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A run-down of sporting stories from the weekend covering Nebraska athletics, the Big Ten and around the world.
College football proper kicks off tonight, volleyball gets a reschedule and the Rex Burkhead origin story. Those stories and more below.
2 days to kickoff! (Here's the coverage map.) It's Southern Miss Game Week!
Join us tonight for the first game thread of the 2012 college football season!
(Sites indicated by the double asterix (**) may have a limited number of views per 30 day/month period.)
Volleyball (3-0)
The ladies take on Colgate and UC-Irvine this Saturday at 5pm and 10pm CDT, respectively. Unfortunately, they don't appear to be a broadcast feed.
Huskers Announce Time Change for Duquesne Match - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site
Friday, Sept. 7
Nebraska vs. Duquesne- 4 p.m. (BTN.com)
Kentucky vs. Oklahoma- 6 p.m.
Just a FYI.
Football (0-0)
— BTNStatsGuy (@BTNStatsGuy) August 30, 2012
#Nebraska has won its last 26 openers. That's the longest active FBS streak.#Florida is 2nd with 22, Wisconsin 3rd at 14.#Huskers#B1G
— BTNStatsGuy (@BTNStatsGuy) August 30, 2012
#Nebraska is 55-3 in its non-conference home games dating to the 1992 season.#Huskers#B1G
— BTNStatsGuy (@BTNStatsGuy) August 30, 2012
#Nebraska is 19-0 when it has rushed for 160 yards over the last 2 seasons.#Huskers are 0-8 when they fail to reach that mark.#B1G#GBR
— BTNStatsGuy (@BTNStatsGuy) August 30, 2012
#Nebraska suffered a 21-17 loss to#SouthernMiss in 2004. Ended#Huskers 35-game non-conference home win streak.#GBR#B1G
More Nebraska football and other stories after the Jump!
News/Talk 1400 AM and 94.5 FM Sync Nebraska Football Broadcasts --HuskerMax™
For those of you can't stand ESPN and can access these stations.
(**) Burkhead's tales from the backfield - Omaha.com
Nebraska's adopted super-hero picked Nebraska using a spreadsheet. N for 'Nowledge, right?
(**) Rex Burkhead is a driven force for Nebraska - Omaha.com
Surprisingly, Burkhead did NOT arrive on Earth in a spaceship from a collapsing planet. But an impressive story all the same.
Rex Burkhead - rexburkhead22.com
If Burkhead doesn't win the Heisman or any other awards, it's because the Athletic Department used Bleacher Report as a source of support.
Hail Varsity: Scheduling the perfect season opener
College football under the current bowl/BCS structure is essentially a survivor pool. Thanks to the voters’ inability to deviate from poll protocol, losing early, even against a good opponent, always means a drop in the rankings.
Perhaps the playoffs will lead to a change in approach to accommodate strength of schedule and "best effort" considerations?
Huskers Reach Halfway Point of Preparation - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site
The gameplan is installed but is Nebraska really ready? We'll find out in TWO DAYS.
(**) Huskers expect fewer kinks in year two of Beck's offense : Husker Extra
Optimism on offense? Something different about this fall. Let's hope Nebraska surprises some people.
(**) Wednesday's practice: Checking in on the receivers : Husker Extra
Sounds like they really want to get four years out of Westerkamp and they really want those four years to be productive. If our offense is as productive as we hope, Westerkamp should be able to redshirt.
Huskers' defensive growth to get early test - Big Ten Blog - ESPN
Let's hope Saturday doesn't hurt that confidence.
(**) Whaley seeks positive final chapter : Husker Extra
"I look at it as, 'Dang, this is what you could've been doing all along. So I want to make the best out of this.'"
A lesson for future Huskers?
Hail Varsity: Seisay slowed by injury
Too bad about Seisay - I was kind of excited to see what he would bring. Sounds like they're making plans for the event Nebraska gets up by a comfortable margin. Hope that doesn't bite us in the butt.
