NU vs. Mizzou score predictions...

Drop your predictions like they're hot...

Who will win the Big 12 North? South? Championship?

Post your answer in the comments section.

Scenes from the ISU Tailgate...

The Dean's List

'anything but fun' vs. 'everything about fun'...I know my choice

"I don't worry about our team being demoralized," ______ said. "These guys have great character and work hard every day. They'll come back."

…'anything but fun'…We have been bombarded this week via newspaper, television snippets, radio sports-talk shows, internet sites, etc… about the problems with the team, lack of coach game-time adjustments, problems with the fans, problems with the coaches, poor schemes on defense, problems with the athletic department (SP), poor tackling, problems with the contract extensions, etc…

…'everything about fun'…No Option fun-talk this week is about...
NU fans support the team regardless of "boo or not to boo" debate…
No Option tailgate every home game…same location and same time
Pork lion sandwiches out of respect of our neighbor state (Iowa Pork Chops)
Lincoln's "Matt Lot" security crew (Kevin's memo)…remember safety and respect
Flying the Husker flag upside down last week…hung prior to beverage consumption
Keller (Killer) Time on offense…
Planning the 1st Annual No Option Bus Trip to Lawrence…info available soon
Driving down "O" Street after USC game with rear door ajar from the keg tubing
NU is tied for 1st in the Big 12 North…
Fall extended weekend in San Antonio…shopping, eating, drinking, NU football game?
Anticipation of listening to our Team Leader on the radio Saturday...congrats Jose

Let's hear your comments…


The above quote…ownership belongs to Coach Callahan, Ben Mussman, Coach Cosgrove, Cory McKeon, Steve Pederson or Coach Chizik


NU 38 ISU 28

Answer: Coach Chizik

To Fire or Not to Fire?

Should Coz go? What needs to be changed? Who needs to be playing that's not?

NU vs. ISU score predictions...

Sadly, the easiest game left on our schedule is now looking pretty tough.

Let's Hear from You...

This week's poll question...What is the most embarrasing recent event in Husker football?

Did I remember the 10 best? If not, provide your most embarassing moments in the comments section.

Gift of giving recipients

Scenes from the Ball State Tailgate...

Nebraska vs. Ball State Score Predicitions....

Let's hear 'em.

The Dean's List

The reality of USC vs. NU game…using the word 'game' is a stretch...

Reality: NU could play and probably (hopefully) be competitive against USC's 3rd team as demonstrated in the fourth quarter

Reality: A "Blimpie" sandwich and Crown is a great breakfast treat…thanks to the Kovar's for the 'fresh' 9 foot sandwich

Reality: NU will play Missouri @ 8:00pm October 6th…hopefully most college football fans will be tired and turn off the game @ halftime if NU plays like last weekend

Reality: NO OPTION game day was a long day…set-up Saturday @ 7:00am and arrived in Omaha Sunday @ 2:00am (disappointed and tired)

Reality: NU remained in the Top 25…that was a pleasant surprise!

Reality: I think the USC team had access to Mayhan's margarita machine…they were dancing, jumping, excited, yelling on the sidelines…thanks to the Mayhan's for renting the machine

Reality: NU's offense is superior to ND's offense

Reality: Ben Muss reports there is a website…firecosgrove.com

Reality: There is never a sure bet in college football…ask Iowa

Reality: NO OPTION will be on site every home game @ 7:00am

Reality: NU will register double-figures in missed tackles this weekend…despite the intensive practice schedule this week.

Reality: NU 38 Ball State: 17

Scenes from USC Tailgate...

New Poll: Let's Hear from You...

What NU player from the 90s or 00s would you most want to be added to this year's roster? Please vote on the new poll.

Nebraska vs. USC score predictions...

Last weeks best prediction was Dean with score of NU 24 and Wake 21.

Drop your new predictions like they are hot...

The Dean's List

USC vs. NU week is finally here…my thoughts about this week….

