"Everyone in Fresno thinks they’re going to win”

[Hunter94]

FAU came into Memorial Stadium thinking they were going to win, and got blown out.

What counts is the score after the game, not what teams and fans think going in.

But belief can, in some cases, beget performance.

FAU showed no fear marching down the field to score on their opening drive. They only stopped believing when we stopped them and scored.

McNeese came into the game believing they could win. Their belief was bolstered by stopping us and scoring. We never did anything to destroy that belief, and it almost destroyed us.

Now here's Fresno State, fresh off two losses where they have combined for fewer points than Nebraska scored against FAU, believing they can take it to the Huskers. We best not feed their belief or we could have a similar situation in store.

___________________________________________________________________________

I think the talent level of the McNeese State players was vastly understated by most of us. The Cowboys had a zillion FBS transfers on their team who were eligible to play their first year. Combine that with the increased football talent of the South and you have a potent team.

Still, the gulf in talent between Nebraska and McNeese was [or should be] enormous. But we didn't impose our superior talent on them. We gave them every reason to believe they were just as good if not better than us. And they played like it.

It took one guy to say, "this isn't going to happen this way" to win the game for us. Think how good we could be if we had 45 guys who thought the same.

Great post. +1.

I touched a bit on this last part of your comment the other day. Ameer had the mindset and the talent to say I'm not losing this game, and he took that kick return and later had the Ameeracle play. So then it leads you to wonder, if we knew going into the game taking McNeese lightly, at what point did the rest of the team realize they weren't just going to walk through this one? It never really looked like that offensive line quit pussyfooting around to me, did it to you? Where was the physical dominance when we realized it was time to go? We do expect to out muscle teams like McNeese St. around here don't we? Or are those days gone?

Not to derail the thread, but if we don't go out and just out physical the hell out of Fresno, I'm gonna be really disappointed. In my opinion there's no reason our offensive and defensive lines should be getting pushed around like that by anybody in the country, let alone McNeese St. If Fresno wins I kow many will say they saw this coming, and maybe some did, but I sure as hell don't see any reason this should be an expectation for a program like ours.

so.......we all see the same thing, assuming the coaches have seen this movie before, how does this not get fixed? why is this trend so prevalent here and why is it so hard to fix?........is this really all about sports psychology?

 

[cg_8]

No one has ever been scared of NU. Or Oregon, or bama.

AGREED 100%!!

Nobody has ever been afraid to play any other opponent.

You think we were afraid to play USC in 2007? Hell no we weren't. One of our players trash talked big time! (I want to say it was a DB, but I am drawing a blank on who it was).

Anyway, I believe I can fly.

I'll let you know how the progress on that goes.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

Uh, I'm not sure you could find one Fresno State fan that thinks the 'Dogs are going to win. Maybe the players and coaches do, maybe, but us fans have lost a lot of hope for this season.

Hmm. You sound like a lot of Husker fans.

 

[Blackshirts007]

They are going to win a nice big a$$ whipping from us because at some point this week our players will get sick of the entire country laughing at them and trying to figure out what state mcneese state is in.

 

[NUinID]

Nebraska used to be like Mike Tyson.

Teams came to Lincoln looking for somewhere to fall down. At the earliest signs of trouble they folded their tents.

And just like Mike Tyson, once vulnerability was apparent... things changed.

No one is scared of Nebraska. And there is no reason they should be.

If we are talking Alabama or USC or Oregon... I can see where some pretty darn good teams would self destruct because they were just waiting for the other shoe to fall and the blow out to begin.

You think teams are scared to play those three teams? Very few teams really physically beat up another team anymore. Oregon's games are track meets. Alabama and USC are a little more physical but nothing that epic. It just doesn't happen. All smaller schools see playing a bigger school as an opportunity to look good.

 

[JJ Husker]

I don't really care what their fans think but I would fully expect their coaches and players expect to beat Nebraska and think it highly possible. Why wouldn't they? What has this Husker team done to indicate Fresno has no chance? "Nothing" is the answer to that question. USC and Utah are not exactly FAU and McNeese St. Anybody who thinks this will be easy is deluding themselves. We've shown we can nullify any gimme effect that might be possible. Every game will be a challenge.

 

[GSG]

They are going to win a nice big a$$ whipping from us because at some point this week our players will get sick of the entire country laughing at them and trying to figure out what state mcneese state is in.

 

[It'sNotAFakeID]

FAU came into Memorial Stadium thinking they were going to win, and got blown out.

What counts is the score after the game, not what teams and fans think going in.

But belief can, in some cases, beget performance.

FAU showed no fear marching down the field to score on their opening drive. They only stopped believing when we stopped them and scored.

McNeese came into the game believing they could win. Their belief was bolstered by stopping us and scoring. We never did anything to destroy that belief, and it almost destroyed us.

Now here's Fresno State, fresh off two losses where they have combined for fewer points than Nebraska scored against FAU, believing they can take it to the Huskers. We best not feed their belief or we could have a similar situation in store.

___________________________________________________________________________

I think the talent level of the McNeese State players was vastly understated by most of us. The Cowboys had a zillion FBS transfers on their team who were eligible to play their first year. Combine that with the increased football talent of the South and you have a potent team.

