SB Nation - Zach Potter

SB Nation 2009 Big 12 Preview: Nebraska Cornhuskers Team Capsule

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

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

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

The Outlook

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

Offense

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

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

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

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

Defense

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

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

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

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

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

Special Teams

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

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

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

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

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

Key Losses

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Newcomers

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

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

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

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

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

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

Big 12 Projected Order Of Finish:

North

Nebraska
Kansas
Colorado
Missouri
Iowa State
Kansas State

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

2009 Opponent Previews

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

Huskers Going Into the NFL Draft And Free Agent Signings

Jon Johnston — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 04:29:09 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

Matt Slauson joins his old college coach, Bill Callahan with the New York Jets after being selected in the fifth round.

Browse more photos »

In seven rounds, only three Huskers were taken in this weekend's NFL draft.

- Cody Glenn being the first Husker drafted was a big surprise. He went in the fifth round to the Washington Redskins. It’s a big surprise because Glenn only played linebacker for one season that was cut short due to his being suspended for ticket scalping.

One partial year, and he’s the highest Husker drafted. Maybe that says something about his desire. Maybe it says something about linebackers coach Mike Ekeler. Or maybe.… it’s because he’s the Husker I chose to put on the cover picture for “A Sea of Red” last season. Yeah, that’s it.

- Matt Slauson gets reunited with his old buddy New York Jets offensive line coach Bill Callahan after going in the sixth round. I don’t know if Slauson can ever get to be a high-paid NFL lineman, but the Jets need linemen pretty badly. I’m all for him, loved the face paint.

It’s easy for us as Husker fans to bash on Billy C, but maybe if Bill can focus on line coaching without all those other distractions like running a full offense, then there’s hope for Slauson. I certainly hope so.

- Lydon Murtha dropped all the way to the seventh round, going to the Detroit Lions. Not that surprising Murtha dropped as far as he did. He missed four games in 2007 and again in 2008 with injuries. In 2008, there was an indication that the injuries weren’t serious, leading one to speculate that Murtha is going to have to get a lot tougher to stay on a NFL roster. This didn't escape the NFL guys.

Although with the Lions, how good do you have to be, really?

Several Husker players were signed as undrafted free agents:

- Joe Ganz, Tamba Bay

- Marlon Lucky, Cinncinati Bengals

- Zach Potter, New York Jets

- Todd Peterson, Jacksonville Jaguars

- Nate Swift, Denver Broncos

Otherwise:

- Our buddy Chase Daniel signed with the Washington Redskins

Swift, Slauson, and Murtha Joining Potter, Lucky, and Glenn at NFL Combine

Husker Mike — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:53:50 -0000

Monday, the NFL extended invitations to wide receiver Nate Swift and offensive linemen Matt Slauson and Lydon Murtha for the NFL Combine February 20th through the 26th in Indinapolis. Defensive end Zach Potter, I-Back Marlon Lucky, and I-Back/Linebacker Cody Glenn were invited previously.

I was somewhat surprised that it took Nate Swift this long to get an invitation. While Swift wasn't a game breaker at receiver, he runs great routes and has great hands. In the right system, he has the makings of a fine possession receiver. How many times did Joe Ganz look for Swift this season on 3rd down? He's always had the knack for getting open and making the catch.

Not sure what happened to Slauson in his junior season; earlier in his career, I thought he had the makings of an early round pick in his sophomore season and went into the season on the Outland Trophy watch list. But in that discombobulated season, Slauson instead found himself on the bench.

Lydon Murtha arrived at Nebraska with NFL size and credentials, but never really set the world on fire. Plagued by injuries throughout his career, he was known early on for being slow off the snap and frequently missing assignments. He might be a project for an NFL team that puts more credence on measurables than on game tape.

Zach Potter is a definite NFL draft pick in my opinion. He's got the size and speed to play at the next level, as his play towards the end of the season showed. NFL guys have to love his reach as well, as he deflected several passes at key times.

Marlon Lucky has "3rd down back" written all over him. He shows good hands and picks up the blitz well, which probably will get him a very serious look on draft day. One thing I regret never seeing from Lucky was him on kickoff and punt returns, except during his freshman season. In his freshman season, he took a kickoff return for a touchdown, but it was called back for a penalty. Lucky showed great speed in the open field, which would seem to be tailor made for the return game.

Cody Glenn always seemed to find a way to get off the field at Nebraska. On the field, he looked like an all-conference running back and linebacker, but for various reasons, his playing time was always limited. Injuries were frequently given as the reason, though it now appears that might have been an excuse at times. Then in his senior season, he abruptly was suspended for an internal rules violation. That'll raise some concerns with NFL teams, and Glenn can expect to be grilled harshly on it.

Poll

How many Huskers get drafted in the NFL in 2009?

None

2 votes

One or Two

20 votes

Three or Four

40 votes

Five or Six

6 votes

68 votes | Poll has closed

Suh Makes All-Big 12 First Team Defense for AP, DMN

Jon Johnston — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:42:19 -0000

After being overlooked by the Big 12 coaches, Ndamukong Suh was selected as first team All Big 12 by the Associated Press and the Dallas Morning News.The full list for the AP is after the jump, the DMN list hasn't been placed here, but remains at their site.

