SB Nation - Joe Ganz

Should Shawn Watson and Barney Cotton Be Fired?

Jon Johnston — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:03:22 -0000

More photos » by Amy Gutierrez - AP

I know one of our guys is somewhere down at that end of the field.... here goes.....

Before I start, let me note that it's always an easy proposition to suggest firing people, especially when you're not the one that has to pull the trigger. If you've read my writing long enough, you know that I have a weak spot for firing people - I'm not part of the crowd that's constantly asking for someone to be shot in the head. It's too easy a solution, although I admit, a popular one.

I like the Shawn Watson's philosophy of a "multiple offense". I'm not ignorant of the fact that a powerful running attack is part of Nebraska's heritage, but the ability to shift into a spread and use the zone read and spread option plays give us a huge advantage over our opponents - we just didn't execute them well this season.

I disagree with the notion that Nebraska can't recruit skill position players that can run anything other than a power running game. If Bill Callahan could recruit decent quarterbacks (Zac Taylor, Joe Ganz) and receivers (Maurice Purify, Nate Swift), then why can't this staff?

You can write off some of the offensive problems as turnover in players, but only some. Still, the West Coast offense is largely dependent upon timing and that timing has to be developed between a quarterback and his receivers. We knew it would be tough to replace Joe Ganz, Nate Swift, and Todd Peterson, but I don't think anyone could have foreseen the difficulties Watson faced early in the season when the receivers were not performing as well as was needed. Menelik Holt started the first five games, then disappeared along with Curenski Gilleylen and Chris Brooks. Holt had 15 receptions for 175 yards, none after the Iowa State game. Brooks had 13 receptions for 177 yards, but none since Texas Tech when he had five receptions for 66 yards to lead the receivers. Gilleylen had 16 receptions for 299 yards, none after Iowa State.

They were replaced by Khiry Cooper and Brandon Kinnie. Kinnie finished the regular season with 13 receptions for 129 yards, with 12 of those receptions coming after Iowa State. Cooper's receptions were split throughout the season, as he finished with 13 receptions for 80 yards, with seven coming after Iowa State.

The only consistent receiver all season was Niles Paul and even he had problems (turnover at the goal line, Iowa State). Paul finished with 36 catches for 673 yards to lead the receivers, having six receptions against Iowa State and 13 the rest of the season.

That level of turnover doesn't allow a quarterback to develop the much heralded "chemistry" with his receivers. Granted, Lee's accuracy didn't seem to improve over the season, so you could argue it didn't make much difference as to whom he was throwing the ball.

As for Barney Cotton, the offensive line did progress somewhat throughout the season although the offensive output did not. The number of holding calls and false starts dropped as the season went on, and the line was asked to do a lot with defenses stacked against them to stop the run.

Add to that a general lack of depth. Jacob Hickman played well at center, and Ricky Henry started every game at right guard (the position that was unsettled before the season began). Marcel Jones and D.J. Jones played in rotation at right tackle while Mike Smith started every game at left tackle. Derek Meyer started when Keith Williams was injured, then Williams took over the starting left guard position for the final ten games. The loss before the season of Jaivorio Burkes at tackle and incoming freshman Brent Qvale certainly didn't help the depth issue. Off the top of my head, what we didn't see is the level of in-game rotation that we've seen in past seasons. (I"ll look into this more in the off-season.)

I suspect that most people would like to see Cotton fired because of his association with failed coaching regimes of the past (Solich at Nebraska, McCarney at ISU) rather than knowing much about offensive line coaching. In his defense, keep in mind that, other than Ricky Henry, these are still Bill Callahan's offensive linemen (In other words, Callahan's preference for size over speed still plagues the offense).

Going back to Watson, I'm not 100% sure what to think, other than he got hit with a perfect storm this season - a new starting quarterback, inconsistent receivers, and an offensive line that, well, had its problems. Add to these the fact that one quarterback left before the season started (Patrick Witt) while another was lost to injury at the start of the season (Kody Spano). Running back depth was severely hampered by dismissal (Quentin Castille) and injury (Roy Helu, Rex Burkhead).

A counter argument would point out that every team has to deal with injuries and then list all of the teams that did well despite them. For that, I have a response: Oklahoma.

The biggest problem with firing a coach, especially an offensive coordinator, is that you're going to throw away a year while the new guy implements his system. The counter argument here (I assume) is to bring in someone who runs a much simpler offense, so easy that you and I and a trained monkey can run it. Or perhaps magic happens and everyone instantaneously learns the new offense by having chips implanted in their brains or something like that. (If you're voting for a simplified offense, I vote for Texas Tech's then, because they replace quarterbacks and receivers year after year and seem to get the same fantastic results.)

So, give me your answer to the title question. Does one of these guys need to answer for this season? Or maybe both?