… I can bleed the Vegas line or give you the Husker Red …reality vs. optimistic

Reality…Steve Mayhan will wear his black shirt to the game
Optimistic…Steve Mayhan will unveil his red shirt that he has been wearing under his black shirt after the awesome win

Reality…game time @ 7:00pm will provide an excited fan base
Optimistic…game time @ 7:00pm will provide an endless deafening noise from all areas of Memorial Stadium; especially when USC is on offensive

Reality…Ben Muss thinks that the Trojans are not the real deal
Optimistic…some protection is better than nothing; let's hope the offensive line grades outstanding, even better than the 0-2 score of prior coaches

Reality…Game Day is in Lincoln
Optimistic…No Option signs make national TV

Reality…No Option arrives in Lincoln @ 7:00am Saturday morning hopeful, wishing, dreaming for a close game and seeking Big 12 North respect
Optimistic…No Option arrives home @ 7:00am Sunday morning boasting, bragging, dreaming about the close WIN and demanding national respect

Reality…No Option TV reception is clear for the game
Optimistic…No Option flat-screen LCD TV provides non-glare reception

Reality…USC 35 NU 14
Optimistic…NU 27 USC 24

Reality vs. optimistic…I'm waiting to read yours…

Bring the South Down

FINALLY IT IS HERE. I've been calling this Saturday 'Christmas' (no offense to sweet Baby Jesus).

I honestly don't know why I am predicting a NU victory. But I am. I'm just an optimistic kid (call me the anti-Jon). But I just have a really good feeling. Like when you were 10 and you know that sooner or later you will get to the Hot Wheel at the bottom of the Coco Crispys, and you just have a gut feeling that the bowl you are about to pour is going to be THE ONE. Well, I think that Nebraska is destined for the first signature win of the B.C. era, and I think this might be that bowl of chocolaty deliciousness that gets us there.

For all of you that say we don't have a chance, wake up. If you don't think we have a chance, I don't want to talk to you. You don't get it. You aren't fun. You are Mr./Mrs. Suckass from East Bitchville, PA. Do you really think that the cereal manufactures would build up the Hot Wheel and then not put one in the box? Really? That is just cold. I hate you. THERE HAS TO BE A GODDAMN HOT WHEEL IN THIS F-ING BOX!

Just remember, NU was 17 point dogs to FSU in '93. That's my go-to game for this situation (despite the fact FSU technically won). That game was like finding a mail-in-coupon for a Hot Wheel. We didn't get the Hot Wheel, but everybody knew we had earned it and would soon possess a rad toy car.

Besides, USC ain't shit. They should be ranked behind LSU, OU, and maybe even UT and Florida (hello, defending National Champs here). They lost to Oregon State last year. Their coach is a bigger buffoon than our coach, not to mention half as smart. They ain't shit.

Their buffoon coach said that the crowd noise will not be a problem for USC. I betcha $5 he is wrong. I think they are underestimating us. I hope so anyway.

Now let me ask a real scary question: What if we win?
Holy schnikey, that would lead to total chaos in Huskerland. Dogs and cats living together. Would we have to start dreaming of a trip to the dance? Yes, I think that if we beat USC we would have to start dreaming about a trip to the dance. Yep.

Well, even I'm not optimistic enough to be thinking about that right now (for the record I think we should be playing for crystal by 2010 or 2011).

Here's how it plays out (in my head):

• We come out throwing on first downs (the Benny Muss key to victory). We continue throwing throughout the first half. Keller spreads the ball around. Getting 7 yards here and 15 yards there. We run only on 2nd & short or 3rd & 1. Why? Because we will not have a chance if we try and run it down their throat. If I thought Bill was dumb enough to try and run on USC from the start (ala LA Colisium in 2006), I would be predicting USC 40 NU 10. I hope Cally is not that dumb.
• We hit a homerun ball in the 1st half. I will guess Keller to Swift for a 40 yard TD.
• HUGE special teams play from Grixby, my favorite return man since Gross.
• Lucky and Q.C. take over towards the end of the 3rd and throughout the 4th. (Q.C.'s spin move is just flat awesome. Watch for it. I SAID WATCH FOR IT!). Q.C. will be the fan-favorite by the end of the season and maybe after this game.
• I pray they throw at ZBow and I think they are too cocky not to. Count on another big pick from him.
• Keller throws for 350. Lucky runs for 65 tough yards. Q.C. runs for 75 and a long TD run. Watch out for his spin move.
• NU will overcome failing on 2-3 trick plays (SC has to know it is coming).
  USC will make 5 or 6 bonehead decisions on offence and our defense will bend but not break.
• I will not be as drunk as I was at the Nevada game (I watched the game for what seemed like the first time on TIVO the next day). Lucky was not as impressive as the numbers said. He just doesn't have the "it" factor. Good, yes. Ahman/L.P. good, nope. Maybe BJax good (maybe better, maybe worse). Anyway, my point is I will be soberer.
  

