Watson: 'We'll get things fixed'
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BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star
There was a lot of green in front of Quentin Castille. Probably too much green.
The acreage ahead was so big, Castille admits, that he got too excited.
Quarterback Joe Ganz had tossed him a perfect pitch on an option play toward the Nebraska sideline, and the sophomore running back fumbled.
“I don’t really get that many opportunities to break outside, and I got too happy,” Castille said. “I was just looking at the opening. I ran before I caught the ball.”
San Jose State recovered the fumble near midfield.
Another miscue.
Just when it looked as if Nebraska’s sputtering offense was getting on track late in the third quarter, it had blown a gasket.
“Those are the things,” Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said. “All those little things we’ve got to get cleaned up.”
There were many Saturday, despite Nebraska’s 35-12 victory against San Jose State that included one defensive touchdown and a special-teams score.
On the laundry list:
* 12 penalties, low-lighted by three consecutive false starts.
* Three sacks, including two on Nebraska’s first possession.
* An interception before halftime that gave San Jose State a 30-yard field, which the Spartans couldn’t cover.
* And, perhaps most alarming, a running game that for a second straight game could generate very little.
“We were lethargic on the field and making dumb mistakes,” offensive tackle Jaivorio Burkes said, “stuff we know we could’ve executed.”
Could’ve, but didn’t.
“We can fix our issues,” Watson said. “I’m not worried about that. We’ve got a good staff. We’ll get things fixed.”
San Jose State blitzed, stunted and twisted throughout the game, but did nothing Nebraska didn’t expect, Watson said.
“I really think it was more us than it was them,” he said. “Just miscues. We’ve got to be better.”
Nebraska had 315 yards of total offense, and only 99 yards rushing on 30 carries.
“We need to create more of a balanced offense,” offensive guard Matt Slauson said. “Everything that could’ve gone wrong, did go wrong.”
Wide receiver Nate Swift credited the bubble-screen play for opening things up in the second half. Of Swift’s six receptions, at least three came off that play — a quick dart from Ganz to Swift or Todd Peterson in the flat.
“It’s cover-4, and Joe just reads that walk-out guy, whether it’s nickel or a buck,” Swift said. “If he comes in to (defend) the run, Joe’s going to throw the bubble, and if he stays out with the zebra (receiver) in the flat, he’s going to hand it off and let (the back) run.”
A bright spot in the running game: Sophomore running back Roy Helu ran for 59 yards on nine carries. That included a 14-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that gave Nebraska a 28-12 lead.
“The touchdown run was a spectacular run,” Watson said. “He’s been playing like that in practice, and the way he practiced, he brought it to the field today.”
The passing game netted a modest 216 yards. Ganz was sacked twice on Nebraska’s first possession but rebounded on the Huskers’ next series. His 12-yard pass to Swift on third-and-11 sparked a nine-play, 86-yard touchdown drive that Castille capped with a 3-yard touchdown run.
Ganz was 17-of-25 with one interception. For the first time in his career as a starter, he didn’t throw a touchdown pass.
“We just couldn’t find a rhythm,” Ganz said. “Once we did one thing right, we would do a couple things wrong. We just can’t keep putting ourselves in that situation. We were third-and-long too many times. In the first 3½ quarters, our offense was anemic.”
Field position didn’t help matters. The Huskers started consecutive drives on their 14-, 25-, 13-, 9-, 10-, 22- and 14-yard lines before finally starting a drive in San Jose State territory in the fourth quarter.
Yes, Watson said, it puts some burden on the guy calling plays — that guy being Watson — when you’re consistently in the shadow of your own goal post.
“But again, you can’t put it all on that,” Watson said. “We’ve got to go execute. It’s that simple.
“Everybody keeps wanting to find answers. We’ve got to coach better, and we’ve got to play better. Period. That’s how it is.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
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