Cornhuskers

Moral Buckeyes & Progress

Feit Can Write · November 6, 2018 · College Football, Huskers · B1G, Big Ten, College Football, Cornhuskers, Football, Huskers, Nebraska, Nebraska Football, Sports · No Comments

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* * *

Let’s talk for a minute about “moral victories”.

Scott Frost doesn’t want to acknowledge moral victories, and I don’t blame him. Most competitors would rather punch their mother than celebrate a moral victory. You either win or you lose…and unfortunately this Nebraska team will end the season with more losses than wins. Nobody wants to be a part of team that leads the league in moral victories. That mindset percolates down to the fan base to the point where a moral victory has become taboo.

Personally, I don’t care if fans want to recognize or applaud a moral victory. Because no matter if it is sarcastic (“Nebraska forced Ohio State to punt for the first time in three games!”) or honest (“Nebraska played well enough to beat a top ten team on the road”), you’re really doing the same thing:

You are acknowledging the progress this team is making.

And let’s be realistic: while we all want to win – and win now – this program is not currently built for that. If you’re still hinging your satisfaction with the 2018 Huskers strictly on wins and losses you will be disappointed. Period.

But if you choose to acknowledge where this program has been – both in the last few years, and in the last few months – I suspect you can see the signs of progress. Forcing Ohio State to punt, not getting blown out on the road by a top 10 team, fighting until the very end – these are not thing you could count on previous Husker teams giving you. We all want the wins, but I won’t apologize for being happy with the manner in which NU loses. I won’t judge you if you want to do the same.

So what did we learn?

The offense can spread the touches. It would be very easy for Frost and offensive coordinator Troy Walters to lock in on their proven offensive talents (Martinez, Ozigbo, Washington, Spielman, and Morgan) when calling plays on the road against the #10 team in the country.

And to be sure, that happened as Martinez, Ozigbo, and Washington combined for 47 carries, while Morgan and Spielman led the team with seven and six receptions, respectively. But look at the other guys who got yards on Saturday: Jack Stoll, Austin Allen, Bryan Reimers, and Mike Williams. In addition, Spielman and Morgan each had a carry, and Washington and Ozigbo both caught a pass.

This approach is such a win-win. It opens the field up for your playmakers and gives guys the experience to prove themselves to the coaches and their teammates. Give credit to Frost and Walters for putting guys in positions to make plays, and to Martinez for being willing to find the open man.

The Blackshirts are capable of carrying their weight. One of the narratives for this team is the offense can be explosive, which is necessary because the defense is a work in progress. Some of that work seems to be paying off. The defense is more aggressive, more sound, and much better at making big plays then they were a month ago.

Example 1: After the botched onside kick gave Ohio State prime field position at the NU 31, there had to be a 90% chance of the Buckeyes scoring at least three points. Instead, the Blackshirts stood strong and stopped the Buckeyes on four downs.

Example 2: The Blackshirts forced several fumbles and recovered two. The much maligned Lamar Jackson intercepted a pass in the end zone. I’ll take my chances being +2 on turnovers on the road any week.

While NU seemed to run out of gas a little bit in the fourth quarter when it was obvious the Buckeyes wanted to run, the progress shown should not be ignored.

Ohio State’s black jerseys are perfection. As somebody who is typically not a fan of alternate uniforms – and especially those that are black just for the sake of being black – I love Ohio State’s all black look. Seriously, look at this picture. Those are simple and clean, with crisp stripes that tie everything together. They don’t need a space age custom font that can’t be read, nor any other unnecessary bells and whistles. I challenge you to show me a better all-black look.

I’ve long been on record that only the Blackshirts should wear black jerseys, but I would happily reverse that decision if Adidas stole this design from Nike.

So what don’t we know?

What’s up with Caleb Lightbourn? I ask this not to disrespect the young man, but out of a sincere sense of concern. To put it politely, Lightbourn has had a very rough season. He lost his punting job to Isaac Armstrong. He’s had some big miscues in key moments that have cost the team valuable field position. And after what I will generously call a botched onside kick attempt, he now has two entries on the list of Worst Husker GIFs of the 21st Century.*

*A list headlined by the undisputed champion titled (and I’m not making this up) “Nebraska lineman false start by falling on his ass“.

Personally, I feel for Lightbourn. While I have no idea what the heck happened on that onside kick – or what it was supposed to look like – I feel strongly that his other blooper (the slip and fall against Purdue) was not his fault. If you’ll remember, that was a damp, misty day and several other players were slipping and falling to the point where several people suggested NU had the wrong footwear on for the conditions.

But more to the point, I feel bad for Lightbourn for how his NU career has unfolded. He came here in 2016 fully expecting to redshirt behind a senior starter. Those plans changed dramatically on July 23, 2016 when Sam Foltz died. After that, he had to replace not only one of the best punters in the conference, but a beloved team leader.

I doubt he’ll ever say it, but I think that redshirt year would have done wonders for Lightbourn’s skill level and confidence. Instead, he’s ridden a roller coaster with more downs than ups, lost his primary job, and has “fans” openly mocking him and calling for him to never see the field again. I hope he can find confidence, success, and end up in a GIF making an incredible play.

Just how aggressive is Scott Frost? On NU’s first drive, Frost goes for it on 4th and 2, keeping a scoring drive alive. He follows it up with an onside kick attempt. Late in the third quarter, facing a short 4th & 1 from their own 13, Frost appears to ponder going for it, before calling a timeout and punting it away.

In the fourth quarter, down by nine, NU has a 4th and goal from the OSU 1. Frost elects to take kick the field goal and cut the deficit to six points. Ohio State takes the ensuring drive and scores at touchdown, and Nebraska responds with a touchdown of their own. Down by five, with 1:55 left and two timeouts, Frost opts to kick it deep. Nebraska never gets the ball back.

I offer these points not to question or criticize Frost’s decision making. Obviously, hindsight plays a big role in determining if a decision was good or poor. But nine games into Frost’s tenure at NU and I don’t feel if I have a good indication on if he’s going to be an aggressive, go win the game coach or a more conservative, don’t lose the game leader. Certainly, there is a time and place for both, but it has felt inconsistent to me this year. Maybe this will change as Frost becomes more confident in each of his three units.

Has the college basketball concept of “make up calls” come to football? In the first quarter, Ohio State was called for offensive pass interference on a very questionable play. Two plays later, Dicaprio Bootle was flagged for an equally questionable pass interference penalty.

In the second quarter, OSU’s Jordan Fuller was kicked out for targeting. On the Buckeye’s next drive, the replay booth (with a possible assist by Urban Meyer) initiated a targeting review against a Nebraska player.

The only thing worse than making a bad call is making an equally bad call against the other team to try to balance things out. Big Ten referees have enough to worry about without trying to make sure their bad calls are distributed equally.

The best thing I saw on Saturday: Ohio State’s band is known for fun and creative performances that become viral sensations. On Saturday, they spelled out the name of Tyler Butterfield, a Cornhusker Marching Band member who died last week in a car accident.

The worst thing I saw on Saturday: The broadcast itself. For most of the first half, Fox’s director seemed more interested in winning an Oscar for cinematography than showing a football game. There were low angle shots, sky cam shots, close ups, and other unnecessary bells and whistles. Just show me the game, and save the fancy camera angles for replays.

5 Players I Loved

Adrian Martinez. Performances like this are the reason Patrick O’Brien and Tristan Gebbia transferred.
Devine Ozigbo. The best way to appreciate how far he has come is to think what the 2016 or 2017 version of Ozigbo might have done in this game. I guarantee those previous editions do not get 86 yards, a touchdown, and some key short yardage gains.
JoJo Domann. Some guys just have a knack for making plays. JoJo Domann certainly appears to be one of those guys. Kudos to Erik Chinander for recognizing this and getting JoJo on the field.
Lamar Jackson. “Development” can mean getting a walk-on to outshine a scholarship guy. It can also mean getting one of the program’s top recruits to perform up to his potential.
Tight ends Jack Stoll and Austin Allen. Historically, Nebraska tends to ignore the pass catching (and mismatch creating) abilities of their tight ends. So it was great to see Stoll haul in three catches – including a clutch one-hand grab on 4th & 2 – and Allen get behind his man for a 41 yard gain.

Honorable Mention: J.D. Spielman, Stanley Morgan, Mohamed Barry, Aaron Williams, Jacob Weinmaster, sideline reaction shots of Urban Meyer looking upset.

5 Areas for Improvement – Special Teams Edition

Punt protection. A simple breakdown in protection led to a block and a safety that played a big role in the game.
Kickoff returns. No disrespect to Nebraska’s return specialists, but until you can consistently get a kickoff return past the 25 – without flags – I would much rather have you take advantage of the new fair catch rule. To use a baseball analogy, it seems silly to swing for home runs when you struggle to hold the bat correctly.
Onsides kicking. Here’s the thing: if you have the confidence in your kicker to call a surprise onside in the first quarter, you should have an equal amount of confidence calling a traditional onside late in the fourth.
Punt Returns. Good news: NU forced four Ohio State punts. Bad news: the lone return lost two yards, and another punt should have been fielded before rolling inside the 10.
Punter Flopping. Memo to Isaac Armstrong: We all hate it when soccer players flop after the slightest contact, but if you can pick up a free first down by displaying your stunt man skills, you will be a hero.

Northern Illinois Reaction and Recap

Feit Can Write · September 19, 2017 · College Football, Huskers · B1G, Big Ten, College Football, Cornhuskers, Football, Huskers, Nebraska, Nebraska Football, Sports · One Comment

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* * *

How do you sum up one of the most shocking losses in school history?

How do you accurately account for all of the things that went wrong?

How does a loss like this impact the big picture – for Mike Riley, Shawn Eichorst, and the program as a whole?

Frankly, I don’t know. I’m still processing it. So I’m going to pass on any sweeping proclamations, knee jerk reactions, scalding hot takes, or calls for anybody to be fired.

For now.

So what did we learn?

This is going to be a long year. Think back on the time between the end of the Spring Game and the start of the season. It was one of quietest and most drama free summers of recent memory. The vast majority of the news was positive – big name commitments, positive reviews about Bob Diaco’s defense, and several glowing reviews of Tanner Lee’s skill and potential. Some folks refer to the summer months as the “Kool Aid Season”, and this year’s batch was as sweet and delicious as it had been in years.

And then the season started.

