LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska insists revenge is not motivation
for its game against 15th-ranked Texas Tech.
"All the Knute Rockne pep talks before a game go out the window
when that ball is kicked," coach Bill Callahan said. "We're not
going to jump up and down and get mad about something. It's a
different year, a different team, a whole different dynamic than a
year ago."
That's a good thing because last year's 70-10 loss in Lubbock,
Texas, was the most lopsided in program history -- and was the low
point of the Huskers' 5-6 season. Nebraska committed seven
turnovers and gave up 49 points in a 12-minute span of the second
half.
"It might as well have been 70,000 to 10," linebacker Corey
McKeon said. "That performance isn't going to be repeated."
Cornerback Tierre Green said he wants to forget not just the
Texas Tech game last year, but the entire 2004 season.
"We don't want to go back to that level of play where we're
going into the tank when we get behind," he said.
Linebacker Bo Ruud said the Huskers (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) are
preparing the same way they always do. They aren't concerned with
last year's result, he said, and they're not worrying about Tech's
gaudy offensive numbers.
"Nobody intimidates us," he said. "You can sit there and work
yourself into a frenzy. Right now we're doing what we've done every
game. That means we're not going to talk trash in the media. We're
trying to keep it on the level."
Texas Tech (4-0, 1-0) brings the same style of wide-open,
spread-the-field offense to Lincoln. Cody Hodges leads the nation
in passing and total offense, completing 72.2 percent of his passes
for 1,450 yards. He has 13 touchdown passes and just two
interceptions.
The Red Raiders are averaging a nation-leading 57.2 points, but
scored a season low in a 30-17 win over Kansas last week.
Asked about Hodges, McKeon said: "Who's Hodges?"
McKeon said he only knows the Tech quarterback by his jersey
number (No. 10).
"Our D-linemen are going to be licking their lips coming after
him. He's got to think about that," McKeon said. "He's got to
watch film and see how many times we've been sacking the
quarterback (26). I hope he's watching that because he's going to
have to dig in and look at our front four all game. Hopefully he'll
come out of there alive, for his sake."
Ruud said he doubts many people felt sorry for Nebraska after
last year's Texas Tech game. For years, the Huskers routinely put
up big scores.
"Everybody wants to see Nebraska get beat," Ruud said. "There
are a lot of die-hard Husker fans around the nation, but there are
a ton of die-hard Nebraska haters, too. People love to see us get
beat."