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.  

 

Huskers need to take Step One to win Big Ten

No. 22 Nebraska and Wisconsin enter Saturday’s primetime telecast in Lincoln with 3-1 records but the public vibe around the former is more positive than regarding the latter.

 

Nebraska had what amounted to controlled scrimmage in a 73-7 win over Idaho State (an FCS school). Running back Rex Burkhead returned to the Husker lineup after not having played since the regular season opener because of a knee injury. 

Wisconsin beat UTEP 37-26 at home but running back Montee Ball, a Heisman Trophy finalist last season, left the game with a head injury. The Badgers trailed 6-2 after the first quarter but put up 21 second quarter points to lead 23-9 at halftime. UTEP did not go quietly, pulling to within four in the fourth quarter before Wisconsin put the game away.

The game is significant because it is the conference opener for both clubs. Last season, the Huskers were greeted rudely in the Big Ten debut in Madison, Wisc., as the Badgers blasted Nebraska 48-17. While both clubs are 3-1, Nebraska’s three wins have been decisive while Wisconsin’s have been by 11 points or less. Both clubs are looking to silence critics for different reasons.

The Nebraska rush offense against the Wisconsin rush defense is a strength vs. strength battle. The Husker offense is sixth in the nation in rushing yards per game while the Badger run defense ranks 14^th in rushing yards per game allowed. While teams should never get away from what they do well, Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez leads the Big Ten in passer efficiency. Could this be a game where “pass sets up run” more than “run sets up pass?” If Martinez can continue to be on target as he has been for much of the first four games with the exception of the second half of the Huskers 36-30 loss at UCLA, he can force the Badgers defense to respect the pass and open more space for Nebraska’s rushing attack.

While Ball has been cleared to play, with or without the Badgers star running back, Wisconsin has a dangerous running attack and considering Nebraska’s defense has been susceptible to the run in averaging 177 yards per game. Granted, that number is skewed in two ways (31 yards against Idaho State and 344 against UCLA) but when your defense averages 177 yards given up on the ground that is a serious indictment of one’s ability to stop the run.

Last season, Wisconsin’s offense beat Nebraska any which way it wanted with Ball gaining 151 of the team’s 231 yards rushing. On the passing side, Badger quarterback Russell Wilson went 14 of 20 for 255 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. The good news is that Wilson has a job that requires him to work on Sundays as the starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks.

The Badgers have had a tough time replacing Wilson. Danny O’Brien started the season but has since lost his job to Joel Stave, who went 12-17 for 210 yards against UTEP.

Wisconsin has been in turmoil this season, firing its offensive line coach and changing quarterbacks. The Badgers likely need this win, in some ways, more than Nebraska.

Further, the scenario sets up poorly for Nebraska. Wisconsin comes in as a 13-point underdog, which should be a good thing for the Huskers but in the Bo Pelini era, Nebraska’s has struggled when put in this position.

Ultimately, not having Wilson could be Wisconsin’s undoing in this game.

 

Burkhead for Heisman a nice thought but a longshot

The only thing more comical than listening to Heisman Trophy hype is listening to fan reaction such.

Heading into the 2012 season, Matt Barkley (USC) and Dennard Robinson (Michigan), to name a couple, pop into many people’s heads. Part of the reason is because of their outstanding talents along with the notion that both of their teams come into the season with high expectations, especially USC. The Trojans will probably be the preseason No. 1 by more than a handful of pollsters.

Depending on who you hear, Nebraska running back Rex Burkhead could potentially fit into the Heisman Trophy discussion. However, as much as I admire Burkhead’s weekly efforts and the character he exudes, I would consider his Heisman Trophy chances a longshot at this juncture. Below are Burkhead’s numbers compared to Wisconsin’s Monte Ball and Alabama’s Trent Richardson, both were Heisman candidates a year ago before Baylor’s Robert Griffin III won the award:

ATT    YDS    TD       YDS/ATT       REC    YDS    TD       TDS/REC

Ball                 307      1923    24        6.26                 24        306      6          12.75

Richardson      283      1679    21        5.93                 29        338      3          11.66

Burkhead         283      1357    15        4.80                 21        177      2          8.43

Burkhead’s numbers do not stack up with Ball or Richardson. However, it should also be noted that Ball and Richardson had much better offensive lines and a more consistent passing game to balance the scale than Burkhead had.

While it is possible for Burkhead to figure into the Heisman Trophy mix, let’s also keep in mind that Nebraska offensive coordinator Tim Beck has openly talked about reducing Burkhead’s workload in 2012. Burkhead accounted for over 60 percent of Nebraska’s rushing attempts last season. The plus side of that decision, if it comes to fruition, is that Burkhead might be fresher and more productive at the end of the season but will also decrease his chances of putting up Heisman-like numbers. However, if the Huskers go 10-2 and win the Big Ten title who cares if he has 2,400 yards rushing or 24 yards rushing?

You also have to understand Burkhead’s style of running. If Burkhead rushes for say 175 yards on 25 carries, it is most likely to happen as a result of a steady diet of 4-7 yard runs with an occasional 15-20 yarder mixed in rather than say a 65-yarder into the equation. That is not meant to be a negative but let’s face it, the 65-yarders get on SportsCenter.

Nebraska having breakthrough team success also has to happen for Burkhead to be even considered. Remember Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh in 2009? Suh put up eye-popping numbers as a senior, recording 12 sacks and 24 tackles for loss on the way to becoming one of the most decorated players in college football history. Suh won numerous awards including the Associated Press College Football Player of the Year Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy. He was also a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, finishing fourth.

Two things played into Suh not winning the Heisman. For openers, defensive players already have their own awards and Nebraska also went 10-4. However, they came within a controversial call of beating Texas for the Big 12 title. It’s still a lousy call today if you ask me but I digress. On the other hand, Nebraska playing in that game also helped Suh garner even more recognition. He recorded 4.5 sacks in that game.

Burkhead may not be a top three “preseason” Heisman pick but to rule out him carrying the label Heisman contender is mistaken. Nebraska still remains a high-profile program, has huge fan base and potential to place in a BCS bowl. All are ingredients for a trip to the New York ceremony.

However, you also have to define the trophy for what it has become. More often than not, it will go to a quarterback with an occasional player from another position winning. If the trophy was awarded per it’s current description (most outstanding college player) then over half of the past 25 winners would not have won.

Right or wrong, it has become an award for the best player on one of the best teams. What it should be about is another story. I can think of several players that won, that in my opinion won because of the team they were on, not because of personal talent. Last year was dead on with the most outstanding player in RGIII. When was the last time an also ran school won the Heisman? It only happens when a player leaves the voters no other choice and still be able to justify their votes. The Heisman has become a sham and more and more fans are beginning to tune out the hype of the Heisman. It’s not as coveted as it once was.