Burning Redshirts?

[eoltmer]

Ok...I have some good questions.

 

Based on what we have seen and heard. Its evident that Cally hasn't started a QB while being freshman or sophmore...Taylor started Jr., now Keller Sr.

 

Does this mean that Gabbert possibly won't start his first 2 years?

 

One of the coaches stated about a week ago that he doesn't believe in starting freshman...

 

Do you think the other coaches agree w/ him, and this is why we haven't seen any freshman start?

 

Yes...its an out dated philosophy that should have died when the dinosaurs went extinct. Will Gabbert start as frosh or soph..../who knows but its highly unlikely since we still have Ganz, Lee, Witt, and Ol' boy Davis next year. Not to mention Ganz and Davis will be gone but we will still have Lee and Witt when Gabbert is a soph. But the possibility is there his soph, he will just have to fight his ars off and be Cally's golden boy.

Bah, humbug. I say if you can use 'em, then use 'em. It's getting to be a rarity that good college football players are willing to stick it out for five years. The best ones will go to the draft early, perhaps after only three years. I would never count on a player to stay around for a fifth year anymore.

So, play 'em early. You probably aren't really losing anything.

I totally agree, especially if that player wins the position battle after fall camp. Do you honestly think that if any of these kids were doing well enough get drafted early that they wouldn't leave. I mean hell one of the main phrases I hear from these kids is about grooming for the NFL. I personnally feel that alot of these kids would jump ship for the NFL if it presents itself.

 

[I Bleed RED]

If the kids don't care we shouldn't care. They want to see the field anyway possible and if that means running down on kickoffs then so be it.

Umm the kids will care at the end of the year if they don't play anymore...I guarantee it. They are begging to contribute now and they are happy to be on the field but if Helu doesn't get anymore reps and he is 4th string again next year he will be pissed.

 

[DaveH]

OK, then how do you balance these three things:

1) Getting playing time for young kids. Not just on special teams

2) Putting your best players on the field

3) Winning football games.

If you aren't winning handily, you don't get to play your 3rd and 4th string guys. If you play your 3rd and 4th string guys over your first string guys then you aren't putting your best product on the field.

Another argument used is that a player is better in his 5th year than his first. Well, if he leaves after his junior year then what does it matter?

I think the redshirting idea is blown way out of proportion by fans who are stuck in the 90's or when we could actually stock pile players before 1990.

 

[REDSTEEL]

OK, then how do you balance these three things:

1) Getting playing time for young kids. Not just on special teams

2) Putting your best players on the field

3) Winning football games.

If you aren't winning handily, you don't get to play your 3rd and 4th string guys. If you play your 3rd and 4th string guys over your first string guys then you aren't putting your best product on the field.

Another argument used is that a player is better in his 5th year than his first. Well, if he leaves after his junior year then what does it matter?

I think the redshirting idea is blown way out of proportion by fans who are stuck in the 90's or when we could actually stock pile players before 1990.

Has this coaching staff figured out number 2 yet?

Doesn't look like this staff really cares about number 3.

 

[DaveH]

OK, then how do you balance these three things:

1) Getting playing time for young kids. Not just on special teams

2) Putting your best players on the field

3) Winning football games.

If you aren't winning handily, you don't get to play your 3rd and 4th string guys. If you play your 3rd and 4th string guys over your first string guys then you aren't putting your best product on the field.

Another argument used is that a player is better in his 5th year than his first. Well, if he leaves after his junior year then what does it matter?

I think the redshirting idea is blown way out of proportion by fans who are stuck in the 90's or when we could actually stock pile players before 1990.

Has this coaching staff figured out number 2 yet?

Doesn't look like this staff really cares about number 3.

OK great, but the question still stands. A lot of people here talk like they know how to coach football and I think those are valid concerns. I'd like to see someone address them. In a perfect world, all freshman would redshirt, we'd rush for 300 yards a game and win every game including the conference championship. Obviously, it's not that easy. I am not making excuses for anyone, these are questions for any coach.

 

[huskers1]

Ok but when the best players are obviously not playing and if the seniors and juniors are supposedly the best and they are doing terrible then why not give the younger guys a shot? Nobody will EVER convince me that Erickson is better than paul, holt, brooks, or even currenski. In this offense and defense it isnt the best will play it is the most knowledgable, and that is what is wrong. I will admit that corner might be a little different if it is man coverage, but d linemen, linebackers tight ends, wide receivers and running backs are another story. I dont think anyone is calling for the frosh to play the whole game but I think everyone would like to see Paul get 5-10 passes thrown his way per game. If he proves he cant catch the ball then at least you will know that he needs a little longer, but right now he has been thrown to once, got rocked and held on to the ball, what is wrong with that picture? Other receivers continually drop balls wide open yet still get on the field. Why? Just because they are seniors or juniors? Or bc when they dropped the ball they ran the right route or were in the right spot? Who freakin cares?

