What's the California hometown of Nebraska running back Roy Helu?

A. Sacramento
B. Los Angeles
C. San Diego
D. Bakersfield
E. Bay Area

The answer is E, the Bay Area.

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In the summer and fall, Husker Locker created its “50 Huskers to Know” list for the 2009 season. We now review our list by examining production, injuries and depth chart position.
We’ll present these in five-player increments. Here we go!

No. 5 Keith Williams: Poised for a breakout year, Williams tore his pectoral muscle in fall camp. He played through excruciating pain anyway, and had his moments. In 2010, provided he’s healthy, look for him to be an all-conference pick. He’s still Nebraska’s best.

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

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

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

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

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

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Shotgun to stay? Whether we or you or any Husker fans prefers an under center power game is immaterial to what offensive coordinator Shawn Watson’s players can actually execute. And the Huskers look better in a shotgun spread offense. They just do. It suits the quarterbacks, the running backs, the offensive line, the receivers and the Wildcat formation.

How long does it take Zac Lee to recover - and is recovery successful? Funny that Nebraska fans would pin a potential national title run on the health of No. 5, but, after seeing Cody Green’s wobbly work in the Holiday Bowl, so be it. Lee is unquestionably the No. 1 guy going into spring practice - and he still isn’t very good. So not only does he have to rehab after surgery on his right torn flexor tendon, he has to find a way to improve without throwing the ball - possibly through all of spring camp.

Can Cody Green capitalize on Lee’s absence to develop for 2010 and beyond? We can’t ignore his struggles during the last half of the season - but we also can’t take too much from them, either. Green hasn’t been allowed to grow into a starter - too much attention for a handful for a good plays, too short of a leash for a handful of bad ones - and he should make “the leap” in the spring. Well, he’d better, anyway.

Whither Kody Spano? The things Spano reportedly did best - throwing those skinny slants and posts, and hanging in the pocket when bullets started flying - are attributes Watson appreciates most. Can he come back from two ACL tears? Can he trust his knee enough to make plays. It’s rare - but possible.

Is there a No. 2 receiver in the building? Some Husker - Brandon Kinnie, Khiry Cooper, Antonio Bell, Curenski Gilleylen - has to take the heat off of Niles Paul. And receivers coach Ted Gilmore has to stop sampling every guy on the roster for the role. Find two or three complimentary receivers, stick with them, and develop chemistry with Lee - when he returns - Green and whoever else tries out at QB.

How much can the redshirt freshmen - plus Jermarcus Hardrick - push the vets on he offensive line? Hardrick will push Marcel and D.J. Jones at right tackle - and potentially win the job. As for the redshirt freshmen, we’re talking about Brent Qvale (guard), Jeremiah Sirles (tackle), Jesse Coffey (guard) and Nick Ash(guard/center). At the very least, Qvale (huge, and nimble) and Sirles (looks the part) were slated for the two-deep before injuries tilted the risk/reward scale against burning their redshirt. Neither will likely start for NU in 2010, but they can provide important depth every third or fourth series, or serve as injury protection. At any rate - they sorely need experience for the future.

Where does Taylor Martinez fit in? We dug around in the few weeks after the Big 12 Championship game about Martinez, and found he was more feared as a receiver than he was at quarterback. And yet he’ll start at QB - potentially as a Wildcat guy - and take a run at the backup job. Either way - the kid needs to see the field, and get the chance to make plays. He’s among the fastest players on NU’s roster and he’s big enough to take some licks. T Magic is more like T Mystery.

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The story of Nebraska’s offense in 2009 turns out to be a crackerjack courtroom drama, complete with compelling characters, riveting testimony and a twist ending - touched off by a surprising revelation - that has some Cornhusker fans sailing out of theater satisfied, and others wondering if all plot threads meet up.

The men on trial - offensive coordinator Shawn Watson, his staff and quarterback Zac Lee - won acquittal in a 33-0 thumping of Arizona, returning to the shotgun, unveiling an effective version of the Wildcat - which running backs coach Tim Beck correctly described as an offense, not merely a play - and getting Lee to a point where he can run the zone read competently - if not beautifully - for yards and first downs.

Everything you could have hoped to see vs. Arizona - third-down efficiency, big running plays, Niles Paul, Mike McNeill, a dominant offensive line - you saw. Roy Helu got hurt early, but Rex Burkhead capably replaced him.

For the first time since the Kansas game, Lee looked like the solution instead of the problem. Afterward, when he revealed he’d been playing with a torn flexor tendon in his throwing arm, which requires surgery and nearly three months of rehab, it was like that beer glass in the novel “Presumed Innocent” that nobody could find - because nobody ever asked the guy who took it from the evidence room to return it.

“It was them that (screwed) up,” Lipranzer tells defendant Rusty at the end of Scott Turow’s best book.

In this case, the few left in Watson’s corner could say the same of his many naysayers. If you only you knew of all the injuries on the offensive line, at running back, in Lee’s right arm.

You can see how the arguments set up.

Credit where it’s deserved: Watson crafted a good plan, and called an even better game. He and Barney Cotton got their offensive line to fire off the ball. He trusted Lee on third-and-long to extend drives. Lee did. In short, Watson seemed to be returning to midseason 2008, when Nebraska sliced and diced Iowa State, Kansas and Kansas State with a dizzying array of formations and plays.

Lee was a poor man’s Joe Ganz, which, with Bo’s defense, was more than enough. He’s a tough kid who chooses to struggle with injuries and inconsistencies in relative silence. Commendable enough.

But “Holiday Bowl scoreboard” isn’t a sufficient salve for every offensive problem in 2009.

“Torn flexor tendon” isn’t a sufficient answer for why Watson had Lee throwing the ball in the Missouri rain, or why Watson couldn’t bear to call a trick play - just one! - vs. Texas in the Big 12 Championship.

“O-line injuries” doesn’t explain why the wide receiver corps fell apart, with two starters apparently so unmotivated and disinterested that they spent two weeks on the scout team.

No, Watson didn’t suddenly forget how to call plays.

But we can’t suddenly gloss over real struggles, either.

The offseason, beginning with Lee’s surgery and rehabilitation, will be a test of patience, creativity and coaching for Watson and his assembled crew. I look forward to watching skilled - but embattled - guys whittle away the problem, with a prominent chip on their shoulder, I suspect, and something to prove.

*At quarterback, Watson will have to play it by doctor and trainer as to when Lee can return. Then he’ll have to develop quarterbacks Cody Green, Kody Spano and Taylor Martinez in three distinctly different places in their career. Will Ganz, a new graduate assistant, help? Sure. But even that’s a adjustment, for these Huskers know and respect Ganz quite a bit, and may initially see Lee - or any signal-caller - in stark relief of the former No. 12. When a former teammate suddenly becomes a mentor, it’s can be an interesting transition. Ganz isn’t going to sugarcoat anything, nor should he.

*At running back, Tim Beck has to manage Roy Helu’s health, devise new ways to exploit Rex Burkhead’s skills and find a No. 3 running back between Traye Robinson, Lester Ward and Austin Jones.

*At offensive line, Barney Cotton gets to integrate young pups Brent Qvale, Jeremiah Sirles, Jesse Coffey and Nick Ash, get JUCO signee Jermarcus Hardrick quickly up to speed, break in center Mike Caputo, wait out the recovery of Keith Williams - who has a torn pectoral muscle - and hone the games of Ricky Henry, Mike Smith, Marcel Jones and D.J. Jones. Cotton has the most important - and arguably toughest - job of the bunch. As goes the offensive line, so goes NU.

*At wide receiver, Ted Gilmore needs to build around senior-to-be Niles Paul, with an emphasis on guys who can actually catch, run and keep their balance on a wet field. Gilmore has to put a better product on the field than NU offered up in 2009, when Menelik Holt’s drops cost the Huskers at Virginia Tech, and Paul’s midseason lapses in concentration contributed heavily to losses vs. Texas Tech and Iowa State.

*At tight end, Ron Brown just needs to keep doing what he’s doing, juggling time and snaps for a gifted unit.

Presuming he has enough healthy pieces, Watson then gets to play chemist. Which combination of formations, plays and players make the best brew? Injuries, execution and “inexperience” - plus Bo’s intervention right around the Oklahoma game - prevented him from figuring that out in 2009.

What are the key questions for this offseason? Click here.

Otherwise, continue the debate. Does the Holiday Bowl resolve your concerns? Does the end of the movie forgive its dull middle?

In 2010 - a national-title contending season - we’ll have the sequel.

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The Flex: Niles Paul executes a nifty double move, Arizona cornerback Devin Ross falls down, and Paul zooms past. Zac Lee hits Paul in stride for a 74-yard touchdown pass. Paul caps it off perfectly: With a flex of those impressive muscles. It drew a 15-yard penalty, but was an apt picture of what happened Wednesday night.

Dare we say Florida? Nebraska’s first play of the second series was a picture of plays to come in 2010. Rex Burkhead motioned to the backfield, Zac Lee faked to Roy Helu and ran the option - effectively! - pitching the ball to Burkhead for a 12-yard gain. Florida uses this play, and former Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione made a living off of it.

