SB Nation - Adi Kunalic

How Nebraska Will Beat Texas And Win the Big 12 Championship

Jon Johnston — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 06:42:01 -0000

Bo Pelini has done an incredible job in getting his Husker team this far. Now we get to see if they can be champs.

The odds are stacked against Nebraska so much to the point that it's doubtful you'll find a single paid pundit pick the Huskers in this game. If they do, their colleagues might think they're mad.

It's a given that Nebraska will have to play mistake-free football. They can't give up the big play (Virginia Tech), they must minimize turnovers (Iowa State) and they can't afford to have drives killed by silly false starts or holding penalties (too many games this season). There's little margin for error.

To win, Nebraska will require a perfect game in all areas. It can happen, and here's how.

- First Quarter Draw

It's imperative that the Huskers to keep Texas off the scoreboard in the first quarter. The Blackshirts could give up a touchdown at, but if Nebraska goes down by two scores, the task will become nearly impossible.

Expect Nebraska's first series to be an experiment to see how Texas is going to line up. It'd be nice if we got a drive going right away, but don't get too worried about initial results. Expect that Texas will want to get on the board right away, although look for short passes from them in the hopes that the Blackshirts will miss tackles. We haven't seen much of that this season, and as long as we're tackling well, we should handle the one-on-one match ups with their receivers. It's time that Texas found out just how well Alfonzo Dennard and Prince Amukamara can cover and Larry "Assasin" Asante can hit.

Ndamukong Suh and Jared Crick must get going early. Texas will double-team Suh, single Crick and hope to run their zone read plays with that combination. If Suh and Crick can occupy space in the middle with an upfield surge (not an all out rush), while Barry Turner and Pierre Allen contain the edges, the Huskers can negate the zone read. If Crick can play well enough to demand a double-team, getting to the edge will be that much more difficult. Offensive coordinator Greg Davis will take time to adjust his offensive scheme, and with each series failure, the Huskers confidence will grow.

- One On One Excellence

Any offense looks for the match up to get their best player in a one-on-one situation. Defense counters by doubling that player, and by default that leaves an offensive player to be accounted for. Texas has too many weapons on offense for Nebraska to double any one player. Take McCoy out of the zone read, and Tre Newton or Fozzy Whittaker will burn you. Double-team Jordan Shipley and you take your chances with James Kirkendoll and Malcolm Williams.

Move that concept to a defensive zones and the thought remains the same. The game will be a chess match of Texas trying to maneuver their receivers into a one-on-one situation in the hopes that the Blackshirts miss a play. That is the biggest key to this game - defenders consistently making plays in one-on-one situations. A single missed tackle or assignment in a low-scoring game means you lose.

- Bore America To Death

Americans hate games that end 10-3, or 16-13. There just isn't enough scoring. You could chalk it up to the need for constant excitement, but whatever it is, Husker fans have to hope most of American is bored by watching this game. If it turns into a track meet, it's going to be a one-sided affair in favor of the Longhorns.

Don't expect many gimmicks in this game. The Huskers are not going to go to a no-huddle. They're not going to try to spread out the Texas defense and run the zone read as a core part of their offense. Fans will see the same approach the Huskers have used throughout their winning streak - a conservative offense that tries to pick up first downs on the ground and takes occasional shots down the field.

The long shots are the key to offensive success. Niles Paul has been the recipient of most of the long balls, while tight end Mike McNeill has largely gone unnoticed this season. McNeill has the speed and game awareness to pull in the big play - and his lack of production may leave him ignored by the Texas defense when it counts the most.

- No Fear

Quarterback Zac Lee has had problems when running zone read and option plays. He hasn't held the ball long enough to make the unblocked defender commit, a key to making those kinds of plays work properly. Lee must play this game fearlessly. If he's not a threat to run the ball when it's called for, he's given the defense a huge edge. Example - if Lee runs an option pass, the defense won't respect his feet enough to not cover his receivers.

Having no fear doesn't mean that Shawn Watson whips open his whole bag of tricks to see what might fool the Texas defense. It means he must commit to the running game, even if it isn't working early. The downfield shots will only work if the Huskers can establish something on the ground with Roy Helu and Rex Burkhead.

Before this season started, Husker fans heard plenty of rumors about Ricky Henry's "fiery nature" and Jacob Hickman's longevity. Put Tyler Legate at fullback behind them, and smash that ball right into the center of the Longhorn defense.

The Huskers don't need an offensive explosion, but an implosion will kill any hope this team has of winning.

- Special Teams Convergence

Alex Henery had a 76 yard punt against Virginia Tech. He leads the Big 12 in punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Niles Paul has had some big special teams plays, including his punt return against Colorado. Adi Kunalic can negate any chance of a kick return with his touchbacks. Ndamukong Suh and his counterparts have the ability to block kicks. Add to these the fact that Nebraska's special teams haven't given up a touchdown yet this season.

Bring great special teams plays all together in one game and we've got a shot.

- Leave It All On The Field "Bo's Way"

The Texas A&M game didn't tell us as much about the ‘Horns defense as we think. Turn the table and ask yourself if the Colorado game was an example of how well the Blackshirts have played, then look again at the Longhorns' performance. Chalk both teams poor performance up to a short week and lack of incentive. Add to that that we're coming down to the end of the season - both teams had to be a little exhausted.

The teams have had over a week off, which has given time them time to heal and rest. That's good news, especially for the Blackshirt defense that's had to carry a heavy load this season. They've seen more plays than any other top 25 defense in the nation, and they'll see it again in this game.

Husker fans have seen Ndamukong Suh take over a game. He'll have to do it again, early and keep making plays throughout the entire game. His brothers-in-arms will have do the same. The effort must be solid on every play. Double the effort for the offense, particularly on the line.

Bo Pelini has taken a group of players who were left for dead two years ago and gotten them to a shot at the Big 12 title and a BCS Bowl. It wasn't just the genius of understanding defense that got them this far. It happened because Pelini demands consistency of effort, settling for nothing less. It's "Bo's Way".

It's time to see how his team responds when not many believe they can be champions.

Under The Hood: Nebraska vs. Colorado Statistical Comparison

Jon Johnston — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:28:37 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Neibergall - AP

Tyler Hansen's favorite pose this season. Hansen has taken 31 sacks, over twice as many as the Huskers total. Part of that can be explained on Colorado throwing the ball all the time. Part of it..... CU Sucks.

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Statistics are good to know before you head into a game against a team that hates your guts. If they start giving you too much crap, you can just throw statistical information back at them. Unless they've been following along, they have little choice to respond with the phrase common to losers everywhere:

"YOU SUCK!"

