HuskerNMO

Dennard, defense was different with him in the lineup, especially as he got healthier

Singling Martinez out against Michigan makes about as much sense as singling anyone else out in that offensive meltdown. It wasn't ONLY Martinez' fault that we failed against Michigan. It was systemic, from Beck down to the last guy on the travel roster. Who was singling out Taylor? I never said he was the reason we lost, and also mentioned the o-line. Anyone who can go back and watch that game film can easily see Taylor played one of his worst games.

Taylor ran well early last year, when teams rarely hit him and he rarely had any real athletes on the opposing D. Opposing teams have commented that if you hit Taylor he starts to get a little apprehensive, he doesn't like to be hit. Taylor is spending so much time worrying about getting hit and being knocked out (also coached that way) that he doesn't commit to his lane or run all out. I don't like Taylor as our quarterback, but with that said, up until the Michigan game he was making strides as a quarterback and looked very good at times, but when the poo hit the fan against Michigan he was back to confused, over-thinking and poorly executing Taylor. It was painful to watch him on Saturday along with our o-line that was completely lost with what Michigan was doing with their blitz packages.

But the simple answer to that is, "Hey Offensive Coordinator, don't expect your 6'1", 175lb wide receiver to block." I saw Jamal again last night. If he's 6'1" then I'm 6'7". He probably weighs about a buck-eighty, and that's generous. The guy simply isn't a blocker. He's not built for it, he's not good at it, and putting him in situations where you need him to make a critical block on a run is stupid, especially when you have Brandon Kinnie and Quincy Enunwa on your roster. Turner has game-changing speed and moves, but we seem unwilling or incapable of putting him in situations where he can affect the game. That is a failure on Beck's part, not Turner's. You didn't recruit Jamal Turner to level DBs on Option plays. You recruited him so that, when you get him the ball in space, he runs and runs and runs. So frickin' DO THAT, Beck. Of course you also have Kenny Bell, who is listed at the exact same 6'1 180 as Turner and he is magically able to make blocks and lock onto his man. Nobody is asking Jamal to level DB's, blocking on the edge doesn't require tons of physical strength, all it takes is effort to run towards your man who is backpeddling, get your hands on him and keep him occupied for 4-6 seconds. If Bell and Marlowe can do it, so can Jamal. Watch this video and you will see Kenny getting his man, and Marlowe coming down and pinning the edge. Turner is just as capable physically as these two to make those blocks, it comes down to effort. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnep...c4?hd=1&t=6m22s In fact watch that whole video, it's every offensive snap for the Huskers agaisnt Michigan, I think it shows poor line play and very poor decision making by Taylor in the game, picking the wrong lanes, happy feet in the pocket, poor reads in the passing game. If Jamal is too lazy to block, causes substitution penalties, gives half effort on routes what about that would make you trust that he would protect the ball and make the right play? If you have two guys in the office, one who's a really smart guy, but gives about 50-60% effort do you keep rewarding him? When a big project comes along do you give it to him or do you trust someone who may not be as talented, but you know will give the effort and do things the way they should be done? And if we're insisting on putting the best players on the field in situations, why not pull Martinez on third and long and obvious passing situations? It's been obvious for 2 years that isn't his strong point, and Carnes or Kellog would likely be better in those situations, so why is Taylor out there? Why aren't you clamoring for the guy who throws the ball the best when we have to pass?

Good post! Then, if one could quantify and add in Crouch's & especially Frazier's MASSIVELY better Olines, better OC (TO) & reliable wrs who caught the ball. Heh, of course this won't change anybody's mind but numbers don't lie. I don't think this stat works. We were an option team then. I think total team offense is the only to compare. Plus, where's the fumble category and Tommie started in the Iowa State game- the first or second week of November of his freshman year. TMart started in the first game of his freshman year. I don't remember when crouch started 98 Season Louisiana Tech- Newcombe UAB- Crouch Cal- Crouch Washington- Newcombe OSU- Newcombe A&M- Newcombe Kansas- Newcombe Missouri- Newcombe Texas- Christo (pulled for Crouch) Iowa State- Crouch KSU- Crouch Colorado- Crouch Arizona- Crouch 1999 Newcombe started the first two, Crouch started the last 10

No, the main problem was they didn't recruit very hard at all by most accounts, much like Bo's staff has gotten the blame over the first couple of years.

