SB Nation - Niles Paul

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?

Morning Coffee: Sunshine Pumping Edition

GhostofBigRoy — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:24:37 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

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As mentioned in Sunday's Celebration and Reflection post, there is plenty of time for worrying about what went wrong against Nebraska and what could possibly go wrong against Alabama. In that spirit, here's a sunshine pumping edition of Morning Coffee focusing on the positives.

Eyes on the prize. For the Texas football team, there were three goals for the season -- winning the Big 12 South, winning the Big 12 championship game, and then making it to Pasadena to play for the national championship. With the weak schedule, each goal became absolutely necessary to reach the next. A loss in conference play might not have kept Texas out of the championship game for the Big 12, but it would have kept them from having a chance at Pasadena.

My oponent preview for The Eyes of Texas magazine this summer was entitled "Expect Perfection" -- that's been the narrative the entire season. In fact, that was the narrative even stretching back to last season, the reason why all that success seemed like such a bonus. Texas fans are famous for outsized expectations, but how could there be more pressure than for a fanbase to expect a berth in the national championship game for two full seasons? For anything less than perfection to be a monumental disappointment?

Even though this post will focus on the positives of the Nebraska game and future posts will analyze the numerous breakdowns, ultimately the eyes of Texas rest on the ultimate prize -- that crystal football. The parallels to the last Texas appearance in the Rose Bowl are significant and could grow even more pronounced if Colt McCoy loses the Heisman to Mark Ingram this weekend. Like USC, Alabama is highly favored in the game, with pundits across the country writing off the chances of the Longhorns, just as they did in 2005. Like the 2005 team, these Longhorns are led by an experienced quarterback, one of the greatest in the history of the program, and backed by defenses filled with future NFL players. The visit to Pasadena will seemingly complete the cycle, as McCoy will fulfill the trust that Vince Young put in him when Young told McCoy he would be the next quarterback at Texas before trotting onto the field to win the national championship. The symmetry is perfect, just like this season.

The bottom line is this -- in the only two close games this season, Texas found ways to win, the ultimate mark of a champion. There was no room for imperfection, the disappointment of a loss too great to even fathom. So they did not lose and now have a chance to win it all.

The clutch kicker. Throughout most of the season, the reliability of Hunter Lawrence seemed like a bonus, a luxury even -- just a way to keep putting points on the board even if the offense stalled on a long drive, the guy who would maintain momentum with his solid kicking. Against Oklahoma, he hit all three of his field goals, including twice from 42 yards, each kick crucial to the eventual win. For Texas fans, it was heartening -- proof that the kicker would be reliable in a big game in the distant future. Most believed that if Lawrence was going to kick a game-winning field goal, it would be on the biggest of stages in the Rose Bowl.

Except fate wrote a different script -- the struggling Texas offense, stymied all evening by Ndamukong Suh and a swarming horde of defensive backs, used two big Nebraska penalties to move into field goal range down by a single point, then nearly ran all the time off the clock because the four-year starter at quarterback didn't know that the clock doesn't stop on a ball thrown out of bounds until it hits something. Hardly a chip shot, the subsequent kick was the most pressure-packed of Lawrence's life. To top it all, the senior kicker would attempt the first game-winning kick of his collegiate career.

A miss would mean a lifetime of ignominy, known as the sorry kicker who cost the Longhorns a chance at a crystal football. A make would mean a place in Longhorn lore among the all-time greats, a lifetime of congratulations from strangers and free drinks at the bar. Only this wasn't a chip-shot field goal, it was a 46 yarder, a distance from which even the best kickers in the NFL are not automatic. Hell, the Redskins lost to the Saints this weekend because their kicker, now unemployed, shanked a 23 yarder, the type of kick random fans make at halftime promotions every weekend across the country.

Not only that, but the big Nebraska line stood in the way, responsible for five blocked kicks on the season, with Suh repsonsible for three himself. Perhaps cognizant of their position on the right side of the Texas line and despite kicking from the left hash, Lawrence angled the kick left, wide of the beefy hands raised to deflect it, to destroy the Texas title hopes. Left just far enough, but not too far, with just enough draw to bring it back right to sneak through the left upright with only inches to spare.

In the ensuing celebration, Lawrence found himself at the bottom of a exultant dogpile, then lofted on the shoulders of his teammates as the Longhorn nation let loose with a hearty exhale. Though the game may have ultimately been unsatisfying, there could be no doubt that Lawrence had proved his mettle in the most clutch of situations, making sure that if there is a next time for such a kick, it will be on the biggest of stages. And the anxiety for Texas fans will be much less pronounced -- after all, Hunter Lawrence has done this before.

Malcolm Williams and a double move. The big sophomore receiver didn't have a particularly high number of catches against Nebraska, but each of his three was important in the context of when they occurred -- the first catch, for 16 yards, picked up a first down to move Texas deep into Nebraska territory on the drive that resulted in the only touchdown of the game, the second catch came as McCoy was under pressure on the long drive that ended with Dejon Gomes taking the ball from Dan Buckner, and the final catch came on 3rd and 16 on the same drive with McCoy under pressure again. All three catches came with a defender in his face and all three were difficult. In pressure moments, Williams made the catches.

In a game when the Longhorn receivers had trouble getting separation, it was Williams who most consistently was able to beat press man coverage by getting inside releases on two of his catches. On the third, he paused in his stride and gave just enough of a shake to get the defender to bite on the hitch and, had McCoy had time to set his feet and deliver the ball downfield, beat the defender enough to pick up a huge gain on the play. The concern on the part of the Nebraska cornerbacks to match his physicality with physical play of their own also led to a pass interefence penalty, as the Husker corner had his hands on Williams trying to push him towards the sideline after McCoy had released the ball.

And it could have been an even bigger day -- Williams got behind a Nebraska defender on another third-down play, but McCoy threw the ball out of bounds, failing to give his open receiver a chance to make a play on the ball. Unlike the smaller Texas receivers, Williams is better suited to beating press coverage, using his strength to get off the line of scrimmage and when he does get an inside release, he can screen defenders with his size. When McCoy is under pressure, the ability to throw the football up for Williams to go get it makes him a security blanket for the senior quarterback almost on par with Jordan Shipley.

Shovel passes, quarterback draws, and a zone read. It was an astounding sight. On the second play from scrimmage, following a terrible chop block penalty on Chris Hall (one of two such terrible calls on the night), Greg Davis dialed up a shovel pass to Tre' Newton and it worked, picking up 25 yards, perhaps the first time in years that Davis not only called it at the right time, but that the Longhorns executed it correctly, with Hall getting downfield and delivering a block. Twice more Davis called the play and twice more it worked. Against a defense with aggresive defensive tackles trying to get upfield, using the shovel pass was some of Davis' best work in the game.

Likewise, with the Nebraska defensive tackles getting upfield and the linebackers either bailing out into coverage or not on the field at all, the quarterback draw was also an effective play for Texas, as McCoy scored the only touchdown of the game on the play and picked up positive yardage every other time the Longhorns called it with the exception of the final drive when the Texas was already in field goal range. Besides the shovel pass, one of the few other positive plays early in the game was a zone read McCoy kept for a 14-yard gain, but only called one other time. In fact, besides an eight-yard run by Newton, all the other runs of eight yards or more came from McCoy.

