Game Day: K-State at Nebraska
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A running clock would be nice. But since officials won’t agree to that, will a strong running game do?
Maybe.
What should the Nebraska offense try today?
Huskers:
No. 51 Bo Ruud
6-3, 235, linebacker
The Ruuuuuuud chant has not been heard too often in Memorial Stadium this year.
There were those two weeks when Bo Ruud intercepted passes and raced them back for touchdowns, but that seems so long ago now.
Ruud injured his knee on Nebraska’s first defensive series against Texas A&M on Oct. 20 and hasn’t played since.
But today is Senior Day. Another Ruud says goodbye to Memorial Stadium. Even if the knee hurts, he is expected to play, maybe even start.
Say what you will about this season, but the Ruud name has always meant a lot to Nebraska football.
Coming off the injury, how much does he play? And does he have one more big moment to make the crowd call his name one last time?
Wildcats:
No. 27 Jordy Nelson
6-3, 217, wide receiver
Stopping Kansas State receiver Jordy Nelson isn’t probably an option. You don’t stop a guy like that.
Slow him down? Maybe. It’s worth trying, at least. Of course, hardly anyone has done that, either.
He’ll get his catches. He already has a school-record 90 receptions this season. He’s averaging 135.8 yards a game.
He’s coming off a 214-yard receiving performance against Iowa State.
Just for kicks, Nelson has also returned two kicks for touchdowns. Thrown for two touchdowns, too.
So here comes the Husker challenge: try to keep Nelson from making a “SportsCenter” highlight out of them.
As K-State coach Ron Prince told the Kansas City Star: “I don’t know if any other player means more to his team than he does to ours.”
-Brian Christopherson
Run. Run. Run. And run. Chew clock, take a sip of Gatorade, then try to chew some more. Keep that Husker defense that ranks 118th nationally in rushing defense on the sideline as much as possible.
Kansas State has a fast defensive front, but it’s also smallish. The Wildcats are respectable against the run - they rank sixth in the conference - but they have been gashed before.
Oklahoma State got them for 329 yards on the ground. Colorado put up 188. If the Huskers can pound the ball, shorten the game, maybe get a lead and an energized crowd, this game could be had.
Who knows? Maybe even another taste or two of Joe Ganz on that option. Yeah, the fans might like that.
Freeman’s revenge?: With all that’s going on these days, the Josh Freeman-playing-his-first-game-in-Lincoln storyline has become pretty weak.
Remember when this little visit by Freeman was supposed to be a big deal?
At one time, Freeman was orally committed to Nebraska. Then he decided he liked the color purple better.
Apparently, with more pressing matters on the mind, Husker coach Bill Callahan is past holding a grudge. He couldn’t say enough complimentary things about Freeman this week, even busting out the word “bazooka” to describe his arm.
Freeman was prone to errors last year as a freshman, throwing 15 interceptions to six touchdowns. A year of experience has served him well. He’s 23rd in the country in total offense — 281.4 yards per game.
The good news for Nebraska is Freeman can’t run around like a Chase Daniel and he still finds his way into some questionable decisions. The bad news is that, at 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, you practically need a crane to move him.
It was just a year ago that the Huskers held Freeman and the Wildcats to three points. Seems longer, doesn’t it?
Joe’s home debut: It’s hard to complain about Joe Ganz’s debut as a starter last week.
Cripes, the guy threw for 405 yards, led his team to 39 points, showed he knew how to locate Maurice Purify.
Yeah, the junior quarterback was pretty good against Kansas … except for that one second-half stretch. He threw three interceptions in four possessions.
In his defense, Nebraska had no defense. Kansas was scoring every possession. Ganz must have felt like he was trying to get 35 points with each throw he made. So he forced a few.
But all and all, the first part of Ganz’s three-game audition for 2008 was a success. What could make his second act even better? No turnovers.
As the Huskers turn: If the USC game made you blush, and the Missouri game made you kick the stove, and the Oklahoma State game made you say naughty words, and the Kansas game made you shut off your TV, what reactions are possibly left to expend?
Crying?
Oh yeah, you did that after the fourth quarter against Texas.
Now, many fans just seem to be waiting for the credits to roll on this soap opera. That doesn’t mean they won’t watch the last few episodes.
Today might be the final home game in the Callahan era, certainly the final home game for 29 Husker seniors.
I’ll be interesting to see the reaction that greets them. You’d expect the fans would rally around these guys.
You think of a guy like senior safety Bryan Wilson on a day like this. He’s as hurt about this season as any fan could ever be. After the Kansas game, Tom Osborne came to him in the locker room, offering encouraging words. Wilson just started crying.
The season of jeers and tears is almost over, but before it ends, there are some seniors that could sure use one last feel-good Saturday.
- Brian Christopherson
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