Jim Rose Blog 2008

UNIQUE POST-GAME ANALYSIS

Jim Rose provides a weekly look at Nebraska athletics. Installments of Jim's blog will appear on this page after each week's gridiron contest.

NU vs KANSAS STATE
by Jim Rose
November 17, 2008

WAKE UP THE ECHOES...HUSKERS DRILL KSU IN MANHATTAN

Pardon us if history took some time off in the Nebraska vs. K-State football series. For most of the 20th century, those games had all of the entertainment value of C-SPAN 2. We beat them here, we beat them there....heck we even beat them in Tokyo!

Then along came Bill Snyder with his incredible plan to resurrect the dead and amazingly, he did! Ten years ago last week, KSU football was ranked #1 in the country. Do not adjust your eyes. It was true. They were #1. Along the way, they beat us for the first time since reconstruction (in Manhattan in 1998). Then they did it again down there in 2000. And again in 2002 and 2004. What in the name of Willie the Wildcat was going on? They even did it up here in 2003! Yikes! The world is spinning in the opposite direction.

So for that seven year spread ('98-'04) the beat the Huskers FIVE freaking times! No wonder I was sick all the time.

But in the four years since that dark age, we've restored the order. We've all four of them and over the last two years, we've reduced those guys to a fine dust.

Enough of that.

Things are back to where they belong.

Now, to the future. I'm thinking Jacksonville and the Gator Bowl. Why? We corn cobs would LOVE that one and would come out in droves. There are a lot of fans east of the Mississippi that never get to a game and they would come. There are lots of fans up here on the arctic circle who have never been to that bowl and would love the chance to try something new. More incentive: We've had a pretty good year. Yes, the Missouri and OU losses were awful and we should have beaten VA TECH, but the hale performance at Lubbock was a clear indicator that we are moving in the right direction.

N

Is it just me or has Mr. Suh upped his game? Guys who turn the light on at the end of a season are usually the ones thinking about the NFL. I hope I'm wrong.

N

What was with Adi-matic on some of those kickoffs? How come they didn't need the usual FAA approval? Strategy or did he get a case of the yips? With all those scores, God knows he got plenty of mulligans.

N

Speaking of kickoff returns....help me with this one please? Are the rules different? Do we play touch when the other returns our kicks?

N

Good to see the back up QB's get a look. I've always been a Zach Lee fan. I hope the deck is level next spring.

Jacksonville! Jacksonville! Jacksonville!

NU vs KANSAS
by Jim Rose
November 10, 2008

NO BOO-HOO FOR KU. HUSKERS GET A BIG WIN.

The whole feel of Saturday's game was perfect. It was cold, dark, dank and we won.

No, this isn't vintage Nebraska. But in the wake of the embarrassing performance at Norman, we'll all take it. What did it mean?

* Again, the Huskers come off the mat from a bad performance to put up a very respectable performance (see TT after Mizzou and KU after OU)
* We are bowl-eligible (yee-haw). Remember when we used to be bowl eligible in August? I'll take it. And, I'm praying for a Nebraska vs. Notre Dame Gator Bowl.
* The Huskers began this last three game set on a positive. We should win these last three and go 8-4. It's not the mid 90's any more but 8-4 is darn close to what we should have wound up this year (9-3 since I was figuring on a win over Va Tech)
* Improvement---especially on defense. We were the Salvation Army vs. Oklahoma but the defenders did some good things on Saturday, especially up front.

Now, before we start retiring jerseys again, there is plenty of room for improvement. We still simply don't tackle well. Evident time and again on Saturday. I used to think tackling was more about "want to" than "can do." Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe we should rank recruits by the number of career ending injuries they dole out. We get hands on guys fine but they don't stay on guys very long.

We turn the ball over way, way too much. At one stage, we were minus three in take-a-way. Holy Moly! Not good. Even sure handed Nate Swift gave one away. Gotta quit that, right now.

May I please put Roy Helu Jrs. name in nomination for more playing time? May I second the notion? He is by far the best most-Huskers-are-in-the-national-elite runningback we've had.

Plus we've never had a hurdler at the position before have we?