Some stats can be dismissed, or made to say whatever you want, but when you're ranked at the bottom of several categories across several facets of football, things aren't going well no matter how much you rationalize.

That's where Colorado is this season. Before I looked, I thought that it would be Colorado's defense near the bottom of the NCAA rankings, but it's not. It's their offense.

Offensive Statistics

	Nebraska	Colorado
Rush YPG	147.73 (62/6)	83.73 (113/11)
Rush YPC	4.18 (65/5)	2.62 (117/12)
Rush TDS	17 (54/7)	14 (81/11)

Pass YPG	197.7 (85/9)	222.5 (53/8)
Pass YPA	7.1 (63/7)	5.7 (109/12)
Pass TDS	14 (75/10)	15 (67/9)
Pass Efficiency	128.82 (62/8)	105.86 (111/12)

Total Offense	345.5 (82/10)	306.3 (108/12)
Scoring Offense	25.4 (73/8)	22.5 (91/10

If you thought our offense was bad, welcome to the Buffs. Rodney Stewart is the Buffs top running back, ranked 67th nationally in averaging 69.4 yards per game. Stewart is averaging 3.92 yards per carry. The very low team per carry average is because of all the sacks and negative plays that Colorado has had this season - Cody Hawkins has lost an average of 12 yards per game (-84 yards rushing). That's icky.

I'm not going to say much about Cody Hawkins or Tyler Hansen because you can read some incredibly in-depth stuff here. Buff receivers Scotty McKnight and Markques Simas are dangerous, but not overwhelming. McKnight averages just over 70 yards per game, and has four TD receptions. Simas has come on strong lately, with 135 and 128 yards receiving against Texas A&M and Iowa State, respectively. He dropped to 92 against Oklahoma State, but I don't think anyone is going to confuse the Blackshirt defense with any one of those teams.

The Huskers don't have a good offense any way you look at it. We're only around average in rushing, and below average everywhere else. i don't know about you, but I'm going to spend the next two games playing the "Shawn Watson has kept the real offense under wraps until the end of the season!' angle. I find it irritates opposing fans when I refuse to listen to reason, which is the only way to make a cruddy offense enjoyable.

Hate to point this out, but the Buffs have more passing touchdowns than we do despite much worse statistics in this area. That speaks volumes about our inability to get in the end zone earlier this season.

Roy Helu is ranked 29th nationally, just under 100 yards per game at 96.09. Not bad considering he's been injured.

Defensive Statistics

	Nebraska	Colorado
Rush YPG	98.09 (13/4)	162.73 (83/10)
Rush YPC	2.85 (8/3)	4.18 (75/9)
Rush TDS	6 (8/2)	15 (58/8)

Pass YPG	182.3 (17/1)	213.5 (57/4)
Pass YPA	5.3 (3/1)	7.3 (75/10)
Pass TDS	4 (1/1)	18 (81/10)

Total Defense	280.4 (8/2)	376.3 (72/9)
Scoring Defense	10.3 (3/1)	28.9 (88/11)

Look at the Huskers defensive stats. If that ain't beauty.... I don't know what you're looking for. Four passing touchdowns given up so far this season.

The Buffaloes on the other hand.... oy vey. Their defensive stats are not beautiful. They're not hideous, though, as they have not dropped to the Nebraska 2007 level (112th total defense - 476.8 yards per game, 114th scoring defense -37.9 points per game) or to Kansas State 2008 (118th total defense - 479.1 yards per game, 111th scoring defense- 35.8 points per game) so those comparisons are inappropriate.

The Huskers have given up 16 pass plays of 25+ yards, compared to the Buffs at 25 of 25+ yards. When watching Colorado football this year, they have a real problem with letting receivers get behind their deepest defenders.That explains poor passing touchdown defense.

The Details

	Nebraska	Colorado
3rd Down Conversions (Pctg)	40.13 (58/8)	35.06 (94/10)
Red Zone Conversions (Score %)	79.55 (72/9)	84.21 (43/6)

Turnover Margin	+2 (53/6)	-4 (82/10)
Sacks	32 (12/5)	24 (43/8)
Tackles for Loss	73 (33/5)	62 (63/9)
Sacks Allowed	15 (31/3)	42 (117/12)
Punting (Avg)	41.12 (51/5)	37.71 (103/11)
Punt Returns	10.15 (47/7)	2.96 (117/12)
Kickoffs (Avg)	68.20 (2/2)	64.86 (22/4)
Kickoff Returns	23.07 (39/5)	24.24 (20/3)
Penalties (Yds/G)	66 (102/7)	79.4 (117/10)

- Both of these teams are awful in picking up penalties. The Huskers haven't gotten any better in November, still ranked 102nd and averaging 64.3 yard per game. But the Buffs have gotten worse (yes, that's possible), dropping to dead last in FBS, 120th at 94.7 yards per game. Both teams have tendencies to pick up personal foul penalties at the worst possible moments. One wonders how sloppy Friday's game will be.

- 117th in sacks allowed? Wow! Insert your jokes about a Jared Crick - Ndamukong Suh feast in the comments section, while I stick with a "turkey shoot" meme. Tyler Hansen has taken 31 sacks so far this year. It'd be nice if he'd take about ten more this game.

- The Buffaloes do have a potential game-breaking weapon in kickoff returns. Brian Lockridge is 61st nationally with a 24.07 average. (By comparison, Niles Paul is 36th with an average of 25.69. 1.62 yards means a huge difference in ranking, but not an enormous difference on the field). Lockridge's sole touchdown came last week against Oklahoma State. The Huskers have done a great job of shutting down kickoffs this season (hence the #2 ranking), thanks largely to Adi Kunalic.

- Colorado's punting average is pretty hideous. There's an understatement for you.

- What did I miss?

Corn Flakes: Safe Travels

JLew — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:34:00 -0000

Safe travels if you are headed over the hills and through the woods to Grandma's house for Turkey Day. Safer travels if you are headed to Colorado. Don't let them throw things at you.

Wearing Blackshirt: Nebraska 'D' will beat Texas - CFB News - FOX Sports on MSN

Well, call me Phil Ivey. Because after Saturday night's Big 12 North-clinching win over Kansas State, I'm all in. Yep, I'm putting it down in bold-faced Internet ink right this very moment: Nebraska will beat Texas in Dec. 5's Big 12 Championship Game. I've been dipping my toes in this pool for some time now. And though even the most faithful 'Huskers fans have been e-mailing to tell me I'm crazy, I'm diving in head-first. With a win over Texas in Arlington in two weeks, Nebraska is going to shake this BCS thing up. Hell, they're our only hope at a little chaos in what has been an all too predictable 2009 college football season. Forget Lincoln, Neb., and its suburbs — if you're a fan of college football and all the excitement that goes with it, Nebraska's now America's Team.

