Where Offensive Play-Calling and Coaches Adapting Are Discussed

[Red Dead Redemption]

Let's see how they do in our first three games this fall and I expect at that point, we can reasonably discuss the coaches, their 'schemes' and adaptations to the available players and the opponents faced. Game plans have to be developed to fit the players that will actually be playing in that particular game (adjusted for injuries, other absences, deficiencies, etc) and designed with the relative strengths and weaknesses of the opposing team. Nothing Earth shattering with this. These coaches will have had adequate time to build some basic trust, instill the kind of attitude and understanding in the players of their 'systems' and methods and schemes and play designs and etc. The 20916 by game 4 should be pretty well adept at running the 'Riley & Company' plays effectively. Every team tends to improve as each season progresses and, absent injury losses, the team should be playing its best by the end of the year. But, most of the kinks and wrinkles should be smoothed out by game 4, just in time for the conference schedule to start. While we all want the team to win every game, the critical games at this juncture in the Riley program development, is still finding a way to play our best in the critical conference games, ultimately in hopes of winning the Big Ten west division race.

After having taken the time to rewatch the entire 2015 season's games a couple more times, I believe there is clear evidence that the team struggled in the first half of the season to accept the new coaches and schemes, etc. There seemed to be a general lack of confidence and in some cases effort. However, by the second have of the season, the effort was there and despite a slate of opponents that were improving and overall more challenging in my view than the first half schedule the team DID GET BETTER. Improvement can be seen across the offensive lines, the secondary, the running backs, the linebackers, and D line. The receivers were very good from game one and Tommy A played his usual (good mixed with not so good) all the way through. I believe some of Tommy's forced throws and interceptions and so on were motivated, in part at least, by Tommy feeling intense pressure to find a way to win on his own. By Nov. 1, the season looked quite bleak and yet, somehow, the team hung in there and turned things around, winning several big games. The Iowa loss hurt but it was a sort of 'do or die' kind of point in time as the team desperately wanted to find a way to be the unbeaten team and get to a bowl and finish 7-6 but fell to 5-7 in the process. Had we played as well vs Iowa as we did later vs UCLA, we would have won. IMO. Give these coaches a chance to prove themselves with this team. Hopefully, no major distractions (another death in the Husker family or legal issue or critical injuries, etc), will enable the Huskers to do better.

I don't have time to read all this...

 

[dvdcrr]

84 kudos for taking the time to rewatch and analyze the games. Your summation reminds me of similar sentiment I had at the time regarding accepance of the new staff and effort. In general I think your conclusions are correct.

 

[Spooky Tooth]

Most days where we try to be a drop back pro style team , you will get "bad Tommy" to one degree or another.

Somehow the staff hasn't fully figured this out.

Somehow I don't think you watched the UCLA game.

 

[Spooky Tooth]

Man, I just get tired of people constantly pooping on our coaches.

Did you like the product on the field last year? Sorry, but they are deserving of a little poop until they can prove they're better than a just over .500 (lifetime) coaching staff. I like the staff as people, and for being such great ambassadors, and have nothing but respect for the way they've held the team together during some really adverse times this past month, but not so much beyond that.

Ya, I agree. Cuz the body of evidence at NU is SO vast only a homer could conclude anything else.

Right?

 

[Redux]

Man, I just get tired of people constantly pooping on our coaches.

Did you like the product on the field last year? Sorry, but they are deserving of a little poop until they can prove they're better than a just over .500 (lifetime) coaching staff. I like the staff as people, and for being such great ambassadors, and have nothing but respect for the way they've held the team together during some really adverse times this past month, but not so much beyond that.

You missed the joke

 

[Count 'Bility]

When folks want these coaches to tailor their system to the players they have, I have two questions for them.

1) Would you rather have a mexican teaching spanish? or French?

2) If you keep tailoring your system, at what point is YOUR system, and your true expertise fully implemented? Because every time you turn back the clock schematically for one player, you delay the development and implementation of your system of the players that do fit your scheme. That's why I'm a fan of full blown, cold turkey switch. This is our expertise. This is what we're teaching. Dun.

Look. Nebraska wasn't gonna compete for National and Conference championships in 2015. We're not going to in 2016. So quit bein a whiny b!^@h it about and let the coaches establish their culture and program. Hypocrites. Using the 25 years we waited for under Osborne as a constant excuse to keep Bo, yet want these guys gone in less than 24 months. Then 3-4 years in, like Callahan, if it just isnt ticking, then we go a different way. But sit and constantly b!^@h "well they dont run the option with Tommy enough", cuz what difference does it make you have mediocre teaching for Tommy's comfort, or mediocre play for the coach's comfort? Either way we're just plain F'd right now to an extent. It's a common consequence to coaching changes for programs like Nebraska who havent been recruiting at an elite to where it's literally just plug and play cuz your talent can over come fit deficiancies.

 

[cm husker]

I actually agree. I don't think a coach should tailor his system too much. It was actually these coaches and some fans who were desperate for ABB who said it was a tailorable system.

My concern is that if you can't run an effective offense with the roster of talent that we have, then there's something wrong with your system, tailored or not.

