Sizing up the storylines: Baylor
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By BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star
Sparking conversation
Who’s the spark? And how many football players does it take to constitute a spark? Can one guy do it? Can one big play do it? Or is a spark bigger than that? Bo Pelini was asked early in the week about Nebraska’s offense needing a spark. Yes, he said, a spark would be welcome. Just like that, sparks took off in every conversation. Some think true freshman quarterback Cody Green needs to be the spark. After all, if you’re going to make a quarterback change during the Big 12 season, what better place to do it than Waco? And if you’re going to switch, you best do it now. Otherwise ... when? Against Oklahoma? Bad idea. Whether the first snap belongs to the kid or Zac Lee, this offense just needs something good to happen fast. You want a spark? Have someone make a play out of nothing. We’ve seen very little of that. Take away the fourth quarter against Missouri and the Huskers have scored two touchdowns against teams not from the Sun Belt Conference. Someone Saturday has to make that perfect throw, that unexpected catch, that bone-crushing block that helps this offense get going.
A whole lot of shaking going on
NU: Khiry Cooper
No. 6 / WR / 6-2 / 195
When last we saw Khiry Cooper in action, he scored his first Husker touchdown against Texas Tech. The redshirt freshman wide receiver sat out last week with an injury but has been named a starter for Saturday’s game against Baylor. Nebraska’s receivers have had way too many drops and are certainly missing Nate Swift and Todd Peterson. Obviously, Cooper isn’t ready to match that level yet, but watch him closely to see if he adds any life to this offense.
Baylor: Jordan Lake
No. 21 / FS / 6-1 / 215
Baylor safety Jordan Lake could play for anyone in the country. He’s a vicious hitter, as Husker players found out last year. Against Oklahoma this season, he had 14 tackles. You can trust you’ll hear Lake’s name Saturday. He just finds the football, and eventually he’ll find the NFL. "If there’s a ball that he can dive for and make a play on, he’s going to do it," Baylor coach Art Briles told the Dallas Morning News. "He’s just a guy that plays full-tilt."
--Brian Christopherson
More at HuskerExtra.com
Coaches say freshman Khiry Cooper is going to start Saturday at wide receiver ahead of senior Menelik Holt. And don’t expect that to be the only injection of youth at the position. Sophomore newcomer Brandon Kinnie caught three passes in last week’s game and might catch even more this week. Redshirt freshmen Steven Osborne and Tim Marlowe have been getting more reps in practice. Let’s face it: A couple of the guys we expected to step up at that position have not. A shakeup is necessary. Junior Niles Paul is still the leader of this group, and still the team’s best playmaking receiving threat despite his own issues in the past two weeks. But beyond him, expect to see a youth movement Saturday.
Nitpicking? Yes, we are
You can’t ask much more of Nebraska’s defense than it’s given. The Blackshirts played good enough football for the Huskers to have won every game if not for an impotent offense. But we’re going to ask one more thing: How about a couple turnovers against Baylor? That’s the only category in which this defense hasn’t excelled. The Huskers did not create a turnover the past two weeks. Right now, it’s easy to say this defense is really good. Create some turnovers and perhaps we can call it really great.
Why you should watch
Nebraska has lost to every team in the Big 12 Conference but one — Baylor. The way streaks have been falling around here the past decade, that makes Husker fans uneasy. But there are plenty of reasons to watch this game: A) The Big 12 North title is still very much up for grabs. If Nebraska finishes as it did last year, it wins the division and earns a one-game shot at a BCS bid. B) If you don’t feel so hot about the Huskers now, you will still want to see how much and how well the younger guys play to get an idea about the future. Quarterback Cody Green, running back Dontrayevous Robinson, wide receivers Khiry Cooper and Brandon Kinnie all could see action Saturday. C) You have only six or seven more games to watch Ndamukong Suh as a Husker. Enjoy it. D) It’s Husker football. Who are you kidding? You’re not jumping off the ship yet. After all, you already bought that “Got Bo?” shirt.
Game Day: Keys to the NU-Baylor game
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