BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Tuesday, September 13, 2005 7:00 pm
Nebraska’s pass defense has allowed 134 yards per game in two games, ranking first in the Big 12 and 11th in the nation. Quarterbacks from Maine and Wake Forest combined to complete 43 percent of their passes against the Huskers.
But teams far more proficient in throwing the football are upcoming, beginning Saturday with Pittsburgh.
Members of Nebraska’s rather inexperienced secondary are ready.
“I think they are going to test us because obviously we are the youngest position on the field,” NU sophomore cornerback Tierre Green said. “I think they are really going to try and test us and see where we are at reading the receivers’ routes and things like that and responding to what they are doing.
“I think they are really going to put a test on us, especially with a big play receiver like (Greg) Lee.”
Lee has eight receptions for 107 yards in two games for the 0-2 Panthers. He had 78 catches for 1,297 yards last season.
“They have some big-time receivers at Pitt, so that will definitely be a challenge,” Nebraska defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove said.
Green, sophomore Cortney Grixby and junior college transfer Zack Bowman are NU’s top cornerbacks. While they haven’t been tested greatly by big-time passing outfits, Cosgrove said they’ve performed well.
“Believe it or not, the last two games, the receivers we played were pretty athletic and had pretty good speed,” Cosgrove said. “I thought our coverage was good. But when you talk about a true test, a true throwing team, no, we haven’t seen that yet.”
— PREDICTING PALKO: Pitt’s chances of having success through the air against NU depend a little bit on which Tyler Palko shows up for the Panthers. Will it be the quarterback who threw for more than 3,000 yards and 24 touchdowns last season? Or the one who has struggled in a new system this season and threw two interceptions returned for touchdowns against Ohio? NU coach Bill Callahan is prepared for the former. “He’s fierce, a guy that can really hurt you,” Callahan said of Palko. “You look at his ability to move and create plays and get the ball down the field. He’s got our full attention. He’s capable of lighting it up at any time.”
— KOCH ON RAY GUY LIST: NU senior Sam Koch is one of 40 punters named to the 2005 Ray Guy Award watch list. The award is presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate punter by the Greater Augusta (Ga.) Sports Council. Among the statistics used to identify the Ray Guy Award winner are total yardage punted, number of times a punt is downed or kicked out of bounds inside the opponents 20-yard line, net average, average returned yardage and percentage of punts not returned. In two games, Koch is averaging 43.9 yards per punt on 12 attempts to rank 17th nationally in punting average. Six of Koch’s 12 punts have pinned the opposition inside their own 20-yard line and he has boomed two punts better than 70 yards, including a career-long 76-yard punt against Wake Forest, the third-longest punt in school history.
— RETURN CONCERNS: Nebraska is allowing a mere 14.5 yards per kickoff return, an overwhelming improvement from last season, when opponents averaged 24.7 yards per kickoff return. Still, Callahan is leery heading into Saturday’s game. Pitt returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown last week against Ohio and had a kickoff return of 96 yards for a TD last year against the Huskers. “It is an area of concern,” Callahan said. “We’ve got to have great coverage in this particular game. Coverage has got to be tight, and we’ve got to contest all returns.”
— DEPTH CHART CHANGES: Redshirted freshman Lydon Murtha is listed No. 2 at left tackle this week, the third different player to be listed at that spot in as many weeks. Murtha just recently was cleared for practice after recovering from shoulder surgery. “Murtha is going to be in the mix, I will say that,” Callahan said. “I haven’t determined — we haven’t determined — whether or not playing time will be forthcoming.” Chris Patrick, listed at the No. 2 left tackle spot last week, is not co-No. 2 at right guard with Mike Huff. Also, Dontrell Moore and Jeff Souder are co-No. 2 at WILL linebacker. Lance Brandenburgh, who was listed at that spot last week, is listed among injured players.
— NO PRESSURE: Not surprisingly, Callahan was asked Tuesday if he feels any extra pressure entering Saturday’s game against Pittsburgh, given the fact the Panthers lost to Ohio, coached by Frank Solich, the coach Callahan replaced at Nebraska. “I don’t think that’s fair to compare the two,” Callahan said. “I look at Ohio as playing very well against (Pitt), and to their credit. I wouldn’t want to diminish their efforts. Like I said last week, in college football, anybody can beat anybody these days. The parity is so standard across the board.”
— ETC.: Offensive coordinator Jay Norvell said coaches planned on inserting backup quarterback Joey Ganz into the Wake Forest game but “it just didn’t work out.” … Pitt is making its first visit to Lincoln since 1958.