SB Nation - Eric Hagg

2009 All-Big 12 Football Awards - Suh Defensive Player of the Year, Crick, Amukamara, Asante Make First Team

Jon Johnston — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:17:06 -0000

Look! Two at once! You'll see the same thing Saturday night except that'll be Colt McCoy getting squished and flying apart like Mr. Potato Head.

Browse more photos »

The 2009 All-Big 12 football awards have been announced, with some nice surprises for Husker fans.

Ndamukong Suh was named Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive Lineman of the Year. He and Texas quarterback Colt McCoy were the only unanimously-selected players on the first team. Is that appropriate or what?

Nebraska placed four on the first-team All-Big 12 list, all from the defense including defensive linemen Suh and Jared Crick. Cornerback Prince Amukamara and safety Larry Asante from the secondary. The selections should give pause to Texas fans who are convinced the Blackshirts are lacking in pass defense.

Roy Helu made second team, as did Alex Henery as placekicker. Phillip Dillard gets rewarded with a second-team placement at ilnebacker, a great recognition of how far he's come since spring.

Mack Brown as coach of the year..... I'm not sold on that. Brown has all the players, had a pathetically easy non-conference schedule, and didn't have to deal with the NCAA suspending any star players. The guy had an easy path to where he is now. Why coach of the year for him?

Interesting to note that Texas did not have a single offensive or defensive lineman selected on the first team. Instead Chris Hall and Adam Ulatoski dropped to second on offense, and Sergio Kindle and Lamarr Houston are regulated to second team defense.

The complete list of awards is after the jump.

2009 INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS

Coach of the Year	Mack Brown, Texas
Offensive Lineman of the Year	Russell Okung, Oklahoma State
Defensive Lineman of the Year	Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
Offensive Freshman of the Year	Christine Michael, Texas A&M
Defensive Freshman of the Year	Aldon Smith, Missouri
Special Teams Player of the Year	Brandon Banks, Kansas State
Defensive Newcomer of the Year	David Sims, Iowa State
Offensive Newcomer of the Year	Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
Defensive Player of the Year	Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
Offensive Player of the Year	Colt McCoy, Texas

2009 ALL-BIG 12 FOOTBALL FIRST TEAM

Offense
Pos.	Player	School	Class	Hometown/Previous School(s)
QB	Colt McCoy **	Texas	Sr.	Tuscola, Texas/Jim Ned
RB	Daniel Thomas	Kansas State	Jr.	Hilliard, Fla./NW Mississippi CC
RB	Keith Toston	Oklahoma State	Sr.	Angleton, Texas/Angleton
FB	Bryant Ward	Oklahoma State	Jr.	Stillwater, Okla./Stillwater
WR	Jordan Shipley	Texas	Sr.	Burnet, Texas/Burnet
WR	Danario Alexander	Missouri	Sr.	Marlin, Texas/Marlin
WR	Dezmon Briscoe	Kansas	Jr.	Dallas, Texas/Cedar Hill
TE	Jeron Mastrud	Kansas State	Sr.	Beaverton, Ore./Southridge
OL	Russell Okung ^	Oklahoma State	Sr.	Houston, Texas/Bush
OL	Trent Williams ^	Oklahoma	Sr.	Longview, Texas/Longview
OL	Nick Stringer	Kansas State	Sr.	Topeka, Kan./Hayden
OL	Brandon Carter	Texas Tech	Sr.	Longview, Texas/Spring Hill
OL	Nate Solder	Colorado	Jr.	Buena Vista, Colo./Buena Vista
PK	Grant Ressel	Missouri	So.	Jackson, Mo./Jackson
KR/PR	Brandon Banks	Kansas State	Sr.	Garner, N.C./Bakersfield College
Defense
DL	Ndamukong Suh **	Nebraska	Sr.	Portland, Ore./Grant
DL	Gerald McCoy ^	Oklahoma	Jr.	Oklahoma City, Okla./Southeast
DL	Von Miller	Texas A&M	Jr.	DeSoto, Texas/DeSoto
DL	Brandon Sharpe	Texas Tech	Sr.	Lyons, Ga./Fresno City CC
DL	Jared Crick	Nebraska	So.	Cozad, Neb./Cozad
LB	Sean Weatherspoon ^	Missouri	Sr.	Jasper, Texas/Jasper
LB	Jesse Smith	Iowa State	Sr.	Altoona, Iowa/Southeast Polk
LB	Travis Lewis	Oklahoma	So.	San Antonio, Texas/Robert E. Lee
DB	Earl Thomas	Texas	So.	Orange, Texas/West Orange Stark
DB	Perrish Cox	Oklahoma State	Sr.	Waco, Texas/University
DB	Dominique Franks	Oklahoma	Jr.	Tulsa, Okla./Union
DB	Prince Amukamara	Nebraska	Jr.	Glendale, Ariz./Apollo
DB	Larry Asante	Nebraska	Sr.	Alexandria, Va./Hayfield/Coffeyville CC
P	Derek Epperson	Baylor	Jr.	Southlake, Texas/Keller

** - Unanimous Selection
^ - Repeat first team selection from last season.

2009 ALL-BIG 12 FOOTBALL SECOND TEAM

Offense
Pos.	Player	School	Class	Hometown/Previous School(s)
QB	Jerrod Johnson	Texas A&M	Jr.	Humble, Texas/Humble
RB	Roy Helu Jr.	Nebraska	Jr.	Danville, Calif./San Ramon Valley
RB	DeMarco Murray	Oklahoma	Jr.	Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman
FB	Jamie McCoy	Texas A&M	Sr.	Midland, Texas/Lee
WR	Ryan Broyles	Oklahoma	So.	Norman, Okla./Norman
WR	Kerry Meier	Kansas	Sr.	Pittsburg, Kan./Pittsburg
WR	Brandon Banks	Kansas State	Sr.	Garner, N.C./Bakersfield College
TE	Riar Geer	Colorado	Sr.	Grand Junction, Colo./Fruita-Monument
OL	J.D. Walton	Baylor	Sr.	Allen, Texas/Allen/Arizona State
OL	Chris Hall #	Texas	Sr.	Irving, Texas/Irving
OL	Kurtis Gregory #	Missouri	Sr.	Blackburn, Mo./Santa Fe
OL	Adam Ulatoski	Texas	Sr.	Southlake, Texas/Carroll
OL	Brody Eldridge	Oklahoma	Sr.	La Cygne, Kan./Prairie View
OL	Lee Grimes	Texas A&M	Sr.	Brownwood, Texas/Brownwood
PK	Alex Henery	Nebraska	Jr.	Omaha, Neb./Burke
KR/PR	Perrish Cox	Oklahoma State	Sr.	Waco, Texas/University
Defense
DL	Sergio Kindle	Texas	Sr.	Dallas, Texas/Woodrow Wilson
DL	Lamarr Houston	Texas	Sr.	Colorado Springs, Colo./Doherty
DL	Jeremy Beal #	Oklahoma	Jr.	Carrollton, Texas/Creekview
DL	Jaron Baston	Missouri	Sr.	Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs
DL	Daniel Howard	Texas Tech	Sr.	Wichita, Kan./Butler County CC
LB	Joe Pawelek	Baylor	Sr.	San Antonio, Texas/Smithson Valley
LB	Roddrick Muckelroy	Texas	Sr.	Hallsville, Texas/Hallsville
LB	Phillip Dillard	Nebraska	Sr.	Tulsa, Okla./Jenks
DB	Jamar Wall	Texas Tech	Sr.	Plainview, Texas/Planview
DB	Quinton Carter	Oklahoma	Jr.	Las Vegas, Nev./Cheyenne
DB	Brian Jackson	Oklahoma	Sr.	De Soto, Texas/De Soto
DB	Jordan Lake	Baylor	Sr.	Houston, Texas/Memorial
DB	Cha'pelle Brown	Colorado	Sr.	La Puente, Calif./Los Altos
DB	Trent Hunter	Texas A&M	So.	Katy, Texas/Katy
P	Tress Way	Oklahoma	Fr.	Tulsa, Okla./Union

A tie in voting created an additional second-team offensive line and defensive back spot.
# - Repeat second team selection from last season.

