Husker gameday reports

[NamelessHusker]

 

NU football notebook, 10/15: Robinson fills role on special teams

BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star

 

It became well-documented this week that senior Adam Ickes would start today at strongside linebacker in place of Stewart Bradley, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last week against Texas Tech.

 

Joey Robison, meanwhile, flew under the radar. Such is typically the case with special-teams players. But it was Robison who filled Bradley’s shoes on special teams last week because Bradley already was limping from a previous injury before going down for good with an anterior cruciate ligament tear.

 

All Robison did against Tech was earn Husker special-teams player of the week honors, as voted by NU coaches. The 5-foot-9, 180-pound senior made an immediate impact against Tech, combining with true freshman Leon Jackson for a vicious hit on a return man on the opening kickoff.

 

“We put him in a few roles, and he did a great job,” Husker coach Bill Callahan said of Robison. “He knows what to do and how to do it. He’s going to go full speed. We have a lot of confidence in Joey.”

 

Robison, of Bertrand, has a knack for making plays in the open field, Callahan said.

 

“(Special-teams players) need a feel for playing in big spaces,” the coach said. “He has that feel. He has that knack. He’s very precise with the angles he takes and with his assignments.”

 

Robison has appeared in every game this season and has nine tackles. He had been playing on special teams through the first four games but saw increased action last week. He expects to play a similar role today against a Baylor team noted for strong special-teams play.

 

Among the Bears’ special-teams stalwarts is Willie Andrews, who averages 12.9 yards per punt return and 23.2 per kickoff return.

 

 

“He’s a strong runner,” Robison said. “He’s not going to go down easy with the first hit. You’re going to have to wrap up. He’s just going to be a tough guy to wrestle down, I think.”

 

-- FOR OPENERS: Nebraska has won its last two road openers, picking up a seven-point win at Pitt last year after a 24-point triumph at Southern Miss in 2003. Dating to 1993, the Huskers have captured 10 of their past 12 road openers. However, NU today will look to end a three-game skid in Big 12 road openers, having lost at Iowa State in 2002, Missouri in 2003 and Tech in 2004.

 

-- A LOOK BACK: Although Nebraska’s offense sputtered most of last season, Baylor had the misfortune of playing a Husker team that was clicking offensively last October. Joe Dailey, who has since transferred to North Carolina, threw for 342 yards and five touchdowns. NU had six pass plays of 25 yards or longer in the 59-27 triumph

 

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Bullocks twins stay close while apart

BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star

 

 

By all accounts from her owners, Lady is a good dog.

 

She’s trained, she’s housebroken and she’s very active for a 115-pound bulldog.

 

So what if Lady likes to chew on everything in sight? After all, she’s only 2.

 

“A lot of people think bulldogs are lazy and drool all the time,” Daniel Bullocks said, “but she don’t.”

 

Lady is smart, too. She can sense change. When Daniel’s twin brother, Josh, left home to embark on his NFL career, Lady knew something wasn’t right. For weeks, she’d go into Josh’s room, looking for her part-owner.

 

She’d sleep in his bed. She’d wait. No Josh.

 

“When she’s in there, the room glows,” said Gerline Williams, mother of Daniel and Josh, who visits Daniel in Lincoln during home Nebraska football games. “It’s like it’s got some life in it. I think that helps Daniel out.

 

“Lady can feel the emptiness with Josh and Daniel’s separation. It might sound crazy, but it’s not.”

And you thought Daniel and Josh might be having a hard time.

 

OK, so it’s been a challenging adjustment for them, too. Daniel is finishing his senior year at Nebraska. Josh has already moved into the starting lineup during his rookie season with the New Orleans Saints. A safety, he’ll make his third start Sunday against the Falcons.

 

“I miss (Nebraska). I miss my brother. I miss college,” Josh said. “It’s a different ball game.”

 

It’s only the third time in their lives the Bullocks twins can remember being separated for any length of time.

 

The first was when they were 9 or 10. Daniel and a cousin traveled to Washington, D.C., to march in a parade in front of the White House. They were gone five days. Daniel says Josh initially didn’t want to go, and when he changed his mind at the last minute, it was too late.

 

Josh, though, says he wanted to go but didn’t know anything about the trip until the day everyone was leaving.

 

“Next thing I know,” Josh said, “they’re going to Washington, D.C.”

 

Josh got payback, sort of, when the brothers redshirted their first season at Nebraska. Josh traveled with the team to the Rose Bowl, while Daniel stayed home.

 

Separation of the twins was indeed rare.

 

“They did everything together,” Williams said. “They slept together. They ate together. Everything they did, even though if one didn’t want to, the other would do it just so they could be together.”

 

Daniel thought his brother was just kidding around at first. The NFL, already? Would Josh really skip his senior season with the Huskers — and leave his brother — for an early professional career?

 

The answer became more and more evident as Nebraska approached its 2004 regular-season finale with Colorado.

 

“We talked about it all the time,” Daniel said. “At first, I thought he was playing, but when he got serious and started to get more serious about it, I was like, ‘Man this is the last time we’ll play together.’”

 

Both Daniel and Josh described it as a business decision.

