Six strong takes for your Monday morning coffee. It’s free of snow - we promise.

*Kudos to Bo Pelini granting a long-form interview last week with Tom Shatel of the Omaha World-Herald. Bo needs to do this more, not less, often. The man is sharp and expansive in a relaxed setting, and, dear Husker fans, the man is not in a relaxed setting when he walks off the practice field.

About 25 percent of the chat focused on the future of Nebraska’s offense - as it should - and Bo’s apparently shared vision with offensive coordinator Shawn Watson on its identity and direction. Bo already stated his plans one week ago, but he reiterated them again, drawing comparisons to Alabama - which has an equally good defense as Nebraska, but a more productive offense.

A couple thoughts about the comparison.

1. Bill Callahan didn’t want Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy. Maybe could have had him; didn’t want him. McElroy, as it turns out, has the savvy, intelligence and playmaking skills necessary to be a top-flight QB. Chew and choke on that.

2. Alabama’s offense uses the wildcat with Mark Ingram. Only ten snaps per game, but it works. Here’s the Tide’s left guard Mike Johnson on why it’s been successful.

"When you think about stacking the box, one of the main things we focus on is that we're just trying to get the running back through one gap,” Johnson said. “They can have all they want to up there, but they can't fit nine people into one gap. If we can get the running back that seam, then we'll be successful and gain yardage."

Rex Burkhead - a former quarterback with decisive moves - is an excellent fit for the role.

3. Take a look at Youngstown Cardinal Mooney’s offense and running back Braylon Heard in it. Look familiar? Once Heard packs 10-15 pounds for the college game, he’ll be a downhill runner with wiggle.

4. Alabama’s Julio Jones may not have eye-popping numbers at wide receiver, but his size and ability force defenses to roll their safeties toward him in bracket coverage. That opens up the rest of the field for the Tide‘s receivers and tight ends. Translation: Niles Paul has to be good enough in 2010 to not only make catches vs. double coverage, but draw attention for the Huskers to develop a second option - like Brandon Kinnie.

*Cody Green looks like a lock to play in the Holiday Bowl. Good. Now give him some plays that shows off his athleticism.

Sorry, but the kid’s been caged within a funny structure of playaction passes and slow-moving speed options. When you recruit a quarterback, presumably you do it understanding the attendant risks - which, in Green’s case, includes a shotgun-only, zone-read-heavy high school system. Green without his bread-and-butter running plays is Almodovar without Penelope Cruz. What’s the point? Before Bo goes off into the land of the double tight ends, he may want to make sure he doesn’t have a Robert Griffin on his hands. Right?

Or is that dynamic athlete now Taylor Martinez?

*Missouri sure is courting the Big Ten. Won’t the Tigers look dumb if the Big Ten invites Rutgers, Syracuse or Pittsburgh instead?

If Mizzou wants to bolt, here’s to the Big 12 making a bold choice: BYU. Great, albeit unique, football program. Ask Doc Sadler about the basketball team. The Cougars have a national following, a recognizable name brand, good women’s teams and a committed athletic department. And let’s just address the elephant in the room right now, because the whispers surely would exist behind closed doors in Dallas: Any talk of religion, in terms of an athletic conference, is completely inappropriate. It’s not an issue with Baylor. It shouldn’t be one with the Cougars.

*A recent Sports Illustrated profile reveals Urban Meyer to be a fairly anguished, dramatic persona. So I guess I’m not stunned by the last 48 hours, in which he resigned - telling a rather heartfelt story about his 18-year-old daughter getting her “daddy” back on Christmas Eve - then changed his mind. He’ll take an extended vacation instead.

I’m sure much be will said about this reversal - expect ESPN and other national outlets to hold the guy in deep, abiding reverence - so I’ll just say this: I really, really want Cincinnati to beat the Gators in the Sugar Bowl.

*If Nebraska basketball coach Doc Sadler could just get a healthy team, for one month, who knows what the Huskers might do. But such a reality remains just beyond Doc’s reach. Do the Huskers practice too hard? Not exactly. But nobody practices harder. It bears worth watching in future years.

