Tom Shatel

[np_husker]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1921

 

First downs and second guesses:

 

Well, I guess things have changed. Now Missouri is accusing Nebraska of cheap shots.

 

But Mizzou quarterback Chase Daniel went too far after the game. If anything was "bush league," it was Daniel's accusation of dirty play by Nebraska without offering names or specifics.

 

If somebody spit on Daniel before the game, fine. You can't condone that. Find out who did it. Suspend him for a game. Make him run stadium steps at 6 a.m. Make him watch a replay of the Missouri game for 12 hours.

 

But if Daniel's talking about pregame comments from Bo Pelini, Marlon Lucky and Mike Ekeler, sorry, Chase. That's not dirty. Those comments were just silly. Hey, Chase: Pelini goes for shutouts when he's playing checkers.

 

Was Daniel talking about the two Huskers who hit him simultaneously on the third play of the game? I had respect for Daniel for hanging in there, taking the shots and completing a touchdown pass. If he's whining about that being a dirty play, I have less respect for him.

 

Zach Potter's helmet-to-helmet hit? That was a questionable penalty. Potter's not a cheap shot artist. It was a hard play. If that's a dirty play, we have different definitions.

 

You're fortunate Christian Peter wasn't chasing you around. Ask Chad May all about that.

 

Frankly, I didn't see enough Huskers around Daniel for there to be any sort of dirty play around the quarterback. Former NU assistant coach Mike Corgan once said, "Football is a nasty game played by nasty boys." Maybe it's not that way for a quarterback who lines up in shotgun formation every play. Maybe he doesn't like contact. Sorry, Chase. This isn't flag football.

 

If Daniel thought that Saturday night was unnecessary roughness, I'd hate to see what he's going to think about the National Football League. They don't run the spread offense in the NFL.

 

It's one thing to gloat after a big win and trash talk. But you cross the line when you try to label your opponent as "dirty" without proof or specificity. If Daniel has something to say, then say it. If somebody went after someone's knee, or this was a Norman Goodman-Jarvis Redwine situation, that's different. Then blow the whistle afterward. Otherwise, celebrate and move onto the next game.

 

• Bo Pelini kept Shawn Watson around to run the offense in the name of continuity while the defense got its legs under a new system. But lately the defense has had to carry the offense. What is this offense's identity? Does it have one?

 

I asked Pelini a few weeks ago about what he wanted in an offense and if he would consider the spread — that is, a "physical" running spread like Florida runs. He said no, he wanted a multiple offense, with emphasis on the power game, with a fullback and two tight ends. Nebraska is not blocking well enough, in many areas, to run that type of scheme now.

 

At Colorado, Watson had a reputation of playing to his strength. Exactly what is that here? It will be interesting to follow this story the rest of the season.

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

Pretty good comments about the whole Chase thing

[Igetbored216]

I think Chase just likes to hear himself talk. You are a huge sh#t talker Chase. Don't pretend you're not.

 

"That's like high school"

 

Enough said...

[junior4949]

This is just my opinion, but it's because of what he does off the field that will land Bradford the hypseman over Daniel this year. Bradford knows he's good, and he knows OU is good. Daniel needs to keep his mouth shut and do his talking by his play on the field. Plus, I think OU rolls Mizzou in the championship game unless Texas happens to win the red river shootout.

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

Surprisingly good column from Shatel. He has one every few years or so.