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DB
Daniel Bullocks |
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2004
Statistics
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Coach:
Bill Callahan
5-6,
1 year |
2004
Record: 5-6
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WESTERN
ILLINOIS |
WON
56-17 |
SOUTHERN
MISS |
LOST
17-21 |
at
Pittsburgh |
WON
24-17 |
KANSAS |
WON
14-8 |
at
Texas Tech |
LOST
10-70 |
BAYLOR |
WON
59-27 |
at
Kansas State |
LOST
21-45 |
MISSOURI |
WON
24-3 |
at
Iowa State |
LOST
27-34 |
at
Oklahoma |
LOST
3-30 |
COLORADO |
LOST
20-26 |
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2004 Final Rankings
AP-UR, Coaches-UR, BCS-UR
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2005
Outlook
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Relax,
Nebraska fans, QB issues make it look like
this isn't your year. You could easily end
up in the Big 12 Championship Game, what
with that weak North Division and that cake
home schedule to start, not to mention the
JUCO upgrades. Of the 31 members of the
incoming recruiting class - a class that
recruiting guru Tom Lemming ranked No.1
in the country - 12 were JUCO players. "This
won't be something we do normally every
year," Callahan said, "but we
had to do it this year." Those players
alone will fill in many of the experience
gaps. We find the increased quality of (both
side's) line play to be the surest signal
that NU is surging back to prominence.
Pursuant
to the schedule, we primarily note how Nebraska
has seven home games. But the Cornhuskers
open the season with five consecutive games
in Lincoln, starting with Division I-AA
Maine. The problem becomes how four of the
last six are away, making for another possible
collapse (though their consolation for the
Oklahoma showdown is that it's at home 10-29-05).
Nebraska should be able to beat quality
opponents Pitt and ISU at home. But TT then
poses the truest defensive challenge, and
if the Cornhuskers aren't ready to avenge
the 70-10 shellacking they received at Tech,
then the secondary will again be of grave
concern for the slate's second half.
We
hate to promote the cliché, but it's
really 2006 toward which fans should be
pointing. That's when two years of Callahan's
system will be under their collective belts,
and its No.1 recruiting class will be sophomores
with a QB (hopefully) in place. That's when
Nebraska will be Nebraska again. Until then,
it will be an up and down year as the team
continues to assimilate to a new style.
Hey,
at least NU is finally sticking to a plan,
even after a losing campaign. Instilling
a more modern offense is essential today
in Lincoln, for opponent's team speed had
"caught up" with their outside
power running. Ultimately, everything must
change, or be stubbornly washed away
so,
now it is just a matter of time until this
venerable program is again back in the Top
5. Cornhusker fans finally have been forced
to submit to a longterm rebuilding, and
it will be worth it for seasons to come
if they just continue to do it right, and
not panic like they did when they fired
Solich after going 10-3. The teamwork and
dedication represented in the Husker Legacy
Statue are the staples upon which another
dynasty in Lincoln will soon rise. Then,
it will be at least another 43 years until
their next losing season.
Projected
2005 record: 6-5
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NEBRASKA
*POWER RATINGS
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Offense
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Defense
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QB
- 3 |
DL
- 4.5 |
RB
- 3.5 |
LB
- 3 |
WR
- 3 |
DB
- 2 |
OL
- 3.5 |
.. |
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RETURNING
LEADERS
|
Passing:
Joe Dailey, 310-153-19, 2025 yds., 17
TD
Rushing: Cory Ross, 207 att., 1102
yds., 6 TD
Receiving: Matt Herian, 24 rec.,
308 yds., 3 TD
Scoring: Cory Ross, 8 TD, 48 pts.
Punting: Sam Koch, 63 punts, 41.3
avg.
Kicking: David Dyches, 2-3 FG, 2-2
PAT, 8 pts.
Tackles: Stewart Bradley, 67 tot.,
38 solo
Sacks: Adam Carriker, Jay Moore,
Wali Muhammad - 3 each
Interceptions: Daniel Bullocks, 5
for 187 yds.
