Six strong takes and we plow - you know, figuratively - toward St. Patrick’s Day and March Madness.

*We’re roughly ten days from the start of spring football; we’ll be offering six “Springtime with Bo” questions next Monday.

One question that didn’t make that list: Who settles in next to Jared Crick at that defensive tackle position?

Conventional fan wisdom suggests Baker Steinkuhler. But it would benefit NU more if Terrence Moore, a tank of a junior tackle from New Orleans, rises to the starting occasion.

Nothing against Steinkuhler, a sophomore, but it’s asking a lot of your run defense to consistently rely upon two 6-foot-6 guys down in the trenches. Taking double teams, like Ndamukong Suh often did, takes an enormous amount of leverage that a longer, leaner player Steinkuhler may not yet have.

Moore, a squat, giant-legged fire hydrant, battled nasty foot injuries that more or less sidelined him for all of 2009. His return is crucial to NU’s interior success. He has to eat up double teams inside and penetrate into the backfield with his quick first step.

Watch for the maturation of true freshmen Jay Guy and Chase Rome, both of whom could quickly vie for playing time in a defensive tackle rotation. Redshirt freshman Thad Randle, if he’s big enough, could fit the bill, too. Defensive coordinator Carl Pelini has previously praised Randle’s first step and ability to play with his hands.

*Wide receiver Niles Paul captured Nebraska’s ten-yard dash record with a 1.40-second burst in recent winter testing. No surprise there; Paul’s always been a workout warrior. If this means he gets off the line a little quicker, all the better; his frame is too big for smaller cornerbacks to jam him at the line.

But Paul’s big-play abilities are hardly in question; he averaged 20 yards per catch last year. Where Paul needs to improve in 2010 is consistently getting open on third down in traffic, when the entire stadium knows where the ball is going - and Paul grabs it anyway. Ten catches like that are worth one or two wins.

*If you still think Bo Pelini made a mistake in booting Quentin Castille off the team, consider that Castille, after one thoroughly average year at Northwestern (La.) State (333 rushing yards) is declaring for the NFL Supplemental Draft. The Supplemental Draft is rarely a good option, and Castille “couldn’t talk” specifics as to why he was leaving NSU.

In retrospect, Castille should have taken his redshirt year and stayed in Division I-A. He needed time to integrate into an offense, not an immediate platform on a team that was often playing up a division in weight.

As always, transferring is tough, tough, tough. Nebraska should consider and accept transfers with that thought in mind at all times.

*Hats off to Oregon’s Chip Kelly for making a stand in suspending his star quarterback, Jeremiah Masoli, for an entire year after Masoli pleaded guilty to stealing laptops. Not only did Kelly need to send a message to all the rotten apples former coach Mike Bellotti happily welcomed to Eugene, he eliminates any doubt for Masoli’s backups, and can spend an entire offseason preparing whoever might emerge as the starter.

And former Omaha Central quarterback Daryle Hawkins will be among those Ducks vying for the starting job. Hawkins, who missed most of his senior high school season in 2008, was offered a scholarship by wide receivers coach Scott Frost at the last minute; he’s been more impressive than UO coaches anticipated. Although he redshirted, Hawkins traveled with the team a few times last year, just in case.

*At 30-1, the Nebraska women’s basketball team better not get robbed out of a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. There must have been a twinge of worry on the part of head coach Connie Yori, who kept her starters in the game toward the end of a 80-70 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday so NU “didn’t lose by 20.”

Even with top billing, NU should expect a serious grind on its way to the Final Four. The opening-round game figures to be a walk, but round two is a frequent graveyard for good women’s teams not named Connecticut and Tennessee; Iowa State and Kansas State have both played spoiler in past years in that very round. Should the Husker women progress to the Sweet 16, they’re likely to play teams with more depth and overall talent. Nebraska just has the best player in Kelsey Griffin and a tenacious style.

Watching Griffin at the Big 12 Tournament, it’s hard to overestimate her worth to the Huskers. She’s definitely the straw, and a good part of the drink. If anything, she doesn’t get the ball enough as NU’s guards take early, undisciplined shots that rarely fall in March, because your legs are worn down and shots aren’t quite as crisp.

Griffin, meanwhile, is a picture of efficiency inside relentless effort. She scores baskets in such unorthodox, funny ways that she’s nearly impossible to defend with any consistency. Although Griffin outworks her opponents, her innate creativity, combined with that tenacity, is the strength of her game; she snakes a single arm into spaces where it looks like it won’t fit, flips the ball with her hand, scores and draws a foul.

Basketball is still a game of balance, coordination and timely improvisation. Griffin, the nation’s best player, is a reminder of that.

*For the first time in years, the Nebraska High School Boys’ Basketball State Tournament (OK, breathe) piqued my interest with players who could actually compete - and excel - in the Big 12 Conference.

South Sioux City sophomore point guard Mike Gesell provided some must-see TV with 25 points in a 60-56 win over Omaha Skutt in the Class B final, while Omaha Central freshman Akoy Agau went for 18 points and 15 rebounds in helping beat Norfolk in the Class A final. Nebraska’s already offered Gesell, and Agau won’t be far behind, I suspect. Central’s Dev Biggs might catch on somewhere - he’s a senior - while Chadron’s near 7-footer, Elliott Eliason, is headed to Minnesota with a thin frame and an unpolished game. I’m curious to see how much he actually plays for defensive taskmaster Tubby Smith.

NU head coach Doc Sadler a good chunk of the day conspicuously milling around the premises. Not that he hasn’t before - and not that Creighton’s Dana Altman wasn’t there, too - but it’s good to see him optimistic and undaunted after struggling through a difficult season.

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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. 30 Marcus Mendoza: We thought he’d be Shawn Watson’s secret weapon. We were wrong. Mendoza switched away from wide receiver back to running back, never got involved in the offense and has an uncertain role for the future. The guy who tore up NU’s defense on scout team has simply never earned the on-field playing time to show his skills. Thus far, Mendoza, a likable kid who remains one of the fastest players on the team, is a bust.

No. 29 Kody Spano: Tore his ACL again in fall camp and spend the season rehabbing - again. He was rushed back from the first ACL tear too quickly, in our estimation, and, as a result, was practicing when he shouldn’t have been. It’s to Spano’s credit that he never groused about it once. Of course, he can’t talk to the media, either.

