84HuskerLaw

There is much to love about this brand of football - Husker teams of yesteryear called it "smashmouth" football. Dominate the line of scrimmage and pound the defense into submission. You throw over the top 6 to 8 times a half just to scorch 'em with a big ugly tight end lumbering down the field as little DBs slip and fall off his back for 29 yards into the dreadful 4 down territory inside the opponents' 40. From there, the opponent's defenders knew what was coming - more tough running backs and hard hitting fullbacks pounding away. It was brutal at times - yes. The toughest team won 90% of the time.

Goodness, I never cease to be amazed by the fans who go berzerk on game day after a loss of any kind and by the following Tuesday, are already becoming almost positive the team will win, win and win again starting with the very next game. Nothing has really changed about the schedule. If anything, the competition is tougher looking today than in mid August crystal balls. The bottom of the big ten is better than people have given it credit for and the top may not be quite so incredibly strong as some have been thinking. This is not surprising as most analysts would say teams are generally more commparable in overall talent than 20 years ago. At this point, there are no more reasons to be optimistic about winning games in the second half of the season than before the season began. Arguably, there are any number of reasons to be more pessimistic. As a team, we are in grave jeopardy of losing confidence, faith and trust in the coaches, the players, etc. Teams that are doing well are gaining confidence and strength and teams that have struggled almost always continue to struggle.

Yes, I think our pass defense has been poor but it has not been as bad as the national rank of dead last by a 100 plus yards per game certainly. One of the big problems for our defense has been our offense - the feast or famine effect one might call it. Our offense - no matter the 50/50 approximate ratio of passes to runs has very low time of possession. Drives are typically 3 and out or we move down the field quickly with 15 yard chunks. Even our TD drives which are only about 3 or 4 per game or so last less than 3 minutes. Often our possession may last barely 1 minute. We snap the ball with 10 or 12 seconds remaining on the play clock even after a run. We are running a sort of hurry up offense. Of course we have far too many incomplete passes and our completions tends to be for first downs. When we have the ball, between the lack of ordinary running plays within the boundaries, the incomplete passes, pass completions with receivers going out of bounds, etc, we stop the clock most of the time. As a result, we use very little game clock when we have the ball. This loads up on the defense. Our opponents are getting more possessions per game and more time to run plays against us. This gives them more yards per game statistically.

Frankly, I think if tommy completes half of his incomplete passes, we win the game by 10 points or more. With so many incompletions, drives are stalled and our punter contiunes to be our MVP. Our running game is better when we complete passes as the defense is not loading up the extra safety or crowding up and shooting gaps and swarming all over the backfield. Wisconsin is fast enough on defense to keep us from running wide (we don't have any RBs with 4.35 speed to get to the corners) and have trouble blocking on the outsides with our smaller receivers. Our TEs block well sometimes but it is not consistent. IMO

I think the stinking wind had something to do with the game as well. Wisconsin probably set records for most passes attempted in a game. they felt they could throw against the statistically worst pass defense in the nation and they were right, although the wind and about a dozen pass break ups and strips made the completions difficult. Our run defense was pretty salty for most of the game, MUCH better than prior games against these guys certainly. Injuries hurt but it hurt other teams we've played as well. I am not comfortable taking very much solace in the injury excuse this year. We need to play hard and find the guys to fill in for the injured. This is a part of the game and happens almost every year. Previous teams suffered this bug. The penalty bug continues too. I do think we are playing hard at times, though not throughout the games, even when the score is close and the battle is raging. The kind of fight and heart a player has in something we need to be sure when we recruit from now on. If his coach, film and our independent sources (local scouts, etc) dont suggest the kid plays like a lion, we need to be careful. Heart is almost as important as athletic raw talent. We get some guys healed up and win Saturday, they team can still claw and fight their way into a bowl of some kind maybe. It takes 4 wins to get there so they have to start now I'd say. If we lose this week, I maintain it is time to play for the future and bench the seniors.

OUch!! I don't know any way one can rationally state: "I like where we are at!" This is not reasonable, no matter how one tries to spin it.

