I think he's in over his head. I've seen very little to think they can right this ship. I like the guy, he's an ideal face for the program, minus the on-field results.
Congrats on the work. Already familiar with it when it came out on cornnation. Iowa and BYU are right there with us. Some injury bug there with both teams, yet different results on the field.
It was time for Bo to go (maybe a year too late), but after 9 games and this old tired excuse is still being used? At some point the kids that want to play for the N need to play and the guys not putting in the effort can ride the pine. This staff is allowing that stuff to happen if it still is going on. Exhibit A is that C on Lewis jersey (who I said, on here, would be a bad transfer for Nebraska to take in). Exhibit B is not bringing Armstrong (another captain) on the road trip...there are a number of players that don't play and could have stayed home in his place. Stevenson for example or ANY backup Olinemen. Seriously, what program NEVER subs lineman even when they are flat out getting beat. That sounds like a good way to create division, imo.
I don't put the same value into recruiting rankings as you do....at least not in the here is point a, draw a line to point b. NW has been bad a few years now, and Purdue has won exactly 2 conference games in three years, so the linear link for rankings to results seems disconnected there. If Fyfe was such a down grade from the star-studded southern talent (and I do think he is), then why continue with the same 48 pass attempt game plan? Purdue did load the box, but they are the worst rush defense in the conference and we actually had success outside on them. Even if you are only getting 2 or 3, you stay on course and perhaps avoid those 5 turnovers that gave up at least 28 points. Not all walk-ons are average. A walk-on may be our best football player and an NFL talent. A walk-on may be one of our best WR's amongst a pretty talented group. Oh, and all those guys mentioned are no longer walk-ons, including Fyfe. They have schollies.
Some people do overlook that, sometimes that list includes coaches. And yet we see numerous successful examples around the country. Though several of those had enough "experience" to know not to do a wholesale change and keep on somebody to help with the transition, even if for a year. Big miss by Riley. If it was so toxic and that couldnt be done, then you better do a damn good job of blending the systems. That was a complete failure on the defensive side, not quite as bad offensively, but trying to make Armstrong into a west coast QB is almost as bad. Yes, they've run him some (not enough) but what about those bootleg plays that can be a big part of the west coast. That's amazing when Armstrong has shown he throws better on the run and the oline can't block anyway.
So suddenly we are untalented enough to lose to Illinois and Purdue...we might add Rutgers to that list very shortly.
That's tough to have all your eggs in one kids basket. I know O'Brien is a great character kid and he's all sold on NU, but he's not here yet. Oregon put a full court press on the kid from Oklahoma and he flipped. Don't think some vultures aren't circling above the skies of California...Harbaugh comes to mind.
I hope they turn it around, but I think it's turned wrong. The MSU game could go very bad. We've already shown to have an elementary pass coverage. Even the bottom barrel B10 Qb's are dicing it up and now the best one is coming in. Banker, I heard, can't even get his players to look at him.
It's game 9 of Season 1 and you have already given up on MR. When this isn't his roster and installing two new systems. You seem smart but I'm concerned that you think you know what is going on and yet you truly have no idea what is happening in Lincoln.
There is a ton of turmoil between guys who have not bought in and those who have. Zero upperclassman leadership. You keep seeing this mentioned in recent newspaper articles. The word is out. The ex-players of the 90's saw this and heard about it and are not reporting it through social media and the radio.
Yes, glad you read Corn Nation. That is my info though and my site is credited with it in the article.
BYU's roster is full of men, not boys. They benefit from the mission trips and they have 23-26 year old freshman playing. Their situation is not normal among programs.
As for Iowa, have you seen Iowa's two deep?
46 player two deep:
1 true freshman
30 were RS freshman to start off
35 are upperclassman (junior/senior)
Compare that to Nebraska's two-deep experience and age this season. Just like Michigan's quick turnaround- 9 of 11 starters on defense are seniors, 4 of 5 OL are seniors.
Lewis's C was left on b/c the players elected these captains. MR and company feared alienating even more of the split locker room. So he kept the C and gave a speech to the team and he's on his final straw. Have you watched Sterup play RT in Gate's injury absence? He is atrocious. Another reason we couldn't get rid of a starting OT. The drop-off to 2nd team OL is greater than you think. I see the practice film every week. Staff hints at this more and more in the media lately too. But I guess you'd know better than me on how good our 2nd string OL is.....
TA chose not to come on the trip. They needed him to stay in Lincoln to rehab for the hope of playing vs MSU.
Stevenson demanded to play and not RS anymore or he was quitting the team. He and his family forced our staff's hand. He hasn't grasped RB enough to see the field there.
There will be massive purging and attrition this off-season. All the guys who have caused issues in the locker room and among the staff.
If our WALK-ON player is our best player, then God help us. Seriously, are you stuck in 1995? That is the craziest thing you've ever said. The walk-ons in the current depth chart are walk-ons for a reason.
Ok, you want to run TA more. Yet we have ZERO depth at QB, evidenced by a walk-on with no experience as our only viable backup. He's had a bone spur in his left foot since Illinois game and now turf toe in his right foot, but hey let's keep running him and getting him hit.
We roll TA out more and more in the games. TA is mentally struggling with his reads and how he always instinctly reverts to throwing deep (what Beck taught him) versus the checkdown. So what you see him do in the game is NOT what he is being taught this season. There is no mistake that his two prior QB coaches at Nebraska are 1) at Ohio St who had the worst QBR rating of any P5 team as of two weeks ago, yet #1 team in the country and 2) the other couldn't get hired at any level and is on sports radio in Omaha.
