It all starts up front. All-American G Spencer Long went down with a knee injury in the first quarter and for the rest of the game, the Huskers struggled to move the ball with anything resembling consistency. After the game, Coach Pelini couldn't put our worst fears to rest, saying only that he would wait for the medical staff to make a full evaluation before commenting on the injury. The tone of his voice wasn't comforting. Then he mentioned the impending MRI, and the collective hearts of Husker nation sank under the depressing reality of another all-star senior getting his career cut short.
As if that weren't enough, freshman phenom Tommy Armstrong played so poorly that even the staunchest haters will be calling for Taylor Martinez to hurry back. If you think about it, Armstrong actually did us all a favor, picking the best possible week to struggle and pop a hole in the burgeoning quarterback controversy. With the bye next week and a perfectly placed road trip to Minnesota, T-Magic can rest another week and then have a nice warm-up game to get back in the groove for a rugged November.
On with the review:
Offensive MVP: Ameer Abdullah, RB. Another 126 yards, a TD and those astoundingly quick cutbacks. The yards were harder to come by, but when his team needed him Abdullah made plays.
Defensive MVP: Randy Gregory, DE. This one's a no-brainer. If it weren't for the late Purdue TD, Gregory could have single-handedly outscored the Boilermakers with his third quarter safety. Add another sack (and another that was negated by a penalty), and a fumble recovery and it adds up to the sort of game that we envisioned when he signed with NU out of junior college last winter.
Special Teams MVP: Sam Foltz, P. Nothing too special from the freshman punter, but he did what he was asked and consistently put Purdue deep in their own territory the entire game.
Freshman MVP: DeAngelo Yancey WR Purdue. Tip your hat to the kid, he played hard and was rewarded with a long TD to avoid the shutout. 5 catches for 146 yards and a TD. The Huskers are likely in for a few more years of getting burned by this kid.
Assistant Coach MVP: Rick Kaczenski, DL. Coach Kaz's boys (and I mean boys) continued to improve, taking a big step forward in West Lafayette. The front four got the best pressure I've seen since Jared Crick was in the trenches, racking up 4 sacks, all from first year players. Throw in LB Josh Banderas' sack, and you have promising development from the Husker youth.
5 Who Stood out:
*WR Quincy Enunwa. We'll excuse the drop that would have bailed Nebraska out of a 3rd and 19, and the one that went through his hands on Armstrong's last pick because Enunwa was Nebraska's most consistent WR and made electrifying plays all afternoon.
*RB Imani Cross. He's really good at closing out drives and getting those short TDs. Really good. Cross is also coming along as an every-down back too, making a few nice open field moves and geting yards in chunks.
*LB David Santos. The Sophomore led the Huskers with five tackles and earned unsolicited praise from Bo after the game. The early season benching lit a fire under Santos and he's come on strong the last two weeks.
*CB Mo Seisay. He took over for Nebraska's best defensive player after Stanley Jean-Baptiste was ejected, and played solidly in relief getting a pass break-up and locking receivers down in the seocnd half.
*QB Ron Kellogg III. The offense suffers from his lack of rushing ability, but there's a lot to be said for his accuracy, and arm strength. RKIII didn't win the backup job yesterday, but he certainly closed the gap.
Key Stat: 1.3 yards per rush for the Boilermakers. Two freshman QBs in this game, and both of them were mostly awful. The biggest difference between the two? Armstrong got a lot more help from his offensive line and running backs than Danny Etling did.
Play of the Game: Late in the second quarter Quincy Enunwa took a short pass and decided to do his best Barry Sanders impression, hurdling, spinning, and straight up powering through the entire Boilermakers' secondary for a 35 yard gain. I can pretty much guarantee that Bo would like to go back in time and redshirt Enunwa back in 2009. As it is, Enunwa is building a fantastic case to be Nebraska's first wide receiver drafted in the first two rounds since Irving Fryar.
Play We Want Back: I lost count of how many deep passes thrown by both QBs went just a liiiitle bit too far for their wide receivers to get under. It's a game of inches, and with a few more inches under a couple throws, Tommy Armstrong's stat line looks much better than 6 of 18 for 43 yards and 3 INTs.
