HuskerNative

I don't think the team is distracted. We are. Unless Internet rumors cause turnovers, it wasn't distractions that caused the loss to OU.

Even after the heart-crushing Texas loss, we looked great vs. OSU and Mizzou. Very good wins. After that, we were mediocre and a soap opera. Hopes up, down, up, way down. Ended losing two of three. Hard to take.

My employer, the Detroit Free Press, responds to Suh's fine with a roundup of his badness. Suh

He transferred to improve the level of football he played. When he was done transferring he was in California's top level of football. He then went on to be named, "... the Big VIII League's Most Valuable Player and also earned the Los Angeles Times' Glen Davis Player-of-the-Year Award. A first-team all-state selection, Martinez was the Inland Division Offensive Player of the Year, the Max Preps California Player of the Year and the Golden States Prep Southern California Offensive Player of the Year. " If you're just making stuff up, be more creative. Maybe claim he was in the Witness Protection Program or that he was a super hero and had to move to hide his secret identity. It's still bogus, but it's more entertaining. His dad also went broke, was left by his wife and rejuvenated his career. They moved to a small house then a bigger house, and Taylor was helping get his younger brothers to school. I wish T-Mart had more of Cody's personality, but he doesn't. We know he's a magnificent athlete who was in a crucible Saturday, injured and poorly protected. The Sooners came after him, as they should have. (Wish we'd gone after Jones a bit more, but that's beside the point.) What we don't know about T-Mart is what's going on in his head and what he had to do mentally and emotionally to adapt to having his mom leave the family, having his dad go broke, changing peers in high school, getting a new mom, having money again and, now, being the subject of all these Internet expert fans' expectations and vitriol. Think we took the loss hard? Martinez may be a really cold, difficult, aloof, arrogant guy. He looks that way and comes off that way. Those usually are signs of being really shy and socially awkward. What he knows how to do to compensate for that is do amazing athletic things. Injuries and tougher competition made that difficult the second half of this year, so he has a chance to grow through adversity. Understatement here: It's just as important to his development as a quarterback, as a Husker and potential lifelong representative of the University of Nebraska that he grow personally as that he learn to throw the ball away under duress. I'd hate to be judged by the person I was at 20. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't enjoy meeting the person I was at 20.

We called a screen right at the beginning of the game yesterday and the defensive end almost intercepted it... He's not tall for a QB and had several of those kinds of passes batted down through the year. Maybe that's why we don't call them.

I'm trying to put this pain in historical perspective. It's not easy to get over the hump. It took Osborne 21 years to win a national championship, and most years there were only one or two tough games in the Big 8. Tommy Frazier's freshman season was uneven. I look at those factors and say we're still headed in the right direction. Bo should win one more game this year than last, a little improvement each year. In the realm of excuses: Tonight, the Huskers were playing with a hobbled QB. (Yes, I would have liked to see Green in the fourth quarter, when it was pretty clear Martinez wasn't going to get it done.) Blast Niles Paul all you will, he's the fastest guy on the team and, at a minimum, he makes the defense just a bit more honest. That said: Bo let the season become a circus; I think that falls on him. I want to excuse the guy and as a coach I'm sure I'd be more like Bo than Osborne, but he lost control of himself at A&M. We'll never know fully how the team was affected. That meltdown happened after the offensive stall that followed Martinez's injury. Even with T-Mart hurt and Paul out, we had enough weapons to score one stinkin' touchdown in the second half tonight. ISU and KU shouldn't have been so close. We had enough weapons to score one stinkin' touchdown at A&M. There must be an OC out there who can fix this. Play-calling in the fourth quarter was bizarre. We're moving with the Wildcat, at the edge of field-goal range, and we roll the dice with the pass to Martinez. Try the pass to Martinez .... after we have one more first down ... (Now, if Rex hadn't been rushed and he's able to get that off while T-Mart was open, the tenor of this discussion is completely different. But that didn't happen. OU made key plays and we didn't, and had better ball security.) I think the team lacked player leadership. There's clear discord on the team about Martinez, I believe that stuff. He spent the year barely congratulating his mates. The seniors on offense didn't lead. Helu fumbled too much. Maybe Burkhead steps up as the vocal leader next year; he seems to have the character. Maybe Crick steps up on the D side. With such a fiery coach, it seemed like the team lacked a consistent fire. Except Burkhead. While we lost three games by a total of 13 points (though Texas wasn't really that close), we'll never have a weaker schedule. It's way better than the Callahan/Cosgrove years. I just enjoy that we play defense again. But Bo has growing to do in terms of staying even-keeled himself and fostering leadership among the players. And the offense needs fixed, it's pretty clear.

He was still a threat to run in the OSU game. Without that threat, his ability to make plays in the passing game is severely diminished. Plus if his tow and ankle are still bothering him it will really hurt his footwork in the passing game, which we saw against A&M. Guy ran for 112 yards against OSU. However, when he's in the defense needs to account for him, at least early on. Maybe we can hit 'em with a long run like we did against Mizzou before OU is sure that he's gimpy. If he is. I, for one, hope that having him start doesn't take Rex running the Wildcat out of the game plan. It did at A&M.

