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.  

 

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.

 

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.

 

 

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).

 

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.

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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Opening games set the tone for process as much as result

I have never been big on a team looking great on opening day (unless they are playing a Top 10-15 team). Let’s face it, getting a group of 18-22 year olds to pick up the offense or defense in fall camp after a summer off etc. Also, the fact they scrimmage each other and not another team makes it hard to get up to “game speed.”

You have to look at the process as much as the result. Remember 2004? Nebraska kicked off the Bill Callahan era with a 56-17 win over Western Illinois but the process was anything but good as the Huskers turned the ball over six times, which was a problem through a 5-6 season. In 2006 and 2007, Nebraska looked smooth in a 49-7 win over Louisiana Tech and 52-9 win over Nevada but had 9-5 and 5-7 records respectively.

We have heard a lot about how players are making each other more accountable on and off the field. Besides head coach Bo Pelini’s persuasive personality and running back Rex Burkhead leading by example, leadership has been lacking. I am interested who steps up on offense and who steps up on defense. Leading by example is great but at some point you need a couple of players that will grab the team by the scruff of the neck.

Untimely penalties and turnovers have prevented the Huskers from making the jump from good to great in the Bo Pelini era. The first place to start is getting the plays in on time, players in the right position and turning the right direction to catch a pass. On defense, that means no misreads by defensive backs leaving a wide receiver running free. That also means wrapup when you tackles as opposed to giving a shoulder block tackle. Oh yes, and no injuries.

On offense, seeing an improved Taylor Martinez as a passer would be nice as well as seeing other weapons besides running back Rex Burkhead emerge. However, it is equally true that receivers need to hang on to the ball and show skills of running after the catch. Of course, the offense’s success also comes down to the offensive line developing cohesiveness.

The Huskers enter their second year of employing a more “up-tempo” offense, which means to run it at its intended purpose, the ball should be snapped off before the play clock even gets under 15 seconds.

On defense, forcing turnovers would definitely be nice, preferably a few forced and recovered fumbles. Those type of takeaways show more desire than interceptions but I won’t turn those down either. It all starts with the pass rush, which the Huskers seldom generated last season.

Linebacker Will Compton has demonstrated more leadership, how does that translate as a player? How much will cornerback Andrew Green improve as a junior? Green was brutal to watch at times early last year but improved markedly in the second half.

 

Fullback prescence key to making option game better

In the wake of freshman running back Aaron Green transferring from Nebraska to TCU back in April, Omaha World Herald columnist Tom Shatel theorized, “Is Sausage Ball making a comeback at NU?”

The truth of the matter was the Green was caught in a logjam at running back and wanting playing time, which considering Nebraska already has running back Rex Burkhead and quarterback Taylor Martinez running the ball, there are not too many carries left.

Though speedy Ameer Abdullah could at times give Burkhead a breather, the additions of Mike Marrow (6-foot-2, 250) and freshman Imani Cross (6-1, 220) could give the Huskers an added dimension. Burkhead is neither a speed burner nor a power-back, just very steady and reliable. In addition, you also have returning junior C.J. Zimmerer (6-0, 230-pounds).

Since Cross is a true freshman, it will be interesting to see if he redshirts. And if he does not redshirt, will he get enough carries to make an impact.

The wild card of the equation is Marrow and Zimmerer, who are battling for the starting fullback position. Mike Marrow is set to make his Nebraska playing debut in 2012 after being on the sideline for the past three seasons. Marrow brings a different dimension to the Husker backfield with a powerful, bruising rushing style. Marrow, who is the son of Nebraska graduate assistant Vince Marrow, began his college career at Alabama, before transferring to Eastern Michigan and then to Nebraska. NCAA transfer rules have kept him out of action until this season.

Zimmerer has been a regular contributor on special teams the past two seasons, but the Omaha native will look to expand his role in 2012. The 6-0, 230-pound Zimmerer heads into fall camp as one of the top candidates to take over the starting fullback spot, which was occupied by Tyler Legate the past three seasons.

The reason why the fullback position becomes significant in Nebraska’s offense is because with the increasing number of teams running spread oriented offenses, the fullback is a position that for many teams has gone the way of the horse and buggy. While offensive coordinator Tim Beck and head coach Bo Pelini have publicly preached the desire to be “multiple,” Nebraska will be a running team. True, you might not see 400 yard rushing efforts but the Huskers will probably have about a 60-40 run-pass ratio.

In Beck’s first season, Nebraska ran its share of option whether it was zone read, pistol and yes, even the I-formation like fans had grown used to seeing for years. However, last season, only eight carries (all by Legate) went to the fullback. Oddly enough, the very first play of the season was a give to Legate. While a cynic would look at that play as pandering to the masses that long for the days of option football, the fullback will need to be more involved this season.

