Sunday Review: Michigan State

When two teams with strong defenses and weak offenses play each other, the games usually come down to turnovers, field position and special teams.  Nebraska's failure in those three areas yesterday cannot be understated.

Five turnovers.

Average starting field position: Nebraska: own 21, Michigan State: own 42.

Special teams that should be re-named 'suicidal teams'.

With the Spartans holding the ball for more than 38 minutes, it comes as no surprise that the Blackshirts, with their backs to the wall all night, got worn down in the 4th quarter and let the game slip away.

The real surprise is that Nebraska was even in this game in the 4th quarter.  The Huskers gained more yards than any other team has this season against the Spartans, and despite the five turnovers, still managed to find a way to make big plays and keep coming back until a 4th quarter stop and subsequent TD by the Spartan offense after a successful fake field goal put the game away.

So despite the ugliness of the loss, there were a few things to like about how the Huskers played yesterday. With two game remaining, the Huskers are out of contention for the Legends division, but there is a lot of pride to play for, and a lot of building to be done for next season.

On with the review:

Offensive MVP: Connor Cook, QB Michigan State.  His stats weren't great, only 15/31 for 123 yards and that dagger of a TD in the fourth quarter, but the stats don't tell the story of Cook's gutsy throws under fire.  Cook's development is the reason that Sparty is likely on their way to Indy.

Defensive MVP: Kurtis Drummond, CB Michigan State.  Nebraska tried to pick on Sparty's weakest corner all night, and he rewarded Tim Beck with 10 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble.  Drummond did give up the long TD pass to Kenny Bell, but one out of 15 passes thrown his way isn't bad.

Special Teams MVP: Mike Sadler Michigan State P.  Even his bad punts bounced the right way last night.  I don't even want to count how many times Nebraska started inside their ten yard line.  Oh, and there was that little four yard run on a fake field goal in the 4th quarter.  That turned out to be kinda big.

Freshman MVP: Sam Burtch WR.  Coming into this season, nobody had heard of this kid.  Last night, he led the Huskers in receiving, getting a TD against the vaunted Spartan defense.  It's unfortunate that he's seeing the field so much because of injuries, but it's nice to see a small-town Nebraska walk-on have success.

Assistant Coach MVP: Ron Brown get the nod this week because he had two RBs rush for more yards than the 43 yard average the Spartans had been allowing to opposing TEAMS.  Brown has cultivated Abdullah's vision nicely, and Imani Cross showed that he's more than just a power back on that 51 yard run in the third quarter.  I'm excited to see what Brown can do with talented freshmen Terrell Newby and Adam Taylor in the coming years.

5 Who Stood out:
*Michael Rose MLB.  The freshman played well, especially in the fourth quarter.  It would appear that he's taken control of the defense and the MLB spot.

*Ameer Abdullah RB.  I'm not happy he was on the field for that last drive, but he deserved that TD after becoming the first player in 12 games to rush for 100 yards against the 'Spartan Dawgs'.  For Nebraska to stay in the game as long as they did was a testament to the effectiveness of the junior whose five and six yard runs through the crowd kept the Spartans loaded up in the box.

*Corey Cooper S.  The junior is quietly becoming one of the most consistent playmakers on this team, showing well in coverage and filling well on most of his run fits.

*Ciante Evans NB.  Evans is good in coverage, but he really shines when he comes in on those blitzes.  The senior has made a living in opponents' backfields the last three games.

*The offensive line.  I can't keep track of who's playing or starting anymore because of how banged up this group is, but aside from a few penalties, and Cole Pensick's forced fumble, the big uglies played well, gashing the Spartans for big runs and keeping Tommy Armstrong mostly clean in the passing game.

Key Stat:  24.  Sparty scored 24 points off of five Nebraska turnovers, meaning that Nebraska essentially gave this game away.

Play of the Game:  Sam Burtch's 32 yard catch and run for Nebraska's first TD signified that the Huskers would not be intimidated by the Spartan defense.  To beat Michigan State's defense you have to run the ball effectively enough to force the Spartans to man up in coverage and load the box, and when they do that, one broken tackle in space can turn into six points, like it did on this play.

Play We Want Back: Pick any of the fumbles that led to short TDs by the Spartans.  They were all disastrous.

Blown Call: I didn't have any complaints with the stripes yesterday until they missed that clipping call in the second half.  Gotta give credit to the refs though, I don't recall ever watching a game where offensive pass interference was called twice.

Hit of the Game: Watching Randy Gregory sprint through the backfield and splatter a quarterback like he did on that second quarter sack is a real thing of beauty.  Fortunately for the Huskers, he probably needs another year to gain some weight and refine his skills before he can make the jump to the NFL.

I want to see more...
*Takeways.  When your offense is dropping gifts all over the field and your special teams is making it worse, you simply have to take the ball back every now and then on defense.  As much improvement as the Blackshirts have shown in the last three games, they haven't snagged a single turnover in that time.
*Special teams. This area of play has been a bugaboo for the Huskers the entire Pelini area.  Bo needs to find someone who can coach punt return.
*The diamond formation.  This highly successful formation has been missing most of this season, but when Nebraska ran out of it yesterday, it always seemed to get good yards.  Here's hoping that the Diamond becomes Tim Beck's new best friend.
*Pressure on punts.  Since Nebraska can't get any blockers back to set up returns, why not try to block every punt and let the ball bounce where it may?  At least then there wouldn't be any muffs...
*Third down conversions.  Nebraska's offense was only on the field for 22 minutes because they were a dreadful 5 of 12 on third down.  Our offense did not play complimentary football in any sense of the term yesterday.

I want to see less...
*Turnovers.  The first rule of a defensive slugfest is to not turn the ball over.  Nebraska had three turnovers in the first quarter and set themselves back ten points in the first ten minutes.  Ridiculous. Even worse, the turnovers kept coming.  Tommy Armstrong's fumble at the end of the second quarter turned a one possession game into a 20-7 game going into the half.  And when you thought it couldn't get worse, Cole Pensick runs into Tommy Armstrong in the third and gives Sparty the ball at Nebraska's three yard line.  There's really no excuse for such sloppyness.
*Missed tackles.  The Blackshirts did such a good job recently making tackles, that it's disappointing to see guys get run through again.  The Spartan ball carriers did a good job making cuts and spins to get free, but tackling is about the will to get a guy down on the ground, and the Huskers were missing that a few times yesterday, no more so than on Jeremy Langford's TD right before the half, and Langford's TD run in the 4th quarter.
*Backs in the flats.  Why are opposing backs always wide open coming out of the backfield?  Are the linebackers missing them or is the scheme failing to account for them?  It's tiresome to see it week after week.
*Not-so-special teams.  A fumbled punt, penalties in punt coverage, poor kick returns, there was something for anyone to hate yesterday, just in the first half.  In the second half, our guys were blocked into our returner, Sparty had a long punt return to flip field position, and a fake field goal caused at least a four point swing.  Inexcusable.
*Long third down conversions.  Michigan State converted a 3rd and 6 and then a 3rd and 19 on a second quarter possession and there were several 3rd and 6-plus' converted in the second half.  For the game, Michigan State was 11-21 on third down.

