BIG RED HEAD ZONE

Pitt Game: September 17, 2005

By Jim Meier

THE CRUX:

HOLDING is the word! We’re in a “holding” pattern…
1) Holding penalties, 2) Holding the airways 3) HOLDING ON!

1) Holding penalties: Football may have holding penalties on 80-90% of plays. Most go unnoticed or ignored. However in games such as this one patterns emerge. Then the black and white zebra guys look for, see and call ‘em. In football so often you hold what you can’t handle. I do think the “O” line showed improvement. Yet there remains a yellow: Caution! Caution! Caution! signal flashing as the zebra people flicked their yellow flag on T.O. field.

2) Holding airways: Whoever the “air traffic controller” (ATC) is for our Huskers he is facing challenges landing the air game. It seemed to me (I was at this game) that the air game was in a random holding pattern and the ATC didn’t know what plane (pass and receiver) to land (throw to). It reminded me of take offs and landings I’ve had at Chicago O’Hare field on late Friday afternoon. Maybe the radar screen went down. If so I hope it gets rebooted quickly. It needs to be Husker Airways not Aw Shucks Error-Ways.

Know that I am an avid supporter of creating chaos… if it is controlled chaos. It can unravel a disciplined defense. But many of this game’s patterns seemed random. We know the routes were not designed that way. The execution was flawed. Who knows who was on what frequency! For sure, this is not how to land a west coast offense. Even our sole TD required an unplanned albeit successful emergency landing. Our QB switched direction from west (ironic EH!) to south making a belly landing in the end zone wheels trailing.

3) HOLDING ON! NU 7-Pitt 6. Win 3. an itty bitty win. In time it may take on larger value. Take solace, we matched Solich by beating Pitt...a bottom line truth. Plus, the offense did outscore the defense this week (see my comments from the Wake Forest Game).

So do you think the defense fells terrible about that ??

IT IS TIME:

Big 12 time! Break-out time! Discard-the-husk time! Shucking time!
IT’S HARVEST TIME BABY! TlME TO BE BOLD!

Hey! We’re Corn People! Ya, Corn People! We know during the growing season the husk protects the seed so it can survive, take nourishment and flourish. Then, having done its job we learn to discard the husk and free the kernel.

And if we don’t? You know as well as I. Mold will appear soon on those stalks we would have unwisely held too long. Stifling the ripened corn in the process.

I say it is time to unleash more of those true freshman, wonderful walk-ons and JUCO jets.

THE QUOTE:

From the NU school song “There is no place like Nebraska….WE ALL STICK TOGETHER IN ALL KINDS OF WEATHER…”.
May the hearts of Husker fans beat loud and long for players and coaches alike. Stick together bro!!!
Here’s a big lesson and a question folks:
*Fair weather fans are interested in their team.
*All kinds of weather fans are COMMITTED.
*Are you interested or committed?

A&M has its 12th man. How about Big Red having the Millionth fan! With 77K plus battle field commissioned to Memorial stadium and thousands deployed to places such as Waco, Columbia, Lawrence, Boulder and Bowlville.

Note: See my column from the Maine game. I now give myself a B+…how about you?

MENTAL MUSCLE:

High performance people, athletes and athletic teams possess a healthy amount of resiliency. Resiliency??? YEPPA…that ability to resume shape after being subjected to physical and emotional stress and to do so rapidly. Being resilient produces power!

Given the extremely high expectations this state has for Nebraska football, Big Red players and coaches must be extraordinarily resilient. They are 3-0. Yet, in the minds of too many they are 0-3. I say to you players and coaches alike: “ Lock-onto your support and Lock-out the naysayers. You don’t need them. Remember: interested vs. committed.

And keep saying “We are 3-0!” adding ”NOW WATCH US GROW…and GROW!”

In your mind’s eye keep believing. Believing in yourself and your team! Let that demon doubt have his due but quickly dismiss him. When you talk to yourself make doubt a little d and imprint a BIG B for Belief in that beautiful brain!

WEEKLY HOW TO:

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” Totally true? Not totally. For some but unfortunately not for all. Some people become weaker after setbacks, downturns and poor outings. The way to get stronger is to keep reviewing your past, good performances. Go over them vividly in your mind time and time and time again.

As I sat in the south stadium, enjoying being there with my daughter Allison, I actively watched every play by focusing on one specific Husker. Watching him either block, fire off the ball, cut, shift, improvise, jump, clutch, grab, pull down, sprint, dive etc. As I did I thought about how many “little” things were being done right in this Panther brawl. I also thought how easy it is to overlook or miss these fine actions amid the mass of strength against strength and the flurry of finesse that unfolds so quickly.

The beauty in athletics is so often in the detail! Certainly we see this in many big play attention getters. In this game that included two blocked field goals, booming and downed punts, sacks and hurries. Instant reply makes that so. Yet doing those “little” things right on every play is what ultimately wins games. This is such a key to building mental muscle…staying focused on every play! As fans we can reinforce this by applauding it! Play by play by play!

First recall those good executions then bring them forward into planning, preparation, practice and the next games itself. DOING SO WILL MAKE YOU STRONGER!