*NU's player of the game in an ugly 76-57 loss to Kansas State is, not surprisingly, the Husker who'd best fit in with the Wildcats: Ryan Anderson. There are times when, on defense, he appears to be the only guy on the floor certain of his role.

*Effort wasn't the issue Tuesday night and it almost never is. Remember the words, in this case, of football head coach Bo Pelini: Effort is just the first part of the equation. Execution is the other. Mental toughness and focus. Effort without execution doesn't win a lot of games. It just gets you tired.

*In 18 minutes combined, Christian Standhardinger and Quincy Hankins-Cole scored eight points and grabbed eight rebounds. In 19 minutes of play, Brandon Ubel scored two points and grabbed one rebound. He committed five turnovers. Is Ubel that much better than either of them on defense that he could post such an anemic line in 19 minutes?

*That said, Lance Jeter's costly second foul was a result of fighting for a loose ball that Hankins-Cole should have grabbed.

*Toney McCray was sorely missed in a game like this. At the very least, he can make some recovery plays on defense.

*Eshaunte Jones has played an average of nine minutes in the last five games. He took one shot Tuesday, a 3-pointer, and made it. Is he a little banged up, or just too much of a defensive liability?

*The education of Brian Diaz continues. He scored 13 Tuesday, made his share of mistakes, and made his share of great plays, too. How about that feed to Anderson for a 3-pointer? When Diaz reaches his full potential in two years time - look out.

*Doc's a blunt guy. You have to like that he's honest enough to admit NU's frontcourt probably isn't strong enough to compete with Kansas State.

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Nebraska will be playing a Thursday night road game on ESPN for the second straight season.

NU will travel to Kansas State Oct. 7. The game had originally been scheduled for Oct. 2. Kickoff time will be determined later.

The schedule change will reduce the amount of time NU has to prepare for the Oct. 16 Texas game, but may allow the Huskers to switch out the Sept. 25 opponent, South Dakota State.

ESPN wanted Nebraska and Texas for Oct. 14. The Huskers were on board; the Longhorns were not.

Last year, Nebraska beat Missouri 27-12 in a driving rainstorm on ESPN.

The Huskers also announced season ticket prices would not go up in 2010. Season ticket holders will pay $54 per ticket. Students will pay $21.

“Our fans have been the most loyal college football fans in the country for several decades,” Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne said. “We certainly appreciate their continued support and expect that they will continue to enjoy the experience of coming to Memorial Stadium in 2010.”

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Almost to his chagrin, Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini tasted a Gatorade bath Saturday night after NU's 17-3 win over Kansas State to clinch the Big 12 North title.

He earned it, you know, dragging this team off the canvas from a bewildering 9-7 loss to Iowa State, keeping it together through a string of injuries and a mess at quarterback, milking every last drop of turnover-making power of his secondary, about as useful at toe lint two years ago, now sparkling with playmaking ability, if not always the best concentration.

“Our kids have an attitude about keeping people out of the end zone,” Pelini said.

Expect him to be a foul mood Monday as he searches for a way to turn lame Buffalo into a challenge of the Huskers' manhood. We suspect he'll succeed – even in a short week. Nebraska by two touchdowns, while you pour gravy over leftover stuffing. (Kidding, of course – there's never leftover stuffing.)

Beyond that lies sure-to-be-undefeated Texas, in the world's glitziest football stadium, smack dab in the Huskers' DFW recruiting playground. Let that sink in for a minute. The Big 12 Conference sure is. Probably toasting a few Red Stripes as I write and you read. The league may not have the marquee game on Dec. 5 – that belongs to Alabama v. Florida – but it has one helluva dessert for football fans to devour: Tradition vs. Tradition. Bo vs. Mack. Suh vs. Colt. Big Red vs. Burnt Orange.

“The kids are hungry,” Pelini said. “On to the next challenge.”

Well then - grab a fork, drizzle an off-white plate with caramel, and dig in.

And while you're at it – leave a light on for Bill Callahan.

I doubt he was watching the game on one those double-screened computers he likes so much – surely, he was too busy toiling away at some throwaway detail as the New York Jets' offensive line coach. But he deserves an assist for Saturday night. Sure, I'm in a gracious mood. But not without a purpose.

Nebraska's scheme didn't outfox Kansas State. On the contrary; Bill Snyder's bunch was ready and then some. Aside from one gutsy call from offensive coordinator Shawn Watson – the 47-yard, game-changing bomb – NU's playcalling wasn't the difference.

It was the athletes on defense. To borrow an oft-mocked phrase of Callahan's, it was the “talent oozing all over the field.” Guys who were out of position, to be honest, but made plays through a combination of their innate skills and some solid, fundamental coaching from the current defensive staff.

NU clinched a North title because it had the better personnel. Much better. Ndamukong Suh. Barry Turner. Phillip Dillard. Larry Asante. Eric Hagg. Prince Amukamara. You and I may choke on the written words – but they're Callahan guys. From, let's see, Oregon, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Virginia, and Arizona, squared. Guys who'd probably never seen Nebraska before their 17th birthday. Guys who were probably coaxed to Nebraska for the wrong reasons – and coached into the right ones. But Callahan coaxed them here nonetheless.

KSU's Snyder showed Saturday night he's still got it as a coach. His offensive plan spread NU out and left the Huskers, often, with a six-man box against the run. Snyder managed to free one of KSU's two weapons – Brandon Banks – on a number of quick slants. He was creative with trick plays. His plan had the Brothers Pelini and the Blackshirts on skates for most of the second half.

Snyder probably outcoached Bo.

But Callahan, even in his short reign, badly outfoxed Snyder's successor/predecessor, Ron Prince, who showed, for maybe the final time Saturday night, what a grease fire his tenure really was.

