Tuesday Afternoon Sports – UNK Volleyball Battles Hays, Lopers’ Davis Named Offensive POTW, Martinez Earns Big 12 Honor, Local Sports Schedule

UNK VOLLEYBALL SET TO BATTLE HAYS AT HEALTH & SPORTS CENTER:

After a successful weekend on the road downing Missouri Western and Central Missouri, the UNK Volleyball team prepares for a showdown with rival Fort Hays State tonight in the Health & Sports Center. 

The 15-1 Lopers currently ranked at No. 6 in the AVCA Coaches Poll face off against 6-8 Hays coming in from back-to-back losses in Missouri to both the Jennies and Griffons on Friday and Saturday. 

UNK is currently on a 20 match win streak over the Tigers, not having lost to Fort Hays State since 2009. Since 2009, only one match has gone five sets back on September 16, 2014. First serve is set for 6 PM tonight.

LOPERS’ DAVIS NAMED CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE POTW:

The MIAA has announced its fourth MIAA Football Athletes of the Week as UNK’s TJ Davis was named offensive athlete of the week.

Nebraska Kearney’s quarterback TJ Davis rushed for 191 yards with three rushing touchdowns and threw for 134 yards and a score as the No. 25 Lopers earned its second all-time home win over Central Missouri. Davis had scoring runs of 14 yards, 21 yards and 68 yards to become just the third Loper to reach 3,000 career rushing yards (3,061). The redshirt senior is also closing in on 4,000 career passing yards.

FORMER HUSKER EARNS BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK AFTER OKLAHOMA UPSET:

Helping lead Kansas State to a 41-34 victory at No. 6 Oklahoma on Saturday night, former Husker quarterback Adrian Martinez has been named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week.

Martinez is K-State’s first offensive player of the week since Skylar Thompson earned the nod following the 2020 Oklahoma game. In addition to his Big 12 weekly honor, Martinez was also named a Manning Award Star of the Week, and fans can vote for the Manning Award Quarterback of the Week via its Facebook page.

Martinez accounted for 382 yards of total offense and five touchdowns, throwing for 234 yards and a touchdown on 21-of-34 with no interceptions and rushing for 148 yards and four scores. He set a new career high in rushing touchdowns.

Martinez’s 148 rushing yards were the second-most in his career behind the 157 yards he had at Rutgers in 2020 while playing for Nebraska.

BUSCH UPDATED CONTRACT TERMS FOR INTERIM DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR ROLE:

Nebraska released the final piece of the updated coaching contracts and salary information on Monday.

On Friday, we learned that interim head coach Mickey Joseph will make an extra $33,500 per month according to his updated contract. The new terms of that deal began on Sept. 11.

Joseph can also make an extra $150,000 if he takes the 1-3 Huskers to a bowl game. Joseph is currently under contract for $600,000 annually.

Meanwhile, interim defensive coordinator Bill Busch will make an extra $15,700 per month, starting on Sept. 18. Busch is currently under contract for $400,000 as Nebraska’s special teams coordinator. He replaced Erik Chinander, who was paid $850,000 annually by Nebraska.

All of NU’s full-time assistant coaches are under contract for both the 2022 and 2023 football seasons.

DEPTH CHART CHANGES FOR HUSKERS BEFORE INDIANA:

This week’s depth chart offers a quick reveal at how injuries are impacting the Nebraska offensive line, with a couple moves to note on defense too.

In the Husker depth chart on Monday that was released heading into Saturday night’s game against Indiana, Ethan Piper is now listed as the top left guard.

Piper played 43 snaps at left guard in Nebraska’s last game against Oklahoma, basically splitting time with Kevin Williams Jr., who started against the Sooners. The senior Williams, who could be dealing with his own injury setback, isn’t on the 2-deep heading into this week.

Elsewhere on the latest depth chart, to no surprise running back Gabe Ervin is now listed as Anthony Grant’s backup after the season-ending injury to Ajay Allen.

On defense, Omar Brown is now listed as a nickel behind Isaac Gifford, and not a safety where he had previously been. Chris Kolarevic continues to be at inside backer.

NFL ENDS PRO BOWL:

The Pro Bowl got a major makeover.

The NFL has eliminated its full-contact all-star game and is replacing it with weeklong skills competitions and a flag football game.

The new event will be renamed “The Pro Bowl Games” and will feature AFC and NFC players showcasing their football and non-football skills in challenges over several days.

The 2023 Games will be held in Las Vegas, and the flag football game at Allegiant Stadium is Sunday, Feb. 5. That is one week before the Super Bowl in Arizona.

