Steven M. Sipple: A Nebraska football-style perfect storm
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Sorting through remnants of a perfect storm, or whatever that was in Missouri:
— Perfect storm? Yes, we’ve seen this before. A Nebraska football-style perfect storm occurs when the Huskers come up with a major triumph but show significant flaws in doing so. It’s certainly a perfect storm for sports talk radio. Big Red fans are basking in the glow of a comeback triumph over Mizzou while simultaneously gnashing their teeth over their beloved team’s imperfections.
Yes, there’s plenty to gnash about. Arm-chair offensive coordinators are coming out of the woodwork.
Get in on the Nebraska athletics discussion at the Life In The Red blog and in the my.journalstar.com message boards. Click here to get started.
Funny, but it seems like only yesterday I was receiving e-mails from Nebraska fans expressing deep concern that Shawn Watson might eventually become a candidate for Colorado’s head coaching job. “Please tell me he wouldn’t go,” some wrote. Watson-related e-mails suddenly take on a different tone . . .
— So, true freshman quarterback Cody Green was taking snaps on the sideline late in the third quarter Thursday night after Watson and Bo Pelini discussed sending in Green for a series. Watson informed starter Zac Lee of the possibility. Kudos to Lee for responding with a strong fourth quarter. Shows you something about his character.
That said, the fact the coaches came that close to sending in Green shows they possess a high degree of confidence in the 6-foot-4, 220-pound player. Missouri’s defense came to play. The conditions were miserable. And still, coaches were about to turn to the rookie? That’s telling.
It makes sense. I’m not suggesting Lee should be replaced as starter. But we’ve seen enough of Green to know he can make plays with both his arm and legs. He’s clearly ready from a physical standpoint. Would it hurt anything to send him in for an early series or two to see how he responds? Let’s face it, the offense looks like it may need a spark, perhaps sooner than later.
Green said last week he’s become much more comfortable in the playbook in recent weeks after entering the Sept. 5 opener knowing only about 15 plays. Bottom line, this coaching staff emphasizes daily competition in practice for playing time — yes, even at quarterback.
— The recent rise of defensive backs Dejon Gomes and Alfonzo Dennard helps illustrate Nebraska coaches’ willingness to turn to players who had been playing backup roles. Gomes, who played sparingly through the first four games, came off the bench Thursday night in place of Lance Thorell in the dime package and produced five tackles and a crucial interception.
Dennard, a sophomore cornerback, has worked with the first-team defense since he replaced 15-game starter Anthony West early in the Sept. 26 Louisiana-Lafayette game.
“Come Monday in practice, Thorell and West are going to be busting their tails,” defensive coordinator Carl Pelini said Saturday. “That’s awesome when that happens. It’s making everybody better. It’s making everyone step up their level of play.”
— Regarding the 5-10, 190-pound Dennard, Pelini said: “I’ve seen some great plays in practice, like defending the one-step fade in the end zone. Technique-wise in preseason camp, he wasn’t perfect yet. But it was always amazing to stand back and watch that jump-ball in the end zone. Alfonzo would be going against someone three or four inches taller than him, and he’d jump up and have his waist near the guy’s head.
“I’ll tell you what, he’s also a fiery competitor. He competes when that ball’s in the air. No question, there’s a pride in him about not giving up a completion.”
— Jason Whitlock of The Kansas City Star made a great point Thursday night as he watched Nebraska and Missouri struggle with ballhandling issues in a driving rain. Why should we expect otherwise when players across the country spend so much time in multi-million-dollar indoor practice facilities designed in large part to impress recruits?
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
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