ladyhawke

Yawwwwwn...more Nebraska fans over reacting because of our firs two games. Why don't you wait until we get into conference play or see how we play against Washington before you automatically assume were not a top 10 team. Why would you assume the worst? And Carlfense allll your post have the same theme, pessimism. No, I didn't say realism because to be realistic it would require you to see several more games before you say that were not a top shelf team.

It's too early to be so harsh on our team. They have WON both their games. So they weren't blow outs, so they weren't even pretty but WE WON! I wonder if there will be this kind of pessimism when we beat Wisconsin. Even if we beat them by 3 points it will be a win. I say take one game at a time. GBR.

Just heard on the radio that someone, didn't catch who, is encouraging Husker fans to wear black to the Wisconsin game so that we stand out.

 

So how many of you are going to the Wisconsin game (sadly, I am not), and what color do you plan to wear?

 

I say white, not black. We are scarlet & cream... not black!

I was listening to 1620 the Zone and they thought black would be great because of the Blackshirts. I like that idea. (Can you imagine how cool our uniforms would be if they were all black with red lettering!)

Saunders! Shame on you! The man in this picture has a red and black kilt and is throwing a BLACK hammer!! His kilt should be red with a white or red hammer!! (Please don't ban me. I just said I like the IDEA of wearing black for a 'Black Out' not that I would wear black. Although....lol)

(Can you imagine how cool our uniforms would be if they were all black with red lettering!)

 

 

Just as nasty as the all black with the puke green uniforms.

I disagree. I've seen teams with all black uniforms. They are amazing. While I like the idea of a 'Black Out' to encourage the Blackshirts, I would wear red. Red is a better color for me GBR

Just heard on the radio that someone, didn't catch who, is encouraging Husker fans to wear black to the Wisconsin game so that we stand out.

 

So how many of you are going to the Wisconsin game (sadly, I am not), and what color do you plan to wear?

 

I say white, not black. We are scarlet & cream... not black!

I was listening to 1620 the Zone and they thought black would be great because of the Blackshirts. I like that idea. (Can you imagine how cool our uniforms would be if they were all black with red lettering!)

How many more times can you guys play the "we didn't want to be there card" about the holiday bowl All that tells me is that you doubt the team's heart and character. But as long as we're talking motivation, I think the dawgs have a little payback in mind in front of your fans. Look, I don't have any illusions that the Huskies are going to go into Lincoln and tear the place up. They'll be lucky to come away with a close win. But look, your lock down corners from last year graduated except the guy who is hurt, right? And he's, well, hurt. The offensive line the Huskies dominated in the Holiday bowl is essentially gone, right, so is the new line as good? The husky D line that dominated the Holiday bowl is back, with some stud backups. We still have Chris Polk, and some NFL talent at WR and TE. This is going to be a good game, I think. Remember, pride goeth before the fall.

Yeah, but listening to one of your Sports reporters (on 1620 The Zone) last night she painted a different picture. She said your offense is weak. You have a young inexperienced O-line and a young quarterback. The reporter also said that the Washington fans were SHOCKED that they won the Holiday Bowl last year. Not surprised but SHOCKED.

Come to play, we like a good football game so did Fresno State GO B1G RED!

P.S. Yes, indeed Pride does go before the fall. It works both ways mate (Please know this is all good hearted fun. We look forward to having you in Lincoln and hope you have a great time. We really do love good football. You'll find that our fans are very knowledgeable about the game and will be the first to congratulate you as you leave our stadium win or lose Welcome!)

50? I don't generally bet against the Huskers, but you give me 50 points and I'll wager however much you want.

 

I do think we'll win big. Maybe by 20 or 30.

i think we'll secure the game early and just coast. i wouldn't be surprised if the game looks closer than it really was, the opposite of the fresno game (which explains us remaining 10th, which i don't mind).

I thought we moved down a notch. I looked on espnu's rankings and we were 11. Are we still 10th on the AP or Coach's Poll?

I was surprised my team Fresno St, actually put up that many points against a top ten team like Nebraska's, especially with how we played against Cal. Overall, I feel alot better for this year with our games against Ole Miss at home and even Boise. Good luck to the Cornhuskers, As I said earlier I really hope you end up being the Big 10 champs....see you guys in 2014 @ Fresno!

It was a good game. Your boys came ready to play. I hope you guys win your division this year! You're welcome here any day! See you in 2014!

