Huskers 20, Demon Deacons 17

Gulp.


That little word about sums things up as to how I'm feeling after today's Big Red performance. The Huskers just never got going offensively, and once again relied on the defense to bail them out. It was a game right down to the end, and it never should have been that way. A number of things went wrong today, and we have a ton of work to do if we are going to hang around with USC next Saturday. Quarterback Sam Keller has not impressed me yet, although he does show flashes of brilliance now and again. Unfortunately, now-and-again won't get it done against the big dogs. Keller just hasn't looked comfortable yet, especially when he's under pressure. He made some decent throws today, but made just as many poor decisions.

Our rushing game was nowhere near where it was last week when we rushed for over 400 yards. Marlon Lucky, who I'm still not sold on, finished with about 90 yards and a touchdown. Not bad, but not fantastic. Overall, we were somewhere in the neighborhood of 120 yards total on the ground. Again, a far cry from where we need to be if we are to compete against the top programs in the nation this season.

To say I am not satisfied with things would be an understatement this week. I'm flat scared to death of what could happen with the Huskers in the future. I have a couple of thoughts lingering in the back of my mind as to why things didn't go well today; 1. Still shaking off early-season rust. 2. First game on the road. 3. Didn't want to show too much before USC comes to town. 4. Played conservative so as to prevent serious injuries. But those all seem like excuses, especially since we didn't really do enough to win - it was game right down to the last minute, and a decision that could have gone either way.

In the end, though, it's a 'W'. We are 2-0, and can now officially call it USC week. Let's hope the players and coaches come home and get right to work, and we can finally see a Husker football team who can land a few punches against an elite program. I predicted an upset of USC before the season began, but I am admittedly concerned about such a bold prediction now. We'll see how things play out this week, and I'll offer my final thoughts on Huskers vs. USC sometime before kickoff. Gulp.