Nebraska...not feeling Frosty anymore

[entropy]

Interviews from practice.

http://huskerextra.com/app/videos/#vmix_media_id=76243781

[Jeff Buchanan]

I hope Neb has as much luck with Martinez running an up-tempo read option offense than M did with DR running RR's.

Oh my, you'll say. M had a lot of success with that. In reality, no they didn't and any number of analyses can be brought to the table to demonstrate that.

An up tempo offense puts a lot of stress on your defense. Yes, Neb has done a better job there with Pelini than M did with RR. But 25 minutes of possession with poor red zone efficiency and high turnover rates associated with these higher risk offenses, don't seem to produce good football that consistently wins games against quality opponents with quality defenses.

Well, all the top teams are running offenses like this, you say. Yes they are, but fundamentally, they can run the ball and hold on to it out of power run game. They score with a power run game and they can knock you off the ball. If Neb can do that, fine. If they can't, well, I'll be a happy guy.

[entropy]

In 2009, Nebraska's Defense led the nation in time on the field. In fact, they topped #2 florida by basically a whole game. The O that year couldn't earn a first down if you spotted them 9 yards. Last year, the D was on the field more than the O again. Part of that was the offense (ok, a lot of it), but also Bo's D design. They make offensives execute. How that translates to the BigTen is yet to be seen..

I'm not sure how this is going to end up. Earlier in the winter, we saw news of guys moving to FB and line splits being compacted. I was hopeful nebraskas was going to a power/option game. If I had my offensive choices, spread option would be way down on the list. I'm hoping for the best.

but anything has to be better than what we saw the last 3 yrs...

[entropy]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYduO3hmOJ8"]YouTube - Nebraska Spring Practice 3/28/11[/ame]

3/28 practice

[entropy]

http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/po...-in-on-big-red

Checking in on Big Red

By Adam Rittenberg

LINCOLN, Neb. -- They've finally let me out to cover spring practice in the Big Ten, and I'm starting my tour at the league's newest member.

I'll be spending the next two days in Husker country with Nebraska players and coaches. The Huskers resume spring practice later today following spring break.

First impressions on my maiden voyage to Lincoln:

Memorial Stadium is impressive and should fit in with the Big Ten's mammoth football facilities. I didn't realize how close the stadium is to downtown Lincoln, making it one of the more urban settings in the league (along with Camp Randall Stadium, and, to a lesser extent, Ohio Stadium).

From what I've seen of Nebraska's football facilities so far (weight room, indoor practice field, lobby areas), they are right up there with the Big Ten's best. The facilities are all connected much like Wisconsin. The weight room is simply massive.

Sign on the marquee of a bar/nightclub: "In Bo We Trust." As several of you have astutely pointed out on Twitter, this inscription could be easily displayed in Ann Arbor (Schembechler) or even Madison (Ryan). But they love them some Pelini here.

I visited with Huskers receiver Brandon Kinnie, and while I'll have more from the senior later, he had some interesting thoughts on leading a young group of wideouts, the new offense and the Nebraska haters (of which there are many). Although Kinnie is a LeBron fan, he admits D-Rose is tearing it up right now, so we're cool.

There's no shortage of spring storylines here. Nebraska is adjusting to a new offensive scheme under coordinator Tim Beck. There's a quarterback competition going on as Taylor Martinez tries to retain his job. The Huskers are trying to keep the bar raised on defense behind Jared Crick, Lavonte David and Alfonzo Dennard. And while they're focused on themselves, the Big Ten move is creeping closer.

Much more to come, so stay tuned.

[entropy]

btw.. I toured the new athletic academic support and compliance facilities under the west stadium. From 9,000 square feet to 60,000 square feet. They are very very impressive. IMO, the new bar for athletics.

http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=3942

and even better one..

http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=1513079

[SeanB]

That video was like watching paint dry. The players look slow, out of shape and wimpy. I'm not sure they even knew what they were doing.

Now, when the same exact video is posted of a Michigan practice, the players look absolutely huge, playing fast, hard and hitting like crazy!

Heh.

[entropy]

Jared Crick sidelined with knee sprain
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By Adam Rittenberg
ESPN.com
Archive
LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska defensive tackle Jared Crick will miss the remainder of spring practice after suffering an MCL sprain in his right knee.

Crick, a first-team All-Big 12 selection in each of the past two seasons, suffered the partial ligament tear in Monday's practice. He told ESPN.com that the rehabilitation process will take up to four weeks and he expects to be fine by the summer and preseason camp.

"I can't fret about it," Crick told ESPN.com on Tuesday. "I've never really been injured before. They said, at worst, it's a four-week rehab and I should be 100 percent."

Crick recorded 70 tackles, 9.5 sacks and 17 tackles for a loss last season, leading the Huskers in the latter two categories and leading Big 12 defensive linemen with five tackles per game. He has 19 career sacks.

Adam Rittenberg covers Big Ten football for ESPN.com. He can be reached at espnritt@gmail.com.