Matt Slauson and Alex Henery made the second-team AP offense.

Honorable Mentions for Nebraska include:

Lydon Murtha
Zach Potter
Nate Swift - as both a Receiver and All-Purpose
Larry Asante

Comments:

Suh, Henery, and Larry Asante will return next season. Other than Joe Ganz, Nate Swift will be the most missed player. Agree?

To be honest, I have no idea how Lydon Murtha made this list, even as Honorable Mention. The guy was injured too often if nothing else. If someone wants to defend that selection, please feel free to do so.

Coach of the Year Honors went to Mike Leach, as opposed to the Big 12 Coaches who gave it to Bob Stoops. Leach is a much better choice.

Offensive player of the year went to Colt McCoy. That's pretty fitting - it was apparent in 2007 that Texas lived or died dependent upon McCoy's play. He had a great season this year and so has Texas.

Defensive Player of the year went to Brian Orakpo from the AP, while the DMN chose Oklahoma's DT Gerald McCoy. Both are deserving, although Orakpo was just a monster all season.

Here are the AP Selections:

SPECIAL AWARDS

Offensive player of the year — Colt McCoy, Texas
Defensive player of the year — Brian Orakpo, Texas
Offensive newcomer of the year — Robert Griffin, Baylor
Defensive newcomer of the year — Travis Lewis, Oklahoma
Coach of the year — Mike Leach, Texas Tech

FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE
Center
Jon Cooper, Oklahoma, 6-2, 285, Sr., Fort Collins, Colo.
Offensive Line
(tie) Phil Loadholt, Oklahoma, 6-8, 350, Sr., Fountain, Colo.
(tie) Russell Okung, Oklahoma State, 6-5, 290, Jr., Fort Bend, Texas
Rylan Reed, Texas Tech, 6-7, 294, Sr., Dallas
Duke Robinson, Oklahoma, 6-5, 330, Sr., Atlanta
Jason Smith, Baylor, 6-5, 298, Sr., Dallas
Tight End
Chase Coffman, Missouri, 6-6, 245, Sr., Peculiar, Mo.
Receivers
Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State, 6-2, 210, Soph., Lufkin, Texas
u-Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech, 6-3, 206, Soph., Dallas
Jeremy Maclin, Missouri, 6-1, 200, Soph., Kirkwood, Mo.
Running Back
u-Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State, 5-8, 180, Soph., Tyler, Texas
Quarterback
Sam Bradford, Oklahoma, 6-5, 213, Soph., Oklahoma City
All-purpose
Jeremy Maclin, Missouri, 6-1, 200, Soph., Kirkwood, Mo.
Kicker
Jeff Wolfert, Missouri, 6-2, 185, Sr., Overland Park, Kan.

FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE
Defensive Line
Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma, 6-4, 254, Soph., Carrollton, Texas
u-Brian Orakpo, Texas, 6-4, 260, Sr., Houston
Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska, 6-4, 300, Jr., Portland, Ore.
Brandon Williams, Texas Tech, 6-5, 248, Jr., Fort Worth, Texas
Linebacker
James Holt, Kansas, 6-3, 222, Sr., Altus, Okla.
Travis Lewis, Oklahoma, 6-2, 220, Fr., San Antonio
Joe Pawelek, Baylor, 6-3, 236, Jr., San Antonio
Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri, 6-1, 235, Jr., Jasper, Texas
Defensive Back
Daniel Charbonnet, Texas Tech, 5-11, 188, Sr., The Woodlands, Texas
Jordan Lake, Baylor, 6-2, 206, Jr., Houston
Darcel McBath, Texas Tech, 6-1, 197, Sr., Gainesville, Texas
Darrell Stuckey, Kansas, 6-1, 205, Jr., Kansas City, Kan.
Punter
Justin Brantly, Texas A&M, 6-3, 241, Sr., Sealy, Texas

SECOND-TEAM OFFENSE
Center
David Washington, Oklahoma State, 6-4, 305, Sr., Guthrie, Okla.
Offensive Line
Cedric Dockery, Texas, 6-4, 315, Sr., Garland, Texas
Matt Slauson, Nebraska, 6-5, 325, Sr., Colorado Springs, Colo.
Adam Ulatoski, Texas, 6-8, 302, Soph., Southlake, Texas
Louis Vasquez, Texas Tech, 6-6, 335, Sr., Corsicana, Texas
Tight End
Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma, 6-6, 250, Jr., Ardmore, Okla.
Receivers
Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas, 6-3, 200, Soph., Dallas
Quan Cosby, Texas, 5-11, 200, Sr., Mart, Texas
Jordan Shipley, Texas, 6-0, 190, Sr., Burnet, Texas
Running Back
DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma, 6-0, 191, Soph., Las Vegas
Quarterback
Colt McCoy, Texas, 6-3, 210, Jr., Tuscola, Texas
All-purpose
DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma, 6-0, 191, Soph., Las Vegas
Kicker
Alex Henery, Nebraska, 6-2, 170, Soph., Omaha, Neb.

