What Phase of the Game Must Improve = Successful Season

[TGHusker]

2 part poll:  Where does Nebraska NEED to improve the most to have a winning record this season?  Where do you ACTUALLY THINK we will improve the most?

In 2022 we ranked 107 in rushing, 74 in passing, 105th in rushing defense, 73rd in passing defense.

We ranked 79th in turnover margin and 35th in penalties & 24th in penalty yardage (must have had more 5 yarders than 15 yarders). 

There are also measurables in the link below for Special Teams but hard to put in this list.

https://www.teamrankings.com/college-football/stat/rushing-yards-per-game

:  Team Rankings  

Rushing Offense:  yards per game

 


 








Rank


Team


2022


Last 3


Last 1


Home


Away


2021











107


Nebraska


112.5


         63.7


       51.0


       134.3


   86.2      


167.7







Passing Offense yards-per-game





74


Nebraska


    223.4


      151.7


    278.0


        194.5


 258.0


     263.0









Rushing Defense yards per game





105


Nebraska


190.4


           207.7


124.0


193.3


186.8


   149.0







Passing Defense - yards per game





73


Nebraska


233.9


127.0


150.0


222.8


247.2


224.2









Turnover margin per game





79


Nebraska


-0.2


+1.3


+3.0


-0.5


+0.2


-0.5










Penalties per game



 


 


 


 


 


 


 











35


Nebraska


5.3


4.0


6.0


5.7


4.8


5.5






Penalty Yards per game





24


Nebraska


42.3


28.3


40.0


47.2


36.4


48.2

 

[TGHusker]

My take for what it is worth is that we need to see the rushing game improve (actually on both sides of the ball) but specifically on the offensive side. 

If we can get our running game going with RBs and not just by the QB, then Sims will have opportunities to throw but also opportunities to surprise teams with his running as well.    A developed rushing game will also allow our defense to rest as well and limit the time the other team has the ball.   Unless, of course, we had a running game like our 1995 team had - they scored about as fast as any pass happy team does today.  I'll take that as well!!  They also had a D that got off the field quickly as well.  Oh for those days.

I think the Special Teams play is what will actually improve the most.  We now have a coach dedicated to it and it is getting priority attached to it. 

 

[RedDenver]

I think TO margin needs to improve but I don't think it will improve much. I think rushing offense should improve the most even if it goes from bad to below average that would be hopeful for the future.

 

[runningblind]

I picked rushing offense, but really wanted to select both rushing offense and defense.  The lines improving is how we do better.  What I actually think will improve is penalty reduction.  I don't expect to be that much better overall, but I do expect a smarter team this year which will be a solid start. 

 

[BaytownHusker]

Pains me to say this cause im a run the ball guy but I think for us to be successful we have got to be almost great at passing offense. If we can throw for 300 or close a game the 1st few games the run game will open up. If we struggle to throw we know how that story plays out.

Pass defense i think will improve a bit only cause we are in the B1G lol. 

 

[ColoradoHusk]

I didn't see this "phase of the game" mentioned in the choices, but I think overall game and program management will be big for improvement this year and going forward.  I think it's clear that Rhule is running this program the best way HE sees fit.  NU is going to sink or swim with Rhule's fingers on the buttons.  It's not going to be a hodge podge of offensive and defensive philosophies as it was under Frost, and the program and team should be managed a lot better, which should drive improvement in results.

 

[teachercd]

I didn't see this "phase of the game" mentioned in the choices, but I think overall game and program management will be big for improvement this year and going forward.  I think it's clear that Rhule is running this program the best way HE sees fit.  NU is going to sink or swim with Rhule's fingers on the buttons.  It's not going to be a hodge podge of offensive and defensive philosophies as it was under Frost, and the program and team should be managed a lot better, which should drive improvement in results.

I agree.

 

[gobiggergoredder]

They have been soft for years.  Physicality on the team needs to increase.  Then I’ll pick one of those options.

 

[floridacorn]

My take for what it is worth is that we need to see the rushing game improve (actually on both sides of the ball) but specifically on the offensive side. 

If we can get our running game going with RBs and not just by the QB, then Sims will have opportunities to throw but also opportunities to surprise teams with his running as well.    A developed rushing game will also allow our defense to rest as well and limit the time the other team has the ball.  

+1 I would add I think Sims is very dependent on play action.  Keep him on schedule and he's potentially special.  Ask him to drop back and read coverage 40x a game, not so much.  I don't think that's Satterfield's comfort zone as an OC/play caller either.  Furthermore, Rhule has spelled out his recipe for winning, and it's running the ball in the 4th quarter.  And after last season, how can they not be improved?

 

[teachercd]

They have been soft for years.  Physicality on the team needs to increase.  Then I’ll pick one of those options.

This is always interesting, one because I don't think that is a real word, is it?  Two, because being more physical REALLY means "better players"

I know people hate hearing that but I coached FB for a long as time at a bunch of levels.  The most physical players are just the better ones.  

 

[ColoradoHusk]

This is always interesting, one because I don't think that is a real word, is it?  Two, because being more physical REALLY means "better players"

I know people hate hearing that but I coached FB for a long as time at a bunch of levels.  The most physical players are just the better ones.  

Yep. The best football players are big and fast. Nebraska hasn’t had that talent across the board in a long time.

 

[teachercd]

Yep. The best football players are big and fast. Nebraska hasn’t had that talent across the board in a long time.

It is amazing how that works!

I am not a BB coach BUT...I am guessing the taller, faster, good shooters are always better!  

Also, I coached wrestling for a few years...you know who my best wrestlers were??  They were the ones that were good at wrestling. 

 

[gobiggergoredder]

This is always interesting, one because I don't think that is a real word, is it?  Two, because being more physical REALLY means "better players"

I know people hate hearing that but I coached FB for a long as time at a bunch of levels.  The most physical players are just the better ones.  

I couldn’t disagree with you more.  Physical doesn’t equal talent.  Who cares what your vert or 40 is if you avoid contact on tackles?  Lamar Jackson comes to mind.

Physicality is a mindset.  It’s a culture.  It’s “I might not be as good as you, but you’re going to get a fight”.

You can load a team with 4 stars athletes that are soft.  I think where you’re going to see this in 2023 forward is the O-Line.  This team has talent and always has.  They practice soft.  The culture soft…via blaming & excuses.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/physicality

 

[teachercd]

I couldn’t disagree with you more.  Physical doesn’t equal talent.

Physicality is a mindset.  It’s a culture.  It’s “I might not be as good as you, but you’re going to get a fight”.

You can load a team with 4 stars athletes that are soft.  I think where you’re going to see this in 2023 forward is the O-Line.  This team has talent and always has.  They practice soft.  The culture soft…via blaming & excuses.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/physicality

Yeah, the "rudy effect" is sort of real, I get it, they try-hard dude that never gives up.

Look, every D1 team has 85 kids on their team that were pretty much the very best "athlete" in their HS.  The baddest of the bad, the best pitcher, the best basketball players so on and so on...

But in the end, the top players are the dudes that win games.  That is why upsets of a significant nature are rare and it is why lame a$$ teams like Minny lose to Bowling Green, because the physical talent is so close.

I could take the top 11 NAVE SEALS...the baddest of the bad, the most impressive bad asses in the word...vs the top 11 CFB players at each position and the final score would not be close. 

"We" need to get over this idea that a highly ranked player is "soft", it is like saying a kid with a 4.2 GPA "doesn't have to study", no, they do, it just looks different from how you study.