Monday, November 30, 2009

Nebraska 28, Colorado 20

Nebraska won an ugly season finale and starts the post season with a 5 game winning streak.  The Huskers gave up more yards and points then they probably wanted, but got a touchdown in all three facets of the game (offense, defense, special teams).  In other words, they did what they had to do to win the game.  As long as they keep winning, the ugliness is okay.  Next week will be a huge test and if the Huskers can pull out an upset, they'll automatically qualify for a BCS Bowl.

Let's review the keys:
Nebraska needs to...
*Play calm
NU didn't let their emotions get the best of them too often and responded well defensively when CU was threatening to score late in the 3rd quarter, forcing back-to-back scoreless drives after allowing the Buffs to get to their red zone.

*Stop Rodney Stewart
"Speedy" had 110 yards, but no scores.  The Huskers could've done better, but they surely could've done worse.  Also, he had just 1 reception for 6 yards.

*Run, then pass
Exactly what the Huskers need to do the rest of the season.  The Huskers needed a huge drive when up just 7 in the 4th quarter.  What did they do?  They ran the ball down the Colorado defense's throat, and threw just once for a huge 3rd down conversion.  Also, the lone TD throw by Lee was set up by a play action pass

Nebraska needs to control...
*The Colorado Offensive Line
Not exactly.  There were key plays (such as Suh's 17 yard sack) that the Huskers dominated at the line.  However, there were hardly an other TFL and Colorado's run offense got too many yards up front.

*The crowd
I was there.  The crowd had no effect on the game.  This was partly due to Nebraska's play and a lot to do with the amount of red in Folsom Field.  There was roughly 20 to 25% Husker fans, and when the ball was in their end zone, Husker fans were loud.

*Their turnovers
Roy Helu, Jr. did have a fumble that ultimately didn't hurt the Huskers, but it could have.  Colorado could've tied the game up with a short field.  Luckily, the couldn't convert and the Huskers didn't look back.  Zac Lee was conservative, but he made no mistakes and you can't fault him for that.

Predictions
*Zac Lee will throw 2 or more touchdown passes
Wrong.  Lee did have a beautiful throw to Ben Cotton for a TD, but missed another opportunity earlier.  When the time mattered, the Huskers executed on the ground instead.

*Rex Burkhead's load will be heavier
Right.  Rex was arguably the player of the game for the Huskers.  He did an awesome job running between the tackles and gives the Huskers a two-headed running attack, finally.  Rex had his first 100 yard game, had a TD, and didn't fumble.

*Nebraska 30, Colorado 10
Wrong.  Nebraska looked to keep it close to my prediction until a dismal 57 yard Hail Mary TD on the last play of the game.  But, 28-20 was a better indication of the game compared to 28-14 anyways.  The Huskers didn't deserve to win by 20, 14, or even 10 points.

For the future:
Nebraska did a great job of running the ball.  Texas should, and probably will, make Zac Lee beat them.  Burkhead and Helu, Jr. are great running backs and can play tough against almost any defense in the nation.  The Husker defense has been giving up more yards as of late, and can't afford to keep giving up those yards against a high powered offense like Texas'.  It'd be nice to see Lee go downfield more often with deeper throws.  The slant routes to Paul and Kinnie were open and they need to use these plays early vs. Texas and go down field later on.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Keys to the Game (Colorado Edition)

I'm in Denver right now visiting family and will be attending the game tomorrow in Boulder.  Here are my keys to the game:

Nebraska needs to...
*Play calm
If things start going tough, don't get down and just grind through it.  It's actually something Nebraska is pretty good at (see Missouri).  Don't try to play outside of yourselves like they tried last year.

*Stop Rodney Stewart
Stewart is arguably Colorado's greatest weapon.  He can burn any defense in the nation, even Nebraska's.

*Run, then pass
Just like last week, running the ball early will set up play-action attack that is a more reliable offense than going downfield.

