|
|
 |
| |
 |
February 2nd, 2010
Signing Day is here: NU's 2010 recruiting class breakdown
Nebraska’s 2010 football recruiting class is just about in the books, with 21 future Huskers signing on the dotted line today. Similar to the NU football season, the Huskers recruiting class gained momentum going into the close with the signing of four star prospects Corey Cooper and Brion Carnes to close out the class. Even though Owamagbe Odighizuwa, a five star defensive end from Portland, decided to go to UCLA, the Big Red finished strong.
Here’s how the class breaks down:
Offense - 10 players signed
Quarterbacks – 1 (Brion Carnes)
Offensive Lineman – 3 (Andrew Rodriguez, Mike Moudy, and Jermarcus Hardrick)
Running Backs – 2 (Braylon Heard and Kenny Bell)
Wide Receivers – 1 (Quincy Enunwa)
Tight Ends – 1 (Chase Harper)
Athletes – 2 (Tyler Evans and Bronson Marsh*)
* = Marsh is set to greyshirt, meaning he can’t be coached for a semester
Defense - 11 players signed
Defensive Ends – 4 (Donovan Vestal, Tobi Okuyemi, Walker Ashburn, and Jake Cotton)
Defensive Backs – 4 (Corey Cooper, Harvey Jackson, Joshua Mitchell, and Ciante Evans)
Defensive Tackles – 2 (Chase Rome and Jay Guy)
Linebackers – 1 (Lavonte David)
NU signed three junior college players in this class (Jermarcus Hardrick, Lavonte David, and Chase Harper).
read more..
January 14th, 2010
Early 2010 pre-season polls
Sports Illustrated is out with their early 2010 pre-season college football poll. Cutting to the chase, they have Nebraska pegged at the #15 spot. Curious considering most other polls we've seen have the Huskers closer to the Top 10. What's surprising is that SI thinks Texas is worthy of the #4 position. The loss of Colt McCoy, Jordan Shipley, and Sergio Kindle evidently doesn't phase Texas, according to this writer. Really? If Garrett Gilbert comes to Lincoln next season and walks away a winner, then I'll believe the hype. Texas probably deserves an 11-20 ranking rather than a Top 5.
Also curious, is Oklahoma at the #13 position. Let me be the first to predict that Oklahoma has another down year next season. Landry Jones doesn't strike me as anywhere near the quarterback that Sam Bradford was before he got hurt.
No other Big 12 teams made the SI Top 25. Oklahoma State would have been the next closest, but losing QB Zac Robinson leaves a big void the Cowboys must fill. The Cornhuskers visit Stillwater on October 23rd, a week after their game with Texas.
In other Husker related news, Ndamukong Suh was officially presented with the Outland Trophy tonight in Omaha.
read more..
January 12th, 2010
The coaching carousel goes round and round
Pete Carroll left USC for the Seattle Seahawks two days ago. Now, Lane Kiffin has been hired to replace Carroll. Kiffin spent just over one year as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers, a job which was preceded by a fairly typical stint (just over a year) with the Oakland Raiders. Rumors are swirling that Texas defensive coordinator and head-coach-in-waiting, Will Muschamp, is the leading candidate to replace Kiffin at Tennessee. Muschamp just completed his second season with the Longhorns and was previously the defensive coordinator at Auburn. Texas losing a DC of his caliber is a good thing for Cornhusker fans. No doubt this isn't the end of Coaching Carousel 2010.
January 12th, 2010
Suh to the Eagles?
The St. Louis Rams hold the key to the 2010 NFL draft. With the #1 pick, the Rams have the biggest bargaining chip available. St. Louis needs a quarterback, but drafting a QB with the #1 overall pick is a hit or miss proposition. JaMarcus Russell, Alex Smith, David Carr, and Tim Couch are recent #1 overall QB picks who have yet to pan out. Mixed in with those less-than-stellar careers are players like Carson Palmer, Eli Manning, and Michael Vick, all of whom were taken #1 in their respective drafts. Luckily for the Rams, the Philadelphia Eagles have three very capable quarterbacks who, for the right price, they'd be willing to trade to get into the #1 spot. Why the Eagles? They need an interior defensive lineman. Enter Ndamukong Suh, the most dominant player at his position to come through the college ranks in some time. The former Husker, fresh off a Heisman-like season, is a clear #1 overall draft pick for the right team. But the best player in a draft doesn't always go first. Teams choose players based on need and St.
read more..
January 9th, 2010
The latest from the college football world
Texas Tech is set to name Tommy Tuberville as its next head coach, replacing the recently fired Mike Leach. Tuberville's lasting coaching gig was at Auburn, where he went 5-7 in his last season before resigning. Prior to the 2008 season, Tommy's tenure with the Tigers was much more successful. While Nebraska doesn't play Texas Tech in either of the next two seasons, it will be interesting to see what an established coach can do with the Red Raiders. By the sounds of it, Tuberville plans to keep most of Leach's staff members as his own assistants.
Out on the Left Coast, Pete Carroll couldn't leave well-enough alone. The USC head coach is returning to the NFL ranks as coach of the Seattle Seahawks after a less-than-stellar 2009 season with the Trojans. Carroll's prior stint in the NFL was viewed by some as a bust, but few can argue that his time at Southern Cal was anything but a success. USC was much like Texas before Mack Brown, a program sitting on top of a hotbed of high school football talent, but whom underachived on the field.
read more..
January 7th, 2010
Root for Texas...seriously?
Tonight's BCS Championship game features #1 Alabama, fresh off a convincing SEC title game win over Florida, against the Texas Longhorns who are a month removed from allegedly beating Nebraska. I was at the Big 12 Championship and I'm still not sure. After thinking long and hard about this game, and trying to figure out who to root for and who will win, here are my thoughts.
In Texas' favor:
1) Narrowly beating Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship game and having to listen to pundits for the last month talk about how good Alabama is and how badly they will destroy McCoy and the Longhorns. Eerily reminiscent of the last time Texas played in the Rose Bowl against a USC team that no one thought could be beat. Granted this installment of UT doesn't have VY at QB. It's hard to underestimate the impact of being the underdog in a game where the two teams are so evenly matched on paper.
2) The Heisman jinx...recent history has proven that Heisman Trophy winners and/or their teams don't fare well in the national championship game, especially when playing against a Heisman vote getter.
read more..
December 31st, 2009
Husker defense stakes claim as one of the best
The 33-0 trouncing of Arizona in the Holiday Bowl capped what will go down in Husker lore as one of the most dominating defensive seasons on record. The Blackshirts will likely finish the year ranked as the #1 scoring defense in the country, a pretty impressive feat in Bo Pelini's second season as head coach. Limiting a Wildcats team, who was an overtime loss to Oregon away from winning the Pac 10,
to 109 total yards and six first downs, cements Pelini as one of the brightest defensive minds in college football. Surprisingly, the Huskers shutout of Arizona was the school's first in a bowl game. After the game, a defiant Bo Pelini said "Nebraska's back and we're here to stay."
Perhaps a bigger storyline than the play of the defense (we've come to expect that, right?) was the Huskers' offensive production, accounting for all of NU's 33 points. Rex Burkhead and Zac Lee carried the load for the offense, with Niles Paul adding perhaps his best game of the season. Paul hauled in a 74-yard touchdown pass from Lee in the third quarter and racked up decent yardage in the return game.
read more..
December 25th, 2009
A review of Husker Faithful's 2009 pre-season predictions
Sitting here on Christmas Day, stuck in Lincoln thanks to copious amounts of snow, it’s time to review our preseason predictions. Without checking, I’m confident I didn’t predict losing to Iowa State in Lincoln, nor did I predict a win over Oklahoma. Of course, that was before Sam Bradford was taken out of the equation. Without further qualifications, let’s see how we did. The original paragraph is italicized and our updated commentary is in bold.
Who steps up on the defensive line to replace Ty Steinkuhler? Without a formidable defensive tackle playing next to Ndamukong Suh, opponents will be able to double the big man and put the kibosh on Suh's hopes for a great senior season. Well Jared Crick answered the bell in a big way. The sophomore proved to be a “formidable defensive tackle” and helped create havoc for opposing offensive linemen throughout the 2009 season. The comment about Suh being double-teamed is laughable now. As we saw in the Big 12 Championship game, it doesn’t really matter how many people you put in Suh’s face, if he wants to “rag doll” the quarterback, he’s going to.
read more..
December 17th, 2009
Wildcats, Going Incognito, Turner Gill, Big 10 Expansion, and Texas Football
Beware the Wildcats of Arizona: Still basking in the glow of Ndamukong Suh's Heisman Trophy push and his overall trophy haul, Husker fans better not overlook Arizona as an opponent in the Holiday Bowl. Under Mike Stoops, the U of A has posted back-to-back eight win seasons and was an overtime loss to Oregon away from a berth in the Rose Bowl. Stoops is known for his defense, as is apparently every other college football coach from Youngstown, Ohio. The last time the Wildcats were this good on both sides of the ball was 1998, when then head coach Dick Tomey led his team to a 12-1 season that culminated with a win over the Huskers in the very same Holiday Bowl. Coach Stoops is in his sixth season in Tucson, but until the 2008 season he was largely considered to be on borrowed time. Eight wins last year led to the Las Vegas Bowl, the program's first since 1998, and seems to have resurrected Mike's coaching career. This game is sure to be a defensive battle, like the Huskers other big games this season.
read more..
December 13th, 2009
Heisman wrap up
True to form, Heisman voters stuck with the an offensive guy on the top ranked team, awarding the 75th annual trophy to Alabama running back Mark Ingram. The Heisman has always been an offensive MVP award given out to the best player on the best team. No homework needed. Just scan the rankings for the #1 team and choose between that team's quarterback or running back. There's your Heisman winner.
Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh finished in fourth place, behind Toby Gerhart and Colt McCoy, but ahead of Tim Tebow. Husker fans know that Suh was the best player in college football this season and his coach made the point after the ceremony. If only he could have caught a few touchdown passes during the year, maybe more voters would have seen the light.
While Suh didn't place as high as we would have liked, he can take pride in knowing that he almost single-handedly took the Heisman away from Colt McCoy. If McCoy would have had a three touchdown game against the Huskers in the Big 12 Championship, odds are good that he would have taken home the trophy.
Suh represented the Huskers about as well as anyone could have Saturday night in New York.
read more..
December 11th, 2009
Heisman 101
According to the Heisman website, the trophy is presented annually to the “most outstanding college football player in the United States.” Nowhere does it say the trophy should be presented to the "best offensive player" or the "best player on the best team" by default. The trophy should not be presented as a lifetime achievement award as the Heisman is given out annually to that season’s best player.
It should be possible for a defensive player to win the Heisman, yet only Charles Woodson of Michigan has crossed the chasm to claim the award. Woodson also returned kicks, punts, and played a little wide receiver. But why is the bar so much higher for a defensive guy to get recognition as the most outstanding college football player? You don’t see a running back having to play safety in order to warrant an invite to New York. Quarterbacks don’t have to return punts to be a Heisman finalist. Nowhere does it say the Heisman is an offensive MVP award, so why has a true defensive player never won?
Saturday night Ndamukong Suh attempts to do the unthinkable.
read more..
December 10th, 2009
Walter Camp Player of the Year Award goes to...
Colt McCoy. Yep, McCoy beat out Ndamukong Suh as the Player of the Year in college football. Makes you wonder what these voters are watching. McCoy wasn't even the best player on the field in the Big 12 Championship, let alone the best in the country. Chalk this up to the "lifetime achievement award" contingent of voters, those who want to reward Colt for his entire body of work rather than recognize he didn't play well in big games. Making matters worse, McCoy is a repeat winner of the award, again begging the question "what were these voters watching?"
December 7th, 2009
Suh has made the Heisman Trophy finalists
Ndamukong Suh did the unthinkable. He cracked the Heisman Trophy (a.k.a. the offensive MVP) finalists list. Suh will be in New York City for the trophy presentation along with Mark Ingram of Alabama, Toby Gerhart of Stanford, Tim Tebow of Florida, and unbelievably, Colt McCoy of Texas. The Heisman Trophy will be presented this Saturday night.
December 7th, 2009
Big 12 Championship Game reaction
Everything's bigger in Texas, including the game clock. Here's the question to answer. If Texas was ahead 12-10 and Nebraska was in position for a game-winning field goal and Zac Lee rolled out, oblivious to the game clock like Colt McCoy, and Lee's pass touched down with one second left, then the clock ticked to zero and the Longhorn players were celebrating like they always do, and 70% of the fans were going wild, would the referees put that one second back on the clock? Would the refs have given Nebraska another shot to take down Texas and keep a Big 12 team out of the BCS national championship game? The answer is I don't think they would have. And that my friends is the problem I have with how the game ended for the Huskers.
Texas very narrowly avoided an ESPN special "Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame Colt McCoy (and/or Mack Brown) For Losing To Nebraska." McCoy looked like a freshman quarterback with his clock management skills and Mack Brown isn't a very good coach without Vince Young on the field.
read more..
November 29th, 2009
Huskers move up in the polls
Thanks to a win in Boulder and several Top 25 teams losing over the weekend, the Huskers move up to #21 in the AP Poll and #20 in the USA Today/Coaches Poll.
November 28th, 2009
Colorado game reaction and looking ahead
Nebraska did what they needed to do to get a win in Boulder. Beyond that, there's plenty of room for improvement in what Bo Pelini called possibly the worst effort of the season.
Other than special teams play, led by Niles Paul's punt return for a touchdown and Alex Henery's continued punting prowess, NU didn't dominate the game like we expected. Colorado was able to move the ball against our defense to the tune of 403 yards. The Huskers struggled offensively at times again, racking up only 217 total yards and going 3 for 10 in third down conversions.
Rex Burkhead led the Huskers in rushing with 100 yards on 18 carries. Roy Helu didn't see much action in the second half but finished with 58 yards on 14 carries.
Defensively, the Blackshirts allowed too many big plays to the Buffaloes, including a 56-yard touchdown pass to end the game. Granted that score only mattered if you had money on the game. Earlier, the Buffs gouged the Huskers for a 58-yard pass completion. This is worrisome for Husker fans heading into the Texas game whose offense lives for the big play.
read more..
November 22nd, 2009
Reaction from the Kansas State game
So the Huskers climb back atop the Big 12 North, where we feel they rightly belong. Colorado looms next Friday. Nothing would be more disappointing than relishing the Big 12 North crown a bit too much and laying an egg in Boulder. NU needs to keep their focus as the Buffs should have beaten Okie State in Stillwater a few days ago and seem to be playing erractically as ever.
Hats off to Larry Asante who made a big play when it was needed, keeping the Wildcats out of the end zone by causing a fumble inside the Nebraska 5-yard line.
Nice to see Rex Burkhead back in action. Nothing against Dontrayveous Robinson, who in time will be a good back, but Burkhead brings a complimentary style to Roy Helu's slash and burn.
If Ndamukong Suh wasn't on the team, it would be hard to argue against Alex Henery being the team MVP. Time and time again, Alex does something amazing. This time it was pinning K-State inside their own five yard line twice, and without the help of another NU player.
read more..
November 14th, 2009
What trap game?
So much for overlooking the Jayhawks. Nebraska showed up to play today, with the offense picking up the defense for a change. The Blackshirts didn't perform at the same level as the previous week because KU quarterback Todd Reesing proved hard to contain. But it was the Huskers offensive performance behind Roy Helu and Niles Paul that won this one for the Big Red.
Helu finished the game with 28 carries for 156 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Roy also recovered a fumble in the end zone to cap Nebraska's first offensive drive of the game. Niles Paul had four receptions for 154 yards and a big kickoff return late in the fourth quarter to set up the go ahead score. Paul also caught a two-point conversion pass from Zac Lee.
Suh, Crick, and the boys up front were fairly quiet against Kansas and didn't dominate the offensive line as I expected. Their game plan appeared to be more about containment of Reesing than getting to the quarterback. Dejon Gomes had the play of the game defensively, causing a KU receiver Kerry Meier to fumble the ball just shy of the end zone.
read more..
November 13th, 2009
KU game preview
With the Oklahoma win still fresh and a potential Big 12 North championship on the line against K-State the following week, Saturday's matchup against Kansas is the definition of a trap game. So-called trap games occur after a huge win or before a big game. Nebraska’s road trip to Lawrence falls into both categories. Making matters worse, the Jayhawks are reeling after four straight losses in conference play. It’s safe to say that Mark Mangino will have his team ready to play.
The Huskers should manhandle the KU offensive line and get repeated hits on QB Todd Reesing. Don’t be surprised to see KU’s backup quarterback come into the game. A porous offensive line and a QB with a groin problem equal a big day for Suh, Crick, & Company. While two years removed, the 77 points that KU put on the Huskers in '07 will provide extra motivation for guys like Suh, Dillard, Asante, and Turner.
Even though Bo isn't saying, Zac Lee will be the starter. He did nothing last week against Oklahoma to cost him his right to start against the Jayhawks.
read more..
November 8th, 2009
Upon further review: Oklahoma
Ndamukong Suh showed Saturday night that he is the best defensive tackle in college football. Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy was in the same conversation as being the best at their position, but a review of the stats shows Suh with a big separation.
Suh has 53 total tackles, 47 for a loss, 5 sacks, one INT, one forced fumble, three blocked kicks, and eight pass breakups. McCoy on the other hand has 22 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, one pass breakup, nine QB hurries, and one forced fumble.
If numbers aren't good enough for you, consider that Suh can catch passes out of the backfield and dunk a basketball too. And did I mention he bench presses 470 pounds?
I have a suggestion for our offensive woes. When we get into Alex Henery's field goal range, why not just kick the dang ball and take our three points. That would have been good enough to beat Iowa State at least. In all seriousness though, unless we get an offensive "identity" it will be hard to recruit good players on that side of the ball.
read more..
November 8th, 2009
Finally, the win we've been waiting for
Who cares that Sam Bradford wasn't in the game. Any Nebraska win over Oklahoma is a good one. What started off like most Husker games this season, with a bunch of penalties, ended with Matt O'Hanlon recording his third interception of the game. On the preceding play, O'Hanlon dropped what would have been a game-ending INT with 36 seconds left and Husker fans had visions of Texas in 2006. But it wasn't the Sooners night. That distinction belonged to the Blackshirts, who held OU out of the end zone for the first time since 1998.
Opposite of the Iowa State game, the stat line would imply the Huskers had no chance. OU produced more first downs (23 vs NU's 7), more total yards (325 vs 180), more offensive plays (89 vs 57), and fewer penalties (9 vs 11). But as the Husker faithful know, numbers can lie. Turnovers again would determine this game and fortunately the Huskers were on the right side of this one (5 vs 1). In addition to Matt O'Hanlon's three picks, Phillip Dillard came up with a huge INT with 2:31 left in the fourth quarter, but perhaps the play that set the tone for the Husker D was Prince Amukamara's INT in the first quarter.
read more..
November 5th, 2009
Oklahoma Preview by Ryan Blase
Well, time to weigh in again. This time, I will be short and concise.
Last time, we talked about the game versus ISU. The offense showed up, but forgot to hold on to the ball. What a devastating loss. I cannot think of a time in my days of watching Nebraska football when a lesser team has beaten Nebraska in Lincoln when it did absolutely nothing to deserve it.
Anyway, moving on.
Oklahoma Keys
1. No turnovers.
If Nebraska turns the ball over, this game is over.
2. Minimize penalties.
Nebraska needs to play nearly mistake free in terms of penalties. Can't afford to give up any yards.
3. Surprise Oklahoma.
Nebraska needs to try a trick play or two. Nebraska fans have been waiting this season for some sort of trick play and we have not seen one yet (only one that comes to mind was a reverse to Niles Paul against one of the Sun Belt teams). How about a halfback pass? A flea-flicker? Hook and lateral (or ladder as I have heard it referred to before)? Anything?
For Nebraska to win this Saturday night, they need to play mistake free on both sides of the ball and hope Oklahoma makes mistakes of their own while also forcing OU in to some turnovers.
read more..
October 31st, 2009
Crick for Heisman?
Jared Crick performed in Heisman-like fashion today against Baylor, racking up 12 tackles, 4 sacks, and a pass knockdown. Ndamukong Suh made his presence known, largely by taking on a double-team, but it was the Cozad sophomore who may have to begin campaigning for The Trophy.
Cody Green started his first collegiate game and performed pretty well in the first half. The second half left a lot to be desired. His pick-six got the Bears to within 10 points of the Huskers and gave Baylor the momentum for much of the second half. Thankfully, the Blackshirts turned in another good performance. Not great, but good. Green completed a pretty pass to Niles Paul and showed what he can do with his feet as well. Unfortunately, in the second half, Cody went back to telegraphing passes a bit too much at times. I like his toughness running the ball and his pocket presence better than Zac Lee. Who starts next week's game? I'm sure Bo will tell us...as the Huskers take their first offensive snap against Oklahoma.
Today's game started off about as well as any Husker fan could hope for, with Eric Martin blocking the Bears first punt of the game.
read more..
October 24th, 2009
Reaction to the Iowa State game
9 points for Iowa State.
8 turnovers for Nebraska.
7 points for the Huskers.
You won't find too many games throughout college football history where a team has more turnovers than points when they have seven points on the board. Yet the Huskers managed to follow-up their lackluster performance last week against Texas Tech with an even more disappointing result against the Cyclones. Tough to pin this loss on Shawn Watson or Zac Lee. Eight turnovers, including four inside the opponent's red zone (inside the 6-yard line to be exact) won't cut it no matter how good your team is. And therein lies the problem...the Huskers aren't as good as we thought.
The offensive woes continued today. The only play that worked well was the one which drew back-to-back pass interference calls against ISU. Other than that, it was a case of dropped and tipped passes and more fumbles by one team than I can recall in a long time. Roy Helu fumbled on the Huskers' first play from scrimmage. What a fitting start, after all. Niles Paul inexplicably dropped the ball as he was heading into the end zone.
read more..
October 21st, 2009
Iowa State Preview by Ryan Blase
Greetings Husker fans. Time to check in again and offer a preview of the upcoming game with the Iowa State Cyclones.
First, let us have a review of the Missouri game preview. My keys to winning the game were:
1. Run the football. Nebraska did not commit to this at all. Not until their last drive of the 4th quarter where it looked to me that maybe Missouri had their spirits broken at this point. However, we never would have known as Nebraska continually went away from the running game.
2. Pressure Blaine Gabbert. No comments needed here. Job well done by Nebraska's front four.
3. Win the special teams battle. Nebraska did their best to lose this one handily. The long snapping, the bad punts, the muffed punts, and the list goes on. Nebraska should be thanking their defense and a couple lucky bounces of the ball for saving the day.
All in all, this game was puzzling. The offense did not bother to show up until the 4th quarter and the special teams looked like they had never been a unit prior to kickoff.
read more..
October 18th, 2009
Roller-coaster season continues
First, it's a disappointing loss at Virginia Tech on a last second touchdown. Then the fourth quarter comeback at Missouri. Now the unbelievable letdown at home against an unranked Texas Tech team. We're officially on an amusement park ride, but it's not very amusing for Husker fans.
The Huskers are notorious for starting slowly. This has been a recurring problem over the last 4-5 seasons and something I thought would have gone away with the coaching changes. Not so. After allowing the Red Raiders to convert a 3rd and very long (twice), NU gave up a quick touchdown. What the Huskers needed in response was a grinding 10+ play drive that took up 5-10 minutes. Instead they handed Tech seven more points.
With NU driving for a potential tying score in the first quarter, Zac Lee’s backward pass to Niles Paul fell incomplete…only it was a backward pass and therefore a fumble. It seemed only the Texas Tech players knew about this rule because every Husker offensive player quit when the ball hit the ground. How a slow defensive lineman can return the ball 82 yards for a touchdown is beyond me.
read more..
October 15th, 2009
A blog from HuskerFaithful's Mom
We got the win!!! With the weather conditions, it was hard for both teams to get anything done. There were more penalties than I remember in any other game. For a time, I wasn't sure that the Huskers could get it together on offense. Zac Lee didn't seem to be with it, some passes not on target, and the errant long snaps, etc. Again, the weather played a huge role in what happened, dropped passes, fumbled punt returns, etc. The defense was on top of their game and I'm thinking, maybe now it's time to hand out those blackshirts. In Ryan's blog before the game, he said the three keys were (1) run, run, run the ball--more touches for Rex Burkhead and Roy Helu, (2) pressure Blaine Gabbert and (3) win the special teams battle. I love to see Rex Burkhead run with the ball but we didn't see enough of him. Gabbert was pressured and it seemed like Suh was always in his face and some of the other defensive players, as well. Our defense is awesome. Our special teams struggled, but hey, the score at the end is what counts.
read more..
October 6th, 2009
Missouri Preview by Ryan Blase
Greetings Husker fans. The last time I wrote was a preview of the Virginia Tech game. I offered some things that I thought were important keys to a Nebraska victory. Nebraska accomplished nearly all of those keys but came away from Blacksburg with a loss. Sometimes the best team on the field does not always win. The thing that hurt Nebraska the most was their own mistakes. The failed kickoff coverage to open the game, the long run in the first half setting up a VT field goal, the inability to score TD's in the red zone, and the death blow, 81-yard pass reception in the final minute. However, Nebraska was the better team and set the tempo of the entire game. This experience hurt the players, coaches, and rabid fans, but the lessons learned from this game will pay dividends as the Huskers continue to go on the road this year.
This brings us to the next road match-up this Thursday evening at Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri. What are the keys to victory? Once again, these are only my opinion.
1.
read more..
September 26th, 2009
The 300th consecutive sellout game
55-0. A statement was made. The Huskers will not be feeling sorry for themselves after their tough loss a week ago at Virginia Tech.
Speaking of the Hokies, their dismantling of the Miami Hurricanes will propel them into the Top 10. Interestingly enough, Miami plays Oklahoma next and coming off a bad loss it will be interesting to see how Miami responds. Can they hand the Sooners their second loss of the season?
Back to the home team, NU turned in an all around dominating effort and a full team effort. Cody Green and Rex Burkhead saw plenty of action, as did many other true freshmen and those second, third, and fourth on the depth chart. Nebraska needed a game like this before Big 12 play begins October 8th at Mizzou.
Still, Nebraska had six penalties and they burned several more timeouts to prevent the play clock from expiring. This team has a long ways to go in terms of reaching their true potential, especially on offense. We're no where near as efficient as last season. That will hopefully come with time.
You have to like what you've seen from the defense thus far.
read more..
September 19th, 2009
It came down to a single play, and not the one you think
Nebraska loses a heartbreaker on the road to a higher ranked Virginia Tech team 16-15. Several plays stick out. The long pass down the sidelines that got Virginia Tech into scoring position late in the fourth quarter. Tyrod Taylor's seemingly endless time in the pocket before finding a receiver in the end zone with under a minute left in the game. But the play that swung the game for me was the Nebraska touchdown that wasn't. Menelik Holt's catch in the end zone should have been reviewed by the officials but wasn't. He possessed the ball and got one foot down in bounds. That is a catch. The ball came out when he hit the ground. That doesn't negate the catch according to how I understand the rules. Of course, they change the rules annually, so I may be behind the times. Regardless, the game hinged on this one play. A touchdown would have put the Huskers up by nine points with five minutes remaining and all but put the game out of reach for the Hokies.
Nevermind the Holt should-have-been-a touchdown.
read more..
September 18th, 2009
Virginia Tech Preview (by Ryan Blase)
Greetings Husker fans. It is time for the competition of the season to ratchet up a few notches. Tomorrow the Cornhuskers will face a talented Virginia Tech ball club in Blacksburg, Virginia. It should be a close game and a good "measuring stick" (although I hate this term) game for Nebraska to gauge how much they have improved under second-year coach Bo Pelini.
What are the keys to victory in Blacksburg? Here are some things that I believe will be pertinent to a Husker victory. I am not claiming to be a great sports analyst and most of these should be rather obvious, but I still believe they are the key to success.
1. Special teams play / Turnovers / Don't get yourself in an early hole.
These three go hand-in-hand as last year the blocked punt for a safety and a costly interception deep in Husker territory gave Virginia Tech a 9-0 lead in Lincoln. This type of start can crush a team (the only start worse than this was against Oklahoma). Nebraska did a great job in battling last year in Lincoln but the 9-0 lead which Nebraska inflicted on itself was too much to overcome.
2.
read more..
September 8th, 2009
The new polls are out - Huskers move up
The AP College Football Poll was released earlier this morning and the Huskers moved up two spots from the preseason poll to #22. NU fared even better in the USA Today/Coaches Poll, moving up four spots to #18.
Other notable rankings and changes include:
-Oklahoma drops from #3 in the AP to #13 after losing to BYU. OU dropped 11 spots in the USA Today poll to #14.
-Iowa fell from the AP Top 25 and deservedly so. They needed a miracle finish at home to beat Northern Iowa on back-to-back field goal blocks to end the game.
-Future NU opponents earning AP ranks include: OU (#13), Virginia Tech (#14), Kansas (#24), and Missouri (#25).
-Ohio State only fell two spots after eeking out a home win against football power Navy. I wonder if this weekend's game against USC (#3) had anything to do with the Luckeyes not falling further.
Nebraska's road trip to Virginia Tech looms in 11 days. A Top 20 matchup seems all but assured considering NU plays Arkansas State and the Hokies tackle Marshall this weekend.
read more..
September 6th, 2009
Reaction to the Florida Atlantic game
Not bad for a season opener. Limiting any opponent to only three points takes a full game effort. Florida Atlantic moved the ball well at times, but the Blackshirts tightened up when they needed to and caused three turnovers during the game.
Baker Steinkuhler's name was called often enough to know that he will be a force in the middle of the defensive line this year. Suh had his share of action, although he wasn't given the opportunity to carry the ball to the dismay of the Husker Faithful.
Roy Helu averaged nearly 10 yards a carry. Rex Burkhead and Cody Green, both true freshman saw decent playing time and notched their first collegiate touchdowns. Zac Lee led the offense effectively, going 15 for 22 in the passing department. Several of those incompletions were drops by the receivers too.
The stadium changes are impressive. The giant Husker Vision screen above the north end zone is now full high def. There are four smaller screens in each corner, where there were only two last season. The ribbon board going across the east and west balconies is pretty cool, especially when they show a player's eyes after they make a play.
read more..
August 19th, 2009
SI's take on the Huskers
The latest Sports Illustrated arrived in the mail a few days ago, their annual College Football Preview edition. Here's how they predict the Big 12 conference. Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska are in a three-way tie atop the North Division at 5-3. Due to tiebreakers, Kansas wins the North and is projected to play Texas in the Big 12 Championship game. SI tabs the Huskers at 8-4 overall with a berth in the Holiday Bowl against California.
In addition, SI writers Stewart Mandel and Mark Beech (whoever he is) rank the Top 120 Division 1 teams. NU gets no love with a #34 preseason ranking. Big 12 schools ahead of the Huskers are Missouri (#31), Texas Tech (#26), Kansas (#23), Oklahoma State (#7), Oklahoma (#3), and Texas (#2).
Virginia Tech (#5) is the only non-conference team on the schedule that is ranked ahead of Nebraska. Since you were wondering, Florida Atlantic is ranked #93, Louisiana-Lafayette comes in at #116, and Arkansas State is #92.
Ndamukong Suh does get mentioned in the Players to Watch section of the Big 12 page. However, he doesn't make SI's preseason All-American list, losing out to Terrence Cody of Alabama and Gerald McCoy of Oklahoma at the DT position.
In other, non-SI, related news, the Huskers are predicted to win the North by the Sports Network (whoever they are).
read more..
August 12th, 2009
NU's QB situation takes a turn for the worse
Yesterday, word came out of Blacksburg, Virginia that the Hokies leading rusher from a year ago, Darren Evans, will miss the 2009 season with a torn ACL. Today, bad news regarding knee ligaments hit much closer to home. Kody Spano, projected by Husker Faithful to be the second string quarterback, suffered his second torn ACL on his left knee. He's now out for the year, leaving LaTravis Washington, Cody Green, and Taylor Martinez vying for the top backup role to starter Zac Lee.
August 9th, 2009
HF's 2009 season preview
Looking over the 2009 Husker football schedule two things jump out. First, how weak our home schedule is this year. Oklahoma and Texas Tech are the only opponents that can be considered good home games. Second, how tough our road schedule is shaping up to be. Trips to Virginia Tech, Missouri, Baylor, Kansas and Colorado will all be a challenge.
Several things I'll be watching this year besides the quarterback situation:
Who steps up on the defensive line to replace Ty Steinkuhler? Without a formidable defensive tackle playing next to Ndamukong Suh, opponents will be able to double the big man and put the kibosh on Suh's hopes for a great senior season.
It all starts up front on defense. Without a consistent pass rush, opponents will be able to pick apart our secondary. By the way, this is another area to watch. Who will be the back seven on this installment of the Blackshirts? And what about the rush ends? The Huskers have a lot of question marks going into the season.
On the offensive side of the ball, the line should be able to hold its own.
read more..
June 7th, 2009
Recruiting off to a great start
With the 2010 recruiting season well underway, the Huskers have already reeled in four Rivals 4-stars, including the most recent verbal commitment, quarterback Tyler Gabbert. OL Andrew Rodriguez, DB Anterio Sloan, and WR Keeston Terry are the other 4-stars committed to the Big Red. Mike Moudy, and offensive lineman from Castle Rock, Colorado is the only 3-star recruit in NU's 2010 class so far.
Tyler Gabbert is the younger brother of Blaine Gabbert, who was committed to Nebraska before Bill Callahan was fired. The Ballwin, Missouri recruit is ranked as the 14th best pro-style QB in the country.
Keeston Terry is also a Missouri product, hailing from Blue Springs. The 6'2" wide receiver is ranked as the 35th best in the country. Nebraska beat out Missouri and Kansas for the commitments of both Terry and Gabbert.
