Jarhead In Red

1 hour ago, BigRedBuster said:

You obviously must have missed the number of times in the last few games we ran the ball needing a couple yards and got stuffed.

 

You can't just always do that in that situation.  So...now we have a play call that mixes it up...it doesn't work and all of a sudden the OC is an idiot for doing it.

I watched the game, just like everyone else. No one said Frost "was an idiot", so you must like to overreact to things and be a smartass. And you obviously missed the 2 times later in the same game vs the same team where it worked. The run worked 2 out of 3 times, and is a common strategy inside the 5 yard line, so I'm saying just play the averages. Or I guess he could just ask you, because you seem to have all the answers....

51 minutes ago, WyoHusker56 said:

 

You should go watch that play again. If our tackle doesn't have one of the most pathetic blocking attempts I've ever seen that's an easy TD. The play call was not bad, the execution was.

Your point is valid, in that the play works if everyone does their assignment. But, with the frequency that our OL fails to execute, I like the idea of running your 225 QB from the normal spread formation, giving him some possible angles and some room to work, and even using 200+ lb Mills as a possible lead blocker. It worked on both TDs in the 4th quarter, and I wish Frost would have run it earlier. I guess he did learn from the failed attempt, as he made successful changes on the later goaline situations.....

1 minute ago, Nebfanatic said:

He was liking some tweets

1 minute ago, Husker in WI said:

 

His dad liked some tweets suggesting he transfer somewhere where they'll get a bowl game, bench Martinez, etc.

Thanks for the info, much appreciated!

46 minutes ago, suh_fan93 said:

 

I probably missed something, yet again, but why did he feel the need to clear the air? 

24 minutes ago, Husker in WI said:

 

If it works, everyone is talking about how great the playcall is. I agree I would've called it differently, but honestly we don't have the oline to punch it in if defenses are waiting for that. I know that's sad, but it is what it is. The announcers and everyone were freaking out about the genius of Purdue's reverse for a touchdown, that could've easily been snuffed out and they'd be talking about what a dumb call it was. So yeah, I would've called it differently and it's fair to criticize. But we've got to recognize no one would have a problem with it if it had been blocked how it was supposed to be.

It's understandable that Frost would have reservations about the OL, when they struggle to get a push most of the time. I like the play call later in the game, when they used Mills as a lead blocker for the QB run. That helps you get a little more punch at the point of attack from other sources than the OL.

11 minutes ago, alexhortdog95 said:

 

Okay, I'll give you this play.

 

But what do you think of it being first and goal, two yard line, and the play calls being:

 

Shovel pass for no gain.

Sack for 5 yard loss

QB run for 1 yard.

Field Goal.

 

I thought it was "Whatever it takes to win?"  A shovel pass on the two???

 

I'll go ahead and give my 2 cents worth. I think the play calling on that drive sucked a$$. However, I don't think anyone here is claiming that Frost and staff are perfect and don't screw up. They have screwed up and probably will a few more times since they are still learning. Judging from his comments back in 2018 about year two here, I think Frost miscalculated what it would take to rebuild the program. But, it's hard to get a read on the coaching chops of the staff when they are starting off with players with poor fundamental habits and a mediocre attitude about losing/being great. IMO, some of these players have been playing so long with poor habits, they are damn near uncoachable. I say wait until the end of next year so we can see them coach guys they brought in, and then I think we we start to see if they are getting it done. I'm no expert by any means, but this is JMO....

7 minutes ago, Maized & Confused said:

 

If the QB is under performing and the coach gives some game reps to another QB that has proven he's fully capable, I'd hope it would help light a fire under his butt. If he's that fragile, should he be starting? It doesn't have to be all or nothing like he'd never have an opportunity to take a snap again.

I guess I would ask a follow up question to the one in the OP, and that would be this:

Is it necessary to treat the QB different when it comes to playing time and performance? I have heard it said by a few people that QB "is a little different" but I'm not sure I really understand why. Mills was benched (temporarily) because he missed a block in the Indiana game. Hixson was benched (temporarily) because he got shoved into the QB on pass pro. Why should the QB position be any different? If a guy leaves 14 points on the field in the 1st half because of poor throws, why can't he be sat down (temporarily) to give another player the chance to perform better, at least for that game? If confidence is a concern, then I would think that would be the case with all players not just QBs....

6 minutes ago, Husker in WI said:

 

That one is tough for Farniok because it looks like his primary job is to block the LB if Martinez keeps it on the backside. With the alignment and the fact that the run went the other way, he's got no chance. Not that Farniok played flawlessly yesterday, but Jaimes actually has a chance on this play and we really only needed one of those guys blocked.

Agreed. By alignment alone, it would be tough for any OL to get that block on the backside, so I shouldn't be too hard on Farniok for this play. I just saw his attempt to climb to 2nd level and his lack of mobility caught my eye. Dude is doing what the coaches are asking him to do, even though everyone knows it isn't a great fit, so he deserves some props for that....

29 minutes ago, WyoHusker56 said:

Jurgens - good snap, great second level block springs this play.

