Dual-threat Nebraska QB a test for Southern Miss

[knapplc]

Dual-threat Nebraska QB a test for Southern Miss
HATTIESBURG — Southern Miss is accustomed to facing what defensive coordinator Tommy West describes as, "basketball on grass," in Conference USA.

On Saturday (2:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN2) in Lincoln, Neb., the Golden Eagles will face a Nebraska offense that features a power run game unlike any other they've faced in recent seasons.

Quarterback Taylor Martinez and running back Rex Burkhead pace a power spread offense that averaged 217.2 yards a game on the ground in 2011.

Burkhead had 1,357 yards and 15 touchdowns on 284 carries; Martinez ran 188 times for 874 yards and nine scores.

West expects a physical game, but he points out that Nebraska's big-play ability is a concern.

"They're a skilled football team," West said. "Their wideouts, quarterback and running back, they're not plow guys. They're race horses. They're really good.

"I don't see it being an inside drill for 60 minutes because they make you defend the whole field. They're sideline-to-sideline with their option."

It'll be interesting to see how we attack these guys this week. Southern Miss ended last season in the top 30 of all four major defensive categories:

Rushing Defense - 24

Pass Efficiency Defense - 7

Total Defense - 29

Scoring Defense -26

By way of comparison, Michigan State's defense was, almost across the board, ranked higher than Southern Miss' last season:

Rushing Defense - 9

Pass Efficiency Defense - 18

Total Defense - 6

Scoring Defense - 10

Nebraska dropped 24 points on that Sparty defense last year at home - but the glaring caveat to that game was how flat the Spartans were. They'd just finished a brutal stretch of four ranked teams prior to arriving in Lincoln. Southern Miss won't be facing this heading into Saturday.

Now, the Golden Eagles are without some key pieces of that 2011 defense. They lost:

DE Cordarro Law, who led the team in tackles for loss and sacks.

LB Ronnie Thornton, who led the team in tackles.

CB Marquese Wheaton who was second on the team in INTs.

But they return Senior DL Jamie Collins, the top returning tackler. Collins will be a key guy to avoid this week. He's already on the Bednarik and Nagurski Watch Lists. Also returning are DB Deron Wilson who led Southern Miss in INTs last year and DB Jacorius Cotton, tied with Collins for total tackles.

On top of that, their coach is Ellis Johnson, who Husker fans may recall was the Defensive Coordinator for South Carolina in the Capital One Bowl last year. His Gamecock defense had little trouble with the Huskers as the game wore on. Certainly he doesn't have the same horses he had at USC here at Southern Miss, but these kids are good, they're fast, and they're capable, especially if well-coached. And they're going to know exactly what they're getting into with Nebraska from their coach's experience against us just nine months ago.

Bottom line - this Husker team had better be on full-blown upset alert Saturday afternoon. Sleep on this team and we'll get beat.

 

[jwhbigred]

On top of that, their coach is Ellis Johnson, who Husker fans may recall was the Defensive Coordinator for South Carolina in the Capital One Bowl last year. His Gamecock defense had little trouble with the Huskers as the game wore on. Certainly he doesn't have the same horses he had at USC here at Southern Miss, but these kids are good, they're fast, and they're capable, especially if well-coached. And they're going to know exactly what they're getting into with Nebraska from their coach's experience against us just nine months ago.

Bottom line - this Husker team had better be on full-blown upset alert Saturday afternoon. Sleep on this team and we'll get beat.

Ellis Johnson did not coach in the Capitol One Bowl last year, he had already gone to So. Miss at that point.

 

[knapplc]

True, but he had been working on Nebraska until taking that Southern Miss job ten days before the bowl game.

 

[GSG]

Who are the other 3 guys they returned on defense (besides Collins)? Phil Steele has them returning 4 total starters on defense.

 

[Mierin]

True, but he had been working on Nebraska until taking that Southern Miss job ten days before the bowl game.

I don't really see this as a very big advantage. I've only watched the game once, so my memory on it isn't great, but without the turnovers on their ens of the field we should've had around 28 points at half-time. I also recall a missed FG. That was going against this guy's defensive plan. The adjustments weren't his (of course, it could be argued that he would have adjusted faster).

But more importantly, all it means that he prepared for Nebraska in the bowl game is that he's had 37(ish) weeks instead of 34(ish). That seems pretty minor to me.

 

[Norhusker]

I'm excited we are facing a decent opponent our opening game. Hopefully S. Miss, UCLA and Ark. St. will season our team and make us more prepared for the Big 10 this year.

