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Personal Grades For The Colorado Game.
Before I begin my thoughts on the Colorado game let again state the spread for the Texas game is Texas by 15 1/2. So if you are one those people who always predict a 5 touchdown Nebraska defeat and then bitch and moan nonstop after a Nebraska victory by all means bet your paycheck on Texas if you are so sure the score is going to be 47-3 Texas.

On to this past Friday. If you didn't think this was going to be a tight ball game or were surprised it was you obviously do not know about Colorado-Nebraska history. Since this game has been moved to the day after Thanksgiving with the birth of the Big XII in 1996 Nebraska has been 9-4 against Colorado. But that doesn't begin to tell the story. Often Nebraska is the better team and a substantial favorite only to see Colorado play the game of it's life. Twice in 2000, and 2008 Nebraska was the huge favorite playing in Lincoln only to need "miracles" to pull out the game in the last minute.

Twice in 1997 and 1999 in Boulder Nebraska had huge leads and saw Colorado come back to pull with in a whisker of winning the game. in 2001 in Boulder Nebraska was on it's way to a Big XII championship and possible National title game when they fell behind Colorado 42-3 in the first half. Nebraska would battle back to 42-30 but eventually lose 62-36. From 1996-2000 Nebraska won this game by 5, 3, 2, 3 and 2 points. After the 2001 Colorado massacre Both teams won on the others field for 4 straight years including a 30-3 Nebraska win in Boulder in 2005 when Colorado was a 18 point favorite. The high point of the Bill Callahan era.

The last trip to Boulder in 2007 saw Nebraska score 51 points and lose by two touchdowns and a coach fired the next day. In fact the last 3 games in this series that were played in Boulder ended with a coach getting fired. It seemed almost a certainty that this would be the 4th with most everybody predicting that Dan Hawkins and his promise of 10 wins and no excuses would be sent packing just 7 wins short of the mark. But a day before the game Hawkins was granted a reprieve much to the joy of the rest of the Big XII North. Whether it was the fact that he's cleaned up the academic side of things or as most people suspect Colorado just didn't have the $ to buy him out we don't know. We do know he'll be back next year to tell us again this isn't Intramurals Brother.

There were other reasons to believe this would be a closer game than the records of the two teams would suggest other than the folderol with Dan Hawkins and the recent history of the series. Nebraska's offense isn't good enough to blow out any team in the BCS, Colorado had 8 days to prepare for Nebraska. Nebraska had 6 to prepare for Colorado and had to spend one of those days traveling. This was a "trap" game for Nebraska located in between the Big XII North sealing victory over Kansas State and the Big XII Championship game against Texas. This was destined to be a tight hard fought football game and it was.

Offense: B- This was an F in the third quarter a D- midway through the 4th and then Nebraska got the ball with 12 minutes left and a 21-14 lead. 80 yards, 6 minutes and a score later this grade jumped to a B-. Nebraska rode Freshman Rex Burkhead for their best offensive series of the year it was the kind of drive you just wished you saw more of out of this bunch. Nebraska had one other offensive score and that was set up off a short field. Since getting into Conference play this offense has rarely been...well...good and for most of this game they were worse than they had been the last 3 weeks. In the Third Quarter there was the scare when Nebraska busted an option play and Zac Lee got hurt on the naked bootleg. Thank goodness he was not hurt seriously. Other than the "drive" the only other offensive score was the touchdown pass to Ben Cotton in the second quarter. Ben Cotton? but man that game winning drive really was a thing of beauty.

Defense C. Worst game of the season. Yeah Colorado's 403 yards are skewed by a 58 yard pass that lead to a missed field goal and a 56 yard touchdown pass on the last play of the game that meant nothing. Still this wasn't the Nebraska defense we saw all year. 2 Receivers over a hundred yards, a running back over hundred yards and only one sack from an offense that was one of the worst Nebraska has faced this season. Much of the third quarter the only thing keeping Colorado from making this a game was Colorado. An intentional grounding call gave Colorado a 52 yard field goal which they missed. There was also a missed 37 yard field goal and a drive killed by penalties that ended with an Interception in the end-zone. As they have done all year Colorado found away to lose. Still there was 3 interceptions one of which was returned for a touchdown by Matt O'Hanlon and the defense gave Nebraska a 14-0 lead by keeping Colorado backed up in the first half and keeping the game on Colorado's half of the field.

