The Return of Competition

5 comments so far April 13, 2007 by Darren K. Carlson

Whether it is in free markets or football, there is an almost universal truth that competition makes things better. On the gridiron, competition in practice is born only from roster depth. And with competition comes improvement. With improvement, wins likely follow. Only wins can lead to championships. This is the first year NU seems to have the root of that progression in place. Bolstered by increased depth at many positions, and highlighted by the most high-profile position (quarterback), there is competition at NU this spring that fans have not seen in more than 5 years.

A Rare QB Battle

The battle to replace Zach Taylor obviously leads all the headlines. Not since Newcombe versus Crouch in 1999 has NU had a real competition at quarterback. Ganz versus Keller is a legit competition, too. Ganz may not have as deep a talent pool as Keller, but his acumen with the offense is making Keller push the envelope every day. And, the results are there for Ganz. He led three touchdown drives in the recent scrimmage.

Being totally honest, I think it is eventually Keller's job. But, Ganz is capable. More than anything, he is the right horse to put on the track with a talented player like Keller. Throw in talented-but-injured Zach Lee, newcomer Patrick Witt and even Beau Davis, and I don't think I have ever seen QB depth and competition like this in 20 years of following the Huskers.

Where NU is Thinnest

Defensive line -- Losing all of last year’s starters, the competition is most wide open and necessary along the defensive front for NU.

While experience is in short supply, bodies should not be. NU lists 11 players on their roster at defensive tackle. Everyone knows about Suh and Stienkuhler, who played backup roles last year. The first chance for depth comes in the form of Shukree Barfield and Brandon Johnson. Kevin Luhrs also returns. Joseph Townsend and Kevin Dixon arrive in August. And, newcomers like Seth Jensen, Craig Roak, and Ben Martin must develop in order for NU to have four or five legit players at the position.

And, you must have at least that many. Consider the 2004 season. One of the most under-reported flaws on that team was that it only had two real contributors at defensive tackle. No matter how talented they were, as the game and season wore on, they wore down.

Or, you could listen to Suh. "It's a big issue. We definitely want to solidify four good starters and then also backups. Backups are going to be a crucial thing because we like to rotate and stay fresh throughout the game," he said recently.

The bigger problem appears to be at defensive end. Zach Potter has talent but has not played many meaningful snaps. Barry Turner is out this spring, but should return in the fall. The often-moved Clayton Sievers and emerging Pierre Allen give you a peek at the future but are both still very raw. Walk-on Andy Poulosky has a great motor but not much “upside”. Thankfully, Steinkuhler has the versatility to move outside to the base end position if necessary. But, I think the lack of pass rushers is illustrated best by the recent choice to play linebacker Steve Octavien as a situational pass rusher this spring. New coach Buddy Wyatt has his work cut out for him.

Running back -- NU appears thinnest at a spot where they had an abundance of talent just last fall. Brandon Jackson’s departure and Kenny Wilson’s injury leaves Marlon Lucky to carry the bulk of the load. Cody Glenn is still very talented and willing, but remains hampered by a variety of small injuries. Freshman Marcus Mendoza is very fast, but still to small and inexperience to be a front-line player. Thankfully, NU has enough depth on its roster to move an athlete – Major Culbert – over to running back from the defensive side of the ball. Culbert was an offensive star in high school, and has been a big help to NU so far at a “need” position. Behold the power of legitimate roster depth.

Improvement Through Depth

Quality depth is mounting for two units I am most optimistic for improvement.

Offensive line -- The starters are gelling as a unit this spring - Nicks, Christensen, Byford, Slauson and Murtha, from left to right. But, the competition behind them is intense. With 2006 contributors Mike Huff and Jacob Hickman out injured, Keith Williams and DJ Jones are seeing more repetitions this Spring. There are others, like Jordan Picou and Victory Haines, trying to get time, too. And more players not mentioned here may play a factor. NU has not had nine viable offensive linemen for a season since the mid-1990s. To have depth here would help spell starters to keep them fresh during games, and prevent a catastrophic drop off should something unfortunate happen. Replacing Richie Incognito with a not-yet-mature Kurt Mann springs to mind as an example from 2004.

Don't take my word for it? Slauson recently said, "If you have that battle for playing time, it will make somebody have to rise up to win the job," Slauson said. "That will only benefit our team, as well as ensure we should have somebody pretty good behind him as a backup."

Defensive backfield -- At safety, Larry Asante going heads up against Ricky Thenarse at strong safety makes both players better. Asante must learn more quickly. Thenarse will develop quicker. Perfect. Tierre Green must hold of Brian Wilson and other newcomers at the free safety spot. At cornerback, 4 players - Grixby, Jones, Murillo, West - are working to fill 2 starting spots and stand in the gap created by Zach Bowman's injury. Compare that to last year when NU had very few options after Bowman went down. You must have bodies ready to step in.

And, in the very pass-happy Big 12, you need to have five and six legitimate contributors in the defensive backfield. Last year, NU really didn't even have the personnel to go in to the "nickel" (five defensive backs) much of the time. And, it showed in their poor pass defensive statistics. That won't be the case this year, with or without Bowman.

Deep Corps Become Leaders

Linebacker -- Even at this position of relative "wealth", the competition is thick. Dillard, Brandenburgh and Covey will continue to push likely starters McKeon, Ruud and Octavien now and in August. And you can expect five, six or even seven linebackers to be able to contribute to NU. We have not had that kind of linebacking corps since 1999.

Wide receiver -- The same phenomenon is occurring for the wide receiving corps. NU will have a much deeper fleet of pass catchers in 2007. The front line guys (Purify at "X, lining up outside; Nunn at "Y" or the flanker spot) are well known. But a slew of players - Swift, Hardy, Peterson, Holt and Henry - will see time. And NU still has Chris Brooks in development and Niles Paul set to arrive this fall. When you want and need to go three and four wide in your offense, you have to have many hands available. Compare this to 2004, when NU basically had 2 receivers, or 2005 and 2006 when things were just developing, and the difference is very clear.

And, to whom much is given, much is expected. Listen to this truth from Callahan, delivered via McKeon's ever-ready mouth. “He’s looking at two positions — the wideouts to lead the offense and the linebackers to lead the defense.” Enough said, I guess.

So, does all of this competition mean NU wins the conference in 2008 and goes to the BCS? Not necessarily. Things aren't that simple. But, it illustrates to me that the "restocking" period is pretty much over for Callahan and company. With depth and competition, improvement is likely, and higher expectations more realistic.

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