seaofred92
New member
A few things...
1. Playbook and play calling need a serious revisit in the offseason. I don’t care if we execute the RB swing passes in practice “40 times in a row”- we clearly can’t execute it during a game. Scrap it.
2. While the lack of speed/athleticism at WR is glaringly obvious, the biggest issue this team has is it doesn’t have a QB that can consistently deliver the ball down the field. Nebraska averaged 3.8 yards per pass today, that is absolutely atrocious.
3. I did appreciate that we actually took the deep shots we did at times today. You can’t complain when we don’t take shots down the field and then complain about them when we do- I actually appreciated stretching the field vertically and hope they do it next week (and in the bowl game if they get one)
4. Our defensive line play is really improving. I was absolutely not a fan of Tony Tuioti last year but his group is easily the best on defense. They do an awesome job of getting their hands up and have gotten much much better against the run. Damion Daniels is starting to dominate at NT and Casey Rogers will be great for us. We need to see continued development from guys like Robinson, Thomas, Riley, Green, and Wildeman but I’m really happy with where this group is. Looking forward to seeing where Hutmacher fits in
5. I thought the loss of Reimer was big. Not that Heinrich played awful in replacing him, just think Reimer is so instinctual and we could’ve used him vs Minnesota’s zone run scheme
6. I just do not understand what we are doing with our defensive backs. The amount of cushion we gave this subpar WR group today was maddening
7. I think we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place defensively. As good as the interior DL plays, we absolutely cannot generate a pass rush to save our lives. As a result, Chin is terrified to man up on third down because we get zero pressure and eventually guys will bust open. But today we just sat in zone and their QB had all day to throw and picked apart the zone. It’s a weird place to be in and won’t consistently improve until we get a better pass rush
8. Speaking of needing a better pass rush- it’s the exact reason NU ranks 100 out of 127 in third down defense and gives up a first down 46% of the time. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a P5 team other than maybe Vanderbilt be as inept as we are in obvious passing situations, but it stems from the inability to get pressure on the QB. This same thing has plagued NU since Randy Gregory left, how we haven’t been able to land a premier pass rusher blows my mind but we won’t get better at third down defense until we find one. NU has forced 4 total three and outs the last three games- and one of those was Illinois’ backups running the ball to run the clock out at the end of that game. The lack of pass rush is a large large piece of this
9. I actually agree with Frost when he says we’re close. I really think we are. The problem is what we’re missing is probably two of the three most important things in football- a QB that can confidently and accurately throw the ball down the field to stretch the defense and a pass rusher that can get home consistently. The other stuff we’re actually doing pretty well
10. Wandale had the big run today at RB but I’d like to leave him on the perimeter/in the slot at WR permanently. Especially in the red zone. He’s just not a red zone back and his role is being successful in space- put him in a position to be successful. Don’t consistently take him out of what he does best to cover up for another position that he doesn’t do as well (obviously he’s supremely talented)
11. Travis Fisher needs to coach his guys to 1. Form tackle lower and 2. Turn their head and look for the ball. Our defensive backs it feels like have been head hunters the entire season and they rarely wrap up on tackles- I’m not blaming CTB for his targeting call today, that is the bang bang stuff that will happen during football games. But look at the targeting calls- our DB’s are responsible for all of them. And there are numerous occasions where we just throw our shoulders into guys trying to spear them and make a massive hit instead of wrapping up and driving our legs into a guy to make a sure tackle. That needs to stop. As far as turning their heads goes- Deontai Williams should’ve 100% had an interception in the second quarter when Minnesota ultimately scored a TD. Defended a pass in the end zone and was in perfect position, ball literally hit him in the a$$ because he didn’t turn his head around. If he sees the ball he can turn and it literally falls into his lap for a pick. Was shocked he didn’t get called for PI. Then the very next play is the play CTB gets called for targeting. One of the other DBs had an obvious pick in the end zone too that went right through his hands and resulted in Minnesota points in the first quarter. Have to find real playmakers at DB
12. Ryan Held may be the most disappointing coach on the entire staff, and that’s something I didn’t think I’d be saying when he was brought here. How we are this barren/empty at RB I can’t understand- even Mills as “solid” as he is has some obvious limitations. The fact that we routinely have to move Robinson to RB to fill in for his position group because we don’t have a competent player there... says a lot
13. I thought the line backing play in this year’s game was much much much improved over last year’s. Minnesota’s zone running scheme challenges LB’s to stay disciplined because of the number of cutback lanes that exist, we really really struggled with this last year and I thought handled it much better this year
14. The offense has to stop putting the defense in these nearly impossible situations. Three of Minnesotas four touchdown drives today were less than 40 yards (35- TD, 39- FG, 39- TD). The other drive was 75 yards but was the sequence I referenced above with Williams not turning his head for the pick and then CTB getting called for targeting on a third down stop when Minnesota would’ve been kicking a 31 yard FG into the wind. When NU has been in “normal” defensive situations, they haven’t been THAT bad this year.
15. All in all, we are what we are. We’re a team with an inconsistent QB and inconsistent defensive philosophy and a non-existent pass rush. There are improvements that have been made- I think the DL, OL, ILB play is obviously better this year than last. The problems with this team will remain the same until we can find a QB that can successfully throw the ball down field and athletic edge rushers that can get home on the opposing QB on third down. This is a BIG recruiting class for this staff, we don’t have a pass rusher committed as of now with Payton going to FSU. This staff needs to exhaust every single option at OLB- I’d take 5 of them between HS and JUCO the next 3 classes each until it’s solved. It’s that important and crippling to our defense to lack one. I’m glad they’re still playing hard, I think they’ll respond well and potentially beat Rutgers next week, and hope they make a real effort to add a pass rusher in the offseason to the roster or else we’ll be in the same boat again next season and beyond
1. Playbook and play calling need a serious revisit in the offseason. I don’t care if we execute the RB swing passes in practice “40 times in a row”- we clearly can’t execute it during a game. Scrap it.
