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Friday Practice report video

Joe Ganz #2 at QB for Now/ Competition N-Report (8/13)

Nebraska Football N-Report: Huskers Practice Indoors (August 12)

Newcomers Beck & Dillard N-Report (8/12)

Harrison Beck Meets Media N-Report (8/12)

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*All video is on right hand side

 
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[SIZE=14pt]NU Notes, 8/12: Among MIKE linebackers, McKeon ‘biggest surprise'[/SIZE]

If anybody has emerged as a leader in the race for starting middle linebacker, it's Corey McKeon.

Nebraska defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove singled out McKeon on Friday, saying the redshirted sophomore has been "the biggest surprise" among the linebackers.

McKeon, Lance Brandenburgh, Dontrell Moore and Phillip Dillard are in contention for the MIKE position, held the previous three seasons by Barrett Ruud.

"Right now … again, nobody has the edge, but (McKeon) is performing the best right now at that position," Cosgrove said.

"In the spring, we started to get a good evaluation of him. He was a defensive back in high school, so you know he has good athletic ability. Just the way he gets up there, his presence on the field, he recognizes things. He's got tremendous quickness, and he's made a lot of plays for us, not only in the run game, but the pass game."

TURNER TO PLAY: Cosgrove said he expects true freshman defensive end Barry Turner to play, given his quick improvement in the first week of fall camp. "He'll be a role player for us," Cosgrove said. "He's a tremendous pass rusher. He's got speed off the edge, so I would see that as a major role for us." The 6-foot-3, 245-pound Turner is playing the open end position behind Jay Moore and Wali Muhammad. "I've got a great amount of speed coming off the edge, and that's what they recruited me for," Turner said, noting the biggest adjustment for him is learning the plays and changing his technique. "You've got to use your hands on everything you do. College football is about using hands. In high school, I could just overpower people."

GANZ NO. 2: In the midst of all the Harrison Beck hype, here's a quick reminder that Joey Ganz, as he was after spring practice, is still the Huskers' No. 2 quarterback. Ganz said he doesn't mind the Beck hype and getting lost in the shuffle behind No. 1 QB Zac Taylor. "It doesn't really bother me when you guys talk about Harrison closing in on Zac," Ganz said. "I'm kind of the underdog, sitting there in the shadows, biding my time, waiting to prove to everybody that I can step up and do it if I'm called upon."

BOWMAN MAKING PLAYS: We'll hear more from junior college cornerback Zack Bowman today, when he meets with the media. But players and coaches on Friday were talking about what must've been a pretty impressive interception Bowman made in Thursday's practice. Reportedly, Bowman picked off Beck and returned the ball some 80 or 90 yards for a touchdown, putting a few moves on would-be tacklers along the way. "He has pretty good speed down the sideline, and the defense did a nice job of recovering and getting blocks for him," Cosgrove said. One drawback, though: "From what I understand, there was a (pass interference penalty) on that one," Cosgrove said. "I thought it was clean."

ICKES EARNS DEGREE: Linebacker Adam Ickes is among 20 current or former Nebraska student-athletes who will graduate today. He will receive his degree in business administration. Ickes is the second of the 2005 football seniors to earn his undergraduate degree, joining defensive tackle Jared Helming, who graduated in May.

TICKETS AVAILABLE: A limited number of tickets to the Sept. 3 game against Maine are available for purchase through Huskers.com. The tickets were made available after Maine returned a portion of its ticket allotment for the game.

ETC.: Brandenburgh, Tierre Green, Nathan Swift and Jeff Souder missed practice with what appear to be minor injuries. … Cosgrove was upbeat following the 2½-workout indoors. "A lot of energy out there today, both sides of the ball," he said. … Cornerback Donald DeFrand, who injured his knee in spring ball, is rehabilitating and not on the 105-man roster. "We're re-evaluating him. That's all," Cosgrove said. … Nebraska holds its first two-a-day practice of fall camp today.

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[SIZE=14pt]'Monster' JUCO lineman Pasteur wows 'em with power of press[/SIZE]

BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star

After all, the 6-foot-6, 290-pound offensive lineman has bench-pressed 545 pounds, which rates him as one of the strongest Nebraska football players.

"He's a monster on that bench," said Stewart Bradley, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound Husker starting linebacker with little-to-no body fat. To place Brock Pasteur's strength in perspective, Bradley's best bench-press is about 350, he said.

"There aren't too many guys benching as much as (Pasteur) does — anywhere," Bradley said.

Added Nebraska guard Brandon Koch, "I know he puts 405 pounds on the bar and does several reps. He gets it like it's nothing."

If only the Huskers' offensive playbook were this easy to handle …

"It's crazy," said Pasteur, a left tackle who transferred to NU from Mesabi Range Central and Technical College in Virginia, Minn. "All the formations here, the overall quickness of the players — it's totally different than junior college."

Through the first nine days of preseason drills, Pasteur has played almost exclusively with reserve units at left tackle behind senior starter Seppo Evwaraye. Nebraska coaches, though, have said Pasteur is a candidate to play extensively this season.

Pasteur said Friday that although he's played only the left side so far, he expects to try the right side at some point.

"Because he's a new guy coming in, he still has to work on his assignments," said Koch, one of three returning starters on the offensive line. "He's getting better."

Is it too much to ask of an incoming Nebraska offensive line recruit to be fully prepared for the opener Sept. 3 against Maine?

"I wouldn't say it's too much to expect at all," Pasteur said. "But there's a learning process, and I have to get acclimated to the system. Coach (Bill) Callahan has one of the best systems in the nation. It's almost like I'm in the NFL right now, with all of the play-calling and switches we do.

"It's going to take a couple weeks (to learn)."

