Due to circumstances we went to a 5 PM Mass on Saturday evening and missed seeing most of the 4th quarter of the game on TV.

About the time Ganz threw the losing interception, the lights in the church went out. My first thought was that God was sending a message that the Huskers had lost the game and that  God did not like all the "Jesus Christ"s that I had yelled out during the game for each penalty.. 8 for 55 yards.... most all on the offense

Overall I liked the effort and game plan. A good mix of running and short passes. Controlling the ball by 40 minutes to 20 minutes. And red zone scores 5 for 5.

I would have liked to see Lucky run the ball 15 more times ... up around 30 attempts.  He needs the attempts to get some break loose opportunities and go the touchdowns .

GO HUSKERS

Nebraska            0   7   3  21    0   -  31
Texas Tech          7  10   7   7    6   -  37

1st quarter
TT - M. Crabtree 35 pass from G. Harrell
    (D. Carona kick) 4:49
2nd quarter
NU - Q. Castille 4 run (A. Henery kick) 11:46
TT - D. Carona 26 FG 8:13
TT - S. Woods 4 run (D. Carona kick) 1:18
3rd quarter
NU - A. Henery 21 FG 8:00
TT - M. Crabtree 4 from Harrell (Carona kick) 4:47
4th quarter
NU - J. Ganz 4 run (A. Henery kick) 12:10
NU - D. Young 2 pass from Ganz (Henery kick) 6:06
TT - G. Harrell 1 run (Carona kick) 2:21
NU - T. Peterson 17 pass from Ganz (Henery kick) 0:29
Overtime
TT - E. Morris 1 run (Carona kick blocked)

                                 NU          TT
First Downs                      29          16
NET YARDS RUSHING               114         137
 Rushing Attempts                35          23
NET YARDS PASSING               357         284
 Completions-Att-Int        37-45-1     20-25-0
TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS             471         421
 Total offense plays             80          48
Fumbles-Lost                    0-0         0-0
Penalties-Yards                8-55        2-20
Punts-Average Yards          1-55.0      2-41.5
Punt returns-Yards-TD         1-6-0       0-0-0
Kickoff returns-Yds-TD      5-156-0      3-50-0
Possession Time               40:12       19:48
Third-Down Conversions      7 of 12      4 of 8
Fourth-Down Conversions      1 of 2      1 of 1
Red-Zone Scores-Chances         5-5         5-5
Sacks By: Number-Yards          0-0         2-7

NU: M. Lucky 16-66, R. Helu 10-47, Q. Castille 3-6, J. Ganz 6-(minus 5).

TT: B. Batch 10-97, S. Woods 10-36, E. Britton 1-2, G. Harrell 1-1, E. Morris 1-1.

PASSING

J. Ganz 36-44-1-349, J. Wesch 1-1-0-8.

TT: G. Harrell 20-25-0-284.

RECEIVING

NU: T. Peterson 8-77, M. Lucky 7-80, Me.Holt 6-55, N. Swift 5-70, N. Paul 4-25, M. McNeill 3-24, R. Helu 2-15, D. Young 2-11.

TT: M. Crabtree 5-89, D. Lewis 4-47, B. Batch 3-53, E. Britton 2-67, E. Morris 2-16, S. Woods 2-1, T. Swindall 1-6, L. Leong 1-5.

Attendance: 53,449

Having won the game in the first three quarters, Missouri let up at the end. One wonders what the score might have been

if they had kept up the attack.

Coach Bo took the blame for the loss and apologized to the fans. Said it was his fault and

the fault of the coaches because the players were making errors. 

As I watched the game I wondered what happened to the running game that we were promised.

Maybe those plays were not called ... we only got 79 yards rushing  .. Maybe we need a new offensive coordinator ...

 And Barney...what happened to that offensive line that played so good in the third game.

On the positive side, remember that NU is not even ranked and Mizzou was number 4 going into the game.

Next week is Texas Tech and it will undoubtedly be a repeat of this game.

Sigh! What is a loyal fan supposed to do ????

Missouri           14  17  21   0   -  52
Nebraska            7   3   0   7   -  17

1st quarter
MU - J. Maclin 58 pass from C. Daniel
     (J. Wolfert kick), 14:01
NU - N. Swift 20 pass from J. Ganz (A. Henery kick), 9:55
MU - D. Washington 3 run (Wolfert kick), 6:53
2nd quarter
MU - Wolfert 48 FG, 10:54
MU - J. Jackson 1 run (Wolfert kick), 4:08
MU - B. Christopher 17 INT return (Wolfert kick), 2:59
NU - Henery 28 FG, 0:22
3rd quarter
MU - Washington 7 pass from Daniel (Wolfert kick), 7:16
MU - Washington 43 run (Wolfert kick), 2:24
MU - D. Alexander 26 pass from Daniel (Wolfert kick), 1:32
4th quarter
NU - M. Holt 20 pass from Ganz (Henery kick), 0:00