We’re just three weeks in, and have already endured two painful losses and a very close call, several key injuries, a defense that can allow yards (and points) by the bushel, an offense that is maddeningly inconsistent, and a coaching staff that seems to make a questionable decision every week.

Off the field that has a been a controversy about a coordinator not talking to the press after a game, a controversy about potentially losing the Black Friday game, angst over a contract extension signed a few months ago, and coaching seats that get hotter by the hour. The athletic director – who prefers to stay out of the spotlight – has spoken publicly twice this week. Fans are becoming divided on the future of the program. And it’s technically still summer.

Let’s say Nebraska wins eight of their last nine games. Even in what appears to be a best-case scenario, it still seems likely that the drama and division will continue to grow.

The offensive line is not good. Nebraska finished with a total of 85 yards on 36 carries – an average of just 2.4 yards. Tanner Lee was sacked three times, hurried on seven other plays, and finished with one of the weirdest stat lines you’ll see: 7 carries for -18 yards and 2 touchdowns.

In addition, three of Nebraska’s five penalties were against the offensive line. I’d love to know which lineman graded out the highest, because I honestly have no clue who played the best – or, the least worst, if you prefer.

The defense came to play. One of the biggest questions from the Oregon game was if the second half shutout was a fluke, Oregon taking their foot off the gas, or a turning point for Bob Diaco’s defense.

While not conclusive, the Blackshirts made a strong statement against NIU, holding them to just 116 yards (and zero offensive points) through three quarters. Unfortunately, the defense couldn’t get the big stop they needed after Nebraska took the lead. Northern Illinois flew 75 yards down the field in 2:28 to regain the lead. But the defense certainly held their own. The key – as with everything on this team – is consistency.

So what don’t we know?

Where are the substitutions on the offensive line? I know Mike Cavanaugh prefers to keep the same five linemen on the field throughout the game, as he feels collective unit benefits from the continuity. In theory, I agree with this approach.

But in real life, the approach raises more questions than answers. How do you develop players and build depth? When a player is clearly struggling to handle what the defense is throwing at him, doesn’t his presence weaken the entire unit? And then there are injuries…

During the game, center Cole Conrad left briefly with an injury. He returned shortly after, but could be seen limping in the fourth quarter. Right tackle Matt Farniok apparently broke a bone in his wrist at some point during the game. Yet, both played almost the entire game.

I’ve made my peace with Conrad, a former walk-on, starting over other highly touted recruits. If he’s truly the best man for the job, he should play. But the equation changes when a guy is hurt. Is Cavanaugh telling us that a starter at, say, 80% health is still preferable over his backup? If so, that raises some serious questions about depth and player development – especially of former four-star recruits. If not, doesn’t that put more of a burden on the rest of the offense to compensate for an injured teammate?

Is DeMornay Pierson-El the best option at punt return? Wow, that is sentence I never thought I would type. But there is a part of me that wonders if that role is based more on what he did in 2014, than on what he’s done since. Here are the numbers:

2014: 34 returns; 17.5 yards per return, three touchdowns.
2015, 2016, first three games of 2017: 32 returns; 7.2 yards per return, zero touchdowns.

In fairness, the 2015 and 2016 version of Pierson-El had to battle multiple injuries, as well as punt return schemes designed by Bruce Read.

But his senior season as a returner has not gotten off to a great start. Against Oregon, he broke a cardinal rule by fair catching a ball inside his own 10. Later, he appeared upset with himself after calling for a fair catch late in the game with his team needing a spark. Against Northern Illinois, he fielded a ball at the 7, fumbled a return, and appeared to be pressing. His best return of the day was negated by a penalty.

I have nothing but respect for DPE, his abilities, his potential, and how he has come back from injuries that may have ended the careers of other players. But I have a nagging feeling that if it wasn’t for a special season before those injuries, somebody else would be returning punts for NU.

How do we account for Tanner Lee’s struggles? On the season, Lee is completing just 52.5% of his passes, with a upside-down TD:INT ratio of 5:7. None of this matches up with the expectations Husker fans had going into the season. So what is going on?

To my eye, there are many factors at play. From biggest to smallest, I would point towards:

A porous offensive line. Lee has been sacked six times in three games, and has faced constant pressure. Lee appears to get flustered by pressure, which leads to bad throws and interceptions.
Drops by his receivers. I haven’t found a good source to count drops and “shoulda caught its” by backs and receivers, but it certainly feels like there have been several – and often at critical moments.
Over-aggressiveness. Lee has a strong arm and the potential for pin-point accuracy. In the Arkansas State game, he had a couple of passes that went through a narrow window. Against Oregon and Northern Illinois, those passes were knocked down or intercepted. Additionally, Lee appears reluctant to throw the ball away when under pressure.
Mechanics. I’m no QB coach, but it appears to my untrained eye that Lee occasionally throws off his back foot. I’ve also noticed a tendency to stare down a primary target.

There are probably others that I’m missing, but those seem to be the biggest culprits. The good news is, these are all things that can be corrected.

5 Players I Loved

Caleb Lightbourn. It certainly felt like a day where the punter should be the MVP, and Lightbourn delivered. He averaged over 47 yards on six kicks, which played a big role in the shutout the defense pitched for three quarters.
Antonio Reed. Going solely off the stat sheet, one would think Reed played a pretty decent game (second on the team with 5 tackles, including one for loss). But the stat sheet doesn’t tell you that Reed, who is battling injury, was essentially playing with one hand. His recognition of Northern Illinois’ trick play prevented a big play.
J.D. Spielman. I really like this kid. He made big plays in the passing game. He had an impressive 50 yard kickoff return. And he had the presence of mind to get Tyjon Lindsey to take a touchback after bobbling the opening kickoff.
Khalil and Carlos Davis. The twin defensive lineman made a big impact on the Northern Illinois offense. Carlos had five tackles and part of a sack, and Khalil played his best game as a Husker with a half sack, another TFL, forced fumble, and a deflected pass. The defense needs pressure on the quarterback and the twins delivered.
De’Mornay Pierson-El. DPE had one of his best games as a receiver, racking up 101 yards on eight catches. It’s great to see him making big plays.

Honorable Mention: Former Navy SEAL Damian Jackson carrying the American flag, Mikale Wilbon, yards after catch by the receivers, Tanner Lee scoring two rushing TDs, Stanley Morgan Jr., biased announcer Les Miles, all of the fans who held their balloons through halftime until NU scored.

5 Areas for Improvement

Offensive Line. Yes, this is the third time I’ve called out the line in this piece. But I believe it is warranted. Any discussion about benching Lee is worthless until we see what he does with good protection.
Tanner Lee. That said, Lee needs to make some better decisions. Throw it away or check it down to a back. Stop forcing passes unless your receiver is the only one who can catch it.
Receiver drops. And speaking of the receivers, there were some very savage drops and passes that probably should have been caught. It would be easy to point at some of the bigger moments – Spielman dropping a sure thing on 3rd and short; Connor Ketter short arming a wide open touchdown – and point to the inexperience of the players involved. But if that is the case, the QB (and/or offensive coordinator) should not be putting those guys in that position.
Lamar Jackson. The young cornerback is here for two unfortunate plays. The first was his attempt to shove a NIU receiver out of bounds after a catch. The problem was the receiver was 4-5 yards in bounds, so the shove didn’t accomplish anything. The second is an unsportsmanlike penalty that resulted from his frustrations boiling over.
Memorial Stadium atmosphere. 11 am games suck. We all acknowledge this. The crowd is late to arrive, and slow to provide any sort of home field advantage. On Saturday, it was obvious by halftime that the team was in trouble and could use a jolt. Going into the fourth quarter, it was almost painfully silent. Nebraska needs to do something to spark the crowd. As my buddy Nate observed, “Wisconsin has ‘Jump Around’, and we have the Hy-Vee tailgate of the game”. Nebraska can – and should – do better.

[COLOR=#FF0000][I]Dave Feit is a freelance writer living in Lincoln. Additional thoughts on the Huskers (and everything else) can be found on his blog ([URL=”http://www.feitcanwrite.com”%5Dwww.feitcanwrite.com%5B/URL%5D). Follow him on [URL=”http://www.twitter.com/feitcanwrite”%5D%5BU%5DTwitter%5B/U%5D%5B/URL%5D or on [URL=”http://www.facebook.com/feitcanwrite”%5D%5BU%5DFacebook%5B/U%5D%5B/URL%5D.

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Ah, Duck

Feit Can Write · September 15, 2017 · College Football, Huskers · B1G, Big Ten, College Football, Cornhuskers, Football, Huskers, Nebraska, Nebraska Football, Sports · One Comment

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* * *

So….that didn’t exactly go as planned, did it?

The good news, if you want to see it, is in the big picture this loss doesn’t really hurt Nebraska.

Nebraska wasn’t ranked, so the loss just puts them lower in the “Others receiving votes” wasteland. Only the most rabidly passionate fans believed Nebraska would make it to the College Football Playoff, so I think we all can accept that is not going to happen this year. The big prize for the year – a West Division title, and a shot at that elusive conference championship – is still in play.

I know it is jarring to consider Nebraska in these terms, but this is where the team is. No amount of complaining, denial, or anger is going to change that. And with that uplifting lede, let’s dive in….

So what did we learn?

Nebraska’s offense must do a better job of helping the defense. As you know, Oregon scored six first half touchdowns. While you may choose to blame Bob Diaco’s defense for that, I’m here to tell you that Danny Langsdorf’s offense didn’t exactly help the situation. Take a look at what the offense did in their drives following Oregon scores:

1st half drives following Oregon Touchdowns
Plays	Yards	Result	Time of Poss
1	0	INT	00:12
3	3	Punt	01:35
4	75	TD	01:34
3	4	Punt	02:33
3	-5	INT	00:53
3	7	Punt	00:39
17	84		07:26

I’m not suggesting that Nebraska must answer every single score with a score of their own. But I wonder if Langsdorf shares that opinion. It certainly appears as if his reaction to the other team scoring is to try to score, and quick. Heck, even the lone touchdown drive covered 75 yards in just four plays.

I can understand feeling like the offense needs to score every time out, but I also see value in a slower, grind it out drive that gives the defense a chance to catch their breath and make adjustments, slow momentum, and establish a field position edge. It may not be as exciting as a quick strike answer, but in the long run it may be more effective.

