Hercules

I was hopeing for Musburger but he is gonna be at Auburn...i cant find who is broadcasting our game anywhere...

Sean McDonough and Matt Millen

link

This is a statement game for Nebraska, like FSU was last week for OU. The offense clicked week 1, the defense clicked week 2, they're both going to click Saturday and Jake Locker is going to be confused all game long.

Nebraska will win this going away.

Question: "Will this D be the best Locker has ever faced?"

Answer:

Don't these clowns have some kind of STRENGTH poster of them flexing in the weightroom that we can make fun of this week.

The Vandal poster was epic!!!!

 

Sorry...what did you say? I was too busy being impressed by these guys...

They called Pelini a "punk?" Do they think HE needs a little extra motivation this week?

Don't make Bo angry. You wouldn't like him when he's angry.

Here are the only "who's faster" questions that are going to matter this Saturday:

Who's faster, Jake Locker, or the Blackshirts?

Who's faster, Taylor Martinez or UDub's defense?

I'm hoping this is only the beginning of the smack talk we hear from Washington this week. As if Bo needed any help getting his players fired up.

who is more challenged by that? martinez being challenged to be the fastest qb on the field, or the defense to contain locker?

Whoever reads it, decides to take it personally, and comes out onto the field Saturday with a chip on their shoulder.

I'm hoping this is only the beginning of the smack talk we hear from Washington this week. As if Bo needed any help getting his players fired up.

This is a minor point- but when the tunnel walk was first introduced, we all clapped with the cheerleaders and built up quite a crescendo... now we all clap like Steve Buscemi"s teeth- we are all doing our own thing. Minor, I know, but we have the rhythm of a bunch of white dancers. I would follow those pom-poms wavers anywhere.

Yeah, this isn't a minor point to me... People not being able to clap on the beat pretty much ruins the marching band's pregame show, the fight song, and the tunnel walk for me. I'm being completely serious, I can't enjoy the music with that crap going on around me.

Also, is anybody else creeped out when they play that one sound byte, "STAND UP AND SHOUT!!!!" and everyone around you actually stands up and shouts!?

Last thing... if everybody in the stadium yelled the same pitch, it would be like 100 times louder than it is now.

This being NU's first big game, if it's close I would think this is the time to leave Tmart in for a whole game. Inevitably he's going to make more frosh mistakes (like fumbling instead of taking a sack), but the only way to get over those is more snaps.

 

I don't get this putting Cody Green in, in a scripted way in the 2nd quarter. Time to focus on the true starter? In a big game like this one, do you think Bo leaves Tmart in until it's mop-up time? And if it's close, and there is no mop-up time, does Bo leave Tmart in the whole game?

It's not going to be close.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_xePqfTAi8

 

2010 season through 2 games he has 885 total yards. He has more total yards than 88 D1-A teams.

1. I'd wager that Idaho is a better team than Notre Dame

2. Robinson has been impressive in 2 games. However, I'm not sold on him until he does it in conference play (same with Martinez, for that matter).

3. Just watching that video, and eyeballing it, I still just think both teams look kind of slow. And I don't think Robinson looks as fast as Martinez. It's not scientific or anything, but that's what I see... We'll see more when each team plays against some more speed in conference play...

Here's some Martinez video to compare...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb671XwyCYU

i feel real bad for Zac lee....... real bad

 

talk about going from top dog to well underdog...... but i guess from my persepective he didn't cost us any games as much as he cost us games.....

 

if that makes sense....

He is more of a stand up guy than our starter, who after 2 weeks of fall practice, was not happy with his standing in the competition so he threatened to take his ball and go home.

 

Look where he is now. Lee is a class act, but should threaten to quit, never know, might earn him the starters job

Nebraska 45

Washington 7

Passing Yards = 150

Rushing Yards = 350

First road game, hostile stadium, best QB in the country, and we're going to get their best shot... We won't learn everything about our team, but I think we'll learn a fair amount.

Is he faster or as fast as Robinson?

After watching the Mich-ND game yesterday, I think Martinez is faster, or at least more explosive. Really, I thought both Michigan and Notre Dame looked pretty slow compared to Nebraska.

I had a guy ask me friday if the team we saw in the wku game was really a top ten team, i said "the whole game no, the first quarter, yes" So i say the same about yesterday, the team we saw in the first half is the one we will see throughout the year, hopefully minus the offenses turnouvers and unfinished drives. Tho the diminishing focus that has taken place throughout these to blowout wins is a little concerning, i really dont think it's gonna happen in a four quarter game. I think we should also look away a bit about it after the year they had to go thru last season with week after week coming down to the final second. There will be improvement, so i will not worry until we get up on washing 35-0 at halftime and then only win 35-17.

