“Our job is to play our football and celebrate that thing by us playing Nebraska football, and that’s with passion, great effort and executing to our standard.”

-- Bo Pelini, Nebraska Cornhusker's Head Coach.



Read the entire article in "ULL Week: Five Keys" on Huskerlocker.com

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Greg Paulus decided to go home after all.

Weeks after speculation had the former Duke point guard returning to his high school stomping grounds to play one season of quarterback for Syracuse, Paulus officially announced he would indeed be playing for the Orange in 2009.

Paulus will be studying broadcasting at the Newhouse School, considered one of the better broadcasting schools in America.

"Syracuse has a lot of great things about it," Paulus said. "You grow up in a culture and realize there's a lot of great things out there. My gut and my heart were telling that was the best place for me."

Paulus had take a two-day visit to Nebraska nearly two weeks ago, and seemingly had the Cornhuskers as a finalist.

I had a great visit there," Paulus said. "Nebraska is a place where there’s so much tradition. They have great people there. I had a great conversation with Coach Pelini and spent a lot of time with the guys, and Coach Watson. But my heart and my gut told me Syracuse was the best place for me."

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OK, so this one comes way out of left field - former starting Miami quarterback Robert Marve, who was involved in a real mess trying to get out of the Hurricanes' program and transfer to the schools he preferred, has apparently whittled his list down to six finalists - and Nebraska is one of them.

Other finalists: Michigan, Purdue, Texas Tech, South Florida and UCLA. The story mentions Marve has visited Nebraska, as well.

Marve, who started 11 games last year threw for more than 1,200 yards and nine touchdowns, would have to sit out 2010, but would have two years to play after that. Marve presumably flew onto the Husker radar after backup Patrick Witt left the program.

The Tampa, Florida, native redshirted in 2007 - after sustaining injuries in a serious car crash prior to fall camp - then got the starting nod in 2008 before while sharing time with Jacory Harris. Marve was suspended twice for violation of team rules, and chose to leave the program, with he and his parents giving the distinct idea that Marve has been poorly treated by UM coach Randy Shannon.

Shannon certainly seemed to hold a grudge, initially forbidding Marve from transferring to any ACC or SEC school, as well as any program in the state of Florida. Eventually the transfer order was changed to any ACC school, along with Florida, Tennessee and LSU. Shannon had already told Marve that, no matter what, he wasn't starting in 2009, and that Harris would be named the starter in the spring.

Rivals rated him the No. 8 pro-style quarterback coming out of high school in 2008. In his final year of high school play, Marve threw for 4,380 yards and 48 touchdowns. He's identifiable by the glove he wears on his non-throwing hand.

The best game of his short career at UM was against Texas A&M, when he threw for 212 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-23 win.

We'll keep you up to date on this one. It ought to be interesting.

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Nebraska’s HuskerVision is getting an upgrade to HD, and Memorial Stadium will be adding two more video boards for the 2009 season.

The improvement and additions were announced Thursday by Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne.

“Our fans should really enjoy the new features planned for Memorial Stadium,” Osborne said. “We have heard from fans who were concerned about not having a clear view of the replay screens and we have addressed that. The high-definition format will really add to what HuskerVision does.”

The new boards will be the same size - 21 feet x 24 feet - as those currently hung on the columns in South Stadium. They will be placed on the towers in North Stadium, which will put a video board at every corner of the stadium.

The HD upgrade should provide fans with crisper video replays and more readable graphics on the main board in North Stadium. Some college football programs – including Texas and its “Godzillatron” -already had HD video boards. The upgrades will cost $3 million and be partially funded by the contract with NU’s marketing partner, IMG.

Season ticket prices were also set for next year’s seven home games. Not including seat donations, they are:

Season Ticket Total (Average) $378 ($54 per game)
UNL Faculty and Staff (Average) $357 ($51 per game)
UNL Student Ticket Total (Average) $147 ($21 per game)

The $54 per game is a $2 increase from last year. Today's annoucement doesn't necessarily connect the price of the video boards to the ticket increase, however.

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On National Signing Day – Pigskinmas for college football fans – you’ll hear a lot of numbers. Height. Weight. 40-yard dash time. Yards. Tackles. Top 100 this. Top 20 that. Rarely in our lives are so many people reduced to a compilation of numbers, but that’s what football recruiting has become.

They’re important, those numbers, as they generally indicate potential of a team. Not Tennessee, UCLA or Notre Dame, mind you, but most squads.

But as you pore over those player biographies for the next week, trying to figure out which teams play for the BCS title in 2012, do yourself a favor. Skip to the end of those bios, and see which kids have their grade point averages listed. Which kids played more than one sport. Which kids have been involved beyond football – and want fans to know that. Which kids are active in their religion, whatever it may be. Which kids overcame an injury. Which kids are represented by two parents or, if not that, at least some kind of father figure.

Those buried intangibles point the way to leaders who make college football teams. Their absence generally breaks them.

It’s a cliché, but character counts.

Nebraska fans know this because they watched the 2007 team crash and burn under aloof, me-first leadership, while the 2008 team scratched its way to nine wins because of a tight-knit, hard-working bunch of unheralded seniors that began with quarterback Joe Ganz, the career backup who shined in his one full season starting at the position.

Ganz was a decent athlete. He had a decent arm. But his intangibles? His ability to make teammates believe? His terrific relationship with Nate Swift and Todd Peterson, who worked with him for five years to achieve on-field chemistry? That was the stuff of winners.

Nebraska’s coaches have been around long enough to spot leaders when they see them on the recruiting trail. Not every kid will be. Some players really are clay needing to be shaped. More than half of NU’s class, I’d wager, is comprised of such athletes. Others could grow into the role over time.

But a small few possess the leadership look when they step on campus. They have infectious personalities and they instinctively know how, when and why to push their teammates’ buttons.

Too many of those guys, and they just push each other’s buttons. But too few of them, and the coaching staff is left with too much responsibility. And coaches make crappy babysitters.

The best teams are largely self-governed, handling issues of effort and discipline well before it reaches management. Grassroots accountability wins more games than a coach left to be judge, jury and executioner. And, quite often, a leader is better defined by what he doesn’t say than what he does. A leader doesn’t have to be loud, or a raconteur. Just sincere – with the skills to back it up.

It was instructive watching defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh last year. Yes, he played well, and yes, he has considerable physical gifts. But his leadership – as a junior, mind you – was equally impressive.

You’ll recall after NU’s 62-28 loss to Oklahoma, head coach Bo Pelini chose not to make the players available afterward. The following Monday – whether it was by design or not – NU conducted “reserve scrimmage,” dismissing the starters well before practice ended. Most of them left. Not Suh. He went back out and watched the rest of the scrimmage, standing with the coaches. After that, surrounded by 20 reporters, he answered questions about the OU game for nearly a half-hour.

That’s a small thing, but it’s leadership. Suh didn’t have to do any of it. He didn’t have to let teammates call him “Ducky,” after the “Land Before Time” dinosaur character. He didn’t have to return for his senior season for a degree. He didn’t have to soak up the defense last spring, when he sat out with a knee injury. He didn’t have to be one of best lifters on the team in the weight room.

None of it was required for Suh to play well and succeed in the NFL. It was just in his character.