 

“It was a great decision,” Josh said. “It worked out great. Even if it didn’t, I was willing to stick with it. I knew what I had to do. I knew there would be no turning back.

 

“I don’t have any regrets or anything like that.”

 

When Josh left Lincoln for his first minicamp, no tears were shed. Josh was happy for a new opportunity. And Daniel was happy because he knew his brother was in a good situation for himself and for the family.

 

Why cry?

 

Williams, though, said the move was difficult for the boys. Josh and Daniel admit they felt just a bit of emptiness at first ... more on the football field than anywhere else. For Josh, minicamps and training camps were the hardest times, training for the first time without his brother.

 

As for Daniel?

 

“Actually, I’m getting used to it now,” Daniel said. “First two games, it was different. Communication level, playing back there with my brother, I didn’t have to say nothing. I could just look at him, and he already knew what I was thinking and stuff. He would just do it.”

 

Daniel, Nebraska’s starting strong safety, is second on the team with 37 tackles and leads the team with eight pass breakups. In Josh’s place at strong safety is senior Blake Tiedtke.

 

“It’s getting better,” Daniel said of his playing relationship with Tiedtke. “It’s been good. It’s actually been better than I thought it would. He communicates. He’s making plays out there.

 

“It’s just not like my brother.”

 

Daniel and Josh talk on the phone every day. Sometimes two or three times, even if it’s just for 30 seconds. They talk about life. About football. About family. About Lady.

 

“She’s a sweet dog. Well-trained. She’s a pretty dog,” Josh said. “I’m so used to having her around me, I just pretty much knew what she wanted. Once we got her trained ... I just miss not being able to give her commands.”

 

The decision for Lady to stay in Lincoln was an easy one. She’d have more companionship, since Daniel lives with the Bullocks’ cousin, T.J. Terry. He’s lived and worked in Lincoln for nearly three years. Plus, Josh was renting an apartment while in training camp and didn’t have time or room for any pets.

 

“It wasn’t a problem,” Daniel said, smiling. “I wanted to keep the dog.”

 

It’s a good thing, too. Josh eventually bought a house in New Orleans, but it was badly damaged during Hurricane Katrina. Luckily, Josh and his visiting family members evacuated before the storm hit and were never in danger.

 

The house, though, is being rebuilt and is months from completion. Josh isn’t sure what he’ll do with the house; he’s not sure if the Saints will ever return to New Orleans. For now, he’s living in a condominium in San Antonio, where the Saints are playing some of their home games. Sunday’s game in the Alamodome is sold out.

 

“It’s nice down here,” Josh said. “They show us a lot of love.”

 

Mom plans to watch both of her sons play — Daniel in Waco today, when Nebraska plays Baylor, and then Josh on Sunday down the road in San Antonio. But despite being so close to each other this weekend, neither of the brothers will be able to watch the other play.

 

And in case you’re wondering, yes, Josh and Daniel have both dreamed of one day again playing together. Of course, they realize that’s a long shot.

 

“You can dream about it,” Daniel said. “But I try not to think too much about that now. I try to focus on this year.”

 

Daniel still wants a Big 12 championship ring. He’s planning on the Huskers still being in contention for at least a North Division title when Josh returns home for Nebraska’s Nov. 12 game against Kansas State.

 

It’s the next time Josh will be in town, and only the second time in several months the brothers will have seen each other.

 

Maybe then the Bullocks’ Lincoln house won’t seem quite as empty to Lady. And even if he finds Lady sleeping in his bed, Josh should still feel right at home.

 

He’s held on to his key.

[NamelessHusker]

 

1995 lookback: Multi-talented Johnson found niche at wingback

BY KEN HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star

 

It was never a regret and never a second guess, but Clester Johnson knew he was among the elephants of college football.

 

“I was the 1991 Athlete of the Year in high school at Bellevue West, and I took the football scholarship to Nebraska,” said Johnson, who was recruited as a quarterback.

 

After sitting out as a redshirt in 1991, Johnson was suddenly no longer a quarterback. Tommie Frazier, Brook Berringer and Matt Turman had that position nailed down for the Huskers.

 

“I went to the 1992 Orange Bowl and practiced as a defensive back,” Johnson said. “I worked as a DB that next spring, and I was surrounded by Eric Stokes, Mike Minter, Octavious McFarland, Tony Veland, Michael Booker and a lot of other talented guys. And my heart was still on offense.”

 

Johnson made the transition to wingback in the fall of 1992 and that’s where he finished four seasons later.

 

“There was a ton of talent at receiver, too,” Johnson said. Reggie Baul, Mark Gilman, Jon Vedral, Brendan Holbein and Kenny Cheatham were just a few of the receivers at Nebraska at the time.

 

“The thing was, when you got on the field and when you got a pass thrown your way, it was a big deal,” Johnson said. “Of course, the compensation was that we won a couple of national titles. Nothing is as good as that.”

 

Johnson was the leading receiver for the 1995 national championship team. He grabbed 22 passes for 367 yards and two touchdowns. He caught two passes for 43 yards in the Fiesta Bowl blasting of Florida.

 

 

“That team was so talented and so close, the result was that we knew nobody could beat us because nobody could outwork us,” he said. “Practices were hard. Coach Ron Brown made them almost impossible for receivers.”

