np_husker
Starter
Shatel: Bo fans flames evading question
http://www.omaha.com/article/20090921/SPORTS/709219840• As expected, the e-mails from readers runneth over. Several were critical of Bo Pelini blowing off a question after Saturday's loss at Virginia Tech by saying, “You saw it. It was obvious.'' That's good. Fans don't usually care if the media gets its question answered, but I've always felt that they should. If the coach shuns the question, he is, in effect, shunning the fans. Pelini is an emotional guy after games and he doesn't crave press conferences, but they're part of the job. He's the CEO and voice of the program. People have the right to want the head coach to answer to what happened in a game and explain his and the team's actions, good or bad. Besides, Bo, never assume that anything is obvious to the media.
• Inquiring fans want to know: Why punt on fourth-and-one at the Hokies 37 late in the game instead of going for the first down and the clincher? Because if your defense is playing like Nebraska's at the time, you punt every time. Every time.
• On Monday's Big 12 call, Pelini seemed to infer that he should have asked for a replay of Menelik Holt's “bobbled'' touchdown catch that was ruled incomplete. It seems that Pelini asked an official after the play if they were going to replay it and was told no, because Holt had bobbled it. The NU assistants in the booth didn't have a clear view, either. But on Monday Pelini intimated that the film showed Holt had control. Maybe if you aren't wasting timeouts on other things, you don't mind asking for a replay.
• Interesting note from a fan named Craig, who said he fell to his knees when Virginia Tech completed the 81-yard pass, “but one thing made me smile. I realized I hadn't felt this way in a long time, couldn't remember when a loss hurt so bad. Then I realized that I am once again 100 percent emotionally involved in Nebraska football. During the (Bill) Callahan era, ... I got numb to the bad losses and poor coaching.''
• Paging Mr. Castille, Mr. Quentin Castille. Nebraska's “red zone'' offense misses you. Sure, Roy Helu had a breakthrough day as a workhorse back. But when you get near the goal line, you need a horse, period. Castille “was'' that guy for NU.