SECOND-TEAM DEFENSE
Defensive Line
George Hypolite, Colorado, 6-1, 285, Sr., Los Angeles
Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma, 6-4, 289, Soph., Oklahoma City
Roy Miller, Texas, 6-2, 295, Sr., Killeen, Texas
Stryker Sulak, Missouri, 6-5, 250, Sr., Rockdale, Texas
Linebacker
Sergio Kindle, Texas, 6-4, 239, Jr., Dallas
Rod Muckelroy, Texas, 6-2, 235, Jr., Hallsville, Texas
Andre Sexton, Oklahoma State, 6-1, 210, Jr., Houston
Jeff Smart, Colorado, 6-0, 210, Jr., Boulder, Colo.
Defensive Back
Dominique Franks, Oklahoma, 5-11, 183, Soph., Tulsa, Okla.
Nic Harris, Oklahoma, 6-3, 226, Sr., Alexandria, La.
Lendy Holmes, Oklahoma, 6-1, 196, Sr., Dallas
William Moore, Missouri, 6-1, 230, Sr., Hayti, Mo.
Punter
Matt Fodge, Oklahoma State, 6-1, 195, Sr., Garland, Texas

HONORABLE MENTION
Centers: Ryan Cantrell, Kansas; Chris Hall, Texas; Stephen Hamby, Texas Tech; Daniel Sanders, Colorado; J.D. Walton, Baylor.
Offensive line: James Barnard, Baylor; Colin Brown, Missouri; Brandon Carter, Texas Tech; Kurtis Gregory, Missouri; Adrian Mayes, Kansas; Lyndon Murtha, Nebraska; Brandon Walker, Oklahoma; Trent Williams, Oklahoma.
Tight end: Brandon Pettigrew, Oklahoma State.
Receiver: Brandon Banks, Kansas State; Juaquin Iglesias, Oklahoma; Kerry Meier, Kansas; Nate Swift, Nebraska.
Running back: Chris Brown, Oklahoma; Jake Sharp, Kansas; Derrick Washington, Missouri.
Quarterback: Graham Harrell, Texas Tech.
All-purpose: Brandon Banks, Kansas State; Baron Batch, Texas Tech; Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State; Quan Cosby, Texas; Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State; Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M Jordan Shipley, Texas; Josh Smith, Colorado; Nate Swift, Nebraska.
Kicker: Dan Bailey, Oklahoma State; Hunter Lawrence, Texas; Grant Mahoney, Iowa State.
Defensive line: Frank Alexander, Oklahoma; Ian Campbell, Kansas State; Eric Childs, Kansas State; McKinner Dixon, Texas Tech; Auston English, Oklahoma; Brandon Harold, Kansas State; Ziggy Hood, Missouri; Cyril Obiozor, Texas A&M, Zach Potter, Nebraska; Kurtis Taylor, Iowa State; Colby Whitlock, Texas Tech.
Linebacker: Rashad Bobino, Texas; Keenan Clayton, Oklahoma; Brian Duncan, Texas Tech; Matt Featherston, Texas A&M Brad Jones, Colorado; Shaun Mohler, Colorado; Joe Mortensen, Kansas; Ryan Reynolds, Oklahoma.
Defensive back: Larry Asante, Nebraska; Castine Bridges, Missouri; Cha’pelle Brown, Colorado; Alton Dixon, Texas A&M Carl Gettis, Missouri; Brian Jackson, Oklahoma; Jacob Lacey, Oklahoma State; Joshua Moore, Kansas State; Ryan Palmer, Texas; Ricky Price, Oklahoma State; James Smith, Iowa State; Jamar Wall, Texas Tech; Ryan Walters, Colorado; Earl Thomas, Texas.
Punter: Mike Brandtner, Iowa State; Derek Epperson, Baylor.

Keys to the Game: Kansas State

Blankman — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:00:06 -0000

Ron Prince is on everybody’s mind, the last road game of the season is upon us and people are talking about Josh Freeman. Yup, it’s K-State week. I felt that Nebraska would go 3-0 and so far so good. The Wildcats don’t put the fear of God into me nor should they. Given, Cody Glenn is suspended, but the front four have been playing like their hair is on fire what with intercepting passes and catching touchdowns. If Josh Freeman stays in the pocket, he’ll get eaten for lunch which when playing against Ndamukong Suh or Mark Mangino isn’t exactly outside the realm of possibility. Enough with the schoolyard taunts.

1.) Stop Josh Freeman – I could stop here but that wouldn’t make for much of an article, would it? Freeman is the heart and soul of this team (what’s left of it anyway) and if he’s stopped dead in his tracks, Nebraska will cruise. Right now Ron Prince is comfortably nestled between a rock and a hard place. He has no way to escape dismissal. He knows it, the players know it and when a downtrodden coach starts to rub off onto his players when hosting a coach with a mad as hell defense that just got awarded Blackshirts for the first time in his tenure come to visit, bad things are bound to happen.