Good to see Eshaunte Jones getting hot as a three-point shooter - he lit it up in Las Vegas, where the Huskers finished 1-1 - because NU needs his range to help free up Jorge Brian Diaz and Quincy Hankins-Cole on the blocks.

Could the Big 12 be any harder? Nah. But if NU can manage a 7-9 league record, it’ll be in excellent position for a NCAA Tournament berth. That 51-48 road win at USC (now 8-4) looks better every day.

*Count me interested to see how Nebraska’s women’s team handles, well, being really good. We’re talking, Final Four-contending, 25-30 wins good. Of course you’d hate to see Kelsey Griffin and Co. look ahead - or would you? There’s something to be said for seizing the moment. It doesn’t come around often, and head coach Connie Yori officially has lightning in the Bob Devaney Sports Center bottle. The Huskers will draw great crowds for the rest of the year following that huge win vs. LSU last Sunday, and they should be in a race with Baylor for the Big 12 crown.

You can bet the Bears are aiming for a Final Four. Is Nebraska? If you win the Big 12 - the nation’s best conference, three years running - what’s to stop you?

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

Marlon Lucky was breathless from his after-practice running and his legs were tired enough that he slumped his body against the red padding that lines the north fence of Memorial Stadium. The padding, apparently off its mooring, slapped against the fence and left Lucky scrambling for his balance.

Yes, it’s been a bit of an interesting season for the senior from North Hollywood, Calif.

His touches are down. The offense has changed in subtle-but-meaningful ways. And running backs coach Tim Beck remains committed to a three-back rotation of Lucky and two sophomores, Roy Helu, Jr. and Quentin Castille. In 2007, Lucky averaged 145 all-purpose yards per game. In 2008, he’s at 80 yards.

But if it isn’t the senior campaign No. 5 had envisioned, he’s not saying; indeed Lucky, with the opportunity to sulk publicly or privately, hasn’t done so.

“I just hang in there,” he said Monday. “Every time I get the ball, I try to do what I can.”

While the offensive line and tight ends struggled to secure blocks in “heavy” formations, Lucky wasn’t able to do much until two weeks ago. That’s when Watson, watching his squad struggle with penalties and complex assignments, nudged the offense toward simplicity in the second half of a 52-17 loss to Missouri.

The result? More looks for Lucky, more points for NU, more time of possession and more energy for the Cornhuskers’ defense.

Lucky had 146 total yards against Texas Tech and 90 in a lopsided win over Iowa State – most of it in the first half.

In the ISU game, Lucky also had a starring role in the “Wildcat” set popularized by Arkansas’ Darren McFadden in college and now the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. On two plays, he took the direct snap from center, faked to Castille, and ran in the opposite direction. On a third, he took the snap and followed Castille’s lead block on a sweep around the left end, resulting in a touchdown.

“It’s football, we steal from everybody,” Lucky said. “You’ll see the same play from a different team. It’s all competitive to find ways to put the ball in playmakers hands.”

Lucky said the formation had a “special name” that could change week to week. Last week it was "Joker." Whatever it is - you probably haven’t seen the last of it.

While the set had modest beginnings in Ames, Beck said the concept is built around Lucky’s open-field talents and may include a play in which Lucky throws a pass – he’s thrown for three touchdowns so far in his career.

“It’s hard because it’s a one back set with two true backs,” Beck said. “How do you defend it?”

Head coach Bo Pelini sure had a hard time when Arkansas ran it against his LSU defense last year. The Razorbacks gained 385 rushing yards that day – 211 from McFadden alone – most of which came out of the same formation. McFadden even threw six passes, completing three for 34 yards and a touchdown in a 50-48, three-overtime win.

“Bo mentioned something about doing it,” Beck said. “You draw from his experience as a defensive coach. Anytime you come up with some ideas and you’ve got a mind like Bo’s, you go ‘hey, Bo what do you think of this?’”

Permanent Link to this Blog Post