Let's Talk Offensive Line

[Enhance]

The thing that really worries me is that at one point or another, you HAVE to start looking at your staff if you are having consistency issues.

 

We had a good o-line in 2008, and I think two of those guys made NFL rosters and were all part of Callahan's tutelage for close to four years. Also, a year or two removed from coaching at Nebraska, the Jets had the best rushing offense in the nation. That says quite a bit.

 

Anyways, we have some good answers here but I'm looking more towards the technical side of things rather than Cotton just being a bad coach. I'm wondering what specific things our players are doing that isn't working well. We've had some good responses so far so let's keep em coming.

[eoltmer]

The thing that really worries me is that at one point or another, you HAVE to start looking at your staff if you are having consistency issues.

 

We had a good o-line in 2008, and I think two of those guys made NFL rosters and were all part of Callahan's tutelage for close to four years. Also, a year or two removed from coaching at Nebraska, the Jets had the best rushing offense in the nation. That says quite a bit.

 

Anyways, we have some good answers here but I'm looking more towards the technical side of things rather than Cotton just being a bad coach. I'm wondering what specific things our players are doing that isn't working well. We've had some good responses so far so let's keep em coming.

 

I had the privledge of attending the Coaches clinic at UNL this summer. Now I worked with mostly the O-line and D-line during that time AKA, Barney and Carl. Barney explained a few things that they did change as far as technique goes and that pre-Arizona game they went to wider gaps and a different pulling technique that were successful. So this year has been a learning experience for not just the new recruits but also some of the veterens. Now I know that this shouldn't even be an issue this late into the season but you can see the effects of the constant playcalling and game plan changing that takes place week to week that these kids cannot get into a constant rythem when you put all your eggs into one basket AKA making the zone read your bread and butter.

 

One thing that got brought up post Callahan is that the offense was a jack of all trades but a master of none. You can see that still today, this offense lives and dies by the big play. You've seen it in every game this year, we break a long run/pass for a big play. We fail to have a big play and we get held to little to no points. We do not have a smash mouth footbal team that can pick up the tough yards without the obvious pass play. I'm not trying to bash Watson or Cotton but when viewers at home can tell what you are calling before you even call it then your game plan is pretty predictable.

 

This O-line of ours is better in pass protection than run protection, fact. How many times do we really see the O-line dominate past the first level? How many times does a Guard pull and not get to his block fast enough? That is one thing that Osbourne really excelled at was the O-line dictating the play of the offense. Do I think the coaching is the issue, yes. Do I feel the players are an issue, yes. Do I think it can all be fixed without someone being fired, yes. But this is something that can be fixed in time as long as the STAFF comes together and identifies the issues and come up with a way to resolve them. Staff consistency breeds success, its a fact we just need to be patient and allow them to learn and develope properly.

[Danny Bateman]

The thing that really worries me is that at one point or another, you HAVE to start looking at your staff if you are having consistency issues.

 

We had a good o-line in 2008, and I think two of those guys made NFL rosters and were all part of Callahan's tutelage for close to four years. Also, a year or two removed from coaching at Nebraska, the Jets had the best rushing offense in the nation. That says quite a bit.

 

Anyways, we have some good answers here but I'm looking more towards the technical side of things rather than Cotton just being a bad coach. I'm wondering what specific things our players are doing that isn't working well. We've had some good responses so far so let's keep em coming.

 

I had the privledge of attending the Coaches clinic at UNL this summer. Now I worked with mostly the O-line and D-line during that time AKA, Barney and Carl. Barney explained a few things that they did change as far as technique goes and that pre-Arizona game they went to wider gaps and a different pulling technique that were successful. So this year has been a learning experience for not just the new recruits but also some of the veterens. Now I know that this shouldn't even be an issue this late into the season but you can see the effects of the constant playcalling and game plan changing that takes place week to week that these kids cannot get into a constant rythem when you put all your eggs into one basket AKA making the zone read your bread and butter.

 

One thing that got brought up post Callahan is that the offense was a jack of all trades but a master of none. You can see that still today, this offense lives and dies by the big play. You've seen it in every game this year, we break a long run/pass for a big play. We fail to have a big play and we get held to little to no points. We do not have a smash mouth footbal team that can pick up the tough yards without the obvious pass play. I'm not trying to bash Watson or Cotton but when viewers at home can tell what you are calling before you even call it then your game plan is pretty predictable.

 

This O-line of ours is better in pass protection than run protection, fact. How many times do we really see the O-line dominate past the first level? How many times does a Guard pull and not get to his block fast enough? That is one thing that Osbourne really excelled at was the O-line dictating the play of the offense. Do I think the coaching is the issue, yes. Do I feel the players are an issue, yes. Do I think it can all be fixed without someone being fired, yes. But this is something that can be fixed in time as long as the STAFF comes together and identifies the issues and come up with a way to resolve them. Staff consistency breeds success, its a fact we just need to be patient and allow them to learn and develope properly.

Great breakdown, man. Thanks for the insight.