Freeman’s always been a talent but he still has not been brought along properly. He’s got natural ability, but I still don’t see refined mechanics just instinct and a good call every now and again. I’m sure he’ll burn the safeties deep and get the short routes between a linebacker or two, but if he starts running for his life, KSU will be done from that point on.

2.) Infuriate Ron Prince – Last year’s mud-stomping of Kansas State in Lincoln is going to be used as fodder for Kansas State’s pre-game psych up. The problem is if Nebraska can continue that sort of rout one year later or at least appear to start revving that engine, Prince is going to get livid in a hurry and make stupid calls. You know, what am I talking about? It’s Ron Prince. The guy’s made of stupid calls. He makes Frank Solich look like Knute Rockne.

3.) Blitz – I don’t have a lot of faith in Freeman’s line and he shouldn’t either. This is a game in which I would blitz the ever loving hell out of Larry Asante because we all know he wants to put a hurting on someone and I can’t think of anyone better than Text Boy. Suh, Potter, Allen and the big dogs up from should be able to part the KSU O-line like the Red…er…Purple Sea and even Tyler Wortman and Blake Lawrence could look All-Big XII if the defense plays like they did against Kansas.

In Summary: Nebraska has the potential to make these next two games look similar to 2007. A year ago Kansas State was shell-shocked. It wasn’t Nebraska vs. Kansas State, it was Nebraska vs. Jordy Nelson. Jordy is gone and soon Ron Prince will be, too. The Cornhuskers want style points going into the bowl and the second chapter of 3-0 involves turning Manhattan, Kansas into ground zero of a megaton blast.

Poll

What is the most important "key" to the game?

Stop Josh Freeman

57 votes

Infuriate Ron Prince

12 votes

Blitz

21 votes

90 votes | Poll has closed

Keys to the Game: Kansas

Blankman — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:00:06 -0000

After a merciless pounding in Norman, Nebraska returns home to what sounds like the welcoming but chilly confines of Memorial Stadium. Their next foe: The Fightin’ Manginos! The Jayhawks offer up an honest challenge for the Huskers and many feel there’s next to no shot for the Cornhuskers to pick up a “W”. PHOOEY to that, I say! I think Nebraska has an honest chance to go 3-0 in the final stretch here. Of course it’s one game at a time so let’s talk about what needs to be done to clip the Jayhawk’s wings.

1.) Bring the “Hyde” out of Reesing – Todd Reesing is a great quarterback, but in the Big XII that seems to come standard like a CD player in a car these days. Still, he can do damage and that’s the last thing that Nebraska’s back seven wants to hear. Zach Potter, Ty Steinkuhler and Ndamukong Suh need to break through and do damage. The latter needs to have himself some monster games if he wants to succeed and find fame and fortune in the NFL. There’d be no better day to come out and slam Reesing to the turf. It’s no secret that there is a “Hyde” to his “Jekyll” and if Nebraska pulls it out of him, we could see one of the finest defensive displays of the season.

2.) It’s Lucky or Helu – Unfortunately for Quentin Castille he puts more balls on the carpet than a CEO with a cocktail glass and a putter. Right now Lucky doesn’t seem to be in the best of shape, either. I admire the guy for all he’s done, but he can only do so much. Helu is a young, raw talent who I can’t wait to see grow within the program along with many others, but regardless of how injured Lucky is, both he and Roy need to carry the rock not Castille. At this point, I’d say it’s linebacker or bust for Quentin. If Nebraska wants to win out, it can’t be with #19 carrying the rock with any less than half of a yard line to go and even that’s iffy.

3.) Keep Bo Happy – Well…Bo being “happy” is a relative term. I suppose “Keep Bo less red in the face” would be a more appropriate request. There are some aspects of Bo’s gameday attitude I really like. He’s attentive, he knows what’s going on from all angles, but he’s letting things get to him far too easily. I’d like to think he will look back on what’s happened so far and end 2008 out with a nice, solid demeanor for the most part. Hey, we can’t expect the guy to stop hollering at the refs overnight. Still, he has to reign in his temper at some point. If he doesn’t, we’re not going to get calls going our way and that can, and I can almost guarantee you will, play as a big negative recruiting point.

In Summary: Nebraska has to play focused much like they did versus Texas Tech. They’re at home and they want to put on a show for the crowd. I say let ‘em. Last week’s first play shows that obviously it’s time to go to page 26 of the playbook blind and see what your finger lands on. Start out slow, make a bit of progress then begin with the screwing of the minds. Mangino is a crafty coach and a good fella, but he can be beaten and that is one thing that Bo knows.

Poll

Which Key is Most Important Vs. Kansas?

