LINCOLN — Nebraska coach Bo Pelini isn't constructing some elaborate plan to fix an offensive unit marred by collective inconsistency.

His lucid blueprint for a revival on offense mirrors the general approach he takes to every aspect of the game.

“It's about stepping up and making a play,” Pelini said Monday night. “You need somebody to step up and go to the forefront, take the challenge and make a play.”

But of late, the offensive players only seem to be capable of up-and-down performances, turning a once-efficient unit into a clumsily executed disaster.

There was that one improbable fourth quarter when Nebraska unleashed a 27-point barrage at Missouri. Other than that, though, Nebraska has managed just 17 points in 11 other quarters against Big 12 competition. And maybe the most troubling aspect of the struggles is the fact that every offensive player has contributed with his own set of mistakes.

“You've got to have 11 at a time hitting on all cylinders to get the correct execution,” Pelini said. “One guy not making a play or one guy not doing his job affects everybody. And that's what happened the other day.”

In a general sense, it's what has happened all season, too.

The offensive line answered a challenge by dominating the line of scrimmage against Iowa State on Saturday. The penalty-plagued unit wasn't flagged, either. But that came after a disappointing effort against Texas Tech when the Huskers allowed five sacks and totaled just 70 rushing yards. During the four games before Saturday, the linemen had been penalized 16 times.

Wide receivers coach Ted Gilmore has juggled his lineup seemingly each week, trying to find players who'll meet his standard of consistency. On Monday, senior Menelik Holt and sophomore Curenski Gilleylen spent part of practice separate from the top unit.

Quarterback Zac Lee torched the three Sun Belt teams but found himself in a full-fledged position battle last week. His 248-yard performance against Iowa State might have been his best against BCS-level competition.

Even Nebraska's most reliable offensive weapon, Roy Helu, has followed a stretch of dominance with an unanticipated slump. He hadn't lost a fumble in his career until losing two Saturday. The 24 rushing yards against the Cyclones were by far a season low.

But Helu is forming the same mind-set that he assumes everyone else on offense will possess throughout the week.

Just plugging away, he said.

When you start sulking about last weekend's eight turnovers or the two-game losing string, that's when you lose focus, Helu said. Then more errors will follow.

“You can be discouraged. There's nothing wrong with that,” he said. “But the wrong is when we're discouraged and we allow that to take us mentally out of practice.”

That didn't happen Monday, according to Helu.

There wasn't much carryover from Saturday's 9-7 loss, a good thing for the Huskers considering Niles Paul said a second-day's film review revealed that the game tape was really as bad as expected.

Drawing the positives out of an eight-turnover day isn't easy. Consider the Texas Tech loss and the players' high expectations after a strong September start, and there's enough disappointment to create some sense of self-doubt.

But the offense has a week to regroup. It will, Paul said, because you never know when one play, perfectly executed by all 11 guys, might spark a resurgence.

“The Missouri game, all it took was that one spark and the offense opened up,” he said. “We came out and we exploded. We have an explosive offense. All we need is just one big play. We're one big play away from just running through teams.”

Contact the writer:

402-473-9585, jon.nyatawa@owh.com