Impact of the UCLA Game

[EZ-E]

Here we are again fellas. Hump day of gameweek of the biggest game of the year thus far. Ill start by saying that I am going to be in town and I am trying to get either a tailgate or a bar crawl going. I am not sure if I am going to the game, if you'd like to watch it on TV at one of the bars with me, I will post where I am at and any and all are welcome. Even Paul Crewe. Here is why I have told a lot of people that I believe this one to have a big time impact on the rest of our season and here are my keys to the game.

 

The Impact

 

 

Lets not sugarcoat this guys. Our schedule isn't exactly what anyone would consider tough. To be taken seriously early on in the season we need to win this football game. We don't have a chance to prove we are for real after this one until NW comes to town. If we get to NW undefeated it puts more of the media spotlight on that game and the Big Ten is fighting for a night game IMO because of the impact of that football game.

 

Confidence. If we can get passed UCLA what do you think that is going to do to our young freshman?

 

Fan Faith. A lot of us are growing very impatient. I understand that and I have tried to get people to be more patient because I believe the 10-20 decade is going to be a very special decade for our program. This win would absolutely unite the fanbase and make (some) doubters once again Bo-lievers. There wont be much you could take away from a victory like this as a fan.

 

Signature Win. Have we had one without an astrisk besides it since maybe Arizona? That one was only considered a signature win because they had no chance once we stepped off the bus. Even as being a Pelini supporter in every aspect I can't say we have ever had one.

 

Media Attention. Not even Desmond Howard will be able to take anything away from our win if we do get it done. The AP and the Coaches will take notice as well. Ciante Evans won't have to answer as many questions about our defense as he has basically in what? The past year?

 

Recruiting. One of the biggest parts of your program. What do you think a win like this will do when the coaching staff sits down with a kid in Southern California? We already have TMart and Newby plus a handful of other Cali kids. This win, plus those guys as leverage make a trip to SoCal to recruit a ton easier.

 

This is a big one Ladies and Gentlemen. No way to downplay it at all. Our guys know it and our coaching staff knows it. However, I will say in bolded letters, our program isn't in shambles if we lose and our season is far from doomed if we do as well. I would just really like to see our guys seize this opportunity and win this football game.

 

The Keys to the Game

 

NU offense/UCLA Defense - It is imparitive to get off to a quick start in this one. I expect to see a new level of hurry up. I want to see us get the ball to our fast play makers like Newby, Ameer, Bell, Turner, and even Alonzo Moore out in space on the edge. We haven't seen Beck really utilize much of our speed and I believe there is a reason for that. Then when they least expect it we line up in the diamond and plunge it up the middle with Cross.

 

Taylor Martinez. Buddy, we need a big time game from you. Notice that he has made some reads where he could have kept the ball on the zone read play and went up the middle for about 80 yards? I am wondering if he predetermined his read or if he wasn't trying to set something up. That zone read play has not really been that great thus far and we need it to be there. Next, when UCLA is only in a one-high safety look or if they creep them down into the box because they have to respect the running game, GO DOWN THE FIELD TO KENNY BELL!!!!!!!!!!

 

OL - Need the biggest game of the year. You guys have gotten better with every snap of the football, but we haven't played anyone like UCLA yet. They did a wonderful job at points last year against UGA and that was against basically NFL talent across the board. What you guys say they put together four quarters and do it all football game? Need to identify where Barr is and our running backs need to help with this if we are in an obvious passing down.

 

UCLA Offense/NU Defense - Shaq Evans and Devin Fuller are very scary football players guys. Watching them on tape I don't know how you exactly go at them. I think we are going to have to put SJB on Shaq and I don't know if you go with Ciante on Fuller or you go with Mitchell. Either guy on Fuller is going to need help over the top because I have never been impressed with either of our guys ability on the deep routes. SJB I am not worried about. James their new running back I will admit is a kid with a lot of talent. The play that I mentioned in a thread earlier this week that Paul also mentioned is the tight end picking the LB when we are in man to man and then James getting out in the flat. I will also like to point out that James doesn't have the ability to break as many tackles as Franklin, but he is a very talented young guy. Our safties are going to have to play the best game that they have so far. Haven't been terribly impressed with their ability in run support and that is still scary to me especially with a kid like Hundley.

