Old Husker Thoughts

Huskers Have A Big "To-Do" List For 2011

2011-01-05T12:39:00.000-08:00

Watching the Sugar Bowl Tuesday night, it hit me that there is one whale of a "to-do" list for the Huskers if we want to do more than tread water in the Big 10 this coming season.

Here we go:

1) Get bigger and better talent at QB.

2) Get bigger and better talent at TE.

3) Get bigger and better talent on the D-line.

4) Get bigger and better talent at Receiver.

5) Bigger and better talent at Running Back.

6) Bigger and better talent on the O-line.

And I do not know where or how to start. I like to think that #6 and #3 are happening, but I am not sure how that is coming along. #5 I think is starting to take shape. But #1, 2 and 4 are looking very questionable at this point in my humble (and age-advanced) opinion.

Still--spring ball is not that far away. And there's still a chance (small IMO) that the Holiday Bowl was just a "who cares" phenomenon. Boy do I hope that's the case.

Go Big Red!!

The Old Husker Fan

After Yet Another Husker Loss To The Sooners...

2010-12-05T03:08:00.000-08:00

That blog title won't get a whole lot of clickage--but what the heck. For the--what--20th time?? HUNDREDTH time??--I woke straight up after just 4 1/2 hours sleep with one image---Taylor Martinez throwing a dying quail pass straight at a whole end zone full of Oklahoma white shirts.

And so, Bo Pelini leaves the Big XII with a losing record against the Sooners. OU 23, NU 20 in the 2010 Big XII Championship game. No trophy spiking, no ultimate Bronx cheer from Husker fandom to Dan Beebe, nothing except a whole lotta grumpiness as we face a very cold Sunday.

Good grief!! Does this madness never end??

But, we could all see this coming, couldn't we? If South Dakota State wasn't a warning shot, then Texas should have been. Or Iowa State. Or Kansas. Certainly A & M. Even the Colorado game was a tense affair until late in the 2nd quarter. The simple fact is, you can't win championships with a hot-and-cold offense.

I highly recommend this piece of analysis by Sam McKewon of the Nebraska State Paper. He nails the Husker offensive issues square in this commentary. Basically, the Husker O is a hodge-podge of several different styles which, in crunch time, simply don't go together: Oregon zone read plus West Coast passing plus offensive-line philosophy based on the power game. It's a mess.

This game was sooo much different than last year's Texas matchup. Last year, the Huskers knew what they were--tremendous D, a little O, and a helluva kicking game. They played that way. Everyone was on the same page.

But this year, the disjointed "Who are we?" persona carried through into the title game, and it showed.

Martinez's INT in the 2nd quarter that I cited earlier is a perfect example. Last year, that ball would have been heaved into the stands and Alex Henery would have lined up a short field goal. No problem.

Same deal with Roy Helu's fumble on the next possession which led to OU's tying TD--last year, that ball is carried like it's a Berkshire Hathaway stock certificate. Not this year.

And then in the 4th quarter, after the gutsy Wildcat running of Rex Burkhead, the good guys still had a chance at a game-tying field goal even after the missed long-ball try to Martinez. You remember--3rd & 8 at what--the 40 or so? I credit son Cliff with this observation--just run it again and maybe get another 2-3-4 yards closer and then bring on #90. Why not? His 53-yarder had room to spare. But nope--here was another Martinez tap-dance in the pocket with another big sack--and that chance went by the boards.

Oh--and by the way--is anyone still glad that Niles Paul was out for the game? Boy, did we miss that guy.

Now it's on to the Big Ten (plus 2)---and it will be very interesting going forward to see what changes are made, if any, to correct this "walkabout" tendency for the offense. There's talent there for sure, but the guys need some coaching up--otherwise, these "we came so close..." type games will keep showing up at--oh, 4 a.m. or so.

But here's to the season--where the guys were in contention. And that is SO MUCH BETTER than being an afterthought. I'll take that any day (or night)!!

GO BIG RED!!

The Old Husker Fan

"So What" End To Husker-Jayhawk Run

2010-11-15T13:51:00.000-08:00

Thanks to good neighbor Neal, I got to witness first-hand the final Huskers versus Jayhawks college football clash last Saturday evening. But "clash" would be far, far, far overstating this encounter. And that's too bad, because there has been some big-time energy surrounding this game quite often during the past 100-plus years.

Even the last 2 years had some drama and tension. Remember the game in Lincoln in 2008---when Joe Ganz and Todd Reesing went at it back & forth? And the game wasn't really decided until Zac Potter forced a late interception. And a year ago in Lawrence, with the boys needing to win in order to hold control in the Big 12 North, KU went ahead--but Roy Helu Jr. bailed Big Red out with a trademark long TD run.

This year though, it was, "Oh well--meh."

I mean, how can you get really charged up for the game when the first thing that plays on the HuskerVision board is T.O.'s "Welcome back Turner" video? That set the tone for the whole night. Is this a game? Is it a scrimmage? Is it a reunion? Really really really awkward--a word that has been rolled out in probably every single postgame "real news" article.

Well, thank heaven it's almost over. And as this strange wind-up tour trundles toward the end, one can only hope that some honest-to-goodness competitive energy cranks up when Big Ten play starts next year. My guess is that there won't be any "muchas smoochas" when Iowa shows up.

What about the game itself---well, who knows how good the Husker D is with #15--Alfonzo Dennard--back on the field. After all, they were going against a weak KU offense. But still--like the coaches said--only 87 yards for the whole game for KU? That stat is a keeper! Dennard's INT was something that we're used to seeing those ballhawks in the SEC do. Jared Crick was a beast in the middle of the line. And there is no way that anyone can run away from Lavonte David--or for that matter, run wide on this defense period.

Offense, however---uhh, not so much. I like Jeremiah Sirles at left tackle--I know he got stoned during the Texas game, but this guy has done a great job since and I thought showed it again against KU. The rest of the line, frankly, looked like they were having a hard time. And there were no running lanes between the tackles. Going forward, that's not a good sign. With the quicks that Helu & Burkhead have, just that one crease and they're good to go. Wide is fine, but the money yards are between the tackles.

Also on the offense---Niles Paul showed up the other night. He made some tough catches and took some hits. It was this point in the season a year ago that Niles made some consistent big plays---I hope that history repeats itself.

I am also concerned about Taylor Martinez's ankle, along with everyone else. He gave up on some runs the other night, and frankly did not look that fast overall. Hopefully this was an exercise in "work yourself back, big fella---better to do it now than next week."

And, boy can Alex Henery smack the ball on his kicks. The sound of him striking the ball on punts and field goals was truly audible. What a talent!

This week against A & M---it's in many respects cave-man ball. Defense, special teams, just enough offense to take care of business is the formula I foresee Bo Pelini and the Husker staff following this coming Saturday. It will be interesting to see how it plays out in front of the loud & rowdy bunch in College Station. Can they do it? Well, there's still no margin for error. Missouri is over its slump it appears, and suddenly Colorado looks like their typical scratch-and-claw selves at the end of the year. But, it also looks like the Husker D is hitting its stride as well--and that's enough to lick the chops over as we all keep thinking about the last Big 12 title and a Fiesta Bowl chance--and who knows--maybe a back-door run to the BCS biggie.

There's certainly a lot left to play for and look forward to!

Go Big Red!!

The Old Husker Fan

A Vintage Husker Win Over Mizzou

2010-10-31T19:56:00.000-07:00

Huskers 31. Tigers 17. How sweet is THAT score anyway if you're a Big Red fan??!!! Even 24 hours plus after the happening, those images of pure dominance are still washing through my memory. We haven't seen a performance like that si2nce--okay, if you want to count the Holiday Bowl against Arizona--but otherwise, it's been a looonnnggg time since the team put together a high-profile beat-down like this.

And, of course, the features that have to stick out for us "vintage" fans of the Scarlet and Cream is that the victory on Oct. 30, 2010 had features that were indeed vintage--classic hallmarks--of this program that have been part of Big Red lore for generations. Let's review:

1) Offensive Line Smackdown

I know--Roy Helu smashed through the school single-game rushing record. But this Old Husker Fan will go with the line's performance first--because there were sights for sore eyes on the blocking side of things yesterday. It started with Ben Cotton wiping out 2--count 'em, TWO--Mizzou guys on Helu's first home run TD. Then it continued with Nick Caputo and Ricky Henry pulling around the right side on Roy H. Jr's 2nd long TD run--along with pass block par excellence on the long TD throw to Kyler Reed by Taylor Martinez--a HUGE gap in the middle for Helu Jr's 3rd hammer shot--and then, with almost 9 minutes left in the game, the classic kill-the-clock drive to seal the game. It's what's up front that counts, and the O-line responded.

2) A Big-Time Running Back Showing

Roy Helu Jr., to me, has been stuck in a "yeah he's good, but---" type of stature in terms of his place on Husker all-time rushing charts. He took care of that yesterday, didn't he, with vision, cuts, bursts, and heart that places him in the same breath as Green, LP, Jones, Clark, Hipp, Craig, Berns, Kinney, and even has him sharing some of the same territory as the best back that this fan has ever seen wearing red--Mike Rozier. 307 yards. Three. Hundred. Seven. That number is mind-numbing. #10 in the 2010 Husker lineup brought it all yesterday--and his 3rd TD had a cut and explosion that only the best bring to the party.

3) Punishing Defense

The best Husker teams have had a defense that flat-out hurts the other guys. Yesterday, we saw that--and Missouri obviously felt it. The sacks that Cameron Meredith and Courtney Osborne put on Mizzou QB Gabbert--and the gutsy goal-line stand 3rd down play where Ciante Evans and Jared Crick helicoptered Gabbert to keep him out of the end zone are proof that this year's edition of the Blackshirts is dialed into that same perspective.

4) The Bench Comes Through

Two new starting safeties. A reserve cornerback playing most of the game. A walk-on D lineman who has never played gets a sack. And a senior #2 quarterback takes over in the 2nd half without flinching. The aforementioned Messrs Osborne and Evans, along with new safety Austin Cassidy, Kevin Thomsen and ever-steady Zac Lee can add their names to the stories of big games where heretofore non-headline players made their mark in a very real way. Coaches say all the time that football is a team game--and the Husker program has a history of proving that over and over again. Yesterday was no exception.

5) The Tight End Is Big

This is a personal item. I've always been a fan of the tight end position on the Husker teams. I know that Johnny Rodgers and Irving Fryar basked in glory as wingbacks/wide receivers--but to me, the true hallmark Husker non-backfield skill position is the tight end. And, what a reminder we got of that position's prominence yesterday--not only with blocking, but also with #25, Kyler Reed, making 2 huge catches--his 40 yard TD aerial from Taylor Martinez, and then, late in the game, with a tough 12-yard reception on 3rd and 2 during the game-clinching 8 minute, 40-second possession.

Of course, this coming Saturday against Iowa State is another must win. After all, Iowa State can win the Big XII North by winning out--and no matter what, the Huskers have zero wiggle room in order to stay on track to go to their final Big XII championship game. But this is one fan who feels a whole lot better about the program going into this week than last week--and for sure better than 2 weeks ago. I think things are looking up, and that they're looking up for some several definitely vintage Husker program reasons--reasons to savor looking to the rest of the 2010 campaign.

Go Big Red!!

The Old Husker Fan

Use The Term "Ath-a-lete" For 2010 Huskers

2010-09-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

Seeing the Huskers take Washington apart every which way last Saturday--with those long runs by Taylor Martinez and Roy Helu, the TD pass to Mike McNeill that featured his stretch to hit the pylon, and that terrific INT and broken-field TD run by Alfonzo Dennard included--reminded me of a term that Barry Switzer used when he crafted another in his Sooner Magic wins at Lincoln during the 1986 OU 20, NU 17 win--one absolute hell of a game, by the way.

According to a Sports Illustrated article after the game, Switzer uttered this comment when he was trying to rally the bad guys in the 4th quarter:

"Oh hell---let's just out-ath-a-lete 'em."

And they did. Nothing fancy--and another heartache in November to Oklahoma was in the books.

That comment has stuck for a long time. And it hit me this week, after the surprising (to me and a few others) thumping that the Huskers put on Washington---that this year's version of Big Red can grab that comment from the Bootlegger's Boy and add it to their resume as well.

Ath-a-lete. Because that's what we are looking at here on both sides of the ball. This is what the great Oz teams of the mid-90s threw at their opponents--and before that, it was what OU used to trot out on the field.

This scares other teams---and it should. For all the right reasons. Mainly, this elite-level talent and speed forces other teams to be perfect on both sides of the ball. And that actually is a self-defeating philosophy. On defense, worrying about "perfect" causes hesitation. It makes a linebacker hold up for a half-second before making a move. Or, a d-back wonders if "now" is the time to fill a running lane. And on offense, the QB knows that the throwing windows will be narrower and briefer; the result being that he may double-clutch before throwing.

This is no joke. I saw such a reaction time and time again during the heyday of OU under Switzer. But now, darned if I don't see that same kind of pure talent oin both sides of the ball with this bunch that Bo Pelini is rolling out this season.

Yes, this is a championship-caliber outfit we're looking at for sure. Could the Huskers lose? Sure--but I do not think this teamm is going to be outgunned when it comes to talent.

What fun!! I posted when Bo first came on board as coach that it would be great to see the Huskers "in the conversation" when it came to top rankings. And it's happening right before our eyes. A promising season for sure! With a team like this, you don't want the season to end!

Go Big Red!!!

The Old Husker Fan

Husker Coach Bo May Just Need A Time Out

2010-08-18T06:24:00.000-07:00

Husker followers will be all geeked up by a media blackout that head coach Bo Pelini has put on regarding practice until the end of the week.

"Oh no! No access! Whatever will we do? How WILL we fill the time and space?"

I can see it and hear it now. And my thought is, "Good grief people, it's only the 18th of August for pete's sake."

To me, all this is is the Coach calling a time out. And I think it's a good call. I mean, how many times can the guy talk for 5 minutes or whatever at the end of practice to a crush of microphones and cameras and say the same nothing phrases? Because that's what we're getting. Boiled down, shaken up, stirred 5 times, it amounts to Bo's version of Frank Solich saying "They moved around real well."

Well, if the most that can be said is a phrase that sounds like you're watching a horse show, then maybe it IS time to just take a break---send the camera crew to a high school practice--or maybe to see how the Midland College fall athletic season is going now that Midland has taken in a bunch of players from Dana in Blair--since Dana went bankrupt about 6 weeks before school was supposed to start.

Gee--real sports news. What a concept.

But, back to the Huskers--after all, this IS a Husker blog. I think another reason why Bo took a time out is because he doesn't want to let on how truly concerned he may be about how many holes this team has to fill. Because there's plenty of empty space that right now has potential, but few answers.

Let's review.

We start with this---there is only one--1--spot or unit on the team that is truly solid--where you absolutely KNOW what you're going to get based on past performance--and that is the kicking game with Alex Henery.

Yes, maybe cornerback--but I lump the CBs in with the overall defensive backfield, and that is not set at all. Also, maybe running back--although I don't know if our guys can stay healthy.

We lost 4 games last year because the offense was putrid. It looked great in games where Nebr had a huge physical advantage, but otherwise, come on. And enough with the Holiday Bowl giddiness--that doesn't mean a thing. How do we know that Arizona didn't basically say "Oh the hell with it" at the end of the season?

So now we come to the 2010 offense--and what? Pretty much the same outfit. Receivers who can maybe get the job done, maybe not. And O-line that does not have one single guy who folks can point to and say for sure, "Man--that dude is going to be in the League."

Then, of course--there's the QB situation. And here, from this fan's standpoint, I think that the best QB on talent and ability is freshman Brion Carnes. I think he's got the best throwing motion along with running ability combined. But--does a freshman QB get you to the title game? Also included here is the ongoing question of just how good an offensive coordinator Shawn Watson is. So far, I don't see him as a real guru.

Now to the D---and good lord people, the guts of this unit has to be replaced!---the best D-lineman in SCHOOL HISTORY---a linebacker who was a tackling machine--and BOTH SAFETIES. This was the unit that saved our bacon time after time after time in 2009---but has to have the middle re-built.

