In the summer and fall, Husker Locker created its “50 Huskers to Know” list for the 2009 season. We now review our list by examining production, injuries and depth chart position.

We’ll present these in five-player increments. Here we go!

No. 10 Eric Martin: He leapt up high on our list because of his quick progress in fall camp, but was never needed at the linebacker spot because Phillip Dillard filled it so capably. He was a major factor on special teams, usually for good - forcing a blocked punt for a touchdown in the Baylor game - but occasionally for bad - whiffing on a tackle on Virginia Tech’s opening kickoff return. Martin, in our minds, is the leading candidate to start at middle linebacker for NU in 2010.

No. 9 Larry Asante: Aside from a strange taste for borderline hits - some of which led to personal fouls - Asante had a strong 2009, especially in run support. He gained a reputation as the hardest-hitting safety in the Big 12 - and probably one of the dirtiest, too. But most excellent defenses need a guy playing right on the edge, and that guy is typically a safety. It’s an instinct that will serve Asante well in the NFL.

No. 8 Menelik Holt: A total bust who dropped two touchdowns in the Virginia Tech game, didn’t properly commit himself as a blocker and route-runner, and finally got benched after the Iowa State for a lazy fumble. He never caught another pass all year. A nice kid, Holt probably did too many media interviews, was given too much responsibility as a role model for the younger guys, and just plain wasn’t fast enough to beat good cornerbacks. He should have stayed in the slot, where he was most effective.

No. 7 Alex Henery: The Man on the special teams, made an honorary Blackshirt for his ability to down punts inside the ten-yard line. As a kicker, Henery was just as consistent in 2009 as he was in 2008, hitting 24 of 28 tries. He missed a bunny vs. Oklahoma, but made up for it by nailing some pressure boots vs. Texas and pounding home four in the Holiday Bowl.

No. 6 Jacob Hickman: Battled through more injuries than most fans can appreciate - plus the swine flu! - and managed to stay on the field for most of the action. Kept the offensive line in check and together, and really served as offensive captain for NU. Terrific with the media, which can’t be discounted in Nebraska, where everybody has a question.

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For the time being, four Nebraska players are among the initial wave of invitees who get to pick up that phone.

Ndamukong Suh, natch. Larry Asante, Phillip Dillard and Jacob Hickman, too.

Who didn't get a nod? Matt O'Hanlon and Barry Turner stand out. Don't expect Menelik Holt or Chris Brooks to get an invite.

It wasn't a particularly giant senior class - and Prince Amukamara has chosen to stay in school.

NU's four invites trails - for now - Texas (6) and Oklahoma (5) and is tied with Oklahom State (4). Across college football, LSU led the way with 11 invitees. Gives you a sense of the pro talent on that squad - and how the Tigers underachieved in 2009.

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In eight days' time, Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh saw nearly every corner of the United States. Charlotte. Houston. Orlando. Los Angeles. New York. Won four major college football awards. Ate some terrific meals, signed too many autographs to count, made some new friends and worked out in hotel gyms.

And he flew coach the whole way.

“They're very cramped,” Suh said of seats on commercial planes. “Certain airlines are worse than others.”

Suh returned to NU practice Tuesday after winning the Lombardi, Outland, Bednarik and Nagurski Awards, finishing fourth in the Heisman, and losing the Lott to TCU's Jerry Hughes in a whirlwind last week. Cameras. Fans. Dinners. Gawkers. A lot of hardware.

“It was all memorable,” Suh said.

And yet the biggest smile Suh cracked during his session with reporters was reflecting on donning pads and a practice jersey again.

“I'm glad to be back,” Suh said, meaning it. “I'm tired of traveling. I hate traveling now.”

He's glad to be finishing school, too – he gets his degree in construction management on Saturday – although, with two tests to take on Wednesday, “I'd like to wrap this up so I can study.”

Suh answered questions for ten more minutes, cameras and tape recorders crowding into his face as he sat on some metal bleachers.

Nope. Not much had changed. Head coach Bo Pelini said Suh was “fine” in practice. Safety Larry Asante said No. 93 didn't miss a beat. He disrupted more plays in the backfield. He took his role silent strong leader again, as well.

“He's still the same guy who walked on the field with us at fall camp,” Asante said. “Same guy from last year. His demeanor did not change one bit.”

Asante said he was especially proud of Suh's insistence on thanking his teammates during acceptance speeches, and interviews prior to the Heisman ceremony. Suh even made a case for offensive linemen in an ESPN interview.

“We have a lot a pride,” Asante said. “We play team defense, and he represented us at the Heisman. He's just a great player and I'm happy with all his success.”

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A terse Bo Pelini Tuesday met reporters inside the Hawks Center as Nebraska's football team began what its head coach called “a pretty important week” of preparation for the Dec. 30 Holiday Bowl vs. Arizona.

“It was decent tempo,” Pelini said of the two-hour afternoon workout shoehorned around players' final exams. “Nothing great. I'd say it was pretty average. We gotta pick it up. I don't know if you ever completely know the drill (of preparing for a bowl game) but we know how to practice and get ready.”

The day began, safety Larry Asante said, with the Blackshirts closing the book on a 13-12 loss in the Big 12 Championship by reviewing the game film.

“On defense we played really well,” Asante said. “There wasn't any busted coverages. It just didn't work out in the end. We didn't make the plays at the end to win the game.”

After film, the Huskers conducted what appeared to be a spirited workout in full pads, exclusively inside the Hawks Center, where the camera cranes had been rolled inside to behind the end zones and extended to the ceiling. Pelini said NU began its Arizona installation Tuesday. The Wildcats' spread-offense, attacking-defense scheme owes more to Big 12 roots than it does the Pac 10, which remains dominated by the West Coast Offense.

Nebraska will practice through Saturday, and then break for the holiday, reconvening on Christmas. Pelini said the Huskers have a lot to pack into that time, which doesn't leave much room for experimenting or testing out younger players.

“We're getting ready to win a football game,” Pelini said. “Anytime they're out here on the field, it's a chance to get reps.”

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As we delve back into one of the more painful losses in Nebraska football history, I want to step away from the field of play for a minute. Let's head, instead, into the homes of interested viewers.

What do you suppose Syracuse fans, mired in another ugly losing season, thought as they watched NU's defense thunder away at Texas? The Orange could have nabbed Bo Pelini in 2004, you know. Chose Greg Robinson instead. What do you suppose Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne was thinking? He could have taken a run at Pelini in 2006 or 2007. How about Arizona State, which recycled Dennis Erickson? Or UCLA, which tried the Skippy? Or even Michigan, which fixated on Les Miles and forgot to notice the defensive coordinator who delivered all of the crucial wins?

How about Steve Pederson? What do you suppose his thoughts were, after Pittsburgh's miserable defense blew a 31-10 lead over undefeated Cincinnati in the snow? As he watched the Huskers grind down UT quarterback Colt McCoy, who surely is as good as Cincy's Tony Pike, and the Longhorns, who are, in many ways, a mirror image of the Bearcats' offense.

What do you suppose Gary Pinkel, whose Missouri team has been repeatedly humiliated by Texas and Oklahoma, was thinking? Mike Gundy, whose OSU bunch got butt-thumped by both teams? What do you think Turner Gill, prepping for an interview at Kansas, was thinking?

Maybe they were thinking what Alabama, the odds-on favorite to win the national title, already knows: If you can ever manage to acquire primo defensive mind – my goodness, hold onto him and pay him what he needs to succeed.

Amidst all this offense in college football, the story of Championship Saturday was Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban, who finally stopped Florida's trickery-based attack, and Pelini, who reduced McCoy, quite frankly, to a child lost in a supermarket. It was akin to Kubrick and Spielberg directing movies on the fly, back-to-back. You couldn't slow down the action to appreciate all the tiny quirks, but you knew it was brilliant, and you knew you couldn't stop watching. Seven hours of guts and gamesmanship worthy of NFL playoff games.

I have debated, with myself, the validity of Florida's offense; it is strangely and powerfully methodical, and yet couched in fakes and feints and funny business, too. Alabama exposed it Saturday night as an elaborate three-card monte, and Tim Tebow as more of an athlete than a quarterback. There are 10 or 15 Sabans in the NFL; I don't know Tebow survives at that level. The more motions and fakes and H-backs the Gators threw at the Tide, the more desperate and gimmicky it seemed, the more Tebow looked rudderless.

Robbed of his dive-and-counter game, UF's Urban Meyer prowled the sidelines – frantically, it seemed - and kept dialing Tebow's number – to no avail. Tebow was given every chance to win the Heisman Saturday night, and he kept double-clutching most throws, second-guessing most decisions. He was initially defiant, then frustrated, further confused and, finally, broken. When Saban takes a player of Tebow's sheer, raw athleticism and turns him into the lead actor of a “Happy Feet” sequel, he's really done something.