Andrew Rodriquez is the lone Nebraska native in the 2010 class to date. The 6'6" 300 pounder from Aurora is ranked as the 12th best offensive tackle.
Anterio Sloan is the 16th ranked defensive back in the country. The West Helena, Arkansas product turned down offers from Texas A&M, Mississippi State, and Hawaii, among other schools.
The fifth and last known verbal commitment of the 2010 class is 3-star recruit Mike Moudy, an offensive lineman from Castle Rock, Colorado.
read more..
May 13th, 2009
My prediction: Greg Paulus chooses Syracuse, not Nebraska
Every off-season has its own drama and occasionally it involves the Huskers. Remember the Sam Keller saga? This year's version revolves around Duke basketball sixth man, Greg Paulus, and his desire to play football for one season. Since he didn't redshirt at Duke, he has one year of eligibility remaining. Greg has narrowed it down to either Nebraska or Syracuse, with the Orange being near his hometown. The QB situation at Syracuse is a lot more conducive to having a one-year guy come in. At Nebraska, it's not so clear that he would even start. In fact, it's highly unlikely he would start over Zac Lee. So how did Nebraska enter the picture? Beats me, but I have a feeling that as of 9am tomorrow morning, Nebraska will be exiting the picture, stage left.
April 10th, 2009
Husker practice report, Good Friday
I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the Husker football practice today.
Several observations from practice...
#1 - I was amazed at how short Ron Brown's shorts were. Not quite Dennis Rodman short, but definitely of the high school gym teacher Bike short vintage. Old school if you like. But enough about fashion.
#2 - If Zac Lee is 6'2" then I'm nine feet tall. Easily the shortest of our quarterbacks, Lee is also the fastest. My concern is his ability to throw the ball over the defensive line. I'm sure they said the same thing about KU's Todd Reesing though. Zac has good arm strength and knows the offense better than the other Husker QB's, so he'll be the starter.
#3 - Cody Green and Latravis Washington are both big quarterbacks. Washington is a converted linebacker with a rifle for an arm. Green, the freshman phenom also has good arm strength and good mobility. We're probably seeing the future of Husker football in Green. I'd like to see both Green and Washington get some playing time this season.
#4 - Roy Helu was out of practice again, although he was milling around.
read more..
February 7th, 2009
Average Joe?
Apparently, Joe Ganz isn't as good of a quarterback as Nathan Brown of Central Arkansas, Cullen Harper of Clemson, or Drew Willy of Buffalo. These three were invited to the NFL combine in Indianapolis, but one Joe Ganz was not.
How many of you were impressed with Cullen Harper in the Gator Bowl? The guy looked like he had 25 pound weights around his ankles. His decision-making skills looked more like a sophomore than a senior. So what about him other than his size reeks of pro prospect? You got me.
While most Husker fans probably didn't expect Joe to be playing on Sunday, it's quite odd that he isn't even given a chance. Is it his height, his arm strength, or accuracy? It's certainly not his leadership skills or being the ultimate team player or his toughness.
One thing I know is that when Joe Ganz returns to Memorial Stadium and is introduced on gameday, he'll get one great standing ovation. Husker fans know what he meant to this program, even if the NFL scouts think he's just an average Joe.
read more..
February 4th, 2009
Nebraska's 2009 football recruiting class breakdown
With Nebraska’s 2009 recruiting class in the books, we take a look at just how Bo Pelini & Co. put this group of players together. Where they came from, what the emphasis was regarding position, etc. The Huskers signed 20 recruits in the '09 class. (There are 21 official members of the 2009 class but Antonio Bell enrolled at semester and was originally counted as part of last year's class.)
First up, we take a look at geography. Nebraska made a heavy push into Texas this recruiting season, signing eight players from the Lone Star state, including much-heralded/hyped quarterback Cody Green. More on him later. NU also garnered six recruits from California but only two from the Good Life state. Other states Nebraska plucked a recruit from include Maryland, Kansas, North Dakota, and Colorado.
Sports Illustrated had an interesting article recently that highlighted Nebraska’s spread approach to recruiting, hitting all four corners of the U.S. They do this out of necessity. Compare the Huskers to Southern Cal or Virginia Tech, whom recruit “in house” almost entirely. Here is a link to the article if you’re interested: SI recruiting.
By position, the Huskers recruited more offensive players (10) than defensive (9), not counting Taylor Martinez, who is listed as an Athlete.
read more..
January 31st, 2009
In case you missed it
The Huskers have pulled their scholarship offer to Shawn Bodtmann of Scranton, Pennslyvania less than a week to go until signing day. Bodtmann's high school coach isn't too happy about it, since Shawn had been committed to NU since the Spring Game.
Nebraska has 20 known commitment to the 2009 recruiting class. National letter of intent signing day is Wednesday. Of the 20, eight are from the state of Texas, five are from California, and only two are from Nebraska. According to Rivals.com, NU has no five star recruits, five 4-stars, with the remainder being 3-star recruits. But do stars really mean anything? Marlon Lucky was a 5-star and probably didn't live up to the hype as much as we all would have wanted. Roy Helu was a 3-star and definitely exceeded our expectations this season.
Speaking of hype, by all accounts, Cody Green is for real. Just ask the coaches. The quarterback commitment out of Dayton, TX enrolled at semester break so he's in Lincoln, working out and getting used to the attention deserving of a Husker QB. With no clear starter for next season, don't count out Green seeing playing time.
read more..
January 18th, 2009
In case you missed it...recent Husker football news
Marlon Lucky shined for the East, helping to beat the West 24-19 in the Shrine Game with 68 yards on seven carries, including a touchdown. Lucky was named offensive MVP for the game and was the leading rusher for the game. Marlon wants to play in the NFL and he really needed a strong performance after his final season at Nebraska was disappointing, largely due to recurring injuries. Lucky was second on the team this season in rushing, finishing behind phenom Roy Helu, Jr. For more on Lucky's performance and his future, check out these Omaha World Herald and the Lincoln Journal Star articles.
Several former Huskers are still alive in the NFL playoffs and find themselves one win away from the Super Bowl. Arizona Cardinals cornerback Ralph Brown is profiled in this Lincoln Journal Star article. Brown's Cardinals face former Husker Correll Buckhalter and the Philadelphia Eagles in today's earlier playoff game.
Baltimore Ravens punter, Sam Koch, is featured in this Lincoln Journal Star article. Koch's Ravens face the Pittsburgh Steelers today on the road with the winner moving onto the Super Bowl.
read more..
January 2nd, 2009
Gator Bowl review
And the legend of Bo grows just a little more. When the chips were down, the Blackshirts came up big. In the waning minutes of the Gator Bowl, Clemson stood at the Nebraska 10 yard line with four chances to win the game. Eric Hagg came up big on the first two plays, batting down a pass and sacking the Clemson QB for a big loss. Matt O’Hanlon saved Tyler Wortman on the third down play, knocking the ball out of C.J. Spiller’s hands and preventing a would-be game-winning touchdown. Fourth down, with the game in the balance, Pelini’s boys put enough pressure on Clemson’s QB to force an incomplete pass. An unlikely cast of characters brought the game home for the Huskers, securing a nine-win season in Bo’s first year as head coach. He was brought in to tighten up the defense and when it mattered most the Blackshirts responded with their best defensive performance of the year. Nebraska sure made it interesting, settling for a field goal when a touchdown would have given the Huskers a nine-point lead with minutes to play.
Perhaps the biggest play of the game (and there were many) came early, when Ndamukong Suh blocked a Clemson field goal attempt in the first quarter.
read more..
December 29th, 2008
Clemson preview
The most interesting matchup of the Gator Bowl will be Nebraska's offense against Clemson's defense. The Tigers have been stingy on defense this season, giving up fewer than 17 points and less than 300 yards per game. Nationally, the Tigers rank 15th in total defense and 10th in scoring defense. With that said, Clemson plays in the ACC and their defense doesn't face high-powered Big 12 offenses on a weekly basis.
Clemson defensive end Ricky Sapp, who leads the team with 10 tackles for loss, is out of the bowl game with a partially torn right ACL. His absence is a big blow to the Tiger defense, but the Tigers have plenty of other playmakers to pick up the slack.
Going against the Clemson defense will be the nation's 12th ranked total offense of the Huskers. Nebraska and offensive coordinator Shawn Watson do it by eating up clock. NU ranks second in the country in time of possession at 34 minutes a game. The Cornhuskers rank 14th in the nation in passing offense and average 36 points per game, including at least 40 points in each of their last three games.
read more..
December 21st, 2008
Husker holidays
Alex Henery is getting autograph and photo requests at Wal-Mart now, thanks to his game-winning field goal against Colorado. Not only that, but 2,000 people have requested to be his friend on Facebook. Ahh, the life of a kicker.
Bo Pelini is the 11th highest paid coach...in the Big 12 Conference. That's right, the 11th highest paid. Bill Snyder, who hasn't coached a game in over three years, will make more money. First time head coach Paul Rhoads (who?) who took over for Gene Chizik at Iowa State will make more than Bo next season. Long gone are the days of being paid for performance. Now, just by merely accepting the job, you're paid as if you've already won a few national titles.
The Gator Bowl is now 11 days away. Bo gave his team several days off heading into Christmas. The players will meet back in Lincoln on Christmas night and leave for Jacksonville in the next day or two.
After watching the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship game last night, it occurred to me that Nebraska should end the season ranked #2 in the country.
read more..
December 14th, 2008
Team awards given out
Joe Ganz was named Team MVP, one of four team captains, and winner of the Tom Novak Trophy. Ty Steinkuhler, Nate Swift, and Zach Potter were also named captains.
Ndamukong Suh and Matt Slauson were awarded the lifters of the year. Suh was also named Defensive MVP. On offense, Nate Swift took home the Offensive MVP award and the Guy Chamberlain Award, while Alex Henery won the Special Teams and Walk-On MVP honors.
For more on the team awards banquet, check out coverage by Nebraska State Paper, Grand Island Independent, and WOWT.com.
Nebraska also secured the commitment today of yet another Texas high schooler. Andrew Green is a defensive back commit from San Antonio, Texas. Green becomes the 21st verbal commitment for the Huskers and the 9th from the state of Texas. NU's 2009 recruiting class also features five commits from the state of California. Andrew Green is rated a 3-star commit by Rivals.com.
In non-Nebraska news, Auburn chose Gene Chizik as their next head football coach. Evidently, the turnaround job Chizik has done at Iowa State (who are 5-19 under Gene) was more impressive than Turner Gill's MAC Champion Buffalo Bulls effort.
read more..
December 12th, 2008
Husker Faithful's Best Photos of the 2008 Season
Each year for the last three, Husker Faithful has taken photos at all Husker home games, and occasionally, even a road game or two. For the first time this year, we have assembled our favorite photos from this season in one easy to view blog entry. To view a larger version of the photo, simply click on it. There are more game photos on our Links page. Without further delay, here are our favorite photos presented in chonological order:
#1 - Matt Slauson signs an autograph during the Spring Game festivities.
#2 - The opening kickoff of the Bo Pelini era at Nebraska comes against Western Michigan.
#3 - The offense takes a breather against Western Michigan.
#4 - Marlon Lucky has a football halo in this photo from the New Mexico State game.
#5 - Rickey Thenarse celebrates the Huskers win over Kansas.
#6 - Senior Day saw the Husker seniors get their own Tunnel Walk, walking out arm-in-arm.
#7 - Red balloons are released after NU scores their first TD against Colorado.
To view more game photos from this year or past years, go to the Links page.
read more..
December 10th, 2008
My favorite Husker writers
Since I have very little pride and a low self-esteem, here are my favorite Husker bloggers and sports writers that you may or may not be familiar with. Sorry, no Steve Sipple's or Tom Shatel's on this list.
1) Big Red Network - Actually a group of guys that seems to grow by the week. Look out Lincoln Journal. If you're looking for daily musings about Husker athletics, you might start here. If you're looking for totally random, factual and potentially entertaining posts, stick with Husker Faithful. On a serious note, these guys have their stuff together. Darren and Jason have done a great job building their site. Their apparel could use some work though. Of course, they probably think the same thing about my apparel.
2) Corn Nation - This is kind of like helping out the New York Yankees. These guys have won so many awards for their insightful writing and witty prose, they surely don't need my endorsement. Corn Nation is one of the pioneers, one of the originals. They were blogging when I was asking "what's a blog?" Check 'em out and you'll see why they are award-winners.
3) Nebraska State Paper - Okay, so he's not a blogger, but there's a guy who writes for this paper named Samuel McKewon and he's top notch.
read more..
December 7th, 2008
Help elect Barrett Ruud to the Pro Bowl
Help elect Barrett Ruud and other former Huskers to the 2009 Pro Bowl. Click on the link to vote: NFL Pro Bowl Ballot.
Besides Barrett, other former Huskers on the ballot include Kris Brown, Josh Brown, Carl Nicks, Mike Brown, Stewart Bradley, Fabian Washington, Sam Koch, Dominic Raoila, Adam Carriker, Kris Kelsay, and Kyle Vanden Bosch. Vote as often as you like.
December 7th, 2008
The latest in Huskerland
NU offensive coordinator Shawn Watson has been approached about the head coaching position at New Mexico. Only Shawn Watson knows what's best for Shawn Watson, but you'd have to think he could do better than this, given a couple more years at the helm of NU's offense. If the Huskers are truly on the road back, the offense stands to gain a lot of exposure over the next couple of seasons. Wouldn't Watson benefit as a result? One would think better opportunities would open up as a result. Wats has already been a head coach at Southern Illinois, which to most college football fans is parallel with a New Mexico head coaching job. Why not wait for a major conference job opening instead? Again, only Watson knows what's best. Most Husker fans would like to see him stay, if only to maintain the continuity on the offensive side of the ball.
NU receivers coach Ted Gilmore is another Husker assistant coach rumored to be a candidate for head coaching positions. Wyoming was first and now New Mexico State. Gilmore has never been a head coach, so a NMSU would be a typical stop for a first-time head man.
Hats off to Turner Gill for what he accomplished at Buffalo, winning the MAC Championship in only his third season at the helm of the Bulls.
read more..
December 3rd, 2008
A review of Husker Faithful's pre-season predictions
A Review of Husker Faithful's 2008 Pre-Season Predictions (new commentary in bold)
Lost Wages is out with their over/under for Nebraska wins this season and it’s seven. But what does Vegas know? Here’s how I see the season playing out for the Big Red.
Western Michigan - Win. This one could be closer than people think. It's the first game under a new head coach and a new full-time offensive coordinator. The Huskers won't be in mid-season form for the first game. Final score prediction: 42-21. Actual score: 47-24. I give myself a big pat on the back for starting off the season so well.
San Jose State - Win. C'mon, it's frickin' San Jose State. Aren't they better known for having a good women's water polo team? Enough said. Final score prediction: 48-14. Actual score: 35-12. Fairly close on the final score prediction here as well. Several kudos to me.
New Mexico State - Win. The Huskers should be hitting their stride by game three, just in time for the first big test of the season. Incidentally, it isn't this week's opponent. In case you're ever on Jeopardy, New Mexico State University hails from Las Cruces, known around the world as home of the Whole Enchilada Fiesta.
read more..
November 29th, 2008
The Alex Henery Bailout Package
We're all tired of hearing about the financial bailout that’s going on, but here's one that Husker fans will appreciate. Alex Henery, one of the smallest players on the team, came up the biggest at a crucial moment to beat Colorado. Facing a 4th & 25 from the Buffalo 40-yard line, with an offense that hadn't been stellar in the second half, Bo Pelini found himself in a bit of a pickle. So he pulled Alex over and asked him if he could make it and the sophomore kicker said yes. This isn't some 32-yard field goal to win the game and all the pressure associated with it. We're talking a 57-yard, down by one point, Nebraska's eighth win resting on your foot, school-record-to-be, field goal. And it would have been good from 58 yards, maybe 59, but not 60.
This bailout put together by Mr. Henery (not Paulson) instantly saved Bo Pelini, Joe Ganz, and Mike McNeill. Pelini, for calling the fake field goal just before halftime, when Nebraska had finally dug itself out of a hole against the Buffs.
read more..
November 28th, 2008
Honoring the seniors today
For 21 seniors, today's game against Colorado will mark the last time they put on the scarlet and cream to take the field at Memorial Stadium.
Headliners from the graduating class of Huskers include Joe Ganz, Nate Swift, Todd Peterson, Marlon Lucky, and Matt Slauson on offense and Ty Steinkuhler, Zach Potter, Armando Murillo, and Tyler Wortman on the defensive side.
Lucky, Swift, and Peterson have all registered 100 receptions while Huskers, putting them each in the Top 5 all-time at Nebraska.
The rest of the graduating seniors are as follows: Shukree Barfield, Justin Baumgartner, Beau Davis, Mike Huff, Thomas Lawson, Lydon Murtha, T.J. O'Leary, Clayton Sievers, Hunter Teafatiller, Dan Titchener, Jake Wesch, and Kenny Wilson.
A win today over Colorado would put NU at 8-4 on the regular season, with a good shot at a New Year's Day bowl game. Not bad for a first year head coach. Hats off to the seniors for their leadership in 2008. You will be missed. Especially you, Joe the Quarterback.
November 15th, 2008
Numbers don't lie
Total Yards: Nebraska 610, Kansas State 247
1st Downs: Nebraska 29, Kansas State 13
Time of Possession: Nebraska 36:35, Kansas State 23:25
Joe Ganz himself accounted for 365 total yards as the Huskers rolled Kansas State 56-28 in Manhattan. There will be no joy in Aggieville tonight.
To be honest, I expected more out of Ron Prince. For a coach on his way out the door, there didn't seem to be much fight in this bunch past the first half. Where were all the trick plays? What about pulling out all the stops? What do you have to lose that you haven't already? Instead, the Wildcats played a pretty normal game, attempting to go head-to-head against a superior Nebraska team. And what's with Josh Freeman quitting in the second half? If you ask me, he was tired of getting pounded by the Blackshirts and didn't feel like jeopardizing his NFL career. Josh is coming out early for the draft.
Funny how a big win can change things. On Nebraska's first series, Ganz threw an interception which K-State ran back for a touchdown. Shades of Oklahoma...hardly.
read more..
November 11th, 2008
Lose one Blackshirt, gain many?
Cody Glenn has been suspended indefinitely for violating team rules. No details yet and most likely there won't be anything other than rumors about it. Too bad because this kid has been one of the bright spots on the team this year. Third-leading tackler on the team and probably the quickest LB we have. He will be missed. Tough to go out like that as a senior, if in fact, he is suspended for the remainder of the regular season.
On a much more positive note, there were Blackshirts sighted at practice today. Big news for Husker Faithful because sales of Blackshirts related items dropped off a cliff this year. Now Bo Pelini has blessed the Blackshirts as part of Husker football again. Get your Blackshirts apparel on our T-Shirts link above.
November 9th, 2008
Looking like an 8-4 regular season
First off, a great win for the Huskers on Saturday. I don't know if it counts as a signature win, but as far as Bo is concerned, this win feels just as good.
Hats off to Shawn Watson and the offensive staff for putting Marlon Lucky in at quarterback and for the innovative (for Nebraska) playcalling. Lucky's jump pass to Mike McNeil couldn't have worked out better. I'm sure Husker fans would like to see more of that set. With Joe Ganz split out at wide receiver, there are a lot of different plays that can be run out of that formation.
Hats off to the coaches for continuing to give Roy Helu, Jr. more playing time. This kid is the future of the Nebraska running backs and the future looks bright. After racking up 157 yards on only 16 carries last week against Oklahoma, Helu added 115 yards and two touchdowns Saturday against Kansas. There’s just something about his running style that makes him hard to bring down on first contact. That, and he often avoids first contact altogether.
How about Ndamukong Suh as a receiver? Nebraska’s version of William “The Refrigerator” Perry has soft hands it turns out.
read more..
November 5th, 2008
So what's it like being a Nebraska football player
Ever wanted to know what a Nebraska football player's itinerary looked like around a football weekend?
Here's the team's agenda for the upcoming Kansas game:
Thursday, November 6, 2008
10:30pm - Curfew
Friday, November 7, 2008
2:30-3:00pm - Special Teams Meeting
3:00-4:15pm - Offense/Defense Position Meetings
4:20-4:40pm - Special Teams Walk-Thru
4:40-5:05pm - Offense/Defense Walk-Thru
6:00pm - Team Dinner - 3rd Floor West Stadium
(Wear Issued Gear: Sweats, Shirt and Shoes)
*No earrings or hats during team travel
6:45pm - Bus Departs for Movie Theater
7:05pm - Movie – "Pride and Glory" (Aud. #1)
9:30pm - Depart for Team Hotel
9:45pm - Arrive Hotel (Put Bags Away)
*Players Cannot Leave Hotel*
9:50pm - Offense/Defense Meetings: Offense (Lincoln Room); Defense (Capital Room)
10:20pm - Team Meeting (Lincoln Room)
10:35pm - Snack (Omaha Room)
10:50pm - Room Check
Saturday, November 8, 2008
8:30am - Wake Up
9:00am - Chapel (Lincoln Room)/ Mass (Capital Room)
9:37am - Pre-Game Meal
10:42am - Team Meeting
10:52am - Buses Depart for Stadium
11:07am - Taping Begins—Travel Squad
*Follow Pregame Timeline*
1:37pm - Kickoff—Beat Kansas!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
10:00am - Mandatory Treatment for all who played
(All Injuries must be reported at this time)
11:00am - Check-in Begins for Life Skills Conference (Non-Lift Guys)
11:30am - 2:45pm - Life Skills Conference (Lunch Provided)
12:45pm - Lift Group #1
1:45pm - Lift Group #2
3:00pm - Shakeout
3:45pm - Team Meeting
4:00pm - Unity Council Meeting
I doubt very many of us are held to such rigorous routines (military personnel excluded).
read more..
November 2nd, 2008
Anybody get the number of that runaway truck?
Nebraska needed to play an error-free game in order to have a shot at beating the Sooners. Three turnovers by the Husker offense within their first five offensive plays pretty much sealed the game. OU scored 21 points as a result of the turnovers and NU found themselves down 35 points six minutes into the game. Games against Colorado in 2001 and Missouri in 2007 & 2008 come quickly to mind as comparable in terms of sloppy play. The Huskers never gave themselves a chance. The only bright spot was our game ended early enough to be able to watch a great finish between Texas and Texas Tech.
This was one of those games where as a fan you're in total disbelief. Most of us have probably never had an out-of-body experience, but tonight I felt like I was watching someone else play Oklahoma. It wasn't my Nebraska team, that's for sure. The Huskers took Murphy's Law to another level with their first quarter performance. I'm not sure we could have beat anyone on our schedule with the game we played tonight.
read more..
November 1st, 2008
Rickey Thenarse
For those who didn't catch ESPN's story on NU safety Rickey Thenarse, which aired this morning on College Gameday, here's a link to the video.
October 27th, 2008
The Nebraska Football Show
In what should be called The Bo Pelini Show, the man himself had the following to say about the Huskers' win over the Baylor Bears.
In his opening comments, Bo said the team's play was sloppy and inconsistent. Baylor's first touchdown was due to poor tackling and execution, while their second touchdown was his own fault.
Bo casually pointed out that yes indeed Nebraska's punt did hit off the foot of a Baylor player, which somehow eluded the replay officials.
Bo said that Prince Amukamara played well in relief of Eric Hagg. Pelini was surprised that Baylor's QB got up after Pierre Allen's sack, noting he could hear the hit from the sideline.
Marlon Lucky's one-handed grab on a 3rd & 3 was a BIG play according to Bo.
Bo referred to Cody Glenn's 15-yard face mask penalty as an "interesting call" by the referees. Pelini mentioned that "we're our own worst enemy" often times.
Bo said Baylor's second quarter touchdown drive "really bothered me."
Evidently, Bo is trying to get Marvin Sanders to switch his vote from Barack Obama to John McCain. No political commentary from the peanut gallery this time.
On Nate Swift: he's a complete football player.
Finally, Bo said "by no means did we play our best football."
These were some of the highlights from the Bo Pelini...I mean The Nebraska Football Show.
read more..
October 26th, 2008
We'll take it
It wasn't the prettiest game to watch and it's still hard to accept that Baylor might have a decent football team, but a win is a win.
In the first quarter, the defense looked discombobulated. I've never seen the defensive play calls take so long to come in. Couple that with Baylor running a hurry-up offense during much of this time and it's easy to see why Husker defensive players were scrambling around to get into position as the ball was snapped. Carl Pelini got into the ear of linebacker's coach Mike Ekeler on Robert Griffin's 47 yard TD run near the end of the first quarter. Several Husker defensive players will still looking to the sidelines for the play call when the ball was snapped. That's first week stuff. We're in the second half of the season now. Our defense, coaches and players, should be much quicker in getting the call in and being in position. Baylor went away from the hurry-up during the second half and I'm not sure why.
Hats off to Marlon Lucky who played, if not his best game, definitely one of his best games as a Husker.
read more..
October 24th, 2008
Funny video featuring Brandon Rigoni and Mark Manning
No, not Mark May, unfortunately. Mark Manning is the Husker wrestling coach. Brandon Rigoni, the former Husker challenged him to try to stop him from scoring on five consecutive attempts. Evidently, this goes back to some playful trash talking between the two. (Manning is wearing the #24 Blackshirt.)
Check out who all's there: Tom Osborne, Doc Sadler, Bo Pelini, Husker athletes from various sports. Here's the video: Rigoni vs Manning
October 24th, 2008
Can you feel it?
Can you feel the difference a year and a new head coach makes? If not, check your pulse because it's real.
Through five games last season, the Huskers were 5-1, with their only loss coming at the hands of a very good USC team. But it was game six, a road trip to Columbia, Missouri, where the wheels came off. The 41-6 loss was so devastating that the Huskers didn't show any signs of life until the Texas game three weeks later. The loss in Lawrence all but sealed the deal. Okay, enough about last year.
The point is this...a big loss to Missouri again this year seems to have set about a change in direction for the Huskers. Only this time, Nebraska is heading up, not down.
First, it was the Texas Tech game and coming within one touchdown and extra point of pulling off the biggest road win for NU since 1997 at Washington.
Next, it was doing to Iowa State what Nebraska teams of old did...flat out beat a team on both sides of the ball. The offense looked good, minus the first series.
read more..
October 16th, 2008
Two big verbal commitments for the Huskers today
Chris Williams, a 4-star rated linebacker from Abilene, Texas and J.T. Kerr, a 3-star tight end from San Diego announced their verbal intentions of becoming Huskers. Williams is a big play defender who stands in at 6'0" and weighs 230 pounds. Kerr is a 6'4" 230 pound tight end. Both prospects are rated 3-stars by Scout.com.
October 13th, 2008
Big Red Roundtable - Mid Season Edition
How do you see the Huskers finishing the 2008 season? Final win loss/record?
With six games remaining in the season, and on the heels of a great road performance in Lubbock, I believe the Huskers will go 4-2 to finish out the season at 7-5. If Nebraska drastically cuts down on penalties and tightens up their defense, I can see 5-1 down the stretch.
I think we'd all agree that OU doesn't look like a Husker victory. The two other games that give me pause are Kansas and Colorado. KU hasn't impressed me much this season though. Amazing what a weak schedule will do for a team's confidence (and win-loss record). The Jayhawks are a good team, and better than the Huskers right now, but NU's performance at Texas Tech gives me hope.
Colorado is the team that's hard to figure out. They are real up and down, playing good one week and not so good the next. Like the Kansas game, the Huskers will have revenge on their minds after last season's disappointing loss at Boulder. This should be a good one.
read more..
October 11th, 2008
Oh so close
We've all had this sickening feeling before. There were plenty of games under former Husker coach Bill Callahan that would qualify. The 2005 home loss to Texas Tech in which we had the game won until LeKevin Smith fumbled his interception. The 2006 home loss to Texas which saw Terrence Nunn fumble a third and short play that would have all but sealed the game for NU. But today's ending was the cruelest of cruel. Who wasn't predicting a Husker win when Texas Tech's overtime extra point was blocked? After the way Nebraska fought back all game, through penalties and stopping Tech's offense multiple times, who wasn't thinking the college football gods were about to smile on the Huskers?
Predicted to lose by "a lot" according to most college football "experts," the Huskers came out determined to make up for last week's disappointing loss to Missouri. The offense moved the ball with relative ease against a Texas Tech defense. The offensive line looked much better (minus the penalties again). The Nebraska defense improved from a week ago, but they're still not where they need to be.
read more..
October 5th, 2008
One Husker fan's perspective
By Ryan Blase
As an avid Husker fan, I am sure that I feel the same as most Husker
fans after the game tonight against the University of Missouri.
Nebraska fans feel that there is no way that the tables should be
turned and Nebraska be on the losing end of a blowout, especially to
Missouri. However, the fact of the matter is that Missouri and Kansas
have pulled ahead of Nebraska amidst all the turmoil caused by Steve
Pederson and Bill Callahan.
To be brutally honest, this Nebraska team is not very talented. I am
not trying to bash players specifically, but the talent is not there.
Missouri had more talent than Nebraska at every position on the
field. But what makes matters worse is the fact that this team is so
psychologically damaged from the debacle over the last 4 years. Bo
and his staff have the monumental task in front of them of reshaping a
team's attitude and getting it through their heads how to win again.
Make no mistake, this team really doesn't know what it takes to win.
read more..
September 28th, 2008
Disappointment sets in
Disappointment sums up how Husker fans feel today. An opportunity to beat a name team slipped through the cracks last night as Nebraska fell to Virginia Tech 35-30. The game came down to the final seconds as the Huskers scrambled their way back into it. Nate Swift’s 88-yard punt return for a touchdown energized the crowd and the team, but stopping Tyrod Taylor and the Hokies offense wasn’t as easy as Husker fans expected. Todd Peterson’s touchdown catch with 1:32 on the clock gave the fans hope, but a failed onside kick ended any thoughts of victory.
Looking at the stats of the game, Virginia Tech outplayed the Huskers. More first downs, more total yards and time of possession, but what really sticks out is zero turnovers for the Hokies. Nebraska had a fumble and interception as well as yielding an early safety. Once again, NU could not establish a running game, with only 55 yards on the ground for the Big Red. Third down efficiency was another problem for the Husker offense, converting only two of 11 times. One bright spot was the Huskers’ defensive stops in the second and third quarters, limiting Virginia Tech to field goals on four scoring drives.
Still, this Virginia Tech team was beatable and should have been beaten by Nebraska.
read more..
September 19th, 2008
What have we learned after three games?
Three games into the 2008 college football season, and Nebraska Cornhuskers fans aren’t quite sure what to make of their team just yet.
Bo Pelini has definitely energized the defense and made the unit more aggressive, but many were expecting bigger improvements given the opponents NU has faced. What was thought to be a weakness going into the season (the defensive line) has proven to be a strength, and what was expected to be a strength (the offensive line) hasn’t been.
In fact, the Nebraska running game has been underwhelming through the first three games. So where do the Huskers go from here?
Looking down the schedule, a case can be made where Nebraska wins six of its remaining nine games, including home victories over Virginia Tech and Kansas. A 9-3 season would be well-received in Husker Nation, and Bo Pelini would retain his status as a state icon. But a case can also be made for NU winning only four of the nine games (Iowa State, Baylor, Kansas State, and Colorado), resulting in a 7-5 record.
The Huskers’ ABC prime-time matchup with Virginia Tech a week from Saturday is a crucial game for the Big Red.
read more..
September 14th, 2008
Back in Black(shirts)?
This is what Husker fans expected during the first two games of the season, but we'll take it as of game number three. Just in time for the tough part of the schedule to begin, the Nebraska defense put together it's best showing yet. Pelini's crew held New Mexico State scoreless for much of the game. Thanks to some generous officiating (if you're an Aggie fan), New Mexico State was finally able to penetrate the end zone. Still, a much better effort and performance than we saw last week.
So did the defense earn their Blackshirts with their effort? Only time will tell. I think they're getting back on the right track, but they might not be there just yet. We're all hoping that there is significant improvement on both sides of the ball between now and the Virginia Tech game, otherwise the Huskers could be in for a long season. After the Hokies, NU faces Mizzou and Texas Tech in back-to-back games. Ideally, the Big Red will be sitting at 4-0 when the Tigers come to town and will be able to give Chase Daniel some Chad May treatment.
read more..
September 11th, 2008
Non-conference schedule additions
I forget who our athletic director is, but someone should tell him he's doing a great job, especially in scheduling future opponents. Today, we learned the Miami Hurricanes will play the Huskers in 2014 and 2015, first in Lincoln and then in Miami. Earlier this week we were told Fresno State would be added to the schedule in 2011, 2014, and 2016. Add these teams to Tennessee, UCLA, Washington, and the upcoming Virginia Tech home-and-home, and we have ourselves some interesting matchups for Nebraska football fans to fawn over. But we still haven't scheduled the one series that I would like to see...the Alabama Crimson Tide. Or the other one I would like to see...The Ohio State Buckeyes. My third choice would be the Michigan Wolverines at the Big House? Wait a minute, what about the LSU Tigers in a sort of homecoming for Bo? I'd throw out Notre Dame and Penn State as ideas, but we've played these teams in the last decade, so that probably won't happen again anytime soon. One final idea...the Pitt Panthers. Why them you say? It would be our opportunity to thank Steve Pederson for leading us to Bo Pelini and to shut up ESPN's Mark May once and for all.
read more..
September 9th, 2008
Exclusive interview with former Husker Mike Minter
Every Husker football fan knows the name Mike Minter. Most of you know he was a four-year letterwinner and one of the best defensive backs Nebraska has ever seen. An All-Big 12 selection and team captain in 1996, Minter was also part of two Husker national championship teams (’94 & ’95) and a 2nd round draft pick of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. Mike played 10 years in the NFL, all with Carolina, and was a defensive captain in each of his final five seasons. When he retired, he was the team’s all-time leader in tackles (953), starts (141), consecutive starts (94), interceptions returned for a touchdown (4), and fumble recoveries (9). What you may not know is how much time and money Minter has given to off-the-field endeavors like the YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, United Way, The Ruckus House, Special Olympics, Athletes in Action, Habitat for Humanity, and Pacific Pals. And we haven’t even touched on his business ventures. In other words, his bio easily takes up a full page, but what's most impressive is how humble Mike remains.
