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FOOTBALL
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Huskers disappointed despite last week's win
By Dan Hoppen The Daily Nebraskan
Amid the swirl of excitement surrounding Taylor Martinez's debut, it was easy to overlook something that most Husker fans now take for granted.
THE WAVE SEPTEMBER 24, 2010
Not that it should have right away. It was the first game of the year, and the Huskers were replacing five graduated starters, not including the losses of Will Compton and Sean Fisher to injuries. When coach Bo Pelini claims that this year's defense will upstage last year's, the expectations are going to be high.
Nebraska's defense didn't play to the same level as last year.
The Huskers gave up 179 rushing yards, more than they gave up in any one game last season. Western Kentucky's Bobby Rainey had 155 yards, the most any running back has rushed for since Pelini became NU's coach.
Some of the responsibility falls on the starting linebackers, Lavonte David and Alonzo Whaley. David led NU with 13 tackles, but Pelini said he still has work to do. David said he agreed with Pelini's assessment.
"Yeah, most of it was our fault," David said.
"I had the opportunity, and I was just going for the tackle, but the ball came out too" Gomes said.
The highlight for the Blackshirts was a fumble forced by DeJon Gomes just before Rainey crossed the goal line in the third quarter. Rainey sprinted 46 yards up the middle before Gomes caught him from behind. The ball popped out in the end zone, where it was recovered by Eric Haga.
Without that fumble, the Hilltoppers would have had another seven points, which would have given them more than any NU non-conference opponent last year.
And the team that had the most rushing yards against NU last year? That would be Arkansas State, another overmatched early-season opponent.
But it's just one game. The Huskers had five players making their first career start, including both starting linebackers depended on to make calls and direct the rest of the defense.
"It's the first game." Pelini said. "I've seen a lot of good things defensively through camp. I think we're going to be a good defense."
Texas Longhorns
Freshman Jeffcoat proves himself
By Laken Litman The Daily Texan
After Saturday's 24-14 win over Texas Tech, defensive coordinator Will Muschamp was awarded the game ball by his players. And rightfully so, as it was the defense that drove Texas to its big 12 win of the season.
In August, before football season had started, head coach Mack Brown remarked that this year's defense was going to be the best he'd ever coached. And he wasn't kidding. In their first real challenge of the year, the Longhorns limited Texas Tech's offense to 144 total yards and just one touchdown.
"We were pretty dominating," Brown said. "I thought the defensive staff did a tremendous job of playing a lot of guys and keeping fresh legs on the field."
Texas played as many as 10 down linemen, even though the starting front four that consisted of Acho, Kheeston Randall, Eddie Jones and Jackson Jeffcoat never seemed to come
off the field. Jeffcoat played a crucial role in the Longhorns pass-rush. The true freshman started his second game in a row and although he didn't rack up that many stats, he had a hand in almost every momentum-swinging play the defense made.
Both the players and coaches have noticed how quickly Jeffcoat has grown accustomed to the speed of the college game. Jeffcoat made the Longhorns' first big play of the game when he recovered a fumble on a bad snap that went through Potts' hands to set up a short, 7-yard scoring drive for Texas in the opening minutes.
The Red Raiders couldn't capitalize on many plays thanks to Texas' ball-hawking secondary that made three interceptions and the defensive line that controlled the line of scrimmage throughout the entire game.
"We came into enemy territory and came out victorious," Acho said. "We were resilient and we fought and played until the game was over."
SWIMMING & DIVING
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Adam Buhler/KANSAN
Coobomore Monica Johannessen moved from Norway to swim at the University. Last season she finished first against Nebraska in the 100 meter freestyle with a time of 49.93 seconds.
Norwegian returns for second year
BY KORY CARPENTER kcarpenter@kansan.com
Monica Johannessen had to adapt to college life a little differently than her teammates. When the sophomore swimmer decided to make the University of Kansas her new home, her first trip to Lawrence was a long journey. The Haugesund, Norway native left her family and friends behind for a chance to study abroad and continue her swimming career.