The Brothers Pelini produced an incredible encore. They dialed up aggressive blitzes, called for twists and stunts along the front four, and kept daring McCoy to throw it deep. The few times Texas did, it actually paid off with a nice gain or a pass interference penalty.

Both defenses proved this truth: Most college quarterbacks, good as they may be, have been coached within an inch of their life to make the smart, safe throw. McCoy, Tebow, Sam Bradford, Tony Pike, Andrew Luck, Greg McElroy, any of them. It takes a lot of NFL experience, or foolish moxie, to play otherwise.

If you take away that safety blanket - it you can get a 22-year-old to think in the pocket, instead of reacting – you have him dead to rights two downs out of three. So it went for Alabama and Nebraska.

NU did more than that, though – at least in terms of the Big 12. The Huskers stood up to Texas and Oklahoma like no other league team has in the last decade.

The secret is out. The gig could be up. The Russian is cut.

Nebraska didn't knock him down or out – some fans (not I) would argue the Big 12 politburo made sure of that in the final seconds of Saturday night – but the Huskers blazed a path through a dark forest, and left some crumbs behind to consider.

It's up to the rest of the league to wake up and smell the victories. The rest of college football, too.

Defense is back. And Bo is in the vanguard.

Now...about that offense...

Five Players We Loved

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh: A performance we'll never forget. Worthy, by itself, of the Heisman.

Now, this week, you're going to hear that Toby Gerhart, in a series of relatively meaningless games, getting the ball in every obvious goal-line situation, somehow earned it instead. Well, folks, he didn't. What he did do is beat Notre Dame on national television. And since the East Coast Heisman voters don't generally know their rear ends from their elbows when it comes to college football, they'll alight on the nearest relative of anything Fighting Irish.

Just one question: If Gerhart is bounding through a hole, Suh is there to meet him and it's one yard for a first down – who wins?

Cornerback Dejon Gomes: Twelve months ago, this kid wasn't even on NU's roster. Ted Gilmore recruited him. Marvin Sanders coached him. Some recruitniks like to bag on Gilmore and Sanders' efforts in this area, but they got this one right.

Cornerback Prince Amukamara: He needs to come back for one more season, and polish off his considerable potential. But Amukamara has turned into everything Sanders hoped he would become.

Defensive end Barry Turner: The quiet man of the Blackshirts – nary an interview during the 2009 season – looked strong and fast Saturday night, consistently collapsing the pocket on McCoy. In the last month of the season Turner finally seemed at full confidence.

Safety Matt O'Hanlon: The back middle was closed for business, and he made some key open-field tackles. Does Matty O get a free agent look from an NFL club? We say yes. There's more than a little Scott Shanle – who starts at linebacker for the New Orleans Saints - in the kid. He could, at the very least, be a valuable special-teamer at the next level – if that's what he wants.

Three Concerns We Have

Quarterback Development: Hello? McFly? Where is it? Most Husker fans wouldn't trust Zac Lee to run a band saw in shop class right now. The coaches apparently don't trust Cody Green to do the same.

Lee made one poor read after another Saturday night. He's entirely too skittish under pressure. Twice, he jumped and rifled screen passes to Roy Helu and Rex Burkhead, too hard for them to do anything with it. His second interception – to Niles Paul – was underthrown, off his back foot. A crossing route to Paul that would have gained big yards was thrown before Paul was looking.

On Nebraska's best shot a touchdown – after Paul's punt return – Lee immediately tossed an ill-advised fade pass to Brandon Kinnie – who wasn't open – instead of waiting for Mike McNeill's slant route to clear over the middle. As Lee released the ball, McNeill broke open for six. One problem: Lee never looked at anyone but Kinnie.

That's development. First – why is Kinnie is the isolation fade route – and not Paul? Second – did Lee have a hot read based on Texas blitzing (UT brought six, which is why McNeill was open). Third – why, if he didn't have a hot read, did Lee ignore McNeill? The QB has to wait for the route to clear. Has to. Even if you get knocked into next week.

Against Missouri, you'll recall, Lee did just that on two touchdown passes. Against Texas, Lee chucked the ball at first sign of danger. And many of his throws were chucks – high, wobbly balloons without precision or placement. Green's lone pass – a bottle of gas thrown into a lake of fire – looked just the same: High, wide, uncertain.

Who coaches those guys, anyway?

No Push: Nebraska's offensive line may look very different in a month, when certain players have had a chance to heal and rest. For now, it's a broken pipeline, and no match for Texas' front seven. Most disappointing: The backside leaks, which eliminated any chance of Helu and Burkhead cutting their runs back to the field. With zone blocking, you have create a crease or a wall for a running back to read and attack. Helu and Burkhead were perpetually caught at the top of a Tetris stack, with pieces piling on faster and faster.

Untimely errors: Adi Kunalic's kick out of bounds. Larry Asante's horse-collar tackle. Eric Hagg, failing to look back for the ball on a third down pass. Nebraska blowing a timeout because Roy Helu didn't know the audible. Blowing another one because Cam Meredith wasn't sure if he should be on the field. Little mental stuff that you can't afford.

Reviewing the Five Keys

Right Break, Right Time: Nebraska got them early. But not in the game's final seconds.

Beyond the Comfort Zone: Oh, Nebraska and Texas' offenses were certainly in that stage of life on Saturday night. But not by their own choosing. NU and UT both stuck much too close to the offensive script when attacked by superior defenses.

Stop Shipley: In relative terms, Shipley's catches – five for 50 – were absolutely huge. He got Texas out of the shadow of its own goal line once, and set up field position for the game-winning field goal, as well. The kid's gamer. I was more impressed with him than McCoy.

The Stage: Nebraska more than embraced the moment. Texas shrunk from the pressure, but benefited from an awful NU offense.

The Heisman Boys: Covered in depth, I believe.

Three Questions We Still Have

Cody for the Holidays? Green deserves at least a shot to start in San Diego. Nebraska has little to lose, and Lee's had plenty of chances. With three weeks to retool, you'd hope NU can shape a gameplan around its talented freshman.

Does Nebraska have a No. 2 receiver? Is it Kinnie now? He played OK Saturday. Is it Khiry Cooper? Is it whomever Gilmore tabs as his best blocker during bowl preparation?

Other than Suh, who leaves the biggest shoes to fill? I'd argue it's Phillip Dillard, who played linebacker with speed, spirit and toughness over the last ten games, collecting 76 tackles and three sacks. Will Compton played quite a bit this year – but, in terms of play recognition and sideline-to-sideline pursuit, he wasn't in Dillard league. Then again, one year ago, Dillard wasn't in Dillard's league. One player I'm not worried about: P.J. Smith, who takes for Larry Asante. Word is, Smith is a smooth, confident player who may lack Asante's thumping skills, but has a better nose for the ball.

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Not surprisingly, Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was showered with awards from the Big 12 Tuesday, as league coaches named him the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year. Last year, Suh was properly snubbed, not even being named first-team All Big 12.

Along with Colt McCoy, Suh was the only unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 team.

Three more Huskers joined Suh on the first-team defense: Defensive lineman Jared Crick, cornerback Prince Amukamara and safety Larry Asante.

Kicker/punter Alex Henery, running back Roy Helu and linebacker Phillip Dillard are on the second team.

Huskers named to the honorable mention squad are: Defensive back Dejon Gomes, nickel back Eric Hagg, center Jacob Hickman, tight end Mike McNeill, safety Matt O'Hanlon, wide receiver Niles Paul and defensive end Barry Turner. Henery was named to this team, as well, as a punter.

Other awards given out by the Big 12:

Offensive Player of the Year: Colt McCoy

Coach of the Year: Mack Brown

Offensive Lineman: Russell Okung, Oklahoma State

Defensive Freshman: Aldon Smith, Missouri

Special Teams: Brandon Banks, Kansas State

Defensive Newcomer: David Sims, Iowa State

Offensive Newcomer: Daniel Thomas, Kansas State

Here is the whole team

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Not surprisingly, my column in the wake of Nebraska's 17-3 win over Kansas State – which clinched the Big 12's North division - caused a little dust-up among Cornhusker fans, who were feeling good and not willing – for one second – to even think about that name. Bill Callahan.

The point was to be in a gracious mood. A five-course prix fixe at a three-star Michelin joint doesn't come to the table by the head chef's talents alone, does it? There's the sous chef, the sommelier, the front of the house and, crucially, the buyer of the produce. He or she has to import the best ingredients, and know whom to tap for those items.

We're simply saying this: Everything else being even, Callahan gave Bo Pelini a much better product than Ron Prince gave Snyder. NU beat KSU by 14 points, and those two touchdowns were reflective of talent, not coaching.

Sometimes, just the opposite is the case. The Brothers Pelini thoroughly outcoached Oklahoma's offensive staff two weeks ago – you remember our hosannas then, right? - and did the same to Clemson in the Gator Bowl. Other weeks, the coaching battle was a wash.

