Nebraska's offense

[knapplc]

We're running the Taylor Martinez keeps it every play offense...I'm tired of him not using the tailback. For got sakes how does he plan to stay healthy if he's getting clock cleaned every down.

 

I agree with chickenheart!! Martinez can run there is no doubt but I question his mental abilities to run the option. I think Burkehead needs to have a minimum of 20-25 touches a game. then bring in the 3 freshman for a few and when nobody is looking, have martinez just run a QB keeper option looking play. Let our RBs run and get used to the game.

EXACTLY!

 

What are you guys talking about? Martinez isn't keeping the ball an inordinate amount of time. We've rushed the ball 78 time this season. The RB has gotten the ball 56% of the time on those rushes. Specifically, Martinez has rushed 34 times in two games, while Rex has rushed 26 times. It's not as if Burkhead isn't touching the ball. He's just being asked to do different things with it.

 

As for Martinez not having the mental abilities to run the option, he's plenty smart. It's a question of talent rather than intelligence. We've had some pretty dense QBs run the option very effectively in the past couple of decades. Martinez is plenty smart. It just takes more time than he's been allowed to put in to master it. If he's still making the same mistakes as a Junior and Senior, then we can say he's not capable. So far he's run it a very few times in about a dozen games. That's hardly enough reps to make an informed decision.

[jsneb83]

We're running the Taylor Martinez keeps it every play offense...I'm tired of him not using the tailback. For got sakes how does he plan to stay healthy if he's getting clock cleaned every down.

 

I agree with chickenheart!! Martinez can run there is no doubt but I question his mental abilities to run the option. I think Burkehead needs to have a minimum of 20-25 touches a game. then bring in the 3 freshman for a few and when nobody is looking, have martinez just run a QB keeper option looking play. Let our RBs run and get used to the game.

EXACTLY!

 

What are you guys talking about? Martinez isn't keeping the ball an inordinate amount of time. We've rushed the ball 78 time this season. The RB has gotten the ball 56% of the time on those rushes. Specifically, Martinez has rushed 34 times in two games, while Rex has rushed 26 times. It's not as if Burkhead isn't touching the ball. He's just being asked to do different things with it.

 

As for Martinez not having the mental abilities to run the option, he's plenty smart. It's a question of talent rather than intelligence. We've had some pretty dense QBs run the option very effectively in the past couple of decades. Martinez is plenty smart. It just takes more time than he's been allowed to put in to master it. If he's still making the same mistakes as a Junior and Senior, then we can say he's not capable. So far he's run it a very few times in about a dozen games. That's hardly enough reps to make an informed decision.

Yeah I remember the two times we ran the option Saturday, the defender bolted straight for the halfback, not sure if that was his man or if Taylor gave him a subtle head fake, both times he ran right past Taylor and he just kept it for big gains.

[da skers]

I like the scheme so far. I like the heavy dose of option football, I like Tim Beck's playcalling (against Fresno State), I like that we're using lots of different looks (both spread looks and power looks), and I like that the offense is simple enough that true freshmen can come in and contribute right away. We're getting our best athletes on the field, and that is huge.

 

I also like that Tim Beck seems committed to the run. The second quarter TD against Fresno, where we had the ball first and goal from about the 3 yard line, Beck just called four straight running plays. He didn't get cute with any playaction or shotgun (like Missouri) or jump passes or wildcat, he just stayed focused on pounding the ball in, and even though it took 4 downs, his offense finally executed and got it done.

 

I think this is going to be a no-huddle, fast paced, run-first offense when it's all said and done. I think there's going to be option football out of a lot of different looks, and they're going to find ways to get the ball to playmakers in space. It's going to use plenty of spread, but they're also committed to power football, which they will need at least in goalline situations or when they're grinding the clock out.

 

Right now, however, the offensive line seems to be a long ways off from being able to execute aspects of this, so we may be playing against our own limitations for a while. For everyone saying they want to see the tailback position established more, well, that's on the offensive line. They have to get better if we're going to see better production out of the tailback. Right now, it's virtually useless to hand off to our running backs if they're just going to gain 1-2 yards.