The Wildcats were working with an empty cupboard Saturday. They have two offensive players of any repute, and one of them, running back Daniel Thomas, is some guy Snyder dug up out of a Mississippi junior college and spent all summer trying to get eligible. The other is Banks, one of the the nation's smallest receivers. Quarterback Grant Gregory is a sixth-year transfer who didn't start a collegiate game until two months ago. He missed at least five receivers with plain rotten throws. The defense is small, scrappy and reliant on funky fronts and run blitzes. KSU's kicker missed two field goals. The punter's so bright he hurt himself flopping after Justin Blatchford nudged his shoe.

KSU's coaching staff is all that kept the Wildcats within two touchdowns, much less four. And it didn't have a single bye week during the season. Not one chance to breathe, get healthy and retool.

And still – it took some excellent individual efforts for NU to clinch the North title.

Asante's strip of KSU running back Keithen Valentine was magnificent. His interception was another nice play. Hagg, responsible for trailing Banks for much of the second half, broke up a sure touchdown on one of Gregory's few good passes with a diving leap that left the junior injured. Suh battled clever blocking schemes and a moving pocket all night, but he still managed to get nine tackles, 1.5 sacks, deflect two passes and draw a holding penalty.

No question – the success of these individual players is in part to Pelini's coaching staff. We'd like to see similar development on the offensive side – we're still, ahem, waiting – but Asante especially is Exhibit A of the Pelini Way. That's a play he doesn't make – he doesn't even think of making – under Callahan/Cosgrove.

Suh is another exhibit. Then again – he was around for the Pelinis to develop, wasn't he? Callahan getting Suh is a little like – OK, a lot – like NU landing 2010 recruit Owa Odigizuhwa, one of the nation's best prep defensive ends, who also happens to be from Suh's hometown. He took his official visit to Nebraska this weekend.

Division titles are not usually reflective of short-term growth alone – although in Snyder's case, it would have been. Titles take a good system, equal parts talent and development.

You already know Callahan's weakness. Heck, it might be Watson's weakness, too, considering Zac Lee made two or three inexplicable decisions Saturday night, the kind that earn most quarterbacks the hook.

But let's not kid ourselves here: Pelini, who can develop players, inherited a great raw product. While Snyder got chopped liver, Bo walked into a chophouse of T-bones and aged ribeyes.

He's got one more year – Callahan's 2007 recruiting class – to enjoy it. And he will. Nebraska can play double-digit wins next year. Maybe 12 wins. Maybe more.

After that, we'll truly see how well Bo's done at the grocery store.

For now, we can enjoy his cooking, and the resulting meal – a Big 12 North title.

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Punch that ticket to Dallas. And get ready for the role of spoiler.

Nebraska survived sloppy play on defense benefited from Kansas State miscues and got a handful of big plays to clinch the Big 12 North division title Saturday night, icing the Wildcats 17-3 in front of 85,998 fans at Memorial Stadium.

"This was a big one," senior center Jacob Hickman said. "It felt good to hoist that trophy."

With Texas' easy win over beleaguered Kansas Saturday, the Dec. 5 league championship is now set: Longhorns vs. Cornhuskers, for the first time since 1999.

The Blackshirts bent considerably throughout the game, as KSU's blend of run and pass out of multiple formations consistently kept the Huskers on the run. But NU (8-3 overall, 5-2 in the Big 12 Conference) thrice rebuffed the Wildcats (6-6, 4-4) in the third quarter while holding a 17-3 lead. "That's kind of the way we've been all year," defensive coordinator Carl Pelini said. "Give up a little, and then our guys rise up."

First, safety Larry Asante forced a dramatic fumble at NU's 2-yard line with a big hit on KSU running back Keithen Valentine. Prince Amukamara recovered.

On the second drive, nickel safeties Eric Hagg and Lance Thorell made back-to-back breakups of passes to KSU receiver Brandon Banks. Kansas State kicker Josh Cherry then missed a 31-yard field goal.

Third, NU linebacker Phillip Dillard got his second sack of the game to push the Wildcats out of Cherry's range.

Then, in the fourth quarter, Nebraska turned the Wildcats over on downs at the Huskers' 27-yard line.

"I think you see a mental toughness about how we're playing defense," Pelini said. "I still am not happy. I thought we gave up too many yards. We had some little things - some assignment mistakes, some execution mistakes. But, to hold them to 3 - we find a way. We've come a long way."

Coupled with Nebraska's quick third-quarter touchdown drive – 70 yards in four plays, punctuated by Roy Helu's 14-yard run – and two key punts from Alex Henery that were downed inside KSU's 2-yard line, it was more than enough for the victory over game, but error-prone Kansas State.

Just to show how confident he was, with a little more than two minutes to go in the game, head coach Bo Pelini said the offensive line lobbied for him to go for a fourth-and-1 at his own 36-yard line. Quarterback Zac Lee did, with a two-yard sneak. NU ran out the clock.

"The kids assured me they were gonna get it," Pelini said. "They wanted to go for it, so we rushed them out there and snuck it. They're lucky they did. Becuase they would have had to deal with me if they didn't. I would have looked pretty dumb. But I thought it was a chance to end the football game."

Said Hickman, who led the lobby: "They were about to punt it and said 'Yeah, that's not going to happen.'"

After the teams traded field goals on their opening drives of the game, the Huskers notched a crucial 57-yard touchdown drive, marked by solid plays from quarterback Zac Lee, who rushed for 12 yards and drew a personal-foul, late-hit penalty.

The drive was punctuated when, on third down, Lee pump-faked to freeze the defense, then found tight end Mike McNeill, who had slipped behind the defense, for a 17-yard touchdown. It was same play Nebraska used against Virginia Tech for touchdown – only a holding penalty negated that score.

