One story in a Wine Country Husker series, looking at position breakdowns for the Nebraska Cornhuskers for the 2012 season. Today, we look at running:
Looking back: Let’s start with the obvious, “What more can be said about Rex Burkhead that has not already been said?” Nebraska has had its legendary running backs like Mike Rozier, Johnny Rodgers, I.M. Hipp, and Lawrence Phillips but Burkhead has established his own place in Husker lore.
The junior from Plano, Texas carried 284 times for 1,357 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2011. He also caught 21 more passes for 177 yards and a pair of scores. At times, Burkhead flat out carried the load for the Huskers and he did it against some pretty stout Big Ten defensive units such as Michigan State, Ohio State, and Penn State. While I never met Burkhead in person, anyone who has publically spoken about him say he’s an even better person. Suffice it to say, Husker fans are blessed to have him for another year.
With the return of the option, we actually saw the fullback get a few carries but not the amount that will make fans forget Joel Mackovica. Legate had eight carries and four catches (two for touchdowns). The fullback carrying the ball, however, seemed to be more of an attempt to pander to the fans that long for the retro Tom Osborne playbook.
The most puzzling aspect of the 2011 season as it pertained to the running back position was the fact that the Huskers burned redshirts on three players (Ameer Abdullah, Aaron Green and Braylon Heard). The threesome combined for just 91 carries and three receptions. Abdullah not redshirting was at least somewhat understandable because he was the primary kickoff and punt returner. However, it was readily apparent by midseason that either Green or Heard, probably the latter, should have redshirted.
Looking ahead: Burkhead is the unquestioned leader not only of this position but the entire offense. The tricky aspect will be getting Burkhead his steady diet of touches while also preserving him for the Big Ten grind.
Though his costly fumble in the Huskers 30-13 Capital Bowl loss played a role in the team unraveling, Abdullah showed enough promise early in the season to be that change of pace runner to compliment Burkhead.
Given that the option has returned as part of the Husker offense, losing Legate might be more of a concern that at first glance. For openers, there’s the role of lead blocking for the running back but also quarterback Taylor Martinez seems better suited on “load option” running plays that involve either a fullback or pulling guard.
Showing posts with label Aaron Green. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aaron Green. Show all posts
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Good win followed by clunker loss
Once or twice is an aberration but three times is a pattern. For the third time in as many seasons, Nebraska follows a feel good win with a clunker of a loss at home.
Rewind the clock to 2009, the Huskers rally from a 12-0 deficit after three quarters on a rainy night in Columbia, Mo., to beat Missouri 27-12. Keep in mind, Nebraska had lost four of its last six to the Tigers. The Huskers went to 4-1 but followed with consecutive home losses to Texas Tech (31-10) and Iowa State (9-7). The latter of which had a losing record early in the game.
In 2010, Nebraska ran roughshod over Kansas State in a 48-13 win at Manhatten, KS to go to 5-0 entering a home game against their chief tormentor (Texas). The Longhorns were on the heels of two straight losses at 3-2. Husker Nation was ready for payback. Nebraska, however, lost 20-13 to a Texas team that finished the season 5-7.
Now for the 2011 edition, Nebraska scores an impressive 24-3 home win over Michigan State. The talk after the game is how the disappointing Blackshirts are returning to form and how Nebraska controls its own destiny to reach the Big Ten title game in Indianapolis. The trip to Indy was a straight line entering Saturday’s home game against Northwestern (now 4-5 overall, 2-4 Big Ten) but in losing to Northwestern 28-25 the Huskers veered to an onramp in Des Moines, Iowa and suddenly need some direction getting back on to Interstate 80.
In the Bo Pelini era, many losses have been clearly defined on which side of the ball is more clearly to blame – offense or defense. In the case of Saturday, the blame is pretty equal. If Rex Burkhead and Quincey Enunwa don’t fumble from the 5 and 25 yard line going in, Nebraska wins the game. Period. End of sentence. Next report.