                                     MU        NU
First Downs...................       24        21
Rushes-Net Yards..............   34-201     35-79
NET YARDS PASSING.............      261       290
  Completions-Attempts-Int....  19-24-0   26-38-1
  Passing Touchdowns..........        3         2
Total Offense Plays-Yards.....   58-462    73-369
Fumbles-Lost..................      0-0       1-1
Penalties-Yards...............     1-15    14-101
Punts-Average.................    0-0.0    4-27.5
Punt returns-Average..........    0-0.0     0-0.0
Kickoff returns-Average.......   2-28.0    4-24.8
Interceptions-Yds-TD..........   1-17-1     0-0-0
Fumble Returns-Yds-TD.........    0-0-0     0-0-0
Possession Time...............    26:03     33:57
Third-Down Conversions........   7 of 9  12 of 19
Fourth-Down Conversions.......   0 of 1    0 of 1
Red-Zone Scores-Chances.......      3-3       3-4
Sacks By: Number-Yards........     2-15       0-0

MU: D. Washington 14-139; D. Moore 7-34; J. Maclin 3-15; J. Jackson 8-11; C. Patton 1-2; C. Daniel 1-0

NU: M. Lucky 14-46; Q. Castille 12-26; R. Helu Jr. 5-11; N. Paul 1-3; J. Ganz 3-minus 7.

PASSING

MU: C. Daniel 18-23-0-253; C. Patton 1-1-0-8

NU: J. Ganz 26-38-1-290

RECEIVING

MU: J. Maclin 5-89; C. Coffman 5-71; T. Saunders 3-21; D. Alexander 2-46; D. Washington 2-13; J. Perry 1-13; A. Jones 1-8

NU: T. Peterson 7-81; M. Holt 5-67; N. Swift 5-45; R. Helu Jr. 4-47; M. McNeill 2-37; R. Hill 2-3; D. Young 1-10

Attendance: 85,372

Two weeks without a game must have been too long.

As I predicted in this blog before the game.... NU would start our slow. But I also predicted that they would come back and win the game.

NU came out with many missed tackles... many on the same play, fumbles, interceptions and just plain all around play that stunk....

I didn't count on Coach Boooo Pelini  not helping matters when late in the game he complained about a late hit call and wouldn't shut up and got an unsportsman conduct penalty that let Virginia Tech get the ball on the 10 yard line and lead to their score

Next week the Huskers play Missouri at 8 PM on national ESPN

I guess as a loyal fan that I have to say GO BIG RED  and maybe SHUT UP COACH BO

Virginia Tech       9   9  10   7   -  35
Nebraska            7   3   7  13   -  30

1st quarter
VT - S. Virgil blocked punt, safety, 8:35
VT - D. Evans 1 run (D. Keys kick), 5:22
NU - M. McNeill 32 pass from J. Ganz (A. Henery kick), 3:54
2nd quarter
VT - Keys 19 field goal, 14:51
NU - Henery 48 field goal, 10:45
VT - Keys 38 field goal, 7:10
VT - Keys 27 field goal, 1:15
3rd quarter
VT - Keys 36 field goal, 10:25
VT - Evans 19 run (Keys kick), 6:54
NU - R. Helu Jr. 12 run (Henery kick), 0:04
4th quarter
NU - N. Swift 88 punt return (pass failed)
VT - T. Taylor 2 run (Keys kick), 2:28
NU - T. Peterson 17 pass from Ganz (Henery kick), 1:32

                                     VT        NU
First downs...................       21        14
Rushes-Yards..................   55-206     25-55
NET YARDS PASSING.............      171       278
  Completions-Attempts-Int....   9-15-0   17-26-1
  Passing Touchdowns..........        0         2
Total offense yards...........      377       333
Fumbles-Lost..................      0-0       3-1
Penalties-Yards...............     4-30      7-69
Punts-Average.................   5-34.6    5-29.4
Punt Returns-Average-TD....... 3-21.0-0  2-42.0-1
Kickoff returns-Avg-TD........ 4-23.5-0  7-21.0-0
Interceptions-Yds-TD..........   1-15-0     0-0-0
Fumble Returns-Yds-TD.........    1-8-0     0-0-0
Possession Time...............    34:44     25:16
Third-Down Conversions........  7 of 17   2 of 11
Fourth-Down Conversions.......   0 of 0    1 of 1
Red-Zone Scores-Chances.......      6-6       2-2
Sacks By: Number-Yards........     2-11       2-4

VT: T.Taylor 15-87, Evans 21-72, Lewis 17-50, Coale 1-(minus 1), Team 1-(minus 2).