2009 ALL-BIG 12 HONORABLE MENTION

Baylor	Justin Akers, TE; David Gettis, WR; Jason Lamb, DL; J.D. Walton, Off. Lmn of Yr.; Kendall Wright, WR
Colorado	Jake Behrens, FB; Jalil Brown, DB; Benjamin Burney, DB; Marquez Herrod, DL; Scotty McKnight, WR; Ryan Miller, OL; Jeff Smart, LB; Jimmy Smith, DB; Rodney Stewart, RB
Iowa State	Michael Brandtner, P; Kelechi Osemele, OL; Paul Rhoads, Coach of Yr.; Alexander Robinson, RB; Reggie Stephens, OL
Kansas	Tanner Hawkinson, OL; Jake Laptad, DL; Todd Reesing, QB; Alonso Rojas, P; Darrell Stuckey, DB
Kansas State	Jeffrey Fitzgerald, DL; Tysyn Hartman, DB; Joshua Moore, DB; Bill Snyder, Coach of Yr
Missouri	Danario Alexander, Off. Ply. of Yr.; Carl Gettis, DB; Jake Harry, P; Dan Hoch, OL; Jared Perry, WR; Kevin Rutland, DB; Jasper Simmons, DB & Def Nwcmr. of Yr.; Aldon Smith, DL; Derrick Washington, RB
Nebraska	Dejon Gomes, DB & Def Nwcmr. of Yr.; Eric Hagg, DB; Alex Henery, P; Jacob Hickman, OL; Mike McNeill, TE; Matt O'Hanlon, DB; Niles Paul, WR; Barry Turner, DL
Oklahoma	Jeremy Beal, Def Ply of Yr.; Chris Brown, RB; Ryan Broyles, PR/KR; Keenan Clayton, LB; Auston English, DL; Landry Jones, Off. Fr. of Yr.; Jonathan Nelson, DB; Gerald McCoy Def. Lmn. of Yr. & Def Ply of Yr.; Ryan Reynolds, LB; Adrian Taylor, DL; Trent Williams, Off. Lmn of Yr
Oklahoma State	Hubert Anyiam, WR; Ugo Chinasa, DL; Patrick Lavine, LB; Swanson Miller, DL; Zac Robinson, QB; Andre Sexton, LB; Quinn Sharp, P
Texas	Emmanuel Acho, LB; Sam Acho, DL; Curtis Brown, DB; Blake Gideon, DB; Kyle Hix, OL; Michael Huey, OL; Sergio Kindle, Def. Lmn. of Yr.; Hunter Lawrence, PK; Alex Okafor, Def. Fr. of Yr.; Keenan Robinson, LB; Jordan Shipley, PR/KR; Charlie Tanner, OL
Texas A&M	Ryan Epperson, P; Jeff Fuller, WR; Cyrus Gray, RB & PR/KR; Michael Hodges Def Nwcmr. of Yr.; Jerrod Johnson, Off. Ply. of Yr.; Patrick Lewis, OL; Kevin Matthews, OL; Jamie McCoy, TE; Von Miller Def. Lmn. of Yr. & Def Ply of Yr.; Uzoma Nwachukwu, WR & Off. Fr. of Yr.; Jordan Pugh, DB; Ryan Tannehill, WR; Garrick Williams, LB
Texas Tech	Baron Batch, RB; Bront Bird, LB; Cody Davis, Def. Fr. of Yr.; Alex Torres, Off. Fr. of Yr.; Colby Whitlock, DL; Marlon Winn, OL

Corn Flakes: NU wins the North, wants more

JLew — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:16:27 -0000

Whew that was a game. Crowd seemed loud, though it seems that UNL decided to put KSU fans in the upper corner of the North stadium so it was quieter up there. Saw some KSU fans around, all were nice enough. Lazlos in the Haymarket was good as usual, tailgating was fun and the Husker got a win.

Report card: Nebraska vs. Kansas State

A's and B's nice effort all around

Huskers beat Kansas State, claim Big 12 North title

Steven M. Sipple: Pelini has Huskers back on solid ground

Game notes: Henery’s punts product of hard work -- and a little luck

Senior Night Goes Right - Nebraska Football

College Football's Home On The Internet - Blog - Road Trippin'

They head to Lincoln in this edition

Video: Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh - Big 12 Blog - ESPN

Asante keys Nebraska's defense, victory - Big 12 Blog - ESPN

"He was giving me a hug, telling me how much he loved me and how far along I’d come as a player," Asante said, chuckling at the memory. "Then out of nowhere, I got dumped. But I didn’t get mad. It was joyous. I was happy."

Husker Mike's Blasphemy: Huskers Beat K-State and Win the North

Great points about the game from Corn Nation's Husker Mike

Big 12 Bowl Analysis | Upon Further Review

Has NU punched their ticket to the Holiday Bowl?

Scout.com: Instant Analysis - Nebraska 17 ... KSU 3

2) If the Heisman Trophy really, really, really is supposed to determine the most outstanding player in college football, Ndamukong Suh deserves a seat at the Downtown Athletic Club on Dec. 12 in New York. Maybe Rolando McClain of Alabama should get an invite, but this much needs to be said: In one of the least enthralling Heisman races of all time, surely a defensive player should be named as one of three to five finalists for the award.

Nebraska beats K-State 17-3, clinches Big 12 North - College Football - Rivals.com

Sunday Morning Quarterback- DXP

NE StatePaper.com - A Division Title, By Way of the Cupboard

NU clinched a North title because it had the better personnel. Much better. Ndamukong Suh. Barry Turner. Phillip Dillard. Larry Asante. Eric Hagg. Prince Amukamara. You and I may choke on the written words – but they're Callahan guys. From, let's see, Oregon, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Virginia, and Arizona, squared. Guys who'd probably never seen Nebraska before their 17th birthday. Guys who were probably coaxed to Nebraska for the wrong reasons – and coached into the right ones. But Callahan coaxed them here nonetheless.

This was an interesting take.

Omaha.com - The Omaha World-Herald: Big Red Today - Chatelain: Hats off to big Suh, but we hardly knew him

But Callahan got exposed. Talent is coached, not recruited.

This finishes the story above.

TheMercury.com - K-State Grade Card

Huskers pull away from TCU, 90-77

And the basketball team won!

Huskers sweep Kansas in Lawrence

The ninth-ranked Huskers, in winning 21 of 25 rallies in one stretch, were as dominant as any point this season. Nebraska hit .433 and limited KU to 26 kills in blasting the Jayhawks 25-15, 25-12, 25-18 before a crowd of 1,145 Saturday.

Nebraska Ends Kansas State's Season And Wins the Big 12 North

Jon Johnston — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:50:05 -0000

More photos » by DAVE WEAVER - AP

Yehaaaa!!!!! One Goal Realized!!!!!!!!!

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Nebraska won the Big 12 North with a 17-3 win over Kansas State last night. It won't be considered pretty or stylish, but if you've come to love defense (and if you're a Huskers fan, you'd better love defense) it was another masterful performance by the Blackshirts.

Kansas State took their opening drive, marched down the field like they were on fire and being aided by yet another personal foul penalty on Larry Asante (at least he got it out of the way early this game). The Wildcats stalled at the 31 and Josh Cherry kicked a 44-yard field goal. With the way the Wildcats looked on their first drive, it was hard to imagine those were the only points they'd score.

The Huskers responded with a field goal of their own, moving down the field with a mixture between Roy Helu's rushing and Zac Lee's passing. On the next possession the Wildcats gained a first down and after two consecutive Thomas rushes, but their drive stalled after Eric Hagg nailed quarterback Grant Gregory with a 14-yard sack. Doerr punted, giving the Huskers great field position at their own 43.

The Husker offense was aided by a Wildcat personal foul penalty, then Zac Lee found Mike McNeill all alone in the end zone. The score made it 10-3, where it would remain until the Huskers scored another touchdown on the opening possession of the third quarter. The offense was incredibly efficient, scoring on four plays that included a 47-yard to Niles Paul and a subsequent 14-yard touchdown run by Roy Helu.

The Wildcats fared well on their second half opening drive until running back Keithen Valentine fumbled near the goal line and Prince Amukamara recovered. The Huskers spent the rest of the game trying to run the ball, but gained only 35 yards in four possessions.

Ndamukong Suh did his best impersonation of the greatest college football player in the nation, taking over the game in the fourth quarter. He sacked Gregory twice (one being aided by Barry Turner when they turned Gregory into a quarterback sandwich), batted down a pass, and picked up four of his nine tackles.

Kansas State playmaker Brandon Banks was held in check all night. Adi Kunalic consistently kicked off into the end zone, and when Banks chose to bring it out, he was buried before he got to the 20-yard line. Only once did Banks seem to be a big-play threat, when he broke free for a 22-yard return in the third quarter, giving Kansas State the ball at the Nebraska 43-yard line.

Despite such great field position, the Wildcats gained only two yards on eight plays. They made it as far as the 32-yard line when linebacker Phillip Dillard sacked Gregory, forcing a fumble and driving the Wildcats back to the 41.

There was some ugly as the offense managed only 267 total yards. The Husker missed opportunities to score some more points when Lee missed a wide open McNeill in the end zone, and later threw an interception in the opposite end zone. There was some good, too, as the offense finished the game without a single penalty. The Huskers had three for the game, with Larry Asante picking up another personal foul penalty, Justin Blatchford was called for running in to the kicker, and Eric Hagg picked up a pass interference call. That's pretty darned good for a team that has been consistently hit with false starts and holding calls throughout the year.

Alex Henery once again showed his mastery of punting an opponent into a hole. In the second quarter, he booted a punt that went out of bounds at the KSU one-yard line. In the fourth, he had a booming 61-yard punt that went out of bounds at the Kansas State three. All told, Henery had six punts for a 45-yard average. That's a good day of work any way you look at it.

Let's not kid ourselves. The Huskers have plenty of football left. First, there's the derelicts from Boulder, and then there's that championship game against Texas, who clinched the Big 12 South with a 50-21 win over Kansas. There's still a chance to have an incredible season.

The North in 2010

Bill C. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:00:31 -0000

The 2009 Big 12 North race is, to say the least, intriguing heading into November, but the way my brain works, I can't help but keep an eye on the future as all of this plays out. And since it's in my head, I might as well type it out too, huh? As November 2009 begins, let's take a look at...2010.

What we're going to do is simple: we're going to take the most recent two-deeps listed on each team's website, remove the seniors, and see what's left. Obviously there will be plenty more analysis to come, but this will be a nice, preliminary peek. I can't help myself.