NU 33
USC 24

But keep this in mind: Even if we lose, we still get to eat the delicious bowl of cereal that is college football saturday.

Sign ideas for College Gameday...

I will be attending Gameday without a sign, but lets hear your best sign ideas. The best sign I saw during last week's taping was "Lou Holtz for Prethident."

Let's Hear from You...

New poll question: Who will win the USC-Nebraska game and by how much?

Live from Lincoln . . . ESPN’s College GameDay

Huskers.com

An ESPN spokesman confirmed Sunday that its College GameDay Built by The Home Depot crew will visit Lincoln this weekend for Nebraska’s non-conference showdown against top-ranked USC.

College GameDay will originate from inside Memorial Stadium and will be live from Lincoln from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday. Chris Fowler hosts the show, alongside analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard.

The appearance by College GameDay marks the sixth time the show has visited Lincoln, and the first time since 2001. College GameDay first came to Lincoln for 1994 games against UCLA and Colorado, then returned for Nebraska’s 1998 game with Washington.

In 2001, College GameDay was on hand for Nebraska’s games against Notre Dame and Oklahoma. More than 15,000 fans converged on Memorial Stadium for the College GameDay show against Notre Dame on Sept. 8, 2001, and College GameDay was televised in front of a packed Memorial Stadium just prior to kickoff against Oklahoma in October of 2001.

The visit from College GameDay makes Lincoln the unofficial capital of college football this weekend. In addition to Kirk, Chris and Coach Corso being on hand, ABC will televise the game nationally as part of its Saturday Night Football package, beginning at 7 p.m. CDT. Brent Musburger will handle the play-by-play duties, with Herbstreit providing analysis and Lisa Salters on the sidelines.

Numerous national media outlets are expected to be on hand to cover the game. Among them are writers from ESPN.com, CBSSportsline.com, SI.com, The Sporting News, New York Times, Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times.

Check Huskers.com throughout the week for more information on the College GameDay telecast, as well as other events surrounding this weekend’s contest.

Sipple: This won't cut it against USC

Lincoln Journal Star:

Sam Keller called it a “character win.”

Nebraska no doubt showed toughness in holding off Wake Forest.

It was a nice win for the Huskers. A good win. It’s difficult to complain too loudly after you beat the defending ACC champions on their home field. It’s easy to feel good about a Husker program that has won four of its last five true road games.

So why were all of those Big Red fans gnashing their teeth after Nebraska’s 20-17 triumph Saturday?

The answer, at least in part, is that Nebraska probably doesn’t win the game if injured Demon Deacons quarterback Riley Skinner is playing.

Another part of the answer sits next to my computer: It’s the 2007 Southern Cal football media guide. It shows a handful of the Trojans’ top players with their arms folded and sleeves rolled up. They’re staring at you as if you had just degraded their mothers. They already look like NFL players.

USC’s defense features a mere 10 returning starters and the best linebacker crew in the nation. Trojan quarterback John David Booty someday will be slinging lasers on Monday Night Football. Five — yes, five — of USC’s running backs could go down with injury, and the Trojans’ depth is such that coach Pete Carroll wouldn’t wince.

Is Nebraska ready for all this? Are the Huskers ready to bring down the great beasts of the West? Is Big Red ready for a resounding Saturday night in prime time?

Let’s go to the latest evidence. There’s a resounding 52-10 win against Nevada on Sept. 1 followed by the hard-fought, back-alley brawl against Wake Forest. Yes, those were good wins for Nebraska, nice wins.

Trouble is, “good” and “nice” typically don’t cut it against top-ranked USC. The No. 16 Huskers need to discover a quick way to transform into “great” and “nasty.” They were neither against Wake Forest. They looked like, well, a 9-3 team or maybe even an 8-4 outfit, hence the teeth gnashing by all those Husker fans outside Groves Stadium.

These ultra-devoted Husker backers obviously have lofty expectations in Year Four of the Bill Callahan era.

