HUSKER'S "REVERSAL OF FORTUNE" DOWNS 'CATS, 73-31

BIG WED WAP-UP
What a difference a week makes. What a difference Memorial Stadium makes. And what a difference Joey Ganz made in his first home start. The kid can play. In fact, Joe "Give Me A Chance" Ganz led the Huskers to a 73-31 butt kicking of Ron Prince's Wildcats, quarterbacked by Josh "We Ain't Comin'" Freeman.

How do you explain the fact that the Huskers one week earlier had surrendered over 70 points to the current BCS #2 ranked Kansas Jayhawks and turned around a week later and put over 70 on K-State? What is astonishing is that both scores were all time records for Nebraska. The 76 points KU scored on the Huskers on November 3rd are the most ever scored against Nebraska in over 100 years of playing football, while a week later, the Huskers posted 73 on K-State, which is the most points ever scored on K-State by Nebraska.

Think about that for a moment. Not even the Jerry Tagge/Johnny Rodgers teams of the 70s did it; nor did the "Scoring Explosion" of the early 80s or even the two national championship teams led by Tommie Frazier or the one led by Scott Frost were able to score that many points on K-State. And during that time, Kansas State had some pretty sad football teams.

What in the name of Bob Devaney is going on here? Did Joe Ganz make that big of a difference? Can one player have that much influence?

Certainly Courtney's first quarter kickoff return for a touchdown didn't hurt the Husker cause that day. His return seemed to be the spark the Huskers have been looking for for a long time.

Ganz's play just might speak volumes about Bill Callahan's decision-making ability, or lack thereof. What is stunning is Callahan's refusal to play Ganz earlier in the season-especially at Missouri and at home against A&M and Oklahoma State. Amazingly, while trailing 38-0 at the half at home to the Cowboys (a good, but not great team), there Ganz was, sitting on the bench. And if, as Callahan said in fall camp, "the two players are neck and neck in the battle for the starting job", why didn't Callahan see what Joe could do? What was there to lose? Amazing.

And speaking of the Oklahoma State game, Callahan should have dismissed his buddy Kevin Cosgrove right after that game. He should have told Husker Pride Worldwide that this kind of shabby defense is unacceptable and is an embarrassment to the tradition of Husker football. Instead, he glossed over the miserable play of the defense.

Frank Solich was fired largely due to Solich's undying devotion to Jammal Lord. Cosgrove will likely prove to be Callahan's Jammal Lord and result in Callahan's dismissal.

The only real negative take on the K-State game, was Callahan's decision to bring Marlon Lucky off the bench to score on a 4th and goal situation. Using Lucky, with the Huskers leading 66-24, was a cheap move on Bill Callahan's part to run up the score on the hapless Wildcats. Callahan shouldn't have done it. It's bush league.

And don't misunderstand me, had it been a reserve running back running for the TD, I would have had no problem with that. But using Marlon at that stage of the game could have led to a senseless injury to Marlon.

Anyway, the day of the K-State game was almost balmy-especially for November in Lincoln, NE. I went to the game with my long time buddy, Jerry, his son, Alan and Alan's 5 1/2 year old daughter, Abby. (See photo of Alan and Abby.)

                  
FROM THE EMAIL BAG
Husker Dan:
I was explaining this Husker football season to a friend of mine who is a Hurricane fan and I explained it like this. I call it the "Double Coyote."

The 2007 Nebraska football season started out like a Saturday of a big first date with a girl you met on the Internet. She is a hot chick in the photos and your picking her up at 7 for dinner and a night on the town. Reservations at a high-end restaurant. You are very optimistic that things are going to go very well.

When you show up to get her and she opens the door, she has put on 50 lbs. since the photo was taken 8 years before and she's missing a tooth and has a mullet. You figure "what the hell, let's see if some alcohol can beautify this girl." Instead of the fancy restaurant you head strait to a bar called the "Joker" and order double shots of Cuervo and then Jack Daniels with coke (pop in Nebraska). Without food, you and the girl are both hammered by the end of the night and headed back to your place with a perfect ten hanging on your arm. You call a cab and the rest is black form there. You wake up in the morning at her place with a headache so bad you can't even think. You look down to see that your wearing a wedding ring, you have a bloody tattoo on your arm of Dale Earnhardt and you too are now missing a tooth. As you try to make your escape, you implement the "double coyote" law which states that you must chew your arm off to avoid awaking your new bride, and then you chew off your other arm to make sure you are never in the same situation again.
Matt
Ft. Lauderdale
PAVELKA! PAVELKA! PAVELKA!
Dear Husker Dan:
I'm writing you to see if you can do something to help us get Kent Pavelka back doing the radio broadcasts of Husker football games now that Jim Rose has retired. Kent's resume is there for everybody to see and to listen to. He spent many years doing a fantastic job of being Lyell Bremser's replacement. And he already does Husker basketball. He'd get my vote to be the "new" Voice of the Huskers.
Can you use your influence to help bring him back? I know you did an interview with him some time ago. We have to get him back at that microphone where he belongs. Now's our chance, Husker fans. Let's "Bring Back Kent"!
Matt S.
Lincoln, NE
Dear Matt: I'm not too sure I have much influence on anything-especially on who is going to be the PBP guy for Husker football. But I'll try. I agree with you that Kent it would be great to have Kent back doing the PBP for the Huskers. He's already shown he can do the job and he's already expressed his interest in the job.

If there are others out there who feel want to see Kent Pavelka come back, let me know and I'll post your responses in this column. Thanks for writing.