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. 15 Barry Turner: Great final year for Turner, who was a physical, dominant force off the edge and served as a great bookend to one of Nebraska’s best defensive lines ever. He got his “step” back in 2009 and chased down players all over the field.

No. 14 Matt O’Hanlon: Goat to hero, all in the span of a few months. O’Hanlon busted a coverage against Virginia Tech that directly led to the Hokies’ dramatic 16-15 win, but salvaged an all-conference caliber season with three interceptions vs. Oklahoma, an interception return for a touchdown vs. Colorado and an interception that set up NU’s first touchdown in the Holiday Bowl, for which he was named the game’s MVP. Throughout the year, O’Hanlon was excellent in run support, especially in games vs. OU and Texas in the Big 12 title game.

No. 13 Prince Amukamara: He arrived during the Big 12 Conference season, showing off that athleticism and skill Husker fans already knew he had, and coupling it with a better grasp of his role and the game in general. Amukamara won all-conference honors and positioned himself as a potential NFL first-round draft pick in 2011.

No. 12 Quentin Castille: Bo Pelini kicked him off the team for violating team rules on multiple occasions. In the short term, this move hurt Nebraska - especially when the Huskers switched to a power-running style that perfectly suited Castille’s skills. NU was also forced to burn the redshirt of Traye Robinson. In the long run, Pelini hopes Castille’s dismissal - along with the recent dismissal of freshman Chris Williams for similar violations - sends a clear message to the Huskers.

No. 11 Mathew May: Battled chronic back pain throughout the year, which limited his role to special teams, but it’s hard to say whether May’s potential, lauded consistently by coaches last spring, is hype or the real thing. We’ll know more a few months from now. There’s little question that May tests off the charts. But there’s more to playing football.

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The Play You Didn’t See: Matt O’Hanlon picked off Nick Foles on the third play of the game - Foles made an awful pass - and returned it to the sweet spot for NU’s offense and an early, quick touchdown. Just Matty being Matty - at least over the last half of the season.

Dillard Down the Field: NU linebacker Phillip Dillard probably earned himself a few slots in the NFL Draft when he aptly covered Arizona running back Nic Grigsby on a seam route down the field, breaking up what was probably Nick Foles best pass of the first half.

Sack Party 1: Pierre Allen puts a nasty move on Arizona’s right tackle and hammers Foles, stripping him of the ball for a nine-yard loss. He and best friend Barry Turner engage in a celebratory dance.

Sack Party 2: Allen, Turner and Ndamukong Suh all converge on Foles for the second sack of the game one drive after the first one.

The Shutout Preserver: Bo Pelini calls a casino blitz with all the fixins, and backup safety P.J. Smith delivers on fourth down, batting down the Foles pass.

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The following comes from Nebraska media relations. They explain it well, so we don't feel compelled to repeat it. Congrats to all the winners!

One more note: It appears Alex Henery, a junior, was named captain. Nicely done there!

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Lincoln – The Nebraska football team celebrated its 2009 season on Friday evening at its annual banquet, held at The Cornhusker in Downtown Lincoln. Nearly 500 people attended the banquet, which included the awarding of several team awards and the announcement of the 2009 season captains.

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was the most honored Husker of the evening, although he was not in attendance. Instead, the senior from Portland, Ore., was in New York as one of five finalists for the Heisman Trophy, which will be presented on Saturday. Earlier this week Suh took home the Bronko Nagurski Award, the Rotary Lombardi Award, the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Outland Trophy. On Friday, he was named Nebraska’s Team MVP and Defensive MVP.

After leading the Huskers in tackles (82), sacks (12.0), tackles for loss (23), quarterback hurries (26) and blocked kicks (three), Suh was also named as the winner of the Guy Chamberlin Award.

The first-team All-American was also named one of Nebraska’s three season captains. The Huskers elected game captains each week, before determining season-long captains after the regular season. While Suh was chosen as the defensive captain, center Jacob Hickman was selected as the offensive captain and place-kicker/punter Alex Henery was named the special teams captain.

After setting a school record with 20 field goals this season and placing a Big 12-leading 28 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, Henery was also named Nebraska’s Special Teams MVP. The Omaha native has connected on 20-of-24 field goal attempts and all 35 extra-point tries this season. Henery is the Huskers’ top scorer with 95 points, while he also averages 41.7 yards per punt. For his efforts, Henery earned first-team all-conference accolades as both a punter and place-kicker by at least two publications.

I-back Roy Helu Jr. was named the Offensive MVP. Despite battling an injury, Helu has rushed for 1,139 yards this season, the third highest total in the Big 12. A second-team all-conference selection by the league’s coaches, Helu has scored 10 touchdowns while posting four 100-yard rushing games and averaging 5.2 yards per carry, a league best among backs with at least 150 carries this season.

Helu’s leading blocker, fullback Tyler Legate was named the Walk-On MVP. Legate helped pave the way for Helu to record the program’s 29th 1,000-yard rushing season. The Novak Trophy went to linebacker Phillip Dillard, a second-team All-Big 12 pick. The Novak and Chamerblin Awards were chosen by a vote of media who regularly cover Nebraska throughout the season. Those two winners, along with the Cletus Fischer Native Son Award, will again be celebrated at the Outland Trophy banquet in Omaha on Jan. 14.