There are plenty of non-passing plays they could've run besides three in a row up the gut. They needed a 1st down to ice the game and they didn't even try to get it. This is right in my view. We needed to play to win the game. This playing not to lose is dangerous and ultimately bites you. You try to lay on it and stall the game out is very likely to fail especially when you are the weaker team and the other team has all the momentum. No question Wisconsin dominated us the bulk of the game and nearly all of the second half. We couldn't stop them on a bunch of drives (wind or not). Everyone has acknowledged the 'feeling' that they would win the game if we gave them back the ball. Therefore, in those circumstances (totally different than the week before because of the timeouts available to stop the clock from running), you have to try something a little more creative and risky to get a first down (whether a pass or unusual or unorthodox run or something). I personally would have used my best available, least risk, playmaker (Tommy A in some kind of QB draw, roll out or other scramble or run situation. Him keeping the ball is better than risking a fumbled pitch or hand off or even a throw. Sadly, we needed to throw, as much as that hurts. Wisconsin had to strongly believe we were not going to throw even once. We should have thrown on 2nd down. A sideline play would have been low risk for interception and high percentage for completion. A first down and couple kneel downs seal it.

How the hell does he fall short of 2 and 5? I think he falls short on 2 because of age. He is destined to be here less than long term. His national reputation is almost totally lacking. He is known by a few other coaches but was almost totally unknown to the average high school coach or high school players or their parents. I don't think anyone could argue Riley had some kind of well known national reputation as a great football coach.

I think the post is very well done. However, the research and arguments in support of giving Riley our patience and understanding and perhaps one might say the benefit of our doubts, does not adequately resolve that issue of why stay in Corvalis and lead them to seemingly nothing more than college football perpetual mediocrity? He was offered chances to move up and progress in the profession to the presumably greater challenges of 'name' schools. Why not accept those challenges? After all, he accepted presumably greater challenges at pro level teams? He was even offered an opportunity at his alma mater. And finally, why pray tell, did he choose to accept Nebraska' s call of all places at this late stage in life when it would seem so totally fitting and logical to him and his family to stay put in his natural comfort zone of 'home' in Corvallis? If he is truly capable of being our football Moses and leading us back to the promised land, why has he not been such a leader before? And does this possibly mean that we will have to wonder aimlessly in the football desert for another 40 years until Riley leads us to our destiny?

Lincoln, Nebraska on home game days.

Tommy is not a senior! Now, I do think if we drop the next one, then it is time to move on to next year by playing all the younger guys. Seniors ride the pine, unless they are NFL draft prospects (if we have any?). I believe Bill Snyder may have begun the rebuild K State process by doing this. He played the freshman and sophomores and let the older players sit the bench in an effort to build experience for the future. yes, you sacrifice some opportunity for near term wins for long term gain. But, at this point, the near term wins look pretty 'ify'. We have been in this constant state of desperation for years where the focus has always been how do we manage to get another 9th win this year rather than focus on the ultimate goal of becoming a great program with championships in the future. We have been constantly rebuilding and never reloading. Time to recruit and build the depth for the future. If the wins don't start Saturday in Minnesota, then the experience and conversion into the team of the future must begin. We need the players of the future to get experience and more practice reps. Sorry to do this to the seniors who have given their all but it is time to make the commitment to what even those players will someday want to say: Huskers are back and here to stay! Something Bo Pelini bragged about a few years back but failed to keep in mind as he moved forward.

Well, after reading this one, I was relieved to realize that it is really pretty good news if you are correct! How you might ask? Well, it can't get much worse so we are almost there already!!! The getting better part will begin soon won't it? Perhaps we should have lost those other two games as well? the sooner we get all these ugly losses out of the way, the sooner we can get on to winning again.

This is where the real influence lies. I don't know about the coaching moves, but I have heard of the booster grumblings. As related to me, a booster who supposedly spends 3k/homegame setting up something in the way of tailgating and hospitality is fed up. "Advertising outside Memorial Stadium right now is like having someone in a costume dancing on the street in front of a funeral home, it ain't worth 3k a pop." I haven't been tailgating this year so I can't vouch for the mood outside. Well reports of the beer sales being off as much as 20% can't be good. But, one might argue that when times are tough as they are now, people would be drinking more than usual just to cope with the problems. LOL

I was thinking about the concept of 'collective wisdom' in which there is said to be a certain amount of good judgment from the combined opinions of the populous as indicated by the tabulated vote of the masses or by the accurate polling thereof. Can we say with any degree of reliability that the 'collective wisdom' of the views on all of those who post on Huskerboard is indicative of the 'wisdom' of the fans about the program, the coaches, the players and so on? Or, are we seeing a bunch of knee jerk reactions by the select few (not a representative sampling certainly) who are overly involved and irrationally attached to the Nebraska football program in general? I think you can assert correctly that the views of the members of this board are much more informed than the average fans' views. The members of this board certainly spend inordinate amounts of time and energy getting familiar with players, coaches, statistics, opponents, etc etc etc. Most serious posters on this board are almost demonically possessed by the obsession of Husker football. Perhaps we are all too close and too involved to be impartial and rational. We are too wrapped up in the details to be able to see the big picture.