Nebraska needs to control...
*The Colorado Offensive Line
Rodney Stewart can't run without an O-Line and Nebraska's D-Line shouldn't have a problem controlling upfront.  However, last week, Nebraska gave up some big yards and stopped them from scoring points.  It'd be nice to see the Huskers stiffen up and give up less yards

*The crowd
It's an away, rivalry game.  There will be plenty of Huskers, but many more Buffalo fans.  If the Huskers can get an early lead and force some turnovers, the crowd will deflate

*Their turnovers
Last year, they shot themselves in the foot vs. Colorado by botching a fake field goal for a touchdown.  Luckily, they rebounded and pulled out a win.  If they aren't careful and turn it over (see Iowa State), they can lose to a subpar team.

Predictions
*Zac Lee will throw 2 touchdowns or more
Look for Lee to throw some TDs, whether it be down field or play action.  The Buffs will stack the box in the red zone and force Lee to beat them, not Helu, Jr.

*Rex Burkhead's load will be heavier
He looked decent coming back, but the Huskers need to get him some touches to increase his abilities for the Big XII Championship game and a bowl game.  Helu, Jr. will get plenty of touches and probably a score or two, but Burkhead's abilities need to be tailored.

*Nebraska 30, Colorado 10
The game will be close in the first quarter, but pretty much away by halftime.  The Buffs won't be able to overcome a great Nebraska defense and make up the gap in the 2nd half.  Colorado's TD will come on a big play, however.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Nebraska 17, Kansas State 3

Nebraska scored 17 straight points to clinch a berth to the Big XII Championship vs. Texas, on December 5th.  The Husker defense didn't play exception, but played well in the one category that truly matters, points.  Nebraska forced a couple turnovers and missed field goals that took the pressure off the offense.  Let's review the keys:

Nebraska needs to...
*Keep running wild with Roy Helu, Jr.
He didn't exactly run "wild," but he ended up with a solid 95 yards and a touchdown.  Seemed ineffective early running, but the play action passes were huge in Nebraska's early game drives.  Those passes were set up by Helu, Jr.

*Get KSU off the field on offense
Nebraska definitely obtained this goal in the first half.  They led in TOP almost 19 min to 11 min.  The second half brought it closer, but KSU couldn't score points while possessing the ball.  Nebraska had a slight TOP edge in the whole game, 31:30-28:30.

*Get an early interception
They didn't get their interception until the 2nd quarter, but it was a big one.  Zac Lee had thrown one in the red zone, and the Huskers responded by getting pressure and forcing a bad pass, which Larry Asante intercepted.  Overall, the Huskers kept Grant Gregory to just 11-31 for 126 yard with 0 TD's and a pick.

Nebraska needs to control...
*KSU offense
Nebraska definitely controlled the passing game, but there were wide open misses by KSU.  It's difficult to tell if this was because of pressure or bad execution by KSU.  They shot themselves in the foot a bunch, and the Huskers got a huge penalty edge.  Overall, you can't complain about giving up 3 points.

*The KSU defensive line
The Huskers had just 101 total yards of rushing offense, so there was definitely room for improvement by the Husker O-Line.  And there were a couple sacks given up, including a 14 yard sack that set up a 3rd and goal, which resulted in an INT.  Nebraska got just one first down in four drives when trying to run the clock down, too.

*Their play within the red zone
They got 2 touchdowns and 1 field goal in the red zone, which is a good ratio of scores to FG's.  However, a huge sack forced an INT on 3rd and goal, which could've ended up hurting the Huskers later.  Fortunately, it didn't come back to hurt them.

Predictions...
*Kansas State will out-clock the Huskers
Wrong.  Nebraska had the edge in the stats category.  However, the second half and 4th quarter belonged to the Wildcats, who were in Nebraska territory much of the 2nd half.  It didn't matter because the Huskers bent but didn't break.

*Niles Paul will get increased touches/opportunities.
Wrong.  He didn't finish with a quiet 4 catches for 82 yards.  His biggest contribution was a long 47 yard catch on a 3rd and 1 Play-Action pass, arguably the play of the game offensively.  The Huskers finally went to my favorite game plan, the Play Action to Mike McNeill.

