Can the defense sharpen its teeth?

While Nebraska was decent defensively in 2011, it was not the authoritative bunch that was on display in 2009 and to a lesser extent 2010. Part of that dropoff can be attributed to the season-ending injury to defensive tackle Jared Crick (torn pectoral muscle) in Week 5.

However, the Husker defense was having issues even before Crick was put on the shelf for the season. There were bright spots, most notably in a 24-3 win over Michigan State and the second half dominance that fueled a 34-27 come-from-behind win over Ohio State in addition to the unit’s outstanding effort in a 20-7 win over Iowa.

Nebraska did finish pretty well (Top 40) statistically but for much of the 2011 campaign, the Huskers were a pretty average club. Nebraska finished 37th in total defense and 42nd in scoring defense. The Huskers finished tied for 18th in passing defense and 34th in pass efficiency defense.

However, the Huskers were tied for 72nd in interceptions (with 10), tied for 84th in sacks (21), and 64th in rushing defense. Nebraska also finished with a minus-1 turnover margin with 18 takeaways and had 19 giveaways. This tells me they need to get far more pressure on opposing teams quarterbacks to force mistakes that lead to turnovers, and to increase sack numbers.

In Bo Pelini’s four seasons as head coach, there have been some dominant defensive players such as Ndamukong Suh, LaVonte David, Alfonzo Dennard, Prince Amukamara, Dejon Gomes, Phillip Dillard and Larry Asante. Only David was not on the roster for the Huskers 2009 defense that allowed only 10 points per game, best in the nation.

The defense was probably the best in the Big 12 in 2010, but a keen eye could see chinks in the armor. They had difficulty stopping a mobile quarterback. They relied too much on their potent, if inconsistent, offense to create plays.

In 2011, with Carl Pelini as defensive coordinator, Nebraska’s defense failed the team when they needed them most. Wisconsin and Michigan made the Husker defense look awful. In the Capital One Bowl loss to South Carolina, the Husker defense failed at crucial times. Despite losing key pieces like Crick, David and Dennard, 2012 has the potential to be a very good year for the defense.

Of course, some would see the coaching staff changes as a negative because change normally takes time to adapt.

After defensive coordinator Carl Pelini took the head coaching job at Florida Atlantic, Bo Pelini promoted John Papuchis from defensive line coach to defensive coordinator. He also hired Rick Kaczenski from Iowa to replace Papuchis on the defensive line. Kaczenski brought with him an impressive resume that included All-Americans during his time as defensive line coach for the Hawkeyes.

After Husker defensive backs coach Corey Raymond accepted the same position at alma mater LSU, Pelini scooped Terry Joseph from Tennessee to replace him. Joseph, cousin of former Husker Mickey Joseph, coached a stellar Volunteer defensive backfield for three years.

True, it takes time to get used coaches and their approach but these changes might be the shot in the arm the Huskers need. Kaczenski and Joseph inherit some pretty solid depth at their respective positions.

There is no Crick, David or Dennard but instead of leaning heavily on All-Americans, the Huskers will need to rely on each other and the scheme. However, it never hurts to have a game-changer.

Nebraska Will Repay the Favor to Wisconsin

Taylor Martinez is looking to perform better vs Wisconsin in 2012.

Almost exactly a year after Nebraska was humiliated in front of a national audience in their Big Ten opener, Taylor Martinez and the Cornhuskers will be better prepared to face a Wisconsin team without standout quarterback Russell Wilson and a defense not as talented or salty as they were in 2011. They will still have to stop running back Montee Ball, but, without a deep threat and somebody to throw it and take the pressure off the running backs, Nebraska will sell out and blitz over and over again.

The beating might not be as bad as the wood the Badgers laid to the Huskers in Madison in 2011, but it will be bad. Nebraska's defense will show up in a big way, Rex Burkhead will have over 150 yards rushing, and the Huskers will win by more than three touchdowns to start off their second season in the Big Ten with a bang.

Taylor Martinez Will Complete More Than 65% of His Passes

Taylor Martinez will fix this throwing motion
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Let's face it. Taylor Martinez's throwing motion reminds you more of Tim Tebow than it does any other quarterback in college of the NFL. If anything, this prediction is the hardest of all to imagine. The guy just doesn't throw very well or with any sort of accuracy.