Looking back, Davis probably should have called the quarterback draw and used the zone read more often because the zone play and counter were not particularly effective in the game and power was only slightly better. One of the benefits of running the zone read is that the inside zone play becomes more effective because it puts doubt into the mind of the defenders, particularly the backside defensive end and linebacker and giving the offensive line better numbers and an extra combo block. Since Nebraska contained McCoy in the pocket on passing plays, the called runs were the only way use McCoy's legs and his legs were the most effective weapon for the Texas running game.

Playmaking defense. It's been a theme all season, so it's no surprise that the Texas defenders were able to make plays in big moments, particularly the secondary. The Nebraska offensive plan revolved around setting up play-action passes downfield with their running game and mixing in some screens, but the Longhorns never sold out to stop the run, instead controlling the line of scrimmage with the front four and strong play from Keenan Robinson, Roddrick Muckelroy, and Emmanuel Acho, while keeping the secondary back to take away deep passes.

On the first attempt downfield, Blake Gideon intercepted a Zac Lee pass thrown too far inside and with too much air under it. Then, after Nebraska blocked Justin Tucker's punt at the start of the second quarter, the Huskers took a shot at the end zone, but unfortunately decided to pick on Aaron Williams, who intercepted another pass with too much air under it, perhaps keeping points off the board -- Nebraska needed only a handful of yards on that drive to reach field goal range. In the third quarter, Muckelroy's interception, only the second of his career, helped the Longhorns win the field position battle over the next several possessions that eventually led to a field goal, as Texas needed no more production than a 12-yard run from McCoy and a pass interference penalty to get into range.

Those were the big plays, that ones that show up in the box score as turnovers. However, there were other plays equally as important, ones that don't show up in the box score. At the start of the fourth quarter, Nebraska had the ball at the Texas 38 yardline, right at the edge of Alex Henery's field goal range -- he hit one early in the game from 52 yards that looked like it had enough distance to have been good from nearly 60. On second down, the Huskers went downfield to their best deep threat, Niles Paul, who had worked behind Curtis Brown just enough to be open. Lee finally delivered an accurate pass and Paul went up over Brown to make the catch. But just as he secured the football, Earl Thomas launched his body into the Nebraska receiver and jarred the pass loose, a play that might have saved the game for Texas. The type of play that only the best defensive backs in the country make. Still, Henery would have had a good chance at making the 55-yard field goal, but the Longhorns defense made another play on third down -- Keenan Robinson read the screen pass from the start of the play and beat a blocker to take down Rex Burkhead and knock the Huskers five yards back and out of field goal range, forcing a punt.

Then, the Nebraska offense got the ball at the Texas 10 yardline following the long punt return by Niles Paul, the defense stopped Burkhead twice and on third down Chykie Brown's defense was just good enough to force Brandon Kinne to catch the ball out of bounds. Nebraska kicked a field goal when a touchdown probably would have won the game.

With the offense providing the defense with almost no margin for error, the defense made no errors and came up with big plays with the game on the line. Without having to load the box, the front six and seven of the Texas defense stopped the downhill rushing game of Nebraska, holding the line and disengaging from blockers to make plays. Ben Alexander played more snaps than he ever has and effectively plugged the middle, while Sam Acho led the team in tackles. Nolan Brewster rebounded from a poor game against A&M to blow up two plays by submarining Suh -- excellent work by a safety taking on a big defensive tackle. And all that makes the struggles against A&M seem like a thing of the past.

Under the Hood: 2009 Regular Season Nebraska Stats Review

Jon Johnston — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:00:37 -0000

I've done Wednesday "Under the Hood" segments for the year, and it's time to do the same tally on our 2009 regular season statistics. The bottom line - as good as the defense looked, the offense looked just as bad.

As much as we'd like to blame a massive conspiracy for giving Texas a second back on the clock, the fact is that an abysmal showing on offense cost us the Big 12 championship and a BCS bowl bid. I hate to squash a good conspiracy theory, but the Big 12 had more interest in us winning that game than losing. That one second cost the Big 12 conference a second BCS bid, a payout of $17.5M.

There's a lot of speculation about what will happen with the offense as we head into next season. The two biggest questions involves coaches. Will Shawn Watson be retained? Should Barney Cotton be fired? Before I speculate on either, let's take a look at the regular season's statistics.

Offensive Statistics

Offense
Rush YPG	141.23 (68/6)
Rush YPC	3.96 (71/6)
Rush TDS	18 (67/7)

Pass YPG	175.9 (101/11)
Pass YPA	6.7 (87/9)
Pass TDS	15 (76/10)
Pass Efficiency	122.30 (83/8)

Total Offense	317.2 (102/11)

Scoring Offense	24.5 (80/8)

Obviously two things stand out, the passing yardage per game at 101st, and the total offense at 102nd.

The other statistics look better only because the aforementioned are so horrific. We finished in the lower half of all other offensive statistics nationally. That's a pretty lousy offense.

Defensive Statistics

Defense
Rush YPG	94.69 (11/4)
Rush YPC	2.77 (7/3)
Rush TDS	7 (8/2)

Pass YPG	189.1 (25/3)
Pass YPA	5.4 (6/2)
Pass TDS	7 (2/1)

Total Defense	283.8 (9/3)
Scoring Defense	11.2 (2/1)

There's not much you can say here other than "Wow!". The fact that we gave up only seven passing touchdowns all season is just incredible.

The Details

3rd Down Conversions (Pctg)	37.16 (79/8)
Red Zone Conversions (Score %)	80.43 (69/8)
First Downs (Per Game)	15.9 (113/12)
Turnover Margin	+4 (45/6)
Sacks – Total	42 (2/1)
Sacks Per Game	3.23 (3/2)
Tackles for Loss – Total	89 (14/3)
Tackles for Loss – Per Game	6.85 (23/3)
Sacks Allowed – Total	19 (43/5)
Sacks Allowed Per Game	1.46 (39/5)
Punting (Avg)	41.46 (45/5)
Punt Returns	11.34 (34/4)
Kickoffs (Avg)	68.30 (1/1)
Kickoff Returns	23.31 (34/5)
Penalties (Yds/G)	64.5 (102/7)

Nebraska did fairly well in kick and punt returns thanks to the services of Niles Paul. The guy showed that he is a playmaker, especially during the Big 12 Championship game when he provided a 43-yard punt return and a 42-yard kick return. Unfortunately, he had only one reception for four yards because Zac Lee proved incapable of getting him the ball. More on that in a bit.

The second thing that stands out are the penalties. This was a problem early in the season and plagued the Cornhuskers throughout the entire season. You could attribute the Virginia Tech and Texas loss to penalties. Remember that at Virginia Tech two touchdowns were called back due to penalties, and then there was Larry Asante's horse collar tackle at the end of the game that put Texas within field goal range.

