A Candid Conversation With Nebraska Offensive Coordinator Tim Beck, Parts 1 & 2

[Abdullah the Butcher]

This is one of the things that annoy me about Beck.

http://m.omaha.com/huskers/mckewon-tim-beck-s-plan-reactive-risky-husker-offense-s/article_b013df9d-8c21-5519-b5f1-5e12f7ec3b83.html?mode=jqm

“When they play man-to-man coverage like they do, they could win eight of them and we win two (out of 10), they're probably 14 points with the guys we got,” Beck told The World-Herald's Dirk Chatelain. “We just didn't make those plays.”

Actually, Kenny Bell made a big catch on the first drive and Beck's right: It led to a touchdown. An inside screen to Quincy Enunwa would have if tackle Brent Qvale hadn't impeded his path.

Still: If Beck's comfortable with two out of 10 — that's two or three drives where Nebraska punts. Two or three drives where Minnesota holds the ball for an eternity.

Relying on receivers to catch deep balls from a rusty quarterback? That's risky on the road, in the cold and the wind, no matter how much you believe in the matchups. I watched Bill Callahan do that at Iowa State in 2004, throw 43 times with Joe Dailey as his starting quarterback because the matchups were there. NU lost 34-27, despite forcing seven punts and averaging 5.6 yards per rush.

Saturday, NU forced five punts and averaged 6.3 yards per rush. Beck stuck with the throw game.

His plan is to succeed twice while failing 8 times passing instead of taking the 6 yards a rush the other team is allowing.

 

[clyde40]

Since so many people want our offense to be like Auburn, Alabama, Stanford, or Michigan State, let's see if we can match each team to it's stats. Each team is labeled A, B, C, D, or E with passing-rushing attempts and passing-rushing yards for each game.(schedules are jumbled up and conference championship games not accounted for)

Team A:

1. 37-27 127-210

2. 27-29 246-143

3. 17-49 151-240

4. 18-51 158-261

5. 18-32 88-185

6. 28-40 322-238

7.35-35 417-186

8. 13-66 103-274

9. 20-41 100-179

10. 18-36 143-162

11. 22-34 197-205

12. 27-41 207-197

13. 25-50 227-192

Team B:

1. 7-53 35-444

2. 34-36 339-120

3. 42-40 236-379

4. 17-48 93-282

5. 9-46 133-233

6. 27-57 243-323

7. 22-43 201-511

8. 32-53 224-213

9. 18-59 206-422

10. 27-53 217-232

11. 20-46 99-295

12. 19-50 167-301

13. 16-52 97-296

Team C:

1. 24-28 110-96

2. 29-37 334-234

3. 24-37 180-352

4. 28-37 275-204

5. 32-33 187-196

6. 30-35 387-129

7. 34-30 296-181

8. 20-42 179-193

9. 27-21 272-66

10. 29-35 277-218

11. 20-32 184-251

12. 32-40 180-254

13. 36-44 369-299

Team D:

1. 23-43 145-128

2. 28-46 194-285

3. 26-51 310-335

4. 31-56 184-251

5. 36-41 192-168

6. 22-63 155-375

7. 35-42 203-128

8. 42-50 277-195

9. 32-32 210-182

10. 37-37 199-89

11. 16-43 163-144

12. 30-30 139-189

13. 20-50 186-335

Team E:

1. 37-42 116-181

2. 33-39 252-142

3. 31-47 235-238

4. 16-55 208-269

5. 20-31 143-181

6. 32-49 270-277

7. 32-48 193-168

8. 36-35 254-119

9. 26-41 112-182

10. 23-40 293-171

11. 24-38 94-171

12. 36-35 332-65

13. 44-37 277-135

 

[Abdullah the Butcher]

Since so many people want our offense to be like Auburn, Alabama, Stanford, or Michigan State, let's see if we can match each team to it's stats. Each team is labeled A, B, C, D, or E with passing-rushing attempts and passing-rushing yards for each game.(schedules are jumbled up and conference championship games not accounted for)

You have 4 teams and 5 letters.....do you want us to put Nebraska on there also?

I'm mostly guessing here.

Team A - Alabama

Team B - Auburn

Team C - Stanford

Team D - Nebraska

Team E - Michigan State

 

[clyde40]

Yes Nebraska is also included.

 

[Hayseed]

The best fancy passing team in the country, Oregon, comes up short against teams with quality DB's who can run stride for stride with their receivers. Eventually they make a big mistake or tire and are unable to execute at 100%. That's my big complaint about modeling our offense after this style. A great blocking offense that can wear down a defense and also execute the perfect pass play when the timing is right will always be my choice. I'm okay with the QB who can run, but the injury stats of the best running QB's ever makes me want to limit the running to mostly open field scrambles. I don't want my QB limping around out there and unable to perform because of nagging injuries.

 

[clyde40]

Since so many people want our offense to be like Auburn, Alabama, Stanford, or Michigan State, let's see if we can match each team to it's stats. Each team is labeled A, B, C, D, or E with passing-rushing attempts and passing-rushing yards for each game.(schedules are jumbled up and conference championship games not accounted for)

You have 4 teams and 5 letters.....do you want us to put Nebraska on there also?

