SB Nation - Alex Henery

Morning Coffee: Sunshine Pumping Edition

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

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

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.

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.

Browse more photos »

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.

Five Things to Watch Against Nebraska

GhostofBigRoy — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:54:20 -0000

by Jeff Roberson - AP

This is what happens when you enter a House of Spears, Blaine Gabbert. Colt McCoy hopes he doesn't befall a similar fate.

View full size photo »

How well will the interior of the Texas line play? Obviously, the big match up here is Chris Hall and a guard against Ndamukong Suh, the massively athletic "House of Spears," literally -- that's what his name means. Hall and Charlie Tanner have been much maligned around these parts at times, but their play has been more consistent as the year has gone on and they've played a big role in the improvement in the running game. The other offensive linemen who will have shot at helping Hall with Suh will be Michael Huey, another inconsistent performer this season whose problems resulted more from the ankle injury he suffered early in the year than any technical or athletic shortcomings. He's finally healthy and playing well.

The double team on Suh will leave Huey or Tanner consistently on Jared Crick, a player known for using his hands well, but one who doesn't always play with great pad level -- not overly surprisingly for a young defensive tackle with his height (6-6). If the Longhorn guards can get under his pads and into his body, they should be able to handle them, but if they allow Crick to get his hands on them and get extended, the other big Husker could make some plays inside as well.

All three interior linemen struggled against Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy, but because Huey was hobbled during the game with his injury and Tanner and Hall have taken their play to a higher level, it's probably safe to say the Longhorns have a better shot of slowing down Crick and Suh than they did McCoy. However, it's a big question whether or not David Snow can help out in this game because he was absolutely destroyed by McCoy and is probably still suffering from some lingering PTSD after his nightmare in the Cotton Bowl. If Tanner or Huey need a blow at some point in the game, Snow will have to play better than he did against Oklahoma and it's possible that he may only be asked to help out Hall with Suh, which should be easier than going one-on-one with Crick.

The double team on Suh will have a trickle-down effect on other aspects of the line's play, most notably having only one combination block at the line of scrimmage even with EBS (unless they leave the backside end unblocked), putting a lot of pressure on the outside linemen, Kyle Hix and Adam Ulatoski, to make their plays in space and get off the combination block quickly -- not always a strength of Ulatoski in particular.

How will the Longhorn gamplan work around Suh in the middle? Not only is Suh tremendous at putting pressure on the quarterback, but he also has the elite ability to knock down and/or intercept passes, having broken up 10 on the season and intercepted one other. Last season, he returned both of his interceptions for touchdowns. Suh's rare ability to play in space as a 300-pound defensive tackle allows him to drop back into coverage over the middle when Nebraska zone blitzes. Just like Colt McCoy has to know where linebackers dropping off into zone coverage are heading, he must also recognize Suh dropping back into coverage, particularly on any throws over the middle, whether short to a running back or to a receiver running a shallow cross.

Of course, devoting more resources to Suh means leaving all the other linemen one-on-one. As a result, the Longhorns will need an extra blocking surface to even have one other combination block and get anyone to the second level -- fortunately, Texas has a more than adequate Extra Blocking Surface. Woo, Greg Smith! In all seriousness, Smith has been blocking as well of late as he ever did when he was heavier last season and perhaps even better, an impressive accomplishment.

Since the weakness of the Nebraska defensive is their linebacking corps, the Longhorns might be well served to exploit the perimeter. One obvious way is to bring back the Monroe Series that was not used against A&M, the group of plays based around the fly sweep to get the ball to a fast player in motion to take the edge on the Nebraska linebackers and avoid having to move players off the defensive line. The danger here is having Suh bust through the line if the center has to reach to make the play, but the need to have help on every play should decease the chances of that occurring. The latest addition to the Monroe Series, the pass to Tre' Newton out in the flat, provides good misdirection and isolates Newton against a linebacker in the open field -- a desired match up for Texas.

Last week, the return of the zone read and extensive use of the quarterback draw helped McCoy run roughshod over the Aggie defense. The zone read options off a defender and makes McCoy a threat in the running game, which may be the best way to pick up yards on the ground against the Nebraska front four, by far the best Husker defensive unit, while also providing another combination block or a free release to the second level, allowing Texas to account for six players in the box even with a double team on Suh. Running the quarterback draw can punish the interior defenders if they get too far upfield and was a play that Kansas used to good effect. Expect to see it three to four times in the game.

