Your 2020 Nebraska Cornhuskers

[Wistrom Disciple]

Good stuff.  I love it.  I said at the end of last year that Austin's added title of run game coordinator was the one area I was most excited to see this year.....I really like what he has said since last year.  Get some bread and butter plays.....Ones we can execute in our sleep.....IMHO, this might be the single biggest improvement we have on O. Solid OL and road paving RB play.... 

Agreed, I don't recall the last time we could consistently hold onto the ball and move the chains. Unlikely to hit 4-5 homerun plays each game so having some plays where we can pace ourselves moving the chains and give the defense a break is huge. Intricate plays can be neat but we need to have some series where we just grind out first downs in order to set up the big plays to pop.

 

[Husker in WI]

Same song, new season.  Seeing is believing.  Gotta have 200 plus yards on 35-40 carries.  Another 250 passing.  41 pts vis 5 TDs and couple fgs per game.  

Defense needs to be 100 yards and 14 pts better.

Good special teams & coverage. 

Thats a 75% win pct type team.  

We averaged 45 carries and 204 yards per game rushing last year. Only 212 passing, but we were not far off from that and still pretty bad. So I think 1) honestly should be aiming higher for benchmark numbers, but 2) I'm past caring about the specific numbers. We need to be better in a lot of areas, and I don't care what that looks like as longs as it results in wins.

 

[BIG ERN]

We averaged 45 carries and 204 yards per game rushing last year. Only 212 passing, but we were not far off from that and still pretty bad. So I think 1) honestly should be aiming higher for benchmark numbers, but 2) I'm past caring about the specific numbers. We need to be better in a lot of areas, and I don't care what that looks like as longs as it results in wins.

We were the worst red zone and 4th down team I've ever seen at Nebraska. No kicking game and some questionable play calls. 

 

[BigRedBuster]

We were the worst red zone and 4th down team I've ever seen at Nebraska. No kicking game and some questionable play calls. 

Just simply not having every kicker on the team injured would have changed so much of that.

 

[Husker in WI]

We were the worst red zone and 4th down team I've ever seen at Nebraska. No kicking game and some questionable play calls. 

Right, I'm just taking issue with "we need the offense to average X and the defense to average Y, Z% 3rd down conversion," etc. We've lost to Wisconsin by 17 and 16 the past 2 years despite gaining 518 and 493 yards in those games. I think I saw a Points per Yard or per Play stat a while ago but can't remember where, and the past 2 years really we've been horrible at turning yards into points. 

I love stats, and one day I will probably once again spend way to much time talking about where I think we need to be in certain measurements. But I just don't care right now, we've got to figure out how to win regardless of the stats.

 

[Mavric]

[No message]

 

[lo country]

Agreed, I don't recall the last time we could consistently hold onto the ball and move the chains. Unlikely to hit 4-5 homerun plays each game so having some plays where we can pace ourselves moving the chains and give the defense a break is huge. Intricate plays can be neat but we need to have some series where we just grind out first downs in order to set up the big plays to pop.

Can't agree more.  Big or bust works great.  Until it doesn't.  The ability to grind gives the D a break and is demoralizing. Can't remember the game (under Bo?) where the O went straight down the field without a pass.  Just rise and grind... 

 

[TheSker]

Can't agree more.  Big or bust works great.  Until it doesn't.  The ability to grind gives the D a break and is demoralizing. Can't remember the game (under Bo?) where the O went straight down the field without a pass.  Just rise and grind... 

Would you say most of Osborne's great teams were grinders or big play?

 

[Toe]

@TheSker Bit of both, really. Osborne certainly wasn't afraid to grind it out and wear opponents down, but he wanted guys who were a homerun threat on any given play. A lot of his game was making the opposing defense have to execute their assignments perfectly - he set things up so that if just one defender missed, then it was off to the races.

 

[KingBlank]

Would you say most of Osborne's great teams were grinders or big play?

Big play

 

[TheSker]

@TheSker Bit of both, really. Osborne certainly wasn't afraid to grind it out and wear opponents down, but he wanted guys who were a homerun threat on any given play. A lot of his game was making the opposing defense have to execute their assignments perfectly - he set things up so that if just one defender missed, then it was off to the races.

Sounds like big play.

 

[Ulty]

Would you say most of Osborne's great teams were grinders or big play?

Osborne's option offense was designed for the big play. If everyone hit their blocking assignments, and if the QB made the correct decision to pitch or keep, there was always the potential for a huge gain. The running between the tackles and wearing down opponents was part of the recipe, but that grind was part of the chess game to set up that big play.

 

[BigRedBuster]

Osborne's option offense was designed for the big play. If everyone hit their blocking assignments, and if the QB made the correct decision to pitch or keep, there was always the potential for a huge gain. The running between the tackles and wearing down opponents was part of the recipe, but that grind was part of the chess game to set up that big play.

I remember TO explaining that every play was designed to score a TD.  If everything went perfect and the D made a mistake, it's gone.  Every block was accounted for and the QB had the ability to make the right read.  Now, obviously that didn't happen on the vast majority of plays.  But, that's how they were designed.

 

[MyBloodIsRed16]

I remember TO explaining that every play was designed to score a TD.  If everything went perfect and the D made a mistake, it's gone.  Every block was accounted for and the QB had the ability to make the right read.  Now, obviously that didn't happen on the vast majority of plays.  But, that's how they were designed.

aren't most plays in any offense designed to score a TD?

 

[Ulty]

aren't most plays in any offense designed to score a TD?

That QB sneak is only a home-run threat if you are playing the easy mode in Madden.