Well said! I have to say this is just the second time I have laughed in a week! Now I am wondering why - should I feel ashamed I laughed about the Huskers losing two weeks in a row ? I we had called the three runs last week that we ran last night, we likely win that game. Then, this week, we likely win because we come into this game with a little better mental state. Maybe - just maybe - we find a way to get another half dozen first downs during the course of last night's game and we win the game by a TD. Now I don't think the Huskers are a TD better than Wisconsin. I think Wisconsin actually played down to us and let us stay in the game when they could have and should have put us away earlier. They are at least two TDs better than we are frankly. Play them 10 times and we lose 8.

Goodness these losses have nothing to do with the talent. These coaches are making the same gaffes they made in their Oregon St. days. What you're seeing is what you're going to get. Tough year is an understatement we are 2-4 and our best win this season is a single digit victory against Southern Miss Really? Talent plays no part in this? Who's our go to on offense? We need 5-10 yards, who r we drawing a play for? Please, fill me in because I see no difference makers on this team. Where r the NFL guys on defense? We rip Bo for crappy recruiting yet blame riley for all of this? At some point you need to realize the squad currently out there is average at best and no coach can win every game with this squad. We have a QB who is erratic, no receivers with a speed or size advantage, ditto for RB. An O line that's neither quicker or stronger than D Lines. An ok to marginal D line, suspect linebackers and a secondary so weak they have to play the pass over the top instead of under the throw because they aren't tall, fast or strong enough to hold their own.... But yeah it's totally the guys fault who has been here for 6 games Well, ironically, tommy was playing it seemed through the first four games like an honest to God quarterback (not just a running back taking snaps). We do have some decent receivers. We have decent D linement. We have several decent O linemen but not a full complement of five unfortunately. Our linebacker play is improving despite injuries to those who were apparently our best. The secondary is really struggling. I believe we lack talent but more importantly we lack good coaching there. I think our secondary guys have had some many different coaches that they don't know who or what to believe. I am afraid we have to change secondary coach again next year - we must get a good one for sure. Whatever it costs. I think our special teams play has been VERY disappointing and needs dramatic improvement. We have a super punter and mediocre place kicker. Our coverage and returns games suck! We apparently have nobody who is willing to catch and return punts. There are windy days and punts are hard to field in the wind - I know as I have done it myself. You just practice and get your butt out there and do it.

I do think some comments and the people who offer them on this board (I don't know what is written elsewhere as I don't take the time but presumably there is a similar tone and content as this board exhibits) are fair or right and could be accurately described as shameful. I am not ashamed of our team or program or the coaches or administration. I do, however, understand the strong questioning of how or why we selected Riley to be the future of the program. We needed as a Head Coach at Nebraska someone that has the following capabilities: 1. A great X & Os guy. 2. A person of great, demonstrated personal character for honesty, integrity, sincerity, intelligence, well spoken, with a desire to be the coach at Nebraska as a long term career. 3. A coach with considerable experience (at least 10 years IMO) as a head coach of a program of significance with large budgets, of a D-1 level program. 4. A coach with experience as a former player who can relate to the work, effort, trials and tribulations of being a collegiate and or pro athlete in today's world. 5. A coach with a national reputation and well known to most of the college football world. 6. A good judge of character who can relate to today's youth and be a good role model and leader of them (this is not easy certainly). 7. A person with extra thick skin who can handle criticism and responds well to challenges and believes fervently in his system. 8. Someone who is adaptable and can adjust to the changes that occur over time as things are always in a state of constant change. 9. Someone who will NOT embarrass the University through his personal actions or violate the rules or attempt to cover up the same. The question is: How many of these basic descriptors do you feel Riley fits? Can we find someone who fits better? I thiink Riley somewhat fits numbers 1, 3, 4, 6 (maybe?), and 7, and 9. I think he falls short of meeting 2, 5 and 8 and again 6 is ify at best.

