Ricky Thenarse, Phillip Dillard, LaTravis Washington....

[zoogs]

Case and point, this year's defensive line. Not that they should have taken Carriker and Moore out all of the time, but not giving these guys some real playing time against some good teams, is very apparent this year.

 

Case in point, Barry Turner has been playing in every game since his freshman year. He had six sacks that year, and 18 tackles last year. He's been a force on the line for a long time.

 

Suh, meanwhile, had 19 tackles after also seeing action in all 14 games last season. Steinkuhler played both his freshman and sophomore year, making 22 tackles as a sophomore.

 

Potter, as we all know, blocked two kicks as a freshman and has been playing on ST since he got here, seeing a bit more action backing up Carriker last year, but not a whole lot.

 

So much for your argument about how we didn't give these guys some real playing time.

[skersOVRsc]

Case and point, this year's defensive line. Not that they should have taken Carriker and Moore out all of the time, but not giving these guys some real playing time against some good teams, is very apparent this year.

 

Case in point, Barry Turner has been playing in every game since his freshman year. He had six sacks that year, and 18 tackles last year. He's been a force on the line for a long time.

 

Suh, meanwhile, had 19 tackles after also seeing action in all 14 games last season. Steinkuhler played both his freshman and sophomore year, making 22 tackles as a sophomore.

 

Potter, as we all know, blocked two kicks as a freshman and has been playing on ST since he got here, seeing a bit more action backing up Carriker last year, but not a whole lot.

 

So much for your argument about how we didn't give these guys some real playing time.

True

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I say screw it and make them all compete for starting spots again. Week by week you earn your starting spot. If your a freshman who cares. You played better than a senior.

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

I say screw it and make them all compete for starting spots again. Week by week you earn your starting spot. If your a freshman who cares. You played better than a senior.

Isn't that what USC does?

[huskerdavo]

As a condition of COZ probation they should have to open practice

 

so that the fluff meisters are not the only ones getting to view these great schemes, gameplans, etc..

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I say screw it and make them all compete for starting spots again. Week by week you earn your starting spot. If your a freshman who cares. You played better than a senior.

Isn't that what USC does?

[huskerdavo]

that isnt a team to emulate

be orginal be the COZ :asshat

[Overland Park Husker]

Here's my question: why didn't Castille get the ball against USC? There is NO practice excuse or game time excuse cause he has them. IMO, Callahan didn't want him to f*ck up and by saying that, he played conservative against USC again.

[husker dick]

Unless things have changed, they don't do any hitting at practice during the season. Something BC brought from the big leagues. If so, how would these guys "prove themselves" during practice?

[macroboy]

I say screw it and make them all compete for starting spots again. Week by week you earn your starting spot. If your a freshman who cares. You played better than a senior.

 

It would certainly send a message and I think there would be some new starters.

[macroboy]

Here's my question: why didn't Castille get the ball against USC? There is NO practice excuse or game time excuse cause he has them. IMO, Callahan didn't want him to f*ck up and by saying that, he played conservative against USC again.

 

I wondered as well. Glenn seemed more effective than Lucky against the big boys of USC and I think Castille would've been better than Lucky as well. it was one of those in game adjustments that seems obvious that never happens.

[Bleedin_Red]

I dont think it really mattered who got the ball. The o-line needs to create some holes for whoever has the ball to run through. I dont think it was Lucky's fault. Block!!!

[HuskerT]

I don't care if Ruud is the linebacking equivalent of Albert Einstein. He can't tackle, at least this season and last, and McKeon is so far out of position that you'd think he was magnetically attracted to the wrong sorts of O lineman. I personally am not concerned about their pride. After Saturday all they have left to them is shame. Put the young guys in, and who cares if they make a few mistakes against Ball St. and Iowa St. Get them in there, let them play, let them develop in a couple real games, and then at the very lest you'll have a second string LB corps that have enough game experience to face the right direction. Hell, maybe they can tackle, too.

 

By the way, are there any other teams out there that miss like 25 tackles on one drive? I don't think I'll ever get over it, not until someone lays a licking on a running back so big that it puts him on the sideline for a quarter or two.

 

I'm just as frustrated as you. It was the worst tackling exhibition that I've seen in a long time! The coaches have got to be beside themselves with that performance, wouldn't they? I'm not even talking about athletes and speed here, because we all saw how USC is loaded with horses. I'm simply talking about the fundamentals of tackling. It was missing versus Wake and it sure as hell was missing Saturday night. Yes, they beat us either way but we really looked silly out there. I thought I would never ever say that about a Blackshirt unit in all my 25 years of watching Cornhusker Football. Sad.

 

Most of the time the problem wasn't even their tackling, it was the fact that they just got there too late to make a legit tackle so it turned into a diving or sprawling arm tackle. Which takes us back to a lack of speed at LB (Ruud & Mckeon). The difference in the run game was how fast SC was able to fill the holes (if any) against us, but how slow we were in filling theres.

[HSKRNOKC]

Thenarse showed have been in a platoon system for a while now. He has proven to be a difference maker .He NEEDS to see the field MUCH more

 

Dillard and Brandenburgh aswell. Mceon and Ruud are absolutely stinking the joint up. Always out of position and arm tackling everyone.

 

Teams are licking their chops at a chance to run against out team.

[KCforNU]

I've got to agree with a lot of what has been said. I don't think that Ruud or McKeon have lost their starting jobs yet, but in my opinion, it seems they are aware they won't lose them. Competition and pressure for playing time from those behind you on the depth chart make any player better. They just seem complacent to me. Poor positioning, lack of hustle, poor tackling technique...all were blatantly exposed in the SC game.

 

Get some of the youner guys on the field, whether it's 20 plays a game or 10, just get them out there and see what happens. We will have mop up time against both Ball St and Iowa St, PLEASE get some of our new talent on the field and let them tear it up or show us why they stay on the sideline.

 

On a totally different note, has anyone else noticed that Marlon Lucky disappears in the big games? To me it seems to be a confidence thing. Against teams that he feels he / we are clearly better than, he runs aggressivly, decisively, and always upfield plowing. Against the USC, OK, etc he is tentative and "dances" a lot more. He goes down after the first contact, slips, stumbles, etc!

 

In the game with SC he just danced around too much, never cut up immediately or hit the hole quickly. It was obvious after the very 1st quarter that he would be ineffective as a runner. At that point I would've loved to see Glenn and Castille take over all the carries. The rushing total would've been the same, most likely, but the difference would've come from their punishing style of run. It wears a defense down when the running back is looking to make the hit on YOU and not the other way around.

 

Just my two cents