open letter to all husker fans

[zoogs]

Carrot vs stick.

 

You say we have sixty yards and a stellar defense. But no defense can just rest on talent and laurels. The previous however many minutes of the game? They don't matter any more. All that matters is those 11 guys on the field, 1 minute to go, however many yards left.

 

The carrot is you can ice the game. And that's powerful incentive.

 

The stick is if you don't - and VT has a stout defense themselves - you get the home crowd roaring, and that VT offense coming out with fire in their eyes. And 3 timeouts.

 

That is a WORLD of difference from accepting the 4th down and pinning them deep, letting their battered QB come out seeing that long field, and everyone in the crowd feeling their hearts thump in their chests as they hope for the impossible.

 

Good call in my book.

 

Forget the situation for a moment.

 

Imagine Pete Carroll standing on the sideline. Imagine Urban Meyer standing on the sideline.

 

I know I'm making an unprovable point (but I will not admit that the failed aftermath of the call is proof that it was the right call, either). You want to win football games? You want to prove something to everyone? Then attack. Get the damn yard. If you don't, keep the sixty behind you untrodden upon. But if you do, well, how great is thatl? I like football. Football is about aggression every bit as much as discipline and intelligence. Sometimes the right call is the risky call. If it fails, oh well. At least you lowered your pads and went for it.

 

Worse that boring all of you, I'm now boring myself chattering about this. I have the slight advantage of not knowing whether my call would have worked whereas everyone knows the safe call ended up a disaster by giving the opposing offense a shot. Whatever might have been wasn't. But there's always the What If.....

 

On to next week––––––>

 

I'll give you one thing: If we're at home, I think we attack. I think the venue is a world of difference.

[T_O_Bull]

I agree with this.

 

 

but we need to fire Watson, and bench O'Hanlon, and go for it on 4th down, and start Green.

 

Web boards are always dramatic. Half the people are probably hammered!

 

If you are going to post this you need tofollow it with ths...

T_O_B

[craigsker]

I'm posting on emotion but I'm sorry I disagree...I am not going to blame anyone, but:

 

I am sick and tired of being every team in the Top 25's b*tch.

I'm sick of losing close games.

I'm sick of having to be subjected to all of the media's crap about "how Nebraska can't win against ranked teams."

I'm sick of of our team not deserving or getting any respect.

[illnino]

dear husker fan,

please stop being so shallow minded.

 

It is a loss-- By 1 point-- to a team that was ranked higher than us-- in their home stadium.

 

the sky is not falling and our coaches and players are doing fine.

The reason you are upset is because the team performed reasonably well and almost won the game. With a couple more weapons or more experience the team probably wins the game by 21 (by scoring touchdowns instead of field goals). It was not an embarrassing loss, and most reasonable people who watched that game probably think nebraska is better than they thought they were last week. The defense was amazing for 58 minutes. The offense showed it can actually run the ball. Special teams were special.

 

Bo and company will focus on closing the deal and watson and co will need to figure out how to score in the red zone. we figure those things out and we could be in for a great big 12 season and an even better 2010.

 

I LOVE nebraska football, and I love this message board--but lets not turn this into something it is not. The team lost a game that almost everyone expected us to lose before the season started. That does not mean a coach or O.C. or player is incompetent. It just means we lost a game.

 

If you want off the bandwagon, feel free to jump off now--I think we are in for a great ride in the near future!

 

 

Excellent post my friend I couldn't agree more. I'm not bashing any of our fans, but it sucks to see so much negativity after a tough loss like today.

[Husker_x]

I'm posting on emotion but I'm sorry I disagree...I am not going to blame anyone, but:

 

I am sick and tired of being every team in the Top 25's b*tch.

I'm sick of losing close games.

I'm sick of having to be subjected to all of the media's crap about "how Nebraska can't win against ranked teams."

I'm sick of of our team not deserving or getting any respect.

 

Well we are in good company. The Ohio State's and Oklahoma's of the world have problems with the big game, too.

[knapplc]

PS. If we had an Ndamukong Suh on offense, we would be contenders.

I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine. Goes by the name of Roy Helu.

[HuskerTrucker]

I agree with this.

 

 

but we need to fire Watson, and bench O'Hanlon, and go for it on 4th down, and start Green.

 

Web boards are always dramatic. Half the people are probably hammered!

And the other half should get hammered and loosen up, right?

 

I fixed that for you, btw...

[Malth]

I agree with this.

