Monday, October 31, 2011

Husker defense needs to stick to its roots

The Blackshirts have entered the building. Well, re-entered s more like it. Nebraska defensive coordinator Carl Pelini held up a black practice jersey in the locker room after the Huskers 24-3 win over Michigan, and according to a few players, told them they'd be receiving them this week.


The story of the 2011 season has been, where has the Nebraska Blackshirts defense gone?

Through the first seven games of the season, Nebraska’s defense had been a liability. The Blackshirts had allowed teams with mediocre offenses to move the ball down the field on them. Fans had to know that this type of play defensively would not last the entire season as long as Bo Pelini is the head coach.

Omaha World Herald columnist Sam McKewon perhaps made the most astute observation of why the Husker defense finally performed the way fans had grown accustomed to since the Pelini Bros. came aboard in 2008.

In his column, McKewon stated they stuck to a scheme Nebraska knows inside and out, even if it's not a perfect match for the league's personnel.

They kept their safeties — Austin Cassidy and Daimion Stafford — protective of the deep middle. They trusted Lance Thorell and Ciante Evans to play in the box even when the Spartans rolled out power sets. They allowed linebackers Lavonte David and Will Compton to flow confidently and aggressively to the ball. The Huskers gave up a little in the run defense, but they guessed right that the Spartans wouldn't stick with it. They haven't stuck with it all year.

Basically, the Huskers decided to stop worrying about adjusting from the Big 12 to the Big 10. Instead of you adjusting to the opponent, make the opponent adjust to you.
On Saturday against Michigan State, Nebraska put together a perfect defensive scheme to stop the Spartans' offense. Nebraska held Michigan State’s all-time leading receiver, B.J. Cunningham to no catches and sacked senior quarterback Kirk Cousins four times.

Nebraska’s defense has moved up to No. 29 nationally in total defense.
Instead of lining up in their defensive stance, the defensive lineman moved around the line of scrimmage so that the offense did not know where they were coming from. This defense allowed the Blackshirts to put pressure on Cousins all day long.
The second part of the defense that stood out was the play of the Nebraska linebackers.

Throughout the season, Nebraska had lined up with three linebackers and David was the only linebacker who consistently made plays. On Saturday, Nebraska used two linebackers and five defensive backs. Was it a return to the “Peso” defense Nebraska used last season? Not exactly, but it was effective. As a result, linebacker Will Compton had his best game of his career at Nebraska. Compton continuously made calls for the defense pointing out what play Michigan State was running. He ended the game with seven tackles, one tackle for a loss and two quarterback hurries. If Compton continues to play at this level, Nebraska will have two of the best linebackers in the Big Ten Conference in David and Compton.
With Nebraska’s power running game taking time off the clock and wearing down opposing defenses, the Blackshirts will need to uphold their part of the game plan in order for the Cornhuskers to continue to win games. If the Blackshirts play as they did against Michigan State in their remaining games, Nebraska will be a tough team to beat in the Big Ten Conference.
Next week, Nebraska plays Northwestern in Lincoln. If the Blackshirts are able to shut down Northwestern’s star quarterback, Dan Persa, it will tell a lot about this team and their defense.
All year we've mostly seen the secondary and linebackers running poorly executed man coverage, with the corners and safeties routinely a step behind receivers. It was all the same crap that was killing us back in the Kevin Cosgrove days. The perks of zone coverage, the ballhawking and picks, not to mention gang tackling, was gone. Now suddenly the matchup zone comes back against MSU and works to perfection. Instead of having guys in single coverage a step back, we had several guys in on every pass play. Of course it helped that Cousins never tested the seams much and MSU didn't try to run it up the gut, but where has the matchup zone been all year? And can it work against mobile quarterbacks?

Sure it can. It all depends how the front seven tackles.
Can it work against Michigan? Depends on how the front seven tackle. If anything, zone defenses should work better against a running quarterback because you've got most of your back seven watching the QB. In man, most of the back seven has their back to the QB as they're chasing around their designated offensive player all over the field. If he starts to take off, then you'll get multiple defenders coming up to stop him, in man coverage you may just have one guy who sees the QB coming upfield since everyone else is following their man around.
As for Cousins there were coverage sacks but the line and linebackers got more pressure than any time this season. Especially Eric Martin and to a lesser extent Baker Steinkuhler. I think Cousins looked rushed at times, but a lot of the time he had time but the secondary and linebackers locked down well and forced him to try to scramble, which didn't end up well for him since he's not the fastest guy. Going forward I think the matchup zone is the way to go against Dennard Robinson.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Blackshirts return in style in win over Spartans

Hold the Big Ten Legends Division coronation for Michigan State.


In its most complete performance to date, No. 13 Nebraska looked the Blackshirts of old in a 24-3 win over a No. 9 Michigan State that had been riding high after its thrilling 37-31 win over Wisconsin. What was encouraging about this win was how the Huskers won.

Nebraska’s offense had done much of the heavy lifting for most of the season while the much ballyhooed defense struggled.

The Huskers won on a day where they had a pedestrian but effective 270 yards of total offense against a Spartan defense that ranked that was ranked in the top ten in several categories. Nebraska running back Rex Burkhead put on his hard hat and had 34 carries for 127 yards and two scores. He also caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Taylor Martinez. Speaking of Martinez, the Huskers had zero passing yards in the first half. Martinez completed 8 of 14 passes for 83 yards, a touchdown and an interception. In the first half, he was 1 for 6 for zero yards and the aforementioned interception. In the second half, he completed 7 of 8 for 83 yards and score.

The Huskers led 10-3 at halftime despite having zero passing yards. Why? Because the defense looked like the unit that has performed at times in dominant fashion since Bo Pelini became the head coach in 2008.

On the game’s opening drive, the methodical Spartan offense was churning out successive fine-yard gains until Lance Thorell intercepted MSU quarterback Kirk Cousins and returned it to the Spartan 29. Seven plays later, Burkhead scored the first of his three touchdowns.

The Huskers limited MSU to just 11 first downs and 187 yards of total offense. Nebraska also sacked Cousins four times and limited the Spartans to just a 3 of 15 success rate on third down. Granted, the fact that Cousins is more of a dropback passer as opposed to the mobile ones that have given the Huskers trouble. However, regardless of style, the Husker tackling was cleaner than it has been all season long.

As a result, the Big Ten Legends division will most likely be a four way tie for first place with Michigan already winning and Iowa playing lowly Minnesota.

Things are going to get curiouser and curiouser

Friday, October 28, 2011

Huskers must execute a well-conceived plan to beat MSU

The terms “key game,” “big game” and “must win game” are often thrown around too freely. However, let’s not kid ourselves, Saturday’s football game between No. 9 Michigan State and No. 13 Nebraska in Lincoln, NE, is very vital.


Both clubs are 6-1 but the difference is that MSU is 3-0 in Big Ten play and in sole possession of first place in the Legends Division. Nebraska, however, is 2-1 and currently in a three-way tie for second in the Legends Division with Michigan and Iowa. If Michigan State wins, it will strengthen its hold on the Legends Division race but if Nebraska wins, the race becomes very compelling. Potentially until Black Friday.

Many prognosticators tabbed the Huskers as the favorite to win the Legends Division. I didn’t think that was a crazy prediction but given the collective youth on offense and the fact that they were breaking in a new coordinator (Tim Beck), I felt it was premature to book reservations to a BCS Bowl game let along Indianapolis for the Big Ten title game.

Nebraska comes into the game more rested having had a bye week on Oct. 15 and a de facto bye week on Oct. 22 with a 41-14 win over lowly Minnesota. Michigan State has beaten Michigan (28-14) and Wisconsin (37-31). The latter came with a game-ending Hail Mary that was shades of Doug Flutie. Is MSU ripe for a letdown after two emotional wins? Perhaps so but that argument is a slippery slope. The storylines are already written. If Nebraska wins, the angle becomes, “the Huskers won because they were rested and the Spartans were worn down.” If Michigan State wins, the story becomes, “Nebraska had it too easy and Michigan State was more battle-tested.”

