Bleacher Report - Articles by Jeff Waddington

Bitterness in Blacksburg: Huskers Come Up Short

Jeff Waddington — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:03:58 -0400

Sunday morning dawned and most Husker fans had come to grips with the painful 1-point loss to Virginia Tech on Saturday afternoon. They certainly aren't happy about it but they will put it behind them and get focused on the next opponent.

Some, however, are still in shock over what took place in Blacksburg, VA and are looking for explanations, for someone to point at and say, "It's him! He's the reason we lost that game!" Unfortunately for Matt O'Hanlon, the free safety for the Huskers, he will be the guy that most fingers will be pointing toward.

I say unfortunately because although O'Hanlon's mistake with under two minutes to play gave Virginia Tech an 81-yard completion setting up the winning score, this loss cannot be blamed on that single play. In fact, the Huskers should have had the game well in hand by that point.

If you need someone or something to blame, point the finger at the other side of the ball. Throughout the entire game, Nebraska's offense put the Blackshirts on an island and left them there. And for 58 out of 60 minutes, the defense responded with a tremendous performance and was the reason Nebraska held a five-point lead.

But this game was lost by an offense that saw the red zone five separate times, and each time was unable to score a touchdown. Penalties, poor execution and poor playing calling will not win games on the road against a top-15 team. Nebraska's youth and inexperience was apparent, starting with quarterback Zac Lee.

Much to my surprise, Lee was rattled. He was forcing throws and missing open receivers with too much zip on his passes. He only threw one interception when it mattered, but it was clear that the environment and VT's speed on defense had him off his game.

The lone bright spot was the play of running back Roy Helu, Jr. His 28 carries for 176 yards was a magnificent performance, proving that he is capable of putting together an All-Big 12 campaign this season. However, no one else on the offensive side of the ball was close to stepping up when it was needed most.

The Blackshirt defense did everything it needed to do against a very average offensive football team. Unfortunately, one of the few breakdowns occurred when they could least afford to have it happen. Now, it will be interesting to see how they respond.

This was a big game for Nebraska's confidence but a one-point loss to a good team on the road will not define their season. Given Missouri's struggles at home with Bowling Green last week and Kansas' giving up over 400 yards of total offense to Duke on Saturday, Nebraska still has a legitimate shot to win the Big 12 North and play for the conference championship.

That is, if they choose to learn from this experience and commit to getting better. Losing to Virginia Tech could be used help Nebraska take another step forward. We'll find out when they travel to Missouri on October 8 for another nationally televised game. If the non-conference is designed to prepare your team for the conference season, this will be Nebraska's chance to prove it.

Oh, and Matt O'Hanlon, hang in there. If the Huskers live up to their potential this season, the Virginia Tech game will be a distant memory.

The Future Can Wait: Nebraska QB Zac Lee Is Here Now

Jeff Waddington — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 12:19:50 -0400

Many folks in Husker Nation were ready to see the designated future of the program, freshman QB Cody Green, assume a larger role against Arkansas State after his performance in the season opener against Florida Atlantic.

His 49-yard run that led to the Huskers' final touchdown had visions of Eric Crouch and Tommie Frazier dancing in the heads of 85,000+ dressed in red at Memorial Stadium. They witnessed a glimpse of the future and wanted to see more of it—now.

Problem is, there's this other guy named Zac Lee who is the starting quarterback for this year's Nebraska Cornhuskers. And after Lee's performance on Saturday against the Red Wolves, it doesn't look like he's going to get out of the way anytime soon.

Prior to this year, we didn't really know much about the junior QB from San Francisco. In fact, during last week's Missouri-Illinois game, ESPN broadcaster Ron Franklin didn't recognize his name when it appeared on a fan's T-shirt as one of several quarterback targets for Mizzou LB Sean Weatherspoon.

In Nebraska's first game of the season against FAU, Lee's command of the huddle and presence on the field were better than expected. Although his numbers were good—he completed 15 of 22 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns—it was the Huskers' running game that dominated FAU in the 49-3 victory.

