Country watching to see how Huskers rebound
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BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star
PITTSBURGH — He watched his players closely after last week's loss.
He noted their comments to the media.
Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said he saw and heard a team that remains focused, confident and driven in the wake of a four-point home loss to Southern Mississippi.
Meanwhile, the college football world also watches the Huskers closely, wondering how well the players have taken to Callahan and his bold move to a complex West Coast attack.
The loss will likely increase the scrutiny.
"I'll tell you something, this team is unique," Callahan said. "They've been through a lot of challenges in the last year or so."
The ability to respond to a defeat is a challenge Callahan would've preferred to occur later in his Nebraska tenure. Instead, the first-year Husker coach will learn something about his team's resilience in only its third game of the season, at 11:10 a.m. today against Pittsburgh at Heinz Field.
The contest will be broadcast to most of the nation by ABC.
After an easy season-opening win against Division I-AA Western Illinois, Nebraska committed five turnovers in dropping a 21-17 decision to Southern Miss, the Huskers' first home loss to a nonconference opponent since 1991.
Instead of focusing on turnovers — including three interceptions by quarterback Joe Dailey — Callahan points to Nebraska's 476 total yards as evidence that, yes, his system is working well.
"I'm not a big stat guy, but it does show productivity," Callahan said.
I-back Cory Ross rushed 27 times for a career-high 169 yards and had five receptions for 27 yards against Southern Miss, continuing the production that had Nebraska coaches raving about Ross in spring practice.
"We put up a lot of yards on the offensive side, and you can see we're going to do some special things," Ross said. "We just have to protect the ball."
Dailey's seven interceptions in two games raised questions this week about the possibility of Callahan simplifying the offense for his first-year starter.
That won't happen, Callahan said. Instead, he said, he took inventory of his effectiveness thus far as a play-caller from the sideline.
"I'm going to be smarter," Callahan said.
If Callahan felt extra pressure this week, he didn't show it. He was calm, even a little upbeat at times in the hours after the Southern Miss loss. He projected confidence during his weekly media luncheon Tuesday and continued in that vein during the rest of the week.
It's important for Callahan to project confidence given the drastic change Nebraska made in its offensive philosophy since last season. Indeed, the last thing Callahan wants is a team that doubts itself before its first road test.
"I look forward to road challenges," Callahan said. "That's where you get a real good sense of the character of your team. This is a goal of ours, to go on the road and play well in adverse situations and hostile environments."
Not that Heinz Field has been a particularly ominous atmosphere for Pitt. The Panthers are just 13-7 there, one of the reasons head coach Walt Harris finds himself on the "hot seat" this season, according to some preseason magazines.
Pitt was mostly unimpressive in its season opener last week, a 24-3 win against Ohio. The Panthers played with nine new starters on offense, including quarterback Tyler Palko and a group of receivers in which six of seven players had never caught a pass in a college game.
Like Nebraska, Pitt relies on a defense with seven returning starters to shoulder the load while the offense catches up.
"They're very stout and physical on defense," Callahan said. "They've got a huge defensive line."
The Panther defense is guided by coordinator Paul Rhoads, who interviewed for the same job at Nebraska following the Huskers' 7-7 finish in 2002.
Of course, that job went to Bo Pelini, and Nebraska fans know the rest of the story that led to Callahan's hiring.
So, Nebraska's intriguing season continues today.
Can NU's newfangled offense move the ball on a field that may be sloppy from rain?
Can the Husker defense accomplish the expected and dominate a lackluster Pitt offense?
Can Dailey simply turn the "off" switch on his turnover problem?
Callahan said Nebraska's turnover issue is "a thorn in my side."
"I want to make sure we rectify that and play the way we're capable of playing," he said.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
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