Sunday Review: South Dakota State

Anybody else tired?

Coming off one of the most draining weeks that Nebraska football has ever endured, the Blackshirts treated fans to one of the most tiring performances in recent memory.  The Husker defense allowed 25 first downs and 465 yards to the FCS Jackrabbits, including 202 rushing yards to a thick running back by the name of Zach Zenner. 

Fortunately, the offense that drew comparisons to the '83 Scoring Explosion in the preseason finally decided to show up.  Moving up and down the field at will all game, the Husker offense, led by backup quarterbacks Tommy Armstrong and Ron Kellogg III, calmly answered everything their Jackrabbit counterparts threw at them, and started to pull away in the second quarter.  Aside from a few penalties, and the omnipresent fumbles, there wasn't much to gripe about with the Husker O. 

So Nebraska sits at 3-1 with a bye week before getting into the "JV" part of their Big Ten slate.  There's plenty of questions to answer and kinks to fix, both on the field and off, but there's also abundant hope for the future.  After the week Husker Nation just endured, it's impossible to say for sure what the Huskers will look like when Illinois rolls into town in two weeks, but suffice to say, there's not going to be any lack of intrigue.

On with the review:

Offensive MVP: Zach Zenner, RB South Dakota State.  Yes the Husker offense had a great day, but when you average 9.6 yards per rush and finish with 223 total yards and 2 TDs, it doesn't matter if your team lost, you're an MVP in my book.  Zenner's running style reminded me a lot of Rex Burkhead: up the field in a hurry and always falling forward for extra yards. 

Defensive MVP: Stanley Jean Baptiste, CB.  The senior had another pick (his 4th), a hit that jarred a completed pass out of the receiver's hands, and a 1-on-1 tackle just short of the sticks on 4th down.  When the Blackshirts need a play, SJB is going to be the man this year.  If only he could be more consistent.

Special Teams MVP: Kenny Bell, KR.  Bell has done an outstanding job returning kicks this year, always a step or two from breaking a big one.  Bell had returns of 34 and 29 yards yesterday and the Huskers first two possessions started on the right side of the 30 yard line. 

Freshman MVP: Tommy Armstrong Jr, QB.  This kid looked like the real deal yesterday.  Granted the Jackrabbits' defense is never going to be confused for Michigan State, but Armstrong was precise passing, and authoritative running the ball, plus he was absolutely in control from the first snap.  The future looks bright for this kid.

Assistant Coach MVP: Joe Ganz and Tim Beck, QBs.  One of the hardest things in football is preparing a backup quarterback, and it's even harder to rotate two quarterbacks in the same game.  Beck and Ganz did a fantastic job preparing Armstrong and Kellogg for action this week and got great looks from both guys.  Each QB brings a different skill set to the table, but both of them showed themselves capable of running the show in a game in which the pressure was on to score on every drive.  Both quarterbacks are better throwers than Martinez, especially when they need to get the ball farther than 15 yards, and if Martinez needs more than 2 weeks to heal that turf toe, I don't think too many Husker fans are worried.

Key Stat: After that disastrous 1st quarter, the Blackshirts managed to hold SDSU to 1-8 on third downs the rest of the game.

Play of the Game: There was so much to love about Nebraska's first TD.  First of all, it was an option play.  Second, Tommy Armstrong executed it beautifully, challenging the defender before pitching to Imani Cross.  Finally, it had to be a huge confidence boost for a young quarterback who hadn't played any meaningful snaps yet.  Gorgeous play.

Play We Want Back: Kenny Bell's dropped TD pass.  That was honestly one of the most beautiful passes I have ever seen a Nebraska quarterback throw and it was unfortunate that Bell let it go after he hit the ground hard.     

Blown Call: There must be something wrong about the technique that Nebraska's defensive linemen use to rush quarterbacks, because opposing offensive lineman almost never get called for their blatant holding.  I don't remember the specific play, but Randy Gregory's jersey was almost torn off after rushing Austin Sumner on one play.  Makes me go hmmmm...   

Hit of the Game: If you stayed tuned to the 4th quarter, then you saw S Charles Jackson crush Trevor Wesley inside the 5 yard line on a late punt return and then a few plays later Jackson put a helmet on the ball on a pass play forcing a fumble.  Why we don't see more of him?