*Nebraska 27, KSU 13
I'm pretty impressed with my prediction.  I gave each team too many points but had the difference correct.  Also, I predicted Nebraska would be closer near half but not need to win it in the 4th quarter, which is exactly what happened.  The most promising part of the game Saturday, was Nebraska's ability to go down the field in 1.5 min to start the half and go up 14.



For the future:
I'd like to see the same offensive game plan.  Zac had a bunch of organized roll outs and Play Action passes.  He hit 7 different receivers, including my favorite, Mike McNeill.  The D was a little shaky at times and gave up a bunch of yards.  However, if they keep teams off the scoreboard, I'm ultimately happy.  It was nice seeing Rex Burkhead in there.  Look for increased production and load come next week and the Big XII Championship.

Its sort of surreal that Nebraska is one win away from a BCS game!  If the Huskers can pull off an upset over the hot Longhorns in a few weeks, Husker fans will be packing their bags for a huge January BCS bowl game.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Keys to the Game: Kansas State Edition

Well, the Cornhuskers face off with K-State on National Television come roughly 6 hours.  Winner takes the Big XII North, no strings attached.  Here's Nebraska's keys to the game:

Nebraska needs to:
*Keep running wild with Roy Helu, Jr.
Helu, Jr. has done a fabulous job the last two weeks to take the pressure off the quarterback to make big plays.  He has 100+ yards in both the victories vs. Oklahoma and Kansas.  He needs to carry the ball 20+ times for 100+ yards and at least a score to open the playbook up a bit

*Get KSU off the field on offense
I would be willing to bet that KSU's game plan is to hold onto the ball and clock as long as possible.  It's a smart strategy, the Husker offense has struggled and if you could limit the amount of opportunities they have, they'll score little.  The D needs to get some early stops and the O needs to prove it can move the football.

*Get an early interception
This will continue to KSU to rely on Daniel Thomas to run the ball on a stingy run defense.  If Grant Gregory doesn't have the confidence to go linearly with the ball, Nebraska can stop the one-sided offense of KSU.

Nebraska needs to control...
*KSU offense
Set the tone early.  Don't let the KSU pocket move to the outside.  Kansas did a great job of moving Todd Reesing out of the pocket.  Ndamukong Suh only had two tackles and the whole Nebraska D only registered one sack.  Look for Pelini (both of them) to have answers to this strategy.

*The KSU defensive line
The Husker O-Line finally came back to life last week.  Hopefully, they can keep it up.  If so, it'd be nice to get two 100 yard rushers and 3 rushing TDs.  Or at least enough of a rushing attack that it sets up play action dumps to Mike McNeill or bombs to Niles Paul.

*Their play within the red zone
The Cornhuskers have struggled in the red zone this season.  Against Oklahoma it could've cost them the game.  If the Huskers get into the red zone, they need to score EVERY time.  And they need touchdowns, not field goals.

Predictions
*Kansas State will out-clock the Huskers
Hopefully the time difference won't be significant, but I think the Wildcats will have more time of possession than the Huskers.  I'd be okay with being wrong with this prediction.

*Niles Paul will get increased touches/opportunities
Paul is, by far, the most explosive weapon the Huskers have.  Helu, Jr. is close, but when Paul gets into the open, he is close to unstoppable (barring he doesn't fumble without getting hit).  Look for Paul to get increased touches, balls thrown deep, reverses, screens, punt/kick returns.

*Nebraska 27, KSU 13
A little closer than the score, but Nebraska won't have to win it in the 4th quarter.  It'll 13-7 at halftime, and the Huskers will grind the 3rd quarter out and make the lead insurmountable.




Good Luck Cornhuskers, bring us the North Title!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Kansas Analysis

Nebraska 31, Kansas 17 - The score may not completely portray that the Huskers actually had to come back with just 7 min left in the game.  The Huskers grinded the ball.  What a difference a healthy Roy Helu, Jr. makes the Nebraska offense.  Zac Lee got the start (best option) and was able to manage the offense like he did in the non conference, non-BCS opponents against a Big 12 foe.

