Say this for Bo Pelini: He's apparently not in a hurry.
That is, he's not in such a hurry to win at Nebraska that he's going to compromise his rules or take short cuts with discipline.
Pelini has dismissed junior running back Quentin Castille from the team. If Roy Helu Jr. was No. 1 at running back, then Castille was 1A. He was going to be a major player in what Nebraska does in 2009.
No, it's not like Castille is Ahman Green. But to say this won't impact the team, that NU will just reload, is short-sighted.
At 6-foot-1, 235 pounds, Castille is a load. He's a powerful, bruising back. When it's third-and-short, who you gonna call? No. 19.
Castille became more than a short-yardage threat in the Gator Bowl, when he broke out for a career-day: 125 yards on 18 carries. Reports out of fall camp were that he looked good.
I'm sure Husker fans will have no problem moving on to the next big thing, freshman Rex “Superman'' Burkhead. He may, in fact, be a diaper dandy. But Burkhead has never played a down in Division I. He's also 5-11, 200 pounds. He's not going to supplant Castille's role, which would have been to wear down opposing defenses while Helu danced and darted through them.
Meanwhile, Helu really needs those hamstrings to be healthy.
What does it all mean? Nebraska was a Big 12 North favorite only if everything went right, including quarterback Zac Lee being able to make plays. The Huskers, like many teams in the North, are fragile. They have quality front-line guys, but at this point in Pelini's tenure, the depth isn't there.
In other words, the Huskers' margin for error is thinner than it was yesterday.
You want to applaud Pelini for that. He sees the big picture. But you'd also like to know what Castille's crime was. He's not on the police blotter, as far as we know. For some coaches, if a key guy breaks a team rule, he misses Florida Atlantic or runs stadium steps.
We'll assume it was a repeat offender situation where Castille crossed Pelini's line once too often. Pelini reinstated guard Andy Christensen, who was arrested outside a downtown Lincoln bar last year and pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and criminal mischief. Christensen served a suspension and is back on the team.
Pelini had his reasons. And now there's one less reason to like Nebraska this season.
Contact the writer:
444-1025, tom.shatel@owh.com
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