Armchair coach: 
I guess I'm just not one for moral victories.  I thought it was stupid, with all of the injuries piling up for the Big Red, to have so many starters on the field for that last drive, down 21 points.  It was nice to see the TD, but it didn't really matter, and if we had lost someone else to a serious injury, Bo would be feeling even more heat today.

Jennifer's Take (my wife doesn't know much about football, but she still has opinions)
"I just can't believe they'd give it away like that."

Opponent Watch:
*Before they even knew what happened, Illinois was down 28-0 at home versus #3 Ohio State.  The Buckeyes allowed some yards and points as the game went on, but Buckeye RB Carlos Hyde's 272 total yards and 5 total TDs carried them to the victory.

*Purdue rolled over in Happy Valley and let Penn State get their 6th win in a 45-21 rout.  Purdue plays Illinois next week for the title of worst team in the Big Ten.

*#13 UCLA won a 41-31 shootout at home against Washington.  Freshman linebacker Myles Jack rushed for four TDs and DE Cassius Marsh caught a TD in the win.  The Bruins obviously believe that specialization is for the bugs.

*Southern Miss lost to Florida Atlantic (the same FAU team that had their coach fired a few weeks ago for smoking pot) 41-7 at home.  The Golden Eagles didn't score until the 4th quarter and committed three more turnovers, including a pick six.  Doesn't seem like they're even trying any more as they skid towards that dread 0-24 mark.  Hard to believe they had one of the nation's longest winning-season streaks, 14 years, until 2012.

*South Dakota State got their 7th win over rival South Dakota.  RB Zach Zenner had 137 yards on an amazing 31 carries in the win.

*Northwestern has the worst luck of any Big Ten team.  The Wildcats lost another heartbreaker in overtime to Michigan after leading for most of a boring defensive showdown.

*Wyoming has lost four straight after their 48-7 beat-down loss to Boise State last night.  The Cowboys need two wins to close the season to get to a bowl game.

Keeping an Eye on the Rest of the College Football World...
*#17 UCF scored 10 points in the last 1:06 at Temple to keep their BCS dreams alive.  The Golden Knights are 8-1 with a wins over Penn State and Louisville.

*Jameis Winston and #2 Florida State destroyed Syracuse yesterday keeping their stranglehold on the #2 spot.

*Duke pulled away from #23 Miami, scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter to get their second top 25 pelt of the season and move to 8-2 on the year.

*#22 Wisconsin blasted Indiana 51-3 in the rain.  The surprise of that game isn't the piles of rushing yards the Badgers put on the Hoosiers, but the job that the Badger defense did it shutting down the high flying Hoosier air attack.

*When Mike Leach took over at Washington State, it was never a question of if he would turn around the worst team in the BCS, it was a matter of when.  In just his second year, Leach has his Cougs sitting at a nice 5-5 with a win over Arizona yesterday.  Two winnable games against Utah and Washington remain for Leach to grab the first bowl game for Wazzu since 2003.

*I'm sure by now that you've seen Auburn WR Ricardo Louis' magnificent 73 yard Hail Mary catch to beat Georgia.  I wish I had turned my TV over to that game sooner, Georgia was down 37-17 with 12:39 left in the game, but actually had a lead in the closing seconds when Auburn QB Nick Marshall hit that 4th and 15 pass for 73 yards.  Tough break for Georgia fans in the midst of a tough season.

*Seems like the week after I praise #4 Stanford, they go and lay an egg.  This week they lost to USC and their interim coach Ed Orgeron in the Coliseum 20-17.  USC now finds itself in an odd situation: Orgeron is having success, but USC probably wants to go in a different direction with their coaching search.  It will be interesting to watch how they finish the season and what happens with their coaching situation.

*#5 Baylor racked up 665 yards and 63 points in their win over Texas Tech.  The Bears still have two tough games against #12 Oklahoma State and Texas to boost their BCS resume.

*#1 Alabama was lackadaisical in their 20-7 win over Mississippi State.  If it wasn't for their pre-season ranking, the Tide would have the weakest resume of any of the remaining undefeated teams and likely be behind Ohio State in the rankings.

*#10 South Carolina eked out a win over Florida late last night.  The Gamecocks need Missouri to lose to Ole Miss or #15 Texas A&M  and they'll be in the SEC title game.

Last Thought
So another season is going to pass without the Huskers hoisting a conference championship trophy. That makes 14 straight.  Where does that leave the program?

There's a lot of promising young talent on this team, but many fans are weary of waiting for promising young talent to make up for the mistakes that keep cropping up year after year.  Something different needs to happen in practice or meetings or in the structure of the coaching staff to get this team to the next level.  After six years, it's frustrating to see so many turnovers and such lack of execution on special teams ruin good performances against good teams.

So where does that leave us?  I'm not ready to say for sure.  I want to see how the team reacts when they don't have anything other than pride to play for. Penn State and Iowa are both capable of beating us, but both games are definitely winnable.

If Nebraska can finish this season strong and get some momentum going into 2014 (something they haven't done the last two years), then I believe everything is going to be alright.  If they lose another game, Athletic Director Shawn Eichorst is going to have to sit down with Bo and get something figured out.  Over the next few weeks, Bo is going to put a stamp on this program.  What that stamp looks like remains to be seen.

Fan forecast: cloudy.

Sunday Review: Michigan

Whew!  For the second straight week Nebraska made me leap off the couch with my heart in my throat with late game heroics.  It's getting pretty annoying.

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.

Sunday Review: Northwestern

It's a game of inches.  That most cliche of football truisms proved itself true on innumerable plays yesterday.  Bo was right when he said in his postgame presser that the difference between a great defense and a poor one (of which we saw both yesterday) was very slim, apparently all it takes is a switch at MLB.

I can think of three plays yesterday where if you added an inch here or there,  Nebraska cruises to an easy victory: Stanley Jean-Baptiste's dropped pick six, Ameer Abdullah getting tackled by the turf on a wide open option play, and the 3rd and 6 on Northwestern's first drive where Kain Colter slipped through the hands of every Nebraska defensive linemen to scramble for nine yards, eventually leading to NW's first TD.   And of course there's one play where an inch or two would have won the game for the Wildcats.

So while some may pessimistically gripe about Nebraska needing a lucky tip to beat a 4-4 Northwestern team (a Northwestern team that could easily be 7-1 with a little better luck), those grumps should remember that cliches are cliches for a reason, and they should just enjoy the win.  

On with the review:

Offensive MVP: Jordan Westerkamp, WR.  The kid made a few nice catches in the first half to move the chains.  He did a nice job fielding punts (a skill Nebraska fans have learned not to take lightly).  Nothing he does the rest of his career is likely to trump his first TD catch though.  A lot of that was right place and right time, but credit the freshman for his sticky hands and nimble feet.  I expect mustaches to make quite a comeback around Lincoln.