There was improvement in the defense. Aside from the obvious improvement from the first half (42 points) to the second half (0 points), there were some signs of growth from the Arkansas State opener. In one of Oregon’s first quarter drives, they ran the bubble screen that Arkansas State used to gain a billion yards. That play was stuffed for no gain, and Oregon mostly stayed away from it. I saw some good examples of the defense “rallying” to the ball. On one play, I counted seven defenders surrounding a ball carrier on the sideline.

Obviously, there is still much improvement needed – finding a way to pressure the quarterback would be a great place to start – but there were some positives to take away.

Mike Riley’s teams do not quit. Raise your hand if at halftime you thought Oregon was going to hang 70 on Nebraska, and beat them by 50. But the Huskers came out after half and did their best to save face.

And while I suspect my counterparts in Oregon are railing on the Ducks for taking their foot off the gas too soon / playing too conservatively in the second half, I think the second half result was more about the Huskers continuing to fight hard than Oregon coasting in.

I’m in no way suggesting that we as fans should be pleased with “only” losing by seven points. Nor am I trying to carve a moral victory trophy out of the giant turd the Huskers dropped in the first half. As poorly as NU played in the first half, they probably deserved an Ohio State style ass kicking. That they refused to let it happen tells me a lot.

So what don’t we know?

How will Diaco’s defense look against a non-spread team? We’re still way to early in the season for sweeping generalizations, but the early results suggest that pass-happy spread teams are bad for the Blackshirts.

This is another spot where the second half shutout can be encouraging to Nebraska fans. Very few of the teams remaining on Nebraska’s schedule will throw it as much as Arkansas State and Oregon did – especially in the West division.

Where was the screen game? In basketball, when a shooter is off, they often are able to get back on track with some easy shots like layups or free throws. When Tanner Lee was struggling with accuracy, and Oregon’s pressure was getting more aggressive, it seemed like some short passes to the running backs might be a good way to get him going. Instead, only one ball was caught by a back – a four yard gain by Mikale Wilbon.

Will there be a hangover? This week’s game against Northern Illinois has the potential to be really good – or really bad. Between any lingering effects from a frustrating loss, the sluggish nature of 11 am kickoffs, and a team looking ahead to the conference season, Northern Illinois could put a scare into the Huskers – especially if the defense continues to struggle.

Or, the Huskers, coming off a strong and focused week of practice, jump out early and put the game away early in the 3rd quarter; allowing the reserves to get some snaps. I know which one I pick.

5 Players I Loved

Tre Bryant. A fourth quarter knee injury kept him from fully living up to the “All Day Tre” moniker, but 107 yards on 20 carries provided some much needed offensive balance in a game where NU threw 41 times.
Luke Gifford. Gifford is one of those players who just has a knack for the ball, and seems to always be around the action. There were not a lot of bright spots in the defense’s performance, but Gifford was one of them.
Stanley Morgan, Jr. On Nebraska’s first drive of the second half, Tanner Lee proved that Stanley is his favorite target, as four straight throws went towards #8. The last two accounted for a huge 4th down conversion and a statement touchdown. Morgan added another touchdown catch on the next NU drive, and finished with team highs in catches (7) and yards (103), becoming the first Husker to open a season with 100 yard receiving games.
De’Mornay Pierson-El. DPE was just behind Morgan for receptions (4) and yards (67), including a highlight reel grab over the top of an Oregon defender. His catch on the first drive lit the spark for a big second half.
Nebraska fans. Did you see all of the red? For a fan base well known for showing up on the road, that was an impressive performance. It was fitting that Saturday’s game was the anniversary of the legendary Nebraska takeover of Notre Dame’s stadium. Kudos to all who made the trip.

Honorable Mention: Eric Lee, Jerald Foster, Caleb Lightbourn, Aaron Williams, Matt Farniok, Matt Farniok’s hair, JD Spielman, Luke McNitt, Oregon’s duck stomping cancer logo

5 Areas for Improvement

Pass rush. Want to know how Justin Herbert managed to be 21-25 for 313 yards and 3 TDs – in the first half! – on Saturday? The stat sheet has the answer: zero sacks, zero QB hurries, and clear passing lanes. That puts the defensive backs in a situation where they need near perfect coverage, which for a young and inexperienced group, does not end well. How little was Herbert pressured? If Autzen Stadium had a grass field, Herbert’s uniform would have ended up as brightly white as it started.
De’Mornay Pierson-El. If I could describe Nebraska’s day in one word, it would be inconsistent. And nobody personified that inconsistency more than Pierson-El. His first touch was a punt that he fair caught at the five. 95 yards later, he made that crazy, over-the-top catch. In the second quarter, he had a false start penalty that turned a drive-extending 4th and 1 into a punt. Speaking of punts, you could see DPE immediately regretting his decision to fair catch a 4th quarter punt, with NU in big need of a spark.
Stanley Morgan, Jr. On Nebraska’s first offensive play, Lee found Morgan 20 yards down field and put the wall in a great position for the catch. Instead, the ball bounced off Morgan’s hands, his face mask, and into the arms of a Duck defender. Above, we talked about Stan’s big day – 7 catches for 103 and 2 TDs. But his first half was a very forgettable one catch for five yards.
Tanner Lee. Let’s be fair: prior to Saturday, Lee’s last road start was November 21, 2015, at SMU, in front of what had to be a raucous crowd of 14,954. So I think we can understand somewhat if nerves played a role in a day with four interceptions and a completion percentage under 50%. While interceptions 1 and 4 were not Lee’s fault, no one will argue that Lee struggled throughout most of the game.
Destro helmets. By now, the shock factor from anything Oregon wears should be long gone. But whenever they wear a shiny chrome helmet, as they did on Saturday, I cannot help but think of Destro from the G.I. Joe cartoons of my childhood. And in finding that Destro image, I realized that almost every Oregon uniform is a homage to a one of the many great G.I. Joe characters.

An (Arkansas) State of Panic?

Feit Can Write · September 8, 2017 · College Football, Huskers · B1G, Big Ten, College Football, Cornhuskers, Football, Huskers, Nebraska, Nebraska Football, Sports · No Comments

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Telltale signs suggest Nebraska football will travel bumpy road – a rebuttal

Feit Can Write · August 30, 2017 · College Football, Huskers · Cornhuskers, Football, Huskers, Lee Barfknecht, Nebraska, Omaha World-Herald · 2 Comments

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Pur-fection

Feit Can Write · October 27, 2016 · College Football, Huskers · B1G, Big Ten, College Football, Cornhuskers, Football, Huskers, Nebraska, Nebraska Football, Sports · No Comments

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As you may know, this column is also available on HuskerMax.com.

As always, you have my sincere appreciation for reading, commenting, and sharing (hint hint).

Now, quit screwing around and CLICK THIS LINK.

* * *

Do you remember back in the pre-BCS days – probably when it was called the “Bowl Alliance” or some nonsense like that – when margin of victory was important? If memory serves, at least one of the computer polls in used margin of victory to help determine which team was best. As a result, the Steve Spurriers, Bobby Bowdens, and other coaches of contending teams would make a point of trying for a late garbage time touchdown. The way the computer saw it, 31-14 was a more impressive win than 24-14. Heck, the same could be said for several writers and coaches filling out their Top 25 ballot every Sunday. After some hand-wringing that coaches were sacrificing sportsmanship in the name of running up the score, margin of victory went away.

But the perception lives on. We’ve been so conditioned to look at the margin of victory (and if the Vegas spread was covered), that anything failing to meet our expectations is reason for concern and complaining. A 13 point win over a 3-3 team that just fired their coach? Clearly Nebraska is no good, vastly overrated, and due for a blowout loss against a “real” team.

It’s time to embrace the NFL “just win” mentality. Outside of Alabama, there are very few teams in college football with the talent and depth to steamroll opponents week in and week out. What matters are the wins and losses. There are no figure skating judges looking at degrees of difficulty or deducting points for sloppy education. No, in the big picture of championship football – and that is the standard we all want, right? – the only thing that matters is if you won.

Obviously, the coaches, players, and you the fan all want perfection – or at least improvement – week after week. But don’t confuse failure to meet a standard of play for a lack of success. It’s okay to be critical of how Nebraska plays – and you better believe I’ll continue to be critical where needed – but at the end of the day the wins and losses are the most important thing.

And right now, Nebraska is a perfect 7-0.

So what did we learn?

Don’t worry about rankings or perceived snubs. Each week, the amount of Husker fans up in arms over Nebraska’s national ranking and/or perception seems to grow. They’ll wonder why teams with losses are ranked ahead of NU. They bristle at the criticism that Nebraska is a sham that has not been tested. They get fired up over a comment or tweet from some national pundit or talking head who discounts Nebraska’s first 7-0 start in 15 years. Every employee at ESPN – down to the cafeteria guy serving Chicken Curry – hates Nebraska. Heck, some of that disrespect is here at home. The lone AP voter in the state (the World-Herald’s Sam McKewon) has the Huskers at #11 in his poll. Only three other voters have Nebraska lower.

But here’s the thing: it doesn’t matter.

Once more for emphasis: It. Does. Not. Matter.

Why, you ask? There are two key reasons: 1) Nebraska gets two prime time chances to prove itself against top competition. Even with the losses they’ve suffered, playing at Wisconsin and at Ohio State are big games against tough conference foes. Should Nebraska win one (or both) games, a lot of the perceived negativity will go away.

2) In the College Football Playoff world, rankings are irrelevant. Yes, it’s great to say that Nebraska is a Top 10 team (regardless of if you believe it or not), but NU’s ranking today, tomorrow, or next week has zero implication on their chances to win the Big Ten West, win the conference, or – dare to dream – make the Playoff. I firmly believe that an undefeated team from a Power Five conference will ALWAYS make the playoff.

If you want to revisit this if/when Nebraska clinches the West, we can. But for now, sit back and enjoy a 7-0 start without getting caught up on snubs, slights, and stupid banter from an overrated pregame show.

It is time to fully embrace Terrell Newby. For much of his Nebraska career, fans have been slow – if not reluctant – to embrace Terrell Newby as NU’s feature back. There are many reasons for this, both in his control (his reputation as a “dancer” reluctant to run to contact) as well as things he couldn’t change (he followed one of the all time greats, and fan infatuation with other backs on the roster). He’s spent most of the last five years hearing about how fans and pundits (myself included) would rather give the ball to anybody else.

