 "Photo: CHRIS VANKAT")
For the past eight months, Cornhusker fans have filled Internet message boards and talk radio shows with constant chatter and predictions about the 2007 season.
But by the middle of the third quarter of Nebraska's season opener on Saturday afternoon, a mass exodus of red-clad fans were already heading for the exits.
Saturday's game was like most season openers for Nebraska: The Huskers' running game couldn't be stopped, the opponent's players looked tired early in the second half and very few of the home team's weaknesses were exposed in a romp against an overmatched opponent.
By the time the clock ran out, Nebraska had rolled up 625 yards of total offense, including 413 yards rushing, in a 52-10 blowout of Nevada at a sold-out Memorial Stadium.
"Overall we did some good things, but there's still a lot of work to get done yet," NU Coach Bill Callahan said. "This was a good start for us today."
It was especially sweet for Marlon Lucky, the Husker junior I-back who ran roughshod over an undersized Wolf Pack defense. The North Hollywood, Calif., native finished with a career-high 233 yards on 30 carries while scoring four of his team's seven touchdowns.
Lucky said Saturday's game was a good start to make up for last season, a year in which Lucky said he did not live up to his potential despite starting for much of the season.
"I didn't know I was going to get 30 carries and run for 235, but coach saw a weakness in their defense, and we started pounding," Lucky said.
After NU senior quarterback Sam Keller threw an interception that Nevada's Jonathon Amaya returned 80 yards for a touchdown to put the Wolf Pack ahead 10-7 early in the second quarter, the Huskers turned to their ground game for 14 straight plays.
On their first possession after Nevada's touchdown, the Huskers engineered a nine-play, 39-yard drive that ended with Lucky's one-yard touchdown run to give NU a 14-10 lead. All of the Huskers' yards in the drive came from the running backs, and Nebraska never trailed again.
"We found out early that we could just jam it right down through there and get yards on the ground," Keller said. "So that became our focus in the second quarter when we came back after the turnover. … It was just a beautiful thing to see how our offensive line and running backs worked."
NU Running Backs Coach Randy Jordan credited the offensive line as an important cog in the Huskers' rushing success against Nevada. All of the Huskers' starters on the offensive line weigh at least 300 pounds.
"When you look at them, they're imposing guys, big guys," Jordan said. "They lean on you, they bang on you just like a boxer. They keep throwing jabs, and all of a sudden you're in the eighth or ninth round and here comes another one, so I think the offensive line did real good today."
In his Husker debut, Keller completed 14 of 25 passes for 193 yards with an interception. But the Arizona State transfer showed little flash and acknowledged that it was the play of the running backs - with the help of the offensive line - that was the biggest factor in Nebraska's blowout.
Besides Lucky, four other I-backs also got carries against the Wolf Pack. NU freshman Quentin Castille racked up 78 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.
Castille said he and his teammates could sense at halftime that Nevada was wearing down.
Not long after, Husker fans were heading for the exits.
"Everybody knew they were ready to go home," Castille said, "so we just came out there and continued doing what we were doing."
BENGOULDSMITH@DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM
is a member of the 