 

Receivers were always the last to leave the practice field. “We always had the longest meetings, too,” Johnson said. “Tommie Frazier was my roommate at the Kellogg Center (the night before home games) and on the road. And he’d be back in the room, on the phone for an hour and I’d get to the room with about 15 minutes before ‘lights out.’

 

“I’d say, ‘Finish your good nights to the Frazier fan club and let me have a chance,’” Johnson said, laughing.

 

Johnson considered pro football, but after Berringer, a close friend, died in the spring of 1996 and some other issues popped up, Johnson chose to try the insurance and investment fields.

 

After four years, Johnson took a job with Eli Lilly and Co., as a representative.

 

Still in Omaha, where he grew up, Johnson spends time watching his sons Cade, 7, and Clester, 9, play Pee-Wee football. Another son, Keegan, 3, “is going to be a great athlete, too,” Clester said. “Clester Jr., and Cade have more ability than I had at their age. It’s a lot of fun to see them grow up and play the game that I loved for so many years.”

 

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Husker men give fans satisfying glimpse into the future

BY BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star

 

 

This is not to endorse the idea of scaring angel-faced, little girls.

 

But Husker basketball fan Paul Lawson got a good laugh when a cute toddler scurried in fear from big B.J. Walker on Friday night.

 

The 6-foot-9, 245-pound Nebraska junior tried to hand the little girl a free T-shirt after being introduced to the fans during Husker Madness at the Devaney Sports Center.

 

The girl didn’t want a gift from the Husker newcomer. She wanted her mom.

 

“At least we’re scaring little girls now,” Lawson said.

 

Next up: Kansas.

 

OK, it’s premature for that talk. But the Husker men’s basketball team came up aces in reviews from interviewed fans who showed up to see the team’s first official practice of the season.

 

About 2,300 people attended, not just to see the Husker men, but also Connie Yori’s women’s team

 

There was considerable anticipation to see the debut of the men. A heralded recruiting class has Husker hoops fans thinking thoughts of grandeur — that is, thoughts of making the postseason.

 

“I’m thinking even bigger now after I saw them,” Lawson dangerously admitted as he left the arena Friday. “They pass the eye test.”

 

Fans had a 20-minute scrimmage and a slam-dunk contest to scope the new talent.

 

Being that Nebraska’s only had a few practices before Friday, Husker head coach Barry Collier warned the crowd before action: “We have not perfected our skills by any means … besides maybe the dunking.”

 

Oh, there was dunking. Charles Richardson threw three alley-oops in the 20-minute session — two to Wes Wilkinson and one to Jason Dourisseau.

 

The scrimmage pitted the veterans against the newcomers, which seemed like a bad idea early on. The vets took the new kids to town, building an 18-5 lead behind the steady play of Wilkinson and Dourisseau.

 

Then, the fans got what they wanted. The new guys got their sneakers out of the mud and showed some game in a fast-paced scrimmage.

 

Most impressive were redshirt junior Marcus Perry — who dropped in three three-pointers en route to a game-high 11 points — and Walker.

 

Walker matched muscle well with returning sophomore Aleks Maric and even showed he had a jumper, knocking down a couple 15-footers from the baseline. He also had a game-high six rebounds.

 

In the end, the veterans held off a rally from the new guys and won 34-25 with a running clock.

 

“I think they’ll make the (field of) 64,” said student Grant Folger afterward. “All the newcomers looked pretty impressive. I like the size of B.J. Walker. He looked like a monster down there. And 23 (guard Mike Smith) looked pretty good. I don’t even know their names. I feel bad.”

 

The names will come. Collier sent fans scurrying to their roster sheets five minutes into the scrimmage when he put into the game a couple of freshmen — Chris Balham and Kyle Marks.

 

Balham goes 6-8 and 225 and Marks is 6-7 and 220. That’s quite a load sitting at the scorer’s table.

 

Fans heard a lot from Marks in the slam-dunk contest. He’s a flier and he went at it good with Dourisseau.

 

Dourisseau ended up winning after Marks failed on his final dunk attempt. But the freshman from Florida had perhaps the highlight dunk when he jumped over the entire team, crouched in the lane, and crammed it. He also had a dunk on a pass off the shot clock.

 

“I just thought about that the other day at practice,” Marks said of the shot-clock dunk.

 

“I was like, ‘There’s a shot clock up there. Let’s throw the ball at it and see if it comes back.’ I tried it and I got it.”

 

Briefly

 

n Maric showed up to the scrimmage in the unfamiliar No. 21. He wore No. 31 last year while the now graduated Corey Simms owned 21.

 

“I’ve always been 21 before I came here,” said Maric of the change. “It’s not a big deal, but it’s always good to get (21) if you can.”

 

n The women’s team held a three-point contest after a 20-minute scrimmage. Junior forward Jessica Gerhart proved the top gun.

 

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Close to home

 

Texas native Cody Glenn hoping for another big day against Baylor

By Terry Douglass

terry.douglass@theindependent.com

 

LINCOLN -- Nebraska running back Cody Glenn will be returning to his home state tonight when the Cornhuskers visit Baylor.

