Huskers win opener over WMU, 47-24
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BY BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star
All the talk, all the build-up, all those T-shirts purchased with Bo’s name on them, and finally here was the moment to see what the defensive guru had been teaching while everyone else was hyping.
Western Michigan’s first play on offense came with 10 months worth of pent-up exuberance from the gathered crowd, if not also a heavy dose of anxiety.
Quarterback Tim Hiller faked a handoff, then looked for a hole, a hole that was there all too often last season.
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Nope. Not this time. The quarterback ran smack into Cody Glenn. Once a running back, now a linebacker, Glenn stood up and roared.
“I was like a little kid in the backyard back in Rusk (Texas), having fun,” Glenn said.
This was a defense with a pulse.
Oh, don’t mistake it, there were more than enough kinks to be found in Nebraska’s 47-24 win Saturday night, the beginning of the Bo Pelini era at Memorial Stadium.
Western Michigan busted Nebraska on a consistent basis throughout the second half with shallow crossing routes, twice connecting on pass plays of 50 yards that set up touchdowns. Hiller even threw for 342 yards.
But there were also four sacks, deflections, a couple turnovers, only 8 rushing yards surrendered, a picture on the videoscreens of Charlie McBride throwing the bones.
“It was awesome. They played hard. They played their butts off,” Husker senior quarterback Joe Ganz said. “You know there are going to be mistakes … but all you can ask is them to make them at 100 miles per hour. They played hard. They played fast. … They’re a couple mistakes from being really good.”
Yes, for a defense that ranked 112th in the country last year, this was a hop toward the positive.
And there was plenty of hopping going on in the first half. After one near interception by Glenn in the second quarter, linebackers coach Mike Ekeler screamed approval, jumping on top of the senior before he could reach the sideline.
That kind of attitude and a quick-strike offense that three times had touchdown drives that took less than 51 seconds, had Husker fans smiling at the half, staring up at a scoreboard that showed their guys in front 34-10.
Ganz said Pelini delivered an “intense” pre-game speech.
“I can’t repeat a lot of it,” Ganz said. “It’s different than what we had before and it was awesome.”
Senior defensive end Barry Turner said this year’s team just has a different connection than last year’s, which went 5-7.
“Our chemistry is unbelievable,” Turner said. “We’ve got a brotherhood I’ve never been apart of in my life. We love each other so much. We play for each other. It’s unbelievable.”
The performance of Glenn was perhaps the most eye-catching. On the Broncos’ first series of the game, Glenn was involved in all three plays — making two tackles, batting away a pass, bouncing around after each one like he had just won the lottery.
This came from a guy who spent his first three years as a running back, only changing position in the spring.
Sure, the Husker D gave up enough significant plays to show that Pelini and crew still have work to do.
After one 50-yard Western Michigan pass late in the third quarter, Pelini called a timeout and marched into his team’s huddle on the field.
“I’m not taking anything away from Western Michigan, but most of what they got we gave because of our mistakes,” Pelini said. “When we executed what we were supposed to, we were pretty hard to move the ball on.”
And Nebraska’s run game, figured to be a strength this season, was nothing close to dominant. The Big Red had 138 yards rushing.
But victory was never in doubt, even after Ganz threw a couple of second-half interceptions that put blemishes on what was otherwise a pretty formidable stat line. The senior was 20-of-36 for 345 yards and four touchdowns.
Western Michigan tried to crawl closer in the fourth period, but failed twice to score in Nebraska territory, one drive ending with an interception by Anthony West and another ending on a loss of downs when Phillip Dillard broke through and disrupted a fourth-down try.
When it was over, captains presented Pelini with a game ball, a gesture that touched the first-year head coach.
“It’s a win. I’m excited,” Pelini said. “Kids worked hard. They earned it. We won a football game. We’re 1-0. That’s what we came to do.”
Reach Brian Christopherson at bchristopherson@journalstar.com or 473-7439.
