The Blackshirts came out mean and aggressive last night and planted Michigan QB Devin Gardner so firmly into the turf at Michigan Stadium that his underwear had grass stains. Gardner was already shell-shocked from his nightmare at Michigan State last week, and Randy Gregory and company made sure that he would spend another week sucking his thumb under his security blanket.
Meanwhile, offensive players continued to drop like flies, but the Huskers showed that as long as someone can get the ball to Ameer Abdullah, then everything is likely to be ok. With most of the starting offensive line out, two walk-ons playing too many snaps at wide receiver, and a freshman quarterback starting in one of the most hostile environments in the Big Ten, Abdullah put the team on his stout little shoulders and carried them across the finish line. And of course the final score had to come on a short-side option play inside the 10 yard line, this sort of slobberknocking game was the reason Nebraska joined the Big Ten.
There were plenty of warts in Nebraska's performance last night, but the rush of going into the Big House, playing a physical, bone-rattling game and coming out on top will make for one sweet week in Lincoln.
On with the review:
Offensive MVP: Ameer Abdullah RB. The yards were much harder to come by this week, but credit Tim Beck for sticking with his junior RB. Abdullah rewarded his coach by coming through in the clutch, twice fighting and scraping his way across the goal line in must-score situations. After 27 carries for 105 tough yards, you worry that he might be worn down a little next week when Michigan State comes to town, but Abdullah is the heart and soul of the team and I'm sure the Husker coaches will get him rested up this week.
Defensive MVP: Randy Gregory DE. Three more sacks for the sophomore DE. Gregory has morphed into the beastly pass rushing machine that his JUCO highlight film promised he could be. Gregory not only smashed Devin Gardner into the turf, but he made the correct reads all night, setting the edge and allowing the linebackers to make plays.
Special Teams MVP: Mauro Bondi PK. Nobody really stood out on special teams yesterday, so give it up for Bondi, whose booming kickoffs both into and with the wind kept Michigan on their own side of the field. Solid work.
Freshman MVP: Tommy Armstrong QB. The kid from Cibolo played a clean game, making a few clutch throws and some timely runs. He left a few plays on the field (like the QB draw that would have gone for 10 more yards had he cut to the left instead of the right), but without his patience in the option game, Nebraska goes home a loser in this one.
Assistant Coach MVP: Give it to the whole defensive staff. With the exception of two drives, the Blackshirts owned the Wolverines last night, playing faster and more physical than any Blackshirt team since 2009. Let's hope they can keep the mojo of the last seven quarters going for the rest of the season.
5 Who Stood out:
*Zaire Anderson LB. Anderson had six tackles and two sacks, finally living up to the potential he flashed in limited action last season. The linebacker carousel is getting a little bit tiresome, but if Zaire can put together a few games like he played yesterday then you can write his name at SAM linebacker in Sharpie.
*Greg McMullen DE. Remember that 2nd and 20 in the second quarter when Gardner went on a bootleg and had McMullen one on one outside the pocket? Too many times in recent years that play goes for 20 yards and a devastating first down; yesterday McMullen played Gardner like a fiddle all the way to the sideline and waited for help to arrive, holding him to no gain.
*LeRoy Alexander S. Alexander played mean yesterday, sticking his nose in on run support and making some nice hits in the first half. Andrew Green had more time in the second half, but Alexander is coming along.
*Thad Randle DT. I'm among the crowd who has wondered why the coaches have stuck with Randle so long, but the senior played his best game, getting a sack and a TFL, leading his defensive line in their finest hour.
*Zach Sterup RT. When Jeremiah Sirles went down, I was incredibly worried, but Sterup validated the praise he got from coach John Garrison last week at the Big Red Breakfast. Sterup helped push the Husker offense to the finish line and didn't make any glaring mistakes in relief.
Key Stat: -0.6 That's Michigan's yard per carry as a team. I can't remember the last game in which an opposing ball carrier didn't have a rush longer than 7 yards (though one of Jeremy Gallon's 'catches' was basically a jet sweep handoff for 13 yards).