Who in the 2009 class has those qualities? If you really want to know whether the Huskers can compete for a Big 12 and national championship by the end of this decade and beyond, think about it.

Join Husker Locker today -it's free!

See also: Fixing a Broken Recruiting System with Thought, Not Rules

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And in this case...that's pretty darn good!

Nebraska finished fifth on ESPN's all-time football program prestige rankings, which gauged team success, individual success and NFL Draft picks. It wasn't a perfect system, but one that took a few more variables into account.

Oklahoma was No. 1 overall - a fair assessment, in our eyes. You win as many games as OU did from 1950s-1980s, then kickstart the program again in 2000, it's probably deserved.

The Huskers beat Texas, though!

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We all remember how Nebraska running back Qunetin Castille walked into fall camp last year looking mucho fierce, having lost upwards of 30 pounds in James Dobson's offseason program. Here's five guys we're looking forward to Dobson shaping in this offseason:

Defensive ends Josh Williams and Cameron Meredith: If these two young, quick ends can add the right kind of weight and add strength, they may be contenders for serious playing time in 2009. They probably won't start, but they're important backups.

Linebacker Alonzo Whaley: Another ultra-fast dude that just needs a little extra padding to deal with the punishment that goes with college football season.

H-back/Linebacker Kyler Reed: Great frame on this kid. Now it just needs Dobson's touch.

Offensive guard Ricky Henry: He's already a beast. If he gets a step quicker...look out.

See also: Stormin' Norman and Blake Griffin

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When the red velvet curtain closed on Nebraska’s 2008 football season with a 26-21 win in the Gator Bowl, you could almost hear Cornhusker fans collectively gear down into a winter without their favorite passion.

For NU head strength coach James Dobson, though, it was time to slip the key into the ignition.

“It’s very exciting,” Dobson said. “This is what I love to do. This is what our staff loves to do.”

It’s Dobson’s time to mold, sculpt and physically improve Nebraska with an offseason training program designed to equip the Huskers with an aggressive mental approach to lifting while sticking to the “tougher, stronger, faster” mindset that most programs adopt in January, February and the early part of March.

And bigger? Not always, not necessarily. Dobson’s program focuses on lean body mass. Although he didn’t talk about specific goals and exercises for the offseason, his general philosophy is in lockstep with head coach Bo Pelini’s vision for an agile, mobile, physical football team – especially on defense.

“We can always get faster,” Dobson said. “We can always run better. We can always improve our change of direction. We can always improve our conditioning. When you win a game and when you lose a game you always have to see where you’re at in those areas. We definitely have to improve on them – no question.”

The key ingredient is hard work, Dobson said. Of course it is – but most teams work pretty hard, and strength and conditioning has evolved so much in 20 years. Achieving maximum performance is a cottage industry. Athletes search for the tiniest advantages. Exercises are so specific now that strength coaches tie them to certain actions in a game.

Dobson does. Gone are the days when teams have a general lifting/running/exercise routine that included drills for the sake of them.

“We’re not gonna do things just to do them” he said. “That makes absolutely no sense.”

But researching more efficient, effective ways of building a football team is crucial. Dobson at least considers “whatever I can get my hands on.” New medical studies. Trade magazines. Data on the Internet. Often, he said, the best sources are performance experts. He has a handful of them – his mentor and former boss, Iowa coach Chris Doyle, is one of them – he calls. He bounces ideas off of them. What’ll work. What won’t.

Those conversations probably wouldn’t be a cinch for regular fan to follow. Strength coaches, remember, have had to battle through all of those pre-med “weed out” classes in college that your average English major tried like hell to avoid. Dobson, who got his undergrad degree at Wisconsin and his Master’s at Central Michigan, has to be able to take information that mostly interests a scientist and translate it to an athlete who just wants an extra step in man-to-man coverage.

“It’s our job to make the complex simple,” Dobson said. “I’m not saying our guys can’t understand physiology and anatomy. But if we can make it simple, they’re gonna buy into it.”

It helps to have player-leaders, too. When he or his staff isn’t around, Dobson said, it’s a handful of newly-minted seniors who have to serve as watchmen over the rest of the team.

Getting defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh back for his senior was important, Dobson said.

“Talented football player,” Dobson said. “Talented individual.”

Dobson mentioned center Jacob Hickman and safety Larry Asante as guys whom he’s excited to see become leaders in 2009. There will be others, too – including some underclassmen.

“Leaders are just going to weed themselves out,” Dobson said. “People are just gonna naturally follow these guys. People naturally put them on a pedestal.”

***

More tidbits: Dobson is working with a number of Husker graduates as they prepare for the NFL Draft. Although “75-80 percent” of a player’s worth has already been determined through their play. The rest of is tied to performing well on tests the NFL designs to gauge potential performance.

Now it comes down to specific tests. You train for tests, and you’ve got to be very specific to what the NFL wants.

One sport Dobson would love to train athletes for? Hockey. He played it through high school and watched Wisconsin’s squad – which has won six national championships – while he went to school in Madison.

“It’s a contact sport,” he said. “There’s always something going on no matter what. It’s a skill, too. People don’t appreciate how good these guys can skate. It’s action game that’s going on all the time. It’s non-stop. You’ve got to be alert. You gotta be pretty dang athletic on those skates.”

Who will be the next Quentin Castille?

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Ultimately, a loss to Virginia Tech early in the season - and the inability to finish off Texas Tech - probably kept Nebraska from finishing inside the top 25 in the final AP and coaches polls.

NU was 29th the last AP poll and 30th in the coaches poll. The Huskers lost a probably poll ally this year when Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops opted not to participate in the coaches' poll this season. Stoops and NU head coach Bo Pelini were childhood friends.

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Another college football season in the books. Another national title Oklahoma leaves by the side of the road.

That was lovely, wasn’t it? Watching the pride of the Big 12 get beat in the BCS National Championship game 24-14 by Florida, which emerged out of an awful SEC this season? A conference that now, once again, gets to maintain its crown as toughest college football?

Oh well. The Big 12 will always have the regular season of 2008, right?

Most Nebraska fans probably had on their foam schooners Thursday night. Because of Bob Stoops’ childhood friendship with NU’s Bo Pelini, there’s a rooting interest in Lincoln. When you know Pelini had the slightest hand in helping the Sooners prepare for Tim Tebow and the Gators, you hoped they apply his knowledge effectively.

Besides – wouldn’t it have been cool if the defending national champions walked into Memorial Stadium next season, like they did in 2001 and 2006? Guess we’ll have to wait until Texas comes knocking in 2010.

Now that the game’s over though, we can gloat – just a little.

Oklahoma’s loss, in some ways, validates what Nebraska’s doing with its own team - on offense.

Yes, OU’s second-quarter implosion Thursday night should convince you that the best way to win the biggest games against the best defenses is a standard, balanced attack with a huddle. The offense USC runs. The offense Nebraska runs. The offense LSU runs. The offense the best Miami teams used to run. Multiple. Deliberate. Not resembling a fire drill.

With the game tied at 7, the Sooners wasted two prime touchdown opportunities on little more than their own arrogance that the speed with which a play is run is sole determinant of its success. With the best offensive line in the nation, they refused to impose their will, instead choosing to play Jack-In-The-Box with the Gators. Will OU snap it? Won’t they? How many times will Sam Bradford change the play before he settles into –POP GO THE SOONERS!