But I would hope that we can now recognize that Newby is deserving of our respect and praise. He has destroyed the old narrative that a player cannot improve between their junior and senior seasons. Newby is more decisive and shows greater acceleration through holes. Instead of running around would-be tacklers, the 2016 Newby is running through them. In the fourth quarter, when Nebraska has needed to burn clock and put away games, Newby has been a stop-him-if-you-can workhorse. You can discount the teams he’s owned in the fourth quarter (Illinois, Indiana, and Purdue) but respect the performance. More importantly, respect the player who never gave up and worked hard to improve himself.

The Blackshirts are improving. All in all, this was one of the defense’s better games. Purdue marched 75 yards in nine plays for a touchdown on their first full possession (ignoring the “what are you doing?” halfback pass that was intercepted on the first play). Early in the second quarter, Nebraska gave up an 88 yard touchdown. After that, the Blackshirts locked down allowing just 128 yards on 46 snaps (2.8 yards per play).

In the stretch of almost three full quarters, Purdue was 3-11 on third down and 1-4 on fourth down. The Blackshirts picked up two sacks, hurried the quarterback twice more, broke up six passes, intercepted a pass, stopped a fake punt, and allowed zero points. Heck, after their first touchdown, Purdue only ran eight plays in Nebraska territory.

The most impressive part was the contributions at all levels of the defense. The tackles clogged running lanes and allowed the linebackers to run free. The linebackers made tackles all over the field. The secondary turned in two interceptions, broke up a half-dozen passes, and should get credit for at least two of Nebraska’s sacks.

Discount the opponent if you wish, but this is a really good time for the defense to hit their stride.

So what don’t we know?

Where is the depth on the offensive line? Do you remember Greg Austin? He was a left guard on the 2006 team who battled injuries for most of the year. He would limp on the field, block somebody to the best of his abilities, and limp back off when the possession was done. I remember seeing him hobble down the field after big gains, unable to keep up with his teammates. It was sad to watch a guy struggle that badly, and frustrating that a guy who could barely walk was apparently Nebraska’s best option.

Ten years later history is repeating itself. Nebraska’s offensive line is really banged up. Right tackle David Knevel could not finish the game due to injuries. Left tackle Nick Gates arguably should not have finished the game. The current line is chock full of walk-ons, some of which have their own injuries.

Look: I get that throwing a freshman in at tackle is much different from having a frosh play running back or receiver. It takes time to develop an offensive lineman, and apparently youngsters Jalin Barnett, Michael Decker, and Christian Gaylord aren’t there yet. But…are those guys worse than Nick Gates at 70%? Is the gap between sophomore walk-on Cole Conrad and redshirt sophomore Barnett (a highly touted four-star recruit) that big? With two season defining games coming up, wouldn’t it be good to rest an injured player and give valuable reps to a youngster?

Can Nebraska win in Madison? Of Nebraska’s four wins over Wisconsin, only one has occurred in Madison – 50 years ago in 1966. Since joining the Big Ten, the Huskers are 0-2 in Madison, with a combined score of 107-41. The 6 pm kickoff (and the full day of tailgating beforehand) will make it tough on the Huskers.

Personally, I so no reason why Nebraska cannot win. Yes, NU’s injury situation is dicey, but I’m sure Badger fans would tell you the same thing. It really comes down to the (on-field) issues that have plagued this program for years: turnover margin, penalties, and third down. If Nebraska can win in those categories, they can win anywhere.

Is Wisconsin a “must win” game? On the surface, it’s odd to think that an undefeated team playing a team with two losses is anywhere close to “must-win” territory. However, that may be the case for Nebraska – especially for their plans of winning the Big Ten West. Right now, Wisconsin has two conference losses, and Nebraska (obviously) has none. But a loss to Wisconsin puts the Huskers’ title hopes on a tight rope with Wisconsin owning the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Considering that Wisconsin closes out their schedule with Northwestern, Illinois, Purdue, and Minnesota, the Badgers may not lose another conference game. The Huskers would have to win at Ohio State and at Iowa (while avoiding slip ups against Minnesota and Maryland) to win the West.

This game may not be a true “must win”, but a NU victory gives the Huskers a healthy lead going down the stretch.

The best thing I saw on Saturday: The two F/A-18 Super Hornets flying over Memorial Stadium. I love pregame flyovers, they can make even games against Purdue feel special. I wish they occurred more often.

The worst thing I saw on Saturday: A young Husker fan losing his lunch in the North stadium concourse at halftime. Aside from being a somewhat apt metaphor for how many fans viewed the first half, I felt bad for the little guy – and his dad.

5 Players I Loved

Brandon Reilly. With Jordan Westerkamp and Cethan Carter injured, Reilly has embraced the role of “go-to receiver”. His four catches for 73 yards led the team, and he contributed some key plays.
Caleb Lightbourn. After the punt game woes at Indiana, you could hear some whispers of criticism about the true freshman who was thrust unexpectedly into a starting job. The addition of a rugby kick was a great way to boost his confidence. He responded with a 43 yard average on four kicks, with three landing inside the 20.
Kieron Williams. Frankly, I was tempted to put him on here for his celebration after rushing the passer on Purdue’s fake punt (a sweet cross-over dribble, fade-away jumper combo). But his pass break up, tackle for loss, and two interceptions are certainly deserving. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if a big play is happening on defense (or special teams) the odds are good that Kieron is in the middle of it.
De’Mornay Pierson-El. DPE operates so well in space. It’s what makes him an elite punt returner, and it’s why Danny Langsdorf should keep the quick slant route in the playbook. Give Pierson-El the ball in the middle of the field, set up a couple of blocks, and let him do the rest. Additionally, Pierson-El is becoming a skilled perimeter blocker.
Josh Banderas and Dedrick Young. Nebraska’s linebackers combined for one heck of game. Banderas led the team with 13 tackles, and Young was right behind him with 11. Bando is playing some of his best ball as a Husker and Young just keeps getting better and better.

Honorable Mention: Terrell Newby, Mick Stoltenberg, Nate Gerry, Sam Cotton, Stanley Morgan, Alonzo Moore, Tommy Armstrong, Tre Bryant, 70 degree days in late October

5 Areas for Improvement

Red Zone Scoring. The good news is NU was 3-3 on red zone scoring chances. The bad news is two of those were field goals. The horribly ugly news is that it took a 51 yard field goal to salvage points from a first and goal on the 10 yard line. 13 points in three red zone trips may not be enough to get it done the next two weeks.
Offensive Line. I get the injuries. I saw that Purdue played most of the game with eight or nine guys in the box. I know that Nebraska was able to exert some of their fourth quarter dominance to seal the game. But nobody can – or should – be happy with the performance of the offensive line. The level of play needs to be much higher in the next two games.
Husker Fans. The stadium vibe was rather relaxed on Saturday. Even though Nebraska trailed for a good portion of the game, I never got the sense that sellout crowd 352 had a strong desire to get overly involved. I would describe the atmosphere as “an 11 am BTN game” where the prevailing attitude of fans toward the team was “Please don’t make me have to work today.” Additional demerits to fans attempting to start the wave during what was then a three-point game.
Purdue Fans. Did Purdue bring anybody to the game? The visiting team section was quiet and appeared to have as many people wearing red as black and gold. Before, during, and after the game, I saw as many fans wearing Iowa gear as I Purdue clothes (two of each). I get this is not a prideful time in the Boiler Nation, but couldn’t you find a couple of hundred people to put on a black shirt and feign interest?
Ed Cunningham. I joked that if I had $1 for every incorrect, inane, or ignorant thing Ed said during the NU-Purdue telecast I could pay for my ticket. By randomly scrolling through Twitter during TV timeouts, I got up to about $20 – a number I’m sure I could double if I watched the game at home. There are announcers Husker fans dislike because of a perceived bias. And there are announcers who just aren’t very good. Mr. Cunningham falls in the latter category.

You Can’t Hide Your Illini

Feit Can Write · October 6, 2016 · College Football, Huskers · B1G, Big Ten, College Football, Cornhuskers, Football, Huskers, Illinois, Illinois Fighting Illini, Nebraska, Nebraska Football, Sports · No Comments

Hello loyal readers, family members, Twitter/Facebook e-migos, and those who blindly click on hyperlinks!

As you may know, this column is also available on HuskerMax.com.

As always, you have my sincere appreciation for reading, commenting, and sharing (hint hint).

Now, quit screwing around and CLICK THIS LINK.

* * *

What a difference a year makes.

A year ago, after (what was then) the ugliest and most painful loss of the 2015 season, I wrote this*. Rereading it brings back all of the struggles and difficulties Nebraska was facing a year ago: highly questionable play calling, horrible game and clock management, not utilizing talent correctly, abandoning the run, players with horrible attitudes, a secondary that couldn’t cover their own shadow, fourth quarter collapses, and other things that you and I have still managed to repress.

*And given that I used a song title last year, I’ll continue the theme this year with a horrible pun that I absolutely love.

A year later, the transition is dramatic. Danny Langsdorf called another strong game, playing to the strengths of his personnel. Clock management was not an issue. Nebraska is running the ball – and sticking with it. After what could have been a divisive week the team unity and focus seems to be strong. I thought the secondary played one of their worst games of the season on Saturday and they held Illinois to 14-23 for 146. The Illini had almost 100 more passing yards a year ago, despite ridiculously windy conditions. Finally, Nebraska’s biggest transformation may be in how they are owning the fourth quarter.

Now let’s be clear: everything is not magically fixed. There are plenty of flaws to be found in this game and where the team is at today. There is a ton of work left to be done and room for improvement. Heck, another 5-7 season is not out of the question at this point.

But take a moment to acknowledge the progress that has been made so far.

So what did we learn?

The Huskers are literally limping into their bye week. Thank goodness the bye week is in the middle of the season, instead of at the end like last year. Here is a partial list of guys who did not play – or did not finish the game – on Saturday: Nebraska’s best receiver, their NFL-caliber tight end, arguably their best running back, their fastest receiver, two starting offensive linemen, and it feels like I’m missing a couple more.

Depth continues to be a major concern for the Huskers. There are a number of positions where the drop-off between starter and backup – in terms of talent, experience, or both – is dramatic. There was a play in the 3rd quarter where the guys on the field resembled a lineup you might see in the 3rd quarter of a Red-White Scrimmage.

The bye week, and the opportunity to rest and heal it provides, could not come at a better time for this team.