Play of the Game: Technically a pass, the five yard go-ahead option TD from Armstrong to Abdullah is another outstanding highlight in a season full of Sports Center moments.
Play We Want Back: If Nebraska hadn't scored that late TD, Jordan Westerkamp would have lost a good chunk of the fan karma he earned with that Hail Mary catch last week. Westerkamp had a 10 yard halo and still managed to muff a punt that basically gave Michigan the go-ahead field goal. Like Enunwa's fumble earlier in the game, the defense managed to rise up and make the best of a bad situation, but the freshman nearly blew a game a week after saving one.
Blown Call: I'm glad they didn't call it, but there was definitely a lot of movement on Nebraska's offensive line right before that 4th and 2. Call it karma for the missed holding calls all game long.
Hit of the Game: I don't know which of Nebraska's SEVEN sacks or FIFTEEN TFLs to choose from. Probably Randy Gregory's 3rd and 4 sack on Michigan's last drive, if I absolutely had to pick one.
I want to see more...
*3 and outs. Michigan's first two series produced -19 yards. A big stop on third (and then fourth) down saved Nebraska's 10-3 halftime lead. Nebraska had key three and outs after turnovers in the second half, and by the end of the game, the boo-birds were out in full effect to salute Michigan's offensive futility
*Games called by Chris Spielman. Spielman is far and away the most technical color commentator and his breakdowns of plays and schemes is refreshing in a broadcasting world with too many know-nothings in the booth.
*Quarterbacks hitting the turf. Nebraska brought pressure early and often yesterday and Gardner spent most of the game on the floor. Seven total sacks yesterday and 15(!) TFLs.
*4th down stops. Sacking Devin Gardner on 4th and 5 at the end of the 2nd quarter was a big statement for the Blackshirts. It was a key momentum swing after a poor punt put Michigan in prime field position.
*Takeaways. With as many times as Michigan put the ball on the ground yesterday, it's inexcusable that Nebraska couldn't get any turnovers yesterday. Extra scorn for Stanley Jean-Baptiste for dropping an interception on a third quarter 3rd down and Josh Mitchell for doing the same on the next drive. That's the final step this defense needs to take to be great.
I want to see less...
*FUMBLES. Credit Enunwa for trying to get extra yards, but getting stripped is not worth six feet. And of course there was Westerkamp's muffed punt. And of course both turnovers had to come at the worst possible moments, threatening Nebraska's precarious tie in the fourth quarter.
*Bobbled option pitches. Thank God for Abdullah's good hands as there were several of Armstrong's pitches that weren't exactly in the breadbasket. It's hard to be too harsh on Armstrong, as the option plays were the most successful yesterday, but he needs to keep those pitches under control.
*Ron Kellogg III. Yes he was the hero last week, but with Armstrong playing so well early yesterday, it seemed silly to insert a new quarterback for the fourth series. I just don't think that RKIII is a good enough passer to make up for his lack of running threat and that stymies this offense.
*Blown assignments. Michigan's TD drive to start the second half was full of missed assignments by the Nebraska secondary, culminating with a whiff on Devin Funchess coming out of a bunch formation on the TD pass. Just when you think the Blackshirts have turned a corner, they have a error-filled drive to remind us all how green they are.
*Injuries. If this offensive line sustains too many more injuries, we're going to have to start using Sam Cotton at guard and Imani Cross at tackle. It's getting ridiculous. Not to mention the dinged up wide receiving corps. Anyone else hold their breath when Abdullah lingered on the turf in the second quarter?
*Screen passes. Michigan clearly wanted to get their screen game going in the second half, and the Blackshirts were basically helpless. Thank God Al Borges didn't come back to these devastating plays in the 4th quarter.