 

DL - This is where we need our freshman to grow up and do it in a hurry. UCLA has four starters coming back from last year and we have one. Not that it is all bad, but VV needs to demand a double team every play and we need to be able to collapse the pocket and get to Hundley with our front four. If we have to blitz and creep up that safety into the box all game long it becomes increasingly difficult to win the game. I see us rushing Gregory from the left end a lot to flush Hundley out that way so he has to roll to his left and throw with his right. Not many high percentage throws come from that type of motion.

 

LBs - This could be the position that most concerns me. UCLA runs more swing passes and crossing routes than really any team that we saw last year and a majority of the times we had a ton of opportunities with our safeties or our linebackers to make plays for minimal gaines or losses and we didn't. We need to make those one on one tackles because our LBs will be called upon to make those plays. When we do dial up blitzes, GO WITH A PURPOSE!! I remember thinking in the first game that Bando was blitzing from the Mike spot and it didn't seem like he thought he was going to get there when he first started! Go young man!!!

 

Secondary - As I mentioned above they have some very good WRs. Fuller, I would love to have on our ball team like I thought we would have. He doesn't have that JT ability where the first guy never tackles him, but that drag route across the field we have had trouble defending with him scares the crap out of me.

 

Special Teams - We can't keep getting pinned in our own territory on our first drive. I don't exactly know how to fix it against that rugby punt. But we need to figure it out. Bondi, keep kicking it out of the endzone bro. Sam Foltz, we know he is fast. Dude ran a 48 second 400 meters in High School. I would not be surprised to see us call a rugby punt and give him the option to either kick it or run it at a momentum swinging part of the football game.

 

To wrap this up, this is one that we should have had circled on our calendar from the start of summer workouts. I expect to see a gameplan that is specifically designed to stop this type of offense and hopefully get helmets around the football. Do we have a gameplan that we have been working on all summer and fall like we did for Mizzou in '10 and MSU in '11? Maybe, or maybe not. We will find out when the boys in Red, I mean BLACK take the field at 11am in Lincoln on Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[skersfan]

I think you are spot on EZE. This is a must win game for us to gain in recruiting, national ranking and opinion.

 

Good post.

[Count 'Bility]

It just has that "one way or the other" feeling to it. Like USC-2007. Where we're currently just stuck in a rut of sorts with a fork in the road. God damn it's a must win.

[knapplc]

We lose this game we'll be largely irrelevant for the rest of September and October. We'll have a chance to regain the spotlight in November, but if we lose we won't be ranked, and likely won't be inside the Top 20 unless we beat Northwestern and Michigan.

 

That's what scares me. We haven't always responded well to the Big Stage. The winning streak to close out the Big Ten last year was great, but we were mostly irrelevant until after we beat Penn State, and when we got to Indianapolis we melted under the spotlight.

 

We'll see what this team is made of, I guess. They're so young on defense that I'm not expecting much.

[Count 'Bility]

They're so young on defense that I'm not expecting much.

This is what has me excited however. They are so young, that sometimes a massive amount of new blood is what it takes to turn the corner. You know, that old addition by subtraction chesnut.

 

I just hope in that regard, the inexperience on D plays to our favor. These guys wont understand the history of not performing well on the big stage, because they've never been there. All they wanna do is play. Cut em loose, and let 'em go.

[NUinID]

They're so young on defense that I'm not expecting much.

This is what has me excited however. They are so young, that sometimes a massive amount of new blood is what it takes to turn the corner. You know, that old addition by subtraction chesnut.

 

I just hope in that regard, the inexperience on D plays to our favor. These guys wont understand the history of not performing well on the big stage, because they've never been there. All they wanna do is play. Cut em loose, and let 'em go.

 

I expect the defense to make a few mistakes, which I can live with. I also think they will make a few big plays.

 

I hate to say it but last year the team was probably not as focused going into the game as they needed to be. I know they knew UCLA would be talented, but I don't think they thought they would be that good. I am pretty sure they will be focused and up to the task at hand.

 

I don't know if we will win, but I think they will. I just don't see UCLA putting up more than 350-400 in total offense. This would be a very expectable number. I don't see anymore than 24pts for them. I see 35-21 NU.

