CFL Roundtable: Nebraska

[Blackshirt316]

After the Wisconsin game Taylor played in 8 games.

He went 108 of 165 for 1,266 yards (58.3 CMP%) He had 9 TDs and 3 INTS and a QBR of 129.3

He also ran the ball 105 times for 392 yards (3.8YPC) and 1 rushing TD

[zoogs]

Wha....? I guess to the common eye, what Taylor did was "pedestrian" but I disagree completely. After the Wisconsin game, he seemed to improve his play each and every week. Hopefully he continues his steady play this coming season and shows off his new passing mechanics.

 

Oh - I did forget that Ohio State happened after Wisconsin and not before. No denying that triumph, but we really didn't have an especially stirring finish. With OSU the week after Wisconsin, I would say his play did not improve a single week thereafter.

 

We rolled Minnesota and he put up an admirable fight against Northwestern.

 

He barely eclipsed 100 total yards of production against Michigan State, had pretty lifeless outings against Penn State and Michigan, and a day full of ups and downs against South Carolina. Where he did have a pick.

 

Taylor didn't have a run of longer than 20 yards 9-game stretch including one game before Wisconsin (Wyoming). I mean, it's not like he was flat-out terrible, but it was very far from flourishing, which is the point. Looking over this summary, I think it's also clear that it was far from steady.

[NUinID]

I dont understand why everyone goes back to the A&M game typical ESPN bs they love to show Bo as a guy that belongs in a mental hospital. I also hate how ESPN probably has not even looked at anyone this spring and all these assumptions were based purely on last season. A LOT can change after a season. Look at Bama how they won the national title in 2009 and in 2010 went 9-3. Look how K State got dominated in 2010 by Nebraska and how they looked pretty good last year under Snyder.

 

Very true, but all they have to go on is last season. KSU won't go 10-2 next year or what ever they went. The came out on top of all the close games.

[95huskers]

i watched it and thought they were dead on. I know as a fan i dont like hearing the bad truth at times. But they commented on taylor making too many mistakes and that is maybe why Bo chews his ass. I think that is accurate. I also think we lost our best three defensive players in a sub-par defense last year. THat is pretty accurate as well. get mad all you want, but their assessment was spot on, IMO.

 

You make it sound as false as they do, that Bo rips on him all the time. Funny how they had to go back almost 2 YEARS to find such an instance. Taylor was very stead after the Wisconsin game. He had as few interceptions as anyone.

 

Taylor was really very pedestrian after the Wisconsin game. Steadily not-very-productive, although yes, the lack of interceptions was nice.

 

 

i guess we take our victories where ever we can find them..........

[Warrior]

I understand people from the outside saying what will they do losing 3 studs one from each level of the D.... I just don't see it.... How many games did Fonzi, & Crick miss last year? The loss will be David.... We already had to adjust to life without the other guys from time to time last year....

[zoogs]

To respond to that point, I don't think we adjusted particularly well. We didn't get around to adjusting even adequately to Prince's loss until near the end of the year with Green stepping up. And now we also lose Fonz. Will it take another season - one during which we can't expect Green to blossom into another Fonz/Prince right away - to fill that vacancy semi-adequately? Or will we manage to plug it in sooner, perhaps with our JUCO recruit? No sure thing but lots are high on Seisay - I think that may be something these guys didn't really pick up on.

 

Crick, he wasn't doing fantastic prior to his injury and I'm not sure we filled it either. Granted, we had other DT injuries, but Crick also wasn't the only DT to graduate, IIRC. The whole DL still has lingering 'who will step up' questions regardless.

 

And Lavonte, well, he's a game-changer.

 

I don't think we should expect further regression from the D necessarily because of the circumstances and maybe a sprinkle of optimism. The issue isn't that, it is that it needs to climb all the way back up to the lofty expectations established in '09 and '10 and the losses don't make that an easy one.

[HuskerJax]

Watched it. I was disappointed in the amount of insight. Everything they said was very manila and obvious to anyone who has watched a game over the last season. Where was the "analysis"? Sure we lost some names on defense, but Crick was doing nothing before he got injured (don't think the line got any worse when he was gone) Dennard wasn't exactly shutting everyone down. David will be a loss, but if everyone else on the defense was doing their job, David wouldn't have needed to make so many tackles. Hopefully the defense steps up and we see some growth from all the young players. I think we will see major growth from the offense with another year from the system under their belts. IF the D matures I think we will contend for a B10 title. I don't think we are being given enough credit for our talent, although based on the last few years we probably don't deserve it anyway.

