We never had a shot-My take from North Stadium

[Eric the Red]

Of course all week I looked forwardt o this game thinking what if...what if we did win, what if we did take out the #1 team. But it never left my mind that USC, with a week off, saw other teams (LSU and OU) getting pub while they were waiting to come to Lincoln. It never left my mind that we could get beat up on....and it did.

Some takes from North Stadium:

*Feel good Nebraska - This is exactly what it was like for those teams who came to Lincoln all those years and sat helplessly as NU went run happy on them and rang up 400 yards of rushing and couldn't do a damn thing about it.

*When was the game over Not by the second qtr, not by the time SC rolled off the bus, but in weight room in January through the summer.

*"Too many men on the field" NU could have had 15 men on defense and still not stopped this team. When you get physically worn down and have little depth, only thing you can do is tuck your tail between your legs and take it......C'mon NU fans just ask '99 Tenn or '95 Florida There is nothing Cosgrove, Busch or Wyatt could have done. This game was won in the weight room. The scary thing is I called Dirty Dale at half time and we agreed, you could see it coming. There isn't a dagnabit defensive play call or friggin scheme in the world that can defend pure toughness, speed and strength. As I said Nebraska fans should know that.............

*Offensive gameplan- Believe me Callahan wanted to go deep, but when your QB gets 1.5 seconds to throw, WR get get that far.

* Crowd was really into it for about a qtr and a half <_< .......not really anyones fault except SC's

*I do question the players - Ruud and McKeon need to be taken out. DIllard and Brandenburgh have proven they are faster, play harder, and endorse contact....time for those seniors to move aside and let these guys take more game snaps. I am very disappointed in Ruud and McKeon...

 

[HuskerJosh82]

Dillard to me was the only one that would wrap up and tackle someone. Ruud and Mckeon need to give back thier Blackshirts to someone that can tackle.

 

[Eric the Red]

Dillard to me was the only one that would wrap up and tackle someone. Ruud and Mckeon need to give back thier Blackshirts to someone that can tackle.

I'm right with you. Instead of "cleaning house" on the coaches side, how about we clean up some of these players.

“He was disappointed in us. We’re already disappointed in ourselves,” Husker senior linebacker Bo Ruud said. “He knows that we’re better than that. I think that’s what really hurts him is he knows we didn’t play our best game. He knew we could have won that game. We didn’t perform, though. It’s on the players.” - Lincoln Journal Star

 

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

I agree with someones comment on here about stripping the players of their Blackshirt and forcing them to earn them back. Maybe start a new tradition where each week the defensive players have to earn the blackshirt.

 

[Eric the Red]

I agree with someones comment on here about stripping the players of their Blackshirt and forcing them to earn them back. Maybe start a new tradition where each week the defensive players have to earn the blackshirt.

Now there is a strategy.......that might work. Also, how about only giving out 11 of them? Also, do think any of our defensive starters could have started for USC....my opinion, NO

 

[HuskerJosh82]

I agree with someones comment on here about stripping the players of their Blackshirt and forcing them to earn them back. Maybe start a new tradition where each week the defensive players have to earn the blackshirt.

Now there is a strategy.......that might work. Also, how about only giving out 11 of them? Also, do think any of our defensive starters could have started for USC....my opinion, NO

The only one's I can think of is Suh and Bowman.

 

[KS HUSKER]

As much as I hate to say it but McKeon and Ruud are below average linebackers. We have high school players here that have much better technique than Cory. He NEVER breaks down and wraps....NEVER! He stands straight up and looks like a fool when the RB gives a simple fake. As for Ruud, the "softest" LB we have had here in a long time. He's a jersey "grabber"! Doesn't seem like he wants any part of the hit or collision. I'm sorry, I hate to bash our players but Phiillip and Lance must step in for these two seniors. They just don't have what it takes to play at a high level, which is where we want to go, right? Now, if were happy with beating Wake by 3 and beating up on lesser opponents, then continue with Ruud and McKeon.

Please let me know if I'm wrong on this or if you see the samething. Again, being a coach myself, I hate to bash on players or feel like I know more than the staff when all we see is the game on Saturday and they are around these guys 7 days a week but it's apparent to me that these two players are not the players you see on the top teams around.

 

[husker rob]

Dillard to me was the only one that would wrap up and tackle someone. Ruud and Mckeon need to give back thier Blackshirts to someone that can tackle.

from where i was in the North Stadium, i saw Dillard shooting into the wrong gap and their running back would break off a big run up the middle. i dont know if it was the wrong gap or if their running backs were that fast, and had that good of vision and could see it and just move to the other side.

 

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

Dillard to me was the only one that would wrap up and tackle someone. Ruud and Mckeon need to give back thier Blackshirts to someone that can tackle.

