SB Nation - Matt O'Hanlon

Under The Hood: Nebraska vs Texas Statistical Comparison

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

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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.

Nebraska Safety Matt O'Hanlon is Big 12 Player of the Week, Kicker/Punter Alex Henery Ignored

Jon Johnston — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:46:38 -0000

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Henery - a masterful weapon overlooked by most.

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The Big 12 selected Matt O'Hanlon as Defensive Player of the Week yesterday. It wasn't that difficult a selection. O'Hanlon tied a school record for interceptions in a game, the fourth player in Nebraska history to do so. The last time this happened was 30 years ago (almost to the day), on November 10th, 1979, when Ric Lindquist intercepted three passes against Kansas State. The other two times came in the first week of November as well - Dana Stephenson against Colorado on November 1st, 1969, and Joe Blahak against Kansas State on November 14th, 1970.

O'Hanlon had a career-high 12 tackles against Oklahoma, include nine solo tackles. While his three interceptions all came in the second half, nine of his tackles were in the first half, so you might say he spent the first half getting warmed up. He stopped Oklahoma from scoring with his interceptions coming at the NU 25, NU 19, and at the NU six-yard line to seal the game.

Kicker/Punter Alex Henery had a masterful game. I'm surprised that more hasn't been written this week about him. He was not selected as Big 12 Special Teams player this week. Texas A&M's Cyrus Gray got that honor for returning a kick 99 yards for a touchdown, and another for 45 yards for the Aggies final score in a game in which they lost to Colorado. I guess it's more important that you score rather than recognize the value of field position in a field position-based game.

Fans don't recognize the value of punting as easily as they would O'Hanlon's interceptions, but as far as the game went, they were just as valuable. Henery consistently punted the Huskers out of trouble, and for the most part kept Oklahoma's dangerous playmaker Ryan Broyles out of the game. Henery had two punts downed inside the 20, including the 66-yarder (mentioned in the postgame overreaction article) that flipped field position in Nebraska's favor. He would have had two more punts inside the 20 had it not been for returns.

Here's Henery's work as a punter against Oklahoma (I only listed return yardage where the ball moved past the 20):

from the 16 for 43 yards
from the 11 for 44 yards
from the 30 for 35 yards
from the 32 for 66 yards, downed at the two-yard line
from the OU 42 for 34 yards, downed at the eight-yard line
from the 31 for 39 yards - out of bounds at the OU 30
from the 40 for 43 yards to the OU 17, returned to the 29-yard line.
from the 11 for 48 yards to the OU 41
from the 27 for 44 yards to the OU 29, out of bounds
from the 33 for 42 yards to the OU 25
from the 41 for 43 yards to the OU 16, returned 35 yards to the NU 49-yard line.

His performance against Oklahoma gives him 19 punts downed inside the 20 this season. He was leading the Big 12 in that category before the game (Still is, depending upon whether you go by number or percentage).

Unfortunately, Henery broke his streak of 25 straight field goals of less than 50 yards when he missed a 43-yarder in the fourth quarter. He did hit a 28-yarder in the third quarter to extend Nebraska's lead. Between the two field goals he is 12-for-15 on the season and 38-for-44 for his career.

Henery is an incredible weapon on a team desperately looking for them. He deserves more recognition than he's getting.

Reality Check Time for the Huskers

Husker Mike — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:47:15 -0000

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Matt O'Hanlon: Three interceptions, Zero Stars. What means more? (AP Photo/Dave Weaver)

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One of the biggest dangers of a big win is forgetting that unless it's the final game of the season, it's just one win. There's always another game coming up that needs to become the focal point right away. So now that Sunday has come and gone, it's time to focus on the next game. We can all be excited about the play of the Huskers, but there's a danger in reading too much into the victory.

Remember the elation from the monsoon victory over Missouri? All those positive emotions evaporated after losing to Texas Tech. Every week's a war, and as we learned a week after that, anybody can beat anybody in the Big XII.

The Husker offense is still an ongoing concern, though I'd suggest the situation isn't quite as bleak as it might appear. Oklahoma's defense might be the best the Huskers will face this season. Shawn Watson dialed down the offense and went ultra-conservative rather than risk turnovers. I'd like to think that opportunities exist in upcoming weeks to open up the offense and try to establish something in the passing game. Brandon Kinnie looked good on the rollout, and you never know if exiled receivers Curenski Gilleylen or Menelik Holt will step up their game.

Nebraska now has control of it's own destiny, win all three games, and the Huskers will win the Big XII North. All three games are winnable. Kansas has lost four straight, Kansas State is in Lincoln, and Colorado is, well, Colorado. But as Nebraska learned a couple of weeks ago, no game is a sure victory either. (See eight fumbles against Iowa State.)