Variables change from week to week.

All of it belongs in the narrative, folks. Fewer hacks were harsher critics of Callahan than I, but let's keep a little perspective here. Whatever his and Kevin Cosgrove's faults were, they didn't bilk the university for millions with some secret deal like Prince, they didn't run the program into scholarship limitations and institutional control issues like Gary Barnett, and they didn't leave the program reeling like Mark Mangino will. They left a messy house, but it wasn't condemned.

Pelini, to his distinct credit, kept continuity on offense, and went to work whittling away at the unpolished gems on defense. What you're seeing now is nearly two years of Bo's labor bearing fruit.

Now, as I've written before, Pelini will have to make hard choices about the offense – the staff, the personnel, the identity, the scheme – in the offseason.

But, with the advance counsel of Tom Osborne, Pelini didn't screw up like Callahan did in 2004. He gave himself the best chance to succeed.

So – you put the ingredients together with a good chef who learned at some of the best culinary schools, and you get a North division title – and a shot at Texas, which is, let's see, the biggest game Nebraska's played in nearly a decade.

OK, now I'm done. Thwack me.

On with the review!

Five Players We Loved

Safety Larry Asante: He's always been a good hitter and sufficient in run support. But Asante, minus a few mistakes, has become a good coverage artist, too. Part of his growth is Pelini's willingness to plug P.J. Smith into the game whenever Asante isn't up to snuff.

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh: No. 93 has been curiously unemotional over the last two months. We're fine with that – the man has work to do. We bet that, in December, when the awards shows roll around – his achievements and success at NU will hit him all at once. With time, Suh will appreciate what's he done as much as the fans do. Some hardware will help, of course.

Wide receiver Niles Paul: He's made some nice adjustments and catches over the last two weeks. He's averaging nearly 20 yards per grab for the season. That's pretty sweet.

Cornerback Anthony West: Prince Amukamara is the better player, but West has been clutch in relief of Alfonzo Dennard for the better part of a month now. He stayed stride-for-stride with KSU's Brandon Banks on a couple deep throws.

Punter/kicker Alex Henery: Part of it's skill, and part of it's just plain good fortune, but Henery downed two punts inside KSU's 2-yard line. We'll take that and a side of hash browns any day.

Three Concerns We Have

Backside blocking: If you're going to run an option game, you have to account for blitzes and defensive ends trailing behind the play. The Wildcats blew up several plays – including an open option pass – because NU's offensive line couldn't execute on the backside.

Shoddy tackling: It's creeping up at the wrong time. KSU quarterback Grant Gregory and running back Daniel Thomas both notched their share of yards after contact because the first defender couldn't pen them in. The preeminent key to beating Texas: Tackling.

Iffy decision-making: Zac Lee was cruising along until the middle second quarter, when he again turned into “that guy,” who holds the ball too long and waits for the last receiver to pop open. To his credit, he copped to his mistakes after the game, but the kid has to learn: Tuck and run and live to get points on the board.

Reviewing the Five Keys

To the Banks: NU's special teams unit had little trouble with KSU's Brandon Banks, thanks to kickers Henery and Adi Kunalic. Nebraska's defense let him get loose for 66 total yards, but the Blackshirts marked him pretty well inside the red zone.

Power Play: Kansas State successfully ran the ball with Daniel Thomas in the first half. In the second half, KSU was forced to alter its gameplan after falling behind two touchdowns, which meant a lot of four-wide receiver sets and gadget plays. Nebraska certainly tried to run power, but executed inconsistently. We're still not seeing the option plays working, other than to set up a single pass.

Front Four: Nebraska's defensive line lost a few battles but won the war, drawing timely holding penalties – KSU's line gripped and grabbed all night – and eventually overwhelming the Wildcats in the fourth quarter. It's not a very deep unit – just six guys, really – but hopefully Terrence Moore can step into a starting role next at nose tackle.

Zac Attack: Lee's not a permanent solution at quarterback, but he takes a hit pretty well. Aside from an bad five-minute stretch, he was a strength of the Huskers' offense, not a weakness.

The Snyder Factor: Bill brought his boys perfectly prepared, and Kansas State exploited some intriguing weaknesses – namely, NU's tendency to vacate the short middle when stretched vertically – to move the ball. Snyder has zero good options at quarterback. Not this year. And really not next. Plus, he needs to keep Daniel Thomas around for another year. There's no guarantee of that. He's a first-day NFL pick right now, in my estimation.

Three Questions We Still Have

How hard does NU have to work to beat Colorado? We like Nebraska by a couple scores in Boulder. But, of course, the Huskers' depth and health would be better served by the Buffaloes surrendering their pelts at halftime. It's hard to say just how hard CU will play for Dan Hawkins.

What can Rex Burkhead's return add to the offense? Other than being a breather for Roy Helu – which I'm not sure Helu always needs. Burkhead, to us, is perfect for third down situations, and needs to be given the touches during the two-minute drill – instead of Helu, who is more of a gifted runner.

Can Nebraska's secondary really keep this up? They've been tested every which way, benefited from some crucial drops in the Baylor and Kansas games, and just keep making plays near the goal line. Does the luck run out in Boulder? In Dallas?

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Players of the game and grades from Nebraska's 17-3 win over Kansas State

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Center Jacob Hickman. NU's thoughtful, positive leader had a nice game, played banged up (again) and lobbied head coach Bo Pelini to go for a fourth-and-1 – which Nebraska did, and picked up. It was the right call, considering the moment.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Larry Asante. His forced fumble was the clutch play of the game, and one of the best of Asante's career. A perfectly timed hit. Asante played well otherwise, too.

GRADES:

QUARTERBACK: C+ Sharp first quarter, toughness on several runs, nice play on the touchdown pass to Mike McNeill, an awful three-minute stretch, and back to fair for the second half. That's my notes on Zac Lee. At this point, you pretty much know what you're going to get. Lee's a willing soul who makes too many mental gaffes.

RUNNING BACK: C+ Roy Helu was close to busting a few big runs, but he never quite found consistent daylight. Sometimes he tries to hard to bounce the play outside. He dropped a surefire first down pass from Lee, as well. Tyler Legate didn't block as well here as he did vs. Kansas. Traye Robinson and Rex Burkhead were OK in spot duty. Burkhead looked surprisingly healthy for a guy who broke his foot just a month ago.

OFFENSIVE LINE: B It's a little hard to block against 10, 11 men in the box, against as weird front, vs run blitzes, but NU's unit did OK. Pass blocking was generally good. Keith Williams whiffed on a block that led to a 14-yard sack of Lee, but Lee's long playfake and curious run toward the sidelines didn't help matters.

WIDE RECEIVER/TIGHT ENDS: B+ Pretty good game all around. The blocking was there, no dropped passes, decent routes. This was one of the better games of the year for Ted Gilmore's bunch.

DEFENSIVE LINE: B+ The front four had a hard job Saturday night, and handled it pretty well in the second half, especially against the run. Ndamukong Suh persevered and finished with a big night – nine tackles, 1.5 sacks. Liked the work from Barry Turner, too, whose pursuit and strength has been pretty good all year.

LINEBACKERS: B+ Again – better in the second half, in some ways, because Phillip Dillard and Will Compton shut down the running game, especially Grant Gregory's quarterback draw. On first glance, the pass coverage seemed OK, too.

SECONDARY: B The two plays by Asante makes up for an otherwise so-so night. Anthony West played well in place of an injured Alfonzo Dennard. Nickel/dime backs Eric Hagg and Dejon Gomes struggled some. Too many underneath routes were open. NU seemed confusing with Banks' basic delayed slant pattern.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A Terrific work by Adi Kunalic, Alex Henery and the kick/punt coverage units. Arguably their best game of the year. Henery has some wedge, doesn't he?

GAME MANAGEMENT/PLAYCALLING C+ Shawn Watson's playcalling got a little too conservative in the second half after NU's second touchdown, and whether that's his call or Bo Pelini's – it's still the wrong call. Bo dialed up some timely blitzes that also left Nebraska vulnerable to broken plays, which was officially, it seemed, part of the game plan by Bill Snyder.

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If Nebraska's football team had any intent of scaling back its practices this week, head coach Bo Pelini wasn't tipping his hand to that effect Monday.

“We’re not going to lighten much up,” Pelini said. “We know how to take care of their legs, but we need to get our work done this time of year.”

NU did cut its workout time in the Hawks Center by 20 minutes Monday, practicing in half-pads. Defensive coordinator Carl Pelini hinted after the Cornhuskers' 31-17 win over Kansas that the Blackshirts were leg-weary after a grueling month of football.

His brother brushed off that notion Monday.

“Everybody is tired this time of year,” Bo Pelini said. “It’s something you have to deal with. It’s something you have to overcome. It’s more mental than it is physical. Our guys are in good shape. They are ready to go.”

