You’ve heard of the Accidental Tourist. I’m the Accidental Blogger. But in 2013 I’m vowing to use this forum more, if only to clean out the clutter in my head. Let’s see how long this New Year’s Resolution lasts.
1. Andy Reid to Kansas City is a bold move, a good move. The Chiefs could have done much worse, as it appeared on Monday when Clark Hunt looked like he might keep Scott Pioli. But Hunt was just hedging his bets until he had his guy. KC has always had a GM to blame for its fate. Now, Reid will be in charge of the football roster and be the most powerful Chiefs coach since Hank Stram. Reid was both excellent and then a disaster at this in Philly, but sometimes you stay too long. I …
Read more »
So long, Rex: He ran hard, plowing ahead, bucking defenders off him, churning for yards. He ran 24 times, he scored a touchdown and saluted the crowd. He caught a pass for another touchdown. Rex Burkhead left all the right images, gave us all the right ways to remember him Tuesday. The only thing missing was a win. It was hard to watch him leave the field.
Earning his money: Tim Beck showed he’s worth the money, whatever amount that is, on Tuesday. It was a good, imaginative, fun game plan with Beck using all of the toys. There were a couple of times you wished he would have stuck with Burkhead and the run game. But Nebraska played aggressively and with confidence on offense …
Read more »
Some quick observations from the most intense 22-point game I’ve ever seen:
Scary deal with Josh Jones’ pre-game black-out. I saw Jones warming up 90 minutes before the game, when a few Jays were shooting and the Red Zonies were heckling them. Apparently right after the team came out to warm-up, Jones lost his balance and fell backward. He was taken to the locker room on a stretcher and then to a local hospital for observation. Jays coaches and staff outside the CU locker room after the game still didn’t have word on how Jones was doing. Jones had heart surgery while at Omaha Central but nobody could remember that happening before.
Doug McDermott was fired up. I haven’t seen him that emotional in a …
Read more »
Bret Bielema to Arkansas came out of nowhere. It was stunning. But if you think about it, it makes sense.
Football coaches get into the job race for a few reasons. One, hit the lottery. Two, they’re in a mid-level job in their league and want to go where they can win a championship. Three, they feel like they’ve done all they can where they are and fans will soon demand more or become tired of them (see Kirk Ferentz).
With Bielema, I’m betting on No. 1 and 3. Three straight Rose Bowls is a tough act to follow for any coach, especially the coach who went to the Rose Bowls.
Sure, the former Hawkeye player, K-State coordinator and Barry Alvarez’s hand-picked successor looks like such …
Read more »
Overshadowed run: Taylor Martinez had the play of his career, the run of his life. Down 14-0, Martinez dropped back to pass, nearly got sacked for a 10-yard loss, looped around the pass rush like Fran Tarkenton, and then took off. Seventy-six yards later, he had what looked like the ultimate career highlight and a play that, at the time, seemed to spark Nebraska and remind everyone there was a long way to go. But that play seems like last year now. It was buried in the rubble of the 70-31 debacle. Like a lot of great plays along the way this year.
Ringing block by Bell: Kenny Bell’s devastating block on a Wisconsin defender in the third quarter was not an illegal hit. Not …
Read more »
Well, it’s been a swell ride. Kind of like when I got light-headed on the tea cups at Adventureland last summer. But all good things must end, and thank goodness this is the last week.
Hope you had half as much as fun as I did, which means I had twice as much fun as you. And if you used any of this slapstick for non-entertainment purposes, I sincerely hope you always went the other way.
1. Nebraska 38, Wisconsin 21: I’m going to go way out on a limb here and say that Nebraska will have just one turnover, will catch every punt (or let it drop) and will start fast for once. All of that is probably a reach. But I think they …
Read more »
Yes, another Pelini: There are any number of MVPs of this game — Eric Martin, Rex Burkhead, Brett Maher — but none was bigger than Mark Pelini. No, not that Mark Pelini. This one is the sophomore center from Youngstown, Ohio, who was pressed into high-pressure duty when Justin Jackson left the game in the first quarter. Bo’s nephew masterfully handled the duty of shotgun snaps on a brutally cold day and was part of a yeoman offensive line effort. He was a big part of this win.
Wind limits passing game: Kenny Bell didn’t have a catch. So what? This was not a day to fling it around the yard. Tim Beck’s offense has lots of options, but it had better be able to …
Read more »
Happy Thanksgiving all! I’m thankful for family, friends, health, a job I love, having my father in Omaha again, girls soccer and basketball, college football Saturdays, college football upsets, a Creighton game against a major conference team, the chance to write about the hard-working, humble and genuine athletes and coaches in our area. Last, but not least, I’m thankful nobody remembers any of these picks.
1. Nebraska 31, Iowa 14: I’m not buying the Hawks-in-the-tank theory. Too much pride here. I can’t imagine a Kinnick Stadium half in red and can’t imagine Iowa not putting up a ferocious fight. At least before NU depth and offense take over.
2. Just a hunch, but I think Rex Burkhead makes an appearance today. Couple of series, …
Read more »
Beck’s new twist: Does it seem like Tim Beck is having fun? The offensive coordinator has a lot of fun toys in his toy chest, too many for some Big Ten defenses to figure out. He showed off a wrinkle on Saturday that Beck hasn’t used very often: the wide receiver screen. Taylor Martinez was throwing the passes wide to Kenny Bell, Jamal Turner and Quincy Enunwa, and their athleticism did the rest. For a team with multiple weapons, this was a new and exciting way to get 4 or 5 yards on first down. It has to be a little scary if you’re Iowa or Wisconsin to see what Beck rolls out of the playbook this late in the season.
More expansion?: There were …
Read more »
1. Nebraska 42, Minnesota 17: It’s Senior Day for Tom Osborne and Rex Burkhead. Watch this game with your hand over your heart. Apple pie for dessert.
2. Superman will suit up but won’t play. Part of me hopes I’m wrong. I’d like to see Burkhead on that field one more time. Would like to see him on the field in Indy in two weeks, too.
3. Wisconsin 28, Ohio State 24: Meet the new Leaders boss. Same as the old boss. See you next year in C-Bus for the newest, hottest rivalry in the Big Ten.
4. Kansas State 49, Baylor 28: Bill Snyder > Sports Illustrated jinx.
5. Oregon 45, Stanford 27: Cardinal physical run game can hurt the Ducks’ battered defense. But …
Read more »