Is the Blackshirts really weak?

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

The D was handcuffed with the limited rush with the intent of stopping the shovel pass. Much more of this and I'm gonna wish Coz took the Vikings job.

[junior4949]

WTF, now KU is a good team? Yeah, they might make the top 50. We took them to OT and won just like Toledo. I guess from that anaology, we should be ranked similar to Toledo. KU is not that good IMO, they're just not bottomfeeders or D2!

[gamecocks]

I would agree Junior. Our whole team played sh**ty on Saturday and KU played way better than they have all year during the final three quarters. I am not going to leap to any conclusion on how our whole defense sucks when they just shut out a decent Troy team just 9 days ago. Sure we are not prefect at every position, but I am not ready to say that Rudd, Bradley, Grixby, Cryer, and Ola are not good enough to be players on this defense. We just need to make a few adjustments and wrap up when the offense is in our arms and our defense will be much better than they showed this past week. Lets not jump ship on our defense because they had one bad game.

[strigori]

It is a multi part issue, really. Part of it is that teams gameplan for the pass rush and are running alot of max protect vs us, and we have some large weakspots in the secondary. Hopefully the freshmen can get gameready as the season goes on and can move into more playing time. I'm also hoping Suh and Stienkuler ccan step it up and get more playing time too, they look to have alot more potential than Ola and cryer

 

As to KU outplaying us, I think it gets down to this. Every team in the north brings the best game of the season out for NU. We are still the team to beat in the North, much like texas and OU are in the south. If we have an off game(like we did sat) we get accused of being outcoached/outplayed/out-talented.

 

Offgames happen, the people falling into the doom and gloom mentality after after a sloppy win need to chill out. Every team plays a bad game or two, the difference is the good teams find a way to win when they have played a bad game.

[DaveH]

It is a multi part issue, really. Part of it is that teams gameplan for the pass rush and are running alot of max protect vs us, and we have some large weakspots in the secondary. Hopefully the freshmen can get gameready as the season goes on and can move into more playing time. I'm also hoping Suh and Stienkuler ccan step it up and get more playing time too, they look to have alot more potential than Ola and cryer

 

As to KU outplaying us, I think it gets down to this. Every team in the north brings the best game of the season out for NU. We are still the team to beat in the North, much like texas and OU are in the south. If we have an off game(like we did sat) we get accused of being outcoached/outplayed/out-talented.

 

Offgames happen, the people falling into the doom and gloom mentality after after a sloppy win need to chill out. Every team plays a bad game or two, the difference is the good teams find a way to win when they have played a bad game.

Great post.

[Hawkeyehusker]

Grixby is a HUGE liability. I cringe just watching them throw his way. He basically gave them one of their TD's on his own. Guy needs to step up or step down. His performance was embarrassing at best.

 

 

I'm certainly no Grixby fan. But if our opposing QB's keep getting all that time to throw sooner or later he is going to get torched.

[admo]

Gotta take them one game at a time. We'll know how talented, good, slow, poor, medicore, etc the Blackshirts are as each game gets played. One game doesnt make the season. Just have to be ready, because ISU has experienced playmakers, Mizzou is running the spread fairly well, and UT has all the talent a team can need. Not to mention A&M's balance and physical play.

 

It'll be exciting. It'll be challenging. I'm not so worried just because one game the guys looked slow.

 

Stay positive brothas!!! GBR!!!

[junior4949]

I don't think it's a talent issue at all. I believe it's a motivation problem in most areas and a youth problem in the secondary. Anyone remember what Barrett Ruud said when he cut what 2 tenths of a second off his 40 time in the combine right before the draft? He quit drinking so much beer and working out more. I have felt these coaches are way too soft on these athletes since they've been here. From 2002 to 2003, we really didn't change that much in terms of personnel on the field. However, we did get a new D Cord. Yeah, I'm sure the schemes changed. However, I think the biggest leap came in terms of fire, inspration, and motivation. We need to find that fire again. We have some talented guys on D. We have some guys that can play on Sundays. We just need to help them get into the right state of mind before and during the game!

