Time will tell if Eichorst is the right hire to replace Osborne as AD

Tom Osborne’s replacement, Shawn Eichorst, was formally introduced to the state of Nebraska at his Tuesday press conference just five days after being named Osborne’s replacement.

It’ll be hard to imagine Nebraska athletics without Osborne. Did Eichorst “win the press conference?” To me, that phrase is somewhat laughable because how do you really quantify “winning a press conference?” He didn’t do anything to lose it and that is a good place to start. For now, I’ll call it a ground-rule double. However, introductory press conferences do not decide someone’s fate. Just like presidential election speeches do not decide the success of a president’s term.

Eichorst described Nebraska as a special place and state. He is set to take over the athletic director post on Jan. 1; Eichorst was full of compliments for Tom Osborne, who still holds the position.

“A thank you to Coach Osborne for his support and willingness to let me learn from a legend,” Eichorst said.

Husker football coach Bo Pelini, taking his usual turn on the Big Ten teleconference during Eichorst's introduction, said he looks forward to working with the new AD.

“I’ve heard nothing but great things from people he’s worked with and his reputation is impeccable,” Pelini said.

Eichorst said now was neither the time nor place to have an assessment of the football program, pointing out that Osborne is in charge right now.

But Eichorst expressed “great admiration” for Pelini when asked about him.

“A lot of folks that I trust and respect have good things to say about Bo Pelini,” Eichorst said. “And he's a winner. He's won everywhere he's been. I look forward to working with him.”

I must confess that I rarely take serious stock from what is said in an introductory press conference because anything and everything he said will be over scrutinized, it doesn’t matter how he said it, it will be spun the opposite way by some folks. The guy had no other path to go, but to be PC about everything. Chancellor Harvey Perlman did him no favors by bringing him in the way he did, but that’s not the fault of Eichorst. He was sought out to be AD, he didn’t apply. This was the kind of position, that did not accept applications, if you had to apply, and then you weren’t being seriously considered in the first place.

We need to give this guy the benefit of the doubt, based on his experience and recommendations, he seems more than qualified. I have read in a few places that he is very, very smart, and yet his humility more than keeps it all in check. For that we should be thankful, as that is the exact opposite of what happened 10 years ago. In his own words, "We don’t have to re-invent the wheel here.”

As much as we talk about welcoming other teams and fans, we need to show that same extended hand to our new AD. He didn’t have to take the position, he was already making a ton of money at Miami, and he wanted to be here. Let’s at least give the guy a chance.

So who exactly is Shawn Eichorst? He has labored in the vines. He was the director of athletics for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (1999-2003), University of South Carolina senior associate athletic director for administration (2004-2006), University of Wisconsin senior athletic director, executive associate athletic director and later deputy athletic director (2006-2011). He spent the last 18 months as the University of Miami athletic director.

So is Eichorst the right fit for Nebraska? Yes, he is an “outsider” but let’s remember, Steve Pederson was a Nebraska native. Bill Byrne was the dreaded outsider. We all know how that worked.

The biggest favor Eichorst could do is this – well, the opposite of Pederson. OK, that sounds like an oversimplification but let’s face it, Pederson is a jerk on every level. He could run for governor of Nebraska unopposed and still come in second.

I would never suggest for an incoming AD to make no changes at all. I’m all for bringing in new ideas, just don’t change the core of how things are done because it’s not about “you.” Plus, Osborne has done a lot of heavy lifting from establishing a solid culture, establishing goals, improving morale, and improving facilities. Football has improved since the Bill Callahan years and while frustrating to watch is trying to improve. You have a fresh start in basketball with head coach Tim Miles.

More on doing the opposite of Pederson, let your coaches do the coaching but make small talk with lesser known employees whether it’s the custodial attendant or the parking attendant. Those people will remember. 

Much has also been said about how Osborne allegedly did not have as much involvement in picking his successor as he’d like. I honestly would not read much into that because seriously, how much impact should anyone have in picking his successor in any job? I love and respect Dr. Tom as much as the next guy but a) he gave Pederson a strong endorsement, b) strongly discouraged Frank Solich from making any coaching staff changes and c) strongly encouraged Pelini to keep Shawn Watson as offensive coordinator. Let’s not forget how those moves panned out. However, it would behoove Eichorst to lean heavy on Osborne to make the transition.

Going forward after Osborne, however, is to give Paul Myers a significant role. Myers is the Huskers associate athletic director of fundraising who was fired by Pederson but rehired when Osborne replaced Pederson. Yes, Myers has become a sympathetic figure. Myers is believed to be one that would make an outstanding AD one day but could use more experience. In which case, give him more responsibility. Heck, even make him second in command.

Is Eichorst the right guy for Nebraska? Well, Perlman is 1 for 2 in hiring ADs. If Eichorst works out, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad. 

Another inexcuseable performance

The Nebraska football team’s 63-38 loss is like watching the same damn Star Trek movie.

The Huskers have a chance to show that they are ready to become an elite program again, only to show that they are even further away from such. Much has been said about how the Big Ten is a junior varsity quality conference. Well, the Buckeyes are unbeaten. Not the most impressive unbeaten club you’ll see but unbeaten nonetheless. However, Ohio State played like they are ready to take the luster off whoever is hoisting the Big Ten Championship trophy. The Buckeyes are not eligible for conference title or any bowl game this year based on NCAA sanctions.

It’s pretty simple to break this game down. The offense generated its share of yardage (437 total yards) but what good is that real estate when you turn the ball over four times and commit nine penalties for 75 yards. The defense had an outstanding first quarter but wilted like four-day old lettuce sitting in a refrigerator. Granted, the offense and special teams did the defense no favors. Martinez threw a Pick Six and had two other interceptions that gave the Buckeyes a short field after two more and the special teams gave up a punt return for a score. That’s 28 points but even if you eliminate that, the defense was still responsible for giving up 35 points off legitimate drives and yielded 481 yards in the final 45 minutes.