Northwestern entered the game 95th in run defense while Nebraska was No. 9 in rush offense. However, the Wildcats bottled up Nebraska’s ground game, holding them to 118 yards on 33 carries. The Husker offense also wasted a brilliant passing game of quarterback Taylor Martinez, who completed 29 of 38 for 298 yards, two scores and no picks. Too bad his receivers dropped four passes. Martinez has been heavily criticized as a passer but was flawless in his decision making.
My biggest criticism of offensive coordinator Tim Beck is that why are Ameer Abdullah, Aaron Green, Braylon Heard and Jamal Turner getting a combined one touch? Granted, Burkhead is the bellcow of the offense if you are going to burn redshirts on Abdullah, Green and Heard why are they seldom in the game?
And on the defensive side, Nebraska spent a lot of the first quarter on the field as much for their inability to get stops and the offense’s inability to move the chains. At one point in the first quarter, the Wildcats had nine first downs to Nebraska’s one. That heavy load eventually exacted a toll on the Blackshirts. The Huskers had coverage breakdowns against the pass and couldn’t stop the run when they had momentum on their side.
And it was game, set, match.
Rewind the clock to 2009, the Huskers rally from a 12-0 deficit after three quarters on a rainy night in Columbia, Mo., to beat Missouri 27-12. Keep in mind, Nebraska had lost four of its last six to the Tigers. The Huskers went to 4-1 but followed with consecutive home losses to Texas Tech (31-10) and Iowa State (9-7). The latter of which had a losing record early in the game.
In 2010, Nebraska ran roughshod over Kansas State in a 48-13 win at Manhatten, KS to go to 5-0 entering a home game against their chief tormentor (Texas). The Longhorns were on the heels of two straight losses at 3-2. Husker Nation was ready for payback. Nebraska, however, lost 20-13 to a Texas team that finished the season 5-7.
Now for the 2011 edition, Nebraska scores an impressive 24-3 home win over Michigan State. The talk after the game is how the disappointing Blackshirts are returning to form and how Nebraska controls its own destiny to reach the Big Ten title game in Indianapolis. The trip to Indy was a straight line entering Saturday’s home game against Northwestern (now 4-5 overall, 2-4 Big Ten) but in losing to Northwestern 28-25 the Huskers veered to an onramp in Des Moines, Iowa and suddenly need some direction getting back on to Interstate 80.
In the Bo Pelini era, many losses have been clearly defined on which side of the ball is more clearly to blame – offense or defense. In the case of Saturday, the blame is pretty equal. If Rex Burkhead and Quincey Enunwa don’t fumble from the 5 and 25 yard line going in, Nebraska wins the game. Period. End of sentence. Next report.
Northwestern entered the game 95th in run defense while Nebraska was No. 9 in rush offense. However, the Wildcats bottled up Nebraska’s ground game, holding them to 118 yards on 33 carries. The Husker offense also wasted a brilliant passing game of quarterback Taylor Martinez, who completed 29 of 38 for 298 yards, two scores and no picks. Too bad his receivers dropped four passes. Martinez has been heavily criticized as a passer but was flawless in his decision making.
My biggest criticism of offensive coordinator Tim Beck is that why are Ameer Abdullah, Aaron Green, Braylon Heard and Jamal Turner getting a combined one touch? Granted, Burkhead is the bellcow of the offense if you are going to burn redshirts on Abdullah, Green and Heard why are they seldom in the game?
And on the defensive side, Nebraska spent a lot of the first quarter on the field as much for their inability to get stops and the offense’s inability to move the chains. At one point in the first quarter, the Wildcats had nine first downs to Nebraska’s one. That heavy load eventually exacted a toll on the Blackshirts. The Huskers had coverage breakdowns against the pass and couldn’t stop the run when they had momentum on their side.
And it was game, set, match.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Will the Huskers put Burkhead on a pitch, err carry count?
The adjectives have rolled of the tongues of many after Nebraska running back Rex Burkhead carried 35 times for 130 yards and two touchdowns to lead the No. 9 Huskers to a crucial 24-3 win over No. 13 Michigan State.
