hf rss http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=65 http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=64 ]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=62
ORIGINAL: Tom Osborne announced shortly after 1pm on Saturday that the annual Red-White Spring Game would not be played due to inclement weather. There is a chance the game will be played Sunday, however. University officials will decide Sunday morning. Regardless, Rex Burkhead is our Spring Game MVP.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=61 http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=60 Photos page or via our Facebook page.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=58 ]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=57
But it was the one who got away that will get much of the attention. Andrus Peat, a 5-star offensive lineman, who has a brother already at Nebraska and a cousin on the way, decided to take his talents to Palo Alto and play for the Stanford Cardinal. Nearly every recruiting expert thought Peat would join his family members and become a Husker. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be.

Devian Shelton is the other big name who got away, wooed by a very late USC offer.

The loss of these two recruits takes the shine off what was set up to become a very good class. Still, it ended up being a pretty good class, depending on which recruiting service you fancy.

The Huskers were ranked #32 in the country by Rivals heading into Signing Day. Getting three out of their final five targets moved them up to #24 with a 3.35 average star rating. Fellow Big Ten members are ranked as follows: Ohio State (#4), Michigan (#6), Purdue (#34), Michigan State (#40), Iowa (#41), and Penn State (#50).

Here's a look at the Huskers 2012 class...

By position:
QB - 1
RB - 1
WR - 1
TE - 1
OL - 2
DL - None
DE - 2
DT - 2
LB - 4
DB - 1
P/K - None
ATH - 2

By state:
Arizona - 1
California - 3
Colorado - 1
Georgia - 1
Illinois - 2
Louisiana - 1
Missouri - 1
Nebraska - 1
Ohio - 2
Texas - 2
Utah - 1
Virginia - 1

By Rivals.com stars:
5 stars - None
4 stars - 6
3 stars - 11
1 star - None

By player

Jared Afalava
Linebacker
South Jordan, UT (Bingham H.S.)
6'3" 220 pounds
3 stars
Signed LOI

LeRoy Alexander
Athlete
Toledo, OH (Whitmer H.S.)
6'2" 190 pounds
3 stars
Signed LOI

Zaire Anderson
Linebacker
Riverside, CA (Riverside C.C.)
6'1" 220 pounds
4 stars
Signed LOI

Tommy Armstrong
Quarterback
Cibolo, TX (Steele H.S.)
6'2" 210 pounds
3 stars
Signed LOI

Thomas Brown
Linebacker
Gardena, CA
6'2" 215 pounds
3 stars
Signed LOI

Sam Cotton
Tight End
Lincoln, NE (Southeast High School)
6'4" 240 pounds
3 stars
Signed LOI

Imani Cross
Running Back
Gainesville, GA (North Hall H.S.)
6'1' 220 pounds
3 stars
Signed LOI

Aaron Curry
Defensive Tackle
Keller, TX (Fossil Ridge)
6'3" 298 pounds
3 stars
Signed LOI

Greg McMullen
Defensive End
Akron, OH (Hoban)
6'5" 255 pounds
4 stars
Signed LOI

Alonzo Moore
Athlete
Winnfield, LA (Winnfield H.S.)
6'2" 170 pounds
4 stars
Signed LOI

Avery Moss
Defensive End
Tempe, AZ (Corona Del Sol)
6'4" 245 pounds
3 stars
Signed LOI

Michael Rose
Linebacker
Kansas City, MO (Rockhurst)
6'0" 230 pounds
3 stars
Signed LOI

Mo Seisay
Cornerback
Eastern Arizona Community College
6'2" 200 pounds
4 stars
Signed LOI

Paul Thurston
Offensive Lineman
Arvada, CO (Arvada West)
6'5" 274 pounds
4 stars
Signed LOI

Vincent Valentine
Defensive Lineman
Edwardsville, IL
6'3" 300 pounds
3 stars
Signed LOI

Jordan Westerkamp
Wide Receiver
Lombard, IL (Montini)
6'2" 190 pounds
4 stars
Signed LOI

Corey Whitaker
Offensive Lineman
Murrieta, CA (Vista Murrieta H.S.)
6'5" 270 pounds
3 stars
Signed LOI]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=56
Only Alabama and Boise State have managed to finish in the Top 10 in each of the past three seasons. We all know how Boise State does it, by playing a weak schedule for the most part, typically stepping up to face one tough non-conference opponent a year. Alabama has done it the old fashioned way, by earning it.

Some Husker fans aren't happy with Top 25 finishes for their team. Urgent memo...there's nothing wrong with consistently finishing in the Top 25. As evidenced in our previous blog post and above, not many teams are up to the task. Let's consider it a starting point, a foundation if you will. Something to build on. Does it add hardware to the trophy case? Not the crystal kind Husker fans want, but the great Nebraska teams of the past didn't just jump up and snag a couple trophies without first having established a foundation.

Husker fans want championships. They feel entitled. But college football has changed dramatically since Tommie Frazier and Scott Frost were running and passing at will against SEC teams in national championship games. Scholarship limits have flattened college football. The days of one or two teams dominating a conference for decades on end are over. Coaching turnover, a bad recruiting class and rules violations are just several of the potential roadblocks for one team running roughshod over an entire conference for an extended amount of time.

We should be happy our team has finished the last three seasons in the Top 25. We should also understand that neither Bo Pelini nor his staff or players are satisfied with that result. This year got away from them as did last year. It's something that needs to be corrected yesterday if Nebraska wants to return to the elite level.

Alabama had one penalty in the entire game last night against LSU and it wasn't on the offense. Even though Nick Saban and the Tide had the game in the bag when the penalty took place, Saban was furious. He's a perfectionist and his team nearly pitched a perfect game. Bo could do more to prevent the undisciplined play we've seen from the Huskers all too often, especially in big games. Too many penalties and turnovers. The great teams don't do that. The fixes aren't complicated and the team isn't that far away. If Bo can close out the 2012 recruiting class with a few key pieces, they very well may be on their way. Only hindsight is perfect.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=55
While many Husker fans, dare I say a majority, are not satisfied with nine win seasons, especially when the losses occur in the fashion they did this year, Nebraska is in pretty select company with that list. It's quite obvious how hard it is to maintain a high level of performance year in and year out.

Teams that aren't on this list include Michigan, Ohio State, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Texas, Oklahoma, and Penn State. Those are some big names.

So while the sting of losing yet another bowl game to a team that we had a chance to beat is very disconcerting, the team under Bo Pelini has accomplished something. With a few key additions, this team can win a Big Ten Championship and play in a BCS bowl game. Let's hope the recruiting season ends favorably for the Huskers so we have some momentum heading into spring practice. Keep the faith.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=54
With four straight wins, the season started off great. Nebraska looked like they could be, or were, the best team in the Big Ten. The defense was supposed to be outstanding. There was CB Alfonzo Dennard in the secondary, LB Lavonte David stopping running backs from getting into the secondary, and DL Jared Crick frightening quarterbacks across the nation. New offensive coordinator Tim Beck (former running backs coach) promised more of a spread offense. Even having to play some of the top teams in the nation, the Cornhuskers were still considered the front-runner to play in the first ever Big Ten Championship.

The 2011-2012 season started off as one of the regular "big dogs" against "little dogs" games. Tennessee-Chattanooga coach Russ Huesman said, "We may have a kid or two that could get a backup role, and obviously every one of their guys could come start for us." Nebraska stomped on Tennessee-Chattanooga 40-7.

After that beat down came the Fresno State game, which gave Husker fans everywhere quite a scare. The Bulldogs led most of the game, but Nebraska came out on top with a 42-29 win. It came as no surprise to many since Fresno is typically one of the non-AQ teams to upset many BCS schools.

We could consider the next two wins (against Washington and Wyoming) "easy" and they did seem to come with ease, but there were still some wrinkles left to iron out before Big Ten play began.

The first Big Ten game for the Huskers came with a lot of excitement. ESPN’s College Gameday was down in Madison, Wisconsin and "Coach" Lee Corso even wore one of the iconic "cornheads," choosing the Huskers over the Badgers. Even after a reassuring first quarter, Taylor Martinez ended three straight drives with interceptions and Nebraska went on to lose the game 48-17.

Then came three straight wins against Ohio State, Minnesota and Michigan State. Nebraska came in a favorite against Ohio State, but apparently waited until they were down 21 points to finish the greatest comeback in Nebraska Cornhuskers football history. Minnesota was as predicted, not a blowout but a fairly easy win. Facing Michigan State, Nebraska was considered an underdog yet managed to beat the Spartans.

Nebraska became leaders of the Legends division after the win over Michigan State, then they faced Northwestern. The Cornhuskers came in favorites to the game yet lost in embarrassing fashion with many mental mistakes and turnovers.

Nebraska then went on to beat Penn State in one of the most memorable college football games in history, not because of what happened during the game but what happened leading up to it.

Nebraska traveled to Michigan the following week, a team that looked stronger, faster, and more disciplined than the Huskers. Michigan ran all over Nebraska’s defense, with Denard Robinson leading the way. The defeat of new rival Iowa made it seem like the loss to Michigan would be the Huskers' last.

Coming into Orlando, Florida, the Huskers had to face South Carolina and head coach Steve Spurrier. The previous time Steve Spurrier faced a Nebraska team he saw the back of a certain #15 jersey (Tommie Frazier’s) for three straight hours.

Steve Spurrier put that last game against Nebraska behind him and led his team to a 30-13 win over the Huskers.

Overall, Nebraska finished with a 9-4 (5-3 Big Ten) record. Even though Bo Pelini kept up with Tom Osborne's tradition of nine wins every season, so many things went wrong this season that kept Nebraska from contending for the Big Ten Championship, let alone the Legends division.

Edward Ventura is a 16-year old Nebraska Cornhuskers fanatic. He is the creator of one of the LARGEST Nebraska Football Facebook pages and is a Nebraska sports junkie.

Follow Eddie on Twitter: @EddieHusker]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=51 this HuskerOnline.com video, Brandon Kinnie shows off his dance moves.

It's back to work for the Huskers, with a couple practices remaining before Monday's game against South Carolina.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=50 http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=49 http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=48
In past years, Bo Pelini has suspended players arrested for DUI, including Rickey Thenarse and Baker Steinkuhler before last year's Holiday Bowl game against Washington. If Caputo were suspended, either Cole Pensick or Spencer Long would assume the role of center.

Caputo has been a leader on the offensive line throughout his career at Nebraska. At 6'1" and 275 pounds, he is an undersized lineman, but Caputo makes up for his size with his toughness and tenacity.

Eric Martin was charged with leaving the scene of an accident on Sunday as well. Apparently, he backed into a car in the North 27th Street Wal-Mart parking lot and left without providing any information.

Bo Pelini has yet to announce who will be the Huskers' defensive coordinator next season. Out on the road recruiting, it's possible Pelini already has someone in place and is waiting to announce it upon his return to Lincoln.

In other Husker news, Ron Brown is not retiring.

The Capital One Bowl game can't get here quick enough.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=45
The Gamecocks two losses occurred to Auburn (16-13) and at Arkansas (44-28). The only other ranked team SC played was #17 Clemson, who they beat 34-13. They do not have a mobile quarterback.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=44 http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=43
On offense, Rex Burkhead was named 1st team All-Conference Running Back along with Wisconsin's Montee Ball.

Defensively, Lavonte David was named the best linebacker in the conference and was also named 1st team All-Conference. Alfonzo Dennard too was named most outstanding player at his position as well as 1st team All-Conference.

On special teams, Brett Maher cleaned house, reaping awards for the best punter as well as kicker in the Big Ten.

Second team honorees include Mike Caputo and Spencer Long, who made the coach's and media's lists, respectively.

Honorable mentions include Mike Caputo, Will Compton, Austin Cassidy, Spencer Long, Daimion Stafford, Cameron Meredith, Marcel Jones, and Ben Cotton.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=42
Dr. Tom decided to stick it out with Nebraska and a few short years later his persistence paid off. In his 11th season at Nebraska, Osborne got his national title shot, but the Huskers fell one point short. It would be another 10 years before Osborne returned to the national championship game. Finally, in the 1995 Orange Bowl, in his 22nd year at Nebraska, it happened. And it not only rained, but it poured. Three national titles in four years and it could have been more. A missed field goal in the 1994 Orange Bowl, a 19-0 defeat in the desert and a Big 12 title game loss in 1996, are all that stood in the way of two more titles. Those are the breaks. The stars don’t always align. The gods don’t always smile on you.

