PYB apologizes for the delay, but we were unavoidably detained over the weekend. A great Nebraska win in Columbia will hopefully be a get-over-the-hump game on the road back to respectability. NU got the win, but there are still some gaping holes for the Cornhuskers....as well as every other CFB team in these days of celebrated mediocrity.
QB--Zac Lee did little to impress, outside of two or three plays, all game. He missed receivers that needed to be hit, regardless of weather conditions. Outside of the long TD pass to Niles Paul, and MAYBE the throwback to Mike McNeill, what else did he do as far as making plays? Even his second TD pass was a tossup that Niles Paul snared away from two Mizzou defenders. Either he gets better in the next two weeks or loses his job to Cody Green.
RB--Hard to judge Roy Helu here. The guy was obviously sick, as he was so pale that he looked like any of Pelini's white walk-on scrubs who flop around on kick coverage. But he gamed it when the result was in doubt on the final drive and put it in the end zone for the clinching score. NU's second best player, by far.
WR--Subpar here. Niles Paul got loose for one long TD, but hey if a team throws it 40 times a game that should happen. Call us here at PYB haters, but one 56-yard-touchdown and a jump ball grab does not make one Jerry Rice. It was nice to see Antonio Bell and Brandon Kinnie in, but they need more than one series to get a rhythm. At least the substitutions are as consistently inconsistent as Shawn Watson's playcalling.
Offensive Line--As bad as Barney Cotton is, I have no issue with his unit's blocking this week. Perhaps not dominant, but Watson's play selection didn't give them any chance to establish dominance over the Tigers' DL. The continued holding and false start penalties are completely aggravating, and a sign of poor coaching.
Tight Ends--Incomplete. Besides McNeill's TD, where the hell have these guys been in the other seven quarters of NU's big games?
Defensive Line--Truly NU's strength. Suh is a true dominator, but anyone who wants to bring up the Heisman because of two games is a fucking fool. Awards like this are won over the course of eleven games, and it will be hard for a defensive player (much less a DT) to put up gaudy enough numbers to sway voters who don't know anything about football and don't see anything besides a box score and one or two nationally telecast games per week.
Linebackers--Outside of Phillip Dillard, are these guys a factor at all? Luckily, the defensive line is dominant and it's not been a huge issue to this point. Having one or two playmakers at LB would make the Blackshirts a top-five unit nationally. And we are not talking Barrett Ruud playmaker, we're talking Terrell Farley and Ed Stewart. Piling on for 10 tackle assists per game is not playmaking.
Defensive Back--What great progress we've seen in two weeks. Prince Amukamara has progressed to be an above-average cover man (but still not a good playmaker with INTs, etc.), but the best news is that he is now likely NU's third best CB! Dejon Gomes and Alfonzo Dennard had lockdown coverage all game. Continued development by this trio will lead to a lot of picks and a lot of victories the next two seasons. Larry Asante has been better tackling and luckily there is enough talent to cover up for Matt O'Hanlon's ineptitude. Lance Thorell is benched, Amen....it's been Past His Bedtime for a long time.
Special Teams--Absolutely brutal and embarrassing...and it has been for a LONG time. John Papuchis, if he is indeed in charge, should be in danger of getting axed. Long snapper, inept. Punt returns, inept. Net punting, inept (94th in the nation). If not improved, expect NU to drop a game it shouldn't this season...if not two. Why is the two-returner punt formation not used every time? And Alex Henery is not the answer at punter. He does not look comfortable at all, and the rugby-style kick causes more trouble than it's worth.
Coaching--The fact that the coaching is so good in some aspects and so bad in others is truly amazing. Tremendous defensive coaching, as all units have progressed greatly from last season. In its two matchups versus decent teams, NU has been in complete control of the opponent's offense for 90% of both games. Pelini is obviously a master of using different zones and schemes to keep the other QB out of rhythm and to bait him into turnovers on a consistent basis.
However, play calling was horrible. Twenty four passes at half, and NU continued to throw deep out patterns in a driving rain. No effort to establish the run. Twelve penalties for more than 100 yards. Going for two points to try to get to 15 points, then almost being burned when it was 20-12 with Mizzou driving for the potential tying score. Constant special-teams blunders, as the 94th ranking nationally in punting attests. A litany of items here that can cost a team a big game, especially when the talent level is not great.
Where do the Cornhuskers go from here? If Pelini's track record is an indication, the team will keep improving. But will the coaches quit stepping on their own dicks and learn to deliver the KO punch? Three or four plays turned the tide in Columbia, but a team can't rely on this fortune every week. We will see if NU can grab fortune on its own from now on. Texas Tech is a big test--if you want the glory, you gotta bring it every week. Thursday night was a start.
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