Indeed, this season is about Callahan’s program taking the proverbial “next step.” In large part, that means picking up a breakthrough victory or two against highly ranked teams. The Huskers came oh, so close last season. That’s why Husker fans now are licking their chops. They’ve been eyeing this USC game for months.

Indeed, here comes Nebraska’s first big chance to break through in 2007. Here comes the ESPN “GameDay” crew. These moments are fleeting. Husker fans are smart enough to understand the magnitude and urgency. They’re smart enough to understand that this is one of the biggest games to be played in the big house on Stadium Drive. Grown men this week will fantasize about a Big Red victory.

If Nebraska plays like it did against Wake Forest, beating USC will remain only a fantasy.

After producing 2 rushing yards in a loss last week at Boston College, Wake Forest gained 236 on the ground against Nebraska. The Demon Deacons dazzled with end-around plays. Their speed was troublesome for NU. The Huskers struggled to get off of blocks.

What’s more, Wake Forest twice burned Nebraska with deep passes — though speedy wide receiver Kevin Marion dropped one of them.

Nebraska’s offense produced 373 yards, but had three turnovers. At one point in the game, the Huskers had fallen short on four straight third-and-2 plays. Ouch. Sam Keller finished with two interceptions and lost a fumble on a botched exchange with center Brett Byford. Double ouch.

“Our offense has not played totally in sync like we’ve seen in practice,” Keller said. “We’ll just go back to the drawing board and watch film. We’ll learn from it and be humble. But at the same time, we’re going to enjoy this game.”

Yes, Nebraska did a lot of nice (there’s that word again) things on both sides of the ball. Zackary Bowman came up with a huge interception. The defensive line — regarded as a question mark entering the season — made big plays in the red zone. The Huskers snuffed out Wake’s last-gasp try for glory in the final two minutes.

What’s more, Keller was masterly operating the two-minute drill that led to a crucial touchdown just before halftime.

“I was proud of all the guys,” Keller said of the drive. “The protection was great. The guys were in the right spots. The holes in the defense — we always had someone in them. It’s just a matter of finding those holes and being in rhythm.”

Keller has yet to find his rhythm consistently through eight quarters. But credit him for resiliency. He’s a gamer.

Make no mistake, this was a good “character” win for Nebraska. Winning on the road requires a certain toughness, especially against a BCS squad. The Huskers’ recent road prowess clearly marks a sign of progress in Callahan’s program.

“This was a game where problems happened and we all just said, ‘We’re going to win it,’” Keller said. “We came out of it with a ‘W’ and that’s all that matters.”

Well, not quite. This game in many ways was about the next game — the one ABC is showing in prime time.

Ready or not, here come the Trojans.

Just one more reason to laugh at K-State!!!

Dean's List

Game # 1...what did we learn?

"A win is a win"...

• ask the fans in the "Big House" last Saturday
• ask ND fans (in their last four loses they have been out scored by an average of over 25 points per game)...coaching genius vs. lack of talent vs. stringent admission standards vs. ?
• ask Ben Muss...did he win the beer bong championship last week?
• ask Aaron G...did the Cubs win in Chicago last weekend?
• ask the No Option TV viewers...great reception but the glare sucks
• ask Jon and Jose...winners of the weekly Pick'em Contest
• ask Bill C...nice and deserving contract extension
• ask NU football players...no published legal issues from post-game parties
• ask No Option fans...cold beer and loud music
• ask the 3rd, 4th team and walk-on NU players who had the opportunity to play

Wake Forest will be a challenging opponent...

• NU 24 Wake Forest 21

Nebraska vs. Wake Predictions...

Drop your predictions like they are hot...

Scenes from Nevada Tailgate...

NICE WORK DEAN!!!!!

Dean had the best 1st week prediction. By showing the least respect for the Huskers, Aaron Storo finished dead last. Jon and Tod also had poor showings in the first week. Let's hope the 2nd week predictions give Dean a little more competition.


NU Nevada Diff
dean 48 10 4
bob 49 14 7
hoser 42 10 10
tara 35 10 17
luke 35 13 20
jon 38 17 21
tod 31 10 21
storo 34 17 25

Mizzou Tiger roar hardly scary in win over IllinI

From OWH:
Barfknecht

It might be time for those who voted Missouri as the Big 12 North Division football favorite to ask for a new ballot.

