NU offense back with vengeance
Older, wiser Huskers make comeback after slow ’96 season
By Sam McKewon
Staff Reporter
The big play offense is back
for Nebraska.
After the 1996 season, where
NU didn’t have a run of more than
25 yards in five different games
and finished the 12-game regular
season with only 46 plays of more
than 25 yards, the Husker offense
has struck back with 44 plays
greater than 25 yards in eight
games this season.
“Once our offense get rolling,
it’s hard to stop,” junior I-Back
Ahman Green said. “We want to
get as many big plays as possible
this year.”
Green has nine runs this season
of more than 25 yards, including a
59-yard gallop against Kansas
State. Last season, Green, who
was plagued by injuries, only had
five runs greater than 25 yards.
Green said much of the
improvement has to do with the
entire offense being a year older,
wiser and injury-free.
“Everybody in our offense is
more cohesive this year,” Green
said. “Scott Frost has another year
under his belt, which means he
knows the offense a lot better. The
offensive line changed positions a
lot last year, and this.year they
haven’t had to do that. The run
ning backs are healthy now, and I
can run to my full ability.”
Newcomers have added to the
mix, as well. Most notable is
freshman wingback Bobby
Newcombe, who has had a hand in
five plays that went more than 25
yards, including two against
Oklahoma. His 40-yard touch
down reception in the second
quarter from senior quarterback
Scott Frost gave the Huskers a 27
0 lead.
Newcombe sees the big play as
a wake-up call for opposing
defenses. The big plays also help
to set up long, time-consuming
drives later in the game.
“The big play for us says, ‘Hey,
we can score in a matter of sec
onds, so be ready,’” Newcombe
said. “If we’ve got the big play in
our offense, then the other team
has got to watch out for it, which
means we can have those punish
ing drives while the other team’s
worrying about another quick
score.”
Nebraska had problems forc
ing teams to worry about that pos
sibility much in 1996. NU had
more punt/kick/interception
return plays greater than 25 yards
than any individual offensive play.
Also last season, NU starting
fullback Brian Schuster and Frost
both failed to have a rushing play
longer than 25 yards.
This season, Frost had two
plays in the first 10 minutes of the
season against Akron, and starting
junior fullback Joel Makovicka
had six plays of more than 25
yards, including two touchdown
runs against Oklahoma.
Nebraska Running Backs
Coach Frank Solich said that NU
has become a more threatening
team this season because of its
various weapons.
“We’re a lot more dimension
al,” Solich said. “You can’t focus
on Ahman because we have Joel
and Scott back there, too. We’re
getting a lot more plays off the
option than we did last year, and
that’s because everybody’s healthy
and focused.”
Newcombe said there could be
more big plays to come at the end
of the season as Nebraska
becomes more polished.
“We want to break a big play
every time the ball is snapped,”
Newcombe said. “We’re only
going to get better on offense and
that means we’re going to get big
ger plays.”
Lue scores
double-double
in Pella win
PELLA from page 9
Belcher, who practiced in full for
the first time Monday, said he was
surprised how much he played against
Team Pella.
One of four returning starters,
Belcher was 4 of 5 from the free
throw line and scored 13 points.
Junior forward Larry Florence,
also a returning starter, finished
behind Lue with 16 points.
Florence’s game, Lue said, was
much improved over his efforts last
season.
“It’s about time he stepped up,”
Lue said. “He’s a lot more in control
than he was last year. Hek making the
right decisions.”
Last season, Florence was ham
pered by nagging knee injuries, but
still finished third on the team with 52
assists. This year, he said, he hoped to
stay healthy.
“Right now, I’m feeling good,”
Florence said. “I’m doing things that I
couldn’t do last year”
But the starters weren’t the only
ones tested Wednesday. The Huskers
were also able to give three freshmen
their first game experience.
Guards Rodney Williams and
Chad Johnson along with center
Brant Harriman spent a total of 43
minutes on the floor.
In all, the game served as a good
test for everyone, Belcher said.
“I think we just need to work on
everything,” Belcher said. “The big
thing is we need to develop the players
coming off the bench.”
25yards long
In only 8 games so far this season the Comhusker offense has
had 46 plays over 25 yards, 2 less than aH of ths 199647 season.
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through the first
8 games of the
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