No. 28 Jared Crick: Exploded in 2009 with a year that would have been even more memorable had Ndamukong Suh not stolen some of Crick’s thunder. Still, it’s Crick - not Suh - who owns the school’s single-game sack record with five vs. Baylor. And what a day for Crick to have done it, in front of a giant posse of his family on hand in Waco.

No. 27 Phillip Dillard: Sat out the first two games - wasn’t good enough, if you can actually buy that - before starting vs. Virginia Tech. He took over for Will Compton in the Missouri and Texas Tech games - and never sat the bench again. Dillard plowed through some differences with the coaching staff to become the most productive linebacker NU’s had since the 2005 season. Good against screens and draws, equally deft in pass coverage, Dillard is a testament to buying into the system - then biding your time as the coaches work out their own biases. It’s one heck of a success story that grew out of a cautionary tale.

No. 26 Marcel Jones: By the time he finally began to play up to his athleticism and potential late in year, Marcel Jones got hurt and was replaced by D.J. Jones for the bulk of the Big 12 Championship and Holiday Bowl. Marcel Jones remains a work in progress who is overpowered by stronger ends and doesn’t always get out on the quicker ones. In the run game, he’s improving, but isn’t suited for an option attack that asks for his giant frame to crack block and cut block.

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Air Raid. Spread. No huddle. Zone read. Fly sweep. Wildcat.

After years of offensive fads in the Big 12, get ready for a defensive one: The Match Read Zone. The name that’s been given to Bo Pelini’s spread-killing defense. A system that’s not easy to get down but - much like a match-up zone defense in basketball - can be hard to crack.

You can be plenty sure league defensive coordinators have been paying attention to Pelini since he arrived in the Big 12. You can also be sure they took notes as Bo dismantled Texas and Colt McCoy with it.

Why does it work? Because it’s zone, masquerading as man, taking away the simplest throws for a quarterback. Because it’s aggressive against bubble and tunnel screens. Because Nebraska has the back seven personnel - and the four-man pass rush - to pull it off.

It’s a perfect storm of sorts that met the two perfectly vulnerable - though normally productive - spread offenses - Texas and Arizona - at the end of the season.

Bo’s the new fad of the Big 12. With two of the offensive gurus - Mike Leach and Mark Mangino - floating away on rafts made of their own egos, the problem to solve for 2010 won’t be how to stop their passing games. But how to crack Bo Vinci Code.

Two-tight end formations - which forces Nebraska to replace corners with linebackers - might be part of the solution. Straight power football might be another. With a full season of tape to view, offensive coordinators will begin to chip away at the few weaknesses the Blackshirts possessed in 2010. Washington, armed with a good quarterback (Jake Locker) and even better playcaller (head coach Steve Sarikisian) will pit its West Coast principles vs. Match Read excellence.

Much like he declared the Huskers back for good after the Holiday Bowl, Pelini has set the bar for his defense, at, oh, only “five times better” than it was this year. Statistically, trust us, it’s basically impossible. So we can presume Pelini is talking experience, expertise and playmaking ability.

Nebraska looks to have the nation’s best secondary in 2010. Credit Pelini and position coach Marvin Sanders for just about all of it, as Prince Amukamara and Eric Hagg were merely raw prospects in spring 2008, and Alfonzo Dennard, Dejon Gomes and P.J. Smith - all projected starters - weren’t yet on campus. Is it on par with the 2003 unit, Pelini’s first college secondary, that featured three future NFL starters in Fabian Washington, Josh Bullocks and Daniel Bullocks, and led the nation in interceptions? Potentially.

The front four loses Ndamukong Suh. He will be sorely missed - and don’t let pundits or even the Brothers Pelini attempt to sweep his departure under the rug. Suh was arguably most valuable on screens, draws, shovel passes and backside running plays. A stat nobody kept track of: How many first downs Suh - and Suh alone - saved by peeling back to make downfield tackles. And you can’t teach his instincts for pass defense and finding the ball. What’s left is pretty good. But Suh made that unit dynamic and versatile.

The warning flags appear to be at linebacker. It was telling that, in the last half of the season, Gomes and Hagg were serving as de facto linebackers on key downs, as opposed to Will Compton and Sean Fisher. Spread passing teams carry light cargo, and allow Nebraska to get away it. But almost half of NU’s opponents in 2010 can and will go heavy. And if Pelini found it necessary to pick up JUCO linebacker LaVonte David, it speaks, potentially, to the health and inexperience of some of the guys behind Compton and Fisher. Eric Martin is a exciting playmaker as a sophomore, but he won’t see the field until he knows the defense.

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Can NU keep its defensive staff intact for one more season? After 2010, all bets are off, because Carl Pelini, Marvin Sanders, John Papuchis and Mike Ekeler could easily be headed for head coach/coordinator roles somewhere. Can Bo Pelini convince them to see through one more potentially championship-winning season? We’ll know for sure in the next two weeks.

How does Bo adjust to life without Suh? No. 93 can’t be replaced, so that option is out. But the remaining pieces on the defensive line - Jared Crick is chief among them - are pretty solid. Of course NU retains a base four-man look, with Crick at his spot, Terrence Moore plugging the nose, and Pierre Allen and Cameron Meredith crashing on the ends.

Do Sean Fisher and Will Compton keep developing? We have no reason to think they won’t - but, with at least five offenses on the 2010 schedule requiring a nickel-or-base defense - Washington, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Colorado and Kansas State fit that bill - NU needs two - not just one - of Mike Ekeler’s guys to perform at the level Phillip Dillard reached in 2009. And it doesn’t appear JUCO linebacker LaVonte David will hit the scene until fall.

How do Mathew May and Matt Holt fit back into the defense? Both injured in 2009 - May played mostly on special teams, Holt didn’t play while recovering from a torn ACL - these two walk-on breakout players of 2008 will have to fight for time in what’s become one of the nation’s defenses. They’ll get a look, because they have the size - and speed - to stay on the field in a dime set as a hybrid linebacker/safety.

What defensive wrinkles get unfurled in 2010? One option just to chew on: A three-man line that kicks Crick out to a hybrid tackle/end, uses a heftier Meredith at the other end, and sticks Moore - or maybe true freshman Jay Guy at that true nose tackle spot. We suspect Bo and Carl get creative with the players on hand.

Does Eric Hagg stay at nickel, or rotate back to free safety? And, if the latter, does Rickey Thenarse shift down into Hagg’s role? Thenarse is a wild card best used 10-15 times per game then he left on the field for 60 minutes. The rest of the secondary - Prince Amukamara and Alfonzo Dennard at the corners, Dejon Gomes at slot corner, P.J. Smith at strong safety, Austin Cassidy, Lance Thorell and Anthony West as priority backups - seems pretty set. Our take: Keep Hagg where he is, pick your spots with Thenarse, and give Cassidy a long look at Matt O’Hanlon’s starting job.