But that hasn't stopped some from focusing on a potential matchup with Texas. And while it's easy to see how Nebraska's defense matches up well against almost anybody, it's way too soon to wonder if Alex Henery can drill Jerry Jones TV set. Three more games still remain, and the focus needs to be on Kansas first and foremost.

Others are focusing on the commitments from potential recruits this weekend. This one is more surprising and more disappointing. If Husker fans should have learned one lesson from the Bill Callahan years, it was to disregard the hype of recruiting. So-called recruiting "experts" told us how Nebraska's recruiting had improved, when in fact, the evidence shows otherwise.

No, the lasting impact of Saturday night's game might be Bo Pelini putting his signature on the Husker program. It was a physical game where the entire defense approached the level that Pelini wants. No matter where you looked at the Blackshirts, you saw it. Whether it was Ndamukong Suh tormenting the offensive line and quarterback, Phillip Dillard's emergence as an all-conference candidate at linebacker, Alfonzo Dennard making waves as a shutdown corner, or Matt O'Hanlon proving hard work and dedication matters so much more than star rankings, we saw the Blackshirt defense being reinvented and reborn out of the ashes the previous regime left behind.

All that means nothing if Nebraska fails to take care of business on Saturday afternoon in Lawrence. That's the focus for this week. Not Texas, not Oklahoma, not recruiting.

Husker Report Card: NU 10, Oklahoma 3

Husker Mike — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:08:45 -0000

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Prince Amukamara's interception return to the Oklahoma 2 yard line put the Huskers in control of the game. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

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If you love old-fashioned defense, you had to love last night's Nebraska-Oklahoma game. Neither offense was able to get untracked, and it became a battle between defenses. One team tried to be the aggressor on offense, and the other one played a little bit of rope-a-dope. And in the end, it was the team that made fewer mistakes and forced more mistakes that won the game. Both teams are in the top 15 nationally in most defensive categories, so in that light, it's not surprising that we watched that battle unfold under the lights in Lincoln.

QB: Last night's game called for a game manager, not an inexperienced playmaker. Oklahoma sent out an inexperienced playmaker... who threw five picks. Facing a stout defense with your own stout defense, it came down to a battle of who made the least number of mistakes. Early on, I thought that would give Oklahoma an edge because Landry Jones had a little more experience than Cody Green. But after sensing that while Green hadn't made a mistake, he didn't give you the comfort level that wasn't going to happen. Enter Zac Lee, who threw the game winning touchdown pass. He did most everything that he was asked to do, which wasn't much. Could Green have made a game changing play? Absolutely. Could he have made a game changing mistake? Almost certanly, and once Nebraska got into position to win the game, that's a risk Bo Pelini and Shawn Watson couldn't take. Grade: C

IB: I offer Nebraska's biggest, if not only, offensive weapon: Roy Helu. Since Helu injured his shoulder late against Missouri four weeks ago, Nebraska's offense has sputtered. Helu finally felt comfortable and came up with a huge game. He also played smart, staying inbounds to keep the clock running rather than take a chance of going out of bounds and stopping the clock. My only criticism of Helu was an ineffective block that led to a sack of Lee. I still don't think his shoulder is 100%. Grade: A

WR: Nebraska went with double tight ends all night and typically only Niles Paul at receiver. Occasionally Brandon Kinnie or Khiry Cooper came in for fullback Tyler Legate, but the only receiver to catch a pass was Kinnie. The name of the game last night was blocking for the I-backs. Would have liked to see Nebraska try to stretch the field more to open up the running game, but I certainly understand why...and have no complaints about the results. Grade: C-

OL: The Sooners stacked the line and made it very difficult to get the line in flow. Some early penalties by the line didn't help Green in the early going. But every so often, the line created a seam up front to allow Helu to burst into the open. Grade: B-

DL: Ho hum...another Ndamukong Suh blocked field goal. I just don't see what the fuss is all about. Well, people who stare at the stat sheet might consider last night to be a ho-hum performance for the defensive line, but the those who watched the game know how disruptive the line was. Grade: A

LB: Since the Huskers lined up in dime coverage almost all night, this was all Phillip Dillard. And what a night: an interception, a 13 yard sack, and the unenviable task of trying to cover DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown. Grade: A+