Wildcat!: Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson waited three drives to unveil his bowl wrinkle, but, oh, did the Huskers alight on something good. Rex Burkhead out of the Wildcat - the first run for 34 yards - is precisely the medicine NU’s offensive line needed. Burkhead deftly read holes from that deep shotgun position all night.

Third Down Clutch: Facing the possibility of another long Alex Henery field goal, Lee hung in the pocket and nailed receiver Niles Paul on a 22-yard slant pattern on 3rd-and-7. It set up Nebraska at Arizona’s 5 yard line. Burkhead scored out of the Wildcat on the next play.

McNeill’s Hands Are Back: Nice grab by tight end Mike McNeill to extend NU’s first drive of the second half

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All-Decade Team

OFFENSE

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

DEFENSE

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

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

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

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Five changes Nebraska's offensive staff should consider for 2010:

Establish firm depth along the offensive line: Because of injuries and inexperience, offensive line coach Barney Cotton was forced to move around some of his proteges to different positions, which reduced some guys, like Derek Meyer (a natural tackle) to jack of all trades, master of none. With an influx of redshirt freshmen and JUCO tackle Jermarcus Hardrick, Cotton can finally begin to create a two-deep roster at each offensive line position, rather than trying out combinations up and down the line.

Find out if Cody Green has the passing skills to be the quarterback of the future: If he does, build the offense around his talents – not the other way around. Green looked like a fish out of water this year; he needs to be put in a system where he's reacting first, thinking second. Green's plenty smart, so if Shawn Watson's approach is too complicated for him, it's too complicated – period.

Set your starting wide receiver corps in spring ball if at all possible: Ted Gilmore dragged out the process until the last week of fall camp. Other than Niles Paul, you saw the result. NU needs more leadership at that position – not more uncertainty. And, yes – if that means Khiry Cooper falls behind because of his baseball career, well, so be it. That's the road he chooses to take. Cooper is more naturally gifted, from this vantage point, than any other pass-catcher on the team. But it doesn't mean much without quarterback chemistry.

Tell Roy Helu “It's time:” He's the best offensive player, when healthy, that Nebraska has. Helu needs to be a spokesman, along with Paul, for that side of the ball. That means the media, asking for the ball when necessary, and shooting straight with coaches when hurt. Helu's earned the right to take ownership. He needs to take it.

Put some speed on the field – and use it dynamically: That is, in sweeps and Wildcat formations and reverses. You can still be creative within the structure of a power offense.

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At nearly every postmodern, faux-hip Christmas party not worth a damn, there is tinsel, mistletoe, a fine array of “strengthened” cordials, three idiots in Santa caps, the guy who likes to dance to “White Christmas” as he sloshes the highballs being held in each hand, the minx who revs up to Eartha Kitt, the beleaguered hosts who spend most of the night tidying the trash can, the kids who tracked in snow, the amateur showman blowing the dust off his guitar case from last Christmas, the depressive contemplating Chet Baker out the window and drawing flirtatious looks from nerdy cute girls, and, of course, the platter.

The platter is often some holiday dish, with cursive writing or festive designs, your mom bought. Or you did, in the post-Christmas after-sale extravanganza at the local Big Box. Sometimes it's just a long, oval paper plate with a snowman and some kids, on it. The platter contains every Christmas treat known to the western world – and a few the Thais don't mind either. Sugar cookies. Frosted cookies. Chocolate cookies. Chocolate-frosted sugar cookies. Peanut brittle. Candy canes. Bark-covered pretzels. Fudge with nuts, fudge without nuts. A hard clump of dough with craisins in it. Corn Flakes glued together with almost-primordial sugar and dipped in a green acid bath. Twigs and sticks, drenched in chocolate. Peanut butter balls laced with marshmallows that sprout from the orb like poisonous mushrooms. Some vegan bar made without eggs or butter that looks like a divot your pitching wedge might take in early spring.

There is always one treat on this platter – much like there is one Girl Scouts cookie – that you wait the entire year to eat. Maybe you even filch two or three for the road, wrapping them in cocktail napkins and shoving them in the pocket of your coat lying on the bed in the spare room. For me, this is a simple ginger cookie - not much bigger than the participation medal you get on field day in grade school - with a mint Chocolate kiss pressed gently into the middle of it.

On the opposite end of the spectrum: The rum ball. It makes fruit cake taste, by comparison, like the work of culinary genius.

For one thing, I don't really get booze candy. Does anyone want a Seagram's Sucker? A Keystone Kit-Kat? Zima Licorice?

For another – the rest of rum ball is comprised of crushed-up vanilla wafers, chopped nuts, powdered sugar and dried fruits. Sweet Santa! About the only thing missing in Icelandic hakarl.

And yet, inevitably, you find yourself, once a year, subjecting yourself to a single bite of the rum ball. You try to chew it. You know it's sour and pointlessly crunchy, yet chewy to the point where you can't just swallow it. Eventually, you either spit it out and rinse your mouth with water, or you drink some actual rum for a little company.

Shawn Watson likes to say he went on an “ego diet” as Nebraska's offensive coordinator this year.

I prefer to think - he drank the rum.

Only, for Watson, it was worse than that. You see, for the first two games of the 2009 season – he thought he was eating a ginger cookie. We all did. NU slammed Florida Atlantic 49-3, and Arkansas State 38-9. Remember that? Seems ages ago, doesn't it, when head coach Bo Pelini was picking at the toughness and tackling of his defense, and quarterback Zac Lee started so well (42 of 59 for 553 yards, six touchdowns and one interception) pundits (this one included) were thumbing through the “records” portion of the football media guide.

Lee threw to all parts of the field. Menelik Holt and Curenski Gilleylen were living up to their preseason billing as improved players. Niles Paul showed off his big play skills. Roy Helu was busy hitting home runs. Mike McNeill already had eight catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns. The offensive line, though light on depth, seemed to be holding up.

Even after red flags were raised in a 16-15 loss to Virginia Tech – red zone issues, dumb penalties, Lee looking shaky and uncertain – NU seemed, well, still OK. The Huskers gashed the Hokies for almost 200 rushing yards. Helu looked tougher than ever. Lee would recover.

But, after a 27-12 win over Missouri - “the moment we've been waiting for!” Watson exclaimed - the Huskers lost something.

First, Helu hurt his shoulder, badly, on the second-to-last play. Second, rex Burkhead got hurt two days later in practice. Third, NU receivers coach benched Holt and Gilleylen in the Mizzou game for not playing with courage. Fourth, Watson and Pelini at least toyed with benching Lee against the Tigers although, let's face it, the conditions in which he was being asked to complete 15-yard deep outs were just awful. Fifth, near the end of the game, with NU leading 20-12, Watson shifted to a archaic-albeit-effective four-tight end offense and jammed it down the discouraged Tigers' throats.

You see? Columnists exclaimed. It worked! POW-er football. Hey, me too here. I was a big ol peanut in the gallery. (Still am, I suppose, because power football can and does work.)

Thanks, really, to Ndamukong Suh and The Blackshirts, NU had the key victory season in its pocket by early October. But the seeds had been planted for change. And when Nebraska got a nasty wake-up call one week later vs. Texas Tech, Watson's vision and personnel got a final chance vs. Iowa State. To paraphrase McCroskey from Airplane!, the Huskers picked the wrong time to commit eight turnovers.

***

I've seen enough of Pelini to know, by now, that one his best strengths – and his biggest potential weakness – is an adherence to his gut feeling. As much as Bo talks about the consistency of his process – about never getting too high or too low – you are not likely to see more drastic change in the history of Nebraska's offense than the charted course from the beginning of this season until the end. Few head coaches would be daring enough to even attempt it, and fewer offensive coordinators would submit to that kind of direction. We poked a lot of fun at Watson this year, but, seriously, the man has an admirable dose of humility.

Bo shut this thing down, folks. After Cody Green threw that Pick Six in the Baylor game, and had ants in his pants to start the Oklahoma game, the Brothers Pelini went back to what they knew: Defense, and an offense that won't screw it up. Thanks, again, to the Blackshirts and Alex Henery, it worked. But, in the process, NU didn't change identities so much as it lobotomized itself. Within the rigid structure of NU's new offense, Watson had only three speeds:

1. Plunge into the line and hope for the best.
2. Deep ball to Niles Paul
3. Speed option, at the physical peril of Lee

The problem with that plan:

1. NU's o-line injuries made a power game hard to execute.
2. Watson forgot about every other receiver in the process.
3. Lee can't run the option.

You already know the result.

The question now becomes: What scars does it leave for 2010?

More than a few. The offensive line will have literal scars after offseason surgeries. The rest of the unit has trust and leadership issues to resolve. Especially NU's receivers, who watched Holt, Gilleylen and Chris Brooks never catch another pass after the Iowa State game. That's pretty stunning.

Bo invoked the bunker mode in 2009. He can't do it again in 2010 expect to get any kind of difference-makers in recruiting. He's already lost Curtis Carter and Tyler Gabbert because of it.

My suggestions? Click here.

Otherwise, here's the offensive ginger cookies and rum balls from 2009.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Roy Helu. An early-season injury – and the flu – slowed a terrific, instinctive runner. He's still the best back NU's had in nearly a decade, but he has one more year to become a complete player – block, catch and run – and emerge as a team leader. Helu was practically a ghost during the last half of this season. And playing when he shouldn't have in the Iowa State game was a mistake.

