Flakes: No One Wants to Play In the Nebraska vs. BYU Game

It is no secret that many key players for Nebraska and BYU (especially BYU) will be, ummm, unavailable for the opening game on September 5. Nebraska is going to have 5 players suspended for the game, including one defensive starter.

BYU has been hit much, much harder.

Previous Flakes have reported on a young linebacker who fractured his neck in practice, had to undergo emergency surgery, and will miss the season. Fortunately, it sounds like the surgery went well and he is going to recover fully. He had been married for all of ONE WEEK when this happened.

Also of note is another linebacker who was charged with theft and is going to be suspended one game (against NU) and how a scrimmage provided more suspension clues

And then, today, more bad news for BYU...

BYU tight end Steven Richards out for year with knee injury
BYU player Richards is out for the season after going down with a knee injury Monday. He was anticipated to be the starting tight end.

While I suppose a person could see all of this as a positive for Nebraska, I do not. This season opener against BYU is one of the more anticipated in a long time. Not only because of the new coaching staff and warm, fuzzy feelings here in the "Nice" state, but because Nebraska scheduled an honest-to-goodness, tough opponent for the opener.

A win against a full-strength BYU, or at least against a BYU with an equivalent number of suspensions or injuries (remember, our wideout corps appears to be the walking wounded and is severely hampering the offensive install right now) would be satisfying.

As the injuries and suspensions pile up for the Cougars, it is beginning to feel more like a no-win situation. The Huskers need to beat a short-handed BYU. If Nebraska loses, or if they even look bad, the Riley era is off to a bad start. And I do not want to live in that reality.

On the bright side, my Jackrabbits are ranked #15 in the FCS coaches poll. They are sandwiched right in between Turner Gill's Liberty Flames (#14) and Bo Pelini's Youngstown State Penguins (#16). I can always watch FCS fireworks if this whole B1G thing goes to hell.....right?

On to Flakes...

Fitness Trackers: Why Their Days Are Numbered | Re/code
Think of it this way: Smartwatches are a Swiss Army Knife, and fitness trackers are pocket knives. In my own way of thinking about this, I see a fitness tracker as being training wheels for smartwatches.

/paging Cobcast Ryan....

Bridge Named Assistant Soccer Coach - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site
Ian Bridge joins the Nebraska soccer coaching staff for the 2015 season. He replaces the late Peter Underwood, who died last May on a recruiting trip.

Former Huskers win softball pro league championship - Omaha.com: Big Red Today - Husker Football News, Schedules And Videos
Former Husker All-Americans Tatum and Taylor Edwards were crowned champions of the National Pro Fastpitch league Monday night, when the Chicago Bandits shut out the USSSA Pride, 1-0, in the second game of a best-of-three championship series.

Huskers keep rolling through fall camp; Riley speaks highly of Dedrick Young | Huskers - KETV Home

(Warning - obnoxious auto-play video). Fall camp continued Tuesday morning for the Nebraska Huskers with a two-hour practice inside the Hawks Championship Center.

Have the Oregon Ducks found their Russell Wilson in Vernon Adams?
The Ducks' new QB is the same size as his idol, is taking the transfer route Wilson took, and is leaving behind friends, family and comfort for nothing more than a chance.

Snapshot: Inside Texas A&M's Contract with Adidas - Good Bull Hunting
Travel deeper down the uniform rabbithole

What's so crazy about a hook-and-lateral as a base play? A Q&A with Pulaski's Kevin Kelley - Football Study Hall
Chad Peltier interviews Pulaski Academy head coach Kevin Kelley on laterals as part of your base offense.

We want YOU - for our Corn Nation community series

I have received some great responses from CN readers and commenters and am expecting a great series that helps all of us get to know each other better. It is not too late! If you want to be part of the series, send me an email at heemstra.jill@gmail.com and I'll send you the questionnaire. Check out the first in CN community profiles, Fischsticks04. I'll post 3-ish per week (in the order I receive them).