By James Stevenson
Offensive MVH: This is one of those awards that’s really hard to give to anyone, but let’s pass it out to Nebraska’s workhorse running back, junior Rex Burkhead. He rushed for 89 yards on 23 carries and caught five passes for 35 yards.
Burkhead was a bright spot early, and was criminally underused in the second half. It’s not a surprise Nebraska’s offense sputtered late. With Burkhead getting fewer touches, South Carolina keyed on him when he did get onto the field.
Defensive MVH: Senior linebacker Lavonte David will be sorely missed in 2012. One of the best linebackers the team has had in recent years, David more than doubled any other Blackshirt’s output with 11 tackles on the day, 20 percent of the Cornhuskers’ total. He also accounted for two sacks and a forced fumble.
Special Teams MVH: On a day where junior kicking specialist Brett Maher had a PAT blocked and returned for two points, and missed Nebraska’s first sub-40 yard field goal since 2009, this award can’t be handed out. Maher did have a decent day punting, but both Nebraska’s coverage and return units had below average days.
South Carolina MVP: Senior receiver Alshon Jeffery caught four passes for 148 yards. His touchdown reception came on a Hail Mary pass to close the first half deflated the Huskers heading into the locker room. His constant sparring with senior Husker cornerback Alfonzo Dennard led to both players being ejected in the third quarter, robbing the Husker defense of one of its key contributors.
Lost on the Stat Sheet: Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez had a solid day running the football as he gained 82 yards on 10 carries. Unfortunately, he was also sacked six times. The resulting loss of 45 yards put a severe dent in his final tally. Martinez looked as good on his feet against South Carolina as he did early in 2010.
Red Alert Zone: The Huskers converted only one out of three red zone attempts, missing a short field goal and fumbling the ball away on two. In a game decided by 17 points (and a blocked PAT return being a three point swing), those missed opportunities loom large.
DEFCON 1: Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini came dangerously close to losing his cool against the officials in the second half. He was shown by ESPN berating the officials on the sideline and screaming into his headset. What was disturbing was how the Nebraska football team itself seemed to reflect the lack of composure showed by its head coach. If Bo can’t keep it together, why should the team?
Another Season, Another Slide: Remember when Bo Pelini was viewed as invincible in bowl games? His defeats of Michigan State, Clemson and Arizona had him viewed as a bowl game and defensive genius with extra time to prepare.
After Nebraska’s 2010 season finished by losing three of its last four games including a Holiday Bowl rematch against Washington, the Huskers lost three of their last five games to close the 2011 campaign. To put that into even more perspective, the Huskers are only 10-7 in their last 17 games and that record drops to 7-7 in their last 14 games against BCS conference competition.
Now What?: The Huskers will attempt to fill a small recruiting class with as many studs as possible before looking forward to spring practice. The big question: How will Pelini replace key seniors Alfonzo Dennard, Lavonte David and Jared Crick from a defense that underperformed in 2011 even with the star power?
Follow James on Twitter: @jamesstevenson
Follow Husker Locker on Twitter: @huskerlocker
Like us on Facebook: Official Husker Locker Page
Permanent Link to this Blog Post