Defensive MVP: Avery Moss DE.  Moss' ten yard sack was great.  His pick six was better.  In a game where someone needed to step up and make a play, Moss did exactly that.  Moss' basketball skills were on full display as he plucked a pass out of the air and sprinted home.

Special Teams MVP: Sam Foltz P.  Yes he had a shanked punt, and yes his other punts always seemed to bounce the wrong way, but it's hard to argue with his overall body of work: 35 yd average and 3 punts downed inside the 20.  He was a big part of Nebraska winning the field position battle in the second half.

Freshman MVP: This one also goes to Westerkamp.  If you make a once-in-a-lifetime play like that, you deserve two MVPs.

Assistant Coach MVP: Terry Joseph, DB coach.  Joseph's charges accounted for six of Nebraska's ten tackles for loss.  Josh Mitchell had a clutch pass breakup on a 4th quarter pass that would have been a first down inside Nebraska territory (beautifully covering two receivers on a play where Nebraska blitzed eight defenders).  And Ciante Evans had one of the best games of his career, leading the team with eight tackles including a sack of Kain Colter in which he literally held on to a thread of his jersey and got the big quarterback down. Nebraska's secondary held Northwestern to 8 of 21 passing for 81 yards, and were a big part of shutting down the Wildcats' run game after the first quarter.

5 Who Stood out:
*Quincy Enunwa WR.  His 23 yard catch between two DBs on that long third down in the first quarter was more like the Enunwa we've come to know the last three years.  His adjustment to the lob pass he caught for a TD shouldn't be underestimated.  Sure he dropped that last pass that would have set Pat Smith up for a long field goal try, but he was just setting the Wildcats up for the epic final play.

*Ameer Abdullah RB.  Forget about the 132 yards rushing and another 1000 yard season, Ameer's greatest contribution yesterday came on the pass plays that last drive.  Serving as the safety valve for Kellogg III, Abdullah caught three passes including a clutch 16 yard catch-and-stretch to convert on 4th and 15.  And when you go back and watch that final play for the 501st time, notice what number 8 is doing in the backfield to give RKIII the time to make that final heave.  

*Randy Gregory DE.  Gregory will haunt the dreams of Trevor Siemian for several nights after crushing the NW quarterback as he released the ball on Moss' pick six.  Gregory's not all the way there mentally as evidenced by his poor read on Treyvon Green's 4 yard TD on a zone read in the first quarter, but he's learning, as evidenced by his great read on the two yard TFL on Colter to force a field goal at the end of the game.

*Ciante Evans NB.  Eight tackles, one sack and four tackles for loss.  The senior played his heart out yesterday, making play after play and willing his defense to shut down the Wildcats.

*Josh Banderas MLB.  The freshman's roller coaster year continued yesterday with an upswing as he replaced Michael Rose at MLB, making three tackles including a nice solo tackle on Colter to force a punt.  Bando is an absolute beast physically and when he fully grasps the college game, he's bound to become the stud that he looks like.

Key Stat:  0 for 12.  NW didn't convert a third down after the first quarter.  That helped Nebraska in so many ways.

Play of the Game: Obviously the hail Mary TD pass.  That was pretty much a textbook example of how a Hail Mary is supposed to work.  I can't watch it enough times.

Play We Want Back:  RKIII's interception in the first quarter.  Poor throw from Kellogg, and a poor play call by Tim Beck.  Two plays later, NW is up 21-7 and who knows what kind of impact that had on the game.

Blown Call:  The holding call on Mike Moudy that negated a first down run by Abdullah inside the NW 30 yard line was pretty silly.  Yes, Moudy had a handful of jersey, but it was hardly more egregious than the 30 holding calls they missed on both teams all game long.

And honestly, the holding call on NW's 2nd and 20 in the 4th quarter should have been offsetting penalties because Randy Gregory pretty clearly shoved his hands up in the NW tackle's nose while he was being held.  Nebraska declined the penalty so no harm, no foul.

Hit of the Game: Randy Gregory made one of the best plays of his young career by tackling Kain Colter for a two yard loss on third down to force NW's last field goal.  His ability to cling to Colter and get him to the ground turned out to be one of the game's most important plays.

I want to see more...
*Zone read/option plays.  Sure, Armstrong isn't as likely to take it to the house, but his consistent 8 yards per carry are better than the boom or bust style of a healthy Taylor Martinez, much better than the "fall into the fetal position and fumble" style of a hurt Taylor Martinez.  Having a quarterback healthy enough to be a legitimate rushing threat is an unmistakeable boost to this offense.
*Starting with a bang.  Yesterday marked the 5th game in a row that Nebraska scored on their first possession.  Obviously, that doesn't necessarily translate to continued success the rest of the game, but it says something positive for Tim Beck's game planning.
*Blitzing.  We've had this discussion before.  Nebraska started bringing more pressure on Northwestern's third drive and was rewarded with a three and out.  The Huskers managed several more three and outs the rest of the game, didn't allow a third down conversion after halftime and finished with 10 TFLs or sacks.
*K.I.S.S.  In the Army we use the acronym "Keep It Simple Stupid" to remind our leaders (usually lieutenants) that complexity doesn't necessarily equal success.  Tim Beck's offense usually ground to a halt when he tried to do anything more than feed Ameer Abdullah or let Tommy Armstrong loose in the running game.
*Takeaways.  Other than Avery Moss' beautiful pick six, Nebraska didn't get any takeaways yesterday.  When your own offense throws four INTs, you need to do something to get the ball back.
*Stanley Jean-Baptitste.  The senior was Nebraska's best playmaker until he got ejected from the Purdue game.  Since that game, he hasn't really made any game changing plays.  SJB dropped a sure pick six yesterday, and though he had some nice tackles, it was Josh Mitchell making plays in the passing game.
*Ndamukong Suh.  Suh was in town during the biggest recruiting weekend of the year.  Coincidence?  Doubt it.  