Safety Matt O’Hanlon was named the winner of the Native Son Award, along with earning the Bobby Reynolds Award. Defensive end Barry Turner received the Pat Clare Award, while four members of the scout team were also honored. Quarterback Ron Kellogg III and offensive lineman Nick Ash were announced as the Scout Team Offensive MVPs, while safety Jim Ebke and defensive end Kenny Anderson were named the Scout Team Defensive MVPs. Defensive tackle Jared Crick was named Lifter of the Year to round out the award selection.

2009 Nebraska Football Award Winners
Offensive Captain: Jacob Hickman, C
Defensive Captain: Ndamukong Suh, DT
Special Teams Captain: Alex Henery, PK
Team MVP: Ndamukong Suh, DT
Offensive MVP: Roy Helu Jr, IB
Defensive MVP: Ndamukong Suh, DT
Special Teams MVP: Alex Henery, PK
Walk-On MVP: Tyler Legate, FB
Scout Team Offensive MVPs: Ron Kellogg III, QB; Nick Ash, OL
Scout Team Defensive MVPs: Jim Ebke, S; Kenny Anderson, DE
Novak Trophy: Phillip Dillard, LB
Chamberlin Trophy: Ndamukong Suh, DT
Cletus Fischer Native Son Award: Matt O’Hanlon, S
Bobby Reynolds Award: Matt O’Hanlon, S
Pat Clare Award: Barry Turner, DE
Lifter of the Year: Jared Crick, DT

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The defining image of Nebraska's 2009 defense, if you want to get right down to it, isn't brute, spectacular play of Ndamukong Suh.

He's the best player in college football, deserving of the Heisman. But his interception for a touchdown in last year's Colorado game – and subsequent violent celebration – was the image of 2008. Suh elevated his game in 2009, but that alone didn't make NU's defense one of the most potent in the nation.

Rather, I think of the Oklahoma game. A crucial fourth down as the Cornhuskers clung to a 10-3 lead. OU quarterback Landry Jones tried to sneak a quick out pass to Ryan Broyles, but Broyles was swamped with Nebraska defenders. So Jones searched the middle of the field.

Jared Crick tipped his subsequent pass. Phillip Dillard grabbed it for NU's fourth interception of the game. And then Dillard, as he arrived on the sidelines, received a massive bear hug from Carl Pelini.

That hug, nine months ago, would have seemed inconceivable.

Dillard was overweight heading into 2009 spring camp, his diet consisting in part, he admitted later, of rocky road ice cream. And Dillard was mad about his non-existent playing time in the Gator Bowl. That first day of spring ball, he was fourth in the middle linebacker line. Fourth.

I won't lie: It seemed like a stunt. And it seemed like a stunt in fall camp, when Dillard, having lost the necessary weight, languished on the depth chart. Even more so when he didn't play in the season's first two games despite reports of significant progress.

Then, suddenly, Dillard was switched to weakside linebacker for the Virginia Tech game. Early in the Missouri game, Pelini inserted him as the dime linebacker in a 27-12 win. After Will Compton blew an early assignment in the Texas Tech game, Dillard spelled him again, and never relinquished the job again.

And so that night vs. Oklahoma – Dillard's home state team. The program his half-brother he attends. The program Dillard himself spurned. Early in the game, a sack. Another excellent play on a screen pass. Finally – the interception. And the bear hug.

The 10-3 win is better remembered for Matt O'Hanlon's three-interception redemption. But Dillard, the ultimate lost cause, was located by Pelini, and embraced. And Dillard hugged him back. A pigskin prodigal son story, if there ever was one.

That was Nebraska's defense in 2009. A leap in skill, conditioning, speed, smarts – and faith. Bo and Carl Pelini trusted an oft-burned secondary to change its ways; after a massive meltdown vs. Virginia Tech, it did just that. They asked for Barry Turner to get bigger and transform his game into that of a burly, physical end, and he did it. They asked Jared Crick to fill Ty Steinkuhler's shoes, and Crick busted the seams. They asked cornerback Dejon Gomes to learn on the fly and save Nebraska's hide with timely plays in several games, and the junior-college transfer did the trick.

Talent + teaching = development. The Brothers Pelini worked that formula like a M.I.T professor.

Their summary statement was a resounding performance in the Big 12 title game, well beyond any effort that I could have imagined. NU's defense was jaw-droppingly excellent. Its secondary was in lockdown mode. Dillard pursued and tackled with energy. And Suh, well, you saw the performance. Amazing.

Here's the highlights – and the few lowlights – of the 2009 season defense.

Player of the Year: Ndamukong Suh. He's the defensive player of the decade at Nebraska. Best defender ever? Let the debate begin. And he hasn't reached his ceiling as a player yet. Wait until Suh learns some NFL tricks – especially a more effective rip move.

Most Improved: Phillip Dillard. Transformed himself from a Cosgrove casualty into a guy who will get a strong look from the NFL. Always played with heart, passion and toughness; in 2009, Dillard played faster and smarter, too.

Newcomer of the Year: Dejon Gomes. Other than Suh, he's my favorite player on the defense. Doesn't say much. Doesn't strut or draw penalties. Just covers his tail off. He really knows how to strip the ball, too – his interception in the Texas game was as much a fumble recovery as it was a pick.

