The notion of “I can neither confirm nor deny it” is essentially like a “non-denial-denial.”
There is nothing publically official from the University of Nebraska or Florida Atlantic but all signs point toward Husker defensive coordinator Carl Pelini (brother of Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini) heading to become Florida Atlantic’s head coach to replace the retiring Howard Schnellenberger.
The Owls went 1-10 this past season which could be good or bad. The former because expectations would not through the roof and Florida is a very fertile recruiting area. Therefore winning four games next year would be considered a great success.
The next question becomes who replaces Carl Pelini? Current Husker assistant John Papuchis? He has been a vital member of Bo Pelini's staff since coming to Lincoln four years ago. He currently wears many hats for the program, including defensive line coach, special-teams coordinator and recruiting coordinator.
Mike Stoops? The recently deposed Arizona head coach would be a splashy hire plus, the Pelini and Stoops families are lifelong friends from Youngstown, Ohio. Plus, it has been rumored that newly appointed Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer might make a play for Stoops in which case Nebraska hiring him would be a defense mechanism as much as anything.
Another subplot, remember in 2003 when Frank Solich was fired and then Husker defensive coordinator Bo Pelini was named interim head coach for the Huskers’ Alamo Bowl win? Most people then were clamoring for him to be the head coach. Then athletic director Steve Pederson hired Bill Callahan, who then chose not to retain Bo Pelini. Not long after that, Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops (Mike Stoops’ brother) hired Bo Pelini as the Sooners defensive coordinator. Would Bo Pelini do the same with Mike Stoops? I think it’s a definite maybe or better.
Perhaps Indiana defensive coordinator Mike Ekeler? Probably the least likely scenario. Ekeler was Pelini’s linebackers coach from 2008-2010 before leaving Nebraska to become the Hoosier defensive coordinator. That was a capacity Ekeler wanted but knew was unlikely to get at Nebraska as long as Carl Pelini was there. The Hoosiers, however, rank at or near the bottom in many national defensive categories. To be fair, it’s not as if Indiana is ever loaded with high end football players. Plus, would Bo Pelini bring him back one year after having left?
Mike Stoops would definitely be a great catch assuming Carl Pelini leaves. The question is, would Mike Stoops stay long term or would he desire to be a head coach again someday?
Stability is something every program desires but Bo Pelini is a young coach (43) and there will be a few changes here and there until it sorts itself out. It’s not about changing to change or keeping to be consistent. Every situation is a little different but if you get the right guys that get things done and work well together at the right place and time with the right attitude and mentality you keep them. There are ways to do that. Right now they need to find and keep the right guys. If your team doesn’t play well, has letdowns or the process isn’t working you have to look at ways to get from Point A to Point B. That’s what this is about. There’s more to it than football and that’s another part of what it’s about. Culture and mentality. There’s a lot to address and this is a good move. This is a team with talent, it's a matter of culture and getting them to respond and reach their potential.
Of course, there is the whole matter of Nebraska has yet to approach Mike Stoops because there is still nothing concrete about Carl Pelini moving onward. However, Stoops would be a great catch.
Showing posts with label Howard Schnellenberger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Howard Schnellenberger. Show all posts
Friday, December 2, 2011
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Smooth debut for Big Red
Burn this, Howard!
Florida Atlantic made some news just a few days before Saturday’s 49-3 loss to Nebraska. The Owls recently lit an over-sized Nebraska "N" on fire during a pep rally in Boca Raton.
Over 1,000 fans were at Florida Atlantic's pep rally, where head coach Howard Schnellenberger ignited the Nebraska "N.”
The event was video-taped and placed on the internet, which has reached Lincoln. Owls quarterback Rusty Smith even semi-joked how it took gasoline to burn the “N.” Hey Rusty, that’s what happens when you combine matches with gasoline. What chemistry class did you fail at Florida Atlantic?
Honesty, that event had nothing to do with Nebraska, which hosts Arkansas State Saturday Sept. 12, taking the Owls behind the woodshed.
The only thing surprising about Nebraska’s win was the smoothness of its performance. Since head coach Bo Pelini is a perfectionist, you can bet your next paycheck that he will find something to get the team’s attention. However, considering this was the first game of the season, the performance was pretty smooth – which is an encouraging sign for a team that made a few too many mental mistakes for Plini’s taste diring a 9-4 campaign in 2008.
Offensively, the Huskers took a “use the pass to set up the run” approach. Even with the passing game being more mainstream in football, an efficient ground-game is still vital. However, the tried and true “run to set up the pass” theory is outmoded.
