Welcome to Husker Heartbeat - a sampling of links and quick wit to start your morning! Keep checking each morning, Monday-Friday, for new links! We look for the offbeat as well as the straightforward - so don’t just think of us as a typical link farm!

A quick abbreviation key FYI: OWH=Omaha World-Herald, LJS=Lincoln Journal-Star, CN=Corn Nation, BRN=Big Red Network, HI=Huskers Illustrated, BRR=Big Red Report. If we need to add more - we will. Others, like ESPN, are self-explanatory.

Cool? Cool!

*Ndamukong Suh heads to Lincoln for Pro Day with an NFL Network crew in tow - and can’t make time for the local media. But some of the other former Huskers working out did - including Matt O’Hanlon.

*Sipple of LJS puts the heat on the returning players of Nebraska’s basketball team to find and develop their own leaders in the dead of summer. Doc Sadler, meanwhile, will put himself under the microscope.

*Doc doesn’t sound too sweet on a CBI bid, does he?

*Forbes gives Ann Arbor the nod as best college town. How an uppity hamlet of bluebloods beat out places like Madison and Austin is beyond us. And how in the hell did Norman, Okla., finish third? You mean a bedroom community of Oklahoma City. That town? Oh…we get it! Extra points for being good at minor, Olympic sports. Hence, the key to OU is its top-notch gymnastics teams, and its one-hit-wonder men’s basketball bunch.

*Before he was fired, Mike Leach made a repeated idiot out of himself in locker room speeches. Serious language warning here. Low intelligence warning, too, for misplaced, insensitive comments about religion.

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"I can't imagine a better defensive lineman in the country ... The numbers he puts up and the things he does athletically at that size, he’s a very dominant player. He’s a great, great football player. I can’t a imagine a lot of other defensive tackles like him in the country. I’d like to see them.”

-Missouri Coach Gary Pinkel on Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh

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Ted Gilmore didn’t start counting until midway through the first quarter.

But as Nebraska’s receivers coach and recruiting coordinator watched the BCS National Championship game between Alabama and Texas, he heard NU’s football program mentioned by name 15 times during the broadcast, often in addition to another name. Ndamukong Suh.

“When you have that kind of free exposure, all that can do is help you,” Gilmore said.

Suh, who swept all of the major defensive awards, finished fourth in the Heisman and should be picked at the very top of April’s NFL Draft, is a gift who keeps on giving, especially as it pertains to Nebraska’s 2011 recruiting class. The Cornhuskers, Gilmore said, are at a high-water mark for visibility.

“Young men are calling us asking about the program,” Gilmore said. “We’re feeling it.”

And Nebraska, after modest-sized classes in 2009 and 2010, is feeling them, responding with its most aggressive - and optimistic - recruiting plan yet.

“We’re going to make a push nationally,” Gilmore said. “We’re going to make our push all over. We’re going to take our shots at some kids and see what happens. With the exposure that’s come over the last two years, you’d be foolish to not at least swing at a couple of them and see what happens.”

The boldness is particularly seen in Florida where, according to the Rivals.com database, NU has already offered 13 players and received one commitment from Clearwater Countryside offensive lineman Tyler Moore. That’s on the heels of landing Bradenton Manatee quarterback Brion Carnes on Signing Day for the 2010 class.

In the Bill Callahan era, NU rarely tapped the Sunshine State, landing just four high school commitments, one of which, center Danny Muy in 2004, was a Bo Pelini connection. Two of those four - Muy and quarterback Harrison Beck - left the program. Offensive lineman Cruz Barrett appears headed for a medical redshirt while senior LaTravis Washington is a reserve quarterback. Bo Pelini’s first class added wide receiver Antonio Bell from Daytona Beach.

Running backs coach Tim Beck handles most of the duties in South Florida; Nebraska has offered four players in Ft. Lauderdale, three in Miami, two in Tampa, two in Plantation and one in Delray Beach.

“Their program has an awful lot to present right now,” Ft Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas coach George Smith said. “They have a great reputation. They’re down here making their presence known, and they have a great opportunity to get some guys.”

Tim Beck first made his Aquinas connection last season to recruit running back Gio Bernard, who, after backing out of a commitment to Notre Dame, landed at North Carolina. Aquinas, having won five state titles in the last 17 years - and one USA Today Super25 national title in 2008 - sent ten players to Division I last year, including cornerback Lamarcus Joyner, the USA Today Defensive Player of the Year.

NU has offered two Aquinas players - offensive lineman Bobby Hart and wide receiver Philip Dorsett - for the 2011 cycle.

Not surprisingly, both have a glut of local offers - Dorsett to Florida and Hart to Florida State, South Florida and Central Florida - but that doesn’t mean they’ll stay close to home, Smith said. Aquinas sent players to Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Marshall last year. And, of course, Carnes - the quarterback who knocked Aquinas out of the state playoffs with a 28-20 win last year - hoofed it to NU.

“It’s unique, because you can get guys to leave here who simply want to get away,” Smith said. “It’s feasible to get guys out of here.”
Beyond the exposure, another reason for the jump in offers, Gilmore said, are the relationships NU spent the last two years building.

Although many college programs execute the “regime change” recruiting class in year two, Nebraska mostly held on to Callahan recruits, most of whom will graduate after next season. That allowed NU’s high school relationships to marinate.

