BY COLLEEN KANE© 2012 Chicago Tribune

(MCT) — If Rex Burkhead isoperating in the shadow of Wis-consin’s Montee Ball, Nebraskacoach Bo Pelini doesn’t notice.

“I wouldn’t trade him for an-other player in the country,”Pelini said after running throughBurkhead’s accomplishments onthe field, in the community andin the classroom.

After rushing for 1,357 yardson 284 carries last season andwinning over fans Nebraska-wideif not beyond, the 5-foot-11, 210-pound Burkhead gives the BigTen a second All-America candi-date at running back along with2011 Heisman Trophy finalistBall.

But Burkhead doesn’t covetBall’s Heisman campaign. It’sWisconsin’s conference champi-onship last season that kept thesenior in the film room learningto read defenses more quicklythis offseason. Nebraska last wona conference championshipgame in the Big 12 in 1999 andfailed to secure a berth in its firstseason in the Big Ten.

The Cornhuskers won at leastnine games in each of Pelini’sfirst four seasons, including a 9-4finish last year, but Burkhead leton it wasn’t enough for the pro-gram, which won three national

championships in the mid-1990s.“I’m just focused on the Big

Ten championship,” Burkheadsaid, brushing off awards talk.“That’s where I want to get to.”

Burkhead undoubtedly willcarry Nebraska much of the way.

In an All-Big Ten season asjunior, he was two attempts shy

of the school record of 286 car-ries in a season. He had 35 car-ries for 130 yards in a win againstthen-No. 9 Michigan State and aschool-record 38 carries for 160yards in a win against Iowa.

Coaches have talked aboutcutting down Burkhead’s touchesin an effort to keep him healthy

this season. That would meanmore on the shoulders of third-year starting quarterback TaylorMartinez and sophomore run-ning back Ameer Abdullah.

Martinez passed for 2,089yards and rushed for 874 yardslast season. The Cornhuskers’passing offense ranked 10th in

the Big Ten with 162.7 yards pergame.

“This offense wants to bemore balanced, and being morebalanced will take some plays off

Rex, will keep him stronger andhealthier throughout the wholeseason,” senior tight end KylerReed said.

“If we’re more balanced, whathappens is teams won’t be ableto stack the box on us. If we’regoing deep, making good plays inthe passing game, they’re goingto have to respect the passinggame a lot more than they didlast year. That will open it up forRex. It’s hard to run in betweenthe tackles if you’ve got nineguys in there, eight guys inthere.”

Nebraska is in its second yearunder offensive coordinator TimBeck, and Burkhead expects anoticeable difference.

“You’ll see a lot more comfort-able offense, a lot more confidentoffense,” Burkhead said. “You’llsee guys that know where to lineup immediately, know whatplay’s being called and are react-ing quicker.”

BloomfieldCOACH: Duane Wilken (39th year)VITALS: Class D, Lewis and Clark

ConferenceLAST YEAR: The Bees placed

eighth in the Class D state meet, but loststate champion Austin Hamm and 17th-place finisher Silas Oltjenbruns to gradu-ation.

RETURNING LETTERWINNERS:Tyler Smith (Sr., 71st at state), MelvilleSeagren (Sr. 120th at state)

TOP PROSPECTS: Adam Hargh(Jr.), Tyler Hargh (Fr.), Kyle Young (Fr.)

Creighton COACH: Christine Baldwin (4th

year)ASSISTANT: Ward BaldwinVITALS: Class D, Northeast Ne-

braska Activities ConferenceLAST YEAR: The Bulldogs did not

have any athletes qualify for the 2011state meet.

TOP PROSPECTS: JoshuaBorgmann (Fr.)

CroftonCOACH: Jayne ArensASSISTANT: Jason ArensVITALS: Class D, Mid-State Confer-

enceLAST YEAR: The Warriors won a

district title and finished runner-up atthe Mid-State Conference meet. They

placed sixth as a team at the Class Dstate meet, only three points out of fifthand 26 points back from first.

