Nebraska...not feeling Frosty anymore

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hour ago • By BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star


The first day of the late spring signing period begins April 17, and Nebraska’s basketball coaches have targeted at least three players they feel could help fill a size void on next season’s roster.

One of them, junior college forward Leslee Smith, is making his official visit to Lincoln on Wednesday. Nebraska coaches had been evaluating Smith all season, and last week offered him a scholarship.

Another player, former Michigan walk-on Sai Tummala, also recently received a Nebraska offer and is expected to make an official visit soon.

The third, prep school standout Matthew Atewe, visited Lincoln in January. He hosted Nebraska coaches Tim Miles and Chris Harriman on an in-home visit in Toronto on Tuesday night.

All three players could sign with Nebraska, which currently has two official scholarship openings for the 2013-14 season.

The 6-foot-9, 250-pound Smith, a native of the Virgin Islands, played this season at Seward County Community College in Liberal, Kan., where he averaged 8.3 points and 6.6 rebounds while starting 28 games for the Saints, who finished 25-8.

Smith played his freshman season at SMU but transferred after a coaching change that brought in Larry Brown. Nebraska assistant Ben Johnson is the lead recruiter on Smith, who has two seasons of eligibility.

Tummala, a 6-6, 215-pound forward, played this season at Salt Lake City Community College, and has three years of eligibility remaining after redshirting his freshman season at Michigan, where he was a preferred walk-on.

Said Michigan coach John Beilein of Tummala at the time: “He may be our most athletic player. Aside from maybe Trey Burke (this year’s Big Ten player of the year), he’s one of our quickest players.”

Nebraska assistant coach Craig Smith saw Tummala play at last week’s NJCAA Tournament in Hutchinson, Kan., where Tummala scored 39 points on 15-of-28 shooting with 13 rebounds over two games.

A 4.0 student, the left-handed Tummala averaged 14.8 points and 5.9 rebounds on 50.9-percent shooting — 41.1 percent on three-pointers — in one season at Salt Lake City CC.

Tummala played high school basketball at Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix. As a senior, he averaged 17.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.2 blocks, and was an Academic All-State player in 2011.

The 6-9, 230-pound Atewe, who has more than 30 scholarship offers, is deciding between Nebraska, Auburn, Charlotte and Nevada, and is expected to make his decision Saturday. He recently cleared the NCAA academic clearinghouse.

Guards Nick Fuller, Nate Hawkins and Tai Webster already have signed for Nebraska's 2013 class.

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game of the century..

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97dEAb4KJ-Q&feature=player_embedded"]Oklahoma vs. Nebraska (1971) - YouTube[/ame]

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"The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index score is an average of six sub-indexes, which individually examine life evaluation, emotional health, work environment, physical health, healthy behaviors, and access to basic necessities."

http://www.gallup.com/poll/161483/lincoln-neb-bests-cities-wellbeing-2012.aspx

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Lincoln-The Nebraska football team continued its 2013 spring practice season Monday afternoon, as the Huskers practiced in the Hawks Championship Center for just over two hours in full pads.

After practice, offensive coordinator Tim Beck spoke with the media, noting the team came back with a solid workout in their first practice after a week off of practice due to spring break.

“A little rusty but not bad. The effort was good, the tempo was good—better, we were working on that today.” Beck said, “We could be sharper, but I think for the most part it wasn’t too bad.”

With the 2013 Red-White Spring Game rapidly approaching, Beck likes how the team looks as a whole during spring practice.

“I like the way our guys are progressing, we still are a little bit a ways away to be able to do all the things we need to do, but I really like our effort, I like our toughness right now the way our guys are playing, but we have to be more consistent.”

Beck believes that to get to where the team needs to be before the spring game the team needs to create better depth, especially with some of the younger players.

“I think some of our younger players have to continue to develop in their game and carry it to the next level.” Beck said, “Now they have learned what to do; now they have to get better at doing it.”

