A Late MMLB

Sorry it took an extra day to make this posting, I found out Sunday night that I had a presentation to do Monday night on my Iranian Revolution paper. I know my 10 devoted readers were devastated that I didn't have a posting. In any event, today's Monday Morning Linebacker is going to be devoted mostly to analyzing the situation that the recent Husker draft picks will be going into with their respective NFL teams. I'm also going to take a look around the other Big 12 players who were selected this past weekend. For those of you who are looking at the picture at right and saying "Jay Moore was a defensive end!", I remind you that he's been drafted to play Outside Linebacker........

We start with Carriker going to St. Louis. This is something a lot of people foresaw happening (myself included), and it was a sure thing once San Francisco took Patrick Willis. Carriker will be expected to man an interior line position next to La' Roi Glover. While most expected Carriker to go to a 3-4 team, one of Adam's biggest strengths is that he's large enough to go inside if need be. He'll compete with Jimmy Kennedy for the Nose Tackle position. Kennedy, a first round draft pick in 2003 out of Penn State, had 49 tackles and 2 sacks last year, which aren't great numbers, but it has to be kept in mind that the NT position isn't meant to have astronomical stats. That said, obviously he isn't performing up to snuff, otherwise they wouldn't have selected Carriker. The Rams finished 2nd-to-last in rushing defense last year, giving up 5 yards a carry and nearly 150 rushing yards a game. I think we could see Carriker have 60 or so tackles with 4+ sacks, as I think he is a better pass rusher than people give him credit for.

Brandon Jackson went to Green Bay in the second round, which surprised myself and many others who thought he would go in the 3rd at the earliest. He went ahead of several backs who were ranked ahead of him, including Antonio Pittman of Ohio State and Darius Walker of Notre Dame (who didn't even get drafted). This makes B-Jax's decision to come out look fantastic, and I'll admit I was wrong to say that he shouldn't have. Jackson's outlook for significant playing time is good, considering that of the 7 running backs the Packers have on their roster, 4 of them were/are Undrafted free agents (P.J. Pope, Brandon Miree, Arliss Beach, Noah Herron) and one of them was a 7th round pick (DeShawn Wynn). Barring the signing of additional free agents, Jackson's main competitor for snaps will be Vernand Morency, the former Oklahoma State standout who came to the team as part of a trade in September of 2006. The biggest advantage Morency has is experience, other than that his and Jackson's running styles are similar. Neither of them are overly powerful, both have good vision and can find the cutback lanes when they develop. While neither possess Reggie Bush-type breakaway speed, both are more capable of breaking big runs. Former Husker Ahman Green got the bulk of the carries last year, with Morency being the primary backup. I expect Morency to start camp as the starter and Jackson to establish himself throughout the season, finishing with 500 to 600 yards rushing, with the possibility of more depending on if he overtakes Morency or not, which isn't out of the question.

Stew Bradley going in the 3rd round was projected by most draft analysts, so there wasn't any real surprise there. The Eagles recently released Dhani Jones, who was previously their starter at the SAM position. They have promoted 2nd-year player Chris Gocong, another former 3rd-round pick, to the vacant position. That doesn't guarantee him the job though, as head coach Andy Reid indicated that Bradley will be in the mix:

"Stewart is a true SAM linebacker that can play MIKE and does a nice job over the tight end and will be a nice complement to our linebackers."

Stew will compete with Gocong (a former D1-AA defensive end) and free agent Tank Daniels for the starting SAM spot. Don't immediately count out Gocong, as he set a D1-AA record with 23.5 sacks his final year at Cal State-Poly. Even if he doesn't win the starting job, look for Bradley to get significant playing time this year in Philly.

Jay Moore went early in the fourth round to San Francisco as the 104th overall pick. He'll team up with first-round pick Patrick Willis as new linebackers in the 49er's 3-4 scheme. Moore will try to lose 10 or so pounds to ease help acclimate himself with his new position. I don't expect Jay to get as much playing time as the players mentioned above, mainly because he is going to have to transition to playing off the line and dropping into coverage more often. In addition to that, San Fran has a deep and talented linebacking corps that will make it tough to crack the lineup. The thing that makes it even tougher to predict this situation is that the 49ers are in transition from last year's 4-3 to the 3-4, which will definitely impact Jay's opportunities to get on the field. I expect Manny Lawson, a young and talented former NC State player, to take one of the OLB spots for sure. The question is if former Sooner Brandon Moore will play inside or outside, because if it's the former it could mean Jay getting a better chance to contribute. My prediction? He's a backup for a couple years.

Unfortunately, the draft was over for the Huskers after that. It was disappointing that Taylor wasn't drafted, but not really surprising. Both he and Matt Herian signed free agent contracts with the Bucs, who we all know run a very similar offense to ours. While some have bemoaned Taylor for signing there because of their QB situation, I think he made a smart move. It'd be one thing if they had Jake Plummer too, but he is sticking with retirement. That means Taylor will be competing with Chris Simms, Jeff Garcia, and Bruce Gradkowski. Initially it looks bleak for Zac, considering all three of those players have been starters at one time, and one (Garcia) is a former Pro Bowler. But let's take a closer look at this.

Garcia is 37 years old. And while he did a great job leading Philly to the playoffs last year, he doesn't have too much left in the tank. Most people say that Simms is going to be the long term guy at QB for Tampa Bay. That's tough to argue with, but his spleen injury last year obviously still has the Bucs brass concerned, and even before that he was hardly a standout in the NFL. His second season, he had a solid 81.4 QB rating, with a TD/INT ratio of 10/7 and completing 61% of his passes. Last year, before his season was ended by injury, he had completed just 54% of his passes with a horrible TD/INT ratio of 1/7. I still think they will give him every chance to establish himself as their guy (especially because they signed him to a contract extension last year), but let's hold off saying he's a sure thing just yet. Gradkowski, though he did a decent job last year in relief of Simms, hasn't shown he has the tools to be an NFL quarterback. His stats from his rookie year: 54% completion rate, a 9/9 TD-to-INT ratio and a 65 QB rating. Keep in mind though, he was only a rookie last year and will be counted on to be a long-term backup for Tampa Bay. It looks like a potentially loaded position, especially when you factor in Tim Rattay as a possibility as well (he's a unrestricted free agent, meaning he might be gone) but we have to remember that it's comprised of one senior citizen, two relatively unproven guys, and a UFA who could be elsewhere next year. I like Zac's chances of making the team, particularly because of his knowledge of the offense run there.

As far as Herian goes, I doubt he'll make the team. The Bucs have 5 tight ends on their roster, and it was recently bolstered by the signing of Jerramy Stevens, a former first round pick who fell out of favor in Seattle after off-the-field issues and his failure to recover from his bad showing in the Super Bowl. Herian has never been the same since his injury against Mizzou in 2004, and his chances don't look good. Hopefully he proves me wrong.

