Shockley03

Play both TM and TA. It's that simple. Allow TM to exit his career by playing well and work in TA because he will be with the 2014 Nebraska Cornhuskers. That makes sense. You want to exit a legend on a good note who has been banged up during 2013, but you need to give reps to TA as he needs it for next year. Everyone keeps forgetting that TA won the Michigan game on the road.

I am staying with Tommy Armstrong. Man, Huskeran92, you want to keep throwing that stat out there that T-Magic is just the end-all, be-all QB at Nebraska for his blazing 4.31 forty. But I'll take Auburn's QB Nick Marshall over your man Taylor Martinez any day of the week. Nick Marshall is not as fast as T-Magic. He only runs 4.4/4.5 forty, but he blasted off a 45 yard TD run against Alabama today. You don't need blinding speed to be successful. You just need enough. Tommy Armstrong's knee was cleaned out before the start of the season. He's been timed at a combine at 4.53 in the 40 yard dash. He'll have the winter and spring to completely heal his knee. Now stop with this junk that Tommy can't run fast. As soon as his knee heals, he'll regain his full speed. 4.53 40 yard dash speed is enough to break off those 45 and 50 yard runs. Sure it's not a T-Magic 91 yard sprint against UCLA, but TA is a breakaway guy when healthy. I don't know what you guys need or want for Nebraska at the QB spot...? I'm perplexed there. And also, it appears very evident to me that -- given today's high injury rate that we are all seeing all over the country -- it seems that both Tommy Armstrong and Johnny Stanton are going to need each other period. So why are we trying to divide the camp between Stanton supporters and Armstrong supporters when in the end ... they'll probably need each other badly through a 12-game regular season plus one if we reach the conference title? This discussion is crazy. Let's be concerned with both Armstrong and Stanton being successful versus selecting one to beat out the other.

Hammerhead! I so agree with you. The last poster (Husker in Sun Diego), before you got on here, ranted about our depth problem with all the INJURIES with us being down to a 3rd string walk-on QB and with 6 O-linemen missing this late in the season...but people keep missing the obvious. And it blows my mind! I've followed this program in depth the last 6 years, and what I've witnessed is a coaching staff that runs off 4- and 5-star recruits in talented running backs like Aaron Green and Braylon Heard along with Tommie Frazier's cousin quarterback Brion Carnes. They ran those guys off the team. No wonder we don't have any depth in 2013! Duh! I so much hope that we'll bring in -- bring back Scott Frost....and stop the bleeding! Somebody has to step in and save the day by going down to Oregon and signing Scott Frost to a head coach's contract for the University of Nebraska --- and NOW!

I remember the last time we lost to Iowa -which is 30 plus years ago. It came in the fall of 1981 when we lost to a pretty good 8-4 Iowa team led by Phil Blatcher. We had Turner Gill, Mike Rozier, Roger Craig, Irving Fryar, and Anthony Steels that year. We had a great 9-3 team that enjoyed several blowout wins. That's what drew me to becoming such a big Nebraska fan. I loved the way they'd just beat Kansas 70-6 back then!

Yes teachercd. I know Brion Carnes has been gone for some time now. He last played in 2012. It's just an utter waste of depth - which is what is killing the current coaching staff. I believe we are about to see changes.

Coach Kiffin broke the hearts of a lot of Tennessee Volunteer fans and left their program in the shambles. I don't know about this....? I like Scott Frost! Frost is my choice ... I saw him lead NU to a national title in 1997! Also, Frost is doing a great job as an offensive coordinator right now!

