What Phase of the Game Must Improve = Successful Season

[Scofrosghost]

Yeah, you're right:

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I hadn't remembered the final scores as well as I thought I had. Some of the stats on rushing offense in some of those losses for us are terrible. Maybe I'm switching my answer to "rushing offense."   

It’s a hard choice right?? There so many layers to this onion.

At the risk of sounding like a madden quote, if your offense capitalizes on big plays by your defense and your defense makes big plays to give the offense scoring opportunities, you win football games. 

 

[Scofrosghost]

Yes, we have got to get back to the two units feeding off each other and helping each other.

Offense drives and scores in the red zone.  Defense gets a big stop or a turnover.  Offense drives again and scores.  The defense can be more aggressive and take a chance on a blitz every once in a while....rinse and repeat.

Yup

 

[Scofrosghost]

Imagine the 2009 SUH defense with the Taylor Martenez 2010 offense.  - NC contender for sure.  Timing is everything - It will help when we have 2 or 3 levels of excellence depth on both sides of the ball like did back in the day.  Reloading is always easier than rebuilding. 

BOINNGGGGGG

:hitit

 

[brophog]

Agreed and for the most part the defense did that last season (post chins) with the exception of the Michigan and Purdue games.

While not as bad as the start of the season, some of what you're describing is a mirage. Nebraska was 122nd in plays defensed per game last year, partly because they themselves were 109th in offensive plays per game and partly because teams like Iowa still somehow exist.

 

[Undone]

While not as bad as the start of the season, some of what you're describing is a mirage. Nebraska was 122nd in plays defensed per game last year, partly because they themselves were 109th in offensive plays per game and partly because teams like Iowa still somehow exist.

The "plays defensed" ranking probably gets better if you were throwing out Northwestern, Georgia Southern, and Oklahoma. Those of course were the games we lost that Chinander coached, and our defense was on the field a lot.

But you're right overall, and I've thought that the soft coverage "bend but don't break" style that Chinander was playing paired horribly with our bad offensive line. When your O-line is that bad, why not take some chances on defense? If you don't, you wind up in a vicious cycle, just like your stats indicate.

 

[Husker in WI]

The "plays defensed" ranking probably gets better if you were throwing out Northwestern, Georgia Southern, and Oklahoma. Those of course were the games we lost that Chinander coached, and our defense was on the field a lot.

But you're right overall, and I've thought that the soft coverage "bend but don't break" style that Chinander was playing paired horribly with our bad offensive line. When your O-line is that bad, why not take some chances on defense? If you don't, you wind up in a vicious cycle, just like your stats indicate.

And what's crazy is when he came here he was preaching the importance of impact plays on defense - turnovers, TFLs, sacks, PBUs. I really do buy the narrative that the staff panicked and changed a lot of what made them successful at UCF when they realized the Big Ten is actually tough, and one of those changes was getting way less aggressive on defense.

 

[Scofrosghost]

While not as bad as the start of the season, some of what you're describing is a mirage. Nebraska was 122nd in plays defensed per game last year, partly because they themselves were 109th in offensive plays per game and partly because teams like Iowa still somehow exist.

Mirage or not (and I’m not disputing the rankings and stats you cited, although I think that those numbers would have been much better if the offense could sustain a drive for more than a minute and a half and get the defense off the field for a bit) they were holding teams to mid/ high teens and low twenties on the scoreboard. For any offense that’s not DOA that is enough to win games. The defense did their job. The offense did not

 

[brophog]

For any offense that’s not DOA that is enough to win games. The defense did their job. The offense did not

In some respects, the Wisconsin game last year is the best example of Nebraska football over the past 5 years. Five minutes and change left, the offense can win the game by maintaining possession and killing the clock. They do not. The defense gets on the field with about 3 minutes left, just needing to keep them out of the end zone. They do not.

It's really about executing when the victory condition makes it self available. That doesn't even have to be in the 4th quarter. You could be about to go up 2 scores before half and be receiving it after halftime. That's a very strong position to be in with so few drives remaining. Nebraska has not executed well, regardless of time in the game or what unit was on the field, when victory made itself apparent.

 

[Hooked on Huskers]

Improve onside kick

 

[Scofrosghost]

In some respects, the Wisconsin game last year is the best example of Nebraska football over the past 5 years. Five minutes and change left, the offense can win the game by maintaining possession and killing the clock. They do not. The defense gets on the field with about 3 minutes left, just needing to keep them out of the end zone. They do not.

It's really about executing when the victory condition makes it self available. That doesn't even have to be in the 4th quarter. You could be about to go up 2 scores before half and be receiving it after halftime. That's a very strong position to be in with so few drives remaining. Nebraska has not executed well, regardless of time in the game or what unit was on the field, when victory made itself apparent.

I was thinking the same thing about the Wisconsin game… this goes back to what I said previously that Nebraska has an uncanny ability to not play complimentary football or like you said executing when it counts. They just can’t.  I’ve never seen anything like it. Heck if Rhule can get the d and the o to play well at the same time consistently and situationally execute, we go bowling. 
I don’t know, not saying the defense was great because they weren’t, but the offense  left me with more “what the actual f#&%” moments than all of my years of watching husker football combined.