“It was nice," said McNeill, who scored for the first time since the Missouri game. "I forgot what the end zone felt like, so it was nice to get a taste again."

But Lee made three mistakes toward the end of the first half that cost NU at least a field goal. He took a 14-yard sack inside that pushed Nebraska from KSU 5-yard line to the 19. On the following play, he telegraphed a pass to receiver Khiry Cooper on a end zone post route. Wildcat safety Tysyn Hartman stepped in front of it for an interception.

"Really tried to force it there," Lee said. "Should have checked it down there, taken the field goal."

Then, near halftime, Lee decided against running for a sure first down to throw a pass to Niles Paul that was nearly picked off. Nebraska had to punt; Pelini and Watson caught Lee two inches onto the sideline and equally berated him for move.

Fortunately, Kansas State hurt itself with two holding penalties, an interception and an intentional grounding on KSU quarterback Grant Gregory. Kicker Josh Cherry left a 51-yard field goal attempt at the end of the half just feet short, as well.

Nebraska started the second half quickly, using a 47-yard pass on 3rd-and-1 from Lee to Niles Paul to set up Helu's 14-yard touchdown.

Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said Kansas State was packing the box, and NU wanted to take advantage of it.

"We knew it was there," Watson said. "We took the shot at them. It was a perfect situation to do it. I went to Bo, he gave me the thumbs, and we took the shot. And it worked out."

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

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

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

GRADES:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Nebraska Head Coach discussing the condition of the defense. The defense was the key to winning the Big Twelve North Championship against Kansas State. A wonderful senior day finish for Suh. See the complete story at KSU Game: Pelini -- We're Not Going to Lighten Up.

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We're back for another week of "Guess The Score!" Last week, Mark_From_Aurora nailed the 31-17 score of the Nebraska-Kansas game and won Tom Osborne's book "Beyond The Final Score." Congrats Mark!

Who will win this week? Put your score below, along with the offensive MVP and the defensive MVP.

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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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Just two days before Nebraska's tilt with Kansas State, it's like that little mint hotels put on the pillows.

NU running back Rex Burkhead has apparently recovered well enough from a broken foot suffered four weeks ago to be ready for the Cornhuskers' Big 12 North title game with the Wildcats.

“Rex is doing really good,” head coach Bo Pelini said Thursday night after NU's practice.. “If he can play, he can play. Let it all hang out.”

Burkhead broke his foot Oct. 12 in practice. Prior to the injury, he had 262 all-purpose yards (118 rushing, 66 receiving and 88 return yards). Burkhead seemed to be taking over for Niles Paul as NU's lead punt returner when he got injured; since then, the redshirt of Dontrayevous Robinson has also been burned.

Pelini confirmed Thursday that tight end Mike McNeill and defensive end Pierre Allen are expected to play, as well.

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It was halftime of the Missouri game, and Nebraska had just laid a scoreboard egg. As NU offensive coordinator Shawn Watson left the coaching press box, Tom Osborne wanted a word.

“Remember,” Osborne said, “You have that route.”

The “route” to which Osborne referred was actually a concept: A hook pattern by a slot receiver, with the primary receiver running a deep post behind it. Osborne – and Watson – had noticed in film study that Mizzou safeties would sit on certain short routes, exposing the corner to one-on-one coverage downfield.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Watson dialed up the play, and it opened up beautifully. The Missouri safety chased the short route. Niles Paul beat his corner inside. Zac Lee hit Paul in stride for a 54-yard touchdown.

“(Osborne's) box is up by ours,” Watson said. “Every so often, he'll offer advice.”

And you thought it was a rumor.

Turns out that, yes, Virginia, there is an Ozfather.

***

It's a role fit for Brando, were he taller, thinner and still alive. Maybe Clint Eastwood could fill in. You hate inject more saccharine than necessary, but – dadgummit! – if this isn't an interesting story.

We caught a sliver of the tale Saturday when Watson revealed that some of the plays in Nebraska's 31-17 win over Kansas – notably the 37-yard option pass – were from the Osborne vault. So, too, were some of the option runs and power plays in the 10-3 win over Oklahoma.

But it's the way Osborne did it, casually dropping off some film for Watson to peruse, that adds to the mystique of it.

“He left it for us to find,” Watson said. Which, of course, they did.

Could it really be that elegant? Can the spirit of one of the best offensive minds in college football history simply waft off a page of notes, twinkle like a speck of dust in the afternoon light?

Osborne makes no real attempt to hide himself. He's around, a fixture at practices of many sports. I sense he likes to watch coaches in their element – because that's his element. Practice is where teams are born. Practice is where Osborne built a venerable Varyag of a squad, complete with two scout units that prepared twice-as-many players for gameday.

After football practice these days, he smiles as he walks by reporters. Often says hello. Holds doors, waves and moseys out. Some days he's in his trademark red blazer. On Tuesday he was decked in winter wear – a coat and sweatpants. He'd been outside, obviously, on the practice field.

What is his true level of input? Watson and head coach Bo Pelini seem to suggest that Osborne's touch is so light that it barely makes an imprint.

“He has a unique way of doing things in such a way that believe me, he makes it real clear to me that, hey it’s your job, you have to run your team the way you have to run it,” Pelini said. “If anything I wish he would speak up more. He’s not overbearing about anything he does.”

And yet, in the next sentence, Pelini – fully aware of the implication of his statement - said: “He talks to me like my father used to talk to me.”

Supportive. But corrective.

“He’s willing to give his opinion and be real black and white, and say, 'Hey I think this is something you need to fix,' or 'I like how you did this, but this is something you should probably think about working on,'” Pelini said.

It goes without saying that there isn't one athletic director in college football anything like the Ozfather.

Like Somerset said at the end “Seven:” “Around. I'll be around.” And so Osborne is, popping his head into Bo's office when time allows.

