Weekend TV Preview

5-13


Not a bad weekend of games. Some definite potential shootouts, upsets, and barn burners in college. Huge game in New York for Dallas. And a potential good one in San Diego on Sunday Night. Even on an average TV watching weekend, it's still better than interacting with your wife/girlfriend.

Last Week - 11-6-4 (An unreal 4 pushes)
YTD - 96-80-8

Thursday

Dallas (-5.5) at Golden State - TNT - 9:30 pm
Wow, favored by 5.5 points on the road against a team that for 2+ years has been torturing you. Why does it happen to the Mavericks that teams catch lightning in a bottle for a single postseason, humiliate them, and then tank the next year? Miami, and more specifically Dwayne Wade, have been crap since. And GS is 0-4 to start the season. Both of these teams are more than likely to never reach those heights again and it just pisses me off. And keeps me part of one of the most tortured fan bases in the NBA.
Pick - Dallas -5.5

TCU at BYU (-7) - Versus - 8:00 pm
TCU has been one of the most disappointing teams in the nation this year. Predicted to compete for an at-large BCS bid, they have crapped the bed. BYU has a kick ass offense and is playing at home. Give me the home team.
Pick - BYU -7

Louisville at West Virginia (-16) - ESPN - 6:30 pm
Another disappointing team, Louisville. West Virginia has been playing pretty well since their loss to South Florida. Louisville's defense has been absolutely terrible and WV should run all over them and dominate them up front with speed and power.
Pick - West Virginia -16


Saturday

Michigan (-2.5) at Wisconsin - ESPN - 11:00 am
Wisconsin played Ohio State pretty tough last weekend, until falling apart late. Michigan somehow came out of the Michigan State with a win, and I think they're ripe for an upset. Wisconsin should have PJ Hill back and Camp Randall will be rocking. Give me the upset.
Pick - Wisconsin +2.5

Wake Forest at Clemson (-9) - ESPN2 - 11:30 am
I'm not just never going to be a believer in Clemson, been burned too many times when I think they're turning the corner as a program. Wake is a tough, physical team that can keep it close on the road with anyone. 9 points is just too much against an inconsistent Clemson team.
Pick - Wake Forest +9

Texas A&M at Missouri (-19.5) - FSNSW - 11:30 am
Fran is apparently out at TAMU, with a buyout in the works. That pretty much signals the end for this team. Missouri and Chase Daniel are playing at a different level right now, rolling through teams. It continues, they murder TAMU and keep looking forward to that showdown with Kansas.
Pick - Missouri -19.5

Air Force (-3) at Notre Dame - NBC - 1:30 pm
There is nothing I'd rather see than another service academy come into Notre Dame and hang another loss on Jaba the Hut. Air Force might be better than Navy, so this won't be as shocking. F ND, give me AF.
Pick - Air Force -3

Texas Tech at Texas (-6.5) - ABC - 2:30 pm
Tech is just being Tech for the umpteenth year in a row. And Texas is being what they usually are without Vince Young, a 10-11 win team. Which isn't bad at all really. The way Texas is running the ball, they should have a field day at home.
Pick - Texas -6.5

Auburn at Georgia (-2) - CBS - 2:30 pm
In the crazy, anyone can beat anyone SEC, this is a tough game to call. Georgia somehow only has 2 losses and is the leader in the SEC East. But I don't trust them at all, and I put more faith in Auburn's ability to play on the road against top teams. I saw them beat Florida, almost beat LSU, and will see them win in Athens.
Pick - Auburn +2

Illinois at Ohio State (-15) - ESPN - 2:30 pm
Ohio State's final score of the Wisconsin game didn't indicate how much they struggled against an average Wisconsin team with its top RB out. Illinois has come back down to earth after early season successes. I just can't see them hanging with OSU, as much as they think they're overrated and due for an upset.
Pick - OSU -15

Baylor at Oklahoma (-38) - FSNSW - 5:30 pm
Why are they even showing this? Could be the most lopsided game in conference this year. Even worse than the 76 points Kansas hung on Nebraska.
Pick - Oklahoma -38

