RedCap's Husker Blog

Another part of Husker history departs

2006-06-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

The final remaining cog in the Devaney-Osborne football machine now is departing Lincoln. Boyd Epley is leaving the University of Nebraska after 37 years to move to Colorado Springs in a new job with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Although Epley was removed from his strength and conditioning position when Steve Pederson arrived as the new AD a few years ago, Boyd will be well remembered for his pioneering efforts.

For years colleges came to Lincoln to understand what Epley was doing. He basically invented the modern use of strength and conditioning as a key element in building a powerhouse football team. He took average athletes and remade them into supermen. Schools around the country tried to copy his systems. Several of his assistants went on to run their own strength and conditioning programs. No one will ever be able to calculate just how important his efforts were to the stellar record the Huskers achieved on the football field. Those tremendous second half/fourth quarter victories all owe a tremendous debt to the superb conditioning of the team.

In the later years of his career, other schools learned how to develop their own strength and conditioning programs and Nebraska's superior edge eventually became less of a factor. Husker fans even started criticizing Epley for relying too much on the specialized machines he invented and blamed him for a rash of pubalgia injuries suffered by the football team. The departure of Bill Byrne and the falling fortunes of the football team led to Epley's replacement by current strength and conditioning guru Dave Kennedy. Epley was "kicked upstairs" to manage the new athletic construction projects. Now as the biggest construction project winds down, there just isn't much more left for Epley to do in Lincoln.

No matter how it ended, no one can take away the glory years that brought good fortune to the Nebraska football team and national fame to Boyd Epley. Epley will always be a Husker legend.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

Who's lurking on that message board?

2006-06-06T14:59:00.000-07:00

Internet message boards have become popular destinations for rabid college football fans. Visiting and posting on these websites can be addictive for fans who just cannot get enough of their favorite team. (And yes I plead guilty to being one of them.) Information flows very freely on the boards. Some of the posts are pure garbage - a waste of time. At the other end, some of the posts contain very valuable tidbits or insights from insiders that you would never find any place else. And of course, the real "honey" that gets the subscribers to pay for access to these message boards is the most current recruiting information there is any place. A fan can keep up on the latest situation for that stellar recruit and follow how his thinking changes as he visits each school.

One thing many of the posters don't often think about is just who might be lurking on the board as a paid subscriber. It could be just about anybody. It could be coaches from the team trying to get additional insights into what recruits are thinking. It could be athletic department officials trying to monitor what is said about the program and posing as posters to rebut any negative statements. It could be players trying to see what is said about them (and sometimes that can get pretty nasty). It could be potential recruits and their parents trying to assess what the fans are really like and if that's a place they want to spend 4 or 5 years. It could be media writers looking for hot story leads. A particularly interesting post might result in a player or recruit being besieged by media writers wanting interviews. So the point is, it could be just about anybody lurking on the board and what is posted on the board does matter a whole lot more than most posters would think.

In the most extreme situation, you can assume that "spies" for competing schools are monitoring the board as well. They can read all the posts and summarize anything that might be useful to an opposing coaching staff. That could be insights into what is really important to a potential recruit, how they reacted to a recruiting visit or what they're really saying/thinking to others. And that kind of recruiting information could be as good as "gold" to an opposing coach. Of course, they do have to sort through what is fact and what is fiction. During the season, people with connections to the program often post or shed light on the seriousness of injuries to players. That too can provide good input for an opponent's gameplan. Finally, there's the digging for "dirt". Those spies can summarize the negative stuff posted and use it against the school when competing for recruits. Nebraska, for example, often has been the victim of some negative recruiting when opposing schools tell the recruits that the coach is about to be fired or that the fans are making abusive or derogatory statements about some of the current players. A quote from some poster on the board can add a lot of color and apparent authenticity to these negative recruiting tactics.

There really is no control over the message boards. The subscribers can only be screened by whether they've got a credit card and are willing to pay the $X bucks per month fee. They could be fans of any school. There also is nothing to prevent a poster from posting inappropriate information from a private conversation with a player or the relative of a player. If that player made a nasty comment about his coach in confidence, the story very well may wind up on a message board. Some posts do get deleted if they are viewed as particularly detrimental to the program but for the most part it's really like the "wild old west" where almost anything can and does get posted at times.

You can't censor this stuff any more than you could control what fans were saying in bars 20 years ago. The only difference is that the Internet message boards operate a lot faster and there are thousands of people around the world listening into some of those discussions that used to be confined to a few buddies at the bar over a round of drinks. Schools, coaches, players and parents just have to get used to this new "fishbowl" like environment that now exists.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

The Date Rape Drug

2006-06-05T05:01:00.000-07:00

Frank Solich was in the news again last week. Solich was granted a hearing by a judge to determine whether he could withdraw his no contest plea to DUI based on new available information. Solich's lawyer claims that testing by a drug lab now has indicated Solich had the date rape drug in his system and therefore was not responsible for his actions. Sophisticated analysis of a sample of Solich's hair identified the drug and placed the time it was in his system as the same time Solich was arrested last November. Now, of course, people can still debate how the drug got into Solich's system and whether he is innocent or guilty. Since most of us weren't present, that is best left up to the legal system where witnesses can testify under oath.

The news report, however, does provide an opportunity to create better awareness for the dangers of the date rape drug (GHB). The fact is that giving anybody the date rape drug is a serious crime.

Any one of us could become victimized by the date rape drug - young or old, male or female. It only takes a second for anyone to slip it into a drink. If someone gives you a drink or you go to the bathroom and leave your drink unattended, it can happen in an instant and you won't know what hit you. It could be the first drink or it could be the last drink you have. Anything you do after 5 - 20 minutes of that drink is out of your control. People don't seem to understand that loss of mental control. It's NOT just like being intoxicated where you usually retain some mental competence. And the combination of the date rape drug with alcohol makes the effects even worse.

There are too many people out there who don't seem to understand the danger, don't want to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation or, in the worst cases, even make jokes. The date rape drug can result in death from medical complications or from induced dangerous behavior that the individual cannot control while under the influence (e.g., driving a vehicle). The effects of the drug take place quickly, sometimes as soon as in five minutes - usually within about twenty minutes.

People who would give someone else the date rape drug are potential murderers. It's NOT just a prank. They are no different than someone who would point a gun with a bullet in it's chamber at someone else and pull the trigger Russian Roulette style. Just recently the news had a story about three teenage boys who were convicted in a case where they gave the date rate drug to teenage girls and one of the girls died from the medical reaction to it.

Giving anybody the date rape drug is a potential murder in the making.

Anyone at risk, anyone who drinks in public and anyone who has teenage children should become familiar with the Date Rape Drug risk and take precautions to avoid becoming a victim.

Click here for the news report on the Frank Solich situation.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

Colorado Sports bankrupt due to lack of fan interest

2006-06-02T07:45:00.000-07:00

Well, that isn't quite the way the headline reads in the Daily Camera out of Boulder, Colorado but for all practical purposes that is what has happened to the University of Colorado.

The Colorado athletic department has had to request an $8 million loan from the University to cover budget expenses. The University also agreed to forgive some existing debts owed by the athletic department. In the business world, that would be considered bankruptcy. The Buffs are being squeezed on both the revenue and cost sides of the equation.

On the revenue side, the Colorado football team is not selling enough tickets. At most Division 1 schools, the football program is the moneymaker that pays for much of the rest of the athletic department sports. It's kind of surprising that Colorado has such trouble getting fans to come to the football games but that attendance problem is not new. It just has gotten a little bit worse. In addition to poor ticket sales, the previous Athletic Director over estimated the results from fund raising campaigns. Of course with poor ticket sales it can hardly be expected that fans would be contributing much in the way of donations.

On the cost side, there are the big buy-out costs for firing former football coach Gary Barnett and the hiring costs for new coach Hawkins. Then too there are legal costs to be paid from the various lawsuits spawned by the controversy that erupted under Gary Barnett. Cleaning up the mess doesn't come cheaply.

The Colorado athletic department can expect some more serious cost cutting unless the fans suddenly come back and start buying tickets and donations - an unlikely scenario at this point unless the new football coach has a stellar inaugural season. Otherwise there will be cost cutting pain felt across the board like the recent elimination of the Tennis team. The university administration will not continue to bail out the athletic department.