NU vs OKLAHOMA
by Jim Rose
November 3, 2008

EVERYTHING WILL BE A-O-K AFTER THE OU GAME

All those years I did the broadcasts, I'd occasionally negative comments from hard core Huskers who used to think I wasn't tough enough on the team. The thought that as the "Voice of the Huskers" it was my job to "tell it like it is" even when it was god awful. And, at times....it really, really was!

At that time, like now, I am on the horns of a dilemma. The privilege of my job allows for unique access. I get to see what is really happening (both good and bad). So, I have the advantage of a balanced view as to why the Huskers play well and not so well. I'll try to offer that now.

The attitude of our defense is puzzling. They weren't tough. They weren't smart. Coverages were blown. Tackles were missed. Heck, sometimes we can't get lined up properly. Is there a team in the USA that uses more timeouts on defense than NU? We lack a great number of playmakers on defense which combined with the occasional mental mistake and lapse in discipline results in record setting yards and points allowed.

Offensively, Joe Ganz had a shaky night when they most needed him not to have a shaky night. His receivers need to help him out by making the tough catch. His running backs and tight ends, especially #19 and #49 need to hang on to the football.

The Huskers also need to grow up. We didn't get to 800 wins and five national titles with stupid penalties. In case you lost count, we're up to 17 personal foul flags this season.

Which brings us to a balanced view. What in the you-know-whatsis is going on down there?

A culture change. Culture changes take time.

When Steve P. blew up our Nebraska Football, it was reduced to dust. Dust is hard to salvage. But Bo is out to try. And he has a plan. He's plugging in all of the important intangibles: teamwork, heart, commitment, trust, excellence. Those are not turn on, turn off institutions. You need to start with guys who have those values intrinsically, then inspire those same players to live and work them every day while encouraging the others to do the same.

You also have to have talent. You need big, strong, fast, nasty guys and lots of them. That's recruiting. In an attempt to win right away, Bill Callahan went for resume, profile and a desire to get to the NFL. All too often, those folks fold up in the face of adversity. So, you need to recruit guys who will play for the front not the back of the jersey but who can also break tackles and make tackles. We don't have enough of them.

That's big picture stuff. Little picture stuff is to get it together, put a whompin' on Kansas, win eight games, the Insight.com bowl and prepare for a better 2009.

NU vs BAYLOR
by Jim Rose
October 27, 2008

THE STRUGGLE WITH BAYLOR FORETELLS OF A SOUTHERN STORM IN THE BIG 12

Holy Baylor Batman, where did that come from?

At last glance, Baylor was the official dormat of the Big 12 South. They gladly got killed every week so that nobody else finished last.

Days gone by.

The Bears from the suddenly super-duper Big 12 South rolled into Lincoln and did anything but roll over. They pushed and pulled and smacked and fought and scratched and had the lead well into the second half at Memorial Stadium. Take away a great defensive play on 3rd and goal and gimme safety, the Bears would have been hunting for Husker right till the end.

What in the name of Waco is going on down there (in the southern division)?

It starts with something all of us in the old Big 8 have been worried about since the merger. Those folks down there have figured out that they have everything a lot of us don’t have up here—namely lots of players, facilities, money and weather. And the coaching prowess we used to enjoy with Barnett, Osborne and Snyder is also gone. They have as good of brains between headsets as we do. But the big concern is this: The recruiting tsunami is hitting land fall and some of us up here in the hinterlands have water in the basement.

Against Baylor, the Huskers made key plays at the right time, Joe Ganz had another good day and Nate Swift became the all time career leader in pass receptions…all of which led to the win. But I’m still concerned about big defensive lapses (like the one at the end of the half) and we rely too much on things like missed field goals to get momentum. Throw in the loss of Phillip Dillard to injury and our defense has a rather large challenge. But, OU does give up yards and if we can plug in the same game plan on offense that worked so well against Texas Tech, we can stay in this one.

Now, back to the bigger issue. Look at this past weekend. Tech hangs 63 on “resurgent” KU in Lawrence. Basketball season anyone? Next topic. OU scores 55 in the first half at Manhattan. Baylor comes to Lincoln with a Donovan McNabb look-a-like at QB and a Jonathan Vilma hit-a-like at FS and Nebraska has a battle till the last five minutes. “Bad” A/M goes into Ames and wins. And in an intra divisional contest, OSU stays right with Texas in Austin and could have taken the lead late. They never quit and made big plays all day.

