SB Nation User Blog: Husker Mike

Expectations for Husker Football in 2008

Husker Mike — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 02:01:55 -0000

We're now under 70 hours until the 2008 Nebraska football season kicks off...and it's time to start getting serious. People have been throwing out wild predictions... 4 wins, 9 wins, win 'em all, just play hard.

But what are we really going to see in 2008?

That's a very good question. On offense, we've got a few ideas. We know that Joe Ganz can throw the ball all over the place. Usually it's caught by his receivers, but unfortunately, a few too many times by the defense. We know that Marlon Lucky can catch the ball out of the backfield. We know that Todd Peterson and Nate Swift can make the clutch possession catch. But that was in the old offense. What will it be like when Shawn Watson and his hair are free to operate the offense as he'd like?

We know that they've added some zone read option to take advantage of Ganz's speed. We know that they want to run the ball more effectively behind the offensive line.

On defense, we're kind of in the dark. We know we've got players returning off of one of the worst defenses ever to play for the University of Nebraska. But is that a good thing or not? We know these guys have lost weight. But is that enough?

What don't we know? I'll throw out my list, and my best guesses at answers:

Who are going to replace Maurice Purify and Terrence Nunn as playmakers at wide receiver? Swift and Peterson will be your starters, to be sure. But I'm anxious to see Menelik Holt and Currenski Gilleylen in action.
How will the three headed monster at I-back play out? We know Marlon Lucky will start, but he might not see the most playing time at I-back. I'd really like to see Lucky split out at receiver occasionally, with Roy Helu or Quentin Castille in the game at I-Back. It gives the offense so many possibilities: an inside running threat, a burner at receiver to spread the field, and a threat on the reverse. It's a potent combination that will help keep a defense guessing.
How much will Joe Ganz run the ball? Ganz isn't Tommie Frazier, Scott Frost, or Eric Crouch. The stat book won't show double-digit carries for Ganz very often. But seven or eight carries per game? Very possible...let's hope very few of them are sacks.
What will Bo Pelini do on defense different than his predecessor? Not much has been said about Pelini's scheme plans for this season, but past history suggests that Pelini's plans will vary by opponent. Another difference is that Pelini won't ask the defense to do anything they don't understand. Buy-in from the players is going to be the key. Right now, it sounds like they've got it...but they haven't been hit in the mouth yet. What happens when they start playing the high octane offenses in October? That's the key question on defense.
Will the downsizing of the defense improve team speed? Yes.
Will that increased speed be enough to slow down the high octane offenses of the Big XII? Another key question... I sure hope so.
How will Cody Glenn adapt to being a linebacker? Pelini will only ask Glenn to do what he can do. But Glenn will give 100% effort out there, and that's all Pelini asks. I think he'll be a pleasant surprise.
How will Rickey Thenarse adapt to being a starter on defense? Again, he'll give you 100% effort; the only question is whether he'll be in the right position and make the right decisions. If Marvin Sanders can work his magic again, look out.
Are you ready for some football? Damn straight.

What are your questions for 2008? What are your answers? And as Hank Williams, Jr. asks: Are you ready for some football?

Do Walk-Ons Make a Difference?

Husker Mike — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 20:02:36 -0000

CornBlight and I have been subscribers to Mike Nolan's Husker mailing list for years. As other internet forums and blogs have come online, the mailing list has seen a decline in activity, but we both still subscribe. However, I must admit there is one list member that I've had in my kill filter for a few years. Whether it's illformed logic or incomprehensible posts that try to get you to click on a link (much like most of the messages in my spam folder), his posts seem to be 98% (or more) noise. So my mailbox deletes them immediately. That doesn't, however, delete the responses...so sometimes I still see debates he starts. Like this weekend, when I found the following in my mailbox:

I am sure in Texas and California there a a few programs that have been pretty successful without walk-ons. I wasn't talking about the need to have a top program. I was talking about the need for walk-ons to make that happen. Does USC have a big time walk-on program?

Please tell me what the percentage of walk-ons versus scholarship players made a difference. I really believe NU would be right where it is today without walk-ons.

The short flippant answer would be: 5-7? That would probably be where Nebraska would be on a continual basis without the walk-on program.

But then the debate degrades into a discussion where it somehow becomes an issue of having 85 scholarship players, all of which are from Atkison, Tekamah, and Brainerd and a hundred walk-ons who played eight-man football. The argument becomes an either-or: either you have a roster of all-Rivals players from the other 49 states, or a roster of Nebraska boys who nobody in division 1-A wanted.

