Yes. I love Nebraska almost as much as I love my alma mater -- Georgia ... and that will not change. I've been a Georgian for Nebraska going back to the Turner Gill, Irving Fryer, Mike Rozier and Roger Craig-led team of 1981 -- so this was a very interesting experience for me.
I saw that wonderful offensive line just crush my UGA defensive wall at times which sent me into flashbacks of remembering NU offensive linemen Chris Dishman, Zach Weigert, Dean Steinkuhler, Aaron Graham, and Dave Rimington. On a few inside tackle runs, the Nebraska offensive line opened up an avenue for speedy Ameer Abdullah and rugged Rex Burkhead. I felt pretty helpless for my UGA alma mater late in the 3rd quarter when Nebraska led, 31-23. I felt like the former Arizona State coach (he looked like Hollywood actor Burgess Meredith) who said he was "under an avalanche" back when Tommie Frazier and Nebraska layed waste to ASU, 77-28, in 1995.
Nebraska and Georgia are my two teams. I really feel that Taylor Martinez can lead NU to a Big Ten conference title and that coach Bo Pelini can pull off his dream of stealing the league away from his alma mater Ohio State next season, but offensive coordinator Tim Beck has got a star in Taylor Martinez. I'll admit, I am a huge Tommy Armstrong fan, but I also feel that Martinez has turned the corner -- if coach Beck can devise some kind of game plan for T-Magic to stick to.
T-Magic needs to -- run more when it's not there. I felt sad for him late in the (I mean I'm happy for Georgia that we came out on top of course) game against Georgia when T-Magic elected to throw deep into coverage -- as UGA corner Damien Swann came away with the interception.
I saw Aaron Murray make the same mistake at the end of the 1st half in the SEC title game against Alabama -- and that killed us. We put Bama right back into the game, and they rolled the rest of the way.
Both T-Magic and Murray can learn from this concept. Either throw it to a safety valve receiver or race for the sideline to pick up 3 or 4 yards and keep the drive going -- or just chunk it in the stands.
I'm convinced that Beck's got himself a winner, but T-Magic needs to be reminded that he's run a 4.32 before -- and just race out abounds.
I haven't checked the stats yet, but if T-Magic can limit his throws to about 25 a game just like Bama did with A.J. McCarron against us, then that would bless him so much.
His touch throws are on the money. T-Magic made some amazing throws for scores in the game today against Bacarri Rambo, Sanders Commings, and Damien Swann that were all jaw dropping, but Beck needs to coordinate that offense to T-Magic's strengths. He's a wonderful passer when he sets his feet. He's not Tommie Frazier though to where he can throw a nice pass off the run such as the waggle play, but he's very accurate in the pocket -- when he's not rushed.
He's got blinding speed though, and his passing is getting much, much better. Coach Beck just needs to scheme better. Martinez can be a very bruising runner. Coach Beck needs to figure this out and maximize Martinez as a weapon, getting back to old school Nebraska ball control and the controlling of the clock. Ameer Abdullah is nice, but it'll be a wonderful thing to see when coach Beck and coach Bo Pelini get a Trung Canidate type running back into the backfield with T-Magic. This would help Ameer -- as one star back can't do it alone. He still gained over 1,000 yards rushing this year which is great. I like Ameer.
Still, I'd like to see a Husker running back like Mike Rozier who could really assist T-Magic and Ameer, and help out them out next year. I still feel that Taylor Martinez is a dark horse for the Heisman Trophy, but that he just needs a little more around him -- mainly in the backfield.
Nebraska and SEC speed. I hear a lot about this -- Husker fans and Georgia fans.
I was telling my family this today ... that Nebraska is about the fastest non SEC team in the country! I've been arguing this point with Auburn and Alabama fans going back some 20 years. Nebraska recruits speed. We saw that speed today. Ciante Evans can run. P.J. Smith can motor. Husker defenses in the 90s were amazing! Ralph Brown, Tyrone Williams, Tyrone Legette, Tony Veland, Erwin Swinney, Toby Wright, Terrell Farley ...
Nebraska is the fastest non SEC team in the country -- and their defense was not intimidated by our speed on the outside deep into today's game. And why the NU coaching staff didn't have P.J. Smith covering out in the flat at safety on 3rd down and 10 on the play where Georgia's Chris Conley caught the ball and raced 88 yards for a score, I'll never know ...? That was a break down that shouldn't have occurred.
Up to that point, Nebraska had easily matched Georgia's speed. I'll never forget the night I saw 5-8 corners Barron Miles and Kareem Moss match up with Miami and its SEC-like speed in the 1995 Orange Bowl when Nebraska topped the Hurricanes, 24-17. Nebraska has speed, but they need to -- as Tommie Frazier said on his X's and O's program recently -- continue reruiting for it.
