THE UNIVERSITY DAILY LAKSA
FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2007
SPORTS
BIG 12
3B
Huskers' backfield full of talent
BY CASE KEEFER ckeefer@kansan.com
Nebraska wide receiver Terrence Nunn eludes Kansas defenders after a catch. The Cornhuskers hope to return to the Big 12 title game this season.
Nebraska coach Bill Callahan is only 22-15 since taking over the NU program four years ago. Former coach Frank Solich recruited many of the players that were around during his first years at the program.
OFFENSE
2007 will mark the first year that almost all of the Cornhuskers are Callahan's players and fit into his West Coast offense.
The Cornhuskers lose the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in quarterback Zac Taylor and a second round NFL draft choice in running back Brandon Jackson, but the dropoff in production should be minimal. Senior Sam Keller is the most likely to succeed Taylor in Lincoln, Neb. Keller transferred from Arizona State where he threw for more than 3,000 yards. Nebraska also has one of the deepest running back corps in the nation. Junior Marlon Lucky, junior Cody Glenn and senior Kenny Wilson carried the ball a combined 287 times last season for five yards per carry. The wide receivers are just as talented as the running backs. The Cornhuskers will enjoy the services of each of their top five receivers from last year. Seniors Maurice Purify and Terrence Nunn combined to catch 10 touchdown passes last season. The offensive line is full of upperclassmen and is anchored by right guard Matt Slauson. Slauson is a 6-foot-5, 335 pound junior with NFL potential.
2006 recap
9-3 Regular Season Record
6-2 Overall Big 12 (lost to Oklahoma in Big 12 Championship)
17-14 Bowl Game Loss
Cotton Bowl vs.
Auburn, lost
30. 6 Points Per Game
18. 3 Opponents' Points Per Game
DEFENSE
Nebraska will employ an entirely new defensive line in 2007. Players like sophomore defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh and junior defensive end Zach Potter were highly regarded out of high school but have limited collegiate experience. Experience shouldn't be a problem among the linebackers. Seniors Bo Ruud and Corey McKeon are two-year starters and rank amoung the Big 12's best. Senior Steve Octavien will join the duo as the starting
weak-side linebacker in NU's 4-3 defensive scheme. Ruud is one of the favorites to win the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year award because of his versatility. Ruud can use his strength to help stop the running game, his speed to get to the quarterback and his soft hands to pick off passes. The Cornhuskers were eighth in defending the pass last year in the Big 12 but could improve with the emergence of senior cornerbacks Andre Jones and Zackary Bowman.
SEASON OUTLOOK
Four of Nebraska's first five games are at home. The Cornhuskers welcome preseason the University of Southern California, which is ranked No.1 in preseason polls. Nebraska draws three brutal opponents from the Big 12 South. They have to play
Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Texas consecutively in the middle of the season. Nebraska last won the Big 12 title eight years ago and Husker fans are eager to bring the trophy back to Lincoln. There is a good chance that the Cornhuskers could be playing in the conference championship for the second straight year. The game is in San Antonio this season. The key game in order for Nebraska to get there falls on October 6 when they play at Missouri. Either way, the Huskers should have a productive year and will most likely find themselves in a New Year's Day bowl game.
PREDICTION 8-4, Gator Bowl
Edited by Kyle Carter
SWIMMING & DIVING
Returning, new athletes prepare to make waves
BY SCOTT TOLAND stoland@kansan.com
The Kansas Jayhawks' swimming and diving team looks to have another strong season and contend for the Big 12 Championship.
The squad includes 33 athletes
"Our conference goal is to finish in the top three," coach Clark Campbell said. "We also want to qualify and score points at the NCAA Championships."
The squad includes 35 athletes — 28 swimmers and 5 divers. It began preseason workouts last week and will begin official practice on
Sept. 10. Eight freshman and one transfer student are new to this year's team, which will travel to the Big 12 Refres at Ames, Iowa, for its first meet of the season on Oct. 19.