Special Teams. A. The most consistent aspect of Nebraska's football team all year was once again a huge factor in the game. Alex Henery again had huge punts pinning Colorado at the 2 and the 6. Although the punt that was pinned at the 6 was a bonehead move by Colorado. Niles Paul returned a punt for a touchdown for Nebraska's first score of of the game. Nebraska's kick off and punt coverage was again great and Adi Kunalic's kickoffs were again outstanding. The only downer was a missed field goal by Alex Henery yeah it was from 50 yards but still it would have been a huge to have a 17-0 lead. I kept thinking that missed kick would come back to bite us in the ass.

Overall B-. After the game was over I commented that this was the rare Nebraska Colorado game that went about like I thought it would. The 28-20 score certainly was no surprise but giving the game more thought it was once again a strange Nebraska-Colorado football game. Colorado out yarded Nebraska 403-217 and yet it never seemed Nebraska wasn't in control of the game. Nebraska had an Interception and Punt Return for a touchdown (which is the best thing to do for an offense that has as much trouble as Nebraska's) Colorado scored on a 56 yard heave on the last play of the game and then declined to kick the extra point. If you're going to quit why heave the ball deep in the first place? Because you are Colorado that's why. BTW how much money was won and lost on that last play?

So Nebraska got a hard fought 28-20 win over Colorado. It was less nerve racking game than last years last minute victory and Nebraska didn't personally score 17 points for Colorado like they did last year still this years game had me holding my face in my hands and wondering why this game was a such a bitch every year? Somehow this game was a perfect microcosm of the season. The case can be made that we played better and had an easier game with Colorado than we did last year and yet somehow it seems less satisfying until you give it it's proper thought. This game was not pretty, this season has not been pretty. This game had moments in the middle when you wondered if Nebraska would get the job done, there were moments in the middle of the season where you wondered if Nebraska would get the job done. Nebraska was ultimately successful this game, Nebraska was ultimately successful this season.

9-3, a win in every conference road game, and a date against Texas next week in the Big XII Championship game. No matter how it looked there's no way you call this season anything but a success. I do think Nebraska will need some breaks to win next week I do not think they will get blown out or embarrassed like other Nebraska fans believe. This defense will not allow it. And who knows? Maybe once again Nebraska can ugly itself to another unexpected victory.

Around The Big XII

Texas 49 Texas A&M 39. Simply put A&M played harder but Texas was better. I have said several times if I thought Mike Sherman will not be a successful at A&M I was asked if I changed my mind because of this effort my answer was this game reinforced my belief that Sherman won't cut it. How does this team with this talent lose to Kansas State 62-28? How do they lose to Colorado?

Oklahoma 27 Oklahoma State 0. Once more Oklahoma State was one win from being relevant and did what it has always done in it's history...Shit all over itself. I have never seen a team play so much better at home than it does on the road like Oklahoma has this year. I am not convinced any team coached by Mike Gundy will ever be great.

Missouri 41 Kansas 39. The Mark Mangino era most likely ended in the manner perfectly fitting this Kansas Season. A total brainfart and meltdown. Ahead 39-36 and Backed up to his own goal-line Kansas threw 3 passes. Reising was sacked for a safety that made the score 39-38. Missouri easily got into field goal range after the free kick and won the game. Whether or not the off the field stories are true I do not know but what hasn't been a question is that Mark Mangino is a good football coach. His play calling at the end of this game was a sad way to go out. I hope he takes some time off, takes some anger management classes, loses some weight and comes back.

Texas Tech 20 Baylor 13. I have to admit this being the first non Nebraska game Saturday in a while I made some promises and did not see any of this game after the kickoff. I gather Baylor had a shot to win the game and I have to admit the score really is quite a surprise. Baylor was 4-8 this year and it seems like even when they are getting better something happens to keep them shitty, but they really are getting better. This may have been Goober Leach's best coaching job at Tech.

One final opinion. This is the 3rd game this year we have gotten the Ron Franklin ABC crew. Once upon a time Franklin was the best announcer in college football now he is a bitter old fool. Seriously this man needs to be told how awful he is up in the broadcast booth and that if he'd rather be home asleep then they can make it happen. This isn't Brent Musberger somebody who never was worth a shit who gets shittier the older and drunker he gets. This guy used to be so good. Now he's complaining about being kept awake, crying for people to be thrown out of the game and calling for teams to kneel down on the ball with 3 minutes left. Ron Franklin has to go and he should have gone 5 years ago.

