Posts tagged NebraskaFootball at FanHouse

Octogenarians and above, feel free to disregard the following information, as it cannot possibly affect you: the Ohio State Buckeyes and Tennessee Volunteers have just finalized plans to play a home-and-home series.

In light of their recent ineptitude against SEC opponents, this would appear to be a foolish decision on Ohio State's part; the Buckeyes haven't beaten an SEC team since 1988. That win against LSU was their only victory against the SEC since well before WWII. Meanwhile, Ohio State is still winless against the same conference in bowl games, all nine losses coming within the last 30 years. So yes, SEC speeeeeeed! and all that.

But fear not, Bucknuts: All of that is ancient history, completely worthless. Why? Because the games won't even be played for another decade. Yes, the athletic departments at both Ohio State and Tennessee have taken the unusually presumptive stance that Earth as we know it will still exist 10 years from now, Manbearpig be damned, and scheduled the series for 2018 and 2019.

This gives the Buckeyes 10 years to figure out how to slow down an SEC opponent (Answer: tasers. Dozens of them. Five on Percy Harvin alone) and once again be competitive in a game that is creeping past them like a glacier--slow, but totally unstoppable. Meanwhile, quarterbacks will be able to see probabilities in their Lexan visor, and 25-yard end zones, and... oh wait, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Still, 10 years is a long time for a football program to evolve (or, as with Nebraska, decompose), and entropy suggests that this matchup may bear little resemblence to its current state. And that's all assuming Skynet lets us keep playing football at all. Vicious haters, they.

The Red team - made up of the offensive and defensive first-teamers - cruised to a 38-0 "win" over the White team (comprised of the 2nd string and worse) in Nebraska's spring game on Saturday. Quarterbacks Sam Keller and Joe Ganz both enjoyed solid days while taking turns working with the Red team. Keller led the Red's opening series that culminated with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Terrence Nunn. He finished the day completing 10 of 13 passes for 193 yards and the touchdown. Ganz completed 11 of 18 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for a 10-yard touchdown on the Red team's second drive.

No one is really sure what the 54,288 fans that were in attendance learned by watching Saturday's mismatch. It showed that Nebraska has some playmakers, not only at quarterback, but also at wide receiver, running back and various places among the first-team defense. It also could provide evidence of a lack of depth, given the White team's inability to compete. But little was decided on Saturday, including the quarterback race.

"You just can't make determinations too soon," Callahan said. "We let everything play out and we finalize as we move along. I think, by and large, by the time it gets to that point, I think most people know exactly where we're at as an offense and basically who's going to be the starter. It really kind of takes care of itself as you go through the normal progression of things."

So, we'll wait until the fall to hear more about that. Nebraska also saw two starters go down with injuries in the game. Running back Marlon Lucky apparently injured his MCL and right tackle Lydon Murtha injured his ankle on the game's first series. Both players are awaiting the results of MRIs.

Nebraska running back Marlon Lucky appears to be bouncing back from the curious medical emergency that he was hospitalized for in February. This is good news for the Huskers' backfield, but even better news for the junior-to-be. Bill Callahan sees a lot of positives in Lucky's play this spring.

"I couldn't be more pleased with his efforts and focus and concentration," he said. "He's really done a terrific job, and it's good to see him doing really well."

Coaches still aren't talking about the incident that led to Lucky's hospital stay and Marlon has declined interview requests so far this spring. While his coaches and teammates avoid discussing the problem head on, given their quotes, one has to wonder whether he might have been dealing with some depression.

Exhibit A:

"I hope the crowd sees a more energetic, more smiling Marlon," said [Randy] Jordan, the Huskers' running backs coach. "We talk about it all the time, that the biggest thing is to enjoy the ride. Don't be in such a hurry to get to the end of the road. Enjoy the journey. So I hope that they see a Marlon that's going to go out and play hard, and I hope they see that in all of our guys."

Exhibit B:

"I see a difference in him on the field," I-back Cody Glenn said. "When he's out here, he's more happy, he's having fun. When we're in the meeting rooms, he's joking, it seems like. I guess he's put everything in perspective. He just seems real happy right now."

Whatever might have caused his distress, the important thing is that Lucky seems to be feeling better. With the departure of Brandon Jackson and injuries to Cody Glenn and Kenny Wilson, the starting job should belong to Lucky in 2007. With his health and a more positive outlook, he now appears ready to grasp this role.