..... I hope this isn't a problem. Should have time to heal

[entropy]

Another article

http://bleacherreport.com/tb/b8H5M

NEBRASKA FOOTBALL: Martinez Faces Media
Ankle isn't quite 100 percent, but the offense should be a better fit

By Samuel McKewon
March 28, 2011

The hour Monday for Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez to finally start talking again to the media came without pronouncements or cattle calls. Some reporters didn't even initially notice as the sophomore broke a four-month silence to a handful of scribes.

After all, they'd grown accustomed to No. 3 walking silently past them to the locker room.

But as he stood near some bleachers of Hawks Championship Center, answering rapid-fire questions with equally quick, staccato answers, the crowd of inquiring minds swelled around him.

He dodged a few questions. He stiff-armed a few more. When asked, for example, how he had developed as a leader following the tumultuous end of his freshman season, he answered simply: “I was a leader last year. Maybe you guys didn't think I was, but I was.”

For roughly 12 minutes, however, Martinez hung in this pocket of oncoming rushers and didn't leave until the last question had been posed. Highlights:

*Despite reports to the contrary, Martinez said didn't consider leaving during or after last season, even though he released a statement to ESPN in early January affirming his commitment to return.

“I never was going to leave,” he said. “All this 'me leaving' stuff, that was all rumors. I'm letting you guys know that – it was all rumors.”

*Martinez shut out fan and media criticism of his play and leadership style - “I don't really go up and slap on the butt” - and doesn't care how naysayers perceive him now.

“Not at all,” Martinez said. “I didn't go home and watch TV or listen to what you guys write or other people write. I got some criticism. I heard (about) it from some players and some coaches and other people around town saying some people don't like me. I really don't care what other people think about me.”

His best friend on the team, defensive end Eric Martin, said Martinez “blanks out” criticism.

“That's what a true athlete does,” he said “You look past all the negativity, and you look past all the positivity and you don't let it get to you. That's where Taylor is. He's not the type to fall in between that stuff."

*Martinez said he spoke rarely to the media last year because, as a freshman, he didn't want do it before a “big game" or supercede senior quarterback Zac Lee - who was relegated to third string for much of the year, anyway. He'll talk more in 2011.

*His injured ankle – sprained severely in the Missouri game – won't be 100 percent until summer. He still feels pain on certain moves. He blamed the injury for his sharp decline in play; he missed two whole games after it happened and chunks of three others.

“Everything went downhill from there,” he said. “I probably re-injured my ankle about five or six times during the season. It was tough on me. I couldn't really run or do what I wanted to do.”

*Nebraska's new offense is similar to that of Martinez's high school team, Corona (Calif.) Centennial, where he won a state championship and the Los Angeles Times' Glenn Davis Award. Martinez and other Huskers billed it as a no-huddle, shotgun-heavy balanced attack that relies on hand signals for play calls, and allows Martinez the ability to audible in and out of plays.

“This year I can make the play what I want,” he said. “Last year I didn't have the freedom to do that. If the play was called, I had to run it.”

Through four practices, Martinez said Beck hadn't installed very many plays; rather, the emphasis is on the offense finding a rhythm.

Although “you guys won't see much of a difference,” Martinez said his reads on passing plays are “quicker” and easier to make than they were in Shawn Watson's hybrid spread/West Coast Offense attack. The 12-day spring break between practices – NU resumed its workouts Monday – allowed Martinez to go home and study his playbook.

Martinez said he wanted to improve his passing most - both where the ball should go and how efficiently it gets there.

Tight end Kyler Reed – one of Martinez's top targets in 2010 – has noticed.

“He's making a lot reads now,” Reed said. “He grown a lot over the winter – pretty much up there with Coach Beck learning. He's leading real well, but the biggest thing is that he's attempting to make those reads. And he's making a lot them correctly.”

While Beck's offense could better fit Martinez, the quarterback was still “shocked” and disappointed to see Watson leave and eventually land at Louisville.

At the time of Martinez's ankle injury, Watson had just enjoyed perhaps the best 15 minutes of his career as an offensive coordinator, a 24-point, 256-yard first quarter output against Missouri's “Fist” defense. Roy Helu would run for a school-record 307 yards in a 31-17 win as NU gained control of the Big 12 North.

Two months later, Watson was directing an out-of-sorts offense featuring a hobbled Martinez in an ugly 19-7 loss to Washington in the Holiday Bowl.

Monday, Martinez said he was driven to erase that frustrating end to his season and the Huskers' 2010 campaign.

“I want to come back a lot stronger for the team and the whole Nebraska fan base,” said Martinez, in one of his few nods to the Husker faithful. “Hopefully we can win a national championship.”

See also: Practice Report 3/28: Offense Going No Huddle?

Email Samuel McKewon at sam@ne.statepaper.com

[entropy]

LJS

Jermarcus Hardrick describes himself as a mad player last year. It wasn't the kind of mad that inspires football dominance, either.

This was the kind of mad that burdens.

"Last year I let my ego get in the way," Hardrick said. "Really because I wasn't playing, I really didn't care. I really didn't want to be here. I'm happy to be here now. I'm happy with the coaches."

