Didn't like the lack of intensity

[Power-I]

I think we have a good (and could be great) team this season, with tons of talent at every position. What I didn't like was what I felt was a lack of intensity. I don't care if its Western Kentucky in the first game of the year. Go for the jugular. It just felt like players were lackadaisical out there much of the time. Mostly on defense, but also on offense at times too. Especially in the 2nd quarter. I mean you talk about a letdown following an electric 1st quarter. They let off the gas pedal way too early.

 

I don't know if its the players, or the coaches. And don't tell me it was because they "didn't want to break it all out against Western Kentucky". You don't have to be doing flea flickers and Wildcat to show me intensity.

 

If we play like that against Idaho, it will be a game heading into the 4th, and Washington will beat us.

 

I don't think for one minute they will play like that again, Bo will get them in line, but the entire balance of coaches is likely to blame for the way this team let up after a tremendous 1st quarter.

 

That said:

 

Nebraska 41

Idaho 13

[Enhance]

Don't forget we started two linebackers who have never started a football game at Nebraska and were told they would be the starters two days before game time.

 

I didn't enjoy the defensive lines body of work last night, though. After a solid first half they got pushed around quite a bit in the second.

[NshawU]

Sure looked like a lot of intensity during the first half. When it's the second half, you know you're going to win, and you're playing WKU, I think it's easy to lose some focus / intensity.

[zoogs]

I felt it was a very typical first game of the season. Not everything is running smoothly and we definitely didn't take the opponents very seriously after the game was well in hand. There are some individual efforts that need to be lifted and some coaching to be done, but hardly cause for concern just yet.

 

Hard to expect intensity when we are just taking it easy and not playing guys who would've played in a more serious game. Intensity is good but teams do have to pace themselves. You got to last a whole season and not be spent after a non conference slate of Idaho and WKU.

[Power-I]

Sure looked like a lot of intensity during the first half. When it's the second half, you know you're going to win, and you're playing WKU, I think it's easy to lose some focus / intensity.

 

They almost scored a TD (thanks to Gomes they didn't) that would have made it 28-17 in the 2nd quarter against the worst FBS team in the country for 2 years running. The problems were in the first half as well, not just the 2nd half.

 

The two minute offense at the end of the 1st half was pathetic too. At least they were trying to go for the throat a little bit, with 3 passes (albeit incomplete) in a row.

[Power-I]

I felt it was a very typical first game of the season. Not everything is running smoothly and we definitely didn't take the opponents very seriously after the game was well in hand. There are some individual efforts that need to be lifted and some coaching to be done, but hardly cause for concern just yet.

 

Hard to expect intensity when we are just taking it easy and not playing guys who would've played in a more serious game. Intensity is good but teams do have to pace themselves. You got to last a whole season and not be spent after a non conference slate of Idaho and WKU.

 

I would like to believe that, but you don't see national title teams like 'Bama last year and USC in the mid-00's lack intensity, even in the games that aren't considered a "serious game".

 

How can a team that plays under Pelini lose intensity? This is a guy who called a 49-10 beat down an "absolute embarrassment" from a defensive standpoint. I'm just taking my queue from him on intensity expectations. I would expect mistakes to be from penalties from being too intense and undisciplined , not the opposite.

[zoogs]

Instead of 28-17, you mean 28-10.

 

It just seems to me that everyone from the players to the coaches treated this as a preseason scrimmage. The opponent was heavily outmatched and we worked on developing guys (namely the young quarterback) and keeping guys safe (Meredith, Marcel) instead of making a statement. I think Pelini's comments after the game were apt though. Never be happy with where you are, always know there's a lot of room to rachet it up.

 

But as a fan, I'm none too concerned (yet).

[huskerscott]

Is everybody forgeting we had similar performance against FAU last year. Then we came out and dominated on defense pretty much the rest of year. David looks solid, Whaley started his first college game ever, Meredith got dinged up a little.

 

Also, a number of teams struggled yesterday in their openers... i.e. Florida and Oklahoma. After watching the Florida game I think we are a better football team than them right now.

 

Freakin Washington lost Byu, no way we lose that game. Byu is not gonna be as good as last year.

[Power-I]

Instead of 28-17, you mean 28-10.

 

It just seems to me that everyone from the players to the coaches treated this as a preseason scrimmage. The opponent was heavily outmatched and we worked on developing guys (namely the young quarterback) and keeping guys safe (Meredith, Marcel) instead of making a statement. I think Pelini's comments after the game were apt though. Never be happy with where you are, always know there's a lot of room to rachet it up.