The Colorado situation just emphasizes the fragile nature of athletic department budgets and how important fan support and donations are in this time of ever rising costs. Nebraska has had its own recent decline in donations which has put a damper on any new construction projects after the latest stadium expansion is completed. Thankfully, though, ticket sale continue to be strong and there is no pending "bankruptcy". All the new seats in the stadium expansion were easily sold very quickly and there still is a rather long waiting list for any other season tickets that might become available.

Click here to read the article in the Daily Camera (note: a free registration is required to view the article).

Go Big Red,

RedCap

Recruiting is a tougher task in Lincoln

2006-06-01T04:47:00.000-07:00

We now have some new information to analyze about Nebraska recruiting from the last couple of years.

For years we used to blame the option offense for not being able to recruit nationally recognized high school players because we thought they all wanted to be prepared for a pro career - linemen, tight ends, receivers, quarterbacks. Now we've got a pro offense run by a head coach with a long list of NFL credentials and the recruiting results for high school players still are coming in very disappointing. You couldn't have a much better NFL set up if that's the only thing these high school stars were looking for. The recruiting difficulties can no longer be blamed on the type of offense we run.

We also know the difficulties are not caused by lack of effort on the part of the staff. Very few staffs have worked as hard across the nation for such modest results. They probably are having to work four times as hard on recruiting as staffs at Texas, USC or Notre Dame have to work. In retrospect, the real shocker is that the old staff could have actually done as well as it did with less recruiting efforts (i.e., a large part of that old staff was pretty ineffective on the recruiting trail).

So two popular old myths about recruiting are now being put to rest. Unfortunately that leaves us with location, location, location - something that can't be changed about Lincoln. It looks like Tom Osborne wisely knew he could never compete for the same type of athlete as national powers located in population centers. He evolved his system to differentiate Nebraska from the pack so he could compete for different types of skilled athletes and also utilized a powerful walk-on program to build depth. The old master knew what he was doing.

We know Nebraska can be a very successful national program because that's already been proven. The path to success, however, may have to be different from that followed by other schools. If Nebraska has a strong season this fall and recruiting still does not respond to that success in a huge way, that would be a sure signal of future trouble.

Callahan already has had to follow a different recruiting strategy - the one long used by Kansas State (i.e., going after JUCOs when you can't get the high schoolers you want). Most of us thought that JUCOs were a temporary thing but there may have to be more of the same forever if things don't dramatically change. And it looks like we may already be forced down the JUCO QB path this year.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

Huskers lose out on another QB recruit

2006-05-31T05:16:00.000-07:00

When it comes to recruiting quarterbacks, the Huskers have had no luck the past couple of years. Since signing Harrison Beck and Zac Taylor some time ago, they've been completely shut out.

Yesterday the situation got even worse when Jarrett Lee committed to LSU. Lee had become Bill Callahan's top target after Ryan Mallet earlier turned the Huskers down and committed to Michigan. Callahan and his staff spent an extraordinary amount of time and energy wooing Lee. He was given special treatment during the Spring game and a hoard of Nebraska coaches went down to his hometown in Texas during the month of May. It seemed like all the Nebraska attention was working and Lee had many good things to say about Nebraska during his interviews with recruiting analysts. The news was very positive for several weeks raising the hopes of Husker recruiting fanatics. Lee's Dad was even spotted wearing Nebraska gear. Then Lee took one trip to visit LSU and basically dumped Nebraska. Now there are a lot of broken hearts among those recruiting fanatics.

So it's back to the drawing board yet again for Bill Callahan who now must be getting desperate to find a quarterback willing to come to Lincoln to operate his West Coast Offense. The primary recruiting focus now switches to Lyle Moevao, a junior college quarterback at El Camino California Community College. Moevao has the grades to be able to enroll this fall if he chooses to do so and plans to take a visit to Lincoln the weekend of June 9. Moevao also has a scholarship offer from Oregon State and said he won't make any decision until after he has visited that school as well. Will Nebraska be spurned again? Stay tuned for further developments.

Moevao had good stats last year and was the top-rated junior college quarterback in California. The biggest knock on Moevao, however, is his size. He's only 6-foot tall and most colleges with a pro-style offense want someone taller so they can see the field and pick out receivers better. Click the link to read more information about Moevao in this article.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

Will the Big 12 stick it to Nebraska?

2006-05-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

News from the Big 12 Conference meetings indicates that scheduling changes could happen after the ABC TV contract ends in 2007. One of the major changes could affect the decades-long traditional Nebraska football game during Thanksgiving week. For years Nebraska played Oklahoma during that slot and now plays Colorado since the formation of the Big 12. The national television exposure from that game always has been important to Nebraska and no doubt very helpful in national recruiting efforts. Now other schools apparently want a piece of that action and would like to kick Nebraska out of the Friday spotlight to playing on Saturday where national exposure likely would be greatly reduced.

No immediate decision will be made right now but the Colorado AD is already on record opposing the move. Nebraska AD Steve Pederson hasn't said anything yet. Click the links to read the articles in the Colorado newspapers: Rocky Mountain News story and Boulder Daily Camera story.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

Extra Big 12 game unlikely

2006-05-24T07:40:00.000-07:00

The Big 12 Athletic Directors and Coaches are holding their meetings to review proposals and make decisions. One proposal that is NOT likely to be approved is the addition of a ninth Big 12 football game. According to news reports there is no support among the coaches although the athletic directors would have to make the final decision. The coaches reportedly are unanimously against adding another Big 12 contest and it would seem unlikely the athletic directors would go against such strong feelings.

In reality a ninth Big 12 game makes little sense. Why have the Big 12 teams beat each other up even more? It certainly would NOT help the Big 12 teams in their national rankings and subsequently in their bowl prospects. In other words, it probably would be a financial loser for the schools if it means less prominence in the post season play. Also the addition of a ninth game would probably kill the Big 12 championship game between the North and South Divisions. Why have a championship game when so many teams have already played each other during the season? Although the Big 12 championship game does NOT help national rankings of the teams either, it at least has the benefit of being a major financial success. The championship game presently means a little under $1 million to each of the Big 12 schools - no small check (especially to those schools who are struggling with their budgets).

The only possible reason why a Nebraska fan might consider a ninth game to be beneficial is if it could somehow result in the restoration of the annual Nebraska-Oklahoma rivalry. That, however, would not necessarily be guaranteed. I believe, it's better for Nebraska and Oklahoma to meet more often in the Big 12 championship game if/when Nebraska returns to prominence on the field. Playing Oklahoma once a season should be enough for any fan.

I believe a better use for the ninth Big 12 game would be for Big 12 teams to schedule more prominent national opponents. The fans would be thrilled and the athletic directors would get fatter payouts from national television broadcasts. Playing other name opponent outside the conference also brings more national attention to the Big 12 and helps conference recruiting.

At any rate it looks like us fans won't be seeing a ninth conference game anytime soon. Once the issue is resolved at the conclusion of the meetings, the athletic directors can get on with the business of filling out future non-conference schedules.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

Don't count on recruits until they are playing

2006-05-23T06:15:00.000-07:00

Every year those who follow football recruiting closely go through emotional ups and downs. In an interview a highly touted recruit says he favors Nebraska. Big emotional up. On another day, a highly touted recruit that visited Nebraska commits to some other school. Big emotional down. The reality is that even if recruits commit and sign their letters of intent, there still are several hurdles remaining before they actually contribute to the program. So logic tells us to not go overboard either way even though emotions often rule the day.

Today we are reminded about those hurdles with the news about recruit Major Culbert from California. Culbert was being counted on to challenge for one of the corner or safety spots when he arrived in Lincoln this Fall. Now the news reports indicate he has been charged with a crime and Bill Callahan announced that Major Culbert's scholarship offer is suspended. Click for the Major Culbert stories in the Lincoln-Journal Star and the Daily Breeze. Earlier, recruit Ricky Henry from the same recruiting class last year was forced to take the JUCO route when his academics did not meet requirements. Unfortunately the odds are high that other recruits expected in Lincoln also will not make it. We just don't know the other ones are yet or what the circumstances of their situation will be.