Mike has authored a book entitled Driven by Purpose…The Power of a Dream, which he says isn’t a “rags to riches story” but rather how “doing the right thing and trusting God” got him to where he is now.
read more..
September 6th, 2008
Huskers turn it on late to beat SJSU 35-12
For three quarters, the 291st consecutive home sellout didn’t look to be going too well. Enter Niles Paul. The sophomore wide receiver from Omaha North gave the Huskers the spark they needed when he returned a fourth quarter kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown. Until that point, Nebraska was leading San Jose State 14-12 with 12:17 left in the game. After Paul’s return, NU’s defense picked it up with a quick three and out, while Roy Helu added his first collegiate touchdown several plays later. Helu scored on a 14-yard run, making the score 28-12 with just over nine minutes left. Marlon Lucky added the final score of the game with a touchdown run, ending the Spartans upset bid.
Prior to the Paul touchdown, the Huskers looked terrible. Let’s be honest. Both offensively and defensively, Bo Pelini’s team seemed to take a step backward rather than forward. NU racked up 12 penalties accounting for 103 yards versus San Jose State’s seven penalties for 47 yards. Nebraska had a fumble and an interception, matching the Spartan’s two turnovers on the day. The Huskers managed only 315 yards of total offense, with 99 yards coming on the ground.
read more..
August 31st, 2008
First game in the books
Not bad for a first game under a new head coach. A win is a win. I'm sure Texas A&M and Michigan would gladly trade us their home losses right now. Now, I'm saying it wasn't bad for a first game based on the belief that a team does improve the most from the first to the second game. If either San Jose State or New Mexico State are able to put up this many points or prevent us from running the ball, that's not good. The Huskers need to improve. They know that. Overall, I'd give them an A for effort, but a C for effectiveness.
From an offensive standpoint, the Huskers are about 65-70% in terms of where they need to be. The Big Red accounted for only 138 yards on the ground, carrying the ball 31 times. That's not good enough when you have a distinct size advantage compared to the opponent's defensive line. Part of the trouble in running the ball was due to the Bronco defense crowding the box. The other part was due to less than stellar play from the offensive line, who in their defense is working through some injury issues.
read more..
August 28th, 2008
The latest from Huskerland
This is no mirage folks. The first game is actually here. The Huskers will take to the field against Western Michigan in roughly 60 hours. In case you missed it, here are a few recent news tidbits.
Bo Pelini was on the Jim Rome Show today. You can listen to the interview here. A quick summary...Rome asked Bo about withholding the Blackshirts until they are earned. Bo said that was the plan. Bo also said the program was divided when he got there and he's worked hard to amend that. Rome was very complimentary of Bo and the interview ended with the following exchange. Bo - "Hey Jim, when are you bringing the Jungle back to Lincoln?" Rome - "Whenever you want Bo."
Lydon Murtha was held out of practice Wednesday, but is listed as "probable" for Saturday's game. Murtha is listed as the #1 right tackle after being on the left side last season.
Ricky Henry did not make the two-deep and barring injuries to the offensive line will most likely be redshirted this season. Bo Pelini said he is ready to play now, but with the depth they currently have on the line, it makes more sense to wait a year on Ricky.
Pelini announced captains for the first game.
read more..
August 26th, 2008
New depth chart is out
With fall camp in the rearview, focus turns to Western Michigan. Today, the Husker coaches released the depth chart. A few thoughts...
First, the defensive line contains no surprises. Zach Potter and Barry Turner will start at the end positions. Ndamukong Suh and Ty Steinkuhler will be the horses in the middle. No surprises at the linebacker position, except for who is backing up starters Cody Glenn, Phillip Dillard, and Tyler Wortman. True freshmen Will Compton and Sean Fisher are listed at the #2 positions behind Dillard and Wortman respectively. Sophomore Blake Lawrence backs up Cody Glenn.
Anthony West gets the starting nod ahead of Prince Amukamara at the right corner spot. Major Culbert is listed as the #2 strong safety behind Larry Asante, although I expect to see a lot of Culbert this season. Rickey Thenarse is finally a starter at free safety and Armando Murillo is the #1 left corner, ahead of Eric Hagg.
On offense, the I-back position is a little interesting. Marlon Lucky, Roy Helu and Quentin Castille are all listed as #1 running backs. I'll be curious to watch the number of carries each back gets this season.
read more..
August 22nd, 2008
The other side of the coin
A month ago, we published our predictions for the 2008 Husker football season. Some of you feel eight or nine wins is too optimistic, and you may be right. So now we take a look at what could go wrong for Bo Pelini and the Huskers in 2008. Consider this a devil's advocate type of post.
Let's face it, the Huskers don't have the depth of the great NU teams of the mid-90's. Until Pelini & Co. get depth approaching that level, any key injuries could throw a wrench into the gears. The most important cog in the offensive engine is quarterback Joe Ganz. Losing Ganz to any serious injury would be detrimental to the team's chances of hitting the eight or nine win mark. Not that Patrick Witt or Zac Lee aren't good quarterbacks, but they don't have anywhere near the experience that Ganz does. Joe knows the offense forwards and back, having held the clipboard and worn the sideline visor for nearly four years. So what are the odds of Ganz going down? It depends on how much zone read running plays Shawn Watson calls for Joe.
read more..
August 19th, 2008
1st Annual Husker Hog Ride set for September 20th
The motorcycle ride begins at the Harley Davidson dealership in Omaha and ends outside Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. Registration for the free leave poker run begins at 9am and runs through Noon. Families and kids are welcome.
Join former Huskers Jared Tomich, Grant Wistrom, Jason Peter, Christian Peter, Jamel Williams, Matt Verzal, Chris Dishman, Tommie Frazier, and Damon Benning at the Post Run Party. The party follows the poker run and goes from 1pm to 10pm.
Learn more at the official website: HuskerHogRide.net.
Register online here
August 17th, 2008
Husker Fan Day
Some observations from Memorial Stadium today. First off, it was hot down on the field. Kind of felt bad for the players who were seated out in the sun. The offensive lineman had it made in the shade as they were seated in the South endzone up against the fence. The defensive linemen were in the southeast corner of the field, but were still in the sun. The assistant coaches were lined up going north-south in the middle of the field. Bo Pelini was clearly the big draw today. The line for the Huskers head coach went out of the stadium...with 45 minutes left. I was able to get close enough to get a few photos of Bo (see all photos here) and just in time to see a fan put a LSU Tiger hat in front of him. Bo replied that this is the only other hat he'd consider signing, which got a chuckle out of the crowd around him. Must be nice being head coach. Bo was the only member of the team and staff that had a tent awning over him.
Also saw Khiry Cooper seated with the wide receivers.
read more..
August 17th, 2008
Only two weeks left
Fall camp has reached the mid-point. Sunday, the Husker football team will host their Fan Day at Memorial Stadium starting at 2pm CST. HuskerFaithful.com will attend and photos will be posted on this site Sunday afternoon. So, we have two weeks until the first game. Two more weeks of anticipation, of what might be. Then Husker fans get to find out for real how good the 2008 team will be.
Several good articles in the papers today. First, the Journal Star's Husker Extra takes a deeper look at the Blackshirts tradition. Tom Osborne, on the first day of fall camp spoke about the Blackshirts tradition at Nebraska. Surprisingly (or not), a lot of the defensive players didn't know the history. Osborne showed video clips of how the Blackshirts should play and what mentality was needed to be a Blackshirt. I'm guessing the Peter brothers made several appearances in the video clips. Maybe a Wistrom sighting or two.
Steve Sipple of the Journal Star also takes a look at the daily battle of schemes between Shawn Watson and Bo Pelini. The result...making the offense and the defense both better.
read more..
August 14th, 2008
An exclusive interview with Jason Peter
Former Husker All-American Jason Peter’s new book Hero of the Underground: My Journey Down to Heroin and Back was released in July 2008 to rave reviews. The book is a raw look at his life in football and how he coped once his career came to an end. It’s a must-read for Husker football fans and people struggling with drug addiction. Jason was kind enough to answer some questions for HuskerFaithful.com.
HF: Would you say Hero of the Underground is more about a football player who nearly lost everything or a drug addict who pulled his life out of a nosedive?
JP: I would say a football player that thought he lost everything. I identified myself through football so when Jason Peter the football player no longer existed, Jason Peter the person was gone as well. Such a huge part of my struggle in life was finding a purpose, trying to find something else that I could be great at. The thought of failing or not having success in a particular field was enough to keep me from trying altogether.
HF: What are the main things you want the reader to take away from your book?
JP: First of all, I hope the book gives the reader a better understanding of addiction.
read more..
July 23rd, 2008
Husker Faithful's 2008 Season Predictions
Lost Wages is out with their over/under for Nebraska wins this season and it’s seven. But what does Vegas know? Here’s how I see the season playing out for the Big Red.
Western Michigan - Win. This one could be closer than people think. It's the first game under a new head coach and a new full-time offensive coordinator. The Huskers won't be in mid-season form for the first game. Final score prediction: 42-21.
San Jose State - Win. C'mon, it's fricking San Jose State. Aren't they better known for having a good women's water polo team? Enough said. Final score prediction: 48-14.
New Mexico State - Win. The Huskers should be hitting their stride by game three, just in time for the first big test of the season. Incidentally, it isn't this week's opponent. In case you're ever on Jeopardy, New Mexico State University hails from Las Cruces, known around the world as home of the Whole Enchilada Fiesta. Final score prediction: 52-17.
Virginia Tech - Win. Finally, a marquee non-conference game against someone other than Southern Cal.
read more..
July 17th, 2008
Preseason Polls/Huskers Impressive So Far In 2008
Can you feel it? The newsflow is picking up. Husker Faithful is knocking out posts on his blog again. Football season must be near. A month from now, the Huskers will be on the practice field, led by their high hat bill wearing head coach. A month-and-a-half and the Bo Pelini era officially gets underway against some directional school I can't remember right now. Oh yeah...Western Michigan.
Is it just me or are most preseason polls merely a reflection of how the previous season ended? Take the Big 12 media poll just released. These 51 magnanimous writers, pundits, and intelligentcia of Big 12 cities went out on a limb and unanimously picked Missouri to win the North. Food for thought...these same media members picked the Cornhuskers to win the North last season. Following the Tigers were the Kansas Jayhawks and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Beyond that, who cares, right? While I can understand Missouri as their top pick (17 returning starters, including QB Chase Daniel), there is no way Kansas has a repeat of last season. In 2007, the Jayhawks skated by on a relatively easy schedule, not having to play either Oklahoma or Texas.
read more..
July 14th, 2008
Really? Nebraska had a good decade in the 90's?
In my daily check of Husker news, I ran across this article from RealFootball365.com. The title of the article is "Overlooked Nebraska might have been true '90s dynasty." Evidently, the rest of the college football world (Husker fans excluded) is still transfixed with the Fun & Gun offenses of Florida, Miami, and Florida State circa the 1990's. Now we Nebraskans tend to be a little more down to earth and grounded than other folks. Some people are all about the sizzle, while we prefer the steak. So it's not surprising to me that there are college football fans who refuse to acknowledge Nebraska's pure dominance in the 1990's. No team, let me repeat, NO TEAM came close to Nebraska during the decade. Playing at a championship level from 1993 to 1997 (half of the decade), winning three titles in four tries...I'd say that's a pretty good run. But you've got to be kidding me that there are people that think Florida, Miami, or even Florida State had a better decade? As the author notes in his article, Florida State was able to beat up a weak football conference.
read more..
July 9th, 2008
Time to buy the Huskers
Warren Buffett is arguably the greatest investor of all-time. His philosophy is simple: 1) buy low and sell high, and 2) be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful. With the stock market suffering through the summer doldrums, it occurred to me that sports fans and investors have some things in common. Investors in general like stocks the most when the market is at a high and they don’t want anything to do with them when the market is in the dumps. Sports fans have basically the same attitude toward their team, liking them the most when their team is experiencing success and the least when their team is struggling. Granted, this analogy doesn't factor in the most loyal fans (and Nebraska has plenty) who never get off the bandwagon. But you get the point.
The guys over at BigRedNetwork (who are much more prolific writers than me) asked an interesting question, "Have you peaked as a Husker fan?" Personally, the answer is no way. That's tantamount to saying my best days in life are behind me.
read more..
June 5th, 2008
A new book forthcoming from Jason Peter
Thought I'd pass along the following email I received from the publisher of a new book called
Hero of the Underground, a memoir by former University of Nebraska Cornhuskers star Jason Peter.
You’ll probably remember Jason Peter as a ferocious defensive lineman for Tom Osborne’s Cornhuskers; he played on three national champion teams (1994, 1995, and 1997), and in his senior year was team captain and a first team All American. His older brother Christian Peter also starred for the team, and the two played side by side in 1995. Jason went on to be a first round NFL draft pick by the Carolina Panthers, where he played for four years before injuries forced him to retire.
You may not know about his life after retirement. As a professional, coming back from one serious injury after another, Jason developed an addiction to painkillers. After his retirement, that addiction led to others, spiraling from crack all the way down to heroin—a journey that took him to the darkest haunts of New York and Los Angeles , as well as through numerous rehabilitation facilities.
read more..
May 27th, 2008
One month down...
We're just over a month into the most depressing time of the year for a Husker football fan, the so-called "off-season." How are you all doing? I don't know about you but I need college football. The NBA doesn't cut it. Major League Baseball doesn't get exciting until the post-season, which happens to coincide with college football season. Men's college lacrosse was on TV over the weekend. That must be an East Coast thing because I don't get it. I guess we've got the Husker baseball team to root on. They need us right now, after picking a poor time to go into the tank. Hopefully, they rally in the regional and can find a way to Omaha. But the bottom line is that Husker football season is still three months away and newsflow is pretty slow about right now.
An avid visitor to the site, Dylan emailed me this link today in which former Husker Trev Alberts gives his take on the upcoming season. It's worth a watch if you have a minute and a half of your day to spare.
Sorry, no Bo Pelini sightings recently.
read more..
April 22nd, 2008
Bo knows goodwill
One of Husker Faithful's loyal readers, Bret, shared a story with me about Bo Pelini which needs to be told to the masses (all seven of you who read my blog). Bret and a friend of his came into Lincoln this past Friday from Colorado for the Spring Game. Bret's father would have normally accompanied him on the trip, but some last minute health problems prevented him from coming. Bret and his buddy hit the Haymarket area for some eats and drinks and happened to stop into Barry's. Upon entering, they noticed none other than Bo Pelini and a few of his assistant coaches sitting at a table. Bret and his friend approached Bo and chatted with him for a moment. Bret describes Bo as follows: "I have to tell everyone, he is one of the most stand-up, kindest guys I've met in a very long time." Near the end of their conversation, Bret realized that his father was missing out on something pretty special here. So Bret asked Bo if he would mind saying a few words to his ill father in South Dakota.
read more..
April 20th, 2008
Another Spring Game is in the books
Click here to see our photos from Saturday's Spring Game.
I called it correctly. The first offensive play of the game was indeed an option to the short side of the field. Too bad it was the white offense running the play instead of Joey Ganz and the Red offense. The option was blown up by Tyler Wortman of the Red team defense, thus robbing the crowd of a chance to give offensive coordinator Shawn Watson a standing ovation. Way to go Tyler.
The highlight of the day for me was seeing all the former Husker players down on the sidelines. There must have been at least 50 ex-Huskers, including Broderick Thomas, Fabian Washington, DeJuan Groce, Steve Taylor, DeMorrio Williams, Ahman Green, and Richie Incognito.
As for the action on the field, what can you say, it was a scrimmage after all. A little sloppy at times. Roy Helu, Jr. looked good. Quentin Castille had the run of the day when he bulled over my man Rickey Thenarse. Rickey is one of the team's biggest hitters on defense and Castille ran him over.
read more..
April 18th, 2008
And the first offensive play of the Spring Game is...
I'll go ahead and predict the first play from scrimmage in the 2008 Spring Game will be an option to the short side of the field. Nothing says Nebraska football is back like the old bread and butter. Somewhere in a skybox, Tom Osborne will crack a sly smile. Shawn Watson will endear himself to Husker fans, who will forget he had anything to do with Bill Callahan. Sold out Memorial Stadium will cheer with delight, just like they cheered with delight four years ago when Joe Dailey heaved the ball downfield on the first play of the Callahan era. Dailey's pass of course fell incomplete, which proved to be quite prophetic for the next four years. This time it will be different. Seemingly all of Husker Nation (was that a Steve Pederson invention?) is behind Bo Pelini and the new staff. Those that aren't, will be soon.
April 15th, 2008
Bo vs The Daily Nebraskan
Student newspapers...what can you say, mini-me journalistas hoping to catch a big break, I guess. Or at least to rock the boat and drum up some news. Anyway, the Daily Nebraskan editorial board decided to stir the pot just a bit by attacking first year head football coach, Bo Pelini, for his lack of team discipline in this article.
The editorial accuses Pelini of going easy on several players (with the exception of Andy Christensen) for recent run-ins with the law. One such player is Josh Williams, the Denton, Texas defensive end recruit who isn't even a Husker yet. Williams allegedly punched a man in the face and stole $900 from him. Not a good way to begin your college football career if you ask me. Bo hasn't said much about this situation, presumably because he's letting the justice system handle it. Evidently, that's not good enough for the DN. Guilty until proven innocent seems to be their message. The editorial also mentions Major Culbert and Patrick Witt. So that's three players and one recruit over a two year time period and out of about 150 players overall.
read more..
April 6th, 2008
Tidbits from week two of spring ball
ABC college football analyst Terry Bowden was in Grand Island Thursday to speak at the GI Area Chamber of Commerce annual meeting. Bowden said he believes Nebraska got a "real good man" in Bo Pelini and that Nebraska "is in for better days." Additionally, he had some poignant remarks on the defensive struggles of the Huskers last season, attributing most of the problems to "above the neck" issues and "lost confidence." Surprisingly though, and I tend to disagree on this one, Bowden thought the offense controlled the team's destiny going forward, pointing out that past NU championship teams won with a powerful option ground game. Silly me, I thought defense won championships. If offense won championships, shouldn't we have won something last season, Terry?
More evidence that our defense is now heading in the right direction is the decision by defensive backs coach Marvin Sanders to teach his guys to look for the football when defending receivers. While some coaches take the word "defense" literally, and act in a defensive manner, Pelini and his staff are implementing an "offensive defense." What I mean by that is a defense that is proactive and disruptive, instead of reactive.
read more..
March 31st, 2008
The personal side of Husker football
We as Husker football fans often place an inordinate amount of emphasis on how our team does in a particular season. Wins and losses, championships, All-Americans, are all important, don't get me wrong, but behind each red face mask on the white helmet there is a story. Several players have been highlighted in the news recently. Here they are in capsulized form.
Menelik Holt: Meno is the class clown off the field and all business on it. He gets his jovial ways from his mother, Mary. Only Mary is not with us anymore. She passed away from cancer in October 2006. One of the final acts Meno's mom did before dying was to introduce Meno's dad to him. Holt talks to his dad every day now and often travels to Denver to see him. Mary's legacy lives on through her son, the comedian wide receiver for the Huskers known as Meno.
Rickey Thenarse: Rickey missed last Friday's spring practice session after returning to Los Angeles to deal with the death of a brother, his second brother lost to gun violence in recent months.
read more..
March 24th, 2008
Questions heading into spring practice
Spring football practice begins Wednesday and runs four weeks, culminating in the annual Red-White Spring Game on April 19th. Here are several questions the Husker Faithful have going into the Bo Pelini era at Nebraska.
Will the offense look any different with Shawn Watson at the controls?
Absolutely. Husker fans were treated to Watson's play-calling in the first half of the Texas A&M game last season, before Bill Callahan took back the reins. Let's face it, Callahan was predictable much of the time in his play-calling. When Watson was given control, we saw a reverse run by Franz Hardy and an overall better mix of plays. Husker fans should expect more of the same, with a renewed focus on the running game. Good news if your name ends with Lucky, Castille, or Glenn. Whereas, the run game under Bill Callahan consisted of dump passes to Lucky in the flats, expect to see a more bruising run game with the new coaching staff. Roy Helu, Marcus Mendoza, and Lucky will be relied upon for their speed, while Quentin Castille and Cody Glenn will provide the thunder.
read more..
February 27th, 2008
Husker men's basketball is on a roll
Congrats to Doc Sadler and the Husker men's basketball team. First, they shut down Michael Beasley and beat #25 Kansas State in what Doc called "the biggest win since I've been here." Second, the Big Red ballers took their show on the road to #22 Texas A&M and came away with another upset win. And now tonight, Nebraska takes down Oklahoma, winning by a score of 63-45.
Doc's team has been doing it with defense. The Huskers held Iowa State to 11 first half points 11 days ago, Michael Beasley to five first half points a week ago, and Oklahoma to 12 points in the first half tonight. Nebraska doesn't have the best talent in the Big 12, but they have proven of late that they can at least play with, and sometimes beat, the top conference teams.
With the OU win tonight, the Huskers move to 17-9 on the season and 6-7 in the Big 12 conference. Joining the Big Red in a four way tie for sixth place in the conference standings are Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and Missouri.
read more..
February 20th, 2008
2008 will be a tough season for the Huskers
Never fear Husker fans, Bo Pelini is here. Superman he might not be, but some Big Red fans will expect Bo to get their Huskers back to the top faster than a speeding bullet anyway. Sorry to break it to you, but 2008 won't be the year that Nebraska breaks through and here's why. The Huskers face five teams who will most likely begin the year ranked in the Top 25, including four who ended the 2007 season ranked in the Top 10.
Let's face it, we're not playing the schedule we played in 2003. The 2003 season saw the Big Red face only two ranked opponents all season, #24 Oklahoma State in the first game of the year and #16 Texas in Austin later in the year. The 2008 season has the Huskers playing the following teams as ranked in the season ending polls: #4 Missouri, #7 Kansas, #8 Oklahoma, #9 Virginia Tech, and #22 Texas Tech. That's five opponents who will most likely begin the 2008 campaign ranked in the Top 25. That's four teams on the Huskers schedule that finished the 2007 season in the Top 10.
Lucky for NU fans, we do play three of these opponents at home (Virginia Tech, Missouri, and Kansas).
read more..
February 13th, 2008
Bo Pelini: A Man of the People
So here we are, relatively fresh into the Bo Pelini era at Nebraska, and already our new coach is off to a better start than the previous one. One constant criticism of Bill Callahan was his reclusiveness. His side of the story no doubt would be that he was constantly refining his offensive gameplan, watching film, and trying to translate that into wins on the field. His lack of public appearances would probably have been smoothed out by better performance and faster success on the field, but we all know how that turned out. I can't recall ever hearing anyone say they saw Bill at the downtown Starbucks. I can't recall anyone saying they ever saw him anywhere, except for that one basketball game he attended shortly after he was hired.
Fast forward to the present. Bo Pelini has a sweet gig right now. He's the blessed choice of Tom Osborne, who most Husker fans would agree has the best interests in mind for the school he put so much into. Pelini was counseled to restore the walk-on program, keep up public appearances, and to sum it up, do exactly the opposite of what Bill Callahan did during his tenure from a PR standpoint.
read more..
February 5th, 2008
Nebraska's 2008 football recruiting class bios
***Updated as of Thursday, February 7th
Meet the 2008 Nebraska football recruiting class, broken down by position. A list of known walk-ons follow. One note, Mason Wald is expected to become the 28th commitment to the class. He has yet to sign a letter of intent, but is expected to do so on Thursday.
Quarterbacks (1)
Kody Spano is a 6'2" 202 pound dual threat quarterback from Stephenville, Texas. Kody and his family took an official visit to Lincoln in early January and he committed days later. Shawn Watson was the lead recruiter on Kody, who is ranked as the #9 dual threat QB by Rivals.com and the #47 player in the Texas Top 100. He is rated a 3-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. Also in the running for Kody's services were Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Tulsa, and Georgia Tech.
Running Backs (3)
Collins Okafor is a 6'1" 210 pound running back out of Omaha Westside High School. Ranked by Rivals as the #4 player in the state of Nebraska and the #27 running back in the country, Okafor is one of those players that Nebraska needed to keep in-state.
read more..
February 3rd, 2008
Huskers in today's Super Bowl
Here's a look at former Huskers who are on the rosters of New England and New York.
New England Patriots
#71 Russ Hochstein plays both guard and center for the Patriots and is in his sixth year as a pro. The Hartington, Nebraska native was acquired as a free agent in 2002 by New England and has already earned two Super Bowl rings from his 2003 and 2004 seasons with the Patriots. He was with the Huskers from 1997-2000.
#90 Le Kevin Smith is in his second year as a pro. The former Husker defensive lineman was drafted by New England in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL draft. Smith hails from Macon, Georgia and was a Husker from 2001 to 2005.
New York Giants
#47 Andrew Shanle played on the practice squad for the Giants and was called into duty for the Super Bowl in recent weeks. Shanle had been substitute teaching at Lefler Middle School in Lincoln prior to getting a call from his agent in early December. Shanle is a St. Edward, Nebraska native, and brother of Scott Shanle who is now with the New Orleans Saints.
read more..
February 1st, 2008
Two recruits join the '08 class
Lester Ward, a 6'3" 200 pound runnning back from Brenham, Texas, has verbally committed to be a Husker. Ward had been committed to playing football for Baylor, but as we all know, Baylor doesn't have a football team. Once Lester confirmed this news, he began looking elsewhere. The big back was recruited by UCLA, Miami, and Missouri, among other lesser schools. Ward is rated a 2-star recruit by Rivals and Scout, whatever that's worth. To date, the Huskers have nine of their 23 recruits coming to Lincoln via the state of Texas, which as we all know, tends to produce some good football players. Tim McGraw's son in the movie Friday Night Lights comes quickly to mind, although I can't remember his name.
Also joining the 2008 Husker recruiting class is Alfonzo Dennard, a cornerback from Rochelle, Georgia. The 5'10" 185 pound prospect was committed to North Carolina, but as we all know, North Carolina is a basketball school and basketball schools are never good at football, unless you count this year which was just weird. Dennard is one of a growing number of recruits targeted from SEC country by Nebraska's new coaching staff.
Speaking of SEC country targets, Khiry Cooper, a 6'2" 175 pound wide receiver out of Shreveport, Louisiana, is making his way to Lincoln this weekend for an official visit according to HuskersIllustrated.com.
read more..
January 25th, 2008
Big recruiting weekend for the Huskers
As many as 12 recruits will be in Lincoln this weekend for visits. Among these are several current verbal commitments, including Baker Steinkuhler, Kyler Reed, and Ricky Henry. Of the remaining nine recruits, two are from the state of Louisiana, two from Alabama, two from Texas, and one each from Florida, Nebraska, and Ohio. The following is a list of known visitors this weekend:
--Antonio Bell, WR, Daytona Beach, FL - Committed
--LaRon Bryd, WR, Boutte, LA
--Ricky Henry, OL, Wahpeton, ND - Committed
--Jordan Makovicka, DB, Brainard, NE
--Courtney Osborne, WR, Garland, TX - Committed
--Steven Osborne, WR, Garland, TX - Committed
--Kyler Reed, LB, Overland Park, KS - Committed
--Justin Rogers, RB, Birmingham, AL
--Kenny Stafford, WR, Columbus, OH
--Baker Steinkuhler, OL, Lincoln, NE - Committed
--Prentiss Waggner, DB, Clinton, LA
--Mason Wald, DB, Birmingham, AL
In other recruiting news, Eddie Brown is the latest decommitment from the Huskers 2008 class. The funny thing...he was only a commit for two days. Evidently, the defensive tackle recruit from Waller, Texas preferred Texas A&M over the Huskers. So long Eddie Brown, we hardly knew ye.
National letter of intent signing day is February 6th.
read more..
January 17th, 2008
Do you know Bo Pelini?
See if you can guess the answers to the following questions about Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini.
1) What brand of coffee does Bo drink, Starbucks or McDonalds?
2) Who is Bo Pelini's neighbor?
3) Who was seen a few weeks back pumping gas for Bo Pelini?
4) What are Bo's thoughts about next season?
5) Does Bo enjoy doing the coach's show?
And now for the answers...
1) Bo was spotted inside the downtown Starbucks recently by a reliable eye witness. Take that McDonalds. Buy Starbucks stock based on this information alone. Once word gets out, the stock will take off, unless we are in recession. Then wait six months before buying.
2) Bo Pelini's neighbor is none other than Kevin Cosgrove. I wonder how long before Coz comes over, rings the doorbell, and asks Mary Pat Pelini if Bo can come out and play defense in the backyard with him.
3) A few weeks back, Tom Osborne was seen pumping gas while Pelini sat in the passenger's seat of their Tahoe. The two were on a recruiting visit up in Omaha. How many of you can say T.O.
read more..
January 14th, 2008
New developments
Along with Collins Okafor's recommitment to Nebraska, we found out today that Marlon Lucky will be returning for his senior year. Good choice Marlon. Already nine underclassmen running backs have declared themselves eligible, including Darren McFadden and Felix Jones of Arkansas, Steve Slaton, Ray Rice, and Jamaal Charles. That's a lot of competition for Lucky. Now he'll earn his degree and hopefully help his draft stock with another full season under his belt.
Back to Okafor for a minute. Collins is the only running back in the 2008 class for the Huskers at the moment. The Omaha Westside senior had been looking at Iowa and Stanford in the wake of the NU coaching changes. Today, he made it official. He'll be a Husker.
Also back in the fold is defensive end prospect Josh Williams of Denton, Texas. Williams had been listed as a commit prior to the coaching changes and has decided he likes what he sees in new coach Bo Pelini. Josh also had offers from Texas, Texas A&M (Nebraska South), Texas Tech, Arkansas, Colorado, and Missouri.
In case you hadn't heard, A&M has become the Nebraska of the South Division.
read more..
January 9th, 2008
Texas A&M hires another former Husker coach
Mike Sherman added former Husker defensive line coach, Buddy Wyatt, to his Aggie staff today. Wyatt joins Tim Cassidy and Dave Kennedy as other former Husker assistants to make the move from Lincoln to College Station. In addition, Zac Taylor will most likely become a grad assistant for Sherman at A&M. What's the connection there? Taylor is engaged to Sherman's daughter. Does A&M need a defensive coordinator? I know one who is still looking for a job.
One observation that will be hard for some Husker fans to swallow. Nebraska might only be the fourth best team in the Big 12 North going into the 2008 season. Missouri claims the top spot due to the fact all nine of their draft-worthy juniors are returning for their senior years. Kansas follows closely behind the Tigers, returning a high number of their starters from the 12-1 team of 2007. Colorado would be the third team that could possibly be better than the Big Red in '08. It's fair to say that Nebraska will still be better than Iowa State and should have more talent than Kansas State.
read more..
January 8th, 2008
You win some, you lose some
One Nebraska recruit who was known to be wavering on his commitment to the Huskers was Dan Hoch. The 4-star offensive line commit from Harlan, Iowa has decided to join the Missouri Tigers recruiting class. Hours after Hoch decommitted, David Grant of Killeen, Texas committed to the Big Red. Lose one offensive line recruit, pick up another. Water off a ducks back, right?
January 8th, 2008
The Bo Pelini Show
So all is well in Huskerland. The Bo Pelini show at LSU is over and we've got ourselves a head coach. He's completely focused on Nebraska football now, albeit, with a mild hangover from celebrating on Bourbon Street last night. Yes, Bo Pelini accomplished what he came back to (did he ever leave?) LSU to accomplish...win a national championship. Add that to the Super Bowl ring he has and Husker fans should be happy to have a coach as accomplished as Bo. Now the real work begins. Solidifying the 2008 recruiting class is priority number one with signing day a month away. Expect to see a lot of news on this front over the next couple of weeks. No doubt there will be some positive surprises as well as some late defections. But that happens at all schools, not just to Nebraska.
The Lincoln Journal Star has tallied all the on-air comments about Bo Pelini from last night's Fox broadcast of the BCS championship. Read them here. Bo's post-game comments can be read on the LJS blog as well, right here.
Husker fans had to be wondering early on whether allowing Bo to coach LSU's defense was a good move, as Ohio State racked up a quick 10 points.
read more..
January 3rd, 2008
More recruiting news
Baker Steinkuhler, NU's only five star recruiting commitment in the 2008 class, is participating in this Saturday's Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio. Baker has been practicing on the defensive side of the ball and fared very well in Wednesday's practice, consistently beating double teams and pressuring the quarterback. Steinkuhler was initially recruited as an offensive tackle but there is a chance that he will be on the other side of the ball for the Huskers come next season.
Quentin Toailoa, the most recent Husker recruiting commitment, was looking for a unique way to break the news to his parents about where he would be playing football. So he made up t-shirts that said, "My son is a Husker." Interestingly, Toailoa said "the passion of the fans won me over," referring to his recruiting trip to Lincoln where he was inundated with autograph requests.
In other recruiting news, Nebraska figures to have about 10 recruits in town for campus visits, including Dan Hoch and Will Compton, who have both been rumored to be looking elsewhere. Finally, Justin Jackson of Norris High School will walk-on at Nebraska next season.
read more..
December 28th, 2007
Player updates, biggest upsets of 2007, the weather & more
According to Scout.com, Nebraska has a new commitment. Quentin Toailoa, a 6'5" 275 pound defensive tackle from Redlands, California has apparently committed to the Huskers. Rated a 3-star recruit by both Rivals and Scout, Quentin was also being recruited by several Pac-10 schools including Arizona, Washington, and Oregon State. In other recruiting news, Jim Ebke has decided to walk-on at Nebraska to compete for the quarterback position. Ebke was a first team Super State quarterback for Lincoln East in 2006 before redshirting at South Dakota State this season as a linebacker. Ebke is 6'1" and 210 pounds and will be a scout team player for the 2008 season while competing for playing time. Interestingly, Ebke received no Division I offers out of high school, most likely due to the fact that Nebraska didn't recruit him very much.