 

But despite growing up about a two-hour drive from Waco, Texas, Glenn hasn't spent much time in the home city of the Bears.

 

"I think I rode through it once," Glenn said. "There isn't much to do in Waco."

 

Even with the apparent lack of amenities, Glenn expects several family members as well as friends from his hometown of Rusk, Texas, to be in attendance at Floyd Casey Stadium when the Cornhuskers (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) take on Baylor (4-1, 1-1).

 

"It's going to be a big day for me," Glenn said.

 

Glenn is hopeful he'll get more opportunities -- just like he did last week in Nebraska's short-yardage and goal-line packages against Texas Tech. The 6-foot, 230-pound true freshman recorded the first two touchdowns of his Husker career, scoring on runs of five and one yards in the second quarter of a 34-31 loss to the Red Raiders.

 

For the game, Glenn finished with 12 carries for 39 yards. In two games this season, Glenn has rushed 16 times for 59 yards -- 3.7 yards per carry -- serving mostly as Nebraska's short-yardage specialist.

 

Although he's just one year removed from a high school career that saw him rush for 6,353 yards and 87 TDs, Glenn isn't surprised that he's seeing action so early at Nebraska.

 

"They told me that I wouldn't redshirt, that I'd play," Glenn said. "(They said) it would just be certain situations, which is short-yardage and goal-line, so I kind of knew that. That's what I was kind of expecting."

 

Truthfully, most Husker fans expected to have already seen a lot more of Glenn by this point in the season. Nebraska coach Bill Callahan and his staff raved about Glenn's power running abilities in preseason camp, which left some wondering why Glenn didn't make his collegiate debut until the third game of the season against Pittsburgh and didn't play the next week against Iowa State.

 

When he does get into games, Glenn admits he feels pressure to produce.

 

"There was a lot of build-up to it," Glenn said. "In fall camp, I had showed that I could do it and they had been talking about it a lot. Then, when the games got here, there was a lot of pressure to do it, but once I got in, it didn't feel that big then."

 

Glenn enjoyed a memorable moment when he bulled into the end zone from five yards out in last week's game, cutting Texas Tech's lead to 21-7, and registering his first TD as a Husker. He was so excited after crossing the goal line that he continued pumping his legs until he had almost reached the back of the end zone before starting his celebration.

 

"I think that first one was kind of special," Glenn said. "Normally, all through high school, all through my career, once I score, I just kneel down or whatever.

 

"But the first one (at Nebraska), I was so excited, I just started jumping up and down like I was a kid or something."

 

From now on, Glenn expects his TD celebration to be much more low-key.

 

"Since I've been there now, it will be more like kneeling like I used to," Glenn said.

 

Glenn's emergence has given Nebraska added options in the backfield. The shifty Cory Ross is the unquestioned starter, but Glenn provides the Huskers with a power back and also complements the styles of fellow I-backs Brandon Jackson and Marlon Lucky.

 

"Every back runs different. With Cory in there, they had to be ready for a real shifty back. And then, Marlon, he's kind of both," Glenn said. "Then with me, it's just somebody that's going to run downhill, so it's probably a different mindset for them when a different running back would get in."

 

Nebraska offensive coordinator Jay Norvell said he likes the diversity the Huskers have in the backfield.

 

"I think when you have good players, you keep fresh legs," Norvell said. "When the kids get in there, they're hungry. They want to make something happen and I think you could see that with Cody and Marlon when they got in. They'll be more prepared this week and every time they get a chance to play they get a little more hungry and want to get in there some more.

 

"They're gaining more confidence every week and learning more in practice, so it's a definite advantage when you have a number of backs that are quality and can help you."

 

Nebraska quarterback Zac Taylor said he can see confidence growing in the young backs.

 

"It's easy to say that about guys, but it's noticeably different from earlier in the season," Taylor said. "They've all responded well.

 

"I have a lot of confidence in those guys. It's Cory's job, but those guys are there to relieve him a little bit and they're doing the best they can in the situation they get put into."

 

Glenn said he's confident that he can help Nebraska in more than just short-yardage situations. But before that, he said he needs to become a more complete running back.

 

"I feel like I can pick up on learning some of the (pass) protections," Glenn said. "I can get better with the blitz pickups. I'm probably the biggest back, so they'd probably rather have me (back there) because I'm probably about the size of some of the linebackers that we face.

 

"That's something I haven't gotten real good at yet, so that's probably something else I could bring

 

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These Baylor Bears are causing BAD NEWS

 

Much-improved Baylor set to host Nebraska tonight

By Terry Douglass

terry.douglass@theindependent.com

 

WACO, Texas -- No, Nebraska, these aren't your father's Baylor Bears.

 

It seems the Big 12 Conference's traditional doormats have grown tired of their dreary role. Heading into tonight's 6:05 p.m. game against the Cornhuskers, coach Guy Morriss has Baylor off to its best start since 1995.

 

The Bears (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) are on track to earn the program's first bowl bid in 11 years. Last week's 23-13 victory at Iowa State marked Baylor's first conference road victory in the 10-year history of the Big 12.

 

For the first time in a decade, the Baylor football team has become the talk of the town -- in October.

