i .n
Fed up with ‘Golden Throat’
How long must we suffer in lis
tening to the “voice of the
Huskers,” Rick Schweiger? The
noise that best resembles perpetual
drowning has seeped its way onto
TV and torments me every time I
see those overplayed commercials.
I now regularly worship tech
nology’s gift of the mute button.
So cough up the egg yolk and
proudly accept your new position
as Campus Mime.
Andrew Gonka
senior
mechanical engineering
■
Grade inflation
Kansas’ offense C+? Nebraska
coaching B? These questions are in
reference to the Big 12 Capsules
(DN Aug. 28) in which not one
team received a grade lower than a
D+. Certainly a team will rank in
the bottom 20 in some statistical
category. K-State was given a C
for its schedule, despite having a
“simply horrible non-conference
schedule.”
Since when has a grade of C
been synonymous with the word
horrible? It’s good to see that the
Daily Nebraskan adheres to the
same levels of grade inflation as
the university does.
R. Tyler McClymont
senior
marketing
■
Wake up!
After attending my fifth game
at Memorial Stadium, I have
reached a conclusion. Husker fans
are apathetic.
Saturday I witnessed a win and
a decisive win at that.
But I also saw the “D” get
stoked; it was reprehensible. But
no, I don’t blame the players or the
coaches, I blame the fans.
The same fans who booed
Scott Frost against Central Florida
and berated Charlie McBride years
ago. All 76,0Q0 might as well have
been at church; it seemed like
church.
At Minnesota they struggle at
football. Yet all 27 of our fans are
actually awake when they’re on
“D.” That’s a Gopher defense that’s
bad all the time.
Husker fans have no idea
where they would be without the
brilliance of players and coaches
past and present.
Listen to me, a student from a
school who leads the all-time
series against NU: Wake up.
Stop attending games unless
you wake up, or else you will see
NCAA records from your oppo
nents every week as I do here.
Peter Knight
University of Minnesota
junior
business
?
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Keep it short and concise. But
keep the letters coming.
Miller now
key threat
at fullback
By Christopher Heine
Staff w liter
Many believe senior Nebraska fullback Joel
Makovicka is one of the best players at his position in
the country.
The future of the position for the Comhuskers,
however, probably belongs to another Nebraska
native, Willie Miller.
Miller, a 6-foot, 230-pound sophomore from
Bellevue, appears to be preparing for that role.
“Right now, Mack is the man,” Miller said. “I’m
just out here trying to improve everything in my
game.”
Judging by the results of the Louisiana Tech
game, the work seems to be paying off.
Miller rushed for 24 yards on just three carries
including a tough, eight-yard touchdown run.
The second-stringer also threw a key and punish
ing block to help teammate Joe Walker return a kick
off 99 yards.
Running Backs Loach Dave Lriiiespie said
Miller’s work can be seen in his performance in all
aspects of the game.
“I thought Willie made significant improvements
from spring to fall this year,” Gillespie said.
Miller said one area he needed to improve on was
in the blocking department. He never had to work on
it much in high school at Bellevue West.
Despite his size, Miller was the featured back in,
the Thunderbirds offense. His senior year, Miller
rushed for 1,527 yards and had 18 touchdowns.
“In high school, we ran a single-back offense
where I ran the ball more,” Miller said.
Last season, Miller had some spectacular runs in
fall camps and scrimmages but saw little significant
time.,He recorded just 10 carries for 49 yards, includ
ing four carries for 22 yards against Oklahoma.
Beginning in the spring, however, Miller again
turned heads. His running was still good, and his
blocking improved. His play got the attention of NU
Coach Frank Solich, who relayed to former NU
Coach Tom Osborne after one practice how well
Miller was coming along.
For his part. Miller said he just wants to become a
complete player.
“Now Fm just trying to work on all phases of the
game,” Miller said. “Nobody’s perfect.”
Working behind a proven fullback like
Makovicka can’t hurt the learning process. The senior
from Brainard said his understudy is performing just
fine.
Scott McClurg/DN
SOPHOMORE FULLBACK WILLIE MILLER participates in drills during practice Wednesday afternoon.
Miller had three carries for 24 yards in Nebraska’s 56-27 win over Louisiana Tech.
“He’s going to be a great player,” Makovicka said.
“I just try to help him with questions whenever he
asks.”
Miller, the only current NU fullback offered a
scholarship by the Huskers out of high school, said
he’s content with his role as a backup for this season.
He, along with senior Billy Legate, come in to
spell Makovicka. Miller’s touchdown came in the first
half.
“Hey, I just expect to give a 110 percent every day,
and if I play that’s great,” Miller said. “If Mack is out
there doing well, that’s great, too.”
Gillespie said while he doesn’t expect Miller’s
playing time to increase significantly with a healthy
Makovicka available, it doesn’t mean the sophomore
doesn’t have the tools to play now.
“Willie is probably as talented as many starting
fullbacks around the country,” Gillespie said.
NU eager to face Stanford rematch
By James Nicas
Staff writer
After having an easy time with
Creighton on Tuesday, the Nebraska
volleyball team is looking to play some
tough competition.
Beginning tonight, the fifth-ranked
Cornhuskers will no longer have to
wait to have their wishes met.
NU will begin a stretch of three
matches in three days when they play
No. 21 San Diego tonight at the San
Diego State Tournament in San Diego.
Before a Saturday match against
San Diego State, the Huskers will face
a bigger challenge on Friday. Two-time
defending national champion and
fourth-ranked Stanford will face NU in
a match that will pit two of the top
teams in the country against each other.
Senior setter Fiona Nepo said
Nebraska is ready to face the
California trio.
“We are really pumped to play
them,” Nepo said. “It’s a good thing for
us to play good teams early and get
ready for the Big 12.”
* -wM _
Last season, San Diego finished
24-6 and made it to the second round of
the NCAA tournament. San Diego
State finished 18-11 and did not quali
fy for the NCAA tournament for the
first time in four years.
Although both the Toreros and
Aztecs are quality competition; NU
knows the Stanford match will be the
highlight of the weekend.
Stanford was 33-2 last season, and
this year is led by junior two-time All
American Kerri Walsh. However, the
Cardinals lost five starters from last
year’s team, including national player
of-the-year Kristin Folkl.
Walsh said Nebraska, like every
team, will be out to take down the
defending national champions.
“I expect every game to be a chal
lenge because everybody guns for us
because we’re Stanford,” Walsh said.
Nebraska Coach Terry Pettit knows
his team cannot take the Cardinals
lightly.
“The top programs have a mind
set,” Pettit said. “In 1995, we lost three
All-Americans, but we go out each
year like we can win the national
championship, and that is the same for
Stanford.”
The match with Stanford also will
be a rematch a 1996 Final Four match,
which the Cardinals won in four sets.
However, Nepo said, that match will
not be motivation for Friday’s contest.
“The loss two years ago is out the
window,” Nepo said. “The motivation
comes from within our team to work
hard.”
Often teams can go into non-con
ference games with the idea to prepare
for the conference season. Coach Pettit
said that is not entirely the case for
u
If we can beat
Stanford early;
it will help us get a
regional at the end
of the year'
Toma Tauke
middle blocker
Nebraska.
“It would be nice to say, ‘Well, it’s
early in the season, and these games
don’t mean much,’ but that is not true,”
Pettit said. “The truth is you need to do
well, and you need to win.”
Junior middle blocker Tonia Tauke
agreed with Pettit but said the match
could help NU at the end of the year.
“This weekend will help show us
where we are at,” Tauke said. “If we can
beat Stanford early, it will help us get a
regional at the end of the year.”