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Curt McKeever: Auburn's defensive speed derails Huskers
Monday, Jan 01, 2007 - 11:25:47 pm CST
DALLAS — In a tent outside the Cotton Bowl where Nebraska players were putting the wraps on interviews following a disheartening 17-14 loss to Auburn, defensive end Adam Carriker, cornerback Andre Jones and linebacker Bo Ruud were the last ones holding court.
It was perfectly fitting in light of the manner in which the Tigers’ lightning-quick defenders made the Huskers’ potent offense disappear as Monday’s game progressed.
This all-too-familiar, nice-try effort that represented NU’s fourth loss this season to a top-10 foe provided one final example that Bill Callahan still needs to add some high-performance parts before his West Coast offense can handle the speed of the express lane.
Not that that’s any revelation, but during a 9-5 season, it’s been defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove who’s been the most maligned.
Poor guy. It figures that when his Blackshirts are able to limit Auburn to 178 yards, he’d be left with a punched-in-the-gut feeling.
It came about because Nebraska, which ranked ninth nationally in total offense and 13th in scoring, didn’t have enough to handle a defense that ranked 25th in yards allowed and No. 7 in points surrendered.
And that’s no accident, folks.
Nebraska’s four-lowest point productions this season came against its top-10 opponents — Oklahoma (7), Southern California (10), Auburn (14) and Texas (20).
“They were tremendous, defensively. Stalwart,” Callahan said of the Tigers. “They stiffened up at crucial times to shut us down. Of all the teams we played this year, that was the fastest defense, most speed, we’ve seen.”
At times, it made the Huskers, who managed just 230 yards, look like they were standing still.
While NU converted all four third-down plays en route to marching 80 yards on its opening possession, Auburn quickly shook off any rust that might have built up from going 43 days between games.
After that drive, Nebraska went 0-for-8 on third downs until, finally, Marlon Lucky picked up 8 yards on third-and-5 to the Tiger 29-yard line with 3:36 to play.
As it turned out, the Huskers really weren’t in business. Two runs by Brandon Jackson and a shovel pass to the junior I-back netted a loss of 1 yard, and rather than let Jordan Congdon or perhaps Jake Wesch attempt a 47-yard field goal into a light breeze, Callahan took his chances on Taylor converting a fourth-and-11 pass.
It sailed far over the head of intended receiver Frantz Hardy and out of bounds, leaving observers with another reason to second-guess the Husker coach.
The first such instance occurred when the game was tied 7-7 in the second quarter and Callahan sent in a fake punt that blew up in the Huskers’ faces and left Auburn 9 yards from pay dirt.
When the Tigers cashed in, they’d traveled all of 23 yards for their first 14 points.
And Callahan, who’d sent in the fake punt play to have a fullback (Dane Todd), who hadn’t carried the ball in three years, flip the ball to a free safety (Andrew Shanle), was pretty much through taking risks.
In defeat, he expressed appreciation for his team’s defensive effort and vowed, defiantly, that the loss won’t prevent his Big Red army from reaching bigger battles.
“Against whatever you guys call the No. 8, 9, or 10 team in the country, I thought we competed pretty well,” Callahan said. “Like I said, we still have a ways to go. We said we weren’t ready to be a top-10 team just yet.
“We’re getting there. I’ve got a lot of confidence going into next season that we’ll break through at some point. There’s no question in my mind about that.”
With the Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Year Taylor having played his last game, and with his apparent successor being a senior transfer, that’s a bold stance.
Nebraska would be wiser to heed the words inscribed on a wristband worn by NU cornerback Jones.
They read: Dream Big.
Curt McKeever: Auburn's defensive speed derails Huskers
Monday, Jan 01, 2007 - 11:25:47 pm CST
DALLAS — In a tent outside the Cotton Bowl where Nebraska players were putting the wraps on interviews following a disheartening 17-14 loss to Auburn, defensive end Adam Carriker, cornerback Andre Jones and linebacker Bo Ruud were the last ones holding court.
It was perfectly fitting in light of the manner in which the Tigers’ lightning-quick defenders made the Huskers’ potent offense disappear as Monday’s game progressed.
This all-too-familiar, nice-try effort that represented NU’s fourth loss this season to a top-10 foe provided one final example that Bill Callahan still needs to add some high-performance parts before his West Coast offense can handle the speed of the express lane.
Not that that’s any revelation, but during a 9-5 season, it’s been defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove who’s been the most maligned.
Poor guy. It figures that when his Blackshirts are able to limit Auburn to 178 yards, he’d be left with a punched-in-the-gut feeling.
It came about because Nebraska, which ranked ninth nationally in total offense and 13th in scoring, didn’t have enough to handle a defense that ranked 25th in yards allowed and No. 7 in points surrendered.
And that’s no accident, folks.
Nebraska’s four-lowest point productions this season came against its top-10 opponents — Oklahoma (7), Southern California (10), Auburn (14) and Texas (20).
“They were tremendous, defensively. Stalwart,” Callahan said of the Tigers. “They stiffened up at crucial times to shut us down. Of all the teams we played this year, that was the fastest defense, most speed, we’ve seen.”
At times, it made the Huskers, who managed just 230 yards, look like they were standing still.
While NU converted all four third-down plays en route to marching 80 yards on its opening possession, Auburn quickly shook off any rust that might have built up from going 43 days between games.
After that drive, Nebraska went 0-for-8 on third downs until, finally, Marlon Lucky picked up 8 yards on third-and-5 to the Tiger 29-yard line with 3:36 to play.
As it turned out, the Huskers really weren’t in business. Two runs by Brandon Jackson and a shovel pass to the junior I-back netted a loss of 1 yard, and rather than let Jordan Congdon or perhaps Jake Wesch attempt a 47-yard field goal into a light breeze, Callahan took his chances on Taylor converting a fourth-and-11 pass.
It sailed far over the head of intended receiver Frantz Hardy and out of bounds, leaving observers with another reason to second-guess the Husker coach.
The first such instance occurred when the game was tied 7-7 in the second quarter and Callahan sent in a fake punt that blew up in the Huskers’ faces and left Auburn 9 yards from pay dirt.
When the Tigers cashed in, they’d traveled all of 23 yards for their first 14 points.
And Callahan, who’d sent in the fake punt play to have a fullback (Dane Todd), who hadn’t carried the ball in three years, flip the ball to a free safety (Andrew Shanle), was pretty much through taking risks.
In defeat, he expressed appreciation for his team’s defensive effort and vowed, defiantly, that the loss won’t prevent his Big Red army from reaching bigger battles.
“Against whatever you guys call the No. 8, 9, or 10 team in the country, I thought we competed pretty well,” Callahan said. “Like I said, we still have a ways to go. We said we weren’t ready to be a top-10 team just yet.
“We’re getting there. I’ve got a lot of confidence going into next season that we’ll break through at some point. There’s no question in my mind about that.”
With the Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Year Taylor having played his last game, and with his apparent successor being a senior transfer, that’s a bold stance.
Nebraska would be wiser to heed the words inscribed on a wristband worn by NU cornerback Jones.
They read: Dream Big.