What did we learn

Guy Chamberlin said:
I think going for the touchdown was a no-brainer. Even trying to save the time out was defensible. 11 (or 8) seconds is long enough to try the pass in the end zone. Either it's a touchdown or an incompletion, and if it's incomplete you kick the field goal you had all along....
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Yeah, not understanding anyone who would think going for the TD then was a bad choice...100% believe the coaches said, " you got 3- 4 seconds to throw it, has to be in the zone or thrown away...we will kick the FG if incomplete"...just a poor decision on Sims part

 
Hey gang!

Been a long time since I was on HuskerBoard. Lost my password to my previous account (It'sNotaFakeID), so I'm back here on a new account. 

Anyways - I've had a hard time shaking the feeling that Rhule's first game was just a lower scoring version of Frost's first game against Colorado. A lot to be excited about but at the end the plays weren't made and the end result was a 1-score loss. That being said, I was encouraged by how the defense played. It seemed the front filled lanes, got pressure. Aside from Hartzog, the coverage was pretty solid and I thought Omar Brown had a great game. Special teams was a big improvement. Alvano was 1/1 on XPs and 1/1 on FGs and the kicks actually looked like they should. Each of Buschini's punts ended up inside the 20, punt and kickoff coverage were solid, and we had a big return. 

The offense is the unit that concerns me most after last night. That said, Simms is a solid runner. I thought the line started to wear on Minnesota as the game went on, which opened up some big opportunities for the run game. We need to find some speed at receiver as no one really got any separation last night. 

And ultimately, Simms needs to go through his progression, even if that progression is just to a secondary target. On every one of his 19 attempts he was starting down is primary option and it cost them dearly. He missed the TE on the goal line before the half, instead throwing a back-breaking INT. He moved the safety to his where he threw it on the interception late in the 4th quarter. I think if he can get to a secondary option, he will be at least 3x more dangerous. 

 
Nebraska pretty much just needed to not turn the ball over in the final 5 minutes and they'd have won the game.  They proceeded to turn the ball over twice and dropped an easy interception.  It is amazing how they keep finding ways to lose.

 
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I didn't see this mentioned and I'd ranted enough, but the timeout with 44 seconds in the 2nd quarter was very costly.  Poor 2 minute management.  NU just picked up a 1st down, let 34 seconds run, and then used their 2nd TO.  The time or the TO, you can't give up both.  

The new rule not having the clock stop on a first down cost NU big time there twice and for some reason I thought they were going to revert back to having the clock stop on first downs inside 2 minutes, so I learned that.  

I was pleasantly surprised how many players NU rolled through on defense without a drop off.  Wallin looked like he got steamrolled when he got in, but beyond that it was virtually undetectable.  

 
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floridacorn said:
I didn't see this mentioned and I'd ranted enough, but the timeout with 44 seconds in the 2nd quarter was very costly.  Poor 2 minute management.  NU just picked up a 1st down, let 34 seconds run, and then used their 2nd TO.  The time or the TO, you can't give up both.  

The new rule not having the clock stop on a first down cost NU big time there twice and for some reason I thought they were going to revert back to having the clock stop on first downs inside 2 minutes, so I learned that.  

I was pleasantly surprised how many players NU rolled through on defense without a drop off.  Wallin looked like he got steamrolled when he got in, but beyond that it was virtually undetectable.  
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A couple of follow-ups on the clock management at the end of the first half:

  • The game clock still does stop for first downs under 2 minutes in each half.  However, the clock stoppage is still momentarily to move the chains.  Unless the ball carrier goes out of bounds after achieving the first down, the game clock will resume after the chains are set.  In this instance, NU's player was in bounds while getting the first down, so the clock started after moving the chains.
  • When Rhule called that 2nd timeout, he was visibly upset with his players for not getting out of the huddle quicker, and the play clock was near zero.  Rhule called the timeout to avoid the penalty.  That's not necessarily poor clock management by Rhule, but it's poor game management by the players, who should know they need to get out of the huddle quicker and up to the line to run the play.  These players run 2-minute drills all the time in practice, they should know to show more urgency to get up to the LOS.
 
Been reading a lot on this loss.  It’s always something,…bad play call, player makes mistakes, penalty, refs, clock mismanaged, the list is pretty long.  

For the longest time we just either don’t have players or coaches that know how to win the game.  Bottom line, win. 

Minny was on the mat yet when they had to have the ball, they punched it out.  When they had to have the TD, perfect pass toe drag catch for TD.  They needed the ball back, got the INT.  Needed long FG to win, done.  With all of our finding ways to lose the game, there is also another team on the other side who still has to find a way to win and they do.  
 

This is what we are completely inept at. Like the worst in college football.  I’m not expecting a lot of wins this year but we have to win the damn game at times. Take the ball, make the play, make the stop.  No more excuses, make the plays to win.  The more we have guys with this mentality the better.  Where’s our Tom Brady in the face on the sidelines, our Kirk Gibson getting rid of the nonsense, our Kobe Bryant demanding perfection?   I don’t see one guy on offense this year or last year that fits that mold.  No leadership at all.  The last guy who maybe had some of this, Bo Pelini. Not perfect by any stretch but we haven’t won since.  The team is soft.  The defense looks like they may be on a good path. But the OL, RB room, WR room, QB…no alpha dogs and that is a bad recipe for losing in a game that demands physical and mental toughness.

 
I also learned we can trust the coaching Staff to tell us what is going to happen.

1.  Grant has had ball control issues.  - Rhule

2.  The Offense had scrimmage procedural issues.  - Rhule

3.  The Defensive dominated the Offense scrimmage 1.  - Rhule

Too close to game time to get those fixed, apparently.  I guess we can just listen to coach and understand what issues we'll have that week+.

 
Packerhuskerfan said:
Nebraska pretty much just needed to not turn the ball over in the final 5 minutes and they'd have won the game.  They proceeded to turn the ball over twice and dropped an easy interception.  It is amazing how they keep finding ways to lose.
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Even then they would have won if not for an incredibly skillful and millimeters away from incompletion fourth down touchdown by Minnesota. 

 
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