The 6-foot-7, 325-pound tackle describes his relationship last year with offensive line coach Barney Cotton as "on and off."

This spring he has a different description for that relationship.

"Coach Cotton is like a dad," Hardrick said. "All the coaches, they're all in. I just feel like this is my senior year, I got to give it all I got. I owe it to my team to give it all I got."

And he owes it to himself. Because it's been some journey to get here.

Hardrick grew up in Batesville, Miss. A country boy living on the outskirts of the city. "Probably about 100 people where I live at."

His South Panola High School teams won three state championships without a loss. He knew how to pancake 17-year-old defenders into the sod. But he couldn't have known the adventure awaiting him as he set out to capture the dream of playing major college football.

He'd soon find himself in another small town -- Fort Scott, Kan. He was one of more than 100 players trying to win one of the 12 roster spots on the junior college team there.

Hard to miss the dude with 300-plus pounds and a big motor. He won his spot. So did one of his new friends. A ball-hawking linebacker from Miami named Lavonte David.

Soon, they were banking victories, catching the notice of college coaches. And when offered tickets by Nebraska to big-time college ball, both eventually accepted, joining former Fort Scott teammate Brandon Kinnie in Lincoln.

If you're going to take the winding road, better to do it with friends.

"Me and BK and Lavonte talk about it a lot," Hardrick said. "A lot of people couldn't do this. This is our last chance. We have to take advantage of it."

As a junior college recruit, Hardrick came to Nebraska with just two years to make it happen.

That's why he carried so much disappointment last year. He played some, but he wasn't starting.

There also was an ambulance trip in August when Hardrick was dehydrated after a practice.

Hardrick said he was weighing about 340 pounds but wanted to get down to 330.

"It was kind of weight-related because I was going to the sauna and trying to get my weight down, so I was really dehydrated and I wasn't drinking or eating," Hardrick said.

It ended up a scary situation.

"My whole body cramped and I had two IVs in my neck," he said.

Hardrick recovered and took the incident as a learning experience. He's since trimmed down and gained a new outlook.

His upbeat nature is easily evident. The man who carries the nickname of "Yoshi" is relishing every rep as he works this spring at left tackle.

"I want to look myself in the mirror every night and know that I gave it all I had," he said.

He knows there are openings on the line. The Huskers lost three starters from last year -- right tackle D.J. Jones, and Keith Williams and Ricky Henry at the guard spots.

"After the bowl game, coaches made it real clear everything from last year is over and we're taking it up to another level like no other," Hardrick said. "And I live with Brandon Kinnie, and BK, he could sell water to a fish. He just puts it in my head every day, like, ‘Last year is over. Just bring what you brought to Fort Scott.' And me, him and Lavonte just want to go out with a bang."

However it plays out, Hardrick considers the fact that he's playing college football at this level to be a dream.

Sometimes when he tries to go to sleep at night, he has trouble believing he's here. A kid from the country playing before packed stadiums on fall Saturdays.

But he knows there's more out there, and more is what he's chasing now.

"When I go home, I'm this big hero, but I just feel like I haven't done anything yet," Hardrick said. "I just wanna play. I just want to show the world what I can do."

[entropy]

LJS

New coordinator. New position coach. New opportunity. You can't blame Curenski Gilleylen for being excited.

"I do look at it as a fresh start for me to go out there and show what I did before," the Husker wide receiver said after Monday's practice. "I played before and I made plays whenever I was out there. I know I can do it."

Gilleylen is anxious to prove himself after last season, when he saw limited action and didn't catch a pass.

As a sophomore in 2009, Gilleylen started the year on fire, recording five catches of more than 35 yards in the first four games, including a 51-yard touchdown against Florida Atlantic. But midway through that season, his playing time dwindled.

After that, he struggled to get snaps and struggled with injuries.

Now a senior, the 6-foot, 215-pound receiver from Leander, Texas, said he's motivated, knowing this is his last shot as a Husker.

Gilleylen said his strong faith in God and his close relationship with his mother helped him through tough times in his career.

"I know that everything happens for a reason and it's going to work out," he said. "All I've got to do is press forward, keep my head down and stay focused and do everything my coaches ask me to do because they're there to help me out."

No doubt there's reason to be inspired, since he gets a new start with offensive coordinator Tim Beck and new wide receivers coach Rich Fisher.

"I think Coach Beck has a great system and it's set up for the people that are going to get open," Gilleylen said. "He says if we get open, we're going to get the ball."

Gilleylen said he expects wide receivers to play faster in Beck's system.

"It seemed like we were thinking a lot last year," Gilleylen said. "So what we want to do this time around is just have us play fast and not think as much and have us be ballplayers."

Though many consider the position a question mark this year, Gilleylen sees a united, motivated group of receivers that came closer together as they dealt with the departure of coach Ted Gilmore.

And the new coach? Gilleylen is adjusting quickly to Fisher's style.