Burkhead has been described as “Superman” and “Legend” to go along with the obligatory “T-Rex.” The description of “Legend” is certainly saying something considering how many great Huskers have carried the ball such as Johnny Rodgers and Mike Rozier to name a couple. Well, Lawrence Phillips too. LP is an asshole for disgracing the program off the field but I won’t take away from what he did on the field, regardless of whether or not he should have been there.
Anyhow ….
Lincoln Journal Star columnist Steve Sipple caught up with former Husker running backs Tony Davis and Rozier. Davis was a fan favorite from 1973 to 1975 and earned the nickname “Tough Tony.” As for Rozier, all you have to say is 1983 Heisman Trophy winner.
"Rex has wonderful, wonderful body control," Davis told Sipple. "But the thing that's most impressive to me is his down and distance awareness and his ability to get what's needed to move the chains. He does that on as productive a basis as I've ever seen at that position, ever."
“You tell me a back that when it's third-and-4 or third-and-whatever gets the first down more often than Rex Burkhead."
Added Rozier in his interview with Sipple: “He’ll either put his head down and go through them or go around them. He's not scared to get hit. Some running backs, you can look at them and tell they're scared to get hit. They're curled up when they get hit. You've got to run through the hit, you know what I mean? You've got to give the hit.”
Burkhead, who is a junior, is not overly fast or powerful but defenders very seldom get a clean shot on him. However, after a 35 carry game against a very stout Michigan State defense does Nebraska perhaps dial his workload down? The Huskers face a Northwestern defense that is 95th in run defense followed by a road trip to face a Penn State defense that is No. 1 in the Big Ten followed by another road test at Michgan?
On one hand, you want Burkhead carrying the mail because 6 of 10 times he carries the ball the play is likely to result in a first down or a touchdown. Plus, Burkhead is very reliable in terms of ball security.
However, considering that Nebraska burned three redshirts at running back behind Burkhead (Ameer Abdullah, Aaron Green and Braylon Heard), why not rely on them to preserve Burkhead to a degree. That approach is no different than if you have a relief pitcher in baseball throw 50 pitches, you are not likely to want him throwing 50 more one game later.
Point being, the Michigan State game is only the start of Nebraska's challenging homestretch, and the games get tougher in the next two weeks. Do you want a banged up Burkhead facing a tough as nails Penn State front seven?
Again, Burkhead should get the majority of the carries this week against Northwestern but have him get say, 20 with Abdullah, Green and Heard getting say 6-8 apiece?
Burkhead has been described as “Superman” and “Legend” to go along with the obligatory “T-Rex.” The description of “Legend” is certainly saying something considering how many great Huskers have carried the ball such as Johnny Rodgers and Mike Rozier to name a couple. Well, Lawrence Phillips too. LP is an asshole for disgracing the program off the field but I won’t take away from what he did on the field, regardless of whether or not he should have been there.
Anyhow ….
Lincoln Journal Star columnist Steve Sipple caught up with former Husker running backs Tony Davis and Rozier. Davis was a fan favorite from 1973 to 1975 and earned the nickname “Tough Tony.” As for Rozier, all you have to say is 1983 Heisman Trophy winner.
"Rex has wonderful, wonderful body control," Davis told Sipple. "But the thing that's most impressive to me is his down and distance awareness and his ability to get what's needed to move the chains. He does that on as productive a basis as I've ever seen at that position, ever."
“You tell me a back that when it's third-and-4 or third-and-whatever gets the first down more often than Rex Burkhead."
Added Rozier in his interview with Sipple: “He’ll either put his head down and go through them or go around them. He's not scared to get hit. Some running backs, you can look at them and tell they're scared to get hit. They're curled up when they get hit. You've got to run through the hit, you know what I mean? You've got to give the hit.”
Burkhead, who is a junior, is not overly fast or powerful but defenders very seldom get a clean shot on him. However, after a 35 carry game against a very stout Michigan State defense does Nebraska perhaps dial his workload down? The Huskers face a Northwestern defense that is 95th in run defense followed by a road trip to face a Penn State defense that is No. 1 in the Big Ten followed by another road test at Michgan?