The matchups on both sides of the ball are intriguing. The Nebraska defense has been a disappointment throughout the season and that was even before losing defensive tackle Jared Crick (torn pectoral) for the season. The Spartans offense, however, will not be mistaken for the Nebraska “Scoring Explosion” of 1983 as they rank No. 57 in points scored.

Michigan State’s offensive MO is similar to say Bill Parcells’ New Yorks Giants: Move the chains and don’t beat yourself. Senior quarterback Kirk Cousins epitomizes that mindset as he has thrown just four interceptions. While Cousins’ feet are not nailed to the ground, he is more of a classic dropback passer, which is a plus for a Husker defense that has had its troubles with speedy quarterbacks.

If Nebraska’s defense is to have success, it does not necessarily have to sack Cousins but make him throw the ball a fraction of a second too soon. That means get creative with blitz packages but do not show them too early and the cornerbacks must take away Cousins’ first read. The more uncomfortable the Huskers make Cousins, the better off they will be.

The Husker defense, however, also must display a fire – but controlled aggression -- it has not shown all season. Nebraska enters this game ranked No. 70 against the run, No. 27 against the pass and No. 42 overall. Those are numbers that are not normally associated with a Bo and Carl Pelini led defense.

So far, the only Nebraska defenders that have lived up to their preseason expectations are linebacker LaVonte David and cornerback Alfonzo Dennard. For the rest of them, time to earn your scholarships. Now. No, make that yesterday.

On the offensive side, if I’ve said it once I’ve said it a zillion times. Quarterback Taylor Martinez brings the pizzazz but running back Rex Burkhead is the foundation of the offense. The numbers bear that idea out. Burkhead is second in the Big Ten with 10 touchdowns. He is also third in the conference with 752 yards rushing.

Though this week, there will be a fine line between getting Burkhead the ball and keeping a rugged Spartan defense that ranks eighth against the run honest. I’m not suggesting that the Huskers should change what they do but if you try to make a living by ONLY running right at the Spartans defense, you’ll starve.

Do things like run a reverse to Kenny Bell. Set up a bubble screen to Jamal Turner. Use Martinez on some misdirections where he has a run-pass option.

What can’t happen is, run Burkhead into a brick wall on first down. Option Burkhead into a brick wall on second down. Oh, it’s third and eight, Martinez throws an incomplete pass. Punt time, here comes Brett Maher. The Huskers must get creative and have to keep this Spartan defense on their toes.

Most of all, allow Martinez to do what he does best. I don’t give a damn what the anti-Martinez crowd says, he is improving. So what if he’s not Andrew Luck. So what if his mechanics are not pretty. Tommie Frazier, Scott Frost and Eric Crouch won’t make anyone forget Drew Brees and the Huskers did just fine.

The biggest thing Martinez has to do is, make sound decisions, don’t predetermine where he throws and if the checkdown receiver is there, take it all day. And while you’re at it, use your feet and run like people are chasing you.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Martinez's statements more reflective of lacking media savvy

I personally think bulletin board material is extremely overrated and nor do I think Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez’s comments at Monday’s press conference should be blown out of proportion. However, given the fact that Martinez has been described in the past as aloof, he didn’t do himself any favors.

The Huskers face Michigan State Saturday in a pivotal home game against their Legends Division breatheren. While the race will not be decided by who wins Saturday, make no mistake, the winner will do itself a huge favor.

As for Martinez’s comments, he said, "We just have to take each game one at a time. It doesn't matter if we lose this game. Michigan State might lose to someone else. This doesn't have to be a key game for us."

Martinez could have said: "Take one game at a time" and accomplished the same thing. Recognize the importance but don't overhype it.

Some might say Martinez’s statement is bulletin board material for Michigan State, which is nonsense. Bulletin board material might be entertaining during the week but once the game starts it’s about who executed their assignments better not about what someone said during the week.

Though Martinez’s public image has been one who is aloof, I honestly don’t take his comments as someone who is apathetic. Seriously, you don’t play with an ankle injury for half a season and help orchestrate the biggest comeback in school history (27-6 deficit to beat Ohio State) without having some competitive drive.

However, Martinez is not the most media savvy fellow in the world. Since I am a mainstream media member by trade, I have met many players and coaches who are very media savvy and those who are not.

Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini did not do him any favors last season by having him eschew interviews last season. I do not necessarily think a quarterback has to be a martinet to be a leader but he has to demonstrate a form of taking ownership of the team.

That said, while it’s true that Nebraska can lose this game and get the help it needs to win the division, the truth of the matter is, this is an important game. Then again, they are all important. That’s why you play them in the first place.

Because Martinez has been perceived as aloof and has been a polarizing figure among Husker fans, he further opens himself up for criticism if he plays poorly on Saturday, especially if the Huskers lose because he furthers the perception of being aloof. However, if that happens, what he said Monday will have little to do with the outcome. However, often times perception is reality. I can honestly say that I really do not care what any Nebraska coach or player says during a press conference. Just go out and win games as well as represent the program well off the field.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

David, Burkhead are the confluence of extremes

Between Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini referring to running back Rex Burkhead being "overlooked nationally" and linebacker LaVonte David being named one of 12 players named as a Butkus Award semifinalist, Monday was a confluence of extremes.


David leads the Huskers with 64 tackles (seven for lost yardage). He also has two sacks and a fumble recovery that perhaps saved Nebraska from going 7-5 to poentially no worse than 9-3. The No. 13 ranked Huskers host No. 9 Michigan State in a pivotal Big Ten matchup in Lincoln on Saturday. To refersh your memory, David's fumble recovery of Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller kickstarted a 34-27 come-from-behind win for Nebraska. David forced that fumble as well.

David leads the team in tackles with 64. He also has seven tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception, and a rather significant forced fumble and recovery that you may remember.

Zach Brown (North Carolina), Vontaze Burfict (Arizona State), Audie Cole (North Carolina State), Dont’a Hightower (Alabama), Luke Kuechly (Boston College), Travis Lewis (Oklahoma), Keenan Robinson (Texas), Sean Spence (Miami), Manti Te’o (Notre Dame), Courtney Upshaw (Alabama) and Jarvis Jones (Georgia) are also semifinalists.

The Husker defense entered the season with high expectations but so far David is one of the few Blackshirts (if you want to call them such). The defense, however, has been a disappointment as the Huskers entered Saturday's 41-14 win over Minnesota ranked 58th nationally in total defense and 75th against the run. The pressure on quarterbacks has been minimal and it doesn't take Monte Kiffin to notice their sloppy tackling.

Granted, Nebraska's defense enjoyed a bounceback effort of sorts in a 41-14 win over Minnesota but the Gophers offense is among the worst in the nation and scored both touchdowns after the Huskers built a 34-0 halftime lead.

In a way, the fact that the unit has been a collective disappointment makes it that much more impressive that David is enjoying the season he is currently having. Keep in mind, Nebraska defense tackle Jared Crick (torn pectoral muscle) is out for the season.

Butkus Award winner or not, David has established his place as being among the best linebackers in Nebraska history. Personally, I'm not into ranking players because such a hierarchy involves a lot of conjecture. Trev Alberts, who was a Butkus Award winner in 1993, is definitely the best linebacker in school history and one of the best regardless of position. Other great Nebraska linebackers include Tom Novak, Broderick Thomas, Barrett Ruud, Jerry Murtugh, Ed Stewart and Marc Munford. David definitely belongs in that conversation.



As for Burkhead, Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini said Monday during his weekly press conference that he thinks Burkhead sometimes gets overlooked nationally despite the fact he has already rushed for 752 yards this season and has more than 2,000 yards rushing in his career.

