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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Death. Taxes. That damn Texas. The stories before Senior Day.

You're a Nebraska football fan. You know the drill, right? Like peonies at Memorial Day. Hay fever in mid-June. The smell of burning leaves, right now, just beyond the city limits.

We're here already. Nearing the end of strange and potentially wonderful 2009 NU season. Money time for the Cornhuskers. Used to be, you'd have the scent of Oklahoma in your nostrils right about now, but the Big 12 ruined that. Now it's an annual dance with Kansas State, followed by a Buffalo Thanksgiving.

Well, those two games knock on the Big Red door.

Where did the time go? Don't ask me. I've got a 2-year-old. I mark time in ear infections, words learned, fruit snacks eaten, and the same 40 books read over and over again.

But this year feels fleeting anyway. It hasn't been a journey for Bo Pelini's second bunch so much as a harrowing, unpredictable ride through dungeons and gilded rooms out of an Edith Wharton novel. Drama tends to move quickly inside a movie theater. It's no different on a football field.

A final, crucial chapter of 2009 is yet to be written. A tragedy, triumph, or typical tale of struggle and virtue? We'll see.

But we know the hero of the story already, however it plays out. As Ndamukong Suh nears the end of a remarkable career - to be punctuated with the loudest Memorial Stadium chant of “Suh!” you'll ever hope to hear – Nebraska fans need to take a minute and appreciate how, in two short years, the 6-foot-4, 300-pounder went from skilled athlete and occasional run-stopper to college football's most dynamic and unique defensive player. And how it almost never happened.

“I think he was testing the waters when we got here,” head coach Bo Pelini said. “But he wasn't ready to come out at that time.”

That's the NFL waters. Suh was a third-year sophomore bearing witness to about as awful a defense in the 2007 Nebraska as could be envisioned.

But his knee required surgery. Plus – Suh had performed far below his own potential in two years at NU. Part of it was consistent work ethic. Part of it was sheer inexperience. You already know this part of the story: Suh grew up playing soccer and basketball. Football, a complex, intricate, brutal game that arguably requires as much mental mustard as any sport, wasn't on his radar until high school.

“I didn't have the mental capacity of a lot of the other guys just because they grew up with it at a young age and they had always been around it,” Suh said Tuesday.

The surgery, and the missed spring practice, turned out to be a remarkable blessing. Suh became Carl Pelini's shadow in 2008, learning without actually doing the drills. But here's the thing, and it's rare for a football player: Suh actually soaked it up just by watching. That's one sharp visual learner.

In the following fall camp, Suh got help from center Jacob Hickman, a cerebral technician who didn't always beat No. 93, but could breakdown his counterpart's game.

“He's one guy that's really understood my game and been able to nitpick at some of my weaknesses,” Suh said. “We talk all the time. You'd see us in fall camp. I might beat him on one play, he might beat me on one play but after we're done with our three reps, we'll get back and talk.”

The rest is statistical history. In 23 games, Suh has 132 tackles, 32 of them for loss, 12.5 sacks, 11 pass break-ups, 25 quarterback hurries, six blocked kicks and three interceptions. Read that again.

“He's played pretty phenomenal,” said Bo Pelini, using the appropriate word.

And he's done so under the following two conditions:

*Offensive coordinators have developed a full-time obsession, since the 2009 Gator Bowl, of making sure Suh doesn't beat them.

*Suh still has more – and arguably much more – to learn.

We're not kidding. Suh tries, at times, to make too many plays. As much as he should trust his instincts, they'll be honed even more in the NFL, where quarterbacks are smarter than, say, Blaine Gabbert or Landry Jones. Once there, he'll also have to live with the reality that sacks and tackles for loss, for an interior 4-3 tackle or a 3-4 end, are rare. Those belong to defensive ends or outside linebackers. The biggest, baddest bull moose in the pros – Albert Haynesworth, Shaun Rogers, the duo in Minnesota – still doesn't get the flash and dash of their edge counterparts.

Take Kansas. Suh's numbers weren't flashy in a 31-17, and Pelini sensed some frustration from his senior.

“He thinks he should make the play no matter how many guys are on him,” Pelini said. KU used a double-team, and occasionally a running back, to block Suh. Baylor often did the same, which opened the door for Jared Crick's big day. Suh's a team guy – but he's also a elite player. Elite guys want to be the solution – not the decoy.

“But you watch the tape, and he played pretty well,” Pelini said.

Pelini doesn't like to compare Suh to his previous proteges, most notably LSU's Glenn Dorsey, a squat grinder who submarined offensive linemen and often blew up plays with his sheer girth and strength. As NU's defense evolves, you'll see Pelini recruit this type of player more often. He already has, in fact, in 2010 commit Jay Guy.

Suh is different. He's nimble. He's certainly not thin, but there isn't an ounce of fat on him. For a guy with so little time in the game, he certainly has a sixth sense of it. He obliterates an opponent's screen game. He peels back to make tackles downfield. Even when he's engaged at the line of scrimmage – which happens more than it should, frankly – he's strong enough to shuck out of it and still make plays.

Nebraska's never seen one quite like him.

Is he the best in NU history?

You could lodge an argument for a number of names – Wayne Mehlen, Rich Glover, Jim Skow, Jason Peter and Danny Noonan are in the mix – but Suh seems to make the most spectacular of plays out of all of them. He may not be as consistent, maybe, but his sack-and-strip of Gabbert in the Missouri game – which hobbled Gabbert and Mizzou's chances at the Big 12 North title in the same blow – is one of the most incredible plays I've ever seen. The strength, speed and perseverance on that single play is a recruiting poster for Bo Pelini's brand of dominating football. If Suh does win the Lombardi, the Nagurski and the Lott, that'll be the play burned in voters' minds when they check his name.

It's fitting that, when asked how fans should remember him, Suh chose a road less traveled. A lot of defensive players would say “dominant” or “great” or “a winner” or some word or phrase that conveyed toughness, victory and pure, hard character.

For Suh?

“A joy to watch,” he said. “I've always wanted to be a joy to these fans.”

