OLSON: Nebraska possesses skills to defeat Texas

Nebraska doesn't stand a chance.

Sure, you've been telling yourself this game will be a close one, that the Huskers are capable of somehow stifling unbeaten Texas and nabbing a spot in the Fiesta Bowl.
NU's run game will face the best rushing defense in the nation, and the seemingly unstoppable Husker defense must try to shut down an offense that scores 43 points a game.

Texas has a berth in the national championship game on the line. They're not going to take Nebraska lightly.

So how, exactly, is Nebraska supposed to crush Bevo's title hopes and pull off the dream upset?

Think back to the situation the Huskers faced exactly one month ago.
Oklahoma was supposed to be far too talented despite losing Sam Bradford and Jermaine Gresham, and Nebraska was coming off a 20-10 win at Baylor that didn't exactly inspire confidence.

And yet remarkably, Nebraska somehow found a way.

The defense stepped up and played phenomenally, forcing five interceptions and confusing quarterback Landry Jones all night. Nebraska's offense churned out a mere 180 yards but controlled the ball just enough to keep things close and snag a 10-3 win.
Was it a sexy way to win? Not at all.

But it worked.

Nebraska's coaches need to pull that same game plan out Saturday in order to stand a chance against the undefeated Longhorns.

Now, of course it's clear Oklahoma and Texas are vastly different teams. Texas is a bona fide national title contender with an unstoppable offense and a near-impenetrable defense. Oklahoma ended up winning only seven games this year.

And yet, the difference between the two teams when they faced off on Oct. 17 was three points.

Oklahoma threw a bevy of blitzes at Texas quarterback Colt McCoy and held him to 127 passing yards. The Longhorns didn't score in the game's first 26 minutes and went three-and-out seven times.

That game is the blueprint for Nebraska: Utilize your phenomenal defense to pressure McCoy and Texas' offense into inefficiency, and you'll have a chance to win in the fourth quarter.

Bo Pelini continues to declare that Nebraska's defense still hasn't played up to its full potential yet. It will undoubtedly need to do so in Dallas and produce a perfect game Saturday, a 60-minute masterpiece.

Ndamukong Suh needs to be Colt McCoy's worst nightmare Saturday, and when he's getting double-teamed and not busting through the Longhorns' line, Jared Crick must take advantage.

Though McCoy can force an opposing line to play him cautiously – much like NU played Todd Reesing earlier this year – there's no doubt he can cause plenty of problems through the air when given the time of day.

Phillip Dillard must again be the run-stuffing force he was against Oklahoma and Kansas State, clogging running lanes and taking down running backs by himself.

And NU's secondary will have to continue to play physical man coverage and pick off several passes without getting picked apart over the middle by receivers like they did against Kansas.

As for Nebraska's offense, well, they have to do more than just enough on Saturday.

They need a consistent running game with Roy Helu Jr. and Rex Burkhead in order to set up deep passes to Niles Paul and short ones to Mike McNeill. They need to score points.

A few more Alex Henery punts inside Texas' own 5-yard line and a kick or punt return touchdown from Paul wouldn't hurt, either.

How's that for a recipe for success?

Doing all those things might not even be enough for the Huskers to pull off such an unforgettable victory, but it's a start.

Recent history suggests Nebraska can hold its own against Texas. The Huskers were a Terrence Nunn fumble away from a big win in the snow at home in 2006, and a Jamaal Charles fourth quarter explosion away from topping them the following season.

Neither of those games should concern today's players, though. It's likely Nebraska won't put up 20 points or more this Saturday.

But if this defense plays like it did against the Sooners – and like the Sooners did against Texas – 20 points might not be necessary.

Defeating Texas seems nearly impossible.

A month ago, though, defeating Oklahoma 10-3 sounded just as crazy.

Max Olson is a sophomore news-editorial major. Reach him at maxolson@dailynebraskan.com.