Blown Call: I'm going to sound like a homer when I say that SJB's hit wasn't targeting, but dangit, He's a 6'3" corner screaming downfield to tackle a 5'9" running back in the flat. When you watch the play in slow motion of course it looks like SJB dropped his head, but when you think about the situation, it's the only thing that made sense for him to do: he had to get low and make a good tackle because there was nothing but green for the RB if he had missed. That's the maddening part of the new rule. Harvey Jackson made essentially the same play on Purdue's next drive, but because TE Justin Sinz is 7 inches taller, Jackson's helmet bounced harmlessly off of his shoulder.
I'm all for player safety, but rules that make it impossible to play defense aren't the way to do it.
Hit of the Game: When offensive line coach John Garrison said that Purdue's safeties were some of the hardest hitters in the Big Ten, I though it was lame coach speak. Ask Cethan Carter, Terrell Newby, or Ameer Abdullah if they think the same thing after taking some serious shots yesterday.
SJB deserves credit for his suplex sack on Etling in the first quarter. To pull that off without committing a penalty is smooth stuff.
I want to see more...
*Option. Last week it was Abdullah who burned Illinois off a pitch, this week, Armstrong, with those fantastic fakes, gets a TD from four yards out. The only other time the Big Red ran the play, freshman DT Evan Panfil blasted into the backfield and dropped Armstrong for a four yard loss. Two option runs aren't enough.
*Spencer Long. How good is Spencer Long? Let's just say that Nebraska might have gone North of 400 yards rushing had they had the same success rushing the ball as they did on their first drive, when Long was in the game.
*Three-and-outs. The Blackshirts started the game with three 3-and-outs and an interception in Purdue's first four drives. Though they only managed one more three-and-out the rest of the game (not counting the safety that happened on 2nd down), the 14-0 lead the offense built would be all the points the Huskers would need. Hopefully this game is a springboard for the rest of the season.
*Fourth down guts. It's sort of ridiculous that it took four downs to move three yards at the end of the first quarter, but I love the decision to go for it on 4th down. The offensive line (and Imani Cross) imposed their will on the Boiler's defense, and finished a 12 play drive with six points.
*Ron Burgundy Dodge commercials. It's been a bad year for commercials, but Will Ferrell is single-handedly rescuing the advertising industry with his hilarious Durango commercials.
I want to see less...
*FUMBLES!!!! I feel like I'm taking crazy pills watching this offense. Jordan Westerkamp and Imani Cross are the latest offenders. Westerkamp committed one of the most mind-numbing fumbles I've seen since Niles Paul's goal-line drop in '09; luckily he threw it out of bounds. Cross earns my ire for failing to secure the ball all the way to the ground on a third quarter run near the goal line. We didn't lose any this week, but that is small consolation with the schedule we have coming up.
*Missed opportunities. The Big Red Offense's average starting field position was their 41 yard line. Perhaps I'm being unrealistic, but I expect more than six TDs with only 59 yards to travel. Armstrong's three interceptions definitely hurt, but the offense went three-and-out too many times and were a weak 11-21 on third down overall.
*DeAngelo Yancey. The freshman from Atlanta made several nice plays all afternoon, not the least of which was the one-handed grab in double coverage while he was being interfered with. And there was that little play right at the end of the game too. That huge body and his speed is going to give us a few more headaches for the next two years at least.
*RB rotation. I never thought I'd say that Ron Brown was rotating his running backs too much, but lo and behold, after three years of criticism of riding one back for too many carries, causing two heralded backs to transfer, Brown went too far the other way. I swear, no back had more than three carries in a row yesterday, and on a day when Armstrong was struggling, I thought we should have seen at least 5-7 more carries from Abdullah.
