Chattanooga Review

Another season opener in the books, and as always, the postgame analysis temptation is to try to draw conclusions based upon 60 minutes of football played against a team from the sans bowl division.  Heck, given the final margin and quality of the opponent, you'd be hard pressed to say there were 45 minutes where anything conclusive should be found.

So what did we learn?

The mystical, magical Tim Beck Offense sure looked familiar.  A fullback dive on the first play (which I believe was required by Big Ten bylaw).  More option football in one quarter than we saw in the seven seasons since Frank Solich left town.  Passing routes down the middle of the field.  Did anybody else wonder if some of the early play calls were coming from Beck or if they were coming from the Athletic Director's suite?

Taylor Martinez is a pretty good player when he's healthy.  You'll note that I did not say "Heisman candidate" or even "exceptional player".  There were some first game jitters, some mental errors, and several throws with sloppy technique.  But he looked as fast as ever, especially in the open field.  I don't recall any throws that were waaayyy off target.  Finally, he was smart with the football - when his receivers were covered and he had room to run, he tucked it and picked up yards.  Most importantly - he did not play the whole game, and left healthy.
 
Brent Maher can turn a question mark into an exclamation point.  I'll be honest - I figured that when Alex Henery graduated, I'd watched my last 50 yard FG for a few years.  In trying to reset my expectations, I told myself to be thrilled with a 50% FG rate over 40 yards.  So when Brent Maher lined up from 50 for his first attempt, it was likely the most anticipated field goal since Mr. Henery hit from 57 against Colorado in 2009.  Much like his predecessor, Maher passed the test with flying colors (and a fair amount of surprise).  Throw in three more FGs, some booming punts, and a few touchbacks on kickoffs, and the question must be asked:  why didn't this guy play last year?  Oh yeah...

There is plenty to work on for next week.  Could you tell it was the first game of the season?  Lots of fumbles, sloppy execution on the option, stalled drives, missed tackles, busted coverage, and bunch of other things to give Bo a full week of practice and make the casual fan rethink those hotel reservations in Indy.  Don't worry - it's early.  If we're seeing some of these things in the Ohio State game, then we'll talk.


What don't we know?

What offensive wrinkles will we see next week?  I'm guessing the passing game will expand, both in terms of receivers and routes.  Probably a little less reliance on Martinez to be the entire offense, and more work for Burkhead and the freshmen.  And let's predict another touch for the fullback.  Just because.

Who is the #2 RB?  All three of the touted freshman RBs (Braylon Heard, Ameer Abdullah, and Aaron Green) played and combined for 20 yards on 9 carries.  While Rex Burkhead's job is safe, Husker fans (and the coaching staff) would love to have one or two of the new guys separate themselves to become reliable backups.  Of course, part of the challenge of working with three true freshmen is the only thing you can consistently expect is inconsistency. 

Is the sloppy play a result of this being game #1 or something more?  There were a lot of ugly moments.  I think a lot of the blame can be pointed at this being the first game with a new offense, as well as having a lot of young players seeing their first experience.  Given there were only three penalties, I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt to Bo's squad improving next week and the weeks after.


5 Players I Loved

1. Brent Maher.  Replacing the legendary Alex Henery, nobody on the roster has bigger shoes to fill than Brent Maher.  Everybody knew that we could not expect Maher to maintain Alex's high standard of excellence.  So the collective eyebrows of a fan base were raised when Maher's first attempt was from 50 yards - which he drilled through with a good 10 yards to spare.  A 48 yarder, 2 other FGs, and 4 PATs, all with ease.  Oh yeah, throw in four punts for a 52 yard average, and a couple of touchbacks on kickoffs, and Maher easily earns the top spot on this list.
2. Cameron Meredith.  Sacks, tackles for loss, an interception, a return of a blocked FG - all with a sweet ponytail/stache combo.  If you didn't know better, you'd swear Meredith was the star NU defensive lineman favored for every trophy, award, and honor a defensive player can earn.  No, Crick is still the headliner on D-Line, but if Meredith can play at a high level, it opens up more opportunities for everyone else.
3. Daimion Stafford.  Sure, he probably had the hit of the game early in the 3rd Quarter.  But he's on this list for the way he played - fast, aggressive, and with a purpose.  But yeah, that was a pretty sweet hit.
4. Quincy Enunwa.  Four catches for 58 yards isn't much to write home about, and if that was the line put up by Brandon Kinnie, Kyler Reed, or Ben Cotton, it wouldn't be good enough for the top 5.  But on a team with little WR experience, making tough catches counts for a lot. 
5. Trevor Roach.  One of the many first game traditions is learning the numbers of the new starters and contributors.  The first player to send me scrambling for the roster was #43, Trevor Roach.  For a team that needs depth at LB, Roach looked like a player who could step in and start.

