Goal-line

The point here is that if Pelini was actually doing the defensive coordination, we would see a much more organized and intense effort. As is was in the first half, the defense did not know where to go and when we got there, it was too late. Tackling is non-existant. We are getting burned on the edges, have no pass rush and no containment. The corners are over playing and linebackers are not fast enough to stretch the field from side to side. If Pelini were doing the job of defensive coordinator, it would be a different game. If Pelini had any gonads he would tell Papuchis to go sit on the bus.

BS! Pull your head out! I thought Pelini was supposed to be a "defensive genius."

This is what happens when you promote your friends to defensive coordinator instead of finding someone outside the system who knows what the hell they are doing! Are you kidding me? No one on defense knows where to be or what to do. Pathetic.

I know Justin Jackson personally. He is what you see, high energy, hard work, extreme determination and always a team player. Once he settles in to the position, he will be really great. He has the "it factor." I always felt Caputo got pushed around last year. Believe me, that will not be the case with Jackson. If you ever get into an alley fight, you definitely want him on your side. You would have to kill him to beat him. A very big plus to the O line. A badly needed plus.

I have to disagree. This group will not be formidable in 2012. They are brutally undisciplined. Overpursuit and out of control play made S. Miss look like world beaters on the ground. They struggle working off blocks in a very scary way. If they can't shed blocks against this team, wait til teams like Wisconsin/Michigan take the field against our beloved team. Overall, the defensive front continues to scare the hell out of me. The front 4 can't get any pressure on the QB, and the LB's are too slow to play against top notch athletes. Hey, I hope you're right.....but I don't think you are. You are spot on! This defense needs a whole lot of work.

Our defense is missing an critical component.. His name is Lavonte David.

Read Here!: http://sportsmedicine.about.com/b/2011/02/24/what-is-an-mcl-strain.htm This can be a long rehab even it is a "strain."

Offense looked pretty good. Big improvement on taking care of the ball, not putting it on the ground and turning it over. Also, penalties were kept at a minimum. That needs to continue and will play a huge role in the long run. Justin Jackson had a really great game. Saw him absolutely level a guy once. We need aggressive play from the O line. Defense was very lack luster. Third down conversions by the opponent was not acceptable. Defense needs to be disciplined to take care of their gaps. Also, we over ran a lot of pursuit and had bad tackling angles, did not wrap up. No pressure on the QB, not good. Pass defense was not particularly good. There were a couple of times where the opponent simply dropped the ball because we did not cover well. Mauer either had a really lucky year last year or a really bad start this year. Kickers have the same problem as golfers. It is a head game. Missing a kick has the same result as missing putts, it gets into your head and you keep on missing. The young guns showed up fairly well. Martinez seems to have a better grasp of what to look for in the passing game. However, we need to get him into the running game to keep the opposing defenses off guard. For what it is worth, the cheerleaders looked a little better this year. Liked the tribute the band did at half time for one of their members who apparently passed away this year. A life lost too young by any measure.

A little lonely on your side of the planet?

This is not bad news. If he does not want to be here at NU, then he and we need to move on.

We NEED some psychopaths on defense. Some psychopaths like the Peters brothers. Totally agree! NU defense needs to grow some nads and watch this before every game.

Your moon shine in Mississippi must be stored in lead lided jars. Either that or the ditch weed you smoke is some powerful stuff. Why wouldn't he pick his own team to win...? Reality check, I guess! They lost a lot on their offense. The QB is a kid who has never taken a Div. 1 nap. Running back not there and several receivers gone. Puff enough stuff and anything can happen, real or not.

Very cool. Does that apply for all position groups? Sometimes people talk about how "the D-line played vanilla." Is there actually such a thing, or is that just more hooey? The last group to play "vanilla" is the defense, especially the defensive line. Simply put, there is no such thing. Every player on the field better be giving 150% effort. And, every coach had better have his units prepared to play 150%. Less than that is inexcusable.

By Eaglecrazy4 Your moon shine in Mississippi must be stored in lead lided jars. Either that or the ditch weed you smoke is some powerful stuff.

