The Nebraska Cornhuskers seem a little down this season. They're ranked 16th nationally instead of fourth or fifth, like usual, and 19-year Coach Tom Osborne admits, "We still have some spots that are not overwhelming."
That's comforting.Most teams worry about having some of their weaker points just good enough; Nebraska's unhappy when every position isn't overwhelming.
"All that is relative," says a slightly amused Utah State Coach Chuck Shelton, whose 0-1 Aggies take what should be their best team in Shelton's six years into Memorial Stadium in Lincoln Saturday for a noon MDT . . . uh . . . football game.
It's one of the many unlikely-to-win situations the Aggies get themselves into each year to make a quarter million or so dollars, and Shelton hopes the Aggies can play it well enough that Osborne at least won't get the chance to experiment.
It's the season opener for the 'Huskers; the Aggies, of course, lost 12-7 at Utah last week.
The 'Huskers seem somewhat uncertain at quarterback, though there's little doubt that Mickey Joseph will start Saturday. Shelton expects one of the 'Huskers' other QB candidates to play some, too.
Osborne has said he'd like to pass more this season, even though he has his best corps of running backs. "As good as we've had as a total group since '83," he says, "and maybe '83 wasn't as deep in quality."
Joseph, says Osborne, "is not primarily a thrower, but he did lead the Big Eight in pass efficiency last year."
Shelton worries more about Joseph's feet. "He does a world-class 40 (4.3 seconds)," he says about Joseph's 40-yard sprint time. Joseph was honorable mention All-Big Eight.
"Maybe they feel the need to pass to win more than nine games," Shelton observes, having prepared his club more for the triple-option out of multiple I formations. "They will not throw for throwing's sake," Shelton says.
Joseph says Nebraska's last full scrimmage went well with the offense. "It's similar to last year, but with the more open passing game, we have a little higher confidence in what we can do on offense," Joseph says.
The 'Husker coaching staff compares one of the blockers on the offensive line, right guard Will Shields, a junior, to former Nebraska greatn Dean Steinkuhler, winner of Outland and Lombardi trophies.
"He's awesome," Shelton agrees. Aggie noseguard Mark Johnson and the linebackers will deal with Shields the most.
Defensively, the 'Husker secondary is good, Osborne says, but the defensive line is his biggest question, partly because left tackle John Parrella won't play, right tackle Brian Brown has knee problems and Kevin Ramaekers, who is to start at LT, injured his back Monday.
"We have some spots that are very good," Osborne says of his team that is tired of going against its own scout team in practice. "I guess about all we can do is play a game or two to find out if we're any good. We've got a chance to be pretty decent."