This is why it hurts so much...

[BIGREDIOWAN]

Bottom line, the team gave up. After T-Mart threw his second interception that was all she wrote. You could see the teams body language change and we knew we were screwed. We had to keep the tempo up the entire game like we did in the first quarter and it changed on BOTH sides of the ball. Defense wasn't bringing enough pressure and the offense slowed down and allowed Wisconsin to adjust to what they were doing. Rex HAS to get the ball more then he has all season................it's f-ing pathetic that he isn't getting the ball more. The kid is outstanding and is THE player on this offense. Our other backs are good and our receivers are pretty good as well, but Rex is a stud.

[huskerscott]

To me it really doesnt hurt that much. Everybody must have been drinking the kool aid pretty hard not to see this coming. Wisconsin did play a weaker schedule, but they looked sharp and showed no weakness in beating up those teams. Meanwhile, Nebraska had more questions than answers after 4 games on BOTH sides of the ball, not good. Yet a lot of people thought we had chance to beat Wisconsin. Its been the same story for the last 4 years and it wont change anytime soon for our program.

 

If our QB play doesnt improve and our defense doesnt figure out how to stop a nose bleed, we wont even sniff the CCG.

[Jason Sitoke]

That first quarter and a half, this young Husker team was taking it to a fringe title contender. Playing well on offense, decent on defense relative to what we've seen and expected.

 

The game was there to be taken. The coaches were calling plays in order to get kill shots, or at least to set them up. But they have this insane confidence in Martinez's ability to throw the ball. The kid burned them. Can it be fixed? The second interception can, for sure. I know the read on that play and T-Mart didn't even attempt reading it. The others, who knows?

 

It's high time we start putting confidence in the O-Line and the backs. I believe they've earned it.

 

I agree-we did some very GOOD things last night. We had Wisconsin rattled. They saw that we came to play. Then...the nightmare began. We became pass happy and our defense went flat. Ok...so that's behind us. What can we do now? I, for one, would like to see Coach Beck become dedicated to the run. It is Martinez strength. It was funny-watching Wisconsin play last night reminded me of the great Nebraska teams of the 90's. I read somewhere this past week that Barry Alveraz (AD for Wisc.-former NU player in the '60's) said that when he was a coach for Wisc. he wanted to model his team after the Huskers. Well, he did! We were playing that way in the first quarter why in the world did we stop?? That is what I just don't understand.

 

Rattled? I didn't see the slightest indication of that. I saw UW answer Neb's first score with a 91-yard drive on the next posession, and again after Neb made it 14-7. I saw UW make the necessary defensive adjustments. I saw UW's offense grind down the Huskers D. Watch the fourth quarter and notice who was delivering the blows....

 

I agree. I never saw UW rattled. Wilson looked calm the entire time and seemingly was playing in slow motion.

[huskerjack23]

That first quarter and a half, this young Husker team was taking it to a fringe title contender. Playing well on offense, decent on defense relative to what we've seen and expected.

 

The game was there to be taken. The coaches were calling plays in order to get kill shots, or at least to set them up. But they have this insane confidence in Martinez's ability to throw the ball. The kid burned them. Can it be fixed? The second interception can, for sure. I know the read on that play and T-Mart didn't even attempt reading it. The others, who knows?

 

It's high time we start putting confidence in the O-Line and the backs. I believe they've earned it.

 

IMO it doesn't matter how well you play for one quarter. If you implode like we did, that's the headline, that's the whole story. The almost and kinda/sorta and well-maybe-if stuff can be taken to the curb. It just doesn't matter.

Well you're not including the whole story also. You might only see the bad but I saw some damn good out of that team. Nebraska was outclassed, maybe, but most of all they shot themselves in the foot again. That's my issue.

[Hammerhead]

To me it really doesnt hurt that much. Everybody must have been drinking the kool aid pretty hard not to see this coming. Wisconsin did play a weaker schedule, but they looked sharp and showed no weakness in beating up those teams. Meanwhile, Nebraska had more questions than answers after 4 games on BOTH sides of the ball, not good. Yet a lot of people thought we had chance to beat Wisconsin. Its been the same story for the last 4 years and it wont change anytime soon for our program.

 

If our QB play doesnt improve and our defense doesnt figure out how to stop a nose bleed, we wont even sniff the CCG.

 

I expected Nebraska to lose, but not get embarrassed that badly.

[NoKoolAidForME]

I doubt that Beck went AWOL and just started calling plays at random. Does anybody know how the defense changed between the last touchdown and the first interception that caused Beck to go to the area of his gameplan that relied on a pro style QB? Further, maybe it is the weak play of our corners in practice that has them thinking Martinez can actually pass.

You know I think there may be truth to that. I don't think it happening now because they go against the scout team during the season maybe a little good on good at the end of practices. The reason I thought this team would give the defense problems is because of a mobile QB. Taylor Martinez won the starting job because of what he was able to do against our defense. Russell Wilson rushed for half the yards Taylor did but on 1/3 the amount of carries. With that being said Michigan will be an interesting game.