2. While the lack of speed/athleticism at WR is glaringly obvious, the biggest issue this team has is it doesn’t have a QB that can consistently deliver the ball down the field. Nebraska averaged 3.8 yards per pass today, that is absolutely atrocious.
3. I did appreciate that we actually took the deep shots we did at times today. You can’t complain when we don’t take shots down the field and then complain about them when we do- I actually appreciated stretching the field vertically and hope they do it next week (and in the bowl game if they get one)
4. Our defensive line play is really improving. I was absolutely not a fan of Tony Tuioti last year but his group is easily the best on defense. They do an awesome job of getting their hands up and have gotten much much better against the run. Damion Daniels is starting to dominate at NT and Casey Rogers will be great for us. We need to see continued development from guys like Robinson, Thomas, Riley, Green, and Wildeman but I’m really happy with where this group is. Looking forward to seeing where Hutmacher fits in
5. I thought the loss of Reimer was big. Not that Heinrich played awful in replacing him, just think Reimer is so instinctual and we could’ve used him vs Minnesota’s zone run scheme
6. I just do not understand what we are doing with our defensive backs. The amount of cushion we gave this subpar WR group today was maddening
7. I think we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place defensively. As good as the interior DL plays, we absolutely cannot generate a pass rush to save our lives. As a result, Chin is terrified to man up on third down because we get zero pressure and eventually guys will bust open. But today we just sat in zone and their QB had all day to throw and picked apart the zone. It’s a weird place to be in and won’t consistently improve until we get a better pass rush
8. Speaking of needing a better pass rush- it’s the exact reason NU ranks 100 out of 127 in third down defense and gives up a first down 46% of the time. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a P5 team other than maybe Vanderbilt be as inept as we are in obvious passing situations, but it stems from the inability to get pressure on the QB. This same thing has plagued NU since Randy Gregory left, how we haven’t been able to land a premier pass rusher blows my mind but we won’t get better at third down defense until we find one. NU has forced 4 total three and outs the last three games- and one of those was Illinois’ backups running the ball to run the clock out at the end of that game. The lack of pass rush is a large large piece of this
9. I actually agree with Frost when he says we’re close. I really think we are. The problem is what we’re missing is probably two of the three most important things in football- a QB that can confidently and accurately throw the ball down the field to stretch the defense and a pass rusher that can get home consistently. The other stuff we’re actually doing pretty well
10. Wandale had the big run today at RB but I’d like to leave him on the perimeter/in the slot at WR permanently. Especially in the red zone. He’s just not a red zone back and his role is being successful in space- put him in a position to be successful. Don’t consistently take him out of what he does best to cover up for another position that he doesn’t do as well (obviously he’s supremely talented)
11. Travis Fisher needs to coach his guys to 1. Form tackle lower and 2. Turn their head and look for the ball. Our defensive backs it feels like have been head hunters the entire season and they rarely wrap up on tackles- I’m not blaming CTB for his targeting call today, that is the bang bang stuff that will happen during football games. But look at the targeting calls- our DB’s are responsible for all of them. And there are numerous occasions where we just throw our shoulders into guys trying to spear them and make a massive hit instead of wrapping up and driving our legs into a guy to make a sure tackle. That needs to stop. As far as turning their heads goes- Deontai Williams should’ve 100% had an interception in the second quarter when Minnesota ultimately scored a TD. Defended a pass in the end zone and was in perfect position, ball literally hit him in the a$$ because he didn’t turn his head around. If he sees the ball he can turn and it literally falls into his lap for a pick. Was shocked he didn’t get called for PI. Then the very next play is the play CTB gets called for targeting. One of the other DBs had an obvious pick in the end zone too that went right through his hands and resulted in Minnesota points in the first quarter. Have to find real playmakers at DB
12. Ryan Held may be the most disappointing coach on the entire staff, and that’s something I didn’t think I’d be saying when he was brought here. How we are this barren/empty at RB I can’t understand- even Mills as “solid” as he is has some obvious limitations. The fact that we routinely have to move Robinson to RB to fill in for his position group because we don’t have a competent player there... says a lot
13. I thought the line backing play in this year’s game was much much much improved over last year’s. Minnesota’s zone running scheme challenges LB’s to stay disciplined because of the number of cutback lanes that exist, we really really struggled with this last year and I thought handled it much better this year
14. The offense has to stop putting the defense in these nearly impossible situations. Three of Minnesotas four touchdown drives today were less than 40 yards (35- TD, 39- FG, 39- TD). The other drive was 75 yards but was the sequence I referenced above with Williams not turning his head for the pick and then CTB getting called for targeting on a third down stop when Minnesota would’ve been kicking a 31 yard FG into the wind. When NU has been in “normal” defensive situations, they haven’t been THAT bad this year.
15. All in all, we are what we are. We’re a team with an inconsistent QB and inconsistent defensive philosophy and a non-existent pass rush. There are improvements that have been made- I think the DL, OL, ILB play is obviously better this year than last. The problems with this team will remain the same until we can find a QB that can successfully throw the ball down field and athletic edge rushers that can get home on the opposing QB on third down. This is a BIG recruiting class for this staff, we don’t have a pass rusher committed as of now with Payton going to FSU. This staff needs to exhaust every single option at OLB- I’d take 5 of them between HS and JUCO the next 3 classes each until it’s solved. It’s that important and crippling to our defense to lack one. I’m glad they’re still playing hard, I think they’ll respond well and potentially beat Rutgers next week, and hope they make a real effort to add a pass rusher in the offseason to the roster or else we’ll be in the same boat again next season and beyond
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