Secondary: Larry Asante may have had one of the biggest hits of the game, blasting Adron Tennell to force an incompletion and knocking Tennell to the sideline for much of the game. Ironically, it was Asante who would eventually leave the game with a concussion. Alfonzo Dennard is becoming a star in pass coverage. Then, we get to last night's heroes. Matt O'Hanlon goes out and exorcises the ghosts of a blown coverage at Virginia Tech. 12 tackles and THREE interceptions. And some people still doubt this kid? For shame. I think they're the same idiots that used to criticize Barrett Ruud and Scott Shanle. And then there's Prince Amukamara, who broke up two passes and had the crucial interception that set up Nebraska's touchdown. Nebraska's shut-down corner; you throw at him at your own risk. Grade: A+

Coaching: The defense was ready to play, but the Shawn Watson took the gamble to play ultra-conservative. The play of the Blackshirts made that the correct decision in the end, but it was a risky gamble since playing not to lose is typically not a winning strategy. But considering the Huskers offensive futility the last few weeks, it was the correct decision. Grade: A

Overall: A Oklahoma has lost four games this season: One point losses to a pretty good BYU team and ranked Miami. Three points to Texas. And now, seven points to the Huskers.

Elsewhere in College Football

Iowa: D The fantasy of Iowa being in the BCS mix finally came to an end. Sadly, it took an injury to Ricky Stanzi to burst that balloon.

Missouri: F Somebody send out the ski patrol; Missouri's defense got lost in the Flatirons around Boulder at halftime last week and haven't been seen since.

Notre Dame: F Here's a suggestion on priorities. Start winning games of national prominence, then worry about things like the BCS and Heisman. Then you don't look quite so silly when you fail.

Poll

Rate the Huskers performance against Oklahoma

A Absolutely outstanding! What a huge victory!

63 votes

B Good defense, but the offense is still a concern

176 votes

C About what you expected. Defense carries this team.

52 votes

D Thank goodness Oklahoma's offense is as bad as the Huskers.

18 votes

F Did you see that offense? Phew.

4 votes

313 votes | Poll has closed

Nebraska vs Oklahoma: Post Game Overreaction - Blackshirt Defense Puts a Beatdown on the Sooners!

Jon Johnston — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:50:28 -0000

by Dave Weaver - AP

That look says it all......

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What a win! Nebraska's defense proved they don't need a huge offensive effort to come away with a big win. The Huskers had only seven first downs, 39 yards passing, converted one of 14 third downs and had 180 yards of total offense, but came away with five interceptions to stop the Sooners 10-3.

If you're one of those who want to see a Husker team that smashes it's opponents and puts a lot of points on the board, you're going to have to wait at least another season. If you're one that wants to see defense take over and win a game, you're going to be having a lot of fun for the rest of the season.

Over halfway through the season, it seems as if this team has finally accepted who and what it is. The defense recognized the fact that a great offense isn't just going to appear out of mid-air and decided that they'd help out. Prince Amukamara intercepted a pass and returned it to the one. First-and-one at the one??? Hey, this Husker offense can handle that, and they did, scoring on a play-action pass to tight end Ryan Hill. That was all the points that was needed as the defense continues to show why it's the best in the land.

Earlier in the week, our Q&A session indicated that Sooner quarterback Landry Jones would be accustomed to facing a tough defense, having already played against Miami and Texas. Not so fast, my friend!The Huskers only sacked Jones twice, but they harassed him all night. They harassed him straight into five interceptions. Every time it seemed that Oklahoma was about to break the game open, there was a Blackshirt getting their hands on the ball. I loved that part.

The offense did just enough to keep the defense from getting completely exhausted. Roy Helu Jr was magnificent, rushing 20 times for 138 yards. He didn't look injured or hesitant, but was the Helu we saw at the beginning of the season. Cody Green started, but was replaced by Zac Lee on that first-and-one at the one drive. Shawn Watson apparently decided that he didn't need a playmaker behind center, but a game manager. Lee ran the option with more deliberation after Pelini was seen yelling at him for a poorly executed option play in which Lee pitched the ball way too early, resulting in a turnover while the Huskers could have put more points on the board.

Matt O'Hanlon had three interceptions - not bad for a walk-on. He and linebacker Phillip Dillard were everywhere at once. If they weren't destroying the Sooner offense, Ndamukong Suh and Jared Crick were. O'Hanlon is the easy choice as the defensive player of the game until you consider Alex Henery. He started off a little rocky, but then became a field position, Sooner squishing machine all by hisself. Henery routinely punted the Huskers out of trouble an turned the battle of field position against the Sooners. You could say that Henery won the game in the first quarter. Oklahoma had started the game with three consecutive drives on Nebraska's side of the field, coming away with nothing (ha!). The Huskers' field position was horrible until Henery ripped off a 66-yard punt that the Huskers downed at the two-yard line. One big play, and the field position was re-arranged.