First downs, ugh. 113th in the nation and dead last in the Big 12. When you think about it for a minute, there wasn't a single offensive player that was the go-to guy when it came to picking up first downs. No receiver performed consistently enough and/or Zac Lee's passes were off target. Even Roy Helu, who didn't have too bad a season, couldn't be counted on to pick up short yardage throughout the season. Rex Burkhead might be that guy next year, but injuries kept him from further development.

Zac Lee

I don't mean to single out Lee as the cause for all our offensive problems, but the fact is he had a lot to do with them. Below are his passing stats for the season.

Opponent	Att	Comp	Pct.	Yards	Yards/Att	Int	TD	Rating
Fla. Atlantic	22	15	68.2	213	9.7	1	2	170.42
Arkansas St.	35	27	77.1	340	9.7	0	4	196.46
@ 12 Virginia Tech	30	11	36.7	136	4.5	2	0	61.42
La.-Lafayette	18	15	83.3	238	13.2	0	1	212.72
@ Missouri	33	14	42.4	158	4.8	0	3	112.64
Texas Tech	22	16	72.7	128	5.8	0	0	121.6
Iowa St.	37	20	54.1	248	6.7	3	0	94.14
@ Baylor	0	0	-	0	-	0	0	-
Oklahoma	9	5	55.6	35	3.9	0	1	124.9
@ Kansas	21	13	61.9	196	9.3	0	0	140.31
Kansas St.	19	13	68.4	166	8.7	1	1	148.65
@ Colorado	14	9	64.3	73	5.2	0	1	131.66
2 Texas	19	6	31.6	39	2.1	3	0	17.25
Totals	279	164	58.8	1970	7.1	10	13	126.29

First of all, a 17.25 quarterback rating for the Texas game.... well, it's beyond horrible. I mentioned Niles Paul's playmaking abilities earlier, but in the Big 12 title game, it looked as if Lee just chucked the ball up in the air because that's what the play called for. There seemed to be little concern for where it was going, other than the general vicinity of our receiver, and that's why he had three interceptions.

I don't understand why Lee didn't make any progress throughout the season. He looked fine early in the season (admittedly against Sun Belt teams), and his performance at Virginia Tech could be written off as a quarterback making his first start on the road against a ranked opponent. The rest of the season, though, is pretty disappointing. Chalk it up to a lack of confidence, whatever, but at the end of season, it wasn't good.

As for Shawn Watson and Barney Cotton - I've moved that into another article as it became fairly long and deserved it's own space. It'll publish later today.

Husker Report Card: Texas 13, Huskers 12

Husker Mike — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 04:50:38 -0000

More photos » by Amy Gutierrez - AP

Ndamukong Suh claims yet another Big XII quarterback as his own. Suh now has a harem that rivals the size of Hugh Hefner's. (AP Photo/Amy Gutierrez)

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The parallels between last night and the 1994 Orange Bowl are simply stunning. Nobody gave Nebraska a chance, and presumed the opponent would dominate in their home state. Nebraska takes the lead on a field goal in the final two minutes, then kicks the ball out of bounds, gives up a costly penalty to set up the game winning field goal. Even had the refs put a second back on the clock.

It's painful, to be sure... but the true test of character is how you respond to adversity. In 1994, that ending knawed at the team for months. "Unfinished Business" was the theme, and that 1993 season was the first year of the greatest five year run in modern college football history.

Nebraska had plenty of opportunities to win the game last night. Nebraska's not "back"...but game by game, they are becoming more and more relevent on the national scene. Keep making progress and resolve to never allow this program to be in those circumstances again should be the goal. Last night should stick in the craw of this program like 16-14 did.

Don't get mad, get even.

Here's how last night graded out; as always, your comments are always welcome!

QB: Texas leads the league in rushing defense, passing defense, and total defense. So it should not be a surprise that Nebraska struggled on offense last night. But even so, that doesn't excuse some of the mistakes Zac Lee made last night. Underthrowing a wide open Niles Paul against Kansas State could be forgiven because an underthrow was better than an overthrow in that situation. (A better pass to Brandon Kinnie on 3rd and goal could have been a game changer as well...) Underthrowing a well-covered Paul against Texas was deadly. That being said, Lee made the plays on that final drive to get Nebraska into position to kick that field goal. I'm also not ready to put Cody Green out there either; watching Green's throw on 3rd down out of the end zone was uncomfortable, to say the least. Grade: D+

IB: I know there wasn't much room out there but Nebraska hasn't had that type of futility in the running game since playing Miami in the Orange Bowl in the early 90's. Was Roy Helu banged up more than we thought? Rex Burkhead had more carries...and was less effective. It could be because of blocking; Helu had a key miss on a blitz pickup that resulted in a sack of Lee. Grade: F

WR: Niles Paul could have helped Zac Lee out by catching that pass on a crossing route on 3rd and 8 late in the 2nd quarter. But Brandon Kinnie made a couple of nice catches last night, including the key pass on that final drive. Grade: C-

OL: Not respecting the Nebraska passing game made life difficult on the o-line...but still Lee, Helu, and Burkhead needed more from this group. James Dobson, you've done great work overall, but there's still more to be done. Grade: F

DL: Could you ask for ANYTHING more from Ndamukong Suh? 12 tackles, 7 for losses? I'll let Beergut from IamThe12thMan.com speak for us, because when we say it, we can be dismissed as homers. Grade: 110%.

LB: Well, most of the night, it was just Phillip Dillard. But on that fateful 3rd and 10 on the Texas 1, NU stayed in a base defense and Jordan Shipley made Nebraska pay. Grade: B+

Secondary: You can tell that the secondary is really playing well when Alfonzo Dennard becomes the whipping boy for making a bad play. Solid, if not spectacular play from everybody. Grade: A

Special Teams: Alex Henery didn't tilt the field on punts, but was solid. Kunalic was outstanding on his first few kickoffs...but oh, that final kickoff hurt and hurt badly. Niles Paul's punt return was simply amazing. So grade it a B overall.

Coaching: The defensive gameplan was absolutely outstanding; the defense was ready for just about everything Texas tried to throw at the Huskers. Offensively, well, Shawn Watson can only play the cards he's got, and he's playing with a short deck. That's something Bo Pelini and Watson will need to address in the weeks ahead, but for now, it's what should have been expected. Grade: A

Overall: A- Nebraska did everything they could do last night...it just wasn't enough.

Elsewhere in College Football

Alabama: A Congratulations for earning your spot in the BCS championship game.

BCS: F Some people keep touting a "Plus-1" model as the solution for the BCS. Well, what about this season where you have Alabama, Texas, TCU, Cincinnati, and Boise State in the mix. Uh oh.

Pitt: B- How important are extra points now? I've got to admit that I had mixed feelings on that. I harbor no love for Pitt, but the idea of matching up Nebraska and Pitt in the Fiesta Bowl was just too delicious to overlook

Poll

Rate the Huskers performance against Texas

How Nebraska Will Beat Texas And Win the Big 12 Championship

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

More photos » by Nati Harnik - AP

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

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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.