Dagunduro has an outside shot of making the Cowboy's squad...Dallas' d-tackle spot has three players listed on the depth chart: rookie Remi Ayodele, 10 year veteran Jason Ferguson, and former 6th round pick Montavious Stanley of Louisville. It's going to be tough for Ola, the Cowboy's 3-4 scheme doesn't present him with many opportunities, so he's going to have to beat out one of the aforementioned younger guys to make the squad, and that's not counting whoever is on the practice squad.

Barry Cryer will have to compete with Luis Castillo, Brandon McKinney, Jamal Williams, and former Husker Ryon Bingham. Castillo and Williams are the starters, which means if Cryer were to even make the 53-man roster (a longshot), he's probly do so at the expense of Bingham. I'm going with Cryer making the squad. The practice squad, that is.

A few other draft tidbits:

-I love how it's everywhere on the web how the SEC had more draft picks than anyone else. Is this supposed to be a surprise? It's the fastest and deepest conference in the country, we didn't need statistical proof to know this.

- While I was devastated that Quinn wasn't taken by the Vikings (I wanted to watch him suck the next ten years in my own city), I'm excited to be able to watch Adrian Peterson. While Reggie Bush is the best college football PLAYER I've watched, Peterson is the best college RUNNING BACK I've ever watched. As I've stated before, he is a terrifying runner who punishes tacklers.......I know, I'm saying crap you've heard a hundred times already, especially after this past weekend..........I'll shut up now.

-I've been watching ESPN the past couple of days, and I may be wrong, but I think JaMarcus Russell has waaaaaaay too many friends and family that he has to support. Judging by the coverage I've seen, there were three or four separate rooms filled with 40 or so people each that had some direct tie to him. I know he's in line for a 60 million dollar contract, but either way, that's way too big of a posse to support all of them. I think this is one of the biggest problems facing potential NFL draftees, the potential hangers-on who expect something simply because they are friends with the pick. One example is when Mike Vick got in trouble recently for having a house he owns (but doesn't live at) raided by police. They found evidence of organized dog fighting, even though the search warrant was for something else. In the story, we find out Vick is supporting 17 FAMILY MEMBERS with his money. Now, I'm all about helping out, but at what point do you realize that this isn't fiscally responsible?

-I'm in the "The Pats made a good move trading for Randy Moss" camp. As long as he's winning, he stays in line, and as the mainstream media has noted, he knows his legacy is directly tied to a championship, and that'll motivate him to behave. Besides, if he screws up New England can let him go after a year.

-If you haven't checked out my running diary of the draft, scroll down below this entry and check it out.

5 Things I'm Thinking About this Morning

1) I think Pat Forde wrote an interesting article over on ESPN about the lack of high draft picks from small schools. I've thought for a while that there would be more players taken from these conferences due to the fact they have had increased TV exposure over the years. Playing at a school like Central Michigan or Miami of Ohio no longer means you'll never be seen on TV, and talent has proliferated down to the lesser conferences. Having read this article, it's obvious that I may have been wrong. More and more players are looking at the opportunity to play in one of the Big 6 conferences, knowing that there is a better shot of them being on TV every week and getting into the NFL.

2) I was surprised (but not shocked) to see that 6 Penn State players have been charged with felonies after starting a fight at a party earlier this month. PSU, as much as I like to make fun of it, rarely has incidents like this occur in Happy Valley, but nothing is out of the question at any institution. Anthony Scirrotto, a starting safety, was the player who took the altercation to the next level. Evidently he got into a bit of an argument with three guys, then followed them back to a party. He called his teammates, they showed up, and all 6 preceded to crash the party and beat up the three guys Scirrotto had gotten into it with. Apparently this was a wild-west type fight, with beer bottles being broken over heads and a few guys getting kicked in the face when they were already down. This is obviously bad from a PR standpoint, but it could hurt the Lions even worse when taking into account that they will lose at least two extremely talented players in Scirrotto and Justin King (who was one of the top recruits in the country a couple years ago). Losing King off an already-weak offense could come back to haunt them early in the season (depending on the level of his punishment).

3) I think that it's unfortunate that players are selling their championship rings, but it's not something we should be surprised by. Former Longhorn O-lineman Terrance Young is selling his 2005 National Championship ring on ebay, where bidding is hovering around 10 grand. While guys like Vince Young might not need the money, former players who aren't bringing in NFL paychecks could probably used the cash. The worst was a couple of years ago when Lawrence Phillips hawked some of his Big 12 title rings to a pawn shop for a couple hundred bucks, only to see them be sold on ebay later for thousands in profit. Smart move, LP. Not that we should have expected anything different. Part of me says that the player should keep their ring, that it's a memento of a great season and a reminder of the times that you shared with your teammates. But memories are something that material possessions don't have control over, and if you need the money, I don't see how anyone can criticize you. Although part of me thinks that the University who purchases these rings should maybe be reimbursed.

4) I'm thinking that I'm not a fan of college recruiting. One of our standout o-line commits, Dan Hoch, is still hearing from teams despite his choice to play for Nebraska. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure NU still chases after guys who have already committed to other schools, but why can't coaches just honor the player's choice and focus on other prospects? You can't tell me that there is a shortage of high school players to choose from. A good example is Ryan Perrilloux, a sophomore QB at LSU who many were calling the next Vince Young when he came out of high school. He had committed to UT, but LSU kept up their recruitment, and he eventually switched to the Tigers. Some may say that the recruit should honor their own commitments, which is true. But I think that more leeway should be given to the 18 year old kid getting pulled in countless different directions than to the 50 year old coach trying to get him to renege on his word to another school.

5) I think Stewart Mandel wrote what most everyone else already thought: Les Miles isn't that good of a coach. LSU had four first round draft picks, five picks overall and 7 free agents signed. You would think with that mother lode of talent, they would have done better than a couple of 2-loss seasons during his tenure there. I know that 2-loss seasons aren't bad in the SEC, but for a team that has as much if not more talent than USC, you would think they would of at least won the SEC last year. I'll always remember one game where Miles (after an interception) was screaming at the refs for a timeout to stop the clock. Meanwhile, his assistants are dragging him away because they know (as any true football fan does) that THE CLOCK ALREADY STOPS AFTER A TURNOVER. How could he have possibly screwed that up? I've never been sold on him being a great coach, and when he was hired away from OSU I was surprised that LSU, who has been dominant this decade, would trust their team to him. I thought a better choice would be Bo Pelini, who is their D-coordinator.

And with that, here's a little something to keep you sane and stave off the hopelessness that comes with knowing we are still four months away from a Husker game:

MMLB (Draft Preview Edition)

As many of you probably know (especially my fellow college football bloggers), we've hit that dead period in the year where really all we can do is wait for fall practice to start while watching YouTube videos of last year's games. It's getting dangerous financially as well. You might wonder how that could be, but I'm moving into a new house in a month and my love for Nebraska is making me consider some unneeded purchases that I would never get under normal circumstances. But that's what happens the week after a spring game. Your in withdrawal, and there's nothing to fill the void except being surrounded by Husker paraphernalia, thinking that maybe if you are surrounded by the stuff, it will make fall seem closer. I'm even looking at giant 10 foot throw rugs. I could go off the deep end, become a complete tool, and get one of those Husker Fatheads.