The win means that Nebraska controls it's own destiny in the Big 12 North. Win your games, you win the North. It's that simple. With this Blackshirt defense it's certainly within reach.

Nebraska's Keys to Victory Over Baylor

Jon Johnston — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:00:41 -0000

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Khiry Cooper earns a start this week. Could he be a key in a victory over Baylor?

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I hate the idea of a "must win" game but if there's been one in the past few seasons, this is it. Lose to Baylor and you can kiss Nebraska's goal of winning the Big 12 North good bye. I'm sure that's on the minds of many Husker fans today, so the best advice I can give you is to stop having expectations and just let things happen. Enjoy the ride, one way or another and have some faith that things will work out okay.

I feel pretty positive about this game, which isn't that difficult to understand because it's Baylor. What is easy to forget that Nebraska was 4-3 at this same time last season yet went on to have a pretty good year. The same thing can happen this year, perhaps Baylor is the game where it all comes together.

There is good news. I stated last week that we would continue to make "Eliminate The Stupid" a key until the team, particularly the offensive line, would eliminate mistakes. Discounting the turnovers (as if that can be done), the offensive line committed only three penalties and if they can keep that up they'll be fine.

Nothing not obvious - the rest of the offense needs to find itself in a hurry.

BTW, if you expect "turnovers" to be one of the keys, you'll be disappointed. Despite the huge swing in turnover margin because of last week, turnovers are a given in every game. Nebraska gave up a ton all at once, while Baylor hasn't gained even one in Big 12 play.

Find A Leader

Bo Pelini talked this past week about finding a spark on offense and the need for someone to step up. He's also talked about a lot of changes on offense. Last week as one of the keys I mentioned finding the right combination of players. You might say we're searching for playmakers, but that would only be partially correct. What we're searching for is someone who wants to lead.

Not all playmakers are leaders, but all leaders are playmakers. They're the guys who make the tough catches on third down to keep the offense going or make an extra block to spring someone else for a long gain. They're the guys who the team looks to for strength and confidence when everyone's is wavering. Name the Nebraska player who does this on offense and you quickly understand what's missing because there isn't one.

With so many balls being dropped by receivers last week, Khiry Cooper will get his first start this week. That should be a sign we'll see more of Brandon Kinnie and Antonio Bell. If the older guys aren't going to become leaders, then it's time to find someone in the younger ranks.

Husker running back Roy Helu looked like he might fit the role, but last week only had a few carries and two fumbles. Helu said he wasn't injured. Pelini said he wasn't injured. Fans continue to disbelieve the both of them and in the process make excuses for Helu because they know the spark he can bring to the game, or because they believed that he would lead the offense and it's clear now that he will not. Given that, we'll be seeing more of Dontrayevous Robinson this week, maybe with more of Marcus Mendoza and either Lester Ward or Collins Okakor. Again, time to find "the guy".

Note that this isn't all about t the starting quarterback. The starting quarterback position has become somewhat of a sideshow, but whether it's Cody Green or Zac Lee doesn't matter, both are simply included amongst the possibilities.

Wear ‘Em Out

The concept of establishing an offensive identity has been worn out this season. Even the playcalling has been inconsistent, leading to Nebraska's inability to establish a dominant running game. We've been repeatedly told that defenses have stacked the line, yet near the end of the Missouri game we saw an offense that sealed the game with a strong drive based on the run.

Baylor is still Baylor in the fact that they don't have solid depth across the entire team. Wouldn't it be nice to see a strong running game (not necessarily a power running game, mind you) that could sustain drives, picking up third downs, and eventually wearing a weaker Bear team out by the end of the game?

It would warm the hearts of Husker fans everywhere. Make it happen without excuses about what the defense did or didn't give you.

No Big Plays On Defense

Nothing fancy here. The defense holds Baylor to less than ten point by eliminating the big play. Two of Nebraska's losses can be attributed to single mistakes. The Virginia Tech game came down to an 84-yard pass play in which Hokie receiver Danny Coale got behind Matt O'Hanlon. Iowa State scored their sole touchdown because of a 47-yard pass play from Jerome Tiller to Jake Williams when Eric Hagg got turned around and couldn't find the ball. That happened one play after the Huskers gave up 20 yards and a first down on a fake punt by Iowa State.

The defense is playing very well, but given how poor the offense has done they have no margin for error. Stop giving up the big plays and the Huskers win all their games the rest of the season. Is that too much to ask?

A question for all y'all - what do you want to see happen most?