Indeed, this may not be the week for Nebraska to gear down. The Big 12 North championship is on the line, as is a date with Texas in the Big 12 title game. Kansas State, NU's foe, relies on the run more than any team in the league, and has running back Daniel Thomas, who leads the Big 12 with 1,166 yards rushing.

“They play smashmouth football,” NU safety Larry Asante said. “And (Thomas) is a real good tailback. They run the ball. They're going to come in here to run physical.”

That suits Asante, who's third on the team in tackles with 54 and whose forte is run support, just fine.

“I'm in the box in this game,” he said. “I can't wait. I feel like this is my strength.”

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Players of the game and report card for Nebraska's 10-3 win over Oklahoma:

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Roy Helu. He's back – and just in the nick of time! Helu made a few runs Saturday that only he, on NU's football team, can make. His vision and quick cuts to the hole are rare for a player at any level, and more than once he caught an OU defender peeking or heading the wrong way. He needs to improve with his pass protection. But what college running back doesn't, right?

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Matt O'Hanlon. He called his interceptions a product of being in the right place at the right time, which is true. But MattyO was terrific in run support – his tough tackles help convince OU to move away from the running game, and his one interception return – which helped set up a field goal – was fairlu crucial. Great game for a kid who's earned it.

GRADES

QUARTERBACK: C The position has now shifted into “don't kill us” mode for the rest of the season. Zac Lee and Cody Green didn't exactly make many plays Saturday – but they didn't lose the game, either. Who Nebraska plays from here is anybody's guess.

RUNNING BACK: B+ Roy ran like the old Roy, Traye Robinson had some authority, and Tyler Legate was solid in the blocking scheme. This unit is so much better when Helu is reasonably healthy.

WIDE RECEIVER: I For “incomplete.” They blocked, mostly. Only two receptions by the position all night, both belonging to Brandon Kinnie.

OFFENSIVE LINE/TIGHT ENDS: C Oklahoma has an awesome defense, and NU occasionally held its own in the running game, especially when Nebraska chose the power route with Legate as a lead blocker. But the pass pro was fairly shabby Saturday night. Neither Green nor Lee had much time.

DEFENSIVE LINE A The front four played so damn hard, blunting OU's run game and producing enough of a pass rush on Landry Jones to throw him off his rhythm. The Huskers are as physical and imposing across the front as any defense in college football. The Sooners and Alabama are up there, too.

LINEBACKERS: A Essentially a grade for Phillip Dillard – and we're OK with that. Dillard made two or three key tackles on screen passes, had an interception and a sack, and served as on-field emotional motivation for the defense. He's become an all-conference caliber player in a matter of months.

SECONDARY: A Landry Jones will see these guys in his dreams. O'Hanlon played great, Prince Amukamara and Alfonzo Dennard constantly challenged receivers, Eric Hagg and Dejon Gomes worked over the inside slot routes, Larry Asante provided the hits, and Anthony Blue and P.J. Smith looked good in spot duty. And what about Hagg's big tackle on fourth down? Yep – these guys can play!

SPECIAL TEAMS: B Nebraska's punt coverage units were a little leaky, sure, but Alex Henery's punting was strong overall, and Ndamukong Suh blocked a field goal attempt in the second quarter. Kickoff coverage was excellent. Niles Paul displayed sure hands on punt returns. Gomes needs to be a little more careful out there – he cost NU about 35 total yards on two penalties.

GAME MANAGEMENT/PLAYCALLING: B+ From a defensive perspective – brilliant! Bo and Carl Pelini constantly had OU guessing on offense, and the Sooners kept choosing the wrong door. On offense, coordinator Shawn Watson played it safe and smart. For this week, we can live with it. Expect Kansas and Kansas State to have better plans though, and Watson better figure out a way to move the ball. The offensive penalties early in the game were simply absurd. Why is Ricky Henry cut-blocking the opposite guard's man, 10 yards away from the play?

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No Blackshirts yet, as Nebraska’s football team Monday began prep for Texas Tech, which leads Big 12 in passing offense and is currently second in the nation.

Head coach Bo Pelini was in no real mood to discuss handing out the black practice jerseys, either.

“No,” Pelini said. “Next question.”

NU’s players are no less interested than the media in a Blackshirt timeline, although senior safety Larry Asante said he has a handle on what Pelini wants.

“Ha - that’s a good question,” Asante said. “I think that’s a question that everybody wants to know. I feel like, going back and watching the film we played good on defense, but we still haven’t played a complete football game yet. I think Coach is waiting for us to play our best football.”

The Cornhuskers, now 15th and 17th in the major polls, held a brisk-but-short 90-minute workout, mostly inside the Hawks Center, that Pelini applauded for its “good tempo.” Terse and to the point, Pelini only spoke with the media for two minutes, interested mostly in praising the Red Raiders, who beat Kansas State 66-14 on Saturday.

“We’d better have an edge,” Pelini said. “We’ve got a helluva football team coming in here. They’re playing well. We’ve got our work cut out for us.”

Said Asante: “This will be our greatest challenge yet. They had a backup quarterback in there this past weekend, and he threw for 490.”

That backup would be Steven Sheffield, a 6-foot-4, 175-pounder nicknamed “Sticks” who may supplant starter Taylor Potts in Lincoln this Saturday. Tech coach Mike Leach, mercurial as he is, will make his starting QB a “gametime decision” that hardly seems like one.

“They’re both good players, they both run their system well and they both play at high level,” Pelini said of Sheffield and Potts.

Note: Pelini said running back Roy Helu, seen holding his shoulder late in the Missouri game, practiced and “had no issues.” Redshirt freshman tight end J.T. Kerr is done for the season after getting shoulder surgery; he’ll return for spring ball.

See also: "There was a lot of disappointment in my room."

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Before the review, we offer Nebraska’s football program a public service announcement. Imagine the following words as spoken by Yul Brynner.

Don’t schedule Sun Belt Conference teams. Whatever you do. Just don’t.

We know Western Kentucky is on the 2010 schedule. After that, close the vault, Bo Pelini and Jeff Jamrog. Go back to the MAC. Invite the Fighting Frankies. Dabble in Conference USA. Sniff around the WAC and Mountain West, as you’ve already done with Wyoming and Fresno State.

No more Sun Belt.

We saw enough penny-wise, pound-foolish football in the last month to last our lifetime. Not only were Florida Atlantic, Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette inadequate opponents, only the Red Wolves had a winning gameplan. FAU and ULL were content to move pawns around the board, tick off a ten-yard gain here or there, punt dutifully and get out of Lincoln with a paycheck and relatively few injuries.

We hear that distant refrain: But Louisiana-Lafayette beat Kansas State. True. On its home field. In KSU’s second game of a transition back to power football. By two points.

And while these Sun Belt teams might have wonderful fan bases in their hometowns, they were virtually non-existent in Lincoln. At least with Wyoming, some Cowboys will make the drive. Heck, South Dakota State will have five times the following than Florida Atlantic did. Jackrabbits all over the joint next year.

If you’re going to buy wins – and that’s what Steve Pederson was doing when he signed these contracts – at least buy local, where a Nebraska kid or two might sneak on to the roster. (Although SDSU is a threat to NU’s walk-on program, and should not be rewarded with trips to Memorial Stadium.)

What did we learn Saturday night? Less than we have after any other game since Nicholls State in 2006. Lafayette was tired and beaten up, facing its third major-conference opponent in as many weeks. The Ragin Cajuns visibly seemed to deflate after NU’s first touchdown, when tight end Ben Cotton recovered a Roy Helu fumble in the end zone. The secondary covered the Huskers’ receivers like it was optional. ULL shied away from nearly every physical showdown, as well.

So instead of offering a game-specific review – there were 15 players to love, frankly, the Huskers won all the keys, and there were few questions or concerns based on that three-hour window – we instead review the non-conference season as a whole. Later this week, look for an in-depth report card of the first four games, as well.

Five Players We Loved

Running Back Roy Helu: He’s been durable, dependable, productive (555 all-purpose yards)and capable of the home run play, too. Helu still needs to polish up his pass protection, but he’s been the Big 12’s best, most consistent running back through a month. And his performance at Virginia Tech – 169 tough yards, tons of broken tackles – goes on the NFL Draft audition tape.

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh: Don’t let his sack and tackle statistics let you think he hasn’t been dominant. Three offensive lines have schemed specifically to stop Suh, and it hasn’t worked. He shoots into the backfield with such alarming speed, at times, that he’s almost there too soon, and overruns the play. But he’ll be tested by Missouri and Texas Tech, which frustrate great defensive linemen – especially those who like to fly upfield.

Punter/kicker Alex Henery: The nation’s best in a dual role, and certainly in the top three nationally as a place-kicker. Throw in kickoff specialist Adi Kunalic and Nebraska, hands down, has the best kicking unit in the country.