Armchair coach:
Backed up on your own three yard line is not the time to call a bootleg. Armstrong ran into Sam Cotton in the backfield which ruined the play; thankfully he was able to break a tackle in the endzone and get back to the 1 yard line to prevent a total disaster. Nebraska still had to punt out of their own endzone two plays later and gave Michigan a short field at the end of the first half. That could have been disastrous.
Jennifer's Take (my wife doesn't know much about football, but she still has opinions)
"I'm pretty much over Taylor Martinez. Tommy Armstrong is the best!"
Yep.
Opponent Watch:
*Minnesota moved to 8-2 with a 24-10 victory over Penn State at home. The Gophers, with some help, can win the Legends division with victories over #24 Wisconsin and #17 Michigan State; a tall order to be sure, but very possible.
*Iowa ran up 509 yards of offense at Purdue in a 38-14 win in West Lafayette. The hapless Boilermakers allowed 314 rushing yards to the Hawkeyes and, interestingly, scored on another long pass play with 51 seconds left in the blowout.
*Illinois kept it tight until Indiana scored 17 unanswered points to close out the game. The Illini have now lost 19 straight Big Ten games.
*Zach Zenner rushed for 137 yards and a TD and South Dakota State shut out Indiana State to move to 6-4 on the year.
*Wyoming jumped out to a 10-0 lead over #16 Fresno State, but then proceeded to allow 48 points in the last three quarters to earn their third consecutive loss. The Cowboys need to beat Boise, Hawaii, and Utah State to get bowl eligibility.
*Same old, same old for Southern Miss, four turnovers lead to another blowout loss to a not-so-great team; 5-4 Louisiana Tech this time. Southern Miss is looking at the very real possibility of losing 24 straight games.
*#19 UCLA found an answer to their rushing woes (no, they didn't play Nebraska again) in freshman LB Myles Jack. His 120 yards rushing along with QB Brett Hundley's three total TDs helped the Bruins hold off a tougher than expected Arizona team 31-26.
Keeping an Eye on the Rest of the College Football World...
*I watched the first half of the #3 Oregon at #5 Stanford game. Other than Oregon repeatedly shooting itself in the foot, the thing that stuck out to me and probably the rest of the country was the ease with which Stanford pounded the Ducks on both sides of the ball. If not for that stumble at Utah, The Cardinal would be almost a lock for the BCS Championship game in a few months over any other undefeated team. They're still in a good spot if they get a little help.
*Take yourself back to 2003 and ask yourself if you would ever have imagined Baylor curb stomping Oklahoma the way they did the other night. The #6 Bears took a quarter to get going, but once they did the #10 Sooners were helpless as QB Bryce Petty and Shock Linwood (a third string RB) cruised up and down the field. With Marcus Mariota falling out of the race with a loss, Petty is now a viable Heisman contender should Jameis Winston struggle down the stretch.
*#20 Louisville is quietly putting together a resume for a BCS bowl bid. The Cardinals hope that 7-2 Houston keeps winning as that is the last remotely tough game on their schedule, but if they keep blowing out the teams they should blow out, they'll be in the mix come December.
*#8 Missouri blasted Kentucky 48-7 in Lexington. The Tigers need to beat Ole Miss and #15 Texas A&M to win the SEC East unless #12 South Carolina stumbles at home against Florida next week.
*How did #2 Florida State beat a Wake Forest 59-3 and only generate 296 total yards of offense? It helps to score on a pick six and a fumble return in consecutive drives, and a 97 yard kickoff return drove the total to 21 points that their offense didn't have to score. 'Noles QB Jameis Winston's Heisman hopes took a hit though, 163 total yards and 2 TDs isn't enough when Johnny Manziel and Bryce Petty are giving the scoreboards a workout.
*Speaking of Manziel, he threw 5 TDs and 3 INTs in #15 Texas A&M's 51-41 win over Mississippi State. That was probably Johnny Football's last game at College Station.
