A Nebraska offense that came out flat in
its two biggest games had better improve if the Cornhuskers hope to
keep up with high-scoring Texas Tech this week.

So says coach Bo Pelini, whose 15th-ranked Huskers (4-1, 1-0 Big
12) were unstoppable against BCS outsiders Florida Atlantic,
Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette.

Against Virginia Tech and Missouri, they mostly sputtered.

"We've got to be able to run the ball better," Pelini said
Tuesday. "Not just against Texas Tech, but all the time."

Nebraska's offensive plan against Missouri didn't incorporate
much of the run even though the game was played in a downpour. Zac
Lee forced pass after pass before the Huskers found a spark in the
fourth quarter and wiped out a 12-0 deficit to win 27-12.

Pelini has no qualms with the plan. It's the execution, or lack
of, that bothers him.

"Everyone wants to panic about the offense and what happened
the other night," Pelini said. "It's a team game. You have to
find your way through things. You have to pick each other up. The
offense struggled. When they needed to, they picked it up. Because
of that we won the football game."

The defensive-minded Pelini said he offers an occasional
suggestion to offensive coordinator Shawn Watson, but he leaves the
game plan to him.

"I know this: Our offense is in extremely capable hands," he
said. "You hire good people. You let them do their job. It's been
getting done very well. I have no reservations about what we're
doing on offense."

Neither does Lee.

"People are going to draw conclusions," he said. "That's how
it is here in Nebraska, the football world we live in."

Nebraska averaged 472 yards and 47 points against the non-BCS
opponents but just 303 yards and 22 points against Virginia Tech (a
one-point loss) and Missouri.

Lee completed 76 percent of his passes against the lightweights
but just 40 percent against the major-conference schools.

Texas Tech is second nationally in scoring offense (43 ppg),
passing offense (444 ypg) and total offense (522 ypg).

Pelini hopes to be able to play keep-away with the ball, like
the Huskers did in last year's 37-31 overtime loss at Tech.
Nebraska held a 20-minute advantage in time of possession.

"I don't know if you'll ever be in a game where you have that
kind of time of possession," Pelini said. "The bottom line is we
have to score points. You're not going to shut out this team. You
would like to, but they're a pretty good offensive football team
and we need to match them."

Nebraska, averaging 404 yards and 37 points for the season,
doesn't want to get into a shootout with the Raiders.

If the Huskers are looking to run a lot, they'll have to do it
without promising freshman Rex Burkhead. Pelini said the No. 2
I-back would be out "for a while" after injuring a foot in
practice Monday. Pelini didn't know the extent of the injury.

Burkhead's absence leaves starter Roy Helu Jr. to get most of
the carries and a number of young backs to serve as backups.

Helu and Burkhead have combined for 114 of the running backs'
120 total carries. Austin Jones has three and Marcus Mendoza,
Collins Okafor and Lester Ward one each, all in mop-up time.

"We'll be all right," Pelini said. "I feel worse for the kid.
He's a prideful, tough, competitive guy."