During this week's press conference, current head coach Bo Pelini said he doesn't care about outsiders' perception of the program. He thinks he's done a good job, not only on the field but in stressing the student aspect of student-athlete. And he's right for the most part.

By beating Iowa on Friday, Pelini secured his fourth season in a row with at least nine wins. If Nebraska wins their yet to be announced bowl game, Bo will have his third 10-win season in a row. Yet for some reason there's a growing segment of Husker Nation who think Bo doesn't know football and the program has stalled. They point to the way in which Nebraska lost at Wisconsin and Michigan and of course the home loss to a scrappy Northwestern. Keep in mind injuries have decimated the team this year, especially on the offensive line. Only two guards made the trip to Penn State, Seung Hoon Choi and Spencer Long, both walk-ons. Chalk up the Wisconsin loss to several factors: going away from a conservative offensive game plan, facing an experienced team in a hostile and unfamiliar environment, and being out-muscled up front. The Michigan game was still in reach until a crucial roughing the punter call gave Michigan new life and allowed the Wolverines to extend their lead to 21 points. Then it snowballed on Nebraska. I have yet to hear a good explanation about why fumbles and dropped passes become contagious, but they do.

Let's be honest, we're a fickle fan base. We Husker fans think our team should be playing for a national title every season, regardless of the fact that Nebraska has played in six national title games in the last 30 years. We're stuck in the mid-'90s, anchoring our annual expectations to the greatest team in college football history. Sure, blowout losses at Wisconsin and at Michigan hurt and give the appearance of a program that isn't close to being "back," whatever that means. Losing to a Northwestern as a three touchdown favorite at home is inexcusable. The inconsistency on a game by game basis can be alarming at times. Yet when you step back and look at the overall record, most Husker fans would have to agree that 9-3 is about in line with expectations heading into the inaugural Big Ten season.

The program is clearly ahead of where it was under Bill Callahan and roughly equal to where it was under Frank Solich, once he had his own recruits. Sure Pelini has a lot of work to do. He must recruit high-caliber athletes and desperately needs to replace Alfonzo Dennard and Lavonte David on the defensive side of the ball. Without those two players, the Blackshirts are at best a middle of the pack defensive unit in 2011. The next several years will ultimately determine Bo's fate. Luckily, there isn't a more understanding athletic director in the country than Tom Osborne, someone who knows the demands of being the head coach at Nebraska, but also the power of persistence and not changing with the wind. Pick a system, stick with it, perfect it, and good things will happen. That was his philosophy and it paid off. Judging Osborne four years into his tenure would yield similar results to what Bo Pelini has accomplished.

As fans, we should be happy with 10-win seasons, with the expectation that eventually the stars line up, the Huskers win the Big Ten and possibly get a national title shot. It took Osborne over 20 years to build his greatest teams of the 1990s. Changing out coaches every 4-5 years when they fail to win championships isn't the answer. The answer is time.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=41
Rex Burkhead set a team record for rushing attempts with 38 with the last carry coming against his wishes in the victory formation. Apparently, Burkhead didn't want to have the record on a carry like that, but his linemen wanted him to break the record. Superman gained 160 yards and scored a touchdown against the Hawkeyes just a few days after walking around in a boot. As a team, the Huskers rushed 61 times for 222 yards. Taylor Martinez added another 163 yards through the air, going 12 for 22 on the day on a gimpy ankle, which he injured early in the game.

Iowa's QB, James Vandenberg, was 16 for 35 in the passing department. Marvin McNutt, the Hawkeyes best receiver, had only four receptions for 29 yards. Alfonzo Dennard had a lot to do with holding McNutt to his lowest total this year. Prior to today's game, McNutt had five 100-yard receiving games in a row. Perhaps most importantly, the Blackshirts held Iowa to 2 for 12 on third downs.

Kenny Bell had his best game of the season with five receptions for 93 yards. Husker receivers had no problem holding onto the ball today.

Special teams wasn't exactly special today, but they weren't as disastrous as last week in Ann Arbor.

Nebraska again struggled in the penalty department, racking up nine for 74 yards, although several were questionable calls, including a late pass interference call against Dennard. The Huskers did win the turnover battle, forcing an Iowa fumble and interception.

For awhile it looked like the Blackshirts might get their first shutout of the season, but the Hawkeyes scored a touchdown with 3:26 remaining in the game. Regardless, Nebraska's defense was stout all game long.

Next up for Nebraska is likely either the Capital One Bowl or Outback Bowl, depending on whether or not two Big Ten teams make BCS bowls. The Huskers will find out after next weekend's games are played where they are headed. Either way, Nebraska has a chance to win 10 games for the third year in a row.

Check out our photos from the game.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=40
Other than Lavonte David, the Huskers didn't begin the game well. Michigan punched them in the mouth to the tune of 10 points before Nebraska responded. David recorded eight tackles in the first quarter alone. The Huskers got on the scoreboard with a 54-yard touchdown pass from Taylor Martinez to Brandon Kinnie. Nebraska tied it up on the foot of Brett Maher a short time later. Denard Robinson added another touchdown before half. Considering Nebraska didn't play well, a 17-10 halftime score had to give the Huskers confidence.

Michigan quickly added two more touchdowns in the third quarter, thanks to two Husker special teams mistakes. Nebraska fumbled the second half opening kickoff and then had a punt blocked. The Wolverines took a 21-point lead as a result. Nebraska answered with a nifty Ameer Abdullah touchdown run, which featured Martinez handing the ball off to Rex Burkhead who pitched it to Ameer. Huskers down by 14 and gaining momentum.

The play of the game came on Michigan's next series. The Blackshirts forced a three and out and a Michigan punt. Wil Richards, a special teams player for Nebraska, came in for the block and brushed the toes of the punter's left foot. Since this happened to be the plant foot of the punter a 15-yard personal foul penalty was awarded. First down Michigan. Several minutes later, the Wolverines put up another seven and the momentum had clearly left the Huskers. Several fumbles and dropped passes later and it was game over for Nebraska.

The offensive gameplan was reminiscent of earlier in the year, focused on Taylor Martinez. Where was Rex Burkhead? The junior workhorse carried the ball only 10 times for 36 yards. Martinez ran 16 times for 49 yards and completed 9 of 23 passes for 122 yards. Multiple drops plagued the Husker receivers again. Nebraska was never able to get into an offensive rhythm. Whenever they went to the hurry-up, no-huddle offense, Michigan players became injured. This wasn't a coincidence.

Defensively, the Blackshirts again struggled with a mobile quarterback. Denard Robinson threw the ball fairly effectively, finishing 11 for 18 and 180 yards and two touchdowns. The Husker secondary looked out of position too often and couldn't make plays when given the chance.

Lavonte David and Will Compton did play well. David was a tackling machine, especially in the first half. Terrence Moore also played well for the Blackshirts. After losing his father to cancer earlier in the week, Moore recorded an interception off a tipped pass. During his return of the INT it appeared he was trying to pitch the ball to Alfonzo Dennard, but Moore was called down prior to the pitch.

Michigan was able to possess the ball for 41 of the 60 minutes in the game. Nebraska fumbled the ball three times and lost them all. In addition, the Huskers had eight penalties for 73 yards and finishing 3 for 13 on third down.

Nebraska needs to return to the drawing board and find a way to beat Iowa next Friday. While hopes of the Big Ten Championship are gone, a 10-win season is still in the cards.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=39
Penn State players walked out of their tunnel arm-in-arm. Both teams met at midfield before the game. They shook hands and then took a knee. A stadium of 108,000 people went silent. Ron Brown gave a two minute pre-game prayer, a portion of which can be seen here. It was a fitting way to acknowledge that this wasn't just another football game, that there was something much more important about this one. Then a football game broke out. It seemed to take both teams awhile to settle in as neither team scored in the first quarter. It wasn't until Brett Maher hit a 41 yard field goal with 10:55 left in the first half that the first points were put up on the scoreboard. Nebraska added a two yard touchdown run by Ameer Abdullah right before halftime. 10-0 Nebraska.

The Blackshirts forced a Penn State fumble which Eric Martin recovered early in the third quarter. The Huskers embarked on an 8-play, 52-yard drive which culminated with a Rex Burkhead 14 yard TD run on a last second pitch by Taylor Martinez out of the option. Nebraska was up 17-0 and appeared in control. Penn State would fight their way back though, adding a touchdown with five minutes left in the third. The Nittany Lions second touchdown followed a mishandled exchange between Burkhead and Tyler Legate. Replays show that Yoshi Hardrick recovered the fumble, but the referees awarded it to Penn State. The game was now 17-14 with just under six minutes remaining. Nebraska couldn't do anything with their ensuing possession and were forced to punt. Momentum was clearly on Penn State's side. That is, until the punt. Brett Maher unleashed his best punt of the day, a 61-yarder that pinned Penn State deep in their own territory. If the Nittany Lions were going to win the game, they'd have to drive 89 yards and they had just under four minutes to do so.

Penn State moved the ball out to their own 37 yard line. On 2nd & 1, Lavonte David stopped Stephfon Green for no gain. On a 3rd and 1, PSU running back Silas Redd got the call. Again, Lavonte David stopped him for no gain. Penn State recognized they couldn't punt the ball here with just under two minutes remaining, so they decided to go for it on 4th and 1. Again they handed the ball off to Redd and again Lavonte David came up big, stopping Redd in his tracks, inches short of a first down. The referees brought the chains in to measure and confirmed Penn State was just short. David saves the day for Nebraska again, three plays in a row.

Nebraska took over with 1:49 remaining in the game. Penn State had two timeouts left. Burkhead gets the call four plays in a row, but the Huskers can't pick up a first down. With 49 seconds left, Penn State gets the ball back. The Blackshirts hold and the Huskers win 17-14. A big win for Nebraska, who keeps their outside chance at a Big Ten title game appearance alive for another week. Next up is Michigan. Another road trip for the Huskers. Another must win game. Then Nebraska needs a win over Iowa. Without two wins to close out the regular season, it doesn't matter if Michigan State loses to either Indiana or Northwestern.

Some observations from the Penn State game:

Taylor Martinez's confidence and play continues to improve. Compare the Martinez of 2010 to how well he has played since the Wisconsin game. And then remember he's only a sophomore. Say what you want about his passing style, but put in the right situations, he's pretty effective. In the game on Saturday, you saw Martinez engineer a 12 play, 80 yard drive which resulted in a touchdown just before half. A lot of good decisions were made by Taylor during this drive.

Rex Burkhead again showed his versatility. Besides being the workhorse of the offense, the Huskers put him at quarterback numerous times on Saturday and even rolled him out for a halfback pass shortly before halftime. Burkhead finished the day with 121 yards rushing on 25 carries. Burkhead's touchdown came on an option play in which Martinez made a good, late pitch. Rex did account for the only Husker turnover on the day, but that was more a function of Penn State's defensive line blowing up the play.

Lavonte David continues to play bigger than his size would suggest. He's a tackling machine who will be playing on Sundays. His talents were never more on display than during Penn State's second to last possession, which saw him come up with three stops in a row, including the key stop on 4th and 1.

Brett Maher has virtually eliminated the Husker fan base from saying how much they miss Alex Henery. Equally effective as a field goal kicker or a punter, Maher did what Henery used to do...change games for Nebraska with his right foot. Pinning the Nittany Lions deep, late in the fourth quarter was only part of Brett's impact on Saturday.

No Jamal Turner again. His only time on the field came during the pre-game prayer.

Watch Bo Pelini's post-game press conference here. He does a phenomenal job and three times says he didn't think the game should have been played. Proper prospective from coach.

From all accounts the Penn State fans were very hospitable to Nebraska fans that made the trip. Next week, we'll see how the Michigan fans treat the new kid on the block.