Florida (-6.5) at South Carolina - ESPN - 6:45 pm
Another appearance for South Carolina in the Saturday Night SEC night game on ESPN. Florida doesn't come close to running the ball like Arkansas, so I give SC a good chance in this. Florida wins, but doesn't cover.
Pick - SC +6.5

Kansas (-6) at Oklahoma State - ABC - 7:00 pm
In the words of Dennis Green, Oklahoma State let Texas off the hook once again last week. They should be 4-1 heading into this game, and the hottest team in the conference. I don't care what happened last week, OSU wins this game. If Nebraska can go into Lawrence and score 40, Oklahoma State can score 60 at home. They're a different animal in Stillwater. They can't lose 2 in a row at home. Upset of the day and possibly the most entertaining game of the day.
Pick - Oklahoma State +6


CROWN GAME



Washington at Oregon State (No Line) - FSNSW - 9:15 pm
No line because the OSU QB is questionable. Great Pacific Northwest scenery, tall redwoods, probably cold and damp with some fog, and the potential for a ton of offense. I'll be trying out the new Crown Royal Cask No. 16 whiskey Saturday, so that will be in full force come 9 pm. Check out how sharp that bottle and bag look.
Pick - Washington

Fresno State at Hawaii (-17.5) - ESPN2 - 10:00 pm
A rare double Crown Game. A chance for the nation to see Colt Brennan. Fresno has got a tough team and they're going to keep this thing close. Should be a very exciting game, if I'm awake.
Pick - Fresno State +17.5


Sunday

Minnesota at Green Bay (-5.5) - FOX - 12:00 pm
What else can you say about AP? He's exceeding every expectation I had for him. If he stays healthy, he could be a top 3 RB of all time, but I doubt he can stay healthy. I have never seen a guy with everything. Size, speed, power, agility, quickness, burst. An absolute freak. Green Bay is due.
Pick - Minnesota +5.5

Jacksonville at Tennessee (No Line) - CBS - 12:00 pm
Probably the 2 ugliest teams in a league of ugly teams. How in the hell is Tennessee 6-2? Should be a boring game with only 2 players I would want to watch, VY and Jones-Drew.
Pick - Tennessee

Dallas (-1.5) at NYG - FOX - 3:00 pm
A huge game for Dallas. A chance to grab a 2 game lead in the division and jump start the 2nd half of their season. And a chance to further Tony Romo's development with a tough, division road game. Give me Dallas, this team just has some sort of eery Mojo working right now.
Pick - Dallas -1

Indy (3.5) at SD - NBC - 7:30 pm
Indy has a damn good team. They let NE steal that game last week, not sure how that happened. They're just a very balanced, talented on both sides of the ball, well coached team. SD can't stop anyone, and has an offense that is too inconsistent. I've been impressed with Indy's ability to win on the road this year. Addai has a field day.
Pick - Indy -3.5

"That term 'resignation' is not in our vocabulary"

- It may not be in his vocabulary, but the word "fired" may be. Osborne will stick to his word and let Callahan finish out the season, but before he gets back to the locker room after losing to Colorado, he'll be outta there.

Nebraska's Callahan won't resign

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- If Nebraska interim athletic director Tom Osborne wants Bill Callahan out as football coach, he'll probably have to fire him.

Callahan said Tuesday he would not resign before the season ends, even if he were offered a buyout worth more than he is entitled to by his contract.

"That term 'resignation' is not in our vocabulary," Callahan said.

The Huskers (4-6, 1-5 Big 12) go into Saturday's final home game against Kansas State on their first five-game losing streak since 1958. They've been outscored 226-98 in those five games.

Last week's 76-39 loss at Kansas marked the most points allowed by a Nebraska team and ratcheted up the fans' outcry against Callahan.

Osborne has not asked for a resignation and doesn't plan to, athletic department communications chief Randy York said Tuesday. Osborne has said he'll evaluate Callahan at the end of the season.