Which was just fine for Nebraska fans. They just wanted Lee to manage the game, not make mistakes, and let Nebraska's talented running backs chew up yards and opponents. Oh, and please make sure you take care of things while Cody Green is being groomed to lead the Huskers back to national prominence.

Then Arkansas State came to Lincoln on Saturday.

FAU had a few good players but were over-matched from the opening kickoff. Arkansas State was supposed to provide a bigger challenge with more speed, athleticism, and overall talent.

But when Nebraska jumped out to a 21-0 lead en route to a 38-9 victory, it was readily apparent Zac Lee was capable of much more than being a game manager or program caretaker. He became the primary reason the Huskers are a serious contender for a Big 12 North division title.

There was no reining in the offense or depending on the running game on Saturday. In fact, Arkansas State out-gained the Huskers on the ground. But offensive coordinator Shawn Watson was able to take what the defense was giving them because he knew something that no one else did: Zac Lee can do it all.

He completed 27 of 35 passes for 340 yards and four touchdowns. He ran seven times for 28 yards. He has an incredibly strong, accurate arm that can make all of the throws, including the hardest throw in football: the 20+ yard deep out.

In his first two starts, the offense has turned the ball over only once. And, he has a full command of the offensive huddle and the respect of his teammates.

Now, no one is claiming Lee will win the Heisman or lead Nebraska to a national championship in 2009 after beating up on two teams from the Sun Belt Conference. In fact, he has a very difficult test coming up this weekend against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, and there will be growing pains as the season progresses.

But after his performance on Saturday, Husker fans may not have to wait to see their quarterback of the future. He may be starting right now.

Husker Season Opener: What We Know and What We Don't

Jeff Waddington — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 09:51:28 -0400

Well, he didn't arrive by helicopter like in the 1984 Orange Bowl and he almost needed to leave in a wheelchair after being run over as a play went out of bounds in front of him. Head coach Howard Schnellenberger brought Florida Atlantic into Lincoln as season two of the Bo Pelini era got underway. On the scoreboard, Nebraska crushed the Owls by a score of 49-3.

While that score indicates a complete dismantling of an over-matched Sun Belt Conference football team, FAU was statistically much closer to Nebraska during the contest. You've got questions, we've got (some) answers...and probably a few more questions.

Here's what we learned on Saturday night:

1) Junior quarterback Zac Lee handled his first start with confidence and poise. He is mobile, has a strong, accurate arm and he certainly has a presence on the field. Nebraska needed someone to step up and lead this year with the graduation of Joe Ganz, and it appears that Zac Lee is more than capable of filling that role. There are likely still growing pains coming, but the first test was passed.

2) When Nebraska was winning national championships, it was based on a philosophy of player development and recruiting a few difference makers to take the program over the top. Coach Bo Pelini may have found at least one and possibly two of those difference makers in quarterback Cody Green and running back Rex Burkhead.

Both are freshmen who have risen to No. 2 on the depth chart at their respective positions and each showed flashes against FAU of what the future may hold. Husker fans have a couple of reasons to be excited about the direction of the program for the next few years.

3) The graduation of wide receivers Nate Swift and Todd Peterson left many questions coming into 2009. We had heard Niles Paul was doing great things in fall camp but beyond that, no one had stepped up. Against FAU, Curenski Gilleylen and Menelik Holt came up big and showed that the cupboard is far from bare.

4) An offseason emphasis on forcing turnovers paid dividends early as Nebraska picked off FAU senior quarterback Rusty Smith twice. The Blackshirts forced three turnovers in the game, something that they must continue to do as the season progresses.

5) Defensive line play was thought to be a Nebraska strength going into the season and they did not disappoint against FAU. All America candidate Ndamukong Suh anchored the front four along with Jared Crick, Pierre Allen and Barry Turner. They did not get as much pressure on the quarterback as you would like to see, but barring injury this unit will continue to be solid.