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Ricky Henry. The junior guard committed his share of penalties, but Henry led the team in pancake blocks, and set himself up for a big 2010. And, oh yeah – please dismiss the comparisons to Richie Incognito. Henry keeps a lid on his temper much better than that, and is a more positive influence on teammates.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Rex Burkhead. He'll share the backfield even more with Helu next year than he did in 2009. Big things are expected from this smiling, humble workhorse.

BEST GAME: Lafayette. A 55-0 win, Lee was sharp, so was Green, and all the receivers, tight ends and running backs got in on the fun.

WORST GAME: Texas. NU's defense gave the Huskers so many good chances. And UT's defense, while good – isn't that good. A failure of imagination and execution, among other things.

BEST SINGLE PERFORMANCE: Roy Helu, Virginia Tech. Helu established a career-high 169 yards rushing against a salty, physical defense. He busted some big runs, yes, but he did it by breaking tackles and evading defenders. That game revealed a lot about Helu's skill as a runner.

BIGGEST PLUS IN 2010: We think it'll be depth along the offensive line. With JUCO transfer Jermarcus Hardrick and redshirt freshmen Brent Qvale, Jeremiah Sirles, Nick Ash and Jesse Coffey ready to contribute – plus the possible return of tackle Jaivorio Burkes – you should see Barney Cotton's unit return to, at least, its 2008 form.

BIGGEST QUESTION MARK: Before even the quarterback, it has to be scheme and coaching personnel. Let's see how the next month shakes out. Let's just see.

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The following comes from Nebraska media relations. They explain it well, so we don't feel compelled to repeat it. Congrats to all the winners!

One more note: It appears Alex Henery, a junior, was named captain. Nicely done there!

***

Lincoln – The Nebraska football team celebrated its 2009 season on Friday evening at its annual banquet, held at The Cornhusker in Downtown Lincoln. Nearly 500 people attended the banquet, which included the awarding of several team awards and the announcement of the 2009 season captains.

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was the most honored Husker of the evening, although he was not in attendance. Instead, the senior from Portland, Ore., was in New York as one of five finalists for the Heisman Trophy, which will be presented on Saturday. Earlier this week Suh took home the Bronko Nagurski Award, the Rotary Lombardi Award, the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Outland Trophy. On Friday, he was named Nebraska’s Team MVP and Defensive MVP.

After leading the Huskers in tackles (82), sacks (12.0), tackles for loss (23), quarterback hurries (26) and blocked kicks (three), Suh was also named as the winner of the Guy Chamberlin Award.

The first-team All-American was also named one of Nebraska’s three season captains. The Huskers elected game captains each week, before determining season-long captains after the regular season. While Suh was chosen as the defensive captain, center Jacob Hickman was selected as the offensive captain and place-kicker/punter Alex Henery was named the special teams captain.

After setting a school record with 20 field goals this season and placing a Big 12-leading 28 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, Henery was also named Nebraska’s Special Teams MVP. The Omaha native has connected on 20-of-24 field goal attempts and all 35 extra-point tries this season. Henery is the Huskers’ top scorer with 95 points, while he also averages 41.7 yards per punt. For his efforts, Henery earned first-team all-conference accolades as both a punter and place-kicker by at least two publications.

I-back Roy Helu Jr. was named the Offensive MVP. Despite battling an injury, Helu has rushed for 1,139 yards this season, the third highest total in the Big 12. A second-team all-conference selection by the league’s coaches, Helu has scored 10 touchdowns while posting four 100-yard rushing games and averaging 5.2 yards per carry, a league best among backs with at least 150 carries this season.

Helu’s leading blocker, fullback Tyler Legate was named the Walk-On MVP. Legate helped pave the way for Helu to record the program’s 29th 1,000-yard rushing season. The Novak Trophy went to linebacker Phillip Dillard, a second-team All-Big 12 pick. The Novak and Chamerblin Awards were chosen by a vote of media who regularly cover Nebraska throughout the season. Those two winners, along with the Cletus Fischer Native Son Award, will again be celebrated at the Outland Trophy banquet in Omaha on Jan. 14.

Safety Matt O’Hanlon was named the winner of the Native Son Award, along with earning the Bobby Reynolds Award. Defensive end Barry Turner received the Pat Clare Award, while four members of the scout team were also honored. Quarterback Ron Kellogg III and offensive lineman Nick Ash were announced as the Scout Team Offensive MVPs, while safety Jim Ebke and defensive end Kenny Anderson were named the Scout Team Defensive MVPs. Defensive tackle Jared Crick was named Lifter of the Year to round out the award selection.

2009 Nebraska Football Award Winners
Offensive Captain: Jacob Hickman, C
Defensive Captain: Ndamukong Suh, DT
Special Teams Captain: Alex Henery, PK
Team MVP: Ndamukong Suh, DT
Offensive MVP: Roy Helu Jr, IB
Defensive MVP: Ndamukong Suh, DT
Special Teams MVP: Alex Henery, PK
Walk-On MVP: Tyler Legate, FB
Scout Team Offensive MVPs: Ron Kellogg III, QB; Nick Ash, OL
Scout Team Defensive MVPs: Jim Ebke, S; Kenny Anderson, DE
Novak Trophy: Phillip Dillard, LB
Chamberlin Trophy: Ndamukong Suh, DT
Cletus Fischer Native Son Award: Matt O’Hanlon, S
Bobby Reynolds Award: Matt O’Hanlon, S
Pat Clare Award: Barry Turner, DE
Lifter of the Year: Jared Crick, DT

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In Carrollton, Irving and Euless. Flower Mound, Allen, Wylie and DeSoto. All the way down in Duncanville, out to Keller and of course, in Plano.

Rex Burkhead was a known property. The Metroplex version of a made man.

Wherever Nebraska running backs coach Tim Beck traveled in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, the high school football coaches – many of them Beck's former peers - loved this kid they used to call Superman on the field, in part for his Clark Kent persona he possessed off of it.

“It was unique,” Beck says now. “Anywhere you went, people would talk about him and what a great football player he was...when he played, he played hard. And people saw it.”

Varsity as a freshman. Starting quarterback as a sophomore. The kid with Barry Sanders on the wall and Walter Payton on the ceiling above his bed. Sweetness before bed every night.

“I'd rather run over somebody,” Burkhead said Tuesday.

As a junior and senior at Plano High School, he amassed 3,530 yards rushing and more than 60 touchdowns. Ole Miss wanted him as a Wildcat quarterback. Rich Rod wanted him a scatback and -

Well, hell – if you're in the DFW, you already know all this. Most Nebraska fans who count recruiting stars as they go to sleep know it, too. The Huskers got the loot, nabbed one of the biggest names out of the Lone Star State, and needed a bevy of position coaches – Beck and Mike Ekeler and John Papuchis to do it.

“I felt most comfortable here,” Burkhead says of NU. “Felt like this was the place.”

Head coach Bo Pelini tested him straight away in fall camp. Gave him the “rookie ball” for 24 hours. First day. First guy. Burkhead wasn't supposed to fumble it, and every member of Nebraska's top-shelf defense tried to pry it away.

“Who better than him?” Bo said of Rex's selection.

Indeed. Because Burkhead didn't fumble.

And he didn't blink an eye when, after the dismissal of Quentin Castille, he shot up to No. 2 on the depth chart. When he played well in the first five games of the season. When he converted a crucial third down at Missouri, taking a poorly-thrown swing pass from Zac Lee, planting hard with his right foot, and jutting back to the middle of the field for a first down. Decisive. Quick.

“He hits the hole downhill,” offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said. “He doesn't waste time. He doesn't over-analyze or read. He gets north and south and gets skinny.”

Three plays after Burkhead's clutch play, Lee hit Niles Paul for a NU's first touchdown. The Cornhuskers won, but starter Roy Helu jammed his shoulder something awful on his second-to-last carry. Burkhead would likely have been the guy for Texas Tech. And Iowa State. And possibly Baylor.

Then – pop! A simple little cut in practice four days after the Mizzou game. Gone awry.

“It wasn't a extreme pain, but I knew something wasn't right,” Burkhead said.

Foot fracture.

Sit down, Superman. Time to take a lesson you haven't yet learned – how to lose time to an injury.

Understand the difficulty here for Burkhead. After high school football, he would transition directly to basketball. He didn't slow down. When he arrived at NU, coaches and teammates noticed quickly: He's way ahead of the game here. How hard has this kid been working?

And Burkhead had learned so much, he said, in his short time in college football. The mental game, blitz pick-up, setting up defenders, using your blockers. It was close, you sensed. Burkhead seemed small on tape but bigger in person. And he runs even bigger than that.

“He's explosive,” Watson said. “It is surprising.”

For five weeks, NU lost its spark plug. Helu wasn't right for at least half of that time. Still isn't 100 percent, frankly. The Huskers had to burn Traye Robinson's redshirt in the process, and endure that awful 9-7 loss to Iowa State, in which Robinson and Helu combined for three fumbles.

Would Burkhead, who held on tight in the toughest of conditions during fall camp, have been so careless?

Often in a black puffy coat on crutches, Burkhead would sit back from practice and watch from afar. It got to him a little, he admitted. It took teammates – especially Helu, who doesn't let on much but is a kind of joyful mentor to Burkhead – to bring him around. Also, for a broken foot, the doctor's prognosis was good: Back for the Colorado game.

