Kansas Vs. Nebraska Offensive Analysis

[SkullandBones]

If you wanted to start a pissing match with JGS or jayhawker or any other KU fan on this board, why not just make a thread titled "KU Sucks and We're That Much Better Than Them"?

Fact is, KU has a very good offense that produces. Athelic ability aside, the numbers show they're productive and we have a lot to prove. Nate Swift and Todd Peterson were not athelitcally gifted, but made the plays and thats what KU's offense basically does. Hard to argue with the offensive numbers they put up.

I do agree their D is a question mark, especially the LB's, which will need to step up big time for them, but that game will be one of the toughest on the schedule, like it or not.

Not athletically gifted? Seriously? In 2008 Swift and Peterson posted the second and third best reception totals in school history. They combined for 125 catches, nearly 1800 yards and had 14 TD catches. Swift left as NU's leader in in career receptions ahead of, I am assuming, equally un-athletic people like Johnny Rodgers, Irving Fryar and Terrence Nunn. Swift is also second only to Johnny Rodgers in career receiving yards, by three yards. He's also second on NU's all time receiving TDs and single season TD catches list. Pretty impressive for someone who isn't athletic.

 

[HuskerNMO]

If you wanted to start a pissing match with JGS or jayhawker or any other KU fan on this board, why not just make a thread titled "KU Sucks and We're That Much Better Than Them"?

Fact is, KU has a very good offense that produces. Athelic ability aside, the numbers show they're productive and we have a lot to prove. Nate Swift and Todd Peterson were not athelitcally gifted, but made the plays and thats what KU's offense basically does. Hard to argue with the offensive numbers they put up.

I do agree their D is a question mark, especially the LB's, which will need to step up big time for them, but that game will be one of the toughest on the schedule, like it or not.

Not athletically gifted? Seriously? In 2008 Swift and Peterson posted the second and third best reception totals in school history. They combined for 125 catches, nearly 1800 yards and had 14 TD catches. Swift left as NU's leader in in career receptions ahead of, I am assuming, equally un-athletic people like Johnny Rodgers, Irving Fryar and Terrence Nunn. Swift is also second only to Johnny Rodgers in career receiving yards, by three yards. He's also second on NU's all time receiving TDs and single season TD catches list. Pretty impressive for someone who isn't athletic.

Nate Swift is a decent athlete, and a good football player. If Swift had the physical raw athletic ability of Rodgers or Fryar he would have been drafted based on his skills. Nobody is questioning Nate's heart or talent, but to try to call him an athlete in the league of Rodgers or Fryar is an insult to them.

Reesing is without a doubt, at this point, heads and tails above Lee. He's been in the top 17 in passing effeciency for 2 straight years, and has not only led his team to a BCS game, but won it as well. If you gave Reesing the OL that OU, Texas Tech or even MU had the past couple of years and he'd be in the Heisman conversation.

 

[HuskerInLostWages]

If you wanted to start a pissing match with JGS or jayhawker or any other KU fan on this board, why not just make a thread titled "KU Sucks and We're That Much Better Than Them"?

Fact is, KU has a very good offense that produces. Athelic ability aside, the numbers show they're productive and we have a lot to prove. Nate Swift and Todd Peterson were not athelitcally gifted, but made the plays and thats what KU's offense basically does. Hard to argue with the offensive numbers they put up.

I do agree their D is a question mark, especially the LB's, which will need to step up big time for them, but that game will be one of the toughest on the schedule, like it or not.

Not athletically gifted? Seriously? In 2008 Swift and Peterson posted the second and third best reception totals in school history. They combined for 125 catches, nearly 1800 yards and had 14 TD catches. Swift left as NU's leader in in career receptions ahead of, I am assuming, equally un-athletic people like Johnny Rodgers, Irving Fryar and Terrence Nunn. Swift is also second only to Johnny Rodgers in career receiving yards, by three yards. He's also second on NU's all time receiving TDs and single season TD catches list. Pretty impressive for someone who isn't athletic.

Nate Swift is a decent athlete, and a good football player. If Swift had the physical raw athletic ability of Rodgers or Fryar he would have been drafted based on his skills. Nobody is questioning Nate's heart or talent, but to try to call him an athlete in the league of Rodgers or Fryar is an insult to them.

Reesing is without a doubt, at this point, heads and tails above Lee. He's been in the top 17 in passing effeciency for 2 straight years, and has not only led his team to a BCS game, but won it as well. If you gave Reesing the OL that OU, Texas Tech or even MU had the past couple of years and he'd be in the Heisman conversation.

