the offense will be fine next year

[blackshirts5115]

jimmy clausen was dreadful his freshman season. now he's going to be the highest QB drafted in the NFL this year. even his sophomore season wasn't good until he lit up hawaii.

 

matt barkley is struggling greatly right now.

 

neither of these guys have to learn 300-play playbooks (still have no idea why watson has to do this). next year the offense will be fine. niles paul is emerging as a playmaker on an offense with no others. brandon kinnie is an emerging star. and to think that these two may not be our best receivers! (see antonio bell, who will be an absolute beast) maybe curtis carter can even compete. we'll have 3 playmakers at receiver next season, as long as we have the QB to get them the ball, and Cody will be that man.

 

roy helu will be a monster if he stays healthy (big if though). burkhead will be a solid number 2. dontrayevous is going to be good too.

 

if shawn watson remembers about the position known as the Tight End (it's a bigger receiver who helps the offensive line with blocking too), we have Mike McNeill and Chase Harper.

 

let's cross our fingers the o-line is better. Smith had a decent year, and he returns. Keith Williams is pretty solid and he returns. Let's hope Caputo steps up. Ricky Henry (minus bonehead penalties) is very good. we need an answer at right tackle, but we redshirted some supposedly pretty good kids this year.

 

our offense could be very good next season. Cody Green throwing to Niles Paul, Brandon Kinnie, Antonio Bell, Mike McNeill, and Chase Harper. Green handing it off to Helu, Burkhead, and Tray. We just need that o-line to step up.

 

defensively, we obviously lose Suh, Turner, Dillard, Asante, and O'Hanlon. Suh is irreplaceable (what if Bo coached him for four years). Turner was solid but not incredible. Dillard will be greatly missed. Asante's personal fouls in the second half of the season has trumped his incredible play. O'Hanlon, tough kid with great heart to bounce back from Va Tech, but everyone knows he's replaceable.

 

We return Allen, Crick, Hagg, Gomes, Prince, Dennard, West, then for 4-3 purposes, Fisher and Compton. Our d-line will be our biggest downgrade, but still very good with Meredith, Allen, and Ankrah competing for the 2 end spots. (my sources have told me that Ankrah has been practicing with the number one defense recently, obviously not playing due to his redshirt). Crick and Baker in the middle with T-Mo as a darkhorse for starting.

 

Linebackers, well we usually only use one or two, and i'm sure players will step up between Compton, E-Mart, Chris Williams, and i guess Fisher...

 

Secondary, only question mark is safety. We hopefully get Rickey back, but we still will have P.J. Smith and Dijon Washington, and maybe Corey Cooper

 

Our defense will be equal to this years IMO even without Suh. The offense has potential to be in the top 30 rather than the top 100. we still have some kid named Alex Henery. and our schedule stacks up favorably. I'm predicting an undefeated season, winning the Big XII championship, and going to the National Championship vs either Bama or USC.

[epocSoN]

This still gives me no hope.

 

Citing Clausen and Matt Barkley... two qbs for teams that won't finish in the top 25.... doesn't help...

[blackshirts5115]

This still gives me no hope.

 

Citing Clausen and Matt Barkley... two qbs for teams that won't finish in the top 25.... doesn't help...

well Clausen doesn't have Nebraska's defense. Barkley is still a Freshman and i'm saying by next year he'll be great, as much as i hate to say it. I just hate how everybody is giving up on Cody Green. "we need Tyler Gabbert next year!" stuff like that. Green will be a great QB here, and we learned this year that a decent offense will make us a great team.

[Cy the Cyclone]

I don't know what you've been smoking to think this pathetic offense is going to be "fine" in 2010 but pass some of it over this way...

 

Somebody mentioned how great it would be returning 10 of 11 starters on offense but they didn't mention this was from a unit that managed only 7 passing and 8 rushing touchdowns against Big 12 opponents. That's laughable....

 

The Huskers will probably dominate the North next year because they have one thing that no other team in the North has...defense. That combined with a favorable schedule should be enough to put them on top of the North. It sure won't be the offense because at this point, the Huskers have two guys that I would take if I could get them...McNeil and Henerey. That's it.

 

At QB, it'll be a battle between Lee and Green. Lee is too short and, lets face it, not a great leader. Green didn't show me much of anything other than the fact that he can run better than Lee...he still can't pass the ball. Spano should be the winner of this battle be default.

 

The running game could be the strong point of the offense if Helu can stay healthy...Burkhead is a plugger but without a lot of breakaway speed but if he can hang onto the ball, he's an asset. Depth is good but I would have liked to see more of Mendoza this year. Even with injuries, Pelini didn't get as many players in for a look than I would have liked to see.

 

The receivers are a disaster...no separation...horrible route running...miserable hands. Kinnie has a chance to be good but other than that...you better count on throwing the ball to McNeil and some backs. And if they don't throw that crappy flanker screen out of the playbook immediately, somebody should be shot.