Freshman of the Year: Cameron Meredith. Compton probably played more, but, with Meredith, there was no dropoff when he subbed for Barry Turner at defensive end. Size, speed, and a little nasty. Get used to his name and face. In two years..

Best Game: Texas. In a hostile atmosphere, NU did everything but send UT quarterback Colt McCoy back to high school. Nine sacks, three picks, too many hurries to count. It was a defensive coordinator's dream.

Worst Game: Texas Tech. The Brothers Pelini gambled early on some blitzes, and got burned by quarterback Steven Sheffield. Mike Leach had Nebraska off balance all day. If you need any evidence of Leach's game-planning prowess, here you go.

Best Single Performance: Ndamukong Suh, Texas. Suh's play at Missouri and O'Hanlon's work vs. Oklahoma are the runners up. But nothing beats Suh in Dallas. Fathers will tell their kids about it one day.

Biggest Plus in 2010: Secondary. The best in the nation – yes, even with new safeties. Expect nickel corner Eric Hagg to move O'Hanlon's spot, while P.J. Smith transitions to Larry Asante's role more smoothly than you might imagine.

Biggest Question Mark: Defensive Line Depth. Meredith and Pierre Allen need backups to emerge at the end spots. Carl Pelini must decide if Terrence Moore can handle the nose, or Baker Steinkuhler, who's a little too lanky for the position, mans it instead.

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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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And so we've ranted, raved and roared, shook down the house, nailed the Big Red in our personal report cards, and ate dinner in a gloomy silence.

Not even fantasy football – or your favorite NFL team – could rock you away from that long, cold sliver of disbelief that accompanied the morning rain or snow.

Well, that's some of you, anyway.

And so now, after we've tried to frame this season properly, as a litmus test for coaches and players – but most specifically for head coach Bo Pelini - we pour in the cream of common sense, to offset the acid of our pens, keystrokes, gestures and tongues.

Calm down, Husker nation. It's a blue, low mood today, but opportunity, yet again, awaits.

Nobody has run away with the Big 12 North title. And nobody is going to run away with it. But Nebraska can still get it, rescuing itself from a midseason slump. The Huskers' defense can play any offense, anywhere, anytime and hold its own. NU's offensive line does have some muscle, when given the chance to show it.

There should be no calls for Bo Pelini to make midseason staff changes. Wrong play, wrong level of football. Personnel and schematic changes? Absolutely. But the fatalistic stuff – come on, people.

No – the point is this: Bo's the head coach. He's not the “defensive expert,” while offensive coordinator Watson is the “offensive expert.” Colloquially, yeah, maybe they are, but Pelini – not Watson – is responsible for the entire product. Watson coaches quarterbacks and calls plays. But if it's fourth-and-one inside enemy territory – Pelini makes the executive decision. He's earned the right to make it.

A good head coach doesn't micromanage every little aspect of practices and games. That's a recipe for disaster, mistrust and player revolt. Not even the biggest control freaks pull that off with any kind of success. Bo's too smart to do that. Guys who have tried – fail. You can't just “change” everything.

But if he's got a hunch about the offense, he should play it. Maybe the Huskers really are just a few good practices away from hitting on all cylinders. Maybe not.

Five Players We Loved

Ndamukong Suh, defensive tackle: He blocked a field goal, an extra point, ran down a receiver 15 yards upfield and generally imposed his physical will on the Iowa State interior offensive line. Afterward, he called his play “average.” That's accountability.

Barry Turner, defensive end: The quiet man of Nebraska's defense – he hasn't done an interview since fall camp – is quietly having a pretty good season. Turner's work doesn't always show up in the stat sheet, but he's consistently collapsed the pocket toward Suh and Jared Crick. He did so again Saturday.

Alfonzo Dennard, cornerback: The man can jump! A very late addition to the 2008 recruiting class, Dennard is well on his way to becoming one of the gems of that bunch. Tough-minded, quick to the ball, and a competitor.

Phillip Dillard, linebacker: Never allowed ISU quarterback Jerome Tiller – who's a pretty good runner – to get loose for a 20-yard gain on the zone read. Dillard's making a late case for the NFL Draft. Good for him.

Alex Henery, punter: A return to form for the junior – at least in the punting department, where he downed two boots inside ISU's 6-yard line.

Three Concerns We Have

Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers: Try a -10 margin in the last two games. Nebraska's mistakes handling the ball are bad enough, but the Huskers haven't forced any turnovers, either. Jared Crick had a fumble all to himself, but slightly overshot his recovery attempt. Dennard had his hands on a potential pick. Those are plays that have to be made.

An offensive system that doesn't fit the quarterback: Zac Lee does have some throwing skills,especially downfield. But he's not a natural runner. He just isn't. And that's OK. So stop trying to run a zone read play that doesn't command the respect of the defensive end, who crashes down, forcing Lee to the corner, where he isn't comfortable.

Roy Helu's health: Yes, we know Helu played with a bum shoulder last week and didn't fumble. That doesn't mean he wouldn't fumble this week. Helu's not the type of guy who will beg out of a game. NU coaches have to tread carefully with their best offensive commodity.

Reviewing the Five Keys

Playing Harder and Smarter: Iowa State won this category with a gameplan that didn't ask too much of Tiller and a defensive tenacity that forced the Huskers into eight turnovers. ISU hustled just a little more than Nebraska did.