Bring the "Hyde" out of Reesing

36 votes

It’s Lucky or Helu

18 votes

Keep Bo Happy

9 votes

63 votes | Poll has closed

Keys to the Game: Baylor

Blankman — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:00:07 -0000

A second Big XII win in two games sounds really good to any team in the conference right now, but for a Nebraska team looking to build off of a dominating road win against Iowa State, it’s huge. It’s cliché to say that every game counts, but for Nebraska’s season each one most certainly does especially when gauging just how successful Year One of the Bo Pelini Era went. Of course that’ll depend who you talk to. That said, I give you the keys to beating the Bears:

1. Keep Ganz in a rhythm – It’s easy to say that I or anyone else liked what we saw last week against Iowa State, but it wasn’t so much the performance as how it was created. The system is built around its quarterback and right now Joe Ganz is the man. As long as he is humming smoothly, Nebraska has a chance to dismantle the remainder of its Big XII foes with the possible exception of the Boomer Sooners.

Joe’s been able to have the heat kept off of him which is great because if you can force him to make a decision, about four come into his mind and he’s not the best at choosing the correct one. I feel, however, that Nebraska’s offensive line can take care of Baylor to the point where Nebraska will have the freedom of being as two-dimensional as they like.

2. Lock ‘er Down – With most folks you’ll hear “Stop the run, win the game” or some variation thereof. Nebraska’s defensive line has been slowly showing improvement especially from the likes of Zach Potter who is really doing himself a service this year. I’m not so concerned with Baylor RB Jay Finley as I am with QB Robert Griffin and the WR duo of Thomas White and Kendall Wright.

If first year coach Art Briles learned anything from ISU, it’s that you need to go deep early and often on Nebraska. The only problem is that you’re going up against a coach in Bo Pelini that likes to blitz and isn’t afraid to say it to your face.

3. Go for Two! – No, not a conversion, but how about a second game where
penalties are a thing of the past? Given it’s not exactly an “Oklahoma”-type game, but sooner or later (ugh), Nebraska will have to face the Crimson and Cream. If they want a SHOT at taking down OU in Norman, mistakes are going to have to be kept to a minimum. Penalties and lest I mention fumbles will kill you. Two areas to be improved on, two areas I expect to be better vs. Baylor.

In Summary: Baylor can very easily be Iowa State II in both dominance and score in front of a friendly crowd. I feel that this team knows that and if they can execute the way that they’ve proved that they obviously can, a large margin of victory is not out of the realm of possibility. If they pull out the ol’ six-shooter and aim it at their foot, things might get a little scarier.

Poll

What's the most important key versus Baylor?

Keep Ganz in a rhythm

29 votes

Lock ‘er Down

28 votes

Go for Two!

20 votes

77 votes | Poll has closed

Mizzou-Nebraska: Beyond the Box Score

Bill C. — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:00:05 -0000

I may have posted the BTBS 'box' yesterday, but there's still plenty to discuss. Let's look back at last week's preview and see how things shook down.

Nebraska's 46% success rate is pretty solid; Mizzou's 58% success rate (60% in close games) is ridiculous.

Nebraska: 39.7% success rate, 40.9% while the game was close
Missouri: 56.9% success rate, 56.3% while the game was close

So NU held Mizzou a smidge below its season success rate...but still couldn't stop the big play. Meanwhile, NU didn't have nearly enough offensive consistency.

If you can force Nebraska into passing downs, they're not able to complete them as well as they did last year, back when Marlon Lucky was alive.

Nebraska: 6-for-22 on passing downs. They were 5-for-11 passing (2 successful passes to Nate Swift, 2 to Todd Peterson, 1 to Menelik Holt) with 1 sack, and they were 1-for-5 rushing.

They were 2-for-4 in Q1 (that's when the two passes to Swift came), 4-for-18 the rest of the game.

Nebraska is a Q1/Q3 team. They gameplan well offensively, and they backslide a smidge once the gameplan runs out and they actually have to adjust.

Nebraska Offense

Q1: 50.0% success rate / 0.42 PPP / 0.924 S&P
Q2: 30.0% success rate / 0.18 PPP / 0.484 S&P
Q3: 37.5% success rate / 0.15 PPP / 0.522 S&P

And the game was over in Q4.

They really did gameplan pretty well, with the rollouts and such, but once Mizzou got comfortable (which didn't take long), it was over fast.

Mizzou's offense is disgustingly consistent from Q1 to Q3. We hear a lot about Mizzou's "fast starts", but a fast start suggests a fall-off. They start fast and stay fast.

Missouri Offense

Q1: 61.5% success rate / 0.70 PPP / 1.320 S&P (skewed by Maclin's long TD)
Q2: 50.0% success rate / 0.40 PPP / 0.903 S&P
Q3: 72.7% success rate / 1.23 PPP / 1.953 S&P

So a slight dropoff in Q2, but only to 0.903. That's still good. I do find one thing ironic, though: remember how NU's coaches bragged about the fantastic gameplan they'd put together? Well Mizzou was unbelievable in the "gameplan" quarters (Q1/Q3). That's some good coaching by Nebraska, huh?

The game could be made or broken on third downs.