No, the Tigers didn't lose Saturday. They beat Illinois 40-34. Yes, I realize it was the first game of the season. And after 28 years of doing this, I know how dangerous initial impressions can be.

But I wonder how many folks in black and gold left the Edward Jones Dome truly feeling good after seeing a litany of troublesome signs from a team supposedly on the cusp of a breakthrough after 38 years without a conference title.

Needing an interception at your 1-yard line with 51 seconds left to hold off an opponent that was 2-10 last season seems worth a wrinkle line or two.

Of course, Missouri coach Gary Pinkel disagrees, despite saying he was "very disappointed in the comedy of errors we made."

"In my business, you enjoy winning," Pinkel said. "So don't go there with my team."

Senior tight end Martin Rucker had his happy face on.

"To come out against a Big Ten opponent - not some Division I-AA or lower team - and to battle to the end and come out on top after as poorly as we played," he said, "well, that's big."

But Missouri did many things that teams hopeful of winning championships can't do. Let's count them:

1: The Tiger defense gave up 313 yards and 28 points in the second half to an offense being led by a backup quarterback playing his first college game.

Illinois redshirt freshman Eddie McGee, who came in cold for the injured Juice Williams in the second quarter, got hot in a hurry. He finished with 280 total yards and two touchdowns. Overall, Illinois outgained Missouri 435 yards to 429.

2: The Missouri punting game. Cue the circus music. In the first quarter, Illinois blocked a punt for a touchdown. In the second quarter, a high snap forced MU's Adam Crossett to try to kick on the run. His zero-yard punt set Illinois up at the Tigers' 23.

3: Lack of a killer instinct. After building a 24-point lead in the third quarter, MU lost a fumble, went three-and-out, lost another fumble and again went three-and-out, helping Illinois close to 37-34 with 13:48 to play.

4: Pinkel showed midseason form in the category of goofy strategic decisions. After a touchdown that put Missouri up 13-6 in the second quarter, he inexplicably went for a 2-point conversion. The run failed.

As Illinois drove deep into Missouri territory near game's end down by just six points, that decision looked like a potential game-decider. But Pinkel said he made the call according to a 2-point chart he has used for 35 years and would make the call again "and I wouldn't have lost a bit of sleep over it."

5: More frustration trying to run the ball near the goal line out of the shotgun spread, something that cost Missouri dearly last season in losses to Oklahoma and Iowa State.

The Tigers showed one new wrinkle with a direct snap to the 6-foot-6, 255-pound Rucker, good for runs of 4 and 7 yards. But twice Missouri ended up passing when down deep - on fourth-and-goal from inside the 1 and third-and-goal at the 2. (Note that both resulted in touchdowns.)

The good news for Missouri is that strong safety Pig Brown became a glory hog and wideout Jeremy Maclin decided to show off for the home folks.

Brown, who says his "government" name is Cornelius, blocked an extra point in the first quarter; recovered fumbles on back-to-back possessions in the second quarter, returning one 100 yards for a touchdown; and intercepted Illinois' last pass at the goal line.

"He won the game for us," Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel said. "He made two game-breaking plays."

So did Maclin. The suburban St. Louis kid, expected to play last season as a true freshman before blowing out a knee in the preseason, showed he hasn't lost much of his 4.3-second speed.

In the third quarter, he grabbed a 25-yard touchdown pass from Daniel, then returned a punt 66 yards for a touchdown for a 37-13 Missouri lead.

"It felt great to do this in front of my hometown crowd," said Maclin, who will be promoted to a starting spot this week after two Missouri receivers - Danario Alexander (wrist) and Will Franklin (hip pointer) - were injured during the game.

So what's the correct conclusion to draw from this 3 hours and 49 minutes of frenzied football?

Pinkel says the mistakes are correctable and that his team "found a way to make plays at the end to win."

But when the Tigers peek at the box score from Nebraska's 52-10 drilling of Nevada and see some old-fashioned smash-mouth statistics - 233 rushing yards from I-back Marlon Lucky and more than 600 total yards - they can't help but wonder how secure their status is as the North favorite.

Frustrated: Deacons seek answers after loss

By Dan Collins
JOURNAL REPORTER
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass.


To make a run toward another ACC championship, Wake Forest will have to run the ball far better than it did in Saturday’s season opener at Boston College.

