What a deal for Blake Tiedtke. The senior free safety got to be a Husker captain for a day, and he didn’t have to win a drawing at the bank or the grocery store to get the honor.

Tiedtke, a starter from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, joined Cory Ross and Daniel Bullocks for the coin toss before Saturday’s game at Memorial Stadium. He said it was the  coaches’ decision, the result of his effort in last week’s game against Maine.

It’s a simple setup. Play like a captain, and you get to be one the next week.

“Next week another guy will walk out there,” Tiedtke said.

Who knows. It might be No. 25 again. He had a big interception in the second quarter against Wake Forest, one of several show-stoppers by the NU defense on Saturday.

My goodness, did Grant Mulkey make a couple of nice grabs in tough situations on NU’s second drive of the third quarter.

At 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds — and I’m not convinced of the authenticity of either figure — Mulkey is not the biggest receiver on the team, but he took a pounding from the Demon Deacons and refused to let go of the ball.

“Playing the slot receiver, you know, you’ve got to make a lot of catches in traffic,” he said. “You’ve got a lot of zone coverages, weaving in and out of guys. You’re going to get hit. You can’t pay attention to it.”

On a 25-yard reception, it appeared cornerback Alphonso Smith nailed Mulkey before the ball got to him.

“It felt like I got hit before I caught the ball,” Mulkey said, “but when you look back on things like that, it’s kind of foggy.”

I thought it was the north end zone. Alex Gordon correctly remembered it was the south. That’s where he saved the day for Lincoln Southeast with an interception that sealed a Class A state title clincher over Creighton Prep in 2000.

“I remember getting dog-piled in the middle of the field,” Gordon said.

Gordon returned to the site of that bit of football glory Saturday night to receive the Dick Howser Trophy as the top player in college baseball. After the halftime presentation, Gordon said he hopes to sign that darn contract with the Royals in time for Arizona fall ball.

“I’ve wanted to be done with it for a long time. It’s just how it goes,” he said. “I’m in the best shape of my life right now. I’m hopefully going to keep focusing in on trying to get signed, and when I get signed, I’ll be ready to go.”

Gordon got to spend some time with Hall of Famer George Brett on a visit to Kansas City a week ago.

“He told me to come to his bar,” Gordon said. “We never got down there. He’s a really cool guy, fun to talk to.”

Seems like the Husker ballhandlers could use some of those pre-game, rifle-shot drills Ron Brown used to run to help promote ball security among the receivers.

Brown said it was good to see receiver and return man Terrence Nunn, a recruit from the previous regime, playing a key role for the 2005 Huskers.

And, yes, Brown did watch Friday night’s Ohio-Pitt game. His take?

“It was impressive to see Ohio take on the nature of Frank,” Brown said, referring to Mr. Solich. “There was a relentless spirit about the team. Great defense. I was very impressed.”

Missouri was the only loser in the league Saturday, making it a good day for Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg, who was at Memorial Stadium on Saturday night. He chose the NU-Wake Forest game over Texas-Ohio State because of a meeting with a Gator Bowl rep in Lincoln. The Big 12’s Gator tie-in starts next season.

NU quarterback Zac Taylor, a former Demon Deacon, received all sorts of well-wishes from Wake Foresters after the game. Among the greeters was sophomore tight end John Tereshinski. “He was my locker roommate,” Tereshinski said. “I’m happy for him. He played very well today. All the luck to him.”