Huskers golden in red zone
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BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star
It’s gotta be tough being Jordan Congdon.
Even the Nebraska coaches feel for the sophomore kicker. Sort of.
“Looking back,” offensive coordinator Jay Norvell said, “we were thinking, ‘Boy, Jordan hasn’t got in much of a rhythm.’”
Extra points? Sure. Congdon’s had plenty of work. Field goals? Not so much. In 12 games, he’s made five. He’s attempted seven.
That’d be more of a concern if not for Nebraska’s penchant for touchdowns. Once inside the 20-yard line — the area known as the red zone — the Huskers have been especially productive in crossing the goal line.
Entering Saturday’s Big 12 Conference Championship Game, Nebraska ranks second in the league in red zone-scoring percentage. The Huskers’ opponent Saturday, Oklahoma, ranks first.
“We’ve just really got it done,” Nebraska receiver Nate Swift said.
Nebraska has reached the red zone 46 times, scoring 41 times. Of those scores, 38 have been touchdowns — 20 rushing, 18 passing.
Those numbers are particularly impressive in Big 12 play. Until Brandon Jackson’s third-quarter fumble against Colorado, the Huskers had been perfect — 19-of- 19 — in the red zone. They finished the regular season 23-of-24 in conference games, with 20 touchdowns.
“It’s a credit to the execution down there,” Norvell said. “It’s hard to score down in there when you get tight and the field gets shorter.”
Of course, it helps when you’ve got an all-conference quarterback, a big-play receiver and a productive running game.
“We just expect to score when we get in the red zone, and that’s something we missed out on last year,” senior quarterback Zac Taylor said. “Guys are a lot more confident this year, and we’re just making more plays than we were a year ago.”
Of the 43 times they drove inside the 20-yard line last season, the Huskers produced only 20 touchdowns. Congdon, though, had 15 field goals. Of his five field goals this season, three have been red-zone attempts.
“We’ve been in a little bit of an attack mode down there, which is good,” Norvell said. “That’s what we want to do. We’ve made the plays when we’ve had to make them.”
Cody Glenn, when healthy, has given the Huskers a boost inside the red zone. The sophomore has scored all of his team-leading eight touchdowns — the most by a Nebraska I-back since Dahrran Diedrick in 2001 — inside the 10-yard line.
Nebraska has also counted on junior receiver Maurice Purify. Three of his seven TD receptions have come in the red zone, most notably his game-winning catch against Texas A&M.
Of Taylor’s 24 touchdown passes, 16 have been from the red zone.
“He’s got to make great decisions in the red zone and be smart with the ball,” Norvell said. “And the location of the throws are big down there.”
Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said coaches spend more time on red zone — such as goal-line plays, short-yardage plays, etc. — than any other special area.
“In the offseason, we look at it pretty hard,” Callahan said. “We’re pretty adamant about scoring once we get down there.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
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