On one hand, you want Burkhead carrying the mail because 6 of 10 times he carries the ball the play is likely to result in a first down or a touchdown. Plus, Burkhead is very reliable in terms of ball security.
However, considering that Nebraska burned three redshirts at running back behind Burkhead (Ameer Abdullah, Aaron Green and Braylon Heard), why not rely on them to preserve Burkhead to a degree. That approach is no different than if you have a relief pitcher in baseball throw 50 pitches, you are not likely to want him throwing 50 more one game later.
Point being, the Michigan State game is only the start of Nebraska's challenging homestretch, and the games get tougher in the next two weeks. Do you want a banged up Burkhead facing a tough as nails Penn State front seven?
Again, Burkhead should get the majority of the carries this week against Northwestern but have him get say, 20 with Abdullah, Green and Heard getting say 6-8 apiece?
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Tuneups are over, time for Big Ten play
Four up, four down for the No. 9 ranked Nebraska football team. The Huskers wrapped up the nonleague part of their slate with a 38-14 road win at Wyoming. Up next, the much anticipated Big Ten opener against the No. 6 rated Wisconsin Badgers in Madison, Wisc. Just my gut feeling but the Badgers, who rolled to a 59-10 win over South Dakota, are likely to be a slight favorite over Nebraska.
Though the Huskers clinged to a 14-7 halftime lead on Saturday, they were never in serious danger of losing as their depth and talent advantage wore down the Cowboys. The score very easily could have been 45-14 but Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini opted to take a knee in the final minute even though the Huskers had first-and-goal at the Wyoming 2. The Cowboys didn't do themselves any favors by committing seven penalties for 68 yards, 30 of which came on Nebraska's first drive of the second half, but the truth of the matter is the Huskers were the better team.
For the second time in as many weeks, the Husker offense take a quantum leap forward. This time thanks to running back Rex Burkhead's 170 yards rushing on 15 carries and two scores. Burkhead pounded the Cowboys into submission for most of the game. When Wyoming cut the lead too 31-14 midway through the fourth quarter, the Huskers turned to the speedy trio of true reshman running backs (Ameer Abdullah, Braylon Heard and Aaron Green). Abdullah had three carries for 36 yards. Green added 19 yards on three carries while Heard added 33 yards on nine yards including a touchdown. That power and speed approach to the running game is very akin to a hard throwing pitcher that can also change speeds.
While it is generally assumed that Nebraska will go as far as quarterback Taylor Martinez will take, Burkhead, however, might just be the hub of the offense's wheel because his reliability supplies the foundation for the offense.
Speaking of Martinez, his maturity is somewhat similar to a basketball player that has sacrificed scoring to become a more complete player to supply things like passing, reboundig and defense. Martinez's numbers Saturday look pedestrian on the surface. He was 12 of 21 for 157 yards, one touchdown and no interception as a passer. As a runner, he carred 12 times for 37 yards and a score. While Martinez is far from a finished product, his decision-making continues to improve and the fact that Nebraska can win a game without the benefit of Martinez lighting up the stat sheet is a huge plus because that was not the case last season.
Defensively, the Huskers were are from perfect in yielding 310 yards of total offense and 14 points but that's a huge improvement over the previous two games when they gave up over 28 points and 400 yards of total offense in each game. The Blackshirts are a far cry from the 2009 defense but on Saturday they also had to go without defensve tackle Jared Crick (concussion) and welcomed back cornerback Alfonzo Dennard to the lineup.
Though Wyoming quarterback Brett Smith completed just 17 of 33 passes for 166 yards, the Huskers had too many busted coverages that a better team would have capitalized on.
The Huskers got a lot of different players into the game so what does Saturday's win mean for the trip to Madison? Well, nothing really because every game is its own entity. The whole argument of "Well, if they play that way next week, they'll get beat" or "If they play that way next week they'll win" does not carry any weight.
Wisconsin has looked more impressive than the Huskers. As Pelini said in his potgame press conference, "There are no great teams." Nebraska does not need a perfect game to beat the Badgers but it needs to be on point more than it has all season.
