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Wednesday, September 25 Updated: September 28, 10:32 AM ET Reversal of fortunes in the Big 12? By Bill Curry Special to ESPN.com |
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Bob and Kathy McPherson are among the most delightful people I know. In the mid-90s they retired, Bob from his dental practice and Kathy from the presidency of a Nebraska community college. When they printed business cards that read "Leisure Consultants" they became my heroes. In observing their light grip on life's vagaries, I see one area in which each of them becomes terribly serious: Nebraska football. In our small North Carolina community only one huge flag is hung each fall, a Big Red N on a white background at the McPhersons' home. Each September they make the trek back to Lincoln to receive their "football fix". They are emblematic of the most famously loyal football fans in America.
Nebraska fans travel. They show up in amazing numbers and back their team in a mostly polite way, wrangling tickets through the internet, scalpers and any other method imaginable. They are a major reason for their team's unprecedented success, they wield a rare influence on the players' performance, and this year they are worried. Bob and Kathy's pilgrimage for this September's homestand fostered these evaluations: "I was impressed with the opposition in each game," Bob said. "That's probably not good." Said Kathy, "I discovered from watching the head coach's postgame show that editing is everything!" For Frank Solich, the mindset of the Big Red nation is crucial. In his planning for this game, he is making a tactical error that will affect his backers and, more importantly, his players. Nebraska has recently played three ranked teams, beginning with the debacle against Colorado last November. The Huskers relinquished 62 points to the Buffaloes, 37 to Miami in the Rose Bowl and 40 to Penn State just two weeks ago. Solich's response? "I think we've done fine. If not, it's going to show." If one is pregnant at, say, eight months, one does not say, "I think I am not pregnant. If I were, it would show." You have a problem, Frank, and it is most assuredly showing. With a downtrodden team that has no experience with success, it makes sense to keep plugging without belaboring the obvious. Staying upbeat through the dark days with less-than-confident players is a time-worn method of team building. But with a program that has been a national power, full of tough, confident kids, it is important to force accountability when performance slackens. To publicly state that everyone has performed just fine will in this case cause some quizzical expressions in the locker room, and possible divisions on the squad. Iowa State has an abysmal record against the Huskers (14-80-2), as does just about every team, but the door has been opened this time. Iowa State is favored for the first time since 1978, when Earle Bruce walked the Cyclone sideline. Dan McCarney is smart enough to see that, and will have a plan to exploit Nebraska's vulnerable moment. His psychological challenge is to have his team ready to play from the opening whistle, which it has not done in big games against Florida State and Iowa this year. The Seminoles and Hawkeyes each had a 24-7 halftime lead over Iowa State, only to face a Seneca Wallace-led onslaught in the second half that came within inches of tying the 'Noles (FSU won 38-31), and overran the Hawkeyes (a 36-31 Cyclones win).
McCarney and his staff have done a fine job, building a respected program with the fundamentals employed by other Hayden Fry disciples. Bill Snyder at Kansas State, Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin and Kirk Ferentz at Iowa all rely on ball security, blocking, tackling, a strong running game, and excellence in special teams to win. Given time, those basics have become a proven formula for consistency, even in light of today's polished passing games. What sets this version of Cyclone football apart is the phenomenal contribution of quarterback Seneca Wallace. The junior college transfer has magic in his head, touch in his arm, and wings on his feet. Listen to Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker: "Wallace is extremely intelligent. The offense varies from week to week, and he simply masters it. He forces us into base defense most of the time. If you are not careful, you start inventing things to try and deal with him." Parker has an apt take on Wallace, who feasts on base defenses and destroys them like, well, a cyclone. Add the fact that he can throw on the run whether moving left or right, has uncanny accuracy and can outrun most defensive backs, and you have the prototype modern quarterback. Mike Golic and I were the analysts for that Iowa State-Iowa game and we could not help but compare Wallace favorably to Michael Vick. Wallace generates 299.6 yards per game in total offense, completing 65.2 percent of his passes with a quarterback rating of 168.2 that ranks sixth nationally. He does all this while cleverly executing an occasional option play and running for first downs when necessary. He is surrounded by a good group of receivers led by Lane Danielsen, a former walk-on who has made himself strong and fast. The offensive line is good enough, and the defense is scrappy, forces turnovers, and keeps Iowa State in games as long as the offense is consuming clock time. McCarney is justifiably proud that his program has progressed from last to first in the Big 12 in turnover margin, the most important statistic in football. The game within the game here is between Solich and McCarney's grasp of the mindset of their respective teams. Solich must dish out responsibility lessons to his recently less-than-responsible team, so that they play with intensity throughout the game against a good team in a hostile setting. McCarney will have to deal with the habitual slow starts of his troops, especially on defense. A 17-point halftime deficit against Nebraska will be precisely the impetus the Huskers need to get untracked. Untracked, they can make this another ho-hum, 40-10, whipping of Iowa State. Hidden yardage will hinge on offensive third down efficiency, since special teams for both teams are similarly good. It is in this telling statistic that Wallace will have his biggest impact. Iowa State leads the Big 12 with a stunning 51.4 percent conversion rate on third down, while Nebraska lags at ninth at 35.1 percent. If these numbers hold, Cyclone drives will be sustained often enough to keep the defense fresh and to generate points. This is a must for Iowa State to stay in the game. Is this a changing of the guard? Or will it be a reversion to form? America loves college football's endless plots and subplots, and it is moments like this that keep the passion alive and growing! ESPN College Football analyst Bill Curry coached for 17 years in the college ranks. His Gameplans for marquee matchups will appear each week during the college football season.
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