The “System” takes hold in Lincoln

By Timothy Williams  |   Tuesday, March 28, 2006  |  Comments( 1 )

Nebraska Cornhuskers
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As the Nebraska Cornhuskers enter their third year under head coach Bill Callahan, the expectations for a successful, perhaps even monumental, 2006 season continue to mount.

Fans point to a strong finish, complete with year-ending wins over Colorado and Michigan, as well as the "never say die" attitude of the entire team, as a clear sign of even greater things to come. More importantly, players have said that an air of confidence now exists amongst them, something that had been lacking in the first two years under Callahan. It's becoming more obvious by the day. The "system" is starting to sink in.

Spring practice started last Wednesday and for many players, this will be the third spring with Bill Callahan's coaching staff. More importantly it will be the third spring with the west coast/pro style offense, and as we all know, familiarity breeds confidence.

At his pre-spring press conference, Callahan spoke about the importance of having a core group of players who are familiar with the system. "Our players now have a better grasp of what's expected of them – they're going into year three of the system. They've seen and heard the installation of plays and defenses now for the third consecutive time, for the older players. For the younger players, what's occurring right now is that our older players – our juniors and seniors – with their understanding of what is going on, on each side of the ball, they're able to help the younger players understand."

In other words, there is no more wasted time on the practice field. If a player has a question, he can now turn to a teammate and be confident that the answer he gets will be accurate, something that wasn't necessarily the case in Callahan first two seasons as Nebraska's coach.

Another key development is the fact that the west coast offense is becoming an integral part of the culture of Nebraska Cornhuskers football. Team leaders that are familiar with the system's various nuances, such as quarterback Zach Taylor, are beginning to emerge. "Last spring I had no clue what was going on. I was following everybody else, and this spring I can be a leader in that first week and really push the young guys along, and point out how fast practice needs to go and what we need to get done in that certain amount of time."

When Bill Callahan took over the Nebraska head coaching job, he was presented with the challenge of bringing the offense into the 21st century. Prior to his arrival, there were high school football programs scattered all over the country that ran more complex passing offenses then the Huskers. At first, progress was limited, ugly, and almost non-existent. But now, in his third year as head coach, Callahan's hard work is beginning to show signs that it will pay off . The team enters spring confident in their abilities, confident in each other, and most importantly they are confident in the system.
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