Much of Saturday’s matchup between No. 16 Nebraska and No. 20 Michigan is centered quarterbacks Taylor Martinez (Nebraska) and Denard Robinson (Michigan). Rightfully so because you have two dynamic runners who are also flawed passers.
Robinson, who is a junior, has rushed for 864 yards on 151 carries and 12 touchdowns. As a passer, he has completed 99 of 189 passes (52.4%) for 1,611 yards, 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Robinson, however, has been slowed by a wrist injury ad has not had a 100 yard rushing game since Oct. 8, a game in which he rushed for 117 yards. He has thrown at least one interception in all but one game this season.
Martinez has rushed for 768 yards on 153 carries and nine scores. As a passer, Martinez has completed 121 of 227 (57.7%) for 1,688 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven picks. His completion percentage would be much high but has been victimized by dropped passes. Both are also complimented by outstanding running backs: Fitzgerald Toussaint for Michigan and Rex Burkhead for Nebraska.
The Nebraska offense has been a little Jekyl & Hyde but the defense has been very Jekyl & Hyde. The Blackshirt defense has also had its problems with mobile quarterbacks in the Bo Pelini era. Robinson would certainly qualify as not only mobile but lightning fast.
The key for Nebraska’s defense in this game is that, yes, Robinson will get his yards but the Huskers can ill-afford to give big plays and tackling in space becomes paramount. However, as good as Robinson is as a runner, his passing is suspect. Even more suspect than a segment of Husker fans think Martinez’s passing is. Mobile quarterbacks like Derek Carr (Fresno State), Keith Price (Washington), Russell Wilson (Wisconsin), Braxton Miller (Ohio State) and Kain Colter (Northwestern) gave the Huskers fits. However, Robinson is not near as skilled as a passer as that group.
The Pelini Brothers, however, will need to come with a plan of some kind to at least contain Robinson. Perhaps have safeties Austin Cassidy and Daimion Stafford closer to the line of scrimmage to help on zone reads? Perhaps have linebacker LaVonte David play the spy role? I must say I’ve never been a fan of that role because it takes that player away from defending other plays.
Defensive line play will be very crucial. That means have a gap sound mentality to take away cutback lanes. If you overpursue, Robinson will make you pay dearly. Of course, it is just as important to wrap up when tackling.
However, since the Husker defense has been so inconsistent, the offense can also play the role of defense by keeping Robinson on the sideline. I liked what Nebraska offensive coordinator Tim Beck did in the Huskers 17-14 win over Penn State. For three quarters, Beck mixed up personnel and formations to not allow Penn State to get into their base defense. Nebraska will need that again Saturday.
Though Martinez has thrown the ball better lately, I guarantee you that Michigan’s defense will sell out to stop the run. To that, use some play action and misdirection to slow them down. Perhaps try some bubble screens.
The game comes down to limiting Robinson’s big plays and Beck calling a complete, four quarter game.
The fact that this game is on the road doesn’t bother me. Pelini teams seem to prefer the animosity of a rival stadium over the expectations of a home game.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Beck learning but Year One as OC a success so far
The fact that the Nebraska football team is ranked No. 17 in the latest AP poll and sports an 8-2 record entering Saturday’s road game at No. 20 Michigan (also 8-2); it is how the Huskers arrived at this point that is the biggest surprise.
The defense was viewed as the team strength coming into the season but has been inconsistent. The offense was expected to show improvement but with lot of youth and a new coordinator (Tim Beck replacing Shawn Watson) it was hard to say how soon the improvement would come. Without the offense performing at the level it has the Huskers would likely be 5-5 instead of 8-2. Nebraska beat Fresno State 42-29, Washington 51-38 and Ohio State 34-27.
In a Lincoln Journal Star blog entry, however, Beck was pretty critical of himself.
"I think some games I get conservative ... I play not to lose instead of playing to win," Beck said after Saturday's 17-14 win at Penn State. "I think that was evident in some of the games. You get too conservative. The play-calling gets that way.
"As I look back and really thought about it, we have to be who we are, and that's an attacking offense. Sometimes I don't do that. For whatever reason, I don't."
He felt Nebraska's offense was too conservative in the second half Saturday, "with the lead and trying to use the clock," Beck said.
Beck’s point has merit to a certain degree extent but Nebraska also attacked Penn State via the run and pass on Saturday which is important because if you try to making a living by beating a stout defense by running right at them you will starve.
Beck has had a couple of poorly called games but overall, I think he's doing very well considering he is running a new scheme as a first-time offensive coordinator. It'll be interesting to see what this offense does next year. If it improves much, and the defense rounds into form earlier, we should be a pretty formidable team.
But most of the way through Year One of the Tim Beck Experiment, I'm cautiously optimistic about where we're headed.
The cynical side would suggest, “anything is better than Shawn Watson” but I think Beck has definitely hit the ground running. I still cuss at the television on 3rd and short when we run a sweep (as opposed to quarterback Taylor Martinez up the gut) but I’ll live. On the whole, I would call the first year a success as of right now.
