Blackshirts seek to end mental lapses
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BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star
There’s a part of you that wants to reach out and hug a Blackshirt player. Offer your thanks and support for a job well-done against a potent Missouri offense. Then, you remember that Oklahoma State game. Or the Kansas horror flick. That part of you wants to reach out and … Well, you know.
Mind-boggling, isn’t it? How can the same group of mostly experienced players look salty against Texas and Missouri but make Adam Barmann look like a Heisman contender, or any one of Oklahoma State’s running backs conjure images of Barry Sanders?
“If we knew that,” senior defensive end Adam Carriker said, “it wouldn’t have happened two years ago against Kansas State or last year against Kansas.”
In other words, there’s no certain answer. But Carriker offers two key words.
“Mental focus,” Carriker said. “At Oklahoma State, we weren’t ready. We just didn’t play with focus. Well, I think we were ready, we just didn’t play like we were capable of playing. I think a lot of it was mental.”
Focus wouldn’t figure to be a problem this weekend, what with Nebraska (7-3 overall, 4-2 Big 12 Conference) having a chance to clinch a Big 12 North championship.
A bigger problem, of course, could be the opponent, Texas A&M, and the fact the Huskers are playing at Kyle Field, among the loudest, toughest venues in college athletics. Kickoff is 2:30 p.m. Saturday in College Station, Texas.
“It’s a matter of knowing your job and doing your job every day in practice and in games,” senior defensive end Jay Moore said, noting there’s nothing fancy about what Texas A&M does on offense.
The Aggies, he said, “just come at you” with what they have. Which, by the way, can be pretty potent stuff.
They boast running back Jorvorskie Lane, who allegedly weighs only 274 pounds.
“He’s definitely a big boy,” Carriker said. “Guys got to hit him low and make sure they wrap up.”
They switch up with the speedy freshman Mike Goodson. Their quarterback, Stephen McGee, is a threat to run the option or deliver play-action passes.
“And then they can switch gears on the next down and be in no-back and throwing the football,” Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said. “They put out a lot of yards, a lot of numbers. They can run it and they can get into the passing game pretty easily and spread the ball out.”
Callahan offered praise for the way the Blackshirts performed against Missouri. The Tigers’ spread offense managed only two touchdowns in Nebraska’s 34-20 victory last Saturday, and the Huskers managed that without two of their best linebackers, Corey McKeon and Steve Octavien.
McKeon and Octavien, recovering from injuries, are expected to be “full go” for the Texas A&M game, Callahan said. McKeon practiced Tuesday; Octavien did not, but defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove said he’d be fine.
When asked about the defensive consistency — or lack thereof — Cosgrove simply said his defense didn’t perform well against Oklahoma State after having strong road performances at Iowa State and Kansas State.
“We have to have more focus, more concentration,” Cosgrove said.
Junior Bryan Wilson, who plays safety in Nebraska’s nickel package, said the defense had been in a groove until the second half of the OSU game, “and then the wheels fell off.” Nebraska lost 41-29 and gave up 21 points in the fourth quarter.
“When we get teams in position where we can control and dictate our tempo on them, those are the games we do pretty good,” Wilson said. “Against Oklahoma State, we weren’t controlling the tempo. They were just running the ball against us and we couldn’t stop them. It was just one of those things that happened. It was one of those games. Everybody has them.”
Wilson and the Blackshirts just hope Saturday isn’t another one.
Slowing the A&M running game will be key, meaning Wilson may not see as much action Saturday. But Wilson also knows to be ready for anything.
“Teams always seem to throw us a curveball,” he said. “They’ll be running the ball a lot, and then against us they’ll come out and throw the ball all over the lot.
“Teams kind of get away from what they normally do against us. It will be interesting to see what they come up with.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
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