 

[Overland Park Husker]

Ok but when the best players are obviously not playing and if the seniors and juniors are supposedly the best and they are doing terrible then why not give the younger guys a shot? Nobody will EVER convince me that Erickson is better than paul, holt, brooks, or even currenski. In this offense and defense it isnt the best will play it is the most knowledgable, and that is what is wrong. I will admit that corner might be a little different if it is man coverage, but d linemen, linebackers tight ends, wide receivers and running backs are another story. I dont think anyone is calling for the frosh to play the whole game but I think everyone would like to see Paul get 5-10 passes thrown his way per game. If he proves he cant catch the ball then at least you will know that he needs a little longer, but right now he has been thrown to once, got rocked and held on to the ball, what is wrong with that picture? Other receivers continually drop balls wide open yet still get on the field. Why? Just because they are seniors or juniors? Or bc when they dropped the ball they ran the right route or were in the right spot? Who freakin cares?

I disagree. This offense is supoosed to spread the field. No one single receiver will ever get the ball thrown to him 5-10 times a game. Has never happened here and won't as long as we continue to spread things out. Put him on the field and if gets open then yes, throw him the ball. Purify, probably our best receiver, doesn't even get that many thrown his way.

Would I like to see more freshmen on the field per game? Yes. Am I the one to judge who is better after watching one game per week? No. We don't get to see half of these kids practice, so how can anyone say someone should start over another?

 

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

Ok but when the best players are obviously not playing and if the seniors and juniors are supposedly the best and they are doing terrible then why not give the younger guys a shot? Nobody will EVER convince me that Erickson is better than paul, holt, brooks, or even currenski. In this offense and defense it isnt the best will play it is the most knowledgable, and that is what is wrong. I will admit that corner might be a little different if it is man coverage, but d linemen, linebackers tight ends, wide receivers and running backs are another story. I dont think anyone is calling for the frosh to play the whole game but I think everyone would like to see Paul get 5-10 passes thrown his way per game. If he proves he cant catch the ball then at least you will know that he needs a little longer, but right now he has been thrown to once, got rocked and held on to the ball, what is wrong with that picture? Other receivers continually drop balls wide open yet still get on the field. Why? Just because they are seniors or juniors? Or bc when they dropped the ball they ran the right route or were in the right spot? Who freakin cares?

I disagree. This offense is supoosed to spread the field. No one single receiver will ever get the ball thrown to him 5-10 times a game. Has never happened here and won't as long as we continue to spread things out. Put him on the field and if gets open then yes, throw him the ball. Purify, probably our best receiver, doesn't even get that many thrown his way.

Would I like to see more freshmen on the field per game? Yes. Am I the one to judge who is better after watching one game per week? No. We don't get to see half of these kids practice, so how can anyone say someone should start over another?

Purify may be our best WR but he isn't on the field nearly enough because he STILL doesn't know the offense. He admitted so in an interview earlier this week.

 

[admo]

All honesty, I think it's a trust issue by the coach. I'm not so sure the coach wants a frosh out there in case he might make a mistake. Which sucks b/c I dont subscribe to that type of thinking. But I havent seen anything to prove me wrong. It's a total control situation, about robot timing, and not about athleticism.

As for putting them on special teams, that's just ridiculous. That's not what they were recruited for. So the "game speed" speech is a copout. Control.. play like a robot.. no mistake..

 

[junior4949]

I think this thread got hijacked. I think the original poster was asking if it's smart to burn a redshirt if the player only plays like 4 plays the entire season. Helu has gone AWOL since the Nevada game, and basically so has Castille. If they were ready the first game, shouldn't they be ready now? At one point we were losing to Nevada, but BC kept putting Castille in the game. So, I don't buy the not being up enough to play them. How about being down enough to play them? It was pretty obvious against USC and Mizzou we weren't in the game by the 4th quarter. If you're gonna burn their redshirts, play them!

 

[huskers1]

Ok I understand that this offense is meant to spread the ball around, so is the patriots offense. Before this season no receiver on a brady led team has had more than 7 tds in a year. How many does Moss have this year? I would be willing its already more than 7, why? Because Billicheck, one of the greatest coaches of all time realizes that when you have a good player you get him the ball. You dont make him stand on the sidelines, you dont throw to him 3 times a game and think that is going to get it done. It is ridiculous to say that oh well we want to spread the ball around thats why nobody gets a lot of catches. True its good to spread the ball around, but when you have a very talented receiver you get the ball in his hands. 3, 7, 6, 3, 4, those are the number of receptions that purify got. Now figure that maybe 3-5 of his receptions are on screens. And yes I do know what the coaches see in comparison to paul and erickson, they see erickson who knows the whole offense and they feel like when hes in there they can call any play they want. When Paul is in there they feel like they have to scale it down. Thats Bullsh%t!! Put your most talented guys on the field!! Nobody will convince me that Percy Harvin or Derick Williams or Dwayne Jarret, or Patrick Turner, or Jimmy clauson (who knows probably half the offense that the junior knows at QB for ND), Early Doucet, and a number of others knew the entire offense before they were able to step on the field aside from ST. Its the dumbest thing I have ever heard of!!

 

[cashel]

I think this thread got hijacked. I think the original poster was asking if it's smart to burn a redshirt if the player only plays like 4 plays the entire season. Helu has gone AWOL since the Nevada game, and basically so has Castille. If they were ready the first game, shouldn't they be ready now? At one point we were losing to Nevada, but BC kept putting Castille in the game. So, I don't buy the not being up enough to play them. How about being down enough to play them? It was pretty obvious against USC and Mizzou we weren't in the game by the 4th quarter. If you're gonna burn their redshirts, play them!

exactly