And just think, Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini puffed his chest out last week after Nebraska beat Wisconsin 30-27 after the Huskers shut down the nation’s 109th-ranked offense in the second half, that he hadn’t forgotten how to coach defense. On Saturday the tale of the tape showed otherwise.

It gets more irritating to watch this melt down and this one came on a night when Nebraska started with a 17-7 lead early in the third quarter. To top it off, Pelini gets irritated and loses his composure. Well, coach, here is a tip. If you can learn to keep your composure on the sideline and in interviews the team might learn to keep theirs. The Huskers inability to be able to adjust to what other teams are doing is unforgiveable. I have been told too many times that this team is special or we are back or whatever catch phrase Pelini wants to drudge up to appease the masses.

Why does this team frequently implode in a big game on national television? Why does this team consistently shoot itself in the foot with undisciplined penalties? Why is our secondary gashed for a big pass play so often, why can’t our front four get any pressure? Pelini refuses to move away from the two gap system. Well, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. If it isn’t working then change your ideology and stop making the players conform to what you want but isn’t working.

Your defense is looking no better than Kevin Cosgrove’s unit before you came to Nebraska. If you are calling the defensive plays then why do you have a defensive coordinator? If your defensive coordinator is calling these plays then why don’t you step in?

 

Before we label Ohio State's offense a juggernaut, remember that Alabama-Birmingham held the Buckeyes to 29 points. That’s UAB. So the fact Nebraska allowed 63 points is really inexcusable. And, of course, the fashion in which this game unfolded, with the turnovers and penalties, all too much resembled last year’s games at Wisconsin and Michigan. But Nebraska still scored 38 points. You’d think that’d be enough for a team coached by guy who prides himself on defense.

Husker defense needs to at least contain Miller

This week’s football game in Columbus Ohio, between No. 21 Nebraska and No. 12 Ohio State, features a pretty simple task for the Nebraska defense – slow down Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller.

Trying to so and actually performing the task have been two different matters. Miller has accounted for 1,510 net yards of offense (933 passing, 477 rushing), good for 72.2 percent of the team’s total.

Miller, who is a sophomore, caused Nebraska’s defense a lot of headaches last season in rushing for 91 yards on 10 carries in the Huskers’ 34-27 come-from-behind win in Lincoln. Nebraska rallied from a 27-6 mid third quarter deficit spearheaded by linebacker LaVonte David’s forced and recovered fumble that the Huskers turned into a touchdown. One series later, Miller left the game with an ankle sprain giving way to the statue-esque Joe Bauserman.

What makes Miller even more dangerous is that he now has a head coach (Urban Meyer) that knows how to develop quarterbacks. Look no further than his development of Alex Smith at Utah and Tim Tebow at Florida. Meyer is operating Miller much the same way as he did Smith and Tebow – out of the shotgun, this giving him the freedom to read the defense and pick a hole.

With that running style, Nebraska has to play a “gap sound” defense because Miller will feast on defenses that overpursue. You have to concede that Miller will get his yards. The key is limiting him to 5-10 yard gains as opposed to say 40 or more.

While it could be said of any game, third down success will be vital because if you give Miller too many extra sets of downs it will be a long day.

The biggest dilemma that Husker head coach Bo Pelini faces is do you play more man-to-man defense instead of zone. Pelini prefers the latter but neither is foolproof against running quarterbacks because in man-to-man defense, linebackers and defensive backs will have their backs turned at the line of scrimmage whereas in zone they are facing the line of scrimmage. Since the Buckeyes have not had huge success passing, perhaps you commit an extra safety toward the line of scrimmage.

The No. 1 area where Nebraska must unequivocally executed Saturday is tackling because it was a “lack of” tackling that caused the Huskers to give up 653 yards of total offense, including 344 yards rushing in a 36-30 loss at UCLA. Many of those yards were due to lousy tackling or no poor tackling on the part of Nebraska defenders that were in position to make a play. If the Huskers are to have any defensive success Saturday, secure tackling is mandatory because a football team that does not tackle is like a basketball team that gives up easy transitions baskets.

Of course the Husker offense can indirectly help on this matter as well by protecting the football and controlling the time of possession because Miller can’t hurt you if he is on the sideline. Nebraska’s up-tempo offensive strategy runs somewhat counter to this goal, but has been effective in putting points on the board. If Nebraska is able to get a running game established and can put some long drives together, the Huskers can keep Miller on the sidelines and unable to do damage.

 

An early look ahead to Nebraska-Ohio State

When Nebraska joined the Big Ten Conference in 2010, there’s no doubt that this was one matchup the powers that be and fans alike were looking forward to – Nebraska and Ohio State. After all, you have two storied programs that play in storied venues. 

If Saturday’s game in Columbus is anything like last year’s contest in Lincoln, we should be in for a treat. Last season, Nebraska rallied from a 27-6 third quarter deficit to win 34-27 thanks in large part to LaVonte David, Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead. Both teams enter the weekend coming off emotional victories. No. 21 Nebraska rallied from a 27-10 deficit to beat Wisconsin 30-27 at home while No. 12 Ohio State defeated Michigan State 17-16 on the road.

Nebraska’s win over a Wisconsin club that had been struggling, and continues to, was crucial for psychological reasons. Ohio State is ineligible for Big Ten Championship and bowl games this year based on NCAA sanctions but under new head coach Urban Meyer, the Buckeyes are using 2012 to lay the groundwork for future success. Ohio State enters Saturday’s game as a 5-point favorite. 

This Husker defense has taken its knocks but has bounced back admirably. The offensive struggles (two turnovers inside the Wisconsin 25) put them in some bad spots against the Badgers, but the defense rose to the challenge and played lights out in the second half. I don’t know what was said at halftime, but that was a different defense in the second half.