While Callahan opted for a heavy dose of junior college transfers in his massive, highly-regarded 2005 class, some recruitniks argue his 2007 class as his strongest. That group - including Prince Amukamara, Eric Hagg, Zac Lee, Roy Helu, Jared Crick and Niles Paul - is a backbone of the 2010 team.

“Some of these kids you’ve been working on for two or three years,” Gilmore said. “You reap the benefit of that hard work. I’ve always felt it’s that third or fourth year where you see the fruits of your labor.

“This year will be a pivotal year. No question about it. And it should be a year, in my opinion, that’s our best.”

Can the Huskers catch UT and Oklahoma in three years?

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... and then they ranked Gerald McCoy ahead of Ndamukong Suh (not to mention Eric Berry, who is also significantly better at his position than McCoy is at his). Despite the stats, the workouts, and all other indications staring them in the face, the "expert" NFL Draft analysts (most notably supergenius Todd McShay) insist on rating McCoy (2010 All American, 34 tackles, 6 sacks) ahead of Suh (2010 All American, Nagurski Award/Bednarik Award/Outland Award/Lombardi Award winner, Heisman Trophy Finalist, 82 tackles, 12 sacks, int) because he is a "better all around DT". Not really that important, i just found this a bit amusing.

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“(Some teammates) call me “Ducky”, because they think I look like Ducky from The Land Before Time. They tagged that to me. They said the dance I did after the touchdown and after the sack against Western Michigan is the “Ducky Dance”. They definitely gave me something for that.”

former Nebraska defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh

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The NFL Network's Mike Mayock - respected as anyone when it comes to the NFL Draft - dropped a peg in our book - sort of. Mayock has Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy ahead of Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh.

We talked about a Suh backlash nearly a month ago. Now - here it comes.

First, Suh picked an agent, Eugene Parker, who's probably part of the problem more than the solution as it pertains to an impending NFL lockout in 2011. The biggest issue facing the league - and the player's union - revolves around fat rookie contracts, and Parker is at the vanguard of those. So Mayock, who puts his ear to the NFL GM ground - naturally hears some phony grumbles about Suh's worth.

Trust us: Suh's more valuable than McCoy. And every NFL GM knows it. But we have a hunch that Parker will try to pitch Suh as a once-in-a-lifetime defensive tackle, and try to fetch a price worthy of such a tag. And GMs don't want a precedent set. Whatever they can do to undermine those efforts - including propping McCoy on a pedastal he hasn't earned - they'll do.

Second, Suh is almost too versatile for some defensive coordinators. McCoy can be plugged in at defensive tackle in a 4-3 set and turned loose. Suh could conceivably play anywhere on the line - wtih the exception of a 4-3 rush end - in nearly any front. Folks, that's intimidating to a league that excels in groupthink.The NFL has quashed versatility for years. It likes guys who do one or two things well.

We wish the backlash were over. It's not. Suh will head to the NFL Combine, and unless he breaks the bank, there will be some whisper about something. And while agent Parker gets his players top dollar, he's a risk to low-aiming organizations like the St. Louis Rams, who have so many holes to address - try pretty much everywhere but running back - that they might try to trade the pick away.

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“I've always wanted to be a joy to these fans.”

-defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

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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. 5 Keith Williams: Poised for a breakout year, Williams tore his pectoral muscle in fall camp. He played through excruciating pain anyway, and had his moments. In 2010, provided he’s healthy, look for him to be an all-conference pick. He’s still Nebraska’s best.

No. 4 Niles Paul: It was almost like his two colossal blunders of the fall - failing to catch a backwards pass vs. Texas Tech, then failing to recover the ball that Tech returned for a touchdown, and that fumble-recover-fumble vs. Iowa State that cost NU the win - actually set Paul free. Over the last five games of the year, including the Holiday Bowl, Paul became a new man - a different player, returning one punt for a score, almost returning another vs. Texas, making clutch third-down grabs vs. Colorado, making huge plays vs. Kansas and Kansas State, and displaying an all-around game in the Holiday Bowl to earn MVP. He caught 40 passes for almost 800 yards, and became the big-play most hoped he would be.

No. 3 Roy Helu: More brilliance in games vs. Virginia Tech, Oklahoma and Kansas, and more perplexing injuries in many of the other games. Helu’s a tough guy to figure out on and off the field. Talent and instinct to burn, but there seems to be times when Rex Burkhead is the more consistent option. Still - it says something about a guy when he rushes for 1,137 yards, and you barely noticed him over the last four games of the year. He’s still a big-time weapon.

No. 2 Ndamukong Suh: Arguably the best player in Blackshirt history - remember, that doesn’t include Train Wreck Novak - and certainly the most decorated, Suh became the poster child for the emerging Bo Pelini era. He worked hard, excelled in the classroom and dominated on the field. A unique, game-changing talent in ways defensive linemen usually aren’t - pass coverage, downfield tackling. Hopefully NU fans enjoyed the show. He isn’t coming through that door again.

No. 1 Zac Lee: As great as we knew Suh was, Lee occupied the top spot for the obvious reason: He’s the only guy with the ball in his hands every play. So much has already been written about Lee, so let’s merely say one more thing: He turned a corner in his attitude and belief in himself as the year went on, and he doesn’t have a lot to fear in 2010. Bo likes him. It’s his job to lose.

The list is now complete! Check out the full list!

