Sizing up the storylines: Nebraska vs. Clemson
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BY BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star
The time of their lives
It’s been a roller coaster someone with a weaker stomach might have gotten off of long ago. But give these Husker seniors credit. They’re still standing proudly. And they should be proud. Some of them were recruited by Frank Solich. They’ve seen the 70-10 loss at Texas Tech. They’ve seen an Alamo Bowl victory against Michigan. They’ve seen 76 points by Kansas and everything else that happened that gray season. But look at them now, with a chance to write one heck of a final chapter. If this program really takes off, you wonder if in five to 10 years people might look back at this class as one of the more important in Husker history, the group that laid the foundation. At one point this season, Joe Ganz was asked if he’d change anything about his career here. Not a thing, he said. The good, the bad — it’s made them better men.
My gray sweat shirt’s better than yours
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No. 80 Aaron Kelly
6-5, 190, wide receiver
In some ways it was a disappointing season statistically for Kelly. But he’s still very capable of tormenting an opponent on a given day. Ask Duke. Kelly had 10 catches for 96 yards against the Blue Devils, helping him to 61 receptions for the season. His height makes him a difficult matchup, as everyone in the ACC can attest. His 226 career catches are an ACC record. If Kelly is going strong, there’s a very good chance Clemson is too, so limiting him will be key for a young Husker secondary trying to vault into next season with confidence.
NEBRASKA
No. 52 Phillip Dillard
6-1, 235, linebacker
Dillard admitted this week to being kind of “miserable” as a spectator for the last two months. He enjoyed the Husker wins but wished he could have been out there with them. Today, he should be back on the field at MIKE linebacker after an ankle injury that has kept him out since the Oct. 25 game against Baylor. Dillard is like the quarterback of the defense, so his presence looms big. Watch closely to see how big a factor he is in his return. Will he start? Will he be able to plant and burst like he wants? He said he’s not 100 percent, but close. You can bet he’ll play -- knowing full well that this is a launching pad for 2009 and his senior season.
-- Brian Christopherson
Let the spit fly. Two emotional guys with great nicknames guide their teams today. They’re both young and energetic and feel at home in a gray sweat shirt. Bo vs. Dabo. Sounds better than Mark vs. William (the names on their birth certificates), doesn’t it? The ironic thing is, Bo Pelini’s a defensive guy whose team’s strength is its offense. Dabo Swinney’s an offensive guy whose team’s strength is its defense. Bo and Dabo already have accomplished plenty this season — restoring enthusiasm to fan bases that were previously decidedly in the dumps. But you don’t expect either of these guys to stop there. Today we find out which first-year head coach heads into his second season with the wind at his back.
Putting a bottle on the Tiger run game
Patience is a virtue and Clemson has that virtue. As Carl Pelini noted this week, the Tigers are “committed to the run.” And why wouldn’t they be? Clemson has running backs James Davis (3,855 rushing yards, second in Tiger history) and C.J. Spiller (2,318), two guys who can turn open space into a touchdown in a hurry. But the question is if that space will be there today. Nebraska’s defensive line has been the strength of the defense this year and even bordered on dominating in some of the later games. Clemson has a patchwork offensive line that has improved greatly, but still shouldn’t strike fear into anyone. This game might be decided right here — NU’s front four against Clemson’s offensive line. If the Huskers win there, they probably win on the scoreboard.
Springing to a new year
The word that kept coming up all week was “springboard.” Webster’s dictionary has no definition for a springboard game — but apparently this fills the bill. The funny thing about bowl games is they sometimes seem as much about next season as the current one. Win today and Nebraska goes into the offseason full of steam, possibly with enough momentum to be considered a top 25 team going into next season. Win today and confidence continues to build in a program that just one year ago was rattled to the core. Win today and this season can be declared nothing but a success.
