Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 44

Lincoln Journal Star Sunday, October 26, 2008 HUSKER EXTRA 4F 01 010 Who's saying what about the game Behind enemy lines Fan rant Scanning the wires i lit "Man, I wish I was a fly on Bo's note pad. Would love to hear what he is saying to the refs." "Bo needs to start making these players run sprints at practice for every ball they drop or fumble. This is getting bad." "The has played much better this (second) half." "Swift and Lucky deserve a huge pat on the back. They both played very well today." "You have to hand ft to these coaches for making the adjustments at halftime." "This team Is not perfect but it is a lot better than last year. I love the fight of the guys, and the ability of our coaches to find a way to win." "I give NU a fighting chance against OU.

The reason? (Sam) Bradford is not a mobile QB." "We didn't do very well and they did really well. That's why they're patting each other on the back and we're consoling each other. You have to convert on third down," Baylor coach Art Briles "That big screen play from Joe Ganz to Marlon Lucky) was a good call for the defense we were running. We did a pretty good job with the exception of that screen, which went for 70 yards, and the up- and-go (from Ganz to Nate Swift) for 60 more yards. It's a good day if we eliminate those big plays." Safety Jordan Lake "On the safety, they had good penetration and they had a dude coming on the back side.

I don't know who it was. That was a good call by the defense." Running back Jay Flnley "The turnover we got before their safety was something the coaches challenged us with and coming up with a turnover is huge. The rest is history. Their defense made a great play." Linebacker Joe Pawelek Baylor sizzles, then fizzles For one half Saturday, Baylor showed it can play well in a difficult road environment. Unfortunately for the Bears, they couldn't sustain the momentum as Nebraska rallied for a 32-20 victory.

After putting up its most points in the first half of a Big 12 road game since 1996 en route to a 20-17 halftime lead, Baylor's offense was shut down in the second half. The Bears gave themselves reason to believe by rushing for 159 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. But the Comhuskers defense turned it up a notch in the second half, limiting the Bears to 57 yards rushing. Nebraska's key defensive play came in the third quarter. On third-and-goal from the Huskers' 1, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin came down the line on an option play but was met by defenders Zach Potter and Larry Asante for a loss of a yard.

The Bears then came away empty after a 19-yard field goal attempt by Ben Parks hit the left upright. Dallas Morning News SippSe Nebraska learns from adversity rrz -tht vV (r i i yu -iff: jjmm 0i i yfp i 1 i Sj "'Mi US. CURT McKEEVER Journal Star Stajf Writer Art Briles is right His Baylor team does have the talent especially with a quarterback like freshman Robert Griffin, who can make everyone around him look better to feel it should hold its own against the Huskers and Cowboys and, yes, even those Sooners that NU will play in Norman next Saturday. To any Nebraska fan wanting to relive the '90s, that idea is upside-down, but it's really the way of the world in the Big 12 Conference circa 2008. So let's first give Bo Pelini's bunch credit after NU rallied from a 20-17 halftime deficit to beat the Bears 32-20 in Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

The last time Nebraska won a game it trailed at halftime was in 2003 against Perm State. That fact gives these Huskers reason enough to be happy today. But more than just the final score, it's how they got there that should leave them feeling they learned something meaningful about themselves. After watching Griffin treat them in the first half like the hurdles he glides over in spring track meets, the Huskers raised themselves high enough to send the kid to some major spills. At halftime, Griffin had accumulated 168 of the Bears' 234 yards and guided them to three touchdowns.

Over the next 30 minutes, however, he managed just 87 yards and Baylor could add nothing more to the highest point total it had ever produced in the first half of a Big 12 road game. "Everybody was up (at half-time), and to see that in everybody's eyes NU linebacker Cody Glenn said. "Everybody on this team was focused in knowing that we're about to go out and win this game," That's how the defense looked while stuffing Griffin for a 1-yard loss on third-and-goal from the NU 1-yard line early in the third quarter. How quarterback Joe Ganz appeared after the Huskers got the ball back, coolly avoiding pressure and at the last possible away from Baylor's Jeremy Williams Pcfe wer's pipits Texas 28, Oklahoma State 24: On a day when Colt McCoy showed he's human throwing a thirckiuarter interception and losing a fumble in the fourth period the Longhorn defense put on its superhero ar- mor. Texas held the Cowboys to a field goal after McCoy threw a pick for the first time in 101 passes, then kept them on their own half of a the field following his fumble to beat a third straight ranked opponent 1 i and set up next Saturday's matchup of unbeatens at Texas Tech.