Of course, Rex being Rex, he was back a week early, for Kansas State.

“I was little hesitant at first,” Burkhead said. “I didn't feel it at all, but just knowing it's down there and the possibility of re-aggravating it.”

That changed once Burkhead got into the flow vs. the Wildcats.

“It was a nice bonus,” Pelini said.

Losing that trepidation was crucial, as it turned out, in the following week, when he rushed 100 yards on 18 carries in a 28-20 win over Colorado. Nine times for 55 yards and a touchdown on NU's penultimate drive, the one that made Husker fans party like it's 1979, all power sets and inside counters and Burkhead's churning legs.

It wasn't so much that Burkhead gained the yards as how he did it. One cut – and go. He bounced off some tackles and crawled past others. In all, 67 yards of the century were after contact. It's one thing to see a guy like Castille bull moose his way through a defense. Another to see a man of Burkhead's size even try, much less succeed, when NU made no secret on that drive of who was getting the ball, and where he was going to go with it.

“Whether he made the right decisions or not, he made them and ran with them,” Beck said. “He ran down his pads and kept his feet moving and accelerated through contact. He wasn't dancing around trying to make the big plays.”

Most backs – like Helu – are trying to “make every cut,” Beck said. They see three guys on two levels of the defense, and want to create a path around all of them. Helu, possessing rare peripheral vision, often makes sudden, almost inexplicable cuts parallel to the line of scrimmage. Where's he going? Helu doesn't always know. He just feels the pressure, and turns away from it. Sometimes, it works beautifully. Sometimes, Roy's just running around.

“That's not Rex,” Beck said. Burkhead makes the one cut and then - well, come what may.

In this case, a homecoming in Arlington, Burkhead's old stomping grounds, against Texas, the home state team. He played at least ten games inside the old Dallas Cowboys Stadium, and he'll have a hefty fan club for his first game in the new one, including some friends who are UT fans, and lobbied him to stay in-state.

Burkhead doesn't have much of an ax to grind with the Longhorns, mind you. He grew up in Kentucky, not Texas, so he wasn't wearing burnt orange out of the womb.

Texas did put forth a mild recruiting push for his services. Burkhead made a few visits, saw a game. But UT had already had two running backs – Vondrell McGee and Tre' Newton – with Burkhead's build and skillset, so there was some question as to what position he'd play for Mack Brown – and whether he'd even stay on offense.

“It was back and forth deal,” Burkhead said. “They really kind of left it up to me.”

UT was the wrong fit. No hard feelings. NU is the right one.

Burkhead, Pelini said, meshes with the new attitude of Nebraska football perfectly. As a bunch, the Huskers are humble – but Burkhead is unusually so, even for a high school star in a state where being one really means something.

“You can't let everything get to you,” Burkhead said. “You have to stay down to earth.”

That's what caught their eye in the DFW.

It's certainly grabbed Pelini's attention.

“He’s just a football player,” he said. “He’s tough. He’s a leader. He exemplifies all the characteristics that I want in football players that come into this program.”

The invaluable ranch hand, to borrow an image from Burkhead's adopted state. Knows the land like the laces of a football, does his job with a little fuss, and occasionally makes your jaw drop.

Or, Superman, when the shoe fits. Right Rex?

“Aw, it's all right,” Burkhead said. “I guess.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Just a little perspective – before the pressure sets in.

On to the keys:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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LAWRENCE, Kan. - It was billed before the season as the game for the Big 12 North crown. In reality, there was very little at stake in Saturday's Nebraska-Kansas game.

It just felt like it, as Kansas took a 17-16 lead midway through the fourth quarter, juicing the chilly 51,525 fans at Memorial Stadium, which included a reporter-estimated 10,000 Cornhusker partisans.

But NU answered with a short-field touchdown of its own. And then, pressed with finishing off the game – Nebraska did it again, going 74 yards in ten plays, all on the ground, all out of power sets, as if the Huskers jumped in a time machine and exited the craft back in 1986.

Nebraska 31, Kansas 17. Bring on the real battle for the Big 12 North crown, next Saturday vs. Kansas State.

“We did what we needed to do in the fourth quarter,” head coach Bo Pelini said. “I'm proud of the way they hung in there. I'm proud of the way they finished the game...the offensive line, the tight ends, fullback – that's the way you finish. That's the way you come out with a drive.”

In total, NU (7-3 overall, 4-2 in the Big 12 Conference) amassed 404 total yards, its best output since the Lafayette game in late September.

“We got our mojo back,” offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said. “We've been nicked up. The kids have just been resilient. They've never questioned or doubted themselves at all.”

The Huskers got a huge boost from quarterback Zac Lee – seemingly wresting control of the starting job once again – who threw for 196 yards and surprisingly scrambled for 53. Lee's only glaring mistake – a fumble at the goal line – was masked by Roy Helu's recovery of that fumble for a touchdown.

Lee was entrusted with an opened-up, retooled offense that again included more option plays – including an option pass that went to Niles Paul for 37 yards – and a heavy dose of playaction, which Lee often executed with precision and accuracy.

“We just saw some things that we could take advantage of in the defense,” Lee said. “Get behind them a little. And really just let our receivers make big plays. Let them go up and get the ball.”

Paul did just that, catching four passes for 154 yards. All of his receptions were longer than 20 yards, and three of them were jump balls. His catches helped set up nine points.

But Paul's biggest play occurred right after KU quarterback Todd Reesing hit receiver Dez Briscoe for a 21-yard touchdown with 7:34 remaining in the game. Kansas tried a pooch kick – the Jayhawks were offsides in doing so – but Paul came up to catch it. Then he rattled off a 44-yard return to set up the Huskers at Kansas' 31-yard line.

“I knew by the way he coming at the ball how he was going to kick it,” Paul said. “The kicking team gave me a lane to make a play.”

Kansas (5-5, 1-5) stuffed Nebraska on three consecutive plays. But on the last of those plays, KU defensive back Justin Thornton yanked Khiry Cooper's earhole, drawing a 15-yard facemask.

“The ref made a good call,” Thornton said.

Said Cooper: “I've never had it grabbed like that. He went up and under.”

Nebraska got the ball at KU's 20. Roy Helu – who gained 156 yards on 28 carries – scored on the next play, a gallop around right end on a counter call. Lee converted the two-point play with a heady scramble and toss to Paul in the corner of end zone.

Kansas couldn't answer. After keeping Nebraska's Blackshirts off-balance for much of the game, KU called an odd series of plays. The last of them was a tunnel screen to 240-pound fullback Toben Opurum, who lost five yards. The Jayhawks punted.

And, much like a month ago at Missouri – that seems almost two seasons ago, doesn't it? - NU slammed the ball down KU's throat, converting a 3rd-and-10 with simple counter play by Helu, who bounced the play twice before hitting the corner. Helu looked like he could have scored a touchdown, but he veered back toward the middle of the field, where he fell down for a 30-yard gain.

“I did it because I was tired,” Helu said. “I didn't trust in where I was going. I didn't know the situation that well, so I just fell on the ground. Probably spoiled a good run there.”

Helu scored five plays later on a 14-yard run. Nebraska rushed for nearly 100 yards in the fourth quarter, better than one-third of its 233 total.

“Defenses get tired of tackling the same running back,” Helu said.

NU opened the game with a shot, literally and figuratively, as Lee hit Paul on a go route for 35 yards. Lee placed the ball perfectly on Paul's back shoulder. Five plays later, Nebraska got a crucial break that Kansas wouldn't get later in the game.

On third and goal from KU's 2, Lee veered around left end, cut back into a hole and was smacked at goal line. The ball rolled down his left arm, as if going down a chute, into the blue of Kansas' north end zone. For a second it sat there unattended to, until Helu, the pitch back on the play, pounced on it for a touchdown. NU led 7-0.

Kansas had a similar moment in the second half when Nebraska cornerback Dejon Gomes popped the ball from KU receiver Kerry Meier's clutch. But NU safety Matt O'Hanlon fell on the ball inside the Husker. It was the game's only turnover.

Back to the second quarter, Lee got busy again. He scrambled for 32 yards after a playaction fake. Then he perfectly executed an option pass to Paul for 37 yards down to KU's nine-yard line. The Huskers sputtered from there, and Alex Henery kicked a 25-yard field goal to pad the Huskers' lead to 10.

But Reesing, after a cold, inconsistent start, owned the rest of the half – with a little help from true freshman running back Opurum.

Reesing opened KU's touchdown drive following the Henery field goal with a 13-yard scramble; NU safety Larry Asante was flagged for a late hit personal foul. KU then ran the ball on eight of the next 12 plays – converting two fourth down plays on short runs by Opurum. Nebraska chose to keep its dime defense on the field for all of it, and corners Dejon Gomes and Eric Hagg were unable to make crucial tackles on Opurum and Reesing, who capped the touchdown drive with a five-yard, spinning scramble.

NU punted after three lackluster plays. Reesing then stormed down the field again. The crucial completion of the drive was his first, a 28-yard slant to Dez Briscoe on 3rd-and-14. Briscoe slipped by defensive end Barry Turner, who was in coverage while the Huskers sent a heavy corner blitz. Kansas burned Nebraska for the same play. KU had to settle for a field goal as time ran out.