:yeah definitely going to have to agree with this. Time will tell if Lee has the ability, we'll soon find out, just under a month before the season starts.

 

[SkullandBones]

If you wanted to start a pissing match with JGS or jayhawker or any other KU fan on this board, why not just make a thread titled "KU Sucks and We're That Much Better Than Them"?

Fact is, KU has a very good offense that produces. Athelic ability aside, the numbers show they're productive and we have a lot to prove. Nate Swift and Todd Peterson were not athelitcally gifted, but made the plays and thats what KU's offense basically does. Hard to argue with the offensive numbers they put up.

I do agree their D is a question mark, especially the LB's, which will need to step up big time for them, but that game will be one of the toughest on the schedule, like it or not.

Not athletically gifted? Seriously? In 2008 Swift and Peterson posted the second and third best reception totals in school history. They combined for 125 catches, nearly 1800 yards and had 14 TD catches. Swift left as NU's leader in in career receptions ahead of, I am assuming, equally un-athletic people like Johnny Rodgers, Irving Fryar and Terrence Nunn. Swift is also second only to Johnny Rodgers in career receiving yards, by three yards. He's also second on NU's all time receiving TDs and single season TD catches list. Pretty impressive for someone who isn't athletic.

Nate Swift is a decent athlete, and a good football player. If Swift had the physical raw athletic ability of Rodgers or Fryar he would have been drafted based on his skills. Nobody is questioning Nate's heart or talent, but to try to call him an athlete in the league of Rodgers or Fryar is an insult to them.

Reesing is without a doubt, at this point, heads and tails above Lee. He's been in the top 17 in passing effeciency for 2 straight years, and has not only led his team to a BCS game, but won it as well. If you gave Reesing the OL that OU, Texas Tech or even MU had the past couple of years and he'd be in the Heisman conversation.

Pretty sure I didn't mention Reesing, nor did I compare him to Lee. Reesing is not however heads and tails above Zac Lee, in fact I think he's about a half a foot shorter than Zac. I'm kidding of course.

Look, noone doubts how talented Reesing is. But for someone to simply dismiss what was arguably the best one-two receiver combination we've had as being non-athletic rubs me the wrong way. I see us winning in Kansas in a tough fight, if Swift and Peterson we're still around it'd be a no-doubter. And, I kinda doubt Rodgers or Fryar would consider it insulting of me to compare them with Swift.

I also don't think an NFL contract is the bench mark of athleticism. Fryar had a great career in the NFL, while Rodgers did not. Rodgers has a Heisman, while Fryar does not. So, who was a better athlete?

 

[RockyMountainOySker]

Todd Reesing is the best quarterback in Kansas history and is already million times better than Zach will ever be. Zach will be just like Zac Taylor and Joe Ganz, good managers. I love them but Reesing is a gamer.

Briscoe will play week 1 and have no problems throughout the season. If you think any different, you're crazy.

The questions with KU lie in the D-line and Linebackers. If Mangino puts quality on the field and they stay healthy...watch out.

 

[Husker_x]

Todd Reesing is the best quarterback in Kansas history and is already million times better than Zach will ever be. Zach will be just like Zac Taylor and Joe Ganz, good managers. I love them but Reesing is a gamer.

Briscoe will play week 1 and have no problems throughout the season. If you think any different, you're crazy.

The questions with KU lie in the D-line and Linebackers. If Mangino puts quality on the field and they stay healthy...watch out.

That's a fairly premature opinion. At THIS POINT in the preseason there's no reason to think Lee will outshine Reesing in the coming year. But who knows what kind of athlete Lee will be when he's under pressure. Some guys feed off that kind of atmosphere. Ganz exploded in a few games in 2007 when the season was already lost and with no defense to help him out. By all accounts Lee is Ganz's physical superior. IF he can manage the game like Ganz did, he could play at Reesing's level before his career is over.

 

[knapplc]

Todd Reesing is the best quarterback in Kansas history and is already million times better than Zach will ever be. Zach will be just like Zac Taylor and Joe Ganz, good managers. I love them but Reesing is a gamer.

Briscoe will play week 1 and have no problems throughout the season. If you think any different, you're crazy.

The questions with KU lie in the D-line and Linebackers. If Mangino puts quality on the field and they stay healthy...watch out.