But I think that is where everybody is at right now. We're looking for stuff to read about, to write about, anything to help us pass the time between now and those glorious fall Saturdays. It's going to be even worse after this coming weekend's NFL Draft. While I don't particularly care for any teams in the NFL, the Draft itself is one of my favorite weekends out of the entire year. When else do you get two full days that are comprised almost entirely of college football highlights? The fact that Michael Irvin no longer works for ESPN makes this twice as enjoyable, mostly because he has never brought anything to the table other than the stories from his pseudo-gay relationship with Terrell Owens. What really tops it off for me though? This year's draft is the first time in a long time that there will be a significant number of Huskers in the talent pool. Expected to be among the first-day picks are Adam Carriker, Jay Moore, Stewart Bradley (pictured above), and maybe even Brandon Jackson. The second day may feature the rest of our defensive line, along with Zac Taylor (although that may be a longshot) and Matt Herian.

While I've already written about Taylor , I'll always feel bad for Herian. That guy would have been a first round pick had he never gotten injured against Mizzou a couple years back. I was watching the game on TV, and I knew right when he went down (even before the instant replay) that he would never be the same. His speed suffered greatly, and though he'll still get a chance in the league, he's no longer the sure-fire prospect he once was. Too bad, it woulda been pretty cool to have two NU guys in the first round (Carriker being the other). Either way, I'm impressed by his determination in coming back, as well as thankful for his contributions to the program while he was here. He was Joe Dailey's safety valve that first year, and probably contributed to keeping the current Tar Heel wideout alive and in football-playing condition. Despite the injury, Herian is the most accomplished tight end that Nebraska has ever had, finishing with 65 career receptions for 1,243 yards. Most analysts say that he is more suited to an offense that uses the tight end in a H-back role, the reason being he lacks high-end strength, is better at cut blocking, and is a good pass catcher who knows how to find soft spots in coverage. Also, his size presents match up problems, particularly in the red zone. Look for him to be drafted in the latter part of the second day.

Stew Bradley is someone who most people outside of Big 12 country might not know about, but that hasn't stopped some of the NFL's best teams from getting to know about the largest linebacker in the draft. Over in an informative article done by the Omaha World Herald, Bradley's trek from walk-on to All-Conference performer is told. I've always been partial to Bradley because of the fact that he wasn't initially offered a scholarship, it adds a little more to the lore of walk-ons at Nebraska. Standing 6'4" and weighing 256 pounds, Bradley is the kind of physical freak that NFL teams drool over, particularly those that use a 3-4 defensive alignment (such as New England and San Diego). More and more pro teams are switching to the defensive scheme to take advantage of players like Bradley, guys who can come off the edge and pass rush but still drop into coverage. Look at guys like Terrell Suggs of Baltimore or Shawne Merriman of the Chargers for a comparison. While Bradley might not have the hype that those players had coming in, he does have the body type and ability to succeed in the NFL. He has the frame to add another 10 pounds of muscle without sacrificing any quickness. He may not have high-end speed, but he is a smart and consistent player who makes the right reads and will not hesitate to physically punish someone with a tackle. He's also a true "football guy", coach-speak for the players who spend the necessary time hitting the weights and in the film room. Way back when the first mock drafts were coming out, Don Banks of SI had Stew possibly headed to Baltimore at the end of the first round. Since then, his pedestrian 40 times have pushed him back to the second or third. If all else fails, he can always pull a Merriman and take some roids to boost his performance, since apparently the NFL (nor it's fans) really is concerned with steroid use (evidenced by Merriman's nearly-forgotten about 4 game suspension). Either way, I think Bradley is going to have a very serviceable career. I don't know if he'll ever be an all-pro, but being a solid starter for a decade isn't out of the question.

Jay Moore is the less-heralded half of the defensive end duo coming out of NU. Often characterized as a "high-motor" guy, he is a more than capable prospect that could be employed in either a 4-3 front (he'd have to put on weight), or as a stand-up guy in a 3-4 alignment. Let me take this opportunity to say this: does it strike anyone else as slightly racist that whenever a white guy is playing a defensive position and he has low-end speed, he's considered a "high-motor guy"? I never hear any African American prospect get called this. Even Grant Wistrom, one of the most consistent (not spectacular, consistent) guys in the league at his position the past ten years, was considered "high-motor". Which isn't to say it's a bad thing, being lauded as someone who hustles is a compliment, but at what would you start getting insulted that nobody was calling you athletic? ANYWAYS, Moore is seen as another potential second or third rounder. He gets high marks in both his effort (the aforementioned high-motor thing) and his ability to both rush the passer and drop into coverage, but the thing that holds him back in many draft "experts" minds is his lack of bulk and the fact that he's white, er...uh.... slow. That said, in a league whose teams are adding more 3-4 looks into their schemes, look for Moore to be a solid first-day pick.

Most of you probably know about Brandon Jackson's rise from middle of the depth chart to potential first-day draft pick. A lot of people criticized his decision to come out, saying that another year as the Husker's starter would have elevated his draft stock, but I beg to differ. While he obviously would have gotten a good share of the touches, Randy Jordan and the rest of the staff have shown that they will always offer Marlon Lucky and opportunity to establish himself. This, coupled with the return of Cody Glenn and the addition of Roy Helu, Marcus Mendoza, and Quentin Castille meant that there were no sure things if he came back this year. I wonder if he's had any second thoughts after our depth problems this spring. In any event, Jackson is seen by many in the NFL as a good change-of-pace back, one who makes good cuts and has good field vision when it comes to seeing lanes develop backside. While he ran a 4.4 at the Husker's pro day, many don't think he possesses top-end speed, which I disagree with considering we all saw him beat a lot of opposing defenses to the edge this past season. He has added value as someone who could potentially return kicks (he did it early in his career at NU), and versatility is something that is highly valued in the NFL, where you only get 53 roster spots. His drawbacks are that he may not be an every-down back, is a bit on the small side (only 210 pounds), and isn't as good of a receiver out of the backfield as some teams may like. Either way, I'd love to see him get taken the first day. I was shocked to find out from the article that NU hasn't had a running back drafted since 2001. Even more surprising? Ahman Green (an AMAZING back) also lasted till the third round back in 1998. To give you a bit of a reading break, here's a little video of B-Jax in action:




The last Husker I'll be talking about is Adam Carriker, who will be the Husker's first opening-round pick since Fabian Washington went to Oakland in 2005. Carriker's ability to play both the 3-4 and 4-3 well make the D-coordinators of the league salivate. A physical specimen (6'6", 300) who frequently commands double teams, Carriker is expected to go anywhere from Miami at 9 (probably not) to Denver at 21 (he'll most likely be gone by then). The popular choice right now seems to be San Francisco at 11, but one has to keep in mind that nobody shows their cards before the draft, which means we'll all have to watch to find out where he's really going. He is most consistently compared to Richard Seymour of the New England Patriots. The knock against Carriker is that he isn't a force in the pass rushing game, which might be attributed to the style of defense run by Cosgrove (this is what Carriker has pointed out in several interviews). I don't think he'll crack the top 10 like some are predicting, but either way he's gone by midway through the 1st round. Don't be surprised if St. Louis grabs him at 13, they fared pretty well the last time they drafted a Husker defensive end in the first round (Grant Wistrom, the 6th pick in 1998). Another plus for Carriker is the NFL's turn to players with good character (actually this helps all the Husker prospects).