There is good news, though. Martinez is dedicated to keeping his starting job. We know this because he spent his spring break not schmoozing with girlfriend and Nebraska volleyball player Lauren Cook but in California with a throwing expert (by the way, what's up with Nebraska football and volleyball players dating? I just heard Roy Helu and Dani Mancuso are getting married).

The best news on the planet for Taylor Martinez: the Nebraska running game will take pressure off him in the pocket. With Rex Burkhead, Ameer Abdullah, and Aaron Green forming a formidable backfield, Martinez will have more time to sit back and go through his reads on play action and straight passing plays. As he does this, he will make more throws on target and will complete 65% of his passes in 2012.

Rex Burkhead Will Win the Heisman Trophy

Rex Burkhead will run all the way to New York in 2012.
Eric Francis/Getty Images

Sexy Rexy.

He's Rexy and He Knows It. Heard the songs? If not, look them up on YouTube.

They are about Nebraska running back Rex Burkhead. My favorite line comes from "Sexy Rexy": "Calves defined like dictionaries, breaks through tackles on his carries."

In early odds, Burkhead is at 20-1 to win the Heisman Trophy. If you ask Nebraska fans, or anybody in the Big Ten footprint, that is far too low. Burkhead is the unquestioned leader of the team. He is the most popular player in Nebraska football since Brook Berringer. He is as much of an unstoppable machine on the field as he is a charismatic, humble man off it. Burkhead is what legends are made of at Nebraska, and the Heisman Trophy will be his crowning achievement.

What can Burkhead do on the field? Well he averaged 4.8 yards per carry and just over 104 yards per game in 2011. That's not bad. He will have to do better than that to have national recognition, though. His 21 catches for 177 yards and two touchdowns are nice. However, more than anything, he will need sophomores Ameer Abdullah and Aaron Green to step up and spell him when the time arises.

He will need big, and I mean BIG, performances in national games. He will need to run roughshod over Wisconsin and Michigan. He will need to will the team to victory.

More than anything, though, he needs the team to win. Nebraska needs to win the Big Ten Legends Division. He then needs to pull an Ndamukong Suh from the 2009 Big 12 Championship Game and just tear apart whoever Nebraska plays in the 2012 Big Ten Championship Game.

Nebraska can do that. They have the talent. Rex can as well.

Nebraska Will Win the Big Ten

This Trophy Will be in Lincoln in December.

Nebraska sort of stumbled their way through the 2011 football season. They were beaten badly by Wisconsin and Michigan and upset at home by Northwestern. They managed to overwhelm Michigan State and Iowa and also hung on at Penn State. Throughout the season, though, it felt as though they couldn't get their feet under them. In 2012, that won't be the case.

Nebraska's offense won't be forced in so many down-and-distance situations as they were in 2011 as a deep, talented offensive line will keep a Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead-led attack moving. Martinez has a new throwing motion that will help him improve on his 57% accuracy, a bevy of speedy, talented receivers to throw to, and the always steady Burkhead behind him. In short, this will be the best and most balanced offense Nebraska has seen since 1999.

The defense is going to come together and obliterate opposing offenses. Blitzes will come from every angle, the defensive line will push offensive lines back into their quarterbacks, and running backs will find no lanes to run. In short, this will be a defense to be feared.

The schedule doesn't do them any favors, but there is no team outside of Michigan as talented as they were in 2011. The Huskers get the Wolverines at home the last weekend in October. They welcome Wisconsin, Penn State, and Minnesota to Lincoln as well. They will have to battle past Ohio State and Northwestern on the road in consecutive games.

The Huskers won't have to win every game on their schedule to win the Legends Division, but they must avoid trip-ups in Evanston, East Lansing, and Iowa City to advance to the Championship Game. The good news is Nebraska will win the games they need to and will not lose to anybody they shouldn't. On December 1, the Nebraska Cornhuskers will beat the winner of the Leaders Division and will claim their first Conference Championship since 1999.

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Keep ReadingNebraska returns a majority of their starters on defense, but they will have a new defensive coordinator in John Papuchis who replaced Carl Pelini after he departed for FAU. Papuchis has instantly become the youngest defensive coordinator in the Big Ten and it'll be interesting to see how the players respond to the energetic coach.

He’s been on the Nebraska staff since 2008 and worked with the defensive ends and special teams before replacing Pelini. The defensive schemes should remain the same for the most part, but with a new guy calling the shots, it will be something that bears watching.