Who is this year’s Dejon Gomes? Thad Randle? Alonzo Whaley? Courtney Osborne? Smith? Cassidy? Andrew Green? Jason Ankrah? That’s what’s fun about prognosticating, isn’t it?

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Player of the Decade: Ndamukong Suh. This is, really, the toughest call, because Eric Crouch played on better teams, won the Heisman as an option quarterback, played through just about every injury imaginable, and left his share of indelible memories that even Suh can’t match. But we pick Suh for redefining the defensive tackle position at NU, and spearheading a defense that kept one of the nation’s worst offenses in games it had no business being in. Suh and Crouch share some similarities, by the way: Thoughtful, friendly, a leader by example.

Offensive MVP: Crouch. Joe Ganz is No. 2 Zac Taylor and Jammal Lord after that.

Defensive MVP: Suh. Barrett Ruud gives No. 93 a pretty good run for his money, though.

Special Teams MVP: Alex Henery. A kicking savant, by my estimation. He won’t punt in the NFL, but he’ll have a ten-year career as a kicker. The kid’s money.

Best Freshman: Matt Herian and Fabian Washington. In 2002 -as part of Frank Solich’s 7-7 team. Herian caught only seven passes - for 301 yards! And four touchdowns. Washington, meanwhile, stepped right into the starting cornerback job and had 13 pass breakups and four interceptions.

Best Newcomer: Demorrio Williams. From working in the oil field to Bo Pelini’s first true weapon on a collegiate defense. This JUCO transfer landed maximum punch. Wide receiver Maurice Purify was just as talented, but he tended to disappear in games, like the 2007 Cotton Bowl.

Biggest Bust: Curt Dukes. We could write a book on the Callahan era, but it was Dukes who enrolled in college in January 2002 with the intent of being ready to replace Eric Crouch, performed serviceably in the spring, then actually turned down starting job early in the 2002 season. He transferred shortly thereafter to Duke, where he washed out as a career backup.

Best Walk-On: Stewart Bradley. OK, so he was offered an academic scholarship initially. Arguably the best player of the Kevin Cosgrove era, if you consider how Cosgrove used him as a fifth down lineman on many plays, and he helped free up tackles for Bo Ruud and Corey McKeon. When he graduated in 2006, McKeon and Ruud looked lost in 2007. Great head of hair, too.

All-Decade Team

OFFENSE

QB: Crouch
FB: Judd Davies. started for three years, fighting through a crippling back ailment for much of it. Tough kid. Smart kid. Nice kid.
RB: Roy Helu. Dynamic, explosive and athletic.
RB: Correll Buckhalter. Sneaky good runner. Battled fumble issues, but never shied away from a tackle.
TE: Tracey Wistrom - Beats out Herian and Mike McNeill for starting three years and making a clutch grab in the 2000 Notre Dame season. Career stats - 58 catches for 1,150 yards - are pretty solid.
WR: Nate Swift. Good as a No. 1 receiver and a slot guy. Good run-after-catch skills, solid route-runner.
WR: Matt Davison. Just can’t reward Maurice Purify, a mercurial talent who disappeared in big games. Instead, Davison - a solid blocker with excellent hands.
C: Dominic Raiola. Scrappy as the day is long.
OL: Toniu Fonoti. As physically imposing and gifted as any lineman in Nebraska history. He lacked that special motivation the great ones have, but he was still dominant in the run game.
OL: Russ Hochstein. A versatile athlete who played guard with smarts and technique.
OL: Matt Slauson. Struggled with consistency, but was strong in the run game, and had improved as a pass blocker by his senior season.
OL: Richie Incognito. Almost more trouble that his considerable talent was worth. Almost.
ATH: Jammal Lord. An elite running quarterback who never missed a day of practice. Couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn with a pass, though.

DEFENSE

DT: Suh
DT: Jared Crick. We might as well be ahead of the curve here.
DE: Adam Carriker. Burly, athletic guy who got by mostly on talent.
DE: Kyle Vanden Bosch. He had a look about him even in college.
LB: Demorrio Williams. Loves the game. Plays like it.
LB: Barrett Ruud. The classic middle. Smart, tough and durable.
LB: Stewart Bradley. A key part of the 2006 defense.
CB: Prince Amukamara. A rare athletic talent. Still learning the game.
CB: Keyuo Craver. Last All-American corner.
S: Josh Bullocks. He had that one great year in 2003.
S: Daniel Bullocks. It was one good group of twins.
ATH: Eric Hagg. The Pelinis love his versatility. So do we.

SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Alex Henery. The best in NU history. Better than Kris Brown.
P: Sam Koch. A boomer.
PR: DeJuan Groce. He single-handedly kept Nebraska in games in 2002.
KR: Josh Davis. His best role at Nebraska.
ATH: Niles Paul. Dual threat in the kickoff and punt return games.

See also: NU's All-Decade Team, 10 Best Moments, 10 Worst Moments and A Decade of Upheaval - And Healing

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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!

***

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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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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So tell me what you want, what you really, really want.

A trip to Dallas? (Arlington for our Nat Geo types.) A date with the biggest jumbotron this side of a Japanese arcade in JerryWorld? Two weeks of contemplating vengeance against Texas for 1996?

Then finish it Saturday, in a game that won't test Nebraska's talent as much it will its patience.

Let's be blunt: Kansas State, 6-5 and clawing for its postseason life, is a shade more talented than Iowa State. The Wildcats remain, 11 games into their season, a work in progress. It's Ron Prince's parting gift to leave behind an undersized-if-energetic defense. The offense has two key playmakers – Brandon Banks and Daniel Thomas – who have to account for the lion's share of KSU's yards and points. Quarterback Grant Gregory is a better story – sixth-year transfer from South Florida makes good – than he is player.

Bill Snyder's 2009 team is not terribly unlike his last one in 2005. Fairly stingy at home. Weaker on the road. Run-heavy. Patient. Opportunistic on the special teams. But not a great team - and not one that should, with everything that's at stake Saturday, beat Nebraska, on Senior Day.

