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Dark time for Blackshirts
Nebraska's defense letting down more than just themselves
Posted: Thursday September 26, 2002 11:17 AM
Updated: Thursday September 26, 2002 11:21 AM
Certainly, Nebraska is not the first team ever to give up 40 points in a game to Penn State. Shoot, Joe Paterno's boys once reached 81.
And the Huskers may have been downright steamrolled by Miami, but so have 25 other teams in a row.
Nebraska does stand alone, however, when it comes to taking defense so seriously as to award special practice jerseys to its starters.
And that's what makes the Huskers' 40-7 loss to Penn State -- along with last year's season-ending 62-36 thumping by Colorado and 37-14 Rose Bowl rout by Miami -- so hard to stomach for anyone who knows what it means to wear a Blackshirt.
"I was literally sick watching that [Penn State] game," said former All-America LB Carlos Polk, now with the San Diego Chargers.
"It was depressing, it was embarrassing," said former All-America DT and recently retired Carolina Panther Jason Peter. "You get angry, a lot of emotions run through you."
Peter, reflecting the sentiment of many in the Husker family, wonders whether the current crop of Blackshirts are even deserving enough to wear them.
"It's one thing if these guys are playing their hearts out and they couldn't get it done, but it seems like there is a lack of effort," said Peter. "If I was a coach out there, the first thing I would have done on Monday morning [after Penn State] was pull some Blackshirts."
By all indications, Nebraska is still recruiting the same caliber of athletes who have carried it to an NCAA-record 33 consecutive bowl appearances. The Huskers still employ the same legendary strength and conditioning program, and they are, lest we forget, just a year removed from playing for the national championship.
But most of those great Husker defenses were so intimidating that all but the very best opponents were in a hole before they ever ran a snap. From getting outgained by Troy State to getting manhandled by the Nittany Lions, the Blackshirts have seemingly lost that.
"You should always have a good defense, in my mind, because defense is simply attitude and want-to," said former Butkus Award-winning linebacker-turned-TV analyst Trev Alberts. "Nebraska has talent on defense, but they play with no confidence."
Peter and Alberts are hardly alone in their criticism. In arguably the nation's most passionate football state, newspapers and talk shows have been lighting up heading into what has become a surprisingly crucial contest for the Huskers.
Nebraska has beaten Iowa State nine years in a row, and by an average score of 52-15. But the oddsmakers have installed Seneca Wallace and the Cyclones as slight favorites for Saturday's meeting in Ames, Iowa, where a loss would likely bounce the Huskers out of the Top 25 for the first time since -- ready for this? -- 1981.
"Nebraska has always been feared in the past. Right now, that's kind of dwindling away," said DE Chris Kelsay. "The last couple years, people think they can beat Nebraska, and a few of them have."
While the players -- and former players -- talk about the need to regain their swagger, the people most accountable for the defense's struggles, the coaches, are focusing on correcting things more tactical.
Head coach Frank Solich, a commendable 45-10 (.818) since succeeding Tom Osborne but definitely starting to feel some heat, insists a few less turnovers or penalties would have completely swung the Penn State game.
And third-year defensive coordinator Craig Bohl, seen as an obvious scapegoat since replacing 18-year legend Charlie McBride, largely blames the Blackshirts' lack of execution.
"I know there's a lot of criticism about how we've performed," said Bohl. "We just need to go back to doing some basic things well. If you begin to veer too far from what your philosophy is, then I think you're really going to begin to have some problems."
Whatever the problem, whatever the remedy, it's clear Nebraska needs to fix something, and fix it fast.
The rumblings have already begun. If the woes continue Saturday -- and against the Big 12's top-ranked offense, they certainly could -- angry voices like Alberts' and Peter's will surely grow louder.
"To hear some of those guys talk in that manner ... really makes you think and makes you realize that you're letting down some great tradition and some great athletes to come through here," said Kelsay. "All in all, I think we need to put our heads together, keep them together, and just play Blackshirt football, which we haven't been doing."
Power outage in Atlanta
It's no exaggeration to say Georgia Tech suffered the most crushing injury of this young season when RB Tony Hollings tore his ACL late in last Saturday's game against BYU.
It's not just that the junior and converted safety was leading the nation in rushing (158.3 yards per game) and touchdowns (11). It's that in four weeks' time, his surprising impact had single-handedly converted the Jackets from a finesse passing team into a power attack that saw Hollings carry 36 times last week.
Further complicating matters, Hollings' most experienced backup, senior Sidney Ford, is also out with a concussion. So Saturday at North Carolina, Tech will call on two true freshmen: Ajenavi "Ace" Eziemefe, who carried nine times for 25 yards and a touchdown in his debut against BYU, and Michael Sampson, who hasn't played.
"It definitely will have to be a little bit of a back-by-committee, at least this week and maybe longer," said Tech running backs coach Patrick Nix. "In an ideal situation, Ace would be just as good as Tony, wouldn't miss a beat. But in a realistic situation, he's not in complete game shape right now because he hasn't played but a few snaps in the last game. So there's no way he's going to be able to go in there and do what Tony did, carry 36 times, no matter how good he is."
Rather than asking any of its backs to approach Hollings' production, the 3-1 Jackets will likely put more emphasis back on the passing game, which means QB A.J. Suggs must step up. Tech has the benefit of several experienced receivers, but the junior Suggs has struggled getting them the ball, going 11-for-26 for 117 yards, with three interceptions last week.
Who will lead the Tide?
Alabama suffered its own devastating injury when Ahmaad Galloway, the Tide's leading rusher for three seasons now, suffered a season- and career-ending ACL injury. Galloway, who scored a touchdown in each of 'Bama's first four games, was one of the team's most prominent leaders.
"You go into coaching to coach the Ahmaad Galloways," said coach Dennis Franchione. "He's just somebody you'd want your son to grow up like. He played very hard and he always gave his best to his team."
Unlike Georgia Tech, however, Alabama is sufficiently stocked in the backfield, with Texas Tech transfer Shaud Williams, who carried 21 times for 135 yards against Southern Miss, junior Santonio Beard and sophomore Ray Hudson.
A bigger issue might be quarterback, where starter Tyler Watts suffered a sprained foot on the opening series against the Golden Eagles, and much-hyped freshman Brodie Croyle struggled in relief, going just 4-of-15 for 15 yards and two interceptions. Both are expected to see action Saturday in an important divisional showdown at Arkansas.
Worth noting
Saturday's South Florida-Oklahoma game will be ripe with reunions. Sooners legend Lee Roy Selmon is now the Bulls' athletic director, while OU head coach Bob Stoops was co-defensive coordinator with USF's Jim Leavitt for Kansas State from 1991-96. ... Arizona has lost all-conference cornerback Michael Jolivette until at least November with knee damage. Jolivette has 10 career interceptions. ... Through three games, Texas again leads the nation in total defense, despite starting three freshmen last week against Houston and having 14 freshmen and sophomores on its two-deep. ... With both junior Bret Engemann and redshirt freshman Lance Pendleton struggling in back-to-back losses to Nevada and Georgia Tech, BYU coach Gary Crowton said he will take a look at sophomore quarterback Todd Mortensen against Utah State. ... Minnesota junior Asad-Abdul Khaliq on Saturday returns to the site of his first collegiate start two years ago, Purdue, where he fell behind 24-0 and was benched. Two years later he is the nation's most efficient passer (185.8), with nearly 66 percent completions, 10 TDs and only one interception.
Stewart Mandel covers college football for CNNSI.com.
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