The biggest positive that I see here is that Beck recognizes that sometimes he gets too conservative, meaning that he is likely to change. I think this has been the biggest problem with our past offensive coordinators, they don’t know what they are doing wrong and don’t know how to change.
It seems like Beck can watch game film and analyze like a coach and a fan. He can nitpick specifics like a coach, but he can also sit back in the chair like the rest of us and say the same things we do.
After sitting through years of bitching at the television watching Watson's sick joke walk out there and lose games for us, I have to say that I am thrilled with Beck in his first year. There is one major reason why. The Huskers are showing improvement both on offense and at quarterback.
Watson and former head coach Bill Callahan tried jamming a square peg through a round hole for too damn long. Beck is finding what we are good at and using it. Yes he might get astray from it sometimes but can you blame him. The guy wants to learn what we are capable of in game situations. What might work in practice doesn't always work in games.
He is winning ball games and scoring points though. Can you imagine if we could have gotten 20 points a game back when Watson was here? Our defense was so good, that's all we would have needed. Watson found a way to blow it every time.
I might be a overstating it a bit because I have to be honest, I never liked Shawn Watson's offense or his playcalling. So the change really made my offseason. I've been praying for Watson to move on for his entire tenure. I'm rooting for Beck, and I think we have found our guy. As long as Martinez keeps improving, this offense will continue to improve.
The defense was viewed as the team strength coming into the season but has been inconsistent. The offense was expected to show improvement but with lot of youth and a new coordinator (Tim Beck replacing Shawn Watson) it was hard to say how soon the improvement would come. Without the offense performing at the level it has the Huskers would likely be 5-5 instead of 8-2. Nebraska beat Fresno State 42-29, Washington 51-38 and Ohio State 34-27.
In a Lincoln Journal Star blog entry, however, Beck was pretty critical of himself.
"I think some games I get conservative ... I play not to lose instead of playing to win," Beck said after Saturday's 17-14 win at Penn State. "I think that was evident in some of the games. You get too conservative. The play-calling gets that way.
"As I look back and really thought about it, we have to be who we are, and that's an attacking offense. Sometimes I don't do that. For whatever reason, I don't."
He felt Nebraska's offense was too conservative in the second half Saturday, "with the lead and trying to use the clock," Beck said.
Beck’s point has merit to a certain degree extent but Nebraska also attacked Penn State via the run and pass on Saturday which is important because if you try to making a living by beating a stout defense by running right at them you will starve.
Beck has had a couple of poorly called games but overall, I think he's doing very well considering he is running a new scheme as a first-time offensive coordinator. It'll be interesting to see what this offense does next year. If it improves much, and the defense rounds into form earlier, we should be a pretty formidable team.
But most of the way through Year One of the Tim Beck Experiment, I'm cautiously optimistic about where we're headed.
The cynical side would suggest, “anything is better than Shawn Watson” but I think Beck has definitely hit the ground running. I still cuss at the television on 3rd and short when we run a sweep (as opposed to quarterback Taylor Martinez up the gut) but I’ll live. On the whole, I would call the first year a success as of right now.
The biggest positive that I see here is that Beck recognizes that sometimes he gets too conservative, meaning that he is likely to change. I think this has been the biggest problem with our past offensive coordinators, they don’t know what they are doing wrong and don’t know how to change.
It seems like Beck can watch game film and analyze like a coach and a fan. He can nitpick specifics like a coach, but he can also sit back in the chair like the rest of us and say the same things we do.
After sitting through years of bitching at the television watching Watson's sick joke walk out there and lose games for us, I have to say that I am thrilled with Beck in his first year. There is one major reason why. The Huskers are showing improvement both on offense and at quarterback.
Watson and former head coach Bill Callahan tried jamming a square peg through a round hole for too damn long. Beck is finding what we are good at and using it. Yes he might get astray from it sometimes but can you blame him. The guy wants to learn what we are capable of in game situations. What might work in practice doesn't always work in games.
He is winning ball games and scoring points though. Can you imagine if we could have gotten 20 points a game back when Watson was here? Our defense was so good, that's all we would have needed. Watson found a way to blow it every time.
I might be a overstating it a bit because I have to be honest, I never liked Shawn Watson's offense or his playcalling. So the change really made my offseason. I've been praying for Watson to move on for his entire tenure. I'm rooting for Beck, and I think we have found our guy. As long as Martinez keeps improving, this offense will continue to improve.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Today's events in Happy Valley truly epitomize sports
Does anyone know a good cardiologist? The game alone between Nebraska and Penn State, which the Huskers prevailed 17-14 took my breath away. Heck, I entered the game 39 years old but after today feel like I’m 65.
As a Nebraska fan and alum, of course I am thrilled the Huskers won because they needed to bounce back after last week’s disappointing 28-25 home loss to Northwestern. However, speaking as a sports fan, you can make the argument that the outcome was secondary. The week leading up to the game was headlined by Penn State’s devastating scandal that led to the firing of head coach Joe Paterno and several others.
The game closed a tumultuous week that began with the arrest of former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky on shocking child sexual abuse charges. Major college football’s winningest coach (Paterno) was pushed out in the aftermath.
