Holiday Bowl: 10 Things You Need To Know About Nebraska Versus Washington
The Nebraska Cornhuskers and Washington Huskies meet in the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl at 9:00 p.m. central on December 30, 2010, at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. Nebraska comes into the game with a 10-3 record, but off a disappointing 23-20 loss to Oklahoma in the Big XII Championship Game. Washington comes into the game at 6-6 after withstanding a furious rally from Washington State to win the Apple Cup 35-28 to get themselves bowl eligible.
So, when you sit down (maybe with a strong cup of Seattle's Best coffee to stay awake given the late kickoff), what should you be watching for?
The Deja Vu Bowl?
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If you feel like you've seen this game before, you have. On September 18, Nebraska came to Seattle and throttled Washington, 56-21. NU quarterback Taylor Martinez ran for 139 yards and threw for 150, while the Blackshirts held UW quarterback Jake Locker to 71 yards passing with two interceptions.
The rematch aspect of the game will be a thread that runs through a number of storylines about this game, but the rematch itself is notable. It's a function of Pac-10 bowl tie-in requirements, USC's probation keeping the team from a bowl, and the Insight Bowl's surprising decision to select Missouri over Nebraska to play against Iowa.
And, just in case you can't get enough of this Nebraska-Washington fun, circle your calendars for September 17, 2011. That's when the Huskies will be coming to Lincoln for their return match, and the third contest between these two teams within a 12-month period.
Will T-Magic Be Back?
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Martinez gained quite a bit of attention during his freshman year at Nebraska. A series of injuries robbed him of the explosive speed he demonstrated in Seattle, forcing him to rely on his other skills as a quarterback.
Nebraska's offense was never the same after those injuries, and the deficiencies in the other parts of his game (coupled with an offensive game plan with no plan B and a mysterious devotion to leaving him as a starter) played a huge part in Nebraska's loss to Oklahoma in the Big XII Championship.
In addition, after head coach Bo Pelini was seen on camera screaming at Martinez on the sideline during the Texas A&M game, Internet rumors went wild that Martinez had quit the team. The rumors turned out to be unfounded, but the story around Martinez ceased to be about his magical ability to gain yards and score points, and became about whether he was going to transfer at the end of the season.
So, one of the biggest questions to be asked at the Holiday Bowl is whether Martinez will be there and, if he is, whether he will be T-Magic.
Will Locker Redeem Himself?
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Nebraska likely ended senior quarterback Jake Locker's campaign for the Heisman Trophy in September when they battered him, holding him to a paltry 4-20 passing for 71 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. There is no one more motivated to put up a good performance and redeem himself than Locker, not only for his team, but also to leave a good impression for NFL scouts as he prepares for the upcoming draft.
And make no mistake, Locker is a very talented quarterback with all the tools he needs to be successful. It's not often that athletes get a second chance to redeem themselves after being beaten soundly. Locker is getting his chance in the Holiday Bowl against Nebraska, and will most definitely do what he can to take advantage of it.
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Do You Know This Husker Record Holder?
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Hi there. I hold Nebraska's single-game rushing record. I'm in the top 10 of Nebraska's all-time rushers. With Martinez's injury, I am Nebraska's biggest home run threat on offense. Do you know who I am?
The answer, of course, is senior running back Roy Helu, Jr. But watching Nebraska, you could be forgiven for not knowing that. The stories surrounding NU this year have all been about Martinez's injuries or his status on the team, or about Pelini's (ahem) spirited conversations with Big XII officials, or about Rex Burkhead and the wildcat offense.
Apparently, NU's offensive staff forgot about him as well in the Big XII Championship, as Helu went unused in the second half while Nebraska's offense sputtered and Oklahoma finished its 17-point comeback to win 23-20.
Meanwhile, Helu just goes about his business, gaining 1,211 yards and scoring 11 touchdowns. The Holiday Bowl will be Helu's final game as a Husker. And as NU goes into the Big Ten next year, it will find out just how valuable a weapon he was.
Can the Huskies Find Other Weapons?
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Locker is definitely Washington's most dangerous weapon, but the Huskies have other offensive options as well. Chris Polk gained 1,238 yards on the ground and scored eight touchdowns, and was UW's leading rusher. Jesse Callier gained 424 yards as well, providing a change of pace coming out of the backfield. Particularly given the struggles NU has had defensively against the run, Washington's hopes for payback may rest more on the shoulders of Polk and Callier than on the arm of Locker.