Of all the Deacons’ shortcomings in the 38-28 setback, none was more glaring than their inability to establish any semblance of an effective rushing attack. They began in encouraging fashion, gaining 21 yards on their first four attempts, but four long hours later had only four yards to show for 24 carries.

The debuts of Eagles’ head coach Jeff Jagodzinski and offensive coordinator Steve Logan commanded the most attention, but it was the defensive scheme devised by Frank Spaziani - the holdover defensive coordinator - that kept the Deacons frustrated all afternoon.

The frustration peaked with six minutes left when the Eagles stuffed fullback Rich Belton two plays in a row to take possession at midfield, effectively ending the Deacons’ comeback bid.

Afterward, Coach Jim Grobe accepted much of the blame, while stressing to his team that Saturday’s rushing performance was in no way acceptable. The four yards rushing were the fewest by Wake Forest since Florida State held the Deacons to minus-30 yards in 1998, in the sixth season of Jim Caldwell’s eight years as head coach.

“Coach Grobe said we’re going to be working pretty hard on it,” tight end John Tereshinski said. “We know we’ve got it. We know we have it.

“It’s going to take some hard work and determination and getting after it.”

Grobe acknowledged, in hindsight, that there were warning signs during preseason, signs that he didn’t heed as he should have. Instead, he rationalized, chalking the underwhelming performance in all three scrimmages up to the broiling August sun, the tired legs and the surgically reconstructed knee of Micah Andrews, the Deacons’ featured running back.

“Part of the problem was that it was so hot during August that I just thought we were kind of worn out and had dead legs,” Grobe said. “And I really felt like once we had a week to get back into game preparation that we would kind of get our feet back under us.

“Obviously that’s not the issue.”

As those who were along for last year’s storybook ride to the ACC championship understood, the best Wake Forest team ever really wasn’t that good on the ground. The Deacons rushed for 57 yards against Duke, 31 against Clemson and 62 against Virginia Tech, and by season’s end had averaged almost 50 rushing yards fewer than any of Grobe’s previous five teams.

The trend, then, raises the question. Just how good is the Deacons’ offensive line?

Senior Steve Justice is an All-ACC center. Junior Chris DeGeare is a huge (6-4, 362 pounds) and talented guard. Sophomore Jeff Griffin, who started nine games last season, didn’t start Saturday while recovering from a damaged posterior-cruciate ligament, but he did play quite a bit.

Sophomore Joe Birdsong started instead of Griffin, at the tackle opposite senior Louis Frazier. Senior Matthew Brim, the starting left guard, has started 20 games in his career, but spent last season as a backup to DeGeare and Frazier, before Frazier’s move to tackle.

The holes were so few and far between that Grobe couldn’t get a read on his backs’ ability to read them and react accordingly. Andrews finished with seven yards on seven carries. Sophomore Kevin Harris finished with 10 yards on four carries.

“The issue is we’ve got to get more push up front,” Grobe said. “We’ve got to get more determination out of our backs.

“I felt Kevin Harris did a couple of nice things when he came in. And honestly, until I look at the film I don’t know whether Micah had much to help him at all up front. But I know on those fourth-down plays we’ve got to do a better job up front.

“So we’ll go back to the drawing board.”

There was little to please Grobe in Saturday’s loss. He was disappointed with a defense that gave up 408 yards passing and five touchdowns while forcing the Eagles into one field-goal attempt.

He was disappointed in an offense that threw two interceptions in or near the BC end zone and couldn’t gain one yard at midfield for a first down.

He was disappointed that Sam Swank, last year’s All-ACC kicker and honorable mention punter, averaged just 31.3 yards on four punts.

And he was, perhaps most of all, disappointed that he and his coaching staff didn’t better prepare the Deacons for their first game. “The coaches as well as the team can look at this one and say ‘We really didn’t play well enough or coach well enough to win.’ ”Grobe said. “That’s a coaching thing. We’ve got to see that.

“If the kids aren’t doing it well we’ve got to demand it, and we’ve got to figure out a way to do it. That’s what I told the kids after the game: Don’t think that as coaches we’re not looking at ourselves, too. We’re all in this thing together.

“And I guess the thing is I really think we can be a good football team. I think we’ve got players. I think we’ve got guys who can make plays. We’ve got some things obviously that we can improve on.