For an option play from the I-formation to work, it needs three components – fullback, quarterback and pitchman. The plays are rarely predetermined. The decision of who is to carry the ball is made during the play by the quarterback, who makes the decision whether to give the ball to the fullback or to keep the ball based on what the defensive end does. If the end pinches down, the quarterback pulls the ball. If the end runs straight upfield or directly at the quarterback, then the quarterback gives the ball to the fullback. On the keep track, the quarterback may run upfield for yardage or pitch the ball to another ball carrier, normally the halfback (otherwise known as the “pitch man’). Linebackers or defensive backs are normally assigned to the pitch man. If the linebacker converges on the quarterback, then he’ll pitch it to the running back. If the linebacker stays on the pitch man, then the quarterback’s job is to run upfield.

For Nebraska to run the triple option effectively out of the I-formation, all three components need to be a threat. Based on last year’s version of the triple-option, opponents could go after Martinez and Burkhead without even worrying about the fullback.

Armstrong's rise could make for an interesting decision

While Taylor Martinez remains Nebraska’s starting quarterback until further notice (despite what some Husker fans desire), reports out of fall camp indicate that true freshman Tommie Armstrong has thrust himself squarely in the mix for the No. 2 role.

Armstrong is competing with incumbents Brion Carnes and Ron Kellogg for the No. 2 job but Armstrong reportedly has been taking regular reps with the No. 2 offensive unit.

In an Omaha World Herald story on Monday, offensive coordinator Tom Beck and wide receiver Jamal Turner sang Armstrong’s praises.

“He's got a lot of the ‘it’ factor that you look for in a quarterback,” Beck said. “He’s picked up the offense much faster than I thought he would, he’s a student of the game and he’s a very talented young man. That combination has not only impressed myself but, I think, his teammates.”

Some of those teammates back that up, too.

“He came off kind of cocky at first, but once you get to know him it’s like, ‘No, this guy’s just a leader,’ ” Turner said. “He’s a really good guy. Really good quarterback.”

The newcomer from Cibolo, Texas, comes to Nebraska in highly touted fashion after leading his team to a 5A State Title. Quarterbacks named Tommie (as in Tommie Frazier) certainly bring a good omen for Husker fans as the last quarterback to don the scarlet and cream with such a name led Nebraska to back-to-back National Championships in 1994-1995 and came within a missed Bryon Bennett field of winning three straight in 1993. Frazier became Nebraska’s starter as a true freshman in Game Six in 1992.

So what should happen with Armstrong? You really can’t make any historical comparisons because what happened in 1992 will have no bearing on what happens in 2012 – and frankly it should not.

I have said before on this very website that unless a true freshman is going to make an immediate impact, the young man should redshirt. Think about it for just a moment, even though we live in this “now” culture.

The current NCAA rules state that an eligible athlete has five years to complete four seasons. Therefore, student-athletes may practice for a team but not play in a game for one season, not counting against his or her four seasons of eligibility. This is known as a redshirt. Fans don’t see their contributions in that they do not happen on gameday but the redshirt season is a valuable year in a system in that it provides shelter against some of the harsh realities of jumping to a new level of football.

You see, some highly-touted high school studs make their college choices in the recruiting process based on early playing time. Some coaches promise it or tell the youngster he has a fair chance to compete for playing time. Others will demand an automatic redshirt.

There are numerous reasons to redshirt freshmen. For starters, the college game moves a hell of a lot faster than high school, which means decisions have to be made faster. Therefore, the extra season working against starters in practice is a benefit.

Also, highly touted high school studs were often the stars of their team and their league. They were exponentially better than their high school peers. In college, everyone is at least as good if not better. That extra year of conditioning will give the youngster a better chance to handle the rigors of a 12-14 game college schedule.

The verbiage of a playbook (especially on offense) is also far greater in college than in high school as is the intricacy of reading the opposition. Some of that pressure can be alleviated during a redshirt season.

Then there is the whole matter of adjusting from high school to college away from the field. For some of these youngsters, it’s their first time away from home. All of the sudden cooking, cleaning, doing laundry and partying are a juggling act. Throw that in with trying to balance academics with athletics.

The temptation to put the best talent on the field is tough to overcome. The development of a successful program, however, is not about talent alone but it is about the development of an overall player and his maturity to handle the pressures and demands of being a great college football player.

So how does this tie in with what the Huskers should do with Armstrong? It’s a tricky situation with no easy solution. I think it’s very promising that Armstrong has made the strides he has already but I would much rather have three years of eligibility left when Martinez leaves. 

If he is going to get some meaningful snaps, then burn the shirt. If he is going to get 3-4 snaps in 2-3 games then no, keep the red shirt. The problem is how does one know if he can get enough snaps?

Personally, I would plan to redshirt him and burn the shirt only if Martinez goes down and Carnes is incapable.