I want to see more...
*Option football.  When Taylor Martinez runs the option, I cringe.  When Armstrong runs the option, especially on that first touchdown, tears well up in the corner of my eye from the sheer beauty of it all. 
*Backups. They played early and often yesterday on both sides of the ball, and that's a good sign.  Bo hasn't always been good about getting backups in the game.
*Imani Cross.  Seriously, this kid is invincible.  If you want a textbook example of a RB having the will to find the endzone regardless of bad blocking or defensive penetration, then look at Cross' second TD of the day.
*Who's that guy catching the ball?  Sam Burtch caught another TD, Tyler Wullenwaber caught a TD, Alonzo Moore got his first catch as a Husker, Brandon Reilly, Jake Long,  Cethan Carter and Jordan Westerkamp all got in on the action too.  It's a good sign of the depth of our receiving corps when you have to dig your roster out nearly every play to see who just made a catch.    
*Unstoppable offense.  Sure, it was against an FCS team, but there's something to be said about scoring 50 points in three quarters without punting.  This is the offense we all hoped we would see going into the year. 
*Randy Gregory.  That pick six was neat, and I like the way he was used as a hybrid linebacker.  Did you see him plow over the offensive tackle on that play when Aaron Curry got a sack?  If he can just get to the point where his dominance is an every down thing, he'll be scary. 
*Terrell Newby's surprising power.  His first TD as a Husker was memorable for the way he crawled on one arm for the last 5 yards to get across the goal line.  You can't coach that kind of desire.
*QB pressure.  The 5 sacks are pretty deceiving, Austin Sumner had way too much time to throw for most of the game and he repeatedly gashed the Blackshirts with short and long passes.
*Jack Hoffman.  Yesterday was the first time I've seen that huge scar on his head, and it was the second time that tears shot into my eyes.  There are so many things bigger than football, and Jack reminds me to be thankful for my two healthy kids.  Hopefully he'll be sitting next to Ms. Nebraska at games for years to come.

I want to see less...
*Powderpuff defense.  Counting the UCLA game, Nebraska allowed 55 points in a 4 quarter span.  Credit the Blackshirts for tightening up following that goal-line stand at the end of the first quarter, but that number is ridiculous.
*Running backs running free.  Zach Zenner averaged 10.9 yards per rush in the first half.  10.9 yard on 15 carries.  And don't even get me started on the wide open swing passes.  I have a hard time believing that Nebraska can't do better.
*Kenny Bell's dropsies.  Bell dropped one of the most gorgeous passes a Nebraska quarterback has ever thrown in the first half, and fumbled after his 100th career reception in the second.  Tough game for a tough kid.  He'll have to bounce back because we'll need him ready for the Big Ten slate.
*Fumbles.  Yikes.  Week after week this keeps cropping up and with the exception of Ameer Abdullah, it's different guys fumbling every week.  It needs to be a point of emphasis during the bye week.
*Zaire Anderson in coverage.  Is there any way we can move this kid to defensive tackle?  Anderson can tackle better than most of the Blackshirts, but he repeatedly gets lost when trying to cover receivers.  With Nebraska's struggles in getting quarterback pressure, perhaps Anderson can be a permanent blitzer...
*Taylor Martinez on the sideline.   I don't know if I've ever seen a more miserable looking human being than Martinez on the sideline yesterday.  It was like seeing a yellow lab in a cage facing a lake full of ducks.  So sad.

Armchair coach: 
I'm becoming more and more convinced that Nebraska needs to radically alter their defensive approach.  The 2-gap simply isn't working, and I'm dang tired of watching quarterbacks take 8 seconds to get rid of the balls.

Jennifer's Take (my wife doesn't know much about football, but she still has opinions)
"Who is this Sam kid that keeps catching touchdowns?"

Opponent Watch:
*Minnesota is 4-0 for the second straight year, cruising through a weak non-conference schedule.  We'll see how good the Gophers are next week against Iowa.

*Speaking of the Hawkeyes, I'm grudgingly impressed with their 59-3 win over 0-4 Western Michigan, but I'd be surprised if they win more than three Big Ten games this year.