Most Nebraska fans assumed Sam Keller would run away with the starting quarterback job a year after leaving Arizona State under curious circumstances. But someone forgot to inform Joe Ganz of this plan. The unheralded junior is confident and his performance in Saturday's scrimmage apparently bettered that of Keller. Ganz directed three scoring drives with the first team offense and also connected on a touchdown pass in the 80-play scrimmage.

"I'm as confident as I've ever been," Ganz said. "I know what I'm doing. I've been here for a long time and I know what the defense is doing. ... I like to get my motor going. I like to get the guys going and put a lot of pressure on the defense."

Keller, on the other hand, never got going on Saturday. He managed to complete a long pass to tight end Hunter Teafatiller, but failed to lead the offense to any points.

"I didn't really get into the flow today," Keller said. "It wasn't one of my best days. I made some good throws on some play-action. But we really couldn't get in the end zone, which was disappointing."

Although Bill Callahan has stressed that the starting job was up for grabs, most figured this was nothing more than coach-speak. It now appears that there is some true competition to replace Zac Taylor, who completed his eligibility in 2006. While Keller experienced a similar position battle last August, let's hope that his performances – both on and off the field – aren't signs that the pressure is getting to him.

In further proof that God is not a college football fan, Nebraska cornerback Zack Bowman will miss 4-6 months after suffering a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee in Wednesday's practice. Bowman was participating in spring drills at about 90% as he recovered form a torn ACL in his left knee, which kept him out of the 2006 season.

"We feel very badly for Zack," Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan said Thursday in a prepared statement. "He has worked diligently to rehabilitate his previous injury, and this is a tough setback for him. Zack has a tremendous attitude, and I expect that he will work just as hard to get back on the field this fall."

This is a huge blow for the Nebraska secondary which was counting on Bowman to lockdown one side of the field. Bowman had previously contemplated entering the 2007 NFL Draft, but ultimately decided he would benefit from another year in Lincoln. The best Nebraska fans can hope for might be getting Bowman back in time for a Big 12 North battle against Missouri on October 6. In his absence, Andre Jones and Cortney Grixby, the 2006 starters, will compete with JUCO Armando Murillo for the CB spots come August.

Nebraska running back Kenny Wilson suffered a broken femur in what has to be one of college football's freakiest accidents. Wilson somehow managed to fracture the largest bone in his body while moving a television on Monday. This is clearly a story that raises more questions than answers, but details unfortunately remain unclear at this time (how big was this TV?). Nebraska coach Bill Callahan's only briefly addressed the injury with the media on Wednesday:

"Our hearts go out to Kenny as he tries to rehab from a real tough injury," Callahan said. "This is a real tough circumstance for him. Just when he's seemingly feeling better, this is a tremendous setback for him personally."

Wilson has since undergone surgery to repair his femur and will miss the 2007 season. This is not the first setback for Wilson who was also hospitalized for complications from an infection following off-season knee surgery. The 6-0, 220-pound Wilson had arrived on campus as one of the Husker's most highly-touted recruits after earning junior-college All-American honors at Butler County Community College in Kansas. In 2006 he finished fourth on the team with 335 yards rushing and four touchdowns, while playing behind Brandon Jackson, Marlon Lucky and Cody Glenn.

It is surprising to think that a television could get the best of Wilson given that he was virtually impossible to bring down during Nebraska's fall practices.

Last Year: 9-5, Unranked

Fans Are: Sanguine, like every other spring, but anxious to see if the Huskers can take the next step in 2007.

Expectations: Win the Big 12 North. Beat USC or Texas. Contend for a BCS Bowl.

Questions:

1. What's going on at the running back position?

No one really knows right now, and what in the world happened to all of the depth? Brandon Jackson parlayed a strong second half in 2006 into an early exit for the NFL. Marlon Lucky was hospitalized for a curious medical emergency in February and both Cody Glenn and Kenny Wilson continue to recover from injuries. Lucky and Glenn should be available for the spring, but it might be August before things really clear up.

Whoever wins the job (and stays healthy) should get a lot of work. Nebraska RBs have combined to account for an average of 403 carries over the past two seasons. If Lucky and Glenn are both available, the Huskers will have a nice 1-2 punch. Without Lucky or Glenn, the picture is less clear. Sophomore Major Culbert, a safety in 2006 will start the spring at RB and early enrollee Marcus Mendoza will also get a look.

