Glass Half Full or Half Empty? Looks a Little Low to Me

Nebraska won 42-29 on Saturday night against Fresno State. Some things are clear to see and some are as clear as the Los Angeles skyline in a smog alert. On the good side, the Huskers won the football game. They put up 438 yards of offense and showed big plays with lots of speed on offense. Through two games, the Big Red have really limited the penalties. The coaching staff appeared to make adjustments where the defense looked better at times and the offense could not be stopped, especially after halftime.

On the other side, Nebraska looked slow in the secondary again. The defensive backs were off of receivers, especially in nickel and dime coverages . Corey Cooper, P. J. Smith, and Courtney Osborne appear to be in the doghouse because these players hardly see the field. Their athleticism is needed to cover receivers in the open field. Perhaps players like Dijon Washington and Antonio Bell can also assert themselves to be factors in the secondary. Alfonzo Dennard healthy and on the field would be a major plus too.

The Huskers did not win the battle on either side of the line in impressive fashion Saturday night. Special teams had a major error on the first touchdown. These problems need to be handled or it may not be the kind of season a team with a top ten ranking is projected to have. Allowing any running back 169 yards against the defense is not acceptable. Robbie Rouse is not the best back the Blackshirts will see this season. Wisconsin and Michigan will show that to the Huskers as we go deeper into the season.

Quickness abounds in players like Kenny Bell, Jamal Turner , and Ameer Abdullah. Abdullah appears to be a solid runner that comes straight up the field. He is looking like the kind of player Husker fans will grow to love. So there is plenty of hope on the horizon, but the time to step up is in the next few weeks. Washington is a better team than what the Huskers have faced so far. Wyoming may pose a threat when the Big Red goes on the road. Wisconsin looks like an impressive team as well. The tests will be tough every week.

Nebraska can improve if players get after it in practice and compete for time on the field. Leaders need to come to the front and hold the squad to a high standard. The goals are still within reach, yet the effort now has to be shown for the 2011 Huskers to be a quality football team.