Over the past two years, I’ve seen opposing runners get hit at the line of scrimmage and fall forward for four more yards. I’ve seen a lot of Nebraska defenders make tackles in the run game, but not a lot of gang tackling. That was not the case in the second half against Wisconsin. Against arguably one of the best running backs (Montee Ball) in the nation, the Huskers were ferocious against the run (as in 56 yards on 41 carries). For the first time in a long time, I felt confident that they could stop a team in short-yardage situations.

There was a new confidence that I don’t think I’ve seen since 2010. Wisconsin’s offensive line, despite the coaching staff turmoil, still averages around 320 pounds but the Husker line got some penetration, fought off blocks, and they met the back at the point of attack and didn’t give up ground. I know it’s two days after a great win, and emotions are still bubbling over, but hopefully this defense turned the corner.

The offense was sloppy at times, very crisp at other times. If not for giving the Badgers a short field with turnovers, this could have easily been a 17-point win for Nebraska – but it wasn’t. I still think that the Huskers have a potent offense, and running back Ameer Abdullah might be the Husker MVP so far, with apologies to Martinez. I love Rex Burkhead but I think he’s still shaking off some rust from his knee injury in the season-opening game. He still seems hesitant at times when he needed to just hit the hole and go. However, I have no doubt he’ll round into form. Having some competition behind him can be nothing but a good thing. The offense has the potential to be explosive. Martinez still needs to clean up some things but I think he showed more confidence in his running than he has in quite a while.

Nebraska moved the ball well against Ohio State last year, and I see no reason why the Huskers can’t do it again this year because they are much better offensively than a year ago. Ohio State, however, has one common denominator that was a headache for Nebraska last season and is the central figure behind the Buckeyes’ 5-0 start – quarterback Braxton Miller. Before leaving last season’s game in Lincoln in the third quarter with an ankle injury, Miller’s feet frustrated Nebraska for 91 yards on 10 carries. Miller left the game with the Buckeyes leading 27-13 before giving way to the statue-esque Joe Bauserman. Bo Pelini defenses have struggled in the past against mobile quarterbacks like Miller.

Last season, it was only Miller’s third career start when he visited Lincoln, and his first on the road. He’s grown up quite a bit since and now with a coach that knows how to develop quarterbacks, which makes him an even tougher cover.

While Wisconsin is more of a classic Big Ten team than mixes I-formation or “12 personnel” (one running, two tight ends), Ohio State is a spread team that does not throw very well (ranked 98th in the nation). They depend largely on the athletic ability of Miller and he is the Huskers No. 1 priority in limiting as the Buckeyes offense that is ranked 21st in rushing and Miller is their leading rusher by far. The team is built around him. Of course, controlling him is easier said than done.

Ohio State just faced the toughest defense they will see all season in Michigan St., which pushed them into three turnovers. One thing I notice from Miller is that as much as he runs, he rarely secures the ball at contact, which has caused him to fumble quite often. The question is, will Pelini (normally one for a 4-3 alignment) play more 3-4?

While it could be said about any game, Nebraska has to protect the ball on offense and not fall behind early. Meyer coached teams are not going to surrender a 17-21 point lead.

Whatever happens next Saturday in Columbus will likely speak very loudly about the current status of the Huskers. At this point, I’m still not at all sure where they stand. Ohio State is likely the best all-around team Nebraska face in the regular season.

Husker win more of a relief than a thrill

The term “big win” can often be overused and while No. 22 Nebraska’s come-from-behind 30-27 win over Wisconsin does not mean the Huskers are out of the woods, it gets them out of the frying pan at least for the moment.

Let’s face it, in Nebraska’s other “prove you’re for real” game this year, the Huskers whiffed on the road with a 36-30 loss at UCLA. Yes, Nebraska bounced back with wins over lesser foes (42-13 over Arkansas State ad 73-7 over Idaho State). Yes, Wisconsin is not the same outfit that won the Big Ten Conference last season but if the Huskers lost this game – forget the hits they would have taken in the national media. They would have taken a ton of hits from the local mainstream media, which despite head coach Bo Pelini’s uneasiness with constant attention is a pretty forgiving group. We’re not the Philadelphia Inquirer here.  

The game started about as inauspiciously for the Huskers as a game could, which makes the win that much more significant because under Pelini the team has generally responded well to adversity after a tough loss but within games when momentum goes South the Huskers have had a tough time recovering.

Most importantly, while Nebraska has many other hurdles, winning this game against a decent but still shaky Wisconsin club would have dented their path to a Big Ten title pretty severely. In a nutshell, the downside of a loss was greater than the upside of a win.

The first three Husker offensive possessions netted three fumbles and nary a first down. The Nebraska offense, however, stayed the course in gaining 440 yards of total offense (259 rushing, 181 passing). Quarterback Taylor Martinez went 17 of 29 for 181 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He underthrew a few too many passes but unlike last year’s 48-17 loss to the Badgers in Madison, he stayed within himself and did not force unnecessary throws. The Huskers also averaged 6.0 yards per rush against a Wisconsin club that entered the game 14^th against the run.

The problem, however, was that the Huskers had two turnovers that gave the Badgers the ball inside the Nebraska 30, setting up easy touchdowns. Without those miscues, Nebraska wins 30-14 but the truth of the matter is the Huskers made those mistakes, which need to be addressed.

Defensively, this game is a prime example of why the statistic “points against” is not always reflective of the defense. When you give an offense the ball after a turnover twice on the opponents’ side of the 30, there’s something wrong if they don’t score. That’s like a pitcher coming out of the bullpen with runners at second and third and less than two outs.

The Husker defense took more than its share of punches to the chin after the aforementioned loss to UCLA in which they gave up 653 yards, second most in school history. However, on Saturday, the Nebraska defense came up large. Granted, this matchup screamed “advantage Nebraska.” The Badgers no longer have Russell Wilson at quarterback, which means they are much easier to defend. Load the line of scrimmage to stop Montee Ball and dare immobile quarterbacks Joel Stave and Danny O’Brien to beat you.