That does it for the NFL draft preview for today. If I get bored later in the week (a good possiblity), I'll probably write something up for Ola Dagunduro and Barry Cryer, both of whom have a shot at being drafted late or getting signed as free agents. Person whose pro prospects I will not write about: Andrew Shanle.

Anyways, it's all kind of depressing for me to think about, considering my old college roommate had the nerve to SCHEDULE HIS WEDDING FOR THE DAY OF THE DRAFT!. Now, this guy is a huge NFL fan, so it's obvious that he had nothing to do with it, so what it comes down to is this: his wife, obviously having some vendetta against the male species, decided to schedule it on a rare holy day for both college and pro football. Of all the days, why this Saturday? Why couldn't we do this during the WNBA draft? I wanted to do a running diary of the first day (we usually get a keg for five guys and just watch the whole thing), but now that's looking unlikely. The lesson, as ESPN's Bill Simmons so eloquently puts it: Women are evil, pure and simple.

5 Things I'm Thinking About this Morning

1.) Optimism does not spring eternal after KSU's spring game. Our favorite de-commit Josh Freeman had a rough go during the outing, going only 9-22 for 44 yards and no touchdowns to go along with his two interceptions. While it's easy to point out the bad game by Freeman, the article doesn't give a glowing review of any aspect of the Wildcat's team, which could be in rough shape from the outset considering they open with a tough Auburn Tigers team on the road. Plus, from what I've read, the Purple Pussycats have relatively equal sides in their spring game, which might account for the fact that Freeman didn't have a Keller-esque spring game stat line. But still, that doesn't bode well for K-State fans. If your starter played crappy against a decent-at-best Big 12 defense, what is going to happen when he faces an elite one?

2.) Chase Daniels, a.k.a. the Boogerman, had a good outing in his spring game, going 8-11 for 95 yards and a score. The Tigers figure to be our toughest competition in the Big 12 North, and they are already receiving a solid amount of national attention, evidenced by this ESPN feature by Bruce Feldman. They can talk up this team all they want, but I am confident that the Huskers can handle them. While we've had a rough go in Columbia the past couple years, Mizzou always fades as the season progresses. It's going to be one of the most key games of the season, as we will be coming off a three game home stand before going against Mizzou, Okie State, Texas A&M, and UT in a four week span. The Missouri game will go a long way in determining if we play in the Big 12 title game again.

3.) While the Huskers have been making some small headlines with it's great recruiting start, it pales in comparison to the torrid pace being set by the Golden Domers over in South Bend. Notre Dame picked up two more commitments over the weekend, during which they held their spring game. QB hopeful and tool-of-the-decade winner Jimmy Clausen only attempted 7 passes, but nobody else impressed enough to determine who the next over-hyped Irish signal caller will be. As far as the recruiting goes, the Irish now have 10 commitments, which puts them 4 ahead of the Huskers. I find it asinine that there is a competition to see who has the best recruiting classes, all of which is determined by guys who watch a ton of high school film and then come up with star values to assign to each player. What perhaps is even more surprising is just how much attention is paid to these national rankings. Just look at the Husker's 2005 class. It might have been #1, but how many of those guys have become bona-fide studs?

4.) Nice job to the folks down at Alabama packing it in for their spring game. While big spring games are nothing new to those of us who are Nebraska fans, when somebody gets over 90,000 one can't help but be impressed. While some of this can be contributed to the fact that it was Nick Saban's Tide debut, it has other factors. Football has become far and away the most popular sport in the country, and the trickle-down effect from the pros to college can be seen in events like this. It can also be seen by looking at MTV programming, which now has shows like Two-a-days, which follows a high school program and it's players around. The largest thing to factor in to the record spring game crowd may be the fact that Alabama has sucked lately. They are 26-22 since 2003, which is even worse when you factor in that 10 of those wins came in one season (2005). If Saban doesn't turn it around down there, I'm terrified to see what 'Bama fans will do.

5.) This may not be a football story, but I thought it was worth mentioning here, because so often in sports are stories hyped as feel-good tales without them really qualifying as one. Josh Hamilton qualifies. As I'm sure most have you have heard, Hamilton was the first overall pick in the 1999 MLB draft. Over the next few years, Hamilton wasted his money and talent on drugs, and was kicked out of the league after testing positive too many times. He has fought his way back from the depths of his own personal hell and, at least for now, defeated his demons and is on the Reds' opening day roster, where he is doing quite well. I hope you all read the article I've linked to. Even more than that though, I hope Hamilton continues his Phoenix-like rise from the ashes. Stories like his are refreshing in a time when Pacman Jones and company rule the front page.


Husker-glorifying Quote of the Week

"Nebraska has the best fans, hands down. Friendly, good sports, happy to have you in town, even if they lose, which is rare."---Dan Jenkins, Sports Illustrated

MMLB

Hope it was a relaxing weekend for everyone, mine was fantastic with the exception of the hangover I woke up to Sunday morning morning. Staying up till 4 in the morning playing FIFA 07 probably wasn't necessary. I'm am neither a soccer or hockey fan, but after NCAA Football, they are by far the best video games out there. Enough about that though, on to the football.

There is a lot of stuff I want to get to after a busy Saturday of spring games, starting with the Big Red. Here's a link to some video highlights of the game for those of you not fortunate enough to either attend or have the NFL Network.

First off, let's start out with the Quarterbacks. If you want a complete analysis, I suggest you check out the OWH's article that breaks down both of their respective performances, or the extremely fancy passing chart they made. As I've stated before, the media loves a QB controversy. It gives them a topic to write about whenever they need one. And after the spring game, they now have four more months to write about one. Neither definitavely seperated himself from the other. Keller had a bit of better game statistically, going 10-13 with 193 yards and a touchdown, whereas Ganz went 11 for 18 for 157 yards and a TD of his own. What terrifies me is that he did the macarena for his celebration. That alone should cost him the QB job in my opinion. In all seriousness, I think the real fun of a spring game is to see if some lesser known players step up and make some plays against the starters, or if somebody establishes himself in a position battle. We have four more months till camp in August, and I'll let other people worry about the QB situation till then. I was more interested in the other QBs anyways......my thoughts? Beau Davis will never get off that bench. He had some downright atrocious throws, albeit he was playing against the blackshirts. Witt didn't have great stats, but he throws a nice ball and looks to have really good velocity.