I want to see less...
*Missed tackles.  Kain Colter is a good athlete, but he made the Nebraska defense look ridiculous on an early 3rd and 6.  Defensive linemen grasped air, linebackers got run over and defensive backs slipped off ball carriers the entire first quarter.  Terrible.  Thank God the Blackshirts figured it out quickly.
*Interceptions.  With the exception of the tipped ball on Tommy Armstrong's second INT, the interceptions thrown yesterday went straight to Wildcat defenders as if they were the intended receivers. Were the QBs forcing plays, or do they just have no idea how to read a zone?
*Defensive confusion.  Nebraska was forced to call a timeout on Northwestern's first drive because they couldn't get lined up properly.  Northwestern wasn't doing a whole lot with motion or formations either, so I really don't understand why, in week 10, the Blackshirts can't even get lined up.  Things went much smoother when Banderas took over.
*Three and outs.  After storming down the field on their first possession, the Husker offense stalled with three and out after Northwestern answered, forcing the tired defense back onto the field.  The offense went three-and out several more times as the game devolved into a defensive slugfest.
*John Deere Gators.  I don't ever remember seeing a game where the Gator came on the field twice in the whole game, let alone the first quarter.  Lots of injuries yesterday, but with the exception of Will Richards, Bo didn't seem too worried about getting all those guys back.
*2:30 kickoffs.  I know that they're probably the best kickoff time as far as recruiting goes, but dangit I like grilling on Saturdays and the 2:30 games always climax at dinnertime. Trying to watch a grill full of country style ribs AND an epic comeback by a 5th year walk-on quarterback is difficult.  It worked out alright though:

Armchair coach: I don't like the way Tim Beck called passing plays in the second half.  With beneficial field position most of the second half, and playing from a tie from the third quarter on, Beck did his young quarterback no favors by calling passes at strange times (why does he insist on calling pass plays on first dow??!!), and not giving him any of the option passes that worked well in the first half.  

Jennifer's Take (my wife doesn't know much about football, but she still has opinions)
"You can grow a mustache if it looks like Jordan Westerkamp's."

Done.

Opponent Watch:
*Penn State pulled off another OT victory over Illinois as the Nittany Lions' freshman QB Christian Hackenberg threw a TD and then Ryan Keiser picked off a Nathan Scheelhaase pass in the end zone in the extra period.  Penn State is not a great team, but they play hard and they play all the way to the final gun.

*Minnesota almost blew a 35-13 third quarter lead, but a 50 yard TD pass by Phillip Nelson with three minutes left lifted the Gophers to a 42-39 victory.  The Gophers are now at 7-2 with games against Penn State, Wisconsin, and at Michigan State remaining.  9-3?  A distinct possibility, but so is 7-5.

*#22 Michigan State allowed only 168 yards and two field goals in a 29-6 win over #21 Michigan.  The Spartans straight dominated the Wolverines in East Lansing and they're the clear Legends division favorite.

*Iowa kept it tight until the 4th quarter at home against #24 Wisconsin, but the Hawkeyes couldn't contain James White, allowing two TDs in the final period en route to a 28-9 loss.  The Badgers are one of the toughest teams in the Big Ten, and they essentially ended any outside chance Iowa had at winning the Legends.

*Hapless little Purdue got run over by #4 Ohio State 56-0 as the Buckeyes try to keep their BCS championship hopes alive by blowing out the teams they should blow out.

*Southern Miss "only" committed two turnovers but still got run over by Marshall 63-13.  The Golden Eagles have now lost 20 straight games, which is silly considering they went 11-2 just two seasons ago.

*#20 UCLA got back on track after two straight losses to #5 Stanford and #2 Oregon by beating Colorado 45-23.  Nothing shakes you out of a two game losing streak like a visit from the Buffaloes.

Keeping an Eye on the Rest of the College Football World...
*Georgia busted out to a 17-0 lead and held off Florida for a 23-20 win.  In my dreamy impossible fantasy world, Will Muschamp gets fired at Florida after going 6-6 and then Bo Pelini hires him to be his defensive coordinator.  Only a few issues with that scenario...

*#9 Missouri stomped a better-than-you'd-expect Tennessee team 36-3.  The Tigers have to beat Kentucky, Ole Miss and Texas A&M to win the SEC East with no help.  Seems doable.

*#25 Notre Dame needed a late TD to escape Navy at home.  The Fighting Irish might be one of the most hot-and-cold teams in the country and that's not going to help them down the stretch with games against Pitt, BYU and Stanford.

*#17 Northern Illinois and #16 Fresno State kept their BCS hopes alive with wins over UMass and Nevada respectively.  If it came down to both teams being unbeaten, who would get in?  I'd take the Huskies.  Their best win over Iowa trumps the Bulldogs' best win over Rutgers.

*Most overrated 2-loss team?  #12 Texas A&M in my book.  Anyone with a decent defense and an offense with a pulse has a chance to beat the Aggies.  UTEP, of course, isn't one of those teams, losing 57-7 last night, but I'd give Mississippi State, LSU and Missouri all at least .500 odds of beating the Aggies.

*#18 Oklahoma State further exposed #15 Texas Tech as pretenders.  The Cowboys played like the Big 12 favorites they used to be, racking up 281 rushing yards and forcing the Red Raiders into two turnovers in a 52-34 beat down.

*#3 Florida State stomped all over #7 Miami 41-14.  The Seminoles should move to #2 in the BCS this week, but an impressive win by Oregon over Stanford on Thursday will knock Florida State back down to #3.  With #4 Ohio State seemingly a lock to go 13-0, and #6 Baylor still facing the meat of its schedule, there's all sorts of potential for chaos come December 9th.  The BCS is not going to go quietly.

Last Thought

I don't think Spielberg could have scripted that any better.  A third-string, 5th year walk-on senior quarterback comes into the game with a little more than a minute left and leads the team down the field with no timeouts and heaves a miracle Hail Mary touchdown to a Catholic freshman wide receiver and saves his team's season?  Magic.  I'll let the shine wear off a little bit before I go pronouncing any final judgements, but I think it's safe to say that yesterday's game will reside in my top 5 Husker memories for quite a while.

Also, can we get a trophy for the Northwestern game?  The Wildcats have been, and will probably continue to be a thorn in the Husker's side, and while I don't anticipate any hatred coming up between the two teams (who could hate that lovable band of nerds and their classy head coach?), the series has all the other ingredients for a serious rivalry.

Anyways, enough about the Wildcats.  Nebraska has a big game with a beat-up Michigan team next Saturday in the Big House.  If the Huskers can scrape out a win, hold your horses folks, we got us a football season. The Huskers are likely to look pretty different next week depending on the latest twists in the ongoing quarterback drama and the expected return of Jake Long, Kenny Bell, and/or Jamal Turner.

Fan forecast: Catholic churches in Nebraska see a huge uptick in attendance.

Sunday Review: Minnesota

OK.  Stop.  Breathe.  Repeat.  Survey surroundings.  House intact.  Internet still operating.  The sun is shining.  The world does not appear to have ended.  Phew.

24 hours after Nebraska lost to Minnesota (that hurts to type) it appears that everything outside of the Husker universe is still just fine (or as fine as it was yesterday).  That is important to note, because everything inside the Husker universe is in shambles.  Or something.  I don't really know.  I'm about as lost as David Santos trying to cover a TE on a playaction pass.

The reality is that yesterday's loss hurt really bad.  The 2013 Huskers are a weak football team.  Period. They were exposed in all of their ignominy yesterday, physically, mentally, emotionally and just about any other way you can be weak, the Huskers showed it.  The Golden Gophers applied smothering pressure on both sides of the ball and the Huskers caved.  There's no nice way to put it: the whole psyche of Husker nation has done a complete 180 in 24 hours and instead of a Big 10 championship game in Indy, the Husker faithful (if there still are any) are now seriously concerned about making a bowl game.