The Huskers were equal to the task in allowing 56 yards rushing on 41 carries. Ball had 90 yards on 32 carries. As a team, Wisconsin gained 295 yards on 69 plays. The only criticism I have of Pelini as a defensive mind, where he is very bright, is that sometimes he tries so hard to outscheme opponents that the Huskers waste time outs and often do not get lined up properly rather than take the approach of “here we come, good luck stopping us.”

Special teams ended up being a key point of the game. Wisconsin’s Jack Russell missed an extra point, which meant the best the Badgers could do with a field goal on their last drive was to tie the game as opposed to take the lead. Stanley Jean-Bapiste’s bonehead roughing the kicker penalty on fourth-and-18 led to a Wisconsin touchdown. What was even more frustrating was that he took a bad angle. The pluses, however, outweighed the minuses with Ameer Abdullah’s 83 yard kickoff return. Brett Maher also had six touchbacks and averaged 46.7 yards per punt.

What does this mean? By the numbers, it just means Nebraska is 4-1 instead of 3-2. The Big Ten remains wide open as a trip to Columbus, Ohio, awaits against a flawed (gee there’s a common denominator in the Big Ten) but much improved Ohio State club. The Buckeyes went into East Lansing, Michigan, and beat a Michigan State club that some were touting the best in the Big Ten before the season.

Nebraska, however, cannot get behind 20-3 in the Horseshoe like it did against Wisconsin. Urban Meyer coached teams are not likely to blow such leads.  

 

Idaho State no threat but Huskers need big win to get backups time

On the surface, Nebraska’s home game on Saturday against Idaho State is the quintessential body bag game. Or, to put it another way, it’s the final tuneup before the team opens Big Ten competition on Sept. 29 at home against Wisconsin.

The Huskers need a convincing win not necessarily because beating Idaho State by 30, 40 or 50 points proves anything but more so to give backups quality playing time. Getting practice reps are one thing but one way to show coaches you are worthy of being considered for more playing time is to produce in a game.

Nebraska also has some other meaningful goals for this game. Running back Rex Burkhead, who was considered a darkhorse for the Heisman Trophy before the season, returns after a two-game absence. Well, essential three since Burkhead compiled 68 yards and a touchdown on three carries before leaving the season-opener against Southern Mississippi with a sprained ligament in his left knee. If nothing else, this game will be good for Burkhead to re-establish a rhythm before the Wisconsin game. Ameer Abdullah has filled in very capably in carrying 61 times for 367 yards and four touchdowns.

With Burkhead back in the fold and Abdullah proving to be more than capable of filling a void, where does Braylon Heard fit into the equation? The sophomore was heralded as the future of the Huskers’ rushing attack but after being lost in a star-studded depth chart, he was briefly switched to defensive back before returning to running back in time to reap increased touches due to Burkhead’s injury. Heard has averaged 6.8 yards per carry in three games. However, even though Heard has become a viable weapon, his place in the offense becomes unclear. If nothing else, Nebraska might have the most depth at running back than any team in the Big Ten.

On the defensive side, no sooner does Nebraska have a bounceback performance from its 36-30 loss to UCLA to a 42-13 win over Arkansas State do other concerns surface. UCLA’s spread attack exposed the lack of speed and tackling troubles in the open field for the Huskers defense.

To infuse more speed on defense, coordinator John Papuchis increased playing time for junior college transfer linebacker Zaire Anderson. However, Anderson has since been sidelined for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL. Nebraska’s linebacking corps is now looking even thinner and will likely rely more on newcomer David Santos and senior Sean Fisher, who was a disappointment in 2011.

Granted, some years the talent on the field will be better than others but personnel has nothing to do with making fundamental tackles, where the Huskers were far better last week and that trend needs to continue. 

How Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini carries himself also bears watching one week after leaving the stadium in an ambulance at halftime. Pelini complained of not feeling well in the first half and was seen by ESPN camera crews having his pulse checked by a member of the Nebraska athletic medicine staff. Pelini continued to coach through the end of the second quarter but there was no word of his symptoms. Nebraska defensive coordinator John Papuchis led the team onto the field for the third quarter and shared head coaching duties with offensive coordinator Tim Beck.

 

Pelini was later released from the hospital and said in a statement released through the athletic department that he underwent precautionary tests that “checked out just fine.”

Perhaps Pelini did indeed undergo tests for precautionary reasons but do mild flu-like symptoms do not require a trainer taking your pulse and being taken by ambulance to the hospital? While Pelini has his shortfalls as a head coach, you certainly can’t question his devotion to the team. It will be interesting to see if he is a little more reserved and calm on the sidelines this Saturday.

Don't be surprised if the Husker defense continues to rebound

One bounce back performance does not constitute all being well in the world just yet but after surrendering the second most yards in a game (653 in a 36-30 loss at UCLA) in school history, Nebraska fans were collectively beside themselves with worry about the status of the defense.

And for good reason because in last week’s 42-13 over Arkansas State, the Huskers were facing a spread-oriented offense similar in some ways to UCLA’s unit, which added further fuel to the worries but the Husker defense responded.

Arkansas State’s first touchdown didn’t come until the third quarter, and it was the Red Wolves’ defense that scored it. Tackling technique looked significantly better and Nebraska seemed better able to pursue sideline-to-sideline and defend against the misdirection.

Nebraska ended up surrendering 285 total yards and no offensive touchdowns, which should provide a little comfort to the Husker fans moving forward.

Against a hurry-up offense like Arkansas State, making changes on the fly is a challenge for any defense but Nebraska has struggled throughout the season getting defensive play calls in from the sideline. In each half, Nebraska continued its trend of burning time outs on defense when it couldn't get properly lined up.

The Red Wolves may be one of the hardest teams to align properly for defensively, given the speed with which they play and with the number of new players (notably Zaire Anderson and David Santos) that saw the field on defense, some communication issues were to be expected. However, it is an area Nebraska needs to clean up as the season progresses.