Does anybody sober think things will change in this league anytime soon? Why would they? Texas and Oklahoma will remain fixtures in the top 10. Oklahoma State has established an operating/recruiting/facilities budget and they aren’t going backward. A/M will wake up and be good (just won’t take as long as Missouri) and Tech is established in that part of the state with that offense. Now, Baylor is getting players.

Yikes!

What is left for the North? KU, KSU and ISU will never be consistent threats to challenge for the league title. They don’t have the recruiting base or the national cache. That leaves NU, MIZZ and the Buffs. What will do it for them? Coaching and system. We have to be better on the sidelines than those guys (not easy). But we also have to have a system that is unique and attractive to a specific recruit---one that won’t be sought after by the southern bullies. We have to go into Texas and find the Major Applewhites and Todd Reesings. We’ve got to turn sod busters into pulling guards and bad a—safeties.

And we need to get on it soon.

NU vs IOWA STATE
by Jim Rose
October 20, 2008

HUSKER OFFENSE UPGRADED AFTER DERAILING THE CYCLONES

Was it just me or was that first half (sans the turnovers) about as like the good ole days as we've seen in quite a while?

Man that was nice!

Yes, I was catatonic after that late fumble in the second quarter but the dismay didn't last long because I looked at the wreckage that was the Iowa State defense from the first 30 minutes.

This was impressive and very reassuring to types like us who wonder if the mental mettle of this team could handle the three game losing streak. Lets face it, if you've been taking in water for most of the last five years, you tend to stay close to the life boat launch if the need to jump ship arises.

But not this group. They've bought in and aren't leaving.

If Leadership is a parade, then Joe Ganz is a Grand Marshall. Over the last two games, he's hit 78% of his passes and thrown for nearly 700 yards. According to OC Shawn Watson he hasn't missed a single check call in eight quarters. Too bad all of this is happening at a time when he shares the position with McCoy, Bradford, Daniel and Reesing. In many other years, Ganz is a clear cut favorite to be the Conference QB of the year. Will he even make All Big 12 Honorable Mention?

On the other end is #87 in your hymnals and #1 in your hearts, Nate Swift. He's closing in on Johnny R's sacred career receiving record after four great years here. He's tougher than Freshman Calculus.

You think you could do what he does out there? Try it. Grab a friend, have him stand 20 yards away with a baseball bat. Take off on a dead run toward the friend and let him hit you across the mouth with the bat. That's what a receiver entertains on every play.

It takes guys like Ganz and Swift to lift Nebraska Football out of the middle and back to the top. They bring talent but mostly they bring attitude.

Lets spread more of that around.....

NU vs TEXAS TECH
by Jim Rose
October 13, 2008

The Huskers didn't lose on a technicality, just self destruction.

Tough stuff this climb back to respectability. Didn't realize there was so much to it. Over 40 plus years of clobbering people all us cornheads sort of forgot about things like: five yard penalties, throwing the ball away as opposed to into coverage, and not covering an All-American receiver on 4th and four.

All of that stuff just kinda came natural for quite a while.

If we had done (and not done) those things, Nebraska would have won at Lubbock on Saturday. Instead, we fall to another top 10 ranked team (every one of them since beating OU in November of '01) and to 3-3 on this season with OU, KU, and CU among others still to go.

We did a lot of great things on Saturday. The list is impressive. We came back time and again. Never quit. Never considered quitting. That means the lads have bought into Club Pelini. We developed a great game plan on offense that worked swimmingly (chew clock, get field position, mix it up). Coach Watson was on his game and Mr. Ganz looked like a field general out there. We played gritty on defense despite the lack of at least five key guys (Glenn, Dillard, Thenarse, Culbert and Amukamra) out with injury. We played with guts (see 4th down go-for-its and the fake FG). We blocked an extra point.

But in the end we failed in areas that Nebraska teams do not. Nebraska teams don't self inflict mortal wounds with five yard penalties from guys who have been in the program four years. Nebraska teams don't commit key turnovers. Nebraska teams don't leave All-American recievers wide open on fourth down plays in the 4th quarter.

Certainly not in the sixth game after a month of pre-season practice.

Nebraska teams also don't go 11 quarters without a QB sack. Nebraska teams don't go three straight games without forcing an opponent turnover.