"I think the only thing that is really different is you get the gratification of knowing that you do stuff more right when it happens," Gilleylen said. "Coach Gilmore is kind of a guy that's low-key. And if he doesn't say anything to you, that means you're probably doing it right. ... But Coach Fish is going to go out there and chest bump and jump up with you, so that's kind of exciting, too."

THE RECEIVING LINE: Gilleylen has plenty of company when it comes to wide receivers working hard to make an impression this spring.

Kenny Bell, Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Quincy Enunwa, Steven Osborne, Tim Marlowe and Tyler Evans are some of the players looking to join the group's headliner, Brandon Kinnie, for playing time.

Bo Pelini expressed confidence Monday in how that group is coming along.

"I like our receiving corps -- some young guys, a lot of talent," the head coach said. "I think we've got to wait and see. They're swimming in it a little bit ... (but) I think you're going to see some guys that haven't played around here that are ready to step up."

IMPRESSING THE NEW BOSS: Though he enjoyed a positive relationship with former offensive coordinator Shawn Watson, junior quarterback Cody Green is among those eager for a chance to show Beck what he can do.

"It's basically like getting a new boss and you show what you've got for that new boss, and hopefully he promotes you," Green said. "It's fun going out here. Coach Beck's laid-back. He's a guy that likes to have fun. So it's fun playing for him for now."

Green knows sophomore Taylor Martinez isn't his only competition. Redshirt freshman Brion Carnes and true freshman Jamal Turner are also pushing hard.

"These young guys are up here competing and it's fun to see what they have," Green said. "Because, they can go out there and play with reckless abandonment and put it all on the line."

BACK TO BUSINESS: After a 12-day layoff for spring break, Pelini said Monday's practice was solid after a sloppy beginning.

"It was business as usual," Pelini said. "Our kids, I think, did a good job of staying in shape and working through the break."

NEW LEAGUE, NEW FACES: A change in conference means getting to know new media members. Among the 30 media types on hand after Monday's practice were the Chicago Tribune's Teddy Greenstein and Adam Rittenberg, who covers the Big Ten for ESPN.com.

[entropy]

Nebraska's athletic director talks about the Cornhuskers' move from the Big 12 to the Big 10.

Teddy Greenstein
ON COLLEGES, ON GOLF
4:57 p.m. CDT, March 30, 2011

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When Nebraska officials in 2007 asked Tom Osborne to rescue the school from Steve Pederson's disastrous reign, Osborne became interim athletic director. He dropped the "interim" tag a few months later and agreed to stay on past the summer of 2010, as initially planned.

Osborne, 74, stepped down as football coach after his team beat Tennessee 42-17 in the 1998 Orange Bowl, allowing him to become the first man in college football history to retire as a reigning national champion.

I talked with Osborne in his office on March 29:

Q: What happens on July 1 (when Nebraska officially joins the Big Ten)? Will it be celebrated?

Check out our crossword, Sudoko and Jumble puzzles >>

A: I don't know that we've gotten that far. It will be a little anti-climactic. We haven't thought about it, but it will be nice to see it culminated.

Q: What excites you most about the move?

A: We like the stability of the Big Ten. We think it's a fairly collegial arrangement. We feel we fit well athletically and academically. There will definitely be some academic benefits to the move, the CIC (Committee on Institutional Cooperation) and those kinds of things. We'll be competing with schools that have similar weather patterns, and that will impact sports like baseball, golf and tennis. Right now we're in a vertical league, with 4-5 of the schools in fairly warm-weather climates. In recruiting and competition, that makes it a little harder. And we like the Big Ten Network. That will be helpful in national recruiting, allowing parents to watch many of the contests.

Q: Does Coach (Jim) Tressel get an assist?

A: I talked to Barry Alvarez and to Jim, and they both indicated that there was some interest on the part of the Big Ten. But first and foremost, (Chancellor) Harvey Perlman had had a conversation with (Big Ten commissioner) Jim Delany at some NCAA meeting. Jim had indicated an interest, and a combination of all those things led us to believe: Maybe this is something we should consider.

Q: When someone first mentioned the idea of Nebraska in the Big Ten, did you immediately think it could work?

A: It wasn't something I was opposed to right away. I hadn't thought about it much but there were rumors and rumblings within the Big 12, so we weren't really sure about its stability. The Big Ten appeared attractive. The more we found out about the Big Ten, the more it appeared to be a logical move.

Q: What's it like to walk into a building past your own statue?

A: I really wish the statue wasn't there. It makes me a little uncomfortable. But it is there and I don't think it'd be a very good idea to just tear it down.

Q: Are you uncomfortable with it because of your humility?

A: I don't know how to phrase it, but I wish I had a button where it could just go down into the cement and then if there was a rare occasion where someone wanted to take a picture with it, they could push a button and it would pop right up.

Q: The William Jennings Bryan quote ("Destiny is Not a Matter of Chance. It is a Matter of Choice") on the outside of the building, how was that chosen?

A: I wasn't the one who chose it. I think that was the previous athletic director, Steve Pederson. This building was not built while I was here. I was in Congress at the time.