In response to the struggles against UCLA, Huskers head coach Bo Pelini made a number of personnel changes, giving time to players like Anderson, Mohammed Seisay and Santos.

The changes seemed to pay dividends. Overall, the defense showed remarkable improvement from the week before. Of course, some of that had to do with playing Arkansas State at home instead of UCLA on the road but some of it had to do with the athletes on the field. Let’s face it, you can talk about schemes all you want but quality athletes take care of schemes, not the other way around.

Perhaps the play that best showed the change was in the third quarter, when Anderson was able to beat Arkansas State quarterback Ryan Aplin to the corner and shut down a running play. It was Nebraska’s inability to make those stops against UCLA that contributed to the Blackshirts’ nightmare in Pasadena.

Bend, but don’t break is the approach we have come to expect from Pelini’s defense. While it was disturbing to see UCLA bend Nebraska like a yoga instructor, the defense actually does have hope for holding their end of the deal.

Yes, the Huskers are No. 111 in rushing yards allowed (226 yards per game) and No. 25 in passing yardage allowed (174 yards per game) but stats can also be skewed this early in the season.

Nebraska has allowed only five offensive touchdowns (four were in the UCLA game) and the Huskers have played red-zone defense 14 times and have allowed two touchdowns and five field goals.

I honestly believe that Nebraska offensive coordinator Tim Beck tried to “out hurry” UCLA and got caught. This is why UCLA ran over 90 plays. Well, that and some missed tackles but the defense kept points away from the Bruins in 7 of 11 trips into the red zone. Two of the trips resulted in field goals, and two missed field goals. I think a team that allowed those type of yards and plays, but only surrendered 34 offensive points, did not break.

I’m still waiting until after the Ohio State game to decide what kind of defense the Huskers have this year, but I do believe this defense is good enough that the offense isn’t going to have to score 35-plus points to win games.

 

 

With Pelini ailing, Huskers respond

Husker players like running back Rex Burkhead and linebacker Will Compton preached before the season that it was equally important for players to become leaders as it is head coach Bo Pelini.

Short of going inside the huddle or locker-room, there is no true way to ascertain how effective player leadership came into play in the Huskers 42-13 home win over Arkansas State. However, considering Nebraska’s trend of faltering under adversity, seeing the team finish the victory after Pelini was taken by ambulance to a hospital while team was in the midst of its victory was encouraging.

Pelini complained of not feeling well in the first half and was seen by ESPN camera crews having his pulse checked by a member of the Nebraska athletic medicine staff. Pelini continued to coach through the end of the second quarter but there was no word of his symptoms. Nebraska defensive coordinator John Papuchis led the team onto the field for the third quarter and shared head coaching duties with offensive coordinator Tim Beck.

Pelini was later released from the hospital and said in a statement released through the athletic department that he underwent precautionary tests that “checked out just fine” and that he planned to work Sunday.

With Pelini failing to show after halftime, Papuchis fired up the defense in the third quarter as the offense was playing give-away and the Huskers put away a scrappy Arkansas State squad that managed just six offensive points. In fact, without the turnovers, the Huskers could well have blown them away 56-3. To highlight the job the defense did in the second half, the Red wolves ran just 25 plays, after 44 plays in the first half and 98 in their game last week. It helped that the offense controlled the clock in the second half, and managed some lengthy drives to tire an already suspect Arkansas State defense. Granted, this same opponent was throttled by Oregon and is not nearly as good as UCLA, but after the demoralizing 36-30 defeat last week to the Bruins, the Huskers needed a solid win and a confidence builder for the defense.

The offense did about all they needed to do in the first half with quarterback Taylor Martinez going 8 of 8 passing while running back Ameer Abdullah rushing for 81 yards. Meanwhile, wide receiver Kenny Bell conjured up memories of Irving Fryar with two acrobatic touchdown grabs. Fellow wide receiver Quincy Enunwa was unstoppable and the Nebraska offensive line got a good push. The third quarter, however, was quite forgettable as the Huskers committed three turnovers within a span of five minutes. That kind of sloppy play against an overmatched defense won’t cut it against a better club.

Martinez played well and his line checks were much more successful and reflected far more poise than seven days ago. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to go 13 for 14 passing and 10 for 13 on third down conversions (another big improvement over last week). Abdullah got a career high 30 touches and 167 yards and Braylon Heard saw action running and catching as well. Imani Cross continues to impress. The stiff-arm he gave on a 44-yard run in the fourth quarter was impressive. The experience these three running backs are getting with Burkhead out with a knee injury is invaluable and I’m sure it will pay dividends as entering Big 10 play. I also liked the play calls with all three of them in the game at the same time.

Arkansas State managed 101 yards and seven first downs in the opening quarter but finished with just 286 after netting only 89 yards total in the second half. The Red Wolves also helped the defense with multiple miscues (turnovers, penalties and dropped passes) which allowed the defense to gradually figure out the high paced attack.

The Husker defense is still vulnerable to the swing pass or anything quick outside. They also bite on all misdirection, and struggle to get back in the play. Nebraska caught an early break when Arkansas State curiously went for it on fourth down and eight at midfield on their opening drive and did not convert. The short field helped the Husker offense nab an early lead.

I was pleased with the intensity the defense began to demonstrate, especially in the second quarter, as the hitting and gang tackling missing so badly thus far this season began to appear. As the game wore on, the defense got better and Arkansas State got more desperate. To face three turnovers in the third quarter and not give ground was a key to the game. Eric Martin is awful hard on quarterbacks.

Zaire Anderson made a difference on the field with his speed as he gets to the ballcarrier when others have not. Cornerback Mohammed Seisay and linebacker David Santos also made their debuts and contributed. The defensive line seemed to benefit from Joe Carter and Kevin Williams, but Cameron Meredith continues to struggle and can't seem to catch anyone. The safety play was a highlight as Damion Stafford delivered the best hits (as well as a couple of whiffs) and P.J. Smith led the team in tackles and got the first interception of the season. We really need more of these if we are to be successful. The defensive adjustments seemed to work pretty well, but we probably won't know for sure until the Huskers play more solid competition. At least in this game, they sacked a quarterback who hadn't been sacked yet this season.

