Huskers Lose a Heartbreaker
You could taste it. Nebraska had the game in hand and it slipped away. It's hard to fault the players, they played hard and they played well for much of the game. It's hard to fault the coaches, they did a lot right and kept their team in the game when it got off to a bad start. There will be plenty of Sunday Morning Quarterbacking by the NU faithful, but know this: the Huskers showed they belonged on the field with one of only three programs with 10 or more wins each of the last five seasons. If anything, they looked like the better team.
There was a lot ot like about Nebraska's effort. They ran the ball well against a good defense. They battled back from an early deficit against a fired up crowd. They outgained their opponent. They did a good job of containing Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor. But there's still improvement that needs to be made.
The Huskers were minus two in turnovers. They committed nine penalties for sixty yards, including a bundle of them that thwarted what looked like a sure scoring drive. Zac Lee had a rough outing (it didn't help that he had guys in his face and his receivers dropped some balls). The apparent touchdown to Menelik Holt would have been a game winner, and it probably should have been challenged. They opted to punt when a short yard would have iced the game.
But better to lose now than at Missouri or at Kansas. The Huskers can learn from this one and get better. When you have the enemy down, finish them. On the two critical plays by Virginia Tech to win the game, the Huskers hesitated. On Tyrod Taylor's 81-yard bomb a Husker hesitated when they could have rushed him harder. On the touchdown, hesitation by the NU defenders gave Taylor that extra second to connect for the winning touchdown.
This team looked better than any Husker team we've seen in years, even in defeat. It hurts, but time heals. Next week Nebraska celebrates 300 sellouts at Memorial Stadium. This week the fans need to show, even in disappointment, why they have been called the best fans in college football. Go Big Red.
9/19/2009
I know the defense gave up a big play late, but this loss has to hang on the offense. 5 FGs? That really screams to me lack of killer instinct. When you have a top 25 opponent on the ropes you have to put them away. Especially when you are playing in their house, you know they are always going to make a game of it if you don’t.
9/19/2009
1st and goal at the 6 and you end up punting. What else needs to be said? The defense was a monster today. One play does not a game make. I was not impressed with the offensive play calling especially inside the red zone. Helu running strong and we start passing every down. Give VT credit, they seemed in tune to what Lee wanted to do most of the game. Where were the TE? Alabama exploited the linebackers all game long with their TEs. All in all it’s still a bitter pill to see a great road win lost the way it was. Nuff said. Look out UL-L, MU, TT, BU, . . .
GBR!
9/19/2009
shameful ending to a great Husker performance. your defensive coach(es) were sleeping. HOW COULD YOU LET THAT HAPPEN!!
Disgusted in Denver….Your defense coaches will keep me awake for days….I’ve lot my faith…..really bush league coaching
9/19/2009
Credit to you guys for writing something positive after all of husker nation had their hearts unceremoniously ripped clean out and stepped on. Next week will show a lot about how much character and guts our team has - this can’t keep us down. We OWNED their offense, and helu was lights out. Lee looked just like a freshman, but the refs didn’t help. And Bo, please don’t kill anthony west. He ball-watched once, and that was that.
9/19/2009
Don’t fret none to much…..
The third ‘preseason’ game is still to come.
9/19/2009
Bad 15 min, great 43 min. I don’t know what to call the last 2. If the Huskers learn from this we will forget this loss real soon. If they don’t you will be able to look back at this game as the turning point of what should be a really really good season.
9/19/2009
A real heartbreaker. But, the defense (other than the last two plays) and the ground game looked much improved. It’s a young team. Hopefully they will learn the importance of finishing. All they needed was a first down on the last posession to seal the deal.
9/19/2009
Ok, looking back, a great 43 min defensively, and ok offensively. They have to put the ball in the endzone.
9/19/2009
Most painfull loss I can remember…of course I’m loaded to the gills right now. At the end of the day we lost on two plays: The opend kickoff return and the big bomb to set up the final touchdown. Game, set, match. FVCK!
9/19/2009
Very painful loss! I thought it was a great overall performance, especially by the defensive front seven and the o-line and Helu. I don’t fault Watson for calling a more conservative game, on the road, with a young QB. However, I really wonder why we don’t have a full house backfield for short yardage situations with Suh lead blocking. The red zone is where you have to establish your physical dominance. I also would have liked to see a little more of Burkhead (fresh legs) come in and relieve Helu a little in the 3rd and 4th. It just killed me with 2 minutes left and the Hokies burn their last time out, we elect to punt on 4th and 1. I am not second guessing the decision…Pelini probably made the right call to punt, but at that point we are just one play and one yard away from going home with a W.