Could Nebraska become America's team?

Tight ends shine as NU uses heavy lineup

Colorado insider

Omaha.com - The Omaha World-Herald: Big Red Today - Carl Pelini deflects job questions

Could we lose Carl-fense? And other practice notes

NE StatePaper.com - Back to the Future

So it's little surprise, really, when NU offensive coordinator Shawn Watson, asked for his vision of the future, said, simply: "It would be a team like we were last year." Shotgun spread. Zone running game. Controlled passing game. With some power formations mixed in near the goal line.

To be fair last year the offense preformed pretty well. But fans seem to prefer knee-jerk reactions.

Scout.com: 2009 Big 12 Fearless Picks - Week 13

What will happen: Colorado will make this fun with an interesting group of trick plays with everything emptied out on the field. The Nebraska D will be up to the task. CFN Prediction: Nebraska 17 … Colorado 13 ... Line: Nebraska -8

Reesing, McCoy, Pawelek top Academic All-Big 12 team - Big 12 Blog - ESPN

Nebraska: CB Justin Blatchford (Undeclared/Ponca, Neb.), WR Wes Cammack (Agricultural Engineering/DeWitt, Neb.), S Austin Cassidy* (Psychology/Lincoln, Neb.), G Andy Christensen (Construction Management/Bennington, Neb.), LB Will Compton (Undeclared/Bonne Terre, Mo.), TE Ben Cotton (Undeclared/Ames, Iowa), LB Sean Fisher* (Undeclared/Omaha, Neb.), LB Thomas Grove (Biological Sciences/Arlington, Neb.), TE Ryan Hill (Business Administration/Arvada, Colo.), OL Marcel Jones (Construction Management/Phoenix, Ariz.), LB Colton Koehler (Business Administration/Harvard, Neb.), K Adi Kunalic (Advertising/Fort Worth, Texas), QB Zac Lee (Business Administration/San Francisco, Calif.), TE Jay Martin (Business Administration/Waverly, Neb.), S Matt O’Hanlon (History/Bellevue, Neb.)

Toney McCray done for basketball season (Lincoln Journal-Star)

His elbow will require surgery, so he won't be back. He's already redshirted, so unless he can petition the NCAA for a 6th year, he'll lose a year. Tough break.

Vote for Morgan Marlborough for Soccer Women's Player of the Year 2009

Nebraska Soccer would like you to vote for Morgan Marlborough for the Soccer News Player of the Year. Marlborough was the Big 12 Offensive player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and All Big 12 First Team. That's worth a click, ain't it? - JJ

Michigan State Football Players Reportedly Involved In Campus Brawl

Apparently some Spartan football players just decided to head over to the dorms and assault some people. This could be one of the dumbest on-campus incidents involving football players I've ever heard of. It'll be interesting to see what comes out of it. - JJ

Callahan'd becomes a verb.

Mark Mangino, Dan Hawkins may be Callahan'd in the very near future.

Nebraska Ends Kansas State's Season And Wins the Big 12 North

Jon Johnston — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:50:05 -0000

More photos » by DAVE WEAVER - AP

Yehaaaa!!!!! One Goal Realized!!!!!!!!!

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Nebraska won the Big 12 North with a 17-3 win over Kansas State last night. It won't be considered pretty or stylish, but if you've come to love defense (and if you're a Huskers fan, you'd better love defense) it was another masterful performance by the Blackshirts.

Kansas State took their opening drive, marched down the field like they were on fire and being aided by yet another personal foul penalty on Larry Asante (at least he got it out of the way early this game). The Wildcats stalled at the 31 and Josh Cherry kicked a 44-yard field goal. With the way the Wildcats looked on their first drive, it was hard to imagine those were the only points they'd score.

The Huskers responded with a field goal of their own, moving down the field with a mixture between Roy Helu's rushing and Zac Lee's passing. On the next possession the Wildcats gained a first down and after two consecutive Thomas rushes, but their drive stalled after Eric Hagg nailed quarterback Grant Gregory with a 14-yard sack. Doerr punted, giving the Huskers great field position at their own 43.

The Husker offense was aided by a Wildcat personal foul penalty, then Zac Lee found Mike McNeill all alone in the end zone. The score made it 10-3, where it would remain until the Huskers scored another touchdown on the opening possession of the third quarter. The offense was incredibly efficient, scoring on four plays that included a 47-yard to Niles Paul and a subsequent 14-yard touchdown run by Roy Helu.

The Wildcats fared well on their second half opening drive until running back Keithen Valentine fumbled near the goal line and Prince Amukamara recovered. The Huskers spent the rest of the game trying to run the ball, but gained only 35 yards in four possessions.

Ndamukong Suh did his best impersonation of the greatest college football player in the nation, taking over the game in the fourth quarter. He sacked Gregory twice (one being aided by Barry Turner when they turned Gregory into a quarterback sandwich), batted down a pass, and picked up four of his nine tackles.

Kansas State playmaker Brandon Banks was held in check all night. Adi Kunalic consistently kicked off into the end zone, and when Banks chose to bring it out, he was buried before he got to the 20-yard line. Only once did Banks seem to be a big-play threat, when he broke free for a 22-yard return in the third quarter, giving Kansas State the ball at the Nebraska 43-yard line.

Despite such great field position, the Wildcats gained only two yards on eight plays. They made it as far as the 32-yard line when linebacker Phillip Dillard sacked Gregory, forcing a fumble and driving the Wildcats back to the 41.

There was some ugly as the offense managed only 267 total yards. The Husker missed opportunities to score some more points when Lee missed a wide open McNeill in the end zone, and later threw an interception in the opposite end zone. There was some good, too, as the offense finished the game without a single penalty. The Huskers had three for the game, with Larry Asante picking up another personal foul penalty, Justin Blatchford was called for running in to the kicker, and Eric Hagg picked up a pass interference call. That's pretty darned good for a team that has been consistently hit with false starts and holding calls throughout the year.

Alex Henery once again showed his mastery of punting an opponent into a hole. In the second quarter, he booted a punt that went out of bounds at the KSU one-yard line. In the fourth, he had a booming 61-yard punt that went out of bounds at the Kansas State three. All told, Henery had six punts for a 45-yard average. That's a good day of work any way you look at it.

Let's not kid ourselves. The Huskers have plenty of football left. First, there's the derelicts from Boulder, and then there's that championship game against Texas, who clinched the Big 12 South with a 50-21 win over Kansas. There's still a chance to have an incredible season.

