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 Links

Monday links to get you through the week:

Crick's Awards

Cody's Green development

Nebraska-Oklahoma Rivalry

Sipple's Analysis of KSU-Oklahoma

Oklahoma Game Page

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.