Report card: Nebraska vs. Baylor

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BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star

RUNNING GAME (A)

Marlon Lucky averaged 5.2 yards a carry and did a fine job of finding holes. Joe Ganz was in on the act with 42 rushing yards, once taking a big blow near the goal line. Quentin Castille continues to grow, although that fumble at the goal line is what’s feared most when ‘Q’ gets the ball. Credit the offensive line, too, for solid play — and no false-start or holding penalties.

PASSING GAME (B)

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Nebraska quarterback Joe Ganz looks for a receiver in the fourth quarter against Baylor. (Gwyneth Roberts)

Nebraska quarterback Joe Ganz looks for a receiver in the fourth quarter against Baylor. (Gwyneth Roberts)

That second-quarter groan you heard was everybody in Memorial Stadium seeing Nate Swift wide-open for a touchdown. Everyone except for Ganz, who actually missed an open Swift two times in the first half. Otherwise, smart decision-making by Ganz. Outstanding one-handed grab by Marlon Lucky on a third-down play to set up a touchdown. Congrats to Swift, too, for breaking Johnny Rodgers’ record.

AGAINST THE RUN (C)

First of all, Robert Griffin is as good as advertised. One mistake, and the Baylor QB will make you pay. Nebraska had more than one mistake in the first half, and it bit the Huskers each time. Outstanding goal-line stand in the third quarter, stopping Griffin on third-and-goal. A game-changer. We don’t know much about Colton Koehler, but the walk-on sealed this victory with a fourth-quarter safety, one of NU’s nine tackles for loss.

AGAINST THE PASS (B)

True, there were some big-time coverage busts, something we’ve seen in almost every game this season. But check out this key stat Saturday: Baylor was 0-of-10 on third-down conversions. That’s a credit to pass defense. Nebraska sacked Griffin three times and hurried him six times, forcing some overthrows.

SPECIAL TEAMS (B)

Sure looked like that punt went off the left foot of the Baylor return man. The reaction on Antareis Bryan’s face was evidence enough. The kicking game did enough to pin Baylor inside its 10-yard line three times in the first half. Honorary game ball goes to the south end zone’s left upright, which denied these teams a combined four points, one an extra-point attempt by Alex Henery. Ndamukong Suh’s blocked extra point was NU’s third blocked kick this season.

GAME MANAGEMENT (D)

Four more 15-yard penalties, including a costly (and unnecessary) roughing-the-punter foul on Will Henry to start the fourth quarter. A facemask call on Cody Glenn was even more costly in the first half. It negated a sack, which would’ve forced a long third-down play. Baylor scored on the possession. Coaches were flustered with Baylor pushing the “intent to deceive” rule on its personnel looks, probably why Bo Pelini spent much of the game jawing at officials.

PLAY CALLING (B)

Nebraska again dominated time of possession, a credit to offensive coordinator Shawn Watson’s play calling. This offense is finding its rhythm. It appeared Nebraska, up 10 points in the fourth quarter, would run clock after consecutive 6-yard runs by Lucky, but a peculiar call for a deep pass (an incompletion) stopped that momentum. Ganz and Lucky, though, turned that around with the 69-yard completion on a third-and-16 middle screen.

OVERALL (B)

For the first time since the Penn State game in 2003, Nebraska won a game it trailed at halftime. That was a streak of 22 losses. A sign of progress? Yes. But before giving credit to a bunch of halftime adjustments, realize the biggest adjustment was mental. “It took us a while to get settled down,” linebackers coach Mike Ekeler said. The defense made big plays when needed, and the offense, while not 100 percent sharp, ran 83 plays. One more win …