(**) Marlowe eyes role as 'second guy' : Husker Extra
Interesting to see how the return game responds to the change in kickoffs this fall.
(**) Big Fat, Recruiting Update, Aug. 29 | sports.omaha.com
McKewon delivers a recruiting update! And Jon says we don't follow recruiting here!
Maher Named Preseason All-American - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site
Kicker U.
ESPN.com's 2012 All-America Team - ESPN
For those interested.
Hail Varsity: Hot Reads: Speed and Power
Saturday's game should be really interesting. I'm starting to get nervous.
Southern Mississippi (0-0)
Predictions, Nebraska-Southern Miss football 2012 -- HuskerMax™
Ralph looks quite lonely. Does he know something we don't?
College football picks: Bama-Michigan highlights season-opening buffet - Kingsport Times-News
UPSET SPECIAL
Southern Miss (plus 19 1/2) at No. 17 Nebraska Be careful Cornhuskers ... SOUTHERN MISS 28-24.
Of course, somehow Ohio State beating Miami (Of Ohio) is an upset so I'd take this with a grain of salt.
Southern Miss works schedule around Isaac | The Clarion-Ledger | clarionledger.com
Here's hoping they don't lose any players this week. (Buck up, Ellis!)
Dual-threat Nebraska QB a test for Southern Miss | The Clarion-Ledger | clarionledger.com
This might be the best season opener we've had in a while.
Southern Miss hopes element of surprise can help vs. No. 17 Nebraska - The Washington Post
I really hope that aching feeling that Nebraska might get bit on Saturday is just momentary indigestion. All this uncertainty is concerning, especially two days to go. Is it just smoke and mirrors?
Women's Soccer (2-3-0)
After hosting the Husker Classic last weekend and going 1-1, including a win over New Mexico and an overtime loss to then No. 16 Virginia Tech, the Nebraska soccer team hits the road for its final two road non-conference games of the season.
Good luck, ladies!
Big Ten (0-0)
ESPN.com's preseason All-Big Ten team - Big Ten Blog - ESPN
Maher, Long and Burkhead check in.
Michigan's Hoke won't say if Toussaint will play - Yahoo! Sports
Waiting to see the public's opinion? (You're not going to win - if you don't play him, your fans can blame it on that. If you do, you're saying "starters can do whatever".)
Other Stories
2012 College Football Rankings: Alabama, LSU Rule Simulated BCS Standings - SBNation.com
No love for Nebraska, which is a good thing, right?
LSU, USC headline 2012 preseason Crystal Ball predictions - NCAA Football - SI.com
Fruit basket for Lars Anderson.
No. 3 LSU waits out Isaac, hopes to play Saturday - Yahoo! Sports
I guess we'll have a better idea of how opening weekend will go once the storm passes through.
Superdome still ready for Rutgers-Tulane - Yahoo! Sports
Well, good to hear. Hopefully the surrounding areas are also just ready to go.
Texas A&M, Arkansas series set at Cowboys Stadium - Yahoo! Sports
I imagine being division neighbors made this easier to schedule.
Georgia Tech Wearing Honeycomb Helmets Vs. Virginia Tech? - From Our Editors - SBNation.com
As long as they don't load any mascots into the combs.
***
Join us here at CN tonight to celebrate the start of the new season with a game thread!
Here's the schedule from ESPN for this evening festivities!
| Time (CDT) | Opponents | Network |
| 6:00 pm | #9 South Carolina at Vanderbilt | ESPN |
| 6:15 pm | Northern Colorado at Utah | Pac-12 |
| 6:30 pm | UCLA at Rice | CBS Sports Network |
| 9:15 pm | Washington State at BYU | ESPN |
| 9:30 pm | Northern Arizona at Arizona State | Pac-12 |
| 10:00 pm | Minnesota at UNLV | CBS Sports Network |
(My picks are in bold.)
If you have the CBS Sports Network, it might be worth tuning into UCLA at Rice.
***
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 Thursday!
-Salt Creek and Stadium