It was absurd, wasn’t it, watching OU run two consecutive plays from inside UF’s 2-yard line as if offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson had a gun to his head? What is this? Double dutch, or football? Instead of allowing his Heisman Trophy quarterback, Sam Bradford, the chance to gather his team, calm it down and run a simple dive like, oh, most sentient football teams do, here were the Sooners in a proverbial scrum, playing rugby, dialing up a fast version of a Bill Callahan first-down special – stretch play, with all the trimmings.

Even Callahan knew better by his third and fourth year.

Never mind that Chris Brown probably got a weak spot on the third down play, or that Brown, if he hadn’t been in such a hurry to get up and scramble back to his position, probably gave up a half-yard because he failed to stay in place for the correct spot. Never mind that OU’s tight end clearly didn’t know his assignment on the following fourth down, allowing a Gator to waltz into the backfield and stuff Brown for a hefty loss.

Never mind that Oklahoma didn’t learn its lesson. The two-minute drill at the end of the first half was a disaster, as OU routinely took short gains in the middle of the field instead running sideline patterns – like sentient football teams - because, as pea-brained Fox analyst Charles Davis gushed, the Sooners were already so used to running no huddle. Yeah – fat lot a good it did them. Oklahoma toddled down the field, blowing its timeouts, leaving only one shot at the end zone. Bradford inexplicably chose to throw a slant pass short of the end zone, which glanced off his receiver’s shoulder pad and was intercepted by the Gators.

OU’s final offensive play of the game was a sweetheart, too. On fourth down, trailing by ten, Bradford was again abandoned on the field to run without a huddle, which, again, left him selecting a receiver short of the first down marker well before he had to throw. The pass was knocked down, and OU coaches’ screams for pass interference – a call they typically got in the flag-happy Big 12 – were ignored.

That’s the nutty Big 12, where offenses expected, by divine right or something, to be handed touchdowns, and defenses bizarrely complied.

As a Husker fan, it ought to make you mad that an elite team like OU can’t execute its stuff – the Sooners had an incredible hook-and-ladder set up, only receiver Manny Johnson forgot to pitch it to running back Moses Madu – because it’s too much in a hurry to execute it. It ought to make you mad that Oklahoma never had the foresight to pull its giant linemen on toss plays Florida had no hope of slowing down.

Meanwhile, Florida ran its nasty power package in the fourth quarter. Tebow on a draw. Tebow on a sweep. Percy Harvin, twice, on shotgun counter treys that would have made Tom Osborne proud. Tight end Anthony Hernandez, twice, on shotgun shovel passes that T.O. was running back in 1992, against Oklahoma. Almost all of its inside the hashes.

And, love him or hate him – Tebow was brilliant. Tough. Clutch. On UF’s final touchdown drive, he was total control. He knew where to go with the ball and how to get it there. The Gators looked like 11 guys coordinating with a single brain.

It was impressive. Kudos to Florida. And lumps of coal to OU.

Truth is, the Big 12 walked into the bowl season with its chest puffed out and, aside from Nebraska and Kansas, the league underachieved. Missouri’s defense – and Northwestern’s pack-it-in offense – saved the Tigers in the Alamo Bowl. Texas might as well have been Hawaii, the way it played against Ohio State. Texas Tech and Oklahoma State played their usual defense-optional bowl games, and were burned as a result.

The silver lining is that Nebraska, too, looked like it was swimming in mud for a half against Clemson when its coaching staff rescued it developed a workable gameplan and rolled over the Tigers. The silver lining is that offensive coordinator Shawn Watson didn’t try to pretend NU quarterback Joe Ganz was Peyton Manning, able to process reads, bluff and constantly change plays.

You felt for Bradford Thursday. He’s a remarkably accurate quarterback. Savvy, too. Neither of his interceptions were really his fault, and few mistakes he did make were forced upon him by his own coaching staff. Bradford didn’t get the chance to command his huddle, look his linemen in the eyes and say “we’re sticking this thing in.” Tebow, who was admittedly magnificent in the second half, got to do that after every play.

A quarterback needs to be more than just a point guard. He needs to be the paterfamilias. For his sake and the sake of his skill players.

It can’t just be a basketball game. Because, occasionally, a football game breaks out. And a guy like Tebow commands the field like a general, while Bradford was hung out to dry.

It was the Sooners’ title to lose Thursday night, and they did. But Husker fans should gain something from it.

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If you want to really know how much the return of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh means to Nebraska’s football franchise, we take your hand to Exhibit A: A well-written scrapbook-type piece featuring NU’s four senior captains, Joe Ganz, Zach Potter, Ty Steinkuhler and Nate Swift.

It’s a warm, good-hearted retrospective. It also mentions Suh, a junior, a lot.

“If Suh comes back,” Potter said in the article, “anything is possible, even a national championship game in the Fiesta Bowl.”

The ol BCS MNC? Hello! You know what one of those sweet jewels would be worth to the athletic department’s coffers, courtesy of jubilant booster. Probably more than any contract Suh could sign with an NFL team should he declare for its Draft and get plucked in the first round.

Potter’s probably a wee bit off course with that bold proclamation. Even if Suh decides he’s “N!” for one more season, the progression of a new quarterback, not his sole presence, will best determine the Huskers’ 2009 fate.

Several reporters talked to him about his Draft considerations after his spectacular play vs. Kansas, which confirmed, at least to me, that he was as quick and as adept with his hands as any interior defensive linemen in college football. No, Suh isn’t 360 pounds like many of the best 3-4 nose guards, and, no, he wasn’t 6-6-, 325 like Tennessee Titans superstud Albert Haynesworth. But he is big enough, and certainly fast enough, to wreak some serious havoc in a 4-3 scheme, provided he’s not head-up on some beast of a guard.

Anyway, the conversation was interesting. At first, Suh declared, leaning against a wall outside the main press conference room, that would, indeed, return for his senior season. It was a canned answer, but that didn’t stop a couple newspapers from running with it, as incomplete as Suh may have been.

After they left, two of us remained. I specified to Suh: What if you’re a second round pick?

His answer was just as quick: I’m coming back.

Of course he would. But what if you’re a first round guy?

Suh smiled, shook his head, and said he was really just focused on coming back for his senior season. But the subtle difference in his response, you see, was the answer. And it’s the question in front of him now. Is he a second round prospect? Or a first rounder?

See, right now, as of today, I’d guess his projection, however positive, is still a little low. NFL teams don’t know everything yet. Wait until they talk to him for an hour. Wait until he takes the Wonderlic. Wait until they talk to Bo and Carl Pelini about him. Wait until they put him through a workout and see his knees are steady and firm. You could see a team like Philadelphia, a pressure-oriented attack that needs another defensive tackle(and has two picks at the bottom of the first round) taking a long, pre-Draft look.

But all that could only happen if Suh declared. And he has to do it by Jan. 15.

Most Nebraska fans would take his departure like a death of a relative. And on a defense lacking playmakers in the back seven, it’d be a bit of a blow.

