HuskersHQ

Gruden compliments Lucky

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Babcock) — Sat, 08 Apr 2006 03:13:00 +0000

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden was in Lincoln on Friday as the featured speaker at Nebraska's spring football coaches clinic. Gruden met with reporters following practice and responded to various questions, including one regarding which players had impressed him. He mentioned two by name, quarterback Zac Taylor and running back Marlon Lucky. He said Nebraska was "lucky" to have Lucky. The mention of Lucky caught some reporters by surprise since Cody Glenn has attracted most of the attention this spring. Watching practice is extremely useful, but you can easily begin to believe that you know more than you do. The I-back competition is a case in point. It's probably too close to call, as Gruden's praise of Lucky underscores. Though he saw only one practice, he was watching with a coach's eye.

Upgrading talent

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Babcock) — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 02:16:00 +0000

Among Bill Callahan's responsibilities when he was hired was to up-grade talent, and he has accomplished that. It's particularly apparent in competition for positions this spring, and that competition will, in turn, provide more depth in the fall. For example, with Stewart Bradley and Bo Ruud sidelined, and in green jerseys, Kevin Cosgrove still has four proven linebackers: Corey McKeon, Lance Brandenburgh, Steve Octavien and Phillip Dillard. Ndamukong Suh has drawn a lot of interest this spring. He's a load and had an impressive scrimmage today. Yet for now, at least, he's backing up Ola Dagunduro at nose tackle. John Blake indicated that Suh would play both tackle positions, and he still could. But Ty Steinkuhler has made the transition from defensive end (he backed up Adam Carriker last season)and as a result, it appears Suh will concentrate on nose tackle for now, with Steinkuhler backing up Barry Cryer at the three-technique position. Zach Potter has stepped in behind Carriker. Potter scooped up a fumble and returned it 45 or 50 yards for a touchdown on the final play of today's scrimmage. Add Jay Moore and Barry Turner, who has picked up some weight without losing speed, and even though Le Kevin Smith and Titus Adams were significant losses, the front seven could be solid, and deep come fall. And that's not counting Brandon Johnson, who won't arrive until then. The same is true of the offensive line. It's young and inexperienced, but there's competition from tackle to tackle, and again, a junior college transfer who arrives in the fall, Carl Nicks, could be a factor, according to Dennis Wagner. And the offense will work only as well as the line allows. With Zac Taylor established at quarterback, much of the attention has turned to the competition at I-back -- the next highest profile position after quarterback. Again, the competition is spirited, and again, a junior college transfer who could be in the mix -- Kenny Wilson -- won't be here until fall. But up-front is where it counts. And that has looked pretty good midway through the spring.

Much ado about nothing

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Babcock) — Fri, 04 Nov 2005 03:08:00 +0000

Ordinarily, Bill Callahan's post-practice interview on Thursdays attracts maybe a half-dozen reporters. Today it attracted a crowd of about 20, with television trucks outside the stadium for live remotes and news reporters assigned to cover Callahan's response to the Big 12's reprimand following his gesture in the Oklahoma game. One news reporter even asked the sports information office when the public reprimand would take place, as if Callahan were to be paraded to mid-court at the Devaney Sports Center and berated by a Big 12 official. Callahan handled the situation pretty well, indicating that he felt as if he had been publicly reprimanded the last four days. The degree of punishment probably indicates that the Big 12 didn't consider the gesture significant. But so much has been made of it, the conference had to do something. It shouldn't have happened, of course, but failing to acknowledge that it did initially allowed it to gain momentum. The connotation of the description "throat slash" magnified the problem beyond reason. Callahan should have been encouraged to address the situation quickly, tossing out another description of the gesture, something less prejudicial. Once the term "throat slash" was accepted, it became a much bigger deal than it deserved.

Sooner time

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Babcock) — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 00:38:00 +0000