There isn't much to say about special teams except that Brett Maher seemed to have found his missing punting shoe as he nailed 2 punts averaging 57.5 yards and the kickoff teams managed decent coverage. Even if the ball missed Abdullah on the punt, he shouldn't have been that close to the ball anyway. We caught a couple of breaks on Arkansas State penalties that forced re-kicks and much improved field position.

All in all, a solid bounce-back win against a gritty opponent that the Huskers dominated. Another tune-up awaits next week against a very poor Idaho State team in which the goal may be to win and not get anybody else hurt. The Legends Division of the Big 10 is very winnable and all the Huskers need is to demonstrate more consistency on both sides of the ball. Nebraska significant offensive firepower and if the defense can effectively utilize the swift newcomers, the Huskers have a real shot at the title.

Huskers need a bounceback performance

While every game is important, chances are very few would have circled Saturday’s game for Nebraska against Arkansas State as a pivotal contest but that’s exactly the position the Huskers are in after Saturday’s 36-30 loss at UCLA.

Sun Belt teams very seldom inspire fear but the Red Wolves are hardly a pushover and while the Huskers looked a long way from being a BCS bowl team last week, they need to win this one to keep those hopes even remotely alive.

Arkansas State might not have a roster littered with guys that will play on Sundays but head coach Gus Malzahn, who is Auburn’s former offensive coordinator, is a very good offensive mind. The Red Wolves gained up 530 yards on Oregon in a 56-34 Week 1 loss. Granted, many of those yards came after the Ducks raced to a 29-0 lead after one quarter but Nebraska’s defense had its own troubles in giving up the most total offensive yards in school history (632) against UCLA. That futility exceeded even the nightmare 2007 season under then defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove.

Arkansas State isn’t going to sniff a BCS bowl this season, but the Huskers had visions of such before the season. The loss to UCLA, however, dropped Nebraska out of the Top 25 and there’s no guarantee the Huskers return to the Top 25 even with a decisive win Saturday but lose this game and doubts will continue to fester.

 

Offensively, the Red Wolves have a talented quarterback-running back combination with Ryan Aplin and David Oku, who is not known for his power, but he can go the distance whenever he touches it. Oku has 211 yards and a touchdown on 37 carries. While Oku is not in the class of UCLA’s Jordan Franklin, who had a 200-plus yard rushing day against the Huskers, he can cause problems.

The Red Wolves won’t throw it deep a whole lot, but their short passes can be problematic. You won’t find them huddling up, and they don’t allow defenders to rest for a second. Nebraska’s pass rush has been absent the first two games.

For Nebraska on offense, running back Rex Burkhead is listed as questionable with a knee injury, in which case the onus falls on quarterback Taylor Martinez. The junior signal-caller has thrown for 533 yards, five touchdowns and one interception so far this season. He looks like a completely different passer in the pocket, and his 100-plus rushing yards in Week Two show that he can still move.

The Huskers enter the contest as a 24-point favorite but after their performance last week it’s hard to imagine them winning that decisively but the Huskers have normally rebounded well under head coach Bo Pelini after poor performances.

 

 

UCLA loss bad but Huskers can't backslide

It only took until Week No. 2 but the Nebraska football team’s season is already at a crossroad after its 36-30 road loss to UCLA on Saturday.

It was not only a defeat that could give the Bruins a much needed boost in a town where USC has reigned supreme the last dozen or so years but a loss that raised questions on Nebraska’s end.

Granted, beating an improved but, still to this point, middle of the road Pac 12 team would not have suddenly made Nebraska elite but losing the game begged the question of the Huskers being no closer to a program in select company than when head coach Bo Pelini arrived in Lincoln in December 2007 after Bill Callahan was fired. In fact, the loss only sounded alarm bells of being further away from elite status.

The Huskers still have their public goals of winning a Big Ten title alive and as shaky as most of the conference looks it can still happen. Seriously, don’t laugh. However, if the Husker defense couldn’t slow down Jordan Franklin and Brett Hundley what makes you think they will slow down Wisconsin running back Montee Ball and Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller?

The good news is that for all of Pelini’s shortcomings as a head coach, and more seem to be surfacing as time progresses, Nebraska has bounced back well after losses under Pelini. The Huskers are 10-4 under Pelini after a defeat. Nebraska hosts Arkansas State and Idaho State the next two weeks. The Huskers enter the Arkansas State game as a 24-point favorite but considering their performance against UCLA it’s hard to envision a scenario of the Huskers winning that decisively.

We have heard rumors of personnel changes such as getting younger and faster players like David Santos and Zaire Anderson on the field. After all, Will Compton can only do so much. There is even a possibility of going from a 4-3 to a 3-4 with the departure of defensive tackle Chase Rome.

Pelini told reporters after practice Wednesday that Rome’s “personal goals and personal perception of where he should be on this football team doesn't match the team goals.”

 

Rome's departure comes after the Cornhuskers' defensive line played poorly in a loss at UCLA on Saturday. Defensive coaches said early in the week that personnel changes were being considered at several positions. Rome, who is a sophomore from Columbia, Mo., had four tackles in the first two games.

 

The next two weeks on the surface are winnable before entering the Big 10 opener at home against Wisconsin. Arkansas State, which competes in the Sun Belt, is 1-1 with a 57-34 loss at No. 5 Oregon and a 33-28 win over Memphis. Arkansas State, however, has a potent offense led by quarterback Ryan Aplin. It should also be pointed out that all 34 of Arkansas State’s points against Oregon came after the Ducks fashioned a 29-0 lead after one quarter. Idaho State, which competes in the Big Sky Conference has lost to Air Force (49-21) and defeated Black Hills State (38-3).