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A Pick Six Takes:

*Ndamukong Suh tearfully accepted his Outland Trophy Thursday night in Omaha - Suh was particularly touching when he thanked defensive line coach Carl Pelini - and made the ESPN tour on Saturday. You can see video of both events here. The awards and media circuit, as its known, is almost complete.

Now - prepare for the scrutiny, the negative press, and the doubts from so-called mock draft “experts.” Suh, almost a consensus No. 1 pick for April’s NFL Draft, will have to suffer many of the same slings and arrows other top picks, from Peyton Manning to Ricky Williams to Julius Peppers to Aaron Rodgers to Adrian Peterson to Warren Sapp to Reggie Bush.

He’ll be the leader in the clubhouse for a stunningly long time by April. And, just to stir the pot, some idiot will insist the St. Louis Rams draft Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen with that first pick.

Who knows? Maybe that idiot will work for the Rams.

Suh won’t drop below No. 2, where the Detroit Lions have lined up 300 rosaries in their front office to pray for the Rams’ insanity. But the Rams have so many holes - and quarterback is certainly one of them - that you could envision them wasting the pick on a shot-in-the-dark, rather than sticking Suh at defensive tackle for the next decade.

Even if the Rams stand pat and do the obvious, “Suh fatigue” will set in, especially at ESPN, which practically withers to death without some bit of conjured-up speculation to chew on. Suh’s body of work stands for itself, but some wonk will raise questions about his size, or his technique, or his knee injury from three years ago. Clausen, being from Notre Dame, will be a darling. ESPN’s Todd McShay will toot Eric Berry’s horn a little more.

It’s all part of the spotlight. Suh just has to ignore the messenger. Nebraska fans should do the same - but I know some Husker fans. Never miss an opportunity to grind the axe. You hope, as NU makes a bid for top ten next year, some of that grinding stops.

*Watch the walk-on list for Nebraska’s 2010 recruiting class over the next month. It’s not as heralded as the scholarship players, but it’s reasonably important for depth purposes. A handful of starters generally arise from the walk-on mold - center Mike Caputo and fullback Tyler Legate will fit that bill in 2010, and don’t count out Austin Cassidy for Matt O’Hanlon’s old spot - and, of course, there’s also an intrinsic value to their presence, too.

But they’ll be harder to land as the cost of college rises. What’s more - high school coaches pay attention. Not all of them like it when the State U breezes in for the can’t-miss kid, but didn’t have a scholarship for the ham-and-egger. This doesn’t burn NU as much as it does other schools, but, in this era, it’s something to consider.

Now, of course, recruitniks hate hearing such warnings, but they view football in a vacuum of stars and hypotheticals anyhow. Great recruiting -at any level - is more about relationships than it is cherry-picking, and a college coach has to sell loyalty to the high school coach as much he sells playing time to the kid. Especially when more and more of these kids live with single mothers. Coaches, parents, handlers, uncles, cousins, guardians - they’re more savvy than they used to be.

Turner Gill will be making annual trips to Omaha from this point forward. And he’ll have a pretty good message. Just sayin.

*I made a point of watching two women’s basketball games this weekend. One of them, of course, was No. 11 Nebraska’s ugly-but-so-pretty 65-56 win at No. 9 Baylor. Everything good about Connie Yori’s team - the depth, the timely shooting, the willingness of star Kelsey Griffin to do other things on an off shooting night - was on display Sunday afternoon. Great teams win the scrums as often as they win the gems. The Huskers just won, on consecutive weekends, their two toughest Big 12 road games at Iowa State and Baylor. It’s time to think seriously about 30 wins. And even more seriously about a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Which is why, on Saturday, I checked out the nation’s No. 1 team, period: Connecticut, which beat Notre Dame 70-46. The Huskies look like a semipro team, and play almost recklessly - up and down, quick passes, layups, three and four offensive rebounds. The relentless pace broke Notre Dame down, forced the Irish into the same kinds of shots and risks. Except ND couldn’t pull it off.

UNLV in 1991. That’s the apt comparison. The game proved the notion: Recruiting is power. At least when you’re talented as Connecticut appears to be.

If only Nebraska got one shot at that team and struck Goliath between the eyes…

Dare to dream that one.

*Ugly 56-53 loss for Doc and Gang Saturday night at the Bob. The crowd - which included a smattering of Iowa State fans - was pretty vocal, too. You wonder how many bites of the apple the Huskers get with that kind of noise if they keep blowing winnable games with gaffes of all varieties.

You’ll see the woodwork now ripple with calls for Doc’s job, but he’s going to get two years with this crew of young players, and that’s what he deserves. But the Huskers continue to get thumped on the boards - losing rebounding margins of 12, 13 and 9 in the first three Big 12 games - and they’re no longer a bizarre matchup for league opponents. Sadler’s refusal to play forward Quincy Hankins-Cole - NU’s best rebounder per 30 minutes of playing time - seems tied to Hankins-Cole’s poor practice habits. This bye week would be a good time for the both of them to get on the same page.

Even at 0-3, Nebraska’s not out of postseason contention. The NCAA berth doesn’t matter right now. Doc needs to put that talk away. Just push for 18 wins - the Huskers stand at 12-6 right now - and a shot at the NIT or CBI.