But consider: Suh was little more than unfulfilled potential before 2008. Great potential, of course, but unfulfilled. It’s a bit of a miracle that the guy sat out spring ball and got better just by watching Carl Pelini coach – it speaks to Suh’s smarts, frankly – but it does remain true that Carl Pelini transformed the guy from an occasional pain-in-the-rear to a full-time nightmare. Pelini also turned Ty Steinkuhler and Zach Potter in all-conference-level players. Barry Turner got hurt, and Pierre Allen hardly missed a beat.

So don’t presume the tank is completely empty. Jared Crick toiled as a backup in 2008, but he’s a big, sturdy guy. Terrence Moore has an enviable first step. And Baker Steinkuhler, if the practice whispers are accurate, is bound to be a pretty fearsome dude.

None of them, of course, are the whole package Suh became during the last half of this year, when he commanded double teams and beat them anyway. The NFL loves a skill like that. But just how does it love Suh?

That’s the multi-million dollar question, ain’t it?

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Nebraska has ended its season with four consecutive wins, capped off by a doozy of a Gator Bowl victory that featured two comebacks from 11-point deficits.

Now we look at the season as a whole and give it a grade, position group by position group. You can look at all of our individual game report cards here. On with the season report card. Enjoy!

QUARTERBACK: A-

Senior Joe Ganz was the straw who stirred the Huskers’ offensive drink throughout the year. Ganz was a gutsy, smart, savvy leader who made a ton of plays on the run – especially through the first half of the season – but also had a penchant for backbreaking turnovers. His finest hour – at Texas Tech – included one of worst plays – an interception to end the game in an overtime loss. Still, Ganz is one you don’t forget, and one of Nebraska’s ten best quarterbacks ever.

What’s next? A battle between Patrick Witt and Zac Lee for the starting job.

RUNNING BACK: B

You could never figure out this unit. Early in the season, Roy Helu, Jr. looked like the guy. Then Marlon Lucky emerged in games against New Mexico State and Texas Tech. Then Lucky got hurt, and Helu actually became the guy for the last four games of the year. Then Helu got hurt, Lucky was still hurt and sophomore Quentin Castille, who shown flashes of promise and the fumble bumbles during the regular season, has a career game in the Gator Bowl. Tough end to Lucky’s career after a terrific 2007. NU stopped using a regular fullback after the Missouri game – mostly because the guys on hand weren’t good enough lead blockers.

What’s next? Helu needs to stay healthy. Castille needs to keep grinding away. And Nebraska needs to find a way to get Marcus Mendoza on the field. A decent blocking fullback would help, too. Also, watch for this name: Austin Jones. He made the team under Bill Callahan’s old walk-on tryout program.

TIGHT ENDS: B-

Great pass-catching season for this unit, especially sophomore Mike McNeill. The blocking needs work, though, if the Huskers are to run the big power sets offensive coordinator Shawn Watson prefers (and, in our estimation, will need breaking in a new quarterback in 2009). Position coach Ron Brown is an all-effort kind of guy, so the Huskers will keep grinding away.

What’s next? McNeill and sophomore Dreu Young have to get a little scrappier. Redshirt freshman Ben Cotton should make an impact in blocking and catching. Redshirt Kyler Reed is an intriguing H-Back prospect. Let’s see how Watson uses him.

OFFENSIVE LINE: B

Up-and-down season mirrored perfectly by the Gator Bowl. On this unit’s best days – vs. Texas Tech and Kansas State – it bulldozed and ballet danced with equal proficiency. But it seemed overwhelmed (confused?) by superior defensive lines. Position coach Barney Cotton had to employ some “unlearn” methods, and Watson had to simplify some of the running schemes. Still – the potential is there for a great line. The cupboard is fully stocked.

What’s next? Marcel Jones probably gets the nod at right tackle, while Ricky Henry steps in to the right guard. Let’s see if Henry’s reputation as a headbanger is well-earned. Another name to remember: Brandon Thompson, a redshirt freshman tackle. Expect a lot of competition in the spring.

WIDE RECEIVERS: A-

Pretty hard to quarrel with their production, isn’t it? A lot of clutch grabs, few drops, great routes and solid downfield blocking. It’s not the flashiest unit – there’s no Dez Bryant or Dez Briscoe – but Nate Swift, Todd Peterson, Meno Holt and Niles Paul made defenses put in an honest day’s work. Position coach Ted Gilmore needed a year like this after struggling to get through to Mo Purify.

What’s next? A bit of worry, frankly. Holt and Paul were fine as No. 3 and No. 4 receivers. Now that they’re No. 1 and No. 2, will they lead like Swift and Peterson did? Can redshirt guys like Khiry Cooper and Tim Marlowe provide a home run threat?

DEFENSIVE LINE: A+

It doesn’t get any better for the Huskers than this front four, and the backups - Clayton Sievers, Shukree Barfield – were good enough to earn Blackshirts, too. You know em, you love em. What a surprising, inspiring group this turned out to be. The best since 1998, when Chad Kelsay, Mike Rucker, Steve Warren and Jason Wiltz ruled the roost.

What’s next? The return of Barry Turner, the unveiling of Baker Steinkuhler and Ndamukong Suh’s big NFL decision. Terrence Moore and Jared Crick are solid interior guys, too.

LINEBACKERS: C

Some rough breaks for Mike Ekeler’s bunch. An injury to Phillip Dillard midway through the season and Cody Glenn’s permanent suspension after the Kansas game threw off the rhythm. Tyler Wortman, Colton Koehler and Blake Lawrence capably filled the void most of the time, as did small-but-feisty walk-ons Matt Holt and Matt May. There were some coverage errors, to be sure. This unit – healthy or not – must improve before the 2009 season.

What’s next? However Dillard felt about the last half of the year - when he missed the Oklahoma game and didn’t play in the Gator Bowl despite being healthy enough to do so – he has to take this defense by the ears and own it. Lawrence, too. Redshirt guys like Sean Fisher, Will Compton and Alonzo Whaley have raw talent to burn.

CORNERBACKS/NICKEL BACKS: B-

A bit of an adventure this year, but Armando Murillo and Anthony West held up OK. A lot of the season’s biggest plays weren’t their fault, actually. West took a few more chances, Murillo was the better blanket. And nickel back Eric Hagg was the wild card, doing great things – and some bonehead stuff – during the year. Prince Amukamara was in and out of the starting lineup and Lance Thorrell was in the mix during nickel and dime downs.

What’s next? You hope Anthony Blue comes back from a devastating knee injury, but we’ll see. In the meantime, West and Amukamara are the guys. Both are good athletes, and both have decent size. Hagg, whom Pelini likes to use as a blitzer, has two more years. Alfonso Dennard, special teams dynamo in 2008, will get his shot. We’ve heard good things about Courtney Osborne and John Levorsen, too. Both seem to fit that Hagg mold.

SAFETY: C+

Much is asked of this position in the Pelini defense. And sometimes, Larry Asante, Rickey Thenarse and Matt O’Hanlon were up to it. Sometimes they weren’t. It’s debatable whether any of them, or Major Culbert, are the kind of coverage studs Pelini enjoyed in his first stint at Nebraska and at stints in Oklahoma and LSU. All three are decent in run support, though. Asante’s the closest to the Pelini standard. Can he get there in the offseason?

