Sports

Keller Fights Jitters, Drops in First Game

A review of NU quarterback's first game, Nevada's poor effort, and other observations

by Sam McKewon

September 02, 2007

Sam Keller had some shaky moments Saturday, but also threw some terrific passes in Nebraska's 52-10 win over Nevada.

There was only one question Nebraska quarterback Sam Keller couldn't (or wouldn't) answer after NU's 52-10 victory over Nevada Saturday.

Just what he'd say to his Dad about Michigan's 34-32 loss to Appalachian State. Mike Keller played college football at Michigan.

“I think I'm going to save that one just for him,” the younger Keller said. “I still don't know what happened.”

Otherwise, Sam Keller was his usual, honest, smooth self. After completing 14 of 25 passes for 191 yards, a touchdown and an interception, he said he played “OK,” but you could tell he wasn't that pleased, and he'd much rather gush about the running backs and offensive line, which he did effusively. He called them a “beautiful thing.”

Not so pretty: That interception returned for a touchdown, a pass that was a lot like Keller's first of the game: A forced look to covered senior Terrence Nunn. The second edition was tipped into the hands of safety Jonathan Amoya, who returned it 80 yards. Keller didn't try to catch him.

“It was early in the game, it was their only points, so be it,” Keller said.

Overall, Keller seemed to be trying too hard – especially in the first half. But he made some “beautiful” throws throughout the game, although not all of them were completions. Among them:

A pretty rollout and strike to junior Nate Swift, who caught the ball in stride for a 21-yard gain.
The long ball to Nunn in between coverages that Nunn promptly dropped.
The deep post throw to Menelik Holt, who would have had a 30-yard gain had he not been interfered with by Nevada defender.
The touchdown pass to Lucky.

Keller looked good on his play action fakes, wisely threw a ball away on a blitz, and had zero exchange problems with center Brett Byford.

But let's face it: Nevada's defense seemed highly comfortable getting pushed around all day, considering it played a three-man line and spent much of the game in a soft zone. It was like a 7-on-7 drill for Keller. The few times the Wolf Pack brought a little heat, including on the interception, Keller pressed a little. Bottom line: It was hardly a test. As a colleague said afterward: They sure looked like a WAC team.

Wake Forest is no defensive juggernaut, but next week will be a more varied test for Keller.

Other observations Saturday:

The youngest Huskers generally tell the most truth, and freshman running back Quentin Castille sure did when he said it looked like Nevada wanted to go home at halftime. The Wolf Pack seemed overwhelmed in Memorial Stadium, and their coaching staff played it very safe. The result was a real bruise to their collective ego. Reno Coach Chris Ault has been around for 30 years, so of course he knows what he's doing, but this wasn't his best coaching job.

Thumbs down on his postgame comments, too, in which he hung the blame on his offense for leaving the defense hung out to dry. The offense did not execute well, but Ault didn't exactly give this inexperienced unit a lot of chances.

At least on Saturday, Nevada's "Pistol" offense consisted of a ton of slow-developing, single-receiver plays that played right into the Blackshirts' hands. Oh sure, Nevada sent out more than one receiver, but when quarterback Nick Graziano would roll out - I mean he'd booked it all day - toward one sideline, he certainly wasn't going to be throwing 40 yards across the field. Nevada tried only one quick jailbreak screen, and that only seemed designed to give their field-goal kicker a good angle.

Nevada didn't have a running game, probably because there's no running back to juice it up.

Put this way: NU Head Coach Bill Callahan wanted to temper his enthusiasm after the win not only because it's the prudent thing to do with two tough games coming up, but because Nevada stunk. The Huskers could have hung half a hundred of the Wolf Pack in the second half if they had so desired.

***

Ty Steinkuhler hurt his knee early in the first quarter, which opened the door for Shurkee Barfield and Kevin Dixon to play on the Huskers' four-man front. Both had their moments; Dixon picked off a pass he deflected with one of his paws, and Barfield stood up a Nevada running back for no gain.

"Evidently they played pretty good," said Cosgrove, who doesn't throw around superlatives. "To be a productive unit you have to have good up front play."

