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CU report: Playing through it

By B.G. Brooks, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published November 21, 2008 at 10 p.m.
Updated November 21, 2008 at 10 p.m.

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Freshman safety Patrick Mahnke is certain to remember his first full game for the Buffaloes. The pain guarantees it.

Fellow safety Anthony Perkins, a redshirt freshman, and Mahnke played virtually the entire game last weekend against Oklahoma State in place of seniors D.J. Dykes (undisclosed illness) and Ryan Walters (high ankle sprain, knee injury on the first play).

Mahnke, of Mountain Vista High School, entered the game with an ankle injured the previous Thursday in practice. Then, taking what secondary coach Greg Brown called "a vicious shot" in first quarter, Mahnke suffered a broken rib.

He played on and finished with a performance Brown called "excellent under those circumstances . . . that says something about him."

Initially, Mahnke wasn't aware of the broken rib, other than it "making me uncomfortable when I do certain things. They just wrapped me up and I played."

In six games (80 plays) Mahnke has made six unassisted tackles, with one third-down stop and a pass broken up. He has 13 special-teams points (tied for second).

Mahnke and Perkins, also singled out by Brown, could see the same amount of duty at Nebraska. Coach Dan Hawkins has said the status of Dykes and Walters, wearing a protective boot on his ankle, remains uncertain.

No (red) regrets

Junior linebacker Shaun Mohler, a transfer from Orange Coast (Calif.) College, initially committed to Nebraska, but he reneged when the school changed coaches.

The Cornhuskers didn't give up. New coach Bo Pelini flew to Orange Coast to re-recruit Mohler, and new linebackers coach Mike Ekeler was scheduled to fly in the next day before Mohler said he was solid with CU.

Pelini was "a very intense guy," Mohler said, adding he had an idea the Cornhuskers would rebound from their 5-7 finish last season.

Mohler, who moved into the starting lineup in September and is tied for second in tackles (7.9 a game), called his first season "up and down. I'm still trying to learn as much as I can . . . it's not what I wanted, but I always want the best. I'm just trying to get there."

He termed offenses in the Big 12 Conference "much more complicated, and the players are the best. It's a big change from JUCO because of that."

Slot machine?

Sophomore Brian Lockridge, who is redshirting after offseason hernia surgery was slow to mend, is completely recovered and working as a scout team running back.

But he also has played some slot receiver, which he believes is "going to help me be more of a well-rounded running back. I can motion out to the slot and do my work on linebackers, which I like. Next year, I guess that'll be a part of my resume."

He said some defensive coaches have approached him about switching to their side, but added, "I don't think (coach Darian) Hagan is going to let that happen. He wants to keep me over on offense. But I'm a team player, and wherever they put me, I'm going to play as hard as I can and do what I can to contribute."

He said it

"I know a lot about (Joe) Ganz, and he's a baller."

Hawkins, when asked if was familiar with Nebraska's backup quarterback; Ganz is the starter.

Numbers game

7team statistical categories find CU last, a league worst among Big 12 teams.

Comments

  • November 22, 2008

    4:06 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Brain writes:

    CU's future is good to great; they have a lot of good players coming up including a great OL when all are healthy.

  • November 22, 2008

    4:56 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Rutt writes:

    As an avid Husker fan, I hope they do bring things back up. The Big 12 North needs improvement throughout. It's been a tough year for CU, but I still expect they will give NU plenty to handle next Satuday. I hope it's a fun game to watch.

  • November 22, 2008

    9:16 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Brain writes:

    Rutt; the game is on Friday the 28th not Saturday; I hope it is a good game too; I hope both programs get back to being top 25 or better, it makes for better games.

  • November 22, 2008

    10:14 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    maxpower writes:

    I don't feel good about CU's future. I don't see why next year is going to go much different than this one. I think they will get beat badly on Friday. NU seems to be responding to Pelini the way I thought CU would to Hawkins. I hope it's a good game, but on paper it's a mismatch. NU 48 CU 19.