 

The O-Line provided the most inconsistent play I have ever seen out of a Husker team. They are slow, have lousy technique and play way too high. Hickman does well but he'll be gone next year. Henry is great on one play and gets beat on the next...if this unit isn't upgraded immediately then you can count on seeing a lot more of what you see this year.

 

The best thing that can happen to this offense is if someone offers Watson a coaching job somewhere else and he takes it and if Dan McCarney takes over as HC at Kansas and asks Cotton to be his OC...THAT would upgrade this offense immediately.

[irafreak]

Hard to argue with cy's assessment. I really thought after changing to a more power run offense we would see more improvement from the oline.

[RedGixxer]

jimmy clausen was dreadful his freshman season. now he's going to be the highest QB drafted in the NFL this year. even his sophomore season wasn't good until he lit up hawaii.

 

matt barkley is struggling greatly right now.

 

neither of these guys have to learn 300-play playbooks (still have no idea why watson has to do this). next year the offense will be fine. niles paul is emerging as a playmaker on an offense with no others. brandon kinnie is an emerging star. and to think that these two may not be our best receivers! (see antonio bell, who will be an absolute beast) maybe curtis carter can even compete. we'll have 3 playmakers at receiver next season, as long as we have the QB to get them the ball, and Cody will be that man.

 

roy helu will be a monster if he stays healthy (big if though). burkhead will be a solid number 2. dontrayevous is going to be good too.

 

if shawn watson remembers about the position known as the Tight End (it's a bigger receiver who helps the offensive line with blocking too), we have Mike McNeill and Chase Harper.

 

let's cross our fingers the o-line is better. Smith had a decent year, and he returns. Keith Williams is pretty solid and he returns. Let's hope Caputo steps up. Ricky Henry (minus bonehead penalties) is very good. we need an answer at right tackle, but we redshirted some supposedly pretty good kids this year.

 

our offense could be very good next season. Cody Green throwing to Niles Paul, Brandon Kinnie, Antonio Bell, Mike McNeill, and Chase Harper. Green handing it off to Helu, Burkhead, and Tray. We just need that o-line to step up.

 

defensively, we obviously lose Suh, Turner, Dillard, Asante, and O'Hanlon. Suh is irreplaceable (what if Bo coached him for four years). Turner was solid but not incredible. Dillard will be greatly missed. Asante's personal fouls in the second half of the season has trumped his incredible play. O'Hanlon, tough kid with great heart to bounce back from Va Tech, but everyone knows he's replaceable.

 

We return Allen, Crick, Hagg, Gomes, Prince, Dennard, West, then for 4-3 purposes, Fisher and Compton. Our d-line will be our biggest downgrade, but still very good with Meredith, Allen, and Ankrah competing for the 2 end spots. (my sources have told me that Ankrah has been practicing with the number one defense recently, obviously not playing due to his redshirt). Crick and Baker in the middle with T-Mo as a darkhorse for starting.

 

Linebackers, well we usually only use one or two, and i'm sure players will step up between Compton, E-Mart, Chris Williams, and i guess Fisher...

 

Secondary, only question mark is safety. We hopefully get Rickey back, but we still will have P.J. Smith and Dijon Washington, and maybe Corey Cooper

 

Our defense will be equal to this years IMO even without Suh. The offense has potential to be in the top 30 rather than the top 100. we still have some kid named Alex Henery. and our schedule stacks up favorably. I'm predicting an undefeated season, winning the Big XII championship, and going to the National Championship vs either Bama or USC.

The offense will suck next year and as long as Watson coaches at Nebraska. He is the most worthless offensive coach in the land...

[HuskerFanWA]

This still gives me no hope.

 

Citing Clausen and Matt Barkley... two qbs for teams that won't finish in the top 25.... doesn't help...

well Clausen doesn't have Nebraska's defense. Barkley is still a Freshman and i'm saying by next year he'll be great, as much as i hate to say it. I just hate how everybody is giving up on Cody Green. "we need Tyler Gabbert next year!" stuff like that. Green will be a great QB here, and we learned this year that a decent offense will make us a great team.

 

It's laughable, man. Guys here are giving up on Cody Green. I remember reading his recruit profile here, and guys were so amazingly happy that he came to NU... but less than one year on campus as a true freshman BACKUP and people are writing him off already.

 

I just don't understand the impatience.

 

This is not a video game, young QB's take time to develop... Name me a few three or four year STARTERS who set the world on fire right away. You find me some, and all you're finding is the exceptions to the rule!

[Count 'Bility]

The Huskers will probably dominate the North next year because they have one thing that no other team in the North has...defense.

 

I will agree with this assessment, but make one modification

"The Huskers will probably dominate the Big 12 next year because they have one thing that no other team in the Big 12 has...completely dominating defense.

[GBRsal]

what the hell is a "battle be default?" what a douche

[VA Husker Fan]

ND had a horrid offensive line Clausen's freshman year. Worse than ours. Every pass play it was a race to see who made it back the 5 or 7 steps quicker, their QB, or a defender. I thought it was a mistake to put Clausen in at all because he was going to get killed. The last two years the line got a lot better--not great, but gave him enough time to see the field most plays, and Clausen "got better".

