zero_blitz

Just my $.02 but here's why I think Diaco has a point. This is Taylor's big run right before halftime. Wiscy comes out in 11 personell (1 back, 1 TE), but instead of being in-line, Fumagali is split out in a two point stance. We went with a four lineman front here, but for some reason we called the strength opposite of Fumagali. Based on how the play unfolds, it seems we would have been in better position with the strength called to Fumagali, instead of away from him. Having the defensive tackle on the play side lined up on the outside shoulder of the guard (3-technique) , instead of shaded over the center, could have potentially forced Taylor to cut the play back, or bounce it outside where we had extra defenders. Pre Snap Wide Pre Snap Tight Shifting Thomas and Davis each one man over to the left would have put us in a better position. I'm hoping this is one of the mistakes Diaco was referring to. Typically this is how four man fronts are called, with the three technique to the TE side. Fumagali being split out may have been a reason for the strength being called away, or it could have just been mis-read. Either way, we would have been in a much stronger position to be successful had it been called the other way. Ball is snapped, defense starts to flow, Thomas #97 was orignally lined up on the outside shouler of the center, and the center is starting to cross his face, leaving Thomas in the wrong gap. Weber #49 reads run and attacks the guard to fit in the B gap. Meanwhile Thomas #97 has been out gapped, and is now fighting to get back across the centers face. Thomas is never able to get back to his gap, Taylor hits the hole with Dedric young being the only player left on the second level, but he’s cut off by the tackle and not able to get to the ball. Taylor is now 1on 1 with Williams #24 Already at a severe disadvantage, Williams takes a poor angle, and gets beat And it's off to the races from there. I do believe there may be some merit to what Diaco had to say. If we had the three technique to the TE side on this play, I do believe Taylor would have been forced to either cut back or bounce to the outside, either of those options would have most likely led to him beong stopped at some point prior to reaching the end zone. But instead, he was able get through the hole and to the third level of the defense WITHOUT EVER MAKING A SINGLE CUT!! He literally ran at the same angle until he reached the sideline, that certainly didn't do Williams any favors. We certainly still have issues on D. Mid way through the third we were out of gas up front, and Wiscy just had their way with us from that point. But it's definitely a different ball game if it's 10-7 at halftime with Nebraska having the momentum.

The question wasn't meant to be a criticism of the defense, just an observation. For a guy like Kalu to come in and consistently be in position all night was nothing short of amazing. Especially considering an upper classes in J. Rose coming in initially and getting pulled immediately after giving up the deep pass. A few pass breakups in key situations and Sparty's point total may have been significantly reduced.

Title says it all. For the most part last night we were in position to make some plays in Cook's passes, however none of our DB's are turning to find the ball, especially with receivers running along the boundary. The same technique is employed time and time again, force the receiver into the boundary by all means, but never turn and find the ball, and it cost us. Cook was able to complete some throws he had no business making, It's not like he was throwing to the back shoulder where we couldn't make plays, he just threw it up and their ball skills trumped ours. Good thing is this is coachable, bad thing is if we don't correct it OC's will be licking their chops the rest of the season.

Couldn't disagree more. He's got big play ability and has clearly shown that he can catch too. Especially with the injuries we have at that position. Get this guy in space and watch out. Until he proves us wrong how could you not call his number more. Exactly, this is the the most basic concept of the spread offense, get your best athletes the ball in space and let them make plays. No way anyone can argue the bubble screens we ran to Tarik Allen wouldn't have be been better served going to Pierson-El. Even Allen looked puzzled as to why he was getting those balls.

Anyone else noticing McMullen in particular being slow off the ball? The tackle is taking a full step before his hand is even off the ground.

Not to be a buzz kill, but what exactly is the difference between Collins Okafor and Imani Cross????

NW played a good game today, had a great gameplan and executed it. With that said, I don't think it's time for husker fans to jump off of the deep end. We committed two red zone turnovers against a solid football team and lost the game. Rex was obviously not himself, he looked physically depleted from the start of the game. NW averaged 3.8 YPC.against a depleted defensive line. In addition to missing Crick, Rome who was just beginning to really come into his own was out as well. This left T. Moore and Justin Jackson (coincidentally listed as a reserve offensive lineman on the roster) taking the majority of the snaps at one of the tackle spots. Not necessarily a shocker the NW was committed to the run and saw substantial success. Offensively Taylor had his best game as a QB so he deserves recognition. I also want to tip my hat to Steinkuhler, that kid has really been playing hard these last few weeks. Multiple times over the past two weeks he has literally walked offensive guards all the way to the quarterback in his pass rush. He really needs to develop at least one or two solid pass rush moves and we could have a star in the making. David was on point as usual, in the right place at the right time to make big plays. Overall, if there is any one thing that stands out coming out of this game it isn't play on the field, but instead questionable coaching decisions concerning personnel. Why is Turner not on the field? He is as dynamic a player but he can't see the field? Where is Kyler Reed? He is a matchup nightmare for defenses. Why did we neglect to redshirt Green, Abdullah, and Heard if we're not going to use them when needed to spell Rex. The good thing is these are easily correctable issues, the bad thing is that because they are so easy to correct yet haven't been leads one to believe we are in store for more of the same.

