Storylines for Saturday's game
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BY BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star
1. Here’s ....... Bo!
Chuck Norris is scared of Bo Pelini, don’t you know. At least that’s the message someone sent to my inbox. The offseason has certainly brought forth plenty of Bolievers. Tonight has been a long time coming for the Husker congregation. Bo was the people’s choice five years ago and he’s said all the things they wanted to hear since taking the captain’s chair in December. But now the honeymoon gives way to the reality of results. Pelini’s challenge is a doozy: Turn around a defense that last year ranked among the worst in the country. If it sounds like magic dust is needed, there are surely those quite certain Pelini has some in his pocket. It ain’t that simple, the first-year coach knows. Bad teams don’t turn into great teams in a day. This, as he repeated Friday morning, is a “work in progress.” Mistakes will happen. But it doesn’t mean there can’t be hard knocks, a full-throttle effort, a few three-and-outs, maybe even some turnovers. Nebraska caused all of 11 last year. Anemic. But tonight, a new slate. Pelini takes pride in having a team that plays with maximum effort. That is what the fans will be looking for tonight — for passion, for pride, for reason again to throw the bones.
2. Born to run
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No. 34 Cody Glenn
6-0, 235, linebacker
One of the major topics of the offseason was Cody Glenn’s move from running back to linebacker. He ascended to the No. 1 WILL spot after just a few practices and has earned praise from coaches since. The senior said he has never felt so good going into a season, but as he also told the Journal Star recently: “People want to see what I can do. I’ve got a lot to prove.” Yes, tonight plenty of eyes will be tracking No. 34 in red. Can he emerge as the kind of playmaker this defense so desperately needs with just a few months’ work? Tonight we get our first real look at Glenn the linebacker.
Bronco to watch
No. 27 Jamarko Simmons
6-2, 234, wide receiver
Jamarko Simmons is not an easy matchup for any secondary, but especially one as green as Nebraska’s. Simmons is an NFL talent coming off a big-time season - 84 catches for 980 yards. The senior also played huge against the big boys of college football. He had 14 catches for 144 yards against West Virginia and 10 for 98 against Missouri last season. This team, he told the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Gazette, is much tighter than last year’s club that didn’t meet expectations and finished 5-7. “I’ve never seen guys running, laughing, just loving being around each other,” Simmons said. “We know we have each other. You can look to your right and know your teammate, your brother beside you, has your back. You have theirs.”
The Huskers appear stacked at running back. The offensive line is seemingly as talented as it’s been in at least seven years. Time to pound the rock? Definitely. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson, in control of the play-calling for the first time since he’s been at Nebraska, has said more emphasis will be on the run game. Good call. Nothing could help a growing defense more than grinding out some time-consuming marches on the ground. The Huskers have strengths in Marlon Lucky, Roy Helu, Quentin Castille, so NU might as well play to them. It will be interesting to see Nebraska’s run-pass ratio. And how often does the Big Red run quarterback Joe Ganz using the zone-read play that’s become so popular in college football? Time to get a taste of Watson’s offense. Just don’t ask him what it’s called.
3. Beware of Broncos
Don’t expect Western Michigan to come into Memorial Stadium with trembling knees tonight. The Broncos field a veteran team — 11 starters back on defense — with a complex offense and a game-breaking wide receiver in Jamarko Simmons. And beware of running back Brandon West, a multi-purpose running back who had 848 yards rushing and 365 receiving last year. Western Michigan coach Bill Cubit is offensive-minded and he’ll look for ways to exploit Nebraska’s question marks in its back seven on defense. Western Michigan put up 24 points against West Virginia and Missouri last year. The problem for the Broncos was they also gave up 62 and 52 in those games. But Western Michigan has also won in big-time venues before: Iowa last year and Virginia in 2006. And after last fall, Nebraska is in no position to take anyone lightly.
4. Who makes a statement?Joe Ganz has said NU players are treating this as a “statement game” of sorts — their big chance to make a first impression with a new coaching staff. “This game is the Super Bowl to us really,” the senior quarterback said. Coming off a 5-7 season, there are so many questions entering tonight’s season opener. Can the D-line, with guys like Barry Turner, Zach Potter and Ndamukong Suh, become the brick wall it wasn’t last year. Can Cody Glenn be dynamic after his switch to linebacker? How will young corners Anthony West, Prince Amukamara and Eric Hagg hold up under the lights? Can true freshman linebackers Will Compton and Sean Fisher make an immediate impact? Will this offense find some every-down receivers? Dialing Nate Swift, Todd Peterson, Menelik Holt and Niles Paul to find out. Will Ganz just say no to interceptions? Will Bo Pelini be a spitfire on the sideline with the head coach’s title? So many questions. Finally we get some answers. Let the fun begin.
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