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.

Solid win for openers but bigger goals lie ahead

The opening game is always a very special time filled with much uncertainty and nervous anticipation. This year the biggest questions were surrounding third year starting quarterback Taylor Martinez.

Without a Spring Game to gauge progress, we were left with rumors that Martinez had worked on and shown some improvement in his footwork and throwing motion. After game one, there appears to be some basis to those rumors. Granted, this Southern Miss defense returned only four starters from last year and will never be confused with Alabama, let alone Michigan State but a 49-20 season opening win that saw Martinez complete 26 of 34 passes for 354 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions is a tremendous way to open the season.

Even more than his improved footwork, Martinez had more zip and accuracy on his passes as he distributed the ball to ten different receivers. I know Husker fans love seeing their team pound teams into submission with the run but the pass can set up the run just as well if not better than the run setting up the pass. Martinez also seemed to have a much better presence in the pocket going through his progressions and reading his receivers better than ever before. It also helped that his receivers cooperated by catching about anything thrown close to them.

The biggest downside is the knee injury to running back Rex Burkhead, who left the game with a sprained MCL, which at its worst can sideline a player for eight weeks, at its lightest, only a few days. Husker head coach Bo Pelini said the sprain is the lowest grade, meaning, that Burkhead could be available for Saturday’s game at UCLA.

Burkhead’s injury came on his third carry of the game, a 9-yard run, when the Nebraska I-back was tackled by Southern Mississippi defensive end Jamie Collins. The good news was that sophomore Ameer Abdullah carried 15 times for 81 yards and caught four more passes for 39 yards including a touchdown.

Losing Burkhead is really a tough blow, but his being out may have been fortuitous in that it allowed other backs the opportunity to get needed game experience. Abdullah seemed to run stronger the longer he played. Braylon Heard also improved as he played and as the Southern Miss defense began to really tire. Imani Cross is a man-child. This kid will only get better. Mike Marrow is a load and it’s nice to see the fullback get some touches. Seven touchdowns distributed to seven players and very nice play by both the wide receivers and tight ends. Kenny Bell continues to improve, Quincy Enunwa is a stud, and Jamal Turner is exciting every time he touches the ball. Catch of the game, though, goes to Steven Osborne for his touchdown grab falling out of the end zone. Finally, the big boys up front who gave Martinez time to throw and opened holes to generate 632 yards of total offense deserve huge props. Most importantly, there were no false starts and only one offensive penalty to go along with no turnovers.

The defense showed why the Blackshirts have yet to be distributed. The good news is that the defense only gave up 13 points to a reasonably talented offensive unit. With Southern Miss having a new coach and new personnel, Pelini and defensive coordinator John Papuchis had to prepare for a little of everything. The defense, however, continues to be extremely vulnerable to mobile quarterbacks and giving up big chunks on third down. I don’t remember a three and out all day. Defensive end Cameron Meredith seemed slow trying to track down their QB. Cornerback Ciante Evans looks much improved over last year, and in general the secondary looked solid. When Southern Miss had to pass, the defense shut them down. I’ll take 7 for 19 for 75 yards from the opponents all year long. Linebacker Alonzo Whaley looked good and bad at times. Fellow linebacker Will Compton was generally solid, but the linebackers and defense in general were whiffing and trying to arm tackle way too much. We have a lot to clean up before we play a very capable UCLA offense with a very mobile quarterback next week in Pasadena.

We all know that the worst part of the game for the Huskers were the special teams which were anything but special. The 100 yard kickoff return was inexcusable and as everybody seemed out of position, it makes one wonder if they practiced at all during fall camp. Preseason All-American Brett Maher doesn’t need to worry about his press clippings in the near future. He left six points on the field with misses of two very makeable field goals and the shanked punt and kickoff out of bounds made me wonder what happened to disrupt his pregame preparation. He is much better than he showed and I am looking forward to him getting out of his two field goal misses in a row slump and performing like the star he can be. One highlight on special teams was reasonably decent punt and kickoff returns setting up good field position.

