Curt McKeever: NU offense makes its point
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There was a brief debate in the press box during Nebraska's first possession of the second quarter as to whether Cory Ross' 12-yard gain came on a lateral or a forward pass.
Considering that the Huskers had built a 21-0 lead (that would have been 28-0 if not for a penalty) during their first four possessions, I'm convinced the same sense of confusion existed on the Western Illinois sideline.
"I'm in the game and I'm like, 'They have no idea what we're going to do,' " Ross said.
Bill Callahan and his meticulous offensive mind did. And it turns out the comment he made Tuesday about Nebraska taking what it wanted was right on target. Western Illinois, a solid NCAA Division I-AA team, really was helpless in the first half trying to defend the newest West Coast offense to hit the Midlands.
But after looking at the statistics, I'm not so sure there's a smokescreen to all this West Coast talk.
Joe Dailey came out smoking while throwing four touchdowns in the game's first 25 minutes. By halftime he had 213 yards passing.
But Nebraska has hardly forgotten how to run, and by the finish, 363 of its 581 yards had come on the ground.
"The whole system is based on off-balance play calling," said Callahan, who today could be the top candidate to oppose Tom Osborne in Nebraska's 2006 governor's race.
OK, so he's not quite ready to get into that game. But Callahan, saying a lot of what Nebraska got on the perimeter came from "oddball" formations, was quick to play the political-correctness card and cite offensive coordinator Jay Norvell for quickly recognizing Western Illinois' gamble to stack the middle.
The Leathernecks, who gamely fought to the end while picking off Dailey four times, didn't try too any other gimmicks. And that was probably a good thing.
"We were driving and driving and driving," Ross said. "That's how you open a game."
By the end of it, the Huskers had made their points.
You know people around the country, especially defensive coordinators, are looking at Saturday's score and taking a big gulp.
The book on Big Red in recent years is to stay close and patient on offense, because you aren't likely to face a big deficit.
Well, the game's changed.
"They gotta look at us somebody to be reckoned with," Ross said of the nation's elite.
"If they don't, we're going to keep on doing what we did and make them look.
"When we're clicking, I don't think we can be stopped."
Callahan tried to temper his feelings about Saturday. He pointed out how Dailey needs to manage himself much better when out of the pocket.
"The challenges ahead of us will provide a better barometer," Callahan said.
But he also appears to believe that his team can meet them. Unlike the second-quarter play in which Ross got his 12 yards, there's no debate about that.
"I don't know if they were ready for it," tight end Matt Herian said of NU's attack, "but we just stuck it to them at first."
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.
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