 

Morriss is hopeful the quick start will lead to the Bears getting some enthusiastic support when they return home for the first time since Sept. 10 to take on Nebraska (4-1, 1-1) in Baylor's 50,000-seat Floyd Casey Stadium.

 

"It will be interesting to see how many folks show up," Morriss said. "I think the enthusiasm right now is pretty high, so we're expecting a big crowd. I hope that we get a big crowd. I guess it's something that we'll have to find out Saturday at 6 o'clock."

 

Even if Baylor's improvement has been lost on casual fans, it hasn't slipped the attention of coaches around the Big 12 Conference.

 

"I think Guy's done a real good job of recruiting and developing players in the time that he's been there," Iowa State coach Dan McCarney said. "Their team speedis better this year. There's no fluke to them being 4-1. They're a good football team."

 

Nebraska coach Bill Callahan takes the praise even a stepfurther.

 

"They should be 5-0 -- that's the way I look at it," Callahan said.

 

"I think they gave Texas A&M everything they had down in College Station a couple of weeks ago.

 

"Realistically, as you watch them, they've been a team that has improved and progressed along their season as well. They have a lot of factors in their favor."

 

Morriss has noticed a bit more buzz about the Bears, who have won three of four games on the road, losing only at Texas A&M (16-13 in overtime). He's heard the talk and his e-mail in-box has been filled with congratulatory messages.

 

"I think the general alumni group is excited and enthusiastic and pleased with the way that the program has gone so far," said Morriss, who is 10-18 in his third season as Baylor's head coach. "That's not to say that if we don't win another game that that couldn't reverse itself, either.

 

"We understand the pressures that are on us to continue to win."

 

The importance of continuing Baylor's momentum was spelled out earlier this week when Morriss called the contest against Nebraska "probably the most significant game that we have played since I've been here."

 

"This is a pivotal game for us," Morriss said. "If we are fortunate enough to get the win Saturday it could set us up -- springboard us. And if we don't, things will stay status quo until we do something next week or the week after. I think everybody's just watching right now."

 

By contrast, Morriss has too much confidence in his team to believe that losing to the Huskers would be a death blow, either.

 

"I don't think that if we don't win, the wheels are going to fall off," Morriss said. "I think and I hope we're passed that at this particular point in our progress."

 

While some might be having a difficult time believing the Bears are 4-1, Morriss said he and his team expected nothing less.

 

"We harped to our kids all during camp that we had to be 3-0 in the non-conference," Morriss said. "We felt like we could beat A&M -- our kids really believed that they could -- and then we felt like we could compete with Iowa State.

 

"I don't think our kids are surprised at all."

 

And it seems at least one Baylor player wouldn't be surprised to see the Bears take down the Huskers for just the second time in the teams' 10-game series.

 

"I think Nebraska has lost a lot of its mystique and its intimidation," Baylor senior linebacker Colin Allred told the Houston Chronicle this week. "It's not just Nebraska. We're better, so we don't have to be in awe."

 

While Morriss probably wishes Allred would've kept the potential bulletin board material to a minimum, perhaps it speaks to the new-found confidence level at Baylor. With a slight upgrade in athletes, the Bears now believe they can compete with anyone.

 

"People are kind of starting to notice what's going on here and feel that this program is beginning to maybe turn the corner," Morriss said of the Bears' recent recruiting successes. "I think, obviously, there's some light at the end of the tunnel and that will help us recruit better players.

 

"That, to me, is the key to turning around any program or be successful anywhere. You've got to have players to win."

 

Callahan said Baylor definitely has enough good players to test Nebraska.

 

"They are a good football team. They are excellent in all phases and they are competitive," said Callahan, whose team was 0-4 in Big 12 road games in 2004, losing by an average score of 45-15. "They are running to the ball harder -- faster than I've seen them a year ago.

 

"They seem more in tune. They seem more confident in their play and you can see them get energized as the game moves on."

 

Still, Morriss said the Bears must play at their maximum potential to have a chance to win in the conference. Baylor now has six opportunities to be the first BU team to win more than one Big 12 game in a season.

 

"I think our kids have over-achieved," Morriss said. "I think they're playing extremely hard. That's the way that we have to play every week right now.

 

"We have to kind of red-line it every week to be in the ball game."

 

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However you say his name, Ickes is a Blackshirt

 

LINCOLN -- Nebraska defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove calls him "Icky," a reference to former NFL running back Icky Woods. "He used to call me 'Icky Shuffle,' " Adam Ickes said told a group of reporters following Tuesday's practice. Now, however, it's just plain "Icky," or "Ick."

 

ABC television analyst Gary Danielson called him "Ickles" after he blocked a field goal attempt as time elapsed to preserve the Cornhuskers' 7-6 victory against Pittsburgh.

 

That pronunciation was new to Ickes, who has heard most of them by now.

 

"I don't know where they got the L," he said with a wry smile.

 

Wherever it came from, the pronunciation probably wasn't well received in Page, a village of about 150 in Holt County. Ickes is from Page. He graduated from Orchard High School, where he played eight-man football. He walked on at Nebraska with the promise of a scholarship, which he received as a sophomore. And he has made something of a name for himself on special teams.

 

The proper pronunciation of that name, by the way, is "ICK-kiss."