 

It's going to take time, but once it gets clicking, I think it's going to be fun to watch and difficult to defend.

I like the looks of it too. We've basically ran 4 types of option football and I think all of them have their place and I imagine we'll be very difficult to plan against in the up coming years.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I like that we've sped the offense up....at times. We've only seen it a few times and I can see the offense really clicks when we do that. I think that's what the final product is going to be. I'd hate to be on defense when our offense is capable of doing what it's built for........I just hope we get there.

[Jeremy]

Agree with most of what's being said. If you watch closely on Martinez's last long option keep for a score, we had trips to the right, and FSU only had a corner on the edge on the other side. You could tell Martinez saw that and audibled right away into an option to that side - the Bulldogs simply didn't have enough defenders on that side to stop it, which is very Osborne-esque.

 

I see the phrase 'lob and pray,' but I think that's Martinez's style, especially if you watch his HS film during their title run. They were loaded with talent at WR and RB, so when defenses bit on play action, he would chuck it downfield and let super-speedy receivers run underneath it, which is exactly what happened last night. The problem comes when we face very talented secondaries like OSU, PSU and Wisky.

 

I like what Beck's doing, but it's a little too grab-bag for me. As long as we're scoring more than 40, I can't complain, I guess.

 

My only real beef is on the option out of the I. We MUST have a give to the FB if we're going to have Martinez run down the line, because big defensive ends are going to take his head off if we don't have any inside look to keep them honest. Trap and Belly option if we're going to run it out of the I.

[Hunter94]

Agree with most of what's being said. If you watch closely on Martinez's last long option keep for a score, we had trips to the right, and FSU only had a corner on the edge on the other side. You could tell Martinez saw that and audibled right away into an option to that side - the Bulldogs simply didn't have enough defenders on that side to stop it, which is very Osborne-esque.

 

I see the phrase 'lob and pray,' but I think that's Martinez's style, especially if you watch his HS film during their title run. They were loaded with talent at WR and RB, so when defenses bit on play action, he would chuck it downfield and let super-speedy receivers run underneath it, which is exactly what happened last night. The problem comes when we face very talented secondaries like OSU, PSU and Wisky.

 

I like what Beck's doing, but it's a little too grab-bag for me. As long as we're scoring more than 40, I can't complain, I guess.

 

My only real beef is on the option out of the I. We MUST have a give to the FB if we're going to have Martinez run down the line, because big defensive ends are going to take his head off if we don't have any inside look to keep them honest. Trap and Belly option if we're going to run it out of the I.

 

 

pretty good post, as for the offense finding an identity, with all due respect to Beck, i think it will take a least half the season, maybe more, for him to soldify an identity for what he wants to do with the O.

[Blaze1up]

We looked better then the Steelers.

 

7 turnovers

[bournehusker]

I think we have a plan. I find it hard to swallow that a coach would deliberately call plays he knew would not work however. I think we just can't execute what we have put in so far. I think we will get better but don't expect that suddenly we will change to what we are "really" gonna run and have some miracle shift in offensive ability. I'm sure there are plays and formations we are holding back but what you see is what you get I think and I doubt it will change much. We need to get our playmakers the ball. I think the biggest change will be seen in how we do that. Screens and short routes and even some misdirections but one thing is evident to me....turner...bell...enunwa...abdullah and others need the ball.

[bshirt]

I like the scheme so far. I like the heavy dose of option football, I like Tim Beck's playcalling (against Fresno State), I like that we're using lots of different looks (both spread looks and power looks), and I like that the offense is simple enough that true freshmen can come in and contribute right away. We're getting our best athletes on the field, and that is huge.

 

I also like that Tim Beck seems committed to the run. The second quarter TD against Fresno, where we had the ball first and goal from about the 3 yard line, Beck just called four straight running plays. He didn't get cute with any playaction or shotgun (like Missouri) or jump passes or wildcat, he just stayed focused on pounding the ball in, and even though it took 4 downs, his offense finally executed and got it done.

