Akron: What did we learn?

I think my biggest takeaway from yesterday was that it was nice to see Nebraska do to an opponent what they should do. Akron is a bad team, easily one of the worst they've played in recent memory, and it's great in those situations to commandingly own virtually every phase of the game.

Both of Nebraska's games this season (and games around CFB the last couple weeks) are sobering reminders that you don't really know what you're going to get each week... even from some of the best teams in the country. Winning is what matters most and then style points are just a bonus. I thought DR played a nice game (some minor accuracy issues early on, IDK if that was him, a receiver/timing issue, or maybe a wind factor?) Liked what I saw for the most part on both sides of the LOS. And it was fun to see a lot of back ups get meaningful playing time, keep scoring, and keep points off the board when those opportunities are so limited most seasons.

As for criticisms, I thought they had some rough red zone play in the first quarter. The fumble was obviously bad and I didn't like some of the play calling (two back-to-back tight formation runs into the A gap, even against a bad team, is a tough look). I'm still not confident in their ability to get pressure defensively against some of the better offensive fronts in the B1G, either.

IMO, as a coach, these are the games where you really get after it the following week. Up the intensity, be critical, acknowledge the success and stamp down on complacency.
 
It was great watching us put up so many points even with second and three string players. Here is what I learned:
(1) our special teams continue to be the most improved since last year. Very promising and wonderful to see.
(2) our OL gave Raiola an eternity to throw the ball but Raiola is still a little sluggish, especially when he scrambles. Very awkward.
(3) EJ is definitely our best player but Lindenmeyer is, in my opinion, a key weapon that will be the difference in close games. I have been very impressed with his movement and ability to catch the ball in tight spaces.
(4) TJ Lateef is a breath of fresh air and gives us hope about the back up QB position.
(5) penalties continue to be a big concern for this team. While we can overcome them against weak opponents, they will cost us wins against BIG opponents.
(6) our defense against the run is still somewhat suspect.
 
The two defensive linemen that played the most snaps were both freshmen (Nwaneri and Pietrzak). Then came Jeudy and Lenhardt. Then the next five were sophomores - Van Poppel, Davis, Moore, Lefotu and Goldman. Lots of youth in that group.
 
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Anyone go to the game? Was the beer cold?

My daughter said it was the normal amount of drunk people and she bought a $12 a s the line moved well with that “god knows what you owe” type purchasing. The only thing was they did not allow her 9 year old daughter to standing line with her so she had to stand behind the plexiglass partition.

She said that ran out of many food items and that people were pretty upset.
 
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