Callahan's new contract, signed in September, calls for him to be paid $3.125 million if he's fired this month. He said he wouldn't be tempted to step down if he were promised more money to resign now and remove the uncertainty surrounding the program.

"You need to understand this isn't about money. I didn't get into coaching for money, for buyouts, or anything like that," Callahan said.

The fallout of the season hasn't changed his feelings for Nebraska, he said. Callahan has often said he wants to finish his career at Nebraska.

"I sincerely want to be here," he said. "I think I indicated that when I signed a contract extension. If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't have signed the extension."

Callahan said it's embarrassing for a program such as Nebraska to lose five straight and no one feels worse about it than him.

The Huskers led Texas 17-9 in the fourth quarter before losing 28-25 two weeks ago. Otherwise, they haven't been competitive in their losses this season. They have one of the nation's worst defenses, allowing 35.9 points and 477.6 yards a game.

"Gosh, I don't think we wanted to do this," he said. "These coaches didn't purposely tell these kids, 'Hey, don't go out there and tackle today,' or 'Don't go out there and rush the passer.'

"Our guys coach to the best of their ability, and they did the best they could. It hasn't been good enough at this point. Hopefully, Saturday we can rectify this."

Callahan said much of his fan correspondence has been supportive. Of course, there has been lots of negative, as well.

"It's a game," he said. "I understand here in Nebraska it's more than a game. It's life. It's the most important thing to Nebraskans, and I share that passion."

Callahan said he won't leave on his own volition, even if it means relieving pressure on himself, his staff and their families.

"There is a message if you do resign, that you've quit on your football team," he said. "There is no quit in this staff. We're going to keep plugging away and keep pushing and keep coaching and try to get through this."




- Diop on pace to turn in a nice contract year....



Hard work at center of Diop's improvement for Dallas Mavericks

If you didn't see it, then I won't blame you for not believing it.

Not one bit.

I can't lie, I had to watch the scoreboard replay for verification.

Late in the fourth quarter of the Mavs' win over Houston a couple of days ago, Jerry Stackhouse dribbled down the lane and whipped a no-look pass at DeSagana Diop's ankles as he cut to the basket.

Diop snatched the ball off the top of his high tops and leaped high – in one motion – to throw down a forceful, one-handed dunk that gave the Mavs a six-point lead, at the time their largest of the night.

No way he makes that play last year.

Either he doesn't catch the ball and fumbles it out of bounds. Or he can't leap quickly enough to dunk the ball before he gets fouled.

"Stack probably wouldn't have thrown me that pass last year," Diop said with a smile after practice Tuesday.

"But I spent a lot of time this off-season working on my balance and my hands, and it's paying off right now. I'm feeling confident about what I can do."

It shows, even after only four regular-season games. He's averaging 7.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

Just so you know, Diop has never averaged more than 2.3 points per game in his first six seasons.

What we're seeing these days is a new and improved Diop. We're seeing a player who can be a valuable part and make a significant contribution to a championship contender.

The dunk wasn't the only impressive aspect of Diop's game against the Rockets. He had 10 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks while playing a career-high 40 minutes and not committing a foul against Yao Ming, the Rockets' 7-6 Goliath.

Diop committed three fouls per game in 18 minutes per game last season.

Suddenly, there's not much concern over when Erick Dampier will return to the lineup as he recovers from off-season shoulder surgery. There's a sense Diop can handle the minutes and the responsibility.

Diop should also feel good because his contract expires at the end of the season and he's going to get a sweet payday whether it's from the Mavs or someone else.

See, it's no longer a question of whether Diop, 25, belongs in the NBA. The question is whether he's going to develop into a solid starter or a solid backup.

He fits comfortably on the Mavs because they're so good they don't need him to do much. He's only taken 21 shots this season but has made 13. And he's hit 4 of 5 free throws, which is a good start for a career 52-percent free throw shooter.

Diop has always had a good feel for the game. He's just better equipped to take advantage of his knowledge.

If he continues to play strong around the basket, at least opposing teams will be forced to keep an eye on him, which should divert their attention enough to let Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Josh Howard or Devin Harris get to the basket.

