Helu sparks Husker offense at critical time

Roy Helu Jr. says he is just another piece of the Nebraska offense. He stresses that he's just a back that carries the ball whenever NU offensive coordinator Shawn Watson thinks it's the best decision.

The sophomore tailback looked like the best decision quite frequently during Nebraska's 45-35 win over Kansas on Saturday.

"He got hot," Nebraska Coach Bo Pelini said. "He made some plays. I thought (Quentin Castille) ran well, and obviously Roy had a big game for us. It's a team effort. It's not about any one guy."

Helu Jr. led the running back by committee approach against the Jayhawks as he toted the ball 16 times for a team-high 115 yards and two touchdowns.

Helu Jr. led the team in receptions as well.

Helu Jr. may have had a great game, but he didn't say much about it.

"Our offensive line is blocking great, and I happened to be the back that was running in there," Helu Jr. said. "You saw what (Castille) did. He did the same thing I would have done and Marlon would have done when he had his carries."

The sophomore from Danville, Calif., was so humble after the game that he was reluctant to admit that Nebraska fans chanted his name as he left the field. He said he thought it sounded more like "Suh" for teammate and NU junior defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

Helu Jr. joined senior quarterback Joe Ganz and several other Huskers in racking up 495 yards of total offense against the Jayhawks. Ganz threw for 328 yards on 29 completions, and said having Helu Jr. in the backfield during the last couple games has been a welcome sight.

Helu Jr. credited his success and the rest of the team's success to the offensive line, which he said opened up plenty of lanes for the backs shortly after the first quarter.

"He did great," Ganz said. "It's so easy for an offense when you get big breakout runs. It's harder on a defense - it kind of demoralized them a little bit, especially that breakout touchdown. He's just going to keep getting more time as he earns it."

Helu Jr.'s breakout run came in the beginning of the fourth quarter after a KU drive stalled and Jayhawk punter Alonso Rojas shanked a punt 27 yards to the Nebraska 48-yard-line. The rising Nebraska star took over from there and sprinted downfield for a 52-yard touchdown run.

Kansas answered the very next drive, but NU rode the momentum sparked by Helu Jr.'s run to put together another drive of its own that ended in a touchdown pass from Ganz to Suh for the defensive tackle's first TD reception of the year.

Watson marveled about what he's seen out of his emerging back during the season.

"He's been outstanding," Watson said. "He's brought a lot to the table for us. He's playing really fast. He's making great cuts. He's just playing great football. He's in a really nice rhythm right now. He's given us a big spark."

spencerschubert@dailynebraskan.com