In the first half quarterback Zac Lee was 10-of-15 for 153 yards for two touchdowns, finishing the contest 15-of-22 for 213 yards. The completion percentage would have been even better if not for a few dropped passes. Running back Roy Helu carried 16 times for 152 yards and three touchdowns despite not playing the last quarter and a half before giving way to true freshman Rex Burkhead. At halftime, Helu had 12 carries for 56 yards.
In a nutshell, you pass to get the lead, you run to seal the win. Lee was not asked to do a lot in his Div. I-A debut but he didn’t need to. However, at some point, the rubber will meet road.
Defensively, the Huskers faced an Owls team that has talent at both quarterback and receiver but it mattered none with little running game (FAU produced just 3.5 yards per carry). Plus, the Owls had no answer for Husker defensive tacle Ndamukong Suh. Then again, who does. It’s not just Suh’s seven tackles and one sack. It’s his relentless pursuit of ballcarriers downfield and the double-teams that he consumes.
Nebraska’s pressure was like a blast-furace early in the game before declining later as the Owls went to more max-protection looks. Even more encouraging was the solid play of the Huskers young linebackers and the fact that the defense produced three takeaways after getting just 17 last season. The tackling was also pretty sure as well.
The special teams performance was also encouraging after last year’s inconsistent efforts and Jared Crick came up huge with a blocked field goal.
IN A NUTSHELL
Very good performance for a first game. There were a few delay of game penalties and false starts but nothing too glaring. Keep in mind; the Huskers are breaking in a new quarterback.
The coaches kept the play-calling pretty simple considering the opponent. It’s not like the Owls are going to be in a January bowl game. Nonetheless, the team executed the game-plan it was asked to execute which is always encouraging.
Florida Atlantic made some news just a few days before Saturday’s 49-3 loss to Nebraska. The Owls recently lit an over-sized Nebraska "N" on fire during a pep rally in Boca Raton.
Over 1,000 fans were at Florida Atlantic's pep rally, where head coach Howard Schnellenberger ignited the Nebraska "N.”
The event was video-taped and placed on the internet, which has reached Lincoln. Owls quarterback Rusty Smith even semi-joked how it took gasoline to burn the “N.” Hey Rusty, that’s what happens when you combine matches with gasoline. What chemistry class did you fail at Florida Atlantic?
Honesty, that event had nothing to do with Nebraska, which hosts Arkansas State Saturday Sept. 12, taking the Owls behind the woodshed.
The only thing surprising about Nebraska’s win was the smoothness of its performance. Since head coach Bo Pelini is a perfectionist, you can bet your next paycheck that he will find something to get the team’s attention. However, considering this was the first game of the season, the performance was pretty smooth – which is an encouraging sign for a team that made a few too many mental mistakes for Plini’s taste diring a 9-4 campaign in 2008.
Offensively, the Huskers took a “use the pass to set up the run” approach. Even with the passing game being more mainstream in football, an efficient ground-game is still vital. However, the tried and true “run to set up the pass” theory is outmoded.
In the first half quarterback Zac Lee was 10-of-15 for 153 yards for two touchdowns, finishing the contest 15-of-22 for 213 yards. The completion percentage would have been even better if not for a few dropped passes. Running back Roy Helu carried 16 times for 152 yards and three touchdowns despite not playing the last quarter and a half before giving way to true freshman Rex Burkhead. At halftime, Helu had 12 carries for 56 yards.
In a nutshell, you pass to get the lead, you run to seal the win. Lee was not asked to do a lot in his Div. I-A debut but he didn’t need to. However, at some point, the rubber will meet road.
Defensively, the Huskers faced an Owls team that has talent at both quarterback and receiver but it mattered none with little running game (FAU produced just 3.5 yards per carry). Plus, the Owls had no answer for Husker defensive tacle Ndamukong Suh. Then again, who does. It’s not just Suh’s seven tackles and one sack. It’s his relentless pursuit of ballcarriers downfield and the double-teams that he consumes.
Nebraska’s pressure was like a blast-furace early in the game before declining later as the Owls went to more max-protection looks. Even more encouraging was the solid play of the Huskers young linebackers and the fact that the defense produced three takeaways after getting just 17 last season. The tackling was also pretty sure as well.
The special teams performance was also encouraging after last year’s inconsistent efforts and Jared Crick came up huge with a blocked field goal.
IN A NUTSHELL
Very good performance for a first game. There were a few delay of game penalties and false starts but nothing too glaring. Keep in mind; the Huskers are breaking in a new quarterback.
The coaches kept the play-calling pretty simple considering the opponent. It’s not like the Owls are going to be in a January bowl game. Nonetheless, the team executed the game-plan it was asked to execute which is always encouraging.
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