Early expectations for this year.

[Guy Chamberlin]

It's just what you do when the love goes out of a relationship, Jarvis.

[skersfan]

Hope I am wrong guys, but I am just not buying anything coming out of dear old Nebraska. Until we see it on the field, win the games we are supposed to on a regular basis, do not lose to people we should blow out at home, I will have serious doubts. I thought two years ago after the Arizona game, we had it under control, but in honesty I have seen no improvement and a steady down hill spiral. Bo has little to no experience as a head coach, due to the fact that he is continously teaching new coaches, that really are not qualified for their jobs, just like him. He is learning on the job, trying to do the recruiting, the DC and last year the OC. Seems so stubborn on players that true talent may be burried so deep do to his inability to control his temper. He better figure it out this year, it is the make or break year I think. He has had plenty of time to get his kids on the field, to be what he is supposedly looking for. Still think we win 5 games this year.

 

I am anxiously awaiting a large helping of crow. But every year for the last 5 I have predicted wins and losses spot on, I have a terrible feeling about this year. God I hope you guys are right, I have never been so down on the program as I am right now. Even during the clownahan years, I always had hope, saw little things that indicated it just might be the turn around point. I just see a steady fall, slowly for sure, but nothing to think we have a true idea of what we want and that we have a clue of how to accomplish it.

[n.e.husker]

- You could even say the same thing about the DL. Stein quietly had a nice season - but you didn't see vast improvement (either as a unit or individually) as the year went on. We thought were deep, and quickly realized that wasn't the case after 1 injury? You develop depth...we obviously must not have been developing depth here. Our thought that this was a deep unit was based on talent and potential and that theory was quickly proven flawed (kind of similar to the reasoning behind our "OL depth" for this year huh?) Kaz was brought in to address that, but it's going to take a big jump in year 1.

 

More than one at Dtackle. Crick lost for the season, Jay Guy lost for the season. Thad Randle?(not sure what happened to him.) Rome was out for a game or two and wasnt the same after injury.

 

That left us with Stein Tmo and i saw Cam moving inside for a couple games and Justin Jackson(now at center) in a couple games.

 

Id say we were pretty depleated at Dtackle by the end of last year.

[hskrfan4life]

I've stated this many times before...this will be Bo's best season at Nebraska. I'll eat my crow otherwise...

I agree with you 100%, everything is sort of lining up so to speak.

[Guy Chamberlin]

I'm thinking Bo works better without his brother. No slight to Carl. Just a weird sibling thing.

[Hunter94]

i think we need to see some real direction and a real identity for the offense. it's time, Beck needs to show up this year.

[Branno]

Hope I am wrong guys, but I am just not buying anything coming out of dear old Nebraska. Until we see it on the field, win the games we are supposed to on a regular basis, do not lose to people we should blow out at home, I will have serious doubts. I thought two years ago after the Arizona game, we had it under control, but in honesty I have seen no improvement and a steady down hill spiral. Bo has little to no experience as a head coach, due to the fact that he is continously teaching new coaches, that really are not qualified for their jobs, just like him. He is learning on the job, trying to do the recruiting, the DC and last year the OC. Seems so stubborn on players that true talent may be burried so deep do to his inability to control his temper. He better figure it out this year, it is the make or break year I think. He has had plenty of time to get his kids on the field, to be what he is supposedly looking for. Still think we win 5 games this year.

 

I am anxiously awaiting a large helping of crow. But every year for the last 5 I have predicted wins and losses spot on, I have a terrible feeling about this year. God I hope you guys are right, I have never been so down on the program as I am right now. Even during the clownahan years, I always had hope, saw little things that indicated it just might be the turn around point. I just see a steady fall, slowly for sure, but nothing to think we have a true idea of what we want and that we have a clue of how to accomplish it.

 

5 games? Are you f'ing high? 4 wins going into conference play... so we lose to everyone but Minnesota? Someone forgot to take their prozac.

[Moiraine]

I like the +1 because it lets me live vicariously through someone else while avoiding saying something mean.

[Guy Chamberlin]

i think we need to see some real direction and a real identity for the offense. it's time, Beck needs to show up this year.

 

Several threads already about offensive identity, but I think we already have one: Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead operating a dual threat running game, with a willingness to pass 22 times a game.

 

Also, we're really fast.

 

I like the balance and hope we continue to experiment. Exploit Turner in certain situations. Bring in a fullback in others. Keep our share of go-to plays but never get predictible.

 

Identity is over-rated.

[Hunter94]

i think we need to see some real direction and a real identity for the offense. it's time, Beck needs to show up this year.

 

Several threads already about offensive identity, but I think we already have one: Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead operating a dual threat running game, with a willingness to pass 22 times a game.

