Nebraska...not feeling Frosty anymore

[Tony G]

Huskers' Bo Pelini leaves in ambulance


Updated: September 15, 2012, 2:26 PM ET
Associated Press

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LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska coach Bo Pelini left Saturday's game against Arkansas State by ambulance after falling ill on the sideline in the first half.
A member of the Nebraska medical staff was seen checking Pelini's pulse in the first half, but he continued on the sideline until halftime. Pelini didn't come out with the team for the third quarter.
The Cornhuskers led Arkansas State 28-3 at half.

[Hannibal]

ESPN sent their sideline guy to the hospital, as if the guy is going to get any information from the personnel there. Idiots.

[Wild Hoss]

Sounds like a heart issue. Don't when we'll hear anything officially, or if it'll be true when we do.

[Wild Hoss]

From Twitter:

reporter saying 3 people have told him that Bo Pelini has left the stadium in an ambulance

True. Somebody got a shot of it on their cellphone and posted it to Facebook.

[Hannibal]

Sounds like a heart issue. Don't when we'll hear anything officially, or if it'll be true when we do.

Yeah they were talking about "flu-like symptoms" but you don't have a guy taking your pulse or go to the hospital on a stretcher for that.

[entropy]

Papuchis gets into a shouting match with a fan at the Big Red Breakfast today.

http://www.ketv.com/huskers-extended-coverage/Coach-lashes-out-at-Husker-fan/-/15210616/16604606/-/28p52i/-/index.html

I guess its no surprise this team cannot keep it cool in football games if some douche at a booster function is setting up shop inside our DC's head.

jP should have taken him outside and beat his ass. Just because you donate 1K to the breakfast doesn't mean you should pubically challenge or try to embarrass our coaches. I'm sure they want to be around us fans even more... What is worse is JP apologized to him both pubic ally and privately at the end. And he still wants more. Guy is looking for attention, nothing more. I am not a fan of these type of UNL fans

Btw... He's claiming he donates 250k per year and has a right to be be heard and answered. Even said this publicity is great.

[entropy]

https://www.facebook.com/joe.schlotfeld

Quote from his page:
Nebraska D coordinator John Papuchis @ the Big Red Breakfast.. Blowing Smoke up our asses!!!! —

Joe Schlotfeld All I asked was what are our goals. He blew up. He talked a lot of coach speak, thinking we don't know football

Joe Schlotfeld I just ask tough questions, not the softball lob ones he's used to..

[entropy]

His email reply that has gone viral...

The design of the Big Red Breakfast is to ask questions. That what I did. Nothing more nothing less. When you pay the money I pay and get the pub I get then you can have an opinion as to the correct politically correct questions one should ask. I am sorry most husker fans have soft feelings. I was in LA for that debacle, I was in Madison I was in Ann arbor I was in Orlando. I am a true husker fan and when the staff makes upwards of 5 million a year and I contribute $250,000 a yr of that I can demand to know what our goals are. We are the main sponsor of the BRB, in fact I will save you a seat at my table. And thanks for wishing our business well, in fact, we are doing GREAT!!! Business couldn't be better, even in a recession. One of the biggest millionaire business owners in Omaha once told me. All publicity is good publicity for us it has been outstanding. We've gotten more calls an emails congratulating us than I can imagine. In fact if the cameras would have continued to roll it would have shown how more husker fans really started in on JP. All I asked was what are our goals, sorry that's not a tough question...

[entropy]

His email reply that has gone viral...