What truly took my breath away was the pregame prayer at midfield, in which both teams gathered together. The prayer was led by Nebraska running backs coach Ron Brown. It’s not unusual to see two teams gathering at midfield for a prayer but it’s generally reserved for after the game. Keep in mind; emotions about the scandal were so raw that there were musings about cancelling the game. How raw? Raw as in fans and media members alike voicing very spirited displeasure. Raw as in people to “Not So” Happy Valley, Pa., rioting in the streets.
I still maintain my belief that this game should’ve been played. I can understand being concerned about safety but we’re talking Happy Valley, Pa., not the beach at Okinawa. In fact, I’m even more adamant in retrospect. Of course, it was a difficult week for Penn State players, coaches, administrators, fans -- basically anyone associated with the school. Heck, it’s difficult for any human being, especially if you have kids. I’m a father of three toddlers under age 5 and if my kids ever encountered anyone as vile as Sandusky I’d want him fed to the vultures.
But seriously, what the hell good was going to come of cancelling the game? It wasn’t going to do the victims any good. And why penalize players who were in middle school or younger when these heinous acts allegedly occurred?
OK, so neither one of these offenses are going to be mistaken for Oklahoma State and Oregon but it was an entertaining game between two iconic college football programs that created a diversion from the disturbing week that was.
The game did not even have a trace of players getting chippy. It was two proud football programs that preached sportsmanship before the game through prayer and practiced what they preached during and after the game.
I also have to give a game ball to the Penn State fans. During the week, Nebraska fans worried about receiving hostile treatment and for good reason. There were a segment treated rudely at a game in Happy Valley in 2002 that Penn State won 40-7. On this day, Penn State fans were passionate in supporting their team and gracious to the Nebraska fans that made the trip.
Brown’s actions evoke being a class act and at Nebraska we are blessed to have Tom Osborne, Bo Pelini, and others in leadership positions that represent the University of Nebraska and the state of Nebraska in such a positive way.
On the field, I’ll remember the heart-stopping finish but on this day, I’ll remember the display of honor and respect before and after the game even more.
As a Nebraska fan and alum, of course I am thrilled the Huskers won because they needed to bounce back after last week’s disappointing 28-25 home loss to Northwestern. However, speaking as a sports fan, you can make the argument that the outcome was secondary. The week leading up to the game was headlined by Penn State’s devastating scandal that led to the firing of head coach Joe Paterno and several others.
The game closed a tumultuous week that began with the arrest of former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky on shocking child sexual abuse charges. Major college football’s winningest coach (Paterno) was pushed out in the aftermath.
What truly took my breath away was the pregame prayer at midfield, in which both teams gathered together. The prayer was led by Nebraska running backs coach Ron Brown. It’s not unusual to see two teams gathering at midfield for a prayer but it’s generally reserved for after the game. Keep in mind; emotions about the scandal were so raw that there were musings about cancelling the game. How raw? Raw as in fans and media members alike voicing very spirited displeasure. Raw as in people to “Not So” Happy Valley, Pa., rioting in the streets.
I still maintain my belief that this game should’ve been played. I can understand being concerned about safety but we’re talking Happy Valley, Pa., not the beach at Okinawa. In fact, I’m even more adamant in retrospect. Of course, it was a difficult week for Penn State players, coaches, administrators, fans -- basically anyone associated with the school. Heck, it’s difficult for any human being, especially if you have kids. I’m a father of three toddlers under age 5 and if my kids ever encountered anyone as vile as Sandusky I’d want him fed to the vultures.
But seriously, what the hell good was going to come of cancelling the game? It wasn’t going to do the victims any good. And why penalize players who were in middle school or younger when these heinous acts allegedly occurred?
OK, so neither one of these offenses are going to be mistaken for Oklahoma State and Oregon but it was an entertaining game between two iconic college football programs that created a diversion from the disturbing week that was.
The game did not even have a trace of players getting chippy. It was two proud football programs that preached sportsmanship before the game through prayer and practiced what they preached during and after the game.
I also have to give a game ball to the Penn State fans. During the week, Nebraska fans worried about receiving hostile treatment and for good reason. There were a segment treated rudely at a game in Happy Valley in 2002 that Penn State won 40-7. On this day, Penn State fans were passionate in supporting their team and gracious to the Nebraska fans that made the trip.
Brown’s actions evoke being a class act and at Nebraska we are blessed to have Tom Osborne, Bo Pelini, and others in leadership positions that represent the University of Nebraska and the state of Nebraska in such a positive way.
On the field, I’ll remember the heart-stopping finish but on this day, I’ll remember the display of honor and respect before and after the game even more.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Playing the game is the right thing to do
Saturday’s game in Happy Valley, Pa., between No. 19 Nebraska and No. 12 Penn state has a “the show must go on” feeling.
In case you have been living in a cave the last 72 hours, Nittany Lions head coach Joe Paterno was fired by the Penn State board of trustees Wednesday night despite saying he would retire as coach after the football season ended, brought down by the growing furor over the handling of child sex abuse allegations against an assistant coach. Penn State President Graham Spanier was also ousted. I won’t go into details because you can read my previous blog entry: http://napavince.blogspot.com/2011/11/huskers-head-to-penn-state-but-will.html I also made my feelings for Paterno abundantly clear. Plus, you can get all the coverage you want by the ESPN talking heads.
Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne, who is also a coaching peer of Paterno, issued a statement regarding Saturday's game with Penn State:
“I am saddened to learn of the recent events at Penn State and we will continue to monitor the developments on their campus. We will hold the alleged victims and all those involved in our thoughts and prayers.
“We have had a number of inquiries from fans regarding the circumstances at Penn State and the conditions they might expect in attending the game. UNL Chief of Police Owen Yardley is in touch with the Penn State police department and we have talked with interim Penn State Athletic Director Mark Sherburne. We have visited with Penn State security and we understand they are enhancing their security efforts for Saturday’s game and are taking extra precautions to ensure that all players, coaches and fans are treated in a respectful way. We also appreciate that there is a student-led effort at Penn State to respectfully welcome Nebraska fans to Beaver Stadium and into the Big Ten Conference. We know that our fans will reciprocate and display good sportsmanship toward Penn State’s fans and players.”
According to the Lincoln Journal Star, Osborne told a crowd of reporters Thursday evening he has not spoken with Paterno since he was fired as Penn State's coach on Wednesday.
"I might try to give him a call tomorrow," Osborne said.
Osborne was asked what he thought about the situation with Paterno.
"Well, this is difficult, for everybody, for everybody who knows Joe, everybody who cares about Joe, difficult," Osborne said. "But it is what it is. I just don't know enough of the facts of what happened. I don't know if anybody knows everything that has happened. We tend in our culture to rush to judgment. I feel bad about him and his family. I feel bad about the people who were victimized, very bad about them. I work with kids a lot and that's something we have to all be concerned about is our children."
Not surprising, Osborne took the high road. On another note, there had been rumors that the game might get cancelled due to the volatility of the situation that included student demonstrations as well as a TV news van being tipped over. Questions have also been posed in terms of should the game be held at a neutral site? Should Nebraska fans fear for their safety?
I don’t mean this to be crass but there is no ryhme or reason why the game should not be played and with this short of notice would it really be practical to move the game?
From a human standpoint, yes, it will be hard to watch the game and not be thinking about the victims and what a sick son of a bitch Jerry Sandusky, the former longtime Penn State defensive coordinator who allegedly committed these heinous crimes of sexual misconduct. Sandusky needs to have the crap beaten out of him and fed to the vultures.
However, there are more salient reasons why paying the game is the right thing to do. LJS columnist Steve Sipple wrote that “They should play the game as a gesture of compassion to the victims in a child sexual-abuse scandal that rocked the Penn State campus this week following a grand jury's indictment of former PSU defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. He has been charged with molesting eight boys over a 15-year span, with some of the alleged assaults occurring at the Nittany Lions' football complex.”
Now that we have established what a sick puke Sandusky is, the reason you play the game is because the football players on both rosters didn’t do anything wrong. Let them play and don’t penalize them for the wrongdoing of others. The individuals involved in these events are gone. I do not see how cancelling the game would have served any justice. Some say football is so small when compared to these horrific events and they are correct. However, these unspeakable things take place everyday in this country. Penn State’s issues took place over 10 years ago and the individuals involved are out.
In case you have been living in a cave the last 72 hours, Nittany Lions head coach Joe Paterno was fired by the Penn State board of trustees Wednesday night despite saying he would retire as coach after the football season ended, brought down by the growing furor over the handling of child sex abuse allegations against an assistant coach. Penn State President Graham Spanier was also ousted. I won’t go into details because you can read my previous blog entry: http://napavince.blogspot.com/2011/11/huskers-head-to-penn-state-but-will.html I also made my feelings for Paterno abundantly clear. Plus, you can get all the coverage you want by the ESPN talking heads.
Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne, who is also a coaching peer of Paterno, issued a statement regarding Saturday's game with Penn State:
“I am saddened to learn of the recent events at Penn State and we will continue to monitor the developments on their campus. We will hold the alleged victims and all those involved in our thoughts and prayers.
“We have had a number of inquiries from fans regarding the circumstances at Penn State and the conditions they might expect in attending the game. UNL Chief of Police Owen Yardley is in touch with the Penn State police department and we have talked with interim Penn State Athletic Director Mark Sherburne. We have visited with Penn State security and we understand they are enhancing their security efforts for Saturday’s game and are taking extra precautions to ensure that all players, coaches and fans are treated in a respectful way. We also appreciate that there is a student-led effort at Penn State to respectfully welcome Nebraska fans to Beaver Stadium and into the Big Ten Conference. We know that our fans will reciprocate and display good sportsmanship toward Penn State’s fans and players.”
According to the Lincoln Journal Star, Osborne told a crowd of reporters Thursday evening he has not spoken with Paterno since he was fired as Penn State's coach on Wednesday.
"I might try to give him a call tomorrow," Osborne said.
Osborne was asked what he thought about the situation with Paterno.