A loss for the Cornhuskers on national TV – with a berth to the Big 12 Championship on the line – wouldn't be a casual thing. This is, again, one of those defining moments. Good coaches – good teams – find ways to close out these games. Pundits talk about comparing the 2009 defense to 1999. Well, that 1999 bunch stoned top 20 teams – Texas A&M (37-0) and Kansas State (41-15) – in back-to-back weeks to help secure a Big 12 crown. KSU was still undefeated, in fact, at the time of its game with NU.

All the 2009 version has to do to is overcome a thoroughly mediocre Snyder club.

Just a little perspective – before the pressure sets in.

On to the keys:

To the Banks: KSU receiver Brandon Banks is the Wildcats' one true home run hitter. He's the punt and kick returner, for one – and he's dangerous enough in that arena. But his speed makes him sneaky tough to cover on deep routes, and his shiftiness makes him a pain to tackle in the flat. Kansas State tries to get him five-ten touches per game in a variety of ways – screens, sweeps, deep shots, quick slants. Nebraska needs to know where he is, successfully mark him and then – tackle, tackle, tackle.

Power Play: Both teams will line up in heavy formations, try to put “hat on hat,” and grind out clock and yards. And both teams will try to use their playaction passing game off of the power game. And both teams will do so out of a variety of formations, motions and personnel groupings. In short, plan to see two offense with the same goals, equally good running backs, and equally iffy quarterback. The difference?

Front Four: We're about to find out just how good Nebraska's much-praised defensive line really is at accepting the challenge of a straight-ahead running game with a big, talented, physical running back in Daniel Thomas. This isn't going to be a “flash” game for Ndamukong Suh and Jared Crick so much as a test of guts, strength, pad level and sheer technique. Again – great defenses eat one-dimensional teams like KSU for lunch. Behind the front four, NU's linebackers – expect plenty of Phillip Dillard, Sean Fisher and Will Compton, and maybe even Eric Martin – need to wrap Thomas and drive with their legs.

Zac Attack: Nebraska fans better hope Zac Lee's strong play at Kansas wasn't a one-week wonder. Not only does Lee need to keep NU in down-positive situations with timely scrambles and smart throws, he needs to continue on an improvement curve toward that game in Dallas, where Texas promises its own brand of nasty.

The Snyder Factor: Snyder is a major storyline in the game. But his best strengths are, in truth, minor, understated touches on gameday.

The man prepares well and gets his assistants to do the same. His offenses usually take care of the ball and rely on field position for points. His defenses aren't flashy from a sacks/tackles for loss perspective, but they tend to have guys in the right place against the run, relying on the athleticism of the secondary against the pass. The special teams are across-the-board strong. KSU conservatively clings like a leech to a small lead.

The Wildcats aim to win the hidden details, all while giving up yards, sacks and style points. Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini and his staff may be tested by this mindset. Or, the Huskers could jump out in front and run away with a three-touchdown win.

It may depends on which team can taste Dallas the most.

Is Nebraska as good as we remember? Saturday night - two contenders become one.

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A four-game losing streak. A star quarterback with a case of the mopes. A beleaguered offensive line that plays like a bunch of overfed hotel clerks. A crowd with one eye toward the parking lot the second the game goes sour.

This defines the last month of Kansas football. Throw in a couple brawls with the KU basketball team, and Jayhawks 5-4 season is heading toward the toilet.

But KU hasn't flushed quite yet.

“You have to figure they're going to be at their best,” NU head coach Bo Pelini said of the Jayhawks, who have been outscored 128-74 in their last four games and committed 12 turnovers. “You've got to got to figure they're going to execute at a top-notch level no matter what. That's how we prepare our guys...you have to be prepared for their best shot.”

NU defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh said he was “surprised” Kansas, after a 5-0 start, had stumbled so much, especially in losses to moribund Colorado and seemingly-underrated Kansas State.

“I definitely thought they'd be at the top, contending for a title,” said Suh, who is 2-1 in his time vs. Kansas.

But KU still has “great pieces” on offense, Suh said, particularly at receiver and quarterback, where diminutive Todd Reesing is the most experienced Big 12 quarterback Nebraska's faced this season.

Reesing hasn't been immune to KU's struggles. He threw three interceptions in a 35-13 loss to Oklahoma, including one returned for a touchdown. Fumbles in a 42-21 loss to Texas Tech and a 17-10 loss to Kansas State arguably cost Kansas potential wins.

KU head coach Mark Mangino even benched Reesing at the end of the Tech game, citing his desire to protect the quarterback's health behind an awful, leaky offensive line that allows nearly three sacks a game – with a mobile quarterback who plays almost exclusively out of the shotgun.

Mangino said the media blew the benching out of proportion.

“Using the word 'benching' is quite strong,” Mangino said. “I have my reasons for why I took him out of the game.”

But, four days after it happened, Reesing still hadn't received an explanation for it. The captain even organized a players-only meeting to address the matter.

“It was a big deal to me,” Reesing said at the time. “It is what it is. It’s above my pay grade. It’s his decision. I’m still the starting quarterback here, there’s no doubt about that. This job is not up for grabs. I’m going to move forward.”

But Reesing didn't play much better against the Wildcats, clearly pressing to make plays, especially with his legs, that weren't there. Kansas State recovered a fumble just before halftime and converted it into a crucial touchdown.

“It's not a matter of his confidence,” Mangino said. “He's a confident guy. Prior to (Kansas State) he had already had a pattern of having some turnovers.”

Pelini expressed great respect for Reesing after NU's 45-35 win last year – arguably handing out more praise for Reesing than Oklahoma's Sam Bradford – and still sees him as a “heckuva football player” in 2009.

Said NU defensive tackle Jared Crick: “He's still a great quarterback no matter what's happened the last couple weeks...he can run. You wouldn't think for a little guy, but he can really scoot. You see that every game. The pocket breaks down and he just squirts out. We've got to take a good pass rush approach knowing he can do that to us.”

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Ndamukong Suh won't lie. After Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford shredded Nebraska's defense last year for 311 yards and five touchdown in a 62-28 win, the senior defensive tackle was looking forward to a rematch with the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner.

With a severe, season-ending injury his throwing shoulder, Bradford's 2009 campaign never got off the ground.

“I'm sorry he got hurt,” Suh said. “I'd love to go against him.”

In Bradford's stead is redshirt freshman Landry Jones, who grown steadily, Suh said, in his handful of starts, particularly in the last two weeks, when he's thrown for 546 yards and six touchdowns in wins over Kansas and Kansas State.

“There's not much of a drop off,” Suh said. “He doesn't have the hype, the great accolades and the opportunity Sam Bradford did. But, if he wasn't a good player and a great guy that fit their offense, he wouldn't be out there. He just didn't get a chance to evolve into his own person.”

