8-4

[Huskers93-97]

So we had a bunch of ways and chances to win the Colorado game - a game that, in fact, did come down to the last play - and counter that with a single play in a different game that would have extended the game but was a long was from being decisive.

And you think those two things are supposed to be equal.  There seems to be a pattern of viewing things from the glass-less-than-half-empty side of the ledger.

I get what your saying. I know for myself- I am just tired of all the excuses and over analysis of why it isnt as bad as it looks when you watch it. It is bad, it is pathetic to watch- now lets not be afraid to say it out loud- it doesnt mean your not a Frost supporter it just means your calling it what it is, UGLY AS s#!t. At the end of the day it is wins and losses and looking the way you should on the field. A disciplined, well coached football team. The defense has progressed this year and the offense has regressed this year. Special teams has regressed as well. So as a whole team we have regressed. We have played one hell of an easy schedule so far minus ohio state and that was a 41 point loss. I dont care to compare the first half of this year to the first half of last year. I think the first half of this year should be compared to the second half of last year. We should be progressing and building on the foundation set last year. Not comparing to the first 6 games of a new coaching staff. Lets just see how the season ends. But the week to week competition is taking a big step up from the first half of the season- so brace for 2-4 or 3-3. Unless they find a way to switch the magical switch they had last year. 

I have seen some guys on here make claims that our offense has just regressed because we lost 2 lineman and our RB and WR. I know they were fine players but lets be real for a minute. Did any of those 4 players get drafted? Ok so the loss of those 4 guys can not be the sole cause for our offense to go from a top 15 squad to pathetic. I just dont buy it. Martinez is 1 year older, we didnt have wandale last year so we have other things going for us this year too. 

Also playing Jurgens is a choice on the staff. 6 games in and the snaps are still ridiculous.

I am a die hard Husker fan, I watch every game till the last second ticks off the clock. Even the games we lost by 70 points as painful as it was to watch. I believe Frost is the right coach for us and he will get us back to competing for National Championships. Yes you read that right. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. But right now there is some things I just dont understand what they are doing and why some guys are worse than last year. 

 

[BigRedBuster]

I have seen some guys on here make claims that our offense has just regressed because we lost 2 lineman and our RB and WR. I know they were fine players but lets be real for a minute. Did any of those 4 players get drafted?

Three are signed by NFL teams and the other is paying in the CFL.

 

[ScawFraw]

Was it though? Michigan sure, but at least OSU, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois are better this year than last. Probably Colorado and Iowa as well. Purdue was better last year, but that was still a mediocre team. Michigan State had their worst offense of all time last year. On paper last year was a tougher schedule, I don't really believe it was in reality.

That's a good way to look at it actually.  

 

[Ziebol]

I have seen some guys on here make claims that our offense has just regressed because we lost 2 lineman and our RB and WR. I know they were fine players but lets be real for a minute. Did any of those 4 players get drafted? Ok so the loss of those 4 guys can not be the sole cause for our offense to go from a top 15 squad to pathetic

That's a pretty awful take right there to be honest.

 

[Huskers93-97]

That's a pretty awful take right there to be honest.

I can live with that and I can accept others may not agree. I just think year to year the coaching staff has to figure it out (maybe not playing Jurgens if he cant snap the ball). Do we really not have any receivers who can run a route other than spielman? Gotta get the players ready and on the field. Maybe I didnt word it that well. I would hope we have good enough talent to at least play at 90% of 4 guys who were picked up as a free agent after the draft.

Maybe its just hard to accept that we have that much of a talent vacuum that we cant even replace 4 guys who couldnt get drafted.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

So we had a bunch of ways and chances to win the Colorado game - a game that, in fact, did come down to the last play - and counter that with a single play in a different game that would have extended the game but was a long was from being decisive.

And you think those two things are supposed to be equal.  There seems to be a pattern of viewing things from the glass-less-than-half-empty side of the ledger.

Now you're just not paying attention. 

I didn't start this line of thinking. Another poster suggested that we were an overtime game against Colorado away from being 5-1. I equated that with being a single play away from being 3-3, which is at least as valid as the premise I was handed. Then I suggested we both walk away from things that didn't happen. 

There's gotta be a healthy middle ground between kool-aid guzzling and abandoning hope. Pretty sure all the concerns I've brought up are shared in thousands of other posts, and most of them are realistic (things that have happened) and not pessimistic (I believe things will get better).  I talk to fellow Husker fans across the country every week, and roughly 100% of them have been disappointed by the play this season, but certainly not writing the season off. I'd say the HuskerBoard sentiment is even rougher. I don't know any fanboard where unfettered optimism is the rule. Some healthy skepticism does't mean you love Nebraska any less.   

 

[BigRedBuster]

Maybe its just hard to accept that we have that much of a talent vacuum that we cant even replace 4 guys who couldnt get drafted.

I think it's been stated pretty frequently by multiple posters that the issue is we replaced key parts of the offense with young and inexperienced players.

Not sure where the disconnect is here.  Seems to me that most people have accepted that there was a big drop off from those four players.

 

[BigRedBuster]

I would hope we have good enough talent to at least play at 90% of 4 guys who were picked up as a free agent after the draft.

With one playing on Sundays as a rookie.

 

[GBRFAN]

I honestly think the progress shown has more to do with our opponents than it does us.  Last year's schedule was brutal, this year not so much.

Where do you see the difference thru 6 games?  CU was on both schedules and i don't recall anybody tougher then OSU....