Steep Incline: Nebraska's defense was indeed tougher on ISU in every area but one: Turnovers. Of course, the Cyclones were playing without Austen Arnaud and Alexander Robinson, which brings us to...

Wounded Clones: They'll tell stories in Ames about this game for generations, you know. How ISU went into to Lincoln missing 80 percent of its offense and Paul Rhoads coached em up? If Rhoads becomes a legend at Iowa State, this the game that spawns it.

Where's Mike? Nebraska tight end Mike McNeill made two catches for 22 yards, was the intended receiver on Zac Lee's first interception, and was overthrown by Lee on another third down play. NU tried locating him more often, but only connected twice.

The Specials: Iowa State ran a key fake punt to perfection as Nebraska showed its hand too quickly on a return play and vacated the area.

Three Questions We Still Have

Can Bo rally the boys from such a mind-boggling loss? All is not lost for Nebraska. NU has to win out from here, and hope Iowa State gets clipped one more time by someone, anyone. Missouri and Kansas are laying out a red carpet for the Big 12 North. The Huskers would be wise to remember that.

Is Traye Robinson ready for 15-20 carries per game? Talk about going 0-60 in one game, huh? Robinson may have fumbled and ran into the backs of some of his blockers, but he looked healthy – and tough. Nebraska has to use him, and hope he holds up.

Does a road trip do this team some good? We say yes. Not only can Nebraska beat Baylor in Waco, it can get out of town for a couple days. The Husker fans in and around Waco don't get to see the team that often; they'll be more appreciative of the product – whatever it looks like.

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Our non-conference report card for the defense:

DEFENSIVE MVP: Ndamukong Suh Facing offenses that clearly mean to blunt his impact on the game, Suh still makes his presence known in the running game and with four pass deflections in the Virginia Tech game. We’d be lying if we didn’t think Suh couldn’t reach yet another level of play in 2009. But the level he’s at right now is All-American caliber.

Special Mention: Strong safety Larry Asante, nickel back Eric Hagg, weakside linebacker Phillip Dillard, middle linebacker Will Compton.

DEFENSIVE LINE: B+ This unit was a little slow to anger in the opening games of the season, but they sufficiently pressured Virginia Tech’s Tyrod Taylor and all of Louisiana-Lafayette’s signal callers. Suh is the anchor, obviously, but Pierre Allen, Barry Turner and Cameron Meredith have all been solid at the defensive end position. Meredith, in particular, is flashing some pass-rushing ability in the first month. Jared Crick continues to grow into his position; his technique can improve but his motor is top notch. Baker Steinkuhler flashes an impressive burst into the backfield, while Terrence Moore is finally recovering from a turf toe.

Best Game: Virginia Tech. Excellent throughout
Worst Game: Florida Atlantic. Played too high.

LINEBACKERS B- A bit of a roller coaster so far, but they’re hanging in there, and the move of Phillip Dillard to weakside linebacker should prove to be a key catalyst. In two games, Dillard has been aggressive and physical the ball in ways Blake Lawrence was not. Middle linebacker Will Compton had a few lapses in the Arkansas State game, but he’s active, quick the ball and willing to mix it up. Strongside linebacker Sean Fisher could stand to play a little lower, but he’s generally caught as well as Compton has; by this time next year, it could really be some unit. Lawrence looked tentative at times but has been battling injuries, as has Mathew May, who has a nasty stinger. Colton Koehler and Eric Martin have been used in backup roles.

Best game: Virginia Tech.
Worst game: Arkansas State. Communication issues.

SECONDARY: A- OK, so you can’t get that colossal breakdown out of your head. Well, get over it. Marvin Sanders’ unit has played well besides that play. Larry Asante, easily, is having his best year in run and pass coverage. In Prince Amukamara, Anthony West and Alfonzo Dennard, NU has three corners capable of starting, and Dejon Gomes is starting to heat up. Matt O’Hanlon, one play aside, has been sound and dependable by all accounts. Eric Hagg is a daring, successful wild card who can also cover. Lance Thorell has been fine in limited dime coverage and P.J. Smith, now filling in for the injured Ricky Thenarse, will be counted on back up Asante. This is a seriously strong unit – and it could be better in 2010 once Hagg moves back to safety.

Best Game: Lafayette. Two fumbles and a Pick Six
Worst Game: Virginia Tech.

GAME MANAGEMENT/PENALTIES: B- The penalties haven’t been too much of a problem since the first game, and the defensive calls seemed much smoother after the first two games. Bo Pelini wisely got some of his backups more playing time in the Lafayette game. NU continues to waste timeouts on defensive adjustments, however.
Best Game: Lafayette.
Worst Game: Florida Atlantic.

PLAYCALLING: A- The plan to shut down Tyrod Taylor worked perfectly until the final minute of the game; Taylor was frustrated and penned in like he hasn’t been in his entire career at Tech. Otherwise, The Brothers Pelini did a nice job of relying on their front four to generate a pass rush while the back seven covered. Far too often in 2008, blitzes were dialed up as a matter of course. This year, we’re seeing a little more selectivity, which is a good thing.

Best Game: Virginia Tech
Worst Game: Florida Atlantic.