[Aim9]

In the NU secondary we have Andre Jones, who gets better with every game, and then the rest. Grixby should not be playing division I football- period. On every play in the KU game, whether they threw it to Grixby's man or not, his man was always open. ALWAYS. I'm not talking about like he had a step on Grixby or something- I'm talking about Grixby playing like 10 yards off him (even 15 yards off the line of scrimmage!) and only getting up on him when he has already caught the ball. Supposedly they wouldn't play Grixby if they had someone better, but my question is how can you get any worse than Grixby? If your man is open 100% of the time, you can't get any worse. He's a nice guy, but I know a lot of nice people who would make for sh**ty cornerbacks.

 

Perhaps worse than anyone in the secondary is Kevin Cosgrove. I have not been impressed at all with him. He took a defense that was solid in 2003 and made it sh**ty with the same players in 2004. In 2005 it was so-so and now in 2006 it has somehow become worse again with the same players. If we have yet another disappointing season I won't be calling for Callahan's head, but I will be calling for Cosgrove's. His defensive gameplan never fails to let me down.

[#1huskerfan1608]

Now 5 games into the season we look at the Blackshirts stats

They are giving up on the average 15 points per game. 4 rushing tds and 6 passing tds for a total of 10 tds. They are giving up on the average 122 rushing yards a game and 198 passing yards a game. To me these are some pretty damn good stats. 15 points per game, 10 total tds, under 200 passing. The run defense could get a little better. Then I found the stat that has every saying that this defense is weak. The Blackshirts have 5 sacks. Last year we led the nation with 50. Since we are averaging 1 a game, this makes this defense look weak. The sack total is making this defense look really weak but in reality they are playing pretty good. Some might say we played 3 cream puffs and struggled against 2 good teams. If the Blackshirts clean up the tackling ( Stop trying to strip the ball and just tackle) and help the corners (The linebackers are helping in the passing game so they are not blitzing to much) with the safeties then will start to see the real Blackshirts. Last year the defense was always blitzing the linebackers. The sack total is making the defense look weak but to me they are playing pretty good but not great. Through 5 games I give them a B-, Offense A-, Special teams B (Slick Rick Thenarse is already a beast on special teams. Hope he plays like that on defense. Also like the up side on Major Culbert. Two speed guys from Los Angeles). NU 35-ISU 28 next week. Remember Husker fans if we just win everything will take care of it's self. JUST WIN BABY!!!!!

 

The blackshirts may not be recording the sacks that they were last year but their here and their for real. Those stats are amazing, BUT, they really need to figure out how to help the secondary out or teams like Texas Tech are going to have a field day through the air. If they get that figured out then any team will have some serious problems even seeing the endzone!

 

 

[CoachKevin]

They ran some blitzes through out the game. They got burned with slants every time. The CB's are way off the Ball and when the LB's come it easu pickings. They need to be up in a bump-n-run if they want to blitz.

 

Now 5 games into the season we look at the Blackshirts stats

They are giving up on the average 15 points per game. 4 rushing tds and 6 passing tds for a total of 10 tds. They are giving up on the average 122 rushing yards a game and 198 passing yards a game. To me these are some pretty damn good stats. 15 points per game, 10 total tds, under 200 passing. The run defense could get a little better. Then I found the stat that has every saying that this defense is weak. The Blackshirts have 5 sacks. Last year we led the nation with 50. Since we are averaging 1 a game, this makes this defense look weak. The sack total is making this defense look really weak but in reality they are playing pretty good. Some might say we played 3 cream puffs and struggled against 2 good teams. If the Blackshirts clean up the tackling ( Stop trying to strip the ball and just tackle) and help the corners (The linebackers are helping in the passing game so they are not blitzing to much) with the safeties then will start to see the real Blackshirts. Last year the defense was always blitzing the linebackers. The sack total is making the defense look weak but to me they are playing pretty good but not great. Through 5 games I give them a B-, Offense A-, Special teams B (Slick Rick Thenarse is already a beast on special teams. Hope he plays like that on defense. Also like the up side on Major Culbert. Two speed guys from Los Angeles). NU 35-ISU 28 next week. Remember Husker fans if we just win everything will take care of it's self. JUST WIN BABY!!!!!