What’s next? All of the four above names are seniors next year, which means somebody better develop below them on the depth chart. Don’t be surprised if Pelini burns some redshirts next fall.

SPECIAL TEAMS RETURN/COVERAGE: C

Nebraska needs work here. The kickoff coverage units were often average – and occasionally bad. Punt coverage was fair, but punter Dan Titchener rarely uncorked a big one. Adi Kunalic booted his share of touchbacks on kickoffs, but struggled to kick anything other than a line drive. On returns, meanwhile, NU had some flashes from Nate Swift and Niles Paul, but both fumbled at inopportune times in the Kansas and Clemson games. Fortunately, neither cost the Huskers the game.

What’s next? Fixing some of Paul’s struggles on kickoff and punt returns, learning how to cover kickoffs better.

KICKERS: B

Alex Henery gets an A. Awesome season, the greatest field goal in school history, clutch makes in the Kansas and Clemson games. Titchener and Kunalic get a C.

What’s next? A new punter, as Titchener graduates. Will it be Henery or walk-on Brett Maher? As for field goals, Nebraska has one of the nation’s best – and maybe the very best – for two more years. Henery has more than big leg – he actually knows how to kick field goals. It’s kinda cool to watch.

COACHING: GAME PREPARATION/PLAYER DEVELOPMENT: A GAME MANAGEMENT: B

We created two categories to reflect what Nebraska coaches are doing in practice, and how they’re working the sidelines during the game. By all accounts, Bo Pelini and his crew are terrific in practices. Players are learning, finding their inner warrior and bonding in ways they never did in the Bill Callahan OR Frank Solich eras. Pelini’s a natural, and he compiled a staff full of naturals: Watson, brother Carl Pelini, Ekeler, Cotton, etc. They pull no punches, and kids need that – hell, they want that.

On gameday, Pelini got better as the year progressed. The sideline antics were a bit much, and he scaled them back. Watson’s gameplan was too diverse, and he simplified it. Did Pelini burn too many timeouts on defensive calls? Yes. Did he get a little cute with that fake field goal vs. Colorado? Yes. Could he have demanded Watson put somebody on the field other than Nate Swift who could legitimately spread the field? Yes. But, overall, the guy went with his gut, trusted his team – what a novel idea, Bill Callahan! – and reaped the rewards.

What’s next? Now we see how Pelini handles an offseason where he doesn’t have to change the culture. The culture is in place. Now it’s time to refine principles and manage one difficult decision: Nebraska’s next quarterback. Will Pelini let Watson make that call, or will he impose some limits on Watson’s autonomy?

We’ll get into this more in the spring, but the quarterback dilemma has felled many a good coach. Steve Spurrier freely rotated his two guys, and the Gamecocks fell flat on their face for the last three games because of it. LSU fiddled around with it all year and lost five games. Miami turned its QB race into a holy mess that has one guy transferring and crying foul. It derailed what many believed to be Ohio State’s best team in 2004.

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Wanted to draw your attention a terrific recent take from Husker Locker's resident philosopher, Descartes, on Nebraska's first season under Bo Pelini.

Originally written in a forum you're more than welcome to read it there, but we've also reposted it for you to enjoy below:

I don't know what lies in store for the rest of Bo Pelini's tenure. I don't know whether he'll lead Nebraska back to greatness or not. But at the very least he gave us one heck of an entertaining season.

Seriously, I don't know if I've had this much fun following Nebraska football since TO had the reins to the program.

Granted, some of it was due to low expectations. In my wildest dreams, I didn't think Nebraska could win nine games this season*. But save for a few bumps along the road, Bo kept surprising us with better than expected performances all year long.

A lot of it was due to our gutsy quarterback. Yes, he did have Brett Favre's panache for mistakes at bad times, but he also had Favre's incredible leadership and ability to make something from nothing. And most of all his sheer competitiveness. He was actually better on third down. He was better when Nebraska was losing. He was better with the pressure turned up. That is really rare. It was clear that the Clemson QB, while highly competent, ultimately did not have it. That was the difference in the game, I think.

Also watching the Dline develop. There was a lot of athletic ability on that line (especially Suh!), but I feel like their dominance in the latter part of the season was more than that. It was chemistry, I guess, or just this vibe that developed, a feeling that they could do something incredible on any given play. And a lot of times they did.

Some of it was the entertaining games. I mean, Virginia Tech, Texas Tech, Baylor (to a certain extent), Colorado, and now Clemson. All really fun games with lots of exciting plays and close finishes. You don't get that every year.

But mostly it comes back to Bo. His no-nonsense, tough but funloving approach was the perfect fit for this program. And his competitiveness was, perhaps, greater than Ganz's. I felt like there was just no way he was letting this team slip into a losing season. There was no way he'd let his team play two bad halves in a row. If this guy was given the keys to talent like USC or OU, he'd go undefeated without a doubt. He would just not let them lose.

Let's hope he eventually does get talent like that!

*Actually, this is a lie. In my wildest dreams, Nebraka went undefeated, won every game by 5 TDs, and joined the NFL just so we'd have a challenge.

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It'll be the biggest college football game in Laramie since, well, ever.


Nebraska's football team already agreed to road games at Fresno State and Southern Mississippi. Now, the Huskers will travel to Wyoming in 2011. NU will also host the Cowboys in 2013 and 2016.


"We are excited to add Wyoming to our future non-conference schedule,” Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne said. “We want to make a strong effort to put together quality non-conference schedules each year, and I think we are continuing to make progress in that area.”


The Huskers now have Wyoming, Fresno State and Washington on the non-conference schedule for 2011. Wyoming's War Memorial Stadium holds 33,500 and is the highest football stadium in America at more than 7,000 feet.

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Nebraska's eventual Gator Bowl opponent - when it is officially announced - should be Clemson, Gator Bowl sources told the Jacksonville Times-Union.



The Tigers (7-5) are going through a transition similar to what Nebraska experienced in 2007, forcing Tommy Bowden to resign halfway through the season, and hiring a 39-year-old assistant, Dabo Swinney, after the Tigers went 4-2 in his interim period.



CU was ranked in the preseason top ten of both the coaches and media polls, but was badly blown out by No. 1 Alabama in their opening game 34-10. Bowden stepped down after a loss to Wake Forest. Swinney took over and led Clemson to a 4-2 finish, including a 27-21 win over Boston College and a 31-14 victory over rival South Carolina. Swinney, who played receiver on Alabama's 1992 national championship team, was named full-time coach on Monday and given a five-year contract.


Like NU, Clemson won its last three games of the season. The Tigers enjoy fervent fan support, which was the likely determining factor in selecting CU over Florida State, which beat Clemson 41-27 during the season, but traveled poorly to Jacksonville earlier this year for a 39-21, neutral-site victory over Colorado. A number of Clemson fan sites have been emailing the Gator Bowl over the last three days, lobbying for a bid.


The Gator Bowl's Web site officially says the announcement will come Wednesday to announce both teams. Nebraska has been in the GBA's sights for weeks.



Statistically, the strength of the Tigers is their defense, ranked 16th nationally in total defense and ninth in scoring defense. Some of that ranking is because of weak offenses in the ACC - there are seven ACC defenses ranked in the national top 25 of total defense - but the Tigers do a good job of playing a bend-but-don't-break defense. Safety Michael Hamlin leads the way with 102 tackles and six interceptions. However, defensive coordinator Vic Koenning will not return in the new Dabo administration, he was fired by Swinney on Tuesday.