Isn't there a happy medium in there somewhere?

Four years ago, Nebraska's football program turned outside the state to focus on highly rated recruits nationwide. The walk-on program was downsized. There were numerous reasons for this: it's cheaper to administer (fewer lockers, meals, jerseys, equipment, etc.). It allows coaches to focus more on the players in the program by not spreading themselves too thin. And Nebraska went out there to get the best players that the recruiting services could find.

But it didn't work out very well for Husker football. Many of these top recruits came...and left, for whatever reason. And many players who would have walked on, are now elsewhere.

So now the walk-on program is back. Tomorrow, approximately 30 players join the roster with the start of school; so many players are arriving that they are having to remodel the locker rooms (just two years old) to accomodate the larger roster size. I'll give you a few reasons why this is a good thing for Nebraska.

1) It gives Nebraska a competitive advantage in this day of reduced scholarship numbers. 1-A teams are limited to 85 scholarships, so if you depend on the scholarship players alone, the roster will be limited to about three or four players at each position. Over the last four years, Nebraska has been forced to use many scholarship recruits on special teams to maximize the limited roster. That's how NFL teams manage rosters and integrate young players into the system. Problem is...unlike the NFL, college players only have four years of eligibility. So Bill Callahan's decision to utilize Lance Brandenburgh on special teams in 2004 means that his eligibility ended in Boulder last November. Think Nebraska couldn't use him this fall?

2) That added depth also causes surprises in the depth chart. Certainly Nebraska-Kearney didn't think enough of the Makovicka brothers to offer them a scholarship, but they've set the standard for Husker fullbacks. (Joel even went on to play 5 years in the NFL.) Now two more Makovicka's are in the program...again as walk-ons. This fall, we'll see walk-ons Todd Peterson and Tyler Wortman take on starting roles for the Big Red...

3) In David Kolowski's book "Diary of a Husker", Eric Crouch wrote a foreward explaining the importance of the walk-on program. It allowed Nebraska to run many more stations at practice, allowing for more reps for each player. More reps meant that Nebraska could be a more physical program.

4) Marketing. It's pooh-poohed to some extent, but there is pride in every town when one of their own puts on that scarlet uniform, even if it's only to stand on the sidelines and be introduced on senior day. It builds goodwill with the program, and encourages others to follow him to Nebraska. Maybe the first player isn't the surprise...but maybe the second is.

Bill Callahan didn't kill the walk-on program. He downsized it to large extent, but he didn't kill it. (Callahan's son was a walk-on quarterback for UCLA, so he believed in walk-ons...just not that many of them...) But now it's being restocked...and hopefully that's a decision that will yield benefits for Nebraska football down the line.

Poll

What do you think of Nebraska's walk-on program?

CN does EDSBS for a 2008 Preview

Husker Mike — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 02:36:52 -0000

Check out CornBlight over at EveryDayShouldBeSaturday: (Here's a sample)

Seven: We’re master wagerers. Give us a bet to place for up to ten dollars about your team.

Hmmm…. $10 isn’t much to bet, so if it’s going to be worth the while, it should have high odds but still be attainable. Here’s what I’d bet $10 on - last season Nebraska was 112th in sacks. This year we’re going to be in the top 20. To make that big a leap is a long shot. To say that our defense will be improved is to say that we didn’t have any further to fall. To say that we’d be in the top 20 in sacks against the quick-bang offenses we’ll face in the Big 12 is huge. I’d place that bet. Why not?

BTW, I’ve heard that Orson understands the phrase “quick bang” better than anyone alive. Is that true?

Wow... Top Twenty in defense? And some people think I'm off my rocker for predicting 9-3...

LJS: Anthony Blue Likely to Redshirt

Husker Mike — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 02:30:55 -0000

Bo Pelini tells the Lincoln Journal-Star that while it looks like cornerback Anthony Blue's recovert is looking good, it's looking unlikely that he'll play this season.

“I don’t think we’ll have him for the year, but I think he’s going to make it back to 100 percent — which I think for a while was a little bit questionable," Pelini said.

“You don’t want to rush him back. Who knows? He’s missed a lot of football. As times goes by, it becomes increasingly apparent to us it’s probably better to let him rest, get his knee back underneath him. For us, and for him.”

Personally, I've been hoping that Blue would redshirt this season. I recently came across an interview with famed orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews where he said that muscle strength is down 15 to 20 percent nine months after ACL surgery. In that article, the focus was on the impact on quarterbacks, though the story noted that recovery was easier on quarterbacks than on defensive backs.