Roy Helu, Jr. had a big workload like he did earlier this season.  He pretty much cleared up Husker fans' minds that his shoulder is 100%.  His final stat-line was 28 carries for 156 yards and 2 TDs (he actually had a 3rd TD when he jumped on a fumble in the endzone).  Definitely the Nebraska player of the game.

Don't look now, but Zac Lee is slowly getting his confidence back.  He went 13-21 for 196 yards.  What was impressive was his throws downfield to Niles Paul, who had 154 of Lee's 196 yards.  Also, Mike McNeill finally got back into the picture with 4 receptions, tied for most grabs, with Paul.  Lee also showed he could run the ball when he took off down the field for a 34 yard scamper.  He ended up with 53 total yards rushing.

The defense looked a little more vulnerable than they normally have.  With that being said, 17 points is nothing to be worried about allowing.  The Husker defense is still the same defense.  Mark Mangino and the Kansas coaching staff tried something another foe hasn't, they moved the pocket.  Todd Reesing does well outside the tackle-box and gave Kansas an offensive shot vs. the Husker defense.  The Huskers still forced a turnover in the red zone and kept Briscoe/Meier to just one touchdown.  Look for other teams to try to get outside the pocket because the Husker D-line collapses a drop-back pocket.  Also, look for Carl Pelini and the Nebraska staff to implement more outside blitzes, such as the one sack the Huskers got on the night from the corner blitz.

Overall, the Huskers have put themselves in a winner-take-all game Saturday on National TV vs. Kansas State.  If they win, they'll have a showdown in December vs. Texas, putting themselves one (upset) win away from a BCS bowl game.  Nebraska had a rocky stretch with upsetting losses to Texas Tech and Iowa State, but have appeared to gain confidence at the right time.  Saturday should be an exciting day.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Some scary statistics

I wish I could claim I did the research for the subsequent information, but I did not.  All of this comes from the this article.

Here's a recap of the offensive statistics:

In the last month, Nebraska's offense is 0-44 on scoring a touchdown when starting in their own territory.  They are 3-44 on scoring any points (3 field goals)

Overall, against all BCS teams, Nebraska's offense has gone 2-68 on scoring a touchdown when starting in their own territory (interestingly, both came in the 4th quarter vs. Missouri).  The next closest BCS team is 5 (Vanderbilt).  Even my school, Washington State University, has scored touchdowns 6 times from their own territory (and they a dismal squad of "football" players).



These numbers certainly are alarming.  However, the defense is almost the exact opposite!  11 of the 12 Big 12 teams have allowed a conference foe to cross midfield and score a touchdown in each contest.  Nebraska is the outlier, the Blackshirts haven't allowed an offensive touchdown drive of over 50 yards 3 times (Missouri, Baylor, Oklahoma).

Ultimately, the Huskers are still in the race.  They can turn the offense around, and I promise you Husker fans, it will happen soon. 

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Nebraska 10, Oklahoma 3

Nebraska overcomes a lack of offense and compensates with a great defensive performance.  Although the Huskers only produced 180 yards of offense, they were able to produce 5 turnovers, including an interception return to the 1 yard line to set up the lone touchdown of the game.  Let's review the Keys of the Game:

Nebraska needs to...
*Produce some offense
I'm not saying the offense produced much of anything to praise.  However, Roy Helu, Jr. looked like himself out there and the Huskers scored inside the red zone (something they struggled with up to this point).  They produced enough.  The future needs more offense though.

*Stop Landry Jones
Check.  Jones looked uncomfortable out there from the 1st quarter on.  He wasn't able to produce any large plays and Nebraska forced Jones to throw 5 interceptions with 0 touchdowns.

*Get a Defensive Touchdown.
Technically, they didn't.  However, Nebraska's lone touchdown was set up with an interception return by Prince Amukamara to the 1 yard line.  In other words, they basically produced a defensive touchdown.