Bad losses happen for a reason, not just because "things snowball"

Former Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan made national headlines in 2003 while coaching the Oakland Raiders. After a 22-8 home loss in 2003 to the Denver Broncos during a season that saw Oakland go from Super Bowl participant in 2002 to a 4-12 disaster the following year, Callahan erupted with, “We’ve got to be the dumbest team in American in terms of playing the game.”


Callahan, who has been an assistant coach with the New York Jets since 2008 after being dismissed by Nebraska, could very well be referring to the Huskers of right now. There were penalties (10), ejections (cornerback Alfonzo Dennard) and just an overall lack of discipline in the Huskers season-ending 30-13 Capital One Bowl loss to South Carolina.



Anyone who thinks the team wasn’t playing well because Husker head coach Bo Pelini had to restrain himself need to look no further than Monday. Sorry, you people in the, “You go Bo!” camp every time he blows up at referee or has a tense press conference moment with a media member, you are in serious need of a reality check. He has had three 15-yard penalties in his career, enough said. Say no more. Being fiery is all well and good but at some point it reaches diminishing returns.

You have an offense that can’t get out of its own way thanks to five yard penalty after five yard penalty. Not to mention you have receivers dropping catchable balls. See Tim Marlowe. See Brandon Kinnie. See Kyler Reed. It’s bad enough that quarterback Taylor Martinez has issues throwing the ball but when you add receivers dropping balls, that’s no help either.

Including the bowl loss, the Huskers finished the season 9-4 with three double-digit losses. The optimists characterized those three games the exact same way: The games would have been close but a mistake was made and “things just snowballed.”

Which is a load of BS but before I get into that, those people reason this:



Martinez threw a couple picks against Wisconsin. Nebraska led that game 14-7 early in the second quarter. The Badgers retook the lead 20-14 late in the second quarter but the game turned into a 48-17 route. Otherwise NU was right in there, so the reasoning goes. Nebraska had Michigan pinned deep and roughed the kicker, trailing just 31-17 late in the third quarter on. After that, “things just snowballed. We could have just as easily won,” but lost 45-17. Against South Carolina, Nebraska led 13-9 but Gamecocks quarterback Connor Shaw throws a Hail Mary touchdown pass to wide receiver Alshon Jeffery as South Carolina takes a 16-13 lead into halftime, “and then things just got away from us. NU was the better team.”



Seriously?



At some point, you just face the fact that quality teams overcome mistakes. They don’t let them “snowball.” The team should not melt down under pressure or let one mental mistake turn into a half dozen.

Though some Husker fans sipped the Kool Aid thinking the team was conference champion material in 2011. I honestly was not surprised at the team’s 9-4 record: New league, first year offensive coordinator, and lots of staff turnover. What I didn’t expect is for mental errors - turnovers, penalties, missed assignments and even an ejection - to continue to bedevil the Huskers.



The fact that one NU mistake is commonly compounded by several more speaks to leadership. Does Pelini’s temperament impact the team? Would it be helpful if he remained more composed on the sideline? Might not be the only reason but it would sure heck help. Lose a hard-fought and well-executed game. Fine. Lose when your seniors are committing stupid penalties and getting ejected from games. Not so fine.



All that said, I think Pelini has done more good than bad in his four years as Nebraska’s head coach. At the core, I think that he cares a great deal about the youngsters who play for him. He wants them to succeed both on and off the field, and I think they will all be better men after four-years in the program. On the field, Pelini is winning games at a clip equal to all but a handful of coaches at this stage in their careers and doing it at a school with some obvious recruiting disadvantages. If he continues to run a clean program, graduate the kids and win nine-plus games per year, he will stay at NU as long as he wants.

In year four of the Pelini era, however, Nebraska fans are left with a disturbing sense of déjà vu. Once again, Nebraska ends the season with four losses, as they have in each of Pelini’s four seasons. In each of the last three seasons, Nebraska’s season has been derailed by an inexplicable home loss to a mediocre team (Iowa State in 2009, Texas in 2010 and Northwestern in 2011).

As someone who lived in Lincoln, NE during the glory years, I did not necessarily expect National Championships by Year No. 4. However, I expected to be flirting with one by being Top Ten material but continued mental mistakes won’t even guarantee Top 25 finishes.

