**** What we Learned - McNeese St Edition ****

[knapplc]

Yeah, like I said earlier in the thread, it seems like Bo's passive defense is back. Cannot wrap my head around why he didn't learn something from getting aggressive last season. Instead of picking up where we left off, it seems like we took a step or two back.

And if their body language is anything to go by, the players find this BOOOOORING!

The defense looked asleep out there, disinterested, going through the motions. They're not being taught to think for themselves, either - every play, they're looking over to the sideline, looking for reads from the coaches.

Seems like the coaching staff wants drones out there who just do what they're told. They call it "executing" and demand better when it doesn't happen, except the problem isn't with the players (only), it's with the coaches themselves. A scheme where you leave half the field undefended on 4th & 5, allowing a 26-yard gain, isn't a scheme worth using. Any defender with instincts has to know you cannot do that. But they're not using instinct, they're just little robots doing what they're told.

I think that's a long-term failing proposition, and we see the product that gets us on the field.

 

[irafreak]

Zoogies...your list of bad is twice the size of good...it's year 7. When will it be okay to be upset at seeing games like this?

Well, the bad's more interesting to talk about, so I wrote more (6 bullets vs 4, but it's just an arbitrary list, anyway). And yeah, in a game we should've dominated but almost screwed up, there's more bad than good.

Like I said, though, it's one game, and anything can happen on any day. I don't think we have a bad team, although it's possible we'll have a coach who will never fully be able to avoid taking opponents lightly early in the season.

It's OK to be upset about the day, but how about we hold off on the bigger picture judgments about the program until the season is played out?

Yeah I understand what you're saying. I guess for me it's just repeat. I'd actually be more surprised to see us win more than 9 games than I would be to see us win less than 9. I'm Callahaned again and I hate it. I don't mind losing. I remember being so heartbroken after tough losses. Today would not have induced heartbreak because I'm mostly complacent. I smiled when Ameer busted the TD. I'm still happy about it but the way our team plays is disappointing and frankly not much fun to watch anymore. I really enjoyed the USC Stanford game today. Yeah there were points left on the field but both teams played hard and left it on the field. I miss that. I miss seeing us put out our best and it not being enough and saying "the better team won."

 

[ohiocornhusker]

That right now, after watching/seeing highlights from most of the Big 10's games today, our win is a highlight for the conference.

 

[NUpolo8]

Yeah, like I said earlier in the thread, it seems like Bo's passive defense is back. Cannot wrap my head around why he didn't learn something from getting aggressive last season. Instead of picking up where we left off, it seems like we took a step or two back.

And if their body language is anything to go by, the players find this BOOOOORING!The defense looked asleep out there, disinterested, going through the motions. They're not being taught to think for themselves, either - every play, they're looking over to the sideline, looking for reads from the coaches.Seems like the coaching staff wants drones out there who just do what they're told. They call it "executing" and demand better when it doesn't happen, except the problem isn't with the players (only), it's with the coaches themselves. A scheme where you leave half the field undefended on 4th & 5, allowing a 26-yard gain, isn't a scheme worth using. Any defender with instincts has to know you cannot do that. But they're not using instinct, they're just little robots doing what they're told.I think that's a long-term failing proposition, and we see the product that gets us on the field.

It's not that I don't like agreeing with you, it's just that when I do, and I think about what your comments may mean, it's incredibly troubling.

 

[zoogs]

I think there was a stubborn refusal to admit that this game was going to be a dogfight, down to the wire, or anything other than "hey, we'll win in the end anyway" right up to the end of the 4th when offense, defense, and ST came alive a little.

That kind of complacency has to be rooted out. Doesn't matter who the opponent is.

 

[TheSker]

Yeah, like I said earlier in the thread, it seems like Bo's passive defense is back. Cannot wrap my head around why he didn't learn something from getting aggressive last season. Instead of picking up where we left off, it seems like we took a step or two back.

And if their body language is anything to go by, the players find this BOOOOORING!

The defense looked asleep out there, disinterested, going through the motions. They're not being taught to think for themselves, either - every play, they're looking over to the sideline, looking for reads from the coaches.

Seems like the coaching staff wants drones out there who just do what they're told. They call it "executing" and demand better when it doesn't happen, except the problem isn't with the players (only), it's with the coaches themselves. A scheme where you leave half the field undefended on 4th & 5, allowing a 26-yard gain, isn't a scheme worth using. Any defender with instincts has to know you cannot do that. But they're not using instinct, they're just little robots doing what they're told.

