‘Huskers Count on Christo

In some ways, Nebraska quarterback Monte Christo is like his literary namesake--the fictional Count of Monte Christo created by 19th century French author Alexandre Dumas.

In the novel, set during the post-Napoleonic era, a young sailor is falsely accused of treason. After making a dramatic escape from a castle prison, he exacts revenge on his captors.

In real life, a walk-on quarterback’s career includes three surgeries, a season-ending knee injury and cracked vertebrae in his back. In his senior season, set during the post-Osborne era, he makes a dramatic escape from the sideline to exact revenge on Alabama Birmingham and California.

“It’s something I always hoped would happen for the last four years,” said Christo, the quarterback. “I waited to get my chance and it seemed it was a long time coming. I just answered when I was called upon.”

Yes, Christo said, that’s his real name. And yes, he was named after the character in the novel. He said his maternal grandmother urged his parents to consider the name.

“She told them they should name me Monte Christo because he was a heroic character. My parents were skeptical but she rode them,” he said. “People make comments about it but it doesn’t bother me. It’s a name that people don’t forget.”

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Joe Paterno prefers to remember the Penn State-Pitt rivalry the way it was, not the way it may never be again.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Paterno said of his eighth-ranked Nittany Lions’ visit today to Pitt Stadium, their first since 1991. “I’ve always enjoyed going to Pittsburgh. . . . There’s been a lot of fond memories there, a lot of great games there.”

It has been a while, though.

The Penn State-Pittsburgh game, previously a long-awaited conclusion to the season, has become almost an afterthought.

Because of conference commitments, the game is staged now in September, not the more fitting setting of late November, when national rankings and bowl trips once rode on the outcome.

And, unless schedules are reworked, the rivalry won’t be played at all after 2000, the second such interruption in a series that once divided households across western Pennsylvania.

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Stanford flanker Troy Walters is one of the nation’s top receivers. North Carolina cornerback Dre’ Bly is one of the best pass defenders. The stage was set for an intriguing matchup.

But Walters will be watching Bly from the sideline today as the Cardinal (0-2) plays host to the Tar Heels (0-1) at Palo Alto. Walters is sidelined because of a sprained right ankle.

Walters, who had 86 receptions for 1,206 yards and eight touchdowns last season, was injured last week after making a 67-yard reception in the first quarter of Stanford’s 31-14 loss to Arizona.

Bly tied the Atlantic Coast Conference career record for interceptions when he picked off a first-quarter pass in the Tar Heels’ opener two weeks ago against Miami (Ohio), his 17th interception in 23 regular-season games.