Until next week....Go Big Red!]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=38
For the third year in a row, Nebraska found a way to lose a game over an inferior opponent. Two years ago it was nine turnovers against Iowa State. Last year it was dropped passes against Texas. In 2011, it was a bunch of things. First the positives...

Taylor Martinez - 28 of 37 passing for 289 yards and two touchdowns. Four of those incompletions were drops, meaning Martinez's completion percentage should have been higher than 76%. Yesterday marked only the third time Martinez has thrown for more than 200 yards in a game.

Baker Steinkuhler - nine tackles, two for loss, a sack and a tipped pass that led to a Huskers interception. With Chase Rome out due to a pulled muscle, the defensive line didn't have its normal depth, and it showed.

Hey, did you hear where Michigan lost too?

Now for the negatives...

The offensive line play was subpar. Arguably the strength of the team in 2011, the O-line failed to show up against the Wildcats, one week after dictating the game to a much better Michigan State defense. Mustering only 122 rushing yards, allowing 11 tackles for loss, and struggling on third and short for much of the game, isn't a recipe for success.

Northwestern, the 98th-ranked defense in the country, managed to keep the Huskers off the scoreboard until there was 2:26 remaining in the first half. Brett Maher kicked a 36-yard field goal, which remained Nebraska's only points until a Tim Marlowe touchdown with 3:52 in the third quarter. This is a defense that had been giving up 44 points in their previous seven Big Ten conference games.

The Blackshirts were handed out this past week. Is it too late to go back to the no-name defense that beat Michigan State? On Northwestern's final scoring drive of the game, the Wildcats ran the ball 13 consecutive plays and covered 66 yards. The play of the game was Northwestern's decision to go for it on 4th and 1 late in the fourth quarter from the Huskers 18-yard line. Their four-yard gain kept the drive alive and led to the game-clinching touchdown. A field goal would have given the Wildcats a six-point lead and the Huskers some belief they had a chance. Instead, Pat Fitzgerald signaled to his team that they weren't going to give Nebraska the chance to win it with a touchdown. As it turned out, that was the difference in the game.

As if anyone forgot, two key turnovers by the Huskers cost the Big Red at least six points, if not 10 or more. Rex Burkhead's fumble was only the second lost in his career.

Nebraska rarely has three timeouts remaining late into a game. They usually spend one or two realigning their defense. But with a little over two minutes remaining and all three timeouts, we thought it strange that Bo Pelini didn't opt to begin using them when it was clear Northwestern was going to score. Hard to understand why you wouldn't try to keep as much time on the clock as possible in that situation.

With the loss, Nebraska now needs Michigan State to drop one of their final three games, either at Iowa, against Indiana, or at Northwestern. Anything can happen, but it would have been much nicer to know your title hopes were in your control. Winning out for the Huskers won't be an easy feat either. Penn State will have had a bye week to ready themselves for the Huskers and Michigan, with Denard Robinson and a tough defense, will be a test for the Big Red.

This is one of those games that make you scratch your head. The possibility of a letdown was there after the big win against Michigan State a week ago and the awarding of the Blackshirts. Hopes of a Big Ten title are slipping away, but not out of reach just yet; anything less than a trip to Indianapolis will likely be viewed as a step back under the Pelini regime. There's still a lot of football to be played. Michigan State could easily lose at Iowa or possibly even at Northwestern. The trouble is that Nebraska could easily drop one or both of their next two road games. Now is when the rubber meets the road. We'll see how bad this Husker team wants it and what kind of leadership they have in the locker room. A loss to a team like Northwestern can submarine a season or build a resolve that propels the team to finish strong. We're all hoping to see the latter.

Be sure to check out our photos from the game.

Follow us on Twitter: @huskerfaithful.

Become a fan of the Husker Faithful Facebook page.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=37
Without a win against Sparty, there was virtually no chance at making the conference championship game in Indy. With the win, Nebraska controls their own destiny. If they win out, NU makes that trip and plays for the Big Ten title in its inaugural season in the league.

There's still a lot of work to do, including tough road games to Happy Valley against the surprising Penn State Nittany Lions and to the Big House to face the Michigan Wolverines. The Huskers can't afford a letdown the rest of the way. With the win over the Spartans, NU is tied atop the Legends Division with Michigan at 3-1.

Back to the Blackshirts for a minute...how about the play of Lance Thorell? The senior, walk-on defensive back from Loomis, Nebraska came up big, picking off MSU quarterback Kirk Cousins on the Spartans first drive of the game and returning it to their 25-yard line. That set up NU's first touchdown of the game, scored by Superman himself, Rex Burkhead. More on him later.

It was crucial for the Huskers to stake out an early lead. At least that was our thought heading into the game. As it turned out, the Blackshirts dominating performance didn't require a lot of points from the offense. Will Compton played his best game of the year, with seven tackles. Alfonzo Dennard looks to be 100% again, as he along with Daimion Stafford helped the Nebraska D to limit Kirk Cousins to 11-27 passing for only 86 yards. Dennard and Stafford each had three pass breakups. Hats off to the NU secondary for shutting down the Spartan receivers and giving the D-line enough time to get to Cousins. The Blackshirts recorded four sacks on the day and never let Cousins get into a rhythm. Eric Martin played his best game from the defensive end spot, racking up two sacks and three tackles. Lavonte David is almost easy to overlook because he does this every game, leading the team in tackles with 13.

Andrew Green played his best game of the year as well, registering seven tackles and a performance that's easily forgotten in the total team effort. Green started ahead of Stanley Jean-Baptiste, who had gotten the nod last week at Minnesota.

Offensively, it was the Rex Burkhead Show. The junior running back led the Huskers with 130 yards rushing on 35 carries and two touchdowns on the ground. Talk about a workhorse. Interestingly enough, one of those touchdowns was the result of a video replay to see if he had fumbled short of the goal line. Upon further review, the ball broke the plane of the goal line...touchdown Nebraska. Rex also added a touchdown catch of 27 yards shortly after leaving the game with what looked like a bad ankle injury. Burkhead playing in the Legends Division seems appropriate. Not only will he go down as one of the most beloved Huskers of all-time, but Rex has put this team on his back late in games and willed them to victory.

Tim Marlowe did his best impression of two of his fellow receivers when he took a reverse 39 yards ala Kenny Bell and got caught near the goal line ala Brandon Kinnie. Speaking of BK, after an early drop, the senior receiver had two catches for 23 yards. The Huskers won this game on the ground though as Taylor Martinez only threw the ball 13 times while completing seven passes.

Again, a lot of work remains, but seeing this effort from the Huskers, especially on the defensive side, couldn't have come at a better time. Northwestern and Iowa aren't looking as good as some thought they might be this year, but Penn State has exceeded expectations and playing at Michigan is never easy. If the Huskers can replicate their effort from yesterday in these two big road games, the Big Red likely makes that trip to Indianapolis.

Check out our photos from the game.

Follow us on Twitter @huskerfaithful.

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The gameplan clearly was to run the ball against a Gopher defense that ranked near the bottom of Division One. As a team, the Huskers racked up 346 yards on 56 carries, while passing 23 times. Seventy-nine offensive plays with a 71% run and 29% pass breakdown. There was even an Austin Jones sighting. The senior running back carried the ball one time, albeit for no gain. But the day was about Rex Burkhead yet again. The junior running back hit the 100 yard mark for the fourth time this season and crossed the 2,000 yard mark for his Husker career. He added a touchdown and carried 41% of the rushing load for Big Red.

Kenny Bell's early 2nd quarter 82-yard touchdown on a reverse was the highlight of the game. Bell broke a freshman record for longest play from scrimmage as well as the longest play for the Huskers in seven years. Asked if he was the fastest player on the team, Bell said it was probably Tyler Wullenwaber. That’s who I would have said, right after I checked the roster to make sure Kenny didn’t just make up a name.

On the plus side, NU’s offense put together scoring drives of 11, 10, 14, and 17 plays. Its cliché, but being able to run the ball and sustain drives keeps the opposing offense off the field, wears down the defense, and chews up clock. If Nebraska wants to make it to Indy, they will need to replicate these types of drives in the coming weeks.

Nebraska didn't have a turnover on the day, but still managed two fumbles, including one that kept a Husker drive alive. Technically, the 4th & 1 pitch to Aaron Green was a backwards pass and therefore could be advanced. If Green had fumbled the ball and then hit it forward, NU would have turned the ball over on downs. Instead, the 4th down conversion led to the Huskers first touchdown of the game two plays later.

Defensively, the Huskers put together a good half to three-quarters of a game. Nebraska held Minnesota to 3 of 11 on 3rd down conversions. If there’s a better defensive statistic than opponent’s 3rd down conversions, I’m not aware of it. Getting off the field is of utmost importance and 3rd down is the money down.

Chase Rome’s unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was disappointing. Austin Cassidy was close to the back of the end zone, having already scored, when Rome unloaded on a Minnesota offensive lineman, a cheap shot that drew the ire of Bo Pelini, who had a one-sided conversation with Chase shortly thereafter. Other than that penalty, NU had four penalties for 28 yards.

In summary, the Huskers did what they were expected to do. How much can we glean from this game? Is it possible to tell if NU has improved over the bye week? Not much and not really, respectfully. Nebraska returns to playing good competition this Saturday when Michigan State comes to town.

If you didn't get a chance to watch the Wisconsin-Michigan State game, try to catch the replay on Big Ten Network. It was clearly the Game of the Week and will go down as one of the best (or worst if you're a Badger fan) finishes of all-time. I would have preferred to see a three-overtime, grind it out finish considering the Spartans are next on the schedule. Instead, Sparty has now won two emotionally draining games in a row. Here's hoping the third time is the charm for their opponent. The Big Ten Legends Division title is likely on the line. If Michigan State beats Nebraska, they’re in the driver’s seat, so the Huskers need to put together their best game of the year. The road gets easier for MSU, not so for Nebraska.

Game time is 11am, so set your alarm clocks early. Nothing like tailgating BEFORE the sun comes up.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=35
Taylor Martinez
34th in rushing yards with 584
78th in passing yards per game at 169
26th in points per game at 9
30th in total offense at 266 yds per game
tied for 2nd with most rushing plays over 40 yards at 4

Rex Burkhead
26th in rushing yards with 635
13th in points per game at 10
62nd in all-purpose yards with 120 per game
tied for 20th with most rushing plays over 40 yards at 2

Ameer Abdullah
4th in kickoff return yards average at 31.90
4th in kickoff yards per game at 106.3
37th in all-purpose yards with 136.3 per game

Lavonte David
tied for 31st in tackles with 58 total
tied for 23rd in tackles per game at 9.67

Brett Maher
2nd in average yards per punt at 47.30
25th in field goal percentage at 84.6%
13th in points per game at 10
tied for 6th in kickoffs, averaging 68 yards per

Here's how Nebraska ranks in major categories within the Big Ten Conference.