Matchups :: Nebraska Cornhuskers Edition

Seth C — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:00:55 -0000

Texas Tech Red Raiders (4-2, 1-1)

vs.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-1, 1-0)

Game Information:
October 17, 2009 :: 2:30 p.m. CST :: Weather: Lincoln, NE
TV: FSN :: Radio: Affiliates :: Game Cast: Fox Sports

The figures next to the team name are, in order: yards per game / national rank / conference rank.

Texas Tech Passing Offense vs. Nebraska Passing Defense

Texas Tech (443.50 / 2 / 1): QB Steven Sheffield has been electric in two games for Texas Tech, albeit he's done it against two teams that aren't top 25 teams, like Nebraska. In 1.5 games for the Red Raiders, Sheffield is 53-70 for 780 yards, 11 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Not to be too critical, but Sheffield's interception on Saturday night seemed like a play where Sheffield had determined where he was going to go as the play was snapped. That cannot happen against Nebraska. Tramain Swindall has become this team's playmaker amongst the receivers, averaging 92.8 yards a game and 19.33 yards per catch. The rest of the group is rounding out their roles. I think I mentioned last week that Texas Tech would need at least 1 receiver to step up their game, and right now, Swindall is in a zone. The bigger the threat that Swindall is, the easier it becomes for Detron Lewis, Alexander Torres and Lyle Leong. And this doesn't even take into account Jacoby Franks big night (3 receptions, 99 yards and 1 touchdown) against KSU. Quite simply, there's a lot of receiving threats out there and Sheffield is finding them. There's no doubt that the offensive line has looked better in the last two games, in part because Sheffield's mobility has allowed him additional time, but this unit still leads the conference in sacks allowed at 13 and must play like a cohesive unit. Perhaps the matchup of the night will be RG Brandon Carter and the below-mentioned Suh.

Nebraska (162.60 / 14 / 1): The Cornhusker pass defends begins and ends with DT Ndamukong Suh, who may be the best player in college football right now, and has an unbelievable stat line: 32 tackles (leads team), 5.5 TFL (leads team), 3 sacks (leads team), 7 passes broken up (leads team) and an interception. Suh is an absolute dominate interior defender and to think that Texas Tech's offensive line is going to control Suh to an extent would be wishful thinking. The pass defense is 14th in the nation and have played prolific passing teams such as . . . Missouri, in a rain-storm. In other words, much like Kansas St. last week, the Cornhuskers haven't really played a team that's truly proficient passing the ball other than the Tigers. And to give Nebraska credit, they held Blaine Gabbert to 17-43 for 134 yards and 2 interceptions. I think you'll see a lineup of Prince Amukamara and Alfonzo Dennard at cornerback and Matt O'Hanlon and Larry Asante at safety. Keep in mind that Nebraska has a distinct advantage that other Texas Tech opponents haven't had, which is a dominant player up front. Nebraska has broken up 25 passes during the year and had 17 quarterback hurries. That's 42 pass plays that have been affected by the secondary or the defensive line.

Verdict: This is the strength of the Texas Tech offense and the offense is clicking.

Texas Tech Rushing Offense vs. Nebraska Rushing Defense

Texas Tech (78.00 / 114 / 12): Baby steps. The Red Raiders went from the worst rushing offense in the NCAA to the 114th worst rushing offense, all in one week. But there's progress there to those of us who watch closely. I mentioned after the game on Sunday that the running backs rushed for 182 yards on 21 carries. That's an 8.67 yard per carry average and for a team that's absolutely struggled to garner any sort of run game, the fact that this team has pulled itself up a bit, especially after having such a tough time establishing anything resembling a running game is encouraging. The truth be told though is that the Red Raiders hae steadily improved the rushing game after a somewhat slow start (73 and 60 yards in their first 2 games). It's still tough to be sure what offensive line coach Matt Moore will do, although you would expect that unless something drastic happened, he would settle on the offensive line that would be the most successful against Nebraska, which was to start Lonnie Edwards at LG rather than Chris Olson, who Moore may be figuring will need to give multiple positions a break against the Cornhuskers. The more I think about this idea, the more I like it.

Nebraska (110.80 / 33 / 5): Nebraska is sitting 5th in the conference, although Nebraska has been a team that you could run on (i.e. there's yards to be gained), but the difference is that they are yielding few points on the ground and allowing less than 5 yards a rush. In addition to all-world Suh, the defensive line is rounded out by Barry Turner and Pierre Allen at defensive end and Jared Crick joins Suh up front. I'm not sure how much the linebackers will play on Saturday and would guess that Pelini will adjust with an additional defensive back, which should, in theory, open things up for the Texas Tech running game. When Nebraska is in their base package, I think you'll see Phillip Dillard, Will Compton and Sean Fisher. This is a stout run defense, and last year, I think you might see a defense more focused on the run as Texas Tech and Baron Batch ran for 137 yards on 23 carries and 3 touchdowns.