We might want to pump the brakes on the doom and gloom though.  There are still five games to play, and no amount of hand-wringing by the fans is going to make it any easier to beat Michigan State.  This team is still talented enough to win every game on their schedule if somebody, anybody steps up and takes ownership of the team.

On with the review:

Offensive MVP: Phillip Nelson, QB Minnesota.  Nelson came in for Mitch Leidner midway through the second quarter and led the Gophers down the field on his first drive and threw a 33 yard TD on 4th and 10 to give the Gophers a halftime lead.  Minnesota had success with RB David Cobb, but Nelson's timely throws and gutsy running made the difference for Minnesota yesterday.

Defensive MVP: RaShede Hageman, DT Minnesota.  Hageman did his best Ndamukong Suh impression, blowing up runs, running down screens, and making life miserable for Taylor Martinez and Mike Moudy.  Hageman was credited with a sack and a TFL, but he had two other sacks negated by facemask penalties.  No doubt Bo would trade any of his guys for Hageman.

Special Teams MVP: Pat Smith, K.  Smith was the only Husker who did his job 100% of the time yesterday, hitting three field goals, including two from beyond 40 yards, and relieving the anxiety over his lack of attempts this season.

Freshman MVP: Donovahn Jones, RB Minnesota.  The true freshman RB played an integral role in the sweep game yesterday.  Even when he didn't take the ball around the end for ten yards at a time, he was consistently in motion, and the linbackers accounting for him watched David Cobb rumble up the middle for six or seven yards.

Assistant Coach MVP: Tracy Claeys, Minnesota DC.  Claeys, acting as interim head coach, made several gutsy calls, and his aggressive game plan paid off as the Gophers stymied the Husker offense and blasted through the Blackshirts.  Claeys is now 2-0 as acting head coach with wins over teams perceived to be at the top of the Legends division (Northwestern and Nebraska).

5 Who Stood out:
*Alonzo Moore WR.  We've heard so much hype over the freshman and seeing him on the field on the first play, taking a little WR screen for 13 yards was exactly the sort of thing we've been waiting to see. He did an alright job returning kicks, but disappeared from the offense after the first quarter.

*Jordan Westerkamp WR.  His 17 yard punt return in the first quarter was seemingly Nebraska's longest punt return since DeJuan Groce was back there.  He got a little cocky though, taking a few shots the rest of the first half before he started calling for fair catches in the second half.

*Avery Moss DE.  The freshman does a better job setting the edge and collapsing a pocket than Jason Ankrah.  Why he's not starting over the senior is a mystery to me.

*Ameer Abdullah RB.  165 yards and 8.7 yards per carry.  The fact that he only had 19 touches in a game like that is damning for Tim Beck.

*Sam Cotton TE.  Nice job on the easy touchdown catch.  The freshman TE is beginning to make the plays that will get him on the field more often, he shows well blocking, and ran his delayed route perfectly.

Key Stat:  95.  Midway through the fourth quarter, ESPN flashed a graphic that showed that 95 of Minnesota RB David Cobb's 112 yards rushing came after contact.  Nebraska defenders either missed tackles, or simply got run over all afternoon and couldn't get stops when it mattered.

Play of the Game: Taylor Martinez's 42 yard pass to Kenny Bell was the one nice play that Nebraska wide receivers made yesterday.  Bell adjusted to the under thrown ball, and secured the catch to set up Nebraska's first TD.  Martinez tried to duplicate that success several more times yesterday, but his passes were continually under thrown and his receivers, with DBs draped all over them, couldn't find the handle.

Play We Want Back:  With about four minutes left in the game, Nebraska was down four points and took over at their ten yard line.  After a one yard run and an incomplete pass, the Huskers faced 3rd and 9 and Tim Beck called a QB draw.  And it failed miserably.  On a day of questionable play calls, this one stands out.

Blown Call:  I cannot believe they waved off that personal foul penalty after Martinez's long run in the third quarter.  I've seen so many light taps on the sideline draw a 15 yard penalty that it's maddening when a clear penalty gets waved off.  Coupled with the missed targeting hit two plays later, it lends some credence to the conspiracy crowd.  Didn't really affect the game, but it was just one more thing that went against the Big Red yesterday.

Hit of the Game: Quincy Enunwa, known for delivering crushing hits, took a shot to the ribs in the first quarter from a Minnesota safety and had to come off the field.  Enunwa didn't really seem like himself for the rest of the game.

I want to see more...
*Spencer Long.  The right side of Nebraska's offensive line is much softer without Long.  Mike Moudy got run over several times by Rashede Hageman, and the line that allowed three sacks coming into this game allowed three in the first half (two were negated by penalties).
*Option.  Martinez isn't as proficient as Tommy Armstrong, but if he can move the ball to the edge and flip it to Abdullah, this play is still one of the best in Beck's book.  Too bad Beck is fixated on making WR screens work instead.
*Leadership.  Nebraska is a very fragile team mentally, especially on defense.  When the Blackshirts are down, nobody seems capable of making a play to take back momentum.  There weren't any sacks, no turnovers, heck making a stop after only a yard would have been something.
*Flags for defensive holding.  Granted the Nebraska WRs had their share of issues yesterday, but they certainly weren't helped by the constant grabbing employed by the Gopher DBs.  I don't even know how to express my disgust with the overall performance of the referees yesterday.
*Takeaways.  On a day when the defense is getting pounded into the ground, someone, anyone has to make a play.  I don't recall anyone coming close to getting a takeaway yesterday.

I want to see less...
*Of that super annoying shadow covering half the field in the first half.  Pet peeve.
*Missed tackles.  And by missed tackles, I'm including all the plays where a ballcarrier ran over a Nebraska defender for 3 extra yards.  Which was almost every play.
*Wide open tight ends.  Memo to Ross Els: Tight ends are eligible receivers and need to be covered at all times.
*FUMBLES.  Taylor Martinez got blindsided and sack-stripped, Abdullah got the ball punched out on after a 15 yard run, Martinez made an ill-advised pitch (albeit while having his facemask pulled) and the Huskers continued their ball security futility.
*Gut-busting drives.  The Gophers shredded Nebraska's front seven on their first quarter TD drive, with 14 rushing plays in the 75 yard drive.
*Worn footballs.  Seriously.  Every game ESPN calls, they feel like they have to mention Nebraska's worn out footballs.  Getting kind of annoying.
*Clock mismanagement.  Nebraska's two-minute drill at the end of the first half was far from a thing of beauty.  Once the Huskers got near field goal range, the play-calling became conservative and the clock management got sloppy.  15 seconds were wasted before the Husker's last timeout was called.
*Drops.  Kenny Bell is the main culprit here, letting several passes, including a sure TD at the end of the first half, go through his hands.  Enunwa dropped two first downs in the third quarter.
*Stupid camera angles inside the red zone.  ESPN kept putting the camera behind the running backs inside the 10 yard line because you know, it's not like the goal line view is important or anything.  So annoying.