The design of the Big Red Breakfast is to ask questions. That what I did. Nothing more nothing less. When you pay the money I pay and get the pub I get then you can have an opinion as to the correct politically correct questions one should ask. I am sorry most husker fans have soft feelings. I was in LA for that debacle, I was in Madison I was in Ann arbor I was in Orlando. I am a true husker fan and when the staff makes upwards of 5 million a year and I contribute $250,000 a yr of that I can demand to know what our goals are. We are the main sponsor of the BRB, in fact I will save you a seat at my table. And thanks for wishing our business well, in fact, we are doing GREAT!!! Business couldn't be better, even in a recession. One of the biggest millionaire business owners in Omaha once told me. All publicity is good publicity for us it has been outstanding. We've gotten more calls an emails congratulating us than I can imagine. In fact if the cameras would have continued to roll it would have shown how more husker fans really started in on JP. All I asked was what are our goals, sorry that's not a tough question...

[entropy]

http://www.sarpy.com/sarpyproperty/pdisplay3.aspx?locid=011569903

yep, mr big time.

[entropy]

LINCOLN — Even up to the last minute, before they put him in an ambulance and took him to the hospital, Bo Pelini was coaching.

“I saw him at halftime,” Nebraska running backs coach Ron Brown said. “He was sitting on a bench in the locker room. He looked at me and said, ‘I'm going to be all right. Stay focused out there. Forget about me. Go play the game.' ”

Forget about Bo. Play the game. Easier said than done.

This was a day like no other for Nebraska football. The head coach had left the building for medical reasons. Something was wrong. Few people knew why, and those who might weren't saying.

Athletic Director Tom Osborne said it looked like Pelini “was going to be OK.” The coach released a statement, declaring that he planned to be back to work Sunday.

A handful of NU players said they were praying for their coach. Offensive coordinator Tim Beck nearly broke down talking about it. There were reports that Pelini had flulike symptoms, but you don't offer prayer or break down over the flu.

Here's what we do know about Coach Bo: He had to be darned proud of his team.

The Huskers showed resiliency and fire and finished off Arkansas State, a tricky task, in a 42-13 win. The head man left, but it was like he never left, because he taught his staff and team well.

There was no better example than John Papuchis.

The Huskers' defensive coordinator is a Pelini disciple, who followed Pelini to Lincoln from LSU. He's fiery. He's wired. He snapped at a fan's question at the Big Red Breakfast on Friday.

Pelini entrusted his defensive coordinator title to Papuchis, even while some criticized Papuchis' inexperience. Pelini did it because he believes in “JP.”

That faith was rewarded Saturday.

The Huskers were up 28-3 when Bo left at the half. Suddenly, Papuchis was handed the wheel to the machine and told to keep it on the road.

Beck would call the offense from the press box. The two would deal with big-picture decisions, such as penalties or replays. But Papuchis was on the sideline, running the show.

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Now the story became bigger. Now it was more than atonement for UCLA. The tackling was better, Gus Malzahn's gimmick offense was held in check, to six points. And there were kudos all around for the JP Gang.

But it was now more than that. It was the young prot?g?, trying to hold it all together, while the mentor was in the hospital.

“Bo is as close to me as anyone,” Papuchis said. “My initial reaction when I heard about him was as a friend. I had to compose myself for a second.

“At the end of the day, I know there's nothing he would have wanted more than for us to do our best.”

Papuchis lauded the players for playing well after a week “when you didn't play well on the road, then there was attrition, and then you realize your leader isn't there.

“It was a very trying and emotional week.”

And Papuchis could have been talking about himself.

The prot?g? got his initiation scars during the week. If people didn't know who he was before, they could spell his name after the UCLA game.

Some had other names for him. Papuchis got an earful and an eyeful last week. The nasty anonymous messages. The critics in the media. People were questioning Pelini's defensive stature. What do you think they were saying about the sidekick?

Then a defensive tackle left the team. And finally there was breakfast in Omaha, when Papuchis blew off some steam and created a headline.

“It's been a testing week,” Papuchis said. “But I can't do that. I have to hold myself to a higher standard. That won't happen again.”

It was overblown. But consider it a lesson learned for Papuchis, who gained an understanding of what his new position is all about.

Other lessons were learned, too. NU's defense came out in a three-man front at times. There was new personnel on the field. But the big change was execution. There were six tackles for loss, three sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery.