Texas Tech 63, Kansas 21: While the Longhorns are three-quarters of the way through their stretch of ranked opponents, the Red Raiders began theirs with a stunningly easy win in Lawrence. It wasn't Graham Harrell's five TD passes that made this a shocker, but Kansas quarter- back Todd Reesing throwing three of his first four passes in the third quarter into the arms of Tech's Darcel McBath. Reesing finished just 16-for-26 for 154 yards as the Jayhawks suffered their most-lopsided loss since being drubbed by Kansas State 640 In 2002. Fresno State 30, Utah State 28: Sure, there were a lot bigger games than this one (like Penn State-Ohio State). But let's hear it for Kevin Goessllng, who booted a 58-yard field goal as time expired for the decisive points.

Goessling had earlier missed from 22 yards. Continued from Page IF that represented another indicator of growth in Pelini's Big Red reclama- tion project. Although Nebraska played poorly for much of the first half, the Huskers didn't panic. Nor did they wilt. Yes, that's progress.

You can see the program's growth and maturation occurring before your eyes. You also can hear it in what Pelini says and on this day, what he didn't say. After Nebraska repeatedly shot itself in the foot during the first half, you figured Pelini might transfer the energy he used barking at officials to his players. Oh, how they would feel the boss's wrath. Wrong.

A funny thing happened on the way to the Huskers improving to 5-3 overall and 2-2 in the Big 12. Pelini hardly said anything to his team at halftime. "He just said, 'Let's said Ne- braska senior linebacker Cody Glenn, who committed two costly first-half penalties. "Then Phil Dillard got up and said, 'Hey, this team shouldn't even be on the same field with us. We are Nebraska.

We should be able to beat Glenn said. The thing is, this obviously isn't the powerful Nebraska of the 1990s. Not even close. This is Nebraska rowing, maturing arid learning to nd its way after the debacle that was the 2007 season. The Huskers on Saturday found their way through a storm of mental mistakes and missed tackles.

Griffin reeled off big runs, but NU kept chasing and hitting harder and harder as the game progressed. Nebraska's leaders ultimately stepped up, and now Big Red is one win from bowl eligibility which would represent another crucial step for Pelini program. How else is Nebraska different from its glory days of the 1990s? Well, Tom Osborne wasn't exactly known for getting in the faces of officials. "Coach Pelini, he's got your back," Glenn said. "When the referees make a mistake, he's getting down their throats.

If he doesn't say anything, they're going to keep making the same mistakes." However, you wonder if Pelini's rants eventually will become counterproductive. Maybe calls will begin to consistently go against Nebraska, as was the case on Baylor's second-quarter punt that clearly appeared to deflect off the foot of a Baylor player. Even after the replay, the officials got it wrong. Pelini was angry Saturday because he felt officials weren't giving Nebraska's defense a fair chance to match up personnel against Baylor's offense, which constantly ran players on and off the field. It led to disorganization by the Husker defense on many occasions.

Yet Nebraska hung tough. That's growth. That's progress. We all know how poorly the Huskers responded to adversity last season. "It's tough to be your best every week," Ganz said.

"Obviously, that's something to strive for. But you're going to find yourself in games like th is. It's how we respond, and I thought we responded well." Ganz finished 32-for-46 for 336 yards and three touchdowns, with no interceptions. He threw for 234 yards and two TDs in the second half, both to fellow senior Nate Swift. In the second half, "We were able to throw the ball down the field a little more," Ganz said.

"We were dialing up more vertical passes." Plus, Nebraska threw more frequently on first and second down. "It's easier to find a rhythm when you're not just throwing it on third down," Ganz said. "The play calling in the second half worked to my advantage. It allowed me to get in a rhythm and make short, quick throws and then be able to put the ball down the field, too." Ganz and Pelini are hard-core competitors. Killers.

This team obviously reflects their personalities. They're fiery, yet also like to have fun. Hence Ganz's postgame ribbing of Swift, who made 1 1 catches to pass Husker icon Johnny Rodgers as the school's career receptions leader. "I told Nate, 'Every ball that gets thrown to hi I want five bucks. If I throw the record-breaker, it's a Ganz cracked.

No word if any money's been exchanged. But Ganz was money in the second half. So was Nebraska's defense. The coaching staff's toughness and positive energy obviously are having an impact. Indeed, shout it to the heavens, Big Red fans, or to the nearest official.

Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipplejournalstar.com. Nebraska's Marlon Lucky (5), sprints moment finding Nate Swift for a 15-yard gain on third-and-10. How the defense ignored an unnecessary roughing-the-punter penalty to come back and sack Griffin on a fourth-and-4 play. And how Ganz again responded in the clutch first hitting Todd Peterson for 6 yards on third-and-5, then connecting with Swift on a 53-yard scoring strike.