Mike Rucker might be playing his last NFL game this Sunday. The former Husker and current Carolina Panther defensive end is considering retirement. He is 32 years old and has been in the league since being drafted by the Panthers in 1999. Rucker is one sack away from holding the team record, racking up 55 over his nine year career.
Carl Nicks has improved his NFL draft potential, according to Mel Kiper, Draft Expert.
read more..
December 20th, 2007
Recruiting clarification
I can see why sites like Rivals.com and Scout.com are in business. Trying to stay on top of college football recruiting is a bit like trying to herd cats. The kids are all over the place. In my blog yesterday, I reported that Will Compton had reneged on his commitment to the Huskers and had narrowed his choices down to Illinois or Missouri. Being an in-state Missouri kid, my thought was he would commit to the Tigers. Tonight on Sports Nightly a clarification was issued. Will Compton is still considered a Nebraska commitment for the time being. The linebacker prospect is still considering Illinois and Missouri as well. So instead of having both feet out the door, Compton only has one out right now. Does anybody else get the idea that these kids are all toying with us, pulling our collective chain?
In other recruiting news, former Husker commit Riley Reiff has indeed switched his commitment back to Iowa, the school he had been committed to before he committed to Nebraska. I think a new word is needed to describe the recruiting process.
read more..
December 18th, 2007
Huskers recruiting update
Simi Kuli, the first recruiting commitment of the post-Steve Pederson era, has had a change of heart. According to the Lincoln Journal-Star, Kuli's junior college position coach said the highly coveted recruit traveled to Oregon State recently and must have liked what he saw because he's no longer considered a Nebraska commit. This one is a bit puzzling, since it was Tom Osborne who spent time with Kuli on his visit to Nebraska and ultimately got the verbal commit. The top-rated JUCO defensive end was enamored with LSU's defense and considered that school before deciding on Nebraska. Rumors swirled then that Kuli might know something the rest of us didn't; that Bo Pelini would be the next head coach of the Huskers.
Kuli joins several other recent departures, including Bryce Givens, Will Compton, Doug Rippy and Shaun Mohler who have either decided Nebraska wasn't for them or had Nebraska tell them NU wasn't interested anymore. We should keep in mind as we read about defections that Pelini's style of defense is much different than Cosgrove's and the type of player each system needs is different as well.
read more..
December 11th, 2007
Comings and goings
So Trev Alberts won't be here, neither will Dave Kennedy nor Randy Jordan. But Jeff Jamrog may be returning.
Trev Alberts briefly entertained the idea of assuming a role in the NU athletic department, most likely associate AD for football, the spot vacated by Tim Cassidy. Alberts noted that his family is fairly entrenched in the Atlanta area and the timing just isn't right for a move back to Nebraska. Trev had been seen around the North Stadium offices for about a week after Callahan was told to go home by Tom Osborne.
NU's strength and conditioning coach, Dave Kennedy, has also left the program. Kennedy came onboard in 2004 with the Callahan hiring and had taken flack for a variety of issues, including the play of the defensive line this season. Kennedy was a Nebraska graduate and worked in the Husker strength department for seven years in the 1980's before stints at Ohio State and Pittsburgh.
Randy Jordan will not be on Bo Pelini's staff after all. As the running backs coach under Bill Callahan, Jordan was thought to have had a chance to make the jump to the new staff, if for no other reason than his relationship with Marlon Lucky.
read more..
December 7th, 2007
An Olde English Husker Tale
I received the following in an email today. I do not know the origins of the email or it's author, but thought it was definitely worth passing on.
And it came to pass in the land of Lincoln , in the kingdom of Husker Nation, that a man named Pederson arose to rule the realm
of Athletics.
He was of the Kingdom, from the city of North Platte , and was a
follower of the Huskers of Corn.
But he was not a wise man, forsaking the ways of the Husker
Nation, sending the leader Solich into the wilderness, and turning
away the warriors of old who wore the tunics of black into battle
in ages past, even removing their portraits and pictures.
And in the place of Solich, he selected from the land of La-La a
strange man, once known as leading a failed army known as Raiders
to defeat after defeat in the grand Coliseum of the Land of Oaks ,
a city by the bay of San Francisco , a wicked city of Sodomites
and practitioners of perversion.
read more..
December 3rd, 2007
Time for another Big Red Roundtable
Whenever big news strikes, you can count on the Husker bloggers to weigh in. Here's the latest installment of the Big Red Roundtable for your reading pleasure. Other bloggers' links will be added to the end of this as they become available.
1. The 2007 season finished with a disappointing 5-7 record. Very few people expected this. What went wrong?
At the risk of offending PETA for continuing to beat a dead horse, I'll just sum it up this way. Callahan preferred loyalty over employment. By keeping Cosgrove on his staff, Callahan showed friendship is thicker than a paycheck. Defensive issues were the major cause of the downfall this season, but that's only part of the equation as to why the Bill Callahan experiment came to an end. Rather than write a novella, I'll just leave it at that. Next question!
2. Bo Pelini takes over as head coach. Good move or
bad?
Not just a good move, but a great move. The defensive background and intensity that Pelini brings to the Nebraska program is exactly what the Dr. (Tom) ordered. We all remember how successful Bo was in turning around the defense in 2003 and now he has the chance to do the same with the entire team.
read more..
December 3rd, 2007
Bo should coach in the BCS title game
Bo Pelini should coach his LSU defensive unit in the BCS Championship Game if Tom Osborne gives his blessing. Here are the reasons why. 1) Exposure for the University of Nebraska. Talk about a great platform to announce to the world that Bo Pelini will be the new head coach at Nebraska. Think about the all the pre-game interviews and media members focusing on this "distraction" for LSU. In the meantime, Nebraska will get a decent amount of airtime, behind only LSU and Ohio State. This is great exposure for NU's recruiting efforts. High school players, especially defensive oriented recruits, will no doubt take notice of LSU's defense and know that to be a part of it they now have to look at Nebraska. 2) With Nebraska not going bowling this season and with the dead period of recruiting, preparing for this bowl game will not interfere that much with his duties as head coach of Nebraska. Coaches are not permitted to contact recruits beginning on December 17th until January 1st. This is referred to as the dead period of recruiting.
read more..
December 2nd, 2007
Notes from the Bo Pelini press conference
Sean Callahan of HuskersIllustrated.com reported on 10/11 News prior to the press conference that signs are pointing to Barney Cotton, Ron Brown, Marvin Sanders, and Carl Pelini as possible members of the new staff. Current offensive coordinator Shawn Watson is believed to have a good chance to remain onboard at Nebraska as well.
Tom Osborne's comments:
Osborne said you don't have to follow me around anymore. You can follow Bo instead.
Osborne pleased and gratified with the number of coaches that were interested in coming to Nebraska.
Defense was greatest concern for Osborne. Leadership issues were important. Playing hard is essential. Some understanding of Nebraska. What's unique, what isn't.
Nebraska's defensive ranks show Bo's ability: the 2002 defense was ranked 55th, 2003 (under Pelini) ranked 11th, 2004 ranked 56th.
Bo has outstanding defensive credentials. At the top or very near the top of defensive categories the past several years.
Players and coaches here in 2003 said Bo was able to get players to play with tenacity.
Osborne took a shot at Steve Sipple of the Lincoln Journal Star when he said Sip called Bo "charismatic" - said Sip never used words that big before.
Bo is the only Division I coach to go undefeated in the last four years.
Bo Pelini's comments:
Wife Mary Pat, my best friend in the world.
Eight year old son Patrick probably freaked out about losing all the purple stuff.
Nebraska is a special place.
Look forward to going out and recruiting the best players in the state of Nebraska.
Nebraska football and what it means to the state.
read more..
December 2nd, 2007
Bo Pelini to be introduced at 4:00 press conference on Sunday
Interim athletic director Tom Osborne will officially announce Bo Pelini as the next head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers at a 4:00pm press conference today. Pelini is in Lincoln and will be meeting with the team prior to the press conference.
December 2nd, 2007
Is there life after college football season?
For anyone who watched the end of the SEC Championship game last night, it wasn't hard to tell that Bo Pelini was coaching his last game for LSU. Pelini had tears in his eyes as he hugged his players after LSU defeated Tennessee for the SEC Championship. The Tigers defensive coordinator was also given a water dousing and presented with the game ball by his defensive unit. According to one player, Pelini told his players that Nebraska was a dream job for him and that he was inclined to take the position. And this was in his pre-game speech. Look for a press conference either Sunday or Monday to finalize the Pelini hiring by Nebraska.
I made this comment to a friend last night but it's funny how often the announcers of a game will jinx a team or player. Immediately after CBS announcer Verne Lundquist proclaimed how Tennessee hadn't committed a turnover or penalty all game, Volunteers QB Erik Ainge threw an interception that LSU ran back for a touchdown. That score proved to be the difference in the SEC title game.
This wild college football season hasn't slowed down one bit.
read more..
November 30th, 2007
Pelini is the guy...according to ESPN.com
Tom Osborne says he hasn't officially offered the Nebraska head coaching job to anyone. Bo Pelini says he doesn't know where NU stands regarding their head coaching search. It's all semantics, folks. Husker Nation will know who their next coach is as soon as the SEC championship game is a day old. Barring a last minute change of heart, it appears that Tom Osborne has decided Bo Pelini is the right man to right the ship. According to ESPN.com, the announcement may come as soon as Monday that Pelini is the next head coach of Nebraska. From what I've gathered, most of the big money boosters want Bo and most of the fans want Bo. But ultimately, Tom is the decider.
Here are some videos to get you in the mood: 2003 Season Highlights and 2003 Alamo Bowl.
November 29th, 2007
A decision by this weekend
Can this coaching search end quick enough? No. In a sign of just how ridiculous this has become, ESPN.com had two separate reports yesterday that contradicted one another. One report said the candidate pool had been whittled down to Turner or Bo, while the other said Bo didn't impress Osborne in his interview, but Jim Grobe did. What's a Husker fan to make of all this nonsense? The way I see it, there are two possible scenarios.
1) Bo Pelini is the guy and Osborne is waiting until after the SEC championship game to announce him as the new coach. There's nothing stopping Osborne from hiring Gill right now, except for scenario two.
2) Osborne wants to interview Paul Johnson after Navy's game with Army this weekend or another candidate we don't know about. In that case, obviously the job search is still open and no decision has been made, just as Osborne has told the press.
I believe these are the only two plausible scenarios right now. Either he's waiting to interview another candidate or he's waiting until a certain conference championship game is played.
read more..
November 27th, 2007
Another candidate emerges
Another candidate has emerged in the Nebraska head coaching search. Brian Kelly, currently in his first season at Cincinnati, is apparently set to interview with Tom Osborne on Wednesday.
Tom Osborne did say he wanted to speak to four or five prospects before making a decision. So here is where we stand in order of interviews conducted:
1) Bo Pelini
2) Turner Gill
3) Jim Grobe
4) Brian Kelly (although he's denying it)
5) ???
No word yet on whether Navy coach Paul Johnson, whose team is gearing up for rival Army this weekend, will be included in the mix. Johnson isn't commenting on any coaching vacancies until after the Army game anyway. So unless he flew in a private plane from Annapolis to Atlanta or Lincoln, a PJ interview would be difficult to detect. I believe one of the perks of being the Navy head coach is that you have an F-18 at your disposal. Great for those under-the-radar trips. Someone alert Duncan Aviation to be on the lookout for Navy jets landing in Lincoln.
Here's my take on the coaching search. I'm afraid that if we hire a Jim Grobe or Brian Kelly, that Husker Nation will take a wait-and-see attitude again with them like we did with Callahan.
read more..
November 27th, 2007
No news is good news if you want Bo for coach
The team meeting today produced little in the way of news regarding the ongoing search for a new head coach. Tom Osborne did tell the players that a coach could be named by this weekend, leading me to believe that once the SEC championship game is over, T.O. will have something to say. Of course, Osborne hasn't offered the job to anyone. Evidently, we're still in the discovery/interview process right now. Bo Pelini, Turner Gill and Jim Grobe are known to have interviewed already. Might there be a fourth or fifth candidate who has yet to interview? Brian Kelly's name has been mentioned over and over, but still nothing to report with him.
November 26th, 2007
Another update
So there is a team meeting tomorrow at 4:00pm. Players received text messages today telling them of this meeting. Basically, they were given 24 hours notice. Sounds a little fishy to me. The NU sports information office is trying to pass this meeting off as a typical after-the-season get-together in which the team votes on its MVP and such. But you would have to think these kinds of meetings are scheduled a little more in advance than one day. I would bet that this meeting is to notify the players, whom Osborne told would know first, of their next head coach. The speed with which everything has happened over the past couple of days leads me to believe this will be coming to an end very soon.
November 26th, 2007
The latest on the coaching search
Tom Osborne has promised that the players will be the first to find out who their new coach is. According to an NU player, there is a team meeting tomorrow at 4pm. He couldn't say whether or not it was related to a new coach being named, but how many team meetings occur after the season is officially over? Not many. I'll step out on a limb and say it has to do with a new coach being named. Will we, the Husker Faithful, know who it is by tomorrow night? Stay tuned.
A plane owned by NU booster Howard Hawks left Omaha this morning for Atlanta. Here are some of the flight details. No idea who was on the flight. Heck, maybe Howard just wanted to mess with reporters a little bit. Read more about this flight here and in this Omaha World Herald article. The OWH is reporting that a new coach could be announced as early as Wednesday of this week. It's unclear how soon Bo Pelini would be able to take the job, if he is offered it, because of LSU playing in the SEC championship game and bowl game.
An NU booster's private plane left Lincoln on Sunday with Chancellor Harvey Perlman and Interim Athletic Director Tom Osborne onboard.
read more..
November 25th, 2007
The next head coach at Nebraska is...
So we know this much so far. A private plane left Lincoln this afternoon en route to Baton Rouge and it presumably has something to do with a Bo Pelini interview. The plane is owned by a big donor to the University. I guess that dispels all those rumors about Pelini being seen in Lincoln several weeks ago. Not that we ever believed them anyway. This plane is then scheduled to fly on to Atlanta, where the search firm assisting Osborne is located. If you want to know more, check out this flight tracker for the Atlanta portion of the trip. And here is an article about this flight.
And now word has come out that Tom Osborne has been given permission to talk to Turner Gill about the Nebraska job opening. I still think Bo gets the job though.
A few other notes from the day's news. My favorite quote of recent memory comes from Lou Bozak of Omaha in this Omaha World Herald article. The 58-year old Husker fan summed the Bill Callahan era up this way:
"If Bob Devaney were alive today, he'd roll over in his grave.” That reminds me of the old riddle that ends with the question of where to bury the survivors.
Aaron Taylor, the 1997 Outland Trophy winner and former Husker, said whatever Osborne's choice, it will be the right one.
read more..
November 24th, 2007
Osborne press conference notes
Tom Osborne announced the firing of Bill Callahan in a press conference Saturday morning. Osborne said as a former coach this was a role that he really didn't like, sitting in judgment of other people. Osborne said he didn't want to make a change, he wanted as much continuity as possible, and he wanted Callahan to succeed, but under the circumstances, change was needed. Here are some of his other comments from the press conference:
Osborne said a couple weeks ago, the coaches wanted some benchmarks as to what was expected of them in order to keep their jobs. If they won eight games, for sure they'd be back. If they won three out of the last four and were competitive then a case could be made. Two out of four would be pretty tough to make that case. And a losing season would make it impossible.
--being competitive is just as important as win-loss record
--systemic issues when you have good players that aren't producing
--there was just something missing, something not working
--T.O. met with Callahan first, then each assistant individually, each assistant is guaranteed a salary for the next year (13 months), Osborne asked them to help with recruiting
--Osborne seemed to get emotional when talking about his own coaching experience and the move afoot to have him fired after his fourth year if he wouldn't have won his bowl game
--over the next few days, he'll talk to 4 to 5 people regarding the job, he'd like to get the new coach hired soon for recruiting purposes
--NU went 42 years without a losing season, had two in the last four years
--it had gotten to the point where a decision had to be made
--I like Bill Callahan, think he's a professional
--I wasn't going to tell BC who to let go, he was the head coach and it was his decision
--qualities in next head coach: integrity, word is good, knows football, has good work ethic, can motivate, get players to play hard
--talked to Bill McCartney recently: he said that NU has lost it's identity, used to be a team that people hated to play, not anymore
--have to play with intensity and sometimes you didn't see that
--some mobility as quarterback is important in an offense and Joe Ganz added that element
--didn't get to know Callahan very well, our paths weren't crossing very much, no animosity towards each other, still don't know him very well and that bothers me
--Callahan was very cordial during the meeting this morning, which took 5 minutes, although T.O.
read more..
November 24th, 2007
The Bill Callahan era at Nebraska has ended
The Bill Callahan era at Nebraska has come to an end this morning, according to ESPN. The sports network is citing sources close to Callahan in saying he was fired following a meeting with Tom Osborne. Callahan briefly met with offensive coordinator Shawn Watson after his meeting with Osborne, then Callahan was seen leaving the Hawks Center. Watson is now meeting with the assistant coaches. A press conference has been scheduled for 9:30am this morning in which Osborne will no doubt officially announce the firing of Bill Callahan.
Defensive coaches Bill Busch and Kevin Cosgrove have left the NU program as well, according to channel 10-11 in Lincoln.
In four seasons under Bill Callahan, the Cornhuskers suffered through two losing seasons, the only losing seasons for NU since 1961. Callahan's record at Nebraska over his four years was 27-22. The Huskers failed to make a bowl game during two of his four years.
November 18th, 2007
Another typical college football Saturday
You knew it was too good to be true, Big 12 fans. Three teams, two from the Big 12 North, in the Top 5 of the BCS rankings. It just couldn't last, right? If you had polled most college football pundits before Oklahoma's loss to Texas Tech last night, the scenario would have been as follows. The winner of the Kansas-Missouri game goes on to play Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship, with OU winning and moving into the #2 spot in the BCS rankings. The thinking was that neither Big 12 North team is better than Oklahoma, and OU's loss at Colorado early in the season was a fluke. In light of OU's second loss of the season, it's almost guaranteed that the winner of the Kansas-Missouri game next weekend will lose to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship game. That's just how it works, especially in a college football season as weird as this one. If this scenario does play out, no Big 12 teams will play for the national title.
It would be a shame to see KU's perfect season come to an end in a conference championship game loss, assuming they beat Missouri.
read more..
November 16th, 2007
FireCoach__________.com
Isn't the internet wonderful? All the information you could possibly want at your fingertips. Yep, the internet is great, that is, unless you're a coach these days.
In doing a little research regarding the upcoming "evaluation" of Husker coach Bill Callahan, a.k.a. firing, I decided to Google "fire coach" and here's some of what I found. In case you were wondering, yes, Callahan is well represented in FireCoach-land. First, there is a blog devoted to his ouster. Not to be outdone, BC also has this site: BillMustGo.com. Defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove is another favorite target. Not only does he have a website, but he also has a petition calling for his firing. To date, these sites haven't been as successful as Fire Steve Pederson, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time. Apparently, no one has a problem with Buddy Wyatt, Phil Elmassian, or Bill Busch. Google could not find sites devoted to these Husker coaches being fired.
Actually, it's very unusual for a coach NOT to have a website calling for his demise.
read more..
November 14th, 2007
Death threats! Are you kidding me?
So it's come to this. Defensive coordinator for Nebraska, Kevin Cosgrove, was left threatening messages on his office voice mail. Threats, as in, "Go back to where you (expletive) came from you (expletive), before I (expletive) kill ya." Those were the exact words of the male caller who left the messages in the wee hours of November 4th.
What a sick world we live in. This is a GAME we're talking about! A GAME! Even in Nebraska, where college football is a religion to some, it remains a GAME. We're talking about a man with a family here. A guy who did the best job he could in coaching the Husker defense. What kind of sick individual threatens another human being because of a game?
Look, this year has been frustrating for Husker fans. But I guarantee you this, no one is more frustrated than Kevin Cosgrove at the performance of his defense. I also guarantee you this, no one cares more about the Husker defensive players on a personal level than does Cosgrove. It sure as hell ain't this "fan" who called in and left the messages.
read more..
November 13th, 2007
Several hunches
Hunch #1: Marlon Lucky will go pro after this season. Three reasons: 1) Bill Callahan won't be here next year and the next coach is not likely to run the WCO, in which Lucky has become quite proficient. 2) There is a stable of young backs waiting in the wings. Already this year, Lucky has seen his playing time shaved by Quentin Castille and Roy Helu, Jr. There's no guarantee the next coach will grant Lucky the starting job. 3) One has to assume Lucky came to play for Callahan to get to the next level. The NFL was a major selling point for blue chip recruits. This staff has been the only factor in keeping Lucky at Nebraska. Marlon has had some personal issues over the last couple of seasons and I get the feeling without the current staff as a support system, Lucky would just as soon move on. Lucky has played two very good games this season (Nevada and Kansas State) along with a handful of decent games. He has shown his strength is receiving and pass protection, not in tough yardage runs.
read more..
November 12th, 2007
Tuesday morning quarterback
Tom Osborne said Monday that if Nebraska beats Colorado on November 24th and the Huskers are invited to a bowl game, they will accept the bid. I know I'm not the only Husker fan conflicted about a bowl game scenario. Obviously, for the players, and especially the seniors, you want them to get a bowl bid. On the other hand, how does Tom Osborne handle any coaching changes if the team does make a bowl? Does he announce after the regular season ends or does he wait until after the bowl? What sense is there in letting the current staff coach the team if Osborne already knows they won't be back next season? Announce the changes before the bowl game and then either let the current staff finish it out or have an interim staff in place. Husker fans, players, coaches, and recruits all need closure on this.
Interesting that Bill Callahan wants to take credit for the offensive performance but doesn't want to be accountable for his team's defensive struggles this season. During Monday's Big 12 teleconference, Callahan pointed out that Nebraska's offense ranks #12 nationally in pass offense and #18 in total offense.
read more..
November 11th, 2007
Better late than never
Wow! I didn't expect that at all. Seventy-three points? After last week's loss at Kansas, the team's fifth in a row, how could anyone predict this outcome? What a day for Joey Ganz! A school record seven touchdown passes and 510 yards. Not only that, but he completed 75% of his passing attempts. That's unheard of. You really have to be proud of a guy like Ganz for stepping up when it's his opportunity to shine. And guess who was the first player on the sidelines to congratulate Ganz after every touchdown...Sam Keller. One class act congratulating another one.
There's so many great storylines from this game, in addition to Ganz. Frantz Hardy had three touchdown catches. The senior wide receiver has been pretty quiet this season, but Hardy showed his speed on TD catches of 36 and 39 yards. Cortney Grixby's 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown was the Huskers' first since 1998. I knew it hadn't happened under Callahan, but we're talking about Solich's first year. Nice to see the special teams break one. Grix sparked the team and the fans with that one.
read more..
November 8th, 2007
Parallels between Oklahoma and Nebraska
When legendary Oklahoma Sooner head coach Barry Switzer stepped down in 1988, the Sooners hired his long-time assistant coach, Gary Gibbs. For the sake of comparison, Gibbs was to Oklahoma what _______ was to Nebraska. If you guessed Frank Solich, give yourself two gold stars. Both Gibbs and Solich were groomed under their respective program's legendary coaches before taking over the reigns. Each man coached their alma mater for six seasons. Gibbs posted a 44-23-2 record during his time, while Solich was ousted by an egomaniac AD after leading the Huskers to a 58-19 record. OU then handed over the car keys to Howard Schnellenberger, who lasted one year. Thank goodness for Nebraska fans, there is no comparison here. Instead, the Huskers skipped right on to the next "OU like" head coach. Bill Callahan, it turns out, is a lot like John Blake, a good recruiter but a poor in-game adjustments guy. Blake presided over the worst stretch is Sooner football history, producing a 12-22 record in three years. Ironically, Callahan will be remembered as presiding over the worst four years in modern Husker football when it's all said and done.
read more..
November 7th, 2007
Reflections
I picked up the 2007 Husker Football Media & Recruiting Guide the other day just to ponder what might have been this year. I found a page titled "What others are saying about Callahan." Here are a few of the quotes:
Barry Alvarez - "Bill is tenacious, hard working and meticulous. He is a tremendous coach and recruiter."
Dave Rimington - "I had the privilege to coach as a graduate assistant with Coach Callahan at the University of Wisconsin. You will not find a more organized and hard working coach in all of college football. I am confident he will continue the tradition of excellence at Nebraska."
Adam Treu - "He'll do a great job with eager young men who play with passion and love for one another."
Rich Gannon - "His players will find out he's an unbelievable leader and a perfect fit for Nebraska."
Charlie McBride - "Bill fits college football, and he fits our program. I have so much respect for him. People talk a lot in this business, but I've never heard a negative thing come out about him."
Bob Brown - "I am absolutely a Bill Callahan fan.
read more..
November 6th, 2007
The Seniors
The following are the 28 graduating seniors from the Husker football team. Senior running back Kenny Wilson will redshirt and be back for the 2008 season.
Zack Bowman
Lance Brandenburgh
Brett Byford
Ben Eisenhart
Dan Erickson
Tierre Green
Cortney Grixby
Victory Haines
Frantz Hardy
Sean Hill
Brandon Johnson
Andre Jones
Sam Keller
Tyler Kester
Corey McKeon
Josh Mueller
Carl Nicks
Terrence Nunn
Steve Octavien
J.B. Phillips
Jordan Picou
Andy Poulosky
Maurice Purify
Thomas Rice
Bo Ruud
Andy Sand
Matt Senske
Bryan Wilson
Saturday's home game against Kansas State is Senior Day, a time to honor the efforts of these 28 players.
November 6th, 2007
The next coach at Nebraska
I'll support whoever is hired as the next Nebraska head football coach. I like Bo Pelini because his players respect him and play hard for him. Then again, is Nebraska the type of program that should be run by someone without any head coaching experience? On the flip side, Bo is about as hot of a commodity as there is amongst coordinators right now. It's only a matter of time before he gets his shot. Will it be at Nebraska or somewhere else? Is Turner Gill ready to step into a job like Nebraska coming from a job like Buffalo? Should he not take a mid-major job first to get more experience? Is two years as a head coach enough time to prove yourself or do his ties to Nebraska automatically put him in contention. Paul Johnson has displayed the ability to work with different offensive styles, a pass offense at Hawaii, a run offense at Navy. He's been successful at every stop of his career. But is he the right guy for Nebraska? What about Jim Grobe, Jim Leavitt, Greg Schiano, Gary Patterson, and all the others mentioned as possible candidates? How important is having a coach come in here who has Nebraska ties? Judging by our poll question results, winning is more important than having a Nebraska pedigree.
read more..
November 6th, 2007
Breaking News! Tuesday's press conference
Rumors were swirling this morning that Bill Callahan would not be at today's weekly press conference and that Tom Osborne would be present instead. The press conference was scheduled to start at noon and it wasn't until 12:10pm that the coach showed up. He had the following to say.
On Jim Rose's resignation: "He's a class act and a great guy."
On Kansas State: One of the only teams that run a 34 defense. Kicking game jumps out at you. Leading the country in punt and kickoff returns. A couple bad breaks at the end of last week's game cost them.
Callahan is disappointed for the seniors who've poured their heart and soul into the program and haven't had the results they've wanted this year. The coach singled out Lance Brandenburgh as a senior who has sacrificed immensely for this program. Bo Ruud and the leadership he's displayed. Ben Eisenhart, great special teams contributions early on and now at the safety position.
On Maurice Purify...he's been through a lot of personal issues off the field and the way he's handled them is commendable. Kids look up to him.
read more..
November 5th, 2007
Callahan comments
Bill Callahan won't say if he has been asked to resign or not. If Callahan hasn't been asked to resign, don't you think he would say he hasn't been asked? Therefore, I'm going to assume that he has been asked and that he said something to the effect of "I'm doing a great job in all aspects of my job. Why would I resign?" What I would like to know is if Kevin Cosgrove has offered his resignation to Callahan and if so, why Bill didn't accept it. Is it just a case of one coach being loyal to another or is it sheer stubborness in refusing to admit failure?
Callahan also mentioned that his inner strength comes from his "trust in the Lord." Now I'm in no position to question another's faith and that's not what I'm about to do, but I do believe that is the first time I've heard Callahan talk about his faith.
Another quote from Bill is the following: "I would say that the mood is one that we're disappointed--not discouraged, just very disappointed." I think disappointment happened after the USC game.
read more..
November 4th, 2007
Another Husker road trip, another Husker loss
The front page of the Sunday Lincoln Journal Star sports page lays it all out. NU's five game losing streak is the longest since 1958 and the school record of seven is within reach, unfortunately. Seventy-six points is the most given up since the worst loss in school history against Texas Tech in 2004. Forty-eight points is the most ever allowed by a Husker team in the first half, eclipsing the 42 the Colorado put up in 2001. Five NU opponents have topped the 40 point mark against the Big Red this season, marking another "first time ever."
The Kansas offense scored a touchdown on 10 straight possessions and were 11 of 13 overall. Read that again, 10 consecutive TOUCHDOWN drives. I'm going to guess that's also a first in Husker football history.
Joe Ganz, making his first career start, threw four touchdowns and ran for another, but also had four interceptions. Marlon Lucky broke Johnny Rodgers' NU record with 61 receptions for the season and looked good on his 62 yard touchdown reception. Maurice Purify had three touchdown catches, a personal best for him.
Right before halftime, a KU fan wondered out loud if the scoreboard could handle triple digits.
read more..
October 30th, 2007
Back from Austin
By now you've probably read a dozen or so articles reacting to the Nebraska loss at Texas, so I won't go into too much detail about the game. What I will do though is make a few observations not necessarily relating to the NU-UT game.
First, all those Husker fans who have been clamoring for Joe Ganz to come in for Sam Keller are finally getting what they wished for. Ganz will be the man the remainder of the season after it was announced Keller broke his collarbone. While Joe Ganz is no Matt Turman, who by the way was 1-0 as a starter, he also isn't Brook Berringer. In other words, I think there is a decent drop off in ability between Sam and Joe. Now Joe does bring a different element to the game in that he can run the ball. If Nebraska has a shot to beat the Jayhawks this Saturday, it's riding not only on Ganz's arm, but also on his feet.
Second, the game day atmosphere down in Austin is pretty good. My favorite scene involved walking by a tailgate setup on the front lawn of a building.
read more..
October 24th, 2007
Does Simi know something we don't?
Simi Kuli, the #1 rated JUCO player in the country, just committed to Nebraska over LSU, Oregon, Tennessee, Oklahoma and about a dozen other schools. The 6'4" 275 pound defensive end out of El Camino Community College is rated a 5-star prospect by Rivals.com. Simi was on hand for the Huskers loss against Texas A&M this past Saturday. I haven't been this stunned since Mike Tyson bit off Evander Holyfield's ear. In light of all the talk of recruits leaving NU's 2008 class, somehow, inexpicably, one of the best players available for 2008 decides to go to Nebraska.
Simi Kuli had previously said in interviews that he liked LSU's defensive scheme. LSU's defensive coordinator is Bo Pelini. Nebraska's defensive coordinator, Kevin Cosgrove, runs the exact opposite of Pelini's defense. Let's call Cosgrove's scheme "DeFrench" instead of defense, in honor of that one country in Europe that is known for the quick surrender. So my question is this, does Simi Kuli anticipate/know that Bo Pelini might be on the sideline for the Huskers next year? Why else would a recruit who could go anywhere he wanted to, come to a situtation like what Nebraska finds itself in? Call him a contrarian I guess.
read more..
October 23rd, 2007
Perception should become reality sooner
D.J. Woods is the latest Husker recruiting commitment to waver in his pledge to NU. Woods joins Bryce Givens, Blaine Gabbert, Will Compton, and Jonas Gray as those Nebraska recruits opening up their options. Gray committed to Notre Dame today, so consider him gone for good. Gabbert is rumored to have canceled his official visit to Lincoln. Woods is taking trips to several other schools.
Perception often times becomes reality and in this case the perception is that Bill Callahan and at least part of his staff won't be coaching at Nebraska next season. If that's the perception, why not make it a reality right now? Two reasons...Osborne said no changes till the end of the season and Callahan said he's not resigning. My question to anyone listening is this: Are the coaches carrying out their responsibilities as if they'll be back next season? Or do they see the writing on the wall, and therefore, why put forth 100% effort if you won't be around to reap the rewards?
It's only going to get worse. The rumors, the apathy among the crowd, the insults hurled at Callahan as he leaves the Memorial Stadium turf.
read more..
October 23rd, 2007
Recruiting woes for the Huskers
Several high profile Nebraska commitments have either decommitted or have opened up to taking more recruiting visits. Jonas Gray, the much heralded running back out of Detroit and Blaine Gabbert, one of the top quarterback recruits in the country, are among those reconsidering their commitment to Nebraska. Gray has officially decommitted and is considering Notre Dame, LSU, and Michigan. Gabbert remains committed but did travel to watch Missouri's game last weekend. Until the coaching situation at Nebraska is cleared up, and the sooner the better, expect to hear more recruits wavering in their commitment to NU. That's why it is imperative that a change be announced SOON, as in the next week or two, so a new staff can get on the phone to this recruiting class and attempt to salvage as much as possible. Some recruits are drawn to the tradition, facilities, and academics of a university, while others are drawn to a coaching staff. It appears that Jonas Gray was drawn Bill Callahan and his staff moreso than the University of Nebraska. Two other Husker commitments have opened up their recruitment again.
read more..