Wide receiver Curenski Gilleylen: The kid just gets open, and he gets open for big plays. He’s been the beneficiary of some of Zac Lee’s best passes, but eight grabs for 255 yards? That’s one-quarter of the football team every time he touches it. We’ll take that.

Strong safety Larry Asante: He’s forced a fumble and returned an interception for a touchdown. Most importantly, no breakdowns on his side of the defense. Through four games, Asante’s been NU’s quarterback in the secondary. Still plenty tough in run support. Getting better in coverage. Now – is he healthy?

Special Mention: Center Jacob Hickman for keeping an ever-changing offensive line grounded with his work ethic and smarts (work a little on the snaps, though, Jake), quarterback Zac Lee for his arm and confidence, nickel back Eric Hagg for being a consistently explosive wild card all over the field.

Four Concerns We Have

The Huskers haven’t faced a real offense yet: Only Florida Atlantic is in the NCAA’s top 50 of total offense, and the Owls are 115th in scoring offense. Missouri and Texas Tech? Both securely in the nation’s top 20 of offenses. NU’s defense has indeed been good – 23rd nationally in total defense, 3rd in scoring defense, 31st in sacks against teams that dearly tried to prevent them. But it hasn’t really been tested. Not yet.

Depth: NU can’t afford any more injuries at quarterback, running back, tackle or safety without moving into some uncharted waters. Every time Lee runs, you hear Husker nation cringe a little for his safety.

Penalties of all variety: There’s false starts, holding calls, pass interference penalties and way too many 15-yard personal fouls for my liking. Pelini keeps talking about cleaning it up. The Big 12 referees are flag-happy. Just look at the national rankings, where Texas Tech and Texas A&M occupy the last two spots nationally in penalty yards. Flags will have a clear impact on the outcome of games. Pelini should make a goal to win that battle every game, if he hasn’t already.

Wasted timeouts: No stat tracks this, but I’m willing to bet NU takes more defensive timeouts than any team in the Big 12. That’s not bad, but you’d like to see Pelini save a couple for a rainy two-minute drive.

Three Questions We Still Have

Who is the real Zac Lee? The calm stud we saw in games one, two and four, or the frazzled, inaccurate one who, by his coordinator’s own admission, “chased ghosts” at Virginia Tech and misread coverages. We’ll soon find out in upcoming weeks.

To be fair to Lee: The Hokies made a fool out of Jacory Harris, and smacked around Alabama’s quarterback for three quarters, too.

But his performance, thus far, isn’t all that surprising. Lee had the best arm on NU’s team in 2007, he has it now, he’ll have it five years from now. He opens up the field to all kinds of possibilities. But he has to produce for an entire year in tougher road games, frankly, than Joe Ganz had to face in 2008. Lee’s a good kid, and up the challenge.

Can NU generate QB heat with a four-man pass rush? Against pure spread teams like Mizzou, Tech and others, a four-man rush is the simplest, most surefire way to make sure you’re covering all the angles and pass routes. When Nebraska chose to blitz against both teams, they responded by burning the Huskers with quick screens for long touchdowns. The onus is on defensive ends Barry Turner, Pierre Allen and Cameron Meredith. How they play may determine how NU’s defense fares.

When the Huskers absolutely need a yard, will the offensive line deliver? Ever since the Callahan conversion to a slow, plodding zone stretch power game, this has been a consistent bugaboo. Oh, for the days when a quick fullback plunge for two yards happened faster than you blinked your eyes. At any rate, NU first has to get healthy. Then they have to start getting lower off the ball. The Huskers are a great pulling team. They need maul better, though.

See also: ULL Fan Photos

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Throwback, indeed.

Nebraska’s football team celebrated the 300th consecutive sellout at Memorial Stadium with a record crowd and a 55-0 walkover win past Louisiana-Lafayette that recalled the dominating defenses of the 1990s, when victories were secured by halftime and the wave kicked in by the third quarter.

For the night, ULL gained 222 yards -just 70 in the second half. NU notched its first shutout of the Pelini era, and the first since 2006, when Nebraska beat another Sun Belt Conference opponent, Troy, 56-0.

"We're in the right galaxy now," head coach Bo Pelini said. "Where last year we were a few solar systems away."

In front of 86,304 thrilled fans Saturday night, NU's defense burned like a hot star, as senior safety Larry Asante returned an interception 74 yards for a touchdown to cap off a 21-point second quarter and give the Cornhuskers (3-1 overall) a 34-0 halftime lead. Pelini dialed up a heavy blitz, and ULL quarterback Chris Masson threw wildly of his target and right into Asante’s waiting hands, who cut to his right, found the sideline, and sprinted home.

"Great play by Larry," defensive coordinator Carl Pelini said. Asante actually bruised his leg as he broke for the ball, and ran for the touchdown on adrenaline, Pelini said. X-rays at halftime were negative.

Previous to that score, NU had forced and recovered a fumble at ULL’s 27-yard line to set up another touchdown drive. Redshirt freshman Sean Fisher recovered a third-quarter fumble and redshirt freshman Cameron Meredith notched a nine-yard sack, too.

"It's big for us after last week," Fisher said, referring to NU's 16-15 loss to Virginia Tech. "Obviously last week was pretty tough. So to come out here and get a shutout, kind of hold them like we did, gives us confidence."

On offense, junior quarterback Zac Lee reverted back to his efficient self from the first two games, finishing 15-18 for 238 yards and a touchdown. He hit a number of passes on third-and-long, including a 43-yarder to Curenski Gilleylen early in the third quarter that set up another Nebraska touchdown.

"I've come to know that that's Zac," said senior wide receiver Chris Brooks, who set career highs for catches (3) and yards (50). "You just count on him to do that."

Junior running back Roy Helu pitched in 83 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

NU started scoring with a 10-play, 71-yard drive that culminated in an Alex Henery field goal. On Nebraska’s next drive, Lee flipped a backwards swing pass to Helu, who hit the sideline sprinting and slashed his way 39 yards down to the ULL four-yard line. On the next play, Helu fumbled at the one-yard line, the ball bounded into the end zone and was recovered by tight end Ben Cotton for a touchdown. Henery booted a 47-yard field goal to close out scoring in the first quarter.

Rex Burkhead’s 33-yard punt return set up NU’s second touchdown, a four-yard pass from Lee to senior Chris Brooks. Junior nickel back Eric Hagg forced a fumble on ULL’s next drive, recovered by Matt O’Hanlon at the Ragin Cajuns’ 27-yard line. Helu scored three plays later on a two-yard touchdown plunge.

The Huskers tacked on two more touchdowns in the fourth-quarter, both from true freshmen. Rex Burkhead caught a shovel pass from Cody Green and zigzagged 22 yards for a score, stiff-arming a defender at the 5-yard line. Green finished scoring with a 24-yard gallop on a zone read play.

Field position was strongly in NU’s advantage all night, as Henery pooched two punts inside ULL’s two-yard line. Nebraska started four drives inside ULL territory.

"I was pretty confident how our team would respond," Pelini said. "I said they'd come out and play with passion and play with great effort and that's what happened."

Fans were also treated to a celebration of Husker tributes throughout the game. Turner Gill, Frank Solich, Barry Alvarez, Keith Jackson and Barry Switzer all taped messages for the 300th-consecutive sellout, with Alvarez relaying a message from Penn State coach Joe Paterno, who applauded NU's fans for their support and class. After the game, fireworks and a long video detailing the history of the program since Bob Devaney took over in 1962 kept fans in their seats and players standing on the field.

"I was just trying to soak it all in," Fisher said. "It's a really cool experience."

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Nebraska’s football team rebounded from a 16-15 loss to Virginia Tech with one of its best practices of the year, Cornhusker coaches and players agreed Monday.

Head coach Bo Pelini described the two-hour workout on the grass fields north of Memorial Stadium as “real fast” with “good tempo.” NU worked out in helmets and shoulder pads.

“We were just in shells, but I thought it was pretty physical,” Pelini said. “I thought it was really good. I liked the way they came out and their attitude.”

More talkative than usual, Pelini talked to the media for seven minutes after practice , or three times longer than he did after the Tech game itself. His final comments were nearly an impromptu pep talk, echoing the general theme of the day.

“We need to make this a fuel to make this a better football team, rather than a distraction that can make us divide,” Pelini said. “We won’t let it happen. We know how address that. That’s the challenge that lies ahead. I love those challenges. Our football team loves those challenges. We’re going rise up.

“It’s only way I know. It’s the only way this football team knows. It’s what that ‘N’ on the side of the football helmet represents.”

The emotion carried over to the players.

Said strong safety Larry Asante: “We’re not moping from it. We’re a more experienced team now. In the past, guys would come in moping around, but it’s football.”

Asante said the coaching staff “got out minds right” before Monday’s workout. The team watched film of the gut-wrencher, with the instruction that when it was over, it wouldn’t be spoken about among the team again.

Junior running back Roy Helu took the message to heart. Even though he rushed for a career-high 169 yards and forcefully put himself on the national stage, his only response was “it’s in the past, I don’t want to talk about it.”

