Cornhuskers earn respect and consideration in loss

By Nathan Walters  |   Wednesday, September 20, 2006  |  Comments( 3 )

Nebraska Cornhuskers
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At the end of Nebraska's 28-10 loss to USC on Saturday night in Los Angeles, Husker fans found themselves walking out of the L.A. Coliseum with questions not about what their team did to lose, but what their beloved Cornhuskers did to win.

An 18-point loss is never good to see on the schedule, but losing to the fourth-ranked team in the country in its own stadium isn't something to hang your head about. After all, to start the third quarter, the Cornhuskers were only down 14-3. They held USC to negative yards on its first drive and, at that point, momentum seemed to shift.

Andre Jones dropped an interception at the Trojans' six-yard line that would have been an easy touchdown for the Cornhuskers, and the crowd was back in the game for the visiting team. But then, one play after a good punt by USC, the Trojans were able to put the game away for good.

Running back Marlon Lucky dropped a handoff from Zac Taylor, and USC recovered deep in Nebraska territory. In a few plays, the Trojans were up 21-3 and had the game all but wrapped up. Dwayne Jarrett caught another touchdown pass, and the final score, 28-10, made fans around the country that just turned on the television set to watch College GameDay Final on ESPN think the Cornhuskers never really had a chance in the game, which they were 19-point underdogs in.

But, as has been the case against the Trojans more than once over the past couple of years, the score did not indicate how well USC played or how terribly the Huskers played. The Trojans outgained the Cornhuskers by almost 200 yards (399-211), but it was only the second time in two seasons USC had been held below 400 yards of total offense.

One down note was that, although Nebraska hung tough, one could see the speed of USC was unmatched all night by the Cornhuskers. Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith were open down the middle more than once, and only overthrows by quarterback John David Booty kept USC out of the end zone more often.

But Nebraska fans still didn't leave the game upset with the play of their beloved Cornhuskers. There were questions about play calling in certain situations, but they were still optimistic about their team's chances in the Big 12 this season.

"This Nebraska team is almost where it should be, and I look forward to seeing what they do down the road this season," former Nebraska wingback and Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers said.

Other Cornhusker fans wondered why their team ran the football more than twice the number of times they threw it, after the Huskers had been so balanced on offense against early opponents Louisiana Tech and Nicholls State. In those two games, quarterback Zac Taylor threw for 489 yards and two touchdowns. Against USC, he only completed eight passes for 115 yards and zero touchdowns.

"I'm not sure why they ran the ball so much, but that's why I am a fan and Bill Callahan is the coach. Either way, I support this football team," mentioned an attending Nebraska fan after the game.

So Nebraska now has a homestand against Troy on Saturday. These Trojans aren't nearly as tough or as quick as the version from Southern California, but that didn't stop them from leading both Florida State and Georgia Tech late into their ballgames.

But this Nebraska squad is coming off a loss in a game it could have controlled. And, in Lincoln, where the Cornhuskers have sold out 277 straight, they look to avenge the Los Angeles defeat.

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CommentsComments: 3  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Alex		11:38 PM
09/20/2006
I'm a Husker fan, but i somewhat didn't understand the play calling situation. Nebraska fans shouldn't get their heads down...
No.2
Dave		11:49 PM
09/20/2006
I was very surprised at the solid defense U.S.C. had against the run,I still believe we have super running backs. Hello...
No.3
Emily		05:53 PM
09/25/2006
I was shocked at how bad the USC defense made our O-line look. We had no blocking what so ever so we had to run, except then USC...
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