STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Friday, September 3, 2004 7:00 pm
Amid the anticipation and hype accompanying the dawn of a courageous new era in Nebraska football comes a somewhat sobering reminder: Husker head coach Bill Callahan operates his program with three fundamental rules that stand above all.
Players are required to be on time, do what's right and work hard, Callahan said.
Those rules are germane today because in the backdrop of Callahan's anticipated first game at Nebraska are suspensions of four players, three of whom are considered prominent in the Huskers' overall picture.
Of course, most notable among the four is starting center Richie Incognito, suspended indefinitely for repeated violations of team policy.
Incognito's punishment is particularly relevant because other than quarterback Joe Dailey, Incognito is arguably the most important player on Nebraska's offense. Indeed, Callahan has said that controlling the point of attack in the West Coast offense, and in most any offense, is essential.
Incognito's absence is also of interest because he is one of Nebraska's most gifted players, a first-team All-Big 12 choice in 2003 and a preseason all-conference pick by at least three publications. He is undoubtedly the team's most powerful lineman, offense or defense.
Today, however, Incognito will be of as much value to his team as any of the fans who will pack Memorial Stadium for Nebraska's 6:10 p.m. game against Division I-AA Western Illinois.
Incognito and three other suspended teammates I-back David Horne, offensive lineman Darren DeLone and reserve fullback Grant Miller won't suit up and won't be allowed to stand on the sideline, Callahan said.
Horne was listed No. 2 on the preseason depth chart and DeLone No. 1 at left tackle.
Their absence, along with Incognito's, no doubt will have an impact on the offense.
Incognito stabilizes an offensive line considered iffy, even with him in the lineup. In Incognito's place today will be sophomore Kurt Mann of Grand Island, who appeared in five games last season as a reserve.
No doubt, Callahan and Co. would prefer to have Incognito in the fold today as Nebraska unveils its West Coast offense in a game for the first time.
"We're improving," Husker offensive coordinator Jay Norvell said of the offensive line. "Are we where we want to be? No. Are we where we have to be? We're getting closer. We have to improve as each game goes on throughout the year."
In other words, the development of Callahan's complex offense remains a work in progress.
"There are still execution matters we have to handle, in terms of timing and precision," Callahan said.
Nebraska, however, likely won't need to be razor sharp on offense to move the chains against Western Illinois, a Gateway Conference team that returns only three starters on defense.
Of undeniable significance is the fact Leathernecks defensive coordinator Vince Okruch didn't take over his job until July 21. Okruch replaced former Nebraska assistant Jeff Jamrog, who took the coordinator job at Western Illinois in March before leaving in June to become head coach at Minnesota State-Mankato.
"I would've preferred to put in my own system, but I was up against the clock," Okruch said.
With scant time to operate, Okruch took a crash course in what Jamrog had installed during the spring basically, a 4-2-5 alignment. Okruch has since tweaked the system with alignments and schemes from the defense he used as coordinator at Colorado.
In Boulder, Okruch's defenders practiced daily against a West Coast system. That'll be of some help today, Okruch said.
"Guys who coach the West Coast offense are just like guys who coach the option in that they're all in this little fraternity and share ideas and schemes," Okruch said.
The thing is, Okruch said, coaches tend to tailor their offenses to personnel. Consequently, his grasp of exactly what Nebraska will run on offense remains an educated guess, he said.
Adding difficulty to Okruch's challenge is his inability to obtain videotape of the offense Callahan used with the Oakland Raiders during the past six years, the last two as head coach. Okruch said some NFL teams are notoriously reluctant to let loose of their films.
Nebraska's offensive coaches likewise have faced a predicament in preparing for Western Illinois' new look on defense. Again, it amounts to an educated guess.
This much is certain: Nebraska figures to have a decisive edge in overall talent and depth.
"The biggest difference is probably overall foot speed," Okruch said, comparing Divisions I-A and I-AA. "Everybody in the Big 12 runs well."
If nothing else today, look for Nebraska players to abide by at least two of Callahan's basic tenets: They'll be on time, and they'll work hard.
After all, today marks the start of an era.
"Watching film, they're always a powerhouse in Division I-AA," Husker offensive lineman Jake Andersen said of the Leathernecks. "So they're going to come in here and play us tough. They went to LSU last year and rode them into the fourth quarter, played them hard. This isn't a game we can look past.
"We've got to come out ready to play."
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.