Verdict: Nebraska, hands down.

Nebraska Passing Offense vs. Texas Tech Passing Defense

Nebraska (236.60 / 44 / 7): I'll be the first to admit that I'm pleasantly surprised by Zac Lee's passing efficiency thus far this year. Lee's been very effective and probably most important to a Pelini offense, he doesn't turn the ball over, with only 3 interceptions this year to 10 touchdowns. Lee's not prolific as his biggest game this year was 340 yards against Arkansas St. A very balanced group of receivers lead the way for Nebraska, including receivers Paul Niles, Curenski Gilleylen, and Chris Brooks. TE Mike McNeill is a receiving threat as he's caught a pass every game thus far this year, but the truth is that the 3 receivers mentioned above are the main threats for Nebraska. Nebraska is 10th in the country in sacks allowed, giving up only 4 all year. Other than RT Marcel Jones, the Nebraska offensive line is a veteran group, including LT Mike Smith, LG Keith Williams, C Jacob Hickman and RG Ricky Henry. We're looking a the short passing game, keeping the Texas Tech offense off of the field and that can be so painful to watch.

Texas Tech (242.50 / 92 / 11): Texas Tech has really struggled here, and this may be an indication that Texas Tech played some proficient passing teams early in Texas and Houston (although the killer game was 316 to New Mexico). Still, this unit has been a little up and down, giving up yards, but not necessarily points. Despite the yardage given up, Texas Tech leads the conference in passes defended, including 33 passes broken up and 4 interceptions. Perhaps part of the reason is that the secondary hasn't been healthy in weeks, as SS Franklin Mitchem was out early in the season, FS Cody Davis was out last week, and LaRon Moore missed almost the entire game last week. This has forced two freshmen, S Will Ford and CB D.J. Johnson to step up their game. Also sitting a-top the conference is Texas Tech (along with Oklahoma) with 18 sacks for the year. Same as the secondary, much of this has been done with players that no on else in the conference would recognize. I've said it before, but it bears repeating, this group isn't as physically gifted as others, but they will out-work out and it seems that this unit gets more sacks late in the game. It's constant pressure.

Verdict: Statistically, I feel like I have to give this to Nebraska.

Nebraska Rushing Offense vs. Texas Tech Rushing Defense

Nebraska (168.00 / 43 / 8): When I first started to look at the numbers, I was surprised that Nebraska was only 8th in the conference in rushing. I was expecting a bit more. RB Roy Helu, Jr. is 13th in the nation in rushing, and was a bit under the weather against Missouri last week. Helu had a monster game against Virginia Tech (169 yards on 28 carries) and that's the sort of thing that bothers me about what Nebraska is capable of on any given night. There's not much behind Helu as true freshman, and DFW guy, Rex Burkhead is seeing the most significant carries behind Helu. Right now, Burkhead is a change of pace sort of back, getting 5 or 6 carries a game, although he's fairly effective.

Texas Tech (107.17 / 28 / 4): I'm shocked by those numbers and I'll keep repeating this and hope that it becomes true, but one of the hallmarks of a team that does well is a good to great rush defense. Much like most other things this early in the season, you can partially blame opponents, but thus far, the Red Raiders have only allowed a little over 100 yards a game. The DT's Colby Whitlock and Richard Jones have quietly been very solid and give plenty of credit to a linebacking corp of Brian Duncan, Bront Bird and Marlon Williams that seem to be getting better game by game. You would think that Duncan and Bird would be tailor made for Nebraska and it will be interesting to see if Whitlock, Jones and Victor Hunter, to an extent, will be able to allow the linebackers to scrape and make plays.

Verdict: Seems strange, but the stats play the winner out here.

Texas Tech Special Teams vs. Nebraska Special Teams

Texas Tech: Freshman P Ryan Erxleben has been a breath of fresh air, handling 14 punts on the year, but being able to pin a few inside the opponents 20 yard line is a nice weapon have, especially in a game that could come down to field position. You'd like to see more consistency from K Donnie Carona kicking off, but he's still 6th in the conference and Matthew Williams hasn't had to kick a lot of field goals, but he has been solid in PAT's (34/35) ending the horror that was 2008. Texas Tech hasn't been spectacular returning punts and tried WR Austin Zouzalik for a number of games, but switched to CB Jamar Wall last week. Wall might be a bit more daring, but Zouzalik is solid. The Red Raiders are 2nd in the conference in kickoff returns, led by true freshman RB Eric Stephens.