 

Also, we're really fast.

 

I like the balance and hope we continue to experiment. Exploit Turner in certain situations. Bring in a fullback in others. Keep our share of go-to plays but never get predictible.

 

Identity is over-rated.

 

 

interesting, i didn't get the feeling we had any continuity with the offense, from game to game last year............i felt Beck struggled with scheme, play calling and game management, but then maybe player execution was part of that feeling as well.......we were just erratic as hell, as i remember, so yeah, there needs to be some sense of real balance and "bread and butter" plays.

[Hunter94]

i think we need to see some real direction and a real identity for the offense. it's time, Beck needs to show up this year.

 

Several threads already about offensive identity, but I think we already have one: Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead operating a dual threat running game, with a willingness to pass 22 times a game.

 

Also, we're really fast.

 

I like the balance and hope we continue to experiment. Exploit Turner in certain situations. Bring in a fullback in others. Keep our share of go-to plays but never get predictible.

 

Identity is over-rated.

 

 

oh and i don't think we were really fast at all, remember, our first year with all that speed was supposed to make us real contenders.......we know how that worked out.

[RedRedJarvisRedwine]

Also, is it just me or did we come out early and find a few plays that worked only to never see them again! It's like we would run something three times and get 12, 8, and then 4. So we acted like they figured the play out and never called it again. When in reality last time I checked 24/3 is an 8 yd average! Now I'm not saying run said play all day but the give it the respect it deserves.

[Guy Chamberlin]

Some weeks the offense looked great. Other times it sputtered kinda helplessly. Sometimes it changed from quarter to quarter.

 

But sometimes I think we mistake inconsistency for lack of scheme. Sometimes a good fast defense will take away Martinez and key on Burkhead and we need to become a passing team. And once we complete a few passes, Burkhead becomes a threat again. The sets changed a bit over the season, but we still had our bread and butter plays.

 

And while having speedy players didn't "work out", we still have a lot of team speed and that's part of our identity, too. Let's hope we use it better.

 

As Knapple alluded to, continuity starts with the offensive line. When they hold their own, everything works.

 

And when the defense gives up tons of points, the offense doesn't get to choose its identity. They have to play catch up.

 

And when players fumble and drop catchable balls, it's not the scheme's fault. Unfortunately, that's part of our identity, too.

[bshirt]

Some weeks the offense looked great. Other times it sputtered kinda helplessly. Sometimes it changed from quarter to quarter.

 

But sometimes I think we mistake inconsistency for lack of scheme. Sometimes a good fast defense will take away Martinez and key on Burkhead and we need to become a passing team. And once we complete a few passes, Burkhead becomes a threat again. The sets changed a bit over the season, but we still had our bread and butter plays.

 

And while having speedy players didn't "work out", we still have a lot of team speed and that's part of our identity, too. Let's hope we use it better.

 

As Knapple alluded to, continuity starts with the offensive line. When they hold their own, everything works.

 

And when the defense gives up tons of points, the offense doesn't get to choose its identity. They have to play catch up.

 

And when players fumble and drop catchable balls, it's not the scheme's fault. Unfortunately, that's part of our identity, too.

 

As usual, a very good post but I still beg to differ.

 

We really, really need "something" that we truly excel at. That we're confident using it with the game on the line. When everything is starting to fall apart. Our one, strong ace in the hole we believe can't be stopped.

 

Everything else I agree with though. Fumbling and dropping passes everywhere simply has to stop.

[Hunter94]

Some weeks the offense looked great. Other times it sputtered kinda helplessly. Sometimes it changed from quarter to quarter.

 

But sometimes I think we mistake inconsistency for lack of scheme. Sometimes a good fast defense will take away Martinez and key on Burkhead and we need to become a passing team. And once we complete a few passes, Burkhead becomes a threat again. The sets changed a bit over the season, but we still had our bread and butter plays.

 

And while having speedy players didn't "work out", we still have a lot of team speed and that's part of our identity, too. Let's hope we use it better.

 

As Knapple alluded to, continuity starts with the offensive line. When they hold their own, everything works.

 

And when the defense gives up tons of points, the offense doesn't get to choose its identity. They have to play catch up.

 

And when players fumble and drop catchable balls, it's not the scheme's fault. Unfortunately, that's part of our identity, too.

 

As usual, a very good post but I still beg to differ.

 

We really, really need "something" that we truly excel at. That we're confident using it with the game on the line. When everything is starting to fall apart. Our one, strong ace in the hole we believe can't be stopped.

 

Everything else I agree with though. Fumbling and dropping passes everywhere simply has to stop.

 

 

well said, Beck needs to figure this out.