Perhaps it was wishful thinking where fans thought that Blue could return this season, but a redshirt is really the smart decision here.

Barking Carnival's Satirical Look at the Big Red

Husker Mike — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:53:47 -0000

Courtesy of the BigRedNetwork, here's a satirical look at the Huskers from Barking Carnival:

"Pelini has inherited a soft Cornhusker team. Calling this team soft is an insult to the Dallas Mavericks. They looked great walking off the team bus until you noticed that they were carrying a playbook the size of Anais Nin’s diaries and that their head coach was wearing ladies glasses. Former coach Bill Callahan brought 250 plays into each game, using around 60. That’s a lot of valuable practice time wasted on shit you’re not even going to use. It’s like practicing foreplay."

Another Hokie Bites the Dust

Husker Mike — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:41:08 -0000

When we last checked in on the Virginia Tech Hokies, they had just lost wide receiver Brandon Dillard to a torn Achilles. He'll miss the entire 2008 season.

Now they've lost their other anticipated starting receiver. Zach Luckett has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team policy. What was it? Seems that at 1 am Sunday morning, Luckett backed his SUV into a dumpster and drove off. The police pulled him over, and he reportedly blew a .16 on the Breathalyzer. This isn't Luckett's first encounter with the law; it's his second DUI. Blacksburg, VA police reports show him with two other incidents: public urination and leaving the scene of the accident.

So this is at least his fourth incident with the law, which makes you wonder whether Luckett will be allowed to return, and if so... when?

Obviously, Frank Beamer won't let the depth chart affect his decision making. He's too good of a coach to make that mistake. But make no excuses... wide receiver was a huge issue going into the season after losing their top four receivers from last year's Orange Bowl squad. Subtract Dillard and Luckett, and they've got huge question marks. Here's the Hokies experience at wide receiver: converted quarterback Ike Whitaker with three career catches. Cornerback Victor "Macho" Harris will probably see more action at wide receiver, but freshmen Dyrell Roberts, Xavier Boyce, and Jarrett Boykin will be thrown into the fire right from the start this season.

Corn Nation's Travel Guide to Lincoln

Husker Mike — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 02:20:31 -0000

CornNation welcomes our fellow football fans to Lincoln, Nebraska! We've had numerous requests for a travel guide to Lincoln from fans of other teams planning a pilgrimage to Lincoln, so we're happy to oblige.

Fellow Husker fans, feel free to add your own suggestions for activities or correct any errors. While I've attended nearly every game for the last twenty years, there's no way I've experienced more than a fraction of what's happening around the stadium. We'll keep this updated to make this a useful resource for all fans.

If you'll be arriving in Lincoln Friday night, the number one spot to be is Misty's in Havelock. The Husker pep band and cheerleaders stop by early in the evening for a pep rally. This is the place to be on Friday night's before a Husker game. Should be packed, so if you aren't there early, you might miss out.

Memorial Stadium is located just north of downtown, so many fans choose to go bar hopping instead of tailgating, especially since many parking spaces are in downtown garages. Even if it's a morning kickoff, most establishments will be open bright and early. up for the game, downtown Lincoln should be hopping on Saturday.

As for downtown bars, there are a couple of excellent choices depending on your interests.
Heavy drinking? Barry's is probably your choice. It's located about 3 blocks south of Memorial Stadium at 9th and O.
Drunken Rowdiness That You'll Remember Except Under Oath? Has to be the Sidetrack Bar with Joyce & Paul (and their rated "R" lyrics). About a block east of Barry's near 10th & O. Expect long lines here if you're not there early.
Another good area to wander through is the "Haymarket District" located around 8th & O, just southwest of campus. Many bars and restaurants are located there.

Parking around the stadium is usually pretty tight as donors get all the good spaces. The closest parking for visiting fans is probably at Haymarket Park, a baseball stadium about a 10 minute walk from Memorial Stadium. Downtown also has several parking garages if you are planning to head there before the game. Haymarket Park is maintained by the University, so it's officially alcohol free. (Hint, hint, wink, wink. If you decide to imbibe, pour it in a plastic cup rather than flaunt a can or a bottle. Don't be like Brent Musberger!) If you plan to cook out before or after the game, Haymarket or the neighborhoods north of the stadium might be your best bets. If you want to hit the local establishments, plan to head south to downtown. East of the stadium is the campus; parking will be EXTREMELY limited there. Most of the lots around the stadium are reserved for boosters, so give yourself plenty of time to find a spot. I like to make sure I'm at the gates to the stadium 30 to 45 minutes before kickoff. That way, I have plenty of time to get in, and get to my seats. (I like to time things so I'm getting to my seats just after the National Anthem; that way, I'm sure to be ready for the Tunnel Walk introduction, which occurs about five minutes before kickoff.)

