Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 31

LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR SECTION SUNDAY, AUGUST 31, 2008 1 rF ylrn rfl 11 I KA CA 1 lUiOJ DJ tp -afWr iiiiiijiiin (i PS IHlAro at UnelsarFvr'i Mm J. III VI I IU UlUUiVVIII )ls2. ame Day Uve wMch alrs hours P10' to all home games. aj Missed the postgame news conference? Find it in its entirety. Were you at the game or watching from a party? Send your game day photos.

nn MOVING DEBUTS FOR GLENN AND PELINI 'siJ-'ft. 1 V- GWYNETH ROBERTSLincoln Journal Star Nebraska's Cody Glenn breaks up a pass intended for Western Michigan's Jamarko Simmons during the first quarter Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Glenn finished with a team-high 12 tackles. Impressive first half gives Pelini win in his first game in Lincoln. Normalcy never felt so good for NU fans 1VM 1 i (A If you're a Nebraska football fan, I'm guessing Saturday night felt refreshingly normal.

A sense of normalcy probably never felt so good. Nebraska 47, Western Michigan 24. The Huskers weren't perfect. Far from it. Too many breakdowns on defense.

Too few rushing yards. But Big Red was in control most of the game, sort of like the i 1 'j lA lJ uA. )-fli -y fa n.i ni BY BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON Lincoln Journal Star All the talk, all the build-up, all those T-shirts purchased with Bo's name on them, and finally here was the moment to see what the defensive guru had been teaching while everyone else was hyping. Western Michigan's first play on offense came with 10 months worth of pent-up exuberance from the gathered crowd, if not also a heavy dose of anxiety. Quarterback Tim Hiller faked a handoff, then looked for a hole, a hole that was there all too often last season.

Nope. Not this time. The quarterback ran smack into Cody Glenn. Once a running back, now a linebacker, Glenn stood up and roared. "1 was like a little kid in the backyard back in Rusk (Texas), having fun," Glenn said.

This was a defense with a pulse. Oh, don't mistake it, there were more than enough kinks to be found in Nebraska's 47-24 win Saturday night, the beginning of the Bo Pelini era at Memorial Stadium. Western Michigan busted Nebraska on a consistent basis throughout the second half with shallow crossing routes, twice connecting on pass plays of 50 yards that set up touchdowns. Hiller even threw for 342 yards. But there were also four sacks, deflections, a couple turnovers, only 8 rushing yards surrendered, a picture on the videoscreens of Charlie McBride throwing the bones.

See HUSKERS, Page 4E STEVEN M. SIPPLE Journal Star Staff Writer TED KIRKLincoln Journal Star Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini watched his offense rack up 483 yards against Western Michigan. Joe Ganz threw for 345 yards and four touchdowns. good old days in the tradi- tion-rich program. You know, like the days of Johnny Rodgers juking defenders, Tommie Frazier breaking tackles, Tom Osborne getting carried off the field atop players' shoulders.

Who knew Osborne looked so good in sideburns? In prcgame festivities Saturday, the stadium videoscreens See SIPPLE, Page 4E Next: San Jose State at Nebraska 11:30 a.m. Saturday TV: Payperview RADIO: 1400, 98.1 OF NOTE: San Jose State defeated Division t-AA UC Davis 13-10 on Saturday night. Around the country In the Big 12 Oklahoma State 39 Kansas State 45 Washington Sate .13 North Texas 6 Arkansas St 18 Oklahoma 57 Texas 14 Chattanooga 2 Tracking No. 1 Knowshon Moreno ran for three TDs and Georgia, ranked No. 1 to start a season for the first time, beat Georgia Southern 4S21, giving new mascot Uga VII a win in his debut.

Upset of the day T.J. Lee blocked a punt and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown with 1:52 left to help East Carolina stun No. 17 Virginia Tech 27-22. Texas 52 Florida Atlantic 10 Kansas 40 Florida International .10 Texas Tech 49 E. Washington 24 Missouri .52 Illinois 42.