5 Areas for Improvement

1. Sean Fisher.  From everything I have heard and read about the injury Fisher suffered, it is simply amazing that he can walk without a limp, let alone be a starting linebacker for a top 15 team.  But his first game in over a year left a little to be desired.  Poor angles to the ball, sloppy tackling, let's just say there are things he can work on this week.
2. Brandon Kinnie.  BK has positioned himself as the leader of the receiving corps, and I'm sure he wants to be the go-to guy for Martinez and Tim Beck.  I don't care about his low yardage (7) as much as I care about his lack of catches - specifically those that he dropped or should have caught.  The play that comes to mind is in the 3rd Quarter:  Martinez threw it to Kinnie on a post route.  The DB had good coverage, and knocked the ball away.  From my couch, it sure looked like BK could have been more aggressive on that play.  He might not make the catch, but go after the ball.
3. BTN.  Today was our first Big Ten game, and due to the opponent, our first game on the Big Ten Network.  While there were several good things in their coverage (Kevin Kugler on the call?  Yes, please), there were some definite hiccups.  I can forgive missing one play because you're late coming back from commercial, but there were a number of plays that were missed.  The BTN was (rightly) touted as one of the big advantages of moving to the B1G, but I expected more from their coverage.  (Note:  I'm not going to knock on the rookie debut of sideline reporter Ahman Green, but yes, there is room for improvement there too).
4. Brion Carnes.  Not that anybody will remember come April, but Carnes's timid performance in relief of Taylor Martinez is a textbook example of why you should not place too much stock in somebody's statistical domination of the NU Spring Game.  Just as nobody gets their jersey retired for the Spring Game, nobody should be attacked for a sloppy 4th Quarter with your team up by 33.  That said, the bar is pretty high for a Nebraska QB running the option from the #15 jersey, and Carnes put some tarnish on that proud legacy.
5. Me.  Your humble blogger watched today's game from his couch.  Why is that noteworthy?  It broke a 10 year, 68 game streak of not missing a home Nebraska game.  I haven't missed a Nebraska home opener since 1993.  The last game I missed (9/20/2001 vs. Rice) was due to a) an unavoidable business trip, and b) a game delayed by 9/11.  The reason today?  Lower back surgery on Monday, and advice from my doctor, mother, and wife that sitting on a wooden plank for four hours might not be a wise move.  Next week, I'll be back in Section 32 and a new streak will start.  I promise.

2011 Husker Season Preview

The 2011 Husker football season starts on Saturday.  This is the time of year when the Big Red Kool-Aid runs thick and sweet, and even the most calloused fan can only foresee a maximum of two losses.

I'm not one to predict specific wins and losses (my stock answer going into a tough game "there's no reason we cannot win"), so those looking for a game by game break down should check out one of the thousands of Husker blogs in existance today.

Should you book that hotel room in Indy for the Conference Championship?  Or should you plan to focus your Husker loyalties on the volleyball team?  That probably depends on whether your glass is half full or half empty.  So without further ado:


5 Reasons for Optimism

1. Defensive line.  Great teams usually have a great defense.  A great defense usually starts with a strong defensive line.  Strong defensive lines either have a) an amazing player (such as Jared Crick), b) exceptional depth (Baker Steinkuhler, Thad Randle, Terrence Moore, etc.) or c) all of the above.  The D Line should be a strength of this team.
2. Taylor Martinez.  We're on the glass-half-full side, so let's take a few seconds to think back to the quiet, unknown redshirt freshman who over the first six games was a legitimate threat to score every time he touched the ball.  Remember him?  He's a year older, smarter, stronger, and 100% healthy.  He's playing in an offense that is suited to his strengths and not try to force him into predictable patterns or plays he's not capable of making.  And he doesn't have a senior or popular upperclassman looking over his shoulder.  It's his time.
3. Additional coaches on the O-line.  An offense is only as good as their offensive line.  Put it another way:  it's tough for Taylor Martinez to be T-Magic with his center stepping on his ankle because he was blown off the line.  Full disclosure:  I placed a lot of the blame for NU's sad 2010 finish on the play of Barney Cotton's linemen - much more than I blamed Shawn Watson or any of the other popular scapegoats.  With that said, I'm not 100% convinced that extra coaching emphasis in the form of John Garrison, Brendan Stai, and Vince Marrow is the answer.  But it shouldn't hurt.
4. Brandon Kinnie.  Originally, I had Rex Burkhead here, which was safe, predictable, and somewhat boring.  Don't get me wrong - I love me some Rexy, who he always gets positive yards, never quits, and can turn the 4 yard gain into the 8 yard gain.  All good things.  But for this team to be something special, they will need a go-to WR, which NU has lacked since Nate Swift left town.  And no disrespect to Nate Swift, but he did not exactly strike fear into the hearts of defensive coordinators.  I think BK can be that go-to receiver, the one that everybody knows will be getting the rock on 3rd and 8, the one who out-jumps the DB in the end zone, and the one who puts a young (and scarily inexperienced) position on his back.
5. Tim Beck's Offense.  I have little idea of what it will be, how it will function, or what the strengths will be (and a word of caution - we won't know the full answer until after the Ohio State game).  But I trust that compared to the Callahan/Watson WCO the following will be true about the Beck Offense:  a) simpler to learn/master, making it easier for young talent to get on the field and make an impact, b) the increased pace will avoid momentum killing time outs and penalties, c) if something is or is not working, it can be easily addressed.

And now for the haters and those who need to refill their depression meds...

5 Reasons for Pessimism

1. Lack of QB Depth.  A quick review of the QB depth chart:  1) Taylor Martinez:  an amazing talent when healthy.  When he's hurt, yikes.  2) Brion Carnes:  um...remember that time in the Spring Game when he did good against the 2s and 3s?  3) Ron Kellogg, III.:  my dad is best known for basketball.  4) Jamal Turner:  I'm a true freshman spending most of my time at WR, so good luck with that.
2. Schedule.  For decades, Husker fans have sneered at the Big 10 fans who held pity parties about how their great teams were chewed up during the conference season, while we grew fat on KU, KSU, ISU, and MU.  So it just makes sense that when we join, we get our very own "put up or shut up" schedule as a welcome gift.  As far as rookie hazing goes, they could have done worse.  The true sign of respect for this schedule is even the most unrealistic Husker fan is not predicting a 14-0 season.  Even the ultimate homers can see one or two losses in here, and that's without any flukes, upsets, or the annual "forget to show up" game.
3. Who the heck are these WRs?  3rd and 7 and Martinez is the in the shotgun with 4 WRs.  He gets the snap and blitz is coming fast.  Brandon Kinnie is double covered.  Who are you going to throw it to?  Even if I throw you a bone by lining up TE Kyler Reed as a slot receiver, there is still a lot of unproven bodies running around out there.  But don't worry - those kids have been expertly coached by a guy who quit football coaching to open a golf clinic.
4. Just how much do we miss Alex Henery and Adi Kunalic?  It is no stretch that Brent Maher faces the toughest job on the roster.  He has to replace one of the greatest and most accurate kickers NU has known, the guy who was essentially automatic inside of 50 yards, and was also an excellent field position punter.  Maher or Mario Bondi are not going to be Alex Henery.  The question is, how much of a drop off will we see and what impact will it have?  Bo and Beck will have a "trust range" for their kickers - a yardage where the decision between FG and go for it or punt is solely in their kicker's control.  Henery's trust range stretched to at least 57 yards.  Jordan Congdon's trust range barely made it 40 yards.  And while we like to praise the Blackshirts, and think that they can stop any foe, I would venture that many of their 3 and Out specials were aided by the opposition started smack on the 20 after another Adi touchback, and teams bringing it out to the 30 might take some momentum into the series.
5. Penalties/Fumbles/Mistakes.  Quite frankly, the biggest challenge that NU faces this year will be this:  will they get in their own way?  You can look at each and every loss from the Pelini Era and point to stupid penalites, costly turnovers, and critical mistakes (and often several of each) that the team was not able to overcome.  Even in the victories, the penalties, fumbles, and other mental errors have been noticable - but not fatal.  The two big landmines for 2011 are a) the new offense, with the presumed hurry-up notions creating an environment for penalties and mistakes as well as b) the brutal schedule, where the game where NU fumbles eight times or has 19 penalties may not be one where they still have a late chance to pull out a win.