Five Questions With Corn Nation

TB — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:33:28 -0000

It's the Big 12 North Championship game today when K-State travels to Lincoln to take on Nebraska. To get a little more information on the Huskers from those who follow them most closely, I turned to the trio at Corn Nation for more info. Questions and answers are below.

BOTC: Roy Helu has looked a lot better in the last couple games. Is he finally healthy?

Mike: Healthier, perhaps. After the Oklahoma game, Helu talked about playing for the team instead of for himself, and while he didn't phrase it this way, he's decided to grit it out and play through the pain. If you watch him block in pass protection, it's obvious that his shoulder's no where near 100%. (Another good reason to leave a fullback and a tight end or two in on pass protection.) Helu left the field in Lawrence holding his arm again, and his arm was wrapped up in the post game press conference, so we're all hoping he didn't aggravate the issue last week.

JLew: Healthy yes? 100% no. Burkhead maybe back after a broken foot, he's been cleared to play so he may be able to take some of the load off Helu.

Corn Blight/Jon J: Something certainly changed. Bo Pelini and the rest of his staff talk about injuries the way people hide their crazy uncles, so the only real way to know someone's injured is if they're out for the season or carried off on a stretcher.

Helu is a big key to the Husker offense, although true freshman Rex Burkhead might be back for this game. He's missed several games due to a foot injury, and provided a huge lift to the offense earlier in the season.

BOTC: Last week, KU apparently unlocked some serious magic and kept the Husker d-line in check. What did they do?

Mike: Todd Reesing is the most experienced quarterback NU has faced this year, and it showed. He didn't wilt in the face of pressure. Carl Pelini dialed down the pressure as a result of some Reesing scrambles, and that limited the pressure after the first quarter. Considering that NU held KU to 0 first downs in the first quarter, I wonder if that might not have been a mistake.

JLew: NU changed the approach some, Pelini explains- "That's on me. I slowed them down. (Kansas) got out on a couple quarterback draws. I thought we could cover on the back end. I thought we needed to handle (KU quarterback Todd) Reesing with the front four, and when you're trying to handle six gaps with four guys, you got to be a little more controlled in your pass rush.

Even then KU didn't run the ball particularly well. The defense also seemed to come down after a lights out game against OU.

CB/Jon J: Kansas played a darned good game on offense. They switched between misdirection and running quarterback draws with Reesing, who did a good impersonation of his old playmaking self. The playcalling was just enough to confound the Husker defensive line.

BOTC: What has been Nebraska's biggest problem on offense this year?

Mike: I think there are two problems at the heart: (1) Injuries at I-back. Roy Helu has been banged up and Rex Burkhead has been out for over a month. Even Dontrayeveous Robinson got banged up late against Baylor. Nobody has that much depth to handle that rash of injuries and not be limited. (2) Lack of talent at wide receiver. We're learning just how good Nate Swift and Todd Peterson were last season now that they're gone. Their backups have failed miserably, and Nebraska has resorted to playing a juco transfer and a center fielder from the baseball team. Niles Paul is really the only playmaker at receiver, and while he's made some incredible plays, his two fumbles against Texas Tech and Iowa State changed those ballgames.

JLew: See Mike's answer, and I'll add finding an identity. NU started the year trying to run a West-coast spread offense, which they couldn't do against better teams with our talent at WR. Now NU seems to have settled into a heavy formation, I-Back, play-action, bootleg offense.

CB/Jon J: For me the biggest issue is the offensive line. They've played decently, but had way too many mistakes this season. Holding calls brought back a touchdown pass against Virginia Tech that would have won the game, personal foul penalties have cost the Huskers badly when deep in red zone territory, and numerous false starts. Dumb stuff, really. Most of the line is made up of Bill Callahan recruits so they're big and slow. The current coaching staff can only do so much to correct that problem.

BOTC: Pretend you're the coach for a minute (you have to wear an oversized sweatshirt and chew your gum really hard while you answer this question): Do you let Adi Kunalic kick it deep, banking on a touchback and risking that he misses and Brandon Banks gets a shot at a return, or do you squib it to keep it out of Banks' hands?

Mike: Start off trying to get it in the end zone. Then kick it out of bounds if you have to.

JLew: Hmmm predicted 10-15mph winds from the South. So half the time Adi should be able to clear the endzone. Other than that I think Pelini will challenge his special teams to stop Banks, and kick it deep.

CB/Jon J: Depends on the wind, really, what kind of weather hits Memorial Stadium Saturday night. If it's calm and the wind isn't swirling, I'm kicking it deep.

BOTC: Finally, most Husker fans are pretty confident that this game will be won if NU plays well, but what about that spread? Will the Huskers cover a 16.5-point spread?

Mike: I think they can; they've shown the ability to move the ball at times. The biggest concern to me is turnover margin; KSU is 2nd in the Big XII in this statistic, and Nebraska has had issues throughout Big XII play with ball security. If NU takes care of the ball, I think they can win this game handily. If KSU forces turnovers, all bets are off.

JLew: NU has had no turnovers in the OU and the KU games. Against Baylor Green the freshman QB had a pick 6. So the last couple of games NU has taken care of the ball pretty well. On the other hand, KSU's defense has been able to force some with some hard hits. I don't think I'd take the Huskers in this one. I wouldn't surprised if they covered, but I wouldn't bet on it.

CB/Jon J: The point spread is 16.5 points? Who the hell bets real money on this stuff, nutballs and addicts?

Thanks again to the guys from Corn Nation for answering our questions.

Nebraska vs. Kansas State - Why The Huskers Will Win

Jon Johnston — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:09:44 -0000

More photos » by DAVE WEAVER - AP

Expect greatness to shine through Suh as he plays his last home game in front of Nebraska's sell-out crowd.

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- Strength vs Strength

Kansas State's primary offensive strength in their running game. They lead the nation in time of possession and they're accustomed to slugging it out, sustaining drives and maintaining ball possession. 25 of their 42 scoring drives this season have gone for over 50 yards, and 12 of those consisted of ten or more plays.

Running back Daniel Thomas is of the big bruiser variety, at 6'2", 227 pounds. He's complemented by Keithen Valentine who has more speed and moves than Thomas, but at 5'8" and 193 pounds, doesn't have his size. Bill Snyder will pound Thomas at the Husker defense repeatedly, hoping that something will break. Thomas has had five 100-yard games this season, his high of 185 yards coming against in-state rival Kansas when he averaged 7.71 yards per carry. Thomas is a receiving threat as well, with 21 receptions for 206 yards.

Nebraska's defense is third in the nation against the run with All-America candidate Ndamukong Suh and Jared Crick stuffing the middle. The Wildcats should find themselves unable to sustain long drives without striking some offensive balance. Quarterback Grant Gregory is not a dual-threat type guy, but he is elusive and can scramble well enough to buy time when passing. At least that's been the case against other teams. Gregory will find himself in a different situation running from the speed that is the Husker defensive line.