Agreed. McKeon should just shut his mouth until he can back it up with his play. Which means he'll be silent all season. Ruud isn't even worth ranting about....

 

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

Dillard to me was the only one that would wrap up and tackle someone. Ruud and Mckeon need to give back thier Blackshirts to someone that can tackle.

I'm right with you. Instead of "cleaning house" on the coaches side, how about we clean up some of these players.

“He was disappointed in us. We’re already disappointed in ourselves,” Husker senior linebacker Bo Ruud said. “He knows that we’re better than that. I think that’s what really hurts him is he knows we didn’t play our best game. He knew we could have won that game. We didn’t perform, though. It’s on the players.” - Lincoln Journal Star

And you have NO CHANCE when you put those AVERAGE players out of position at the start of the play. THAT is on the COACHES.

 

[Husker_x]

I agree with someones comment on here about stripping the players of their Blackshirt and forcing them to earn them back. Maybe start a new tradition where each week the defensive players have to earn the blackshirt.

Yeah, that's what I said in my Recap post. Except I'd take it a step further. I'd hand out Pinkshirts instead, as that more accurately embodies their athletic ability and general drive.

 

[Eric the Red]

Dillard to me was the only one that would wrap up and tackle someone. Ruud and Mckeon need to give back thier Blackshirts to someone that can tackle.

I'm right with you. Instead of "cleaning house" on the coaches side, how about we clean up some of these players.

“He was disappointed in us. We’re already disappointed in ourselves,” Husker senior linebacker Bo Ruud said. “He knows that we’re better than that. I think that’s what really hurts him is he knows we didn’t play our best game. He knew we could have won that game. We didn’t perform, though. It’s on the players.” - Lincoln Journal Star

And you have NO CHANCE when you put those AVERAGE players out of position at the start of the play. THAT is on the COACHES.

In my opinion your just not getting it. First off, what is the right position? Secondly, it wouldn't have mattered, as I said, if we had 15 guys on the field, USC physically beat our asses.

 

[Eric the Red]

As much as I hate to say it but McKeon and Ruud are below average linebackers. We have high school players here that have much better technique than Cory. He NEVER breaks down and wraps....NEVER! He stands straight up and looks like a fool when the RB gives a simple fake. As for Ruud, the "softest" LB we have had here in a long time. He's a jersey "grabber"! Doesn't seem like he wants any part of the hit or collision. I'm sorry, I hate to bash our players but Phiillip and Lance must step in for these two seniors. They just don't have what it takes to play at a high level, which is where we want to go, right? Now, if were happy with beating Wake by 3 and beating up on lesser opponents, then continue with Ruud and McKeon.

Please let me know if I'm wrong on this or if you see the samething. Again, being a coach myself, I hate to bash on players or feel like I know more than the staff when all we see is the game on Saturday and they are around these guys 7 days a week but it's apparent to me that these two players are not the players you see on the top teams around.

Agree 100%...........McKeon needs to shut his mouth and Ruud must prove himself to his teammates that he can play and wantst to hit.

 

[EbylHusker]

So here are my questions (I agree with the OP, btw):

I don't think all athletes are created equal, but I also don't think each university's training program (strength, speed, endurance, technique, etc is what I'm talking about there) is created equal.

So what do people think is the difference between our athletes and USC's?

For me, I don't think we have the same caliber of athletes for the most part, but we shouldn't yet either. It takes time to rebuild a program so you can recruit decent numbers of those "marquee" players. I think we'll see increasing numbers of those players start to come in over the next few years.

But is there any chance our training program is not quite where it should be? It's an honest question, I really have no clue about the state of our program with respect to that. All I know is we have traditionally had a very good training program.

 

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

Dillard to me was the only one that would wrap up and tackle someone. Ruud and Mckeon need to give back thier Blackshirts to someone that can tackle.

I'm right with you. Instead of "cleaning house" on the coaches side, how about we clean up some of these players.

“He was disappointed in us. We’re already disappointed in ourselves,” Husker senior linebacker Bo Ruud said. “He knows that we’re better than that. I think that’s what really hurts him is he knows we didn’t play our best game. He knew we could have won that game. We didn’t perform, though. It’s on the players.” - Lincoln Journal Star

And you have NO CHANCE when you put those AVERAGE players out of position at the start of the play. THAT is on the COACHES.

In my opinion your just not getting it. First off, what is the right position? Secondly, it wouldn't have mattered, as I said, if we had 15 guys on the field, USC physically beat our asses.

I'll agree they have the better athletes. They got 56 of the best recruits we went after and and made them bionic.

To evoke the dreaded "P" name, Pelini knew how to line up the LBs off the ball so they could have time to react and be able to take better angles. He still seems to be doing pretty well at LSU.

Before you ask I'll beat you to it. The difference between me and Cosgove? I have the ability to learn from my mistakes.