Wary of Trip to Lincoln?

by awiggo on Oct 18, 2006 11:25 PM CDT in Football

Don't get me wrong, I think Texas will win on Saturday morning in Lincoln and may even cover the six point spread. But there are a few areas of concern that keep popping into my head.

The 11 AM start
I haven't uncovered hard data on this but I don't remember the Horns playing well historically early in the morning. Somewhere buried deep in my head are memories of slow starts in Dallas and in College Station when the kickoff has been before noon. A lot of you have better memories than I do. Am I way off or have we had trouble starting quickly with pre-noon kicks?

A Quick Nebraska Score
Recently the Cornhuskers have been scoring early and often. During their current four game winning streak, they have outscored their opponents 45-0 in the first quarter. Nebraska has scored touchdowns on their opening drive in each of the last three contests. Against Kansas: 2 plays, 80 yards, TD. Against Iowa State: 10 plays 80 yards, TD. Against Kansas State: 9 plays, 80 yards, TD. Lincoln is a tough enough place to play without falling behind early. A quick Big Red score will obviously energize the fans and produce an even louder and more difficult environment.

Health of Defense
From my seats against Baylor, I had a great view of three defensive starters: Tarell Brown, Marcus Griffin, and Roddrick Muckelroy. Unfortunately, none of them were in pads. Brown and Griffin are supposed to be ready on Saturday. Frank Okam also watched from the sidelines against Baylor. Even though Roy Miller, Thomas Marshall, and Aaron Lewis have filled in nicely and Tim Crowder has been a beast at defensive end, our chances of stopping the Cornhusker rushing attack will increase with Okam in the middle. With the new Hippa rules, coaches don't give regular injury reports. Sometimes we don't find out a player is out until warm-ups. It is unclear how healthy Brown and Griffin really are but clearly we could use both of them.

First True Road Game
This season we have played four home games, one de facto home game in Houston, and one at a neutral site in Dallas. This is our first true road test and our first trip outside Texas since last January. Only our fifth year seniors have ever been to Lincoln. This will also be Colt's first test in a hostile environment. He was certainly tested in Dallas but as tough as the Red River Rivalry is, at least half the fans are cheering for him. McCoy has answered all challenges up to this point in the season but this will be another big one.

Nebraska will need some help to beat the Horns, even in Lincoln. A quick start, a turnover fest, or a banged up secondary could prove to be enough. That said, I am not that worried. I think we win this one by a touchdown but these few areas do raise some concerns. Judging by our poll results, I am not the only one.

Are there any other areas of concern that I missed?

--AW--

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Comments

Wasn't last year's A&M game?

A really early start? We were sooo flat in that one.

by PB @ BON on Oct 19, 2006 8:15 AM CDT 0 recs

I think your'e right about the

early starts. I always remember the boys being lackluster in the AM and picking it back up as my hangover fades. Hair of the dog; hair of the dog.

JP in San An Tone

by thejahpaul on Oct 19, 2006 8:29 AM CDT 0 recs

Piggies in 2003

That was either an 11am or 1pm start, and we sure didn't look like we were awake in that game.

Real men DO watch volleyball - AND women's basketball!

by patienthornsfan on Oct 19, 2006 8:40 AM CDT 0 recs

Mizzou '05

The first half was horrible...tons of penalties and only a couple of scores. The second half...opened up a can whoop as and won by 30 or 40.

I wouldn't read too much into the 11am curse as it's not like we started out real well at 6pm last week against Baylor and who could forget the first half in Stillwater last year. That was a 6pm kick-off. I think it's all about the team's mindframe at kick-off. If they're not taking Nebraska seriously, it'll show.

More than the kick-off time, I wonder how the weather will affect the team.

by 54b on Oct 19, 2006 8:57 AM CDT 0 recs

High Winds, Rain and 40 Degrees

Sounds like a bunch of running to me.

by Wells on Oct 19, 2006 9:04 AM CDT up 0 recs

The WORST early game

Kansas 04. I got smashed the night before and woke up hungover as hell surprised to find not only the game being televised, but Texas down by 10 in the 4th quarter. The mother of all bad starts.

Colt McCoy makes little kids cry.

by bendj on Oct 19, 2006 8:58 AM CDT 0 recs

Worst of all

I'll be serving wedding duty that morning.

Seriously, who the f*$# has a wedding ceremony at 11:30 AM on a Saturday!!?

Oh.... and it goes from bad to worse.
The bride and groom don't drink and will be serving sparkling grape juice and sodas for refreshments at the reception (which immediately follows sharply at 12:30).

What stings the most is that I don't even like the couple. Even my wife is luke warm.

Needless to say I'll be taking several bathroom breaks and plan on strategically leaving things in the car (camera, tie, wife's purse, shoes, etc.) so I can pretend to be retrieving these items, go back and listen to the radio.
My cell phone better bring it's wattage, because I'll be surfing for score updates like a madman.

Cats and dogs sleeping together.

by EYESofBEVO on Oct 19, 2006 9:22 AM CDT 0 recs

Should we text you?

Real men DO watch volleyball - AND women's basketball!

by patienthornsfan on Oct 19, 2006 9:39 AM CDT up 0 recs

Nothing worse

There are few things in life worse than a dry wedding reception...

Most people at a wedding don't know each other and the ones that do, probably don't like each other. How you gonna take the edge off without beer.
If it's a wedding reception, that means there's going to be some dancing. Can you dance sober? No, so the dance floor ends up looking like the playground at a McDonalds plus that one couple who just got done with their 8th dancing lesson down at Don Julio's Samba for Saps Studio.
Deep down inside, nobody, not even the ladies, like weddings. But we all put up with them because we know we might get some free booze and cop a feel on a bride's maid or two. You take away the alcohol, and it's like going to Six Flags when it's raining and all the roller coasters aren't running.

