Colorado wide receiver Rae
Carruth was named the Big 12 of
fensive player of the week for his
record-setting performance against
Missouri. Carruth set a CU record
with 222 yards receiving on seven
catches. He was also on the receiv
ing end of two Kay Detmer touch
down passes.
The Big 12 defensive player of
the week is Kansas linebacker
Ronnie Ward. Ward recorded 16
total tackles, one sack and blocked
a field goal in the Jayhawk victory.
Nebraska rush end Jared Tomich
has been named one of four final
ists for the 27th annual Lombardi
Award, which will be presented
Dec. 5 in Houston. The other three
finalists are Arizona State tackle
Juan Roque, Ohio State tackle Or
lando Pace and Virginia Tech de
fensive end Cornell Brown.
Grant Wistrom, also an NU rush
end, is one of 15 semifinalists for
the Football News Defensive Player
of the Year. Chris Canty of Kansas
State and Colorado’s Matt Rusell
are also semifinalists for the award.
Iowa State’s Troy Davis and
Texas Tech’s Byron Hanspard are
up for the offensive award.
■
Iowa State Coach Dan
McCamey knows that in order to
turn the Cyclone program around,
his team will have to play better in
close games. ISU has lost four
games by three points or less. In all
four of those games, including
Saturday’s 34-31 loss to Kansas, the
Cyclones (2-6 overall and 1 -4 in the
Big 12) have been ahead at halftime.
“I guess my pre-game speeches
are better than my halftime
speeches,” McCamey said. “In my
* heart, there is a lot of progress. But
it is not showing with victories right
now.”
■
Texas’ 28-23 victory over
Baylor Saturday put the Longhorns
back into contention for the South
Division title, which they were fa
vored to win at the beginning of the
season. Texas is 3-2 in the Big 12,
one-half game behind 4-2 Texas
Tech. The Longhorns play Tech in
Lubbock, Texas, on Saturday.
Missouri Coach Larry Smith
said his team played well against
Colorado in the Buffs’ 41-13 win.
“I think we kept the game in check
for three quarters,” Smith said, “but
from there on, it was all downhill.”
■
Kansas Coach Glen Mason said
senior Ben Rutz will continue to be
the starting quarterback after his
performance in the Jayhawks’ win
in Ames, Iowa, Saturday. “He
played well enough for us to win the
game,” Mason said.
Rutz completed 14 of 22 passes
for 204 yards in a game that had 10
' lead changes. Rutz also orchestrated
the Jayhawks’ game-winning drive.
■
In other Big 12 action Saturday,
Texas A&M beat Oklahoma State
38-19 in Stillwater, Okla., snapping
OSU’s four-game home winning
streak.
3K'
Big 12 Notebook compiled by
staff reporter Jay Sawders.
Blackshirts
overpower
foes early
By Sam McKewon
StaffReporter
For opponents of the Nebraska
football team, the opening kickoff has
not been a welcome sight this season.
The Husker
defense has set
the tone immedi
ately this year,
making its pres
ence known
early, often on
the opening
snap.
“We let them
know the de
fense is there Farley
from the first snap,” senior Will line
backer Terrell Farley said. “We want
to make a big statement and set the tone
right away.”
rarley has made the biggest state
ment of the season, recovering a
fumble by Texas Tech running back
Byron Hanspard and taking it 21 yards
for a touchdown on Tech’s first play
from scrimmage. It was the quickest
touchdown in the history of Nebraska
football.
“It was kind of shocking,” Farley
said. “That play kind of took the crowd
right out of it.”
Farley also sacked Kansas State
quarterback Brian Kavanagh for a 4
yard loss on the Wildcats’ first play
during Nebraska’s 39-3 win.
Mike linebacker Jon Hesse and
defensive tackle Jason Peter have also
spoken loudly to open a game. Hesse
nailed Kansas’ Eric Galbreath for a 7
yard loss on the Jayhawks first play,
and Peter sacked Oklahoma’s Justin
Fuente for 7-yard loss on the Sooners’
first play Saturday.
“Most of the teams want to get their
crowd into it with a big play,” Defen
sive Coordinator Charlie McBride
said. “We’re aggressive out there and
get big plays of our own.”
The lone team to score on the Husk
ers on the first drive is also the only
team to beat them. Arizona State went
80 yards in 10 plays on its first posses
sion, scoring the game’s only touch
down in its 19-0 win on Sept. 21.
Farley, who was suspended and
didn’t play in the game, said the Sun
Devils appeared to reverse roles with
Nebraska.
“It looked like we were playing in
a dream,” he said, “but it was real.”
I ‘ I
Exptoshn
Start
_:___._
I m
Matt Miller/DN
ISABELLE MORNEAU, a Nebraska freshman, has scored 24
points in the Comhuskers’ last seven games. Momeau is one of
three freshmen among the top four NU scorers this fall.
