LINCOLN — The chatter nearly all week outside the Nebraska football camp had to do with quarterbacks, quarterbacks, quarterbacks.

Zac Lee and Cody Green were brought to the front and center, and understandably so considering the circumstances and the high-profile position they play.

In Memorial Stadium, the Hawks Center or the Osborne Complex, however, just as big of a focus or spotlight was planted on the five offensive linemen standing in front of them.

Along with a challenge.

“Coach wants to put more responsibility on the line,'' NU center Jacob Hickman said. “It's now on our shoulders to step up and play the way we can and not have mistakes.''

Forget about cute or fancy. Not after Husker coach Bo Pelini's spirited postgame comments last Saturday about what he wants from his offense. How about rough and tumble.

“I think we have really good linemen, really solid linemen and good run blockers,'' Lee said. “Just let 'em get after it. Let 'em get after people.''

Nebraska lacked any punch-you-in-the-mouth attitude in two Big 12 games where it produced just 175 yards rushing (and 2.8 per carry). From the sound of it, the Huskers are expected to try to pound it at Iowa State some today at Memorial Stadium.

The question hounding them before an 11:30 a.m. kickoff: Can they?

This isn't any massive in-season change comparable to last October for NU. According to Pelini, it just requires a rededication to what he has wanted to see all along.

“It's just we're emphasizing, I'm emphasizing, and we just need more of it,'' Pelini said. “We just need more work at it. We need more reps at it. I mean, it's about hard work and getting down in the trenches and doing it.''

Hickman and left tackle Mike Smith said the offensive line accepted the challenge starting the week. Hickman said any offensive lineman who doesn't want his team running the ball behind him is in the wrong line of work.

But with it comes natural doubt, considering NU has let some opponents dictate what it does simply by the way they align their defense. Not exactly exhibiting great faith in its line.

All NU assistant coach Barney Cotton said he wants to see is “absolute effort and more attention to detail'' from his unit, which has hurt itself with a rash of penalties. As far as taking the challenge on its shoulders, Cotton said the front five should be doing that all the time.

“We can't do it occasionally,'' he said. “We've got to do it every day of the week. We've got to assume that deal. That's our challenge.''

Hickman said he expected Nebraska to “get big'' against Iowa State (4-3, 1-2), referring to sets more heavy with a fullback and tight ends than the four-receiver sets of a week ago. Neither Cotton nor offensive coordinator Shawn Watson confirmed as such, but why would they with Iowa State potentially listening?

Whatever the case, it will be interesting to see if NU quarterbacks work more from under center than in the shotgun. Or if there is a change from the 20 zone reads in the 31-10 loss to Texas Tech (of the 23 called running plays).

Senior receiver Chris Brooks just agreed with Pelini, who said last week that he wanted to see NU “being able to run the football consistently and knock somebody off the football.''

“That's always what we want to do,'' Brooks said. “Going back to that year that we went to the Big 12 championship and we played Oklahoma (2006), the team that ran the football — that bolted down their offense and ran the football — they ended up in the championship game. And that's imperative.

“We just wanted to challenge ourselves and our line and our backs to do that.''

Pelini said it doesn't require any change in offensive philosophy. He said it's not what the Huskers do but how they do it.

“It's about fundamentals, it's about technique and it's about effort — and improving in those areas and playing with a kind of attitude,'' Pelini said. “You don't win football games just by outscheming people. It's about what you do. It's about how you're doing things. That's the area I believe needs addressed.''

Again, though, there's more to it.

I-back Roy Helu is playing with a sore shoulder and possibly still limited in how much punishment he can take. Behind the senior are a host of unproven backs. The I-back best at pounding the football (Quentin Castille) is long gone.

That might be why the line this week was asked to step forward and make it easier on everyone.

“We challenged our line because your mentality of your team — I think for the whole team — comes from your offensive line,'' Watson said. “We've always felt that way.''

Contact the writer:

444-1042, rich.kaipust@owh.com

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