 

[GBRFAN]

Well I was offered the Colorado game as the "near win" example, a game where we gave up a 17 point lead, failed several opportunities to put Colorado away, and ran 3 plays in overtime that netted negative yards. In that spirit, Nebraska probably got a little lucky against Northwestern. I don't think we got lucky against Illinois, but most fans didn't think that game needed to be a nail-biter that could have gone either way.

I also remember certain posters who loathed the "if it wasn't for one play" argument when other coaches lost close games and posted unsatisfying wins. 

Here's my last word. For now. 

This has been a disappointing season. So far. Improvements on defense hampered by regressions on offense. Special teams still a mess. A seeming backslide in turnovers and penalties. Our Heisman contender losing his edge and confidence. Other coaches making the better halftime adjustments. A deer in the headlights against elite teams. A lack of killer instinct  against even lowly teams like University of South Alabama. 

Then there's the Northwestern game.  If you weren't rooting for either team, it was virtually unwatchable. Nebraska was favored, but it was hard to say why. They just aren't a very good team.

Then our poor maligned third-string placekicker ekes out a 25 yard field goal, the place goes wild, the kid tears down the field in utter jubilation, the team mobs him and I'm back on board. They won the game. They got to celebrate. They have at least six games to get better. And I'll always be a fan. 

Not sure why the bold is included - however it only helps the argument for the opposite side from what you are trying to sell.  Without the bold we would be 5-1

 

[Undone]

I think it's been stated pretty frequently by multiple posters that the issue is we replaced key parts of the offense with young and inexperienced players.

Not sure where the disconnect is here.  Seems to me that most people have accepted that there was a big drop off from those four players.

I believe last year's offensive line starters were these five guys:

Jaimes | Foster | Conrad | Farmer | Farniok

While Farniok struggled quite a bit and Foster seemed to draw a lot of unnecessary penalties, the three seniors - Foster/Conrad/Farmer - were pretty dang solid in pass protection. That's the biggest thing that sticks out to me. I specifically remember Martinez consistently having more time to throw, and conversely, having wide open lanes to scramble through when his downfield guys were covered.

I don't even think losing Morgan has been that much of an impact, because Wan'Dale has pretty much covered up at least most of his production. I don't have stats through game 6 to back that up, just eyeballing that one.

Mills is behind Ozigbo a bit.

But the main factor is pass protection IMO.

 

[Huskers93-97]

I think it's been stated pretty frequently by multiple posters that the issue is we replaced key parts of the offense with young and inexperienced players.

Not sure where the disconnect is here.  Seems to me that most people have accepted that there was a big drop off from those four players.

I have no problem with a drop off. Year to year you will have a drop off when you lose players. Its the name of the game in college football. I would just think you could still field an offense that doesnt look like 2009 all over again just because you lost a few guys from the year before. Especially when one of the returning pieces was your star QB with Heisman hype.

I am not asking for 2017 UCF offense either. But the last 2 games combined we have scored 20 points.

 

[BigRedBuster]

I have no problem with a drop off. Year to year you will have a drop off when you lose players. Its the name of the game in college football. I would just think you could still field an offense that doesnt look like 2009 all over again just because you lost a few guys from the year before. Especially when one of the returning pieces was your star QB with Heisman hype.

I am not asking for 2017 UCF offense either. But the last 2 games combined we have scored 20 points.

Maybe....just maybe.....

The cupboard was extremely bare on the O line and that takes longer to restock than other positions.

It's just a possibility.

 

[Husker in WI]

I believe last year's offensive line starters were these five guys:

Jaimes | Foster | Conrad | Farmer | Farniok

While Farniok struggled quite a bit and Foster seemed to draw a lot of unnecessary penalties, the three seniors - Foster/Conrad/Farmer - were pretty dang solid in pass protection. That's the biggest thing that sticks out to me. I specifically remember Martinez consistently having more time to throw, and conversely, having wide open lanes to scramble through when his downfield guys were covered.

I don't even think losing Morgan has been that much of an impact, because Wan'Dale has pretty much covered up at least most of his production. I don't have stats through game 6 to back that up, just eyeballing that one.

Mills is behind Ozigbo a bit.

But the main factor is pass protection IMO.

It was actually a lot better when it went to Jaimes | Foster | Farmer | Wilson | Farniok, and I think a difference we may be missing is the line calls. That seemed to be the difference between Conrad and Farmer, although it's not possible to know for sure as fans. But the unblocked guys and overall pass pro improved a lot with Farmer.

I know the snaps are bad, but I suspect Jurgens learning how to make the line calls is also a factor. But even with both of those, when he's right he is blocking really well. If the staff truly believes he's the guy, I think you have to roll with him - sounds like the snaps are good in practice, so benching him and only working it in practice might not help much.

 

[Jarhead In Red]

Maybe....just maybe.....

The cupboard was extremely bare on the O line and that takes longer to restock than other positions.

It's just a possibility.

I think it's a fact. If you watch our OL, they lack good feet in pass pro, and we are playing an OT who is weak blocking the edges for a reason. There isn't really anyone else better to play instead. We just don't have a lot of talent that is ready to see the field.There are a few guys from the last 2 recruiting classes (Benhart, Banks, etc.) who are more athletic, and they should be an upgrade next year even though they are young. But, it will take Frost at least another class to fill in the 2 deep with OL who can play without a big dropoff. It sucks to wait, but there really isn't a quick fix for the OL situation. IMO, AM has additional issues apart from what is being caused by the OL, but it will make it much easier for him to function when he has a little more time to throw....