“He’ll look at the game tape,” Pelini said. “There are always going to be some Xs and Os things that he thinks could help. I’ll just run some things by him - 'In this situation, what do you think? Punting the football or going for it on fourth down?' The dialogue kind of happens pretty continuously.”

Some Husker fans – a small faction, but vocal – bristle at the image. They think Osborne wields too much influence. They suggest he helped shape Bo's offensive coaching staff. That he pushes for Bo to offer scholarships to in-state kids who aren't worthy of them. That he wants to restore the walk-on program back to a level that no longer is useful.

The landscape has changed, they argue. A well-meaning Osborne is still inserting himself where Bo should assert his leadership. Instead of Osborne acting as paterfamilias, Bo should be the one with the vision for the offense, and he should make Watson adhere to it.

If only life were as simple as it looks, in these human equations we always tend to figure out in our heads.

The flip side is a more compelling argument. Pelini's not a finished product as a coach. He admits as much, of course, but he's better off, right now, growing into the role with Osborne as a net, especially in some of the intangible areas – media, community relations, cultivating a positive sideline image with referees, assistants and players.

One can argue, if they choose to wade into deep water, Osborne's methodology when it comes to winning football games. They can argue with some of his personnel decisions during his coaching tenure.

But the intangible stuff – what made Osborne so likable amongst his peers – probably won him the parting gift of a split national title in 1997.

And I don't see any Husker fans handing back that trophy.

Win Two Free Tickets to NU's Last Home Game of the Year!

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Among the many conversations Bob Lee had with his son, Zac, about playing quarterback, the former NFL signal-caller once said this: You're not a true quarterback until you've been run out of at least one town.

Zac Lee certainly wasn't sent packing from Nebraska's football program – but the junior was benched during periods of the Texas Tech game, and seemingly for good when freshman Cody Green took the helm at Baylor. Fans and pundits who had seen Lee's on-field confidence and performance waver with each double-clutch and each tentative throw didn't figure the San Francisco native had a second act in him.

They also didn't know Lee's dad, who spent 12 years in the NFL with three teams – mostly in a backup role – had already prepared him for such a moment.

“Taking that to heart, and hearing that for as long as I've heard that – it's just part of the deal,” Lee said. “I've said that before.”

And yet – Lee's confidence went somewhere, didn't it? Head coach Bo Pelini had called Lee “borderline arrogant” during fall camp – Lee bristles a bit at this – but, by the Texas Tech game, offensive coordinator Shawn Watson termed Lee's mistakes as “chasing ghosts.” Misreading coverages. Refusing to scramble.

“Maybe earlier I was trying to make plays passing the ball too much instead of just reacting and going,” Lee said. “Holes close pretty quick.”

A seat on the bench for Baylor – and the first two drives of the Oklahoma game – woke up Lee, Watson said, to the realities of the position. At least the realities of NU's offense right now, as the Cornhuskers try to shift from a shotgun spread offense into a power-based, double-tight without pumping the clutch.

Such a jarring transition needed a steadier hand.

“He saw he wanted to play,” Watson said. “Wanted to be out on the field. Given his opportunity, he grasped what we've been trying to get him to grasp, and that's just managing the game. Start there, and grow from there.”

On the sidelines, Lee found “a little extra hunger that maybe I didn't know I had.”

“It was realizing you've got to do whatever it takes to win,” Lee said. “No matter what that may be.”

Against Oklahoma, that meant handing off and executing safe, playaction passes. Against Kansas, that meant reducing his reads – with the power formations there weren't that many reads to check anyway – and running when the holes were available.

“It wasn't an extremely conscious decision,” Lee said. “I just saw some lanes and took off...if 1 or 2's not there, take it, tuck it and run.”

He rushed for a career-high 53-yards at KU. Threw for 196. Considering the opponent, the hostile setting and Nebraska's so-so defense, Lee agreed it was the best game of his young career.

While Watson prepared some plays designed to utilize Green's strengths in Lawrence, Pelini said they weren't necessary.

“Why make a switch when you don't need to?” Pelini said.

Maybe that's why Pelini has noticed “a little swagger out of Zac.” And Lee has noticed it in himself.

“I don't want to necessarily call myself arrogant, but there's a certain amount of confidence you've got to have when you're the quarterback of a team,” he said. “A certain amount of it comes from just having fun, just playing, being an athlete. I got that back.”

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

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

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

His brother brushed off that notion Monday.

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

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

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

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

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

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[url][/url]Water under the bridge.

That's how Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder characterized a tense post-game meeting between he and Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini after KSU's 38-9 win over NU in 2003, when Snyder was on his way to his only Big 12 Championship, and Pelini was the Cornhuskers' defensive coordinator.

Pelini had strong words after the game for Snyder, who kept his starters in despite enjoying a comfortable lead. The extent of the loss was considered by most the final nail in Frank Solich's coaching coffin; Solich was fired shortly thereafter. This past summer, Pelini said he “regretted” the incident.

“We haven't talked about it,” Snyder said during Monday's Big 12 Coaches Teleconference. “I don't think it's an issue. On my part it's not. I hope it's not with Bo. Kind of a heat-of-the-moment thing. Competitive people respond competitively. I'd like to think it's beyond us.”

Snyder spent a good chunk of his time during the teleconference praising Nebraska's defense, which ranks tenth in total defense and third in scoring defense.

“They're every bit what people say about them – and perhaps more,” Snyder said. “They play hard. All 11. They pursue well. They've got speed and quickness to compliment the effort.”

Snyder said Bo Pelini, his brother Carl and linebackers coach Mike Ekeler – who played for Snyder at KSU – have enough shared history together to create a solid, cohesive defensive mindset in a short amount of time.

