• Video: Postgame press conference with Bo Pelini and selected players:



• VIdeo: Postgame press conference with Arizona coaches, players:



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SAN DIEGO — With his headset strapped on and his play-calling sheet secured between his fingers, Shawn Watson has been biting his tongue a lot during games lately.

He hasn't directed the unit the way he'd like to.

It's why Wednesday's 33-0 Holiday Bowl win feels so good for Watson, the NU offensive coordinator who had limited his approach for the team's benefit since November. He did it to get wins, expecting criticism.

But Wednesday, when quarterback Zac Lee and quarterback — er, running back — Rex Burkhead ran over a normally stout Arizona defense, Watson relayed his plays to the field without second-guessing.

“It was fun to be able to be us tonight,” Watson said as the Huskers celebrated on the Qualcomm Stadium field. “That was fun.”

He flexed his coaching muscles. Finally, he said, things felt more comfortable.

Watson called the game from the press box. It's a bird's eye view Watson prefers, but he had sacrificed it to aid his inexperienced quarterbacks by going to the field for every game since Baylor on Oct. 31.

Creativity and ingenuity went on display Wednesday, things lacking in Nebraska's offensive attack the past six weeks. And Watson said the innovation isn't going away.

“It's more of what we are and what we'd like to be,” he said.

It starts with the Wildcat, a derivative of the old single wing that reappeared in college football a few years ago. The quarterback splits out wide as a receiver, leaving a running back to take the snap and another running back to block or run. Two running backs when you usually have one.

Nebraska unveiled a basic version of it last year, but the Huskers had a more progressive Wildcat attack Wednesday. The first time they used it, on their fourth drive, Burkhead ran 34 yards.

The next play was a reverse call for wide receiver Niles Paul that resulted in 20 yards. Then four snaps later, Burkhead was lined up under center again, taking the football into the end zone from 5 yards out.

They covered 82 yards in seven plays on that drive, showing formations and calls that they hadn't utilized in some time. They adjusted and evolved from there as the game progressed.

It just so happened, running backs coach Tim Beck said, Arizona's defense was susceptible to those types of strategies.

“They're a fast-flow, very aggressive pursuing defense,” he said. “We felt not blocking some of them, confusing the looks ... We had a variety of different ways that we did what we did to confuse them and slow them down.”

Arizona coach Mike Stoops said his defense lacked an “edge.” It appears that the NU offense would like some credit for taking that away.

Arizona's defense came into the game allowing 111.9 rushing yards per game, ranking 22nd nationally and second in the Pac-10. California had 176 rushing yards. Oregon totaled 175.

Nebraska totaled 133 rushing yards by halftime, largely on the four legs of Burkhead and Lee.

The NU quarterback operated the zone read play out of the shotgun a number of times. Lee wasn't afraid to tuck the football away and run it.

He finished with a team-high 18 carries for 65 yards. Burkhead had 17 runs for 89, and many came when he took a direct snap from center.

The Wildcat formation has been installed since mid-November, perfectly suited for an instinctive and elusive back like Burkhead who can make adjustments on the fly. “We'll call it Rex's ball,” Watson said.

Burkhead doesn't mind, just as long as it's working.

“We had tremendous confidence in it,” he said.

But the coaching staff says Wednesday's approach wouldn't have been reliable any sooner in the season.

Nebraska gained 106 yards in a 13-12 loss to Texas, turning it over three times and never scoring a touchdown. Things couldn't have gone much worse, right?

Watson still thinks the formula NU used against the Longhorns and during the five-game win streak — that conservative, low-risk, punt-before-pick mentality — was right for the team.

“I'll be honest with you: I knew I was going to take some shots for it because everybody's into stats,” he said. “But it wasn't what was best for 135 players or the staff. It was about finding a way to win five games at that point.”

Take away a 410-yard, 31-point performance against Kansas and Nebraska's offense had averaged 192.5 yards — and 3.3 yards per play — in four games in November and early December.

But there was confidence among the players. They just needed a chance. They took advantage of it Wednesday, Paul said.

“We made a big statement,” he said. “We came out here and showed we can play ball. Everybody doubted the offense, but we just wanted the opportunity to go out there and show everybody what we can really do.”

Take notice, Watson said. The way Nebraska operated its offense is very similar to his vision for the future, he said.

“We want to be a team that (uses) a ball-control passing attack that's able to take shots, a good play-action game — a team that can spread the field,” Watson said. “That's where we want to be, and that's who we will be. That's just the way we've recruited and how we're building our program.”

Contact the writer:

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

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