Collegiate Times

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In what will arguably be the most publicized home game in recent years, the No. 13 Hokies will host Big 12-representative No.19 Nebraska on Saturday.

Nebraska comes into the game with a 2-0 record after easily earning wins over two members of the Sun Belt Conference, Florida Atlantic and Arkansas State, with a combined score of 87-12.

Rebounding from their 5-7 season in 2007, the Cornhuskers went 8-4 last season, and one of their four losses
came at the hands of the Hokies, who escaped Lincoln with a 35-30 victory in late September.

Nebraska's other three losses were to Top 10 in-conference opponents.

It's hot start this season, combined with their success in the second half of last season, leading up to a hard-fought victory over Clemson in the Gator Bowl, has led many to believe that the Cornhuskers have returned to the form in which they had so much success in the 1990s and early 2000s.

"I think Nebraska is back and that they're going to be competing very strongly in the Big 12," Tech head coach Frank Beamer said.

"They can play good defense. Offensively, their quarterback has completed 74 percent of his passes, and several of their backs and receivers are impressive. This is a tough, well-coached football team coming in, and they're going to be quite a challenge for our football team."

The quarterback Beamer is referring to is junior Zac Lee, who took the reins of the Nebraska offense after much-heralded quarterback Joe Ganz graduated in the spring.

Lee enters Lane Stadium ranked seventh in the country in passing efficiency and having already thrown for 553 yards and six touchdowns.

"Yeah, it's after two games though, so a lot of things can change and a lot of things can happen," Lee said of his success. "I'm definitely happy about how I've performed, but I think there are things I can definitely improve on and do better. I think that's something to look at more at the end of the year and judge it from there."

Lee and the rest of the offense will operate with a silent snap count for this weekend's game - something that Pelini installed earlier this week specifically for the expected noise level at Lane Stadium.

Defensively, the Huskers are experienced. Their entire starting secondary is comprised of upperclassmen with each of the four starters boasting multiple letters.

Senior safety Larry Asante, a native of Alexandria, Va., leads the team with 15 tackles on the season.

"Their secondary brings strength and size," Tech sophomore wide receiver Dyrell Roberts said. "By having the privilege of playing against them last season, I know a few things about what they're going to do, but I still don't know their ins and outs because I was a freshman last season, and I didn't have a clue what was going on in many situations."

Despite the experienced secondary, Nebraska is strongest at the line with 6-foot-4-inch, 300-pound senior defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who already has 1.5 sacks and four tackles for loss this season, leading the way.

"Outstanding," Pelini said of Suh. "He leads by example. He was defensive player of the game this last week. I thought he played well."

"The first week was kind of a strange team for a defensive lineman to play against, but I think he is playing good football," Pelini said. "At the same time, he'd be the first one to tell you he's never satisfied, as are the rest of the guys. You look at it, you evaluate it, you work to get better, and I think that's the attitude he takes."

"Nebraska's front four are strong, big and powerful," Beamer said. "It's going to take some excellent blocking to give (tailbacks redshirt freshman Ryan Williams and freshman David Wilson) a crack this week."

The Cornhusker defense is well aware of the recent success of Wilson and Williams, who combined for 336 rushing yards and four touchdowns last weekend against Marshall. Nebraska has made the pair one of its main focuses this week.

"Very potent," Suh said of Tech's run game. "There's times where they definitely got some good yardage against (Marshall) and were very physical and a running-downhill team. Just like last week's game (against Arkansas State), they wanted to come in here and run that ball. Virginia Tech is going to want to do that on their home field, so it's going to be another challenge of going out there and trying to stop them."

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