tattooedhusker
All-Conference
found this in the owh, pretty good article with some great enthusiasm!
linky doodle
[SIZE=14pt]End says NU will surprise skeptics[/SIZE]
BY STEVE BEIDECK
WORLD-HERALD CORRESPONDENT
Nebraska defensive end Jay Moore isn't the kind of person who keeps preseason football magazines in business.
He said he's read one, and only because roommate Zac Taylor bought it.
"Those guys know nothing, absolutely nothing," Moore said. "They don't see us working out. They're basically going off what happened last year. That's fine, we'll sneak up on people and catch everybody off guard."
Moore and Taylor, the Huskers' record-setting quarterback, were at Millard South on Wednesday to participate in the final day of the Dave Rimington Football Camp for players ages 8 to 18. Both players spent time answering questions from campers and chatting with former Huskers gathered to help Rimington run the camp.
Taylor zipped several passes longer than 50 yards to campers and said afterward that "this is the best I've ever felt." That's good news for Husker players, coaches and fans after all of the hits Taylor took during Nebraska's 8-4 season that ended with a three-game winning streak.
Moore and Taylor said the wins over Kansas State, Colorado and Michigan were a terrific way to bounce back from the 2004 campaign that produced Nebraska's first losing record since 1961.
But they also remember the big losses to Big 12 North Division rivals Missouri (41-24) and Kansas (40-15).
"Those losses still sting," Taylor said. "It was great to win those last three games, but we haven't forgotten about the Missouri and Kansas games.
"We've got a whole new team this year. We lost a lot of great seniors that really contributed last year. So we'll approach those games with a whole different attitude."
Both players said they're pleasantly surprised at how quickly the freshmen who have arrived in Lincoln are holding their own in off-season running workouts.
"Our running workouts are the hardest in the country," Moore said. "No one works out as hard as we do, and they've handled it really well, which is really surprising. They're young and probably not the strongest mentally yet, but I've been impressed with their work ethic and attitude."
Both Taylor and Moore said the Huskers will be improved on the offensive line.
"Their communication has improved," Taylor said. "So has the communication all the way across the whole front. I think that's what the offensive line worked on this last spring.
"We're ready to take this offense to the next level."
Moore was particularly impressed with Matt Slauson, who started the final three games last season at right tackle for injured senior Seppo Evwaraye.
"He's going to be a good one," Moore said. "He's strong, physical, and he has that lineman mentality - big and sloppy and mean. So he'll be a good one."
Taylor said tight end Matt Herian, who missed last season after breaking a leg in October 2004 against Missouri, appears ready to go.
"He's coming along great. He's excited," Taylor said. "He's got great hands. I'm sure he's ready to put on the pads and show everybody what he can do."
While some preseason magazines expect Nebraska to contend for a spot in the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 2 in Kansas City, Taylor said he's not thinking that far ahead.
"If we can start out 1-0 against Louisiana Tech, that's the best start we can have," Taylor said. "Really, that's as far as we've thought right now."
Actually, Taylor has thought a little about Nebraska's visit in 2007 to Wake Forest, the first college he attended. He said he hopes that he'll be able to attend the game and visit with some friends from that area.
When reminded that the game would need to be on an open date if he makes an NFL team, Taylor started laughing.
"Honestly it (the NFL) is fantasyland for me right now," he said. "The day after our bowl game maybe I'll give that some thought. Right now I just want us to be successful and have the best team we can have this year. That really requires everything I've got, and I'm just going to focus on this team."
linky doodle
[SIZE=14pt]End says NU will surprise skeptics[/SIZE]
BY STEVE BEIDECK
WORLD-HERALD CORRESPONDENT
Nebraska defensive end Jay Moore isn't the kind of person who keeps preseason football magazines in business.
He said he's read one, and only because roommate Zac Taylor bought it.
"Those guys know nothing, absolutely nothing," Moore said. "They don't see us working out. They're basically going off what happened last year. That's fine, we'll sneak up on people and catch everybody off guard."
Moore and Taylor, the Huskers' record-setting quarterback, were at Millard South on Wednesday to participate in the final day of the Dave Rimington Football Camp for players ages 8 to 18. Both players spent time answering questions from campers and chatting with former Huskers gathered to help Rimington run the camp.
Taylor zipped several passes longer than 50 yards to campers and said afterward that "this is the best I've ever felt." That's good news for Husker players, coaches and fans after all of the hits Taylor took during Nebraska's 8-4 season that ended with a three-game winning streak.
Moore and Taylor said the wins over Kansas State, Colorado and Michigan were a terrific way to bounce back from the 2004 campaign that produced Nebraska's first losing record since 1961.
But they also remember the big losses to Big 12 North Division rivals Missouri (41-24) and Kansas (40-15).
"Those losses still sting," Taylor said. "It was great to win those last three games, but we haven't forgotten about the Missouri and Kansas games.
"We've got a whole new team this year. We lost a lot of great seniors that really contributed last year. So we'll approach those games with a whole different attitude."
Both players said they're pleasantly surprised at how quickly the freshmen who have arrived in Lincoln are holding their own in off-season running workouts.
"Our running workouts are the hardest in the country," Moore said. "No one works out as hard as we do, and they've handled it really well, which is really surprising. They're young and probably not the strongest mentally yet, but I've been impressed with their work ethic and attitude."
Both Taylor and Moore said the Huskers will be improved on the offensive line.
"Their communication has improved," Taylor said. "So has the communication all the way across the whole front. I think that's what the offensive line worked on this last spring.
"We're ready to take this offense to the next level."
Moore was particularly impressed with Matt Slauson, who started the final three games last season at right tackle for injured senior Seppo Evwaraye.
"He's going to be a good one," Moore said. "He's strong, physical, and he has that lineman mentality - big and sloppy and mean. So he'll be a good one."
Taylor said tight end Matt Herian, who missed last season after breaking a leg in October 2004 against Missouri, appears ready to go.
"He's coming along great. He's excited," Taylor said. "He's got great hands. I'm sure he's ready to put on the pads and show everybody what he can do."
While some preseason magazines expect Nebraska to contend for a spot in the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 2 in Kansas City, Taylor said he's not thinking that far ahead.
"If we can start out 1-0 against Louisiana Tech, that's the best start we can have," Taylor said. "Really, that's as far as we've thought right now."
Actually, Taylor has thought a little about Nebraska's visit in 2007 to Wake Forest, the first college he attended. He said he hopes that he'll be able to attend the game and visit with some friends from that area.
When reminded that the game would need to be on an open date if he makes an NFL team, Taylor started laughing.
"Honestly it (the NFL) is fantasyland for me right now," he said. "The day after our bowl game maybe I'll give that some thought. Right now I just want us to be successful and have the best team we can have this year. That really requires everything I've got, and I'm just going to focus on this team."