Those of you staying in Omaha should allow at least 3 hours before the game and probably 2.5 to 3 hours to drive back; I-80 is only two lanes most of the way between Omaha and Lincoln and frequently gets backed up.

Enjoy your visit to Lincoln! Look for me at the game; I'll be the one wearing red!

(OK, fellow Husker fans! Tell me what I've gotten wrong, missed out on, or don't know about. )

Poll

What's your pre-game/post-game preference for Husker home games?

Upgrading the Football Schedules

Husker Mike — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 01:46:03 -0000

I've been a critic of the non-conference football schedules Steve Pederson lined up for Nebraska before his dismissal: (Sagarin ratings at the end of last year's regular season in parentheses)

2008: Western Michigan (#103), San Jose State (#113), New Mexico State ( #153), Virginia Tech (#5)

2009: Florida Atlantic (#86), Louisiana Lafayette (#139), Arkansas State (#122), Virginia Tech (#5)

2010: Western Kentucky (#121), Idaho (#168), Washington (#53), South Dakota State (#95)

I thought it would be tough to have a worse schedule than the Huskers run through the Sun Belt Conference in 2009, but somehow Nebraska found one for 2010. In any event, it sounds like that's the end of these schedules. Tom Osborne and Jeff Jamrog already signed up Southern Miss for 2012, 2013, and 2015.

Today, Tom Shatel got a chance to look at future games they are pursuing. It's BCS conference opponents. It's Mountain West and Mid-American Conference schools. They're not too happy about the schedules over the next three years, and are trying to get better games. The only restriction: Nebraska needs seven home games a season.

"It looks like they wanted to schedule a bunch of wins," Jamrog said. "We can't do anything about it. We can't do anything about the guarantees that were set, unless you want to cancel the contracts. But we aren't interested in doing that."

Needless to say, 1-AA (aka "Football Championship Subdivision") teams are only on the list as a last resort. Steve Pederson did a good job lining up some big names for home-and-home series, but the remaining three games each season are merely throwaway games played for the money. Sure looks like Nebraska will be playing at least one other notable opponent from a BCS or mid-major conference. If Nebraska can line up enough "2-for-1" deals, perhaps 1 top-tier opponent and 2 mid-majors each year. Oh, and one "money" game to fill out the schedule.

One of the worst things college football did was remove "strength of schedule" from the BCS component after 2000 when Florida State edged out Miami for a BCS title game berth. Sportswriters whined when "their" choice of Miami got edged out by the other factors in the system. College administrators suddenly saw themselves being penalized for playing tougher non-conference schedules if they lost without any bonus for winning the game. So why take a chance? Take the money and bring on the cupcakes.

I'm curious to see what Nebraska's schedules will look like in the next decade. Perhaps something a little closer to Colorado's schedule is in the cards. I can only hope.

Poll

What kind of non-conference schedule would you prefer Nebraska to play?

Defending the Spread Offense

Husker Mike — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 18:42:49 -0000

Sports Illustrated's college football preview issue this year features an in depth look at the offense du jour - the spread. Specifically, how do you stop the spread. The spread comes in many flavors, whether it's Urban Meyer's spread option, the Texas "zone read", or the aerial circus Mike Leach runs at Texas Tech. Deep down, they all share a common foundation: spread the defense across the entire field and look for a seam, a mismatch, or a mistake to exploit.

Nobody has really found THE antidote for the spread, though many coaches have theories on how you combat it. Responding to the spread requires a combination of three factors: speed, fundamentals, and being disruptive.

As I read this article, I thought about the 2007 Husker season, and suddenly saw the definitive explanation of how Nebraska's defensive philosophy essentially was obsolete when it encountered modern college football.

Speed

Fade back to the early 1990's. Tom Osborne and Charlie McBride, tired of getting whipped in bowl games by Florida teams, transforms Nebraska's defense. Linebackers become defensive ends. Safeties become linebackers. Speed takes the field...Nebraska goes on a 60-3 run in the middle 90's.

