• Nebraska’s 2012 Recruiting Class
• Huskers fall 30-13 in Capital One Bowl
• Nebraska vs South Carolina in the Capital One Bowl
• Nebraska gets hammered in Michigan
• Huskers fall 28-25
• Blackshirts are back after 24-3 win over Michigan State
• Nebraska rolls by Minnesota and eyes Michigan State next
• Second half pushes Nebraska past Ohio State
• Thoughts after loss in Madison
• Nebraska heads into Big10 play 4-0
• Huskers improve to 2-0
• Huskers open up with 40-7 win
• Bubba Starling signs with the Royals
• Nebraska and Iowa to play in the “The Heroes Game”
• New Nebraska Football Gloves from Adidas

I won’t talk much about the Minnesota game on Saturday as it was basically one half of play and then a glorified scrimmage in the second half. It was kind of hard to see how the team improved as the Gophers are one of the worse D1 teams right now. Things that I did like was getting Rex going early on in the game. Pound the rock to Burkhead and good things are going to happen. The quick bubble / jail break screens on offense were nice to see as well. Hopefully we see a couple of those attempts to Jamal Turner against Michigan State. The one play that stood out for most was the double reverse to Kenny Bell however. Bell took the ball and raced 80+ yards down the sidelines making the last two defenders miss and he scored the longest touchdown run my a Freshman in school history.

The defense played well all the way around I thought. A few missed tackles but that will happen in game. Again it was the same case of the Minnesota offense just not being very good so it was hard to see how well the guys improved on the defensive side of the ball.

The 41-14 win was nice to see and it could have easily been 60 something to 14 but you could tell things slowed way down in the 4th quarter. Good win coming off a bye week and kept the momentum going into the Michigan State game.

Now it’s time we look ahead towards Michigan State. The team leading the division and fresh off a upset of Wisconsin. The Spartans have been playing good ball this season and with a seasoned quarterback like Kirk Cousins, they are expecting a trip the Rose Bowl. Nebraska is about the only team standing in their way of that Rose Bowl trip. Nebraska is still in the hunt for a Rose Bowl birth but it all comes down to Saturday. Gotta beat Sparty and then probably win out the rest of the way in my opinion.

So what are the keys to beating Mich St? I think it will the offensive line and running backs picking up the multiple blitzes that Michigan State will be using. Sparty blitzes something like 60% of the downs so the guys on offense are going to have to be quick and Taylor is going to have to get rid of the ball quickly to avoid the sacks. Hopefully we see a lot of Rex getting the ball early on and some more of the diamond formation which puts a lot of speed for the defense to worry about. Guys are simply going to have to make plays on offense whether it is catching a wide open pass or keeping a simple block going without getting called for holding.

On defense, it is all about stopping the rushing attack which I think Nebraska will have good success doing. Coach Pelini usually does not have a problem coming up with a game plan to stop a pro style attack like the Spartans run. Cousins is not as mobile as other quarterbacks the defense has played so don’t expect much scrambling out of him. I think the defensive ends will be pretty active as Carl and Bo should not have to worry about the rushing quarterback and they should be allowed to push straight through the line rather than have to contain the edge on every play.

I expect Mich St to really try and run the ball. Look for LaVonte David to have a big game at linebacker as he racks up the tackles on the running backs. When Cousins does attempt to go deep, the db’s are going to have to be in position and not be getting caught looking in at the running backs.

Nebraska is currently a four point favorite in the game. I’m going to predict a 35-30 game with Nebraska coming out on top and keeping their Big 10 championship hopes alive.

@NebSports

Finally! Coach Pelini has finally spoken about the coaching staff changes that many have been talking about for a couple of weeks. Bo, while out in California finally told a reporter from the AP the changes and many people are thinking what the heck took so long. I’m pretty sure it had something to do with Shawn Watson finally landing a job at Louisville. Bo always said he wanted to take care of his assistants and this is one way of doing it.

