We break down Tuesday's press conference.

“I think the media’s made way too much out of a so-called eight-pound playbook.” — Bill Callahan

At least Callahan was laughing when he brought up the subject.

Callahan is quite aware of the criticism directed toward the Nebraska offense. All that fancy shifting and motioning isn’t fooling anyone — except maybe the Huskers, right? Shouldn’t the coaches simplify the offense — just a little bit?

Yes, perhaps too much has been made about the size of the playbook. But that’s only because, through three games, nothing in it seems to be working. It’s an easy target. This West Coast offense has been so hyped from the time Callahan set foot in Lincoln that it’s only natural for fans to grumble about three touchdowns in three games.

Callahan, though, was trying to assure the public that players aren’t staying up all night memorizing a playbook that can also serve as a sturdy door stop. The playbook for a specific game, he said, “is scaled way back, so that we can focus in on the opponent that we’re playing.” In that respect, Callahan said Nebraska’s offense really isn’t any different than that of any other team.

For those concerned, the game-plan notebook weighs less than a pound and is maybe an inch thick.

“I don’t think we have to create playmakers.” — Zac Taylor

Taylor has a point. It’s not like Callahan can pluck somebody off the waiver wire and insert him into the lineup in time for conference play. And nobody currently on the roster will suddenly shave a second off his 40-yard dash time.

No, this team doesn’t really have a game-changing performer on offense. There’s nobody that will cause opposing defensive coordinators to lose any sleep.

That doesn’t mean Cory Ross or Terrence Nunn or Frantz Hardy can’t turn in a big play or two. We’ve seen flashes of that already. But that’s hard to do on a consistent basis when the offense, as a unit, is error-prone (penalties, missed blocks, alignment problems).

Taylor said receivers have to catch the ball, break a tackle. He has to make a throw. Ross will contribute with a big run now and then. Naturally, Taylor said, the big plays will happen.

Of course, that requires patience, and that’s wearing thin everywhere.

“I think our current tight ends have done an excellent job.” — Bill Callahan

Uh, positive feedback from the coach is OK, but let’s not go overboard here.

The tight ends had a particularly rough game against Pittsburgh. False starts and illegal formations immediately come to mind (although coaches should take some of the blame for the latter). But it also wasn’t pretty to see 6-foot-3, 255-pound J.B. Phillips get stuffed by a 190-pound safety a yard short of a first down.

Callahan, though, said Phillips has provided “a lot of punch” in the running game, and that as a receiver, Phillips has been open and probably needs to get the ball more often. He said redshirted freshman Clayton Sievers continues to improve and is emerging as a blocker, and that coaches would like to get Josh Mueller more involved, particularly in short-yardage and goal-line situations.

Bottom line, though, is that the Huskers really miss Matt Herian. That’s not a knock on the other tight ends — although describing their play as excellent is a stretch — but this offense could really use Herian and his ability to stretch the field and give defenses something to worry about.

Herian’s status, by the way, remains unchanged.

“We’re not going to sit in a standard coverage. I think the coaches at Iowa State are sharp enough to figure that out.” — Bill Callahan

Look for Nebraska to mix man-to-man and zone coverages against Iowa State … and hope that something works better than what happened last year in Ames. That’s when wide receiver Todd Blythe, then a redshirted freshman, caught eight passes for 188 yards and a touchdown against the Blackshirts.

Through three games this season, Blythe has 14 catches for 190 yards and a touchdown. He’s 6-foot-5. And ISU receiver Jon Davis, who also has 14 catches, is 6-4.

That’s where having a healthy Zac Bowman could come in handy. The 6-2 Husker corner is coming off a hamstring injury and will have not played in three weeks. Callahan said Bowman practiced Sunday and ran Monday. He’s the tallest corner NU has to offer.

“You cannot lose when it’s the only time your mom comes and watches you play. We’ve got to win this game.” — Seppo Evwaraye

Sirpa Evwaraye will be attending her first Nebraska football game on Saturday to watch her son play. She lives in Finland and shares legal guardianship with Jim and Carla Erwin, who were Seppo’s host parents in Laurel. Seppo’s father, Frederick Evwaraye, is deceased.

Seppo is a senior, and his mom has never seen him play in person in a Husker uniform. Those DVDs of Nebraska games sent overseas may give her an idea of what to expect, but Seppo suspects his mother will be in for quite a treat.