4B • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2002
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Nebraska back starts slow
By Dirk Chatelain
Daily Nebraska
Vie U-Wire
University of Nebraska
LINCOLN, Neb. - Dahrran
Diedrick looked quicker
through the hole than he had in
well, ever.
Before 110,000 screaming Penn State fans,the backbone of the Nebraska running game looked like the reigning Big 12 rushing champ that he is.
Twelve yards on his first carry.
Fifteen more two runs later.
Feeling good. Finding a groove. Here we go. Give it to me again.
Wait a second. Why is Corey Ross running on the field?
Ross "Sometimes it's just a little frustrating when you're out there for two series, and it's still the first quarter. And you're getting pulled out of the football game," said Diedrick, who finished with 71 yards on 16 carries.
Such is the way 2002 has gone for Diedrick. In 2001, Diedrick might as well have been the lone ranger at I-back. He averaged more than 21 carries a game and collected 1,299 yards. Now he's four games into the season and still without a 100-yard performance.
Diedrick has struggled to get untracked, and when he has found a groove as he did against the Nittany Lions, he's been held back by limited touches.
Frustrating seems to be the
word of choice for Diedrick when describing this season's less than remarkable statistics. While Nebraska has struggled on the ground overall, netting just 256 yards per game — its lowest total since 1998 — Diedrick has taken that impact the hardest.
As a freshman, he replaced the fumble-plagued Alexander and Buckhalter and rushed for 93 yards on 14 carries against Kansas State, including a 46-yard touchdown run. Two weeks later at Colorado, Diedrick mysteriously didn't play.
Because of that history, Ross said he was surprised at how much he had played. Seniors typically get their share first.
That frustration carried over to his sophomore season when Diedrick's portion of the pie shrunk to 33 total carries.
Though Diedrick isn't disputing the fact Ross should be on the field, he relished a game like Notre Dame last season where he rushed 32 times for 133 yards.
In 2001, Diedrick garnished 64 percent of the I-back carries. Through the first four games of 2002, that share is down to 54 percent without the services of co-No. 1 back Thunder Collins for three of those games.
"It's not like we're really falling off when someone else goes in, it's just at running back, you need to build up a rhythm," said Diedrick, who has averaged 77 yards per game — 42 lower than a year ago. "You can't get
two carries and then know what's going on out there."
in going for the win. Diedrick said he had asked coaches what he needed to do to get on the field more. They've responded by stating the need for big-play capability. Diedrick's longest run of the season is just 22 yards. Ross, noticeably a step quicker than his counterpart, surprised that on his second run of the year.
Meanwhile, Diedrick has walked off the field of all four games looking demoralized. After a 93-yard performance on 16 carries against Utah State, Diedrick sat on a couch at the back of the Huskers' press room staring at the ground.
There was no fanfare. Few reporters itched for an interview. Conference rushing champions aren't supposed to feel this way.
Two weeks later, little has changed.
"This isn't the type of season I wanted to be having." Diedrick said. Through the first four games of 2002, that share is down to 54 percent. And that is without the services of co-No.1 back Thunder Collins for three of those games.
"It's not like we're really falling off when someone else goes in, it's just at running back, you need to build up a rhythm," said Diedrick, who has averaged 77 yards per game — 42 lower than a year ago. "You can't get two carries and then know what's going on out there."
Actress files suit against Cardinals husband
The Associated Press
SANTA ANA, Calif. — Actress Tawny Kitaen filed a $12 million lawsuit against her estranged husband, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chuck Finley.
In the lawsuit made public Monday, Kitaen accused Finley of breach of contract, saying he broke his promise to support her for the rest of her life. Finley, 37, filed for divorce in April, just three days after Kitaen, 41, was arrested for spousal abuse.
Kitaen, who appeared in the film "Bachelor Party," was accused of attacking Finley April 1 as the two drove home from dinner. Police said they saw abrasions and scraps on Finley's body.
He pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of spousal abuse.
In court documents filed Sept. 17, Kitaen said that when Finley proposed to her in 1991, he gave her a Cartier diamond engagement ring, a key to his home and unlimited access to his bank account.
Since filing for divorce, Finley has ignored Kitaen's requests for money, the lawsuit said. He also seized $4.1 million from a joint personal account.
Email sports editor Levi Chronister at lchronister@kansan.com or associate sports editor Jessica Tims at jtims@kansan.com
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