On offense, Clemson is led by running backs James Davis and C.J. Spiller, nicknamed "Thunder and Lightning." Spiller is especially dangerous, accumulating 1588 all-purpose yards, including 546 on kickoff and punt returns.




Quarterback Cullen Harper threw for 2,395 yards and 11 touchdowns this year. Bowden benched Harper midway through the season for backup Willy Korn, a move believed by some to be the last straw in Bowden's tenure. Swinney, upon taking the job, reinstated Harper as the QB.



Like Nebraska, the Tigers have struggled with turnovers, committing 27 this season. CU has fumbled 26 times, losing 13 of them. Unlike NU, Clemson has caused its share of turnovers, with 25. The Huskers have only forced 15.


We'll have more as it comes in.

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Above: Photo courtesy of Huskers.com)




The Rivals.com national Web site is reporting that Nebraska receivers coach Ted Gilmore will interview for the Wyoming job on Tuesday. Gilmore played football at Wyoming in 1988-89 and coached there as well.



Gilmore is currently NU's recruiting coordinator and assistant head coach. Nebraska's receivers have performed quite well in 2008, blocking and catching the ball with consistency.



Wyoming fired Lincoln native Joe Glenn after six seasons, even though the Cowboys recently beat Tennessee and upset Virginia last year. Wyoming generally struggled to win in the Mountain West Conference, where it competes against larger, more well-funded schools like Utah, BYU, TCU and

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Even as key positions in his defense struggle with injuries, Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini Monday said he wouldn’t burn the redshirts of any additional freshmen – and possibly true sophomore linebacker LaTravis Washington - to patch over those gaps.



NU (3-3) did not use starting linebackers Phillip Dillard and Cody Glenn in Saturday’s 37-31 loss to Texas Tech, and has been missing junior safety Rickey Thenarse for all or most of four games. Still, Pelini said, removing redshirt status from players like middle linebacker Will Compton halfway through the season would be unfair to them.



“I was thinking long term in that because I didn’t think it was the right thing to burn their shirts right now,” Pelini said on Monday’s Big 12 coaches teleconference. “That’s about enough said. That’s in depth enough. For us right now, we’ll get some guys back when they’re ready and they’re healthy.”



Glenn and Dillard did return to practice Monday, Pelini said, but are “day-to-day” for the rest of this week as the Cornhuskers prepare for a second straight road game at 2-4 Iowa State. Thenarse practiced as well, but has been battling a variety of injuries since the first game vs. Western Michigan.



In Glenn and Dillard’s place, NU largely used a dime package, sticking true freshman walk-on Matt Holt in the middle linebacker slot. Holt finished with eight tackles. Pelini called his play “pretty good.”



“Matt’s a guy who’s very confident, he’s athletic,” Pelini said. “He’s not the biggest guy in the world, but he’s tough, he has an understanding of the game. We just felt he was the right guy for us with all the injuries.”



Notes: Pelini also confirmed that true freshman Sean Fisher will seek a medical redshirt after suffering two injuries, including one to his shoulder…the punting job between Dan Titchener and Jake Wesch remains open…NU secondary coach Marvin Sanders told several news outlets that he mostly held Major Culbert and Prince Amukamara out of Saturday’s game against Tech because they had not picked up the scheme to his liking during the week.

Check out our take on the Texas Tech game! And help us build this terrific community by joining and writing your own blogs!

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Note: This is a re-post from our blog Heavy Soul. Go HERE to see it there...

A new segment for Heavy Soul to look forward to: The Nebraska Football Show Recap.

You won't get one this week--sorry, but we're busy catching up from the long weekend--but this probably needs to happen. We watched this week's episode, and it was pretty awesome. Coach Pelini looks like having to go over film from the weekend's games is possibly the worst thing that he could be a part of.

That's not to say it's not good, nor does that say he does a bad job. Quite the contrary. It's entertaining for several reasons:

-Refreshing honesty. There are SEVERAL instances where someone on the defense misses an assignment, and Coach Pelini quickly acknowledges the mistake, followed by a "that said, I take a lot of blame on that. I need to communicate better with these guys, and it's something that we'll work on this week." (Not a direct quote, but it is along those lines.) Pretty great stuff, and a stark difference of Coach "Throw the players under the bus" Callahan.

-Grumpiness. If you watch it, take special note of Coach Pelini before each commercial break. He is literally doing everything he can not to get up and walk off the set. In fairness, "grumpiness" probably is the wrong word. In fact, we're quite sure he's probably just not used to it. It's just funny to watch him start to stand up the second the film is done from each of the four quarters, then physically restrain himself from doing so. Also funny: him looking off set, waiting for ANYBODY to give him the OK to get the hell out of there.

-Grumpiness (for real). Apparently the Coachspeak goes out the window when he disagrees with a call. In fact, he flat-out will say when the official made a bad call, or "not how I would call it." Awesome. (Also file under "Refreshing honesty.")

-Plain polos. Remember last year when Coach "I'm officially done being the coach here, even if there's still a few weeks of the season" Callahan wore the plain clothes to press conferences, and people freaked out about it? The media would actually ask him questions about it? Well, apparently Pelini found the only thing outside Shawn Watson and Ted Gillmore to keep from the Callahan era: wearing whatever the hell clothes he wants. The only difference: no one has the balls to call him on it.

Anyway, it is yet another great change from the past 4 years. We'll recap these in far more thorough fashion starting next week.

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*Note: Thought we would put up Heavy Soul's interview with Tom Shatel from last week for those who hadn't seen it yet...

With the Huskers' season opener this Saturday, we wanted to step up our output and content here on the ol' Heavy Soul. To go along with The Tunnel Walk, MIB has gone to town with his "Reasons to get excited/be worried" pieces, along with the mascots and punters--and it is evident that people out there appreciate the efforts.

Another way we wanted to enhance the content was kind of a random thought that we had--we thought it would be cool if we interviewed someone that was somehow involved with sports in The Good Life, particularly Nebraska Football. Naturally, the first person we thought of was Tom Osborne. Unfortunately, he was not available.

However, the second person we had in mind not only was available, but provided us with such a great interview that we had to split it into two parts (the second running tomorrow).

Tom Shatel, the lead sports columnist for the Omaha World-Herald (and author: you can buy his book Red Zone: The Greatest Victories in the History of Nebraska Football here), has been observing and offering unique insight of Nebraska sports since 1991. Originally hailing from San Diego, Shatel attended Missouri and has worked with the Dallas Morning News, the St. Louis Sun, and the Kansas City Star.

Shatel's columns have become a "must-read" Sundays after Husker games (especially last year), and holds the extremely high honor of being labeled as Heavy Soul's "Favorite Sports Columnist."

Tom was gracious enough to take on over 30 questions as posed by contributors of Heavy Soul, and answered ALL of them. Today's topics will cover questions involving Nebraska Football past and other sports topics. Tomorrow will focus on the 2008 Football Huskers, as well as questions pertaining personally to Shatel. So without further ado, let's get on with the interview.