Big 12 Cob Of the Week - Colorado And It's Fan Base, DirecTV, Mark Mangino, and T Boone Pickens?

Cobby — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:52:37 -0000

More photos » by Sue Ogrocki - AP

In a Vinnie Barbarino voice, he says "Yeah, but at least I win the games I'm supposed to...."

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We need a video of that shows me running out of a tractor, sees flying cobs in the air then starts shouting "The cobs, the cobs!" just like that dude on Fantasy Island did years ago.

Or maybe not. Whatcha think?

Husker Mike:

My nomination goes to the entire University of Colorado and their fan base. Their fan base refuses to support the program, leaving the athletic department deep in debt and unable to pay off their previous failed coach, let alone pay off their current failed coach. So that leaves their athletic director and Chancellor to stammer around and come up with excuses to keep Dan Hawkins. Long pauses while they thought of ways to avoid admitting they're broke. Then more insulting statements to what fans they have.

Then finally, "Ten Wins No Excuses" Hawkins offered "Ten Excuses"...or rather, the excuse that the Buffies were "10 plays from a bowl game". Now, I don't know what plays those were, but I'd suggest that one of them might have been the Niles Paul punt return last week. If Paul would have flipped the ball to a Buffalo defender like Jake Wesch did last season instead of taking a punt to the house, that 14 point swing would have been enough to get another win. Keep reversing touchdowns, and there's probably 3 or 4 more wins on the Buffs schedule. If only those other teams would have gifted points to the Buffs like they had originally schemed, all would be wonderful in BuffyWorld...

A second nomination goes to DirecTV. I had to spend Saturday out of town and had to hunt all around to find the Texas Tech/Baylor game. The regular FSN Midwest channel was blacked out, allegedly for a St. Louis Blues game. The adjacent FSN Kansas City channel was also blacked out. All through the dial, I found channel after channel claiming to be showing the game...but since we didn't pay for the sports package, we couldn't get it. Finally dug it out on channel 652 which wasn't even labeled a FSN channel. Go figure. Then immediately after the game ended, cut to black and the feed terminated. No postgame report on any of the FSN channels I tried; the others were still blacked out. Oh, and you still have that stupid Versus lie on your channel listing. Yeah, DirecTV is better than cable. Not.

Jlew:

From preseason favorites to win the B12 North to (probably) being fired is reason enough to choose Mark Mangino as a cob nominee this week. There are plenty more reasons, the Kansas AD Lew Perkins pulling his support and throwing his own coach under a bus amid allegations that Mangino is abusive to his players, as if he were completely unaware of what was happening all along.

Then you get to the end of the game against hated blood rival Missouri. Mangino has the win if he can run out the clock. The Jayhawks run two pass plays, then a quarterback draw. Reesing gets tackled in the end zone for a Missouri safety. What did Mangino tell his players before they went onto the field, to make sure the next three plays are the worst possible sequence of plays in their career. It sure looked like it.

Mangino has no one to blame for his problems than himself. It seems that you can be a jerk when you are winning, but no one will support a jerk who is losing. Everyone understands that. If you're too arrogant to think that you'll never be losing at some point, then you get what you deserve.

Jon Johnston:

That leaves me with... Oklahoma State. or Mike Gundy. I can't decide. Let's take the Mike Gundy angle first. Oklahoma State, looking to secure their chance at a BCS bowl, goes into Norman last week, with Zac Robinson back, and gets destroyed 27-0. Blanked. Zero'ed, goose egged. Bent over, basically. BCS bowl hopes, gone. It's not just one game, though. Earlier this season, the Cowboys get the Longhorns at their home in Stillwater and they do what they do in every big game - they lay down and die, 41-14.

Oklahoma State needs to beat two teams (or maybe just one???) to prove that they can compete with the big boys. Against those two teams they get outscored 68-0.

My quandary is this - do you blame Mike Gundy, or can he be blamed when it's the nature of Oklahoma State football to be that guy you work with who tells you about all the great things he's going to do but never has the guts to get them done when the time comes?

T Boone Pickens is starting to look like that guy, too, and the longer Gundy sticks around without winning some big games, the more both look like clowns. So... what do you think? It's the nature of Oklahoma State, it's Mike Gundy, or it's the combination of Gundy, Oklahoma State, and Pickens. I'm going with the latter - maybe they belong together just like the Marx Brothers.

Poll

Your vote for Big 12 Cob of the Week:

Under The Hood: Nebraska vs Texas Statistical Comparison

Jon Johnston — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:39:22 -0000

More photos » by Harry Cabluck - AP

Most of the talk will center around Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley. Husker fans need to know the name Sergio Kindle, though, as he's a disruptive force on defense.

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One piece of advice - don't bother defending Nebraska's offense to anyone. You don't need to - people aren't expecting us to win so that pressure is on Texas. In fact, just consider our offense a zero, and then make the case for why we won't need an offensive touchdown to beat them.

Next question is - can you make that case? Answer = you can if you're delusional and that describes my relationship with Nebraska football. Most of the predictions I see from Texas people (reasonable Texas people, is that an oxymoron? Just asking...) are in the 20-point range.

Let's figure that Texas scores 21 points. Obviously we'll need 21 to match or better. If you give us a big play on special teams, blocked punt or kick, there's one-third. Our defense should be capable of a big play, say a Ndamukong Suh interception return (or Matt O'Hanlon, I'm not picky) for a touchdown (where he runs over Colt McCoy like a rag doll), there's another third.

Can our offense score seven points against Texas?

Statistics include national and conference rankings in parentheses.

Offensive Statistics

	Nebraska	Texas
Rush YPG	147.42 (64/6)	163.92 (47/5)
Rush YPC	4.12 (69/6)	4.40 (50/3)
Rush TDS	18 (61/7)	27 (8/1)

Pass YPG	187.3 (93/9)	287.7 (13/3)
Pass YPA	7.0 (67/8)	7.5 (43/2)
Pass TDS	15 (75/10)	27 (10/3)
Pass Efficiency	128.95 (62/8)	148.5 (15/1)

Total Offense	334.8 (93/11)	451.6 (11/3)
Scoring Offense	25.6 (72/8)	43.0 (3/1)

- Move along, there's nothing to see on the left side here.

- On the right side, it's interesting to note that Texas is eighth in the nation with rushing TDs. In fact, it's somewhat shocking with all the negativity about their run game. 14 of their 27 rushing TDs came against their non-conference opponents, leaving 13 for eight Big 12 games. That sounds better, doesn't it?

- 10 of Texas 27 passing TDs came against non-conference opponents.

- Texas longest rush of the season was that 65-yard run last week against the Aggies. McCoy had another long rush of 43 against the Aggies as well. Against Big 12 opponents, they've had only six rushing plays over 20 yards.

- Texas looks like they've gotten their running game together, largely because they've found a productive back. Running out of time, I'll expound on this later, hopefully this afternoon.