 

Husker fans and media alike, including this corner, have had doubts surface. While there is not much Nebraska will do over the next two weeks to regenerate belief, the Huskers can ill-afford to stub their toe, win or lose, the next two weeks.

Will Saturday be the first of two trips to Pasadena?

The Huskers are headed to the Rose Bowl. The question is, will Saturday’s game against UCLA be their only trip or the first of two?

If Nebraska wins its first conference title since 1999, a return trip to Pasadena would likely await them.

Nebraska had a solid season-opening performance in a 49-20 home win over Southern Mississippi but the Huskers must continue that forward momentum if they are to continue to have visions of having a breakthrough season.

Yes, UCLA appears to be better under head coach Jim Mora but they are still a fair-to-middling Pac 12 club who is college football ticket # 2 in Los Angeles behind USC.

Although the Nebraska defense struggled at times, the Huskers won in large part because of what appears to be the “new and improved” version of quarterback Taylor Martinez, who went 26-for-34, passing for 354 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions. The only downside was that running back Rex Burkhead left the game in the first quarter to an MCL sprain and is listed as questionable for the game against UCLA. Wide receiver Tim Marlowe will also be out until late October with a broken clavicle.

UCLA, meanwhile, blasted Rice 49-24 on the road as redshirt freshman quarterback Brett Hundley at went 21-for-28 for 202 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown. Hundley’s debut started in electrifying fashion as he rushed a 72-yard touchdown. Running back Jonathan Franklin rushed for 214 yards and three touchdowns, and UCLA compiled 651 yards of total offense against the Owls.

This matchup certainly has intrigue and importance for both clubs. For Nebraska, the game is an opportunity to go on the road and establish itself as a legitimate top-10 team by beating what has been a talented but underachieving UCLA squad on its homefield.

For UCLA, if it can upset Nebraska it would be an opportunity to generate some momentum for what had become a downtrodden program. the game has the possibility to set a positive tone for new head coach Jim Mora, Jr. Yes, the Bruins represented the Pac-12 South in the inaugural conference championship game but that was more reflective of USC being on probation than anything the 6-8 Bruins did.

While it is easy to point to the quarterbacks, Martinez and Hundley will once again play vital roles in the outcome of Saturday’s contest. Even though Martinez looked dynamite as a passer against Southern Mississippi, teams are likely to still make sure to shut down the Nebraska ground game (even if Burkhead is out) and make Martinez beat them.

As for Hundley, it is no secret that mobile quarterbacks have given the Huskers fits. Hundley is definitely mobile as he carried 15 times for 84 yards against Rice.

The Nebraska offense that took the field last week in Lincoln will also need to be present in Pasadena. While Martinez’s numbers were tremendous, the Huskers also looked like a much different offense from last season, running out of the no-huddle with far more efficiency.

With the addition of fullback Mike Marrow and true freshman running back Imani Cross, Nebraska now has a between-the-tackles threat to compliment a speed threat posed by Ameer Abdullah and Braylon Heard. However, Abdullah runs between the tackles more than his 5-9, 175 pound frame would suggest. If the Nebraska offensive line can perform as it did a week ago, the offense will be difficult to stop. What stood out was that not only did the Huskers run and pass block well but avoided the untimely penalties that had hamstrung the offense in the past.

On the defensive side, Nebraska, Pelini teams versus mobile quarterbacks has become a mixture of punch-line and cliché. The notion against mobile quarterbacks is usually a mixture of “keep them in the pocket” or “rush four and drop seven.” Pelini usually prefers the latter approach, the problem is that Nebraska lacks the personnel its front four. In the win over Southern Mississippi, Nebraska’s best pass rush involved blitzing. However, I’m of the mind that even against a mobile quarterback the “keep them in the pocket” or “rush four and drop seven” is not necessarily the best approach because if a quarterback is on the run, he’s not going through his reads.

The Huskers last trip to the West Coast against a Pac-12 team thought to challenge NU ended in a rout, with Nebraska beating Washington 56-21. UCLA’s offense should be good enough to keep up and put points on the board but UCLA’s defense, which gave up 347 yards and 24 points to Rice, should struggle to stop Nebraska's offensive diversity.

In the Pelini era, the Huskers have lost one game per year against a team they have “no business losing to,” but those losses have normally come at home (see Iowa State 2009, Texas 2010, Northwestern 2011).

 

Being cautious with Burkhead would be the right thing

It sounds like the mystery of Nebraska running back Rex Burkhead’s status for Saturday’s game at UCLA will not be much of a mystery.

The senior running back sat out of practice Wednesday for the third straight day, recovering from a sprained MCL in his left knee.

However, “He's doing his work,” Nebraska running backs coach Ron Brown said. “He’s not just sitting still, doing nothing. We’ll see what happens during the rest of the week. He tends to be a fast healer, and when he comes back, he comes back strong. He doesn’t come back trying to feel his way through again.

“The main thing is, we want what's best for his health, obviously.”

Hopefully, head coach Bo Pelini learned from the situation surrounding quarterback Taylor Martinez in 2010. Then a freshman, Martinez’s early season play was drawing comparisons to former Husker great Eric Crouch (the 2001 Heisman Trophy winner). However, as Nebraska was on its way to beating Missouri 31-17, Martinez sustained a high ankle sprain and later turf toe. He sat out just two games, perhaps because Pelini did not feel like he could trust backup Cody Green, but was not the same player in part because the coaching staff’s insistence on playing him ensured that Martinez never healed sufficiently.

If Saturday’s game is any indication, sophomore Ameer Abdullah (15 carries, 81 yards) and freshman Imani Cross (11 carries, 62 yards) might afford the luxury of being cautious with Burkhead. The senior running back is co-main cog in the Husker engine along with Martinez.

I’m not surprised the Huskers are at least publically taking it cautious with Burkhead and think it is for the best since Nebraska appears to have a deeper of very good young running backs.