"Well, this is difficult, for everybody, for everybody who knows Joe, everybody who cares about Joe, difficult," Osborne said. "But it is what it is. I just don't know enough of the facts of what happened. I don't know if anybody knows everything that has happened. We tend in our culture to rush to judgment. I feel bad about him and his family. I feel bad about the people who were victimized, very bad about them. I work with kids a lot and that's something we have to all be concerned about is our children."
Not surprising, Osborne took the high road. On another note, there had been rumors that the game might get cancelled due to the volatility of the situation that included student demonstrations as well as a TV news van being tipped over. Questions have also been posed in terms of should the game be held at a neutral site? Should Nebraska fans fear for their safety?
I don’t mean this to be crass but there is no ryhme or reason why the game should not be played and with this short of notice would it really be practical to move the game?
From a human standpoint, yes, it will be hard to watch the game and not be thinking about the victims and what a sick son of a bitch Jerry Sandusky, the former longtime Penn State defensive coordinator who allegedly committed these heinous crimes of sexual misconduct. Sandusky needs to have the crap beaten out of him and fed to the vultures.
However, there are more salient reasons why paying the game is the right thing to do. LJS columnist Steve Sipple wrote that “They should play the game as a gesture of compassion to the victims in a child sexual-abuse scandal that rocked the Penn State campus this week following a grand jury's indictment of former PSU defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. He has been charged with molesting eight boys over a 15-year span, with some of the alleged assaults occurring at the Nittany Lions' football complex.”
Now that we have established what a sick puke Sandusky is, the reason you play the game is because the football players on both rosters didn’t do anything wrong. Let them play and don’t penalize them for the wrongdoing of others. The individuals involved in these events are gone. I do not see how cancelling the game would have served any justice. Some say football is so small when compared to these horrific events and they are correct. However, these unspeakable things take place everyday in this country. Penn State’s issues took place over 10 years ago and the individuals involved are out.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Game will be decided on mental focus, not scandal
The game will continue. In case you are wondering, there still is a football game scheduled at Beaver Stadium in Happy Valley, Pa., between No. 19 Nebraska and No. 12 Penn State.
When Nebraska made its decision to enter the Big Ten Conference, this matchup was one that made college football purists smile. Both programs have remained status quo as far as uniforms that have changed very little. That aspect is very refreshing compared to the Star Wars age uniforms like Oregon and Maryland. Both programs have also had iconic coaches: Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne for Nebraska. Joe Paterno for Penn State.
Sadly, Paterno was fired by the Penn State board of trustees Wednesday night despite saying he would retire as coach after the football season ended, brought down by the growing furor over the handling of child sex abuse allegations against an assistant coach. Penn State President Graham Spanier was also ousted. I won’t go into details because you can read my previous blog entry: http://napavince.blogspot.com/2011/11/huskers-head-to-penn-state-but-will.html I also made my feelings for Paterno abundantly clear.
The story surrounding Saturday unfortunately is not about how Penn State’s stingy defense matches up against Nebraska’s quarterback/running back combination of Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead. It’s not about how will Nebraska bounce back from its disturbing 28-25 home loss to Northwestern. This week has been about the sexual abuse scandal that is surrounding Penn State University. It is unequivocally the top sports story. Even more than the NBA lockout. Gee, what a tired act that is.
I was talking to a college friend of mine who lived in the same residence hall as I did at the University of Nebraska on Tuesday. This friend intimated that he was “worried about this game. Can you imagine our players losing Tom Osborne’s last game?” Of course, this conversation came Tuesday night, before Paterno was ousted. With Paterno gone, defensive coordinator Tom Bradley has been named the interim head coach.
When it comes to sports teams entering a game with distractions, I find that the script is already written, it’s just a matter of what the outcome is and which script fits best. If Penn State wins, the angle becomes “they were galvanized and wanted to win it for JoePa.” If Nebraska wins, the angle becomes, “Penn State had too many distractions.” I say BS; football games are decided by who makes more plays and fewer mistakes. It also comes down to mental toughness and the ability to block out distractions.
Remember 1995? Perhaps the best team Nebraska ever assembled had several distractions throughout the season off the field whether it was Lawrence Phillips, Christian Peter or Tyrone Williams. That Husker team still went 13-0 and pounded Florida into submission in the National Title Game 62-24. However, that was also before the Facebook, Twitter, and text message era. Yes, you had the internet and message board but you also didn’t have current and former players facebooking, tweeting, message boarding, etc., so it was much easier for players and coaches to insulate themselves from distractions. Granted, the internet and message boards existed but were not en vogue even remotely like now.
Remember 2007? Perhaps the worst Nebraska team since post-1960. That team had the talent but underachieved to a 5-7 season. It also had numerous distractions centering around the job status of athletic director Steve Pederson, head coach Bill Callahan and defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove. That Husker team lost six of its seven games in supremely decisive fashion.
Look at pro sports; the week that Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis died they beat the Houston Texans 25-20. The angle became, “They did it for Al. They just won, baby!” However, if Oakland safety Michael Huff does not intercept Texans quarterback Matt Schaub in the end zone, the angle becomes, “The Raiders were weighed down by too many distractions.”