Q & A with Corn Nation

Seth C — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:00:20 -0000

Thanks to the fine friendly folks over at Corn Nation, DTN and CN have traded questions and answers regarding tomorrow's game (see all sorts of game-day coverage here). Enjoy.

I asked this same question of TB of Bring On The Cats and I'm curious as to what you believe to be the biggest change in philosophy of Bo Pelini from the Callahan regime? Name one thing on the field and one thing off the field.

Husker Mike: I about lost my lunch on Monday night when Jon Gruden started praising Bill Callahan for his teaching ability. Maybe that was true as a position coach, but all that when out the window when he became the man in charge. Teaching never really happened; Callahan just pushed as much as he could of his system, and never worried whether it was ever mastered or even understood. Pelini on the other hand is just the opposite; he wants players to know and understand their roles on the team and what they are doing right (and wrong, if you've ever caught him on the sidelines). Last year, he tried to get to fancy against Missouri and the team got slaughtered. He simplified the defenses the rest of the year, and the team finally started to get the concepts. On the field, he's concentrated on making the team more agile. Look at Ndamukong Suh now; he wouldn't even be considered in the NFL draft if Callahan was still at Nebraska. They wanted players bigger, and he wouldn't be in position to run down quarterbacks. He certainly wouldn't have been agile enough to be able to jump up, deflect, and intercept passes. In fact, that's a skill that Pelini had to teach the defensive linemen when he arrived.

JLew: Seems like an odd thing to ask TB, what does he care about Callahan and Pelini? I kid I kid. Can I say everything? Because it seems like everything in the program is different. I was going to talk about player development but Mike got to it first. So I'll say team toughness. There is a toughness that Bo's teams have taken from him, which the Huskers were missing under Callahan. Down in and to Missouri, in a cold rain the Huskers never gave in. That's not the case before Bo. Also Bo has the players believing they can win games.

Corn Blight: There's night and day difference between the two. Callahan had not a clue about how to manage people which is a requirement as a head coach. He has poor communication skills, micromanages instead of allowing others he's hired to do their jobs, and would give you up without ever being tortured. Bo Pelini is the exact opposite.

2. The Nebraska defense has been stellar all year, do you think there's an inherent advantage in playing a spread team like Missouri prior to Texas Tech and do you expect Nebraska to carry-over the same type of defensive scheme and game-plan this week?

Husker Mike: Well, it's better than playing a triple-option team, but Tech does things quite a bit different than Missouri. I do want to see how Tech tries to defend Ndamukong Suh with those wide splits. Missouri struggled with double-teaming Suh and Jared Crick, and forcing Blaine Gabbert to scramble with a bad ankle. Whichever Tech quarterback is going to need to be ready to either scramble or fire the ball, being careful to not let Suh get his mitts up.

JLew: Spread is such a ubiquitous word to describe those offenses. Pelini said this week that they are different, and so defending them is different. I think covering the Missouri receivers will be a good experience for our defensive backs though.

Corn Blight: I think there's a benefit to it, yes. There are enough similarities between Missouri's and Texas Tech's offenses that the coaches can be consistent in how they teach defense and make sure that the overall philosophy is intact before introducing the nuances of the week. Repetition is the key to getting something down so that you're no longer thinking about what you're doing, it becomes instinct.

Not only that, but playing against Missouri's spread allowed us to get more defensive backs experience on the field. I don't think you can say enough about the Husker secondary. They're all playing very well right now.

The same defensive scheme will apply - Nebraska will expect the front four to contain the run and put pressure on the quarterback. This will allow the back seven to be more flexible in what they're doing, whether it be cover or blitz.

One key to the Husker defensive line - they're not just blowing up the field. This is why you're not seeing high sack totals. Note that Suh has a lot of pass break-ups, but not a lot of sacks. They're plugging holes on the inside, while the ends are containing on the outside, not just pushing up the field.

3. NU has been more successful on offense than people give them credit (15th in the nation in scoring offense), what's the biggest reason for the success of the offense?

Husker Mike: Most Husker fans wouldn't agree with that assessment; Nebraska went 7 quarters without a touchdown against Virginia Tech and Missouri. Much of those stats were put up against Sun Belt teams, so you have to take those stats with a grain of salt. You did see a spark late against Missouri; the key is getting wide receivers like Curenski Gilleylen and Niles Paul deep to open up lanes underneath. That opens up tight end Mike McNeill and opens up the running game as well.

JLew: I think the offense has played well. Lee has struggled some on the road, and against better competition. But one game was against VaTech in Blacksburg, which was Lee's first start on the road and the other was in the driving rain in Columbia so we'll see how he plays as the season progresses. Watson has said that the offense will take what the defense gives them. Being adaptable has helped. Also NU has avoided turnovers on offense.