Total Offense: 4th
Scoring Offense: 2nd
3rd Down Conversion %: 5th
Red Zone Conversions: 4th
Sacks Allowed: tied for 4th

Total Defense: 8th
Scoring Defense: 9th
Opponent 3rd Down Conversion %: 8th
Opponent Red Zone Conversions: tied for 8th
Sacks: 9th

Time of Possession: 11th
Turnover Margin: 10th

Again, what sticks out is the Huskers being in the top half of the conference offensively and the bottom half defensively. Through six games, it's the offense carrying the defense, a notable change from the past two seasons.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=34
Offensively

Scoring Offense: 22nd at 37 pts per game (leader is Wisconsin at 50.2)
Rushing Offense: 11th at 247 yds per game (leader is Army at 361)
Passing Offense: 102nd with 172 yds per game (leader is Houston at 435)
Total Offense: 49th at 419 yds per game (leader is Houston at 603)
3rd Down Conversions: 50th at 42.68% (leader is Wisconsin at 60%)
Red Zone Conversions: tied for 23rd, scoring 89.66% of the time
Time of Possession: 96th
Interceptions: tied for 64th with 6
Fumbles: tied for 3rd most at 17
Fumbles Lost: tied for 30th at 4
Fumbles Lost %: 9th at 23.53%
Sacks Allowed: tied for 36th at 1.5 per game
Tackles for Loss Allowed: tied for 21st with 4.83 per game

Defensively

Scoring Defense: 67th at 27.2 pts per game
Rushing Defense: 75th at 167.83 yds per game
Passing Defense: 40th at 204.8 yds per game
Total Defense: 58th at 372.7 yds per game
Opponent 1st Downs: tied for 54th at 19.7 per game (leader is Alabama at 10.4)
Sacks: tied for 89th with 9 sacks (1.5 per game)
Tackles for Loss Per Game: 116th at 3.83
Fumbles Forced: tied for 90th with 4
Interceptions: tied for 68th with 5
Opponent 3rd Down Conversions: tied for 96th at 44.68%
Opponent 4th Down Conversions: tied for 59th at 50%
Opponent Red Zone Conversions: tied for 66th at 83.33%
Opponent TD % in Red Zone: tied for 90th at 66.67%

Team & Special Teams

Turnover Margin: tied for 64th at -1
Penalties: tied for 41st at 5.5 per game
Penalty Yds Per Game: tied for 51st at 49.3 per game
Kickoff Returns: 2nd with a 28.83 average
Punt Returns: 36th with a 10.31 average
Punting: 2nd with a 47.3 yard average
Field Goal %: tied for 25th at 84.6% (11 for 13)

Obviously, the struggles are on the defensive side of the ball. Allowing your opponents to convert 45% of their 3rd downs and 67% of their Red Zone opportunities into touchdowns is troublesome. With the loss of Jared Crick and nothing but conference games remaining, it's tough to see a lot of improvement statistically.

It should be pointed out that the most important stat of them all is the Huskers are 5-1 midway through the 2011 season.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=33
If you had told me prior to the 2011 season that Nebraska would rally from 21 points down in the second half against THE Ohio State University to beat the Buckeyes, I would have downed a celebratory shot, danced a jig and reached for my iPad. I'd need to use the Orbitz app to scout trip prices to Indianapolis for the inaugural Big Ten Championship game. Sadly, that's not what I did last Saturday night.

No, this win, while exhilarating, was not what one dreams of when envisioning victory. This was a depleted Buckeye squad that owned Nebraska for the better part of the game. Don't get me wrong, I respect the comeback as much as the next guy.

Those young men in scarlet and cream did themselves and their school proud, but let's be honest. The Cornhuskers should have rolled THAT Ohio State Unveristy football team. After a deep exhale and a few high tens following the game, I gathered my stuff from my buddy’s place and headed home with my daughter.

Before I got there, heck, before I got halfway to my doorstep, my Twitter feed started to fill with chatter about some kind of "moment" between the Huskers head coach Bo Pelini and Omaha World Herald reporter Dirk Chatelain.

Apparently, Bo had taken exception with Dirk's article from the day before. This was an article that was critical of both Taylor Martinez's play and of Pelini's handling of his sophomore quarterback.

Fellow Husker Locker contributor Brian Towle had sent the piece to me shortly after it was posted online and I'll be perfectly honest - I thought Dirk nailed it and I've said as much long before now. Evidently, Bo did not share that sentiment. Brian also said that "the gloves were off." Apparently, this is a sentiment that Bo shared.

As I began to piece together the events of that postgame press conference, I thought, “We should have seen this coming.” Nebraska fans should have seen it coming because personally, I think Bo was ready to pop before Saturday. During his brief meeting with the media on Thursday, he went out of his way to tell the assembled members of the press how little their work affected him or his players.

He went on to say that they neither read, watched, nor cared what was written or said about them. He said this in a manner as to belittle the people who were there to do their jobs. I recognized this behavior the moment I saw it.

Having covered San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich for more than a decade now, I'm more than familiar with the snide, back-handed manner in which a perfectionist and condescending genius can regard the media.

Popovich can be charming and playful during one session with the media, then dismissive and sarcastic the next. Why? I have no idea. Perhaps he does it because he can. When you are the biggest fish in the nation’s seventh-largest pond, you don't really have to worry about pleasing the media when you have brought four NBA championships home.

Spurs fans love him because he wins, so they don't need for the media to love him. The thing about San Antonio is that it's a softball media town. It's not Philadelphia, Chicago or New York.

There is no adversarial relationship with the press because sadly, most of them are fans more than they are journalists. What they also know is that to cross Popovich is to risk being shunned, mocked or cut out of the process more than they already are.

I see a lot of Gregg Popovich in Bo Pelini.

Over the past few days, a number of people have taken sides in the fallout of the Pelini & Chatelain brouhaha which is ridiculous, but to be expected. As I was sorting through the aftermath, I asked a friend of mine (a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist) for his take on Chatelain's piece.

Since he's not a Nebraska fan, I figured he'd be a fair barometer of where the piece really fell. He said that while it was critical, it was far from unfair.

To some Cornhusker loyalists, anything other than complete and total support of Pelini is nothing short of treason. Then are those that remember what The Nebraska Way used to mean. I know it's beyond reasonable to expect another coach to match the level of success established by Tom Osborne.

However, I don't think it's beyond reasonable to expect the head coach of any University of Nebraska athletic team to carry themselves in a manner that honors Osborne and the way he has presented himself for the more than 40 years he's been associated with the University.

This is where Pelini fails. He says he doesn't care about what the media writes or says, but his actions betray his words. If he didn't care, then this wouldn't be an issue. He would have let Chatelain's article pass like a leaf blowing in the wind, but he does care, so when he says he doesn't, he's being disingenuous. Why? What's with the tough guy facade that's used to bully people who want nothing but a few minutes from him? Why not be honest? Why not be civil?

On the day before Dirk's article was published, Bo had the perfect opportunity to tell the media exactly what he thought - That he was, in fact, worried about what had been written and said in the days following the loss to Wisconsin, but he chose not to. In essence he lied, not only to the press, but to himself.

Unfortunately, he chose an inopportune moment to be honest. He, not Dirk, turned the buzz after the Ohio State game into a hot button topic for Husker Nation.

A man in charge of his feelings that had a grasp of the situation would have asked Dirk for a few words in private after the press conference, but Bo isn't in charge of his emotions. That much is obvious. His past is his past. The evidence is there.

Defend him all you like, but you know it to be true. If you or I behaved like he does in our place of employ, we would be out of a job in short order.

That being said, I do recognize that working in a newsroom, office building or a warehouse isn't anything like being the head football coach at a legendary football program. That doesn't excuse his sideline explosions, though.

Others like to justify Bo's behavior by saying it proves that he has his players’ backs. Tom Osborne had his players’ backs and he never ranted and raved. He did what he believed to be right and took the slings and arrows of the nation for his actions. I'm specifically referencing the Lawrence Phillips saga.

Pelini can't even begin to imagine the glare of that spotlight, yet Osborne handled that level of scrutiny with a grace and poise that few will ever possess. However, it's a grace that we can all strive for. Yes, even Bo Pelini.

Follow Brett on Twitter: @BigRedinTejas
Follow Husker Locker on Twitter: @huskerlocker]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=32
Enter Stanley Jean-Baptiste, who only two weeks ago was low on the depth chart at wide receiver. Stanley scored a big interception with 6:29 left in the game, giving Nebraska the ball on their own 22 yard line. Not even a minute and a half later, Rex Burkhead dove into the endzone for the go-ahead touchdown. 34-27 with 5:10 remaining in the game. The Blackshirts stopped Ohio State and the Huskers were able to run out the clock after gaining several first downs. Game over. Huskers win. All is good in Husker Nation and Bo is still upset at the media (or at least Dirk Chatelain) for calling out his quarterback on Friday.

Martinez had his best game of the season when it counted. He was 16-22 passing for 191 yards, two touchdowns and one INT. On the ground, Taylor ran for 102 yards on 17 carries and scored a touchdown. Most notably, Taylor completed his first 10 passes of the night and did a great job of checking down to Rex Burkhead out of the backfield. Credit Martinez and also offensive coordinator Tim Beck for putting his QB in good situations.

Offensively, Martinez shared the spotlight with Rex Burkhead, who ran for a game high 119 yards on 26 carries and one touchdown. Rex added another 59 yards in receiving, including the game-tying touchdown on a 30 yard reception from Martinez. Kyler Reed even had three receptions on the night. In total, seven Huskers were on the receiving end of a Martinez pass.

Hats off to the offensive line for a hard fought game. Ohio State’s highly ranked defense only managed two sacks of Martinez, but when the game was on the line, NU’s O-line took over. Nebraska racked up 195 rushing yards in the second half after being held to only 37 in the first 30 minutes.

Nebraska had two fumbles, but didn’t lose either. The Huskers had six penalties for 50 yards on the night, compared to Ohio State’s nine for 75 yards.

The Blackshirts were led by Lavonte David, who had 13 tackles and the biggest play of the game and perhaps the season with his strip of Braxton Miller. Will Compton added 10 tackles and Chase Rome registered the only sack for the Huskers on the night. The secondary stepped up big after a poor showing in Madison. Ohio State managed only six completions on the night. Poor tackling plagued the team and the front four continue to struggle in getting a pass rush on opposing QBs. In the last quarter and a half, the Buckeyes managed only 39 yards of offense.

The 21-point deficit marks the largest comeback in school history and the biggest since being down 17 against Texas A&M in 2002. All it took was 18 minutes for the Huskers to score 28 points and save their season. This game has to rank near the top for most exciting Husker home games. The other one that comes to mind is the 2008 game against Colorado which saw Alex Henery kick a go-ahead 57-yard field goal followed by Ndamukong Suh steamrolling Cody Hawkins on his way to a pick six.

Former Husker players in attendance for the game Saturday night included: Neil Smith, Will Shields, Ndamukong Suh, Dominic Raiola, Dave Rimington, Johnny Rodgers, Grant Wistrom, Jason Peter, Eric Hagg, DeJon Gomes and Todd Peterson.

Be sure to check out our game photos on the Photos page.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=31
The stage had been set. The Nebraska Cornhuskers were under the brightest of spotlights, including headlining ESPN College GameDay, and being featured in the primetime ABC game. What followed was absolute humiliation of Nebraska on every level, live and in high-definition.

While Southern Cal walked into Lincoln and pummeled the Cornhuskers, Wisconsin had the privilege of doing so in friendly confines. Nebraska and Ohio State haven’t met since 1956, but the significance of this week’s game is eerily similar to one four years ago against the Ball State Cardinals.

For those who have seared the Callahan Era from their brain for completely understandable reasons, allow a brief refresher. An upstart Ball State squad came into Lincoln following the Huskers’ drubbing by the Trojans in 2007 and hope was high among the Nebraska faithful for an immediate rebound.

The results were less than encouraging. Nate Davis, Ball State’s upstart sophomore quarterback, torched the Nebraska secondary to the tune of 422 yards. The Cornhuskers would deny the upset bid thanks to a Bo Ruud pick-six and Maurice Purify touchdown catch. Nebraska had their own “free agent” in former Arizona State quarterback Sam Keller who performed well, throwing for 438 yards and three touchdowns.

Following the heroics that saved the Huskers further embarrassment, Nebraska would drop six of its next seven games. The head coach was promptly removed following a shootout during the final contest of the season, and the rest is history. Bo Pelini finds himself in a position not unlike that 2007 squad, except the pieces to this season’s puzzle are scattered a bit differently.

In 2007, Keller was far from perfect, but he did manage 2,422 yards passing and 14 touchdowns. He also set Cornhusker records for passing accuracy and single-game yardage. In 2011, Nebraska has sophomore Taylor Martinez delivering more passes that result in eventual scores for the opposition thanks to a 5-4 interception-to-touchdown ratio.

Perhaps what’s most concerning about the 2011 squad is that prior to the season, this defense appeared loaded. With Jared Crick, Lavonte David and Alfonzo Dennard all returning, fans likely anticipated black practice jerseys being handed out by now. Five games into the season, the Cornhusker defense is giving up 377 yards per game.

To be fair, Nebraska didn’t have those three talented athletes all healthy and on the field at the same time until reaching Madison. Unfortunately, even their presence didn’t affect a vastly superior team across the board nearly enough. The loss to Wisconsin is behind Nebraska and now comes a very crucial game for the Cornhuskers.

