[Husker] Game Thoughts

[Steve Stone]

I must confess mild disappointment in the HuskerList's general 
reaction to some of the ramifications of the UT game. In my 
never-so-humble opinion, the expressed concern about time-outs, 
placekicking, fumbling, and such amount to diversionary tactics. So 
I'll try to say something else about something else.

1) Playing the Horns that close on near-national TV (followed by 
Instant Classic) has got to be a major boon recruiting, particularly 
in Texas and Florida since the game wasn't shown on the West Coast. 
Not necessarily today or this week or even this month, but it's a 
definite recruiting asset.

2) I was astonished to see how well the O-Line played and held up 
(except for the second quarter) against a big, experienced smart, 
fast, and aggressive UT front seven that has DEPTH to burn. (Why else 
would the running attack struggle?) To my way of thinking, UT 
defensive line is better than USC's and two of the three linebackers 
are better than the Trojans'.

3) Given that point, the Huskers have shown remarkable improvement 
since losing to USC.

4) The Huskers made many more small mistakes than the Horns, not to 
mention a couple of really big ones, yet they hung in there. This is 
typical of a young team that is playing "uphill" and has yet to 
develop the full-blown confidence evident in both the Trojans' and 
Horns' on-field play.

5) College football fans around the whole country, especially those 
exiled Texans here in New Mexico, have suddenly developed a new-found 
respect for Nebraska . . in some ways not unlike that created by Dr. 
Tom's decision to go for two points against Miami in the Orange Bowl 
a couple of decades ago when Nebraska lost a National Championship 
but gained a respect that it had never had before.

6) This loss seems to have caused the Husker players more pain than 
even the USC loss did. If so, it will also teach them more . . . 
which will stand them in good stead for the balance of the season 
and, probably, next year.

7) A word of advice to HuskerListers who think they know more about 
this team, these players, and football strategy than the coaches: 
"You don't." (And neither do I.) As a son of a former coach, I tell 
you this with some authority. Coaches are human. They make mistakes 
and learn from them. Those of who contend that Callahan should have 
done this or Busch should have taught the kids that seem all too keen 
on sharing their ignorance with the rest of the world. All of us 
agonize over the game and especially the last few minutes, but none 
of us hurts one-twentieth as much as the players (and coaches) 
themselves, so it might be a good idea not to sound as though WE have 
been singled out by a pitiless Fate.

8) The Texas are. quite justifiably, proud of their team. I'm proud of mine.

Steve Stone