See also: Offensive Report Card

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And so. The road from here, after a sudden head-on collision in the final moments of Nebraska’s 16-15 loss to Virginia Tech.

First, a week of warmth and good tidings, as the Cornhuskers welcome a Sun Belt also-ran (Louisiana-Lafayette) to Lincoln for the 300th consecutive sellout. Hangover or not, NU’s walking out of Memorial Stadium on Saturday night a winner.

Then, a bye week.

Then, what I’d call the biggest game of the season for Nebraska’s psyche: A night war in Columbia, on ESPN, for Big 12 North supremacy and a couple of recruits that both Missouri and the Huskers are after for their 2010 class.

That’s 16 days, between now and then. Enough time to heal, physically and mentally. Enough time to forge an identity that wins conferences games on the road.

Know this: Tech was only a small part of this season’s test. It could have been a springboard. But it won’t be. Now, Nebraska has to avoid it becoming a stumbling block.

Head coach Bo Pelini has experience here. As interim coach in 2003, he dusted off the Huskers after Frank Solich’s firing and won the Alamo Bowl. As defensive coordinator at LSU, he rebounded from a crushing 50-48 loss to rival Arkansas to craft an excellent plan for the SEC Championship game, beating Tennessee 17-10. And as head coach last year, he sifted through the rubble of 52-17 and 62-28 and built a stronger, smarter team after both games.

In Bo we trust – to adjust.

On with the review.

Five Players We Loved

Kicker Alex Henery: Better known as “A Money” inside of 50 yards. Pretty sweet rugby-style punter, too.

Running back Roy Helu: Nebraska put the load on his shoulders and he bore it with toughness and agility. Good on-field attitude, too.

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh: Of course he’d like to Tech’s last offensive play back. He’ll probably wonder himself what he was doing, NU’s best pass rusher, just standing there, watching VT quarterback Tyrod Taylor buy time. Otherwise, Suh was awesome on Saturday. His only weakness, really, is sometimes trying to do too much on one play.

Defensive ends Barry Turner and Pierre Allen: Well-prepared, they were, to corral Tyrod Taylor. Allen and Turner refused to be turned by blocking tackles, were rarely pinned on outside plays, and consistently remained stout on inside runs. Good effort.

Three Concerns We Still Have

Meltdown penalties: When it rains, it pours with NU’s offensive line and tight ends. They played a mostly clean game – until that disaster in the third quarter, which was one of the subtle turning points.

Not Enough Niles: if he’s a playmaker in practice, then you have to give him designed touches in the game. One poorly-thrown screen pass is not enough. Why is Zac Lee looking for Mike McNeill in double coverage 30 yards down the field and not Paul? Why is Menelik Holt the guy running corner routes in the end zone, and not Paul?

Look: Jeremy Maclin wasn’t 6-foot-4 either. But Missouri moved him around, got him snaps, cleared out the middle of the field and let him catch a short slant, that kind of stuff. And if Paul’s just another receiver at NU, then put him where belongs, in the slot, and stick Chris Brooks on the outside in four-wide situations. Shawn Watson has to do something to direct Lee’s attention in Paul’s direction, or isolate Paul in the open field.

Straight coverage: If Taylor had been any kind of passer, Saturday’s game might have been much different. Tech’s receivers routinely had a step on NU’s defensive backs; Taylor just couldn’t hit them. Nebraska’s corners were fairly aggressive, it seemed; they were lucky they didn’t get burned more.

Reviewing the Five Keys

Violent Dance: Nebraska didn’t handle Jason Worilds very well. He had five QB hurries, flushed Lee several more times, and drew a holding penalty on that botched third-quarter drive. He’s a player. Marcel Jones and D.J. Jones are, too, but they’re not of Worilds’ caliber yet.

The Specials: Nebraska played Tech to a draw, or maybe even had a small edge. Tech’s big kickoff returned was offset by Paul’s punt return. Adi Kunalic consistently pounded the ball for touchbacks. Henery was money on punts.

Hustle and Flow: The linebackers held up. Frankly, they seemed better when they know the opponent is going to run the ball. Will Compton, Phillip Dillard and Sean Fisher consistently pursued well, lined up correctly and wrapped when tackling.

Lane and Lee: NU’s quarterback didn’t look rattled in the first half, and indeed made a few savvy scrambles and throws. But after that penalty debacle in the third quarter, Lee wasn’t the same guy. What happened? We’ll have to ask Tuesday. Lee wasn’t available after the game. (Note to coaches: Isn’t part of growing up as a QB facing the music right afterward?)

Big-Game Coaching: In our estimation, Pelini and Watson were up to the challenge. We could argue the Cover 2 call, or a few of Watson’s play selections. You could analyze it until you’re blue in the face, frankly, but the coaching staff was up to the moment. You couldn’t necessarily say that about last year’s game in Lincoln.

Three Questions We Still Have

Who is this team in the red zone? Right now, Nebraska seems like a bunch that’s not sure how to score a touchdown. The Huskers nibbled around the edges but never pushed over that one score they really needed.

Can Nebraska close when it counts? The Huskers spit the bit a little. Oh, they played hard, but they didn’t seize victory. Virginia Tech was tired and ready to fall. NU kept the Hokies in the game with mental mistakes, dropped passes and penalties.

How soon is that Missouri game again? Soon enough.

