Category Archives: Husker Football

Four Downs: Nebraska vs Iowa

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Well, Nebraska wins the “Heroes Game” and finishes the season the with my predicted record of 9-3. It was a solid season, with playmakers making the difference in key games. Let’s keep it with playmakers.

First Down: Lavonte David, Team MVP - Outside of Mike Rozier, what other junior college transfer has had an impact like Lavonte David as a Husker? (And even then, Rozier only played one season at the junior college level.) He broke the single season tackles record last season, and then this season played at an All-American level. A Butkus Award finalist, you saw his excellence throughout the game. One play summed up him up. He’s in coverage, and an Iowa WR pushes off on him. Lavonte falls to the ground, and the Iowa WR makes the catch. Lavonte chases him down, forces a fumble and recovers it. He does all this on a play where the Iowa WR is called for offensive pass interference against him. Again, on a play where the WR pushed him to the ground, Lavonte recovers and forces a turnover. He was a difference maker in a number of critical games this year. Continue reading →

Desperately Seeking The Team That Spanked Sparty

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Angry Dad of HuskerMax believes this season is a bust no matter what happens against Iowa.

For Bo, no championship equals a failed season and that reality is already written.

Angry Dad also has a slough of head-spinning stats to consider. For instance:

  • In NU’s three losses the Huskers gave up 121 points and were outscored by 62 points
  • In the last three games, NU was 19 of 46 on third down conversions, possessed the ball for only 73 out of 180 minutes, and had 17 fewer first downs than their opponents
  • The offense has fallen from 35th last year to 58th nationally, under new OC Tim Beck

I know it is Beck’s first year, and this team’s problems sadly extend to the Blackshirts and to special teams. Yet, a coordinator needs to perform right away at a program like Nebraska.

Whether you’re the patient and forgiving type or not, the fact is Nebraska is now 12 seasons away from its last conference championship. And the way things are going there’s little reason to believe the team’s next conference championship is right around the corner.

Be that as it may, I hope we see a different team on the field today. 5-3 in conference is by definition a winning season, whereas 4-4 is not. At 4-4 we have to accept that the Huskers are a mediocre and highly over-rated team. At 5-3 in conference, plus a great showing in our bowl game, we can recover a bit of swagger, win over key recruits and work hard in the off-season so we’re much better in 2012 and beyond.

Go Big Red.

Outplayed Is One Thing, Outfoxed Is Another (Both Are Bad)

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When I have questions about the Huskers, I look to Samuel McKewon of Omaha World Herald for answers. For instance, where was our offensive game plan last Saturday?

In the past five years, Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison has helped run a national title unit — Florida in 2006 — and the Baltimore Ravens. He threw shadow blitzes and combination coverages at quarterback Taylor Martinez, who seemed snowed by it.

Did Mattison outduel Beck? Yeah. Mattison is paid $750,000 to win that matchup every week.

That answers that. We were outplayed and outcoached.

What about the D? How could we allow 45 points?

Again, it pays to turn to McKewon for answers.

You know the story with Nebraska’s defense. Not enough depth. Not enough horses. No pass rush. Average recruiting. It can’t be on the field for 80 plays and 41 minutes. The Blackshirts need the Husker offense for cover. When Beck and Co. can’t provide it — when the plan looks bad from the jump — you eventually get defensive breakdowns. You get 28- or 31-point losses.

If you find truth in McKewon’s answers, as I do, you can see the problem the football program is facing. A win against Iowa will certainly help quiet the critics, but the core issues remain.

For instance, are you looking forward to two more years of Taylor Martinez at QB?

The offense Beck draws up on paper doesn’t translate to the field of play. To have a dual-threat QB, the player has to be able to throw the ball effectively. Cody Green is a dual-threat QB, but he took off when Beck and Pelini’s intentions were made evident.

How Many Beatings Does Nebraska Have To Take Before We Change The Score?

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PAIN. FULL. That’s what yesterday’s game was for an outmatched Nebraska squad and its fans.

Brian Christopherson of Lincoln Journal Star, had this to say following the debacle in Ann Arbor:

Messier than a baby’s bib, this one. Turn the ball over twice more than your opponent and have it half as long and see how many games you win.

…Nebraska left The Big House as an afterthought to Michigan fans, a dazed and embarrassed team, and surely more than a little sore from the 45-17 paddling received from the Wolverines.

