Just wanted to pass on a congratulations to a game well-played. Here are my thoughts, from the USC side:
• I, as much as anybody, was stunned that Callahan didn’t pass more. There was a true frosh at FS, and he went untested. But he is a physical monster – at 6’4” & 225 lbs., he’s a great run stopper, and that’s exactly what he did because Nebraska mostly ran the ball.
• To beat USC defensively, you have to do two things: (1) run up the gut – running side to side will get you nowhere, especially with this year’s Trojan defense. They’re too fast, and they will catch you. (2) Take shots downfield. In combination with #1, this stretches the D a bit, and keeps them honest. Nebraska did the first part, but ONLY the first part. They needed to take more shots downfield but didn’t. The two parts together provide a balance that is tough for any defense to defend. But if you’re one dimensional against a Pete Carroll defense, you generally won’t fare very well.
• That Nebraska D-line is superb. Carriker and his counterpart on the other side gave USC fits. Everyone is talking about how sluggish the USC offense was, but I think the D-line had something to do with it. It definitely affected play calling: those 3 step drops and rollouts were not by accident, they were called to neutralize the pass rush.
• USC lost their FB for the year to a gruesome injury early in the game. The running game never really recovered.
• In spite of Callahan’s questionable play calling, I thought USC’s defense played well. This is the fastest I’ve ever seen this unit.
• I enjoyed watching the game with Nebraska fans. I was at the game, and almost everyone I met was nice, and of course very knowledgeable. Can’t make the game in Lincoln next year, but I look forward to that contest.
Good luck the rest of the year. I hope you guys beat Texas. My theory is the following: Mack Brown can’t win a big game without Vince Young. He couldn’t at North Carolina, and he can’t at Texas.