Suh's interior linemate, Jared Crick – who set a school record with five sacks in Saturday's win over Baylor – said Jones has been making “good decisions” with the ball and running OU's offense much like Bradford did.

Although Jones is young, Crick said, he doesn't seem easy to rattle. That doesn't mean Nebraska's front four won't try.

“Get after the quarterback, get in his head, and force indecision on his part,” Crick said.

Crick and Suh have combined for 98 tackles, 26 tackles for loss and 13 sacks already this year. NU's front line forced Florida Atlantic quarterback Rusty Smith from the game for lack of production, hobbled Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert into a poor performance, knocked Texas Tech's Steven Sheffield out for the season with a broken foot, and sacked Baylor's Nick Florence seven times. Only two mobile quarterbacks – Virginia Tech's Tyrod Taylor and Iowa State's Jerome Tiller – have largely escaped a thorough punishing.

“We want to rattle any quarterback we go against,” Suh said. “Our fans can help us with that, but the majority has to do with us in the front four. If we can, we want to get in his face and make him uncomfortable.”

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Right after Bo Pelini was hired to coach Nebraska in 2007, a good helping of Cornhusker fans, well-versed in both modern and historical college football, pointed to this upcoming week as an early mid-term, if you will, on NU's progress under Pelini.

A home game vs. Oklahoma, the standard-bearer of the Big 12 in the 21st Century, coached by Pelini's old buddy, Bob Stoops. If Pelini had a grace period of, say, 20 games – he's coached 21 thus far – OU, with its balance, talent, speed and reputation, would be an apt measuring stick for how far the Huskers had come – and how far, still, they had to go.

As we stand here now, with both fighters bruised and frustrated, it's harder to see that stick in the mist of injuries, offensive woes and close, painful losses.

But it's still there. And all of Nebraska's goals are still there, too. The Huskers control their destiny. Win out and punch a ticket to Dallas and the Big 12 Championship vs. Texas. Win out, and NU, with its fan base and classy reputation, is guaranteed no worse than the Holiday Bowl to tangle with another of Pelini's mentors, Pete Carroll and his USC Trojans.

Yes – win out, and a fairly cool prize awaits at the bottom of the Cracker Jack box.

NU's 20-10 victory over Baylor isn't the kind you love to relive, aside from one particular performance. We'll do it anyway, with an eye on the big stick that Nebraska would very much like to carry into the final quarter of its season – after measuring up to it, of course.

Five Players We Loved

Defensive tackle Jared Crick: Opponents pay so much attention to Ndamukong Suh that Crick feasts on the single-blocker approach. But Saturday, he tossed those blockers aside and chased Baylor quarterback Nick Florence like a wolfman. Thirteen tackles? Absurd. Crick's small-town persona only adds to the appeal.

Linebacker Eric Martin: He's been threatening to make a big special teams play all year; Saturday, he finally made it by setting up a blocked punt that was returned by Justin Blatchford for the Huskers' first touchdown. If Martin is able to make the leap defensive back Alfonzo Dennard made from his freshman to sophomore season, watch out.

Quarterback Cody Green: Warts and all, Green ran hard, competed bravely and generally seemed in command. He's got some work to do, particularly on timing routes, but he's finally a position to do something about it on the field.

Punter/kicker Alex Henery: Nailed two important field goals – Baylor's Ben Parks missed a chip shot of his own – and made a touchdown-saving tackle on a wild BU punt return right at the end of the game. Athlete first. Kicker second.

Cornerback Prince Amukamara: One terrific interceptions with three more pass breakups to boot. Amukamara rebounded from a so-so game vs. Texas Tech with a strong performance here.

Three Concerns We Have

No Daylight: Nebraska ran the ball 19 times in the second half for 61 yards. How many teams is that going to beat? The beefy offensive line has to earn its keep.

Going Horizontal: Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson laid off the sideways passes for the first half. Then, with a seemingly comfy 20-0 lead, he started getting cute again, trying to burn Baylor for loading the box by throwing 20 yards sideways, in the hopes of creating one-on-one situations on the perimeter. You all know what eventually happened. If Watson wants to go horizontal, here's a thought: Run wide receiver sweeps.

Shaky coverage: Baylor was close on a couple kick and punt returns to busting one open for a touchdown. The Huskers have to keep lane discipline and learn to break down and tackle better, instead of searching for the killshot.

Reviewing The Five Keys

Play to win, not to dominate: Nebraska did just that with a modest offensive gameplan and a defensive strategy that called for maximum coverage and zero blitzes. The result? Seven sacks and three turnovers on defense. Safe to say the plan worked.

Match up and move it: Dejon Gomes, Lance Thorell and Sean Fisher probably were exhausted by game's end, running in and out of the game as NU mixed and matched nickel, dime and dollar coverages, but the Huskers were rarely out of position, and almost always had double coverage on the deep receiver, which led to Gomes' interception. The Huskers were lucky that Florence wasn't more accurate on that skinny slant pattern to Kendall Wright, though.

Neutralize the earth-movers: Baylor couldn't do anything against Crick and Suh, while Nebraska had initial success against the Bears' front four, with that success waning by the second half.

Traye and Jay: Dontrayevous Robinson looked like Nebraska's best running option until he got hurt in the fourth quarter; Robinson, like Green, competes hard on every play. BU's Jay Finley was not a factor.

Bo vs. Briles: Baylor head coach Art Briles threw the kitchen sink at Nebraska, and the Brothers Pelini dodged nearly every bullet and landed some haymakers of their own. NU won this coaching chess match with a big dose of help from Crick and Suh.

Three Questions We Still Have

Is Roy Helu anywhere near getting healthy? Why did he play Saturday? Repeat: Why? If Nebraska couldn't beat Baylor without Helu – and, just for the record, the Huskers pretty much did – then Nebraska had no business winning, period. Helu should have stayed home and nursed his injured shoulder.

Where in the world is Mike McNeill, and how does Watson get him involved in the offense again? McNeill's too good to be wasted on well-covered tight end routes. Give the kid a chance to work on the edge and use his size advantage. He's a mismatch waiting to happen. Isn't Watson all about that?

Can the Nebraska crowd find some inner resolve? And create a nightmarish atmosphere for Oklahoma this week? Memorial Stadium needs to be the toughest environment that OU quarterback Landry Jones has ever played in.