Nebraska: P Alex Henry is 6th in the conference in punting. Much like Texas Tech, there's nothing really spectacular there. PK Alex Henery is clutch, making 8 of 9 field goals this year and making all of his PAT's. WR Niles Paul is returning punts, and again, like Texas Tech, aren't lighting the world on fire and as far as kickoff returns, Niles is again, mediocre (59th in the county and 9th in the conference).

Verdict: These teams are about as even as you could be for the most part, with slight advantages in one category over another. PUSH

Husker Report Card: Virginia Tech

Husker Mike — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 19:38:58 -0000

More photos » by Steve Helber - AP

Virginia Tech flanker Danny Coale (19) looks back at Husker safety Matt O'Hanlon on yesterday's game-changing play. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

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Bo Pelini grades on results, and when the scoreboard reads Virginia Tech 16, Nebraska 15 as the teams leave the field, I'm sure Pelini would offer up failing grades for everyone:

"You've got to win the football game. We didn't win the football game so we didn't play good enough in any phase of the game. I measure it on results. That's how we measure things around here."

While Nebraska failed to close the game out, despite numerous opportunities to do so, not all was negative for the Huskers. Here's my report card; as always, your feedback and commentary are always welcome. Let's get this hairball coughed up and move on.

QB: Shawn Watson tried to ease Zac Lee into his first road game by focusing the offense on Roy Helu early on...and that didn't go anywhere. (0 yards in the 1st quarter.) Second quarter, Lee broke out and had a pretty good quarter in my book, going 5 for 10 passing for 70 yards, with several passes being created on scrambles after protection broke down. Second half, it was all downhill. Whether Lee thought he needed to become a playmaker instead of a manager, he was off most of the time, thanks to a stout Hokie defense.He barely hit a wide open Curenski Gilleylen on the sideline; get that ball to him in bounds, he scores easily, and we're all happy and singing today. Some nice runs though, especially that 17 yarder to set up that disasterous 1st and goal at the Tech 6. So while it wasn't a great performance, there were a few bright moments. C-

IB: Roy Helu finished with 202 yards of offense on the day. The lone bright spot on offense, he ran tough and found openings when there didn't appear to be any. A

WR: Oh, if Menelik Holt could have snagged that apparent touchdown pass. Again, we're dancing today. Niles Paul had a nice punt return, and kept his head about him when Tech's Dorian Porch swung his helmet off. Gilleylen showed great footwork by snaring that errant Lee pass and getting a food inbounds. C+

OL: I've got mixed emotions here as I want to give them credit for Helu's big day. But those two holding penalties on that 1st and goal series discombobulated that drive. Nobody on the line had an answer for Jason Worilds, who spent most of the day flushing Lee from the pocket. (D.J. Jones channeled his inner Lydon Murtha in one particularly futile attempt to block Worilds.) C-

DL: Up until the final thirty seconds, I really thought about giving them an A+. Pierre Allen showed great pursuit, as did Barry Turner, who responded to his critics in the media on the field. Jared Crick dominated, and what can you say about Ndamukong Suh. He set a school record with 4 pass deflections, including one spike that I'm sure John Cook would have appreciated. But alas, tentativeness in pursuing Tyrod Taylor on that final scoring drive allowed Taylor to throw the winning touchdown pass. A

LB: The Hokie running backs found even less running room running wide yesterday; great pursuit out there. Will Compton is coming into his own; easily his best game as a linebacker. B

Secondary: Again, this grade was much higher until the final couple of minutes. Prince Amukamara nearly came away with an interception that could have iced the game. Larry Asante was solid. But woe be Matt O'Hanlon who will probably rue that one play for a long time. Solid otherwise throughout the game, especially in sacking Taylor on the very next play. B-

Coaching: The defense was ready to play the whole game, but I tend to agree with StatePaper.com's Samuel McKeown that the cover-2 scheme was a bad idea at that point in the game. No timeouts, about a minute left...the Hokies needed yards in a hurry. I'm not saying go to a prevent defense, but at least don't get burned deep. If they want to run around underneath and burn clock, let 'em. I also like Shawn Watson's attempt to mix up the run and pass game in the second half; the team just didn't execute. I think balance is going to be the lynchpin of this offense, and this team will be more successful when it doesn't try to become one-dimensional. B

Overall: B- Went on the road against a higher ranked opponent and didn't fold. Great. Even was in position to win the game. Even better. But simply didn't finish the job.