Corn Blight: Opposing fans keep expecting us to revert back to the glory days and run the ball a lot more than we do. I think a lot of Husker fans have that expectation as well. However, the versatility of Nebraska's offense is what makes it successful. If the defense stacks against the run, the pass is available. And vice versa.

Zac Lee has been pretty accurate at home, and it has been his accuracy that's hurt him in road games, not a lack of receivers being open or there being a lot of pressure.

4. Normally, Ndamukong Suh deserves his own question, but Suh's gotten so much press, tell us a bit about some of the other defenders who aren't getting as much credit because of the dominating presence of Suh?

Husker Mike: Jared Crick doesn't allow you to triple-team Suh. On one play last week, the Tigers tried to double-team Crick...and couldn't until they finally had to haul him down for a holding penalty. Another guy to keep an eye on is cornerback Prince Amukamara. He dropped a pick in the monsoon last week, and he's been stout on run defense as well. Dejon Gomes and Alfonso Dennard were inserted last week and are proving to be quite the playmakers back there as well.

JLew: I'd agree with Crick. The young linebackers have been playing well, with Dillard in there as well. As a whole the defense has been tackling well, they were lights out against Missouri.

Corn Blight: How the hell could you guys not mention safety Larry Asante? He's played very well this season.

5. Last year, Joe Ganz was outstanding at moving the chains and the Nebraska receivers did a tremendous job of just taking what the defense gave them, can you envision Zac Lee having a similar performance this year or do you foresee a different game-plan offensively?

Husker Mike: With injuries at running back, I think it's going to be almost a necessity for Zac Lee to keep the chains moving. Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson is a firm believer in taking what the defense gives you, and last week, that almost killed Nebraska. In that monsoon, the Tigers dared the Huskers to throw the ball, essentially using the weather as an extra 3 defensive backs. And throw they did, with miserable results for the first three quarters until the rain let up a bit.

JLew: I don't think as much. The game of keep away was really dependent on NU protecting a suspect defense. I think NU will take some shots down the field, and let the defense cause havoc.

Corn Blight: Well . . . I don't see much difference in the game plan, but I wouldn't expect the same performance. It'd be nice, but you have to give credit to the Ganz/Swift/Peterson threesome last season. Swift and Peterson were incredibly dependable and great at getting open. I'm not sure we have the same kind of receivers now. Do I sound a little skeptical about our offense.…. yeah, I do. That's because I am. Put it this way - we have a new quarterback with a lot of potential whose performed well at home against suspect competition. We have a bunch of decent receivers, but until Niles Paul's big play performance last week, none of them had particularly shown greatness. We have one of the best running backs in the Big 12, but our offensive line is only decent, not great. His backup, Rex Burkhead, is out "for a while" and had done a good job doing the tough running, but we now need to find a quality backup. There's a lot of reasons to be skeptical about the Husker offense. If they can sustain drives against Tech this weekend, more of those questions will be answered.

Nebraska's Keys To Victory Over Texas Tech

Jon Johnston — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:15:21 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee celebrates after throwing a 13-yard pass to wide receiver Niles Paul for a touchdown during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Missouri Thursday, Oct. 8, 2009, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Browse more photos »

If this game doesn't worry you at least a little, you're not paying attention. Forget that Tech is on the road. Forget that they don't have Michael Crabtree or Graham Harrell, they're still the same ol' Texas Tech that can put up yardage and points at a faster rate than nearly anyone in the nation.

Last year's Tech game was a freakazoid affair with Nebraska holding the ball for 40 minutes. The Huskers controlled the game with a ball control passing offense. Can that happen again this year? With Zac Lee as Joe Ganz, Niles Paul as Nate Swift, and a whole gob of other guys playing Todd Peterson, why not?

As much as you'd like to think Nebraska can line up in tight end heavy sets and pummel the Tech defense, it's not going to happen.

Take What You're Given

Much has been made this week about the Huskers throwing the ball so often in the rain at Missouri. Mid-week we discovered that Watson's calls were biased toward the rain, but changed to passes by Lee after reading the Missouri defense. I don't understand the angst over this, especially given the outcome of the game.

If Tech moves up to stop the run, then take what you're given and throw the ball. It would be foolhardy to run when you're outnumbered at the line of scrimmage. If that means throwing the ball 40 times, then so be it. Zac Lee has performed well at home, as has his receiving corps. There's no reason to expect that this game will be any different.

Keep in mind, it's not the Huskers who are looking for an offensive identity. It's the media that creates this "run the ball" frenzy so they can feed off it. The team is looking to win football games by whatever means they can. Keep in mind that we have one very good running back, while we have quite a number of very good receivers - Niles Paul, Mike McNeill, Curenski Gilleylen included.

If winning means Roy Helu gaining 150 yards on the ground, then yay for him. If it's Zac Lee throwing for 250 yards, then there's nothing wrong with that either.

