LINCOLN — The past four days of Nebraska football seem familiar.

One year and one week ago, NU encountered this same kind of crossroads. An identity crisis, we called it in 2008. Offensively, when the Huskers looked in the mirror, they saw no reflection.

Nebraska was trying to play power football with finesse personnel. So it switched systems in midseason. And for the most part, the changes took.

After two weeks of Big 12 play this fall, here we sit again. No identity.

“It's something we need to find, and we're searching for it now,” center Jacob Hickman said. “I think we have been the whole time.”

Nebraska does nothing exceptionally well on offense. Saturday against Texas Tech, it did just about everything poorly.

Along with Kansas State, Colorado and Baylor, it ranks as the only Big 12 teams not among the top 20 nationally in either rushing or passing yards per game. The Huskers are 45th and 55th, respectively.

Is this what we can expect — five or six games into every season, Nebraska needs an offensive overhaul?

“Knowing what you go to in a time where you have trouble, that's huge,” Hickman said. “It's something you can have confidence in, no matter who you play or what you're doing.”

Bad enough Nebraska has spent the first half of two seasons searching for its offensive bread and butter. To make matters more difficult, the lack of identity is set to start damaging NU on the recruiting trail.

What quarterback wants to direct an offense that doesn't know itself — a unit that would almost always rather let the defense dictate the plan than impose its will on a foe?

What running back wants to sign with a school without knowing how he'll be featured?

“Definitely,” Nebraska left tackle Mike Smith said when asked if he believes a potential recruit might value more information than is currently available about the future of the NU offense. “But when you come here to Nebraska, you know you're going into a good program with good coaches.”

At some point, that's not enough.

As Bo Pelini mentioned Tuesday, this week marks his 20th game since returning as head coach.

On the offensive side, NU melded coordinator Shawn Watson and Ted Gilmore from the old regime with Barney Cotton, Ron Brown and Tim Beck. No doubt, it presented a philosophical mix in the meeting room. Growing pains were inevitable in the first year.

This year, the Huskers should have identified their identity in August, if not sooner.

NU coaches say it's all about execution. Surely, though, some of the issues involve personnel.

Three starting offensive lineman look most suited for a physical brand of football.

Nebraska's five-man team of talented tight ends played only a limited role in the past two games. Meanwhile, the quarterback is running an offense that looks not to fit his strength.

It's difficult to draw any other conclusion after watching Zac Lee of late. Lee, as he operated against Texas Tech, presents no running threat, which eliminates the intended effectiveness of Nebraska's zone read.

Still, the shotgun-oriented play accounted for 20 of the Huskers' 23 designed runs on Saturday.

Only twice did the Huskers rush the ball with Lee positioned under center.

What in the name of Tyler Legate were they trying to do? Legate is the redshirt freshman fullback over whose toughness Nebraska coaches and teammates gush. He's another guy, by the way, who doesn't play in this offense.

According to Pelini, all of this talk about the offense amounts to an overblown situation.

“What I've learned over the years is you can't panic,” he said. “You just stay with your process and what you're doing. You keep teaching and keep developing. And in time you turn things that are inconsistency into a consistency and a strength.

“You can't ride the highs and lows. You have to stay consistent in your approach, and eventually it wins out over time. And I believe in that.”

Maybe so, but don't wait too long. Watson said recently that Nebraska wants to recruit one quarterback, one running back, two receivers and four linemen in its class of 2010.

So far, the Huskers count a QB and two linemen among the pledges. Good luck convincing the others that this Nebraska offense is the right fit.

Contact the writer:

402-473-9587, mitch.sherman@owh.com

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