This is not to suggest Diop is suddenly going to become the second coming of Bill Russell. But he certainly has the ability to be like New Orleans' Tyson Chandler, who averaged 9.5 points, 12.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks last season

For that, give Diop all of the credit.

The fat kid who showed up after four wasted seasons in Cleveland, where he never played more than 13 minutes per game, has re-shaped his body after weighing more than 300 pounds. He's lost at least 40 pounds through grueling workouts and disciplined eating.

He even had the nerve to flex in the locker room, showing off his abs to rookie Nick Fazekas, who jokingly accused Diop of having a body shaped by too many chicken wings. Diop quickly corrected him.

"It's from a lot of salad," he said with a laugh.

And a lot of work in the off-season.

After playing summer league ball, Diop returned to Dallas for a couple of weeks. Then he headed to New Jersey to work out with a personal trainer.

He did box jumps and jumped rope. He alternated standing on one leg for minutes at a time and did several other exercises designed to make him more limber and flexible.

"We did a bunch of crazy drills that I had never heard of before," Diop said, "but they worked."

Which is why the Mavs will have to figure out just how much to pay him at the end of the season.



- Rangers could be active on trade front this off-season.



Teams talking trade with Texas Rangers GM

01:06 AM CST on Wednesday, November 7, 2007
By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News
egrant@dallasnews.com

ORLANDO, Fla. – Jon Daniels is starting to become one of the popular kids.

In less than 24 hours worth of hobnobbing with his fellow baseball general managers, Daniels has received multiple inquiries about the Texas Rangers' depth at catcher and about the availability of third baseman Hank Blalock.

While Daniels isn't motivated to talk about trading Blalock, especially since he is coming off an injury-plagued season that has likely driven his value down, the catching situation might be a little different.

"I'm not looking to move any of our catchers," Daniels said. "But there is a pretty good demand for catching out there."

The Rangers have two potential starting catchers in Gerald Laird and Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Laird, who is eligible for arbitration this winter, is coming off a disappointing offensive season. However, he is still only 27 and led the American League in throwing out base-runners. His time at catcher was diminished after the Rangers acquired Saltalamacchia from Atlanta at the trade deadline.

Saltalamacchia split his time between catcher and first base. If the Rangers hold on to Laird, they could have the two share time behind the plate again or have Saltalamacchia play first base full-time. The Rangers, however, believe Saltalamacchia's skills are better suited for being a catcher.

Boston, which has center fielder Coco Crisp available, has inquired about the Rangers' catching situation. While Daniels did not discuss potential trade targets, he did say the Rangers have spent time at these meetings looking at potential center fielders available via trade. The club can't discuss money with free-agent center fielders for another week.

Briefly: Daniels said he's not shopping RHP Vicente Padilla in an effort to move a bad contract, but he is opoen to listening to potential deals. Padilla went 6-10 with a 5.76 ERA in the first year of a three-year, $33.75 million deal. "I think he's going to have a better year next year than this year," Daniels said. "He's had 200-inning seasons, and he's had a better-than-league-average ERA in the past." ... RHP Jacob Brigham, the team's sixth-round selection in the 2006 draft, is expected to undergo Tommy John surgery, which will knock him out for all of 2007.


- Language

The New Rotation

- This lineup rotation of this year's team is something that has gotten me fired up. Instead of going small (Jet and Harris), or having to throw a guy who can't handle starter minutes due to age/health (Stack and Harris), they now can start 2 big guys at the 2 (Hassell or Jones), and have improved perimeter defense, and still keep the ability to shoot an open jumper. You already have 2 scorers on your 1st team (Dirk and Howard), so now you can stash JET on the 2nd team and watch him come in and dominate backups while the big boys get a rest.

You have 2 guys with no pressure, who can score in bunches, and who are always going to be better than the opponents 2nd team set of guards, or in some cases, the 1st team.

After last season's subpar performance from JET, Avery knew something had to be done, and it looks like he's put him in the best position possible and has struck gold with maximizing JET's production.