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Players of the game and grades after Nebraska's win over Baylor:

PLAYERS OF THE GAME:

OFFENSE: Cody Green. He provided exactly the kind of spark you'd hoped he would. He was poised in the pocket. He didn't waste a lot of time at the line. He scrambled and ran with authority and power. And he was called upon to throw a beauty of a deep ball, he did so with accuracy and perfect placement. The second half wasn't so pretty - but, really, who else deserves it?

DEFENSE: Jared Crick. It was the kind of performance that reminded me of Danny Noonan and John Parrella, a display of power, tenacity, toughness and brute force. Ndamukong Suh made his usual array of plays all over the field; he's still one of a kind. But, on this day, Crick was that tough-nosed local boy that Nebraska used to ride to conference and national championships. Crick's a little nasty, too. We love it.

GRADES

QUARTERBACK: C Cody Green made some solid plays early in the game, and his two scrambles on third down help set up Alex Henery's 45-yard field goal. He also threw a beautiful pass to Niles Paul to set up a touchdown. But his second-half play? Not real pretty. Green has to watch those throws to the sidelines and try not to go airborne on, well, just about any running play, ever. It's a start. Not a perfect one. But a start.

RUNNING BACK: B Given the Huskers' injuries, this bunch did pretty well with the holes they were given. Traye Robinson is a valid option at running back. Roy Helu is hurt. Lester Ward did OK in limited action, but runs too high. Austin Jones didn't have a prayer.

WIDE RECEIVER: C A couple untimely drops were offset by two key catches by Niles Paul, who manned up and made some nice grabs. Cody Green missed a few receivers on top of everything else. The perimeter blocking, especially from Khiry Cooper, could have been better.

TIGHT ENDS/OFFENSIVE LINE: D The shoddy blocking in the second half is unacceptable. When Nebraska needs two yards – the line needs to be able produce those two yards against a team like Baylor. The Huskers were stymied far too often in short yardage situations. Also a costly holding and false penalty when they weren't needed.

DEFENSIVE LINE: A+ Seven sacks warrants a perfect grade in our book. Crick was spectacular. Baylor never got anything on the ground, either. This unit is scary good right now.

LINEBACKERS: A Phillip Dillard and Sean Fisher snuffed out Baylor's junk plays all afternoon, and got after the quarterback when it matter. Nice job by both against the zone read. Fisher, who was running on and off the field all day, adjusted quite well.

SECONDARY: B The Bears busted a couple big throws in the second half, but NU, for the most part, covered well. The Huskers could be a little more aggressive on the short routes, and the safeties could improve on laying out the receiver when there's underneath coverage. Terrific interception by Prince Amukamara; Dejon Gomes' pick was just a bad pass.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A A defensive touchdown, a ton of touchbacks and Alex Henery's key tackle on a wild Baylor punt return – this unit helped save the Huskers bacon.

GAME MANAGEMENT AND PLAYCALLING: B Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson got a little cute in the second half, but, for the most part, he called a tough-minded, simplified game that seemed to suit the Huskers' strengths. His presence on the sideline was helpful, even if it didn't always seem like it with NU's play. On defense, Bo and Carl Pelini kept the gameplan beautifully simple, and let the front four do what it does. No blitz calls on the day? Nice job, gentlemen.

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WACO, Texas - A special teams touchdown. A home crowd on the road. A day without rain, boos or clouds. Plenty of sacks and turnovers. And the starting debut of a Nebraska freshman quarterback who seems to have the skills and poise to go as far as his long, powerful running strides can take him.

His arm may be another question.

But after two stunning home losses in a row, Nebraska's football team captured a needed rebound victory, beating Baylor 20-10 Saturday afternoon.

Bo Pelini's bunch, now 5-3 overall and 2-2 in the Big 12 Conference, inserted themselves back into the Big 12 North race in front 31,702 at Floyd Casey Stadium that included a reporter-estimated 15,000 Cornhusker fans.

“It was real important,” Pelini said. “We needed a win. We got a win. We got a lot of work to do yet. A win's a win. It's No. 5.”

Many of those raucous fans – silenced for whole portions of the second half - were from Texas, and took the opportunity to watch true freshman Cody Green – a native of Dayton, Texas – make his first start at quarterback. The decision was made on Thursday, Pelini said, because “you gotta go with your gut.”

Initally, Green didn't disappoint. His first-half performance – 6-of-9 passing for 85 yards, 25 yards rushing – was a portrait of efficiency. With offensive coordinator Shawn Watson calling plays on the sidelines and simplifying the attack, Green operated mostly out of multiple tight end, power formations. He ran only four times, but two of them were scrambles of ten and six yards on a drive that led to Alex Henery's 45-yard field goal.

All but one of his completions were of the short, controlled variety, but he did hit wide receiver Niles Paul on a 45-yard fade route, Green placing the ball perfectly on Paul's outside shoulder. Two plays later, true freshman Traye Robinson skied into the end zone for a one-yard touchdown. That gave NU a 20-0 halftime lead.

“In the first half, things were rolling pretty good,” Green said.

But the freshman made a giant mistake midway through the third quarter, locking in on receiver Khiry Cooper, only to see Baylor safety Cliff Odom step in front of the pass at NU”s 45-yard line, pick it off and return it for an easy touchdown. Later, Green fumbled right after the Nebraska defense had forced BU to turn it over.

“It was just a late throw on my part,” Green said. “If I had thrown it a second earlier it would have been a completion, but I threw it a second later...one thing you have to do is go back on the next drive and just forget about it. You have to have a memory like a goldfish.”

For the game, Green completed 12 of 21 passes for 128 yards and rushed for 43 yards.

“He had some rough spots,” Watson said. “He did some things freshmen sometimes do first time out. He's got a lot to get better at, but, no doubt – he competed. He gave us some nice runs and did some good things. We didn't ask him to do much. We just asked him to kind of manage us. He had the one pick. Gotta get that fixed.”

Fortunately, Green had plenty of help.

NU got on the board quickly, as another true freshman – linebacker Eric Martin – bulled his way through Baylor's punt protection and partially blocked Derek Epperson's punt. The ball floated sideways and was caught by backup defensive back Justin Blatchford, who darted hard to his left, tip-toed down the sideline, and leaped into the end zone just before he fumbled.

“I just hit (the blocker),” Martin said. “I didn't even know it was blocked until I hear the crowd yelling and I look around, and Blatchford is taking the ball back.”

Just 90 seconds into the game, the Huskers had a bigger lead – 7-0 – than they had enjoyed since the waning moments of the Missouri game.

