What did we learn

[thexyz]

Seems this was an unusual game plan offensively in my opinion. Wasn't impressed with the play calling. Needed to see more of our "lead" running back. Mystery to me as to the tight ends not seeing more action. Maybe we outsmarted ourselves attempting to do the unexpected. 

Sims doesn't need to be an elite passer but he must learn to make better decisions. Not having enough legitimate WR threats will likely be an issue. The offensive line played aggressive although not particularly smart. Add in some mental mistakes and, a few clock management issues specifically in the first half. Some of this is to be expected. The defense played well for their first game. 

We've seen this scene before. Another game we "could've won" and didn't. We had them on the ropes on the road then squandered the opportunity to win. At the moment the impression I'm getting is that scoring enough points will be a challenge for this offense. I'm not sure how good Minnesota will be this year. Let's see how they respond and improve. 

 

[Huskerbuster]

We ain’t learn nothing 

 

[C-4]

“Careless”? Are you kidding? You think these men don’t care? They have pride, honor and millions of reason$ to care. Making mistakes does not mean careless. Mistakes happen in elite sport when everything is on the line and the people involved couldn’t possibly care more. Careless is simply false.

Reckless. Sims was reckless with decision making on many of his throws, particularly on his INT's. Grant was reckless with ball security on his fumble. Rhule was reckless for putting Sims in so many dropbacks and for putting in Grant when ball security was the #1 priority while tied, late in the 4th (Rhule was aware of Sims' turnover history at GATech and Grant's problems in practice).

 

[ndobney]

The only truthful answer to this would get anyone who said it banned

 

[HuskerInLostWages]

The problem is this first or 20th time this has happened the past several years and many of the guys on this roster were apart of those teams.

Hey just look in the mirror bud, it's us as fans who are the problem not the players who choke.  I mean once or twice coincidence, 20-25 times it's the fans -_-

 

[Huskerfollower4life]

Kicking to tie up the game before half is too hard for these morons. Dumb dumb dumb decision.

And if we would have scored a touchdown then they would have been geniuses but fortunately they aren't so that's where we are at.  I just love how it could go either way just based off of one crucial play.

 

[HuskerInLostWages]

I'm sure there is a reason he isn't the starter now but I would give Haarberg a roll. How much worse could it be? Assuming Sims can't stop throwing picks that is. But the coaches are with these guys every day so what do I know.

Haarberg might be the starter soon since our run game seems to be Sims and then a fumble prone guy named Grant who apparently had more plays than our starter.  At this point run Sims as much as possible, if he gets hurt Haarberg has to come in anyways unless they attempt Purdy which I think will go badly, he looked really bad last season bouncing balls 5 yards from our WRs.

 

[chamrocck]

Reckless. Sims was reckless with decision making on many of his throws, particularly on his INT's. Grant was reckless with ball security on his fumble. Rhule was reckless for putting Sims in so many dropbacks and for putting in Grant when ball security was the #1 priority while tied, late in the 4th (Rhule was aware of Sims' turnover history at GATech and Grant's problems in practice).

Agree with this. Reckless, undisciplined, downright sloppy.  This was the marker of Frost’s teams and showed up big tonight. You can’t let turnovers and key penalties at the most crucial times in the game happen to this extent and expect to win.  We left points out there multiple times and gave them control of the game when we had it . Threw it away, fumbled it away, pissed it away.  It may as well have been Frost out there as it was same type of loss. I didn’t predict us to win but I never imagined we’d be doing the same sloppy sh!t, haven’t we learned anything?

 

[ZRod]

Yes. It's a vicious cycle and it's seriously so f****** weird to me that our $72M coach went this route.

Not saying that Sims doesn't have potential. But in this game, he objectively played very bad. Like, he was a couple rungs above basically a Wildcat QB.

Now maybe he rises above that and turns heads. I could believe it could happen. But there might have been a lot we could have done out of the big sets with Casey at the helm while also mixing Sims in there.

He's just lazy in the passing game. I don't see him improving much at all, there's too much to fix (going through progressions, throwing on time, throwing off the back foot, forcing throws, paying attention to defenders underneath routes, etc.), but I hope I'm wrong...