You have some kind of crystal ball that shows you Zac Lee's career? Because you're as far off base as all the folks calling for NU to go undefeated with this "will ever be" tangent. Reesing may end up better overall than ZLee, but let's let the guy start a few games before we dismiss him to the trash heap.

 

[RockyMountainOySker]

Todd Reesing is the best quarterback in Kansas history and is already million times better than Zach will ever be. Zach will be just like Zac Taylor and Joe Ganz, good managers. I love them but Reesing is a gamer.

Briscoe will play week 1 and have no problems throughout the season. If you think any different, you're crazy.

The questions with KU lie in the D-line and Linebackers. If Mangino puts quality on the field and they stay healthy...watch out.

You have some kind of crystal ball that shows you Zac Lee's career? Because you're as far off base as all the folks calling for NU to go undefeated with this "will ever be" tangent. Reesing may end up better overall than ZLee, but let's let the guy start a few games before we dismiss him to the trash heap.

You've got to be kidding me. Zach Lee will probably be great....I sure expect him to be but to say he could be as good as Reesing is some serious wishful thinking. Where did I say ZLee will be a trash heap??? I said he will be just like Zac Taylor and Joe Ganz....that is not trash. Great players but not near Todd Reesing. My "million times better comment" was a little much but I still don't expect Lee to be God.

Besides Lee only has 2 years of eligibility at Nebraska while Todd Reesing started (and succeeded greatly) as a freshman. 4 years later he has every record in the KU books.

 

[robsker]

If you wanted to start a pissing match with JGS or jayhawker or any other KU fan on this board, why not just make a thread titled "KU Sucks and We're That Much Better Than Them"?

Fact is, KU has a very good offense that produces. Athelic ability aside, the numbers show they're productive and we have a lot to prove. Nate Swift and Todd Peterson were not athelitcally gifted, but made the plays and thats what KU's offense basically does. Hard to argue with the offensive numbers they put up.

I do agree their D is a question mark, especially the LB's, which will need to step up big time for them, but that game will be one of the toughest on the schedule, like it or not.

Not athletically gifted? Seriously? In 2008 Swift and Peterson posted the second and third best reception totals in school history. They combined for 125 catches, nearly 1800 yards and had 14 TD catches. Swift left as NU's leader in in career receptions ahead of, I am assuming, equally un-athletic people like Johnny Rodgers, Irving Fryar and Terrence Nunn. Swift is also second only to Johnny Rodgers in career receiving yards, by three yards. He's also second on NU's all time receiving TDs and single season TD catches list. Pretty impressive for someone who isn't athletic.

You are pointing out that these guys were productive. And they were. they were both excellent football players (at the college level) because of heart, focus, intensity, work ethic, fitting into the system, good hands,etc. The earlier posters point is that in terms of pure athleticism --- 40 yard dash times, 10 yard dash times, pro-agility times, vertical leap, and strength measurements --- in terms of these things neither Peterson nor Swift stand out as being above the pack. His point, I think, is that often you have players that do not stand out athletically who produce on the field (and I'll add that more often still you have fine athletes that do not produce). As relates to the post, his point is that, like Peterson and Swift, it may be that the Kansas offense is not overly athletic --- but they unquestionably have been productive.

In the end, it is not athleticism, potential, or ceiling that matters. What matters is productivity. On that basis, it is quite reasonable to predict that Kansas is the favorite to win the North. They are legitimately the team to beat. NU is likely not far behind. We certainly can topple them. They in turn can certainly beat us. It should be a great game. That said, Kansas should be viewed as the team favored to win the North. NU should be viewed as close enough to be near equals.

 

[knapplc]

You've got to be kidding me. Zach Lee will probably be great....I sure expect him to be but to say he could be as good as Reesing is some serious wishful thinking. Where did I say ZLee will be a trash heap??? I said he will be just like Zac Taylor and Joe Ganz....that is not trash. Great players but not near Todd Reesing. My "million times better comment" was a little much but I still don't expect Lee to be God.

Besides Lee only has 2 years of eligibility at Nebraska while Todd Reesing started (and succeeded greatly) as a freshman. 4 years later he has every record in the KU books.

Reesing is good, no doubt, but he hasn't set the bar so high that it's impossible to catch him. Again, you're dismissing even the possibility that Zac (not "Zach") could could be the equal of Reesing, and you have nothing to base that on.