Farniok & Jaimes - failure to even touch a player stops it from going for another 10 and maybe to the house.

 

Very true. Jurgens and the LG do a good job of creating space to run in. It's striking to me the lack of mobility of Farniok...and he is playing right tackle. With this Defensive alignment, there is no way he can block the LB...

30 minutes ago, Husker in WI said:

 

Fair enough, I get what you're saying. I will say he's not as bad/unwilling a tackler as people claim. He had a TFL Saturday, and in some of Chins weirder alignments corners end up needing to make a lot cleanup tackles after forcing the runner back inside. And this year at least, Jackson has been ok with those. He definitely seems to have the Deion Sanders "business decision" mentality when it comes to chipping in and assisting though, which is a big problem when the first guy doesn't actually make the tackle.

Ya, Jackson may not be a tackling machine, but then again he is a cover CB, not a Strong Safety who is required to drop down into the box for run support.  It would be nice if our DBs would be outstanding tacklers across the board, but we aren't there yet. I just think the secondary gets put in a lot of bad positions because of a lack of QB pressure, lack of disguising coverages to help them out a little, and LBs inability to make plays as they should. It would not be fun playing DB for this Defense right now....

17 minutes ago, Mavric said:

 

I'm kind of in the same boat.  It sure doesn't seem like we blitz very much.  And I'd rather be aggressive then give them all day and get picked apart.

 

But when I did a quick re-watch of the first half of the Indiana game to document how we use our boundary DE, I was surprised at how much stunting and (to a lesser extent) blitzing we actually did.  Not a ton of blitzing but we were doing more of both than I would have guessed from watching it live.

 

I really need to get back to the film study I used to do.  It gives a much better understanding of what goes on.  But being busy with other things and the poor record we've put up the last three years has dampened my enthusiasm for that.  

Excellent point about film study. I have found that my initial assessments are not always accurate, and film study will show the truth with much more clarity.....

1 hour ago, Undone said:

 

That is not the question for me personally, though. The question for me isn't, "Who could take Alex Davis' spot as the fourth down linemen in passing situations," it's "Why the f*** aren't we blitzing more linebackers than we are currently when Chinander insists on trying to get pressure with just four guys?"

 

Bring the numbers at the other team. We constantly hear about how bad our secondary is in coverage from a lot of people (which I mainly disagree with). Ok, so if we can't cover with our secondary anyway, why not try to bring pressure from guys like Tannor & Domann? 

I figured bringing Domann in to blitz was going to be a mainstay this season. I was totally wrong.

Chinander knows a helluva lot more about Defense than I do, that much I am sure of. It's hard to sort out how much of our struggles are players not executing, or if we could possibly try some different approaches to compensating for those player weaknesses. Charlie McBride was on Hail varsity radio Monday, and when asked about the Defensive struggles, mentioned a couple things he thought they could do immediately. Charlie is very coach friendly, doesn't like to criticize other coaches, and tends to be conservative with what he says, so I like listening to his thoughts in these discussions. First, he said he would find a way schematically to create some additional QB pressure. He mentioned using some gap overload principles that may cause some pre-snap indecision by the QB/OL. He pointed out that it could be a big deal if you could just hurry the QB another second. He said that our secondary doesn't stand much of a chance if we aren't able to get some additional pressure. 2nd, he said he would disguise coverages a little more. Again, the idea is to not actually change all the coverages, but cause some additional confusion for the pre-snap read and decision making of the QB. Obviously better players make schemes and coaches all look better, but I thought Charlie made some good points about what we may be able to do now to help our Defense, even while we are faced with talent/depth deficiencies.

28 minutes ago, 4skers89 said:

He was trying to bring down the wrath of IU's AD onto UCF.

 

Considering how the IU AD reacted to Frost's Media Day comments, he will completely lose his sh!t when he sees the "Big Ten Punching Bag" reference from Florida.....

1 minute ago, TheSker said:

So you'd say Frost has more loyalty to Chinander than to the success of Nebraska football?

No way. I think Frost would just as soon cut off his left nut than see NU remain the whipping boy of the Big10. 

56 minutes ago, Husker in WI said:

 

So if it's not about transferring but it's in the attrition thread, what (not who) are we even talking about? Getting kicked off the team?

So, are we taking turns pulling stuff out of our a$$, or is there actual substance to specific transfers that might hurt the Huskers? 

13 minutes ago, Rusty Shackleford said:

he needs to fire his buddies!  How many coaches are we gunna let hire there buddies and run the team into the ground?  solich did it callahan did it pelini did it riley did it an now frost is doin it.

It's quite normal for a head coach to hire coaches they trust and have worked with before. Even though we have seen too many episodes of a sh!tshow this season, I would submit that it's hard to make any fair conclusions about the staff's ability until after next season at the earliest. In 2020 and 2021 we will see how they do with guys they have recruited, ones who fit what they are trying to do....

1 hour ago, VectorVictor said:

Speaking of Hunt and Legrone, has either player entered the portal, or is there a reasonable expectation that they’ll stay and get out of suspension purgatory?  
 

