Two weeks ago, Shawn Watson stood before reporters with an uncontrollable grin and considerable pride.
A stunning 27-12 win at Missouri had Nebraska’s offensive coordinator confident NU was finally ready to regain command of the Big 12 North. This was the great turning point the program had long awaited.
“If it isn’t, shame on us,” Watson said. “This is the moment we’ve been waiting for. It’s a great win.”
Watson hasn’t had much to smile about since that night. His offense has produced 17 points and two losses, effectively killing any momentum gained on that rainy night in Columbia, Mo.
Quite simply, a defense ranked No. 5 nationally in scoring and No. 8 in yards allowed per game has kept Nebraska in every game this season and set the Cornhuskers up for a breakout season. NU’s offense continues to fail to take advantage of its countless opportunities.
Saturday’s inconceivable 9-7 home loss to Iowa State didn’t come down to one player or one play. It came down to eight turnovers and many more miscues by a Husker offense that has been downright dormant against non-Sun Belt Conference teams this season.
NU should have defeated Iowa State 35-9 in a snoozer that was never very close, but four potential scoring drives ended with turnovers in the red zone. The game was there for the taking during the 36 minutes when ISU was clinging to its two-point lead.
“It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?” NU coach Bo Pelini said of his team’s offensive woes following the game. “We moved the football, and we didn’t finish off drives. You have to execute.”
NU’s defense forced ISU to punt nine times. The Husker offense had a ready-made scoring drive after linebacker Sean Fisher returned a blocked field goal to Iowa State’s 35-yard line, but quickly went three-and-out and punted.
Where exactly do NU’s problems begin? As is always the case, it starts with the quarterback. Watson insists the problem on Saturday wasn’t Zac Lee, and he’s right.
Lee engineered several solid drives against the Cyclones and showed less hesitance in making reads than he did against Texas Tech. Watson said he was “perfect” when it came to doing what was asked of him, and Pelini agreed.
“I don’t think we played well around Zac,” Pelini said. “I think Zac was the least of our problems today.”
The problem with Watson and Pelini giving Lee their full faith to operate Nebraska’s offense, though, is the fact that the offense hasn’t produced. The problem is what is being asked of him.
Lee is asked to operate a dink-and-dunk offense that relies too heavily on short comeback routes and bubble screens, and he brings little to the table when asked to run out of the zone read.
A defense as good as Nebraska’s doesn’t need the nation’s highest-scoring offense to win games, but it needs a lot more than the 14.75 points per game NU is putting up against BCS opponents. And though he might not throw many interceptions, it’s the throws Lee doesn’t make that truly impair Nebraska’s offense.
So what’s the harm in giving Cody Green a chance to display his playmaking abilities?
Green didn’t play a single snap Saturday, despite challenging for playing time during the week’s practices. Watson cited Lee’s superior experience and preparedness to run the offense as reasons for going with the junior, but when the offense can’t score under Lee, other options merit consideration.
Pelini has already witnessed the benefits of giving snaps to a high-talent, low-experience quarterback. LSU used speedy Ryan Perrilloux as a change-up option from Matt Flynn during its 2007 national championship run.
Green isn’t as refined as Lee, but he wouldn’t be asked to win games by himself. Perhaps he can give the offense the spark it so desperately needs right now.
Nebraska’s players and coaches maintain that its season goals are still within reach, but they won’t be for much longer if NU’s stagnant offense continues to struggle.
And that’s a shame because a defense this good deserves better.
max olson is a sophomore news-editorial major. Reach him at maxolson@dailynebraskan.com.
