Nebraska

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen visits North Omaha, speaks to community leaders

Published

2 years ago

May 13, 2023

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen visits North Omaha, speaks to community leaders

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen paid a visit to North Omaha Friday.

Some community leaders in North Omaha labeled Friday’s visit from Pillen as groundbreaking. They’re hoping to open communications between North Omaha and members of state government.

But there are people in the community who say they have heard this song before.

Political, business and community leaders made their way to Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church on North 24th Street. Close to 50 members of the North Omaha community met with the governor.

The meeting was closed to the media but the governor did answer questions after. He talked about this first step in opening the lines of communication.

“The biggest step first thing is building relationships. It’s really really important that we have eyeball-to-eyeball communication, be able to trust each other and get to know who we are and where each other comes from. This morning that was a big step, I got to shake hands with almost everybody here.”

There were many topics of discussion in the meeting, from housing, to education, to economic development.

State senators Justin Wayne and Terrell McKinney say they have worked many hours with the governor on issues concerning North Omaha.

“We might not agree on everything but at least having an open line of communication is the best thing for us going forward,” McKinney said.

“I would tell you I think this is one of the most accessible governors that I’ve been able to deal with,” Wayne said. “This isn’t his first time in North Omaha and won’t be his last time. And he did say he wanted to commit to regular meetings with people in there.”

There are many people in North Omaha who say they have heard this kind of talk before, then the conversation failed to turn into action.

“Come into the community and show us,” said North Omaha business owner Don McPherson. “Don’t come in for a photo op to give a speech. We’ve heard it all before and you can really kind of see where we still are at.”

“He talked about a lot of things and talked about our children and economic development, but what are we actually going to do?” said Pastor Cavitt with Clair Memorial United Methodist Church. “You can just continue to talk but when are we going to put some timeline and some action in place, because we’re not getting any younger.”

Others say this is different and North Omaha has not had this kind of relationship with a governor before.

“I think this is a different feel, again I think he’s open, he really takes seriously of being the governor of all the citizens,” said Pastor Michael T. Williams, the President of the Omaha NAACP.

“I am hoping for a new day with North Omaha and the governor of our state but this was potentially a great beginning,” said Preston Love Jr. with the Omaha NAACP.

Gov. Pillen accepted the invitation of the Omaha NAACP to meet with North Omaha leadership.

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Nebraska

Nebraska Football Targeting California Commit

Published

3 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

Nebraska Football Targeting California Commit

Nebraska is now a leader to land Aiden Manutai. Here is the latest.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers aren’t exactly done in the 2025 cycle as they have been searching for some flip targets. After actively searching, the Huskers may have found another one.

That guy is Aiden Manutai. Manutai is a Kahuku High School defensive back from Kahuku, Hawaii. He plays safety and is a listed four-star from ESPN. Manutai is committed to the California Golden Bears.

Manutai has been a target for the Cornhuskers for a bit of time and started to trend towards the Cornhuskers earlier this month. Manutai was originally interested in Nebraska along with five other schools before committing to the Bears.

Manutai did not make a trip to Lincoln this weekend, which is a good sign for the Golden Bears. However, the Cornhuskers are in a good spot despite this visit not happening. The Huskers made their first bowl game in years which is a positive sign for any recruit.

Manutai is also one of many recruits who were influenced by the addition of Dawson Merritt, who recently flipped from Alabama to Nebraska. Will Manutai be the next flip for the Big Red?

MORE: Luke Fickell: ‘Don’t Have Any Excuses’ for Wisconsin Football Loss to Nebraska

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MORE: Iowa Football Opens as Home Favorite Over Nebraska in Black Friday Matchup

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MORE: Husker Doc Talk: Nebraska Football Is Going Bowling!

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.

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Nebraska

Analytics Review: Nebraska Football vs. Wisconsin

Published

12 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

Analytics Review: Nebraska Football vs. Wisconsin

It was an unseasonably nice afternoon in Memorial Stadium. And no, I’m not talking about temperatures in the high 50s for the final home game. In his second game as offensive coordinator, Dana Holgorsen’s offense exploded for arguably the Nebraska offense’s best game under Matt Rhule. Dylan Raiola played his best game, throwing for over 290 yards with no sacks and no turnovers. For the first time all season, I’d say the Huskers played well in all three phases of the game, and that was enough to send them bowling this December.

The story of this game was the Huskers offense. Emmett Johnson became Nebraska’s second 100-yard running back of the Matt Rhule era, joining Anthony Grant last season against Louisiana Tech. The Huskers had just two of their runs “stuffed” (a run for 0 or fewer yards) on their way to their second-best rushing output this season.

I was struck by the blocking effort in this game. Jahmal Banks held his block on the edge until Dante Dowdell crossed the goal line. Linemen were pulling and still blocking ten yards downfield, helping players fight for extra yards. That type of extra effort made this a special night for the offense.

Overall stat tables for Nebraska vs. Wisconsin. / Game On Paper

The Husker’s offense also dominated the control of the ball. The Nebraska offense was built on methodical drives. Even if you remove Nebraska’s two explosive plays, the Huskers offense still managed an EPA of 3.88. This was the first game all season where Nebraska’s non-explosive plays went for a positive EPA.

Special teams was also a big positive for the Huskers in this game. Nebraska’s special teams performed 12.5 points better than Wisconsin’s this game. This was just the second time this season that Nebraska’s special teams unit was a net positive (Ohio State, 2.86 EPA). John Hohl’s 14 points were the most by a kicker in the Matt Rhule era.

The defense still had its concerning moments this game. Wisconsin performed in the 90th percentile or better in many offensive statistics, including its seven explosive plays. These big plays are a cause for concern against Iowa, as the Wisconsin offense is one of the worst teams in the country in generating explosive plays, at just 5.8%. The Nebraska defense was stout on crucial plays, allowing just a 30% 3rd-down success rate and a 33% red zone success rate.

Biggest plays of the game, by absolute EPA. / Game On Paper

Going into this game, Nebraska lost nine straight games after winning number five and ten consecutive games to Wisconsin. Many people on social media want to make fun of Nebraska fans for storming the field after getting to bowl eligibility. I’m happy these people can enjoy their laughs while they can. The Matt Rhule rebuild is running on schedule, and we all know what year three looks like for him.

Through 11 games, the Nebraska skill position group is the youngest in college football. The extra practice to build chemistry with each other and get more practice reps running Holgorsen’s offense is invaluable. The 2024 seniors won much less than most in Lincoln would’ve liked. But as they walked off the field for the final time, they put Nebraska football on a new trajectory.

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MORE: Tad Stryker: Breakthrough Day

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Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.

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Nebraska

Gallery: Nebraska Volleyball Sweeps Wisconsin on Senior Night

Published

21 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

Gallery: Nebraska Volleyball Sweeps Wisconsin on Senior Night

Nebraska and Wisconsin Volleyball have played a total of six sets against each other this season, all of which have been won by the Huskers. Seniors, Merritt Beason, Leyla Blackwell, Lindsay Krause, Kennadi Orr and Lexi Rodriguez were all celebrated for their contributions to the program after tonight’s win.