Missouri

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Blaine Gabbert (Jr) Jimmy Costello (So)	DE	Jacquies Smith (Jr) Marcus Malbrough (So)
RB	Derrick Washington (Sr) De'Vion Moore (So)	DT	Dominique Hamilton (Jr) Marvin Foster (RSFr)
WR	Jerrell Jackson (Jr) Brandon Gerau (Jr)	DT	Terrell Resonno (Jr) Bart Coslet (Sr)
WR	T.J. Moe (So) Rolandis Woodland (So)	DE	Aldon Smith (So) Brad Madison (So)
WR	Wes Kemp (Jr) Michael Egnew (Jr)	WLB	Zaviar Gooden (So) Donovan Bonner (So)
TE	Andrew Jones (Jr) Beau Brinkley (Jr)	MLB	Will Ebner (Jr) Luke Lambert (Sr)
LT	Elvis Fisher (Jr) Justin Britt (RSFr)	SLB	Andrew Gachkar (Sr) Tyler Crane (Jr)
LG	Austin Wuebbels (Jr) Travis Ruth (So)	CB	Carl Gettis (Sr) Trey Hobson (Jr)
C	Tim Barnes (Sr) J.T. Beasley (Jr)	CB	Kevin Rutland (Sr) Robert Steeples (So)
RG	Jayson Palmgren (Jr) Travis Ruth (So)	FS	Jasper Simmons (Sr) Munir Prince (Sr)
RT	Dan Hoch (Jr) Jack Meiners (So)	SS	Jarrell Harrison (Sr) Kenji Jackson (Jr)

K	Grant Ressel (Jr)	P	Matt Grabner (Jr)
PR	Carl Gettis (Sr)	KR	Jasper Simmons (Sr)

I've got to say, this is the most complete team heading into 2010. Blaine Gabbert will be the most accomplished North QB heading into 2010 and Derrick Washington the second-most accomplished RB. The improved secondary will return just about everybody of importance, and a deep LB corps could be well-positioned to absorb the loss of Sean Weatherspoon with as little drop-off as possible.
Two major question marks: a) who replaces Danario Alexander, and b) who replaces Jaron Baston? Multiple candidates exist to replace Spoon, so that's actually less of a worry, but the WR situation is at least a bit worrisome. Wes Kemp has shown flashes, and if he continues to grow, he could be the deep threat this team needs, but what is it I always say? Until you actually prove it, it's a question mark. Beyond Kemp, guys like Jackson, T.J. Moe (remember him?), Rolandis Woodland, and one of the redshirting freshmen (L'Damian Washington, Jaleel Clark, Kerwin Stricker) will fill out the depth chart, and at least one of them will need to take a step forward.
Of course, you know who else could absorb the loss of Danario? Tight ends. Novel concept, I know.
I really like what I've seen out of Dominique Hamilton recently, but Terrell Resonno seems to have disappeared. Either he or one of the underclassmen (Marvin Foster, Jimmy Burge, George White) will need to raise their game. If somebody competent steps up at WR and DT, this team is loaded.

Colorado

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Tyler Hansen (Jr) Cody Hawkins (Sr)	DE	Marquez Herrod (Sr) Josh Hartigan (Jr)
RB	Rodney Stewart (Jr) Darrell Scott (Jr)	DT	Curtis Cunningham (Jr) Nate Bonsu (So)
FB	Ryan Deehan (Jr) ?	DT	Will Pericak (So) Conrad Obi (Jr)
WR	Scotty McKnight (Sr) Jason Espinoza (Jr)	DE	Forrest West (So) Nick Kasa (So)
WR	Markques Simas (Jr) Will Jefferson (So)	WLB	Jon Major (So) Tyler Ahles (Jr)
TE	Ryan Deehan? (Jr) ?	MLB	Michael Sipili (Sr) ?
LT	Nate Solder (Sr) Ryan Dannewitz (So)	SLB	B.J. Beatty (Sr) Doug Rippy (So)
LG	Ethan Adkins (Jr) Blake Behrens (Jr)	CB	Jimmy Smith (Sr) ?
C	Keenan Stevens (Sr) Mike Iltis (Jr)	CB	Jalil Brown (Sr) Arthur Jaffee (Jr)
RG	Matthew Bahr (Jr) Max Tuioti-Mariner? (So)	FS	Ray Polk (So) Anthony Perkins (Jr)
RT	Ryan Miller (Jr) Bryce Givens (So)	SS	Travis Sandersfeld (Jr) ?

K	Aric Goodman (Sr)	P	Aric Goodman (Sr)
PR	Jason Espinoza (Jr)	KR	Brian Lockridge (Jr)

I mentioned this past offseason that while Colorado was going to stink in 2009, they might actually be positioning themselves to actually fulfill the role of sleeper that has been foisted upon them for most of the last half-decade. Ironically, they might actually emerge as a sleeper just as everybody finally gives up on them.
Of course, there will still be some major question marks. You know I'm not at all impressed with Rodney "Another Short Gain By" Stewart, and while Scotty McKnight (how is he still an underclassman???) is a great possession guy, he'd be a helluva lot better as a #2 or #3 threat than a #1. Unless Markques Simas finally starts to live up to the potential everybody says he has, this team is still severely lacking at WR, and they're losing both of their top tight ends. (I'm going out of my way not to mention Darrell Scott here, as he...whatever. I have no expectations whatsoever for him at this point, and I'm going to let him surprise me.)
I really like Jimmy Smith at CB, but CU's going to be searching for some replacements in the secondary. Jalil Brown has potential, and Ray Polk is young, but depth could be an issue.
Same can be said for the LB corps. Luckily for CU, they should have a strong D-line to maybe deflect some of the concerns.
If CU really does live up to its annual sleeper reputation, it will be in the trenches, where a struggling O-line will at least have experience on its side, and the D-line could be strong. Then again, after watching CU's O-line attempt to handle MU's improving-but-not-amazing D-line, maybe returning a bunch of these guys might not be a good thing.

Iowa State

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Austen Arnaud (Sr) Jerome Tiller (So)	DE	Patrick Neal (Jr) ?
RB	Alexander Robinson (Sr) Beau Blankenship (So)	DT	Bailey Johnson (Jr) Stephen Ruempolhamer (Jr)
WR	Jake Williams (Sr) ?	DT	Austin Alburtis (Sr) ?
WR	Sedrick Johnson (Jr) ?	DE	Roosevelt Maggitt (So) Cleyon Lang (So)
WR	Josh Lenz (So) Darius Darks (Jr)	SLB	Jacob Lattimer (Jr) ?
TE	Collin Franklin (Sr) ?	MLB	Matt Tau'fo'ou (Sr) A.J. Klein (So)
LT	Kelechi Osmele (Jr) Brayden Burris (So)	WLB	Jake Knott (So) ?
LG	Alex Alvarez (Sr) Mike Bangston (So)	CB	Leonard Johnson (Jr) Jeremy Reeves (So)
C	Sean Smith (Sr) ?	CB	Jacques Washington (So) ?
RG	Ben Lamaak (Sr) Trey Baysinger (Jr)	FS	Michael O'Connell (Sr) ?
RT	Scott Haughton (Jr) Zack Spears (Jr)	SS	David Sims (Sr) Zac Sandvig (Sr)

K	Grant Mahoney (Jr)	P	?
PR	Leonard Johnson (Jr)	KR	Leonard Johnson (Jr)

So Paul Rhoads' second year in Ames will potentially see a downright strong offense and a thin, depleted, inexperienced defense. I don't want to overstate the offensive potential (the WR situation is iffy, to say the least), but ISU might have the best O-line in the North blocking for what is at least decent skill position talent.
Arnaud vs Tiller. Could be interesting to watch this competition.
Really, if ISU returned just a couple more decent playmakers on defense, I could talk myself into them being a darkhorse contender. But while I do like what Rhoads has done with the talent on hand this year, I just can't figure they'll be that great next year. They will need another year or two of Rhoads developing his own recruits before I feel a lot more comfortable about the potential of their program.

Kansas

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Kale Pick (So) ?	DE	Jake Laptad (Sr) ?
RB	Toben Opurum (So) ?	DT	Jamal Greene (Sr) ?
WR	Dezmon Briscoe?? (Sr) ?	DT	John Williams (So) Richard Johnson (Jr)
WR	Johnathan Wilson (Sr) Tertavian Ingram (Sr)	DE	Quintin Woods (Sr) ?
WR	Bradley McDougald (So) Chris Omigie (So)	SLB	Justin Springer (Sr) ?
TE	Tim Biere (Jr) Ted McNulty (Jr)	MLB	Drew Dudley (Sr) ?
LT	Tanner Hawkinson (So) Ian Wolfe (Sr)	WLB	Huldon Tharp (So) ?
LG	Brad Thorson (Sr) Carl Wilson (Sr)	CB	D.J. Beshears (So) Daymond Patterson (Jr)
C	Jeremiah Hatch (Jr) Brad Thorson (Sr)	CB	Chris Harris (Sr) Calvin Rubles (Sr)
RG	Sal Capra (Sr) Trevor Marrongelli (So)	FS	Lubbock Smith (So) ?
RT	Jeff Spikes (Jr) Michael Martinovich (Jr)	SS	Phil Strozier (Sr) ?

K	Jacob Branstetter (Sr)	P	Alonso Rojas (Sr)
PR	Daymond Patterson (Jr)	KR	Bradley McDougald (So)

So KU's biggest question mark (offensive line) will return completely intact next year, while most of the known skill position talent disappears. I listed Dez Briscoe on the two-deep above, but I've got to be honest: I'm about 92% sure he's going pro this year. His stats are ridiculous, he's got decent NFL size, he's been suspended for academic reasons, and supposedly he was tied to those football-vs-basketball brawls earlier in the year. That's not a recipe for someone who's going to go out of his way to stick around campus for another season.
Without Briscoe, I have to figure this is going to be a run-heavy offense next year. Kale Pick's got a lot to prove, but with Toben Opurum and an experienced line, they might (might) be able to rely on the run. Then again, they'll still need some sort of passing attack, and...who will be the #1 receiver? Johnathan Wilson, I guess? Color me unafraid.
I'm not even going to try to figure out if KU's D is going to be any good. They've improved recently, but they lose Darrell Stuckey and two linemen, and the depth from LB corps vanishes. I assume this will be a decent unit, and really you can start to maybe see the identity KU might be going with--defense first, run-heavy, grind it out.