Pushed to assess his performance, Helu used only one word: “decent.”

But -

“It was the ‘funnest’ practice of the year,” Helu said. “It was just fun. We went back to having fun, but we executed at the same time. That’s the attitude we took on out there.”

That’s the Pelini way, Asante said, a change he’s noticed in the last couple seasons. That bounce-back factor should help Nebraska prepare for Louisiana-Lafayette, which lacks Virginia Tech’s pedigree, although the Ragin’ Cajuns did beat Kansas State 17-15 earlier this year.

“I don’t think Coach Bo, Coach Carl (Pelini), Coach (Marvin) Sanders or any of them will let us play down to the level our opponent,” Asante said.

Pelini also assuaged concerns that quarterback Zac Lee was significantly hurt in the second half vs. the Hokies. Lee wore a splint on his left thumb Monday and didn’t practice. But that wasn’t because of his thumb, Pelini said. Rather, Lee “took some medication, and he shouldn’t exert himself” when on it.

“He’ll be back tomorrow,” said Pelini, who added that Lee will definitely start against Louisiana-Lafayette.

Asante wore a green, no-contact jersey throughout practice, but said he’d be fine for Saturday’s 6 p.m. game.

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It’s a force of habit, around these parts, to look ahead to the biggest games in Nebraska’s football season and view lesser opponents in advance of those contests as preparatory fodder. If effort, sacrifice and massive walk-on classes are integral to the “Nebraska Way” so, too, is the mild arrogance that goes along with shucking fools like Arkansas State.

And so, NU’s 38-9 win over the Red Wolves is viewed through the prism of what it means heading into Saturday’s game at Virginia Tech. Since ASU’s multiple, run-oriented offense is quite similar to Tech’s, the looking glass isn’t quite as distorted as it usually would be.

But, still, you have to try to sever connections between the two. The NU team that travels to Blacksburg will be one week smarter and more focused. The Virginia Tech team that awaits has, unfortunately for Nebraska, learned lessons from a 34-24 loss to Alabama, which runs enough of the same plays that the Cornhuskers do to provide a valuable teaching tool.

So in the review, we chart NU’s growth from game No. 1 to No. 2, ask the difficult questions still in search for answers, and look, ever briefly, at the larger picture beyond Virginia Tech to the Big 12 Conference – which suddenly seems more wide open than it did two weeks ago.

Five Players We Loved

Quarterback Zac Lee: It wasn’t just Lee’s efficiency, yardage and touchdowns that were impressive, although they were. It was how he arrived at those numbers. The variety of passes he threw, to 11 different targets, was a kind of dream scenario for the West Coast Offense. While Lee isn’t the tallest guy, his arm strength – coupled with smarts and mobility – allows offensive coordinator Shawn Watson to change the geometry of the field. The WCO often gets the knock – and it’s often earned – of returning to the same handful of pass plays, most of which are controlled dinks and dunks. Sam Keller, and to some degree Zac Taylor, fell into that rut at times. With Lee, Watson has few limits. Maybe inside screen passes, which are hard to run with Lee’s lack of height. Otherwise – not much.

Kickoff specialist Adi Kunalic: Talk about a secret weapon. Kunalic had five touchbacks on Saturday, consistently forcing Arkansas State to march the long field. And, against the wind, he showed off a nasty little stinger kick that ASU’s return men struggled to handle. Kunalic appears, at most, ten times per game. But he’s worth the scholarship.

Wide receiver Niles Paul: The junior from Omaha needed a game like this to shake off the expectations, to shake off the eyes of his hometown – don’t kid yourself, the Omaha media was all over the kid after the game – and to show off that explosiveness everyone’s been talking about. Once Paul has as much confidence in himself as his coaches do, watch out. With less to prove, he’ll explode even more.

Cornerback Prince Amukamara: He did the little stuff on Saturday. He blitzed aggressively. He stoned a couple ASU receivers right after they made a catch. He stuck his nose in the pile on two running plays. When I watch defensive backs on Sunday, I like the Vikings’ Cedric Griffin and Antoine Winfield, the baddest, most physical corners in the NFL. They’re not elite cover men, but they make up for it in sheer attitude at the line of scrimmage. Amukamara has the size and speed to be that kind of player. If he wants it.

Strong safety Larry Asante: His coverage skills won’t be fully tested until the Missouri game, but Asante is a legitimate physical force against the run. He’s grown skilled at the punch-out tackle, apparently, causing one fumble on Saturday. But Asante’s put together two pretty good games of hits thus far. Now if he can just catch an interception.

Three Concerns We Still Have

Leaky Line, Walking Wounded: It’s conceivable that NU could start two backups – Derek Meyer and Mike Caputo – at Virginia Tech. Nothing against either, but it’ll be nice if center Jacob Hickman and left guard Keith Williams are close to 100 percent next Saturday. And even then, you have to wonder about NU’s short-yardage run blocking. At the point of attack, both Arkansas State and Florida Atlantic have won some of the trench wars. A little disconcerting.

Defensive confusion: We’re still seeing Nebraska’s defense unsettled just before the opponent’s snap. While Bo and Carl Pelini want to match up personnel as much as possible in a lightning round of chess, we’ve seen the Huskers’ front four practically standing at the snap, awaiting instructions. MIKE linebacker Will Compton is young, but he’s got to be more urgent toward the sidelines when the call is slow to come in. Maybe such assertiveness comes with experience.

Dumb penalties: Not every personal foul is a borderline judgment call by the referee. Nebraska has five through two games. How much longer can NU afford to give up precious field position in a fit of aggression, frustration or just plain foolishness?

Reviewing the Five Keys

The Buzz Word, Tempo: Nebraska zipped in and out of its huddle, rarely got close to the end of the play clock, and seemed especially sharp in the first quarter. Mission accomplished.

Lead Wolf: ASU quarterback Corey Leonard never strayed too far from the watchful eye of NU’s defense, which sacked him four time. The Red Wolves took few to zero chances in the passing game, and Leonard didn’t break any long runs.

Lanes: For the most part, Nebraska stayed disciplined in getting after Leonard. It helped that the Brothers Pelini dialed up smart corner blitzes that kept Leonard guessing. The best of them, with junior Eric Hagg screaming like a missile on a delayed blitz, left Leonard in the possum position – lying down on the turf, before Hagg ever got there.

The Edges: NU’s receivers dominated ASU’s defensive backs, frankly. The Huskers got open, stayed open, and fought for yards after contact. They block well, caught well, and generally made Ted Gilmore look like a pretty smart guy. Through two games.

Mix tape: Nebraska didn’t run much, but Watson effectively mixed in a variety of ground plays. A little option, a nifty reverse, two quarterback counters for Lee; he put a few things on tape for Virginia Tech to think about. This is a better-designed offense right now than it was a year ago.

Three Questions We Still Have

How do NU’s receivers hold up against a first-class secondary? They’re pretty good against the Sun Belt, but can they get open against the best defensive backs in the ACC? Alabama managed it, but remember: The Tide has freak Julio Jones, whom the Hokies chose to bracket in double coverage most of the night. What kind of problems, if any, can the Huskers pose?

Can a downhill running game crunch the Big Red? We’ve seen FAU and Arkansas State look right at NU’s seven-man front and shove a couple isolation plays right down the Huskers’ gullet. Defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Jared Crick make their share of plays, but they’re pushed out of others. Can Virginia Tech, and Missouri, and Kansas, and Oklahoma, gash Nebraska right in the kisser? We haven’t seen very compelling evidence to the contrary thus far. NU linebackers, especially Compton, have to step aggressively into the hole.

How emotionally mature are the Huskers? We’re about to find out. Maybe. The strength of the 2008 team – and a weakness of the 2007 squad – was internal fortitude, the willingness to wipe the slate clean after bad plays, and work for those good plays. But, last year, Nebraska didn’t truly grow up until embarrassing itself at Oklahoma. The personal fouls are not a good sign. Pelini’s motor runs hot. So does his team’s. But it can’t run in the red. Not on the road. Not in the Big 12.

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If fall camp alone were sufficient to prepare for a season opener, Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini said Tuesday, he could have packed his golf bag in the trunk and taken the rest of the week off.

Alas, football coaches are of the breed where a second spent on one’s golf game in the month of September is a second lost to precious preparation. Especially for wound-up guy like Pelini, who gets his team ready for Saturday’s season-opener vs. Florida Atlantic.

“Unfortunately for me and everybody around me I have that level of anxiety no matter what,” Pelini said during his weekly press conference. “I want us to play really well…I hope we light up on both sides of the football and play a perfect football game.”

Of course, Pelini adds, he’s realistic enough to know that’s not going to happen.

“But you can either settle or want more,” Pelini said. “Right?”

