Colonels bring option back to Nebraska

By Nathan Walters  |   Friday, September 08, 2006  |  Comments( 10 )

Nebraska Cornhuskers
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Nebraska will be one of a few teams playing against an overmatched I-AA opponent this weekend, when it squares off with the Nicholls State Colonels in Lincoln on Saturday, but the Cornhuskers are not looking past the Colonels to their showdown with No. 3 USC in Los Angeles on Sept. 16.

There is good reason for their focus; Big 12 North school Colorado was upset by I-AA Montana State last weekend, and Kansas State beat Illinois State by one point only because State chose to go for a two-point conversion for the win instead of trying to take the Wildcats to overtime.

In this weekend's showdown between the two ranked opponents (Nebraska is No. 21; Nicholls State is No. 16 in I-AA), the Cornhuskers and Colonels will feature two offenses that get things done in entirely different ways.

In the past, the Nebraska Cornhuskers would have used their bruising running backs in an option-based attack to run over opponents. This year, though, the exact opposite is happening. Nicholls State runs its variation of the option attack the Cornhuskers ran for so many years, and Nebraska is now in the third year of its version of the West Coast Offense.

The Cornhuskers will look to stop a Colonel running game that led all teams in I-AA in rushing in 2005. However, with more than half its players hailing from the Cornhusker State, Nebraska doesn't appear to be intimidated.

Nebraska has more high schools that play eight-man football than any other state in the nation combined, and most of those schools play their own variation of the option. Veer plays, fullback dives and option-esque quarterbacks make up the heart and soul of Nebraska high school playbooks.

Nebraska's offense, however, features something the Colonels from Thibodeaux, La. may never even see on their own team: four running backs that could start for most D-1 schools sharing time in the Husker backfield. Three of those backs scored touchdowns in Nebraska's 49-10 win over Louisiana Tech last weekend, and junior college transfer Kenny Wilson would have scored if not for a holding penalty.

Nicholls State will come into Lincoln boasting a 35-0 victory over Southern Arkansas last Saturday, but two of its touchdowns came off special teams miscues by the Mulriders. The Colonels amassed 229 yards on the ground but only managed to complete three passes for 66 yards in the game.

That is music to the ears of Nebraska's playmakers in the secondary, as they are reeling with the loss of yet another defender, senior Isaiah Fluellen. Fluellen, who converted to cornerback from receiver in fall camp, will miss the rest of the season after suffering an ACL injury against Louisiana Tech. Starting cornerback Cortney Grixby also welcomes the game as he continues to recuperate after breaking his thumb in preseason practice.

The Cornhusker defense only gave up 66 yards on the ground to Louisiana Tech, and defensive ends Adam Carriker and Jay Moore are looking to make things miserable for Nicholls State on Saturday as well. Moore and Carriker each had a sack on Louisiana Tech quarterback Zac Champion, and both lead a defense that only allowed just over 100 yards on the ground in 2005.

With all the rushing yards that could be accumulated in Lincoln on Saturday, know that Husker fans will not be in the dark when they see Nicholls State run the offense. It will be just like old times. The Colonels will even have a capital letter "N" on their helmets. The only difference? They will now cheer when the option gets stopped and groan if the option works. Oh, what a change three years can make.

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