 

But as a fan, I'm none too concerned (yet).

 

Yeah my bad. At any rate, maybe I'm being too hard. I've viewed 2010 as our "national title run year" since Pelini got here. I think the argument that "it's easy to lose intensity or focus when the opponent is bad and your up big" is ridiculous though. A well coached team should play with fire like every opponent is the #1 team in the country. Then the backups and 3rd stringers come in and run the offense, but no one sloughs off on the field. If you continue to score running your basic offense with backups, then you continue to score. But its not a good precedent to set to say "oh, go out there and take it easy, we're winning big". Every second you are in between those lines, you better be a shark.

[NshawU]

Sure looked like a lot of intensity during the first half. When it's the second half, you know you're going to win, and you're playing WKU, I think it's easy to lose some focus / intensity.

 

They almost scored a TD (thanks to Gomes they didn't) that would have made it 28-17 in the 2nd quarter against the worst FBS team in the country for 2 years running. The problems were in the first half as well, not just the 2nd half.

 

The two minute offense at the end of the 1st half was pathetic too. At least they were trying to go for the throat a little bit, with 3 passes (albeit incomplete) in a row.

nvm, already said above.

[jsneb83]

Sure looked like a lot of intensity during the first half. When it's the second half, you know you're going to win, and you're playing WKU, I think it's easy to lose some focus / intensity.

 

They almost scored a TD (thanks to Gomes they didn't) that would have made it 28-17 in the 2nd quarter against the worst FBS team in the country for 2 years running. The problems were in the first half as well, not just the 2nd half.

 

The two minute offense at the end of the 1st half was pathetic too. At least they were trying to go for the throat a little bit, with 3 passes (albeit incomplete) in a row.

Actually it was 21-0 at halftime. That play would have made it 28-10 midway through the third.

[zoogs]

I guess the big thing for me is that this game was confidence building for Martinez (and Green??? confused there), and a big learning exercise for Whaley and David. We'll see how we do next game. I fully expect the team to ramp it up.

[HuskerBill85]

I heard that camp was really tough. I just hope Bo didn't run them into the ground which looked like it might been the case that 2nd half when they were getting pushed around.

[Power-I]

Is everybody forgeting we had similar performance against FAU last year. Then we came out and dominated on defense pretty much the rest of year. David looks solid, Whaley started his first college game ever, Meredith got dinged up a little.

 

Also, a number of teams struggled yesterday in their openers... i.e. Florida and Oklahoma. After watching the Florida game I think we are a better football team than them right now.

 

Freakin Washington lost Byu, no way we lose that game. Byu is not gonna be as good as last year.

 

I'll say exactly what Pelini would say: "I don't care about what other teams did out there. What did we do?"

 

49-10 is a good score from the outside, and we may even jump Oklahoma in the AP, but if anyone here is feeling good about how the team played from moment to moment, take a step back and see what it could have been, without a few lucky breaks. It's 49-17 if the refs don't call that 46 yard run through a gaping hole a fumble, which, after watching replays it could have just as easily been called a TD and stood up.

 

The first quarter was a great display of how good we can be. But i didn't like some stuff in the final 3 quarters, and I'm not alone.

[huskerscott]

Is everybody forgeting we had similar performance against FAU last year. Then we came out and dominated on defense pretty much the rest of year. David looks solid, Whaley started his first college game ever, Meredith got dinged up a little.

 

Also, a number of teams struggled yesterday in their openers... i.e. Florida and Oklahoma. After watching the Florida game I think we are a better football team than them right now.

 

Freakin Washington lost Byu, no way we lose that game. Byu is not gonna be as good as last year.

 

I'll say exactly what Pelini would say: "I don't care about what other teams did out there. What did we do?"

 

49-10 is a good score from the outside, and we may even jump Oklahoma in the AP, but if anyone here is feeling good about how the team played from moment to moment, take a step back and see what it could have been, without a few lucky breaks. It's 42-17 if the refs don't call that 46 yard run through a gaping hole a fumble, which, after watching replays it could have just as easily been called a TD and stood up.

 

The first quarter was a great display of how good we can be. But i didn't like some stuff in the final 3 quarters, and I'm not alone.

I dont give a crap what Pelini said.... Im just saying everybody is freakin out about the first game of the year and all the mistakes that were made. Their was probably more than the average fan realizes. I dont care whether it was 49-10, 49-17, 56-3, we all know theirs plenty of things to work on. As a team we are not their yet. Those who think we are.....

 

FYI that was clearing a fumble it came out at the one yard line.