Yeah, you have to think about this offense with last year in perspective. I mean, they're not exactly used to scoring TD's.

Bo's going to preach 4 quarters, mental focus all week long, and the entire team is going to make a statement at Washington this Saturday.

The million was supposedly the deal breaker according to reports this summer when all this was going down. But it is funny that a mil is too much but we just sent the Vandals back home with $800,000.

 

Its different with teams like the Vandals. The Vandals is almost a guarantee win. It doesn't make sense to pay a team 1 million to come out and have a good chance of beating you.

People have to remember, you don't schedule teams 2 weeks before you play them. We probably scheduled the Vandals 4 or 5 years ago, when they were consistently a 2-10 team or something like that. We didn't agree to the $800,000 payout AFTER they went 8-5 and won a bowl game. Just the year before last, they were a 2 win team.

Alright, I think that's enough for this week.

Tune in tomorrow when Bo Pelini talks to the press after practice and either says, "We have a lot of things to fix on offense," or "We got a lot of things cleaned up today." And let the smooth stylings of Bo Pelini's post-practice comments soothe your soul.

Eh... Let's wait and see what Denard Robinson does in conference play. Last year Michigan started 4-0 and broke the top 25 and everything, then lost 7 of their last 8 games.

Also, I hope we don't use Martinez like Michigan is using Robinson. Robinson is basically their entire offense (20+ carries in each of the first 2 games), I don't think it would be tremendously difficult to defend, and I think he's going to get worn down midseason.

But I thought the Boise deal was dead after they wanted a million clams to come to Lincoln.

 

That was my understanding also

 

 

Just remember, we rejected the deal when we were in the Big12.. Figuring we will have a little extra cash to float when we join the Big10, the administration might be signing BS with the 1mil with no afterthoughts.

I hope we're not paying Boise State 1 million to come to Lincoln. I hope this deal is a result of Boise State trying to save face after getting called out in the press all week.

I just caught the (typically) brief post-game presser. As soon as Bo walked in the room, you could tell. When he huffed into the microphone as if preparing himself to bottle the beast which would rather be unleashed, you could surely tell. And when he answered a question in a rising, face-reddening mantra that went on at least five or six sentences, you could really tell.

 

"The offense just got their you-know-what chewed."

 

I don't know why the offense has these terrible days. While listening to the broadcast I don't think anyone could help but have flashes of Iowa State. Why is it that our defense can play with such precision for so long and our offense can take a dump all over itself like that? What on earth is going on with the coaching staff?

 

No, this is not a fire Cotton/Gilmore/Watson thread. But it is an observation: Offensive busts happened and are happening with a lot more frequency than defensive ones. And we're not talking 3-pick days––those will happen. We're talking putting the ball on the ground seven times and throwing another pick days.

 

The press conference more or less concluded with Bo promising in no uncertain terms that this sad business will stop come next Saturday. I hope he's right. I have no explanation whatsoever for this hot/frigid cold 'identity' the offense has. I hope it does get corrected. I don't know how it will, but it had most certainly better.

 

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Flipping to the defense––lights out. Yeah, 17 points is too many, even with the one TD coming in scrub time. But that secondary flexed today. Locker just got a sick feeling in his stomach.

 

D-line stepped it up. Seven sacks. Crick is beginning to live up to the hype.

 

Next week it's put up or shut up time. Our offense has more to prove now than they did before the season started. We all see the potential, but we all see the lack of concentration, stupid penalties, stupid fumbles, careless ball handling, and wasted chances. We don't walk out of Washington with a convincing W and my skepticism of this team doubles in an instant.

I thought it would be obvious, SW isn't as good as many thought he was. "Vanilla is bad" how would you describe only being able to make plays out of the zone read? or not being able to throw. IMHO we need a new OC but i have thought that since he was hired. big 12 champ game 07 i believe? establish a run then throw it for the entire second half. Still say we could get a better OC but what do i really know in the long run. GBR.

I don't think you can blame play-calling or game-planning or scheme for what happened today. I thought it was pretty clear that when the offense did their job, when they executed, they were virtually unstoppable. What killed our offense today was turnovers and penalties. I do think they need to teach better, but I think it's a matter of teaching fundamentals, discipline and technique - not teaching the system.

