What did we learn Illinois edition

Where does getting out muscled for a perfectly thrown, tide-turning TD show up on the stat sheet?  Or the first quarter throw where he didn’t compete for a ball in the end zone against single coverage?  Or his missed block that allowed a tfl early in the game?  
 

But I appreciate you letting me know what I’m allowed to criticize, as always. 
For what it's worth, Barney, I believe is a freshman. I think there is a reason Coleman is redshirting this year. Bowl game is the goal this year BIG title next year. 

 
Things I learned..

I root for a team that plays for the post game press conference instead of playing to win a game.   Go for it on 4th and 3 to win a game please!

I learned that 2 games in a row a receiver for muscles up and cost and INT. 
 

I also learned that either the receivers are slooooow running routes or we have some of the slowest developing pass plays I have ever seen. 
 

Recievers block like trash 

 NU kickers suck at making clutch kicks 

Dylan needs to work on mobility and maybe break an arm tackle on a pass rush once in awhile.  
 

I also learned that a good as DR is going to be, he played like a freshman a lot of times today, missing outlets and throwing too late and throwing behind some receivers on throws I’m sure he will be making later in his career.   
 

Lastly I learned NU got out coached today in game planning and NU should have won by 2 scores today.  

 
I learned that our freshman QB will make freshman mistakes but was still the best player on the field. There are too many veterans on this team for this kind of sloppy play. 
We are so hungry for a team to return us to relevance that many of us got sucked into believing the hype. The team seemed to have believed it too and laid an egg- esp on D and ST. 

 
Lastly I learned NU got out coached today in game planning and NU should have won by 2 scores today.  
This is what we were saying at our Ok Husker Club. White had no answer on D and too many missed opportunities on Offense.  No excuse not having a FG kicker who can make routine kicks 

 
  Go for it on 4th and 3 to win a game please!
I felt the same. Even on 3rd & 3, there isn't a reason to go deep. Use 2 downs to get 3 yards, run the ball. From there you run out the clock and go for an easier FG.

Even with the passing call in that scenario, trotting out our kicker was dicey. You can feel that the team doesn't have confidence in the Special Teams. Should've went for it on 4th & 3.

That being said, Nebraska was terrible on defense today, especially in the secondary. Even on plays where Nebraska was able to force a bad throw, Illinois had wide open guys all over. Indiana is going to torch Nebraska if they don't figure something out. 

 
I didn't like the 3rd down play.  Even though 44 was wide open for an easy TD.  Because if you don't connect (they didn't) you have an awkward 4th and 3.... with 3 minutes left in a tied game.  I wanted the Huskers to go for it, but it's short FG distance.  And defense already looked tired.  So yeah, send out the kicking team.  Just didn't kick it through.  

 
What hurts is know it’s the same team as it has been for 23 years now. I guess maybe 2009 was the one exception. Otherwise just loser s#!t. Can’t ever play a good full game that matters. When was the last time we controlled a game against an actual good team? Not since ‘09.

 
This is what we were saying at our Ok Husker Club. White had no answer on D and too many missed opportunities on Offense.  No excuse not having a FG kicker who can make routine kicks 
I'm not sure if it's completely on White or the Secondary, but they definitely had no clue how to cover the Tight Ends.  And now every team will run those miss-direction easy routes for easy completions and touchdowns, just like Illinois did.

They played pitch and catch all game.  And it looked easy.  Singleton was out of position a lot and didn't cover.  Buford, Hartzog and Ceyair Wright struggled with it too.  Can't just be a simple communication problem (responsibilities).  They probably had no idea how to cover it.

 
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Yeah, I feel like if RJ was going to break out it would have happened some time in the lat 6 years.  EJ always seems to flash when he gets a chance.
I was disappointed that Emmett wasn't involved and getting carries and simple dump off passes.  EJ and RJ have the best juke moves and quickness out of the 4 backs.  They both know how and when to hesitate for a just a sec, for a hole to open.  Dowdell just runs hard into defenders.  Then goes down.  He also jumps a lot and goes down right away.  I see no lateral quickness or open field speed from Dowdell.  Even short yardage can be tough to get.  

I put that on the RB coach and Rhule.  For not game planning more EJ and RJ.  I even prefer Gabe over Dowdell and he isn't getting many touches either.

I sure hope they rethink their RB plan.  If not, oh well then.  Stick with it I guess.

 
There’s no doubt the offense is better.  
 

The fools gold here is I thought the combination of a young dynamic QB led offense with a stout veteran defense would propel us to great things.  But the defense is not as good as advertised and we have no kicking game to win close games.  
 

The next 2 games are must wins.

 
I didn't like the 3rd down play.  Even though 44 was wide open for an easy TD.  Because if you don't connect (they didn't) you have an awkward 4th and 3.... with 3 minutes left in a tied game.  I wanted the Huskers to go for it, but it's short FG distance.  And defense already looked tired.  So yeah, send out the kicking team.  Just didn't kick it through.  
Yeah, exactly. Even in a perfect situation, which it was, throwing a 32 yard deep post to the Fullback is just a play with a low probability of success. 

Satterfield has to understand that just because the play is conceptually a good call, the actual path to victory was really easy. Run the ball twice on 3rd and 3. Work the clock, set up for an easy FG and win. Sometimes you don't have to go for a Touchdown on a perfect play call. Just call plays that give you the easiest path to winning. Satterfield was really bad at this last season and was bad again tonight. 

 
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