Kansas State

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Carson Coffman (Sr) ?	DE	Brandon Harold (Jr) ?
RB	Daniel Thomas (Sr) ?	DT	Prizell Brown (Sr) ?
FB	Braden Wilson (So) Lucas Hamm (Sr)	DT	Raphael Guidry (Jr) ?
WR	Lamark Brown (Sr) ?	DE	Antonio Felder (Sr) Joseph Kassanavoid (So)
WR	Collin Klein (So) Chris Harper (So)	LB	Kevin Rohleder (Sr) ?
TE	Travis Tannahill (So) ?	LB	Alex Hrebec (Jr) ?
LT	Zach Hanson (Jr) ?	LB	Troy Butler (Sr) Thomas Ferguson (So)
LG	Zach Kendall (Sr) Trevor Viers (Sr)	CB	Joshua Moore (Sr) Darious Thomas (So)
C	Wade Weibert (Sr) ?	CB	Stephen Harrison (Sr) David Garrett (Jr)
RG	Kenneth Mayfield (Sr) Colten Freeze (Jr)	FS	Emmanuel Lamur (Jr) ?
RT	Clyde Aufner (Jr) Ethan Douglas (So)	SS	Tysyn Hartman (Jr) Torrell Miller (So)

K	Josh Cherry (Sr)	P	Ryan Doerr (So)
PR	Tysyn Hartman (Jr)	KR	Daniel Thomas (Sr)

Like Kansas, this looks to be a pretty run-heavy, can't-pass-on-them team, with Daniel Thomas running behind a super-experienced line and a well-coached defense that is iffy in the front seven but stout in the secondary. In other words, this looks like a Bill Snyder team (sans the All-American linebackers). We've made a big deal out of the fact that they're losing about 35 seniors this year (and that's only a slight exaggeration), and that will absolutely murder their depth, but if they stay reasonably healthy, the Snyder identity might be able to take shape a bit more.
Now, I say they'll have a good secondary...I'm still unsure about how good the secondary is now, but returning all four current starters certainly suggests decent improvement for next year.
I believe I heard that Chris Harper is moving to WR instead of competing at QB, right?

Nebraska

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Cody Green (So) Zac Lee (Sr)	DE	Cameron Meredith (So) Josh Williams (So)
RB	Roy Helu, Jr. (Sr) Rex Burkhead (So)	DT	Baker Steinkuhler (So) Terrence Moore (Jr)
FB	Tyler Legate (So) Mike Hays (Jr)	DT	Jared Crick (Jr) ?
WR	Niles Paul (Sr) Antonio Bell (So)	DE	Pierre Allen (Sr) ?
WR	Curenski Gilleylen (Jr) Khiry Cooper (So)	Will	Blake Lawrence (Sr) Matthew May (Jr)
TE	Mike McNeill (Sr) Dreu Young (Sr)	Mike	Will Compton (So) Micah Kreikemeier (So)
LT	Mike Smith (Sr) ?	Buck	Sean Fisher (So) Eric Martin (So)
LG	Keith Williams (Sr) ?	CB	Prince Amukamara (Sr) Dejon Gomes (Sr)
C	Mike Caputo (Jr) ?	CB	Anthony West (Sr) Alfonzo Dennard (Jr)
RG	Ricky Henry (Sr) ?	FS	Eric Hagg (Sr) Austin Cassidy (Jr)
RT	Marcel Jones (Jr) D.J. Jones (Sr)	SS	P.J. Smith (So) Courtney Osborne (So)

K	Alex Henery (Sr)	P	Alex Henery (Sr)
PR	Niles Paul (Sr)	KR	Niles Paul (Sr)

How the hell is Pierre Allen still an underclassman? I was completely convinced that both he and Barry Turner were seniors, but I guess not.
Next question: how much of Nebraska's defensive identity is grounded in Ndamukong Suh? He and Turner depart, but will Allen and the stout Jared Crick be able to keep the great D-line play coming? And how much of Crick's success is due to offenses' fear of Suh?
The shine is quickly wearing off of Roy Helu, Jr., but he does return next year (lord knows he's not going pro), and with yet another experienced O-line, NU should be able to run the ball pretty well. That will obviously take some pressure off of Cody Green if Green is not, after all, ready to be NU's savior.
I really like what NU has returning at CB, but...safety? I think I like their second-string CBs more than their first string safeties. Will be interesting to see if there's some position shifting when all is said and done.

As a Missouri fan, I look at this information and quickly conclude that Missouri will be the 2010 favorite, and really I'd say I have pretty good basis in fact for that opinion. That said, Nebraska is intriguing, and even though K-State is not a stat-friendly team (I've already accepted that they're better than the stats say--I just can't figure out how much better), Bill Snyder really might get them back into the hunt despite the youth and lack of depth. Colorado could be interesting depending on who the head coach is (ahem), Kansas has recruited well and will see plenty of talented-but-young players hitting the field, and Iowa State might have the best offensive line in the division. I'd like to think Missouri might run away with this thing, and I'm sure it could happen (the trip to Lincoln aside), but with five of six North teams (all but Kansas) looking potentially better next year than this year, we might have another fun race on our hands.

Nebraska's Keys to Victory Over Baylor

Jon Johnston — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:00:41 -0000

More photos » by Dave Weaver - AP

Khiry Cooper earns a start this week. Could he be a key in a victory over Baylor?

Browse more photos »

I hate the idea of a "must win" game but if there's been one in the past few seasons, this is it. Lose to Baylor and you can kiss Nebraska's goal of winning the Big 12 North good bye. I'm sure that's on the minds of many Husker fans today, so the best advice I can give you is to stop having expectations and just let things happen. Enjoy the ride, one way or another and have some faith that things will work out okay.

I feel pretty positive about this game, which isn't that difficult to understand because it's Baylor. What is easy to forget that Nebraska was 4-3 at this same time last season yet went on to have a pretty good year. The same thing can happen this year, perhaps Baylor is the game where it all comes together.

There is good news. I stated last week that we would continue to make "Eliminate The Stupid" a key until the team, particularly the offensive line, would eliminate mistakes. Discounting the turnovers (as if that can be done), the offensive line committed only three penalties and if they can keep that up they'll be fine.

Nothing not obvious - the rest of the offense needs to find itself in a hurry.

BTW, if you expect "turnovers" to be one of the keys, you'll be disappointed. Despite the huge swing in turnover margin because of last week, turnovers are a given in every game. Nebraska gave up a ton all at once, while Baylor hasn't gained even one in Big 12 play.

Find A Leader

Bo Pelini talked this past week about finding a spark on offense and the need for someone to step up. He's also talked about a lot of changes on offense. Last week as one of the keys I mentioned finding the right combination of players. You might say we're searching for playmakers, but that would only be partially correct. What we're searching for is someone who wants to lead.

Not all playmakers are leaders, but all leaders are playmakers. They're the guys who make the tough catches on third down to keep the offense going or make an extra block to spring someone else for a long gain. They're the guys who the team looks to for strength and confidence when everyone's is wavering. Name the Nebraska player who does this on offense and you quickly understand what's missing because there isn't one.

With so many balls being dropped by receivers last week, Khiry Cooper will get his first start this week. That should be a sign we'll see more of Brandon Kinnie and Antonio Bell. If the older guys aren't going to become leaders, then it's time to find someone in the younger ranks.

Husker running back Roy Helu looked like he might fit the role, but last week only had a few carries and two fumbles. Helu said he wasn't injured. Pelini said he wasn't injured. Fans continue to disbelieve the both of them and in the process make excuses for Helu because they know the spark he can bring to the game, or because they believed that he would lead the offense and it's clear now that he will not. Given that, we'll be seeing more of Dontrayevous Robinson this week, maybe with more of Marcus Mendoza and either Lester Ward or Collins Okakor. Again, time to find "the guy".

Note that this isn't all about t the starting quarterback. The starting quarterback position has become somewhat of a sideshow, but whether it's Cody Green or Zac Lee doesn't matter, both are simply included amongst the possibilities.

Wear ‘Em Out

The concept of establishing an offensive identity has been worn out this season. Even the playcalling has been inconsistent, leading to Nebraska's inability to establish a dominant running game. We've been repeatedly told that defenses have stacked the line, yet near the end of the Missouri game we saw an offense that sealed the game with a strong drive based on the run.

Baylor is still Baylor in the fact that they don't have solid depth across the entire team. Wouldn't it be nice to see a strong running game (not necessarily a power running game, mind you) that could sustain drives, picking up third downs, and eventually wearing a weaker Bear team out by the end of the game?

It would warm the hearts of Husker fans everywhere. Make it happen without excuses about what the defense did or didn't give you.

No Big Plays On Defense

Nothing fancy here. The defense holds Baylor to less than ten point by eliminating the big play. Two of Nebraska's losses can be attributed to single mistakes. The Virginia Tech game came down to an 84-yard pass play in which Hokie receiver Danny Coale got behind Matt O'Hanlon. Iowa State scored their sole touchdown because of a 47-yard pass play from Jerome Tiller to Jake Williams when Eric Hagg got turned around and couldn't find the ball. That happened one play after the Huskers gave up 20 yards and a first down on a fake punt by Iowa State.