 

 

but we need to fire Watson, and bench O'Hanlon, and go for it on 4th down, and start Green.

 

Web boards are always dramatic. Half the people are probably hammered!

 

Yea, that will lead us to a 7 - 5 season....

 

Maybe you missed the part where it was a joke....

[TheKiD]

PS. If we had an Ndamukong Suh on offense, we would be contenders.

I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine. Goes by the name of Roy Helu.

bah! i meant on the offensive line

[T_O_Bull]

I agree with this.

 

 

but we need to fire Watson, and bench O'Hanlon, and go for it on 4th down, and start Green.

 

Web boards are always dramatic. Half the people are probably hammered!

 

 

NO!

[GSG]

I don't disagree with you on any point, really.

 

What I'm disappointed in is this game, to me, is symptomatic of the program right now. The team has confidence, but it seems to be of the kind where you constantly need to look at each other to make sure you are confident. Maybe it'll blossom here real soon, but my big bitch of the night is the 4th and 1 punting call. For me it's not even hindsight bias. The minute I saw the punt team take the field my heart nearly stopped.

 

Like I've been saying all over the place, the day this team has the confidence to convert a fourth and one and the balls to actually attempt it, we'll be back. Until then, waffling performances for all.

It doesn't matter how many times you post your favorite gripe, in five dozen threads, that was the correct call. Big Willie explained it to you, and if you were watching the game you should understand why we punted.

 

We are going to be just fine. This is one loss, by one point, in a tremendously difficult environment. Let's not blow this thing completely out of proportion.

 

Well God bless BigWillie.

 

His explanation, like everyone else's, including mine, is wholly a matter of opinion. What everyone seems to overlook who presents it, however, is that even in the off-chance the conversion didn't work, we still would have had our stellar defense defending sixty yards of turf against a poor passing team with zero timeouts. In my favorite bitch scenario, we got two chances.

 

Can't take back time, though, more's the pity. But please, save the patronizing for someone else.

 

 

I'm in the same boat. I say we should have gone for it. Go big or go home. I'd rather die trying to WIN the game, than die trying NOT TO LOSE.

[knapplc]

There seems to be a lack of appreciation for the uses of strategy in a game.

[skip2malew]

In the end the Loss will do more for the program than the win would have. Watch what happens from here on out. Nebraska is not ready to win a National Championship but this tough loss will give out team respect and lots of motivation. They will never want to feel this again.

[J_2_THA_BONE]

I think the thing I'm most upset about is just having the game won then just to give it away literally is what pains me, but I agree with you overall. GBR!

[Cali Sker (in Boston)]

Carrot vs stick.

 

You say we have sixty yards and a stellar defense. But no defense can just rest on talent and laurels. The previous however many minutes of the game? They don't matter any more. All that matters is those 11 guys on the field, 1 minute to go, however many yards left.

 

The carrot is you can ice the game. And that's powerful incentive.

 

The stick is if you don't - and VT has a stout defense themselves - you get the home crowd roaring, and that VT offense coming out with fire in their eyes. And 3 timeouts.

 

That is a WORLD of difference from accepting the 4th down and pinning them deep, letting their battered QB come out seeing that long field, and everyone in the crowd feeling their hearts thump in their chests as they hope for the impossible.

 

Good call in my book.

 

Forget the situation for a moment.

 

Imagine Pete Carroll standing on the sideline. Imagine Urban Meyer standing on the sideline.

 

I know I'm making an unprovable point (but I will not admit that the failed aftermath of the call is proof that it was the right call, either). You want to win football games? You want to prove something to everyone? Then attack. Get the damn yard. If you don't, keep the sixty behind you untrodden upon. But if you do, well, how great is thatl? I like football. Football is about aggression every bit as much as discipline and intelligence. Sometimes the right call is the risky call. If it fails, oh well. At least you lowered your pads and went for it.

 

Worse that boring all of you, I'm now boring myself chattering about this. I have the slight advantage of not knowing whether my call would have worked whereas everyone knows the safe call ended up a disaster by giving the opposing offense a shot. Whatever might have been wasn't. But there's always the What If.....

 

On to next week––––––>

 

On 2nd & goal at the 2, I was screaming the same thing. With a 5 point lead against an offense that hadn't moved the ball ALL DAY, you punt and pin them deep. Especially on the road. You don't give them and the crowd any of the momentum that you built all 2nd half.

 

I'd punt and pin them deep again tomorrow.