Win First Down

This key, along with the first, are just another way of saying "ball control", and that is just another way of saying to win we need to keep Tech's offense off the field. I wouldn't expect the same level of a ball control offense we saw last season, but things will go much easier if we get solid yardage on first down.

Play selection is much easier when you're working with second or third and three as opposed to seven. Rex Burkhead will be missed because of his straight ahead tough running style, but Shawn Watson will have to discover that talent in another of his young running backs.

Eliminate Stupid

Last week, Nebraska recorded 12 penalties for 108 yards. Some of those can be written off because of the inclement conditions, but many of them were the result of poor discipline. Husker fans don't need to be reminded of the drive-killing nature of penalties.

We're midway through the season. It's time for the stupidity to end. Nebraska's offense can't afford to lose points because of it, especially not against a team that's known for rolling up yards and points like Tech.

The bottom line is this - the offense can't expect the defense to bail them out of every game this season, so stop shooting yourselves in the foot.

Control The Lines

Ndamukong Suh has played with such a fervor that it's difficult to imagine him being stopped by anyone, but in this game he'll be going up against one of the Big 12's best offensive linemen in Tech guard Brandon Carter. Let's assume that Carter is able to control Suh better than most, which means it will be time for Jared Crick, Pierre Allen, and Barry Turner to get some big plays.

The rest of Suh's counterparts will need to get pressure on Tech's quarterback, but they'll also be responsible for stopping Tech's running game, ala the 11 touchdowns on the ground alluded to earlier this week. That means controlling the gaps, standing your ground and getting an even push upfield. It does not mean exploding up the field in an all-out pass rush.

The offensive line must perform better to win this game. They'll need to pick up the short yardage situations to sustain drives. They must also be better disciplined in run blocking, not allowing linebackers to shoot through and blow up a play because someone missed an assignment.

It will be a good sign if Nebraska is able to run the ball in the middle of Tech's defense. Last week we were all about running wide. If we're going to run the ball, we need to make sure we're getting yardage in the middle as well as the edges.

Five Reasons Texas Tech Will Lose :: Nebraska Cornhuskers Edition

Seth C — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:00:27 -0000

This weekly feature considers five reasons why Texas Tech will win and five reasons Texas Tech will lose to each opponent. Check back tomorrow for "Five Reasons Texas Tech Will Win :: Nebraska Cornhuskers Edition".

Reason #1 :: Dominant Defensive Line: It's not cool to gush about a defensive lineman so much, but Saturday should be an absolute treat in that we'll have the opportunity to watch one of the more dominant defensive linemen I've seen in quite some time. We talked yesterday about how Ndamukong Suh can affect the passing game a number of ways, but there's quite a bit of talent along that defensive line where Jared Crick has been good, but the strange part is that the 2 defensive ends aren't putting a ton of pressure on opposing quarterbacks. DE's Pierre Allen and Barry Turner have 1 sack each and I get the feeling that their job is to stop the run and contain the edges. And that's working to the tune of allowing 8.00 points a game. That's good for 2nd in the country and quite frankly, a shocking number.

Reason #2 :: An Inexperienced QB: As much as Texas Tech fans have discussed the Potts vs. Sheffield debate, there is one certainty in that Sheffield has never played a game in front of a crowd quite like Nebraska. To say that it's not going to matter just isn't true. It does matter. Playing on the road, almost always has an effect on the players and it hasn't looked as if Sheffield has been shaken much, but we're talking about a completely different animal in Lincoln. I'd love to say that it won't have any effect on Sheffield whatsoever, but in trying to be realistic, I do think there will be situations where the Red Raiders will need to overcome mistakes and going into hostile environments, on the road can be very tough, just ask me about my trip to Norman last year.

Reason #3 :: Converting in the Red Zone: It seems like a perfect combination for success is have a defense that only allows 8 points a game (this will obviously increase in conference play) and an offense that will convert red-zone scores. For the year, Nebraska is 19 of 20 in converting in the red-zone, converting 14 of those scoring opportunities into touchdowns and the remaining 5 into field goals. I think this is more of a case of doing what the offense asks you to do, which is not turn the ball over (only 1 a game) and put points on the board. That's not a bad way to win games and thsu far, that's exactly how Nebraska has done it thus far.

Reason #4 :: Offensive Patience: I think we all came away from that game thinking that the bend-but-don't-break defensive philosophy was multiple punches to the gut. It was a very patient Joe Ganz who kept the chains moving, along with very capable possession receivers who seemed to tower over the Texas Tech defensive backs. This morning, DC Ruffin McNeill stated that Nebraska completely changed their offense prior to last year's game (perfect question for Ask a Husker):

"They changed their whole offense before our game last year,’’ said McNeill, who said what Nebraska ran was nothing like what he had watched that week on videotape. "Totally different plays. Totally different passes."