The man knows his audience, huh?

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

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

But KU hasn't flushed quite yet.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mangino said the media blew the benching out of proportion.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Roy Helu jumped into the crowd. Matt O'Hanlon flipped the ball in the air. The Memorial Stadium faithful roared with vigor before, during and after every big play, and howled with delight at game's end.

The look, sound and feel of joy in Nebraska's 10-3 win over the Sooners.

It's been awhile around these parts. NU was close in 2006 vs. Texas. Close in 2002, as well. On Saturday night, the Huskers closed their hands on a signature win over a team that's much better than its 5-4 record suggests.

Now it's a Sunflower two-step. The land of toll roads, hoopheads, Flint Hills and poor souls who root for the Chiefs also claim the duo – Kansas and Kansas State – that stand in the way of Nebraska's trip to Dallas for a personal conversation with juggernaut Texas. With more momentum than the program's had since the 2005 Alamo Bowl win, NU can't spend a second savoring the OU triumph. The head-scratching loss to Iowa State has left the Huskers little margin for error.

Of course, we'll savor it a little, and ask some more tough questions. On with the review.

Five Players We Loved

Free safety Matt O'Hanlon: The three interceptions were nice, of course. They'll never be forgotten. But O'Hanlon really earned his bacon in run support, repeatedly tackling Sooner running back DeMarco Murray on those wide sweep plays that would have burned the Huskers in previous years. OU openly challenged NU's speed, and the Huskers were up to it. Kudos to strength and conditioning guru James Dobson for putting NU in the position.

Linebacker Phillip Dillard: Another tackling gem. Dillard snuffed out a couple screen passes, sacked OU quarterback Landry Jones and had a crucial interception after a deflection. After that pick, Dillard, an Oklahoma native, ran to the sideline and gave defensive coordinator Carl Pelini a giant bear hug. That's redemption earned.

Running back Roy Helu: He made a couple “only Roy” runs, a combination of vision and quickness that suddenly gets him into open space. Helu isn't a burner, but he busts long runs because he can evade, almost without effort, several defenders.

Cornerback Prince Amukamara: The kid really knows how to jump a route and redirect wide receivers. Nebraska's defensive backs were consistently physical with OU's receivers, and it left Jones without many options in the passing game.

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh: He still had his game face on in the postgame press conference. Fine by me. Suh needs to treat this final three-game stretch like a personal offense to his talent. Everything is in front of NU, with a prize of Texas at the end of the rainbow. Know this: If Suh were to have a monster final month, culminating with a big showing in Big D, his Heisman hopes aren't over. People instinctively want to vote for this kid.

Three Concerns We Have

Dumb offensive penalties: Nebraska nearly self-destructed in its first two drives of the game with false starts and a personal foul for a cut block. Pelini looked like he was about ready to melt down over those minor mistakes. He should. They're getting old. And offensive line coach Barney Cotton needs to continue to answer for them.

Nervous in the Service: That's offensive coordinator Shawn Watson's way of describing how uncomfortable Cody Green looked Saturday night. He's used it to describe Zac Lee, too. You can see the problem here.

One Wrong Hit: On Helu or Alfonzo Dennard's shoulder, and they're back to half-speed. And these two guys are crucial to NU's success down the stretch. Nebraska needs a little luck here that they stay healthy.

Reviewing the Five Keys

Field Position: Nebraska lost this battle all night, really, except once – when it started a drive on OU's 1-yard line. That's field position.

Haymakers: The Sooners tried to knock out Nebraska in the first quarter, but missed two field goals and withered under Bo Pelini's well-timed blitzes.

O-Line Litmus Test: The Huskers' offensive line didn't exactly pass any exams, but it did open a few holes in the power running game.

Little Things That Kill: Nebraska successfully took away OU's short passing game more often than not, but the Sooners kept trying and failing to capture it anyway. Oklahoma tried too hard to assert its advantage in the passing game when it had none.

Gambles Not Worth the Risk: NU won this key. OU played recklessly after the first quarter, rolling the dice too often on fourth down or with risky passes. The Sooners took too many bad chances and didn't show much patience despite never trailing by more than seven points.

Three Questions We Still Have

Zac or Cody? Check out our longer commentary on this matter.

Can the defense roll another 7/11 in Lawrence? Kansas' defense has improved, NU's offense really hasn't, and KU quarterback Todd Reesing is experiencing an unexpected late-career slump. Nebraska may have to turn in an encore to win.

Where's the offensive creativity? Doesn't Shawn Watson have a few reverses in the toolbox? How can he better utilize the speed NU does have? What happened to the middle screen passes Helu ran so well last year? Conservative is one thing. Inert is another.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini served as a spokesman, of sorts, for defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh Tuesday, answering questions about Suh's Sunday morning car crash that totaled one car and severely damaged three others.

Pelini said he instructed Suh not to answer any questions about the accident "so he could concentrate on football." Suh's Tuesday session with the media was full of queries about Oklahoma and teammate Jared Crick – not his ticket for negligent driving, received after, according to a Lincoln Police Department accident report, Suh swerved to miss a “small dog or cat” and slammed into three parked cars on different sides of the street.

Suh was over at a friend's house, Pelini said, when he woke up and proceeded to drive home. He immediately called Pelini after the accident, which occurred at 2:20 a.m. Pelini said Suh “handled it the right way” but would get some measure of internal discipline – but no suspension - for the ticket and being out that late.

“I understand why he was up that late, but that was probably the thing that disappointed me most...you leave yourself open to bad things that would happen.”

Even though Suh had been drinking, Pelini said, his blood-alcohol content .035 was well below the legal limit of .08. Pelini said he has a “zero tolerance” for drunkeness.

“He was far from drunk,” Pelini said. “I know exactly where he was and what he did that night, and this doesn't fall into that category. I deal with those issues on a case-by-case basis. If somebody gets drunk and gets in trouble, that's a different case.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Five Players We Loved

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

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

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

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

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

Three Concerns We Have

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

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

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

Reviewing The Five Keys

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

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

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

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

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

Three Questions We Still Have

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

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

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

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Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was cited for negligent driving by the Lincoln Police Department after a Sunday morning car accident that totaled one car and severely damaged three others.