October 22nd, 2007
Callahan's comments today
Bill Callahan unleashed a doozy at today's weekly Big 12 Conference call. Here's the question and partial answer:
Question: What kind of adjustments could you have made?
Callahan: Oh, I think it's probably too technical for you...I don't want to get into coachspeak.
Let's be honest, every coach has an ego. Bill Callahan's is right up there with the biggest in all of sports.
October 21st, 2007
A beautiful afternoon spoiled
Golf is often times described as a good walk spoiled. Nebraska football games these days can be described as a beautiful Saturday afternoon spoiled. This week, the spoilers were the Texas A&M Aggies. Dubbed by many to be the "Buyout Bowl" due to both head coaches being on the proverbial hot seat, this may have been the only bowl game the Huskers will make this year. T.O. can only do so much I guess.
Speaking of Tom, many Husker fans wondered what influence Osborne would have on the program and whether or not it would affect the play on the field. Up until halftime, it was looking like quite a difference, in both effort and results. First, you had a real tunnel walk introduction, showing highlights from all eras of Nebraska football to the sounds of Sirius sans Mikey Bo's influence. Second, you had former players wandering the sidelines, no doubt taking up Osborne's offer for free passes. Jason Peter, Rob Zatechka, Chad Kelsay and Brandon Jackson were among the former Huskers on hand for the game. Third, the atmosphere was much more enthusiastic compared to last week.
read more..
October 19th, 2007
The latest
Tom Osborne once again said no staff changes would be made until the end of the season and even then there might not be any made. Osborne spoke in Omaha this morning at a well-attended Big Red Breakfast gathering. Osborne will no doubt give Callahan and his staff a fair assessment. If somehow the Huskers were to finish the season on a strong note, it wouldn't surprise me to see the same staff on the sidelines next year. But it's fair to say that each game will be treated as a job interview from here on out for Callahan and his staff. My question remains...are we past the point of no return with this staff? There seems to be a lynch mob mentality out there right now and I'm not sure that Callahan can overcome all the negativity and win fans back, even if they finish the season on a strong note. Nebraskans seem to have less patience with an outsider, especially one who was hired by Steve Pederson. Now, if Osborne gives Callahan his ringing endorsement at the end of the season, that will bring some fans back into the fold, but not all.
read more..
October 18th, 2007
BREAKING NEWS!
Has anyone else noticed you see this at the bottom of your TV screen a lot more these days? BREAKING NEWS! Dow Jones Industrials up for second day in a row. BREAKING NEWS! President Bush going mountain biking. Is it just me, or have we dumbed down the whole concept of what is news and what isn't? So with that in mind, Husker Faithful is joining the ranks of the news sensationalizers to bring you this breaking news story.
Did you hear that so and so will be the next head coach? Or did you hear that so and so will be the new AD once Osborne steps down? Seriously, I thought he just took the job TWO DAYS ago. It was during his press confernence TWO DAYS ago that Osborne said he wouldn't make any staff changes until AFTER the season is over. But who am I to discount the products put out by the rumor mill. Instead, Husker Faithful will keep a running list of everyone under the sun who has been rumored to be the "next" head football coach at Nebraska.
1) Bo Pelini - Wouldn't Husker Nation be thrilled?
2) Joe Glenn - He's not leaving Wyoming.
3) Paul Johnson - Navy runs the option.
read more..
October 17th, 2007
Random Thoughts
Rumors - Some idiot over at Fox Sports Radio started a pretty elaborate rumor involving several current coaches being fired and Charlie McBride taking over as interim coach. This came out one day after Tom Osborne stood in front of the entire state and said no staff changes would be made by him until after the season. Anyone who knows the integrity of Tom Osborne knows that he wouldn't go back on his word. Why this rumor spread as it did is beyond me.
Offensive complexity - Sam Keller has been struggling lately. The running game with Lucky has been lackluster. The offensive line has gotten worse as the season progresses. What is the cause of these offensive problems? The offense is too complex. Callahan needs to shrink his eight inch playbook down to three inches. Simplify things. Let these talented players rely more on their instincts and worry less about being a fraction of an inch off in their technique. Same on the defensive side. Simplify the schemes. It's one thing to have an NFL background and to run an NFL system, but you aren't allowed NFL time to practice it.
read more..
October 16th, 2007
Big Red Roundtable - Back To The Future Edition
1. Steve Pederson is out as athletic director. Did you see it coming? Good move or bad move?
Something had to be done and getting rid of Pederson was the logical first step. I'm not in favor of firing coaches in the middle of a season. It's too disruptive. This was a great move on Harvey Perlman's part and it probably had a little something to do with self-preservation. Do I, a) sink along with the SS Pederson, or do I, b) jump on the Osborne life raft? Good choice Harvey.
2. Tom Osborne has returned as Pederson's interim
replacement. Good move/bad move? What should
Osborne's priorities be, and what does Osborne need to do?
Osborne is the best candidate for the job. Period. I don't think another person exists who has the respect, integrity, and knowledge of the program that Tom has. Osborne's first step was to say there won't be any coaching changes coming from his office before the season is over. Next, he will have to reach out to all of the donors who were turned off by Pederson. Re-establishing contact and opening communication channels with former players should follow as well.
read more..
October 16th, 2007
Bill Callahan speaks
For the first time since the firing of Steve Pederson became official, Husker football coach Bill Callahan spoke to the media.
Callahan said the players are concerned about their coaches future as well as a lot of other things. Callahan also said that they will continue to move forward as long as he and his staff are in charge. Texas A&M is the focus right now. The coaching staff is trying to help the players through this tough time, acknowledging that what has transpired is a "huge distraction." Callahan said it's important to "close ranks" and "focus in" on the next game. He said it is a great opportunity for this team to go out and prove themselves again. Callahan said he is by nature "optimistic."
Callahan said the he feels responsible for Pederson's firing because ultimately the direction of the program rests with the head coach.
As far as recruiting goes, Callahan said they are doing everything they can to keep their current class together. He said that anytime you struggle, you will lose some players in a class and gain others.
"Very difficult" and "very tough" was how Callahan described his feelings about the decision to fire Pederson.
read more..
October 15th, 2007
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
Steve Pederson may have invisioned being the white knight that would ride in and save his alma mater from mediocrity, but instead he helped expedite the NU football program to new lows. He made his own bed though by over-promising and under-delivering. When you announce that Nebraska football isn't going to settle for 9-3 or 10-3 seasons, you're setting the bar impossibly high. Bill Callahan will be the next to feel the weight of these impossible expectations in the form of being let go. It's just a matter of when.
In all fairness to Steve, he did some good things for the program. The North endzone addition and the new facilities were badly needed. Without his, I won't call it vision, but rather persistence, these improvements wouldn't have been made. Now Nebraska again has one of the best facilities in the college football world. But Steve burned about as many bridges as he crossed while riding his horse around the athletic department. Numerous personnel from the AD's office have left since Pederson arrived, with the last to go being the well-connected Paul Meyers.
read more..
October 15th, 2007
The emperor has no clothes
Harvey Perlman, in a moment of clarity, chose self-preservation and canned Steve Pederson this afternoon. How this will affect the play on the field is unknown, but at least one of the most polarizing figures in college athletics won't be plying his trade at NU anymore. Perlman said, "I refuse to let this athletic department gravitate towards mediocrity" in an apparent reference to something Pederson once said. I have my sources checking past press releases to see if we can determine what Pederson's exact words were. (Okay, so he didn't actually say that, but I couldn't pass up the chance.) Husker fans wanted to see more fire out of the team, but they're probably just as happy with seeing this kind of fire. It's time to let the healing begin. Who wants to make a bet that Tom Osborne will be the new AD? Or maybe Dave Rimington or Barry Alvarez?
During Harvey Perlman's press conference today the UNL chancellor said no interim AD has been named at this point. Perlman also said that he has not decided on a permanent AD.
read more..
October 15th, 2007
Rumors are flying today
Rumors were swirling this morning that there would be a news conference at noon today to discuss changes at the athletic department and/or football team. Even the friendly guy at Hy-Vee knew about this supposed press conference. Turns out there isn't one and judging from the comments of at least one NU regent, nothing is in the works either. Of course, Donald Rumsfeld's job was safe the day before the 2006 elections and not so safe the day after. So this could be a case of Baghdad Bob striking again. You remember him, right? He was the Information Minister of Iraq when it was still ruled by Saddam. His claim to fame is reporting that the Iraqi defenses are holding up just fine as U.S. tanks are rolling into the city behind him. Anyway, you get the point. Honestly, I wouldn't expect to see any changes until after the season is over with one exception...I could see Stevey Pedey being shown the door in the next couple of weeks.
There will no doubt be more rumors throughout the remainder of the season, especially if the games play out the way a majority of Husker fans think they will.
read more..
October 14th, 2007
Embarrassing
Saturday's game against Oklahoma State wasn't the first time I left a Husker game at halftime and didn't come back. The 38-0 score at the midway point wasn't all that unusual either. The only difference, and it's kind of a big one, is that I've NEVER seen a Nebraska team embarrassed so badly at home. Few of you reading this have. But the word “embarrassing” aptly describes this season so far. The loss to USC, the wins over Ball State and Iowa State, and the loss at Missouri, all qualify. And now this. The first team in Nebraska’s 118-year history to allow four 40 point games in one season. Most lopsided home loss for NU since 1958. Oklahoma State’s first win in Lincoln since 1960. OSU racked up the most yards they ever have against Nebraska (551) even though they reined in their offense during the second half. Oklahoma State was up 17-0 before Nebraska picked up a first down. I could go on, but that salt in the wounds is really starting to burn.
One of the few bright spots during the game for me was Rickey Thenarse's hit on the Oklahoma State punt returner.
read more..
October 11th, 2007
Enough already
Bill Callahan's Rube Goldberg offense and Kevin Cosgrove's Waterloo defense have the Husker Faithful near wits end. Our head ball coach says he wants to run the ball more. Well, run the ball more. You're the one calling the plays. Call more running plays if you want to run the ball more. I've got an idea, when it's 3rd & 2, how about running instead of passing? If you ask me, that's a brilliant idea. Not quite up there with the invention of the light bulb, but darn close.
Defensively, how many times have we faced a spread offense and we still have no idea how to stop it. ("We" meaning Cosgrove, because I would never accuse my readership of not knowing how to stop the spread.) "We" will get another chance this Saturday as the Huskers face Oklahoma State. Remember them? Nebraska staked an early lead by (you'll never guess) running the ball, before dribbling it off their foot in the second half. NU hasn't needed a win this big since the Colorado game in 2005.
read more..
October 11th, 2007
Charlie McBride and more
Last night, I listened to former Husker defensive coordinator Charlie McBride on The Mighty Big Sports 590 out of Omaha. In a nutshell, here are some of the points he made. First, the fans need to cool all the negativity because the players do hear it and all it does is distract them from getting their team back on track. It hurts recruiting efforts as well. The coaches might tell their players to block out all the negativity, but it doesn't work. Try to stay positive. My own two cents: The team needs us now more than ever to pick them up. Be loud this Saturday. Will them to a win.
Second, and I thought this was interesting, Charlie flat out said there wasn't any depth to the team when Frank Solich left. The cupboard was bare so to speak. I thought Charlie's "frankness" was refreshing.
The last of the McBride comments I want to highlight are the following. Charlie said the problem right now is we have too many JUCO guys coming in for only a year or two and they don't understand or appreciate the tradition and work ethic of the program and the guys who came before them.
read more..
October 9th, 2007
10-10-07: Recent headlines and more
Well, the team meeting many were calling for finally took place on Sunday. A few notes to make on this meeting. Evidently, no captains spoke during the 45 minute get together, but Sam Keller did. Can someone tell me why he isn't a captain? Sam is the closest thing we have to a captain on the team right now. You never see Bowman or Byford dealing with the press and Ruud isn't what I would call a mouthpiece of the team either. Another point worth making about this meeting is that the word "confusion" came up. A lot of the team's struggles can be defined by hesitancy, which stems from confusion as to assignment. Slauson and Dillard mentioned it explicitly, while Ruud hinted at it. How about having strength and conditioning coach Dave Kennedy do some work on Callahan's playbook? It could stand to shed a few pounds. Read more about the meeting at this LJS article.
More on Sam Keller in this Big Red Diaries column. Keller touches on the team's recent struggles, the loss at Missouri, and about manning up and moving forward.
Steve Sipple of the Lincoln Journal Star takes a look back at the 1997 National Championship team and their penchant for using thumbtacks on each other.
read more..
October 9th, 2007
Recent headlines and more
The winner of the Captain Obvious column of the day goes to this AP story: Huskers' AD backs coaches after rout. (Picture me spitting my morning coffee all over the monitor in total shock.) My favorite line of the article is the following sentence referring to Steve Pederson's weekly radio show: "Pederson did not take calls from listeners." I'm guessing they screened out all of the negative callers and therefore no one was left.
This article from the Grand Island Independent says the fake field goal by Missouri in the fourth quarter was a bad call. I happen to disagree and, in fact, I called the fake before the play ever happened. You can ask anyone who was watching the game with me. Since you don't know who they are, it might be tough to do. But just take my word for it. Why would I lie about something like this after all. The reason I predicted the fake is because of all those years that Missouri was on the wrong side of a blowout loss to the Huskers.
read more..
October 7th, 2007
The Debacle in Missouri
Ten years ago it was the "Miracle in Missouri" which kept Nebraska's national championship hopes alive. There was no miracle this year for the Huskers, but there was a debacle. Evidently, the miracle gods took the 40 points and Stanford over USC.
Matt Davison, star of the aforementioned miracle in 1997, made several good comments throughout the night on radio and on TV. Davison said Nebraska desperately needed to win the coin toss and receive the opening kickoff. An early Nebraska touchdown would have let everyone know the Big Red came to play and just maybe take a little bite out of the raucous crowd. But NU lost the coin toss and the game proceeded to get worse from there. For the first time since the 2004 game at Oklahoma, the Huskers did not score a touchdown. Heck, even Notre Dame managed to do that on Saturday.
So here we are at the crossroads of Bill Callahan's tenure at Nebraska. It's year four and while expectations were always ridiculously high, this is the season that the Huskers needed to step up and beat a USC or Texas and give the Big 12 Championship a serious run.
read more..
October 1st, 2007
Nebraska at Missouri
Nebraska needs to pack a running game and a defense in order to beat Missouri this Saturday night. Unfortunately, those haven't been staples as of late for the Big Red. But don't fret Husker fan, Missouri's defense is what you might call porous. Here's how the two teams rank defensively among all D-1 programs. Warning: The following rankings contain shocking numbers. View at your own discretion.
Total Defense:
Nebraska #77
Missouri #93
Pass Defense:
Nebraska #58
Missouri #104
Run Defense:
Nebraska #92
Missouri #71
On the other side of the ball, the two teams fare much better. What is this, the old Pac-10? All offense, no defense? Here's how Nebraska and Missouri stack up offensively.
Total Offense:
Nebraska #18
Missouri #5
Pass Offense:
Nebraska #15
Missouri #6
Run Offense:
Nebraska #50
Missouri #26
If you like high scoring, NU vs Ball State, kinds of games, then turn on ESPN at 8:15 CST this Saturday night. If you prefer defensive showcases, you might want to pop a few dramamine before tuning in.
What worries me about this game isn't whether we'll be able to hang with the Tigers offensively. I think we can. No, what worries me is that Missouri wants to win more.
read more..
September 30th, 2007
College football polls don't make sense
Missouri doesn't play and moves up three spots to #17. Nebraska wins and drops one spot in each poll to #25 and #23. K-State still isn't ranked in one of the polls even though their only loss was on the road at Auburn, which happens to play in the best conference in all the land. Speaking of Auburn, they went into The Swamp and knocked off #4 ranked Florida last night. The pollsters punish Florida to the tune of only five spots, keeping them in the Top 10 at #9 and #7. Very convenient for keeping alive the hopes of a two sport, back-to-back dynasty storyline. Ohio State and Wisconsin are the most overhyped Top 10 teams the past two years. Neither team plays anybody good in their nonconference schedules. At least the Buckeyes and Badgers play each other this season. Speaking of key matchups, LSU and Florida get together this coming Saturday. What are the odds that Florida pulls off the upset? Not good, since the game is in Baton Rouge.
Rutgers made it into the Top 10 by beating Buffalo, Navy, and Norfolk State before losing to unranked Maryland at home.
read more..
September 30th, 2007
Iowa State reaction & college football observations
The way Nebraska is playing football right now reminds me of how I play golf. Sometimes I putt well. Sometimes I drive the ball well. Sometimes I hit my irons pretty good. But never all three at the same time for 18 holes. Maybe next week the Huskers will have both the offense and defense playing well for an entire game.
The Husker defense showed flashes of improvement on Saturday against Iowa State with Cortney Grixby playing his best game as a Husker that I can remember. Two interceptions, one deflection that caused another INT and nearly 100 yards returning kickoffs and punts. Way to go Grix! For not looking very fast, Bo Ruud sure can sniff out an endzone. For the second straight week, Bo returned an interception for a touchdown, this one for 93 yards. The Ruud-birds were out in full force.
I thought the defense showed more emotion during the game, often waving for the crowd to make some noise. It was nice to see Corey McKeon in on some plays. The senior linebacker had nine tackles on the day and was strutting around like we're used to seeing Corey do.
read more..
September 27th, 2007
Random Thoughts
Major Culbert has moved back to the defensive side and has been doing time at the outside linebacker position. Hopefully this move will address some of the speed issues at that position. Meanwhile, Phillip Dillard has overtaken Corey McKeon's role on the field. Remember when Corey used to fly around and play with emotion? That's Phillip Dillard now.
Getting four and five star guys is great as long as they play with a chip on their shoulder and leave everything they have on the field each game. This is what the defense has lacked this season. Where are the leaders? Zack Bowman leads by example, but who is the vocal leader of that defense? Is it Steve Octavien? Someone needs to assume that role. On offense it's obvious who the leader is now...Sam Keller. What a stud. Where would this team be without him right now? The receivers have stepped up their game. I'd like to see more of Meno Holt and Niles Paul at the wide receiver position.
The Huskers have a one game tuneup opportunity this week against Iowa State.
read more..
September 24th, 2007
Big Red Roundtable - Emergency Edition
The Husker blog party has convened an Emergency Roundtable meeting of the minds to discuss the state of the union that is Nebraska football. Read Husker Faithful's comments below, followed by links to other Husker football blog sites.
1) Assess the Huskers performance this season. What is going well, and what has surprised you?
Thank God for Sam Keller and the passing game. Without it, we'd be looking like Notre Dame, except with one win. The kicking game has been a pleasant surprise. Adi Kunalic continues to do well on kickoffs. Alex Henery has done a good job with the placekicking. One question though, when was the last time we had a punt return or kickoff return for a touchdown? I honestly can't remember. Other than the Blackshirts struggles, the biggest surprise for me has been the lack of intensity on that side of the ball. Other than Rickey Thenarse, Phillip Dillard and Steve Octavien, I can't think of anyone playing with a chip on their shoulder. What happened to Suh and Turner? Where's Corey McKeon hiding on the field? We haven't heard much from Corey either verbally or physically this season.
read more..
September 23rd, 2007
Looking forward, looking back
Two weeks ago the Huskers were looking forward to USC. That was the explanation for the close call at Wake Forest. Then the USC game happened. We were obviously outmanned in that game, but the way we lost was still disappointing. Now we have the Ball State game to ponder. There's no way to spin this story. The Blackshirts were mediocre at best. Defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove has a healthy defense to work with for the most part and the depth is there too. So why is it that we can't stop a MAC school from putting up more yards on us than the #1 team in the country. USC racking up 450 yards is one thing, but for Ball State to put up 600? Gimme a break!
Nebraskans love their Blackshirt defense. It takes quite a poor performance for the Husker Faithful to boo. After witnessing the game yesterday, I must say that did qualify as a poor performance. With that said, booing is not the answer. If you truly feel it is a lack of effort on the part of all 11 players out there, then by all means go ahead and boo.
read more..
September 21st, 2007
Greatest college football dynasties of all-time
The Wall Street Journal takes a look at college football dynasties in today's Personal Journal section of the paper. If you have a subscription to the online journal, click here to view the article. If not, here is a summary.
USC has finished in the top four each year since 2002, winning a share of two national championships and producing three Heisman Trophy winners. They are the current dynasty in college football. The WSJ compared the current Trojan dynasty to the following programs: Alabama 1961-65; Nebraska 1993-97; Miami 1987-91; and Oklahoma 1953-57.
Factors involved in the rankings include: average AP poll ranking, win-loss record, average point differential, and number of 1st and 2nd round NFL draft picks.
Here is how the WSJ ranks the Top 5 college football dynasties since 1950:
5) Alabama 1961 to 1965 - The Crimson Tide won three national titles and had a 49-5 overall record, winning their games by an average of 17.5 points.
4) USC 2002 to 2006 - A work in progress.
3) Nebraska 1993-97 - "Almost unstoppable." Give me a break. They WERE unstoppable.
read more..
September 17th, 2007
Forgettable Husker losses
Some of you might be appalled that I would bring up this topic, but I'm doing so for perspective. I've heard several people say the USC game was the worst loss they can remember. Very short sighted of course, but I thought I would remind these people of several other losses over the years which, at the time at least, were more disappointing. Obviously, the worst loss is always the most recent one, only because it's the freshest in one's mind.
2006 vs Oklahoma State - Nebraska, ranked #20 at the time, looked good in the first half but was eaten alive by the Cowboys in the second half, ultimately losing 41-29.
2005 vs Kansas - Neither team was ranked, but the Jayhawks ended their curse and began chanting "wait till football."
2004 vs Texas Tech - Worst loss in school history, 70-10 in Lubbock. Neither team was ranked at the time. Bill Callahan alienates a lot of Husker Nation, some of whom are still sitting on the fence or firmly on the other side.
2003 vs Kansas State - The Huskers suffer a 29 point loss at home to an unranked Wildcat team.
read more..
September 16th, 2007
Nebraska falls in polls after loss to USC
The Huskers dropped ten spots in the AP Top 25 to #24 after their 49-31 loss to the Trojans Saturday night. In the Coaches' Poll, NU fell eight spots to #22. Other ranked Big 12 teams in the AP poll include: #4 Oklahoma, #7 Texas, #20 Texas A&M, and #25 Missouri. Surprisingly, Texas remains in the Top 10 despite having to eek out victories against powerhouses Arkansas State and Central Florida. The Longhorns true test will come in a few weeks against Oklahoma.
Louisville dropped nine spots after losing to previously unranked Kentucky. UCLA, ranked #11 last week, dropped out of the polls after losing to Utah 44-6. Georgia Tech, Arkansas and Tennessee also dropped out of the polls. New additions include Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri and South Florida.
September 16th, 2007
BREAKING NEWS! USC is good
Well the sun came up this morning so I guess that means the Nebraska football season isn’t over. That’s good news. The bad news is the #1 ranked USC Trojans’ dynasty is still intact.
Sam Keller had a good game under the circumstances. Mo Purify showed up motivated and ready to play. It was nice to see Cody Glenn get some action and he was more effective than Lucky. NU's kickoff returns weren't bad. Look, I hate to light up the Nebraska players for failing to beat the #1 team in the country. NU was outmatched at every position, pure and simple. I put this USC team up there alongside any of the recent Southern Cal teams in terms of talent and play-making ability. You have to hand it to the Huskers though, they never quit. While some fans obviously quit on their team, the Big Red managed to score two touchdowns to make the score a more respectable 49-31. Were the Huskers beat in every facet of the game? Yes. Is there room for improvement? There always is. Even Pete Carroll will have things to work on this week.
This just in…USC is good.
read more..
September 10th, 2007
It's USC week
It's USC week. Yes, it's finally here...again. Remember all the build up last year and how it was a potential statement game for Nebraska. Get ready to relive all the same hype. The only changes are the location of the game and the starting quarterback for the Huskers.
ESPN's College GameDay Built by the Home Depot is coming to town. Isn't capitalism great. Corporate sponsorships on everything. I wonder how long before we are rooting for the Pioneer Seed Nebraska Cornhuskers or perhaps the Midwest Ford Dealers Nebraska Huskers. But I digress.
So Brent Musberger will be calling the game for ABC. "You are looking live...at the place where I was arrested for having an open container two years ago." Joining "Open Container" in the booth is Kirk Herbstreit. Even with the nickname "Herbie" ol Kirk doesn't have too many fans in Husker Nation after his up-in-arms display over the Greatest College Football Teams of All-Time. It will be interesting to see what kind of reception or lack thereof Mr. Herbstreit receives Saturday morning.
Did NU take Wake a little lighter after finding out their starting quarterback wouldn't play?
After last week's struggles at Wake Forest, will USC take us any lighter as an opponent? Probably not, but it could happen.
read more..
September 9th, 2007
Huskers move up to #14 in both polls
After escaping Winston-Salem with a 20-17 win, Nebraska managed to move up two and three spots respectively in the AP and USA Today Coaches Polls. The losses posted by Georgia, Virginia Tech and Auburn allowed for NU to move up. Nebraska could have moved even higher up with a couple of different outcomes. Wisconsin, whom I've contended is overrated again this year, needed a QB scramble for a touchdown to hold off lowly UNLV 20-13. Colorado State gave Cal all they could handle in a 34-28 win for the Top 10 ranked Bears. And UCLA almost fell to BYU. Such is college football. At least Notre Dame and Michigan lost again. Too bad they have to play each other next weekend. I would have preferred to see how long each team could wait before getting its first victory. Speaking of going winless, Iowa State is the 2007 version of Colorado. Starting their season with losses to Kent State and Northern Iowa doesn't bode well for first year head coach Gene Chizik. Next up: Iowa.
read more..
September 8th, 2007
A win is a win, right?
I thought Lee Corso was an idiot for predicting a very close game between the Huskers and Wake Forest. He thought Nebraska would come from behind and hold on for a win. For the first time since I can remember, Corso was right.
After a questionable decision to go for it on fourth and two with 1:59 left in the game, the Blackshirts rose to the occasion to stop the Wake offense. Ben Eisenhart intercepted a pass from the Wake QB but it was somehow overturned by the replay official. I was always under the impression that to overturn a ruling on the field, the evidence has to be conclusive. Because that was anything but. And one more complaint...Andre Ware. Is it just me or was he rooting for Wake Forest? Grixby didn't interfere with the Wake receiver on the 4th down try at the end of the game. Ware claimed (which a further replay proved incorrect) that Grixby was manhandling this receiver all the way across the field.
Other observations:
The Husker Faithful turned out for the game, filling anywhere from one-third to one-half of Groves Stadium with red clad NU fans.
Sam Keller was off today, especially on longer throws.
read more..
September 4th, 2007
Huskers move up in the polls
Nebraska jumped up four spots from #20 to #16 in the Associated Press writer's poll released today. Michigan and Florida State were dropped from the ratings after both posted losses to unranked teams. The Huskers also jumped Auburn who had a less than stellar outing against Kansas State as well as Tennessee, who lost at California.
NU moved up two spots to #17 in the USA Today Coaches' Poll released today. Honorable mention goes to Michigan who fell from the #5 spot to the ohh-so-close #26 position. Tennessee losing at Cal accounted for the Huskers moving up the other spot. Some interesting matchups this weekend that may or may not affect NU's poll position next week include the following:
#19 TCU @ #7 Texas
#9 Virginia Tech @ #2 LSU
In case you missed it, Bill Callahan received a 5-year contract extension that will pay him a base salary of $1.75 million with incentive bonuses possible. Among these bonuses is a clause that will pay him $100 every time a Husker hater lumps his name in with Steve Pederson's while cursing dear old Nebraska U.
read more..
September 2nd, 2007
Nevada game observations
Several things worth mentioning from the Huskers' home opener against the Nevada Wolfpack:
Marlon Lucky - Most improved player from last season. Lucky looked like a completely different runner, hitting the holes a lot faster, making quicker cuts and even looking for contact. Evidently, going from jersey #20 to #5 made a big difference. Now that Marlon is the featured back maybe he has more confidence, but whatever it is he stood out the most in the game. A career high 235 rushing yards plus 33 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Great to see Lucky get off to a good start.
Quentin Castille - Talk about a memorable first collegiate game. The true freshman from Texas got some serious playing time with Cody Glenn still not at 100%. Castille scored two touchdowns on 16 carries and racked up 78 yards.
Freshmen playing time - Bill Callahan made a concerted effort to get his young players game experience against Nevada. Castille, Major Culbert and Roy Helu all carried the ball. Mike McNeil and Niles Paul saw action with each catching one pass. Anthony Blue notched a tackle on special teams as did Niles Paul.
read more..
August 30th, 2007
HuskerFaithful's 2007 Season Predictions
In a nutshell, less key injuries, more victories, a "big one" for Callahan, and the emergence of several first year Huskers. Now for the all-important, Vegas odds-maker influencing, HuskerFaithful.com season predictions. I'm tempted to say not to look at last year's predictions, but that would be the first place I'd head myself if I were reading a blog. Without further delay...
Nevada - win, unless the locker room doors get stuck and NU has to forfeit
Wake Forest - win, unless Wake is just as good as last year, which they won't be
USC - loss, unless Our House is rockin' (no sitting) and we capitalize on any USC mistakes
Ball State - win, unless I don't know...see Nevada
Iowa State - win, unless Gene Chizik can transport his old defense up to Lincoln
Missouri - loss, unless Pinkel lives up to his reputation
Oklahoma State - win, unless the OSU offense is even better this year
Texas A&M - win, unless Mo Purify drops the game winner
Texas - loss, unless Colt McCoy gets injured and Devon Snead comes in...never mind
Kansas - win, unless Jon Cornish returns for a sixth year
Kansas State - win, unless Grimace pulls out a miracle like the Texas victory last year
Colorado - win, unless Ralphie gets loose on the field and takes out half the Huskers
Big 12 Championship - win, unless we beat USC (new rule - only one big win per season)
BCS bowl game - loss, unless we play Notre Dame
Overall record: 10 - 4
It takes Callahan until the Big 12 Championship and a rematch versus Texas to get his first true "big one" as a Husker head coach.
read more..
August 28th, 2007
Huskers release first depth chart
Some observations from the recently released Huskers depth chart:
On defense, Armando Murillo and Larry Asante, two of the heralded junior college defensive back transfers are listed at the #1 spot for left corner and strong safety, respectively. Murillo is ahead of Andre Jones, although I would expect to see both play extensively on Saturday. At the right corner spot, Cortney Grixby is ahead of Zack Bowman on the chart, but most likely because Bowman isn't 100%. I would expect that Grixby would move to the nickel back once Bowman is healthy.
On special teams, we have the strong-legged Adi Kunalic as the only place kicker listed. Andre Jones is the #1 kickoff return guy with Terrence Nunn in at #2. Potential punt returners include Grixby, Nunn, Jones and Nate Swift.
Finally, to the offense. Andy Sand beat out Thomas Lawson for the #1 fullback position on the chart. Interestingly, at the running back position, Marlon Lucky leads Quentin Castille, Roy Helu and Major Culbert. No Cody Glenn mentioned. Castille and Helu are both true freshman, while Culbert is a sophomore and converted defensive back.
read more..
August 24th, 2007
Husker Captains - 2007 edition
Your Husker football captains for the 2007 season are Brett Byford, Zack Bowman and Bo Ruud. If I were a betting man (which I was in a previous life) I would have wagered that Sam Keller, Bo Ruud and Courtney Grixby would have been named captains. Grix because he's been out there from day one. Ruud because he's a Ruud and almost as good as his brother. And Keller simply because he's the quarterback. As others have pointed out though, Tommie Frazier wasn't a captain and the team did okay with him at the helm.
August 22nd, 2007
Keller, K-State and China
Good news for Sam Keller. Not only was he named the starting quarterback for the Huskers, but it's been two days now and he is still the starter. I'd say the move from Arizona State to Nebraska is working out pretty well for Mr. Keller.
From the "I thought I'd heard it all" category comes this nugget from our purple neighbors to the south. K-State head coach Ron Prince continues to make enemies, mainly among his own players and staff. You'll remember that last season, Prince's first as a head coach, he chased from the team several players and assistant coaches, including Scott Frost. Evidently, Prince went to an anger management class during the offseason (taught by Richie Incognito) but failed to learn anything. It's now come to this...Prince made his offensive assistant coaches run stairs after a lackluster practice on Saturday. Yeah, it was that bad. Not just the offensive players, but the offensive coaches to boot. Maybe I have a bad memory, but I don't recall that chapter being in "How To Win Friends And Influence People." I wonder if Josh Freeman is regretting his decision yet.
read more..
August 2nd, 2007
Recruiting update for August 2nd
Several news items on the recruiting front this morning. Jonas Gray, a high school recruiting prospect out of Detroit and one of the nation's top running backs, will make his decision at a Friday press conference. Listed as the #1 prospect from the state of Michigan and the #4 running back prospect in the country, Gray also has offers from Florida, Louisville, Michigan and Michigan State.
LaTravis Washington, a defensive back/linebacker recruit in the Huskers 2007 class, has received academic clearance to play this year. Washington, you'll remember is the cousin of former Husker DB Fabian Washington.
And finally, Darius Parish has verbally committed to the Huskers. Parish is a defensive tackle from Wichita High School in Kansas.
July 30th, 2007
What defines success this season for the Huskers?
The last poll question we asked was "Which game is the biggest for the Huskers in 2007?" Southern Cal took 57% of the vote, followed by Texas at 30% and Missouri at 13%. What this tells me is that those voting expect/hope this is the year the Huskers get over the hump and win a "big one." With Missouri picked to win the North, a win on the road in Columbia would be a big victory, but it isn't a "big one." NU has two games this season that qualify...USC and Texas. Which one is tougher? Probably Southern Cal, even at home. What's really scary is everyone is talking about the Trojans defense and how awesome they're going to be. Don't forget that their offense is pretty darn good too.
