Watson

[Lil' Red]

I'm ok with the system that we are running but sometimes Watson's play calling baffles me. Like at Washington we had Martinez either throw it or run it like 17 plays in a row. When you have backs like Burkhead and Helu I don't know why you would put it all on your freshman QB in his first road test.

[HuskerT]

I'm not the biggest Watson fan, but I'm actually willing to give him a pass this week. I really think it's as simple as the players took this team way too lightly. Bo Pelini himself was saying all week that he never wants to see an FCS opponent on his schedule again. I'm sure we'll see a different team vs Kstate.

[HuskerNMO]

I'm not the biggest Watson fan, but I'm actually willing to give him a pass this week. I really think it's as simple as the players took this team way too lightly. Bo Pelini himself was saying all week that he never wants to see an FCS opponent on his schedule again. I'm sure we'll see a different team vs Kstate.

 

I think this is the heart of the matter, Bo said FCS teams don't belong in Memorial Stadium in the week leading up to the game, and i'll be darned if the players didn't come out and play exactly like that. After rewatching the game I saw sloppy technique across both lines, the undersized players CONSTANTLY got under the pad level of our bigger guys and drove them as a result. The d-line played very high from what I saw, it's easy to get away with that if you're Suh and use the right hand technique and strength to keep the other guy off balance, but if you don't have that level, and you constantly let that guy get into you on running plays you see what happens.

 

I think seeing bigger, taller guys in the Big 12 will actually HELP our d-line (and o-line) as it's sometimes a struggle to get under the pad level of a guy 2-3 inches shorter than you.

[HuskerT]

I'm not the biggest Watson fan, but I'm actually willing to give him a pass this week. I really think it's as simple as the players took this team way too lightly. Bo Pelini himself was saying all week that he never wants to see an FCS opponent on his schedule again. I'm sure we'll see a different team vs Kstate.

 

I think this is the heart of the matter, Bo said FCS teams don't belong in Memorial Stadium in the week leading up to the game, and i'll be darned if the players didn't come out and play exactly like that. After rewatching the game I saw sloppy technique across both lines, the undersized players CONSTANTLY got under the pad level of our bigger guys and drove them as a result. The d-line played very high from what I saw, it's easy to get away with that if you're Suh and use the right hand technique and strength to keep the other guy off balance, but if you don't have that level, and you constantly let that guy get into you on running plays you see what happens.

 

I think seeing bigger, taller guys in the Big 12 will actually HELP our d-line (and o-line) as it's sometimes a struggle to get under the pad level of a guy 2-3 inches shorter than you.

Although I see your points, I really don't think technique had anything to do with it. SDSU were giving it 110% and the BIG RED were going at it about 60%. I usually re-watch every game to look for things like that, but I haven't been able to bring myself to re-watch this game, but it's kind of like the accident on the other side of the highway so I'll probably sneak a peek at it pretty soon.

[typ3kal]

I'm not the biggest Watson fan, but I'm actually willing to give him a pass this week. I really think it's as simple as the players took this team way too lightly. Bo Pelini himself was saying all week that he never wants to see an FCS opponent on his schedule again. I'm sure we'll see a different team vs Kstate.

 

I think this is the heart of the matter, Bo said FCS teams don't belong in Memorial Stadium in the week leading up to the game, and i'll be darned if the players didn't come out and play exactly like that. After rewatching the game I saw sloppy technique across both lines, the undersized players CONSTANTLY got under the pad level of our bigger guys and drove them as a result. The d-line played very high from what I saw, it's easy to get away with that if you're Suh and use the right hand technique and strength to keep the other guy off balance, but if you don't have that level, and you constantly let that guy get into you on running plays you see what happens.

 

I think seeing bigger, taller guys in the Big 12 will actually HELP our d-line (and o-line) as it's sometimes a struggle to get under the pad level of a guy 2-3 inches shorter than you.

Although I see your points, I really don't think technique had anything to do with it. SDSU were giving it 110% and the BIG RED were going at it about 60%. I usually re-watch every game to look for things like that, but I haven't been able to bring myself to re-watch this game, but it's kind of like the accident on the other side of the highway so I'll probably sneak a peek at it pretty soon.

 

 

We've played too high on the line all season, it's getting ridiculous that this habit hasn't been fixed yet. Also, I've noticed that our guys aren't the best with their hands this year and are relying on too many gimmicks like spin moves to shed blockers.

 

For some reason, Suh dominated last year doing nothing more than a swim move nearly every play. I would like our line to play with a little more intensity and instead of trying to finesse the opposing line, just use hand placement, leverage, and power to drive them.

[HuskerT]

I'm not the biggest Watson fan, but I'm actually willing to give him a pass this week. I really think it's as simple as the players took this team way too lightly. Bo Pelini himself was saying all week that he never wants to see an FCS opponent on his schedule again. I'm sure we'll see a different team vs Kstate.

 

I think this is the heart of the matter, Bo said FCS teams don't belong in Memorial Stadium in the week leading up to the game, and i'll be darned if the players didn't come out and play exactly like that. After rewatching the game I saw sloppy technique across both lines, the undersized players CONSTANTLY got under the pad level of our bigger guys and drove them as a result. The d-line played very high from what I saw, it's easy to get away with that if you're Suh and use the right hand technique and strength to keep the other guy off balance, but if you don't have that level, and you constantly let that guy get into you on running plays you see what happens.

 

I think seeing bigger, taller guys in the Big 12 will actually HELP our d-line (and o-line) as it's sometimes a struggle to get under the pad level of a guy 2-3 inches shorter than you.