Hurdles facing recruits beside legal troubles include academic qualification, complex NCAA qualification rules, adjusting to new football systems, change of mind and injury or undiscovered medical conditions. Any one of these issues can prevent a recruit from ever setting foot on the playing field. So the message to fans is not to get too excited about any recruit or any recruiting class until the recruits actually prove themselves in games. Easy to say, of course. Very hard to do when you are emotionally involved in cheering for your team.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

Scheduling football games

2006-05-22T10:37:00.000-07:00

According to Bill Callahan we can expect another football scheduling announcement sometime during the next several days. This comes after the recent announcement adding the Virginia Tech Hokies to the schedule. Without naming the next team, the coach said negotiations were being finalized to add another "name" opponent to the schedule. I'd look for this team to be located in an area the coaches want to recruit (i.e., California, Texas, Florida, etc.). Both Steve Pederson and Bill Callahan are focused on the recruiting strategy in everything they do, so getting television coverage in a prime recruiting area most likely is the number one consideration (other than the financials arrangements).

The good news is that football scheduling finally seems to be gaining some momentum again and methodical planning is back on course. We will probably now see the schedules completed again long in advance of the actual games. That advanced planning is the way games used to be scheduled. For whatever reason, it hasn't been the case the last couple of years and two of the games for 2006 weren't added until very late in the planning process. Of course if you have to add games late in the process, you're likely to get less prominent games like the 1-AA opponents. Most major schools have their schedules completed early. Perhaps the schedule holes of the last couple of years were caused by the Bill Byrne to Steve Pederson transition.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

Tom Osborne's Next Chapter

2006-05-19T09:41:00.000-07:00

Tom Osborne will be starting the next chapter of his life after the recent primary election in which he lost the nomination for Governor. Only Tom and wife Nancy know just what that will be.

It's quite surprising to me that Tom Osborne could actually have lost any election in Nebraska. After all, living legends are far and few between. There is no current person alive in Nebraska with his name recognition or favorable glow from a long successful football career in a football-obsessed state. Probably only Bob Devaney has equaled that stature over the last 40 years. Times clearly are changing and politics are NOT football.

Tom Osborne did in politics just as he did in football - he operated by his conscience and never did something just because it was the popular thing to do. That's probably a fatal flaw over the long run if you want to be a politician and was his undoing. Politics is a game requiring the politician to bend with which ever way the wind is blowing at the time. Although I never agreed with some of Tom Osborne's views (e.g., his stand against casinos in Nebraska), I will always admire him for following his convictions and not compromising his values just to do the popular thing. People like that, whether you agree with them or not, are very rare these days. We saw Tom Osborne do that in support of his football players and we saw him do it in his brief political career.

Osborne paid the price for standing up for his principles. He took national criticism from the press and numerous critics when it would have been far easier to dismiss troubled players. Nationally prominent coaches today are ready to dump troubled players and move on to the next recruit because it's far easier than taking the public heat. In his political campaigns, Osborne refused contributions from influence groups. He paid the price there too by having to put his own money in the campaign. Note: He just sold his house in Western Nebraska to help pay off debt from the failed political campaign.

Whatever Tom Osborne decides will be the next chapter in his life, he will always be a Nebraska legend and a Nebraska hero (even though he detests that sort of publicity). You always have to admire a man of his convictions.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

NU-Creighton baseball draws a crowd

2006-05-17T08:05:00.000-07:00

You have to like how Nebraska and Creighton fans turn out to see their baseball teams play each other. According to news reports, last night's game at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha drew 21,158 fans. That's the largest crowd in the history of this match up and one of the largest crowds in all of college baseball during recent years. It almost doubled the crowd size of 12,276 which showed up on April 4 for a previous meeting this year.

Omaha is a good college baseball town as evidenced by the success of the College World Series each year. Creighton and Nebraska both have a strong base of loyal baseball fans. Put those three factors together and you get large crowds.

It makes you wonder if Nebraska could play other rivalry games in Omaha with equal or similar success. Baseball and Basketball match ups with Iowa, for example, would seem like a natural for an Omaha location. Unfortunately according to the rumors out in cyberspace message boards, it appears that Iowa wants nothing to do with playing Nebraska in Baseball, Basketball or Football. Too bad. The Nebraska and Iowa fans are missing out on a natural rivalry.

A dangerous time of year

2006-05-16T09:34:00.000-07:00

The off season after the school year ends is a dangerous time of year for college football teams. It's a time when some players are tempted to get into trouble and coaches keep their fingers crossed that their team won't be the one to be struck by a rash of embarrassments. Of course, if there are enough players getting in trouble, it becomes more than just an embarrassment. It can mean the suspension or expulsion of a star player and alter team prospects in the Fall.

This year Southern Cal has grabbed the early lead in terms of total team troubles or at least in terms of unfavorable national publicity. Even departed stars like Reggie Bush have cast a long shadow backwards. No one knows for sure how the allegations of financial misconduct by Reggie Bush or his family will turn out. It possibly could result in Southern Cal having to forfeit some games and it could severely alter the win-loss record. Regardless of the ultimate findings, Southern Cal has suffered through a lot of bad national publicity. That won't go away no matter how the situation is resolved. And of course there have been other player problems beyond just those of Reggie Bush.

This past week Texas experienced its own embarrassment. Running back Ramonce Taylor who was already suspended for academic reasons was arrested by law enforcement officials for having about 5 pounds of marijuana in his vehicle. Taylor's lawyer says the marijuana was not his. The pecan farmer on whose land Taylor was partying says Taylor and his friends were trying to sell drugs. Again the legal system will have to sort out the claims and counter claims but the publicity will be bad for Texas no matter how things turn out. Taylor also stands to suffer. Now he probably won't be reinstated to the team. Texas doesn't really need him any more so when he got in more trouble that's probably the end of his college career. The problems also can't help his NFL prospects and at the very least will cost him millions of dollars IF he gets a chance in the NFL. Whether guilty or not, Taylor made a big mistake being in the wrong situation - a life changing mistake.

Yes, players and young men do make mistakes. And if you live in the "fish bowl" of having played on a national championship contending team, there will be no escaping the negative national publicity. Players need to think twice about where they go, who they hang out with and what they do. That's especially true when facing the temptations they will come across in the off season.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

Bring on the Hokies

2006-05-15T05:27:00.000-07:00

Last week's announcement that Nebraska would play the Virginia Tech Hokies is welcome news for Nebraska football fans. The two teams are scheduled to meet in Lincoln in 2008 and in Blacksburg in 2009. Nebraska football fans are ready for some marque matchups and some TV exposure with major national interest. Our non-conference matchups have been a little underwhelming during the last couple of years. (Note: While Pittsburgh was expected to be an important matchup, both teams were down when they played each other thus greatly reducing the national interest level.)

Of course the hype and national TV exposure that Nebraska fans crave will return this fall big time with the USC game being nationally televised in prime time from Los Angeles. The USC game moves to Lincoln for 2007 and now we can also look forward to Virginia Tech in the following two years.

Playing non-conference games with major national interest are important for several reasons:

First, the loyal fans deserve some good non-conference games. Yes, it's nice to win easy games but fans want more excitement than playing against I-AA teams. Nothing excites or satisfies the fan base more than winning a tight game against a nationally ranked team.

Second, Nebraska has been mostly absent from the national scene in terms of college football news coverage the last few years. Playing games of national importance should bring back some of those news stories and increase the press coverage. There's been a lot less written about the Huskers recently than during the glory days when national championships were being won. Some of the kids growing up around the nation don't even know that much about Nebraska football these days.

Third, playing high interest games in different parts of the country like the West Coast and the East Coast helps recruiting. The local press in those areas of the country will write stories about the Huskers in the days leading up to the game and the TV gameday coverage in the region is critical. Many of the televised Big 12 games that Nebraska plays never get shown shown on the West or East coast. This kind of exposure for recruiting is much more important to Nebraska than most other teams. Few teams recruit as broadly across the entire nation as does Nebraska. Most other teams are able to satisfy their needs by concentrating on a particular region. Although Nebraska has been doing very well getting recruits from California lately, it has been a while since Nebraska has been able to pull in some top recruits from the East Coast.

Fourth, playing marque games also helps boost alumni donations to the athletic department. Just as it is with recruiting, the national media attention also helps energize the Nebraska alums around the country. While Nebraska athletic finances are in no danger of collapse, the donations have fallen off significantly as evidenced by the shortfalls on the stadium expansion. A good dose of exciting games can only help bring in more contributions and return the program to its previous financial strength.

No doubt there are more reasons to be excited about playing USC and Virginia Tech. Let's hope the Virginia Tech announcement means a return to playing at least one marque non-conference game every season.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

What's going on with Husker Basketball?

