Nebraska slogged through a sloppy offensive performance with third string offensive linemen, finding unlikely sparks from special teams, and timely stops on defense to get the win. There was really no reason that Nebraska shouldn't have won that game by a couple TDs, but turnovers and penalties took points off the board, and an aggressive Penn State defense kept the banged up offensive line guessing.
There wasn't a lot to like in the win yesterday, and sometimes it seemed as if the Huskers didn't want to play yesterday, but winning cures all, and the scoreboard shows 23-20 Nebraska.
On with the review:
Offensive MVP: Ameer Abdullah, RB. Don't let that ridiculous penalty stain what was one of the biggest plays of his career on that 60 yard TD. Another 147 yards rushing brings his season total to 1483, and with another decent game against Iowa, he could bring that total over 1600, the first Nebraska running back to do that since Ahman Green. Let that sink in.
Defensive MVP: David Santos, LB. Santos clearly didn't fit at middle linebacker earlier this season, but he's really come on strong at the outside linebacker position the last few weeks. Santos led the team with 9 tackles and that crucial sack of Hackenberg late in the 4th quarter inside Nebraska's 40 yard line.
Special Teams MVP: Kenny Bell, KR. Bell gets the nod over K Pat Smith for his 99 yard kick return TD right after Penn State went up following Ron Kellogg's fumble. Bell has been close on a couple other returns this season, and his speed, and hurdling ability, finally got him the big return that's been eluding the Huskers this season.
Freshman MVP: Vincent Valentine, DT. The massive freshman started in place of Thad Randle and made some really nice plays, gumming up blockers and making 3 tackles, including one for loss. The word from the coaches seems to imply that there has been some motivation issues with Valentine, but it's clear that this kid can be as good as he wants to be.
Assistant Coach MVP: Rick Kaczenski, defensive line. Working with the youngest group on the team invariably means a lot of inconsistency, but Coach K's boys are clearly improving every game. Penn State doesn't have the most talented offensive line in college football, but they run that zone blocking scheme as well as anyone and the Nebraska defensive line held up pretty well, and seemed to get better as the game went on. His work with Randy Gregory and Avery Moss is very encouraging, and seeing Maliek Collins subbing in for Aaron Curry and Valentine without missing a beat is further evidence that there is a very high ceiling for this group.
5 Who Stood out:
*Leroy Alexander, S. Like I said a few weeks ago, Alexander just plays meaner than anyone else on this defense. He's still got plenty of room to grow, but I feel pretty good about he and Corey Cooper leading a young secondary next season.
*Randy Gregory, DE. Gregory didn't have as splashy a game as he's had at times this season, but he still made his presence felt in run support getting eight tackles, and had a key QB hurry on Penn State's last offensive play, when it looked like Hackenberg might take off and get a first down.
*Ciante Evans, NB. Evans played with a hurt hand/wrist, and still made one of the nicest interceptions you'll ever see. Like Gregory, he didn't have the splashiest game of his career stats-wise, but this defense needs their leader.
*Christian Hackenberg, QB Penn State. I was really impressed with the big freshman. He has one good receiver and spotty pass protection, but he's calm, collected, and has a rocket of an arm. I'm glad that Nebraska won't likely see him again.
*Jordan Westerkamp WR. Sure he dropped a TD, but I give a lot of credit to the DB on that play. Westy made several key first down grabs in the first half last night, and one big one in the third quarter to help set up Nebraska's first field goal. I honestly don't know why he doesn't get more targets.
Key Stat: 2-2. With a swirling wind and a fierce crowd, K Pat Smith hit two (actually three counting the OT field goal that was negated by a phantom false start) field goals to tie, and then win the game for the Big Red.
Play of the Game: Pat Smith's 42 yard field goal in overtime. Not an easy kick to make with the wind and the crowd and the banged up protection team, but it was straight down the middle. The kid came to Nebraska for his senior season and he's making the most of it.
Play We Want Back: Ameer Abdullah's fumble at the Penn State one yard line in the first half was a killer. Not only did it likely take seven points off the board, but it killed all of Nebraska's offensive momentum until the third quarter. Who knows what the game would have looked like without that turnover...
Blown Call: I hated everything about that unnecessary roughness call on WR Sam Burtch. That's one of those penalties that could kinda be a penalty if you're really looking for some reason to call something. Terrible penalty.