Kickoff Returns: Tierre Green, 26
ret., 19.2 avg., 0 TD
Punt Returns: Santino Panico, 22
ret., 3.1 avg., 0 TD
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TE
Matt Herian
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OFFENSE
- 7
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----RETURNING
STARTERS----
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DEFENSE
- 6
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KEY
LOSSES
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OFFENSE:
Steve Kriewald-FB, Ross Pilkington-WR, Dusty
Keiser-TE, Mike Erickson-OT, Jake Andersen-OG,
Sandro DeAngelis-K, Joe Dailey-QB (transferred) |
DEFENSE:
Bernard
Thomas-DE, Barrett Ruud-MLB, Ira Cooper-LB,
Chad Sievers-WLB, Kellen Huston-CB, Lornell
McPherson-CB, Fabian Washington-CB (NFL),
Josh Bullocks-FS (NFL) |
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2005
OFFENSE
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Quarterback
Zac Taylor is a straight drop-back passer with
a great arm and good field vision. Harrison Beck
is much the same. The two of them will duke it
out .... Hey, wait a minute? Isn't starting quarterback
Joe Dailey back? Isn't back-up Beau Davis also
a returner? Well, ah, um, yes. Yes they are. OK,
back to Taylor and Beck. Taylor led his JUCO team
to the NJCAA championship game last year, while
Beck is a highly regarded recruit out of Florida.
Dailey started spring drills at the top of the
depth chart -- and this is a deep unit, with no
less than eight QBs listed -- but word out of
Lincoln is that the job is Taylor's to lose. Dailey
threw 19 INTs. To be fair, he was in his sophomore
season and was asked to handle an entirely new
offense put in by new coach Bill Callahan, a west
coast offense that ran counter to everything Nebraska
had done for the past 40 years. It was just a
feeling among the coaches that Dailey simply lacks
the poise and presence. An upgrade in talent at
this position would have the most effect on Nebraska's
record.
Running
Back
Nebraska returns 1,000-yard rusher Cory Ross and
his backup, Brandon Jackson, who is looking fabulous
this spring after hitting the weights and still
maintaining a sub 4.4-second 40-yard time. Both
are outstanding at coming out of the backfield
to catch passes, another staple of the west coast
offense and something that starting fullback Dane
Todd will have to learn. The deepest unit on the
team just got Lucky - Marlon Lucky, this year's
No.2 incoming RB (Rivals.com), so Ross and Jackson
will be pushed. A coup for Nebraska, Callahan
plucked him away from Southern Cal. He's going
to get his shot, no doubt. A misconception of
the 'west coast' is that it means more passing,
whereas it really means NU will again run it around
56%, so the workload is cut out here.
Receiver
Nebraska wide receivers are traditionally a no-name
bunch
not any longer. With the west coast
offense here to stay, everybody needs to step
up. Of the top returners -- Mark LeFlore, Terrence
Nunn and Grant Mulkey-- none caught more than
19 passes. Still, it's a talented group. Nunn
is swift, with great hands. While Grant Mulkey
has the inside track to start at the slot, watch
out for the appropriately named Nate Swift, who
is, more importantly, fearless in going over the
middle. JUCO wideout Frantz Hardy is going to
bump somebody out of a starting job, and four
other three-star (or higher) recruits guarantee
that this campaign will feature whoever can make
the grabs.
Tight
End
Matt Herian is the man here, but he'll be pushed
in the spring and fall by JUCO-recruit Justin
Tomerlin. That is, unless Tomerlin is such a hit
on the other side of the ball that the Nebraska
defensive coaches keep him. Tomerlin originally
signed with Florida State out of high school as
a TE, but wound up a standout DE on the same Butler
County C.C. (KS) team as quarterback Zac Taylor.
Offensive
Line
Remember, it's a mindset thing. Nebraska's offensive
line is used to being a finely-tuned, albeit brutal,
machine of road-graders. But last year they had
to learn an entirely different way of approaching
everything, from schemes to footwork. Sure, there's
a lot of work still to be done, but 2004's 34th-ranked
running game (at 4.7 per carry) means they have
a foundation already in place. Too, NU allowed
just 16 sacks in 11 games - and, yes, we realize
that part of that stat reflects the three-step
drops which are a component of the west coast
offense. Still, it's impressive for a group of
players learning a new system. Changes will be
minimal. Returning center Kurt Mann is a motivational
speaker and 4.03 student who will get this crew
together, and former wrestler LG Brandon Koch
will secure the inside with Mann. Huge Fin RT
Seppo Evwaraye (the first native Finlander to
sign an Division I-A letter of intent) goes to
LT. Cornealius Thomas, Lydon Murtha (sub-5.0 40)
and Mike Huff will each get their shot to secure
the RG spot, but true frosh Rodney Picou will
show why he was the nation's ninth-rated incoming
guard. Another great line with size, speed, depth,
and even more potential.
