Saturday Sports Briefs: Doeren faces old team as NIU takes on UW

• University of Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin

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CHICAGO - First-year head football coach Dave Doeren played a role in creating the monster. Now, his Northern Illinois University Huskies have to take it on.

Doeren was defensive coordinator for the Wisconsin Badgers until this year. His Badger defenders were 20th in the nation last season and topped the Big Ten in rushing defense. Wisconsin held Oregon State to just 23 yards on the ground in last Saturday’s 35-0 shutout victory, the first shutout for Bucky in two years. Doeren’s Husky defense has to find a way to slow down Wisconsin’s offense today, too. Transfer quarterback Russell Wilson has completed nearly 80 percent of his passes in the first two games. And, Montee Ball and James White have combined for 298 yards rushing. Doeren’s team won’t just roll over for the number-seven ranked Badgers. They challenged the Big 12’s University of Kansas until the end in a 45-42 loss.

Kick-off for Saturday's game is at 2:30 p.m. and can only be seen via the internet on ESPN3.com

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UW-Whitewater, the nation’s top-ranked Division-Three football team, will play its home opener tomorrow against Campbellsville. Both teams are 2-0. Campbellsville is ranked 17th in the NAIA. They lost to Whitewater 37-7 a year ago, when the two teams played each other for the first time. In other WIAC non-conference action, UW-Platteville will host seventh-ranked Wheaton. And River Falls plays at 22nd-ranked Trine. Four other Wisconsin schools also have non-conference games tomorrow. Carthage hosts Concordia-Mequon. Wisconsin Lutheran is at Minnesota-Morris. And Maranatha Baptist is at home in Watertown against Macalester.

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Teams in the Midwest Conference will play their second league football contests tomorrow. Saint Norbert, Ripon, Lawrence, Illinois College, and Monmouth are all 1-0 – and Ripon and Illinois College are 2-0 overall. Ripon College hosts Grinnell tomorrow. Saint Norbert is at home in De Pere against Knox College. Lawrence of Appleton plays at Monmouth. Beloit College entertains Carroll. And Illinois College plays at Lake Forest.

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Experts say the Green Bay Packers have depth at cornerback. This Sunday’s game at Carolina could prove whether that is true or not. Pro Bowl cover man Tramon Williams didn’t practice this week, due to a shoulder bruise, and head coach Mike McCarthy says it will be a game-time decision whether he plays in the season’s second game. Since the opener was on a Thursday, Williams has had extra time to recover. It he can’t go, Jarrett Bush and Pat Lee will see action. Nickle back Sam Shields would likely move into the starting lineup. Williams is officially listed as questionable. Rookie running back Alex Green is also questionable. Defense end Mike Neal and linebacker Frank Zombo are out.

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The Green Bay Packers’ offense might not have been hurt by the lack of off-season workouts. But special teams’ coach Shawn Slocum said the rustiness was on full display during kickoff-and-punt returns last weekend. Slocum said there were rookies who played on special teams in Week-One despite having little-or-no experience at it in college – and it showed. Slocum said the lack of off-season workouts affected the coverage teams more than the return teams. That’s because the returner, of course, knows where he’s going. The league was hoping to cut down on injuries by moving up the kickoff spot from the 30-yard line to the 35 and having more touchbacks. Instead, the NFL saw three kickoffs returned for touchdowns last week – the most since 1998. And five punts were also returned for scores, creating a league record of eight kicks ran back for TD’s. The Packers are wrapping up their practice today for Sunday’s contest at Carolina. The Packers are hoping to go 2-0. Carolina is looking for its first victory in its home opener behind rookie quarterback Cam Newton.

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Next time you go to a Packer game, you might want to get there earlier. The NFL wants security guards at the gate to frisk fans from the ankles up. Until now, guards have only patted fans from the waist up. Spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league wanted the tighter security for Week-One. He said the league office recommended it – and they’re asking fans to be patient because they know it will take more time. Last Sunday night, a man from South Carolina was arrested when he used a police Taser stun gun on other fans attending the Jets-Cowboys’ game in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

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The visitors’ bureau in Wausau wants to bring back the Badger State Games. Darien Schaefer, head of the Wausau-Central Wisconsin Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, says his group plans to negotiate a purchase of the rights to the Games. The Wisconsin Sports Development Corporation of Madison said last month it would end the summer-and-winter Olympic-style sports festivals. The summer Games dated back a quarter-century – and officials cited declining participation and sponsorships for scrapping the amateur competitions. Schaefer said today that a “ramp-up in investment” would be needed. He said he had no idea what the rights to the Games would cost – but he said the festivals have value. Schaefer said the visitors’ bureau has created a sports authority to potentially operate the Badger State Games if they get the chance to do so. He also said his group was open to contracting with another city to host the summer events. Wausau and central Wisconsin hosted the Winter Games. The Madison area hosted the Summer Games until last year, when they moved to the Appleton area.

