Steven M. Sipple: Watson advocates caution for RBs
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Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson isn’t wild about running backs attempting to leap over defenders, as Roy Helu Jr. occasionally does.
“I think they’re crazy if they do,” said Watson, adding, “There are times to do it, and times not to do it. And there are ways to do it and ways not to do it.
“I really think some of it has become a fad type of deal. But you can end up severely hurt.”
California star tailback Jahvid Best suffered a severe concussion after landing on his back and head at the end of a 7-yard touchdown run against Oregon State on Saturday. Best leaped a defender at the goal line while simultaneously getting pushed by another defender, propelling Best high into the air. It’s chilling video.
With only three games remaining, Best could miss the rest of the season.
“I’m sure people will be watching it now, especially with that kind of injury,” Watson said. “The young man’s lucky he wasn’t hurt worse.”
Watson doesn’t necessarily quibble with a running back occasionally leaping to reach the end zone or selling out to convert a first down. Same goes for Husker running backs coach Tim Beck. But generally speaking, Beck said, he would prefer his backs don’t try to leap over defenders.
Beck wasn’t thrilled with Helu’s attempt to hurdle a defender along the sideline last week against Oklahoma.
“I was like, ‘Where are you going? Where were you jumping to?’ ” Beck said. “He said, ‘I thought I could get over him.’ And I told him, ‘For what? You were going out of bounds.’ ”
Trying to leap into the end zone is another matter, Beck said.
“But even then, you expose yourself pretty good,” he said. “Sometimes it’s instinctive, and some guys try to fight for yards. But I discourage it.
“For one thing, you’re defenseless. Two, when people fall, they typically want to put their hands down, so there goes ball security. Instead of holding the ball, they want to brace themselves.
“Maybe Walter Payton was an exception because he jumped over everybody.”
Behind enemy lines
Some more on Kansas
Kansas coach Mark Mangino said Nebraska has “maybe the best front four in college football.”
That might not bode well for a KU outfit that has only a so-so offensive line.
“For a while, our young offensive line was not progressing the way I would’ve liked,” Mangino said. “I think they did some better things on Saturday (in a 17-10 loss at Kansas State), but we still have a ways to go.”
Senior quarterback Todd Reesing’s struggles in the past four games (five fumbles, five interceptions) have been well-documented. But when any offense has problems, they often start up front.
Against K-State, Kansas’ offensive line consisted of two freshmen, two juniors and a sophomore. The Jayhawks rushed 23 times for 60 yards.
“It’s hard to get anything going if you’re not able to get a little bit of a run game moving,” Mangino said.
Nebraska sacked Reesing five times and hit him hard several times last season in the Huskers’ 45-35 win. It’s easy to imagine Big Red matching or exceeding that sacks total Saturday.
Meanwhile, Kansas’ defense has improved markedly since last season. The Jayhawks finished 2008 ranked 89th in total defense (396.7), and now are 47th (344.9).
“All along, that was an area we had targeted,” Mangino said. “It needed a lot of work, a lot of repetitions, getting people to the right spots. Our defensive effort Saturday was good enough to win.”
To be sure, Kansas’ offensive issues were the problem. Even so, Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh seems to respect KU’s potential to break out of its doldrums.
“They definitely have the pieces in place, especially on offense,” Suh said. “It just hasn’t been clicking for them.”
The no-huddle
Games to watch
The obvious: No. 15 Iowa at No. 10 Ohio State. The victor is assured a berth in the Rose Bowl against a Pac-10 opponent. The Buckeyes (8-2, 5-1) look like a clear-cut favorite in this game, as the Hawkeyes (9-1, 5-1) head into Ohio Stadium with a redshirt freshman quarterback (James Vandenberg) starting in place of injured Ricky Stanzi.
The not-so-obvious: Notre Dame at No. 8 Pittsburgh. The Panthers (8-1) have bolted to their best start since Dan Marino was a senior in 1982. Meanwhile, the Fighting Irish are hoping to avoid an eighth straight loss to a top-10 opponent.
