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
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Huskers' Season Takes Edge Off Winter
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
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
Monday, November 10, 2008
Husker Win Over KU Is A Classic
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
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
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Huskers--Again--Not Ready For Prime Time
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
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
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Huskers' Swift Ain't JR, But He's Still Darn Good
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
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
Friday, October 17, 2008
Huskers Are Poised To Make It Happen
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
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
Monday, October 13, 2008
Huskers' Close Loss Gives Bo Some Ammo
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
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
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