Nebraska football coach Bill Callahan was euphoric, downright giddy.
At least that's the manner in which he presented himself to the media immediately following Saturday night's 14-8 win against Kansas.
But you had to wonder.
Callahan is regarded by many as an offensive guru. But the guru's West Coast offense had just sputtered through a lackluster performance, slowed by four turnovers and several mental errors.
You could say Nebraska's offense took a step backward Saturday, but that would imply the Huskers at some point this season had taken a significant step forward.
But hey, fellas, how about that defense!?
"Wow!" Callahan exclaimed during his assessment of the Blackshirts, a spiel that left more than a few reporters scratching their heads during Saturday's post mortem.
The media session was at once curious, confusing, intriguing and bizarre.
The first-year Nebraska coach had just watched his offense manage a grand total of one sustained scoring drive against a Kansas team that ranked seventh in the Big 12 in total defense. Husker quarterback Joe Dailey threw three interceptions to increase his season total to 11. He's on a pace to throw more than 30 this season.
Nebraska, in its last three games, has shown little, if any, offensive rhythm.
Yes, the Nebraska defense, with classy and hard-nosed linebacker Barrett Ruud leading the charge, played superbly against Kansas. Husker defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove devised a scheme that applied constant pressure to quarterback Adam Barmann. NU made crucial play after crucial play on defense.
jk. I would encorage anyone reading the excerpt to read the whole article to get the entire gist of it.