*My late take on Lane Kiffin: I can’t help but root for him. He’s working for a tinpot dictator in USC’s Mike Garrett, he’s got his dad coaching the defense, some gumbo-voiced used car salesman as his recruiting coordinator, and a team of mercenaries who carry themselves like pro athletes and have the proverbial key to Mulholland Drive, Laurel Canyon, or y’know, wherever in the Southland. I like dramatic couplings. Especially when one half gets run out of town on a couple burning mattresses.

Sixty years ago, Kiffin and Co. are trapped somewhere in Flannery O’Connor’s “Wise Blood,” stumbling around the South, peddling faith not being sold before the established storefronts of Florida and Alabama. Now here they are back in SoCal, the head coach without pedigree, under an athletic director that gives Robert Duvall’s character in “Sling Blade” a run for his money on matters of credulity.

Football as gothic grotesque. There’s a ring to it. (What? You wanted me to call it trainwreck?)

On a note that you may appreciate: As a reporter, I should be cynical and hope Kiffin bumbles this unearned opportunity to lead the Men of Troy. But I’m not sure what that would profit me, college football, or even Nebraska, which, I’m sure, prefers to measure itself against a strong USC vs. a weak one. I foretold the Trojans’ struggles in 2009, and won’t be surprised if a trend begins; if you think you can simply keep turning over talent for 25 straight years, only two teams have since 1970 - Nebraska and Florida State - and even they went ashes to ashes.

But here’s to a wild run with guy just a little older than me. His suits don’t fit and you get the sense that happiness, to him, is a day on a grass field in a long-sleeve t-shirt. I think we can relate.

*Got a couple emails from readers who attended the Outland Trophy dinner, and weren’t too thrilled with the post-banquet autograph session, where a 30-minute time limit meant some in the back of the line - including kids - didn’t get their gear in front of Suh, Phillip Dillard and Matt O’Hanlon, although O’Hanlon stayed behind to sign beyond the deadline. Apparently, the front of the line - as fronts of lines are wont to do - hogged the time nabbing photos and multiple signatures.

Well, anyway, that’s one side of the story, although I heard it from more than one source. If you have another side, post it in the comment section and shoot me an email at sam@ne.statepaper.com.

My rules for stuff like this is simple: Kids first, youngest to 18. And, no, clever parents, that doesn’t include sleeping infants and toddlers with grubby fingers. (Don’t worry, I have one, she just had a bath, so lay off). The kid’s gotta walk up there and wait without doing the pee-pee dance or holding your hand.

After those kids, OK, the infants and the toddlers.

Then, if time remains, conversation with the kids.

The adults get a handshake, a Coke and a smile. If they're really lucky, it's a RC Cola.

See also: The 10 Best and Worst Fan Bases in College Sports.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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So much for motivation, preparation, hangovers, skeptics, doubts or close games in the Holiday Bowl.

Turns out Bo Pelini had a reason to strut in San Diego. A reason to gift-wrap a six-day break for his team before Christmas. A reason to bust out some lofty talk about 2010 in a handful of interviews.

What did Bo know? Something. That’s for damn sure.

Three plays, one Matt O’Hanlon pick, one quick Zac Lee touchdown, a dash of the Wildcat starring Rex Burkhead, Niles Paul as a triple threat, that magnificent golden foot of Alex Henery and Blackshirts, Blackshirts, Blackshirts.

First round knockout. Boom! Down! Nebraska as Mike Tyson, and Arizona as a weak-kneed Michael Spinks.

“We got whacked,” Arizona head coach Mike Stoops.

Yep. Thumped. Striped. Punished. Seems like the two teams did their share of trash talking during the week at joint functions, and the muddy blood carried over to Wednesday night. Like so many fights that start with a couple of loose jaws, it ended with one party - the Wildcats - on the floor - a jigsaw puzzle with a couple of pieces gone.

Savor this Big Red ribeye of a win, Cornhusker fans. It tasted so good, sizzling from the start - and mostly because NU cooked it just so. In all three phases, I can’t recall a more complete bowl win since the 2000 Alamo Bowl. And even there, Nebraska had a few leaks. You might have to go back to the 1996 Fiesta Bowl. Or the 1969 Sun Bowl, when NU beat Georgia 45-6. Or maybe never. I’m leaning toward never.

At some point, Stoops stopped with his Jimmy Cagney/George C. Scott facial grimaces and submitted to total defeat. His willingness to forego an easy field goal at the end of the game and try for a touchdown - knowing full well his quarterback would face a seven-man blitz - was not merely a nod to his old friend Bo. It was a tip of the cap to the Husker defense as a whole. You’ve earned the right to shut us out. Good for Stoops. Intense guy. Class move.

Yes, the Blackshirts evoked memories of those days of heaven, the mid-1990s, when opposing quarterbacks gazed wistfully into the defense in the mere hope of completing a pass. Foles had that “blow-the-whistle!” look all night, his impressive arm - yes, I’ve seen it in other games - reduced to a bad parody of the Balloon Boy saga. Just 21 snaps in the first half. For 32 yards. And the Huskers didn’t even have to commit a blitzer on the pass rush. TV can’t do justice to how well NU’s cornerbacks challenge and blanket opposing receivers, so Foles, with the relative mobility of Pooh Bear, had no choice but to dance around, fruitlessly searching for downfield targets.

