Another purge of the Callahan era occurred Saturday on a grey, cloudy, windy sky in Lincoln Nebraska as the Huskers shut down the Kansas attacked and picked up their bowl eligible win number 6 with a 45-35 victory. To borrow an old movie line, somewhat, "It was personal Saturday, it was not just business". Avenging last year's 76 point debacle to Kansas and keeping at least one "Husker streak", that the one of 20 straight home victories over the "Rock-chalk Jayhawks".

I know that many may find it hard to believe that giving up 35 points was a great defensive effort until you look at some of the following. Big 12 defensive player of the week Junior Ndamukong Suh had 12 tackles 4 for losses 2.5 sacks and general harassed Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing all game long. Then to top it off Suh had a 2 yard reception for a touchdown that put the game out of reach in the 4^th quarter. Fellow linemen Zach Potter had 6 tackles 1.5 sacks and an interception and Pierre Allen had 7 tackles and a 15-yard sack. This was the first five sack game for the Huskers since the Cotton Bowl after the 2006 season. In all the Huskers held the Jayhawks to 118 yards rushing and a paltry 3 yards per carry.

On the offensive side sophomore Roy Helu Jr. followed up his 160-yard plus performance with 115 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries showing that he is ready to assume the starters roll in the backfield, although he still has problems blocking on blitz situations. Once again Ganz threw for more than 300 yard with only a single interception on 37 attempts. However this team still hasn't figured out how to hang on to the ball. In the first half we drove inside the 40 yard line five times but only score 14 points. Two turnovers and a failure on 4^th down prevented the Huskers from taking a lead into the second half, which is where Bo Pelini proved to this Husker fan at least that "Bo does know" about coaching.

For one, if you haven't seen it yet, after both Ass whippings that we have had this year, (Missouri and Oklahoma) Pelini has had the team ready to play the previous week, no drop off or feeling sorry for themselves on this team. Secondly, there were two instances in Saturday's game where the call that Pelini made tipped the scale in our favor. The first occurred at halftime when Kansas was slated to get the ball to start the second half (having deferred its choice from winning the pregame coin flip). Pelini decided to kick into the 20 mph north wind and play ball. The Huskers played keep-away in the 3^rd quarter for eight and a half minutes and took a 24-21 lead and the wind at its back going into the fourth quarter. The second one happened after we intercepted the ball in the 4^th quarter. Facing a 4^th and 8 from the 20 we lined up for a field goal and the kicker Alex Henery to an over-the-shoulder lateral from the holder and ran 9 yards for the first down. A minute later Ganz threw a TD pass to Nate Swift with just under 4 minutes to go and a 45-28 lead.

Another 35 minute game time of possession is once again another Pelini style stamp placed on these Huskers, as he is protecting his lack of defense with good old fashion ball control. Now with 6 wins the Huskers have two very winnable games left on the schedule that can give us, not only an 8 win season, but a winning conference record. We face another Jayhawk opponent in Kansas State next week following up with the regular season finally against Colorado in Lincoln on November 28^th.

I hope to have another article later this week regarding the recruits for next season as well as the red-shirted freshmen that having been doing the dirty work of the scout team this year. Pelini has taken great care as to not go for the quick fix in junior college players or in burning red shirts in order for a few plays this season, so that is another trait to admire. I see a double digit win coming this Saturday as K-State appears to be playing out the string with a lame-duck coach. GBR folks.

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