Cornhuskers at a glance

2001 schedule Aug. 25 vs. TCU Sept. 1 vs. Troy St. Sept. 8 vs. Notre Dame Sept. 15 vs. Rice Sept. 29 at Missouri Oct. 6 vs. Iowa St. Oct. 13 at Baylor Oct. 20 vs. Texas Tech Oct. 27 vs. Oklahoma Nov. 3 at Kansas Nov. 10 vs. Kansas St. Nov. 23 at Colorado 2000 results (10-2, 6-2 Big 12) San Jose St. W 49-13 at Notre Dame W 27-24 Iowa W 42-13 Missouri W 42-24 at Iowa St. W 49-27 at Texas Tech W 56-3 Baylor W 59-0 at Oklahoma L 31-14 Kansas W 56-17 at Kansas St. L 29-28 Colorado W 34-32 vs. Northwestern W 66-17

OFFENSE
Despite key losses on offense -- including RBs Dan Alexander and Correll Buckhalter, FB Willie Miller, WR Matt Davison, wing-back Bobby Newcombe, RT Jason Schwab, RG Russ Hochstein and C Dominic Raiola -- there is plenty of explosive talent on hand to ensure that the 'Huskers score plenty of points.

The straw that stirs the drink is definitely Crouch. A gifted running threat, he accounted for nearly 1,000 yards on the ground last season, scoring 20 rushing TDs. In order to strike some balance and have the ability to come back when necessary, Crouch has to improve his accuracy and precision throwing the football. Last season, he completed just 48.1 percent of his aerials.

With the return of wing-back John Gibson for a sixth season and the presence of blue-chip senior TE Tracey Wistrom, there are weapons at Crouch's disposal. In the backfield, junior Dahrran Diedrick steps into a starting role at the I-back position after averaging 6.4 yards per carry and scoring three TDs last season. Currently, the backup is 5-8, 205-pound sophomore DeAntae Grixby. Sophomore Judd Davies, who contributed as a backup last season with 18 carries for 183 yards, takes over as the starting FB.

The strength of Nebraska's offensive line will be on the left side, with junior OG Tonio Fonoti and senior LT Dave Volk. Moving in at center for Raiola will be either versatile senior Jon Rutherford or junior John Garrison. Rutherford, who was the Huskers sixth man last season along the offensive line, could be a factor at center, RG or RT. If Garrison ends up at center, Rutherford will likely figure at RG. Sophomore Dan Waldrop, a 6-5, 330-pounder, is being penciled in as the starter at RT.

DEFENSE
With more speed overall, the 'Huskers hope to reestablish themselves as a top-level defense this season. While the secondary has plenty of proven talent, the front seven has to effectively make up for the graduation loss of DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, DT Loren Kaiser and MLB Carlos Polk.

Along the defensive front, senior tackle Jeremy Slechta has the frame (6-6, 285) and agility to make his presence felt on a consistent basis. He'll work next to veteran NT Jason Lohr. The DEs will be a pair of juniors, Chad Kelsay and Demoine Adams. Last year, Kelsay broke up three passes and recorded nine QB hurries. Although he's just 6-2 and 235 pounds, Adams has outstanding upper-body strength and impressive closing speed.

Senior Jamie Burrow takes over for Carlos Polk at MLB, with junior Scott Shanle returning on the strongside where he finished last season as the Huskers fifth-leading tackler. On the weakside, senior Randy Stella checks in at just 6-0 and 210 pounds, but he's regarded as the Huskers' fastest defensive player. Stella finished last season second on the tackle chart, while totaling 15 stops behind the line of scrimmage, five-and-half sacks, and seven QB hurries. He is also expected to figure in as a kickoff returner. Last year, Stella returned two kickoffs, averaging 21.5 yards per return.

The strength of the defense figures to be the deep patrol, led by cover men Keyou Craver, Erwin Swiney and DeJuan Groce. A potential All-American, Craver broke up 13 passes last season and was the team's fourth-leading tackler. Groce led the way with 17 pass breakups, while Swiney totaled 10. Senior Dion Booker is being penciled in at FS. The rover spot is unsettled heading into the fall, but based on his solid effort during spring practice, talented redshirt freshman Lannie Hopkins could open the 2001 campaign as the starter.

SPECIAL TEAMS
While junior Josh Brown returns to handle the kicking duties, the 'Huskers will be relying on sophomore Kyle Larson to adequately replace Dan Hadenfledt. The walk-on reportedly enjoyed a solid spring.

Overview: Nebraska must overcome some key graduation losses if they hope to remain in the national-championship hunt during the 2001 season. This is especially true on offense. Alexander and Buckhalter were quality performers, while Davison and Newcombe combined for nearly half of the 'Huskers total receptions. Newcombe also excelled as a punt returner. And up front, the decision of blue-chip anchor Dominic Raiola to leave for the NFL with eligibility remaining was a major blow. While Raiola's loss is significant, history tells us that the 'Huskers always find a way to field a top-flight offensive line. Even with new talent at key positions, Crouch's return as QB allows the 'Huskers to maintain national-title expectations. A dynamic running threat, Crouch will propel the offense to new heights if he improves as a passer. A key, however, will be Diedrick. He has to be the answer at I-back.