By no means am I dismissing the “distraction factor.” Even though, for lack of a better term, Paterno’s mistakes of omission rather than commission does not directly affect the Huskers, Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini will need to get his team focused on the task at hand. Keep in mind; this was a Husker team that lacked such in an inexcusable home loss to Northwestern.
Nebraska players and coaches are not going to get asked ad nausea about the situation like Penn State. Especially with the Huskers being the visiting team. Penn State players will be asked about this situation everywhere they turn whether it is at school or outside of practice.
In one respect this game does not change for Nebraska even if you remove the Penn State scandal from the equation. It would have been a challenging and important game regardless.
The bottom line is that this game will not be won by the team that is more talented or has the better offense of defense this season. The team that wins this game will be the team that is able to put the scandal to the side and focus on the team on the opposing sideline.
When Nebraska made its decision to enter the Big Ten Conference, this matchup was one that made college football purists smile. Both programs have remained status quo as far as uniforms that have changed very little. That aspect is very refreshing compared to the Star Wars age uniforms like Oregon and Maryland. Both programs have also had iconic coaches: Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne for Nebraska. Joe Paterno for Penn State.
Sadly, Paterno was fired by the Penn State board of trustees Wednesday night despite saying he would retire as coach after the football season ended, brought down by the growing furor over the handling of child sex abuse allegations against an assistant coach. Penn State President Graham Spanier was also ousted. I won’t go into details because you can read my previous blog entry: http://napavince.blogspot.com/2011/11/huskers-head-to-penn-state-but-will.html I also made my feelings for Paterno abundantly clear.
The story surrounding Saturday unfortunately is not about how Penn State’s stingy defense matches up against Nebraska’s quarterback/running back combination of Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead. It’s not about how will Nebraska bounce back from its disturbing 28-25 home loss to Northwestern. This week has been about the sexual abuse scandal that is surrounding Penn State University. It is unequivocally the top sports story. Even more than the NBA lockout. Gee, what a tired act that is.
I was talking to a college friend of mine who lived in the same residence hall as I did at the University of Nebraska on Tuesday. This friend intimated that he was “worried about this game. Can you imagine our players losing Tom Osborne’s last game?” Of course, this conversation came Tuesday night, before Paterno was ousted. With Paterno gone, defensive coordinator Tom Bradley has been named the interim head coach.
When it comes to sports teams entering a game with distractions, I find that the script is already written, it’s just a matter of what the outcome is and which script fits best. If Penn State wins, the angle becomes “they were galvanized and wanted to win it for JoePa.” If Nebraska wins, the angle becomes, “Penn State had too many distractions.” I say BS; football games are decided by who makes more plays and fewer mistakes. It also comes down to mental toughness and the ability to block out distractions.
Remember 1995? Perhaps the best team Nebraska ever assembled had several distractions throughout the season off the field whether it was Lawrence Phillips, Christian Peter or Tyrone Williams. That Husker team still went 13-0 and pounded Florida into submission in the National Title Game 62-24. However, that was also before the Facebook, Twitter, and text message era. Yes, you had the internet and message board but you also didn’t have current and former players facebooking, tweeting, message boarding, etc., so it was much easier for players and coaches to insulate themselves from distractions. Granted, the internet and message boards existed but were not en vogue even remotely like now.
Remember 2007? Perhaps the worst Nebraska team since post-1960. That team had the talent but underachieved to a 5-7 season. It also had numerous distractions centering around the job status of athletic director Steve Pederson, head coach Bill Callahan and defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove. That Husker team lost six of its seven games in supremely decisive fashion.
Look at pro sports; the week that Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis died they beat the Houston Texans 25-20. The angle became, “They did it for Al. They just won, baby!” However, if Oakland safety Michael Huff does not intercept Texans quarterback Matt Schaub in the end zone, the angle becomes, “The Raiders were weighed down by too many distractions.”
By no means am I dismissing the “distraction factor.” Even though, for lack of a better term, Paterno’s mistakes of omission rather than commission does not directly affect the Huskers, Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini will need to get his team focused on the task at hand. Keep in mind; this was a Husker team that lacked such in an inexcusable home loss to Northwestern.
Nebraska players and coaches are not going to get asked ad nausea about the situation like Penn State. Especially with the Huskers being the visiting team. Penn State players will be asked about this situation everywhere they turn whether it is at school or outside of practice.
In one respect this game does not change for Nebraska even if you remove the Penn State scandal from the equation. It would have been a challenging and important game regardless.
The bottom line is that this game will not be won by the team that is more talented or has the better offense of defense this season. The team that wins this game will be the team that is able to put the scandal to the side and focus on the team on the opposing sideline.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Huskers head to Penn State but will Paterno be on the opposite sideline
The Nebraska Cornhuskers head into Happy Valley, PA, for a crucial game against Penn State Saturday. The question is, will Joe Paterno still be Penn state’s head coach?
Before, you puke up your last meal, that is not a misprint. Paterno’s tenure will reportedly soon be over, perhaps within days or weeks, in the wake of a sexual abuse scandal that has implicated university officials, according to two people briefed on conversations among the university’s top officials, according to the New York Times.