The accident occurred at 2:20 a.m. between 30th and 31st and U Streets.

NU head coach Bo Pelini said in a statement he was aware of the accident, and had already talked to Suh about it.

According to the LPD's accident report, Suh said he was driving his 2003 green Landrover when he tried to avoid a "small dog or cat" in the road, took "evasive maneuvers" to avoid it, and struck one parked car, swerved, and struck two more parked cars on the other side of the road.

Two of the vehicles had damage estimated at $8,000. Another car was totaled. Suh's SUV sustained $10,000 worth of damage.

Alcohol was initially suspected, but Suh's blood-alcohol content was .035, well below the legal limit.

Nebraska beat Baylor 20-10 Saturday afternoon in Waco. Suh declined to speak to reporters after the game.

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Intangibles, intangibles, intangibles. An afternoon full of talking about them – especially mental toughness – at Nebraska's football press conference Tuesday.

The wake continued, to some extent, for the 9-7 loss to Iowa State; scant questions about Saturday foe Baylor, and even fewer about the Bears' defense, which is the stronger of the two units.

Head coach Bo Pelini, reflecting a calmer, more introspective persona that he's been trying on since the ISU post-game presser, was fairly blunt when describing his team: “Consistently we're not mentally tough enough.”

“I'm a strong believer in culture. My vision I have for this football team – that process is well under way. I cannot proclaim it has completely taken over yet. It is a process. And it's not something that happens overnight. I understood that coming in.”

Proclamation. I like it.

Bo said he wasn't trying to make excuses. This is a team, he said, with the “tools” to win now. But it struggles with focus and execution because, well – that part is harder for Pelini to define. Maybe the Huskers struggle because of a lack of talent. Maybe it's a lack of consistent leadership. I'd argue that, but Pelini's definition of leadership-by-example, which I assume has permeated the team, negates some need for vocal types. Not that Pelini would turn them down. It's just not, to him, necessary.

“I always look at leadership, it’s not about barking,” he said. “It’s not about talking, it’s about doing. It’s about making plays and overall consistency of what you’re doing. You have to take care of yourself first. As far as our leadership, as far as our effort, as far as our want-to, our attitude, that’s been good.”

A circular approach to the issue, because, frankly, the team is young, and as we pointed out in last week's column, still searching for leaders.

Maybe it's a lack of fire, although Pelini – and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who was sitting in the back of the room – bristled at that notion. Suh had a nice, long stare at the reporter who asked more fire and emotion from the bunch. Suh, who burns hot on the inside but doesn't show much emotion on the outside, often gets that criticism specifically. He's tired of hearing it.

Suh touched on the culture around the program, and Pelini's process, too. Intriguing answer: “Do I know exactly what he means? No. Do I have some idea? Yes, in certain instances. I think he just wants this program to be a very dominant, hard-nosed, blue collar team. That's what he wants. That what he expects.”

The answer suggests that NU is still in an earlier phase of its growth than some may appreciate. Pelini never overhyped Nebraska after its 4-1 start. The media did. Just a reminder.

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

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

Well, that's some of you, anyway.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Five Players We Loved

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

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

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

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

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

Three Concerns We Have

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

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

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

Reviewing the Five Keys

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

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

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

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

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

Three Questions We Still Have

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

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

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

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A program-making win for Iowa State. A full, dark shudder for Nebraska, especially its offense, which came unglued with a school-record eight turnovers in every awful way one can imagine.

ISU – without its starting quarterback and running back, with just 239 total yards – stunned NU 9-7 Saturday afternoon in front of crowd of pale, grim faces, who hadn't seen the Cyclones beat the Cornhuskers in Lincoln in 32 years. Who hadn't seen Nebraska commit eight turnovers in 37 years. Who had to settle with themselves, for that particular moment in time, that Nebraska had just suffered one of the more deflating, infuriating losses in its recent history.

“I'm disappointed in our football team,” a subdued head coach Bo Pelini said. “I'm disappointed. We didn't – I'm disappointed. And it starts with me...we were our own worst enemy.”

Said tight end Mike McNeill: "We knew coming in. It's something we talked about before the game. They like to try and take the ball away, they like to try and rip the ball. They did a good job of it."

Ten nightmarish Husker blunders stood out. Some were mental errors, some were excellent plays by the Cyclones, and a few were total flukes. But all of them counted against Nebraska just the same:

*A fumble by Roy Helu on the game's first play that became a 52-yard field goal by ISU's Grant Mahoney.

*An underthrown pass from Zac Lee to Mike McNeill near ISU's goal line turned into a tip drill and a Cyclone interception, snuffing out a probably Alex Henery field goal.

*Iowa State punter Mike Brandtner waited until Nebraska's punt return unit had cleared the left side of the field. Then he took off, ball clutched in his left arm, for 20-yard gain on fourth down. On the next play, Tiller froze the linebackers with a playaction fake to Jeremiah Schwartz and lofted a deep ball to Jake Williams, who beat Eric Hagg on a fly route. Hagg turned the wrong way, and Williams caught the ball in the end zone for a 47-yard touchdown.

*After receiver Niles Paul caught a long pass from Lee and seemed headed for the end zone, he fumbled while trying to stay in bounds, recovered the ball briefly at the three, then fumbled it again into the end zone, where it was recovered by Iowa State's James Smith.

*Jared Crick failed to cover a fumble late in the second half that would have set NU up in Henery field goal range.

*A second Helu fumble inside ISU's five-yard line recovered by the Cyclones in the end zone. Officials originally ruled Helu down, but reversed the call.

*True freshman Traye Robinson accounted for NU's fifth turnover when ISU defensive tackle Nate Frere ripped out the ball, again, at the Cyclones' 5. Robinson was chewed out by left guard Keith Williams as he left the field.

*Menelik Holt fumbled on a inside screen pass for the sixth turnover, marking the first time since 1976 that Nebraska had lost five fumbles in a game.