It was a major disappointment, I agree. Another meltdown (38-17 shellacking loss) which has just become the norm with this current coaching staff. I would have liked to have seen some moving around of the personnel in the offensive backfield, but I've never seen this happen during the Bo Pelini administration. I wanted to watch backup QB Brion Carnes all those past three seasons when T-Magic stayed in during the entire game during numerous meltdowns such as the Wisconsin, UCLA, and Ohio State blowout losses. Instead, I saw more of the same. This season, we lack depth at quarterback. In the final game of the regular season when Tommy Armstrong is injured with an ankle sprain (sustained from the Penn St. game), you're stuck with walk-on 5th year senior Ron Kellogg to carry the team the entire game -- the entire game. The result: Kellogg is the subject of a fierce blitzing scheme by Iowa that has Hawkeye defenders tee-ing off on and smashing the lumbering dropback passer on numerous occasions. He was wounded, hurting, needing assistance badly. Tommy Armstrong wasn't able to go today. Armstrong was injured. I would have loved to of seen Brion Carnes go in there and give Kellogg support at the quarterback's position during the 4th quarter, but coaches Beck (OC) and Ganz (QB coach) had different views instead. They ran off their available QB depth a season ago. Excellent work!

Let's bring Scott Frost back to Nebraska! He's my favorite if Eichorst makes a change. I like coach Bo Pelini too, but I don't know what will happen tomorrow.

Tommy Armstrong is the return of the Mack! I keep thinking about that 6-play, 75 yard drive and 5 yard TD shovel pass to Ameer Abdullah that sealed Michigan's fate in The Big House a few weeks ago (Huskers' 17-13 win). It was so coach Tom Osborne-Nebraska-esque! I'd of loved to have heard NCAA basketball commentator Bill Raftery make one of his cool one-liner cliche statements right after Armstrong lateraled the left handed shovel pass to beat Michigan right off the television! That would have been just so perfect!

All I can say is 6 plays, 75-yard touchdown drive capped off with a left handed 5 yard shovel pass to Ameer Abdullah to knock off Michigan in the game's waning minutes a few weeks ago. Tommy Armstrong is our best option to run the option. Touchdown Tommy is Nebraska's best option running the ground game and the option pitch. With time, he'll become more polished as a passer. Ron Kellogg is a pure dropback passer. They are both very special QBs indeed. There are certain teams that Armstrong will help Nebraska crush, and as we saw this past Saturday...there are other teams to which Kellogg is the best option. A stingy, tough, hard-nosed run defensive juggernaut such as Penn State when it's freezing outside and snowing ... and then the coaching staff devises a plan to keep things simple and allow Kellogg to work his magic. That game stunned Penn State as I feel that they had the right ingredients to shut Nebraska down - and they expected it too. You could just tell from the way that game was going. Gutsy move by the coaches to see Kellogg as the guy who could weather the storm and deliver an overtime victory while Penn State had its mind set on humiliating and crushing a freshman QB. I still love the idea of these two rotating as they both have a perfect role. I think Ron Kellogg should have come in to relieve Armstrong late in the 2nd quarter versus Michigan State. It was working. It's still working. Hopefully, Armstrong's ankle will be fully healed so he can run his game against Iowa. I am really looking forward to that one. I think it would be poetic justice to start Ron Kellogg and then slip Armstrong in during the 3rd series since it's senior day Friday. I like the way they are doing this. Coach Beck is doing a real good job this season.

I just don't see first year AD Shawn Eichorst making such a move. I mean, you have to think about his reputation. He comes in right off the bat as Nebraska's brand new AD and kicks a head football coach out the door. Are you kidding me? There is such a concept as "forgiveness." I could see Eichorst doing that in year #2 if the situation merits it, but not now. He's brand new, and this is not the way for Eichorst to begin his term as Nebraska's AD IMHO. I mean I've heard reports that former AD Dr. Tom Osborne knew about coach Pelini's rant audio a year before it came out public. I say this incident is swept under the rug, let's move on, and get to 10-3 with a bowl victory. Pelini has brought Nebraska back to its 9-win minimum-a-season status which the Huskers enjoyed all through the '70s, '80s, '90s, and on up to 2003 (not counting 7-7 in '02). All Pelini needs now is a signature 11-or-12-wins season - which may just be around the corner. I loved the way Dr. Osborne was /and is such a strong Christian man, and I think Pelini has been and is making improvements to be a better person to help out his cause. He's a good family man obviously. I say if it isn't broken, then don't fix it.