Armchair coach: 
With Abdullah averaging 7 yards per rush, Beck called 3 straight passing plays in the first quarter. When Nebraska fell behind by 11 in the third quarter, Beck forgot about the running game altogether until Martinez busted off a nice 35 yard zone read.  On Nebraska's last drive that mattered (the one that started at their own 10), Abdullah was tackled after a one yard gain, and Nebraska immediately went to a pass (incomplete) and a QB draw on third and 9 for a two yard loss.  And so it was, that Ameer Abdullah, who rushed for 165 yards rushing yesterday, was a complete non-factor on the most important offensive drive of 2013.  Ridiculous.

Jennifer's Take (my wife doesn't know much about football, but she still has opinions)
"I think the defense is protesting Martinez's comeback."

Makes as much sense as anything else...

Opponent Watch:
*Iowa beat Northwestern 17-10 in an overtime slugfest.  Northwestern was still missing it's best offensive weapon in Venric Mark, and fell to 0-4 in the Big Ten.  Iowa on the other hand, is looking good after taking Ohio State to the brink and beating the former Legends division favorite.  The Hawkeyes play tough defense and run the ball pretty well, so pump the brakes on any thoughts of another Black Friday beat down.

*Michigan State continued it's offensive renaissance at Illinois scoring six TDs (all by the offense!) in a 42-3 shellacking.  The Spartans remain the best statistical defense in the nation, allowing 128 total yards to the Illini.

*#4 Ohio State seems to have got the memo about needing to win more impressively to improve their BCS standing, and they proceeded to crush Penn State in a 63-14 bloodbath.  Penn State turned the ball over three times and allowed 686 yards to the Buckeyes.  Penn State hasn't been beaten so badly since a 64-5 beatdown by the Duquesne Athletic Club in 1899.  Fun fact.

*Zach Zenner had 106 yards and a TD as South Dakota State eked out a 37-34 overtime victory over Northern Illinois.

*Southern Miss was down 41-7 at home against North Texas and went on to lose 55-14.  The Golden Eagles committed five more turnovers and managed a measly 39 yards rushing against the mighty Mean Green.

*Wyoming lost a 51-44 shootout to San Jose State and falls to 4-4.  If the Cowboys don't make a bowl game, how bad does that Aug 30th game look?

*#12 UCLA kept it tight through three quarters, but a 21 point 4th quarter onslaught by #3 Oregon led to a 42-14 win for the Ducks.  Oregon QB Marcus Mariota still has yet to throw an interception this season.

Keeping an Eye on the Rest of the College Football World...
*Two more unbeatens fell last night as #5 Missouri and #10 Texas Tech fell apart in the 4th quarter of their respective games against #21 South Carolina and #15 Oklahoma.  #7 Miami needed a one yard TD in the last minute to win at home versus Wake Forest and remain unbeaten.  The winner of the Miami-Florida State game next week should be one of four unbeaten teams in the top four 3/4 of the way through the season.  I can't wait for the visceral outpouring of BCS hate if they're still unbeaten the first of December.   And watch out for #8 Baylor lurking just outside should one of the top 4 go down.

*And of course there are the BCS Busters.  #17 Fresno State eked out an overtime win over San Diego State, while #18 Northern Illinois blasted Eastern Michigan 59-20.  It's likely that only one of those two can get into a BCS bowl if they stay undefeated, so style points really matter.

*#1 Alabama continues to roll, this time through a helpless Tennessee team in Tuscaloosa, 45-10.  Not much to say about the Tide, they play great defense, run the ball and score lots of points.

*Coaches always downplay the revenge angle, but you know that #2 Florida State had to enjoy leaping out to a 35 point lead in the first quarter of their grudge match with NC State.  The Seminoles eased off the rest of the game, cruising to a 49-17 win in their final tune-up for the Miami game next week.

*#14 Virginia Tech lost a 13-10 snoozer to Duke at home.  Both teams threw four interceptions and were flagged six times each, but Duke K Ross Martin hit 51 and 53 yard field goals while his counterpart hit only 1 of 3 field goals to doom the Hokies.

*Remember Boise State?  The Broncos fell to 5-3 last night with a 37-20 loss to BYU.  The hardest part of the schedule is behind the Broncos, so their 9th consecutive 10 win season and their 4th consecutive berth in the Maaco Las Vegas Bowl is still a distinct possibility, despite their numerous injuries.

*TCU was on the wrong side of a 30-7 beat down at home versus Texas.  The Frogs are now 3-5, so maybe Gary Patterson will be looking for a defensive coordinator job in December...

Last Thought
So what do we do about these infuriating Cornhuskers?  At 5-2 the season is hardly over, but looking at the stretch of games remaining, it's easy to imagine a 7-5 finish.  Or 5-7.  Or 10-2.

We just don't know, and that's the most maddening part of this season.  There's nothing that this team can hang it's hat on, no identity.  Yesterday, Ameer Abdullah was clearly the best player on the field, but it just seemed like Tim Beck wanted to put the game in Martinez's hands, and he simply was not capable of making plays to win.  Where does this team go?  

Depends.  Tim Beck needs a dose of humility.  He might need to put a little more Alabama into his offense and take out a bit of the Texas A&M.  Perhaps the future is now for Tommy Armstrong or Ron Kellogg.  Abdullah and Imani Cross need at least 5 more touches per game each.

And John Papuchis needs to go.  I'm not saying that a midseason firing is in order, but there is no reason he should still be around in January.  Bo needs to take control of the defense now and figure something out; the defense is good enough to survive the rest of the season while leaning on the offense.  Come January, we need some fresh blood.  Will Muschamp might be available.  So too might Gary Patterson.  Perhaps someone from the Nick Saban tree.  Bo made a huge mistake not wooing Mike Stoops to town when he had the chance, and now he needs new ideas and new methods because his current staff is clearly at a loss.  I'll reserve judgement on the head man until the end of the season, but he's officially on notice now, and he needs to make some bold moves.

Fan forecast: stormy, cold and bitter.  

Sunday Review: Purdue

Have you ever been so worried after a 37 point win?  Despite the dominant defensive performance, there are plenty of concerns heading into the bye week.

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.

Sunday Review: Illinois

Once again, the Huskers gave us what we all expected coming into this year: great offense and a shaky defense capable of making timely stops.  If this is what we get for the remainder of the Big 10 slate, then things don't look nearly as apocalyptic as they did after the UCLA game.

Plenty of questions remain, and the program will have to batten down the hatches for a full-blown quarterback controversy over the coming weeks, but I think the Huskers took a big step forward in their Big 10 opener, nowhere more than on their much-maligned defense.

To sum up the game: Tommy Armstrong still looks like the second coming of Tommie Frazier, Ameer Abdullah looks even better, and the defense seems to be coming along.