Q: How do you feel about the quote?

A: It's something that has never resonated with me all that much.

Q: Will Nebraska football change going from Big 12 to Big Ten?

A; Generally speaking, the image of Big Ten football is a little more traditional, a little more I formation. But there will be spread teams that throw it 50 times. I would guess that instead of having a dime package on the field with six defensive backs, you won't see that as much. Last year we were probably in a dime package 70-80 percent of the time.

Q: Do you think Nebraska has an easier or more difficult path to the national title game?

A: I don't see there would be much difference. It's probably a little easier now in the Big 12, and it was easier before in the Big Ten. When you're a 12-team league, you've got that one extra (conference title) game. And it's certainly no better than a 50-50 game.

Q: Do you think Soldier Field will have a chance at that Big Ten title game?

A: After the (2011 game) is in Indianapolis, I don't know. We had a similar situation in the Big 12. We played at Arrowhead Stadium and alternated it with places like San Antonio, which is indoor, and then the last couple of years, it has been at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium. The question will be how much the decision-makers are influenced by comfort, weather, finances. I think I was the only athletic director who opposed playing in Jerry Jones' stadium two years in a row. I wanted it rotated because I feel football is an outdoor game, and if you have it at the same place every year, you automatically favor those schools that are closer by. In our league we had some schools that don't play a whole lot in cold weather. We felt that playing in Arrowhead Stadium was more advantageous to Nebraska than playing in Dallas Cowboys Stadium in terms of the fan base and weather. But they chose otherwise.

Q: So Northwestern, Illinois and Wisconsin fans will want you to have a strong voice.

A: It's in early December, late in the year, but not like you're playing in the middle of January.

Q: Have you ever coached at Soldier Field?

A: Yes, one time. We played the All-Star game one summer (1972) and practiced at Northwestern. Coached the college all-star team against the Dallas Cowboys. Final score was 20-7, we got beat. And that was one of the last ones. Of course now with agents and contracts, it became difficult to do.

Q: Have you played at Northwestern?

A: We played Northwestern once or twice here, but without a return engagement. I knew Alex Agase, who was a coach there.

Q: When you play there in 2012, at least one fan rooting for you will be Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts. Do you know him?

A: I know (brother) Pete Ricketts fairly well and have met (father) Joe, and I'm sure I've met Tom at some point. But I can't say I know him well.

Q: Do you sense that Chicago has a lot of Nebraska fans? It seems there have not been very many players from there whom you've signed.

A: We had some players from Chicago, but we felt it was heavily recruited – every Big Ten school plus Notre Dame and some Big 8/Big 12 schools. But we would take a shot at it.

Q: Did any important Big Ten meetings take place in this office?

A: No, when Jim (Delany) came here to announce we were joining the Big Ten, it was a clandestine operation where he stayed in a hotel downtown so no one would see him. I've been around Jim several times. He's a very smart guy and certainly knows the landscape of television.

Q: There was also a clandestine meeting when you guys discussed expansion. Was there a time you got on a plane and did not know where it was going?

A: We knew where we were going. But when we got picked up at the hotel in the city where we landed, we didn't know where we were going from there. It was a place Jim thought the press wouldn't know about. It was unusual.

Q: You still don't want to say which city?

A: I don't think I can. It's kind of Jim's deal.

Q: Did you think all the secretive stuff was silly?

A: It led me to understand that the Big Ten didn't want its business broadcast. They really valued a certain level of privacy. At that point it was more a matter of feeling out the Big Ten and they were feeling us out. If it wasn't going to work, one way or the other, they did not want a whole lot of publicity. It was probably handled about right.

Q: Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe declined a trip Lincoln to present your team with the Big 12 North Division trophy because of vile messages and death threats. What was your reaction to that?

A: I was disappointed. If he did get death threats, I was disappointed that someone would be that exercised. And secondly, a little bit disappointed that it was a matter of public information because most anybody who has been in coaching for any length of time or a political figure has had some pretty serious threats. I've had a great number of death threats during my time as a coach, and most of them just got thrown in the waste basket, unless someone had a particular method that they mentioned or a time and place sometimes we'd turn in over to campus police. Usually it's somebody who lost a bet or was mad at the world.

Q: This was unfortunate because it reflected, however small, a segment of the fan base?

A: Yeah, and I think if you listen to opposing coaches and fans that come in here, this is probably one of the more well mannered fan bases in the world. The hospitality is good, the people are knowledgeable and understand good football when they see it. So I was really disappointed in that.

Q: The fact that the Big 12 sent you to play an opponent you'd already played (Washington in the Holiday Bowl), did you feel like that was sort of a rude farewell?

A: Well, I don't know how much the Big 12 had to do with that. It appeared that the logical step was to go to Phoenix and play in the Insight Bowl against Iowa, which would have been a Big Ten preview. Whether that was something Big 12 officials had something to do with, I don't know. It would have been a logical game, and the Big 12 is tied into the Fiesta Bowl and the Insight Bowl, so I'm sure they had some influence. It was tough because we'd already played that team and beaten them badly and had been there (Holiday Bowl) the year before. So that might have contributed a little bit to our being flat (in 1 19-7 loss) and playing like we could have.