The defense is playing very well, but given how poor the offense has done they have no margin for error. Stop giving up the big plays and the Huskers win all their games the rest of the season. Is that too much to ask?

A question for all y'all - what do you want to see happen most?

Husker Report Card: Iowa State

Husker Mike — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:30:28 -0000

More photos » by Dave Weaver - AP

Roy Helu's fumble to open the game set the tone for the entire afternoon.(AP Photo/Dave Weaver)

Browse more photos »

Nebraska's eight turnovers were the statistic of the day and the simplest answer to what went wrong yesterday. Both coaches agree that without most of those turnovers, the Huskers would have not only won, but won handily. Bo Pelini said that with eight turnovers, "we could have been run out of the stadium." Iowa State head coach Paul Rhoads added "They have an outstanding defense. Are you kidding me? Eight turnovers we gained and the final score is 9-7? Anybody else that had that kind of turnover advantage would have won by 30 or 40 points. Credit Nebraska. They have an unbelievable defensive football team."

So this week's report card is going to be a bit more focused on faulty areas.

QB: Sorry to disappoint those of you calling for Cody Green to take over at quarterback, but Zac Lee wasn't the problem. It wasn't a great performance, but it wasn't horrible. A couple of tipped interceptions, and a pick on a last minute heave were Lee's biggest negatives. Well, Lee did stare down most of his receivers yesterday. But Lee's biggest problem yesterday weren't his throws, it's what happened after the ball left his grasp. Grade: C+

IB: Roy Helu is trying to play hurt, and I think it's hurting the team. When Helu first hurt his shoulder, he lost feeling in his arm, and judging from his fumble problems yesterday, he's not 100%. Please sit Helu for a week or two and get him better. Dontravious Robinson was fairly solid in his debut at I-back; he's not a game breaker but he's a powerful back who'll get some yards. I'm not that concerned about his fumble; there were three Cyclones trying to strip him of the ball. He'll learn from this. Grade: B-

WR: The drops were bad enough. The fumbles were even worse. Niles Paul seems to be haunted; between outstanding all-American type plays comes a blunder that costs the team badly. Brandon Kinnie got involved in the offense. The newcomers seem to be making an impact. Right now, I'm not sure that Nebraska wouldn't be better off starting Kinnie, Khiry Cooper, and Chris Brooks as the top three receivers. I liked the use of the three and four tight-end power sets; they were very productive when run to the right side. Grade: F

OL: I almost want to give two grades here. Mike Caputo came in for an injured Jacob Hickman and did a good job. Also playing well were the right side of the line with Ricky Henry and Marcel Jones. The left side, on the other hand, struggled. Keith Williams got burned, and in power formations, runs to the left went nowhere while runs to the right gained five to seven yards. So I'll give the right side a B+ and the left side a D-. Or an overall C+.

DL: Ndamukong Suh for Heisman again. What else is there to say about Suh and company. Suh blocked a field goal and an extra point, and both might have been Nebraska's best chances to avoid the loss even with eight turnovers. If Suh hadn't spiked the blocked extra point too far, Prince Amukamara could have returned it for two points and a tie game. Once again, they get an A.

LB: Phillip Dillard is a man reborn. He's flying to the football and supporting the line very well. Sean Fisher thought he was back at Millard North on the return of Suh's second blocked kick. Grade: B+

Secondary: Dejon Gomes and Alfonzo Dennard continue to impress me in coverage. They weren't tested much by Iowa State, but Eric Hagg got burned on the long pass. Grade B-.

Special Teams: Suh got the blocks, but that misplay on the ISU fake punt changed the tone of yesterday's games more than any of the fumbles by themselves. Grade D+

Coaching: Watson's game plan was better this week, though there still were too many screen passes for my taste. The Pelini brothers had another good defensive plan as well. Grade B-.

Overall: C- There's a certain amount of coachspeak going on when Pelini says the Nebraska wasn't good enough in any phase of the game. Truth is...they were good enough if the receivers could have held onto the ball. But by that same manner, everybody is capable of playing at a higher level and could have helped compensate for yesterday's turnovers.

Elsewhere in College Football

Texas A&M: A+ Go figure what's up in the wacky world of Big XII football.

Texas Tech: F Taylor Potts career in Lubbock is likely over now.

Missouri: F Good news... now you get to play the Buffies next.

Alabama: C OK, you survived. Good for you...

Iowa: C America's most overrated team survives another week. Who in the Big 10 is going to step up and save the BCS Championship game from another unworthy Big 10 team. Last year, it was the Hawkeyes themselves eliminating Penn State.

Poll

Rate the Huskers Performance against Iowa State

A I'm a fan of other teams and want to encourage the Huskers to turn the ball over even more often.

27 votes

Those fumbles were the only thing keeping Nebraska from a dominating victory.

65 votes

C Nebraska's defense played lights-out again..but the offense needs to improve to be merely ordinary.

120 votes

D Close, but no cigar.

11 votes

F Another loss. And oy ve, what a way to lose.

93 votes

316 votes | Poll has closed

Mizzou Links, GAMEDAY

Bill C. — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:58:07 -0000

WEATHER

Weather.com: Radar in Motion
KOMU.com: Local Forecast

Or, to put it more succinctly...

Gameday Links!

KC Star: Blaine Gabbert stands at flash point of Nebraska-Mizzou game
The Trib (Dave Matter): Writer's Block
BTS: Gary Pinkel and Missouri players tried to temper the idea that this is a heated rivalry, but at least with the fans, Missouri-Nebraska has become every bit as hostile and nasty as Missouri’s with Kansas, maybe even more so. How has this rivalry evolved from your viewpoint?

Shatel I’ve always thought this was the most underrated, or underdeveloped, rivalry in college football. Then again, I’m biased. I’ve been around it since 1977, my sophomore year at Mizzou, and people on both sides say it’s been tough and physical and downright nasty long before that. I’ve been on both sides of this, as an alum, a former sports writer at the Star who covered Mizzou in the 80’s, and then on the other side of the barbed wire in Omaha since 1991 (Married a devoted Husker and she lets me fly a half-Nebraska, half-Missouri flag). Since I’ve started watching, these games have always been the most brutal and hardest-hitting on either team’s schedule, and that includes OU-Nebraska. There’s something about it. I can’t explain. What is it? Why do these two fan bases dislike each other so intensely? Ask a Tiger who’d he rather beat in football, NU or KU, and I think you’d get interesting answers.
The Trib: Tigers' run defense will be tested
The Trib: Behind the Stripes Webcast: Episode 9
PowerMizzou: Powered Up: The North's top two
PowerMizzou: Zo Knows Nebraska
Post-Dispatch: Today's matchup: Tigers vs Nebraska
The Missourian: Nebraska quarterback looks past what-ifs
The Missourian: MIssouri football players prepare for Huskers, first conference game
Jeff City News Tribune: Gabbert ready to tackle challenge of Big 12 play for first time
Omaha World-Herald: Huskers' secondary coach says Eric Hagg has skills
Omaha World-Herald: Alfonzo Dennard set for more time
Big Red Network: Secondary Primary for NU
Big Red Network: Unwelcome Rumors Mostly Unfounded
Big12Sports.com: Collision in Columbia

Not-as-game-related Gameday Links!

Mizzourah: Defining a Rivalry
The Missourian: 10 Things to look for while trying to park
The Missourian: Hotels give thumbs up, bars concerned about Thursday football game
The Missourian: Oct. 8, 1992: the first night football game at MU
The Trib: Missourians, Nebraskans have at least two things in common
From Missouri’s perspective, Nebraska fans politely clap for the opposing team as it jogs off the field for the sole purpose of reminding you that they politely clap for the opposing team as it jogs off the field. They pine for 1994 more wistfully than Ace of Base and fail to mention that in the last five years, their team’s Big 12 record is worse than Texas Tech and Missouri and only a game better than Kansas. They write hysterical e-mails to sports editors about how they fear for their lives in Columbia even though the only reported violence at one of these games came when one of their student-athletes, Kellen Huston, slugged a Missouri fan in 2003. We gave them Mike Rucker; they gave us Lawrence Phillips.
Denver Post: Steele-y-eyed miss on Mizzou

Big 12 Links!

Dez Bryant
Dr. Saturday: All-American Bryant will dazzle no more at Oklahoma State
Dr. Saturday: Dez Bryant Update: Ok. State star brought down by Primetime?
Dallas Morning News: What we know about Dez Bryant's situation
Daily Oklahoman: Who's Next at receiver for OSU?
Gobbler Country: Dez Bryant's Suspension is Why I Hate the NCAA

Bryant thought just going to Sanders' house was a violation of NCAA rules. I don't blame him. It seems every small, stupid thing is an NCAA violation, even if it's just Chillin' With Deion. The NCAA has these kids scared to leave their dorms without doing something that will cost them their eligibility.
...
So once Bryant found out he hadn't committed a violation, he owned up to having lied and got suspended. OSU has already applied for reinstatement and it better happen or the NCAA is even a more backasswards organization than I previously thought.
The Wiz of Odds: Fighting a Big War With a Short Stick in the Big 12
Double-T Nation: Five Reasons Texas Tech Will Lose :: Kansas St. Wildcats Edition

Non-Football Mizzou Links!

MU Basketball
Big12Hoops.com: Missouri's Recruiting Reach
Anderson knows that you cannot win with in-state talent alone and that to be a national powerhouse, you need to recruit throughout the nation.
That is why he spends time recruiting outside the Show-Me borders and to get athletes from every part of the country. In fact this year's roster is comprised of 13 players representing 8 states: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri (4), New York and Tennessee (3). Those states embody almost every region of the country and show that Mizzou is making itself a household name throughout the country.