Hit of the Game: Unfortunately, it came after a 15 yard run, but S Leroy Alexander's hit on Zwinak in the 4th quarter was the first and only time all night that Zwinak went backward. I really like what I've seen from Alexander this season.
I want to see more...
*Takeaways. Penn State muffed their first punt return and the ball rolled on the turf for a good four seconds before a Penn State player jumped on it. That lack of awareness took at least three points off the board in the first quarter. Penn State fumbled twice more but recovered one and had another go out of bounds despite the best efforts of Leroy Alexander. Penn State came into this game as the only Big Ten team in the same universe as Nebraska when it came to giveaways, so only forcing one turnover just isn't good enough.
*QB Pressure. Facing a true freshman QB, the Blackshirts suddenly forgot that blitzing and hitting quarterbacks makes them throw badly. Too often Hackenberg had a ton of time to run around and make laser throws, including a shoulda-been TD that missed Allen Robinson by a few feet.
*Special Teams. Kenny Bell made yet another highlight reel play with his 99 yard kick return and then the kickoff coverage forced PSU KR Eugene Lewis to fumble, putting the Lions inside their 20. Sam Foltz was solid, having a punt downed at 1 yard line and booming kicks for a 46 yard average.
*Double coverage on great receivers. Some players are good enough to scheme around. WR Allen Robinson is one of those players. Anytime he does anything, it pays to have two guys on him. On that 43 yard catch in the third quarter, Stanley Jean-Baptiste had decent coverage, but he really could have used safety help.
*Deep passes. Last week Beck called too many, this week, with RKIII in the game, he didn't call any until the third quarter drop by Westerkamp. There was the gutsy call on third down in the shadow of our own end zone, and then that was about it for passes further than 15 yards. With the talent advantage, I really expected more from the vertical game.
*Big Ten Network commercials. It's kinda cool to see what each school is doing with research and stuff instead of the same three car commercials all game long.
I want to see fewer...
*Turnovers. You can't fault Abdullah for trying to stretch and make a play, but had he just gone down, Nebraska would have had 1st and goal inside the Penn State 1 yard line. Ron Kellogg III needed better pocket presence on that sack-strip; he couldn't feel the rush coming and it gave Penn State an easy seven points.
*Dropped passes. RKII wasn't always on the money with his throws, but I counted at least 6 dropped passes by Husker receivers yesterday, with 3 by Kenny Bell alone.
*Missed Tackles. Corey Cooper has been one of the best tacklers on the team, but his whiff along the sideline on PSU's 4th quarter TD was inexcusable. That was only the most glaring missed tackle yesterday, as Zach Zwinak ran roughshod over Nebraska's linebackers all afternoon. Bad angles, and sneaky TEs are also a continued problem for this team.
*Slow starts. Nebraska came out flat and lackadaisical on both sides of the ball yesterday, letting Penn State score first and, never really taking control of the game. Perhaps we can chalk it up to the big stage and the emotional loss last week, but we need to see more fire on Friday against Iowa.
*White RBs. You know that Iowa RB Mark Weisman will be licking his chops watching tape of Zach Zwinak repeatedly gashing the Nebraska defense for 4 yards per carry yesterday. Factoring in SDSU RB Zach Zenner's 202 yards back in September (weird ZZ coincidence, wonder if that's happened before...), the two white RBs that Nebraska has faced have run for 251 yards on the Blackshirts. Look out next Friday, Weisman has a much better O-line blocking for him than either of the other two.
*Suicidal Teams. Nebraska's special teams repeatedly shot the team in the foot in the first half, allowing a big punt return and negating our own kick return with a hold on consecutive drives in the first quarter. Even the blocked punt was more of a mistake by Penn State than a forced error by the Huskers. Field position matters, and never being able to return a punt is leaving yards on the field. Nebraska's punt return team is literally the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life.
Armchair coach: I didn't like anything about Tim Beck's gameplan yesterday. It was clear that Beck wanted to spread out the Penn State defense with his WR's, but with the talent advantage over the Nittany Lions, I couldn't believe that Beck never lined up and ran any of the power toss plays that were so effective against Penn State last year. The slant pass to Quincy Enunwa was awesome, but Beck never came back to it. Westerkamp made five catches that all moved the chains, but he disappeared after a third quarter catch. Nebraska just can't decide what they want to do on offense and that indecision leads to ugly games like we saw yesterday.
