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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 26, 1996)
_ Sports Opinion Antone Oseka NU walk-ons experiencing Husker dream I had a dream as a kid. I dreamed that one day I would run onto the turf at Memorial Sta dium wearing Comhusker red. I wasn’t the only kid from a small town in Nebraska with this dream. Kids like Brendan Zahl and Chad Eicher had the same dream. Eicher and Zahl fulfill that dream once in awhile. They are part of Nebraska’s “two-minute club.” If the Husker lead is large and the time is short — usually two minutes or less — these Huskers get a chance to show their stuff. Eicher, a fifth-string I-back from Seward, usually will get a rushing attempt or two before the final whistle blows. “It kind of makes it all worth while to run out there on game day,” he said. If the Huskers are on defense, Zahl, a rush end from Stratton, will get a shot at the opposing QB. “Going opt there is our reward for all the hard work we do,” Zahl said. “It’s a start for us, for what, hopefully, will lead to more play ing time.” Zahl and Eicher are both on the scout team; but that is not a small accomplishment. Both players had to go through a rigorous tryout pro cess just to make this team. The scout team runs the plays of the opponent that the starting Huskers will face during Saturday’s game. 5>ome days you don t reel like going out there and getting beat up by the first- and second-team de fense,” Eicher said. But Eicher and Zahl said they take pride in how the starters play, because the scout team has a lot to do with how the Huskers prepare for each game. However, both said they would like a bigger role during the games. However, it doesn’t matter to many people what Eicher and Zahl’s roles on the team are. But it matters that they are on the team. “Kids just look up to you, no matter whether you’re playing 25 to 30 minutes a game or you get in during the last twp minutes of the game,” Zahl said. “They still look up to you.” Personally, I know that I looked up to guys like Turner Gill, Mike Rozier and Irving Fryar. I still look up to guys like Zahl and Eicher, who are part of what Nebraska football really means. I’m not talking about the off field problems or the recent loss to Arizona State; but hard work, dedi cation and the hope that one day my son may run out of the tunnel wear ing Comhusker red. It would almost be a dream come true. Oseka Is a senior news-edito rial m^jor and a Daily Nebraskan night news editor. Jay Caederon/DN MEGAN KORVER, a sophomore middle blocker, is enjoying her first season at Nebraska this fall after transferring from George Washington. Korver breaks barriers Middle blocker becomes first-ever NU transfer By Shannon Heffelfinger Staff Reporter One of the most difficult things Megan Korver ever had to do was tell her volleyball teammates at George Washington that she was transferring to Nebraska. “It would have been easier for me to stay at George Washington,” Korver said, “and continue with the program, and not have to tell my teammates I was leaving them. “But it.all came down to where I would be happy playing.” Right now, Korver, a 6-foot-1 sophomore middle blocker from Adams, is more than happy to be playing an important role in Nebraska’s quest for a second straight national title. The door opened for Korver to *44r It would have been easier for me to stay at George Washington” Megan Kokver NU middle blocker make an immediate impact when middle blocker Jen McFadden, who was expected to be a dominant force at the net this season, decided to forgo her last year of eligibility be cause of a back injury. “It was a shoe to fill, and I took the challenge,” said Korver, the first transfer in the history of the NU volleyball program. “Playing front row and blocking are my strengths, and that’s where I want to be.” Korver has stepped into her role nicely, averaging a team-best 1.68 blocks per game, and she is third on the team in kills per game, aver aging 2.62. Although she was highly re cruited during high school — she was contacted by Texas A&M, George Washington, Arizona, Georgia Tech and Oregon — Ne Please see KORVER on 8 Husker linemen regroup Tenopir has faith that this group will carry on the NU tradition. By Mike Kluck Senior Reporter Nebraska’s offensive line didn’t allow a sack last year while opening holes that allowed the Comhuskers to rush for almost 400 yards per game. In two games this season, oppos ing defenses have throttled Nebraska’s running attack, holding the Huskers to just 157 yards per game and sacking NU quarterback Scott Frost four times. Nebraska ran for 199 yards more in its season opener last season than it has in two games this year, and the sack total this season is one fewer than the last two years combined. In addition, NU surrendered three safeties in its 19-0 loss Saturday to Arizona State. Before Saturday, no Husker opponent had recorded a safety since Washington in 1992. This statistical drop-off has dam aged the pride of the Nebraska offen sive line. r “We take a lot of pride in being able to run the bMiagaih&ouif§pix>nents^” junior right tackle Eric Anderson said. “Saturday night, we were extremely disappointed. We just want to come out and hopefully, nothing like that will happen again.” The linemen have not enjoyed the days following the loss, Nebraska’s first in 27 games. “It was pretty disgusting watching the film,” senior left guard Chris Dishman said. “You just relived it. There’s nothing you can really say. It just makes you feel sick.” But Offensive Line Coach Milt Tenopir said the film has not looked as ugly as the game seemed. The biggest problem Saturday was adjusting to the noise at Sun Devil Sta dium, Tenopir said. Nine or 10 times, Tenopir said, Husker linemen failed Please see LINE on 8 Moreno directs CSU Quarterback says Ram offense can move the ball on any team. By Trevor Parks Senior Reporter Colorado State will rely heavily on Moses when the Rams visit Memorial Stadium Saturday. No, not the biblical Moses. But CSU needs quarterback Moses Moreno to part Nebraska’s red sea if it hopes to have any kind of success against the Nebraska defense. Moreno leads the Rams (2-2), who have the sixth-ranked offense in the nation—499.3 yards per game—and 10th- ranked scoring offense — 39.5 points a game. — against the Comhuskers at 11:30 a.m. So far this season, said Moreno, a 6-foot-2,190-pound junior from Chula Vista, Calif., the only defense stopping the Rams is their own offense. “We think we can move the ball on anybody,” he said. Moreno has been a major fac tor in the Rams’ productive of fense. He threw for 312 yards in a 48 34 loss to Colo rado. For the sea son, he has com pleted 63 of 112 passes, averaging Moreno 267 yards per game. His nine touchdown passes are two shy of his total last season. And he has thrown for more than 250 yards and had at least one touchdown pass in every game this season. Against UNLV last Saturday, Moreno completed 19 of 27 passes (70.4 percent) for. 277 yards and two touchdowns. Ram Coach Sonny Lubick said not much rattles his signal caller, who be came a full-time starter this season. “He just needs to continue to play like he has been playing,” Lubick said. “Moses is a steady young guy with not too many major ups and downs.” But Moreno knows the CSU of fense will need to keep possession of the ball and hold onto it to beat the No. 8 Huskers. This season, the Colorado State offense has run 98 fewer plays than its opponents. “We need to start converting third downs and have drives that take some time off the clock,” Moreno said. “It seems we are the type of offense that gets a quick score or goes three-and out We just need to learn how to con trol the ball.” Ball control will be important against the Huskers. After watching film of NU’s 19-0 loss to Arizona State, Moreno said he was impressed with the Huskers de fensive size and speed. “This is a big game,*’ Moreno said. “Nebraska, no doubt, is still one of the great powers in college football. This gives us a chance to test our skills and see how we match up.” It’s a chance to see how a very young team matches up. CSU has plenty of youth, starting only three seniors on offense and two on defense. “Each game,” Moreno said, “we grow up more and more and learn something new. Every game has been a slow, gradual process. But good things are happening despite the youth.” One of those young players is true freshman tackle Blane Saipaia, who will just be making his second start on Saturday. “He’s young, so you have to expect some mistakes,” Moreno said. “He’s handling everything well, but he has to step out of that young mentality and start acting like a starter.”