NU: Helu 4-21, Ganz 8-18, Lucky 8-17, Castille 3-8, Team 1-(minus 3), Paul 1-(minus 6).

PASSING

VT: T.Taylor 9-15-0-171.

NU: Ganz 17-26-1-278.

RECEIVING

VT: Boykin 2-58, Smith 2-54, Boone 2-33, Coale 2-14, Roberts 1-12.

NU: Peterson 4-60, McNeill 3-66, Swift 3-58, Lucky 3-38, Paul 1-21, M.Holt 1-20, Young 1-10, Gilleylen 1-5.

Attendance: 85,831

After the first three games were on pay TV, the next two will be on prime time broadcasts:

Virginia Tech will be on ABC regional coverage with game time at 7 PM this Saturday, The game with Missouri next week will be carried by Fox at 8 PM

The Virginia Tech game will be important in deciding how the the Huskers will do against the Big 12 opponents on the rest of their schedule. After showing progress in the first three games against so-so teams they will have to step up a notch.

Did the bye week last week and its two weeks of practice without a game help or hinder the Huskers?

I think the Huskers will win by a narrow margin because of a slow start in the first part of the game.

Do you all remember Thunder Collins who came the NU to play football several years ago and then fizzled out for some unsavory reasons? He got arrested for murder in Omaha yesterday.... speculation ... a busted drug deal... such a waste of a very talented player.

Okay.... I am on track with my preseason predictions and this coming game was predicted as a maybe ... Us dedicated fans will be rooting for the win....

I watched the Coach Bo Pelini TV show on video that I recorded last night.

I was impressed with the improvements made in the third game over the first two games.

Without comparing the competition and realizing they were highlights; I saw big improvements:

The Offensive line was blowing the other team off the line of scrimmage.

The running backs were waiting for the blocks to be set and then hitting the holes with lots of speed.

A running game was established..... About time.

The Defensive backs did a good job of covering the receivers on a pass oriented team.

Errors and penalties were reduced on both sides of the ball.

Coach Bo talked about it all coming together for the players with room for improvement as they progress through the

season.

It occurred to me that maybe the new coaching staff is also coming together. Gosh, they have a lot of specialty coaches and it has to take a lot of time for them to get on the same page.... maybe more time than it takes the players.

No game this weekend coming up

GO Huskers

The good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Good ... NU held on until the 4th quarter and the scored three touchdowns to win going away. The good ...NU held San Jose to 5 out of 14 third down conversions.

The Bad ... NU had only 99 yards rushing ... Where is the rushing game we were promised?  It hasn't shown up in the first two games.

The Ugly ... 12 penalties for 103 yards, three of which were on consecutive plays.

But, at least for this game, all's well that ends well.

What else can a true Husker fan say ?

                                  SJS          NU

First Downs...................       19        19
Rushes-Yards..................   34-137     30-99
Net Yards Passing.............      216       216
  Completions-Attempts-Int....  19-33-2   18-27-1
Total Offense Yards...........      353       315
Fumbles-Lost..................      0-0       1-1
Penalties-Yards...............     7-47    12-103
Punts-Average.................   6-34.3    5-39.0
Punt returns-Yards-TD.........   4-26-0    3-23-0
Kickoff returns-Yards-TD......   2-69-0   4-132-1
Interceptions-Yards-TD........    1-0-0    2-60-1
Fumble Returns-Yards-TD.......    0-0-0     0-0-0
Possession Time...............    30:23     29:37
Third-Down Conversions........  5 of 14   4 of 11
Fourth-Down Conversions.......   0 of 0    0 of 0
Red-Zone Scores-Chances.......      3-5       3-3
Sacks By-Yards................     3-17      2-14

SJS: Y.Davis 7-58, K.Reed 15-32, Richmond 3-22, Rutley 4-19, Liaina 1-3, Jurovich 2-2, Eden 2-1.

NEB: Helu 9-59, Lucky 7-23, Mendoza 2-12, Castille 6-7, Ganz 6-(minus 2).

PASSING

SJS: K.Reed 18-26-1-161, Eden 1-7-1-55.

NEB: Ganz 17-25-1-216, Witt 1-2-0-0.

RECEIVING

SJS: Richmond 5-59, Jurovich 4-84, Clark 4-22, Beauchman 2-21, Williams 2-16, Y.Davis 1-9, Elledge 1-5.

NEB: Swift 6-70, Peterson 4-59, Helu 2-32, Paul 2-27, Me.Holt 2-24, Lawson 1-4, Mendoza 1-0.

Attendance: 84,146

Last year, without a doubt, the Cornhuskers' season was pretty much one big fumble.

This year will hopefully see the fumble recovery go our way.