Once again, we saw irrefutable evidence that the best way to great defense is through a quarterback’s rattled cage. How many signal-callers have answered the bell vs. NU this year? In retrospect, just one: Texas Tech’s Sticks Sheffield.

“It’s nothing fancy,” Pelini said. In a sense, he’s right. Challenging receivers at the line of scrimmage, and taking away those easy throws spread teams thrive on isn’t fancy. Doesn’t mean it’s easy, either, but it’s not fancy. And the recipe works.

The secondary was nothing short of brilliant. I doubt Arizona had ever seen such aggressive coverage. A healthy Alfonzo Dennard, coupled with a healthy Prince Amukamara, might be as good a cornerback tandem as there is in college football.

And color me pleased by the offense, and impressed with offensive coordinator Shawn Watson from this perspective: He said NU would travel back in time with its offense, and that’s precisely what we saw Wednesday night.

Nebraska spread it out and mixed pass and run. Zac Lee throws much better out of the shotgun, and runs a competent zone read, even if he takes the ball too often. The big wrinkle - the Wildcat - was more of a no-brainer, considering how good Rex Burkhead was at running it, but it was good to see Watson actually put it on film and put it to good use.

Burkhead is a keeper. He runs hard, headlong, with the occasional surprising flourish - a spin move, a hard cut. A little Correll Buckhalter. A little Derek Brown. A little Josh Davis. Watson has a weapon there, whether or not Burkhead stays at the Wildcat QB, or hands the reins to Taylor Martinez.

Does Watson have a quarterback? Lee took a step forward Wednesday night, but I still think he is inconsistent and a little robotic as a runner. Cody Green, who burned a timeout and nearly threw a bad interception, again looked adrift and ill-prepared on the field. But it’s hard to get a grip in a couple drives when Lee gets the whole game.

Unfortunately, you don’t get the offensive sequel for nine months. You won’t even get a sneak peek trailer for four months. And don’t presume that Nebraska solved its problems in one bowl game. Arizona seemed struck by the stage and the stakes. Stoops’ team needs to grow up some. I suspect that he knew that earlier in the week, and hoped it wouldn’t matter too much in the game. But it did.

Arizona’s at now where Nebraska resided in early 2008. What a journey since then for the Big Red. Despite the kind of losses that make you want to starve for a week, Pelini pulled his troops through, and has them positioned for a national title run in 2010.

I don’t know about the Huskers being “five times better” next year. For one thing, a lot of pro-style offenses roll onto the schedule, and you can’t just trot Dejon Gomes out there at linebacker to stop the inside counter. The Huskers absolutely must find two or three serviceable linebackers.

But, provided Nebraska does that, a trip to Phoenix - for one of two BCS games held there - should be the early expectation. The Big 12 will be ripe for the plucking. The best of NU’s recruiting classes - the 2007 bunch rotates fully into upperclassmen mode. That solid class of 2008 - that included all of the red shirt freshmen, finally begins to contribute more, as well.

Hope springs eternal. Football championships are autumnal. I think we have 33 reasons to put those two sentiments together for next year.

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The five plays that thousands of Nebraska fans missed at the outset of the 2009 Holiday Bowl turned out to be the only ones No. 22 NU really needed to secure victory over No. 20 Arizona.

What followed the Cornhuskers’ touchdown in the first 75 seconds of the game - which went untelevised on ESPN because of the end of Idaho’s 43-42 win in the Humanitarian Bowl - was gravy, and arguably the most dominant performance in Nebraska bowl history, as NU crushed the Wildcats 33-0 at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium Wednesday night.

"It was a complete win," said a relatively subdued head coach Bo Pelini, who badly beat his friend, Arizona head coach Mike Stoops. "...It was nothing fancy."

Indeed, Stoops said Pelini "had mercy" on Arizona, which in turn prompted Stoops to forego a chip-shot field goal late in fourth quarter and try for a touchdown on the Wildcats lone successful drive of the game. Reserve safety P.J. Smith knocked down a fourth down pass from Arizona quarterback Nick Foles, preserving the shutout and touching off a wild, out-of-character celebration on NU's sidelines.

"Nothing was right all night," Stoops said. "Give Nebraska credit...I don't know if we were just content getting here, but we certainly didn't show up."

Nebraska certainly did - in all three phases.

Building off a brilliant defensive performance in the Big 12 Championship game, the Blackshirts managed to better themselves, notching the first shutout in the Huskers’ 46 bowl appearances, and the first in the history of the high-scoring Holiday Bowl, too. Nebraska held Arizona - an offense averaging more than 400 yards per game - to just 109 yards, more than half of its coming on the game’s final drive.

Nebraska, 10-4, felt disrespected by Arizona prior to the game, all-everything defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh said. Suh and his mates wasted little time in earning it, as safety Matt O'Hanlon intercepted Foles on the third play of the game, returning the ball to the Zona 6-yard line. Two plays later, quarterback Zac Lee scored on a naked bootleg around the right end, diving over the pylon.

Anxious, frustrated Husker fans only saw a replay of that touchdown. ESPN joined the Holiday Bowl feed just as kicker Alex Henery made the extra point.

"It was huge," Pelini said. "We got momentum right away."

The next 58 minutes of the game weren't much different. The NU secondary blanketed Arizona's wide receivers. Foles, confused and frustrated, overthrew several targets, completing just 6 of 20 passes for 28 yards. Passes Foles threw well were dropped. The Wildcats (8-5) didn't bother trying to run the ball until their final drive of the game, when Keola Antonin ripped off 36 of the team's 63 rushing yards on a single play.