Disclaimer...this post is all in good fun. Do not take offense at any of the comments made within as I am a paid consultant for the Iowa State Will Need A Conference To Play in Pretty Dame Quick committee and am obligated by contract to poke fun at the Big 10 Conference and all members there within...Thank You

I laughed my butt off when I heard ISU beat Iowa! TOO DANG FUNNY!

Not that it's necessarily indicative of anything, and I know it's two years later etc. etc. I just found it interesting. On Sept 12th of 2009 Wisconsin barely squeaked out with a win in Madison, winning in OT 34-31 to Fresno St.

I heard several sports announcers say that Fresno St. is a BSC buster. Wisconsin and other high profile teams have either been upset by FSt or taken to the edge. They came to play but we won. GBR!

(Staff, if this is not the right board, I apologize, feel free to move)

 

So, I was tailgating with a bunch of people this weekend prior to the SMU game. As we were there, a group of SMU fans walked by, commenting on how hot it was. Without skipping a beat, one of the guys offered several of our beers to them. When we asked him why, he recalled a story of the last time he visited Lincoln on gameday.

 

He told us that when they went up to see the A&M game in...(09? 08?)...they were just blown away by the generosity of the fanbase. Even after we won that one (without ref assistance ) fans were incredibly generous, still offering them drinks, thanking them for coming, congratulating them, and wishing them safe drives hime. He was so impressed, that it inspired him to try to be an even better host when visiting teams come to town.

 

Thought y'all might enjoy that story.

 

GBR.

Thanks for sharing your story! It makes you proud to be a Nebraska Fan! GO B1G RED!

With what I saw out of Martinez last week, I don't think that he has improved much, if any, on his pocket presence from last year. If I am Fresno St, I am watching game film from last year's Big XII CCG. OU stacked the box and forced Taylor to make poor decisions. Granted, Fresno isn't nearly as talented as OU, but I think if they employ a similar defensive game plan, then they could give our offense trouble and keep the score closer than a lot of husker fans would like.

 

I was very disappointed from what I saw out of Taylor last week. He still seems extremely uncomfortable in the pocket...when he drops back, it looks like he's stepping on glass. I haven't seen such poor footwork since Joe Dailey. There were several times where the line gave him a nice pocket, he'd look down field for a couple of seconds and decide to tuck it and run it. Sure, he got a few good yards, but UTC was severely over matched. That sort of decision making will not fly when we visit Camp Randall or when Ohio State comes to town. He needs to stay in the pocket, wait for the play to develop and put the ball in play. Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on Taylor, I love the guy, but until he improves his pocket presence, poise and decision making, I fear we're not going to be a contender for the B1G championship. We will once again live and die by the homerun play and we'll face many defenses that will make us one dimensional.

 

If our first couple OOC games truly are "glorified practices", then I'd like to see Taylor throw the ball 30+ times this week. It's an area that MUST be improved upon if we're going to be contender this year.

Thanks for that analysis. I couldn't understand why Taylor didn't hand the ball of to the running backs. We have so much talent there! He's going to end up getting hurt trying to run the ball himself all the time. I really hope we see a running game with other people besides Taylor running it.

ladyhawke can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the intent of the thread is who will be the next running back we have with game-changing speed and a good skill set.

 

Burkhead isn't as fast as Helu was, at least not imo. Abdullah appeared to have a ton of speed, and Green hit the holes hard on Saturday even though the line wasn't doing a great job blocking that late in the game (mostly all the 2's were in). I think Abdullah is the running back furthest ahead now, so my guess would be him. But if he continues to be our main return man then I look for a guy like Green to get more carries.

Yes, that's what I mean. Helu was so fast and could find those holes and he was gone.

I've finally gotten around to watching the NU-Mizzou game from last year that BTN showed during the 'Welcoming Nebraska to the B1G' week.

What a game! Roy Helu was like lightning. We were 24-0 after the 1st quarter!

Anyway, while I know it's early does anyone have a feel for who they think might be our new 'Helu'? Just curious.

 

What exactly do you mean by that? Who is the guy with the closest skill set to Roy, or what?

Yes, who is the guy with the closest skill set.

I've finally gotten around to watching the NU-Mizzou game from last year that BTN showed during the 'Welcoming Nebraska to the B1G' week.