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In case you didn't hear or you've been reading the Grand Island Independent Message Board and got confused Nebraska beat Kansas State 17-3 and secured a trip to Arlington Texas to play in the Big XII championship game against Texas. So why after a division deciding win that locked up the goal the team had set at the start of the year would some fans be so upset? Some of it is guilt by association. The hatred is geared toward offensive coordinator Sean Watson who was brought in by Bill Callahan. Last year Nebraska had a very good offense and while there were still some who hate Watson because of that fact most didn't express it because the offense was working. This year there has been New QB's, a below average wide receiving corps, a thin backfield that has battled injuries and an average offensive line the numbers haven't been there and it's allowed the "Watson is a Callahan guy" hatred to come to the surface.

There is another reason why some Nebraska fans are so upset even after the big win last night. Nebraska won 17-3 a 14 point spread. Late in the first half Nebraska blew a scoring opportunity throwing an interception in the end-zone. Had Nebraska thrown the ball away and kicked a field goal there they probably win 20-3 and you wouldn't see near the complaining. Would 3 points have made that much difference in the game or made Nebraska's performance any better? Nope but it would have given them a 17 point win in a game where the spread was 16 points. So if you're wondering why so many people who profess to be "happy" are bitching like Clint Eastwood telling kids to get off their lawn losing money can take the fun out of a big win. Of course if you were dumb enough to put money on a bad offense with that big a number you deserve to be miserable. Oh an of course the same people bitching that Nebraska didn't win big enough against a bad team are the same people who swore Nebraska wouldn't even win the game 3 weeks ago. Funny how that works.

Before I give my grades why was Erin Andrews wearing a parka and a scarf last night when the temperature was in the 50's? I have to ask.

Offense: C. I think after Nebraska got up 17-3 early in the third quarter they put it in the tank to be honest with you. Figuring that Kansas State wouldn't dent Nebraska for 14 points they just called plays that couldn't result in big mistakes that would let KSU back in the game. They got very conservative. In the first half Nebraska moved the ball well but with both teams eating up the clock that only meant a 10-3 lead. Then they made their only "big" mistake. Zac Lee Threw it late over the middle in the end-zone and instead of going up 13-3 or 17-3 the lead stayed 10-3 at half. Zac Lee didn't have a good game IMHO. His numbers were fine but his decision making seemed to revert back to early season after two weeks of managing the game well. On third down on the mentioned possession he rolled out and took a sack when he should have thrown the ball away. On the next play he threw the pick. Before the end of the half he could have ran for a first down and kept the drive alive but he threw an incomplete pass instead. Bo Pelini ripped into him for that one as he came off the field. Lee got blown up on a blindside blitz on an option pass. Credit KSU for a perfect defensive call but Lee should have been able to read it and checked to another play.

Roy Helu had a tough day churning out 95 yards on 25+ carries but he also had a touchdown. For better or worse Nebraska's tight-ends and receivers were what they have been all year. Drew Young, Mike McNeil and Nyles Paul had nice games but rest were once again MIA. Are Gillylen, Holt or Brooks still on the team?

Defense: B+ Last week Kansas scored 17 points and people wondered what was wrong. This week Kansas State scored 3 points and people wondered what was wrong. KSU moved the ball some especially in the first 3 quarters but as you can see they didn't score much. In fact after kicking a field goal on their opening possession they didn't score again. After Nebraska got up 17-3 they twice threatened to score in the third quarter. The first drive ended 1 yard from Nebraska's goal-line when Larry Asante hit a KSU player forcing a fumble just before he crossed the goal-line. the ball rolled free from several players before Nebraska fell on the ball at the 6. The second threat ended when a 32 yard KSU field-goal went wide-right. In the 4th quarter one got the impression Kansas State wouldn't have scored if the game was another 3 hours long. Fittingly on senior night it was the seniors Suh, Turner, Asante, Dillard etc who took the game over in the 4th quarter. Great way for them to go out. You didn't hear O'Hanlon's name much and given the position he plays that's a good thing. I'll miss that kid. So will this team.

Special Teams A+. I ask this every week. How fucking great is Alex Henery? Twice he put punts out inside the two yard line. He made his field-goal of course. He's the best kicker Nebraska has ever had by a fair margin. Even Kansas State coach Bill Snyder gave Henery special praise. Adi Kunalic was great with his kickoffs as usual and this game that was particularly big because Kansas State had a great kick returner in Brandon Banks. Henery and Kunalic kept Banks in check all night. Only once after Henery's lone bad punt did Banks have anything close to a good return all night. Nebraska's kicm coverage was super all night long. If there was anything close to a negative Nebraska's kick and punt return teams were only "adequate".


Overall A. Nebraska won 17-3. It certainly wasn't pretty. It never is. Neither was it easy. When is it ever? But it was a win. In the first half you got the impression Nebraska was going to put the game away and didn't. They started the second half with a touchdown to go up 17-3 and you thought they had control then Kansas State threatened to score twice fumbling at the one on the first threat. It wasn't until there was about 8 minutes left you began to feel comfortable and about 3 minutes left when you said "we've got this" But with this team could it be any other way?

