Andrew Strnad
NU losses
better than
blowouts
Isn't this fun?
I don't remember having this much
fun watching Nebraska play football
since Oklahoma tight end Keith
Jackson was dancing down the sideline
moments before kicker Tim Lasher
booted a 31 -yard field goal to beat NU
70-17 in 1
Really, who enjoyed going to watch
Missouri when it w'as Brock Olivo run
ning into eight Huskers as quarterback
Jeff Perino would lead NU in the fourth
quarter for another 50-point win ?
No offense to Perino, Adam
Kucera or Tom Held. But these are
quarterbacks I'd rather not see in the
fourth quarter. Or any quarter.
I would much rather see ev ery
game come down to the wire like four
of the last five games.
While Husker fans have become
spoiled the last few years. I feel they've
also forgotten how much fun this game
can be.
"Oh. no the Huskers are 7-2!"
NU hasn't lost two games this early
since 1981.
Good is what 1 say to that.
Now. there's a better reason to go to
.Ames this weekend - to see the Iowa
State game - instead of eating ribs at
Hickory Park.
Nebraska might lose. Maybe not.
but it could be close.
Who wants to search the depth
chart to find out which scout player is
in the game when it's 73-0?
Covering the game as a reporter is a
lot more fun with a few Ls in the col
umn.
We've got players running home to
get second opinions on whether or not
about players fighting in the locker
room.
Sure, it's probably all tabloid stuff,
but it sure makes reading those
rehashed football stories a lot more
interesting, doesn't it?
In my five years of going to
Nebraska football games, until the
Missouri game two weeks ago, the best
game I’ve seen here was the '94
Wyoming game (I missed the '96
Colorado game).
True, I did get to see the best team
ever in 1995, but what I didn't get to see
until recently was a good old-fashioned
thriller.
That probably explains why the
crowd is always dead after the tunnel
walk.
Maybe everybody is still asleep
from the last Iowa State game.
Remember? It was 63-7 at the half.
Maybe they’ll lose this week.
Maybe the team bus will get stuck
in the snow.
Maybe Frank Solich will pull a
Woody Hayes and sucker punch a
Cyclone linebacker.
Then again maybe not.
Strnad is a senior broadcasting
and political science major and
Daily Nebraskan staff writer.
ISU coach wary of Nebraska
By Shannon Heffelfinger
Senior staff writer
Iowa State Football Coach Dan
McCarney has not forgotten the last
meeting between the Cyclones and the
Cornhuskers.
It would be
hard to forget.
Nebraska handed
ISU a 63-point
loss, the worst in
the series’ histpry.
NU's 77 points
were the most
ever by a
Nebraska team in
McCarney a conference
game.
But luckily for McCarney, his
players have a short memory.
“Fortunately, we have a number of
kids who were in high school when
that game took place,” McCarney said.
“And for the ones that remember.
Nebraska Iowa State
we’re going to try to extinguish that
memory.”
McCarney figures Saturday may
present the Cyclones with their best
chance to beat No. 14 NU (7-2 overall
and 3-2 in the Big 12 Conference)
since pulling off a stunning 19-10
upset in 1992. ISU plays host to the
Huskers on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Jack
Trice Stadium in Ames.
But despite the negatives that have
plagued Iowa State through its 2-6
campaign, McCarney is focusing only
on the positives - and there are sever
al.
The first, McCarney said, is the
Cyclones’ offense. Running back
Darren Davis ranks 21st in the country
in rushing with 106 yards per game,
despite missing two games and most
of the Cyclones’ upset against Iowa
with a stress fracture in his right leg.
Second, quarterback Todd
Bandhauer has led the Cylcones to the
third-best passing attack in the league
with 236 yards per game.
Both Davis and Bandhauer are
protected by ISU's offensive line,
which gave up 46 sacks last year but
has allowed only two in 1998, despite
playing without three starters for
much of the season.
Perhaps the biggest positive for
Iowa State lies on the other side of the
ball. Now is a prime time to play
Nebraska, which after losing two of its
last four games has been eliminated
from the national championship pic
ture.
“Anytime somebody has had some
success in the final count of the game
(against Nebraska), it gives you hope
and belief that it can be done,”
McCamey said.
A 27-9 upset of Iowa on Sept. 12
also has given the Cyclones a confi
dence boost. ISU snapped a 15-game
loosing streak to its in-state rival, and
McCamey called it the biggest win of
his career at Iowa State.
But despite the confidence his
team may have gained from defeating
Iowa and watching the Huskers’ loss
es, McCamey said, the Cyclones don't
expect a vulnerable Nebraska team.
“Nebraska is a very talented, very
well-coached team,” McCarney said.
“The only difference between this
year’s team and last year’s team is that
the rest of the conference is better.
Nebraska has been in several close
games this season, while last year they
were just blowing people out.
“They are one of the best teams in
the country year in and year out. They
still rank in top 10 in several NCAA
categories. Nothing has changed with
them.
“We will have to be ready to play,
and I think we will be.”
Huskers sweep No. 13 Bunaloes
By Andrew Strnad
Staff writer
A revenge match. Making a state
ment. Call it whatever you want.
Nebraska made it clear to Colorado
Coach Pi'i Aiu on Wednesday night that
NU is the best team in the Big 12
Conference.