There are many things to be excited about with this year’s version of the Huskers. There are talented players on both sides of the ball and special team potential. We won handily on a day when many other Big Ten teams struggled (including Wisconsin). Every week we will learn a little more about how special this team can be. I’m also looking forward to the offense building on their sterling performance in the opener and the defense and special teams cleaning up the miscues.

Examining the fine line of Burkhead's workload

The phrase uttered so often to maximizing an offense’s production is “get the ball into the hands of your best player.”

Though good things normally happen for the Nebraska offense when the ball is in running back Rex Burkhead’s hands, I actually think it’s a bad sign for the Husker offense if Burkhead puts up Heisman Trophy numbers. While Burkhead winning the Heisman is a longshot at best, giving him too many touches would actually mean the team is wasting other weapons it has at its disposal.

Burkhead had 284 carries and 21 receptions. He carried a school record 38 times in a 24-3 win over Michigan State. Granted, Burkhead held up well in spite of the workload but the following week had just 69 yards on 22 carries including a rare fumble in a 28-25 loss to Northwestern.

Nebraska offensive coordinator Tim Beck has talked openly about reducing Burkhead’s workload a) to keep him fresh and b) to utilize other weapons the Husker offense has. However, you can also give Burkhead a similar number touches but have more of them become pass receptions because he can be dangerous if you get him the ball in space.

The most puzzling aspect of the 2011 season as it pertained to the running back position was the fact that the Huskers burned redshirts on three players (Ameer Abdullah, Aaron Green and Braylon Heard). The threesome combined for just 91 carries and three receptions. Abdullah not redshirting was at least somewhat understandable because he was the primary kickoff and punt returner. However, it was readily apparent by midseason that either Green or Heard, probably the latter, should have redshirted. Heard has since moved to cornerback but is not back at running back as a result of Green transferring to TCU.

The question then becomes, how do you get Burkhead the touches he needs to make an impact but also integrate other weapons Nebraska has such as quarterback Taylor Martinez, tight end Kyler Reed and wide receivers Kenny Bell, Jamal Turner and Quincy Enunwa? Bell figures to be Nebraska’s biggest weapon not named Burkhead as he became Martinez’s go-to guy. Enunwa showed flashes of brilliance while Turner and Reed were like Claude Raines for most of the season – often times invisible. Utilizing those weapons will open up more space for Burkhead.

There’s a segment of Nebraska fans that believe pounding the ball down opponents throats with the running game is the way to go. You can still win with the ground game being your primary identity but the “run to set up the pass” motto is an outmoded idea. The pass can set up the run just as well if not better.

Burkhead has been described as “Superman” and “Legend” to go along with the obligatory “T-Rex.” The description of “Legend” is certainly saying something considering how many great Huskers have carried the ball such as Johnny Rodgers and Mike Rozier to name a couple. Well, Lawrence Phillips too. LP is a turd for disgracing the program off the field but I won’t take away from what he did on the field, regardless of whether or not he should have been there.

On one hand, you want Burkhead carrying the mail because 6 of 10 times he carries the ball the play is likely to result in a first down or a touchdown. Plus, Burkhead is very reliable in terms of ball security.

2012 Position Outlook: Wide Receivers

One story in a Wine Country Husker series, looking at position breakdowns for the Nebraska Cornhuskers for the 2012 season. Today, we look at wide receiver:





Looking back: Brandon Kinnie was expected to be an integral part of the offense but he proved to be a disappointment as he caught just 22 passes for 257 yard and just one touchdown. Those were not the numbers Nebraska had in mind before the season started.

The Huskers also converted Jamal Turner from quarterback to wide receiver and while he caught 15 passes for 243 yards, he was a nonentity in the second half of the season.

Instead, it was Kenny Bell and Quincy Enunwa that made the biggest impact. The former became quarterback Taylor Martinez’s go-to guy as he caught 32 passes for 461 yards and three touchdowns, all of which were team highs. Bell especially came on strong in the second half of the season. Enunwa also showed flashes of brilliance as he caught 21 passes for 293 yards and a pair of scores. Tim Marlowe caught 12 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown.

