r
~w
Texas running back Ricky
Williams passed Houston’s
Roman Anderson as college foot
ball's all-time career scoring
leader.
Williams has scored 428
points in 42 games. Anderson’s
record was 423 points in 44
games.
This record is just one of many
for Williams. He also holds the
career touchdown mark with 67.
m
Baylor Coach Dave Roberts
will have a homecoming this week
when the Bears travel to Notre
Dame. Roberts was the offensive
coordinator at Notre Dame until
1996.
“It will be fun and exciting,”
Roberts said. “It will be a good
experience for our kids to see the
campus and ‘Touchdown Jesus.’”
m
When Kansas and Kansas
State play Saturday, it will be the
fifth in-state rivalry game in the
Big 12 Conference this year. Last
weekend, Oklahoma State beat
Oklahoma and Texas A&M nearly
got upset by Texas Tech.
“Any time you play an in-state
rival, the game goes back and
forth," OSU Coach Bob Simmons
said. "The team that makes the
fewest mistakes comes up victori
ous."
t»
The Big 12 offensive player of
the week is Kansas' David
Winbush. Winbush ripped through
the Colorado defense for 268
yards rushing Saturday in the
Jayhawks' 33-17 upset of the
Buffaloes.
Winbush’s previous career
high was 99 yards rushing.
Kansas also has the defensive
player of the week. Linebacker
Steve Bratton earned the honor.
m
The special teams player of the
week is Texas A&M punter Shane
Lechler.
Against Texas Tech, Lechler
punted six times for a 42-yard
average. The senior also had an 8
yard touchdown pass on a fake
field goal.
“It was a short field goal, and I
thought they were going to kick
it,” Texas Tech Coach Spike Dykes
said. “It was a great play on their
part.”
■
The first bowl championship
series standings were released
Monday. Those standings included
Kansas State, but KSU Coach Bill
Snyder said those results really
don’t mean much to him.
“I don’t care officially where
we stand,” Snyder said. “All I know
is that we have to beat Kansas, and
that is not an easy task.”
■
The Big 12 is down to five
teams ranked in The Associated
Press Top 25. Texas Tech dropped
out of the polls after its 17-10 loss
to Texas A&M.
Big 12 Notebook compiled by
staff writer Jay Saunders
Matt Miller/ DN
NU JUNIOR MIDDLE BLOCKER Tonia Tauke fights her nerves every day on the court and in the classroom, but that hasn’t prevented her from
becoming one of the best percentage hitters in the Big 12 Conference.
Knowledge key to Tauke’s success
Junior middle blocker fights nerves throughout match
By Andrew Strnad
Staff writer
Secret informants normally
inform their sources on a need-to
know basis only.
In that case, it's a good thing
Nebraska Volleyball Coach Terry
Pettit doesn't work for the CIA.
because junior middle blocker Toma
Tauke needs to know everything.
It's always been that way for the
6-foot-3 Tauke. Whether she's on
the court or in the classroom.
Tauke's quest for knowledge never
ends.
“1 have to know everything,”
Tauke said. “I get really nervous for
tests and volleyball, and unless 1
know every little detail, I won’t be
able to function properly.”
Known by fans and teammates as
an animated player who has played
with endless emotion during her first
two years with the Cornhuskers,
Tauke has found that having a mas
tery of the game plan has helped her
develop into a more mature volleyball
player.
"I over-study for everything, and I
think 1 over-study for volleyball, too.”
Tauke said. “Hav ing an idea of what
to expect on the court has a cooling
effect and helps me relax on the
court.”
Despite high nerves and constant
tension. Tauke has developed statisti
cally into one of the most successful
hitters in the Big 12 Conference.
Tauke is hitting .360 on the year,
which places her second in the con
ference, behind fellow middle block
er, senior Megan Korver (.423) and
ahead of senior outside hitter Jaime
Krondak (.312).
The Council Bluffs, Iowa, native
is also among the conference leaders
in blocks, averaging 1.35 blocks per
game.
Tauke played a big part in NU’s
two victories last weekend, by slam
ming 12 kills against Oklahoma and
coming back with 11 kills and eight
block assists against Kansas.
While her numbers are starting to
form a foundation that establishes yet
another strong force in the middle for
the Huskers, a leadership role has
been created thanks in part to her
obsession with preparation.
“When Coach says something in
practice. I'll remember it," Tauke
said.
"Then when somebody comes
into the game, I just get everyone ori
entated so they know what's going on
and what rotation the other team is
in.”
The only thing in Tauke's way in
her search for knowledge is her ner
vousness, which has been with her for
her entire life.
Tauke’s nervous nature is
unknown to most of her teammates.
Junior outside hitter Mandy Monson
wouldn’t have guessed her former
roommate was the anxious type.
“I never thought of her as super
nervous,” Monson said. “She's
always looking for what’s going on,
and she always looks like she’s in
control.”
While her nerves have gotten in
the way many times before, Tauke has
found ways to channel her nervous
ness to help her get through high
pressure situations.
“I remember in seventh grade I
had to give a speech in front of 60
people and 1 just stared down at the
floor, and 1 had it all memorized,”
Tauke said.
“As I got older I think 1 found
ways to talk my way out of it, and that
has made it easier to relax on the
court, but I still get nervous.”
As she nears the end of her third
season as a Husker, the broadcasting
major is on schedule to graduate next
May and plans to get her master’s in
journalism with an emphasis in
sports marketing and communication
by December 2000.
Backup quarterbacks’ play is vital
Four starting Big 12 signal callers fail to finish because of injuries
James Nicas
StaffWriter
In college football, the starting quar
terback is often the focal point of the
offense.
Last week in the
Big 12 Conference, it
was the backup quar
who ran the
show.
The backup
quarterback took
center stage in the
Neuheisel conference as four
starting quarterbacks
were unable to finish games because of
injuries.
“It’s a physical league, and things
like this are going to happen,” said
Kansas Coach Terry Allen, who lost
starting quarterback Zac Wegner to a
concussion on the Jayhawks’ first pos
session in their 33-17 victory over
Colorado. “We do expose those guys
and injuries will catch up with teams
later in the year.”
Quarterback injuries were not only
relegated to Kansas in its game.
Colorado quarterback Mike Moschetti
suffered a concussion in the third quar
ter.
Backup quarterback Adam
Please see BACKUPS on 8
Big 12 report card
Rising Comment Week grade
Texas A&M A&M got lucky, but it still won. B+
Kansas St. Throttled Iowa State. Not a hard task, though. B+
Nebraska Defense stood tall against. Missouri throughout. B+
Kansas KU won against better-than-average Colorado team. B+
Oklahoma St. Finally got a win after a brutal schedule. B
Texas Ricky Williams is a god. He comes to Lincoln on Saturday. B
Stable
Texas Tech Couldn't win against Texas A&M. Fake field goal killed them. C
Missouri Offense choked against Nebraska. Defense played well, though. C
Baylor Ricky Williams ran over the Bears. Next, Notre Dame C
Colorado Upset by Kansas. Adam Bledsoe is woeful backup. C
Falling
Oklahoma John Blake, please quit. Please quit now. F
Iowa State Got throttled by Kansas State. Not a hard task, though. F
Jon Frank/DN