Huskers still
Victories over Duke
and Ifexas A&M
boosted Nil’s
confidence.
By Vince I^Adamo
Staff Reporter
Before the 1996 soccer season
began, Nebraska Coach John
Walker knew his team had great
potential.
He had no
idea, however,
that in early No
vember his
young
Cornhusker
squad would be a
perfect 19-0 with
a 9-0 Big 12
record and head
ing into the
postseason as the nation’s hottest
team.
“I probably wouldn’t have be
lieved it,” Walker said. “The odds
against winning every game are
great.
“There’s so many variables.
There are a lot of strong teams. You
could have injuries, or play well but
have trouble.”
A 3-1 win over then-sixth
ranked Duke on Sept. 8 and a 1-0
shutout of then-sixth-ranked Texas
A&M on Sept. 29 are the lights that
shine brightest, Walker said.
“They are definitely the two
landmark games from a confidence
standpoint,” Walker said. “We felt
OK, but were still wondering if we
lpM.r. -——— -.. V — '
could beat a top 25 team.”
Prior to the victory over Duke,
the Huskers were ranked 25th. Ne
braska, which has the only unblem
ished mark in Division I, is now
ranked fifth.
The Huskers — who will play
either Texas Tech or Missouri Sat
urday at 11 a.m. in the Big 12 Con
ference Tournament semifinals in
St. Louis—cruised through league
play, but occasionally, Walker said,
the intensity level dropped.
“But it rarely happened,”
Walker said. “Ifs a reflection of
how we train. We really battle ev
ery day in practice. It becomes the
players’ way. They don’t know any
other way.”
Nebraska has outscored its op
position 83-11. Eleven different
Huskers have scored at least one
goal and eight players have re
corded double-digit point totals.
Along with their gaudy offensive
output, the Huskers also posted a
school record 12 shutouts. Eight
players have been nominated for all
conference honors, which will be
awarded Friday in St. Louis.
“The effort we got was great,”
Walker said. “I’m very pleased with
how hard the players worked on
their commitment oh and off the
field.”
Junior Kari Uppinghouse leads
the potent Husker offense with 44
points on 17 goals. Nebraska has
also received plenty of support from
its freshmen, most notably Lindsay
Eddleman (38 points cm 15 goals)
and Isabelle Momeau (39 points on
16 goals).
“We had quite a few new play
ers,” Walker said. “The freshman
have done a great job of acclimat
ing to the college level.”
*
6-2 guard
to play in
December
Junior fills one of six
open scholarships for
’97-98.
By David Wilson
StaffReporter
Devon Phillips, a guard from Chi
cago, will join the Nebraska basketball
team in December, he said Monday.
Phillips, who verbally committed to
the Cornhuskers in September, will
sign a letter of intent when the fell sign
ing period begins Nov. 13.
The 6-foot-2,180-pounder played
basketball at Midland (Texas) Junior
College for two years after failing to
meet Division-I academic require
ments out of Chicago’s Robeson High
School in 1994.
At Midland, Phillips averaged 16
points per game as a freshman and 17
points as a sophomore last year, but
again failed to qualify academically.
After taking classes last summer at
Kennedy King Junior College in Chi
cago, Phillips said, he raised his grades
to meet the requirements.
Including this season, Phillips will
have two years of eligibility at Ne
braska.
Though he was offered scholarships
from other schools — including St.
John’s and Colorado — Phillips said
he made his decision to come to Ne
braska after a visit from NU Coach
Danny Nee and assistant Scott Howard
on Sept. 10.
“They told me how much they
needed me, and that I would be able to
make an inpact right away,” Phillips
said.
Phillips said he chose Nebraska
because the Husker coaches stuck with
him, even after he didn’t meet aca
demic requirements to play this fall.
After his first visit to Lincoln on
Oct. 18, Phillips said he thought that
he would fit in.
“(Tyronn) Lue, (Bernard) Gamer
and a few other players took me out
and told me how things were,” Phillips
said. “It’s going to be very hard, be
cause I didn’t get the opportunity to
condition with the team.”
Joining the team in mid-season will
be difficult, Phillips said, but instincts
will carry him until he learns the
Husker system.
“I really haven’t set any goals bas
ketball-wise,” Phillips said. “I’m just
going to go and play my best.”
Brant Harriman, a 6-11 center from
Mason City, Iowa, who committed in
April, is also expected to sign with NU
later this month. With the two commit
ments, Nebraska has four scholarships
remaining for next year.
Note:
Student season tickets can be
picked up at the South Stadium ticket
office. The bleacher seating is still
available to full-time students, but it is
also being offered to the general pub
lic.
Student tickets are offered in any
combination of four packages. As of
Monday, 269 tickets had beat sold for
package No. 1,383 for package No. 2,
181 for package No. 3 and 522 for
package No. 4.
The Huskers open their exhibition
season Thursday night at 7:05 at the
Bob Devaney Sports Center against
Team Pella.