Huskers lack of poise disturbing in Capital One Bowl loss

Well, where do we begin? For the second time in as many seasons, the Nebraska football team is headed into the offseason with a bowl game loss. This time a 30-13 loss to South Carolina in the Capital One Bowl. The Huskers entered the game ranked No. 20 and finished the season 9-4. They may still finish in the Top 25 but it’s not a two-inch putt.


Many Husker fans would look at the 9-4 record and call the season a disappointment then and there. However, a man named Bill Soliday, whom I had the opportunity to get to know while covering the Oakland Raiders as a freelance writer, once strongly suggested to me that you cannot give too much credence simply to records. Soliday is a retired sports reporter from the Oakland Tribune having covered both the Raiders and San Francisco 49ers. Soliday understood the late Al Davis (who was the Raiders owner from 1966 to 2011) better than most people I know. Soliday added that Davis added that records are as much a matter of what a team does to achieve their record with what the team had.

Going 9-4 in 2008 felt like a success for the Huskers because it was Bo Pelini’s first season as head coach coming off the Bill Callahan years of going 27-22 and bowl-less in two seasons. The 2011 edition of 9-4, however, would qualify as a disappointment because the team had goals of winning the Big Ten Legends Division if not winning the Big Ten Conference. Losing the Capital One Bowl game that was there to be won in the early going only adds to that disappointment. The Huskers led 13-9 at halftime and were still within striking distance in trailing 16-13 after three quarters.

The game was a prime example of a team lacking discipline and it starts with Pelini. The third quarter was especially inexcusable. After a three and out, Nebraska managed a drive that featured 25 yards in penalties. Then after back to back poor calls by the officials, Pelini lit into the Big East officiating crew. For the entire second half the Huskers gained 64 yards, they lost 58 in penalties. That’s six net yards if you’re scoring at home. Well, gross is more like it.

Then there was the disgraceful behavior of Nebraska cornerback Alfonzo Dennard and South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, two outstanding players that are potential first-round draft picks. The serious indictment against Nebraska was that the incident took place right in front of its bench and not one time did a player or coaches try to prevent the situation from escalating.

Throw in four drives in South Carolina territory with zero points and you have a Nebraska team that can’t get out of its own way.

When I think of Husker teams with poise, I hearken back to the 1995 Orange Bowl when they beat Miami 24-17. Remember head coach Tom Osborne’s halftime speech when he told the players that the Hurricanes would try to get into their heads but it was important not to retaliate. Nebraska keeping its poise and focus was as big a reason as any why it won that night and the lack of it is why it routinely comes up short in crucial games. Being fiery is all well and good but a team simply cannot lose its poise and expect to execute.

So the question begs, what is the current state of the program? I have no idea after watching this very strange season. The way the Huskers collapsed in several games this year, just makes me believe that something is missing. Not sure what it is.

The optimist in me thinks this year was a combination of being in a new league with a different style combined with a new offensive coordinator and massive losses to the NFL on the defense. The pessimist in me thinks this might be indicative of poor recruiting combined with a coach that can't teach his team to be disciplined.

The current state of the program is that the Huskers consistently are not one of the 25 best teams in the country. Some people are quite satisfied with being at that level. They will tell you how the Huskers are better than we were under Callahan. Yes, they are right about that but the program is not close to being elite and no, I’m not implying that Nebraska should always win the national championship or go 60-3 during each five-year stretch (which happened from 1993-1997). The pessimists think it impossible to ever compete for championships in Lincoln. They are wrong. If it happened before, it can happen again and don’t feed me this nonsense of “different times.”

For Nebraska, 9-10 win seasons have always been the minimum standard. Well, from 1961 forward. If you maintain that level you'll get the occasional year or years where good defense coincides with good offense. I would think if 9-10 win seasons are the minimal standard over the course of decade having those two coincide more often would be logical because success breeds success and that means more success in recruiting.


That said, being a fan of the Huskers today was very frustrating. I should have stayed in bed. Now I am tired and frustrated.

I'm not 100% convinced that Pelini is the guy that will lead us back to a national title game, because I'm no fortune teller. However, I’m not willing to suffer through one or two more Bill Callahans and sit at home in December and January wishing I could watch my Huskers play in a bowl game.

As for the lack of poise, Pelini constantly preaches how important “the process” is but routinely losing poise is a huge reason why this team routinely comes up short in key games. In that respect, the Huskers have become the Dallas Cowboys of college football, great past but not much of a recent one.