Preseason camp ends today and it got off to a quick start with coach Bo Pelini kicking a bad boy off the squad the first day of practice. And he was one that was experienced and needed on the Defense. That must have gotten the players attention as we haven't heard of any of them getting into trouble.

So what's it going to be like this year?

Head coach Bo Pelini, little brother Carl Pelini, defensive co-coordinator, and the defensive coaches all say that the Huskers will tackle harder, cause fumbles, make interceptions, and have a pass rush to put the fear in opposing quarterbacks. In other words, all the things they should have done last year, but didn't. The big question here is the level of talent and its depth. Hopefully Bo, who is going to call the defensive alignments himself,  will have a defensive system in place to overcome the problems. He is recognized as one of the premier defensive coaches in the country..

Coach Watson, the offensive coordinator, will call the plays rather than the head coach Pelini. Watson was offensive coordinator last year under Callahan but didn't get to call the game time plays as Callahan did that. The offense will be Watson's version of the West Coast Offense. He assures that the running game will be established. There are at least four good running backs led by Marion Lucky who was the star runner last year. Ganz will be the quarter back. He has a great arm as he demonstrated in the last three games last year and assures that he was very embarrassed by the interceptions he threw in those games and it won't happen again this year. He also is a running quarterback. Barney Cotton and Ron Brown the line and receivers coaches both say that their players a very good and will really do a good  job of blocking for those backs. They are even going to start keeping track of the pancake blocks again.

So there was a good public relations job put out on this team by the coaches and the players. Let us hope they live up to some of it.

I was very disappointed that Doctor Tom couldn't get the first three games on public TV. Not everybody makes the salary he is making and can afford to pay the 'pay TV' fees.

I guess I will stick with my prediction of 8-4 although I am kind of standing alone out there...

What else can a loyal Big Red Husker fan do?

Offense

TE:
44 Mike McNeill*, 6-4, 240, So., Kirkwood, Mo.
80 Ryan Hill, 6-3, 245, RFr., Arvada, Colo.
LT:
76 Lydon Murtha***, 6-7, 315, Sr., Hutchinson, Minn.
65 Mike Smith*, 6-6, 285, So., Las Vegas, Nev.
LG:
61 MIKE HUFF***, 6-4, 300, Sr., Ralston, Neb.
68 Keith Williams*, 6-5, 305, So., Florissant, Mo.
C:
67 JACOB HICKMAN**, 6-4, 290, Jr., Bakersfield, Calif.
58 Mike Caputo, 6-1, 275, RFr., Omaha, Neb.
RG:
70 MATT SLAUSON***, 6-5, 320, Sr., Colorado Springs, Colo.
73 D.J. Jones*, 6-5, 305, So., Omaha, Neb. - and
RT:
72 Jaivorio Burkes*, 6-5, 325, So., Phoenix, Ariz.
78 Marcel Jones, 6-7, 310, RFr., Phoenix, Ariz.
WR (X): 87 NATE SWIFT***, 6-2, 200, Sr., Hutchinson, Minn.
4 Menelik Holt**, 6-4, 220, Jr., San Diego, Calif.
1 Chris Brooks, 6-2, 210, Jr., St. Louis, Mo.
WR (Z):
17 Todd Peterson***, 6-4, 215, Sr., Grand Island, Neb.
24 Niles Paul*, 6-1, 210, So., Omaha, Neb. - or -
11 Curenski Gilleylen, 6-0, 210, RFr., Leander, Texas
FB:
36 Thomas Lawson**, 6-0, 250, Sr., Parker, Colo.
45 Justin Makovicka, 6-1, 240, So., Ulysses, Neb.
IB:
5 MARLON LUCKY***, 6-0, 215, Sr., North Hollywood, Calif. - or -
10 Roy Helu Jr.*, 6-0, 215, So., Danville, Calif.
19 Quentin Castille*, 6-1, 245, So., LaPorte, Texas
QB:
12 Joe Ganz**, 6-1, 210, Sr., Palos Heights, Ill.
2 Patrick Witt, 6-4, 225, RFr., Wylie, Texas
3 Zac Lee, 6-2, 210, So., San Francisco, Calif.

Defense

Sporting News is counting down its top 50 teams in college football, one by one, from early July until kickoff of the season in late August. Here's a preview of the No. 40 Nebraska Cornhuskers.

More than 80,000 fans paid to watch Nebraska's spring scrimmage. Did they get their money's worth?

On the first play, yes -- on both sides of the ball.

The offense ran an option play, harkening back to the old days. But the play was disrupted when linebacker Tyler Wortman smacked the pitch away and recovered the fumble. Wortman didn't know the pitch was supposed to be allowed under the game script.

