Nebraska Football: What We Learned from the Win over Ohio State

On a rainy Saturday night in Lincoln, the Huskers pulled out an impressive 34-27 comeback victory over a depleted yet resilient Ohio State team. 

Both teams gave impressive performances, but Nebraska prevailed in a tale of two halves.  As disappointing as this loss was for the Buckeyes, Luke Fickell's bunch must be commended on their refusal to give into the unfortunate situation they were faced with. 

The Bucks dominated the Big Red through the first two and a half quarters, catching the Huskers completely off-guard.  We learned that Braxton Miller has a bright future ahead at Ohio State and his leg/ankle injury was a huge blow for Ohio State.

At the same time, Nebraska also gave a strong performance, but we still saw many of the weaknesses that have been plaguing them all season come out, almost costing them the game in the end.  As a Husker fan, it is hard to criticize the team after the program's first conference win, especially considering the way in which it was won.  But passion gives me a sense of responsibility for my team, and I feel like I should address any issues in the hopes of getting them solved.

With that said, I'm extremely proud of my Huskers after a monumental win.  As Bo Pelini stated after the game, "This team has a lot of character..."

The Huskers Learned from Last Week

After essentially giving up in Madison, following a 13-point halftime deficit and a Taylor Martinez interception to begin the second half, suffice it to say Nebraska dealt with adversity much better this week.

Facing a greater halftime deficit this week than last week, the Huskers showed resilience in coming back from three touchdowns down to earn the win.  I credit a lot of the Huskers' success in the second half to Tim Beck's play-calling, as he relied heavily on the strength of Rex Burkhead and the running game.  Last week was Beck's worst game of the season, coming out of the second half trying to catch Wisconsin off-guard by calling a play action pass. 

This week Nebraska's second half offense was as effective as ever as the explosive running game set up an efficient passing game.  After a conservative and rough first half, Taylor Martinez finished 16-22 for 191 yards and two touchdowns, adding 93 second half rushing yards to finish with 102 yards on 17 carries.

The game was a tale of two halves, as the Huskers allowed a whopping 246 first half yards to the Buckeyes.  They made a much needed adjustment in the second half, though, as they only surrendered 105 second half yards.  It was the same story on offense.  The Big Red only mustered 117 first half yards, while gaining an impressive 306 second half yards. 

The Pass Defense Is Improving

Perhaps the most refreshing part of the victory for Husker fans was the re-emergence of the Husker defense in the second half.

The Huskers allowed a whopping 246 first half yards to the Buckeyes.  They made a much needed adjustment in the second half, though, as they only surrendered 105 second half yards.  The pass defense was much more consistent than the rush defense despite the fact that Ohio State's number one weakness is their passing game. 

What's more, Stanley Jean-Baptiste emerged as a formidable defensive back option, picking off a Joe Bauserman pass three weeks after being converted from a wide receiver.  Another corner opposite Alfonzo Dennard would be huge as the Huskers have been inconsistent in the secondary and have not been able to find Prince Amukamara's replacement so far this season.

Speaking of Dennard, No. 15 looked nothing like the pre-season All-American he was expected to be last week against Wisconsin. Alfonzo bounced back from last week in a strong way and looked more like his usual ball-hawking self this week.  Ohio State threw to his side maybe twice throughout the whole night.

The Huskers allowed a stingy 108 passing yards to Ohio State.  Hopefully, this along with a scrimmage against Minnesota in two weeks will get the Husker D back to "Blackshirt form" for the rest of their Big Ten schedule.

The Run Defense Is Still Struggling

In the first half, the Nebraska defense was gashed for 178 yards.  That stat should be unheard-of when talking about a Nebraska Blackshirt Defense.  A lot like last year, Nebraska's run defense looks to be very vulnerable.

This susceptibility was shown on a 63-yard Carlos Hyde touchdown run, who, after making one cutback and getting past two out-of-place Nebraska defenders, was off to the races.  Essentially, Hyde already had the touchdown after advancing only five or six yards upfield.

But in the second half the Husker Defense tightened up, allowing only 65 second half rushing yards.

The Nebraska D deserves credit for making this second half adjustment, but had Braxton Miller not gotten injured, this number would've been higher.  Nebraska really needs to do a better job of keeping running quarterbacks in check.