Armchair coach:
Yes, Josh Mitchell (who played an awful 4th quarter, committing two stupid penalties) got absolutely roasted by freshman wide receiver DeAngelo Yancey, but why in God's name did we squib that last kickoff and set the Boilermakers up at midfield? Mauro Bondi has one of the best touchback percentages in the NCAA, and even if he didn't get the TB, our kickoff coverage has been excellent so far this year. You might think I'm being a little bit greedy considering we won by 37 points but dangit I really wanted that shutout.
Jennifer's Take (my wife doesn't know much about football, but she still has opinions)
Jennifer took the kids to Roca Berry Farm yesterday, and missed the game. She'll be back with her takes when the Huskers travel to Minnesota.
Opponent Watch:
*Indiana kept it close in the first half, but Sparty's offense blew it open in the third quarter to cruise to a 42-28 win. Indiana's defense is so bad that it's hard to know for sure, but if that Spartan offense is for real, then they're unquestionably the favorite in the Legends division.
*#19 Northwestern really missed injured RB Venric Mark at Wisconsin. The Wildcats couldn't move the ball on offense, and were run over on defense in a 35-6 loss. Wisky coach Gary Andersen looks like the real deal.
*I didn't see much of #18 Michigan's loss at Penn State until the end of the first overtime when Michigan K Brendan Gibbons had his 40 yarder blocked. What followed was the most intense three periods of overtime that I can imagine, complete with missed kicks, converted 4th and short and a controversial pass interference. I was rooting for Penn State to pull off the upset, but I can't say that I am pleased with how the Legends division has performed so far. It's anyone's division at this point.
*Wyoming nearly managed to blow a 21 point lead to New Mexico, but QB Brett Smith racked up 140 yards on the ground, scoring the deciding two TDs in the 4th quarter. Wyoming is sitting at 4-2 and an eight or nine win season is within reach.
*Zach Zenner and South Dakota State got back on track, beating Western Illinois in a Missouri Valley Conference game. Zenner racked up 133 yards and 2 TDs. That's right, Western Illinois' defense did a better job of shutting down Zenner than the Blackshirts.
*#11 UCLA coasted to a 37-10 victory over Cal late last night. Brett Hundley racked up 410 yards of passing with three TDs and no interceptions. The Bruins travel to Stanford next week.
Keeping an Eye on the Rest of the College Football World...
*Upset Saturday this week, let's start with the least surprising one. Missing 4 of their 5 best playmakers, #7 Georgia welcomed #25 Missouri into Athens, and the Tigers slapped the Dawgs around for four quarters. I told my buddy not to worry about the Tigers because of Gary Pinkel's penchant for not showing up in big games, but I'll eat my words and give the Tigers (one of my least favorite teams) their due. That's a scary defensive line they have and a good offense. #17 Florida limps into Colombia next week, and # 14 South Carolina the week after that. If the Tigers win those games, then their November 30 tilt against #9 Texas A&M will be the new biggest game in school history.
*And the one that shocked everyone: #5 Stanford dropping a nail-biter at Utah. The Cardinal's normally outstanding defense surrendered 414 yards and their offense lost two turnovers to give the Utes the upset. Remember how I said I thought Stanford would be the team opposite the SEC Champ in the national championship game? More words I have to eat.
*I can't explain it, but I had a feeling that Mack Brown might pull out a win in the Red River rivalry, because that's the sort of infuriating inconsistency that's defined the last 5 years of Texas football. Is the win enough to save his job? Probably, but it shouldn't be. Texas is still trending down, and there's really no excuse for it.
*They didn't get the win, but credit Kansas State for being the first team to hold #15 Baylor to less than 60 points. The Bears proved themselves capable of overcoming adversity after losing a comfortable lead in the third quarter, scoring two late TDs and getting defensive stops to ice the game.
*#3 Clemson almost got caught napping by a tough Boston College team, but the Tigers were able to get the win and set up the ACC's dream matchup with #6 Florida State next week.
*Another near upset that's going to get a lot less time on ESPN was #23 Northern Illinois' 27-20 squeaker versus Akron. The last time we saw the Zips, they were three yards away from beating Michigan. Yesterday, Terry Bowden's team was 55 yards away from tying the Huskies. Read into that what you will.