*The seventh turnover. Lee threw slightly behind Curenski Gilleylen on a post route, Gilleylen tipped it, and the pass was intercepted by Michael O'Connor.

*The final Lee interception, thrown directly to ISU linebacker Jesse Smith, the best player, along with NU's Ndamukong Suh, on the field Saturday.

Lee finished 20-of-37 for 248 yards and three interceptions – two on Nebraska's last two drives. He completed 14 of his first 16 passes, but hit only 6 of 21 thereafter. Pelini said said it was an “easy decision” to start Lee over true freshman Cody Green - “Cody's not quite ready yet” - thought Lee played well despite the interceptions.

“Zac Lee was the least of our problems today,” Pelini said. “We didn't play well around Zac.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The Husker media machine kicked into full gear this week. Nebraska's football team uneasily wore the crown.

You could sense the strain in some of the answers after a 27-12 win over Missouri. Here was NU, after the biggest program triumph in some time, getting peppered with questions about last year's Texas Tech game, handling success, the offensive playcalling, replacing Rex Burkhead, defending spread offenses, you name it. You could almost see the frustration churning inside players and coaches: Wait – didn't we win last week? Didn't we complete the best fourth-quarter rally in Husker history? Did everyone forget that?

Yes, yes and most certainly not. But here's the thing: With each big win head coach Bo Pelini collects, fans and writers can see the shoreline a little more clearly. With a beaten-up, overrated Big 12 out there for the taking in 2009, the vibe is now distinctly “carpe diem.” Thus, the armor chinks become more glaring with each ratchet-turn of expectation.

Nebraskans express hope with worry. It's the natural tendency, the bedrock of our modesty and insecurity. It couldn't really be this good this fast, could it? It just might. If the Huskers can hurdle one Mike Leach, that is.

On to the five keys:

Aggression: Nebraska returns to its home field, in front of a crowd ready to explode with chants of “We're back!” There ought to be enough energy in the joint to kick start three offensive lines, much less one. Needs to be, too. If the Huskers intend to score a first round knockdown, much less a first round knockout, they'll need every bit of anger, muscle and toughness the offensive line can muster. Running backs can only plow through holes that exist, after all.

“We need to play faster, we need to play more physical, and we need to execute better,” offensive line coach Barney Cotton said. We'll take that and a side of peanut cole slaw.

Turnovers: A typical, fallback key of any big game, but, in the case of NU v. Tech, it matters because the Red Raiders – specifically Taylor Potts – have struggled keeping the ball on the team with the right colored jersey. Tech is 99th in turnover margin – rare for a Big 12 school still in the early stages of conference play – at -.67 per game. Nebraska's 15th overall. Big advantage, right there, to the Huskers.

How does NU force them? In the secondary, breaking on poorly-thrown balls without giving up the farm elsewhere.

Pick up “Sticks:” Walk-on quarterback Steven “Sticks” Sheffield has enjoyed a nice couple of weeks, but those were minor rehearsals compared to Saturday. Sheffield can light as many fires as he wishes and scramble all over the house looking to wear out his own legs. But the kid's probably going to have to throw for three bills and two touches to give Tech a fighting chance.

As skinny and untested as Sheffield is, Nebraska needs to make a maniacal effort to pressure the living daylights out him. If Leach wants to install Potts into the game, hey – so be it. The more musical chairs Leach runs, the deeper the hole his team will dig.

Carter vs. Suh: Texas Tech has a quick rhythm passing game and wide linemen splits, and thus feels like it's fairly impervious to any consistent pass rush, even one led by Ndamukong Suh. So the Red Raiders will likely match guard Brandon Carter – the deposed captain who paints his face as if he's going to death metal concert, or readying for a night of carousing with Kym from “Rachel Getting Married” – against Suh, one on one.

Well, OK. It worked to some extent in 2008. But this ain't 2008.

“(Carter) is a really good lineman,” defensive coordinator Carl Pelini said. “They're a man protection team, but they've got five and we've got four rushing. It's the same way every week. We just try to do our thing.”

Pelini's right, of course, but interior pass blocking, against a player of Suh's caliber, is no trip to Cleveland. Can Suh and his mates force the Red Raiders to keep a running back in to block?

Resist the pirate spirit: Nebraska needs to be smart on Saturday not to let Leach's wild gambles rub off on Bo Pelini. When Leach goes for it on fourth down...NU better stuff it. If he tries a trick play, gets cute with his punt formation, or tries to go 80 yards in 38 seconds, you'll have a distinct example of Leach attempting to bait his opponent into bizarre situations. If Nebraska can keep its poker face while the Red Raiders flop about like a fish on dry land, it'll gain one or two extra possessions at least. Tech, which lives or dies by the number and efficiency of plays run, would in be the same spot it was last year. Except Nebraska's defense is more equipped to shut down TTU.

See also: Chalk Talk: Inside the Air Raid Offense and Guess The Score! NU vs. Tech! and Recruiting: All Dressed Up with No Position?

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My wife, who is smarter than I am, often likes to say: “More than one thing can be true in a given situation.”

In the sports world, a statement like that acts as a cherry bomb. Tunnel vision is the soup du jour. Columnists and commentators pose black and white choices to their readers, viewers and listeners. Nebraska’s offense, for example, cannot run and pass with equal commitment. It must be “about” something. It must be “defined.” Of course, it really doesn’t have to be, but we’re not belaboring the point in this space.

Rather, we’re reflecting on the heavyweights of the industry descending on defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh after his magnificent performance at Missouri. The national media, being the national media, waited for ESPN to visually confirm what we already know: That Suh is the rare, transformative player for his position. At least in college, he is.

Post-Mizzou, the national pundits suddenly shot Suh to near the top of their Heisman polls. ESPN and Sports Illustrated showed up Tuesday, getting an hour each, it seemed. And that was on top of the typical media requirements Suh already has. He handles it like a quarterback would, which, for a defensive player – is quite rare.