This is the essence of what the walk on program used to be. Sadly, when Frank was HC, he just didn't recruit as during the late 90s, recruits were literally calling us and we had 5 stars willing to walk on from all over the country almost. Frank kept bringing in walk ons but they were not 'recruited' (evaluated and selected properly). He was letting grad assistants and who knows do the selecting and watching of H.S. film, etc. He was too busy doing not much as the head man. The same goes for the scholarship kids as well. The result: so quickly our team talent level dropped like a rock. Walk ons were far from 'ready for prime time players' and when Callahan got here, he dumped the walk on program because by the time he got here it looked (rightly so) as basically a waste of his valuable coaching and practice time to spend it on kids who where nowhere near top D-1 caliber, no matter how much heart or drive or desire they had. But the notion that we need the local kids to build from is correct. We need the true heart, desire, love and admiration they bring in (the want to do or die for the Big Red) which can hopefully for many great players recruited from beyond our immediate area translate into the determination and effort it takes to become the best. High school kids growing up in today's immediate, video game vicarious world spend more time playing football on their tech equipment than in the backyard. They are very athleticly capable but not necessarily physically tested and driven. We need to recruit talent but the talent must have a 'Husker heart' and bleed Husker red. Beyond that, we do need an excellent X & Os coaching staff and a national household name Head Coach that can truly attract the eilite players to complete the roster and gives us the speed and athleticism 3 deep to be Top Ten competitive consistently.

Wrong...likely it was lack of confidence in Tommy by the OC which is why he didn't call aggressive plays in that final drive to get us the first down. Well, if the coaches don't have confidence in Tommy by now, maybe we should be considering another QB? then again, I think at this point, Tommy has played well enough to lead this team to wins. We have no apparent audible system - at least they never mention anything like that on the radio and I don't get to watch the games. Why no audibles? Surely Riley has some kind of system. He coached pro ball several seasons too!?

These are good points and there are additional similar issues in each of the games, wins and losses, where one just scratches your head and wonders why? Often the strategy questions are dismissed by the supporters of the status quo by simply suggesting "well, we don't see the players in practice and are sure the coaches know more about the kids' abilities and what will or wont' work!" this may be true but then again, maybe not. Sometimes, you have to wonder if the coaches really do know more than the fans! Yes, with 1.20 left, why would we not try to get a first down. It seemed obvious the coaches were - apparently having learned their lesson from the week before when they failed to run out the clock wisely - just doing as everybody demanded. Of course, the problem is the circumstances were completely different. You needed a first down so you needed to either run wide with Tommy or something that gave you a good chance to get 7 yards or throw on 2nd down.

There are serious mental and confidence issues on both offense and defense and perhaps even our place kicker. We are going to need to get the UNL and UNO and UNK psyche department folks real busy counselling this team and each and every member. May need to consult with the coaches as well as they may be questioning themselves as well. But, the rest of the season will be a long, struggle unless we see some dramatic improvement. Our depth is so shallow that fatigue is setting in by the second half and the fourth quarter - we can't stop anything defensively and the offensive line has trouble get 3 yards a carry on basic runs. The opposing defense is NOT worn out at all.

Now, if you are talking about the 'fans' that post on these message boards and offer unending criticism and bash the coaches or players or others, then perhaps you can say they are not being 'great' as fans. But, these boards are meant expressly for discussion. Bad fans would be the ones that are running around after the games and setting fire to cars or trashing businesses or damaging the stadium property or assaulting opponents' team or fans. Bo Pelini is the only recent Husker I am aware of that has ever actually assaulted verbally and even threatened physical assault of an opponent or fan thereof. He was fired for his misbehavior. We have a few bad fans that act badly and I am sure a few are escorted out of the stadium during each and every game. Booze and immaturity and just plain bad attitude exist in our fan base. But overall, our fans are very good as compared to other teams. I have attended numerous Husker games (for wins and losses both) around the country. Our fans are better sports and less obnoxious that all I have experienced, although we have a few bad apples. I would say we are the best or greatest fans. We are not perfect but no fans are - we just seem to be a little better than all others, making our fans the best or greatest.

WE are dam good fans. the crowd was loud and tried to encourage the team on to a win. They did all they could.

Not. That would be the last thing we want to do.

Most fans don't even know who the coach was when we were last 2-5. I don't remember myself.