2006-05-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

It's really hard to understand what is going on with Husker Basketball. No matter what happens, Coach Collier stays on and on. It's almost like he has compromising pictures of someone in high places. (Memo to Frank Solich - you messed up big time by not getting some of those pictures.)

The most recent blow to the basketball program came with the departure of Assistant Coach Spinelli. Spinelli was credited with being a super recruiter and was brought in to the program specifically to help Collier get some talent on board. The thinking of course was that Collier was a good coach but a not so good recruiter. Spinelli's recruits were supposed to make a difference and finally turn the program around. Now Spinelli suddenly bails to take a new job in Wichita as an assistant coach. He says the move was for career reasons but how can going from being an assistant in the Big 12 to being an assistant at another program be such a big promotion? And why didn't the Athletic Director try to keep Spinelli on board? The most probable explanation seems to be that Spinelli just doesn't want his career further tarnished by being associated with Barry Collier. At least that's my thinking. Nobody else has come up with a more plausible reason.

Now Collier is looking for a new assistant. And where's he looking? He's looking in the prep school ranks to hire a prep school assistant. Yes, and that's not even the most humiliating part of the story. According to news reports one prep coach has already turned down Barry Collier! You have to wonder if things could get any more embarrassing.

Obviously the Athletic Director doesn't much care about Nebraska Basketball. If he did, Collier would have been terminated by now and Husker fans would be spared all these embarrassments. I don't buy the argument that the fans don't care or won't support basketball in Lincoln. The fans have proven again and again that they will show up and support winning programs. They want something to be proud of, not something that embarrasses them. Just look at the fan support and turnout for volleyball and baseball. Nebraska is NOT just a football fans only sports program. But give the fans some credit. They are smart and their patience has a limit. They're not going to be fooled by some third rate effort or a bunch of jawboning.

So it's time for the Athletic Director to put an end to this basketball misery. In fact it's long overdue.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

The walk-on program lives on

2006-05-03T06:52:00.000-07:00

One of the pleasant surprises since Bill Callahan became coach is that the walk-on program is alive and well. When Callahan first came to Lincoln he made statements that led people to believe the walk-on program, nurtured so carefully under Tom Osborne, was going to be killed or at least severely cut back. Callahan said he didn't want large rosters of players and he even went so far as to move the existing walk-ons into a separate locker room to segregate them away from the scholarship players. (Thankfully, that "segregation" practice has since been discontinued.) To Nebraska football traditionalists, like myself, that was pure heresy and caused quite a bit of grumbling.

Quietly since that rocky start, Callahan has learned that Tom Osborne might have known what he was doing with the walk-on program after all. Callahan found out that not every top recruit in the nation wants to come to Lincoln, Nebraska. He has pursued the best athletes nationwide and he's had some good recruiting classes but a lot of talented kids also turned Nebraska down. Nebraska just isn't like USC or Texas where all the California and Texas kids stand in a long waiting line to get coveted scholarships to those schools. Nebraska has a limited population base and the football team cannot "feast" on local players like USC or Texas. Hence, it makes sense to promote a strong walk-on program where players who aren't so highly recruited can come to Lincoln and prove themselves. A lot of those walk-ons will never see the playing field but there will be just enough gems each year to make a difference. That's been Nebraska's strategy for decades and it is continuing.

Walk-ons now are being recruited to the Nebraska football team under Callahan but there isn't a lot of publicity about the effort. For one, the recruiting boards and recruitniks who pay attention to Nebraska football are much more focused on player star ratings and which other schools are recruiting a kid. They pay relatively little attention to unknown walk-ons. Second, the football staff doesn't want too much publicity about walk-ons before they join the team. Since walk-ons don't sign letters of intent, they are fair game for any competing school to sign away until they actually enroll on campus. In the past, Nebraska has lost walk-ons when a rival school learned about the kid through newspaper and web articles and then offered them a scholarship.

As one example of a recent recruited walk-on, consider Justin Makovicka from Brainard, Nebraska. Now the name should immediately ring a bell with any Husker fan because Justin is the younger brother of famed Husker fullbacks Jeff and Joel Makovicka. Justin had scholarship offers from Iowa State, Ohio and Air Force but turned them down to walk on at Nebraska. His brothers, of course, were famous walk-on success stories at Nebraska in years past.

There are several other walk-ons who will join the team this Fall but in keeping with the quiet approach regarding walk on publicity, it's probably better not to mention more names. Meanwhile, keep an eye on Ben Eisenhart this Fall - a walk-on already on the team. Ben, a 2003 graduate from Culbertson High School in Nebraska, had a great Spring Game playing second team strong safety. He led the white team with nine tackles, of which four were unassisted stops. The safety position is thin in talent right now and a perfect spot for a walk-on to make a big difference.

So, I'm happy to say the walk-on program at Nebraska is alive and well. There's nothing more gratifying than to see a walk on beat the odds and become a star. Who will ever forget such great players from Nebraska's past like walk-on I. M. Hipp.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

Not so fast my friend, Leon's back

2006-05-02T13:32:00.000-07:00

As reported by the Lincoln Journal-Star, Coach Callahan announced today that Leon Jackson has reconsidered his earlier decision to leave the team and now plans to return to the Huskers.

That's good news for the team and for Leon especially. Now Leon won't have to sit out a year at some other school and he can continue to focus on improving his skills as a West Coast offense running back. Leon finished Spring as the number three running back behind Marlon Lucky and Cody Glenn. However, if you paid attention to the Spring game statistics, Leon had comparable rushing stats to Marlon and Cody when he ran behind the first team offensive line.

Leon has a different style than Marlon or Cody. In fact all three of these running backs have a uniquely different personality when it comes to a running style. It shouldn't be a problem getting any three of the backs into the game at different times for different situations. Running back coach Randy Jordan has already said many times that it will be a "running back by committee" approach so everyone should get some touches.

Let's hope Leon's decision to come back has results similar to that of Chris Patrick. Patrick also had decided to leave the team at one point and then reconsidered after talking some more to the coaches and he chose to come back. That turned out to be the right choice. Right now Patrick is listed as a starting offensive tackle.

Click this link to read more about the Leon Jackson story in the Lincoln Journal-Star.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

Next phase of Husker football now underway

2006-05-02T05:54:00.000-07:00

May 1 marked the beginning of moving into the next phase in the annual cycle of Husker football. This phase marks the end of Spring practice and the beginning of pre-season recruiting work for the 2007 recruiting class. Coaches officially are allowed to call potential recruits starting May 1. During this time they will call potential recruits, travel to various locations to talk to high school coaches and watch players workout at combines and camps. The mission is to further identify the top prospects, make offers and get them to attend a Husker football camp in June and/or set up an official visit to Lincoln for the Fall.

Bill Callahan enjoys recruiting as he has said in several interviews and he personally will hit the road hard. The Husker staff is concentrating on Texas during the first week of May with about six or seven coaches making trips there. Texas, of course, is a major national hotbed of football talent and one of three states the Huskers would like to hit especially hard. California and Florida are the other two. The University of Texas, which always gets just about any recruit it wants in the state of Texas, happens to be filling up it's scholarship quota but there is a lot of talent still left in the state. So that just means the Longhorns won't be able to make a lot more offers which opens up the door for other schools. It's probably the reason why Nebraska is concentrating on Texas first this year.

In June, the recruiting focus will turn to the annual Husker football camps in Lincoln. These camps really serve two purposes. First, they allow many kids the opportunity to refine their football techniques including many who will never have any chance at a Nebraska football scholarship. Second, they also help accelerate the recruiting effort. Some kids who are on the bubble for receiving a potential scholarship can make their mark by impressing the coaches and others from around the country have a chance to see what Lincoln and the Nebraska football staff is like. The Nebraska coaches stress that players from Nebraska high schools especially need to attend one of the camps if they want to get a scholarship offer. Typically there always are a few surprises from the summer camps in terms of identifying new talent. Usually there also are a couple of commitments that happen either during camp or in the month following camp.

The coaches will probably take their vacation breaks during July and then August will mark the beginning of the next annual phase - that of Fall camp.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

Whoa Nellie, Keith Jackson will be missed

2006-04-28T11:17:00.000-07:00

There's sad news today for college football fans. Keith Jackson, the legendary college football sports broadcaster, has finally announced his complete retirement.

