Steven M. Sipple: Give a slight edge to Mizzou's Daniel
He seemed slightly annoyed by the question. And mind you, one must work to annoy Sam Keller.
Is Nebraska the most scrutinized 4-1 team in the nation?
Change “scrutinized” to “criticized” and we’re onto something.
“All that stuff, it’s just part of college football,” the 23-year-old Husker senior quarterback said. “What would college football be without all of the stuff that comes with it? The television. The newspapers. It wouldn’t have that glamour to it.”
The breezy and obliging Keller could put a positive spin on Chernobyl. I wrote last week he was a beacon in rough seas for Nebraska. Well, waves are smacking Big Red’s bow. Fill the sandbags. A lot of fans are hoping the Huskers can keep the score close tonight, and perhaps that alone might require some luck.
Pessimists evidently haven’t chatted lately with the beacon.
“We’re figuring out how to win games,” Keller said. “Are they all pretty? No. Is there a lot that’s ugly? Absolutely. But take all of that and put it with a 4-1 record, we’re going to be pretty happy about that. If we play our ‘A’ game and put it all together, it could be huge.”
Considering Nebraska’s fluffy defense and pedestrian running game, it is Keller — more than anything or anybody — who gives the 25th-ranked Huskers a snowball’s chance to win and to successfully defend their Big 12 North crown.
Trouble is, Keller won’t be the best quarterback on the field.
That designation belongs to 17th-ranked Missouri’s Chase Daniel. The 6-foot, 225-pound bulldog always keeps pushing forward when the Tigers are down and keeps the pedal to the metal when they’re rolling, which happens to be the case as they prepare for perhaps the biggest game in Gary Pinkel’s seven-year tenure at the school.
Daniel gets the nod over Keller in part because Daniel can run the ball proficiently — zone reads, draws, scrambles, whatever. Daniel, a junior from Southlake, Texas, also gets the edge because he has been immersed in the fundamentals of a Missouri-style spread offense since junior high.
Daniel ranks fifth nationally in total offense (356.8 yards a game) and has completed 63.5 percent of his passes during his Missouri career. He likely will complete bushels of passes tonight, most of them short-to-intermediate in length. If the Tigers’ vast array of receivers consistently breaks first-contact tackles, a long night would become interminable for Big Red.
That’s because Missouri tends to strike quickly; Nebraska’s defense needs to limit big plays and make the Tigers go 10-12 plays to scores, increasing the chances for mistakes along the way.
Nebraska’s offense obviously can help matters, especially the running game. The Huskers ran 47 times for 183 yards — compared with 22 passes — in last November’s 34-20 victory against Mizzou. Big Red enjoyed a 10-minute edge in time of possession. Brandon Jackson carried 32 times for 111 yards. Can Marlon Lucky and company produce similar numbers against a defense that ranks 93rd nationally?
Of course, running the ball effectively could put a muzzle on a sellout crowd and mess with Mizzou’s rhythm on offense.
“They’re going to score points — I’m sure of that,” Keller said. “But I think we will, too.”
Bottom line: The defenses are comparable in their skill-lessness, but Missouri has the better offense. It features more weapons and a design that rivals Bill Callahan’s offense in its ingenuity and resourcefulness.
And, yes, the Tigers boast a better quarterback, however slight the edge.
“(Daniel) has the ‘it’ factor; he walked in here with it,” Pinkel told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “It’s contagious. Players feel it on both sides of the ball.”
Keller also has “it.” And, boy, how Nebraska needs “it” right now. Callahan’s public-approval rating is falling fast. Steve Pederson’s lieutenants keep jumping ship. Trust me, all is not well in Husker command central. But you knew that. Life around the NU athletic complex these days is about as touchy- feely as a letter from the IRS.
Nothing a win at Missouri won’t cure, or at least help.
“You have to take the good with the bad,” Keller said of recent criticism of the team. “If you can only handle praise, but you can’t handle being picked at a little bit, then you’ve got to grow some thicker skin. I mean, people watch the games and see what’s going on. When we’re not playing well, it’s obvious. So that gets talked about. You can either complain or take it in stride.
“I think our guys have taken it in stride. We’ve bonded and become stronger as a team. We’re getting better each week. That’s the key.”