RETURNING LETTERWINNERS:Matt Guenther (Sr., 37th at state), HenryGoeden (Sr., 31st at state), Drew Eskins(Jr., 26th at state), Cole Steffen (So., 40that state)

TOP PROSPECTS: Lane Weidner(So., 103rd at state), Ronnie Ausdemore(So.), Josh Goeden (So., 105th at state),Mark Lange (Fr.), Brady Stucky (Fr.),John Haberer (Fr.), Justin Mueller (Fr.)

HartingtonCOACH: Laura NoeckerASSISTANT: Mandy HochsteinVITALS: Class D, Lewis and Clark

ConferenceRETURNING LETTERWINNERS:

Tanner Fischer (So.)TOP PROSPECTS: Dylan Smith

(Sr.), Jared Fuelberth (Fr.), Charles Dowl-ing (Fr.), Noah Noecker (Fr.), Jay Reifen-rath (Fr.)

Laurel-Concord-ColeridgeCOACH: Megan Virgil (5th season)VITALS: Class D, Northeast Ne-

braska Activities ConferenceRETURNING LETTERWINNERS:

Adam Haahr (Jr.), Christpher Heydon(Jr.)

TOP PROSPECTS: Jordan Jansen(Fr.), Aaron Haahr (Fr.), Ethan Gubbels(Fr.)

Niobrara-VerdigreCOACH: Stacy Ludwig (15th year)ASSISTANT: Mary SnowdonVITALS: Class D, Niobrary Valley

ConferenceLAST YEAR: Junior Coy Reynolds

led the Cougars by qualifying for statelast fall. They lost fellow state qualifierClayton Hanzlik to graduation.

RETURNING LETTERWINNERS:Coy Reynolds (Sr., 59th at state)

TOP PROSPECTS: Caleb Vakoc(So.), Aaron Pavelka (Fr.), Tanner Hrbek(Fr.)

BloomfieldCOACH: Duane Wilken (39th year)VITALS: Class D, Lewis and Clark Confer-

enceLAST YEAR: The Queen Bees did not

have any state meet participants last season.RETURNING LETTERWINNER: Lily

Nagengost (Jr.)TOP PROSPECTS: Claire Trenhaile

(Fr.), Alexis Hamm (Fr.), Breanna Gollup (Jr.,gained through co-op with Wausa)

CreightonCOACH: Christine Baldwin (4th year)ASSISTANT: Ward BaldwinVITALS: Class D, Northeast Nebraska Ac-

tivities ConferenceLAST YEAR: The Lady Bulldogs quali-

fied one runner for state, then-freshman Cha-sity Wilmes.

RETURNING LETTERWINNERS:Chastity Wilmes (So., 85th at state), AllisonMorrill (So.)

TOP PROSPECTS: Rachel Tauber (So.),Tiffany Patrick (Jr.), KyLeah Sorensen (So.),Jacelyn Sukup (So.), Marrisa Frank (So.)

CroftonCOACH: Jayne Arens

ASSISTANT: Jason ArensVITALS: Class D, MidStates ConferenceLAST YEAR: The Warriors won their

sixth consecutive Class D state title last fall,the third longest streak in Nebraska prepcross country history. They also claimed con-ference and district team titles. The only run-ner lost from last year’s squad is ElizabethKube, 35th at the state meet and now runningfor Morningside College.

RETURNING LETTERWINNERS:Abby Braun (Sr., 28th at state), Danielle Reis-berg (Sr., fourth at state), Tiffany Tramp (Sr.,sixth at state), Brayton Hagge (Sr.), JazminWubben (Jr.), Samantha Guenther (So.),Vanessa McFarland (So., 27th at state), KendyKube (So., 15th at state)

TOP PROSPECTS: Whitney Miller (Sr.),Molly Bossman (So.), Abby Steffen (So.),Quinn Wragge (So.), Keeley Haage (Fr.), Han-nah Kast (Fr.), Vanessa Downs (Fr.), AlyssaWhite (Fr.)

