by Sports Xchange

PROGRAM DIRECTION: Few coaches in the Big 12 get as much out of limited talent as Doc Sadler achieved in his first three seasons with Nebraska. Scratching out an 8-8 league record and an eighth-place finish a year ago was better than anyone expected from a lineup that often consisted of no one taller than 6-4. Attracting better recruits to a football school is an issue Sadler must solve, though the talent level at Nebraska is slowly beginning to improve.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP: F Quincy Hankins-Cole, C Brian Diaz, G Ryan Anderson, G Sek Henry, G Toney McCray.

ROSTER REPORT:

--G Toney McCray was cleared for full participation once practice began after suffering a detached elbow ligament in a September pickup game. McCray wore a brace to limit his upper-body mobility during conditioning workouts.

--C Christopher Niemann will miss the season because of a knee injury.

--G Lance Jeter shed 20 pounds between the time he arrived at Nebraska and the start of practice. The 6-3 junior was down to 220 and expected to be even lighter by the start of the season.

--G Myles Holley must cope with sore legs, the result of two major knee surgeries in the past.