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.

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.

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.

Believe it or not, Huskers have a few edges on the Badgers

Much of the focus of Saturday's football matchup between No. 8 Nebraska and No. 7 Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium is centered around the historical significance of the Huskers making their Big Ten debut.


With the Big Ten now containing 12 teams, the conference has two divisions (Leaders and Legends). Most people favor Wisconsin to win the Leaders and Nebraska to win the Legends so this could be the first of two meetings if all goes according to plan.

Everyone from Las Vegas oddsmakers, media and message board posters have picked the Badgers to win Saturday's game. Wisconsin is a 10 point favorite as of late Thursday night.

Wisconsin's status as the favorite is understandable for three reasons: a) They are playing at home and Camp Randall Stadium is a notoriously hostile environment for visiting teams and b) the Badgers have beaten their first four opponents by a combined score of 204-34 and c) while Nebraska is 4-0 like Wisconsin they have outscored their opponents by a combined 171-88.



However, there are a few advantages that Nebraska has that very few people have taken into account.

At quarterback, Wisconsin would appear to have the edge with senior Russell Wilson over Nebraska sophomore Taylor Martinez. Wilson transfered from North Carolina State, where he played football and baseball and was the ACC Rookie of the Year. Wilson has been nothing short of spectacular in completing 69 of 91 passes for 1,136 yards, 11 touchdowns and one interception. He has also rushed 16 times for 108 yards and a score.

Martinez's passing numbers have not been spectacular as he has completed 43 of 85 tosses for 647 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. On the rushing side, he has 471 yards on 63 carries and seven touchdowns. Most importantly, his decision making and leadership, while not perfect, have improved.

While Wilson is more experienced and has the statistical advantage, in an odd sort of way, Martinez has an advantage because of his experience as starting quarterback in big games. Being the starting quarterback at Nebraska alone makes for a trial by fire because of the legacy the program has at that position such as Turner Gill, Tommie Frazier, Scott Frost and Eric Crouch. When you start as a freshman (especially quarterback) at Nebraska, you are instantly under a microscope.

Yes, Wilson shined at NC State but you simply cannot compare the pressure that a Wolfpack quarterback faces versus that of a Nebraska signal-caller. Being Wisconsin's starting QB comes with its challenges but for Wilson they haven't come in the first four games.

Martinez, meanwhile has played in four network-televised games against ranked opponents, with one being the Big 12 Conference Championship game last season.

Another edge that bodes well for Nebraska is that while the Badgers have bee very impressive on defense, the times opposing offenses have been successful is against Wisconsin's speed on the edge. Well, lack of would be a better description.

The Badgers will undoubtedly try to stack the line of scrimmage and dare Martinez to beat them with his arm. However, that does not mean that the Huskers will run the ball less. It will probably mean more sweeps, options and horizontal passes to make Wisconsin defend horizontally as well as vertically.

It also means we will likely see running back Rex Burkhead run more thann his share of Wildcat plays like last week against Wyoming.

Switching gears, while the Nebraska defense came in celebrated and hyped, the Huskers have been shockingly mediocre on that side of the ball. However, t should also be pointed out that defensive tackle Jared Crick, linebacker LaVonte David and cornerback Alfonzo Dennard have not been on the field at the same time all season. Crick sat out last week's 38-14 win over Wyoming with a concussion. Dennard returned to the lineup last week after nursing a quad injury for the first three games.

All three are expected to be in the lineup Saturday, which means Nebraska has playmakers at every level of its defense.

That means head coach Bo Pelini will not be as limited in how much of his scheme he can use. Therefore, he can throw more confusing looks with all three players in the lineup.

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.

Huskers need to let Dennard heal

While the Nebraska football team cannot do anything about senior cornerback Alfonzo Dennard being out indefinitely with a pulled muscle injury, the team would be wise to learn from its handling of quarterback Taylor Martinez’s injuries from last season.


The timetable on when Dennard can back on the field after the right leg injury isn’t clear, Husker head coach Bo Pelini said Wednesday to members of the Nebraska media that covers the team. Pelini added that he did not know if Dennard would miss any game action. The Huskers open their season on Sept. 3 at home against Tennessee-Chattanooga.

Sophomore Andrew Green would appear to be the likely candidate as Dennard’s replacement. The injury to Dennard is significant because he is considered one of, if not the best, at his position in the nation. While Prince Amukamara, who was a first-round draft choice of the New York Giants, grabbed much of the attention for the Husker secondary, some believe that Dennard is actually a more complete player.

