LINCOLN — During Bo Pelini's press conference Tuesday, he drew a parallel between Nebraska's defensive problems last year and this season's offensive ills.

After Tuesday's practice, Shawn Watson twice made the same comparison.

“You go through growth spurts with a team,” said Watson, the offensive coordinator. “We're very similar to what our defense was a year ago.

“We had all the experience a year ago. It showed on the field. Now we're the inexperienced group. We've just got to keep working.”

Watson's explanation for the offensive slump centers on youth and inexperience. During a 12-minute interview, Watson hit those themes more than a dozen times.

He also said the offense has to become more physical.

“That's something we have to develop. We have to keep coaching it. When you lose (Lydon) Murtha, you lose (Matt) Slauson, you lost some guys that played a lot of football. Jaivorio (Burkes).

“We've lost a lot of guys that played a lot of football, so we've got a lot of guys that are learning how to play physical.”

He said talent on offense is not a problem.

“I think our strength is we're really talented, but we're young. That's just what we are.

“We're a group of guys kind of like our defense was last year, guys that have to develop. We have guys that have to learn to play football at a high level.”

While the 2008 defense was in its first year in a system, the 2009 offense isn't. But Watson said he thinks the comparison is valid.

“When you've got new players, you are (in a new system).”

Watson said players such as Zac Lee and Niles Paul, both juniors at Nebraska, are still learning their way.

“They're playing for the first time,” Watson said. “It takes time to develop those things. It just doesn't come natural. A kid has to log time in order to get better.

“If you take a kid like Zac Lee, he got, what, half of the reps as a (second-string quarterback last year). So he's getting a lot of things for the first time out of defenses in a game environment.”

Texas Tech started four seniors, four juniors, two sophomores and a freshman Saturday. Its quarterback, junior Steven Sheffield, made his third game appearance and second career start.

One of Nebraska's Big 12 North rivals, Kansas, starts three seniors, four juniors, two sophomores and two freshmen on offense. Missouri starts three seniors, two juniors and six sophomores, including first-year quarterback starter Blaine Gabbert.

Of the Nebraska offensive players with at least three starts in 2009, eight are juniors, two are seniors, one is a sophomore.

Nebraska returned three regular starters from the 2008 offensive line: senior Jacob Hickman and juniors Keith Williams and Mike Smith.

Sophomore Marcel Jones played in 13 games in 2008, starting one. Junior transfer Ricky Henry, who redshirted last year, is new to Division I football this season.

Tailback Roy Helu, a third-year junior, rushed for 1,012 career yards prior to this fall.

Wideout Menelik Holt, a fourth-year senior, has played in 38 career games, making nine starts. Paul, a third-year junior, has appeared in 26 career games, making 10 starts.

Tight end Mike McNeill, a junior, started 12 games last year. Dreu Young, a fourth-year junior, has appeared in 26 career games; he has started seven.

Lee, the quarterback, entered the NU program in January 2007. He appeared in only two games prior to 2009.

He and freshman Cody Green are receiving most of the attention this week. But quarterback won't necessarily determine wins and losses.

Watson said he's learned a lot about his players since Saturday's loss to Texas Tech.

“They've got a lot of resiliency,” he said “They're young. They've done a nice job of responding to the challenges we've made to them.”

Contact the writer:

679-9899, dirk.chatelain@owh.com

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