NU's Blackshirts – particularly defensive tackle Jared Crick, who had a record-breaking game – made sure the lead held up. Tested again and again, the Huskers' defense held up. Cornerbacks Dejon Gomes and Prince Amukamara both notched interceptions of Baylor quarterback Nick Florence in Husker territory. Nebraska chased Baylor's fast receivers and running backs sideline-to-sideline, throwing them down for short or no gain.

And then there was Crick, who benefited from the Bears choosing to double-team All-American Ndamukong Suh. Crick, just a sophomore out of Cozad, had a school-record five sacks.

“It could have been anyone today with all of those stats,” Crick said. “It is just a group effort.”

The final one of the first half, in which Crick bulled through two blockers and engulfed Florence in a massive bear hug, was as impressive as any play Suh's made this season. NU had seven sacks overall.

“Is that a monster game by him, or what?” defensive coordinator Carl Pelini said. “He just plays his tail off. He's strong, he's fast. Offenses? I don't know – they've just got to deal with him, because they started the game putting the center toward Suh, and it just makes them look foolish.”

Said Bo Pelini: “Jared's too good of a player if they're gonna do that.”

For the game, Baylor amassed 270 total yards, but ran 11 more plays than the Huskers did. The Bears (3-5 overall, 0-4 in the Big 12) thrice invaded NU territory after cutting the lead to ten. Once, kicker Ben Parks missed a field goal. On the second foray, Baylor turned the ball over on downs. The game clock ran out on their final charge, which occurred after a bizarre punt return that included three laterals and a touchdown-saving tackle by punter Alex Henery.

“We had plays at the end and we didn't do it,” BU quarterback Nick Florence said. “We fought hard in the second half, it was valiant effort, but it does hurt when it is so close.”

NU was left concerned with its running game, which produced just 145 yards and failed to deliver on several third down situations in the second half.

“Absolutely,” Pelini said when asked if he was concerned. “It's a huge concern. We've got to be able to run the football better. We didn't run the ball to my liking today.”

Said Husker center Jacob Hickman: “It was just missed communications that caused that. The effort was there.”

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Ndamukong Suh didn't smile much during his time with the media during Tuesday's press conference. During the week after a loss, Nebraska's football team tends to shift into shoulder chip mode.

But the do-everything defensive tackle busted out a grin when asked about one of his favorite subjects: sophomore linemate Jared Crick, who had a sack and three more quarterback hurries in the 31-10 setback to Texas Tech.

“Jared is a helluva player,” Suh said. “I'm excited to see how much more he can grow. He's just a young pup. He's got a tremendous amount of potential.”

And that talent is coming into view, a train driving closer to the station. Look at the last four games, Suh said, and Crick's improved with each one. Last Saturday, he frequently beat his offensive blocker, including Tech guard Brandon Carter, a preseason All-Big 12 candidate. The Red Raiders were not able to double-team Suh nearly as much because Crick – and defensive ends Barry Turner and Pierre Allen – were winning their one-on-one matchups.

It reminded Suh of the end of last year, when Ty Steinkuhler and Suh formed a formidable pass-rushing duo during a four-game winning streak. Like Stein – and Suh - Crick channels his fire inward.

“He's kind of a silent killer,” Suh said. “He celebrates but he's not too over-excited. He keeps himself in perspective.”

An example: Crick said Tuesday NU probably had its best pass-rushing game of the season – we constantly had pressure all day,” he said – but Tech's ability to run the ball in the fourth quarter, and near the goal-line, gnawed at him.

“Some of it we weren't expecting,” Crick said. “And down by the goal line, they beat us up front. Can't really say much more about that.”

A handful of plays aside, Crick said, the front four's confidence is higher than ever, especially against the pass. Don't want the blitz. Don't need it.

“We know we have the talent level to get to the passer without any blitz,” Crick said.

Now, Suh said, throw in a turnover. NU's All-American candidate would have gladly handed back all of Nebraska's five sacks on Tech quarterback Steven Sheffield for just one of them.

“We got after the quarterback pretty well, but we were just tackling him,” Suh said. “We can obviously strip the ball, get some turnovers. A turnover in that game would have been huge. It would have sparked us...it allows things to snowball in a good way.”

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More in-team competition and development along the trenches should serve Nebraska’s football team nicely as it enters the 2009 season, head coach Bo Pelini said Monday.

Pelini, speaking in the Big 12 Coaches Teleconference, said a number of position battles – a few of which continue this week – during August left the team “on edge” and sharper throughout fall camp. NU opens its season Saturday vs. Florida Atlantic.

“Competition is a great thing,” Pelini said. “No matter what, it makes you better. It makes you work harder. There’s no sense of complacency. Hopefully, it will make us not only a better football team, it’ll make us a deeper football team.”

Although the two-deep along the offensive and defensive lines were fairly set going into camp, Pelini said they’ve battled hard in scrimmages, to the point where “they’re sick of hitting each other.” Both lines gelled during the last part of 2008, helping the Huskers to a four-game winning streak.

“I feel good about the development of our offensive and defensive lines,” Pelini said. “I think they practiced hard…they’re ready to go. If we finish off this week the right way.”

A staple of the improvement: Mastery of technique. Both offensive line coach Barney Cotton and defensive line coach Carl Pelini diverged drastically from the previous, and just getting Bill Callahan-era players to think differently about how they did their jobs was a long process in year one.

Even now, Cotton drills his linemen on how to take steps forward with acceleration. In the Callahan system, that first step, even on running plays, was often to the side.

“The key is not just playing good technique and coaching good technique, it’s being able to take what you’ve been taught to do and transfer it during the game and actually apply it,” Pelini said. “Make sure you don’t get caught up in all the emotions, all the things that go with playing an actual game and stay with your technique, stay with your fundamentals.”

One guy whom Pelini is excited to see make that jump: Sophomore defensive tackle Jared Crick, who takes over for Ty Steinkuhler, alongside Ndamukong Suh.

“He had an excellent camp,” Pelini said. “…He’s running real well. We all know he’s big and strong. I think Jared’s gonna have a heck of a year for us.”

Pelini dished on Florida Atlantic a bit, repeating many of the same comments he made on Friday. One radio host from the FAU coverage area asked Pelini what a loss to the Owls would mean to NU’s program.

“I’ll worry about that,” Pelini said, then paused. “I don’t even think that way.”