Though the Huskers clinged to a 14-7 halftime lead on Saturday, they were never in serious danger of losing as their depth and talent advantage wore down the Cowboys. The score very easily could have been 45-14 but Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini opted to take a knee in the final minute even though the Huskers had first-and-goal at the Wyoming 2. The Cowboys didn't do themselves any favors by committing seven penalties for 68 yards, 30 of which came on Nebraska's first drive of the second half, but the truth of the matter is the Huskers were the better team.
For the second time in as many weeks, the Husker offense take a quantum leap forward. This time thanks to running back Rex Burkhead's 170 yards rushing on 15 carries and two scores. Burkhead pounded the Cowboys into submission for most of the game. When Wyoming cut the lead too 31-14 midway through the fourth quarter, the Huskers turned to the speedy trio of true reshman running backs (Ameer Abdullah, Braylon Heard and Aaron Green). Abdullah had three carries for 36 yards. Green added 19 yards on three carries while Heard added 33 yards on nine yards including a touchdown. That power and speed approach to the running game is very akin to a hard throwing pitcher that can also change speeds.
While it is generally assumed that Nebraska will go as far as quarterback Taylor Martinez will take, Burkhead, however, might just be the hub of the offense's wheel because his reliability supplies the foundation for the offense.
Speaking of Martinez, his maturity is somewhat similar to a basketball player that has sacrificed scoring to become a more complete player to supply things like passing, reboundig and defense. Martinez's numbers Saturday look pedestrian on the surface. He was 12 of 21 for 157 yards, one touchdown and no interception as a passer. As a runner, he carred 12 times for 37 yards and a score. While Martinez is far from a finished product, his decision-making continues to improve and the fact that Nebraska can win a game without the benefit of Martinez lighting up the stat sheet is a huge plus because that was not the case last season.
Defensively, the Huskers were are from perfect in yielding 310 yards of total offense and 14 points but that's a huge improvement over the previous two games when they gave up over 28 points and 400 yards of total offense in each game. The Blackshirts are a far cry from the 2009 defense but on Saturday they also had to go without defensve tackle Jared Crick (concussion) and welcomed back cornerback Alfonzo Dennard to the lineup.
Though Wyoming quarterback Brett Smith completed just 17 of 33 passes for 166 yards, the Huskers had too many busted coverages that a better team would have capitalized on.
The Huskers got a lot of different players into the game so what does Saturday's win mean for the trip to Madison? Well, nothing really because every game is its own entity. The whole argument of "Well, if they play that way next week, they'll get beat" or "If they play that way next week they'll win" does not carry any weight.
Wisconsin has looked more impressive than the Huskers. As Pelini said in his potgame press conference, "There are no great teams." Nebraska does not need a perfect game to beat the Badgers but it needs to be on point more than it has all season.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Huskers still a work in progress
While it was disturbing to see No. 11 Nebraska make Saturday's 51-38 closer than it needed to be, the pluses definitely outweighed the minuses.
The Huskers led 20-17 at halftime and then opened the floodgates by taking a 44-17 lead early in the fourth quarter only to let the Huskies back in the game. Nebraska was never in danger of losing the game mind you but for the second time in as many weeks the defense lost its edge. Washington amassed 420 yards of offense and even more more disturbing Nebraska allowed to covert 7 of 14 third downs.
Granted, the loss of cornerback Alfonzo Dennard with a quad injury is a glaring one. His replacement (sophomore Andrew Green) got picked on all day. One would think Green will get better but he is not yet ready for primetime, all the more reason the Huskers really need Dennard healthy this season
You cannot expect Nebraska to have the kind of production in the back end when you have lost four NFL-caliber players (Prince Amukamara, Dejon Gomes, Eric Hagg (with Dennard still out due to injury.) While Ciante Evans, Green, Josh Mitchell, Daimion Stafford and other youngsters s are taking their licks (and their shots from opposing quarterbacks), it is incumbent on the front seven to generate pressure – particularly the front four.
