Red Report: Brandenburgh out for season
digg it!
Facebook
del.icio.us
Seed Newsvine
Fark It
Reddit
By BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star
BRANDENBURGH’S OUT: Quarterback Sam Keller wasn’t the only significant loss the Huskers suffered in Saturday’s game against Texas.
Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said Monday that senior linebacker Lance Brandenburgh is also out for the season because of a shoulder injury.
Brandenburgh was a regular in the lineup, fourth on the team in tackles with 51, with 37 of them unassisted.
It’s bad news for Nebraska, which was already hurting at the linebacker spot before Brandenburgh’s injury.
Senior Bo Ruud (knee) watched Saturday’s 28-25 loss to Texas in sweat pants from the sideline and freshman Blake Lawrence (ankle) didn’t even make the trip.
“Both those fellas are questionable right now,” Callahan said. “We’ll keep going on day-to-day and see where those guys are at. I’m hoping Bo will be more ready, but we’ll see.”
LATE BUZZER: Callahan was sure red-faced Saturday when officials nullified a good defensive play by his team to go to the review booth.
Midway through the second quarter, Texas receiver Quan Cosby made an acrobatic catch 36 yards downfield.
The Longhorns tried a run with Jamaal Charles on the next play but got stuffed by Ty Steinkhuler, losing a yard.
Unfortunately for Nebraska, officials came in after the play was over and said Charles’ run didn’t count, that the Cosby catch needed to be reviewed.
By rule, a play can’t be reviewed once another play has unfolded.
Callahan was none to happy about it. How did the officials explain it to him?
“Greg Burks, the head referee, stated to me that at that time, he was buzzed before that next play had gotten off,” Callahan said Monday. “He said he was very apologetic, that the replay official had buzzed him prior to the snap.
“I just have to go along with that. I think that’s the way it goes. Those buzzers come down late, I guess. How do we know? We don’t know, so I have to trust him explicitly with that decision.”
Nothing good came out of the situation for Nebraska, the review showed that Cosby clearly caught the ball and the scoreboard showed it was still first-and-10.
BY THE NUMBERS: 4. The number of consecutive weeks the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week has earned the honor for a performance against Nebraska.
The beneficiaries: Chase Daniel (Missouri), Dontrell Savage (Oklahoma State), Stephen McGee (Texas A&M) and Jamaal Charles (Texas).
SCOUTING REPORT: RB Marlon Lucky
When it came to talking about Marlon Lucky’s performance Saturday, Husker running backs coach Randy Jordan said: “I’m so proud of that kid.”
The junior running back toted the ball 24 times for 111 yards, including a 33-yarder, Nebraska’s second-longest run of the season.
“Coach wanted to run the ball, just wanted to come out and eat the clock up,” Lucky said. “We found a weakness and we just needed to string it out.”
Lucky also caught five short passes, giving him 54 receptions this season. He’s just one reception short of Johnny Rodgers’ school-record 55 catches in 1972.
While disappointed in the loss, Lucky did think the Texas game was a positive step for the Huskers.
“We didn’t play as individuals,” Lucky said. “We played as a team.”
Opponent watch: Colorado
CU coach Dan Hawkins showed his team some tough love in the days leading up to Saturday’s 31-26 victory against Texas Tech.
After losing at home to Kansas the previous week, Hawkins gave his team a dose of the silent treatment.
“Even after practices, he would say, like, two words,” senior cornerback Terrence Wheatley told the Denver Post. “We understood that he was letting it fall upon us, as players, to take control.
“We had to be aggressive on both sides of the ball. We had been tentative in some games. We had to make some plays.”
Silence is golden. The Buffs marched 91 yards and 75 yards on their first two possessions against Tech to take a lead they never relinquished.
Most Commented news