Kansas State will find their offensive strength negated by the Blackshirt defense. They'll play conservative, preferring to keep the score low, stay in the game and hope that the Huskers make mistakes that give them a short field. Even then, the Wildcats will have to rely on their....

- Play Maker

The Wildcats primary playmaker is 5' 7", 150 pound Brandon Banks. Banks is very similar to Darren Sproles who's in his fifth year in the NFL, and at 5' 6" is the shortest player in the league. Banks has Sproles primary super power - amazing speed. Banks leads the NCAA with four touchdowns in kick returning. Adi Kunalic should negate at least some of Banks' returns with touchbacks, although his kicks might be affected by the wind normally prevalent at this time of year.

Kansas State will be dependent upon a big play from Banks to win this game. He is the only true game-breaking weapon the Wildcats have. He is the Wildcats leading receiver with 51 receptions for 657 yards and one touchdown, and they will run reverses with him to get him to the edge of the field. If Husker special teams can cover returnable kicks and keep Banks in front of them, the Wildcats will find themselves in serious trouble. Especially if they don't get a.....

- Fast Start

The recipe for disaster for KSU includes having to play from being behind by two scores because that situation doesn't play to their basic strengths (see sustained drives, above). Most teams will defer the kickoff to the second half, but don't expect that to be the case with Bill Snyder if there is a strong wind Saturday night. He'll want to go into the wind and see if Banks can return one of Kunalic's kicks early in the game.
Bill Snyder made an excellent hire in Assistant Head Coach and Co-Defensive Coordinator Vic Koenning. Koenning came from Clemson after they chose Dabo Swinney as head coach. Koenning's Clemson defenses finished in the top 25 in several defensive categories in each of his four years with the Tigers. Koenning will have his defense stacking against the run, hoping to minimize Nebraska's first down plays, thus forcing them into throwing on third down. That will increase the chances for the Wildcats to pick up a turnover or two. However, Koenning's efforts should go to naught as the Huskers finally have....

- An Offense Found

The Wildcats' 2008 defense was hideous, comparable to the 2007 Husker defense in Bill Callahan's final year as head coach. They've made a great leap forward this season under Koenning, but are still having problems with pass defense. The Wildcats three top tacklers are in the secondary with free safety Emmanuel Lamur leading the way with 61 tackles. Lamur is an all-around talent, blocking two kicks this season, including one against Iowa State with :32 left to give the Wildcats a one-point win. Cornerback Joshua Moore is the second leading tackler with 57 total tackles.

If KSU has a defensive star in the making, it's in safety Tysyn Hartman, who's third in total tackles, has four interceptions, a forced fumble, and six pass breakups. Hartman is the Wildcats second punt returner behind Banks with a 13.1 yard average.

The Kansas game saw a Husker offense finally come together with big plays from Zac Lee, Roy Helu and Niles Paul. Expect the same type of game plan this week, with the Huskers seeking to establish a strong running game early then loosen up the defense with play-action passes to Niles Paul, Mike McNeill or one of the other Husker tight ends. The key will be consistency, some of the same things I talked about earlier this season - minimizing negative plays, protecting the ball and sustaining drives by picking up short third down situations. The offensive line should be able to break Helu into the second level, at which case it'll be a great night for the Husker offense.

If the Huskers can minimize turnovers, pick up third downs, and get a lead, they should keep it because of it'll be.....

- An Emotional Night With Both Teams Playing For High Stakes

The Big 12 North title is on the line for both teams. A bowl trip is on the line for Kansas State as they played two FCS opponents earlier in the season and can count only one towards bowl eligibility. All of the aforementioned will be trumped by the fact that it's Senior Night at Nebraska and you know that the Huskers will be pumped high with emotion.
The emotion of this game will keep the Huskers from falling into the same trap that nearly cost Oklahoma a game against the Wildcats. The Sooners got off to a 28-6 lead in the first half, then relaxed as KSU scored 17 unanswered points. The Sooners looked to put Kansas State away, taking a 35-23 lead in the fourth quarter, but KSU answered when Banks returned a touchdown to cut the Sooner lead to 35-30. The Sooners won, 42-30, but the Wildcats didn't quit and make Oklahoma earn their victory.

Expect none of that Saturday night. There will be no let up in the Blackshirts. Expect Crick and Suh to dominate the Wildcat offensive line. Expect the Huskers to take a healthy lead and hold it. Expect Nebraska to win the Big 12 North.

In Perspective: Further Nebraska vs Kansas State Statistical Comparisons

Jon Johnston — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:38:25 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

Is that a legal tackle? Arrrghhh!!!

Browse more photos »

It's safe to say that the game against Kansas State is being viewed with cautious optimism. The cautious part comes from still not having a real solid handle on what's going to happen with our offense, while the defense, even after the defensive line disappeared against Kansas, should give Husker fans plenty of optimism no matter the opponent.

Statistics obviously don't tell the whole story about a team, but looking at them can give you a good idea about what they do well and don't do well. Most of that is after the jump. KSU went 2-2 in non-conference, then picked up wins against Iowa State, Texas A&M, Colorado, and a surprising rivalry win over Kansas, a team that's coming apart.

I don't feel bad about this game. There's nothing that says we shouldn't beat Kansas State by double digits. Their primary offensive strength, the running game, plays right into our primary defensive strength. Their defensive weakness doesn't necessarily align with our offensive strength, running, unless Zac Lee and Niles Paul can duplicate the big play display they put on against Kansas.

	Nebraska		Kansas State
	National	Big 12	National	Big 12
3rd Down Conversions	60	8	96	12
Red Zone Conversions (Score %)	73	8	96	11

Turnover Margin	59	7	22	2
Sacks	15	4	68	10
Tackles for Loss	27	3	87	11
Sacks Allowed	32	4	64	7
Punting (Avg)	61	6	93	10
Punt Returns	40	5	47	8
Kickoff Returns	46	6	6	2
Penalties (Yds/G)	106	9	79	3

- Some good news! Nebraska's national ranking in red zone conversions rose from 97th to 73rd after the KU game!

- Kansas State's red zone conversion ranking looks awful, doesn't it, worse than Nebraska's. The news for Wildcat fans gets worse. In September and October, KSU was scoring touchdowns over 65% of their trips to the red zone. In November, that percentage has dropped to14.29%, while the field goal percentage has increased from 6.67, 17.39 and then to 42.86 in November.