Jackson has been semi-retired for a while now and he has mainly concentrated on West Coast games to avoid having to travel so much. There's hardly a college football fan around, however, who doesn't remember Keith Jackson covering some of the biggest games in college football during his long career. His career as a broadcaster was stellar. I'll always remember his unique "Whoa Nellie" outcry when some player just busted a big one or made a spectacular play of some kind. It added so much to the atmosphere and excitement of the game. It was like the national version of Lyle Bremser's "Man, Woman and Child!"

When Nebraska opened it's brand new Press Box complex some years ago, Jackson made a special trip to Lincoln to participate in the ceremonies. He was very good buddies with the Sports Information Director and one of the restrooms in the Press Box was jokingly named after Keith Jackson.

In my opinion Jackson had one of the best suited voices and styles that fit college football perfectly. He wasn't without some bias at times, but his broadcasting style truly is one that will never be duplicated. Let's hope we find some new legends to fill in for people like Keith Jackson.

Best wishes to Keith Jackson in his retirement and congratulations to him on a spectacular career.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

Another Roard heads for Lincoln

2006-04-27T04:10:00.001-07:00

There's good news this morning for the Husker football team. According to the Omaha World Herald Chad Roark, the younger brother of current Husker player Craig Roark, will be leaving the University of Oklahoma at the end of this semester and transferring to Nebraska. Chad Roark was an early enrollee at Oklahoma joining the team this Spring and playing the center position. Apparently things didn't work out too well at Oklahoma so the younger Roark decided to join his brother in Lincoln. Chad Roark will move to Lincoln in the Fall but will have to sit out the year and lose one year of eligibility. He will be a sophomore for 2007.

Head Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops granted Chad Roark a release from his scholarship with the stipulation that Roark cannot publically reveal the reason why he decided to leave Oklahoma. Some Internet message board rumors suggested that Roark did not get along with his position coach at Oklahoma. Whatever the reason for his departure, Nebraska can use another center prospect on the offensive line. Brother Craig Roark originally came to Nebraska as a center but switched over to the defensive line this Spring. It now raises the interesting possibility that the Roark brothers could be facing off against each other in future team practice sessions.

Click Here to read the Omaha World Herald article on Chad Roark (free registration required to read the article).

P.S. Other sources indicate that Chad Roark's transfer to Nebraska may not be a "done" deal yet so we will have to wait and see what happens after the end of the school year.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

The ugly side of recruiting hype

2006-04-26T10:56:00.000-07:00

You see all kinds of stories about football recruiting. Some good, some bad and some just plain ugly. An article I read today about Notre Dame's latest QB recruit (Jimmy Clausen) has to fall in the ugly category. According to Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, young Mr. Clausen hired a PR firm to hype his commitment announcement to Notre Dame. The staged announcement was performed at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend before hundreds of cheering Notre Dame fans. Mr. Clausen and his PR entourage of 15 arrived at the event in a stretch white Hummer limousine. Clausen posed for the audience and showed off several high school championship rings for the cameras, boosting that he plans to win 4 national championships at Notre Dame.

Please .... enough already! This is a high school kid who hasn't even graduated yet and he's out there acting like the next Joe Namath. Now we all understand that quarterbacks need to have self confidence but this is so over the top it's ridiculous. You have to wonder how the rest of the Notre Dame team will feel when "Hollywood" Jimmy Clausen finally arrives as the Notre Dame savior in 2007 and tries to steal all the attention and glory away from everyone else. I think the coaches are going to have their hands full dealing with an ego bigger than the state of California.

Click here to read Dennis Dodd's article on Jimmy Clausen (free access with no registration required).

Go Big Red,

RedCap

Now there's one less running back on the committee

2006-04-25T05:03:00.000-07:00

Perhaps the departure of Leon Jackson from the Nebraska football team was inevitable given all the talent at his position. Nebraska would have had five very talented running backs competing in the Fall - Marlon Lucky, Cody Glenn, Brandon Jackson, Kenny Wilson and Leon Jackson (had he stayed). Yet, Leon's decision to transfer is a heartbreaker for some Husker fans. Leon was a very talented player, a likeable individual and he surely would have made some spectacular plays during his career. He has good hands, great speed and great moves. He is a playmaker. Just the kind of player Husker fans really hate to see leave.

The problem is that it was hard to find Leon's position on the team. During his short one-year stay, he bounced around from offense to defense and back to offense. At defense, he never really excelled at safety. Although he had the physical tools, his heart probably wasn't in playing defense. Returning to running back this Spring, Leon looked good during Spring practice. But of course, Marlon Lucky and Cody Glenn stole all the headlines and Leon was just learning the position again. Yes, the running back position at Nebraska is not so easy to master in Bill Callahan's offense. You not only have to run but you need to be able to pass block and run exacting pass routes as well. Lucky and Glenn had an edge in those areas due to the experience they had from last Fall. In the Spring game, Leon played for both the White and Red team. His runs weren't all that spectacular on the White team BUT he was much more impressive playing on the Red team with the first unit. His performance on the Red team was comparable to that of Lucky and Glenn.

While it hurts to lose Leon, there probably is a silver lining to this cloud. First, Nebraska will be fine at running back - there will still be four very talented running backs on the team. Second, Leon's departure probably makes it a little easier for Nebraska to recruit a talented running back in the next recruiting class. Since all four of those talented running backs will be either sophomores or juniors this Fall, there is an opening for someone to come in and be a freshman in 2007 with no sophomore running backs on the roster that year.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

Potential QB Recruit turns down the Huskers

2006-04-24T04:43:00.000-07:00

Nebraska fans will have to show some patience in recruiting quarterbacks. After signing no QB recruits last year, the new recruiting year hasn't brought any new quarterback recruits yet either. The latest quarterback recruit to turn Nebraska down is Philip Bates from Omaha. Bates, the son of a former Husker player, had a Nebraska scholarship offer in hand but picked Iowa State. Click here to read the article in the Omaha World Herald (free registration required).

It's always somewhat sad to see an instate recruit and especially the son of a former Husker pick a rival team over the Big Red. However, I believe it probably was the best decision for all parties. Bates is talented but he is more of a run/pass quarterback than Bill Callahan's offense is looking for. Bates' passing completion percentage, for example, is well below the 60% that Callahan and Jay Norvell say is necessary for their offense. Nebraska offered Bates a scholarship but wouldn't guarantee him yet that it would only be for the quarterback position. They wanted to see Bates perform in this summer's Elite Quarterback camp before they would make that guarantee. Bates wants to be a quarterback in college though and he realized his talents were a much better fit for the Iowa State team. So rather than dragging out an inevitable decision, he made his choice early. Now everyone can move on.

Husker fans should wish Philip Bates the best of luck, except of course when Iowa State plays Nebraska. It's Bates right and responsibility to pick the school that best fits his career plans. Nebraska needs a different type of quarterback and the Huskers will find the right man eventually.

Memorial Stadium Expansion

2006-04-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

The new, better Memorial Stadium is getting closer and closer to reality. From all reports the construction is right on track to be ready for the first game this Fall. Even the huge, new video screen will be ready. The video screen, of course, will be the most eye popping new addition for most fans. It is expected to be the largest video screen in college when it first debuts (currently expected to be ready for it's first tryout in early August).

Probably the most important part of the construction project are the new facilities for the athletes. The newest indoor practice facility was already used extensively this Spring by the team. It's the new weight room and the new locker room facilities though that probably will have the biggest impact on impressing new recruits who visit Lincoln. The new athletic offices also will be much welcomed by the staff.

Last but not least, 6,000 plus additional fans will get to attend the games with the increased seating capacity. At those games all the fans will benefit from restroom and other amenity improvements. The stadium also will be very friendly for handicapped persons attending the game. All in all, the "old" stadium is getting quite a makeover. It's just too bad that there weren't more new seats added in the expansion. Ticket demand far outstripped the availability of the new seats and the Huskers probably could have easily sold another 10,000 or more additional tickets if they were available. Oh well, now there's something to contemplate for the next expansion project.

Many schools are in the process of renovating their old stadiums that need to be brought into the modern era. One school having some controversy with it's stadium plans is Michigan. Fans there are split about plans to add Michigan's first skybox seating. It hard to believe a school like Michigan with many well-monied boosters doesn't have any skybox seats. Traditionalists, however, don't want to change the look of the stadium with skybox overhangs and they also don't want to create "first" and "second" class citizenship for the games. On the other hand, progressives stress the fact that the lack of skyboxes is causing Michigan to lose multiple millions of dollars in much needed revenue each season. It's unclear how this debate is going to turn out at Michigan. If you're interested in more information about the "Big House" debate, read this article.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

Mulkey's Gone, Who's Next?