If he’s the second best quarterback and you need him to win games, then you pull him out of a redshirt. If it’s garbage time, do not use him. He’ll have all next year to get garbage minutes.

I understand you can’t know if you’ll need him in Week Eight when you are contemplating garbage time in Week One but it’s not worth blowing a year to have him hand the ball off 10 times. Obviously getting a guy ready just in case isn’t a priority otherwise Carnes would have gotten some more playing time.

Let Carnes have the reps if available. With his time in the system he’s probably going to be serviceable (we hope) should Martinez go down briefly.

Balance means equally well, not equally often

In football, you hear coaches, fans and media members talking about a balanced offense as it pertains to running and passing the ball.

The question is, do they mean equally often or equally well?

When a football team relies on the run to gain yardage, some people like to assume that team is not adept at throwing the ball. The same holds true in reverse. It’s as if there’s no in-between.

My belief is that too many fans, at all levels of football —with a shallow knowledge of the game — see the idea of “balanced offense” as throwing the ball, say, 25 times as well as running 25 times or throwing for an equal number of yards (plus or minus a few) as rushing.

I would contend that being balanced is not about how often you do both (run and pass) or what is the yardage distribution between run and pass — it’s about how well or efficiently you do both.

For instance, let’s say a team runs 25 times for 130 yards. That’s five yards and change per carry. Let’s also say they threw 25 times and completed 10 passes — that’s under 50 percent. That’s not a balanced offense.

It means you were good at one but stunk at the other.

Example No. 2, let’s say a team rushes 50 times for 275 yards and completes 7 of 10 passes. Too me, that’s balanced because they did both well.

As Nebraska football has reported to fall camp, I am hearing a little too much with regard to “what is Nebraska’s identity?” It’s simple, they are a running team. Just because they pass from time-to-time does not make them a passing team as opposed to a running team.

Being “multiple” as head coach Bo Pelini and Tim Beck suggest they want to be does not mean they are confused or don’t have an identity. It just means their idea of balanced is both phases, run and pass, being effective weapons. The ability to force a defense to play you honestly (defend both run and pass) is the key to a successful offense. Teams with poor offensive showings usually have no balance and the defense loads up to stop one phase.  

Since the NFL has become so quarterback-driven, the idea of “run to set up the pass” is an outmoded idea. Are you listening, Mike Singletary?

At that level of football, the philosophy is centered on “pass to get the lead, run to seal the win.”

The college game, however, has more of a mixture of such philosophy because there are teams that run a pro-style offense with dropback passers, and there are teams that run offenses that involve the quarterback running the ball.

As for the high school game, the run sets up the pass because after all, a high school team running a West Coast Offense will be the exception not the norm.

So how does this pertain to Nebraska for 2012? The Huskers also have their best group of receivers and tight ends since the Bill Callahan days, and quarterback Taylor Martinez is supposedly better at decisions and accuracy but you also have an All-American starting at tailback in Rex Burkhead, with two quality backups (Ameer Abdullah ad Braylon Heard). The tiebreaker is this, of the first four games Nebraska plays, the average of last year’s defenses of those teams is ranked 69th in passing and 66th in rushing (Passing: 92nd Southern Mississippi, 87nd UCLA, 53rd Arkansas St, 44^th) On the running side (Southern Mississippi, 25th; UCLA 14^th; Arkansas St. 120th).

I’m not suggesting those to be games where you suddenly morph into the Don Coryell-era San Diego Chargers but use those games as a means of “pass to set up run.”

I don't think there is going to be a drastic change to the amount of passes thrown, but more receptions. It won’t be the 70% completion rate that Martinez has established as a goal but a better passing game with an already good ground game turns into points. There will be at least minimal improvement to the defense, and I still see a lot of running to run the clock out. I think the biggest change is the use of more running backs other than Burkhead.

Preseason polls not worth the paper they are written on

The preseason college football polls are out for the 2012 season. Well, at least on the coaches’ side and Nebraska is tabbed No. 16 sandwiched between No. 15 Texas and No. 17 TCU.


What’s always interesting about preseason rankings is listening to talk shows, reading message boards, Twitter, Facebook, etc., is the reactions and banter that the rankings elicit. Just a gut feeling but No. 16 is perhaps the highest I would have imagined the Huskers being ranked and is not as surprising as one would think considering they went 9-4 last season. Though Husker head coach Bo Pelini has had a hot and cold relationship with local media and fans, he does have a lot of respect within the coaching profession. In addition, Nebraska has a third-year starter returning at quarterback in Taylor Martinez. Yes, he has been a polarizing figure among local media and fans but pollsters will normally boost a team higher if it returners experience at quarterback.  


The self-proclaimed gurus take into account who is coming back and how many upper classmen a team has for leadership purposes. Nebraska has more than it has had in a long time so such a rating is not unexpected. Running back Rex Burkhead and Martinez bring experience and there most likely won’t be any freshman starting this year. As for the coaches, it’s as much about tradition and respect as anything else at this juncture.


