Pounding the rock goes by the wayside
The large rock still sits outside the Nebraska football locker room. There’s an engraved sign on the top that reads “POUND THE ROCK.”
Who’s pounding it?
Nobody, judging by Nebraska’s recent anemic rushing statistics.
“Do we pound it? No, we don’t pound it,” Nebraska running back Marlon Lucky said. “I don’t know. I don’t even know what the rock’s there for.”
Said senior tight end J.B. Phillips: “The big rock? I haven’t seen the rock. I don’t think we have it anymore.”
You remember the weekly cries of “Pound the rock!” from last season, right? It became a positive catch-phrase, a sort of identity for a team intent on staying constant and perfecting its game — its entire game, but especially its rushing game.
The results were encouraging. Nebraska averaged 170 rushing yards per game and counted on its effective ground attack in key road victories en route to a Big 12 North Division title. That came a season after Nebraska ranked 107th nationally in rushing at 96 yards per game.
“It was a big focus that we had, even coming off of spring (last season),” Phillips said, noting that the same mentality still exists. “Just really to improve the running game.”
Initially, it seemed as though that philosophy carried over to this fall. Nebraska began the season by running 70 times for 413 yards in a 52-10 victory against Nevada. That’s an average of nearly 6 yards per carry.
Since then, Nebraska has run for 464 yards. In its last five games. Combined. That’s 92.8 per game — 30.6 carries per game, 3 yards per carry — for a No. 66 national ranking.
What happened? Perhaps unrealistic expectations from one game. A check of this week’s NCAA statistics shows Nevada ranks 119th — out of 119 teams — in run defense.
There are other factors, of course. Lucky said teams have been stacking the box. Phillips said some situations and games have dictated more passing. He also mentioned the need for better execution.
“We’ll watch it on film,” Phillips said, “and honestly, the difference between 4 yards and 15 yards is something really, really minute.”
Nebraska’s running game was particularly troublesome last Saturday against Missouri, a team that entered the game ranked 71st in run defense. The Huskers ran for only 74 yards, and coaches didn’t appear confident in the running game from the get-go.
The Huskers, down 7-0 on their first possession, went three-and-out on three passes. Bill Callahan called for first-half passes on a pair of third-and-2 plays, and again on third-and-1. Nebraska turned to Cody Glenn on a fourth-and-1 play in the second half, but couldn’t convert.
Lucky, who leads the Big 12 Conference in rushing at 105.3 yards per game, had 67 yards on 17 carries against Missouri. How did he feel personally after the game?
“(Shoot), I was mad,” Lucky said Wednesday. “I don’t know, man, because I was just wanting to get after ’em. They were talking too much … fans, Facebooking. I was just upset, just like everybody else.
“We broke down as a team. There’s no team out there that can beat us like that. That was on us. We didn’t focus. We didn’t concentrate. It wasn’t our game.”
What can Lucky do personally to help out the running game?
“I mean, if the line goes, I go,” he said. “There’s nothing I can do if the line is not, like, producing well. Our line is a great line. Nobody can hold them out there. We just all broke down as a team against Missouri. If the line goes, the running back goes, and the whole team goes.”
Coaches this week shuffled players along the offensive line. Matt Slauson moved from No. 1 right guard to second-string right tackle, behind Lydon Murtha. Mike Huff replaced Slauson at right guard.
“We just feel like Slauson is a little bit better set for what we’re doing right now at the tackle spot,” Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said. “And Mike’s a little bit better for what we’re doing right now at a guard spot — running our zone game, our power game, how we’re balancing our run game and our formations.
“Football’s a game of rhythm. We’ve got to execute, come off the ball and get in that rhythm. Play fast. It really comes down to playing fast, uninhibited and coming off the ball and playing.”
And, perhaps, pounding the rock.
“I know it was ‘pound the rock’ last year,” Lucky said. “This year, it’s something new.”
What’s that?
“Go out there,” Lucky said, “and do what we can.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
Who’s pounding it?
Nobody, judging by Nebraska’s recent anemic rushing statistics.
“Do we pound it? No, we don’t pound it,” Nebraska running back Marlon Lucky said. “I don’t know. I don’t even know what the rock’s there for.”
Said senior tight end J.B. Phillips: “The big rock? I haven’t seen the rock. I don’t think we have it anymore.”
You remember the weekly cries of “Pound the rock!” from last season, right? It became a positive catch-phrase, a sort of identity for a team intent on staying constant and perfecting its game — its entire game, but especially its rushing game.
The results were encouraging. Nebraska averaged 170 rushing yards per game and counted on its effective ground attack in key road victories en route to a Big 12 North Division title. That came a season after Nebraska ranked 107th nationally in rushing at 96 yards per game.
“It was a big focus that we had, even coming off of spring (last season),” Phillips said, noting that the same mentality still exists. “Just really to improve the running game.”
Initially, it seemed as though that philosophy carried over to this fall. Nebraska began the season by running 70 times for 413 yards in a 52-10 victory against Nevada. That’s an average of nearly 6 yards per carry.
Since then, Nebraska has run for 464 yards. In its last five games. Combined. That’s 92.8 per game — 30.6 carries per game, 3 yards per carry — for a No. 66 national ranking.
What happened? Perhaps unrealistic expectations from one game. A check of this week’s NCAA statistics shows Nevada ranks 119th — out of 119 teams — in run defense.
There are other factors, of course. Lucky said teams have been stacking the box. Phillips said some situations and games have dictated more passing. He also mentioned the need for better execution.
“We’ll watch it on film,” Phillips said, “and honestly, the difference between 4 yards and 15 yards is something really, really minute.”
Nebraska’s running game was particularly troublesome last Saturday against Missouri, a team that entered the game ranked 71st in run defense. The Huskers ran for only 74 yards, and coaches didn’t appear confident in the running game from the get-go.
The Huskers, down 7-0 on their first possession, went three-and-out on three passes. Bill Callahan called for first-half passes on a pair of third-and-2 plays, and again on third-and-1. Nebraska turned to Cody Glenn on a fourth-and-1 play in the second half, but couldn’t convert.
Lucky, who leads the Big 12 Conference in rushing at 105.3 yards per game, had 67 yards on 17 carries against Missouri. How did he feel personally after the game?
“(Shoot), I was mad,” Lucky said Wednesday. “I don’t know, man, because I was just wanting to get after ’em. They were talking too much … fans, Facebooking. I was just upset, just like everybody else.
“We broke down as a team. There’s no team out there that can beat us like that. That was on us. We didn’t focus. We didn’t concentrate. It wasn’t our game.”
What can Lucky do personally to help out the running game?
“I mean, if the line goes, I go,” he said. “There’s nothing I can do if the line is not, like, producing well. Our line is a great line. Nobody can hold them out there. We just all broke down as a team against Missouri. If the line goes, the running back goes, and the whole team goes.”
Coaches this week shuffled players along the offensive line. Matt Slauson moved from No. 1 right guard to second-string right tackle, behind Lydon Murtha. Mike Huff replaced Slauson at right guard.
“We just feel like Slauson is a little bit better set for what we’re doing right now at the tackle spot,” Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said. “And Mike’s a little bit better for what we’re doing right now at a guard spot — running our zone game, our power game, how we’re balancing our run game and our formations.
“Football’s a game of rhythm. We’ve got to execute, come off the ball and get in that rhythm. Play fast. It really comes down to playing fast, uninhibited and coming off the ball and playing.”
And, perhaps, pounding the rock.
“I know it was ‘pound the rock’ last year,” Lucky said. “This year, it’s something new.”
What’s that?
“Go out there,” Lucky said, “and do what we can.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
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