Huskers Will Miss Swift-Peterson Combo

This is the first of a sort-of-multi-part blog item. I have some comments on Patrick Witt's leaving the program, but my thoughts on that subject are rooted in how things are looking for the Husker "O" in 2009. And for background on that, we need to consider just how important the loss of Nate Swift and Todd Peterson is to the Big Red attack.

And in a short phrase, it's huge.

We know about the way that Nate Swift played his way into the record books. (For my thoughts on that, check out this item from last fall). But, he Todd Peterson were truly BMOCs when it came to the passing game in 2008. Consider these numbers:

Swift & Peterson 2008

Receptions--125 (Swift 63, Peterson 62)--42% of total team completions (295).

Passing TDs--14 (Swift 10, Peterson 4)--52% of team TD passes (27) and 24% (almost a fourth) of the total team TDs (58).

Receiving yards--1,727 and 133 yards per game--47% of team's season total passing yards (3,653 season and 281 per game).

In short, if you think that these 2 guys were big in the offense and that it seemed like every other pass was going to one or the other, you're right. And this is just the measurable aspect of their contribution--and just in 1 phase. This doesn't take into account Swift's special teams play (the one-man band TD punt return against VA Tech); their savage blocking; nor the number of clutch catches they made (first down catches, TD catches when they were most needed).

And, one more thing--it has been said by some football experts that the greatest ability a player can bring to the team is his avail-ability. Swift & Peterson did that big-time in 2008. They both started all 13 games. Shawn Watson was able to write them in at whichever alphabet letter (X, Y, Z, Sigma) he wanted to each time the ball was teed up for real.

These days, the letters S&P (as in 500) are not very highly-regarded. Not the Husker's S(Swift) & P(Peterson). Guys, thanks and best to you. Numbers 87 and 17 will have some extra lustre in Husker memories from here on out.

Go Big Red!!

The Old Husker Fan