Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 45

HUSKER EXTRA Lincoln Journal Star Sunday, September 7, 2003 5F Blackshirts' rush leaves an impression on Aggies HOW 2003 HUSKER OPPONENTS FARED week Wyoming 48-24 to Nebraska 31-7 to Boston College 27-14 UAB 17-12 (Thursday) to Minnesota 48-7 Ball State 35-7 Utah 28-26 Ohio 48-20 not play UNLV 46-24 McNeese State 55-14 UCLA 16-14 fji fur "mm n.mnmm ')' j-rf' iSr? lHnt" i Ao v--A 1 a' X'-r 1 a 7 A aa A A' Nq -w: TED KIRKLincoln Journal Star Nebraska WILL linebacker Demorrio Williams (7) strips the ball from Utah State quarterback Travis Cox midway through the second quarter. Williams was credited with the sack and also recovered the fumble on the Aggies' 1-yard line, setting up Judd Davies' touchdown run. if II Utah State QB Cox gets off to a hot start, but then cools off as he feels the chill of Nebraska's pass rushers bearing down on him. BY RYLY JANE HAMBLETON Lincoln Journal Star Travis Cox shook his head and grimaced a bit when asked to recall his encounters with Nebraska linebackerdefensive end Demorrio Williams. "If you really want to know, I can still feel him," said Cox.

"He was the best player out there today. I've never played against anyone like him before." Williams sacked Cox three times in the second quarter, forcing two fumbles and just generally making life difficult. It was starkly different from the first quarter, when Cox and his Aggie offense made themselves at home on Tom Osborne Field. The first period was about as good as it can get for Cox. He completed 10 of his first 11 passes, with the only incompletion a drop by Chris Cooley on fourth down, and it would have been enough to keep the drive alive.

By the end of the period, Cox was 13-of-15forl32 yards and a 41 -yard touchdown pass to Cooley. "The first quarter was awesome. We felt that we had a good game plan and could come in here and really move the ball and it worked exactly the way we wanted," said Cox Coach Mick Dennehy said the game plan was devised to handle the Huskers' quickness. "We tried to account for their speed with a lot of misdirection and screens and throwbacks," he said. "I thought when we came out of the locker room, we accomplished what we needed to accomplish by keeping them off balance.

"Easy throws, things that have a tendency to allow you to get a little bit of momentum and get on a roll and I think that's exactly what happened." tcniiiiLtSTO Date Aug. 30 Sept. 6 Sept 13 Sept. 25 Oct. 4 Oct.

11 Oct 18 Oct 25 Nov. 1 Nov. 8 Nov. 15 Nov. 28 Opponent Oklahoma State (1-1) Utah State (0-2) Penn State (1-1) Southern Miss (1-1) Troy State (0-2) Missouri (2-0) Texas (2-0) Iowa State (20) Texas (1-0) Kansas (1-1) Kansas State (2-0) Colorado (20) vs.

NU This NU17-7 Beat NU 31-7 Lost Lost Beat Lost Beat Beat Beat Did Beat Beat Beat The second quarter, however, is one Cox would just as soon forget. Williams started rushing tine quarterback as a defensive end. He forced Cox' first fumble at the 1-yard line and recovered the ball, allowing Nebraska to take a 12-7 lead. On the first play after the kickoff, Williams blindsided Cox for another fumble and the Huskers marched 44 yards in nine plays for a field goal. "The most obvious adjustment they made was not an X-and-0 decision, but a personnel decision," Dennehy said, referring to Williams' move to the line.

"We don't have an athlete like him. He's a difference maker and those two turnovers he caused were a major, major, major difference in this game." Because the offensive linemen were having trouble keeping Williams out of Cox' hair, Dennehy took Cooley out of pass patterns in the second half and assigned him to Williams. Cooley had six receptions for 92 yards in the first half and didn't catch a pass in the second half. "Any time you go to 'max' protection, it hurts your routes because you have one less guy out there," said Cox. "Plus, they changed their defense and went more to man coverage than zone and we didn't adjust But the rush was the big thing.