What a game! Roy Helu was like lightning. We were 24-0 after the 1st quarter!

Anyway, while I know it's early does anyone have a feel for who they think might be our new 'Helu'? Just curious.

this game scares me to death.

Why?

ladyhawke - did you expect an upset or did you expect a perfect game?

I hate to admit it but I expected an upset. I just had a weird feeling of unrest that I couldn't shake. When we almost fumbled the kick off return I started to panic!

For me, I have to let go of last year and just expect the boys to play the best they can. My only hope and true expectation is that they be competitive in every game they play.

He sounds more optimistic than I feel and he definitely knows what he is talking about. Excellent read.

Diagnosis: After Further Review

Thanks for posting this carlfense. It DID make me feel better and a little chagrined that I whined. Oh well, I hope they do well this weekend and I hope the young guys get to play more.

Brett Maher doesn't need any awards to tell him he had a heck of a Husker debut, but he's getting them anyway. Maher picked up the Big Ten co-Special Team player of the week:

 

Special Teams Co-Players of the Week

Brett Maher, Nebraska

Jr., K, Kearney, Neb./Kearney

• Wins his first career Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honor and becomes the first Nebraska player to ever win a Big Ten football weekly conference honor

• Was a perfect 4-of-4 on his field goal attempts and 4-of-4 on extra point tries

• Converted on field-goal attempts from 21, 34, 48 and 50 yards

• Last Nebraska Special Teams Player of the Week: N/A

 

 

Chaz Powell, Penn State

Sr., KR, New Freedom, Pa./Susquehannock

• Returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown in Penn State’s 41-7 win over Indiana State

• Took the opening kickoff 95 yards as the Nittany Lions jumped out to a 28-0 halftime lead

• Second kick return touchdown of his career, having returned the opening kickoff of the 2010 season against Youngstown State for a score

• Last Penn State Special Teams Player of the Week: Andrew Dailey (Nov. 22, 2010)

 

 

 

Maher Picks Up Two Awards

 

Lincoln - Nebraska place-kicker/punter Brett Maher was recognized for his performance in the Huskers' season opener, while also making Nebraska football history on Monday.

 

The junior from Kearney, Neb., was named the Big Ten Special Teams Co-Player of the Week this morning and earned the College Football Performance Award as National Place Kicker of the Week this afternoon.

 

Maher's Big Ten honor is the first individual honor won by a Husker football player. He shared the Big Ten honor with Penn State kick returner Chaz Powell.

 

Maher went 4-for-4 on field goals, including kicks of 50 and 48 yards, and 4-for-4 on extra points in helping the Huskers to a 40-7 win over Chattanooga. In addition, he punted four times, averaging 52.0 yards per kick, and placed a pair of kicks inside the UTC 20-yard line. Maher's was the highest single-game average by a Husker since 2005 and the best at home since the 2002 campaign.

 

 

That's how you replace a Husker legend. Way to go, Brett.

Amen! Well done, young man!

Even A 33-Point Victory Can Be An Ugly Win, And It Was

Written on September 5, 2011 by Bugeater in Husker Football

 

NU’s Media Relations department was able to put together a nice highlight reel from Saturday’s opener, but it doesn’t tell the whole story of Nebraska’s 40-7 victory over Tennessee Chattanooga.

 

Brian Christopherson of Lincoln Journal Star reports that the players didn’t like what they saw on film.

 

“I know we all watched (the film) Sunday together, and we all went out to eat after and we were all just mad,” said left tackle Yoshi Hardrick of the O-line. “I think the biggest jump we have to make is from week one to week two and I think we all know that.”

 

Despite winning by 33 points, senior wide receiver Brandon Kinnie said it was one of those performances that makes a player feel a bit empty.

 

“We won, but it just felt like it wasn’t a great win,” Kinnie said.

That's how I felt after the game. They DO get it! I hope that passion/anger translates into some passionate playing on Saturday! GO B1G RED!

Did I have coffee with you this AM, ladyhawke? We were just talking about this at the coffee shop, how the only way to explain the level of disappointment we're seeing after a 33-point blowout win is that the expectations of those disappointed simply weren't met. People expected something other than what they saw, therefore the result - no matter how positive - becomes a negative.

 

There's a whole branch of psychology that deals with unrealized expectations. You'll find a lot of this kind of discussion in marriage counseling, where neither party is really doing anything wrong, they're just not doing what the disaffected partner(s) expect(s).

