What could have been....

HANC said:
You are absolutely correct.  No one can argue that point.  I am saying there weren't deeper issues that contributed to the losses.  Play calling was iffy at best.  I do believe that a few dynamic players completely change the face. Not saying win the West, but at least a few more games.
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True enough. But Wan'dale seemed like the perfect  dynamic game-changer, and Noa  was a seasoned player with the build of an NFL WR. Warner was healthy enough to have earned a few more targets, and always seemed ready to deliver. Stolle would be clutch across the middle, then disappear for games at a time. Of course we also had the most prolific receiver in Husker history in JD, a possession receiver as well as a constant game-breaking threat. Our sophomore QB was on a lot of Heisman short lists, the very definition of a dynamic game changer. 

So it's not like the cupboard was bare, dull, or injured. Turns out we just looked better on paper.  

 
HANC said:
Then you add in the Wandale injury situation.....Furthermore, toss in Williams injury on the back end of the defense
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Yep. Both injuries were big. 

I was thinking about this the other day but couldn't remember: Did Wan'Dale get hurt on a play where he was in at running back after Washington was out, or did he get hurt on play where he was in as receiver?

 
Undone said:
Yep. Both injuries were big. 

I was thinking about this the other day but couldn't remember: Did Wan'Dale get hurt on a play where he was in at running back after Washington was out, or did he get hurt on play where he was in as receiver?
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I don't think there was one particular play where Wandale was injured.  He injured his hamstring in the Purdue game, but I don't remember it being one specific play.  He had hamstring issues in the spring, and may have aggravated the injury during the season due to all the use he had in the first half of the conference season.

 
Yes.  The qb is obvious and easiest to blame bc they are front and center. We do not know it route was run correctly or not.  He may have held ball bcguys weren't open or in right spot. Yes he missed open guys running free. Yes he locked into 1 guy.....this could also be insecurity with others....yes, his throws weren't good at times. The AM issues are all over the board, just saying that if certain things didnt happen, that the preseason optimism may not look as silly

 
BigRedBuster said:
Yes, but, a good portion of those could have also been because he wasn't secure in knowing he has told WRs that are going to be where they are supposed to be.
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Sure, but we all knew losing Stanley Morgan leaving would affect recieving yards.  This did not affect his decision making, his ground game or his situational awareness.  Those were mental problems stemming from off the field issues.

 
Redux said:
Sure, but we all knew losing Stanley Morgan leaving would affect recieving yards.  This did not affect his decision making, his ground game or his situational awareness.  Those were mental problems stemming from off the field issues.
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I know there were theories, but I'm curious if you have sources on that. I think most of his issues could be explained by an injury, extra pressure with the expectations, and defenses knowing more how to attack him this year. Maybe the second piece is what you mean by off the field.

 
BigRedBuster said:
A good portion of Martinez's issues very well could have been because the WR position was all screwed up as indicated in the OP.
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The WR issue along with the offensive line woes in the first half were part of it, but something also was not right with Martinez all season.  Watch all of those bad passes, his indecisiveness, his inability to throw the ball away and looked much slower and not too good running the option (most of the time), lots wrong compared to last season.

 
Redux said:
 This did not affect his decision making, his ground game or his situational awareness.  Those were mental problems stemming from off the field issues.
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Was Martinez distracted by the illegal Oxycontin pipeline he was running out of the athletic department?

Troubled by his decision to surgically correct his conflicted genitalia?

Remorseful about that hobo he killed back in Chula Vista?

I guess we'll never know. 

 
Y is your tight end and H back, not the slot.  X & Y are the end, Z is flanker.  Your slot would be the flanker.  Sure an H back can be in a slot, but it is not the same.

 
Guy Chamberlin said:
True enough. But Wan'dale seemed like the perfect  dynamic game-changer, and Noa  was a seasoned player with the build of an NFL WR. Warner was healthy enough to have earned a few more targets, and always seemed ready to deliver. Stolle would be clutch across the middle, then disappear for games at a time. Of course we also had the most prolific receiver in Husker history in JD, a possession receiver as well as a constant game-breaking threat. Our sophomore QB was on a lot of Heisman short lists, the very definition of a dynamic game changer. 

So it's not like the cupboard was bare, dull, or injured. Turns out we just looked better on paper.  
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This is revisionist viewpoint at the least.  Wandale great but true frosh.  Noa is who noa was.  Warner didn’t come around until after OSU game.  No real rb threat until mills evolved back half of season.  Spielman was it and I’m not sure he thrives in being the only realistic option, he works best as everyone does with somebody else to pull attention.  In addition, our oline was plain awful until the last 2-3 games of the season.  AM didn’t live up to expectations but this hardly falls squarely at his feet.

 
ColoradoHusk said:
The loss of Hunt as the X receiver had a big impact, as that forced Spielman and Noa to play more X and Z (outside receivers) and less of the Y (slot) receiver.  I think Spielman was going to be the #1 target for Martinez on most routes, but yes, Hunt's suspension was a bigger loss than most people admit.
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It's even worse because of the timing. Noa likely didn't get moved fully outside until Hunt was suspended at the end of camp. That might explain why he came on more as the season went on vs having an off season at the position. 

 
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