I hope Carl Pelini wasn't right in saying that the defense has been over-coached, worrying about their assignments instead of making plays, like robots. 

The Huskers Are Struggling to Find a Pass Rush

Against a team that allowed nine sacks last week against Michigan State, Nebraska refused to blitz Braxton Miller.  Miller was erratic last week against the blitz, and Ohio State's debilitated offensive line haven't been able to protect him the whole season.  With that said, the Huskers managed just one sack against the Buckeyes Saturday night and were unable to generate any pressure when dropping back in coverage and rushing four.

After a great start to the season, Cameron Meredith has been nowhere to be seen, generating no pressure in opposing teams' backfields.  In the past two games, on the rare occasion that the Huskers did get some pressure on the quarterback, either Russell Wilson or Braxton Miller put one move on Husker defenders and gained positive yardage.

It seems to me that both Cameron Meredith and Jared Crick are still not 100% after suffering injuries early in the season.  A much needed bye week should help the Huskers sort some issues out and give the team some time to heal.

Lavonte David Is Quickly Becoming a Nebraska Legend

I know I can speak for many Husker fans in wishing Ndamukong Suh, present on the Nebraska sidelines for last night's game, was still a member of the Big Red, as I watched Braxton Miller escape Husker defenders for another Ohio State first down.  Ohio State was in command, holding a 27-6 third quarter lead. 

The play of the game came at the end of that very same Miller run when Lavonte David, Nebraska's MVP so far this season, ripped the ball from Miller's hands just before he hit the ground.  This set Nebraska up with their best field position of the night, and they scored on an 18-yard Taylor Martinez run.

Lavonte has been Nebraska's only constant on defense this season.  He was the only Husker defender who could keep pace with Russell Wilson last week, notching two sacks in the game. For the second year in a row, David leads the Blackshirts in tackles with 58, along with two sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and an interception.  It never gets old seeing him shoot through his gap and wrap up the opposing ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage.

The fumble David forced against Ohio State was no doubt the turning point of the game and maybe even of the season.  Look for him to be right in the middle of the picture when the time comes to decide this year's Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. 

Taylor Martinez Is Nebraska's Best Option at Quarterback at This Point

Taylor Martinez played his best game of the season in the biggest spot of the season Saturday night.  The sophmore quarterback kept the Ohio State defense off-balance in the second half by running and throwing effectively.

Based on Ohio State's record and the struggles their team has had, many fail to realize that the Ohio State defense is one of the best units in the Big Ten and the stats back it up.  Most importantly, Martinez showed composure in and out of the pocket.  He was able to hit receivers with quick strikes and was able to create plays with his feet by scrambling on busted plays and picking up first downs.

On one of his touchdown passes, Martinez avoided the rush nicely and made a solid throw across the field to an open Rex Burkhead for a 30-yard TD.

Martinez was described, earlier this week by teammate Jemarcus Hardrick as, "mad."  Hardrick stated, "...it's the first time I've ever seen him, like, mad."  Apparently, Martinez was told in Spanish class to stop throwing interceptions and his girlfriend was even getting flack about her boyfriend's performance.  As of now, Taylor Martinez has silenced those critics.  I like the "mad" Taylor Martinez.

Rex Burkhead Is Nebraska's Go-to Playmaker on Offense

People say Rex Burkhead is the quintessential Nebraska running back for many reasons.  He never gives up, he can block, he has underrated speed, he can catch the ball out of the backfield, and he can even throw the ball.

Against Ohio State, Burkhead started very slow, but he set the pace for the offense in the second half, scoring the game-tying and game-winning touchdowns.

Against Wisconsin last week, Burkhead showed perseverance as well.  He was the one Husker player who noticeably didn't give up, despite the huge deficit.

Rex Burkhead almost never puts the ball on the turf, proving his reliability.  For this reason, he can be depended on when the game is on the line and a turnover would be the game.

Maybe the best part about Burkhead is his leadership.  He addressed the team immediately after last week's loss, telling them that they have to get over the loss and win the game in practice the following week.  What's more is that Burkhead is a great person and a respected member of the Nebraska community.