So you have all this construction that has to be done--some truly heavy-duty lifting---and then include the comments of "We're going to be better." Hmm.

I think Bo has tallied all this up, too. And if I were him I wouldn't want to do anything for a few days but just have practice either.

But, in thinking about it, isn't that why he's the man for the job? Because he has the priorities straight--get the team going and prepared. And when it's REALLY time for comments--after some action that means something--it'll be a lot easier to make remarks from the winning side. That's what we all want anyway.

Go Big Red!

The Old Husker Fan

Husker OC Watson Confirms My 2009 Thoughts

2010-02-22T19:08:00.000-08:00

Tom Shatel of the World-Herald had a real interesting interview last week with Husker Offensive Coordinator Shawn Watson. The full article is here. I know there's been plenty of chatter about what Coach W said, but I want to add my 2 cents as well.

It was great to read how the Pelini regime continues to interact with the Osborne era brainpower. That came out right away, when Coach Watson told how he's been in on periodic get-togethers with both T.O. and Milt Tenopir to get more acquainted with their methods in run-game development. This, of course, continues to distance the program in a very positive way from the shield-out-the-past notion that dominated the Callahan years.

Coach W also made a huge remark in talking about the Holiday Bowl offensive performance when he said, "healthy people". And then went through the whole list of guys we knew about being hurt, guys we didn't know as much about being hurt, and guys whose extent of their injuries were vague for many weeks. (This last one is specifically Zac Lee.) Basically, the whole darned O-line was fighting some injury issue almost the entire last 2/3 of the season. With that going on, no wonder the game plan turned more vanilla. And I agree with him big time that, as he said that T.O. reminded the coaches last season, "Style points don't matter." Sometimes there are games---heck, sometimes there are seasons---where a team just has to grind it out. And this team and its coaches were willing to do that in 2009.

The coach also said a mouthful and then some regarding how they had to hustle Cody Green out of there during the Oklahoma game. I could not agree more. I remember watching that game and thinking that CG represented a turnover just waiting to happen. Hopefully, of course, Cody turns in a good spring. It's all out there for him since Zac L will be rehabbing after the shoulder surgery.

Which brings me to---Lee's condition and how the coaches played it cool. Good for everyone involved. Zac did what he could, and the coaches never used his injury as an excuse, nor did they let on that something was wrong so the opposition could run with it. (They probably could see something wasn't working on the tapes, but why confirm it?) From a coaching standpoint, this playing it cool to me shows again just how much of a professional Shawn Watson is. He said about not making a big deal out of it, "That's my job."

There's one other thing about the way Coach W handled the questions, and that is---not once did he mention the receivers and their catching problems. We all know that Nebraska had only one dependable wideout last season--Niles Paul. (Yes, Brandon Kinnie made a catch or two against Texas, but Paul was truly "the man".) And, we also know that at least a couple guys were disappointments as the season went on. But the coach never pointed fingers, never called the guys out for subpar performance.

So now, where do we go from here? Well, we wait for spring practice info. And conjure up thoughts of the Wildcat offense. Considering how this outfit methodically took Arizona apart, I am excited for what's ahead. Who knows? We may be seeing an offense in 2010 that in its own way--its own physical way--makes its mark like the 2008 team did.

And one more note: To me, the fact that Coach Watson was able to do this interview at all is to me a sign of just how much Bo Pelini trusts him. I don't know if every offensive coordinator would be given that kind of leeway in doing something like this. I think this is a very strong signal that the head coach and the offensive coordinator get along very well. And I like that!

Go Big Red!!

The Old Husker Fan

A Glimmer Into The Husker Defense Mindset

2010-01-20T07:25:00.000-08:00

This is a re-post of a blog from the Norfolk Nebr Daily News with a little hint of the method to the madness in the Husker defense. After reading this, ya gotta love Bo & Carl Pelini's concepts even more than you already do. Here it is.

The Old Husker Fan

Huskers' Finish Brings Comparisons

2010-01-01T19:29:00.000-08:00

I'llTC bet every Husker fan alive caught at least part of the 33-0 workover the guys put on Arizona in the Holiday Bowl. What a way to finish the season!--even if Zac Lee's TD was pre-empted by the finish of the blue-turf bowl. No matter. There are some real poignant comparisons after that performance. And, there are also some one-of-a-kind contributors.

First, the comparisons:

Niles Paul---He's had his maddening moments this year, notably against Iowa State when he fumbled at the end of the long pass play late in the 2nd quarter. But there is no doubt that he has some "mad skillz" when it comes to being a threat. His running on the reverse, the long TD pass, and hsi continued effectiveness on returns bring Irving Fryar to mind. That's good company, and I think after what he's done, that Paul deserves such a comparison. I won't put him into Johnny Rodgers's light, though--at least not right now. The Jet was truly something special. But if Paul keeps this up, I will happily concede otherwise.

Rex Burkhead---Don at the New Year's Eve part we were at last night said that Burkhead reminds him of Tony Davis---the Tecumseh Tornado--who was a fiery bundle of energy at I-back in the early 1970s. I can see that. #22 has got some combativeness. I'd like to offer another suggested throwback--and that would be Jeff Kinney, he of the 4-TD showing against Oklahoma in the 1971 Game Of The Century. Regardless--it's obvious why Husker head guy Bo Pelini made such a big deal out of Burkhead's potential at Football 202 last summer. And there is no doubt that if Burkhead hadn't gotten hurt, the Iowa State loss would not have happened.

Ndamukong Suh---Simply, "wow". Where do you start with this guy and what he's accomplished this year? There's been a ton of copy put down about Suh and his play--all well earned---not the least of which was his major face time with Erin Andrews at the end of the Holiday Bowl. This guy's strength and quickness combo has brought up names like Rich Glover, Larry Jacobson (both stars of Devaney's best team in 1971), John Dutton (Osborne's first team in 1973), John Parrella of the early 1990s, and the Peter brothers in the mid-90s who were highlight players in the glory years of T.O.'s mid-'90s dynasty.

Well, in keeping with my Old Husker Fan persona, I'd like to make sure that another name is brought into the discussion of "Suh is like..."---and that is Wayne Meylan from the mid-1960s. Just like Suh, Meylan was practically unblockable. He was a true force of nature in his dominance of the line. He was a consensus All-American. And, like Suh, he wasn't just an immovable object in the line. He was also capable of scoring in his own right. Meylan was a guy who could block kicks and still had the quickness and dexterity to grab the ball and take it in. That's a special set of talents for sure. Everybody who's been mentioned is worthy of praise. I just want to make sure that Wayne Meylan isn't left out of the discussion in this "Year of Suh".

Now, to guys who in my opinion have no comparables--or very few. And those guys are the defensive back quartet of Alfonzo Dennard, Prince Amukamara, Eric Hagg, and Dejon Gomes. These guys are doing pass defense like we have seldom seen--certainly not since Barron Miles and Ralph Brown were patrolling the d-backfield. And even then, considering that the spread offense hadn't really gotten going 10-15 years ago, I think the work these 4 guys have done is flat-out something else.

What a bunch! What thrills they gave us this year!

Go Big Red!!!

The Old Husker Fan

The Husker Band And The Ultimate Texas Salute

2009-12-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

The upcoming Big XII title game between the Huskers and 'Horns (oh how I love the way the Red Clad Loon writes that moniker out---"Whorns") calls to mind the memory of postgame Cotton Bowl 1974 when this Old Husker Fan was blowin' his horn for Marching Big Red down in Dallas. But first--every fan's got his opinion, and here's mine--about the 2009 title match.

No surprise here---the game will be between a team that is overbalanced--us--with an outstanding defense and average to below-average offense--against an outfit--Texas--that is above-average on both sides of the ball. With that, it's possible that we could see a game very similar to Nebraska-Oklahoma 1973, when our guys went down 27-0 in Norman and didn't even take one snap in their half of the field.

Of course, the wild card here is Bo Pelini's fire and the Horns' psyche. I love what Bo said this week about underdog this-and-that---it's all B.S. and "...we're going down there to win a football game. End of story." This guy does not back down--and as I said at the beginning of this blog last summer, that attitude is right down the line Devaney-esque. That's exactly how the Bobfather would approach this game.

On the 'Horn side, as my work friend Marty notes, it's Big XII title or bust. They've got all the pressure--we don't. And for their #12--it's no tickie, no shurkie for the Heisman. If McCoy doesn't have a good game he's done. If he has a good game, well--he can do the Jay Berwanger lookalike pose.

(Jay B was of course the model for the Heisman statue, because he was the first winner. He came from Dubuque, and I got to hear his story more than once during my radio days there. But I digress.)

Back to the game--Colt may be the Real McCoy. He of course has his good buddy, Jordan Shipley, to bail him out, and that's not a small matter. Our guys will have to cover him real well. But then again--we've got two all-conference D-backs, right? Yes we do--Prince and the Assassin.

So, what the heck--I think we rock & shock the world and the great Lone Star Republic. Huskers 17, Horns 10. (Don't ask me where the Husker TDs come from--I don't know. But they'll happen somehow. Maybe Suh takes a fumble and an INT back.)

Speaking of---y'know, it's not out of the question that if--as Chris Fowler calls him---Big Mister Suh--has a monster game, HE elbows his way into the top rung of Heisman-ism. Would THAT be sweet??!!!

All right--now to some fun stuff. Following that 1973 season that I noted earlier--which of course was Tom Osborne's first season as Husker head coach--the team, with a record of 8-2-1, was invited to the Cotton Bowl to play Texas. I don't recall if we were the underdogs or not--but there was a lot of excitement over playing the 'Horns. (According to records on Huskerpedia, we were ranked 12th, Texas was #8).

Jan 1, 1974 was a raw, ugly day in Big D. There were a few snow flurries along with some sleet. This was great fun for us northern guys to watch as the Texas drivers all looked like Bevo on skates while they were trying to drive on the freeway. The Cotton Bowl parade was a freeze-fest--our instruments never got warm. No telling what the sound was like--although the Husker fans at the parade had probably had breakfast with everyone's favorite pal, Jack Daniels--so who knew or cared if "No Place Like Nebraska" or "Hail Varsity" was in tune or not.

Then to the game. Weather didn't warm up any. It was gray, windy, and cold the whole time. PERFECT HUSKER WEATHER!!! Our guys were savage on D--Steve Manstedt made a huge play by catching a fumble in midair and taking it back well over 80 yards to set up a TD. We also returned a field goal effort that was well short--handled it like a kickoff and Bob Thornton brought it back about 40 yards to set up another drive. Final score was 19-3 Big Red.

We band members were jacked after the game. We were blaring fight songs, yelling, carrying on---EVERYONE like hooking the 'Horns.

Then came the capper. The 'Horns' pathway out of the stadium took them right by us hornblowers having a great time. And we were ready. The trumpet section--I believe inspired by Steve Erickson, although there were any number of other guys who could have done the same thing---had got us all lathered up (I love that Callahan term) to play "The Eyes of Texas" in a minor key. Doing that, the rollicking ditty (which is really "I've Been Workin' On The Railroad") becomes a funeral dirge.

We played that downer-type tune loud as we could while the 'Horns were filing off the field. They were whipped and they knew it. Several of them had tears in their eyes. A few tried half-heartedly to show the Hook 'em finger sign.

And then---and then---as one of the players walked by, being serenaded by the band---he gave us the one-finger salute. The middle finger. The bird. The Bronx Cheer.

When we saw that, we cheered and played even louder. The BAND had gotten inside the Texas heads--following, of course, the beat-down that the guys had accomplished on the field. It was great.

I don't know how things will go Saturday night in "Jerryworld". But if we pull this one out, I hope that the alternative "Eyes of Texas" song is rendered somewhere afterward. That would only be appropriate.

Go Big Red!!!

The Old Husker Fan

Husker HC Bo Pelini Is Truly Like Devaney

2009-11-09T06:18:00.000-08:00

One of the many reasons why Tom Osborne went for Bo Pelini as Husker head coach a couple years ago was that Bo had some Bob Devaney-like characteristics.

Well, we saw it firsthand Saturday night. 2 quarterbacks in the same game? Heck, Devaney did that all the time. Check the years 1964, '65, '67, '68, '69 and '70. Big deal. The Bobfather constantly went back and forth in '64 and '65 between Fred Duda and Bob Churchich, and in '67 and '68 between Frank Patrick and Ernie Sigler. And in the revival year of 1969 and even into the 1st national championship year of 1970, the Huskers flipped between Van Brownson and Jerry Tagge.

Yes, it's true--1967 and '68 were not the greatest of seasons. (Although in the lens of the Callahan years, 6-4 those years doesn't look too bad.) But, folks, 1964 and '65 were very good indeed: 9-1 regular season in '64, 10-0 reg season in '65, and both years featured bowl games (Cotton '64, Orange '65) which were national title games. And '69 featured the guys going 9-2 and whacking Georgia in the Sun Bowl, with the '70 unit winning over LSU in the Orange and getting Devaney his first title. (Although by the end of the '70 season, Jerry Tagge had truly laid claim to the QB position.)

Back to the present. So, Saturday night, Cody Green starts but doesn't get it done. Shawn Watson, Husker Offensive Coordinator, described Green as "nervous in the service." Nooooo kidding!! He's good, but he truly looked like a turnover waiting to happen. And if that's the case in a tight game, go with the older guy. And that's what Bo did. He coached the game--he didn't try to install a program or make some fancy point. He coached the game. He knew how that thing was going to go down---slam-bang D, don't do something stupid on O, and we'll have a chance to win this deal.

The Coach made his point very well, too. Remember how he ripped Zac Lee after that fumbled option pitch in the 2nd quarter following Roy Helu's first long run--with the guys in scoring position? That was vintage Devaney. The Bobfather didn't put up with carelessness either.

Well, I for one like it. We have ourselves a coach who knows what it takes to get a hard-fought win and isn't worried about style points. He let his best outfit--the defense--win the game and simply told the offense--"Don't do anything to give them chances." And it worked. Boy, did it work!!!

Do what it takes. Focus. Don't flinch. Play the entire 60 minutes. That's what this program is about--has been--and is getting back to being.

Forty years ago it took a guy with that kind of perspective to re-start the program. And that's what we have now as well. Yeessssss!!!!!!!

GO BIG RED!!!!

The Old Husker Fan

Husker Win Over Mizzou Brings Out The Colors

2009-10-09T07:07:00.000-07:00

I'm wearing my red Husker cap and my red Husker sweatshirt with pride this morning after the HUGE win in Columbia. And boy does it feel good!!

What a game!! Ugly, yes. Mistakes made, certainly. But there was no lack of effort and hitting on the part of our guys. Suh led the way certainly--but the entire defense brought the lumber from the very first play--and then the offense got its act together in the 4th quarter.

I watched the whole thing. Bitched when the offense continued to throw the ball in rain that acted like a car wash gone bonkers. "Coach Watson, what are you thinking?" I asked over and over again. I cringed when the special teams play kept going goofy. And I was sure that a Mizzou run of a couple quick scores was just around the corner.

But, by the 3rd quarter, I had a different impression. And that was this---"Y'know, we might lose. But this bunch is putting some HITS on out there." Tackling was solid. Passes were challenged. The D-line was relentless.

And I thought "Yeah. THIS is the program that I root for!!!"

To make it sweeter, of course, was that the offense clicked in the 4th quarter. And the result was this unforgettable comeback 27-12 win on the road--at a stadium where the Huskers hadn't won since Eric Crouch's Heisman year in 2001.

Speaking of--EC, along with Johnny Rodgers, Mike Rozier, Tommie Frazier, and many, many other offensive stars---rightfully have their headlines and awards. But the backbone of the Husker program and tradition is defense. Bob Devaney's teams won some really ugly games because of solid D. Tom Osborne's first title--in the Comeback In Miami--came because of the defense shutting down the 'Canes. That's what made the past 5 years or so seem like such a nightmare--and why the pasting in Colorado back in '01 still stings. Things like that don't happen to a Nebraska defense.