Apparently, the game sickened Offensive coordinator Tim Beck, because he did not appear for postgame interviews. His wasn’t the only stomach turned.

This is a mediocre team in danger of ending its first ever Big 10 season at 4-4 in conference. At best we go 5-3 and reflect on how Wisconsin, Northwestern and Michigan handed us our behinds. Ohio State did as well until a reversal of fortunes took place in the second half.

The reality is Nebraska has played one great game this year, against Michigan State. I know calling for a coaching change at this point seems extreme and that the Pelini brothers are very popular in Lincoln and beyond, but something has to change. I don’t think that could be much clearer. Unless you believe it’s our expectations as fans that needs to change.

Huskers Ready To Rock The Big House

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I’m thrilled that we’re playing Michigan in Ann Arbor tomorrow. They’re not Penn State, which is a relief, but more importantly this is the kind of late season Big 10 game that the season rides on. 10-2 is within our grasp, but 8-4 is also a possibility, as is 9-3. Which means that tomorrow’s game is a big deal for all the right reasons.

Randy York, senior writer and director of creative services for Nebraska’s athletic department, caught up with Husker legend Cory Schlesinger, who believes Nebraska will comes out on top tomorrow in the Big House.

“I like the way Rex Burkhead plays and the leadership he shows. He’s just a workhorse and inspires others to work hard. He knows how to ignore the distractions, play physical and put the team ahead of everything else. That’s how we won and why they’ll win. It’s part of our tradition.”

That’s sound thinking.

Another no-nonsense team player that’s ready to do some damage in Ann Arbor is Will Compton. The junior led Nebraska with 13 tackles at Penn State and he was the Huskers’ defensive player of the game, according to Rich Kaipust of the Omaha World Herald.

All-America candidate Lavonte David leads NU with 97 tackles, while Compton is second with 64. To win in the Big House we’ll need both Blackshirts to play outstanding games, along with the rest of the squad.

Another Husker who is performing at a high level is Tim Marlowe, who has had seven catches in Nebraska’s last four games.

Brian Rosenthal of Lincoln Journal Star reports that Marlowe, who is from Ohio, was partial to Notre Dame while growing up. “I’ve always hated Michigan, so it’s going to be fun playing against the Maize and Blue.”

Bigger Than Football

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At first, I was surprised to learn that Bo Pelini thought yesterday’s game against Penn State should not have been played.

But now that I’ve read David Haugh’s Chicago Tribune op-ed on the game, it makes more sense to me.

To say this football game was revealing has nothing to do with either Penn State or Nebraska’s chances to win the Big Ten Conference title. A 3 1/2-hour event turned into a daylong sociological seminar on the power of coaches as entrenched as Paterno, and college football, in communities such as this one in Centre County built around the sport.

Haugh’s op-ed is about the danger of blind obedience and ugliness of mob mentality. He points out that some Penn State fans think “the media” brought JoePa’s house down, when that’s clearly not the case. He also reports on the actions of one man with a conscience, Penn State grad John Matko, who put tape over his Penn State hat and stood outside Beaver Stadium with a sign that read, “Put the abused kids first. Don’t be fooled, they all knew.” According to Haugh’s report, Matko was threatened several times by PSU fans for his dissenting point of view.

While the lack of perspective saddens me, I am glad the game was played. “The show must go on,” and there are lots of people in this — like the Penn State players — who would have been punished by a cancellation, even though they did nothing wrong. Yes, child abuse and the alleged cover up is outrageous and something needs to be done about it (and thankfully something is being done about it). But cancelling a football game, or the remainder of Penn State’s season, is not the answer.

Was the cover up a cold calculation meant to protect Penn State football, JoePa and the university? Probably, but the motivation to “protect the church” is only one factor. It’s also a natural human reaction to recoil from something so monstrous and repress it to the best of one’s ability. Of course that’s not the answer we’re looking for…the answer is to face the monster head on and slay him, but we all know that storybook ending is often rewritten in real life.

It’s easy to project how one might have handled things differently if confronted by the things Mike McQueary saw in 2002. And it’s also easy to say you would have intervened and maybe kicked the crap out of the vile offender. But I can see where McQueary was stunned and traumatized by what he saw. Whatever his first reaction, he needed to pull it together and call 9-1-1. He didn’t do that and he and will likely regret it for the rest of his life.