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Some more in-depth takes from practice on Tuesday:

*Folks, this is a grueling fall camp. The real deal. It’s very intense, the practices are the full allotted length, and there is punishment in place for lack of effort or performance. And neither stars nor scrubs are spared. Pretty old-school stuff.

*An example: Bo Pelini devised a game yesterday. A running back has to hold on to a football for a 24-hour period, and the rest of the team has to try and punch it out. But if they do…everybody gets a little punishment. And yet the whole defense tried to knock the ball away from Rex Burkhead over a 24-hour period. And they couldn’t do it.

“He’s a tough kid,” defensive tackle Jared Crick said.

Yeah, Rex is tough. The team is beginning to discover that.

Now Quentin Castille has the ball.

*Tom Osborne dropped by practice on Tuesday and was chatting with NU’s offensive linemen. Osborne certainly looked like he could still coach, and a number of the players were pleased, and a little awed, to chat with him.

*Then the offensive linemen were pulled out of that reverie and immediately into some quick-twitch tandem drills led by offensive line coach Barney Cotton. Cotton doesn’t mess around, that’s for sure. He didn’t like his group’s attentiveness after a rep, and he told them so.

And this, a day after the offensive line did quite well among the team.

*Jacob Hickman is now, by his senior season, a very technically sound guy. Probably not the most vicious blocker on the planet, but he gets his hips around, and he reads defenders well. NU would do well to keep him at center, if at all possible.

*Brandon Thompson has now gone to the mohawk look. He resembles someone who might be Ricky Henry’s bigger-yet-younger brother. Apparently, they’re both pretty tough guys, too.

*Khiry Cooper is so naturally gifted that he does not appear to try hard sometimes. He makes tough catches look easy, and some of the easy catches look hard. He needs to go at every play with that same high gear.

*Nebraska is going to be more diverse in its shotgun running game this, we think. And that’s all we’ll say until we confirm more.

*Ben Cotton? Looking good through a couple days. Decent hands. Good speed. And physical. He wins the blocking drills against almost everyone.

*Saw more of the ribbon boards and how they’ll organize scores. There will be a section for Big 12, national and other Husker sports scores (each denoted by their respective logos), an area for stats, and a big spot in the middle for the score itself. Plus three ads in between all the sections. A little cluttered, but, overall, a good effect.

*Barry Turner isn’t talking much during this fall camp and, all in all, that’s probably a good thing. Turner is poised to have a big senior season, and, if he lives up to his potential, he’s an NFL guy – really.

*Carl Pelini confirmed today what we sorta knew: Jared Crick was still adjusting to his weight in the spring, and it slowed him down some. This fall, Pelini said, Crick looks much better.

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Although “there’s not much difference” between half and full-padded practices for Nebraska’s football team, you can tell – these Cornhuskers are ready for the transition, which they can officially take Wednesday.

“We’re full go right now, even in shorts,” defensive coordinator Carl Pelini said. “Only thing is – we can do some live tackling (tomorrow).”

Thus far, there’s been “great competition” between the offense and defense, “and it actually goes by period sometimes, by plays.”

Pelini addressed the media as a whole Tuesday while head coach Bo Pelini and the rest of assistants were given a day off from reporters.

Carl Pelini covered a variety of defensive topics, including:

*Defensive tackle Jared Crick: “He looks a lot faster. He put on that weight in the spring and I think it slowed him a step. And now his body’s getting used to that weight and he’s a lot stronger.”

*The length of NU’s practice day, which roughly goes from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., the last team meeting: “They’re pretty much here for 14, 15 hours by the time it’s all said and done.”

[b*]The play of true freshmen: "We’re not telling anybody they’re redshirting. There’s some guys who are pushing for playing time. They’re a little behind the eight-ball in terms of learning so we force-feed them a little bit, but there’s some guys in that class who are talented enough to be on the field this year.”

*Guarding against complacency: “There isn’t a starter out there that doesn’t have a someone breathing down their neck for a position. Nine wins isn’t what we expect at the University of Nebraska, so there better not be any complacency going on.”

*One of those true freshmen, MIKE linebacker Eric Martin: “He’s physical and he loves the game of football. He loves to hit. And he’s gonna be a heck of a player here, there’s no doubt in any of our minds.”

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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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Jared Crick didn’t exactly equate it to a thunderbolt. The way the Nebraska sophomore talks about it now, it was more like a Big Red plum hanging right in front of him.

That fruit was a starting job on NU’s resurgent – and often dominant - defensive line, a spot vacated by Ty Steinkuhler when he graduated after the Cornhuskers’ 26-21 win the Gator Bowl. Crick, a Cozad native who occasionally relieved Steinkuhler in garbage time and capably pitched in on goal line defense, chose to embrace the expectations and pressure.

“We all knew a spot was open,” Crick said Friday. “I figured if I want to start, I’ve got to step up, be a leader. There are a lot of young guys who need to know what’s going on. I’ve got to carry them, bring them along.”

And so, without anybody much telling him to do it, Crick jumped head first into winter conditioning. Along with senior Ndamukong Suh, Crick said he sought to set the example. Crick and Suh compared leadership notes, talked about what it would take to “get guys motivated as a unit.”

Vocal leadership? Yes, when necessary. But Crick and Suh aren’t whoopers. They didn’t howl and scream and berate. They chose, instead, to get after it on the weights and runs and drills.

“One hundred percent every rep,” Crick said. “The young guys saw that and said ‘Hey, we gotta do this.’”

Suh noticed, too.

“He’s definitely moved himself from the middle of the pack when we’re doing drills,” Suh said. “He’s really taken control. When we go through skills and drills and coach’s runs, he’s at the front of the line, pushing and helping other guys who are stuggling. That’s something I respect. Guys are starting to look up to him.”

At 6-foot-6, 290 pounds, Crick’s bigger and stronger than his predecessor. This spring, instead of packing on 10-15 pounds, Crick instead focused on “get off” exercises that would assist his pass rush.

Steinkuhler, particularly in the last half of the season, had become adept at getting by guards and center with a quick first and a well-placed shuck of the pads or rip move. Along with Suh, he dominated Colorado and Clemson’s interior line.

“Stein prided himself on technique,” Crick said. “He was a great technician. That’s why he was so good. I’m a little bigger than Stein. I can my strength to a little more advantage than technique…but I have to get way better with technique.”

He may have to hold off Ty Steinkuhler’s younger brother, Baker, the highly touted recruited who redshirted in 2008. Both head coach Bo Pelini and defensive coordinator Carl Pelini have applauded the younger Steinkuhler’s development this spring.

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