Steven M. Sipple: Huskers' next two games vital for season

[huskernumerouno]

My link

 

 

Things I know and things I think I know:

 

* Bo Pelini’s postgame demeanor Saturday was marked by an unmistakable sense of urgency.

 

It made sense, considering Nebraska’s season largely could be defined in its next two games.

 

I didn’t see it coming. I figured Nebraska would defeat Texas in a hard-fought game Saturday and carry considerable momentum into games at Oklahoma State this week and against Missouri next week in Lincoln.

 

First off, Texas took a sledgehammer to Nebraska’s momentum. Talk about a buzz kill.

 

However, “We’re not going to sit in a dungeon and cry about this,” Nebraska senior left guard Keith Williams said of the 20-13 loss to the Longhorns.

 

The No. 14 Huskers (5-1, 1-1 Big 12) should avoid that dungeon at all costs because No. 17 Oklahoma State possesses sharper teeth than many of us anticipated before the season. The Sporting News picked the Cowboys to finish sixth in the Big 12 South. But after Saturday’s 34-17 triumph at Texas Tech, OSU is 6-0 (2-0 Big 12) and ranked second nationally in total offense.

 

“Watch out,” wrote columnist Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman newspaper. “All limits are off this OSU squad.”

 

The Cowboys were supposed to be in rebuilding mode after finishing 9-4 last season (6-2 Big 12). As it stands, they rank only 92nd in total defense, but are dangerously explosive and balanced on offense.

 

Meanwhile, Missouri (6-0, 2-0 Big 12) also has been a surprise, especially in the manner it’s winning. The Tigers, in a marked change from most recent seasons, are playing strong defensively, particularly in the secondary. In fact, their 29th-ranked defense is much of the reason Mizzou fans are thinking upset this week with No. 3 Oklahoma (6-0, 2-0 Big 12) coming to Columbia, Mo.

 

ESPN’s “College GameDay” will be on the campus for the first time.

 

Suddenly, it’s no longer a foregone conclusion Nebraska will capture the North. The next two weeks almost take on the feel of a playoff.

 

If you’re a Nebraska fan, you hope to see more urgency and intensity from the Huskers than they showed against Texas. The home crowd was stoked. The stadium was electric. But the home team’s energy level didn’t match that of the fans, or of the visitors from Austin.

 

It’s strange that Nebraska often plays with a harder edge on the road.

 

“We’ll come back (Sunday) and have a shakeout,” Williams said after Saturday’s game. “We’re going to get our heads right. We’ll watch the film and get it behind us.

 

“Our goals are still intact.”

 

* Going by the season’s first set of BCS standings, perhaps Nebraska should be considered the underdog in its next two games. Missouri is No. 11, Oklahoma State No. 14 and Nebraska No. 16.

 

* Remember the last time Nebraska lost a game that had comparable buildup to Saturday’s? It was 2007. Top-ranked Southern Cal throttled then-No. 14 NU 49-31 in Lincoln (after leading 49-17 midway through the fourth quarter). In subsequent weeks and months, Husker players and coaches acknowledged the team never fully recovered from that defeat. Big Red finished with a 5-7 record.

 

Be careful comparing the two situations. For one thing, USC dominated Nebraska physically. The Trojans rushed for 313 yards, averaging 8.2 per carry, and held the Huskers to 31 yards on 28 carries. The visitors basically bludgeoned the home team. That wasn’t the case Saturday.

 

Plus, this Husker defense is just a tad better than the 2007 crew that ranked 112th nationally.

 

* If Nebraska defeats Oklahoma State on Saturday, the Huskers will have done something they haven’t since 2001.

 

Nebraska’s 20-10 victory against then-No. 2 Oklahoma that season was the last time the Huskers defeated a team ranked No. 19 or higher in the AP Top 25. They’re 0-for-21 since.

 

* The dropped passes that spelled doom for Nebraska against Texas haven’t been an issue in practice, offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said. “We’re a pretty sure-handed group,” he said, noting the importance of basic fundamentals. “It’s the little things. You see the ball in. Sometimes a guy gets anxious.”

 

Sometimes players try too hard. In this case, call it the “Texas effect.”

 

Reach Steven M. Sipple at 402-473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.

[krc1995]

Oh great- the thing this team doesn't need to feel is a sense of urgency. Take all the emotion out of it and just play solid football at every position.

 

Panic will only sink this ship

[Hunter94]

fundamentals and execution is what is needed. drive and intensity was also not on display at Texas, our line play was pathetic, we need to dominate up front, i haven't seen the D line dominate all year, WTF?