Consistency is key in Watson offense
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BY CURT McKEEVER / Lincoln Journal Star
Surrounded by reporters and barraged for more than 10 minutes with questions about his offense’s recent struggles, Shawn Watson never broke a sweat.
Considering that one among the pack practically suggested Nebraska’s third-year offensive coordinator has less than a well-thought-out plan, Watson’s calmness spoke volumes.
More than anything, it said he’s been to enough rodeos to know that being bucked from the saddle is all a part of the game.
Away from the horde, Watson spoke of how his boss, Bo Pelini, has been “unbelievably supportive” of his system and ability to teach it.
“He knows what we’re doing is pretty good stuff — we’ve just got to get better at the details,” Watson said. “I mean, we’re like they were (on defense) a year ago.”
Young — and rough around the edges.
Partly because Nebraska averaged 440 yards in its four nonconference games, a lot of fans forgot that the Huskers were supposed to have big questions on offense.
Never mind that the line was without two players now on NFL rosters.
That junior quarterback Zac Lee was replacing someone who’d obliterated the NU single-season passing record and that Lee wouldn’t have the targets that just finished Nos. 2 and 4 in career receiving yards.
Or that right before the start of the season Nebraska’s “thumper” I-back was dismissed from the team.
It was only after last week’s 31-10 loss to Texas Tech, when for the second straight game the Huskers took more than 45 minutes to produce a touchdown, that red flags were raised.
Nebraska is currently 57th nationally in total offense at 384.7 yards per game. Not bad, but nothing like being ninth or 12th, which it was during Watson’s first two seasons as the OC.
So what does he draw on to try and bring about better results? Watson says his standbys are: fundamentals, attention to detail and relentless effort.
And right now, it’s a lack of the middle item that’s hitting the hardest.
“With young players, that’s what gets you,” Watson said. “It happens out here every day. It happens again (in a game) and you go, ‘Dude, you’ve been doing it all week,’ so consistency (is) what you try to build in your kids.
“That’s why you don’t scrap and go to another offense. You improve what you’re doing. You look at how to accentuate what you can do — streamline and make it a little bit easier for younger players. … But we have to do it. … They’ve got to learn to play confident.”
Watson faced the same challenge when he was offensive coordinator at Colorado from 2000 to 2005. His best offense there during a span when the Buffs won four Big 12 North Division crowns was the 2001 bunch that ranked 20th nationally.
That unit underwent a change at quarterback for the final four regular-season games after heralded sophomore Craig Ochs suffered an ankle injury, but thrived on a running game fueled by Chris Brown.
Beyond that Big 12 championship team, the highest CU ranked in total offense under Watson was 58th in 2002.
Against Texas Tech, Lee was kept under tight enough wraps that freshman Cody Green eventually replaced him and drove NU to its only touchdown. If Green starts Saturday and Nebraska suddenly looks sharp, will the people who criticized the offense last week think all is well again?
A realist like Watson would be apt to remind them that things weren’t as rough as they looked the previous two games — and also that his product still needs lots of polish.
“You start struggling a little bit on offense with youth and people forget about what we did as an offense last year,” Pelini said. “He’s busting his butt, and we’ll get it worked out. I have a tremendous belief in him.”
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.
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