And while Zach Potter got caught over pursuing a couple quarterback read options, he made two terrific plays near the line of scrimmage.

***

Both Cortney Grixby and Terrence Nunn tried to do too much on their respective punt returns. They were asking to be blown up by some defender. On one of them, Nunn apparently forgot he gave a fair catch signal. Some days, guys, the seams aren't there.

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If Cody Glenn was healthy enough to play in the first quarter, as he did, then why didn't he play much until the fourth? Hard to say. Callahan seemed to suggest that he wanted to get Quentin Castille ready for big games this month.

"We tried to get him in the mix as soon as we could, tried to get him comfortable playing in front of big crowds," Callahan said.

Fair enough, but this isn't the first time Glenn's been excluded from the game plan. NU junior Marlon Lucky surely had the hot hand Saturday, but, still - Glenn seemed healthy enough to play.

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As for Castille...that was the tip of what I think the guy's capable of doing. See the spin move? The way he pushed the pile? Castille is gifted and, just as importantly, he didn't try to get cute on any of his runs. By next year, he could be magnificent. Right now, he's very good at what he does.

***

Freshman kicker Adi Kunalic has a booming leg, but he kicks a low ball. Translation: If No. 20 doesn't boot a touchback, the opponent is looking at the chance for a very good return.

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Lance Brandenburgh and Phillip Dillard were just as busy, if not busier, than Bo Ruud and Corey McKeon. It's called depth, and it's a great thing.

Dillard played some nose tackle on third downs as part of that "30" package Cosgrove has devised. It works, because it allows senior Steve Octavien to put on his Terrell Farley suit for a couple plays. Along with Farley and Demorrio Williams, who so thrived in Bo Pelini's scheme that it helped land him a spot in the NFL, Octavien could be home-wrecking junior college transfer who vies for All-Big 12 honors.

***

Nebraska's HuskerVision unit did unveil a new Tunnel Walk Saturday.

But it still sounded quite a bit like the old one.

Rapper MikeyBo reworked the beginning of the “Sirius” song with a line of dialogue from the “Saw” series and a hip-hop beat before the music segued into the classic version NU fans have heard for more than decade. The opening video featured several Husker Blackshirts, dressed in coats and ties, jumping from a Nebraska National Guard airplane, James Bond -style, and transforming into football players by walking through the fountain inside the Tom and Nancy Osborne Athletic Complex.

***

Nebraska won its first officials' challenge of the season when senior receiver Frantz Hardy's fumble on a Sam Keller was overturned and called an incompletion. Replay official John Lewis ruled Hardy never had possession of the ball. Had the fumble stood, Nevada would have taken over at NU's 32-yard line.

***

It's about time Michigan paid a heavy price for sloppy play during its non-conference schedule. This isn't the first time the Wolverines - and its "Big House" of mild-mannered, expectant fans - have taken a first half off against a lesser opponent. Now watch UM roll off nine straight.

***

Kansas State had a perfectly good chance to beat Auburn and its rotten offense Saturday night. Head Coach Ron Prince had his Wildcats ready, and held a 13-9 lead with five minutes left. Then Auburn hit a few slant patterns, scored a touchdown and let Prince sink his own team's cause.

If you watched it, you know what happened, because, for maybe the first time in the modern era, an ESPN analyst ripped a coaching staff for allowing Auburn defensive end Quentin Groves to humiliate a Kansas State left tackle and bully quarterback Josh Freeman until Groves finally put a Lawrence Taylor shot on Freeman, causing a fumble, which was picked up by Auburn and returned for a touchdown. Game over.

But here's what's really dumb: Prince, knowing it's over, putting a gimpy - OK, he was damn hurt - Freeman back out there on a bum ankle so he could get blown up some more by the same defensive end. Freeman threw an interception.

In other Big 12 games, Kansas was apparently quite good against Central Michigan, Oklahoma buried North Texas, Colorado's defense look awful, and I mean awful, in a win over Colorado State, and Missouri was Missouri - great offense and a "who, me, tackle?" defense against Illinois.

***

Finally...Notre Dame stinks. And next the Irish get Penn State in Happy Valley. After that, Michigan. Goodness.