Michigan State: What did we learn?

One stupid special teams play that doesnt happen and if the D holds at the end everyone would be talking about how great of an overall game it was how Nebraska won. How the offense was able to move the ball and maintain possession so the D didnt have to be on the field. How the D, except for one trick play, held their own. And how special teams didnt get in the way. Instead, special teams got in the way and Nebraska loses. 

And yet, some people are complaining about Martinez not being good enough. Does the offense need to get better? Sure. But I'm actually liking Frosts offense (needs better oline play though) more and more. Those trickles of run option. Like those. Complain what you want about scoring, but the last two teams Nebraska has played. Those aren't defenses to scoff at. 

The offense is getting better each game imo. Now if they dont come out and score points against an awful northwestern team. Then ya, we should be upset at the O.

 
Left guard is getting manhandled a lot, no wonder Frost is pissed . Second play of game and our TD run by AM, very similar plays. at 44:27 here. In second play of game TE pulls behind LOS to outside wham or if not there to LB. On second play of game LG blown up so bad- the ball carrier can't get there we get nothing. Here AM is deep enough that he can avoid the pileup. In any event the LG is getting owned. 



 
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Another thing that isn't getting much air time is also that if we just get a couple first downs on our second-to-last possession with about 4:00 left on the clock, the game is essentially over.

We had a couple of those situations in 2018 as well. We had the other team worn out and we're up; all we need to do is to have our offensive line get a good push and pick up four yards per play on the ground and the game is over.

But we go 3 & out and give the other team a chance. It's just about the worst possible way to watch us lose a game.


My favorite drive last year was the final one against Rutgers when we got the ball with half the 4th quarter left and the lead, we ground-out 1st-down after 1st-down til the game was over. Our offense went out there with the chance to finish the game and got the job done. Those instances have been few and far between. It doesn't get talked about much but a big reason Frost leads the nation in 1-score losses and our record is what it is during his time is that our O has been at its worst in the clutch. 

 
The offense needs to be scoring TDs. I’m not down playing that. 
 

But, I’d be interacted in knowing how we would rank in red zone scoring if we made all our field goals. 


We are #79 in scoring TDs in the red zone.  So still not very good. 

We have scored in the red zone 19 times and not scored five times.  But I don't know how many of the FG misses are from the red zone.  He is 3-3 under 30 yards.  But only 1-4 from 30-39.  Before this year Culp was 14/17 from 30-39.

Making one more FG would move us up to #77 in red zone scoring.

Making two more FG would mean #60.

Making all three would mean #36.

 
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And do we not know how to fair catch balls anymore? 
 

why put anyone back on a punt if he’s going to watch the ball roll to the 5? 


It's pathetic that in year-4 we not only still don't have a return game but are committing field-position suicide watching line-drives roll on by. We evidently can't even coach-up somebody enough to Santino Panico it consistently. 

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It is sooo true!

That is what makes canning frost so hard to do, even though he is gone at the end of the year.

They are losing while they should be winning.

 
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