Heavy Soul: From the standpoint of you being a member of the media, what are some of the initial differences you see in covering the Huskers (i.e., the Pederson/Callahan regime vs. Osborne/Pelini)? Any big differences for you personally?

Tom Shatel: It's more genuine, open, honest. You don't feel like there's an agenda. Callahan really didn't have time for small talk, although he and I had a good relationship. There just wasn't much conversation and Bill could be hard to find. Bo is your next door neighbor. You feel like you could invite him over to the driveway for a beer and talk about how the kids are doing in soccer.

HS: When you walk around the Athletic Department offices at NU, do you see any tangible differences since Tom Osborne came back around?

TS: I didn't walk around the offices much before and I don't now. When I've been up there, people are happier, smiling, looser. So, to answer your question, it's night and day.

HS: When Steve Pederson was hired, did you ever hear things "off the record" that would have led you to believe he was arrogant as he turned out to be? On the other hand, do you think that he just had a personality that came off as arrogant, but in reality he was a decent guy (we're trying to leave you an out here, if you can't tell)?

TS: Nobody had a clue this was coming. Nobody. We were all geniuses who thought it was a brilliant hire because of the Nebraska ties. Nobody knew SP had changed, somewhere since leaving Nebraska, and was trying to change the image of the program.

Heard a good story once, from someone close to SP, someone in the department. He said that Pederson grew up in North Platte with a small town Nebraska chip on his shoulder. Didn't like the hard work Nebraska image, the farms, the corn, all the way down to the walk-on program. This person said Steve had stars in his eyes, thought Nebraska should be big time and more like California or New York. That made a lot of sense to me, after the way things went.

(Editor's Note: We have heard the same thing, and it breaks our little North Platte hearts.)

HS: Is there anything more to the story of the now-infamous Frank Solich decision to start Bobby Newcombe over Eric Crouch? We all know that Crouch went back home, and Solich essentially recruited him back to NU. Anything else left out of that story?

TS: Eric basically grew up without a dad. Millard North coach Fred Petito became like a father to him, that male figure he could talk to. I think when Eric thought he should be starting over Bobby, he snapped, went for a drive and found the person who he could open up to. That was Coach Petito. I think it may have crossed his mind to leave. I think it was more he just needed some time to get away and figure it out. Eric would be the first to admit he's made some mistakes, grown up, would do some things different. I don't think it was more than the scenario I described, I really don't.

HS: What do you think is the most controversial event that has taken place during your time covering Nebraska sports?

TS: Lawrence Phillips and nothing else is close. That divided Husker Nation more than anything that has happened in my 17 years here.

HS: What do you think is the best quality of the Husker Fan? Worst?

TS: Passion. That stadium will never be empty. If someone doesn't win, he'll be fired. That's a fire that never, ever goes out.

HS: How likely do you think it is that Nebraska will get a basketball practice facility? And how likely do you think it is that Lincoln will build an arena in the Haymarket?

TS: There will be a basketball facility but it will wait until after the city of Lincoln figures out if it's going to build a new arena, which will come up next spring. I have no idea on the likelihood of the arena passing. I would guess it's pretty good because of the overall entertainment value and, like Omaha with the Civic, the options available are old. We'll see.

HS: Here's a tough one, and one we know that you've discussed from time to time in your column, but here it goes: Do you really think it is OK for people who wear their Scarlet and Cream during the fall to switch over to that ridiculous royal blue in the winter? Most of the contributors here are from North Platte, and none of us understand this phenomenon. We feel that you pick your team, and you stick with your team. Obviously, there are many people in Omaha that do not. Do you think it is because Creighton games have become an event being in the Qwest Center? Or is it legitimate?

TS: I don't care if they switch over, and I understand why it happens, but don't tell me it's a real rivalry. You wouldn't see anyone in Alabama who is a Bama football fan and an Auburn basketball fan. My feeling is, there are 8-10,000 Creighton hardcores, win or lose. Once Doc Sadler gets it going, and going good, a lot of that blue will turn back into red.

HS: More basketball: How much fun is it to interact with Doc Sadler?

TS: Sinfully good. It's like working with a family member. Too easy. Don't tell my boss.

HS: Follow-up: who is the funniest person you've ever covered?

TS: I can't think of a lot of comics but I would probably say Johnny Orr or Billy Tubbs when I was covering Big Eight hoops in KC. They would literally say something funny every interview.

HS: Do you think Omaha could support an NBA team?

TS: No. Season tickets at $60 each, $10 parking, $10 beers, you name it. We're too cheap. And we're a college/big event town.

(Ed. Note: He's right, dammit. I'd give anything for that not to be the case, though.)

HS: 1997 Cornhuskers vs. 1997 Wolverines: Who wins?

TS: I think it's a very good game, closer than either side wants to admit. My tiebreaker, as a bitter Charger fan, has always been this: Nebraska beat the heck out of Peyton Manning and the 1998 national champion Vols; Michigan barely beat Ryan "Cryin''' Leaf. End of story.

HS: Designated hitter vs. having the pitcher bat?

TS: I'm a National League guy.

HS: Do you like the Cubs' chances to win it all this year?

TS: No. Like my friend Chicago Bob says, talk to me after the last out of the World Series. There is something different about this Cubs team, though. I won't try to explain.

HS: Who is the greatest athlete of the past 25 years: Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods?

TS: MJ but only because Tiger's body of work isn't near done.

HS: Who would win in a drink-off: Coach Devaney or Coach Pelini?

TS: Devaney, by 10 shots and a pitcher.

As promised, today we will be posting the second part of Tom Shatel's interview with Heavy Soul. As we mentioned yesterday, Part II will get into some talk about the 2008 Husker season, and some more personal questions for Tom.

Part I clearly generated a lot of interest--thanks to Matt Perrault on "The Big Show" on Big Sports 590 AM, Huskerpedia, and several message boards for the readership.

Let's start the show...

Heavy Soul: We saw on Joe Posnanski's blog--he's a Heavy Soul favorite--that you left a comment of congratulations for him on the recent news that he's being picked up by SI.com. Is Joe a personal friend or someone you've gotten to know by way of geography and the industry? And would you consider him one of the best baseball writers in the country as we do?

Tom Shatel: I grew up in KC and worked for the Star for 10 years after I got out of Mizzou. The Star is near and dear to my heart. I actually looked into the job when Joe was hired in 1996. They made a very good hire. I didn't know him then. But when he was hired I made it a point to introduce myself, explain my background and offer any help or advice about KC. I did the same with Jason Whitlock when he was hired in 1994. Joe and I hit it off, we see each other at events, occasional Nebraska-MU/KU/KSU game and we keep threatening to get our families together, but it's hard. I admire his blog. That's a pure love for writing, plain and simple, because he's got kids to raise and a wife to see, too. In this day and age of blog hit men, it's nice to see pure writing has a place as well.

HS: It's fairly well-documented that you are a Mizzou alum. That said, do you consider yourself--at this point in your life--a Nebraskan?