Well, and that poor guy was defenseless.

So it was just a way to insult Nebraska fans and try to fuel the kinds of Big 12 South columns that have been written this week. If ever a team has had plenty of motivation to be focused on every play, this one does. Top players have been injured. The coach is under fire. The fan base has been insulted. The character of the entire program was disparaged by the conference commissioner, who has been biased in his assessment of what merits suspension. Maybe in the end we will be able to thank Beebe for giving our guys extra incentive. This kind of motivation, if turned into focus, can make all kinds of difference in a college game. If we were 100 percent healthy, our talent level would easily be on par with OU. As it is, with some key guys out or at less than fully well (Besides Paul and T-Mart, Vegas bookies think Helu is hurt, then there's the locked thread that is the scariest of all), we need a very focused team that hangs onto the ball when we have it and forces a couple turnovers.

The University of Oklahoma president has sent this to Nebraska newspapers: “Dear Editor, “It is very appropriate that the last Big 12 Championship game is between Nebraska and Oklahoma. The rivalry between the two universities is one of the greatest in American football history. All of us in Oklahoma have always appreciated the warm hospitality we have received over the years from Nebraska fans. The deep mutual respect between fans of these two special universities is an example of what sportsmanship should be all about. “As the University of Nebraska begins new traditions in a new conference your friends at the University of Oklahoma wish you well.” OU prez letter

I was thinking that the bright side of the Pelinis' meltdown at A&M was that other schools wouldn't want them for a while. But, heck, I suppose some other schools want to win.

No. He's the oldest of three brothers and is close to his dad. Best story so far about his upbringing and family: My link How does his dad get around to so many places? Hey, it's Martinez Magic. Obviously.

Nice Guys Finish Last -- Green Day Listen to it before 5Ks to remind me to elbow the slowpokes out of my way who line up too far to the front. Perfect for the Pelinis, E-Mart and the Blackshirts who have to score or set up two touchdowns (IMO) for us to win this game.

It's super hard to believe Pelini would let him hang out on the sideline just for appearances for Martinez's sake. How would that help get the team ready and keep them motivated? Can't believe Pelini would do that. He'd boot him and use it to rally the team.

It was Oklahoma State running it against NU. thank you!! right i know we won that game but it did put us in some spots that made us all a little uneasy..... dont want us to lose lead or fall into a hole just cause arent prepared... but i trust the defensive coaches will get us more prepared than what we say in that game..... another thing is with the speed of the okalahoma offense i hope we can sustain some long drives and limit the 3 and outs to give our guys some rest..... Iowa State ran no-huddle against us and did as much damage as anyone but Okie State. Their QB, Austin Arnaud, not exactly a Heisman candidate, was better than anyone against us: 21 of 32 passing for 203 yards. (Weeden was 18 of 35 for 283, with 80 of that on one play.) Dennard was out the ISU game and they picked on his subs. Still, OU destroyed ISU.

We've gotta score on offense and get a couple turnovers. It's not very incisive analysis on my part, but in our two losses this year, the only touchdown was Hagg's late punt return. I'm not sure that with Green or with a hobbled Martinez that an offensive touchdown against OU is a sure thing. Not rippin' on Cody or T-Mart. I pull for them both and was delighted for Cody against CU. I'd also point out that turnovers set up three of our six touchdowns in that game and scored one of our three in regulation against ISU. A couple offensive touchdowns and a couple defensive touchdowns or turnovers setting up a very short field probably will do it.

