The Nebraska Cornhuskers Are On Life Support

Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

The Nebraska Cornhuskers grew up before our eyes in the first half and then became the monster we have grown accustomed to seeing.  UCLA walked away with a 41-21 win in front of a sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium.

The first half was full of promise. At one point The Nebraska Cornhuskers led 21-3. Then on the Bruins final drive before halftime IT happened again. UCLA drove down the field with ease and made it a 21-10 game. Nebraska once again looked lost on the defensive side of the ball.

The lackluster play continued throughout the second half. It was the same recipe that has doomed the Huskers for several years now. There were penalties, missed tackles, blown assignments, and absolutely no adjustments from the coaching staff. Nebraska looked like a team without direction, a ship lost at sea.

It wasn’t just the defense. Remember that high powered offense that we thought was going to get Nebraska through some tough games? It’s not so high powered after all. In fact, it looked like a poorly run pee wee league offense for most of the second half. Taylor Martinez has digressed each week he has played this season. The lightening fast quarterback is afraid to run the ball, and it is mystifying. How could his natural instinct to take off disappear from his arsenal? Why, or better yet, what is preventing him from doing what he does best?

Penalties are killing this team. Poor decision making and inconsistent play are right up there along side the penalties. This team is not making the progress it should six years into Bo Pelini’s tenure. Something has to change and soon or the Big Red’s future will be dead and gone. I don’t know if the answer is getting rid of Bo Pelini altogether, but his role in calling the defense must come to an end. It’s no secret that John Papuchis is the defensive coordinator by title alone.

Embarrassing losses have to stop. This team is starting to lose the battle of treading water in the world of college football. Those recruits who visited over the weekend, my guess is they are glad to be out of Lincoln. If this team and the coaching staff don’t change the culture of the program soon, The Red Sea will turn into The Dead Sea. Somebody needs to bring the crash cart to Memorial Stadium, this team is on life support.