Those wearing red (everybody) had to like the defensive aggressiveness, and that will be the first step on the road to recovery under coach Bo Pelini's new regime. Pelini brings a fiery demeanor and history of success, and no lesson was more important than the one he learned in 2003.

In his only year as the program's defensive coordinator, Nebraska finished first nationally in passing efficiency defense, second in scoring defense and 11th in total defense.

Compare that to last season, when the Huskers surrendered a school-record 455 points, including 76 to Kansas and 65 to Colorado, ultimately costing Bill Callahan his job.

A fly-to-the-ball and play-through-the-whistle attitude is what made the 2003 defense dominant. It's the approach Pelini took to Oklahoma in 2004 and then to LSU for the past three seasons, including last year's national championship team.

The defense remains a work in progress. Nebraska has moved Cody Glenn from running back to linebacker, and the unit has plenty of question marks beginning with its pass rush. Ends Barry Turner and Zach Potter need to step up, as does tackle Ndamukong Suh, who is recovering from knee surgery. The Huskers ranked last in the Big 12 with 13 sacks in 2007.

Their turnover margin was also bad (-17). Within the Big 12, Nebraska finished ahead of only Baylor in that category.

The offense figures to be ahead of the game. When quarterback Joe Ganz took over for Sam Keller, who went down with a season-ending injury late in the Oct. 27 Texas game, Nebraska knew it had an experienced hand. After all, Ganz was a fourth-year junior.

What might not have been expected were 16 touchdowns, including a school-record seven against Kansas State, and most of Ganz's 1,435 yards in those three-plus games.

Pelini retained offensive coordinator Shawn Watson from the Callahan staff -- hey, nothing wrong with a unit that averaged 33.4 points a game.

Nebraska has one of the Big 12's top running backs in Marlon Lucky, and maybe the best offensive line to play in Lincoln in years. Matt Slauson, who has played tackle and guard, has 22 career starts. Guard Mike Huff has 19 starts and tackle Lydon Murtha 14.

Finding a big-play wide receiver to complement sure-handed Nate Swift and Todd Peterson, along with a steady tight end, will be issues in the fall.

But the mood is improving in Nebraska. A successful former defensive coordinator walks the sideline. Legendary coach Tom Osborne will be the athletic director for at least two more years. And the spring game was a sellout.

2008 Big 12 Preseason Football Poll (Media Vote)

North

1.
Missouri (51)
306

2.
Kansas
234

3.
Nebraska
183

4.
Colorado
181

5.
Kansas State
108

6.
Iowa State
59

South

1.
Oklahoma (49)
304

2.
Texas (2)
230

3.
Texas Tech
227

4.
Oklahoma State
140

5.
Texas A&M
118

6.
Baylor
52

First-place votes in parentheses

I am going to predict the the Huskers will win at least seven games:

Western Michigan

San Jose State

New Mexico

Colorado

Kansas State

Iowa State

Baylor

There is an outside chance that the could also beat Virginia Tech

and one more big 12 team....

NEBRASKA           COMMITMENTS
Name                 Pos.     Ht.    Wt.    Hometown(School)
AntonioBell           WR      6-2   175     DaytonaBeach,Fla.(Mainland)
WillCompton            LB     6-2215        BonneTerre,Mo.(NorthCounty)
KhiryCooper           WR      6-2185        Shreveport,La.(CalvaryBaptist)
BenCotton              TE     6-6   225     Ames,Iowa
AlfonzoDennard        DB    5-10    190     Rochelle,Ga.(WilcoxCounty)
DavidGrant             OL     6-6   280     Killeen,Texas
RickyHenry             OL     6-4   300     Omaha(N.D.St.Col.ofScience)
*TysonHetzer           TE     6-7265        Redding,Calif.(Citrus,Calif.,Col.)
SeanFisher             LB     6-5   210     MillardNorth
JohnLevorson          DB      6-3185        Crete,Neb.
MicahKreikemeier       LB     6-4   215     WestPoint,Neb.(CentralCatholic)
TimMarlowe        RB-WR     5-10    160     Youngstown,Ohio(Mooney)
CameronMeredith        DE     6-4   225     SantaAna,Calif.(MaterDei)
CollinsOkafor          RB     6-1210        OmahaWestside
CourtneyOsborne       DB      6-2   170     Garland,Texas(SouthGarland)
StevenOsborne         WR      6-4   180     Garland,Texas(SouthGarland)
KylerReed              LB     6-3   205     OverlandPk.,Kan.(St.ThomasAq.)
JustinRogers           RB5-11180            Birmingham,Ala.(VestaviaHills)
P.J.Smith             DB      6-2   205     RiverRidge,La.(JohnCurtis)
*KodySpano            QB      6-2200        Stephenville,Texas
BakerSteinkuhler       OT     6-6   290     LincolnSouthwest
BrandonThompsonOL             6-6   280     TheWoodlands,Texas
QuentinToailoa         DT     6-6   285     Highlands,Calif.(RedlandsE.Val.)
LesterWard             RB     6-3   210     Brenham,Texas
AlonzoWhaley           LB     6-0210        Madisonville,Texas
DavidWhitmore         DB      6-2   190     PortArthur,Texas
JoshWilliams           DE     6-4220        Denton,Texas(Ryan)
*—   Already   enrolled

LINCOLN — Just days after cutting a $3.125 million check to Bill Callahan, the University of Nebraska has partially protected itself from possibly owing Bo Pelini a large sum if Pelini is fired and then rehired elsewhere.