Going "Vanilla" is a description overly optimistic fans make up when their high expectations are not met. Every head coach plays to win, whatever it takes. Plays are called depending on the offense or defense of the opposing teams. Sometimes the talent on one team greatly trumps the talent on the opposition, but the plays remain the same. Schemes are planned depending on the weaknesses of the opponent. I do not think any coach deliberately plans a vanilla game plan. Coaches devise game strategies on a weekly basis. Lots of things play into that, especially injuries. And yes, I have coached for many years.

Very well said. But Cotton is gone (as a coach) after the season...Beck has already taken away the schemes and blocking assignments from Barney. It's just a matter of time before he is given a new job somewhere else in the AD so he can continue to steal more money from the school. Didn't you start this same sh#t last year? I joined in Jan 2012, that pretty much exempts me from starting anything last year.

As much as I cannot stand to listen to Lou Holtz, I remember how correct he was when he criticized Callahan by saying, (paraphrasing) "The hardest thing for a head coach is not the recruiting, the x's or o's, or the game plan on Saturdays. It is firing the friends you have hired as assistant coaches when they are costing you your own job". Barney Cotton is the Kevin Cosgrove of Bo Pelini. Cotton is the albatross of the current Husker program. Simply put, as a head coach, you have to hire coaches that get the job done, not former friends and acquaintances.

In state news sources, both in print on on the air waves, should report accurately and not be biased. Far too many times, the media embellishes NU sports just to sell their media product. I want the truth about NU sports, not false expectations or representations. It only leads fans to be unreasonably disappointed when the bias does not meet the reality.

Kool-Aid article from Sip. But we do have a pretty good stable of RBs right now. Question is, do we have enough roadgraders to clear the way? It always comes down to blocking. If you don't have blocking, it really does not matter how many stars those RBs have behind their names. It is as simple as that. Now, enter Barney Cotton! The rest you know.

knappic, Any news about starting center on the O line?

Every time someone posts a picture of the east stadium expansion, I cannot believe the height of the top section of seats. It will be the true "nose bleed" section. Just damn!

Good point! Justin is a hard working kid. I don't know if he will be the starter but he could be one heck of a back up. Last year, Caputo got pushed around a lot, especially in the later parts of the games. Having a good back up could relieve some of that pressure.

I don't think JP comes off as knowing more than the coaches. What he does is comment about how the teams of the 90's got things done, how the intensity of competition on the team came into play, and he does not see the same components with this current team. His criticism comes from the experiences he had when he played. One thing for sure, he and his team mates brought home the big prize. No one can argue with that. Maybe someone should be listening! My head FB coach in college always told us he listened to the criticism, even from his wife because one can gain insight by taking a step back and analyzing what others see from the outside in. Obviously, the head coach is in charge, makes the final decisions and has to make sure all of the components work together for the eventual final goal. But, if he gets stuck in one mode, success may be hard to come by. Flexibility is the key! Do not misconstrue what I am saying here. I am not advocating that Pelini or any of his staff take their cues from fans, media or radio talk show hosts. But, if the same subject comes up over and over, perhaps some scrutinizing may be in order. (Insert Barney Cotton here) Bill Callahan was not all that bad as an offensive head coach and recruiter. What he failed to do was get rid of his albatross of a defensive coordinator. His teams scored a lot of points. His defense literally sucked. I often wonder what kind of a team we would have had if Callahan would have Pelini as his defensive coordinator.

Justin Jackson went to Norris High School (just south of Lincoln). He is a great kid. Originally, they recruited him for O line and center. However, he wanted to try defense first. Now, he is back home on the O line where he should have been in the first place. He should be a contributor this year. Congrats to him for his new scholarship.

All of you who are raving about the RB position, remember one simple truth. If the O line does not block, it will not matter how many damned stars the RBs have behind their names or how fast they run the 40. Two things are essential to winning football, blocking and tackling. If you can't block and can't tackle, you simply cannot win. End of story.