I found out Thursday I would be going to the New Mexico State game. I was excited to see what this team was going to look like, live and in person. I went to two games last year, Iowa State and Texas A&M. After the Iowa State game I wrote in what my thoughts of the game were. After watching the first two games on PPV and, not being able to fully see the whole picture, I was anticipating a completely different scene from the debacles of last year. Below you will find some of my observations and the players that really caught my eye.
Game Time Atmosphere
Last year’s game time atmosphere was nothing like it used to be. People seemed like they were going through the motions of having almost 300 consecutive sellouts and, that was it. There was really no emotion from fans and, the people yelling “GO BIG RED”, were reduced to a small contingent, few and far between.
This year FELT like the games of old, right down to the amount of players for NMSU that left early, courtesy of the beat down that was bestowed upon them! I overheard many remarks from fans, all of which were positive and optimistic about this team. In my post after last year’s ISU game, I detailed how the players were all doing their own thing on the sidelines. This year they all stood as a team and, this time, everyone seemed involved! On defense, players were flying to the ball, waving their arms to get the crowd going, and looking like a unit with SWAGGER! It was AWESOME to finally be back home! THIS IS NEBRASKA FOOTBALL!
OFFENSE
This offense looked really great at times, but sometimes shot themselves in the foot with more penalties. This will have to be cleaned up withtougher opponents coming down the road. With two weeks off, this should be addressed, and I am sure it will be. Nebraska didn’t really stretch the field with some deep passes and I think NMSU, with having all eleven guys within ten yards of the line of scrimmage all game, could’ve been beat deep. As a fan, I would’ve love to seen something deep. Instead I was treated to the half-back pass from Marlon Lucky to Joe Ganz. That was an awesome throw Lucky passed to Ganz, made harder by the fact that Lucky had on gloves. After the game Bo Pelini cracked that Marlon had been throwing ducks all week in practice, so it was nice to see him connect when the time came.
These are a few I watched closely on offense and this is MY take on them.
MARLON LUCKY- I thought ML ran pretty hard all game. He made some good cuts and showed the vision that is needed to be productive in this league. Like I said previously, NMSU had all eleven guys within ten yards of the line of scrimmage, but the majority of these guys were DB’s and undersized LB’s, something that set up well for the power run game. His stats look good, but you take away his 58 yarder and he averaged only 3.2 YPC.
ROY HELU- I still think Helu sets up the best for this offense but, with ML still here, it’s going to be tough to see him get the touches he deserves. I think he runs with the best vision, power, and elusiveness of the three backs. I am sure his time will come to shine and you can see it in flashes with the limited number of touches he gets every game. He showed his speed in the 4th quarter when he ran down a DB that picked up a fumbled Witt snap. He saved a touchdown, but NMSU scored the very next play.
LYDON MURTHA- The return of the big dog was key to this line. He was playing like a senior who was hungry and wanting to dominate whoever was put in front of him. I watched him for a few plays and he was imposing his will on NMSU. Now I know this isn’t a Big 12 team but, I think this makes the players around him take notice and, hopefully they will step up their games too.
JOE GANZ- All I can say is, I am glad we have him. I can’t help but think what could’ve been if he was used sooner in his career. He managed the game VERYwell and didn’t make mistakes that would’ve cost NU. He is now allowed to audible, which is a nice change from the Loserhan era.
NILES PAUL- I remember someone asking him, after he signed to play at NU, would he have signed if NU still ran the option. His reply was he would’ve “LOVED” to have blocked for his uncle Ahman Greene as a wide receiver at NU. One thing is certain about Niles, THIS GUY LOVES TO BLOCK! If you recorded the game, go back and watch the Mike McNeil touchdown. Pay close attention to the wood Niles lays on the guy right at about the 10 yard line. IT WAS AWESOME! Everyone around us didn’t notice the acrobatic finish to McNeil’s TD, but all we could talk about was Paul’s block that got him there.
DEFENSE
The defense played well all game, even when NMSU took a cheap shot and went deep with less than a minute left in the game. I have to give it up to the fans….. there were probably about two-thirds of us left in the stadium, and we were very loud while they were trying to punch it in with two seconds left on the clock. The only thing that concerns me is the amount of time it took for the defense to get set. On one particular play NMSU took a quick snap while NU was still trying to get lined up. If it weren’t for the play Prince Amukamara made on the quick pass, NMSU would’ve probably scored. Prince recognized they snapped the ball and quickly made a play on the ball, breaking up the pass. This wasn’t the only instance of the defense not lining up quickly and, with better teams coming, someone will exploit this if not corrected. Once again, withtwo weeks off, I am sure this will get fixed. The defense’s communication seems to be really good on the field and they have shown they can shut you down, not to mention adjust on the fly. I would like to see some depth being built and a little more rotating of the backups. I don’t know if Blake Lawrence or LaTravis Washington have even played yet this year, but we will need more than just three linebackers all year. Once again, a few of my thoughts of the defenders who stood out.
Zach Potter- The man is a beast to be reckoned with on the edge. Potter showed how busy he is when he caused a fumble and then 8 yards away he jumped on the ball, not to mention his blocked field goal, something he has had a knack for. One thing is certain, this line is playing much better than last years. Potter goes 100% all play. I don’t think I ever saw him take a snap off.
Prince Amukamara- This guy is going to be all Big 12 someday! He showed he has great cover skills and the awareness to play in an attacking scheme. Even when NMSU receivers made catches, Prince was right in their back pocket. He would’ve had a for sure interception if Matt O’Hanlon hadn’t thought he was getting beat and played the ball, running into Prince and batting down the ball. His future is bright and, only being a Sophomore, we still have plenty of time to see him shine. I personally would like to see him on KR’s and punts. His video on YouTube is exciting to say the least.
ERIC HAGG- This staff would like to move Hagg to safety and it is very apparent why. He has very good speed and usually disregards his body when laying the wood on an opponent. I saw at least 4 times where he was making a hit that would’ve ended some people’s career. His cover skills were good, also. I rarely seen his guy getting separation on him. This physical style of play has been missing in Lincoln for sometime and it is surely welcomed back! Another Sophomore, the future is looking bright with a bunch of young talent in the secondary.
Overall, I am excited to see what will become of this team. I know we have some tough hills to climb, but I feel with time, we will get there. This all reminds me how hard the last 4 years have been and how much more satisfaction we will have when we can finally say NEBRASKA IS BACK BABY!
GO BIG RED
