Underdog against Purdue

[Dansker]

2 minutes ago, brophog said:

 

Thats the prescription. Get physical with those receivers, disrupt their timing. They don't have much for big play potential, but they can move the ball if you let them.

 

You definitely can't disrupt their routes being 10 yards off the LOS but if we get aggressive and move our DB's we can (legally) do that within 5 yards. Whether or not our defensive staff is willing to do that remains to be seen. I'd love to see it happen and I think their QB would struggle to get the ball off. That extra second or two of overthinking it might free up the pass rush, IMO.

[brophog]

8 minutes ago, FTW said:

Whether or not our defensive staff is willing to do that remains to be seen

 

Obviously we've seen too much to suggest they won't. IMO, they make this adjustment and Nebraska wins, and wins fairly easily. This is an offense that gets what you let them get. They don't have the pieces yet to go get what they want. 

[Xmas32]

This line is utterly bizarre.  I would think it's going to end up around 4 or so.  As long as Purdue rolls out Sindelar @ QB Nebraska should be ok.  David Blough has looked like crap this year but has rolled up huge stats in his last couple starts v. Nebraska.  I don't need Brohm rolling Blough out there for a 'get right' game.  I do expect Purdue to be up for Nebraska, they have an outside shot at bowl eligibility this year and stubbed their toe last week.  That being said, it's the old hunter v. hunted mentality.  Purdue is expected to win this game.  How that translates into game performance will be interesting.  I would think Nebraska will have a spirited week of practice and come out ready to play.  I mean, their a underdog versus Purdue!!  If there is any pride left on this team we'll see it.  This is going to set the barometer for the last 5 games of the season and ultimately Riley's career at Nebraska.  If the kids want Riley around, they'll win and win handily this Saturday.  If not...well...let's just say hide yo wife and hide yo kids when Nebraska goes to Penn State.

[brophog]

7 hours ago, zoogs said:

What's going on, Vegas? Do they know something we don't?

 

No. It's all data modeling, and not much of a secret at this point. Fact is, while the record is the same, they've out scored their opponents and we haven't, and scoring margin is key in many models. 

[Dansker]

29 minutes ago, brophog said:

 

Obviously we've seen too much to suggest they won't. IMO, they make this adjustment and Nebraska wins, and wins fairly easily. This is an offense that gets what you let them get. They don't have the pieces yet to go get what they want. 

 

I just don't agree with leaving the DB's on an island 10-15 yards from the LOS playing man. You're asking to get beat underneath which I guess is what Diaco's strategy is. The problem I have with that strategy is we haven't been tackling all that great in open space. This was evident against Ohio State.

 

If Purdue comes out dinking and dunking it underneath, and our secondary is getting beat then we have a serious systemic problem. Then it becomes the same issue of Mike Riley getting out coached again. My biggest concern in our coverage is we leave the middle of the field open more often than I'd like to see. 

 

A good passing QB will tear us apart over the middle where we're vulnerable. Fortunately, Purdue's struggling there but how many times have we made opposing QBs look like Heisman candidates with unbelievable stats?

[Warrior]

I would have agreed with us being underdogs before the Rutgers game, but now I don't get it.  I would say push at best.  

[brophog]

24 minutes ago, FTW said:

If Purdue comes out dinking and dunking it underneath, and our secondary is getting beat then we have a serious systemic problem. Then it becomes the same issue of Mike Riley getting out coached again. My biggest concern in our coverage is we leave the middle of the field open more often than I'd like to see. 

 

We're both sitting here, on a public message board, saying "this is what they do, this is how you stop it".....this is not an opponent that presents a complex problem that can't be solved with 2 weeks preparation. They run what they do because that's what their personnel allows them to. They'll have some trick plays, throwback passes and such but it's mostly shallow crosses, short hooks, screens...lots of underneath routes that can be disrupted at the LOS...and that's what Wisconsin and Michigan did.

 

You won't find an opponent that more clearly says, do this and win the game. But the Riley era hasn't been one of adapting to the opponent and conditions, has it? 

[ladyhawke]

If you go over to one of the Purdue message boards you would think they had already lost their next game! It's a mirror image of the hand wringing, 'sky is falling' sentiments you read in this thread.  For example:

 

"It seems whenever Purdue is favored, line was 8, they fail miserably! If this game was a preview of things to come, the remainder of the season will not be good!"

 

They have a mobile quarterback, Blough, who they think is going to start.  However, he's interception prone so who knows.  

  The facts are before us: We. Can. Win. This. Game. but reading this thread you would think we've already lost it!

Edited October 23, 2017 by ladyhawke

[brophog]

9 minutes ago, Warrior said:

I would have agreed with us being underdogs before the Rutgers game, but now I don't get it.  I would say push at best.  

 

They actually had one of their best games against Rutgers, they just didn't score much off of it. You won't find many games that is further apart between what happened and the final score. Rutgers had 2 plays that accounted for half their yardage, Purdue marched up and down the field all day. It's a strange game sometimes.

