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Idaho-Nebraska Preview

Sep 7, 2010 - 6:01 PM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Idaho (1-0) at No. 22 Nebraska (1-0), 12:30 p.m. EDT

An impressive debut by Taylor Martinez proved Bo Pelini made the right decision on his starting quarterback. The Nebraska coach, though, is worried about the other side of the ball after a performance he called an "embarrassment."

Martinez looks to build on a strong first game for the sixth-ranked Cornhuskers on Saturday against visiting Idaho, which is hoping quarterback Nathan Enderle will turn in a big effort in his home state.

Pelini kept his decision about who would be the starter a secret until game-time of last Saturday's 49-10 win over Western Kentucky. Martinez got the call and had a sensational debut, running for 127 yards and three touchdowns and completing 9 of 15 passes for 136 yards.

Martinez's explosiveness and big-play ability have drawn raves from his teammates, who have dubbed him "T-Magic."

"It was impressive," said I-back Rex Burkhead, who had 104 total yards and a TD. "You got to see his speed and how he can get downfield in a hurry. He did a great job of making quick decisions and getting the offense in a routine."

The freshman beat out former starter Zac Lee and Cody Green, with both seeing action in the blowout.

"I was just really excited to be able to get out there and play my first college football game," Martinez said.

Nebraska (1-0) wasn't as good on defense against a Western Kentucky team that lost its 21st straight. The Cornhuskers allowed 179 yards rushing after ranking ninth in that department in the Football Bowl Subdivision a year ago.

Seven starters return from that defense, although Heisman Trophy finalist Ndamukong Suh and linebacker Phillip Dillard have moved on to the NFL.

"I thought overall defensively, I thought it was an absolute embarrassment," Pelini said. "I thought it was coached poorly, that starts with me. I don't like anything we did defensively."

While Martinez's debut thrilled the Cornhuskers' faithful, Enderle will be in the spotlight Saturday. The Idaho quarterback is a native of North Platte, Neb., who turned around his career with a terrific 2009.

Enderle was known as a mistake-prone quarterback after throwing 35 interceptions over his first two seasons before finishing with a career-high 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions last year as Idaho (1-0) went 8-5 and won the Humanitarian Bowl.

"He's fired up about this game," coach Robb Akey said. "At the same time, he's taking a very mature approach to it. He's excited for this game and he wants to perform well."

Enderle opened the season by completing 24 of 37 passes for 311 yards in last Saturday's 45-0 win over North Dakota.

He was recruited by Nebraska late in the process but stuck to his decision to attend Idaho.

"He is a good player," Pelini said of Enderle. "He understands the offense. He makes good decisions. He's pretty accurate. He's a really nice player."

The Vandals had no complaints about their defense as they posted their first shutout since 1997. They know it will be tougher in this trip to Lincoln in the first meeting between these teams.

"That's a challenge and a half right there," said Akey about Nebraska. "They're one of the best teams in the country. They're a top-10 program. They've got talent all over the field, they've got very good speed and very good size, and it's going be quite an atmosphere as well."