Huskers think the run game will bust out

LINCOLN -- It’s become the question that relieves awkward silences among Nebraska fans across the state: What’s wrong with the Husker running game?

Oh, sure, the run game. Almost everyone has an opinion on the Husker run game. Or at least a question: Where is it?

Take away a 330-yard rushing performance against New Mexico State and Nebraska is averaging 92.8 yards per game on the ground.

So, yes, doubters abound �” here, there and everywhere. Well, not everywhere.

If it’s believers you’re looking for, you’ll still find them at NU practice. There’s a couple of linemen who will tell you the run game is closer to busting out than most realize.

Said senior guard Matt Slauson: “We are on the edge of being a great rushing team. It isn’t any particular guy. It’s just one different guy every different play not necessarily finishing their block. �- And what’s weird is they can do it fine on the next play. Just one mental breakdown by one guy kills us every run.”

Said senior tackle Lydon Murtha: “We can run the ball. �- It’s certainly not up to what we want for an offensive lineman and we’re going to correct it.”

The words are fine, but it will have to be proven before everyone agrees. Nebraska’s offensive line, hyped as a strength of the team coming into the season, has hardly imposed its will through five games.

In Saturday’s 52-17 loss to Missouri, the Huskers rushed for just 79 yards on 35 carries, an average of 2.3 yards per run. The longest run of the night was 9 yards.

Not surprisingly, Husker offensive line coach Barney Cotton said his guys graded out lower in that game than any other.

“As far as pass protection, we held up well,” Cotton said. “Our issues basically were our inability to block all the movement up front, to where we didn’t get a full on a guy or maybe we mistargeted a guy because of the movement of the defense.”

Movement on San Jose State’s defensive line also caused Husker blockers problems earlier in the year.

Cotton said Missouri had even more movement than San Jose State, but also that “it was nothing we hadn’t practiced against. There may have been only one thing all night that we saw that we had not worked on.”

The Huskers basically used a seven-man rotation. Mike Smith (left tackle), Keith Williams (left guard), Jacob Hickman (center), Slauson (right guard) and Murtha (right tackle) started. Jaivorio Burkes split time at left guard and tackle, and Mike Huff saw time off the bench at left guard, Cotton said.

Slauson and Murtha played every snap and Cotton doesn’t foresee many changes right now.

Nebraska has rushed the ball 165 times and passed it 151 this season. The ratio shouldn’t matter, Slauson said Monday. He thinks this line is capable of being successful at both run and pass blocking.

“It’s all an attitude,” Slauson said. “I’ve always said pass blocking is kind of a dance. You have to step back and mirror a guy and play with your feet a lot. Running is completely the opposite. It’s all hands. You got to dig, dig down into the dirt and grind. You want to be mean and go out there and just take somebody into the turf.”

Slauson said one thing Nebraska needs is to bring a stronger presence on the early downs.

“On first down, a lot of times we’re expecting blitz and when we line up and go, we kind of sit and wait and watch and see what they do,” he said. “And we can’t be having that. Because if you wait until third down to fire off, you’ll be short every time.”

And all those penalties? They have to go. Nebraska had three false starts Saturday.

“I honestly think it’s because guys want to do it so badly, they want to perform so well and they put the carriage in front of the horse,” Slauson said. “They’re coming out with their heart on fire. They just want to go out and win so bad and then they just lose focus. And you can’t do that.”

Cotton said effort isn’t the problem when coaches look at film. It’s just an offense that needs to gain some confidence.

“I think we’re a lot closer than what people think we may be,” he said.

Murtha said Monday’s practice was one of the most physical and focused the team has had all year.

When Husker head coach Bo Pelini told the media after Saturday’s game to put all the blame on him for the loss, Murtha said players took note.

“The coaches say they take the blame for this game, but it’s really us,” Murtha said. “We’re just not executing what we need to and we’re certainly not living up to our potential. We all take it real personal. How fortunate that we have a coach that cares that much that would come out and say that, but it’s something we need to address.

“We’re going to get after it for sure.”