2006-04-20T07:38:00.000-07:00

Wide Receiver Grant Mulkey was dismissed from the Nebraska football team by Coach Callahan for violating team rules. It's sad but not too surprising.

It's sad because this would have been Mulkey's final year as a senior. What a shame to get kicked off the team for your senior year. Mulkey wasn't a star receiver but he found his nitch on the team as a tough-as-nails, fearless receiver on the inside. In the right situation in certain games, he played an important role. For example, the Iowa State game was one of those games last year when he had several catches.

It's not too surprising because Mulkey has been involved in problems in the past. The news wasn't released as to what was the final straw but some of the previous incidents involved getting into fights with other players, being caught with marijuana, resisting arrest, etc. So Mulkey had been given several opportunities to clean up his act. Apparently he didn't listen to the message.

The departure of Mulkey after Spring practice reminds us that it is common to suffer player attrition between the end of Spring practice and the first game in the Fall. It's a natural part of the football process. Some will leave on their own because they see the handwriting on the wall regarding playing time. Some will be encouraged to leave because they don't fit in the plans. And some, like Mulkey, will have issues that cause them to be dismissed. Really, the only question is "Who's Next?" It wouldn't surprise me at all to see as many as five or so players leave during that time period.

Now Nebraska isn't any different than other teams when it comes to player attrition. It happens every where and the number of recruits who actually finish their senior season as a member of the football team they originally signed with is surprisingly smaller than most people would think. It's one of the key reasons why the ever-popular recruiting rankings actually don't mean as much as some people think. In fact one analyst from Oklahoma took a look at Oklahoma's disappointing (for them) season last year. The analyst concluded that the major problem was so many recruits from a couple of stellar recruiting classes left the team for various reasons that there were gaping holes to fill. Not even a good coach is going to overcome huge losses from a couple of recruiting classes.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

Beck undergoes another MRI

2006-04-19T08:01:00.000-07:00

The most significant post-Spring Game Husker news concerns Harrison Beck. Beck is the only major injury that came out of Spring practice. When he couldn't throw in warm ups last Saturday, he missed the Spring Game and caused concern for Bill Callahan and Husker fans alike. So Harrison underwent a second MRI after the first one had indicated no significant damage. It is being reported today that the results of the second MRI came back the same way indicating no significant damage.

That has to be good news for all Husker fans. Beck is being counted on as the back up to Zac Taylor this Fall and the heir apparent next year in 2007. He missed significant practice time in Spring, however, with the injury problems (earlier it was a hamstring) so it's important that he be able to take part in the 7-on-7 drills this summer and be in full health for Fall camp.

Here are the links to the news reports about Beck's status:

Lincoln Journal-Star: Callahan says Beck's fine (no registration required)

Grand Island Independent: Callahan says MRI reveals no significant damage to QB's shoulder (free registration required)

Omaha World Herald: Another MRI on Beck shows no major damage (free registration required)

Go Big Red,

RedCap

Which school is the real Quarterback U.?

2006-04-18T06:22:00.000-07:00

College Football News has an interesting read titled "Historical Debate: Quarterback U" -- it's posted on the Fox Sports website here. (You can access the article for free without any registration required.)

The discussion is about analyzing which University has the best history of producing great quarterbacks. Naturally such an analysis is going to be subjective but the two writers have concluded Nebraska ranks up there in the top schools having a great quarterback history. The criteria used is quarterbacks which were the best in their college careers (and not later careers in the NFL). This analysis won't surprise any long time Husker fans but it might come as a surprise to some less-informed football fans across the nation.

The Nebraska quarterback history includes such great names as: Tommie Frazier, Eric Crouch, Jerry Tagge, Scott Frost, Turner Gill, David Humm, Vince Ferragamo, Steve Taylor and Jammal Lord. Of course, those names are from a different era of Nebraska football. It will be interesting now to see if Nebraska can add to that list with some West Coast Offense quarterbacks. First up in an attempt to crack the list will be Zac Taylor this coming Fall.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

Spring Practice Team Strengths/Concerns

2006-04-17T14:35:00.000-07:00

Now that the 2006 Spring Game is history, it's time to do a quick take on how things went. Here's five things I see as team strengths and five things I see as team concerns.

Team Strengths

Overall Defense - You have to be excited about the prospects for the defense. The line and linebackers are solid AND deep in talent. Even defensive tackle looks good for depth with Suh and Steinkuhler. Cornerback is in excellent shape for the starters and if newcomer Andre Jones is as good as advertised, he will provide some additional depth. The only real question mark is at safety but you have to believe Green and Shanle will get it done. Both are superb athletes. The biggest need is to get some safety depth from one or two of the incoming freshmen.
Running Back Depth - Nebraska is loaded at running back with Lucky, Glenn and Leon Jackson competing this Spring. All three sophomores made great strides learning the system (which is not easy to pick up as a freshman in the West Coast Offense). Competition will be increased even more in the Fall with the arrival of JUCO Kenny Wilson and the return from injury of Brandon Jackson. This is the best depth at running back that Nebraska has had in a long, long time.
Experienced Quarterback at the Helm -Zac Taylor is light years ahead of where he was last year in understanding the West Coast Offense. He really should be able to give opposing defenses some real trouble this Fall now that the progressions come much more naturally to him. His confidence is greatly increased.
Receivers - The receivers are more experienced, greater in number and bigger. Similar to the situation at running back, this is the best depth at receiver that Nebraska has had in a long, long time. Maybe the best in history (of course receivers weren't asked to catch many balls over the last couple of decades on the option teams but they were great blockers back then).
Coaching Chemistry - The Nebraska coaching staff is much more comfortable too. The defensive side is unchanged so they will be operating together for their third year. They made major strides last year and we can expect more of the same. On the offensive side, the transition to West Coast coaching is now complete. Ted Gilmore joined the staff last year with Colorado West Coast experience to coach the receivers. He's got the receivers operating much more effectively now. Sean Watson also joined the staff this year as tight ends coach and of course he comes well versed in the West Coast offense having served as the Colorado offensive coordinator. All in all, it's an A-Team coaching staff.

So what are the biggest concerns?

Quarterback Depth - While Zac Taylor is poised to have a sensational season, Nebraska is only one injury away from a major problem. No one behind Zac Taylor is even close to mastering the West Coast Offense as he has done. To make matters worse, Harrison Beck was injured for much of the Spring and couldn't compete in the Spring game. Beck was counted on to be the Number 2 Quarterback and the heir apparent to Zac Taylor in 2007. Now there's concern that he just be healthy for the Fall.
Offensive Line - Last year's offensive line was, well plain offensive. It probably was the worst performing offensive line in the last 30 years of Nebraska football. No doubt the line will be better in 2006 but the question is how much better. Will it be good enough to protect Zac Taylor (see concern #1) and good enough to open some holes for the stable of talented running backs? We won't know the answer to that question until the team plays USC in the Fall. The Spring game was pretty much an artificial situation which did not match the number one units against each other. The defense also did not blitz the Number 1 offensive line in the Spring game.
Punting - Who will replace Sam Koch as the punter? So far no one has distinguished himself enough to advance to the head of the pack. Nebraska has grown accustomed to outstanding punters the last few years. So much so that a lot of fans have just taken it for granted. It could be a rude awakening if opposing teams are able to block punts or return them for scores. Like the offensive line, we won't know until we see real game action in the Fall.
Tight End - Nebraska certainly has quantity when it comes to tight end (ten competed this Spring) but unless Matt Herian returns to his old form, the suitability for a West Coast Offense is questionable. Herian was out about a year and a half with a devastating injury. The good news is that he finally was able to take part in the Spring game. The question remains though as to whether he will be able to regain his old speed and cutting ability to challenge the secondary as a receiver. A great tight end isn't absolutely necessary for Bill Callahan's West Coast Offense to work but it certainly would take the offense to another level.
Mental Toughness - Finally, will this be the first Callahan team at Nebraska that can avoid a mid-season let down? In the prior two years, the team struggled about mid season and lost games that it should have won. For example, not too many of us Nebraska fans want to be reminded of the Kansas debacle last year. Suffice it to say that winning isn't just about having the physical skill and toughness, it's also about having a constant mental concentration and toughness throughout the season.