If that's the case, then I can only hope that things will change this year as the Red Raiders will have had a full year to game-plan. What we have seen on the field though is a Texas Tech defense that has played more aggressive, especially with CB's Jamar Wall and LaRon Moore, but don't think for a second that the Cornhuskers won't try to wear down the Red Raider offense.

Reason #5 :: Playing the Spread: I think it works to Nebraska's advantage to play two spread offenses two weeks in a row, Missouri and Texas Tech. I know, more and more teams are moving to the spread, so it's not that big of a deal, but I'm guessing that it's much easier for a defense to prepare for similar offenses. Last week, Missouri struggled against a Nebraska defense and there's something to be said about the downpour of rain (this weekend's weather looks to be perfect) and it's affect on the players, but I think it's silly to deny that Nebraska simply wore Nebraska down in the 4th quarter. It should also be mentioned that the Mizzou QB Blaine Gabbert was injured on one of the early series, affecting the game. Nebraska is going to get after who ever is at quarterback and it will be interesting how Pelini will adjust this week.

Nebraska's Keys To Victory over Florida Atlantic

Jon Johnston — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:15:09 -0000

by DAVE WEAVER - AP

Ndamukong Suh, demonstrating how he can crush an opposing quarterback into a tiny little ball.

View full size photo »

Finally, the season begins tomorrow. Seems like a forever ago when we were watching Clemson get more and more frustrated as the Blackshirt defense shut down them in the second half of the Gator Bowl.

Husker players have to be anxious to pound on someone else and the Florida Atlantic Owls are a perfect opponent to start the season. They're from Florida, the hotbed of talent, and any time you can crush a Florida team it's a good thing. Forget that they burned a giant "N" to get ready for the season, and one of their players has stated that they'll win - this is normal pre-game "get yourself fired up" stuff that we make too much about.

Note that none of the keys to tomorrow's game are centered around Zac Lee. Over the season, Lee may become the playmaker Husker fans are looking for, but the only important thing for him in his first game is to run the offense and let the rest of his team carry most of the load.

Physical Dominance

It's become a mantra in the offseason - new quarterback, unproven receivers, establish the running game. The opponent is coming in with a weak defensive line, so it's a perfect opportunity to start the season establishing consistency in the running game. That starts by being physically dominant on offense with the offensive line. The unit must grow together before they go on the road to face one of the best defensive lines in the nation at Blacksburg, so they need to get started early.

Tell-tale sign - if Nebraska doesn't have at least one back over 100 yards and another close, then there'd better be a wide distribution of carries.

Discipline

Florida Atlantic can't run the ball at us, and they can't rely on a five-step drop passing game. It'd be a safe bet you're going to see a fair number of misdirection plays, screens and draws - anything to keep Nebraska's defense off-balance and guessing.

The Huskers have two redshirt freshmen starting at linebacker. Coming out in front of 80,000+ for the first time, they'll be nervous, but want to show they're capable of making plays. What they'll need to do is stay disciplined, play their assignments and let the rest take care of itself.

Discipline means being where you're supposed to be all of the time. Last season the secondary suffered frequent break downs in assignments. Anyone else get the feeling that won't be tolerated from the beginning this year?

Start the Stats Counter Early

For the past two seasons, Husker fans have feasted on offensive statistics - the yardage that Joe Ganz racked up in his relatively short time as a starter; Nate Swift breaking the all-time reception record; Nebraska being consistently in the top rank for offensive production. Those statistics were generated when the defense struggled and the offense was forced to carry the team. That should no longer be the case.

The Owls offensive line should be eaten alive by the Huskers, perhaps swallowed whole. Ndamukong Suh, Jared Crick, Pierre Allen, and Barry Turner should end up with a number of sacks and/or hurries. Both of those will lead to the key defensive statistic - turnovers.

If Nebraska is going to win the Big 12 North, turnover margin will be a key factor in their success. Taking away the ball early in the season will allow it to become second nature later in the season, against conference foes when we need it.

Countdown to Husker Football Season: #5 - How Does Zac Lee Perform Under Pressure?

Jon Johnston — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:42:01 -0000

More photos » by Nati Harnik - AP

Zac Lee - Does the 2009 season ride on his shoulders?

Browse more photos »

All Husker fans should know that five is one of the most important numbers in Nebraska football history because it stands for the five national titles we've won. However, those don't matter this season. National titles can't get on the field and make a tackle, block a kick, or run for a first down. History and tradition don't matter a darned bit to the players on the field.

What does matter is how this year's #5, Zac Lee, plays the game. He's been around long enough to learn the offense. It's his time, his shot at being a leader. Everything sounds great, but everything sounds great in August. what happens when he's taking snaps in front of 80,000+ people who are expecting great things out of him.