"Everyone gets faster and the divers learn more difficult dives," Campbell said of the progress he expects over the course of the season. "Last year was a very good year for us. The squad had 70 percent lifetime best times last season."
The layhawks are coming off a solid season in which they finished first in the Big 12 North and third place overall. Texas placed second,
and Texas A&M won the conference title.
Last year's squad set eight school records, and three athletes were invited to the 2007 NCAA Championships, which were held in Minneapolis, Minn., in March. Two of those athletes, sophomore Ashley Robinson and junior Danielle Herrmann, will return to this year's team. Robinson competed in two freestyle events, and Herrmann was invited to compete in a pair of back-stroke races.
The Jayhawks also tied with Missouri for the most athletes who
were named Big 12 Academic All Americans. Nine of the 16 athletes who earned this distinction will return to this year's squad.
After traveling to Ames the Jayhawks will have several more meets before the Big 12 Championships begin in Austin, Texas, in late February. Campbell is beginning his sixth year as the head coach of the swimming team, and Eric Elliot is starting his fifth season as the head diving coach. Assistant diving coach Jen Fox also is entering her fifth year with the team.
Edited by Amelia Freidline
>> NFL
Former K-State linebacker makes plays Diles impresses Texans' coaches so far in practices, first preseason game
BY KRISTIE RIEKEN AP SPORTS WRITER
HOUSTON — Zac Diles wasn't expected to play a very big role in coach Gary Kublak's plan for the
Houston Texans this season. In fact, he wasn't supposed to play much of a role at all.
But the seventh-round pick has been so impressive in camp that Kubiak is begin-
Diles had 92 tackles including $3\frac{1}{2}$ sacks last season for the Wildcats. He had 50 tackles and two sacks as a junior.
The linebacker out of Kansas State has been getting some work in practice with the second team defense and his work ethic has all but assured him a spot on special teams coverage.
The Texans aren't sure why Diles dropped to the seventh round, but
"He's pushing hard to get on the field awful quick, so we'll see," Kubiak said. "That's a big step to take, but if the kid keeps doing what he's doing, we're going to have to find a way to get him out there."
"I'm working hard so I'm glad they are noticing it," he said. "I'm excited."
general manager Rick Smith said at just 6-foot, may many have considered him undersized for a linebacker.
ning to change his mind.
ZAC DILES Linebacker
"I'm working hard so I'm glad they are noticing it. I'm excited."
"If you look at him physically,he's not a 6-foot-2, 245-pound gifted
athlete that runs a 4.5 (40-yard dash) Smith said. "That's what you look for, so he's a little small that way, height wise, but he's an excellent football player. He's got good instincts, and he's just a good fit for us. He doesn't have the prototypical size and speed but he's got instincts, and he's got good enough athleticism and speed."
Diles said last year's Defensive Rookie of the Year DeMeco Ryans and veteran Danny Clark have really helped in his transition to the NFL.
"They have been nothing but
great to me," Diles said. "If I have a question on the field, they are the first ones next to me. They are real helpful to me."
"Everything was a learning process on Saturday, so it was good to get that under my belt and I know what to look forward to at the next game," he said.
Notes: Fullback Jameel Cook,
defensive end Anthony Weaver and
Diles did six tackles in Houston's preseason opener against the Bears.
offensive tackle Charles Spencer will not travel to Arizona with the team as they recover from various injuries. Kubiak had crowd noise piped into Houston's indoor practice facility during a workout on Thursday to prepare his team for Saturday's game in Arizona. "We are going to play in this week and we needed to work with some noise, so it was good work for us today," Kubiak said.
FANTASY FOOTBALL
Picking players a guessing game
'Sleepers' can accumulate points
The Kansan's Fantasy Football writer Kelly Breckunitch will profile his top sleepers in a three-part series. Check The Kansan on Monday and Tuesday for more.