Jerry Sandusky, a former Penn State defensive coordinator under Paterno, has been charged with sexually abusing eight boys across a 15-year period.
Paterno is under fire, as he should be, for failing to involve police when he learned in 2002 of an allegation of one assault of a young boy — around age 10 at the time.
Two top Penn State officials were charged with perjury and failure to report to authorities that they knew of the allegations.
Granted, due process has not taken place as far as being proven in a court of law and in the age of social media and message boards things do get vastly distorted. However, it is my understanding that it was an intern that notified Paterno and he then told Penn State athletic director Tim Curley.
The layers of culpability are vast, assuming the allegations are true to the extent they are being reported. Something happened, just a matter of to what degree. Paterno might not have been involved in the matter other than being a link in the chain of communication. Paterno is a coach, not a policeman or investigator.
If the intern felt that a crime was committed, the intern could call the
police. It is my understanding that at no time was it made clear that a crime was
committed but that Sandusky’s conduct was “inappropriate.” Of course it’s inappropriate, it’s also illegal.
As for Paterno, he may have fulfilled all of his legal obligations, however, when he noticed
that nothing ever came of it, he should have notified the police. If I found out my brother was taking advantage of a child, I would report him immediately, and it should be the same way with employees. This is a disgustingly grotesque situation that Paterno should have taken care of, but he did not do so which is why he probably will no longer be employed by the
end of the month, if not the end of the week.
When people think of a college football program lacking institutional control, the recent examples are Reggie Bush and USC along with Jim Tressel and Ohio State.
Just before the 2006 draft, reports surfaced raising questions about whether Bush's family received gifts in violation of NCAA policies.
Ohio State suspended Tressel for the first two games of the 2011 season and fined him $250,000 for failing to notify the school of NCAA violations involving Ohio State football players and a financial arrangement with Edward Rife, owner of a local tattoo parlor, who was at the time under investigation by the FBI for drug trafficking. The arrangement, which resulted in five Ohio State football players being suspended, involved trading championship rings, jerseys and other football-related awards for tattoos.
With Penn State, the lack of institutional control does not even begin to describe it. It’s one thing to protect adults that we have blind spots for but to let this happen to kids, there is no defense at all.
Before, you puke up your last meal, that is not a misprint. Paterno’s tenure will reportedly soon be over, perhaps within days or weeks, in the wake of a sexual abuse scandal that has implicated university officials, according to two people briefed on conversations among the university’s top officials, according to the New York Times.
Jerry Sandusky, a former Penn State defensive coordinator under Paterno, has been charged with sexually abusing eight boys across a 15-year period.
Paterno is under fire, as he should be, for failing to involve police when he learned in 2002 of an allegation of one assault of a young boy — around age 10 at the time.
Two top Penn State officials were charged with perjury and failure to report to authorities that they knew of the allegations.
Granted, due process has not taken place as far as being proven in a court of law and in the age of social media and message boards things do get vastly distorted. However, it is my understanding that it was an intern that notified Paterno and he then told Penn State athletic director Tim Curley.
The layers of culpability are vast, assuming the allegations are true to the extent they are being reported. Something happened, just a matter of to what degree. Paterno might not have been involved in the matter other than being a link in the chain of communication. Paterno is a coach, not a policeman or investigator.
If the intern felt that a crime was committed, the intern could call the
police. It is my understanding that at no time was it made clear that a crime was
committed but that Sandusky’s conduct was “inappropriate.” Of course it’s inappropriate, it’s also illegal.
As for Paterno, he may have fulfilled all of his legal obligations, however, when he noticed
that nothing ever came of it, he should have notified the police. If I found out my brother was taking advantage of a child, I would report him immediately, and it should be the same way with employees. This is a disgustingly grotesque situation that Paterno should have taken care of, but he did not do so which is why he probably will no longer be employed by the
end of the month, if not the end of the week.
When people think of a college football program lacking institutional control, the recent examples are Reggie Bush and USC along with Jim Tressel and Ohio State.
Just before the 2006 draft, reports surfaced raising questions about whether Bush's family received gifts in violation of NCAA policies.
Ohio State suspended Tressel for the first two games of the 2011 season and fined him $250,000 for failing to notify the school of NCAA violations involving Ohio State football players and a financial arrangement with Edward Rife, owner of a local tattoo parlor, who was at the time under investigation by the FBI for drug trafficking. The arrangement, which resulted in five Ohio State football players being suspended, involved trading championship rings, jerseys and other football-related awards for tattoos.
With Penn State, the lack of institutional control does not even begin to describe it. It’s one thing to protect adults that we have blind spots for but to let this happen to kids, there is no defense at all.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Good win followed by clunker loss
Once or twice is an aberration but three times is a pattern. For the third time in as many seasons, Nebraska follows a feel good win with a clunker of a loss at home.
Rewind the clock to 2009, the Huskers rally from a 12-0 deficit after three quarters on a rainy night in Columbia, Mo., to beat Missouri 27-12. Keep in mind, Nebraska had lost four of its last six to the Tigers. The Huskers went to 4-1 but followed with consecutive home losses to Texas Tech (31-10) and Iowa State (9-7). The latter of which had a losing record early in the game.