Avery's decision reminds me a lot of Popovich's decision to move Manu to the bench to increase his bench production and to keep the team offensively potent when the starters went out. It's a great move by both teams.

Also, Diop is playing like an animal so far. Can he keep this up for 82 games plus the playoffs? Just imagine how much more effective he's going to be when Damp comes back. He keeps this up and Cuban will reward him generously.

Very excited to say the least.

The Troll weighs in on Terry's increased effectiveness since moving to the 6th man role.



Good To The Terry End
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

DALLAS -- Trivia time: Do you know what happened to the last team that used Jason Terry as a sixth man?

It's actually not much of a stumper because Terry has been reminding everyone lately.

Ever since coach Avery Johnson told Terry that he was planning to bring him off the bench after three seasons as the Dallas Mavericks' primary successor to Steve Nash, Terry has been bringing up the collegiate championship he helped Arizona win in 1997 in the same role. He won't flat-out call it an omen, but his usual reaction to the O word is pretty telling.

Terry's response to an omen question Monday evening: "You see me smiling, right?"

See that? Not all of the bravado was beaten out of the Mavericks in that first-round beatdown administered by Golden State last spring. The grins were impossible to miss on this night, when the hosts' new sixth man was the best man at American Airlines Center, sparking Dallas to a 107-98 victory over the new darlings from Houston.

This was supposed to be the revamped Rockets' opportunity to announce themselves to the nation and prove that they've really narrowed the gap on the rest of the stat. They were reveling in a 3-0 start and sporting a roster filled with impressive new names to give Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming more help than they've ever had . . . with a stage to themselves beckoning with no other games on the schedule. Yet Houston simply couldn't capitalize on the injury absences of Devin Harris, Erick Dampier, Devean George and Brandon Bass -- and the foul trouble which ensnared Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard -- largely because it couldn't contain Terry.

The little guard scored 31 points which, combined with Jerry Stackhouse's 16, enabled Dallas' reserve duo to outscore all seven Rockets who played besides T-Mac and Yao. Terry started the second half in place of the ineffective J.J. Barea, reeled off the final seven points of the third quarter to haul Dallas out of a 75-70 hole and upped his season average through four games to 22.8 points on ridiculous 60-percent shooting as the Mavs eventually pulled away.

It's early days, true, but this is a powerful statement at any time: "We are very surprised when he misses," Johnson said.

Of course, as with everything in Mavsland after back-to-back playoff unravelings, nothing can be proven conclusively until the playoffs start. Terry could shoot 60 percent from the floor for the entire regular season and impress no one living outside of North Texas unless it carries over to the postseason.

Yet you to have wonder, given how well Terry has taken to this switch, if Johnson has found a way to productively shake things up without significant change to the roster. Anointing Harris as his unquestioned starter at the point has clearly taken playmaking pressure off Terry, who comes into games firing now as opposed to trying to get everyone else involved because that's what he thought he was supposed to do.

Terry's partnership with Stackhouse, furthermore, strengthens a major area of weakness from last season. "We had to get back to how it was when we made our Finals run," Terry said, "where our bench had been our strong point."

It was certainly good enough to rescue Dallas in a great game for November. Yao Ming and Josh Howard each turned an ankle in the second half thanks to independently awkward landings, but both refused to come out of the game injured, highlighting how seriously both teams took it.

Thanks to that bench and maybe the best game of DeSagana Diop's career -- Diop had 10 points, 13 rebounds, four blocks and, amazingly, zero fouls as Dallas' primary Yao defender -- Nowitzki's struggles with the refs and his shot (7-for-20) didn't hurt. Nor did McGrady's 35 points and eight assists, with Yao managing just 12 shots from the field in the face of countless double-team swarms.

"They feel like they've made some improvements to their roster," Stackhouse said of the Rockets. "But we feel the same way."

Now to see what sort of feelings are stirred by the Mavericks' next game. Thursday on TNT, they're back in Oakland for the first time since the Golden State Warriors thrashed the 67-win Mavs in Round 1.