Elsewhere in College Football

Colorado: B Cody Hawkins was his usual mediocre self, but they put together enough of a running game and a surprisingly stout defensive effort with a shutout.

Florida: C OK, I expected the Gators to respond to Lane Kiffin's talk yesterday, and really didn't do it.

USC: F It's hard to keep taking Southern Cal seriously as an elite team when they keep taking games off early in the season.

Texas: C Figured that since USC lost and Florida didn't dominate, that they could waltz through Tech. Guessed wrong.

Texas Tech: B+ Made it a game last night, and vindicated ABC's scheduling department.

BYU: F So much for the dreams of crashing the BCS. Buh-bye.

Poll

Rate the Huskers performance against Virginia Tech

A Did everything but win in the end.

28 votes

B Played hard, and played well most of the game. Just didn't finish.

191 votes

C Some good, some bad.

92 votes

D A whole lot of negatives out there today. D for completely disappointed with how the Huskers played.

28 votes

F Failure to win is #Fail.

26 votes

365 votes | Poll has closed

Nebraska vs Virginia Tech Post Game Heart-Breaking Overreaction: Morning After Version

Jon Johnston — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 13:50:16 -0000

More photos » by Don Petersen - AP

It was one of those kinds of games. I'm guessing a lot of Husker fans were in the same position after the game, including some that involved a toilet.

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I thought I might wake up this morning and there would be a different outcome to yesterday's game. Didn't happen. Hokie receiver Danny Coale still got behind Matt O'Hanlon for a 84-yard reception that lead to Virginia Tech's touchdown.

That's the play that will be remembered. After all, how do you let a receiver get behind you when the game is in the bag and the opposing quarterback can't hit the broad side of a barn, even when not under pressure?

What a heart breaker. The Huskers played a darned fine game on both sides of the ball and in the end it was the cliché that killed us. "Beamer Ball". It's tired - it's so worn out that the Hokies fans are sick of hearing about it.

It's unfortunate because there were so many other plays where Nebraska could have won this game. A first and goal drive ended with zero points after a downpour of penalties and mistakes forced the Huskers out of field goal range.

Bo Pelini could have gone for it on fourth and one late in the game instead of punting the ball away. Virginia Tech's offense hadn't done anything all day. If you have faith in your defense, what would it have mattered if they'd have to go 50 yards or 80? He played it safe and it cost him the game.

Zac Lee had a horrible game, finishing 11 for 30 and 136 yards and two interceptions. He had a streak of eight straight misses. The Huskers were running the ball all over the place, Roy Helu looking like the back we want him to be, yet Shawn Watson kept dialing up passes. I know the goal is to stay balanced, but if it ain't working, why keep trying?

Two touchdowns were called back because of penalties - the bottom line here is there's plenty of blame to go around. It was a tough environment, Lee's first road start, the Hokies are a good team.... yeah, that covers the rationalization and excuse-making.

In the end we lost because we didn't play well, made critical mistakes on both sides of the ball and got out-coached. The streak of not having beaten a Top 25 on the road since 1997 still stands. We'll have to hear about it in a couple weeks when the Huskers head to Columbia, Missouri to take on the Tigers. The Huskers have a lot of work to do until then.

Huskers First Depth Chart Available

Jon Johnston — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:29:56 -0000

Bo Pelini released the first depth chart of the season this afternoon, and in doing so, did his best to say as little as possible. That's not much of a surprise, last year's depth charts continually had -OR- in several places.

-OR- Positions

Wide Receiver (X) - Menelik Holt OR Curenski Gilleylen

Holt didn't have a strong enough fall camp to break away.

Right Guard - Ricky Henry OR Andy Christensen

Good news because it means that Christensen has worked his way back into the rotation. More depth is always a good thing.

Right Tackle - Marcel Jones OR D.J. Jones

Marcel Jones also listed as a backup to Mike Smith at Left Tackle, so once again, this is about rotation, not starting positions.

Tight End - Mike McNeill OR Dreu Young

Surprising amount of respect shown to Dreu Young given he had a back injury and missed a great deal of fall camp. Or perhaps he's just that athletic.

WILL - Mathew May OR Blake Lawrence

Free Safety - Matt O' Hanlon OR Rickey Thenarse

Right Cornerback - Anthony West OR Alfonzo Dennard

Punter - Alex Henery OR Brett Maher

Long Snapper - P.J. Mangieri or Sam Meginnis

The full depth chart is available after the jump

Other Items of Note:

Will Compton and Sean Fisher worked their way into starting roles at the linebacker spots, beating out the veterans. That's not a small accomplishment. Depth at that position aplenty!

The full release from the athletic department is available here.