How about a 10-3 finish this year? I think that'd help coach Pelini. I seem to recall Pelini and Jammal Lord getting it done winning their bowl game over Michigan State to complete a 10-3 record back in 2003 when Pelini was NU's interim head coach. He finishes 10-3 with a bowl victory this season - and this is a moot point. After that, maybe Pelini can recruit a 5-star running back and find the next Mike Rozier.

Wow, HuskerNationNick. Great observation. I wished I could have been at that game. You know, it was the Minnesota game that eliminated our margin for error with trying to reach the Big Ten title game. That created Tommy Armstrong's difficult scenario of having to get past the nation's No. 1 defense in previously 16th ranked Michigan State. Armstrong had no margin for error as MSU was 6-0 in league play while Nebraska sat at 4-1 going into the matchup. Now, MSU enjoys a 2-game lead in our division. It ticks me off. So many fans want to - on this message board - gang up on Tommy Armstrong for struggling against what I saw was a crafty, crafty, opportunistic Spartans defense. I remember when the Spartans punked my alma mater Georgia 33-30 in three overtimes in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1, 2012. They are tough. People just don't understand. MSU's defense is very athletic... and they are very athletic this year in 2013. It frustrates me to no end. The Landlord got on here a while ago and pretty much gave Armstrong a tongue lashing for his turnovers against Michigan State, but Armstrong has to face the fury of the schedule without getting much of a chance to be broken in against easier opponents which we have already faced such as Southern Mississippi and Wyoming. (recall that Armstrong didn't start against Southern Miss and Wyoming) Instead, Armstrong has to face the very fury of a brutal late season schedule without much prepping during the regular season. We just finished up with #16 Michigan State - and got past an improving Michigan team (7-3) a few weeks ago. Next, we face an up-and-coming Penn State (6-4) on the road. After that, Nebraska has to match up with a much improved Iowa (6-4) who has been impressive at times this year. Iowa is not the cupcake the were a year ago. I'm worried. It'd be nice if there was a Sacramento State on the schedule in between these extremely tough Big Ten matchups to help Armstrong out. He needs it - but it didn't work out that way this year. The key is at quarterback where the Big Ten teams are improving as I've observed - and that improvement is exponential. It's always been a league of great passers going back to guys like Art Schlichter, Tony Eason, Chuck Long, and Mike Tomzack. Last year, everyone could tell the Big Ten was down at quarterback especially with the brilliant Kirk Cousins having graduated from Michigan State following the 2011 season. Well, the Big Ten's QBs are all getting better - which this league is known for. That current Michigan State QB is a pure passer. Hopefully, we'll be OK these next two games. If Jason Ankrah, Randy Gregory, and Co. can get into the Penn State backfield, that'll help to keep PSU's freshman QB uncomfortable. We'll need that Saturday. People need to stay positive, and realize Armstrong's situation. I can't believe the people that get on here and bash him right after he's done all he can do to help carry Big Red. Nobody wants it as bad as Tommy Armstrong. He's going to come through for Nebraska. I just know he can!

Guy, I'm excited about them too. We're going to be OK.

Well Notre Dame Joe, I watched QB Everett Golson perform the feat a year ago (knocking off Michigan and MSU on back to back weekends). I believe that Tommy Armstrong will copy Golson's feat tomorrow. Let's watch and see!

I tell you what, Mr. Chamberlin. I've seen this very thing come to pass before. I recall coach Vince Dooley's post Herschel Walker signed recruits at running back go through a pedestrian season after 8 games to where no player had had a longer run past 35 yards or so from the line of scrimmage back in 1985. Here, I am talking about former NFL running backs Keith Henderson, Lars Tate, and Tim Worley. Then rolls in undefeated #2 ranked Florida with the nation's top rush defense. What do the three great backs do when faced with this monumental task after having 8 regular season games with lackluster performances? The answer is...they EXPLODE! Keith Henderson pops a 76 yard TD run in the 1st quarter and later adds a 32 yarder for a score. Lars Tate then pops his longest run of the season at 40 yards. And then the 4.27 (40 yd. dash/ senior year in HS) speedster, 6-2, 205-pound Tim Worley completes the beatdown by racing 89 yards on a toss sweep to complete Georgia's 24-3 win over a dynamic Florida team in late November 1985. People could have made the same judgement about Georgia's offense that year that they are making about the current Cornhusker offense...and then your offense has that special moment in history. It could happen. I've seen it happen before.

