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A Crucial Moment for Watson
Commentary: Huskers' offense needs to be right Saturday
by Samuel McKewon
October 02, 2008
We take a short break from Tigers on the field to address the elephant in Nebraska football's living room.
For a month, NU offensive coordinator Shawn Watson has enjoyed the protection of head coach Bo Pelini's bend-but-rarely-break defense. Twenty times opponents have entered the not-yet-Blackshirts' red zone – the most chances in the Big 12. But foes have converted just eight of those trips into touchdowns.
With guile and toughness, the defense gave Nebraska a chance in its 35-30 loss to Virginia Tech and managed to keep San Jose State at an arm's length.
"Bo's got my back," Watson is fond of saying.
Time for "Wats" to return the favor.
Missouri’s rock band blows into Lincoln this weekend for a four-hour set in Memorial Stadium, and it’s up to Watson’s version of the West Coast Offense to keep Chase and The Gang backstage as much as possible.
“I’ve got a long history with (Mizzou), and that’s what you do – keep their offense off the field,” Watson said. “You’ve just got to possess the ball…you want to limit their touches.”
It’s a big week for the OC, who has replaced Bill Callahan as resident offensive brainiac and debuted to mixed reviews through four games.
A wonderful drive is offset by a couple of three-and-outs. Efficiency in the red zone is muted by poor play when the Huskers are backed up in their own end. While quarterback Joe Ganz stretches defenses and pushes the ball downfield, the short passing game – crucial on third downs – has faltered. That’s why Nebraska’s at 35.6 percent on third down conversions – 11th in the Big 12.
But this rose’s true thorn, of course, is the weak running game.
Aside from pummeling New Mexico State, an awful, gimmicky defense – as in 119th (or last) nationally against the run – Watson’s patented power running attack hasn’t shown up. Against Virginia Tech, the ground engine barely got revved up before Watson had Ganz flying not-so-friendly skies and throwing a costly interception to set up the Hokies’ first touchdown.
It’d be one thing if NU’s offensive line was, as the defense truly is, a “work in progress.” But the schemes haven’t changed. The linemen are in better shape. They have a better – or at least more proven – position coach in Barney Cotton. And Pelini spent most of fall practice pumping them up.
While fans and reporters wrung their hands over NU thin, seemingly unspectacular defensive line, they penciled in a top-shelf running game to help Nebraska control the ball.
As it turns out, Carl Pelini’s bunch has been the best thing about these Huskers. Cotton’s pipeline, meanwhile, either failed to execute against Virginia Tech, or wasn’t trusted enough to do it after a couple quick punts.
Watson bristled, as I expected he would, when he was asked last Saturday whether he didn’t believe his line could get him two, three yards on third down.
“That’s an unfair question,” he said, explaining the issue wasn’t trust, but a Tech defense determined to take away one phase of Nebraska’s game.
Well, Missouri’s going to try to do the same thing. The Tigers have a miserable defense – vs. the pass. Against the run, they’re giving up just 2.8 yards per carry. You get the picture: Mizzou can live with opposing offenses gobbling up yards and points - just as long as it doesn’t take too much time.
It’s a fool’s plan, really, and bound to bite Coach Gary in the Pinkel sometime this year, when quarterback Chase Daniel can’t bail him out with another 28-second drive. But it’s a winning strategy against the Huskers, whose still-figuring-it-out secondary will die on a vine if it is sent out there every four minutes.
Even Nebraska’s defense knows it.
“It’s always been said that the best defense is to have your offense on the field,” defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh said. “To have them run the ball down their throats and eat up the clock, that’s how the West Coast Offense is designed. That’s the way we want it to be run. The less time I’m on the field, the better.”
Said Watson on Tuesday: “We’ll go out there and give them our best shot with our run game. I like what our line’s done this week.”
The OC has made little tweaks. Keith Williams will be starting at guard over Mike Huff, who lost too many battles against Tech. Tight end Mike McNeill is a blossoming talent, and Watson acknowledged it. There also seems to be a hint – and only a hint – that Roy Helu, Jr. ultimately, gets four yards where Marlon Lucky might get two. Lucky never has like jamming his body into the tackle box; Helu, a rugby guy at heart, doesn’t mind the plunge into the trenches.
Are those changes too subtle? Can a smoldering Rome of a running game be rebuilt in a week?
