Are we pass happy?

[jonnyhuska]

During the second half of the season I realized that we were turning into Texas Tech passing almost every down. I wonder if this is because we were down in most of our games or this is the type of offense Watson is going for. Personally im not a big fan of the 'playstation offense' but I was wondering what to expect for next season.

[billdozer15]

During the second half of the season I realized that we were turning into Texas Tech passing almost every down. I wonder if this is because we were down in most of our games or this is the type of offense Watson is going for. Personally im not a big fan of the 'playstation offense' but I was wondering what to expect for next season.

 

I think the offense we saw was just the nature of the position we were in. We had to score atleast 80 pts to win any of our games this year. So to score that much you have to pass or resurect(sp) the Scoring Explosion every game. I think we will get mostly a WCO next year, however i think it will involve more misdirection to utilize speed to decieve opponents other than just doing exactly what they expect. Eventually over a few years, I think it will evolve into some sort of a West Virginia/Oregon type offense. But who really knows.

[Cy the Cyclone]

Passing comes alphabetically before Running in Callahan's 8000 page playbook. Since Callahan had only 4 years to institute his system instead of the 8 he had forseen, he was only able to get the team through the first 4000 pages of offense and hadn't reached the running plays yet...thus the emphasis was on the pass (and a few running plays recalled from the Solich era)

 

Unfortunately, the defensive playbook was a whole seperate volume which was misplaced before the year began (Cos claimed that his dog ate it...Callahan was NOT amused, knowing Coz was a "cat person" and didn't even own a dog) so the defensive squad, though well-versed in offensive dogma (such as avoiding contact), never did learn how to properly play defense in the Big 10.

[knapplc]

I think the question is not ARE WE pass happy, but WERE WE pass happy.

 

We have no idea what offense Bolini is going to run at this point. Until we do, we can only speculate about what will happen. We WERE pass happy under Callahan, but that's a byegone era, nothing more.

[Hunter94]

Passing comes alphabetically before Running in Callahan's 8000 page playbook. Since Callahan had only 4 years to institute his system instead of the 8 he had forseen, he was only able to get the team through the first 4000 pages of offense and hadn't reached the running plays yet...thus the emphasis was on the pass (and a few running plays recalled from the Solich era)

 

Unfortunately, the defensive playbook was a whole seperate volume which was misplaced before the year began (Cos claimed that his dog ate it...Callahan was NOT amused, knowing Coz was a "cat person" and didn't even own a dog) so the defensive squad, though well-versed in offensive dogma (such as avoiding contact), never did learn how to properly play defense in the Big 10.

 

 

 

[Wally]

Whatever. Just so long as we are score happy and time of possession happy.

[REDSTEEL]

Callahan was very pass happy, and didn't believe in his running game. This explains why almost every-time Nebraska had a short yardage situation, that he would call a pass play. Just look at the last half of the Colorado game, where there was only 3 run plays the whole half. The west-coast offense has made Nebraska into a finesse football team, rather then the power running teams of the past. Hopefully Pelini rectifies this next year.

[pctopeka]

Pelini stated that his offense was going to be multiple, so look for a balance between the run and the pass. That already tells me that he has the makings of a good coach. With his personality, look for a rebirth of tough running (thank God!).

[KCMOHUSKER]

I think the question is not ARE WE pass happy, but WERE WE pass happy.

 

We have no idea what offense Bolini is going to run at this point. Until we do, we can only speculate about what will happen. We WERE pass happy under Callahan, but that's a byegone era, nothing more.

 

Didn't he say like Florida's, only better!

[huskermez9674]

I think the question is not ARE WE pass happy, but WERE WE pass happy.

 

We have no idea what offense Bolini is going to run at this point. Until we do, we can only speculate about what will happen. We WERE pass happy under Callahan, but that's a byegone era, nothing more.

Took the words out of my mouth.

[AR Husker Fan]

Pelini stated that his offense was going to be multiple, so look for a balance between the run and the pass. That already tells me that he has the makings of a good coach. With his personality, look for a rebirth of tough running (thank God!).

I agree. As a defensive coordinator, he knows that the most difficult opponent to game-plan for is one that can strike both through the air and on the ground - at any time and from any point on the field.

 

With that being said, I also believe that he's going to seek not so much balance as effiency in both phases. Again, as a defensive coordinator, he also knows that the best thing for any defense is an offense that can run and eat up the clock, keeping to ball out of the hands of the opponent.

 

So, as paradocical as it sounds, I think he'll look base the offense off of a power running game that can also pass efficiently. I think "balance" is a tad misleading - most coaches aren't looking for a strict 50-50 ratio so much as the ability to move the ball either way.

[bshirt]

Passing comes alphabetically before Running in Callahan's 8000 page playbook. Since Callahan had only 4 years to institute his system instead of the 8 he had forseen, he was only able to get the team through the first 4000 pages of offense and hadn't reached the running plays yet...thus the emphasis was on the pass (and a few running plays recalled from the Solich era)

 

Unfortunately, the defensive playbook was a whole seperate volume which was misplaced before the year began (Cos claimed that his dog ate it...Callahan was NOT amused, knowing Coz was a "cat person" and didn't even own a dog) so the defensive squad, though well-versed in offensive dogma (such as avoiding contact), never did learn how to properly play defense in the Big 10.

 

[junior4949]

What I truelly find ironic about Clownahan's pass happy supposedly quick striking passing offense is the fact that he never won one single game when trailing at halftime. Then, you look at Texas and how many games they came back and won in the 4th quarter by simply running the ball. Texas isn't as good this year as they have been in previous years, but they won a majority of their games running the ball just like we did a decade or so ago. I think Bob Stoops is an amazing coach, but I was somewhat shocked in the Big 12 Championship game in the first half when he kept airing it out. The toss sweeps were working great. They were able to run all over Mizzou's D despite going up against 8 in the box. When the run is working for 4-6 yards a pop, I don't understand the need to throw as much as they did. I hope next year we cram the ball down opponents throats until they stop it. Then we can spread them out with the passing game opening the running lanes back up.

[Cy the Cyclone]

Seriously...it wasn't just Nebraska that was pass happy. It was a trend for the entire Big 12. When I think of the Big 12 conference, I see visions of massive backs running over the opposition...driving them into the ground like tent pegs, but the reality is that the conference had 5 teams ranked in the top 20 in passing offense and only 2 ranked in the top 20 in rushing offense. Personally, I find that kind of offensive (no pun intended). If I wanted to watch the kind of game where you throw the ball on every down, I'd watch the PAC 10.

 

You have to have a strong running game to be successful consistently. The running game should set up the pass...not the other way around.

[TheKiD]

I will be really surprised if we don't see more of a spread-option look. I fully expect us to move in the direction of MU,KU,Florida,WV. Which, btw.. we can run out of a WCO. But, I really think we'll see a good mix of I-Formation, probably a bit of the triple option, the spread, and spread option. All of those formations are easily ran out of the WCO. But anything that makes the QB a dual-threat is great in my book, and I think we'll see a lot of it.

 

As for WERE we too pass happy this year? Well, as mentioned, it's quite hard not to be when your defense gets a stop about once every 3 games. Although some would argue that it's better to run the ball and shorten the game, callahan's philosophy was to outscore the opponent and just pray that the defense would get a stop or two.

 

With a solid defense you can have a much more balanced attack on offense, and I look to see that happen over the next few years.