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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 18, 2000)
Huskers look to Final Four SOCCER from page 16 Anderson said. “But I think Jenny (Benson) has kind of taken over as a leader on the team.” The fact that the worst situation facing the Huskers is finding some one to scream out on the field is.sure ly a positive sign. Rheem said the team has some weaknesses that have to be ironed out, but the future looks bright for this team. “I definitely thought we got done what we wanted to this spring,” Rheem said. “I thought the workouts went well, and especially the way we played in the games.” It’s time for the Huskers to step up the ladder one more notch to the unchartered land of the Filial Four. “There is such an expectation with us,” Anderson said. “We aren’t going to settle for Sweet 16 or Elite Eight. We expect to be up there.” Rebuilding starts for Hawkeyes Iowa hopes to beef up its defense after a 1-10 season By John Gaskins Staff writer One-win seasons and last-place conference finishes don’t usually warrant a football team’s kicking back and keeping things on auto pilot. By the looks of Iowa’s defensive roster this spring, it appears the Hawkeye coaches didn’t twiddle their thumbs much after a 1 -10 cam paign in Coach Kirk Ferentz’s first season, and for good reason. Final team defensive statistics went as follows: last in the Big 10 in total defense (463 yards per game), last in rushing defense (245 yards per game) and second-to-last in scoring defense (31.5 points per game). It all added up to a last place fin ish in the league standings at 0-8. Plenty of growing pains came with life without Coach Hayden Fry - who in 20 years won 143 games and became a state icon before retir ing after the 1998 season. But sec ond-year Defensive Coordinator Norm Parker said he thought the Iowa defense was moving in the right direction this spring. It’s doing so by moving some defenders to different positions and moving a wide receiver to its sec ondary. Why? Because the defense moved too slow to stop nearly every olfense it faced last year. “We just were not fast enough,” Parker said. “This spring, we’ve tried to increase team speed, and I think we have. God, I hope so. ” For starters, middle linebacker Aaron Kampman and outside line backer Howard Hughes will become rush ends, while inside linebacker Jory Helms will become a defensive tackle. Safety Jeff Buch and wide receiver Tony Burner will move to provide depth at linebacker. Another wide receiver, Tim Dodge, will move to comerback. The secondary will need him, considering three seniors graduated, including leading tackier Matt Bowen. But don’t expect the defenders to become too confused or over whelmed when they face Nebraska on Sept. 23 at Memorial Stadium, like they were last season. They were dazed enough in the new sys tem before NU romped them 42-7 in the season opener, and the hits just kept coming. Parker - who turned Vanderbilt’s defense into the Southeastern Conference’s best in 1998 - said despite all the shifts, the players were picking up confidence and for titude after last year’s tribulations. “I never believed a changeover could be such a big thing,” Parker said. “Hell, by the time we started to get a little better, the whole season was over. Anytime you replace a leg end, and that’s what Hayden Fry was, you just don’t walk in the door and overwhelm the kids. “These aren’t dumb kids. Any of them can look at film and see they are better than they were before. I don’t think it takes any kind of magic to get better.” The defense’s goal this year, Parker said, will be simple and real istic - to be the most improved team in the Big 10 in all categories. Part of the defense’s problems came from the inability of the offense to give them much rest. The Hawkeyes were last in rushing offense, failing to gain even 100 yards per game, and second to last in both scoring (14.7 points) and total offense (300.3 yards). Kyle McCann and Scott Mullen, the two primary quarterbacks, had rough times creating plays with one ” This spring, we ve tried to increase team speed, and I think we have. God, I hope so." Norm Parker Hawkeye defensive coordinator of the weaker lines in the conference protecting them. Mullen, the quar terback to beat for 2000, is protect ing a sore throwing shoulder and sit ting out spring ball. But leading rusher Ladell Betts will return and probably get 20 to 30 carries a game, Ferentz said. The offense will get its biggest adrena line shot from the return of 1998’s leading receiver Kahlil Hill, who