Husker tackier chosen as Lombardi finalist
By Dwk tamton
Senior Reporter
Nebraska tackle Zach Wiegert’s
name may be mentioned in the same
breath with the best ever.
The 6-foot-5-inch, 300-pound se
nior from Fremont was named a fi
nalist Thursday for the Lombardi
Trophy, to be awarded Dec. 1.
Wiegert is trying to become the
fourth Comhusker to win the award
given to the best offensive or defen
sive lineman in the country. Previ
ous Husker Lombardi winners in
clude Rich Glover, Dave Rimington
and Dean Steinkuhler.
“I think I had appreciation for this
award before I read the list of past
winners,” Wiegert said. “There are
some great players that have won this.
As far as Nebraska is concerned,
those (Glover, Rimington and
Steinkuhler) are as good as they get.
I would be in some good company.”
The other finalists are Derrick
Brooks of Florida State, Tedy Bruschi
of Arizona and Miami’s Warren
Sapp.
Wiegert said it would be a nice
reward for his effort, but he was more
concerned with the team honors.
“I’ll still be focusing one game at
a time, and I think that’s why I’m
where I’m at,” he said. “I don’t look
at the personal awards. To win some
thing like this would be a great ac
complishment, especially looking at
the past winners. It’d be payback for
all the time I’ve put in.”
Offensive line coach Milt
Tenopoir said Wiegert did his talk
ing on the field, so the coaches
wouldn’t have to talk for him off the
field.
“With those awards, so many
times there is politicking,” he said.
“I know a few years back I thought
we had a kid that deserved it, but he
didn’t get it because people were say
ing that Nebraska's already had three.
Zach is deserving for what he’s done
on the field and not for campaign
ing.”
Emphasis put on the offensive line
after quarterbacks Tommie Frazier
and Brook Berringer were injured
may have helped him become a fi
nalist, Wiegert said.
“A lot of times, the offensive line
men go by the wayside, and they don’t
get noticed,” Wiegert said. “The
things that happened with the inju
NU primed for 1st hoops game
By Jaff Qriaacti
Staff Reporter
After beating each other up in
practice for three weeks, Nebraska
men's basketball coach Danny Nee
said his team was ready to play.
The Cornhuskers open their exhi
bition season against Verich Reps at
the Bob Devaney Sports Center to
night at 7:30.
“I know that it seems early on the
calendar to be playing already,” Nee
said. “But we have had 17 practices,
and I think it is the perfect time for a
game to see where we are as a team.”
The Verich Reps are a team of
former college players, including ex
Husker Daprcis Owens, from Colum
bus, Ohio. The team is sponsored by
Ohio state representative Michael
Verich.
Nee said he didn't know much
about Verich Reps, but he didn't care.
“I know they are a group of former
college players, and that’s about it,”
Nee said. “But that doesn’t matter to
me, because I am more concerned
with judging our progress.”
And thus far. Nee said he was
happy with what he had seen in prac
tice.
7 know that it seems early on the calendar to be
playing already. But we have had 17practices,
and I think it is the perfect time for a game to see
where we are as a team. ”
■
DANNY NEE
Nebraska men’s basketball coach
“AH the players are working,” Nee
said. “The veterans have all improved
and are showing good leadership, and
everybody is trying to do it as a team.”
Although Nee has not officially
decided on Nebraska’s starting lineup
for tonight’s game, he said Jaron
Boone and Erick Strickland would
start at the guard positions.
Terrance Badgett and Melvin
Brooks should start at the forward
spots, and Mikki Moore may start at
center for the Huskcrs.
Nee said that juniors Jason Glock,
Chris Sallee and Tom Wald also
would see substantial playing tim?
liong with freshman Chester Surles.
“We will be looking to develop an |
eight-, nine- or 10-man rotation,” ,
Nee said. “And those guys are capable
of fitting into that rotation.”
Nee said freshmen Leif Nelson,
Andy Markowski and Chad Ideus 1
probably would not be factors in the (
Huskers’ rotation, because all three
planned to redshirt. I
Although he did not make the fi- 1
nal decisions for them, Nee said, he
was pleased with their decisions. ]
“It is really a win-win situation for
them, because they get to practice for 1
a year and keep four years of eligibii- i
ity,” Nee said.
7 would be in some
good company. ”
■
ZACH WIEGERT
NU tackle
ries put us in the spotlight. I’m sure
we got more attention than we would
have without the injuries. It’s kind
of nice to know people are watching
you block.”
NOTE:
•Ed Stewart twisted his knee in
practice Thursday but finished prac
tice and should be ready for
Saturday’s game with Kansas.
Kansas
Continued from Page 7
“They have two backs that are very
accomplished,” Nebraska coach Tom
Osborne said. “They are both tough
guys that will run hard at you. Colo
rado and Kansas are very, very close
in terms of overall offensive line tal
ent.”
In fact, Osborne said, at the be
ginning of the season, he thought
Kansas had the ability to be one of
the top teams in the conference.
MI look for a game that could be
much more competitive than many
xople think it will be,” he said. “Our
lefensive coaches are aware that
we’ve got a very similar task to what
we had last week.”
Preston, the Jay hawks’ starting
juarterback, is one reason why
3sbome predicts a close game.
The 5-foot-ll, 185-pound senior
tas completed 59 percent of his ca
cer passes, the best in school history.
Against Nebraska last year,
Teston completed 13 of 19 passes for
18 yards. He also was the only quar
erback whom the Husker defense
vas unable to sack in 1993.
“He ran a lot of three-step drops
uuiumuwvi ii v/iii i uyv f
year, with Preston holding the reins
again.
“One word describes Asheiki: con
sistent,” Mason said. “He did a good
job last year, but this is this year.”
Mason said one help for Kansas
was its offensive line. Last year the
Kansas line helped June Henley rush
for 148 yards against Nebraska.
“Our line’s been performing well,”
Mason said. “This will be our tough
est test all year.”
Mason said after watching films
he could not find many areas where
the Jayhawks could exploit the Husk
ers.
A final problem facing Kansas is
they have to play at Memorial Sta
dium. The Jayhawks haven’t won in
Lincoln since 1968.
Daily Nebraskan staffers (8-2 last
week, 60-20 season) pick the
winners of the ten major college
football games this weekend, with
winners in bold:
Iowa State at Kansas State
Oklahoma State at Colorado
Missouri at Oklahoma
Miami at Syracuse
Texas A&M at Texas
Alabama at Louisiana State
Southern Cal at Washington St.
Penn State at Indiana
Virginia at Duke
Pick the scoro- Kansas 10
stllokr—fcs 38_
last year,” Osborne said. “And you’re
not going to sack him when they do
that”
A key to stopping the Kansas of
fense, he said, is limiting Preston on
long-yardage and third-down situa
tions. Last week, Colorado was 0 for
15 on third- and fourth-down at
tempts.
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