Mizzou on 3rd downs: 77.8% success rate / 1.487 PPP / 2.264 S&P
Nebraska on 3rd downs: 63.2% success rate / 0.391 PPP / 1.022 S&P

Nebraska was a little too successful on 3rd downs for my taste, but while they were just barely converting (0.391 PPP), Missouri was breaking the Points Per Play chart (1.487). Again, S&P is a lot like OPS in baseball--anything over 0.900 is pretty good. A 2.264 S&P is "Barry Bonds in the 2002 World Series" good.

(Correction: Barry Bonds only put up a 1.994 OPS in the 2002 World Series. My bad. The Missouri offense on third downs was better than Barry Bonds in the 2002 World Series.)

Key Players: Nebraska

Every receiver besides Nate Swift

Roy Helu Jr. (RB): 4 catches, 50% success rate, 2.80 EqPts
Ryan Hill (TE): 2 catches, 0% success rate, 0.02 EqPts
Menelik Holt: 5 catches, 80% success rate, 5.45 EqPts
Mike McNeill (TE): 2 catches, 100% success rate, 1.72 EqPts
Todd Peterson: 7 catches, 100% success rate, 2.86 EqPts
Dreu Young (TE): 1 catch, 100% success rate, 0.68 EqPts

TOTAL: 21 catches, 76.2% success rate, 13.52 EqPts

Meanwhile...

Nate Swift: 5 catches, 80% success rate, 4.40 EqPts.

Not nearly enough from him. Carl Gettis strikes again.

RB Marlon Lucky

Marlon Lucky: 14 carries, 1.61 EqPts, 0.401 S&P - WORTHLESS. I feel vindicated.

DE Zach Potter

Zach Potter: 3.5 tackles, 3.0 successful - 85.7% success rate, 0.868 defensive S&P (Defensive Success Rate - PPP = Defensive S&P). Oh yeah, and 1 helmet-to-helmet penalty worth 0.84 points.

DT Ndamukong Suh

Ndamukong Suh: 4.5 tackles, 4.0 successful - 88.9% success rate, 0.780 defensive S&P, 1 noteworthy loogie.

Both Potter and Suh played rather well, though they both made more notable contributions to the game outside of the stats. And neither came up with a sack. And it should also be mentioned that only 4.0 of their 8.0 tackles came when the game was actually close.

Key Plays: Mizzou

RB Derrick Washington

Derrick Washington (rushing): 14 carries, 57.1% success rate, 1.348 S&P
Derrick Washington (receiving): 2 catches, 100% success rate, 2.327 S&P

Derrick Washington (TOTAL): 16 touches, 62.5% success rate, 1.470 S&P

I'll just say this: Derrick Washington is possibly the most underrated RB in the country right now. He's putting up numbers like this on a weekly basis, he's scored 12 TDs, and he's averaging 7.5 yards per carry. Seriously, Chase Daniel's already the Heisman favorite at the moment, but if Washington weren't so darn proficient at getting into the endzone, Daniel might have another 5 or so TD passes (or rushes) to add to his resume!

OT's Elvis Fisher & Colin Brown

Nebraska: 0 sacks
Missouri offense w/Chase Daniel at QB: 58.7% success rate, 0.69 PPP, 1.272 S&P

Nebraska's attempts at getting past Elvis Fisher and Colin Brown: MASSIVE FAIL.

DE Stryker Sulak

Stryker Sulak: 2.5 tackles, 100% success rate, 0.966 Defensive S&P, 1 forced fumble worth 5.05 points.

Sulak brought his A-game again, but he was outplayed by his counterpart...

Tommy "Perpetually Underrated" Chavis: 4.5 tackles, 100% success rate, 0.980 S&P, 1 sack, 1.5 tackles for loss

FS William Moore

William Moore: 4.0 tackles, 0% successful, 1 TD-preventing pass break-up.

Moore's stats certainly suggest he's not 100%, but he still came up with a huge play and a couple hard hits...plus, he's the one who flushed Ganz out of the pocket, leading to Christopher's pick six.

Summary

I guess we should have known what to expect when a) Nebraska scored only 14 points in the first three quarters against San Jose State and b) Virginia Tech (which scored only 27 against Western Kentucky) put up 35 in Lincoln. In the end, it's not a 100% worthwhile experience delving into the box scores of blowouts, but I'll say that's a pretty nice problem to have.

Look for an MU-OSU BTBS Preview on Thursday, and I'm still intending to write a) an updated BTBS glossary and b) a look at the BCS statistical leaders at some point. We'll see when that happens.

Also, I haven't been doing a good job of whoring these recently, but if you're interested in catching up on my Varsity Numbers pieces at Football Outsiders, here they are:

Varsity Numbers #1: NCAA Analysis 101
Varsity Numbers #2: Six Missing Points
Varsity Numbers #3: The '+' Concept
Varsity Numbers #4: Leverage, Leverage, Leverage

Poll

Who was the statistical MVP of the Mizzou-Nebraska game?

