In an interview with the Lincoln Journal Star, offensive line coach Barney Cotton said “Absolutely we will” when asked if the pancake stat will make it’s way back to Lincoln.  The pancake, a physical block that flattens a defender on the turf, has been MIA since 2004.  This coincides with the beginning of the Loserhan Era and all other traditions that were trampled on and cast away.  According to Cotton, they will break down the stats into two categories- one for full out pancakes and one for anytime a guy gets knocked off his feet.

I’ll have to admit I am an NU football junkie.  I have read almost every story coming out of camp from LJS and Rivals.  I cannot stress enough how excited I am to be hearing so many stories of a very physical camp and of the mindset our players have this year compared to last.  The more I read, the more I think we are really back on the right track in Lincoln.  My question is…….   Are we on the fast track?

“We don’t run out of bounds at Nebraska,” NU tight ends coach, Ron Brown, shouted at a player recently.

Those words are music to my ears.

During the Loserhan period, I kept thinking I didn’t care all that much about the losses. What I did care about was our lack of fire. Football is fire. Especially in Nebraska, where win, lose or draw, we’re going to hit somebody and hard.

Photo by Eric Francis for USA TODAY

USA TODAY gave the Huskers a lot of pre-season press this week. Here’s a line I like from the article:

“They always say: ‘You don’t play at Nebraska, you play for Nebraska,’ ” says defensive coordinator Carl Pelini, Bo’s older brother. “All of our guys have to understand that.”

Carl also spoke with Omaha World Herald reporter, Jon Nyatawa.

“It’s the most special place in college football in terms of fan support, in terms of just the general feeling around the state about the program,” he said. “You put that with the great resources we have and then you talk about the situation I have in working for Bo. When I say it’s the best job in college football, I don’t say that lightly. I mean that.”

Pelini is the lowest-paid coordinator in the Big 12 with a salary of $190,000 but he values job satisfaction over money. These Pelini brothers are good.

Sports Illustrated ranks the Huskers #45 in the their list of 1 to 119, ranking every Division I college football team.

Contrast that with the USA Today poll which - based on votes - had Nebraska at #36.

News and notes from today’s opening practice session, senior DT, Kevin Dixon, has been dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules. Dixon’s dismissal comes at one of the thinnest spots on the depth chart as he was the backup to Ndamukong Suh and Ty Steinkuhler.

Speculation on the dismissal was made even more intriguing by Pelini’s comments:

“I’m not getting into it…We want guys who do things the right way.”

Follow up
According to the World Herald, citing the UNL Campus Police:

According to campus police, Dixon was cited for possession of less than one ounce of marijuana on July 13. Dixon, 21, was the passenger in an automobile that was stopped for having no plates and no in-transit signs

On the eve of Nebraska’s fall camp, one of my favorite writers on the Huskers beat, Sam McKewon of The State Paper looks at a number of key issues for the 2008 squad. He identifies attitude, Pelini “surrogates” on D, the duel for touches among running backs, the impact of recruits and special teams.

Writing about Roy Helu Jr’s chances for glory, McKewon says:

Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson didn’t exactly do senior running back Marlon Lucky any favors, did he? Pretty rare, that a preseason All-Big 12 pick gets the “or,” next to his name on the depth chart, isn’t it? By rewarding sophomore Roy Helu Jr’s terrific spring camp, Watson probably opened the soft-spoken Lucky up to even more questions he’d rather not answer.

But let’s be clear: While Helu’s freshman statistics - 209 rushing yards, 40 receiving yards, zero touchdowns - may suggest his ascendancy is a surprise, the 6-foot, 215-pounder more than passes the eye test. Helu runs “downhill,” finding a crack and slashing through it with more decisiveness than Lucky, who’s better in the open field. Helu didn’t get many chances in the open field, but he possesses the speed to pull away from defenders, too.

In simpler terms, Helu knows how to gain four yards where there’s only a two-yard hole.

TheMarlin at The Realness Hurts (a Husker blog I just found via Big Red Network), speculates on various backfield formations.

Having both Helu and Lucky lining up at the same time gives you lots of options. They could line up in a pro set, and then both motion out, or one could motion out and the other could move back into the half back spot, etc.

Let’s not forget the Quentin Castille factor. Damn, it’s going to feel good to run the ball down some opposing throats. It’s in our DNA.

It’s August, practice starts on Monday and we’re ranked #35 in the pre-season coaches poll.

Are you ready for some Bo ball? I know I am.