Nebraska needs to control...
*The clock.
They had a 31 to 28 advantage.  However, they controlled the ball well once they had the lead, keeping Oklahoma's offense of the field.  It shows they controlled the ball well if they were able to have a slight time advantage despite almost half the offensive yardage.

*The line of scrimmage.
Double check.  Both sides of the ball were controlled by the Huskers.  Landry Jones couldn't stay in the pocket because of the Nebraska D-Line, and Roy Helu, Jr. had 138 yards rushing vs. the stout OU defense.

*Their mistakes.
Again, check.  The Huskers had one mistake (botched option for turnover), but limited their other mistakes.  NU had great punts, great defensive control, and made few mistakes while managing an offensive game.

Watch out for...
*DeMarco Murray
They kept the Sooner's most explosive threat under 100 yards and no points.  It looked pretty obvious that the Huskers had keyed on him.

*Roy Helu, Jr.
I knew he'd break back into his original form soon.  Luckily it came with the Huskers needed him most.  He provided offensive explosiveness and gave the O-line some confidence for the rest of the year.

*Mike McNeill.
Who?  McNeill's name was rarely called Saturday night, something I disagree with.  The Cornhuskers set up a great running attack that can hopefully utilize McNeill in play action passes later on this year.

Prediction...
I was off on the score, but right on the outcome.  The Huskers pulled it together defensively to embarrass the Sooner offense.

Game Ball...
The game ball goes to Matt O'Hanlon.  It seems unfair to give it to one defensive player when it was obviously the entire unit that performed well.  Phillip Dillard, Ndamukong Suh, and Jared Crick had phenomenal games, as well as everyone else.  O'Hanlon had a career high in tackles and produced 3 interceptions, including the game clincher.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Keys to the Game

With game time just over 24 hours away, I need something to occupy my time.  Here's what the Huskers need to do to upset Oklahoma...

Nebraska needs to...
*Produce some damn offense.
Whoever is starting at quarterback needs to control the game and produce yards.  Don't pressure yourself to score every time you get the ball.  The Huskers just need to gain yards and show themselves they are a great football team.  Then let the chips fall into place.

*Stop Landry Jones
Jones has done an effective job of taking over for Sam Bradford.  Nebraska is facing a 4th consecutive backup quarterback, but he is the best one.  Jones can burn the Huskers if they allow him to.  However, as Nebraska's D has shown, they can stop almost anyone.

*Get a Defensive Touchdown
Everyone knows the Husker offense is lagging behind the defense.  Therefore, the Husker defense need to produce some offense for themselves.  Help out the O and put the pressure on Oklahoma's offense to continue mistake-free.

Nebraska needs to control...
*The clock.
Shorten the game, keep Oklahoma's great defense on the field and make them nervous.  Oklahoma is probably licking their chops at the chance to go up against a struggling offensive unit.

*The line of scrimmage
Both sides.  The Nebraska D-Line probably won't have too much of a problem controlling the O-line.  The Huskers offensive line just needs to establish their physicality early on and show they can pound the ball down your throat.

*Their mistakes
If Cody Green does start (which I think he will), he needs to continue to take moderate risks but shy away from throwing into coverage.  Oklahoma will capitalize on his mistakes like other teams haven't.  Also, the Huskers need to hold on to the ball (don't take it for granted like vs. ISU).

Watch out for...
*DeMarco Murray
He has the playmaking ability to couple with Jones' passing.  He's got the ability to burn the Husker defense if they aren't careful.

*Roy Helu, Jr.
The last couple of games have been a disappointment to say the least.  Husker fans tricked themselves into believing Helu, Jr. could operate without any help.  Finally he has help, in Tray Robinson.  Can Helu, Jr. become healthy this week?  I think so.  If it's gonna happen any week, it'd be this rivalry game.

*Mike McNeill
Shawn Watson will go back to what has worked.  Through the ball underneath on play-action passes.  Watch for TE dump passes and releases.  This will hopefully shackle up the linebackers and help through deep over the middle or run the ball.