I'm mostly guessing here.

Team A - Alabama

Team B - Auburn

Team C - Stanford

Team D - Nebraska

Team E - Michigan State

You did get three correct. I'll give away that Auburn is team B.

 

[Abdullah the Butcher]

The best fancy passing team in the country, Oregon, comes up short against teams with quality DB's who can run stride for stride with their receivers. Eventually they make a big mistake or tire and are unable to execute at 100%. That's my big complaint about modeling our offense after this style. A great blocking offense that can wear down a defense and also execute the perfect pass play when the timing is right will always be my choice. I'm okay with the QB who can run, but the injury stats of the best running QB's ever makes me want to limit the running to mostly open field scrambles. I don't want my QB limping around out there and unable to perform because of nagging injuries.

Oregon was only 21st in passing but I agree with your premise.

 

[ZRod]

That's a good metric not including the CCGs Clyde.

*Possible Spoilers*

Leaving off the extra games NU is in the middle of all the teams mentioned so far. Would you fellas believe we rushed the ball as many times as Stanford and they had one extra game, or that we had more rushing attempts than Alabama, Michigan State, and Wisconsin?

 

[Abdullah the Butcher]

That's a good metric not including the CCGs Clyde.

*Possible Spoilers*

Leaving off the extra games NU is in the middle of all the teams mentioned so far. Would you fellas believe we rushed the ball as many times as Stanford and they had one extra game, or that we had more rushing attempts than Alabama, Michigan State, and Wisconsin?

Already knew that, like I said earlier it's more about the how and not the end result.

 

[clyde40]

That's a good metric not including the CCGs Clyde.

*Possible Spoilers*

Leaving off the extra games NU is in the middle of all the teams mentioned so far. Would you fellas believe we rushed the ball as many times as Stanford and they had one extra game, or that we had more rushing attempts than Alabama, Michigan State, and Wisconsin?

Already knew that, like I said earlier it's more about the how and not the end result.

So you would accept less production, and more passing if it meant they were in an I or Ace set instead of shotgun, or am I missing something?

 

[Abdullah the Butcher]

That's a good metric not including the CCGs Clyde.

*Possible Spoilers*

Leaving off the extra games NU is in the middle of all the teams mentioned so far. Would you fellas believe we rushed the ball as many times as Stanford and they had one extra game, or that we had more rushing attempts than Alabama, Michigan State, and Wisconsin?

Already knew that, like I said earlier it's more about the how and not the end result.

So you would accept less production, and more passing if it meant they were in an I or Ace set instead of shotgun, or am I missing something?

I would enjoy those very much, I'd lean more towards the Auburn/Wisconsin side of the run/pass scale. I prefer physical running to finesse spread, wear teams down and hit them with a play action setup.

 

[Hayseed]

The best fancy passing team in the country, Oregon, comes up short against teams with quality DB's who can run stride for stride with their receivers. Eventually they make a big mistake or tire and are unable to execute at 100%. That's my big complaint about modeling our offense after this style. A great blocking offense that can wear down a defense and also execute the perfect pass play when the timing is right will always be my choice. I'm okay with the QB who can run, but the injury stats of the best running QB's ever makes me want to limit the running to mostly open field scrambles. I don't want my QB limping around out there and unable to perform because of nagging injuries.

Oregon was only 21st in passing but I agree with your premise.

I said fancy passing.....wide open spreads and trickery that amounts to a great record against teams that can't match up in stamina and depth but falls short against top competition. Many of the yards come from running through the huge gaps caused by this oddball offense. To me the win/loss record and domination mean more than the stats.

I agree that we're on the same page. Even though we're forced to play a more physical running style, I often get the feeling that Coach Beck wishes we were Oregon. However, I don't think this was implied by him in the interview; he was just stating the facts about the effects of the rule changes on the modern game. I suspect many coaches feel they have to engage in a shootout to keep up with these grassketball offenses rather than relying on ball control and that may be true for teams with lousy defenses. I believe the Husker's success will live or die with the performance of the defense and look forward to a really good one combined with a mistake free, grinding ball-control offense.

 

[Abdullah the Butcher]

Another note, Nebraska was 77th in time of possession last year, we are making the defense work on short rest and not producing long, grinding drives. In comparison the other teams we are talking about are all in the top 30 except for Auburn who's defense was atrocious most of the year.

 

[Saunders]

<snip> trickery that amounts to a great record against teams that can't match up in stamina and depth but falls short against top competition. Many of the yards come from running through the huge gaps caused by this oddball offense. To me the win/loss record and domination mean more than the stats.</snip>

This was said about the offense we used to run, until we won 3 out of 4 championships.

 

[Saunders]

Another note, Nebraska was 77th in time of possession last year, we are making the defense work on short rest and not producing long, grinding drives. In comparison the other teams we are talking about are all in the top 30 except for Auburn who's defense was atrocious most of the year.

Agree 100%. I had stated before that the coaches need to decide if they want a top 10 defense, or fast paced offense. Because it seems that they can't co-exist.