Milt Tenopir would be proud of the last four Husker drives. When word came out about legendary line coach Milt Tenopir’s passing, I said the best way for Nebraska to honor him would be to have the team rush for 300+ yards. While that didn’t happen, the team did the next best thing: they dominated the ball in the second half. Look at these two drives:

18 plays, 75 yards, 10:42 of possession. Touchdown. A drive for the ages. 18 plays??? Almost 11 minutes of possession??? And by the way, Nebraska took the lead with the score.
11 plays, 59 yards, 5:49 of possession. Touchdown. This drive opened up with seven straight runs.

Those are numbers straight out of Milt Tenopir’s heart. You can picture the old coach getting a little misty eyed watching his boys control the line of scrimmage for most of the second half. And just like in Milt’s day, those two drives played a huge role in the last two drives of the day:

2 plays, 70 yards, 0:54 of possession. Touchdown. First play: a run up the middle for seven yards. Second play: an offtackle run for 63 yards and a giant nail in the coffin.
2 plays, -1 yard, 1:14 of possession. End of game.

Rest in peace, Milt. You will be missed.

One of the Big Ten’s “sleeping giants” may be waking up. Illinois is often described as a “sleeping giant” program – one with resources, deep pools of in-state talent, and the biggest obstacle to success being themselves. Think Missouri prior to Gary Pinkel. The Illini have talent within their borders, the ability to recruit Chicago, and are the only big time public school in the state. Big Ten membership gives them money for anything they might need, namely coaches buy-outs and new training facilities. All that is left is for the administration to care, and to find the guy who can build something sustainable.

There is a chance that Lovie Smith may be that guy. His first team may be 1-3, but you can see his blueprint coming together already: build from the lines out, make your name on defense, and play physical football. Illinois is clearly a couple of years away talent-wise, but Lovie has the NFL cred that is valuable in recruiting.

Don’t be shocked if in the next few years Illinois gets out of their own way long enough to become a contender in the West.

So what don’t we know?

Does NU win this game a year ago? Walking out of the stadium, enjoying the glow of victory, a thought crossed my mind: Trailing by six headed into the fourth quarter, would the Huskers have won this game a year ago? Obviously there are a lot of factors that make it tough to compare and impossible to know for sure, but my gut says Nebraska loses this game.

For me, the only question is how Nebraska would have lost. Do promising drives end with interceptions, with a pick-six to ice the game? Maybe the Huskers reclaim the lead, but Illinois proceeds to march down the field and win in the final minute. Is the spot on the 4th and 1 carry by Newby marked short (or overturned on replay) stalling all momentum?

Was the reaction to the National Anthem protests a distraction? The offense got off to a slow start, only scoring 10 points in the first three quarters. Meanwhile, the defense had issues with soft coverage and softer tackling. As Husker fans tried to understand why this was happening (without giving any credit to the Illinois defensive line) one of the theories tossed out was the national anthem protest was a distraction. Or more specifically, the reaction by media, fans, and elected officials was a distraction.

To that, I say: Bull.

Yes, that protest – and the various reactions it spawned – were the hot topic of conversation across the state all week long, and across all mediums. But aside from Michael Rose-Ivey having a conversation with the Governor, and a few extra questions during the team’s media availability, I truly believe it was a non-issue in the locker room. You may doubt the validity (or the sincerity) of Riley’s team being a “melting pot”. I’m willing to guarantee multiple players on the team did not care for the protest, but I’ll also guarantee that the culture of respect is fully in place.

Who knows how it would have played out if Rose-Ivey knelt in Riley’s first year – or in one of Pelini’s last two seasons. My guess is it would not be nearly as seamless as we’ve seen so far.

Can Nebraska clean up their sloppiness? Your Huskers are 5-0, but not without their flaws. The good news is, three of the biggest warts are things they can control.

Red zone turnovers. Brandon Vogel of Hail Varsity pointed out that five of Nebraska’s six turnovers occurred inside the opponent’s 15 yard line. Since I consider Drew Brown to be automatic inside 35 yards, red zone turnovers cost the Huskers at least three points every time. Protect the ball and get your points.
15 yard flags. It says something about how sloppy this team can be that picking up two 15 yard penalties in a game is a major improvement.
Quarterback decision-making. Tommy Armstrong is trending in a bad direction with his decision making. His one interception was a ball under thrown into triple coverage. He deserved a second INT when he was flushed out of the pocket, rolled to his right and threw a lob back to the middle of the field.

It’s actually rather impressive that Nebraska has made it to 5-0 as sloppy as they can be. But unless those things get cleaned up – or at least drastically reduced – they will lead to losses.

The best thing I saw on Saturday: The defensive intensity in the second half. In the first half, Illinois had 169 yards on 24 plays (an average of 7 yds per play). But in the second half, the Blackshirts raised their game allowing just 101 yards on 20 plays (5 yards per play).

Remember those amazing ball control drives in the 3rd and 4th quarters that won the game? Don’t forget the defense’s role in that. After giving up a 74 yard field goal drive to get the score to 16-10, Illinois had three more possessions. The Illini gained just 18 yards on 10 plays, with no first downs.

The worst thing I saw on Saturday: Two of Nebraska’s best receivers being taken to the locker room with injuries. Get better soon, boys.

5 Players I Loved

Terrell Newby. After an injury to Ozigbo and a fumble by Wilbon, the much maligned Newby was asked to be a workhorse in the second half. And did he respond. He gained 143 on 27 carries, and scored two touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 26 yards. Newby is probably the least respected NU I-Back since Dahrran Diedrick or Josh Davis, but he has been a much improved player in 2016.
Sam Cotton. Speaking of much maligned Huskers, let’s take a minute to appreciate the youngest member of the Cotton clan. Watch any clip of a Nebraska back running, and you’ll likely see Cotton somewhere in the frame blocking his man, setting an edge, or chopping down opposing players. And I have a hard time thinking of a better catch by a Husker than his fingertips grab of a Tommy Armstrong missile for a big first down.
Kevin Maurice. The stats (2 tackles, 1 TFL, and 1 hurry) don’t really show it, but the “Space Cowboy” has been playing at a very high level of late.
Stanley Morgan, Jr. When you see him blocking defensive backs to the sideline, or making big catches on third down, it is tough to remember that he is just a true sophomore. This kid Stan has a bright future – and with Westerkamp and Carter out, a big opportunity to increase his role.
De’Mornay Pierson-El. I love watching him return punts. The way he moves in space, accelerates, and finds creases cannot be taught. I like seeing him getting touches in multiple facets of the game (returns, receptions, and rushes). Finally, his work as a perimeter blocker was equally impressive.

Honorable Mention: Trey Foster, Jordan Westerkamp, Joshua Kalu, Michael Rose-Ivey, Dedrick Young, Freedom Akinmoladun, Ross Dzuris’s old-school black cleats, Corey Whitaker

5 Areas for Improvement

Tackling. As impressive as the overall defensive performance was, I’d love to see how it would have looked if the first (or even second) defender would have made the tackle. Far too often, an Illinois player was bouncing off two or three guys before going down.
Loose coverage. The secondary spent most of the game playing way off the Illinois receivers. It was not uncommon for there to be an 8-10 yard cushion between Chris Jones, Kalu, or one of the Williams boys and the receiver. Illinois gained a lot of yards on basic pitch and catch throws that could have been avoided with tighter coverage.
Option Football. Let’s set the stage: 3rd & 2 from the Illinois 5. NU is down six and on play 14 of their marathon drive. Settling for a field goal is not an option. So what play does Danny Langsdorf opt for when he needs two yards? An option to the left. Armstrong had to pitch the ball early and Newby was fortunate to get a yard. Hopefully, we all know by now that I love me some option football. But that was not the right time or situation for Nebraska to run their first option of the year. From the execution, it looked like they could use a little more work.
Referee Don Capron’s Microphone Etiquette. Dear Don – I’m not sure how long you’ve been a referee for major conference football, but here is a pro tip for you: After you explain a penalty or other procedural thing, you will want to always – ALWAYS – turn off your microphone before blowing your whistle. Otherwise, you end up rupturing eardrums, shattering eyeglasses, and pissing off every dog for 30 miles. And you really don’t want to do it three times because 90,000 of the greatest fans in college football will boo the crap out of you.
Mike Rozier’s headwear. It’s always great to see the former Heisman Trophy winners back in town, but I was a little bummed to see Mike Rozier in a black ball cap. I’m not expecting him to break out his glorious two-tone suit and matching hat, but getting Rozier in a ball cap is like being served chicken nuggets at a five-star restaurant.

NU vs. NU: They Played A Game Too?

Feit Can Write · September 29, 2016 · College Football, Huskers · B1G, Big Ten, College Football, Cornhuskers, Football, Huskers, Nebraska, Nebraska Football, Sports · No Comments

Hello loyal readers, family members, Twitter/Facebook e-migos, and those who blindly click on hyperlinks!

As you may know, this column is also available on HuskerMax.com.

As always, you have my sincere appreciation for reading, commenting, and sharing (hint hint).

Now, quit screwing around and CLICK THIS LINK.

* * *

My apologies – I, like many of you, have been so caught up in the discussion around the three Husker players who knelt during the national anthem that I forgot to actually write about the game. It turns out, after the national anthem concluded Saturday night in Evanston, Illinois they did play a football game. That’s not to discount or discredit the silent protest by three Husker players, but to not so subtly let you know that we’re going to keep our focus* on what happened between the opening kickoff and the end of the game.

*As an aside, I do have several thoughts and opinions on the coverage, controversy, and conversation over the three Husker players who took a knee during the national anthem. I encourage you to read them here. Now back to your regularly scheduled column.

As is our custom for the Northwestern game, the winner gets to be referred to as “NU” for the remainder of the column.

So what did we learn?

Don’t panic over losing two fumbles in the end zone. It was shaping up so well. Nebraska took the opening kickoff and was flying down the field. Terrell Newby broke loose and was about to score from 50 yards when he fumbled the ball stretching for the pylon. In the second quarter, Devine Ozigbo was trying to score from a yard out and had the ball stripped away by a Wildcat defender. I know the natural instinct is to freak out about ball security and squandering scoring opportunities. But you shouldn’t lose sleep over either play.

Newby tried to make a hustle play and it backfired. Sure, you can look at the play through hindsight and say he should have tucked it and gone out of bounds at the three. But that is not realistic. I want players who refuse to step out of bounds to avoid contact. I want players who will make every effort to get into the end zone. As an example, look at the touchdown Newby scored in the second quarter. He twisted, spun, displayed the balance of a gymnast, and made it into the end zone. Are you telling me that level of effort is any different from the play he fumbled on?