On with the review:

Offensive MVP: Ameer Abdullah, RB.  225 yards and 2 TDs rushing and a clutch 15 yard reception tell you most of the story, but his reaction in the post-game finishes it.  Abdullah went out of his way to mention his line, receivers, and even the fullbacks for their outstanding blocking, essentially saying that his career game was simply the result of his teammates' hard work.  Great back, and great teammate.

Defensive MVP: Ciante Evans, CB/NB.  Evans didn't do much in coverage, but he shined as a blitzer, ending one Illini series inside the Nebraska 10 yard line, getting another TFL, and forcing a fumble after a big run.  On a young defense, it's about time the man with the most experience steps up.

Special Teams MVP: Nebraska's kickoff team.  Facing the best returner in college football, these Huskers answered the bell and shut V'Angelo Bentley all afternoon.  Nothing spectacular, but always solid.

Freshman MVP: Tommy Armstrong, QB.  There aren't any of the outlandish stats or the big plays that defined Taylor Martinez's freshman campaign (though his field-reversing option play was pretty nice), but there is that indescribable calm that fills the stadium when Tommy is at the helm.  We still have yet to see how he reacts to a big turnover in a tight game, or how he rallies the team when the Huskers are behind in the 4th quarter, but you get the sense that he might handle it better than most kids his age.

Assistant Coach MVP: John Garrison, OL coach. When your team racks up 335 rushing yards (219 of which came in the second half), you know that the offensive line is doing a lot of things right.  It's also worth mentioning that the Huskers haven't had a single false start in two games.

5 Who Stood out:
*Jason Ankrah.  Nebraska fans have rightly been hard on the senior so far this year, but he responded with one of the best games of his career yesterday.  Ankrah had a sack and a TFL and led the defensive line in a much improved effort.

*Quincy Enunwa.  Another TD and some timely grabs accompanied his always fantastic downfield blocking.  There's nothing flashy about Enunwa, but he's one of the Husker's most consistent and valuable performers.

*Sam Cotton.  There were more than a few grumbles when the youngest Cotton was the only Nebraska high school kid offered a scholarship in 2012, but Sam finally got the chance to show us why that was the case.  His downfield blocking was reminiscent of his big brother, and seeing him drag defenders for five extra yards on his lone reception was incredibly gratifying.

*Michael Rose.  Rose was flying around all afternoon yesterday.  He wasn't always in the right spot, but he made a few nice stops and led the team with11 tackles.  It seems the future is bright for the freshman.

*Avery Moss.  The young DE doesn't show up as much on the stat sheet, but he crashes the pocket better than any other defensive end currently on the roster.  If Nebraska's defense can survive this season, their future is bright in the front seven.

Key Stat:  11.2.  That's Abdullah's yards-per-carry average on 20 carries.  That's amazing.

Play of the Game: 
I just couldn't decide between:

The option run for a TD by Abdullah, which was a thing of beauty.  Good job by Tommy Armstrong stretching the play outside and making the accurate pitch to Abdullah while he was running at full speed. Abdullah did an outstanding job reading his blocks downfield and made an amazing cutback to take the ball into the endzone.  Maybe not a perfect play, but darn close.

And of course Kenny Bell's leaping one-handed grab for a TD was pure magic.  And it came at a good time with the Husker's offense seemingly stalling inside Illini territory.  It was a perfect statement play for Bell who had a rough game against SDST and hadn't done much up to that point against the Illini.

Play We Want Back: 
I don't like to question the Almighty Beck, but when you have 3rd and 11 at your own 3 yard line, that is not the time to make Imani Cross run laterally.  Terrell Newby or Abdullah maybe, but not Cross.  You gotta play to your player's strengths, and when you don't, you get bad plays like that safety.

Blown Call:  Pretty good game by the stripes overall but I'm seriously starting to wonder if our defensive line needs to work on some sort of flopping technique (as if they need one MORE thing to work one) in order to start getting some holding calls.  It's getting a little bit ridiculous, and it makes it that much harder to set the edge on those gashing perimeter runs that were killing us yesterday.

Hit of the Game: I almost threw something at the TV when Illinois WR Steve Hull caught that ball on 4th and 11, but praise Rex for CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste and his hard hitting prowess.  He's unquestionably been the Blackshirts' best playmaker this season.

I want to see more...
*Jack Hoffman.  ESPN reported late Friday night that little Jack is in full remission and his father is hopeful that it might be for good.  Jack will still have to get regular MRIs to monitor his tumor of course, but he's done with chemo and he will get a chance to be a little boy again.
*Tommy Armstrong.  Several of his throws went high yesterday, but we'll chalk that up to the wind.  What we can attribute to the young quarterback is a calm sense of control over this offense and the ability to move the football (with the exception of the 2nd quarter safety).  If I'm Bo Pelini, Taylor Martinez sits against a bad Purdue team and has 2 more weeks to heal before the all-important November stretch.
*The option.  Seemed like every time the Huskers ran those speed option plays, it went for big yards. There's no better way for a quarterback and an offensive coordinator to endear themselves to the Nebraska fans than running the plays that won those now mythical championships in the 90's.  Extra credit to Tommy Armstrong for the bags of ice on his shoulder in the post game news conference.  Some of my first Husker memories are of Scott Frost and those bags of ice on his shoulders after a game.  That's Saturday romance at its best.
*Soul crushing drives.  Nebraska took over with 3 minutes to go in the second quarter at their own 4 yard line with an opportunity to mount a long drive and take a four score lead into the second half and get the ball back.  Instead, the Huskers get conservative and Cross is tackled in the endzone for a safety.  A big return set the Illini up at midfield with the potential to steal the momentum going into the half.  Gregg Easterbrook often writes of the disaster that comes with being too conservative at the end of football games, and his rule held true yesterday.
*Jamal Turner.  Other than a pretty block to spring Abdullah for a few extra yards, Turner had a quiet day yesterday, and hasn't done much this season.  Theres's a tweaked hammy at issue, but hopefully he has a breakout game soon that gives him a boost for the rest of the season like his TD catch in the Northwestern game did last year.
*Blitzing.  Imagine that, a quarterback under pressure repeatedly makes hurried, inaccurate throws...

