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SportsTuesday
Daily Nebraskan Tuesday September 12,2000 Page 10
Weekend
proves NU is
title-bound
lhere is
unabashed hype,
appearing every
day in nearly
every sports
media outlet -
the smallest
newspapers and
ESPN.
Then there is
the truth.
Matthew
Hansen
This is the lat
ter - Nebraska should win the
national championship in foot
ball. NU should finish No. 1 in vol
leyball. And the Cornhuskers
should be crowned national
champions in women’s soccer.
Three primary fall sports.
Three natiortal titles. Believe it
Skeptical? Look no further
than last weekend for proof.
Yes, the football team did
struggle against No. 23 Notre
Dame, a two-touchdown under
dog.
Big deal
The Huskers didn’t come
close to playing its best football
game. Both lines were suspect at
times, and atrocious special
teams play kept the Irish in it until
die very, very (very) end.
But in those final seconds, NU
showed why the teams will, bar
ring unforeseen disaster, win it all.
It’s called character, and the
2000 Huskers have plenty.
NU ignored a crowd that,
despite all the Big-Red backers,
peaked at decibel levels danger
ous to the uncovered ear. The
Huskers turned back a Notre
Dame squad that played its col
lective heart out
The Husker squad looked
Touchdown Jesus straight in the
eye and, I swear, he brought those
arms down, slouched over and
stuck his hands in his pockets.
The Huskers triumphed in
what will be its toughest test this
season. Kansas State, Oklahoma,
Colorado and even Florida State
are all downhill from here.
Is saying that the volleyball
team, without its best player, is
easily capable of winning the
national title enough? No. The
Huskers should go undefeated
this season.
Nebraska made UCLA, the
country’s preseason No. 1 team,
look out-of-shape and over
whelmed on Sunday. The
Husker's balanced attack leaves
foes heads’ spinning.
Big 12 volleyball is down this
year, and Nebraska should cruise.
And, come tournament time, the
Huskers will just keep on cruising.
The team has already disem
boweled two of the other top four
teams in the country.
No Nancy Meendering? No
problem. Huskers win it all, in
four sets.
The women’s soccer team
looks like the least likely team to
bring gold hardware back to
Lincoln. But look a little closer.
The Huskers have the best
goalkeeper in the country in
Karina LeBlanc. It has a defense
that is insulted if an opponent
even gets a shot on goal.
The team has a brilliant coach
in John Walker, Canada’s best con
tribution to the University of
Nebraska, since, well, ever.
NU must overcome the Notre
Dame jinx. It must find a way to
get by 500-pound gorilla North
Carolina.
cut in u s aemouuon oi good
soccer teams Florida and Purdue
last weekend demonstrates the
power this team has.
More so, you just sense it- this
istheyear, theyearNU soccergets
over the hump.
Hopefully Walker can parlay
the team’s national title into a
Molson Light endorsement deal.
So, three sports, three of those
neat banners. Maybe even a
Sports Illustrated article on the
power of Nebraska athletics.
(Hopefully the magazine won’t
examine the traveling carnie
troupe that is men's basketball.)
It’s easy on paper. Now all the
Husker football, volleyball and
soccer teams have to do is make it
happen on Turf, wood and grass.
The teams might. The teams
can.
Thith is, the squads should
Truth is, despite the law of
averages, fumblitis, screen pass
attempts to Dan Alexander
(Memo to Frank - 01' Dan was
bom with a body carved of stone.
This includes his hands.), no
Meendering, no cool jump serves,
the Abbott Sports Complex, the
Canadian accents, Florida State
football, Stanford volleyball,
North Carolina soccer ... the
Huskers will.
NU football, volleyball teams top polls
BY DAVID DIEHL
Nebraska athletics should be
feeling on top of the world right
now because two of its teams are
on top of the polls.
In the latest rankings, all
released Monday, Nebraska foot
ball retained its No. 1 ranking
despite a close call on Saturday
against Notre Dame. The NU vol
leyball team, ranked sixth to begin
the season, ascended to the top
spot after defeating No. 3 UCLA on
Sunday.
Along with the Cornhuskers’
soccer team, which is No. 3 behind
Notre Dame and North Carolina,
the Huskers’ big three fall sports
are 15-0 so far.
The last time any of the teams
lost was Dec. 9,1999, when the
volleyball team fell to the
University of California, Santa
Barbara, in the Sweet 16 of the
NCAA tournament. Soccer and
football’s last losses date back to
October and November.
“I think it is pretty cool that
we’re ranked No. 1, and football is
ranked No. 1,” NU volleyball
Coach John Cook said. “It’s great
for the University of Nebraska, the
Husker Athletic Department and
the state of Nebraska.”
The NU volleyball team (7-0)
has been ranked No. 1 in the USA
Today/AVCA Coach’s poll for 18
total weeks in the program’s histo
ry, the fourth-longest mark in the
nation. On Monday, NU grabbed
48 of 60 first place votes.