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The topic is Barry Turner’s country Tennessee accent, and Turner, like he often can, is cracking up a couple reporters with an example.

“I was going through McDonald’s one morning and I said, “‘Can I get a sausage biscuit?’" Turner said. "I say sausage and (my teammates) are laughing at me – country, down south.”

The way Turner, a native of Antioch, Tenn., says “sausage,” it sounds like “Sawshige.” Of course, they make some pretty good spicy country patties in Tennessee.

The Volunteer State raises some pretty good defensive ends, too. Turner, after breaking his leg in the second game of 2008, is hoping to combine his explosive first step with an on-field emotion that belies his easygoing nature for the consistent season NU fans have been waiting for since Turner’s true freshman campaign in 2005, when his six sacks helped him make many Freshman All-America teams.

Since then, there have been intermittent flashes of brilliance. Turner basically saved NU in the 2006 Texas A&M game with a blocked field goal. In a difficult 2007 season, Turner started all but one game, had a career-high 29 tackles, and played well in early season games vs. Ball State, Wake Forest and Iowa State. Then, like too many Husker defenders, he faltered in a crucial stretch of losses to Missouri, Oklahoma State, A&M, Texas and Kansas.

In 2008, Turner was supposed to be one of the stars of NU’s defensive resurrection. Then, against San Jose State, the broken leg. Then rehab and a spring camp more about finding confidence. He wears a knee brace in practice now, which is a new experience. Anytime he sheds that, Turner said, “I feel extremely fast.”

Turned looked explosive at times in the Red/White Spring Game, stuffing out Quentin Castille on a running play, and blasting past his blocker to nab one of those phantom sacks on a green-shirted Zac Lee. Other plays, especially toward the sidelines, Turner wasn’t moving as quickly.

But a summer of running and lifting, Turner said, took care of that.

“I’m getting back to my old habits, my old ways, what I’m used to doing,” Turner said. “During the summer I had more time to get used to it, to trust my leg more…guys tell me ‘you look pretty fast, you’ve got good get-off.’”

Defensive coordinator Carl Pelini sees the same.

“The old Barry's back," Pelini said. "He looks like Barry of a year ago, but with better understanding of our defense. Which makes him even faster.”

Once Turner was out for 2008, he duplicated what defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh did when he missed the 2008 spring camp – he stood next to Pelini in practice and learned without doing. That extra time off seemed to help Suh understand the techniques and strategy.

It did the same, Pelini said, for Turner.

“He was basically at my shoulder,” Pelini said. “Almost a student coach last year. And now that’s paying off for him. He has a great grasp of what we’re doing defensively.”

Turner brings an emotional leadership to the defense, too, Pelini said. While NU’s 2008 defense made significant strides, it wasn’t exactly a loud, frothy unit of players. Turner – along with MIKE linebacker Phillip Dillard and strong safety Larry Asante – are a key vocal component that measures the lifeblood of a defense.

In practice, it’s pretty obvious who gets the defensive linemen in stitches – Turner and his best friend, Pierre Allen, who mans the base defensive end position.

In one recent workout, a TV station cameraman was getting stock shots of the defensive line, drinking water during a quick break. Turner and Allen caught the guy’s attention and pulled the camera over to Suh, who was leaning against a concrete pole. Expected by many to be a first-round NFL Draft Pick in 2010, Suh, not one to mug for the camera, turned away right into the wall, essentially, laughing while he did it.

And yet Turner convinced the cameraman, as a joke, to focus in even more on Suh. That might have gone on for minutes if the linemen hadn’t been ordered to work the retractable chute for a drill.

“It’s just natural,” Turner said of his personality. “It’s nothing I have to act to do. It’s just natural. That’s what’s been instilled in me so I hope it rubs off on them. It makes practice go by faster.”

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Rocky Road ice cream. That was his weakness. And Lamar’s Donuts. Eating late at night. Maybe a little frustration and stubbornness.

It landed Phillip Dillard in the doghouse of Nebraska’s football staff. OK, so head coach Bo Pelini said at the Big 12 Media Days he doesn’t believe in the concept of a doghouse. But when Dillard reported to spring camp at 248 pounds – 15 pounds more than coaches believe is his ideal weight – he landed at the back at of the drill line, the bottom of the depth chart.

“We ask certain things,” linebackers coach Mike Ekeler said then. Dillard, meanwhile, wasn’t talking.

Just a few months before, Dillard had been Nebraska’s starting middle linebacker. Trailing 20-17 at halftime to Baylor, it was Dillard who addressed the locker room, who cut to the chase, who lit the Cornhuskers’ fire for a second-half comeback. And it was Dillard who helped make a crucial stop on third and goal when he tackled probably the fastest quarterback in the nation – the Bears’ Robert Griffin – on a speed option around the end. BU missed the ensuing field goal try, and NU scored 15 unanswered points for a 32-20 win.

Dillard suffered a severe ankle injury at the end of that win, and was sidelined for the rest of the season. He was cleared to suit up for the Gator Bowl, but got no action. In his absence, the “Farm Dog,” Hastings walk-on Colton Koehler, filled in, and played well.

And then, the spring. Koehler at the front. Dillard, the last guy through.

“This game will come up and bite you,” Pelini said after Saturday’s practice.

It sunk its teeth in hard on Dillard.

