Will 'Canes be able?

Lack of respect could be just the edge Huskers need

Background: I liken this to 1993, when I was a senior for Nebraska and we went to the Orange Bowl to play Florida State. We were undefeated, we were No. 1 and they had lost to Notre Dame. But it was clear to everyone that Florida State was three times as good as us. They had the Heisman Trophy winner, Charlie Ward, and guys like Derrick Brooks, Derrick Alexander and Warrick Dunn. We were 17-point underdogs. Nobody gave us a chance.

It was a crucial time for the program. We were a good team but not yet considered an elite team nationally. We didn't have the respect we felt we deserved. It was such a motivating factor to go out and gain that respect. Probably more so than any other type of kid, that kind of motivation is huge for the kid from Nebraska, the Midwest overachiever who's been doubted before.

Before the game, the Orange Bowl passed out commemorative jock straps that said: "Nebraska: 1993 national championship game." One of our managers got hold of Florida State's. I was a captain and I held it up in front of the team before the game. It said: "Florida State: 1993 national champions." I've never seen so many guys ready to play. If you don't think people respect you, you're intent on earning that. It's probably the main reason Nebraska might win this game; no one thinks they should be there.

When Miami has the ball:

All eyes are on Nebraska's defense following the Colorado game. Jamie Burrow, Nebraska's middle linebacker, said Colorado did a good job of running their zone stretch plays and cutting it back, leaving the linebacker and some other players out of position. Nebraska did make the adjustment in the second half and had some success. I personally don't believe Nebraska is going to allow Miami to run on them. They've had plenty of time to make adjustments, they have plenty of athletes on defense. Obviously, the Huskers' front seven is the key. Can they help stop the run or do they need to get their safeties involved? If they have to get the safeties involved, then they have big trouble because then Miami has its wide receivers in man-to-man matchups with the corners.

I think Jeremy Shockey, Miami's star tight end, is going to have a huge game, because Nebraska will focus a lot on those receivers on the outside. The Huskers love to play 11-robber, man-to-man on the outside, one guy deep like a center fielder, which is what happened against Colorado. Once their running backs got through the line, they just had that one guy to beat deep. They'll press on the outside with their corners, and I think it leaves a Nebraska linebacker one-on-one against Shockey. He can beat any linebacker in the country man-to-man.

Obviously Miami's is a timing passing game. I wonder about the Hurricanes' layoff. I've seen a lot of passing teams that, with the layoff, haven't looked good. It's going to be interesting with Ken Dorsey. Nebraska can make that robber guy different from play to play. Nebraska's defense may line up pretty well against this offense, because in that 11-robber, those corners do take some chances getting jams, disrupting their timing. If Nebraska can make Dorsey hold the ball and get any kind of pressure from the middle like Virginia Tech and Boston College did, the Huskers can make Ken Dorsey look somewhat ordinary.

But one of things that makes the Hurricanes so good is, because their offensive line is so good, they have lots of options on third-down passing plays: two really good receivers, Shockey and two really good running backs. And they don't have to max protect. When Dorsey goes back to pass, the offensive line handles all the stunts, and you're left sitting in a situation where you have man-to-man on the outside with the receivers, man-to-man with the tight end, two linebackers on two running backs. That's a lot of good mismatches. Whether it's Clinton Portis vs. Jamie Burrow or Frank Gore vs. Scott Shanle, you've got to think those matchups favor Miami. So obviously having that offensive line is huge. It's very hard to sack Dorsey. The pressure on the outside doesn't bother him because he, knows he has those tackles. But if you can get in his line of vision, you might be able to get an interception. I would look for Nebraska to do some blitzing in the middle of field, take a page from Virginia Tech, which made Ken Dorsey look pretty mortal in the second half.

When Nebraska has the ball: On the other side, a lot of people have said Miami's defense is fantastic, but I think their front four is going to have to play the game of their lives. If there is a weakness on that team, I think it's that they're not so stout against the run. Their defensive backs are studs -- you've got three first-round picks back there. If Mike Rumph and Phillip Buchanon can just lock up on the outside and play man-to-man, it will be a long day for Huskers. You let Ed Reed come around on the run, there're more guys there than Nebraska can block with him, Jonathan Vilma, D.J. Williams, etc.

Nebraska is going to have to stick with trying to wear them down. When they won their first national championship against Warren Sapp and that Miami team, the Huskers didn't do much the first three quarters. But come the fourth quarter, those 1-yard runs became 6-yard runs. Early in the game, I doubt you're going to see Nebraska have much success running. But Frank Solich has got to stick with Eric Crouch and the option, not go to the shotgun. It's not out of the realm of possibility for Nebraska to be losing at halftime, but their plays will come in the third and fourth quarter.

Eric Crouch won the Heisman, but Dahrran Diedrick and Thunder Collins ran for an awful lot of yards. Crouch doesn't need to take this game on his shoulders. But the guys on the outside for Miami have to be cognizant of being lulled to sleep. They're going to get frustrated. They don't want to fill on every play, they want to pick off a pass. I can see Nebraska pounding at them, and the receivers are going to dive at the corners' knees, cut block a lot. The corners are going to get frustrated. But then at a crucial time, Nebraska is going to run an option pass, and receiver Wilson Thomas is good enough to make the play. At some time, a big pass play has to happen for Nebraska, whether it's Thomas on the outside or Tracey Wistrom over the middle. The Huskers need to pass for 150 yards if they're going to win.

Special teams: You've got some great matchups on special teams. Obviously Miami has some problems in terms of protecting punts and kicks, but it's still fairly even. Nebraska's DeJuan Groce and Buchanon for Miami are both very good punt returners, and Josh Davis is a great kick returner for Nebraska. Todd Sievers was 21-of-26 on field goals for Miami; he's a Groza finalist. If it comes down to him or Josh Brown, I would think Sievers would be favored in that matchup.

What will happen: These are two very proud programs with a ton of history. Eric Crouch won the Heisman, Ken Dorsey was a finalist. The Rose Bowl is a huge game, but I don't think the atmosphere favors either team.

Nebraska needs to withstand the initial onslaught. Miami might come out with three, even four wide receivers -- or the 'Canes may try to pound it, see if Nebraska has improved since Colorado. If they get down 14 or 17 points, obviously the Huskers are out of their game plan. But as long as it's still about seven points, they can continue to pound Miami into submission. They own the fourth quarter.

Nebraska might punt its first five possessions, but I wouldn't be concerned about it. The Huskers will keep running -- that's just what they do. I guarantee you that by the fourth quarter, all those cut blocks will get old and tiring. These Miami players have never seen anything like this. It will be interesting to see how they respond. They'll be great in the first quarter, but I want to see how they play in the fourth quarter.

I believe that Nebraska will beat Miami. The Hurricanes struggled against teams that have been physical. And the Huskers have that incredible edge, in my opinion, of feeling disrespected.

I know when we played Florida State that year, they were overlooking us. I guarantee Larry Coker is telling them not to overlook Nebraska -- but I also guarantee these kids are reading things, and they see Nebraska is only the No. 4 team in the country, a team that got killed by Colorado.

But those are some tough ol' boys they've got at Nebraska. They'll be ready.

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