*#24 Wisconsin ground out a nice win over a tough BYU squad. The Badgers might have the best RBs in the country in James White and Melvin Gordon. Gordon led the Big Ten in rushing most of the season, but he's fallen off pace the last few weeks. No matter, James White has picked up the slack slashing the Cougars for almost 200 total yards and 3 total TDs. The Badgers are angling for a BCS at-large bid with games against Indiana, Minnesota and Penn State remaining.
*#9 Auburn should stop recruiting high school QBs. Behind JUCO transfer Nick Marshall, the Tigers are 9-1 and with a win against Georgia next week, they'll play Alabama for the SEC West on November 30.
*Virginia Tech is officially the most inconsistent team in the country. The Hokies had just lost consecutive games to Duke and Boston College before going to #12 Miami and stomping the Canes 42-24. Once again, the ACC Coastal division is a mess, with the top four teams all having two losses; this doesn't bode well for Florida State should they need a ratings bump next month.
*Pittsburgh held on to beat Notre Dame 28-21 at home. The Fighting Irish are feeling the backlash of all of those close wins last year.
*Florida got blown out at home by Vanderbilt 34-17. The Gators have injuries on top of injuries, but sitting at 4-5, they'll need a magical finish for Will Muschamp to keep his job. With remaining games against #12 South Carolina, Georgia Southern, and #2 Florida State, the Gators are a good bet to be home for the holidays.
*Kansas State, left for dead after their season opening loss to North Dakota State picked up a nice win over #25 Texas Tech. The Wildcats gave up 459 yards of offense, but forced the Red Raiders into three turnovers, including a pick six, to cruise to a 49-26 win.
Last Thought
I'm really happy today. It's been a long season, and there hasn't been too much to cheer about on defense, but they really flipped the script yesterday, showing us what speed and athleticism can do when it's all going in the right direction.
And the offense was ok too. It wasn't the 50 points-per-game that we expected coming into the year, but Tommy Armstrong proved he is a gamer and he came through in the clutch. I love watching Ameer Abdullah slash through a defensive line for 6 yards, and it's inspiring to see him emerge as the leader of this team.
Now we just have to do it again. Against the hottest team in the Legends division, and the best defense in the country. No big deal.
Fan forecast: euphoria giving way to apprehension.
"I'm pretty much over Taylor Martinez. Tommy Armstrong is the best!"
Yep.
Opponent Watch:
*Minnesota moved to 8-2 with a 24-10 victory over Penn State at home. The Gophers, with some help, can win the Legends division with victories over #24 Wisconsin and #17 Michigan State; a tall order to be sure, but very possible.
*Iowa ran up 509 yards of offense at Purdue in a 38-14 win in West Lafayette. The hapless Boilermakers allowed 314 rushing yards to the Hawkeyes and, interestingly, scored on another long pass play with 51 seconds left in the blowout.
*Illinois kept it tight until Indiana scored 17 unanswered points to close out the game. The Illini have now lost 19 straight Big Ten games.
*Zach Zenner rushed for 137 yards and a TD and South Dakota State shut out Indiana State to move to 6-4 on the year.
*Wyoming jumped out to a 10-0 lead over #16 Fresno State, but then proceeded to allow 48 points in the last three quarters to earn their third consecutive loss. The Cowboys need to beat Boise, Hawaii, and Utah State to get bowl eligibility.
*Same old, same old for Southern Miss, four turnovers lead to another blowout loss to a not-so-great team; 5-4 Louisiana Tech this time. Southern Miss is looking at the very real possibility of losing 24 straight games.
*#19 UCLA found an answer to their rushing woes (no, they didn't play Nebraska again) in freshman LB Myles Jack. His 120 yards rushing along with QB Brett Hundley's three total TDs helped the Bruins hold off a tougher than expected Arizona team 31-26.
Keeping an Eye on the Rest of the College Football World...
*I watched the first half of the #3 Oregon at #5 Stanford game. Other than Oregon repeatedly shooting itself in the foot, the thing that stuck out to me and probably the rest of the country was the ease with which Stanford pounded the Ducks on both sides of the ball. If not for that stumble at Utah, The Cardinal would be almost a lock for the BCS Championship game in a few months over any other undefeated team. They're still in a good spot if they get a little help.