After No. 1 Stanford lost two
matches last week and No. 2 Long
Beach State lost to Brigham
Young, the stage was set for NU’s
stellar performance at the Adidas
Invitational in South Bend, Ind.,
last weekend.
Sweeps over ranked teams
Michigan State and Notre Dame
coupled with a five-set win over
UCLA, now ranked No. 7, gave NU
its stake to No. 1 over No. 2 Hawaii,
which jumped four spots from
sixth.
This feat of the football and
volleyball teams co-ranked No. 1
isn’t unprecedented. Both were
national champions in 1995 after
football’s 62-24 thrashing of
Florida in the Fiesta Bowl and vol
leyball’s four-set win over Texas in
the NCAA tournament.
Almost ironically, it’ll be Texas
who’ll try to knock the volleyball
team off its pedestal Wednesday
night.
“My main concern is defend
ing our Big 12 title," Cook said.
“That starts when we play Texas.
When you’re No. 1, you get every
team’s best effort, and we need to
make sure we’re mentally pre
pared”
Preparation time is what
Coach Frank Solich’s No. 1 football
team has because of its hiatus
7 think it is pretty
cool that we’re ranked
No. 1 and football is
ranked No. 1. It’s
great for the Uni
versity of Nebraska,
the Husker Athletic
Department and the
state of Nebraska. ”
John Cook
NU volleyball coach
from competition this weekend
before it suits up for Iowa on Sept.
23.
Hie Big Red’s top spot was pre
served with its 27-24 overtime
squeaker over No. 25 Notre Dame.
Nebraska’s No. 1 ranking is
backed by its 48 first-place votes to
second-place Florida State’s 15 in
the Coaches poll. NU’s lead is
somewhat slimmer in the AP poll,
with the Huskers’ having just 15
more first-place votes than the
Seminoles, who narrowly defeat
ed Georgia Tech 26-21 on
Saturday.
With other teams all looking
up the ladder at the volleyball and
football teams, soccer coach John
Walker’s team (6-0) is looking to
Scott McClurg/DN
Sophomore middle blocker Amber Holmquist spikes the ball by UCLA sophomore
outside hitter Ashley Bowles during the Notre Dame Adidas Invitational on Sunday
in South Bend, Ind. Nebraska claimed the title with its victory over UCLA, improving
an undefeated record to 7-0.
move on up.
The Huskers will have the
chance when they hit the road to
tackle No. 20 Connecticut and
preseason Top 25 Dartmouth this
weekend.
If NU should achieve top sta
tus in all three sports, Walker said
it would be impressive but not
overly important
“It doesn’t mean much from a
soccer standpoint,” he said. "You
just need to keep winning games.”
After all, the only ranking that
really counts is the last one.
“I’m a lot more concerned
where we end up in December,”
Walker said.
BiflJdl
No. 5 Texas (1-0; beat
Louisiana-Lafayette 52-10)
The juicy quarterback con
troversy stirred up all spring
and summer by Coach Mack
Brown stayed hot. Sophomore
golden-boy Chris Simms start
ed ahead of last year’s co-Big 12
Player of the Year Major
Applewhite.
Simms threw a 43-yard
interception that was returned
for a touchdown putting the
Cajuns up 10-0 in the first quar
ter. So Brown sent in
Applewhite.
Applewhite, a junior from
Baton Rouge, La., led two quick,
long scoring drives. He went on
to complete 18-of-26 passes for
315 yards and earn Big 12
Offensive Player of the Week
honors.
Colorado (0-2; lost 17-14 to
No. 10 Southern California)
The hits just keep on com
ing for the Buffaloes, who suf
fered its second-straight heart
breaking loss to a quality foe.
The Buffaloes had a chance
to win or tie in the last five min
utes but were flagged with cru
cial penalties.
Sophomore kicker Mark
Mariscal missed his fourth field
goal in five attempts letting a
41-yarder sail wide with 1:14
left.
There was one bright spot
for the Buffs. Freshman tailback
Marcus Houston ran 150 yards -
the most for a CU running back
debut since Rashaan Salaam
seven years ago.
“I tell you right now, he’s
going to be a special player,” CU
Coach Gary Barnett said. “He’s
emerged from the first day. I
haven’t seen the likes of him this
early from any other freshman.”
Iowa State (2-0; beat UNLV
37-22)
The Cyclones are off to its
Please see NOTEBOOK on 9
Nebraska junior
Sarah Sasse
takes a shot
Monday during
the two-day
Alltel
Invitational
Tournament at
Yankee Hill
Country Club.
Sasse finished
the first day in
first place by
three shots.
After the first
day of play, the
Huskersasa
team led the 90
golfer tourna
ment by two
shots.