Prediction: Nebraska 24, Oklahoma 21

Crick's Interview with ESPN

Courtesy of ESPN's Tim Griffin:

Ten good minutes with Nebraska DT Jared Crick


Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin 

Nebraska defensive tackle Jared Crick is coming off the game of his career, after producing 13 tackles and five sacks in the Cornhuskers’ victory over Baylor last week. 

 
 Manny Flores/Icon SMI
 Jared Crick recorded 13 tackles and five sacks against Baylor.
We caught up with the 6-foot-6, 285-pound sophomore earlier this week to talk about that big game, how much fun it is playing next to Ndamukong Suh and his thoughts on the upcoming game against Oklahoma. 

You produced one of the most memorable defensive games in the history of the Big 12 last week against Baylor. Is there anything you did differently the night before or in your pre-game preparation that can explain what you did? 

Jared Crick: I had a bunch of family from all over Texas at the game. There were a bunch of people there, probably like about 35 relatives. It gave me a little more energy and initiative knowing they were watching me. And plus, I have great teammates. It was easy for me to have a game like that because they were playing so hard. 

Did any of those aunts bring you any treats or anything that helped fuel your performance? 

JC: No, not really (laughing). I couldn’t see them until after the game and then, only got a chance to see them for a few minutes. And they didn’t bring me any treats. 

Were there any special schemes that Nebraska defensive coordinator Carl Pelini cooked up that enabled you to have the big game? 

JC: It was just my teammates, basically. They wanted to double-team [Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong] Suh and the defensive ends did a great job. I have to credit the three guys next to me. It was a group effort and was as much of those guys putting in the extra work and making things happen as anything else. 

How much credit do you give to the fact you play next to Suh along Nebraska’s defensive front? 

JC: It all starts with Suh. He’s present and is a force in the middle and he’s always attracting a double-team block. It gives me and the other two guys a chance to have one-on-one coverage. And whenever we get that, we have the opportunity to go as strong as we can. 

Have you seen many double-team blocks this season? 

JC: I’ve seen a couple of them, but not nearly as many as Suh. I saw a couple of them the week before last against Iowa State, but that was just the scheme they were running. I didn’t see one last week. 

Your team’s defense has really come along in recent games, allowing opponents 280 yards or less in the last seven games. Where has that development come from? 

JC: We expected to be a confident, strong group this season as a defense. We didn’t really set a bar for how high we could go. We’ve just tried to take things day by day and get better each time we go out there. 

You have an opportunity to play and watch Suh all the time. Give me an idea of how dominant a player he really is. 

JC: Just going into every game, I know he’ll win every time. I know that Suh will dominate the game by himself and that will open up things for all of us. He has the skills, but he’s also very football-smart and he’s got every facet of the game down. When you add it all together, it just spells dominance in what he does. 

Since you arrived at college, you moved from defensive end to defensive tackle. Have you gotten more comfortable at your new position as you’ve gained experience there? 

JC: I definitely think it worked out well. When Coach Bo [Pelini] and Coach Carl asked me to move, I had never played inside. I wouldn’t say I was hesitant, but maybe a little nervous, just because I really didn’t know techniques and was a little underweight. But once they saw I had potential, they worked with me every day and helped make me into a player. I’m doing whatever I can do to try and improve. The transition wasn’t too tough, but without them, it would have been difficult to impossible. They had faith in me. 

How much weight have you added since you moved inside? 

JC: I’ve added about 25 pounds since last summer and about 35 pounds overall. I feel pretty good at the weight. It was a little tough when I first gained it because I felt kind of sluggish like I had lost some speed and agility. But after working with [Nebraska strength] Coach [James] Dobson, I actually feel faster. I feel like I put on the right weight. I felt a little sloppy and out of shape at times, but once I started working out, I started feeling comfortable with the weight. 

What’s the biggest change in moving from defensive end to defensive tackle? 