Well, the program showed last night that that spirit is alive and well in Lincoln. The first-team D may not get the Blackshirt wardrobe, but there's no question that their play was of that quality Thursday night.

And it's got this old Husker fan proud to wear red again.

Go Big Red!!!

Husker DBs Finally Take One To The House

2009-09-29T03:26:00.000-07:00

Had the chance to watch the pay per view TV coverage of the Huskers vs Loo-zee-ann-uh Lafayette last Saturday evening. Before the game started, I said, "Boy, would I like to see a turnover taken in for a touchdown--on our side of course."

Darned if that didn't happen with Larry Asante's INT return for six. Which, of course, was taken down a peg by his collapsing hurt in the end zone after the finish. Health and injury issues are never far away.

But back to the thought--the paper noted on Sunday that Asante's pick 6 was the first time for a Husker D-back to take one back all the way since Fabian Washington got-R-done (tribute to Larry the Cable Guy since he was at the game last week) back in 2002.
2002!!! 2002!!! Freaking seven years ago!!!

Which, of course, is yet one more indictment of the Pederson-Callahan Administration. Here we are in the most pass-happy conference on God's green earth---and yet, for the Huskers, a pass interception and return for a touchdown by a defensive back is an event that ranks with a kick or punt return in its rarity. Wow.

That speaks either to a lack of talent to make it happen--or a lack of coaching to be ready for it--or both.

I know that there have been some unlucky moments. Cortney Grixby had a great opportunity against USC (aka Song Girl U) in 2006 when he jumped an out route and had nothing but green for about 25 yards to the end zone--but couldn't hang on.

But, more often than not, the mindset and coaching and preparation just hasn't been there to recognize the play, make the move, and secure the ball--then, of course, make the return.

It's nice to see that technique and execution back. And hopefully it's not the last time this season--for our side of course.

Go Big Red!!!

The Old Husker Fan

An Outside Voice On Husker Red Zone Problems

2009-09-24T03:46:00.000-07:00

Just for grins, I sent an e-mail to Chris Brown of the web site smartfootball.com and asked his opinion of the Huskers' offensive inability to score a TD last week against Virginia Tech. The guy has a great site and I'm sure he gets a go-zillion requests, but I thought I'd give it a shot.

Darned if he didn't answer. Here's what he said:

"I didn't get to watch it (the game) so I can't speak to any specifics. VT does have a very good defense -- sometimes those things happen. I'll keep my eyes open for Nebraska later this season though."

That's a good enough perspective for me. I just hope that Miami doesn't slice & dice the V-Tech defense this week--although they might considering that our guys banged V-Tech around pretty good.

Go Big Red!!

The Old Husker Fan

Huskers' OL Needs OT

2009-09-20T05:04:00.000-07:00

Like all Husker fans, I'm not a very happy camper today following the 16-15 loss to VA Tech. So near, yet so far. But, in all honesty, the outcome of the game is in synch with the outcome of the first drive into what I consider to be the "true" Red Zone--inside the 10.

You all remember that. Zac Lee's roll-right, toss to Rex Burkhead, and RB's run down to the Tech 3 got the boys within smelling distance of the goal line.

Nine feet. Less than the height of a regulation basketball hoop. Heck, in soccer that's even halfway inside the little box closest to the goal.

NINE FEET!!! An average-size guy can step that off in 3 steps.

Well, we know how that turned out, don't we---an option left to the 2 (should have been closer to the 1), an "Oh crap, I'm gonna get sacked" heave into the stands, and a wide-left offering toward Niles Paul from Zac Lee. Then Alex Henery's 2nd field goal.

Not good.

Folks, here's where the game was lost. If you want to rag on O'Hanlon for busted coverage late, or get after Suh for dancing instead of charging the Tech QB on the winning TD throw, you're entitled to do so.

But for me, dammit, first and goal at the 3 starts and ends with a vanilla and jalapeno combo. You know what it's gonna be, but it's gonna be hot!!

I can't believe that Roy Helu didn't get the 1st call on that sequence. You don't have a top flight back around to let him get the "show yards" and then not call his number down deep. And now we get into "Use-ta could" land. For 30-some years practically, I use-ta could tell you exactly what the first play in a 1st & goal inside the 5 situation would be---a lead play with the tailback carrying, and following the fullback. Two of those carries was usually enough to ring up 6.

So why not yesterday in Turkey-call ville? I don't know. I want to bitch at Shawn Watson for not dropping the hammer, but then again---he was also the playcaller in the famous game back in 2001 when Colorado ran wild against the Huskers. So, I don't think that Shawn W is a non-fan of the running game at close range.

I think, instead, that what's going on---as events with penalties in the 2nd half proved---is that the offensive line is still not getting the job done--and at money time--like it is inside the 5--Off. Coordinator Watson still does not have the confidence that he can ride the line into the end zone.

That hurts. That really hurts.

And I go back to griping about defensive plays late in the game. My god, people, we have had such goings-on for-EVER!!! So don't get all caught up in that. Focus on what has been the Huskers' calling card for darn near 40 years---when it's 1st & goal inside the 5, or 3rd & 2, Nebraska runs power--you know it's coming--and you still can't stop it.

That was the trademark of the Nebraska offensive line. Fix that, and you fix everything.

The Old Husker Fan

Husker Clinic Brings In A Big Texas Gun

2009-03-13T06:16:00.000-07:00

There's a terrific thread on recruiting in Texas on Huskerpedia right now. It's one of the better chat lines that I've seen for awhile. Here's the link.

Inside that thread, this line was posted that got me to do some checking. It came from a contributor called "N2FL":
FYI, Hal Wasson, the head coach at Southlake Carroll High School, one of the top prep programs in the state of Texas, will take part in the NU Spring Coaches Clinic. That is a very good move.

This was to me a very interesting little nugget. Southlake Carroll, of course, is where star kicker Kris Brown came from. (And, yes---Chase Daniel too.) So, I Googled "Hal Wasson" and came up with this comprehensive article from the Dallas Morning News website.

What a deal indeed for the Husker program to bring this guy in if it pans out! I can see 2 results from this--first, the obvious in an improving tie-in with a big dog in Texas high school ball. But also--think of the further insights that high school coaches will get into running the spread offense at the high school level. If this is done more in Nebraska, then we have a shot at some of our own home-grown talent being "spread-friendly" so to speak--which will pay its own dividends in the future.

It's great to see how one initiative can have a positive result on several levels. I like it!

Go Big Red!!

The Old Husker Fan

Huskers' Ganz Needs Our Mojo

2009-03-12T11:56:00.000-07:00

Joe Ganz is having his pro day workout in Lincoln today and tomorrow (March 12 and 13). The info is here.

Joe, just to say it---good luck man, and knock 'em dead You deserve to be in The League. Pro sports needs more guys like you.

Go Big Red!!

The Old Husker Fan

Witt's Departure Sends Message About Husker "O"

2009-03-02T12:38:00.000-08:00

It's now just over a week since the news came out that Patrick Witt is leaving the Husker football program. Like many fans, I was shocked at first--after all, this young man had graduated from high school a semester early to move from Texas to Lincoln and go through spring practice 2 years ago. He sat through a redshirt year, had 5 years to play 4, and got some action in 2008. So, what's the deal, I wondered?

Then, reality started to set in. Let's talk about sheer high-profile numbers first. Cody Green's arrival on campus this winter, added to the already-on-hand contingent of Witt, Zac Lee, and Kody Spano, obviously meant that there were 'way too many head chefs in the kitchen. We all know how isolated the QB spot is from subbing. (The only spot in team sports that I can compare it to is goalie in either soccer or hockey.) And, during this Old Husker Fan's years of yelling myself hoarse, staying up late worrying about the next day's game (yep, been there and done that), and feeling so giddy about great plays that they just run over again and again, the only time I can recall more than 2 high-rank scholarship QBs on the roster is in 1971, when Jerry Tagge and Van Brownson were seniors, with David Humm as a freshman. It's one thing to have 2 or even 3 well-recruited roster QBs. Four is pushing the envelope.

But, out of those 4, why Witt and not either Lee or Spano? (If Cody G hadn't wanted to be here, he had the option of not signing a letter of intent.) To me, the answer here has everything to do with what the Huskers are going to emphasize in the 2009 version of the Shawn Watson Offense--and that is, ground, ground, ground. If you like running, get set for '09.

Think about it--almost half the Husker passing game production is gone with the departure of Nate Swift and Todd Peterson. (Details of their '08 contributions are noted here.) We don't know who will step in to take their places, and in fact--we may not know until several games into the season. So, with that in mind, look for the ground game and the much-improved defense (plus the oh-so-well-thought-of Alex Henery) to be the foundation of the 2009 "Pelini-skers"--at least, until the receiver situation comes around.

And, as we know, Patrick Witt is a thrower/runner---not a runner/thrower. The days of the statue QB are gone (Bill Callahan obviously didn't appreciate the lessons that T.O. learned more than 25 years ago). That's where Patrick Witt's forte just didn't fit anymore.

To everyone's credit, in this OHF's opinion, this realization and meeting of the minds was taken care of now. Young Mr. Witt can move on and find a home in an offense where he can be a zinger and not a zigger-and-zagger. And the Husker offensive brain trust can put in its '09 version knowing that any of the guys under center (or in the shotgun--which probably will be the case more often than not) will be capable of handling each and every play without missing a beat. This may turn out to truly be a win-win situation ahead of spring ball.

Go Big Red!!

The Old Husker Fan

Huskers Will Miss Swift-Peterson Combo

2009-03-02T12:12:00.000-08:00

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

Huskers' Gator Bowl Win Is Ideal Season-Ender

2009-01-03T12:13:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you--but for me, the way the Gator Bowl ended in the Huskers' 26-21 win over Clemson was an ideal way to finish off the season. The game ended with the DEFENSE holding off the late Clemson drive. Disguised blitzes on 1st and 2nd down, resulting in a pass knockdown and a huge QB sack both courtesy of Eric Hagg. On 3rd down--a throw into the end zone featuring a pass breakup by safety Matt O'Hanlon. And on 4th down, the Clemson QB rattled by the ferocious Husker D-line rush that he threw a bad ball off his back foot.

WOW!! What a way to finish this off!!

But of course, the whole game went that way. As anyone who watched the game knows, the Husker D basically shut out Clemson. Holding these guys to 4--FOUR--net yards rushing???!!! That's beyond ridiculous--that's the type of defensive dominance this Old Husker Fan grew up with during the Bobfather days.

This is all a testimony to just how far Bo Pelini, Carl Pelini, Mike Ekeler, John Papuchis and Marvin Sanders brought this defensive unit this year. I remember how positively disorganized the D was in the 1st game against Western Michigan, when WM tried a gadget play--and had a receiver running 20 yards wide open (the only reason the play didn't do anything was b/c the QB had a bad grip on the ball and Zach Potter did bring a late rush). Even in the Colorado game--the 1st 2 series that CU had brought in easy TDs. But not this time! This was a defensive performance that all Husker fans can be proud of--and it came against an outfit that had some definite speed.

By the way---just how big was that field goal block by Suh in the 1st half? Otherwise, Clemson just has to get a field goal at the end of the game to win it instead of having to try to score a TD.

A couple more things here:

1) Enough with the negative crap being thrown at Joe Ganz for the turnovers in the 1st half. The guy came back like a champ in the 2nd half and got the job done with his head, his arm, and his guts. Joe Ganz reminds me a lot of another #12 from years ago--Tom Sorley, who was QB in the late 70s and who was at the controls when T.O. got his 1st win against Oklahoma in that '78 thriller. Joe Ganz is a MAN, people!! And I'll go you one more---I think that Joe Ganz's chances of making an NFL roster are better than either Chase Daniel or Josh Freeman because of the leadership and maturity this guy brings to the table.

2) The walk-on program has new life--and some new faces of success this year. The aforementioned Mr. O'Hanlon, along with fellow d-back Lance Thorell, and of course kicker Alex Henery, are all examples of the fact that the Husker program is back to a program that looks at players and not at stars. These guys all contributed to the re-charging of the team this year, and that is only positive for the future in rebuilding depth and fire in the program.

9 and 4. No, it's not perfect and there is a LOT of ground to cover yet (look at the talent and speed in the Rose Bowl for starters)--but there was a TON of progress made this season. Get the red out, folks, b/c the Bo bandwagon is heating up!!

GO BIG RED!!

The Old Husker Fan

Husker Program Needs To Remember '89 Orange Bowl

2008-12-31T06:49:00.000-08:00

This week is the 25th anniversary of the Huskers' heartbreaking 31-30 loss to Miami in the Jan 1, 1984 Orange Bowl. It was a great game, and featured the unforgettable decision by Tom Osborne to go for 2 points and the win with the Huskers behind 31-30 late in the game. The game was a high point in T.O.'s career for that gutsy call.

This week also marks the 20th anniversary of another Orange Bowl versus Miami--the 1989 matchup. You don't hear much about the '89 contest--mostly for good reason. Our Guys lost 23-3 in one of the most methodical beat-downs that an Osborne-coached team ever had. It took a 50-yard field goal from Greg Barrios to avoid a shutout.

But wait, there's more. The '89 clanger was the 2nd straight bowl loss for an Osborne team, and it was the first of 5 straight bowl games where the Huskers went down by double digits. In that run, Florida State and Miami each put the hammer down twice and Georgia Tech once.

In all fairness, these were good teams. (Osborne never really had a bad one.) But there was one important thing missing---that took several years to finally bring to the table.

Speed. Across the field. On both sides of the ball.

You can argue "playmakers"--with in mind Tommie Frazier's and Lawrence Phillips's huge contributions. No argument there. But, when the bowl game losing string was finally broken in the Orange Bowl on Jan 1, 1995, the momentum for that comeback came from the defense.

Which brings us to the last hours before the Gator Bowl between Nebraska and Clemson. And two final thoughts before the guys tee it up:

1) If there's not going to be a playoff in college football, at least let's continue with the regional matchups that bowl games bring. They can indeed serve as a measuring stick for a team and program. We've seen that in several games already, and I think we will for sure in the Gator Bowl.

2) This Old Husker Fan continues to be appreciative of the fact that Bo Pelini is our head guy--this time, because of his experience in the Southeastern Conference--where everyone can pick 'em up and lay 'em down. Having seen firsthand (and reaped the rewards of) the impact that speed can make in a team's profile, I think Bo will always have this characteristic right up there on his shopping list.

Those are the lessons to remember from 20 years ago. They're as important as the T.O. character seminar 5 years before.

GO BIG RED!!!

The Old Husker Fan

Huskers' Gator Bowl Is A Va Tech Do-Over

2008-12-30T08:45:00.000-08:00

Getting wild & crazy on New Year's isn't part of this Old Husker Fan's routine much anymore--but fortunately for me and the other go-zillion Husker fans in the universe, New Year's Day will mean something other than just being part of the huddled masses looking over someone else's shoulder when the Jan 1 bowl games start up. Our Guys will be part of the action in the Gator Bowl against Clemson.

[Speaking of watching college bowl games---heard today that the Florida State-Wisconsin Champs Sports Bowl matchup last Saturday pulled in an audience of 4.6 million. 4.6 Mill for what amounts to an exhibition game (the point of the radio rant) on a CABLE network (ESPN). That was only 700,000 fewer folks watching than the 5.3 million that tuned in to the Celtics & Lakers--the NBA's finest matchup--in prime time on ABC on Christmas Day. Are we football fans or what???]

Back to the thought--and by the way, Florida State figures in here.

I'm not alone in this thought, I'm sure---that the Gator Bowl chance against Clemson is essentially the rematch against Virginia Tech that a lot of us have thought about and talked about since the team got re-started after the OU meltdown. Well, here we are, folks. The guys are playing a bunch with some tough D-backs, some speed in the backfield, and a competitive record--one that we came within, oh, about 57 yards' worth of matching (Alex Henery's FG distance against Colorado).

In other words, this game to me doesn't look like a cakewalk. I think we'll have our hands full to come out a winner.