BY KELLY BRECKUNITCH kbreckunitch@kansan.com
Just as sure as there will be players who will disappoint fantasy-football owners
players who will disappoint fantasy-football owners every year, there are also those players whose production on the field will surprise. Most owners refer to these players as "sleeper" picks. It is a guessing game trying to figure out which players will post unexpected numbers through the season, but here are some players to look for in your fantasy draft
Some players come out of nowhere to score loads of fantasy points for their owners. Had anybody heard of Mike Furrey before last year? He had 98 catches, 1,086 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Also, according to Espn. com, Frank Gore was taken at an average pick of 65.8 and ended up being the fourth highest scoring running back.
This may be the year Ronald Curry is referred to as a full-fledged wide receiver. The departure of Randy Moss from Oakland makes room for Curry, the front-runner for the No. 2 receiver slot in the Oakland system who's battling with the struggling Mike Williams and a number of unknowns. The Raiders will be losing for almost the entire season, so the offense will be throwing plenty, and Curry's athleticism as a converted quarterback should allow for some big plays in the passing game.
Last year Tatum Bell rushed for 1,025 yards in Mike Shanahan's extremely productive running scheme in Denver. This post-season he was traded to Detroit and seemed to be designated as the backup to Kevin Jones. However, injury problems and poor performances in training camp from Jones may have opened the door for Bell. Right now, Espn.com has Bell listed as the No. 1 running back in Detroit. With Mike Marttz as his offensive coordinator, Bell should be worked into a balanced and potent passing offense and benefit from the reliance on the passing game. His speed and elusiveness make him a player to watch in this offense.
There may be a silver lining hidden in the flasco the Falcons have faced this off-season. The probable suspension of Michael Vick and the aging of Warrick Dunn may make for the emergence of Jerious Norwood. Atlanta has always split their running game multiple ways, and without a mobile quarterback like Vick, those extra carries could be passed on to the speedy Norwood. Rookie coach Bobby Petrino would be unwise to put too many eggs into the Joey Harrington basket, so it is likely we will see the same rush-heavy offense from Atlanta this season with a larger dose of Norwood.
San Francisco gave up 344.2 yards per game last year. They also had 34 sacks and 14 interceptions. The addition of Nate Clements and Patrick Willis, combined with the experience of
The Chiefs are excited about Brodie Croyle. Excited enough that they traded Trent Green to make way for Croyle. Damon Huard had a terrific season last year when he played while Green was injured and will have the number one spot coming into the regular season, according to Espn.com, but Croyle may get his opportunity sooner than you think. The Chiefs have a good rushing offense that would help Croyle ease into the starting role. Croyle has a strong arm and the leadership intangibles the Chiefs are looking for in their quarterback, so don't be surprised if you see Croyle make an impact this year.
Manny Lawson at linebacker last year should help improve the San Francisco defense. Clements will immediately boost the secondary, and the rush defense should come along through the season.
Expect to see Mike Nugent making a lot of field goals for the New York Jets this season. According to Yahoo.com, Nugent is the 18th ranked kicker in fantasy football. Now, kicker is not a position held in high regards in fantasy matters. Therefore, you could wait a while to get some good receivers and running backs and spend a late round pick on Mike Nugent, who has the potential to be a top ten kicker. He has a strong leg, which was proven in college, and he plays for a team with a solid offense that will get him a decent amount of both field goal and extra point attempts.
- Edited by Ashlee Kieler
MIKE NUGENT
2006 hibernators
2006
FG 1-19 yards
FG 20-29 yards
FG 30-39 yards
FG 40-49 yards
FG 50+ yards
KB
1/1
7/7
10/12
4/4
2/3
34/35
Projected 2007
FG 1-19 yards
FG 20-29 yards
FG 30-39 yards
FG 40-49 yards
FG 50+ yards
PAT
3/3
8/8
11/11
9/9
4/6
39/39
2006
TATUM BELL
Projected 2007
235 attempts
1,025 uashing yards
2 catches
115 receiving yards
2 touchdowns
334 carries
1.457 rushing yards
19 catches
342 receiving yards
12 touchdowns
RONALD CURRY
2006
62 catches
727 receiving yards
1 touchdown
Projected 2007
1,018 receiving yards
8 touchdowns
2006 stats courtesy of espn.con