Jennifer's Take (my wife doesn't know much about football, but she still has opinions)
"How 'bout them Fresno State Bulldogs? I bet they could beat Nebraska"
Jennifer grew up in Fresno and doesn't understand that they're just a decent team in a putrid conference. Not saying that they couldn't beat Nebraska, but it wouldn't be a blowout.
Opponent Watch:
*Northwestern clearly took a page from Nebraska's gameplan and attacked #13 Michigan State's vaunted defense in the seams having a lot of success moving the ball in the first half until they got the to redzone. The Wildcats couldn't find the endzone and the field goals just weren't enough to get the victory over Sparty. Michigan State, with their suddenly potent offense, wraps up the Legends Division, and Northwestern is home for the Holidays after losing their last six games. Also, see if you can find an ESPN clip of Mark Dantonio's halftime interview. That guy makes Bo look absolutely chatty.
*Iowa allowed Michigan only 158 total yards of offense yesterday, but still nearly managed to lose after surrendering four turnovers. The Hawkeyes scraped out a 24-21 win, setting up a big Black Friday contest in Lincoln next week. Trust me, the Hawkeyes really want this game.
*Illinois finally picked up the first Big Ten win of the Tim Beckman Era, edging Purdue 20-16 after two fourth quarter field goals. Purdue's last chance at a Big Ten victory comes at Indiana next week, while the Illini get a chance at offseason momentum with a wounded Northwestern team coming to town.
*Minnesota managed only 185 total yards in a soul-crushing 20-7 loss to Wisconsin. The Gophers held up decently well against the Badgers' rushing attack, but their defense couldn't weather the storm of their offense's ineptitude. The Badgers are now in position, with a win over Penn State next week, to sneak into a BCS game with a little help.
*Two pick-sixes helped Middle Tennessee State roll to a 42-21 victory over Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles need a victory over UAB next week to avoid an 0-24 mark over the last two seasons.
*Wyoming kept their bowl hopes alive with a 59-56 OT victory over Hawaii. The Cowboys need a victory over Utah State next week to get bowl eligibility.
*Zach Zenner rushed for 186 yards and two TDs and grabbed another short TD pass and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits blasted Youngstown State 42-13 to move to 8-4. The #17 Jackrabbits are in the running for an FCS playoff berth.
*#14 UCLA made a lot of mistakes and didn't play particularly well, but they were still in it until the end of their 38-33 loss to Arizona State. The young Bruins lost their chance at a PAC-12 title, but they should be absolutely scary the next few years if Jim Mora sticks around.
Keeping an Eye on the Rest of the College Football World...
*I like watching #18 UCF play. Their quarterback Blake Bortles is right up there with the best QBs I've watched all season, and their defense is fast, aggressive and they hit well. Rutgers, who joins the Big Ten next season, was basically helpless in their 41-17 defeat on Thursday night.
*Another vastly underrated QB who's an absolute joy to watch is Jordan Lynch, the pilot for #16 Northern Illinois' undefeated team. You won't find a better runner at the QB position this year than Lynch who's just shy of 2500 yards passing and 1500 yards rushing already this season with 38 TDs. Too bad the Huskies are in the MAC stomping teams like Toledo, otherwise Lynch would be a shoo-in for the Heisman.
*#1 Alabama beat Chattanooga 49-0, #2 Florida State laid waste to Idaho 80-14, and #3 Ohio State blasted Indiana 42-14, officially wrapping up the most boring week 12 there's ever been for three undefeated teams ranked 1-2-3.
*#5 Oregon would have liked some of that boredom. The Duck's QB Marcus Mariota threw his first two interceptions of the season, and the Ducks were 1-3 on 4th downs, losing to Arizona by a shocking 42-16 margin. How many top 5 programs have ever rung up 500 yards of offense and still been beaten by 26 points?
*They're calling #22 LSU's 34-10 victory over #12 Texas A&M an upset, but let's be real: any team whose offense has a pulse has a 50/50 shot of beating the Aggies. LSU slowed down Johnny Manziel with great CB play, and blasted the Aggies' defense right up the middle all game long to get the win.
*Coastal Carolina coach Joe Moglia, the former football advisor to Bo Pelini, pulled his starters at halftime of his game against #11 South Carolina, and rested his players after learning that his team was going to get an automatic bid into the FCS playoffs. The Gamecocks would go on to win 70-10, but you can't deny the acumen of the former TD Ameritrade CEO.
