Offensive MVP: Kenny Bell, WR. I give Bell this award for his consistency. A reliable receiver whether we need a short, mid-range, or long reception, Bell has also improved his blocking, and overall strength, getting some tough Yards After Catch already this season. The most impressive thing about Bell's game this year might be the way he's held onto the ball while taking some hard shots. Certain quarterbacks on this team could learn a lesson from Bell.
Honorable Mention: Ameer Abdullah, RB
Defensive MVP: Josh Mitchell, CB. Week in and week out, Mitchell has probably been Nebraska's most consistent defender. He's been good in coverage, but I think his most endearing asset is that despite his size, he's been the best tackler on the team through 6 games. When I think of Mitchell, I think the play in the 3rd quarter versus Wisconsin, with Nebraska down 17 points, Mitchell comes screaming in on a corner blitz, throws all 155 pounds of his 5'10 frame, and smacks 210lb Montee Ball down for a 3 yard loss. That's an MVP type play that the Husker linebackers could learn from.
Honorable Mention: Eric Martin, DE
Special Teams MVP: Ameer Abdullah, KR/PR. Fumbles aside, Abdullah has been a consistent threat whenever he gets the ball in his hands on the return. His punt return for a TD against Idaho State was nice, but I really liked his long return against Ohio State (even though he was tackled by the punter). Nebraska will need a few more of those down the stretch.
Honorable Mention: Brett Maher K/P
Freshman MVP: Andy Janovich, FB. Some would argue that Imani Cross deserves this award, but I'm giving it to the walk-on from Gretna for working into the starting line-up and playing fairly clean in the time he's been given. If you like what Janovich has shown so far, then you have to be excited for what the future holds for the freshman.
Honorable Mention: Imani Cross, RB
Play of the Year: Taylor Martinez's 92 yard sprint at UCLA. It sucks to have lost, but this was vintage T-Magic and it put Nebraska up for a bit in this game.
Honorable Mention: Martinez's 42 yard TD pass to Kenny Bell vs Arkansas State
Play we want back: Taylor Martinez sacked in the endzone for a safety at UCLA. The Bruins broke the tie with this play as Martinez made a horrible read and had no room to improvise as he was devoured by the Bruin DE. Nebraska's defense couldn't stop a statue at the Rose Bowl that night, and the offensive mistakes ended up spelling doom for the Big Red's chances.
Dis-Honorable Mention: Braxton Miller's 72 yard second quarter run in Columbus.
I want to see more...
*Consistency. In every phase of the game; in the coaching, in the execution, and in the week to week performance, this program is starving for any semblance of consistency. Roller coasters are only fun if the ride ends before you lose your lunch.
*Defensive heart. As bad as the execution has been this year, the defense hasn't shown a lot of motivation in losses to Ohio State and UCLA. In wins over Arkansas State and Wisconsin, you saw plenty of fire, but it was fleeting at best in the two losses, and in the opener against Southern Miss. Somebody, anybody needs to get these boys fired up and keep them fired up.
*Defensive performance. Are the coaches putting them in the wrong position or are the players failing to execute? Wherever the blame falls, it needs to be fixed in a hurry with tough games every week from here on.
*Takeaways. This defense has only 9 so far on the season, and I can't think of a single one that could be considered a game-changer. The Huskers are 109th in the country in turnover margin and unless that improves fairly drastically, the next six weeks are gonna be pretty rough
*Offensive consistency. For all of the yards, points, and big plays I don't think there's too many fans who are absolutely comfortable with the offense right now. Turnovers, penalties, and head-scratching play calls keep this offensive attack from being among the greatest in the country.
*Rex Burkhead. He missed the better part of the first 3 games, and then missed most of the second half against Ohio State. If Rex isn't injured, I don't think the Huskers lose to UCLA. Rex played a valuable role in the comeback against Wisconsin, and in the first half at Ohio State and he's been more explosive in limited time this year. In this six week stretch run, Tim Beck would be wise to lean on the senior from Plano, TX.
*Power Running: Tim Beck gets too cute sometimes, and though it's worked for some nice plays, it's also resulted in backbreaking turnovers and sacks. Beck has a powerful offensive line, a deep running back corps, and a soft defense. It's time to chew some clock, grind out some drives, and keep the opposing offenses on the sideline.
I want to see less...