I just believe in a Dr. Tom Osborne perspective here. Let's be concerned with how well we play as a team. That -- according to Osborne -- is more important than beating Michigan State. Osborne always said he was more concerned with how well his team performed versus the score of any typical game. I loved his cool, calm demeanor. If we take care of our assignments --offense, defense, and special teams....Nebraska wins. I saw Osborne deck a Nick Saban-led Michigan State team back in September 1995 by the score of 50-10. Again, I'm going with Osborne. Let's be focused on how well we play. If we do that, everything else will take care of itself. Vegas and the media say we'll lose by 6 points. Nebraska needs to be as they were -- and knock off the Spartans again! Let's show 'em they are wrong! Go Nebraska!!!!

Imani Cross showed breakaway speed a year ago. He hasn't seemed to be able to turn on that extra gear so far this season, but I'm waiting for it to happen. I still think he has it.

Big Red Iowan....I recall the 2011 matchup. Michigan State had its best quarterback since I can recall in Kirk Cousins. I credit the Cornhusker coaching staff for having a very good game plan to stop Cousins in that game. Cousins threaded the needle all season long that year for MSU as a passer, and yet Nebraska's secondary played lights out to stop him dead cold in his tracks. I remember that game.

Tommy Armstrong's shovel pass to Ameer Abdullah for 5 yards and a score near the game's end was vintage Nebraska. I really loved it! Nebraska is back!!!!

Spot on, "TheSker." I agree completely. I had tried to add earlier that Ron Kellogg's help was an invaluable service to what Nebraska has going right now at the quarterback's position. Please forgive me if I failed to give credence to RK3's effort with assisting in the development of Armstrong's play plus in providing great play himself in road games with Purdue and Illinois -- he's been a coach on the field. Also, Kellogg III won that most recent matchup with Northwestern with fine execution of the 2-minute offense plus the final heave of a Hail Mary. They are definitely an exciting tandem to see out there on the field. They have a tough task coming up. I have faith that they'll be fine though.

I think the fans are way too critical here on this message board regarding Tommy Armstrong's play this season. I'll quote the wonderful Beano Cook here: "A win is a win...and a loss is a loss." After those facts, you move on. We won the Purdue and Northwestern games with a freshman starter at quarterback. Let's don't harass "Touchdown Tommy" Armstrong for having bad games with picks. "Touchdown Tommie" Frazier was very, very blessed to start off his career as a solid game manager by having only one pick in 100 throws for the entire 1992 season as a true freshman. Tommie Fraziers are rare by the way. Most young quarterbacks aren't so fortunate. In fact, Touchdown Tommy fits the norm. Georgia's D.J. Shockley's freshman year began with INTs. Still, he settled down and managed to drop his INT% down to 4% by season's end (2002) as he got a better feel for the game. It's tough on freshman QBs. I say just allow Touchdown Tommy to simply manage his own game versus Michigan. He's got to accomplish this part of his game anyway. D.J. Shockley sure handled his career well as a game manager while being the same QB that ran away from trouble with excellent 4.41 (40 yd. dash) speed. Shockley threw the ball out of bounds a lot his senior year. That's all Touchdown Tommy has to do...is just throw it away in the stands with no apology. Shockley's grand 2005 senior season had him throwing 310 passes with only 5 of them being picked off (1.6%). Shockley had a nice 24-5 TD-INT ratio with 2,600 yards passing and an SEC Championship. He wasn't the most accurate passer (56%), but he managed the game better than anyone I've seen do at my alma mater in the last 20 years. Touchdown Tommie managed the game. His INT% during each regular season was 1%, 2%, 4½%, and 2% from 1992 to 1995 which helped establish Frazier as a great game manager. Again, I just think Armstrong needs to calm down and just send some of his passes to the sidelines in the stands while making sure he's past the hash mark of the middle of the field. I saw Shockley do this a lot enroute to leading Georgia to a 7-0 start in 2005 before he suffered a grade 1½ MCL sprain in Georgia's matchup with Arkansas on Oct. 22, 2005. He still limped back into the lineup 3 weeks later to guide the Dogs to their last SEC title. Again, all Touchdown Tommy needs to do to complete his game is zero-in on the game manager aspects of it all. Keep up with what he's doing with the football -- particularly on passing downs. Again, Tommy needs to not allow a bad play to turn into a catastrophe. He's got to think upon the concept of living to play for another down. (additionally, a failure to make 3rd down [incomplete pass] also alerts the defense that their time is coming) Tommy Armstrong is explosive (6-1, 220-pounds, 4.53 40 yard dash), so he just needs to slow the game down -- and just take his chances with his feet. It will be huge in my mind to see Armstrong's stats after the Michigan game is over and to see Armstrong with zero interceptions when the final horn is sounded with the matchup at Michigan. I think he'll get it done. In fact, I'm expecting it. 20 attempts, zero interceptions against Michigan -- that's my call.