 

I walked into this game expecting to see a ragged offensive performance. I expected to see trouble in the kicking game, and a strong showing by the defense. My expectations were met by the offense (mostly), I was blown away by Maher's ability to vastly exceed my expectations, and overall the defense met my expectations based on Dennard's injury and what I've seen of them the last couple of years under Bo. The fact that I'm not reacting negatively to the game is probably best explained by looking at those expectations.

Nail on the head. I was surprised so many people expected our offense to run like a well-oiled machine the first day out with a new offense, new coordinator, new position coaches, new system of calling plays, 4 new starters on the offensive line, a handful of kids who were in high school a few months ago, ect.

 

I got about what I expected across the board. Maher exceeded expectations. I was glad ball security and penalties seemed improved. There were still fumbles, but none of them were because of the way the ball was being carried. I expected a better showing out of the offensive line, I expected a better showing from BK and Stien also. Definately lots of things to clean up on all three phases of the game, but that's pretty much what I expected.

Do you think we expected a better offense because of all the media hype? It seemed like every time I turned on the radio or tv some sports person was saying that they heard that the coaches were all bragging about how good the offense was doing in practice. So, for my part, I expected that the offense would be greatly improved. They did show some improvement but everything is new. One of the things I did enjoy was the change in Martinez's attitude on the sidelines. He was smiling, talking with the other players. That was great!

I agree with you, I think we will get better!

Did I have coffee with you this AM, ladyhawke? We were just talking about this at the coffee shop, how the only way to explain the level of disappointment we're seeing after a 33-point blowout win is that the expectations of those disappointed simply weren't met. People expected something other than what they saw, therefore the result - no matter how positive - becomes a negative.

 

There's a whole branch of psychology that deals with unrealized expectations. You'll find a lot of this kind of discussion in marriage counseling, where neither party is really doing anything wrong, they're just not doing what the disaffected partner(s) expect(s).

 

I walked into this game expecting to see a ragged offensive performance. I expected to see trouble in the kicking game, and a strong showing by the defense. My expectations were met by the offense (mostly), I was blown away by Maher's ability to vastly exceed my expectations, and overall the defense met my expectations based on Dennard's injury and what I've seen of them the last couple of years under Bo. The fact that I'm not reacting negatively to the game is probably best explained by looking at those expectations.

What an astute analogy! Yes, that's exactly it. Perhaps my expectations were unrealistic. Did you really consider it a 33 point blow out? I don't know why I can't be satisfied by it. I think for me is because I'm comparing NU with Ohio St., Bama, LSU, et al. However, some of the top teams didn't look their best. (I thought it was a riot that Baylor beat TCU! I couldn't help it! I like TCU but poor Baylor has been the punching bag of college football for so long! I thought it was great for them to have that win!)

Someone else wrote that there are those fans that pine for the days when the Huskers were on top. I'm probably one of them. My expectation when we play FCS teams is that we would win like 72-0. Consider the way college football has changed those days are probably dead forever.

I shared with another poster that unfortunately, I thought we would be upset. My reason is that those FCS teams have nothing to lose so they come in and just play their butts off. I had visions of SDSU in my head and just didn't have a good feeling about this game.

Anyway, we DID win, we did have great plays and some really good things happen. The satisfaction of the game is my problem not the teams!lol

Thanks for your observations!

Giving up 7 points all game isn't a big deal. Unless you only scored 6 or less.

 

I would agree if this were Ohio State or Wisconsin but not the team we played. I would think, even as a point of honor, that they would make it a priority not to be scored upon. Was my expectation unrealistic? I did think they played well though. I'm very proud of them but maybe my expectations of the entire game were off. I wasn't one of the ones who thought we would 'beat the crap outta them'. It seems like these FCS teams have nothing to lose so why not go in and 'face the giants' They may get lucky and win like SDSU did last season. Do you think we might've underestimated this team? Or was it truly just a 'glorified scrimmage' and because the team knew that they didn't play up to their potential? Thanks for the discussion!