Ah, the beacon shines brightly, even as troubled waters slam at the bow.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
Is Nebraska the most scrutinized 4-1 team in the nation?
Change “scrutinized” to “criticized” and we’re onto something.
“All that stuff, it’s just part of college football,” the 23-year-old Husker senior quarterback said. “What would college football be without all of the stuff that comes with it? The television. The newspapers. It wouldn’t have that glamour to it.”
The breezy and obliging Keller could put a positive spin on Chernobyl. I wrote last week he was a beacon in rough seas for Nebraska. Well, waves are smacking Big Red’s bow. Fill the sandbags. A lot of fans are hoping the Huskers can keep the score close tonight, and perhaps that alone might require some luck.
Pessimists evidently haven’t chatted lately with the beacon.
“We’re figuring out how to win games,” Keller said. “Are they all pretty? No. Is there a lot that’s ugly? Absolutely. But take all of that and put it with a 4-1 record, we’re going to be pretty happy about that. If we play our ‘A’ game and put it all together, it could be huge.”
Considering Nebraska’s fluffy defense and pedestrian running game, it is Keller — more than anything or anybody — who gives the 25th-ranked Huskers a snowball’s chance to win and to successfully defend their Big 12 North crown.
Trouble is, Keller won’t be the best quarterback on the field.
That designation belongs to 17th-ranked Missouri’s Chase Daniel. The 6-foot, 225-pound bulldog always keeps pushing forward when the Tigers are down and keeps the pedal to the metal when they’re rolling, which happens to be the case as they prepare for perhaps the biggest game in Gary Pinkel’s seven-year tenure at the school.
Daniel gets the nod over Keller in part because Daniel can run the ball proficiently — zone reads, draws, scrambles, whatever. Daniel, a junior from Southlake, Texas, also gets the edge because he has been immersed in the fundamentals of a Missouri-style spread offense since junior high.
Daniel ranks fifth nationally in total offense (356.8 yards a game) and has completed 63.5 percent of his passes during his Missouri career. He likely will complete bushels of passes tonight, most of them short-to-intermediate in length. If the Tigers’ vast array of receivers consistently breaks first-contact tackles, a long night would become interminable for Big Red.
That’s because Missouri tends to strike quickly; Nebraska’s defense needs to limit big plays and make the Tigers go 10-12 plays to scores, increasing the chances for mistakes along the way.
Nebraska’s offense obviously can help matters, especially the running game. The Huskers ran 47 times for 183 yards — compared with 22 passes — in last November’s 34-20 victory against Mizzou. Big Red enjoyed a 10-minute edge in time of possession. Brandon Jackson carried 32 times for 111 yards. Can Marlon Lucky and company produce similar numbers against a defense that ranks 93rd nationally?
Of course, running the ball effectively could put a muzzle on a sellout crowd and mess with Mizzou’s rhythm on offense.
“They’re going to score points — I’m sure of that,” Keller said. “But I think we will, too.”
Bottom line: The defenses are comparable in their skill-lessness, but Missouri has the better offense. It features more weapons and a design that rivals Bill Callahan’s offense in its ingenuity and resourcefulness.
And, yes, the Tigers boast a better quarterback, however slight the edge.
“(Daniel) has the ‘it’ factor; he walked in here with it,” Pinkel told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “It’s contagious. Players feel it on both sides of the ball.”
Keller also has “it.” And, boy, how Nebraska needs “it” right now. Callahan’s public-approval rating is falling fast. Steve Pederson’s lieutenants keep jumping ship. Trust me, all is not well in Husker command central. But you knew that. Life around the NU athletic complex these days is about as touchy- feely as a letter from the IRS.
Nothing a win at Missouri won’t cure, or at least help.
“You have to take the good with the bad,” Keller said of recent criticism of the team. “If you can only handle praise, but you can’t handle being picked at a little bit, then you’ve got to grow some thicker skin. I mean, people watch the games and see what’s going on. When we’re not playing well, it’s obvious. So that gets talked about. You can either complain or take it in stride.
“I think our guys have taken it in stride. We’ve bonded and become stronger as a team. We’re getting better each week. That’s the key.”
Ah, the beacon shines brightly, even as troubled waters slam at the bow.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
Copyright © 2002-2008 Lincoln Journal Star. All rights reserved.