I'm with Bo. I'm not about coming close. I'm not about "good effort." I'm not about moral victories. I'm about Nebraska Football. And, the Nebraska Football I cherish doesn't lose a game that way. There have been games over my lifetime when we simply did have the better squad. The result reflected it. And there were games when we didn't have the best talent but still won. That's how we got to 800 wins faster than OU, Ohio State, Alabama, Penn State and USC. That's how we managed to get ten dates in National Title games and won five of them. Usually, those wins came when we made fewer mistakes than the more talented group across the line of scrimmage.

That's what I'm stuck on today.

But I am excited for all that this "effort" may produce. If the Huskers play like that (sans the goof ups), we should win every single one of the remaining games on this schedule except the one at Norman. And if we play as well without the skrew ups, we should acquit ourselves nicely down there and with a break or two, be in position to scare the daylights out of the covered wagons.

This was not a win. Lets not forget that. But it sure could lead to some.

And I hope that's what the Huskers are stuck on.

NU vs MISSOURI
by Jim Rose
October 5, 2008

Mizzou shows up the Huskers

Full disclosure, folks.

30 years ago, I can thank the Nebraska football team for a life lesson. I was 15 years old and the biggest Husker fan around and learned that obsession has both incredible highs and indescribable lows.

It was the week before Thanksgiving and though cold and dreary, we had beaten Oklahoma; so all was perfect in Lincoln for me. The pollsters had elevated Nebraska past Alabama from 4th to 2nd after the win over OU and all that lay between a date with top ranked Penn State in the Orange Bowl for the National Title was a win over Missouri---an unranked group with four losses.

Husker fans all know what happened. Mizzou with a bushel of future NFL stars came in here and wrecked our world, 35-31. No Penn State. No national title. Crocodial tears.

I was devastated. I went to church the next day and prayed for God to give us a mulligan. "Come on God, do a superman thing, spin the world in reverse one day and give the Huskers another chance to win this game."

God had other priorities. We were stuck with the outcome.

I was still devastated. I didn't want to go to school. Heck, I didn't even want to get out of bed.

But along the way, I got the message-----don't let your personal happiness and well being be determined by the success or failure of your favorite sports team.

That is a lesson worth revisiting today.....in the wake of Mizzou's first win in Lincoln since that day 30 years ago.

We're wobbly right now. We allowed more points than any team has scored on us in Memorial Stadium since 1955. We were thoroughly defeated in every facet of the game. Our offense was inconsistent, our defense was soft and non competitive, our punter uncorked a three yarder, we committed an alarming number of penalties and are now accused of spitting on the opposing quarterback.

Don't let your personal happiness and well being be determined by the success or failure of your favorite sports team.

What will become of us?

Nebraska will win big in college football again. With God as my witness (he owes me one from the '78 Missouri game) I believe the collective desire of the Husker Nation will prevail and this grand institution of ours will rise again.

But in the meantime, a few thoughts:

* We must commit to a full frontal ground assault on offense. We had a total of three yards rushing at halftime. Our offensive line has been largely ineffective this year because I'm not sure they believe in what they are doing. Make their world very simple. Convince them that if they commit body and soul to pushing the other team off the line of scrimmage it will work. We need an identity on offense.....a big criticism of the Callahan Show that apparently hasn't yet disappeared.

* We need to get tougher on defense. Too often our guys are getting blocked. Hello! That's the name of the game. The good defenders fight through blocks to make plays every time. We don't.

* Penalties. We committed a school record 14 of them Saturday night. We are on pace to set a season record. That's intolerable. Penalties usually reflect a lack of discipline---at least that's what Husker fans have always contended when other teams have that problem.

I admit, things look grim right now, friends. Texas Tech (an MU look-a-like), Oklahoma, plucky Kansas plus Jekyl-Hyde Colorado make up the bulk of the rest of our schedule. But we gotta keep believing. We can't stop caring. Can't find other things to do on Saturdays....otherwise we're just another Missouri (between '78 and '08).

NU GAME vs VA TECH KIND OF A TURKEY
by Jim Rose
September 29, 2008

Gobble, gobble, we kind of laid an egg on Saturday night. The Huskers lose to Va Tech at Memorial stadium in a game that leaves many of us hungry for more ground chuck.