Nowitzki took (and is still taking) most of the media heat for the Mavs' failings against the Warriors, but Terry's play was no less worrisome. In the first year of a new six-year deal worth nearly $58 million -- and regarded as an unfailingly clutch shooter -- Terry missed 23 of 32 attempts from 3-point range against the Warriors, rarely capitalizing on all the attention Nowitzki was commanding as the chief target of coach Don Nelson's defenses.

"I share a lot of that with him," Terry said of Nowitzki and the Golden State blame, knowing that recent history will overshadow any of his Arizona tales until the Mavs atone.



- Fran's gone.



Sources: Franchione's probably finished at Texas A&M

School says embattled coach will be evaluated at end of season

12:19 AM CST on Tuesday, November 6, 2007
By BRIAN DAVIS / The Dallas Morning News
brdavis@dallasnews.com

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Multiple sources close to the Texas A&M athletic department said that Dennis Franchione likely will be removed as head football coach after this season.

A&M athletic director Bill Byrne has stated numerous times he will not evaluate Franchione's job status until after the season. Sources said it's unclear if Franchione would announce his resignation before the regular-season finale against Texas on Nov. 23.

But Franchione's 31-27 record in five seasons and the embarrassment his secret e-mail newsletter brought the university are enough to warrant a change, sources said.

Byrne and Franchione probably will negotiate a settlement, sources said. According to Franchione's contract, he would be owed $8.5 million for the remaining five years of his deal. However, A&M said the secret newsletter violated NCAA rules, and that could be used to negotiate a lower amount.

Bill Jones, chairman of the A&M board of regents, said nothing official has happened. He adamantly rebutted several Internet stories that stated Byrne already had reached a financial settlement with Franchione.

"Well, all of that is untrue. It is untrue," Jones said. "Bill Byrne does not review his coaches until the end of the season, and he has consistently said that and done that. He has not broken his policy for Coach Fran and this season.

"So, anybody reporting any done deal or communication or talks or buyouts or amounts or anything of the sort is simply reporting a falsehood."

Jones said no one has approached the A&M board of regents about buyout talks, although news reports Monday indicated otherwise.

Citing anonymous sources, ESPN.com and CBSSports.com posted stories online that said A&M and Franchione had begun negotiations to buy out his contract. CBSSports' story initially said Franchione had agreed to a buyout. The story was later edited to say Franchione was "on the verge" of a buyout.

The San Antonio Express-News combined both stories and added that running backs coach Kenith Pope could become the interim coach. The details about Pope were later removed from the newspaper's Web site.

The Houston Chronicle reported Monday on its Web site that A&M presented Franchione with a buyout sum of $1.9 million. The story also said Byrne enlisted sports consultant Chuck Neinas to help with the coaching search. A call to Neinas' home in Boulder, Colo., was not returned.

That entire story later was removed from the Web site.

"You can't keep people from voicing their opinions," Jones said. "That's the beauty of being American. But I just wish people would continue supporting the team and hope that people wouldn't spread vicious rumors without knowing the facts."

Byrne declined comment about the reports Monday night at an A&M men's basketball exhibition game at Reed Arena.

As he's stated numerous times, Byrne said Franchione's job status "will be part of my postseason review."

A&M sports information director Alan Cannon also issued a statement Monday trying to debunk the Internet stories.

"There are several false rumors circulating regarding the Texas A&M football program," Cannon said. "Bill Byrne has repeatedly said he evaluates his programs at the end of each season and I have received no indication that he has changed his stance.

"Dennis Franchione is the head football coach at Texas A&M and is currently working on a game plan to face a top 10 football team in the Missouri Tigers."

Franchione's job security has dwindled with each passing month this season. He entered the year with a 25-23 overall record. But an embarrassing 34-17 loss at Miami on Sept. 20 angered the A&M fan base.

Then, the school was embarrassed when Franchione's secret e-mail newsletter titled "VIP Connection" was exposed.

The coach's personal assistant, Mike McKenzie, wrote about injury information and other football program tidbits that Franchione would not share with the public. In October, Byrne said the material in the newsletters constituted NCAA secondary rules violations.

A small group of subscribers were charged $1,200 each to receive the e-mails.