Heisman watch
They're in the mix
RB Mark Ingram, Alabama
QB Case Keenum, Houston
QB Colt McCoy, Texas
QB Tim Tebow, Florida
DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
Keep an eye on: Toby Gerhart. The Stanford senior running back has eclipsed 100 yards seven times in nine games this season and 200 twice, including a 38-carry, 223-yard, three-touchdown effort in last week’s upset of Oregon. Three remaining high-profile games (USC, Cal and Notre Dame) could further enhance Gerhart’s stature in voters’ eyes.
The ups and downs
Thumbs up to the Navy football team for its 23-21 triumph over then-No. 19 Notre Dame last weekend, the Midshipmen’s second win against the Irish in the past three years. That’s ridiculous, if you think about it. Notre Dame has every conceivable advantage over Navy — talent, money, tradition. Criminy, its own TV network. I mean, the Midshipmen have a starting linebacker, Ram Vela, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 193 pounds, for crying out loud. Inspiring work, Navy.
Thumbs down to Charlie Weis. I’ve tried to be patient with the fifth-year Notre Dame coach. I liked the fact he has a Notre Dame diploma and three Super Bowl rings. I used to like his confident demeanor. But these days he just seems stubborn and arrogant. He has a mega-contract that runs through 2015, but really no signature victories. Jon Gruden anyone? Bob Stoops?
Going to the (e-)mailbag
“I wanted to drop this idea to you to see what you might think. In years past when we have had good offenses, we had QBs that stood up and were leaders. So far this season, I have not seen this from Zac Lee. Cody Green has only stepped in lately, but it should still be Lee who should be the driving force in the offense. A few games back it was Suh who was trying to pump up Lee. That was good leadership. So the question I have is, when will the offense have its leader?”
The fact we’re still mulling this question nine games into the season is telling. It’s part of the reason the offense is struggling (there obviously are many other reasons). Remember, Lee, a junior, has had only seven career starts and gave way to Green in the eighth and ninth games this season. Also, some quarterbacks have that “it” factor, and some don’t. If Lee steps up and leads the team to a tough Big 12 win — if he makes a winning play or even a few key plays — it would improve his stature as a leader. Same goes for Green. Like the offense in general, the leadership situation at QB remains a work in progress.
Crunching numbers
0. Nebraska has not allowed a point in the fourth quarter of its past three games. In fact, NU has allowed only seven fourth-quarter points in its past six games, and has shut out four of five Big 12 opponents in the fourth quarter. The bad news for NU? The Huskers have been blanked in the fourth quarter of its past three games.
Five to go
Since it’s basketball season, and Kansas is a basketball school, the Cram Session staff wondered which members of the Nebraska football team were most proficient with the roundball. We came up with a decent starting lineup:
1. Bo Pelini, head coach. The 41-year-old Pelini was talented enough on the hardwood at Cardinal Mooney High in Ohio to attract recruiting interest from legendary Missouri coach Norm Stewart. Pelini often still works his hoops magic over the noon hour.
2. Pierre Allen, defensive end. The 6-foot-5 Allen was Colorado’s Class 4A basketball player of the year as a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School in Denver and was recruited by Syracuse for hoops. “He’s gained a lot of weight since then, so he doesn’t have the ups he used to,” Husker DT Jared Crick says.
3. Brent Qvale, offensive tackle. The 6-7, 330-pound Husker freshman averaged 21.3 points and 11.9 rebounds and hit 62 percent of his field goals as a senior at Williston (N.D.) High School. His 6-11 brother, Brian, is a center for Montana’s hoops team.
4. Alfonzo Dennard, cornerback. Dennard’s “ups” aren’t an issue. Although he’s only 5-10, the Cram Session staff is confident that Dennard would beat any of his football teammates in a slam-dunk contest. He played point guard for his prep team in Georgia.
5. Ndamukong Suh, defensive tackle. Reminds me of Rick Mahorn of the Detroit Pistons’ “Bad Boys” of the late 1980s. Suh often wears socks sporting the NBA logo. “He thinks he’s good,” Crick says. Say no more.
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