Can Texas get off to a strong start? Conventional wisdom says that Nebraska wants to come into this game and "run, run, run, then play action," as Earl Thomas put it this week. In fact, that's been their plan in every game since the eight-turnover debacle against Iowa State and it's been successful enough to make it to the Big 12 Championship and earn the coveted honor of tallest midget (sorry, tallest vertically challenged person) in the Big 12 North. So congratulations on that, Huskers.

A fast start by the Longhorns on offense could radically change the complexion of the game -- this Nebraska offense isn't built at the moment to come back from deficits. Now, starting fast has been a key for the Longhorns all season and the offense seems to have overcome the slow starts that characterized the beginning of the season and led to weekly Screaming Lady appearances, but it's extremely important in this game because it's not clear how the Huskers would respond when forced to adjust their gameplan so much.

Would Pellini simply continue running the football in hopes of eventually breaking a play or setting up a deep pass off of play action, or maybe even just try to minimize the damage and avoid a blowout while hoping that the defense comes up with a big turnover or two? Would the offense revert to pre-Iowa State form with some attempts to spread the field and pass the ball, with the possibility of disastrous results and numerous Zac Lee interceptions? Or would Pellini insert true freshman and native Texan Cody Green to run the zone read and provide another rushing threat?

Will the special teams recover from a mostly disastrous performance against A&M? This one goes mostly to the kickoff coverage unit. Nebraska isn't a great kick returning team, ranking right at the bottom of the top third in the country at 23 yards flat and Texas spent much of the week working on covering kicks, so the visit to JerryWorld will give the beleagured unit an opportunity to demonstrate improvement. Kenny Vaccaro in particular must return to making positive plays instead penalties and miscues as he did in that strange vortex called Aggieland.

For the kickoff return team, it's not nearly as much about Marquise Goodwin as it is the blocking in the wedge and, to a lesser extent, on the edge by players like Vaccaro, Jeremy HIlls, Fozzy Whittaker, and Nolan Brewster. Cody Johnson, Aaron Smith, and Eddie Jones, the wedge blockers, struggled for most of the game in College Station before getting their blocks. Nebraska covers kicks well and probably won't kick off many times during the game, so the Longhorns need to take advantage when they can. When the Huskers do kick, however, nearly 40% of them go for touchbacks -- it's unlikely that Goodwin will even have half of the six attempts from last week.

Along with solid units on kickoffs, the Huskers have the biggest opportunity to impact the game in blocking field goals and essentially taking points off the board, as Suh has blocked three kicks and the rest of the team two others, with opponents having trouble kicking field goals even down close to the goalline. In addition, the punter Alex Henery, who also handles field goals and kickoffs, has done an excellent job of pinning teams deep near the goalline, with 26 punts downed inside the 20 and another 15 inside the 10.

Field position may play an important role in this game as it did last week against A&M, as the Aggies repeatedly had short fields due to long kick returns, failed fourth-down attempts, and the single turnover when the punt hit Vaccaro. If Texas can at least force Nebraska to move the ball the length of the field, the chances of a comfortable victory increase dramatically. If there continue to be breakdowns on special teams and the Huskers can keep points off the board and give their offense a short field, the game could come down to the fourth quarter. Likewise, whenever going against a defense as strong as that of Nebraska, shortening the field is a major priority because long drives become so difficult. Long fields for the Longhorns could keep the Huskers in the game late.

Are Malcolm Williams and Jordan Shipley healthy? Last week, Jordan Shipley incurred a foot injury that forced him to the sideline to have his ankle wrapped. After that point, he didn't catch a single pass in the game. Malcolm Williams missed several series in the second half with an apparent tightening of the hamstring, throwing off the rhythm of he and McCoy. Then, Chip Brown mentioned this morning on the radio that a source close to the Texas program indicated an injury to an offensive playmaker that may impact the game on Saturday. Brown wouldn't disclose the name, but the most likely candidate is Shipley unless another injury occurred during practice this week.