*I watched #17 Florida get beat at #10 LSU, and I have to wonder why the Gators' are so insistent on talking smack, especially on offense. The Gators are the very definition of offensive ineptitude, and their schedule doesn't get any easier with games at Missouri, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida State still to go.
*#1 Alabama took a full quarter to get going at Kentucky, but when they did they couldn't be stopped, racking up 668 yards in a 48-7 win. The Tide allowed only 170 yards to the Wildcats, and have to more tune-ups against Arkansas and Tennessee before LSU comes to visit.
*#2 Oregon took #16 Washington's best shots, but still managed to pull away in the second half for a comfortable 45-24 win in Seattle. If the Ducks get by Stanford and UCLA, I'm not convinced that any SEC team can slow them down. QB Marcus Mariota is Johnny Manziel-like with an uncanny ability to fit footballs in tight places on the run. And he does alright running the football too.
*Ole Miss gave #9 Texas A&M a scare, but Johnny Football was just too much for the Rebels in the end and the Aggies iced the game with a field goal as time expired. Johnny Manziel reminds me a lot of Taylor Martinez when he runs (read: he carries the ball like a loaf of bread) but he has laser-like precision when he throws that Martinez couldn't begin to duplicate. I'm not saying that he won't be a great NFL quarteback, but if he gets picked up by the Jaguars and is forced to take a beating, I'm not sure his slender frame can handle it.
Last Thought
Pass me an icepack and a bottle of Motrin. Grab some for Spencer Long too.
Yesterday was the sort of physical, hard hitting football that everyone expected going into the Big Ten. The game didn't feature the sort of physical torture of an SEC tilt, but there was plenty of pads popping and paint trading going on to satisfy the soul of old-school fans. The Boilers are perhaps the worst team in the Big Ten, but they didn't lack for effort and nasty physical defense. I suspect that they will be a much stiffer test next season, but there's plenty of other things to worry about until then.
Like toes and knees. So many Husker dreams hinge on the health of their two captains, and if they're both back in time for a road trip to Minnesota, let's just say that the remaining schedule looks far less daunting today than it did Saturday morning.
Fan forecast: another bye week with much better games (Clemson-Florida State, Stanford-UCLA) and much better feelings than last time.
Jennifer took the kids to Roca Berry Farm yesterday, and missed the game. She'll be back with her takes when the Huskers travel to Minnesota.
Opponent Watch:
*Indiana kept it close in the first half, but Sparty's offense blew it open in the third quarter to cruise to a 42-28 win. Indiana's defense is so bad that it's hard to know for sure, but if that Spartan offense is for real, then they're unquestionably the favorite in the Legends division.
*#19 Northwestern really missed injured RB Venric Mark at Wisconsin. The Wildcats couldn't move the ball on offense, and were run over on defense in a 35-6 loss. Wisky coach Gary Andersen looks like the real deal.
*I didn't see much of #18 Michigan's loss at Penn State until the end of the first overtime when Michigan K Brendan Gibbons had his 40 yarder blocked. What followed was the most intense three periods of overtime that I can imagine, complete with missed kicks, converted 4th and short and a controversial pass interference. I was rooting for Penn State to pull off the upset, but I can't say that I am pleased with how the Legends division has performed so far. It's anyone's division at this point.
*Wyoming nearly managed to blow a 21 point lead to New Mexico, but QB Brett Smith racked up 140 yards on the ground, scoring the deciding two TDs in the 4th quarter. Wyoming is sitting at 4-2 and an eight or nine win season is within reach.
*Zach Zenner and South Dakota State got back on track, beating Western Illinois in a Missouri Valley Conference game. Zenner racked up 133 yards and 2 TDs. That's right, Western Illinois' defense did a better job of shutting down Zenner than the Blackshirts.
*#11 UCLA coasted to a 37-10 victory over Cal late last night. Brett Hundley racked up 410 yards of passing with three TDs and no interceptions. The Bruins travel to Stanford next week.
Keeping an Eye on the Rest of the College Football World...