Nebraska isn't yet to the same level as USC. Anyone who thinks that we match up well with them man-for-man is smoking some serious ditchweed. But it's not always the most-talented team that wins a game. So you're saying the Huskers have a chance? Absolutely. But unlike last year, they'll have to take advantage of scoring opportunities and win the turnover battle.
read more..
July 27th, 2007
Recruiting update and other news
Will Compton, a linebacker from Bonne Terre, Missouri, has verbally committed to the Huskers. Compton is rated as a 4-star recruit by Rivals.com and is among the Top 20 at his position in the national rankings by Rivals and Scout.com. Defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove played the key role in getting Will's commitment. NU has 17 known commitments for its 2008 class, including one 5-star and five 4-stars. Trevor Robinson is still listed as a commit even though he has decided to take other visits. Robinson is one of the 4-star recruits.
In other Husker news today, Adam Carriker agreed to contract terms with the St. Louis Rams, signing a 5-year deal for more money than I make and perhaps ever will.
Big news out of the Big 12 Media Day(s), Bill Callahan received the Best Dressed in a Casual Category award by The Sporting News. Writer Tom Dienhart made the observation that all coaches except for Callahan were wearing some form of business formal attire (coat & tie or at least button up shirt). I commend coach on going casual. It's not like he borrowed a page from Bill Belichek's fashion guide and went with the cutoff sleeve sweatshirt look.
read more..
July 25th, 2007
Recent happenings from Nebraska and beyond
In case you blinked, here's a brief summary of what you may have missed.
-Maurice Purify goes one-for-two (one game suspension for two run-ins with the law).
-Terrence Nunn says there IS a quarterback competition between Ganz and Keller (from the George W. Bush School of ?).
-Steve Pederson gets a contract extension (six more years for the Husker Hateful to be depressed).
-Missouri is picked by regional sportswriters to win the Big 12 North (someone should tell them Gary Pinkel is still the coach).
-Josh Freeman says there's no bad blood between him and Nebraska (we'll be the judge of that; court is in session on Nov. 10th).
-Trevor Robinson, one of the prized offensive line recruits in the '08 class, has already decided to take additional visits to Michigan and Notre Dame (enough said).
-ESPN has rolled out a College Football Live show that picks up where it left off last season (in love with Pete Carroll and USC). I guess they couldn't get Paris, Lindsay and Britney to do a "Who's Now in College Football" studio show (not even Lloyd's of London would insure that production).
It sure will be nice when action ON the field dictates the news coverage (less editorializing from me).
Just 37 days away from the 2007 season opener against Nevada.
read more..
July 5th, 2007
NU's 2007 schedule among the toughest
So Nebraska has the toughest 2007 football schedule in the Big 12. The "experts" have also decided that NU has the 12th most difficult schedule in all of college football for the upcoming season. It's easy to see why. No cupcakes this year (unless you count Ball State). Non-conference games against Nevada, Wake Forest and USC represent matchups with three bowl teams from last year, including two BCS game appearances. Nevada nearly beat a less-than-stellar Miami Hurricanes team in the Smurf Turf Bowl. Wake Forest came out of nowhere to win the ACC championship before falling to Louisville in the Orange Bowl. And USC...well, they're still good. The Trojans will likely come into Lincoln on September 15th as the #1 team in the nation.
Not since Notre Dame came to town in 2001, has Memorial Stadium witnessed a non-conference team with the history and tradition of USC. Not only that, but we're talking about a nationally televised, prime time game on ABC that gives the Huskers a chance to silence the critics and to finally declare "We're back!" It's like deja vu all over again.
read more..
June 14th, 2007
Another in-state commitment for the Huskers
Sean Fisher of Millard North High School has given his verbal commitment to play for Nebraska next season. The 6'5" 210 pounder is the ninth member of the 2008 recruiting class. Fisher joins Baker Steinkuhler, Collins Okafor, and Trevor Robinson as 2008 recruits hailing from the Cornhusker state. Rivals.com ranks Fisher as a 3-star prospect. NU has one 5-star (Steinkuhler), four 4-stars (Robinson, Blaine Gabbert, Bryce Givens, and Dan Hoch), and three 3-stars (Fisher, Okafor, and David Whitmore). Wide receiver Adrian Hilburn, a junior college transfer, is not ranked by Rivals at this time. In addition to the offensive line freaks in the 2008 class, it's nice to see some in-state boys commit.
June 8th, 2007
Some people call me the Space Cowboy
--Some people call me the Space Cowboy
--Some call me the gangsta of love
--Some people call me Mo-reece
Just five weeks after resisting arrest following a bar fight, Nebraska wide receiver Maurice Purify is in trouble again. Purify was arrested on DUI charges and has been indefinitely suspended from the team.
Either Mo has an alcohol problem or he has a problem with alcohol. The difference is a problem with alcohol is easily fixable...avoid alcohol. An alcohol problem is more serious however. If Purify was a Hollywood A-lister his problem would be easier. He'd do one of two things. Either hold a press conference and say he's entering rehab or just be whisked away to rehab minus the press conference. Mel Gibson has employed this routine. Heck, even a right reverend named Ted Haggard took this approach.
--People talk about me, baby
--Say I'm doin' you wrong, doin' you wrong
--Well, don't you worry baby
--Don't worry cause I'm right here, right here,
--right here, right here at home
Home is where Maurice should have been. I imagine Bill Callahan gave him a pretty good lecture five weeks ago about staying out of trouble or there would be severe consequences.
read more..
May 18th, 2007
Hodgepodge of Husker football news
News has slowed to a trickle lately. One minute it's very negative (Purify arrested for assault) and the next it's very positive (Blaine Gabbert's verbal commitment). Nothing has been said about the Purify incident but I would be shocked if he was kicked off the team. Partly because of the talent he is on the field, but also due to the circumstances. What we're talking about is basically a bar fight. College males have been known to dabble in that realm.
On a more positive note, recruiting has busted out of the gates to start the 2008 class. Blaine Gabbert, a 6'5" 230 pound quarterback from the St. Louis area, is the latest to give his commitment. Projected as a 4-5 star recruit by Rivals and a 4-star by Scout.com, Gabbert has been rumored to be "Elway-esque." He marks the fourth out of seven total recruits that should grace the Rivals Top 100 national prospects. That's big! Cementing a QB of Gabbert's caliber as well as four stud offensive linemen in Robinson, Steinkuhler, Givens and Hoch, and the floodgates are beginning to open.
read more..
May 4th, 2007
The new schedules are here! The new schedules are here!
Funnyman Steve Martin thinks the new phone books are going to change his luck in the movie The Jerk. I wish I could get excited about nothing like his character, Navin Johnson, did. I also wish I could get excited about the 2008 and 2009 Husker football schedules, but I can't. Non-conference games against San Jose State, New Mexico State and Western Michigan in 2008 and Florida Atlantic, Louisiana-Lafayette and Arkansas State in 2009 doesn't even register on the ol' excite-o-meter. The opponents almost remind a Husker fan of the mid-90's when we played perennial California Penal League power Pacific. (Do they even play football anymore?) Other notable opponents of this era included the Akron Zips, North Texas and Middle Tennessee State (which is still my favorite of the "middle state" schools).
There are a couple ways to look at these newly released matchups. One is from a revenue standpoint. Home games bring in $3.5 million for the athletic department. Therefore, the difference between six home games and eight is $7 million. Nothing to sneeze at, for sure, especially when there's a second mortgage on Memorial Stadium that needs paying down.
I realize it's not fashionable these days to utter the following, but I can see Steve Pederson's reasons for scheduling these teams.
read more..
April 24th, 2007
Big Red Roundtable: Post-Spring Game Edition
The guys over at BigRedNetwork.com asked me to participate in their roundtable discussion of the 2007 Spring Game. Here are my responses.
1. Keller or Ganz. Pick one, then give three reasons.
Keller. Ganz probably knows the offensive playbook better, but Keller gives you a pro-caliber QB that has much more upside in this offense. Keller's arm strength is superior and he showed more consistency in the Spring Game than Ganz.
2. The most impressive guy at the Spring Game.
Tough to pinpoint one player because several caught my attention. One player who I had to look up was Thomas Lawson. He had an impressive run early in the game, carrying multiple defenders. Unfortunately, he didn't get much action after that. Rickey Thenarse continues to be impressive in regards to the fire he plays with as well as his athletic ability. I think he'll be a good one for the Huskers. And finally, I'll mention Major Culbert. With the ongoing struggles of keeping our running backs healthy, Culbert may see some playing time during the season at the position. He showed flashes of something special playing on the white team offense going against the starting defense.
read more..
April 14th, 2007
Huskers win Spring Game
It wasn't even close. The Huskers easily beat the...Huskers to win the Spring Game today at Memorial Stadium. Fifty-four thousand plus were on hand to see Sam Keller make his first on-the-field performance and for the most part he didn't disappoint. Keller and Joe Ganz took turns leading the Red offense to 423 yards by halftime, giving their team a 38-0 lead. The Red defense actually held the White offense to -10 yards in the first half.
Several observations:
-Seemed like there were a lot of injuries. Lydon Murtha went down early in the game with what appeared to be a knee injury. He returned to the sideline via a John Deere cart. That's not good.
-Marlon Lucky was dragged down from behind and appeared to roll his ankle.
-Rickey Thenarse is still the most exciting player on the team to watch. He rocked one of the Red team tight ends near the sideline pretty good and was in on several other stops. In addition, he even returned a kickoff in the second half.
-Andre Jones looked pretty good. Suh looked good on the D-line.
read more..
April 8th, 2007
A huge recruiting win for the Huskers
Without getting too far ahead of ourselves, let us take a look at the 2008 Husker football recruiting class to date. The coaches received a huge verbal commitment over the weekend from Trevor Robinson of Elkhorn. The 6'5" 300 pound offensive lineman was being heavily recruited by Notre Dame and Michigan (that's some pretty good competition). But when it all came down to it, Robinson realized Nebraska had everything the other two schools did and with all things being equal, he'd rather be close to home.
Robinson is the third offensive line recruit in the 2008 class, joining Baker Steinkuhler (son of Dean, brother of Ty) and Dan Hoch from Harlan, Iowa, in what is quickly shaping up to be a special class. Collins Okafor, a running back out of Omaha is the fourth commitment in the 2008 class.
All three offensive line commitments are Rivals.com Top 100 prospects to watch for the 2008 class, meaning the Huskers could very well have three of the nation's best in a class of four already. While the offensive line has made great strides since 2004, securing these three players will provide the Huskers with huge potential down the road.
read more..
April 6th, 2007
Biggest concern going into the 2007 season?
Up to this point, the news hasn't been good coming out of the Nebraska football program. We've heard about the hospitalization of Marlon Lucky, the departure of Chris Patrick for the NFL supplemental draft, Kenny Wilson's broken leg and Zack Bowman going down with another knee injury. Add to that the recurring themes of injuries at the running back position, the defensive line having to replace four starters and continued question marks about the defensive backfield and offensive line. And we haven't even mentioned the number one story following the Cotton Bowl...will Sam Keller be up to the task at starting quarterback. Coach Callahan insists there is no leader in the QB race at this juncture, but you have to think he's trying to keep the pressure on Mr. Keller.
Major Culbert continues to take snaps at the running back position and is honored to do so. Kenny Wilson will likely miss the 2007 season after his freak accident. Cody Glenn is still nursing a sprained foot, suffered last season during the Texas A&M game.
read more..
March 20th, 2007
Spring Football Preview
It's been a busy "off-season" for Husker football. We've had a trainer fired, a running back hospitalized, an offensive lineman leave the team, and a new coach from Ohio State join the program. Steve Pederson has been blamed for everything under the sun, including the bad winter weather. Tom Shatel has taken journalism to new lows by creating stories out of thin air. Frankly, I've never been more ready for the start of spring practice, which happens to commence tomorrow. So in the spirit of actual football news and talk, here are some of the biggest stories going into spring practice:
Sam Keller. Without a doubt the most anticipated spring game appearance by a QB since Zac Taylor. Yeah, it's been that long. But will it be Keller who is the starter on September 1st? Only time will tell. Personally, I would be shocked if Keller is holding the clipboard and Joe Ganz (or Zac Lee or Patrick Witt) is in the huddle against Nevada. Ganz looks more natural in his visor with his arms crossed standing next to Callahan than does NFL prospect Keller.
read more..
February 6th, 2007
Nebraska's 2007 Football Recruiting Class
**UPDATED at 11:54am**
The Huskers 2007 class is completed at 27 commitments and is ranked #13 in the country. Notes on decommitments are at the bottom of this post. David Ross is the latest and last to change his mind. The loss of Ross dropped the Huskers out of the top 10 in the national rankings.
Breakdown by position and offense/defense/special teams:
Wide receivers - 2
Running backs - 3
Quarterbacks - 2
Offensive lineman - 2
Tight ends - 1
Total offensive recruits = 10
Linebackers - 2
Defensive lineman - 7
Defensive backs - 5
Total defensive recruits = 14
Kickers - 1
Ahtletes - 2
Total athletes/special teams recruits = 3
JUCO players - 6
High school players - 21
Breakdown by state:
Texas - 7
Arizona - 6
Kansas - 4
California - 4
Nebraska - 2
Florida - 1
Louisiana - 1
Missouri - 1
Colorado - 1
Breakdown by Rivals.com Star rankings:
5-stars = 0
4-stars = 10
3-stars = 16
2-stars = 1
Player profiles:
Larry Asante - One of the top junior college defensive backs available in this year's crop of talent. The Coffeyville C.C. (Kansas) transfer will be competing for the starting safety position in spring drills after enrolling for the second semester at UNL.
read more..
January 27th, 2007
Huskers 2007 recruiting class complete?
The NU coaching staff received their 29th and possibly final commitment for the 2007 recruiting class in Curenski Gilleylen. Gilleylen is a 6'0" 210 pound wide receiver from Leander, Texas and he is fast. He becomes the second wide receiver of the class in addition to the best player in the state of Nebraska, Niles Paul. Gilleylen was also recruited by Tennessee and Oklahoma State as well as Purdue, Missouri, Vanderbilt, and Kansas.
According to the Lincoln Journal Star, Gilleylen might be the final commit for the class. That assumes all the pieces of the puzzle come together on February 7th, national signing day. As we've seen over the last couple of recruiting cycles, young men can change their minds rather quickly.
As a follow up on the Jay Norvell story, I'm not sure why some Husker fans are upset that he is leaving. It's not like it was a shock, considering he has interviewed for several jobs as of late and didn't hide the fact that he wants to become a head coach. The fact that he will be able to call plays at UCLA is what drew him to that job.
read more..
January 25th, 2007
Husker recruiting update, 1/25
The Huskers recruiting class keeps getting better and better. How, you might ask, can it get better when we have lost several commitments during the past couple of weeks? Let me tell you this about that. Rivals.com has come out with their updated player rankings and several Husker recruits are the beneficiaries of an additional star. NU now boasts 12 four-star prospects and 15 three-star recruits. The sole two-star recruit is kicker Adi Kunalic. So who gained a star? Travis Lewis, William Yancy, and Kevin Dixon go from three stars to four, while Eric Hagg and Terrence Moore move from two to three stars. The Huskers moved up a notch in the national team rankings to the 8th spot. National signing day is February 7th.
January 19th, 2007
Friday's Husker news summary
Just when I was complaining about the lack of news coming out about Husker football, here we are hit with five football-related items this morning.
Steve Sipple with the Lincoln Journal Star takes a look at Nebraska's recent recruiting success in Arizona. NU has six players in their 2007 class from the state including: Prince Amukamara, Jaivorio Burkes, Marcel Jones, Eric Hagg, William Yancy, and JUCO transfer Armando Murillo. (For more on each player, check out our Recruiting page.) Bill Busch is responsible for all six Arizona players committing in this recruiting cycle. Nebraskans are well represented in the Valley of the Sun, including their 1,000 member strong Arizonans for Nebraska alumni group.
The San Antonio Express-News says Marlon Lucky is the big winner from the bowl game/offseason news, thanks to his performance against Auburn and the fact that Brandon Jackson is going pro. Lucky appears set to be the Huskers featured back next season.
Ron Walter of RealFootball365.com writes "An Open Letter to Brandon Jackson." Walter appears to be assuming the role of a skeptical Husker fan (of which there are some) in wondering what the real reason is for Jackson turning pro.
read more..
January 18th, 2007
If there is no offseason, then why is it so quiet right now?
I'm bored people. One, maybe two, news articles about Husker football a day just doesn't cut it. I want more. I need more. I'm jonesing for a good NU football story. Anyone got one? Do share.
As somewhat of a tease, there are several pre-pre-season Top 25 polls out now, most of which favorably rank the Huskers going into the 2007 season. There’s the ESPN.com poll which has Nebraska at #12; the SportsIllustrated.com poll with NU at #18; and the Rivals.com poll with the Huskers at #13. But wait, there’s more. We have the USAToday.com poll with the Big Red at #13; the FoxSports.com poll with the Huskers at #16; and the Austin American-Statesman poll with NU ranked at #18. Anyone notice a consistent theme here?
Not much new on the recruiting front to report. NU has had some visitors lately, but no new commitments. The 2007 class is still at 29 commits with the expectation of at least 2-3 more before signing day on February 7th.
Anyone reading this blog not like Notre Dame and Charlie Weis? Here's a good article about the Fighting Irish and their lack of “fight” in big games since the aforementioned coach came on board.
read more..
January 15th, 2007
Jackson going pro
Well, Brandon Jackson made it interesting, waiting until the 5:00pm Monday deadline before announcing his decision to enter the NFL draft. Here are two stories with links, first from Huskers.com and secondly from Lincoln Journal Star. Thanks Brandon and good luck!
P.S. Read the previous blog entry if you're worried about the NU running game next season.
January 15th, 2007
Will Brandon Jackson go pro?
Today is the day we find out from Brandon Jackson whether or not he will return for his senior season or opt to enter the NFL draft. I know it's today because juniors must declare their intentions by 5:00pm Monday. In all likelihood, the junior running back will enter the draft, as family finances are playing a big role in his decision-making process. Jackson performed the best of the "I-back committee" this season, but his departure wouldn't spell disaster at all for the Husker running game. As we saw in the Cotton Bowl, Marlon Lucky is coming along very nicely. While he may not have the power game that Jackson does, a healthy Cody Glenn can fill that void. Kenny Wilson was an enigma this season, but hopefully with a year under his belt he can bounce back next season and be a consistent contributor. Recruiting commitment Quentin Castille played fullback in high school but I would think the Husker coaching staff has him in mind to be another Cody Glenn-like running back. The NU staff has also received commitments from Roy Helu and Marcus Mendoza, both three-star running backs according to Rivals.com.
So if Brandon Jackson decides to turn pro, the Huskers will do just fine with their remaining backs.
read more..
January 14th, 2007
Team Recruiting Rankings Update
With signing day three weeks away, let's take a look at how the Big 12 stacks up in the national recruiting rankings as compiled by Rivals.com.
Texas has the #1 class in the country, with Nebraska (#8), Oklahoma (#21), and Colorado (#23) rounding out the Top 25. Other Big 12 recruiting classes are as follows: Texas A&M (#32), Missouri (#34), Kansas State (#41), Oklahoma State (#45), Baylor (#47), Kansas (#48), Texas Tech (#55), and Iowa State (#62).
Compare the Big 12 classes to that of the SEC and you'll notice a big difference. Here's how teams in the Southeastern Conference rank nationally: Tennessee (#2), LSU (#3), Florida (#4), South Carolina (#7), Georgia (#9), Auburn (#12), Ole Miss (#15), Alabama (#24), Mississippi State (#36), Arkansas (#40), Kentucky (#44), and Vanderbilt (#58).
Eight SEC teams in the Top 25 compared to four from the Big 12. Some things to keep in mind, both Alabama and Iowa State have hired new coaches and their recruiting efforts aren't fully accounted for as of yet.
January 12th, 2007
A recap of Husker comings and goings
It's becoming hard to remember who is on the team with all the comings and goings, so here is a short recap.
Those players who are no longer on the team from the 2005 recruiting class:
Harrison Beck - decided he liked the red & white of NC State better than competition
Leon Jackson - it's too bad it didn't work out here for him, too deep at running back for five
Dontrell Moore - left team because of academic issues, only had two years to play anyway
Brock Pasteur - left for academic reasons
Rodney Picou - traded him for his cousin Jordan
Robert Rands - speedster left to pursue track career
Jeff Souder - transferred to UNO following 2005 season
Justin Tomerlin - TE/DE didn't pan out and couldn't stay out of trouble
Tyrell Spain - WR turned DB is the most recent to leave from the '05 class
Others who have left this season or who won't be on the team:
Wallace Franklin - academic issues keep him off the team for a second time
Brian Hildebrand - brought in to replace Beck, then Keller shows up, goodbye Brian
Jordan Congdon - we hope his departure is only temporary and his uncle' surgery goes well
Coaches:
John Blake - reuinted with Butch Davis at North Carolina
Additions:
Buddy Wyatt - Blake's replacement, defensive line commitments flood in
Sam Keller - THE quarterback for next season, already leading some to put NU in Top 15
Daniel Lee - will compete with Adi Kunalic and Jake Wesch for starting kicker position
This list will most likely change as the recruiting season comes to an end.
read more..
January 11th, 2007
Favorite bowl moments
Here are my favorite bowl moments from the 2006-07 college football season.
#5 - Michigan's loss to USC. So much for staking that claim for deserving a national championship. My theories that the Big 10 was overrated this season took a big step closer to being realized. See #4 for the final nail in the coffin.
#4 - The Florida Gators absolutely trounced The Ohio State University for the national championship. Long live the Heisman curse. This shot a big hole in the theory that Jim Tressel doesn't lose the big games and once again proved that a team overlooked by the media has all the motivation they need to win. Dear ESPN, I was disappointed that you talked about Florida before the game. I would have preferred you only talked about the favorite like you did in last year's national championship.
#3 - Notre Dame getting thrashed at the hands of LSU. The Irish shouldn't have been in a BCS game and they showed why. The ND lobby worked hard this season to prop up their team and quarterback. Maybe next year they won't be in the picture.
read more..
January 10th, 2007
Two more commitments, Jackson may go pro
Chris Perry from Keller, Texas and Kevin Dixon of Garden City Community College in Kansas are the two latest recruiting commitments. Both Perry and Dixon are defensive tackles, bolstering an already robust recruiting class for D-tackles. Perry had been committed to Miami but changed his mind when the Hurricanes fired Larry Coker. He also had offers from Notre Dame, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech. For more on these newest recruits, check out Omaha.com, DallasNews.com, and JournalStar.com. NU now has 31 commitments for the 2007 class, including eight players from Texas, five from California, and six from Arizona.
Brandon Jackson is considering his NFL future. Jackson led the Huskers in rushing this season and was third on the team in receptions. A broken hand that occurred in the Big 12 Championship game limited his playing time against Auburn in the Cotton Bowl. The junior running back will have to decide by Monday if he's going pro or not, as underclassmen must apply to enter the draft by this date. While Husker fans no doubt want him to stay, it appears more than likely that he will declare himself eligible for the draft.
read more..
January 9th, 2007
Coaching turnover at USC and other college football news
Steve Sarkisian's name popped up as the first candidate to interview for the Oakland Raiders head coaching vacancy. The USC quarterbacks coach held the same position with Oakland during the 2004 season before returning to the Trojans in 2005. Sarkisian is only 32 years old which would make him the youngest head coach in the NFL is he is hired.
USC head coach Pete Carroll's name has been rumored to be a serious candidate for the Miami Dolphins head coaching position. Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga flew to meet with Carroll in Costa Rica, where the Trojan coach is on vacation.
In other college coaching news, newly hired Alabama head coach, Nick Saban, has announced the hiring of two assistant coaches to his staff. One of them is former Husker assistant Kevin Steele, who spent the past season at Florida State.
It's January 9th and we already have our first way-too-early pre-season Top 25 rankings courtesy of FanBlogs.com. In case you were wondering, the Huskers are ranked #8 in the poll.
Florida's thrashing of Ohio State in the national championship game and USC's manhandling of Michigan in the Rose Bowl, proved that the Big 10 was overrated this year.
read more..
January 8th, 2007
The 2007 season begins now
Another Husker football season comes to a close. Although NU wasn't able to come away with a victory in the Cotton Bowl, many positives can be taken away from the 2006 campaign. Nine wins including a perfect 5-0 record against Big 12 North opponents. Four of the five losses came against Top 10 teams and at least two of those games could have gone the other way. Nebraska made it back to the Big 12 title game for the first time since 1999 and played in their first January bowl game since the 2001 season. Zac Taylor was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and Adam Carriker received the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year award. Several other Huskers, including Maurice Purify, emphatically announced their arrival on the scene.
The Huskers will be losing several key members of the team to graduation including: Stewart Bradley, Jay Moore, Ola Dagunduro, Barry Cryer, Adam Carriker, Zac Taylor, Greg Austin, Dane Todd, Matt Herian, Andrew Shanle, and Brandon Rigoni. While those players are on their way out, the NU coaching staff has secured verbal commitments from the following players: Larry Asante, Niles Paul, Jaivorio Burkes, Zac Lee, Quentin Castille, Blake Lawrence, Armando Murillo, David Ross, and Joseph Townsend, all of whom are rated as 4-star prospects by Rivals.com.
read more..
January 5th, 2007
Friday's Husker Football News Summary
Nebraska kicker Jordan Congdon withdrew from his spring semester classes to return home to San Diego. Before you think he's leaving the team because he didn't get a chance to kick a game-tying field goal in the Cotton Bowl...think again. The reason is much more serious and admirable than ego. Congdon has an uncle who is sick and in need of a partial liver transplant. Congdon is the only member of his family that is a match. It was a decision he made several weeks ago and which will take him out of action for at least six months. Congdon in effect took himself off of scholarship in case his recovery time is longer than expected or that he's not able to return. Nebraska has a kicker, Adi Kunalic, in it's 2007 recruiting class and Jake Wesch is the current backup to Congdon. For more on this story, click on the Omaha World Herald link.
Tyrell Spain is leaving the Huskers program. Recruited as a wide receiver, Spain saw time on special teams before switching to the defensive backfield in light of the team's injuries there this season.
The Omaha World Herald takes a look at the NU offense next season under Sam Keller, the Arizona State transfer who will inherit the time from Zac Taylor.
read more..
January 2nd, 2007
Tuesday Morning Quarterback
Probably like many of you, I can't stop thinking about what could have been. The Huskers outplayed Auburn the entire game. Giving up short yardage "drives" to the Tigers resulted in 14 of their 17 points. Here are my updated thoughts on the game:
1) Bill Callahan tries too hard sometimes. Case in point the fake punt call. I think he feels so much pressure to win and win now and that he wants to so badly that he often tries too hard and takes too big of a risk. With the Blackshirt defense holding the Auburn offense to very little yardage, Callahan should have showed confidence in his D and simply punted the ball away. Even if that play works, I think a lot of Husker fans would have wondered why there and why now. I love the trick plays. There are great times to run them (Marlon Lucky's halfback pass against Texas and the fake field goal against K-State) and not so great times like the fake punt. It's ironic in what I'm about to say, but I wish Bill would be a little more conservative at times.
read more..
January 1st, 2007
Cotton Bowl game reaction
A disappointing loss in that we gave Auburn their points. Two costly turnovers. You can blame Callahan for calling both those plays. You can blame poor execution. It's a combination of both. The fake punt in hindsight wasn't a wise move because our defense had been doing what it needed to against the Auburn offense. That play shifted momentum big time in the Tigers favor. The interception...again you can question the play call, but you can question any play call that doesn't work until you're blue in the face. A coach doesn't know ahead of time what the outcome is going to be. It would have been nice to run the ball on 3rd and 3 and make the Tiger defense stop the run. Frankly, that short slant reminded me of the play against Texas in a similar situation. Again though, if the ball is thrown a little lower and Nunn catches it and goes down, we have a 1st and 10.
I thought the defense played great for the second game in a row. Grixby got robbed of an interception in the endzone although I'm glad they didn't review the play because I'm sure it would have gone in Auburn's favor.
read more..
January 1st, 2007
Early Monday Husker News Summary
In light of the early gametime this morning, we will do a pre-game news summary as well as a post-game wrapup.
Tom Shatel of the Omaha World Herald seems to be going retro with his columns as of late. They remind me of what he was writing in 2004 about Bill Callahan and the Huskers. In this column, he says that "Nebraska football is all about spin. This is what happens when you fire a coach who wins nine games, even if it is to upgrade the talent level. The line between good and average, success and failure, becomes blurred." Shatel goes on to say that this bowl game will be spun one of two ways. By the pro-Callahan crowd, a win would be huge while a loss would be disappointing but not the end of the world. The anti-Callahan crowd (how you call yourself a Husker fan and root for the demise of Bill Callahan is beyond me) will say big deal, 10 wins, didn't we fire a coach for having a 10 win season? See my Measuring NU's progress under Bill Callahan blog entry for why you can't just look at a team's record.
Both Auburn and Nebraska are hungry for a win in today's Cotton Bowl game.
read more..
December 31st, 2006
Sunday's Husker News Summary
Tom Shatel of the Omaha World Herald takes a look at how some Husker fans have slowly come to accept Bill Callahan. Shatel equates the Nebraska program to a family-run business when it was guided by Osborne and Solich. With Callahan coming in from the outside it has taken him some time to learn all the nuances of the job. The coach is becoming more comfortable with each passing day in his role as most important person in the state.
Tom Shatel also writes in his second column of the day that the Huskers must build upon 2006. Shatel sarcastically writes this story from the perspective of a marketing firm trying to make the 2006 season look as good as it can so the big donors will step up to the plate. Feel free to skip this one.
The Omaha World Herald looks at what Zac Taylor's future might hold. The senior quarterback who was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2006 will be playing his final game as a Husker against Auburn in the Cotton Bowl tomorrow morning.
read more..
December 30th, 2006
Saturday's Husker football news summary
The Omaha World Herald says big games bring out the best in the Blackshirts. That's not just a reporter's statement. The numbers actually support the theory. Take a look at the three games NU has played this season against Top 10 teams. Against USC, Texas, and Oklahoma, the Husker defense allowed an average of 23.7 points and 351.3 total yards per game. It was the games against Kansas, Oklahoma State, and Texas A&M where the Blackshirts struggled, giving up 33.3 points and 504.3 yards per game. That should bode well for the Cotton Bowl.
Corey McKeon took issue with some of the comments made by Auburn's Brandon Cox and Kenny Irons at the press conference on Friday. Cox said the Husker defense wasn't that quick, but they made up for it with size. Irons said Auburn's running game is second to none in the country. McKeon's response to Cox was "I guess we should let the film decide at the end of the game." McKeon's response to Irons statement was to bring it on. This article takes a look at NU's struggles against Top 10 teams under Bill Callahan.
read more..
December 29th, 2006
Friday's Husker News Summary
And Prince makes it #29. Prince Amukamara is the 29th Husker commitment for the 2007 recruiting class. Amukamara is a 6'1" 185 pound athlete recruited to Nebraska as a potential wide receiver, defensive back, or running back. He was named the Arizona prep player of the year by the Arizona Republic this past season and is the sixth player from Arizona taken in the 2007 class. Thanks Bill Busch! For more on Prince, check out the Lincoln Journal Star.
NU senior tight end Matt Herian has NFL aspirations, according to the Omaha World Herald. If he doesn't go for it now, it would be something he'd regret the rest of his life. He knows what people are saying about him. He's lost a step and other such talk. He also knows what he's capable of given the chance. Herian had the chances early in the season, catching eight passes including three touchdowns in the first three games. He hasn't been heard much of since then. The senior will be heading to the Shrine Game with fellow Husker Zac Taylor after the Cotton Bowl.
read more..
December 28th, 2006
Thursday's Husker News Summary
Tom Dienhart from SportingNews.com finally says what we've known for some time now...Bill Callahan is one of the nation's best coaches.
Bill Callahan said NU is “getting closer” to closing the talent gap that separates the Big Red from the top college football programs in the country. As the Omaha World Herald points out, the oddsmakers must not see too much difference in talent. The Tigers are currently two point favorites in a game that pits the #10 ranked Auburn versus #22 ranked Nebraska. Callahan said that Auburn represents another great opportunity for a signature win and for Nebraska to take the next step they need to win these types of games.
Brandon Jackson says his hand is fine and he’s tired of talking about it. Next question. With Cody Glenn and Kenny Wilson sitting out NU’s practices on Wednesday, the running back position is still of some concern for Husker fans. Marlon Lucky isn’t 100% and is still suffering from back spasms, but he’ll play against Auburn. Glenn it appears will only be used in special situations as he is still recovering from a sprained foot.
read more..
December 27th, 2006
Wednesday's Husker News
Zac Taylor and Matt Herian will be back in Texas for the Shrine Game three weeks after the Cotton Bowl. The Senior Bowl is expected to invite Adam Carriker and Jay Moore when they announce their two teams. Brandon Jackson will most likely be wearing a splint for the Auburn game. Matt Slauson showed up in Dallas sporting cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. Slauson also thinks Auburn is a better fit for the Huskers long term. While Boise State is a good team, Auburn's style is more in line with teams Nebraska will face in conference play. For more Husker notes from Omaha.com, click on the link.
Read more about the latest Husker recruiting commitmnet, Jaivorio Burkes, from the Lincoln Journal Star. According to the Omaha World Herald, Burkes and three other recent Arizona commits were the result of Bill Busch's hard work. Here is more of what Omaha.com writes about the Burkes commitment.
Here is a compilation of notes and quotes from Tommy Tuberville, Bill Callahan, Brandon Jackson, Matt Slauson, and others from Big Red Report.
The Dallas News takes a look at how injuries have hampered both Auburn and Nebraska this season.
read more..