One thing I especially loved was Cody Glenn's performance, especially in light of the fact he did it with a banged-up foot. I was able to watch the first quarter of the game (click here or scroll down to the posting before this one to see my running diary of it) before the DVR recording quit, and I was having a blast watching him. It literally took three guys to tackle him every time he carried the ball. Sure, he was playing against the second team, but dragging three guys for extra yardage is impressive no matter who you do it against. One play in particular stood out to me: Glenn caught a pass in the flats, turned up field and was met by two defenders after about seven yards. He runs over them both, and then drags a third guy an additional seven. He might have had a pedestrian stat line (11 carries, 44 yards), but you really had to see him in action to get an idea of the havoc he was wreaking. I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do when he's 100%.

When talking about Glenn, one has to think of Lucky. The victim of what Callahan calls a "medial sprain" of his knee, he still logged 16 carries for 94 yards and a TD before he was felled by the injury. Times like these, fans always freak out about how he shouldn't even have still been playing, that the coaches made a mistake by keeping him in a meaningless exhibition or some other BS line. To which I have to reply: ITS DIVISION ONE FOOTBALL! IT AINT INTRAMURALS! It's a f***ing contact sport, injuries are part of the game. What happens if he hurts his knee in practice in August? Should we just keep Lucky out of any situation that involves him getting touched? At what point do you draw the line? I get so sick of people complaining when something like this happens. Anyways, the good news (at least as of right now, we'll see after the MRI) is that it isn't anything serious and that he'll be back to normal in a month. I thought that Brian Christopherson wrote a good article about Glenn and Lucky for the LJS. The bond between a position group is a powerful thing, and it's great to see that both guys are supportive of each other and rooting for the other to do well.

A mathchup I was particularly interested in was the safety battle between Thenarse and Asante. While Thenarse would appear to have the better game based off the tackles comparison (5 compared to Asante's 2), one has to understand that when it comes to safeties, stats are not a good indicator of one's performance. Does he disguise coverages well? Does his pre-snap movement cause the QB to pause? A guy like Troy Polamalu may not fill up the stat sheet, but his impact can't be measured in terms of affecting an opposing team's gameplan. Another huge aspect of safety play is the ability to intimidate the opposing recievers. The fact that secondary coach Bill Busch is emphasizing the big hit bodes well for the Blackshirts, although bringing in guys like Asante and the development of Thenarse will go a long way in transforming this unit into the ballhawks that one always hopes for at the rover position. One thing I was glad to see was that Thenarse did well on kickoff returns, having one for 20 yards and another for 28 yards, respectively. As we all know, the return game was something the Huskers weren't especially good at last year.

While there may not be a position battle at wideout for the Huskers, their performance was still of great interest to me. We all know that Purify is going to be the main guy at the X reciever, but what about the Y on the other side? Some say that Nunn will be there, others argue Swift. According to many observers this spring, nobody established themselves through practice as the frontrunner. From what I've heard, reciever play has actually been somewhat poor in practice, which is surprising considering the talent we have there. In the spring game, Swift appeared to outplay Nunn, with 3 catches for 70 yards and a score, wheras Nunn had only one reception (although it was for a touchdown). That said, Swift also had a couple of drops that a third grader could have caught, so let's not get ahead of ourselves.

The real stud of the day was Todd Peterson, who had over 100 yards recieving (granted, 47 of them came on one catch, but a hundred yards is a hundread yards). Petersen and Keller were in sync the whole day, hooking up on a couple nice catch-and-runs where Keller hit him in stride for big plays. The thing I was disappointed about was how little of an impact the younger recievers had. Granted, it doesnt help when your playing against the starters, your offensive line doesn't give the QB any time to throw, and the QB's name is Beau Davis, but I thought we'd see a lot more of Will Henry and Menelik Holt, yet neither of them had a single catch.

One thing I was disappointed with on Saturday: fan turnout. I know we still probably had the largest or second largest (to Ohio State) in terms of numbers, but I thought with Keller and no ongoing stadium renovations that we'd get 65,000 plus, but the announced crowd was just over 54,000. Oh well. Speaking of the crowd, apparently they gave it the 'ol college try when it came to impressing all of the recruits on hand. I love the fact that our fans are that obssessed that they know all the kids by name when they come. It shows them just how much we care about our team, and the passion of Husker fans is something that often times awes recruits. Unfortunately, it didn't have that effect on heralded Riley Rieff, the 6'6", 235 pound d-line prospect. Despite attending our spring game, he commited to Iowa on Sunday, saying that the fact they were the first to offer was a big factor when making his decision. Rieff is widely considered to be the best prospect coming out of South Dakota, which probably isn't that hard when there are only 200 people in that entire state and only three football teams. Either way, a setback in our recruiting momentum, but it's still reeeeaaly early.

In other Big 12 spring game news, the Cyclones' spring game was won by the offense. Instead of having two seperate teams, they use a scoring system where the D gets points for turnovers, three-and-outs (something I call TKO's, which is what we called them at Bethel), and other factors. Bret Meyer looked good, which is expected when your playing against a defense that ranked next-to-last in almost every important defensive category last year. I'll be honest with all the Husker fans: I went to Iowa State my freshmen year. That was the year Seneca Wallace tore from the gates and led them to a #9 ranking, only to lose their last six games. So I know something about the Cyclone mindset, which is to say they are extremely poor fans when it comes to supporting their team (evidenced by only 7,000 people coming to the game).

Over at Colorado, a mere 6,000 people came out to watch the train wreck that is Buffs football. Apparently it's so bad that they have resorted to keeping stats for the QBs in 7-on-7 pass skelly drills. Against live competition, the two leading contenders for the job (Nick Nelson and Cody Hawkins) combined for a Jammal Lordesque passing line of 15 for 30, 150 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. In the 7-on-7 drills they combined for 430 yards and four touchdowns, which is great news for the Buffs if any opposing team ever decides not to send out a defensive line. Seriously, you keep stats for pass skelly? How desperate are you? When there isn't a pass rush, you can sit back there till someone gets open, which is bound to happen considering your defense sucks too. But then again, I'm just a former D3 player. And as coach Hawkins knows all too well, ITS DIVISION ONE FOOTBALL! The poor turnout for the game is really no surprise, considering they are coming off a 2-10 season and most of the student body was most likely passed out in the parking lot. I'm guessing the beer pong games being played outside the stadium was more enticing than the football being played in it.