“It didn’t surprise me,” Dillard said. “I’m the one that came in and didn’t do exactly what they asked of me. It’s not like I was in trouble with the law, I just didn’t handle my business as far as taking care of business as a man should. So I got punished for it.”

And challenged. Ekeler preached a clean slate for his unit this fall. But for Dillard to earn even a shot at playing time, he had to drop the weight.

He talked to reporters Saturday looking more cut than he ever has. Almost small, if a 6-1, 234-pound rock can be considered small.

Dillard had a summer to rescue his career, apologize to teammates, and join the race for playing time at NU. He did it. On a day that probably would have finished off the Dillard of 2007, the Dillard of 2009 was smiling and seeming thankful he had a team to motivate him.

This is the best shape I’ve ever been in,” Dillard said. “I feel great out there, running around. I’m not tired, I wasn’t breathing hard or nothing. So losing the weight was for my good.”

Not that Dillard wasn’t a hard worker before. But the transition from Kevin Cosgrove to Pelini was arguably tougher on him than most defenders. Dillard, after all, was playing nose tackle in Cosgrove’s third-down defense. Like a lot of Huskers, Dillard was bigger by design. Nebraska was probably the paunchiest team in America in 2007. By design.

And so, when that switch flipped, and Pelini was suddenly playing safety-sized players, like Matt Holt and Matt May, at linebacker – and the smaller guys were flourishing - Dillard was on the heftier end.

A victim of the previous culture – and his own weaknesses. That’s the story of a lot of folks in and out of football.

So, too, is redemption, and credit a new system of player-driven accountability for Dillard’s new physique. He had to apologize to his teammates, and they, in turn, kept giving words of encouragement.

“They’d tell me ‘Man, just keep working hard.’ Because they’d see me working hard. You don’t want to let those guys down. Everyone works hard. But I wanted to work harder, and that’s where I got my drive from. I didn’t want to let them down.”

It’s feel-good story thus far. Yet it doesn’t mean Dillard is going to be handed his job back. Ekeler and defensive coordinator Carl Pelini both called the race for all three linebacker positions “wide open.” Koehler had a good spring, and while redshirt freshman Will Compton still has to nail down the playbook, he’s the fastest, and most physically gifted, of the three. Bo Pelini had to bite his tongue pretty hard not to burn Compton’s redshirt in 2008; if he had, the Bonne Terre, Mo., native would probably be the favorite to start.

But Dillard brings an important emotional element to the defense. Even with the tough spring, he’s still a leader, and he, along with returning defensive end Barry Turner, bring some personality back to the field.

“I want to play with a lot of emotion,” Dillard said. “I can’t just hit somebody and get up. I’m trying to run through somebody. Like I can’t stand the opposite person. That’s just the kind of spark defensive coaches have. You’ve seen Coach Pelini on the sideline. He’s got that fire and spark.”

Dillard’s off to a good start.

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A couple of them will have a chip on their shoulder. A couple more are being thrown into the fire. Others see the sands of time running out on their NU career.

The ten Husker football players who arguably have the most to prove in 2009 are on the list for various reasons. And each one of them could have standout seasons. Here's our take on the guys NU fans will be watching come fall:

Senior wide receiver Menelik Holt: You can’t create a more prototypically sized receiver – 6-foot-4, 220 pounds – but Holt hasn’t been the heir apparent to Maurice Purify that many expected him to be. At least not yet. His hands haven’t been the problem – sans a fumble at Iowa State – but Holt doesn’t easily get open, and hasn’t much been sent on those deep routes that were previously reserved for Nate Swift. Holt had an average spring camp, and needs to turn up the voltage in the fall.

Senior wide receiver Chris Brooks: Does “Brooksie,” as some call him, finally make good on his lauded high school potential? Time to find out. He had a solid spring, but receivers coach Ted Gilmore has typically been reluctant to play him. He won’t have much choice in 2009; Brooks should be the team’s No. 3 or No. 4 option, at worst. He’s well-liked, and seems to have the right attitude, and no lingering frustration over his lack of playing time.

Senior linebacker Phillip Dillard: Just two years ago, Dillard was seen as the answer to Nebraska’s flailing, failing linebacking corps, specifically the suddenly-average Corey McKeon. Today, Dillard tries to fight out of the doghouse after plummeting to the bottom of the depth chart in spring practice. If healthy, and at the proper weight, Dillard is probably an upgrade over Colton Koehler, who started over the last half of 2008. But he’s got to earn the trust of position coach Mike Ekeler and head coach Bo Pelini, and that should take the balance of fall camp.

Senior defensive end Barry Turner: We’re not questioning Turner’s previous production; he’s been a solid rush end at Nebraska. But he does have to fully recover from a nasty break in 2008 in order to give the Huskers that speed rusher they were lacking last year. With Ndamukong Suh attracting more double teams this year, Turner will have his shots at the quarterback. As the spring game showed, his first step is still there. But can he get around the Big 12’s best tackles? That remains to be seen.

Junior cornerback Prince Amukamara: He’s fast, he’s got huge hands and, by every account, dude can practically jump out of the gym. Now it’s time for Amukamara, a “hot one play, cold the next” cover corner last year, to make the leap that position coach Marvin Sanders knows he can. Sanders revamped his coaching installation this spring, beginning with basics and core principles, in an effort to get all of his defensive backs on the same page. When the light goes all the way on for Amukamara, he could be one of the Big 12’s best. Question is: Does it happen?