Johannessen committed to the Jayhawks without so much as a recruiting visit to Lawrence. She says the coaches, along with the beautiful campus, made her decision easier.
"I just talked to the coaches and they made me really confident,
During her freshman campaign Johannessen placed in numerous events while earning a spot on the senior Norwegian National team. That gave her opportunities to travel home to see family, including her twin sister who also swims.
Her favorite event is the 100 meter freestyle, where she boasts a career best time of 49.93 seconds and a first-place finish against Nebraska last season. After failing to qualify for the NCAA championships as a freshman, Johannessen said she hopes her sophomore campaign is different. She had a qualifying time last year, but the time was set in Norway, not in America.
and I just went for it." she said.
Being away from home presents challenges to Johannessen, who has been thrown out of her comfort zone while being in the United States. She said her qualifying time from back home was attributed to familiarity with her long time teammates and twin sister.
transfer over to KU, but I feel like I can make that time in Lawrence this year," she said. "My biggest goal this season is to qualify for the NCAA championships."
"The time obviously didn't
"I had confidence back home," Johannessen said. "I was able to swim with my sister as well, which really helped me out. It was also my first year of college so I was still getting used to everything."
Day: Friday
Date: Sept. 24
Location: Lawrence
Time: 4 p.m.
Another year in Lawrence should help Johannessen gain
ALUMNI MEET
After graduating from the University, Iohannessen plans on returning home to Norway to continue her career with the National Team.
confidence, who last season was a First Team Academic All-American and was also named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll both semesters while studying psychology.
Edited by David Cawthon
With only 10 schools, the league will go to a double round robin schedule — eighteen conference games, with each team playing all the others twice.
Also, Turner Gill won't draw the same lucky slate that helped Mark Mangino to an Orange Bowl. If he goes BCS bowling, it'll be with wins over the big guns of the South — Texas and Oklahoma are on the schedule every year from here out.
So no, I'm not happy they're leaving. But, man, I am geeked for basketball next year. I almost wish I could be around one more year to cover it for The Kansan.
Texas twice. Baylor twice.
Maybe Bill self can get his record
in Stillwater to .500 if he gets a
crack at his alma mater every year
The revenue that both schools bring in — especially now that Bo Pelini has the Cornhuskers competing for BCS berths again — will also be missed by whoever is named athletics director, starting June 30 next year, per Tuesday's announcement.
Big 12 realignment leaves mixed feelings
Nebraska fans are always listed among the most hospitable in the country and, for my money, Boulder is the best town in the Big 12. (If you haven't been, picture Lawrence with a mountainous backdrop.)
COMMENTARY
I'm not going to say I'm happy to see Nebraska and Colorado leave the Big 12. That'd be crazy.
College basketball fans have loved the Big East over the last few years — even though late finishes have been cutting into the beginning of Kansas games on ESPN. Every week in the Big East it seems like there's at least one
— but there will be seven, eight or nine teams every year that are in serious contention for NCAA Tournament bids.
There will obviously be bottom feeders — I'm skeptical that new coach Fred Hoiberg can turn around Iowa State and Jeff Capel won't keep getting top-tier talent to Oklahoma if he keeps losing
top-10 matchup and no games off
BY TIM DWYER
dwyer@kansan.com
It looks like the Big 12 (they really need to get a new conference name, by the way), will be in that upper echelon come the 2011-2012 season. This conference has always been in the discussion of which is the best in the country for basketball. Drop the bottom two teams in the league, and it just may not be a discussion anymore
Last year, for example, according to the RPI, there were eight Big 12 teams that ranked above the worst at-large team.
If they play each other twice, that's 14 games that are eminently losable for each one of those teams. There won't be another undefeated team in the Big 12 because there will be just too much competition.
And that will make the games all the sweeter.
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Edited by Abby Davenport
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