Obviously the quarterback position is of vital importance no matter who's taking the snaps, but since this year's Husker team isn't strong enough on the offensive line and backfield to rely solely on the running game, Lee will have to perform in the passing game. He'll have to make plays with his feet.

The pressure on Lee is enhanced due to the fact that there's no one behind him. Sure, true freshman Cody Green and converted linebacker Latravis Washington are listed at quarterback on the depth chart, but it's unrealistic to expect that they've learned the offense by now.

Nebraska runs a pro-style offense in that the play call tells contains assignments for every position. This allows young players like Red Burkhead to get on the field quickly because Burkhead doesn't need to know what the receivers are doing, but only follow the I-backs assignment. The learning curve is greatly reduced - for everyone except quarterbacks. The quarterback has to know what everyone is doing . That's why it's so difficult for quarterbacks to learn the offense while others can pick it up with relative ease.

Going back to that point about making plays. It's not as important that this year's offense scores 40 points a game. It is important that Lee understands that and doesn't make boneheaded mistakes that put the Blackshirt defense at a disadvantage. If Lee can avoid mistakes (turnovers), the Huskers should have a great season. If not.... well...

The Huskers are five days away from Lee taking the field as their full-time starter. In talking about expectations, Husker fans are hoping he's better than Joe Ganz. I only hope he's smart.

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

Countdown to Husker Football Season: #19 - Quentin Castille Will Pack A Big Load This Season

Jon Johnston — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:52:45 -0000

#19 comes to you by way of our ‘backup' running back - Quentin Castille. Castille enters his junior season having already played quite a bit during his first two seasons. As a sophomore last season he was the third-leading rusher behind Roy Helu Jr and Marlon Lucky. As a freshman, Castille was the second-leading rusher behind Marlon Lucky.

With the 2009 Huskers starting a new quarterback, you can bet that Castille will be a huge part of every game plan going into this season. It is imperative that Nebraska establish a strong running game early in the season, and Castille provides a perfect complement to starting running back Roy Helu Jr. Castille does not have Helu's break-away speed, as is evident in the video on the next page, but he is a more powerful back than Helu and hasn't had issues with injuries.

After the jump - the video may take a while to load - which is why it's not on the main page.

Castille has progressed significantly over the past two seasons - when he arrived at Nebraska he was primarily seen (and used) as a power back for goal line and short yardage situations. He proved himself capable of being a featured back when he took over full-time duties in last year's Gator Bowl against Clemson after both Marlon Lucky and Roy Helu were sidelined due to injury. Castille's two long runs of 58 and 40 yards were responsible for setting up ten of the Husker's points in the 26-21 come from behind win. His 20-yard pass reception came on a third and long play - Joe Ganz found Castille as a check down receiver, and Castille did the rest to pick up the first down. Those three plays alone show how far Castille has progressed as a back.

The greatest thing about Castille is that he's the backup. The fact that the Huskers have a backup who has two seasons left and has shown the abilities that he has bodes well for the running game this coming season.

(Clips were taken from last season's Gator Bowl DVD as part of the 2008 season package from bestofbigred.com. Clips require the Quicktime plug in.)

I look for great things from Castille this season. He's consistently improved his game, become a complete back, and shown the toughness required for his position. I have a hunch that he'll have a better season than Helu. I'm curious as to whether CN readers care to make any predictions about his 2009 season.....?

Big 12 Quarterbacks Through the Lens of the ATVSQBPI

Richard Pittman — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 09:30:09 -0000

As requested by LSUJonno, we continue looking at the And The Valley Shook Quarterback Productivity Index by looking at some different quarterbacks.

Again, here is the formula:

Passer Rating = (yards passing + yards rushing - yards lost by sack + 5*(First down completions and runs) + 20*Number of Touchdowns - 30*Number of Turnovers)/(Number of pass attempts + rush attempts).

And here is the post where we talk about how we came up with the formula, and why it's better than a traditional passer rating. Keep in mind, we have to take out the first down statistics, because we just don't have them.

On Saturday, we looked at the SEC Quarterbacks. Judging by the weekend traffic numbers, most of you missed it. So, if you want to see how the SEC quarterbacks stacked up, check out this link. Today, we take a look at the Big 12, which has a reputation for having had a whole lot of good quarterbacks and good passing teams. First, as with the SEC, let's look at our pre-suppositions, which are that the league had a lot more passing production than the SEC did last year, and that Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, and Graham Harrell were the best. How do the numbers bear out?