Although Reesing only completed 19 of 41 passes, he made each completion count with 236 total yards. KU also used a delayed quarterback draw to stymie NU's front-four pass rush, which scaled back in the second half to take the play away.

“We have to credit Kansas,” linebacker Phillip Dillard said. “They came out with a good scheme and they came out with a lot of plays we hadn't seen before.”

The Jayhawks amassed 339 total yards.

“We had too many busts,” Pelini said. “We did not execute well consistently. Especially in a couple spots, which I'm not going to name. We gave them some things that there's no way should have happened.”

In the second half, KU's first drive was thwarted by Meier's fumble. NU put together two consecutive field goal drives to take a 16-10 lead early in the fourth quarter.

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Be wary. Be plenty wary.

As Nebraska's football team floats into that final bend in the Big 12 river, it is, to borrow a Bo Pelini phrase, pretty obvious that just about anything can happen to the Huskers – that anything can happen to any team in the North division, for that matter.

It's the kind of league, right now, where Colorado, that collection of sunshine boys, has an outside chance at heading to Dallas (er, sorry Nat Geo types – Arlington) for the league title game.

We use the phrase “happen to” because, until a four-quarter defensive masterpiece vs. Oklahoma, NU hadn't fully seized its own destiny in the conference season. The offensive gameplan was geared toward a chess match with the opposing defense – not helping the Blackshirts. Running back Roy Helu either wasn't fully committed to playing hard or was sending mixed messages to the coaching staff about his relative health. Suddenly, of Helu's own volition, he toughened up and turned it around last week with a terrific performance vs. OU.

It seems now, finally, the Cornhuskers have found an identity for the whole, instead of the individual parts. Run big sets. Hope Helu busts a few. Throw playaction to offset the run. Let the defense do its thing.

And so – Kansas.

KU has the worst offensive line the Big 12. That's two years now, and that's on Kansas Coach Mark Mangino. Its defense is better, but still overmatched against stronger teams. But the Jayhawks have three skill players – quarterback Todd Reesing, wide receiver Dez Briscoe and wide receiver Kerry Meier – who can make plays off the board. The kind of guys who can take advantage of NU's momentary lapses in concentration.

It's senior day for Reesing and Meier, and it is might as well be for Briscoe, a junior who's gone, baby, gone to the NFL after this year, considering KU needed glue and chicken wire, so to speak, just to keep the kid academically eligible this year. They're going to put up a fight. As much as defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh would like to run over their collective dog, don't be surrprised if, entering the fourth quarter, you're wary. Plenty wary. On to the keys:

QB Shuffle: No easy answers for Nebraska's signal-caller, but we think the starter is Zac Lee, sprinkled with a dose of zone read from Cody Green. Bo Pelini hinted strongly that both quarterbacks might play in Lawrence. To what advantage? We've no beef with quarterbacks sharing time, so long as they're not out there doing the same thing. Use Green to run the spread game. Keep Lee in hand-off and playaction mode.

Reesing's Last Run: You get the sense that, despite a high degree of competitiveness, Reesing is about ready to move on with life. He's an international business guy, he's been running around behind an awful offensive line for two years, the crowds on Mt. Oread are indifferent, his coach is suddenly benching him for fumbles. Reesing has his magical year in 2007, he has win memorable win over Missouri, he has his place in the KU record book. Expect a loose, exciting effort from him on Saturday. Kansas has lost four in a row. There's not much else to lose.

Short Stuffed: Nebraska's secondary has been consistently excellent against the short pass. Bubble and tunnel screens, quick slants, rub-off routes, stops, curls, you name it. NU's cornerbacks are aggressive and confident 15 yards in. Kansas won't be immune to this treatment. So the Jayhawks have to gamble, and send their talented receivers deep. Reesing has to hit them. If they can't make plays downfield, the short-to-intermediate game will be closed for business, and KU is in for a lot of punts and potential interceptions.

Vengeance: Don't kid yourself. That 76-39 score from two years ago is in the hearts and minds of a lot of Husker players who lived through it – especially guys like Ndamukong Suh, Barry Turner, Roy Helu, Phillip Dillard, Larry Asante and Jacob Hickman. You think they've forgotten? Not a chance. You will see an emotional, hungry team Saturday. They won't give KU an inch. This is intended, after the OU win, as a statement game.

Keep It Together: NU's offensive line needs a half without penalties. Just a itty-bitty half of clean football. No false starts. No 15-yard hi-lo blocks. No personal fouls. No holding. No failing to place one's head at Hickman's torso. No illegal men downfield. A clean half. It would do wonders.

The Beck Advantage: Former Kansas assistant – now current NU assistant – Tim Beck knows the Jayhawks well. He recruited Reesing. He coached the wide receivers. He helped incorporate a spread running game at Nebraska. His knowledge of KU's scheme and personnel was invaluable last year – and it will be again this year. Kansas hasn't changed much since 2007, and the personnel is still similar.

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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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Players of the game and report card for Nebraska's 10-3 win over Oklahoma:

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Roy Helu. He's back – and just in the nick of time! Helu made a few runs Saturday that only he, on NU's football team, can make. His vision and quick cuts to the hole are rare for a player at any level, and more than once he caught an OU defender peeking or heading the wrong way. He needs to improve with his pass protection. But what college running back doesn't, right?

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Matt O'Hanlon. He called his interceptions a product of being in the right place at the right time, which is true. But MattyO was terrific in run support – his tough tackles help convince OU to move away from the running game, and his one interception return – which helped set up a field goal – was fairlu crucial. Great game for a kid who's earned it.

GRADES

QUARTERBACK: C The position has now shifted into “don't kill us” mode for the rest of the season. Zac Lee and Cody Green didn't exactly make many plays Saturday – but they didn't lose the game, either. Who Nebraska plays from here is anybody's guess.

RUNNING BACK: B+ Roy ran like the old Roy, Traye Robinson had some authority, and Tyler Legate was solid in the blocking scheme. This unit is so much better when Helu is reasonably healthy.

WIDE RECEIVER: I For “incomplete.” They blocked, mostly. Only two receptions by the position all night, both belonging to Brandon Kinnie.

OFFENSIVE LINE/TIGHT ENDS: C Oklahoma has an awesome defense, and NU occasionally held its own in the running game, especially when Nebraska chose the power route with Legate as a lead blocker. But the pass pro was fairly shabby Saturday night. Neither Green nor Lee had much time.

DEFENSIVE LINE A The front four played so damn hard, blunting OU's run game and producing enough of a pass rush on Landry Jones to throw him off his rhythm. The Huskers are as physical and imposing across the front as any defense in college football. The Sooners and Alabama are up there, too.

LINEBACKERS: A Essentially a grade for Phillip Dillard – and we're OK with that. Dillard made two or three key tackles on screen passes, had an interception and a sack, and served as on-field emotional motivation for the defense. He's become an all-conference caliber player in a matter of months.

SECONDARY: A Landry Jones will see these guys in his dreams. O'Hanlon played great, Prince Amukamara and Alfonzo Dennard constantly challenged receivers, Eric Hagg and Dejon Gomes worked over the inside slot routes, Larry Asante provided the hits, and Anthony Blue and P.J. Smith looked good in spot duty. And what about Hagg's big tackle on fourth down? Yep – these guys can play!

SPECIAL TEAMS: B Nebraska's punt coverage units were a little leaky, sure, but Alex Henery's punting was strong overall, and Ndamukong Suh blocked a field goal attempt in the second quarter. Kickoff coverage was excellent. Niles Paul displayed sure hands on punt returns. Gomes needs to be a little more careful out there – he cost NU about 35 total yards on two penalties.

GAME MANAGEMENT/PLAYCALLING: B+ From a defensive perspective – brilliant! Bo and Carl Pelini constantly had OU guessing on offense, and the Sooners kept choosing the wrong door. On offense, coordinator Shawn Watson played it safe and smart. For this week, we can live with it. Expect Kansas and Kansas State to have better plans though, and Watson better figure out a way to move the ball. The offensive penalties early in the game were simply absurd. Why is Ricky Henry cut-blocking the opposite guard's man, 10 yards away from the play?

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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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It's too late to wipe away the eight turnovers that cost Nebraska in a 9-7 loss to Iowa State, but NU took dramatic steps Monday to make sure it doesn't happen again.

The 4-3 Cornhuskers devoted the opening portion of their 90-minute workout to ball-security drills. Position coaches manned four different stations – including one where players dueled one-on-one to recover a fumble – after Saturday's performance, in which NU fumbled five times, and defensive tackle Jared Crick failed to recover a fumble.

“It obviously needs emphasis,” head coach Bo Pelini said. “We can't emphasize it enough. It's something we talk about all the time. I'm embarrassed by what happened.”

Pelini said Nebraska would “over-emphasize” ball security for now.

NU wide receivers coach Ted Gilmore also shook up his depth chart, sending starters Menelik Holt and Curenski Gilleylen down to the scout team – at least for a day – while promoting Steven Osborne and Tim Marlowe to work with the first team. Khiry Cooper and Brandon Kinnie had already been seeing time with the top units - each played significant minutes in recent games – and continued getting repetitions there.

