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And, it still cracks me up that some people are chalking up ANY road game as a win. NU is 2-7 under billy c on the road, and got destroyed by the team that is one of the conf. bottom feeders on the road this year.

 

I dont care if they are playing Dana College in Blair, under billy c, EVERY road game is a question mark.

Hell, BC is lucky the Red-White game is played in Memorial Stadium, or we would all see a poorly prepared, unmotivated, sloppy team that turns the ball over all the time.... and the score would be 0-0........

Well, the "poor" offense would look great vs our #1 defense (like KU) so maybe the score would be very high.......

But, I have condfidence that our "poor" offense would make our over-rated defense look like they are the "best-ever"....(Maine)

I kind of feel this way..but I am the one who says "give this team time", so don't read into this post too deeply

Anyone in our armed forces has my upmost respect and heartfelt thanks...

You guys keep kickin' ass and most importantly, stay safe

It is pictures like this that really puts everything in perspective as most of us go to work/school and sit around and discuss Husker football on the board... Although we all share many different opinions about the 'skers, I believe that we all share the same feelings that :

God Bless the USA

God Bless the men and women in our armed forces

Hope you are all home soon...

Oh yeah.....We are agree: Let's kick some Buff ass

I found myself glued to the tv until 1:30 am watching this game. Bush is amazing !!! His high-light reel could compare to any of the former Heisman winners.

I think Bush wins the Heisman...but maybe only because vote is before NC game. IMO, USC hasn't shown enough consistancy to beat Texas..... The Horns' appear to be the real deal...... If Vince Young goes off like last years bowl game, and the Horns win the NC, you really could argue "Young for Heisman"....

Plus, Bush is also competing with 2 other candidates from his own team.....

Bush = Heisman

Young = NC

I stated on another thread that I have been to Norman many times and really do not recall any "bad" experiences.... Pretty much a "mutual respect"

We were there in '83 when Gill-Rozier.....Harris knocked away ball in last seconds to preserve the win..... OU fans were just fine (of course, I was about 11, so they weren't going to knock a kid)...... Also have been there when OU has won and by a big margin.... Mickey Joseph knocked into bench and Grant leads us to a 49-10 loss..... Fans still were pretty decent.....

It is my experience that Tennessee fans have been very courteous... Both at Miami and Tempe.... Volunteer fans had class....

ND was also a very enjoyable trip.... Even after a hard-breaking loss, Irish fans treated us well.

I think Coz has done an adequate job this season with an inexperienced secondary, a first year middle linebacker and a special teams role player playing strong side linebacker. I think Marvin Sanders was more of the reason for the good defense in 2003 rather than Pelini, but NC's defense is average at best since he became Co-DC, so I am not sure he would be a step up from Cosgrove at this point. Kevin Steele is a solid choice. I also wouldn't mind seeing Tony Samuels come back some day if things don't work out with Cosgrove.

I agree with you..... Coz has been adequate, but not stellar.

I was just suggesting Sanders to respond to the question, although I really do like Sanders a lot !!!!

Coz has not proven himself to be a great "game-planner" at all.... I will give him credit for some of his "in-game" adjustments, but sometimes it is too little to late.

Our defense is soooo bad at tackling.... Our LB-CB-DB all arm tackle, instead of flat out hitting-wrapping-driving-tackling...... Most of us can blame the coaches for poor technique and teaching fundamentals, and this very well could be the case.

IMO, the poor tackling may be related to the lack of speed at LB. Our LB can not get into good tackling position, forcing them to reach "at" the ball carrier.... And Bullocks wants to be a "hero" by stripping instead of being the big hitting safety

I have said this before, and I will be happy to say it again.....

I absolutely believe that Coach Marvin Sanders would be the perfect Def. Coordinator for NU. Pud and BC made their biggest mistake by not retaining this guy !!!!! Holy sh#t, are you telling me that Elmo is better than Sanders......nice call BC

I know that under the circumstances, with Pud here, that Marvin will probably not come back..... unless BC went calling on Sanders heavily..... The D-Coord. would be a step up from his last tour of duty at NU, and I am sure that NU can match UNC on the pay scale for his services.

