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2009 Sep 06
FAU GAME: Helu, Huskers Hammer Owls
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For one game, at least, the kids are all right. And Roy Helu, Jr. is nothing short of electrifying.
Nebraska’s young, relatively untested football team took its occasional lumps in the first half of its season-opener vs. Florida Atlantic. But the 1-0 Cornhuskers delivered twice as many early blows in forging a 21-3 halftime lead over the Owls.
And then they turned it over to Helu, the junior running back who thrilled the 85,719 fans at Memorial Stadium Saturday night with a five-carry, 95-yard, two-touchdown flurry early in the third quarter.
The result was a 49-3 win that left the Nebraska fans fat and happy, the youngest pups flush with a full quarter of experience and head coach Bo Pelini with a list of improvements before playing Arkansas State next Saturday.
“We got to play a lot of guys, but I also found that out we have a lot of work to do,” Pelini said. “We were sloppy at times and not real crisp, but that’s to be expected in the opener.”
FAU coach Howard Schnellenberger called the game “a trip to the woodshed.” He intimated that his team would be taking its day off on the plane ride home.
“(Nebraska) put it into overdrive, and I asked our guys to put it into overdrive, and we didn't have enough juice in the tank,” he said. “So it's a very bitter loss for us. It's the first one that I've had with this program that is tougher to handle than others, because I expected more out of this football team at this juncture.”
Junior quarterback Zac Lee held up nicely in his first start, throwing for 213 yards and two touchdowns. Helu finished with 152 yards and three touchdowns on just 16 carries. Both of them warmed up in the second quarter, as the Huskers’ offensive line – missing starting left guard Keith Williams - found more rhythm. Nebraska also struggled, offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said, with “breaking huddle,” a problem that was resolved at halftime.
Although NU only outgained FAU by 41 yards in the first half, it capitalized on good field position, hit one big play – a 51-yard touchdown pass from Lee to sophomore Curenski Gilleylen - and executed one old-school, back-breaking drive late in the second quarter to ice the game. Lee engineered the 15-play, 82-yard, seven-minute touchdown match, which Helu finished off with a one-yard dive on fourth-and-goal.
“Roy was saying ‘We got them, we got them,’” Lee said of the touchdown. “It was good to pound the ball in. “Our line did a great job there blowing them out.”
Helu was the star of the second half diving for one seven-yard score, then cracking off runs of 14, 28 and 44 yards, almost out of thin air, the last of which was a dazzling touchdown to put the Huskers up 35-3. Helu started on a counter to his left, jab-stepped back to his right, ran back around Lee, darted upfield and outran every FAU defender the goal line.
“I misread the block,” joked Helu, decked in a post-game Panama hat and three giant candy leis of taffy and Tootsie Rolls. “…then Zac Lee was in the way, so I ran past him. And just ran, I guess.”
NU tacked on two more touchdowns, an eight-yard run from Rex Burkhead and one-yard run from Cody Green. In total, the Huskers amassed 490 yards and went 4-for-4 inside the red zone. The offense also converted two fourth-and-goal situations. Lee threw an interception midway through the third quarter.
“The type of offense we’re trying to become, you saw in the third quarter,” Helu said.
Nebraska’s defense got a spirited, if uneven, performance from its linebackers and secondary, which caused three turnovers and allowed only a field goal despite giving up 358 yards and 22 first downs.
The linebackers, led by junior Blake Lawrence and redshirt freshmen Will Compton and Sean Fisher, spent much of the warm evening around FAU ball carriers.
“That linebacking corps, it’s like they were veterans,” said defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who finished with seven tackles.
The preseason All-American didn’t sniff a sack, and the secondary got plenty of work, as Florida Atlantic quarterbacks Rusty Smith and Jeff VanCamp threw the ball so quickly – and often errantly – that NU’s front four had little chance to get pressure. But senior Matt O’Hanlon and junior Prince Amukamara both scored picks off of Smith, who completed just 15 of 31 passes for 164 yards. O’Hanlon had another nullified by a roughing-the-passer penalty, and the Huskers dropped at least two more.