There are 2 big features of the Clemson outfit that worry me:

First is their backfield speed. Their 2 running backs--Davis and Spiller--have over 2,000 yards rushing combined, and Spiller puts out a 4.25 in the 40. That's serious burning. Plus, it sounds to me like these guys have got the capability of doing ball-control and time of possession with their offense just like we've been so proud of since the Texas Tech game.
I'm still leery of the whole Southern Speed factor anyway--I always am during bowl season. It hit home again seeing how Florida State literally ran away from Wisconsin. Was I the only one watching who had a flashback to the late '80s-early '90s when our guys simply didn't have the wheels to match up in the bowl games? I don't think so.

The second facet of Clemson that bothers me is their D-backs' capability. Clemson had 18 INTs during the 2008 regular season. Apparently they can play a little pass defense. It makes me think of the Colorado game, when CU played Nate Swift and Todd Peterson pretty well and limited their production (combined 6 catches for just 54 yards). This concerns me.

So, how do our guys grab the Gator, so to speak? Here's one opinion--first, on defense--own the line big time across the board. Our guys have done that a lot, and it's helped our 'backers to not have blockers in their grilles. And then--numbers around the ballcarrier and no missed tackles. If we let their guys out, I don't know that we've got the make-up speed to catch them.

On offense--it's gotta be the Joe & Roy show as in Ganz & Helu--with a dash of Marlon Lucky on the perimeter and Mike McNeill in the seams of the defense thrown in. It'll be hugely important for #12 to not just manage the game, but to make some throws in the pass D holes to McNeill and be on target--same with checkdowns or flat-out fly patterns to Lucky, because I think the "Dabo Demons" (had to break that one out) will make darn sure that they don't get beat by #'s 87 and 17. Joe will also need to make those timely runs that he's capable of when the D flies back in pass coverage.

Regarding Helu--make it happen, Roy. Florida State netted 266 yards rushing when they played Clemson. There's gotta be some of that available for you, too. The 'Noles picked up 7.6 yards per rush--you're almost there with 6.7 per carry. Sounds like a plan to me!

As for the score--it looks like the experts have things pegged pretty well on the spread with the Huskers favored by basically 3 points (2 1/2). Let's go with a 27-23 type game. I'd like to see a bigger margin weighted to our side of course--but I'm also in the camp of "1 point's as good as a thousand", so give me a W and make it an even Happier New Year to finish out what's been a positive start to the Bo Pelini era in Husker coaching.

GO BIG RED!!!

The Old Husker Fan

Huskers vs Clemson Recalls "Conversation" Days

2008-12-27T05:23:00.000-08:00

Sports comparison talk is rife with the phrase "...so-and-so is in the conversation." Get going on any "who's best at such-and-such a point..." topic and this line will pop up before the gig is over--
"If (he/they) isn't/aren't the best---he/they are in the conversation." Meaning, of course, that the player or team deserves to be thought of in very high regard.

And as the Huskers prepare for the Gator Bowl against Clemson--the first time these 2 teams have met since the Orange Bowl Jan 1 1982--this is the overall memory that sticks with me. You're reading and hearing lots of game-memory comments from coaches and players about Clemson's 22-15 win: the matchup between Nebraska all-time center Dave Rimington and the "Fridge"--William Perry of Clemson; how the Huskers almost pulled it out despite Turner Gill's absence because of a late-season leg injury; the impact of Danny Ford's lone national title as a head college coach on the community of Clemson, SC.

But--for me--the most important angle to this subject is this--the winner of the Orange Bowl would be the national champion of college football for the 1981 season. In other words, the road to the title went through the Huskers. If our guys had won, they would have won the '81 title. The Huskers were in the conversation.

It gets better. This was the start of a 5-year run during the heart of Tom Osborne's tremendous run as the Husker head man--heck, you could even stretch it to 6 or 7--where at one point or another in the season our guys had the title not several time zones away, but right in their sights--as long as they took care of business. And for 3 years running, whoever won the title had to beat Nebraska to get there--Clemson for the '81 title; Penn State in the famous "extended sideline" game in '82 (Joe Paterno's first title) ; and of course the Miami heartbreaker (featuring Bernie Kosar and Howard Schnellenberger) ending the '83 season and the famous Triplets (Gill, Mike Rozier and Irving Fryar) run in the Orange Bowl Jan 1, 1984.

Three years running!!! Raise your hand if you'd take that again.

And this, my fellow Husker fans, is what Bo Pelini & Co are striving for--to be in the hunt. To be in the conversation.

That's what makes this game special--the echoes of what the Husker program's calling card used to be--and how that trademark is being rebuilt, step by step, practice by practice, game by game.

It's perfect. It feels good. And it adds even more glue to the program's legacy with this appointment in Jacksonville Jan 1, 2009.

Go Big Red!!

The Old Husker Fan

Huskers' Season Takes Edge Off Winter

2008-12-04T04:35:00.000-08:00

Man, woman and child---this winter is feeling a whole lot different--and better--than last winter. A year ago my favorite college football team was a wreck; we had a promise of better things to come but didn't know for sure; recruiting was full of question marks and catcalls; and to top it off, there wasn't another month's worth of practice and bowl-game anticipation to take some of the edge off cabin-fever season. How much suckier can it get??

Jump to this year. The boys won what--4 of their last 5; kicked a little booty along the way; showed some muscle in the run game; made some spectacular plays; got the shake back into Memorial Stadium. And now, to top it off---I'm reading bulletin board chatter with bitching about how one of our guys got screwed by the evil Big XII South in all-conference voting, and I'm getting e-mails about how the Gator Bowl gives us a chance for payback on Clemson after the Orange Bowl back in 1982--26 freaking years ago!!

And my reaction is---YEESSSSSS!!!! Things are getting back to normal!!!

A few comments here about the Colorado game--because in many respects, the events of that game captured Bo Pelini's 1st season as our Head Coach in one afternoon-early evening thrill ride.

The first point is---we as fans, and maybe the program---underestimated just how hard it is to get that winning vibe back. Before the CU game, I read and heard a lot of talk about how the "Vermin"--as my friend Colonel Mustard describes the Boulderites on Huskerpedia--were basically ripe for a beat-down because of injuries, bad offense, blah blah blah. Well, in many respects, that's kind of how we approached this 1st season with Bo and his staff also. I truly thought we'd have 9 wins in the bag right now.
Then, reality kicked in. And the bad guys scored on the 2nd play of the game.

The second point is---the program is truly welded together on all sides--players to coaches, coaches to players, team to the athletic department, athletic department to team. Time and time again this season, this team has pulled back from going into the ditch (especially after Mizzou and OU crashes)--and teams do not accomplish that if they have a problem.
Consider how that played out in the Colorado game. Time after time--2 easy scores for them, we forge ahead, then the fake field goal fiasco, then ill-time fumbles or penalties, the big sack on Joe Ganz late in the game, all followed by Alex Henery's explosive field goal and the Potter-Suh INT/TD capper--our guys faced circumstances where they could have cashed it in--blamed the coaches for bad play calls--blamed each other for some goof-up--blamed the refs for something--but they didn't. They held it together.

The third and final point is---while he's not perfect, Bo Pelini has done enough to show that he's got it going to the point that I'll bet almost every Husker fan is a "BO-liever" right now. And I offer the reaction of the stadium when Suh gave the Buff QB that great stiff-arm on his way to the end zone as proof. The roar of the crowd after Henery's field goal was loud, but it had a sigh-of-relief element to it as well. Kind of like "Oh, thank the Lord. We're ahead." But when Suh brought that INT into the north end zone, there was a good old spine-tingling rattle to that place!!--a sound of power and belief--or, again in ad-agency lingo, "BO-lief."
What a show. What an experience!

I'll have some more thoughts about the season later. But I'll tell you what--the gray skies, subzero wind chill and icy snow pellet-junk covering the back yard don't look all that troublesome. I'll wallow around in some very tasty memories--with more to come before this run is over with.

GO BIG RED!!!

The Old Husker Fan

Husker Win Over KU Is A Classic

2008-11-10T06:27:00.000-08:00

I started smiling on the 1st play of the 4th quarter Saturday afternoon and I haven't stopped yet. The Huskers' 45-35 win over the Jayhawks felt that good. And it was a classic game, too. By that, I don't mean perfect--Lord knows, there were mistakes and missed chances all over the field. But, this game featured big plays by the featured stars, smart plays by the "supporting cast", gadget plays that made sense, and the hallmark of this program we've all come to know and love---lots of hits and lots of guts.

Let's go through some of those things. And, make no mistake about it---Nebraska WON this game. KU did not lose the game by some goofy mistake or screwed-up strategy. Our coaches and players did indeed put the OU game in the closet and made it happen against a KU bunch that is not as good as last year, but that still has some talent, a heady QB, and large, tough coach. (Had to make an obligatory Mangino reference somewhere, didn't I?)

Now the fine points:

Big plays by big stars---

#1-- This is headed by everyone in red's favorite big guy, #93, Ndamukong Suh. Hoe-lee smoke! 12--TWELVE--tackles??!!! By a D-LINEMAN??!!! Folks, that's Peter brothers or Danny Noonan or Larry Jacobson/Rich Glover performance caliber. You just don't see that by a D-LINEMAN! I can't get over that. Add in his sacks (2.5) and of course the TD catch (which was also big), and you have your player of the game.

#2--The entire D-line. I was going to put Zac Potter in there, but Steinkuhler and Allen were great, too. Even though the game featured 80 points total, the NU D-line set the tone for the game with their hitting and harassing of KU's offensive game plan. And I could hear it from the crowd, too. Mid-3rd quarter on, the crowd was roaring. That's what a Husker home game should sound like!

#3--The O-line. I had them farther down the list, but--sorry, the line's gotta go higher than that. They made it happen. I think Barney Cotton's style is starting to soak in. These guys did some major league work on Saturday. And Roy Helu's long run? Well, yes--he made a couple guys miss. But by the same token, he had a pretty good seam at the line to go through to get his magic act underway. Looking good, guys!

#4--Roy Helu. His 2 TDs--especially the 50-yarder--WOW!!! He reminded me of Roger Craig the way he was running. And then, KU coach Mangino talked about his "high knee" style after the game--that's vintage Craig.

#5--QB Joe Ganz. He ticked me off with that INT late in the 2nd qtr--but he played a clean 2nd half and led by example--playing with a sore foot after getting hit in the 2nd quarter. Vintage gutsy Husker QB action. He brought an image to me of another #12 from 30 years ago--Tom Sorley. Bo Pelini said it best after the game: "Joe is a man."

#6--The Nate Swift/Todd Peterson duo. Yeah, Swift fumbled. But the team had his back, so whatever. And he and Peterson are just so solid--so dependable--we're going to miss these guys.

#7--Alex Henery. What? He's a big star? Well, yeah. We all know who the FG kicker is, right? And that FG he made into the wind in the 3rd quarter was huge to give NU the lead early in the 2nd half. I know KU got the lead back, but still--that drive was messed up by a sack, yet we still got points. And then, of course, Henery pulled off the fake FG play in the 4th qtr.

Now--some standout smart plays by "supporting cast" types:

1) Tyler Wortman. He stayed home on a KU reverse in the 3rd quarter and stuffed it for a 7-yard loss. That play swung the game. KU had a 3-and-out and was forced to punt. We got the ball close to the 50, and then Helu took it to the house. How long, O Lord--how long have we prayed for someone to STAY HOME on a reverse? No Wake Forest--no Ball State from last year--nope, this wide receiver reverse had a much different ending.

2) Hunter Teafatiller. Maybe it's just me--but after a KU score in the 4th quarter, their kickoff was short. There have been times in the last few seasons when that's been a horror show for our side--but Teafatiller caught the thing clean and ran it ahead for what he could get--plus, hung onto the rock at the end. Set us up in good field position instead of giving the bad guys the momentum. That's another sign of how tuned-in the whole team is to what's going on.

3) Chris Brooks. He's had a rough time of it since Kevin Cosgrove pulled him away from going to either Illinois or Missouri a few years ago. He was supposed to be All-Everything. It hasn't worked out. But on Saturday, when he was needed, he made a big play to tie the game up with his TD catch.

#4) Jake Wesch. The guy's been a great holder and sometime punter--and showed how smooth an operator he is with the blind pitch on the fake FG Saturday to Henery. I know they've practiced it, but still--the game is a WHOLE LOT DIFFERENT than practice.

Now to the gadget plays:

1) Marlon Lucky's TD pass to Mike McNeill. My neighbor Mark, who was at the game, said the play had him fooled. EVERYONE expected Lucky to just plow ahead. Great call #1.

2) The TD pass to Suh. Boy, was he open on that play! And great execution by Ganz to give him a catchable ball. You know what my first thought was when Suh made that TD? "Wow--this is the type of stuff that Oklahoma does."

3) The fake FG move. Terrific timing on this call. We had a lead--not insurmountable, and we were down deep in the other team's end with our defense playing well. What a time! What a call!

4) Saturday's weather. It was cold, windy and miserable. Hot damn!!! Shades of the old Big 8 days.

Folks, you've gotta like the way things are moving. Guys are playing hard and smart, playing for each other, and playing for their coaches. You can't ask for anything more.

I won't get the 9-3 that I thought, but by gosh, 9-4 is certainly possible.

Go Big Red!!!

The Old Husker Fan

Huskers--Again--Not Ready For Prime Time

2008-11-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

Call it buck fever. Call it deer in the headlights. Call it stage fright.

How about overmatched and knowing it?

That's the way I look at the Huskers' reaction---demeanor---and thus very bad start to the OU game to get the month of November underway. Our guys knew they were going up against an outfit that has its ship in shape from top down--and they got spooked early.

"Now just a minute there, Chuckles. Okay--so the guys from the school with the one-strain fight song that has only two words to it are good. What's the difference between them and Texas Tech? And look how we hung in there with that bunch a month ago!"

To that, I respond this way: You'll find out the difference between the guys in crimson and the dudes in red and black in 3 weeks when the Leach Boys leave the friendly confines of Buddy Holly-land and venture onto Owen Field. And--as for that tussle in Tech-land that we got involved with--the mid-October heartbreak--remember that we DID SOMETHING NEW at that game--which we failed to follow up on in Norman.

Think about that. What did the Husker offense do against Tex Tech? For the first time all season, our guys featured the short, quick passing game--especially the wide receiver screen. Tech wasn't ready for it--and it worked great. This game plan worked against Iowa State and Baylor as well--2 teams with serious talent, speed and experience deficiencies. Cool!

But there is one thing lacking in the starting Husker receiving corps this season--and that is pure, flat-out, take-it-to-the-house speed. And if there's one thing that OU D-backs have been over the years in my memory (except for the hiccup in the mid-90s), it's FAST. And when they broke on top, their guys DARED us to go deep. On our first play, when Joe Ganz threw that pick-6, their guys matching up on Todd Peterson and Nate Swift were easily within 5 yards of our guys. That play was doomed from the start, because there was no "bubble" in the coverage.

In other words, OU had seen that quick pass to the wide receivers from 3 weeks' worth of video. No surprise there. And it was all downhill from there.

Even before that disaster, it was evident on the opening series that OU's plan was to bring pressure, pressure, pressure early and often on both sides of the ball. You can do that when you're on the top side of a physical mismatch.

How'd they do it? OU went no-huddle TO START THE GAME--didn't even give our guys time to completely get used to what was going on.

Here's the Husker reaction after stopping the OU running back on the first play of the game for no gain (after which OU immediately lined up):

"Okay. Play's over. WHAT? They're lining up AGAIN??!! Oh $&*%!!!!!" The result of that play was, of course, a long pass completion down to the 4-yard line.

So OU did something unusual to mess our guys up early. And then, when we got the ball, we went to a play that we'd shown for almost a month. So who got who out of their comfort zone?

I'm not going to rag on players too much from here on. Yes, our guys are overmatched at this point. They're still learning. Friends, it takes a he11 of a long time to get things set up on a football team. But there are some points I have to make:

1) Is Ricky Thenarse really that bad on lining up that he isn't pushing for a starting safety spot?