But back to Pelini and his desire to be an educator of young men first and a football coach second…it’s an interesting balance that a head coach has to strike between being a compassionate guy and a role model, while at the same time making his living as the guy who instills a killer instinct and an unrelenting will to win. I’ve been tough on Pelini at times this season and last, but on the whole, I’m a fan.

Four Downs: Nebraska at Penn State

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A crazy week in college football comes to an end with Nebraska holding on to beat Penn State 17-14 in State College. If you read my blog, you know the scandal affected me. I don’t know about everyone else, but I was just observing everything at the outset of the game. A nice moment by Huskers assistant coach Ron Brown in leading both teams in prayer before the game. It seemed like it took a few series before the players were into the game. It was easy to understand why the fans weren’t into the game for awhile either.

First Down: Taylor Martinez – Almost one year ago, the Huskers almost came apart on the road, against Texas A&M. The chatter made it seem like a majority of fans were ready to throw Taylor Martinez out of Lincoln. Now? The guy is in command. He played another great game in all aspects. If his receivers catch a few more balls, his numbers look real good. He’s showing what his teammates have been saying this season, he is the leader on offense. Who would’ve thought this a year ago, or even after the Wisconsin game? He’s playing great. The third quarter touchdown drive was a thing of beauty, especially the option pitch to Rex Burkhead for the touchdown. If he keeps this up, he’ll join a list of Husker players who were doubted early in their career, only to be regarded as legends once they finished.

Second Down: This game should’ve been over earlier – Penn State’s offense is awful, but Nebraska helped them out in the second half. In the third quarter, Penn State QB, Matt McGloin, got away with an underthrown pass, into double coverage, for a huge gain that the Huskers secondary lost track of. That big play led to the first Penn State touchdown. In the fourth quarter, the Huskers went to the well too often with Burkhead under center and Martinez in the backfield. Penn State blew up the play, and Burkhead fumbled it. (Or Burkhead apologists will blame Tyler Legate. Whatever. Anyway…) There was no need for that at that point in the game. Nebraska was moving the ball down the field and taking time off the clock. It gave Penn State another chance, and they converted for a touchdown to make it 17-14 with under six minutes to play. I can’t complain too much because Husker fans will take any win they can.

Third Down: Brett Maher gets a game ball – His kicking was the difference in the game. He made his field goal opportunity, while Penn State’s kicker missed his. More importantly, his punts pinned Penn State back on their side of the field. One of the key plays of the season? Maher’s 61 yard punt late in the fourth quarter, which pinned Penn State back as they drove for the tie or win. Dude is money.

Fourth Down: The axion goes, “Big time players make big time plays” – Lavonte David made the critical fourth down stop late in the game, especially when it seemed the Blackshirts were tiring. He had a solid game as usual. Alfonzo Dennard was shutting down receivers and showing why he is a potential first round pick in the NFL Draft. Burkhead, despite the fumble, had a solid game running the ball, and got better as the game progressed. Martinez made conversions on third down. Nebraska’s best players stepped up and won the game.

Looking Ahead: Nebraska can’t worry about what Michigan State does. All they can do is take care of business. And, who knows, it might be better for Nebraska to win out and not make the Big Ten Championship Game. Hear me out. Nebraska wins out and is 10-2. They still have a chance to be picked for a BCS Bowl Game because Husker fans travel well. Now, they need some help for that to happen, but it could happen. First things first, beat Michigan next week. It’s simple. If they contain QB Denard Robinson, they will win the game. If they don’t, they will lose the game. The Huskers two losses came against teams with mobile QB’s.

Postscript: Say a prayer for the victims, and their families, in this sexual abuse scandal at Penn State. The scars will be with them forever, but they can overcome it. It will be hard, and take time, but it can be done. I hope the Penn State community continues to rally around and support the victims and their families. I also hope the Penn State community can deal with the reality of the scandal, address it and learn from it so it doesn’t happen again, and get back to being a well-regarded university. It will take time, and whether they like it or not this scandal will always be linked with them. This past week, I saw one columnist link this scandal, and Joe Paterno, with what former Husker RB Lawrence Phillips did in assaulting a woman and Tom Osborne keeping him on the team. While that scandal is still mentioned from time to time, it doesn’t define Nebraska. I hope this sexual abuse scandal doesn’t come to define Penn State either, even though they’ll always be linked with it. I know a few Penn State grads, and they are good people that are proud of their university. They’ve been disgusted by their university the past week. I hope they can be proud of their university again.