Chase Daniel (17.96 Passing EqPts)

13 votes

Derrick Washington (13.52 Rushing & Receiving EqPts)

70 votes

Jeremy Maclin (7.45 Rushing & Receiving EqPts, tone-setting first TD, caused one massively shanked punt)

5 votes

Sean Weatherspoon (5.5 successful tackles, 79% success rate)

4 votes

Tommy "Perpetually Underrated" Chavis (4.5 successful tackles, 0.980 defensive S&P, 1 sack)

4 votes

Brock Christopher (3.5 success tackles, 1 INT for TD)

3 votes

99 votes | Poll has closed

Mizzou-Nebraska: Preview and Predictions thread

Bill C. — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:30:05 -0000

I was looking back at the first posts made on RMN recently...and it reminded me that last year, along with the BTBS piece, I threw together a unit-by-unit preview of the upcoming game as well. How's about we try that again?

Oh yeah, and leave your own predictions and/or random comments in the comments below.

QB vs QB

I can honestly say without hesitation that Mizzou would win this category against any team in the country. This one needs no explanation. Advantage: Mizzou.

MU RBs vs NU LBs

I'll say this: Cody Glenn has worked out better at LB than I thought he would--you'd figure there would be a one-year transition period, but he's stepped up well and is leading the Huskers in tackles from his weakside LB position. He's even 3rd on the team in tackles for loss, plus he's broken up three passes and forced a fumble. Problem is, his counterparts have been underwhelming. Phillip Dillard is okay, but the strongside LB position has produced next to nothing. Granted, they'll likely be in a nickel most of Saturday, but regardless, this LB unit is still limited.

Oh yeah, and Derrick Washington is really, really good. Advantage: Mizzou.

MU WRs/TEs vs NU DBs

NU Secondary = work in progress. MU receiving corps = best in America. Advantage: Mizzou.

MU O-line vs NU D-line

This is an interesting matchup; it will probably be where the game is decided. The starting front four for Nebraska--Zach Potter, Ndamukong Suh, Ty Steinkuhler, and Pierre Allen--has been downright solid for the Huskers. There are two problems, however.

1) Though we've heard pretty good things about freshman DE Cameron Meredith, there is almost no depth whatsoever with this unit. Their rotation is small, which means either a) they continue with their small rotation against Missouri and wear down by the third quarter, or b) they open up a big rotation to keep guys fresh, and a lot of guys who are either too inexperienced or not good enough to have earned playing time get a lot of snaps. Either way, that's a bad thing for Nebraska.

2) Illinois' D-line is likely better than the Husker unit, and Illinois got little to no pressure on Chase Daniel. Maybe you've heard this once or twice on RMN, ahem, but getting pressure on Chase Daniel with your front four is your only means of survival against the Mizzou offense. Elvis Fisher and Colin Brown are proving to be a ridiculously good set of bookend tackles.

In other words, Advantage: Mizzou.

NU RBs vs MU LBs

Even though I've never been as high on Marlon Lucky as some, I still always saw him as a solid back, particularly on 3rd down. He's picking a bad time to not live up to even my expectations. Granted, there's still a lot of time left in his senior season, but he just hasn't been very dynamic at all. Sophomore Roy Helu Jr. seems to have passed him in terms of potential and upside, and fellow sophomore Quentin Castille is getting the short-yardage carries. It's now a three-headed RB attack for Nebraska, and last week's 15-carry, 46-yard performance from the RBs against Virginia Tech didn't exactly fill me with the fear that Nebraska will be able to control the pace and grind out the clock with the running game. They'll have to rely on the short passing game for that.

Oh yeah, and Brock Christopher and Sean Weatherspoon are freaking fantastic. Advantage: Mizzou.

NU WRs/TEs vs MU DBs

I realize I'm a lot more confident than some regarding the Mizzou secondary. I think an 85%-healthy William Moore is still possibly the best safety in the conference, and I think Carl Gettis continues to be the most underrated defensive player in the country. Seriously, people haven't started wondering why seemingly every #1 WR playing Mizzou in the last 18 games has been a complete non-factor? Gettis is the primary reason why, and while I'm sure Nate Swift will get some catches, the Huskers will likely have to rely on other receivers for the big-play threat.

The Huskers have some potential at WR--I like big Menelik Holt quite a bit, and Niles Paul has proven himself valuable in the return game at least (which means there's some athletic potential there). Plus, Todd Peterson is nothing if not steady. I can see a solid 5-catch, 65-yard day out of him. And any day now, Chris Brooks is going to live up to his 4-star billing. Just kidding.

This unit doesn't scare me to death, and since half of Mizzou's secondary is as rock solid as rock solid gets, I'm almost giving Mizzou the advantage here. But until the unit gels as a whole--until whatever communication problems that have existed get remedied, and until a consistent second CB comes to the forefront--I can't do it. Advantage: Nebraska.

NU O-line vs MU D-line

It's been hard to figure out the Mizzou defensive line. Ziggy Hood dominated August practices like no other--not a day went by when a new story of him torturing a right guard didn't emerge--but he didn't do a whole lot against Illinois. He's steadily improved each game since, but we'll see what he can do against another BCS-level O-line. Meanwhile, Stryker Sulak was amazing against Illinois, but he's done next to nothing since. He's actually been outplayed by fellow starting DE Tommy "Perpetually Underrated" Chavis. If Sulak, Chavis and Hood ever start finding a rhythm at the same time, the sky is the limit with this unit.