2) Running back should be a Lucky-Helu combination. Quentin Castille just cannot hang onto the ball.

3) I know it was against backups, but I like the looks of Patrick Witt at QB. It's evident that he is taller than Joe Ganz for one thing. And if Witt's TD run was a true option--where it was his decision to either hand off or keep the ball--wow, what decision-making! I could sure see more of that. (Remember--Witt is a smart kid--graduated from high school in Texas early. )

4) I'm not going to gripe about Bo Pelini's outbursts on the telecast. He'll get through that. But, I would like to see him toss the sweatshirt look for something a little more "head-coachy" for lack of a better term. He's in good shape--certainly not like Charlie Weis at Notre Dame, who can only wear a hoodie--anything else would be out of the question. I'd like to see Bo either do the cool jogging-suit look a la Pete Carroll, or the collared polo shirt routine like he did at the first NU game against Western Michigan. He's a head coach now and I'd like to see him look the part a little more.

5) Fan talk here. Just to say it--I hope that I don't see a bunch of BS comment about the crappy coaching job, or how players can't get it done, during the next couple weeks. Yes, I've made some comments here and I hope they don't fall into that category. Our guys did run into a better team, got pressured early, and saw the game get away. That happens. But I still think they have a chance to go 8-4, and obviously I definitely want them to get to a bowl game, and to do that they've got to take some lessons from this game and use them to give it their best shot starting this next Saturday. And they need, at the least, fans to let them sort it out without a lot of excess griping.
Second--send 'em packing jive regarding the coaches can do nothing but hurt the recruiting effort. Getting to the point of having solid units on offense, defense and special teams means we need more than one or two good guys--and I for one don't want the fans to make things worse by sniping at what's gone on. This is--in many respects--still a shake-down cruise for coaches and players (and fans, too). Let's let this thing play out and watch the guys respond. I think we'll be impressed by what we see!

Go Big Red!!

The Old Husker Fan

Huskers' Swift Ain't JR, But He's Still Darn Good

2008-10-30T07:15:00.000-07:00

The Old Husker Fan has been languishing a bit here recently--maybe because the last couple games haven't exactly been marquee-type clashes. Don't get me wrong--I'm glad for the wins over Iowa State and Baylor, and I appreciate that our guys had a come-from-behind-at-halftime win for the first time since 2003. (Over Baylor. BAYLOR??? And Bill Callahan could never figure that behind-at-halftime thing out. Mercy, mercy, mercy.)

But Nate Swift's garnering of the alltime NU career pass-catching record during the Baylor game last week is certainly worth noting--especially since he passed Johnny Rodgers, who this OHF got to see in person at the height of his collegiate powers. And that's where I'm going with this blog entry for the most part--to recall just what it was like when Johnny Rodgers wore #20 during the Bobfather days.

The setup--a sold-out Memorial Stadium. No video screens anywhere, so folks in the stadium were either watching the game or getting alternative entertainment through people-watching.
The defense had just achieved another 3 and out. And then the drums started up, the band yelled, and the crowd joined in:

"Run, Johnny, Run!" Ba-da-da-da. "RUN, JOHNNY, RUN!!" (repeat until the punter kicks)

65-70,000 people. All with one focus at that point. What would #20 do THIS time???

That was just on punts. But JR made people hold their breath on scrimmage plays, as well--where of course he achieved the record that Nate Swift surpassed. What I remember from his catches is that he made a lot of big plays through the now-famous acronym YAC. Yards After the Catch. Johnny was a master at catching a 10 yard pass and getting at least another 10 yards out of the play. And, he had plenty of chances to make those plays, too--because the Husker offense of 1970-1972 was a pro-style offense. It was not the power/option attack that the teams of the 1980s and 1990s made famous. (Remember--Nebraska sent 3 QBs to the pros in this time frame--Jerry Tagge, David Humm, and Vince Ferragamo.)

Bottom line on Johnny Rodgers---he was a true game-changer--and when the Huskers have had this type of talent, the teams have been top-shelf.

Now, I don't put Nate Swift in that super-elite category. But he's a "gamer"--that means he WILL NEVER QUIT. And that's something we can all be grateful for in this era of rebuilding.

Here's where Nate Swift has come from as a Husker. (Of course, he'd already made a tremendous comeback individually by the time he got to Lincoln with his recovery from major illness as a young boy.) But--back to football. During the Pitt game in 2005, when Swift was a freshman, he ran a limp little pattern in the middle of the field. It was supposed to be a square-in, but his route was just a brisk jog on kind of a weak little curl. It didn't threaten anyone or anything. No hard burst out of his stance. No hard cut to get open. Nothing. It was such a half-assed pattern that Brent Musburger and Gary Danielson on the ESPN telecast pointed it out on a replay and made fun of it. (That was the game where Gary D said that the Husker offense was even worse than a high school program.)

And it's the same guy--now a much different player--who has the Husker pass reception record. That is remarkable. So I'll remember that about Swift's ability to grow and improve.

I also think that Nate Swift is the author of THE SIGNATURE MOMENT in this Husker season, when he took that punt against Va Tech to the house. I'm convinced that damn near everyone wearing (or thinking) red was tossing that game down the chute at that point. Not Swift!! He made that play all by himself---and, at least to me, sent a message about this year's program: WE DON'T QUIT!!! That's a credit to Bo Pelini and the coaches of course---but it's also a credit to, as Bo said after last week's game---"a heck of a football player."

And you know what? Swift has made enough plays that I get just a little shiver when I know he's on the field. Same anticipation I got when a certain #20 was running around. That's pretty special. That's pretty cool.

Go, Nate, go! And thanks for the memories!!!

Go Big Red!!

The Old Husker Fan

Huskers Are Poised To Make It Happen

2008-10-17T17:48:00.000-07:00

The Huskers are going to take it to the 'Clones. You heard it here last (probably). But at least it's out there before the kickoff (11:30 a.m. CDT Saturday the 18th).

I may be wrong, and if that's the case it'll be back-and-fill time---and I'll be blogging about how this is, after all, the first season for Bo & Company, etc, etc, yada, yada, yada.

But, I don't think I'm going to have to write that blog. And, I'd sure hate to be going on with some weepy oh-gee-I-don't-know-how-things-will-go type comment---only to be blown out by a decisive Husker showing. To say or think otherwise would be to totally negate that gutsy performance in Lubbock a week ago. (I mean, did anyone really think that that game would go to overtime??)

I'll admit, I was doing some wavering earlier this week. I was wondering if the showing against Tex Tech was a big ol' nugget of fool's gold dug out of the Llano Estacado. And then--and then--came some revelations--both in print and on video highlights.

First, print. Carl Pelini--defensive coordinator--talked at the Big Red breakfast this a.m. There were 2 things that he said that stuck out:
1) The coaches worked the players' butts off from the get-go in winter conditioning last winter, to get them used to adversity and hardship. "I started feeling guilty," he said.
2) Coach Carl said that practices this week were the "...fastest and most violent that I've ever seen..." That tells me me something VERRRRYYY significant---these boys are starting to feel it--and it's no BS sensation. We've got us a team working here, Husker fans.
Here's the link, by the way: http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2008/10/17/48f898a15d702

Now, to the video highlights---Niles Paul is turning into a bona fide playmaker. His kick return in the 2nd quarter against Tech--when he came within a whisker of taking it to the house--featured some major-league running along with, yet again, some darn good special teams blocking. This dude has some wheels! When I saw that kick return, I thought--"Hey! This looks like a big-time college kick return here!! WHOA!!!!"
Couple these 2 things with the fact that I think the offensive line is starting to come together, and I think there's some serious football ahead over the next 6 weeks. Hang on, folks---I truly think that there's some fun times just around the corner--starting Saturday morning.

GO BIG RED!!!

The Old Husker Fan

Huskers' Close Loss Gives Bo Some Ammo

2008-10-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Well, this is going to sting for awhile, isn't it?? The Huskers, 21-pt 'dogs, darn near pulled the rug out from under Texas Tech. Damn! Damn! Damn!

I won't go into the details. They are all over everywhere. Go to Huskerpedia for that.

BUT---I think this game--a close-doesn't-count-except-in-horseshoes-and-hand-grenades type of game---is the type of game that Bo Pelini truly needed to get his point across to the entire Husker team---players AND coaches--about what's needed to get to a championship level. And he wasn't waiting for postgame to get started!! The televised rants that he put on Barney Cotton (that I heard about), and what appeared to be a royal chewing-out of Quentin Castille after his failed attempt on 4th down in the 2nd quarter, seem to me to be the coming-out party for Coach Pelini's competitive fire. VERRRRR----EEEE reminiscent of Bob Devaney!

Here's what I think the coach said in those exchanges, by the way (presented in family-friendly fashion, sort of---let's say PG-13):

To Barney Cotton--- "Find 5 guys who won't screw up on the line and play them until they drop!!!"

To Castille---"Dammit, when you hear that it's 4th and 1, hit the hole like it's 4th and 3!!! Got it???!!!!"

None of us can be at practice. But if we could be, I'm sure that we'd see a completely different level of intensity and attention to detail this week---not that it hasn't been emphasized already, but because now, the coaches truly have an example of how the little things can cost a game.

Talk about a "teaching" or "coaching" moment. The boys got one last weekend--and I think that they'll pass the next exam.

Go Big Red!!

The Old Husker Fan

Huskers Exposed By Hokies

2008-09-29T07:05:00.000-07:00

Boy, was I wrong. I thought before the Husker-Va Tech game that our guys could take the boys with the goofy cheerleading name by 10 points or greater. (By the way, Hokie is just that--a cheerleading chant. It's in Wikipedia).

Anyway--back to reality. Boy, was I wrong. Maybe too much red Kool-Aid, I don't know. But them boys from Blacksburg put on a clinic. They looked like the team that had had a week off to prepare for this game--not us. The only reason why there was only a 5-point difference was because Nate Swift had the stones to try to make a play with his 88-yard punt return in the 4th quarter. That was the single best moment the Huskers had all night.

I won't go too much into detail on the X's and O's. That's everywhere. You can read Huskerpedia and get all that. There are 4 things, however, that really stick out with me.

#1---Quarterback. I'm starting to have questions about how Joe Ganz should be deployed, mainly because of his height. I'm wondering if he's even 6 ft tall--and if he's not, then the offense has some real issues--because if Joe is truly that short, then he's gotta be in the shotgun more, which implies a spread offense. But, that does no good if you want to run a power offense with some option. There seemed to be a major physical difference between Joe and Tyrod Taylor from VA Tech.

#2---Offensive Line. These guys still have big problems in getting some decent blocking put together.

#3---Safeties. I don't know why Larry Asante, #4, continues to be out there. He acts like he's lost. And on the blocked punt the other night in the 1st quarter, he had 2 guys running at him and DIDN'T HIT EITHER ONE!! Good lord, man, pick SOMEBODY!!

#4---Bo's demeanor and temper. Okay--fire is one thing, but getting penalties for mouthing off to the refs is enough. Bo said the other night that he's got to be smarter, and I hope he meant it. Even as goofy as the Huskers were playing the other night, they were still in the game when that whole penalty thing with Suh, then followed by Bo, and THEN AGAIN BY SUH, occurred. Wow. You cannot have that!! And, anyone who got fed up with Bill Callahan and the "throat slash" deal against Oklahoma in 2005 (which I firmly believe was him demonstrating how the Nebr defender was held on an OU touchdown run, but got misinterpreted)---repeat---anyone who went after Callahan for that---and then does not get after Bo for his behavior last Saturday night--is being a hypocrite. Division I football is tough enough without a coach giving up yards just because he's pissed.

With all of that said---I think that VA Tech is similar to Okie State from last year. And we all know what happened when Okie State got up against our guys a year ago. This year, our fellas did not give up--and battled to the end. I give them tons of credit for that.

But there's a bunch to fix--without letting up on the attitude. And that fixing is both on the field and on the sideline.

Go Big Red!!

The Old Husker Fan

Go to the attached link for another comment on Bo's penalty in the game:

http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2008/09/28/48df3c4487b9b

This Husker Is Seeing Orange

2008-09-26T07:19:00.000-07:00

Nothing rhymes with "orange". Certainly not "upset" or "kick your (fanny)". But that's sure what the Beavermen did Thursday night. Wow--what an achievement! Slapping the ESPN favorites from Song Girl U upside the head 27-21.

I am extremely jealous, and I think every Husker fan with a pulse should be as well. That was basically the same SoCal team that breezed through Lincoln last year to the point that video clips were incorporating Mrs. B's scooter. That game still makes me mad. Yet, last night, USC got chopped down and mushed up...and the crowd swarmed the field.

When was the last time THAT happened in Lincoln? Probably the OU game in 2001, right? When Mike Stuntz had his moment of glory and Eric Crouch secured the Heisman? Wow--what a long time ago.

Okay, let's get back to business, folks. Now that I've done my wallowing in self-pity, let's look and see what the Oregon State formula was for punking the Pete Carrolls.

Point #1---run the ball. And a frosh running back burrows his way for over 180 yards. Great job, kid! And am I the only one who finds it funny in a way that some little squirt who's not even 5-8 can get so many yards because the big 6-5 and 300-lb linemen CAN'T SEE HIM???!!! There's something appealing about that. And Oregon State had almost 35 minutes' worth of possession. Major, major factor in keeping the pretty Troy Boys off the field offensively.

Point #2---get turnovers. Oregon State had 0 vs the Beach Boys' 2. And IIRC, both SoCal turnovers led to points by Oregon State--certainly the INT in the 4th quarter that the Beaver safety ran back to the 2.

Point #3---don't give yards on penalties. Oregon State had only 5 penalties for 27 yards. SoCal had 7 for 84--including that flagrant foul on the 1st TD by Oregon State (don't ever think that the Carroll guys don't give out cheap shots).

And, finally--Point #4---luck never hurts. Just like in '01 when our guys got lucky because an OU gadget play failed because of a bad pass, Oregon State got lucky when a tipped pass got caught by a receiver just barely in bounds in the end zone. But, then again---if you believe that luck is the intersection of preparation and opportunity, then plays like that are not to be wondered at.

Bottom line for me as a fan in trying to get past the "DAMN! Why can't that be us???!!!" feeling is this---everything that I mentioned above is what Bo is trying to get to. Physical play, swarming and takeaway-minded defense, not making stupid penalties, and grabbing the bouncing ball. I can't think of a better way to start that trend than by putting those ideas to work in just a little over 24 hours against VA Tech.

Go Big Red!!!

The Old Husker Fan

Husker-Hokie Tilt Has Echoes Of 1980

2008-09-25T12:39:00.000-07:00

I can't help but think about comparisons to the Husker-Florida State game in Lincoln 28 years ago when there's the pregame talk ahead of our guys vs Va Tech.

I know that the Seminole program has gone through some iterations in the past 10-15 years--from its heyday of Neon Deion Sanders, Charlie Ward, and Derrick Brooks, to right now being a hanger-on type of program (and, of course, no one in Husker Nation will ever forget the disputed championship Bobby Bowden was handed after the 1993 season).

However---back in 1980, Florida State was a program working its way up the college football food chain. They came to Lincoln as definite underdogs--and managed to come away with an 18-14 win. It was a shocker.

And how'd they do it? Defense and special teams. Their kicker made I believe 4 field goals. And their defense forced a couple fumbles deep in FSU territory, which they recovered to hang on for the win.

Funny thing is, we started out by scoring twice pretty quick, so we were up 14-0. Then, they chipped away and eventually got the win. Bobby Bowden--yes, the old coot today--was building his team on solid, fundamental defense and winning the kicking game.

That sounds a whole lot like what is being called "Beamer Ball" today. And it's what has me kind of nervous ahead of Saturday evening.

