Monday Afternoon Sports – Huskers Receive Night Kickoff Against Indiana, Chinander Fired, Nebraska Loses Four Star Defensive Commit, Saturday Sports Recap, Local Sports Schedule

HUSKERS RECEIVE NIGHT KICKOFF FOR INDIANA HOMECOMING CONTEST:

The Big Ten Conference and the Big Ten Network announced that Nebraska’s Oct. 1 home game against Indiana will kick off at 6:30 p.m. and will be televised on BTN.  The game had previously been announced as a prime-time game, but an exact kick time and TV designation were finalized on Monday.

The matchup with Indiana is Nebraska’s Homecoming contest.

BLACK SUNDAY RETURNS: CHINANDER RELIEVED OF HUSKER DEFENSE DUTIES:

For the second consecutive Sunday, a member of the Nebraska football coaching staff has been fired.

Interim head coach Mickey Joseph announced that defensive coordinator Erik Chinander was relieved of his position. Bill Busch rejoined the full time staff this season as the special teams coordinator and will now step in as the acting defensive coordinator. 

Joseph will speak with the media Tuesday in his only availability during the bye week.

Chinander had been the Huskers’ defensive coordinator since Scott Frost was hired after the 2017 season and served for two seasons as DC for Frost staff at Central Florida.

NEBRASKA LOSES FOUR STAR COMMIT:

Nebraska’s 2023 recruiting class is down a commit on Sunday, following the decommitment of IMG Academy Edge Cameron Lenhardt. 

Lenhardt, who was recruited by defensive line coach Mike Dawson and defensive coordinator Erik Chinander, officially visited Nebraska in June and committed to the Huskers in August over a final group of Michigan State and Penn State. 

Lenhardt’s decision followed the news on Sunday that interim head coach Mickey Joseph had dismissed Chinander as Nebraska’s defensive coordinator. 

HUSKER VOLLEYBALL SWEEPS No. 13 KENTUCKY ON THE ROAD:

The No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team went on the road and picked up a 27-25, 25-20, 25-16 sweep of No. 13 Kentucky on Sunday at Memorial Coliseum for their second top-20 road win this season in as many tries. 

The Huskers (8-1) trailed most of the first set before rallying to win late, took over the second set midway through and dominated from start to finish in the third set. 

Whitney Lauenstein had 11 kills and hit .370 to go with three blocks. Madi Kubik had nine kills and nine digs. Both Lauenstein and Kubik served a pair of aces. Lindsay Krause added nine kills on .304 hitting. 

Nebraska begins Big Ten play next weekend at home. The Huskers host Michigan State on Friday at 7 p.m. and No. 5 Ohio State on Saturday at 7 p.m. Saturday’s contest can be heard on KGFW.

LOPER FOOTBALL HOLDS OFF WASHBURN IN TOPEKA VICTORY:

The Nebraska Kearney football team scored 21 first half points, forced three late punts and had a game closing seven-minute drive to hold off No. 26 Washburn, 21-13, Saturday afternoon in Topeka, Kan.

The Lopers (2-1) beat the Ichabods (2-1) for a third time in the last four meetings and now lead the all-times series by a 17-13 margin.

UNK got touchdown passes of 27 and 18 yards from redshirt senior quarterback TJ Davis (Colorado Springs) in the first quarter and then saw Davis run from nine yards out on fourth down to take a 21-3 late in the first half.

The Lopers out gained the ‘Bods by a 407-247 margin despite running nine fewer plays

UNK hosts Central Missouri (0-3) next Saturday at Cope Stadium. The Mules battled No. 2 Northwest Missouri today in Maryville but fell, 24-7.

UNK VOLLEYBALL PUSHES PAST UCO IN FOUR SETS SATURDAY:

Redshirt junior middle Bailee Sterling had a career-high 20 kills and redshirt sophomore libero Jensen Rowse had 28 digs to help No. 8 Nebraska Kearney hand Central Oklahoma its first loss of the year Saturday evening at the Health & Sports Center.

The Lopers (11-1, 2-1) are now 20-5 all-time against the Bronchos (13-1, 3-1) who are among the youngest teams in the MIAA. Their roster features five freshmen and eight sophomores.

UNK hosts NAIA York University on Monday at 6 p.m.

UNK SOCCER DROPS MIAA OPENER:

The Washburn Ichabods scored two goals in the first 18 minutes and then held off Nebraska Kearney, 2-1, Sunday afternoon at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field.

This was the MIAA opener for both. The Ichabods (6-1-1, 1-0-0) and Lopers (0-7-1, 0-1-0), along with Fort Hays State and Emporia State, are in a “scheduling pod” and thus played a non-conference game last Sunday in Topeka. WU won that one, 1-0.

Sophomore Khloe Schuckman got the scoring going when she found the back of the net at 12:20. It was her second goal so far in the fall season. 

UNK spends the next two weekends on the road, visiting Northwest Missouri (4-2-2, 0-1-0) and Missouri Western (3-3-2, 1-0-0) first.

NEBRASKA SOFTBALL BEGINS FALL SEASON WITH WIN OVER CREIGHTON:

The Nebraska softball team started the fall season with a 19-1 victory in an eight-inning matchup at Creighton. 