The No. 3 Comhuskers (22-0 ov er
all and 13-0 in the Big 12) made quick
work of the No. 13 Buffaloes in three
games (15-7. 15-5, 15-3) in front of
4.134 fans at the NU Coliseum.
Aiu’s Buffaloes (17-3, 11-2) pro
claimed NU as the best in the Big 12
after the Huskers out-hit, out-blocked
and out-hustled CU.
"There's just not much to say," Aiu
said.
NU out-blocked the Huskers 20-3,
as they set a school-record 38 block
assists for a three-game match. Junior
middle blocker Toma Tauke had 1 1
block assists, which was an indiv idual
three-game school record.
“(Tauke and senior middle blocker
Megan Korver are) moving up and
down the net,” NU Coach Terry Pettit
said. "They did a pretty good job.”
While the Husker defense limited
CU to a season-low .033 hitting per
centage, it was the offense that pleased
the Huskers the most.
Nebraska hit .326, its best hitting
percentage since Oct. 3 against
Oklahoma.
The NU outside game gave
Colorado fits as outside hitters Nancy
Meendering and Jaime Krondak com
bined for 35 kills.
”1 think we had a great showing
offensively tonight.” Krondak said. “We
really haven't been hitting very well the
last few matches.”
Krondak hit .414, while
Meendering hit a strong .326 to go
along with 18 kills and 10 digs.
Meendering said the win was defi
nitely a statement not only to other
teams but to themselves.
"We knew they were the team to
beat." Meendering said. “And we had to
beat them to make a statement to the rest
of the conference that were not going to
be playing ‘pfffft' ball anymore.
"We had to show ourselves that we
hav e that focus back, and we just want
ed to absolutely cream them.”
The win avenged last year's season
sweep by Colorado and erased a bad
taste in the mouths of many players and
Pettit, who felt his team hadn't played
well the last few matches.
Still, the Huskers were a bit sur
prised they were able to sweep the
Buffaloes m such an easy fashion.
“Honestly, 1 did not expect this
game to go quite this well,” Krondak
said. “But hey, we played well, and we
deserved it.”
Colorado started off the first two
games with 3-0 leads but was unable to
sustain the early momentum, despite
dragging the first game out for 35 min
utes.The Buffaloes also led at the begin
ning of the third game but immediately
relinquished the lead as the Huskers ran
out to a 13-2 lead to close out the match.
_sbb^h^bhhbh
Matt Miller/DN
NU’S JAIME KRONDAK lunges for the ball during the CU match Wednesday
night at the NU Coliseum. Krondak said she had one of her best offensive
games of the season.
Early scuffles help Hochstein earn starting job
By Christopher Heine
Staff writer
Old fights with Jason Peter and
Grant Wi strom are starting to pay off
for Nebraska left guard Russ
Hochstein.
Two years ago, Hochstein was a
scout team player. Despite weighing
only 240 pounds, the left guard didn't
back down from blocking (or scuffling
with) the future All-Americans.
It is this type of fearless, throw
your-body-around play that has
impressed senior team captain Josh
Heskew.
“(Hochstein) sees a 300-pound guy
in front of him, and he's going to smack
him in the mouth,” Heskew said.
Hochstein, who has played in key
situations all season, will make his first
career start for the Comhuskers against
Iowa State on Saturday. He will take the
place of Ben Gessford, who has been
slowed by an injury.
Offensive Line Coach Milt Tenopir
has praised the aggressive play of
Hochstein and freshman Dominic
Raiola all season.
Tenopir said Hochstein is prepared
for the start.
“He's been playing a lot - 50 snaps
or so - all year,” Tenopir said “It’s real
ly no big deal to start him. We have a lot
of confidence in Russ. He’s got a lot of
spunk.”
Hochstein said his hard-working,
competitive nature is partof his small
town roots.
The sophomore from Hartington
grew up working at his parents’ con
crete and gravel business. It wasn’t out
of the ordinary for Hochstein to box his
older brother and father in the basement
of their house.
“I really like to get after the other
guy,” he said. “Football is really a one
on-one deal. I just like to really ■Wift
(those battles)”
One battle Hochstein has yet to
conquer is his weight. He has added 40
pounds to his 6-foot-3 frame since
arriving at NU. However, he is still
small for his position at 280 pounds.
He said he regularly plays against guys
much heavier than he is.
Hochstein said playing against big
ger players hasn’t always been a disad
vantage.
“I think I’ve been able to out-quick
some guys because of my weight ” he
said. “But I’d still like to put on some
more weight.”
Hochstein believes effort is more
important than size.
“You have to throw your body out
there,” he said, “no matter how big you
are or how small you are”
Heskew said the young linemanhas
come a long way. • '
“He’s really matured a lot,” Heskew
said. “I have total confidence in him.
Every time he gets in there he’s full of
energy and wanting to get it done.”
Hochstein said he's a little anxious
about his first start.
“I’ll definitely be a little more ner
vous (than usual),” he said. “It'll be
nice to see my name up there. It was
always a dream as a little kid to play at
Nebraska.”
Hochstein said playmg against big,
proven players like Peter and Wistrom
taught him what it meant to play hard.
“Their fire was always there,” he
said. “When you play like that you’re
going to win.”