This team is going to be fine.

[It'sNotAFakeID]

There had to be a lot of stuff missing because most of the game Wyo was primed to get burned on PA. 7 and 8 in the box with single high safety, there's no way they could have stopped us vertically if we took a couple shots.

 

And they didn't. Q was all over them whenever we threw it high. He played amazingly.

[308_Husker]

This is exactly what I'd expect him to do if you watch our game film vs Nevada. It was only 17-13 at the half because Fajardo did a really good job of moving the chains and keeping our offense off the field. It wasn't until we got a few stops that the floodgates opened in the second half.

 

I would be okay with Beck slowing down the play calling when we come to face UCLA. Keep our offense on the field, grinding yards and the clock and keeping our young, inexperienced defense off the field. We are good enough on offense to do this.

 

If we keep scoring quickly, that only gives our defense a disadvantage by having more chances to fail. IMO

I caught some of the second half when you guys put the nails in the coffin. Hundley looks solid and could definitely replicate a Brett Smith performance against us. I didn't catch any of the first half. How does UCLA's defense look?

[BoMartinezSuh]

We don't want to show anything to UCLA.

Was this our plan last year?

Would you rather we expose our whole playbook just so we could crush Wyoming?

 

No but this was the same mantra people used last year before playing UCLA. It worked out amazingly well for us.

UCLA was a surprisingly good team last year that we overlooked, and it was the first road game. We only lost by 6. They lost franklin, fauria, jones, etc.

They have to come here and play at 9am CA time in front of 91,000.

[ZRod]

There had to be a lot of stuff missing because most of the game Wyo was primed to get burned on PA. 7 and 8 in the box with single high safety, there's no way they could have stopped us vertically if we took a couple shots.

 

And they didn't. Q was all over them whenever we threw it high. He played amazingly.

He had a hell of a game.

 

I loved Turner's TD didn't see it in the stadium but rewatching it Martinez knew exactly what he wanted there. He probably should have looked him off to start with but he knew he had the TD from the minute he audibled.

[Hunter94]

If the D lays down in the first half, UCLA will beat us handily...no matter what we did or didn't show on offense, we better hope the same defense doesn't show up again.

[Haspula]

I think its safe to say zaire and afalava are the 2 best LBs on this team

[BOurNe sUpremacy]

.-Our defense is only going to get better every week as the young guys gain experience.

 

How do you figure? Last year's D had more experience, lots of it. In fact, they experienced giving up 70 and 45 points, respectively, in the last 2 games, the former of which was probably the most important game of their lives. Some of those guys are on this very team now, still, and they are playing, and they have, you know, "The Experience". 1200+ yds, in those 2 memorable outings, as if it were only yesterday--oh wait... Yea, they experienced that too. So, the cliche idea that "oh, the D(or team) is just going to get better and better, day by day, one foot in front of the other, think positive..." yada yada, well, it ain't necessarily so.

 

Wasn't it after the GA game that Bo said something to the effect, "Yea, this proves we can hang with the best in the country, we're just about there..." etc. '09/'10 was the "We're BACK" mantra flying all over. Guess they failed to specify what we were "back" to, where "there" is.

 

News flash: we are not back. In case ya hadn't noticed. And last night's showing gives serious pause for reflection--which, for anyone with some street savvy and common sense, should take all of a NY second.

 

600 yds, the new normal. I mean, they used to give that much up only when the game mattered, now, what the hell, let the Wyos of the world in on the fun, why be selfish, come one, come all. Oh, they're gonna "fix us" you know, like they've been doing the last 5 years, "fixing us". Well, this "fix us" deal is apparently akin to the worst Home Depot handy man style repair job nightmare cuz guess what, "we", "it" ain't fixed yet. Still needs fixed.

 

Who knows, maybe by "fixing us" they mean "neutering"(like a dog)because it sure looks that way to me. We ain't got no "balls". I'd give a nickel to anyone in the neighborhood of Lincoln, NE, to crash Bo's Monday press conference and rig up one of those spring loaded boxing gloves that is activated whenever he utters the terms "fix us" such that it punches him directly in the face. Seriously, I'd love to see that. Ok, 2 nickels, deal.

 

"Fix us" POW!

 

[Hunter94]

.-Our defense is only going to get better every week as the young guys gain experience.

 

How do you figure? Last year's D had more experience, lots of it. In fact, they experienced giving up 70 and 45 points, respectively, in the last 2 games, the former of which was probably the most important game of their lives. 1200+ yds, in 2 games, yea, they experienced that. So, the cliche idea that "oh, the D(or team) is just going to get better and better, day by day..." yada yada, well, it ain't necessarily so.