As for Ozigbo, it was an unfortunate set of circumstances. You could certainly argue that his forward momentum had stopped. But how often do you see a back squirt through the scrum into the end zone – or as we saw earlier this year, be pushed and pulled in by your teammates? If the refs had a quick whistle and Ozigbo appeared to score, we would be understandably upset. This is the flip side to that play.

Bottom line – I have a hard time faulting a player for a fumble when they are giving max effort trying to get into the end zone.

Mike Riley and Danny Langsdorf trust Armstrong and the offensive line. It was one of those “am I seeing this correctly?” moments: second drive of the game, 4th down and 1, from your own 30 yard line and Nebraska lines up to go for it. If NU gets stuffed, you are all but giving Northwestern points. I assumed Nebraska would do the old routine where you line up, try to draw ’em offsides, call a timeout and punt it away. Instead, Armstrong lined up under center, took the snap and plowed forward for two yards and a first down.

Aside from bucking every tenet of “conventional coaching wisdom”, the decision to go for it in that scenario showed that Nebraska’s coaches have extreme confidence in the offensive line to get a push and in their senior QB to get the necessary yardage. What makes that decision even crazier is on the preceding 3rd and 1, Ozigbo was stuffed for no gain. On the subsequent first down play, Ozigbo lost a yard.

Keep an eye on this as the season goes forward. If Riley feels that he can get a yard or two whenever he needs it, we may see more 4th down attempts from all over the field.

Northwestern should hire a graduate from the real NU to take care of their field. Did you know that Nebraska offers a major in Turfgrass & Landscape Management through the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources? Clearly, our friends in Evanston do not.

Early in the week, I felt the concerns over Northwestern’s field – particularly the length of their grass – were overblown. Then I saw the field and realized they were growing the grass long to attempt some type of Gene Keady comb-over to hide the numerous bald spots.

How bad was it? My yard is composed of 65% weeds, 30% grass, and 5% toys and other crap my kids leave out. I think I’ve mowed once in the month of September. And I’d put my lawn up against the Ryan Field “turf” any day.

So what don’t we know?

Do we need to worry about bad snaps again? In years past, Nebraska centers have struggled with getting the snap properly placed. It felt like Tommy spent the majority of a season snagging snaps aimed at his helmet or a random point two yards to his right.

Through the first three games, there were no glaring issues between Dylan Utter and Armstrong. But on Saturday, there are multiple snaps that sailed high, wide, or both. A couple of them cost NU yards and/or stalled drives.

I don’t know if it was a fluke thing, a result of the first road game, playing on Northwestern’s bomb crater of a field, or if Utter was distracted by the chrome facemasks. But here’s hoping it is a one game thing.

Why do Nebraskans insist on getting married on Saturdays in the fall? I missed the majority of the game as we were attending the wedding involving a family friend. Thanks to the fine folks at BTN, I was able to watch a rerun late Sunday night, but I’ll honestly never understand why Nebraska natives get married in the fall.

I’m sure the bride didn’t care for people asking if there would be a place at the reception where they could watch the game. And when I was leaving to take my youngest two kids back to the hotel (around the end of the 3rd quarter) there had to be 20+ guests in a separate room from the reception watching the game on TV.

Engaged couples: I assume you want the complete and undivided attention of your guests on your special day. Nobody wants their wedding day soured by friends and relatives in a bad mood because NU turned it over five times and lost on a last second play. And do you really want to make Grandpa pick between coming to your wedding and his tickets in West Stadium that he’s had since Nixon was in office? Are you sure you’ll come out on top?

Nick and Danielle, I wish you a lifetime of love and happiness. To everyone else, remember: there are 40 other Saturdays in the year without a Nebraska game. Pick one of those. Please.

What is Bruce Read’s secret to defending field goals? With another missed kick on Saturday, Nebraska opponents have now made just two of six field goals this season. I’m not really sure what Bruce Read is doing schematically to confound and confuse opposing kickers, but it is working. There doesn’t appear to be an overwhelming surge at the line, extreme pressure off the edge, or safeties sitting back working voodoo dolls.

Heck, Oregon was so intimidated by NU’s field goal defense that they chose to go for it on fourth down multiple times instead of attempting kicks. Northwestern tried a fake field goal, which was also shut down.

I don’t know about you, but a 33% success rate on field goals is probably worth $450,000 a year. Seriously, how much would you pay to go back and have any two Texas field goals sail wide left?

The best thing I saw on Saturday: Four Huskers (Sam Hahn, Zack Darlington, Drew Brown, and Nick Gates) stepped up to help Northwestern with a giant American flag being displayed before the game. Setting aside the other (and completely separate) thing with the players who knelt during the anthem, this was a very cool thing to see.

The worst thing I saw on Saturday: Northwestern’s purple M*A*S*H tent where they took injured players for evaluation away from the prying eyes of opposing teams, sideline reporters, and degenerate gamblers. Are you really that paranoid about your opponents getting an edge – or possible HIPAA violations – that you need to quarantine guys who sprain their ankle?

I do know this: somewhere in Kansas there is another purple-clad Wildcat who is ticked off that he didn’t think of it first.

5 Players I Loved

Blocking Receivers. The receivers and tight ends put on a perimeter blocking clinic. From the first carry of the game until the final carry, the receivers were locked in on their man with the apparent goal of pushing them into Lake Michigan. While I can think of an example from every single receiver and tight end who played, special recognition goes to Stanley Morgan, Jr. He was a complete beast all night long.
Tommy Armstrong, runner. Armstrong racked up a career high 132 yards on just 13 carries. He was fast, decisive, elusive, and Northwestern had no answer for him. His running ability opened up a lot in the passing game.
Mikale Wilbon. Remember the guy who looked so good in the 2015 opener that fans wanted him to start for most of the season? He’s back. I don’t know if Wilbon has been coming on in practice (my assumption), if he got an opening due to the fumbles by Newby and Ozigbo, or if his expanded role was due to being Chicago kid playing close to home. Regardless, he made the most of his opportunities and earned more touches down the road.
Dedrick Young. With all due respect to the other guys on the roster, Young may be the most complete linebacker on the team. He is instinctive in run support, a sure tackler, and is getting enough pass break ups to earn an honorary degree from Lockdown U.
Offensive Line. There will always be a spot here for the O-Line when NU rushes for more than 300 yards. I really like knowing that in the final game of Milt Tenopir’s life, the Huskers rolled up their first 300 yard day of the season. Rest in peace, Milt.

Honorable Mention: Kevin Maurice, Cethan Carter, Aaron Williams, Joshua Kalu, Chris Jones, Alonzo Moore, Sam Cotton, Nick Gates having to shush “Go Big Red” chants so the team could hear – on the road, BTN’s mobile app.

5 Areas for Improvement

15 Yard Penalties. The good news is Nebraska was only flagged for four penalties. The bad news is all four were 15 yard personal foul / unsportsmanlike conduct fouls. This needs to get cleaned up, pronto.
Defensive Timeouts. I thought calling two timeouts on defense in less than 30 seconds of game time was a nice tribute to the Bo Pelini era. But maybe we can get things figured out during the first timeout and keep the second one. Just in case.
Tommy Armstrong, passer. The raw numbers (18-29, with a TD and no picks) look pretty good. But Tommy had arguably his worst passing day of the season. He overthrew Jordan Westerkamp at least three times, costing him an easy touchdown and a shot at a second. Early in the fourth quarter, Armstrong misread a coverage and threw what easily could have been a pick-six. After a bad snap on a 3rd down play, Armstrong scrambled and tried to make something out of nothing, firing the ball across the field. Just because Alonzo Moore made the catch, doesn’t mean it was a smart play. Throw it away, punt, and get ’em next time.
3rd and long defense. On a 3rd and 22, Northwestern managed to pick up 15 yards, finding a wide open receiver. This is the second week in a row the opponent has taken a 3rd and impossible and set up a 4th and possible.
Holiday Inn of Lakeville, MN. You are in a suburb of a major metropolitan area that boasts the flagship university in the state, but you don’t carry the Big Ten Network as one of the 55 channels provided to guests? Boo.

Taking A Stand (By Taking A Knee)

Feit Can Write · September 28, 2016 · College Football, Huskers · B1G, Big Ten, Colin Kaepernick, College Football, Cornhuskers, Football, Huskers, Nebraska, Nebraska Football, Sports · One Comment

Hello loyal readers, family members, Twitter/Facebook e-migos, and those who blindly click on hyperlinks!

As you may know, this column is also available on HuskerMax.com.

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Initially, I was going to include some thoughts on the kneeling protest by three Huskers in my normal post-game column. But as the controversy grew and spun up separate storms, I felt that combining the two would do a disservice to the game, the protest, or both.

I’m also aware that some of you are reaching a saturation point with this story, so if you feel the need to click out now there are no hard feelings. That said, I hope you’ll read on with an open heart and mind.

I’ll tip my hand early: I support Michael Rose-Ivey, Mohamed Barry, and DaiShon Neal in their peaceful protest. As an American, it horrifies me to watch videos of my fellow citizens being shot and killed by those who are supposed to protect us. But I’ll freely admit my support is much more self-serving.

My wife and I have adopted three children. Two are black and one is biracial. It scares the hell out of me that I can raise my son the “right way”, teach him respect for authority and law enforcement, how to be a model citizen, and still have him at risk every time he walks out the door. My boy is only four, but he’s already on track to be built like Barry, Rose-Ivey, or Neal – tall, lean, and muscular.

I plan to coach my children on exactly what to do if they are stopped by law enforcement. Stand perfectly still. No fast movements. Don’t reach into your pocket for your wallet or phone. Do what you are told and end every response with “sir” or “ma’am”. But it has become clear to me that in some parts of our great nation, my children could do everything perfect and still not come home. That terrifies me. I hope that is a fear you do not have for your own children.

So yes, I support Colin Kaepernick, Michael Rose-Ivey, Mohamed Barry, DaiShon Neal, and those who choose to peacefully protest to draw attention to this issue. There are no quick or easy answers to the social and racial issues in our nation, but ignoring them or viewing them as somebody else’s problem is definitely not the answer.

So what did we learn?

You do not have to condone, agree with, or support the actions of Rose-Ivey, Neal, and Barry. I have no desire to tell you how to think, act, or believe. I know there are many who feel kneeling during the anthem is blatantly disrespectful – period. There are a lot of arguments that can – and have – been made on how there are more appropriate times and places for a protest. There are numerous statistics that have been offered to repudiate the stance these players are taking. And there are those who simply would prefer sports to be a refuge free from social and political issues.