Which is why he goes to bed with formations and blitz calls dancing in his head. Why he’s tough as back-alley pork cutlets on his senior safeties Larry Asante, Ricky Thenarse and Matt O’Hanlon, whom he still harps on for excellence. And Asante, who’s grown into a vocal leader in the last year, can’t help but concur, saying the back end has to “wake up,” in 2009.

And Pelini takes a question about NU’s relatively young linebacker corps – two redshirt freshmen and a sophomore are likely to start – and says point blank: “They better learn to lean on themselves.”

“He’s definitely gotten more intense,” nose tackle Ndamukong Suh said. “He expects a lot more, greater detail in practice. Which I agree with. I think he’s ready to go and get after it.”


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It was the angriest reporters had seen Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini since the 2008 fall camp. And no wonder: Pelini said Wednesday’s practice too often resembled the inconsistent team of last year.

“It’s mental effort, it’s physical effort,” Pelini said after the two-hour workout. “We’re not a very good football team right now. For a lot of reasons…it’s too inconsistent and that’s what we were last year.”

Pelini tried to cut off his post-practice interview there, but fielded several more questions. The entire session lasted two minutes.

“No one’s stepped up to take control,” he said. “A bunch of average guys running around out there right now.”

When pressed to point out deficiencies, Pelini said “Want to. Mental toughness. Lack thereof.” When asked if he addressed the Huskers afterward, he said “What do you think?”
He wasn’t the only one. Defensive backs coach Marvin Sanders had a long, spirited conversation with his players at midfield of the Hawks Center.

“He was highly upset,” senior safety Larry Asante said. “I can’t repeat some of the things he said. We need to step it up.”

The secondary got off to a slow start in practice, Asante said. Nickel back Lance Thorell concurred, saying that the Husker defensive backs made a few plays, but also had “lackadaisical moments where we gave up the deep ball.”

Asante, one of the elders and quarterbacks of the defense, wasn’t any happier than his head coach.

“The mistakes we’re making now, we shouldn’t be making those mistakes,” Asante said. “We had three weeks of practice. To make the same errors, we can’t have that…We’re friends, but at the same time, we can’t keep making the same mistake. It’s all about accountability. If you keep making the same mistakes, yeah I’m going to get on you, because you’re letting the team down.”

See also: Another Freshman Makes a Move

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So let’s say you spent your summer vacation - if you had one in this economy - eating hot dogs, watching movies, moving into a new house, getting back home to see family and splashing around in the backyard pool with your kid.

Well, Nebraska football players did a little of that, too.

But they also had hours of fierce competition in the weight room and on the field for summer workouts. And when head coach Bo Pelini said two weeks ago at Big 12 Media Days that he envisioned a tougher, more accountable football team than the one he inherited in 2008, he wasn’t kidding.

In a word, tight end Mike McNeill said, the summer was “intense.”

“The other word we used all the time was “dominate,” McNeill said. “And we did a good job of dominating our tasks this summer.”

The mindset flowed from Pelini’s parting words in the spring. More than that, it came from strength and conditioning coach James Dobson, whom McNeill described as “full-go all the time.”

“He pushed us to the max,” McNeill said. “Really hard workouts.”

One of them was called “GPP,” a series of quick-twitch, agility exercises. Husker players would, in total, pull prowlers, push sleds, do sit-ups and push-ups for three straight minutes and perform speed and agility drills with weighted vests.

“It’s a combination of intense things,” McNeill said.

Another is “County Fair,” a series of agility and running drills inside rings and cones, all to be completed within a certain time.

The Huskers had accountability for poor effort or tardiness, too. Senior safety Larry Asante said players who fell short of expectations, or were late, had to admit those mistakes in front of the whole team.

Then the team would decide a punishment for the player. It was the kind of player accountability, Asante and wide receiver Menelik Holt agreed, that members of NU’s national championship teams in the 1990s had talked to them about in the spring.

“Sometimes we’d make them stand there and watch us run,” said Asante, a member of the 2009 Unity Council. “It was kind of a mental thing, to make them sit on the side and watch us run. Because we are a team.”

Holt, also on the Unity Council, said Pelini stressed that each Husker “learn how to be a man.”

“Part of being a man is being accountable for your actions,” Holt said. “We hear that all the time. Pelini’s always teaching us about those characteristics like a father would. And I think you’ve seen our team change in our leaders and how they act. You saw the team also change. We hear that from the 95 team when those guys come in.

Yes, Holt said, it’s a change from the Bill Callahan era.

“His motto was, ‘I shouldn’t have to tell you how to be a man,’” Holt said. “He expected that of you already.”

But, sometimes, 18-to-22-year-olds need a “Turkish Get Up” to remind them how.

That’s the name of the punishment Dobson devised for any player being late to anything – a lift, a meeting, a workout. It involved a player lying on his back with a 45-pound plate, rocking to standing position, and pressing up above his head.

“That’s 1,” Asante said. “Then you lay all the way back down and do it again. You do that about 15 times, and your back is about ready to give out.”

Except the punishment is to do 100 of them. McNeill saw one player, unnamed, do 150 of them. It took him an hour to lift the equivalent of 6,750 pounds, in 45-pound increments.

“It happened twice, I think,” Asante said. “And it never happened again. Guys seen other guys doing it, and said “Oh no, I don’t want to be doing that.”

Once, McNeill said, Dobson inflicted the punishment after the offense lost a mini-competition to the defense.

“But he just made us do one,” McNeill said, smiling. “It was a just a trick."

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It was the second straight season that zero Nebraska players were taken on the first day of the NFL Draft and only three were taken overall. It served as a death rattle for the Bill Callahan era.

Will the trend change in future years? We look at the potential Draft prospects of current Huskers:

2010 Draft

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh: If Suh stays healthy and continues to improve his technique – whether or not his statistics are comparable to 2008 – he’s a sure-fire first-round pick, and possibly a top-ten or top-five pick, depending on team need. At 6-foot-4, 300 pounds, Suh probably isn’t a 3-4 nose guard – those guys are usually squatter and, well, fatter – but he fits into a 4-3 scheme as a 1, 2 or 3 technique, depending on how a defense chooses to play him. He already makes the flashy plays behind the line of scrimmage, and has since his sophomore year.

Defensive end Barry Turner: Teams will look over Turner’s broken leg injury, and since we’re not doctors or insurance specialists, we couldn’t say whether that would prevent Turner from getting selected. As an end, Turner has a good first step and can beat slower linemen to the corner. He’s not as adept at swim and rip moves as he should be. On the flip side, Turner’s received average coaching at best from John Blake. He’s got room to grow.

Center Jacob Hickman: He’ll be helped by his versatility to play either guard spot or center. Hickman, 6-4 and 290, is agile when pulling and skilled at getting to the second level. Probably not the nastiest guy on the planet, but he’s smart, and he knows a number of positions. You could see some team taking him with a late-round pick and developing him as a valuable reserve.

Strong safety Larry Asante: Depending on whether some NFL team thought they could put 20-30 pounds on Asante, he could play linebacker at the next level. Asante hits hard, and he’s generally decent in run support. Where’s he’s struggled is in the passing game. As a safety, we’d see him as a free agent; Clemson’s Michael Hamlin, a much better college player, lasted until well into the second day in the 2009 Draft.

Wide receiver Menelik Holt: Longshot here, but one never knows. Holt has the speed, and he’s a good enough blocker. Nobody knows if he can catch balls and get open consistently, however. He’ll get only one year to prove it and he’d better have big-time numbers. Otherwise, he’ll be a free agent, if that.

For now, we don’t consider middle linebackers Phillip Dillard and Colton Koehler, free safeties Rickey Thenarse and Matt O’Hanlon or receiver Chris Brooks as likely selections, although they may sign as free agents.

2011

Left guard Keith Williams: At 6-5, 305, Williams has the size and strength to become a very good NFL guard. He needs to get more consistent, and cut out wasteful penalties. He’s quicker than recent draftee Matt Slauson and he’ll get two more years of coaching under Barney Cotton. Too hard to project a specific round right now, but Williams would be in the Draft.

Safety Eric Hagg: Could be a quality safety for some NFL team; his size and anticipatory skills are a good fit. Nebraska coaches finally seem set on putting Hagg at safety and letting him blossom there. Two years of good development puts him right in the crosshairs of being drafted. Sometimes, though, it seems like Hagg isn’t aware of how good he could be.

Running back Roy Helu: We fully expect Helu to play four years at NU, if he stays healthy. As a pure runner, Helu is instinctive, quick and hard to bring down. He’s a decent pass-catcher and should improve his blocking. If you were projecting way out, you could see Helu getting picked in the 3rd-4th rounds, maybe even the first day.

Tight end Mike McNeill: We could definitely see a guy like McNeill taking that Dallas Clark role with the Indianapolis Colts. McNeill is sure-handed and athletic, and pretty fast for a tight end. His best skill is open-field running. In two years, he’s a 4th-6th-round selection, and better if he improves his blocking.