Q: Were you disappointed in the histrionics of Coach (Bo) Pelini in some of those games?

A: Bo had one game (at Texas A&M) where he got pretty excited. We visited about it, and he said it wouldn't happen again. I take him at his word.

Q: Is Nebraska a Legend or a Leader?

A: I think we're in the Legends.

Q: You are.

A: But I had to think a little bit.

Q: What do you think of those division names?

A: I'm neutral on them. It surprised me a little bit but someone said: What would you call it? I don't know what I would have said.

chicago tribune

[entropy]

Randy York interviews two Chicago sportswriters on their first take on NU. Pretty good interview, pretty interesting views.

Chicago Writers Share Thoughts about Nebraska and the Big Ten

Adam Rittenberg is a California native, and Teddy Greenstein grew up in the small town of Manhattan (the New York version ... the Big Apple ... the Manhattan with 6 million people).

Both wound up at the nationally prominent Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in Chicago, the same school that cranks out all kinds of notable alumni, including best-selling authors, screenwriters, publishers, executive editors, film producers, anchors, managing editors, Pulitzer Prize winners, investigative reporters, senior executives, national and international correspondents and bureau chiefs for the nation's largest newspaper.

I mention all that for one reason - to let you know that these two sportswriters, who were in Lincoln this week, are ready to take analysis of Nebraska football to a new level in the Huskers' first year in the Big Ten Conference.

Rittenberg, who writes the Big Ten Blog for ESPN.com, and Greenstein, a columnist and Big Ten beat writer for the Chicago Tribune, came to Lincoln expecting to catch a glimpse of what made Nebraska the only addition to the nation's oldest intercollegiate athletic conference in two decades. And they left Nebraska's Capital City with some intriguing thoughts about what they saw and heard while camping out at the Osborne Athletic Complex, the one with the statue of the athletic director that Greenstein interviewed and wrote about this week.

In between interviews, deadlines and lunch, the N-Sider asked Rittenberg and Greenstein to share their opinions on a variety of topics. Given the Chicago-based columnists' stature covering the Big Ten, we asked both the following questions, and they gave us these answers:

How do Nebraska's facilities compare with the rest of the Big Ten?

Rittenberg: Nebraska's facilities are outstanding. They're as good as any team in the Big Ten. I would put Ohio State right up there at the top, too. They have their own independent building, which is incredible. Michigan is also very good. Same with Penn State, so it's also in that mix. Those are the four main programs, and in terms of facilities, Nebraska is certainly equal to, if not better than all of them.

Greenstein: Nebraska has the best facilities I've seen. Ohio State (which has the nation's biggest annual athletic department budget by $17 million) has incredible facilities, but Nebraska's facilities are all connected and all integrated - from a juice bar outside the weight room to a walkway and the indoor practice facility. I mean, the weight room that I thought was for the football players is for the staff. When you're recruiting a kid from Los Angeles to spend four years at Nebraska, and he sees all that tradition and greatness around him, he knows that through these facilities, he has everything he needs to be a success. Coming here, you can see why kids are really attracted to this place.

Leaders and Legends as new division names: Love 'em or leave 'em?

Rittenberg: I'm not a big fan. It's failed to connect. I know what the Big Ten was trying to do with it. I think they over-thought the process. Keep divisions simple and have them be something people can really identify with. Leaders and Legends didn't do that. I would have considered something directional, even though it wouldn't go perfectly with how they divided the teams. If you went East and West and had Wisconsin in the East, people would raise some eyebrows. But the Atlanta Braves played in the NL West. There are divisional oddities throughout pro sports. There are teams in regions they don't seem to belong in, so I think you could have gotten away with that. In general terms, I think even Great Plains and Great Lakes would have been okay.

Greenstein: It's the best of a lot of bad options. I was pushing for Stars and Stripes. That sounded a lot better, but somebody said: "What are we, Conference USA?" If you can't use legendary names or geographic designations, there's not anything anyone can come up with that's really that good.

What's the most difficult game on Nebraska's 2011 schedule?

Rittenberg: Wow, there are so many, but I'd have to say Wisconsin because even though they have a lot to replace, they're always so tough at home. They lose so few games there. They beat Ohio State up there last year, and this game is still early in the season. I mean, Nebraska has a great chance to win at Wisconsin, but it won't be easy.

Greenstein: The Ohio State game is a wild card because of the coach and player suspensions. Logic tells you the Buckeyes will be rusty in that sixth game in Lincoln. I don't think Penn State will be great, and I think Wisconsin is down a little bit. Michigan is another wild card. It's a brutal schedule - absolutely the toughest schedule in Big Ten history. I would love to have seen the true reaction Tom Osborne and Bo Pelini had when they first saw this schedule. It had to have been something like "Whoa! What have we gotten ourselves into?" Playing such an incredible schedule, I am not going to assume any losses. But, at the same time, I don't think anybody is going to assume wins either in at least six of those games. Take your pick. It all depends on how Nebraska handles an absolutely brutal schedule. Let's say the Penn State game ends up being a night game in November. Nebraska would get home about 6 o'clock Sunday morning and then have to come back and prepare for the next Saturday's game at Michigan. That's as tough a schedule as you could possibly have ... anywhere.

