husker bios
kenny
bell
#80
Redshirt Freshman l Wide Receiver l 6-1 l 180 Boulder, Colo. l Fairview HS
Single-Game Highs
» Rushes–1 at Minnesota, vs. Michigan State » Rushing Yards–82 at Minnesota » Touchdowns–1 three times (at Wyoming, at Minnesota, vs. Northwestern) » Kickoff Returns–4 vs. Northwestern » Kickoff Return Yards–96 vs. Northwestern » All-Purpose Yards–154 vs. Northwestern
» Honorable-Mention Freshman All-American (CollegeFootballNews.com) » Big Ten All-Freshman Team (Yahoo.com, ESPN.com) » Longest Touchdown Run by a Freshman in School History (80 yards at Minnesota) Redshirt freshman Kenny Bell has emerged as a go-to-receiver for Nebraska in 2011, with the Colorado native has played his best football in the latter half of the season. The 6-1, 180-pound speedster leads the team in receptions (29) and receiving yards (408) and he added touchdown catches against Wyoming and Northwestern. Bell has played in all 12 games and started the season’s final 10 games. He is expected to be a big part of the Nebraska offense in future years. Bell enters the bowl game in position to become just the second freshman ever to lead Nebraska in receptions and receiving yards, joining Nate Swift who accomplished that feat in 2005. Swift went on to become Nebraska’s all-time leader in receptions and ranks second in yardage. Bell’s 29 catches and 408 yards are the second-best freshman totals ever for a Nebraska player. Bell averages 14.1 yards per catch and has big-play ability with seven catches of at least 20 yards. Bell continued to improve throughout the year with 24 of his 29 catches coming in Big Ten play. He had at least four catches in four of the final six games, capped by five catches for a Nebraska season-best 93 yards in the win over Iowa. In addition to his work as a receiver, Bell could see action on kickoff returns in the Capital One Bowl.
2011 (Redshirt Freshman)
Chattanooga: Saw time, but did not 2011 Game by Game have a catch in the opener. Fresno State: Opponent Catches Yards TD Had one catch for 42 yards. Washington: Chattanooga 0 0 0 Had two catches for 59 yards, including Fresno State 1 42 0 a 50-yard reception on the Huskers’ first Washington 2 59 0 offensive play, setting up a touchdown at Wyoming 2 20 1 one play later. Wyoming: Picked up his at Wisconsin 1 9 0 second multi-reception day of the year Ohio State 3 33 0 with two catches for 20 yards, including at Minnesota 4 25 0 one in the third quarter for his first Michigan State 1 19 0 career touchdown. Wisconsin: Had one Northwestern 5 58 1 catch for nine yards. Ohio State: Helped at Penn State 4 42 0 Nebraska overcome a 27-6 deficit, at Michigan 1 8 0 catching three passes for 33 yards, Iowa 5 93 0 including a 20-yard catch in the third quarter that set up a touchdown to pull NU within a touchdown at 27-20. Minnesota: Totaled a career-high 107 all-purpose yards, grabbing a then-career-high four catches for 25 yards... Made his biggest impact in the running game, as he took a reverse and went 82 yards for a second quarter touchdown... It was the longest run from scrimmage for a Husker since 2004 and the longest TD run by a freshman in school history. Michigan State: Had a 19-yard catch to set up a third-quarter touchdown and added a run for four yards. Northwestern: Set a career high with five catches for 58 yards and a touchdown, a 14-yard catch to pull Nebraska within three points, 28-25, in the final minute. Penn State: Led Nebraska with four catches for 42 yards in the win at PSU. Michigan: Had one catch for eight yards and also had one 33-yard kickoff return on the opening play of the second half, which was fumbled to set up a Wolverine touchdown. Iowa: Tied his career high with five grabs for a career-best 93 yards... Had a 19-yard grab in the second quarter that setup a 40-yard Brett Maher field goal... Caught two passes for 20 and 28 yards on the Huskers’ second drive of the second half, which resulted in a 21-yard field goal from Maher.
Career
Bell redshirted in 2010 and was named Nebraska’s Offensive Scout Team MVP for his work. Bell’s full biography can be found on page 91 of the Nebraska Football Media Guide.
Career Stats
Year G/S 2010 2011 12/10 Totals 12/10
No.
Yds. Redshirt 29 408 29 408
Y/R
Y/G
Long
TDs
14.1 14.1
34.0 34.0
50 vs. Washington 50 vs. Washington
2 2
Rushing: 2 carries, 86 yards, 1 TD, 43.0 average, long of 82 yards at Minnesota (TD)* Kickoff Returns: 6 returns, 152 yards, 0 TD, 25.3 average, long of 33 at Michigan
justin
blatchford
#39
Junior l Safety l 6-1 l 200 Ponca, Neb. l Ponca HS » Academic All-Big Ten Junior Justin Blatchford was an integral part of the Nebraska secondary throughout the 2011 season, working in the nickel and dime role. Blatchford earned a Blackshirt for his contribution in the defensive backfield, and he also continued to excel on special teams units. The 6-1, 200-pound walk-on from Ponca, Neb., finished the year with nine total tackles.
2011 (Junior)
Blatchford appeared in all 12 games, and earned his first career start against Washington. He had six solo stops and three assists, with four of his tackles coming on special teams. Blatchford had a season-high three tackles against both Chattanooga and Fresno State. He added a pass breakup against Michigan State and a quarterback hurry against Chattanooga.
Career
Blatchford played in 12 games as a sophomore and had five tackles, including a seasonhigh three tackles at Kansas State. He played in 12 games as a redshirt freshman in 2009, primarily on special teams. He finished the year with three solo tackles and his biggest play came against Baylor when he returned a blocked punt 25 yards for a touchdown. Blatchford redshirted in 2008. Blatchford’s full biography can be found on page 92 of the Nebraska Football Media Guide.
Career Stats
Year 2008 2009 2010 2011 Totals
(----------Tackles---------) UT AT TT TFL Sacks Redshirt 3 0 3 0-0 0.0-0 2 3 5 0-0 0.0-0 6 3 9 0-0 0.0-0 0.0-0 11 6 17 0-0
G/S 12/0 12/0 12/1 36/1
Fum. C-R BK 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
QB PBU INT Hry.
0 0 1 1
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 1 1
Single-Game Highs
» Tackles–3 twice (vs. Chattanooga, vs. Fresno State, both in 2011) » Solo Tackles–2 twice (vs. Chattanooga, vs. Fresno State, both in 2011) » Pass Breakups–1 vs. Michigan State (2011)
mauro
bondi
#37
Freshman l Place-Kicker l 6-0 l 190 Boca Raton, Fla. l West Boca Raton HS Place-kicker Mauro Bondi was one of six true freshmen to see action during the 2011 season. The Boca Raton, Fla., native is the top backup to Brett Maher on both kickoffs and place-kicking duties, and Bondi appeared in four games during his first season. Bondi is one of six Florida natives on the roster who will play the bowl game in their home state.
2011 (Freshman)
Bondi appeared in four games in 2011. He handled four kickoffs on the year, two against Chattanooga and one each against Washington and Minnesota. He also connected on his only PAT attempt at Minnesota. Bondi’s full biography can be found on page 138 of the Nebraska Football Media Guide.
*longest touchdown run by a freshman in school history
40
2012 capital one bowl