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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 10, 2000)
Josh Wolfe/DN LEFT: A SMALL wldee canera records Csack Frank Salick as ke talks akaat tka next season of ——■-■— m ■■ - ■■ fieprasKa tootnaii. Steven R. Bender DN BELOW: NEBRASKA COACN Frank Salick answers liestloas Wednesday daring the first stadia coa foresee of tka 2008 foatkall season. Tkls season will ■ark Soltek's tklrd year as caack far the Huskers. Expectations run high for NU’s 2000 season By Joshua Camenrind Staff writer Who can stop the Nebraska offense? On the day that fall practice officially begins, that is the mil lion-dollar question. Dominic Raiola, die Huskers starting center, thinks he knows the answer. “Ourselves,” he said. “All I can U We don’t need anybody to tell us that we are No. 1. We gpt that attitude that we are No. 1 even if we are ranked four or five.” W_n -1-t jMOQxnwaD NU offensive lineman ay right now is dot I don't see any flaws in it” Nor do many others, wttn me corntiuskcrs return ing 10 slnfen, a Hetman Trophy candidate in quarterback Eric Crouch and virtually all of the offensive line from a year ago, many wifl ask what are the mining Matt Davison said there are none. UI think all of the pieces of the puzzle are there,” he said. “We have been getting a lot of attention offensively and it is rightfully deserved.” The reason for most of that attention is the man behind the wheel - Crouch. Coming off a campaign in which he led the team in rushing and passed for 2,158 yards, Crouch is now receiving national recognition. All of this comes less than a year ago when Crouch was rele gated to die backup role behind Bobby Newcombe. “He is one of die best in the nation,” Davison said. “It is pretty set in stone that Eric Crouch will be our starting quarterback if he is healthy. “Everybody understands how great a player he is. He really makes our offense diek and hav ing the same guy take the snaps creates unity.” Oouch is surrounded by expe rience at every position - especial ly at offensive line. NU lost starters Adam Julch and James Sherman from a group that was dominant at the end of 1999 and [dug-in Jason Schwab and Toniu Fonoti. Schwab missed last season due to injury but started every game in 1998, while Fonoti was a backup as a true freshman. Those two, along with the hkes of Raiola, Dave Vblk and Russ Hochstein, are looking to quiet the $kq*>CS thk WC&KtBL “We don't need anybody to tell us that we are No. 1,” Schwab said. “We got that attitude that we are No. 1 even ifwe are ranked fout or five.” Raiola said that while the line is talented and confident, it still has a lot to prove on the field before it can be considered among the top lines in Nebraska history. “We are starting off with a clean slate,” he said. “We didn’t lead the nation in rushing and we haven’t won a national champi onship yet, so we really haven’t done anything yet” NU Head Coach Frank Solich agreed. Just to say that we are going to step up there and knock every body off the line of scrimmage and move the boll down the field is not right,” he said. “We are going to be in a lot of battles.” Those that will be responsible for carrying the ball are not lack ing in the experience department as welL The Huskers return then top five rushers in Crouch, Dsn Alexander, Correll Buckhalter, Dahrran Diedrick, Willie Miller and Bobby Newcombe. Are there enough balls to go around? Crouch doesn't thmlr it “Anybody (hand off to witt do a fine job,” he said. But Crouch must also throw when needed and is again met with experience at those positions. Davison and Newcombe will receive the majority of attention at die wide receiver position and the tight ends include Fust-Team Big 12 selection, Tracey Wistrom. “Tracey is a proven player in all aspects of the game,” Solich said. “He is the complete pack aoe” While there is no question of the talent at the skill positions, there is a question of butterfingers in the group. nu led tne nation m tumbles with 49 - losing 25 of them. It is something that Solich called “maddening." “We did not get it done last year," Solich said. “It was about as frustrating as it can get" Solich said NU did improve at the end of the season at taking care of the ball but the offense cannot afford to leave the defense in the same positions it did a year ago. “We have to give our defense a chance,** he said. “We cannot put the ball on the ground on fee very fast play of the game fee way we did a couple of fenes last year**