Here’s some of what our local sportswriters had to say following Saturday’s loss to VA Tech…
“For the third time in four games, the Huskers’ running game resembled the Exxon Valdez.” - Sam McKewon for Nebraska State Paper
“We found out that Nebraska is not a physical enough team yet – at least not on offense.” - Tad Stryker for Huskerpedia
“…everyone saw it with their own eyes, the very thing they had been told to fear: Beamer ball up close and personal.” - Brian Christoperson for Lincoln Journal Star
“…the passion Pelini displayed in the tunnel carried over onto the field. Perhaps a bit too much, in Pelini’s case. The first-year NU coach was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after he relayed some frank thoughts to the official who flagged Ndamukong Suh for a late hit in the fourth quarter.” - Kris Knowlton for The Daily Nebraskan
On that last point, I have to agree. That penalty from the sideline might have been the difference in the game. Had we held them to a field goal, we would have won by 2 points. I know it’s Monday, and I’m no quarterback, just saying that passion in a leader is a wonderful thing, provided it can be properly channeled.
p.s. Husker Mike is podcasting!
September 29th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
correction. Had we held them to a field goal, we would have lost by a point. 31-30
September 29th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
But we could have went for 2 and tied it.
October 1st, 2008 at 8:06 am
Mistakes are made in every game, we can all live with that. It will be a long season if we second guess a coach for getting into the game. I don’t think any of us would work under conditions where your every move is scrutinized.
My postive thoughts from the last game are:
For the first time in a long time, the Huskers played for 4 full quarters.
The Huskers played a quality team and didn’t back down when the going got tough. Virginia Tech knew they were in a fight and we came back on them.
We were able to finally make second half adjustments.
Losing isn’t fun, but there is such a thing as losing respectfully , with some dignity , and holding your head up afterwards. That is something I saw last saturday that I hadn’t seen since the Solich and Osborne days..
October 1st, 2008 at 1:16 pm
I agree BRF. But what I would also like to see is some playmakers playing. I hope this staff isn’t like the Loserhan staff that will keep playing the same guys over and over again, even when they are missing assignments and not getting it done.
That is also something we haven’t seen since the Solich/Osborne era.
Just think about the development Tommie Frazier got in the 92′ season when he replaced Grant because he wasn’t getting it done …in what was it… the second game?
October 1st, 2008 at 1:56 pm
You may be right about the Frazier stat, I’m not sure…. but I agree with you. If during the Missouri game we miss tackles on defense and blocks on offense, I would like to see more rotation.
I’ve always felt the defense is important enough to carry a football game and if they let up, even a good offense is in trouble. (some would take the opposite view)
In my mind, after rehashing the first four games, it is the defense that is STILL suspect and , if they don’t improve fast, it could be a long season. Just look at all the offensive machines we are up against.
For me, everything is OK though. I am glad to have Pelini over Callahan and Peterson. However, there is no magic wand here. Heart and character may get us one or two wins against superior teams. But with the talent level in the Big 12 this year, I am afraid it may be hard for us to get past the 6 or 7 wins mark.
I am a realist and I think that isn’t too bad a place for this new era to start…
October 1st, 2008 at 4:07 pm
fred-
i agree with you. im on record saying this year will be 7-5. i think they win the games theyre supposed to win and lose the games theyre supposed to lose (i hope im wrong and they win more though).
i agree with the defense, i think they still have bad habits developed from a terrible defensive coordinator, which unfortunatley resurface at the worst possible times.
btw, i think it was in another post someone brought up asante and how they thought he was terrible or something along those lines. i dont know if anyone has seen when the starting lineups are announced on the big screen during warmups or not, but does anyone notice when asante is one he calls himself the assassin. two things, one, who is calling him the assassin other than him, and two, dont you need to be a premier player in your position to have a nickname like that?
October 1st, 2008 at 4:43 pm
I have been a Big Red football fan since I was a little kid. There are some things I just don’t quite understand. Maybe someone can answer a few questions I have?
Are there, or are there not, 5 or 6 guys on that team, or anywhere on that campus, that could guard a guy for more than 3 yards? What seems to be the problem there? Don’t seem like it would be that hard. If they can’t find any, maybe they could recruit from the Pop Warner league. Are the linemen and linebackers so bad that they have to use the corners and safeties to stop the run?
Because 99% of the teams can throw the ball, it shouldn’t take a rocket scientist of a defensive coordinator to know that he better find some cover guys. Even if they come off of the offense.
If being able to run the ball, will open up the pass, why won’t being able to pass open up the run?
October 1st, 2008 at 5:18 pm
@BRFan
I’ll start backward. The pass can open up the run if it’s the right pass. We should have stretched the field with VT. We should have sent Niles and Holt deep….even throw in a Gilleylen. After watching the spring game, we know he can go deep. Where has that been? I think with Swift and Peterson we have 2 very good possession receivers. That’s it, not too much YAK there. Niles is BY FAR our best run blocking WR. He is a Nebraska guy and some of his pride will eventually rub off.