The Old Husker Fan

Thoughts On An Ugly Husker Win

2008-09-08T06:12:00.000-07:00

The Huskers' 35-12 win over San Jose State last Saturday was one of those ugly wins. But those things happen from time to time. Here are my thoughts:

1) The D-Line--not the O-Line--is emerging as a force. All the guys on the defensive line are playing hard and smart. After last year, who would have dreamed that a D-lineman would grab a Pick-6 like Suh did last Saturday? What was also very impressive was how Pierre Allen came in when Barry Turner got hurt and played like a champ. And Steinkuhler and Potter have their motors running full steam (what a grab by Potter in the 4th quarter on a ball thrown right at him!). I just hope these guys can hold up, because they're starting out great.

2) I felt that the preseason talk about the O-line being dominant was a little premature--and things are playing out that way now. I don't know what the issue is--but I didn't see any explosion off the ball as I was watching from the south end zone for the Western Michigan game, and from the sounds of things Saturday there wasn't any explosive charge either. What bugs me is that the interior line--center and 2 guards--don't seem to be making it happen.

3) Running back I think needs to be mainly a Lucky-Helu split. Castille has played himself out in my opinion. This guy is a fumbler. He was last season and he's doing the same thing again. Lucky and Helu are both potential game-breakers (I think Helu is the real deal at RB). You can work 2 running backs successfully, but there just aren't enough plays to get 3 guys into the game and get them going. Coach Watson needs to make this move immediately.

4) It's obvious that special teams play is getting more attention--not only by having Niles Paul as a returner, but also the move to put Alfonso Dennard back there with him. That kickoff return was as clean as I've seen for a long, long time. Remember--the team concept is offense, defense and special teams. We clicked on 2 of the 3 last Saturday (defense and special teams) and that will get you a long way.

5) I'm very uneasy about the Husker safety play. Once again, there was a long ball right down the middle that they gave up last Saturday. I have questions about Asante's decisionmaking and about O'Hanlon's speed. I think that Sam McKewon picked up on that very well in his rundown of the game. Here's the link: http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2008/09/07/48c4a2f530a9c

6) Last, but not least and in many respects the most important---despite the errors, the players are I believe truly playing for each other and the coaches--and the coaches are intense but not mean in their coaching. I was very encouraged to hear the reports of the reactions early in the game on the sideline--where there was discussion and coaching, but not in-your-face yelling and calling guys out. I think Bo and his staff really have their heads on straight in that respect, and that will be a big, big plus going forward. Because, as we all know, the season ain't getting any easier.

Go Big Red!!

The Old Husker Fan

Huskers' Ekeler Is Kiffin-esque

2008-09-03T21:05:00.000-07:00

Husker LB coach Mike Ekeler is a hoot. He's from Blair, NE--just north of Omaha. Went to K-State and played for Bill Snyder (I'll forgive him for that). While he was there, he made a rep for his special teams play--apparently he never saw a wedge to bust through that he didn't like. Coach E came with Bo Pelini from LSU, where he was a grad assistant--so this is his first for-real coaching gig. (He sold a reportedly successful business to get into coaching.)

Last spring, he was a hit with stud recruit Will Compton's family in the St. Louis area when he showed up for the last pre-signing visit with some kind of tattoo saluting Will C (I believe a temporary piece of art work, but it helped get the job done and keep young Mr. C from heading to Mizzou). And, during spring practice, he was quoted a bunch of times with real rah-rah we're-gonna-get-'em type comments.

Well, this past Saturday, Coach Ekeler made a definite impression during the Western Michigan game. Early in the game, Cody Glenn broke up a pass to create a 3-and-out for the WMich offense. Fans were going crazy. The play happened fairly close to the Husker bench, and as Glenn runs off the field, this guy leaps about 3 ft in the air onto Cody's shoulders!
It was Coach Ekeler, of course. I had the glasses on Cody for some reason and saw the whole thing. You know, this old Husker fan has gone to games off and on for over 40 years, and I've never seen anything quite like that.

I have seen that same kind of fire before, though. And you know from who by the title of this blog. Yep--none other than Monte Kiffin during his days coaching the defense in the early 1970s. Kiffin had the same all-out burn from start to finish that Ekeler is showing. (No disrespect to Charlie McBride--but Kiffin is the best example at this age that I think of.) That's a tall example and of course big and accomplished shoes to follow in, but honestly, that's exactly who I thought of when I saw this mid-air bear hug going on.

A few posts ago, I said that the Huskers were "...looking for a hammer." Just something truly dependable day in, day out that they could fall back on. I think this is it--coaches who truly care about their guys and are dialed in when it comes to teaching and motivation. And that, my fellow Big Redders, is a great place to start in getting back into the "top programs in the U.S." conversation in the here and now.

Go Big Red!

Old Husker Fan

Stylin' At The Husker Opener

2008-09-02T08:04:00.000-07:00

Here are Cliff and I decked out prior to cheering the Huskers on to Bo Pelini's first regular-season win as Head Coach. Note my shirt--which I'm sure was unique and unmatched at the game.

Husker Win Shows Fire And Fatigue

2008-09-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a birthday present from son Cliff, I was able to be one of the 84,000-plus on hand to check out Bo Pelini's first regular-season game as Husker head coach last Saturday. We were in the south end zone--a cool spot to be because not only can you see the plays develop, but the big 5-acre wide screen-- or whatever its dimensions are--is right there for all the replays.
Here are my thoughts from my gametime experience.

#1--There's fire on the sideline. Bo and the coaches were into this game from the first play, keeping the guys pumped up and focused on their assignments. Bo--with his single-ear headset, play chart, Husker cap and gum--prowled the sidelines constantly. You could tell that he was looking for energy and pursuit as much as anything else. And all the coaches were like that. The best example was Linebacker coach Mike Ekeler's leap and mid-air hug of Cody Glenn when he knocked down a pass to create a Western Michigan 3-and-out in the 2nd quarter. (It was actually Glenn's 2nd knockdown I think--and came close to being a pick-6).

Another example of Bo's total involvement: In the 2nd quarter and Western Michigan driving, they had a couple big plays from their spread offense. Bo called time out to talk to the defense and get re-organized. That's one of the techniques Kerry Coombs emphasized in his how-to-defend-the spread commentary--use timeouts to break the momentum of the offense. As I recall, our guys stopped that drive, then got the ball back and scored on the 61-yarder from Joe Ganz to Nate Swift.

#2--Gang tackling is back! Let me repeat--gang tackling is back! There were some solo stops Saturday night--but on many Western Michigan plays--even their short passes--the tackle call had two or more names listed--with usually 3 or 4 more red shirts in the play. Bo talked about flying to the ball. We had that going on. I especially remember Zac Potter's name being called on tackles following short pass plays. That was impressive for a D-lineman to keep going. It was nice to see that motor back in operation.

#3--The Cody Glenn to linebacker move is on the way to being this year's version of Bo's Demorrio Williams story. We all know that one--how Bo took Demorrio out of just being a cover linebacker and created a pass-rush monster off the edge. Well, folks, I'm here to say that the Cody G linebacker switch could very well be all of that and more--considering that Cody G had not played linebacker in college prior to last spring. You've seen the numbers he had--a dozen tackles, 9 unassisted, 2 1/2 for a loss, several pass breakups. This guy truly was all over the field!
It's not like Cody just had 1 thing to do, either. Western Michigan was constantly going after him with receivers running drag patterns, switches on coverage, and motion. Heck--the first play of the game they checked his assignment savvy by trying a QB delay run. Cody stuffed it for a 1-yd loss. And, since he's the WILL linebacker, he's going to be on the field a lot--possibly all the time like he was last Saturday. He never came off. What a move by him and the coaches!
By the way--this move is also reminiscent of how Rich Glover's career got jump-started in the early '70s. Glover was a serviceable defensive tackle, but when Monte Kiffin moved him to the nose position, his college career mushroomed. I sure wish that Cody Glenn had at least 1 more year like Glover had when he made his move.

#4--The D-backs have some style. By that, I mean they're playing like top-level college game defensive backs. Anthony West, Eric Hagg, and Prince Amukamara had bigtime pass breakups Saturday night--featuring aggressive coverage and just-at-the-right-time knockdowns. Their tackling form was excellent, too. There were some plays by the D-backs that made me think of our bigtime guys from back in the day--like Ralph Brown, Barron Miles, etc.

#5--Joe Ganz is the man on offense. He saved our bacon a BUNCH Saturday night with his scrambling to avoid taking a big sack--and made something positive happen instead by keeping his cool and knowing where to look for a receiver. Yes, he had a couple picks--which I'll talk about later. But he had some throws that were nothing short of brilliant--especially on the 2 play 3rd quarter TD drive, where he aired it out to Dreu Young over 2 WMich guys in good coverage--and Young came up with the ball (great catch by a TIGHT END by the way---a Ron Brown product). And he followed that zinger with another beauty to Marlon Lucky for the score--again throwing over a defender. Those were big-time tosses, gang.
(An aside here---I think that Callahan kept Ganz off the field the last couple years as much as he could--because he was afraid of the crowd reaction if Joe would light it up. Just sayin'.)

#6--Back to the defense. The D-line was a solid unit all game, and got some good pressure all night long. Barry Turner had either 1 or 2 sacks (or shared sacks). Suh was a force. Ty Steinkuhler wrecked a bunch of running plays. Shukree Barfield got in on the action. Zac Potter acted like a beast. Jared Crick and Terence Moore put in quality minutes.
In total, what did the D come up with--4 sacks? One-third the total for all of last season? That's making something happen!

Now to the other side--that being fatigue. Our guys--especially the back 7--definitely started to wear down in the 4th quarter. No surprise, because there wasn't any subbing done by the coaches. The LBs and D-backs who started played practically the whole game. Certainly Glenn and Philip Dillard did not come out--nor did Larry Asante at strong safety. I read that Ricky Thenarse was in for 1 play on defense, but then got hurt on a kicking team play. I know that the coaches know this--but this definitely points to how important it is to develop some depth at linebacker and defensive back. Western Michigan got too many chances to make big yardage in the 4th quarter.

A couple other notes before some fun stuff. First, the O-line and fullbacks have some work to do on the run game. On Ganz's long option run in the first quarter, followed up by Marlon Lucky's TD run, the fullback made a good block. Other times, the FB failed to get his man and the plays were stuffed. And the O-line didn't blow anyone out of there. I like how Bo was quoted saying that execution has to improve...and did not lean on the excuse that the dive and off-tackle plays didn't work because Western Michigan had too many guys close to the line. Thanks, Coach! There are times when you have to be able to run no matter HOW many guys are stacked in there.
Second--how refreshing it was to see Alex Henery get some trust from the coaches on his field goals. And they were not any gimmes, either. They were all in the 44-45 yard range. Good practice for a number of reasons--not the least because there was some pressure involved. You know that the players all wanted to win the first regular season game for Bo and the rest of the coaching staff--plus for each other. That's pressure--and Alex and the special teams handled it well.

Fun stuff. Starts out with tailgating. Our ticket contact, Kristen, told Cliff about a tailgate that her family's part of--so we grabbed some brats, a few brewskies, and took it in. Outstanding! What a great way to get the game day routine underway! The folks were great company and the side dishes tasty-plus.

Second--I truly think that the Husker Hawaiian-style shirt I had on was the only one of that type that anybody in the entire stadium had. And as I was going through the ticket line at Gate 2, I was the last one in our group. The usher taking my ticket said, "Nice shirt!" as he tore my ticket stub. A lady was behind me--and the usher asked her, "Did you buy that shirt for him?" She was completely perplexed! One of those where you had to be there, but it was a hoot!

What a day--what a game--what promise for these guys. Keep making it happen, Huskers!

Go Big Red!

The Old Husker Fan

Huskers To Go 9-3--What The Heck

2008-08-29T19:59:00.000-07:00

I've been going back and forth over what to say about this season. This Old Husker Fan has tried to come up with a season that this one compares to, and frankly, I can't. Even back in 1962, Devaney had some recognized All-Star talent to work with in putting his 1st season together.

So I thought about 2002--the year following Eric Crouch, when Jammal Lord took his turn at QB. We know how that one turned out--7 & 7, which was then followed by Husker Nation's first look at Bo Pelini, and then...and then...and then...

But you know, no fan wants to start the season with a comparison to a .500 campaign. (Well, unless you root for the Chiefs in the NFL. Which I do. Sucks.)

Noooooo!!! This being a fan thing is about OPTIMISM. There's enough reality out there.

So, with that, I'm going for a 9-3 season. I think that Bo's leadership and the intensity and organization of the coaches, plus the guys' desire to wash the bad taste of last year out of their memory, are worth 4 more wins than last year. That's a bunch--but keep in mind that the hardest part of the game to organize--the offensive scheme--stays largely together with Shawn Watson still on the staff. Plus, there's senior QB leadership in Joe Ganz. That is a HUGE intangible. Follow that up with a bowl game, and we're back to 10-3 with a boatload of momentum and the program coming back together. 10-3 would also be the same record that Bo was part of in his year as D-coordinator in 2003. How's THAT for a pair of bookends??

I think we start out tomorrow with a 2-TD win over Western Michigan. At least. I think we put the hurt on these guys. And wouldn't a Pick-6 for our guys be a hoot??!!
(Having said that, I'll be happy with a one-point walkoff. Just win, Bo.)

Basically, the way the schedule sets up with both Mizzou and KU at home, I think our guys have a chance to pull off the same type season, with momentum building throughout, that the program did in 1969. (Of course, that year featured an early loss 31-21 to Southern Cal--but it was a knock-down game the whole way.)

Losses that I see this season are: Mizzou; Tex Tech; OU. Call me goofy, but I think that our guys have the talent and chutzpah to take care of everyone else--including KU.

However--what if tomorrow starts out with the worst-case scenario--a loss? (Hate to think about it, but I'm sure Michigan didn't expect App State to eat their lunch at Ann Arbor last year either.) Well, sports fans, as we know, that's why they play the game. And at that point we will just have to keep chuckin' and let the coaches and players sort it out. Of course, if a loss happens, I'd love to be a fly on the wall at practice next week.

This is going to be exciting. I'll be there gettin' after it with everyone else in Husker Nation far and wide! See you at the game! I'll be the guy in the red shirt and white cap!

Go Big Red!!!

The Old Husker Fan

Huskers Need A Hammer

2008-08-29T03:24:00.000-07:00

You've heard the line. You may have said it yourself a time or two. Something isn't working quite right--an appliance, a door, a gadget, a computer--and you're having a heck of a time fixing it. You tell someone in your family or at work about your problem. Your friend or relative replies, "Try a hammer. That'll fix it."

That line "...try a hammer..." is elemental. Kind of cave man-like. The main message is, "What the heck. Just smash it."

But there's another angle to that joke as well. The hammer is a basic tool. It only does one thing, but you can depend on it to do that one thing all the time. You know what you're going to get when you pick up a hammer.

And, on the eve of the Huskers' first regular-season game under Bo Pelini Saturday against Western Michigan, that's the one thing that the Huskers really need to find. Not something simple necessarily, but something dependable--like a hammer. Something on either offense or defense that the team, coaches, and you and I as fans KNOW can be counted on to perform at a high success rate game in, game out.

Ponder that for a minute. What part of the team do you KNOW--without reservation--is going to make it happen come kickoff time tomorrow? Let's go through the question marks.

The easiest ones to find are on defense, of course, where the scheme is brand new--as are many of the players to starting roles. I know that this is old news, but we really don't know WHAT the Husker defense has at this point anywhere in the lineup. So there's either 4, 5, 6 or 11 question marks depending on how you want to slice and dice the unit by either general groupings, subgroups, or each player.

Now we come to the offense. Here is of course a more likely side of the ball to find that "hammer" in terms of dependability. Joe Ganz has some huge numbers from his time on the field last season. Same for Marlon Lucky. Nate Swift and Todd Peterson can catch. The O-line showed some flashes late in the season.