Pasteur, meanwhile, continues to raise eyebrows in the weight room. Some of his strength, he said, can be attributed to genetics. His father, the late Robert Pasteur, bench-pressed 615 pounds, Brock said. His father became a policeman in Florida after a brief career in the 1980s as a lineman with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The younger Pasteur uses his strength in both pass blocking and run blocking, he said.

"The bench press, it's like you're pushing someone off of you," he said.

A native of Orlando, Fla., Pasteur has three years to play two at Nebraska after starting the last two seasons at Mesabi Range, which finished 19-2 in Pasteur's two seasons.

Coming out of high school, Pasteur committed to play for Central Florida but ultimately decided to follow a UCF assistant coach to Mesabi Range. By the time Pasteur was finished at Mesabi, the UCF coaching staff that recruited him in high school had broken up.

Nebraska, meanwhile, was looking for offensive linemen who fit Callahan's pass-friendly system. Another junior college o-lineman in NU's class of 2005, Jordan Picou, is yet to materialize for drills as he awaits an OK from the NCAA academic clearinghouse.

So, Pasteur is busy learning new footwork and ways to use his hands when he blocks. He wants to increase his weight — he played last season at 305 but shed pounds this summer because of an illness, he said.

Friday, Pasteur learned something new about being a Husker, as about 10 reporters peppered him with questions after practice. Television cameras surrounded him.

Husker newcomers have been taking turns meeting the media. Indeed, this never happened to Pasteur at Mesabi.

"This is crazy, man," he said. "It's cool though."

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It's only fitting that Steve Pederson is wearing shades. The University of Nebraska athletic director says the addition of a seventh home football game for upcoming seasons has the economical future for the school's athletic department very bright. NU can project an added $3.2 million in revenue per year from the additional game. "This is the most aggressive we've been able to be since I've been here," said Pederson, hired in December of 2002.

[SIZE=14pt]Big Red sports in the black[/SIZE]

BY RICH KAIPUST

Omaha World Herald

LINCOLN - What's the difference between the University of Nebraska playing six football home games in 2004 and seven in 2005?

Raises across the board for coaches and athletic department personnel, no more cuts for individual sports and the ability to handle $10 million in debt service for the Memorial Stadium facility project in the next year.

Nebraska on Thursday announced a $62.6 million budget for the 2005-06 fiscal year, while reporting $75,000 in revenue from 2004-05.

"We finished 2005 in the black, and we feel pretty good about where we're at with that," NU Athletic Director Steve Pederson said. "It was pretty true to form from beginning to end, in terms of what our expectations are."

Expectations for the fiscal year that began July 1 can be even higher, thanks to the projected $3.2 million that comes from adding an additional home football game. And with NCAA approval of 12-game schedules starting in 2006, Pederson has said seven home games should be the norm for the future.

"This lets us maintain sport budgets at a consistent level," Pederson said. "We've asked sports to take cuts for a couple years here, and they've done a great job of tightening up and trimming their budgets

NU Base Salaries for 2005-06

Bill Callahan Football $364,088

Barry Collier Men's Basketball $233,818

Mike Anderson Baseball $200,000

Connie Yori Women's Basketball $178,197

John Cook Volleyball $145,000

Gary Pepin Track and Field $119,542

John Walker Soccer $107,000

Rhonda Revelle Softball $107,000

Francis Allen Men's Gymnastics $93,306

Mark Manning Wrestling $90,000

Dan Kendig Women's Gymnastics $77,000

Pablo Morales Swimming $55,000

Bill Straub Bowling $55,000

Scott Jacobson Women's Tennis $55,000

Launi Meili Rifle $50,000

Robin Krapfl Women's Golf $47,276

Kerry McDermott Men's Tennis $47,222

Bill Spangler Men's Golf $40,614

Most coaches and athletic department personnel also have received 3 percent salary increases. University-wide, pay raises had been effected in recent years by budgetary cuts.

Overall athletic department salaries will total $20,557,908 in 2005-06 - roughly one-third of its operating expenses.

"This is the most aggressive we've been able to be since I've been here," said Pederson, hired in December of 2002. "We've got a lot of hard-working people. I'm glad we were able to do something. It's nothing dramatic, but it's nice for our staff."

Football salaries will total just over $4.2 million for the current fiscal year. Head coach Bill Callahan's base salary climbed from $325,000 to $364,088, although his total package is worth more than $1.5 million annually.

Offensive coordinator Jay Norvell and defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove both got salary bumps from $200,000 to $206,000. Receivers coach Ted Gilmore, the only newcomer to the staff, starts out at $130,000.

"I think we paid competitively to get a great coaching staff," Pederson said.

The debt service for 2005-06 is a 54 percent increase from last year. The $10.2 million figure is now consistent through 2009. Had the Huskers been scheduled to play only six home games again next fall, Pederson said NU "would have had to come up with another plan" to cover it.

Also coming into play for the 2005-06 budget are biannual payments of $750,000 from Adidas for the university's new contract with the shoe and apparel company.

Among individual sports, men's basketball shows a projected loss of $894,267 for 2005-06. But Pederson and Nancy Kenny, the athletic department's chief financial officer, reiterated that NU has changed its accounting practices for the sport, most notably no longer figuring in Big 12 Conference revenue.

Kenny told The World-Herald in August that men's basketball continues to earn the university over $1 million a year. Pederson has said the program has the ability to triple that figure.

Success, however, has been lacking with the Huskers recently completing their worst five-year stretch in school history.

"This is a sport that we care about and that we're spending a great deal of money on," Kenny said, referring to $3.1 million in estimated expenses for 2005-06.

When the $10 million debt service payments cease, Pederson said the money saved would go toward expected increases in tuition, utility costs, pay raises and maintenance. He also pointed to coming costs for HuskerVision, now nearly a decade old.