This topic has been tossed around on the board before, but I do not believe it has ever been more evident than the first half of tonight's game that our scheme is simply not working. Not to bash the coaches and say it isn't a sound scheme, but obviously at this time we do not have the personnel necessary to run it effectively. Historically the even front two gap has been a very successful scheme, Personally I look at the 2000 Baltimore Ravens defense as setting the standard on this defense. This was a NFL team of course, but the concepts of the defense are very similar. The down lineman are space eaters there to eat up blocks to allow the backers to run free to make plays, sounds simple enough. But personnel wise, we don't have 330lb behemoths up front, that push the pocket and command doubles. Baltimore had Tony Siragusa and Sam Adams up front, we're talking about close to 700lbs of man in the middle of the line. Suh was a freak of nature who regardless of scheme would command doubles a any time. Crick and Steinkuhler aren't that type of player. Especially with the large offensive lines in the big 10, O-lineman can base block these guys and get up to the 2nd level regularly. I'm not sure whether its stubbornness on Bo and Carl's part to change, or just an unwavering and somewhat naive belief that this is the best defense to run. Crick and Steinkuhler are athletes, I guarantee they are athletically superior to any opposing lineman they will face all year. Why not cut these guys loose, move to a one gap scheme and let these guys go? Bo's defenses at LSU did not play reactive up front, they were an aggresive, attacking defense that feature the penetrating ability of one Glen Dorsey. I really feel like these guys could wreck shop, ala the Peter brothers in the glory years of the blackshirt defenses. If anyone had the chance to watch Fresno St. play Boise on Friday night you would have seen Boise dominating Fresno up front. Their D-line was able to collapse the pocket on Carr all night, rendering their entire offense ineffective. Now I know Fresno does not have better athletes than we do up front. Also, I think a one gap scheme would take some of the pressure off of our linebackers. Just my own personal thoughts, what does everyone else think?

lets start it off by saying BRING BACK MARVIN SANDERS!!!!! What has all this emphasis on "technique" yielded thus far? I understand we have young guys, but what about Dennard? He was arguably just as good if not better at pressing receivers off the line than Prince was. How hard is it to put Dennard on Toon 1 on 1, the same Dennard who essentially shut down Justin Blackmon in the second half of the okie lite game last year. Let Dennard kick the sh** out of Toon, roll the coverage over to help the less experienced corner on the other side.

I loved this comment by Desmond. As a man you have to respect his opinion, he didn't dodge the question, he gave his honest opinion on the situation. I have to give it to Taylor too for handling it so well. I know many a player who as soon as that index finger hit their chest would have quickly corrected Pelini. I'm all for coaching guys hard, but you have to be an idiot not to see he clearly crossed the line...

Postgame notes: - Excellent call by Bo electing to go into the wind in OT, ultimately won us the game - Offensive play calling was par for the course. I do give SW a little credit for having to operate with the centerpiece of the offense, but as stated in this thread ealier his reliance on the weakside counter did become annoying. - Lack of pass rush -- whether it be due to the two gap scheme, or just bad technique, our D-ends refuse to rush half a man on obvious passing downs. A team the caliber of ISU should not be able to come out in an empty backfield with 5WR. We have got win 1on1's up front, we'll be a dangerous defense if we can do that. I also tip my hat to Jason Ankrah who was able to force the crucial holding call, making a big impact on the game with limited time on the field. - The O-line played their guts out. ISU knew we were running the ball and loaded up, yet our guys up front continued to get the job done. - Niles had a big fumble, at the worst possible time. It's unfortunate because he really is a great player, but the mistakes are going to ultimately define his legacy as a husker. I'm still very confident at some point this season no. 24 is going win all of the naysayers over with an unbelievable performance.

You're correct, the didn't make those remarks during his post game interview, but immediately after the game near the locker rooms Pelini exploded, demanding to meet with Walt Anderson and Dan Bebe. I know for a fact that there are audio clips somewhere of the exchange, but I was pretty sure it had been caught on camera as well.

Does anyone have a link to the video clip following last years Big XII Championship game with Bo's epic post game rant? I've scoured the web and can't find an audio or video clip anywhere!!

I agree. They really talked him up over the off-season, talking about his added muscle and power. There was a quote following one fall practice that went something to this effect, "seeing Tray round the corner with the ball in his hands is a sight to behold." I have yet to see him live up to that hype. That said, if we're griping about our 3rd string running back, you know the season is going well. Tray is a downhill back..running out of the shotgun really doesn't seem to suit his skill set, as he seems most effective running out of traditional I and one back formations where he is able to make one or maybe two cuts then get downhill fast. And apparently the coaching staff feels the same way with Austin Jones gettin the bulk of the carries behind Burkhead and Roy. I'm not giving up on Tray though, he's too talented of a player not to see the field. Once we start conference play I see him getting more carries, we'll need his toughness once we start playing against more physical defenses.