You are absolutely entitled to your beliefs and opinions. As I mentioned above, this issue is close to home for me. It’s possible that I might feel differently if my kids were as pasty white as I am. From my perspective, all I would ask is you take a moment to honestly consider what they are protesting and truly put yourself in their shoes. If you still disagree, that is okay.

This is not a decision that came about lightly. I have seen many people referring to these players as selfish, attention-seeking, or simply parroting the behavior of some NFL players. I can’t speak for Rose-Ivey, Barry, or Neal, but I suspect that is wildly inaccurate. According to an interview with Michael Rose, Sr on “Sharp and Benning”, Rose-Ivey’s process included talking to his parents, Coach Riley, and finally the entire team. I suspect that along the way, Rose-Ivey was warned of the backlash he would face.

The decision to kneel put a ginormous spotlight on those players – and in several cases, put a target on their backs. In his statement on Monday, Rose-Ivey spoke of death threats. On “Sharp & Benning”, the elder Rose talked about how his youngest daughter lost a close friend because her parents would no longer allow the friendship to occur. Knowing how risk-adverse NFL teams are, do you think kneeling helps or harms the draft prospects of these three Huskers?

Let me put it another way: I’d guarantee there are more than just three players on that team who feel strongly about black men and women being shot by law enforcement officers across the country. But only three players chose to kneel. My hunch is that has much more to do about conviction of beliefs and the strength to take a stand than the desire to be in the spotlight.

It is possible to support Rose-Ivey as well as the military, law enforcement and others. I would hope this goes without saying, but you don’t have to choose sides. It is absolutely possible to love America and still want it to be better. You can (and in my opinion, should) support law enforcement while acknowledging that there are officers on the streets unworthy of the badge. You can dislike the manner and/or venue in which Kaepernick and others protest, but respect their right to do it. You can (and should) be thankful for the freedoms our military has provided and protected, and still want those freedoms readily available for every man and woman in our great nation. Conversely, it is certainly possible to not support these athletes without being a racist or a bigot.

So what don’t we know?

What should you do? I won’t tell you to support what Rose-Ivey, Barry, and Neal are protesting for. I definitely won’t tell you to support their method for protest. I would hope that I don’t need to remind you of their right to protest. This is a complex, emotional issue that hits on a several core beliefs that you and I hold dear.

I would ask you to do this: try to consider why these young men are doing what they are doing. I suspect the majority of people reading this are similar to me (white males born and raised in a state that is, according to census data, almost 90% white).

You may believe that all of these deaths were justified, that if the folks involved had complied – or had obeyed the law – they would still be alive. You may believe that nothing is worth disrespecting the flag of our great nation. You may think that “Black Lives Matter” is a joke, or that things like white privilege, institutional racism, and profiling are manufactured excuses. You may choose to believe any number of other things that are decidedly not politically correct. You may choose to cite statistics regarding race and crime in an attempt to deflect or negate the message. All of this is definitely your right.

But…

I would ask you to picture yourself as a young, black male in America. Imagine what life is like when the notion that you could be stopped by police, comply in a non-threatening manner, and still be shot is a real possibility. If you are unable (or unwilling) to do that, try this: imagine how you would react if a large black male approached you on the street. Now, how would your reaction change if that black male was decked out head to toe in team-issued Adidas gear?

What comes next? Where does this protest go from here? As you likely know, at Nebraska home games the national anthem is played while both teams are in the locker room. So it is highly unlikely that the player protest will continue inside Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

Beyond that, you’d have to look at Nebraska’s four remaining road games, as well as possible matchups in the Big Ten Championship and/or a bowl game. Will the Star Spangled Banner be played while the teams are out on the field? If so, do Rose-Ivey, Neal, and Barry continue to kneel? Do other players join them?

Outside of game day, what will come of the prospective meeting between Rose-Ivey and Governor Pete Ricketts? Will it be an actual conversation where tough issues are discussed and solutions are proposed? Or will it be nothing more than a photo opportunity? I am optimistic.

Is there any impact inside the locker room? Mike Riley has talked about respect for one another being a core value of the team. So far, any comment or reaction from other players has been to support their teammates. But with 140 guys on the team from multiple backgrounds, the odds are very strong that at least one guy disagrees with the issue, the manner of the protest, and/or the attention that is being drawn away from the team’s 4-0 start.

Assuming there is some level of disagreement within the team, how does that play out? It is handled face to face? Is there an unwritten “agree to disagree” policy in place? Or in the worst case scenario, do snide comments get made to the media creating factions in the locker room?

I have faith in Riley, the coaches, captains, and other team leaders to keep the peace and maintain focus on football goals.

5 People I Loved

Michael Rose-Ivey, Mohamed Barry, & DaiShon Neal. Even if you disagree with their message, or how they chose to present it, I would hope you can respect their passion and desire to put their names (and reputations) on something they believe in – something that @HuskerTroll69 isn’t willing to do.
Mike Riley. I really respect how Mike Riley has handled this. We have no idea where he stands on the cause these three Huskers are protesting – or how they are protesting – but he has clearly created a culture of respect within the team. His quotes about the team being a “melting pot” and college as a time where “you gain a whole new awareness of the world as you go, and you start to form those opinions that are going to make you who you are for the rest of your life” are very enlightened. These are the things that recruits – and especially their parents – notice.
Nebraska Fans. To those who have supported the three players vocally or on social media, I commend you. To those who disagree, but have kept your comments civil, I applaud you too. It’s okay to have differences in opinion – especially on complex issues like this. Being able to express yourself without name calling or disregarding the other side is a good thing.
Local media. This has been a controversial issue with lots of land mines. There is an unlimited potential for hot take artists to run wild. But the local media – print and radio in particular – have done an excellent job of providing perspective, opinions from all sides, and fostering a mostly civil forum where we can discuss, debate, and agree to disagree. There are a lot of talented people in the Nebraska media, and they have done excellent work this week to provide a constructive conversation.
Sam Hahn, Drew Brown, Zack Darlington, & Nick Gates. A discussion about the Star Spangled Banner before the Northwestern game would be incomplete without mentioning how four Husker players stepped in to assist with holding a large American flag over the field. I know it is easy to draw a distinction between the presumed patriotism of these four and the perceived disrespect shown by the other three, but I find that too simplistic. Instead, give proper credit to these Huskers for doing what Nebraskans love to do – step up to lend a helping hand without being asked, or without seeking credit.

5 Areas for Improvement

Human decency. Death threats? Racial slurs? Suggesting players be lynched? I struggle to find any scenario where that would be remotely acceptable in a civilized society – let alone in reaction to a young man kneeling in prayer. My cardinal rule for social media is this: if I wouldn’t say it to their face, I’m not going to tweet it at them.
Hal Daub. Between the quotes attributed to him by the Lincoln Journal-Star, calling for Rose-Ivey, Barry, and Neal to be kicked off the team, and his immediate denial in the Omaha World-Herald, the NU Regent did not come off looking very good.
National Anthem decorum. A big part of the controversy has been the perceived disrespect to America and the flag caused by athletes sitting or taking a knee when the anthem is played. I get it. I’ve seen a lot of crappy behavior by fans over the years. People sitting, talking, not removing their hat, using their phone, or otherwise being oblivious and disrespectful. There are many members of Husker Nation who could use a friendly reminder on how to act during the anthem.
Pete Ricketts. The Governor called the protest “disgraceful and disrespectful”, and suggested that raising their fists in the air – a symbol of the black power movement – would be a better alternative. Credit to Gov. Ricketts for agreeing to meet with Rose-Ivey and discuss the issue.
Northwestern parachute guy. The BTN broadcast showed a person who parachuted onto Northwestern’s Ryan Field with an American flag behind him. It was a cool scene – at least until he landed and the flag was drug across the blotchy sandpit Northwestern calls a football field. I don’t know if the parachutist was a military member or a private citizen, but I’m more bothered by the Stars and Stripes being drug across the ground than I am about three guys taking a knee.

Oregon Statement

Feit Can Write · September 20, 2016 · College Football, Huskers · B1G, Big Ten, College Football, Cornhuskers, Football, Huskers, Mike Riley, Nebraska, Nebraska Football, Oregon, Sports · No Comments

Hello loyal readers, family members, Twitter/Facebook e-migos, and those who blindly click on hyperlinks!

As you may know, this column is also available on HuskerMax.com.

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* * *

That was fun.

As I promised previously, I’m not going to make any sweeping generalizations about how Nebraska is “back” after beating Oregon. No posturing about how returning to the Top 25 validates the Mike Riley hire. I’m even going to pass on taking a shot at how the Niketown Ducks’ latest fashion emergency was beaten by one of the most classic and timeless uniforms in college football. If you need all of that, I’m sure you can find it.

Instead, let’s take a moment to appreciate the slice of college football nirvana that we were treated to on Saturday. A beautiful, sunny day. A ranked team with serious name recognition in town. A milestone game in the vaunted sellout streak. A crowd that intended to be a factor from the moment they walked in and choose not to sit down. A back and forth game featuring big plays, tense moments, lead changes, and more two point conversion attempts than some folks see in a lifetime.

It was a great game made better by the fact the home team won, and came from behind to do so. A game that, as good as it looked (and sounded) in high def, was even better in person. It was the rare “big game” that lived up to the hype.

So forgive me if I limit my speculations on if a four point win means Mike Riley’s luck in close games is turning, or if Nebraska is suddenly the favorite in the Big Ten West. I want to savor a victory that you’ll remember for years to come.

So what did we learn?

Nebraska’s Special Teams can really be special. Bruce Read and his troops had themselves a big game on Saturday. Freshman punter Caleb Lightbourn averaged a Foltz-ian 47 yards on five punts – improving his best performance by 15 yards. De’Mornay Pierson-El had a key 42 yard punt return to set up a key touchdown before halftime. None of the four kickoffs Oregon returned made it past the 25 yard line. As a result, Nebraska’s average starting field position was 10 yards better than Oregon.

But the clear star of the special teams show was how the Huskers defended Oregon’s two point conversion attempts. After Charles Nelson strolled in for two after the Ducks’ first touchdown, the Huskers did an outstanding job of reading, defending, and shutting down the next four two point conversions Oregon tried. Meanwhile, Drew Brown was a perfect five for five on his PATs. That was clearly the difference in the game.

