Nebraska Football: Grading the Cornhuskers' Game Against Wisconsin

"Embarrassing."

That's what Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini called the Cornhuskers' performance against Wisconsin in a 48-17 loss. It's hard to argue, given the thorough domination the Badgers displayed in the second half.

So let's take a look at our unit-by-unit grades to figure out what happened, and whether NU fans can expect more of the same in the future.

Quarterback: C-

Yes, Taylor Martinez was put into a position to fail (more on that later). But Martinez is still making many of the same mistakes he has made throughout his career. His second interception was indicative of the problem in many ways. Much like against Fresno State, Martinez locked in on a receiver and threw the ball straight to a waiting linebacker sitting in a zone.

Blame Tim Beck for poor decisions, certainly. But Martinez has his flaws as well, and if the Nebraska offense is going to run through him, he’s going to have to improve.

Running Backs: Incomplete

Hey, remember Rex Burkhead? The rock on whom Nebraska’s otherwise high-risk, high-reward offense operates?

I’ll bet you do. Which seems to be more than can be said for the Nebraska coaching staff, who steadfastly refused to take advantage of Burkhead’s talents in the first half at the point where NU needed to stop the bleeding offensively. Burkhead was fed the ball in the second half to make his numbers a lot more respectable, but it was after the game was decided. So it’s unfair to give the running back corps any grade, given how they were used in Madison.

(And, yes, that's a picture of Burkhead against Washington because there were no pictures available of him against Wisconsin. Tells you everything you need to know).

Receivers: B

Not a lot to work with, but there were flashes of performance from the receiving corps. Brandon Kinnie had a nice catch-and-move for a first down. Jamal Turner is getting more and more integrated into the offense, and it is clear that his talents will be a big part of NU's offensive performance in games to come.

But receivers are the most dependent on schemes and quarterback play to succeed, and neither of those served Nebraska well in Madison.

Offensive Line: B

Nebraska’s offensive struggles really can’t be laid at the foot of the line. Martinez, for the most part, had time to make his throws, and the running game was making progress when given the opportunity. If you’re looking for silver linings from the debacle in Wisconsin, one of them might be a growing cohesion in the offensive line. 

Defensive Line: B

Jared Crick played a solid game in his return after a one-game hiatus, but the rest of the defensive line had issues. They did do a solid job of shutting down Montee Ball and James White while the outcome of the game was in doubt, which was an impressive performance. But they also failed to maintain containment and execute their tackling against Russell Wilson, offering some downgrade to the ultimate mark.

Linebackers: C

Lavonte David was back to his old tackle-machine self, looking strong both against the run and against the pass. But his linebacker mates, particularly Sean Fisher, struggled mightily. If there was a focus where the tackling was poor, it was in the linebacking corps, which is most disturbing.

Secondary: D

Alfonzo Dennard’s return certainly helped to shore up a struggling secondary, but the net result is the same in terms of the output from the unit.

A lack of physical play on the line of scrimmage, a lack of poor pursuit angles and a lack of tackling gave Wisconsin all the opportunities it needed to put Nebraska into a hole it could never emerge from in the game.

Special Teams: A-

Brett Maher is going to get a complex about kicking field goals at the end of the half, after missing two in a row (although there was no doubt that Maher missed the one in Madison). But he still punted and kicked off well, and Ameer Abdullah consistently provided Nebraska with excellent field position to start with.

Unfortunately for Nebraska, in the second half, Abdullah had a lot of practice in kickoff returns. And, unfortunately again, NU didn’t do much with the great field position Abdullah provided.

Coaching: F

A stinker of a night all around from the coaching staff. The snowball started with Tim Beck’s decision to continually place Taylor Martinez in circumstances where he is likely to fail, and neglecting to take advantage of the weapons (particularly Rex Burkhead) he had available.

A lack of fundamentals on defense, particularly tackling, has to be laid at least in part at the feet of the defensive staff. And, finally, the team’s lack of response in the second half after getting down big is another indictment about the mental status of the team created and nurtured by the coaches.

Intangibles: D

Nebraska is in a very dangerous position going into the game against Ohio State next week. Keep in mind, the Buckeyes are starting a quarterback with a same skill set similar to Russell Wilson's and are getting top-notch players like Boom Herron and Devier Posey back. NU’s confidence could very well be shaken by the performance in Madison, and the fans will certainly be on edge. If Taylor Martinez struggles to start the game against Ohio State, the home crowd could work to Nebraska’s disadvantage as the Children of the Corn turn on him.

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