Lee could be the next Tommie Frazier or the next Harrison Beck. At this point we have zero idea which it'll be. Let's let the kid play for a while before making these judgments on him.

 

[robsker]

You've got to be kidding me. Zach Lee will probably be great....I sure expect him to be but to say he could be as good as Reesing is some serious wishful thinking. Where did I say ZLee will be a trash heap??? I said he will be just like Zac Taylor and Joe Ganz....that is not trash. Great players but not near Todd Reesing. My "million times better comment" was a little much but I still don't expect Lee to be God.

Besides Lee only has 2 years of eligibility at Nebraska while Todd Reesing started (and succeeded greatly) as a freshman. 4 years later he has every record in the KU books.

Reesing is good, no doubt, but he hasn't set the bar so high that it's impossible to catch him. Again, you're dismissing even the possibility that Zac (not "Zach") could could be the equal of Reesing, and you have nothing to base that on.

Lee could be the next Tommie Frazier or the next Harrison Beck. At this point we have zero idea which it'll be. Let's let the kid play for a while before making these judgments on him.

Here is one way to settle things. As it relates to this season --- starting in a short while. If you could have either Zac Lee or Todd Reising as the QB of your team --- for this year (not extrapolating into future years) --- who would you take? I'd guess that if you lined up 100 people who have seen Reising play and Lee practice, and who are logical and ascribe value to experience (especially productive experience) --- that 99 out of 100 would choose Reising. It would be very, very odd not to go with proven excellence over assumed but untested and hopeful excellence.

Now.... perhaps down the road, after Lee is seasoned and has experience of his own he might be in Reising's league (give or take) --- that would be great if he were --- but, like others have pointed out... who knows?

But, KU has proven excellence at QB. We do not (at least not proven). They have returning proven receivers. We do not. We do, I think, have better backs. The OL comparison? Who knows. But, overall it is quite reasonable to assert that KU will have the better offense --- primarily because of a proven QB.

That said, I'll take our Pelini led defense over theirs. Once more. It is a toss up. But Reising is their trump card. So they are legitimately favored (albeit only modestly so) over NU.

 

[knapplc]

Robsker, I'd take Reesing over Lee right now, too. I think most sane people would. But that's not what SkerChicago and I are discussing. He's saying there's no way Zac Lee can ever be the QB that Reesing is, and I'm saying we have zero info on which to base such an assumption. We know how good Reesing is, but we have no idea if Lee is good or bad. Unfortunately, your premise doesn't settle this. The only thing that will settle this is play on the field.

Luckily, football is a team sport. As you said, our big advantage this year is our defense, which should be better than most any others out there, and certainly ought to be better than Kansas'. Reesing could be the second coming of Joe Montana but if he's running for his life and/or on his butt the whole time, we'll win the game.

 

[RockyMountainOySker]

Knapplc, you are 100% right in that I have nothing to go off of saying how good Lee will be but......I do know how good Reesing is and if Lee was as good as him he wouldn't have been third on the depth chart last year.

We will have to wait and see this year. I'm HOPING I HAVE TO EAT MY WORDS by the end of the year.

I do think Nebraska will pull this game out for pretty much the same reasons you stated above. OL is a huge question mark for KU, and even if Reesing is Montana, it would be hard to win if he is on the ground all day. Their inexperienced d line and linebackers are going to have a hell of a time trying to stop Helu and Castille all day...

 

[knapplc]

Yeah. I can't wait to see Suh go all "Little Hawk" on Reesing. }=)

If they get their passing game going with Briscoe against our weak-ish secondary, and if they can sneak Sharp past the D Line a few times, I think we're in for a long day in Lawrence. But if our front four wins the line battle I think we'll have enough pressure on Reesing that he'll be running for his life more than picking apart our secondary.

We gotta beat these guys. Enough is enough!

 

[SkullandBones]

I get your point Rob, seriously I do and tend to agree. Like I said earlier though, it just rubs me the wrong way when someone dismisses what guys like Swift and Peterson accomplished on the field because they lack "athleticism". They may lack the ability to put up combine numbers that in the end count for little, but they do have the ability and athleticism to put up numbers that counted, points. I still though don't buy the argument that unless you make it in the NFL you were not a good athlete in college.

Let me ask you this though, to expand on your question: What if you asked those same 100 people if you could either have Todd Reesing or Joe Ganz starting for your team, who would you pick? I'd take Ganz. His numbers were certainly better than Reesing's last year when they met.