- The Longhorns longest pass of the season was an 88-yard pass against Central Florida from McCoy to Jordan Shipley (surprise, surprise). The pair hooked up for a 78-yarder against UL-Monroe. The longest against a Big 12 opponent was McCoy-Malcolm Wiliams for 68 yards. Against conference opponents, they've had 12 passes longer than 20 yards. Of those, only two were to Shipley. Four went to Williams, two to James Kirkendoll, and one to John Chiles.

Defensive Statistics

	Nebraska	Texas
Rush YPG	101.08 (14/5)	61.75 (1/1)
Rush YPC	2.98 (12/5)	1.99 (1/1)
Rush TDS	6 (5/2)	5 (2/1)

Pass YPG	189.5 (17/2)	201.4 (39/3)
Pass YPA	5.4 (7/2)	5.6 (9/3)
Pass TDS	7 (3/1)	14 (34/4)

Total Defense	290.6 (11/3)	263.2 (5/1)
Scoring Defense	11.1 (3/1)	15.4 (9/3)

- Oklahoma's defense is comparable to the Longhorns, so we've played a defense of this caliber before.

- We gave up three touchdown passes to Colorado, yet remain first in the nation in defending touchdown passes. It'd have been nice to have kept that number lower and remain in the "that's incredible" category (maybe we're still there, I'll look at that stuff after the season is over), but this is one key area between both these teams.

- The longest pass and run plays by our opponents both came in the Virginia Tech game, with a 46-yard by Ryan Williams and the disappointing 81-yard pass by Tyrod Taylor that helped them when the game.

- The 1.99 yard per carry given up by Texas defense is astounding. They've given up only six plays of over 20 yards all season. If that sounds awesome, the Blackshirts aren't far behind with eight. In passing plays of over 25 yards, Texas has given up 13, while Nebraska has given up 18.

The Details

	Nebraska	Texas
3rd Down Conversions (Pctg)	39.52 (59/6)	47.70 (13/2)
Red Zone Conversions (Score %)	80 (71/8)	92.86 (9/1)

Turnover Margin	+4 (39/5)	+12 (8/1)
Sacks	33 (12/5)	36 (5/3)
Tackles for Loss	74 (38/7)	103 (2/1)
Sacks Allowed	18 (40/5)	22 (61/6)
Punting (Avg)	41.98 (38/4)	38.94 (87/9)
Punt Returns	10.95 (37/5)	13.45 (14/2)
Kickoffs (Avg)	68.32 (1/1)	63.47 (34/5)
Kickoff Returns	23 (38/5)	28.31 (3/1)
Penalties (Yds/G)	64.6 (100/7)	57.9 (81/3)

- I hate to say this, but it continues to bug me. Remove the eight turnovers from the Iowa State game (as if you could) and Nebraska's turnover margin would be one of the best in the nation. There. Done with that.

- Texas kickoff return man D.J. Monroe is ranked third nationally with a 35.79 yard average. He's scored two touchdowns, both against non-conference opponents, where his kickoff return average is 52 yard per return. Against Big 12 opponents, it's 26.78. Niles Paul is ranked 43rd, with a 25.36 average. Good news, though as Paul has gotten better. Against the Big 12, his average is slightly higher at 26.83 yards per return.

- We will need to pick up some third downs (Captain Obvious). We were 1-for-14 against Oklahoma, but kept them out of the end zone because they had a freshman quarterback. Colt McCoy - no freshman. Against Kansas and Kansas State, we were 7-for-16, and then digressed at Colorado where we went 3-for-10 (and played like crap). I don't know what you're thinking of as a solution, but I'm thinking of Rex Burkhead and Brandon Kinnie.

- I double-checked the penalty stat on Texas. Hey, perhaps we will pick up some holding calls this weekend.

The Opponents

Total Offense Rank	Nebraska Opponent	Total Defense Rank	Total Offense Rank	Texas	Total Defense Rank
21	Florida Atlantic	113	51	UL-Monroe	47
90	Arkansas State	49	112	@Wyoming	83
56	@Virginia Tech	13	7	Texas Tech	48
72	UL-Lafayette	95	23	UTEP	111
33	@Missouri	55	104	Colorado	59
7	Texas Tech	48	29	Oklahoma	7
75	Iowa State	100	33	Missouri	55
86	@Baylor	96	62	Oklahoma State	32
29	Oklahoma	7	84	Central Florida	45
25	Kansas	74	86	Baylor	96
83	Kansas State	38	25	Kansas	74
104	Colorado	59	6	Texas A&M	107
56.75	Average	62.25	51.83	Average	63.67

- Both sides averages are nearly equal, which is expected when you play a lot of common opponents. I wasn't going to include this chart this time, but I really wanted to know about how their non-conference opponents, mostly because I could then do a little more smack talking.

- Funny that Texas A&M's defense is so horrible.

2009 All-Big 12 Football Awards - Suh Defensive Player of the Year, Crick, Amukamara, Asante Make First Team

Jon Johnston — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:17:06 -0000

More photos » by Dave Weaver - AP

Look! Two at once! You'll see the same thing Saturday night except that'll be Colt McCoy getting squished and flying apart like Mr. Potato Head.

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The 2009 All-Big 12 football awards have been announced, with some nice surprises for Husker fans.

Ndamukong Suh was named Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive Lineman of the Year. He and Texas quarterback Colt McCoy were the only unanimously-selected players on the first team. Is that appropriate or what?

Nebraska placed four on the first-team All-Big 12 list, all from the defense including defensive linemen Suh and Jared Crick. Cornerback Prince Amukamara and safety Larry Asante from the secondary. The selections should give pause to Texas fans who are convinced the Blackshirts are lacking in pass defense.

Roy Helu made second team, as did Alex Henery as placekicker. Phillip Dillard gets rewarded with a second-team placement at ilnebacker, a great recognition of how far he's come since spring.

Mack Brown as coach of the year..... I'm not sold on that. Brown has all the players, had a pathetically easy non-conference schedule, and didn't have to deal with the NCAA suspending any star players. The guy had an easy path to where he is now. Why coach of the year for him?

Interesting to note that Texas did not have a single offensive or defensive lineman selected on the first team. Instead Chris Hall and Adam Ulatoski dropped to second on offense, and Sergio Kindle and Lamarr Houston are regulated to second team defense.

The complete list of awards is after the jump.