Of the Heisman, make no mistake: Pundits mean to promote Suh as a way of capturing readers who tire of seeing Tim Tebow (whose performance, thus far, simply doesn’t deserve the trophy) and Colt McCoy (ditto) occupying the Nos. 1 and 2 spots in the Heisman race, and readers who won’t trust Jimmy Clausen as a frontrunner until he beats USC.

Suh is meant as a novelty. A two-week pastime. Trust me. That’s the intent. That’s the national media, which, at this point, pretty much runs the Heisman by choosing who does and doesn’t get the most publicity.

But Charles Woodson was a novelty. For many months. Except Michigan kept winning. And Woodson kept making big plays. Until he deservedly eclipsed Peyton Manning at the finish line.

Suh can chart that same path. He’s that good, and his defense gives him enough chances to make headline plays. And the rest of the field – save Clausen, who controls his own destiny vs. USC – hasn’t done enough to warrant the medalist spot.

Now here’s where my wife comes in: Nebraska can – and should - promote Suh without it being at the expense of the larger team goals: A Big 12 Championship and a BCS bowl bid. The circus doesn’t come around every day to Lincoln. It doesn’t come around most days. Bo Pelini and his crew can recruit their fannies off, and still not draw a talent like Suh in the next five years.

“Everybody wants to just focus on Suh,” head coach Bo Pelini said. “That’s great. He’s earned that. But there’s a lot of guys around him who are playing well, too…I know everybody wants to build it into one guy. It’s a team game. That’s how it works. That’s the way it’ll always be.”

That’s true. But it’s also true that Suh is the straw that stirs the drink. He’s got the talent, the statistics and the commitment to his own education to back up the hype, too. Suh has shown he can handle the press and his best gift is giving credit where it’s due: To the NU coaches, specifically defensive line coach Carl Pelini.

“If I’m supposed to be that spokesperson, that’s supposed to be my God-willing thing to do, I’m more than happy to do that,” Suh said. “As long as this team continues to win and move forward.

“I’d like to be an example of what these coaches have taught me in the last two years. And now you can be a recruit and have four years under your belt – just imagine how much better you can be than me.”

You don’t have to watch Carl Pelini in practice very long to know he’s an excellent teacher, a mixture of attitude and intelligence, a preacher of technique and desire. Suh’s ability to defend the pass from his position is a combination of natural instinct and sound instruction. Defensive end Zach Potter did the same last year. Against a quick passing offense, pass rushes can be hard to come by. That’s why you have to disrupt the quarterback in a different way. Suh, and the rest of the defensive line, is surprisingly good at doing that.

Suh is so practiced at explaining what he’s learned from the Brothers Pelini that it serves as an excellent recruiting poster for the program.

Suh’s performance does, too, of course – but the Heisman, convoluted as it may be, brings the wood, so to speak. It’s helped resurrect the image of USC’s program in the 2000s; Tim Brown’s 1987 Heisman opened the door to five years of great success at Notre Dame, while Ricky Williams did the same in 1998 at Texas. Wisconsin won the 1994 Rose Bowl, but didn’t peak until 1999 with Ron Dayne’s sprint to the award.

Most of those teams also won games. Suh’s chase for the Heisman, and NU’s team success, generally go hand in hand.

Now – those hands have to wash each other’s backs.

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Just in case you haven’t come out of that rain-fueled reverie from last Thursday, Texas Tech coach Mike Leach delivered a public service announcement Saturday. More like a warning, with that 66-14 drubbing his Red Raiders hung on Kansas State. KSU isn’t particularly good. But the Wildcats aren’t 52 points that bad either.

Yes – just like playing at Tech wasn’t as hard as it seemed last year, this year’s game won’t be as easy as it seems. In many ways, the “Air Raid” system is better than Missouri’s spread offense, especially in creating big plays for the running backs, which Mizzou’s system doesn’t do so well.

If NU thinks it can get chuffed and proud, the Huskers had better cleanse their system of that incredible comeback win before Leach and Co. head to town. Once thing about Leach: He simply doesn’t care. He’ll boot players, bluff his own athletic director and happily serve as a hypocrite when he chastises players for the seeking the publicity he hounds. He just doesn’t care. Leach is a football mercenary for hire – Texas Tech has him tied to long-term contract – whose measurement of success is racking up points and yards.

My wife and I were watching a YouTube clip on Leach. Some nonsense about dating advice and pirate obsessions.

“He’s kind of a clown,” my wife said. Molly’s a pretty polite girl; she prefers half-insults unless we’re on the subject of bad officiating.

“Well, maybe,” I said. “But he wins a lot of games.”

“Yeah,” she shrugged. “He’s still a clown.”

As we await Leach’s circus on Saturday, we relive, one last time, the Mizzou win.

Five Players We Loved

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh: You rarely get to see “legendary” defensive performances from a single player. On national TV, Suh delivered one. I’m not sure even he understood just what he’d done. In the coming weeks, if he makes a push for the Heisman, he will. The Missouri game was his launching pad.

Defensive back Dejon Gomes: He stuck to Mizzou receivers like glue all of Thursday night. Where’s he been? Doesn’t matter. Gomes needs to stay in the game, and off the bench.

Linebacker Philip Dillard: He’s re-established himself as Nebraska’s best linebacker. It took the coaches too long to realize it, but they’ve finally come around to Dillard’s brand of play and leadership.

Running back Rex Burkhead: Made a lot of little plays in the game, including a couple key third-down conversions. He’s excellent in open space, and getting better between the tackles.

Wide receiver Niles Paul: Oh, if only his confidence matched his raw talent. Maybe his fourth-quarter heroics vs. Missouri will clue Paul into the kind of player he can be – every game. He may want it a little too much. Paul needs to let the game come to him a little more often.

Three Concerns We Still Have

Depth and trust in the running game: It’s really hard to account for Nebraska’s deliberate choice to pass the ball, over and over, vs. the Tigers in the pouring rain. We keep hearing about all these guys in the box, but the Huskers pretty much abandoned the run until the game’s final drive and, then, embracing it with the heaviest of the heavy sets (four tight ends!), looked quite good. Where was that all game?