For all the complaining about Sean watson being impressive enough and the team not scoring enough and your boss at 7/11 up your hours and whatever else the people are bitching about this team is 8-3 and going to the Big XII Championship game. That's the bottom line. Next Friday Nebraska plays Colorado. it's a short game and a travel day and funky shit happens when Nebraska plays CU. This game scares me to be honest with you. Of course when you expect a tough game against Colorado that's when you beat them 30-3.

Around The Big XII

Oklahoma State 31 Colorado 28. Playing on the road against a top 25 team Colorado almost pulled a win that would give them something to smile about in what has been a disastrous year. Oklahoma State turned the ball over 4 times, gave up a kick return and was down to their 3rd string QB and still Colorado couldn't except prosperity. Friday is more than likely Dan Hawkins last game and seeing as how it's Nebraska you can count on CU being their usual skeezy selves. Nebraska's 8-3 Colorado is 3-8 and if Nebraska wins by more than 10 i'll be shocked.

Texas Tech 41 Oklahoma 13. I talked about Missouri and Colorado's play depending on whether or not they took their Tegratol what about Oklahoma? Has a team ever looked so different on the road as they do at home? Bob Stoops may need to hire a Psychologist to figure out why this team can't play on the road. This has been a nice season for Goober Leech and Texas Tech. A win over Baylor puts them at 8-4 which I am not sure was expected.

Texas 51 Kansas 20. Texas is the best team in the conference, Kansas is a Shakespearean tragedy, this wasn't hard to see coming. 6 weeks ago Kansas was ranked 15th and thought to be the sure Big XII north champions, 6 losses later it doesn't appear as if Mark Mangino will have his job at the end of the week. You've got coaches fighting administration, players fighting coaches, players fighting other players, The sudden and disastrous fall at Kansas has been the story of the year in the Big XII. Mangino has gone from being thought of as one of the best coaches in America to almost certain unemployment.

Missouri 34 Iowa State 24. Even though Iowa State is bowl eligible they still maybe on the outside looking in. It doesn't take away from the magnificent job Paul Rhoades has done here with this team. After losing to Baylor at home Missouri seems to have righted their ship somewhat. A win Saturday over a Kansas team that will probably have an interim coach will give Missouri and 8-4 record. Not bad.

Texas A&M 38 Baylor 3. How did Missouri lose to these guys? Texas A&M is also a team that seems to play when it feels up to it. getting blown out by KSU one week and blowing out Texas Tech the next. They are now bowl eligible and that might buy Mike Sherman another year but I can tell you now Aggie fan out it will end and it isn't pretty. After officially being out of a bowl game Baylor must have mailed it in.

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Sometimes you just have one of those days you just want to bottle up and then release it when you have one of those days when nothing goes right. Kansas played the best game they have played in 5 weeks and held a 17-16 lead with less than 8 minutes to go. When Kansas scored to go ahead given Nebraska's offense of recent vintage you couldn't help but think oh fuck we are screwed. But then Kansas helped out with a pooch kick that Niles Paul returned 44 yards to the KU 30, A face mask on a play that would have left Nebraska with 4th and 16 gave them a first down on the 20. The Next play Roy Helu goes for 20 and a TD Nebraska makes the 2 point conversion and All of the sudden the day got so much brighter. and then came the truly amazing site. Nebraska which had it's most sub-par defensive game since September got a 3 and out and then the offense remember offense? took the ball and kept it until there was but 35 seconds on the clock and a 14 point lead on the score board.

The 31-17 win over Kansas was enough to make the day fairly complete as it was but then Nebraska's basketball team won it's opener in easy fashion against USC-Upstate, yeah I haven't heard of them either, and to top it all off...Creighton lost their opener. Man talk about a day.

Offense B. Could go A even here. 410 yards. 31 points. In the past neither of those numbers would maybe draw such a high grade but for this team that is Huge out put. And how sweet was it to see Nebraska take the ball and end a game with old school power football? Zac Lee played what I think was his best game of the year considering the opponent he was in control all game. 12-20 196 yards and 53 yards Rushing may not be all world but he showed the leadership today this team needs. he did have one screw up when he fumbled in the ball in the endzone but Roy Helu fell on that for a touchdown on Nebraska's opening possession. And speaking of Roy Helu how huge is having him back healthy? over 150 yards 3 Touchdowns and he kept the chains moving to put the game away. Oh and Niles Paul another popular whipping boy for the fans, often justified, had the best game of his life. 4 huge catches and a huge kickoff return. Maybe not vintage stuff by the O but after the last several weeks it was a huge improvement. They still need to find away to score touchdowns and not kick field goals.