Even if you took Burkhead’s injury out of the equation, I felt Burkhead should be used judiciously until conference play began anyway. I think the Husker offense will still be able to produce without him. That’s not to say that he isn’t a valuable asset, but just that there is quality talent behind him.

Rice had over 300 yards of total offense against UCLA. I have to believe that NU will put up substantially better numbers even without Rex.

Granted, UCLA’s defense will never be mistaken for Alabama but Rice’s offense won’t draw any comparisons to Oregon either.

 

Football is upon us

Good old fashioned football has arrived, as in an actual matchup on the field. Nebraska enters what it hopes will be a much more consistent 2012 campaign than last year’s 9-4 season that culminated with a 30-13 Capital One Bowl loss. That game in a nutshell encompassed the Huskers season between 1/3 good moments, 1/3 bad moments and 1/3 that made you scratch your head.

In the Bo Pelini era, Nebraska has gone from bad to good but fans are getting relentless and wanting that moment to go from good to great. The Huskers open Saturday at home against what can be a pesky Southern Mississippi club. In fact, Associated Press writer Ralph Russo picks the Golden Eagles to come into Lincoln to upset No. 17 Nebraska. Both programs met three times from 1999-2004. In 1999, the Huskers (who finished 12-1 that season) needed two defensive touchdowns and six takeaways to overcome five turnovers on offense to beat Southern Miss 20-13 in Lincoln.

In 2003, the teams met in Hattieburg, Miss., for a Thursday night ESPN game. Nebraska took a 17-0 lead in the first quarter to win 38-14. In 2004, however, it proved to be a harbinger of things to come under Bill Callahan in just his second game as Husker head coach. Nebraska’s offense turned the ball over six times on the way to a 21-17 loss.

So how will things transpire in the 2012 game? The obvious common denominator is that if the Huskers don’t beat themselves, they should win but that would be too obvious. To that end, let’s take a closer look at the game itself.

Nebraska ranked No. 66 in total offense last season but fluctuated more often than the stock market. With offensive coordinator Tim Beck entering his second season, the Huskers should be much better offensively.

The team has two lynchpins in quarterback Taylor Martinez and running back Rex Burkhead. The Huskers have more depth at wide receiver than it has had in the past, but also has an offensive line that is patched together.

Southern Mississippi will use a 4-2-5 defensive alignment. The weakness of Southern Mississippi’s defense is their front six, where the Golden Eagles only return one starter (linebacker Jamie Collins). The strength of the Southern Mississippi defense is their secondary. The Golden Eagles return three starters from a pass defense that was good last season.

It will take time for Nebraska’s offensive line to gel, but Southern Mississippi could be the perfect opponent for the Cornhuskers offensive line to begin the season against.

Defensively, Nebraska lost their top three players from last year (DT Jared Crick, LB LaVonte David and CB Alfonzo Dennard) but since they were never on the field collectively at the same time, it is not unreasonable to think Nebraska’s defense will be better.

The Husker defense might not have proven impact players but the cupboard is certainly not bare led by defensive tackle Baker Steinkuhler, linebacker Will Compton and safety Damion Stafford. Nebraska will rotate many players into the lineup to keep players fresh and utilize each player’s strength.

Southern Mississippi lost their star quarterback Austin Davis to graduation. There was a three-way battle for the starting quarterback position but junior Chris Campbell gets the call against Nebraska.

The player to watch on the Southern Mississippi offense is wide receiver Tracy Lampley. Last season, Lampley was the backup running back and still had 47 receptions and four touchdowns. This season, Lampley moves to his natural wide receiver position.

The Golden Eagles will use a variety of running backs to try and move the ball on the ground while their new quarterback gets his feet under him with senior Desmond Johnson.

Last season, Southern Mississippi had the No. 17-ranked offense in the country but lost far too many players to expect to be that good again this season.

While Nebraska’s defense is trending up, Southern Mississippi’s offense is going the other direction. Last season, Nebraska played a bend-but-don’t-break defense that did the latter as much as the former. This year, the Huskers will return to the swarming defense that Cornhuskers fans are used to under head coach Bo Pelini.

Nebraska also appears to have the edge on special teams even though the Golden Eagles return Lampley as a kick returner. The Huskers have a dynamic kicker in Brett Maher and potentially so at returner in Ameer Abdullah.

The strength of Nebraska’s team in 2012 is their defense. The Cornhuskers have one of the best kickers in the country in Brett Maher and a dynamic kick returner in Ameer Abdullah.

If this game was played in 2011, Nebraska would have a difficult time beating Southern Mississippi. The Golden Eagles lost too many players to graduation to be able to come into Memorial Stadium and defeat the Cornhuskers.Special Teams

Eric Francis/Getty Images

The strength of Nebraska’s team in 2012 is their defense. The Cornhuskers have one of the best kickers in the country in Brett Maher and a dynamic kick returner in Ameer Abdullah.

Last season, Southern Mississippi’s placekicker, Danny Hrapmann was a Lou Groza Award finalist (given to the best placekicker in the country). This season, the Golden Eagles will be looking for a new placekicker. Southern Mississippi does return their star kick returner, Tracy Lampley.

Edge

Nebraska will have the edge in special teams on Saturday.

It will be interesting to see what the Cornhuskers' plan is in the return game. Abdullah ranked No. 9 in the country in kickoff return average last season. Nebraska may use wide receivers Tim Marlowe, Jamal Turner or running back Imani Cross as returners to keep Abdullah fresh at running back.

Prediction

Eric Francis/Getty Images

If this game was played in 2011, Nebraska would have a difficult time beating Southern Mississippi. The Golden Eagles lost too many players to graduation to be able to come into Memorial Stadium and defeat the Cornhuskers.

Nebraska will impress the fans on Saturday as the Cornhuskers try to return to the dominant team they once were.

Nebraska will win the game, 34-14.

Line: Nebraska is favored by 19.5, according to Caesars/Harrah's (h/t Vegas

Follow me on Twitter @HuskerMagic

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