Punt snaps: Freshman P.J. Mangieri needs to figure this out. If Alex Henery wasn’t back there making incredible plays just to get the ball off, NU would have three or four blocked punts by now. Some were critical of Bo Pelini’s minor chew session of Mangieri, but the kid, young as he may be, is only on the team to do one thing. He needs to do it right.

A little too much offensive diversity: Nebraska flashed a ton of formations at Missouri Thursday night, and almost seemed to cross itself up. In big games, it’s not the chess match that wins, but the execution of your best stuff. What is Nebraska’s best stuff? We’re still waiting a little.

Reviewing The Five Keys

Mystery Ingredients: The weather definitely affected Nebraska (although offensive coordinator Shawn Watson called the game like it didn’t) and the flu bug kept five or six players under the weather. The power outage at Faurot Field threw another curveball the Huskers’ way, as the coaches were forced to conduct their locker room sessions by flashlight, essentially. For all that, for NU to still win the way it did – it’s character, plain and simple.

Zac Lee On the Road – Again: I wasn’t encouraged by Lee’s performance through three quarters, but he made some clutch throws in the fourth quarter to redeem the performance. Another plus: Lee put the ball in places where his offensive players could nab it. Unlike Blaine Gabbert, whose vision – not his ankle – was the real culprit Thursday night.

The First Impression: Nebraska’s defense sent a very different message in 2009; Suh and his front four mates made sure of it. Mizzou tried to run NU off the field on the first couple drives, but the Tigers slowed down out of necessity.

Stick or Quit: Missouri’s running game never really got shut down, but never got going, either. The Tigers threw too many passes, and too many of those passes were simply bad, telegraphed reads by Blaine Gabbert.

Pelini vs. Pinkel: Call it a draw, I suppose; both coaches failed to slow the game down with running attack, and both coaches made some gutsy decisions. Pinkel gambled and won on fourth down, while Pelini subbed out three starters – Anthpny West, Will Compton and Lance Thorell – to go with guys whom he thought would get the job done better. He was right.

Three Questions We Have

Is Nebraska ready for more, more, more? NU’s going to see one version or another of the spread from this point forward until Kansas State. Can it stick with the current gameplan used vs. Missouri, or must it alter the plan to fit the needs of each team and quarterback?

Time for Blackshirts? We think so. How about you?

Who’s the real Zac Lee? The kid who knocks em dead at home, or the head-scratcher on the road? Will we really learn anything this week? Maybe. Tech is easily the best home opponent Nebraska has faced this season.

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Report Card from Nebraska’s 27-12 win over Missouri:

OFFENSIVE MVP: Rex Burkhead. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Burkhead didn’t seem to do much, but he converted a couple crucial third downs, one of which kept alive Nebraska’s first touchdown drive. Burkhead caught a swing pass, planted hard into wet turf, and darted his way to an unlikely first down. Statistically, Burkhead didn’t do much. But he made four or five little big plays, and no bad ones.

DEFENSIVE MVP: Ndamukong Suh. A performance that echoed the dominance of Grant Wistrom and Rich Glover before him. Suh’s one of the great ones.

GRADES

QUARTERBACK: C Zac Lee had one terrific fourth quarter. But his play during the first three quarters nearly earned Lee a spot on the bench. He looked confused, slow, wet and overmatched. Many of his passes were simply inaccurate. But he made the plays when NU really needed them, in tough conditions. He should be glad – really glad - OC Shawn Watson never took him out. If Watson had, we’d have a week of Lee vs. Cody Green chatter.

RUNNING BACK: B+ Considering what NU had to work with – a sick Roy Helu and a so-so offensive line – it was a solid performance. The numbers were low, but hardly reflective on the effort. Helu banged up his shoulder well enough to wear a giant ice pack afterward, but he was still in there on the last drive. Tough kid.

OFFENSIVE LINE: C- They were kind of a disaster until the fourth. Mizzou’s stunting run defense threw off the big boys; their pass protection was fair, but unspectacular until the final quarter.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: C- Niles Paul and Menelik Holt played so poorly that Watson benched them to start the second half. Paul could’ve sulked; instead, he had the two signature plays of his career. Mike McNeill only had the one grab, but he made it count. Too many dropped balls, and not-so-great blocking on the perimeter.

DEFENSIVE LINE: A+ A dominant, signature performance from all four of them. Energy, physicality, playmaking and just plain smarts: This bunch doesn’t necessarily get a ton of sacks, but they frustrate the bejusus out of the quarterback. They combined for 21 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 pass breakups and 2 turnovers. The best defensive line in America? Maybe.

LINEBACKERS: A Mostly Will Compton and Phillip Dillard, who had the complex assignment of diagnosing Mizzou’s spread offense and attacking it downhill. The Tigers slowed down as the game went on. NU’s defense just got stronger.

SECONDARY: A Nebraska finally seems to be playing the right guys in Dejon Gomes and Alfonzo Dennard, who clearly have more pure coverage skills than Anthony West and Lance Thorell. Both of them, along with Prince Amukamara, were excellent Thursday. Larry Asante held up quite well on a injured ankle, too.

SPECIAL TEAMS: D If Alex Henery weren’t so athletic and smart – just check out some of the plays he had to make on bad snaps from PJ Mangieri – Nebraska might have given up more than a safety. Punt returns were just awful, punt coverage wasn’t much better, as several guys simply overran Carl Gettis. Kick coverage was excellent – the lone bright spot, other than Henery.

GAME MANAGEMENT/PLAYCALLING: C+ That would be a A for the defensive work, which was stellar, and a D+ for offensive coordinator Shawn Watson, who frankly stumbled into success in the fourth quarter. Nebraska never tried to establish the run and Lee was about to get the hook after a fumble when Watson changed his mind. The decision turned out to be fortuitous.

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COLUMBIA, Mo. - The best player in college football walked down the ramp from Nebraska’s locker room shirtless, a shower towel draped around his neck. He had to go find a red shirt to put on for TV interviews, and as he headed out to the bus, seemingly in between the raindrops, fans, Mizzou and NU alike, just sort of stopped and stared.