I think you've got to do the honorable thing and boycot this wedding. If we don't teach people that dry wedding receptions are wrong, then we're just living a like. If not you, who? If not now, when?

by 54b on Oct 19, 2006 9:48 AM CDT up 0 recs

I'm going to agree

And here's what clinched it:

Your WIFE doesn't even like the couple. So you don't even have that "Do it for me, honey" pressure. Just draw the line, and boycott.

I think it's for the best.

by PB @ BON on Oct 19, 2006 10:30 AM CDT up 0 recs

The dry wedding is

by choice, not because of religion or health.

It is some sort of neo-facist vegan social statement by the couple.

Did I mention we have to get up early in the morning Saturday to make the drive way out in the suburbs? Just learned that from the wife.

...and the hits just keep coming!

Bye, bye drinking coffee, watching College Game day highlights on ESPN while quietly reading the sports pages -- hello ironing board, quick shave and two hours on the tollway.

I could draw a line in the sand or milk this for goodwill on future sporting events (i.e. bowl game weekend trip or perhaps putting my name on the Bear's season ticket list). Every good deed will score points with her allowing me to satisfy my sport's habits (in theory). Convincing the N. Koreans to give up nukes is childs play compared to the marital negotiations I sometimes go through.

Besides, we have to go, because its my wife's office mate. Tough spot since they see each other every day.

Cats and dogs sleeping together.

by EYESofBEVO on Oct 19, 2006 12:16 PM CDT up 0 recs

Vegans

Gross

by PB @ BON on Oct 19, 2006 12:18 PM CDT up 0 recs

all the people I know that did this

the dry wedding thing - regretted it later. No one talks about their weddings. There's no good stories, there's much negativity.

Dry weddings are not about the celebration of marriage, they're about someone trying to make a statement. People will resent them for it.

Do your duty. It will reap rewards. I promise. You'll score points with your wife, and you can remind her of it for... oh... forever?

I'll celebrate 17 years of marriage at the end of October. The key - "open date", "bye", who the zingwing doesn't check the calendar first????

Go Big Red Nebraska!
http://www.cornnation.com

by cornnation on Oct 19, 2006 9:39 PM CDT up 0 recs

Hold up

I've been subject to the "wedding during the big game" curse as well (OSU this year), so I agree there. Furthermore, someone will have to hold a firearm to my temple to get me to attend a dry wedding.

However, I am also planning a wedding in which I will get married at 11:30 on a Saturday, so I take some exception. Now, it will be in the middle of April so it's somewhat different but the fact is, it's a hell of lot cheaper to rent out a nice restaurant for a late lunch thing than it is for dinner. In my case, it's about a $35k difference so that we can have our reception at one of the nicest restaurants in the area.

All that said, skip the wedding. Clearly the couple aren't worth knowing.

by Kahuna on Oct 19, 2006 11:47 AM CDT up 0 recs

April Day Wedding?!?

But what will we do to get the score of the Cubs-Pirates day game? Goodness. The selfishness...

by PB @ BON on Oct 19, 2006 11:55 AM CDT up 0 recs

Or worse...

how will you know how many people pass on AP in the NFL draft?

by BrooklynHorn on Oct 19, 2006 12:43 PM CDT up 0 recs

I think

I can give you the answer to that one right now. He'll go 3rd or higher depending on who the teams need. He'll go very high in the first round

41-38

by inVINCEable on Oct 19, 2006 12:55 PM CDT up 0 recs

Smart play saving the

scratch on the early wedding. Believe me, it will pay dividends later if you get through it without debt.

Saturday is going to be a looooooong day.
Cell phone will be glued to my hand.

Cats and dogs sleeping together.

by EYESofBEVO on Oct 19, 2006 12:05 PM CDT up 0 recs

Trick plays

Or play fakes at the very beginning would not fare well for Texas but luckily, the Nebraska offensive Coordinator seems extremely conservative so we don't have to worry about that

41-38

by inVINCEable on Oct 19, 2006 9:51 AM CDT 0 recs

54b

funny football, as per usual.

that really is kind of selfish to have a dry wedding. maybe they're religious, and maybe their families are too, but certainly they must realize that not all guests will be. am i wrong?

by Blitzburgh on Oct 19, 2006 10:27 AM CDT 0 recs

Technically

They didn't break the true cardinal sin of having a dry wedding reception at night. Now that's completely uncalled for. Attending a daytime wedding (especially one that starts in the morning) isn't much different than attending your little cousin's piano recital...if you feel an icredible urge to be drunk before noon on Saturday (like I do), then you probably have bigger issues to deal with than just a dry wedding reception.

However, what kind of a friend has a wedding in the fall right in the middle of football season? If T-Bone were posting on this blog instead of spending all of his time trying to convince the British that sperm prevents tooth decay, he likely would have said having a wedding during football season is more selfish than making your date sleep in the wet spot or going ass to mouth. A gentleman never goes ass to mouth.

Where the hell is T-Bone anyway?

by 54b on Oct 19, 2006 11:04 AM CDT up 0 recs

Stateside

He posted a week or so ago saying he was back in the states. No time to look it up though.

Hook 'em. 'Nuff said.

by GoHorns on Oct 20, 2006 11:27 AM CDT up 0 recs

The weather

The weather,supposed to be cold and rainy,favors the rushing game,that's UT...
I am concerned about our secondary, weither they're healthy or not, giving up to much yardage.

AM,TT,I can deal with, I just think ou Sux's

by ouALWAYSsux on Oct 19, 2006 10:57 AM CDT 0 recs