back, encouraged to return. And their presence
has influenced current players.
“You hear all those stories about the past,”
said senior defensive tackle Ty Steinkuhler. “I
wish that had been portrayed to us more when
we got here. You don’t know any of it.”
Actually, he knows something about it
because he grew up in Nebraska
and because his dad was a
Cornhusker All-American. But
he hasn’t learned much beyond
that, he said.
The past four years, for
whatever reason, tradition was
largely ignored, if not intentionally
set aside. “It really
wasn’t talked about
that much,”
Steinkuhler
said.
“A lot of
players in the
program didn’t
know about it.”
Though he
grew up in the
Chicago area,
quarterback
Joe Ganz knows a lot
about Cornhusker tradition and
understands the responsibility
to it. “You don’t want to
let them (former players)
down,” he told Huskers
Illustrated prior to the start
of spring practice.
“That ‘N’ on the side
of your helmet is very
heavy when you start
losing.”
The “N” has been there
for more than a quarter of
a century, and all five national championships.
And it has become the symbol not just of
the intervening years but of a tradition that
pre-dates the nickname “Cornhusker” and the
colors scarlet and cream.
Pelini’s message in speaking engagements
has been that the Nebraska football program
isn’t his or Osborne’s, it is the state’s, that
student-athletes (another emphasis) aren’t
playing at Nebraska, they’re playing for
Nebraska and for the people of the state.
Senior offensive guard Matt Slauson,
another who grew up outside the state, is
among those who understand. Asked about
last season at the pre-spring news conference,
he replied, “In your own mind, you’re
like, ‘Wow, I really let down the state of
Nebraska.’ ”
Slauson’s attitude can’t be the
exception. It has to be the rule.
Among many things, Pelini has
embraced walk-ons. He has
resurrected the players’
Unity Council. And
he has emphasized
that Frank Solich’s
contributions
to the program
should not be
ignored, as was
the case the
past four years.
Solich is a part of
Cornhusker football
history, as player, assistant
coach and head coach. His
firing in 2003 didn’t change
that.
Pelini says he isn’t
building tradition. Rather,
he is leaning on it, trying
to restore it.
And that tradition is
represented by the red
“N.”
Tradition begins with the helmet
f
BoBBY reYnolds sPorts tHe earlY red Helmets
finalword By MIKE BABCOCK