Shatel: Bo fans flames evading question

Nebraska football losses are only good for two things: doctors who sell high blood pressure medicine and sports columnists who need material:

• As expected, the e-mails from readers runneth over. Several were critical of Bo Pelini blowing off a question after Saturday's loss at Virginia Tech by saying, “You saw it. It was obvious.'' That's good. Fans don't usually care if the media gets its question answered, but I've always felt that they should. If the coach shuns the question, he is, in effect, shunning the fans. Pelini is an emotional guy after games and he doesn't crave press conferences, but they're part of the job. He's the CEO and voice of the program. People have the right to want the head coach to answer to what happened in a game and explain his and the team's actions, good or bad. Besides, Bo, never assume that anything is obvious to the media.

• Inquiring fans want to know: Why punt on fourth-and-one at the Hokies 37 late in the game instead of going for the first down and the clincher? Because if your defense is playing like Nebraska's at the time, you punt every time. Every time.

Here are some other reasons: Virginia Tech had one first down in the second half to that point. NU had taken the crowd out of it. The Huskers were abysmal in the red zone. If you go for it and miss, which was hardly a gimme against the Hokies' defense, you wake up the crowd and Virginia Tech. It's easy to be a swashbuckling coach in the stands and in the press box, but I don't know a coach in college football who would risk that under the circumstances. You punt, pin them down at the 12, let the defense do its thing. Oh, yes, and one more thing. Don't let a receiver sneak behind you.

• On Monday's Big 12 call, Pelini seemed to infer that he should have asked for a replay of Menelik Holt's “bobbled'' touchdown catch that was ruled incomplete. It seems that Pelini asked an official after the play if they were going to replay it and was told no, because Holt had bobbled it. The NU assistants in the booth didn't have a clear view, either. But on Monday Pelini intimated that the film showed Holt had control. Maybe if you aren't wasting timeouts on other things, you don't mind asking for a replay.

• Interesting note from a fan named Craig, who said he fell to his knees when Virginia Tech completed the 81-yard pass, “but one thing made me smile. I realized I hadn't felt this way in a long time, couldn't remember when a loss hurt so bad. Then I realized that I am once again 100 percent emotionally involved in Nebraska football. During the (Bill) Callahan era, ... I got numb to the bad losses and poor coaching.''

• Paging Mr. Castille, Mr. Quentin Castille. Nebraska's “red zone'' offense misses you. Sure, Roy Helu had a breakthrough day as a workhorse back. But when you get near the goal line, you need a horse, period. Castille “was'' that guy for NU.

• This old-timer was not surprised to see Monte Kiffin give Tim Tebow and Urban Meyer fits last week. Kiffin apparently played a zone coverage while rushing four and kept all of Tebow's passes underneath, which frustrated the Gators. Tennessee also hit Tebow hard every time. Kiffin may have been in the National Football League for years, but he's also coached against Bear Bryant, Ara Parseghian and the wishbone offense on a regular basis. Kiffin coached against Jack Mildren and Greg Pruitt in the “Game of the Century.'' There was nothing Meyer or Tebow could show Kiffin that he hadn't already seen.

• Here we go again. Omaha was awarded another NCAA first- and second-round basketball tournament in March 2012 — months before Michael Phelps and Co. will hit the pool at Qwest Center Omaha. The big news was that Tulsa got the 2011 first and second rounds. That crowds the field of NCAA hoop suitors in this region. Wonder how Oklahoma City felt about that?

• Faithful reader Tom Johnson was kind enough to send me a list of famous college football quotes. I'll be using one each week to fit the mood. This week's quote comes from former SMU coach Matty Bell: “There's one sure way to stop us from scoring — give us the ball near the goal line.''

Contact the writer:

444-1025, tom.shatel@owh.com

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