“I’m encouraged that we can be a good team. I’m just really disappointed because I thought we could win (Saturday).”

Quarterback Riley Skinner and defensive end Matt Robinson were examined last night by both X-rays and MRIs. Skinner was knocked from the game in the third quarter by a separated shoulder and Robinson was sidelined by a sprained ankle suffered on the first play of the game.

Both are considered extremely doubtful for Saturday’s home game against Nebraska.

Sloppy Texas wins ugly

From AP via Yahoo:

It was ugly, ragged and a bit embarrassing. In the end, it was a win and the Texas Longhorns got to go to bed without the same sick feeling that must have hit the Michigan Wolverines.

Colt McCoy threw two first-quarter touchdown passes and the No. 4 Longhorns survived a sloppy 21-13 season-opening victory over Arkansas State on Saturday night, narrowly avoiding yet another huge upset on the day.

"It's not pretty and it's not the best," McCoy said. "But we're 1-0 and moving on."

Texas, which hopes to contend for the Big 12 and national titles, was an overwhelming favorite over the Indians, but found itself fighting to hold on in the final minute.

It was scary enough that the Longhorns were thankful not to be lumped into same category of shocking upset victim with No. 5 Michigan, which lost 34-32 at home to Appalachian State earlier in the day.

"That very well could have happened to us today," McCoy said.

Unlike Appalachian State, Arkansas State plays in Division I's top tier -- but the Indians reside right near the bottom of that tier in the Sun Belt Conference.

"Things that happened during the day, I was trying to tell guys to keep their head up and be positive," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "I told them not to let it scare them. Everybody's pretty good if you let them stay in the game."

Texas didn't have this one wrapped up until Brandon Foster recovered an onside kick with less than a minute to play, and that came after the Indians (0-1) were forced to re-kick because of a penalty that negated an onsider they recovered.

Texas' troubles were plenty, starting with a retooled defense that allowed Arkansas State to grind out long drives and break off big plays. With three new starters in the secondary and co-coordinator Duane Akina calling the plays this season, the defense often looked lost as Arkansas State mixed the run and pass.

And the short-yardage running game that all but disappeared last season? Still missing. Texas couldn't punch the ball into the end zone on four running plays from the Arkansas State 3 in third quarter.

"This was a major wake-up call," said senior defensive tackle Derek Lokey, who also plays fullback in short-yardage situations. "It's a good opportunity to look at where we really are."

Arkansas State never led yet had its chances to pull off the upset. If not for two missed field goals and an interception in the end zone, the Indians could have done the unthinkable and won it.

"I'd love to play Texas again," said Arkansas State quarterback Corey Leonard, who passed for 259 yards. "Well, maybe tomorrow night. Let me rest a little bit."

About the only thing that looked solid for Texas was the normally reliable pass-catch combination of McCoy to Limas Sweed. But even they cooled off after a 35-yard TD pass on Texas' first drive.

"We probably weren't as focused as we should have been. They came here and expected to win and damn near had the chance," McCoy said.

Josh Arauco kicked field goals of 45 and 28 yards for Arkansas State. Reggie Arnold's 2-yard touchdown run with 1 minute left cut the Texas lead to eight.

After an improper formation penalty wiped out Arkansas State's first onside kick, Foster scooped up the next one and the Longhorns avoided Brown's second home-opening loss in 10 seasons at Texas.

McCoy finished with 223 yards passing and two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions and had three more passes dropped by Indians defenders.

Arkansas State, outgained Texas 397 yards to 340 and drove inside the 20 four times without scoring.

McCoy played perhaps his most inconsistent game. After hitting his first eight passes, he started misfiring with the interceptions and never looked sharp.

"It wasn't good. I just didn't handle myself that well," McCoy said.

The Longhorns finally appeared to put it away when Jamaal Charles, who managed to grind out 112 yards on 27 carries, scored from the 10 midway through the third for a 21-3 lead.

Arkansas State then drove to the Texas 17 before Leonard dropped the snap on fourth-and-1, killing yet another Indians drive inside the Longhorns 20.

With old Southwest Conference rival No. 22 TCU coming in next week, Texas has its hand full working out what they hope are just a few kinks and not more serious problems.

"We have to get to work now," Brown said. "We can get back down to earth."