Gilmore said he wanted to get a look at some of his younger receivers with the first unit. Pelini called the wideout race “wide open,” although it would appear the starting job of Niles Paul, whose fumbles vs. Texas Tech and Iowa State cost Nebraska 14 points, is safe for now.

“We're looking for somebody to step up and make plays,” Pelini said. “That's where we are.”

That includes running back Roy Helu, who was in the green jersey Monday, but is still expected to play with a shoulder stinger. Helu had limited carries Saturday and fumbled twice. Running backs coach Tim Beck yanked Helu from the game in favor of true freshman Traye Robinson, who led all rushers with 81 yards.

Helu said he wasn't too hurt to play vs. the Cyclones. Pelini said Helu isn't going to be getting a break to rest his shoulder, either.

“We'd all like to have a week off,” Pelini said. “That's not part of the game. Everybody has bumps and bruises. Little nicks. You gotta work through it.”

Nebraska returns to the practice field Tuesday looking steadfastly forward, Pelini said, in preparation for 3-4 Baylor. The coach, who sardonically asked reporters if they knew a “good psychiatrist” on Saturday after the upset loss, declared the Huskers focused and mentally sound Monday.

“It's easy to have good morale when you win,” Pelini said. “But we lost. You've got to be a man about it, take a hard look at, we as coaches, we as players, and get better because of what happened.”

Wide receiver Chris Brooks remains out, while defensive end Pierre Allen was held out Monday, but should return to practice Tuesday. Cornerback Alfonzo Dennard wore a green jersey, too.

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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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There are no quick fixes, Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini likes to say. There are probably no instant leaders, either.

But after two lackluster performances, NU's offense stand to get a few more..

The consensus, really, is that Huskers' O has one who's up front, center Jacob Hickman, and two supporting players behind him. We'll get to them in a minute.

“Hick's the guy who really captains all of our calls,” offensive coordinator Shawn Watson. “He's a real leader.”

It's not necessarily common for a center to fill that role, although Dom Raiola and John Garrison did that years ago. But Hickman - a senior who's sampled nearly every offensive line position and thus knows the scheme as well as anyone – has been up to it.

A cerebral type, mature, already married, Hickman's a certain kind of leader, a strong, thoughtful hub of the Husker community. Ndamukong Suh happens to be that guy, too. Suh calls himself a “silent killer.” The phrase fits Hickman, to some extent, too, even if he's talking quite a bit during the game, calling out defensive line shifts.

But Hickman is not a red rump. I'd use another choice word, but we're still, you know, read by families and stuff. At any rate, he's not going to crawl down your skin. He's the good cop, the “calm down” guy.

“I get more annoyed when people yell at me than anything else, so I'd feel hypocritical if I got too riled up,” Hickman said.

But sometimes, he said, it's been necessary. Hickman stepped on the emotional gas pedal at Missouri, he said, getting the intended response in the fourth quarter. He did it again vs. Texas Tech, to no particular avail.

“I got a little frustrated,” Hickman said. “I got a little talkative.”

Who else?

“I don't really think we've had anyone stepping up and say “I'm the one taking control of this offense,'” tight end Mike McNeill said. “Hickman's done a good job, but I don't think we've had one guy who just stands out and says 'this is my offense, and I'm running it right now.'”

Said Hickman: “It really helps sometimes to have a guy get riled up like that.”

You already know Nebraska had that in 2008 with quarterback Joe Ganz.

“Nobody was quite as vocal as Joey,” Hickman said.

But the Huskers had Nate Swift, Todd Peterson and Matt Slauson, too. None of them had Ganz's swagger and personality, but each of them carried authority and experience.

Is the latter of those two traits always necessary for leadership? Not for head coaches, right? There are tons of first-timers, - Pelini included – who just have the “it” factor when it comes to commanding a group of men. They don't need to prove it at every level of football before they arrive in college.

With players, though – that's a leopard with different spots. For every Peyton Manning and Tommie Frazier, who just walks with an air of authority and confidence, there are thousands of guys who haven't properly paid their dues yet.

At a top five program, that's probably how it should be. For Nebraska, which aspires to get there again, a transformative leader wouldn't hurt. No matter what class they're in.

Besides Hickman, two names popped up from several sources for co-leaders: Roy Helu and Niles Paul. Paul does it, Hickman and Watson said, with his work ethic in practice. Helu's leadership skills are evident when you visit practice and talk to his teammates, but the junior, publicly modest, deflects all attention. Nebraska's best offensive player – the best Husker running back in a decade, from this vantage point – is thoughtful, lighthearted and sometimes deadly serious in the span of three minutes.

Is he healthy enough to put the team on his back?

“Roy's been hurt lately, which is tough,” Hickman said. “It's hard to be really in the forefront of leading when you've been hurt.”

Of course, Hickman was sick and a little hurt, too. Maybe not as much as Helu, but this season hasn't been sundaes and rose petals for No. 67.

Zac Lee was also establishing himself, Hickman said, but he's in the midst of a quarterback competition again.

“It's tough when you don't have many seniors out there,” Hickman said. “It's the nature of the game sometimes.”

Tougher still when you don't have many red rumps.

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Our MVPs and Report Card after NU's 31-10 loss to Texas Tech:

OFFENSIVE MVP: Roy Helu, Jr. Playing with a bum shoulder, Helu mostly maximized gains on what few holes there were. His effort on the 27-yard screen pass was easily the best individual offensive play of the game. Should Helu sit vs. Iowa State? Maybe. He needs to be truly healthy for the stretch run.

DEFENSIVE MVP: Phillip Dillard. Arguably his best game. Dillard chased Tech's backs on passing plays, rendering them ineffective after the opening drive, and imposed his physical will on receivers and linemen. He's catching fire at just the right time in his career.

GRADES

QUARTERBACK: D Zac Lee played his worst game – because it was his most hesitant game. He didn't push the ball downfield. He ate two or three drive-killing sacks. And he didn't get deep enough on a couple of his drops. Playing to avoid mistakes is really no way to play quarterback unless you've got a top-grade running game. And Nebraska doesn't. And while Cody Green gave NU a spark, he could've easily thrown two or three more interceptions.

RUNNING BACKS: B Helu played bravely, but he's not 100 percent, and he's not much of a pass-blocking option when he isn't. Marcus Mendoza caught a few passes, and played aggressively. The coaches erred in not playing him before the Texas Tech game. We'll see more of Tray Robinson next week.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: D Drops, drops, drops. NU's receivers might have been open, and Lee should have found them, but who's to say they would have caught the ball? Niles Paul's blunder is elementary stuff. Cover the ball! Chris Brooks and Khiry Cooper at least catch the ball consistently. Cooper needs to block better. Not a good game for Ted Gilmore's unit, and he's running out of motivation tactics. The tight ends were mostly a non-factor.

OFFENSIVE LINE: D Marcel Jones and D.J. Jones get an F, while the rest of the unit gets, oh, a C or so. The Jones duo was awful, getting manhandled play after play, committing penalties, whiffing on blocks. Jacob Hickman and Keith Williams were fair, but not dominant. Ricky Henry played OK until his bonehead personal foul in the fourth quarter.

DEFENSIVE LINE: B+ The front four generated a terrific pass rush throughout the game, especially ends Pierre Allen and Barry Turner. But they got a little gashed late in the fourth quarter by Tech's quick running game.

LINEBACKERS: B Will Compton had a bad first drive and was replaced by Dillard, who played one of his best. At times, Dillard was mismatched against Tech's speedy receivers. In spot duty, Sean Fisher and Compton were fine against Tech's running formations.

SECONDARY: B- More than one of NU's sacks were thanks to the Huskers' coverage, but two pass interference penalties, plus a couple missed tackles by Prince Amukamara, bring the grade down. The good news: Only Kansas has better receivers, and no team has faster receivers.

SPECIAL TEAMS: C Alex Henery had a poor game, missing a 51-yarder and shanking a punt. Nebraska gave up a big kickoff return at wrong time. The punt coverage units were OK, and Alfonzo Dennard had a nice kickoff return of his own. The snaps by PJ Mangieri were much better.

GAME MANAGEMENT/PLAYCALLING: D Before we even get to Shawn Watson, let's start with Bo Pelini. Stop deferring every won coin toss. Stop calling blitzes on third-and-long on the opponent's first drive of the game. Stop wasting two timeouts per game on the defense. Now Watson, who has a lot of work to do. He wasn't given a lot of options, but he needs to use his tight ends better, and more of them. He needs to have a sense of urgency in the third quarter, down 21 points. He needs to stop giving his quarterback so many options at the line of scrimmage.

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Part of good coaching is knowing when, and how, to push player buttons to get the desired effect.

After Nebraska’s offense laid an egg in the first half of the Missouri game, wide receivers coach Ted Gilmore benched Niles Paul and Menelik Holt. He made them turn in their hand warmers and gloves. He stuck Antonio Bell and Brandon Kinnie out there, to no real avail other than it fired up Paul, who responded with two touchdown catches in the fourth quarter.

“It kind of let me get down on myself,” Paul said. “But then I kind of thought about it and was like ‘he’s doing this for the team.’ And he put us back in there.”

Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson told his quarterback, Zac Lee, point blank: We’re thinking about sitting you for a drive, and inserting true freshman Cody Green.