"I think the coaches that play against him and watch him on film have a real appreciation for him," Pelini said. "Nationally, I don't know. Maybe he isn't flashy enough or doesn't talk enough. I think it's pretty obvious how good of a football player he is. He has a long career ahead of him."

Pelini sees the NFL in Burkhead's future, but feels pretty certain the running back won't leave early after his junior season.

"Rex? Nah. That would be a personal decision by Rex, but knowing him and his family, I think he is here to play four years of football. That is something will talk about down the road but not right now."

Burkhead is pretty similar to former Stanford running back Toby Gerhart, who was a Heisman Trophy candidate in 2009, and that's not just because Gerhart (now a Minnesota Viking) and Burkhead share the same skin color. Burkhead is not likely to get invited to New York City in December for the Heisman Trophy ceremony this year or net but he is the foundation of the Husker offense.

Remember coming into the season, many people were wondering if Burkhead could handle the load of being the featured running back considerig that Roy Helu (now a Washington Redskin) had graduated.

One of the reasons Burkhead gets overlooked nationally is because he is a white player at a predominantly African American position. Let's fact it, white running backs in college or the NFL that are featured backs are a novelty. There, I said it and don't care who reacts. That idea is no different than how black quarterbacks were considered a novelty when Warren Moon entered the NFL.

The truth of the matter is, a good player is a good player whether he's white black, pink or orange. Burkhead also gets overlooked because he is not the kind of running back that will break, say, a 75 yard touchdown run. He consistently gets first downs and touchdowns, that's not a bad thing.

Without David and Burkhead, the Huskers are probably 3-4 instead of 6-1.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Husker dominance in Twin Cities good but tougher tests lie ahead

The Nebraska football team did exactly what its fan base hoped it would do in easily dispatching the overmatched Minnesota Gophers 41-14 on Saturday in the Great Lakes State.


The Huskers led 34-0 at halftime and could have easily scored 70 if they wanted to but what good would that do against a lousy Minnesota team? Anyhow, Nebraska (6-1 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) entered the week rated No. 13 in the Associated Press poll but also had serious questions as to how good the team is. Keep in mind, the Huskers had that ugly 48-17 loss to Wisconsin and that Jeckyl and Hyde 34-27 win over Ohio State in which they trailed 27-6 midway through the third period.

So what did Nebraska's win over Minnesota show us as the team was fresh off a bye week?

The cynic would say that Minnesota is God aweful. Well, that statement is not false as the Gophers are now 1-6 overall and 0-3 in Big Ten. Minnesota has also been outscored 144-31 in its last three games and if the Huskers hadn't called off the dogs in the second half that margin would be even greater.

Again, seeing Nebraska go after a lesser club and take control is encouraging but given Minnesota's lack of collective talent, the quality of this win has to be taken with a grain of salt. The truth of the matter is, no more teams are left on the schedule of Minnesota's quality -- or lack thereof.

Nebraska's offense assembled 515 yards of total offense and it did so without quarterback Taylor Martinez having a drop dead, awesome day. Remember last season? The Husker offense was not the same without a healthy Martinez. The sophomore quarterback put up solid but not spectacular numbers in completing 13-of-22 for 162 yards and a touchdown. He also had 10 carries for 60 yards. Those numbers are not great but when you have a running back like Rex Burkhead rushing 24 times for 113 yards and a score, Martinez does not need to be great. ABC had a well-timed graphic in the first quarter stateing that 39 percent of Burkhead's carries have either gone for a first down or touchdown. Yes, statistics can convince you of anything but that graphic strongly suggests that if No. 22 has the rock in his hands, there's a good chance the chain won't be sitting still.

It’s not that Martinez isn’t a special offensive threat—clearly, he is. But when Nebraska’s offense is more than just the T-Magic show, and Martinez doesn’t help the opposition (like he did against Wisconsin), Nebraska’s offense can be formidable.

Defensively Nebraska was solid but not great. This group has sarcastically been label an extension of the 2007 Kevin Cosrove led group that ranked 114th in otal defense. Please, give those comparisons a rest people. The 2007 team let even the worst offenses move up and down the field at will. This Minnesota offense is terrible and produced just 260 yards of total offense and no points when the game matter. Please, no more Cosgrove references. OK.

The fact that the Gophers coverted 7 of 15 third down conversions was a little disturbing but four of those successes came after the Huskers built a 34-0 halftime lead. However, the Huskers will face a far more formible offense next week when Michigan State comes to Lincoln.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Huskers should win big Saturday -- key word "should"

Nebraska and Minnesota have a lot of history playing each other, 51 times to be exact (Nebraska leads the all-time series 29-20-2). However, only 14 of those games have been played since 1960 but the two teams have not met since 1990.


Both clubs are coming off a bye week and while the Huskers learned that they will be without preseason All-American defensive tackle Jared Crick (torn pectoral muscle) for the season, there is very little reason to think this game will be anything other than a decisive win for Nebraska as it travels to Minneapolis.

The Huskers, who lost 48-17 at Wisconsin Oct. 1, averted entering the bye week with consecutive losses by rallying for their largest comeback in school history in a 34-27 win over Ohio State one week later. Nebraska trailed 27-6 midway through the third quarter.

The Gophers are 1-5 and have lost three straight games. their lone win was a 29-23 win over Miami. However, that was Miami of Ohio, not the Miami Hurricanes. Nebraska enters this game as a 25-point favorite and has played much better this season on offense. Quarterback Taylor Martinez was heavily criticized for his performance against Wisconsin but rebounded with a solid performamce (especially in the second half) against Ohio State. Running back Rex Burkhead has been the Huskers most consistent weapon all season.
Minnesota is giving up an average of 35 points per game and is equally poor at stopping the run (ranked No. 74) and the pass (ranked No. 91). If the Huskers exert their dominance as they should, the backups should get a lot of snaps.
While the Husker defense (I hesitate to call them Blackshirts just yet) has been a disappointment, they have a bye week followed by a God aweful offense. Then again, most people said the same thing about Ohio State and the Buckeyes moved the ball with little trouble (especially in the first half) against Nebraska.

However, the Huskers perhaps discovered who can play cornerback opposite Alfonso Dennard and that would be converted wide receiver Stanley Jean-Baptiste. Perhaps an extra week of practice will help further his growth into the position.
Nebraska used Stanley Jean-Baptiste at cornerback in the second half of the Ohio State game. Jean-Baptiste made an interception and helped shut down the Ohio State wide receivers; after only playing cornerback for three weeks.
He began the season as a wide receiver. With the extra week of practice, the Blackshirts may have found a third playmaker in their secondary to go with Dennard and safety Graham Stoddard.
Minnesota has a mobile quarterback in MarQueis Gray, something that has given the Huskers trouble. The problem is Minnesota has a No. 110 ranking in total offense.
There is a slight chance Minnesota could keep this game closer than the oddsmakers think. Keep in mind, Minnesota gave USC all it could handle in a 19-17 loss but we are not talking a USC team led by Carson Palmer, Matt Leinert or Reggie Bush.

As long as Nebraska doesn't beat itself, it wins this game going away.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Second half look ahead

In two of Bo Pelini's first three seasons as Nebraska's football head coach, the Huskers had a penchant for being a strong second half team.


In 2008, the Huskers were 3-3 but finished the campaign winning six of their last seven games (including a 26-21 win over Clemson in the Gator Bowl) to conclue the season 9-4. In 2009, the Huskers were 4-3 but again finished the season with six wins in their last seven games (including a 33-0 Holiday Bowl win over Arizona) to finish 10-4. Last season, however, Nebraska was not a second half team. At least not in the final third. The Huskers were 9-1 at one point but lost three of their last four games (including a 19-7 loss to Washington in the Holiday Bowl) to finish 10-4.