Here's what we still don't know:

1) How will Zac Lee handle a hostile environment? A huge barometer will be how well he can lead his team into Blacksburg, VA in two weeks.

2) Is Nebraska fast enough defensively? The Huskers have certainly improved athletically and FAU was not devoid of athletes either. However, without seeing top level speed on offense, this still remains a question mark. Again, Virginia Tech on the September 19th will answer this question.

3) Is Nebraska's offensive line capable of handling top line speed? They pushed around FAU pretty well as the Huskers racked up over 250 yards on the ground and they did not give up a sack while protecting Zac Lee. Can they do that consistently against the better teams in the Big 12?

Nebraska hosts another Sun Belt conference team, Arkansas State, next weekend and then it's off to Blacksburg for their first road test of the season. No doubt this team is young, but the Huskers are off to a good start.

This Year's Sweet 16 Secret: Coaching Really Matters

Jeff Waddington — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:52:38 -0400

Getting ready for the 2009 Sweet 16, most fans are focused on the players that will be taking the court. They can’t wait to see how players like Blake Griffin, DeJuan Blair, Tyler Hansbrough, and Jonny Flynn perform under the pressure of making it to the Final Four.

Obviously, there are some great players in this year’s tournament, and that talent will matter significantly in the outcome of each game. But unlike years past when you would see two or three teams wearing Cinderella’s glass slipper into the Sweet 16, the on-court talent gap this year seems to be fairly minimal.

As I mentioned in this article yesterday, this year’s Sweet 16 games could rank as the most competitive in a very long time due, to the relatively equal dispersion of talent. So if these teams can't be separated exclusively based on players, what will make the true difference in getting to Detroit?

I believe it will come down to which teams have the best coaches and I've decided to analyze each of the Sweet 16 match-ups to determine which teams hold the edge on the bench. At the end of the weekend, we’ll see if these predictions, based on the coaching advantage, hold true.

Louisville vs. Arizona

Without question, this is the easiest match-up to predict. Rick Pitino has been to round 16 nine times and taken three different schools to the Final Four. While the head coach at Kentucky, he turned the 1996 trip to the Final Four into a national championship.

Russ Pennell is an interim coach that likely won’t make it to next season, regardless of outcome.

Advantage: Louisville

Kansas vs. Michigan State

Each coach has one national championship on his resume, with Bill Self winning in 2008 and Tom Izzo in 2000.

What seems like an even match-up on the surface becomes fairly simple after a little research. Bill Self has only been to one Final Four in his career, while Izzo has been to four, including three in a row from 1999-2001.

Combine those numbers with a more experienced team and Michigan State should come out on top.

Advantage: Michigan State

Connecticut vs. Purdue

On 12 different occasions, Jim Calhoun has been to the Sweet 16, and UConn’s two Final Four trips resulted in national titles.

In only his fourth year, Matt Painter has coached Purdue into the NCAA Tournament for three straight seasons. But this is his first trip to the Sweet 16.

Experience definitely wins out and the choice is pretty obvious here.

Advantage: Connecticut

Missouri vs. Memphis

Mike Anderson’s Missouri Tigers may be one of the biggest surprises of the season. In his third year in Columbia, Anderson’s Tigers won the Big 12 Conference Tournament and have made it into the Sweet 16.

While Anderson’s accomplishments might have been unexpected, John Calipari’s were not. Memphis once again steam-rolled through Conference USA to earn a two-seed in this year’s tournament.

Calipari has made the round of 16 seven times in his career and turned two of those trips into Final Four appearances.

Advantage: Memphis

Pittsburgh vs. Xavier

Don’t let this match-up fool you: it’s much closer than it would appear. Jamie Dixon has led Pittsburgh to six straight NCAA Tournaments, including three appearances in the Sweet 16.

Sean Miller has guided the Musketeers to four straight tournament appearances, including two Sweet 16s and an Elite Eight. I’m going with Pittsburgh in what many would consider a toss-up.