Future revenue will include sales of the North Stadium skyboxes, which haven't started yet. Those open for the 2006 season. Leases for the West Stadium skyboxes are currently in the sixth year of 10-year contracts

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811sqpotter.jpg


John Blake, Nebraska's defensive line coach, said it's too soon to say if freshman defensive end Zach Potter, above, will play or redshirt this season

[SIZE=14pt]For Potter, only one thing is certain: He's improving[/SIZE]

BY RICH KAIPUST

WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

LINCOLN - So many questions for Zach Potter, so few answers

Will he play this season? He doesn't know.

Is defensive end his permanent position? He's not sure.

Is he happy to finally be in a Nebraska football uniform? Actually, he can respond to that one.

Taking nothing away from his final seasons at Omaha Creighton Prep, this has been a destination Potter has thought about ever since he started growing into his current 6-foot-7, 270-pound frame.

"Once you get the first scholarship offer and you get others, you know you're going to be playing college football," Potter said. "So you're looking forward to it for a couple of years. Now you're here, so you have to live up to all the hype you had in high school."

Potter was the top in-state player to sign with Nebraska in February. That made him a visible figure as the Huskers started preseason camp, but six practices hardly are enough for him to tell anybody where he stands.

"I'm getting better day by day, I think," Potter said. "I've just got to take one day at a time. If you try to learn too much in one day, you're just going to get confused. But eventually I'll get there."

Where, exactly, is yet to be determined.

John Blake, the defensive line coach, also said it's too soon to say if Potter will play or redshirt. The Huskers have five returning scholarship defensive ends, plus Potter and fellow newcomers Justin Tomerlin and Barry Turner.

"No positions are sewn up," Blake said. "Everybody has to just keep getting better. Sometimes the light will just come on for someone. So it's hard to tell about anything."

Blake said Potter is at defensive end because of what the staff saw of him at the Huskers' summer camp in 2004. He also played tight end in high school and has been projected by some as an offensive tackle should he get bigger.

Asked if defensive end is where he wants to play, Potter said: "Right now, yes." And left it at that.

"Again, it's definitely too early to say," Potter said. "If it's tackle down the line, so be it. But right now I'm a defensive end, and that's what I'm going to concentrate on."

Potter's focus has been on new stances and techniques. In Creighton Prep's defense, he often would be up in a two-point stance, like a linebacker.

Plus, he no longer can get by on simply being bigger and more athletic than those he played against in high school.

"He's getting better," Blake said. "I just think Zach can get stronger. He's got to get used to the speed of the game, the tempo, the strength. Everything is just an increase for him."

Potter has to do it in a limited amount of time. Nebraska is getting No. 1 defensive ends Jay Moore and Adam Carriker ready and evaluating how the backups fall in behind them.

"In high school, you're used to playing pretty much the whole game, and you're getting tons of reps," Potter said. "You come here and you're maybe getting 10 or 15 in practice. You just have to take advantage of what you get.

"The farther along we get in camp we'll get the reps, and that'll make a difference. But right now you can't really tell if you're going to redshirt or play

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[SIZE=14pt]Bo Ruud, Octavien close on, off field[/SIZE]

LINCOLN - If this keeps up, Steve Octavien's going to hit the pillow at night and dream about the grizzled defensive coordinator barking that same word over and over.

"Separation."

"Separation."

Wake up, Steve. It's OK. Kevin Cosgrove is nowhere near.

Octavien, the junior-college speedster who grew up studying Lawrence Taylor, is locked in a Blackshirt battle with Bo Ruud at weakside linebacker. Of course, you could've made that statement the past four months. Little changes in a competition that's pushing stalemate status.

"They're still going strong," Cosgrove said. "Looking for separation."

LT never had to worry about this, did he?

Octavien and Ruud established equality during spring practice, and it looked like one might be destined to move to middle linebacker; Cosgrove has always said his best three linebackers will start.

But the coach didn't feel he'd had enough time to evaluate middle linebackers like Corey McKeon and Lance Brandenburgh. So Octavien and Ruud were stuck with each other, or against each other.

"They understand the situation," Cosgrove said. "I've been totally honest with them the whole time. I talked to them (Monday) night about separation."

"It's been this way since the start of spring," Ruud said. "I don't know what to tell you. I don't know what's going to happen."

The two say competition has brought them closer, not torn them apart. Octavien and Ruud, both extroverted personalities, were among the few Huskers that got together the night before the first fall practice to shave each other's heads. They joke around. They root for each other.

Ruud said it's hard to tell who outperforms whom on the practice field. Octavien, a 6-foot, 235-pound junior, might have a slight edge athletically. Ruud, a 6-3, 230-pound sophomore, might know the defense a bit better.

"We both know if we play hard, we're good enough players there's no way either of us won't play," Ruud said. "It's not like one person just won't see the field."

Cosgrove still hasn't ruled out one moving to middle linebacker before the season opener, but that seems less likely each day.

Octavien and Ruud, who both weigh about 230 pounds, still need to improve at their current spot. They should react naturally instead of thinking so much, Cosgrove said. But each has ideal skills for the weakside spot, the coach said. They can chase down a running back or blitz off the edge or make open-field tackles.

"You have to be a pretty good athlete and be able to run to play that position," Cosgrove said.

Ruud grew up a few miles from Memorial Stadium, the son of a Nebraska linebacker. His older brother, Barrett, owns the school record for tackles.

Octavien is also a college football fanatic. Growing up in Naples, Fla., just across the Everglades from the Orange Bowl, Octavien used to marvel at guys like Tommie Frazier and Florida State wideout Peter Warrick and Ohio State linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer.

While discussing freshman Phillip Dillard Tuesday, Octavien rattled off half a dozen true freshmen around the country who recently started at middle linebacker.

