Nebraska Vs. Western Michigan: Gameday Thoughts

Yesterday, I was looking forward to the game. Last night, I was excited about it. Today, I'm downright anxious. To try to organize my thoughts and get my head right before the game, I like talk through the random football-related ideas on my mind. I usually end up inflicting my Husker obsession on my wife, my friends, my brother-in-law or anybody who will listen. Fellow BRN contributor Steve Hanway and I also had one of our marathon phone calls to discuss the minutia of today's contest. These gameday thoughts are the outcome of those conversations. I'm writing them as much for my mental health as your enjoyment.

About Matt O'Hanlon
One of the bigger surprises yesterday was Bo Pelini's announcement that former walk-on Matt O'Hanlon will likely get the start over perceived favorite Ricky Thenarse at free safety. This gives fans some pause because Thenarse is considered more talented. This is about knowing the assignments. A good rule of them to keep in mind - the further you get from the line of scrimmage on defense, the harder it is to learn the reads. Safeties cannot afford to blow assignments, because it leads to 6 points for opponents. They are what their name implies, the last line of defense. Against today's complicated passing offenses, they are more important than ever.

We should have seen this coming when Marvin Sanders suggested Thenarse was more interested in big hits than playing a complete game. As fans, we have to hope that O'Hanlon goes out there and makes the most of his opportunity, and that the lack of a starting role motivates Thenarse. No doubt, Thenarse will see the field today. He's too talented not to be out there in some role. But, will the ultimate currency - a starting role - be enough to motivate him to learn the checks, reads, and calls? We'll see.

Game Plan Advantage
The unknown is actually NU's single biggest advantage in this game. Western Michigan does not have any reliable film on NU's game plans under Watson and Pelini. NU has plenty of WMU film they can watch. That's an advantage for Nebraska. Sure, you can look at last year's CU game and this year's spring game to see some ideas on what Watson has in mind. But that is nowhere near a complete sample. And, looking at Pelini's work at LSU and other places has some value, but the personnel are different at NU, so the schemes will be some too.

So, when WMU players fail to pick up a blitzing safety or recognize a coverage and it leads to a turnover, some of the credit belongs to our coaches simply being new. That advantage has a pretty short half-life, though. As plays get run, they get recorded and analyzed. So, fans should hope the Huskers can win while keeping things pretty vanilla today.

Touchdowns and Momentum
This is NU's first test of the year against a team that runs some form of spread offense. Defending the spread has been much discussed here and elsewhere. What actually may be more important is what NU does on offense. The Huskers need to control the ball, keep the energy and momentum away from WMU, and let the defense get some rest. Most importantly, they need to convert drives in to touchdowns. You can't "field goal a team to death" when they run the spread. You'll find yourself down 14-6 pretty quick.

If NU can control the ball, punch in touchdowns on drives, and seize momentum quickly, they could have a very good day. If they settle for field goals and play a close game all day, I don't like it. Psychologically, this is still a team with confidence problems. It will be helpful for them to play from in front of what should be an inferior opponent.

Downfield Blocking
Speaking of running to score, look for a lot of downfield blocking today. I can't stress this enough. I'm confident that NU's offensive line will be able to handle the WMU front four. The difference will be in how well NU's tight ends, receivers and backs block downfield and on the perimeter. Knocking down a safety or driving a cornerback out of bounds is the difference between a 10-yard gain and a long touchdown run. It can also take the opponent's will. Players in the defensive backfield are not as accustomed to getting knocked down. It can take its toll, physically and mentally.

Blowing in the Wind?
The weather can be a factor in any game played outdoors. According to our fine friend Renny, it appears as though there may be a little bit of wind for the first half. Any breeze over 15 mph gives NU an advantage, in my opinion. The Broncos want to throw the ball more than NU does. If the weather gives them any pause or holds any ball up, that is a good thing.

Mobile QBs
My final thought this morning is that I'm glad the Husker are not facing a mobile quarterback to start the year. WMU quarterback Tim Hiller is a good player and fine decision maker. But, he's a thrower and not a runner. Running quarterbacks present so much more challenge. And, in Pelini's tenure at NU, OU and LSU, they have proven to give him fits. When NU defenders want to go hit Hiller, they know where they can find him. That's very important.

NU, on the other hand, will likely debut their first true duel threat quarterback in four years. I'm very curious to see how many carries Joe Ganz gets, either by design or improvised. He can be an important weapon for NU with his feet.

That's what is on my mind this morning. What sorts of things are you thinking about?