However, dropped passes that did not allow drives to be kept afloat haunted Nebraska throughout the season.

Looking ahead: While Martinez has issues to straighten out as a passer, it is equally true that Nebraska receivers have not done him any favors by dropping catchable passes. The biggest culprit was Kinnie, who will be lost to graduation.

Bell, who will be a sophomore, figures to be the Huskers biggest offensive weapon not named Rex Burkhead. Bell certainly has the speed to get behind defenders. Enunwa, who will be a junior, not only gained confidence as a receiver but is perhaps the Huskers best downfield blocker among the wide receivers. That quality is very significant with any offense that runs a variation of the option. Marlowe might not fill up a bunch of highlight shows but his knowledge of the offense is a huge plus.

The wild card among next year’s group is Turner and Khiry Cooper, especially the former. Turner has the game-breaking speed and how he is used this fall bears watching. Cooper, who will be a senior, did not see a ton of snaps and freshman Taariq Allen shined as a scout team player last year but how that parlays into playing time is another matter.

So much for Huskers having motivation issues

This was more like it. Just a few days ago, yours truly stated that while even if, in a best case scenario, Nebraska goes 10-3, the season would not be considered an overwhelming success because of the preseason goal of winning Big Ten championship.


However, I felt it was important to finish strong because how a team concludes its season is how the campaign is often remembered most. The Huskers took care of Step One on Friday with a 20-7 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes. Nebraska dominated play even more than the final score suggested because much of Iowa’s 270 yards of total offense and all seven points came in the fourth quarter after the Huskers built a 20-0 lead.

Speaking of how the offense built that lead, what more can you say about running back Rex Burkhead? The junior had 159 yards and a touchdown on a school record 38 carries. The team slogan should be “Go Big Rex” instead of “Go Big Red!” Burkhead’s running allowed for effective play-action passes but in terms of throwing the ball, it was a mixed bag for quarterback Taylor Martinez (12 of 22, 163 yards, one TD, no INTs). He made some terrible throws early in the game but got better as the game progressed. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Kenny Bell (five catches, 93 yards) had a huge day and while the running game is the offense’s identity, Bell gives the Husker passing game an added dimension. However, with the way the offensive line opened up holes for Burkhead, there was little need to pass.

On the defensive side, the fact that Iowa quarterback James Vandenberg is a pocket passer played into Nebraska’s hands but this was one of the Huskers better tackling efforts of the season. Keep in mind, mobile quarterbacks have tied the Husker defense in knots this season.

Though Iowa running back Marcus Coker (18 carries, 87 yards, one TD) put up decent numbers, you did not see Husker defenders rely on arm tackles. As amazing as linebacker LaVonte David is, the continued improved play of Will Compton is also refreshing as well as Jay Guy and Justin Jackson giving serviceable saps on a banged up defensive line.

Cornerback Alfonso Dennard also deserves a game ball for limiting Iowa wide receiver Marvin McNutt to four catches for 29 yards.

The telling numbers for this game was time of possession as Nebraska held the ball for 37:47 and dominated third down on both offense (10 of 21) and defense (2 of 12).

Nebraska has had a stock market season much more than its 9-3 record suggests. One week after being outplayed by Michigan, the Huskers thoroughly outplayed the Hawkeyes. The question now becomes can the Huskers parlay their Black Friday performance into a bowl game win?

The importance of the Huskers win over Iowa cannot be overstated. I’m not going to lie, thoughts of last year’s Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Washington trifecta of awful was weighing on my mind after the 45-17 loss to Michigan last Saturday.

The loss was not only bad on the field but prompted many of the shrill voices to suggest that head coach Bo Pelini “has lost this team.” What the hell does that mean, anyway? Yes, the Huskers maddening inconsistency is puzzling but how does that translate into “losing the team.” Gee, there’s a blanket statement if I ever heard one but I digress.

Overall, I am pleased with the way the team responded today. The crowd was into the game, it was Senior Day and the guys responded.

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.