"There's nothing like college football. It's been my dream to get to Division I."

Octavien's idol, though, was the man who revolutionized the outside linebacker position. Lawrence Taylor's motor was constantly running, Octavien said.

"No one could block him."

Octavien has learned to bring that same dedication every down. He's learned not to give up on a play when initially it appears he can't make the tackle.

"Every down, LT wanted to make that tackle. That's what I want to do. That's how players become superstars: making that play they're not supposed to make."

Octavien and Ruud show flashes of that brilliance in practice every day, according to teammates. At this point, strongside linebacker Stewart Bradley said, coaches are just waiting for "separation."

"There's nothing I can do," Octavien said. "I'm just here to play football. Whoever starts, starts. I don't really care. I just want to play ball."

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[SIZE=14pt]Pasteur likes Husker formula[/SIZE]

LINCOLN - As three TV cameras and about 10 guys with notebooks and tape recorders moved him back against a wall outside Cook Pavilion, Brock Pasteur's eyes widened Friday and he looked unable for a moment to operate.

"This is crazy," Pasteur said. "I'd heard about all this, but I can see it right now."

Put him on a football field or a weight bench with 500 pounds pressed to his chest, and Pasteur is right at home. He's going to need some time, though, to get used to the attention that comes with his new status as a Nebraska football player.

The 6-foot-6, 285-pound offensive tackle comes to Lincoln from Orlando, Fla., where college football takes center stage for about one week each year during bowl season. He spent the last two years at Mesabi Range College in Virginia, Minn., a non-scholarship institution that drew almost no attention.

Pasteur did manage to catch the attention of Nebraska coaches, who had recruited at the school previously but never landed a player. He's now one of just three new scholarship linemen in training camp. And he seems better equipped to handle the complexity of Nebraska's offense than he does the news media.

"I'm loving it," Pasteur said. "It's a lot quicker than junior college. I'd have to say coach (Bill) Callahan has one of the best systems in the nation. It's almost like we're in the NFL right now, with all the play-calling and switching that goes on."

With the continued absence of Rodney and Jordan Picou, Pasteur has received extra attention from offensive line coach Dennis Wagner this month. Freshmen Craig Roark and Matt Slauson, plus junior walk-on Adam Gibson, are the only other new linemen in camp.

So could it all mean playing time this fall for Pasteur, who started the past two years at left tackle for Mesabi Range?

"I don't know," Pasteur said. "That's all up to the coaches."

For now, seniors Seppo Evwaraye and Cornealius Fuamatu-Thomas appear to hold the top spots at tackle. Pasteur is part of a group fighting for time to play reserve roles.

But in the weight room, no one beats him. Pasteur lettered three times at University High in Orlando as a weightlifter. He has benched 545 pounds. This summer at Nebraska, he could do three reps at about 440.

"It definitely helps (on the field)," Pasteur said. "The bench press is kind of like pushing somebody off you. But I'm still getting acclimated to the whole system here. Right now, it's very complicated."

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[SIZE=14pt]Meet the new Huskers: Barry Turner and Brock Pasteur[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]Barry Turner[/SIZE]

Class: Freshman

Position: Defensive End

Height, weight: 6-3, 245

Hometown (school): Antioch, Tenn. (Brentwood Academy)

Notable: Turner, a USA Today second-team All-American, chose Nebraska over home-state Tennessee.

Will you watch the Tommy Lee reality show that debuts next week? "Probably not. I'll probably be at practice."

What do you like most about defensive line coach John Blake? "You can really trust him. I mean, he's a great guy. He's really in touch with God, and that's somebody I really look up to."

Who was your biggest football influence growing up? "Emmitt Smith. He was the man."

What's the worst part about living in the dorms? (Turner calls Harper Hall home) "The trains, by far. It's awful."

What's your most memorable sack? "I hit the quarterback and he was out for like 12 minutes. It was last year, my senior year. When I hit them, I don't intentionally hurt them. I play the game full-speed."

[SIZE=14pt]Brock Pasteur[/SIZE]

Class: Junior

Position: Offensive tackle

Height, weight: 6-6, 285

Hometown (school): Orlando, Fla. (Mesabi Range, Minn., College)

Notable: Pasteur was born in Pittsburgh and considers himself a fan of the Steelers and the Kansas City Chiefs. His late father, Robert, signed a contract with the Chiefs after rising through the semi-pro ranks in Pittsburgh.

Growing up in Orlando, how often did you visit Disney World? "Probably two or three times. Disney is for young people."

What defensive lineman has impressed you most in training camp? "All of them. They're tough guys. Maybe Le Kevin Smith. He's a little bit shorter, but he's got that strength to come right at you."

What's the most you can bench press? "The most I've put up is 545. Right now, I'm probably around 500. They're talking about me being one of the strongest on the team, but we haven't maxed out so I can't tell you."

How did you prepare for life at Mesabi Range College in Virginia, Minn., coming from Orlando? "I decided not to do any geographical research. I knew if I did, I wouldn't have gone up there. I just dealt with it. It was kind of in the middle of nowhere."

So what then do you think of Lincoln? "It's nice. It's a college town. There's not a lot of places like Florida, but this place is not bad at all."

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[SIZE=14pt]NU Notes: Cosgrove says '05 Huskers fresher[/SIZE]

LINCOLN - Ten days into training camp, the Nebraska football team finally gets its first dose this afternoon of two-a-day practice sessions.

The Huskers will work out this morning, signaling the start of their four sessions of two-a-days over the next week. They have traditionally started two-a-days earlier in fall camp, but new NCAA rules forced them to restructure their practice schedule this year.

Kevin Cosgrove is a fan of the new plan.