What's the biggest trap door on the Huskers' 2011 schedule?

Rittenberg: Northwestern. Iowa knows better than anyone that you can't take Northwestern lightly. They've beaten Iowa five times in the last six seasons. They've also won three consecutive games at Kinnick Stadium (in Iowa City), and in some ways, that's a similar environment to Memorial Stadium. Northwestern is not going to be afraid of playing on the road, and if they're healthy, they're a team that can really challenge you, especially on offense.

Greenstein: Northwestern, absolutely, especially since it's a home game before Nebraska goes and plays back-to-back road games at two of the biggest stadiums in college football - at Penn State and at Michigan. Big Ten teams certainly respect Northwestern. Ask Wisconsin and Iowa. Those are great games every year. It might be hard for Nebraska coaches to convince their players that Northwestern has played above .500 in the Big Ten since 1994. Northwestern is stunningly good on the road. At one point last year, they had seven consecutive road victories, if you remove the previous year's bowl game against Auburn, another game they almost won.

Which teams will win their divisions and which one will emerge as the first-ever Big Ten championship playoff winner in Indianapolis?

Rittenberg: It's hard to prove odds, especially with what's happening at Ohio State right now. The situation there has really changed the Big Ten race. It's much more wide open now. Ohio State has dominated this league. They're the top dog. Now, they're really going to face a huge challenge, especially early in the season. My picks early were Nebraska and Ohio State, and I would probably stick with those. As far as picking a winner, when you cover the Big Ten, until someone beats them, Ohio State is the team to beat.

Greenstein: I'm going to respond like a math nerd. Because they have such a brutal schedule, I give Nebraska just a 30 percent chance to win their division with Michigan State and Iowa each having a 20 percent chance and Northwestern and Michigan a 10 to 15-percent chance each and Minnesota next to none. Ohio State has that same 30-percent chance to win the other division, so my overall leaders to win the Big Ten are Nebraska and Ohio State - each with a 15-percent chance. If you want a champion right now, flip a coin between the Huskers and the Buckeyes.

When someone mentions Nebraska football, what do you immediately think of?

Rittenberg: The option, Tom Osborne, the Heisman Trophy winners, the national championships, the games against Miami ... there are so many things that are special about Nebraska, but those are the first things I think of.

Greenstein: Tom Osborne.

When someone mentions the state of Nebraska, what - good, bad or indifferent - comes to mind?

Rittenberg: Everything seems to connect to this football program ... hard work, the walk-on program ... values ... this is very much a home-grown program in many ways.

Greenstein: The color red, followed by Tom Osborne and Tommie Frazier.

When someone mentions Nebraska fans, what's the image?

Rittenberg: Extremely passionate people, but also people who salute the visiting teams. It's a national reputation. I can't think of any other programs that are known for that kind of sportsmanship. Someone else might do it, but it's a big thing here.

Greenstein: People who get to the stadium early. Based on everything I've heard, Nebraska has very classy fans that will applaud players on other teams. I certainly hope that's how it is with 99 percent because this whole lunatic fringe of college fans and this nastiness that almost every school has needs to change.

What's the first thing that comes to mind about Tom Osborne?

Rittenberg: One of the true legendary figures in college football, like Joe Paterno.

Greenstein: He's direct, intelligent. You just feel he has the knowledge and the experience to meld anything together, and I'm sure if he were coaching me, I would be a better sportswriter. You can see why so many have so much faith in him.

What's your first impression of Bo Pelini?

Rittenberg: Tough coach. Great defensive mind ... a guy who wears his emotions on his sleeve.

Greenstein: One word - intense.

Carl Pelini?

Rittenberg: A little more understated. Cerebral like Bo ... passionate ... a tactician.

Greenstein: Great. Really enjoy a guy who will take the time to explain why Nebraska's going to do things a little differently than every other Big Ten team.

Tim Beck?

Rittenberg: Really like him. He's a guy definitely ready for the role he's been given - to mold Nebraska into a more offensive offense. They're going to attack people and play with more freedom instead of thinking so much about the rules and messing up.

Greenstein: Great. Pittsburgh accent ...hockey fan ... loves the element of mystery. Enjoys everybody guessing what the offense will look like and, wisely so, using that as advantage for all of these Big Ten teams that won't know how to prepare for Nebraska in June, July and August.

Taylor Martinez?

Rittenberg: A guy who is still maturing, but seems happier now that he's in this system, and healthier.

Greenstein: If you've ever gone on a safari, it's hard to spot a leopard ... sort of like a Taylor Martinez interview. He hadn't done one in four months, and I applaud him for doing that while we were here. He was more articulate than I thought he would be. When you ask him about a perceived lack of leadership, though, a defense mechanism kicks in.