“He said, ‘We’re going to do it for a series,’” Lee said. “‘Keep your eyes open.’”

Watson didn’t bench Lee. One wonders if his mere consideration was a fire he was trying to light under the junior, who came alive and threw his best passes of the game in the fourth quarter. If Green had entered the game, and played remotely well, Watson would have opened a Pandora’s Box in Husker Nation. As it is, he cracked it opened a little bit,

“It is what it is,” Lee said. “I had to deal with it. I know Coach Wats has my back, I know Coach (Bo) Pelini has my back, so it kind of motivated me to have their back. It’s just part of the game.”

How often do those motivational techniques work? Once? Twice? Ideally, you don’t use them much.

But Nebraska’s offense, especially the running game, has been a little slipshod at times since the Arkansas State game, when Lee looked like the best quarterback in the Big 12. Roy Helu’s bailed out the offensive line with some terrific individual efforts – more than half of his yards this year are after early contact - and Lee’s fired up that great arm of his at just the right times.

Can NU really afford to hope the switch flips at the right time? To assume the offensive coordinator alights on just the right passing plays to beat the opposing defense?

Watson took considerable heat for his playcalling in Missouri. By Watson’s own actions and logic, he deserved some of the criticism.

Watson used the awful, rainy conditions to defend Lee, yet shrugged off those same conditions in defense of his playcalling because Missouri was “loading the box” against the run. But Watson didn’t exactly help his own case when he unveiled a quite successful quad-tight set at the end of the game that ground out 68 rushing yards in eight plays. The Tigers had ten guys hovering near the line of scrimmage – but the Huskers still ran the ball.

Now comes Texas Tech, a “vanilla” defense that doesn’t blitz much and relies on its front seven to stop the run. Will Watson impose NU’s size advantage? Or will the game, again, fall on Lee’s right arm?

The Huskers could, but should not, use the absence of Rex Burkhead as a built-in excuse for throwing the ball 40 times a game. Burkhead was valuable – he made several crucial plays in the Missouri game – but he was only averaging roughly 6-8 touches per game. If Helu has to carry it 30 times, so be it. He’s a great back, Nebraska’s best in a decade. If Helu’s shoulder is too banged up for the heavy load, Watson and Tim Beck need to trust their own coaching skills, and insert Burkhead’s replacement. It’s football, after all, not a North Korean nuclear treaty negotiation.

And defenses are going to start getting wise to Nebraska’s strategy. If it’s that easy to move NU away from the running game, they’ll take the chances with a quarterback and receivers who have been uneven at best over the last month.

Missouri was a handful of plays away from a shutout, frankly. If Burkhead doesn’t make a nifty move to gain four yards on a third-down play, Lee never gets to make that throw to Paul, and the Tigers shift into the “eating game clock” mode. And the bulk of this week is a real bear for Nebraska and its coaching staff, instead of a celebration of Ndamukong Suh’s many defensive talents.

“Bottom line is, we need to score points,” head coach Bo Pelini said. “You’re not going to shut (Texas Tech) out. You’d like to, but they’re a pretty good offensive football team and we need to match them. We need to put some points on the board.”

You wonder if Bo will have to push some his coaches’ buttons to make it happen.

See also: 50 Husker Fans, 50 States: Pittsburgh

See also: Defending Tech's...Running Game?

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No preamble. Let’s just head to the disco.

Mystery Ingredients: Namely, the weather, and a little flu bug that may hamper some members of Nebraska’s offense.

The forecast calls for heavy rain – truly looking forward to driving in it – chilly temperatures and a north breeze, if not a wind. The conditions aren’t what you’d call “throwing weather” and it puts Nebraska in the position of having to test the Faurot FieldTurf on the fly, essentially, especially if there’s a tarp on it before the game.

That rainy weather will also make for a long day of cabin fever cooped up in a hotel. It’ll get boring. Maybe Bo Pelini can dial up some baseball buddies, learn some new card games.
The flu is a different, slightly more manageable distraction. A full day in a hotel bed might actually be good for some of the players, including running back Roy Helu, who was held out of the last two practices. Plus, the flu can, but does not necessarily, keep a player from being effective.

Zac Lee On the Road - Again: Nebraska’s quarterback doesn’t have beat to Missouri so much as make the throws allowed by Mizzou’s relatively conservative Cover 2. We’ve seen Zac Lee throw the deep ball, and offensive coordinator Shawn Watson will certainly dial up some shots – regardless of the coverage. What Lee has to do is hit the short stuff on rhythm – slants and bubble screens and shotgun playaction passes – that keeps NU in third-and-manageable. Then, he’ll have to convert some of those key third down plays.

We’ve got a hunch that, at some point, the Tigers will get aggressive, try to pressure Lee, and force throws against one-on-one coverage. And Lee has to answer that bell. In 2007, Sam Keller left 10-14 points on the field by failing to make quick reads under pressure. As bad as Nebraska’s defense played in that game, Keller played worse, and didn’t recover from it for weeks.

The First Impression: Nebraska’s defense may give up a field goal on Missouri’s opening drive. It may even give up a touchdown. But NU has to send the Tigers a message that 2009 won’t be a repeat of 2008 and 2007. If Mizzou busts another easy score to open the game, it’ll be precisely the emotional juice the Tigers need.

Bo Pelini tends to put his defense out on the field first in games by deferring when he wins the coin toss, which almost automatically means the opponent will choose offense. Let’s see if he changes it up, and gives his offense a crack at drawing first blood.

Stick or Quit: If Missouri’s running game gets shut down early, offensive coordinator David Yost will have a choice to make: Keep plugging away, or put the game on Blaine Gabbert’s shoulders. We think Gabbert’s good enough to do it on his own, but the Mizzou braintrust remains pretty adamant about getting Derrick Washington his carries, especially in the red zone. While the Tigers don’t want to be Texas Tech, can they afford to keep running the ball if it doesn’t work?

Pinkel vs. Pelini: Games like this, blowouts or not, often come down individual plays…and individual decisions made by the head coaches. Pinkel often uses a more tactical, clinical approach. Pelini is aggressive and impulsive. They are pretty apt representatives of the offensive superego vs. the defensive id. Analysis vs. feel.

Pelini is a tactician, don’t get us wrong. Sometimes he overschemes the opponent, in fact. But his basic defensive mindset remains “attack” and he often brings unpredictable blitzes based on a preternatural hunch of what the offense is going to do.

Pinkel’s offense dissects. When a defense bull rushes an offense that prefers to go as much horizontal as it does vertical, the defense loses. That was the main culprit for 52-17 last year.

So Pelini’s plan needs to smarter, but also simpler. Pinkel, meanwhile, may be forced to trust elements of his team - the offensive line, the secondary – that haven’t earned it yet. Can he and his assistants push the aggressive button at the right moment? Or do they bend so much they break?

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Two years ago, Mike McNeill’s parents thought they might get a hometown discount in the bleachers of Faurot Field.

Sure, McNeill was a Nebraska tight end traveling into a hostile Missouri den. But he was also a native son, a friend and former teammate of Mizzou receiver Jeremy Maclin. McNeill even hosted current Mizzou quarterback Blaine Gabbert.

“My parents got a rude awakening,” McNeill said. They were called names and heckled.

They called it the “Zou” for a reason. It certainly played a role in the Tigers’ 41-6 victory in 2007, when NU quarterback Sam Keller seemed rattled from the opening snap, and the Cornhuskers’ defense walked around in a fog, casting a net so wide that Missouri frequently – and happily – attacked the middle of the field.

“They were jacked up,” McNeill recalled. “They had their special uniforms for our game. And extra seats. I’m sure the fans will be pretty rowdy.”

A record crowd is expected for Thursday night’s ESPN-televised game. The Tigers are 32-7 at home since 2003 - 17-6 vs. the Big 12 - and has won nine straight games over Big 12 North opponent, including three straight over Nebraska. Because of the 8:00 p.m. start – tip your cap to the start of the baseball playoffs for that – Mizzou partisans will have the bulk of the day to, ahem, prepare, while NU bangs around their hotel.

“We’ll probably play a lot of Playstation,” senior wide receiver Chris Brooks said. “A lot of Nebraska vs. Missouri.”

Brooks is arguably most excited Husker for the trip. He’ll get to see his 5-year-old son, Chris Brooks, Jr., who lives in St. Louis, where Brooks starred in high school. It’ll be a late bedtime for Junior that night.

He’s also trying to wrangle up enough tickets for family members. Missouri is enjoying a rare sellout for Thursday.

“Cousins that I didn’t know I had,” Brooks joked, “and uncles. But it’ll all get worked out.”

Brooks’ prediction for the atmosphere of gold-clad Tiger fans?

“Real crazy,” he said. “I think we need to answer the bell, compete and match their intensity from the opening kickoff. I think if we do that, we’ll be in good shape.”

Head coach Bo Pelini pointed to NU’s experience at Virginia Tech as useful prep for Missouri. Though Nebraska’s offense pulled a grilled-cheese meltdown late in the third quarter, the Huskers generally kept their pose in Blacksburg, and snuffed out the Hokies’ early momentum after a long kickoff return.

“All your experiences help you,” Pelini said. “Both good and bad.”