"I love our schedule," the second-year defensive coordinator said Friday after Nebraska's two-hour practice at Cook Pavilion. "These kids have been around all summer, so they're pretty much in shape when they came in. It's not like the old days, when you'd go to two-a-days to get in shape.

"We've had the opportunity to give the guys a couple days off, keep them fresh. We didn't have that opportunity last year. It will pay off in the long run."

Other two-a-days are set for Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Injured list

Safety Jeff Souder, receiver Nate Swift and linebacker Lance Brandenburgh again missed practice Friday with minor injuries. Cornerback Tierre Green and safety Shane Siegel also did not participate in the workout.

Kudos for McKeon

A breakthrough month of practice for Corey McKeon continued Friday with words of praise from Cosgrove.

Cosgrove, who coaches the NU linebackers, said McKeon has played the best of all middle linebackers in training camp. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound sophomore is working ahead of Brandenburgh and freshman Phillip Dillard in practice as the Huskers try to replace all-time leading tackler Barrett Ruud.

"In the spring it was hard to get a good evaluation of him," Cosgrove said of McKeon. "But now he gets up there and has a presence on the field. The way he recognizes things is tremendous. He's making a lot of plays for us, not only in the run game but in the pass game."

Bradley's nuances

Two Huskers are battling at weakside linebacker for a Blackshirt. Four are pushing each other at middle linebacker.

Junior Stewart Bradley's position this fall: relatively boring.

The strongside linebacker, NU's only returning starter at linebacker, said he's making progress in fall camp, even if few are asking.

Bradley's focus has centered on nuances. Eliminating a misstep here. A slip-up there. Turning his head the right way on a pass play. Leaning the right direction on a run play.

"The difference between getting a pick or a sack and giving up a big play is the small things," said Bradley, who had 67 tackles in 2004, second on the team.

A year ago, Bradley was a first-year linebacker and coaches asked him to play a conservative role. On passing plays, he covered running backs in the flat. On sweeps, he watched the backside to prevent a reverse.

"The problem with that is when you do your job, you're not going to get noticed," said the Salt Lake City native. "You guard a tight end, and then the ball doesn't go there. It is what it is.

"This year they've turned me loose a little more. More blitzes. I'm still playing the edge, but I'm getting a lot more action. They're letting me chase the ball and show my speed a little bit."

Bradley said the basics of his position haven't changed, but coaches have more faith in the linebackers this season.

"They trust me to know my assignment. I can make the judgment when I need to be extra careful and stay outside, and when I can go make a play."

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Two-A-Days Loom

Team conditioning good

The Nebraska football team worked out for two hours Friday in preparation for the first two-a-day session of the year on Saturday.

Defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove was pleased with the Huskers' effort at practice, Nebraska's first after the final summer classes ended on Thursday.

"It was one of the better ones," Cosgrove said. "It was pretty physical and we had a little scrimmage today and there was a lot of success on the field. We have a saying that you are going to get better or get worse, and we are trying to get better every day. The competition at each position will help every day."

Cosgrove also noted the Huskers did not have to do much different in preparation for two-a-day workouts because the players entered fall camp in good condition and were ready to practice from day one. He also said that with the start of practice moved ahead by the NCAA this year that Nebraska's ability to be creative when scheduling practice times will help later in the season.

"Kids are around all summer and are in shape before practice starts," Cosgrove said. "There are 29 opportunities to practice and with the extra day, it gives us a couple days off. That will help keep us fresh and will help in the long run.

September 3 Tickets

The University of Nebraska has announced that a limited number of tickets to the Sept. 3 football game against Maine are available for purchase through Huskers.com. The tickets were made available after

Maine returned a portion of its ticket allotment for the game.

Husker fans who have been on the wait list for single-game tickets were contacted via e-mail regarding the tickets on Friday, before they became available to the general public. To purchase tickets for the Maine contest, visit Huskers.com

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[SIZE=14pt]It's all 'cool' to QB Beck[/SIZE]

By Mike Babcock

For The Independent

LINCOLN ­ Harrison Beck moved the still-wrapped, post-practice Popsicles, grape and lemon, from one hand to the other as he talked with reporters on Thursday.

"Sorry, my Popsicle's melting all over my leg," he said at one point. Both dripped through their wrappers. And before the interview was finished, he had tossed them aside.

Also before the interview was finished, just about everyone associated with the Nebraska football team had left the practice fields north of Memorial Stadium. If athletic media relations assistant Jerry Trickie hadn't interceded, Beck would have continued answering questions.

Athletes often look for reasons to end interviews. But not Beck, this time at least.

The freshman quarterback from Lakeland, Fla., wasn't intimidated by the attention, even though he won't celebrate his 18th birthday until two days before the opening game against Maine. "I'm getting a drumset for my birthday," he said. "I'm stoked. It's going to be exciting."

How he could be more excited than he was Thursday is difficult to imagine. He spoke with youthful exuberance, punctuating with "sweet" and "cool" and "Know what I'm saying?"

"It's pretty cool if you guys want to interview a guy like me because I play football; that's all I do. You know what I'm saying? It's pretty cool that you guys want to ask me questions and find me somewhat interesting," he said, maintaining eye contact with the group. "So thank you. I appreciate it."

Thank you? He smiled above a week-and-a-half's growth of beard.

"If the seniors don't cut it, I'm going to try not to cut it (either)," he explained. "I want to get that whole Brett Favre-in-December thing, maybe a little Jake Plummer action."

He's a Favre fan, a big one, enough so that he'd like to marry Favre's daughter so Favre would be his father-in-law, he said as he walked with reporters toward Memorial Stadium.

In any case, he has never worn a full Favre-type beard before, he said. But "I figure I'm getting up there (in age). I'm 17 now, so I should start growing some facial hair."