Guys,

I just don't think that a bowl will "hurt" NU... I truly understand the argument of the media hurting/helping recruiting..... But, hell, the media is ripping NU as we speak !!!!! The damage is being done, regardless if we attend a bowl or not.

IMO, the 3-4 weeks of practice ALONE is enough reason to accept a bowl bid !!!

Combined with the excitement of the underclassmen, it would be devastating to this program if we were to decline a bid !!!!!

I am already a little concerned about possible transfers, but if NU would choose to stay home and not practice, instead of going to Orlando..... the young players may just bolt for sure..... They came to Lincoln to go to bowls, and to play against the top competition in the country.... If we go to the Champs bowl and play FSU, then the recruits get what NU had to offer !!!!

Once again, the additional practice and the added "spirit" (motivation) the warm weather vacation (bowl) are priceless for a team that is trying to rebuild

This per rumor on Around The Horn on ESPN. I hate to spread rumors, but this would be BIG. Marrioti says,"90/10 that Stoops is gone". Also said,"Stoops wont win another championship at OU if he stays".

Stoops to the Jets and Vennebles (spelling?) to KSU.... or Chuck Long to KSU

Either way the Sooners could lose 2 major guys.....

Hey, would that leave Bo Pelini the next guy in charge?

my understanding is that tomerlin was recruited as a tight end but wanted to play defensive end. when he got here he was not big enough and then got hurt and has been switched back to tight end. he is or has redshirted.

 

i could be wrong and i have been before.

I think that I have read somewhere on this board that Tomerlin is taking a redshirt yr.

Thanks for the input on TE - DE

We recruit them so at the time we can have a Zac Taylor instead of a Frank Solich kid as in Joe Daily. Frank left us so thin we had to hit the juco ranks hard. We wont in years to come.

From what I've read on NU recruting, we're hitting the JuCo players hard again this year. If it doesn't help bringing them in, then again why so many and hit them so hard again this year? JuCo players for the most part are bandaid players. We should have gotten a bandaid TE for this year, but apparently no one thought that was important as we knew or were pretty sure Herian would be out for the better part of the season after the Mizzou game last year.

 

Bringing in another big round of JuCo players I believe is one more clinck in BC and staff's armor. I just don't understand the ones they do bring in, and I don't understand why they didn't bring in the one key position we needed it most.

I am not being a wise-a$$ here, but I am seriously asking this question.

didn't we recruit Tomerlin to be a TE. I know he can play both TE and DE, but I thought initially we ( I mean NU....like I was involved ) recruited him to play TE.

If that is/was the case, then BC tried to cover a position that we really needed, and if it weren't for an injury, he would have played.

I think that JUCO's are a band-aid method, but in situations like this, (Frank leaving the system talentless, for the most part), it may take a year or two of JUCO's to help until the young kids develop.

Once again, I am asking about Tomerlin, not stating a fact.????

Heck, I started the topic and failed to put in my two cents...

I think that if we go to Houston or Independence Bowl, I will more than likely go...

But if we go to Orlando, I am pretty sure that I am not going.... A 24 hour road trip probably won't be in my Holiday plans again.....

Regardless if the bowl is "desrving" or not, or maybe NU will be over-matched and get throttled, or any other NEGATIVE crap being spewed by guys who would be pissed as he!! if NU didn't get the 6th win..... I am excited that the 'skers are back in the post season..

Last year sucked..... I hvae traveled all over, including many bowl games to watch NU, and I was "bummed" to have to sit at home and not even entertain the thought of going to a bowl....

I was just wondering...... on another thread, KC husker (my traveling companion to many road trips/bowl) suggested that "we need to go to the bowl" this year.

This sparked my interest...... Are any other members "thinking" about the possibility of traveling to the "bowl" this year?

In my mind, away games are almost as fun as home games, especially Bowl games...

Just thought I would ask .....

