Familiar feel finally returns to NU program

Who says you can't go home again?

A united and excited Husker Nation came together Saturday night to try and help their beloved program pick up the pieces and witnessed Nebraska take the first step in what it hopes is a speedy return to national prominence. A 47-24 victory over Western Michigan probably didn't have anyone walking away thinking the Huskers are BCS-bowl bound, but it's a start.

Besides an opening-game victory that went a long way toward washing down the bitter taste of last year's 5-7 season, perhaps the best part of the season opener was the atmosphere in which the game was played. As is typically the case when a new coach makes his debut, there was plenty of electricity in the air at Memorial Stadium -- this time courtesy of the dynamic duo of Nebraska athletics director Tom Osborne and first-year head coach Bo Pelini.

Three hours prior to kickoff, one young woman strolled down the street proudly sporting a T-shirt that read: "My Bo-Friend's Back." Two other young ladies appeared on the HuskerVision screens holding signs that proclaimed "Bo's a babe."

Yes, it has taken several years, but it seems the great divide between Frank Solich supporters and those in favor of the failed culture flip have finally all come together as one great big happy family again. And it was nice to see.

Afterwards, Pelini balanced the positives and the negatives of the night. There was some good and there was some bad, but Pelini reiterated that the Huskers are by no means a finished product.

The bottom-line sort of guy he is, Pelini noted that in the end, it was a win. That, Pelini said, is exactly what he came back to Nebraska to do.

The lapses not withstanding, there was plenty for Husker fans to like, especially held up against the backdrop of a mostly forgettable 2007 season. Most notably, they saw a defense that played with fire and passion and swarmed to the football.

The ball-hawking style coached by Pelini was evident right away in the first quarter as Cody Glenn stripped WMU's Brandon West and Eric Haag recovered to set up a Nebraska field goal.

Speaking of Glenn, he displayed athleticism at the linebacker position that this program hasn't seen in a while. The converted I-back has little experience at the position, but showed plenty of potential to grow into a major playmaker at the weakside spot with a team-high 12 tackles in his defensive debut.

As the game wore on, a few old problems cropped up on defense as Nebraska's front four appeared to have difficulty sustaining a consistent pass rush and the Huskers too often had to bring the blitz to get the desire amount of pressure on quarterback Tim Hiller.

Then again, being able to put any heat on the quarterback is certainly better than the alternative. That was evident last year as the Huskers managed a Big 12-low 13 sacks in 12 games.

In the end, Nebraska's defense still had too many missed assignments, but its first outing should inspire some confidence. The fact that the unit striving to regain its Blackshirts has a head coach with a defensive mindset certainly doesn't hurt as this staff seems to understand the importance of ball control.

One person who must have enjoyed himself as much as anyone was Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson. Prior to this season, Watson was the OC in title only as former head coach Bill Callahan essentially ran the show.

This was Watson's first true chance to put his own stamp on the Nebraska offense (just don't call it the West Coast offense, please). As Pelini has mentioned numerous times, though, this wasn't Watson's first rodeo. Lest anyone here forget, it was Watson calling the shots for Colorado back in 2001 when the Buffaloes handed the Huskers their 62-36 "Black Friday" beating.

Pelini said he thought Watson had Western Michigan's defense off-balance with his play calls for most of the first half. Nebraska finished with 483 yards of total offense, most of it coming through the air as the Broncos were determined to stop the run and consistently stacked the line of scrimmage.

Nebraska quarterback Joe Ganz seemed to pick up right where he left off last season, completing 20-of-36 pass attempts for 345 yards and four touchdowns as he continues to carve his way into the record books. With the exception of a pair of interceptions -- one ball on a tipped ball and the other he admittedly forced -- Ganz looked totally in control of the Husker offense, despite the lack of a consistent ground attack early.

Overall, Pelini and the Huskers have to come away fairly pleased. They probably wouldn't have been able to beat the Missouris or Texas Techs of the Big 12 world with this type of performance, but then again, they didn't have to beat those teams Saturday night.

With Virginia Tech's lackluster performance in a season-opening loss to East Carolina, a 4-0 start now looms as a very distinct possibility for Nebraska. Then again, this is no longer a program that's in a position to get ahead of itself or look past anyone.

Obviously, there's plenty of time for the continued speculation on the future of this program. For Husker fans Saturday night, it just felt good to be home again.


Terry Douglass is sports editor for The Independent.