As the Huskers begin the second half of 2011 with a 5-1 record entering Saturday's game at Minnesota, the question begs, which second half team will we see? 2008/2009 or 2010? Hopefully, the former. Since Pelini took over as the head coach, Nebraska is 15-3 in the second half of its regular season schedule but for that trend to continue the Huskers need to improve.

Despite the team's 5-1 record, many Nebraska fans have been disappointed in the team's play, so much so that they have referred to the team as overrated and has a bleak future. Overrated? Perhaps so. Bleak future? Get real.

True, Nebraska looked hoorible in a 48-17 loss to Wisconsin and in the first half of their 34-27 come-from-behind win over Ohio State but I believe Nebraska will have a good second half to the season. What it means as far as wins and losses? Who knows.

On the offensive side, the Huskers have had their moments of struggling but in general progressed ahead of schedule despite having a new coordinator (Tim Beck) and more collective yout than recent memory.

Through quarterback Taylor Martinez has the lightening speed, running back Rex Burkhead is the foundation of the offense. Burkhead could carry the offense if necessary but freshman Ameer Abdullah's speed is a nice compliment to Burkhead's steadiness. Since the days of 30-carry per game running backs are a thing of the past, having a good one-two punch becomes important.

Though Martinez will never be confused with Tom Brady as a passer, he is better than his critics are willing to acknowledge but for the Husker passing game to work, the ground game has to be on point.

While the Husker offense has improved, the defense has been the weak link and I bet you thought you would have never heard those words uttered about a Pelini coached team.

The Huskers will have to make due without defensive tackle Jared Crick, who was a preseason All-American. Crick will miss the rest of the season because of a torn pectoral muscle. His replacements (note the plural) will be Terrance Moore, Thad Randle and Chase Rome at defensive tackle in the second half of the season.

Despite losing Crick, I believe Nebraska will play much better defensively in the second half of the season. Pelini has been a great defensive mind his entire career and didn't suddenly become a dummy. Nebraska probably will not be the dominant unit it was in 2009 but I've got to think that a close evaluation by Pelini during the bye week will help this defense perform closer to the unit it was in 2009 and to a lesser extent 2010.

Cornerback/converted wide receiver Stanly Jean-Baptiste's interception led to the game-winning touchdown against Ohio State. The bye probably did him some good as well in terms of further adjusting to a new position.

Jean-Baptiste played in his first game as a cornerback against Ohio State. Jean-Baptiste played wide receiver for the first part of the 2011 season before switching to cornerback.

The Huskers, however, have a much tougher slate in the second half than they did in the first. Nebraska should win aturday's game at Minnesota going away. The Huskers then come home for Michigan State, who most people believe is the toughest remaining game for the Huskers. However, there are three things to keep in mind: a) The Spartans come to Lincoln, b) Michogan State will be coming to Lincoln after consecutive tough contests against Michigan and Wisconsin, c) Nebraska will have had a bye and a trip to Minnesota. Will those three factors translate into a Husker win? Who knows but they are no small advantages.

After Michigan State, Northwestern comes to town. Wildcats quarterback Dan Persa can be a headache for most any defense but given the fact that they rank 1-1st nationally in total defense, Northwestern will be hard-pressed to come into Lincoln and win.

Then, back-to-back road tests at Penn State and Michigan await. even though the former has looked suspect at times, they have a very stout defense. The latter meanwhile has a mobile quarterback in Denard Robinson, the type of quarterback Nebraska has had problems defending.

The Huskers then close the regular season at home against Iowa. The Hawkeyes have a terrible defense but a favorable remaining schedule of Indiana, at Minnesota, Michigan, Michigan State, and at Purdue entering the Nebraska game should keep them in the mix for a Legends Division title.

Many Husker fans had visions of a trip to the Rose Bowl in the team's first Big Ten season. That goal is definitely within reach but the Huskers are also flawed enough to have one or two losses.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Tackling and third down conversions key to defensive rebound

Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini talked a big game at his first press conference after the Huskers 34-27 come-from-behind win over Ohio State on Oct. 8.


The Huskers, who are ranked No. 13 in the AP poll, had a bye and will resume action on Saturday at Minnesota.

"We're 5-1, we'd like to be 6-0," Pelini said. "But I think that with continuity we're starting to settle in, and that lends itself to us being a better football team in the second half of the year.

"I feel good about where we're at, where we're going and where our potential is. I think we're very close in making a big jump as a football team. It's about the daily grind and about trying to get better."

If the Huskers are to make a run at a Big Ten title, the side of the ball that absoutely must get better is the defense. On that front, Nebraska was supposed to be strong but has been a big disappointment. Pelini's reputation as a defensive guru has taken a hit this season as the Huskers Currently, the Huskers are 80th in the country in rushing defense, giving up 167.8 yards a game and 94th in opponents' third down conversion percentage.

However, I refuse to believe that Pelini suddenly forgotten how to coach defense. This is the same guy that replaced Craig Bohl as defensive coordinator in 2003. The Huskers ranked 56th ranked in total defense during a 7-7 season in 2002 but shot up to Top Ten during a 10-3 campaign in 2003. Pelini led a 17-3 win over Michigan State in the Alamo Bowl as interim head coach after Frank Solich was fired. Well, you know the rest of the story, Bill Callahan was hired as head coach and was fired after a 27-22 stint that culminated with a 5-7 campaign in 2007. The Husker defense ranked 114th under defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove. Under Pelini's guidance they shot up to 55th in 2008 and No. 3 in 2009.

So what's the problem now? In terms of the secondary, part of the problem was the loss of cornerback Prince Amukamara to graduation coupled with Alonozo Dennard missing the first three games with a quad injury. Even with Dennard's return, attacking the Huskers via the air is simple. Don't throw the ball anywhere near Deannard. Sure, he takes away half the field but when you can abuse Ciante Evans and Andrew Green there's no rhyme or reason to throw within 15 yards of Dennard. There might be hope, however, in the form of converted receiver Stanley Jean-Baptiste, who intercepted a pass that led to the game-winnin score against Ohio State. However relying on a guy that is making a position change has its risks.

However, part of the reason the secondary has had its issues is because the Husker front four has not gotten the pass rush -- and that was even before defensive tackle Jared Crick was ruled out for the rest of the season with a torn pectoral muscle. It also has not helped that tackle Baker Steinkuhler and end Cameron Meredith have underachieved. Thus, front four problems lead to secondary problems.

OK, so Crick is out for the season. Amukamara is not getting a year of eligibilty. Hopefully, the likes of Meredith and Steinkuhler can start to live up to their advanced billing. On defense, the only player that has lived up to the preseason hype is linebacker LaVonte David.

The Huskers are 5-1 right now but if they don;t shore up what has been terrible tackling and third down defense, this team will be in for more than a few disappointing outcomes. Poor tackling leads to oppnents getting good yardage on first down, which in turn leads to advantageous third downs they can convert.

The Huskers allowed offenses to convert third downs 30 percent of the time last year, and 32 percent in 2009. Even in 2008, when the Huskers were figuring things out under the new Pelini system, teams converted 34 percent.

Nebraska's tackling problems have nothing to do with the scheme. Players have been in position to make plays but time after time there are missed tackles that allow plays to be extended. In fact, I'm surprised legendary Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi hasn't popped out of his grave and yelled, "What the hell's goin' on out here!" or "Grab, grab, grab! Nobody's tacklin'!"

To compare it to other sports, a football team missing tackles is a lot like a baseball team making errors or a basketball team missing free throws. When the habit forms, the problem snowballs.

If that is the case, then the bye week couldn’t have come at a better time. Hopefully, the team can reset itself defensively and a defensive rebound is in order. But that turnaround must start Saturday.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Handicapping the second half of the season

College football bye weeks are a good time for a few things as it pertains to fans: getting chores down around the house, watching other college football games or doing something with your family.