In the Okie State spring game, Zac Robinson outplayed Bobby Reid, leading his team to a come-from-behind victory in a rare competitive spring contest. We shouldn't be surprised that Robinson out-performed him, considering I thought Gundy was an idiot for even putting Robinson in games last year. The lesson, as always: I'm an idiot. That said, I don't care who ends up starting, as long as we end up beating them. Last year's game against OSU was one of the most infuriating Husker games I've witnessed, and it was our season in a nutshell: play great in the first half, stake yourself a nice lead, watch the other team storm back in the third quarter assisted by our poor offensive playcalling, lose at the end. I remember watching that game and being so dejected afterward that I didn't even go out afterward. It's one thing to lose to USC and Texas (both of which were winnable games), but to lose to OSU after having a lead is inexcusable. If your looking for a few more things on Big 12 spring games, I suggest you head over to the Fanhouse, Jeff Adams has done a nice job over there briefly talking about some of the games.

5 Things I'm thinking about this morning

1) Great career, Will Shields. The former Husker was one of the best offensive linemen in NFL history, and he's hanging up the pads after 14 years playing for the K.C. Chiefs. The league needs more guys like Shields, who was one of the most active players in the league when it came to philanthropy. He won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2003, and was a consummate gentlemen. He will be missed.

2) For those of you that saw the spring game on Saturday, you may have noticed that Ndamukong Suh was an intimidating presence on the interior of the d-line. From what I've been reading, this guy has top-10 level ability if he keeps developing at his current pace. While I am nervous about replacing some other guys on our defensive front, I am not worried about the inside at all. Suh, who is working on developing a nasty streak this spring, will play a key role in whether or not there is a drop-off from last year on the d-line.

3) I, along with pretty much everyone else who follows college football, think that the Ohio State Buckeyes are in in for a long and hard season after last year's success. In the battle to replace Heisman runner-up Troy Smith, the unhearalded trio of Todd Boeckman, Antonio Henton, and Rob Schoenhoft combined for a sub-50% completion rate and four interceptions. It should be noted that the Buckeye's spring game allowed the QBs to actually get hit, whereas almost everywhere else in the country they are strictly hands-off. Still, this performance can't bode well for the defending Big 10 champions. They lost a lot of talent to the NFL draft and graduation. It's a good thing they play in a conference with only two other good teams (Wisconsin, Michigan).

4) Over at USC, they once again are having the good-to-have problem of having way too much talent. All-everything backup QB Mark Sanchez played well in an intrasquad scrimmage, which is important to note because he went against the #1 defense, a unit which, according to the USC media guide, is comprised entirely of guys that should be All-Americans. There are some saying that Sanchez could take the job away from Heisman favorite John David Booty by the time fall camp rolls around. My hope? That the two have a bitter falling-out, forcing other team members to pick sides, causing morale to sink and leading to a loss at Nebraska. Wishful thinking? Of course. But a guy can dream. When an entire team is made up of former Parade All-Americans, it's tough to be optimistic. The good news is that thanks to my ticket-broker uncle, I may be getting tickets to the NU-USC game for free. Words can't even begin to describe my excitement.

5) I usually would never comment on or link to an article on Miami football, but I thought Ivan Maisel had an interesting article about new head coach Randy Shannon over on ESPN. After descending into a lax state of discipline under former head man Larry Coker (whose early success I always thought was the result of the spectacular talent assembled by Butch Davis), it appears Shannon is intent on implementing a new attitude at "The U". Among his new rules: if a player has a GPA below 2.5, he has to live on campus. If Shannon ever gets a phone call after midnight about a player, that athlete will not play the next game. And hats will not be worn inside the football facilities (a rule I love, considering we had this same rule at Bethel under d-coordinator Jimmy Miller). I am about as anti-Miami as one can get, but I'm glad to see someone instilling some discipline in Coral Gables. After the brawl with FIU last year, it became apparent that losing games was the least of Miami's problems. Here's to hoping that Shannon can repair the program's image......well, repair it as much as he can anyway. Miami will always be Miami.

Just a little side note: beginning in May, I will be undertaking an extremely ambitious beer pong table construction project. I realize that I'm graduating, which means that maybe I should leave the game in my college era. But in my opinion, for fall Saturdays, nothing gets you the football mindset more than some pre-gaming competititon. You can take the kid out of the college, but you'll never take the college out of the kid. Anyways, it's going to be an exact replica of the Memorial Stadium's field, brought down to a 4' by 8' size. I will be putting a picture up upon completion.

Husker-Glorifying Quote of the Week

"I'm always proud when someone says to me, 'Where did you play?', and I can say, 'I played at Nebraska.' That makes me very proud."----Barry Alvarez

MMLB (4-9-07)

Hope everyone had a great Easter weekend. My whole "I'm going to eat healthy" thing was completely destroyed by the meal I had yesterday, but what is Easter without some great family food, right? Welcome to today's Monday Morning Linebacker. Today's picture is of oft-maligned (at least by the fans) OLB Bo Ruud. Some people arent very high on him, despite the fact he was All-Conference last year. I understand some of the complaints, but in my opinion you can't hate on a guy who always finds himself around the ball, even if he does seem slower than a fat chick on a treadmill. Football players are football players, and I've always thought that making plays should be the litmust test of a player, not how fast his 40 time is. Although it would be nice to see him take a pick to the house next year instead of running out of gas halfway there (like he did against Missouri last year).

First off, let me comment on the huge verbal we got from Elkhorn lineman Trevor Robinsion. The Huskers are quickly assembling what may be one of the top offensive line clases of the past decade. Now, I've always been a little skeptical of recruiting rankings. Seeing so many 5 star sure things (Harrison Beck) turn into duds while at the same time seeing quieter signings develop into stars (Zac Taylor) has led me to believe that college football fans tend to put a little too much stock in these rankings. But if you think that's going to stop me from being excited about a potential group of road pavers on the O-line a couple of years down the road, your wrong. I am just as giddy as every other Husker fan after hearing the news. The average size of our three linemen commits-Robinson, Dan Hoch, and Baker Steinkuhler- comes out to roughly 6'6" 300 pounds...just wait till these guys get on NU's weight program. My hope is that these guys will start working the phones after this summer's camp circuit to persuade other recruits to join the program. When a team gets momentum like the Huskers have now (3 of the top 100 national recruits already, according to Rivals), it gets other kids' attention. If your a stud QB or RB prospect, wouldnt the chance to play behind a line roughly the size of the Appalachian mountains entice you to come to NU? Yea, I thought so. Lets hope Robinson and Company get on the phones.