If Shipley isn't at full speed, the comfort level McCoy has developed over the last several weeks with Kirkendoll and Williams, assuming the latter is healthy after what only seemed like a minor injury, will become even more important, as will the play of Marquise Goodwin, who might have to play in the slot some to allow Kirkendoll to remain outside where he has been most successful.

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.

Browse more photos »

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

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.

Wednesday Buff Bites - The Talk Continues to Center Around Dan Hawkins' Job Status

irish1611 — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:00:26 -0000

Hawkins Tells Staff He's Got One More Year - cbs4denver.com

Two sources inside the CU football progam told CBS4's Vic Lombardi that Hawkins recently met with Unversity Chancellor Phil DiStefano and came away from the meeting with the understanding that he's safe for another year no matter what happens on Friday against Nebraska.

What went wrong? - The Longmont Times-Call

The Colorado Buffaloes are already wrestling with their lack of success in 2009. Have been for weeks. But with the end coming after Friday’s Nebraska game (1:30 p.m., ABC) and expectations so far from being met, hard answers are expected soon. No one wants 2010 to resemble 2009. At all. So here’s the key question: What went wrong? Maybe coach Dan Hawkins shouldn’t have publicly said anything —– no matter what it was — about winning 10 games. Maybe changing offensive coordinators after spring drills hurt more than anyone could have expected; four offensive line coaches in five years shows. And maybe a less funky schedule will help. But the consensus is that this team’s biggest problem boiled down to one word.

Confidence.

Huskers Prep For Potent Colorado Offense
Colorado with a potent offense??? News to me.

"He is similar (to guys we've seen). He has a good arm and he's real slippery. He can find his way out of pressure and when he does he is always looking downfield. Again, you have to do a good job in coverage, but you still have to deal with him. That has kind of been the theme of the last few weeks. We've been facing quarterback after quarterback who can run and hurt you with their feet. You have to account for that all the time." Pelini noted that while they know there is a possibility of seeing quarterback Cody Hawkins, the offensive scheme as a whole does not change. He said Colorado boasts one of the biggest offensive lines they have encountered all year. "(They are) one of the better lines we've seen. They are big and athletic, too. They can move their feet really well. They get out and pull on plays and find people in space. It's a good offensive line, they've come a long way."

Much more after the jump...

What would Cody do? | All Things Colorado Sports

The player said he was positive that Cody will return to the Buffaloes for the 2010 season, even if his father, Dan Hawkins, is fired as head coach following this season. "Cody loves this place, and he loves Colorado football," the player said. "I don’t think he’d go anywhere."

Big 12 predictions, Week 13 - Big 12 Blog - ESPN

Nebraska 23, Colorado 10: These two teams have played some great games in recent seasons. But the Cornhuskers’ defense is too solid not to come prepared, even if it did clinch the North title last week. The Colorado team should be poised for an emotional effort in what could be Dan Hawkins’ last game. Despite Colorado’s ‘strong showing at Oklahoma State last week, the Nebraska defense will be ready to throttle Tyler Hansen and whatever offense the Buffaloes can muster. Look for Alex Henery to be a huge factor kicking in the high altitude in Boulder.

Commentary: Win or lose Friday, CU Dan Hawkins coach deserves one more year - KDVR
Stick to the telecasts, not articles...

Here is the reality, though: win or lose Friday against arch rival Nebraska, Hawkins will most likely return to coach CU next year and here is the kicker, the decision has very little to do with football. The bottom line in Boulder is this: wins and losses are secondary to the image of the program.

CU Buffs land 14 on All-Big 12 academic team - Boulder Daily Camera

Fourteen members of the Colorado football team were named to the Academic All-Big 12 team, the conference announced today. Colorado placed nine players on the first team and five on the second team. In order to qualify, a player must have maintained at least a 3.2 GPA and participated in at least 60 percent of his team's games for first-team consideration and a 3.0 GPA for second team honors. Colorado's first team members include Jake Behrens, Ben Burney, Patrick Devenny, Dustin Ebner, Will Pericak, Travis Sandersfeld, Devin Shanahan, Bret Smith and Nate Solder. Second-team Buffs were David Clark, Marquez Herrod, Jon Major, Tyler Sale and Luke Walters. The conference named a total of 170 players from all 12 programs to the team. Nick Florence of Baylor and Austin Cassidy and Sean Fisher of Nebraska were nominated with a 4.00 grade point average.