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SCORES

WISCONSIN HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCORES

Alma/Pepin 39, Lake Holcombe 8

Altoona 35, Chequamegon 0

Amherst 41, Manawa 13

Antigo 21, Medford 0

Appleton North 24, Wausau West 12

Appleton Xavier 38, Winneconne 7

Arcadia 13, Black River Falls 0

Bangor 44, Wonewoc-Center 0

Baraga, Mich. 46, Washburn/Bayfield 6

Bay Port 45, Green Bay East 20

Berlin 20, Clintonville 14

Black Hawk 34, Belmont 28

Blair-Taylor 41, Alma Center Lincoln 0

Bloomer 61, Barron 13

Bonduel 42, Weyauwega-Fremont 6

Boyceville 20, Mondovi 0

Brillion 44, Manitowoc Roncalli 0

Brodhead/Juda 43, Orfordville Parkview 6

Brookfield East 29, Wauwatosa East 0

Bruce 44, Winter 6

Burlington 33, Westosha Central 26

Cadott 25, Neillsville 7

Cambridge 42, Wisconsin Heights 7

Cameron 54, Webster 15

Cashton 14, Brookwood 13

Cedar Grove-Belgium 56, Sheboygan Lutheran/Kohler 0

Cedarburg 31, Germantown 28

Chippewa Falls McDonell 53, Abbotsford 20

Cochrane-Fountain City 46, Augusta 12

Colby 27, Stanley-Boyd 3

Coleman 58, Wausaukee 0

Columbus 30, Watertown Luther Prep 15

Crandon 28, Laona/Wabeno 26

Cuba City 22, Riverdale 7

Cudahy 19, New Berlin West 7

Cumberland 35, Spooner 7

Darlington 42, Boscobel 0

De Pere 44, Green Bay West 0

De Soto 29, Wauzeka 7

DeForest 37, Portage 0

Durand 42, Amery 14

Eau Claire Memorial 49, River Falls 7

Eau Claire Regis 29, Spencer/Marshfield Columbus 12

Edgar 49, Pittsville 0

Eleva-Strum 27, Independence/Gilmanton 6

Elk Mound 20, Spring Valley 19

Ellsworth 28, Baldwin-Woodville 22

Elmwood 26, Plum City 20

Evansville 42, Edgerton 20

Flambeau 27, Glenwood City 18

Fond du Lac Springs 48, Mayville 0

Fort Atkinson 48, Baraboo 20

Fox Valley Lutheran 21, Freedom 12

Franklin 41, Racine William Horlick 21

Gilman 42, Loyal 38

Green Bay Preble 24, Pulaski 14

Green Bay Southwest 41, Sheboygan North 7

Greendale 14, South Milwaukee 7

Greenfield 39, Whitnall 34

Greenwood/Granton 44, Wausau Newman 8

Hartford 27, Beaver Dam 21

Hartland Arrowhead 43, Waukesha North 20

Highland 16, River Ridge 14

Hilbert 33, Menasha St. Mary's 7

Holmen 42, Sparta 6

Hortonville 29, Denmark 19

Hudson 19, Chippewa Falls 6

Hurley 35, Northland Pines 20

Iola-Scandinavia 29, Wittenberg-Birnamwood 27

Iowa-Grant 21, Mineral Point 13

Ithaca 47, North Crawford 14

Janesville Craig 30, Madison La Follette 14

Janesville Parker 42, Madison West 14

Jefferson 35, East Troy 21

Johnson Creek 42, Fall River 38

Kaukauna 20, Wausau East 0

Kenosha St. Joseph 54, Somers Shoreland Lutheran 6

Kettle Moraine 34, Waukesha South 20

Kewaskum 34, Campbellsport 6

Kickapoo/LaFarge 14, Seneca 8

Kiel 30, Two Rivers 12

Kimberly 42, Appleton East 9

La Crosse Central 7, New London 6

La Crosse Logan 33, Onalaska 31, OT

Laconia 42, Horicon 12

Ladysmith 34, Hayward 13

Lake Geneva Badger 56, Delavan-Darien 7

Lakeside Lutheran 34, Poynette 6

Lancaster 55, River Valley 44

Living Word Lutheran 35, Brookfield Academy 18

Lodi 28, Lake Mills 7

Lomira 45, Random Lake 19

Madison East 42, Beloit Memorial 14

Manitowoc 36, Ashwaubenon 20

Manitowoc Lutheran 40, Algoma 21

Maple Northwestern 34, Chetek-Weyerhaeuser 14

Marinette St. Thomas Aquinas/Lena 40, Three Lakes 8

Marion/Tigerton 21, Almond-Bancroft 14