[VectorVictor]

I doubt that Beck went AWOL and just started calling plays at random. Does anybody know how the defense changed between the last touchdown and the first interception that caused Beck to go to the area of his gameplan that relied on a pro style QB? Further, maybe it is the weak play of our corners in practice that has them thinking Martinez can actually pass.

It actually fell back onto their gameplan to throw to open up the running game. And when Taylor started decent I guess it added to the thought process. The problem was more Taylor's inability to go to second/third/checkdown options. He gets a little caught up in making the big play when a Ben Cotton is dragging across the field by himself for an easy first down, or Rex is so alone on a checkdown that he gains an easy 5 yards before having to work for yardage.

 

This. And our WRs, more or less, had their heads on straight. They fought and scrapped for YAC, and I came away impressed from their efforts.

 

And IIRC, on all three interceptions, there were better options available had Martinez checked down. The second INT had an open receiver just beyond the first down marker that was open--exactly what we needed, but Martinez decided to go for a lunker, and came up with a boot.

[holvy83]

The thing that bothers me the most is that the D forgot how to hit someone, I see more guys trying to arm tackle every game. When the front four actually did get in the back field there was not control and all Wilson had to do is take one step in either direction and they flew right by them. 3 Turnover that lead to TD's will not help anyone, but with the D playing horrid you wont get much chance for a comeback either. Did Wiscy even punt the ball Saturday? Lots of ???? with this team.

[bdubb75]

Just ran across this tweet and felt that it was related to "why it hurts so much..."

 

TravisLewis28 Travis Lewis

 

by ESPN_BigTen

 

 

I feel bad for nebraska . . Couldn't win In the big 12, then go to the big 10 and can't win. maybe conference usa would be a better fit

[MNSker]

Martinez is not a good passer. He never will be a good passer. Martinez is not the QB to run the offense that Beck tried to run in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quarters. Beck needs to either use Martinez to his strengths or find another QB. We will be doomed if Beck tries to make Martinez a pocket passer. Although Beck did not throw the interceptions, he is responsible for them happening. I think Martinez was trying a hard as he could, but was put in the entirely wrong scheme. This is on Beck.

 

This. Put Martinez in situations he's comfortable in and stick with them for the entire game. The Nebraska of the '80s and '90s didn't get pass happy when down by a score (or up by one for that matter--then again, they weren't able to come back easily--then again they didn't have to very often. )

 

T-Mart doesn't have the head to be a good passer and panicks too easily. Let him build confidence over time, but in the short term we need to keep the ball on the ground. We're going to start facing defenses that don't make bonehead moves and leave receivers uncovered, and that alone will take away the long ball unless our WRs can go up and fight for it.

[N Sker]

Watching the 1st qtr, I was impressed that the huskers were looking good and could hang, buying into the thought that the badgers just hadn't played anyone. I made the mistake at the end of the qtr to say "The team with the first mistake is going to go down." I think I jinxed us...

 

Wilson is one heck of a QB!

[irafreak]

It's one thing to have confidence in your qb. It's another thing to recognize when he's rattled and take some pressure off of him. Watching Taylor try to scramble out of a stable pocket on two straight plays was enough for anyone to see they needed to help him out. I mean it's first and 15 and beck calls three straight 3rd and 15 type play calls. Inexcusable and I don't blame Taylor one bit for last two picks. Let Rex spell him a little and work his magic.

[The Duke]

It's high time we start putting confidence in the O-Line and the backs. I believe they've earned it.

 

It really is quite amazing when you think about it...one of everyone's biggest concerns at the start of the year and even through the first two games was the offensive line. Everybody was harping on Coach Cotton, and saying how he couldn't coach, but now look at where we are today. I commend Barney and Coach Garrison, they have done an excellent job so far with the O-Line this year...especially once they started those rotations during the Washington game.

 

I agree with you huskerjack23, let's put this team on the backs of the O-Line and running backs and start imposing our will on the opposing defenses. I truly believe one of the areas where this team has made the biggest improvement from last year is our offensive line.

[beanman]

Just ran across this tweet and felt that it was related to "why it hurts so much..."

 

TravisLewis28 Travis Lewis

 

by ESPN_BigTen

 

 

I feel bad for nebraska . . Couldn't win In the big 12, then go to the big 10 and can't win. maybe conference usa would be a better fit

 

Who the hell is Travis Lewis?

[zoogs]

Everybody was harping on Coach Cotton, and saying how he couldn't coach, but now look at where we are today.

 

Cotton has been practically taken out of his role as an OL coach, though. It seems like the staff has pulled out every stop possible to get him help and to get other guys in there coaching those boys up.

 

Time will tell if that's correct. We'll see what's done at the end of the season vis-a-vis Cotton. If he stays, then this staff really believes in him.