The consensus of opinion seems to be that Nebraska-Oklahoma lacks the game's traditional excitement because neither team has a national ranking for the first time since, when, 1961? National significance or not, however, the old excitement will be there for me (and I would guess many from my generation) when I see those maroon Oklahoma helmets, gumballs they look like, with the OU on the sides. Nebraska-Oklahoma represents the best in college football for me, just as Ohio State-Michigan probably represents it for folks in Michigan and Ohio. It doesn't get any better than Nebraska-Oklahoma, regardless of what the Big 12 has done to the series. Having said that, I'm surprised that consensus among those with whom I come in daily contact seems to be that the Cornhuskers will win, without question, a confidence that makes me wonder as the game approaches. Certainly, Oklahoma has dropped dramatically given preseason expectations. But the Sooners' decline doesn't diminish the fact that they have had highly ranked recruiting classes, which means they should have talent. Also, their three losses are hardly disgraceful. Texas and UCLA, of course, are undefeated, and TCU is hardly a pushover -- plus, that was the opening game, when uncertainty at quarterback can be a real problem. In addition, the fact that Oklahoma had to play overtime to beat Baylor at home can be countered by the fact that Nebraska had to play overtime to beat Iowa State at home. And Iowa State hasn't exactly met expectations this season. Also, when Nebraska played Baylor, everyone agreed that the Bears had improved, so why wouldn't that improvement apply in the Oklahoma game as well? Is there such a thing as selective improvement? Not that I'm aware of. A healthy Adrian Peterson would make a big difference probably, and though he could play, he probably won't be full speed. But we still don't know what would happen if a team tried to line up and run at Nebraska in an attempt to nullify the speed at linebacker and take advantage of their size. Rhett Bomar is no doubt improving at quarterback and though he hasn't run a lot (and averages less than a yard and a half per carry because of the losses), he has the speed to do so. Nebraska has the advantage of playing at home, but I'm hard-pressed to sell Oklahoma short. I've been conditioned to think that way probably by all those seasons when Barry Switzer was the coach. Tom Osborne's record against Oklahoma during Switzer's time was 5-12, and 8-1 after. That's my frame of reference. A week ago, I would have picked Nebraska, regardless of what happened at Missouri. But the more I look at it and the closer it gets, the more that seems optimistic.

Smooth sailing? Probably not yet.

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Babcock) — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 00:02:00 +0000

Nebraska got untracked offensively against Iowa State, sort of. Zac Taylor certainly passed efficiently, and as Bill Callahan said afterward, he took a physical pounding without flinching. So Taylor provided a glimpse of what the offense can do. But to think, as some apparently do, that there won't be glitches from here on out is a bit naive. Plus, to have 400 yards passing in regulation and only 13 points on the board shouldn't be described as "untracked." Instead of leaving yards on the field, the Cornhuskers left points, a greater concern. Still, what Taylor did after only three games was enouraging, if not remarkable. He needs time to be comfortable. And the offense needs to be able to run the ball better than it did against Iowa State to provide him with some physical comfort. However, I suggested that Nebraska would be inclined and able to run against Iowa State. So what do I know? Maybe it doesn't need to run. But it does need to translate all those yards into points.

Gentleman, start your engines

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Babcock) — Sat, 24 Sep 2005 03:27:00 +0000

After watching Iowa State struggle to beat Army, eventually wearing down the defense, Nebraska should crank up its running game. The Cyclones breathed a sigh of relief when Nebraska didn't line up and run the ball at them last season, and it would appear that their concern would be the same this time around. It ought to be a big day for Cory Ross and the other running backs. A week ago, I might have been inclined to pick Iowa State, but not so now, as long as Nebraska keeps the ball on the ground and pounds away. Plus, the Cornhuskers' defensive pressure should be more than Bret Meyer can handle. Iowa State was not impressive, even taking into account the fact that Army came between Iowa and Nebraska, two emotional games. The Big 12 north looks wide open. It could be the Cornhuskers' for the taking, for now anyway. Defense and special teams can be worth a lot.

Apologize to Joe?

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Babcock) — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 04:12:00 +0000

Two games into the season, it appears that maybe folks ought to offer Joe Dailey an apology for piling all of Nebraska's offensive problems onto him last season. For instance, when passes were dropped (and they were)the responsibility was his. Now the responsibility is placed on the receivers. The truth is, responsibility should be shared, just as the offensive line has to share in the blame when things aren't clicking, which they aren't. If the quarterback doesn't have time to make decisions, the decisions aren't likely to be good ones. And poor decisions can result in interceptions, as we've seen again this season. Dailey's decision-making wasn't the best, but Taylor's hasn't been either, not consistently anyhow. That's to be expected. Few quarterbacks are going to step in at this level and play error-free from the get-go. Oklahoma has provided dramatic evidence of that. Experience is critical at that position, which is why Tom Osborne never wanted to schedule a Kickoff Classic or other early-season toughie when he didn't have a veteran quarterback. Taylor needs time under game conditions to develop the skills he has to make the offense work. But the sense I've gotten is, folks are already becoming impatient. Some in the student section were even chanting Josh Freeman's name during the fourth quarter of the Wake Forest game, and he won't arrive on campus until January. Even if Saturday's game were to get out of hand, Taylor would probably get most of the snaps because he needs the experience, particularly with Big 12 play beginning in two weeks.

With Octavien sidelined

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Babcock) — Mon, 05 Sep 2005 19:31:00 +0000

With Steve Octavien sidelined, who will be behind Bo Ruud at weakside linebacker? After the game, defensive coordinator (and linebackers coach) Kevin Cosgrove said Lance Brandenburgh and Jeff Souder would be in the mix. Brandenburgh had been playing middle linebacker, but was slowed by injury during training camp. Souder, who played on special teams against Maine, was listed as a safety but apparently had been moved to weakside linebacker before the game. After reviewing videotape of the game, and further consideration, others might be in the picture now.