Fast forward to the last few years. Look at the size of the Husker defenders: 295 pound Adam Carriker (who the St. Louis Rams would move to nose tackle) fills the spot once occupied by 255 pound Grant Wistrom. Five years ago, Barrett Ruud played middle linebacker as a 230 pounder. Last season, Phillip Dillard filled that position playing at over 260 pounds.

Guess what carrying all that extra weight means? You're slower. As everybody else is putting smaller, faster players on the field, Nebraska was doing just the opposite. Putting bigger players on the field. Strike one.

Fundamentals

Remember Appalachian State's upset of Michigan last season? Watch the Wolverines poor tackling of speedster Dexter Jackson:

Well, Husker fans saw plenty of that in recent years. Nebraska practiced in half pads much of the season so they could focus on scheme. Problem is that hurts fundamentals since players aren't tackling like they need to in a game. But since NFL players usually practice in half pads, so did Nebraska. Except college players aren't NFL players...

Ouch. For a couple of years, this was the most points ever given up by Nebraska's defense.

Being Disruptive

The spread is all about timing between the quarterback and his receivers. You don't have to necessarily sack the quarterback, but you need to break him out of his comfort zone. When Mike Leach first implemented the spread at Texas Tech in 2000, Kliff Kingsbury was his first quarterback to put up huge numbers...until he met an attacking Husker defense in Lubbock. Nebraska rolled to a 56-3 victory. Fast forward four years and a new philosophy on defense: the bend and break. Rather than take a chance and give up a huge play, rush three and drop eight into coverage. That prevented the big play all right, but Tech quarterback Sonny Cumbie completed 44 of 56 passes for 436 yards leading to what was at the time the most points ever scored against Nebraska.Of course, the Husker defense would fail time and time again against the spread throughout the next few years. Texas Tech in 2005. Missouri in 2005.

See any Husker defenders in this photo? Sometimes the Husker defense

was truly non-existent against the spread.

Oklahoma State 2006. Missouri 2007. Oklahoma State 2007. Kansas 2007. (OK, I'll stop now. You get the point.)

2008: Starting Over

Here's the thing. Recognizing you have a problem is the first step... but then you have to do something about it. And Nebraska is. All those oversized players on defense? Well, they're trimming down. Will that improve their speed? Certainly. Will it be enough? That remains to be seen.

Fundamentals? Well, that's Bo Pelini. He believes in teaching first. If something is a problem, he won't move onto something else until you mastered the basics. These guys will be much more fundamentally strong this season.

Disruptive? Well, Nebraska was disruptive in 2003 under Pelini. That was enough to convince Les Miles to hire Pelini at LSU, and the results speak forthemselves.

Does just hiring Bo Pelini automatically make everything better? Of course not. But I'd argue that for the first time in many years, the Huskers have a fighting chance against the spread.

Poll

What's the most important element required to stop a spread offense?

Osborne: "We'll be better"

Husker Mike — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 19:24:31 -0000

Tom Osborne told Steve Sipple of the Lincoln Journal-Star that he thinks Nebraska will be better in 2008.

How much better?

That's the big question. Does that mean just cutting the margin of defeat? Or does that mean winning more games? And if so, how many wins?

Osborne also said that the coaches were pleasantly surprised by the amount of talent on the team. But talent isn't the only thing that matters:

"There's a lot that goes into having a good team," Osborne said. "You've got coaches getting to know the players, and vice versa. You've got a different scheme on defense that has to be installed and taught. You've got a similar scheme on offense, but there will be some changes, I'm sure. It's all got to come together.

"You can never predict at the start of the year exactly what the chemistry's going to be, what the leadership's going to be like on the team. It's hard to predict those things even with coaches who have been someplace a long time. I really didn't know what was going to happen each year because although you might have a lot of the same players back, the chemistry always changed.

"Just a few people coming and going can make a huge difference."

Poll

SB Nation User Blog: Husker Mike

Expectations for Husker Football in 2008

Do Walk-Ons Make a Difference?

What do you think of Nebraska's walk-on program?

CN does EDSBS for a 2008 Preview

LJS: Anthony Blue Likely to Redshirt

Barking Carnival's Satirical Look at the Big Red

Another Hokie Bites the Dust

Corn Nation's Travel Guide to Lincoln

What's your pre-game/post-game preference for Husker home games?

Upgrading the Football Schedules

What kind of non-conference schedule would you prefer Nebraska to play?

Defending the Spread Offense

Speed

Fundamentals

Being Disruptive

2008: Starting Over

What's the most important element required to stop a spread offense?

Osborne: "We'll be better"

As pre-season practice begins, what are your initial expectations for 2008 Husker football?