Advantage: Pittsburgh

Villanova vs. Duke

As much as I love Jay Wright and what he’s accomplished at Villanova, there’s just no way this one works out in his favor. For the record, Wright’s Wildcats have been to five straight tournaments, including three Sweet 16s and an Elite Eight appearance.

Mike Krzyzewski’s 18 trips to the Sweet 16, nine Final Fours (including five straight from 1987 – 1992) and three national championships, make this the most lopsided contest on the board.

Advantage: Duke

North Carolina vs. Gonzaga

Since 1999, Mark Few has taken Gonzaga to the NCAA Tournament every year and has appeared in the Sweet 16 four times. Few’s record has been clearly remarkable as he has built Gonzaga into a national program.

Unfortunately, Few is up against North Carolina’s Roy Williams, who has been to the Final Four six times in his career. The Tar Heels gave Williams his first national championship in 2005, after having been a runner-up twice while the coach at Kansas.

Advantage: North Carolina

Syracuse vs. Oklahoma

If there is going to be an upset based on this analysis, here's where it happens. Jeff Capel at Oklahoma may have the national player of the year in Blake Griffin, but his coaching resume is not in the same universe as Jim Boeheim.

Capel is only in his seventh full season as a head coach, so it’s almost an unfair comparison. However, he has been to the NCAA Tournament three times, with this year’s Oklahoma team representing his first Sweet 16 appearance.

Compare that to Boeheim’s 13 appearances in the Sweet 16, two runner-up finishes and a national championship for Syracuse in 2003. Blake Griffin and Willie Warren are huge on the court, but Boeheim wins the war on the bench.

Advantage: Syracuse

An Open Letter To David Duval

Jeff Waddington — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:12:01 -0400

Dear David:

Forgive me if I seem informal, but I feel like I know you personally. I never really paid much attention to golf until the late 1990s and you were quickly singled out as my favorite player.

I’m not sure why exactly. Obviously, you were enjoying success on tour, so it was easy to root for you. But it went deeper than that. Since I had never played much golf, your swing was so natural and effortless, almost as if you weren’t really trying.

Your on-course demeanor was just like your swing and as you strolled up and down the fairways with your wraparound Oakleys and a big dip in your bottom lip, you became a guy I could relate to.

Because of you, I became a huge golf fan even before the 2001 Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Anne’s Golf Club. But that championship pushed my fancy for golf into a full blown addiction.

I was riveted to the television as you completely dominated the field on the weekend, shooting 65-67 to win your first of what I was sure would be many major championships.

The anticipation of the future was nearly palpable as I considered the possibility of watching you and Tiger Woods battling for golf supremacy throughout the next decade. I mean, seriously, what reasonable person could expect anything less?

You had won 13 times on tour between 1997 and 2001, including spending 15 weeks as the number one ranked golfer in the world. And to top it off, you were just coming into your 30s, when most golfers really start to hit their stride.

It was all right there and golf fans around the world were thinking they would be able to tell their grand-kids how lucky they were to be alive to see it.

So, if this seems a bit strong, I apologize but…what the hell happened?

There have been numerous reports that include injuries and a battle with vertigo. Okay, I can live with that. Every athlete deals with injuries at some point in their careers.

Then you got married, moved to Colorado and started a family. I get that too. The demands of a new marriage and family can be overwhelming.

Most athletes either overcome their injuries or retire from their chosen sport. Most successful people find ways to balance the demands of family and their profession.

Although you're not there yet, you continue to tease me and like a donk, I buy in and keep thinking it's right around the corner...

Like the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot. Most people remember that event for the 17th hole implosion by Phil Mickelson that handed the title to Geoff Ogilvy. Me? I remember it for your top 20 finish.

Then came the Open Championship in 2008 at Royal Birkdale. After the second round, you were in the top 10 and I could not have imagined a more fitting backdrop for you to announce to the world that you were back. You fell out of contention on Saturday, but a solid round on Sunday allowed you to finish T-39.

