Tom Shatel

[np_husker]

Tom's Takes

Published Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008

Omaha World-Herald

 

• Big secret: I'm not sure why it was necessary for assistant coach Mike Ekeler to announce to the world at Friday morning's Big Red Breakfast that NU had an impressive super- secret defensive game plan. I don't know what that accomplishes, except setting yourself up to look foolish if it doesn't work.

 

• They call it a streak: You can be sure 30 years of frustration was avenged for Missouri fans, but not necessarily for the players and coaches who weren't around for much of the past three decades when Missouri didn't win in Lincoln. For coaches and players, the streak-buster was just another game.

 

• Not all on Callahan: You hear folks still blaming Bill Callahan and his staff for things, and I'm guilty of that, too. But this is Bo Pelini's team now. Yes, Bo Pelini inherited some talent issues, but the mistakes and lack of execution are on the coach and his staff.

 

• Another streak-buster?: Now the last big streak left is Kansas, which hasn't won in Lincoln in 40 years. KU looks a lot less imposing than Missouri. It looks like Todd Reesing and not much else. But after Saturday night, I'm not sure Nebraska can outscore Reesing.

 

These Tigers have look of a rare breed

 

LINCOLN - Take Mizzou's 52-17 walkover of Nebraska with this grain of salt at your breakfast table: That's probably the best Missouri team ever.

 

My, what a team.

 

It produced the worst home loss in the modern Nebraska era, starting with Bob Devaney in 1962. Of course, after the Bobfather showed up, there weren't many home losses to choose from.

 

This one was easy and clinical. Missouri was so good there was no traffic jam on the way home. The fourth quarter was played before many gray splotches in Memorial Stadium's red quilt.

 

Missouri is that good. Before you play the blame game this morning, first blame Mizzou for firing basketball coach Quinn Snyder rather than football coach Gary Pinkel a few years ago. And blame Texas coach Mack Brown for choosing other Texas hot-shot high school quarterbacks over Chase Daniel.

 

For those keeping score at home, it was the same 35-point spread as last year's forgettable nightmare in Columbia, when NU was poorly coached and under motivated.

 

Blame it on Bo. Blame it on Rio. Blame it on Missouri.

 

Pardon the blasphemy, but this Missouri team looks like the 2008 version of the 1983 Nebraska team, the one that Sports Illustrated called "the greatest team ever."

 

It scores (53.75 per game) like the 1983 team (52.0). It eats up space (595.5 yards per game) like the legends of 1983 (546.7). Mizzou's strength is passing (404.2 yards per game) rather than NU's running (401.7) machine in 1983. But it's just as powerful, explosive, electric and dominant.

 

Missouri's triplets are quarterback Daniel, receiver Jeremy Maclin and tight end Chase Coffman. But if you throw in running back Derrick Washington (14 carries for 141 yards and two touchdowns), the Tigers might have quads. They might just have a Heisman winner, too, in Daniel.

 

Missouri and Daniel were too good for Pelini. It was a mismatch in personnel. Bo knows defense. But scheme and strategy mean nothing without speed and brawn. Bo knows that, too.

 

So Pelini's heart was in the right place with this super-secret defensive scheme. It was a sign of respect for Mizzou and also a sign that Nebraska had no shot to stop these guys straight up.

 

No kidding.

 

Pelini's wrinkle was taking defensive end Pierre Allen and letting him stand up and move around the line and find a lane to rush the passer and disrupt Daniel, with dime and nickel coverages behind.

 

Getting pressure on Daniel is easier said than done. But even then, it's not enough. On the third play of the game, Zach Potter and a teammate combined to level Daniel as he released a pass.

 

Touchdown, Missouri.

 

Nebraska played physical against the Mizzou spread. But the Tigers didn't flinch. That's how Oklahoma beat the Tigers last year, twice. Oklahoma also had Oklahoma players.

 

After the game, Pelini took the blame and the hits. He said it was all his fault. He said he didn't have the team prepared. He said he was embarrassed. On and on, he laid himself out.

 

There wasn't much else to be said.

 

But there is much to be concerned about in the Land of Red.

 

Not with what Missouri's offense did, but with what Nebraska's "O" wasn't able to do.

 

Like the classic 1983 Huskers, Missouri has a flawed defense, one that the offense can overcome. Of course, at some point, that catches up with you.

