Cornerstone Printing & Imaging BS Poll

LINCOLN (BS) -- For the second straight week, Demorrio Williams wreaked havoc on "D" as Nebraska labored for a 31-7 win against Utah State.

It was not surprising that "Super D" messed with the lightly-regarded Aggies, but his stat line was something out of "Super Tecmo Bowl" on the 1980's Nintendo Entertainment System.

Consider the carnage: Three sacks, two forced fumbles, one recovered fumble, a pass breakup and eight tackles.

However, he wasn't the only "D" that made headlines. The day also belonged to two freshmen who made their debut before 78,000 Big Red faithful.

On offense, we finally met Joe Dailey, the man-child phenom who many view as the "next" Husker QB. Unlike the others, this kid is considered a passing quarterback who can also run.

When he initially committed to Syracuse, Dailey was even compared to Donovan McNabb. (The latter is considered one of the elite players in fantasy football.)

We admit, we were impressed with his accurate throws and uncanny scrambling ability. We also liked his "balance" of 47 yards passing and rushing.

However, he was operating against a beaten and defeated USU defense, and his drives generated a mere three points. He also compounded NU's red zone woes with a goal line fumble.

Still, his performance has us feeling much better about this season and beyond. Of course, the same could be said for NU's newest weapon on special teams.

Unlike Dailey, David Dyches was virtually unknown before Saturday. After Sandro DeAngelis badly missed his first PAT, "Double D" got the call and nailed all four of his field goal attempts.

His longest was only 29 yards, but the important thing is that, unlike the first game, none were shanked or blocked. He was also the first PK since Kris Brown to make four in a game.

Aside from the standout "Ds" on defense, offense and special teams, this game was eerily similar to last week's opener in many ways.

We took a bend-but-don't-break approach on defense in the first quarter, giving up a touchdown and the majority of Utah State's yards for the game.

The Blackshirts settled in after that, and like their performance against OSU, they completely controlled the game in the second half.

On offense, points came slowly as poor execution and penalties continue to doom NU in the red zone. The good news is that our time of possession advantage was more than 16 minutes.

With Penn State coming to town, the question is whether NU can maintain its intensity on defense while improving its offensive productivity?

We don't know, but don't put down your controller... er, we mean... remote.