STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Saturday, November 12, 2005 6:00 pm
Chris Patrick’s resume at Nebraska was, shall we say, rather sparse entering Saturday’s game.
He played a total of four snaps in last season’s opener against Western Illinois. That’s it.
However, the 6-foot-4, 285-pound sophomore was thrust into Nebraska’s offensive tackle rotation against Kansas State because of injuries to starters Seppo Evwaraye and Cornealius Fuamatu-Thomas.
Patrick was the swing tackle Saturday, playing behind starters Lydon Murtha on the left side and Matt Slauson on the right. Murtha made his third start of the season, Slauson his first.
The Huskers allowed only one sack.
“I thought we had really good edge protection,” said Nebraska coach Bill Callahan, referring to his tackles’ effectiveness. “I didn’t see guys coming around that corner free.”
Patrick gave Nebraska’s offensive line a B-plus grade. Not bad considering Murtha is a redshirt freshman and Slauson a true freshman. Senior Jared Helming also contributed as a backup in the guard rotation.
“We had good pass protection and did good on running plays,” Patrick said.
Quarterbacks Zac Taylor and Harrison Beck combined to throw for 241 yards, and the Huskers finished with 93 rushing yards after managing only 35 in the previous three games combined.
“I’m just glad my hard work paid off,” Patrick said. “The coaches were telling me all week to be ready to play, and I had a good week of practice.
“I treat every practice like a game,” he added. “When I was out there, it felt like everything was a step slower than it was in practice.”
The 6-foot-5, 340-pound Slauson also was pleased with his performance, as well as the o-line’s in general.
“I think this was a huge step for us,” he said.
Evwaraye, sidelined with a foot injury, probably could’ve played in an emergency, Slauson said.
However, “He wouldn’t have been at the top of his game,” Slauson said.
K-State generated most of its pressure on Nebraska quarterbacks from the inside.
“We knew it would be a game of handling the blitz,” Callahan said.
Second-guessed
Callahan probably will be second-guessed frequently for the decision to have quarterback Zac Taylor throw a swing pass to I-back Cory Ross on second-and-12 from Nebraska’s 1-yard line late in the third quarter. Linebacker Reggie Walker ran down Ross and tackled him for K-State’s second safety of the period, pulling the Wildcats to 24-22.
Taylor apparently did not audible to the play.
“That particular route’s designed to beat man and zone (coverages),” Callahan said. “I don’t know if Zac had great vision on the play. We discussed it on the sideline afterward. It’s tough. He has a lot of heat in his face and he’s trying to kick the ball out and prevent a sack for a safety. He’s just trying to make a quick decision. He didn’t see the linebacker come underneath and lock Cory up man-to-man. That happens. It’s a good learning experience in that respect.”
Block party
Nebraska blocked its sixth and seventh kicks of the season against K-State, both by true freshmen. Zach Potter, a 6-7, 270-pound defensive end from Omaha, batted down a first-quarter extra-point attempt for his second block of the season. He also had a hand in a third-quarter blocked field goal that was credited to classmate Barry Turner, a 6-3, 245-pound defensive end.
On the season, Nebraska now has blocked five field goals, a PAT and a punt.
Swift excels
Husker redshirt freshman wideout Nate Swift caught seven passes for 109 yards, increasing his season total to 38 to place him in a tie for fifth on the school’s single-season receptions list. His 38 receptions are a Husker freshman record and the most receptions by an NU player since Irving Fryar recorded 40 in 1983.
Flag waving
The wind was so strong — up to 45 mph at times — that the giant American flag flying over the northwest corner of the stadium blew clear off its mooring in the third quarter. The flag was caught on a crane for a while, but the Sampson Construction folks acted quickly and lowered the boom on the crane to rescue Old Glory.