Now as far as cover skills. If you watch the tape, NU really only gets killed when we are running a ZONE defense. When it’s man 2 man with our 2 safeties helping, we do really well. I think the staff needs to do a better job of explaining who has who and when. We have some very RAW and very athletic DB’s. I am sure that with Bo and Marvin coaching them, they will be very very good when they leave NU.
October 1st, 2008 at 5:26 pm
@BRFred
I think this defense is a little bit better than suspect….. The effort they put forth is good to see now…. and even though VT held the ball for 35 minutes, they still only had slightly over 375 yards. If the defense a year ago could’ve held most teams to that we might have won a few more games. This defense is still young and has been on the field ALOT…. due mainly to the offenses inability to maintain drives. There is hardly any depth at LB, DT, or DE and these guys seem to get better in the 4th quarter. That is a good sign to see. I think this defense would much better if they weren’t having to compensate for an offense that hasn’t found it’s stride yet. Take away the New Mexico State game and we average about 80 yards a game on the ground. I don’t care who you are, that’s not gonna get it done in the Big 12!
That doesn’t mean I don’t have reservations about this defense either. We need to develop some depth. Not in just mop up duty, but in true situations of meaningful game time.
October 1st, 2008 at 6:00 pm
@BigRedFred - I have higher hopes for this squad than six or seven wins. But I may have to dial down the optimism a bit after this Saturday night’s game. I don’t want to, and I hope I don’t have to, but I hear you. We may not be at the nine- or ten-win place just yet.
October 1st, 2008 at 6:13 pm
@huskerBrad
I agree we man up fairly well, I am going to harp on this again but our safeties do not understand deep zone and they also get lost in over help in man coverage. they may only be two of the 7 in coverage but a chain with two links weak and attached at that is gonna bust big time and they do. What I would do is go with your Assante to lb in nickle (Dillard) and move culbert and thenarse to the safeties and bring Ohanolan in to spell thenarse and have Assante spell culbert.
@Bigredfan????????? you have to be a consistent threat through the air to open up the ground game. We have no deep threats on the field so a defense does not have to commit deep help which allows safeties and Lb to key on the run and react to the pass. You need to stretch a defense then you find running room, if you can push the other line off the bal or at least hold your ground
October 1st, 2008 at 7:17 pm
I guess the point I was trying to make is that the deep ball and the quick slants, out of a spread offense, should be highly effective to open up a run game, even if they are not always completed. Has a tendency to get more people out of the box! Two minute offense seems to work pretty well! But then they know you are going to pass! Aha!!
A lot of teams out there seem to make it work every week.
Let’s face it, if the lineman can’t open a hole, it is pretty hard to be a run first offense. Especially, when everyone knows you are trying to establish the run.
Another thing I have never agreed with is that the defense plays poorly because the offense can’t move the ball. If they were good, the other team would be 3 downs and out, also! I always looked at it like they were separate teams. Doesn’t matter what the offense does, the defense has their own job to do. Same with the offense.
Instead of looking at all the talent positions, maybe they should take a long, hard look in the trenches.
I am probably wrong, but it seems pretty simple to me.
October 1st, 2008 at 7:36 pm
good defenses will get hammered on when having to be on the field a lot. A really good defense will be able to shut it down a lot more consistently than a good defense will. I don’t think we have a good or really good defense yet so the more time we can keep them off the field, the better.
Texas Tech has a very potent offense, but has never had a dominant defense. One of the reasons is their offense is so prolific. They can score literally in seconds everytime they touch the ball. This puts a strain on a defense. You need time to adjust, talk to the coaches, and correct other issues. If you are always going back on the field, your time to do that is limited. If your defense is dominant, they will create turnovers that equate to points…. sometimes those points are all your team will need that day.
To prove that, think how many championships the Bears might have today IF they only had a decent offense. Think also how the Ravens won a Super Bowl with TRENT DILFER as their QB.
Dominant defenses will win you games, but they can’t win them all. Sooner or later you will need some balance…. OK here goes RedTillDead……. a little Yin with your Yang if you will.
Our D-Line has played very very well this year. Ty Steinkuhler is having a career year so far. Suh is much much more consistent. Potter gives you everything on every play and Pierre Allen is a pleasant surprise so far.
Our O-line is probably the biggest disappointment so far this year. They need to dominate more. But sometimes holes are not going to be USC versus NU wide and then that’s when it falls on the RB to create. ROY HELU CAN DO THIS! All he needs is a little opening and he will find some yardage. That is why I think we will finally see more of him.
October 2nd, 2008 at 7:53 am
I was at the game last saturday and it wasn’t too pretty. There were a lot of blown assignments on defense and they just didn’t get the job done this week. If this happens against mizzou we are in big trouble. Its going to be hard for the blackshirts to rebound but with Pelini as head coach i think they can do it. The defense needs to rattle chase daniel right away and make him uneasy in the pocket right from the start of the game.
In the Vea. Tech game at least we played with intensity. Last year would have never play as hard or hit anyone as hard. Pelini will have the D ready to go and i now our offense will be great after a sluggish performance. The O-line needs to step it up and make some big hits. The guys will be ready to play and with 85, 000 fans they ought to be pyshed up!