 

[knapplc]

True, but he had been working on Nebraska until taking that Southern Miss job ten days before the bowl game.

I don't really see this as a very big advantage. I've only watched the game once, so my memory on it isn't great, but without the turnovers on their ens of the field we should've had around 28 points at half-time. I also recall a missed FG. That was going against this guy's defensive plan. The adjustments weren't his (of course, it could be argued that he would have adjusted faster).

But more importantly, all it means that he prepared for Nebraska in the bowl game is that he's had 37(ish) weeks instead of 34(ish). That seems pretty minor to me.

I'm not saying it is a huge advantage. But he's not walking in the door having never looked at Nebraska before, and he's got a road map on how to stop us from his boys at Columbia. That's not something to ignore.

 

[Mierin]

True, but he had been working on Nebraska until taking that Southern Miss job ten days before the bowl game.

I don't really see this as a very big advantage. I've only watched the game once, so my memory on it isn't great, but without the turnovers on their ens of the field we should've had around 28 points at half-time. I also recall a missed FG. That was going against this guy's defensive plan. The adjustments weren't his (of course, it could be argued that he would have adjusted faster).

But more importantly, all it means that he prepared for Nebraska in the bowl game is that he's had 37(ish) weeks instead of 34(ish). That seems pretty minor to me.

I'm not saying it is a huge advantage. But he's not walking in the door having never looked at Nebraska before, and he's got a road map on how to stop us from his boys at Columbia. That's not something to ignore.

My reply mostly comes from seeing it brought up 50 times, but it is the off-season.

 

[knapplc]

True, but he had been working on Nebraska until taking that Southern Miss job ten days before the bowl game.

I don't really see this as a very big advantage. I've only watched the game once, so my memory on it isn't great, but without the turnovers on their ens of the field we should've had around 28 points at half-time. I also recall a missed FG. That was going against this guy's defensive plan. The adjustments weren't his (of course, it could be argued that he would have adjusted faster).

But more importantly, all it means that he prepared for Nebraska in the bowl game is that he's had 37(ish) weeks instead of 34(ish). That seems pretty minor to me.

I'm not saying it is a huge advantage. But he's not walking in the door having never looked at Nebraska before, and he's got a road map on how to stop us from his boys at Columbia. That's not something to ignore.

My reply mostly comes from seeing it brought up 50 times, but it is the off-season.

Ri-i-i-i-ght.

 

[Mierin]

True, but he had been working on Nebraska until taking that Southern Miss job ten days before the bowl game.

I don't really see this as a very big advantage. I've only watched the game once, so my memory on it isn't great, but without the turnovers on their ens of the field we should've had around 28 points at half-time. I also recall a missed FG. That was going against this guy's defensive plan. The adjustments weren't his (of course, it could be argued that he would have adjusted faster).

But more importantly, all it means that he prepared for Nebraska in the bowl game is that he's had 37(ish) weeks instead of 34(ish). That seems pretty minor to me.

I'm not saying it is a huge advantage. But he's not walking in the door having never looked at Nebraska before, and he's got a road map on how to stop us from his boys at Columbia. That's not something to ignore.

My reply mostly comes from seeing it brought up 50 times, but it is the off-season.

Ri-i-i-i-ght.

It's Barty Crouch... JUNIOR

 

[deedsker]

Will Southern Miss test us? Yes

Should we beat them down by the end of it? Yes

If not, nobody will be happy.

 

[The Dude]

They'd just finished a brutal stretch of four ranked teams prior to arriving in Lincoln.

If you don't count their bye week and pretend the Central Michigan Chippewas were ranked, then this statement is true.

 

[The Dude]

I'm excited we are facing a decent opponent our opening game. Hopefully S. Miss, UCLA and Ark. St. will season our team and make us more prepared for the Big 10 this year.

It seems counter-intuitive, but Arkansas State worries me the most out of that group. I could see Nebraska overlooking them, especially after Oregon clobbers them Saturday. I'm not worried about that so much with Southern Miss and UCLA.

 

[BLEED4BLACKSHIRTS]

Bottom line - this Husker team had better be on full-blown upset alert Saturday afternoon. Sleep on this team and we'll get beat.

Southern Miss doesn't have a QB on the roster that has taken a collegiate snap.

Will there defense test us........yes

Will there offense test us.........very doubtful

 

[JJ Husker]

Will Southern Miss test us? Yes

Should we beat them down by the end of it? Yes

If not, nobody will be happy.

:yeah