[NUinID]

10 hours ago, VectorVictor said:

 

No, they don’t. Nebraska has the fourth or fifth-best team in terms of talent based off of recruiting standings (depending on the service referenced).

 

Purdue is excelling because of quality coaching and instruction. They don’t have depth, they don’t have as many playmakers as we do. But they’re well coached, the players know their roles, and they excel because of that instruction. And it’s this superior coaching that will most likely net them a win Saturday night, sad to say.

 

 

 

 

 

You know VV I agree that the big difference between Purdue and Nebraska us the coaching and instruction.  Purdue is well coached and the players know their roles.  This is a problem with this Nebraska team they are not well coached and they don't know their roles.  But, this is not a recent problem.  I think this goes back to basically 2004 up to present.  

[Warrior]

29 minutes ago, brophog said:

 

They actually had one of their best games against Rutgers, they just didn't score much off of it. You won't find many games that is further apart between what happened and the final score. Rutgers had 2 plays that accounted for half their yardage, Purdue marched up and down the field all day. It's a strange game sometimes.

 

thanks I didn't watch it.  That makes sense now.

[Hayseed]

10 hours ago, skersfan said:

I have a serious question and I don't want to start another thread.

 

I start this by saying most that have been on this site for the 12 years, know that I was the absolute first to say Bo had no business at Nebraska, before he even took the job.  He is a person that I do not like, or have any use for in any way.  And my reasons come from when he left the first time.  And I stated it way too many times when he was hero here.

 

I admit I am very supportive of Coach Riley, I hate it that he did not do what we needed, but still have this faint glimmer of hope that he might.  The next 5 games will answer that.  I expect to be routed by Penn State.  The others, who knows?   Not saying he should be retained either.  We need to be better

 

I am wondering this and possibly some can answer it.  Some say, not me, that Coach Riley is getting close, that he has players in the Freshman, Red Shirt Freshman and Sophomore classes that are very good and seeing the field.  I am not sure if that is true or not. 

 

My question is, how many of the Seniors and Juniors of Coach Pelini recruits are on the field, actually seeing playing time?  Not a dig at either, but it appears we have some very good young players on the field and are doing well.  It seems to me we have few seniors on the field and haven't for quite a while.  I know we have not put many in the NFL the last few years.

 

As to the culture of losing, I don't see that in the kids.  I see them trying to the very end, but exhausted, due to lack of rotation, or lack of talent to rotate.

 

Where am I wrong in my observations.

 

I have been a Husker fan for over 60 years, and it hurts to see them going thru what they are now.  I have seen the bad, the better, the Devaney years, the we need a coach that can win the big one, we need a coach that can beat Oklahoma, a coach that can beat a Florida school,  other teams besides the little sisters of the Big 8.  We need to get rid of Osborne, Solich, Calahan, Pelini and now Riley.  So I didn't just show up yesterday,  I try to support the Head Coach as long as he is (Other than Pelini) and will for as long as I live.  But I don't dream of NC, I would just love to see Nebraska return to being respectable, I have not seen that level of play/coaching since Solich was fired.

 

 

Sounds like it’s gonna be ‘Charlie blew the bridge’ on this one-(referring to Major Payne story)

Please tell me what the ordinary pro linebacker coach Mean Bo Pelini did that was so unusual and disqualified him from coaching Nebraska?

I get the feeling some of us would not be okay with Mike Ditka coaching.

[SUHperman]

 

[Undone]

11 hours ago, skersfan said:

My question is, how many of the Seniors and Juniors of Coach Pelini recruits are on the field, actually seeing playing time?  Not a dig at either, but it appears we have some very good young players on the field and are doing well.  It seems to me we have few seniors on the field and haven't for quite a while.  I know we have not put many in the NFL the last few years.

I do think that Bo left the cupboards bare with talent on defense from his last two recruiting classes. That has hampered Riley in big ways that our fan base either isn't really aware of or doesn't want to admit. You see it on the field and it seems glaringly obvious.

The problem seems to be Diaco. The move to fire Banker was exactly the right move. But Diaco's scheme isn't working in this conference, just as Bo's defense never transitioned to being really good against the run after we entered into a new conference that largely plays a different style of offense by most teams. Scheme-wise and philosophy-wise, I am extremely concerned about Diaco.

I do see the potential on offense if our line could improve and if Bryant were to make a recovery with his knee issues. Both of those things don't seem super likely to happen next year, but it could happen.

[Mavric]

2 minutes ago, Undone said:

I do think that Bo left the cupboards bare with talent on defense from his last two recruiting classes. That has hampered Riley in big ways that our fan base either isn't really aware of or doesn't want to admit. You see it on the field and it seems glaringly obvious.

 

If Bo had left the cupboard that bare, it should have been pretty easy for Riley to recruit more than 1 defensive starter in two years.