was suspended for all of 1999 for unspecified reasons. “Kahlil did a great job for us this fall on the scout team,” Ferentz said. “He has paid a penalty and is focused on the year 2000. We’re put ting in a three-wide set, and I think with him we have enough flexibility to move the ball down the field.” ■ WebCT.com will ■ REVOLUTIONIZE I —-the way yea learn._ Too bad it can't do the sshis for the way you live. Some things about college life wiB never change. But the way you study can. thanks to WebCT.com. WebCT.com is an e-learning hub packed with academic resources, from study aids and research materials to forums for discussing and debating with students and faculty around the world. In fact, using WebCT.com can have such a positive impact on your academic performance, you may even be inspired to do your laundry. Or not. Visit www.webct.com/revolution and see for yourself. C 2000 WebCT. Inc. L __/ ■ .. /■ . e* • • . . . ' ; m ? a ^ ■ -r- — -,r . ’•r.st: rv .■% •*■T. . f-4 ~-c-. 1- , r":;,1- ar-t. . v- - Hansen: Buck Beltzer Field doesn’t get enough respect BELTZER from page 16 stadium next year. Turns out he can take the job after all. “Good thing,” he thinks. “I really like that luxury box.” *** Surrounded by an embarrass ment of riches, Buck Beltzer Field is the mutt of the family. And what a colorful mutt it is. If only Nebraska’s athletic venues could brag ... “I’m the third-largest city in Nebraska on fall Saturdays,” Memorial Stadium says. “So what?” the Bob Devaney Sports Center counters. “I house basketball, wrestling, gymnastics, track and swimming, and all of my facilities are top notch.” Ed Weir Track happens in on the discussion. “Track experts say I have one of the best surfaces in the world!” he boasts. Lil’ Buck wanders by. Devaney points, Weir smiles. Memorial asks snidely, “So, what nave you got, Buck?” duck stammers, visioiy snaKen. “Well, I have an artificial turf infield,” he finally says. All the other venues burst into laughter. “Yeah,” Weir shouts, “and a grass outfield.” The laughter gets louder. “And artificial turf they ripped off me a decade ago,” Memorial screams. The three bullies continue to chronicle Buck’s shortfalls, like the movable fence, the tiny press box which shakes like a leaf every time the crowd cheers, an outfield uneven and chewed up because football practices are held on it, aluminum seats so cold and unattractive that many fans prefer to stand below them, the street that runs two feet from the left field fence, the trains that rumble by... Buck slinks away, red-faced. “Pretty soon they won’t have Buck Beltzer to kick around any more,” he mumbles menacingly. *«* A teen-age boy and girl are in a cemetery lit only by a full moon. They need the cover of darkness to do what they are about to do. B. J. “Chip” Beltzer and his sister A.J. “Fanny” Beltzer place a Husker baseball and bat at the foot of a grave. The inscription on the stone reads, O.A. “Buck” Beltzer. Fanny wipes away a tear. Chip speaks to his great uncle’s grave. “Sorry about your stadium, Uncle Buck,” he stammers, visibly shaken. “You know how it is - those corporate types never have any sense of history, of tradition, the non-permanent fence in right field. All they care about are dollar bills, Uncle Buck.” Chip pats Buck’s grave reassur ingly. Both Beltzers turn to leave. “Wait a second,” says an eerie voice. Chip and Fanny wheel around. The ghost of O.A. Beltzer floats before them. His Husker foot ball jersey has “Buck” stitched across the back. Are you two out oi your minds?” he says. “Them tearing that God aw ful stadium down is the best thing that ever happened to me! Do you know what it’s like to have your name linked with something miser able? Do you know how much crap I’ve taken from Phillip Wrigley and Charles Fenway? Do you know how long I have been waiting for this day?” With that, O.A. grabs the bat and ball and vanishes. Chip and Fanny stare, jaws dropped. Gradually, as they get over their shock, they begin to nod their heads. “Yeah,” Chips says as they walk to the car. “Uncle Buck is right. It is embarrassing having the family flame linked to that field.” Fanny bursts out laughing. “You know, I’ve thought the Same thing for years. Embarrassing. Exactly.? With that; die two Beltzers drive off into the night The last two Buck Beltzcr Field supporters are gone. The stadium soon will be relegated to a full-time football practice field. There is no hope in Buckville, and there’s only one thing left to say. Good riddance. Matthew Hansen is a sopho more news-editorial major and a Daily Nebraskan staff writer.