OU-47

Tulsa-14

 

Bama-48

Kent St.-7

 

FSU-34

UL-Monroe-0

 

Stan-57

SJSU-3

 

A & M-46

SMU-14

 

Okie St.-64

UL-Lafayette-34

 

VT-66

App. St-13

 

MSU-28

YSU-6

 

A lot of teams with big expectations couldn't shut out there much weaker opponents. It's not like we played a high school team here. It is understandable to want a shutout every game, but even against some weak opponents your going to slip up eventually. Last years team didn't get any shutouts. '09 got 2 with the first happening 4 games in. Give the defense time to mold and let our best d-back get on the field before you write this off as a less than stellar performance. We stopped crucial fourth down plays and blocked a field goal. The defense lived up to most of my expectations with some mistakes that are going to happen on opening day. Hope things continue to get better next week!!!

Thanks for sharing. I don't think I'm writing them off but I did expect more given how good our defense is. But I must confess, I expected an upset. I just kept thinking of SDSU last year. Chat didn't have anything to lose and sometimes those teams are more dangerous than the Big Guys. I'm glad we won and as a die hard Husker fan I will continue to cheer them on, good weather or bad.

I felt like you did after it was all over (looking at the other teams that played.) But when watching some of those other teams I thought, 'Wow, if we don't play any better than this come Wisconsin/Ohio St. time, we're going to get killed.' Things did get better but again, perhaps my expectations were wrong? unrealistic? buried in the past? I'm probably one of those fans who 'remember the Huskers back in the day' I started watching NU when I came to Nebraska in 1979 from Missouri. I couldn't believe how good they were. My husband is a native Nebraskan and he got me so interested in the Huskers that I'm a rabid fan now! lol But I so miss those days when our boys just rolled over the other team. My husband says those days are gone because of all the NCAA changes.

Anyway, I haven't written them off, I just expected more from them. I guess I expected a perfect game. (unrealist expectation for any team, eh?)

Washington Post

 

“I did some things during the game, pounding my head against the wall saying we’re going to work on a certain play and I just kept running it because I want live work at it,” Beck said. “It probably wasn’t very smart on my part, but I’m stubborn sometimes and I said we’re going to run this play and get it right and I kept calling it.”

 

While it is worrisome that the line didn't get a good push, it doesn't help when the defense knows what's coming. Beck will have learned from his mistakes (hopefully) and this sort of problem won't arise.

 

Also, looking back at the highlights, the line does have some very good plays.

For me, it was refreshing to have a coach who didn't just smile and give 'coachspeak' rather a coach who honestly shared what he thought didnt go well and what did. He also took total responsibility for any/all mistakes. I think this coach is going to be good because he's honest, realistic and he is a learner. He's not afraid to ask questions (I can see him picking Tom O's brain on things he doesn't understand) and growing into a fabulous OC!

Giving up 7 points all game isn't a big deal. Unless you only scored 6 or less.

I would agree if this were Ohio State or Wisconsin but not the team we played. I would think, even as a point of honor, that they would make it a priority not to be scored upon. Was my expectation unrealistic? I did think they played well though. I'm very proud of them but maybe my expectations of the entire game were off. I wasn't one of the ones who thought we would 'beat the crap outta them'. It seems like these FCS teams have nothing to lose so why not go in and 'face the giants' They may get lucky and win like SDSU did last season. Do you think we might've underestimated this team? Or was it truly just a 'glorified scrimmage' and because the team knew that they didn't play up to their potential? Thanks for the discussion!

Wow! Interesting weekend, eh? Our boys won but I think, from what I've read, they played 'below expectation'. I would be curious to hear what your expectations were for this game. I'll start with mine:

>I didn't think we would almost fumble the ball on the first kick off return.

>I thought our offense would've looked more diversified?

>I thought we would see different people run. Martinez ran way too much for my comfort. When he runs he also places himself into an opportunity to get hurt, which we can ill afford this season.

>While I thought our defense was good, why did we allow even 7 points? If they are our strength then why are we allowing points to be scored?

>I was hoping our O-line would be tougher. It is not. Why? Coaching? If coaching is a problem then why haven't we hired a new O-line coach?

Athletic ability? If this is true then I need to simply be patient. If the talent is not there can it be improved upon with our current O-line coach? Unfortunately, I think not.

These things were pleasant surprises:

>Our new kicker is da bomb

>That Stafford kid is a stud as well as the Loerch (sp?)kid

>Jamal Turner can RUN-GET HIM THE BALL!

>Get Brion Carnes in there as QB as much as possible.

So, what were YOUR expectations?