Uninspiring losses against Texas Tech, Kansas and Oklahoma dropped A&M's record to 6-4 overall. The Aggies closes out the regular season against No. 7 Missouri and No. 15 Texas.

Officially Rock Bottom

- It's here. Rock bottom. Nebraska is no longer competitive against mid-level teams. They struggle against everyone. Their defense is the worst I've seen, Baylor-type stuff. They got blown out against anyone that is decent. They've lost 5 in a row and are staring down the barrel of a 4-8 season.

Since 2002, every single impressive record the program has built up over 35 years has fallen. These are the darkest of times for Nebraska.

4-8 with tough losses and hopes for the future would be easier to take, there would at least be some hope. But they're not even close in these games. It's over. Time to tear this thing down to the very core.

Some information that will shocker you.

- The Huskers have now allowed 30 rushing touchdowns, setting the new record for rushing touchdowns by an opponent in a season (previous record, 26, 1950)

- The Huskers have now allowed 47 total touchdowns, setting the new record for total TDs allowed by an opponent in a season (previous record, 41, 1948 & 2002)

- The defense has now allowed 4,776 total yards, just 291 yards shy of the worst season ever, with two games remaining

- The defense has allowed 359 points so far, already the record for most points allowed in a single season (prior record, 335 points, 2002, 14 games)

- The defense has allowed 35.9 points per game, and needs to hold K State and Colorado to fewer than 34 points total (17 apiece) to avoid the worst number of points-per-game in Nebraska history

- At 249 first downs allowed, the Huskers are only 23 first downs shy of the worst-ever showing in allowing first downs

- The Nebraska defense is 386 yards shy of setting the new record for rushing yards allowed

- With zero sacks in today's game, the Huskers need to get 8 sacks per game in the next two games to avoid having the worst sack total in school history

- The Huskers are 61 pass completions shy of allowing the highest number of opponent completions in a season

- The Huskers have allowed opponents to complete 57.4% of passes so far this season. That's on pace to be another "worst" - the 2004 team set the record at 56.7%

- The 1968 team set the record for lowest interception percentage (INTs/Attempts) by the Huskers at 3.19%. The 2007 team currently sits at 2.4%

- The most touchdowns ever allowed through the air in a season was set by the 1948 team (19). The 2007 team has allowed 16 so far.

- The fewest takeaways in a season by the Huskers were 19, set in 1962, 1993, and 2000. This year's team has only 11.

- With zero punt return yards today, the Huskers still have only 77 yards with two games left. The worst punt return yardage season was 141, set in 1955.

- Punt return average is still stagnant, with this year's average (5.92) coming in barely above the worst season (5.77).

- The 2007 Huskers have 58 kickoff returns this season, a new record (prior record, 48, 2002)

- The 477.6 yards allowed per game is well above the record of 379.5, set in 1948 (and has already assured that this team will "earn" this record as well, unless they hold Kansas State and Colorado to negative yards).

- Nebraska's turnover margin this season is -14. The worst season in Husker history is -18, set in 1967.

- In the words of Willie Amos after the 2004 season when the Huskers didnt make a bowl game: "Records were meant to be broken."



- Big 12 Rankings

1) Oklahoma - Dominated Texas A&M. Look out for that game in Lubbock in 2 weeks.
2) Missouri - Impressive in Boulder. Could make a case for the title game with wins over 2 top 10 teams in the next month. (Kansas and Oklahoma).
3) Kansas - Sickening to watch them dismantle Nebraska.
4) Texas - Another Oklahoma State comeback.
5) Oklahoma State - Still a dangerous team. Should be 4-1 in conference, but melted down once again and gave up a 3 TD lead in the 4th quarter at home. Inexcusable.
6) Colorado - Got murdered at home, but still a tough team. Missouri's playing at a different level right now.
7) Texas Tech - Has a chance to redeem their season in 2 weeks vs. Oklahoma.
8) Texas A&M - Fran's gone.
9) Kansas State - An 8 point favorite on the road in Lincoln???? After losing to Iowa State??? Man Nebraska sucks ass.
10) Iowa State - They'd beat Nebraska in a rematch.
11) Nebraska - I hate this team.
12) Baylor - Give it up.


