Know the foe: Huskers drastically different

Kansas hasn't seen NU's West Coast offense

This isn’t your father’s — or big brother’s — Nebraska football team.

Nope, the Tommie Fraziers and Eric Crouches and Jamaal Lords of the Cornhuskers — those quarterbacks who could pass adequately and run like the wind — are gone, nothing more than a memory for the way NU football used to be.

In his second season, coach Bill Callahan has brought the West Coast offense into Lincoln, Neb., where abundant passing takes precedence and the option is a seldom-used tool.

“There’s no question it’s a drastic change over the Nebraska team we used to play,” Kansas University defensive coordinator Bill Young said. “It’s purely a West Coast offense. Gosh, they do a lot of things that are really tough.”

It IS drastic, and the proof is out there. Until NU quarterback Zac Taylor threw for 431 yards in a double-overtime victory over Iowa State, the Huskers’ school record for passing yards in a game was 342, set by Joe Dailey last season (also the Callahan era)

KU, a team with a passing history (though not a great one), has had eight marks better than Dailey’s.

The transition hasn’t been smooth, as Nebraska’s 10-9 record the last two years would indicate. But, with Taylor groomed for such an offense, it’s getting better.

Nebraska's Nate Swift (87) celebrates with teammate Matt Schroeder after catching a touchdown pass against Oklahoma.

“We’re not turning the ball over like we did a year ago,” Callahan said. “I see the progress of Zac Taylor and what he’s lent to our offense and the way that he’s been able to manage the offense and execute it. I see tremendous progress there, and that’s had a dramatic effect on our receiver play and on our line play.”

The wins, though, remain much tougher than in Nebraska’s recent glory days. After jumping to a 4-0 start, the Huskers have lost three of four, including a 41-24 loss to Missouri in which quarterback Brad Smith racked up 480 yards of total offense by himself.

For today’s noon kickoff against the Jayhawks, Nebraska benefits from the fact that it isn’t reliant on the offensive ground game. KU has proven to be a buzzsaw against the run, as Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas State could attest. A team that thrives on passing the football has a much better chance to move the chains.

Taylor, a transfer from Butler County CC, is in charge of the Cornhusker offense this year. He’s thrown for 1,757 yards and 11 touchdowns, and he has passed for at least 225 yards in three of the last four games.

“Taylor is getting better and better every week,” KU coach Mark Mangino said. “He’s getting more confident with his throws. His pocket presence is very good. He’s a talented young man.”

An off day by Taylor could doom the Huskers, considering KU’s run defense. But Taylor doesn’t foresee that happening, setting up an unpredictable, yet intriguing matchup at Memorial Stadium.

“They have a great defense, but we faced Oklahoma’s great defense last week,” Taylor said. “We can score on anybody. … We’re not going to think we’re going to score seven points in a game. We’re going to go in there thinking we’re going to put 60 on the board, but obviously we’re going to have to execute it if we want that to happen.”