JC: From a running perspective, the only people who cover you at defensive end are a tackle or the tight end. So you have a lot of space to operate. Moving inside can get kind of claustrophobic, especially when you are facing centers who weigh 290 and guards who weigh maybe 315. At first, it was a big adjustment for me. But from a pass-rusher's perspective, we still try to get after people. I think anybody will tell you at defensive end, you get more space to do a wide rush so maybe you can rise and counter a little. The positions are a little different in terms of technique, but you’ve still got to be aggressive wherever you play. 

Does the Nebraska-Oklahoma rivalry still resonate for people across your state? 

JC: When I was young and growing up and watching Nebraska and Oklahoma every year in the Big Eight, it was the biggest game. But now that they don’t play every year, it’s lost a little of its intensity. But it’s still a big thing for us, watching the rivalry and knowing about the guys who have played in it. To be able to play in a game like this is a huge honor and everybody is excited about it. 

Despite your team’s struggles, you still have a good shot at winning the North if you can run the table. How will that affect how your team plays on Saturday night against Oklahoma and during the rest of the season? 

JC: We’re a very determined group. Our goals are still on the board for us. We want to get to Arlington and get a shot at playing in the Big 12 title game. We’re still very determined to get that goal. It hasn’t always gone the way we wanted this season, but it won’t stop us from playing hard and still pursuing what is still in front of us.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Monday Links

Monday links to get you through the week:





Baylor Analysis

I was not able to catch the Nebraska-Baylor game because DirecTV and Versus couldn't reach an agreement, so Versus isn't carried on DirecTV anymore.  However, I listened to part of the game and caught the highlights.

With that being said, the Husker defense is still on the rise, but the Husker offense didn't show enough improvement to make Husker fans completely hopeful for the future.

Cody Green got his first start, and his numbers weren't off the charts, or horrible.  They were mediocre.  The difference on Saturday was that his mediocre stats were enough to get a Win, whereas Zac Lee's stats from the previous games couldn't result in a win (even against a team without their starting running and quarter backs).

Roy Helu, Jr. continued to post less-than-stunning statistics.  With just 27 yards on 8 total touches.  Hopefully, we can blame it on his ailing shoulder injury.

The running game got some yards finally, probably boosting the confidence of the offense line and skill players.  It actually probably gave relief to the Husker defense who has been heavily relied on this season.  Dontrayveous Robinson led the team in rushing yards (61) and tied for receptions (3), for 22 yards.  Right now he looks like the best back for Nebraska and hopefully he can take the load off of Helu, Jr.  Cody Green showed he could run more effectively than Zac Lee, and he adds a playmaking principle that Zac Lee undeniably cannot.

For the future I'd like to see: An increased production in the passing game.  With this being said, I think there needs to be an established running game that can produce play-action passing plays that utilize Mike McNeill, who has been neglected most of the season.  Also, Cody Green needs to just develop as a passer.  He just needs experience, and that cannot be rushed unfortunately


On the defensive side of the ball, I finally saw the breakout performance by another player due to the presence on Ndamukong Suh.  Suh had a relatively quiet game (5 tackles, 1 sack), but his presence was felt.  The offense had to consciously account for Suh, opening up the gates for other players.

Jared Crick had 5 (yes 5!) quarterback sacks, and has been recognized for many National Player-of-the-Week Awards.  Also, he tacked on 2 more TFL and had 13 tackles total.  The Nebraska defensive unit is developing into the defense that Nebraska was once used to during the '90s very quickly.

As a team, they produced 3 turnovers, which is definitely promising.  The last few weeks, the D has held up pretty well but haven't been able to make huge plays.  The game against Baylor was definitely a step in the right direction.  Crick had a fumble recovery and Dejon Gomes and Prince Amukamara each got an interception.

For the future I'd like to see: Nothing new.  The Huskers need to keep playing at high levels on the defensive side of the ball.  Their front 4 is daunting and any one of them can turn the game around.  If the Huskers can keep producing turnovers and limiting big plays, they'll have a chance to win each game they play the rest of the season.