Husker Monday Review: Kansas

NU offense takes big leap, but small fissures crop up in the defense

You can cluck and tut a lot when it comes to Nebraska's football season. The offense is held together with duct tape and chicken wire. The defense, wise and skillful beyond its experience, still fudges now and then. The special teams units, aside from kicker/punter Alex Henery, run hot and cold.

But, to this point in the season, one tale of the Huskers' tape is ultimately this: NU beat its two primary Big 12 North challengers – Missouri and Kansas - on the road with fourth-quarter comebacks. And it was the penniless offense that closed the deal.

Seasons can be measured by any number of statistics, all of which are useful. But they are often marked by moments – single plays, or a series of them. NU's had its share of forgettable snapshots – the bust at Virginia Tech, the catch-bumble-fumble by Niles Paul in a 9-7 loss to Iowa State.

A 31-17 win at Kansas provided two more in the positive ledger: Roy Helu, blasting to the edge of KU's defense for the go-ahead touchdown, followed by quarterback Zac Lee buying enough time to find Paul for a two-point conversion.

For an offense that couldn't walk and chew gum at same time for nearly month, it was more than improvement. It was a sign of fight, confidence and a crucial pulse needed to plow through the last part of the schedule.

On to the review:

Five Players We Loved

Quarterback Zac Lee: His best play of the night led to zero points – a picture perfect pass to Niles Paul on a deep crossing route that sprung the Huskers from the shadow of their own goal line. But it wasn't just one play, or even a series of them. Lee seemed a second ahead of Kansas' defense – not two steps behind it. A week on the bench seems to have done Lee some good.

Running back Roy Helu: His cuts are unpredictable – Helu doesn't always seem to know where he's going, for that matter – but when No. 10 bounces to green space, he's deceptively quick and tough to tackle. Helu has about six gears, it seems, using all of them on one run to slip, spin and juke around defenders. Unique.

Wide receiver Niles Paul: Every time Paul makes a few good plays in a game, Omaha-based reporters immediately call up Paul's high school career at Omaha North. Pressure much? That's how good he was. Paul is constantly reminded of what's expected of him. He's trying to live up to it. Saturday, he did. But he shouldn't have to.

Kicker Alex Henery: Just does his job at an amazingly high level. Week after week. And Nebraska's got him for another year.

Defensive back Dejon Gomes: OK, so Kansas' Kerry Meier beat Gomes most of the game. The junior college transfer not only got a education covering Meier, he was run over by KU fullback Toben Opurum. But when NU needed a great defensive effort, Gomes delivered with a timely strip of Meier near the Huskers' goal line. It was one of the key plays of the game.

Three Concerns We Have

Needless blitz calls on third-and-long: Bo and Carl Pelini outsmarted themselves a bit, putting NU's defenders in tough one-on-one spots with KU's talented receivers. Kansas burned this tactic twice – once on the field goal drive to end the first half, and once on the opening drive of the third quarter.

More offensive line penalties: Including another backside personal foul penalty for a ineptly-performed cut block. That's three weeks in a row, and four of the last five. Ridiculous!

Mobile headaches: Todd Reesing isn't what you'd call a great runner, but he gave Nebraska plenty of fits with his delayed draw plays and improvised scrambles. The Brothers Pelini seem to have figured out how to stop the spread's short passing game. But a mobile guy still forces NU into mental meltdowns. First Tyrod Taylor. Now Reesing. Bears worth watching the next two weeks – especially at Colorado.

Reviewing The Five Keys:

QB Shuffle: No need for it. Lee executed his part of the game plan perfectly. Not much zone read, either. Fine by us.

Reesing's Last Run: KU quarterback Todd Reesing started slow – that's been a problem for a month now – but he found his footing midway through the second quarter, and competed hard from there. His best of the night should have been an 80-yard touchdown to running back Jake Sharp, but Sharp dropped it. Sharp, a total non-factor, is one of the most overrated players in recent Big 12 history.

Short Stuffed: Kansas hit a few bubble screens and quick stops, which Meier and Dez Briscoe turned into big gains. But, mostly, Reesing had to look downfield or wait for Meier to emerge on delayed crosses. Kansas took few deep shots; Sharp dropped the Jayhawks' best attempt.

Vengeance: Nebraska's defense didn't seem to have that on its mind too much. The Huskers certainly didn't give up too many big plays, however.

Keep It Together: The personal foul penalty aside, NU's offensive line enjoyed one of its better performances of the year. Kudos there.

Three Questions We Still Have

How does Nebraska respond to a straight power team? Kansas State isn't fancy, but the Wildcats have forged a tough, run-based identity since the non-conference season. NU hasn't faced a team quite like it, really, since Virginia Tech. Not that we're particularly concerned.

Are the screen plays dead? All they were good for on Saturday was drawing a facemask penalty on NU's second-to-last touchdown drive. The Huskers either aren't executing the plays well, or they're not properly disguising them.

Is the Memorial Stadium crowd up for an encore? Bo Pelini sure hopes so.

Be There for the Big 12 North Championship! For Free!

See also: Big 12 Rankings and Big 12 Bowl Projections

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