In general the defensive line (especially defensive tackle Baker Steinkuher) played better than in last week's 42-29 win over Fresno State by getting more pressure on Keith Price than they did on Derek Carr but the fact that the defense did not capitalize on the offense's momentum is rather alarming.
The Huskers are going to need more quarters like the third when they head to Madison, Wisconsin, to play the Badgers.
Speaking of the offense, that unit enjoyed a definite growth spurt. Sure there were big plays but there were also drives. Nebraska had four scoring drives of seven or more plays, including a 10 play march late in the third that was capped with another Brett Maher field goal. So much for the concern over losing alex Henery as Maher is now 7 for 7.
The offensive line certainly deserves ample praise, especially walk-on Seung Hoon Choi and Tyler Moore. Nebraska put up 464 yards of total offense (404 rushing) as for the first time this season first-year coordinator Tim Beck used one play to set up another. On the game's opening play, with the defense thinking run, quarterback Taylor Martinez lofted a 50-yard completion to Kenny Bell to the Washington 3. On the next play, Martinez completed a touchdown pass to fullbak Tyler Legate on a bootleg.
As for Martinez, his passing numbers weren't pretty in completing 10 of 21 for 155 yards but he made much better decisions and protected the ball much better. Martinez will never be an NFL caliber passer or media friendly but he appears to be growing into his role.
It was also encouraging that when the offense had to run the ball to seal the win, they did. Running back Rex Burkhead rushed 22 times for 120 yards and two scores but most importantly, freshmen running backs Braylon Heard and Aaron Green supplied some good relief off the bench.
It wasn't pretty but overall an improvement over Fresno State.
The Huskers led 20-17 at halftime and then opened the floodgates by taking a 44-17 lead early in the fourth quarter only to let the Huskies back in the game. Nebraska was never in danger of losing the game mind you but for the second time in as many weeks the defense lost its edge. Washington amassed 420 yards of offense and even more more disturbing Nebraska allowed to covert 7 of 14 third downs.
Granted, the loss of cornerback Alfonzo Dennard with a quad injury is a glaring one. His replacement (sophomore Andrew Green) got picked on all day. One would think Green will get better but he is not yet ready for primetime, all the more reason the Huskers really need Dennard healthy this season
You cannot expect Nebraska to have the kind of production in the back end when you have lost four NFL-caliber players (Prince Amukamara, Dejon Gomes, Eric Hagg (with Dennard still out due to injury.) While Ciante Evans, Green, Josh Mitchell, Daimion Stafford and other youngsters s are taking their licks (and their shots from opposing quarterbacks), it is incumbent on the front seven to generate pressure – particularly the front four.
In general the defensive line (especially defensive tackle Baker Steinkuher) played better than in last week's 42-29 win over Fresno State by getting more pressure on Keith Price than they did on Derek Carr but the fact that the defense did not capitalize on the offense's momentum is rather alarming.
The Huskers are going to need more quarters like the third when they head to Madison, Wisconsin, to play the Badgers.
Speaking of the offense, that unit enjoyed a definite growth spurt. Sure there were big plays but there were also drives. Nebraska had four scoring drives of seven or more plays, including a 10 play march late in the third that was capped with another Brett Maher field goal. So much for the concern over losing alex Henery as Maher is now 7 for 7.
The offensive line certainly deserves ample praise, especially walk-on Seung Hoon Choi and Tyler Moore. Nebraska put up 464 yards of total offense (404 rushing) as for the first time this season first-year coordinator Tim Beck used one play to set up another. On the game's opening play, with the defense thinking run, quarterback Taylor Martinez lofted a 50-yard completion to Kenny Bell to the Washington 3. On the next play, Martinez completed a touchdown pass to fullbak Tyler Legate on a bootleg.
As for Martinez, his passing numbers weren't pretty in completing 10 of 21 for 155 yards but he made much better decisions and protected the ball much better. Martinez will never be an NFL caliber passer or media friendly but he appears to be growing into his role.
It was also encouraging that when the offense had to run the ball to seal the win, they did. Running back Rex Burkhead rushed 22 times for 120 yards and two scores but most importantly, freshmen running backs Braylon Heard and Aaron Green supplied some good relief off the bench.