But was it the right away of going about? Bo already has loose ends with the local media and even some fans due to his media relations. We all know he isn’t the best guy for talking to the media and heck can you blame him in some cases? However, the two weeks were way to long and when everyone knows about it, the University might as well give Bo the go ahead and release a statement. It would make all parties look and sound much better. This isn’t the 80′s and even the 90′s when things were kept hush hush before the Internet…

So finally the coaching changes… Ted Gilmore, Shawn Watson, Marvin Sanders (resigned due to personal issues) are out. Corey Raymond, Ross Els and Rich Fisher all step in along with a promotion for grad assistant and former player John Garrison. Raymond will coach the secondary, Els the linebacking corp while Fisher will coach the wide receivers. Garrison will be co-offensive line coach with Coach Cotton and also help out with the tight ends.

Other moves will be Tim Beck taking over play calling as offensive coordinator and Ron Brown moving over to coach the running backs. (Something Brown has never done.)

Sure will be an interesting time during spring practice and the spring game. You know to know one thing, these assistant coaches were hand picked by Coach Pelini and they are guys that coach though would be best for the players. Stick behind them, and lets see what happens for the upcoming season. I have a feeling it will be an interesting ride into Big10 country.

Nebraska is headed back to the Big 12 Championship in Dallas this next weekend after they locked up the North Division title on Friday with a 45-17 victory over the Colorado Buffaloes. The rivals were playing for the last time as the Huskers are heading to the Big 10 and the Buffaloes are heading off to the Pac 10 – Pac 12.

Rex Burkhead was the man for the Huskers as he led the offense with 19 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown. Rex also threw for two touchdowns as finally Shawn Watson dialed up a couple of passes out of the wildcat formartion. It was about time Mr. Watson!

Going into the game a lot of Husker fans were wondering how Cody Green would play once he was named starter earlier in the week. It was a good thing that Coach Pelini announced the decision early in the week because I think it allowed Cody to settle down and know what was ahead of him. Cody passed just 13 times but completed 10 of them and threw for one touchdown. The big thing was he did not have a turnover and led the offense down the field to put points on the board.

The defense once again played a nice game. The Buffaloes tried to throw deep a couple of times and despite a couple of holding and a pass interference call the Blackshirts did a good job. The Huskers scored 21 points off Buffaloes turnovers. Great job by the Blackshirts once again as they live up to the hype of shutting down opposing teams.

I wish I was heading down to Dallas for the championship game but I can’t make it work. I hope that everyone travels safe and has a great time down in Jerry’s world. As every Husker fans wants to see, let’s hope Dan Beebe is forced to hand Bo Pelini and Tom Osborne the Big 12 Championship as they kiss the conference goodbye.

I’m not going to do much for a game recap after the 9-6 loss to Texas A&M Saturday night but I do want to hit on the subject of Bo Pelini and his temper. First off, you can’t explode on your player like that on the sideline. You know damn well that the cameras are on you in the middle of every play do to your reactions. That butt chewing should have happened in the locker room, I don’t care what was said or what was done. Certain things just need to be taken care of behind closed doors.

We all know Bo has a temper but things are not going to change in the next two games. Refs know he has a temper, they know Eric Martin lays guys out on kickoffs. It’s time scale things back a notch and play smarter. Even if a hit is legal, with what has happened in the past the refs are going to have their hand on their flag during every play and all it takes it one little thing and that yellow bean bag will be being tossed towards a Nebraska player. Enough of the crying, that’s just going to be how it is.

Bo might have taken the first step in calming things down Sunday night when rumors started to fly around that Taylor Martinez was quitting the team. For a good three hours these rumors were being spread around blogs, twitter and facebook. Finally things were put to rest when Bo told the Omaha World Herald that Taylor is still part of the team and Taylor’s high school coach said that he has just spoken to him and he did not quit the team. It’s time for both parties to calm down, grow up and act better. It’s what the players need and it’s best for the team.

It will be a short week of practice as Colorado comes into Lincoln for a game on Friday. Win this one, and you are right back in the Big 12 Championship which is the number one goal for this team. Forget about the A&M game, it’s time to beat those buffaloes and look forward to Dallas.

The Big Red kicked off the 2010 season with a 49-10 victory over Western Kentucky on Saturday night. The team was sparked by redshirt freshman Taylor Martinez at the quarterback position and the defense played good enough to keep the Hilltoppers out of the end zone for the most part.