December 26th, 2006
Tuesday's Husker News
Jaivorio Burkes becomes commitment #28 in the Huskers 2007 class. The 6'4" 311 pound offensive lineman from Phoenix, Arizona is rated a 4-star prospect by Rivals.com, the #7 offensive guard in the nation, and the #3 prospect out of Arizona. NU beat out Oklahoma, Michigan, Tennessee, and several other big name schools for Burkes' services.
Eric Olson of the Associated Press writes that with Nebraska playing in January again, Bill Callahan has shown solid evidence of progress being made with the football program. The last time Nebraska played a bowl game in January was the BCS Championship loss to Miami that followed the 2001 season. This same season was the last time the Huskers beat a Top 10 ranked team, knocking off Oklahoma at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. NU will have yet another chance, its fourth of the season, to beat a Top 10 team when the Huskers face Auburn on January 1st in the Cotton Bowl.
Backup QB Joe Ganz received some press attention over the holiday break. The Grand Island Independent takes a look at the battle brewing for the starting quarterback position next season, while the Lincoln Journal Star features Ganz in their Q&A column.
Coaches are notorious for being members of the "mutual admiration society" and Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville is no exception.
read more..
December 24th, 2006
Christmas Eve Husker News
Curt McKeever writes a great article in today's Lincoln Journal Star that looks at the holiday plans of three Husker football players. Andre Jones is looking forward to spending time with his Mom. Jones is an only child and his mother is his lone parent and the two haven't seen each other for six months. Another tidbit...Andre Jones knows how to play the piano and he learned to play by ear. Jake Wesch, a sophomore kicker from North Bend, is looking forward to spending time with his family. Jake has a lot of respect for his father who has kept the Christmas traditions of Jake's mother since she passed away. Brandon Jackson really missed Christmas with his family last year, due to the Huskers playing in the Alamo Bowl. So he will cherish the time he gets this year. Jackson's father passed away when he was only 10 years old. His mom moved the family from Chicago to Horn Lake, Mississippi soon after. Read the entire article here.
The Lincoln Journal Star also has a Q&A with Joe Ganz in today's paper.
The Nebraska men's basketball team rebounded from a bad loss to Hawaii and beat Houston to capture third place in the Rainbow Classic.
read more..
December 23rd, 2006
Saturday's Husker sports news
Nebraska's senior fullback Dane Todd hasn't carried the ball since he was a redshirt freshman in 2003. This year he did catch two passes for nine yards and a touchdown. But don't let the lack of numbers fool you...Todd has been an integral part of the Huskers' offensive resurgence. So much so that he was named first team All-Big 12. Todd graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA in biological sciences and was named second team Academic All-American this year as well. NU coaches will tell you he is always in the right place at the right time, always knows his assignment, and is the epitomy of a team player. The Grand Island Independent takes a look at Dane Todd's holiday plans, his football career, and the leadership he has brought to the football team.
Steve Sipple of the Lincoln Journal Star takes a look at Brandon Jackson in this article. Jackson, who broke his hand in the second half of the Big 12 Championship against Oklahoma, is looking forward to having his cast removed this coming week. For the Huskers to have a chance to beat Auburn in the Cotton Bowl, the NU running backs will have to be healthy.
read more..
December 22nd, 2006
Friday's Husker News
The Huntsville Times takes a look at the play of junior center Brett Byford in this article. For Byford, an Alabama native who grew up watching Auburn vs Alabama, this game is a dream come true. Byford has taken advantage of starting center Kurt Mann's health issues which have sidelined Mann for much of the 2006 season. For an Alabama boy to be facing Auburn in a bowl game; it's something Byford never expected.
RealFootball365.com takes a look at Auburn's offense and how despite key injuries, the team is still 10-2 heading into the Cotton Bowl. Both starting QB Brandon Cox and starting RB Kenny Irons should be healthy for the game against Nebraska, making it that much more difficult for the Huskers.
The Grand Island Independent takes a look at the road Zac Taylor has traveled to get where he is today. Taylor believes he hasn't yet played his best game as a Husker and it certainly wasn't in the Big 12 Championship. Taylor discusses the Auburn defense and the team speed the Huskers will have to neutralize in order to win against the Tigers.
NU safeties coach Bill Busch likes violent people...at least on the playing field.
read more..
December 21st, 2006
The latest Husker football news
The Huskers have concluded their practices in Lincoln and will reconvene in Dallas on December 26th. NU will begin practicing again on the 27th. The four day break for the holidays will see Husker players traveling all over the country to join their families. Some will fly with the team down to Dallas while others will arrive on their own. Read more at Huskers.com.
Cotton Bowl tickets are still available and are getting cheaper by the day. Ticket brokers in the area say they haven't seen this lack of demand for some time.
Major Culbert played running back in high school and is now getting another chance to carry the ball, at least in practice. The true freshman defensive back is giving the walking-wounded Husker running back corps a bit of relief in the NU Cotton Bowl preparations. The Lincoln Journal Star reports that Coach Callahan won't say whether or not Culbert will see action on the offensive side of the ball against Auburn.
Marcel Jones, a 6'7" 310 pound offensive lineman from Phoenix, has become the first O-line commit of the 2007 recruiting class.
read more..
December 20th, 2006
2007 class focuses on defense
In 2005, the Nebraska coaching staff took 32 players in their recruiting class, of which 14 were on the defensive side of the ball. In 2006, NU received commitments from 22 players, of which half were on the defensive side. The 2007 class is quickly shaping up to be the most defensive oriented class yet. Through today there are 26 official commits, of which 16 will be playing on the defense. The recent commits of Larry Asante and Armando Murillo as well as David Ross and Joseph Townsend will help to solidify some of the Blackshirt areas of weakness this season. Bowman will be returning for his senior season. Thenarse is coming on strong as is Culbert. Up front, Suh has shown signs of greatness. Steinkuhler has game experience. Seth Jensen and Brandon Johnson will be competing for D-line duties next season as well. Suddenly, the Husker defense has depth again.
December 20th, 2006
Two more commits & other Husker news
The Huskers have added two more defensive players to their 2007 recruiting class with the verbal commitments of Larry Asante and Shukree Barfield this morning. Asante is a 6'1" 205 pound JUCO transfer from Butler Community College in Kansas who could play either safety or linebacker for NU. Asante is a four-star prospect according to Rivals and he becomes the 8th four-star recruit in the 2007 class. Barfield is a 6'4" 310 pound defensive tackle from Garden City Community College in Kansas. So much for the departure of John Blake affecting our defensive line recruiting. Other recent commits include William Yancy, a defensive end from Glendale, Arizona, and Dan Hoch, an offensive lineman from Iowa, who will be in the 2008 class. One recruit who has been dropped from the class listing is DeAndre West. No word yet on his status in the 2007 class. For now, we are leaving him up as a commitment. Currently, of the 26 official commits (excluding West), the Huskers have 16 defensive prospects to 10 offensive players. For a rundown of recent recruiting news, check out the Lincoln Journal Star and RealFootball365.com's summary.
The talk of Cotton Bowl preparations had revolved around Andre Jones losing his Blackshirt.
read more..
December 19th, 2006
Current News: Huskers add commitment for '08
Dan Hoch, a 6'7" 285 pound offensive lineman from Harlan, Iowa, has given the Nebraska coaches his verbal commitment for the 2008 recruiting class. Hoch is widely thought to be one of the state's best prospects. The Omaha World Herald takes a closer look at why Hoch decided to commit to the Huskers.
Carl Nicks has started the last two games at right side offensive tackle in place of the injured Matt Slauson, but he earned the starting job in practice as the Grand Island Independent points out.
The Lincoln Journal Star looks into the rebuilding of the NU defensive line. The Huskers need to replace Adam Carriker, Jay Moore, Barry Cryer, and Ola Dagunduro, who are lost to graduation. Ndamukong Suh, Ty Steinkuhler, Barry Turner, and Zach Potter are the current team members most likely to take over the line. Potter has seen the most limited time of these four at his position, but he has been a fixture on special teams. Several defensive line recruits will challenge for playing time next season as will those NU players who redshirted this season.
read more..
December 17th, 2006
Huge weekend for the Huskers
First, NU volleyball wins the national championship. More coverage on that in the previous blog entry. Then today, word comes out that the Husker football coaches received commitments from four more recruits for their 2007 class. These players are:
Wallace Franklin, a 6'3" 175 pound wide receiver, who originally was part of the 2005 Husker class before having academic issues. He re-enters the NU fray via Butler Community College, which is fast becoming the minor league farm team to the Cornhuskers. Franklin is rated a three-star recruit by Rivals.
Terrence Moore, a 6'3" 267 pound defensive tackle from New Orleans. Moore is rated a two-star recruit by Rivals, but did make the Top 40 players from Louisiana list this year.
Austin Stafford, a 6'2" 197 pound linebacker from Hayward, California, is rated a three-star prospect. Stafford ranks as the #42 player in the California Top 100 according to Rivals.
Finally, Joseph Townsend, a 6'4" 295 pound defensive tackle, finds his way to Nebraska via the JUCO ranks. Townsend is rated as the #29 JUCO prospect in the nation according to Rivals and is a four-star recruit.
read more..
December 16th, 2006
NU Volleyball...2006 NCAA National Champions!
Congratulations to the Nebraska Cornhusker volleyball team on their National Championship. The Huskers beat Stanford 3-1 tonight at the Qwest Center to record their third national title and second under Coach John Cook. The Husker's last national championship in volleyball came in Cook's first season at NU. Nebraska finished the season with a 33-1 record and occupied the #1 spot all year long. More coverage at these links: Omaha.com, WOWT.com, Huskers.com, Lincoln Journal Star, LJS Photo Gallery, USAToday.com, More Photos, Daily Nebraskan, Husker Extra, More OWH articles, Tom Shatel
December 16th, 2006
Summary of the most recent Husker football news
Sam Keller, the former Arizona State starting quarterback who transferred this season to Nebraska, has been seeing the majority of snaps in practice so far in bowl preparations. That will change as of today. Due to NCAA rules, a redshirt transfer cannot practice with the team once the fall semester has ended, which it did on Friday. Keller has been getting a lot of love lately from the coaches and fellow teammates. Here is the Omaha World Herald's article on Sam. Here is the Lincoln Journal Star's article about the QB situation for next season.
New defensive line coach Buddy Wyatt expects a smooth transition according to the Omaha World Herald. Wyatt was introduced to the team after Friday's practice. The new coach doesn't plan on making any changes before the Cotton Bowl, but may during the offseason and spring ball. Coach Bill Callahan praised Wyatt as a great coach, recruiter, motivator, and "an excellent hire for us."
Injury Update: Freshman offensive lineman Jacob Hickman is out for the bowl game but may be back in time for the Spring Game after undergoing knee surgery on Friday.
read more..
December 15th, 2006
Friday's Husker News
Congratulations to the Nebraska volleyball team for advancing to the NCAA finals by defeating UCLA three games to one. The Huskers will face Stanford this Saturday night at the Qwest Center at 8:00pm.
In case you haven't heard by now, Bill Callahan hired Buddy Wyatt as his new defensive line coach, effective immediately. Wyatt had spent the past four seasons coaching the same position at Alabama. You can read more about it here: Omaha.com, JournalStar.com, and KETV.com.
Jay Norvell's name has come up in association with the Stanford job as well as the Boston College job in the last couple of days. Here is more on the BC job. Norvell was a candidate for the Iowa State job before the Cyclones hired Gene Chizik of Texas.
Herbstreit Watch: Here's ESPN's ridiculous best ever show, complete with whiny Kirk Herbstreit going on and on about how undeserving either the '71 or '95 Nebraska teams were of being labeled "best ever." Here is the Lincoln Journal Star's Life In The Red blog reaction to the show. The show is ridiculous because it's apples and oranges.
read more..
December 13th, 2006
Husker News Update
Almost as fast as John Blake was gone, Bill Callahan interviewed his potential replacement. Buddy Wyatt, the current defensive line coach at Alabama was on campus today speaking with Coach Callahan about the opening. Wyatt has extensive defensive line experience, coaching the position at Texas A&M, Colorado, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, and Minnesota. He is a native of Victoria, Texas and has recruiting connections in the Southeast. Wyatt played his college ball at TCU, where he graduated in 1989.
The emotions stemming from John Blake's departure have ranged from shock and outrage to an almost so what and who's next attitude. The real impact of losing Blake definitely falls somewhere in the middle of this range. Blake's true input to NU was in the way of recruiting and his absence won't help the Huskers, but it won't necessarily hurt them either. Coach Blake played a huge role in Nebraska's Top 5 recruiting class in 2005, but since then he hasn't had nearly the impact. So far in the 2007 class, Blake was responsible for one of the 20 recruits. Someone made the comparison of Blake to "jumper cables" used on a program.
read more..
December 12th, 2006
Coach John Blake moving on to North Carolina
NU defensive line coach John Blake is headed for North Carolina to join Butch Davis' staff. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Blake's name had surfaced weeks ago about joining UNC. As announced by Scout.com, Blake will not coach the Husker D-line in the Cotton Bowl. Thank you Coach Blake for opening the eyes of some of the nation's best recruits towards Nebraska again. Good luck at Chapel Hill.
December 11th, 2006
Recent Husker football news
Rich Kaipust from the Omaha World Herald writes a great article detailing the NU defensive backfield. Here is the link to the article. Injuries and inexperience have weakened the Husker secondary this season, but an emphasis on recruiting DB's should answer some of the questions going into next season.
Steve Sipple with the Lincoln Journal Star writes that true freshman Rickey Thenarse loves his special teams duty. While some players consider it to be grunt work, Thenarse just loves being out on the field, giving it 100%.
According to the Auburn Tigers ticket manager, not many AU fans will be making the trip to Dallas for the January 1st Cotton Bowl game against Nebraska. Auburn has extra tickets available and is practically begging its fans to make the trip to Big D. Can you say Husker home game? The eyes of Nebraska fans will be on Auburn in Texas. What a great fan base the Huskers have. It's almost like they try to one-up themselves for every big away game. The Cotton Bowl is used to shades of red (OU's crimson, UT's burnt orange), but come January 1st, it might be all Husker red.
Bo Pelini was on 1620 The Zone, Omaha's ESPN radio, discussing among other things, the Auburn offense and how they matchup against the Huskers.
read more..
December 11th, 2006
Recruiting update
LaTravis Washington, cousin of former Husker Fabian Washington, committed to Nebraska over the weekend. At 6'3" and 210 pounds he will bring some needed size to the Huskers secondary. LaTravis was rated a 3-star prospect by Rivals.com.
Jared Glover has decommitted and is heading to Oklahoma State instead. Quentin Castille has reaffirmed his commitment to the Huskers via a 1620 The Zone radio interview done on Monday.
NU now has 20 commitments, including six 4-star prospects and the team ranks in the Top 10 nationally.
December 9th, 2006
The most recent Husker news
The Husker football team held their annual awards banquet with the following NU players being recognized:
Offensive MVP: Zac Taylor
Guy Chamberlin Trophy: Zac Taylor
Defensive MVP: Adam Carriker
Tom Novak Trophy: Greg Austin
Cletus Fischer Native Son Award: Dane Todd
Special Teams MVP: Rickey Thenarse
Scout Team Offensive MVP: Sam Keller
Scout Team Defensive MVP: Tony Sullivan
Nebraska received the commitment of defensive back David Ross, a Rivals 4-star recruit, bringing the total in the 2007 class to 20 verbal commitments. Ross joins Armando Murillo as the second 4-star rated defensive back to commit in the last week. The Huskers have also moved into the Top 10 of the Rivals.com national team rankings.
With the recent news that Zack Bowman is returning for his senior season and the addition of several highly rated defensive backs, the NU secondary should be much improved next year. That should go a long ways towards bolstering the overall Blackshirt defense.
Bill Callahan is looking forward to the bowl game practices. The Grand Island Independent and Omaha World Herald take a closer look.
A Voice from the Grandstand column appeared in the Omaha World Herald this week that pointed out bad behavior by Husker fans down at the Big 12 Championship game.
read more..
December 6th, 2006
Zack Bowman will stay for his senior season
The Nebraska secondary was already looking better on paper thanks to the signing of Armando Murillo yesterday. Today we get word that the Huskers best cornerback from last season will return for his senior year. Zack Bowman had entertained thoughts of declaring for the NFL draft but concluded that staying at NU was the right thing to do. Zack Bowman, Andre Jones, Armando Murillo, Rickey Thenarse, Major Culbert, Bryan Wilson, Courtney Grixby, and Anthony West should all be in the mix for defensive back next season. Grixby's time would probably be limited to nickel and dime packages that would be better suited to his talents.
December 6th, 2006
Wednesday's Husker news & notes
Armando Murillo, a 6'0" JUCO cornerback, committed to Nebraska on Tuesday, shoring up a glaring need next year for the Huskers in the defensive backfield. Read more about Murillo on these sites: Lincoln Journal Star, WOWT.com, and Omaha World Herald. In other recruiting news, Quentin Castille, a highly regarded running back from Texas, is wavering a bit in his commitment to the Huskers. The Omaha World Herald is reporting Castille is taking an interest in Louisiville as a result of NU signing two other running backs, Marcus Mendoza and Roy Helu, to its 2007 class. If Castille leaves it would be a big loss for the Huskers. He is rated 4-stars by Rivals.com and has a good frame (6'1" 234lbs), similar to Cody Glenn.
Here is ESPN's Cotton Bowl Preview. Mel Kiper, Jr. "Draft Expert" does the writeup and says the game will be low scoring and come down to whether or not the Husker D-line can get pressure on Auburn's quarterback, Brandon Cox. One correction under the "Why to Watch" section, I don't think Nebraska won the national championship in 1964.
read more..
December 4th, 2006
Monday's Husker news and notes
Approximately, 25% of the poll respondents on this site preferred to play in the Cotton Bowl against an SEC team versus playing Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but I thought we wanted the Huskers to win against Oklahoma, win the Big 12 title, and go to a BCS game. For those who wanted the Cotton, they got it. They also got a much tougher opponent in Auburn, the only team to beat potential national champion Florida this season. Auburn also beat LSU and defensive coordinator Bo Pelini, while their only two losses came to Arkansas and Georgia. Interesting, considering that LSU and Florida were the only two ranked teams Auburn played all year and they beat both, while their two losses were to unranked opponents. The Huskers and Auburn Tigers have met only three times previously, once in a bowl game, and twice in the regular season. NU is 3-0 in these games. Hopefully, the Huskers will be able to bounce back from their disappointing outing against OU and make that record 4-0 against Auburn.
It sounds like Auburn fans fully intend to travel like Nebraska fans usually do.
read more..
December 3rd, 2006
Huskers fall to Sooners in Big 12 Championship
First, hats off to the Blackshirts who I thought played a good enough game for the team to win. Hang the loss on the Husker offense or maybe more deservingly on the OU defense. Nebraska held OU to 42 yards rushing, which everyone assumed was the key to the game. Turns out, OU QB Paul Thompson can throw the ball pretty well. Defense wins championships, but if a team's offense can't score, it pretty much doesn't matter what the defense does. So was the case with the Nebraska Cornhuskers last night in Kansas City.
Everyone who was at the game or watched it on TV should have seen the following:
-Zac Taylor was not his usual self. He held the ball too long on certain pass plays, he underthrew quite a few passes, and obviously had three picks which almost tied his season total up to that point. The Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year finished with 282 yards on 23-50 throwing the ball, but clearly wasn't comfortable. Credit the OU defensive front seven for applying what seemed to be constant pressure on NU's QB.
read more..
November 30th, 2006
Thursday's Husker News & Notes
Defense wins championships. How often have you heard this cliche? If it's true, the Blackshirts will need to play their best game of the year for the Huskers to beat Oklahoma. Most Husker fans would agree that the defense hadn't played their best game of the year last season until the Colorado and Michigan games. Let's hope the Huskers finish strong again this year against Oklahoma and their bowl opponent.
The Nebraska offense has taken red zone efficiency to a new level this season. As both the Omaha World Herald and Lincoln Journal Star point out, NU has taken advantage of trips inside the opponent's 20-yard line by scoring touchdowns 83% of the time. This success rate is higher than all other teams from BCS conferences. Texas is the second most successful team in the Big 12 scoring touchdowns from the red zone and they have a 68% success rate. Credit Zac Taylor and the rest of the offense as well as Coach Callahan for emphasizing this area of the game in 2006.
Boise State awaits the winner of the Big 12 Championship and they're looking forward to facing one of college football's all-time great programs.
read more..
November 29th, 2006
Today's Husker news
Nebraska is recruiting Texas hard this year and Big 12 South teams are taking note. SportsIllustrated.com points out that in Bill Callahan's first three classes, the Huskers signed five recruits from the Lone Star state. Already in the 2007 class, NU has commitments from seven Texas high school players out of 18 total. The number would have been eight but tight end Ian Harris of San Antonio has switched his commitment from Nebraska to Missouri.
Gary Barnett wants to get back into coaching as per this ESPN.com article. The ex-CU head coach will be doing radio for the Big 12 Championship and had this to say about the Huskers: "solid, but not a great defensive team. Their ability to run helped them -- and they're good, don't get me wrong." Mack Brown probably said the same thing about the Buffs before last year's conference championship game.
As Tom Shatel writes in the Omaha World-Herald, no one could have scripted a better story than the real life journey of Zac Taylor. Sadly, for Husker fans, it is coming to an end.
read more..
November 27th, 2006
Finally, NU vs OU in the Big 12 Championship
How many times was the Big 8 Championship determined by the Oklahoma-Nebraska regular season finale? I'm going to guess practically every year during the Switzer and Osborne regimes. At least that seemed to be the case. So many great players, great plays, and two "Games of the Century" (before this title was applied on an annual basis). This rivalry sure did "put 'em in the aisle." When the Big 8 decided to merge with the Southwestern Conference, the November rivalry of OU-NU lost its luster. It's too bad because a whole generation of Husker fans and Sooner fans have only stories handed down to them about this series. On a national scale, it's gotten so bad that a recent Top 10 list of best rivalries didn't even include NU-OU. But worry no more...THE game is back.
Again you can make a case that this is the biggest game in the Callahan era. (When is this going to stop?) I'm not sure that I see it that way. The goal this year was to win the North and by going 5-0 against the division it was a great first step.
read more..
November 27th, 2006
Updated team & individual statistics for the season
Zac Taylor remains in the Top 10 in the country for passing efficiency, ranking #9 with a rating of 159.2 and having thrown 24 TD's and 4 INT's. Troy Smith, the probable Heisman Trophy winner from Ohio State, ranks at #4. Colt McCoy ranks #5. And Brady Quinn, the mandatory Notre Dame Heisman hopeful, comes in at #15.
The Huskers offense ranks #18 in passing, #5 in passing efficiency, #18 in rushing, #9 in scoring offense, and #9 in total offense. The Blackshirts rank #48 in run defense, and #30 in scoring defense. NU is tied for #38 in turnover margin with a +4 margin and #42 for the least number of penalty yards given up per game.
In the Big 12 Conference, the Huskers are #1 in total offense, scoring offense, passing efficiency offense, and turnover margin.
November 26th, 2006
Latest college football polls are out
Nebraska is ranked #19 in the AP poll, #18 in the USA Today poll, and #20 in the BCS. Last week, the Huskers were #23, #19, and #22 respectively. NU's opponent in the Big 12 Championship game, the Oklahoma Sooners, are now ranked #8 in the AP poll, #10 in the USA Today, and #12 in the BCS. USC moved past Michigan into the #2 spot in the BCS, hopefully eliminating all talk of an Ohio State-Michigan rematch. Notre Dame, who lost at USC by 20 points, falls to #12 in the AP and USA Today, and #10 in the BCS. Texas and Texas A&M are the only other Big 12 schools ranked in any of the three polls. UT is one spot ahead of Nebraska in each poll while A&M is several spots lower than the Huskers. For more on the polls, click here.
November 23rd, 2006
Recent Husker football news summary
The NU-CU rivalry isn't what it used to be, but it still has a way of influencing at least one team's season, often in a big way. The Omaha World Herald looks at some of the more memorable and not so memorable games played between these two teams. Ken Hambleton looks into when playing CU mattered. HuskerTornado offers up his preview of the game. This week has seen a fair amount of trash talking from the 2-9 Buffs. First, it was revealed that when his team was 0-5 CU coach Dan Hawkins claimed "the worst days as a Buff are better than the best days as a Husker." View the video clip here. Not to be outdone, former Buff QB Darian Hagan had this to say about the Husker game: "We're going to go in there with fire in our eyes and try and hit them in the mouth and kick their butt. So when they go in there ... and play in the Big 12 championship, they're going to be limping in. That's our goal."
Zack Bowman is in fact testing the NFL waters, according to the Lincoln Journal Star.
read more..
November 21st, 2006
Nebraska's going bowling, but where?
Fast forward to this Friday. The Huskers beat Colorado. Now that we're not looking past the Buffs, let's see what bowl opportunities await Nebraska. Obviously, if they win the Big 12 Championship the Big Red will be heading to the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona. Potential opponent: Boise State. Personally, I would like to see NU play Notre Dame, but it looks like the Sugar Bowl would take the Irish.
If the Huskers fail to beat Texas (or Oklahoma) in the Big 12 title game, they will most likely play in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. A potential opponent in the Cotton would be none other than LSU and former NU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini. I can't say that I like that matchup too well.
I would easily take a BCS game even if the Huskers played Boise State. Why? Because it would mean that we were Big 12 Champions. Talk about getting yourself back on the center stage of college football. Chances are if a BCS game was involved, the Huskers would finish the season at 11-3, with two of their losses coming to the two teams who played in the championship game last season.
Only time will tell.
read more..
November 19th, 2006
Kirk Herbstreit forgets to rank NU, ranks A&M instead
We've all heard stories about how college football polls are voted. Rumors have swirled for years that some voters have an intern or secretary fill out their ballot. But after reading the following voter's Top 25 poll I have to seriously doubt whether or not this even remotely constitutes the best system we could have.
It's quite obvious that Kirk Herbstreit was so caught up in the build up to the Ohio State vs Michigan game that he failed to realize Nebraska beat Texas A&M. Maybe he turned the game off with one minute left in the game and figured A&M won. I don't know. See his AP ballot here. After you've clicked on the link, you'll notice that Herbstreit is rooting for a rematch of Michigan and Ohio State. Chalk that up to the fact that he thinks the college football world revolves around the Big 10 and Ohio State vs Michigan. What gets me though is if you look at the #21 spot and notice he has Texas A&M ranked there. As I scanned the remainder of his ballot, I notice that the Huskers are not ranked at all.
read more..
November 19th, 2006
How Nebraska stacks up nationally, statistically speaking
Passing Offense #18
Rushing Offense #19
Scoring Offense #10
Total Offense #9
Passing Efficiency #6
Pass Defense (not in Top 50)
Rush Defense #44
Scoring Defense #32
Total Defense (not in Top 50)
Pass Efficiency Defense #39
Turnover Margin #23 at +6
Penalty Yards #26 at 43 yds/game
Zac Taylor ranks #11 in passing efficiency, one spot ahead of Heisman candidate Brady Quinn of Notre Dame. Quinn does however have 32 TD passes and 5 INT's to Taylor's 22 TD passes and 4 INT's. For comparison, last season Taylor finished with 19 TD's and 12 INT's and hit on 55% on his passes (versus 62% this season).
November 17th, 2006
Coaching turnover
Isn't it every assistant coaches dream to become a head coach or to advance their career in the same way you or I would want to? It's understandable then that current Husker coaching names will pop up with job vacancies.
Jay Norvell interviewed for the Iowa State job opening in Dallas on Thursday. Here is the Lincoln Journal Star article. Norvell has strong ties to the state of Iowa and was an assistant at Iowa State before going to work with Bill Callahan in the NFL. He has indicated that he would like to become a head coach someday. If Norvell is offered the ISU job, he should take it. It's hard to get your foot in the door.
Rumors have also been going around about John Blake possibly leaving to reunite with Butch Davis who has been hired at the University of North Carolina. Personally, I don't see this happening. Nebraska should do whatever it takes to retain Blake, who is noted for his recruiting abilities.
The bottom line is that turnover happens on a staff. The Nebraska coaches who stuck with Tom Osborne all those years was very rare and has become even moreso.
read more..
November 17th, 2006
College football is flattening
If you haven't noticed, the era of predictability in college football is over. And no Husker fans, it's not just Nebraska who is riding that roller coaster. In fact, NU's disappointing loss at Oklahoma State probably wouldn't crack the Top 10 for upsets this college football season. You have Kansas State knocking off Texas, USC losing on the road at Oregon State, Rutgers beating Louisville, Arizona upsetting California, and Arkansas beating Auburn (before the Razorbacks were recognized as being good). And who could forget Montana State taking it to Colorado (before the Buffs were recognized as being terrible).
Evidently, we have entered a new paradigm, where there are no longer guaranteed wins. Even Ohio State and Michigan have struggled to put away teams (Illinois and Ball State, respectively) this year. No one is immune. Florida needed a blocked field goal to beat South Carolina just last week. USC cut it close three weeks in a row with wins over Washington State by six, Washington by six, and Arizona State by seven, before finally falling to Oregon State. America's favorite team (either to love or hate), Notre Dame, has had their share of close calls, relying on the luck of the Irish to escape with wins over Michigan State and UCLA.
read more..
November 16th, 2006
Texas A&M recap from an eyewitness
By Ryan Blase
WHAT A GAME!!!!
It was true what all Husker journalists and fans have
said, "From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows and
back to the highest of highs again." And being there only
magnified these feelings.
My friend and I stood the entire game in the middle of the
Texas A&M student section. My parents sat on the opposite
side of the stadium with other Husker fans. We cheered as
loud as you possibly could, screaming after every Husker
first down, defensive stop, and touchdown in the first
half. Aggie students glared at us after each score and
life was great. Then, the second half happened. The same
meltdown that took place at Oklahoma State started to
unfold again. The tackling, blocking, and overall intensity was
non-existent. Slowly, but surely, Texas A&M gained
control of the game and torched the Nebraska defense on
3rd downs. The A&M defense came to life and the 'Wrecking
Crew' of old seemed to be back. The Aggie students
started to scream louder and louder and at times they directed
their screams right at the two of us wearing RED!!!!
read more..
November 13th, 2006
The new polls are out
The new polls are out and some very interesting games remain on the schedule with big implications for the national title game. First, let’s review the Top 10 in the BCS Poll: 1) Ohio State; 2) Michigan; 3) USC; 4) Florida; 5) Notre Dame; 6) Rutgers; 7) Arkansas; 8) West Virginia; 9) Wisconsin; 10) Louisville.
Of this group of teams, there are three head-to-head matchups already on the schedule with the potential for a fourth. Ohio State-Michigan play this coming Saturday. USC plays Notre Dame in two weeks, in addition to California next week. Rutgers travels to West Virginia for a game which should take the Big East out of the BCS Championship picture, unless of course, Rutgers wins. Arkansas still has to face LSU on the 24th of November. Florida plays a Florida State team that has disappointed so far this season. And in all likelihood, Florida will play Arkansas in the SEC Championship game. This scenario should set up nicely for USC in my opinion. The Trojans host both Cal and Notre Dame in the Coliseum for night games before finishing their regular season with UCLA.
read more..
November 13th, 2006
It wasn't meant to be...sorry A&M
A Nebraska football season that already featured three disappointing losses, was robbed of another one on Saturday afternoon. This was no USC, where ultra conservative play calling and missed opportunities resulted in defeat. This wasn’t a loss snatched from the jaws of victory like the Texas game. And although it had similar traits to the Huskers loss at Oklahoma State, it wasn’t meant to be…for Texas A&M this time. Instead of folding it up after Zac Taylor’s interception with 2:50 remaining in the game and the Huskers trailing 27-21, the Big Red decided to make a stand. First, the Blackshirts held A&M to a three and out. Then, Barry Turner blocked what would have been a game-winning field goal. Finally, Zac Taylor orchestrated a Husker drive that won’t be forgotten any time soon, capping it off with a touchdown pass to Maurice Purify in the corner of the end zone. In a season when NU’s defensive backs have been picked on by taller receivers on a weekly basis, it sure was nice to see A&M’s DB Purified. Rather than focus on the second half meltdown that was but wasn’t, let’s take this game for what it really was…a win on the road in November over a South Division team that also happened to clinch the Big 12 North title.
read more..
November 9th, 2006
Where are the Huskers now?
Bill Callahan got his win over the Missouri Tigers, putting NU in first place of the Big 12 North. As Steve Sipple points in his Journal Star column, measuring progress of the Husker football program is starting to resemble a heated political debate. Sipple states: "So, Nebraska has seized control of its division. Now it must close the deal and take the trophy. Only then could the Huskers replace the ripple with a splash — that is, by toppling Texas in the Big 12 Championship Game. If you don’t think that’s realistic, then you’re not paying attention to what’s taking place throughout college football. Or you weren’t in Memorial Stadium on Oct. 21."
Sipple also makes an interesting observation that 23 freshmen and sophomores saw action in the Missouri game, showing just how young the team is currently.
For a good preview of the Texas A&M game, check out Steve Hanway's thoughts over at BigRedNetwork.com. HuskerFaithful.com will be back with a preview of the Colorado game, but we'll defer to BRN this week. Here is another preview of the game from FOX Sports.
Is the game at Texas A&M a must win? It's not the end of the world if the Huskers don't win in College Station, but we're starting to get the feel that for some fans it is a must win.
read more..
November 2nd, 2006
Preview of Misery
The Blackshirts resemble a M-A-S-H unit and the linebacking corps is close to bedrest. Corey McKeon has a high-low-mid ankle sprain and bruised knee ligament. Steve Octavien has been nursing a sore hamstring for weeks and a sprained ankle he suffered in the waning seconds of the Texas game. Lance Brandenburgh fractured his wrist in the Iowa State game but only started wearing a cast the week of the Oklahoma State game. Phillip Dillard hasn’t been a factor all season because of a knee injury which occurred during the first game. Clayton Sievers has been out most of the season with a hamstring injury. That leaves Stewart Bradley (inflamed hair) and Bo Ruud as the healthiest linebackers on the defense. These injuries are going to play a significant role in the Huskers game against Missouri on Saturday. Gary Pinkel will no doubt try to attack the Blackshirts weaknesses. Whether it will be the persistent weakness of the defensive backfield or the weakness-due-to-injury at linebacker, only time will tell.