Running back Roy Helu said the Tech game – plus Pelini’s love-it-on-the-road approach – converted him into a guy who wouldn’t mind playing “12 games on the road.”

“Never really bought into that ‘road mentality’ stuff until we went to Virginia Tech,” said Helu, who gained 169 yards in Blacksburg. “The best football experience of my life. The environment. They were loud, they were jingling their keys. We were loving it on offense. The louder they got, the more focused they got.”

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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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It’s after Nebraska’s football practice Wednesday, and running back Roy Helu stands in the south end zone of the Hawks Center, cracking jokes with a bunch of middle-schoolers who came to greet the Cornhuskers as they left the building.

They laugh and then huddle up, while one of the kids leading a chant. Helu, easily the biggest guy in the bunch, is right there saying it, too. And he’s practically the only NU player left in the practice facility.

The 6-foot, 215-pounder is the last guy you imagine will cop to an “inner struggle.” But, then, that’s Helu, a Christian who consistently deflects attention away from him successes and toward his weaknesses – or the strengths of his teammates.

“An inner struggle? Yeah,” Helu said. “Every morning when I wake up, I want to be selfish. I can’t though. And I do sometimes.”

Helu talks about “losing focus” and “mental toughness.” He talks about a vision he has for Nebraska’s offense, and how “we’re nowhere near it.” He is by turns funny and cryptic.

He is also – for this week, anyway – the leading rusher in the Big 12, with 464 yards for a 116-yard-per-game average.
Couple that with his 169-yard breakthrough game at Virginia Tech, and pundits are beginning to catch on to what defensive coordinator Carl Pelini, whose unit often faces Helu in practice, already believes.

“The best back in college football,” Pelini said at the Big Red Breakfast Friday. “…Roy will make you look like a bad tackler."

Naturally, Helu isn’t satisfied with his work so far. He labels it “average at best.”

“That’s Roy,” offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said. “He’s a perfectionist.”

Pass blocking has always one of his bugaboos, although running backs coach Tim Beck said recently Helu has improved (in part by necessity) in that area.

But Helu would also like to be more productive in the first quarter. And the junior from The Bay Area has a point there: In 22 first-quarter carries this year, Helu is only averaging 4.27 yards. Take away a 39-yard backwards swing pass from Zac Lee, and that number dwindles down to 2.6 yards per carry.

“The biggest part of my game I need to improve on is starting faster,” Helu said. “Finishing strong is great and everything, and because we have such a great offensive line, it’s easier as the game goes on.

“But I’d like to attack tackles and all that sort of stuff in the beginning of the game and take some of the load off the offensive line.”

Physically, he’s fine with the extra workload. After Quentin Castille was thrown off the team in August, Helu knew that was coming anyway. And he’s OK with the pressure of an eight-man box, too. He’ll likely see it through the Big 12 season, as defenses dare Zac Lee to beat them.

“I got that after the second game when (tight end) Mike McNeill told me their goal was to hold me under 100 yards,” Helu said. “That got me fired up.”

Now, Helu said, he’s focusing on mental aspect of his game. Being sharp on every play, every carry, for several drives in a row. For guy who was part of a committed three-man rotation last year –who hardly played against Mizzou in 2008 – it takes some getting used to.

“The kind of intensity we’re called to have for attention to detail on offense is constant,” Helu said. “It’s a progression, but it’s something I have to keep throughout the whole season.”

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Our offensive report card through the non-conference season, broken down by position and player:

OFFENSIVE MVP: Roy Helu
Helu’s been the steady force on the offense, and a playmaker to boot. One could argue he wasn’t used quite enough in the Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette games, but his fresh legs will be better served in the Big 12 season.
Special Mention: Zac Lee, Curenski Gilleylen, Jacob Hickman, Marcel Jones

GRADES

QUARTERBACK: B Zac Lee aced three out of four tests. He struggled at Virginia Tech, the only non-conference where he faced a big-league pass rush. Lee’s got a big-time arm. That we can see. It creates opportunities where Zac Taylor, Sam Keller and Joe Ganz could not. And Lee throws a better deep ball than any NU quarterback in recent memory. But his tendency to scramble forward and fire passes into the middle of the field will burn him in the Big 12 race if he isn’t more careful. Lee also has to manage the huddle a little better, and not waste timeouts or audible opportunies because he’s run out of time…in his brief mop-up appearances, Cody Green has flashed a lot of speed and a long stride that makes him particularly good as runner. His passing has been just fair. Green brings a fun, emotional component to the field. He looks, acts and talks like a quarterback, even at 19. LaTravis Washington has served mostly to hand off and take a knee.

Best game: Arkansas State. An array of dazzling passes.
Worst game: Virginia Tech. Lee “chased ghosts"

RUNNING BACK: B+ Very good things, thus far, out of Roy Helu, who’s running better – and tougher - than ever before. Helu’s not about to be the kind of guy who lets his level of play slip. He could polish up his pass blocking, but he’s been a credible receiver and tough runner. His back-up, Rex Burkhead, is shifty and elusive, similar to Helu, but possibly with better hands. Nebraska needs a hammer back, though, and apparently none is forthcoming to replace the departed Quentin Castille. Austin Jones and Lester Ward have been used sparingly, and Collins Okafor, who may possess the most natural talent, is fighting to learn the offense. Marcus Mendoza is back in the mix after an ill-advised move to wide receiver. Traye Robinson is a redshirt guy, and should be an interesting option next year.

Best Game: Virginia Tech. Helu = warrior. Burkhead had a nifty catch
Worst Game: Arkansas State. Helu missed some holes, blocks.

OFFENSIVE LINE: B Barney’s Cotton’s unit has battled injuries for a month and managed pretty well despite those problems. Aside from a couple breakdowns by D.J. Jones against excellent defensive ends, the pass blocking has been relatively solid, and Lee’s enjoyed plenty of time to throw. The run blocking has been better on first and second down than it has in short yardage. The Huskers pull and move with speed and aggression. They don’t maul as well as they could. Another weakness are dumb penalties – as evidenced by the Virginia Tech game – at bad times.

Individually, Jacob Hickman has been a steady force at center, aside from a few wayward snaps. Tackle Marcel Jones might well be MVP, swinging from left to right and winning more than his share of battles in the passing game. Guard Ricky Henry, aside from one costly holding penalty, has been surprisingly consistent and physical. Tackle Mike Smith had been a little dinged up, but solid. D.J. Jones still needs work on his pass blocking, but he could be NU’s best perimeter run blocker. Guard Derek Meyer filled in capably for an injured Keith Williams, who is now returning to form as Big 12 play begins. Andy Christensen and Mike Caputo offer useful depth.

Best Game: Lafayette. The big boys showed off all of their talents.
Worst Game: Virginia Tech. Several drive-killing penalties.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: B+ We expected this grade of the tight ends, but the receivers are a surprise unit, as Curenski Gilleylen and Chris Brooks had sidled up alongside Niles Paul, Menelik Holt and Mike McNeill to provide Lee five dependable receiving options. Gilleylen has been one of the MVPs of the offense thus far, consistently get open in zones and providing Lee a deep threat out of the slot. Brooks has also been sure-handed out of slot, raising questions as to why he wasn’t played earlier. Paul’s been dynamic, if a little underused, while Holt is Lee’s possession guy on quick slants and out patterns. At tight end, McNeill’s made a few highlight grabs, missed on a few others, and been so-so with his blocking. Defenses are paying more attention to him; he’ll work through it. Dreu Young and Ben Cotton are solid blockers, while Kyler Reed has been targeted quite a bit without quite cashing in yet. Khiry Cooper, Antonio Bell and Brandon Kinnie have flashed some talent in reserve roles. They’ll be the guys next year.

Best Game: Arkansas State. Everybody got some love.
Worst Game: Virginia Tech. Holt needed to make those two catches.

GAME MANAGEMENT/PENALTIES: C Nebraska continues to struggle with its huddle at times, even vs. Lafayette, when NU had to burn a timeout right after taking one. Lee’s a new quarterback, but this has to clean up going into Big 12 season. As for penalties, the third-quarter meltdown at Virginia Tech stands out right now, and one has to wonder whether Lee could make good on a two-minute drill – first half or second half – it he was forced to do it. This is still an offense that seems, just like the beginning of last year, a little unsure of itself.

Best Game: Arkansas State. Easily the cleanest in that area.
Worst Game: Florida Atlantic First-game jitters.

PLAYCALLING: A- We could quibble just a little with Shawn Watson’s red zone gameplan at Virginia Tech – but not that much, considering NU’s offensive line is struggling to open running holes near the goal line. Overall, Watson’s been terrific, even better than last year. He’s tailored the offense to Lee’s ability to throw the deep ball, he hasn’t been afraid to mix and match receiving personnel, and the running game has been more varied and efficient. We applaud the new shotgun running schemes that mirror some spread offenses, and like how Watson uses the toss play in a variety of formations and situations. Instead of screens, which are hard for Lee to throw given his height, Watson has incorporated more shovel passes. No wildcat yet, and not too many trick plays, but Watson, wisely, knows not to overdo them.

Best Game: Arkansas State. Especially the first quarter.
Worst Game: Virginia Tech. Trust the run game a little more.

See also: Non-Conference Report Card Defense

CHALK TALK: Mizzou’s Run Game Pt. 1 and 2

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