Let's look at Rivals recruiting top 10 classes and non southern states over the past 4 years, guess every team in the North has the same problem as Michigan is the only team in the past 4 years to make the top 10 twice. 2012- Michigan only non south team in top 10 2011- Oregon and Notre Dame 2010- None 2009- Ohio State, Michigan

Busch? If he's so great why is he stuck at Utah State? Why did a coach under him move into a staff role at an AQ school in Raymond?

Aha. Bo needs 10 years to come close to (or win) a championship. I'm guessing by your response it's a B1GC that you're talking about.... Wow. At $3million/year? You do know that every time people like you bring up TO and Bo it's apples to oranges, right? If I need to explain what I mean by that I'm wasting my time really. Yes, not a single school outside of the SEC has won a title in the past 5 years with only 1 of those games being less than a 2 posession game, Mack Brown got the the NCG in his 8th year at Texas and his 19th year at a BCS level school. Les Miles took 7 years between OSU and LSU, then immediately went 8-5 and 9-4 the two years after he won the title, he is now got a team with his players to that level. Nebraska was very down, if you fire Bo for 10 win seasons you get another Bill Callahan to replace him, a good coach will NOT come to Nebraska under those expectations.

I usually don't consider teams that are 3-5 headed into a game good teams, they lost 5 straight games at one point. Their defense gave up 38, 42, 41, 34 and 38 in their first 5 Big Ten games this year and we somehow only managed 25 points? This game was lost in the first half by mistakes and an attitude across the entire team of playing passive, they never attacked Northwestern's defense until really late in the 3rd quarter and the defense just let Northwestern run the ball down the field in the 4th while playing Peso or Dime the majority of the time. Here's a scary stat, not counting the final kneel down, Northwestern ran 16 plays in the 4th quarter, 15 runs and 1 pass- they ran 15 times for 71 yards, or 4.7 YPC in the 4th when everyone knew what they were going to do. The lone pass was of course the 81 YD TD pass, in that situation you have to stack the box and stop the run, yet we primarily played 4 down with 1 LB, against 5 linemen, a TE, a QB and a RB. Northwestern was able to block everyone in the box and constantly gain positive yards because of Bo's decisions not to stack the box. Add in the clock management and it was a pretty poorly coached game.

Freudian slip? Not proofreading before I hit the post button

http://espn.go.com/college-football/bcs/_/week/9/year/2011 1. LSU 2. Alabama 3. Oklahoma State 4. Boise State 5. Clemson 6. Stanford 7. Oregon 8. Kansas State 9. Oklahoma 10. Arkansas 11. Michigan Stte 12. Virginia Tech 13. South Carolina 14. Nebraska 15. Wisconsin 16. Texas A&M 17. Houston 18. Michigan 19. Penn State 20. Texas Tech 21. Arizona State 22. Georgia 23. Auburn 24. Texas 25. West Virginia

Man, the computers really hate the Big Ten, but love the Big 12. Computer Rankings as follows 1. Oklahoma State 2. Alabama 3. LSU T-4. Clemson T-4. Kansas State 6. Oklahoma 7. Arkansas 8. Stanford 9. Virginia Tech 10. Texas A&M . 20. Nebraska Computers rate the Big Ten as follows Michigan State Penn State Michigan Nebraska Wisconsin

Nebraska gets jumped by Michigan State and South Carolina, but Wisconsin falls from 6th to 15th. We are now 14th.

Think he tweaked a knee in practice, no point in risking further injury against Minnesota.

Yes, the obvious solution is to scrap a gap technique that has been used for top 10 defenses and teams that got to national title games. Great idea. It amazes me that people really think it's as simple as telling the d-line to go play a completely new scheme and thinking it will work. Why not call for a 3-4 or 5-2 alignment while you're at it? I promise if one of the best minds on the defensive side of the ball is struggling to figure it out, there isn't a single person on this board that can figure it out. It's pretty simple to see what is happening, we don't a have dominant d-line like we had in the past, and we have a young secondary that is struggling without safety help as the safeties are having to stack the box to help stuff the run. I think it will take an offseason to fix our defense in all honesty, we tried to get bigger and stronger across the board on D and it hasn't worked. Our front 7, minus David,is slow and weak, which is frustrating. Despite the rotating that we've seen on the d-line, they constantly look winded and wore out. I think you'll see some weight come off the front 7 next year some and us get back to a faster more attacking scheme.