Can we really say JuCo players are young?  I mean most JuCo players only have 2 years of eligibility when they enter D1.  I don't know whether or not you can call them young and inexperienced when they come in as juniors.  They only have 2 years and they're out in most cases.  So, this year Taylor is young and inexperienced and next year he's old and a senior? 

 

We started to frosh tackles against KSU, but they haven't been the starters for the better part of the year.  I don't think we can use them as excuses for being young and inexperienced.  OU has the ability to place second only to Texas in the South this year.  They start I believe either 10 or 11 redshirt or true freshmen.  Now, you can call them young.  We're nowhere even close to being as young as them.  It's a nice excuse just like a new offense was last year, but then you compare it to a team like OU who's played in a much tougher division within the conference than NU I'm not sure it bears much weight.  Just my 2 cents worth!

I expected someone to have this type of response. I CAN rationally call a JUCO "young". The game at the D1 level is so much faster than at a JUCO, that when these guys hit the field, or even practice, they feel just like a freshman.

 

Furthermore, although they are 20 +, they still are walking into a "new" system, and basically start from sratch just like a freshman. This is why many, many "JUCO all-stars" just don't pan-out at a major D1 program.

 

Then dont recruit them????

If you read the next paragraph that I posted, I said that this is the major downfall of recruiting JUCO kids.

Of course it is a bigger risk! You have to hope that physically and maturity is enough to get them on the field early, because you only have a short time with these kids... the exception are the guys who have 3 years to play 2... in which case you can "red-shirt" them and teach them the system.

I agree with KC Husker... I would like to think that last years recruiting class was not the "norm".... We needed a few "quick" fixes, and the Taylor gamble paid off fairly well...( and please don't start playing the statistic games).... Taylor is much better in this offense than JD was.... and I was a JD fan.

Now, if you get a guy like Octavian, Rozier, Williams, Farley every once in awhile, it is okay to miss on a "few" if you land one of these periodically! And, KSU found fortune and fame raiding the JUCO's..... thier recent struggles absolutely have to be a result of all of the good asssistant coaches whom have left to pursue head coaching positions.

Hey, I appreciate the talents of Congdon, and the fact that he hit a very "clutch" field goal vs KSU, but Mason Crosby is a stud.

Crosby may actually forego his senior yr. and enter the NFL draft early....A KICKER, leaving early, are you kidding me?!?

This kid's leg is unreal

Can we really say JuCo players are young? I mean most JuCo players only have 2 years of eligibility when they enter D1. I don't know whether or not you can call them young and inexperienced when they come in as juniors. They only have 2 years and they're out in most cases. So, this year Taylor is young and inexperienced and next year he's old and a senior?

 

We started to frosh tackles against KSU, but they haven't been the starters for the better part of the year. I don't think we can use them as excuses for being young and inexperienced. OU has the ability to place second only to Texas in the South this year. They start I believe either 10 or 11 redshirt or true freshmen. Now, you can call them young. We're nowhere even close to being as young as them. It's a nice excuse just like a new offense was last year, but then you compare it to a team like OU who's played in a much tougher division within the conference than NU I'm not sure it bears much weight. Just my 2 cents worth!

I expected someone to have this type of response. I CAN rationally call a JUCO "young". The game at the D1 level is so much faster than at a JUCO, that when these guys hit the field, or even practice, they feel just like a freshman.

Furthermore, although they are 20 +, they still are walking into a "new" system, and basically start from sratch just like a freshman. This is why many, many "JUCO all-stars" just don't pan-out at a major D1 program.

I still will not call Taylor an "old-guy" next year. This is the downfall of recruiting JUCO kids. They just start to become familar with the speed and the X-O ' s,

(kind of like a 2nd year sophomore), and they are gone.

If you read my post in depth, I never once called the youth an "excuse", I was just stating that with "youth" comes mental mistakes. BC's offense apparently is one of the more complexed offenses around, which may explain why young kids can adapt faster at OU than NU. I honestly don't know, and can agree with you on that particular argument.