Beyond the facial hair, he apparently has a Favre mindset. If he weren't a quarterback, "I think I could be a vicious strong safety, maybe a Phillip Dillard Mike linebacker," he said. "I don't know if I have Phillip's instincts, though. I'd just like to strap up, just run and pound somebody."

He tried to do that to cornerback Zackary Bowman during a recent practice, after the junior college transfer intercepted one of his passes. Bowman "was running down the sideline, and I was going to try to pop him," said Beck. "I was strapping up, trying to hide behind the linemen and the next thing you know, he gave me a juke move and I ended up running right out of bounds."

Beck, who weighs "a solid 220" right now, would have had a size advantage in that collision. "So pretty soon I'll be wearing a cowboy collar and (be) in a three-point stance," he said.

There was a time when a Cornhusker quarterback recruit might have switched positions. But that's less likely now, and certainly not Beck, a dropback passer who was ranked among the nation's best at Lakeland's Countryside High. His skills are suited to coach Bill Callahan's offense.

He was expected to challenge junior college transfer Zac Taylor for the starting job, and a week into training camp, that expectation hasn't changed. Taylor has the advantage of spring practice, but "I'm starting now to get into the rhythm of things and understand the speed a little bit," said Beck.

"As practice goes on, as the season goes on, everything is going to slow down for me."

Whatever growing pains he is experiencing, they haven't diminished the fun, he said. "I'm having fun with all the guys and all the quarterbacks, just competing. Practice is going well so far."

His words came quickly, with the enthusiasm of, well, a 17-year-old.

The most challenging part of practice right now is that "Coach Callahan talks really, really fast, and the plays are really, really long," Beck said. "So you've not only got to remember what he said but you've got to walk to the huddle and tell everyone else what he said, and tell 'em clear, too."

As a result, "you're forgetting some of the parts, (and) you start mumbling, trying to get it out."

He hasn't asked Callahan to speak more slowly, he said, responding to a question. "No, I would never tell Coach Callahan that. Hey, you want to be the best you can be. He's going to talk fast. Every other coach from here on out is going to talk fast. You might as well get used to it."

Beck was poised to answer the next question, and then elaborate until someone stopped him

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[SIZE=14pt]Huskers get in solid practice before first two-a-Day[/SIZE]

Lincoln -- The Nebraska football team worked out for two hours Friday in preparation for the first two-a-day session of the year on Saturday, utilizing both the grass practice fields adjacent to the stadium and the Cook Pavilion.

The move inside gave the Huskers their first wok out on the FieldTurf this fall.

Defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove was pleased with the Huskers' effort at practice, Nebraska's first after the final summer classes ended on Thursday.

"It was one of the better ones," Cosgrove said. "It was pretty physical and we had a little scrimmage today and there was a lot of success on the field. We have a saying that you are going to get better or get worse, and we are trying to get better every day. The competition at each position will help every day."

Cosgrove also noted the Huskers did not have to do much different in preparation for two-a-day workouts because the players entered fall camp in good condition and were ready to practice from day one.

He also said that with the start of practice moved ahead by the NCAA this year that Nebraska's ability to be creative when scheduling practice times will help later in the season.

"Kids are around all summer and are in shape before practice starts," Cosgrove said. "There are 29 opportunities to practice and with the extra day, it gives us a couple days off. That will help keep us fresh and will help in the long run.

The University of Nebraska has announced that a limited number of tickets to the Sept. 3 football game against Maine are available for purchase through Huskers.com. The tickets were made available after Maine returned a portion of its ticket allotment for the game.

Husker fans who have been on the wait list for single-game tickets were contacted via e-mail regarding the tickets on Friday, before they became available to the general public. To purchase tickets for the Maine contest, please visit Huskers.com and click on the "Tickets" icon on the top banner.

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[SIZE=14pt]Love of the game leads Tommie Frazier to tiny Doane College in Nebraska[/SIZE]

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ERIC OLSON

AP Sports Writer

CRETE, Neb. — Tommie Frazier knows all about big-time college football. Now he's getting a quick education on the small time. In his cramped, concrete-walled office at 1,000-student Doane College, Frazier spends the last few days before preseason practice lining up housing for his players, going over menus with the food service people and hashing out travel itineraries.

Doane is only 20 miles west of Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. On the college football landscape, that's a world away from where he carved his identity as Nebraska's two-time national champion quarterback and 1995 Heisman Trophy runner-up.

The 31-year-old Frazier doesn't need this job. He left one as a fund-raiser at Nebraska, where his formal title was assistant director of athletic development. He could have lived off being "Touchdown Tommie" for as long as he wanted.

No, he doesn't need this job.

He wants it.

"There are some people who say, 'Why would you do that to your reputation? Why would you go coach at Doane?'" Frazier said.

The simple answer is that he missed the game. He spent 1999-02 as running backs coach at Baylor and was part of the purge that followed losses in 36 of 45 games.

Nebraska, which was about to embark on a $50 million facilities update, swooped in and hired Frazier to call on boosters for donations.

"I enjoyed it," Frazier said, "but it wasn't my passion."

With encouragement from wife Andrea, Frazier began looking for a coaching job last spring. He lost out on the running backs coach job at Michigan State to Ben Sirmans of Kent State.

Then the Doane job opened. The Tigers have been a traditional power in the NAIA ranks, but they have won only six games the last two years. They are picked 10th in the 11-team Great Plains Athletic Conference.

Nebraska athletic director Steve Pederson said he wasn't surprised to see Frazier leave.

"I knew from the time Tommie came back that there was a part of him that wanted to coach," Pederson said. "As we talked more and more the last couple years, he kept creeping back to wishing he was coaching."

Frazier likes the challenge.

"It's about coming out here and trying to teach young players who don't have the ability to play on the Division I level who still want to play the game and get an education," Frazier said. "What better thing is there than to go out and show people you can coach kids like that.