Also, Bo was definitely fuming. He was ready to go back and start practice today. It was great to see. I was a little worried about next week after watching the game today... but not after watching Bo's press conference. He wants to make a statement this Saturday.

Niles, McNeil, Kinnie, and Cotton need to prove they can hold their blocks without bringing back huge run plays for holding penalties. Niles needs to prove that he can go a single game without making a stupid turnover.

 

For 12 completions, 105 yards is just fine with me. The offense today looked much more like the old Nebraska offenses - 400 yards rushing, 100 passing. I'm ok with that.

 

As for the WR's being able to showcase what they're able to do, I just don't think that's what this offense is about anymore. It's clear it's becoming a run-first offense, and the WRs are going to have to fit that scheme. They'll have chances to showcase their ability, but they've got to execute their blocks better.

 

Lots of early miscues, I agree. And sure that may be where the offense is headed, but is that a waste of the talent that we have now? I disagree that 105 yards is okay for 12 completions. Niles could be stretching the field like he did last year and putting up a lot more than 7 yards a reception. We have a legit deep threat at receiver, who was graded by scouts as the best senior receiver in the country - and he is just going to have to be round peg, square hole jammed into 'not showcasing his abilities'?

 

That is getting into a separate discussion of course, because it is tied very much into what our QB is capable of doing, so I do hope Taylor is able to pick it up quickly. I'll admit - it isn't easy being patient, even while I think we all should be.

Yeah, I didn't see Paul running wide open on deep routes today... Maybe Taylor missed him, but if that was the case, so did I.

And as far as Niles being graded as the top senior receiver in the country, I'm just not sold on that. Maybe he has a fast 40 time, but he has yet to convince me that he's a great football player. I mean, if you were to watch the last two games, without any knowledge of the team, who would you really think was the senior, and the freshman - Niles, or Martinez?

Martinez is a freshman who has made a few, just a few, freshman mistakes. Niles is a senior who has made just about as many freshman mistakes.

I also don't buy the "round peg in a square hole" argument. Saying that we're not using Niles effectively by asking him to block, or by asking him to catch short possession passes to keep the chains moving, is like saying that we're not using Helu effectively when we ask him to pick up a blitz on the QB. It's part of his job to catch short passes, to block. Should we try to hit him for a 70 yard bomb? Sure, if the defense gives it to us. But right now, they're giving us 70 yard runs, and so I'm ok with taking those.

For instance: We're given the ball twice within the ten yard line and can't come up with a score, or even a first down when it's 4th and 1. Are you kidding me? Nebraska is the one team in the country that I don't believe can get a short first down running he football. Glenn/Q/Tray––it's the merry-go-round that doesn't end. 4th and 1 against Idaho is a gimme for any other team in the top ten, yet when Nebraska trots out there to execute a simple run play, like clockwork it's busted up behind the LOS.

 

At least it wasn't a freaking punt! X, i missed this play, what did we run and how was it stuffed behind the LOS? And for those that watched, how did the OL do again in their fundamentals?

 

Really, Taylor played alright today. 12/17, one interception? He missed a few plays (especially that sure TD to McNeil), and the interception was a rookie mistake, the result of just trying to do too much.

 

It's not the 12/17, it's the paltry 105 yards that went with that. I do excuse the INT, though. I'm not sold on the OL either; as for WRs, I'm more concerned that they are not going to have a chance to showcase what they (Niles and McNeil and Kinnie) can do.

Niles, McNeil, Kinnie, and Cotton need to prove they can hold their blocks without bringing back huge run plays for holding penalties. Niles needs to prove that he can go a single game without making a stupid turnover.

For 12 completions, 105 yards is just fine with me. The offense today looked much more like the old Nebraska offenses - 400 yards rushing, 100 passing. I'm ok with that.

As for the WR's being able to showcase what they're able to do, I just don't think that's what this offense is about anymore. It's clear it's becoming a run-first offense, and the WRs are going to have to fit that scheme. They'll have chances to showcase their ability, but they've got to execute their blocks better.

Really, Taylor played alright today. 12/17, one interception? He missed a few plays (especially that sure TD to McNeil), and the interception was a rookie mistake, the result of just trying to do too much.

I think the backfield is pretty solid, though, overall. I'm just not sold on the receivers or offensive line.

Nebraska 48

Idaho 9

Passing yards: 230

Rushing yards: 270