I proved to you that on paper, we have the same amount of talent as Illinois and Purdue. You might not want to accept it but the evidence is there and it shows on the field. What upperclassmen players do we have that any other Big 10 team would take? Collins? Westy? The list ends there.
As for POB being "vultured away", you are off-base again. From today:
For those wondering about guys decommitting, 24/7 ran this story this morning.
HuskersIllustrated.com reached out to all of Nebraska’s commitments about their thoughts and if this changes anything for them. Not everyone got back as its a busy time for some, but a good majority did. Players like JoJo Domann, John Raridon, Boe Wilson were quick to the point. They’re solid. Nothing has changed and they’re sticking with Nebraska.
A few other commits had some more thoughts on what Nebraska is going through.
Four-star quarterback commit Patrick O’Brien: “Things haven’t changed at all. I have full trust in the staff and it's a transition season. I will sign my financial aid agreement in like a week.
“I understand Mike Riley didn't recruit any of the players there currently and we have been in every game with some good teams. The future is very bright but there will be a little rough patch before we get there.”
Three-star linebacker Greg Simmons: “Nebraska’s struggles doesn’t change my commitment to them. Nebraska is my home.”
Three-star athlete JD Spielman: “It’s a process. It can be hard to coach a team full of players that were recruited and have the mind set of a different coach.
“Besides the last one all of the games have been decided within a field goal worth of points. If we are able to work out those minor kinks we could be a one or two loss team towards the top of the Big Ten West. It’s unfortunate the way this season has been going but I still have faith in my future team that they will be able to turn things around.”
Three-star defensive end Ben Stille: “How Nebraska performs on the field doesn’t change my relationships I’ve made with the coaches or my commitment status. I have and always will be a Husker.”
Three-star offensive lineman Bryan Brokop: “Not at all. It’s a rough year, new coaches, new scheme. Give it a couple of years and we will be the same old Nebraska everyone loves and knows. I’m still 100 percent committed. That’s where my loyalty lays."
_______
The 48-pass attempt game plan? Come on now, did you even watch the game or going off the stat sheet? We ran the ball a TON to start the game. Newby was averaging like 5 ypc before injured.
Let's review:
If you are going off the stat sheet in the paper, you must not have watched the game.
If we didn't get down by 11 and then 12 b/c we gave them the ball on our OWN 16 yard line and then 22 yard line, we stick to the gameplan.
FIRST QUARTER
Nebraska 3, Purdue 0. Drew Brown 41 field goal. 12 plays, 70 yards. Elapsed time: 5:34. Time on clock: 7:53. Key plays: Terrell Newby carried five times for 28 yards and the Huskers hurt the Boilermaker defense on the perimeter. Linebacker Garrett Hudson stopped receiver Brandon Reilly on third down prior to the field goal.
Purdue 7, Nebraska 3. David Blough 56 run (Paul Griggs kick). 6 plays, 77 yards. Elapsed time: 2:47. Time on clock: 5:06. Key plays: On designed quarterback draw, Blough broke through the line of scrimmage and reached the end zone without being touched. Blough gained 63 yards on four carries during the drive.
SECOND QUARTER
Purdue 14, Nebraska 3. Danny Anthrop 3 pass from Blough (Griggs kick). 5 plays, 16 yards. Elapsed time: 1:35. Time on clock: 13:48. Key plays: The touchdown was set up by Hudson's 46-yard fumble return. Hudson scooped up the loose ball after a bad snap, which sailed over Nebraska quarterback Ryker Fyfe's head.
Purdue 14, Nebraska 9. Stanley Morgan Jr. 20 pass from Fyfe (kick blocked). 5 plays, 58 yards. Elapsed time: 1:56. Time on clock: 11:52. Key plays: Morgan Jr. started the drive with a 42-yard kickoff return and finished the drive with the TD catch. He broke two tackles en route to the end zone down the right sideline.
Purdue 21, Nebraska 9. Domonique Young 4 run (Griggs kick). 5 plays. 22 yards. Elapsed time: 2:00. Time on clock: 4:12. Key plays: Anthony Brown's diving interception gave the Boilermakers excellent field position. Young took the handoff from Blough and made a sharp cut back into the end zone for the score.
A different review:
Opening drive: 7 of 11 plays before FG were RUNS?
Second drive: 5 of 8 plays before the center snap over RF's head were RUNS
Third series down 14-3: 1 of 5 plays was a run, Newby 22 yards, then incomplete, 2 yard pass to our RB, 20 yard badass TD play by Morgan on a catch.
4th series: Fyfe gets sacked on first play for -8 yards. 2nd and 18, incomplete then RF scramble 3 yards, punt.
5th series: Cross runs 4, -5 yards on illegal motion for Reilly, 2nd and 11 now vs. 2nd and 6, Interception on our own 22 yard line.
Down 21-9.
6th series: Cross -1 run, RF run for 7 yards, 3rd and 4 and pass to Morgan for 3, just short. Punt.
7th series: Incomplete, 15 yard pass, incomplete, 2nd and 10, long pass intercepted.
8th series: 5 yard pass, 2 yard run by Cross, 3rd and 3 is Westy catch for 4, Incomplete, 16 yard pass to Hovey, 30 yard swing pass to Ozigbo for 30 yards. Roughing the passer on incomplete, incomplete, 2nd and 9 is Cross 9 yard TD run
21-16.