Although I see your points, I really don't think technique had anything to do with it. SDSU were giving it 110% and the BIG RED were going at it about 60%. I usually re-watch every game to look for things like that, but I haven't been able to bring myself to re-watch this game, but it's kind of like the accident on the other side of the highway so I'll probably sneak a peek at it pretty soon.

 

 

We've played too high on the line all season, it's getting ridiculous that this habit hasn't been fixed yet. Also, I've noticed that our guys aren't the best with their hands this year and are relying on too many gimmicks like spin moves to shed blockers.

 

For some reason, Suh dominated last year doing nothing more than a swim move nearly every play. I would like our line to play with a little more intensity and instead of trying to finesse the opposing line, just use hand placement, leverage, and power to drive them.

You're right, it does get frustrating. What bothers me is that they never seem to be ready and they line up about a yard off the ball. Combine those things with the fact that they do play tall and it's not a surprise to see them get beat up the middle. I do have confidence that they will get it figured out.

[irafreak]

Unless this is by design. Is it easier to swat down balls playing high? (no lineman experience here) What about gap control?

[Paul in WI]

If others read this in another thread I'm sorry if I'm being redundant. However I think a problem may be that whether Wats and Bo got together and decided they wanted a run heavy option offense, or Bo told Wats that is what he wanted--"get it for me", I don't know. But it is pretty obvious they don't want to go with the passing game that last year's ship sank on.

 

However, we did not start over and put in an offense based on a power running game with slick option components. Wats simply tweaked his base West Coast Offense and said "now we are a option heavy running team". It doesn't usually work like that. As I mentioned in the other thread, UCLA's coaches decided they needed to get more run performance and decided to go to the Pistol. They scrapped the entire offense they had been running--I don't know what it was probably a pro set. Anyway they went up to nevada and worked with his staff and installed the offense to feature what they wanted to do, from the ground up, working on it in the spring and fall. Judging from the Texas game they are getting better at it.

 

Anyway, I think part of the problem is that what we really did, was take a one dimensional offense from last year which was pretty well shut down (Lee's passing game) when we reached conference play and replace it with a one dimensional running game that is not really slick when compared with option teams like Navy or Airforce or Ga. tech, though they didn't look good this year, they have in the past.

 

Anyway we will know in the next three weeks how successful it is going to be. Those huge playbooks are totally silly. What you need is a team that is so good at the one thing they do that even knowing it, you can't stop them. An example was TT spread against us last year, or Air Force against Oklahoma this year, though they lost, you could tell OU was on their heels. You knew what they were going to do and couldn't stop it. The other way is to be multiple--that is what the Pistol strives for and UCLA stopped throwing when Texas shut that down and ran it right down their throat but still had Tejas respecting the pass. Alabama with a great line and the best back in the country, still has J Jones as a wideout that keeps a D very honest. You load the box, they will kill you.

 

So I could be wrong and we will walk through our last campaign in the big 12 and be in that NCG that many of you are determined we are destined for. But I am afraid we are going to have a hard time repeating that early season success and you don't teach a QB to become a skilled passer/decision maker in a couple weeks. Without it, we will be much like KSU and their all american back and poor throwing QB.

 

Wow. I think this is a great post. I share every one of your concerns, but I hope very much that we're both wrong. All I do know is that I wish I hadn't spent the 40 bucks to witness that debacle last weekend. Sheesh......

[huskers1]

To touch on the Cotton issue here as well, I just don't understand how our line can't be one of the best in the big 12, possibly country. Looking at other programs around the country and their o line recruits:

Kansas State:

2006:Scott Kreihbal (3 star), Kenneth Mayfield (2 star), Patrick Turner (2 star)

2007:Cory Adams (2 star), Alesana Alesana (3 star), colten freeze (2 star), Ben Liu (3 star), Jake Roepke (2 star), Eldridge Simms (3 star)

2008:Ethan Douglas (2 star), Zach Hansen (unrated), Edward Prince (3 star), Wade Weibert (3 star)

2009:William Cooper (2 star), William Lawson (2 star), Cornelius Lucas (2 star), Keenan Taylor (3 star)

 

Stanford:

2006:Joe Dembensky (2 star), John Kyed (3 star), Bret Mcbride (2 star), Andrew Phillips (3 star),

2007:Matt Bentler (2 star), George Halamandaris (2 star), Brad Hallick (3 star), Tyler Mabry (3 star)

2008:David Decastro (3 star), Jonathan Martin (3 star), Sam Schwartstein (2 star)

2009:Kevin Danser (3 star), Kalil Wilkes (3 star)

 

Oregon:

2006:Jordan Holmes (2 star), CE Kaiser (2 star), Pat So'oalo (2 star), Bo Thran (3 star), Fenuku Tupou (4 star)

2007:Mark Asper (2 star), Charlie Carmichael (3 star), Darrion Weems (4 star), Carson York (4 star)

2008:Nick Cody (4 star), Hamani Stevens (4 star),

2009:Karrington Armstrong (3 star), Everett Beynard (3 star), Jamall Burell (3 star), Trevor Fox (3 star)

 

Nebraska:

2006:Keith Williams (3 star), DJ Jones (4 star)

2007:Marcel Jones (3 star),

2008:Ricky Henry (3 star), Brandon Thompsen (3 star)

2009:Nick Ash (3 star), Jesse Coffey (3 star), Brent Qvale (3 star), Jeramiah Sirles (3 star)

 

So obviously the depth is the first thing that jumps off the page but just take a look at the average stars of these teams. I picked these teams bc they have a pretty good running game the past few years. What's the difference? Scheme? Bad evaluations? Coaching/Developing?

[Hunter94]

It is amazing how long this thread is. This Watson topic just never gets old. Even the ones that say it does are still interested enough to post...

 

 

i think Watson is destined to be second guessed as long as he is here....i don't see his stock going up very much, very soon.