Suzuki should have a good shot at the revered major league mark of 3,000 hits,

LINCOLN, Neb. -- The last seven times Mark Banker faced Oregon, all losses, his Oregon State defenses gave up an average of 578 yards and 45 points a game. Theres no shame in that. Oregon has piled up yards and points against lots of opponents over the years.Mike Riley last year brought Banker with him to continue as his defensive coordinator at Nebraska (2-0), a program that has more resources than Oregon State and presumably more talent.So does Bankers familiarity with No. 22 Oregon (2-0) give him an edge in Saturday nights game in Lincoln?Theres been a lot of cases where Ive known the offenses very well, he said, but I cant do a damn thing about it because Im not playing, and knowing is one thing, and reacting to what you see is another thing.OK. Then does he have better players than he had at Oregon State?He deferred on that, too. He pointed out that his 2008 defense had seven players who became NFL draft picks, and that unit gave up 10 yards a play and lost 65-38 to the Ducks in a defeat that denied the Beavers a trip to the Rose Bowl.We feel like we can match up, Banker said, but theres no sense in talking about it. We have to go do it.What Banker is sure of is that the Cornhuskers will face an offense that thrives on big plays and moves at a dizzying pace.Oregon already has 15 plays of 20 yards or longer. Last year, the Ducks had 94, fifth-most in the country.As usual, the Ducks have blazing fast receivers (Darren Carrington and Olympic hurdler Devon Allen among them) and a premier running back (Royce Freeman). Tight end Pharaoh Brown has become a major weapon since recovering from a devastating injury. And they have a new quarterback in Dakota Prukop who is as comfortable running the zone read as he is throwing the deep ball, and hes improving by the game.If you dont have someone to distribute the ball, whether its hand it off or throw it, then that offense is just an offense with a bunch of good athletes, Banker said. Theyve always been best when the quarterback has good command and control of the ins and outs of that offense. This young man seems to have that.As big a challenge as stopping Oregons plays is having the ability to regroup between plays. Theres not much time. Prukop has taken snaps with as much as 28 seconds left on the 40-second play clock.Fast, fast, fast, Banker said.He offered examples of what goes through defenders minds when theyre on the field.`Let me rest on this type of play, or `Im so tired I cant focus, he said. You get going, and your heart rate is up. Then if they get a big play -- bang, theyre at the line of scrimmage and coming at you. You have to have poise and keep the big plays to a minimum. You know people are going to get yards. Just get them to a manageable third down, go get it, and then be ready to play fourth down because theyre going to go for it on fourth down as well.Nebraska was sound against overmatched Fresno State and Wyoming. The Huskers rank in the top 25 nationally in scoring defense (13.5 points per game) and against the run (81 yards per game), and they are tied for the national lead with seven interceptions.The Huskers came into the season feeling good about their linebacker depth and concerned about their defensive line and secondary. The linebackers have been as good as expected, the front four have held up, and the Nate Gerry-led secondary, which was vulnerable to the big play last season, has become a strength with the emergence of safety Kieron Williams .Linebacker Michael Rose-Ivey downplays what the defense has done so far. The Ducks are a huge step up in competition, and he said he and his teammates can afford no slips.For some teams, one mistake is 15-20 yards. For them, one mistake is a touchdown, Rose-Ivey said. They want those big plays, and theyve got guys up there (in the press box) who are going to be looking for the weak link on our defense.---Online:AP college football website: http://collegefootball.ap.org Cheap Barcelona Jerseys . -- New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis is retiring after a 16-year career to become the goalie coach for the Los Angeles Galaxy. Cheap Spain Jerseys . The 29-year-old Baines has established himself as one of the top attacking full backs in the country and was the subject of two bids from United during the last off-season. 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Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Authentic . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams.NEW YORK -- Ichiro Suzuki slashed a single the opposite way with his unique swing for the 4,000th hit of a career split between Japan and the major leagues. The 39-year-old Suzuki hit a liner off Torontos R.A. Dickey that bounced just beyond diving third baseman Brett Lawrie in the first inning Wednesday night for the milestone hit. "Its unbelievable, 4,000 hits," Alfonso Soriano said after hitting a tiebreaking two-run homer that led New York to a 4-2 victory over the Blue Jays. "To get 4,000 hits, you have to be a great hitter." How great? Pete Rose with 4,256 hits and Ty Cobb with 4,191 are the only two players that have reached the number solely in the major leagues. Suzuki broke a tie with Lou Gehrig when he got his 2,722nd major league hit in his 13th season. The speedy outfielder amassed 1,278 hits in nine seasons with Orix of Japans Pacific League. Suzukis teammates streamed out of the dugout and surrounded him at first base, Curtis Granderson giving him the first hug. A grinning Suzuki then faced the cheering fans and bowed, doffing his helmet. He bowed several more times, facing the Toronto dugout with the last one. "It was supposed to be a number that was special to me but what happened tonight I wasnt expecting," Suzuki said. "When my teammates came out to first base it was very special, and to see the fans. I wasnt expecting so much joy and happiness from them and thats what made it very special tonight." When he went to his position in right field for the second inning, Suzuki tipped his cap to the fans who greeted him with a standing ovation. "You never want to be the guy that gives up the milestone," Dickey said. "That being said, what an incredible achievement. The manner that hes done it is equally impressive. Just the longevity, the endurance, the durability. Having played with him in Seattle, it was a real treat to play with him and it couldnt have happened to a more professional hitter." Ken Griffey Jr., a former teammate with the Seattle Mariners, congratulated Suzuki with a message shown on the video board at Yankee Stadium. The Mariners tweeted a statement: "Ichiros historic milestone is testament to his position as one of the greatest hitters in the game of baseball." Suzukis postgame news conference with the Japanese media lasted a whopping 47 minutes. According to STATS, Suzuki has the most hits through the first 13 seasons of a big league career. Paul Waner is second. He had 2,648 for Pittsburgh from 1926-38. Even though the approach to the unprecedented milestone didnt generate a lot of buzz in the United States because it doesnt count in the record books, players have great respect for Suzukis accomplishment. "Thats a lot of hits, man," Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said last week. "Its pretty impressive. I dont care if its 4,000 in Little League. It shows how consistent hees been throughout his career.dddddddddddd It makes you look at how many hits hes got in a short amount of time. Thats difficult to do, so Ichi has been as consistent as anyone." To Suzuki, though, the rarefied number means one thing. "Not necessarily the 4,000, just the fact that youre getting a hit in the game," he said through an interpreter after getting three hits in the opener of a doubleheader Tuesday to leave him at 3,999. "If you dont produce youre not going to play in games. Me producing in games is whats good for me." He has been producing since he was an 18-year-old rookie with the Blue Wave. A career .353 hitter in Japan, Suzuki became the first Japanese-born non-pitcher to sign with a major league team. He smoothly made the move from Orix to the Mariners in 2001 when he was 27. He was selected AL Rookie of the Year and MVP in his first season when he batted .350, had 242 hits and stole 56 bases. The slender 10-time All-Star seemingly could place the ball wherever he wanted with a slashing swing that makes him look more like an epee-wielding fencer than a professional baseball player. Suzuki had at least 206 hits in each of his first 10 years in the majors, peaking in 2004 when he set the record for hits in a season with 262, topping George Sislers mark of 257 established in 1920. His hit Wednesday night was the 2,209th single of his career. "Its an amazing feat," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Its a testament to how hard hes worked, how long hes been in the game, how he stays healthy, how he goes about his business." Uniquely fashionable, Suzuki often wears skinny jeans cuffed at the bottom to show off a rainbow of shoes and socks. Sporting clothes by his favourite designer, Thom Browne, he looks more like a 20-something than a greying star. Despite his age, Suzuki should have a good shot at the revered major league mark of 3,000 hits, one that doesnt come with debates over the merits of the achievement. He is signed for one more year with New York at $6.5 million, and the 10-time Gold Glove winner is still is an outstanding outfielder. But hes not thinking about that mark. "I dont make goals that are so far away," Suzuki said. "What I do is what I can every day and really build off that and see where that takes me." After a down season in 2011 in which he hit a career-low .272 for a Seattle team that lost 95 games, Suzuki was traded to New York in July 2012. Accused of isolating himself in the young Mariners clubhouse, Suzuki easily fit into the star-studded Yankees room and hit .322 the rest of the season. He is batting .275 with New York this year, and hes really enjoying his time with the team. His treatment Wednesday reinforced that. "What I realized today is that the Yankees are so used to things like this happening that theyre so good at ceremonies like this," Suzuki said. ' ' '