Defensive end Pierre Allen: Very good sophomore campaign could lead to big things in 2009 and 2010. Allen needs to keep grinding away as a pass rusher so that he can fit into a 4-3 system, which requires good pass-rushing skills out of its ends. He’d need to gain 20-30 pounds to play end in a 3-4.

Kicker/punter Alex Henery: If he continues to kick like he did in 2008, he’ll be one of a handful of kickers selected in the Draft. Henery’s punting skills may also help him make a roster. The kid’s a bit of a kicking savant; many of his field goal tries are perfectly shaped into the middle of the goalposts, looking like a Phil Mickelson wedge shot.

Running back Quentin Castille: Credit where it’s due: Castille has lost enough weight to be a viable player in a one-back, one-cut outside zone NFL system. No the lead guy, necessarily, but a bruiser type. He gets downhill quickly, strides nicely for a big guy, and seems more comfortable in the open field than he does traffic. Blocks and catches pretty well. Hasn’t shown himself to be a great short-yardage back, but he could develop into one. Castille isn’t a fullback, and NFL teams will quickly notice that watching him on film. The right team with the right need could draft him.

Cornerback Prince Amukamara: If this kid picks up the red the courtesy phone and figures out the position, he’s as intriguing a prospect as any on NU’s team. Naturally gifted, huge vertical leap, tall and fast, not afraid to tackle. Amukamara’s stumbling block isn’t physical stuff. But can he play, drive after drive, without mental errors?

Cornerback Anthony West: Steadier than Amukamara, not quite as gifted, and not quite as big. Gambled and lost a couple times in 2008. Needs to close better and be more aggressive to the ball, as his allowed touchdown in the Red/White Spring Game showed.

Wide receiver Niles Paul: Needs to play more often, and more consistently. Paul would be a slot receiver in the NFL, so route-running, savvy and elusiveness would be important to develop.

Guard Ricky Henry: Strictly a project right now, but the clay is there to be molded. We’ll see.

Cornerback Dejon Gomes: See Ricky Henry.

Quarterback Zac Lee: Too early to tell. The skillset and height suggests he’ll fit into the Joe Ganz category.

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Larry Asante leafed through a press release from the Big 12 Conference, checking out the league standings of the North Division.



“Everybody’s tied at 2-2,” the Nebraska junior safety said to no one in particular.



The implication: Nebraska is in the hunt for a berth in the Big 12 Championship, provided Missouri, also at 2-2, stubs its toe in the last month of the season, presumably vs. Kansas.



Of course, the Cornhuskers would also have to win out. Which means NU has to snap No. 4 Oklahoma’s 22-game home winning streak this Saturday. At night. On national television. Long odds, a hostile atmosphere, and a talented foe? Seems like the perfect conditions for pressure.



But Asante doesn’t think Nebraska will cave in to it. Of course he’s going to say that, but he had a reason – which he said doubles as NU head coach Bo Pelini’s rationale, too.



“It’s not about them, it’s about us,” Asante said. “Just gotta go out there and play our ball…I’m not worried about none of it. Guys will step up and guys will play well.”



NU defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh – probably the Cornhuskers’ most dominant defensive player – right now – said he had talked to Pelini during film sessions on Sunday. The message: OU’s darn good, but not invincible. And there’s a notch in the Sooners’ loss column to prove it.



“They’re still a team that can be beat,” Suh said. “Obviously Texas showed that. So you have a film to watch that. It’s not like we’re going against an undefeated team. It’s a good team, but they have a loss on their hands. Definitely you can look at what Texas exploited so we can do the same.”



The Longhorns had a few built-in advantages: The highest grade of talent, a neutral field, a key injury to OU linebacker Ryan Reynolds during the game, which forced Sooner coaches to shift on the fly.



But UT also matched Oklahoma’s energy and withstood that initial OU punch that had Bob Stoops’ bunch ahead 21-10 in the second quarter at the Cotton Bowl. Adjusting to that aggression can be part of the challenge, NU tight end Hunter Teafatiller said, as Nebraska witnessed in its last game with Oklahoma in the 2006 Big 12 Championship.



Teafatiller recalled the game’s first play from scrimmage, when NU quarterback Zac Taylor tossed a short pass to Maurice Purify, Purify fumbled at NU’s 10-yard line, OU recovered and immediately scored. What Teafatiller remembered most, though, was the physical nature of the Sooners’ defensive line.



“They set a tone for the entire game,” he said. “They’re gonna come after us and we’re going to come after them.”


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The numbers for Oklahoma’s offense are gaudy and daunting.



OU is fresh off its highest-scoring first half in history and its highest yardage output in 20 years. Out of 43 trips to the red zone, it has scored 42 times, with 39 touchdowns, which is No. 1 in the nation. If you count the inevitable bowl game, the quarterback is on pace for 4,000 yards passing, two running backs are on pace for 1,000 yards rushing and two receivers are on pace for 1,000 yards receiving.



And you thought the 1971 OU team was the unstoppable one.



“They’re very, very balanced in the problems they present,” Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini said of the No. 4 Sooners’ attack.



If by “balanced,” Pelini means Oklahoma has done pretty much whatever it wanted against opposing defenses, he’d be right. OU has averaged 542 yards per game, 48 points and was the only team to truly tax Texas’ physical, athletic defense.



Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford – “a smart, smart football player,” Pelini said - has thrown for 2,775 yards and 29 touchdowns, comfortably sitting behind what Pelini said is the best offensive line Nebraska’s faced all year.



That same line, which features All-American candidates Phil Loadholt and Duke Robinson at left tackle and left guard respectively, has plowed significant holes for the Sooners’ lightning/thunder duo of DeMarco Murray (624 yards, nine touchdowns) and Chris Brown (585 yards, eight touchdowns).



“We want to run the ball now,” Bradford said Tuesday. “We’ve always wanted to run the ball, there’s just a greater sense of urgency.”



Only Texas, in a 45-35 win that was more defensive-minded than the score seems, was able to take that OU line’s best punch and hit back with some power of its own. The unit, which features four seniors, will be a tall order for Nebraska’s front four, which has, thus far, been the strength of the Cornhuskers’ defense.



“They move you off the ball,” NU nose tackle Ndamukong Suh. “They don’t necessarily try and reach you all the time and get you moving one way or the other . They try to go through you to get off the ball.”



What Texas did, Suh, said, was attack Oklahoma’s line before the Sooner players could bring that second step toward their blocking assignment.



“That’s what we’re taught,” Suh said. “(OU) was off balance by the time they actually moved to where they wanted to go.”



Easier said than done, especially in the wake of what might be Oklahoma’s best two games of the year vs. Kansas and Kansas State. They also happen to be two of the stranger games of the year.



Against KU, the Sooners constantly kept the Jayhawks at best with a sustained, balanced gameplan. Bradford threw for 468 yards and three touchdowns. OU added 206 rushing yards for a 674 total – on nearly 100 plays – in a 45-31 win. Amidst 36 first downs, Oklahoma still managed punt five times and miss two field goals.



OU topped that oddity last week at Kansas State, when the Sooners jumped out to a quick 28-7 lead after one quarter, relinquished it when KSU tied the game at 28, then added 27 more points in the last 6:26 of the first half for a 55-27 halftime lead. The 55 first-half points were a school record, presumably doing Barry “hang half a hundred” Switzer proud.



“Never really been part of a football half like that before,” Bradford said. “It was exciting. We got some things going, got in a rhythm and scored really quick.”



And this was a game that, statistically, might have been Bradford’s worst, as he completed only 13-of-32 passes. OU only converted 4-of-14 third down chances, and added just three second-half points in a 58-35 win.



“Everyone was a little disappointed with the way we performed in the second half,” Bradford. “…Just a lack of energy, lack of focus. Probably just came out a little complacent. I think we came out just a bit too relaxed.”



Pelini brushed off Bradford’s performance, noting that the Sooners running game easily controlled the Wildcats. Indeed, Murray and Brown gashed KSU’s defense for large chunks of yardage. And while Bradford only completed 13 passes, he completed them for 255 yards – almost 20 yards per completion. That’s part of why OU’s had 11 scoring drives of a minute or less and 70 plays – yes, an entire game’s worth – of 20 yards or more.



The big play bust happens to be the Nebraska defense’s primary weakness. While NU has held its opponents to just 18 first downs a game – first in the Big 12 – those same foes have ripped chunks of yards on one play. Baylor had five of them over 30 yards on Saturday.



An alarming trend, considering it’s the ninth game of the year and OU’s quick-strike capability.



“I can’t put a finger on exactly what’s going on out there,” safety Larry Asante said. “All the points (Baylor) was just off a bust, just guys being misaligned. If guys were in their gaps and playing their assignments, those touchdowns would have never occurred.



“That’s why I still see hope. We haven’t played our best football yet. It’s up to us to put it on film against a great team on Saturday.”


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