My thoughts on the game were up and down. The offense played nice with Martinez doing most of the damage. Making his first college start, and the first time the Huskers opened up a season with a freshman quarterback, Martinez wowed the crowd with a 46 yard touchdown on his first rushing attempt. He would later add touchdown runs of 19 and 15 yards and finish the game with 127 yards rushing on seven carries.

I also thought that Rex Burkhead did well as he had over 100 all purpose yards including a 20 yard touchdown. Niles Paul and Austin Jones would also both get in the end zone for the big red.

On the defensive side of the ball the Huskers were good in the first half but did let down in the second half. Bo Pelini called the defense “embarrassing” even though they allowed just 10 points. The d-line did not get any sort of push and sometimes were getting pushed back off the line of scrimmage two or three yards. It’s time to toughen up guys and dominate that line of scrimmage!

The one player on defense that It thought really stood out was juco transfer Lavonte David. David would finish with a game high 13 tackles. David needs to do a little bit better job of stopping the run from his linebacker position but overall for his first game at the D1 level, he played outstanding.

Overall it was a good way to start the season but there are things that do have to be worked on and improved on. Defense needs to man up especially on the line and the offense needs to continue to move the ball. Roy Helu Jr. and Burkhead didn’t run the ball to often as Martinez was running around with the ball. Both backs will be counted on more as the season goes on and they will need to step up and take some pressure off Martinez.

What did everyone else think of the game? Your highlights? Things to improve on?

So the Tuesday press conference came and gone and Coach Pelini still has not named a starting quarterback or released a depth chart. In other words, don’t plan on seeing anything official until right before kickoff or even the first series of the game against Western Kentucky on Saturday night.

Pelini says “I want the competition to continue and I also don’t want it to become a circus.”

Hmm would that cirus be the media and fans being all over redshirt freshman Taylor Martinez who is being rumored to be the front runner in the qb competition?

If T-Mart does in fact get the start expect some growing pains but also some flashes of brilliance. Martinez is the most mobile qb that the Huskers have so I would expect to see a lot of qb draws, some options and formations where he is not setup at quarterback (some sort of wildcat).

If I had to wager on who gets the start it would be on Martinez. He would have three games under his belt before the Huskers traveled out to Seattle to face off against Washington. At that point, Pelini would know if he can handle the starting job or if he needs to look at sophomore Cody Green or senior Zac Lee. Whichever way Bo decides to go, I like the Huskers chances to have a great season.

So the Big12 media days are wrapping up down in Dallas / Ft. Worth and I apologize for just getting this written today. I haven’t had much time to watch or listen to the meetings as I try to finish some projects up at work and also get the house ready for our first baby that is due in the next 10 days. I sure hope things calm down before the season opener against Western Kentucky!

Nebraska was the first team to meet with the media on Monday and right from the get go Coach Pelini said that he would not answer any questions about moving the Big10. Of course that didn’t stop some reporters from hinting or trying to get a little bit of information about the move. Pelini just said it’s “It’s Business As Usual”. Typical response from Bo lol.

Pelini did mention that Zac Lee is back to 100% and that was also confirmed by wide receiver Niles Paul who has been playing catch with Lee. Niles said that Lee is throwing the ball harder than every before. That sure is good news, now hopefully Zac can get the ball up over the defender and not under throw his to get picked off.

I found it pretty funny that some players on opposing teams say that Nebraska should not have went but that they also “hate” Nebraska. For “hating” a team you sure want them to still be in your conference and play you each year? Whatever Missouri!

All in all I can’t wait for the season to get underway. Nebraska is going to have teams coming at them all season long and Big12 play is going to be exciting to watch. Teams like Iowa State, Missouri, K-State etc all want to beat the Huskers and show them that the Big12 is the place to be.  We will all have to sit back and see how it pays out but I think Bo and the rest of the coaches will have the team mentally and physically prepared to take on each and every team that they face this year. Yes, even you Texas.

The rosters for Saturday’s Red-White Spring Game have been announced, and like Coach Bo Pelini’s first two seasons, the teams appear to be fairly evenly divided.

The White team will be quarterbacked by sophomore Cody Green and senior Latravis Washington. The offense will have plenty of firepower with I-backs Roy Helu Jr. and Dontrayevous Robinson, along with receiving targets Niles Paul, Mike McNeill and Dreu Young. Up front, center Mike Caputo and tackle D.J. Jones are the leaders of the White offensive line.