In 2010, Nebraska ran roughshod over Kansas State in a 48-13 win at Manhatten, KS to go to 5-0 entering a home game against their chief tormentor (Texas). The Longhorns were on the heels of two straight losses at 3-2. Husker Nation was ready for payback. Nebraska, however, lost 20-13 to a Texas team that finished the season 5-7.
Now for the 2011 edition, Nebraska scores an impressive 24-3 home win over Michigan State. The talk after the game is how the disappointing Blackshirts are returning to form and how Nebraska controls its own destiny to reach the Big Ten title game in Indianapolis. The trip to Indy was a straight line entering Saturday’s home game against Northwestern (now 4-5 overall, 2-4 Big Ten) but in losing to Northwestern 28-25 the Huskers veered to an onramp in Des Moines, Iowa and suddenly need some direction getting back on to Interstate 80.
In the Bo Pelini era, many losses have been clearly defined on which side of the ball is more clearly to blame – offense or defense. In the case of Saturday, the blame is pretty equal. If Rex Burkhead and Quincey Enunwa don’t fumble from the 5 and 25 yard line going in, Nebraska wins the game. Period. End of sentence. Next report.
Northwestern entered the game 95th in run defense while Nebraska was No. 9 in rush offense. However, the Wildcats bottled up Nebraska’s ground game, holding them to 118 yards on 33 carries. The Husker offense also wasted a brilliant passing game of quarterback Taylor Martinez, who completed 29 of 38 for 298 yards, two scores and no picks. Too bad his receivers dropped four passes. Martinez has been heavily criticized as a passer but was flawless in his decision making.
My biggest criticism of offensive coordinator Tim Beck is that why are Ameer Abdullah, Aaron Green, Braylon Heard and Jamal Turner getting a combined one touch? Granted, Burkhead is the bellcow of the offense if you are going to burn redshirts on Abdullah, Green and Heard why are they seldom in the game?
And on the defensive side, Nebraska spent a lot of the first quarter on the field as much for their inability to get stops and the offense’s inability to move the chains. At one point in the first quarter, the Wildcats had nine first downs to Nebraska’s one. That heavy load eventually exacted a toll on the Blackshirts. The Huskers had coverage breakdowns against the pass and couldn’t stop the run when they had momentum on their side.
And it was game, set, match.
Rewind the clock to 2009, the Huskers rally from a 12-0 deficit after three quarters on a rainy night in Columbia, Mo., to beat Missouri 27-12. Keep in mind, Nebraska had lost four of its last six to the Tigers. The Huskers went to 4-1 but followed with consecutive home losses to Texas Tech (31-10) and Iowa State (9-7). The latter of which had a losing record early in the game.
In 2010, Nebraska ran roughshod over Kansas State in a 48-13 win at Manhatten, KS to go to 5-0 entering a home game against their chief tormentor (Texas). The Longhorns were on the heels of two straight losses at 3-2. Husker Nation was ready for payback. Nebraska, however, lost 20-13 to a Texas team that finished the season 5-7.
Now for the 2011 edition, Nebraska scores an impressive 24-3 home win over Michigan State. The talk after the game is how the disappointing Blackshirts are returning to form and how Nebraska controls its own destiny to reach the Big Ten title game in Indianapolis. The trip to Indy was a straight line entering Saturday’s home game against Northwestern (now 4-5 overall, 2-4 Big Ten) but in losing to Northwestern 28-25 the Huskers veered to an onramp in Des Moines, Iowa and suddenly need some direction getting back on to Interstate 80.
In the Bo Pelini era, many losses have been clearly defined on which side of the ball is more clearly to blame – offense or defense. In the case of Saturday, the blame is pretty equal. If Rex Burkhead and Quincey Enunwa don’t fumble from the 5 and 25 yard line going in, Nebraska wins the game. Period. End of sentence. Next report.
Northwestern entered the game 95th in run defense while Nebraska was No. 9 in rush offense. However, the Wildcats bottled up Nebraska’s ground game, holding them to 118 yards on 33 carries. The Husker offense also wasted a brilliant passing game of quarterback Taylor Martinez, who completed 29 of 38 for 298 yards, two scores and no picks. Too bad his receivers dropped four passes. Martinez has been heavily criticized as a passer but was flawless in his decision making.
My biggest criticism of offensive coordinator Tim Beck is that why are Ameer Abdullah, Aaron Green, Braylon Heard and Jamal Turner getting a combined one touch? Granted, Burkhead is the bellcow of the offense if you are going to burn redshirts on Abdullah, Green and Heard why are they seldom in the game?
And on the defensive side, Nebraska spent a lot of the first quarter on the field as much for their inability to get stops and the offense’s inability to move the chains. At one point in the first quarter, the Wildcats had nine first downs to Nebraska’s one. That heavy load eventually exacted a toll on the Blackshirts. The Huskers had coverage breakdowns against the pass and couldn’t stop the run when they had momentum on their side.
And it was game, set, match.
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