Neither Ohio State’s Joe Bauserman nor Braxton Miller is going to be confused for Nate Davis circa 2007. In addition, three very talented players in running back Daniel “Boom” Herron, wide receiver DeVier Posey and offensive lineman Marcus Hall had their suspensions extended as of yesterday. While Las Vegas’ coffers were promptly filled following this news, Ohio State’s cupboard isn’t entirely bare.

The good news for Nebraska is that this game presents an opportunity for a massive shift in morale and direction for the entire 2011 season. Pelini and company have the necessary talent to bounce back on both sides of the football, but changes are necessary for Pelini’s “process” to begin an upward trend. If the Cornhuskers are going to have a successful inaugural season as a member of the Big Ten, it’s time to erase the drawing board and start from scratch.

While there’s little doubt Taylor Martinez will start against the Buckeyes this week, the call to relieve him in favor of another option, be it Brion Carnes or Rex Burkhead, needs to be made. Burkhead has proven to be a rock at running back. This is one position where Cornhusker fans know they have a reliable leader and talented corps.

Jamal Turner is being sinfully underutilized. There’s no reason that he should be held back any longer. It doesn’t matter if he’s used as a wide receiver, quarterback or even running back. Turner needs to be on the field, as all playmakers should be. Nebraska’s offensive line is quite reliable overall. The work of John Garrison and Brendan Stai is clearly meshing well with what Barney Cotton already had in place.

On defense, the Cornhuskers may want to consider moving the versatile Jared Crick to the outside opposite Cam Meredith and plug the middle using Steinkuhler, Moore, Randle and Rome. Unfortunately, Sean Fisher doesn’t look like he’ll ever regain his old speed which necessitates one of three things: Move Daimion Stafford to linebacker, a Peso-style hybrid, or burn David Santos’ redshirt.

Despite only having one game under his belt, Alfonzo Dennard wasn’t attacked much by Wisconsin. The same can’t be said for the rest of the secondary. Where is Antonio Bell or Josh Mitchell? At this point, is giving P.J. Smith or Courtney Osborne truly not worth a shot? Yes, the defensive backfield is still a work in progress, but as it stands, it’s hard to comprehend why the coaches wouldn’t start mixing up personnel until they find a group that clicks.

If these changes are made and an absolute commitment is made by Tim Beck to stick to an effective game plan (See: First quarter vs. Wisconsin), Nebraska will very likely avoid a record mirroring 2007’s. However, if there is little to no shakeup, Taylor Martinez remains under center, and square pegs keep being slammed against round holes, the Buckeyes are good enough to beat the Cornhusker team seen last Saturday in Camp Randall Stadium.

A 41-40 win over Ball State in 2007 was an ominous sign of things to come. If Nebraska’s first Big Ten home game is a loss, the difficult challenges that Nebraska faces this week may be welcomed in comparison come this Sunday.

Follow Husker Locker on Twitter @huskerlocker. For more, check out HuskerLocker.com.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=30
Nebraska isn't deserving of a #8 ranking after all. Today, the new polls came out and the Huskers are #14 and #15. Seems about right if you ask me. Wisconsin rises three spots to #4, which also seems appropriate.

Dirk Chatelain of the Omaha World-Herald sums up my thoughts about the game best in this article. Basically, NU offensive coordinator, Tim Beck, pulled a Shawn Watson. He went away from what was working, even if it's slow and methodical, to something that rarely has worked in Nebraska's history...relying on the pass.

Taylor Martinez isn't a passing quarterback. Sure, he made some questionable throws, three of which resulted in Wisconsin interceptions. The question is, who put him in the position to be throwing in the first place. That lands at the feet of Beck. A coach's job is to put his players in position to succeed. Why do we continue trying to fit a square peg through a round hole?

We've got Rex Burkhead, a man whose nickname is "Superman," being vastly underutilized in the backfield. Behind him are Aaron Green, Ameer Abdullah, and Braylon Heard. Enough depth in other words to run the ball much more than we did Saturday night.

I don't understand the need to go away from what's working. Especially when running is clearly the strength of the offense.

Defensively, there are many issues that need ironed out. Our secondary continues to struggle, making it difficult for the defensive line to sack the quarterback. Playing a very mobile QB like Russell Wilson forces the D-line to play more of a contain defense, similar to the Pelini Brother's scheme for Tyrod Taylor at Virginia Tech in 2009. This puts a lot of the pressure on the back end of the D. Michigan's Dennard Robinson will be the next QB the Huskers face who is truly a dual threat.

The bottom line is that the secondary shouldn't be getting beat deep as much as they have this year. In theory, you should never get beat deep. It happens, but unfortunately all too often in 2011. Safe to say that no Blackshirts will be handed out this week.

As for Madison, what a beautiful city. A great tailgating scene and gameday environment, the picturesque lakes that are on either side of downtown Madison, just a great time. And the Badger fans were nice, too, except for their students. They weren't exactly Colorado bad, but they were at least cocky Mizzou fan bad.

What I can't figure out though is why Barry Alvarez and Wisconsin fans in general allow the student section to behave the way they do. At one point in the second half, some of the students were chanting "Eat &*^%" while the other half responded "F-You." They let Lee Corso have it too for picking the Huskers. A common chant to opposing fans is "A-hole."

Everything else was top notch. The tailgating and food is tremendous. Regent Street and State Street are great. So why tolerate this bad behavior from the students. Why not say no more "Jump Around" if these vulgar chants continue? I'm not that far removed from college, but for some reason this really stuck in my craw.

The aforementioned "Jump Around" is pretty cool, albeit a little weird from the upper deck. The entire stadium is rocking during the whole song, which is played before the 4th quarter begins. Hats off to the UW student section for their enthusiasm in starting the wave, slowing it down and speeding it up. With a blowout game, fans needed something to focus on.

The Huskers will bounce back. Ohio State isn't who we thought they were. Hopefully the Big Red can take out their Badger frustrations on the Buckeyes. Arguably, the toughest Big Ten game of the year is out of the way. It didn't go in our favor, but it's time to get back to work because there are many games yet to be played. GBR!

(Be sure to check out our photos from Madison on the Photos page.)]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=29
Brandon Kinnie had his best game of the year with three catches for 31 yards. Kinnie had been struggling up to this point, so its good to see him get back on track.

Brett Maher had another big day, especially on kickoffs. The Huskers had six touchbacks, taking advantage of the thin air. Maher also had what appeared to be a 50-yard field goal taken away from him. He kicked the ball over the right upright, from 50 yards out, and the referee signaled it was no good. Replay reviews weren't exactly conclusive, but the ball appeared to have been slightly inside the upright. Brett had the distance for 65 yards on that kick, if not even further.

On the negative side, NU continues to suffer from fumbleitis, putting the ball on the ground four times, even if losing only one. Better competition will expose the Huskers lax ball control.

Taylor completed only 12 of 21 passes and had some bad misses. This marks the fourth game in a row that Martinez's pass completion percentage is around 50%. This needs to rise in a hurry.

Defensively, the tackling was very poor at times (again).

All three of these facets need to be cleaned up in a hurry for the Huskers road trip to Madison. Speaking of Wisconsin, here's our thoughts on the Huskers' first true test of the season.

Wisconsin is 11th nationally in scoring offense, averaging 45 points per game thus far. Meanwhile, they're giving up only 8 points per game, which puts them at third in the country. The Badgers are averaging 5.59 yards per carry and they've scored 18 of 19 times in the Red Zone. Surprisingly, the Huskers and Badgers are tied in turnover margin, with both teams at zero.

Wisconsin has fumbled and lost only one, while the Huskers at times appear to be trying out for Doc Sadler's squad.

The Badgers average 49.3 yards per game in penalties versus the Huskers 39.3.

So we've all seen the gaudy numbers put up by the Badgers, but just who have they played so far in 2011?

Wisconsin's first game of the season was against UNLV, a team who is now 1-3. The Running Rebels have lost to Washington State and Southern Utah in addition to Wisconsin. Their lone win came against Hawaii. UNLV ranks 101st in points scored and 118th in points allowed.

The Badgers played Oregon State in their second game, winning 35-0. Oregon State is 0-3, including a loss at home to Sacramento State in overtime and a 27-19 loss to UCLA. Oregon State ranks 112th in points scored and 86th in points allowed.

In their third game of the season, the Badgers took on Northern Illinois, which ranks 108th in points allowed. Wisconsin easily handled the Huskies 49-7. Northern Illinois is 2-2 on the season, with a loss to Kansas and wins over Army and Cal Poly.

In their fourth game, Wisconsin beat up on South Dakota, an FCS school, winning by a final of 59-10.

So Wisconsin hasn't exactly played a murderer's row of teams to open the season. They've put up big numbers and had their way with much lesser competition. Nebraska has faced a slightly tougher schedule to date, but also looked a little less convincing against these teams.

The Huskers will have to do three things to win in Madison: 1) not turn over the ball, 2) tackle much better, and 3) have an effective run game. More Rex Burkhead and the freshmen triplets and less Taylor Martinez on the ground. In the air, Taylor really needs to get dialed in and throw catchable balls. Defensively, Nebraska will see the toughest offensive line, possibly of the season, next Saturday night. Oh, and the atmosphere of Camp Randall at night...the Huskers can't get rattled by one of the loudest stadiums in the country.

The spotlight will be bright on the Huskers next Saturday for sure. We'll know much more about our team a week from now. GBR!]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=28
- Alfonzo Dennard played up to the level that just about anyone would during their season debut while still working through injury.

- Corey Cooper could be a solid cornerback. He needs to work on his hip movement, though. Dennard had the same issue when he was younger.

- Yoshi Hardrick has become a beast on the offensive line. He, Marcel Jones and Mike Caputo are injecting some much-needed leadership into an overall young unit.

- Why Choi is just seeing the field now is a mystery.

- You will either tackle Rex Burkhead or get shoved to the turf. The good news is that you’ll walk back to the huddle with about two or three teammates who suffered the same fate.

- The WildRex formation’s always a treat.

- 333 yards rushing, 24 first downs and a third down conversion rate over 50 percent will win plenty of ballgames.

- It’s a near guarantee that if you put the ball on the ground four times against Big Ten opposition, you’re not getting three of them back.

- Kenny Bell answered the question of whether or not Nebraska would be penalized for making a hand gestures following a score. If he had a pair of the new gloves on, it would've looked far cooler.

- The defense just seems disorganized. Not really sure if they’re out for themselves, mentally revved up too much, etc.

- Organized scrimmages are over. Expect to see the kitchen sink thrown at Wisky and OSU as the bye week allows Nebraska to switch things up heading to Minneapolis.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=27
By position:
QB - 1
RB - None
WR - 1
TE - 1
OL - 1
DL - None
DE - 1
LB - 2
DB - None
P/K - None

By state:
Colorado - 1
Illinois - 1
Missouri - 1
Nebraska - 1
Ohio - 1
Texas - 1
California - 1

By Rivals.com stars:
5 stars - None
4 stars - 3
3 stars - 4
1 star - None

By player:

Zaire Anderson
Linebacker
Riverside, CA (Riverside C.C.)
6'1" 220 pounds
4 stars
Committed 10/19/11

Tommy Armstrong
Quarterback
Cibolo, TX (Steele H.S.)
6'2" 210 pounds
3 stars
Committed 9/19/11

Sam Cotton
Tight End
Lincoln, NE (Southeast High School)
6'4" 240 pounds
3 stars
Committed 6/20/11

Greg McMullen
Defensive End
Akron, OH (Hoban)
6'5" 255 pounds
4 stars
Committed 6/23/11

Michael Rose
Linebacker
Kansas City, MO (Rockhurst)
6'0" 230 pounds
3 stars
Committed 7/5/10

Paul Thurston
Offensive Lineman
Arvada, CO (Arvada West)
6'5" 274 pounds
4 stars
Committed 6/24/11

Jordan Westerkamp
Wide Receiver
Lombard, IL (Montini)
6'2" 190 pounds
3 stars
Committed 5/6/11]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=26
It's hard to believe that it's been four years since I first saw Aaron Green create magic on the football field. If "magic" seems like hyperbole, I'd be hard pressed to come up with another word for 428 yards rushing and nine touchdowns in a single game. It was also just his second game as a varsity running back at San Antonio's Madison High School.