To refresh your memory on Martinez, the current sophomore was dynamite in the first ten games of 2010. Martinez was a big play waiting to happen who was drawing comparisons to former Husker great Eric Crouch (the 2001 Heisman Trophy winner). Martinez rushed 887 yards on 112 carries and 12 touchdowns. In the passing department, he completed 63 of 119 for 1,161 yards, ten touchdowns and three interceptions.

After sustaining an ankle injury, however, in a 31-17 win over Missouri, Martinez became pretty ordinary as he carried 50 times for 79 yards. In the passing department, he completed 44 of 76 for 470 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions.



Martinez sat out wins over Iowa State (31-30) and Colorado (45-17) but also left losses against Texas A&M and Washington, giving way to since transferred Cody Green in relief each time. However, part of the problem could also be attributed to the fact that the coaching staff tried to rush him back too quickly when it would have been much more prudent to rest him until he was at or near full-strength. Green led Nebraska to the aforementioned wins. Martinez led the Huskers to a 20-3 win at home against Kansas but clearly was not himself. True, he ran 11 times for 71 yards but lacked the blazing speed he displayed when healthy. In that game, Martinez completed 14-of-26 passes for 167 yards with one interception.

Though injuries during fall camp, let alone anytime, are not fun, they are to be expected. The term “out indefinitely” can mean any number of things. It can mean next week or next year.

The truth of the matter is, Nebraska wins the UT-Chatanooga game whether Dennard plays or not. The main thing is that he gets as much time as he needs to get back to full strength.

2011 Blackshirts have many proven players

Much of the offseason discussion regarding the 2011 Nebraska football team has centered on the move to the Big 10 and whether or not the retooled can offense take enough pressure off a stout defense as it did in the first half of the season.



Since Bo Pelini arrived as the Cornhuskers head coach in December 2007, he has fostered a culture on the defensive side of the ball. Talented players will come and go. Some years the talent will be better than others. However, as long as the Pelini brothers (Bo and Carl) are in Lincoln, we won’t see disasters like the Kevin Cosgrove, and to a lesser degree, Craig Bohl eras.


In 2007, the Huskers rated 112th in the nation in total defense and that was quite possibly the worst defense ever to set foot in Memorial Stadium (including Nebraska opponents). In 2008, Nebraska improved to 55th in total defense in Pelini’s first season. In 2009 led by Heisman Trophy candidate defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, the Huskers finished second in scoring defense behind National Champ Alabama and ninth in total yards. Despite the loss of Suh in 2010, Nebraska was No. 7 in scoring defense and No. 10 in total yards per game. The defense put up such numbers despite at times showing wear and tear from an inconsistent offense.


The 2011 defense figures to be pretty stout as well with Jared Crick and Baker Steinkuher forming a strong tandem at defensive tackle. Cameron Meredith returns to start at one defensive end position with Eric Martin moving from linebacker to end.


As for the linebacker unit, Butkus Award candidate LaVonte David was the surprise star of the defense in 2010, without an offseason as the starter to prepare. With an offseason’s work, David should have an even better season in 2011 at middle linebacker. Sean Fisher is the likely starter at SAM linebacker with Will Compton getting the call at WILL linebacker.


As for the secondary, Austin Cassidy is the probable starter at strong safety. Cassidy established himself as a heady playmaker in the second half of the 2010 season. The starting free safety could be either Courtney Osbourne or PJ Smith but in the second half of last season the coaching staff clearly had more confidence in Osborne.


At cornerback, the Huskers lose Prince Amukamara to graduation but some people believe his running mate Alfonzo Dennard might be even better. Ciante Evans would appear to be Dennard’s partner in crime. Evans performed admirably after injuries pressed him into extensive duty as a true freshman.


While the X factor in how well Nebraska’s defense performs is predicated on how much pressure the offense relieves them, the Blackshirt defense should e just fine in 2011.


There isn’t a single person along the projected starters that is not a proven commodity. This defensive team is probably better than some schools all-time teams and even though none of the pass rushers will make me forget the likes of Grant Wistrom, the 2011 Huskers are strong enough at cornerback that they will give a little more time to the pass rush to get to opposing quarterbacks and allow for less coverage and more carnage.