Bo Pelini

Like Callahan, Pelini would be paid his base salary through the remainder of his five-year contract, at this point $41,700 monthly. However, if he then took another position, a mitigation clause states that NU only would owe him the difference, if greater, than his monthly salary in a new post.
That is among the differences in the Pelini contract obtained Wednesday by The World-Herald.
Also of note:
• Pelini would owe Nebraska money if he resigned to take another position, starting at $1 million before Dec. 31, 2008, and decreasing by $250,000 each of the next three years. No buyout was included in Callahan's contract.
• Pelini's overall compensation package is $1.1 million, compared to $1.75 for Callahan in the new contract he signed last September.
• Pelini would stand to make far greater bonuses for winning the Big 12 North ($150,000) and the Big 12 championship (additional $250,000). The same would be available for making and winning the Bowl Championship Series title game.
Callahan stood to make $50,000 for a North Division title and an additional $75,000 for a league championship. But he also was set to make $50,000 for any bowl appearance or $100,000 for a BCS bid (plus an additional $100,000 for winning a BCS game).
• Exceptional bonuses also are available for a particular graduation rate ($125,000) and different Academic Performance Ratings (from $25,000 to $125,000). Callahan's contract did not include incentives for academic achievement.
Athletic Director Tom Osborne said NU was pleased with the process, and said there were "no protracted negotiations" and "no agents." Pelini was hired on Dec. 2, but the contract was held up by his return to Louisiana State to coach the Tigers' defense in the national championship game.
Pelini's compensation between Dec. 2 and Dec. 31, per the contract, was $91,667.
Pelini called negotiation of the contract a simple and straightforward process.
"Coach Osborne and I have been on the same page throughout the process, and it is good to have the contract finalized," Pelini said in a statement. "I appreciate the support and commitment the administration at Nebraska has made to me and my staff, and I look forward to working with them in the coming years."
Pelini, 40, is a head coach for the first time in his career after working in the NFL and then as defensive coordinator at Nebraska, Oklahoma and LSU. His salary ranks eighth among those in the Big 12, ahead of only Gene Chizik at Iowa State, Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State, Dan Hawkins at Colorado and Ron Prince at Kansas State.
Pelini's annual salary may be adjusted, at the discretion of the university, without the necessity of a written amendment to his contract. His supplemental benefits include the use of automobiles for both he and his wife, as well as membership in the Lincoln country club of his choice.
Callahan received his severance pay on Tuesday after being fired Nov. 24. It was owed to him in full, through the 2011 season, despite the fact that he was hired last Friday to become assistant head coach of the New York Jets.

Big 12 football salaries

Mack Brown, Texas
$2.75 million

Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
$2.65 million*

Gary Pinkel, Missouri
$1.85 million

Mike Sherman,Texas A&M
$1.8 million

Art Briles, Baylor
$1.8 million

Mike Leach, Texas Tech
$1.662 million

Mark Mangino, Kansas
$1.524 million

Bo Pelini, Nebraska
$1.1 million

Gene Chizik, Iowa State
$1.025 million

Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
$950,000

Dan Hawkins, Colorado
$936,000

Ron Prince, Kansas State
$755,000

• * - Stoops' salary does not include one-time extra payment

• From newspaper and Internet reports

Here is a brief capsule on the members of the 2008 Husker staff.

Offensive Staff

In announcing Tim Beck’s hire Monday as running backs coach, new Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini completed his staff of nine full-time assistants. The staff possesses a wealth of experience in the Big 12.

Beck has ties to Bo Pelini and Carl Pelini that date to their boyhood. They grew up in the same neighborhood in Youngstown, Ohio, and attended Cardinal Mooney High School. Carl Pelini, Nebraska’s new defensive coordinator, was a senior at Cardinal Mooney when Beck was a junior and Bo was a freshman.