 

that would be logical, but we got worse last season.......not better.

[Husker_x]

I also think the proclamations of imminent destruction are coming in way too soon.

 

1. This defense does not have to be great or even good in September/October. It has to be mediocre, create a few turnovers, and focus on improving.

 

2. We played against a fantastic QB. Yes, it's Wyoming. Welcome to the age of parity. Not only was he good; he was on fire. He was playing in an extremely effective system run by an extremely effective OC (or HC in this case). Lots of 1-on-1 matchups in space against young, inexperienced LBs.

 

3. Our young defense needed a good punch in the mouth. Anyone on that team who had any illusions of relying on talent should now be blissfully awake. There is so much work to do. But then we all knew that--it was all anyone could talk about all offseason.

 

4. We had that game put away when Beck went full retard and called up a Taylor Martinez interception when we were up 18 and in field goal range. Had we run the ball like we were doing, we either get a first down or three points, thus making it a three score game and likely deflating Wyoming for good. At the very least we'd have gotten field position instead of a giant interception return. Long story short, we let the bastards back in when we didn't have to. The Wyo D was gassed, plain and simple, and we decide it's time to throw the football. That's on Martinez. That's on Beck.

 

This is a make or break year for Pelini. If I have any reputation it's probably as a doom and gloomer, which I'm not. I prefer the term "realist." Realism tells me that as long as we keep winning in September--and early October--there is nothing to complain about. Having true and redshirt freshmen as a regular part of your rotation at a half a dozen positions means you're going to get points put up on you by experienced, talented players, especially in spread systems with so many one-on-one matchups. It's just going to happen. As long as we win and the defense continues to learn and improve, I'd say we're on schedule. The only thing that matters is winning and getting this defense to grow up by November. It's still possible--even likely. If it doesn't happen, the coaching change conversation is inevitable, no matter what the sunshine pumpers union would like to believe.

 

Now I'm not happy about the Wyoming game, but we didn't lose. That's something. On to next week.

[sd'sker]

only read this thread for husker_x's post. he did not disappoint.

[Husker_x]

only read this thread for husker_x's post. he did not disappoint.

 

Thanks, bud. I haven't been reading the boards too much but I definitely get the sense a meltdown has either begun or will be happening shortly. A bit early in the year, no?

[sd'sker]

only read this thread for husker_x's post. he did not disappoint.

 

Thanks, bud. I haven't been reading the boards too much but I definitely get the sense a meltdown has either begun or will be happening shortly. A bit early in the year, no?

i plan on withholding judgment until after the ucla game.

[BOurNe sUpremacy]

.-Our defense is only going to get better every week as the young guys gain experience.

 

How do you figure? Last year's D had more experience, lots of it. In fact, they experienced giving up 70 and 45 points, respectively, in the last 2 games, the former of which was probably the most important game of their lives. 1200+ yds, in 2 games, yea, they experienced that. So, the cliche idea that "oh, the D(or team) is just going to get better and better, day by day..." yada yada, well, it ain't necessarily so.

 

that would be logical, but we got worse last season.......not better.

Huh? They were topsy turvy, bipolar, mercurial, as per usual, hanging on for dear life in most games they theoretically should have put away by the 3rd qtr. You dont know what you;re going to get with this team from one series to the next: a 3 play 80 yd scoring drive, a 3 and out, 3 false starts in a row in November, stuffed by Wyo on 4th and 0.5 yds, TMart Hail Mary pick when the game is supposedly in the bag, etc.

 

They had the "must win out" ultimatum which sort of looked like it worked, then blamo, the CCG meltdown. No, this team is a crap shoot, you can rely on them about as much as you can rely on a cat coming home when you call it. Jekyll, Hyde. It's who Bo is and unless he goes thru one of those head transplants they are working on these days(he could afford it), well, it's who he--and the team--is going to be.

 

Get used to it.

[shyndy]

I plan on withholding judgement until the season is over. Well, if we lose like every game for the next four weeks I might not reserve judgement but you know.

[irafreak]

I'm sick of being fine. Time to start showing consistency with this program. I can handle a blip or two or even a mediocre season here and there....it happens to the best coaches. But we have a patty cake schedule with a 4 year starting qb and an explosive offense. Sure the defense is young...but why is that again? Ah yes...first time head coach.

 

So forgive me if I don't have the same optimism...until I SEE progress, I will continue to discuss our issues. We've heard all season long about the good and the hype. Now that the season's here, is it really required that we continue to talk about all the good stuff? Is it ok if some of us discuss the concerns that we've been seeing for the past 3+ seasons? Or will we continue to be scolded and required to supply proof of our football coaching credentials to continue conversation on such a "negative" level...