One of my favorite speaches that i've read of all time. Other great parts There are many men who feel a kind of twister pride in cynicism; there are many who confine themselves to criticism of the way others do what they themselves dare not even attempt. There is no more unhealthy being, no man less worthy of respect, than he who either really holds, or feigns to hold, an attitude of sneering disbelief toward all that is great and lofty, whether in achievement or in that noble effort which, even if it fails, comes to second achievement. A cynical habit of thought and speech, a readiness to criticise work which the critic himself never tries to perform, an intellectual aloofness which will not accept contact with life's realities - all these are marks, not as the possessor would fain to think, of superiority but of weakness. They mark the men unfit to bear their part painfully in the stern strife of living, who seek, in the affection of contempt for the achievements of others, to hide from others and from themselves in their own weakness. The rôle is easy; there is none easier, save only the rôle of the man who sneers alike at both criticism and performance.

Too bad this wasn't up earlier, still tempted to make the drive to Lincoln, but the wife would kill me.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2011/10/nebraska-chase-rome-paper-towel-dispenser-wisconsin-loss/1

Turning the ball over 3 times is a huge part of losing the game, it keeps the defense on the field and wears them down at the game goes on. That's the biggest problem with what Beck did throwing the ball, it didn't keep the offense on the field and led to the D wearing out. Here's what happened once we got the ball back with a 1 point lead 1st down- Burkhead gains 7 yards, but called back for illegal formation 1st down- Taylor sacked 2nd down- Taylor runs for 1 yard 3rd and 14- Rex catches a 9 yard pass Punt So now the D hits the field and stops White for a 1 yard loss on 3rd, Toon catches a 4 yard pass then Wilson gets sacked, punt back, D stepped up. Offense gets the ball back 1st- Burkhead stuffed for a 1 yard loss 2nd- Incomplete to Cotton (dropped) 3rd- False start on Reed to get us to 3rd and 16 at the 41, rather than check down Taylor forces it and Wisconsin gets the ball back at the 46 (TOP, 45 seconds) UW gets the ball back, 5 yard pass, incomplete, 6 yard pass 1st down, 5 yard run, 2 yard run, playaction over the top on 3rd and 3 for a TD So now you're down 20-14 with 2:00 left 1st down incomplete 2nd down 26 yards to midfield to a wide open Turner 1st, 4 yards to Kinnie, OB to stop clock 2nd incomplete 3rd picked again TOP 41 seconds So in that swing the Huskers held the ball for 2 possessions under 1 minute, and the D was forced right back on the field and gave up two long throws. Hindsight is 20/20, Beck got greedy since Taylor had thrown it pretty well up till then and it bit us, we could have ran the ball and probably made it into half within 3 or even in the lead. Then the start of the half was just greedy, once that pick was made it was over

Go back and look at our secondary in 2008, this defense is very similar to 2008. Western Michigan- 24 points given up, 342 yards and 2 TD's San Jose State, squeeked by- outgained 353 yards to 315 yards, were only up 14-12 until Paul returned a kickoff then a couple more TD's in the 4th 35 points to Virginia Tech, 52 to Missouri, 37 to Texas Tech, 62 to Oklahoma, 35 to Kansas, 31 to Colorado. People take the last two years where Marvin was loaded with talent and had solid pressure from the front 4 typically and forget 2008. Raymond will be fine, he's in his first year and has a lot of inexperience in his group.

Here are videos of the postgame http://www.omaha.com/article/20111001/BIGRED/310019884

Can you translate for me? Here's what he deleted "@YoungDuece_2: My bro fonzo is a beast the rest is ass str8 up" Translation, Dennard is great, the others suck in Antonio's opinion.

ESPN threw this up, and it's very telling