The Mizzou offense features two good tight ends, one of whom is Martin Rucker, the brother of former Husker Mike Rucker.
read more..
October 30th, 2006
Perspective
By Ryan Blase (behind enemy lines in College Station)
To everyone who claims to be a Husker fan,
Today, I read an article on realfootball365.com on the
Nebraska vs. Oklahoma State game. The article was fine,
but I can't say the same for the Husker fans that posted
on the message board. The messages left on the boards
were truly appalling. This is a rough estimate, but I
would say that 80 percent of the messages called for
at least one member of the staff to be fired. Numerous
people called for Cosgrove's, Elmassian's, or Busch's
head. Some posts went so far as to say that the entire
staff should be completely done away with, as well as
Steve Pederson.
First and foremost, I do not consider these people to be
Husker fans. They definitely are not worthy of beind
included in the Husker Faithful. For people to be so
negative, they are merely fair-weather fans. I don't want
any fair-weather fans backing Nebraska athletics. If
people are quick to ridicule and abandon their team
because of a few rough years, then you never were a true
Nebraska fan.
With that being said, I would like to question the critics
of the team and this staff.
First question: How long did it take Tom Osborne to win a
national championship?
Second question: What was the status of the team when
Osborne, Solich, and Callahan, respectively, took over the
reigns of the Husker program?
Third question: How do you, as a fan, measure the
progress of a program?
The answers to these questions should be easy for true
Husker fans.
1.
read more..
October 30th, 2006
Missouri game biggest in Callahan's tenure
The Bill Callahan era of Nebraska football faces its most important test this weekend when the Missouri Tigers come to town. Not only is the Big 12 North title on the line, but so is public perception of where the program is headed. It's simple really. A win against Missouri all but locks up the goal of winning the Big 12 North. A loss to Missouri brings out the "off with their heads" crowd yet again.
Just over two weeks ago, Texas head coach Mack Brown anointed the return of the Huskers to national prominence. Boy was that premature. As pointed out in a previous blog post, we should have seen this coming. Anytime a team starts looking ahead, bad things happen. Oklahoma State was more than happy to remind Nebraska of that lesson. Just because Mack Brown says, "see you in Kansas City," doesn't mean you're going there.
As if the Kansas and Texas games earlier this year weren't enough drama, the game against Mizzou resembles an elimination game of sorts as the Nebraska football program finds itself at a crossroads.
read more..
October 30th, 2006
We should have seen it coming
After Nebraska's effort against Texas, it seemed as though the Huskers were annointed Big 12 North champs on the spot. Mack Brown told NU players on the field after the game that he would see them in Kansas City, sight of this year's Big 12 Championship. In postgame interviews, one got the sense that Husker players were buying into all this talk.
It's become clear in college football over the last year or two, that anyone can beat anyone on any given Saturday. Witness Oregon State winning in a true upset of #3 USC. Witness Arkansas going into Auburn earlier in the year and coming away with a victory. The examples are numerous. Long gone are the days of even the top programs blowing out who they're supposed to blow out. This Saturday, #2 Michigan beat Big 10 doormat Northwestern by a score of 17-3. Not long ago, that was a 45-0 game. And so Nebraska finds that they aren't immune to this phenomenon either. Losing to Oklahoma State should be a strong signal that the gap from top to bottom in a conference isn't nearly as far as it used to be.
read more..
October 29th, 2006
Who wants the Big 12 North title? Bueller...Bueller...Bueller
Saturday was a chance for the Big 12 North to regain some credibility. First, Missouri was going to knock off a higher-ranked, Adrian Peterson-less, Oklahoma Sooners team. Then the Huskers were going to “pound the rock” to victory in Stillwater and set up a College Gameday primetime game next weekend in Lincoln. Instead, the Big 12 North assumed the position of second class citizen to its southern counterparts and came up 0-2. Apparently, neither Mizzou nor Nebraska wants to win the Big 12 North all that bad. Missouri shot themselves in the foot too many times with penalties and turnovers and they weren’t able to stop the OU run, losing 26-10. The Huskers on the other hand, well, let’s just say that Oklahoma State conjured up bad memories which Nebraska fans thought were behind them.
Our defense appeared to be out of position, seemed to over-pursue, and had trouble tackling again. The Blackshirts couldn’t fight off blockers, couldn’t stop the outside zone running play, and their effort was reminiscent of last season’s games against Missouri and Kansas. The OSU offense did whatever it wanted, whenever it wanted, racking up eight plays over 15 yards and three plays over 45 yards.
read more..
October 29th, 2006
One fan's reaction to the Oklahoma State game
By Ryan Blase (behind enemy lines in College Station)
The game today against Oklahoma State can be summarized in
one word: PATHETIC!
How does a team come out playing lights out, go up 16-0
and then get outscored 41-13 by a team that got beat by Kansas
State and Houston? This loss today is as pathetic as the
loss last year to Kansas. In a way it might be worse,
because I thought we were a better team than last year.
Today, Nebraska was outplayed by an inferior team. The
offensive and defensive lines of Nebraska were both
man-handled the entire second half. Actually the Husker
defensive line was man-handled from the second quarter all
the way to the end of the game. I have never seen so many
10+-yard runs on our defense since Colorado in 2001.
The turning point in this game occurred with 56 seconds
left in the first half. Nebraska was up 23-13 and was
kicking off to the Cowboys. They squib-kicked the ball to
an already dangerous return man that had returned the ball beyond the 30 yard line twice already.
read more..
October 27th, 2006
Why we should be rooting for Missouri over OU
I assume since you're reading this that you're a Husker fan. But are you a Big 12 North fan? How about a Big 12 Conference fan? This weekend's matchup between Missouri and Oklahoma is a good case in point. Nebraska and Mizzou are tied atop the Big 12 North standings and a Tiger loss this Saturday could help the Huskers in their quest for the division title. But would it really help the image of the Big 12 North if the Sooners, a South Division team, beat Missouri? I think not. As hard as it may be to do, Husker fans should root for other Big 12 North teams when they're facing opponents from the South. Taking this a step further, we should be rooting for any Big 12 team when they are facing a non-conference foe, especially if the opponent is from the Big 10, Pac 10, or SEC.
The perfect scenario for Husker fans would obviously include beating Oklahoma State this weekend and having Missouri defeat the Sooners. Both winning teams would move up slightly in the polls, creating a better matchup the following weekend in Lincoln.
read more..
October 26th, 2006
Shootout at the O.K. corral
Keep an eye on Adarius Bowman this Saturday. Who? No, it's not Zack Bowman's little brother. In fact, Adarius will be looking to torch Zack's fellow Husker defensive backs. Bowman is not as well known of a wide receiver as Dwayne Jarrett or Limas Sweed, but he might be just as good. He leads the Oklahoma State Cowboys in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. At 6'4" tall, he poses yet another threat to Nebraska's defensive backfield. OSU has their previous go-to-guy in wide receiver D'Juan Woods as well. It will be important for the Huskers to get pressure on the OSU QB Bobby Reid throughout the game. I'm encouraged by the blitzing packages that Coach Cosgrove has come up with the last couple of weeks. Bringing in Bryan Wilson, Major Culbert, and Rickey Thenarse has alleviated some of the strain on the linebackers in coverage.
If I were to guess, this Saturday's game in Stillwater will be a mixture of Nebraska's game against Kansas along with their game against Iowa State. The Huskers will no doubt attempt to control the clock by running the ball, but it could turn into a shootout.
read more..
October 23rd, 2006
Monday Morning Quarterback
At least one college football "expert" says that Bill Callahan should have run the ball on that fateful third down play instead of passing to Terrence Nunn. Here are Terry Bowden's comments. Bowden was in the radio booth for the Texas-Nebraska game and evidently told play-by-play announcer, Kevin Kugler, the Huskers should run the ball for a first down. The great thing about hindsight is it's 20-20. Had Terrence Nunn held onto the ball, the Huskers could have ran out the clock and won the game. There's no guarantee that running the ball would have produced a first down. Punting to Texas could have pinned them deep in their own territory, but you still got the sense that too much time was left on the clock. I think going for the win (by throwing the ball to Nunn) was the right call, rather than trying to run against the toughest defense we'll face this year. Callahan has been criticized over and over this season for playing too conservatively and playing not to lose. By throwing the ball on 3rd & 3, he was going for the win.
read more..
October 22nd, 2006
The new polls are here. The new polls are here.
Evidently, neither the coaches nor the writers were that impressed with the Huskers effort on Saturday. Nebraska dropped four spots in the USA Today poll and three spots in the AP Top 25. The Huskers find themselves ranked #20 in both polls. It is in the BCS standings though that the Huskers were really punished for losing to Texas. NU was #17 last week in the BCS and this week they show up at #22. Not that polls matter at this stage anyway, but it's a little confusing as to why Oklahoma and LSU are ranked ahead of the Huskers. The two teams, ranked #19 and #16 in the BCS respectively, both have two losses, just like Nebraska. LSU lost at then #3 Auburn and at #5 Florida. Oklahoma lost at then #18 Oregon and to #7 Texas. Nebraska has lost at #4 USC and to #5 Texas. Why would OU be ranked three spots ahead of the Huskers and why would Nebraska be six spots behind LSU? Good questions.
Two future Husker opponents, Missouri and Texas A&M, are ranked right ahead of the Big Red at #20 and #21 respectively in the current BCS.
Other observations from the latest polls...Notre Dame still finds themselves in the Top 10 of the BCS.
read more..
October 22nd, 2006
Tough loss, but rematch is the goal now
You have to give it to the Huskers, they like to give the crowd their money's worth. Last year, games against Pitt, Iowa State, Texas Tech, K-State, and Michigan all were decided in the fourth quarter or overtime. This season it's been Kansas and now Texas that went down to the wire. For a moment there, I thought this was going to go down as the biggest home win since the 2001 Oklahoma game. But Texas, like they have against every other opponent, caused too many Husker turnovers.
Hats off to the Blackshirts. Much maligned at different times this season, they put the D back in defense on Saturday. Texas was 4-5 in red zone opportunities, but the Huskers only allowed one touchdown inside the 20 yard line. At times, the secondary play was better than we've seen. I was proud of Grixby for turning around to find the ball when Texas attempted to find Limas Sweed in the corner of the endzone. Grixby did a good job of timing his jump and interrupting the pass. I was happy to Steve Octavien back out there looking strong as ever.
read more..
October 20th, 2006
Texas vs Nebraska Preview
By Ryan Blase
Showdown in Lincoln
Ladies and Gentlemen of Husker Nation, set your alarms early and make the morning coffee extra
strong. An 11:10am kickoff at Memorial Stadium is
calling. To all of those attending the game, you must
figure out a way to be extremely rowdy at such an early
hour. I look for the stadium to be rockin', jam-packed
with 85,000 fans. Let's show Texas a "real" road game
atmosphere.
Now let's shift gears to some quick thoughts on this game.
Texas is the defending Big 12 Champion and National
Champion and favorite to win the Big 12 Championship again
this year. They are talented and deep at every position.
Moreover, they have the most talent of any team in the
Big 12. However, let's keep in mind that only 11 players
play at one time. I like the way that our starters match
up with theirs on either side of the ball.
Defensively, Texas boasts one of the nation's strongest,
and Big 12 leading, rush defense. Nebraska counters with
the leading Big 12 rushing attack. I will venture a guess
that Texas has not faced an opponent that is of Nebraska's
caliber in the rushing game.
read more..
October 17th, 2006
Summary of recent Husker news articles
Zac Taylor wants the crowd to be loud this Saturday against Texas. He's tired of hearing it from opposing team's fans and would like the Husker Faithful to exact revenge for this on Longhorns QB Colt McCoy.
The Nebraska love fest continues for Mack Brown. The Longhorns coach said he has a lot of respect for Coach Callahan and for the Nebraska program and that he always enjoys going to Lincoln. Maybe if the Huskers win Saturday he won't it enjoy it so much. On Monday, Brown claimed that Nebraska's back to old form which is good for everyone involved. One more interesting observation by Mack, is how good both teams look in uniform. Not sure what to make of that.
Must be tough being the Texas Longhorns. They rarely leave the state for recruiting and until this weekend they haven't even had to leave the state to play a game this season. UT has a history of ending Nebraska's winning streaks. They did so in 1998 and 2002. Maybe it's time we return the favor and end the Longhorns streak of 18 straight Big 12 wins.
Attention recruits...why would you want to play in Texas where there are nine D-1 schools vs only one in Nebraska.
read more..
October 17th, 2006
Further Texas vs Nebraska analysis
In reviewing the Longhorns, I've discovered that UT's schedule thus far has consisted of two good teams (Ohio State and Oklahoma) followed by five subpar teams (North Texas, Rice, Sam Houston State, Baylor, and Iowa State).
UT's game against Baylor just last weekend saw the Bears jump out to a 10-0 lead early in the first quarter, before ultimately losing 63-31. But if Baylor can score 31 points on Texas, (granted one TD came in the game's final seconds) that gives me some hope the Huskers can put up points as well. Baylor shot themselves in the foot multiple times. It would have been interesting to see how the game turned out without the five turnovers by the Bears.
The telling stat after this weekend's game will be how many rushing yards the Huskers can accumulate against the #2 ranked run defense. This will come down to whether or not the Husker offensive line can control the line of scrimmage and open some holes. For the running game to open up, the Nebraska offensive line will need to give Zac Taylor time to throw and stretch the UT defenders.
read more..
October 16th, 2006
Statistical comparison of Texas vs Nebraska
Here's how the top team from the Big 12 South matches up to the top team in the Big 12 North based on national rankings.
Defensively
Against the run: UT #2, NU #21
Against the pass: neither team in top 50
Total defense: UT #11, NU not in top 50
Pass efficiency defense: UT not in top 50, NU #25
Scoring defense: UT #14, NU #12
Turnover margin: UT #1 (thanks Baylor), NU #9
Yards allowed per game: UT 277, NU 330
Points allowed per game: UT 13.7, NU 13.4
Offensively
Rush offense: UT #20, NU #11
Pass offense: UT not ranked in top 50, NU #28
Pass efficiency: UT #5, NU #6
Scoring offense: UT #2, NU #9
Total offense: UT #27, NU #8
Yards per game: UT 403, NU 458
Points per game: UT 43, NU 37
More analysis to come...
October 15th, 2006
Huskers move up in the polls
Coming off their second Big 12 North division road win, the Huskers are now ranked #16 (up from #20) in the USA Today poll, #17 (up from #21) in the Associated Press poll, and #17 in the first BCS standings of the 2006 season. Nebraska's next opponent, the Texas Longhorns, are ranked #5 in both the AP and USA Today polls, and are #9 in the BCS standings. Other Big 12 schools ranked by the BCS include: Oklahoma at #22 and Missouri at #24. In another sign of favoritism, Notre Dame is ranked at #8 in the BCS, one spot ahead of Texas. It just so happens that the top eight teams play in a BCS game. Let's review...Texas loses to the #1 team in the country, their only loss. Notre Dame gets blown out by a Michigan team that was ranked #11 at the time, while the Irish were #2. Notre Dame also had to rely on an epic meltdown in East Lansing to escape with a victory against Michigan State. Go figure.
read more..
October 15th, 2006
My impressions from the K-State game
It’s becoming very clear that “a win is a win.” It is the NFL mindset, and if you look around college football these days, you’ll notice that Bill Callahan is not the only coach employing this philosophy. Parity in college football has a lot to do with this phenomenon. Intra-conference games for the most part aren’t foregone conclusions anymore. Yesterday, you saw Vanderbilt beat #16 Georgia between the hedges and you saw Indiana win at home against #15 Iowa. Every week, you see another upset or head-scratcher of a game.
Lucky for Husker fans, K-State never was a threat to upset our team. From the very beginning of the game, Callahan & Co. set the tone. Score early, protect the lead, and go home with another conference victory. On the first offensive series for Nebraska, faced with a 4th down in field goal range, Callahan called a fake that went for a touchdown. Rather than let Kansas State come away with a moral victory by only allowing three points, the Huskers struck first, in a big way. None of the fans sitting around me expected a fake in that situation, and obviously neither did the K-State defenders.
read more..
October 10th, 2006
The Glenn and Jackson show
Cody Glenn and Brandon Jackson were the featured backs in the Iowa State game, each rushing for over 100 yards and combining for three TD's. Zac Taylor was his old reliable self, completing 17 of 21 passes for 131 yards and a TD. And the Blackshirts rebounded nicely from the previous week, holding Iowa State to 53 yards rushing. The defensive effort would have been even better looking on paper had the Huskers been able to keep the Cyclones out of the endzone at the end of the game. But they didn't.
Once again, the gameplan seemed to be to keep the opposing team's offense on the bench. I'm going out on a limb by saying this, but look for a good amount of running the ball against Texas as well. Time of possession favored Nebraska, 37 minutes to 23 minutes. Several observations: 1) I am impressed with how quickly both Glenn and Jackson hit the holes and I love seeing the Huskers run the ball up the middle again.
2) I think we could have done more play action passing during the game, but obviously what we did worked and we came away with a Big 12 North road victory.
read more..
October 4th, 2006
Paging the Blackshirts
If the Husker defense had a hard time hearing their checks and calls during the Kansas game, things won't get any easier this weekend in Ames. Both defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove and the Blackshirt players accepted blame for the WAC-like scoring fest at Memorial Stadium this past weekend. And both said the problems are correctable. I sure hope so.
The Husker D is getting called out as "soft" by the Des Moines Register. I can't remember ever hearing the words "soft" and "Blackshirts" in the same sentence before. I wonder what Broderick Thomas would think of a statement like that. I'm sure he would save his own statement for the field Saturday night if he were still playing.
Reports have it that the Husker defensive coaches were worried about a certain KU play last week and therefore didn't allow the defensive ends to rush very much. I hope they let the defensive ends play to their strength this week, which is rushing the quarterback. Iowa State's QB Brett Meyer is familiar to Husker fans after the Cyclones took Nebraska to overtime last year in Lincoln.
read more..
October 1st, 2006
Please pass the Rolaids
Relief about sums up the feeling after the Huskers managed to hold off the Jayhawks last night in Lincoln. The outcome was vastly different than most experts predicted. Hard to fault those experts who saw Kansas lose to Toledo in double overtime. Why should they have a shot to take out Nebraska?
From the second play of the game, Husker fans were thinking it would be just another day at the office against KU. But Jayhawk teams these days aren't coached by a guy named Mason. They're the Fighting Manginos, and they put up a really good fight. In fact, they should have won if you look at the game statistics. First downs...Kansas 26, Nebraska 16. Total yards...574 to 511, Kansas. Time of possession...33:29 for Kansas versus 26:31 for Nebraska. The only stat where the Huskers came out on top (and just barely) was in turnovers, winning that battle with three to KU's four.
Zac Taylor had an off day to say the least. Sure he had the three longest pass plays of his career (78 yd TD to Hardy, 75 yd TD to Nunn, 75 yd TD to Hardy), but he ended up 15-33, well below his season completion percentage.
read more..
September 27th, 2006
Jayhawks one-year domination of Huskers to end Saturday
After beating the Huskers last year 40-15 in Lawrence, the Jayhawk football team said they celebrated like never before. That euphoria will come to an end this Saturday night at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. I sincerely hope they didn't get accustomed to beating Nebraska after one lonely win.
It would be fair to say that Kansas has struggled in its early games this season. Their lone blowout victory over Northwestern State is coupled with squeakers over Louisiana Monroe (21-19) and South Florida (13-7). Throw in a loss at Toledo and the Jayhawks look, well, cupcake-ish.
For all the talk this week that revenge isn't on the minds of the Husker players, one thing is for sure...they haven't forgotten about last year. Call it what you want. Revenge, redemption, payback, or whatever. The Huskers will bring it to the field Saturday night and so will the crowd. Night games at Memorial Stadium seem to bring out the best in the Huskers and I don't think this week will be any different.
Nebraska seems to be running on all cylinders just in time for their Big 12 schedule.
read more..
September 25th, 2006
Let's get one thing straight...Troy is not USC
Shortly after the 56-0 trouncing of Troy University by Nebraska you started hearing Husker fans say "Where was this last week." Let's be very clear about one thing...Troy is the polar opposite of USC. One team is the #2 ranked team in the country, whom we played on the road on primetime national TV, and the other is from the Sun Belt Conference. That should tell you all you need to know if you're trying to compare the two games. They're apples and oranges. There's just no comparison. So please Husker fans, don't try to make one. The USC loss was disappointing for me because I don't think the Huskers played nearly as well as they could have, and that has nothing to do with the gameplan. It has all to do with making plays during the game. The Troy win should restore momentum and confidence on the Huskers side just in time for Big 12 play. And who better to face than the team which embarrased the Huskers last year. Again, I'm going to predict an ugly game for the Jayhawks.
read more..
September 23rd, 2006
Huskers beat these Trojans soundly
Zac Taylor 14-17 268 yards 1 TD, 1 INT
Marlon Lucky 10 carries, 156 yards, 3 TD's
Kenny Wilson 19 carries, 106 yards, 2 TD's
Blackshirts pitch the shutout 56-0
That about sums up the game.
So much for Troy putting up a fight. So much for the Huskers having a letdown. This was a complete game played by the Huskers. Next up: Kansas. Do you think Nebraska has forgot about last year's loss to the Jayhawks? This game could get ugly for KU. A night game with the Blackshirts playing well, the offense playing well, and a little revenge on the minds of Husker Nation. Wait till basketball, right KU?
September 20th, 2006
Huskers get ready for a different Trojan team
Enough already about a non-conference game that doesn't impact our overall goals for this season. Time to focus on the next team we play, who also goes by the name of Trojans. It's hard to say that a team from the Sun Belt Conference is for real, but Troy is for real. If you slept through the first couple weeks of the college football season, then here's a refresher. Troy took then #9 Florida State to the wire, losing 24-17 only after committing two turnovers in the final minutes of the game. The following week against Georgia Tech, the Trojans were tied up late in the game before losing 35-20. The Huskers can't afford to overlook this team or have a letdown after their previous Trojan encounter. For a statistical breakdown of how the two teams matchup, click here. Here's the Troy news release on their upcoming game with the Huskers. For more news, click here.
September 16th, 2006
Why Callahan shouldn't take all the heat for loss
The Nebraska coaches' philosophy for this game obviously was to keep the ball out of the hands of USC's offense as much as possible. By running the ball 70% of the time, Nebraska would in theory be able to keep the score low, thus giving them a chance to win the game late. If only. If only Nebraska could have three to five plays back. The Marlon Lucky fumble, the dropped interceptions by Grixby, Jones, and Shanle, and the holding penalty on Lucky's run to the USC 22-yard line. I think if you have a different outcome on these five plays, you have a much closer score. These five plays result in a point differential of at least 13 points, if not 17.
On the defensive side of the ball, we were clearly outmatched. The USC offense could score at will by simply throwing the ball to Jarrett, Smith, and Turner. The weakness we all knew we had going into the game turned out to be worse than we thought. If you're going to point the finger at one phase of the Husker game, it would have to be the decision to leave Grixby and Jones one-on-one with SC's talented wideouts.
read more..
September 16th, 2006
You mean the season's not over?
Yes Nebraska, there is life after losing to Southern Cal 28-10 Saturday night. It's called the rest of our season.
Callahan & Co. obviously took a conservative gameplan with them to L.A., attempting to limit the amount of time USC's offense was on the field. With weapons like Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith, that probably wasn't a bad idea. USC could have picked on our cornerbacks every play if they had wanted to, and the score would have been much higher. The weakness we Husker fans knew about going into the game, our undersized cornerbacks, played a big role in the outcome of the game. Watching the game on T.V. it appeared as though USC's offense moved the ball almost effortlessly through the air. I thought the Blackshirts did a decent job of stopping the run, even though in the fourth quarter things started to get a little sloppy. What really hurt the Huskers in my opinion was the missed opportunities, including three potential interceptions. Courtney Grixby should have had a touchdown coming out of halftime, but he couldn't hold onto the ball.
read more..
September 15th, 2006
Will USC drop 50 points on Nebraska?
That question was posed by ESPN last night to its resident idiot analysts, Mark May and Lou Holtz. One won't stop talking about USC and the other you have no idea what he's saying. Mark May, who played his college ball at Pitt, but obviously wanted to play at Nebraska, has taken it upon himself to be the new nemesis of Husker Nation. Any chance he gets to put down the Huskers, he does so. In his comments last night, Mr. May in addition to answering the question emphatically "yes, half a hundred" managed to dredge up the 70-10 loss to Texas Tech on the road in Bill Callahan's first year. What that loss has to do with Saturday's game, I'll never know. If we shine the spotlight on Mark May's past prognostications, Husker fans can take some comfort. He predicted big Husker losses to Colorado and Michigan at the end of last year. Too bad those didn't pan out for him. And his prediction that USC would win its third national title in a row? I fell asleep during that boring game and forgot to check the final score.
read more..
September 13th, 2006
Let's save our talking for the field
Confidence is a good thing. Trash talking can be too...when it's done on the field. I like the fact that Courtney Grixby and Andre Jones are confident in the Huskers' abilities against USC, but let's not throw stones at the big dog on the block just yet. Nebraska already has its hands full against the Trojans. Most prognosticators are predicting a comfortable win by USC. (These same "experts" predicted a Michigan win in the Alamo Bowl, so that gives me some comfort.) The last thing we need to do is give USC bulletin board material. Let's save our talking for the field. GBR
September 11th, 2006
Thoughts on the USC game
ESPN College Gameday will be in L.A. for the Nebraska vs. USC game, as will ABC's Saturday Night Football. That's pretty impressive considering the other games on the college football slate this weekend. #7 LSU @ #4 Auburn. #13 Michigan @ #3 Notre Dame. #17 Tennessee @ #6 Florida. #14 Miami @ #12 Louisville. While that's great exposure for the Huskers, it creates a lot of pressure as well. I sure hope the Huskers can do to USC what they did to Michigan in the Alamo Bowl...find a way to win.
Heading into this season, I thought the Huskers had a good chance to upset the USC Trojans. However, my optimism has been tempered by several key injuries on the defensive side of the ball, particularly Zack Bowman's. With that said, can the Huskers still get out of L.A. with a victory? Sure they can. Will they? We'll know in less than a week. As 18.5 point underdogs though, it appears that Vegas is giving the Huskers virtually no chance to win the game.
Coach Callahan and his staff have done an excellent job over the last three seasons of recruiting talented young men to come play for Nebraska.
read more..
September 10th, 2006
Nebraska moves up two spots in the polls
Nebraska moved up two spots to #19 in both the AP and USA Today college football polls released today. Southern California is now ranked #2 in the USA Today poll and #4 in the AP poll. Texas drops to #8 in both polls after suffering a home loss to the #1 Ohio State Buckeyes. Penn State and Clemson fell out of the Top 25 following losses on Saturday. Other Big 12 teams in the rankings include: Oklahoma at #15 (AP) and #11 (USA Today) and Texas Tech at #24 (AP) and #22 (USA Today).
September 9th, 2006
A soakin' wet Saturday at Memorial Stadium
It's been awhile since the first two games of the year have had weather like this. Normally I'm trying wring sweat out of my shirt, not rain. Talk about the Husker Faithful though. There wasn't an empty seat in the house today (at least through the first half). Those who stuck around saw Zac Taylor have a nearly flawless day. His only mistake was trying to thread a touchdown pass to Todd Peterson, or was it Nate Swift, that was just about intercepted. Taylor finished the game 19-23 for 202 yards and four touchdowns. The running game looked good as well. The only Husker letdown came on defense, when Nicholls State's busted a 49-yard run down to the Husker one yard line. I was pretty sure that had to have come against the second or third string, but was surprised when I saw the starters out there for that series. One hiccup in an otherwise old school Husker win over a lesser opponent. Now the week we've all been waiting for is here. The University of Southern California. More on this to come.
read more..
September 8th, 2006
Cliche analysis of the Nicholls State game
We've heard our share of cliches emanating from the North Stadium this week. "We're taking it one game at a time." "We can't afford to look past these guys." And "This is a game for the ages." Okay, so the last one I made up. But with this theme in mind, here is the official HuskerFaithful.com cliche analysis of the Nicholls State game.
Through exhaustive research we have determined that the Colonels "travel well" and they always "give 110 percent." But in order to play with the Huskers, Nicholls State will have to "dominate the line of scrimmage," "establish the run," "take care of the football," and "prevent the big play."
In addition, the Colonels must be aware of several cliche "factors" affecting their game with the Huskers. First, we have the "fatigue factor." Simply put, the Colonels can not get tired during the game on Saturday. If they do, it could cost them the game. Secondly, we have the "injury factor." Nicholls State can not afford any injuries. Even if they remain completely healthy during the game, they will still lose, but an injury would make things worse.
read more..
September 3rd, 2006
Huskers vs Louisiana Tech
Four tight ends catching touchdowns. Has that ever happened before? Four running backs carrying the ball well. Brandon Jackson's TD run. Kenny Wilson's run that was called back. Lucky and Glenn looking more and more confident all the time. Taylor completing a high percentage of his passes, not to mention several dropped balls which would have helped him even more. The offensive line didn't give up a sack and Taylor was hurried only a few times. All in all, from an offensive standpoint, the Huskers looked like things were coming together nicely. On the defensive side of the ball, our defensive back play was the weakness everyone thought it would be. When the La. Tech QB had time to throw, his receivers seemed to be open. Grixby did have a nice recovery on a play which he got beat, causing a fumble and recovering it himself. The front seven looked as good as we expected. Bo Ruud always seems to find himself in the right spot for an interception. All in all a great way to open the season. Next week's game won't be much of a test, but just going through the motions once more before USC will definitely help.
read more..
August 23rd, 2006
Sam Keller will be a Husker
Here's how I see this playing out. It's between the Huskers and the Sooners. OU comes on strong and offers Sam a job at this car dealership in Norman. Keller asks, "Isn't that the one that pays really well?" When they reply, "It pays better than Starbucks," Keller makes a wise and crucial decision in his career when he declines the offer. He then gets on a plane, comes to Lincoln, and holds a press conference either Wednesday after practice or Thursday morning declaring he will be a Husker. Harrison who (cares)? This is playing out pretty nice for the Huskers. Taylor this year, Keller next year, then Hildebrand and Witt and whomever else enters the equation between now and then. Rest easy Husker Faithful, our QB issues have been solved in a big way.
August 23rd, 2006
Sam Keller update
It started out as Sam Keller coming to Nebraska. End of story. Hurray for us. Now other teams have entered the picture, with Oklahoma apparently bending young Sam Keller's ear the most. Keller's father said his son is weighing his options. To paraphrase a Green Day song, "wake me up when August ends." I'm ready for the on-the-field games to begin and the off-the-field games to end.
August 22nd, 2006
Is he or isn't he? That is the question.
There's a rumor going around that Sam Keller, the one-time starting QB of Arizona State turned backup, has expressed interest in coming to play his senior season for NU. Word traveled fast on this story and evidently all the way to South Bend. Notre Dame has now expressed interest in Sam Keller as has Colorado, where Keller's old QB coach has landed. Louisville, UTEP, and Oklahoma have all come up in stories as well, although these three look less likely. So where will Sam Keller land? Let's get out the "Jump to Conclusions" mat and see.
August 18th, 2006
Which college football programs have the most impact in the NFL?
In Friday's Wall Street Journal, the paper looked into which college football programs have had the most success with respect to their alumni playing in the NFL. The rankings took into account NFL players over the course of the 2005 season and awarded points based on whether a player started and whether their team won or lost each game. In addition, the rankings took into account the NFL draft, awarding "Draft Success Points" based on which round a player was taken. Big 12 teams and Husker opponents in 2006 are in bold. Without further ado, here is the Dow Jones list of college football programs whose alumni have had the biggest impact in the NFL.
1. Florida State
2. Florida
3. Georgia
4. Tennessee
5. Ohio State
6. Michigan
7. Miami
8. Auburn
9. LSU
10. North Carolina
11. Notre Dame
12. Penn State
13. Nebraska
14. Southern Cal
15. Texas A&M
16. Texas
17. Wisconsin
18. UCLA
19. Washington
20. California
21. Purdue
22. Virginia
23. Iowa
24. Arizona State
25. Kansas State
26. Virginia Tech
27. Oklahoma
28. Colorado
29. Alabama
30. Stanford
You’ll notice that while the Huskers are #13, they are the first Big 12 team listed and ahead of the likes of USC, Texas, and Oklahoma.
read more..
August 15th, 2006
HuskerFaithful's 2006 Game-by-Game Predictions
What follows is a not-so-scientific rundown of each game along with the probability of a Husker victory.
Louisiana Tech (95% chance of victory): No Tim Rattay and no Troy Edwards = No chance for La Tech. Well, technically there is a 5% chance, which can be solely attributed to George Darlington being back on the sideline at Memorial Stadium. Too bad for him though, that he’ll be on the losing side in this one. The Huskers are currently three touchdown favorites over the Bulldogs and I think they cover.
Nicholls State (100%): Anytime you have to look up where a school is located, you can chalk up a victory for the Huskers. I think in cases like this, a team should have to follow the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim model. Therefore, I propose this opponent go by the name: Nicholls State Colonels of Thibodaux, Louisiana. The first ever meeting between these two teams should give the Huskers ample opportunity to play non-starters.
Southern Cal (45%): No Matt Leinart, no Reggie Bush, and no LenDale White = A chance. I'm more worried about the USC defense than I am their offense.
read more..
Top of Page |
|
|
|
|
|
|