TS: I do. Funny, but I lived in KC from 1970 to 1989 and I'm approaching that number of years here (1991-2008). I did not come to Omaha planning to stay. I thought I would hang out a few years, bang out a few columns, make a name for myself and skidaddle. But I fell in love with everything: Omaha and its old-school values, traditions, corner bars, friendliness, etc. Small town Nebraska. I love driving around Nebraska. When I was single, I would look for stories in the small towns during the summer and I loved just stopping to eat or have a drink in a random town. I just love the rustic feel of small town Nebraska. It's absolutely priceless. And don't even get me started on the Sand Hills. The dateline out there should be God's Country, USA. My wife is from Valley, her family from Alliance. One of my favorite things to do is to drive to Alliance, taking the highways through Wahoo and St. Paul and Broken Bow (old hotel diner, I think it's the Arrow, is a classic) and onto rancher country. My wife's uncle and aunt have a farm. We go to the farm, grill a steak, drink at the Legion club. Simply awesome. My favorite story came a couple years ago, when we had finished dinner, another 20-once t-bone with all the trimmings, and for some reason Chimney Rock came up. I said I had no idea what that was. Uncle Larry popped up off the couch and said, "Well, let's go.'' Apparently it was an hour south of there. We got in his car and he started driving down a dirt road, then a gravel road, then he turned left, then right, then left, and kept turning and kicking up gravel and rocks for almost an hour, without one road sign or direction, until finally he said, "There it is,'' And sure enough, there it was, Chimney Rock. That drive was the most amazing thing I've been through in my life. After that drive, yes, I felt like a Nebraskan.

HS: A couple of Omaha-specific questions: What's your favorite restaurant in town? Favorite bar?

TS:I've had two lives here. When I was single, it was M's Pub or Jam's. Now that I'm married, we like Millard Road House. We go there every Sunday after church. We have our own booth. The waitresses play with the kids while we eat. I also like Hector's, a Mexican joint with a baja flavor that takes me back to San Diego, where I grew up as a kid and still retreat to every summer. It doesn't hurt that Hector has pictures of my San Diego Chargers on the wall. Killer margaritas and enchiladas. Hector, who is from San Diego, is usually hanging out at the bar and eager to tell you how bad Norv Turner is.

(Ed. Note: Get the #19 at Hector's with shredded chicken. Trust us.)

My taste in bars has changed, too. When I was single, it was anywhere in the Old Market. I met my wife at Pauli's, the CWS and Cubs bar in midtown. I"ll always have a sentimental place for Pauli's. But it's too far to drive. I had a DWI six years [ago], the night my first daughter was born. I figured it was God's way of saying, slow down, now. You're a dad. Act like one. These days, my bar is my front porch after the kids are in bed. Once in a while, I'll sneak out to Tanner's (my favorite sports neighborhood bar in KC) or Caddy Shack, a couple of great neighborhood joints where everyone knows your name and it's a quick drive home.

HS: Where is your favorite place to travel for work (of the places you go on a semi-regular basis)? What was your favorite travel assignment of your career?

TS: I like all of the old Big Eight towns, because I have so many great memories there. St. Louis for Valley hoops is a new favorite. KC for Big 12 hoops. And my sleeper favorite, maybe all-time favorite, is Oklahoma City for Big Eight/12 baseball. That's a wonderful event that nobody knows about. Lot of great memories in OKC in the spring, none of which I willl share because I'm certain this is a family web site.

HS: Indeed it is. You seem to be the only sports writer left that does not seem entirely jaded by being a sports writer. In fact, you seem like you're still legitmately a fan. Do you write with that intentionally in your head? Or do you still watch and follow sports the same way you did when you first discovered how much you liked them?

TS: It's funny. I never get to sit in the stands and be a fan, wear the colors, tailgate, cheer during a game, etc. But, yes, I consider myself a fan of sports and the games and people. And I would say this: I have changed the way I cover and view the games in recent years. I used to get all caught up in winning, losing, fire the coach, he's a bum, etc. Now, I find myself more into the experience of a college football game and a college football season, savoring the relationships and the people, the players, the stories, the color, etc. Why do we always have to fire the coach? Today's world is so mean and reactionary. I say we miss a lot of stories falling into that trap. Sometime you just have to get to Jack Trice Field or Folsom Field early, climb up to the top row, sit back, put your feet up and look down onto the empty field, hours before a game, and try and imagine all the history, all the times you've been there before, the games you've seen, the people you've met. I do that on every road trip now. It's my way of stopping to smell the roses.

HS: Along those lines, who is your favorite writer--sports or otherwise?

TS: Jim Murray, Dave Kindred, Mark Whicker, Joe Pos, Mark Kiszla, Edwin Pope, Bill Lyon and John Schulian. Murray was my all-time favorite. Out of sports, that's easy. Mike Royko, the greatest columnist ever. These days, I read Leonard Pitts of the Miami Herald.

HS: Favorite sportscaster?

TS: Vin Scully with Keith Jackson a very, very close second.

HS: ESPN: Good or evil?

TS: Good. Look behind the hype and gaudiness and they still put out a lot of information and they are one of the few media groups left who do serious investigative work.

HS: Last season was obviously a tumultuous one. However, the story never really changed: the defense was terrible, there was seemingly little-to-no passion with the players, and the coaching staff seemed oblivious to everything. That said, how hard was it for you to do your columns every week? In other words, was it difficult coming up with a different "angle" for columns when in reality it was essentially the same story week to week?

TS: The hardest part was finding something new to say. But, with the Pederson firing happening in October, and a new low on the field every other week, it truthfully wasn't that hard.

HS: As a kind of follow-up to that question, is your job easier or more challenging when the team you are covering is bad? Good? Historically bad? Average?

TS: I used to think it was easier, or more fun, when it was bad. But 10 years of MU, KU and K-State football, in the 80's, changed my mind. So did covering Nebraska in the 90's. It's more fun when your team is on national TV, the national media is always around and you're covering big, meaningful end-of-the-world games.

HS: Moving on to the upcoming Husker season...What are Coach Bo Pelini's practices like? What's the intensity level like?

TS: Don't know. We're not allowed to watch. I hear there's some hitting going on.

HS: Who are your players to watch? Freshmen to watch?

TS: I think any of the running backs will be fun to watch, just to see if any of them emerge as a big-time threat with more emphasis. As for freshmen, I want to watch Will Compton. My feeling is Pelini will play freshmen if they can play, and this is a linebacker with terrific skills and instincts. If he can play his first year, that's a good sign for the future.


HS: Who, besides Ganz, do you think that NU simply cannot afford to lose this season?

TS: Matt Slauson, Phillip Dillard or one of the safeties.

HS: We're pretty sure we know the answer to this from reading your columns, but what letter grade would you give Tom Osborne, the Athletic Director?

TS: I give him a B-plus for handling this thing with class and dignity and bringing back a lot of the old way. The overall grade is still incomplete--it's tied to the performance of his head coach.

HS: Do you see anything happening this season that is really going to surprise Husker fans?

TS: I don't think the defense will be anywhere near what people think. There's no magic wand. And the talent isn't near as good as it was when Pelini was around in 2003. There will be some busts, some bad plays. Pelini won't be perfect this year.

There you have it. Once again, on the behalf of everyone that contributes to Heavy Soul, a HUGE thanks goes out to Tom Shatel. We were thrilled that he even e-mailed us back, let alone took so much time to answer an obnoxious amount of questions.

Hopefully we will have more interviews like this one down the road with other local media personalities.

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