*Take yourself back to 2003 and ask yourself if you would ever have imagined Baylor curb stomping Oklahoma the way they did the other night. The #6 Bears took a quarter to get going, but once they did the #10 Sooners were helpless as QB Bryce Petty and Shock Linwood (a third string RB) cruised up and down the field. With Marcus Mariota falling out of the race with a loss, Petty is now a viable Heisman contender should Jameis Winston struggle down the stretch.
*#20 Louisville is quietly putting together a resume for a BCS bowl bid. The Cardinals hope that 7-2 Houston keeps winning as that is the last remotely tough game on their schedule, but if they keep blowing out the teams they should blow out, they'll be in the mix come December.
*#8 Missouri blasted Kentucky 48-7 in Lexington. The Tigers need to beat Ole Miss and #15 Texas A&M to win the SEC East unless #12 South Carolina stumbles at home against Florida next week.
*How did #2 Florida State beat a Wake Forest 59-3 and only generate 296 total yards of offense? It helps to score on a pick six and a fumble return in consecutive drives, and a 97 yard kickoff return drove the total to 21 points that their offense didn't have to score. 'Noles QB Jameis Winston's Heisman hopes took a hit though, 163 total yards and 2 TDs isn't enough when Johnny Manziel and Bryce Petty are giving the scoreboards a workout.
*Speaking of Manziel, he threw 5 TDs and 3 INTs in #15 Texas A&M's 51-41 win over Mississippi State. That was probably Johnny Football's last game at College Station.
*#24 Wisconsin ground out a nice win over a tough BYU squad. The Badgers might have the best RBs in the country in James White and Melvin Gordon. Gordon led the Big Ten in rushing most of the season, but he's fallen off pace the last few weeks. No matter, James White has picked up the slack slashing the Cougars for almost 200 total yards and 3 total TDs. The Badgers are angling for a BCS at-large bid with games against Indiana, Minnesota and Penn State remaining.
*#9 Auburn should stop recruiting high school QBs. Behind JUCO transfer Nick Marshall, the Tigers are 9-1 and with a win against Georgia next week, they'll play Alabama for the SEC West on November 30.
*Virginia Tech is officially the most inconsistent team in the country. The Hokies had just lost consecutive games to Duke and Boston College before going to #12 Miami and stomping the Canes 42-24. Once again, the ACC Coastal division is a mess, with the top four teams all having two losses; this doesn't bode well for Florida State should they need a ratings bump next month.
*Pittsburgh held on to beat Notre Dame 28-21 at home. The Fighting Irish are feeling the backlash of all of those close wins last year.
*Florida got blown out at home by Vanderbilt 34-17. The Gators have injuries on top of injuries, but sitting at 4-5, they'll need a magical finish for Will Muschamp to keep his job. With remaining games against #12 South Carolina, Georgia Southern, and #2 Florida State, the Gators are a good bet to be home for the holidays.
*Kansas State, left for dead after their season opening loss to North Dakota State picked up a nice win over #25 Texas Tech. The Wildcats gave up 459 yards of offense, but forced the Red Raiders into three turnovers, including a pick six, to cruise to a 49-26 win.
Last Thought
I'm really happy today. It's been a long season, and there hasn't been too much to cheer about on defense, but they really flipped the script yesterday, showing us what speed and athleticism can do when it's all going in the right direction.
And the offense was ok too. It wasn't the 50 points-per-game that we expected coming into the year, but Tommy Armstrong proved he is a gamer and he came through in the clutch. I love watching Ameer Abdullah slash through a defensive line for 6 yards, and it's inspiring to see him emerge as the leader of this team.
Now we just have to do it again. Against the hottest team in the Legends division, and the best defense in the country. No big deal.
Fan forecast: euphoria giving way to apprehension.
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