The Education of Cody Green

[omahapanda]

The question for Saturday is this: Can Green color inside the lines enough to give himself the chance to make one or two spectacular plays when Nebraska needs them? Because, if Saturday goes according to NU's plan, the Huskers limit their mistakes against a faster, more talented OU team, win the field position battle, and keep Green on a reasonably short leash – except for those one or two plays where he lets loose.

 

“This'll be like a NFL game,” offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said. “It's going to be a physical, hard-knocking football game. It's one of those games where it's important to win on normal downs and stay in a manageable third down situation. That's our objective: Stay on the field, move the ball, good things will happen.”

 

Groan if you wish at the NFL reference, but Watson, fundamentally, is right. NU needs to drag this game in the fourth quarter with a fighter's chance. And it only does that with a NFL-style gameplan: Eat clock, complete the short passes, convert half of your third down attempts and pick your spots for the big shots. That's a winning formula, which is why Watson and offensive line coach Barney Cotton need to whip the offensive line into shape for its best game of the year.

 

http://www.huskerlocker.com/blogs/view/bid...n_of_cody_green

[knapplc]

I saw who posted this, and I thought, "I'll be there's a link to Husker Locker.

 

Sure enough...

[The Maudfather]

Good read. Saturday can't get here soon enough!

[JTrain]

I just think Watson's mentality, especially against a team like OU, is wrong. If we are gonna beat them, we need to take shots downfield. We need to get Niles Paul in single coverage and give him a shot deep. We need to get McNeill down the middle of the field for 15-20 yards. We don't need to treat it like an NFL game. That whole dink and dunk mentality is part of the reason our offense has been so inept this season. The WR screens and short hooks and outs to the sideline might work for a well-oiled NFL team with great talent and countless hours of practice. But it's not going to beat anyone in the college game, with an inexperienced offense without any real playmakers. Those passes are high risk with a true freshman quarterback (see: Baylor pick six) and low reward with average receivers. That's not a good combination.

 

Getting in 3rd and 4 isn't going to save us against OU, because our running game isn't capable of getting four yards, and our short passing game is too slow and simple for a defense like OU's. Although I would rather have it the other way around, our passing game (and particularly downfield passes >10 yards) is going to have to set up our running game. We need to take shots on 1st and 10 and mix up the playcalling enough to possibly get some big chunks in the running game on occasion. Then we'll hopefully be able to get some nice gains off simple play action passes like the one to Kyler Reed.

 

That is the best chance we have to get a few scores against that defense. Watson's offense, at least in the form it's been for most of this season, will result in a couple pick sixes and maybe 3 points.

[junior4949]

I just hope we don't Clownahan it. OU's rush D is one of the best in the land. OU's pass D isn't. If we run the ball all day long without taking some chances on the long ball, I'm going to be disappointed.

[ICT HSKR 10]

I fully expect OU to bring the heat and bring it often. If Watson doesn't use a game plan that uses their aggressiveness to our advantage, it could get ugly quickly. The offense has to figure out ways to stay on the field for more than 3 play at a time. Our D could get tired wore down, which is not good considering we have such a high margin of error with our O.

[robsker]

I just think Watson's mentality, especially against a team like OU, is wrong. If we are gonna beat them, we need to take shots downfield. We need to get Niles Paul in single coverage and give him a shot deep. We need to get McNeill down the middle of the field for 15-20 yards. We don't need to treat it like an NFL game. That whole dink and dunk mentality is part of the reason our offense has been so inept this season. The WR screens and short hooks and outs to the sideline might work for a well-oiled NFL team with great talent and countless hours of practice. But it's not going to beat anyone in the college game, with an inexperienced offense without any real playmakers. Those passes are high risk with a true freshman quarterback (see: Baylor pick six) and low reward with average receivers. That's not a good combination.

 

Getting in 3rd and 4 isn't going to save us against OU, because our running game isn't capable of getting four yards, and our short passing game is too slow and simple for a defense like OU's. Although I would rather have it the other way around, our passing game (and particularly downfield passes >10 yards) is going to have to set up our running game. We need to take shots on 1st and 10 and mix up the playcalling enough to possibly get some big chunks in the running game on occasion. Then we'll hopefully be able to get some nice gains off simple play action passes like the one to Kyler Reed.

 

That is the best chance we have to get a few scores against that defense. Watson's offense, at least in the form it's been for most of this season, will result in a couple pick sixes and maybe 3 points.

 

Not Niles Paul. Lets get Gillyan or Kinnie. They give us a better chance of both getting open and catching it were it to hit them in the hands.

[np_husker]

I am groaning over the NFL reference.