Fans better hope so. Nebraska’s chances of victory rest on it
A Crucial Moment for Watson
Commentary: Huskers' offense needs to be right Saturday
by Samuel McKewon
October 02, 2008
We take a short break from Tigers on the field to address the elephant in Nebraska football's living room.
For a month, NU offensive coordinator Shawn Watson has enjoyed the protection of head coach Bo Pelini's bend-but-rarely-break defense. Twenty times opponents have entered the not-yet-Blackshirts' red zone – the most chances in the Big 12. But foes have converted just eight of those trips into touchdowns.
With guile and toughness, the defense gave Nebraska a chance in its 35-30 loss to Virginia Tech and managed to keep San Jose State at an arm's length.
"Bo's got my back," Watson is fond of saying.
Time for "Wats" to return the favor.
Missouri’s rock band blows into Lincoln this weekend for a four-hour set in Memorial Stadium, and it’s up to Watson’s version of the West Coast Offense to keep Chase and The Gang backstage as much as possible.
“I’ve got a long history with (Mizzou), and that’s what you do – keep their offense off the field,” Watson said. “You’ve just got to possess the ball…you want to limit their touches.”
It’s a big week for the OC, who has replaced Bill Callahan as resident offensive brainiac and debuted to mixed reviews through four games.
A wonderful drive is offset by a couple of three-and-outs. Efficiency in the red zone is muted by poor play when the Huskers are backed up in their own end. While quarterback Joe Ganz stretches defenses and pushes the ball downfield, the short passing game – crucial on third downs – has faltered. That’s why Nebraska’s at 35.6 percent on third down conversions – 11th in the Big 12.
But this rose’s true thorn, of course, is the weak running game.
Aside from pummeling New Mexico State, an awful, gimmicky defense – as in 119th (or last) nationally against the run – Watson’s patented power running attack hasn’t shown up. Against Virginia Tech, the ground engine barely got revved up before Watson had Ganz flying not-so-friendly skies and throwing a costly interception to set up the Hokies’ first touchdown.
It’d be one thing if NU’s offensive line was, as the defense truly is, a “work in progress.” But the schemes haven’t changed. The linemen are in better shape. They have a better – or at least more proven – position coach in Barney Cotton. And Pelini spent most of fall practice pumping them up.
While fans and reporters wrung their hands over NU thin, seemingly unspectacular defensive line, they penciled in a top-shelf running game to help Nebraska control the ball.
As it turns out, Carl Pelini’s bunch has been the best thing about these Huskers. Cotton’s pipeline, meanwhile, either failed to execute against Virginia Tech, or wasn’t trusted enough to do it after a couple quick punts.
Watson bristled, as I expected he would, when he was asked last Saturday whether he didn’t believe his line could get him two, three yards on third down.
“That’s an unfair question,” he said, explaining the issue wasn’t trust, but a Tech defense determined to take away one phase of Nebraska’s game.
Well, Missouri’s going to try to do the same thing. The Tigers have a miserable defense – vs. the pass. Against the run, they’re giving up just 2.8 yards per carry. You get the picture: Mizzou can live with opposing offenses gobbling up yards and points - just as long as it doesn’t take too much time.
It’s a fool’s plan, really, and bound to bite Coach Gary in the Pinkel sometime this year, when quarterback Chase Daniel can’t bail him out with another 28-second drive. But it’s a winning strategy against the Huskers, whose still-figuring-it-out secondary will die on a vine if it is sent out there every four minutes.
Even Nebraska’s defense knows it.
“It’s always been said that the best defense is to have your offense on the field,” defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh said. “To have them run the ball down their throats and eat up the clock, that’s how the West Coast Offense is designed. That’s the way we want it to be run. The less time I’m on the field, the better.”
Said Watson on Tuesday: “We’ll go out there and give them our best shot with our run game. I like what our line’s done this week.”
The OC has made little tweaks. Keith Williams will be starting at guard over Mike Huff, who lost too many battles against Tech. Tight end Mike McNeill is a blossoming talent, and Watson acknowledged it. There also seems to be a hint – and only a hint – that Roy Helu, Jr. ultimately, gets four yards where Marlon Lucky might get two. Lucky never has like jamming his body into the tackle box; Helu, a rugby guy at heart, doesn’t mind the plunge into the trenches.
Are those changes too subtle? Can a smoldering Rome of a running game be rebuilt in a week?
Fans better hope so. Nebraska’s chances of victory rest on it