[MCAT800]

Keith Williams??? He's awful, he got tossed around all year like a rag doll. Hopefully you can come up with a better O-line prospect then him

[MCAT800]

I don't know what you've been smoking to think this pathetic offense is going to be "fine" in 2010 but pass some of it over this way...

 

Somebody mentioned how great it would be returning 10 of 11 starters on offense but they didn't mention this was from a unit that managed only 7 passing and 8 rushing touchdowns against Big 12 opponents. That's laughable....

 

The Huskers will probably dominate the North next year because they have one thing that no other team in the North has...defense. That combined with a favorable schedule should be enough to put them on top of the North. It sure won't be the offense because at this point, the Huskers have two guys that I would take if I could get them...McNeil and Henerey. That's it.

 

At QB, it'll be a battle between Lee and Green. Lee is too short and, lets face it, not a great leader. Green didn't show me much of anything other than the fact that he can run better than Lee...he still can't pass the ball. Spano should be the winner of this battle be default.

 

The running game could be the strong point of the offense if Helu can stay healthy...Burkhead is a plugger but without a lot of breakaway speed but if he can hang onto the ball, he's an asset. Depth is good but I would have liked to see more of Mendoza this year. Even with injuries, Pelini didn't get as many players in for a look than I would have liked to see.

 

The receivers are a disaster...no separation...horrible route running...miserable hands. Kinnie has a chance to be good but other than that...you better count on throwing the ball to McNeil and some backs. And if they don't throw that crappy flanker screen out of the playbook immediately, somebody should be shot.

 

The O-Line provided the most inconsistent play I have ever seen out of a Husker team. They are slow, have lousy technique and play way too high. Hickman does well but he'll be gone next year. Henry is great on one play and gets beat on the next...if this unit isn't upgraded immediately then you can count on seeing a lot more of what you see this year.

 

The best thing that can happen to this offense is if someone offers Watson a coaching job somewhere else and he takes it and if Dan McCarney takes over as HC at Kansas and asks Cotton to be his OC...THAT would upgrade this offense immediately.

 

Well, there our Huskers and I wouldn't trade them for anyone.

 

Including all the talent you guys have stashed away there in Ames

[Billyball]

"You want the truth? You can't handle the truth"--to borrow the military movie line. The TRUTH is that we are homers. We want the defense to be as good and the offense a whole lot better. In other words put a hold on the defensive stats and kick up the offensive stats several fold.

 

Unfortunately we are not going to be the team that held Texas to their lowest output in a few years last night next year. Neither are we likely to be the team that let Misery ring up 50 something on us and b-slap us something terrible in 08 and 07.

 

We are not likely to be as totally INEPT on offense, but I doubt that we put up 2008 numbers either.

 

The thing about college ball it's just like Forest Gump--Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get..." Fans projecting their desires is just silly and seldom jives with reality of the next season's team. Everybody has great hopes in the off season--nearly every year. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesnt.

 

We have no reason to expect a all conference QB next year. That is where most great offenses begin. We should be better, cause we can't get much worse. The staff will have to decide what is the priority going forward and try to set it up in the offseason. If it seems (as it does right now that passing is not going to be our strength) --a scheme for exploiting our power running attack needs to be set up in the spring and summer. Goodbye WCO. If we are going to be a passing team and continue the WCO then we better sure as h8ll get some better QB play and better wideout/TE play. I don't see that in the cards enough to be a good offense.

 

The defense will drop off without Suh, Turner, Dillard and Asante. But likely not as much as one would think. However it may not be possible to play 6 or 7 dbacks without Suh. Crick and Steinkuler are good--they just are not likely to be Suh and be able to cause havoc on QBs such that Dbs only have to cover recievers 3 or 4 seconds max.

 

Nobody predicted OU would falter so badly this year. We could be 6-6 next year and the staff do everything exactly right. WE could be 10-2 or 11-1 as well.

 

Predicting next year for our team or the rest of the better teams in the Big 12 is about as iffy as predicting the winner of the Ky derby next May. S-happens. Enjoy a great season and our bowl and hope for the best! We are still trying to become a good football team. We are not nearly there YET!

[Cy the Cyclone]

This is not a video game, young QB's take time to develop... Name me a few three or four year STARTERS who set the world on fire right away. You find me some, and all you're finding is the exceptions to the rule!

 

Brett Myer...

[Igetbored216]

What a horrible argument. Yeah, young QBs do struggle, but Lee is not young. He's 22 and has been in the system since January 2007. But I guess according to Watson, practice doesn't count for a QB's experience, only playing in games does...although this makes no sense since they decide who to pick as QB based on the practices that apparently mean nothing. Okay Watson...whateeeeeeeeever you say.

 

The offense will not be fine next year unless there are new coaches. End of story.