[Pedro Guerrero]

Anyone remember what Barrett Ruud said when he cut what 2 tenths of a second off his 40 time in the combine right before the draft? He quit drinking so much beer and working out more. I have felt these coaches are way too soft on these athletes since they've been here.

 

 

I think a 3 year starter that happens to be a SR Captain drinking a 6 pack a day and not working out very hard is on the PLAYER. Ruud wanted his boy Pelini here and that is all there is to that.

 

As far as the coaches being soft on the players, people complained in 04 that Elmo and Busch yelled at the players to much. I even believe that is why Fabian, Lornell and J. Bullocks tanked that year if I'm not mistaken. If they were soft on the players they would have never kicked Overrated Richie, Horne, Mulkey, Picou, and D. Moore off the team. The previous Head man never even thought about letting Richie go even though his position coach didn't want him around.

[Hawkeyehusker]

Now 5 games into the season we look at the Blackshirts stats

They are giving up on the average 15 points per game. 4 rushing tds and 6 passing tds for a total of 10 tds. They are giving up on the average 122 rushing yards a game and 198 passing yards a game. To me these are some pretty damn good stats. 15 points per game, 10 total tds, under 200 passing. The run defense could get a little better. Then I found the stat that has every saying that this defense is weak. The Blackshirts have 5 sacks. Last year we led the nation with 50. Since we are averaging 1 a game, this makes this defense look weak. The sack total is making this defense look really weak but in reality they are playing pretty good. Some might say we played 3 cream puffs and struggled against 2 good teams. If the Blackshirts clean up the tackling ( Stop trying to strip the ball and just tackle) and help the corners (The linebackers are helping in the passing game so they are not blitzing to much) with the safeties then will start to see the real Blackshirts. Last year the defense was always blitzing the linebackers. The sack total is making the defense look weak but to me they are playing pretty good but not great. Through 5 games I give them a B-, Offense A-, Special teams B (Slick Rick Thenarse is already a beast on special teams. Hope he plays like that on defense. Also like the up side on Major Culbert. Two speed guys from Los Angeles). NU 35-ISU 28 next week. Remember Husker fans if we just win everything will take care of it's self. JUST WIN BABY!!!!!

 

 

 

We will find out today whether or not they are weak. One bad game is a fluke. Another one then well....

[The Red & White Knight]

As I'm listening to the pregame show...

 

Let's not forget these things:

 

TOP --- not necessarily the blackshirts fault. WAY too many 3 and outs and bad offensive drives. They said right now "The best Defense Nebraska has is 11 play 80 yard drives" -- exactly. That's what Kansas did against us. We should try to use that same strategy.

 

That, and the blakshirts should be pissed and embarassed. They BETTER want to come out and sack the QB and get TOs, because the ENTIRE NATION, not just Big 12, doubts them at this time.

 

Let's also not forget that we just had a shut out recently. So it isn't that our defense is horrible, people. It just seems streaky and inconsistent --- but I really want to emphasis TOP. KU had what, almost 7 more minutes of the football then our offense did? Huge, huge factor. Huge.

 

 

 

I don't think the blackshirts are "weak" or anything like that, no. They just need to get acclimated to Big 12 play. And I want to say ONE MORE TIME how important TOP is. It looks like the defense was horrible, but the O was quite streaky as well.

 

 

So let's not put all the blame on the blackshirts.

[ttheKid1*18]

Anytime Coz runs some wierd scheme we don't do very well. See the Mizzou game last year, and the KU game last week. When we keep it basic, we play great. I see the team playing a pretty basic plan tonight and doing well.