Ndamukong Suh looks less like a typical defensive linemen than a guy who belongs in the movie “Troy.” He certainly played like a Spartan Thursday night.

The stats – a sack, an interception, a forced fumble, six tackles – are good enough. But they don’t tell the whole story of his impact in Nebraska’s 27-12 fourth-quarter bum rush of Missouri.

The whole story is the hurries, the Tiger holding penalties, the ridiculously quick, telegraphed throws made by Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who got as rude an awakening Thursday night as NU’s Zac Lee. The whole story is how Suh allows that front four to dominate, how that front four allowed the secondary to be aggressive, how that secondary allowed NU to even have a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter.

Suh’s presence and play sent shockwaves through this team. He’s the anchor. He’s the rock. He ought to be a Heisman candidate in a season where quarterbacks are getting hurt or having average seasons.

Will he get the notoriety? Only if voters get a clue and realize that 26 NFL scouts weren’t at the game Thursday to shine their shoes.

Another question: Can Nebraska’s offense get a clue before it’s too late? We’ll be wondering until next Saturday.

Frankly, I’ve never seen a game like this. Not the flu stuff that forced Nebraska to fly in a couple players this morning, not the power outage one hour beforehand, and not “The Twilight Zone” finish. Coupled together, it was wild, fun night the Huskers, one of relief as much as swagger. Nebraska’s offensive players wore pleasant grins that suggested they’d gotten away with one awful performance with the help of a big pass and two NU interceptions.

“The way the offense played, I don’t know if we really deserved it,” NU center Jacob Hickman said. He was one of those guys on the morning plane. “But the defense kept us in it and things ended up working out nice for us.”

Pass after pass after pass. Deep timing routes in the pouring rain. With a quarterback making his second career start on the road. Against a defense that has struggled to stop the run all year. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson called the rainy conditions “your worst nightmare.” But he still called 33 pass plays. Heck, Mizzou called 43. In this mist and muck.

Missouri loaded the box to stop NU’s run, yes. Watson will throw it under those circumstances. And finally – finally – the Tigers made one crucial defensive error that opened the door for the Big Red. But it was not Watson’s best night, as jubilant as he was afterward.

Yes, a strange game. Missouri should have had it wrapped up. But Suh and his crew just wouldn’t let it happen.

Nebraska needs to use this moment as a springboard. How high that board springs is up to the Huskers. Texas Tech presents many of the same challenges in eight days – the Red Raiders have a pretty good defense, better than it should be. Then, two games vs. Iowa State and Baylor. Then – well…you know what then.

The reality is this: It’s all on the table for NU right now. The nation’s best player, a defensive win that should galvanize this bunch, and an offense that, well, made it count in the fourth quarter. Ten wins are now within reach. A few other goals are, too.

Watson called the win a turning point for Nebraska.

“If we don’t let it, shame on us,” Watson said. “This is the moment we’ve been waiting for. It’s a great win.”

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COLUMBIA, Mo. - Out of the darkness, and into the driver’s seat of the Big 12 North.

Faced with a 12-0 deficit at the beginning of the fourth quarter - having played some of the worst offensive football in recent memory - Nebraska’s football team turned on an unexpected switch, staging the largest final-quarter comeback in school history and taking an early – and crucial – lead in its league division.

NU scored three touchdowns in four minutes – assisted by two interceptions of Mizzou quarterback Blaine Gabbert – to win 27-12 in front of Faurot Field’s 65,286 stunned, soaked fans, who sat through a 15-minute power outage one hour before the game and nearly three hours of the Tigers playing sloppy – but winning – football.

That changed one minute into the fourth, when quarterback Zac Lee – who almost yanked by offensive coordinator Shawn Watson – threw a 56-yard touchdown to wide receiver Niles Paul - who was yanked to start the second half – to cut Mizzou’s lead to 12-7.

“We caught them in a good coverage, and the safety played the middle hook route, and we got a post over the top,” Lee said. “That play really sparked us.”

Then defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh picked off the third pass of his career at the Tigers’ 18-yard line. Lee hit Paul again, seven seconds later, from 13 yards to give NU the lead for good.

“We just kept fighting,” head coach Bo Pelini said. “You can get down in situations like that, when things aren’t going your way and it’s pretty easy to feel sorry for yourself and let the game get away from you. We never let the game get away with us…I thought we showed a lot of character in every aspect.”

Once the Tigers fell behind, NU made sure not to give it back, either. Junior cornerback Dejon Gomes, who’d played sparingly until Thursday night, intercepted another Gabbert pass on Missouri’s next drive, returning it to the Tiger 10-yard line.

“The receiver broke out, I broke out with him, and I was in perfect position to look back at the quarterback,” Gomes said. “The ball was right there.”

Lee then threw his third touchdown pass of the night, an eight-yard floater to tight end Mike McNeill, who was wide open after blocking and pretending to stumble. Lee drew the defense to himself, then tossed into an open space, where McNeill ran under it.

“I just wanted to make sure I caught it,” McNeill said.

So Nebraska led 20-12, and forced a turnover on downs on Mizzou’s next drive, which briefly reached NU’s 22-yard line before a holding penalty – one of eight overall penalties – pushed the Tigers back to the 32. Gabbert threw four incomplete passes after that.

“There were a zillion penalties,” Mizzou coach Gary Pinkel said.

NU ran the ball eight straight times for a final touchdown, highlighted by Roy Helu’s 41-yard sideline gallop. Helu, suffering from the flu, didn’t arrive in Columbia until Thursday morning.

By the end, Missouri fans were filing out, while a small, raucous contingency of Huskers waved them goodbye.

“It wasn’t the exact way we wanted to win,” Suh said. “But we’ll take it.”

Pelini said Suh – and the rest of the NU defense, which may be in line for a Blackshirt promotion after this – kept the Huskers in the game while the offense sputtered. Missouri gained just 225 yards, punted eight times and scored only ten points – and all of those came on a short field. Derrick Washington gained 80 yards on 20 carries, but never busted a long one until the game had been decided.