Ps, it's not all hypocritical to be concerned at this point. And no one is asking for more "true" option. But look back at the OSU press clippings. Lots of discussion about "starving the star running back of carries." Meaning lots of concern about whether this staff/OC knows how to get the most out of the talent on hand.

 

[cm husker]

I'm so sick of "we don't have the talent" arguments. Eichorst himself said we had the talent to win championships on hand when he made the change.

It's not until his pick registered a clunker that we read all these arguments about NU not having enough talent.

NU had enough talent to win the B10W last year. Hell, we beat the conference champion.

The problem isn't talent. The problem is a staff that did a poor job preparing our guys to compete and win week in and week out.

 

[Count 'Bility]

I actually agree. I don't think a coach should tailor his system too much. It was actually these coaches and some fans who were desperate for ABB who said it was a tailorable system.

My concern is that if you can't run an effective offense with the roster of talent that we have, then there's something wrong with your system, tailored or not.

Ps, it's not all hypocritical to be concerned at this point. And no one is asking for more "true" option. But look back at the OSU press clippings. Lots of discussion about "starving the star running back of carries." Meaning lots of concern about whether this staff/OC knows how to get the most out of the talent on hand.

youre taking my points literally, when they just generlized examples of the things said and tossed around.

As under talented as this team is relative to what it needs to be to compete at the level we should, it's still more talent overall than this staff has personally managed in well over a decade. I'll give them a mulligan in year one on how to manage it and figure out all the intangibles of each individual player.

I thought at times our offense was rather effective last year. At other times it was complete garbage. I saw it as nothing more than a typical transition, and that wanting more coulda been seen as kinda delusional.

I'll agree on one. We were kind of mislead into believing that this guys with all their "experience" would be able to come in here and tailor a system to our players and be able to put together a great season 1. And that caused a lot of fans to ignore what I call obvious issues. Player mindset. a Lot of our players were just mental headcases from what had transpired over the past months. System overhauls on both sides of the ball. Folks talk about system change on offense but fail to acknowledge the drastic change in philososphy on defense as well, which was probably more drastic than the offense. But we were fed this notion it was "simpler" and caused us to ignore the "different" and the learning curve the came along with it.

Basically, most fans just didnt think enough and got to excited again. Is what it is.

 

[Count 'Bility]

I'm so sick of "we don't have the talent" arguments. Eichorst himself said we had the talent to win championships on hand when he made the change.

It's not until his pick registered a clunker that we read all these arguments about NU not having enough talent.

NU had enough talent to win the B10W last year. Hell, we beat the conference champion.

The problem isn't talent. The problem is a staff that did a poor job preparing our guys to compete and win week in and week out.

we have talent

we dont have the talent to compete at the level we demand, as a program, as a fanbase, as a state.

this is fact. Team recruiting rankings dont lie. There's 20 years of data to prove it.

But talent wasnt the issue in most of our losses. I'll agree to that. But those losses also didnt ONLY come down to questionable decisions in crunch time. Games are a process of 60 minutes. Players play. Coaches coach. For every thing ppl wanna knock the coaches for and knee jerk to blame that one instance for a loss, I'll sit and watch film and point out 20 obvious mistakes players make that I GUARANTEE the coaches are not teaching.

Our kicker missed two relatively easy field goals against BYU earlier in the game.

 

[GBRFAN]

Interesting how you accept SE words to explain the talent of our players, however his choice on coaches is not valued.

 

[Count 'Bility]

Interesting how you accept SE words to explain the talent of our players, however his choice on coaches is not valued.

 

[cm husker]

Interesting how you accept SE words to explain the talent of our players, however his choice on coaches is not valued.

So, you disagree with SE's take on out talent, but love his coaching pick?

Btw, not that you'll believe me, but I like Riley fine and value his approach to coaching. If he gets back to .700+ I'll want to keep him. So don't put words in my mouth about Eich's choice of new coach. I just don't think he should have even been making a choice.

 

[cm husker]

I'm so sick of "we don't have the talent" arguments. Eichorst himself said we had the talent to win championships on hand when he made the change.

It's not until his pick registered a clunker that we read all these arguments about NU not having enough talent.

NU had enough talent to win the B10W last year. Hell, we beat the conference champion.

The problem isn't talent. The problem is a staff that did a poor job preparing our guys to compete and win week in and week out.

we have talent
we dont have the talent to compete at the level we demand, as a program, as a fanbase, as a state.

this is fact. Team recruiting rankings dont lie. There's 20 years of data to prove it.

But talent wasnt the issue in most of our losses. I'll agree to that. But those losses also didnt ONLY come down to questionable decisions in crunch time. Games are a process of 60 minutes. Players play. Coaches coach. For every thing ppl wanna knock the coaches for and knee jerk to blame that one instance for a loss, I'll sit and watch film and point out 20 obvious mistakes players make that I GUARANTEE the coaches are not teaching.

Our kicker missed two relatively easy field goals against BYU earlier in the game.

Of course coaches don't teach mistakes. But it is their job to put their guys in a position to avoid them or overcome them.

BYU should never have come down to a couple of missed field goals.

 

[Landlord]

Also interesting that when we beat Michigan State it's because of our talent, but when we lose games we shouldn't it's the staff doing a poor job preparing.