2009 INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS

Coach of the Year	Mack Brown, Texas
Offensive Lineman of the Year	Russell Okung, Oklahoma State
Defensive Lineman of the Year	Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
Offensive Freshman of the Year	Christine Michael, Texas A&M
Defensive Freshman of the Year	Aldon Smith, Missouri
Special Teams Player of the Year	Brandon Banks, Kansas State
Defensive Newcomer of the Year	David Sims, Iowa State
Offensive Newcomer of the Year	Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
Defensive Player of the Year	Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
Offensive Player of the Year	Colt McCoy, Texas

2009 ALL-BIG 12 FOOTBALL FIRST TEAM

Offense
Pos.	Player	School	Class	Hometown/Previous School(s)
QB	Colt McCoy **	Texas	Sr.	Tuscola, Texas/Jim Ned
RB	Daniel Thomas	Kansas State	Jr.	Hilliard, Fla./NW Mississippi CC
RB	Keith Toston	Oklahoma State	Sr.	Angleton, Texas/Angleton
FB	Bryant Ward	Oklahoma State	Jr.	Stillwater, Okla./Stillwater
WR	Jordan Shipley	Texas	Sr.	Burnet, Texas/Burnet
WR	Danario Alexander	Missouri	Sr.	Marlin, Texas/Marlin
WR	Dezmon Briscoe	Kansas	Jr.	Dallas, Texas/Cedar Hill
TE	Jeron Mastrud	Kansas State	Sr.	Beaverton, Ore./Southridge
OL	Russell Okung ^	Oklahoma State	Sr.	Houston, Texas/Bush
OL	Trent Williams ^	Oklahoma	Sr.	Longview, Texas/Longview
OL	Nick Stringer	Kansas State	Sr.	Topeka, Kan./Hayden
OL	Brandon Carter	Texas Tech	Sr.	Longview, Texas/Spring Hill
OL	Nate Solder	Colorado	Jr.	Buena Vista, Colo./Buena Vista
PK	Grant Ressel	Missouri	So.	Jackson, Mo./Jackson
KR/PR	Brandon Banks	Kansas State	Sr.	Garner, N.C./Bakersfield College
Defense
DL	Ndamukong Suh **	Nebraska	Sr.	Portland, Ore./Grant
DL	Gerald McCoy ^	Oklahoma	Jr.	Oklahoma City, Okla./Southeast
DL	Von Miller	Texas A&M	Jr.	DeSoto, Texas/DeSoto
DL	Brandon Sharpe	Texas Tech	Sr.	Lyons, Ga./Fresno City CC
DL	Jared Crick	Nebraska	So.	Cozad, Neb./Cozad
LB	Sean Weatherspoon ^	Missouri	Sr.	Jasper, Texas/Jasper
LB	Jesse Smith	Iowa State	Sr.	Altoona, Iowa/Southeast Polk
LB	Travis Lewis	Oklahoma	So.	San Antonio, Texas/Robert E. Lee
DB	Earl Thomas	Texas	So.	Orange, Texas/West Orange Stark
DB	Perrish Cox	Oklahoma State	Sr.	Waco, Texas/University
DB	Dominique Franks	Oklahoma	Jr.	Tulsa, Okla./Union
DB	Prince Amukamara	Nebraska	Jr.	Glendale, Ariz./Apollo
DB	Larry Asante	Nebraska	Sr.	Alexandria, Va./Hayfield/Coffeyville CC
P	Derek Epperson	Baylor	Jr.	Southlake, Texas/Keller

** - Unanimous Selection
^ - Repeat first team selection from last season.

2009 ALL-BIG 12 FOOTBALL SECOND TEAM

Offense
Pos.	Player	School	Class	Hometown/Previous School(s)
QB	Jerrod Johnson	Texas A&M	Jr.	Humble, Texas/Humble
RB	Roy Helu Jr.	Nebraska	Jr.	Danville, Calif./San Ramon Valley
RB	DeMarco Murray	Oklahoma	Jr.	Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman
FB	Jamie McCoy	Texas A&M	Sr.	Midland, Texas/Lee
WR	Ryan Broyles	Oklahoma	So.	Norman, Okla./Norman
WR	Kerry Meier	Kansas	Sr.	Pittsburg, Kan./Pittsburg
WR	Brandon Banks	Kansas State	Sr.	Garner, N.C./Bakersfield College
TE	Riar Geer	Colorado	Sr.	Grand Junction, Colo./Fruita-Monument
OL	J.D. Walton	Baylor	Sr.	Allen, Texas/Allen/Arizona State
OL	Chris Hall #	Texas	Sr.	Irving, Texas/Irving
OL	Kurtis Gregory #	Missouri	Sr.	Blackburn, Mo./Santa Fe
OL	Adam Ulatoski	Texas	Sr.	Southlake, Texas/Carroll
OL	Brody Eldridge	Oklahoma	Sr.	La Cygne, Kan./Prairie View
OL	Lee Grimes	Texas A&M	Sr.	Brownwood, Texas/Brownwood
PK	Alex Henery	Nebraska	Jr.	Omaha, Neb./Burke
KR/PR	Perrish Cox	Oklahoma State	Sr.	Waco, Texas/University
Defense
DL	Sergio Kindle	Texas	Sr.	Dallas, Texas/Woodrow Wilson
DL	Lamarr Houston	Texas	Sr.	Colorado Springs, Colo./Doherty
DL	Jeremy Beal #	Oklahoma	Jr.	Carrollton, Texas/Creekview
DL	Jaron Baston	Missouri	Sr.	Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs
DL	Daniel Howard	Texas Tech	Sr.	Wichita, Kan./Butler County CC
LB	Joe Pawelek	Baylor	Sr.	San Antonio, Texas/Smithson Valley
LB	Roddrick Muckelroy	Texas	Sr.	Hallsville, Texas/Hallsville
LB	Phillip Dillard	Nebraska	Sr.	Tulsa, Okla./Jenks
DB	Jamar Wall	Texas Tech	Sr.	Plainview, Texas/Planview
DB	Quinton Carter	Oklahoma	Jr.	Las Vegas, Nev./Cheyenne
DB	Brian Jackson	Oklahoma	Sr.	De Soto, Texas/De Soto
DB	Jordan Lake	Baylor	Sr.	Houston, Texas/Memorial
DB	Cha'pelle Brown	Colorado	Sr.	La Puente, Calif./Los Altos
DB	Trent Hunter	Texas A&M	So.	Katy, Texas/Katy
P	Tress Way	Oklahoma	Fr.	Tulsa, Okla./Union

A tie in voting created an additional second-team offensive line and defensive back spot.
# - Repeat second team selection from last season.