[irafreak]

I just think Watson's mentality, especially against a team like OU, is wrong. If we are gonna beat them, we need to take shots downfield. We need to get Niles Paul in single coverage and give him a shot deep. We need to get McNeill down the middle of the field for 15-20 yards. We don't need to treat it like an NFL game. That whole dink and dunk mentality is part of the reason our offense has been so inept this season. The WR screens and short hooks and outs to the sideline might work for a well-oiled NFL team with great talent and countless hours of practice. But it's not going to beat anyone in the college game, with an inexperienced offense without any real playmakers. Those passes are high risk with a true freshman quarterback (see: Baylor pick six) and low reward with average receivers. That's not a good combination.

 

Getting in 3rd and 4 isn't going to save us against OU, because our running game isn't capable of getting four yards, and our short passing game is too slow and simple for a defense like OU's. Although I would rather have it the other way around, our passing game (and particularly downfield passes >10 yards) is going to have to set up our running game. We need to take shots on 1st and 10 and mix up the playcalling enough to possibly get some big chunks in the running game on occasion. Then we'll hopefully be able to get some nice gains off simple play action passes like the one to Kyler Reed.

 

That is the best chance we have to get a few scores against that defense. Watson's offense, at least in the form it's been for most of this season, will result in a couple pick sixes and maybe 3 points.

We certainly saw baylor take shots downfield and it paid off a few times.

[n.e.husker]

I fully expect OU to bring the heat and bring it often. If Watson doesn't use a game plan that uses their aggressiveness to our advantage, it could get ugly quickly. The offense has to figure out ways to stay on the field for more than 3 play at a time. Our D could get tired wore down, which is not good considering we have such a high margin of error with our O.

 

Id like to see some quick slants in the face of the pressure.

[huskered17]

I don't have any idea what Watson might come up with, if any thing new at all. The reference to the NFL type game plan, sounds a lot like BC's game plan against USC in 06. That was a hard game to watch. It didn't take long to figure out BC was just trying not to get blown out. Sounds like more of the same this weekend. To bad, this started out to be a exciting season.

Hope we can pull this one out, but already doesn't sound to promising.

 

GBR!!!

[clone]

the Huskers limit their mistakes against a faster, more talented OU team, win the field position battle, and keep Green on a reasonably short leash – except for those one or two plays where he lets loose.

 

“This'll be like a NFL game,” offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said. “It's going to be a physical, hard-knocking football game. It's one of those games where it's important to win on normal downs and stay in a manageable third down situation. That's our objective: Stay on the field, move the ball, good things will happen.”

 

 

 

yup. Cally vs USC.

 

That strategy definitely made the SC game outcome more palatible.

 

to some.

[zoogs]

Why does "NFL strategy" automatically translate to "Cally" for you?

 

This doesn't sound like play not to lose. Sounds like what he means is more physical, knock 'em in the teeth than what we usually face. He said nothing about the gameplan. He's merely talking about the level of physicality that we're going to try to bring. And is that not a good thing?

[shyndy]

I just think Watson's mentality, especially against a team like OU, is wrong. If we are gonna beat them, we need to take shots downfield. We need to get Niles Paul in single coverage and give him a shot deep. We need to get McNeill down the middle of the field for 15-20 yards. We don't need to treat it like an NFL game. That whole dink and dunk mentality is part of the reason our offense has been so inept this season. The WR screens and short hooks and outs to the sideline might work for a well-oiled NFL team with great talent and countless hours of practice. But it's not going to beat anyone in the college game, with an inexperienced offense without any real playmakers. Those passes are high risk with a true freshman quarterback (see: Baylor pick six) and low reward with average receivers. That's not a good combination.

 

Getting in 3rd and 4 isn't going to save us against OU, because our running game isn't capable of getting four yards, and our short passing game is too slow and simple for a defense like OU's. Although I would rather have it the other way around, our passing game (and particularly downfield passes >10 yards) is going to have to set up our running game. We need to take shots on 1st and 10 and mix up the playcalling enough to possibly get some big chunks in the running game on occasion. Then we'll hopefully be able to get some nice gains off simple play action passes like the one to Kyler Reed.

 

That is the best chance we have to get a few scores against that defense. Watson's offense, at least in the form it's been for most of this season, will result in a couple pick sixes and maybe 3 points.

 

I agree. I think that you shouldn't even have the mentality of "trying to get into third and manageables" because you shouldn't even want to see a third down. Your mentality on offense should be trying to get a first down or more on every play.

[Lost Dream]

Good read, hopefully the Huskers can control Green. Oklahoma is not going to be this amazing team we saw last year that was big and bad and could kick some ass. They are a team with hurt players who are struggling throughout the season. If we win, good. I just can't see Cody Green playing without any inconsistency through the game. I know it will be his second start, but I don't know if he is ready. At all. Oklahoma has a much better defense than Baylor.

 

Hopefully Nebraska can catch their mistakes and beat Oklahoma when they aren't looking.