Why so much pessimism?

[Zaimejs]

This is a good thread to read. My family and I watched the game and 70% of our comments were pessimistic and negative. It's nice to know that we're not alone. I can't remember when Husker football turned into this... but it's years and years of "once bitten twice shy" coming into play. We have seen this same team over and over and over again. Sketchy at best. A defense that bends but doesn't break with 1-2 meltdowns per game. A QB that is questionable and you are never comfortable watching... is this going to be a fumble? Interception? Bad decision? or a 60 yard touchdown run?

 

I think that our main concern is that we can't put together what looks like a well-planned disciplined drive. 3-4 yard plays. Move the chains. Mix up passing and running. This is why I hated Watson... and this is what I saw yesterday. At least, even if Oregon didn't execute last night, they still looked like they had a plan. The young QB had swagger. We never look like we have a plan on offense. It looks like sandlot. I rewinded and watched a few replays... our receivers just seem to be jogging out... no crisp routes. Martinez locks his eyes on one guy and then runs into people.

 

Sooo.... what does it mean? We won't really know for a few weeks, but it just feels like the same old same old. Uncertainty. If we can't dominate this kind of an opponent... then we are in trouble.

[Zaimejs]

I knew there was a reason i didnt want to get on here to listen to all the pissing and whining, but i couldnt resist.

 

Its like people think we are all the sudden going to walk out there and throw like Tom Brady and run like the Steelers in the same game, because Watson is gone. Not to mention our brand new offensive cordinator calling his VERY FIRST game...for christ sake people these are 19 yr old kids out there. This isnt the NFL, they are kids, barely out of high school, what is the matter with some of you? I think most of you have never played a sport in your life, and probably just a bunch of nerds that expect a kid barely out of high school to throw the football like Brady...a professional.

 

Theres a reason he gets 20 mil a year, because only a hand full of people in the world can throw the ball like he can, and certainly not some kid out of high school. Some of you have way too high of expectations and need to simmer down a little.

 

Not throw like Brady the professional, just throw like the Brady the high school QB

 

 

This is a good point too. Watching Martinez, I said... "This guy has been a QB for many years. I have never been a QB, but even when I play, I don't lock my eyes on the one person I am going to throw to. I can look down the field and see two receivers running routes." I look at this video of TB, and in high school he was already way beyond Martinez... way beyond what he'll ever be. I just don't get it. Doesn't Martinez watch really good QBs? Doesn't he play Madden at all?

[HuskerFowler]

And he wasnt even really a stud in college, imagine that, and when did he get drafted again? Just kind of proves to me that some guys mature differently then others, and just need time and the right coaching.

[Ratt Mhule]

Doesn't he play Madden at all

 

Helped you out a little with your statement...

[Ratt Mhule]

And he wasnt even really a stud in college, imagine that, and when did he get drafted again? Just kind of proves to me that some guys mature differently then others, and just need time and the right coaching.

 

Just look at his fundamentals throwing the ball in HS compared to Martinez throwing the ball in his third year of college. It's night and day.

[The Dude]

Let's freak out over a 33 point blowout victory. Tough break, there's always next week.

[HuskerFowler]

Im certainly not saying he will mature into Brady, but give the kids some time to develop and become competent, and play to their abilities. We played 6 true freshman on offense with a brand new ofensive co. calling plays for the first time, ya it was a little rough at times, but man, some people are just eternally negative i guess.

 

Everyone says the same thing every year, except that last few years ints been about of defense allowing so many rushing yards our first few games, well be lucky to be 7-5?? Hear it every year.

 

We dont belong with OU Texas Bama, yet we should have beaten texas when the went to the NC, and the same OU team that is now ranked #1. Guys are giving way too much credit to other teams. Yeah our oline needs work, but what would we do in practice if we were so good that we didnt need to work on anything? Pat ourselves on the back? No you bring your pail to work and get better everyday, thats all you can do. And by the end of the year your playing good enough to compete for the leauge title....not the begining of it.

[BrooklynsFinest]

I fail to see how anyone can say Oregon looked good yesterday. They got dominated. You guys look at the score and see they only lost by 13 points, but they scored tds after being down 20 on two separate drives. Down 20 late with a couple minutes left, if LSU didn't relax, the box score would've shown a blowout. Oregon has a good offense, against the weaker PAC-12. Against SEC teams, the team that averaged 40+ ppg averages 23 and their "dominant rushing game" gains less than 100 yards. James contained, O-Line gets dominated.

 

LSU has a great Defense, and Nebraska has a defense that can be just as good. Oregon is the prime example of why people say defense wins championships. They let LSU score 40 when LSU wasnt even trying to score 40 (it was too painfully obvious that they were playing not to lose once they got up 6 points).

[NEBRASKANHEAT]

Let's freak out over a 33 point blowout victory. Tough break, there's always next week.

 

 

 

These type of responses and the "whinny" accusations are silly.

 

 

As if there is no middle ground, where a reasonable fan could have serious concerns about the offense and how much it will cost us this season. That we might not have a qb that will perform at the level we need to be a top tier team.

 

Nope, to say so would be "freaking out" or 'whinny"..

 

 

Please.