 

Last season, Ickes scored the only touchdown the Cornhuskers really needed in a 24-3 victory against Missouri, scooping up the ball after Andrew Shanle blocked a punt and returning it 16 yards.

 

"Pure luck," he explained later. "I was in the right place."

 

After the blocked field goal attempt, he said he "just happened to be the one that came out with it." And besides, "I don't know if he would have made it or not. It didn't look too promising."

 

Ickes is low-key, with small-town-Nebraska humility. And that's how he has responded to a first-team promotion at strongside linebacker, forced by Stewart Bradley's season-ending knee injury.

 

When he arrived for practice on Tuesday, he found a black No. 49 jersey hanging in his locker.

 

Of course, he was excited. "Everybody looks to get a Blackshirt at some point in their career when they come here," he said. "I guess I was hoping I would get it under different circumstances.

 

"But Stew and I are good friends. He wished me the best and he's supporting me."

 

Despite the aw-shucks demeanor, Ickes doesn't lack confidence, nor does he lack ability. He is the fastest of the linebackers by a split-second and "during the spring, there were times when he was on the same line as Bradley because he was playing so well," said Cosgrove.

 

He practiced with the first-team defense "off and on throughout camp," Ickes said. He would work with the ones, but then "have a bad day and I'd go back down."

 

Replacing Bradley will be no small task. He was the only returning starter at linebacker, as well as the biggest and strongest. He also was an emotional player and a vocal team leader. Past inconsistency aside, however, "I feel very comfortable in Adam Ickes' abilities," said Cosgrove.

 

Bradley's season-ending injury is the second suffered by a linebacker. Weakside starter Steve Octavien went down with a knee injury in the opening game against Maine, forcing a restructuring that included sophomore Bo Ruud, who already had a Blackshirt, moving up.

 

For now, the top back-ups on the strong side are true freshmen Nick Covey, who has yet to see action, and Barry Turner, who will still play end in pass-rush situations to utilize his speed.

 

"So I have three guys at work there right now," Cosgrove said.

 

The challenge Ickes faces can't be much bigger than the one he faced as a redshirt on the scout team, lining up against "big bruisers" at practice every day, offensive linemen such as 340-pound Toniu Fonoti. "It teaches you how to take them on, or stay away from them I guess," he said in the spring.

 

"I was faster than them, though, so I didn't have too many run-ins with them."

 

Young players try to get noticed by going full speed in practice. Their efforts lead to pushing, shoving and occasionally fighting. That was Ickes' experience anyway, although the fights never involved guys like Fonoti, "just second-string linemen. I always got in fights with them it seemed like."

 

Much has happened since then. He was put on scholarship. He established himself on special teams, making a name for himself -- albeit mispronounced -- with a couple of big plays. And Tuesday he was awarded a Blackshirt, something of a surprise actually, despite the promotion.

 

"I figured they'd (coaches) make me go a game or two before they'd give it to me," said Ickes.

 

Maybe now, at least, people will pronounce his name correctly.

 

"Hopefully, if I make some plays," he said. "I have to make some plays first."

 

Mike Babcock is a free-lance columnist covering Nebraska football.

 

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[NamelessHusker]

[NamelessHusker]

 

Today's Special: Bears On A Roll

Huskers facing revived Baylor

WOWT News Report

 

The Huskers are in Texas for Saturday's game with Baylor and the Bears will be showing up with the same 4-1 record that Nebraska brings to the stadium.

 

On paper, Baylor's numbers are very similar to NU's, so it should be a good match-up.

 

Player To Watch

One key player to watch will be Baylor punter Daniel Sepulveda, the 2004 Ray Guy Award winner. Sepulveda is ranked 6th nationally with 46 yards-per-punt average.

 

Bear Strengths

Momentum will be among the strengths Baylor brings to the contest. The Bears are flying high after snapping a 38-game conference road losing streak last week with a 23-13 win at Iowa State.

 

Baylor plays excellent pass defense with various formations that virtually dare the opposition to pass. The Bears play well on defense overall, ranking third in the Big 12, giving up just 294 yards-per-game.

 

The Downside

Baylor has some weaknesses and among them will be overcoming the current seven-game losing streak to Nebraska.

 

They pass for only 205 yards-per-game, good enough for just 79th nationally.

 

Their rushing offense gets them only 148 yards-per-game, ranking them 59th.

 

Head To Head

Nebraska is a slight favorite on the road, which, by the numbers, may be a bit of a surprise. Baylor's only loss this season was in overtime to Texas A&M.

Nebraska is a slight favorite on the road, which, by the numbers, may be a bit of a surprise. Baylor's only loss this season was in overtime to Texas A&M.

 

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[NamelessHusker]

Baylor vs. Nebraska: Five things to watch for

By Jerry Hill Waco Tribune-Herald assistant sports editor

Saturday, October 15, 2005

 

 

PASSING EXHIBITION: This is not Tom Osborne's Nebraska offense. Dive, quarterback, pitch has been replaced by Bill Callahan's version of the West Coast offense. Quarterback Zac Taylor will wing it all over the place, throwing for a school-record 431 yards two weeks ago in a double-overtime win over Iowa State. And since Nebraska is fourth in the country in rush defense (67.8 yards per game), Shawn Bell will have to put it up for the Bears as well.

