Sizing up the storylines: Is NU feeling Lucky?
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Marlon Lucky wanted to be a Trojan — back in high school, back before he met an assistant coach named John Blake.
The coach became “a best friend” and the Huskers got Lucky. The kid from North Hollywood has since become the man in these parts.
Still, it is the Trojans who command the attention nationally. That could change Saturday night.
6-4, 220, wide receiver
It’s Mo time. Or at least it seems like it has to be if the Huskers are going to be in the running to win this game.
Last year, receiver Maurice Purify saw just two snaps against USC. Husker coach Bill Callahan didn’t think he knew the offense well enough then.
That inspired Purify to show coaches he did. He quickly became Nebraska’s big-play guy.
But this is a new season. He only had three catches for 30 yards last week against Wake Forest. He even dropped a ball. That won’t work against the Trojans.
If the Huskers are to pull the upset, the California native has to catch everything he should, and maybe a couple he shouldn’t.
“We got a good team here,” Purify said. “We got a good team that can contend with anybody."
Trojan to watch: No. 49, Sedrick Ellis
6-1, 285, defensive tackle
Husker quarterback Sam Keller’s night will be substantially better if his line can at least somewhat keep away the 285-pound headache that is Sedrick Ellis.
“Sedrick Ellis is a load. He’s a load,” Husker coach Bill Callahan said. “He anchors down and plays the run well. He’s got great awareness and they love the way he pass rushes.”
Last year, the Huskers dodged facing the future NFL nose tackle. The senior tore cartilage in his right knee just prior to the Nebraska game.
Ellis still started 10 games, had eight tackles for loss and 4½ sacks, earning All-Pac 10 status.
He is on the watch lists for the Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award, Lott Trophy and Outland Trophy for 2007, and, in his spare time, can lift more than 500 pounds.
A load. Yes, one could say that.
-- Brian Christopherson
Lucky doesn’t dwell on it but he knows: These are the games that make stars. “It would probably put my name out there,” the junior said, “but I’m just going to play my game and whatever comes comes.”
What came last year was 27 yards on 10 carries. Last year was last year. Here comes another chance. Can Lucky run free from the uniform he once wanted to wear?
Headset games: Husker coach Bill Callahan took plenty of hits for last year’s game plan against USC. Of Nebraska’s 53 offensive plays, 36 were runs, despite the fact the Huskers were only getting 1.8 yards a carry. Air Callahan tonight then, right? Well, yeah, uh, maybe, who knows? As defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove said Friday: “Coach wants to run the football, make no mistake about it.” Watch closely the chess match between the offensive-minded Callahan and USC’s defensive-savvy coach Pete Carroll. How much of the game does Callahan count on the arm of quarterback Sam Keller? Keller will need to play a game he hasn’t yet played as a Husker. He has four turnovers in two games. He’s had sparks of good play, but sparks won’t do this time.
Booty on his booty: Through two games, the Husker defense has only two sacks. Callahan said that stat can be misleading since Nevada hardly had the ball and Wake Forest had such a quick-hitting offense. Maybe so, but that statistic still bugs sophomore nose tackle Ndamukong Suh. “As a defensive line as a whole, we definitely need to work on getting in the quarterback’s face a lot more,” he said. Bottom line: If Southern Cal quarterback John David Booty isn’t getting knocked down tonight, Nebraska’s secondary is going to be a hurting unit trying to cover all that speed on the corners. The Trojans often use a seven-man wall to protect Booty. A pass rush from the outside will be essential. If Booty’s standing back there like he’s counting change, the night might be very long.
The lights are on ... Entertain us: Now entering the big stage. The TV cameras are rolling. Lee Corso’s suit is pressed. Brent Musburger’s warming up the vocal chords: “You’re looking liiiiiiive at Memorial Stadium ...” All eyes on Big Red. That respect Rodney Dangerfield used to talk about is within reach. A win puts Nebraska among the serious national players for the first time in six years. A win goes far in removing some doubts that linger about whether Callahan is the coach who can get it done here. And while most fans probably aren’t demanding, maybe even expecting a victory tonight, they want to see the Trojans squirm. They want to see a Husker team that isn’t intimidated, that rocks a quarterback, that can convert a darn third-and-2. Two years ago, the Huskers beat Colorado and wore T-shirts that read: “Restore the Order.” No one outside this state really paid attention to that. Tonight, they’re watching.
— Brian Christopherson
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