LAMB’S BIG CATCH GIVES DALLAS PRIMETIME WIN OVER GIANTS:

CeeDee Lamb was angry with himself in the second quarter after dropping a wide-open pass and costing the Dallas Cowboys a possible touchdown. 

The star receiver more than made up for it with the game on the line, making a one-handed TD catch with 8:30 to play to cap a go-ahead drive that gave the Cowboys a 23-16 win over the New York Giants on Monday night.

Ezekiel Elliott scored on a 1-yard run to ignite a comeback from a seven-point deficit and Brett Maher kicked three field goals as the Cowboys (2-1) beat the Giants (2-1) for the 10th time in 11 games and handed coach Brian Daboll his first loss.

NFL SCORES/SCHEDULES:

MONDAY:

Dallas Cowboys 23 – 16 New York Giants

Local Results & Schedules:

THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:

MONDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • B/G Cross Country: v. UNK Invite @ Kearney Country Club
    • Boys = 13th place; Braedon Wall, 50th; Zach petzet, 75th; Emryk Little, 76th
    • Girls = 11th place; Sam Stava, 25th; Darin Brockmeier, 44th; Olivia Gaasch, 68th
  • Softball: v. Columbus (Doubleheader) @ Patriot Park
    • GAME 1: KHS 
    • GAME 2: Columbus 7-5
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • B/G Cross Country: @ UNK Invite @ Kearney Country Club
    • Boys = 26th place; Miles Sughroue, 59th; Fletcher Clausen 84th
    • Girls = 16th place; Madison Bellamy, 50th; MaKinley Tobey, 60th

TUESDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Softball: @ Hastings (Doubleheader) @ Smith Softball Complex – 5 PM
    • Pregame on KGFW at 4:45 PM with Alex Hammeke
  • Volleyball: @ Lincoln East – 6:30 PM
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Boys Tennis: v. KCHS Invite – 10 AM
  • Girls Golf: @ Adams Central Invite – 10 AM
  • Volleyball: v. GICC – 5 PM
  • Softball: @ Southern Valley Triangular – 5:30 PM
• UNK:
  • Women’s Golf: @ Lady Tiger Classic @ Hays, KS
  • Volleyball: v. Fort Hays State @ Health & Sports Center – 6 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:

WEDNESDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • N/a
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a
• UNK:
  • N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)

THURSDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Girls Golf: @ HAC Championships @ Norfolk – 9:30 AM
  • Boys Tennis: Hastings Dual @ Hastings – 4 PM
  • Softball: v. Lincoln SE (Doubleheader) @ Patriot Park – 5 PM
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Girls Golf: @ Centura Invite – 9 AM
  • Boys Tennis: @ Adams Central – 4 PM
  • Softball: @ Minden – 4:30 PM
  • Volleyball: v. Ord – 5 PM
• UNK:
  • N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:

FRIDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Boys Tennis: Varsity Quad @ Lincoln – 8:30 AM
  • Volleyball: @ Lincoln NE Invite – 4 PM
  • Football: v. Grand Island @ Ron & Carol Cope Stadium – 7 PM
    • KGFW Pregame at 6:30 PM with Austin Jacobsen and Ford Clark
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Football: @ Hastings St. Cecilia – 6:30 PM 
• UNK:
  • Women’s Golf: @ Nebraska Intercollegiate (Non-Varsity) @ Norfolk
  • M/W Cross Country: @ Gans Creek Classic @ Columbia, MO – 10:30 AM
  • M/W Cross Country: @ Chile Pepper Festival @ Fayetteville, AR – 3:15 PM
  • Volleyball: v. Northwest Missouri State @ Health & Sports Center – 6 PM
  • Women’s Soccer: @ Central Oklahoma – 7 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • High School Football Preview Show (6 PM – 6:30 PM)
  • Kearney High Football v. Grand Island (6:30 PM – 10 PM)

SATURDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Softball: HAC Softball Tournament @ Bradshaw Park, Columbus NE – 9 AM
  • Volleyball: Lincoln NE Invite – 9 AM
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a
• UNK:
  • Women’s Golf: @ Nebraska Intercollegiate (Non-Varsity) @ Norfolk
  • Women’s Swimming: v. UNK Fall Splash
  • Football: v. Fort Hays State @ Ron & Carol Cope Stadium – 7 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Nebraska Football v. Indiana (2:30 PM – 1 AM)

SUNDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • N/a
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a
• UNK:
  • Women’s Golf: v. Golfweek Division II Invite @ Destin, FL
  • Women’s Soccer @ Newman – 1 PM
  • Softball: v. Doane @ Patriot Park – 1 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • N/a