In his third game as a Cornhusker, he's beginning to show Nebraska fans a glimpse of that amazing athletic ability. With Ameer Abdullah sidelined with a tweaked ankle after another monster kickoff return during the Huskers’ contest against Washington, Green got his biggest dose of Beck Ball on Saturday and he made the most of it. With 61 yards of offense and two touchdowns on only six touches, the freshman put his stamp on the game.

As impressive as his two scores were, they weren't what impressed me the most. Early in the fourth quarter with Nebraska up 20 points and looking to put the game out of reach, Green got the bulk of his carries, but there was one that stood out. On first and ten at the Huskies’ 23-yard line, Green got the handoff and broke right for an eight-yard gain. The run was most impressive for what he didn't do.

During his high school days, the only knock on Green was that he tended to look for the sidelines after a big gain. After this particular carry, Green was headed for the sidelines, but before getting there he turned up field, put his nose into the chest of the defender and gained another two yards.

To most fans this would be just an average play. To me it showed a lot more; that the kid is tough, hardnosed and has a head for snap live game decisions. Keeping the clock running and picking up a couple of yards was the right call, and he made it.

Given all of the teeth gnashing that's gone on with Taylor Martinez and his decision-making over the last 12 months, it's good to accentuate the positive when it happens. What makes this all the more satisfying is that Green didn't expect to get the touches that he did, but he was ready, willing and plenty more than able.

The best part is that Nebraska fans haven't seen his best yet. With each tote of the rock he's that much closer to breaking off the kind of run that kept him in the same sentence with Texas' Malcolm Brown during the recruiting process. While Husker fans dream of Green running in acres of space, I'm going enjoy the thought of him doing the little things that make for a great running back.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=25
After former Nebraska quarterback Cody Green decided to transfer to Tulsa and Kody Spano chose to hang up his pads for good, the Cornhuskers’ quarterback depth chart has been cause for worry. Tim Beck’s new offense takes a physical toll on its signal-callers which made signing quarterbacks this recruiting cycle a necessity. Enter Tommy Armstrong.

The 6’2” 210-pound athlete from Cibolo, Texas’ Steele High School likely won’t be the only quarterback that Nebraska picks up this cycle because of the aforementioned lack of depth, but he’ll be bringing a big game mentality with him from the Lone Star State.

Armstrong took in Nebraska’s game versus the Washington Huskies this past weekend and despite what appeared to be weather straight from Seattle, the Cornhuskers' offense had plenty of fireworks to put on display for its visitors. “I had a great time. I was bonding with the coaches and the players. It felt like home, like I could be there the next four or five years of my life,” said Armstrong.

It didn’t hurt that plenty of Texans were making plays on the field for Nebraska including San Antonio native Aaron Green. The true freshman Husker running back had encouraged Armstrong to follow him to Nebraska following Green's eventual commitment to the Cornhuskers.

Steele High School head football coach Mike Jinks couldn’t be more excited for his pupil’s future. “It’s a great day for Steele High School and it’s a great day for Tommy Armstrong,” he said. “He’s become a leader in our program and a leader in our community.”

Armstrong and Nebraska had strong communication dating back into the summer months and according to Jinks, the Cornhuskers made a lasting impression. “In the back of his head, I think Nebraska’s always been number one.”

In 2010, Armstrong had the good fortune of having one of the most highly-rated running backs in the country share the backfield in future Texas Longhorn Malcolm Brown.

This year, he’s stepped his game up and has led Steele High to a 3-0 record while rushing for 337 yards and two touchdowns. He’s also yet to be intercepted while completing 20 passes out of 37 attempts for 372 yards and five touchdowns.

When it came time to make a decision, Armstrong sounded confident. This past weekend's visit provided what appears to have been the tipping point. “It just felt right,” he said.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=24
For the third time in 12 months, the Huskers and Huskies battled. For the second time, the good guys came out on top 51-38.

With 12 minutes left in the game, and the Huskers up 44-17, it was looking like it would be a repeat of the Big Red's blowout win in Seattle last year. Then Washington outscored the Huskers 21-7, keeping the game somewhat in doubt until the final few minutes.

Plenty to work on for the Huskers, especially defensively. The cornerback play was spotty, something that will be helped by the return of Alfonzo Dennard next week, but Dennard alone can't cure what ails the Blackshirts.

The defensive line play through three games hasn't been as dominating as in the past few years. Part of the reason again goes back to the secondary play. If opposing wide receivers aren't open, which they weren't a high percentage of the time with Amukamara, Hagg, Gomes and Dennard patrolling, then the D-line will eventually track down the quarterback. So far this year, we're not seeing the lockdown secondary, meaning QBs are unloading the ball much more quickly.

The Husker D allowed Washington's Chris Polk to average nearly six yards per carry as he racked up 130 rushing yards on the day. He's a good running back, but the Blackshirts could have contained him better.

Offensively, the line play was much improved over the first two games. NU ran the ball 55 times for 309 yards. Rex Burkhead carried the load with 120 yards, while freshmen Braylon Heard and Aaron Green both managed seven yards per carry. Green had his first two touchdowns as a Husker, one receiving and one rushing the ball.

Still, there are many facets of the Huskers game that needs cleaned up before conference play begins. The October 1st showdown at Madison will reveal exactly where this team is and how they stack up against a formidable opponent.

We'd like to see Taylor Martinez complete a higher percentage of his passes. Taylor has excelled in the last two games at the long ball, but still struggles in the shorter, timing routes. Drops have played a role in his lower pass completion percentage, but part of that is on him.

Next up...the Wyoming Cowboys, which should reverse the Huskers' trend of playing better competition each week. One final non-conference tuneup before the trip to Madison. It's critical Nebraska gets some momentum heading into Big Ten play.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=23
- One of two things is a liability: Andrew Green or Corey Raymond’s coaching. Alfonzo Dennard will determine which.

- On the other hand, it turns out Aaron Green is a baller. Braylon Heard, come on down!

- That Rex guy’s pretty good, too.

- Nebraska has approximately a 29 percent third down conversion rate over the past two games. However, they’ve scored 40-plus points in the first three contests of a season for the first time since 1995. Pass the Aleve.

-It’s safe to say that Ameer Abdullah could score on any given return. When’s the last time that could be said about a Cornhusker? Maybe DeJuan Groce…maybe.

- In health news, Taylor Martinez finally decides to stop shaving years off of his life by sliding.

- Mathew May’s heads up play deserves an extra tip of the cap. That sort of play will win you games that you probably should lose.

- Chris Polk ran for a ton of yardage and it came as no surprise. Not necessarily because the interior defensive line got worked over, but he’s a damn good back. The line issue may want to be resolved before the Huskers hit Madison in black, though.

- Brett Maher shanks a punt, but redeems himself by making one of the better tackles of the afternoon.

- Stafford and David are tackling machines, but again none were for a loss.

- Seven times the Cornhuskers entered the red zone and seven times they scored. That’s a bingo.

- Is this the first college football game in recent memory where a ref needs to be worried about getting fined by the FCC over an issue with the game clock?

-The bottom line's three wins and no losses. It’d be a lie to say after being up 44-17 that the final score of the rubber match against Washington wasn’t disappointing, though.

Link to article on HuskerLocker.com]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=22
It was late January 2010 and Nebraska needed another running back recruit in the worst way. Then-running backs coach Tim Beck made it a personal mission to stop in Homewood, Alabama to solve this problem.

The devil may head down to Georgia for souls to steal, but Beck’s job was to enter the Yellowhammer State and leave with a prized recruit in a style appropriate for a sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Approximately 15 days passed between Nebraska’s offer and Abdullah’s eventual commitment. As a senior at Homewood High School, he’d rushed 157 times for 1,795 and 24 touchdowns. He also caught 24 passes for 561 yards and four touchdowns. In what will surely come as a complete shock to anyone who either saw the slugfest against Fresno State or the game’s highlights, he also had four touchdowns via punt return.

Everything was going swimmingly once Abdullah committed, but a potential worst case scenario for Nebraska cropped up: Auburn was making a late push for the 5’9” 185-pound back. There was talk that he’d even be visiting the home state school, but that’s where Beck came in. He was going to keep Abdullah under the Big Red banner or die trying. Once the Alabama native’s letter of intent was signed, Nebraska had officially stolen one of SEC country’s best-kept secrets.

Beck had an ace up his sleeve for this recruiting battle. Then-verbal commitment Aaron Green was developing a friendship with the running back coach’s target. Once Abdullah committed, the two running back recruits couldn’t have been happier. “We're both excited,” Abdullah told the Omaha World-Herald back in January. “I think we like the direction Nebraska is taking its offense.”

During his recruitment, Abdullah had travelled to Tennessee as the Volunteers took on Kentucky, but Rocky Top was no match for the Big Red thanks to one of Nebraska’s most important recruiting tools - its fans. While he didn’t have an opportunity to take in a Cornhusker home game himself, if you find a Nebraska fan, you’ll likely find someone ready to talk football, game day be damned.

In what may have signaled the beginning of a thrilling stint as a Cornhusker, Abdullah delivered a shot to the jaw of the Fresno State Bulldogs’ upset hopes Saturday Night in the form of a 100-yard kickoff return that sent the Memorial Stadium crowd into a frenzy.

"It was a turning point of the game," Abdullah told the Omaha World-Herald. "It was huge." His performance against the Bulldogs has already cemented his place in the annals of Husker history. The true freshman set a school record with 211 kick return yards.

His coming out party adds another intriguing element to one of Nebraska’s many Big Ten showcase games in 2011. When Nebraska travels to the Big House to face Michigan for the first time since the 2005 Alamo Bowl, two of the conference’s fastest quarterbacks will take center stage in Denard Robinson and Taylor Martinez.

While “T-Magic vs. Shoelace” may dominate the headlines that week, Ameer Abdullah fired a warning shot over the bow of the Big Ten. If a team makes the mistake of letting him touch the ball on a return, they’ll likely learn their lesson the hard way.

It’s almost guaranteed that Cornhusker fans haven’t seen the last of Abdullah’s special team prowess in 2011, but a large question looms – What happens should his offense line start clicking and opening up holes for the true freshman running back?

Nebraska fans anxiously wait for that day. 11 other teams hope it never comes. Notre Dame found out firsthand what it’s like to have hopes dashed by a player courted by the SEC in Michigan's Robinson. The difference between Abdullah and Robinson is that the latter has had the national spotlight on him since his recruitment began.

Abdullah has stepped into it for the first time in over seven months since signing his letter of intent. If his play against Fresno State is any indication, the attention he draws only going to intensify as his days in scarlet and cream continue.

For more from Brandon Cavanaugh, check out Husker Locker.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=21 -NU's return game thanks to Ameer Abdullah. The true freshman had five kickoff returns for 211 yards, a school record, including a 100-yard touchdown early in the 4th quarter.
-Young receivers stepping up, including big catches by Kenny Bell and Jamal Turner. Kyler Reed had a 53 yard reception in the 4th quarter that set up a Huskers touchdown as well.
-Penalties...Nebraska only had 3 for 25 yards.
-Martinez had a big play filled night, with runs of 57, 38, and 46 yards, and pass completions of 38, 42, 43, and 58 yards.
-NU found a way to win. Given some of the other day's games, a win is more important than style points.

Negatives:
-Brandon Kinnie continues to struggle, dropping several more passes last night.
-No sacks. Fresno State continually rolled out their quarterback, neutralizing the Blackshirts pass rush.
-NU's defense didn't force a turnover. Credit Fresno State's QB Derek Carr for a game well-played. The lone turnover credited to Nebraska came on a vicious hit by Quincy Enunwa after a Martinez interception.
-The reliance on big plays from the offense. Other than late in the fourth quarter, Nebraska struggled all game to methodically move the ball. Nothing wrong with big plays in general, but living and dying by them isn't a good thing. Better Big Ten defenses will figure out a way to limit NU's big plays, and then what do we have?
-Kick/punt coverage is susceptible to giving up big plays. Fresno State's smaller, scat backs posed problems for the Huskers in special teams coverage as well as in the running game.
-Fumbles...Nebraska just can't seem to hang onto the ball. Three fumbles, none of which were lost, is troubling. A majority of these are from Taylor Martinez, which given the big numbers he puts up (219 yards passing, 166 yards rushing) is something us Husker fans evidently will have to live with.