OFFENSIVE
BREAKDOWN
Unless Nebraska finds a solution for its quarterback
problems, it will again suffer as a team. Dailey
threw too many INTs (19), and the entire team
just had too many TOs (33) to ever get the offense
rolling from game to game. In fact, the Cornhuskers
were 110th for TO-margin, so control is the mantra
this campaign. Also weak was NU's scoring average
of 25 points, its second-lowest figure since 1969.
The offensive averaged 363 total yards, second-lowest
since 1968. But there's a commitment to the west
coast offense, so as the system isn't changing,
the players must. But there has to be some consistency
from Callahan and offensive coordinator Jay Norvell.
The staff was criticized, for instance, when it
threw too much against Iowa State with 43 attempts,
but then passed the ball only 13 times against
Oklahoma. Smartly, Nebraska will still run out
of the I formation, which is its forte. In all
likelihood, the 'Huskers will be breaking in another
new quarterback, so there will be some rough patches.
But the line should still protect in all facets,
and the running backs are a given to succeed and
distract. Now it's up to Callahan and staff to
figure out how to best utilize all that talent.
The demons that messed this offense up will now
seem exorcised as the same plays will now work
with the right/another QB.
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RB
Cory Ross
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NEBRASKA
2005 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters/Key
Players
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OFFENSE
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QB |
Zac
Taylor-Jr (6-2, 210) |
Harrison
Beck-Fr (6-2, 210)
Beau Davis-So (6-4, 185) |
FB |
Dane
Todd-Jr (5-10, 240) |
Grant
Miller-Jr (6-0, 225) |
IB |
Cory
Ross-Sr (5-6, 195) |
Brandon
Jackson-So (5-11, 210) |
WR |
Mark
LeFlore-Sr (5-11, 195) |
Isaiah
Fluellen-Jr (6-0, 185) |
WR |
Terrence
Nunn-So (6-0, 190) |
Grant
Mulkey-Jr (5-11, 180) |
TE |
Matt
Herian-Sr (6-5, 240) |
J.B.
Phillips-So (6-3, 260) |
OT |
Seppo
Evwaraye-Sr (6-5, 330) |
Lydon
Murtha-Fr (6-7, 315) |
OG |
Greg
Austin-Jr (6-1, 295) |
Andy
Christensen-Fr (6-3, 300) |
C |
Kurt
Mann-Jr (6-4, 290) |
Brett
Byford-So (6-3, 305) |
OG |
Brandon
Koch-Sr (6-4, 315) |
Gary
Pike-Sr (6-4, 330) |
OT |
Cornealius
Fuamatu-Thomas-Sr (6-5, 335) |
Mike
Huff-Fr (6-4, 300) |
K |
David
Dyches-Jr (6-1, 180) |
Jordan
Congdon-Fr (5-11, 185) |
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2005
DEFENSE
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Defensive
Line
For every cause, there is an effect. Because this
unit was marginal in getting to the quarterback,
an already suspect secondary was picked apart.
The D-line will again be outstanding against the
run (11th-ranked in rush defense, also one of
11 teams to hold foes to under three per carry
[2.9]), which only puts that much more pressure
against the DBs as foes throw to avoid these killers.
In part it was because ends Wali Muhammad and
Jay Moore are terrific run stuffers. RS freshman
Adam Blankenship is a better rush end. So is true
freshman Barry Turner, as is JUCO standout Dontrell
Moore, who was recruited by a linebacker but will
end up as a rush end. So is another JC product,
Barry Cryer, whom Callahan compared to former
NFL star John Randle. And so is Ola Dagunduro,
a 300-pound defensive tackle from Compton (Calif.)
Community College, who was ranked the No. 5 JUCO
DT by College Football News. Cryer and Dagunduro
have the head start, since each gray-shirted in
January.
Linebacker
If the 'Huskers don't use Dontrell Moore as a
rush end, he's your new starting MLB. Stewart
Bradley will be back on the strong side, but Mark
Brungardt, slated to start on the weak side, leaves
them lacking with his disgruntled departure. This
unit is thin, but they won't disappoint - either
the front four will be stopping running plays
in front of them, or the secondary will be getting
tested behind them. Ergo, expect them to drop
back in coverage more, especially with two new
four-star recruits who have sub-4.6 40 times.
Speed has been instilled into this unit, so expect
swarming to again smother runners. DC Kevin Cosgrove
has now been put in charge of all LBs - for purposes
of continuity - a wise move that will facilitate
the swarming.