I want to see less...
*Missed tackles.  The Blackshirts did an OK job yesterday, but there were several plays in which the  Nebraska defenders either lost the handle on the ball carrier, whiffed completely, or mystifyingly got turned around as CB Jonathan Rose did late in the 3rd quarter.
*Fumbles.  Fortunately Nebraska didn't lose any yesterday, but Abdullah and Newby seemingly lost the ball every time they went out of bounds or after they hit the ground, and the law of averages (and past experiences) states that eventually, those balls will come out at less opportune times and be recovered by the other team.  Something different needs to happen in practice.
*Free running RBs.  Illini RB Josh Ferguson repeatedly gashed the Blackshirts around the edges, averaging 6 yards per carry.  Add to that his 82 yards receiving and there's plenty of teaching points for these Huskers this week.
*Miscommunication and substitution errors on defense.  I counted 4 substitution penalties and even late in the game, you got the feeling that the Blackshirts were really discombobulated between snaps.  That falls on the coaches, and it's something that needs to get fixed before Northwestern comes to town.
*Missed XPs.  With an ongoing competition at kicker, the last thing you wanna do as a place kicker is miss an extra point, wind or no wind.  Which is exactly what both kickers managed to do yesterday.
*Catches out of the backfield.  Nathan Scheelhaase continually burned the Husker linebackers with swings to his RBs, notably on a 4th and 5 conversion in the 3rd quarter.
*Ron Kellogg III.  I hate to even write this because of all that RKIII has done for the program as a backup, but there's a reason that Armstrong is starting in front of him. When Kellogg III was on the field yesterday, the offense just seemed stale because he wasn't a running threat.  I love the kid and his selfless attitude, but his greatest contributions come on the sideline and the attempts to get him in the game yesterday seemed forced and didn't amount to anything.
*Boring 4th quarters.  Sure the game was sort of out of reach, but neither team showed even a whiff of urgency to close out the game yesterday.  That was disappointing.
*NASCAR.  Seriously ESPN?  NASCAR at 3:30 on an October Saturday afternoon?

Armchair coach: 
I wanna talk a little more about the safety, because it was a classic example of Tim Beck outsmarting himself:

With Ameer Abdullah averaging 9 yards per carry around the edges, Beck decided that it was a good time to put Cross in the game to bang it inside.  I can understand that conservative philosophy down near our own goal line-I don't agree with it, but I can understand it- what I don't understand is that mystifying decision to run Cross around the left edge of the offense on third and 11.  Granted, Cross made a poor decision not getting upfield faster, but that wasn't a good play call by any stretch of the imagination.

The Huskers can get away with that against teams like Illinois, but that sort of blunder will cost us against Michigan.

Jennifer's Take (my wife doesn't know much about football, but she still has opinions)
"I think that Martinez's turf toe might be the best thing to happen to Nebraska this year."

Opponent Watch:
*Penn State was granted a reprieve from their Draconian scholarship reductions a few weeks ago, but that isn't going to help them this year.   They have some nice pieces, but there isn't enough depth to put together a full game against a decent team, as evidenced by their 44-24 loss to Indiana, the first loss to the Hoosiers in program history.

*I was one of those predicting a 10-3 score from the Iowa-Michigan State game, but the Spartans actually managed a bit of offense and beat the Hawkeyes by a sound 26-13 score.  If Sparty can keep that progress going, they're a real threat in the Legends.

*Minnesota kept it tight early, but #19 Michigan pulled away in the second half and cruised to a 42-13 win.  It still looks like the best way to beat the Wolverines is to make Devin Gardner throw the ball.

*#12 UCLA survived a 34-27 scare at Utah while you slept Thursday night.  The Bruins are good enough to beat every team in the PAC 12, but they're not good enough to sleepwalk against any of them.

*Southern Miss squandered their best opportunity to win their first game in 17 tries, taking on one of the worst teams in the NCAA in Florida International and losing 24-23.  Turnovers continue to kill the Golden Eagles as they gave the Panthers a pair of fumbles and a couple interceptions in the loss. Southern Miss has lost 19 turnovers in 5 games.

*South Dakota State lost to Southern Illinois 27-24.  Yet another FCS team managed to hold SDST RB Zac Zenner to less than 4 yards per carry...

*#4 Ohio State benefited from some *ahem* generous officiating to eke out a 40-30 win (with the last six coming on the Wildcat's botched final play) at #16 Northwestern.  The Big Ten is officially on notice: if you want to beat the Buckeyes, don't leave the game in the hands of the officials.

Keeping an Eye on the Rest of the College Football World...
*I watched the 4th quarter of the Iowa State-Texas game the other night, and even though Iowa State had some questionable calls go against them, they weren't egregious.  Texas may be a shell of what they once were, but they're still going to get the benefit of the doubt with refs in the Big 12.  What should be of greater note was the way the Cyclones, with their undersized and much slower athletes, whipped the Longhorns on both sides of the ball.  I can't think of any reason Mack Brown should be on the sideline next season.

*Spoke too soon on Virginia Tech.  I thought the Hokies were in for rough season after that OT scare against Marshall, but they've rebounded nicely with relatively easy wins against a good Georgia Tech team and a decent North Carolina squad.

*#3 Clemson is quietly dominating opponents and staying out of the spotlight after their season opening win against Georgia.  There's a potential trap game against Boston college next week and then a mammoth test against Florida State the week after.

*Put #25 Maryland firmly under that "pretender" label.  The Terrapins surprised us all with that 4-0 start, but were quickly and soundly brought back to Earth at #8 Florida State, losing 63-0, which is the worst beating a ranked team has ever taken.  The Seminoles' sensational freshman QB Jameis Winston threw for almost 400 yards and 5 TDs to keep his Heisman campaign alive.

*I can't help but be impressed with #17 Baylor's third consecutive 70 point game against West Virginia.  The Bears racked up 864 total yards and for the fourth game in a row, they scored four TDs in the first quarter.

*On the topic of impressive offenses, #2 Oregon shook off a sluggish start to blast Colorado 57-16.  The Ducks scored three TDs in the last 5 minutes of the first quarter after Colorado had taken a 10-8 lead.

*When the Heisman voters are deciding which QB is going to get the award this season, I hope they take into account everything that Georgia QB Aaron Murray has had to endure early this season.  No, I'm not talking about the three games against top 10 opponents in September.  At Tennessee, Murray was already missing his best RB and WR, then lost his second best RB and two more of his top 5 receivers through the course of the game, and still managed to put together a TD drive to force overtime and get the win.  Murray needs to keep winning, but through six weeks, he's got my vote.

*Speaking of the Georgia-Tennessee game, you feel for Tennessee RB Alton "Pig" Howard, whose fumble out of the endzone essentially gave the overtime win to the Bulldogs.  Of course one play doesn't win or lose a game, of course your teammates support you, and of course tomorrow will come, but dang.  Ya kinda blew it in the worst way possible dude.

*#5 Stanford got away with one against #15 Washington.  The Cardinal were outgained 489-279 by the Huskies but got a kickoff return TD and timely defensive stops to get the win.

Last Thought
So I'm on record saying that Taylor Martinez should sit against Purdue.  Let's face it: the Boilers are the worst team in the Big Ten, and they provide a perfect opportunity for Tommy Armstrong to cut his teeth on the road.  Nebraska gets another bye week and then a trip to Minnesota presents a perfect opportunity for Martinez to work out the kinks before Northwestern comes to town.

I still believe Nebraska is capable of winning every game left on the schedule, especially if the defense continues to improve, but proper management of the incredibly fortuitous midseason schedule is going to be the key.

Fan forecast: Wind-burnt cheeks heal up in time for a smile-inducing road trip to West Lafayette.