In an article by Steve Sipple over on Husker Extra, the Joey Ganz show was apparently in full effect during a recent scrimmage. Apparently the longtime backup directed three touchdown drives, two of them coming against the Blackshirts. Now, I understand the excitement behind the article. Any time our offense is clicking, everybody is optimistic that the drop-off from Taylor will be minimal. In all honest, I think this will be the case. But if there is one thing sportswriters love, its a quarterback controversy. Especially now, when there is little to write about other than the under-achieving NU baseball team. They are looking for any and every angle they haven't already covered, so stoking the QB competition fire is a way for them to make sure their articles are read. Let me point out that I'm not ripping on Sipple, I'm just making an observation. The same thing is happening in places like Tallahassee and Norman right now. That said, I think people have to keep in mind that Callahan runs a very complicated system, and Keller ran the scout team last fall, meaning that even with the bowl practice reps he got in December, he is still waaaaay behind Ganz in terms of knowing the offense. I plan on writing about both of them in the future, but right now, let's just sit back and be confident that no matter what, we've some talented guys behind center.

Speaking of QB controversies, there seems to be one brewing down at Texas Tech. The incumbent, Graham Harrell, is apparently facing some competition from a kid named Taylor Potts. I don't know much about this guy other than the fact that he is a redshirt freshmen who's name is way too similar to that of Tony Potts, a douchebag who works on Entertainment Tonight and dresses like a backstreet boy. What made me feel inclined to write about this is the fact that Mike Leach, the "offensive mastermind", has always had problems having a guy start for two years in a row. Usually they have a guy in their system for three years, throw him out there for one season, and then move onto the next guy. I thought that Harrell (a talented kid who did well last year with 4,500 yards and 38 TDs) would break that streak. I'm either wrong (the more likely scenario), or Leach is just trying to stir up some healthy competition. At this point, does it really matter though? Either way, whoever is the starter is going to rack up 4,000 yards and 30+ touchdowns. If I were Tech, I might be more focused on finding a defensive coordinator who can actually stop people.

Over on CSTV's website, Bob Holtzman talks about USC's talented wide reciever corps. After the departure of uber-wideout Dwayne Jarrett along with under-appreciated but extremely talented Steve Smith, some thought there might be a drop-off in production in the passing game for the Trojans. As this article points out, we were fools for our wishful thinking. The four recievers who are going to pick up the slack (Patrick Turner, Vidal Hazelton, David Ausberry, and Travon Patterson) were all All Americans in high school, and to make it even worse for our Husker secondary, they are tall as well. Both Turner and Ausberry are 6'5", with Hazelton measuring 6"3" and the tiny Travon measuring a mere 5'11". This accumulation of talent doesnt bode well for Husker fans, most of whom still have nightmares from Jarrett's performance against the Blackshirts. I was at that game, and to be honest, it was as if we weren't even covering the guy......but that wasn't the last time a reciever victimized our secondary, as we all know. Every time I flash back to that game in Los Angeles, I react about the same way Peter Griffin does after smoking crack. That said, I'm thinking that a year of seasoning for our corners, as well as heavily improved safety play (thanks to Asante and Thenarse) should slow the Trojan juggernaut.

In another Steve Sipple article over on Husker Extra, the leadership training the Husker seniors are getting is described. Apparently, a six-session course has been undertaken by the seniors in which they are trained how to develop as leaders and "understand the dynamics of good leadership." First off, let me say that I think this is a good idea in spirit. There are a lot of people on football teams who have no idea what constitutes leadership, nor do they know how it should be expressed. Anybody who's ever been on a football team knows that there is always at least one jackass who trys to yell and make speeches in an effort to be a leader. The funny thing is, it is rarely if ever this guy who is considered a leader. He is usually the guy others roll their eyes at or make fun of. And it's not because he isn't a good teammate or because of a lack of effort. It's because leaders, the ones who are actually looked to for inspiration by others, carry themselves differently. They know that you dont need to yell just for the sake of yelling. Every player responds to different types of leadership. Some want to be yelled at, to be vocally encouraged. If that's the case, they will gravitate toward the Corey McKeons, the loud playmaker who is always fired up.

Others, on the other hand, look to guys like Bo Ruud, who is quiet most of the time but when Saturday afternoon rolls around turns into a warrior who is making plays all over the field. There are other guys who lead by example, whether it be on the field or in the weightroom. An example that comes to mind personally is a kid named Ryan Lynch. I played with him at Bethel. He was about 5'6", 200 pounds. Not much athletic ability, and he never played a meaningful down during his time there. But every day in the weightroom, that kid inspired those around him to work harder. There would be days I didn't feel like doing the last wall sit (which I liken to torture), but he called me out on it and made me better. Leadership, in my opinion, isn't something that can be learned or taught. It's something, like respect, that grows over time. As players find their roles in the program, they will realize who the leaders are and who is not. It's not always the star players. Sometimes it's the kid with more heart than anyone else who urges you to keep going.

In more news on the national front, the Golden Gophers spring game was effectively ruined because of the arrest of three players who are suspected of rape. I think it is important to note that they have since been released pending investigation, so don't jump to conclusions about their guilt. Now, to be completely honest, I'm extremely anti-Gopher football. My reason? The local media always casts them as contenders for the Big 10 championship, and every year they finish around .500. It gets really old hearing about them when they haven't done anything worthwhile in years. That said, I feel badly for new coach Tim Brewster and the rest of the team. There were some legitimate feelings of optimism and enthusiasm around the program, and a lot of it was tempered by the announcment of the three arrests. I think Brewster (who was a recruiting ace at Texas) is the right guy for the job, and with the addition of a stadium that doesnt suck in 2009, there is a chance he could revive this program. But this definitley set him back.

My Non-Football Thoughts this week
1) Fergie can stop making music any time she feels like it. Both her and Gwen Stefani have a gift when it comes to making music that we can't get out of our heads, but unlike Fergie, Gwen has talent. Oh, and if I have to hear one more Fergie song where she spells out the chorus, I'm going to rip my f---ing radio right out of my car. I already know how to spell delicious and glamorous, I dont need her telling me how. I keep hoping that her jet has a mid-air collision with Sean Paul's, that way we can be rid of both of them.

2) Minnesota sucks. And I dont mean the football team....well, actually they arent that good either, but I'm talking about the weather. Despite the fact that it is mid-April, we continue to be averaging highs in the mid-30s (with windchills in the teens). And this is after a 81 degree day a couple weeks ago. This makes my hometown of Soldier Iowa seem balmy by comparison.

3) College is good and bad. Good because I love being able to wake up at 10 if I really wanted to. Bad because I'm real sick and tired of writing papers about stuff like Family Interactions (which has nothing to do with my major or potential career). I think the last semester of a college senior is one of the most ambivalent times of a person's life.

MMLB

For those of you who are familiar with Sports Illustrated's website, NFL writer Peter King has his column called Monday Morning Quarterback, where he talks about a bunch of stuff ranging from NFL happenings to his favorite quotes of the week, as well as usually commenting on his love for coffee and Tom Brady. Or thats the way it seems anyways.

See, I've always been partial to the defensive side of the ball. Why should the most glamorous position get all the attention? Oh, because it's the most glamorous? I guess I didnt think about that. Anyways, I decided to name my own little Monday installment the Monday Morning Linebacker, because it's what I used to play in my glory days at Bethel University (I'm #5), which is a Division III powerhouse. And by powerhouse, I mean we've never won a playoff game. Also, I think LB is the most badass position on the field.