I definitely didn't get any chores done so mowing the lawn will have to wait. I watched a smattering of a few games but spent most of the day on an outing with my wife and kids. However, as I was taking a nap on the way home while my wife drove (I was in too altered of a state to drive), I was thinking about how Nebraska's season has transpired to this point and will potentiall take place the remainder of the 2011 season.

The Huskers, who are ranked No. 14 in the Associated Press poll, resume action Saturday at Minnesota. The fact that Nebraska s 5-1 is no surprise. Seriously? When you were sitting around the barbeque this summer that's probably what you would have projected the Huskers' record to be after six games. The process of getting to 5-1, however, has been the furthest from what most projected.

The Huskers entered the bye week with the confluence of extremes. First, there was the embarassing 48-17 loss at Wisconsin. One week later against a struggling Ohio State team, Nebraska rallied from a 27-6 mid third quarter deficit to beat the Buckeyes 34-27. Those struggles in that game, however, do not look so bad today as the Buckeyes (4-3 overall, 1-2 Big Ten) beat No. 16 Illinois 17-7 on the road Saturday. What is that game more reflective of? Is Illinois, who very few people took seriously before the season, just a figment of our imagination? Or is Ohio State simply a troubled program that is still dangerous on a given day? The wait and see approach will be the best answer.

This is probably the most confusing Nebraska team in recent history. The offense that everyone questioned before the season is now viewed by many as the team's strength. Sure the unit laid a giant at Wisconsin but in general first year coordinator Tim Beck has pushed all of the right buttons and the young Nebraska offensive line, which was viewed as a question mark before the season, has been a team strength. So far the play of quarterback Taylor Martinez warrants a solid B. I know, it kills the anti-Martinez crowd to hear this but I'll say it anyhow. I'm not saying I think Martinez is Joe Montana but I have a sadistic pleasure in tweaking the anti-Martinez crowd.

The defense was expected to be a strength but is now a liability. With the exception of linebacker LaVonte David, none of the starters have lived up to their preseason billing. In fact, if the offense was not playing at its current level, the Huskers could very easily be 2-4. Losing cornerback Prince Amukamara to graduation was a tough blow and defensive tackle Jared Crick (torn pectoral muscle) is out for the season. Granted, Crick's peformance had been a disappointment but he still provided a presence. The defense's biggest disappointment is tackling and third down conversions. In the latter category, the Huskers rank 94th nationally, Those two areas must get better or there will be a few more disappointming Saturdays (win or lose).

Looking ahead at the rest of the regular season: The Huskers begin the second half at Minnesota (1-5 overall, 0-3 Big Ten) Friday, home against No. 23 Michigan State (5-1 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) on Oct. 29; home against Northwestern (2-4 overall, 0-3 Big Ten) on Nov. 5, at Penn State (6-1 overall, 3-0 Big Ten) on Nov. 12, at No. 11 Michigan (6-1 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) on Nov. 19 and home against Iowa (4-2 overall, 1-1 Big Ten).

Just a gut feeling but I think Minnesota and Northwestern are definite wins while the games against Michigan State, Michgan, Iowa and Penn State will be the swing games.

Minnesota is in disarray. Yes, they battled hard at USC before losing 19-17 but it's not as if Carson Palmer, Matt Leinert or Reggie Bush suited up. The Gophers also have a bye but have been outscored by their last two foes (Michigan and Purdue) 103-17.

Northwestern, which has lost four straight since starting 2-0, isn't off the charts terrible as three of their losses are by ten points or less but 2-4 teams are usually 2-4 for a reason. They make enough mistakes to get beat.

As for the swing games, Iowa has easiest remaining schedule as two of the Hawkeyes' four toughest games will be in Iowa City -- Michigan on Nov. 5 and Michigan State on Nov. 12. However, for every big effort their offense has like Saturday in a 41-31 win over Northwestern they come up small like they did in a 13-3 loss at Penn State.

Michigan State is stout defensively. The Spartans entered Saturday's home game against Michigan leading the nation in total defense, allowing only 173.4 yards per game, and rank third in points allowed (10.2).

With Michigan, you have a quarterback in Denard Robinson who is Martinez's equal if not superior in generating big plays. Robinson was the 2010 Big Ten offensive player of the year, entered Saturday's game at Michigan State leading the Big Ten in rushing (120.0 yards per game) and total offense (308.3). The Wolverines were notorious for fast starts but fading finishes under former head coach Rich Rodriguez but under Brady Hoke, this group appears suited for the long haul.

Penn State's offense has been suspect but their defense has done a lot of heavy lifting. Gee whizz, Husker fans can relate to that from 2009.

When the Huskers went 5-7 in the 2007 Bill Callahan distaster, I preached very strongly that 8-4 is the worst Nebraska should ever be. Let's say Nebraska win the Minnesota and Northwestern game. If they do that, I think at worst the Huskers get at least one of the swing games if not two or three.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Pelini addresses the boo birds

Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini said while he appreciates the team's loyal and passionate Husker fans, but does not think that fans should voice their displeasure by booing.


Pelini spoke for about an hour on Sports Nightly, which is a sports talk program that is aired on the Husker Radio Network Thursday. Pelini answered several questions from fans during the show. One caller brought up the boos that were heard on a couple of different occasions from the Memorial Stadium crowd during the second quarter of Nebraska’s 34-27 comeback win over Ohio State. The Huskers rallied from a 27-6 deficit midway through the third quarter. Nebraska has a bye and will return to action on Oct. 22 at Minnesota.

Pelini’s take…

“We have loyal, passionate fans that have invested a lot in this program," Pelini said. "I have great respect for this fan base, the support they give, how they travel, all the things that they do. I know they want to win badly, but I’ve just got to remind them all that we want to win just as bad. Bottom line is, I just simply don’t believe that there’s any place for booing in a college stadium. Some fans may disagree with that, but that’s something I feel strongly about.”

Pelini also addressed the season-ending injury to defensive tackle Jared Crick (torn pectoral muscle). Pelini said that crick should be healed in time for the NFL combine in February.

Back to the booing of fans. As someone who has covered sports at every level from high school to the NFL either as a blogger or mainstream media member, I certainly have my take. In pro sports, booing is definitely justified because you are talking about paid professionals. In high school or younger, booing has no place at all.

In college, however, I find booing to be a grey area. Despite what some people might say, they are not "kids." They are old enough to vote and go to war. Plus, they are getting an opportunity that many 20-year old former high school sports stars would love to have. Therefore they need to be held to a higher standard. However, the NCAA has got to be one of the most hypocritical organizations on the planet. The student-athletes make money hand over fist for the university yet they don't benefit from it.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Martinez the least of Nebraska's problems

Welcome to another Monday of addressing knee jerk reactions. If you listen to some Nebraska football fans, message board posters and in some cases mainstream media members, you would think quarterback Taylor Martinez was the primary (and only) reason for the Nebraska football team's problems.


The term problem, of course, should be taken with a grain of salt since many college football teams would gladly take the Huskers problems of being 5-1 and ranked No. 13 in the latest Associated Press poll after Saturday's stunning 34-27 come-from-behind win over Ohio State. Nebraska being 5-1 is not necessarily a problem, only the process most people figured is not what most (including myself) anticipated. In head coach Bo Pelini's four seasons, the Huskers made a transformation from being the worst defense known to man under former defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove in 2007 when they were 114th in the nation in total defense to No. 4 in 2009. The defense was not as strong last season but definitely strong enough in 2009 and 2010 to where if Nebraska had an even mediocre offense, it would have bee good enough to win a Big 12 title.