Good catch on realizing he is a Husker fan, but he does cite some pretty specific rules that the violators are required to report those instances. Do you have evidence or a source that says they do not? Or am I missing your point? First, I want to be clear that I think Beebe should have suspended the Iowa State player who wrenched Burkhead's neck and should have suspended the A&M ball-grabber. A&M has agriculture roots; maybe that kid is a veterinary science student who thought he was in a castration lab. Don't know. Those were the two dirtiest plays I've seen this year in a Husker game. I also agree with the opinions in Okleberry's blog post. But I don't like to see some dude's opinionated twisting of rules portrayed as neutral journalism, and that's what has happened here. Here are my points: Because Okleberry lives in Utah and calls his blog the "Utah Free Press," some fans on this and other message boards have pointed to his blog post as a neutral assessment of the Big 12 violating NCAA rules. He's just a fan, a Nebraska fan, with a blog and, apparently, some free time. Reading it the first time, I thought it was likely that he was stretching a bit in his interpretation of the rules. I've never heard of an NCAA investigation of a conference's reaction to something that happened on the field. I've never heard of a school being penalized by the NCAA for failing to suspend a player who wasn't suspended by the conference. Here's what Okleberry said: "... During the game Eric Martin of Nebraska led with the top of his helmet when making an open field hit on Andrew Hudson of OSU. The Big 12 Commissioner was then required to review the video of the hit under NCAA rules ..." Regarding Cotton, he wrote: "Nebraska fans expected the Big 12 Commissioner to enforce NCAA regulations regarding Uncalled, Flagrant Fouls; but no suspension ever came." Here's what the NCAA rule says (Note article 3, the key word being "MAY." Nothing in the NCAA rules require, as Okleberry says they do, a review of the video.): SECTION 6. Flagrant Personal Fouls Player Ejection ARTICLE 1. When a player is disqualified from the game due to a flagrant personal foul, that team’s conference shall automatically initiate a video review for possible additional sanctions prior to the next scheduled game. Initiating Contact/Targeting an Opponent ARTICLE 2. When there is a foul called for initiating contact/targeting an opponent (Rule 9-1-3) that does not result in a player disqualification, there shall automatically be a video review by the conference for possible additional sanctions prior to the next scheduled game. Foul Not Called ARTICLE 3. If subsequent review of a game by a conference reveals plays involving flagrant personal fouls that game officials did not call, the conference may impose sanctions prior to the next scheduled game. --- The key here is that, much as we all believe the ISU player and A&M player should have been suspended, since no foul was called during the game regarding their conduct, Beebe was not required to review it under NCAA rules, as Okleberry said he was. And even if he was required, any action was at his discretion. As Okleberry noted: "the Big 12 Charter clearly states, “The Commissioner shall have the responsibility for and is authorized to provide rulings and interpretations of the Rules (1.7.7).” " So he interprets at his discretion. --- Okleberry does cite Big 12 rules that require a review. OK, maybe so, but Beebe is given full authority to interpret as he will. What Okleberry did was create a rhetorical stew of references to Big 12 rules, which are interpreted as Beebe deems fit, and NCAA rules, which don't require a review or reporting of an unflagged onfield incident, and try to make it sound like a major NCAA violation had occurred.

Being in the frigid stadium as a student for the '78 game, Osborne's first win over OU. That Sims fumble -- and the one that wasn't called on the kickoff. John Ruud on that hit? The band marched down 10th Street after the game. Great day.

The writer is just one of us -- a Nebraska fan (check out the T-shirt he's wearing in the profile photo), and the Utah Free Press is just his blog. (See other entries at utahfreepress.com) The post is his opinion, his interpretation of rules. It's nice, but it has no more authority than a long post. It's his rant, not impartial press from outside Nebraska (OK, he lives outside Nebraska, but he's neither a journalist nor impartial). The NCAA isn't required to investigate and A&M isn't risking any sanction.

You know, that was a nice blog by Richard Okleberry, a Nebraska fan who lives in Utah. The Utah Free Press is just his blog (check it out yourself, www.utahfreepress.com) not a Utah paper. He's not an expert on NCAA rules. He's just a fan like us. He made some nice points, but there's no NCAA investigation to do here. Beebe is the judge and jury.

Shatel's right about this: That doesn't excuse the Big 12 from having someone here. Nobody in Nebraska would know Associate Commissioner Tim Allen from the comedian/actor Tim Allen. Or media chief Bob Burda. Heck, the Big 12 could have sent Assistant Commissioner Ed Stewart. You know, the former All-America linebacker at Nebraska. Husker fans are going to give him grief? Also, the trophy ceremony would have taken place in the Huskers' locker room, perhaps the most heavily guarded spot in the state. For weeks, the commissioner has been mum about the whole Nebraska business, the Eric Martin suspension, the 16 penalties last week. Why make all the ugliness public the week that thousands of Husker fans will make the trip to Dallas? Will it subdue the angry fans? Or aggravate those who want attention?

If we lose the conference championship, annnny way we get Boise State? I'd love to see our secondary shut down Moore, which I think they would.

Pelini statement posted by NET's Big Red Wrapup: “Niles Paul suffered a foot injury in Tuesday afternoon’s practice. He will be out for Friday’s game against Colorado. His status for the ...rest of the season will be evaluated.” It's a huge blow. I'm going to believe the team will come together as never before through this adversity. The fans in the stadium need to be loud through the game even if it's not going very well.

This was the crew that officiated Texas, Iowa State and A&M. Officials: Referee: Greg Burks; Umpire: Scott Campbell; Linesman: George Gusman; Line judge: Kevin Mar; Back judge: Shawn Hochuli; Field judge: Nick Lave; Side judge: Gene Semko Texas game: Penalties: Number-Yards....... (Texas) 4-53 (Nebraska) 10-94 Iowa State: Penalties: Number-Yards....... (ISU) 3-40 (Nebraska) 6-54 A&M game: Penalties: Number-Yards....... (A&M) 2-10 (Nebraska) 16-145 So in three games called by this crew, Nebraska has been penalized 32 times for 273 yards vs. nine penalties for opponents for 103 yards. The disparity against the Texas teams is more stunning. In our four other conference games, with other officiating crews, Nebraska has been penalized 23 times for 192 yards and their opponents have been penalized 22 times for 181 yards. Helluva coincidence.

Rawhide, you're right. Perlman and Osborne need to talk to Bo and protect the university's image. They do. But I'd like them to stand up for the kids, too, and complain to the conference and the NCAA about the ISU head-twisting on Burkhead and the ball-twisting by A&M last night.