We start of today's linking with a little blog by former sCUm kicker Mason Crosby, where he discusses his grueling preparation for the NFL draft. Although right now there is only one post, I'm sure we can all look forward to more exciting stories of him kicking field goals, with the inside scoop on all the crazy shenanigans of kickers. Just a question though, is a kicker the best CSTV could do? I mean, maybe it's supposed to be appealing because we never get blogs from kickers, but I think there is a reason for that (kickers aren't that exciting or cool). Although if I have to read a blog by any kicker, at least it's the guy who mastered the art of kicking while dodging 12 ounce projectiles at his home games. That's probably a good selling point in his interviews with NFL teams. Philidelphia Eagles fans probably seem like Husker fans in comparison to Classless, er, Colordado University's wonderful student section.

Also over on CSTV, our old buddy Trev Alberts comments in his mailbag on who has the best home-field advantage in the country, among other things. I think Trev goes out of his way to make sure nobody thinks he's a Husker homer, although I definitley agree with him that whoever does have the best home field advantage, it definitley resides in the SEC. I've been to Nebraska-CU in Lincoln. And while we without a doubt have the classiest fans along with perhaps the most beautiful home in the country, I don't think we have the intimidation factor that the Gators or Tigers do in the Swamp and Death Valley, respectively. I love Memorial Stadium, but I gotta say, I wish our endzone seating was built straight up instead of going out so far. The Swamp and Death Valley, along with the likes of Ohio State's stadium, all go straight up, bottling up sound and creating a din that makes it impossible to hear. Wisconsin's Camp Randall is another example. The Husker's home just isn't as loud as other places. One place that definitley doesnt rank as home field advantage: The Trojan's LA Coliseum. I went to the Husker game there last year, and the only thing intimidating about it was the fact that it was in South Central and the game got over after dark. That place is the definition of dilapidated, although I was more concerned a Dre or Snoop appearance than how ugly that stadium is. Plus, a place that just broke into the double digits on their sellout streak can hardly be considered intimidating. Let me know when they get to 250 or so and we'll talk.

Meanwhile, over on The Fanhouse, gunslinger Colt McCoy and company are discussed after their spring game dominance. That Colt is such a gunslinger, I fear for our secondary's safety when we go to Austin (although I fear for them everywhere they go). He's such a gunslinger. At this point, I'll bet he'd beat Wyatt Earp and Buffalo Bill at the same time. That is, unless Kellen Heard has anything to say about it. At what point can we stop calling him a gunslinger or any other rediculous moniker because of his name? Do people realize he's a college quarterback and not a gunfighter in the 1880's? During our game against UT last year, I thought Musberger was going to go ask for his hand in marriage at one point. Two years ago Zac Taylor took twice the beating McCoy did, but because his name is blander than vanilla, nobody worshipped him. I'm going to name my kid Heisman McHeisman Dale, and the accolades are sure to follow.

As far as McCoy's torrid spring game performance goes (7-11, 136 yards and 3 TDs), doesnt anyone ever remember that in most spring games, blitzing is forbidden? I mean, I completely understand why, you dont want to risk injury and everyone loves more offense. But when all you can rush is your defensive line, eventually the secondary will get tired and someone will get open. Just imagine our spring game this year. With our secondary and unlimited time in the pocket, I expect Keller to get roughly 1700 yards and 19 TDs. And that is not a misprint, you have to remember that in our spring game it's the starters vs. the backups, meaning that he's not even playing against Grixby and Jones.........oh wait.......he'd rather be against them...

Five things I'm thinking about this morning
1. I don't care how big of studs his replacements are, I'm ecstatic that Adrian Peterson is gone. He was the most terrifying back I've seen in a long time when it came to trying to tackle him. I still have nightmares of our defenders bouncing off him like ping pong balls, and they probably do too.

2. Josh Freeman should keep eating. I will personally send him some gift cards to Papa John's and Krispy Creme. At 6'6'', you would think 235 would be an ideal weight, with that body he was more than adept at avoiding defenders last year except Jay Moore (go to the 2:00 mark). If he wants to be the next Russell or Culpepper, more power to him. I like slow fat QBs, not only are they easier to make fun of at games, they tend to be a lot easier to get to for opposing defenses, especially one as fast as the Blackshirts.

3. Speaking of the Purple pussycats, it looks like KSU wants to run a little 3-4 this year. According to coach Prince, this is "...a response to be more multiple defensively.."
What? I understand what he's getting at, but that still doesn't make much sense gramatically. Good luck with that coach Prince, although without a Carriker-caliber end in that base end position, I think you'll find that defense hard to run.

4. In other news on the national front, stud prep running back Noel Devine finally signed his letter of intent at West Virginia, meaning the backfield in Mountaineer country is beginning to get real scary. This guy is amazing, although who knows if he will be able to stay eligible. I'm sure Rich Rodriguez and company will make sure he's on the field somehow, but it's always been a question of mine that if your not smart enough to get into a state school coming out of high school, how are you going to be able to do the supposedly harder college classes while still attending 20 hours worth of football? And from what I understand, WVU doesnt have Notre Dame-esque admittance requirements. Either way, if I'm in the Big East, I'm legitimately terrified. I know it's a tendency of a lot of people to put too much stock in recruiting, but if you've seen video of this kid, you know what I'm talking about. He's pretty damn good. The Huskers were actually in his top 3, but oh well. I'm confident that Mendoza, Helu, and Castille are going to do just fine.

5. I know the National Championship is tonight (my money, like almost everyone else's, is on Florida), but I think we all know that the real excitement is on Tuesday night. That's right, I'm talking about the scintillating matchup between.....hold on, I have to actually see who's playing in it..........Tennessee and Rutgers for the women's national title! Between winning my NIT bracket pool and this barnburner, I'm in line to rake in some real cash! Oh wait, nobody cares about women's hoops? My bad. For those Husker fans out there, you should be excited about the Kala Kuhlmann era at NU. She went to my old high school in Charter Oak, Iowa, and she is by far the best female basketball player I've ever seen in person. That isn't hard, cause I never go to girls basketball games, but still, she's awesome, in addition to being easy on the eyes.

Lastly, before I go, gotta say good luck to the Twins tonight in their opener. I mean, if they lose it's not that big of a deal, there are only 161 games left in the season (which feels like it lasts all 12 months of the year). I don't mind baseball, but does the season have to be that long?

MMLB's Husker-glorifying Quote of the Week:
"Bobby Bowden told me a story, one echoed by other Nebraska rivals, about a time in the 1980s when he took an upstart FSU team to Lincoln. Somehow FSU escaped with a win, and Bobby said he worried about getting his players out of the stadium without incident. To his amazement, the people in red stood and escorted the Seminoles off the field to a standing ovation."-------Bill Curry, ESPN color analyst