Rush the Court: Binghamton and Kansas Can't Stay Out of the Headlines
MU Volleyball
MUtigers.com: Wilson, Klein and Vann Lead Mizzou Past Colorado
The Missourian: Missouri volleyball player aces home match
Big12Sports.com: Missouri Student-Athlete Spotlight: Paola Ampudia

SB Nation 2009 Big 12 Preview: Nebraska Cornhuskers Team Capsule

Jon Johnston — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 02:32:52 -0000

The SB Nation Big 12 preview will post on Friday at The Ralphie Report. The following is the Nebraska team capsule for the conference-wide preview piece in conjunction with CBS Sports.

Expect the Blackshirt defense to be much improved in Bo Pelini's season. They should carry Nebraska to a Big 12 North win this season. Photo by Dennis Hubbard

The Outlook

Anything less than winning the Big 12 North will be a disappointment. The success of the 2009 Husker offense will depend on Nebraska establishing a firm ground attack, providing time for Lee and the receiving corps to develop into a balanced attack. If the Huskers find themselves one-dimensional, they'll have to rely on their defense to carry them to the Big 12 Championship game, but the margin for error will be very thin.

Offense

In 2009, the offense begins with I-backs Roy Helu Jr. and Quentin Castille. In 2008, Helu was bothered by a shoulder injury at the start of the season, but emerged as a star in November, rushing for 510 yards and five touchdowns in the final four games. For the season, he averaged 6.4 yards per carry, which is the highest of any returning back in the North division. Castille was the third back most of the season, but rushed for 125 yards in the Gator Bowl.

Replacing Joe Ganz at quarterback will be junior Zac Lee. Lee, who played sparingly last season, might be Nebraska's most talented quarterback since Eric Crouch. At San Francisco City College in 2006, Lee threw for over 3400 yards and 35 touchdowns. Lee is mobile as well, with 4.6 speed.

Nebraska's top returning receiver is tight end Mike McNeill, who'll probably be the best tight end in the conference not named Jermaine Gresham. Menelik Holt and Niles Paul look to be the top two wide receivers in 2009. Holt was hampered by a knee injury that caused him to miss most of four games last season. Paul's biggest contributions to date have been on kick returns, with an 85 yard touchdown return against San Jose State last season. A group of inexperienced but talented receivers will fight for playing time and to fill out the remaining positions.

Three starters return up front, including honorable mention all-Big XII center Jacob Hickman, who may move to guard this season. Juniors Keith Williams and Mike Smith return to anchor the left side of the line. If Hickman moves to right guard, sophomore Mike Caputo will take over at center. Other candidates for the right side include tackle Marcel Jones and guards D.J. Jones and Ricky Henry.

Defense

The defense is lead by pre-season All-American defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who is also a top-ten NFL draft prospect. The defense will be dependent upon Suh to make plays or occupy enough blockers to make them better. Expect sophomore Jared Crick to start alongside Suh, with redshirt freshman Baker Steinkuhler in the rotation.

Defensive end Barry Turner returns this season after breaking his leg in early 2008. Pierre Allen did an excellent job filling in his position last season. Between Suh, Crick, Turner and Allen, Nebraska's defensive line should be one of the best in the conference this season.

At linebacker, no fewer than ten players are fighting for three starting positions. Phillip Dillard returns as the most experienced of the bunch, but after a lackluster spring must fight his way back into the starting rotation. Pelini has so far refused to name starters to keep the competition going, but you could expect redshirt freshmen Will Compton and Sean Fisher to win some starts, along with sophomore Matthew May.

The secondary returns with much more depth than the previous season. Prince Amukamara and Anthony West return as starters at the corners. Anthony Blue returns after sitting out 2008 with a knee injury. Lance Thorrell should reprise his role in the dime package. Larry Asante is the top returning starter at safety, and should make the All-Big 12 list by the end of the season. Eric Hagg should keep his spot as the other starting safety, splitting time with Matt O'Hanlon. Rickey Thenarse must have a good fall camp to fight off redshirt freshmen Courtney Osborne and P.J. Smith. The defensive secondary had too many break downs last season, but that should be much improved this year.

In a single season, Bo Pelini turned around a defense that finished near the bottom of the nation in several categories, and had them playing well enough to finish as one of the top defenses in the Big 12 by season's end. With a year of understanding Pelini's system behind them, expect the Blackshirt defense to become the bright spot for Husker fans this season.

Special Teams

Alex Henery returns as one of the most accurate kickers in the nation. In 2008, Henery went 18-21 in field goals and made 56 of 57 PATs. The Huskers will have to replace holder Jake Wesch and long snapper T.J. O'Leary, who have handled those duties over the past three seasons.

Kickoff specialist Adi Kunalic returns after finishing fifth the nation in touchbacks last season, giving the Huskers a formidable weapon in the kicking game. Henery may pull double duty and handle punting duty, a task for which he was originally recruited.

Nate Swift was the team's primary punter last season and must be replaced after having moved on this season. Niles Paul showed some promise returning punts, and should be more consistent this season. Newcomers Rex Burkhead and Antonio Bell will be considered as will redshirt freshman Tim Marlowe.

Niles Paul looks likely to replay his role as a kick returner after having a decent year in 2008. Two of the top five plays last season were Paul kick returns, including a 85-yard touchdown return against San Jose State. Alfonzo Dennard was one of only three true freshman to play last season and should handle return duties again this season. Sophomore Curenski Gilleylen and newcomers Burkhead and Antonio Bell may get their chance as well.

Kickoff coverage must get better as Nebraska finished 105th in the nation in last season. Watch for Bo Pelini to include some talented newcomers to the coverage team this season as the Huskers look for every edge possible to win the Big 12 North.

Key Losses

Joe Ganz, QB - The former bench warmer that nobody believed in until Sam Keller injured his collarbone. He came in and promptly put up three straight 400 yard games and showed a gritty resolve that endeared him to Husker fans. He leaves after setting 23 school records, including season records for passing yardage.

Nate Swift, WR - Departs as the Huskers record holder for career receptions, and ranks second for yards receiving all-time. Some might consider him a "possession" receiver, but he also had decent speed. In his senior season, he ranked 2nd in the Big XII and eighth nationally in punt returns.

Todd Peterson, WR - Along with Swift, gave Joe Ganz two dependable receivers. The pair combined for 125 receptions and over 1,700 yards.

Marlon Lucky, IB - The former five-star recruit never quite lived up to the hype from his high school days, but was a versatile weapon in all facets of the passing game.

Matt Slauson, OL - The anchor of the Husker offensive line the last few years, Slauson was drafted in the 6th round by the New York Jets, where he'll be reunited with Jets offensive line coach Bill Callahan.

Lydon Murtha, OL - Murtha was an enigma for the Huskers, as he had all of the measurables to be an impressive offensive line prospect, but never developed the consistency to be that dominant lineman that some projected. The Detroit Lions were impressed enough to take him in the seventh round of the NFL draft.

Zach Potter, DE - Potter became a dominant end in his final two seasons, showing a knack for deflecting passes and kicks. Last season, he blocked three kicks and deflected two passes to Ndamukong Suh, who returned both for touchdowns.

Ty Steinkuhler, DT - Steinkuhler was a bit of an unsung hero until the Gator Bowl last season. His presence prevented offenses from double-teaming Ndamukong Suh, as Clemson quickly learned.

Armando Murillo, CB - Nebraska's lone loss in the secondary, he was the Huskers most consistent performer in the secondary.

Dan Titchener, P - Three year starter who averaged 39.9 yards per punt in his career.

Newcomers

Pelini has already shown his penchant for retaining redshirts, so you shouldn't expect to see a lot of brand new faces this year.

Baker Steinkuhler, DT - Another Steinkuhler, the departing Ty's little brother. Should see plenty of playing time this season.

Will Compton, LB - the most likely middle linebacker of the future for the Blackshirt defense.

Sean Fisher, LB - having a break-out fall camp, should be expected to get a lot of starts this season.

Rex Burkhead, RB/KR/PR/? - Burkhead was a ‘do everything' guy in in high school, playing running back, quarterback, receiver, returning punts and kicks, along with taking out the trash. Truly a versatile player, probably too skilled to remain on the sideline this season as a true freshman.

Antonio Bell & Brandon Kinnie, WR - A pair of young wide receivers that should make some contributions and break into the starting rotation by the end of the season.

Big 12 Projected Order Of Finish:

North

Nebraska
Kansas
Colorado
Missouri
Iowa State
Kansas State

South
Oklahoma
Texas
Oklahoma State
Texas Tech
Baylor
Texas A&M

2009 Opponent Previews

Atlantic Owls
Arkansas St. Red Wolves
Virginia Tech Hokies
Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns
Missouri Tigers
Texas Tech Red Raiders owa St. Cyclones
Baylor Bears
Oklahoma Sooners
Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas St. Wildcats
Colorado Buffaloes

Nebraska: Beyond the Box Score Preseason Defensive Preview

Bill C. — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:11 -0000

Yesterday: The Offense

Before we get to the defense, an aside.

I'm in an interesting position here. Nebraska is absolutely in the North's top tier of teams (as has been covered previously, there appears to be a rather large "proven talent" divide between KU/NU/MU and KSU/ISU/CU), and if they can win in Lawrence or Columbia (or maybe even if they can't), they can take the North. As you'll read below, the defense should be incrementally better while the offense could be incrementally worse, and while there are few true stars (Ndamukong Suh, Roy Helu, maybe Mike McNeill or a defensive end), there is decent experience at RB, DL, and DB. And Bo Pelini certainly acquitted himself relatively well in year #1.