 

[RedDenver]

Do we win easily? Maybe not but I guarantee we would have been in alot better of a position. Being the majority of the offense means jack squat when you score 3 picks and only score 1 TD all game. 

If we have 0 picks and 0 TDs, we still lose. There isn't a savior riding the pine, so we're just going to take our lumps and hopefully get better and then hopefully get some better players for next year. It's going to take time.

 

[Red Five]

OL is still trash

DL still can’t get any pressure on the QB

 

[floridacorn]

-Satterfield... So many questions. What happened to TEs? Why did you throw on the first drive in the fourth? And why did you put an RB with fumble issues in on a key drive.

-Why didn't Ervin carry more?

The offensive line reminds me of a turnstile.  Obviously, I also don't mean that as a compliment.

I would have liked to see Ervin with 20 carries in that game and while I'm puzzled why he didn't, having a player in the game demoted for fumbling issues in preseason instead during the 4 minute drill is puzzling beyond comprehension.  The worst part, we've all probably seen the ball security drills this team does and how they want the skilled players carrying the ball in traffic.  Grant wasn't, at any point in the game, and obviously not when it mattered most.  That's frustrating because it's just not consistent with what's been preached and while Grant fumbled, that's on 100% coaching.  You can't preach process and ignore it when he doesn't fumble and say shoot when he does.  

My primary criticism of Frost as OC was that his run and pass game were rarely connected.  Sims is a play action QB you want to minimize drop back looks for & our WR's can't gain separation.  When you run for 6 yards on first down, why are you throwing a drop back flare screen on 2nd down?  You call a play action drag route from the 10 and get 6 yards, why are you getting cute on 2nd & goal from the 4?  I thought the theme was body blows?  

I didn't have an issue with the play action deep post because it was tied to the running game & game situation.  It was there.  But, having a CB run it who can't come back for an underthrown ball was pretty weak and telling.  Hill played a great game, but I would lose it if a WR motioned the ball needed to be further out in front of him and made no effort to track it back.  A good % of the time, that's a PI.  

The INT in the end zone was brutal.  Everybody in football runs that corner concept, but not like that.  The slot defender had his back turned, the read was to stick it on 87 for the TD.  But, the throw to the corner gets picked because you run trips into the boundary on a short field with the #1 receiver running a hitch, and the CB came off him.  Typically, that #1 receiver ends up where 87 was, 87 or #2 runs the corner, and the #3 receiver runs an arrow to the flat.  Obviously Sims predetermined the corner route and way to easy to come off on a short field.  

***Edit  I just watched a replay of the pick, I was incorrect.  The switched 1 & 2 and 3 did indeed run to the flat.  But the outside defender dropped off 87.  I guess I learned I should watch film before I criticize play design.

 

[Gage County]

The only thing I learned tonight is that the time honored traditions of our forefathers have been greatly eroded.


Also, the oline still sucks.

 

[corncraze]

Expecting statistically the most turnover-prone returning qb in CFB to play any different with us is laughable. I have no idea why our staff thought thought it’d be a good idea to run off Thompson (a serviceable passer and game manager) in favor of an athlete that is not a great passer and an even worse decision-maker.

In a best-case scenario, the staff sought a very mobile qb to compensate for our atrocious OL as a short term solution. Worst case is they aren’t the visionaries many of us thought and we have a frost 2.0 offense.

I just am incredibly frustrated at the lack of urgency to win now. Deion might fail, but you have to give him credit that he completely overhauled the talent at CU in an offseason. Same can’t be said for us, and while some may disagree with me here, I don’t think we have the luxury for a slow rebuild. Our program has been in a dire state for these last few years - I really wish we’d see the win-at-all costs ASAP mentality SEC schools are taking here.

 

[huskerfan333157]

I was getting heat from the fanbase for saying we're only going to win 3-4 games but that appears the route we're going.

Sims wasn't a good qb at Georgia tech when it came to passing, I didn't have high expectations.

Our defense played lights out. The 335 will work.

Rhule, Satterfield, grant and sims cost us this game.  I guess south Carolina fans were right, they probably did make Satterfield give up his playcalling duties 

If we have these same issues next year then we're in trouble.