 

[BigRedBuster]

In some respects, the Wisconsin game last year is the best example of Nebraska football over the past 5 years. Five minutes and change left, the offense can win the game by maintaining possession and killing the clock. They do not. The defense gets on the field with about 3 minutes left, just needing to keep them out of the end zone. They do not.

It's really about executing when the victory condition makes it self available. That doesn't even have to be in the 4th quarter. You could be about to go up 2 scores before half and be receiving it after halftime. That's a very strong position to be in with so few drives remaining. Nebraska has not executed well, regardless of time in the game or what unit was on the field, when victory made itself apparent.

I was thinking the same thing about the Wisconsin game… this goes back to what I said previously that Nebraska has an uncanny ability to not play complimentary football or like you said executing when it counts. They just can’t.  I’ve never seen anything like it. Heck if Rhule can get the d and the o to play well at the same time consistently and situationally execute, we go bowling. 
I don’t know, not saying the defense was great because they weren’t, but the offense  left me with more “what the actual f#&%” moments than all of my years of watching husker football combined.

To me, this is the mental part of the game this team has lacked for years.  They have the physical ability to be in games right up to the end.  Heck, they have even had the schemes to be in those positions.  But, when it comes right down to it, someone always screws up and loses the game.  That could be an individual, unit or the coaches.

This is also why I'm very optimistic that if we get the right coach that can instill the right mental toughness and make good in game decisions....we win way more games.

The big question is, can Rhule and company instill that early in the season?  Or, does that take time throughout the season to be better at it in the end.  Obviously, for them, it's easier to change the coaching decisions in game.  It's tougher to make the team mentally tough and believe they will win games in the end and be able to execute to make it happen.

 

[Red Five]

In some respects, the Wisconsin game last year is the best example of Nebraska football over the past 5 years. Five minutes and change left, the offense can win the game by maintaining possession and killing the clock. They do not. The defense gets on the field with about 3 minutes left, just needing to keep them out of the end zone. They do not.

There are so many examples like this.

First one comes to mind is Frost's first game vs CU in 2018.  We have the ball up a point with 4 mins to go.  We get 2 first downs (thanks to CU penalties), then have a offensive holding call and end up punting with 2 mins to go.  CU then goes 80 yards in 1 minute (including a targeting on us on a 3rd and 25 as well as giving up a 40 yard TD pass) to win.

 

[Red Five]

There are so many examples like this.

First one comes to mind is Frost's first game vs CU in 2018.  We have the ball up a point with 4 mins to go.  We get 2 first downs (thanks to CU penalties), then have a offensive holding call and end up punting with 2 mins to go.  CU then goes 80 yards in 1 minute (including a targeting on us on a 3rd and 25 as well as giving up a 40 yard TD pass).

Or the 2015 Illinois game where TA throws that pass when all we needed to do was run the ball.  We give it back to Illinois with 0:40 left and they need to go 70 yards with no timeouts.  We give up a 50 yard pass on their second play and Illinois scores a couple plays later.

Or the very next week vs Wisconsin.  Janovich runs 50 yards for a TD giving us a 1 point lead with 3:30 to go.  Defense then allows Joel Stave to drive down the field, but Wisky misses a 35 yard FG with 1:30 to go.  We get ball back, but Wisconsin has all 3 TOs.  We run up the middle 3 times and punt to them with 1:00 to go.  Stave takes Wisky down the field again and this time they hit the FG as time expires to win.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

Or the 2015 Illinois game where TA throws that pass when all we needed to do was run the ball.  We give it back to Illinois with 0:40 left and they need to go 70 yards with no timeouts.  We give up a 50 yard pass on their second play and Illinois scores a couple plays later.

Or the very next week vs Wisconsin.  Janovich runs 50 yards for a TD giving us a 1 point lead with 3:30 to go.  Defense then allows Joel Stave to drive down the field, but Wisky misses a 35 yard FG with 1:30 to go.  We get ball back, but Wisconsin has all 3 TOs.  We run up the middle 3 times and punt to them with 1:00 to go.  Stave takes Wisky down the field again and this time they hit the FG as time expires to win.

Riley and Frost were masters of pulling defeat out of the jaws of victory.  In Frost's first year, NU was up 14 at Northwestern with approximately 5 minutes left in the game.  The defense gets shredded for 2 length of the field TD drives including a 99-yard drive which was helped by a roughing the passer penalty on the very first play of the drive.  The game goes into OT, and NU failed to score any points (which has happened a number of OT games in a row).

 

[Red Five]

Riley and Frost were masters of pulling defeat out of the jaws of victory.  In Frost's first year, NU was up 14 at Northwestern with approximately 5 minutes left in the game.  The defense gets shredded for 2 length of the field drives including a 99-yard drive which was helped by a roughing the passer penalty on the very first play of the drive.

Ahh yes, the Flynn Nagel game.  Dude had 12 catches for 220.  We made him look like Jerry Rice.