*Upset Saturday this week, let's start with the least surprising one. Missing 4 of their 5 best playmakers, #7 Georgia welcomed #25 Missouri into Athens, and the Tigers slapped the Dawgs around for four quarters. I told my buddy not to worry about the Tigers because of Gary Pinkel's penchant for not showing up in big games, but I'll eat my words and give the Tigers (one of my least favorite teams) their due. That's a scary defensive line they have and a good offense. #17 Florida limps into Colombia next week, and # 14 South Carolina the week after that. If the Tigers win those games, then their November 30 tilt against #9 Texas A&M will be the new biggest game in school history.
*And the one that shocked everyone: #5 Stanford dropping a nail-biter at Utah. The Cardinal's normally outstanding defense surrendered 414 yards and their offense lost two turnovers to give the Utes the upset. Remember how I said I thought Stanford would be the team opposite the SEC Champ in the national championship game? More words I have to eat.
*I can't explain it, but I had a feeling that Mack Brown might pull out a win in the Red River rivalry, because that's the sort of infuriating inconsistency that's defined the last 5 years of Texas football. Is the win enough to save his job? Probably, but it shouldn't be. Texas is still trending down, and there's really no excuse for it.
*They didn't get the win, but credit Kansas State for being the first team to hold #15 Baylor to less than 60 points. The Bears proved themselves capable of overcoming adversity after losing a comfortable lead in the third quarter, scoring two late TDs and getting defensive stops to ice the game.
*#3 Clemson almost got caught napping by a tough Boston College team, but the Tigers were able to get the win and set up the ACC's dream matchup with #6 Florida State next week.
*Another near upset that's going to get a lot less time on ESPN was #23 Northern Illinois' 27-20 squeaker versus Akron. The last time we saw the Zips, they were three yards away from beating Michigan. Yesterday, Terry Bowden's team was 55 yards away from tying the Huskies. Read into that what you will.
*I watched #17 Florida get beat at #10 LSU, and I have to wonder why the Gators' are so insistent on talking smack, especially on offense. The Gators are the very definition of offensive ineptitude, and their schedule doesn't get any easier with games at Missouri, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida State still to go.
*#1 Alabama took a full quarter to get going at Kentucky, but when they did they couldn't be stopped, racking up 668 yards in a 48-7 win. The Tide allowed only 170 yards to the Wildcats, and have to more tune-ups against Arkansas and Tennessee before LSU comes to visit.
*#2 Oregon took #16 Washington's best shots, but still managed to pull away in the second half for a comfortable 45-24 win in Seattle. If the Ducks get by Stanford and UCLA, I'm not convinced that any SEC team can slow them down. QB Marcus Mariota is Johnny Manziel-like with an uncanny ability to fit footballs in tight places on the run. And he does alright running the football too.
*Ole Miss gave #9 Texas A&M a scare, but Johnny Football was just too much for the Rebels in the end and the Aggies iced the game with a field goal as time expired. Johnny Manziel reminds me a lot of Taylor Martinez when he runs (read: he carries the ball like a loaf of bread) but he has laser-like precision when he throws that Martinez couldn't begin to duplicate. I'm not saying that he won't be a great NFL quarteback, but if he gets picked up by the Jaguars and is forced to take a beating, I'm not sure his slender frame can handle it.
Last Thought
Pass me an icepack and a bottle of Motrin. Grab some for Spencer Long too.
Yesterday was the sort of physical, hard hitting football that everyone expected going into the Big Ten. The game didn't feature the sort of physical torture of an SEC tilt, but there was plenty of pads popping and paint trading going on to satisfy the soul of old-school fans. The Boilers are perhaps the worst team in the Big Ten, but they didn't lack for effort and nasty physical defense. I suspect that they will be a much stiffer test next season, but there's plenty of other things to worry about until then.
Like toes and knees. So many Husker dreams hinge on the health of their two captains, and if they're both back in time for a road trip to Minnesota, let's just say that the remaining schedule looks far less daunting today than it did Saturday morning.
Fan forecast: another bye week with much better games (Clemson-Florida State, Stanford-UCLA) and much better feelings than last time.
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