 

I think this is going to be a no-huddle, fast paced, run-first offense when it's all said and done. I think there's going to be option football out of a lot of different looks, and they're going to find ways to get the ball to playmakers in space. It's going to use plenty of spread, but they're also committed to power football, which they will need at least in goalline situations or when they're grinding the clock out.

 

Right now, however, the offensive line seems to be a long ways off from being able to execute aspects of this, so we may be playing against our own limitations for a while. For everyone saying they want to see the tailback position established more, well, that's on the offensive line. They have to get better if we're going to see better production out of the tailback. Right now, it's virtually useless to hand off to our running backs if they're just going to gain 1-2 yards.

 

It's going to take time, but once it gets clicking, I think it's going to be fun to watch and difficult to defend.

 

Bingo!!

 

That's why a LOT of the time we're 3rd & long.....because our rbs are getting totally stuffed on 1st and/or 2nd down. That's on the Oline, not Tmart.

[ronsss]

nu must be good, they are 17.5 points favorite over washington

[da skers]

I also like that we're not killing ourselves (yet) with dumb penalties and jumping offsides.

[junior4949]

I like the scheme so far. I like the heavy dose of option football, I like Tim Beck's playcalling (against Fresno State), I like that we're using lots of different looks (both spread looks and power looks), and I like that the offense is simple enough that true freshmen can come in and contribute right away. We're getting our best athletes on the field, and that is huge.

 

I also like that Tim Beck seems committed to the run. The second quarter TD against Fresno, where we had the ball first and goal from about the 3 yard line, Beck just called four straight running plays. He didn't get cute with any playaction or shotgun (like Missouri) or jump passes or wildcat, he just stayed focused on pounding the ball in, and even though it took 4 downs, his offense finally executed and got it done.

 

I think this is going to be a no-huddle, fast paced, run-first offense when it's all said and done. I think there's going to be option football out of a lot of different looks, and they're going to find ways to get the ball to playmakers in space. It's going to use plenty of spread, but they're also committed to power football, which they will need at least in goalline situations or when they're grinding the clock out.

 

Right now, however, the offensive line seems to be a long ways off from being able to execute aspects of this, so we may be playing against our own limitations for a while. For everyone saying they want to see the tailback position established more, well, that's on the offensive line. They have to get better if we're going to see better production out of the tailback. Right now, it's virtually useless to hand off to our running backs if they're just going to gain 1-2 yards.

 

It's going to take time, but once it gets clicking, I think it's going to be fun to watch and difficult to defend.

 

Bingo!!

 

That's why a LOT of the time we're 3rd & long.....because our rbs are getting totally stuffed on 1st and/or 2nd down. That's on the Oline, not Tmart.

 

I think we're seeing the same thing. The OL is struggling big time thus far this season. So far, Beck is finding himself with the same limiting factor that Watson did: poor OL play. I thought there were some great offensive calls made especially the long option TD by Martinez, but we haven't exactly faced a good/great defense yet. The reason we thus far have been a big play only offense is because Beck is making some great calls. I just wish we could find a way to grind out a 7-12 play sustained drive.

 

I'm reserving all judgement until after the Wisconsin game. For some reason, Bo seems to get the team a lot more fired up for away games. I'd like to believe we've been holding back, but being down at halftime at home against Fresno doesn't make a lot of sense to me to hold anything back. All offseason we were told about how the offense would be simpler, cater to Martinez's abilities, etc. I'm getting the same nautious feeling I got a few years back when the coaching staff gushed all week long about the defensive game plan they had going into the Mizzou game where we just got trounced. Washington's defense hasn't been great so far this year. Maybe, the OL will get it together and start to gel as a unit.

[Micheal]

I think we will definitely see more of the offense come to light against Washington. Can't save everything for ever.

[HuskerGBR]

Sounds like some good things...thanks for the insight guys . I should be able to watch the Washington game, so I will finally get to see what you guys are seeing. The highlights from the Fresno State game looked really good though. They are highlights though. I saw some really good things from those highlights...I saw some good pulls from the O-line and it looks like it is just going to take more practice before they are running on all cylinders. I like how they were making checks at the line too.

[PaulCrewe]

More or less NU should be running some variation of this and it would mean world domination.