The Nebraska football team has five practices until its annual Red-White Spring Game on April 6. The scrimmage will be televised on the Big Ten Network at 2 p.m. (CT) Continue to check back to Huskers.com throughout the spring for all your spring football updates.

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http://www.omaha.com/article/20130326/HUSKERS/703269863

DB talks about consistency..

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Daily Nebraskan

Nedu Izu | 0 comments

Kenny Bell spent his spring break like any other University of Nebraska – Lincoln student.

“I went home and relaxed a little bit,” he said. “It’s always good to see the family.”

But that’s as close as Bell has been to being an average UNL student. Any other week, day and hour, it’s all football for the Nebraska wide receiver.

Since the Nebraska football team’s season concluded with two losses, Bell has been training both on and off the field to make this upcoming season his best yet as a Husker.

The Boulder, Colo., native said he’s made three personal changes to advance his game to the next level.

First step: film watching

“I think that’s the one thing I’ve done to make myself better,” he said. “Just watching film and seeing the little nuances that I can improve on in my game, instead of just depending on certain skills. Being in my fourth year here – it’s cool how much I’ve learned, but there’s still so much to learn.”

And Bell hasn’t been watching the game film on his own.

The redshirt junior said he’s studied film with teammate Taylor Martinez and added that his improvements start with his relationship with the Nebraska quarterback.

“I love the kid,” he said. “I’ve always had his back and he’s always had mine. What’s nice now is the film that we’ve watched together and the time that we’ve spent together – on and off the field, especially on the field – we can tell what each other are thinking.”

Second step: maintaining and increasing relationship with the quarterback

The pair showed their chemistry with their play in the 2012-13 season.

Martinez assisted Bell in a breakout year last season, connecting with his wide receiver for 50 receptions and eight touchdowns. Bell also nearly doubled his receiving yards (863) and yards per game (35.5) from the year before (461, 35.5).

And as if the near 1,000 yards weren’t impressive enough, Bell also saw his play awarded with First-Team All-Big Ten honors at the end of the season.

With Bell and Martinez entering their third season alongside each other, Bell said the chemistry with his quarterback now is better than ever.

“There’s little things that are important as far as a relationship between a wide receiver and a quarterback,” he said. “And to know what he’s thinking on certain plays is a great asset and is something you develop over time. I think that we’re really starting to develop that together and it’s starting to show up here in spring ball.”

Nebraska wide receivers’ coach Rich Fisher said he sees it, too.

“(Bell’s) really, really matured as a person and as a player from his freshman year to his sophomore year,” Fisher said. “If he takes that same kind of approach, which he is, the sky’s the limit for a guy like him.”

And although the Huskers will have their fair share of options on who to throw to next season, fans can expect to see the ball thrown to Bell several times next fall.

“I think smart coaching is to game plan where you highlight and accentuate your good players,” Bell said. “So naturally, we’re going to want to try and get him the ball.”

After falling short of becoming the first Nebraska wideout to record 1,000 receiving yards, Bell said he admits to the milestone being one of his goals in 2013-14.

“Obviously, I would like to get to the 1,000 mark just because it’d be a pretty big deal to be the first player in history in such a historical school,” he said.

But it’s not the most important thing on the redshirt junior’s mind, he said.

The redshirt-junior’s No. 1 goal is to finish each game victorious and win a Big Ten title.

“That’s what I really care about,” Bell said. “I want to win football games with these guys that I work hard with. I’ll put personal stats by the wayside. I really want to capture a Big Ten Conference championship. That’s what my number one goal is.”

Third step: gaining weight

Since offseason training began, Bell said he now weighs 185 pounds – a three-pound difference from his weight a year ago. Since 2011, the wide receiver has added 30 pounds, something Fisher said will only benefit him at his position.

“Those gains are only functional strength gains,” Fisher said. “You can get bigger, faster and stronger all at the same time. For a guy like him, as he gets bigger he’ll get stronger, and as he gets stronger he’ll get faster. I don’t think he’ll slow down at all.”

Fisher doesn’t see Bell losing his blazing speed anytime soon.

“I don’t think he’ll slow down at all. He hasn’t, he’s just a naturally fast kid like his coach,” Fisher said with a laugh.

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UNL women's basketball team made it to the sweet 16 by upsetting #9 Texas A&M in College Station. They are the only BIG team left in the sweet 16

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Husker Recruit Nate Gerry...

http://www.argusleader.com/article/20130326/SPORTS0112/303260013/Stars-shine-Dan-Lennon-meet?gcheck=1&nclick_check=1

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http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/73772/nebraska-spring-practice-live-blog

ESPN Film of NU Wednesday Practice

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[ame]http://youtu.be/PWxVfds6MiA[/ame]

the rivalry..

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[ame]http://youtu.be/H8MfFbDR6kg[/ame]

bama sucks..

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In the mid-1990s, the Nebraska Cornhuskers reigned atop the college football world. Nebraska claimed three national championships in a four-year span from 1994 to 1997 and lost a grand total of three games between September 1993 and October 1998. The Huskers won many of those games in blowout fashion, including a 62-24 Fiesta Bowl thrashing of the Florida Gators at the end of the 1995 season.

According to our Program FEI ratings, a five-year measure of possession efficiency, the strength of the Nebraska program peaked following its 1997 championship season. In the last 25 years, only six programs have held the top position in our PFEI ratings: Miami (1988-92; 2002-03), Florida State (1993-94; 1999-2000), Nebraska (1995-98), Florida (2001, 2009), USC (2004-08) and Alabama (2010-12). Nebraska's peak PFEI rating was eclipsed only by Alabama last season.

Just as it would be hard to imagine Alabama plummeting from its lofty position today, it would have been difficult to imagine in 1997 that Nebraska would fall so far.

From 1998 to 2008, Nebraska fell steadily from the No. 1 PFEI rating to the No. 57 PFEI rating, a drop matched by only a handful of programs in the last 25 seasons, only one of which (Washington) had ranked as a top-five program before its precipitous nose dive.

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini injected new life into the program upon his arrival in 2008, claiming Big 12 North division championships in each of his first three seasons.

Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011 and played for the conference championship last season. In his five seasons at the helm, Pelini has won at least nine games each campaign, and as a result, Nebraska's program ratings are on the rise. Entering this fall, the Cornhuskers have a PFEI ranking of No. 21, fourth best in the Big Ten and tops in the Legends division.

We are measuring program advancement with the PFEI ratings even while casual observers may be inclined to think Nebraska is treading water.

Pelini's Nebraska teams have lost four games each season, and the Cornhuskers failed to live up to their top 10 preseason rankings in 2010 and 2011. The Cornhuskers are likely to be ranked around No. 20 heading into this fall, and our preliminary projections agree with that assessment.

In order to exceed expectations this season -- and continue its climb back to the top of the college football world -- Nebraska needs to improve in the following key areas.

Reduce three-and-outs

The offensive side of the ball should be bright spot for Nebraska this fall, with the potential to be among the nation's best. The Cornhuskers ranked outside the top 25 in traditional measures like yards and points per game last season, but they were much more impressive when we adjust those numbers for the strength of the defenses faced.

Nebraska played the No. 1 offensive strength of schedule according to FEI last season, and its drive and play efficiency were strong considering the competition. Nebraska ranked eighth overall in Offensive F/+, best in the Big Ten.

With nine returning offensive starters, including quarterback Taylor Martinez, Nebraska should be able to equal or exceed its efficiency marks last season. Martinez already owns Nebraska career records for total offense and passing yards and, among returning players, leads the nation in rushing yards.

What he and the Huskers need is more consistency. Nebraska earned at least one first down on only 66.9 percent of its drives last season, which ranked 63rd in the nation. In Pelini's first season at the helm, the Cornhuskers ranked 13th in that category. The difference amounts to avoiding three-and-out only once or twice more per game.

Limit big plays on defense

Pelini's defenses at Nebraska have had modest success, but big plays have been a killer. Nebraska gave up 386 points last season, but 214 of those points were surrendered in its four losses (53.5 points per game) while it gave up only 17.2 points per game in its 10 wins. The Cornhuskers allowed 13 percent of opponent drives to average at least 10 yards per play, a category Nebraska has fallen in each of the last four seasons. In 2009, the Huskers were the nation's best in limiting explosive drives. Only four defensive starters return this fall, and the front seven will feature new players almost across the board. The pressure will be ramped up for this unit if the offense and special teams aren't firing on all cylinders.

Improve special teams

Special teams were a major albatross last season and a complete aberration from Pelini's first four Nebraska teams.

The Cornhuskers ranked among the top 20 in our special-teams efficiency measure from 2008 to 2011, but last season they ranked 103rd. The punt and punt-return units were terrible, costing the Cornhuskers an average of 0.5 points per punt over the course of the season.

A game features 9.8 punts on average, so if Nebraska had managed just average punt and punt-return performances, it would have increased its season-long scoring margin by nearly 70 points.

Win the field-position battle

The combination of poor special teams and mediocre success in avoiding three-and-outs put Nebraska in a field-position hole in 2012 that may be the most important area for improvement this fall. The Cornhuskers had a field-position deficit in nine games last season and ranked 110th nationally in our field-position advantage rating, a measure of expected scoring based on starting field position.

How much of a difference can field-position improvement have this fall? Consider that Nebraska forced opponents to start only 13 percent of their possessions from inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Only four Football Bowl Subdivision teams were worse in 2012.

Meanwhile, the Huskers were forced to start 24 percent of their offensive drives from inside their 20-yard line, which ranked 88th in the nation. If Nebraska can find some balance in the field-position game, it will be in great shape. And if the Cornhuskers can flip it in their favor, watch out.

There have been several examples in recent years of programs rapidly elevating their PFEI ratings, but for historically powerful programs, a steady ascent is more common. If Nebraska remains on pace, its return to glory may be within reach.

[Wild Hoss]

Win the field-position battle

The combination of poor special teams and mediocre success in avoiding three-and-outs put Nebraska in a field-position hole in 2012 that may be the most important area for improvement this fall. The Cornhuskers had a field-position deficit in nine games last season and ranked 110th nationally in our field-position advantage rating, a measure of expected scoring based on starting field position.

How much of a difference can field-position improvement have this fall? Consider that Nebraska forced opponents to start only 13 percent of their possessions from inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Only four Football Bowl Subdivision teams were worse in 2012.

Meanwhile, the Huskers were forced to start 24 percent of their offensive drives from inside their 20-yard line, which ranked 88th in the nation. If Nebraska can find some balance in the field-position game, it will be in great shape. And if the Cornhuskers can flip it in their favor, watch out.

There have been several examples in recent years of programs rapidly elevating their PFEI ratings, but for historically powerful programs, a steady ascent is more common. If Nebraska remains on pace, its return to glory may be within reach.

Very interested to read this part. I was wondering how to run these statistics myself, as utilizing the old Mark I eyeball you could see this playing out.

[drok]

What I find strange about that article is that it goes through a list of actual problems to address rather than the symptoms of problems but then suggests that they need to win the field position battle. Winning the field position battle isn't something you can do, but is a symptom of the other problems listed above: decreasing the number of 3 and outs, better punting coverage and returns (or special teams in general), limit big plays on defense. Cool article, I just found the last point strange.

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for ESPN, that is a good article. SP have killed UNL the last few years. We had an all american FG kicker/puneter, but the rest have not helped the team. The field position highlighted above is proof that UNL's offense and defense are not helped, but rather hurt. If you're always inside your 20 starting out, you call more conservative plays...