[Count 'Bility]

I expect a few mistakes as well. But there's the speed to minimize their impact. After watching the Wyoming game, there was numerous plays that had it been last year's speed, them mistakes wouldve resulted in 6 points instead of 16 yards. Fingers crossed. Next step.

[The Dude]

Trying to steal tschu's thunder, I see.

[EZ-E]

I think we would be in worse shape had the Wyoming debacle not happened.

[NUance]

The Keys to the Game

Turnovers. Maybe the biggest key to this game. And every game.

[NebraskaShellback]

 

Don't let the illusion take over your mind. We will win!

Edited September 11, 2013 by NebraskaShellback

[TAKODA]

Why can't I just go to a game like this and not be so frigging stressed?

 

I am old enough to recognize it's just a game and that the World will still turn the day after regardless of the outcome!

 

Oh well ~~~~~ Beat their backsides Huskers, I will do my part and hope the rest of the crowd gets in UCLA's ears as well. Let's rock that place and give us a real home field advantage for a change. Yes we can still applaud the opponents as they come off the field, but let’s do our part to make sure they leave the second best team on Saturday!

 

[The King]

Here we are again fellas. Hump day of gameweek of the biggest game of the year thus far. Ill start by saying that I am going to be in town and I am trying to get either a tailgate or a bar crawl going. I am not sure if I am going to the game, if you'd like to watch it on TV at one of the bars with me, I will post where I am at and any and all are welcome. Even Paul Crewe. Here is why I have told a lot of people that I believe this one to have a big time impact on the rest of our season and here are my keys to the game.

 

The Impact

 

 

Lets not sugarcoat this guys. Our schedule isn't exactly what anyone would consider tough. To be taken seriously early on in the season we need to win this football game. We don't have a chance to prove we are for real after this one until NW comes to town. If we get to NW undefeated it puts more of the media spotlight on that game and the Big Ten is fighting for a night game IMO because of the impact of that football game.

 

Confidence. If we can get passed UCLA what do you think that is going to do to our young freshman?

 

Fan Faith. A lot of us are growing very impatient. I understand that and I have tried to get people to be more patient because I believe the 10-20 decade is going to be a very special decade for our program. This win would absolutely unite the fanbase and make (some) doubters once again Bo-lievers. There wont be much you could take away from a victory like this as a fan.

 

Signature Win. Have we had one without an astrisk besides it since maybe Arizona? That one was only considered a signature win because they had no chance once we stepped off the bus. Even as being a Pelini supporter in every aspect I can't say we have ever had one.

 

Media Attention. Not even Desmond Howard will be able to take anything away from our win if we do get it done. The AP and the Coaches will take notice as well. Ciante Evans won't have to answer as many questions about our defense as he has basically in what? The past year?

 

Recruiting. One of the biggest parts of your program. What do you think a win like this will do when the coaching staff sits down with a kid in Southern California? We already have TMart and Newby plus a handful of other Cali kids. This win, plus those guys as leverage make a trip to SoCal to recruit a ton easier.

 

This is a big one Ladies and Gentlemen. No way to downplay it at all. Our guys know it and our coaching staff knows it. However, I will say in bolded letters, our program isn't in shambles if we lose and our season is far from doomed if we do as well. I would just really like to see our guys seize this opportunity and win this football game.

 

The Keys to the Game

 

NU offense/UCLA Defense - It is imparitive to get off to a quick start in this one. I expect to see a new level of hurry up. I want to see us get the ball to our fast play makers like Newby, Ameer, Bell, Turner, and even Alonzo Moore out in space on the edge. (Wouldn't surprise me if we did what UCLA did to us last year - get our guys in space in one on ones and see if their young secondary can tackle with solid technique and fundamentals. Quick WR screens, drag routes, quick developing plays, maybe even throw in a reverse similar to KB vs Minny. I wish Taylor was a better option QB. We could motion Jamal into the backfield and run a WR option play, a play stolen from Oregon/Scott Frost). We haven't seen Beck really utilize much of our speed and I believe there is a reason for that. Then when they least expect it we line up in the diamond and plunge it up the middle with Cross.

