Offensive execution set up second-half success
Maurice Purify ran a little seam route, cut a split second before the ball arrived, caught Zac Taylor’s pass between two Texas players and scurried the rest of the way — about 40 yards — untouched into the end zone.
That first-quarter touchdown pass was significant, of course, because it gave No. 17 Nebraska a 7-3 lead over No. 5 Texas.
It was also significant because it was absolutely, unequivocally the only success Nebraska’s offense mustered in the first half Saturday. The Huskers entered halftime with 98 total yards. Sixty-three came on that play.
“We had a couple of series where we were just out of sync,” said Taylor, Nebraska’s senior quarterback. “It was nothing major. We just had a lack of communication on a couple of drives.”
That Taylor was sacked four times, lost a fumble and was pressured into making a bad pass that Michael Griffin intercepted ... well, perhaps those are indications that something actually was major.
Nebraska seemed to solve that “something” in the second half of its 22-20 loss to Texas at Memorial Stadium. Taylor had considerably more time to throw. He wasn’t sacked. Nebraska was moving the football.
What changed after halftime? Nothing, really.
“We just came out and did a better job of executing the second half,” junior center Brett Byford said. “We were well-prepared (to start the game). They were just getting too much pressure on Zac.”
Part of that stemmed from the fact Nebraska wasn’t able to establish a consistent running game. The Huskers finished with only 38 yards rushing — with 25 yards in loss because of sacks — and Texas blitzed repeatedly with Nebraska in obvious passing situations.
“We weren’t making the right calls. We weren’t making the right adjustments,” Nebraska running back Cody Glenn said. “It was just mistakes. It wasn’t just one person. It was more of us than what (Texas) did.”
Said offensive line coach Dennis Wagner of the first half: “We’ve just got to do a better job. We lost some individual battles.”
Players and coaches agreed that Nebraska had more success in the second half not because of changes, but because the Huskers executed.
“I just think we played better,” Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said. “The four-man rush was the four-man rush in the first half. That didn’t change. Our guys just settled in and started reading the moves a little better. We were adjusting to their moves and their counters in terms of the protection.”
Nebraska didn’t abandon the run in the second half, but the Huskers did throw more often on first down. Of Taylor’s 28 passing attempts, 17 came in the second half.
“We put it on Zac’s shoulders,” Glenn said, “and let him throw the ball.”
One throw was what appeared to be a simple shovel pass to Brandon Jackson. Jackson turned that something simple into something spectacular, breaking four tackles and picking up a crucial block downfield from Dane Todd en route to a 49-yard touchdown. That was the first play of the fourth quarter, and it pulled Nebraska within 16-14.
Another pass didn’t even come from Taylor; it came from running back Marlon Lucky, who bobbled a pitch from Taylor, sold the Texas defense on a toss sweep play, then pulled up and hit a wide-open Nate Swift in the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown. That gave Nebraska the lead, 20-19, with 4 minutes, 54 seconds remaining.
It was Swift’s first touchdown reception this season.
“Coach (Ted) Gilmore kept telling us that when your number is called,” Swift said, “make the play.”
Nebraska finished with 340 total yards, with 302 of them through the air. It’s only the second time this season the Huskers have rushed for less than 100 yards. They’ve lost both times.
Unlike the USC game, when Nebraska was held to 68 rushing yards, the Huskers tried and found some success with Taylor’s arm.
“Coach told us at halftime that we needed to pass to win the game,” Jackson said. “We still kept it balanced, but we knew that we had to get the passing game going, and in the second half, we did.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
That first-quarter touchdown pass was significant, of course, because it gave No. 17 Nebraska a 7-3 lead over No. 5 Texas.
It was also significant because it was absolutely, unequivocally the only success Nebraska’s offense mustered in the first half Saturday. The Huskers entered halftime with 98 total yards. Sixty-three came on that play.
“We had a couple of series where we were just out of sync,” said Taylor, Nebraska’s senior quarterback. “It was nothing major. We just had a lack of communication on a couple of drives.”
That Taylor was sacked four times, lost a fumble and was pressured into making a bad pass that Michael Griffin intercepted ... well, perhaps those are indications that something actually was major.
Nebraska seemed to solve that “something” in the second half of its 22-20 loss to Texas at Memorial Stadium. Taylor had considerably more time to throw. He wasn’t sacked. Nebraska was moving the football.
What changed after halftime? Nothing, really.
“We just came out and did a better job of executing the second half,” junior center Brett Byford said. “We were well-prepared (to start the game). They were just getting too much pressure on Zac.”
Part of that stemmed from the fact Nebraska wasn’t able to establish a consistent running game. The Huskers finished with only 38 yards rushing — with 25 yards in loss because of sacks — and Texas blitzed repeatedly with Nebraska in obvious passing situations.
“We weren’t making the right calls. We weren’t making the right adjustments,” Nebraska running back Cody Glenn said. “It was just mistakes. It wasn’t just one person. It was more of us than what (Texas) did.”
Said offensive line coach Dennis Wagner of the first half: “We’ve just got to do a better job. We lost some individual battles.”
Players and coaches agreed that Nebraska had more success in the second half not because of changes, but because the Huskers executed.
“I just think we played better,” Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said. “The four-man rush was the four-man rush in the first half. That didn’t change. Our guys just settled in and started reading the moves a little better. We were adjusting to their moves and their counters in terms of the protection.”
Nebraska didn’t abandon the run in the second half, but the Huskers did throw more often on first down. Of Taylor’s 28 passing attempts, 17 came in the second half.
“We put it on Zac’s shoulders,” Glenn said, “and let him throw the ball.”
One throw was what appeared to be a simple shovel pass to Brandon Jackson. Jackson turned that something simple into something spectacular, breaking four tackles and picking up a crucial block downfield from Dane Todd en route to a 49-yard touchdown. That was the first play of the fourth quarter, and it pulled Nebraska within 16-14.
Another pass didn’t even come from Taylor; it came from running back Marlon Lucky, who bobbled a pitch from Taylor, sold the Texas defense on a toss sweep play, then pulled up and hit a wide-open Nate Swift in the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown. That gave Nebraska the lead, 20-19, with 4 minutes, 54 seconds remaining.
It was Swift’s first touchdown reception this season.
“Coach (Ted) Gilmore kept telling us that when your number is called,” Swift said, “make the play.”
Nebraska finished with 340 total yards, with 302 of them through the air. It’s only the second time this season the Huskers have rushed for less than 100 yards. They’ve lost both times.
Unlike the USC game, when Nebraska was held to 68 rushing yards, the Huskers tried and found some success with Taylor’s arm.
“Coach told us at halftime that we needed to pass to win the game,” Jackson said. “We still kept it balanced, but we knew that we had to get the passing game going, and in the second half, we did.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
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