Junior quarterback Zac Lee: For it’s worth, we think Lee’s up to the considerable challenge in front of him, which is to sustain the success of 2008 with a tougher schedule, new receivers and a talented true freshman (Cody Green) waiting in the wings. Joe Ganz got to spend the first month in the cozy confines of Memorial Stadium; Lee gets no such luxury, with two vicious road games at Virginia Tech and Missouri on an ESPN Thursday night. The kid’s got to be sharp, fast. And the final exam – games at Kansas and Colorado – will determine the Big 12 North title. Lee has a lot of pressure to bear on that No. 5 jersey.

Redshirt freshman linebacker Sean Fisher: Really, all of the linebackers have something to prove, but Fisher is a perfect microcosm of the position in the fall of 2009: Lots of talent, little experience. Fisher has been the best of the young studs so far, settling into a BUCK linebacker spot nicely in spring camp and looking decent, in the spring game. The first month of the football season, he’ll face all kinds of different offenses - pro-style, spread, whatever Virginia Tech decides to trot out – and he’ll have to keep head above water in all instances. Fisher has earned the spotlight thus far. But his mistakes, should he make them, will be the most quickly exposed, too.

Sophomore cornerback Anthony Blue: He had the ugliest of ugly knee injuries – the dreaded MCL tear – and he’s just now rounding back into game shape and trusting his leg to do what it once did so easily. Before his injury, Blue was slated as a starting cornerback. Now, he might be the No. 5 guy on the board. Another talent, Willie Amos, never really came back from his devastating tear. Neither did wingback/cornerback Isaiah Fluellen. Husker fans don’t want to go down this road again.

Junior guard Ricky Henry: Nearly every Nebraska offensive and defensive lineman have professed an admiration for this kid. Mostly because his motor is on Autobahn speed most of the time, and he loves battling in the trenches with a zeal some haven’t seen since the Milt Tenopir days. That’s fine with us, of course, but, to paraphrase position coach Barney Cotton, it might be good if Henry turned it down a notch every so often, and realized there is such a thing as a holding penalty. If Henry can learn the offense, and be more than a toughman, Nebraska’s running game may be in even better shape.

Senior safety Rickey Thenarse: It would help if Thenarse would get a break on the health front, but he’s still a guy who was healthy enough last year in the Gator Bowl, only to get outplayed and replaced by Matt O’Hanlon. Thenarse is a special teams dynamo, and he’s pretty good in run coverage. But he still tends to get turned around in pass coverage. Does that finally end in 2009?

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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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Nebraska's football team walked slowly off of the Hawks Center practice field Wednesday, clearly feeling the weight of another intense workout, one of the toughest of the spring, as the Cornhuskers will now taper down in preparation for Saturday's Red/White Spring Game.

"They're sore right now," defensive coordinator Carl Pelini said. "They're tired. It's been 'full go.' Physical football every day. But they battled through that. They practiced hard today."

Pelini spent the rest of his session recapping the progress of his young-but-talented defense.

*On the defensive line, sophomore Jared Crick "has a good handle" on the top spot at defensive tackle alongside senior Ndamukong Suh. Crick and Suh will rotate positions at times, however, with sophomore Terrence Moore and redshirt freshman Baker Steinkuhler serving as backups.

"We're going to move those guys around a lot," Pelini said. "The four of them are going to rotate."

*Defensive end Barry Turner is "still not changing direction the way you'd like him to" but his upfield burst is strong.

"He's a lot further along than I thought he would be," Pelini said.

*Linebacker competition remains fierce. Pelini rattled off the names of every linebacker in the two-deep - excluding Phillip Dillard - as fighting hard in the Spring Game.

*In the secondary, Pelini lauded Prince Amukamara, Anthony West, Alfonzo Dennard and even Anthony Blue, fighting back from a knee injury. As a unit, the cornerbacks have been "more aggressive" in practice, snatching more turnovers.

"We need a lot of depth there," Pelini said. "That makes you better at the nickel position."

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UPDATE: According to the Lancaster County Attorney's Offices, no charges have been filed against Turner and Thursday's hearing was canceled.


Nebraska senior Barry Turner, who is expected to start at defensive end for the Cornhuskers in 2009, will be arraigned Thursday after being arrested Saturday, Mar. 1, on suspicion of third-degree assault.

According to the Lincoln Police Department, no charges have been filed.

Turner was arrested last Saturday in the late afternoon after police responded to a complaint from the 20-year-old woman with whom Turner shares an apartment in the 800 block of Hanneman Dr.

According to the police report, Turner and the woman fought on Friday night, when Turner allegedly picked her up in the entryway and carried her into the apartment. There, he asked her about a phone call, and when she did not answer, allegedly hit her with a pillow. The report said she grabbed a candlestick and hit him in retaliation. He allegedly responded to that by biting her on her arm and refusing to let her leave.

Arguably NU’s best pure pass rusher, Turner missed most of the 2008 season with a broken leg, for which he was granted a medical redshirt and a fifth season of eligibility.

In a statement, Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said he is aware of the arrest, has a “good handle” on it and will “continue to deal with matter as it plays out.”

See also: 50 Huskers to Watch in Spring

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