Meanwhile, the NU O-line has been...decent. Not great, not terrible...not a strength, not a liability. If Sulak's only playing okay, this matchup is a draw. But big games bring out good things from him, so...Advantage: Mizzou.

Special Teams

As I mentioned the other day in my BTBS piece, Nebraska's got a solid special teams unit. Problem is, Mizzou's got a really, really good one. Advantage: Mizzou.

Coaching

The first time a Gary Pinkel team took on a Bo Pelini defense, this happened. Oh yeah, and only one of the two head coaches has thrown a hissy fit on the sidelines and gotten his team a crippling penalty because of it. Hint: it wasn't Pinkel. Advantage: Mizzou.

Karma

Here's a tough one. Thirty years of bad results in Lincoln = Advantage: Nebraska. Chase Daniel wanting to avenge the worst performance of his career = Advantage: Mizzou. Because I'm a still-scarred Mizzou fan, I'll lean toward the latter, but barely. Advantage: Nebraska.

You know what? The scars healed last year. Advantage: Mizzou.

Summary

That's a 9-1 advantage for Mizzou. Throw in home-field advantage, and it's 9-2. I'll say one more time that we're going to get everything Nebraska has tomorrow, but you know what? It's not going to be enough. I'll stick with what I said on Tuesday: Mizzou 45, Nebraska 24.

Keys to the Game: Missouri

Blankman — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:00:05 -0000

I’ve been pretty busy this week to get pissed off at Missouri too much but with that said it’s time to take a look at the black and gold and take a look at how Nebraska can pull off the upset of the #3 team in the land with a little bit of luck.

1.) Keep Chase Daniel off the field – If this is the case, Nebraska is doing all of the right things. Whether it’s playing quality defense, sustaining long drives or just keeping Joe Ganz upright, the Cornhuskers need to establish themselves, get confidence and do it quickly. Chase Daniel is easily one of the best quarterbacks in the country and a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate.

Keep him off of the field and Chase Coffman, Jeremy Maclin, etc. can’t hurt you. A feat far easier to say than accomplish, but if turnovers become available, Nebraska will need to capitalize on taking each and every one of them. I’d rather see Chase on the sideline pickin’ his nose again than scorching the NU secondary.

2.) Chase Chase Suh-ner rather than later – Several Mizzou blog pundits have mentioned it, so I’ll take them at their word. Pressure Daniel and hey, it’s not a bad idea considering that Nebraska has simply not gotten consistent pressure. Ndamukong Suh has been playing well throughout the season sans a few foolish personal fouls. He’s shown he can be a manbeast and needs to show up Saturday. This doesn’t let the ends off of the hook either. Zach Potter I’m not too concerned with, but Pierre Allen has given me pause while Cameron Meredith has shown excellent technique and quickness in his brief playing time.

I think that this could very well be the game where Meredith can be utilized to rattle the Mizzou QB and could be one of Nebraska’s deadliest weapons even for a true freshman. Meredith uses his speed well and may miss a time or two, but if speed is what prevents Chase from making sound decisions, send Cam and let Suh & Co. play cleanup.

3.) No special teams letdowns – Jeremy Maclin is going to be a terror to contain, but beyond that Nate Swift showed some serious wheels and the punt return team itself got a chance to show the nation that despite losing to Virginia Tech they’ve got some decent special teams chops as well. Protection for Dan Titchener is key as well. Nebraska spent quite a bit of time practicing their special teams this week and I’m looking forward to see the fruits of their labors. Hey, Gary: It’s a fake!

4.) Grow a spine – Last year against Mizzou the Cornhuskers had been beaten senseless by USC and Mizzou added to that. Quite literally in some situations. This squad won’t let that happen. If Mizzou comes in and wants to brawl, watch for yellow flags to match the color of the Tiger uniforms because people may get tossed. I criticized Bo Pelini for the foul he snagged against VT, but I do not disagree with his passion. He needs to remain on the sideline where the head coach should be. Defend your players, but do it with composure and poise. Be smart, be strong and be a Cornhusker.

In summary: Many people feel that Nebraska needs a miracle to beat Mizzou. I even predicted a 45-20 loss to the Tigers. Does that mean I don’t think Nebraska can win? No. Does it mean I expect them to lose? Not necessarily. Do I think it’s probable? From what I’ve seen yes, however I do know all too well that any team can beat any team on any given Saturday. Common knowledge. Mizzou’s got this in the bag…or at least they should. It was said very well that the bar is essentially in the sand and that the nation expects a Nebraska clock-cleaning, but if the Cornhuskers knock the Tigers off of their perch, it won’t just be an upset. It will be a win that Bo Pelini and his team can hang their hat on and build a season off of. The Pinkel factor’s been absent lately, hasn’t it?