Once again, a lot, NOT ALL, of the key mistakes vs KSU were mental (reaction) mistakes that you can't blame BC for.... I am sure that he was going flippin crazy, watching some of the stuff these guys were doing.

These are the kind of people that would vote for a president over morals or because they believe that God actually talks to their candidate. These people need to take all two of their teeth, their lawn chairs, and daddie's ol' deer gun and vanish.

and that was "all joking aside" part?!

not to defend CU fans but most of them aren't from the backwoods of the Deep South...

 

 

Like Mizzou fans, like KSU fans, like ISU fans- Husker P#ni$ Envy (P.E.) is still rampant for CU. It doesn't matter that the Huskers are down now, as the disease was contracted years and even decades ago. amazingly even the Huskers recent down years haven't really cured it.

the effects of this disease were best illustrated when CU put the Nebraska score on the championship rings. and when their players expressed more pride in having kept Nebraska out of a bowl game in 2004 than they did in winning the North.

But what sets CU apart from Mizzou, KSU, and ISU in this regard, is that the above examples come from the PROGRAM and the PLAYERS- not just the fans.

 

with CU, hatred of Nebraska is part of their identity, their tradition. more than championships or winning or great players, etc.

 

Also consider the culture at CU, much of which was exposed this last year+. but hopefully at least that part might be fixed by the administrative changes they've made.

Good points !!!

Before I start, I want to say that I am not a BC supporter YET, but I am willing to give him time to get "his" athletes into his system...

If you look at the team, you will realize that a lot of our players in "key" positions, are either Fr., RS Fr., True So., or 1st year juco guys.... with so many young players, it is unfair to not expect sloppy play at times...

BC can not hold onto the ball for these guys, move the feet of the OL for them, stop Lucky from instictively step out of the end zone, stop Nunn for reaching for a bounding ball with 1 hand....do I need to continue???,... these are young mistakes, and if you think that BC isn't going nuts over these "reaction" mistakes, maybe you should try coaching "young kids"....you soon learn to not take anything for granted.

Offense:

QB: Taylor = 1st yr. DI..... Beck true Fr.

RB: Lucky, Glenn = true Fr. and Jackson true So.

OL: started 2 fr. and backed up with true So. (Patrick)

WR: Swift (RS Fr.), Nunn (true So.), Hardy (1st yr Juco), Petersen (RS Fr)

TE: soph. with Herian returning

Defense:

DE: both starters are back, with Turner (True Fr.)

DL: will plug young guys in... Ola (1st yr Juco,), Suh (true Fr)

LB: start 2 soph., with Bradley and Octavian back next yr

CB: Grixby (true So.), Bowman (1st yr. Juco), Green (So. converted RB)

S: We need help.... but maybe Jackson will pan out

PK: Congdon appears to be destined for good things

* if you really take a look at the "inexperience" of people in "key" positions,

you should have expected sloppy play at times, especially on the road.

* There is NO substitute for game experience....

Give these kids and coaches a break..... You don't have to be happy, because I am definately not happy with the record or results, but be reasonable enough to look at the "real picture" !!!

JMO: I don't claim to know much...but this is how I see next year !

On a local radio show, I called in saying that NU has so much "young" talent, that it is not surprising that this team has struggled at times, especially on the road...

This young talent will eventually realize, through maturity, what it takes to play and WIN in the Big 12 and on the road.

An earlier prediction from a talk show suggested that possibly Nate Swift, Jordan Congdon and Zach Potter all have a great chance at being named to the Freshman All-American team..

Next year will be better, as performance on the field will indicate, but this team will still struggle at times, especially against very talented teams

Non Conf. = 3 patsies = 3 wins

USC = too much talent and mystique right now (like old NU) = loss

KU= defense takes huge hit, offense sucks = win

ISU = defense takes hit, but offense w/ Hicks too tough = loss on road

KSU = Get their OL back and tough to win down there = loss on road

Tex = best team in NCAA this yr. and next = loss

OSU = despite upset of AM, this is winable = win in minor surprise

Mizz = Welcome to Lincoln Chase Daniels = win

Tex AM = Tough place to play, Franchione on hot seat = loss

CU = still be very good, but no Klatt = close win at home

7 - 5 vs a much improved schedule and another bowl...