Who's your best bet to be Big Ten Preseason Offensive Player of the Year?

Rittenberg: Dan Persa is probably the best, but he plays for Northwestern, so I don't know if people will vote for him. He's in the mix. (Michigan's) Denard Robinson won it last year. He's in a new offense, but he's very, very good.

Greenstein: Dan Persa. Because he was injured, he played in only six (of eight) Big Ten games, and the coaches still voted him All-Big Ten quarterback. He was far and away the most valuable player in the Big Ten, especially when you see what happened to Northwestern after he went down.

How about the Big Ten Preseason Defensive Player of the Year?

Rittenberg: Jared Crick (who will miss the rest of spring practice with a knee injury) has to be in the discussion. Lavonte David has to be in the discussion. There are not a lot of star defensive players coming back in the Big Ten that would jump out at you, so it wouldn't shock me at all if this goes to a Nebraska player.

Greenstein: Jared Crick. It's his last year before the NFL.

Last question: How long will the Big Ten be a 12-team league?

Rittenberg: For the immediate future. I think there's a lot of talk about adding more, but the presidents are very happy with 12 teams. If (Big Ten Commissioner) Jim Delaney wants to add more, it's ultimately in the hands of the presidents, but I think they're very comfortable with this setup, and they waited 20 years before this last expansion.

Greenstein: That's the question I always ask people. My best sense would be that it will stay at 12 schools for a long while, maybe as long as 20 more years. I think the Big Ten presidents and chancellors are really a conservative lot. They have something that works wonderfully. They have three of the top five winning programs now. They have the largest stadiums, the biggest crowds, the best fan bases. Once you remove the whole "who's won the national title for the last five years", it's a wonderful conference, so why dilute it?

[entropy]

http://huskerextra.com/sports/footba...98de57da9.html

Quincy Enunwa ready for new opportunity at wide receiver

By BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Thursday, March 31, 2011 9:00 pm

Quincy Enunwa looked the part of wide receiver. No doubt.

He arrived on campus last fall from Moreno Valley, Calif., as a true freshman standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 205 pounds.

"Coming out of high school," Husker teammate Tim Marlowe said, "he looked like a grown man."

No surprise, then, that Enunwa immediately bypassed a redshirt and played in Nebraska's first football game. He even caught a pass against Western Kentucky.

That's the only pass Enunwa caught all season. He saw action in 10 games.

What happened?

"In the beginning, it was more of me not knowing the plays, and toward the end it was me not working hard in practice," Enunwa said. "Probably if I had picked it up and been more competitive in practice, I probably would've been on the field more. You would've seen me more."

So there you have it. A blunt, honest assessment from the player himself.

No excuses.

"It was mostly mental, just probably not getting on the field as much as I would've liked," he said. "And then that just went to my head. I was acting young when I should've been acting more mature than that."

Spring brings a fresh opportunity for Enunwa. So does a new position coach, a new offensive coordinator and a new offensive system that allows players more freedom.

Naturally, Enunwa has a more positive outlook.

"I like how it allows you to get open," Enunwa said of the offense under first-year coordinator Tim Beck. "Last year, it was, ‘Run this route, and you can't change it up.' This year, you run this route, and you can change it any way you need to get open.

"It gives us an opportunity to use our talents to get open. Each person has speed, some people have size, some people have jumping ability. It just allows everybody to do what they need to do to get open."

Enunwa, who's up to 215 pounds, has a blend of each of those traits. Probably unknown to most fans, he said, is his vertical game.

"Not many people know, but I (high) jumped 6-9 in high school. So I'm more of a jumper," Enunwa said. "I could've gone 7 feet. I could've jumped here, honestly."

First-year wide receivers coach Rich Fisher already had made an impact on Enunwa. Fisher replaces Ted Gilmore and comes to Lincoln after being a high school head coach for two seasons at The Rivers School in Weston, Mass.

"He's definitely taught me to grow up," Enunwa said. "He always tells me, ‘You're not a freshman anymore. You've got to take that leadership role as a sophomore now and use it to help everybody else.'"

Enunwa's one catch in 2010 wasn't much, but it's more than any other returning wide receiver had, other than senior Brandon Kinnie.

"He definitely has a lot of opportunity to make some plays," said Marlowe, a junior who will be competing with Enunwa for time at wide receiver.

"Last year, I think he was young, and the college game was new to him. It was tough for him to catch on at first. He's really improving. Coach Fisher has taken him in and really coached him up, and I think Quincy can make some great plays for us. He's a great playmaker. We just need to get a full effort out of him every single play."

[hodgkal]

Hey Entropy, we appreciate your enthusiasm on this site and esp. on being the latest and welcome member of the Big Ten. But for gosh sakes, when you post a whole booklength comment I doubt many people are going to have the patience to read through it all. Just a friendly suggestion.

Another thought. When you want to quote from a long article just post the link.
Concise and to the point makes the biggest impact.

Like they say, it is easier to write long sermon than a short one.