However, these signs of life are starting to appear as nothing more than shooting stars just before they flicker out completely. Six events in 2009 have led to only two cuts made and no finish in the top 50.

Look David, it’s been eight years since you won the Open Championship and subsequently fell off the face of the golfing earth. It’s time to cut the crap and either commit or “get off the pot.”

I sincerely hope it’s the former (and I’m sure Nike does too)—you have always been my favorite player and the one who made me a fan of golf. The game needs you and you have a gift. Use it.

You are down to your final PGA Tour exemption in 2009 and there aren’t any more excuses. It’s time.

Regards,

Jeff

P.S. I must confess an ulterior motive for writing you. You see, a couple of years ago, I made a little wager with a friend of mine that you would once again win a tournament on tour. Any tournament at all—even one during the silly season.

If you win, I win—and my prize is a bottle of extremely expensive scotch. During these tough economic times, I can use all of the help I can get. So if you won't do it for yourself, your sponsors or for the game, how about for me?

I really like good scotch.

Foundation Complete: Nebraska Basketball Season Recap

Jeff Waddington — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:03:27 -0400

The Pit, known throughout college basketball as one of the most difficult arenas to play in and the site of several historic games (1983 championship anyone?), can add another piece of basketball lore to it’s already storied past: the end of another basketball season for the University of Nebraska.

Okay, so this one won’t rank up there with NC State beating Phi Slamma Jamma for the title, but it has some significance for those of us who are desperately seeking any kind of success for Husker basketball.

The 83-71 loss to New Mexico in the first round of the NIT was a microcosm of an extremely difficult, but also rewarding season for the Huskers under third year coach Doc Sadler.

The game of basketball is one of runs usually contained within the game itself. You know, a four-minute run here, a five-minute scoring drought there. Not only did the Huskers experience many of those during games, but the same can be said of their season as well.

There were bad runs (non-conference losses to Maryland-Baltimore County and Oregon State), painful runs (an overtime loss to Oklahoma State, a last-second loss to Texas A&M, a 6-point loss to Kansas) and good runs (wins over Missouri, Kansas State and Texas).

Fielding the shortest team in Division I basketball this year, Nebraska finished the season at 18-13 and 8-8 in the Big 12 conference. Considering the lack of height (no contributor taller than 6’5”) and the lack of depth (usually no more than an eight-man rotation), those numbers are impressive by themselves.

Heck, into mid-February, Nebraska was being mentioned as a potential NCAA tournament qualifier!

Those aspirations were relatively short-lived. The lack of depth and Nebraska’s demanding style of play took it’s toll as the season headed toward March and the Huskers just ran out of gas.

Success can be defined in different ways. Post-season play of any kind was a victory for Nebraska, not to mention a .500 conference record for the first time in a decade (in the 4th most difficult conference in the nation according to kenpom.com).

The numbers, though, don’t get close to telling the whole story. More important than the wins and losses, this program is starting to get it. I mean, really get it. And anyone who watched them play this year saw it happening.

When Doc Sadler arrived at Nebraska in August, 2006, he was handed the keys to a program in shambles.

Nebraska has never been consistently successful in college basketball and apathy had set in, both from the university administration and the fans. Coach Sadler faced a monumental challenge, the depth of which may have been beyond even his own appreciation.

There was no culture, no expectation…no nothing. A successful program starts there: with a culture and a standard of performance that must be lived up to every single day. Coach Sadler had to instill his own: all-out effort every play, every day.

Three years later (likely longer than Sadler first anticipated), the Nebraska Cornhuskers of 2008-09 finally got it.

The Huskers were undersized against all 31 teams they played. They weren’t as talented as a vast majority of them. But they had “bought in” to Coach Sadler’s expectations and worked harder than anyone else, regardless of outcome.

Success this year cannot be measured with numbers. It must be measured with heart and effort. In that respect, this group was undefeated.