But still--there are these nagging questions. In my mind, and many other fans' minds as well, we remember the basically 2 pick 6's that Ganz threw against Colorado almost as much as his carving up of K-State. Is that out of his system now that he's got some game experience and a new play caller? Is Lucky capable of the tough yards as well as being a checkdown receiver? Can Swift and Peterson get open when they're the prime defensive targets now that Mo Purify is gone? And will they hang onto the ball? Can the O-line make the blocks on 3rd and 3 for the run game? Can the O-line give Ganz a pocket on 2nd and 8? I know there are Husker fans who will point to the big scores from the end of the season as proof that the offense doesn't have questions---but, to me, there was enough failure at crunch time to keep me a little uneasy about how this side of the ball will come together.

In previous eras that this Old Husker Fan has followed the team, almost every year there was something that you knew would "be there." Usually, of course, it was the defense and the running game. Take those two and build from there. That's 2 hammers.

Right now, I don't know where the hammer is. I believe it's in the rubble somewhere, though--and I think Bo Pelini will eventually find it and put it to good use.

Go Big Red!!

The Old Husker Fan

Huskers' Brown Brings It The Right Way

2008-08-27T02:51:00.000-07:00

Of all the moves made by Bo Pelini when he took the reins of the Husker football program, the one that told me without a doubt that Coach Bo wanted to put some intensity in the program was his hiring of Ron Brown. And comments made by Tight End Coach Brown during spring ball and the start of fall practice have definitely reinforced that feeling.

Here are a few of my favorite Brown comments as I recall reading them. They may not be word-for-word accurate, but I think I've got the message down. I'm listing them from lowest to highest as the hit with me:

"See it! Catch it! Tuck it away!" -- hollering out to the tight ends about focus during spring ball.

"I want them to be war daddies."-- comment during fall practice on the physical approach he wants the tight ends to have in their play.

"We want to pull the heart out of the opponent."-- another physical play-related line during fall camp. The visceral nature of this line reminds me of a similar statement made by Diego Maradona--Argentina soccer idol--before the World Cup in 1990 when Argentina was the defending champion. Maradona said, "They will have to rip the cup out of our hearts." Germany won the title in a 1-0 win over Argentina in the final, but the Germans practically had to do just that.

And now, my favorite---

"We are going to invite pain and suffering into our lives."-- during spring practice. It's a little over-the-top regarding the kind of effort Brown wants from his players, but it puts the tone of work and effort that are needed to succeed in this violent game squarely on the table.

I like that attitude. It leads me to believe that--no matter how the games go--Brown will help make sure that the effort is there. And that's the one thing that I think every single Husker fan wants to see back into the mix for this season.

Go Big Red!

The Old Husker Fan

Lucky's Husker Legacy Needs Muscle

2008-08-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

I heard some radio chatter last week about the yardage that Marlon Lucky will end up with when he's finished his Husker career. The guys were referring to the Husker media guide, which says, quote---"Lucky enters his final season on pace to finish in the Nebraska career top five in rushing, receptions, receiving yards and all-purpose yards." The banter then went on to ask the rhetorical question of whether Marlon Lucky is indeed a "Top 5" Husker running back.

I think that's a fair question. And I've been mulling my Old Husker Fan memory for why I think it's a fair question.

After all--numbers are numbers, right? Big yards are big yards, right? Right? RIGHT?

Well, after cogitatin' around, I have to say, "No. Big yards are not big yards. It's all about when they happen." And, here's where Mr. Lucky comes up a bit short. His big-output games have in large part come in games that, in the big picture, don't matter. That's unfortunate, and is in large part a product of how down the program has been in the past 4 years. But it's true.

You know the Marlon Lucky play that sticks in my mind--when he took off on a long run that got some attention? It was a play that didn't even count--a 90-some yard kickoff return in the KU game in 2005, which at the time, would have tied the score. The TD was nullified because of a penalty (special teams gaffe in the Callahan era--go figure). But that's it. I know he's had a couple halfback TD passes--but, c'mon--those are gadget plays.

After all---is anyone's first memory of Mike Rozier being the TD pass to Anthony Steels during the Orange Bowl after the 1981 season? You know what the answer is to that one.

Here's what I want out of Marlon Lucky this season. I want some hits. I want some tacklers being dragged for another 2-3 yards. I want a stiff-arm or two. THAT'S what defines a Husker running back.

Let's review. We could go back to the '60s, but let's start with the '70s. That's long enough ago.

'70s--Jeff Kinney. Shirt getting torn off by OU during the Game of the Century.
Rick Berns. Blasting off-tackle in the blood-and-guts thriller against Mizzou (even though Nebr lost--what a game. Anyone who wouldn't take THAT in the past 4 years??)
I.M. Hipp. Blood on the jersey against Iowa State in 1978. (After ISU had beaten Nebr 2 years in a row)

'80s--Roger Craig. Against Mizzou in 1980, he whacked so many guys that Mike Corgan, the running back coach, said, "He finally ran like he was boss." Grr!!
Rozier. Hip injury vs Mizzou in 1982 and he still runs for almost 130 yards. Plus beat the snot out of practically any D-back who ever got in his way.
Jeff Smith. Came close to helping Nebr come back against Miami in the '84 Orange Bowl.
Doug DuBose. Same type as Craig and Rozier, with an ACL and pre-arthroscopic days surgery ending his career.

'90s--Lawrence Phillips. L.P. vs K-State in 1994 is maybe the best example of what I'm talking about. When everyone in 2 states knew what the plays were with both Frazier and Berringer out, L.P. still gained yardage.
Ahman Green. Slugged it out many times in 3 championship-caliber seasons.

THAT'S what I'm talking about regarding "muscle" in the legacy. And that's what I want to see from Marlon Lucky this season.

Go Big Red!

The Old Husker Fan

Cooper's Staying Says Huge Things About Pelini

2008-08-19T07:31:00.000-07:00

Husker fans from all over and from all ages--including this Old Husker Fan--are justifiably pleased-- and in this dog's opinion should be thrilled--over Khiry Cooper's decision to stay with the Big Red.

Just to be sure we're all together on the background--Khiry Cooper is a wide receiver/kick returner from Louisiana who was also a 5th round major league baseball draft choice (Angels). He'd been with our boys in Lincoln practicing, but the Angels had until midnight last Friday night August 15 to sign him to a big league contract. They couldn't come to terms. The Angels said that Cooper's demands were too high.

We'll never know the details. That's OK. Cooper was the 169th player taken overall. His signing bonus would probably have ranged in the $150-200K area. That's not a lot of money, but still--if someone would have offered me that kind of change when I was 18, I probably would have taken it up "yesterday. "

At any rate, young Mr. Cooper's hanging around Lincoln is HUGE for the Huskers--and it says some very telling things about Bo Pelini's program.

Let's get to the team stuff. This boy legs out a 4.4 or 4.5 40. He's 6-2 weighs 180. That's very usable speed and size. Plus, he's got good hands--he was a centerfield prospect for the Angels in baseball, and says he's going to try doubling up on baseball at Nebraska.

What a combo kind of guy! I may be dreaming a bit here, but I have visions of another Irving Fryar-type guy out on the flank. Wouldn't THAT be a hit?

Now, all the above is fairly common knowledge. But--here's another angle to this little tale that I think is significant. Again--we don't know exactly what the Angels offered Mr. Cooper. But the fact is--he had a chance to leave the Huskers after practice began. Let me say this again--Khiry Cooper had the chance to leave the Huskers after practice began.

In other words, there was a period of time after fall camp got underway--with a week of two-a-days thrown in--that one could say was a tryout for Bo Pelini as much as it was practice for this hotshot freshman from Louisiana.

Think about it. This kid may not have been quite the talent that Carl Crawford (now an All-Star left fielder for the Rays) was coming out of high school, but he was still good enough to be drafted--and pursued--by a Major League Baseball team. If he didn't like what was going on in Lincoln, there was nothing to prevent him from saying, "Ciao--hasta la vista y'all" by last Friday.

Where I'm going with this thought is---the fact that Khiry Cooper said, "No, thanks" to the Angels to me means that he liked what he saw and experienced in Lincoln with Coach Pelini, Coach Gilmore (wideout coach), the offensive scheme run by Shawn Watson--the whole shootin' match. That says great things about what's happening with the program.

To me, Bo Pelini was effectively recruiting Khiry Cooper all the way until Friday night August 15th. It was successful. And that says volumes about the potential for future successes, both in recruiting, and in developing the team on the field. Khiry Cooper saw--and liked--both sides of Bo Pelini--recruiter and coach. We can, too.

Go Big Red!!

The Old Husker Fan

Husker Season Has Echoes Of 1962

2008-08-18T06:32:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons why this Old Husker Fan is positively stoked about the upcoming season is that there is a strong resemblance to Bob Devaney's--the Bobfather's--first season at Dear Old Nebraska U 'way back in 1962 and to what Bo Pelini is working with as he enters his first full season as a college head coach. Who knew 46 years ago, that Devaney's beginning in Lincoln would be the start of the spotlight run that followed--but mm-MMM!--were there some good things that happened that fall.

All right--let's get to those resemblances.

#1---Incoming Talent. Devaney inherited a team which already had future all-stars on both sides of the ball. Check these names out:

The biggest and best example is Bob Brown--consensus All-America at offensive line, and a future member of the NFL Hall of Fame. (This is one area that Bo's start doesn't match. We have some solid O-linemen, but none who have garnered all-star mentions just yet.)

Devaney also had a future NFL all-star in Kent McCloughan, who was a terrific running back on offense as well as a stud cornerback on D. (McCloughan went on to become an all-star NFL cornerback with the Raiders.)

More players with big-time talent. How about Larry Kramer--tackle (future All-American); Warren Powers, D-back (paired up with Kent McCloughan in the Raiders' NFL d-backfield--and, yes--coached at Mizzou vs Tom Osborne in some hard-hitting grudge-match games in the '70s and early '80s); John Strohmeyer, All-Big 8 tackle; and who in Husker fandom can ever forget Monte Kiffin--tackle, later to be D-coordinator at NU, then a Super Bowl-winning D-coordinator at Tampa Bay (completely whipped Bill Callahan's Raiders), and who dropped Bo Pelini's name to Frank Solich back in 2002)?
Anyway--there's certainly some talent to build around. And we all know who Bo has to work with. Ndamukong Suh on the D-line; potential stars like Ricky Thenarse in the d-backfield; Javorio Burkes on the O-line (get healthy, JB); Marlon Lucky and Roy Helu at running back; and Barry Turner on the D-line (who I think is in store for a season where he returns to being a speed rusher).

#2--Veteran QBs. This is important enough that I made it a separate category. Devaney inherited Dennis Claridge--a tough, bright guy who had a similar playing and leadership style to Jerry Tagge (both wore #14 by the way).
Of course, in 2008, Bo Pelini has Joe Ganz--kind of a latter-day version of Claridge. Multi-talented, run-and-throw type guy, not afraid to take a hit, a guy who the whole team will pull for. This is HUGE in putting together a successful first season. (Also a very good reason to keep the existing offense intact by hanging onto Shawn Watson as O-coord).

#3--Regional competition. When Devaney entered his first season in Lincoln, both Kansas and Missouri were very good. KU, after all, had Gale Sayers hitting his prime as a collegiate running back. Mizzou in the early '60s was a tough, tough outfit with plenty of talent. So, the Bobfather didn't walk into a cocktail party. He had some rough hombres on the schedule to handle. Just like Bo does.
Husker fans all know what Devaney's first signature win was--a 25-13 victory over Michigan AT MICHIGAN. That earned him tons of fan cred that he couldn't buy even with his incredible personality.
(By the way, I just thought of another blog item. The Bobfather's ability to work a banquet)

#4--Thirsty--Starving--Eager--Fans.
Just as with Bill Callahan's final days, the fans were royally ticked off with the game calls that Bill Jennings, who preceded Devaney, was coming up with. Jennings was doing things like punting on 3rd down. (Hmm--sounds in a way like Callahan's screwy decision to not try to have anyone RETURN punts when he handled the Big Red.)
At any rate, Husker fans were ready for some action. And Devaney gave it. Boy, did he give it! His first season, the guys went 9-2 including a victory in the Gotham Bowl in New York City over Miami (36-34 on a day of freezing rain. You can't hardly get Miami to leave Florida at any time in year now.)
This year, obviously--we fans are salivating for some REAL football. Same deal as back in 1962.

Bo--and Bob. Only one letter separates their names. A couple generations separates the start of their tenures. But the possible similarities are oh, so tantalizing.

Go Big Red!!

The Old Husker Fan

Uncle Larry And Bill Callahan

2008-08-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

We went to a wedding in Chicago back in June. We were seated for dinner after the ceremony at the same table as some of the relatives of Kate, the bride. Included at the table was Kate's Uncle Larry and his family.

So, how do you get conversation going in Chicago with a tableful of strangers? I played the easy card by asking if the family rooted for the Cubs or White Sox. It turned out that almost everyone in this family of 4 rooted for the White Sox--one of the two sons had switched loyalties.

Uncle Larry said that his family were South Siders from 'way back. Which led me to a question:

"You know, our former Nebraska football coach (Bill Callahan) came from the South Side."

And Uncle Larry replied, "Sure--I know Billy." He went on to say that he (Larry) was a former high school football coach--and had been coaching in high school during Callahan's days at the University of Illinois. "Billy really knows his football," said Larry. "I sent several of my guys to Illinois because they wanted to play for Bill Callahan."

Uncle Larry was also very aware of everything that had gone on in the past year. "You know, I think it was just bad timing," he said.

We called it a day on the subject at that point. The DJ was getting ready to bring in the wedding party.

But--what a small world. And how far does the shadow extend regarding what we're trying to work out from under anyway?

Okay--that's the only specific Bill Callahan story that I have--and I wanted to toss it out before practice starts. I'm barely beating the deadline.

Huskers Need To TightEn(d) Up

2008-07-30T14:46:00.000-07:00

Paging Mike McNeill. Or Hunter Teafatiller. Or Tyson Hetzer. Or Dreu Young. Or Ryan Hill. Or Ben Cotton. Or Damon Bechtold. Or Jay Martin.

These fellas are all listed as tight ends on the latest Husker roster. I'm issuing an Old Husker Fan all-points-bulletin for one or all to claim the glory that surrounds Husker tight ends.

Think about it. You can go all the way back to the Bobfather days of the mid-1960s, and the tight end position at Nebraska has been a spotlight spot. No second banana here. We've had some memorable guys at that position, but we've hit kind of a dry spell over the last 4-5 years.

So, just to help refresh ourselves in this time of preseason musings, let's take a stroll down memory lane and get reacquainted with some of the best guys to wear the Scarlet and Cream who ever not only got down and dirty next to the tackle, but also broke free and sent our hearts and touchdown balloons skyward:

Mid-1960s---

Tony Jeter. #84. An Ohio boy (Steubenville--also the hometown of running back "Lighthorse" Harry Wilson). I think Jeter would be right at home in Shawn Watson's offense. He was on some awesome offenses, culminating in Devaney's first unbeaten regular season in 1965. And he capped that off by catching 3 TD passes in the national title Orange Bowl game against Alabama.

Dennis Morrison. #89. Took over after Jeter moved on to the NFL. Good hands and was willing to take and dish out a hit. Caught a winning TD pass against Colorado in a game at Boulder in 1966 that our guys won 21-19 because CU flubbed on two PAT efforts.

Late 1960s---

Jim McFarlane. #80. Went through the relatively lean years of '67 and '68 (when you didn't qualify for a bowl game if you won 60% of your games--as our guys did--but I digress). Figured in a VIP (very important play) late in the 4th quarter of the KU game in 1969 during the Devaney comeback season, when he drew a pass interference call on a deep ball with our guys down 14-9. We scored on that possession 16-14, KU coach Pepper Rodgers said something ultra-sensitive about the refs, and KU went into a 0 vs NU spell that didn't end until the Bill Callahan era (2005). McFarlane later served in the Nebraska legislature.

Early 1970s---

Jerry List. #85. He had speed, smarts and hands, and used those gifts to full advantage in the play-action passing game. His offensive coordinator at the time--Tom Osborne. The playcalling scheme to get List open was part of the Husker strategy doctrine for--oh--how about 30-some years.