I think that's a long-term failing proposition, and we see the product that gets us on the field.

"body language", "seems like".......very critically sound.

 

[Whistlebritches]

I learned that we better get used to seeing running backs catching the ball in the flat. Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon is going to rack up a billion yards doing it against us all game like they did with the jet sweep in the past. Hopefully by game 10 we've figured out how to defend it but I have my doubts.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

Stil amazed how many people want to lay this at the feet of Tim Beck.

Nebraska didn't go away from what it does well. They just stopped doing it well. They know they're better than this. But when another team punches them in the mouth, they don't get angry. They get confused. Then they press. They literally take a step back on defense. Their body language changes. They let McNeese State get into their heads, and that's AFTER a first half that should have been a wake up call. Playcalling counts, but in meltdown mode its just as easy to envision Cross getting stuffed up the middle, or an Ameer sweep getting sniffed out because we've already seen those happen. The play that didn't get called will always be more successul than the play that failed because......hindsight!

Meltdown mode is mental and teamwide, and its traced to head coaching on most teams.

Yup. Tommy was clearly pressing after the INT. Maybe sit him for a series and put in Fyfe, just to get TA calmed down.

Nope. Armstrong actually recovered from the int and led Nebraska on a nice business as usual touchdown drive that made everyone think we'd pull away in the second half. Tommy wasn't the problem today. Not even close. Inserting Fyfe would have been the panic move that blows up your whole season. Offensive line and a bit of credit to McNeese State really took us out of our rhythm in the second half, and the lack of success snowballed in all phases.

 

[presidentjlh]

Agreed, certainly there were things Tommy could have done a little better, but he did what he could, and he certainly wasn't the problem.

 

[Danny Bateman]

I think there was a stubborn refusal to admit that this game was going to be a dogfight, down to the wire, or anything other than "hey, we'll win in the end anyway" right up to the end of the 4th when offense, defense, and ST came alive a little.That kind of complacency has to be rooted out. Doesn't matter who the opponent is.

Perhaps some of Beck's refusal to change his game plan during games is rooted in arrogance. Perhaps he is the one, not so much the players, from whom this "We should win just because we'rd NU and not because we earned it" attitude is derived, and he allows his hotshot beliefs about our (his) skill to trickle down to certain players.

 

[hskrpwr13]

I wouldnt say I learned anything, but more felt like I was able to confirm a thought. I think Bo and company are good coaches, however, not great. SE, and the major donors, are going to have to decide if a "good" coach (who MAYBE can get better) is good enough for NU or if we want to strive for greatness.

 

[Danny Bateman]

I wouldnt say I learned anything, but more felt like I was able to confirm a thought. I think Bo and company are good coaches, however, not great. SE, and the major donors, are going to have to decide if a "good" coach (who MAYBE can get better) is good enough for NU or if we want to strive for greatness.

Sounds like you've made up YOUR mind...

Get Eichorst on the horn! NOW!!!

 

[Hoosker]

I learned that you can't always get what you want.

But if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.

 

[Thanks_Tom RR]

nm

 

[True2tRA]

Stil amazed how many people want to lay this at the feet of Tim Beck.

Nebraska didn't go away from what it does well. They just stopped doing it well. They know they're better than this. But when another team punches them in the mouth, they don't get angry. They get confused. Then they press. They literally take a step back on defense. Their body language changes. They let McNeese State get into their heads, and that's AFTER a first half that should have been a wake up call. Playcalling counts, but in meltdown mode its just as easy to envision Cross getting stuffed up the middle, or an Ameer sweep getting sniffed out because we've already seen those happen. The play that didn't get called will always be more successul than the play that failed because......hindsight!

Meltdown mode is mental and teamwide, and its traced to head coaching on most teams.

Yup. Tommy was clearly pressing after the INT. Maybe sit him for a series and put in Fyfe, just to get TA calmed down.

Nope. Armstrong actually recovered from the int and led Nebraska on a nice business as usual touchdown drive that made everyone think we'd pull away in the second half. Tommy wasn't the problem today. Not even close. Inserting Fyfe would have been the panic move that blows up your whole season. Offensive line and a bit of credit to McNeese State really took us out of our rhythm in the second half, and the lack of success snowballed in all phases.

^ this guy nailed it.