 

Taylor Martinez. Buddy, we need a big time game from you. Notice that he has made some reads where he could have kept the ball on the zone read play and went up the middle for about 80 yards (These are predetermined calls by Beck. They don't want Taylor to have the option of keeping it in games like those, typically.) I am wondering if he predetermined his read or if he wasn't trying to set something up. That zone read play has not really been that great thus far (Taylor isn't that great at reading the zone read anyway.) and we need it to be there. Next, when UCLA is only in a one-high safety look or if they creep them down into the box because they have to respect the running game, GO DOWN THE FIELD TO KENNY BELL!!!!!!!!!! (Hopefully Beck remembers how to call a game this time around. I'm still in disbelief of some of his Wyoming game calls.)

 

OL - Need the biggest game of the year. You guys have gotten better with every snap of the football, but we haven't played anyone like UCLA yet. They did a wonderful job at points last year against UGA and that was against basically NFL talent across the board. What you guys say they put together four quarters and do it all football game? Need to identify where Barr is and our running backs need to help with this if we are in an obvious passing down.

 

UCLA Offense/NU Defense - Shaq Evans and Devin Fuller are very scary football players guys. (Think you might be slightly overrating them here. Shaq Evans, is certainly a threat. Devin Fuller? He still has a lot to prove. Pretty similar to Jamal Turner's situation, the talent is there, but it needs to be put on tape. Sure he could burn us, but he isn't Marqise Lee.) Watching them on tape I don't know how you exactly go at them. I think we are going to have to put SJB on Shaq and I don't know if you go with Ciante on Fuller or you go with Mitchell. (I was hoping Jonathan Rose would be ready to go by now as I don't think this is a Josh Mitchell game, but I hope we see SJB on Fuller. I think Shaq Evans will get his either way. If not letting Devin Fuller go off is the key to the game, I put SJB on him so he doesn't go off.) Either guy on Fuller is going to need help over the top because I have never been impressed with either of our guys ability on the deep routes. SJB I am not worried about. James their new running back I will admit is a kid with a lot of talent. The play that I mentioned in a thread earlier this week that Paul also mentioned is the tight end picking the LB when we are in man to man and then James getting out in the flat. I will also like to point out that James doesn't have the ability to break as many tackles as Franklin, but he is a very talented young guy. Our safties are going to have to play the best game that they have so far. Haven't been terribly impressed with their ability in run support and that is still scary to me especially with a kid like Hundley. (My thoughts on Hundley running are well documented at this point. James is very talented, but I don't think he is even close to Jonathan Franklin as a player yet. Very, very athletic and fast though. I would probably play bring a safety down to help with the run early in the game. Trust that SJB can handle fuller and take our shot on Ciante vs Shaq. I think keeping James in check is going to be the key to this game. If we stop the running game early enough and get them into obvious passing situations, that is huge for us. We won't be guessing as to what the heck they'll be running. Also, if I hadn't mentioned it enough - this team defensively is so much better on third down that I HOPE it continues to be the case in this game. The coaches specifically focused on getting off the field on third down this offseason. If we are even average last year on third down - UCLA game is a LOT different.

 

DL - This is where we need our freshman to grow up and do it in a hurry. UCLA has four starters coming back from last year and we have one. Not that it is all bad, but VV needs to demand a double team every play and we need to be able to collapse the pocket and get to Hundley with our front four. If we have to blitz and creep up that safety into the box all game long it becomes increasingly difficult to win the game. I see us rushing Gregory from the left end a lot to flush Hundley out that way so he has to roll to his left and throw with his right. Not many high percentage throws come from that type of motion. (This is going to be a huge game to see where the DL really is. Can't let Hundley be comfortable in the pocket. Completely agree here.)

 

LBs - This could be the position that most concerns me. UCLA runs more swing passes and crossing routes than really any team that we saw last year and a majority of the times we had a ton of opportunities with our safeties or our linebackers to make plays for minimal gaines or losses and we didn't. We need to make those one on one tackles because our LBs will be called upon to make those plays. When we do dial up blitzes, GO WITH A PURPOSE!! I remember thinking in the first game that Bando was blitzing from the Mike spot and it didn't seem like he thought he was going to get there when he first started! Go young man!!! (Interesting to see how the LBs do this week. Communication can EASILY lose this game for us, but at the same time it can win it for us also. Gerry and Bando clearly have the speed and athleticism to keep the RB swing pass in check - but we'll see how our crew tackles this week. Does Afalava get some burn? Zaire? We'll see. Agree we had the positioning correct last year, but we couldn't make the play. Kudos to UCLA. Did we make significant improvement here? I hope so. I have a sneaking suspicion that we see a LB have a break out game. Gerry, possibly.)

 

Secondary - As I mentioned above they have some very good WRs. Fuller, I would love to have on our ball team like I thought we would have. He doesn't have that JT ability where the first guy never tackles him, but that drag route across the field we have had trouble defending with him scares the crap out of me. (This is actually my biggest concern. Charles Jackson and Jonathan Rose not being in the lineup, really, really scares me. Harvey Jackson, Seisay and Andrew Green, while talented, are not getting the job done at this point. I think at some point TJ is going to have throw these guys into the fire and take a risk that they will be able to just go out and make plays. Josh Mitchell, while feisty, is prone to giving up some big plays. This is NOT the game to do that. I cannot wait for CJ and JR to get a shot. The experience will do wonders for them, at the very least.)

 

Special Teams - We can't keep getting pinned in our own territory on our first drive. I don't exactly know how to fix it against that rugby punt Might have to show a willingness to try and block the punt - or at least overload pressure onto the side of which the punter runs before he punts it). But we need to figure it out. Bondi, keep kicking it out of the endzone bro. Sam Foltz, we know he is fast. Dude ran a 48 second 400 meters in High School. I would not be surprised to see us call a rugby punt and give him the option to either kick it or run it at a momentum swinging part of the football game.

 

To wrap this up, this is one that we should have had circled on our calendar from the start of summer workouts. I expect to see a gameplan that is specifically designed to stop this type of offense and hopefully get helmets around the football. Do we have a gameplan that we have been working on all summer and fall like we did for Mizzou in '10 and MSU in '11? Maybe, or maybe not. We will find out when the boys in Red, I mean BLACK take the field at 11am in Lincoln on Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

In summation, great write up. I agreed with a bit of what you said and I think it's a huge measuring stick for this program. At the same time, I don't want to put too much stock into this game because A) youth isn't an excuse, but the goal is the B1G championship and if anything, this defense will only improve and learn from the tape of this game after it concludes. I know people don't want to hear that, but I think this defense still has a pretty significant jump left in them to make, and I've heard very good things about when that jump will happen. Once it clicks for everyone and they are all used to the game, I think around B1G conference play, you'll see a much different team. Don't forget, half of this team is still figuring out their roles and B) I think this teams true identity will take form next year, not this year.

[HuskerFowler]

Agree king. I've been saying all along we need to squeek by UCLA to really have a great year. If we win we are set up to have a great finish. If we lose we have 2 bye weeks and some inferior opponents to get better on D before our next big test. For once I would like another team to have a bad game against us, maybe our offense can come out and dominate and D get a few key turnovers.

 

What EZ says is true, the fan base is becoming impatient. We need a good performance no matter what, another blowout with sloppy play is really going to stir up some sh#t. Even a solid played close loss will help hold most the fan base together. I believe Josh Banderas will be the key that brings back this D and the Huskers back to the nations elite. That kid knows what Nebraska football is all about, he will be the leader on D that we've been sorely missing. Just think its way to much to ask of him this year. A little luck Saturday and the season will unfold nicely for us. A BCS at large bid will be huge for this young team.

[EZ-E]

Agree king. I've been saying all along we need to squeek by UCLA to really have a great year. If we win we are set up to have a great finish. If we lose we have 2 bye weeks and some inferior opponents to get better on D before our next big test. For once I would like another team to have a bad game against us, maybe our offense can come out and dominate and D get a few key turnovers.

 

What EZ says is true, the fan base is becoming impatient. We need a good performance no matter what, another blowout with sloppy play is really going to stir up some sh#t. Even a solid played close loss will help hold most the fan base together. I believe Josh Banderas will be the key that brings back this D and the Huskers back to the nations elite. That kid knows what Nebraska football is all about, he will be the leader on D that we've been sorely missing. Just think its way to much to ask of him this year. A little luck Saturday and the season will unfold nicely for us. A BCS at large bid will be huge for this young team.

 

Then the season has a very '93 feel to it