“I’d give myself an F,” Smith said.
Nebraska’s young, relatively untested football team took its occasional lumps in the first half of its season-opener vs. Florida Atlantic. But the 1-0 Cornhuskers delivered twice as many early blows in forging a 21-3 halftime lead over the Owls.
And then they turned it over to Helu, the junior running back who thrilled the 85,719 fans at Memorial Stadium Saturday night with a five-carry, 95-yard, two-touchdown flurry early in the third quarter.
The result was a 49-3 win that left the Nebraska fans fat and happy, the youngest pups flush with a full quarter of experience and head coach Bo Pelini with a list of improvements before playing Arkansas State next Saturday.
“We got to play a lot of guys, but I also found that out we have a lot of work to do,” Pelini said. “We were sloppy at times and not real crisp, but that’s to be expected in the opener.”
FAU coach Howard Schnellenberger called the game “a trip to the woodshed.” He intimated that his team would be taking its day off on the plane ride home.
“(Nebraska) put it into overdrive, and I asked our guys to put it into overdrive, and we didn't have enough juice in the tank,” he said. “So it's a very bitter loss for us. It's the first one that I've had with this program that is tougher to handle than others, because I expected more out of this football team at this juncture.”
Junior quarterback Zac Lee held up nicely in his first start, throwing for 213 yards and two touchdowns. Helu finished with 152 yards and three touchdowns on just 16 carries. Both of them warmed up in the second quarter, as the Huskers’ offensive line – missing starting left guard Keith Williams - found more rhythm. Nebraska also struggled, offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said, with “breaking huddle,” a problem that was resolved at halftime.
Although NU only outgained FAU by 41 yards in the first half, it capitalized on good field position, hit one big play – a 51-yard touchdown pass from Lee to sophomore Curenski Gilleylen - and executed one old-school, back-breaking drive late in the second quarter to ice the game. Lee engineered the 15-play, 82-yard, seven-minute touchdown match, which Helu finished off with a one-yard dive on fourth-and-goal.
“Roy was saying ‘We got them, we got them,’” Lee said of the touchdown. “It was good to pound the ball in. “Our line did a great job there blowing them out.”
Helu was the star of the second half diving for one seven-yard score, then cracking off runs of 14, 28 and 44 yards, almost out of thin air, the last of which was a dazzling touchdown to put the Huskers up 35-3. Helu started on a counter to his left, jab-stepped back to his right, ran back around Lee, darted upfield and outran every FAU defender the goal line.
“I misread the block,” joked Helu, decked in a post-game Panama hat and three giant candy leis of taffy and Tootsie Rolls. “…then Zac Lee was in the way, so I ran past him. And just ran, I guess.”
NU tacked on two more touchdowns, an eight-yard run from Rex Burkhead and one-yard run from Cody Green. In total, the Huskers amassed 490 yards and went 4-for-4 inside the red zone. The offense also converted two fourth-and-goal situations. Lee threw an interception midway through the third quarter.
“The type of offense we’re trying to become, you saw in the third quarter,” Helu said.
Nebraska’s defense got a spirited, if uneven, performance from its linebackers and secondary, which caused three turnovers and allowed only a field goal despite giving up 358 yards and 22 first downs.
The linebackers, led by junior Blake Lawrence and redshirt freshmen Will Compton and Sean Fisher, spent much of the warm evening around FAU ball carriers.
“That linebacking corps, it’s like they were veterans,” said defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who finished with seven tackles.
The preseason All-American didn’t sniff a sack, and the secondary got plenty of work, as Florida Atlantic quarterbacks Rusty Smith and Jeff VanCamp threw the ball so quickly – and often errantly – that NU’s front four had little chance to get pressure. But senior Matt O’Hanlon and junior Prince Amukamara both scored picks off of Smith, who completed just 15 of 31 passes for 164 yards. O’Hanlon had another nullified by a roughing-the-passer penalty, and the Huskers dropped at least two more.
“I’d give myself an F,” Smith said.
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Tags: fau game, fau week, roy helu, zac lee, bo pelini, howard schnellenberger, matt ohanlon
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