Also, with the ‘18 recruiting class, the little time they had was compromised by Frost coaching UCF’s bowl (championship?) game. That added to the mad scramble of that recruiting season and couldn’t have helped the process...

That's a good question about Hunt and Legrone. I guess I had assumed they were gone for good, but maybe there is an opportunity to return. 

And concerning the 2018 class, I think you are correct. Trying to recruit and coach UCF at the same time would have been a major challenge, and Frost didn't have the benefit of establishing early relationships with these players. So many times it's the early offers that stick with recruits, and they appreciate coaches taking an early interest in them. There is no doubt the 2017 and 2018 class attrition has left us very short handed for depth, and I'm looking forward to next year, when we will see more of Frost's 2019 guys after a year of development.

5 hours ago, TheSker said:

Except as "base level" as they are, coaches teach them differently.

 

Let's examine a familiar face as an example.  Bo Pelini.

 

Pelini has taught linebackers at literally every level of football.  Barrett Ruud and Demorrio Williams excelled.  In fact Ruud credits Pelini as his key teacher.

 

But there were other linebackers who didn't excel under Pelini.  Their technique and "eyes" we're bad.

 

But that's all basic stuff, right?.......

We can disagree about what is "basic" or not, but it doesn't change the fact that they are necessary if you want to play successful Defense. Do you think errors by the Davis twins, Barry, etc, are acceptable, or are they not capable of being coached "differently", or what point are you trying to make?

21 minutes ago, TheSker said:

I don't disagree we should be better.

 

I just don't put the blame on Chinander that the Davis twins and Mo Barry don't have the ability to play at an all conference level.

I agree, we should be better. I don't think that Barry and the Davis twins are the caliber of player that we want/need to have starting here to field top level Defenses, but there really isn't a reason why the Defense should be as deficient in run fits, pursuit angles, leverage, etc. These techniques are fairly base level stuff that shouldn't take 2 years or more to learn and execute. It's understandable when our guys get overpowered by superior players, but IMO there are way too many unforced errors on our Defense right now....

4 minutes ago, WyoHusker56 said:

 

Of those 9, we also have 3 suspended currently so that exacerbates that number. I definitely think the rush to fill the class impacted things a lot.

Ya, that's a good point about the suspension of Mo, Hunt and Legrone. 6 leaving sounds much more reasonable in the scheme of things, and the 3 that were suspended were not guys who would never play. It seems Hunt was set to be a contributor, and probably could have helped the Offense attack the entire field. So, suspending those players was a talent/depth drain for sure....

Just now, Nebfanatic said:

I'd say the fire drill comparison is pretty apt. Just look at the 19 class for some relief of your worries. We are gonna hold onto alot more of those guys.

Ya, I know Frost didn't have much time to evaluate and establish relationships with the 2018 guys, and that's why I give him more of a pass on that class. On the surface, it looked like a guy like Jones would be a good fit, and there was definitely opportunities to get on the field this year. But, maybe he was one of the ones who just didn't want to work as hard as Frost demanded.....

2 minutes ago, Mavric said:

 

I realize the 2018 class was Frost's first class, and in many ways a fire drill to fill open scholarships, but with that being said, I'm curious as to why the attrition rate is so high. These were guys that the staff thought were at least somewhat a good fit for what Frost wants to do here, and were worth spending the scholarship money on. Then again, I don't know what the average attrition rate is for Big10 schools when it comes to guys leaving. 9 seems like a high number, but maybe it's not too outrageous once the data is examined..... 

22 minutes ago, WyoHusker56 said:

 

I mean might as well add it onto the lumps we've already taken right? ha

Agreed. I would rather suffer through some growing pains with a young guy like Benhart, who has great potential, than continually watch a guy fail because he is playing out of position and is over-matched. At least with Benhart there is a long term benefit from working through the hiccups....

On 10/13/2019 at 10:39 AM, SECHusker said:

The problem I see isn't entirely with the coaching staff, granted I am not a fan of Dewitt, but with the culture and players. There is a mindset in this team that a coach can lead them to glory and all a coach can do is give them the tools to be successful... The players have to use them. And to that point we don't have many players with the mindset that they can be good in spite of coaching and take responsibility for their own play and actions.

 

For all those guys on the team that have aspirations of playing in the league, they need to realize that they won't be able to choose their coaches in the league and yet they are still expected to produce. 

Even though there are some less than desirable results this year with player performance and progress, I will hold off on any judgement about coaches until after next season, at the earliest. Since the players still appear to have issues with culture, effort, discipline, execution, it's hard to sort out what problems were inherited from Riley, and which ones continue to be problems because of mismanagement by the current staff. JMO, but I want to see how the staff does with the first class or two of players that Frost recruited before I draw any conclusions about the ability of the current staff....

25 minutes ago, Mavric said:

 

I still remember my dad insisting that we couldn't win a National Championship with McBride.  That was in 1992 or 1993.

I confess, I thought the same thing while we used the 5-2 Defense as a base. And, I didn't have much optimism that changes would be made. Then in 1992 we switched to using a 4-3 with speed, could defend the passing Offenses much better, and the rest is history....just one more thing I was wrong about....