 

BLITZES, ANYONE?: Nebraska brings pressure from every position on the field. The Cornhuskers' national-best 30 sacks have come from 11 different players, including middle linebacker Corey McKeon (5) and free safety Blake Tiedtke (2). Baylor is tied for fifth in the Big 12 with 14 sacks and loves to send outside safeties Willie Andrews and Tyler Lindstrom on blitzes.

 

MANY HAPPY RETURNS: The Cornhuskers boast the nation's No. 2 punt returner in Terrence Nunn, who has averaged 27.6 with a long of 62. Baylor senior Willie Andrews is a returning all-Big 12 pick who has averaged 12.9 on punt returns and 23.2 on kickoffs. Shaun Rochon has given the Bears a second threat with a 27-yard average on kickoffs and 19.2 on punts with an 85-yard touchdown against Samford.

 

PAPA BEAR: Former Baylor all-American and NFL all-pro linebacker Mike Singletary will be recognized as a Baylor Legend between the first and second quarters and then honored at halftime with the rest of the 1980 Southwest Conference champions.

 

40K: Other than the Texas and Texas A&M games, Baylor has not had a crowd of 40,000-plus at Floyd Casey Stadium since Sept. 21, 1996, when an announced crowd of 42,327 watched the Bears defeat Oregon State, 42-10. But a good walk-up crowd could put today's attendance over 40,000.

 

 

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[NamelessHusker]

 

 

Nebraska-Baylor preview

6 p.m., Floyd Casey Stadium (WBAP-AM 820)

By KEITH WHITMIRE / The Dallas Morning News

 

Nebraska (4-1, 1-1) at Baylor (4-1, 1-1)

 

6 p.m., Floyd Casey Stadium (WBAP-AM 820)

 

Line: Nebraska by 2

 

WHAT'S ON THE LINE

 

NEBRASKA –The Huskers need to rebound after blowing a late lead against Texas Tech.

 

BAYLOR –The Bears are two wins from bowl eligibility and are expecting a large crowd.

 

WHO'S HOT

 

NEBRASKA –Freshman RB Cody Glenn scored the first two TDs of his career last week on short runs.

 

BAYLOR –K Ryan Havens kicked three FGs in last week's 23-13 win at Iowa State.

 

WHO'S NOT

 

NEBRASKA –DT Le Kevin Smith fumbled away a late interception last week, one day after allegedly assaulting a campus parking cadet.

 

BAYLOR–QB Shawn Bell drew praise for having his best game last week, but he passed for only 160 yards.

 

STAT THAT TELLS THE STORY

 

Nebraska leads the nation with 30 sacks and 61 tackles for losses.

 

KEY MATCHUP: NEBRASKA QB ZAC TAYLOR VS. BAYLOR S MAURICE LANE

 

Taylor has found a rhythm in his last two games and has passed for 1,059 yards this season. Lane & Co. rank 32nd nationally in pass defense.

 

NEBRASKA WINS IF: The Huskers are disruptive defensively and the passing game keeps clicking.

 

BAYLOR WINS IF: The Bears' offense can generate enough points and yards to help out their 15th-ranked defense.

 

PREDICTED SCORE: Nebraska 21, Baylor 10.

[NamelessHusker]

 

Rudd says five straight home games have helped Huskers

 

 

LINCOLN (AP) - Baylor's 50,000-seat Floyd Casey Stadium isn't the most intimidating venue in college football, Nebraska fifth-year senior Mike Stuntz says.

 

Nebraska will be playing at Baylor on Saturday for the first time since 2001, and Stuntz is the only current Cornhusker who has been involved in a game there. This season, the teams both enter with 4-1 records. Baylor hasn't had a start that successful since 1995 while, in part, the Huskers can thank a schedule of five straight home games for their strong start.

 

Linebacker Bo Ruud said the schedule has been very favorable for helping the team grow together.

 

”I couldn't tell you what would have happened if we went right out on the road, but I think the home games have helped,“ Ruud said.

 

A big question, Ruud said, is whether the team can create its own energy. Players have said repeatedly that they have fed off the crowd in home games.

 

”You have to be able to bring your own emotion to every road game,“ he said. ”You can't rely on the crowd. That was a problem sometimes (last year). This year we'll be good.“

 

Stuntz's memories of Nebraska's last visit to Baylor are underwhelming.

 

”The place was half full,“ he said Tuesday.

 

As for the fans who were there, he said, half were wearing Nebraska scarlet and cream.

 

It's been 10 years since a Baylor home game has sold out, and school officials expect no more than 40,000 when the Huskers visit.

 

But the Huskers (4-1, 1-0 Big 12) don't look for anything to come easily against an improved Baylor team. Nebraska was awful on the road last season, losing four of five and getting outscored 196-85.

 

Coming off last year's 5-6 campaign, the Huskers opened this season with five straight home games.

 

The Baylor game marks the latest a Nebraska team has made its road debut since the 1975 squad played five straight at home before an Oct. 18 date at Oklahoma State. The Huskers will play four of their last six on the road.

