HOPPEN: Husker offense somehow back to square one

Just when it seemed Nebraska had finally found an offensive identity, it all came crumbling down Saturday.

All the signs of a dysfunctional offense were present. Dropped passes. Drive-crushing penalties. Even a fumble deep in your own territory.

And most surprising, a benching of a quarterback that was gaining plenty of Heisman momentum.

There was little chance NU would duplicate the success it showed during its first five games, during which the Huskers basically did whatever they wished offensively. Despite its struggles against UCLA and Oklahoma, the Texas defense was simply too talented and too fast to let Martinez run wild.

Still, it was odd to see him completely shut down. The most exciting part about NU's 5-0 start was the explosive offense and the presence of an offensive identity.

Last year, it was impossible to know what to expect from the Huskers week to week. Then-starter Zac Lee struggled to pass the ball decisively, and defenses moved defenders up in the box to stop a solid-but-not-spectacular running game. There was no way to know what you'd see on a game-to-game basis.

But this year seemed different. Prior to Saturday, NU boasted a quick-strike offense similar to what Oregon runs.

That offense disappeared Saturday. Texas bottled up all of Martinez's running lanes and assigned two players to specifically spy him, limiting his effectiveness. It became obvious early on that the Longhorns were daring Martinez to beat him with his arm – which he might have done, if his receivers hadn't missed so many easy catches.

But the Huskers had no answer to the Texas game plan. There appeared to be no in-game adjustments. NU kept dialing up the zone read and the Longhorns kept shutting it down.

When the Huskers did attempt to switch things up, its response came in the switching of quarterbacks, not playcalling. Zac Lee actually came in and played quite well, considering the circumstances, but offensive coordinator Shawn Watson continued to insist on running the zone read with Lee in the game.

The only reason to sub Lee for Martinez is for his passing ability. If you bring Lee in, why run the same plays you'd run with your speedy freshman in there?

Lee's senior leadership did seem to stabilize the offense, and it moved more consistently once the older quarterback entered the game. But the Husker offense still scored just three points offensively with Lee at the helm, the same as with Martinez.

And now the confidence of two young quarterbacks is damaged. Martinez has been praised by analysts and reporters as a game-changing Heisman candidate. He's now been benched twice in six games.

And what about Cody Green? The once-touted sophomore had played in each of the first five games as the backup, but was passed up in favor of Lee on Saturday.

Normally friendly and more than willing to speak with the media, Green briskly walked through the interview area Saturday without speaking to anyone.

And after the excitement of the hot start, now it feels as if the Huskers are back to square one offensively. The current offense has the capability of shredding most of the lower-level Big 12 teams, but, as it proved Saturday, is not mature enough to gash big-time programs.

And so Nebraska is now left in the same question it was at the beginning of the season: What exactly is this offense? At this point, it's difficult to tell.

Dan Hoppen is a junior news-editorial major. Reach him at danhoppen@dailynebraskan.com