Well there you have it. Five thoughts on the plus side and five thoughts to be concerned about. Just something to think about over the summer.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

Great Photos from 2006 Spring Game

2006-04-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

For any diehard Husker football fans out there, don't miss some of the great photos now available on the web of your favorite players from the 2006 Spring Game. You can really see how some of the players have benefited from winter conditioning program. Here are three of my favorite websites for the photos:

Huskers.com

Lincoln Journal-Star

Omaha World Herald

Note: The photo gallery at the Omaha World Herald requires a FREE registration (once you get to the page indicated in my link, the photo gallery link is on the middle right side of the article). The other two websites can be accessed without any registration and the links will take you directly to the photo galleries.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

Recruiting Quarterbacks

2006-04-15T05:52:00.000-07:00

Recruiting quarterbacks has become an urgent task for Bill Callahan and his staff this year. The future of Nebraska football depends on having success in the next recruiting class.

The urgency for quarterbacks comes about because Zac Taylor will graduate after this season and because recruit Josh Freeman left the Huskers high and dry last year after he reneged on his commitment and went to Kansas State. There currently are only three quarterbacks on the roster for 2007 - Harrison Beck, Joe Ganz and Beau Davis. The Huskers MUST get at least one top notch quarterback recruit this year. Ideally, they would like two quarterback recruits and might even take as many as three.

The defection of Josh Freeman last year was especially damaging. When Freeman committed to the Huskers early last year, he extracted a promise from the Husker staff to stop recruiting any other quarterback candidates. True to their word, the staff told several interested recruits to look elsewhere so when Freeman decommitted very late in the process it was a devastating blow. Most quarterbacks commit early in the recruiting season and it was just too late for Nebraska to get back in the game.

This year the staff is aggressively pursuing quarterbacks and has already made over half a dozen offers. Unfortunately it's not been going well so far but the recruiting year is still early. Bill Callahan's number one quarterback target was Ryan Mallett from Texas. Mallett caught Callahan's eye in the first Husker Elite Quarterback camp but since that visit to Lincoln, Mallett hasn't shown much interest in Nebraska. Mallett recently identified his top choices and Nebraska does not appear to be one of them. Nebraska also had hoped to get in on Chris Forcier from California and it was thought the Huskers might have an edge because Forcier comes from the same high school as Huskers Congdon and Holt. A couple of weeks ago Forcier committed to UCLA dashing those hopes.

The best chance for getting a quarterback recruit might be Jarrett Lee from Brenham, Texas. Lee and his father (a football coach) are in Lincoln this weekend to see what the Huskers have to offer and to take in the Spring game. Lee would appear to fit Callahan's West Coast Offense very well - he completed 69 percent of his passes for 3,400 yards and 40 touchdowns as a junior to rank among the most efficient high school quarterbacks in Texas. He also has a reputation as being a good decision maker that doesn't get rattled in a game. Of course top quarterbacks also have many choices of schools to pick from and Lee is no exception. Texas A&M and Texas Tech in particular already have made very favorable impressions on him so the competition will be tough. And, it should be noted that Lee lives only about 30 miles away from the Texas A&M campus so proximity could be a factor in his decision.

It will take all the energy Bill Callahan has to get a top quarterback recruit (or two) this year but there's no doubt that Callahan will keep working hard. After all, in Callahan's West Coast Offense, you must have a top quarterback for success. If Zac Taylor has a good season this Fall, look for interest from quarterback recruits to increase dramatically.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

The Return of Matt Herian

2006-04-14T06:11:00.000-07:00

Some Matt Herian good news has quietly appeared in the last few days. For most of Spring practice, Herian was held out of the scrimmages and mostly did his own thing on the sidelines. Within the last several days things have taken a turn for the better. Not only has Herian participated in some of last scrimmages but it has been announced that he will play in the Spring game. This is significant for a few reasons.

First, Herian needs that kind of progress to get his confidence back. After you've missed a whole season with such a major injury as he had, it's not easy to be as aggressive as you once were. Don't expect to see the Herian of old just yet in the Spring game. It's going to take some time to shake off the rust and get back in to the swing of things. There's nothing better right now, however, for Herian just to be able to participate in the Spring game. He doesn't have to have an outstanding game or any super catches. As long as he emerges without further injury that should send him into the off season with a huge boost. He can work on his conditioning this Summer to be ready for the Fall.

Second, having a great tight end will add another dimension to the Nebraska offense this Fall. Nebraska's West Coast Offense can get along without a great tight end but having one takes everything up another notch and makes it that much more difficult for opposing defenses. In addition, there's a new tight end coach in town by the name of Shawn Watson who is the former Colorado offensive coordinator and well versed in terms of how to use tight ends in the West Coast Offense. The combination of a healthy Herian and Watson's new ideas on how to capitalize on a talented tight end in the West Coast Offense should have all Husker fans excited.

Third, Nebraska had some difficulty recruiting top national talent at the tight end position this past recruiting season. The Nebraska staff tried hard and offered some of the best national talent available but unfortunately they were turned down most times with the lone exception of one recruit from Missouri. More than likely some of that recruiting frustration was caused by the fact that the tight end position didn't especially stand out on last year's team with the absence of Herian. The other tight ends on the team were known more for their blocking abilities than for their pass catching prowess. Getting Herian back this Fall for an eye-grabbing senior season really could do wonders for Nebraska's ability to recruit future stars to the tight end position.

Fourth, this is Herian's last chance as a senior. Having a great senior season could lead to a very nice NFL career. After suffering through the injury and set backs after the injury, it would be really great to see this story have a happy ending.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

P.S. The linked article from the Lincoln Journal Star describes some of the progress recently made by Herian to return to the Football field.

Husker Quarterbacks

2006-04-13T05:37:00.000-07:00

The Quarterback position has always been a highly visible spot on the Husker Football team whether you remember Jerry Tagge, David Humm, Vince Feragammo, Turner Gill, Tommie Frazier, Eric Crouch or Jamal Lord. The visibility hasn't changed one bit under Bill Callahan's West Coast Offense, and even though the newspaper publicity hasn't reached the peaks of past (yet), the Quarterback is an even more important part of the team than he's ever been. This West Coast Offense is going to live or die by the quarterback decision making ability.

Zac Taylor - The stories about Zac have been pretty "quiet" this Spring but from all accounts Zac has been very impressive and has taken a major leap forward in his development. None other than Jon Gruden himself has been impressed with Zac's command of the offense this Spring. The stories on Zac have been "quiet" because there's no controversy, no surprises and the team is working on its rushing game. The fact that the team is working so hard this Spring on its running game is just an indication that the coaches really are comfortable with the passing game and don't have to work so hard on it now. I think the real take-away from the situation with Zac is that it's going to take a season or two of experience before any Quarterback can get comfortable with the intricacies of Bill Callahan's West Coast Offense. But when the Quarterback has experience, look out. If Zac can stay injury free, look for an eye-popping season from him this Fall.

Harrison Beck - The Internet message board discussions about Beck have been like a rollercoaster ride the past several days. First, the fans were worried that Harrison wasn't shining in Spring practice like they expected him to be shining. Folks were getting really worried about the 2007 season (and we haven't even played 2006 yet!). Then it was revealed that Beck had a painful injury to his shoulder and was sidelined for several days. Now, could it be that injury was limiting him and causing frustration during the early practices? At any rate, fans were now either worried that he was missing valuable practice time (which of course is true) or that Beck somehow had a bad attitude and wasn't fighting through his pain. All of this just goes to prove the Quarterback position is going to be under the microscope and fan opinion is going to gyrate with all kinds of speculation.

It's too early to say how Beck's career at Nebraska will progress but I'd offer these two observations. Number one, Beck IS a competitor and has a very strong desire to play. His mother was quoted as saying that the Spring Game is like the Super Bowl to him and he wants to play in the worst way. And fans should remember that it was Beck as a high school senior who paid his own way last year during his Spring break to come to Lincoln just to observe the Spring practices even though he obviously couldn't participate. That sounds like a pretty motivated kid to me. Second, we all need to remember that Zac Taylor struggled early in the season last year before the light finally came on in the last few games. Callahan's West Coast Offense is NOT something any Quarterback is going to master in the first year. Beck has had virtually no significant game experience yet and this is his first Spring of participation. Fans need to be patient. The light will come on for him too but just don't expect it to happen until he gets some real game experience behind him.