Pardon me, but 55 yards rushing? That's troubling.

The loss showed everybody from us to the remaining eight opponents that unless the Huskers get serious about the ground game, we may have serious problems winning this year.

You see my friends (John McCain tint there), a great ground game solves a lot of other problems. For example. A great ground game:

* Keeps your defense fresh by keeping the other offense on the sidelines (particularly helpful this week against Mizzou)
* Chews up the clock
* Establishes physical superiority at the line of scrimmage
* Helps keep field position on your side
* Keeps your quarterback out of ICU
* Improves the efficiency of your passing game
* Develops an offensive identity.

See all of that good stuff? That's why we've got to get this ground game off the ground. Four games, 622 yards rushing (and most of those came in the New Mexico State game).

I'd start with the starter at tailback. Roy Helu has ran better than Marlon Lucky. How can anybody objectively argue otherwise? Marlon is a nice talent with an above average ability to catch the ball. But Helu is a miner in pads. He plows through traffic and blows up impediments. We haven't had a guy so adept at making a four yard gain into a nine yard game in quite a while. I just get a charge out of watching him run. Plan on giving Roy-boy at least 25 totes per game and watch the numbers pile up.

On defense, no doubt the Huskers are playing harder and better. But the tackling consistency isn't there and these guys are having trouble getting off the field. The 2008 group may not develop into a dominant unit but for Nebraska to win, they will have to make plays and get key stops in the game. Long before the Suh flag on that key drive by Va Tech in the 4th Quarter, the defense could have made plays to stop a good, but not electric Va Tech offense. Heads up: Mizzou, OU, TT and KU are significantly more potent on offense than the Hokies. We've got to keep trying to get to the QB with blitzes and stunts but we also need to be better in the secondary. The space between their WRs and our DBs is scary at times.

Love the punt return. Love the long fielder by Henery. Love Niles Paul's speed on special teams. So, with the exception of a couple of missed tackles on kick returns, that part is all fine. But the running game needs a healthy dose of conviction/belief right now.

Preview...NEBRASKA vs VIRGINIA TECH
by Jim Rose
September 20, 2008

Finally somebody from someplace we could find. Finally a “name” to go with those visiting uniforms.

Get ready Husker fans, we just went from the Westminster Dog Show to the Iditerod.

Virginia Tech has all of the things those first three opponents did not: Namely talent, attitude, coaching and mojo.

These Gobblers under Frank Beamer are no turkeys. They are one of the winningest programs in college football over the last ten years. They’ve played in 15 straight bowl games and have a handful of wins against teams who had no business losing to VT.

So, how did they do it? Suddenly, are there Heisman hopefuls sprouting up from the Blue Ridge Mountains? Nope. No magic. No mirrors. No poison food for the other team. They simply have excellent coaching, develop players and require their dudes to master the basic fundaments. Block. Tackle, Run. Block kicks. Return kicks.

Since Frank Beamer showed up there, VT teams have blocked 120 kicks and returned 41 for special teams touchdowns. Wow!

My favorite VaTech game was against Clemson last year. I was watching the game in Columbia (before NU melted down against Mizzou) and wondered how in the world they had a 31 point lead at halftime? Easy. They scored three times on an INT return, a KO Return and a Punt Return.

Yes, they have some talent. QB Tyrod Taylor is a poor man’s Michael Vick. But he’s a game breaker who is athletic enough to overcome mental mistakes and make yards. On defense, they play physical football and cause turnovers. They beat you up and force you into mistakes. That is part of their mojo. Then, when their special teams take the field, flatly---nobody is better.

So if the Huskers are going to win on Saturday---and I think they will, it’s going to happen because NU plays VT’s style. NU hammers Taylor and back up Sean Glennon. NU causes turnovers and plays mistake free on special teams. This is coach Pelini’s first big exam.

NEBRASKA vs NEW MEXICO STATE
by Jim Rose
September 15, 2008

Nebraska sacks the Aggies....

Dateline Lincoln...the running game is truly back! Kudos to the Husker offense for it's downright get down and dirty commitment to....getting down and dirty. As in the running game. Coughed a lot against Western Michigan. Still firing up phlem against San Jose State, but all clear and breathing deep against New Mexico State.

The Husker game plan was like Nyquil. Cleared up the cough so all of the fans could get a good night's sleep.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh.

