A run-down of sporting stories from the weekend covering Nebraska athletics, the Big Ten and around the world.
An introduction to Mike Nobler and the Nebraska video crew, UCLA loses a star linebacker and the Big East hires help to convince someone to pay for their programming. Those stories and more below.
18 days to kickoff!
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Football
Hail Varsity: Practice Report – Day 10
–Sophomore wide receiver Jamal Turner struggled to see the field in the second half of last season but early in fall camp Nebraska has been looking at creative ways to get him more time on the field.
"We’re moving him around at a lot of different spots so he can get on the field more instead of playing one specific position at wide receiver," Beck said. "That limited his reps (last year), we had to be in that personnel and other guys played that spot as well. Now, he can pretty much go in all of (the wide receiver spots)."
In case you were curious what last year's freshman phenom is up to.
Husker Locker - Unsung Husker Heroes: The Nebraska Football Video Crew Part One
A look into Mike Nobler's world.
The future is bright!
(**) No longer green, Husker corner is playing like a veteran - Omaha.com
Well, he certainly sounds like he's made big strides. I really hope it pays off - locking down the pass game should make it easier for the defense to control the direction of play.
More Nebraska football and other stories after the Jump!
New kickoff, touchback rules mean new strategies : Husker Extra
The extra five yards in field position is a notable advantage for offenses, meaning some teams may try lofting higher kicks that fall short of the end zone, forcing returns and hoping their coverage teams can pin foes deeper than the 25.
That kind of sounds counter to the entire point of the rule change. What do you think? Should Nebraska go for the touch-backs or the pooch kick?
(**) One true freshman who's hard to miss : Husker Extra
Our young nucleus of an offense under Beck has a lot of potential. It's a nice change from the unexciting and depleted offense we had under Watson.
Constructing Title Odds - Husker Football
WARNING. Math ahead. Interesting to see how Vegas, Sagarin and Steele's predictions suggest how our season will go.
Nebraska: Schedule Breakdown - CBSSports.com
With as brutal of a stretch as Nebraska has before Northwestern, the only way Nebraska drops that game as a "let-down" is if they're undefeated at that point. (And why would Michigan winning be an "upset"? They destroyed us last year.) Now, Minnesota? Minnesota is dangerous as a trap-game.
Baseball
Three Huskers Earn NBC World Series Title - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site
Three members of the Nebraska baseball team recently helped the Santa Barbara Foresters win their second straight National Baseball Congress World Series title. Senior outfielder Rich Sanguinetti, junior pitcher Brandon Pierce and sophomore pitcher Aaron Bummer were all members of the Foresters' squad that defeated the Seattle Studs on Sunday, Aug. 11, by a score of 6-2 in Wichita, Kan.
Congratulations to all three!
Women's Bowling
Former Husker Paola Gomez and current sophomore-to-be Elise Bolton concluded a successful trip to the Tournament of the Americas Tournament held in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Congratulations ladies! Bolton earned two golds and two silvers while Gomez collected three golds and a bronze.
Non-conference Football Updates:
UCLA Football Season Preview 2012 - GoJoeBruin.com
Week 2: Nebraska @ UCLA- Nebraska will come into the game as a heavy favorite, but the potential for upset is there. The Cornhuskers will not be as good in 2012 as they have been the last few seasons. They lose a lot on defense with the departures of All-America defensive lineman Jared Crick and linebacker Lavonte David and corner Alfonzo Dennard. Nebraska does however return quarterback Taylor Martinez and running back Rex Burkhead from a top 15 rushing offense in 2011. Closer than expected, but the Bruins fall short. Final score: UCLA 24 Nebraska 30
A fan's take on Jim Mora's first go-around with UCLA.
Report: UCLA LB Patrick Larimore medically retires - CBSSports.com
Best of luck to him in his future endeavors. Sounds like this will be tough for UCLA to get past by Week 2.
(**) Still no favorite to win Eagle QB job | Hattiesburg American | hattiesburgamerican.com
And the shell game continues. We're totally doomed.
Big Ten:
Jim Delany has Big Ten primed to contend with SEC for championship - Austin Murphy - SI.com
Austin Murphy takes a look at the Commissioner and gives recognition for Delany's masterful maneuvers.
Michigan QB Denard Robinson thinks he could beat Usain Bolt in the 40 | Dr. Saturday - Yahoo! Sports
*snicker* Someone is getting a little big for his britches. Alabama by three touchdowns.
B1G position rankings: Secondary (units) - Big Ten Blog - ESPN
4. Nebraska: While the Huskers lose the Big Ten's top defensive back in Alfonzo Dennard, they should have greater overall depth and the potential for new stars to emerge. Hard-hitting safety Daimion Stafford leads the group, and P.J. Smith provides a veteran presence at the other safety spot. Nebraska is loaded with options at cornerback, including the improved Andrew Green and juco arrival Mohamed Seisay. New assistant Terry Joseph should get a lot out of this group.
Nice to see the Big Ten is so deep on defense. And Terry Joseph so far seems to be a great get.
Green expected to be ready for Northwestern opener - Yahoo! Sports
Glad to hear all is okay.
Other Stories:
College Football 2012: 12 Teams Entering New Conferences - Yahoo! Sports
With all the confusion of the last few years, here are the new conference assignments for this fall. Maybe Southern Alabama will steal talent from Alabama and Auburn...
USC coach Lane Kiffin has decided not to vote in coaches poll this season - CBSSports.com
I didn't realize the Coaches' Poll individual votes weren't shared. And it doesn't sound like Lane decided that - strikes me as he was invited to find other ways to waste his time Sunday morning.
Big East hires firm to negotiate TV deal - Yahoo! Sports
How much would YOU pay for BIG EAST FOOTBALL? ESPN has a 60 day window to seal the deal before other networks can make a bid.
Sooners suddenly overshadowed in their own state - Yahoo! Sports
Oklahoma State has joined Wisconsin, Oregon and other so-called "nouveau riche" programs. With any luck, they'll develop a nasty habit of beating the other orange school.
Matt Leinart Is A Master Of Deception - SBNation.com
I bet Taylor could pull it off.
Bucs Rookie Review: Martin, David, Smith Shine Against Dolphins-Pewter Report
Lots of props for Lavonte David. I'm excited to see his impact in the NFL.
Sounds like he may have been more in love with the idea of making a big splash than doing the work to do so. Tough luck but I'm sure he'll be able to get some free agency looks from the NFL in the spring. (Assuming he puts in the work to get back in shape.)
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Join me every morning Monday to Friday for a round-up of the day's stories. Comments, rants and cat pictures are welcome below! (Not a member of CornNation? Join today and take part in the conversation!)
Have a great Tuesday!
-Salt Creek and Stadium