As I've mentioned previously, my problem comes with expectations and with the casual nature that national-level analysts continue to just assume that Nebraska is now "back" despite little evidence to support that. Since making the national title game in 2001, Nebraska has gone just 28-28 in conference with a point differential of -68. As means of comparison, here are the North standings in that time frame:

Big 12 North Standings, 2002-08
Team	Record	Pt. Diff
Missouri	29-27	+235
Nebraska	28-28	-68
Colorado	27-29	-104
Kansas State	25-31	+189
Kansas	22-34	-297
Iowa State	15-41	-718

(Yes, that's right--ONE North team is over .500 combined in the last seven seasons--barely--and the North is, as a whole, 44 games under .500 in that span. Granted, Iowa State is responsible for 26 of those games, but...well...Baylor and their 10-46 record still reside in the South, and the division has still managed to be 44 games over .500. Yikes.)

Anyway, the frustration here lies in the fact that, every year we get to hear about Nebraska being "back" and Colorado being a "sleeper," and yet Missouri, who has been a smidge better than both of them over a 7-year (not just 2-year) span, is pronounced dead at the first possible moment. Just odd. But the good news is, as always, this is the offseason. The real season will give us all the answers we're arguing about or getting annoyed about at the moment.

/aside

Anyhoo, time to talk defense.

Nebraska pulled off an interesting feat in 2008. While winning six of seven games to end the season, they gave up 29.1 points per game in that span (23.7 in the wins), and yet the basis for most of their North title predictions this offseason come from how good the defense is going to be. They gave up 35 points to Virginia Tech, who had the #79 offense in the country (according to S&P+). They gave up 52 to Missouri and 62 to Oklahoma...37 to Texas Tech (not bad, actually)...35 to Kansas...28 to Kansas State...an egregious 31 to Colorado (S&P+ rank: 114th)...and yet the defense is going to carry them to the North title? Never mind how disrespectful that is for Kansas (and to a lesser extent, Missouri) fans to hear...how disrespectful is that to Joe Ganz? Nate Swift? Roy Helu Jr.? These were the guys who, along with Ndamukong Suh's big plays, carried the Huskers to a strong 2008 finish.

Now, before I go any further, make no mistake: the Nebraska defense has probably the best shot at being the North's best D in the fall. The point is, it's not going to be so good that they will get by Kansas and Missouri (both on the road) simply on the heels of the dominant Blackshirts. They're not going to be that dominant. In going for only their second North title since Eric Crouch was running the show, the onus will be on not only Zac Lee and an unproven receiving corps, but also a decent-not-great defense, which alternates between experienced guys with low ceilings and inexperienced, highly-touted players. Maybe Bo Pelini will push all the right buttons, but we shouldn't assume it will happen.

Defense

Overall Stats

S&P+: 108.9 (#41)
Success Rate+: 111.9 (#23)
PPP+: 105.7 (#53)

Standard Downs S&P+: 103.9 (#51)
Passing Downs S&P+: 114.0 (#31)

Redzone S&P+: 114.4 (#23)

Q1 S&P+: 95.5 (#75)
Q2 S&P+: 121.2 (#22)
Q3 S&P+: 82.7 (#105)
Q4 S&P+: 144.3 (#2)

1st Down S&P+: 96.8 (#71)
2nd Down S&P+: 120.6 (#17)
3rd Down S&P+: 115.9 (#32)

Rushing Stats

Rushing S&P+: 102.0 (#60)
Rushing SR+: 104.4 (#47)
Rushing PPP+: 98.9 (#65)

Standard Downs: 91.5 (#86)
Passing Downs: 138.5 (#15)

Redzone: 96.4 (#74)

Line Yards+: 103.4 (#48)

Passing Stats

Passing S&P+: 112.2 (#28)
Passing SR+: 118.0 (#10)
Passing PPP+: 107.1 (#50)

Standard Downs: 113.1 (#39)
Passing Downs: 105.4 (#51)

Redzone: 141.3 (#7)

Adj. Sack Rate: 8.6% (#9)

As a whole, Nebraska had a pretty efficient defense in 2008, but they struggled with the big play. Their success rates were quite solid, but their PPP+ numbers were lacking. They knew how to leverage an offense into bad situations (15th in Passing Downs Rushing), but they ended up occasionally letting teams off the hook (51st in Passing Downs Passing).

Other items of note:

Thanks in part to a very strong Adjusted Sack Rate, Nebraska's strength was in defending the pass. Again, they weren't tremendous from a PPP+ perspective, but their success rates were good. As I gather more data, it will be interesting to see which one is easier to improve with experience and better execution--success rates or PPP.
Strangely, as with their offense, their redzone rushing defense was awful, but their redzone pass defense was great. You figure it out; I can't.
While they did indeed have a strong sack rate, what's with the line yardage? It seems they were good at attacking and speed, but they couldn't avoid being pushed around (or, they attacked too much, and it was easy to use their leverage against them to create running lanes?).
Bad in Q1, good in Q2. Atrocious in Q3, outstanding in Q4. Again, you figure it out.
They were mediocre on first downs but quite strong on second downs...and decent-not-great on third downs. This coincides with what was mentioned above--they were good at making a bad offensive situation worse, but they let teams off the hook a bit.

Through all of this info, something else interesting emerges. For all the seemingly-justifiable hype generated by NU's D-line, it was the Huskers' worst-ranked unit in 2008. It was a decent #42, while the linebackers were #34 and the high-efficiency-too-many-big-plays secondary was #31 (at least partially because they played against so many great passing offenses, I assume). Kind of an identity crisis here.

But regardless of the rankings, it appears that the D-line and secondary could be better, while...honestly, I have no idea what to make of the LBs.

Defensive Line

Pierre Allen is overshadowed but solid.

2008 Unit Ranking: #42 in the nation (#4 in the Big 12)

Projected Depth Chart
DT Ndamukong Suh (6'4, 300, Sr.)
DE Pierre Allen (6'5, 265, Jr.)
DE Barry Turner (6'3, 265, Sr.)
DT Baker Steinkuhler (6'6, 295, RSFr.)
DT Terrence Moore (6'3, 285, So.)
DE Josh Williams (6'4, 245, RSFr.)
DE Cameron Meredith (6'4, 260, RSFr.)

While nobody is going to mistake this unit for that of Oklahoma, this is clearly the most proven defensive line in the Big 12 North, at least in terms of the pass rush. Ndamukong Suh has slowly morphed from inconsistent playmaker to every-down dominant (he led Nebraska in tackles last season, as a defensive tackle, and posted 19 TFLs and two huge pick sixes), while Baker Steinkuhler, if he can gain the form of a 5-star athlete quickly, could make teams pay for doubling Suh. Meanwhile, on the outside, Pierre Allen posted 10.0 TFLs of his own last year, and Barry Turner might be able to make some waves after following up a disappointing 2007 season (he was outstanding as a freshman and sophomore) with a 2008 broken leg that earned him a medical hardship.

They were great at attacking in 2008, but it was possible to push them around a bit. Bo Pelini's defense has the reputation for attacking and blitzing a lot, but the strength of the attack is limited if you struggle against the run. Derrick Washington put up 139 yards and two touchdowns against them, Tech's Baron Batch went for 97 yards on just 10 carries, and Robert Griffin posted 121 yards. In all, NU's rush defense (#60) wasn't terrible, but it certainly wasn't great. Clearly that will need to improve considerably if Nebraska is to assume a spot in the Top 25 as they are now predicted to do.

Outside of Suh, Allen, and Turner, the defensive line is thin and inexperienced, but, well, that won't matter if the starters don't get hurt. Suh is clearly a force (though he has yet to make serious noise against Missouri, knock on wood), and Allen and Turner could make for a strong pair of rush ends.

Linebackers

Missouri fans probably know the name of Will Compton pretty well already.

2008 Unit Ranking: #34 in the nation (#6 in the Big 12)

Projected Depth Chart
Phillip Dillard (6'1, 240, Sr.)
Blake Lawrence (6'3, 220, Jr.)
Will Compton (6'2, 220, RSFr.)
Sean Fisher (6'6, 230, RSFr.)
Mathew May (6'1, 210, So.)
Matt Holt (6'0, 200, So.)

So...what do you actually do with this unit? You've got 27th-year senior Phil Dillard, who has made 75 tackles in two years and almost no plays. You've got former 4-star stud Blake Lawrence, who has made 23 tackles in 15 games his first two seasons and made exactly one big play: an interception in 2008. You've got new 4-star stud Will Compton, whose biggest contribution thus far in his career was to assistant coach Mike Ekeler's arm but is expected to tear things up sooner than later...and then you've got a bunch of other youngsters. In limited action, Mathew May locked down a nice TFL, forced fumble, and fumble recovery, so he may hold some potential. Same with Matt Holt, who made 14 tackles in nine games (and one start).

It's unclear how much potential this relatively young unit of LBs has, and how quickly they can be expected to fulfill said potential. Clearly, the Huskers have a lot of hope in Compton, but...well, he's not any more highly-touted than Lawrence was, and Lawrence hasn't done anything of note yet. There's something to be said for the fact that the Husker D is now in its second year under Pelini, and knowledge of the scheme and higher levels of intuition will make things better. And there's also this: the Huskers had a respectable, 34th-ranked LB corps in 2008 despite the fact that there really wasn't a big-time playmaker among Dillard, Lawrence, and departed seniors Cody Glenn and Tyler Wortman. Pelini clearly knows LBs, and even if none of these guys are All-Conference caliber, this unit at least won't be a liability.