"You get more gratification out of that than you do coaching high school All-Americans. Great coaches are the ones who can take the guys who don't have the talent and make them great, or make them good."

Players and people around the program have been impressed with the humility Frazier has shown.

It was apparent from his interview for the job, said Fred Brown, whose last act before retiring as Doane's president was hiring Frazier.

"He said, 'Don't hire me because I'm Tommie Frazier. Hire me because I'm the best guy for the job,'" Brown said.

"The fact he is a 'name' is obviously a plus. I call it a coup."

John Reeves, general manager of the Crete News and an NAIA All-America offensive lineman for the Tigers in the 1980s, said Frazier is at Doane for the right reasons.

"He has a love of the game, and I think he's looking forward to conveying that love regardless of the level," Reeves said. "All that celebrity stuff he would rather put aside. He wants to X and O and coach football."

To be sure, Frazier has instant credibility with his players.

Senior linebacker Jordan Crawford said that when he was growing up in Arapahoe, Frazier was his football hero.

Crawford repeated what many others say when asked about his memory of Frazier the player. He hearkens to Frazier's breaking seven tackles during a 75-yard touchdown run against Florida in the national championship Fiesta Bowl game after the 1995 season.

"You can't forget that run," said Crawford, who was 11 at the time.

Frazier downplays the notion that players will be star-struck. He said many of the incoming freshmen were just out of diapers when he was playing.

"Even if they do know about me as a player, I still have to prove I can coach," Frazier said.

Frazier, arguably one of the greatest triple-option quarterbacks ever, takes over a program that used a pass-heavy offense last season under Fran Schwenk.

Asked what kind of offense he'll employ, Frazier smiled and said: "A good one."

After a long pause, he said, "I'm not saying, because there are 11 teams in this conference who are wondering what I'm doing on offense. I'm waiting for the first game."

Frazier said he isn't using the Doane job as a step on the coaching ladder. He said he has no immediate aspirations to return to Division I.

"My only priority right now is to make the Doane College football team the best it can be," he said. "If going out and doing that gets (good) reviews and gets other schools to want me to work with them, that's fine. But my loyalty is to Doane College."

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[SIZE=14pt]Beck's getting up to speed[/SIZE]

BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star

It's pretty common for true freshman football players to marvel at the speed of the college game. You'll hear them mention it about 1,247 times during fall camp.

Harrison Beck, though, has been challenged by a different kind of speed — Bill Callahan's accelerated rate of speech when he's calling plays.

"Coach Callahan talks really, really fast, and the plays are really, really long," said Beck, the newest quarterback on Nebraska's roster.

"Not only do you have to remember what he said, but you've got to walk to the huddle and tell everyone else what he said. You've got to tell them clear, too. You start getting in there, you're forgetting some of the parts, and you start mumbling, trying to get it out."

Don't think for a second, though, that Beck will ask his coach to slow down.

"I would never tell Coach Callahan that," said Beck, noting a responsibility to get used to his coach's fast tongue.

As for the speed of the game? Yeah, Beck says that's fast, too. Apparently, though, he's adjusting nicely in his first week of practice.

"I think he's starting to get used to the speed," said Nebraska junior college transfer quarterback Zac Taylor. "High school speed and college speed is completely different, especially here at Nebraska.

"He's starting to understand the plays a lot better. He's really adjusted well. You can tell every day he's catching on more and more and becoming more confident."

Beck, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound native of Clearwater, Fla., isn't there yet, though. At the beginning of Thursday's practice, Callahan, a former college quarterback himself, went under center, showing Beck how to improve his snap-taking.

"I was pulling out a little early," Beck said. "Some snaps were getting on the ground. We're trying to emphasize not to do that. (Callahan) was getting in there, showing me you've got to ride the center."

All-in-all, though, Beck said he's doing well, that he's finding a rhythm, understanding the speed of the game and learning his playbook.

He plans on playing this fall.

"I feel I can play," Beck said. "The offense, of course, is so extraordinary. It's very large, lots to learn. But once you get it down, it's a high-completion offense, and you can be very effective in it."

As for starting this year?

Well, the last we saw an official depth chart, Joe Dailey was the No. 1 guy. That was before spring practice began. Dailey has since transferred, and Taylor entered fall camp as everybody's logical replacement, given his 357-yard passing performance in the Spring Game.

But Callahan said before fall camp the starting quarterback job was still open. Beck said Thursday "it's anybody's game," but that he's been impressed with Taylor, who's taking a majority of the snaps with the top unit.

"Zac's big-time," Beck said. "The thing about him, he's really poised. He may not be the guy who's going to get out of the pocket and run around and do that stuff, but he'll stand in the pocket, under pressure, hands in his face, and make fundamentally-sound decisions."

Beck is only 17 but physically appears much older.

"He's a strong kid," Taylor said. "Physically, he's not a freshman. He pushes us. He makes great throws, and he's competing for that starting job."

And even though Beck may still struggle in spitting out the plays in the huddle, his knowledge of the offense is very good, according to his coach.

"He has come in here prepared," Callahan said. "He studied quite a bit ... not only here but back home in Florida.

"I'm really proud of his efforts to come in here and execute, be calm and poised, and not be rattled in the huddle. I think he has earned his teammates' respect in that regard. It's really impressive for a young quarterback to come in and do that at his age."

 
[SIZE=14pt]Tom Shatel: A.D. is pleased with direction of football program[/SIZE]

LINCOLN - Lunch with Steve Pederson:

It's a Thursday in early August on the campus that Nebraska football, and now Tommy Lee, made famous.

Summer is over. Students are milling about downtown. You can hear the marching band practice as you walk past the Lied Center. Down the road, past the yellow-clad security guards, football practice has begun.