And an explosive package defused.

Bo would have been proud, and there was a moment in there, in the third quarter, when you wondered if the big guy wasn't back.

Arkansas State had just recovered a punt that glanced off Ameer Abdullah's foot at the NU 15. It's 28-10 now. And this looked like the visitors' chance to make this a game.

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They didn't. The knuckleball offense doesn't work so well inside the red zone. Two pass attempts to the perimeter, which were well-covered, fell incomplete. ASU had to settle for a harmless field goal.

Over on the sideline, the prot?g? jumped and hugged and threw high-fives.

Wherever he was watching, or listening, Pelini had to be smiling.

“The great thing about a leader is reproduction,” Brown said. “Being able to reproduce what you teach. You saw that here today.

“Bo prepared us for this moment. He's an overflow guy. He has so much fire and tenacity that it overflows from his bloodstream and onto everyone who's around him. It affects you.

“The coaches and players rallied out there. Bo would have been proud of the tenacity, the spirit.”

Pelini may be back Sunday and back on the sideline next weekend. Things may return to normal.

But they won't be the same for Papuchis. The prot?g? grew a ton on Saturday. You could see it in how he handled himself on the sideline, in front of the ESPN interviewer after the game. He did most of the talking in the postgame interview session, and he came off like a total pro.

As he walked over to do the Husker radio interview, he held a can of Red Bull. That might be a good nickname for the prot?g?.

“Early in a week like this, you question yourself a little bit,” Papuchis said. “But I never lost faith in who I am or what I can do.”

Just then, a guy from the Husker Network tapped him on the shoulder. Sorry, Coach. We didn't get that interview. We need to tape it again.

Papuchis sighed. Welcome to the big time.

[entropy]

LINCOLN — Bad breaks become blessings if you respond to them boldly. Nebraska’s defense got a truckload of trouble in the third quarter vs. Arkansas State, and the unit coach Bo Pelini promised would improve — the secondary — answered the bell.

All college teams practice the “quick change” scenario that befell the Huskers when referees incorrectly ruled that a punt had touched Ameer Abdullah’s heel. But rarely are those scenarios as drastic — ASU needed 15 yards to a score a touchdown — or conducted without the head coach watching.

While Pelini underwent tests at a Lincoln hospital — we still don’t know exactly what happened to the fifth-year coach, only that it wasn’t serious enough to keep him from film work Sunday — officials put his defense in a position to fail.

A sleepy Memorial Stadium crowd rose to the false persecution. Husker fans never did like the zeebs much.

On first down, nickel Ciante Evans knifed through a block to hogtie Red Wolves back Rocky Hayes, who caught a lateral. Textbook stuff, Evans keeping a hand free for the tackle. Zippo on the carry. Arkansas State, a man down in the huddle, panicked and called time out.

On second down, quarterback Ryan Aplin rolled to his right, wanting top receiver Josh Jarboe on a corner route. Mo Seisay, in his first game as a Husker, blanketed the route and Aplin’s pass sailed high.

Then NU panicked — too many men on the field — and called time out. Remember: It’s the first time since December 2007 that Pelini had no immediate control over Nebraska’s defense. His schemes. His concepts. But no Bo there, hands on knees, locking into the play.

Third down. John Papuchis dialed up a blitz. Aplin, jumpy already, zinged it high and wide of Jarboe, who had to break outside because corner Stanley Jean-Baptiste had taken away the slant. No yards. No touchdown. Arkansas State was effectively done threatening to pull the upset.

I’m not sure I’ve seen a three-play snapshot like that since 2010. NU locked down the middle of the field. It forced Aplin, an average-to-good passer, to make exceedingly tough throws outside the numbers. And — led by Evans, safety P.J. Smith and corner Josh Mitchell — defensive backs made savvy, aggressive tackles.

Pelini and his staff advertised so much about this defense before the season. Too much. But on Saturday, the secondary fulfilled Bo’s billing.

