After the No. 10 ranked Nebraska football team's 40-7 win over Tennessee-Chattanooga, much of the angst over the Huskers performance centered around the offense. The Huskers gained 364 yards of total offense (239 rushing, 135 passing) but those stats were somewhat skewed because 99 came on two plays (a 47-yard run by quarterback Taylor Martinez and a 252-yard run by running back Rex Burkhead).
As for the Huskers 42-29 win over Fresno State, yes the offense was still choppy at times but that's to be expected considering the collective youth of the offense and the fact that Nebraska is breaking in a new offensive coordinator (Tim Beck). The Huskers amassed 438 yards of offense (232 rushing, 219 passing).
Much like the win over UTC, the Husker offense had a home run or strikeout element. Martinez had a 57-yard run and also had pass completions of 42 yards to Kenny Bell, 53 yards to Kyler Reed and 42 yads to Jamal Turner. That's 194 yards on four plays. However, when it matter most, Nebraska's offense pulled its weight, which can't be said very often the past two seasons. Fresno State cut the Nebraska lead to 35-29 on Kevin Goessling's 37-yard foeld goal with 5:24 left in the game. The Huskers took over and Burkhead carried six times for 34 yards then Martinez scored on a 46-yard run to seal the win. Game. Set. Match. Drive home safely.
The disturbing aspect of Nebraska's game against the Bulldogs, however, is the defensive performance. Fresno State, which like Nebraska has a young offensive line, blew open serious holes in the running game and gave quarterback Derek Carr more than ample time to throw. The Bulldogs rushed for 190 yards (169 from Robbie Rouse on 36 carries). Carr completed 20-of-41 passes for 254 yards. Granted, the Husker secondary is still without starting cornerback Alfonso Dennard, who most believe is one of the best (if not the very best) in the nation at his position. However, the Huskers did not sack Carr once and only pressured him when they blitzed. That's significant because Nebraska (while occasionally dials up blitzes) prefers to rely on the front four to get pressure and for good reason when you have elite defensive linemen like Jared Crick, Cameron Meredith and Baker Steinkuhler.
What was even more disturbing was the resistance against the run that Nebraska showed. Well, lack thereof would be a better description. The Bulldogs opened some huge holes for Rouse. Yes, he is a talented running back who did a good job of following his blocks but that performance evoked memories of Nebraska's 19-7 loss to Washington. Incidentally, that same team comes to Lincoln next week. That performance, however, was at least understandable because at that point in the season the defense felt the burden over the offense's ineptitude. While the 2011 edition of the Nebraska offense is still a work in progress, it is defenitely better than the one that ended the 2010 season. Well, better to the point where they don't lead the world in terrible offense.
The most disturbing aspect of the defense's effort Saturday is the fact that since Bo Pelini took over as the Huskers head coach, he has established a culture of developing players. Yes, some years the talent is better than others but the culture has been such that, you lose one player, the next guy is ready.
While anyone can have a bad game, the Husker defensive performance in the Holiday Bowl and Saturday (that's two of the last three games they've taken the field if you're scoring at home) is that considering the Huskers are in the Big 10 conference that becomes significant. While spread offenses in the Big 10 have become much more mainstream than influential media types believe, it is still a conference much more likely to line up in the I-formation ad run right into the teeth of defenses (as Fresno State often did Saturday) than the Huskers former conference (the Big 12) that is a sinking ship. However, that's another story for another time.
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