NU FOOTBALL - Virginia Tech 35, Nebraska 30

THE GOOD ...
- THE GAME PLAN WORKED: Nebraska's defensive game plan was to contain Tyrod Taylor, prevent him from gashing NU with long runs, and make him win the game with his arm. Nebraska was successful in doing so, Taylor simply played smart and mistake-free football.
- NEVER SAY DIE: The 'Huskers had every opportunity to check out and mail this game in when it was 28-10 in favor of the Hokies. They didn't. Last year's squad would have. This is a team that is tough mentally and will not quit on a game. The comeback was very impressive, and encouraging.
- HELU THERE: Roy Helu, Jr., has shown himself to be Nebraska's best runner between the tackles, and I am mystified why he is not the starting tailback. Marlon Lucky is a very talented football player, but more in the Reggie Bush mold. It took the Saints a season to realize that Bush is more valuable with a real RB behind center and Bush lined up in different areas to allow him to attack the edge. I am hopeful it doesn't take Watson and Co. that long to realize that truth about Lucky.

THE BAD ...
- UNFORGIVABLE IMMATURITY: My reservations about Bo Pelini's hire centered around his temper. I recall vividly the personal foul he got called against him in the Alamo Bowl against Michigan State. What happens, I thought to myself, if he loses it in a crucial situation? Well, we sure found out. No, the call against Pelini wasn't the reason NU lost the game. But it was a heck of a lot easier for VT to score from the 10 than from the 20, especially with the additional deflating effect of ANOTHER penalty from the team's leader. It's no shock they were distracted to the point where they couldn't make another red zone stop. And it's no shock there was a personal foul on the extra point after the touchdown, making a comeback that much harder. The bottom line is that Pelini is the head coach, and he's got to be the adult on the field. He cannot allow himself to be selfish and indulge his passions to the detriment of this team. Grow the hell up, Bo. Now.
- DANCING ON THE RAZOR'S EDGE: Nebraska's red zone defense kept NU in the game, forcing field goals instead of touchdowns. That's been the hallmark of the defense this year, but that's a dangerous game to play. As the level of competition rises, the defense can't play with fire like that. They have to play just as well between the 20's as they do in the red zone for NU to have success.
- BALANCING ACT: It's becoming clearer that Shawn Watson has no faith in his running game. NU running backs only had 15 carries. Fifteen in an entire game. No wonder the offense was at best erratic. Even if the run isn't successful right away, maintaining an attempt to "pound the rock" sets up play action, allows a defense time to rest, and establishes a physical tempo for the game. VT was coming off a tough road game and NU had the week off, yet it was VT more than NU that looked the more physical team on Saturday. That can't happen.
- 3-3: Of the three games starting with VT on Nebraska's schedule, the Hokies were the most beatable. By losing on Saturday, Nebraska is staring down the barrel of a likely 3-3 start and needing to go on the road to an improving Iowa State team to stay above .500 for the season. That is a daunting task, and will be a huge challenge to this coaching staff if it comes about.

... AND THE REALITY CHECK.
Sadly enough, Nebraska still isn't ready for prime time. Virginia Tech exposed a number of NU's weaknesses, both physical and mental. It seemed clear that Nebraska was not ready for a team of the Hokies' size and speed, at least until the end of the game. They've played with fire starting slow against lesser opponents. They've finally suffered a consequence for doing so.

THE BIG PICTURE
There is a culture change happening in Lincoln, and there's going to be growing pains. We've all spent so much time putting this new staff under the microscope that it's easy to forget that it's functionally a rookie staff with a group of players they didn't recruit. We've seen some rookie mistakes, both from coaching and from players, and as a result NU is 3-1 going into conference play. The critical thing to watch from here forward is if the same mistakes keep getting made. That is how we should be measuring progress in the Pelini era, year one.

THE NEXT GAME
Missouri (-10) at Nebraska. Looks obvious, doesn't it? Mizzou with a week off and a more talented and experienced squad, and Nebraska coming off a deflating loss. But keep in mind, Nebraska's strength is defense, which matches up better with Missouri. Conversely, Nebraska's offense is their weak point, but Missouri's defense is quite porous. It is entirely possible, given that Gary Pinkel is still Mizzou's head coach, that the Tigers could come into Lincoln overconfident after NU's loss. Couple that with Nebraska's favorable strength-vs-weakness matchup, and there might be the ingredients for a happier evening for the Children of the Corn. I'm not calling the upset, but I would take Nebraska and the points on this one.

GBR, baby.