Fowler's take

[Mavric]

Mav, while I'd like to say I told you so about Cross (and I shall at some point). It WAS Wyo. But I think he played about 100 times faster than he did last year, where you could tell he was hesitant. I think this is just one of many big games for him though and when he pounds a buck twenty on UCLA, I'll gladly toss you and EZ and all the other Cross "doubters" a polite 'told you so'.

Agreed. But it wasn't so much that he put up good stats as seemed so much lighter on his feet. Just looked so much more well-rounded than last year.

[Army_Allen]

Mav, while I'd like to say I told you so about Cross (and I shall at some point). It WAS Wyo. But I think he played about 100 times faster than he did last year, where you could tell he was hesitant. I think this is just one of many big games for him though and when he pounds a buck twenty on UCLA, I'll gladly toss you and EZ and all the other Cross "doubters" a polite 'told you so'.

Agreed. But it wasn't so much that he put up good stats as seemed so much lighter on his feet. Just looked so much more well-rounded than last year.

Exactly. That quicker step mixed with that Laveon Bell type power makes him a real threat from anywhere on the field now and not just a red zone guy like people thought of him.

[RedDenver]

I agree with a lot of what you said, Fowler. What pisses me off the most is it seemed like these coaches felt they could beat Wyoming with the absolute basics, and they clearly can't - or can, just barely.

 

 

 

We simply cannot take teams for granted, AT ALL. Not South Dakota State, not Wyoming, not anybody. We have to run our offense, every play in it, from day one. If future opponents get film on what we're doing, whatever. Throw the whole playbook at the non-con schedule and make future opponents practice for EVERYTHING.

 

We almost lost this game trying to be too secretive. It's going to cost Bo his job if he does this much more. It's just plain stupid.

Too bad I can only +1 this. There's times to be secretive: like the spinner package we'd prepared for Mizzou in 2010. But you need to run your scheme every game and every practice the way you want the players to play it. I find myself wondering if "hiding" our best stuff has been holding us back the last couple years. The kids don't get the feel of the calls in game action until they're facing a tough opponent the coaches are "hiding" the calls from. Sure, you might surprise the other team, but we may be surprising our safeties as well when the front 7 doesn't do what they expect.

 

P.S. Good stuff, Fowler. I'm looking forward to you posting your takes every week.

[I am I]

Speaking of "throwing the playbook open"....

 

have we ever faked a punt, FG, double pass, reverse pass, unexpected onside, etc in Bo's tenure? I ask thinking we probably have, but i really cannot recall too much if any, of those plays.

 

I personally think we surely HAVE to be practicing them, right? So, do we save them for a huge game in a huge moment to totally take someone by surprise? Or do we do 1-3 of them per game in OOC (and like Fowler said, "to make them practice for everything)?

 

I'm not some jackwagon thinking we need to run these with regularity, hell...i'd like us to run the ball for 6ypc every game only pass on distinct playaction scenarios and stick to Husker power football. But it seems like Snyder, Miles, Stoops, Osborne, etc always has a few tricks up their sleeve that just leave fans thinking, "man this guy is ballsy and will do anything to keep teams off balance." It is true that if we even did that once or twice a SEASON it makes the opposition a little tepid and more responsible.

 

I liked the write up a lot and after watching the game again, i'm really high on this team. Like has been stated in this thread: i'm not worried about the O really at all, save for simply a more aggressive approach on the Line. I really thought Bando, Gerry, VV, Gregory, Collins, and SJB, and Evans looked better than what we've had out there for a while; just licking my chops til they gel and feel comfortable on game days.

[RedDenver]

Speaking of "throwing the playbook open"....

 

have we ever faked a punt, FG, double pass, reverse pass, unexpected onside, etc in Bo's tenure? I ask thinking we probably have, but i really cannot recall too much if any, of those plays.

Bo's first year we faked a FG against KU for a first down. Later that year ran a similar fake that CU took back for a TD that almost cost us the game. I can't remember any since then though.

[suigeneris]

Speaking of "throwing the playbook open"....

 

have we ever faked a punt, FG, double pass, reverse pass, unexpected onside, etc in Bo's tenure? I ask thinking we probably have, but i really cannot recall too much if any, of those plays.

 

I personally think we surely HAVE to be practicing them, right? So, do we save them for a huge game in a huge moment to totally take someone by surprise? Or do we do 1-3 of them per game in OOC (and like Fowler said, "to make them practice for everything)?

 

I'm not some jackwagon thinking we need to run these with regularity, hell...i'd like us to run the ball for 6ypc every game only pass on distinct playaction scenarios and stick to Husker power football. But it seems like Snyder, Miles, Stoops, Osborne, etc always has a few tricks up their sleeve that just leave fans thinking, "man this guy is ballsy and will do anything to keep teams off balance." It is true that if we even did that once or twice a SEASON it makes the opposition a little tepid and more responsible.

 

I liked the write up a lot and after watching the game again, i'm really high on this team. Like has been stated in this thread: i'm not worried about the O really at all, save for simply a more aggressive approach on the Line. I really thought Bando, Gerry, VV, Gregory, Collins, and SJB, and Evans looked better than what we've had out there for a while; just licking my chops til they gel and feel comfortable on game days.

 

Alex Henery against Okie State comes to mind. But I agree we don't do it much.

[RedDenver]

Speaking of "throwing the playbook open"....

 

have we ever faked a punt, FG, double pass, reverse pass, unexpected onside, etc in Bo's tenure? I ask thinking we probably have, but i really cannot recall too much if any, of those plays.

 

I personally think we surely HAVE to be practicing them, right? So, do we save them for a huge game in a huge moment to totally take someone by surprise? Or do we do 1-3 of them per game in OOC (and like Fowler said, "to make them practice for everything)?

 

I'm not some jackwagon thinking we need to run these with regularity, hell...i'd like us to run the ball for 6ypc every game only pass on distinct playaction scenarios and stick to Husker power football. But it seems like Snyder, Miles, Stoops, Osborne, etc always has a few tricks up their sleeve that just leave fans thinking, "man this guy is ballsy and will do anything to keep teams off balance." It is true that if we even did that once or twice a SEASON it makes the opposition a little tepid and more responsible.

 

I liked the write up a lot and after watching the game again, i'm really high on this team. Like has been stated in this thread: i'm not worried about the O really at all, save for simply a more aggressive approach on the Line. I really thought Bando, Gerry, VV, Gregory, Collins, and SJB, and Evans looked better than what we've had out there for a while; just licking my chops til they gel and feel comfortable on game days.

 

Alex Henery against Okie State comes to mind. But I agree we don't do it much.

After the game, Alex revealed it wasn't a called fake. He just took off when no one from Okie State was facing him (he had been coached to do that, so it wasn't completely on his own).

[Savage Husker]

Speaking of "throwing the playbook open"....

 

have we ever faked a punt, FG, double pass, reverse pass, unexpected onside, etc in Bo's tenure? I ask thinking we probably have, but i really cannot recall too much if any, of those plays.

 

I personally think we surely HAVE to be practicing them, right? So, do we save them for a huge game in a huge moment to totally take someone by surprise? Or do we do 1-3 of them per game in OOC (and like Fowler said, "to make them practice for everything)?

 

I'm not some jackwagon thinking we need to run these with regularity, hell...i'd like us to run the ball for 6ypc every game only pass on distinct playaction scenarios and stick to Husker power football. But it seems like Snyder, Miles, Stoops, Osborne, etc always has a few tricks up their sleeve that just leave fans thinking, "man this guy is ballsy and will do anything to keep teams off balance." It is true that if we even did that once or twice a SEASON it makes the opposition a little tepid and more responsible.

 

I liked the write up a lot and after watching the game again, i'm really high on this team. Like has been stated in this thread: i'm not worried about the O really at all, save for simply a more aggressive approach on the Line. I really thought Bando, Gerry, VV, Gregory, Collins, and SJB, and Evans looked better than what we've had out there for a while; just licking my chops til they gel and feel comfortable on game days.

 

Alex Henery against Okie State comes to mind. But I agree we don't do it much.

After the game, Alex revealed it wasn't a called fake. He just took off when no one from Okie State was facing him (he had been coached to do that, so it wasn't completely on his own).

 

I believe we ran the same fake FG twice and the last time was when the fastest player from Colorado read it, picked it out of the air and took it the distance.

[TheSker]

We almost lost this game trying to be too secretive. It's going to cost Bo his job if he does this much more. It's just plain stupid.

If we almost lost this game from anything it was turnovers that cost us points and gave possession back to Wyoming. Pelini is not in danger of losing his job, nor should we want that to happen. We came close to running off Osborne and running off Solich cost us a bowl streak.....and a whole lot more.

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

Didn't we run a trick play where Suh lined up as a RB?

[Army_Allen]

We almost lost this game trying to be too secretive. It's going to cost Bo his job if he does this much more. It's just plain stupid.

If we almost lost this game from anything it was turnovers that cost us points and gave possession back to Wyoming. Pelini is not in danger of losing his job, nor should we want that to happen. We came close to running off Osborne and running off Solich cost us a bowl streak.....and a whole lot more.

As long as you aren't blaming Tmart for either of those as one was the wr breaking the wrong way and the other play shouldn't have been called and should have been blown dead.

[EZ-E]

Mav, while I'd like to say I told you so about Cross (and I shall at some point). It WAS Wyo. But I think he played about 100 times faster than he did last year, where you could tell he was hesitant. I think this is just one of many big games for him though and when he pounds a buck twenty on UCLA, I'll gladly toss you and EZ and all the other Cross "doubters" a polite 'told you so'.

 

I was wrong about him. I've seen enough to be pretty sold.

 

What I was most impressed with is his burst of speed he showed. He's never going to be Newby, but he has more than serviceable speed. Really enjoyed watching him.

 

Was stupid as hell for him not to get the ball on 4th and 1.

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

Mav, while I'd like to say I told you so about Cross (and I shall at some point). It WAS Wyo. But I think he played about 100 times faster than he did last year, where you could tell he was hesitant. I think this is just one of many big games for him though and when he pounds a buck twenty on UCLA, I'll gladly toss you and EZ and all the other Cross "doubters" a polite 'told you so'.

 

I was wrong about him. I've seen enough to be pretty sold.

 

What I was most impressed with is his burst of speed he showed. He's never going to be Newby, but he has more than serviceable speed. Really enjoyed watching him.

 

Was stupid as hell for him not to get the ball on 4th and 1.

That was the most frustrating play call for me the entire game. I couldn't not figure out why Imani didn't get the ball. Only thing I can think of is Taylor saw something he thought he could exploit and called his number

[TheSker]

As long as you aren't blaming Tmart for either of those as one was the wr breaking the wrong way and the other play shouldn't have been called and should have been blown dead.

They go on TMart in the stat book. I agree with what EZ-E posted.....Cross should have carried that ball on the 4th and 1. Here's what I will say about TMart.....if I had my preference, I'd rather someone else had the ball. At this point I don't care who's "fault" it is, but TMart has a knack for the ball leaving his hands and ending up in the hands of the opponent more times than we need it to.

[Army_Allen]

Mav, while I'd like to say I told you so about Cross (and I shall at some point). It WAS Wyo. But I think he played about 100 times faster than he did last year, where you could tell he was hesitant. I think this is just one of many big games for him though and when he pounds a buck twenty on UCLA, I'll gladly toss you and EZ and all the other Cross "doubters" a polite 'told you so'.

 

I was wrong about him. I've seen enough to be pretty sold.

 

What I was most impressed with is his burst of speed he showed. He's never going to be Newby, but he has more than serviceable speed. Really enjoyed watching him.

 

Was stupid as hell for him not to get the ball on 4th and 1.

Thanks and I'll take that beer at a tailgate HB has on a game I can afford to go to. lmao.

 

And yeah his speed is shocking, even from what I expected transitioning to as far as the game slowing down so he could go full on. The guy was way more nimble than someone his size should be. I think this is why Taylor RS'd. knowing that at full health, this group of RB's we have is too deep to have 5 guys toting the rock to rationalize burning a shirt. That's not a knock on anyones skill at all, just a testament to how good our stable really is. Cross was the best back on the field last night IMO, and other than AA's long run, it really seemed like he was trying to do the Jamal Turner Freshman type running of making so many moves left and right, you end up getting nowhere fast.