[RedRedJarvisRedwine]

I happen to agree with many of the statements made by the 'Round table'. there are many flaws on this team. Its funny how some people get butthurt when someone points out this teams flaws and isnt drinking the . I was not a fan of Taylor from the beginning and as I hope he improves because it only helps our team I just see it more as mental errors coming from him. I don't know if he has the mind capacity to make good decisions on the field. The D is also going to struggle a bit this year. I think they will get better as the year goes on but the largest issue this team has is stopping running QBs. Which Ohio St. and Michigan do well. So i guess we will see what transpires. I do really wish the best and hope for dramatic improvement, i just dont see it happening anytime soon....

Yup! Nothing against Taylor personally. I got no problem with a player that struggles so long as he is putting in the time to get better. I don't think anyone on this board can question TMs dedication to this team and to get better. With that being said I just don't think he has the IT factor. Mechanics or whatever. I just don't think he has what it takes to get it done.

 

I root for him to make strides. We've all seen here at DONU as well as other programs, certain players get it right away. This is yr4 for TM. I get he has had coaching and philosophy changes, but this is starting to look like the writing is on the wall with TM!

[HuskerShark]

Wha....? I guess to the common eye, what Taylor did was "pedestrian" but I disagree completely. After the Wisconsin game, he seemed to improve his play each and every week. Hopefully he continues his steady play this coming season and shows off his new passing mechanics.

 

Oh - I did forget that Ohio State happened after Wisconsin and not before. No denying that triumph, but we really didn't have an especially stirring finish. With OSU the week after Wisconsin, I would say his play did not improve a single week thereafter.

 

We rolled Minnesota and he put up an admirable fight against Northwestern.

 

He barely eclipsed 100 total yards of production against Michigan State, had pretty lifeless outings against Penn State and Michigan, and a day full of ups and downs against South Carolina. Where he did have a pick.

 

Taylor didn't have a run of longer than 20 yards 9-game stretch including one game before Wisconsin (Wyoming). I mean, it's not like he was flat-out terrible, but it was very far from flourishing, which is the point. Looking over this summary, I think it's also clear that it was far from steady.

 

If you are purely looking at statistics, you're right. Ohio State and Northwestern were Taylor's best games of the year by far, regardless of stats. I understand that. I just feel like he did the things that he needed to do and everything he was asked to do pretty well in every game after the Wisconsin game. To be honest, I don't think he really had a choice. If he had played every game like he did against Wisconsin, he would have been benched and we would have run the Rexcat every down.

[Guy Chamberlin]

Yeah, I think some casual Nebraska observers forget that Martinez regressed in the second half of the 2010 season, and actually rebounded in 2011 as a better game manager.

 

But his throwing motion got visibly worse, even if his completion rate was as good or better, taking into account some well-placed balls that were dropped by the most ham-handed receiving corps in recent Husker memory.

 

I think Martinez is in the perfect place to surprise people. And that place is sharing the spotlight and backfield with Rex Burkhead. Not a prediction, but a good possibility Martinez improves, as long as him team considers him their leader.

 

Re: ESPN giving Huskers the love. Herbstreit and others were openly rooting for a Nebraska turnaround under Pelini, and Herbstreit pegged Nebraska as a sleeper for the national championship in 2010, but after a couple disappointing seasons I can see why they'd have more questions than love.

 

As mentioned, there was nothing said on the roundtable that hasn't been said here on HuskerBoard.

[Guy Chamberlin]

I also don't think we'd be griping about Taylor's throwing motion if the Husker defense hadn't completely evaporated, giving the offense virtually no margin of error and/or forcing them in catch-up mode.

 

That's the number one question mark next season. The D was visibly and statistically awful last year, and have lost their best players.

 

But I think the defense will rally next year. Based on no real evidence. Just the hunch that Pelini knows he can't let it happen again.

[NUinID]

I also don't think we'd be griping about Taylor's throwing motion if the Husker defense hadn't completely evaporated, giving the offense virtually no margin of error and/or forcing them in catch-up mode.

 

That's the number one question mark next season. The D was visibly and statistically awful last year, and have lost their best players.

 

But I think the defense will rally next year. Based on no real evidence. Just the hunch that Pelini knows he can't let it happen again.

 

I agree about the defense. I think we will see a big improvement. I don't thing they will jump back into the top ten in defense, but I do expect something in the 20's. Which will still be a big improvement.

[Nobody]

why would we get any love?

 

i've been saying the same thing... crick, david, dennard.

[Huskerlambs]

Mark my word. Taylor Martinez will be lights out this year. Denard Robinson is overrated and always has been. He's a ticking time bomb of interceptions and bad decisions. Martinez will outplay Robinson, all year long.

 

Man, I love your enthusiasm! That's what we need - a little bit of optimism!

[Blackshirt316]

why would we get any love?

 

i've been saying the same thing... crick, david, dennard.

 

Those 3 guys played a total of 6 quarters of ball together last season. Losing David is going to be a big piece to replace but losing Crick is virtually meaningless. We already adjusted to not having him last year.