“They're well ahead structure-wise and implementation-wise and schematically and fundamentally than most teams would be with a staff's that come in,” Snyder said.

Pelini returned the praise to Snyder, who employed Carl Pelini was as a graduate assistant, along with long-time friends Bob and Mike Stoops and Brent Venables.

“I was pretty familiar of what was going on at the time and how far he took that program,” Pelini said. “Really he's done it again. Just goes to show how good of a coach Coach Snyder is. He does a great job; he works hard at it. He gets the kids to be committed, and they play tough, very sound, fundamental football. That's a pretty good equation.”

Pelini singled our KSU running back Daniel Thomas, who leads the Big 12 with 1,166 yards.

“They use him really well,” Pelini said. “They do a good job of getting him the football in places where he can make plays. He's very athletic. He's also very physical and tough. He has nice size. He's a load.”

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Husker Locker will be counting down and breaking down each of the teams in the conference. We hope you view this series as more interesting, comprehensive and definitive than what you may find elsewhere. Where we can make strong takes – we will.

We rank the teams 12 to 1 in overall strength. Then we’ll provide for you the North/South breakdown – and the preseason All Big 12 team, as well.

Enjoy!

Today: No. 7 Kansas State

Coach: Bill Snyder
2008 Record: 5-7 (under Ron Prince)

What’s Changed Since 2008: Heh – everything. Prince was fired – and deservedly so. Snyder was brought back to heal the family. Then, in the spring, it got really crazy, with secret deals to Prince and audits, and firings and resignations and turmoil. KSU is in a hurtin’ place as an athletic department.

2009 Non-Conference Schedule: Snyder worked a little magic, as UMass and Tennessee Tech worm their way onto the slate. A game at Louisiana-Lafayette shouldn’t be a sweat, and the game at UCLA, poor, no-offense UCLA, is winnable.

2009 Conference Schedule: Highly favorable. KSU hosts Texas A&M, Colorado, Missouri and Kansas, plays at Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas Tech (all losses there) and plays Iowa State in Kansas City, which will probably end up being a home game for the Wildcats. We see 4-5 wins in there.

Offense: Power/Spread

Coordinator: Del Miller and Dana Dimel. Don’t be surprised if Snyder’s imprints are all over the offense, though. Miller worked at San Diego State for the last three years, while Dimel was at Arizona. Both know their way around a spread passing offense; Dimel built a balanced attack at Zona last year. Preferably, Snyder would like a mobile QB who can run and pass, but he’ll settle for a guy who keeps the Cats out of bad situations.

Strength: Wide receiver Brandon Banks (1049 receiving yards, 126 rushing yards) is the kind of dynamic player Snyder loves, and he’ll get 10-15 touches per game. One way or another, Banks will be the team’s primary offensive weapon. KSU has intriguing running backs, too, in Logan Dold, Keithen Valentine and transfer Daniel Thomas, a JUCO guy who could play QB in a pinch.

Weakness: Quarterback. After the Josh Freeman show for three years, Coffman essentially takes over, and while he’s not terrible – he was actually decent in spot duty last year – he’s not a guy who can beat you by himself. On the offensive line, arguably KSU’s best lineman, Brock Unruh, was lost for the year to a weight room injury.

Defense: 4-3/4-2-5

Coordinator: Co-coordinators again, with Vic Koenning, Clemson’s former DC and Chris Cosh, the former DC at Maryland, which was one of the few teams to shut down California running back Jahvid Best. This was an awful defense in 2008. We sense that, at some point, KSU simply gave up on that side of the ball, especially the linebackers, who played with little overall discipline.

Strength: The defensive line could be very good, with super-soph defensive end Brandon Harold (45 tackles and 3 sacks as a freshman) and University of Virginia transfer Jeffrey Fitzgerald at an inside defensive tackle. But this bunch didn’t get great push last year. That part of it has to improve. With Fitzgerald, who started 25 games at UVA, we think it will. The secondary, led by cornerback Joshua Moore, might be, fair, too. Moore was the best pure cover guy on the team last year, and one of the best in the Big 12 outside of Norman, Okla.

Weakness: The linebackers are a little undersized, a little slow, and were really chewed up by the spread last year. Then again, they seemed to be getting some iffy coaching as the year went on (like when Nebraska ran the same zone read play over and over, and the Wildcats refused to adjust to it) so maybe that will change. The co-DCs may try to counteract that by getting an extra safety on the field.

Beyond that, the Wildcats are in need of a better pass rush.

Special Teams It was good under Prince, and it’ll remain good under Snyder. Banks is an excellent return man for kickoffs or punts. DJ Fulhage returns as punter, and freshman Ryan Doerr now becomes the kicker. KSU coverage units should be pretty good, too; Snyder likes to populate those units with JUCO guys.

Intangibles: By year two or three of the “Miracle in Manhattan,” Snyder found a way to keep his Wildcats in games where they were severely overmatched. A few years later, KSU was winning those games. Few coaches prepare like this guy. He never strays too far from the plan, his teams don’t often get blown out, and Kansas State will commit to a solid running game. You watch. The formula typically works.

Best-Case Scenario: Kansas State wins nine – all four non-conference games, and five more in the league. Long shot, but doable.

Worst-Case Scenario: Last in the Big 12 North.

Our Take: Same record as Kansas, with the tiebreaker going to the Wildcats on head-to-head matchup. The Wildcats simply get a favorable schedule this year. They’ll need it, and take advantage of it.

See other Big 12 Breakdowns: No. 12 ISU, No. 11 A&M, No. 10 CU, No. 9 BU, No. 8 KU, No. 7 KSU, No. 6 Texas Tech
Agree? Disagree? Tell us about it.