Markesan 41, Dodgeland 8

Marshall 48, New Glarus/Monticello 14

Marshfield 41, Neenah 0

McFarland 31, Whitewater 7

Menasha 51, Oshkosh North 3

Menomonee Falls 28, West Allis Central 12

Menomonie 50, Eau Claire North 6

Mequon Homestead 38, Grafton 14

Merrill 29, Lakeland 16

Milton 33, Oregon 14

Milwaukee Bradley Tech 18, Milwaukee Pulaski/Reagan/Lifelong Learning 0

Milwaukee Hamilton 35, Ripon 25

Milwaukee Rufus King 39, Milwaukee Marshall/Languages 14

Milwaukee Lutheran 33, Whitefish Bay 23

Milwaukee Marquette 31, Brookfield Central 28

Milwaukee Riverside 42, Milwaukee Madison 7

Milwaukee South 22, Milwaukee Vincent 14

Milwaukee Washington/Metro 26, Milwaukee Bay View 6

Minong Northwood/Solon Springs 27, Shell Lake 8

Monona Grove 27, Madison Edgewood 7

Monroe 27, Stoughton 20

Mosinee 46, Viroqua 0

Mount Horeb/Barneveld 38, Sauk Prairie 14

Muskego 35, Racine Washington Park 27

Necedah 7, Hillsboro 0

Nekoosa 56, Adams-Friendship 0

New Auburn 42, Cornell 13

New Berlin Eisenhower 31, Wauwatosa West 10

New Lisbon 30, Royall 22

Oak Creek 36, Racine Case 7

Oconomowoc 20, Slinger 14

Oconto Falls 14, Marinette 7

Omro 55, North Fond du Lac 20

Oostburg 21, Howards Grove 14

Oshkosh Lourdes 28, Montello/Princeton/Green Lake 24

Osseo-Fairchild 41, Fall Creek 21

Ozaukee 56, Elkhart Lake 20

Palmyra-Eagle 38, Beloit Turner 14

Pardeeville 74, Oakfield 0

Peshtigo 60, Crivitz 8

Pewaukee 46, Brown Deer 13

Phillips 37, Tomahawk 28

Platteville 35, Richland Center 27

Plymouth 48, Waupun 0

ort Washington 34, Nicolet 27

Potosi 35, Pecatonica/Argyle 7

Prairie du Chien 48, Dodgeville 21

Prescott 24, Osceola 6

Racine St. Catherine's 34, Greendale Martin Luther 21

Randolph 57, Hustisford 0

Reedsville 24, Gibraltar 0

Rice Lake 45, Superior 6

Rio 40, Cambria-Friesland 14

Rosholt 36, Port Edwards 13

Schofield D.C. Everest 41, Appleton West 0

Sevastopol 31, Green Bay NEW Lutheran 14

Seymour 20, Shawano 19

Sheboygan Falls 41, New Holstein 20

Shiocton 44, Stevens Point Pacelli 0

Siren 60, Birchwood 22

Somerset 40, New Richmond 14

Southwestern 27, Fennimore 6

St. Croix Central 36, Colfax 13

St. Croix Falls 38, Grantsburg 12

St. Francis 39, Milwaukee Thomas More 14

Stevens Point 14, Fond du Lac 6

Stratford 67, Marathon 46

Sturgeon Bay 44, Oconto 6

Sun Prairie 51, Madison Memorial 27

Sussex Hamilton 14, West Allis Hale 3

Tomah 41, La Crosse Aquinas 12

Unity 33, Clear Lake 0

Valders 27, Southern Door 14

Verona 41, Middleton 20

Walworth Big Foot 61, Clinton 12

Waterford 46, Elkhorn 0

Waterloo 39, Belleville/Albany 10

Watertown Maranatha Baptist 12, Williams Bay 7

Waukesha Catholic Memorial 21, Mukwonago 7

Waukesha West 59, Milwaukee Pius XI 14

Waunakee 56, Reedsburg 0

Waupaca 35, Little Chute 12

Wautoma 43, Mauston 25

West Bend East 38, Watertown 0

West De Pere 42, Luxemburg-Casco 7

West Salem 40, Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau 38

Westby 43, Onalaska Luther 0

Westfield 32, Wisconsin Dells 28

Whitehall 42, Melrose-Mindoro 7

Wild Rose 44, Deerfield 41

Wilmot 49, Union Grove 6

Winnebago Lutheran 6, Kettle Moraine Lutheran 0

Wisconsin Lutheran 26, West Bend West 7

Wisconsin Rapids 41, Oshkosh West 25

Wisconsin Rapids Assumption 28, Owen-Withee 13

Wrightstown 43, Chilton 13

Tags: wisconsin sports, sports, proam, prep