Steven M. Sipple: It's time for seniors to step up
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Nebraska coach Bo Pelini told his team before last week’s game at Texas Tech that he wanted to win two specific battles: Commit fewer penalties than Tech, and force more turnovers.
“We didn’t do either one,” Pelini said. “It hurts.”
Penalties are an ongoing concern (Nebraska is averaging nine per game to rank 114th nationally). Same goes for the lack of forced turnovers (the Huskers have six takeaways, 15 fewer than they had through six games in 2003, when Pelini was defensive coordinator).
Nebraska has lost three straight games to fall to 3-3 overall and 0-2 in the Big 12. Pelini said this week he wants his guys to play every play as if it’s their last. That’s probably a good idea, lest the Huskers’ last play this season occur on a cold day in November instead of a mild night at a nice bowl destination.
I offer up another key for Nebraska as it enters the season’s second half: It’s time for the veterans to step up. Time for a dozen senior starters to seize the moment and grab control of the season.
The Huskers’ depth chart, on the whole, possesses more experience than Iowa State’s two-deep. That might be a hidden key today against an awfully young Cyclone team that has been shaky this season when pressure has been applied.
“I think we get on streaks and when things are going good, our young guys have a lot of confidence,” said Iowa State coach Gene Chizik, who has used 11 true freshmen. “We play well when we play with confidence. And then when things are a little shaky, I’m not sure there’s enough maturity and leadership for our (young) guys to know we can overcome those things.
“And then, finally, when something good happens, we kind of get back on track again. Sometimes we execute well and sometimes we don’t. And I think the inconsistencies are the things that are killing us on both sides of the ball.”
So, Nebraska’s charge today ought to be applying immediate pressure. Be the aggressor out of the gate. Make the Cyclones — they have 24 freshmen and sophomores on their two-deep — feel a high degree of discomfort.
Of course, Iowa State (2-4, 0-2 Big 12) probably could apply the same line of thinking. The Huskers also are a young team, with 26 freshmen and sophomores on the two-deep.
But Nebraska has a larger core of veterans in key spots than Iowa State. There are some strong Husker leaders. This is no time for them to tarry. Lose to Iowa State, and the pressure on NU would intensify significantly in the final five games as the Huskers battle to become bowl-eligible. Bowl eligibility is a crucial element in Pelini’s reclamation project.
Win today, and Nebraska could take a deep breath and relax, if only for a moment.
As for those Nebraska leaders, senior quarterback Joe Ganz is probably the most respected player on the team. Pelini this week also mentioned senior wide receivers Nate Swift and Todd Peterson as leaders on offense.
Swift and Peterson ought to have big days against an Iowa State defense that features two freshman cornerbacks and plays a lot of zone coverage. Swift and Peterson are adept at finding soft spots in zones.
Meanwhile, Nebraska junior linebacker Phillip Dillard and junior safety Larry Asante are examples of vocal leaders on defense, Pelini said.
Said Husker senior defensive end Clayton Sievers: “I’d say we have a lot more leaders overall than we did in the past couple years. But I think it’s kind of quiet leadership.”
Junior nose tackle Ndamukong Suh considers himself a leader. He said fellow defensive linemen Ty Steinkuhler and Zach Potter also are strong in that regard.
Suh prefers to lead by example.
However, “I’m not afraid by any means to say anything to anybody,” he said.
Suh’s among the Huskers who have been bitten hard by the penalty bug. He’s mindful of the issue. Interestingly, he said it’s not like the defense is committing a lot of silly penalties and mistakes in practice.
“In last week’s practices, when the refs were out there, I can remember only one penalty called,” Suh said.
Ultimately, a team is a reflection of its head coach. Pelini is obviously tenacious. He’s a strong leader whose confidence is contagious. He’ll always be effective at rallying players for road games and making them feel it’s them against the world.
Never mind the world. Iowa State should be quite enough for Nebraska to handle. The Huskers need a victory badly, and they need their leaders to step up.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
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