Working for a Living

The 2011 Nebraska football team opened the season yesterday with a 40-7 win over Chattanooga. After looking at the game, it is clear that the Huskers have plenty of work to do if they are going to meet their goals for the season. Bo Pelini says Nebraska football is about winning championships, but right now questions abound about what we know and do not know for the rest of the season.

First, Nebraska is a very young football team, particularly on offense. Freshmen and sophomores are all over the line and in the backfield. With inexperience, comes mistakes. The learning curve is steep especially with Big 10 Conference play looming less than four weeks away. The speed appears to be better than the recent past, but intricacies like timing on option plays lacked in the opener. Offensive coordinator Tim Beck looked like he was searching for a rhythm offensively that never truly came into focus on Saturday. The line did not appear to block really well at the point of attack. The Mocs stacked eight and nine men in the box, which should have opened up things in the passing game. Quarterback Taylor Martinez needs to be crisper on his passes as his throws were behind a few receivers for what could have been big plays. The team is learning and things will improve later in the season.

The defense was solid. I have concerns about youthful mistakes in the secondary, and a lack of speed at the safety spots, but the talent will come to the top. I question the ability to play straight man to man defense against speed when the Huskers look a little slow at some positions in nickel and dime coverages. The defensive line looks to be as deep as any in the country. Cameron Meredith showed he can be an impact player when healthy. Carl Pelini and John Papuchis have so much depth up front that opponents will wear down against fresh Husker defenders late in games.

The kicking game was impressive. Brett Maher stepped to kick and punt very well. Ameer Abdullah showed flashes that he will grow as a quality return man.

True positives were shown in Nebraska committing only three penalties. The Huskers again had some big plays on offense and defense. The coaching staff will work on consistency. The ability is there. The fans and coaches can see it.The season is full of challenges against better teams than what the Huskers faced yesterday. Now the team has to really go to work.