What to watch for in the Big 12, Week 13 - Big 12 Blog - ESPN

Dan Hawkins' possible last game in Boulder: The embattled Colorado coach’s job has been in question since a slow start after he boldly predicting his team would challenge for the Big 12 North title. Instead, the Buffaloes were the first team in the conference eliminated from bowl consideration. The Buffaloes showed some promise in last week’s narrow loss at Oklahoma State, although they repeatedly made critical mistakes and penalties that kept them from winning. Will the Colorado coach be able to circle the wagons and get his team to play one final strong performance? Or is it already too late for him to save his job after a disappointing 16-32 career record?

A little doom, a little gloom at the holidays for CU football | All Things Colorado Sports

What, you think the economy stinks? Check out what’s going on on the Front Range football front, where …
* The Broncos’ offense considers a field goal a moral touchdown. Or maybe you haven’t noticed that the Local 11 haven’t scored an offensive touchdown at home in November.
* CSU just lost to New Mexico, which hadn’t won a game since New Mexico was a territory. Or seemingly so.
* CU has lost 20 of its last 22 road games and hasn’t won a Big 12 North roadie during the Dan Hawkins era.

Omaha.com - The Omaha World-Herald: Big Red Today - Beleaguered Buffs won't back down

Colorado players say the uncertainty surrounding coach Dan Hawkins' job status hasn't been a distraction. "There's a lot of stuff being said outside of the program, but you step into our locker room or in meetings or in practice and it's hardly spoken of,'' CU tight end Devenny said.

Wideout Simas gives jolt to the Buffs' offense - The Denver Post

"The chemistry between the wide receivers and tight ends and Tyler has improved over the last few weeks," Simas said. "Tyler knows that if the defense gives us this look, I'm going to be here. And if the defensive gives us that look, I'm going to be there. It's a feel thing we're developing."

Brooks: Seniors' Legacy Better Than 3-8 - CUBuffs.com

The Colorado football program's 17 seniors have so much more to their collective resumes than a disappointing 3-8 record entering Friday's final game against Nebraska (1:30 p.m., Folsom Field, ABC). The Buffaloes' three senior captains - Marcus Burton, Riar Geer, Jeff Smart - are a storyline within the tale, each having persevered through individual hardships to reach the point where their teammates recognized and honored them.

CU's Hagan wants critics to stay patient - Boulder Daily Camera

Henderson: McCartney knows the heat under Hawkins - The Denver Post

Colorado comes up short against Arizona in overtime - KansasCity.com

For the second night in a row, not-so-lowly Colorado took a perennial powerhouse the distance. For the second night in a row, the Buffaloes barely missed a statement victory.

CU`s Higgins making name for self - Boulder Daily Camera

"Great player," Wildcats guard Nick Wise, an All-American candidate, noticed. "Before watching film on him I never really heard too much about him. He`s an All-Big 12 player and that says enough about him because it`s a great conference."

Buffs Drop OT Thriller in Maui - CUBuffs.com

Both teams protected the ball after halftime as Colorado committed zero turnovers in the second half and Arizona only committed two. Arizona's hot shooting from the three-point line proved too much for the Buffaloes to overcome though. The Wildcats shot 14-of-24 (58.3 percent) from beyond the arc as a whole, including a perfect 5-of-5 from Jamelle Horne. Wise went 5-of-9 from long distance and his 30 points were a career high. Horne was Arizona's second leading scorer with 17. Arizona's 14 treys today was the most for the program in a single game since the Cats connected on 14-of-23 attempts (60.9 percent) on Jan. 17, 2004, in a 97-72 win at UCLA. That covers a span of 189 games played.

Corn Flakes: How Would You Play CU?

JLew — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:08:58 -0000

So Bo says that they are going to play to win against CU. I'm sure they will but how would you play CU? I win helps in the standings, and it's always nice, but you could rest Helu, and maybe work on some other things on offense. Do you play this like any other game, or do you keep an eye on Texas?

Omaha.com - The Omaha World-Herald: Big Red Today - Title game is far from Bo's radar

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini was sure Monday to let everybody know his full focus is on Colorado, saying "I don't want anybody to talk about the Big 12 title game around me.''