*Liberty University, coached by Turner Gill, clinched a share of the Big South conference with a win over Coastal Carolina, and the Flames are in contention for an FCS playoff bid.
*And one more bit of FCS news: Georgia Southern, a school just down the road from me in Statesboro, got the biggest win of their season by going into Gainesville and running over Florida in a 26-20 win. The Eagles didn't complete a single pass, but their triple-option offense overcame two fumbles and rolled up 429 yards rushing to get the win. The only way Will Muschamp is coaching the Gators next year is if he somehow beats Florida State next week. I wouldn't hold my breath.
*Bob Stoops has always had a hard time beating his old boss Bill Snyder, but the #20 Sooners held off the pesky Wildcats, winning 41-31 behind their new starting QB Trevor Knight's two total TDs and RB Brennan Clay's 200 yards rushing.
*#4 Baylor twice fumbled the ball away inside #10 Oklahoma State's 5 yard-line en route to a 49-17 loss in Stillwater. So falls another undefeated team, and another Heisman candidate in QB Bryce Petty. Oklahoma State put itself in a good position to make the BCS title game with a little help. The loss to West Virginia was pretty ugly, but the Cowboys can make another statement with a big win over Oklahoma in two weeks.
Last Thought
Hard to get a good read on this Husker team, what with all of the injuries and youth, but I see a lot of promise for the next few years, especially on defense. Avery Moss and Randy Gregory are going to be stars, and there's plenty of talent to continue to build around.
The hardest thing in the world is to get 'up' for a game when all of your goals have been ruined, and the Huskers were clearly lacking motivation early in that game yesterday. I don't expect that to be a problem on senior day this week, but you really never know with this group.
Which is why there are so many questions and so much negativity surrounding this team. Nebraska is sitting at 8-3, with a decent shot at 10 wins, which is no small success for a team with the issues the Huskers have had. Obviously it hurts when you miss out on something you've worked really hard for, and it's even worse when you feel like you've ruined your own opportunities for success, but I'm not sure that that warrants wholesale change. Coming into this season, I would never have expected that so much would hinge on a game against Iowa, but here we are.
Fan forecast: tryptophan induced fog dissipates in time for a Black Friday rivalry game.
"How 'bout them Fresno State Bulldogs? I bet they could beat Nebraska"
Jennifer grew up in Fresno and doesn't understand that they're just a decent team in a putrid conference. Not saying that they couldn't beat Nebraska, but it wouldn't be a blowout.
Opponent Watch:
*Northwestern clearly took a page from Nebraska's gameplan and attacked #13 Michigan State's vaunted defense in the seams having a lot of success moving the ball in the first half until they got the to redzone. The Wildcats couldn't find the endzone and the field goals just weren't enough to get the victory over Sparty. Michigan State, with their suddenly potent offense, wraps up the Legends Division, and Northwestern is home for the Holidays after losing their last six games. Also, see if you can find an ESPN clip of Mark Dantonio's halftime interview. That guy makes Bo look absolutely chatty.
*Iowa allowed Michigan only 158 total yards of offense yesterday, but still nearly managed to lose after surrendering four turnovers. The Hawkeyes scraped out a 24-21 win, setting up a big Black Friday contest in Lincoln next week. Trust me, the Hawkeyes really want this game.
*Illinois finally picked up the first Big Ten win of the Tim Beckman Era, edging Purdue 20-16 after two fourth quarter field goals. Purdue's last chance at a Big Ten victory comes at Indiana next week, while the Illini get a chance at offseason momentum with a wounded Northwestern team coming to town.
*Minnesota managed only 185 total yards in a soul-crushing 20-7 loss to Wisconsin. The Gophers held up decently well against the Badgers' rushing attack, but their defense couldn't weather the storm of their offense's ineptitude. The Badgers are now in position, with a win over Penn State next week, to sneak into a BCS game with a little help.
*Two pick-sixes helped Middle Tennessee State roll to a 42-21 victory over Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles need a victory over UAB next week to avoid an 0-24 mark over the last two seasons.
*Wyoming kept their bowl hopes alive with a 59-56 OT victory over Hawaii. The Cowboys need a victory over Utah State next week to get bowl eligibility.
*Zach Zenner rushed for 186 yards and two TDs and grabbed another short TD pass and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits blasted Youngstown State 42-13 to move to 8-4. The #17 Jackrabbits are in the running for an FCS playoff berth.