Nebraska will pay Beck an annual salary of $160,000. He had a base salary of $140,400 at Kansas in 2007.
Before joining Kansas’ staff, Beck served three seasons at Summit High School in Mansfield, Texas. He led Summit to its first playoff appearance and district title. He was head coach at R.L. Turner High in Carrollton, Texas, from 1999-2001.
Among his other head coaching stops was Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Ariz. (1993-95), where he coached former Nebraska All-America safety Mike Brown. The team captured the state championship in Brown’s senior year.
At Nebraska, Beck inherits a stable of running backs led by seniors Marlon Lucky and Cody Glenn and sophomores Quentin Castille and Roy Helu. Lucky has been contemplating an early departure to the NFL. Beck said he hasn’t had a chance to talk in-depth to any players or even the coaches.

Shawn Watson—Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks

Watson will be entering his third season at Nebraska in 2008 and his second as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. In 2007, Nebraska threw for a school-record 3,886 yards, including the top three passing days in school history. Watson’s offense averaged 468.2 yards per game, 11^th in the country and the best season average at Nebraska since 1997.

Watson coached the Nebraska tight ends and was the recruiting coordinator in 2006, before being promoted to his current post last January.

Watson has a total of seven seasons of experience as an offensive coordinator in the Big 12, serving in the same role at Colorado from 2000 to 2005. Watson was on the staff of four Colorado teams that won the Big 12 North Division, including a conference championship in 2001. He also has head coaching experience, leading the Southern Illinois program from 1994 to 1996.

Ron Brown—Tight Ends

Brown rejoins the Nebraska coaching staff for the 2008 season, after serving as the Huskers’ receivers coach for 17 seasons from 1987 to 2003. During the first 16 of those years, Brown also coached the tight ends, and he was the most veteran member of Frank Solich’s final Nebraska coaching staff in 2003.

Brown has spent the past four years serving as the Nebraska State Director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He also has served as the national spokesman for the FCA and is a regular columnist for the FCA magazine “Sharing the Victory”. Brown and former Husker Stan Parker are co-founders and co-directors of a statewide Christian ministry called Mission Nebraska.

Under Brown, Husker receivers were known for their tenacity and downfield blocking in Nebraska’s run-oriented attack. His receivers helped Nebraska lead the nation in rushing nine times in his 17 seasons. At Nebraska, Brown coached two academic All-Americans, had 12 players picked in the NFL Draft and 14 others who signed professional contracts.

Brown also served as an assistant coach for three seasons (1984-86) at Brown, his alma mater, and was the head freshman coach at the school in 1983.

Barney Cotton—Associate Head Coach/Offensive Line

Cotton will be in his second stint on the Nebraska coaching staff. He served as Nebraska’s offensive coordinator and offensive line coach on Frank Solich’s staff in 2003, helping Nebraska to a 10-3 record and a victory in the Alamo Bowl. Most recently, Cotton spent three seasons at Iowa State as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. With the Cyclones, Cotton directed a potent ISU offensive attack led by quarterback Bret Meyer and record-setting receiver Todd Blythe. He helped guide the Cyclones to an appearance in the 2004 Independence Bowl and the 2005 Houston Bowl.

Before arriving at Nebraska in 2003, Cotton was the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator for six seasons at New Mexico State (1997-2002). He also served as an assistant at St. Cloud State for six seasons and was the head coach at Hastings College in 1995 and 1996.

Cotton played for Nebraska from 1975-78, starting on both the offensive and defensive lines during his Husker career. He played four seasons in the National Football League with St. Louis and Cincinnati.

Ted Gilmore—Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers/Recruiting Coordinator

Gilmore has served on the Husker staff each of the past three years as the Huskers’ receivers coach and in 2007, he also handled the role of recruiting coordinator. Gilmore’s receivers have posted record-setting numbers under his direction.

Seniors Terrence Nunn and Maurice Purify finished their eligibility as the No. 2 and No. 5 career receivers at Nebraska. Nate Swift will enter his senior season in 2008 as Nebraska’s No. 4 all-time receiver. Gilmore’s receiving corps played a key role in the Huskers ranking eighth nationally in passing offense and 11^th in total offense in 2007.

Gilmore has been a collegiate assistant for 11 seasons, also serving in stints at Wyoming, Kansas, Houston, Purdue and Colorado.

Defensive Staff

Carl Pelini—Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line

Carl Pelini, the older brother of Head Coach Bo Pelini, comes to Nebraska after three seasons as the defensive line coach for Frank Solich at Ohio University. Pelini also has experience at Nebraska, serving as the defensive graduate assistant for the Huskers in 2003, when NU set a school record for takeaways and ranked 11^th nationally in total defense.

At Ohio, Pelini played a key role in the resurgence of the Bobcat program. Ohio’s recent success was highlighted by the 2006 season, when the Bobcats won the Mid-American Conference Eastern Division and played in the GMAC Bowl against Southern Miss. The bowl appearance was the first by the Bobcats since 1968. The 2006 defense ranked in the top 30 nationally in scoring and total defense. This season, Ohio finished with a 6-6 record and senior defensive tackle Landon Cohen earned second-team All-MAC honors for the second straight season.

