Husker report card: Big 12 Championship

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By the Lincoln Journal Star

RUNNING GAME (C)

The Huskers got off to a good start with Brandon Jackson (45 yards in the first quarter) but he got only two carries in the second quarter. Jackson got going again in the second half but took a tough hit on the thigh from Rufus Alexander and was taken to the locker room on a cart. With him went Nebraska’s running game.

PASSING GAME (D)

Not the perfect storybook ending for Zac Taylor. He struggled. He threw the ball short, threw into coverage, couldn’t locate open receivers and appeared to hang onto the ball a bit too long on a couple of plays. Credit the OU secondary for great coverage and for making some outstanding plays. Maurice Purify’s fumble, when he simply dropped the ball on the game’s first play from scrimmage, was costly.

AGAINST THE RUN (A)

The Blackshirts did a tremendous job in stopping Oklahoma’s vaunted running attack. The Sooners had only 13 yards rushing in the first half, and big stops by Barry Cryer and Jay Moore kept Oklahoma at bay in the second half. Problem was, making OU one-dimensional didn’t exactly work in Nebraska’s favor.

AGAINST THE PASS (D)

The Husker secondary has been suspect all season, and the Sooners took advantage of Nebraska’s biggest weakness in the biggest of ways. Paul Thompson looked unstoppable at times, and it’s not because he’s a Heisman candidate. Cortney Grixby was beaten on the 66-yard touchdown in the first half. The real backbreaker, though, was the 99-yard drive after the Huskers had OU third-and-10. Pass after pass after pass. Not good. Great pressure by Bo Ruud to help force the lame-duck throw Andrew Shanle intercepted, setting up Nebraska’s touchdown.

SPECIAL TEAMS (B)

Great punting by Dan Titchener, who had six punts inside the 20 and two inside the 10. Reggie Smith busted a 37-yard kickoff return. The Huskers were also victimized once in the first half by failing to field a punt, and had another bobble by Grixby in the third quarter.

GAME MANAGEMENT AND PENALTIES (B)

Why take a timeout prior to Oklahoma’s point-after attempt in the third quarter? If it was to give the replay officials extra time to review the TD catch, that didn’t work. It wasn’t reviewed, nor did it need be. Back-to-back penalties killed NU’s first drive of the third quarter, although the delay penalty turned out OK, since the field goal was blocked and returned for what could have been a TD.

PLAY CALLING (C)

Coaches seemed to give up on the running game in the second quarter. Perhaps that was to keep Jackson fresh in the second half, given the Huskers’ injury problems behind Jackson. Don’t get cute on the fourth-and-short play early in the fourth quarter. Run it.

OVERALL (C)

Oklahoma has a far better secondary than does Nebraska. That was clearly evident on this night, and it’s not a stretch to say it was the difference in the game. Nebraska looked to be in great shape momentum-wise in the third quarter, but the long OU touchdown drive sucked the life out of 65,000 Husker fans. Onto a Jan. 1 bowl, the Cotton Bowl. It’s progress, but works remains.