 

 

I remember getting told that last year too. And the year before that.

[The Dude]

Let's freak out over a 33 point blowout victory. Tough break, there's always next week.

 

 

 

These type of responses and the "whinny" accusations are silly.

 

 

As if there is no middle ground, where a reasonable fan could have serious concerns about the offense and how much it will cost us this season. That we might not have a qb that will perform at the level we need to be a top tier team.

 

Nope, to say so would be "freaking out" or 'whinny"..

 

 

Please.

 

 

I remember getting told that last year too. And the year before that.

I wasn't talking to you.

[AFhusker]

Why so much pessimism?? Because our inside run was getting stuffed by an FCS opponent! Because if you contain Martinez, this offense is stopped!! Because Martinez can't pass!! Against a better team, at least 4 of his passes would have been picked off!! Because our offense looks unorganized!!

 

You're saying NU looked better than Oregon?? Hello?! Put down your crackpipe! Oregon was playing an SEC team, we were playing an FCS team. Oregon would destroy is! Look how fast their offense is. Ours takes forever to develop a play. We had over 10 plays go for negative yardage against an FCS opponent.

 

So I can't tell but what team do you root for cause obviously Nebraska isn't doing it for ya .

 

I have been a Nebraska fan for over 30 years. I have sat in that stadium through good and bad, through all the Callahan games and never left early. You don't know me, so don't question my fanhood of this team.

The original poster asked why so many were being pessimistic of this team. I answered his question.

I root for this team through good and bad, but like many fans, I yearn for a dominant team again. I am a realist who can see NU from a critical standpoint. I do have unconditional love for NU, but that doesn't mean I have to be a blind, sunshine shooter.

 

This fanbase needs more people like you.

[OH HSKR FAN]

I think we might have a few more ST scores this year. A good D and ST will help this offense.

[Hercules]

I fail to see how anyone can say Oregon looked good yesterday. They got dominated. You guys look at the score and see they only lost by 13 points, but they scored tds after being down 20 on two separate drives. Down 20 late with a couple minutes left, if LSU didn't relax, the box score would've shown a blowout. Oregon has a good offense, against the weaker PAC-12. Against SEC teams, the team that averaged 40+ ppg averages 23 and their "dominant rushing game" gains less than 100 yards. James contained, O-Line gets dominated.

 

LSU has a great Defense, and Nebraska has a defense that can be just as good. Oregon is the prime example of why people say defense wins championships. They let LSU score 40 when LSU wasnt even trying to score 40 (it was too painfully obvious that they were playing not to lose once they got up 6 points).

 

LSU was the better team last night, but Oregon's offense isn't what it'll be later in the season. They have to break in some new offensive linemen and some new WRs, and they're not ready for a defense like LSU. LSU didn't have much more success than Oregon's, the difference was in Oregon's fumbles (a true freshmen had 2 of them, and Cliff Harris's replacement fumbled a punt at the goalline to give LSU a TD).

 

Basically, LSU won because they have a great defense and they're deeper, but mostly because they made fewer first-game mistakes than Oregon. I'm personally thrilled that Nebraska didn't have to play a team like LSU or Oregon, because we have way too many kinks to work out before we're ready to play a team like that. Oregon has more kinks to work out right now than LSU, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if Oregon is a better team than LSU at the end of the year.

[krc1995]

So what are all the nay sayers going to do next week if we come out and pound Fresno into the ground? Say we just got lucky?

I'll cheer for Nebraska . . . just like I did yesterday.

 

Sunshine pumping doesn't make you a better fan.

#1

[Enhance]

Don't know which I would rather have, an offensive line that lets running backs get up-field but consistently gets called for holding, or an offensive line that doesn't get called for holding, lets the ground game work for some big and intermediate plays, and also doesn't get called for holding once.

 

Maybe they (OLine coaches) are trying to teach the guys how to block without holding, and if they didn't hold at all, well then that's at least a small victory.

I think one of the problems from yesterday was blocking at the second level. We had times where the blocking was really good to start, but then we had nobody to get to that second level and stop the backers from making tackles. There were also a couple of perimeter runs yesterday that failed because of poor blocking by a wide receiver. In many cases, one block can mean a four yard gain or a 10+ yard gain.

 

I agree. Although I though Enunwa did a good job. I would also say that Taylor needs to look for those cutback lanes. You won't always get the edge so if he sees that we don't have numbers he should cut up field. He did on one TD, but he could of done it a couple of other times. 2-3 yds is better than 0 or negative yards. He should also eat the ball if the pitch isn't there. Of course it's easy to say that. practice practice practice.

Exactly.

 

And I'm not putting everything on the receivers. It's the offensive line's job to push into the second level and it's the fullback's job to make sure he hits someone out of the way. Legate had a good game, but on Martinez' second touchdown run, he stayed on the outside of Martinez by the sideline instead of cutting inside. Clearly Martinez is faster, so Legate should know to compensate and cut inside to make a block.

 

I think another reason people are pessimistic is because yesterday was a one man show again. Without Martinez' speed you have to question how the game would have turned out. It's a small question, given the team we were playing and the fact that it was a new offense's first game, but it's a question nonetheless.