With those key contributions combined with what Texas Tech did to Kansas and Oklahoma did to Kansas State on Saturday it's no longer a stretch to think NU can win three of its remaining four regular-season games and be bowl-bound with an 8-4 record. "They have been really, really persistent in finding the way through difficulties and adversity, and that happens when a team starts coming together when 'it' starts happening," offensive coordinator Shawn Wat- 1 1 i i (center) and Trentson Hill during the at this point, that would be a major downer Had the defense not cleaned up its first-half miscues, there's probably a major swing in mood from one sidelinp to the other Saturday. But the Bears never would How did Griffin fare? A look at how Baylor freshman quarterback Robert Griffin did on Saturday aganst Nebraska: TED KIRKLincoln Journal Star fourth quarter Saturday. have gotten close to being in that position without Nebraska's three personal-foul penalties, two of which extended drives that led to 13 Baylor points. Really, though, the lessons Nebraska learned can be just as valuable as if Glenn had gotten his preference and "beat 'em down in the first half (to) get the game over with." A lot of times, you find out much more about a team when it's been pushed into a comer.

"You're going to have games that go right down the stretch and you've got to be prepared for it, so this was a good game to get us like that," Glenn said. "The next couple games we might and we understand how to handle it and how to take care of it." Considering what lies next, their timing is perfect. Off to Norman they go. Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeeverjournalstar.com. 175 attempts.

"They're not as feist as we are. The speed we hiive on the field is an asset for us, so we try to utilize it. It just didn't work out that good. Whatever they did, it was working a little bit for them," Griffin said of the Bears' difficulty getting their passing game going. "They played inside on our slots, taking away the inside routes, so we couldn't throw the quick slants that we throw most of the time.

That was a good job by Bo Pelini." Griffin re-emphasized the Bears' speed advantage. "They are a good, tough defense, solid. But when it comes to running laterally and up and down the field, they couldn't stick with us," he said. "Jay (Fin-ley) scored his touchdown from pretty far out and I did on mine. It just shows nobody can run with us." Jordan Lake, the free safety who led the Bears with 15 tackles, said the loss was frustrating.

"It hurts. There are no words to explain it It's pretty deflating to let them come down like that and take the lead," he said. "We knew they would try to run the clock. Thats their offense. We didn't do a good enough job getting off the field." Reach Ryly Jane Hambleton at 473-7314 or rhambletonjoumalstar.com.

Inability to convert doomed Bears urn son said. "That 'it' I'm talking about is chemistry, so that is what I'm enjoying most about coaching this team and being around these guys. Every day." But here's the deal. If they're not careful, the Huskers also could falter and finish 6-6. And TED KIRKELlncolrt Journal Star haul in a wide-open pass in front of Eric Hagg on Saturday.

back up the momentum they got at the end of the first half. Nebraska had just scored to take a 17-14 lead. Baylor drove right down and Jacoby Jones scored on a blast over the left side to put the Bears back on top 20-17. "We knew we were getting the ball back in the second half and if we scored again, we'd give ourselves a cushion," Griffin said. "They (the Huskers) like to ball- On the ground Attempts 16 Yards 121 Touchdowns 1 Through the air 20 Yards 134 Touchdowns 0 Interceptions 0 Sacks 3 Total yards 255 BY RYLY JANE HAMBLET0N Lincoln Journal Star Robert Griffin knew it was an ugly statistic for the Baylor team.

"When you're 0-for-10 on third-down conversions, most of the time you're going to get the 'L' and we did," the freshman quarterback said. One of those missed opportunities was particularly big for the Bears. After Jason Lamb blocked a 52-yard field-goal attempt by Nebraska in the third quarter, Griffin found Kendall Wright streaking down the sideline for a 44-yard gain. The Bears, facing third-and-goal from the NU 1-yard line, looked to their playmaker. Griffin dropped back in the shotgun, took the snap and darted to his left.

But he was met by a surging Nebraska defense, led by Zach Potter and Larry Asante, and he lost a yard. On the next play, Baylor's field-goal attempt hit the left upright and bounced away. "We've got to get points out of the deal," said Baylor coach Art Briles. "We had a speed option called, so he (Griffin) has the choice to keep it or deal it. "To get down there and stalemate, it stings you a little bit.

But you've got to understand there's going to be good and bad series and you've got to overcome the bad ones." i i '--Mm Baylor's Dwain Crawford (left) can't Nebraska's Rickey Thenarse (3) and Griffin said it would be easy to second-guess himself on the play. "When you run the speed option on the goal line, most of the time the quarterback keeps it It's a quick-hitting play," Griffin said. "I saw the crease and tried to hit it and they closed on me. As I look back on it, maybe if I had pitched it, we would have scored, but you can't live in the past." The Bears weren't able to control and that would put them in an uncomfortable position, but we didn't come back out and score and that hurt us." After racking up 234 yards of offense in the first half, the Bears had just 1 16 in the final two quarters. Griffin broke the Baylor record for consecutive pass attempts without an interception, improving his erro'-free run to.