This is how we're going to stay in the Missouri game, the Texas Tech game and the Oklahoma game. Run the ball, eat clock and keep those high powered offenses of the other team on the tarmack.

I guess Lydon Murtha was THAT big of a deal. Honestly, I've been disappointed in the big Minnesotan since the parade of hype that preceded him here in January of 2004. He was a national top 100 player with an NFL body. But seemingly since he got here, he's been injured. First it was the MoPed accident, then the killer blocking sled. Then when he did get on the field, his natural instinct to hold the door open for others allowed Zac Taylor and Sam Keller to get hit--hard.

And this year it was an infection. How many players are sidelined by an infection?

But with him and Slauson on the right side, the o-line seemed to hum right along, knocking folks over and opening up lanes for Lucky (who had a very nice night) and Helu and Q.

Keep the Nyquil flowing boys.

Ganz had one of those cool performances that is reserved for few in Husker history (two to be exact). He ran for a score, threw for a score and passed for a score. Only Crouch against California in 1999 and Johnny "the Jet" against Notre Dame in Devaney's last game have ever done that for dear old Nebraska U in a single contest.

It was perfect copy for Ganz who only threw for 100 yards but dominated the game.

The defense got to the stadium about nine plays late but when it showed, it was pretty good. Again, they are stingy in the redzone (makes sense---when the field shortens, it actually plays to the advantage of the defense against a spread offense as the defense has less ground for which to account) which is a confidence builder for a young group. I don't know about you but when NMSU lined up for that lob wedge field goal on it's first drive, I was thinking, "they're going to blow this FG attempt and never darken the doorstep again for the rest of the night."

Voila! Zach Potter bats that boot out of the sky and we were fine.

I'm happy.

NEBRASKA vs SAN JOSE STATE
by Jim Rose
September 8, 2008

Coming into Saturday, we were all thinking, "No way, Jose...."

Then midway through the 3rd quarter the place was pretty glum.

Hmm....that didn't turn out the way we thought, huh? Take the two fluky interceptions, a kick return, the two missed field goals and the botched PAT and San Jose would have beaten Nebraska. Simple as that...how many days to basketball season?

But the sparty Spartans did not. You can thank a revitalized Nebraska defense.

A year ago, it was touch and go with these guys. We'd touch them and they'd keep going. And even though the defenders didn't play a GREAT game, they played an inspired one and when SJS got near the goal line, the Huskers got down right stingy. That is the first step toward rebuilding not just confidence but reputation and ultimately, winning seasons.

Nevertheless, it's clear we will struggle with spread offenses this year. We simply do not have the speed and physical nature it takes to shut one down for a whole game. You have to have folks be able to run fast and tackle well. We can improve the tackling a little but you can't coach speed. Having said that, I think the Huskers will be able have success against the spread. We "hawk" the ball well, hit hard and play together. We will give up points but I think we'll make big plays on defense enough times this year to give these guys faith in what they are doing.

I am concerned about this offense. For a second straight game, the running game aspect was absent on a consistent basis. I simply don't get it. The line is big and strong and experienced. The backs are better than average and I think the play calling is largely fine.

It comes down to a matter of execution by each of the 11 guys on offense. One blown assignment and BAM! the play is dead. We just cannot afford that. We must be able to run the ball to keep those high octane spread units from the other team off the field.

I believe by season's end, Nebraska must be in the top fourth of the Big 12 in rushing offense or we won't finish in the top half of the standings.

Joe also showed us that while he is a good athlete and an excellent leader, he may not be a great passer. He'll have good days and bad days, good halves and bad halves---all the more reason to do better on the ground.

NEBRASKA vs WESTERN MICHIGAN
by Jim Rose
September 1, 2008

The most important revelation to Husker fans in the days, weeks and months since the end of last season is that the earth really still does rotate on it's axis, the four seasons came and went and nobody died because Steve Pederson, Bill Callahan and Kevin Cosgrove lived and worked here.

Wasn't it a great night?

Not perfect. Just great.

The win over Western Michigan gave Husker fans a little bit of everything. Somebody to cheer: Joe Ganz, somebody to jeer Shawn Watson (I don't agree but that's why they call us fans) and a know (old) hero: Cody Glenn. We played well at tim