Defensively, the White squad boasts a number of players with significant starting experience, led by junior defensive tackle Jared Crick and senior end Pierre Allen. Sean Fisher heads the linebacking corps, while the secondary features Alfonzo Dennard, DeJon Gomes and Rickey Thenarse.

Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson leads the White coaching staff, along with Barney Cotton, John Papuchis, Marvin Sanders and offfensive graduate assistant Curt Baldus.

Redshirt freshman Taylor Martinez and sophomore Kody Spano will quarterback the Red unit, while redshirt freshman Ron Kellogg III is expected to see action on both teams. Keith Williams and Marcel Jones lead the Red offensive line, with I-back Rex Burkhead and receivers Brandon Kinnie and Curenski Gilleylen among the top offensive weapons.

Defensively, sophomores Baker Steinkuhler and Cameron Meredith lead the Red front four, with Will Compton the most experienced linebacker on the Red squad. Veterans Eric Hagg, Prince Amukamara and Anthony West will patrol the Red secondary, while all-conference place-kicker/punter Alex Henery heads up the Red special teams.

Defensive coordinator Carl Pelini heads up the Red coaching staff, along with Tim Beck, Ron Brown, Mike Ekeler, Ted Gilmore and defensive graduate assistant Ross Watson.

Kickoff for Saturday’s spring game is set for 1 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. ? Tickets are still available at huskers.com

(Info courtesy of Huskers.Com)

Hey Husker Fans! It’s been quite a while since we have blogged about the team but now that Spring practices have begun this week we will have few more articles on the blog leading up to the Spring game on April 17th. There really hasn’t been too much news out of Spring practices so far and Coach Pelini is not releasing any information regarding the depth chart. Pelini has basically said that every position is opened and all players will be competing for a starting job.

Here are some notes that we have heard out of practice so far:

• Mike McNeil moved to slot receiver
• QB Battle between Cody Green, Kody Spano, Taylor Martinez and LaTravis Washingon is going on. Expect Green to to be the guy in Spring ball followed by Spano. The coaches do want to get Martinez on the field especially in the wildcat formations.
• Ricky Henry and Zac Lee will both set out Spring practices as they recover from off season surgeries.
• Mike Smith moving from tackle to center. (Says coaches thought he was to light to be playing tackle and could be better used at center)
• Rex Burkhead is now up to 210 lbs and Dontrayevous Robinson is at 235 lbs. Expect both players to see quite a bit of action at the running back position along with Roy Helu.
• Marcus Mendoza asked to be moved to corner back so the coaches have moved him over to the defensive side of the ball.

That’s pretty much it so far as the team is just a few practices into the 15 practices that are allowed. Let’s all hope for a injury free spring and we see some new players really setup on both sides of the ball.

Tickets are still available for the game but they are going fast. As of Monday, the athletic office has sold 60,000 tickets to the game. So act fast and head on over to huskers.com and order yours today.

Whats up Husker fans? It’s about time I update the blog you are probably thinking lol. Well I am this evening and I’m going to talk about a little bit about Mack Brown and Texas turning down an opportunity to come to Lincoln and play Thursday night rather then on Saturday.

Athletic Director Tom Osborne and Bo Pelini both agreed on the Thursday night game when ESPN came calling but it was Coach Brown and the Longhorns who chose not to have it happened. Per rules, both teams but agree on the Thursday night game and so it will not be happening.

You know that Brown and company don’t want to play a night game in Lincoln. They don’t want to hear that jacked up crowd inside of Memorial Stadium after an entire day of tailgating and getting jacked up. But who can really blame them? Bo Pelini sure wouldn’t want to go down to Texas and play a night game that is for sure. No team wants to go on the road and play a night game no matter what.

Mack Brown however might not be able to get around the tough night game. If both teams are undefeated come October 16th, you can expect a prime time game on national tv and probably ESPN College Gameday being in Lincoln.

Get ready Coach Brown, no matter when the game is played on Oct. 16th, you are going to see one fired up team and fan base. Afternoon or night, it’s not going to matter because the Huskers are going to finish you off this time. Mark it down!