W

Well a win is a win. Nebraska avoided a huge trap game in Boulder and held on to win 28-20. The performance was pretty much what was expected, with a couple of exceptions. A subpar offensive perfomance (or should we say par by now?), a decent defensive performance given the pressure the unit has been under and the continual tight spots the Blackshirts find themselves in, with a twist of drama at the end just to keep us watching.

Offense:
The offensive line looked bad as usual, until its one late-game drive to help clinch the game. Zac Lee was his normal self, but hit a few of his best passes of the season. Of course, his TOTAL lack of pocket presence and timing is aggravating. Lee needs to develop the internal clock to either throw to a receiver or get rid of the ball instead of taking sacks. This is crucial, considering he has no ability to elude the rush. This will be even more critical against Texas, as the speed will be several notches higher than the last few games.

Rex Burkhead created a nice spark, gaining 100 yards on 18 carries. Is it possible to get him some reps at punt returner? Sure, Niles Paul makes one nice return every few games against bad teams, but he will never make anything happen against a top-10 team. Roy Helu only had 40 yards, and one fumble, but didn't get much help from the line during the first three quarters. Mike McNeill had one early catch, then was mysteriously absent from the field the rest of the game.

Defense:
PYB believes the defense is pretty worn out. Worse yet, Colorado exploited a HUGE hole in the Cornhusker armor when they forced the Blackshirts to play with two or three linebackers. Will Compton was serviceable, but Sean Fisher was truly awful in all aspects. Poor coverage, poor tackling, overpursuit and a complete lack of speed were his trademarks Friday. The Texas coaching staff will surely notice this and add some formations/plays to its repertoire to take advantage.

If NU was having that much trouble with the Bluffs, one can only imagine what will happen versus the Longhorns. Texas loves to throw underneath zones. The Huskers give up the short pass, almost on purpose at times. The Horns, unlike most of Nebraska's chump competition, have the ability to close out drives. One more two mistakes will mean doom in Dallas.

Special Teams:
Alex Henery continued his rapid improvement as a punter, becoming more than just a 'coffin corner' specialist. The last two games, he has punted for a good average and kept NU in great field position the entire game. If there is any hope in the B12 title game, continuing this will be imperative. We'll see how he handles the pressure. Another missed 51-yard FG wasn't a positive sign.

Niles Paul chipped in a punt-return touchdown. Great. He ran straight ahead, untouched and continued his big playmaking versus bad teams. The next time he makes one against a good team will be the first. To make big plays on punt returns versus a real team like Texas, it will require at least one move. Paul has none.

There's your PYB analysis. A rather uninspired version for an uninspired win....but a win nonetheless. Nine wins is another great regular season for Bo Pelini in his second season. Scary, but this could have been an 11-1 campaign. Is Nebraska an 11-1 team? Under past circumstances, hell no. But these days, just keep winning because nobody is a cut above the rest, and you don't know what happens.

As for chances to take down Texas, we say not good. Like 5% chance. Check back later this week for an in-depth investigation of the matchup.