The foundation for Nebraska basketball to be a top-tier Big 12 team has been laid. It’s now time for the next step and all signs indicate a drastic upgrade in size and talent in 2009-10 (the university is on-board as well, recently committing to build a state-of-the-art practice facility in 2010).

The apathy has been replaced by a culture of hard work and dedication—two traits very familiar to Nebraskans. Hats off to Doc Sadler and the 2008-09 Nebraska Cornhuskers. Your contributions to the task of building Nebraska basketball have not gone unnoticed.

Defining Madness: Feeling Good About Feeling Bad

Jeff Waddington — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:12:03 -0400

The 2009 NCAA basketball championship begins Thursday and if you're like me, you agree that the next three weeks represent "must-see TV." But what makes it that way? Why do so many of us embrace this event with such passion that we take sick days away from the office to watch 18-22 year old kids play basketball?

Of course, there are a multitude of reasons—the office pools and social gatherings, the possibility of David taking down Goliath, our own school allegiances. But, for many of us, it goes much deeper.

Dictionary.com defines "madness" as: 1) the state of being mad; insanity, 2) senseless folly, 3) frenzy; rage, 4) intense excitement or enthusiasm. We call it March Madness for our own reasons—what are yours?

We all see the highlights every year during the tournament broadcasts, but which moment connects with you the most? Does it go back as far as 1976 when Indiana completed the last undefeated season with a national championship?

How about in 1983 when the late Jim Valvano led North Carolina State on what might be the greatest run in tournament history, capped by upsetting Houston for a national title?

Or maybe it was last year, when Mario Chalmers' clutch 3-point shot lifted Kansas to their first national championship since Danny and the Miracles in 1988?

My personal journey into this madness began on December 27, 1986. I was 16 years old and to this point, I was more concerned about chasing girls than watching college basketball. On holiday break from school and bored out of my mind, I was flipping through the channels at my grandparents house when it happened: Kentucky vs. Louisville.

Or, more specifically, Rex Chapman vs. Louisville. I was mesmerized by Chapman, having never seen anyone shoot and jump with such grace before. He had 26 points that day, including five 3-pointers and I was hooked. I jumped in with both feet and became a huge fan of Rex Chapman and, by default, Kentucky basketball.

I treasured the following year, my senior year of high school, watching from afar as "my" Wildcats put together a tremendous season with Chapman leading the way. But I must have been enjoying it a little too much because the basketball gods decided to knock me down a peg or two.

When the season ended, Rex Chapman elected to enter the NBA draft and the program was put on probation after the Chris Mills incident. Admittedly, I was bruised but I wasn't beaten.

The following year was my penance, I guess (and Eddie Sutton's too) and after an excruciating 13-19 campaign, Kentucky was in search of it's basketball savior.

I had no idea who Rick Pitino was at that time, but my support never wavered. I wanted to see this tradition-rich program get back to where it belonged as the king of the mountain.

The teams that Kentucky fielded during the first couple of years under Pitino would lay the foundation for what was to come and the speed of the turnaround that Pitino engineered has always been remarkable to me.

His teams in those early years consistently overachieved with players like John Pelphrey, Deron Feldhaus, and Richie Farmer and I was more committed than ever to cheering for the 'Cats because of guys like that.

The culmination of my plunge happened on March 28, 1992. It was my senior year of college and I was riveted to the television, alone in my apartment, as Kentucky and Duke slugged it out at the Spectrum in Philadelphia with a trip to the Final Four on the line.

In all reality, Kentucky probably shouldn't have been within 10 points of Duke that year. But with 2.1 seconds on the clock and Duke having to inbound the ball the length of the court, I started to believe.

When that shot by Christian Laettner went through the basket as time expired, I felt as if someone had ripped my heart out—it was one of the worst feelings I had ever had and something that I'm still not over to this day (if I see the replay during the tournament broadcasts, I will turn away).

But that game defines this madness: The emotional roller coaster is what makes this tournament the greatest event in sports. It's why we watch. So embrace your madness and enjoy the trip. New memories are right around the corner.