And through three games, NU can hang its hat on one category: red-zone defense. The Huskers rank ninth nationally and first in the Big Ten, giving up two touchdowns in 12 trips. That’s a small, good thing. A building block.

There are no great passing offenses left on the Huskers’ schedule. From a yardage perspective, Michigan State is the best, and the Spartans managed exactly three points vs. Notre Dame. The air attacks of Wisconsin (114th in yards, 92nd in efficiency) and Iowa (100th, 112th) are stains on the forward pass.

Ohio State’s is the most dangerous throwing game by sole virtue of Braxton Miller running around and creating adventures. And Minnesota’s is efficient so far, but if you wanted a slate where NU could focus its attention on stopping the run, this is it.

Since the Huskers are 111th in rushing defense, some focus is warranted. But every offense struggles more to run the ball in the red zone. That 20-yard strip of land magnifies the strengths and weaknesses of quarterbacks, receivers and defensive backs. If NU’s secondary can duplicate that effort and execution, the defense stands to get better. Not great. Better. And perhaps even stingy when it counts.

On with the rewind.

I see you

>> Papuchis: The defensive coordinator found the right fevered pitch in Pelini’s absence. NU needed the emotion from somewhere, and Papuchis — far from being a deer in the headlights — rose to it. That’s smart coaching.

>> Abdullah: He sticks his nose into traffic, takes big shots and keeps churning. His 2-yard touchdown in the second quarter — in which he bounced off an Arkansas State tackler — might have been one of his best. He’s 13th nationally in rushing yards per game and second in the Big Ten — behind Miller.

>> Wide receiver Kenny Bell: His 42-yard touchdown catch on Taylor Martinez’s underthrown ball is the play Niles Paul always struggled to make.

>> Evans: NU’s best defender right now. He’s playing with a swagger to go along with his cool haircut.

>> Defensive end Eric Martin: The Huskers have to draw up more ways for him to rush the passer unabated. He got inside Aplin’s head early in the game, and stayed there.

>> Martinez: That extra beat of patience on a seam-route throw to Kyler Reed paid off for a big first down.

>> Defensive tackle Thad Randle: With a bum leg, he’s playing very hard. NU needs him, too, with Chase Rome off the team.

>> Smith: His best game as a Husker? I’ll still take his performance at Kansas State in 2010, but Smith — always a good quote — is finding his stride on the field.

>> Safety Daimion Stafford: After hammering two Red Wolves with big hits, Stafford went to do the same to Aplin, who was scrambling out of the pocket. Rather than go for the first down, Aplin slid short of it. Intimidation.

Three concerns

>> Turnovers: Martinez lost two fumbles, Mike Marrow lost another and Abdullah — though he didn’t touch the ball — waited too long to bail off that punt. The Huskers are lucky Arkansas State didn’t take better advantage.

>> Special teams: Watching from above in the press box, I think NU’s kickoff coverage unit still looks leaky. And coordinator Ross Els should have put far more heat on a terrible ASU punter. Husker returners also seem to struggle tracking the ball sometimes.

>> Pelini’s health: Bo said in a statement that he’s fine. You take him at his word, of course, and he returned to work Sunday. A deeper explanation Monday of his hospital trip — however precautionary it might have been — would stop speculation, not fuel it. One thing’s clear after (and before) Saturday: Pelini’s stamp is all over the program. Coach and player comments, full of respect and reverence, made that obvious.

Three questions

>> When does Rex Burkhead return? He already did after the Arkansas State game, when he threw passes to a couple of kids on the Memorial Stadium field for a half-hour.

When does he return for NU? Perhaps this week. Perhaps next. Working out the kinks vs. Idaho State would actually be a good thing if Burkhead’s knee can bear the load. If this were Big Ten season, I suspect he could have come back already.

>> Should the NCAA ban FBS-FCS games? I waffle on it. Some FCS teams are perfectly good tests — all of the Dakota schools, for example — and they cost a lot less for FBS teams to schedule.