I agree guys. They need to start pounding the rock more -- and just see if it'll spring loose a few long runs. Let's see if Imani Cross can become a down hill running threat. The offensive line is going to have to step it up for that to occur -- and I know they're banged up and whatnot, so I'm asking a lot...but I'd like to see a down hill running presence from our group of running backs.

If it isn't broken, don't fix it. And Missouri Husker Fan, don't take away from Tommy Armstrong that which he was able to succeed with Saturday. For one half, he was wonderful with the passing game. Armstrong was 10-of-14 for about 120 yards without an interception. His soft touch of the 3 yard TD pass to cut the score to a 21-14 deficit was a major improvement from him missing on a similar pass pattern in the red zone versus Illinois in our 39-19 win a few weeks ago. I don't think it'll take that long for Armstrong to mature into a fine quarterback. Redshirt junior season? Com'on, man. Tommy Armstrong will be just fine. Yesterday, he went 15-for-29 for 173 yards and rushed 17 times for 69 yards -- and had a 15 yard run up the middle wiped out by a holding call from one of his linemen. Again, the redshirt senior Ron Kellogg III was spot on yesterday. This is working! I think that coach Beck needs to find the right balance with Armstrong rushing and passing. Tommy Armstrong is fun to watch though. (just think! Urban Mayer has three QBs like Armstrong manning the Ohio State zone read option offense!) We miss not having a big, burly running back with track speed like Calvin Jones (4.3 40) to help take some of the load off Ameer Abdullah (whom I compare to Jones' running mate, Derek Brown, from back in the early '90s). That would really assist Armstrong's rushing attack, but we'll have to recruit that. And I'm not taking anything away from RB Imani Cross of Gainesville, Ga. He may develop into this guy. A big game would help Imani's confidence. Again, like I said though. If it isn't broken, don't fix it.

HuskerNationNick. I hear you out about Ameer Abdullah, man. I understand your questioning Abdullah whether or not he's sturdy enough as a running back. But I've compared Ameer Abdullah many times to a former NU running back from the distant past -- Derek Brown (Huskers RB, 1990-92). And with that being said, Brown did have a partner to take the load off his 5-foot-9, 180-pound frame. And Brown ran for a lot of yards too. But he had a partner named Calvin Jones who was very fast (4.3 40) and was also a haus at 5-foot-11, 210-pounds. They both ran for over 1,000 yards in 1992. Brown ran for 1,300 in 1991 while Jones ran for 900 that year--so they helped each other to shoulder the load. Ameer Abdullah is having to carry that load right now. Jones was a 5-star recruit -- so that explains his prowess some. It'd be nice if we had a Calvin Jones behind Abdullah. I still think Imani Cross -- the best may be ahead for him. Time will tell. But right now, Abdullah has separated himself from the pack, but we are wanting more from the 5-foot-9, 180-pound Abdullah, and he's giving us his very best. He was amazing tonight considering how well a job Northwestern did on him keying on so much. 24 carries for a hard earned 127 yards. That's not bad for a small I-back.