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SCOUT’S NOTEBOOK: NEBRASKA@WISCONSIN

Nebraska’s first shot at conference play as the newest member of the Big Ten wasn’t one for the time capsule in a humbling 48-17 loss to Wisconsin. While the Blackshirts remained competitive throughout the first quarter, the Badgers were just too big and disciplined for a Cornhusker group that looked spent and confused for much of the night last Saturday.

Big uglies clear the way

Although there’s been a lot of Heisman buzz regarding Badger quarterback Russell Wilson in recent weeks, Wisconsin’s mauling front five is the team’s true dominant force. In fact during the first five weeks of the season, the offensive line has been pounding opponents into submission on regular basis.

But one popular misconception about the line is that it is composed of gargantuan behemoths that don’t move very well. Each one of Wilson’s bodyguards exhibited their ability to pull and even make plays in space if necessary.

Center Peter Konz and right guard Kevin Zeitler got the party started on Wisky’s second possession by steering Nebraska’s defenders to the left, clearing out room for Monte Ball who surged forward for 10 yards.

Three plays later it was left guard Travis Frederick’s turn to pull right and seal the edge for Ball who scooted for 11 more yards. The running back was back at it again on the following snap, as he followed the lead of left tackle Ricky Wagner who drove his man off the line of scrimmage and paved the way for a 7-yard advance.

The 6’4”, 330-pound Frederick, in particular, is a heady interior blocker who uses excellent technique to get inside of his adversaries and redirect them. He appears to be the strongest of the bunch, but he combines that brawn with an impeccable work ethic and tremendous balance to stay on his feet.

Off the field, the sophomore is a star in the classroom, who majors in computer engineering and computer science. In addition, his feats of strength are legendary, as evidenced by the fact that he’s closing in on former fullback Chris Pressley’s offensive school squat record of 770 pounds.

Frederick’s sheer power came in handy when controlling first-team All-American defensive tackle Jared Crick one-on-one in pass protection. The guard’s footwork can still use some refinement, but it seems to be getting better every week.

Right tackle Josh Oglesby has been slow to recover from a knee injury during the early part of the year, often appearing slow and sluggish. But even the 6’7” senior appeared to be lighter on his feet versus Nebraska, as she showed the agility to dance with smaller, quicker players coming off the edge, such as defensive end Jason Ankrah.

Konz is a unique center in that he’s bigger than most players at his position at 315 pounds. What’s also extraordinary is the way he can snap the ball and get downfield to block at the second and third levels. He did a fantastic job picking up an oncoming Crick during a 2^nd-and-6 play from the Nebraska 11 yard line by extending his arms and walling off the 285-pound defensive tackle.

The massive junior runs downfield with the grace and fluidity of a much smaller individual. But what also sets him apart is his alertness in reading and picking up the blitz. It would come as no surprise if Konz wound up being a first round pick next April.

Wilson weaves his magic

Although Russell Wilson is relative newcomer to the Badger squad, he’s playing as if he’s been there for years. The dual-sport athlete was flawless in his delivery and execution, outside of one or two ill-advised throws into double coverage.

Down 7-0 in the first quarter, Wilson dropped a perfect lob into the waiting hands of tight end Jacob Pedersen, who let the ball slip off his fingertips. Two plays later, the former North Carolina State field general accelerated away from the clutches of an oncoming Cameron Meredith and raced down the left sideline for a 21-yard gain.

While there were some concerns about how Wilson would adapt to a pro style system in the Big Ten, the senior signal caller has clearly benefitted from having an impenetrable wall protecting him and a strong running game. He looked very comfortable surveying the field and generally threw very catchable balls to his targets.

At the 12:45 mark of the second quarter, he went deep for his big receiver Nick Toon with a high, accurate throw that took advantage of the receiver’s 6’3” frame.

Wilson featured his trademark quick release during the contest along with an impressive touch, often hitting the intended target in stride or anticipating his break.

The Virginia native proceeded to hit his receiver, Jared Abbrederis, with a perfectly thrown slant in tight man-to-man coverage and later connected with Pedersen on a 28-yard hook-up by placing the ball high enough to where only his 6’4” tight end had a chance to haul in the pass.