Next week's game against Washington doesn't look like a cake walk anymore. In fact, no games look easy from here on out, not even Minnesota. The Huskers are a young team, dependent on the big play offensively, who must find a way to come of age quickly. In other words, don't book that trip to Indy just yet.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=20
Players that stood out

Daimion Stafford - Wearing the #3 jersey, it turns out Stafford has more than jersey number in common with former Husker Rickey Thenarse. The guy can hit like Thenarse too. Let's hope for Daimion's sake that he grasps the defensive concepts better than Rickey did. Stafford's hit on the Mocs running back was clearly the hit of the game.
Lavonte David - This should come as no surprise, but David was all over the field, leading the Huskers with nine tackles on the day. He will be relied upon heavily at the linebacker spot throughout the season. His combination of speed and tackling abilities make him as important as Jared Crick to the Blackshirts.
Ameer Abdullah - The true freshman running back made his mark in the return game, where he racked up 69 yards on five returns.
Cameron Meredith - The junior defensive end was the most effective Blackshirt on the day, tallying three tackles, two sacks, an interception and he recovered a block field goal attempt by the Mocs.
Jamal Turner - He only touched the ball twice, but managed to turn a no-gainer into an 19-yard first down. His speed is electric, so the Huskers will no doubt utilize him more and more as the season moves along.
Brett Maher - We're not ready to annoint him King Henery II just yet, but making a 50-yard field goal into the wind is an impressive way to start your college career. Maher had at least 10 yards of clearance on this kick, too. Brett in all accounted for 16 of the Huskers' 40 points, making 4-4 field goal attempts and 4-4 extra points. In addition, Maher averaged 52 yards on his four punts.

Players/positions that were underwhelming

Brandon Kinnie - The most senior wide receiver and an offensive leader, Kinnie dropped two passes he should have caught and only garnered two catches for seven yards. Expect a better effort from BK in all remaining games.
Taylor Martinez - Sure Taylor looked good running the ball, but he continues to struggle at times in the passing game. Completing only 50% of your passes will encourage opposing defenses to stack the box. Hopefully we can chalk this up to first game jitters and having a new offensive coordinator. As long as Taylor remains healthy, he's a threat with his feet. If he can develop into a decent passer, defenses will have a more difficult time gameplanning.
Offensive line - Disappointed in the play up front. Having outweighed their opponents by roughly 50 pounds, Nebraska should have had more sustained drives than they did. In fact, the Huskers should have been able to dictate their offense to the Mocs defense, but that didn't happen. Relying on the big play will be the downfall of this offense once the Big Ten schedule begins. The O-line must be able to grind out 10-12 play drives.

Other notes

Penalties - The Huskers had only three penalties for 33 yards. Keeping these numbers down is a big must once conference play begins.
Fumbles - Nebraska shouldn't be fumbling the ball against a team like the Mocs, yet they had four fumbles and lost two.
Tyler Moore - Became the first true freshman to start on the offensive line for the Huskers in decades.
Captains - Tyler Legate, Lance Thorell, Austin Jones, and Jim Ebke
Fullback - Tyler Legate's fullback trap on the first play of the game was the first carry for a Husker fullback since 2004. That's seven years!
Martinez - Taylor's 7-yard TD run in the first quarter was his first rushing touchdown since the K-State game in 2010.

Around college football

The Game of the Season - Friday night's 50-48 Baylor win over TCU has staked an early claim to the game of the year. No doubt there will be a better finish down the line, but this game is why we all love college football.
Notre Dame - Is any team perennially overrated as much as the Fighting Irish? They should fall out of the Top 25 for their effort against South Florida. If they don't, maybe
Michigan next weekend can take Notre Dame out of their misery.
Georgia - How Mark Richt still is the Bulldogs head coach is beyond us.
Kansas State - The Ecokats barely escaped with a 10-7 win over Eastern Kentucky.
Northwestern - Beat Boston College without their starting quarterback, Dan Persa. A good win for Pat Fitzgerald's bunch.
Michigan - The Wolverines game was cut short due to weather, meaning all bets placed on the game were for naught. Bettors did receive their money back.
Colorado - Made Hawaii look like a Pac-12 team instead of vice versa, losing to the Rainbows 34-17.
Wisconsin - Their dismantling of UNLV showed their are the cream of the Big Ten crop. The Huskers will have their hands full when they travel to Madison on October 1st.
Minnesota - Lost at #25 USC 19-17. A good start to the Jerry Kill era for the Gophers.

Be sure to check out our game photos from Nebraska vs Tennessee-Chattanooga.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=19
The Huskers are ranked #9 heading into the 2011 campaign by the magazine and they play a prominent role in SI's coverage of the Big Ten conference.

Nebraska and Michigan State will tie for the Legends Division title (6-2 in conference; 10-2 overall), but the Huskers will move on to the championship game due to beating the Spartans head-to-head. Indianapolis will be the site of the Big Red's rematch with the Wisconsin Badgers. Nebraska presumably makes up for an earlier season loss in Madison by beating the Badgers to take the first ever Big Ten Championship.

Crick is predicted to be the best defensive player in the conference and SI thinks Nebraska may have the Big Ten's best defense.

Other Top 25 ranked Big Ten teams include Wisconsin at #11, Michigan State at #13, and Ohio State at #19. Incidentally, the Huskers play all three this season.

Speaking of Michigan State, check out their three games leading up to their October 29th matchup with the Huskers: October 1st at Ohio State, October 15th versus Michigan, and October 22nd versus Wisconsin. That stretch will define their season. The Huskers on the other hand will need to finish strong, as their final three games are road trips to Penn State and Michigan and a post-Thanksgiving game versus Iowa.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=18 http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=17
Some of you may be holding out hope that Bubba would announce he's all N and lead the Huskers to national titles and Heisman trophies. That his extraordinary talents would be utilized on the college gridiron instead of the major league diamond.

At one point maybe there was a decent chance of him staying at Nebraska and eventually becoming a member of the Husker pantheon. Not so anymore. Scott Boras, the super agent (or advisor) representing Starling is known for getting his clients top dollar. Ten million is the price tag for Bubba, according to Boras. Tonight at 11pm CST is the deadline for the Royals and Starling/Boras to come to terms. Most likely the number will be around $8.5 million. Whatever the number, a deal will get done. There is virtually no chance he returns to Lincoln at this point.

The fact that Bubba hasn't been practicing with the Huskers leaves little doubt about which way he will choose. If Bubba was intent on playing football at Nebraska, he wouldn't have left Lincoln this past Thursday after summer classes ended. In fact, he wouldn't have sat out fall practice. This isn't a case of Bubba not having made up his mind and waiting to see how much the Royals can scrounge from their couch cushions. He's not going to go to the wire Monday night and turn down $8.25 million simply because it's not $10 million. Like it or not, his Husker football experience was simply leverage used by Boras to raise the temperature of the Royals' hot seat. Make no mistake, K.C. can't afford to not sign Bubba, even as they can barely afford to sign him. As with past negotiations, Boras will take the Royals right up to the 11th hour before urging Bubba to accept K.C.'s offer. Just like Carl Crawford, Bubba Starling will be the one that got away. The one that could have led the Huskers to a national title game. The one that chose Royal blue over the Power of Red.

Life changing money is hard to pass up. There's no guarantee the money will still be there 3-4 years from now. A lot of bad can happen in that time span. Better to take the sure thing now and have football as your fallback if baseball doesn't pan out.

So long Bubba. Thanks for the memories (from Fan Day). We hope to see you at Kaufman Stadium soon, playing alongside former Husker great Alex Gordon. Hey, if for some reason the baseball thing doesn't work out, we Husker fans hope to see you back in Lincoln in five years or so.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=16
Check out our photos from Fan Day. We've got T-Magic, Rex, Bubba, Compton, Meredith, Martin, Dennard, Turner and more.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=15 Click here to order yours. Here's a little more about the Guide:

The 2011 Nebraska Football Field Guide is a small notebook that fits in your back pocket. It is packed full of information you need for each game like:
•rosters
•stadium information
•stats & trivia
•and even a bit of travel information (like the best place for good eats in Madison, WI)

It's not meant to sit on the shelf next to the other year books and preseason previews you've already bought. It goes where you go on game day; to the sofa or bar or stadium.

Do you ever want to jot things down during or after a game? Things you want to remember 20 years from now like stats, observations, score by quarter, how many runzas you ate? There's space for that too.

You must order before August 12th though to get yours before the first game.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=14
Fabian Washington - New Orleans
Carl Nicks - New Orleans (re-signed)
Brandon Jackson - Cleveland
Stewart Bradley - Arizona
Scott Shanle - New Orleans (re-signed)
Barrett Ruud - Tennessee

In other news, the Huskers Fan Day is this Friday at 2:30 CST at the stadium. Husker Faithful will be on hand to snap a few photos, which will be up on our Photos page shortly thereafter.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=13
Mike Smith plans to sign free agent deal with the Saints.
Zac Lee will get a chance with the Seattle Seahawks.

On the flip side, these Huskers were let go by their respective teams:

Correll Buckhalter by the Broncos
Kris Brown by the Cowboys
Stewart Bradley by the Eagles
Scott Shanle by New Orleans

It's also looking like Barrett Ruud will be let go by the Tampa Bay Bucs, meaning three former Husker linebackers will be on the market looking for a new NFL home. We'll keep you posted on further player movements.

Tickets to the Big Ten Championship game go on sale this Saturday at 9am CST through Ticketmaster.com or by calling (800) 745-3000. The December 3rd game will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=12

Mike McNeill - Indianapolis Colts
Adi Kunalic - Carolina Panthers
D.J. Jones - Miami Dolphins
Ricky Henry - Chicago Bears
Rickey Thenarse - Seattle Seahawks
Pierre Allen - New York Giants]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=11 Big Ten teams are predicted to finish by various pollsters.

Nationally, the Big Red are preseason #8 on a composite basis (five polls), with individual poll rankings ranging from #9 to #12. Fairly consistent. Behind the Huskers in the national composite ranking is, are you ready....Notre Dame. That's right. The Fighting Irish are Top 10 preseason. In fact, Phil Steele, Athlon Sports and the Rogers Poll have ND at 6th, 6th, and 5th respectively. These same outfits rank Nebraska at 10th, 12th, and 11th. Maybe they know something I don't. Did the number of service academies double in the offseason?

We tweeted the first one of these earlier today. (By the way, if you're on Twitter and not following @huskerfaithful, what's the deal? Check us out.) It has been this many days since the Huskers lost to these Big Ten opponents:

Iowa - 10,894 days (9/12/1981)
Michigan - 9,322 days (1/1/1986)
Ohio State - 20,008 days (9/29/1956)
Wisconsin - 13,442 days (9/21/1974)
Minnesota - 18,552 days (9/24/1960)
Indiana - 18,895 days (10/17/1959)
Purdue - 19,280 days (9/27/1958)
Northwestern - 29,136 days (10/3/1931)
Michigan State - an eternity
Penn State - 3,222 days (9/14/2002)
Illinois - 31,691 days (10/4/1924)

In United Football League news, the Omaha Nighthawks late today announced the signing of former Husker wide receiver Maurice Purify. Tuesday morning they will announce Heisman Trophy winner, Eric Crouch, has been added to the Nighthawks roster.

In other UFL news, former Husker QB Zac Lee was signed by the Las Vegas Locos.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=10
Athlon Sports tabs the Huskers to win the Legends Division and Wisconsin to win the Leaders Division. In the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game, Athlon predicts Nebraska to be the champion and finish 6-2 in conference and 11-2 overall.