*Michigan State's Mark Dantonio is going to need a power washer to get all the egg off of his face this week.  Aside from the thousand pass interference penalties whistled against his DBs, there was the head scratching decision to switch quarterbacks on the last possession of a 4 point game.  Same old, same old from the Spartans.

*#18 Northwestern had its weakest game so far against Maine and still managed to win by a couple touchdowns. 

*#15 Michigan was sleepwalking again, needing a late field goal to squeak out a win at 0-3 Connecticut.  The Wolverine's inconsistency over the past 2 games is as striking as it's dominance in their first two.

*Penn State looked impressive in a 34-0 shutout of Kent State.  It was important for the Nittany Lions to rebound after the loss to UCF last week.

*Purdue was helpless against Melvin Gordon and #24 Wisconsin, surrendering 3 TDs to the junior.  I'm sure Husker fans can relate.

*#13 UCLA picked up where they left off last Saturday, rolling through New Mexico State 59-13.


*This week on the How-Good-Is-Wyoming tour: Brett Smith has 373 yards and 4 TDs as the Cowboys trample a tough Air Force squad 56-23.

Keeping an Eye on the Rest of the College Football World...
*What a dull week.  No big upsets, no big games.  Just boring.  Next week will be better.

*If you've never seen Georgia Tech's offense play football, you need to get your life together.  Especially for a Nebraska fan whose first football memories were of Tommie Frazier and Ahman Green, watching the Yellow Jacket's flexbone triple-option offense grind a defense down in the 4th quarter in the rain like they did against North Carolina in a 28-20 win was absolutely beautiful.  Inside dives, outside pitches, and the triple option plays are nearly impossible to defend for four quarters, and just when the defense is at the breaking point, BAM! playaction pass.  Gorgeous.

*#9 Georgia held off a surprisingly game North Texas team in a sloppy win.  Not surprisingly, Georgia fans are panicking and calling for Mark Richt's head.  Sounds familiar...

*Frank Beamer is the latest coach to stay in coaching too long.  Don't get me wrong, Beamer is a future Hall of Famer and a coach whom I respect as much as any still in the game, but his teams seemed to get consistently worse the past 5 years or so, and after a 2-1 start and an ugly overtime win versus Marshall, it might be best for the Hokies' administration to start getting a succession plan in place.  Beamer deserves to go out on his own terms, but it might be time for the Virginia Tech administration to 'encourage' him to retire.

*#4 Ohio State's defense rebounded from an awful performance at Cal with a nice shutout of Florida A&M.  The Rattlers had 80 total yards, while the Buckeyes ran 80 plays. The schedule gets much harder next week against #24 Wisconsin.

*Both #1 Alabama and #10 Texas A&M looked worn out in easy, but lackluster wins against Colorado State and SMU, respectively.  That's the hangover effect in full view.

*Mack Brown gets a temporary reprieve for his 31-21 win over Kansas State last night.  That's his first win over the Wildcats in the last six tries.  He needs to beat #14 Oklahoma in two weeks to have even the slightest chance of saving his job.

*Remember about a year ago when Dana Holgorsen, Geno Smith, and West Virginia were the hottest team in the country?  They just lost 37-0 to Maryland on the road yesterday. 

*#5 Stanford is my favorite for the title game opposite the SEC champion.  The Cardinal play nasty defense and knock 'em dead offense as evidenced by their 39-7 third quarter lead over #23 Arizona State.  The Cardinal have yet to play 4 solid quarters, but when they put it all together, they're going to be hard to beat.

Last Thought
So with 4 games in the books, we're just about where we thought we'd be with this Husker team: young and athletic defense that has frustrating lapses, but gets bailed out by an explosive and efficient offense.

Except who could have foreseen all of the other junk?  Too much ink has already been spilled over all the drama that went on in Husker Nation last week, but suffice to say that the schedule could not be more fortuitous for this frustrating Huskers team.  The bye week comes at a perfect time.  It gives the team a chance to heal up, drill fundamentals, and barring any more surprise audio recordings, re-focus on the still-attainable goal of winning a Big Ten title. 

Fan forecast: tornado-force winds as millions of Husker fans use the bye week to take some deep breaths and relax.