Bradley v. Pelini One Of Many Storylines

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Players play the game, but coaches also line up against one another on game day.

Tomorrow at high noon (EST) Tom Bradley lines up against Bo Pelini and #19 Nebraska.

It would be a heck of a debut under any circumstance, but given the spotlight and widespread condemnation in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal, it’s hard to say just how big of a moment this is for Bradley and his team. I don’t think he’ll be getting much sleep tonight, let’s put it that way.

According to ESPN:

It’s no secret Bradley has wanted this job for years.

Just not like this.

When the ball is kicked at high noon tomorrow, a new chapter in Nittany Lions history will be underway. I wish Penn State and Bradley well (against Ohio State next week and beyond). But tomorrow can belong to Nebraska, provided we pound the ball and stifle their every move on D.

The Pelini brothers are not perfect coaches, but they’re competitors and I have to think we’re going to unHappy Valley to lay a beat down on a disoriented and overly emotional team.

My call: Huskers 42 – Penn State 21.

Go Big Red.

Guest Post: Huskers Invade Not So Happy Valley — The Las Vegas Perspective

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By Tony George

Nebraska -3.5 @ Penn State

With the national spotlight on Happy Valley, PA right now, it is not so Happy at Penn State right now. A sex Scandal with ex Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky has rocked the campus and shaken the Joe Paterno legacy down to its very core. Hidden behind the headlines is the fact that the Nittany Lions face Nebraska this weekend for a crucial game in the Big 10. Actually this game is a diversion for Penn State based on current events surrounding this program. Fortunately for Nebraska backers it is not a diversion but a crucial game after getting a beat down at home last week against Northwestern where they were dominated in a devastating loss. Penn State has a two game lead in the Leaders division of the Big 10, and are a one loss team overall.

The line opened up at Nebraska -2, and has shot up to -3.5 as of Wednesday and may climb higher before kickoff. Some Las Vegas books and offshore books have taken this game down off the board, but the standing line is slightly over a field goal. Nebraska has an opportunity for a big road win, and the Huskers have performed well on the road at 7-3 ATS (against the spread) their last 10 road games. It should be noted that Penn State is 1-8 ATS against teams with a winning record their last 9 attempts.

While Joe Paterno’s future at Penn State no longer in the balance, this surely has an affect on the team and assistant coaches and is a huge distraction. This can affect a team in one of two ways. Either the Lions show up and try and win one for the Gipper, or the lack of focus will in fact be their demise against a focused and determined Nebraska team. I think it will be the latter. This is not a distraction for Nebraska, and only adds fuel to the fire that Nebraska can use the mass confusion at Penn State to their advantage and win a game that is more or less a coin flip in terms of a side play winner on paper, especially a team off a bad loss traveling to a division leader in conference action laying points.

Neither team’s QB is a world of fire in terms of stretching the field vertically. Last week Penn State beat a solid Illinois team 10-7. Showing in the fact the strength of their team is defense, allowing just 11 ppg this season at home. Their QB McGloin was 9 for 24 for 98 yards an interception. Taylor Martinez for Nebraska is not a throwing QB, but he had a big day against Northwestern throwing and running, and hitting 28 out of 37 for 289 yards and 2 TDs and he ran for 53 yards. At day’s end the tale of the tape is simple, Nebraska’s defense is equal and perhaps better, and Nebraska’s offense is flat out better — the key in this game is who can make of the most big plays on offense and that favors the Huskers.

Nebraska is the better team here playing against stiffer teams to date, that’s why Vegas odds makers made them a small favorite. With QB Martinez’s ability to run and throw as dual threat, I am convinced with the current state of affairs at Penn State right now, Nebraska will not be affected by those distractions and Bo Pellini and his staff will take care of business and get a win here in a low scoring game. Nebraska’s defense is hungry to atone for a poor showing last week, and against an offense not all that good, they should be able to get it done, and NU’s offense is good enough to put 17-21 points on the board which in fact should cover this low number.

Lots of side stories here on a national spotlight level. At day’s end, Nebraska is in a must win scenario and determined to get back on track, and Penn State is looking for answers amidst the biggest scandal in school history. That benefits Nebraska in this matchup on Saturday.

Nebraska 21 Penn State 13 – Lay the points

Tony George for six years was the co-host of the Average Joe Sports Show in Lincoln on ESPN 1480, and hosted The Tony George Show on the same Station for seven years. Tony is widely known as one of the top sports handicappers in the nation.