It wasn't pretty but overall an improvement over Fresno State.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
What are tell-tale signs from Nebraska's season opener?
Well, we know that Saturday's season-opening game aainst Tennessee-Chatanooga will say very little as to how good the 2011 Nebraska Cornhuskers are. However, that would stating the obvious. The No. 10 ranked Huskers hope saturday's game is the first step to wiping the slate clean from last season's disappointing finish that saw them finish 10-4 but lose three of their last four games.
There will, however, be a few tell-tale signs from this contest. If the Huskers dominate on both sides of the ball, it doesn't meann much but if they don't, it meas a lot. Granted, Nebraska will likely run run a vanilla playbook and will play a lot of backups if the score dictates, but if this team is going where we want it to, it won't matter and the Huskers will blow them out. If that doesnt happen, its a major concern for the upcoming year.
It also bears watching how the newcomers look, especially a running back. While Rex Burkhead is definitely ready to be the featured back, the fact remains that the days of running backs carrying 30-plus times a game are a thing of the past. Are true freshmen running backs Ahmeer Abdullah, Aaron Green and Braylon Heard as good as advertised? Same with wide receiver Jamal Turner? That question becomes significant because remember the hype surrounding Cody Green in 2009? Some fans were saying he was a potential Vince Young. Granted, Green did not always get a fair shake from coaches but Vince Young he was not. Even though the competition is down, we should be able to get a feel for how good these guys can be.
Another thing that bears watching is what is different about this year's offense other than the fact that the coordinator is different? We will not learn everything as they will likely try getting back with a vanilla approach but we should be able to get a feel for the tempo, some of the playcalling and how well it flows.
And how well will quarterback Taylor Martinez mesh with the wide receivers? Again, we may see vanilla plays and Martinez won't see a defense this easy, but if receivers are getting open and Martinez is hitting them in stride, it means this years air attack has a chance. If Martinez is missing wide open guys and playmakers aren't getting open, look out for trouble as its going to get harder. I don't see rust playing much of a role. These guys should be ready.
I'd like to say that penalties and fumbles are something we can tell, but the fact is that it's the first game and we've got a lot of young guys playing, if there are penalties and turnovers, I'm not going to get totally bent out of shape as long as they are not by the bundle.
There will, however, be a few tell-tale signs from this contest. If the Huskers dominate on both sides of the ball, it doesn't meann much but if they don't, it meas a lot. Granted, Nebraska will likely run run a vanilla playbook and will play a lot of backups if the score dictates, but if this team is going where we want it to, it won't matter and the Huskers will blow them out. If that doesnt happen, its a major concern for the upcoming year.
It also bears watching how the newcomers look, especially a running back. While Rex Burkhead is definitely ready to be the featured back, the fact remains that the days of running backs carrying 30-plus times a game are a thing of the past. Are true freshmen running backs Ahmeer Abdullah, Aaron Green and Braylon Heard as good as advertised? Same with wide receiver Jamal Turner? That question becomes significant because remember the hype surrounding Cody Green in 2009? Some fans were saying he was a potential Vince Young. Granted, Green did not always get a fair shake from coaches but Vince Young he was not. Even though the competition is down, we should be able to get a feel for how good these guys can be.
Another thing that bears watching is what is different about this year's offense other than the fact that the coordinator is different? We will not learn everything as they will likely try getting back with a vanilla approach but we should be able to get a feel for the tempo, some of the playcalling and how well it flows.
And how well will quarterback Taylor Martinez mesh with the wide receivers? Again, we may see vanilla plays and Martinez won't see a defense this easy, but if receivers are getting open and Martinez is hitting them in stride, it means this years air attack has a chance. If Martinez is missing wide open guys and playmakers aren't getting open, look out for trouble as its going to get harder. I don't see rust playing much of a role. These guys should be ready.
I'd like to say that penalties and fumbles are something we can tell, but the fact is that it's the first game and we've got a lot of young guys playing, if there are penalties and turnovers, I'm not going to get totally bent out of shape as long as they are not by the bundle.
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