- The Huskers had a horrible October regarding red zone conversions. Score percentage dropped from 94.12 in September to 57.14 in October. Part of that drop is understandable, having transitioned from non-conference to Big 12 play, but there was the downpour in Missouri, Iowa State and Texas Tech. November has seen the score percentage go back up to 88.89%, with equal parts touchdowns and field goals (44.44% each).

- If we can stop Brandon Banks from having good returns on kickoff returns, it'll go a long ways to a win. You're thinking I'm Captain Obvious, right? Well, yes, but trying to emphasize a point as well as Banks currently leads the NCAA in kickoff return touchdowns with four. He's currently ranked ninth in kickoff return average at 29.92 yards per return. The good news? Banks hasn't returned a touchdown yet in November and his average has dropped to 20.67 per return.

- If you're not thinking about Husker kicker Adi Kunalic here, you should be. Kunalic is third nationally in touchbacks with 23, and third in touchback percentage with 41.07. Can't score if you don't have the ball - there's your Captain Obvious for you!

- Niles Paul is showing he's no slouch. Nebraska's kickoff return ranking went from 74th to 46th after the Kansas game. Paul had two returns against Kansas for 72 yards, including a return for 44 yards that set up the go-ahead score.

- Take away (pun!) the eight turnovers against Iowa State, and Nebraska would be +9 on the season in turnover margin. That would be good enough for a 15-ranked spot. Ah, well.

- Looking at explosive plays from both quarterbacks: Zac Lee has completed 71 passes for first downs, with 35 of those going over 15 yards, and 19 going over 25 yards. Grant Gregory has only 43 passes for first downs, 22 of 15 plus, and eight of 25 yards or more. Lee has attempted 227 passes to Gregory's 144, so Gregory has had a third less opportunities for big plays. I find the eight for 25+ for Gregory a little surprising given Banks' existence.

- Explosive plays in the running game. Nebraska has had 344 rushes, 41 of which have gone for 10 yards or more, and 18 of 20 yards or more. 12 of those big plays are from Roy Helu Jr, two from Traye Robinson, one from Niles Paul, Zac Lee, Cody Green... and I'm missing one.

- KSU has 470 rushes with 71 going for 10 yards or more, and 19 going for 20 or more. Half of the 20-yard plus gains have come from running back Daniel Thomas, five from backup running back Keithen Valentine, two from Banks, one from Gregory and the guy we expected to start at quarterback, Carson Coffman.

- I'm going to change this format so that it's easier to read, incorporates both statistical articles for next week and start using that from now on. Any suggestions or items you'd like to see are encouraged. Or, if you like splitting the statistics stuff into two..... well, anything. I'm all ears. Ha!

SB Nation 2009 Big 12 Preview: Nebraska Cornhuskers Team Capsule

Jon Johnston — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 02:32:52 -0000

The SB Nation Big 12 preview will post on Friday at The Ralphie Report. The following is the Nebraska team capsule for the conference-wide preview piece in conjunction with CBS Sports.

Expect the Blackshirt defense to be much improved in Bo Pelini's season. They should carry Nebraska to a Big 12 North win this season. Photo by Dennis Hubbard

The Outlook

Anything less than winning the Big 12 North will be a disappointment. The success of the 2009 Husker offense will depend on Nebraska establishing a firm ground attack, providing time for Lee and the receiving corps to develop into a balanced attack. If the Huskers find themselves one-dimensional, they'll have to rely on their defense to carry them to the Big 12 Championship game, but the margin for error will be very thin.

Offense

In 2009, the offense begins with I-backs Roy Helu Jr. and Quentin Castille. In 2008, Helu was bothered by a shoulder injury at the start of the season, but emerged as a star in November, rushing for 510 yards and five touchdowns in the final four games. For the season, he averaged 6.4 yards per carry, which is the highest of any returning back in the North division. Castille was the third back most of the season, but rushed for 125 yards in the Gator Bowl.

Replacing Joe Ganz at quarterback will be junior Zac Lee. Lee, who played sparingly last season, might be Nebraska's most talented quarterback since Eric Crouch. At San Francisco City College in 2006, Lee threw for over 3400 yards and 35 touchdowns. Lee is mobile as well, with 4.6 speed.

Nebraska's top returning receiver is tight end Mike McNeill, who'll probably be the best tight end in the conference not named Jermaine Gresham. Menelik Holt and Niles Paul look to be the top two wide receivers in 2009. Holt was hampered by a knee injury that caused him to miss most of four games last season. Paul's biggest contributions to date have been on kick returns, with an 85 yard touchdown return against San Jose State last season. A group of inexperienced but talented receivers will fight for playing time and to fill out the remaining positions.

Three starters return up front, including honorable mention all-Big XII center Jacob Hickman, who may move to guard this season. Juniors Keith Williams and Mike Smith return to anchor the left side of the line. If Hickman moves to right guard, sophomore Mike Caputo will take over at center. Other candidates for the right side include tackle Marcel Jones and guards D.J. Jones and Ricky Henry.

Defense

The defense is lead by pre-season All-American defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who is also a top-ten NFL draft prospect. The defense will be dependent upon Suh to make plays or occupy enough blockers to make them better. Expect sophomore Jared Crick to start alongside Suh, with redshirt freshman Baker Steinkuhler in the rotation.

Defensive end Barry Turner returns this season after breaking his leg in early 2008. Pierre Allen did an excellent job filling in his position last season. Between Suh, Crick, Turner and Allen, Nebraska's defensive line should be one of the best in the conference this season.

At linebacker, no fewer than ten players are fighting for three starting positions. Phillip Dillard returns as the most experienced of the bunch, but after a lackluster spring must fight his way back into the starting rotation. Pelini has so far refused to name starters to keep the competition going, but you could expect redshirt freshmen Will Compton and Sean Fisher to win some starts, along with sophomore Matthew May.

The secondary returns with much more depth than the previous season. Prince Amukamara and Anthony West return as starters at the corners. Anthony Blue returns after sitting out 2008 with a knee injury. Lance Thorrell should reprise his role in the dime package. Larry Asante is the top returning starter at safety, and should make the All-Big 12 list by the end of the season. Eric Hagg should keep his spot as the other starting safety, splitting time with Matt O'Hanlon. Rickey Thenarse must have a good fall camp to fight off redshirt freshmen Courtney Osborne and P.J. Smith. The defensive secondary had too many break downs last season, but that should be much improved this year.

In a single season, Bo Pelini turned around a defense that finished near the bottom of the nation in several categories, and had them playing well enough to finish as one of the top defenses in the Big 12 by season's end. With a year of understanding Pelini's system behind them, expect the Blackshirt defense to become the bright spot for Husker fans this season.