"I didn't have a good throw all night," Foles said. "I've got to get my butt back to work."

Henery nailed four field goals - a Holiday Bowl record - of 22, 41, 48 and 50 yards. Niles Paul set up the Huskers with excellent field position with a punt return of 28 yards and a kickoff return of 44 yards.

The surprise was NU's offense, which produced 396 total yards and a number of big plays, highlighted by Zac Lee's 74-yard touchdown pass to Paul in the third quarter.

"It was a little bit of redemption," said Lee, who added that Nebraska had won enough ugly games during the regular season to endure a repeat of that in San Diego.

Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson - back in the booth for the Holiday Bowl, instead of down on the field - unveiled a series of wrinkles, including a shorter shotgun formation for Lee to run the zone read with Rex Burkhead and Roy Helu and the Wildcat formation with Burkhead playing quarterback. That formation accounted for most of the yards on a seven-play, 82-yard touchdown drive that padded Nebraska's lead to 17-0.

"It's something we had in our hip pocket," Pelini said. "It's a good wrinkle - something that Rex does well."

Said Stoops: "They kept us off balance all night. They had a good plan. Our defense struggled for some reason."

Nebraska churned out 226 yards, executed almost exclusively out of the shotgun, which mirrored the offense from earlier in the season.

"This was more 'us,'" said Lee, whose arm helped NU convert 9 of 18 third down attempts.

Lee tossed for 173 yards - 123 of them went on four passes to Paul. He played most of the meaningful snaps in the game. Freshman backup Cody Green got a series in the second quarter with NU leading 17-0, but nearly threw an interception. A series in the fourth quarter led to another three-and-out.

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1. Sept. 20, 2001: Nebraska vs. Rice. The first college football game after 9/11, and boy, if they didn’t hold it in the right place. When those firefighters and police officers walked out of the tunnel instead of the NU football team, the collective hairs of 77,000 fans stood on end. Screaming and tears and hollers and chants of “USA.” It felt like living again. It felt like America. You had to be there, but if you were - nothing has ever topped it.

2. Frank’s Haymaker: A battle royale between Nebraska and Oklahoma in 2001 bursts into frenzy when Frank Solich dials up precisely the right play: 41 Black Flash Reverse Pass. Thunder-to-Stuntz-to-Crouch.

3. The Valiant Fight: As a huge underdog, Nebraska stood toe-to-toe with Texas in the 2009 Big 12 Championship game and came within one second of victory. Are there such things as moral victories? Yeah, there are.

4. Billy C’s Bowl Win: It sure felt like the beginning of something big, Nebraska’s 32-28 win over a Michigan team with beaucoup talent. The Wolverines finished 11-2 in 2006. NU topped out at 9-5.

5. The Drive: Zac Taylor’s signature drive to beat Texas A&M 28-27, nailing down the Big 12 North title. Wouldn’t have been possible without Barry Turner’s blocked field goal kick.

6. Bo’s Opening Statement: Bo Pelini’s defense stuffed a solid Oklahoma State offense 17-7 to open the 2003 season, and the kept the momentum going from there.

7. Notre Dame, Two Ways: Both games were wonderful in their own way, but the road trip to South Bend was memorable. And don’t let anyone tell you different: As many NU fans made it into the stadium, the Huskers were still in a hostile atmosphere. Eric Crouch - and tight end Tracey Wistrom, who made a clutch third-down grab - bailed out the Huskers.

8. Bo Beats Bob: NU intercepts Landry Jones five times in a 10-3 win. Afterward, Husker players leap into the stands, and Bo exults as he lives the field.

9. I’m Suuhing in The Rain! Ndamukong Suh announced his Heisman candidacy with a magnificent performance in Columbia, a 27-12 fourth-quarter comeback. That was the game that won, as it turned out, the Big 12 North title for NU.

10. Joe’s Masterpiece: Nebraska QB Joe Ganz tossed for 510 yards and seven touchdowns in a 73-31 win over Kansas State where Bill Callahan fell into pure mercenary mode.

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

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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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He's the first defensive player in the 12-year history of the award to be named AP Player of the Yeah. Suh nipped Toby Gerhart, 26-20, out of 59 total votes.

The question becomes: Is he the best player of the decade for NU? Or does the title go to someone else? Tell us!

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

And he flew coach the whole way.

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

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

“It was all memorable,” Suh said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A dominating 2009 season – culminating in an unforgettable game in the Big 12 Championship – was enough to earn Ndamukong Suh the most points ever for an interior defensive tackle in the Heisman Trophy race.

It just wasn't enough to win him the Heisman itself. Suh, instead, finished fourth, with 161 first-place votes and 815 points despite winning the Southwest Region in the balloting.

The trophy, instead, went to Alabama's Mark Ingram – the third sophomore in a row to nab the title, and the first Crimson Tide player – who appeared on more of the 926 voters' ballots than Suh or any of the other finalists – Stanford's Toby Gerhart(2nd), Texas' Colt McCoy(3rd) and Florida's Tim Tebow(5th).