While everyone is entitled to think whether or not a team is ranked too low, too high or just about right, ratings at this time is nothing more than a popularity contest. It’s good to be rated and thought of highly, but it’s a matter of earning your keep when it’s all said and done. Playing the kind of schedule Nebraska has won’t hide any flaws and if the Huskers are worthy it won’t be a fluke come November. There is not a game on the schedule the Huskers cannot win but the slate also has its share of swing games. While the quality at the top of the Big 10 Conference is not presently as good as say the SEC, Big 12 or Pac 12, it could be argued that the quality in the middle is stronger than those conferences.


Preseason rankings should always be taken with a grain of salt and while college football will always have teams that surprise and disappoint, the college game is also much easier to predict before the season than the NFL. There is definitely more parity in the college game than in years past but not quite like the NFL. In college the 85-player scholarship limit works similarly to the NFL’s salary cap and while it’s not unusual to see college players transfer schools, you won’t see it happen within its own conference. It’s not like you would ever see Tim Tebow transfer from Florida to Alabama or Tommie Frazier go from Nebraska to Oklahoma. In the NFL, however, free agency runs rampant. Deion Sanders played for both the Cowboys and Redskins. Marcus Allen played for both the Raiders and Chiefs.


The last 15 or so years in the NFL, it is not uncommon for a team to go from 4-12 one year to say 13-3 the next. In college, however, such a turnaround is likely to be a 2-5 year process. That can also depend on the stature of your program. In 2007-2008, Nebraska went from 5-7 to 9-4. In 2010-2011, Michigan spiked from 7-6 to 11-2. Those are two programs that have enough name recognition that is such where they will have enough material to make a quick turnaround if they have a bad year. However, at a perennial loser program, going from 3-9 to 9-3 is more likely to take 2-5 years.


That said, college football preseason prognostications are more likely to be accurate than the NFL.

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.

Should Martinez be on a short leash?

When it comes to the Nebraska football fan base, there is no in between how they feel about quarterback Taylor Martinez. There are those that believe he should unequivocally be the starter, no questions asked. Then, there are those clamoring for him to be replaced by Brion Carnes or even Tommy Armstrong.

Martinez enters his junior year as a third-year starter but has been a lightning rod for criticism among the fans and media, more so the former. In an effort to improve his unorthodox mechanics, Martinez spent time this past offseason with quarterback guru Steve Calhoun. Even with Martinez taking the time to address his mechanical flaws, there’s a segment of the Husker fan base that believe Martinez should be on a short leash if not already replaced. The truth of the matter is that Nebraska’s hopes of winning the conference title, something that has eluded the Huskers since 1999, are hinged on Martinez’s maturity and growth as a passer.

However, I do not buy the notion that head coach Bo Pelini coddles Martinez. Those who believe that conveniently forget that Pelini’s public comments had the tone of “let’s not build this kid up too quickly” when Martinez was a big play waiting to happen as a freshman. Later on that same season, Pelini had a sideline tirade at Martinez that was seen on camera during Nebraska’s 9-6 loss to Texas A&M. That’s not the sign of coach that coddles. I do think players end up in Pelini’s dog house for inordinately long stays, but coddling doesn’t seem to be his Modus Operendi.

Of course, some would argue to get the backups enough snaps in order to properly develop them. That idea sounds all well and good but when the game is in the balance you need to play your best players in order to win. Carnes got into games last season when Nebraska defeated UT-Chatanooga (40-7), Wyoming (38-14) and Minnesota (41-14). The other six Husker wins were close enough that Martinez needed to play the entire game. My only criticism was that Carnes saw no playing time at all in the Huskers’ blowout losses to Wisconsin (48-17) and Michigan 945-17).

So should Martinez be on a short leash? No. Does he need to improve to keep his job? Yes. The head coach makes the decision who does and who should play and if he wants to keep someone on a short leash, so be it. However, I do not see Pelini operating that way, nor do I agree that he keeps guys in his doghouse too long. If you are in the doghouse, you must have done something to get there and I believe that those that stay in it for a long time are there because they haven’t rectified the problem.

Pelini, in my opinion, is a fair coach and a respected coach by the players. Martinez will be the quarterback this year and next year until someone is more capable, in the coach’s opinion and not the opinion of people on message boards, than Martinez is to be the playing quarterback.

A lot of people want to point the finger at Martinez, and I feel unjustly due to some animosity from his freshman year. Those are the same fans that hyped him into being the next Eric Crouch and calling him T-Magic. Then when injuries reduce his effectiveness and teams figure out how to depend him, the complaints come.

I really think Martinez grew up a lot last year, and showed much more maturity. The only game he really played that bad in was Wisconsin. Hopefully he won’t have a leash, and that will allow him to relax and play his best.