This is rich.

Campus police cited Nebraska quarterback Sam Keller Thursday for disturbing the peace after he allegedly yelled profanities at a woman who took a parking spot he was waiting for in a campus parking garage.

The woman told campus police Keller got out of his car, yelled and threw a plastic cup at her car, said University Police Capt. Carl Oestmann.

I was just about to write about the Nebraska quarterback competition when I discovered this fantastic item that adds to Keller's legend.

In case you haven't seen Keller play before, dude's a little unhinged. Mostly in a good way with the rat-a-tat-tat finger guns he likes to take out of his imaginary holster. But sometimes he's doing stupid things like throwing into quintuple coverage to prove a point about his arm strength and insanity. We're talking MC Pee Pants level insanity (I'm a giant spider and I wear diapers, I'm insane!).

Anyway. Consider yourself introduced.

Arkansas Athletic Director Frank Broyles is expected to step down this week. His departure is yet another symbol of the passing of one of college football's greatest generations, the great coaches who presided over the game from 1960 or so until the mid to late 1970's. Broyles coached the Razorbacks from 1958 to 1976 helping them win a championship and competing nationally in a great era against powers like Alabama, USC, Notre Dame and Michigan.

Another giant of his time has left us in the mortal sense: Bo Schembechler. Schembechler coached Michigan from 1969 to 1989 becoming the face of the program until his death just before the Michigan/Ohio State game last year.

The only giants of that era still with us are Broyles, former Texas coach Darrell Royal (1957-1976) and former Notre Dame coach Ara Paraseghian (1964-1974).

Among the magnificent but dead is Alabama's Bear Bryant (1958-1982) who retired at the end of the 1982 season and promptly checked out of mortal existence. Ohio State's Woody Hayes (1951-1978) hung around until his death in 1987. Nebraska's Bob Devaney (1962-1972) checked out in 1997 and USC's comedic John McKay (1960-1975) lasted a little longer, passing away in 2001.

All those giants left the coaching ranks long ago, but each stewarded elite programs for a decade or more. To this day most of them remain the standard for which current coaches aspire to at each of their programs. Schembechler's death and Broyles' departure signal the end of their collective direct involvement in the college game.

As that great generation fades further into memory we must now also begin to take stock of the succeeding generation of coaches. I'm talking about guys like Bobby Bowden, Joe Paterno, Tom Osborne, John Robinson, Vince Dooley, Don James, Hayden Fry, Pat Dye, Lou Holtz, Lavell Edwards and Barry Switzer here.

They are the ones who were the game's caretakes from the mid to late 1970's until the late 1980's, an era of great transition and upheaval due to parity measures such as scholarship limits, the completion of racial integration and the rapid and dramatic death of plodding, run-heavy conventional offenses such as USC's "Student Body Right/Student Body Left" approach.

We'll save that analysis for another day, another time. Until then it's one final embrace of perhaps college football's "greatest generation" of coaches. Thanks for the memories, fellas.

And as of 9 p.m. Eastern it is unclear why.

Lucky was hospitalized Sunday night after police were called to his residence that evening at 11:30.

Lucky, 20, was admitted to BryanLGH West hospital on Sunday evening for "undisclosed medical reasons," according to the Nebraska Athletic Department. A release said the department would have no further comment.

Jordan Picou, an NU offensive lineman who was returning early Monday evening to the two-room apartment the two shared, said hospital personnel would not allow him to see Lucky, but added, "he's cool right now. They're just making sure his organs are OK."

Police and firefighters were dispatched at 8 p.m. to Lucky's home near Capitol Beach Lake, west of downtown. Deputy Fire Chief Pat Borer said a fire engine was at the residence about 20 minutes, and an ambulance was involved for about an hour, which he said was typical when patients are transported to a hospital.

Here's hoping the kid's alright.

I'm going to sound like the guy at the AP Wire for a moment here with necessary filler: Lucky is a sophomore tailback at Nebraska who was second on the team with 728 yards. He scored six touchdowns on the year and is expected to be the Huskers' lead back thanks to the unexpected early NFL departure of junior Brandon Jackson who led the Huskers last year with 989 yards and eight touchdowns.

More updates to come as they are made available.