Ingram, shaken and emotional in his short-but-poignant acceptance speech, won the closest race in Heisman history - 1,304 points to Gerhart's 1,276. McCoy surprisingly finished third - a likely sign that many voters had already filed their ballots before the Big 12 title game - with 203 first-place votes and 1,145 points. It now appears that Suh's 4.5 sacks of McCoy derailed an runaway victory for the Texas quarterback.

The fourth-place finish is the highest for a defensive lineman since Washington's Steve Emtman in 1991. Pittburgh's Hugh Green finished second in 1980.

Suh was accompanied to the ceremony by his parents, Michael and Bernadette, sister Ngum, head coach Bo Pelini, the entire NU defensive staff, and head strength coach James Dobson. Former Husker Heisman winners Johnny Rodgers, Mike Rozier and Eric Crouch also attended the ceremony. Rodgers briefly sat next to Suh during the ceremony.

Even without the Heisman, Suh enjoyed an incredible haul of awards over the last week, becoming the most decorated defensive player in NU history. Suh won the Lombardi, Outland, Nagurski and Bednarik Awards. He was named to both the Walter Camp and AP All-American teams.

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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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“We were all screaming. We couldn't believe what was happening...it was our miracle, you see, because he was crawling. Bronko Nagurski was crawling toward the goal line and they did everything they could to stop him. But nothing could stop him.”

-“Hearts In Atlantis”

Ndamukong Suh walked out of a low tunnel and into the night, fat raindrops slipping through crevices in the bleachers to a ramp underneath the bowels of Faurot Field, where 30 or so reporters leaned against weather-beaten metal rails, waiting for the man who'd just firmly put his name in the Heisman Trophy race.

Nebraska had beaten Missouri 27-12, and Suh was the primary reason, having injured Mizzou quarterback Blaine Gabbert on an extraordinary sack-and-strip, and later intercepted Gabbert in the fourth quarter to set up NU's go-ahead touchdown.

It was late, almost midnight. And the air was cold - yet thick and humid from the downpour. Suh walked out, shirtless, and it is a sign of our weird, modern fear of intimacy that nobody chose to write about this striking image. Suh without pads, is enormous, his arms so dense and massive they recall elephant trunks. The rest of his torso is a barrel without three ounces of extra lard on it.

For a man with fair-to-decent technique, it's this upper body, this gladiatorial build, that is the source of his greatness on the college level. He has been taught well, it's true. He is surrounded by smart, tough teammates on the defensive line. And football, these days, is coached by film rats, coffee junkies and guys so bleary-eyed and dedicated to their craft that they can't bother to get out of their sweatshirts for gameday. The Brothers Pelini have, in their tireless effort, engineering a fast, angry-looking sportscar fit for the Autobahn, and given No. 93 first crack at the wheel.

But only God could scheme the strength of Suh. Football is still comprised of men – in college especially, where the romance of the sport hangs on despite ESPN's best efforts to kill it – who are preordained to physically dominate. On a misty night in Columbia, Suh was Leviathan, who found the conditions suitable for landfall. And he inflicted massive damage.

As it turned out, he needed a t-shirt, and had to head to the team bus to get it. Nebraska fans lined up around the perimeter fence – and on the stadium ramos above the scene – catcalled “Suuuh”, as they often do.

The best player in college football - who owns the 2009 Outland, Lombardi, Nagurski and Bednarik Trophies - didn't much notice. Like most of this season – indeed, like most of his play on the field – Suh just kept looking forward, driving ahead, kicking at the rhetorical palm branches laid in his path.

Nebraska almost rode his coattails to an improbable Big 12 Championship. With Suh as the steam engine, the Huskers fought to within one second of beating Texas. On that stage, with the nation watching, with glitzy UT fans already planning for their weeks of hook'em, hookah and stargzaing in Pasadena, Suh humbled the proceedings. To the wise fan, Suh – not the game, not Colt McCoy, not the controversial ending – will be the lasting story of this NU season, and that night. The picture of his strength, and his refusal to celebrate those individual achievements in the moment, are rare by themselves, even rarer coupled together.

Suh was a man who did his job, thanklessly, yet incredibly. We could learn something from it.

Week after week, he would serve as spokesman of Nebraska's football team at press conferences. He'd arrive early, talk on the phone for an hour to out-of-town reporters, do the 20-minute roundtable, and then conduct one-on-one interviews, too. Often the same questions.

And Suh's not a raconteur, either. He just isn't. Some would clamor for more emotion, humor, excitement. Suh, steadfastly, did not provide it. His head coach, Bo Pelini, would follow suit, underselling his best player – the best he's ever coached - at the behest, I suspect, of Suh.

Though not an immigrant himself, Suh is son of two – dad Michael, from Cameroon, and mom Bernadette, from Jamaica – and that's where the humility, the sense of purpose, of monotonous, everyday focus – comes from. They sought an education and future in America, carved it out over many decades, and simply made it work. Ndamukong carries that spirit in his play.

Every Heisman finalist has an American tale, of course, but Suh has an amazing one that will become, more and more, the success story of the 21st Century: That of the immigrant, and his/her children, forging their way in a country where too many of us have grown fat on our own culture, lazy when it comes to our own potential. We are too aware of our limitations, and equally too aware of others' successes. We define ourselves by our interior monologue – the movies we see, the mags we read, the music we like, the food we eat, the booze we drink, the stuff we consume – with Facebook lists and blog posts and Ipod chats and all the rest.