Fast forward to 2011, offensive coordinator Shawn Watson leaves and Husker fans celebrated pretty much en masse as running backs coach Tim Beck was promoted to offensive coordinator. Watson's departure alone made Nebraska fans dance in the streets. Most people figured the offense would take time to find its way in 2011 while the defense did a lot of heavy lifting. Sure, losses like cornerback Prince Amukamara, safeties Eric Hagg and Dejon Gomes would be felt. However, the Huskers boasted a high end returning player at every level of the defense -- tackle Jared Crick, linebacker LaVonte David and cornerback Alfonso Dennard.

So far, only David has lived up to his preseason hype. To be fair, Dennard is still working his way back into form after missing the first four games to a quad injury. Crick and defensve end Cameron Meredith, however, have been big disappointments. If not for David's mid third quarter forced and recovered fumble of Buckeye quarterback Braxton Miller, the Huskers don't even begin to make their second half charge.

So how does all of this pertain to Martinez? Let's talk about that for just a minute. Does Martinez have his issues? Yes. Is Martinez free of fault? No. However, when you look at the Huskers entire body of work over the course of six games, the team's problems are less about him and much more about the defense. In fact, it's not even close.
Forget the Ohio State game for just a nano-second. Let's just assume Nebraska has a defense that most of us come to expect under Pelini. Keep in mind, Nebraska entered Saturday's game ranked No. 73 in total defense. For the sake of discussiom, let's say they are ranked in the top 40 in a worst case scenario. None of the games are even close except for Wisconsin, which was a 48-17 loss.

Even in that game, Nebraska trailed 20-14 late in the first half. The offense actually looked OK at that point before. The offensive line was blocking, running back Rex Burkhead was running well and Martinez was throwing at least decent. If the defense had been playing well, perhaps Beck and Martinez (who let's face it is an average at best passer) wouldn't have been in a position where they felt they constantly needed to score. Though it's easy to hammer Martinez for forcing passes into double coverage, perhaps he would not have been compelled to do so if it did not appear that Wisconsin was going to score on every damn possession.
On Saturday, Nebraska's Blackshirts (if you want to call them that) gave up 246 yards of offense in the first half. If the defense came to play, Nebraska wins this game going away. Keep in mind, Ohio State had a 12-3 minute top of possession edge in he first quarter. So Martinez is not Joe Montana. This may shock the "Bench Martinez's ass" camp but he came up big in the second half along with running back Rex Burkhead.

Martinez completed 16 of 22 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns and one interception. He also added a rushing touchdown, 95 yards on 16 carries. All of that while guiding Nebraska to its biggest come-from-behind win in school history. OK, Martinez, I know it kills you but give the kid some credit.

The bottom line is quarterbacks will have games where they throw interceptions. In case you have never watched a game in your life, great ones throw the. Average ones throw them. Bad ones throw them. The point is Nebraska's defense is supposed to be good enough to where the offense can make a couple mistakes a game so that they can overome them. At this point, that is not close to being the case.

Speaking of the defense, we'll examine that more during the bye week as the Huskers next play at Minnesota on Oct. 22. However, to take a preliminary look, I ask, at what point does Nebraska play the Peso (4-2-5)? It worked like a charm the last few years. I realize conventional widom says you need a three linebacker defense against the Big 10, but right now conventional wisdom sucks. Are the Huskers served better by putting more speed on the field. Does it pay off to have the linebackers in the game when they are non-productive anyway?
Back to Martinez, here's a late breaking story for football fans. Quarterbacks are going to have incompletions, bad reads, and intereptions at every level. It's part of the game. Has Martinez played as well as he can? No. He definitely needs to improve but it stans to reason that the difference between a top ten Nebraska team and the team we see today is not and has not been Martinez. It has been the defense.
Though I have been a Husker fan for 24 years and a graduate for 14, I simply do not get a certain segment of our fans. I get it that Martinez's throwing motion and decision making can be frustrating but we all need to realize that if we want to put in a quarterback that doesn't throw interceptions, you'll never find one. Gee whizz. Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Aaron Rodgers must al really suck.

So while you are busy being convinced that Martinez is the problem, I say this: Keep a healthy Martinez and fix the damn defense and everything else will fall into place.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Stunning second half a season saver -- for the time being

My goodness! What more can be said about No. 14 Nebraska's 34-27 come-from-behind win over the Ohio State Buckeyes.


Never mind that Ohio State (now 3-3) is just a shell of its former self. After last Saturday's debacle of a 48-17 loss at Wisconsin, this win was a psychological hurdle for the Huskers. No matter how much Ohio State has become just another program, you don't rally from a 27-6 deficit to win without having some testicular fortitude.

If you thought negativity among the Nebraska fan base and media was bad entering this game, one could only fathom how things would have been with consecutive losses going into a bye week. Head coach Bo Pelini and quarterback Taylor Martinez were the main targets after the Huskers loss in Madison, Wisc.

Not that either one is out of the woods but they bought themselves breathing space for a week. Despite the win, all is not well in Huskerland by a longshot. The Buckeyes ran through Nebraska like Roseanne Barr at an all-you-can-eat buffet to the tune of 246 yards of offense in the first half. OSU freshman quarterback Braxton Miller rushed for 79 and passed for 68. For the second time in as many weeks, the Huskers looked like stumblebumbs on defense. The offense certainly wasn't pulling its weight either.

Sometimes, however, one play can change a game if not the course of a season. Nebraska linebacker LaVonte David's play in the third quarter might be the difference between having a 10-2 season versus a 7-5 season. the Huskers looked more the latter than the former in the first half. The Huskers, as they had the previous week, looked lost on defense, perhaps still reeling from the Wisconsin loss. OSU led 20-6 at halftime. Pelini, who is known as a defensve guru, seemed at a loss for solutions.

David has been a bright spot in a disappointing season for the Blackshirts. Miller made his way through traffic for a 7-yard gain but like a thief in the night, David ripped the ball from the hands of the 6-3, 210-pound quarterback. From there, it was all Huskers. Yes, Nebraska caught a break when the mobile Miller had to leave the game with an ankle injury. His replacement (Joe Bauserman) went 1 for 7 for 13 yards.

However, it should also be pointed out that David made the play with Miller in the game. Also, Miller does not play defense.

With Martinez, you have to look beyond his numbers. Yes, he completed 16 of 22 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns and one interception. He also added a rushing touchdown, 95 yards on 16 carries. However, besides his end-of-the-first-half interception, Martinez bounced back well from last week's performance. He did a better job of checking down to receivers this week, and overall he showed more poise and confidence. Questions can subside about whether he should be Nebraska's starting quarterback. Well, for a week anyhow. ABC color commenator Matt Millen kept harping on how Martinez lacks the ability to stretch the field. It's funny. Last week, Martinez was being criticized for forcing the ball downfield into coverage and not checking down to underneath receivers. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

What more can you say about running back Rex Burkhead? 119 yards on 26 carries and a touchdown. Nebraska rushed for 144 yards in the fourth quarter, against the 13th ranked defense in the country.

What does Saturday's win mean in the grand spectrum of things? Well, mathematically it means the Huskers are 5-1 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten and they saved the program for another two weeks.

The Blackshirts — if you want to call them that — have inexplicably become fundamentally flawed. They suddenly can't make a tackle and look slow. Is this the kind of win that can awaken a sleeping giant? Sometimes personnel deficiencies can't be overcome but there are enough personnel on that played well last season.

We'll see what the next few games bring. The Huskers looked like such a punchless at halftime. Yes, Miller's injury was a break but you've got to start somewhere.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Using the past to predict the future

If there is one thing that Nebraska football fans are guilty of -- it's using the past to predict the future.


OK, I get it, "If you don't learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it." Just the other day, I reacted http://napavince.blogspot.com/2011/10/husker-season-at-crossroad.html to Dirk Chatelain's Omaha World Herald blog: http://sports.omaha.com/2011/10/05/dirks-brunch-bites-oct-5/ comparing the aftermath of the Huskers 49-31 home loss to USC in 2007 to the ramifications of the team's 48-17 road loss to Wisconsin Saturday. Chatelain essentially said how "this feels like 2007 all over again?" If you feel like reliving that nightmare, Nebraska was 4-1 that season and imploded by losing six of its last seven games to go 5-7, which ultimately cost head coach Bill Callahan his job.