When they went man, well, they're not Nebraska for nothing. They have some great athletes out there." Utah State tried to double-team Williams and handle him with different people, but nothing worked well until the Aggies committed Cooley to him in the second half. "When they moved Williams down to end and had him speed rush, that hurt," said offensive if vs. SW Missouri State at Arizona State at Nebraska vs. Memphis at Alabama-Birmingham vs.

Eastern Illinois Does not play vs. Iowa vs. Arkansas at Wyoming vs. Massachusetts vs. Washington State guard GregVandermade.

"He's really quick and he lined up wide outside. That's a fast linebacker playing defensive end and the tackles, at 300 pounds, aren't fast enough for that speed." Moving Cooley into protection mode caused changes in play calling- 'Any time you have to expend more persbnnel to take care of one player is a problem," said Dennehy. "Cooley is important to what we do running and passing the ball. He does so much for our wide receivers, just having a threat inside. You hate to limit yourself.

"I would say there were eight to 12 plays in the second half where we, intentionally kept him in so we could play with Travis Cox next week." While the offense struggled and gave Nebraska good field position several times, Dennehy said he was pleased with the defensive effort. "We gave them a couple of short-field opportunities and I thought our defense did a hell of a job in the second half and held them to field goals," he said. "With a team as big and strong as Nebraska, you can't allow them to have 30-yard drives. You have to make them drive the ball. You have to defend their run just like you have to defend our pass.

"It's real obvious how Nebraska makes their living. They hang their hat on nmning the ball and you know they are going to get yards. But I'm real pleased with that aspect of our defense, that we held them out of the end zone several times." Reach Ryly Jane Hambleton at 473-7314 or rhambletonjournalstar.com KtmamaBt. i 1 A sampling of fans' opinions after the Huskers' 31-7 win over Utah State: Eric Hardy, Fremont: "I thought they did pretty good. The defense was pretty outstanding after the first quarter.

I think Demorrio Williams really helped the defense out. He made some huge plays and helped us out a lot today." Dale Johnson, Omaha: "I think we need to figure out what to do with the quarterback situation. I'd transfer Jammal Lord to running back and get Joe Dailey in at quarterback." Randy McDermott, Kansas City, "It was pretty slow in the beginning and the crowd wasn't really getting into it initially. Once Joe Dailey came in things started to pick up. I'm not sure I'd start him yet, though.

I'd at least give Lord another game or two and see if he picks up his play. Dailey was throwing some good looking passes, though." Ryan Phinney, Fremont: "The offense kind of sputtered at first, but after Dailey came in everything went swell. It seemed like they drove the ball easier when he was in. This was just his first game, but I'd let him start one game just to try and see what he's like." Jim Pfeffer, Omaha: "The defense was slow at the beginning. They were about as porous as a piece of Swiss cheese that had extra holes punched in it.

But later they did OK. Just sort of like last week, they eventually came about, congealed, and did a good job." Colby Venema, Lincoln: "Demorrio Williams played great. The rush ends are back, man. I think he's definitely up to the caliber of the old school ends we used to have Robin Washut i -t'" WILLIAM LAUERLmcoln Journal Star At tw i fV- .1 I 1 I I ft If? i (, yaw 1 nwimt "mmw "ttt- 1 pxnxu)sJ Nebraska free safety Josh Bullocks (20) bats away a fourth-quarter pass intended for Utah State receiver Joel Higginson as Husker cornerback Fabian Washington (3) watches the play. The Husker defense held the Aggies without a pass completion from near the end of the second quarter until there was less than three minutes to play in the game.

Bullocks, a sophomore, intercepted a pass and now leads the NU defense with three interceptions on the season. vzmiw, Sphere Science Technology Environment EVERY THURSDAY! JournaiiStar.