Wilson’s arm strength was on grand display right before halftime when he launched a 46-yard bomb to Toon on a text-book post pattern, which put Wisconsin up 27-14.

The Heisman contender completed 14 of 20 throws for 255 yards and two touchdowns. While he may not be as tall as most quarterbacks at 5’11”, Wilson made every type of throw and sometimes made them with defenders in his face.

Where he can stand to improve is in his accuracy when he rolls to his left. It is in these moments when he tends to underthrow receivers, who must often break momentum and reach down in order to secure the grab.

His athleticism is off the charts. Despite lacking sprinter’s speed, Wilson has loose hips to change directions and effortlessly shake pass rushers in very confined spaces. Although his size may knock him down to the mid rounds should he pursue a career in the NFL, he has the arm, touch, smarts and mobility to be a starter at the next level.

Having a Ball

Monte Ball ran a lot of plays out of the Power I and benefitted from the initial push afforded by his offensive line, which allowed him to get to full speed and whisk by the opposition.

There were plenty of plays in which the 210-pound thumper just blasted it up the gut for 9 or 10 yards, but Ball did also flash the cutback skills to cut right when his offensive line steered the defense to the left. His vision and timing in sticking his foot in the ground and changing course were remarkable.

For the most part, however, Ball gained his 151 rushing yards by running hard and exploding into defenders. That proactive, go-getter attitude is contagious, flowing from the offensive line over to the skill positions.

The smaller, shiftier James White only saw 11 carries compared to Ball’s 30, but did exhibit his lightning quick feet through the hole, even though he isn’t built to take a pounding like his teammate is.

A nice little TOON up

Senior Nick Toon is having a fantastic season. The 6’3” wideout has improved in every area of his game this year, particularly his route running, which baffled more than one Nebraska defensive back last Saturday.

The smooth running playmaker used his size to come down with a jump ball on a 38-yard deep fade in between two defenders at the start of the second quarter, showing excellent concentration to finish the play.

Toon was masterful on a 46-yard touchdown catch right before halftime. He sold an outside move to cornerback Ciante Evans and then suddenly cut back to the middle on a well-executed post route that knocked the defender off balance and moved the deep safety out of place as well.

The younger Toon has been blessed with a lot of his father’s (Al Toon) traits in the manner he uses his head fakes to deceive his cover man, not to mention his strength to get off the line of scrimmage and make plays in traffic.

He may not be a speed demon, but his instincts, size, route running and versatility in playing all three wide receiver positions are good enough to make him a Day Two draft pick.

Mixed results for Nebraska’s big three

Jared Crick, Lavonte David and Alfonzo Dennard are all future NFL pros, but they didn’t all play up to their billing versus the mighty Badgers. Dennard, in particular, authored a poor showing. In the third quarter, the cornerback fell hook, line and sinker for a Toon fake, as the receiver motioned to the outside and then ran straight upfield for the uncontested pass, which went off the receiver’s fingertips.

David put up the best performance out of the trio. The Miami product was a constant thorn in the side of Wisky’s offense. Early on, he exploded through the line of scrimmage on a well-timed blitz and grabbed Wilson around the ankles for the sack. Pederson wasn’t quick enough to pick up the tenacious linebacker.

Everything about David is quick, quick, quick. He’s reacts to things instantly and hits the opposition with a purpose. While he’s known as more of a downhill defender, he is very capable at picking up backs and tight ends in zone coverage.

At 223 pounds, David is built more like a safety and he’ll have to add some bulk in order to stand up to big men in the trenches.

Crick was off to fast start by using his violent hands to power through Frederick and drop Ball for no gain on the game’s very first play. Two downs later, the very alert lineman was quick to motor through an open crease and nearly sacked Wilson, who sidestepped the big man and completed his pass to Abbrederis for a first down.

After that first series, however, Crick was rather quiet, but not for a lack of effort. Frederick, in particular, did fine work in fighting off the Cornhusker’s hand movements.

There’s nothing fancy about Crick. He’s a strong bull rusher who turns guys sideways and diagnoses plays. But he isn’t big enough to be a defensive tackle in a 4-3 nor is he quick enough to be an end in that same alignment. He projects as a 3-4 end who will very hard to push back.