Optimism is in the air. Can the Huskers rebound from the downside of history? Seems like a good time to check in with our friendly neighborhood lightning rod.

Actually, NU Athletic Director Steve Pederson is hardly conspicuous as he enters Brewsky's - his choice - in the Haymarket for lunch. He walks in. Heads don't turn. He's able to dine on a tuna melt and cottage cheese in relative peace and talk about his favorite topic: Nebraska football.

Q. It's August. Do you get excited this time of year?

A. "I love it. It's fun to get going. I still love to go to practice. I did it every day when I was recruiting coordinator. Now I can't do it as much. I miss it. I try to make it out a couple days a week if I can.

"It's fun to watch the new guys, and the older guys, to see how they've improved over the summer. I can remember, as a recruiting coordinator, being nervous, hoping the new guys look like they're supposed to look. For the first few days, you have that anxiety, hoping they're as good as you think."

Q. After 5-6, what are your expectations for this season?

A. "I'd like to see us continue to make progress. To do it right, you have to take steps. The first step is getting everyone on the same page. The next step is getting a great recruiting class in the program. The next step is strength and conditioning and so forth.

"I see us making tremendous progress in these areas. Now, how many wins does that equate to? I don't know. We're playing in the toughest conference in the country, in my opinion. We'll be playing a lot of new kids."

Q. When you changed coaches two years ago, you said you wanted Nebraska to be competing for championships every year. Do you have a timetable in mind for when that should start happening?

A. "As soon as we can. The important thing is to do things the right way so we can sustain it after it happens. You don't want to just jump up one year and then fall off the map after that. What made this program great was having the things in place to be consistent, every year. We are upgrading our facilities. We want to do this right so when it happens, it lasts."

Q. Before he was fired, Frank Solich was adamant in wanting the facilities upgraded. Do you think things might have been different for Solich and his staff had he had the facilities you're adding now?

A. "Facilities are a big part of winning. But a lot of schools are going to invest in facilities. Recruiting is still the key to it."

Q. College football is a different game today. It's harder to stay on top. Is it realistic to expect Nebraska to win like it won during Tom Osborne's career?

A. "Absolutely, you can. Is this a program that can dominate nationally? Yes, it can. That's why I think it's so important, you don't want to fall off the map. You don't want to slip so much that it takes you 10 years to get back up. It's important to act now."

Q. But how do you quantify dominating? The Big Eight wasn't deep. The Big 12 is. Shouldn't the standards be lowered a bit?

A. "We're still trying to win championships. We also want to put ourselves in position to win championships. Now, other teams in the North are still going to try and spend money and win. But we would like to be the dominant team in the North and play for the Big 12 on a regular basis. I think the days are over for an undefeated national championship team every other year. I think you are going to see most championships won with one or two losses."

Q. Do you have a favorite Nebraska team or season?

A. "I think probably the 1984 team. I think coming off that 1983 season, with Mike (Rozier), Turner (Gill) and Irving (Fryar), that team didn't have the same skill level. But they fought and clawed their way to the Sugar Bowl. That team showed the kind of determination and heart that Nebraska has won championships with over the years. They had a lot of "Nebraska-type players" on that team.

"I remember that team went out to UCLA early in the season and beat them pretty good. The next week, we were on the cover of Sports Illustrated. We went to Syracuse and got thumped. On the kickoff, they knocked out Tom Rathman, our toughest guy. That was kind of a sign of what was about to happen."

Q. Can you still win with "Nebraska-type" players? Have you told this to Bill Callahan?

A. "Yes, you can, and Bill agrees. We've talked about it. The first time I heard of a "Nebraska-type" of player was when I used to watch film with Mike Corgan. He used to talk about them and point them out. These were guys who had a real passion to play and win for the Huskers. You need those kinds of guys."

Q. You used to work in the sports information department. What did you think about canceling media day? Especially when so many small town papers used that day to cover the Huskers?

A. "I thought it was fine, because they had just had Big 12 media day (in Houston) a week or two before and the coaches and players were going to answer the same questions. Plus, you were going to have access to them after practice every day. And Keith Mann (sports information director) called the small town papers to ask them if they had any special needs or requests."

Q. Apparently, the Extra Point Luncheons in Lincoln are over. I have heard from a friend in Omaha that the head coach is only making one appearance to the Big Red Breakfasts this fall. And you are not letting people on the field. Is the public getting less access to the Nebraska football team?

A. "I don't believe so. I'm the guy who started the "Husker Nation Pavilion," where fans can go before games for free. The thing about the field is, we don't want people on the field running around playing touch football. That's been an issue for years.

"You know, I grew up a Husker fan, and never once as a kid got to run out onto the field, never even expected to or thought about doing it. We are still going to have tours of the stadium where you can go on the field, and at photo day you can. If people want to go out and take a picture out there, they can. Just no touch football games or running around."

Q. Callahan and his staff got plenty of criticism last year for how they coached that team. How did you see last year's coaching? Is this staff going to adjust to the college game?

A. It's like anything else. If you win games, people think you're a genius. And if you don't, you don't know what you're doing. I believe coaches learn and get smarter one year to the next.

"A pass here and a catch there might have changed a game or two dramatically. But the most important thing is making sure you lay the groundwork for your program. You are putting in a program and a way of doing things. You're not going to run the wishbone just to win an extra game. You want to put your system in and show people (recruits) this is what you are going to do."

Q. With the 12-game seasons coming up, what is your scheduling philosophy going to be, especially if the Big 12 sticks to eight-game conference schedules?

A. "As many home games as possible. We want to maintain a national schedule. We also know it's going to be hard to do that, because everyone wants home games. Ideally, you want to play as many I-A teams as you can. We are working on some big things that I think people will really like."

Q. Finally, any predictions for the season?

A. "No."

 
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