Special Teams

Alex Henery returns as one of the most accurate kickers in the nation. In 2008, Henery went 18-21 in field goals and made 56 of 57 PATs. The Huskers will have to replace holder Jake Wesch and long snapper T.J. O'Leary, who have handled those duties over the past three seasons.

Kickoff specialist Adi Kunalic returns after finishing fifth the nation in touchbacks last season, giving the Huskers a formidable weapon in the kicking game. Henery may pull double duty and handle punting duty, a task for which he was originally recruited.

Nate Swift was the team's primary punter last season and must be replaced after having moved on this season. Niles Paul showed some promise returning punts, and should be more consistent this season. Newcomers Rex Burkhead and Antonio Bell will be considered as will redshirt freshman Tim Marlowe.

Niles Paul looks likely to replay his role as a kick returner after having a decent year in 2008. Two of the top five plays last season were Paul kick returns, including a 85-yard touchdown return against San Jose State. Alfonzo Dennard was one of only three true freshman to play last season and should handle return duties again this season. Sophomore Curenski Gilleylen and newcomers Burkhead and Antonio Bell may get their chance as well.

Kickoff coverage must get better as Nebraska finished 105th in the nation in last season. Watch for Bo Pelini to include some talented newcomers to the coverage team this season as the Huskers look for every edge possible to win the Big 12 North.

Key Losses

Joe Ganz, QB - The former bench warmer that nobody believed in until Sam Keller injured his collarbone. He came in and promptly put up three straight 400 yard games and showed a gritty resolve that endeared him to Husker fans. He leaves after setting 23 school records, including season records for passing yardage.

Nate Swift, WR - Departs as the Huskers record holder for career receptions, and ranks second for yards receiving all-time. Some might consider him a "possession" receiver, but he also had decent speed. In his senior season, he ranked 2nd in the Big XII and eighth nationally in punt returns.

Todd Peterson, WR - Along with Swift, gave Joe Ganz two dependable receivers. The pair combined for 125 receptions and over 1,700 yards.

Marlon Lucky, IB - The former five-star recruit never quite lived up to the hype from his high school days, but was a versatile weapon in all facets of the passing game.

Matt Slauson, OL - The anchor of the Husker offensive line the last few years, Slauson was drafted in the 6th round by the New York Jets, where he'll be reunited with Jets offensive line coach Bill Callahan.

Lydon Murtha, OL - Murtha was an enigma for the Huskers, as he had all of the measurables to be an impressive offensive line prospect, but never developed the consistency to be that dominant lineman that some projected. The Detroit Lions were impressed enough to take him in the seventh round of the NFL draft.

Zach Potter, DE - Potter became a dominant end in his final two seasons, showing a knack for deflecting passes and kicks. Last season, he blocked three kicks and deflected two passes to Ndamukong Suh, who returned both for touchdowns.

Ty Steinkuhler, DT - Steinkuhler was a bit of an unsung hero until the Gator Bowl last season. His presence prevented offenses from double-teaming Ndamukong Suh, as Clemson quickly learned.

Armando Murillo, CB - Nebraska's lone loss in the secondary, he was the Huskers most consistent performer in the secondary.

Dan Titchener, P - Three year starter who averaged 39.9 yards per punt in his career.

Newcomers

Pelini has already shown his penchant for retaining redshirts, so you shouldn't expect to see a lot of brand new faces this year.

Baker Steinkuhler, DT - Another Steinkuhler, the departing Ty's little brother. Should see plenty of playing time this season.

Will Compton, LB - the most likely middle linebacker of the future for the Blackshirt defense.

Sean Fisher, LB - having a break-out fall camp, should be expected to get a lot of starts this season.

Rex Burkhead, RB/KR/PR/? - Burkhead was a ‘do everything' guy in in high school, playing running back, quarterback, receiver, returning punts and kicks, along with taking out the trash. Truly a versatile player, probably too skilled to remain on the sideline this season as a true freshman.

Antonio Bell & Brandon Kinnie, WR - A pair of young wide receivers that should make some contributions and break into the starting rotation by the end of the season.

Big 12 Projected Order Of Finish:

North

Nebraska
Kansas
Colorado
Missouri
Iowa State
Kansas State

South
Oklahoma
Texas
Oklahoma State
Texas Tech
Baylor
Texas A&M

2009 Opponent Previews

Atlantic Owls
Arkansas St. Red Wolves
Virginia Tech Hokies
Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns
Missouri Tigers
Texas Tech Red Raiders owa St. Cyclones
Baylor Bears
Oklahoma Sooners
Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas St. Wildcats
Colorado Buffaloes

Nebraska’s Top Challenges Entering Spring Football

Jon Johnston — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 11:00:15 -0000

There might be nothing better on God’s green earth than spring football. For college football fans it’s like a big palm-tree laden oasis in the middle of a barren, desperate landscape. It provides a place of peace and relaxation, if only for a short time before a long journey starts again. At least that’s the case for the fans. For the players, it’s a whole lot of work in the hopes that the coaches will notice and move you up the depth chart in the fall.

Replacing Nate Swift Will Be One Of Nebraska's Top Priorities. It's Easier Said Than Done.

Bo Pelini had an exceptional rookie year as a head coach. His biggest problem will be that Husker fans expect his second year to be even better, even though he’s replacing the core of his offensive skill positions. If that’s to happen, several challenges that face the 2009 version of Husker football must be solved.

The list of top challenges can be found after the jump:

- Quarterback Auditioning

The most surprising news of the spring was the announcement that Patrick Witt had left the Husker football team. Witt’s departure lead to rampant speculation as to the cause, but regardless of the reasons, his choice left the quarterback position a little understaffed. With Witt, Nebraska had two quarterbacks who’d been around long enough to know the offense and take snaps on the field wearing a Nebraska uniform. Without him, there’s only one, Zac Lee.

Zac Lee holds the clear lead on the starting job due to his experience in learning Shawn Watson’s complex offense. Newcomer Cody Green has all the hype going for him - enough that everyone seems to have forgotten Kody Spano - but the best scenario would be that Spano and Lee perform well enough on the field in the fall that Green can take a redshirt season to further his development.

The key to the quarterback position in spring is simple enough - learn more of the offense to the point that you’re comfortable calling and executing the plays. After that, don’t do anything stupid, and don’t get injured.

- In A Word, Dependability

It’s not hyperbole to say that replacing the combination of Nate Swift and Todd Peterson may be one of the biggest personnel challenges the Huskers have faced in quite a long time. The pair accounted for more than half of the team’s touchdowns through the air, nearly half the total receiving yardage and along with Marlon Lucky, over half the receptions.