Lunch with Bo: Colorado is Nebraska's rival

"I know this is a special game to our fans and to Colorado fans," Pelini said Monday during his weekly news conference. "The two states are close together and this game is important to our fans in western Nebraska, and they want bragging rights. They make a lot of sacrifices driving a long way to see us play, and we’ve got to have their back this week."

Well there you go.

NE StatePaper.com - Pressed for Time

A look at how the coaches are handling the short week.

Life in the Red's Blog | Monday practice report

As for his vision of this offense in the future, Watson said: "It would be a team like we were last year. But we're going to have to grow into that at quarterback, to be honest with you. We're going to have to grow into that at receiver. That's going to take a process. That's going to take some time."

Jeffie Husker's 'Birth of a Rivalry:' Nebraska vs. Colorado, Parts 1 - 2. DXP

If you need to get up for the CU game check this link

Alex Henery - The Skinny Assassin - Nebraska Football

Nebraska's kicking star a dead-eye punter, too - KansasCity.com

Some nice pub for Henery

Possible head coaches and ADs - The Ralphie Report

Turner Gill or Frank Solich as possible replacements???? What?????????? - JJ

Buffs' Miller set to tangle with Husker named Suh

The guy is a complete football player," Miller said. "He's a big, strong guy that uses his hands extremely well. If you use good technique against him, he's still a heck of an athlete and will give you a challenge. But if you don't have good technique, you're going to have a long, long day."

Dan Hawkins Wouldn't Recruit Son if Given Another Chance

Hawk says that if he had to do it all over it again, he wouldn't have recruited his son Cody. Can't say I blame him. - JJ

"Not for him, no. Nope. Not at all," Hawkins said. "It's not fair to him. Here is a guy who is trying to do his best to win games and to help his team and does everything right, he's a good student and he's getting killed on Facebook and getting killed on his cell phone. "The great thing about this job is you meet some unbelievable people. But then you also see another side of humanity that's not real fun."

Poll

How would you play Colorado?

Crush them, run up the score, go for 2 everytime

40 votes

Play as usual, Helu et al. starts and plays most of the game

89 votes

Rest up for Texas. The CU game means very little.

8 votes

Won't matter NU will be able to empty the bench anyway it plays

10 votes

147 votes | Poll has closed

Husker Report Card: Huskers 17, Kansas State 3

Husker Mike — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:03:03 -0000

More photos » by Nati Harnik - AP

Roy Helu Jr. is tackled by Kansas State's Ulla Pomele. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Browse more photos »

A thing of beauty it was not, but a win is a win... and five of them are enough to claim the Big XII North championship trophy (or bedpan, as the Omaha World-Herald's Tom Shatel called it). And in a one-game conference championship game, it doesn't matter what your resume says. Just ask Texas in 1996, Texas A&M in 1998, Colorado in 2001, Kansas State in 2003, or Oklahoma in 2007; they all knocked teams out of the BCS title game in upsets that range from shocking (1996, 2003) to almost expected (2001 and 2007). So it doesn't matter how you get there, it just matters what you do when you get there.

That being said, there's still the need to grade yesterday's performance and prepare for Colorado on a short week. The Huskers have plenty of things to continue to work on; needless to say, I'm going to grade this performance harder than the Journal-Star's Brian Rosenthal.

QB: It was a "glass half-empty/full" performance depending on your perspective. He ran harder and more decisively than in any game to date, and managed the game fairly well overall. On the downside, his interception was a bad decision. His underthrows on some deep balls were a good conservative decision in my opinion. Throw the ball too far, and it's a loud noisy incompletion. Throw it a little short and let Niles Paul jump up and outmuscle the coverage for the ball; that's a battle he'll win most of the time. Take the likely 50 yard gain, or get greedy and go for the 70 yard killshot? This season, take the 50 yarder. My grade: B

IB: Oh it was so nice seeing Rex Burkhead back out on the field, but early on, he was used primarily as a decoy. Then they gave him the ball and the Wildcats came hard on the blitz and nailed him in the backfield. Roy Helu ran hard but likewise had trouble at times finding room. Helu could have kept a third quarter drive alive by catching a pass before turning upfield. Grade: B

