Fresno State

The air show pre-game and flyover during the tunnel walk created an air of anticipation that I haven't experienced in years.  Was the first game a fluke?  Are we really as good as the commentators say?  Tonight would be a referendum on the team.

This week's pregame was phenomenal.  It was HOT, my family's tailgate was delicious and full of energy.  Even the little fans were decked out for the pressure of the night.  Seemed like a perfect setup for what should have been a near perfect game.  We blessed our game ball and wished the Huskers good luck.  They needed it.

The verdict?  Abysmal.  Disarray. Frustration.  Letdown under the lights. 

There are not enough words to describe the miscues and inconsistency that transpired at Memorial Stadium in the Huskers' second home game against Fresno State. 

I will not offer much commentary this week, as I would have to comment on the lack of execution in every aspect of the game - minus special teams.  Maher and Abdullah were the shining stars of the night, and thank goodness they came through.  Martinez's few bright moments added to the turnaround that narrowly avoided an upset by the Bulldogs.  Fresno State deserved the win, and we deserved the spanking that will surely come in practice this week.  We have a long way to go to live up to the hype of a #10 ranking the first two weeks and a Big 10 Championship prediction.  I am prepared to support the Huskers at each step of this journey, but it will be a long a painful one if we don't get our act together, and SOON.

My seat this week was almost as pitiful as the way we played.  I was in the very last seat of the very last row, 47, of the 21st section closest to the South Stadium.  Probably best to have shaded my eyes from the fumbles and missed tackles in Fresno State's endzone the first half.

I'm back to Nebraska in two days for my semi-annual fall meeting with Cather Circle at the University.  Time to get back to the roots I know as Nebraska:  HARD WORK.  Boy, do we need it.