Freshmen Debut

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Babcock) — Fri, 02 Sep 2005 14:34:00 +0000

Whether or not Bill Callahan's second team is successful will depend in large part on veteran players, among them seniors like Cory Ross, Brandon Koch, Seppo Evwaraye, Daniel Bullocks, Le Kevin Smith, Titus Adams and others. Players who have been through the dramatic changes, the emotional ups and downs of the past couple of years, are the heart and soul of the team. But the attention lavished on the 2005 recruiting class makes a significant storyline out of which true freshmen will see action against Maine on Saturday. The consensus among beat reporters seems to be that as many as nine probably won't redshirt: Harrison Beck, Chris Brooks, Jordan Congdon (No. 1 on the depth chart), Phillip Dillard, Cody Glenn, Leon Jackson, Marlon Lucky, Ndamukong Suh and Barry Turner. Even if all of them don't play against Maine, they'll probably play at some point. Brooks, for instance, is still not 100 percent following arthroscopic knee surgery. Matt Slauson, a late addition to the recruiting class, also figures to play as a true freshman. At one point, it appeared that other true freshmen, such as Nick Covey and Jeff Souder, might be used almost exclusively on special teams. That seems less likely now, although it's still a possibility.

Huskers dejected

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Babcock) — Mon, 08 Aug 2005 16:00:00 +0000

Traffic rolled along Interstate 80, beyond left field at Rosenblatt Stadium. The flags in center field were jostled by a breeze that did little to cool the metal bleachers.

Joe Simokaitis stood on the first-base side of second base, a solitary figure. The field was cleared except for teammates Jesse Boyer and Curtis Ledbetter, who remained near first base.

Like Simokaitis, Ledbetter seemed unwilling to leave the field.
After Boyer jogged past, on his way to the first-base dugout from left field, Simokaitis finally moved to follow. Ledbetter walked to meet him, then turned to the dugout as well.

As he approached the dugout, Simokaitis flung his glove into it.

The best season in Nebraska baseball history was over.

A few minutes later, after the NCAA's mandatory cooling-off period, some Cornhuskers tried to express their feelings for reporters, who were intruders in something intensely personal.

Ledbetter, his eyes red beneath the bill of his red, sweat-soaked cap, couldn't hide the emotion of the moment, so his first words were unedited. "It feels like (expletive)," he said.

After an uncomfortable silence, he elaborated. "We put our hearts and souls into it," he said. "You can't take anything away from this team. It was a pretty dang good season."

The season was better than dang good, much better. The Cornhuskers won a school-record 57 games. But two of their 15 losses came at the College World Series. And that was one too many.

The second came late Tuesday afternoon, when Arizona State's J.J. Sferra lofted a single into right center field to drive in the winning run from second base with one out in the bottom of the 11th inning gave the Sun Devils an 8-7 win.

The count was 1-0, against redshirted freshman Tony Watson, Nebraska's third pitcher.
The finish was undramatic in the context of the 4 hour, 7 minute game. Andy Gerch's one-out, three-run home run in the top of the ninth gave the Cornhuskers a 7-5 lead, which was wiped out by Jeff Larish's third home run of the game to deep right center with two outs in the bottom of the inning.

That two Sun Devil outs preceded the home run was a story in itself. Nebraska center fielder Daniel Bruce picked off a line drive just before it hit the ground and doubled a runner at first.

The ending could have been storybook for the Cornhuskers instead of Arizona State. "We just didn't pull it out," said Ledbetter, one of several whose careers ended with Sferra's single.

"It's a pretty special bunch of guys," Ledbetter said.

One of those was junior third baseman Alex Gordon, the national player of the year according to most and the second player selected in the Major League draft. Gordon singled home the first run in the four-run ninth, only his second hit in three College World Series games, 11 official at-bats.

"I didn't do good," said Gordon, eyes hidden by sun shades. "I did terrible, actually."

There was enough responsibility for the unexpected exit to go around.
"I didn't have very good control today," said junior left-hander Zach Kroenke, who started and worked into the seventh inning. "I just made two big mistakes and they hurt me, bad."

Larish hit two home runs off Kroenke, one to left and one to right. The other runs charged to him were the result of a hit batsman and a walk. But he battled to keep the Cornhuskers close.

Such analysis hardly mattered, anyway, according to Ledbetter.

"The game's over; the season's over," he said.

Nebraska went two and out in the first two College World Series appearances in school history, in 2001 and 2002, losing three of the four games by one run and the fourth by two.

Both finishes were frustrating, but not to the degree of Tuesday afternoon.
"We expected to be here this year. That was one of our goals, and we made it," Ledbetter said. "We had a chance to win a national championship."

A realistic chance until Sferra's single, which had no effect on the traffic that rolled along Interstate 80, beyond left field at Rosenblatt Stadium.