Phil Hicks

For three years, Cody Glenn has been on the offensive side of the ball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

That changed during the offseason as Bo Pelini took over the Nebraska program. The former LSU defensive coordinator moved the Rusk High School graduate to defense.

If Pelini's decisions work as well as this move, the Cornhuskers will quickly rejoin the college football elite.

Glenn, who was one of the top rushers in East Texas as an Eagle, had 12 tackles in Nebraska's 47-24 win over Western Michigan Saturday in Lincoln, Neb.

Among his 12 tackles, nine were unassisted and three were for losses. Glenn also broke up three passes and caused a fumble; the first Nebraska takeaway in four games.

After the game, Glenn said, "I was like a little kid in the backyard back in Rusk having fun."

On Monday, Pelini said Glenn approached the coaching staff about the switch. Pelini said he knew Glenn was athletic and displayed good defensive instincts.

Glenn was frustrated by the lack of carries last season under former coach Bill Callahan so he opted for defense.

Although he felt he would do well at linebacker, his totals against the Broncos were a bit of a surprise.

"I didn't envision how many tackles I'd have," he said. "I just envisioned playing good football and having fun. That hadn't happened much."

Following the game, linebackers coach Mike Ekeler noted Glenn's play.

"I told you guys from day one the guy is an exceptional football player," Ekeler said. "I see it every day. We've seen it all along. We know what he's capable of doing."

Ekeler said Glenn will only continue to get better.

"We've seen that since the first time he practiced at linebacker," Ekeler said. "He took it upon himself to come in and watch film and do the extra work. He doesn't want to be good. He wants to be great."

Glenn knows he still has much to learn about the position, but he is enjoying the moment.

He told reporters after the game, "If I knew it was going to be like this my freshman year, I would have played linebacker. But things happen for a reason."

The Huskers return to action Saturday against San Jose State in Lincoln. Kickoff is 11:30 a.m.

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Arp's Johnson

One can see why Texas A&M was fighting hard to keep Arp's Sedrick Johnson's commitment.

The freshman changed his mind on signing day and inked with Iowa State instead of the Aggies. He has made an immediate impact for the Cyclones.

His first catch as a collegiate resulted in a 14-yard touchdown catch as Iowa State rolled to a 44-17 win over South Dakota State Thursday.

That was his only catch of the game, but his presence helped open the lanes for other receivers.

Iowa State coach Gene Chizik said Johnson will continue to see a lot of playing time on passing downs.

The Cyclones return to play Saturday when they play host to Kent State in Ames, Iowa. Kickoff is 6 p.m. The Golden Flashes defeated Iowa State 23-14 last year in Chizik's debut as Cyclones coach.

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JT's Hunter

Out West, Tyler's Kendall Hunter made his first start at running back for Oklahoma State.

It was a smashing debut for the John Tyler High School graduate as he helped the Cowboys take a key out-of-conference win over the Pacific-10's Washington State.

Hunter rushed for 107 yards and scored two touchdowns on 23 carries as OSU downed the Cougars, 39-13, in a game played at the Seattle Seahawks' Qwest Field. The sophomore scored on runs of 11 and 10 yards.

It was the third 100-yard rushing game of Hunter's college career.

Two other East Texans, Lufkin's Dez Bryant and Tyler's Brandon Pettigrew, were keys in the passing game.

Bryant snagged seven passes for 90 yards, while Pettigrew, a Robert E. Lee graduate, had six catches for 43 yards.

The Cowboys return to play on Saturday by playing host to Houston in Stillwater, Okla. Kickoff is 6:05 p.m.

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East Texans were also contributors to Texas' 52-10 win over Florida Atlantic Saturday in Austin.

Offensively, Kilgore's Michael Huey and Britt Mitchell, who are both sophomore guards, and true freshman center David Snow of Gilmer, saw action on the line. The big guys up front helped the Longhorns total 503 yards, including 232 yards on the ground.

Defensively, junior linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy, of Hallsville, led Texas with six tackles. Also, Texarkana sophomore linebacker Dustin Earnest had three tackles, while Kilgore sophomore end Eddie Jones and Gilmer sophomore cornerback Curtis Brown had two tackles each.

The Longhorns go out to the West Texas town of El Paso to meet UTEP for the first time. The game at the Sun Bowl is scheduled for 9:15 p.m. Saturday on ESPN2.

Phil Hicks is the sports editor for the Tyler Paper.
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