Check them out after the jump:

Big 12 Quarterbacks Productivity Index
Quarterbacks	ATVSQBPI (y/touch)
Sam Bradford, Oklahoma	10.72
Colt McCoy, Texas	8.93
Graham Harrell, Texas Tech	8.76
Zac Robinson, Oklahoma State	8.67
Chase Daniel, Missouri	8.17
Joe Ganz, Nebraska	8.00
Josh Freeman, Kansas State	7.75
Todd Reesing, Kansas	7.60
Robert Griffin, Baylor	7.51
Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M	6.50
Austen Arnaud, Iowa State	6.46
Cody Hawkins, Colorado	5.23

If you compare this to the SEC numbers, you are immediately struck by how inflated the numbers are. The SEC quarterbacks had no one with an ATVSQBPI above 8.73 and only 3 above 6.0. Eleven of the twelve QBs we're looking at in the Big 12 had ATVSQBPIs above 6, and the last place quarterback in the conference would have been mid-pack in the SEC with the same numbers.

The Big 12 really did have quarterbacks that were a lot more effective than the SEC quarterbacks. It does not answer the question of whether this was the result of a huge differential in talent at QB or a differential in defenses. I propose without proof or argument that it was probably a combination of the two in more or less equal quantities.

You would have also been right that Bradford, McCoy, and Harrell were the top 3, but the divide isn't between #3 and #4. The big divide is between #1 and #2. Bradford beats McCoy by almost 2 full yards per play, which is a HUGE difference. In contrast, the difference between #3 and #4 is not quite 0.1 yards per play, which is essentially a tie. When you consider that Zac Robinson of Oklahoma State saw his ATVSQBPI decrease markedly as a result of his running because he did a lot of designed runs, he may have actually been the second best QB in the conference.

I am still struggling with how to account for a quarterback who does a lot of designed runs. I think the index properly accounts for a "scrambling" quarterback, but not a quarterback who is essentially a running back taking direct snaps.

Unlike the SEC, you see not only an upper class (Bradford), but you also see a pretty significant underclass. Robert Griffin of Baylor is in 9th place, but he is not that far from the QBs a couple spots higher, and he is way ahead of #10. In the SEC, you saw only an upper class and a jumble in the middle, which may properly be called an underclass (leaving a distinct lack of a middle class).

In the SEC, you can look at the numbers and see that everyone other than Florida, Georgia, and Ole Miss were held back by their quarterback play. Here, only Texas A&M, Iowa State, and Colorado were really far behind the pack, while Oklahoma was set apart from the rest in terms of quality. In comparison only to other Big 12 quarterbacks, Sam Bradford was spectacular, while everyone from McCoy to Griffin were varying shades of good, while Johnson, Arnaud, and Hawkins hurt their team relative to other quarterbacks.

We'll go over numbers for some specific quarterbacks over the course of their careers another day.

Will Anyone Win the Big 12 North This Season?

TB — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:00:11 -0000

In case anyone was confused, of course the headline comprising the title of this post is a rhetorical question. No matter how bad the North champion is in comparison to the South champion, someone will be sent to Dallas to meet the winner (or winner*) of the South division.

That said, the Big 12 North may be as wide-open as it has ever been this season. It may be as bad as it's ever been, perhaps rivaling 2004, but that's another story for another day. With players reporting for fall camp and practice beginning this week, the question on everyone's mind is, of course: Who is going to win the North? Yesterday, I listened to Kevin Keitzman and Jack Harry, with nominal input from Danny Clinkscale, discuss this question at length on 810 WHB's Between the Lines.

Several teams can claim a legitimate shot at winning the North this season. Nebraska fans consider winning anything and everything associated with football their God-given birthright, so of course they expect to win the division this year. Down the river in Lawrence, KU has an entire advertising campaign titled "History Awaits." This would be an accurate slogan if the beaks were to win the division, as they remain grouped with Iowa State as the only two programs who have never won a single North crown. Missouri has won two straight North titles and rightly feels a bit slighted when relegated the status of afterthought in discussing the North. Out in Boulder, Dan Hawkins has tried to clarify his "10 wins and no excuses" comment, but there's still a feeling that the Buffs are a wildcard in the North this season.

When I initially considered this question sometime last spring, my knee-jerk reaction was that the North was probably Nebraska's for the taking this season. That sentiment may have arisen as much from my desire to see anyone other than KU win the North as my belief that Nebraska really was going to be a good team. But the more I thought about it, the more I could make an argument for, as well as against, any of the contenders.

My initial belief in Nebraska was based on the fact that some solid defensive playmakers like Ndamukong Suh and Barry Turner return for the (sort of) Big Red. Additionally, I figured that their main competition, KU, would probably wilt again under the weight of a crushing conference schedule against the South. However, further research indicated that the schedule argument could be made against Nebraska, too. The Huskers get the pleasure of trips to Lubbock and Waco, not to mention a visit from Oklahoma. That's not exactly the UT/OU/TTU gauntlet that faces KU, but it looks to me like a recipe for, at best, a 1-2 stretch against the South. Hell, if Robert Griffin and his cast of characters in Waco are as improved as their victory-hungry fans think they are, the trip to Waco is no sure thing, either.