 

The Huskers originally were scheduled to play at Houston to open this season, but athletic director Steve Pederson nixed the deal in December and set up a home game against Division I-AA Maine.

 

”When I initially saw the schedule, I was encouraged at seeing the five home games,“ Callahan said. ”There was a natural progression against the competition we were playing. There were a lot of guys we were trying to get into the mix, and they needed that confidence and growth at home.

 

”It's obvious now that we have to take our progress and improvement and transfer that into a different environment.“

 

Nebraska won four straight before losing 34-31 to 13th-ranked Texas Tech last week. The Huskers had to block a last-second field goal attempt to beat Pittsburgh and had to go two overtimes to defeat Iowa State. The Texas Tech game wasn't decided until Cody Hodges threw a 10-yard touchdown pass with 12 seconds left.

 

Callahan said he wants his team to be as comfortable as possible in this first road game. Given that Stuntz is the only player who has been on the field in Waco - he mopped up at quarterback in a 48-7 win - Callahan has scheduled a tour of the stadium shortly after the team flight lands on Friday.

 

”We need to go down there and see it,“ he said. ”The locker room is different, the entry is a little different. We have to get acclimated.“

 

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[NamelessHusker]

 

Brian Rosenthal: Elmassian not worried that corners have yet to pick off pass

My interview Wednesday afternoon with Nebraska assistant coach Phil Elmassian began, well, inauspiciously. The question: Does the fact Nebraska’s cornerbacks have zero interceptions through five games concern Elmassian?

 

His answer: “No.”

 

My response: “Why not?”

 

His response: “Why should it?”

 

(You see where this is going, right?)

 

“I never even thought about that until you asked that today,” Elmassian said of the lack of interceptions. “Doesn’t bother me. We get them, we get them; we don’t, we don’t.”

 

That’s when I started to ask about certain techniques and coverages … and was glad Elmassian didn’t have that towel draped around his neck, for fear he’d firmly wrap it around mine.

 

“Are you saying coaching? My coaching. So, we’re not getting interceptions because I’m not coaching them? Is that your question?”

 

Uh … no?

 

After Elmassian reminds me that Jamar Fletcher had 24 interceptions in four years during Elmassian’s Wisconsin tenure, the coach begins talking X’s and O’s.

 

And the next thing I know, I’m on the Memorial Stadium FieldTurf, the subject of a one-on-one coaching clinic with the veteran cornerbacks coach.

 

In spending about 20 minutes with Elmassian, I heard so much about cornerbacks and man coverage and zone coverage and thirds and halves and quarters and absolute control and no control, that I forgot my original question.

 

Either that, or Elmassian convinced me that no, it really doesn’t matter that Cortney Grixby, Tierre Green and Zackary Bowman have yet to intercept a pass this season.

 

But I thought the stat was somewhat interesting, so I asked. I certainly got more than I bargained for in my answer.

 

I’m glad, though, I didn’t follow my first instinct at the beginning portion of the interview … which was to close my eyes, shake my head and say, “Never mind.”

 

Instead, I took my lumps and learned quite a bit from the 31-year coach. I can’t explain it all just yet, but I did learn.

 

For instance, I’ve often wondered why cornerbacks, when in man coverage, rarely turn around to look for the ball just before it arrives.

 

The answer: Unless the cornerback has “absolute control,” which means he has the receiver pinned along the sideline, turning your head toward the ball is a risky move. If you look back for the ball, you’re going to lose your man.

 

“You’ve got to know where you are in relation to the sideline,” Elmassian said. “The old adage, ‘Why doesn’t he look for the ball?’ Well, if he looks for the ball with 5 yards to run on him, the quarterback’s going to throw the ball up the sideline, and how are you going to adjust?

 

“Unless you find me a guy who has eyes in the back of his head … that’d be wonderful. Rivals would blow him off the map. I’d be his agent. I wouldn’t coach him anymore.”

 

Elmassian said Nebraska is playing little man coverage but is implementing many of its man principles in its zone coverage.

 

“If you’re playing quarters coverage or thirds coverage, then you’re basically man on a receiver, when it’s all said and done, in that zone area,” Elmassian said. “The days of pure zone, everybody’s watching the ball … those days are over.

 

“When we’re in man, we watch the receiver. When we’re in zone, there’s more focus on the quarterback, but it depends on where you’re at. More of the corner play is going to end up focusing back to the receiver, more than anything else.”

 

This much is certain: Elmassian absolutely loves Green, Grixby and Bowman. For an idea of how equally good these players are, consider that Elmassian has never — he used that word three times — rotated three cornerbacks. He’s never had the luxury.

 

Not at Wisconsin. Not at Purdue. Not at Washington. Never.

 

“They’re smart kids and they learn fast,” Elmassian said. “They’re very intelligent kids.

 

“Their responses have been extremely positive. Almost unrealistic. The consistency we’ve played with under the adverse circumstances has been pretty impressive. If we can keep it up, who knows?”

 

So far, free safety Blake Tiedtke is the only member of the entire Nebraska secondary who’s intercepted a pass.

 

Not that anyone’s keeping track.

 

 

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[bigredHottie]

Good reads thanx.

[Nate]

Damn, thanks for taking the time to do that all, I love the comic, haha