Swift and Peterson were remarkable in their ability to consistently find an opening in the opponent’s secondary, giving quarterback Joe Ganz a pair of dependable targets. I don’t recall a pair of receivers in Husker history who were better football players on the field at the same time.

When we talk about playmaking receivers, we frequently talk about that guy who can stretch the field, outrunning the defense while streaking down the field for the perfectly lofted long bomb. It’s that guy who makes the highlight reel and wins the Biletnikoff Award. While it’d be nice if one or more of our young receivers would assume that role those are not necessarily the guys we’re looking for.

Nebraska’s 2009 offense will need some of what it got in spades from Swift and Peterson, the ability to keep the offense moving in clutch situations. Moving the chains through the air to provide balance in the offense will be a huge key in success in 2009, meaning the replacements will need to step it up. It won’t just happen in a couple weeks of spring practice, it’ll take time. All the more reason for a strong work ethic, or in a word, dependability.

- Establish Run Blocking Dominance

If you had to choose one key to the 2009 season, it is in Barney Cotton’s ability to build a group that will establish physical dominance in the running game. Gone is last year’s right side of Slauson and Murtha, and while they excelled in pass blocking, they were slow off the ball when it came to establishing the run. Their replacements can’t afford more of the same this coming season.

Starting a new quarterback in combination with a relatively inexperienced set of receivers means that Nebraska must establish a solid running game this coming season. They are as responsible for replacing the Ganz-Swift-Peterson combination as are the receivers. If the run game can pick up four or five yards a carry, the passing game will have the time to take care of itself.

- Rebuild The Punting Game

Nebraska’s kicking game is in better shape than it’s been in quite a while. You couldn’t ask for a better duo than Alex Henery and Kunalic. Both are capable of winning games, as was evident with Alex Henery’s 57-yard game winner over Colorado.

Unfortunately, Nebraska’s punting game needs to be rebuilt. Nate Swift handled the majority of punt returns last season with Niles Paul getting some work. Paul showed flashes at times, but at others looked like a disaster waiting to happen. He must become more consistent. Better yet, Pelini needs to find a second punt returner. Spring football is the perfect time to provide that opportunity.

Nebraska will be looking for a new punter as Dan Titchener and Jake Wesch have moved on. Punting is as important as any other phase of the game, especially when you’re trying to return to the top of your conference.

- Push The Performance Higher

Pelini redshirted a few guys that might have been able to help him in his first season. It would have been easier to put Will Compton, Sean Fisher, or Baker Steinkuhler on the field to see how’d they do, but that’s not the route Pelini chose. He chose to invest in the future.

The redshirt year allowed those players to get stronger, more knowledgeable, and most importantly, more comfortable within Pelini’s system. They won’t be trying to learn at the same time they’re trying to figure out what college life is all about. They’ll be ready to take their shot and earn their time on the field. If you’re a returning starter, you can’t assume you’ll get your old job back. You’ll have to earn it.

Case in point is Phillip Dillard. A year ago, Dillard was the most experienced linebacker in a unit that had serious depth issues. It wasn’t that difficult for Dillard to keep his job, at least not as difficult as it will be this coming season. He’s not the only returning starter, and there are even more players gunning for his position.

Pelini’s choice to redshirt increased the depth across the board, increasing the competition for positions. The upper tier players cannot afford to give anything but their best effort, or they will find themselves replaced. Best effort must start in spring and continue through the fall. Anything less and the young, hungry wolves will get you.

- Follow The Leaders

If Nebraska is going to make it back to the top tier of college football, a new group of leaders must be found. The kind of leadership I’m talking about isn’t the kind that’s on the field, but must find itself dwelling in the core group of players who will hold their teammates accountable for their actions off the field.

After spring football begins the nuclear winter occupying May to August, an unbearably long time for college football fans. Leaders will assure the long layoff isn’t just that - a layoff, where guys take extended time away from weight and conditioning training.

- Back to that 'Stupid' Thing

This one is a little tongue in cheek, but not by much. If players thought they lived in a fishbowl during the regular season, the spring season can be much worse. The downside of spring football is that everything is magnified.

When 80,000 people show up for the spring game, they’re expecting a show. They’ll be looking for great plays on both sides of the ball. One poor performance will stick in their minds for months regardless of whether is has anything to do with what might happen in the fall. One stupid pass, one stupid fumble is all it takes. It may not make a difference to the coaches, but the players will hear about it and read about it.

The other unfortunate part of stupidity is this - get caught doing anything that requires a police report and your name will appear on every web site across the nation. It doesn't matter how minuscule it may appear. One not need look any further than Sam Keller’s cup throwing incident to be reminded of that.

- Pelini's Second Year Harder Than His First?

Bo Pelini has plenty of challenges facing him as he enters his second season. Take into account that he’s not a rookie coach anymore and you could argue that the challenges this year are greater than his first.

It'll be interesting to watch how Pelini handles his second year. Scratch that. It'll be more than interesting. It'll be entertaining.

San Jose State Postgame OverReaction - Humble Pie/Eating Crow Edition

Jon Johnston — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 20:46:04 -0000

All week long I’ve made fun of our opponent coming into this game. There was the 72-3 preview (which I wasn’t serious about 72-3, but maybe hopeful). There was the 56-20 prediction. Humble pie or crow, you can take your pick, but I deserve every bit of crap that anyone wants to give me this week.

- Time to adjust your expectations about this season. For those of you who pegged us at 10-2, what are you thinking now? Still possible with some corrections?

- Mike McNeil has to do a better job of blocking from the end position.

- Mike Huff is driving me crazy. The guy isn’t finishing his blocks. That can be corrected, but it’s reflected in the play of the rest of the line. The coaching staff can track all the pancakes they want, but until they start releasing the statistics or mentioning them you can be sure of one thing - this line isn’t being NEARLY as physical as it should be.

- On that same regard, Barney Cotton can defend his guys and he should. He’s right when he says that we can’t block five guys with four, but they’d better figure out how to correct the lack of a running game because we’re going to see that all season long

- For the game day thread, I made a reference to the movie ‘300’, stating that “They’re gonna get killed. The only question is whether or not they’ll be as dramatic in the process.” The Spartans played tough football, congratulations to them. They died when Kyle Reed left the field.

- I like the idea that Castille was back in the game not long after his fumble on the option play.

- Defensive line played very well. Two interceptions by defensive linemen? Think they have something to prove?

- Linebackers, secondary.… ah... not so much.

- Adi Kunalic is an underrated weapon that will serve us well in Big 12 play. Think Jeremy Maclin.

- After seeing the play several times, I am guessing that Barry Turner is done for the year.

- We found a return guy. Niles Paul changed the game, thank God.

- Penalties. Need I say more?