 

I've come to the conclusion, after bashing Cotton mercilessly all of last year and calling for his head, then this year thinking he many have turned a corner after the first three games and then the Mizzou game, then realizing he didn't, that Barney is merely an adequate line coach who may be better suited as an O coordinator at a small time school like ISU than here. He does an ok job with the linemen, but isn't inspiring in any way whatsoever. Our guys do doo a good job in pass pro, but they have never been able to consistently dominate teams week after week for a whole season like we did back in the Pipeline days under Milt.

 

What needs to happen is that we need to part ways with Cotton, Wats, and Gilmore, the last three holdovers, and then have T.O. be extremely involved in selecting the new coaches, especially the offensive coordinator and O Line coach. If there's one thing that man knew how to do, it was implement a successful offensive attack, and his 100% required a successful O Line. So he made sure he had a quality position coach there. I'd think he'd know how to pick one out again.

 

The reason I think we need a fresh start in those three spots is because the last two years have been very disappointing offensively. Too many damn moments on offense. I realize last year we didn't have the pieces to light the world on fire, with a ton of O Line injuries and still a very young, inexperienced offense, and a human turnover machine at wideout, but Wats showed something that is inexcusable as a coordinator-- an inability to get out of his own way. The two moments that particularly highlight our struggles last year that stick out in my mind are Niles fumbling twice IN ONE PLAY as he headed into the endzone in the ISU game, and in the B12 championship game, after our D picked off McCoy and got the ball near (if not already in) field goal range, and Wats calls a deep bomb to Niles that gets picked off-- first play.

 

Our offense does not remember fundamentals at all, as shown by all the turnovers in the ISU game last year, and the ridiculous fumbles numbers this year. I just yearn for some consistency on offense, a team that does not have multiple personalities, and a team that executes fundamentals, like we had under Dr. Tom. And that WILL NOT HAPPEN under this offensive staff. Ever. Period. I'm serious. Wats' offense can be flashy and look unstoppable at times, but it cannot give us CONSISTENCY.

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

Barney wants the guys to play with heart, great. Now to get them to block and stop making so many mental mistakes that lead to penalties. Is he capable of this? I'm leaning toward NOT!!!

[bshirt]

SW & Gilmore simply have to go. The offense is broke (again) and the wrs keep dropping balls.

 

I like Barney and am still inclined to think most of the Oline's problems are due to his "jack of all trades/multiple" marching orders from our OC. It's not easy requiring an OLine excel at both run and pass blocking. We really, really need an identity desperately.

 

The bottom line is that the decisions that have to be made rest on Bo. Will he have the balls to make the call or just continue to "hope for the best"? We'll see....

[PaulCrewe]

I am in the it's a little of both camp. I have been open in my criticism of Barney since the hiring. Didn't like the move one bit. In fact buddies in Ames called to thank me for bringing him back because of the "joke" of a coach he is. There really is no excuse for him much more. This team should be struggling with pass pro before run blocking if anything. Pass blocking is all about reaction to the defender whereas run blocking you are the aggressor. This still baffles me.

Another thing is that obviously Barney isn't developing the depth that he said we had. Once in a blue moon ARod gets in but where has Qvuale been? There hasn't been a whole lot of rotation like he said he'd do this summer.

Secondly I have said before that the talent up front still isn't that good yet. Ricky Henry would be the only player in the two deep right now that would've sniffed the two-deep back in the PipeLine days. Yoshi is inconsistant and relies on his size most of the time. Shirles is young and still has a chance. The Joneses are slow and also try to rely on their size(yes I know Marcel has been hurt, and I actually liked what he did at times last year on the field), Caputo is undersized but at least has heart, and Williams is just a huge enigma as you never know which Keith you'll get.

With recruiting classes like this one coming in I can't see this to being a prolonged issue. Now whatever Barney(if he's fortunate enough to get the chance) or anyone else does with these kids will be the question.

[GBRsal]

we have a bipolar coach so we have a bipolar team

[CFHusker]

This is an interesting topic. Compare our OL to most OL's across the country and they seem to be pretty much the same. A lot of OL's are inconsistent. Even in the NFL it seems that OL's are very inconsistent and struggle to get an identity. I believe it is two reasons 1) the complexity of the defenses. The defenses have become so varied. Sometimes they have no clue where guys are going to come from or how they are going to adjust once the ball is snapped. 2) the complexity of offenses. Early 90's you exposed a hole. So you would call a trap of the 2 hole. The entire blocking scheme was focused on blowing out that hole and crushing anyone who dared get in the way. Today it is a lot of zone blocks. So the focus of the line is scrambled at the snap. Also the back has to have the vision to see where the hole is going to open up. In todays schemes a running back makes or breaks an OL. Against MO it appeared they ran more "to a hole" type plays with tight end traps and it was very successful.

 

Today playing offense line is too much thinking. That is where they start to get sloppy. Just like Williams getting those calls he was having to over think his assignments. False starts are either because because of a donkey QB changing their voice to get the D to jump, or because he OL is thinking and not concentrating.

 

So this is not just an issue with the Cornhuskers. It just hurts a lot more because back in the day they dominated and were an identity of the team. But it seems like the OL strategy is going to have to evolve has the game of football evolves. This will have to happen at every level.

 

One thing I hate about the fire everyone conversation is that it seems we have coaches with character. Plus an OL coach is not going to be a merlin with some scheme that know other team can figure out.

 

Fun topic.