I don’t want to knock FCS teams for taking a big check to pay athletic department bills. I’d prefer to see some kind of win standard created for FCS teams to be eligible. If you can’t win 28 games in four years — that’s seven wins per — forget it. FCS teams should not humiliate themselves for money.

>> Are Alabama and LSU just going to do this whole thing again? I really, really hope not. But with USC’s ugly loss to Stanford Saturday night, it looks like Florida State and Oregon are the two teams most likely to stop the Crimson Tide and Tigers from dominating the headlines for the next two months.

Three stats

>> 86th: Nebraska’s ranking on third-down defense. Still not good enough.

>> 32: Number of AP voters who left NU off their Top 25 ballots this week. All of those voters ranked UCLA, though.

>> 20.5: Average yards per catch by Bell.

Opponent watch

Northwestern is 3-0 after a gutsy win over Boston College. The Wildcats are allowing 80 yards rushing per game (16th in the nation) and have a real chance to be 7-0 when Nebraska visits Evanston. How’s that? Check the schedule: South Dakota, Indiana, at Penn State, at Minnesota. It’s doable.

Forecast

Halfway through Monday’s press conference, some nose-to-the-grindstone reporter asks Pelini: What’s the key to slowing down Idaho State’s offense?

[entropy]

I love polls:

RECORD:
USC 2-1
NU 2-1

WINS AGAINST:
USC - Hawaii, Syracuse (combined for 2 wins)
NU- Southern Miss, Ark St. (combined for 1 win)

POINTS SCORED:
USC: 35 ppg
NU: 40.3 ppg

POINTS ALLOWED:
USC: 20 ppg
NU: 23 ppg

TOTAL OFFENSE:
USC: 57th in nation, 400 yards per game
NU: 12th in nation, 533 yards per game

TOTAL DEFENSE:
USC: 60th (378 yards per game)
NU: 73rd (399 yards per game)

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE TO DATE (Per official NCAA stats)
USC: 35 (tie)
NU: 45 (tie, next spot behind USC & others tied)

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE CUMULATIVE (All games, per NCAA)
USC: 29th
NU: 20th


THE LOSS:

USC: 21-14 at Stanford (3-0, now 21st, 78th in nation in total offense), 280 total yards (254 pass, 26 rush). USC was a 14-point favorite.

NU: 36-30 at UCLA (3-0, now 19th, 2nd in nation in total offense), 439 total yards (179-260). NU was a 5-point favorite.

[entropy]

1 hour ago • By BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star
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Related Video

Video: Postgame analysis Nebraska vs. Arkansas State

Video: Eric Martin postgame press conference, 9.15.12

Video: Taylor Martinez postgame press conference, 9.15.12

Video: Ameer Abdullah postgame press conference, 9.15.12

If there was a shortage of tape in the training room in August, we perhaps found the culprit. Looking your way, Mohammed Seisay.

Hey, the guy has good reason for it — eagerness. Eager to play, eager to practice, eager as any junior college transfer who arrives to a school like Nebraska with time against him.

So you can imagine the cornerback’s discouragement when he injured his ankle in the first week of fall camp.

“I only got two years to prove myself,” Seisay said. “I didn’t want any holding back whatsoever. I tried so many tape jobs and everything to get right, and it was just bugging me.”

He admits he probably even tried to get out on the practice field before he should have.

“Just being stubborn,” he said. “It just kept getting reinjured and swollen.”

Coaches stepped in. Told him to take a break. It wasn’t easy but he listened, sitting out the first two games.

Seisay made the trip to Los Angeles, but the ankle wasn’t completely healed. The game was close. All he could do was watch.

But on Saturday, in Nebraska’s 42-13 win over Arkansas State, his wait ended. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Seisay didn’t start, but saw some quality snaps.

