CU needs win to make bowl; NU eyes revenge for last year's knockout

By B.G. Brooks, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published November 27, 2008 at 9:40 p.m.

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Photo by David Zaubowski / Associated Press

Nebraska quarterback Joe Ganz leaves the field after throwing the second of back-to-back interceptions during the third quarter of last year's 65-51 loss to Colorado at Folsom Field in Boulder. The Huskers, who were knocked out of bowl contention by the Buffs, have a chance to return the favor at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln today, when the rivals meet again.

For Colorado and its fleeting bowl hopes, it's deju vu. For Nebraska, it's an afternoon to pad the resume and celebrate Season 1 of the Bo Pelini regime.

But if desperation shadows the Buffaloes, redemption fuels the Cornhuskers.

Renewing what has been described and debated as a rivalry today at Memorial Stadium, CU finds itself on the same fragile perch it occupied in 2007 - needing a sixth win in the final regular-season game to qualify for postseason play.

Nebraska is already there, having won seven games for the volatile Pelini and is now seeking to polish its bowl attractiveness with win No. 8.

Last season in Boulder also found the Cornhuskers, playing in what would be coach Bill Callahan's final game, a game shy of bowl eligibility.

The Buffs won 65-51, and the Huskers haven't forgotten.

Today, Nebraska quarterback Joe Ganz said this week in the Lincoln Journal Star, is "an absolute redemption game for me, for the seniors, for everyone who was a part of it last year.

"That's one thing on our mind - to see how they'll like it, sitting at home watching everyone else play, like we did last year. . . . We want to do everything we can to keep them out of a bowl like we (were) last year."

It's not difficult to see where Ganz & Co. are coming from, but the senior also has some statistical redemption in mind. He passed for 484 yards and four touchdowns last season against the Buffs, but they also intercepted him three times, helping start a 34-0 run that ultimately doomed the Huskers.

CU defensive tackle George Hypolite hopes to see Ganz intercepted that many times or more today.

"We've got to force turnovers, give our offense easy opportunities on their side of the field," he said. "If we give them opportunities, they'll score some points and make the game easier for all of us."

Statistics indicate the Cornhuskers could be willing participants in the turnover game. Nebraska is in a three-way tie for last in the Big 12 Conference in turnover margin (minus-12) after losing 23 turnovers (13 fumbles, 10 interceptions).

But scoring points has been a seasonlong challenge for this CU offense. The Buffs have averaged only 14.9 points a game in conference play.

Still, quarterback Cody Hawkins believes his offense has practiced well enough during the past 10 days to generate confidence that might not have been apparent on game days punctuated by missed opportunities.

"We're young and able to forget about that stuff," he said. "Our guys are still running around thinking they're awesome and are great playmakers.

"When we come out and play 'good on good' (ones versus ones) in practice, we can get a lot of confidence. We have a great defense."

Memorial Stadium, a blood-red venue on football Saturdays, will be a new experience for most of the Buffs. Today marks coach Dan Hawkins' second trip to Lincoln - CU lost 37-14 here in 2006, his debut season - but the majority of Hawkins' players are underclassmen who either didn't travel then or weren't enrolled.

"You're talking about not that many guys . . . maybe 15 guys who have been there before," he said.

Two who weren't on the 2006 roster are Patrick Mahnke and Anthony Perkins, who will open at the safety positions for CU. Mahnke is a true freshman, Perkins a redshirt freshman. They replace seniors Ryan Walters (ankle, knee) and D.J. Dykes (health issues).

Mahnke, of Mountain Vista High School, believes Ganz and Nebraska's offense "will probably try to come at us. . . . I won't be as nervous this week (as he was against Oklahoma State), but I've heard it's a hard place to play."

Perkins, of Northglenn High School, said he has heard the same thing: "It's going to be a challenge. We're still yet to get a win on the road. It's going to be a challenge just going out and staying focused and taking care of business up there. But it's going to be awesome."

No knock on their offensive teammates, but none of CU's defensive players believe today's game will evolve into the 116-point shootout that occurred last season at Folsom Field.

Then again, Hypolite said, "It's unpredictable. It could be 77-71. As long as we have the 77, I'm good with that."

The Cornhuskers offense appears to have shifted gears during the past six games and now ranks ninth in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total offense (462.9 yards a game), 13th in passing (289.8 yards a game) and 18th in scoring offense (35.8 points).

"They're very explosive on offense. You've got to deal with calming that down and get some turnovers and be good in the kicking game," Dan Hawkins said.

But he believes his team "has been pretty focused this week. . . . We'll see when the game starts."

CU junior linebacker Shaun Mohler, who initially committed to Nebraska but changed his mind when the Cornhuskers changed coaches, said his defense's first priority is to "always stop the run. We need to make them throw, maybe make some mistakes.

"I feel like our pass defense is going to be all right. But we've got to stop the run."

The Buffs rank ninth in the league in run defense (165.2 yards a game) but are first in pass defense (214.1). The Cornhuskers aren't the ground-pounders that ruled the Big Eight Conference, but their 173.1 yards a game is good for a respectable fifth in the Big 12.

Coupled with Ganz's passing productivity, Nebraska's offense - former CU assistant Shawn Watson is the coordinator - has become a formidable challenge for any defense.

Still, Mohler and his teammates can't believe they'll allow 51 points. "We definitely don't want that on the road," he said. "We need to hold them to zero."

If that happens, the Buffs will have their bowl ticket.

But for Ganz and his guys, even scoring 51 points in a runaway win might not be enough. Redemption for staying at home last postseason apparently demands a very large payback.

• November 28, 2008

  10:52 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  scooterchic writes:

  Go Huskers -- beat the Buffs, BIG!

• November 28, 2008

  12:44 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Bcra4u writes:

  Go Buffs...Huck the Fuskers. Go back to Nebraska where you belong scooterchic

• November 28, 2008

  1:11 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  BO writes:

  scooterchic-
  If your Huskers can't beat what amounts to CU's 2nd and 3rd string by at least 3 TDs, they stink.

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