WR: Niles Paul continues to step up his game, frequently as the only receiver in the game. We saw the other receivers play more than in the past few weeks, but other than a nice Brandon Kinnie catch, weren't very productive. And the lack of running room outside indicates the downfield blocking continues to be an issue. Nice to see Mike McNeill healthy enough to contribute. Grade: C

OL: At times it seemed there was more running room inside than outside; I credit that to the line play. Too many times, though, safeties burst through a gap unblocked to blow up a play, especially on that 14 yard sack of Zac Lee. Grade: B-

DL: Another quarterback with some mobility caused some issues with an aggressive pass rush. But when the game was on the line, Ndamukong Suh stepped up like the great players do. Why don't people even want to consider him for the Heisman Trophy. Mel Kiper says what everybody knows deep down inside: "Suh is the best player in college football." So what's the criteria for the Heisman Trophy anyway? "The Heisman Memorial Trophy annually recognizes the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work." From my admittedly biased perspective, there is no other candidate even remotely close to Mr. Suh to meeting that criteria. Husker fans: VOTE now, VOTE tomorrow, then VOTE once (and only once) each and every day for the next two weeks. Grade: B+

LB: Some flashes of good play, but then a Wildcat would break open over the middle on a crossing pattern all alone. By the end of the game, Nebraska was playing quarters coverage...except rather than replace a defensive lineman, they removed the linebacker. True that was based mostly in part on K-State's need to dent the end zone twice in the waning minute, but it actually seemed to improve the defense. Grade: C-

Secondary: Last October, many Husker fans shook our head and yelled obscenities towards Larry Asante. Now look at him now; he's playing ferocious. This week, another two turnovers including the play of the day, forcing Keithen Valentine to cough up the football to keep the Wildcats out of the end zone. Even without Alfonzo Dennard, this group did well for the most part yesterday. Grade A

Special Teams: Again, normally I don't grade them but this week, they merit special attention. Adi Kunalic did an outstanding job on kickoffs, making sure Brandon Banks couldn't get going. I don't know how else to explain it, but Ndamukong Suh and his mates on the defensive line must be forcing kickers to change their routine. How else can you explain all of the missed kicks, even when Suh doesn't get his mitts on the ball? Another two misses yesterday. And finally, Alex Henery. First, it was a 45 yarder that bounced and seemingly turned right inside the five, as if Henery was controlling the ball with a remote control, going out at the 1. Then there was that 61 yard bomb that took another right turn, going out at the three yard line. Are you kidding me? Grade: A+

Overall Grade: B- It's a win, and a championship...but this team still can do a lot better to put it all together. If they do so, you never know what might happen.

Elsewhere in College Football

Oklahoma: F I've taken heat about propping up the Sooners in their 4 previous losses...but yesterday, they were taken behind the woodshed and then some.

Nike: F Somebody... Please enact a federal law banning Nike from the uniform business. My goodness, but those new "Pro-Combat" uniforms can be summarized in four letters: U G L Y. Remember, these are the idiots who have made Oregon the laughingstock of college football. Nebraska needs to sign a lifetime contract with adidas rather than risk letting Nike anywhere near the Husker athletic complex. Maybe the fabric is an improvement, but Herb Tarlek could design a better looking uniform than the Swoosh Crew.

LSU Clock Management: 0 Was Les Miles even paying attention there at the end of the game?

Taylor Nick: A+ Earlier this year, Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts seemed to lose the confidence of his teammates, and was replaced by Stephen Sheffield. The Blackshirts took Sheffield out, and Potts alternated with Seth Doege in recent weeks. This week, Potts reinvented himself as "Nick" and proceeded to burn the Sooners all afternoon.

Missouri 2nd half: A+ A few weeks ago, the Tigers were sleep walking through the 2nd half. Now they're sleepwalking through the first half and busting the game open down the stretch.

Poll

Rate the Huskers performance against the Kansas State Wildcats!

A Championship Performance!

3 votes

B Good win.

131 votes

C A whole lot of meh. Did enough to beat a non-bowl eligible team, I guess.

114 votes

D Not very dominant on either side of the ball.

2 votes

F NU wins the north by default; everybody else is simply even worse.

6 votes

256 votes | Poll has closed

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

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

More photos » by DAVE WEAVER - AP

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

Browse more photos »

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More photos » by Nati Harnik - AP

Henery - a masterful weapon overlooked by most.

Browse more photos »

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.