He wasn’t tested much in the passing game, But it felt good being on the field again. He had no major breakdowns. One tackle. It was a start.

Granted, there were some extra nerves that came with his first game at Nebraska.

“My first game at Memphis, it wasn’t like this,” said Seisay, who began his college career there. “This is Nebraska football. It’s not no Memphis football. … I’m just thankful.”

Thankful for good health, among other things.

Seisay said it was only this week when he “felt like himself” again.

The rotation at Nebraska’s corner spots will be interesting to track going forward. While Nebraska has had its warts on defense, corners Andrew Green and Josh Mitchell have held their own as starters the first three weeks.

But Seisay is hungry himself. He got on the field. Now he looks for more.

“I’m ready to play, 100 percent, so there’s no excuses,” he said.

* It takes more than 11: Who’s a starter? Who’s a backup? That’s not as easily defined these days.

“Who plays the majority of the snaps, a lot of that is going to be dictated by the style of offense (we play against),” said Husker defensive coordinator John Papuchis. “The traditional, ‘I’m a starter. I’m a backup,’ I would love it to be that way. Because I don’t like having a guy play a ton one week and then not as much the next if he played well and earned it.”

But it doesn't always work that way, the coach says.

Papuchis made this point while responding to a question about 6-foot-2, 250-pound defensive end Eric Martin, whose athleticism and pass rushing presence proved a nuisance for Arkansas State on Saturday.

“One thing I know is to play these spread teams you have to be as athletic as you can possibly be, and that includes across the front,” Papuchis said. “Eric gives us that. Eric gives us a pass-rush dynamic. When you’re playing Iowa or Wisconsin, more downhill running teams, maybe other guys have a more significant role. But that’s why we have 145 guys on our team. Try to maximize each guy’s ability … and get the best team we can out there to play.”

That’s not to say, in the specific case of Martin, that the senior end can’t hold his own against run-heavy offenses.

Defensive line coach Rick Kaczenski believes he can.

“I understand … it’s a perception because he’s a smaller guy playing defensive line. I think he does just fine against the run. I really do,” Kaczenski said of Martin.

“Like everything, we’re trying to improve every part of his game, not just in the pass game, but also against the run. And he understands that, and he sees that as a challenge. But I don’t see us being hurt when he’s in the game people are trying to run the ball against us.”

* Today's special number — 93: We’re rounding up. Taylor Martinez’s 92.9 completion percentage on Saturday (13 of 14 passes) sets a Nebraska record for best completion percentage in a game with a minimum of 10 attempts. Turner Gill previously had the top number by completing 11 of 12 passes against Kansas State in 1982.

Martinez’s NCAA efficiency rating of 248.0 against Arkansas State was the fifth-best single-game efficiency rating in Nebraska history and best by a Husker QB since Joe Dailey against Baylor in 2004 (291.1).

Quotes on the run:

“We're not really about outside factors. We just worry about what's within us as a defense and what we're capable of.” — Eric Martin

“The young guys are getting better and contributing to our depth. We need to get them on the field more and in critical situations, not only when we’re up by a couple of scores or right before half. We have to gain confidence in them and they have to gain confidence in the system. We’re going to see a lot more of them. That’s the plan and we’ve got to get these guys ready, that’s the future.” — Rick Kaczenski on his freshmen linemen

“Everybody tells me on the replay it was nowhere close. I know the ball didn't touch me. It's over with now, but just for our sake, I know the ball didn't touch me.” — Ameer Abdullah on the punt that officials said hit his foot

“I do believe players reflect the leadership of their coaches. And when you’re excited and confident, they’re excited and confident. And I thought that was the time to show that.” — John Papuchis on the fire he showed in the defensive series after officials said the punt hit Abdullah’s foot

“I didn’t ever think I’d do this again.” — Tom Osborne addressing the media in a postgame setting

[entropy]

http://www.cnbc.com/id/48991522?slide=2

Mich vs UNL.. 10th most expensive ticket this year