Defense B-. You know things have improved dramatically for Nebraska's defense in less than 2 years when the other team scores just 17 points and it felt like the defense had a poor game. It was one of their poorest games of the season but you have to credit Kansas for much of that. Honestly when Nebraska went up 10-0 I thought it was pretty much over. Then Kansas and Todd Reesing got going. Reesing killed Nebraska with QB's draws all game and burned Nebraska on the blitz. At halftime the score was 10-10 but Kansas was in control. They came out of the locker-room on the same roll and went right down the field until on of the plays of the game occurred. Reesing hit Kerry Meier who took the ball down to the 3 where it was stripped by Dijuan Gomes and recovered by Matt O'Hanlon. Nebraska took the ball from their 3 and moved it into field goal range making the score 13-10 Nebraska when it could have easily been 17-10 Kansas. The Gomes strip and the 3 and out after NU went up 24-17 were huge but give Kansas credit for comiong up with a game plan that kept Nebraska's defensive line frustrated and the entire defense off balance all game.

Special Teams A. HUge with a capital HU. Alex Henery had some shaky punts early and barely made a short field goal that put NU up 10-0 but after that the special teams were outstanding. Henery regained his punting stroke and made 2 more field goals, Tim Marlowe started the game with a 40 yard kick return and then there was Pauls kick return after KU took a 1 point lead. Nebraska's kick coverage has been outstanding all year and was again today.

Overall A-. Nothing comes easy for this bunch. Today the offense woke from it's slumber and the defense had it's shakiest showing since Florida Atlantic. Both statements being relative to this season. But give Kansas credit. This was Senior day the last day for their Seniors to play at home and the last chance to right a season which was once so promising 5 straight losses ago. This was not the KU bunch of the last several weeks. This KU team played hard and it played well and any team that does that with the talent KU has will be a tough out for Nebraska. But give all the credit to Nebraska. down 17-16 with less than 8 minutes to go Nebraska didn't fold and didn't quit. Instead they made the plays to put the ball in the endzone not once but twice and now a team that was left for dead after a bad loss to Texas Tech and unbelievably bad loss to Iowa State, both at home, playing for the Big XII North title next week. It's a home game against a team they will be favored to beat but if we learned anything this year it's that this team isn't good enough to over look anybody.

Around the BIG XII.

Missouri 38 Kansas State 12. In a year of freaky outcomes Missouri and Colorado are the two teams who's play really seems to depend on whether or not they took their Tegratol before the game. I didn't see this coming at all. Kansas State had played so well even in a loss to Oklahoma and playing in their last home game against a Missouri team that lost to freakin Baylor...AT HOME! last week I really thought they would handle Missouri. But good news for Kansas State win next week at Nebraska they are Big XII North Champions. Lose next week they are home for the holidays.

Iowa State 17 Colorado 10. Iowa State be bowl eligible. Colorado be officially out of the big XII north race and out of bowl eligibility and just about out of everything other than possibly a serious case of fuck it. The CU fan base which sucks as is really wants Dan Hawkins gone. And they want him gone yesterday. Paul Rhoads might very well be Big XII coach of the year depending on what K-State does next week.

Texas 47 Baylor 14. Give Mack Brown credit he didn't run up the score. it was 40-0 at halftime and I imagine it could have been 80-0 at the end if he so chose. This was exactly about what one thought it would be if not a little more impressive from Texas than expected. This ain't your Daddy's Baylor. Ask Missouri.

Oklahoma 65 Texas A&M 10. Did I mention the Mike Sherman experiment isn't working? He is Bill Callahan south. I guess we must have pissed Oklahoma off really good last week. On the down side the 9000 Oklahoma fans who make youtube videos will be really thrilled this week after slobbering contemplating committing mass suicide last week.

Oklahoma State 24 Texas Tech 17. The shocker here was this game was low scoring. if we had to hurt Stephen Shefield why couldn't we have done it Before he lead his team to a 3 touchdown victory against us? As bad as our offense was that game it's a good bet Taylor Potts is every bit as effective in that game but it's obvious the Stephen Shefield post Nebraska game is not the same QB he was pre and during the Nebraska game. Hey if Oklahoma State beats Colorado
(which they will) and Oklahoma (which they could) and Texas A&M beats Texas (no way in hell) Oklahoma State is Big XII South champions

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