9/20/2009
The ending was disgusting… I felt like throwing up. It looked like we had the game in control ever since the 2nd qtr. But I guess field goals and shitty passing wasn’t going to cut it against VT.
There are positives to take from this game, but the hurt just blinds them away…
9/20/2009
I’m not into moral victories. We can’t finish drives. Part of it is attitude and just manning up and driving the ball down someones throat on a 1st and goal situation ... but procedure and holding penalties (M.Jones) will kill drive like that ... We can still have a great year ... win the Big 12 Title and all will be forgotten.
9/20/2009
I’m not into moral victories. We can’t finish drives. Part of it is attitude and just manning up and driving the ball down someones throat on a 1st and goal situation ... but procedure and holding penalties (M.Jones) will kill drive like that ... We can still have a great year ... win the Big 12 Title and all will be forgotten.
9/20/2009
I’m not into moral victories. We can’t finish drives. Part of it is attitude and just manning up and driving the ball down someones throat on a 1st and goal situation ... but procedure and holding penalties (M.Jones) will kill drive like that ... We can still have a great year ... win the Big 12 Title and all will be forgotten.
9/20/2009
Hold me.
9/20/2009
Problem is I’m not sure Virginia Tech is all that good. What did the game prove? Well if we were in the ACC we would definetly be in the hunt for the ACC title, but unfortunately we are not. A lot of the same problems from last year are still there. In the 1st quarter we had some awful angles and pad level on tackling. This team couldn’t finish in the red zone, it’s had 14 points called back in two games on penalties, our receivers just didn’t make plays (Holt HAS to make that catch), and perhaps most difficult to take, they couldn’t run out the clock. This bunch couldn’t get 10 yards when they HAD to, with the potential of running out the clock and winning the game. The fact that this game could’ve ended up with Nebraska winning by a two or three touchdown margin, and they found a way to lose it is troubling. . .
“Better lose now then lose at Missouri or Kansas?” See I don’t know about that. This bunch walks away from this game STILL not knowing how to win. Young or not, there is a long, long, long way to go for this group. Virginia Tech is not a powerhouse program. Whether they’ve won 10 wins in the last 3 years along with USC and Texas doesn’t mean that we played a program on their level, not by a long shot. They live off the ACC and the teams within the conference who frankly are a little intimidated to play them. Does anyone think that Virginia Tech would be a consistent participant, year-in-year-out, in the Big 12 Championship Game? Dominating their offensive unit means the Blackshirts are better than last year, but really that’s it. Their TB’s were good but they don’t have the same weapons that a Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, or maybe even Baylor has so stuffing them is what we should expect from The Blackshirts when playing against an inept unit like Virginia Tech. . .
9/20/2009
Huskers came to play but not to win. Nothing else I say matters.
At least we’ll be underdogs in the Mizzou game and they’ll be ranked #15 or higher by then.
Cody Green should have played a series or two early in that game. Missouri did it with Chase Daniel, LSU did it, and how can you forget the best 1-2 punch of Chris Leak and Tim Tebow in 2006. Cause when Cody Green does finally gets his chance decades from now in Wats eyes. He’ll act the same way was Lee did.
I can say the same thing with O’Hanlon I mean, O Han them the game man. Now way it was West fault…perhaps he could communicated with safety or gave him more of a bump. The should have came with 5 instead of 4 on both plays at the end. Mike Brown should have came back in the summer too. But we’ll probably be dreadful to go back to ‘Stinkin Linkin’ LOL.
Suh would have been a Superhero if he would have made that play. The Chiefs would have found a way to dress him or that game against Oakland.
Forget what yall say about 2010. The future is NOW. We need to play guys of the future NOW.
As what James Moore said above. No KILLER INSTINCT. Maybe that’s the reason for the no-identity.
9/20/2009
The more I think about this game (yeah it’s still fresh) I can’t help but recall Coach Pelini saying a few weeks ago after practice when he was asked about the team he responded “We’re not ready to play a complete football game yet.” How right and truthful it was. I would give anything for someone to ask him that same question a month from now. . .