“They played their you-know-whats off,” Pelini said. “They played hard, they played well. And you can say that about everybody who lined up on defense. We played some pretty good football.”

The secondary repeatedly challenged Mizzou’s receivers – and won the battles. Gabbert, meanwhile, seemed out of sorts most of the night, and could have thrown more interceptions than the two he did – the Huskers had their hands on a number of his passes, which often looked telegraphed.

“He struggled a little bit,” Pinkel said of Gabbert, who completed just 17-of-43 passes for 134 yards and two interceptions.

Before the final quarter, Lee struggled a lot more than that. He’d lost a fumble, and completed just 9-of-27 passes heading into the final quarter.

“There was a time I was actually going to put Cody (Green) in and have him sit down and let him look at it a little bit,” Watson said. “But he’s just got great character. I thought about it for about a half-second and said ‘Nah.’

“He’s such a great competitor that he kept fighting through it.”

Said Lee: “The coaches trusted us. They have our back. We have their back.”

Nevertheless, Missouri forged a 12-0 lead with a big help from the offense and special teams. MU scored a safety when punter Alex Henery was forced to throw the ball out of his own end zone after a bad snap - one of several - from true freshman P.J. Mangieri. The Tigers' touchdown drive started on the NU 44-yard line. Its third-quarter field goal drive started at the NU 34.

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When Gary Pinkel became head coach of Missouri’s football team in 2001, he recalled Sunday, he was pretty much reminded every day how long it had been since Mizzou had beaten Nebraska. How long that thorn had been stuck in the Tiger toe.

“It was hugely important to knock that down,” Pinkel said. “But we’ve had obstacles since we got here. ‘Can’t win at Nebraska. Can’t beat Nebraska.’ We inherited all those.”

And Missouri’s long put that that barrier in the rearview window with wins in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2008. The last two wins were by a combined score of 93-23.

“I think we’ve played some good games against Nebraska,” Pinkel said during his weekly press conference. “But if you look at the win-loss record, they’ve beaten us a lot more times than we’ve beaten them. They’ve certainly got a huge edge on us.”

Thus, Pinkel said, a respect for the Cornhusker brand – in a series that hasn’t had a lot of warm feelings lately.

“A lot goes with that name in terms of history and tradition, he said.

The architect of Missouri’s resurrection isn’t skimping on his praise of the current Nebraska squad, either.

Pinkel said he’s “very impressed” with the 3-1 Cornhuskers, who visit the 4-0 Tigers Thursday night in Columbia.

“Very well-coached, very disciplined,” Pinkel said. “I think they’re playing very, very well…you look for weaknesses, and I don’t see any. I think they’re sound in every area.”

He particularly singled out NU running back Roy Helu and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

Of Helu: “The more he runs, the better he gets. I think that’s a
sign of great running back.”

Of Suh: “He’s a big athlete. He can run. Very explosive. He’s
very, very competitive…he’s a very dominating player. Very impressive. It’s kind of fun to watch him play and compete.”

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Reporters came with a quiver full of Missouri questions for Nebraska’s football team Wednesday night.

The Huskers brought their shields and scripts, deflecting any talk about Oct. 8 game in Columbia until next Monday’s press conference. If NU is using the bye week to prepare for its biggest test of the year – and most assuredly it is – you wouldn’t guess it from the players.

“We don’t have anybody to play this week so we’re just looking at ourselves,” defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh said.

Said quarterback Zac Lee: “I’m sure we’ll get into that next week. This week we’ll focus on us, try and improve us…that’s a week away. We’re going to worry about that next week. It’s a little while. We’ll get there.”

Mission accomplished on Wednesday, head coach Bo Pelini said, applauding the Huskers “energy” and “tempo” during the two-hour, half-pad workout inside the Hawks Center. Despite the “shells,” NU was plenty physical in drills and continued that pace throughout the practice.

Pelini noted a great “sense of urgency” among the team as Big 12 play looms on the horizon. Last year, NU lost its first two Big 12 games – one of them to Missouri, 52-17 in Memorial Stadium. In 2007, Nebraska dropped a 41-6 decision to the Tigers, triggering a collapse that led to Bill Callahan’s firing.

Suh started in both games, and said there was “no point” in revisiting those games. The senior out of Portland hadn’t seen this year’s game plan for the Tigers, but he didn’t suspect it’d look much like the last two seasons.

“I’m sure we’re not going to run the same stuff, obviously, that didn’t work,” Suh said. “And in 2007 – totally different staff, totally different people.”

Rather, Pelini said, the focus would be on a “very, very good, well-coached” Missouri squad that still executes its spread, no-huddle offense at a high level and has improved on defense.

“I don’t care about history,” Pelini said. “That’s the last thing that’s on my mind…and it’s going to be won in 2009. Not 2008, or 2007, or 2006. It’s going to be won or lost by the kids who take the field this year.”

Note: Because of the Thursday game, NU will begin its “game week” schedule on Saturday instead of Monday, conducting its weekly press conference Monday instead of Tuesday. Pelini who said Nebraska’s practice weeks “are always screwed up anyway” thought the weekend start might be “a good thing” because there wouldn’t be any classes cutting into the routine. Both weekend practices are closed to the media.

Pelini also confirmed that senior safety Rickey Thenarse would be "out indefinitely," and clearly for the rest of the season, as Pelini later said NU should have a "pretty good chance of getting that year back." Thenarse played just short of the 30 percent benchmark needed for a medical redshirt. Last year, Barry Turner, Sean Fisher and Cameron Meredith all received medical redshirts.

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Our non-conference report card for the defense:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Best Game: Virginia Tech
Worst Game: Florida Atlantic.

See also: Offensive Report Card

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

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

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

No more Sun Belt.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Five Players We Loved

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

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

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

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

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

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

Four Concerns We Have

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

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

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

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

Three Questions We Still Have

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

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

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

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

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

See also: ULL Fan Photos

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