Joe Ganz - I think it's important that fans don't overlook Joe Ganz. Ganz isn't going to be the "flashy" Quarterback on the team but he's a solid back up and, in my opinion, he'll do very well if he's ever called to come into the game. Remember Ganz now has more time in Callahan's West Coast Offense then either Taylor or Beck. He's been around since year one of Bill Callahan. From all reports, Ganz has a couple of strengths that will serve him well if he has to go into the game. First, he doesn't make mistakes. He knows the system and doesn't make bad decisions. Second, Ganz is the most mobile Quarterback on the team right now. That would provide a significant change up for opposing defenses if he were to go in the game. Remember, during Callahan's often bleak first season, Joe Dailey actually had some success as a mobile quarterback in the West Coast Offense. Dailey's weakness, of course, was some bad decision making but his ability to scramble was one of his assets.

All in all, it's going to be real interesting to watch the Quarterbacks in Bill Callahan's West Coast Offense. I think people who haven't paid much attention to Nebraska football lately are going to be surprised.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

The Best Performer this Spring

2006-04-12T13:49:00.000-07:00

It will come as no surprise to anyone who has been following the Husker Spring practice reports closely that the best performer this Spring has been ...

Weakside linebacker Steve Octavian! There have been a lot of solid performances through Spring practice but no one has been consistently mentioned and singled out for praise in all the reports as much as Octavian. And, this comes after he missed virtually all of last season with an injury and, according to his position coach, right now is 10 pounds overweight at 240. The great thing this Spring is that Octavian has been fearless in his willingness to attack and hit - there's been no tentativeness after the injury. It's also amazing that he is reported to run a 4.5 second 40 (or maybe even less) at 240 pounds. It seems like Steve has just taken off from where he was before the injury. Or maybe, he's even hungrier now having had to watch last season from the sidelines. Imagine what he will be like in the Fall when his weight is where it should be and when he isn't hitting his fellow teammates.

Steve has mixed it up with almost everyone on the offense this Spring. He's taken out or sidelined all three running backs (Lucky, Glenn and Jackson) at one time or another. Marlon Lucky was quoted as complaining that Steve is every where and fills the hole so fast that it's really hard to run against the defense. Earlier in Spring Octavian also got crossways with tough receiver Grant Mulkey on a vicious hit - so much so, that Callahan had to sit Octavian and Mulkey out for one practice session so that they could learn how to "bond with each other" as teammates. On Monday it was reported that Octavian bruised up big offensive tackle Slausen, giving him a black eye and a gash across the nose (not intentionally of course). So if Octavian is this tough on his own teammates in Spring practice, you have to wonder how he will play in the Fall against opponents when a real game is on the line.

Hats off to Steve Octavian. Barring another injury, he's going to be something to watch in the Fall.

Go Big Red,

RedCap

Will the Nebraska rushing attack improve in 2006?

2006-04-11T11:14:00.000-07:00

It's been fun to read about the I-Back battle this spring to replace graduated I-Back Ross. Nebraska has the most depth at I-Back that it's had in many, many years with Marlon Lucky, Cody Glenn and Leon Jackson being the primary competitors this spring. We haven't seen this much talent at I-Back since Ahman Green and Lawrence Phillips were on the same roster. As if the three talented sophomores mentioned weren't enough, the Fall will see additional competition with Brandon Jackson returning from injury and Kenny Wilson coming over from the JUCO ranks. Brandon Jackson also is a multi-talented back but he's been hindered by injuries so far in his Husker career. Wilson was touted as one of the best running backs in the JUCO ranks last year.

Now that's a LOT of talent on one team. Of course, Nebraska really can use all the talent at I-Back that it can get. Last year the running offense was horrible ranking near the bottom of the NCAA. It was probably the worst Nebraska rushing effort in some 30 years. And that is something that Nebraska fans are NOT used to and it's also something that Bill Callahan finds totally unacceptable. Callahan has always said he wants balance between passing and rushing.

Spring practice has focused on improving the rushing attack more than anything else. Let's hope Bill Callahan's emphasis this Spring on rushing is as successful as his emphasis last spring was on improving special teams performance. And, I believe, the 2006 rushing offense will be dramatically improved and it will surprise a lot of people around the country.

First, it all starts with the offensive line and this year's line has to be a lot better (it really couldn't be much worse). Not only are some talented young OL players beginning to make headway in Spring practice but Bill Callahan himself is personally coaching the OL this Spring to give Dennis Wagner (the OL coach) a helping hand. Callahan, of course, comes with a blue ribbon pedigree having been a superb OL coach in the NFL.

Second, the running backs will be much better this year. The sophomores of next year struggled as freshmen last year. It was tough for them to just come in and immediately pick up the blocking assignments and pass routes required for in the West Coast Offense. Unlike the old Husker offense, being a running back in the West Coast Offense is not something you can pick up quickly and just shine with your natural athletic talent. According to all reports coming out of Spring Practice, major progress is being made by these young backs this Spring.

Third, the passing game should be hitting on all cylinders this season. Zac Taylor has a year of experience behind him and he now is comfortable with the complexities of the West Coast Offense. The OL will give him better protection and allow him to do more things. The talent at the receiving position will be much, much better. Terrence Nunn and Nate Swift have more experience and a full year of coaching under Ted Gilmore (the new receivers coach last year). Newcomers like Tyrell Spain and Maurice Purify will add much needed size to the receiver position. And, perhaps most important, tight end Matt Herian finally will be back from a very long injury recuperation. The improved passing game just means it will be that much harder for teams to shut down the running attack.

Fourth, the Husker defense should also be much improved in 2006. That helps two ways. One, by providing more competition and challenge in training camps to make the offense better and two, by giving the offense more opportunities to be on the field against opponents in the Fall.

All in all, things are looking up (yes, I'd say way up) for the Husker rushing attack in 2006. I'm excited and I can't wait to see how this rushing attack stacks up against teams like USC and Texas.

Go Big Red.

RedCap

Expectations for the Upcoming Spring Game

2006-04-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

The Nebraska Football team will play the 2006 version of it's Spring Game this Saturday, April 15. So what can we expect?

There will be another large crowd in attendance. Nebraska fans have a history of showing up in force for the Spring Game. The numbers could approach 50,000+ on Saturday assuming that the weather holds up and it is a nice Spring Day. Stadium capacity will be limited this year, however, as the North End Zone will be shut down completely for the ongoing construction associated with the expansion project. So don't expect a record crowd this year.
It will be a fun game for recruits and fans. The Spring Game has become an entertainment event more than a real practice. Expect to see entertaining offense and entertaining defense as the coaches set the stage by distributing the players among the Red / White teams and by the play calling.
Don't expect to learn much of value for next fall. For various reasons, the Spring Game will NOT be a good predictor of what we can expect in the Fall. New players including recruits and injured players will not be participating in this game. Having your offense play against your defense doesn't tell you if one is good and/or the other one is bad. The coaches keep things close to the vest and won't reveal anything they don't want the competition to know.

So just plan to enjoy the game for what it is and pray that nobody get's injured. Coming out of the Spring Game with no injuries is the best possible outcome we can desire.

RedCap

RedCap's Husker Blog

Creation of RedCap's Husker Blog

2006-04-10T14:02:00.000-07:00

I was searching for some Husker specific Blogs to add to my new website RedCap's Husker Recap and discovered that there weren't a whole lot of Blogs to choose from (or at least I didn't find them). While there are some Blogs out there, many of them do not seem to be updated very frequently. That led me to try my hand at starting up my own Blog.

In keeping with the theme of my website (a recap of Husker football news), the mission of this Blog is to add some commentary on the recent Husker news I've come across.

Readers are more than welcome to post their own comments on recent Husker news or on comments I have made but I will monitor and review any posts to make sure they comply with the following guidelines:

No obscenities or inappropriate pictures - this is intended to be a family-friendly Blog and there are more than enough other sites out there on the web for that sort of thing if that's what you want to do
No non-Husker related items (e.g., unrelated political posts, promotional plugs, advertising, etc.) - this is focused on the Huskers not on other topics which have their own Blogs
No blatant personal attacks or name-calling - posters are more than welcome to have different opinions but any posts should be civil and NOT personal attacks
No illegal posts (e.g., posting copyrighted materials or doing anything else against the law)

That's it for now.

RedCap