*Turnovers. The biggest reason the Huskers rank in near the bottom of the nation in turnover margin, and the biggest reason they're not 6-0, is that the offense has put the ball on the turf 17 times, losing 10 fumbles and thrown another 5 INTs. Martinez alone has turned the ball over 5 times in two Big Ten games and both Wisconsin and Ohio State were particularly adept at turning those mistakes into points. This absolutely must stop if the Huskers want to win any of the next six games.
*Despair. Both the fan base and the team seem to get down easily, and things just snowball. This in on Pelini and his staff, as they're responsible for keeping the team on an even keel.
*Helplessness against mobile QBs. Both Brett Hundley and Braxton Miller abused the Nebraska defense, scrambling for big yards, and taking advantage of the safeties creeping up to hit big play-action passes. Poor tackling and poor containment have led to big gains, 2 losses, and embarrassing stats against mobile QBs and with Kain Colter, Denard Robinson, and MarQuies Gray still on the schedule, the problem isn't going away.
*Road struggles. The Huskers are as bad on the road this year as they were in losses to Wisconsin and Michigan last year, and with big games at Northwestern, Michigan State and Iowa still to play, we really need some of the road magic the Huskers showed in 2010 when they beat Washington, Kansas State, and Oklahoma State on the road.
*Swiss cheese defensive line. The Huskers are 93rd in the nation against the run in large part because they get so little production from their front four. Opposing offensive lines generally push the line of scrimmage forward 3 yards, and on the few plays the ends and tackles get any penetration, they've showed an annoying tendency to miss tackles. Something needs to change here.
Armchair head coach:
If I'm Bo Pelini this week, I would make some drastic changes to the defensive scheme because nothing he's done this year has been overly effective against a good mobile quarterback. The 3-4 look the Huskers have toyed with already this season deserves a long look, and it might be worth it to go back to the 1-5-5 look the Huskers employed with success against Michigan State last season. The talent on this defense is not on the defensive line, so it makes sense to drop Eric Martin back with the linebackers and using him to spy these mobile QBs. Something fundamental is wrong with this defense, and it's on Bo to swallow his pride and change his game.
Bo might also try to rein in Tim Beck a little bit. I know the offense is the strength of the team, but they've been just as harmful to Nebraska's defense with turnovers and three and outs as they are to the opposing defense. Beck needs to stop trying to out-scheme everyone, and just let his offense run the ball down the other team's throat.
Hit of the season: This goes to Alonzo Whaley for his 4th down stop against Wisconsin. I like Whaley's determination, fighting through some rough patches in his career, and he's rewarded with a career defining stop to ice the game against the Badgers.
Jennifer's Take (my wife doesn't know much about football, but she still has opinions:
"Taylor Martinez needs to stop throwing like a girl. And I hope Rex Burkhead gets better soon."
Song of the Week:
"Carry On" by fun.
"If you're lost and alone
Or you're sinking like a stone
Carry on
May your past be the sound
Of your feet upon the ground
Carry on"
The Huskers certainly are lost right now, but there's nothing a six game win streak wouldn't fix. All things considered, the only thing the Huskers really can do right now is carry on.
Beer of the Week:
Caguama Cerveza by Cerveceria la Constancia, San Salvador, El Salvador
I was making fajitas this week, and went to the store to grab some Corona (Mexican food needs Mexican beer), and saw the turtle and thought "What the heck, it's a little cheaper." There's a reason for that. Caguama tries really hard to taste like Corona, but it ends up tasting like the cheap knock-off that it is. Throw in a lime wedge, and it's a little easier to swallow, but you're better off just paying another 2 bucks for a six of Corona.
Commercial of the Week:
Maybe its because my son looks so much like the e-trade baby, but I really like e-trade commercials and this one is no exception.
Final Thought:
I'm really glad that the bye week is over. The negativity and despair that are swirling around the program need an outlet, and the only outlet is another game. I'll admit that I really like Bo Pelini, and it makes me cringe to see his team struggle because I thought he would have more success here at Nebraska. Bo needs to circle the wagons with his team shut out all of the negativity, and focus his efforts toward beating Northwestern Northwestern is a pretty good team, but there's no reason they should beat Nebraska, even with all of the defensive struggles. This is one of the most important six game stretches in Nebraska football history. The whole trajectory of the program are riding on Bo meeting the standard he set to "win out."
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