So what do NFL players do during a lockout? How about drive across Europe and party it up in London, Paris and Monte Carlo. In case you missed them, here are three videos produced by NFL.com chronicling Ndamukong Suh and Cody Glenn touring Europe in the Gumball 3000. Webisode #1, Webisode #2, Webisode #3, and finally, Webisode #4.

Former Chadron State running back and current New England Patriot, Danny Woodhead, just inked a two-year endorsement deal with Skechers. And from the archives, who can forget Woodhead trying to sell his own jersey at a Modell's sporting goods store?

Now for what seems to be a weekly, if not daily, Bubba Starling timeline update:

July 9th or 10th - Bubba arrives in Lincoln (Omaha paper says the 10th, all others say the 9th)

July 11th - Begins Huskers summer conditioning program

August 6th - Fall practice begins

August 15th - Deadline for K.C. Royals to sign Bubba

According to the Kansas City Star, Starling will not enroll in summer classes at Nebraska. Royals GM Dayton Moore was asked if it was possible that Bubba could play college football in the fall and pro baseball in the summer. Moore's response: "That's possible. But not something we could consider. This game is tough. You've got to commit."

BONUS: This interview with Larry The Cable Guy. Check out our Larry The Cable Guy Camo Nebraska hats.

Until next time...GBR!]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=9
Wisconsin - Nebraska’s first game in the Big Ten Conference is a doozy. Camp Randall Stadium is known as one of the toughest environments for opponents, especially at night, as this year’s contest will be. The Huskers are 3-2 all-time against the Badgers. These two teams last played in 1974, which saw Wisconsin edge NU 21-20 in Madison. The other NU loss occurred way back in 1901, in a game played in Milwaukee. The other three matchups (1964, 1965, and 1973) saw the Big Red win by a combined score of 88-18.

Ohio State - Surprisingly, these two teams have only played twice (1955 & 1956) in their illustrious histories, with the Buckeyes coming out on top in each. It should be noted that both of these games were played in Columbus, so apparently the home-and-away concept was still a few years off. Ohio State is 5th on college football’s most winningest programs list at 819, right behind the Huskers (827). This year’s matchup lost some of its luster when former coach Jim Tressel was fired for not disclosing his knowledge of NCAA infractions. In a related story, noted sports car enthusiast Terrelle Pryor has decided to take his talents to the NFL Supplemental Draft.

Minnesota - The much-anticipated matchup of a Husker offense versus a Cosgrove defense was not meant to be. Former Husker assistant Kevin Cosgrove was "not retained" by the Gophers and is now coaching at Akron. Regardless, the Huskers and Minnesota do have quite a history. In fact, all-time the Gophers hold the edge over NU with a 29-20-2 record. Granted nearly every Minnesota victory happened before the Vietnam War, with Nebraska winning each time since 1963 (14 games in all). Gopher fans probably remember eighty-four in eighty-three. The Huskers "Scoring Explosion" offense put up 84 points on the Gophers in 1983, which remains the most points scored in a game by the Huskers in the last 100 years. Since you asked, they put up 119 points on Haskell in 1910, besting the 1983 effort by a mere five touchdowns.

Michigan State - Nebraska is 5-0 all-time against the Spartans and we sure as heck aren't going to let that domination change in 2011. You'll recall the last meeting between the two teams was Bo Pelini's first as a head coach. The Big Red won the 2003 Alamo Bowl by a score of 17-3, Bo was promoted to head coach by Steve Pederson, and two national titles later, he we are. At least that's how it should have happened. Interestingly, the 14-point win by Nebraska in the Alamo Bowl is the smallest margin of victory in any of the five meetings between these two teams. Unfortunately for Sparty, they ran up against the 1995 and 1996 Huskers, which if I remember right had some decent players.

Northwestern - Better known for their business school than their success on the football field, the Wildcats did enjoy a modicum of success under Gary Barnett, who later went on to coach the Colorado Buffaloes. The 1995 season saw the Wildcats beat Notre Dame, Michigan and Penn State on their way to the Big Ten Championship and a Rose Bowl appearance. On that 1995 team was current head coach Pat Fitzgerald. The Huskers hold a 3-1 all-time record against Northwestern, or NU as they call themselves. (How about the winner of this year's game gets the rights to "NU" for the next 100 years?) The lone win by the Wildcats came in 1931, the same year that the Empire State Building opened for business. Hopefully no skyscrapers will divert our attention enough for "NU" to beat Dear Old Nebraska U in 2011.

Penn State - There are few plays that chap the hides of Husker fans (at least those old enough to remember) more than the 1982 Nebraska-Penn State "catch" by Mike McCloskey. The #2 Huskers had just drove 80 yards in 13 plays to score the go-ahead touchdown with 1:18 left in the game. Nittany Lions quarterback Todd Blackledge responded by driving his 8th-ranked team down the field. Enter Mike "Even I admitted I was out of bounds" McCloskey. Blackledge threw a pass to the Huskers 2-yard line which McCloskey caught about three feet out of bounds, but side judge Ray Charles "saw" it differently. With four seconds left, Blackledge found his tight end in the back of the Huskers end zone with a low pass that many Husker fans thought was trapped. But the mob had a lot of money riding on the Nittany Lions that day. Final score: Penn State 27 - Nebraska 24. The Big Red didn’t lose another game all season. Penn State on the other hand got smoked by Alabama 42-21, yet still played for and won the national championship. Karma is a son-of-a-gun though and in 1994, the Big Red’s defeat of Miami was enough to compel voters to choose the Huskers over the Nittany Lions for the national title. Penn State fans moan about this just like we do about 1982. Overall this series is pretty even, aided by the aforementioned side judge who used his white cane to determine McCloskey was in bounds. Penn State holds a narrow 7-6 lead, with the last six contests (all since 1980) split evenly. Penn State is 7th on the list of college football’s most winningest programs.

Michigan – Like Ohio State, Nebraska and Michigan have not faced each other enough. Thankfully, that will be changing very soon. As the other perennial power (in theory) in the Legends Division, the Wolverines are just now pulling out of a nose dive induced by former coach Rich Rodriguez, whose tenure could be compared to that of Bill Callahan’s at Nebraska. Too much change apparently is not a good thing and neither is forgetting to play defense. All-time, Big Red is 2-3-1 against Big Blue, with the last meeting coming in the memorable 2005 Alamo Bowl. The feisty Huskers led by quarterback Zac Taylor outdueled Michigan 32-28, but only after a heads up play during Michigan’s rendition of the “play to beat the band” by backup safety Titus Brothers. The only Husker home game came in 1911, which resulted in a 6-6 tie. Michigan football has the most wins of any college football program with 877.

Iowa - The Missouri River Rivalry if you will. Since 1903, Nebraska has a 22-8-1 record against the Hawkeyes. At home, the Huskers are 14-2-1 and have won by an average of two touchdowns in those games. Why do I bring this up? This year’s game between the two schools will be played in Lincoln the day after Thanksgiving. I believe I’ve seen three articles now professing Iowa’s hatred for Nebraska fans. No doubt they are still hurting from Eric Crouch treating their players poorly.

Well that’s a look at how the Huskers stack up historically against this year’s Big Ten opponents. Now here’s a look at the rest of their new conference mates.

Indiana - Nineteen times these two teams have faced each other and only seven times have the Huskers come out on top. Three ties and nine losses round out Nebraska’s all-time record against the Hoosiers. The last four meetings, all in the 1970’s against Lee Corso-led IU teams, resulted in Husker victories. From 1936-1947, these programs played each other every year, with the Hoosiers clearly dominant. Indiana has been the doormat of Big Ten football for some time now. New head coach and former Oklahoma offensive coordinator, Kevin Wilson, hope to change that. Former Husker linebackers coach, Mike Ekeler, is now co-defensive coordinator for the Hoosiers.

Illinois - The first three meetings between these two schools took place at the turn of the 20th century, with the Huskers winning all three. The next three were in the Roaring ‘20’s and saw the Illini win two of three. The most recent three games (1953, 1985 and 1986) saw the Big Red go 2-0-1. The result is a 6-2-1 all-time record against Illinois.

Purdue - Nebraska and Purdue have what you might call not a lot of history. Only one game has been played between these two and the Boilermakers came out on top by a score of 28-0 in 1958. Enjoy this long unbeaten streak against the Huskers for another two years, Purdue fans.

Overall, the Huskers have a winning record against five of the 11 other Big Ten schools. It should be fun to watch that number slowly tick up in the years to come. GBR!]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=8
By position:
QB - None
RB - None
WR - 1
TE - 1
OL - 1
DL - None
DE - 1
LB - 2
DB - None
P/K - None

By state:
Colorado - 1
Illinois - 1
Missouri - 1
Nebraska - 1
New Orleans - 1
Ohio - 1

By Rivals.com stars:
5 stars - None
4 stars - 2
3 stars - 3
2 stars - 1
1 star - None

By player:

Sam Cotton
Tight End
Lincoln, NE (Southeast High School)
6'4" 240 pounds
3 stars
Committed 6/20/11

Deion Jones
Linebacker
New Orleans, LA (Jesuit HS)
6'2" 210 pounds
2 stars by Rivals, 3 by Scout
Committed 8/9/11

Greg McMullen
Defensive End
Akron, OH (Hoban)
6'5" 255 pounds
4 stars
Committed 6/23/11

Michael Rose
Linebacker
Kansas City, MO (Rockhurst)
6'0" 230 pounds
3 stars
Committed 7/5/10

Paul Thurston
Offensive Lineman
Arvada, CO (Arvada West)
6'5" 274 pounds
4 stars
Committed 6/24/11

Jordan Westerkamp
Wide Receiver
Lombard, IL (Montini)
6'2" 190 pounds
3 stars
Committed 5/6/11

]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=4
The programming kicks off at 11am with the unambiguously titled, "The Big Ten Welcomes Nebraska." At noon, the 1998 Orange Bowl featuring Nebraska vs Tennessee will be shown. This beatdown is followed by the 1997 National Championship game, which airs at 2pm. Here is the remaining schedule:

3:30pm - 1995 Orange Bowl featuring Nebraska vs Miami

5:30pm - Finished Business: The 1994 National Championship

7:00pm - a repeat of The Big Ten Welcomes Nebraska

8:00pm - Decade of Dominance: 1995 Nebraska Football

9:30pm - repeat of the 1998 Orange Bowl featuring Nebraska vs Tennessee

Unfortunately, it doesn't appear BTN will be airing the 1996 Fiesta Bowl, which saw the Huskers completely throttle Florida to the tune of 62-24. Some guy named Tommie Frazier had a pretty decent game if I remember correctly. Either way, this is a nice welcome on behalf of the Big Ten for Nebraska. And a well-timed one at that, considering July seems to last about 12 weeks.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=3 Gumball 3000, managed to be named Detroit's most powerful athlete, and is even holding a football camp for kids. Yet he still finds time to play in the Husker Legends Golf Event in Columbus. This just scratches the surface of what's keeping the big man busy these days.

Here's a shocker..."Iowa State has not fared well against the Huskers in football over the years." Truer words were never spoken by this Clone Chronicles blogger. Who knew that Iowa State fans hated Nebraska? Maybe the Cyclones 16-84 all-time record against Nebraska has something to do with it. They should be directing their hatred towards Texas, who dramatically destabilized the Big 12 Conference for smaller schools like Iowa State and Kansas State.

Nebraska is two weeks away from officially joining the Big Ten. Of course everyone is already looking ahead to the fall when the local college team plays the likes of Wisconsin, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan and Iowa. Even Big Ten commish, Jim Delany, is looking forward to the Huskers vs Badgers on October 1st.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=2 vote for your Huskers right here. Taking the Big Ten by storm starts today.]]> http://www.huskerfaithful.com/blog/index.php?entry=1 RDL Digital to redesign our website. We now have better product pages, a dedicated page for our game photos and a News page that will automatically update whenever Husker news hits. Become a fan of our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, check out our YouTube videos as well as our Picasa albums all by simply clicking on the icons at the top of the page. Now that the site is rebuilt we'll get back to focusing on our true passion...Husker football.

Let us know what you think. Use the Contact Us link to send us an email. Thanks in advance for the feedback.]]>