*#14 UCLA made a lot of mistakes and didn't play particularly well, but they were still in it until the end of their 38-33 loss to Arizona State. The young Bruins lost their chance at a PAC-12 title, but they should be absolutely scary the next few years if Jim Mora sticks around.
Keeping an Eye on the Rest of the College Football World...
*I like watching #18 UCF play. Their quarterback Blake Bortles is right up there with the best QBs I've watched all season, and their defense is fast, aggressive and they hit well. Rutgers, who joins the Big Ten next season, was basically helpless in their 41-17 defeat on Thursday night.
*Another vastly underrated QB who's an absolute joy to watch is Jordan Lynch, the pilot for #16 Northern Illinois' undefeated team. You won't find a better runner at the QB position this year than Lynch who's just shy of 2500 yards passing and 1500 yards rushing already this season with 38 TDs. Too bad the Huskies are in the MAC stomping teams like Toledo, otherwise Lynch would be a shoo-in for the Heisman.
*#1 Alabama beat Chattanooga 49-0, #2 Florida State laid waste to Idaho 80-14, and #3 Ohio State blasted Indiana 42-14, officially wrapping up the most boring week 12 there's ever been for three undefeated teams ranked 1-2-3.
*#5 Oregon would have liked some of that boredom. The Duck's QB Marcus Mariota threw his first two interceptions of the season, and the Ducks were 1-3 on 4th downs, losing to Arizona by a shocking 42-16 margin. How many top 5 programs have ever rung up 500 yards of offense and still been beaten by 26 points?
*They're calling #22 LSU's 34-10 victory over #12 Texas A&M an upset, but let's be real: any team whose offense has a pulse has a 50/50 shot of beating the Aggies. LSU slowed down Johnny Manziel with great CB play, and blasted the Aggies' defense right up the middle all game long to get the win.
*Coastal Carolina coach Joe Moglia, the former football advisor to Bo Pelini, pulled his starters at halftime of his game against #11 South Carolina, and rested his players after learning that his team was going to get an automatic bid into the FCS playoffs. The Gamecocks would go on to win 70-10, but you can't deny the acumen of the former TD Ameritrade CEO.
*Liberty University, coached by Turner Gill, clinched a share of the Big South conference with a win over Coastal Carolina, and the Flames are in contention for an FCS playoff bid.
*And one more bit of FCS news: Georgia Southern, a school just down the road from me in Statesboro, got the biggest win of their season by going into Gainesville and running over Florida in a 26-20 win. The Eagles didn't complete a single pass, but their triple-option offense overcame two fumbles and rolled up 429 yards rushing to get the win. The only way Will Muschamp is coaching the Gators next year is if he somehow beats Florida State next week. I wouldn't hold my breath.
*Bob Stoops has always had a hard time beating his old boss Bill Snyder, but the #20 Sooners held off the pesky Wildcats, winning 41-31 behind their new starting QB Trevor Knight's two total TDs and RB Brennan Clay's 200 yards rushing.
*#4 Baylor twice fumbled the ball away inside #10 Oklahoma State's 5 yard-line en route to a 49-17 loss in Stillwater. So falls another undefeated team, and another Heisman candidate in QB Bryce Petty. Oklahoma State put itself in a good position to make the BCS title game with a little help. The loss to West Virginia was pretty ugly, but the Cowboys can make another statement with a big win over Oklahoma in two weeks.
Last Thought
Hard to get a good read on this Husker team, what with all of the injuries and youth, but I see a lot of promise for the next few years, especially on defense. Avery Moss and Randy Gregory are going to be stars, and there's plenty of talent to continue to build around.
The hardest thing in the world is to get 'up' for a game when all of your goals have been ruined, and the Huskers were clearly lacking motivation early in that game yesterday. I don't expect that to be a problem on senior day this week, but you really never know with this group.
Which is why there are so many questions and so much negativity surrounding this team. Nebraska is sitting at 8-3, with a decent shot at 10 wins, which is no small success for a team with the issues the Huskers have had. Obviously it hurts when you miss out on something you've worked really hard for, and it's even worse when you feel like you've ruined your own opportunities for success, but I'm not sure that that warrants wholesale change. Coming into this season, I would never have expected that so much would hinge on a game against Iowa, but here we are.
Fan forecast: tryptophan induced fog dissipates in time for a Black Friday rivalry game.
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