Nebraska Offense

[Enhance]

So Nebraska pulled out the win today, but I gotta tell you that I'm frustrated with the way our play-calling unfolds every game.

 

We seem to give out very little vertical threat, and rely a lot on zone-read options and horizontal passing. I think Nebraska had plenty of chances to get more points if they spent less time running. I'm frustrated with our offensive lines inability to open holes for the running game, and I'm tired of seeing the zone read go for little if anything against quality defenses.

 

I would love to see less spread, less zone-read option, and less blocking scheme screw ups. Barney Cotton coached a strong running team in 2003, so I'm confident he can work out the kinks.

 

I would like to see more power formations, more devastating vertical passing threats, and more powerful running from Castille. I know Helu had a statistically better year, but I think Castille is the future at Nebraska. He is everything that would have had Tom Osborne jumping like a giddy school boy in the 90's.

 

Thoughts and opinions? I want thoughts on what you guys want to see/look forward to for future years.

[hosker]

a few plays with a leading blocker would be nice

[husker98]

i'd like to see us go shotgun more with Helu at runningback

[PhillyHusker]

A two RB system (Castille and Helu).

 

More run, a little less shot gun, more power football.

 

http://huskersgameday.com/

[MCAT800]

I'm with you guys, I sure would like to see some I or OZ Bone formations. There aren't many teams that run a single back formation inside the 5 yard line when trying to pound the ball

That makes no sense, hopefully will see some Mackovika's at FB next year.

 

Use the shotgun, but not as our base running formation, plus why does our pulling gaurds always let another color jersey cross their face ??? or why do we let the EMOL or the OLB go unblocked???

The blocking schemes made no sense at all today.

[husker98]

Mackovika's at FB next year.

 

i hope so, i hope he becomes as big a beast as his brother was

[husker98]

i hope the Mackovika kid becomes as big of a beast as his brother

[huskers1]

So it looks like this thread is about moving to a more power run game? I guess everyone forgot that that's pretty much what we were trying to do up to the Mizzou game and we just dont have the o line to do this yet. Also after the Mizzou game when we switched to the spread running game we average close to 36 points a game. Helu rushes for 100 yards 4 out of 5 games and looks outstanding doing it, Castille rushes for 100 yards in one game mostly off two runs and all of the sudden he is the future at running back? I would like to eventually run more power run game with spread sprinkled in much like OU runs, but bottom line is that we dont have the mentality or personnel up front to do it yet. Don't get me wrong I love Castille and I think he and Helu will make a hell of a one-two punch next year, but some posts in this thread confused me a little.

[Bleeding Husker Red]

So Nebraska pulled out the win today, but I gotta tell you that I'm frustrated with the way our play-calling unfolds every game.

 

We seem to give out very little vertical threat, and rely a lot on zone-read options and horizontal passing. I think Nebraska had plenty of chances to get more points if they spent less time running. I'm frustrated with our offensive lines inability to open holes for the running game, and I'm tired of seeing the zone read go for little if anything against quality defenses.

 

I would love to see less spread, less zone-read option, and less blocking scheme screw ups. Barney Cotton coached a strong running team in 2003, so I'm confident he can work out the kinks.

 

I would like to see more power formations, more devastating vertical passing threats, and more powerful running from Castille. I know Helu had a statistically better year, but I think Castille is the future at Nebraska. He is everything that would have had Tom Osborne jumping like a giddy school boy in the 90's.

 

Thoughts and opinions? I want thoughts on what you guys want to see/look forward to for future years.

 

 

Tom Osborne NEVER jumped like a giddy school boy....even when he WAS a giddy school boy...

 

 

Would have just got him to stick his hands in his pockets and mutter a subdued... "Yup. he's pretty dad-gum good."

[HuskerTrucker]

I want the turnovers to go away...way too many!! We did well this season getting discipline - we don't get so many bone headed penalties anymore...but could lose some more of them.

 

I would like to see more production rushing the ball...rushing the ball for 1st downs = winning TOP battle.

[eagskerfan]

scrap the quick screen out of the shot gun. scrap the speed options to castille out of the shot gun. throw down field on first and run on second. i formation in the five yard line. we struggled in the redzone and settled for fgs in the bowl and against the buffs wwhen we tried shotgun at the five.

[huskerjack23]

So it looks like this thread is about moving to a more power run game? I guess everyone forgot that that's pretty much what we were trying to do up to the Mizzou game and we just dont have the o line to do this yet. Also after the Mizzou game when we switched to the spread running game we average close to 36 points a game. Helu rushes for 100 yards 4 out of 5 games and looks outstanding doing it, Castille rushes for 100 yards in one game mostly off two runs and all of the sudden he is the future at running back? I would like to eventually run more power run game with spread sprinkled in much like OU runs, but bottom line is that we dont have the mentality or personnel up front to do it yet. Don't get me wrong I love Castille and I think he and Helu will make a hell of a one-two punch next year, but some posts in this thread confused me a little.

i have to second this. what's with the original poster saying that the offense need to go back to a power run game when the huskers were using it up until they got trounced at missouri? they needed a change so they went spread. i have a better idea. instead of just running zone read out of shotgun, add hb draws and hb off tackle runs out of shotgun. it may be an option, but zone read is pretty vanilla when that's all you run.

 

plus, that FR DE for clemson blew up the zone read all day. so, get over it. this offense works. a top 15 ranking is nothing to sneeze at.

[sdhusker82]

I REALLY want to see that great d from the gator bowl for the whole 2009 season. Our d was pretty shaky at times. And in losing Swift/Peterson I want to see the receiving corp be able to put up good consistent numbers. Relying on Paul and Holt has me a little nervous about 2009. Also relying on a new quarterback will definately have a lot of us nervous as well.

[Enhance]

OP Here.

 

Read my post carefully. I didn't say that we "need to go back to the power run game", I said I would like to see more power running formations. Those of you who criticized didn't read my post correctly. Yes, I did say I'd like to see less spread and less reliance on it, but I didn't say we needed to go straight back to power run game.

[huskerfan711]

I don't really get caught up in the politics of playcalling... but are we still scripting the first X plays?

 

It seems as though our offense comes out robotic and has no character. Also, as the commentators pointed out, we very rarely score on our first possesion. If this is still being scripted before hand, why? Whats the advantage?

 

Also... please, please eliminate the WR screen out of the ANY formation... I don't recall a time where this play worked for good yardage and everytime I see it developing I hold my breath. Ganz usually got to the point where if that play was called, he threw it to the WR whether he was covered or not... My evidence is the Oklahoma game. (Clemson would have had the same thing but Ganz decided not to throw at the last minute)