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What is the Coaches Challenge? Nebraska has challenged Kansas! Athletic Director Tom Osborne has issued head Coach Bill Snyder a friendly challenge to see which state can recruit the most new mentors before the K-State v Nebraska football game.

How can I make a difference? It's easy to be a mentor to a youth in YOUR community.

1. Apply
2. Train
3. Get matched with a youth


Visit thecoacheschallenge.org
* Download an application
* Watch Pep Talks from Coach
* Read about mentors in your community
* Join TeamMates on facebook
* Much more!

Questions? Call Adrianne at 402-390-8326 or email awatson@teammates.org

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Even though some writers in Missouri find it absolutely nuts to do so, the media went ahead and did it anyway, picking Nebraska’s football team to win the Big 12 North in a preseason poll released Thursday.

NU got 17 of 32 first place votes and 172 points overall. Kansas was picked second with 12 first place votes and 164 total points. Two-time defending North champion Missouri, Colorado, Kansas State and Iowa State rounded out the North side.

In the South, Texas and Oklahoma technically tied for first with 174 total points, but UT got two more first-place votes. That means some voter placed the Longhorns third, presumably behind Oklahoma State. OSU finished third in the South poll, followed by Texas Tech, Baylor and Texas A&M.

The votes:

North Division
1. Nebraska (17) 172
2. Kansas (12) 164
3. Missouri (3) 124
4. Colorado 100
5. Kansas State 81
6. Iowa State 33

South Division
1. Texas (17) 174
1. Oklahoma (15) 174
3. Oklahoma State 130
4. Texas Tech 89
5. Baylor 75
6. Texas A&M 33


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Baylor at Wake Forest, Sept 5: Here’s an upset in favor of Baylor that, by the end of the year, won’t be an upset. The Demon Deacons are ripe for a fall in 2009, having to replace six of the back seven with a ton of unproven talent while an offense that’s never been all that good continues to sputter along. Baylor will have the better quarterback, the better defense and the better special teams.

Kansas at UTEP, Sept. 12: KU’s non-conference slate of Northern Colorado, Duke, UTEP and Southern Mississippi doesn’t seem tougher – but it is. Specifically, the game in El Paso against Mike Price’s best team should be a tough win to get. The Sun Bowl is at a higher elevation, UTEP has potent offense and 15 total returning starters. Good thing the Jayhawks will have one of the Big 12’s best secondaries.

Kansas State at UCLA, Sept. 19: Here’s one that goes in the Big 12’s favor. Most expect KSU to limp out to Pasadena, take its two-touchdown beating, and limp back home. Eh – don’t plan on it. For as much as Bill Snyder liked avoiding tough teams, his teams performed OK in the actual games against them. Beyond that, there’s no evidence that proves UCLA has resolved its quarterbacking issues. The Bruins have more flash, but we won’t be shocked if KSU comes away with a win.

Wyoming at Colorado, Sept. 19: At first glance, this seems like the easiest of CU’s four non-conference games. Maybe it will be. But Wyoming recently hired Missouri offensive coordinator Dave Christensen, who thoroughly humiliated the Buffaloes each of the last three seasons. And Wyoming should have a pretty good run defense with five of the front seven returning that gave up just 3.7 yards per carry last year. Just a hunch here, but we think the Cowboys put a big scare into the Buffaloes in Boulder.

Missouri at Nevada, Sept. 25: This game sets up nicely for the Wolf Pack; it’s on a Friday night, national TV, and the crowd in Reno should be jacked up. UNR has one of the nation’s better quarterbacks in dual threat Colin Kaepernick and, when it’s working, one of the nation’s toughest offenses to stop in the Pistol. But Missouri’s stronger and bigger, and should post at least 35 points on an awful Nevada defense, and probably more. If Mizzou’s offensive line comes to play, the Tigers should win.

Texas Tech at Houston, Sept. 26: Get ready for a track meet. Houston averaged 563 yards per game last year, and have all pertinent offensive pieces back, including quarterback Case Keenum, who threw for – wait for it – 5,020 yards and 44 touchdowns last year. The Cougars will have two weeks to prepare and Tech will still be breaking in two new safeties. Plus, the Red Raiders will be reeling from what we expect to be a pounding on Sept. 19 at the hands of Texas.

Southern Miss at Kansas, Sept. 26: The Jayhawks make a second entrance on this list in facing a Golden Eagle team that has 19 returning starters, a rising star of a head coach in Larry Fedora, and one of the nation’s better running backs in Damion Fletcher. USM is no stranger to giant killing, either. Expect this one to go down to the last minute.

Oklahoma at Miami (Fla), Oct. 3: On paper, OU is the better squad by two touchdowns. But the game is in Miami, where the Hurricanes are 8-1 vs. major non-conference foes in recent years. And this is the best Cane crop since 2005. In front of a full, hostile house at LandShark Stadium, this will be one of Sam Bradford’s toughest tests.


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And what kind of guy must Ron Prince have been to negotiate and apparently swindle an additional $3.2 million - to be paid a decade from now - out of a temporary athletic director...and convince the athletic director to keep it secret?

Was anybody minding the store down there, or does the last three years of K-State football boil down to a mission to make Josh Freeman a first-round draft pick?

Is Prince getting some of Freeman's money, too?

This is example No. 1 of how out of control college coaching salaries have become. Prince, by all accounts, was a disaster on just about every meaningful front in his time in Manhattan. And he's a millionaire for his time.

Folks, football coaching ain't easy. But it's hard to screw up this badly.

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When asked how Kansas State has changed since its 73-51 loss more than ago at Nebraska, until now, where the Wildcats sit at 7-6 in the Big 12 Conference with an outside shot at the NCAA Tournament, NU coach Doc Sadler remains steadfast.

"They haven't," Sadler said. "They still really get after you."