Great article in the OWH about Slauson getting his first start tomorrow. Slauson gives his position coach, Bill Callahan, high praise, noting he wouldn't be in the position to start were it not for Callahan. Do Slauson's comments grant Bill any redemption in the heart's of Husker fans for the decade or so he set the program back???????? http://omaha.com/article/20100912/SPORTS/709129846#ex-husker-slauson-excited-ready-for-first-start This is Matt Slauson's life Monday night at 7:30. He'll make the first start of his career on Monday Night Football in the media capital of the world for the media darlings of the NFL, the New York Jets. He'll be replacing Alan Faneca, a six-time All-Pro and one of the best offensive linemen of the past decade, whom the Jets released in April. He'll try to protect Mark Sanchez, one of the league's brightest young celebrities, from the Baltimore Ravens, one of the league's meanest old defenses. Ray Lewis will be barking at Slauson from his linebacker post. Haloti Ngata, a 350-pound Pro Bowler, will be itching to tear the former Husker apart. And if Slauson screws up, Jets coach Rex Ryan will be waiting for him on the sideline with a catalog of four-letter words. So, Matt, how you feeling? “I'm super excited. This is a dream come true for me,” Slauson said late Saturday night. “I'm also really nervous, really scared. I've been sleeping (poorly) all week long.” Rest is hard to come by when you're one of very few question marks for a team that boldly proclaims its 2010 goal: “Super Bowl or bust,” Slauson said. The Jets drafted Slauson out of Nebraska in the sixth round of the 2009 draft. Not many sixth-rounders make the roster, let alone earn a starting spot 16 months later for a playoff team. The Jets led the NFL in rushing in 2009 and it was no fluke. Four of their five offensive linemen had been to a Pro Bowl. The team was expected to keep that line intact for a Super Bowl run. Instead, it dumped Faneca's big salary. Slauson, who played just three games in 2009, said he spent countless hours in the weight room and in the film room preparing for training camp. “I knew when we let go of Alan, this was my shot,” Slauson said. “And I wasn't going to waste it. Shots like this don't come around all the time.” Slauson is an intriguing name these days not only because of his starting role. He's an inside source on other newsworthy topics, like “Hard Knocks,” Bill Callahan and Danny Woodhead. • On “Hard Knocks,” the five-part HBO miniseries dedicated to the Jets' training camp: Slauson said he liked having cameras at camp and watching each week with teammates. The show gave friends and family a glimpse at his world, he said. Slauson's main contribution to the drama was a fight at Jets practice. “Fights happen in camp all the time,” he said. “The guy I was fighting with, he's actually one of my best friends on the team.” • On Bill Callahan, his offensive line coach: “To have him with me is truly a blessing. I believe if I wasn't with him, I wouldn't be in the NFL right now. ... I feel like I have made so many strides in the past year that I probably wouldn't have made without him.” Slauson said Callahan acts differently than he did as head coach at Nebraska. He's more relaxed, more “in his element.” “The guy smiles more than anyone I've ever seen,” Slauson said. “I don't know what it is, if it's just being able to focus on the offensive line or what. I can tell every day he's just having a blast.” • On Danny Woodhead, a former Chadron State star who was also featured on “Hard Knocks”: “I tell you what, that guy is an absolute beast. I love hanging out with him. He works so hard. He's so incredibly talented. “If he was 6-foot-1, he would be an All-Pro already.” Slauson, who'd rather wear cowboy boots than football cleats, spends a lot of time off the field with Woodhead, a North Platte, Neb., native. “We don't go in the city much,” Slauson said. “We're both homebodies. We love sitting at home with our wives. We don't really get out much like a lot of people do, just because we aren't comfortable in that atmosphere yet.” The Big Apple is nothing compared to Monday Night Football. In August, Slauson's parents told him they wanted to come to New York to see him play. Not yet, Slauson told them. He intended to win a starting job. And when he did, they could watch him in the regular season. Saturday night, he picked up his folks at LaGuardia. Took them out to dinner, then went home and prepared for his first night on the job. It gets easier Tuesday morning. Contact the writer: 649-1461, dirk.chatelain@owh.com

while on the subject of the Dline, can someone please clear something up for me....How much is/does our system limit our lineman from generating a pass rush?? It appears the majority of the time that our lineman are hesitant to rush,in what looks like a two gap system up, instead of looking for the upfield penetration generally found in a one gap system. This is especially apparent with Pierre Allen. Too often I seem him with the offensive tackle locked fully locked out with dead feet, not throwing any moves at all. Again, is this part of our scheme, or do our guys just need to work on pass rush moves? This style of play is in direct contrast with the defenses Bo coached at LSU, with Glenn Dorsey garnering national praise with his one gap penetrating style of play.

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. there is no way Taylor is faster or more explosive than Denard Robinson. Yes he is an excellent athlete, there is no discounting that, but he is nowhere close to the athlete Denard Robinson is. As far as who is the better Quarterback, at this point I believe the edge still goes to Robinson. Sure, he is a Rodriguez system guy, I'm not debating that at all, but two games into the season he is the clear cut most value player in the country. No other team relies more on any player than Michigan does on Robinson, and he continues to produce in an exponential fashion. Which consequently makes him very deserving of the Heisman praise bestowed upon him thus far. As for Taylor, this week will prove alot as he goes head to head with Locker, but against an average Washington defense.