Still, the gulf in talent between Nebraska and McNeese was [or should be] enormous. But we didn't impose our superior talent on them. We gave them every reason to believe they were just as good if not better than us. And they played like it.

It took one guy to say, "this isn't going to happen this way" to win the game for us. Think how good we could be if we had 45 guys who thought the same.

Great post. +1.

I touched a bit on this last part of your comment the other day. Ameer had the mindset and the talent to say I'm not losing this game, and he took that kick return and later had the Ameeracle play. So then it leads you to wonder, if we knew going into the game taking McNeese lightly, at what point did the rest of the team realize they weren't just going to walk through this one? It never really looked like that offensive line quit pussyfooting around to me, did it to you? Where was the physical dominance when we realized it was time to go? We do expect to out muscle teams like McNeese St. around here don't we? Or are those days gone?

Not to derail the thread, but if we don't go out and just out physical the hell out of Fresno, I'm gonna be really disappointed. In my opinion there's no reason our offensive and defensive lines should be getting pushed around like that by anybody in the country, let alone McNeese St. If Fresno wins I kow many will say they saw this coming, and maybe some did, but I sure as hell don't see any reason this should be an expectation for a program like ours.

so.......we all see the same thing, assuming the coaches have seen this movie before, how does this not get fixed? why is this trend so prevalent here and why is it so hard to fix?........is this really all about sports psychology?

You'll be hard-pressed to find any behavior (e.g. performance) that is influenced by a single factor. My guess is there is at least an interaction between talent and belief such that belief can to a point erase talent deficits.

 

[hskrfan4life]

We better win this game. I expect a win.

 

[NUinID]

I don't really care what their fans think but I would fully expect their coaches and players expect to beat Nebraska and think it highly possible. Why wouldn't they? What has this Husker team done to indicate Fresno has no chance? "Nothing" is the answer to that question. USC and Utah are not exactly FAU and McNeese St. Anybody who thinks this will be easy is deluding themselves. We've shown we can nullify any gimme effect that might be possible. Every game will be a challenge.

Wow, sometimes I a swear you guys think every game is going to play out the exact same way. Each game is a different entity all its own. You really don't think this team will have a little more focus and motivation to show everyone that they are better than they showed last Saturday.

Fresno was good last year, not this year. They have looked really bad so far this year. USC is good so that is to be expected. Utah is a lower middle in the Pac 12 at best. I would only rate CU,WSU and Cal below them at present and they thumped Fresno.

If NU would have won big last week I would be more worried about this game than I am now.

 

[VA Husker Fan]

They are going to win a nice big a$$ whipping from us because at some point this week our players will get sick of the entire country laughing at them and trying to figure out what state mcneese state is in.

I think more of the country is laughing at Michigan and Texas for getting absolutely stomped by pretty ordinary teams. We're at most the #3 or 4 reason why the Big 10 had a horrid week and lost more respect around the country. Hopefully it was still enough of a wake-up call. You'd have thought that knapplc posting that FAU guy's quote on the locker room would've done the job but I guess not.

And everyone knows that McNeese State is in the state of McNeese, in the capital McNeese City. Jeez, learn yer geography!

 

[NUpolo8]

In my opinion there's no reason our offensive and defensive lines should be getting pushed around like that by anybody in the country, let alone McNeese St.

Our DL did not get pushed around by McNeese State. Our LBs did the DL absolutely no favors.

Because that makes it better, somehow.

 

[jsneb83]

I don't really care what their fans think but I would fully expect their coaches and players expect to beat Nebraska and think it highly possible. Why wouldn't they? What has this Husker team done to indicate Fresno has no chance? "Nothing" is the answer to that question. USC and Utah are not exactly FAU and McNeese St. Anybody who thinks this will be easy is deluding themselves. We've shown we can nullify any gimme effect that might be possible. Every game will be a challenge.

Wow, sometimes I a swear you guys think every game is going to play out the exact same way. Each game is a different entity all its own. You really don't think this team will have a little more focus and motivation to show everyone that they are better than they showed last Saturday.

Fresno was good last year, not this year. They have looked really bad so far this year. USC is good so that is to be expected. Utah is a lower middle in the Pac 12 at best. I would only rate CU,WSU and Cal below them at present and they thumped Fresno.

If NU would have won big last week I would be more worried about this game than I am now.

Yeah I never understood this thought, either. This isn't just a Nebraska thing, Alabama's opponents go into the game thinking they can win, too. That's part of being a competitor, and with the parity in college football now, it makes it more common. Of course, I'm too young to remember most of NU's heyday, so I can only go off of the last 10-15 years, when you started seeing the gap closing.

 

[The Nebraskan Assassin]

It all just makes me wonder if the coaching staff tells the players the same stuff in the summer that they tell the fans -- how good they look in practice, how intense they are, etc.... seems like these kids year-in year-out need a wake-up call at the beginning of the season because they've been led to believe they're better than they are. My problem over the past several seasons has been how "soft" the team is to start the year. Always seems like it takes several games, and often a close win or a loss, before the staff and players get things on track.

 

[Thanks_Tom RR]

In my opinion there's no reason our offensive and defensive lines should be getting pushed around like that by anybody in the country, let alone McNeese St.

Our DL did not get pushed around by McNeese State. Our LBs did the DL absolutely no favors.

Because that makes it better, somehow.

Not better. A different problem altogether, and an important distinction.