Versatility spurs NU's offense
digg it!
Facebook
del.icio.us
Seed Newsvine
Fark It
Reddit
BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star
If only for a moment, place yourself in the position of a defensive coordinator preparing to play Nebraska. On one videotape, you watch Husker quarterback Zac Taylor riddle Kansas’ secondary with a variety of deep throws. On the next tape, you watch the Huskers pound away at Iowa State with a basic running game, with short passes sprinkled in for good measure.
“There’s a reason they’re No. 1 in offense (in the Big 12 Conference),” Kansas State coach Ron Prince said Monday.
Versatility — the ability to run and pass effectively and spread the ball to several players in the process — explains Nebraska’s success so far this season.
“I think it gives you tremendous flexibility going into each game plan, the fact you can switch gears,” Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said. “We have players who are capable of playing a lot of different roles, and the system can adapt to a lot of variables — whatever the game plan dictates. We’ve gotten to that point in the last few years that allows us to do that.”
Entering Saturday’s conference game at Kansas State, Nebraska ranks eighth nationally in rushing offense (210.7 yards per game) and 23rd in passing offense (253.2). The Huskers’ average of 464 yards per game, which ranks seventh in the nation, represents a 144-yard jump compared with last year’s final average.
Particularly profound is Nebraska’s improvement in the run game. Last season, the Huskers averaged 96.0 yards per game to finish 107th nationally.
“I don’t think you really can stop it,” Prince said of Nebraska’s 2006 rushing attack. “I think they’re going to get their yards. The issue for us is going to be field position. Are we going to force them to go the length of the field?
“A lot of it will have to do with our kicking game. If you give a great running team a short field, you won’t be able to stop them. They can do too many things well in the running game.”
Nebraska’s running game is unique in that four I-backs are contributing significantly. What’s more, the 21st-ranked Huskers, with a record of 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the Big 12, are receiving consistently strong play from Taylor, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound senior who ranks third nationally with a pass-efficiency rating of 175.8. He finished last year at 115.94.
Nine Husker wide receivers have at least seven receptions apiece, and the four I-backs have anywhere from 49 to 66 carries apiece.
“They’re going to get their yards,” Prince said. “I don’t think there’s any sense of thinking you’re going to stop every play cold.”
Of course, Callahan, who calls the plays, seeks further improvement on offense, especially in the running game, he said. For instance, he wants the line to become more physical at the point of attack.
Nebraska, winner of eight of its last nine games dating to 2005, will face a Kansas State defense that shows “a tremendous effort and will to get to the ball,” Callahan said. “The main thing you see is speed and a real relentless effort in their ability to pursue the football. That’s kind of a staple and trademark of what you see on film.
“It’s a compliment to their coaches and staff. They play hard. They’re physical. They’ve got good range.”
Kansas State (4-2, 1-1 Big 12) ranks 27th nationally in total defense (288.7) and 28th in scoring defense (16.3).
The Wildcats have struggled offensively, ranking 87th in average yards (308.8) and 76th in scoring (22.0). However, true freshman quarterback Josh Freeman last week provided a spark in a 31-27 comeback victory against Oklahoma State in which the Wildcats wound up with 357 total yards.
The 6-6, 240-pound Freeman, in his first college start, ran 21 yards for the game-winning score and made a handful of key completions late in the game. He finished 10-for-15 passing for 177 yards, with no interceptions.
“We wanted to make the game very boring, and keep him available so that at the end of the game if he had a chance to make a play and win a game for us, he could,” Prince said.
On the season Freeman is 24-for-62 passing (38.7 percent) for 391 yards, with four interceptions and no touchdowns. Prince said Freeman gives Kansas State a “fresher body” after previous starter Dylan Meier, a senior, endured a pounding behind a struggling offensive line.
A native of Kansas City, Mo., Freeman twice attended Nebraska football camps in high school and orally committed to the Huskers before reneging on his pledge.
Freeman played well against Oklahoma State, said Callahan, noting he had just watched tape of K-State’s game-winning drive.
“He had great command and presence of what he was doing,” Callahan said. “We have a lot of respect for Josh and what he’s capable of doing, believe me.”
Austin update
Nebraska senior guard Greg Austin, who left Saturday’s game because of a knee injury, should be OK for this week’s Kansas State game, according to his father, Greg Austin Sr. Austin took a blow to the knee, his father said, but there appears to be no ligament damage.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
Most Commented news