Secondary

Larry Asante...starting safety (I have nothing in particular to say about him...he's solid)

2008 Unit Ranking: #31 in the nation (#8 in the Big 12)

Projected Depth Chart
S Larry Asante (6'1, 215, Sr.)
CB Anthony West (6'0, 205, Jr.)
S Matt O'Hanlon (5'11, 200, Sr.)
CB Prince Amukamara (6'1, 200, Jr.)
S Ricky Thenarse (6'0, 205, Sr.)
CB Alfonzo Dennard (5'10, 190, So.)
CB Anthony Blue (5'10, 185, So.)
S Eric Hagg (6'2, 205, Jr.)

The secondary is as experienced as the LB corps is inexperienced, but there doesn't appear to be as much upside. Again, they gave up a few too many big plays, but I guess that is to be expected against the offenses they faced. They posted good success rate numbers, and that helped the pass defense a decent amount. Safeties Larry Asante, Matt O'Hanlon, and Ricky Thenarse are veterans, and that's never a bad thing for your last line of defense. But they also combined for only 10 TFLs and 3 INTs. Thenarse seemed to be the biggest offender in terms of giving up the big play (at least in games I watched), but he was most capable of making some plays himself.

Meanwhile, the cornerback position seems to have more potential overall--Anthony West ended up having himself a solid sophomore season, breaking up nine passes and picking two more off. (As means of comparison, Castine Bridges had seven pass breakups from the CB position, Carl Gettis six and Kevin Rutland five.) Prince Amukamara showed some potential as well. In all, NU's secondary was their highest-ranked unit in 2008, and gauging experience levels (and strength of schedule), you can expect those numbers to be maintained in 2009.

Special Teams

2008 Unit Ranking: #106 Net Punting, #21 Punt Returns, #48 Kickoff Returns

Projected Starters
K Alex Henery (6'2, 175, Jr.) - 56-57 PAT, 18-21 FGs
P Alex Henery (6'2, 175, Jr.)
KR Niles Paul (6'1, 215, Jr.) - 41 Returns, 23.6 Avg, 1 TD
PR Niles Paul (6'1, 215, Jr.) - 8 Returns, 10.0 Avg

Nebraska special teams in 2009 were pretty hit-or-miss. Alex Henery was an outstanding kicker--it's hard to overstate how clutch it is to beat a main rival (Colorado) with a 57-yard field goal with two minutes remaining. In all, he made 18 of 21 FGs, and he has by far the most proven leg in the Big 12 North. He will also likely be trusted to assume punting duties in 2009--NU was pretty weak here last year, and while it's never a given that a good kicker will be a good punter, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt here.

On the returns side of things, it looks right now as if Niles Paul will be the man. He was solid in kickoff returns, scoring a clutch return touchdown in the fourth quarter against San Jose State, right after SJSU had closed NU's lead to 14-12. Take that return out of the equation, and he still averaged 22.1 yards per return, which would have been better than average. Nate Swift was the main man in punt returns last year, but Paul returned a handful and did fine with them.

Really, if punting isn't a liability, the special teams unit could be a major asset for Nebraska in close games, particularly in terms of kicking. Henery really is a stud.

Summary

Iffy offense, solid defense, solid special teams. In a division without a breakaway favorite, Nebraska has as good a chance as anybody of coming away the winner (though playing in both Lawrence and Columbia won't help their cause).

We'll take a look at projections on Friday, but for now we'll just summarize by saying that while NU's defense could be solid, I think they're at least a year away from having rock-solid personnel at linebacker, but they'll be taking a step backwards on the defensive line and in the secondary next year. It might take a little while for all the pieces to truly come together for Pelini's defense, but he's got a good defensive mind obviously, and because of that and decent personnel, they'll certainly be in the title hunt this year. I'm just not giving them anything yet.

---

Projections on Friday.

2009 Nebraska Football Spring Preview: Defensive Secondary Depth Means Flexibility

Jon Johnston — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:00:11 -0000

The 2008 Husker secondary wasn’t nearly as thin as the linebacking unit, but it entered the season with only two consistent starters - cornerback Armando Murillo and strong safety Larry Asante. Murillo started every game in 2007 and in 2008 started every game but Western Michigan when he was hampered by injury. Murillo is gone now but the Huskers enter 2009 with vastly more experience in the secondary than the previous season. Asante returns to provide leadership in the secondary.

No less than eight players have starting experience, compared with two a year ago, including Larry Asante, Rickey Thenarse, Matt O’Hanlon, Eric Hagg, Prince Amukamara, Anthony West, Lance Thorrell, and Anthony Blue, who started two games in 2007. Between them the defensive secondary has 57 starts.

Depth is a key for the Huskers as they look ahead into the 2009 season. Like the linebacking unit, competition will be heavy for the starting positions. The more defensive secondary players that are available, the more flexibility will be afforded Bo Pelini. Nebraska opened with the nickel package in five games; Western Michigan, San Jose State, New Mexico State, Oklahoma and Kansas State. In five other games; Missouri, Texas Tech, Baylor, Kansas and Colorado, the Huskers opened with the dime package. Considering the high octane offenses of our Big 12 opponents, the more prepared defensive secondary, the better.

Matt O'Hanlon (#33) had a great season in 2008. O'Hanlon has a tough battle to win a starting safety spot in 2009.
Photo by Dennis Hubbard.

2009 Spring Season

Cornerbacks

Murillo was the only senior amongst the cornerbacks. After his departure the Huskers enter 2009 without a single senior at the position, but with a healthy amount of depth.

At cornerback, juniors Prince Amukamara and Anthony West enter 2009 with 14 starts between them. Amukamara finished with 34 tackles and forced two fumbles and in the process gained valuable playing time as he entered 2008 having never played the position. He played in all 13 games in 2008, starting against Western Michigan, New Mexico State and Virginia Tech.

West started 11 games in 2008, missing one due to injury. He finished with 29 tackles, a sack, and two interceptions. He tied for first in pass breakups with Murillo with nine. He will be expected to be a steady starter in 2009.

Anthony Blue is the big unknown. Blue sat out the 2008 season recovering from an ACL injury, suffered during spring practice. If Blue can recover his speed and agility, the Huskers add another key player to secondary as Blue was recognized by the Sporting News as a first-team freshman All Big 12 player.

Lance Thorrell found time as the starting dime back in 2008. He played in 11 games, including five starts and finished with 24 tackles. Thorrell began his career as a walk-on.

Alfonzo Dennard was one of only three true freshman who played in 2008. Although he played in 12 games, most of his playing time was on special teams. Dennard saw time as a kick returner, returning eight kicks for a total of 150 yards, an 18.8 average, with a long of 31 against Clemson.

Junior Dejon Gomes is a JUCO transfer from City College of San Francisco who has joined the team early for 2009 spring practice. He has three years to use two seasons of eligibility.

Safeties

Strong safety senior Larry Asante is the most experienced returner in the secondary, finishing 2007 as the second leading tackler and in 2008 starting every game but Missouri where he was replaced by Matt O’Hanlon. Asante finished second in total tackles with 67 and had two tackles for loss, a sack, four pass breakups and an interception. He appeared lost at times early in 2008, but came on later in the season, recording nine tackles against Texas Tech, and 13 against Oklahoma. Asante was one of two defensive players to receive Big 12 honors, making the Honorable Mention list (Ndamukong Suh finished first team Big 12).

Fellow seniors O’Hanlon and Rickey Thenarse split starting at free safety with nine and five starts respectively. O’Hanlon began his Nebraska career as a walk-on, but was awarded a scholarship in 2008. He finished third in tackles with 52, including 33 solos. He had two tackles for loss, five pass break ups, and an interception. He is best known for his play in the Gator Bowl when he slapped a pass away from Clemson running back CJ Spiller to preserve the Husker win.

Thenarse started against Missouri, but battled injuries early in 2008 and then took over the starting free safety role from O’Hanlon for the last four games of the season. He finished with 24 tackles, six tackles for loss and two sacks. His best game came against Colorado when he recorded eight tackles, two for loss, and a sack. Thenarse remains a fan favorite in a different capacity on special teams where he blocked a punt against Clemson

Eric Hagg garnered starting experience as the starting nickel back in 2008 for a total of ten starts. Hagg’s big plays came in the Gator Bowl against Clemson. In two consecutive plays, Hagg broke up a pass when the Tigers had a first and goal, then sacked Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper for a 16-yard loss to help preserve the victory. Due to the depth at cornerback, Hagg will switch to the safety position.

Mason Wald played on special teams as a true freshman in 2008 and will battle for playing time at safety in 2009. Known for his hard-hitting play, Wald had six tackles, four solos.

Class Breakdown:

Safety

Larry Asante - Sr
Matt O'Hanlon - Sr
Rickey Thenarse - Sr
Adam Watson - Jr
Mason Wald - So
Austin Cassidy - So
Major Culbert - Sr (dismissed/left team)
Jim Ebke - So (former QB)
Jase Dean - RFr

Cornerback

Prince Amukamara - Jr
Dejon Gomes - Jr (JUCO)
Eric Hagg - Jr
Anthony West - Jr
Lance Thorell - So
Anthony Blue - So
Alfonzo Dennard - So

DB's

Justin Blatchford - RFr
Courtney Osborne - RFr
PJ Smith - RFr
Andrew Green - Fr
Lazarri Middleton - Fr
Dijon Washington - Fr