2009 ALL-BIG 12 HONORABLE MENTION

Baylor	Justin Akers, TE; David Gettis, WR; Jason Lamb, DL; J.D. Walton, Off. Lmn of Yr.; Kendall Wright, WR
Colorado	Jake Behrens, FB; Jalil Brown, DB; Benjamin Burney, DB; Marquez Herrod, DL; Scotty McKnight, WR; Ryan Miller, OL; Jeff Smart, LB; Jimmy Smith, DB; Rodney Stewart, RB
Iowa State	Michael Brandtner, P; Kelechi Osemele, OL; Paul Rhoads, Coach of Yr.; Alexander Robinson, RB; Reggie Stephens, OL
Kansas	Tanner Hawkinson, OL; Jake Laptad, DL; Todd Reesing, QB; Alonso Rojas, P; Darrell Stuckey, DB
Kansas State	Jeffrey Fitzgerald, DL; Tysyn Hartman, DB; Joshua Moore, DB; Bill Snyder, Coach of Yr
Missouri	Danario Alexander, Off. Ply. of Yr.; Carl Gettis, DB; Jake Harry, P; Dan Hoch, OL; Jared Perry, WR; Kevin Rutland, DB; Jasper Simmons, DB & Def Nwcmr. of Yr.; Aldon Smith, DL; Derrick Washington, RB
Nebraska	Dejon Gomes, DB & Def Nwcmr. of Yr.; Eric Hagg, DB; Alex Henery, P; Jacob Hickman, OL; Mike McNeill, TE; Matt O'Hanlon, DB; Niles Paul, WR; Barry Turner, DL
Oklahoma	Jeremy Beal, Def Ply of Yr.; Chris Brown, RB; Ryan Broyles, PR/KR; Keenan Clayton, LB; Auston English, DL; Landry Jones, Off. Fr. of Yr.; Jonathan Nelson, DB; Gerald McCoy Def. Lmn. of Yr. & Def Ply of Yr.; Ryan Reynolds, LB; Adrian Taylor, DL; Trent Williams, Off. Lmn of Yr
Oklahoma State	Hubert Anyiam, WR; Ugo Chinasa, DL; Patrick Lavine, LB; Swanson Miller, DL; Zac Robinson, QB; Andre Sexton, LB; Quinn Sharp, P
Texas	Emmanuel Acho, LB; Sam Acho, DL; Curtis Brown, DB; Blake Gideon, DB; Kyle Hix, OL; Michael Huey, OL; Sergio Kindle, Def. Lmn. of Yr.; Hunter Lawrence, PK; Alex Okafor, Def. Fr. of Yr.; Keenan Robinson, LB; Jordan Shipley, PR/KR; Charlie Tanner, OL
Texas A&M	Ryan Epperson, P; Jeff Fuller, WR; Cyrus Gray, RB & PR/KR; Michael Hodges Def Nwcmr. of Yr.; Jerrod Johnson, Off. Ply. of Yr.; Patrick Lewis, OL; Kevin Matthews, OL; Jamie McCoy, TE; Von Miller Def. Lmn. of Yr. & Def Ply of Yr.; Uzoma Nwachukwu, WR & Off. Fr. of Yr.; Jordan Pugh, DB; Ryan Tannehill, WR; Garrick Williams, LB
Texas Tech	Baron Batch, RB; Bront Bird, LB; Cody Davis, Def. Fr. of Yr.; Alex Torres, Off. Fr. of Yr.; Colby Whitlock, DL; Marlon Winn, OL

It's A Week of Woulda Coulda Shoulda for Husker Fans (Not that there's anything wrong with that)

Jon Johnston — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:00:25 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Bo Pelini has the Huskers on the brink of a great season in only his second year. Husker fans may be thinking he coulda done better.....

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After a flat performance against Colorado, Husker fans will be doing a lot of rationalizing this week as we head to Jerryworld to take on the Texas Longhorns. We'll be hearing it throughout offices wherever Husker fans can be found. It'll sound something like this:

If that catch Menelik Holt made in the end zone woulda been ruled a completion.....

You remember the play, right? Holt catches the ball and takes a step in the end zone before he tumbles to the turf and the ball comes out after he's already finished (not completed, unfortunately) the play.

What a minute difference between a catch and an incompletion. Had that catch been ruled a completion, the Huskers would have beaten Virginia Tech, been highly ranked and it may have changed the whole season. That's one way to look at it. The other way to look at it is that it wouldn't have changed much about the season other than the Huskers would have a better resume'.

Niles Paul shoulda gotten after that incomplete lateral against Texas Tech.....

One week after the amazing fourth quarter comeback against Missouri, the Huskers come out flat against a Texas Tech team starting a backup quarterback. Zac Lee throws a low pass that Paul can't handle, and the next thing you know a Tech defender has returned it for a touchdown.

The Texas Tech loss stands as the only game in which the Huskers gave up over 20 points, 14 if the defense woulda kept Colorado from a cheap score on the final play of last Friday's game. Perhaps the coaches will use Tech to remind the Blackshirt defense what can happen if they don't "turn it up" the moment they step on the field.

If only Paul woulda held onto the ball when he had that 72-yard pass play against Iowa State.....

I can't think of another game in recent history that can be so easily dismissed as freakish as Iowa State. Eight turnovers and a loss by two points, and the play that most appropriately defined the game was Paul's inexplicable drop and turnover near the goal line. The other inside-the-five fumbles can be explained away by Traye Robinson getting stripped when he was trying too hard or Roy Helu's injured shoulder. But Paul's play cannot. It remains as both a highlight and lowlight of the season.

But again, what difference does it make? Instead of finishing 6-2 in the Big 12, Nebraska would be 7-1, but either way still be Big 12 North champions. In fact, there's an attitude that the Iowa State game was a turning point in the season as it served as an eye-opener for a team that wasn't playing nearly as well as it could.

If Roy Helu/Rex Burkhead woulda been healthy for the whole season.....

I don't think it hurts to wonder about the possibilities had both these players been available and 100% for every game this season. Helu showed why he's one of the best running backs in the conference, but had a few flat games that were excused due to a shoulder injury. Burkhead gives the offense a straight-ahead, always-gaining-yardage approach that's a wonderful alternative to Helu.

Burkhead is back heading into the Texas game, so we've got that going for us. Helu has been playing better towards the end of the season, just like in 2008. Would an all-conference award for Helu make any difference heading into the championship game other than to make ourselves feel better about our chances?

If Shawn Watson woulda listened to Tom Osborne earlier in the season......

This one is more devious than the rest because of the implication that all of the offensive woes could be solved by replacing Watson with someone else, particularly if that someone were named Osborne.

Fact is, Watson has the offense playing well enough that the Huskers are on a five-game winning streak despite all the ugliness. He can't magically make his offensive tackles faster than they are any more than he can make Zac Lee a tougher runner. He's done well to adjust to his team and pull a winning season out of them.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda comments are all about making the Huskers sound like a better team than they really are. It's okay to make them. It's human nature to talk down an opponent, especially one like Texas, a team that has all the advantages.

The key point to remember, though, is that none of them make a difference. Nebraska accomplished their major goal of the season in winning the Big 12 North and getting a shot at the conference title. Despite all the offensive difficulties, the fumbles and miscues, the Huskers have a chance at an incredible season, and all this in Bo Pelini's second season as head coach.

And who knows what affect a 9-3 record will have on the Longhorns? We might hear the talking heads on television play up Nebraska's defense to build an audience, but the online talk (and newspapers, if such things still exist and are read in Austin) will be completely one-sided for Texas. The point is, maybe that record plays to our benefit as the 'Horns come into the game believing they're all that and find themselves losing by three points on a last-second Alex Henery field goal.

Or perhaps I'm just rationalizing.

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Saturday Buff Bites - Paige: "Pathetic excuses instead of positive results"

irish1611 — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:52:10 -0000

Paige: Time for Hawk, CU to get real - The Denver Post

After the game, Hawkins addressed his return for the first time, when I asked him about it. "I think they (the AD and chancellor Phil DiStefano) have a great perspective on the chore that this was. More than anybody, they have an understanding of all the little things that go into this deal," Hawk said.