 

Nebraska couldn't dent a just-better-than-average Missouri defense. The Tigers had been more susceptible through the air. That seemed to be NU's plan. Shawn Watson had quarterback Joe Ganz rolling out most of the night, looking to find an open receiver and make a play with his arm.

 

It worked early, and it worked at times, but not nearly enough.

 

Once again, Nebraska failed to establish anything on the ground. Folks, the blocking isn't there. But neither are the repetitions.

 

There's no flow to this offense, period. There's no signature scheme or bread-and-butter plays or any pattern.

 

The West Coast offense is a jack of all trades, master of none offense. Maybe the talent isn't there. Maybe Watson can't figure out what he wants to do.

 

They better kick-start this offense in a hurry. Sure, Texas Tech looms and nobody expects NU to outscore Mike Leach's machine.

 

But the following week, NU goes to Iowa State. On Saturday, it took 35 points to beat the Cyclones at home. Can this Nebraska team score 35 points against Iowa State? Can this offense outscore anyone else left on this schedule?

 

Then again, maybe it's better not to make snap judgments for the rest of the campaign based on this game. Missouri is that good. For this week, go with that.

[germanforbigred]

Tom's Takes

Published Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008

Omaha World-Herald

 

• Big secret: I'm not sure why it was necessary for assistant coach Mike Ekeler to announce to the world at Friday morning's Big Red Breakfast that NU had an impressive super- secret defensive game plan. I don't know what that accomplishes, except setting yourself up to look foolish if it doesn't work.

 

• They call it a streak: You can be sure 30 years of frustration was avenged for Missouri fans, but not necessarily for the players and coaches who weren't around for much of the past three decades when Missouri didn't win in Lincoln. For coaches and players, the streak-buster was just another game.

 

• Not all on Callahan: You hear folks still blaming Bill Callahan and his staff for things, and I'm guilty of that, too. But this is Bo Pelini's team now. Yes, Bo Pelini inherited some talent issues, but the mistakes and lack of execution are on the coach and his staff.

 

• Another streak-buster?: Now the last big streak left is Kansas, which hasn't won in Lincoln in 40 years. KU looks a lot less imposing than Missouri. It looks like Todd Reesing and not much else. But after Saturday night, I'm not sure Nebraska can outscore Reesing.

 

These Tigers have look of a rare breed

 

LINCOLN - Take Mizzou's 52-17 walkover of Nebraska with this grain of salt at your breakfast table: That's probably the best Missouri team ever.

 

My, what a team.

 

It produced the worst home loss in the modern Nebraska era, starting with Bob Devaney in 1962. Of course, after the Bobfather showed up, there weren't many home losses to choose from.

 

This one was easy and clinical. Missouri was so good there was no traffic jam on the way home. The fourth quarter was played before many gray splotches in Memorial Stadium's red quilt.

 

Missouri is that good. Before you play the blame game this morning, first blame Mizzou for firing basketball coach Quinn Snyder rather than football coach Gary Pinkel a few years ago. And blame Texas coach Mack Brown for choosing other Texas hot-shot high school quarterbacks over Chase Daniel.

 

For those keeping score at home, it was the same 35-point spread as last year's forgettable nightmare in Columbia, when NU was poorly coached and under motivated.

 

Blame it on Bo. Blame it on Rio. Blame it on Missouri.

 

Pardon the blasphemy, but this Missouri team looks like the 2008 version of the 1983 Nebraska team, the one that Sports Illustrated called "the greatest team ever."

 

It scores (53.75 per game) like the 1983 team (52.0). It eats up space (595.5 yards per game) like the legends of 1983 (546.7). Mizzou's strength is passing (404.2 yards per game) rather than NU's running (401.7) machine in 1983. But it's just as powerful, explosive, electric and dominant.

 

Missouri's triplets are quarterback Daniel, receiver Jeremy Maclin and tight end Chase Coffman. But if you throw in running back Derrick Washington (14 carries for 141 yards and two touchdowns), the Tigers might have quads. They might just have a Heisman winner, too, in Daniel.

 

Missouri and Daniel were too good for Pelini. It was a mismatch in personnel. Bo knows defense. But scheme and strategy mean nothing without speed and brawn. Bo knows that, too.

 

So Pelini's heart was in the right place with this super-secret defensive scheme. It was a sign of respect for Mizzou and also a sign that Nebraska had no shot to stop these guys straight up.

 

No kidding.

