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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2006
BIG 12 COMMENTARY
Other schools discuss their football
With Big 12 Conference play approaching, the Kansan asked other newspapers in the conference for their perspective on how their football team is fa These columns were all written and published for various student newspapers in the conference.
Nebraska Cornhuskers turn out to be not as impressive as first the few games would seem to have implied
Nebraska sophomore Nick Filipowski examined the USC game in Tuesday's issue of The Daily Nebraskan:
So I was wrong.
In my column in the Aug. 29 edition of the Daily Nebraskan, I wrote, "What better time to boost your confidence early in the season than with what should be three beat-'em-up games against Louisiana Tech, Nicholls State and the Southern California Trojans (no, I didn't stutter)?"
I have been stabbed in the chest by the almighty Trojan sword and slapped in the face so hard by reality that I am indeed blubbering, stumbling and stuttering over my words.
Having to explain myself to more-than-annoyed friends who had faith in the words I spoke isn't easy to succumb to.
I'll admit that my prediction of a "beat-em-up" game was a little far-fetched, but there isn't anything wrong in having a little faith, is there?
Other than the first few drives for Nebraska, I wasn't all that impressed. Come to think of it, neither was anyone else.
The bottom line is that even with all the "ifs," "ands," "buts" and hypothetical situations that could be scrutinized, one giant truth still remains:
The Cornhuskers were out played.
The Huskers squandered some opportunities, but who's to say the Trojans wouldn't have been able to counter like they have against every opponent they've played the
past four years?
Sure, holding USC to less than 30 points for the first time since their 2004 campaign is an accomplishment the Huskers should be
proud of, but sat
isfaction shouldn't
be the
only feeling
the Huskers
walk away with.
Although there is little sense of urgency this week against Troy, the Huskers will have the chance to get revenge on another set of Trojans and hopefully put me back on the "truthful and less boisterous" track.
Troy is no pushover, giving Atlantic Coast Conference powerhouses Florida State and Georgia Tech good scares in the past two weekends.
Offensively, the Huskers will have to drive down the field with a purpose, not taking anything less than a first down or touchdown as the game progresses.
Somewhere along the way I figured that even with the setbacks in the secondary and an offense operating on all cylinders, NU could still be able to keep pace with USC and at least, if nothing else, give the Trojans a good run for their money.
Somehow I managed to overlook the weapons that USC quarterback John David Booty has at his disposal — mainly his "future first-round NFL draft picks"
receiving corps and the fact that injuries can significantly cripple a team.
With the game ending as pretty much everyone thought — in a USC victory — a pie was thrust into my face, and I was made to look like a fool.
Sure, NU junior defensive back Andre Jones may have "predicted a Nebraska victory", but even without that, neither he nor junior cornerback Courtney Grixby would have been able to shut down Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith.
As I recall, unless Jarrett and Smith chose not to give 100 percent, no defensive back in the nation has been able to stop them during their tenure at USC.
While I don't mind looking like an idiot if I've done something foolish, I'm unhappy I now look like a fool after making such a "profound" prediction.
Defensively, the secondary needs to step up big time.
There are big shoes to fill in replacing Zackary Bowman, but it's not impossible to have a presence and still make the quarterback throw the ball in your direction.
To the secondary, this weekend try not to look like you're doing the hokey pokey, because Troy, like USC, will have a blast at your expense.
If Nebraska doesn't quickly remedy a Trojan hangover, another group of players from Troy will force me to issue another mea culpa next week.
The Kansas State Wildcats defeated Marshall on Saturday. The Wildcats won't meet the Jayhawks until Nov. 18. K-State Collegian writer Jonathan Garten wrote this article for Monday's Collegian.
Kansas State football coaches tired of their players earning
K-State quarterback Dylan Meier is the older brother of Kansas quarterback Kerry Meier;
Quarterback Dylan Meier dropped back to pass as the Marshall blitz came flying at him. Meier quickly read the Thundering Herd's man-to-man coverage and found his receiver, Jermaine Moreira, with a pass.
Moreira turned and eluded several defenders on his way to a 44-yard touchdown, sealing a 23-7 victory for the Wildcats on Saturday at Snyder Family Stadium.
The play finished off a four-catch 95-yard game performance by Moreira.
But when coach Ron Prince met Moreira on the field after the score, it was not to congratulate the senior wide receiver. Prince wanted to be the first person to yell at Moreira for a celebratory dive into the end zone.
"This was a big game for us and for (K-State) coach (Ron) Prince. We all wanted to to go balls-out like we plan on doing all year."
ANTWON MOORE Sophomore defensive back
causing K-State to be penalized 15 yards on the ensuing kickoff.
"I'm not going to tolerate that behavior." Prince said. "That kind of
behavior has hurt us the last few weeks, and I'm not going to accept it."
Junior safety Marcus Watts called Moreira's run one of the best he had seen. But his emotions quickly went from excitement to disappointment as he watched Moreira soar over the goal line.
"I said, 'Oh no. Now we have to play defense from the 40 or 50 instead of pinning them deeper," Watts said.
Moreira's penalty came two weeks
Wildcat got the same call.
In K-
State's 24-23
victory over
Illinois State,
Byron Garvin
recovered a
fumble on a
kickoff and dove into the end zone for a touchdown.
Overall, the Wildcats had more
possibilities. 14, and eventually works.
penalties — 14 — and penalty yards 116 — than in the first two weeks combined.
Sophomore Antwon Moore said the game was full of emotion. The previous two games between K-State and Marshall were decided by a touchdown or less, and last year's game at Marshall ended with a shoving match at midfield.
"This was a big game for us and for coach Prince," Moore said. "We all wanted to go balls-out like we plan on doing all year."
Marshall also had discipline problems, being penalized nine times for 72 yards. The Herd has been penalized 32 times for 291 yards this season.
Kansas State quarterback Dylan Meier (9) pass
Chelsea during the first quarter of college football a
Taking care of the football also was an issue for both teams.
K-State turned over the ball twice — a lost fumble and an interception — and Marshall had three turnovers
— a lost fumble and two interceptions
— while each side blocked a punt.
The Wildcats' number of penalties were the most they have received since committing the 14 in a 27-25 loss to Nebraska on Nov. 5, 2005. The 116
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