In other words, KSU still plays tough man-to-man defense, coach Frank Martin still substitutes his troops freely and frequently, and the Wildcats remain one of the Big 12's best rebounding teams.

So them - stick'em defense, depth and size. One of the recipes that's worked quite well against the Cornhuskers this year. And if guards Denis Clemente and Jacob Pullen, who average nearly 30 points per game together, are hitting their 3-pointers, the Wildcats (19-9 overall and 7-6 in the Big 12) are even more challenging, especially in their home arena of Bramlage Coliseum, where NU typically struggles.

And like Nebraska, Kansas State is coming off a loss that put a dent in its Tourney hopes, a 94-74 setback at No. 8 Missouri. Unlike NU (16-10 and 6-7), the loss wasn't an unexpected, heartbreaking dagger at the buzzer.

Friday, Sadler said NU was perfectly resilient two days after the 57-55 jaw-dropper to Texas A&M.

"The players bounce back great," Sadler said. "We had a great practice yesterday."

A practice that included redshirt freshman Brandon Richardson practicing with the starters, replacing Cookie Miller, who has started much of the Big 12 season. Richardson provides the Huskers a stronger defensive presence in the press and perimeter defense, a presence that may be necessary against Clemente and Pullen, who aren't afraid to extend their somewhere north of Manhattan.

On the offensive end, the Huskers, under Sadler have effectively attacked the man-to-man defense that Martin - and Bob Huggins before him - likes to employ by using back door plays.

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(Above photo courtesy of huskers.com)

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(Josh Wolfe/Husker Locker)





Joe Ganz sure does like playing Kansas State.



The senior quarterback picked up the second Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week award for his play against the Wildcats. Ganz totaled 365 yards and accounted for four touchdowns in NU's 56-28 win over Kansas State.





Last year, Ganz won the award after passing for 510 yards and seven touchdowns in a 73-31 win over KSU.

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It was the best statistical game of the year. A win on the road over a disliked Big 12 North rival. Another potential step toward the Gator Bowl.

And what was this? Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini, seeming a bit ticked at NU 56-28 win over Kansas State? What was he expecting, 60-10?

Amazing, isn’t it, that five years after KSU shelled NU 38-9 in Lincoln - sending Husker fans to the message boards clucking about a “talent gap” – Nebraska would be leaving Wildcats, dressed in their Grimace outfits, writhing on the field in pain throughout the second half and their fans headed home at halftime?

KSU fell hard, fast. Nebraska, not even that great in 2008, is a recruiting cycle or two ahead of Kansas State, which looks primed to return with Iowa State to the basement of the league.

No basement for the Cornhuskers this year. Instead, a grand opportunity to reach eight wins in the regular season, nine wins overall, and a bowl that gets NU some decent press. And you’d better believe Nebraska’s got one of the best stories in the country in quarterback Joe Ganz, who has a realistic shot at 4,000 total yards, if he plays his cards right.

Eh, enough of the wishful thinking. Back the review.

Eight Players We Loved

Senior quarterback Joe Ganz: He graduated to a new level of zone read proficiency Saturday. No, not Vince Young or Pat White proficiency. But he was pretty deft. Good on him.

Sophomore running back Roy Helu, Jr.: Don’t let the 72 yards fool you. He had several terrific runs in the first half, when the game was still in doubt. The 24-yard touchdown run is one to file under “looks like Rozier.”

Senior defensive end Zach Potter: He was an intimidator from start to finish, sacking KSU quarterback Josh Freeman hard to the ground once and knocking him silly another time.

Senior receiver Nate Swift: Had a key 25-yard punt return and two very nice catch-and-run plays in the fourth quarter, when Kansas State had drawn with 14. Swift is a shifty runner, and he does the little things well. Those three plays were probably worth 14 points.

Linebackers Colton Koehler, Blake Lawrence, Matt May and Tyler Wortman: At the beginning of this week, only Lawrence and Wortman probably figured they’d see significant action. By the time Cody Glenn was indefinitely suspended and Phillip Dillard was ruled out, Koehler figured into the mix. But May? No way. Well, yes way. And he played pretty well.

Three Concerns We Still Have

Roulette with Adi: Nebraska kickoff specialist Adi Kunalic provides Nebraska with a distinct advantage of booting a ton of touchbacks when he has the wind behind him, or the wind is calm. When it’s against him, though, he fails to kick the right kind of balls, and his kickoffs are a returner’s dream: Straight line drives that outkick the coverage by ten yards. It played a huge factor on Brandon Banks’ 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

Slow First Quarters: Once again, NU struggles to jump all over teams, even ones who are begging for it. Kansas State hardly looked willing to put a fight Saturday, but NU practically handed the Wildcats two touchdowns to keep it interesting. You wonder what would happen if Nebraska actually played a mistake-free first half. Might be scary.

More burned timeouts: Bo Pelini called back-to-back defensive timeouts in the first half. One of them was when Kansas State had a 2nd-and-15 and showed the “Wildcat” set, presumably for the first time this season. Nebraska was able to execute its two-minute drill anyway – but only because there were three minutes left and NU started at its own 46-yard line.

Reviewing The Five Keys

Always Be Closing: Nebraska wasn’t and maybe that’s what had Pelini a little ticked off. The Huskers had a hard time slamming the door on Kansas State, allowing a backup quarterback to engineer a 95-yard drive in the third quarter and allowing that kickoff return shortly after that. Fortunately Ganz had the skill of a surgeon on the zone read plays.

The Specials: Nebraska was very good on punt return and punt coverage. Not so good in the kickoff version. It wasn’t a quite a wash – after all, KSU scored a touchdown – but at least NU made some positive things occur, right?

Prince of the JUCOs: Kansas State looked badly overmatched all over the field, and the last time I thought that of KSU was in the early 1990s. That’s the Cats’ reality right now. This team can’t compete week-to-week on an elite level with the players on hand.