- National Rankings

1) LSU - They are playing with fire on a weekly basis. Their biggest opponent each week is their coach's affinity for laying his nuts on the chopping block for 4 quarters.
2) Oregon - In my estimation, the hottest and most talented team going right now, outside of LSU of course.
3) Missouri - They belong here and might prove to be worth of title-consideration by the end of the year.
4) Oklahoma - Along with Missouri, can make a case for the title game if they win out.
5) Ohio State - Sick of them, they're holding up the operation. Will lose to Michigan so we can rid ourselves of this cancer.
6) Kansas - Can't see them staying undefeated.
7) West Virginia - Keeps winning, but no shot at the title game.
8) Georgia - Should represent the East in the SEC title game against LSU.
9) Michigan - Has a chance to help us out by beating overrated Ohio State and knocking them out of title consideration.
10) Arizona State - Had Rudy Carpenter been healthy, they may have beaten an elite Oregon team.




- Must see TV tonight. Houston is kicking ass to start the season. Road wins at LA and Utah, and another win against Portland to open the season. A very intriguing early season matchup. With Dampier out for a while, expect Houston to control the boards, and cover the 6 point spread.



Dallas Mavericks facing improved Yao

Rockets center is stronger, more confident in the post


04:10 AM CST on Monday, November 5, 2007
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
esefko@dallasnews.com

Before he was waived and moved on as the No. 3 overall pick in the NBA Developmental League draft, Darvin Ham imparted some wisdom to the Mavericks that they need to heed tonight against the Houston Rockets.

Ham's message was to pay particular attention to a new and improved Yao Ming.

Not that overlooking the biggest player in the league is possible, but Ham's point is that Yao is not the same movable object that he was earlier in his career. While Yao and Tracy McGrady still have to prove they have moved the Rockets into the NBA's elite with a healthy season and playoff success, it is Yao's play that suggests new coach Rick Adelman's team is to be taken seriously.

All it took to convince Ham was the Mavericks' preseason visit to Houston.

"The one thing that impressed me in guarding him is that he's not passive at all anymore," Ham said. "He is taking the fight to you. There was a time a couple years ago in Detroit when I had him for four or five possessions and you could shoot him an elbow or get physical on him and he'd be leaning over or complaining to the refs.

"Now, he's so bottom heavy, when he gets post position, you're not going to move him. He understands now. He knows how big he really is. If they can be consistent with that and go through him, they're going to have a lot of success."

Gone are the days when you could stick a Raef LaFrentz on Yao and watch the 7-6 center struggle. The Rockets bring a 3-0 start to the season into tonight's game, which will be a nice test for the Mavericks.

So far, they've beaten a Cleveland team that was unready for the season, lost at Atlanta to a youthful, exuberant Hawks team and blasted short-handed Sacramento, a team that's not going to be very good even when its healthy.

So tonight is a much stiffer challenge, though the Rockets still haven't gotten past the first round of the playoffs in the Yao-McGrady era.

Yao is averaging 19 points and 10.3 rebounds. The only time the Rockets beat the Mavericks last season was when Yao had 36 points. When McGrady led the Rockets in scoring, they were 0-3 against the Mavericks.

"They're a terrific team," Avery Johnson said. "A lot of people have them as favorites to win the championship this year. For us, it should be a pretty big test for us because a lot of people are really talking about their potential."

The Rockets believe they are going to improve greatly as the season wears on. They are learning Adelman's system, which has opened up the floor and the offense for McGrady and Yao. They brought former Rockets Mike James and Steve Francis back to the team. Adelman has increased Bonzi Wells' role, something he did when he coached Wells in Sacramento, too.

At the very least, the Rockets figure to shadow the Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs throughout the season for Southwest Division supremacy.

"It's always a very competitive division top to bottom," Jason Terry said. "Obviously, Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming are big parts of what they do. But their role players have been the ones stepping up."