I strongly believe no other Nebraskan has a salary as widely known – or as heavily scrutinized – as the $450,000 Bruce Read is paid.* And while he may not have justified his paycheck, I would hope he earned a week or two off from scrutiny.

*Seriously – Without Google, can you tell me the salary of any of Nebraska’s other assistant coaches? What about Mike Riley? Or Tim Miles? Darin Erstad or John Cook? Governor Ricketts? Warren Buffett? Any of them? I can’t, and I’m guessing most of you can’t either.

Mike Riley and company seem to enjoy playing their old Pac 12 friends. Watching the reactions of Riley, Mark Banker, and the other former Oregon State assistants leaving the field, you could tell this was more than just another victory. Riley’s reputation at Oregon State was “good guy, good coach, zero resources”. Playing just down the road from a school that had everything they wanted and more only accentuated that point as the Ducks regularly whipped up on the Beavers. They’d never say it, but my guess is there is some sweet vindication in being able to knock off their old rivals when the stakes were even.

I know it is an incredibly small sample size, but Nebraska is 2-0 against the Pac 12 under Riley against two above average teams (Oregon and UCLA). That bodes well not only for Nebraska’s west coast recruiting efforts, but for a little bowl game they have out in Pasadena.

Nebraska fans can bring the noise. In case you didn’t hear, it was loud inside Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon. From Oregon’s first snap until the final seconds ticked off the clock, there was almost constant noise. I guarantee you’ll find lots of folks who will tell you it was the loudest the stadium has ever been. And while I’m not ready to make that pronouncement*, this was the first game I remember where the crowd was in full roar from the time the ball was spotted until the snap.

*For me, the “loudest game” discussion really needs to be broken down into three categories: Before 1998, 1999 – 2012, and 2013 to present. Why those dates? The addition of the skyboxes in West Stadium (1999) and East Stadium (2013) not only brought thousands of additional voices into the building, but those big walls do a nice job of keeping sound in.

My memory says the 1994 Colorado game was the loudest I’ve experienced. Yet I’d guess that in terms of decibels there have been at least a dozen louder games, simply due to more bodies and acoustics. While we’re on the subject, I’ll go with Oklahoma 2001, and Oklahoma 2009 or Miami 2014 as the loudest from the other eras.

Front and center for recognition should be the Nebraska students in the Boneyard section. They were in their seats a solid 20 minutes before kickoff, led most of the chants and noise, and kept the stadium’s energy going through the black hole that is the gap between the 3rd and 4th quarters. And that DJ Khalid banner was a masterpiece. Take a bow (and a lozenge) Boneyard. You did good.

So what don’t we know?

Can these Huskers make it to Madison without a loss? With Nebraska now at 3-0, and once again ranked in the Top 25, many fans are predicting they will be 7-0 when they play Wisconsin at the end of October. But can it happen?

Certainly, the schedule sets up nicely as Northwestern, Illinois, Indiana, and Purdue isn’t exactly the same as playing Michigan, Ohio State, and Michigan State. So far, those teams are a combined 5-5, with as many losses to FCS schools and wins over Power Five teams (1). The Huskers will likely be favored in all four games.

But let’s be painfully blunt for a second: three of those teams beat Nebraska last year, and the fourth (Indiana) is showing signs of escaping the B1G basement. The better Nebraska’s record is, the bigger the bulls-eye they’ll have on their backs. And it starts this week in Evanston. Northwestern has looked really bad in their two losses, but when the Battle For NU is on the line, they come to play.

Rolling into Madison with a perfect 7-0 record is a definite possibility. But don’t pretend that this team can just walk on the field against a team we perceive to be inferior and come away with a win. It’s not 1999 anymore, and this team (and this coaching staff) has yet to prove they can get to that level.

Is Tommy running too much? Through three games, Tommy Armstrong has recorded 39 carries. A year ago, Tommy had 37 carries through his first five games. This years, Armstrong is second on the team in rush attempts and yards, and is tied for the lead in rushing touchdowns.

Clearly, it is effective. Five of his 16 carries on Saturday resulted in a first down. Armstrong’s 34 yard touchdown run was the game winner. Some may argue it is efficient, as increasing Armstrong’s carries likely means a decrease in his passing attempts, which in theory reduces his chances for interceptions.

However, I worry about his workload and the toll it will take over the course of the season. More accurately, I’m concerned about what I perceive to be a big drop-off between Armstrong and the other quarterbacks on the roster. Put it this way: if the ailment that took Tommy out of the game was something more severe than cramping, would you still be penciling Nebraska in for a 7-0 start?

How would Nebraska fans react if the Huskers went for two as often as Oregon did? You know that peculiar spread out formation that Nebraska lines up in for PATs? The one where they have the snapper, holder Zack Darlington, and Drew Brown in the middle and everybody else outside of the hash marks? Can you imagine if two or three times a game they decided to go for two?

Maybe you’d be okay with it if they made enough of them to come out ahead – or at least break even – from what a boring old PAT would provide. But I suspect Nebraska fans would enforce a strong “Rule of 2”: If a coach went for – and did not make – two two point conversions in quarter number two, he’d have approximately two minutes to escape the stadium at halftime before the angry mob caught up with him.

And it would probably be less if said coach was making, oh I don’t know, four fiddy a year.

The best thing I saw on Saturday: Without a doubt, it would be the large bouquet of flowers that Oregon left at the 27 yard line in memory of Sam Foltz. It was an absolute class gesture that will not be forgotten by Nebraskans.

The worst thing I saw on Saturday: Here’s how good Saturday was, I can’t think of a darn thing to put here.

5 Players I Loved

Caleb Lightbourn. You can argue that Armstrong had a bigger impact in Nebraska winning this game, but Lightbourn was my MVP on Saturday. Every time he went back to kick, Nebraska needed to flip the field, or hopefully slow the Oregon offense by putting them in a hole. And every time, the true freshman who two months ago was a lock to redshirt delivered. A 47.2 yard average, three kicks inside the 20 and zero touchbacks on a day with almost no wind. I got a little choked up when he pointed up to the sky as he ran off the field. I know Sam would be damn proud of that performance.
Tommy Armstrong, Jr. The senior quarterback seemed to will Nebraska to victory. He made plays with his arm, with his feet, and most importantly, with his head. While Oregon QB Dakota Prukop was sliding or running out of bounds, Armstrong was running into contact. Armstrong was excellent on play-action passes, using the success of the ground game to get his receivers open. Aside from an overthrow on a backwards lateral that gets credited to him as a fumble, Armstrong played a very clean game and kept the Huskers in the game. The leg cramps gave his performance a strong Willis Reed vibe, which is always instrumental in gutsy comeback victories.
Devine Ozigbo. Nebraska came out of halftime down six, and frankly, it didn’t feel that close. There was a feeling of dread that the Ducks were going to take control of the game and put Nebraska away. The Huskers took the second half kick at the 25 yard line. They then marched 75 yards in seven plays to take the lead – and set a tone for the second half. It was no coincidence that five of those seven plays were runs between the tackles by Ozigbo. Aside from being the poster boy for the “Run The Ball” movement, Ozigbo continues to be the best back on the NU roster.
Ross Dzuris & Freedom Akinmoladun. For a long time, NU has been unbalanced at defensive end. One guy might have a good game (i.e. Randy Gregory), but the guy on the opposite side would be rather pedestrian (Jason Ankrah). That’s why I was really impressed by the play of Dzuris and Adkinmoladun. Dzuris had another strong game, recording a sack and stopping several big plays before they got started. Had he not forced a fumble, Freedom would have recorded a sack to go along with his five tackles. But I continue to be impressed by his motor and speed off the edge. He’s getting better and better each week.
Michael Rose-Ivey. We can talk about what Rose-Ivey is not: he’s not the fastest guy, the strongest guy, or the most physical guy. Instead, let’s talk about what Rose-Ivey is: one of the most instinctive linebackers to wear a Blackshirt. His ability to diagnose plays and get in position to make a tackle is unmatched on the team. I wish he could have stayed healthy throughout his career.

Honorable Mention: Cethan Carter, Jordan Westerkamp, Kieron Williams, Nate Gerry, Bryan Reimers, the dozens of yellow penalty flags the Boneyard threw when Oregon was penalized, Graham Nabity, De’Mornay Pierson-El, every fan who stood and yelled.

5 Areas for Improvement

Rush defense. Let’s get the caveats on the table first: Oregon runs a complex offense with a lot of misdirection and option reads that is probably tough to prepare for. They run that offense with a ton of speedy ball carriers that your average scout team can’t replicate. And when those things click, big plays are going to happen. But all of that said, 336 rushing yards is way too much. There were several times that NU defenders looked confused or out of position to make a play.
Lateral throws. I know it’s easy to second guess the backwards lateral that Oregon recovered and turned into a touchdown. But with the combination of a quarterback with occasional command issues, a running back seeing some rare action, and a speedy defense inside the 15 yard line, that doesn’t seem like a great choice. I was especially surprised to see it attempted (and failed) again in the 4th quarter. If you want to get the ball to a back out in the flat, I’d suggest either throwing it forward or making sure the back is somebody with really good hands (i.e. Newby).
Jet sweeps. Remember when we first heard about Riley’s vision for the offense? How the jet sweep was a key component? And remember how giddy you got when you pictured Pierson-El streaking around the edge with the ball in his hands? That has yet to materialize. For a myriad of reasons, the jet sweep is more of a once a game gimmack than an offensive staple. And more puzzling, I’m not sure DPE has gotten positive yards running the play yet. Might be time to try other things.
Fourth Down defense. Oregon went for it on fourth down three times. The first attempt (4th & 3) resulted in a 23 yard gain to the NU 2 yard line. The second attempt (4th & 2) resulted in a 41 yard touchdown run. Thankfully, on the third and final attempt (4th & 18) the Blackshirts were able to get a stop.
JoJo Domann. I thought the impossible was going to happen. Not NU beating a ranked team at home, but making it an entire game without committing a single personal foul. They made it three and a half quarters before Domann crashed into an Duck after (or right at) the whistle. Should the sellout streak ever end, I suspect the personal foul streak will live on.

Cornhuskers

Moral Buckeyes & Progress

Northern Illinois Reaction and Recap

Ah, Duck

An (Arkansas) State of Panic?

Telltale signs suggest Nebraska football will travel bumpy road – a rebuttal

Pur-fection

You Can’t Hide Your Illini

NU vs. NU: They Played A Game Too?

Taking A Stand (By Taking A Knee)

Oregon Statement

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