bennychico11
All-Conference
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU
LINCOLN - The best way for Nebraska to finish the football season might be to find a better way to finish games.
The 41-29 loss at Oklahoma State on Saturday marked the third time in five Big 12 games that the opponent, and not NU, made the final drive or play that mattered most in the fourth quarter. The Huskers won in overtime against Kansas to avoid having all three result in losses.
"We just want to finish games and win," NU coach Bill Callahan said Monday. "We want to close games out and win those close games.
"The Texas game was a close game and we needed to close it out and win. We had a second-half lead (at OSU) and going into the fourth quarter leading by three points, and had to close that out. We had to find a way to finish down in Stillwater and we didn't do that, and I was disappointed with that."
Because of some fourth-quarter failures, Nebraska has slipped to 6-3 overall and fighting for its Big 12 North life at 3-2. The Huskers play host to Missouri (7-2, 3-2) on Saturday in a game that could determine the North Division representative for the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 2.
After outscoring four nonconference opponents 56-14 in the fourth quarter, NU has been outscored 47-34 in the final 15 minutes of its Big 12 games. Callahan said he couldn't pin that on one element of the Huskers' play, saying: "It's all a function of each complementing each other, whether it's special teams or defense or offense."
At Oklahoma State, it was a mix of all three. But most obvious was Nebraska's failure to get defensive stops as it allowed 21 points and 192 total yards in the fourth, although one of the touchdowns came from the OSU defense.
"It's something we can't do," NU linebacker Corey McKeon said. "If we start to feel it again, we're going to have to pound it back and make sure it doesn't happen."
In the Big 12, Nebraska has held an edge in fourth-quarter total offense against only Texas (144 to 100). Every opponent has gotten at least 100 yards in the fourth - Oklahoma State (192), Kansas (169), Iowa State (121), Kansas State (114) and Texas (100).
Nebraska started with a 16-0 lead at Oklahoma State. A month earlier it had jumped ahead of Kansas 17-0 and still led 24-19 going into the fourth, then needed overtime to win 39-32.
The Huskers did outplay Texas for much of the fourth quarter on Oct. 21, coming back from a 16-7 deficit to take a 20-19 lead. But a late NU turnover led to a field goal and a 22-20 escape for the Longhorns.
Nebraska actually started to lose its grip in the third quarter against OSU. After building its 23-20 halftime lead by running for 159 yards - 6.9 per carry - NU threw it eight times in the third in comparison to nine runs. All three possessions failed to yield points.
"We do what we thought was best for our team to win," Callahan said on the weekly Big 12 teleconference. "It wasn't necessarily getting away (from the run). There wasn't a conscious decision to say, 'Let's eliminate running the ball.' I mean, you've got to give the staff a little credit in that respect.
"We were running the ball. We had some 'check-with-mes' that were on. Some plays we checked out of because of a structure of a front. They did a nice job and countered and had some defenses where we were outnumbered and needed to switch gears. That's part of the chess match that you play."
Now the Huskers prepare for a Missouri defense that Callahan called the best they'll see in the Big 12 North.
"I just love their attitude up front," Callahan said. "They rush the passer as well as any team I've seen the last couple years. They completely stoned us down there last year. They got after us. They dominated us in our pass protection a year ago. We can't get into that again."
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So what is it then? Are they just getting tired and beat up so much that they can't last through the fourth quarter? I think EVERY single game we always come out with so much steam and look great the first quarter or two...and then it seems like we don't have the endurance to last two more.
Maybe we should pace ourselves more so that we have the energy when we need it. But then again, I think this gets in the "conservative play calling" that a lot of fans are criticizing.
LINCOLN - The best way for Nebraska to finish the football season might be to find a better way to finish games.
The 41-29 loss at Oklahoma State on Saturday marked the third time in five Big 12 games that the opponent, and not NU, made the final drive or play that mattered most in the fourth quarter. The Huskers won in overtime against Kansas to avoid having all three result in losses.
"We just want to finish games and win," NU coach Bill Callahan said Monday. "We want to close games out and win those close games.
"The Texas game was a close game and we needed to close it out and win. We had a second-half lead (at OSU) and going into the fourth quarter leading by three points, and had to close that out. We had to find a way to finish down in Stillwater and we didn't do that, and I was disappointed with that."
Because of some fourth-quarter failures, Nebraska has slipped to 6-3 overall and fighting for its Big 12 North life at 3-2. The Huskers play host to Missouri (7-2, 3-2) on Saturday in a game that could determine the North Division representative for the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 2.
After outscoring four nonconference opponents 56-14 in the fourth quarter, NU has been outscored 47-34 in the final 15 minutes of its Big 12 games. Callahan said he couldn't pin that on one element of the Huskers' play, saying: "It's all a function of each complementing each other, whether it's special teams or defense or offense."
At Oklahoma State, it was a mix of all three. But most obvious was Nebraska's failure to get defensive stops as it allowed 21 points and 192 total yards in the fourth, although one of the touchdowns came from the OSU defense.
"It's something we can't do," NU linebacker Corey McKeon said. "If we start to feel it again, we're going to have to pound it back and make sure it doesn't happen."
In the Big 12, Nebraska has held an edge in fourth-quarter total offense against only Texas (144 to 100). Every opponent has gotten at least 100 yards in the fourth - Oklahoma State (192), Kansas (169), Iowa State (121), Kansas State (114) and Texas (100).
Nebraska started with a 16-0 lead at Oklahoma State. A month earlier it had jumped ahead of Kansas 17-0 and still led 24-19 going into the fourth, then needed overtime to win 39-32.
The Huskers did outplay Texas for much of the fourth quarter on Oct. 21, coming back from a 16-7 deficit to take a 20-19 lead. But a late NU turnover led to a field goal and a 22-20 escape for the Longhorns.
Nebraska actually started to lose its grip in the third quarter against OSU. After building its 23-20 halftime lead by running for 159 yards - 6.9 per carry - NU threw it eight times in the third in comparison to nine runs. All three possessions failed to yield points.
"We do what we thought was best for our team to win," Callahan said on the weekly Big 12 teleconference. "It wasn't necessarily getting away (from the run). There wasn't a conscious decision to say, 'Let's eliminate running the ball.' I mean, you've got to give the staff a little credit in that respect.
"We were running the ball. We had some 'check-with-mes' that were on. Some plays we checked out of because of a structure of a front. They did a nice job and countered and had some defenses where we were outnumbered and needed to switch gears. That's part of the chess match that you play."
Now the Huskers prepare for a Missouri defense that Callahan called the best they'll see in the Big 12 North.
"I just love their attitude up front," Callahan said. "They rush the passer as well as any team I've seen the last couple years. They completely stoned us down there last year. They got after us. They dominated us in our pass protection a year ago. We can't get into that again."
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So what is it then? Are they just getting tired and beat up so much that they can't last through the fourth quarter? I think EVERY single game we always come out with so much steam and look great the first quarter or two...and then it seems like we don't have the endurance to last two more.
Maybe we should pace ourselves more so that we have the energy when we need it. But then again, I think this gets in the "conservative play calling" that a lot of fans are criticizing.
