Steven M. Sipple: Better line play would help NU
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Plenty of reasonable folks are delicately suggesting the Nebraska offense, well, stinks.
Some seem on the verge of politely calling for the coordinator’s head, etc.
Ah, the good life. It swings toward toxic quickly in Huskerville.
They’re also grousing about the offensive line. Frankly, Nebraska has been scuffling up front.
This must be panic time.
“Hell, no, it’s not time to panic,” Nebraska offensive line coach Barney Cotton said. “We have a good bunch of guys, and I think their hearts are in the right place. We didn’t play a very good game Saturday against Texas Tech. But at Missouri we played a game under horrible conditions and came back in the fourth quarter and showed great character.
“So is it time to throw up the white flag? Absolutely not. In fact, as an offensive line, what we need to do is ask for even greater responsibility. We’ve got to say, ‘Hey, we need to earn this team’s trust.’”
Barney’s bunch has work to do in that regard. The line’s committing too many costly penalties (five of eight offensive penalties Saturday were against linemen). It’s inconsistent in generating punch in the running game, and isn’t protecting the quarterback particularly well. Zac Lee, bless his heart, has struggled in part because of the line’s problems.
So Cody Green should get the start Saturday? Yes, there’s an element of unfairness if it happens.
Fair or not, the offensive line struggles might actually bolster the argument to go with the freshman. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Texan is better equipped to be creative with his legs while the line irons out its issues.
With a willing and able runner at quarterback, sometimes breakdowns become first downs.
Senior center Jacob Hickman said Nebraska is turning up its commitment to the running game. The QBs even took off their green “no-touch” practice jerseys Tuesday — a rare occurrence. The coaches are emphasizing physical play on offense.
I say go with the better running quarterback. If Green wants to run a little, turn him loose.
“Running the ball is really what Nebraska’s been known for, and it’s one thing I love to do,” Green said Tuesday.
In fact, “At the beginning of the season, all I wanted to do was run,” he said. “If I got in the game, just give me the ball and get out of my way. I just want to take off running. But now I’ve learned how to manage an offense. When to take shots, when not to. Just to be a complete quarterback.”
Green: 'I'm prepared to start'
Early in the season, Green said, he was confident running about 15 plays in the playbook. Now he’s up to 270.
Yep, go with the kid.
And hope the blocking improves.
Come to think of it, hope the wide receivers stop dropping passes.
Hope the tight ends become more involved.
Hope running back Roy Helu’s shoulder stays intact and one of his unproven backups emerges as something more than a 3-yards-and-cloud-of-dust guy.
Meanwhile, let Green, the young and wild horse, kick up some dust. He’s the future. Start it now. He represents hope.
Above all, hope the offensive line begins knocking bodies to the turf.
“Say we have 40 run plays in a game,” Cotton said. “It’d be nice to have 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 knockdowns per play.”
Nebraska ran 33 times against Missouri, but the line produced a paltry 22 knockdowns. The Huskers ran 30 times against Texas Tech, but the line managed only 30-some knockdowns — compared with 60-plus knockdowns in 36 rushes against Virginia Tech.
It’s not time to panic. But it is time for the linemen to roll up their sleeves and get nasty again, lest the toxicity rises out of control.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
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