Freeman Factor: Husker fans got to witness the nadir of Freeman’s up-and-down career. It won’t get any worse than his play on Saturday, which earned him a sideline demotion midway through the third quarter. Afterward, he said head coach Ron Prince “made a perfectly reasonable decision” in benching him for his safety. The kid’s lost whatever portion of the fan base he still had left.

Against Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska – the three teams he was recruited to KSU to beat – Freeman has been awful. Aw. Ful.

A Bolt From the Purple: For one play, the interception return, it looked like KSU’s day. After that – it was just another NU vs. KSU game, circa 1990.

Three Questions We Still Have

Does Nebraska have any trick plays? If so, will NU use them against Colorado like it did in 2006? Remember, recruits will be in town and it will be senior day. Any guesses on whether Joe Ganz gets to run pass pattern or something?

Can Notre Dame conceivably lose to Syracuse? We already know the Irish will get the green and gold beat out of them at USC. Any chances ND drops one to the Cuse and makes the Gator Bowl’s decision that much easier?

Does Nebraska use its bye week wisely? The last one, after the New Mexico State game and before Virginia Tech, didn’t seem to help much. Now, granted, Colorado isn’t Virginia Tech, but still.

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(The above cartoon is from the Topeka Capital-Journal)


Here's a cute cartoon from the Topeka Capital-Journal one fan sent us following Nebraska's 56-28 win over Kansas State.



Maybe it's a little sad that we're celebrating back-to-back wins over teams Nebraska used to hammer so easily, but there you have it.



You can read more of the Journal's coverage, if you wish, right here.

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Photo above courtesy of Huskers.com)




Player of the game: Joe Ganz. Has to be. Ganz was terrific on read option plays, patient on traditional option runs, and accurate on the sideline routes any quarterback struggles to complete. A total performance, the early interception aside.




Best offensive play of the game: Roy Helu's awesome 24-yard run for a touchdown. Helu sidestepped a defender at the line scrimmage, jutted hard to the sideline, and hugged it while he sprinted past KSU defenders. That's a special run. An NFL run.




Worst offensive play of the game: Ganz's pick six to KSU defensive back Courtney Herndon



Best defensive play of the game: A wicked cool blitz on third down from head coach Bo Pelini, in which he crossed the linebackers, dropped a defensive end and brought cornerback Armando Murillo from the edge. Kansas State responded by letting Zach Potter free to hammer KSU quarterback Josh Freeman. A perfect pick-your-poison scheme from Pelini.



Worst defensive play of the game: KSU's 63-yard touchdown pass on third-and-long was a tactical error by Pelini (for not blitzing) and a execution error by Anthony West (for misreading Ernie Pierce's route, then timing his jump for the ball a little too early).



GRADES



Quarterback: B+ Can't give out a top grade just because of the pick six. Ganz, obviously, played well otherwise. Backups Patrick Witt and Zac Lee both played in the fourth quarter, and we're just going on read options, which is practically all they ran, then Lee is better at it. He's fast out there.




Running back: A- A really good day for these guys, maybe their best work of the season. Helu, Quentin Castille and Marlon Lucky all ran with purpose and confidence. Castille in particular showed of some attitude and power. Still - the class of this bunch is Helu. He has an instinct for the zone read, an understanding of just how long to wait before he hits the hole.





Offensive Line/Tight Ends: A No argument here, especially when you consider that starting tackles Lydon Murtha and Jaivorio Burkes were both out of the game after the first drive. Ganz's mobility helps, of course, but the line plowed out some good holes on zone and toss plays, while the tight ends caught everything that was thrown their way. Micke McNeill and Dreu Young aren't great blockers. But they are good targets.




Wide receivers: A- Check out two things from this unit if you watch this game again: The perimeter blocking on toss plays; and the yards after catch by Nate Swift. It'll give you a good sense of why this unit's played so well in 2008. It's also fair to say Nebraska might miss Swift a little bit. He's got a real shot at 1,000 yards, you know.




Defensive Line: A- Dominant again. Kansas State didn't really try to run the ball; not that it worked when the Cats did try. Zach Potter and Ndamukong Suh were no match for their blocking partners. Potter, in particular, played like a beast.




Linebackers: A Considering who was out there, and the work guys like Tyler Wortman, Colton Koehler, Matt May and Blake Lawrence did - bravo. Really truly one of the better efforts of the season.




Secondary: B Better. Still got burned once, but generally kept Brandon Banks hemmed in, which is important, and the Huskers took away those short routes Freeman likes to use so much. Nebraska was determined to make Freeman progress through his reads to find open receivers, and he rarely had time to do that.




Special Teams/Kickers C- The Huskers did force and recover a fumble on a punt return, which turned into seven points two plays later. And Nate Swift had one nifty punt return that set up Nebraska at KSU's 35-yard line. Outside of that, it wasn't great, especially Adi Kunalic's kick to Banks, who returned it up the right side of field untouched, because Kunalic kicked the ball to the wrong side for the coverage play. As we've pointed out before - Kunalic can boom them through the end zone about half of the time. Unfortunately, he can't do much else, which is why the Huskers give away squib kicks, because Alex Henery has to come in and execute them.




Playcalling/Game Management B+ Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson called a beauty of a game, taking the running plays to the perimeter to counter KSU's man-to-man run defense. The option plays were well-timed and well-executed. The zone read plays - especially Ganz's willingness to keep the ball on them, which is why the play works so well in the first place - were a mixture of art and brute force. Nice use of Todd Peterson, too, on those inside screen. For his part, Bo Pelini dialed up some aggressive blitzes, most of which worked. Penalties remain a concern, as does ball security, but those are issues not likely to go away in 2008.


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