Late 1970s---

Junior Miller. #89. In my opinion, the best we've ever had at the spot. Johnny Mitchell in the early '90s and Matt Herian pre-Mizzou '04 may have challenged Junior's deep-threat talent, but not his all-around "ath-a-lete-ness" (to paraphrase Barry Switzer). The NFL certainly rated him high---the Falcons picked him in the 1st round of the 1980 draft (7th overall). He also made a BUNCH of All-America teams.

Early 1980s---

Jamie Williams. #80. He was in the mold of Tony Jeter and Junior Miller. Williams made his presence known even with the "Triplets"--Gill, Rozier, and Fryar--dominating the scene. He caught the eye of the pros as well, and put in a solid career for some of the great 49ers teams.

Mitch Krenk. #89. I think of Mitch Krenk and I automatically think of the "Bouncearoosky" play against Oklahoma in 1982--where Turner Gill threw a lateral to Irving Fryar, but BOUNCED the ball on the turf on its way to Fryar. The idea was to make the Sooner D relax, thinking that they were seeing an incomplete pass. But it wasn't--and Fryar threw a strike that Krenk caught for a big gain in an early scoring drive. Krenk's play, overall, was very similar to Dennis Morrison in the mid-'60s.

Monte Engebritson. #83.
Todd Frain. #80.
Both were dynamite blockers with good hands and more speed than opposing defenses thought.
Frain came up with a HUGE play against Okie State during the '83 "Run To Miami Heartbreak" season (my moniker--the regular season was incredible). Our guys were trailing Okie State 10-7 in the 2nd half, when Turner Gill hit Tight End Todd Frain for a 50 yd plus TD. That was the closest call the Huskers had all regular season. (By the way--the Ok State coach that day--none other than Old Helmet-Hair himself, Jimmie Johnson).

Mid to late 1980s---A mix of guys in that spot--all solid team players. I remember Tom Banderas making some terrific catches.

Early '90s--Johnny Mitchell. #86. Speed and hands. Made a great catch and run for a TD against Colorado in a perfectly awful rainy game (which we wore down in and lost). Johnny could have matched Junior Miller, but went to the NFL early instead.

Mid '90s--Another good run of talent at the spot.

Mark Gilman. #87. Caught some big passes, including during the tremendous Orange Bowl comeback against Miami.

William Washington, #99 and Vershan Jackson, #34. I mention these two guys together because both excelled at blocking on the perimeter. In fact, Washington even made All-Conference just because of his blocking.

Sheldon Jackson. #88. He was more of the receiving-type tight end, but was still a capable blocker; thus, teams couldn't forget about the run game when he was on the field.

Late '90s-early 2000s:

Tracey Wistrom. #87. Eric Crouch's favorite target when it was big-play time. What I remember most about Wistrom is his ability to make the catch even when everyone--and I mean our guys, their guys, our coaches, their coaches, and all the fans--knew that he was the intended receiver.

Aaron Golliday. #99. An echo of William Washington with the same number and the same contribution.

Mid-2000s---

Pretty slim pickin's, folks. One guy--#11--Matt Herian. That's it. In full flight pre-Mizzou '04, he was as good as McFarlane, List, Mitchell, Sheldon Jackson and Wistrom. I still rate him a notch below Jeter and Miller, but that's pretty tall company. When Herian broke his leg, the tight end position basically broke down as well.

So, now we come to a new season. Here's hoping that one or more of the 8 candidates--Messrs. McNeill, Hetzer, Young, Hill, Cotton, Bechtold, Martin and Teafatiller-- will "claim the flame," so to speak, of a position that has been a big, big part of the Husker story.

More On Bo Pelini And Spread Defense

2008-07-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

A quick-hitter item while I work on a more substantial Tight End tribute---

Reference my earlier post about "Defending The Spread" as gone over by Coach Kerry Coombs when he was a high school winner in Ohio (now on the defensive staff of Brian Kelly at Cincinnati U):

Coach Coombs talked about his spread-defense techniques. I posited that perhaps some of what he was talking about might be part of Coach Bo Pelini's spread defense plan here at NU.

Well, one of Coach Coombs's spread set ID techniques--as he relates in this link: http://www.ohsfca.org/Defend_Spread.htm

is to use a two-number method to identify the set that the offense is in. Here's some excerpted comments from the transcript (with my emphasis):

"I’m going to give you a system that I think will work. It is a numbering system. You give your players a two-digit number. The first number is the number of tight ends on the field, and the second number is the number of backs..A “12” grouping would mean one tight end and two backs. That means there are two wide receivers in the game. A “21,” would mean two tight ends and one back...With these calls, it allows the defense to match up with the personnel on the field."

Now--to World-Herald sports guy Tom Shatel's HUUUGGGEEE summary from last Sunday's paper about his day at "Football 202" with Coach Bo and the staff. This is an excerpt from Shatel's column regarding Bo Pelini and his basic spread defense plan:

He labels the offensive personnel groups "21" for two backs and one tight end, "12 for one back, two tight ends, "11" for one back, one tight end and three wide outs and "10" for one back, no tight end and four wide outs...if the offense comes out in one of those formations, Pelini has his (personnel) grouping ready to go.

See? There is 'way, 'way too much coincidence here.

Now, whether Bo got the idea for this scheme from Kerry Coombs, or the other way around--no matter. We've got ourselves onto something here, Sports and Husker Fans. This is in the same vein that T.O. and Charlie McBride worked in when they revamped the defensive scheme in the early '90s to get more speed on the field vs the southern U.S. teams.

I'm pumped! Gimme a sled!! Go Big Red!

Joe Ganz And The Numbers Game

2008-07-24T05:55:00.000-07:00

The Big XII media day carnival is over. Now it's take a deep breath time before the final push toward the start of the season.

There was a lot of ink, video, and sound coming out of this year's circus as well. You and I have looked at it and bathed in FINALLY SOMETHING NEW FOR THIS COMING SEASON!!! (FULL VOLUME ROAR).

Okay--I'll calm down now.

One big impression I got from Our Side was this---did Joey Ganz act like an honest-to-gosh veteran quarterback or what? Showed some class. Showed some spunk. Showed some political chops (in answering a question about former coach Callahan, Joe G said that "...I'm here because of Bill Callahan, but when you have a losing season, well..."---or words to that effect. I am DOWN with that kind of lingo.

Of course, maybe it's the #12 thing.

Number 12 has a stellar track record in the last 40 years at Dear Old Nebraska U.

A tough, gritty guy named Ernie Sigler wore #12 in the '67-'68 season (not the best, but the guys still went 6-4. In this day and age, you win 60% of your games and you're in a mid-level bowl).
Ernie S was followed in the #12 parade by Van Brownson, who shared starting QB duties with Jerry Tagge in the comeback season of 1969, and who started the Sun Bowl game when Our Guys manhandled Georgia 45-6. VB and JT continued dueling it out until mid to late season 1970, when VB got hurt and Tagge took over for the historic 2 titles for the Bobfather.

Then, in the early 70s, David Humm graced the number 12. No great runner, but man could that guy throw! DH was around during the time that Tom Osborne was basically running a pro-set offense.

The drama with #12 continued in the late '70s with Tom Sorley--a tough guy from Texas who was the QB in the "Earthquake" game of 1978 when Our Guys punched OU 17-14. (I say Earthquake game because the hitting--from the stories I've heard and the video I've seen--had to have moved Memorial Stadium.)

Y'all know who followed in the #12 procession---Turner Gill. Need I say more?

There's been a bit of a dry spell since. Titus Brothers wore #12 as a D-back in '03-'05, but that just didn't look right. #12 is a QB number after all. And now it's back where it belongs--on a veteran QB who acts like he knows what's going on.

More from Joe Ganz is in this article: http://journalstar.com/articles/2008/07/22/huskerextra/football/doc48854412eab2e515775405.txt

If This Is Pandering, Give Me More

2008-07-22T12:31:00.000-07:00

Well, the cyber-papers are starting to send out their guesses about the upcoming season. And it's a mixed crop, as usual.

There's an always-interesting one here at Nebraska State Paper: http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2008/07/20/488379503950e

The crew at College Football News has its latest roundup out too:
http://cfn.scout.com/2/753576.html

Now--the CFN story has some good ideas--some of which I will weigh in on later. (Among other things, it says that 8 wins will be a good year--I agree).

BUT--BUUUUUTTTT---the writer of the story, one Mr. Pete Flutak, had to toss in this little stink bomb about us Scarlet And Cream types out here in the G.A.D. (Great American Desert for all fans of pre-1840s maps). Let's have a look at this little gem:

"Callahan had to make the Nebraska a monster again, and while former athletic director Steve Pederson actually had the right idea in wanting to give the program a make over and a fresh paint job, it happened while cheezing off the Husker nation.

So will pandering to the fan base by bringing back Tom Osborne to run the show and getting more marginally talented walk-on farm kids make Nebraska a national powerhouse again? No, but it makes everyone feel more comfortable again. What's going to change things around will be 1) better coaching, 2) better players, and 3) better schemes." (Emphasis mine)

Wow. As my good friend and walleye fishing expert Mike would say, "Jeepers Criminy." There is so much wrong on so many levels in that set of tripe. (I'm really doing everything I can to keep this a G-rated comment.)

I won't even go into the reference to our former head coach (but I do have a blog item that will relate to Mr. Callahan later this week). Nor will I take the bait of the Steve Pederson comment.

But my big old red-neck Red Neck gets pretty darn hot when this dude talks of "...pandering." My god--what does he think we are? Pimps in a cornfield?

Try this line on for size instead: "Will recognizing that the program was getting its arse handed to it without any fighting back---and asking players who care about doing a good job over the next 4 years instead of waiting for maybe a call from the Not For Long crowd make Nebraska a national powerhouse again? No, but it sure as heck gets the job jump-started."

Pander. I'll tell you what pandering is. Pandering is every magazine and the ESP-freaking-N crowd yelping every year about how the Golden Domers have theee---best coach this side of Song Girl U and will "....yup----this time around fer sure" be in the hunt for the Big One. Pandering is also the constant evangelizing that's done by the aforementioned publication and E-freaking-SPN crew about the absolutely cutting edge game put out by the (not so) Big Ten (plus one).

That, sports fans, is pandering. Putting people in place who believe in and know about such basics as blocking, tackling, speed, and work ethic isn't pandering. It's called having a purpose.

Bo Is Old School (And I Like It!)

2008-07-21T13:09:00.000-07:00

You don't see the words "pugnacious" and "scrappy" used in sports articles very much anymore. They're kind of old-school--they worked for awhile, but their tone isn't very flashy. They actually hearken back to a time when in order to survive you had to be "pugnacious" --or "scrappy"--or both. Because these two terms were part of the lexicon of the Depression era--when a whole lot of folks had to fight both poverty and Nature to hang on. We don't like to recall those times very much except maybe in American History class.

Well, I'm old school--after all, I am the Old Husker Fan--but you know what? Coach Bo Pelini strikes me as someone who you could write those two terms about--pugnacious and scrappy--all day long. I like that!

All you have to do is look at how his LSU team handled things after being stung with a long TD run by the Ohio State running back in last January's national championship game.

Let's review: Bo's hiring was done after the Huskers had had the worst defensive meltdown EVER. LSU had Glenn Dorsey, everybody's All-American, Outland Trophy winner, etc etc. Bo's status as defensive coordinator had him practically getting as much face time as LSU head coach Les Miles. And--of course--there was a fair amount of pub over Bo's decision to coach in the title game rather than lock himself in his new office in Lincoln and either look at video of recruits or brood about his new job.

Then, the game began. And Ohio State's RB promptly laid a 67-yarder on the mighty LSU defense.

Right then, I thought--"Oooohhh---kkkaayyy. Let's see how we handle things now."

You know the rest. LSU shut down Ohio State. The D got 3 or 4 turnovers, Bo called some blitzes that fooled the Buckeyes, and LSU won handily.

That, sports fans, is being "pugnacious" and "scrappy". When you get punched, you don't cover up. You hit back.

We've been missing that element for a few years. It's nice to see that it's coming back.

This May Be Bo's Plan

2008-07-18T13:17:00.000-07:00

I am no football expert. I played in high school a LONG time ago, but our playbook was about 10 pages stapled together and copied off a mimeograph machine. That was the offense. Defense was 4 pages, showing a 5-man front, 4-man front, and a couple D-line and linebacker stunts. That was it. But, there was enough going on that I've been interested in strategy ever since.
That musing led me to thinking about the challenges that Coach Bo Pelini faces this year in fixing the Husker D. We all know--and want to forget--what happened last year. I mean, when Mark May---MARK FREAKING MAY---starts acting sympathetic toward the Husker defense (like he did upon seeing that KU hung up 76 points on our guys last fall), you know it's bad.

(Oh--and by the way---it took KU the entire stretch of time during Coach Devaney's tenure in the 1960s to score 76 points. Between 1962 and 1969, KU managed to score 78 total!! Yeesh. )

But I digress---this year, who will we face who runs the spread? We'll see at least five--Western Michigan, Mizzou, Texas Tech, KU and Colorado. VA Tech I'm not sure of--but probably at least a modified version. But that's enough. Suffice it to say, Bo was brought in to at least control the spread--something that Kevin Cosgrove could never figure out.

Now, how do you stop it? Again--I'm no expert, but check this link out and I think you may find some pretty interesting details:

http://www.ohsfca.org/Defend_Spread.htm

Several things are of interest here. They start out with the networking side. First---the coach, Kerry Coombs, is an Ohio guy. I think he and Bo may have crossed paths at some point. Second--Coach Coombs is now working at Cincinnati--where Brian Kelly is head coach (former rumored candidate for the NU job after Bill C got let go).

But it gets better. Coombs's philosophy strongly encourages having a versatile defense, so that the offense cannot assume anything. This includes no specialty positions (a la Cosgrove's "base" and "open" D-end positions, which drove me absolutely crackers.)

Second, Coombs has a strategy for slowing down the on-field signal calling. This features both the willingness to use timeouts to break up the offensive rhythm, AND a very well-developed defense communcation system--so that the players on the field can make the defensive calls if they have to.

Third, Coombs emphasizes speed and being able to run. (Which, of course, all Husker fans know and can recite in their sleep after seeing the defenses of the mid-90s.)

And, reading between the lines, this seems to be the type of strategy that Bo was putting into place this past spring---getting the communication lines going on the field. He was emphasizing conditioning in the football sense. And he is returning our guys to the idea of speed. (Say hallelujah!)

So--check this out. I think you'll like it. And I for one am looking forward to seeing these principles get put to use! I do not want Mark May's sympathy again!

Bryce

Gimme A Sled!!

2008-07-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

Put me in, Coach. I'm ready to play.

Wait a minute. Great song, but wrong sport. How about this---

Hail to the team. The stadium rings! Yeah, I like that one better.

With that, let me say hello and Go Big Red! This is the first blog from me--the Old Husker Fan. I've been around as a fan from the Coach Devaney years. I hit the jackpot on my first game--a 44-0 beat down of Iowa State in October 1965. That was during the Bobfather's first perfect regular season. I was 12. I've never looked back. I felt the pain of 12-0 to K-State IN LINCOLN on a perfectly brutal November day. I witnessed perfection under the Thanksgiving skies in Norman and under the full moon after rain in Miami. And I've continued to feel the striving for the top---the reach---and then the crash---in all the years since.

Now we're building and going after it again--and I couldn't be happier.

So, what am I adding to this throng anyway? Well, the main reason is--I can. Also--I want to. What Coach Osborne and Bo Pelini are starting on is exciting, uncertain, challenging---but ALIVE! And, as an Old Husker Fan, I see some parallels to the unmatched 40 years of togetherness and success that I want to share with you. During these blogs, I'm going to bring up some names and circumstances that are part of this Old Husker Fan's personal memory I-pod.

I hope I bring up some ideas that you like and find interesting. And I hope that if you're so inclined, you'll send your thoughts along as well.

In the meantime, crank it up! Bo and the guys are ready to go! I'm gonna get to be at the stadium when the BO-dacious Era gets underway! Get fired up! And one more time this time---

GO BIG RED!!!