In addition to the scheduling component, I had to consider the riotously funny exchange between Nebraska blogs and Missouri correspondent Mike DeArmond of the KC Star, and an insightful comment made to me last week by Bill C. of Rock M Nation. One of the big knocks against Missouri is that they lost their quarterback and two playmakers in WR Jeremy Maclin and TE Chase Coffman. Of course, Nebraska didn't face such similar losses. Except for losing QB Joe Ganz and WRs Nate Swift and Todd Peterson. Considering that Missouri was a demonstrably better football team than Nebraska the last two years, and has been on at least equal footing since about 2003, you can't simply eliminate Mizzou and elevate Nebraska on those grounds. Thus, my belief in Nebraska started to fade.

Onward, then, to the other fashionable preseason pick: KU. The beaks didn't face the loss of skill-position players like NU and Mizzou, as they return ~~Sodd~~ Todd Reesing at QB, Jake Sharp at RB, and Dezmon Briscoe at WR (at least as long as KU's crackerjack academic support staff makes sure he actually shows up at his classes this summer and fall). However, the beaks did face substantial losses on the offensive line -- which really wasn't much of a strength last season anyway -- and at linebacker, where all three starters from last season graduated. On top of that, everyone knows about the southern gauntlet KU faces this season, with trips to Austin and Lubbock and what is sure to be a pleasant visit to Lawrence from the Sooners. On top of that, KU faces Mizzou on a neutral field and gets to go to Boulder and visit a Colorado team it didn't exactly beat convincingly last season.

On Between the Lines yesterday, Keitzman came to the conclusion that the real wildcard in the North this season is Colorado, and I agree. If last season was an injury-addled aberration for the Buffs, they could be a contender in the North this season. Phil Steele agrees with that sentiment, and I'll generally follow Steele before I'll follow most partisans or regular journalists. But again, there's someting unsettling about relying on Cody Hawkins and Tyler Hansen at QB, and outside of the running back tandem of Darrell Scott and Rodney Stewart, there aren't a whole lot of playmakers on offense. And that's to say nothing of the decimated defensive line.

Finally, that brings us to Mizzou. I'm sure some of you think that, because I'm discussing them last, this is the team I've picked to win the North. Not so, my friends. I can't pick a team that lost so much firepower from the last few seasons and that will be featuring 25-30 freshmen and sophomores in the two-deep to win the division. However, Gary Pinkel and the Tigers have a few things going for them that the other North schools don't. First, they're in a relatively stable situation as compared to the other divisional contenders, and they've been in that relatively stable condition at a higher level than the other divisional contenders. Yes, they lost their coordinators, and that's always a concern. However, they promoted from within and, by doing so probably have a better chance of maintaining continuity. Second, their recruiting has been mostly on par with that of the rest of the Big 12 North the last few seasons. Couple that with the fact that Missouri has been getting better production out of the players they've recruited, and you can't write the Tigers off just like that. On the flip side, the schedule isn't especially favorable, as Mizzou faces trips to Boulder and Manhattan and a neutral-site game with KU. Getting Nebraska at home is an obvious bonus.

You may have wondered why I didn't talk about K-State, given that this is a K-State site and I've already expressed my inability to control my inner-irrational fandom about the upcoming season. The most optimistic part of me does see a scenario where, if everything breaks in our favor and the new coaching staff gets this team together early, we could ~~surprise shock~~ flabbergast the world and win the North this season. Of course, that's if everything goes right, and experience tells us that it's the rare situation in life where literally everything falls one's way. As you'll see later this week or next week when we post our projections for Bill Snyder's first year in the second go-round, none of us are predicting a division title for the Cats.

Anyway, my conclusion is that I really don't have a damn clue who is going to win the North this season. It's entirely possible that we may have our second season in a row in which a three-way tiebreaker decides a division champion, because I could see Nebraska, KU and Mizzou/Colorado all going 5-3.

I will, however, almost guarantee that there'll be at least one really big surprise in how the North turns out this season. Maybe Nebraska will be a juggernaut. Or maybe they'll realize how much they miss Ganz/Swift/Peterson and Bo Pelini will be on the hot seat after a disappointing season. Maybe Blaine Gabbert will be as good as advertised and Mizzou will roll to a third-straight division crown. Or maybe he'll endure first-year struggles, they'll have no decent replacement for Maclin/Coffman, and the defense will continue to suck (outside Sean Weatherspoon) and the Tigers will have their worst conference season in several years. Maybe KU will collapse under the weight of its own schedule and go 3-5 (we could only be so lucky). Maybe Colorado has its breakout season. Maybe everything breaks in K-State's favor and we're planning a surprise trip to Dallas this fall. Maybe Iowa State...never mind.