This deal. Coaching at a major university in a major conference is not a "this deal." It's a major responsibility, and Hawkins didn't even understand that in his postseason spiel. How about: "I've done a lousy job of coaching, and my assistants have done a lousy job, and if we do a lousy job again, I'll resign and not ask for a buffalo nickel from the Buffaloes." Instead, he wants to dredge up that "this place (that would be Colorado) was burned to the ground" before he got hired. Pathetic excuses instead of positive results. Hawkins said he and Nebraska coach Bo Pelini were talking before the game about how tough it is to turn around a program. Pelini, in his second year, has already won nine games, twice.

Woelk: There can`t be any more mulligans for Hawkins - Boulder Daily Camera

There will be no more mulligans for Hawkins or his staff. "There`s a lot of potential on this team, but we`ve got to stop talking about being young said Scotty McKnight. We`ve got to stop making these dumb mistakes that are killing us. It`s not acceptable. ... It`s not the coaches. It`s us."

But I`d also beg to differ with McKnight in his defense of the coaches, at least in terms of some of the mistakes. When a team suffers a delay of game penalty in the fourth quarter deep in an opponent`s red zone, that`s a lack of communication -- and communication comes down to coaching. When a team has been burned repeatedly on kickoff and punt returns, it`s a matter of coaching. And, when your field goal kicker has missed 19 attempts in two seasons, that`s coaching. Find a way to get plays into the huddle on time. Find another kicker (preferably someone along the lines of NU`s Alex Henery, who might just be the Huskers` most impressive weapon). Find players who know their special teams assignments. Simply, find a way to fix the problems that can be fixed.

Early 2010 forecast for Buffs | The Buffzone Blog
Kyle Ringo looks at next year's schedule and predicts the wins and losses. He has the Buffs going 7 - 6 with a bowl win. He has the Buffs winning one road game at Kansas, beating Georgia at home and then beating Rutgers at Yankee Stadium in the first Yankee Bowl. That would be pretty sweet to play in New York.

Oct. 2 GEORGIA — With a bye week to prepare and some early momentum from three solid performances, the Buffs beat the Bulldogs in a thriller, maybe even overtime. 3-1

Buffs missing something special - The Longmont Times-Call

Kent Riddle stood by the Colorado locker room Friday evening looking like a defeated man. The 2009 season was a tough one for the special teams coach to stomach. "Poor," Riddle answered, when asked to grade the special teams’ performance this season. "We had some positive moments and did some good things, but you know, we gave up too many big plays. Way too many. One is too many, and believe me, I understand that." And five is downright absurd. The Buffs allowed another punt return for a touchdown in Friday’s 28-20 loss to Nebraska. Niles Paul’s 59-yard punt return was the fifth special teams touchdown CU allowed this season.

Nebraska-Colorado Quotes - CUBuffs.com

We need to clean up a few things along the way, whether it be fumbles or sacks. They are not quitters, and they never quit. We just have to build a body of confidence in the offseason so that we can have an intensity coming out to start the season. I think it's one of those seasons where if you take away ten plays, you are probably a bowl team."

Hawkins vows "to build on formula" at CU - The Denver Post

As for his record, Hawkins said: "We all want to win more games. For those that are disappointed, just contact Mike Bohn and say, 'Hey, Mike. How can I help? What can I do to help?' And then go in and help."

Same mistakes, and same outcome for CU - The Longmont Times-Call

Nevertheless, many are angry, and Friday’s result won’t appease them. The fan who planted the flag is Kevin Swope, a club-level season ticket holder who said he will maintain his rights next year but will return the tickets to the athletic department with a terse letter. "Probably one of the biggest things is the complete disregard and disrespect to the fans and donors," he said. "People ask critical questions that are solid questions, and he’ll scoff at them and give a condescending laugh."

Split decision on coach support - The Denver Post

Kelly Kizer of Northglenn, who has been attending CU games for 45 years, had a different opinion. "I think he should have been fired. The athletic department is accepting mediocrity and they're expecting the fan base to do the same. They act as if all the players who played here before were a bunch of thugs, which they weren't. I think the job is too much for him (Hawkins). He's a blowhard. How Mike Bohn can say he's seen improvement is beyond me."

Fans honor Brown with Heart award - Boulder Daily Camera
Cha'pelle Brown was the recipient of the Buffalo Heart Award.

-The award is 12 years old now and goes to the Buff the fans believe has shown heart, grit, determination and desire on and off the field throughout the season.

-Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith has a decision to make about his future after completing his junior season on Friday. Smith is already considered an NFL prospect and will have to decide whether to turn professional early or return for his senior season. The NFL has a committee in place to help advise underclassmen about their chances of being drafted and what round they might be taken in if they decide to turn pro early. Smith would probably improve his draft position if he waited a year and performed well as a senior, but there is always the risk of injury in violent game.

CU hangs tough but bows with loss to Nebraska - The Denver Post

When Hawkins hunkers down during the offseason to correct all the flaws in his program, he can use Friday's game as a microcosm.

Nebraska hands CU 9th loss of woeful season - Boulder Daily Camera
Buffs defense delivers, but special teams sputter

Turnovers, penalties doom CU — again | INDenverTimes

McKnight set to leave his mark at Colorado - Boulder Daily Camera

McKnight finished with seven catches for 114 yards and two touchdowns. He will enter his senior season with 165 receptions, second all-time in CU history behind Michael Westbrook (167 from 1991-94).

Nebraska-Colorado Notes - CUBuffs.com

WR SCOTTY McKNIGHT (7-114, 2 TD) He finished the season with 76 receptions for 893 yards; those numbers rank tied for second and seventh for a single-season at CU. He will enter his senior year with 165 receptions, second all-time and just two behind leader Michael Westbrook, who had 167 between 1991-94. He has 1,900 career yards, seventh all-time on that list, and 15 TD receptions, tied for fifth on that list. He also extended his regular season streak to 36 games with at least one reception (every game of his career, 37 including postseason). His 56-yard TD catch to close the game was the longest pass reception of his career (previous long was 40 his freshman year).

CU players embrace future with Hawkins - The Longmont Times-Call

Pelinis give Blackshirts mixed reviews

"It’s just a culmination of how we played today," Bo Pelini said. "That’s how we played all day. We played sloppy football."

Saturday playoff roundup | After School

Los Gatos continued to roll through the Division II playoffs, crushing Aragon 45-6 at Westmont High on Friday. Senior running back Cory McDowell had a season-high 137 yards and three touchdowns, and Nick Hirschman and Andrew Berg hooked up on two first-quarter scores to put the game away early. Berg had six catches for 164 yards, with 100 of them coming in the first quarter. The senior has six 100-yard receiving games this season. Hirschman was 11-of-17 for 286 yards, his second-highest total this season. Nose guard Suhkraj Sohal had 11 tackles, and linebackers Joey Vizzusi and Alec Gletzer had 10 tackles each for the Wildcats defense, which allowed its first points of the postseason with three minutes remaining. Los Gatos has outscored its opponents 93-6 in clinching a spot in the title game. The Wildcats will face the winner of today’s matchup between Leland and Wilcox.