Nebraska Football: Grading the Cornhuskers' Game Against Ohio State

Nebraska survived a 21-point deficit in the third quarter against Ohio State, scoring 28 straight points to win 34-27. At the risk of an overused cliché, it truly was a game of two halves, with Ohio State dominating the first half and Nebraska ruling the second.

Such a game makes it hard to award grades, because you have to take account both halves in assessing each unit’s performance. Having said that, let’s take a shot and see what we can learn.

Quarterback: A

Who is this man, and where was he in Madison? That may not actually be a fair question to ask of Taylor Martinez, as much of the problems against the Badgers involved offensive coordinator Tim Beck putting Martinez into a situation not designed to help him be successful.

But against Ohio State—even in the first half with Nebraska struggled offensively—Martinez was back to showing the decision-making, the discretion to protect the ball, the savvy to look for the first down marker and even the (gasp) accuracy in both intermediate and deep passes that helped Nebraska get on the back of the (gasp) offense and pull out an amazing victory.

Running Backs: A+

We’ve said it here before. Rex Burkhead is the most important player on the team. A good argument could probably be made for Lavonte David at this stage of the season, but it doesn’t alter the fact that it is Burkhead’s rock-solid consistency, along with his shifty feet, amazing balance and surprisingly-quick acceleration, that makes Nebraska’s offense work. Even after getting held for 10 yards on 11 carries in the first half, the patience to keep Burkhead engaged in the offense ultimately paid dividends for Nebraska against Ohio State.

Burkhead wasn’t the only running back playing, of course, Both Aaron Green and Ameer Abdullah saw playing time and performed well both as ball carriers and decoys. Something to watch for in the future is the I formation with Burkhead at fullback and Green or Abdullah (or Braylon Heard, when healthy) at I-back. Against Ohio State, Nebraska used that formation to get the ball to Burkhead and choke out the Buckeyes. But that formation could be devastating as a true triple option threat in the future.

Receivers: A-

The receivers did their jobs admirably, getting open, making catches and putting themselves in positions to be successful. The highlight of the game was Quincy Enunwa getting open down the seam and running under a well-thrown Taylor Martinez pass for a critical touchdown.

Another new wrinkle offensively added was using Jamal Turner in a jet sweep or putting him in motion then making him an option back going the other direction. Turner’s fumble on a toss play lowers the grade of the unit, but only slightly.

Offensive Line: B

One of the clear “tale of two halves” grades. The offensive line struggled mightily in the first half, providing no avenues or lanes for the offense to move the ball on the ground on first and second downs. But as the game wore down, and Nebraska got into the up-tempo offense Tim Beck wants to use, the offensive line started to wear down the Buckeyes and pave the way for Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead.

Defensive Line: B-

The defensive line, the unit that was supposed to be the heart of the Blackshirts in 2011, struggled against against Ohio State. A three-man front was trotted out in the first half to borderline-disastrous results. Backside containment was spotty, and NU seemed incapable of accounting for Buckeye quarterback Braxton Miller’s ability to run the ball.

But most disturbing was Nebraska’s inability to get a pass rush with the front four. Even when Miller went out and the far-less-mobile John Bauserman came into the game, the defensive line still struggled to bring heat on the quarterback. The comeback win feels good, for sure, but the lack of quarterback pressure puts some damper on optimism going forward.

Linebackers: A-

It would almost be fairer to grade the corps as Lavonte David, and then the other guys. David has emerged as the clear leader of the defense, both vocally and with his play. It was David’s strip of Braxton Miller that turned the tide of the game. But David also made tackles throughout the game, something the other linebackers (and the other defenders, quite honestly) struggled to do. Both Will Compton and Sean Fisher improved as the game wore on, however, improving the unit’s overall grade.

Secondary: C+

Alphonzo Dennard played a solid game at corner, although his play functionally meant that half the field was taken away from Ohio State. The Corey Cooper at corner experiment looks to be over, and both Andrew Green and Ciante Evans continued to struggle mightily when asked to cover one-on-one. Both Green and Evans were called for defensive holding on long passes that were ultimately completed (or at least completed and overturned on review).

But a new star may have emerged in Stanley Jean-Baptiste, the wide receiver turned corner who got his first real playing time against Ohio State. Baptiste made a phenomenal interception by being in excellent position on press coverage, something we have seen precious little of from cornerbacks not named Dennard. It will be interesting to see who gets the starting nod at corner opposite Dennard in two weeks time against Minnesota.

Special Teams: B+

Ameer Abdullah continues to amaze with his contributions on both kick returns and punt returns. Abdullah’s ability to get extra yardage and field position for Nebraska in the first half was directly responsible for what little scoring NU was able to accomplish. He did muff a punt and was pulled in favor of Rex Burkhead late in the game when Nebraska went into “Santino Panico” mode to avoid fumbles on a punt return.

Brett Maher had a solid game on kickoffs and was perfect as a placekicker, including hitting a 50-yard strike in the rain. But his punting was shaky, with more than one shankopotamus coming off his foot and putting NU’s defense in a tough situation.

Coaching: A-

OK, let’s get the obvious bits out of the way. Bo Pelini and his staff did a masterful job of keeping the team together, focused and believing that a comeback was possible. Nebraska fans remembered all too well games under a different head coach where NU would get behind and not have the mental strength to claw their way out.

But, there’s always a flip side to every coin. Nebraska’s defense also surrendered 249 yards and 20 points in the first half to an Ohio State team that was nearly shut out at home the week before. Some of that offensive success from the Buckeyes came from an experimental three-man defensive front intended to slow Ohio State down, but which clearly did not have the desired effect. There were shades of Pelini’s overly-cute defensive scheme in 2008 against Missouri, when the Chase Daniel and the Tigers came to Lincoln and shredded the Blackshirts.

So, while all credit should be given to the coaching staff for getting the team to dig itself out of the hole it was in, it should also be remembered that there was a little dirt under the fingernails of those coaches when that hole was originally dug.

Intangibles: A

After that comeback, Nebraska has to be oozing confidence out of every pore (metaphorically speaking, of course). Now, NU goes into a bye week to get healthy and then travels to Minnesota to face a reeling Gopher team before coming back to Lincoln and facing Michigan State. The “haters” of Taylor Martinez will have to quiet down for at least a couple of weeks, and Spanish class should now be a safe place to learn.

Like what you read? Follow me on Twitter @patrickrunge to track my thoughts and observations about college football—and one or two other topics—throughout the year!

 And if you would like to contact me directly to schedule an interview, ask a question or to get my recipe for a killer peach cobbler, you can send an e-mail to [e-mail]. (DISCLAIMER: Peach cobbler recipe might not be all that killer.)