 

Pelini's wrinkle was taking defensive end Pierre Allen and letting him stand up and move around the line and find a lane to rush the passer and disrupt Daniel, with dime and nickel coverages behind.

 

Getting pressure on Daniel is easier said than done. But even then, it's not enough. On the third play of the game, Zach Potter and a teammate combined to level Daniel as he released a pass.

 

Touchdown, Missouri.

 

Nebraska played physical against the Mizzou spread. But the Tigers didn't flinch. That's how Oklahoma beat the Tigers last year, twice. Oklahoma also had Oklahoma players.

 

After the game, Pelini took the blame and the hits. He said it was all his fault. He said he didn't have the team prepared. He said he was embarrassed. On and on, he laid himself out.

 

There wasn't much else to be said.

 

But there is much to be concerned about in the Land of Red.

 

Not with what Missouri's offense did, but with what Nebraska's "O" wasn't able to do.

 

Like the classic 1983 Huskers, Missouri has a flawed defense, one that the offense can overcome. Of course, at some point, that catches up with you.

 

Nebraska couldn't dent a just-better-than-average Missouri defense. The Tigers had been more susceptible through the air. That seemed to be NU's plan. Shawn Watson had quarterback Joe Ganz rolling out most of the night, looking to find an open receiver and make a play with his arm.

 

It worked early, and it worked at times, but not nearly enough.

 

Once again, Nebraska failed to establish anything on the ground. Folks, the blocking isn't there. But neither are the repetitions.

 

There's no flow to this offense, period. There's no signature scheme or bread-and-butter plays or any pattern.

 

The West Coast offense is a jack of all trades, master of none offense. Maybe the talent isn't there. Maybe Watson can't figure out what he wants to do.

 

They better kick-start this offense in a hurry. Sure, Texas Tech looms and nobody expects NU to outscore Mike Leach's machine.

 

But the following week, NU goes to Iowa State. On Saturday, it took 35 points to beat the Cyclones at home. Can this Nebraska team score 35 points against Iowa State? Can this offense outscore anyone else left on this schedule?

 

Then again, maybe it's better not to make snap judgments for the rest of the campaign based on this game. Missouri is that good. For this week, go with that.

 

that pretty much sums it up ...good article

[Eric the Red]

Like the classic 1983 Huskers, Missouri has a flawed defense, one that the offense can overcome. Of course, at some point, that catches up with you.

 

Nebraska couldn't dent a just-better-than-average Missouri defense. The Tigers had been more susceptible through the air. That seemed to be NU's plan. Shawn Watson had quarterback Joe Ganz rolling out most of the night, looking to find an open receiver and make a play with his arm.

 

This is the part I don't get. Why couldn't we score at least 30 points. Be friggin' competitive at least. Missouri is better than us. They deserve to win. But at least throw four touchdowns or so up on them. f#*k man come on!!!!

[REDSTEEL]

Like the classic 1983 Huskers, Missouri has a flawed defense, one that the offense can overcome. Of course, at some point, that catches up with you.

 

Nebraska couldn't dent a just-better-than-average Missouri defense. The Tigers had been more susceptible through the air. That seemed to be NU's plan. Shawn Watson had quarterback Joe Ganz rolling out most of the night, looking to find an open receiver and make a play with his arm.

 

This is the part I don't get. Why couldn't we score at least 30 points. Be friggin' competitive at least. Missouri is better than us. They deserve to win. But at least throw four touchdowns or so up on them. f#*k man come on!!!!

 

 

When has this offense done anything against good or great defenses? Take Oklahoma st, Texas A & M and both Missouri games td's from the last two years and Nebraska would still have lost. Don't try to bringup the Colorado, Kansas or K state team since their defenses were terrible or untested last year. Nebraska exchanged a offense that got us to NC for the west coast crap and kept the bad defense and now were finding out that this program no longer has an identity and still bad defense.

 

I don't blame BO yet for he was told this was a good offense and the defense was the only problem. He should have looked at the stats closer and seen where most of those points came from and against what competition. His main project was suppsed to have been remaking this defense and trying to cover up that most of those big supposedly 4 to 5* recruits Callahan kept talking about were mainly offense and none defense. I find it hard to come up with anyone on this team to even make second team all big 12 let alone first team. Will this be a quick fix? I would guess not and if they keep this offense it will take it a lot longer then I think the fans have patience to wait for.