HartingtonCOACH: Laura NoeckerASSISTANT: Mandy HochsteinVITALS: Class D, Lewis and Clark Confer-

enceLAST YEAR: The Wildcats won two invi-

tational meets last season in preparation for

the state meet where they sent two runners.RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Lyn-

dsay Dunn (Sr., Third year Letterwinner),Rachel Loecker (Jr., Two-time State Qualifier)

TOP PROSPECTS: Anna Broderson(Jr.), Elizabeth Rembert (So.)

Laurel-Concord-ColeridgeCOACH: Megan Virgil (5th season)VITALS: Class D, Northeast Nebraska Ac-

tivities ConferenceRETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Sam-

mie Camenzind (Sr., state qualifier); Sadie Pe-tersen (So., state qualifier)

Niobrara-VerdigreCOACH: Stacy Ludwig (15th year)ASSISTANT: Mary SnowdonVITALS: Class D, Niobrara Valley Confer-

enceLAST YEAR: The Cougars lost senior

Ashley Chinana to graduation. She placed54th at state last fall.

RETURNING LETTERWINNERS:Katie Hanvey (So.)

TOP PROSPECTS: Andrea Burkhardt(Jr.), Rachel Dather (So.)

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NEBRASKAGIRLS’ CROSS

ATHLETES TO WATCHABIGAIL BRAUN, CROFTON (Sr.): 28th in Class D in 2011SAMANTHA CAMENZIND, LAUREL-CONCORD-COLERIDGE

(Sr.): 60th in Class D in 2011DANIELLE RIESBERG, CROFTON (Sr.): 4th in Class D in 2011TIFFANY TRAMP, CROFTON (Sr.): 6th in Class D in 2011RACHEL LOECKER, HARTINGTON (Jr.): 29th in Class C in 2011KENDY KUBE, CROFTON (So.): 15th in Class D in 2011

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in Class D in 2011CHASITY WILMES, CREIGHTON (So.): 85th in Class D in 2011

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CROFTON LADY WARRIORS: Danielle Riesberg

NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS: Rex Burkhead (22)

NEBRASKABOYS’ CROSS

ATHLETES TO WATCHHENRY GOEDEN, CROFTON (Sr.): 31st in Class D in 2011MATTHEW GUENTHER, CROFTON (Sr.): 37th in Class D in 2011CALLEN KOESTER, BLOOMFIELD (Sr.): 109th in Class D in 2011COY REYNOLDS, NIOBRARA-VERDIGRE (Sr.): 59th in Class D in 2011MELVILLE SEAGREN, BLOOMFIELD (Sr.): 120th in Class D in 2011

TYLER SMITH, BLOOMFIELD (Sr.): 71st in Class D in 2011DREW ESKINS, CROFTON (Jr.): 26th in Class D in 2011JOSHUA GOEDEN, CROFTON (So.): 105th in Class D in 2011COLE STEFFEN, CROFTON (So.): 40th in Class D in 2011LANE WEIDNER, CROFTON (So.): 103rd in Class D in 2011

POST-SEASON SCHEDULEDISTRICTS: October 10-12STATE MEET: Friday, October 19 — Class C Girls, noon; Class C Boys, 1

p.m.; Class D Girls, 2 p.m.; Class D Boys, 3 p.m.

Burkhead, Nebraska Covet Big Ten Football TitleHuskerFootball

9/1 Southern Miss 2:30 pm9/8 @ UCLA 6:30 pm9/15 Arkansas State 11 am9/22 Idaho State TBA9/29 Wisconsin (HC) 7 pm10/6 @ Ohio State 7 pm10/20 @ Northwestern TBA10/27 Michigan 7 pm11/3 @ Michigan State TBA11/10 Penn State TBA11/17 Minnesota TBA11/23 @ Iowa 11 a.m.

Y O U R S P O R T S ! T H E P R E S S & D A K O TA N