Where's Bo?
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After the season ended, a firestorm was kicked up when Miami papers reported that the Hurricanes had some discussion with Pelini to replace Randy Shannon as Miami's head coach. Pelini had clearly been bothered by the negative attention he received after his anti-referee tirades against Texas A&M, both from the media and from NU Chancellor Harvey Perlman.
The story brewed for a few uncomfortable days before a clear signal came out that Pelini wouldn't be taking the job at Miami, or anywhere else after the 2010 season. But having questions about the Head Husker is a new experience in Lincoln. What, if any, effect the "will-he-stay-or-will-he-go" drama will have on the team getting ready for the Holiday Bowl remains to be seen.
Will NU Have New Faces On The Sidelines?
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So we know Bo Pelini won't be Miami's head coach next year. But there are still a number of questions surrounding Nebraska's coaching staff. Defensive coordinator Carl Pelini, offensive coordinator Shawn Watson, and defensive ends coach John Papuchis have all been in conversations with new jobs all around the country. While it is a sign of success that other schools are looking to raid the sidelines in Lincoln, it remains to be seen whether those questions create any instability that will interfere with preparations for the Holiday Bowl.
Are the Huskies On a Roll?
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Washington was 3-6 coming to the end of the season, and seeing a year that started with promise and hope on the verge of slipping into another early end. Then UW beat UCLA, 24-7, at home, and kept hope alive. They went to California and won a nail-biter, 16-13, setting the Apple Cup as a win-and-you're-in game for Washington's bowl hopes.
The Huskies had a 28-14 lead in their game against Washington State, but the Cougars came roaring back and tied the score in the fourth quarter. Washington needed an 88-yard drive and a touchdown pass from Locker to Jermaine Kearse to beat its rivals and head to a bowl for the first time since 2002.
So Washington comes into the Holiday Bowl on a three-game winning streak, thrilled to be there, and with a score to settle against Nebraska.
Who Wants To Be In San Diego?
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On its' face, it's a silly question. San Diego might be the most perfect city on Earth. Who WOULDN'T want to be in San Diego?
But we're talking about handicapping a bowl. In trying to handicap bowls, one has to pay a lot of attention to the motivation of the teams that are playing. Many times, a team will be disappointed to be in a particular game, and will underperform as a result. Conversely, many times a team will either be thrilled to be there or have a point to prove, and play the game of their lives.
There's no question that the Holiday Bowl is the silver medal for Nebraska this year. All season, NU's sights were focused on a Big XII conference title. That focus became sharper throughout the season as the conferences perceived slights against NU made winning that final trophy even more desirable. Losing to Oklahoma in the title game, particularly with the horrifyingly inevitable manner the loss came about, was a crushing defeat that will be difficult to overcome.
Conversely, Washington is coming into the game on a three-game winning streak, are breaking a bowl drought that's lasted since 2002, and are out to avenge the humiliation Nebraska inflicted on them in September. From a motivational standpoint, just about every advantage is Washington's.
What's The Fearless Forecast?
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So Washington has all the momentum. They also have the advantage of a year's worth of defensive film on how to stop Taylor Martinez, even if his injuries aren't robbing him of his speed. On its' face, if there was ever a game to put an Upset Alert flag on, this one is it.
But there's a little more to the story. Yes, Washington is coming in on a three-game winning streak. But the streak is against three pretty poor teams. The three teams they beat (UCLA, California, and Washington State) are the bottom three teams in the Pac-10. And two of the three games were nail-biters, including UW needing to make a fourth-quarter drive to defeat 2-10 Washington State.
And while Nebraska might have some motivational issues, NU also has some things to prove. Nebraska knows the Big XII Championship Game was a monstrous missed opportunity, but they've also spent weeks hearing about how terrible they were offensively, yet again. Last time NU game into a game hearing those voices, they played in the same game, in the same stadium, against the same conference, and carved Arizona open 33-0.
And while Martinez's health and ability to lead the team may be questionable, no such questions exist about the Blackshirts. The defensive unit that stymied UW in Seattle will be in the field on San Diego to take another shot at Locker and company.
It's a safe bet that NU won't be putting up another 56 points against Washington. It might even be a safe bet that Nebraska won't be covering the 15-point spread NU has been installed at.
But ultimately Nebraska just has too many athletic mismatches against Washington, and too much to prove after their disappointment in Dallas, for UW to pull off the upset.
FEARLESS FORECAST: Nebraska 31, Washington 20
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