"It was just the little things — players not making plays when we needed them."
I don't have a problem with what he said in and of it self. I do have a problem with the overall attitude that the coaches fostered. I think this quote summarizes that attitude.
I get the chance to go to a small town Husker Dinner about once a month. This is the same answer given by all of the coaches at these dinners. "Players play and coaches coach." "I coach them all week, but on Saturday they have to play." "We are just not making plays." "We are not executing" etc etc.
The insinuation being, as a coach - I've done all I can and I've done everything right, I can't help it if this particular group of players can't execute. That is one major frustration with the former coaches, they couldn't ever take any responsibility for the poor play. It was always a lack of "making plays." As if they had given the players everything needed to win.
Obviously they hadn't done everything they could as coaches, and obviously they couldn't realize it or admit it.