This team will improve and will be even better in 2007

KChusker and I have traveled all alround the USA, from New York, Miami, Lubbock, etc.... and there is no doubt that CU fans are the worst to be around !

We did most of our traveling to Boulder during the '90's and this is when CU was just becoming "good" and their fans did not know how to handle it....

If you are there and NU wins, those pussies don't say a word, but if CU wins, or it is a tie (yes, we were there when Bennett shanked a kick, dodging snowballs), those people are complete a$$hole$..

IMO, CU fans are the worst, ISU fans can also be pretty rude when they are playing well.... OU fans have ALWAYS been very classy down there....even KSU fans at the game aren't horrible.....

By far, the "nicest" fans I have encountered are Tennessee fans... They are very humble and respectful of NU... even when they had Manning....

To me, this makes sense. Green's physical size would lend well at FS. Depth is a concern right now, but if recruiting pans out, maybe a move to FS would be the thing to do.... I would like to think that maybe L. Jackson could possibly play CB next season.

Just give these guys Time !!!!

NExt year will tell a lot !!!, if no progress is seen next year, I will help lead the charge to get rid of BC and Pud...(Pud could go now, though).

Many that are not calling for BC, are still calling for some changes to be made.. some of the rumors include Norvell and Cosgrove...

Why would you replace coordinators when you are trying to learn a system.. It make NO SENSE to me why anyone would want to see Cosgrove leave at teh end of the year... Holy sh#t, why not have 5-6 D-Cord. in 5-6 years..... How can these guys get comfortable ???

If someone has to be the "fall-guy", it should probably be a lesser know postion coach... but please not Gilmore !!!! Word on the street is that he is a stud....

I was listening to sports talk radio yesterday and a caller made the following statement:

 

(Paraphrase):  The listener had heard from a "very reliable" source that the "reserve or young offensive linemen have dominated our starting defensive line during practice sessions".    This caller had heard that young members of our scout team are very, very impressive.

 

 

This question may be directed to "Nameless" or anyone else who may have "inside " insight of the situation .

 

Thanks for the imput

I know what the caller was referring to, but i wouldn't say they dominated the D line. They held their poise and had some good pass blocking, but they are still in the developmental stage at this point. They still have some mechanics to work out and those guys were not blitzed during those plays. So the callers info is semi right but it wasn't the whole picture

Thanks for the insight, I appreciate it.

I hope that the young guys can really develop into a rebirth of the "pipeline". I know that we will never, ever be quite as dominant, especially since that line "run-blocked" 90% of the time, but it will be nice to see us start dominating people up front.

I was listening to sports talk radio yesterday and a caller made the following statement:

(Paraphrase): The listener had heard from a "very reliable" source that the "reserve or young offensive linemen have dominated our starting defensive line during practice sessions". This caller had heard that young members of our scout team are very, very impressive.

This question may be directed to "Nameless" or anyone else who may have "inside " insight of the situation .

Thanks for the imput

The team that I coach struggled this year....

Kind of like NU, a once proud program, fighting their way through a 3 game losing streak......

In the middle of our 3 game skid, I pulled out an anthem before our next game... during the pre-game locker room period, they put this song on repeat...

"We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister.

We beat one of our rivals 34-12 !!!!

Then we went on the lose the final three games

I don't claim to know very much, but from what I've heard from many ksu fans is that turnovers seem to haunt ksu......

what concerns me, is that you can "fix" turnovers, but in NU case, we just plain are not very good !!!!

If ksu does not turn the ball over, NU will lose and it will get even uglier around here.

If ksu continues to hand the ball to the other team, then NU will probably find a way to win !!!!

* It's almost a feeling that NU doesn't even control it's own destiny within the actual game..... I know that this is a dumbass statement that doesn't make sense, but that is how I feel...... We have to be hopeful that ksu drops the ball or Everidge makes bad decisions...