Defensive
Back
When you lose your entire starting secondary,
there's normally cause for concern. When that
entire secondary finished nearly dead last (110th)
in passing yardage allowed, well, quietly, there
is a silver lining. Nebraska has a chance to completely
overhaul that marginal unit. For whatever reason,
they didn't perform well in man coverage, which
was the team's preferred package. The DBs just
weren't physical enough to jam receivers at the
line. That will change with CB Zackary Bowman,
who is ranked the No. 1 junior college defensive
player in the nation by rivals.com. He starts
at one corner. Cortney Grixby has the inside track
at the other corner, but his speed and size are
suspect compared to Bowman's. Former-dual-threat-QB
Andrew Shanle, huge ex-LB Shane Siegel (also all-academic),
and ex-sprinter/TB Blake Tiedtke are all competing
for the safety spots, and they each have the hitting
power to intimidate over the middle more than
their predecessors. What this secondary was good
at, and still should be, is bending but not breaking.
Assistant Bill Busch now umbrellas both secondary
facets (corners and safeties), so similar to the
LBs, this unit will have better coordinated efforts
because of the coaching change.
DEFENSIVE
BREAKDOWN
The Cornhuskers had trouble defending the pass,
giving up 268 yards a game through the air. They
only gave up 18 passing TDs, meaning the efficiency
rating was much better, an important dimension
to continue. Now, accordingly, with the secondary
brand new, NU should go to more zone schemes,
until the newbie CBs can try the man-on-man thing
with more success. There should be no problem
up front, especially as NU gets at least one of
its incoming JUCO stars to develop into a consistent
pass rusher. The ability to put pressure on the
quarterback will allow the LBs to drop back until
the secondary is fine-tuned. With the secondary
able to hold its own, the glory days of the Blackshirts
reigning on foes again with speed and stick can
return. NU allowed 95 combined third-quarter points,
an aberration in Lincoln that needs attention.
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DT
Le Kevin Smith
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NEBRASKA
2005 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters/Key
Players
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DEFENSE
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DE |
Jay
Moore-Jr (6-4, 275) |
Wali
Muhammad-Sr (6-1, 255) |
DT |
Titus
Adams-Sr (6-3, 300) |
Barry
Cryer-Jr (6-2, 270) |
DT |
Le
Kevin Smith-Sr (6-2, 305) |
Ola
Dagunduro-Jr (6-2, 300) |
DE |
Adam
Carriker-Jr (6-6, 280) |
Ty
Steinkuhler-Fr (6-3, 255) |
SLB |
Stewart
Bradley-Jr (6-4, 240) |
Adam
Ickes-Sr (6-2, 225) |
MLB |
Lance
Brandenburgh-So (6-1, 230) |
Corey
McKeon-So (6-1, 225) |
WLB |
Steve
Octavien-Jr (6-0, 230) |
Bo
Ruud-So (6-3, 230) |
CB |
Cortney
Grixby-So (5-9, 165) |
Donald
DeFrand-Sr (6-0, 175) |
CB |
Tierre
Green-So (6-1, 200) |
Titus
Brothers-So (5-11, 190) |
SS |
Daniel
Bullocks-Sr (6-2, 210) |
Shane
Siegel-Sr (6-3, 220) |
FS |
Andrew
Shanle-Jr (6-1, 205) |
Tyler
Fisher-Sr (5-11, 195) |
P |
Sam
Koch-Sr (6-1, 230) |
Dan
Titchener-Fr (6-0, 200) |
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2005
SPECIAL TEAMS
|
Kicker
Basically, the job is true freshman Jordan Congdon's
to lose. He has such an incredible leg that he'll likely
assume both the placekicking and kickoff duties for
the 'Huskers. "I think he's outstanding. He's fun
to watch," Callahan said. "This guy could
have gone anywhere he wanted to go.'" But even
more attention needs to be paid to the horrible KO coverage,
and influxes in the back seven should help.
Punter
Sam Koch is a solid punter, averaging just over 41 with
one-third of his tries fair caught and/or dropped inside
the 20. The coverage here is excellent and could improve
with the abundance of talent.
Return
Game
Santino Panico averaged 3.1 yards per punt return last
year. Yikes! Brandon Jackson was just over 20 yards
on kickoffs. Bowman is a name we throw out, as is true
frosh Leon Jackson and Terrance Nunn (10.6-second 100-meter
time). Expect an upgrade soon.
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