Maybe the 2011 Huskers became the 2007 Huskers again but I seriously doubt it. Are the 2011 Huskers great? No. I'd say Top 15 material but closer to 15 than one.

The only true parallel I see is this, 2007 was Callahan's fourth season and 2011 is Bo Pelini's fourth campaign. Losses like 2007 to USC and Wisconsin in 2011 were supposed to be a thing of the past in their respective tenures.

Suffice it to say, the 2011 season is at a crossroad for the 4-1 and No. 14 rated Huskers. However, the opportunity to right the ship the next two weeks is a very realistic proposition. This week, you have a troubled 3-2 Ohio State team coming to town that lost 10-7 at home too Michigan State. Ohio State's defense has looked pretty stellar so far. Nebraska's one-dimensional offense is going to struggle to move the ball against the Buckeyes, but the good news is that Ohio State can barely do anything on offense to counter. The onus falls on the Husker offense and special teams not to give the Buckeyes a short field.

After the home game against Ohio State, Nebraska has a bye so if the Huskers can win this game and go to 5-1 at the midpoint of the season, that is not so bad.

Let's face it, when using the past to redict the future, you simply cannot factor in anything that took place before Bo Pelini was the head coach. Seriously? The only coacing link Nebraska has to the pre-Pelini years is running backs coach Ron Brown. Well, I guess you could say many of the cureent seniors were redshirt freshman during the 2007 implosion but even using that angle to predict the future is a reach.

Based on the Pelini years, the odds favor the Huskers to rebound. The true mark of good leadership is how a team bounces back one week after losing a game. You can't really count a season ending bowl game loss because a team changes a lot dues to graduation losses from one season to the next.

Under Pelini, the Huskers are 7-4 but two of those losses were by a touchdown or less. Nebraska's late season fade in 2010 is definitely a strike against Pelini. The Huskers were 9-1 only to close the year with three losses in their last four games but his 2008 and 2009 seasons are evidence that he knows how to circle the wagons. In 2008, the Huskers lost three straight (two by less than a TD) to fall to 3-3. The team rebounded to win six of its last seven including a season-ending 26-21 Gator Bowl win over Clemson to finish 9-4.

In 2009, Nebraska started 4-1 but losses to Texas Tech (31-10) and Iowa State (9-7) dropped the team to 4-3. Simply getting to bowl eligible status looked like a chore. The Huskers again finished the season with six wins in their last seven contests including a 33-0 drubbing over Arizona in the Holiday Bowl to go 10-4.

Under Callahan, the team went 7-10 after a loss with five of them coming by three touchdowns or more.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Husker season at a crossroad

I have always found it mildly humorous when the mainstream media uses the past to predict the future, especially from a previous tenure. Look no further than Dirk Chatetlain's post in the Omaha World Herald. Chatelain posted:


"Tuesday night, I had a flashback.
I know, the talent level is deeper. I know, the coaching staff is better. I keep telling myself those things.
But Nebraska got pummeled on national TV Saturday night. Now Yoshi Hardrick is defending Taylor Martinez from a girl in Spanish class. Bo Pelini is conducting longer, more competitive, more physical practices.
This feels like September 2007 all over again.
Remember that fall, Nebraska also had a fourth-year head coach coming off a Big 12 championship game loss to Oklahoma and a bowl game defeat. Remember the defense was supposed to be pretty good — and wasn’t. Remember the quarterback issues.
Bill Callahan responded to the embarrassing 49-31 loss to USC that was not even that close with full-pads practices. Why, you ask, weren’t the Huskers in full pads before? Callahan didn’t have an answer.
After the USC blowout, NU avoided upset against Ball State. But public scrutiny intensified, prompting Corey McKeon’s famous remarks at a press conference. A few quotes from that day:
“This isn’t a down year for Nebraska. We’re 3-1 and people are looking at it like…we’re Notre Dame, like we’re 0-4.”
“You think it just ends on the field with the fans? No, it doesn’t end there. It doesn’t end anywhere. It’s hard for me to go to class after playing the way I played. It’s hard for me to sit there and know that everyone around me is looking at me thinking something.”
The Huskers of 2011 are coming off a 48-17 road loss to Wisconsin and quarterack Taylor Martinez has taken his share of jabs among the Nebraska fan base.

However, what people do not realize is that what determines a team's success over the course of a season is almost all mental. Talent plays a huge role because it forgives a player when he doesn't perfectly execute the mental part of each play. Obviously some teams are too talented for other teams even at mental perfection, but I don't think that's Nebraska's issue. After watching the game in Madison on Saturday I can still see the Huskers winning out but it depends on head coach Bo Pelini's ability to hold the team.
The Nebraska team that rolled into Madison could have won that game. I'm not saying they were the better team. They weren't. I'm not saying they were equally or more talented than Wisconsin. They weren't. But they could have won the game had they done certain things.
We can point to a lot of reasons that Saturday happened but among them include a poor game plan, many mistakes, inability to close on third down (especially on defense), etc. Now if that was a one-game thing then fine but what's interesting to see is if this team can take what happened in stride, continue to attempt to follow a coherent game strategy and remain focused.
To that end, I agree with chaelain bcause the Huskers face a pivotal game saturday at home against an Ohio State team that is still reeling from its off-the-field issues that led to the dismissal of head coach Jim Tressel. Like the Huskers, the Buckeyes are a wounded animal after losing 10-7 at home to Michigan State.

However, where the comparison is not yet accurate is that the 2007 team was broken. I don't think that this team is broken but what could happen is that players can start getting fed up with other players' mistakes and it can lead to more mistakes and lapses in concentration and effort.
That sort of thing becomes the identity of the team. Mistakes are going to keep happening, especially with Martinez or whomever is at quarterback. So if the coaches can't keep everyone on task, this team will probably fall apart. Also, the coaches could keep coming up with gameplans that re obviously frustrating to the players and the players will stop listening. If any of that happens then yeah, we could see a 2007 like season.

However, I just don't see it happening. Pelini can be caustic but it seems like the players love him and he has a different kind of arrogance than someone like Kevin Cosgrove or even Billy Callahan (who I actually didn't mind as a person, just as a coach). If the Huskers keep up this sloppy play then they won't win as many games as they should because their chances of beating teams like Iowa, Michigan State and Penn State goes from the 70-80% range where it should be given their talent to a much lower range (which I still think is greater than 50%).

This Nebraska team is about as predicatable as the stock market. Lots of highs and lows so far. There is a real lack of consistency overall in both defense and portions of the offense. Coaching as well.
However, a win this week at Ohio State and next week at Minnesota would help point the Huskers back in the right direction.


I have never been so uncertain about a season as this. Of course being in the Big 10 the first year doesn't help either.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Examining the latest "the sky is falling" mentality of Husker fans

Suffice it to say, sifting through the wreakage of Nebraska's 48-17 loss to Wisconsin was about as fun as a root canal.


The loss dropped the Huskers to No. 14 in the latest Associated Press poll and elevated the Badgers to No. 4. Like most every Nebraska fan, I was pretty embarrassed by the team's performance. Did I expect the Huskers to beat Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium? No, because the Badgers are a pretty damn good team and Camp Randall Stadium is one of the most hostile environments in college football for a visiting team. At worst, however, I at least felt Nebraska should have been competitive. Is Wisconsin better than the Huskers? Yes. When you lose by 31 points, there are no grey areas. However, I find it hard to fathom that Wisconsin is 31 points better than the Huskers. 10-15? Yes but that's immaterial now.