Many immigrants define themselves by the fruits of their labor. By what they've done. And what they've produced. And how their children turn out.

Football – hell, sports in general – still adheres to that mindset. Winning and losing is still about performance. Sports hold too great of a sway in our nation, but they do so almost unwittingly – it's not the fault of coaches and players that we're desperately caught in stasis, and seek to live vicariously through those who trudge out on a frigid afternoon, on frozen grass, to carry and throw and kick around a football and keep score as to who does it best.

But even football has succumbed to the disease, as “specialists” are the order of the day in the pro game. You don't have one tight end who blocks and catches. You have three who do one thing well. You have third-down blitz specialists, third-down pass-catching specialists, dime corners, slot guys, bunch sets, guys to run inside and guys to run outside. You don't have “defensive tackles,” you have “techniques,” guys whose primary role is to, quite simply, to prevent a hole from forming in a line. Only brave men need apply for such jobs, of course, but still – the well-rounded player, especially in the trenches, often remains elusive.

So there's a wonderful ignorance, in some sense, to that reality in Suh's playing style. He doesn't know what he can't do and hasn't been taught to keep his skills in check.

Alabama's Terrence Cody, for example, is a big, fat, strong guy who plugs up the middle and occasionally make a big tackle behind the line of scrimmage. That's what he does. That's all he does. And he'll get paid handsomely in the NFL, for many years, to do that one thing.

Suh makes plays defensive tackles aren't expected or required to make, plays Cody wouldn't dream or even think of making. The interceptions. The deft recognition of screen passes. The backside pursuit tackles downfield, which saved more than one first down this year. The chicken fights he'll occasionally engage in with quarterbacks, where he mirrors their moves and cages them in until a teammate arrives.

In the NFL, you can almost bet, some dumb coach will try to drum those instincts out of Suh. In fact, Suh, now that he's reached the mountaintop of the college game, is likely to see some backlash. Between now and April, pundits and scouts will silently, and on rare occasion publicly, pick at his skills. You'll see a painful debate over whether Suh is a prototypical defensive tackle in a 4-3 or an end in the 3-4. You'll hear “he can't make those plays in the NFL.”

And those conversations aren't useless, per se. But a wise coach will build a defense around Suh's unique talents, instead of trying to slam him into a certain mold.

Sadly, NFL coaches aren't always so smart.

Neither are Heisman voters.

Suh probably isn't going to win the trophy Saturday night, even in the face of overwhelming evidence that he should, because the award's inane tradition of honoring offensive players, meathead voters on the East Coast and the television side of ESPN going into full-blown-Mark Ingram-or-Toby Gerhart mode in the hours after the Big 12 title game.

ESPN's writers, borne of the newspaper business, didn't take the bait, but once it became clear that Colt McCoy wasn't getting the vote, Ingram, a solid-but-unspectacular sophomore from Alabama, starting getting the push. (Lou Holtz curiously went from voting for McCoy on Sunday to picking Ingram by Wednesday.) Never mind that the obvious strength of the Tide is its defense, or that quarterback Greg McElroy, not Ingram, was the primary offensive difference-maker in wins over Auburn and Florida.

That Suh reached New York is reward in itself. ESPN always produces one whale of a show, and Suh's story will get proper treatment. Recruits will watch. Husker Nation, for the first time since 2001, will be raptly attentive on a mid-December Saturday night. And head coach Bo Pelini, arguably the preeminent defensive mind in college football along with Nick Saban, will get a little face time, too.

As will Suh's parents, and good for that. They are, like all parents, a huge part of the story. If you've met No. 93, you sense a respect and reserve about him. It makes that scene in the tunnel at Missouri all the more potent. Husker fans should won't forget this serious, focus-forward man. Teams tried to stop him. They tried everything. But they couldn't. He tackled with one arm. He pursued to the sideline. When thwarted at the line of scrimmage, he threw up his hands to bat the ball down. When they ran away from him, Suh tracked down them all the same. For two years, he was an inescapable, implacable enemy to opposing offenses.

Like his parents' journey to America, Suh's rapid ascendance, and eventual domination, was, well, kind of like a miracle. Forged one incredible play at a time.

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Oregon State, eat your heart out. The Beavers almost had a Heisman Trophy finalist anchoring their defensive line.

Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, making the awards circuit right now, told the “Sports Nightly” radio program Tuesday night that when Bo and Carl Pelini were hired in 2007, he was planning a transfer to Corvallis. After listening to their pitch to keep him at NU, he chose to stay.

“Obviously I felt – and still feel strongly – I made the best decision,” Suh said.

Had the Cornhuskers not fired Bill Callahan and Kevin Cosgrove?

“I'd probably be at Oregon State right now,” Suh said.

Instead, he's gearing up for a long week of awards shows. The Lombardi Award dinner in Houston Wednesday. Orlando on Thursday for the ESPN-televised Home Depot Awards, where Suh's up for the Outland, Walter Camp and Bednarik Awards. And then, of course, Saturday night in New York, where he's a surprise finalist for the Heisman.

Suh won't lie. It's a bit of a rush.

“Definitely feel like a rock star,” he said. “It's totally different. It's something I'm not used to. I'm enjoying every bit of it. It's a once-a-lifetime opportunity. I'm going to soak it all up.”

Plus, he said, it's been a “good distraction” after the 13-12 loss to Texas in the Big 12 Championship game.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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