Pelini spent the 2004 season as the defensive coordinator at Minnesota State on the staff of former Husker player and assistant Jeff Jamrog. Pelini was an accomplished high school coach prior to his first stint at Nebraska. He was the head coach at Fitch High School in Ohio for three seasons, after serving as the head coach and athletic director at Winnetonka High School in Kansas City for five years. He also served as a graduate assistant at Kansas State in 1989 and 1990, and as a restricted earnings coach for the Wildcats in 1991. He played two seasons at Columbia University.

Mike Ekeler—Linebackers

A native Nebraskan, Mike Ekeler joins the Husker defensive staff after spending the past three seasons on the LSU football staff. Ekeler spent the 2005 and 2006 seasons as a graduate assistant coach working for Pelini and the Tiger defense. In 2007, Ekeler worked as an intern for the LSU program.

Ekeler brings an extensive knowledge of the state of Nebraska and the Big 12 Conference to the Husker staff. Before his recent time with Pelini at LSU, Ekeler was a defensive graduate assistant on Bob Stoops’ Oklahoma staff in 2003 and 2004. He helped the Sooners play in back-to-back BCS national championship games and earn a Big 12 title in 2004.

Before his time with the Sooners, Ekeler spent five seasons as a high school coach in Nebraska and Kansas. He spent time coaching at Omaha Skutt High School and Manhattan (Kan.) High School, before getting back into the college game at Oklahoma in 2003.

After graduating from Blair High School, Ekeler played four seasons under Bill Snyder at Kansas State, lettering from 1991 to 1994. He was a special teams standout and was part of two Wildcat teams that played in bowl games.

John Papuchis—Defensive Ends Coach

John Papuchis comes to Nebraska after spending the past four seasons on the football staff at LSU. While with the Tigers, Papuchis worked as a defensive intern, assisting in every aspect of the defensive game plan for the Tigers.

Papuchis first joined the LSU staff under Nick Saban and over the past three seasons has helped the Tigers rank third nationally in total defense each season. In 2007, the Tiger defense featured a pair of consensus All-Americans in defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey and safety Craig Steltz.

Papuchis joined the Tigers prior to the 2004 season after a three-year stint with Kansas. In 2001, he worked with the Jayhawk secondary and then assisted with the linebackers in Kansas' 2003 Tangerine Bowl season.

Papuchis graduated from Virginia Tech in 2001 and earned his master’s degree from Kansas in 2003

Marvin Sanders—Secondary Coach

Marvin Sanders returns to the Husker staff after serving as the defensive backs coach in 2003. In Sanders’ lone season on the defensive staff with Pelini, Nebraska recorded 47 takeaways, including a school-record 32 interceptions and led the nation in pass efficiency defense. In 2003, safety Josh Bullocks recorded a school-record 10 interceptions and became just the second NU sophomore in school history to earn All-America honors.

After his year at Nebraska, Sanders served for three seasons as the defensive coordinator at North Carolina. He helped the Tar Heels reach the Continental Tire Bowl in 2004. Prior to joining the Nebraska staff in 2003, Sanders had assistant coaching stops at Nebraska Wesleyan, Minnesota-Morris, Nebraska-Omaha, New Mexico State and Colorado State. While on coach Sonny Lubick’s CSU staff, he helped the Rams to appearances in the New Orleans Bowl in 2001 and the Liberty Bowl in 2002.

Sanders earned three letters as a defensive back at Nebraska from 1987 to 1989, playing for Tom Osborne and secondary coach George Darlington. He was a starter as a senior in 1989 and earned honorable-mention All-Big Eight honors for a Nebraska team that reached the Fiesta Bowl.

Assistant Athletic Director for Football Operations

Jeff Jamrog

Jeff Jamrog joins Pelini’s staff as Assistant Athletic Director for Football Operations, following four seasons as the head coach at Minnesota State in Mankato, Minn. Jamrog is one of three former Nebraska players on Pelini’s staff and one of five members of the staff who return to Nebraska after having previous Husker coaching experience.

Jamrog led Minnesota State to a 17-27 record in four years, including a 6-5 mark in 2004, the program’s first winning season since 1994. Several Mavericks earned honors under Jamrog’s direction, including two-time Academic All-American Spencer Dickinson.

Before leaving for Minnesota State, Jamrog was an assistant coach at Nebraska for four seasons from 2000 to 2003, when he coached the NU defensive line. The Huskers finished in the top 12 nationally in rush defense twice in that stretch. Jamrog was a three-year letterman at Nebraska where he was a starting outside linebacker in 1987. He was a first-team Academic All-American in 1987 and an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient.