Husker Tickets

Husker coaches to make fashion statement for cancer

The Nebraska men's basketball team takes on Iowa State in a Big 12 Conference matchup at the Devaney Sports Center, and holders of Husker tickets will see something different this Saturday.

And when the Huskers and Cyclones take the floor, their coaches will be making a statement -- along with coaches from across the country -- by wearing sneakers in support of cancer awareness.

The annual Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Awareness Weekend is Feb. 1-3, and coaching staffs all over the country will be decked out in their usual three-piece suits, but instead of their regular dress shoes they will be decked out in sneakers to show support in the fight against cancer.

Nebraska will take the weekend a step further, holding a silent auction featuring adidas sneakers signed by the team and coaches. The auction will be held in the northwest upper concourse of the Devaney Center, and all proceeds will go directly to the American Cancer Society. Bidding begins 90 minutes before tip-off and will close at the end of halftime.

Coaches vs. Cancer is a joint effort by the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. For more information about the Coaches vs. Cancer program, check out their website.

Tickets for Saturday's Iowa State vs. Nebraska men's basketball game are available at Ticket Express, where no Husker home game is ever sold out.

Nebraska football: New recruits and salary

The Nebraska football team landed three more recruits over the weekend, bringing the total new Huskers for the 2008 season to 21.

Two brothers from Garland, Texas have signed on with the Huskers. Steven and Courtney Osborne are both hard-hitting players from South Garland High School. Steven is 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds and played receiver and is a tough blocking receiver. His brother, Courtney, is a 6-foot-3 , 185-pound safety who loves to hit opposing players hard. Both players had offers from Kansas and Nevada-Las Vegas, but decided on Nebraska.

The third player is Antonio Bell, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound wideout from Daytona Beach, Fla. He caught 45 passes for 776 yards and nine touchdowns during his senior season at Mainland High School and is lightning fast with 4.4 speed in the 40-second dash. Bell originally committed to Tennessee, but backed off and looked at other SEC schools like Florida and Georgia. His presence at wideout will be a welcome addition to a Husker team that lost several key players from last year.

Pelini signs $1.1M deal

Late last week, new Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini put his pen to paper on a contract that will pay him a base salary of $1.1 million per year for five years.

Pelini will get additional bonuses for such things as winning the Big 12 division and conference titles, getting Nebraska to a BCS game and winning the national title. His base salary, though, is among the lowest of the 12 head football coaches in the conference. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops is the highest-paid coach in the conference at $3.6 million a year, while Kansas State's Ron Prince is the lowest-paid at $760,000.

The salaries of the Big 12 Conference head football coaches are as follows:

Bob Stoops (Oklahoma), $3.6 million
Mack Brown (Texas), $2.8 million
Gary Pinkel (Missouri), $1.9 million
Mike Sherman (Texas A&M), $1.8 million
Art Briles (Baylor), $1.8 million
MIke Leach (Texas Tech), $1.7 million
Mark Mangino (Kansas), $1.5 million
Bo Pelini (Nebraska), $1.1 million
Gene Chizik (Iowa State), $1 million
Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State), $950,000
Dan Hawkins (Colorado), $940,000
Ron Prince (Kansas State), $760,000

Coach Pelini will make his debut as Nebraska's head coach on Saturday, Aug. 30, when the Cornhuskers host Western Michigan. Get your Husker tickets today at Ticket Express, where no Husker home game is ever sold out.

Jayhawks blast Cornhuskers in 84-49 blowout

Nebraska men's basketball team is a long way from being on the same level as second-ranked Kansas, and that was proven Saturday as the Jayhawks blasted the Huskers 84-49 in action at Allen Fieldhouse.

Kanas held Nebraska's leading scorer, Aleks Maric, without a point and limited Nebraska to 15 first-half points and held a 29-point halftime lead. Maric did pull down nine rebounds to lead the Huskers' defense, but he was held scoreless for the first time in over two years.

Kansas pestered Nebraska's shooting throughout the game, limiting Nebraska to 30 percent shooting from the floor, 20 percent from 3-point range and 52.6 percent from the foul line, holding Nebraska to its lowest point total of the year.

The Cornhuskers did get a good performance from freshman guard Steve Harley, who shot the ball well and finished with a team-high 16 points as the Huskers' only player who scored in double digits.

The loss dropped Nebraska to 11-6 overall and 0-4 in Big 12 Conference play, the Huskers' worst conference start since starting the 1989-90 Big Eight season at 0-5. Nebraska is back on the road Wednesday at Missouri and returns home Saturday to face Iowa State. Nebraska men's basketball tickets are available at Ticket Express, where no Husker game is ever sold out.

Huskers hit the road to face Kansas

The Nebraska men’s basketball team goes on the road Saturday to face Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse, a facility the Huskers have long had trouble playing in over the years.

Historically, the Huskers have had a difficult time competing with the Jayhawks on their home court, and this year likely will be no different. The Huskers face a team that is undefeated and ranked No. 2 in the country and is a contender for Big 12 and national championship honors.

Saturday’s 12:47 p.m. game is the first of four games in a 12-day span for the Huskers, and three of those games will be on the road. After Saturday’s game, the Huskers will also face Missouri and Kansas State on the road during that two-week stretch.

The Cornhuskers are still looking for their first win in Big 12 Conference action. They dropped a 72-70 heartbreaker at home to a solid Baylor squad and are the only team in the conference who has yet to taste victory in conference play.

The Huskers got a lift last week from junior college transfer Steve Harley, who lit up the Bears for a career-high 15 points. Nebraska has also benefited from some good efforts on the road from freshman point guard Cookie Miller, who is averaging 14.3 points per game away from home.

Nebraska is hoping to fare better at Allen Fieldhouse than they did the last time they visited Lawrence, Kan. In last year’s matchup, the Jayhawks completely dominated Nebraska and beat the Cornhuskers 92-39. It was the last time a Nebraska team allowed 80 or more points to an opponent, and only four teams have reached the 70-point plateau in 16 games this season.

One thing that might work in Nebraska’s favor is recent history the Huskers have against the Jayhawks when Kansas has been undefeated. In 2005, Nebraska nearly upset then-No. 2 Kansas, losing a 59-57 thriller when a 3-point shot by Corey Simms went in and out at the buzzer. In 1997, Kansas was the No. 1 team in the nation and was undefeated, but needed overtime to defeat the Husekrs 82-77. The last time beat an undefeated conference opponent was in 1998 when they knocked off Oklahoma State.

After Saturday, the Huskers are on the road again at Missouri on Wednesday, Jan. 30. They return home Saturday, Feb. 2, to face Iowa State in a 3 p.m. matchup at the Devaney Center. Get your Nebraska basketball tickets, both home and away, with Ticket Express.

Huskers come up short against Baylor

Nebraska could not hang on to a halftime lead and an improved Baylor team picked up a key Big 12 road win in posting a 72-70 win over the Huskers on Saturday at the Devaney Sports Center.

The Cornhuskers (11-5 overall, 0-3 Big 12) struggled at the free throw line, hitting just 11 of 20 from the charity stripe and missed 8 of 9 at a critical part of the second half that allowed the visiting Bears to steal away with a win.

The Huskers got 21 points from Aleks Maric and held a 35-30 lead at the intermission, going on a 14-1 run at one point to turn a seven-point deficit into a five-point advantage heading into the second half, but Baylor got hot from long range and hit 10 3-point shots in the contest to keep things close.

Nebraska held a 64-63 advantage before Baylor took the lead for good with a late five-point rally. The Cornhuskers had a chance to tie the game after a Baylor turnover with 11 seconds left in regulation, but Jay-R Strowbridge was called for traveling on a questionable play as he tried to set up a potential game-tying 3-point shot and the Huskers were unable to break their losing streak, which now stands at three games.

Things don’t get easy for the Huskers in the next 10 days, as they face two tough road tests before returning home. They travel to Kansas Saturday to meet the third-ranked Jayhawks, then play at Missouri on Wednesday, Jan. 30 before returning home for a Saturday, Feb. 2 tilt against Iowa State.

Get your tickets for Husker basketball, both home and away, with Ticket Express.

Cornhuskers fall to Colorado

BOULDER, Colo. -- Nebraska was held to a season low as Colorado outlasted the Huskers 55-51 in Big 12 action here Wednesday.

The Cornhusker team shot just 34 percent from the floor, hitting 16 of 47 attempts, and dropped its third road game in as many tries this season.

Nebraska committed just four turnovers in the opening half, but trailed 25-22 at intermission. Colorado went on a 12-4 run to turn a five-point deficit into a lead it would not relinquish.

Nebraska managed to get back into the game at 34-34, highlighted by an Ade Dagunduro basket, but the Buffaloes came back with a 7-0 run of its own to take the lead for good.

Nebraska was led by freshman Cookie Miller, who hit four 3-pointers and scored 18 points. Senior Aleks Maric added 14 in the losing effort. With the loss, Nebraska dropped to 11-4 overall and 0-2 in conference play.

Next action for the Husker men is Saturday as they host Baylor in a 5 p.m. matchup at the Devaney Sports Center. Get tickets for Saturday's game at Ticket Express -- where no Husker home game is ever sold out.

Huskers fall to Kansas at home

LINCOLN -- with a standing-room only crowd cheering them on, the Nebraska basketball team had its sights set on third-ranked Kansas in Saturday's Big 12 opener for both teams.

In the end, though, the Jayhawks proved to be too much for the young, improving, Huskers, as Kansas pulled away for a 79-58 win in front of over 13,000 fans at the Devaney Sports Center.

Kansas jumped out to a 7-0 lead early and led by as many as 10 points before the Huskers came back to pull within three points at 23-20 midway through the period. Nebraska still was in the game at 29-24 late in the first half, but Kansas went on a 13-3 run to take a 42-30 lead into the locker room and Nebraska was never able to get any closer after that.

The Huskers had trouble at the free throw line, missing nine consecutive charity tosses at one point. That allowed Kansas to build on its lead and improve to 16-0 on the year, dropping the Huskers to 11-3 and ending Nebraska's six-game winning streak.

Aleks Maric led the Huskers with 19 points and Ryan Anderson added 12. KU's Brandon Rush led four Jayhawks in double figures with 19 points, including a 5-for-7 effort from three-point range.

Nebraska is on the road Tuesday for an 8 p.m. game against Colorado. The Huskers' next home game is a Saturday, Jan. 19 matchup against Baylor. Tickets for that game are available at Ticket Express -- where no Husker home game is ever sold out.

Huskers head into Big 12 on right foot

The Nebraska basketball team is playing well and will get a quick indicator of where they stand when they open the Big 12 portion of their schedule Saturday with a key home matchup against No. 3-ranked Kansas at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

Nebraska heads into conference play on the right foot after beating Maryland-Eastern Shore 86-50 on Friday at home to improve to 11-2 on the year. Senior Aleks Maric had a game-high 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the Huskers jumped out to a huge first-half lead. Nebraska shot 56.9 percent from the floor and Ade Dagunduro added 12 points to help the Huskers' cause.

The 14-0 Jayhawks have played very well this season, with road wins at USC, Georgia Tech and Boston College. On Saturday, the Jayhawks stomped the Eagles 85-60 and will look to add to their win total against the Huskers.

Kansas has four players averaging in double figures this year, led by Darnell Arthur (13.7) and Darnell Jackson 912.5). Russell Robinson averages almost five assists per game, and the Jayhawks' defense is playing solid, forcing almost 20 turnovers per game while giving up less than 60 points a game.

Tipoff for the game is set for 8 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN.

Beck to be Nebraska running backs coach

Fresh from winning a national championship as defensive coordinator for LSU, incoming Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini announced the final piece of the coaching puzzle for the 2008 Huskers.

Tim Beck was named earlier this week as the new running backs coach, coming to Nebraska from just up the road at the University of Kansas, where he was an assistant under Mark Mangino for three years with the Jayhawks.

Beck was the receivers' coach for Kansas and also served as the team's pass game coordinator in 2007. The Jayhawks had an outstanding year in 2007, going 12-1 and winning the Orange Bowl over Virginia Tech. They also scored 76 points against Nebraska, the most ever scored by a Husker opponent.

Kansas was one of the nation's best offensive teams in 2007, finishing second in scoring offense (42.8 points per game), eighth in total offense (479.8 yards per game) and 17th in passing offense (291 ypg). Four Jayhawks caught at least 40 passes, led by All-Big 12 receiver Marcus Henry's 54 balls for 1,014 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Like Pelini, Beck is a Youngstown, Ohio native and graduated from Cardinal Mooney High. He played his college football at Central Florida and coached high school football in Texas, coaching for Husker All-American safety Mike Brown. He also coached in college at Missouri State, Kansas State and Illinois State.

With the announcement of Beck, the Husker coaching staff is now complete. Other offensive assistant coaches include Barney Cotton (associate head coach/offensive line), Shawn Watson (offensive coordinator/quaterbacks), Ted Gilmore (assistant head coach/receivers) and Ron Brown (tight ends). Defensive coaches are Carl Pelini (defensive coordinator/defensive line), Mike Ekeler (linebackers), John Papuchis (defensive ends) and Marvin Sanders (secondary). Jeff Jamrog will serve as assistant athletic director for football operations.

Holloway leaving Husker volleyball team

Nebraska's volleyball team is already losing several standout players to graduation, and now they will be losing a key underclassman with the departure of sophomore setter Rachel Holloway.

The Lincoln Journal-Star reported that Holloway, a native of Franklin, Tenn., announced Tuesday that she is stepping away from college volleyball and transferring to the University of Alabama, which is closer to her home.

The move comes after she spent two seasons with the Huskers and earned All-American honors in both seasons. She recorded 2,861 set assists and helped lead the Huskers to the 2006 national championship and consecutive Big 12 titles. She ranked ninth nationally with an average of 13.58 assists per game. With Holloway running the offense, Nebraska ranked third nationally in hitting percentage (.327).

Three starters return next year for the Huskers, who finished 30-2 in 2007. The big question, though, is who will take over the setting position for coach John Cook as the Huskers try to reach the NCAA Final Four in 2008, which will once again be held at the Qwest Center in Omaha.