While I am a proud Nebraska fan, alum and donor to the University, it's times like this that cause a lot of consternation over being a Husker fan. I logged on to various message boards on Saturday night. Granted, I was in an altered state like many but some of the posts really chapped me to no end. Before go any further, yes I get it, this is a free country. Freedom of speech is something that people fought wars to get and protect. You are entitled to your opinion just like I am entitled to mine. OK, now that I have established that point, the posts that I was really taken aback by were:



1) Get rid of Bo Pelini: Seriously? Look, I am not Pelini's defense attorney but I could not beieve that post. In three years time, Pelini got the Huskers to the Big 12 championship game twice. Nebraska lost both times by a combined total of four points. I will agree that Pelini has not had a landmark win that makes people take notice and it remains to be seen if he will. However, he has built the program up from the Bill Callahan era, which was a dark time for all of us.

The loss to the Badgers was without a doubt the low pont of the Pelini era but to say get rid of him. Come on, who are we Notre Dame? Remember all the nimrods that said get rid of Tom Osborne just because the Huskers lost to Oklahoma 13 out of 17 years from 1972 to 1987? Those are the same Einsteins that wanted Osborne fired after the 1990 season when Nebraska closed the year with losses to Oklahoma and Georgia Tech by a combined score of 90-31. Then a strange thing happened, after leading the Huskers to a 60-3 record from 1993-1997, a run that included three National Championships in four years, all the sudden he could do no wrong. Therefore, if the powers that be listened to the advice to fire Osborne, as Husker fans we probably are not even talking about the greatness we saw in the 1990s.

Chances are those are the same nimrods that got their wish when Frank Solich got fired after a 58-19 tenure from 1998-2003. Well, you got your wish, you got Callahan, who delivered a very pedestrian 27-22 record with two bowl-less seasons.



I am not saying that Pelini is the next Osborne and yes, I acknowledge, the Pelini grace period ended after the Huskers lost 19-7 to Washington in the Holiday Bowl. However, just remember, change only guarantees that things will be different but different does not always mean better.



2) Bench Taylor Martinez: The redshirt sophomore may or may not be the answer at quarterback but to say replace him with redshirt freshman Brion Carnes is a real stretch. If the Huskers do that, they are kissing their season away after one loss.

Does Martinez need to perform better than he did Saturday? Without a doubt he does but other than late game mop-up duty, Carnes has no meaningful game experience. Even with all of his flaws, Martinez knows the offense much better than Carnes and has experience. True, Martinez is not Andrew Luck, Russel Wilson, or Landry Jones but what the hell happens if the coaches insert Carnes and he is worse than Martinez? I know the thought of Carnes being worse than Martinez is absolutely impossible to believe I know but what's next if that happens? Let's call for Ron Kellogg.



I say keep Martinez in there, until the coaches feel that Carnes is capable of running the offense, which could happen as soon as nex year.



3) Blackshirts: I agree that Nebraska's defense looked terrible last night, looking almost like the Kevin Cosgrove. This defense is very young and the secondary is hurting with the loss of Marvin but I trust that the Pelini Brothers (Bo and Carl) will right the ship throughout the season and plug the holes.



I generally think early October is too soon to call a team great but Wisconsin very well could be. Plain and simple, the Badgers kicked the Huskers from one end of the field to the other.

Many people believed Nebraska had a shot, I was one of them. I definitely believe that had the Huskers committed more to their running game, the game would have been closer at least but realistically how good were those chances with a questionable defense and an unreliable quarterback?

I am not trying to insult anybody with my opinions, but I just find it hard to believe how so many people went into "the sky is falling" mode after the loss. We lost, that's it. You think that Florida is saying that they should fire their Will Muschamp after getting routed by Alabama. I doubt it.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Sifting through the trainwreck in Madison

There's no way to possible to make this one look good. Because it wasn't. No. 8 Nebraska, or sooner to former No. 8, had a welcome to the Big Ten 48-17 loss to No. 7 Wisconsin on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.


While the Badgers were tabbed a 10-point favorite entering the contest, the Huskers should have been at least expected to be competitive. Instead, you get a loss that was pretty similar to 2008 setbacks to Missouri (52-17) and Oklahoma (62-28). Losses like that in 2008 were at least understandable because it was head coach Bo Pelini's first season and he was trying to wash away the wreckage of the Bill Callahan years. This is 2011. The players have recruited and shaped by Pelini.

As I was watching the game, I exchanged text messages with a few friends. Two of them (Jason Page and Matt Johns) are former college classmates of mine. The other (Will Densberger) is a former work source whom I consider a friend from the Napa Valley. We were commiserating over everything from quarterback Taylor Martinez's inbility to read defenses to offensive coordinator Tim Beck's Shawn Watson-like play-calling to the defense offering very little resistence.

Therein, should lie the reason the Huskers were outplayed and outcoached. When a team gets beat 48-17, no one side of the ball is any more or less to blame than the other. It means, you stunk on both sides of the all. OK, if you really want to stretch, Nebraska had the special teams edge with Kenny Bell's recovered fumble on a punt, Jared Crick's blocked extra point and Ameer Abdullah's 26.7 yard average on seven kickoff returns. However, what does that matter in a 31-point loss.

On offense, two things are equally true. Calling for 11 straight pass plays at one point in the first half while running back Rex Burkhead just six times in the first half is inexcusable. When you run the option, the pass can set up the run as well as compliment it but the run is the staple of the offense. However, on Martinez's three interceptions, his reads would have been bad if he were a high school JV quarterback.

There were two instances where Martinez threw incomplete passes that were deep when he had an intermediate receiver wide open. Again, that's not a hard read to make. Martinez had it predetermined on both plays that he was throwing it deep. I'm all for taking shots dpwnfield to soften up the defense but when there are two defenders around the deep receiver and none around the intermediate guy, that has nothing tto do with play callng. His interception to linebacker Mike Taylor was a result of throwing late over the middle. I don't give a damn what level of football you are at or what play is being called, it's a cardinal rule that throwing late over the middle gets you in trouble. On his interception to cornerback Antonio Fenelus, the pass was a 12-yard out intended for Quincy Enunwa. Martinez rolled right. He could run for at least eight yards or complete a short pass to Burkhead for at least that many but he threw into traffic.

While Martinez made his share of bad reads, the offense needs to get Burkhead more involved in the offense if they want to compete in the Big Ten Conference. The offensive line played well at times but still made mental mistakes by committing foolish false start penalties. I do think the offensive line is moving in the right direction. At the beginning of the season the offensive line was the weak point of the offense. I would consider them more of a strength of the offense than a weakness right now.

If it's possible, Nebraska looked even worse defensively. The Huskers had no answer at all for Wisconsin's ellusive quarterback Russell Wilson. I shudder to think what Michigan's Dennard Robinson will do to the Huskers on Nov. 19. Wisconsin ended the game with 484 yards total offense. That is not going to get it done in a good BCS Conference.

Nebraska played well at times with their front four on defense early in the game but the defense got tired in the second half.

Nebraska’s secondary is a work in progress. Nebraska rotated players in and out of the lineup the entire game but couldn’t come up with a combination that worked. Nebraska allowed 255 yards passing. The secondary will continue to be a problem for Nebraska. Yes, it's nice to have cornack Alfonzo Dennard back in the lineup but teams will not throw his way because they don't have to do so.

Most people said they would know where Nebraska stood after the Wisconsin game. What we know is: Nebraska is not a top ten team; they have a ways to go before they are, and their dreams of a Big Ten Conference title in their inaugural season may be far-fetched.

Nebraska started the game well but was quickly taken out of their game plan and had no answer to the Wisconsin offense.

Nebraska will be a competitive team in the Big Ten, but it's hard to envision them being the top team in the conference. Next week Nebraska will host Ohio State. The Buckeyes are closer to the level that Nebraska is at right now. It will be a good game between the Cornhuskers and Buckeyes next week.