JKVCII UUIUU/l/11
Sasse, Roux help NU to first-place lead
L;,"
BY DAVID DIEHL
Nebraska golfers Sarah Sasse
and Amy Roux may have a set of
sore shoulders today, but the dis
comfort won’t be from overuse.
Neither Sasse nor Roux took
too many hacks on Monday in
the Alltel Husker Invitational,
helping carry Nebraska to a first
place lead through two blustery
rounds of the 54-hole tourna
ment.
Sasse completed her day in
the individual lead with a second
round 73 after scoring a 1-under
71 in the morning. Roux sits in
fourth place at 6-over-par for the
day.
NU holds a two-shot lead
over Oklahoma after firing a first
round 298 followed by a 303 on a
day where the wind toyed with
competitors, resulting m inflated
scores.
A south breeze in the morn
ing pulled a 180 and blew from
the north forcing golfers to
change their game plans in the
afternoon.
“It was crazy,” said Roux, who
followed a first-round 74 with a 4
over 76. “The wind switched
totally. You had to play each hole
differently (in the second
round).”
Coach Robin Krapfl said the
afternoon rounds were “challeng
ing,” but she was pleased with the
consistency of her golfers whose
scores didn’t balloon later in the
day.
“The afternoon was a lot
more difficult,” she said. “I was
really proud of the team. They
fought hard.”
7f was crazy. The wind switched totally. You
had to play each hole differently (the second
round)/’
Roux followed errant shots
with clutch saves to sit high on
the leader board.
On eight sand shots Monday,
she went up and down on five of
them, she said.
“I was happy because I’m not
a good sand player,” Roux said.
“But I’m getting better. Today I hit
some good shots, and I hit some
bad shots,” said Roux, who attrib
uted some of the bad ones to the
blustery conditions.
Amy Roux
NU golfer
Should those conditions
come into play in the final
rounds, Nebraska can rely on the
steady play of golfers such as
Amanda Sutcliffe, who shot a 77
and 76 on Monday, Krapfl said.
However, Krapfl said, the
tournament isn’t wrapped up.
“Oklahoma has an outstand
ing team,” Krapfl said. "It’ll come
down to who makes the putts. But
it’s our home course, and we’re
not going to concede anything."
NU looks for answers after special teams break down
BY SAMUEL MCKEWON
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - In the
cool-down moments after
Nebraska’s 27-24 escape over
Notre Dame on Saturday, NU
Kickers Coach Dan Young’s face
was ruddy with age and the on
field heat
And maybe a touch of embar
rassment, as the coordinator of
the Cornhuskers’ punt coverage
team admitted his squad, along
with the kickoff coverage team,
which is coached by Jeff Jamrog,
couldn’t have been any worse.
The teams gave up two touch
downs, 317 return yards and
almost single-handedly cost
Nebraska a chance at winning the
national title.
Was Young speechless after
the game, which saw NU allow its
first punt return for a touchdown
in 12 years?
“Pretty much,” said Young,
who proceeded to describe how
Julius Jones’ 100-yard kickoff
return and Joey Getherall’s 83
yard punt return for touchdowns
were the process of certain break
downs. “There’s not a lot to say.
There’s some things we need to go
back and work on.”
Well, yes. ND not only had the
two big returns for scores, but two
more kickoff returns and one
more punt return that netted sig
nificant yardage. Tackling didn t
seem the problem as much as the
15-yard lane of green that escorted
Irish returners down the field.
On both returns for touch
downs, the last man to beat was
sixth-year senior kicker Dan
Hadenfeldt, back from a one
game NCAA suspension for play
ing in an all-star game last offsea
son.
Hadenfeldt missed Jones on
the kickoff and was faked out by
Getherall on the punt. Another
Husker, reserve I-back Dahrran
Diedrick, got turned around and
similarly faked out.
"I guess any time that I’m the
person that has to make a tackle,
something went wrong,
Hadenfeldt said.
Hadenfeldt said there was
some rustiness in his leg after sit
ting out, and he seemed to lack the
strength of kicks late in the 1999
season. Because he’s only part of
the special teams, Hadenfeldt said
he felt a greater amount of respon
sibility for the returns.
But the .West Des Moines,
Iowa, native needn’t worry about
his place on the special teams. The
same can’t be said for the other
members of the coverage teams,
typically consisting of reserves
and walk-on athletes.
After the win, Nebraska Coach
Frank Solich expressed a willing
ness to look at the personnel on
both of the teams and evaluate
their positions.
"It looked pretty much like a
complete collapse when the ball
carrier was going virtually
untouched on both of those,”
Solich said. “We need to pick it up
in that one area big time.”
That’s no problem for Young,
who along with Jamrog will have
an extra week to work on the spe
cial teams, as Iowa doesn’t come to
Memorial Stadium until Sept. 23.
“I thought we had them
penned in a few times, and they
seemed to just get out of it,” Young
said. “There’s time to get it all
worked out We have to.”