Seniors Courtney Wallace and Mya Felder led the Huskers each with four RBIs while freshman Katelyn Caneda added three. In the circle, Wallace, Sarah Harness and Kaylin Kinney split time. Wallace led NU with four strikeouts and no hits. 

The Huskers return to action this Thursday,  Sept. 22, at 6:30 p.m. to take on Nebraska-Kearney at Bowlin Stadium. Admission is free to the public.

MAHER KICKS GAME WINNER FOR DALLAS OVER BENGALS:

Cowboys backup quarterback Cooper Rush led a game winning drive to allow former Husker and Kearney High kicker Brett Maher’s 50-yard field goal go through as time expired, and the Cowboys held on to beat the Cincinnati Bengals after losing a two-touchdown halftime lead.

Joe Burrow got the defending AFC champion Bengals even at 17-17 by leading a 19-play, 83-yard drive in the fourth quarter, throwing a 5-yard touchdown pass to Tee Higgins and finding Tyler Boyd for the 2-point conversion.

After the Cowboys stopped the Bengals with about a minute remaining, Rush got the defending NFC East champs in range for Maher, as the former Bearcat sinked the 20-17 victory.

NFL SCORES/SCHEDULES:

SUNDAY:

New England Patriots 17 – 14 Pittsburgh Steelers

New York Giants 19 – 16 Carolina Panthers

New York Jets 31 – 30 Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars 24 – 0 Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins 42 – 38 Baltimore Ravens

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20 – 10 New Orleans Saints

Detroit Lions 36 – 27 Washington Commanders

San Francisco 49ers 27 – 7 Seattle Seahawks

Los Angeles Rams 31 – 27 Atlanta Falcons

Arizona Cardinals 29 – 23 Las Vegas Raiders (OT)

Denver Broncos 19 – 6 Houston Texans

Dallas Cowboys 20 – 17 Cincinnati Bengals

Green Bay Packers 27 – 10 Chicago Bears

MONDAY:

Tennessee Titans @ Buffalo Bills – 6:15 PM

Minnesota Vikings @ Philadelphia Eagles – 7:30 PM

Local Results & Schedules:

THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:

MONDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Girls Golf: Dual v. GISH @ 4 PM – @ Meadowlark Hills
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Softball: v. St. Cecilia – 4:30 PM
• UNK:
  • Volleyball: v. York University – 6 PM @ Health & Sports Center
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • High School Coaches Show (5 PM – 6 PM)
  • Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)

TUESDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Softball: v. Lincoln SW (Doubleheader) – 5 PM @ Patriot Park
  • Volleyball: v. Lincoln High – 6:30 PM @ Kearney High School
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Girls Golf: @ Gibbon Scramble – 10 AM
  • Boys Tennis: @ Hastings Triangular v. GICC, Hastings – 2 PM
  • Cross Country: @ Franklin Invite – 4:15 PM
• UNK:
  • N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)

WEDNESDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Boys Tennis: Triangular v. LNE & LSW – 3 PM @ Lincoln Woods Tennis Center
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a
• UNK:
  • N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)

THURSDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Girls Golf: Lincoln East Invite – 9:30 AM @ Highlands Golf Course
  • Boys Tennis: Dual v. Alliance @ Harmon Park – 4 PM
  • Softball: @ GISH (Doubleheader) – 5 PM @ Veterans Field Softball Complex
    • Pregame on KGFW at 4:45 PM w/ Alex Hammeke 
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Softball: v. Lexington – 4:30 PM
  • Volleyball: @ Northwest (GI) Triangular – 5 PM
• UNK:
  • Softball: @ Nebraska-Lincoln (Huskers) – 6:30 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Kearney High Softball @ GISH Doubleheader (4:45 PM – 10 PM)

FRIDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Football: v. North Platte – 7 PM @ Ron & Carol Cope Stadium
    • Pregame at 6:30 PM, Kickoff at 7 PM
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Boys Tennis: @ GICC Invite – 9 AM
  • Football: v. Amherst – 7 PM @ Kearney Catholic High School
• UNK:
  • Women’s Tennis: @ ITA Central Regional – @ Edmond, OK
  • Volleyball: @ Missouri Western – 6 PM
  • Women’s Soccer: @ Missouri Western, 7 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • High School Football Preview Show (6 PM – 6:30 PM)
  • Kearney High Football v. North Platte (6:30 PM – 10 PM)

SATURDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Softball: Lincoln SE Invite – 8:30 AM @ Doris Bair Softball Complex
  • Volleyball: @ Seaman Invite – 8:30 AM
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Girls Golf: @ Centennial Conference Meet
  • Volleyball: @ Aurora Invite – 9 AM
  • Softball: @ Adams Central Invite – 10 AM
• UNK:
  • Women’s Tennis: @ ITA Central Regional – @ Edmond, OK
  • Women’s Swim: v. Sam Freas Invite – @ Edmond, OK
  • Football: v. Central Missouri – 1 PM @ Ron & Carol Cope Stadium
  • Volleyball: @ Central Missouri – 2 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Nebraska Volleyball v. Ohio State (6:30 PM – 9:45 PM)

SUNDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • N/a
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a
• UNK:
  • Women’s Tennis: @ ITA Central Regional – @ Edmond, OK
  • Women’s Soccer: @ Northwest Missouri State – 1 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • N/a