Papuchis: "I was stunned"

[jmfb]

Since yardage is more important then the score to some. Why did ASU (417 yrds) lose to Stanford (391 yrds), Maine (379) lose to NW (373), MSU ( 254) lose to ND (220) and San Jose (486) lose to Minn. (424)?

No one has said anything of the sort here

Being ranked 100+ in yards given up, playing the competition we have is a symptom of a very pourous defense- no matter the score

A defense that is going to limit this teams success

[Fuzzy]

Pappuchis is not a bad coach he was just not ready to become a defensive coordinator at a program like Nebraska. Bo has made some bad decisions.

 

I think one of those was hiring Coach K for the defensive line.

[papersun87]

^I would argue that Coach K has been one of his only GOOD hires.

[TheSker]

^I would argue that Coach K has been one of his only GOOD hires.

Good test time now for Coach K. Pelini was critical of DL shedding blocks in post game presser.

[HuskerShark]

I was "stunned" also. Gave up 465 yards on defense. Not acceptable. (Again)

 

Why is everyone so caught up on YPG? Isn't how many points the other team scores the most important stat?

 

Our defense gave up 17 points in the first ten minutes of the game (which is terrible, yes) but only 3 points the next 50 minutes. I thought they played very well after the first three drives.

 

Exactly. There is a LONG ways for this defense to go with the amount of ability that is on the field, but I am pleased that our guys are holding up better in the redzone recently and holding the other team to FGs. Regardless of competition level, those are great things to see.

[WhatDoIKnow]

It looks like the defense is too complicated for the players we have. I don't know if that means we have not very smart players or too complicated of a scheme, or a lot little of both, but there is a definite gap between what the defensive players are asked to do and what they are capable of doing at the present time.

 

How to fix it...? Keep dumbing down the offense while throwing the dumbest people on the bench, I guess...

 

+1. If the best players you have cannot execute the scheme, you change the scheme. Put them in position to succeed. It may not be your preferred "scheme", but you have to scheme with what you have. High school coaches deal with it every year. Outgoing players and incoming players. The good ones adjust. We are scheming like we have a Suh, when we don't have a Suh.

[HuskerUnity]

Those of you who know me from discussions here on HB, know that I never call out players. Like I always say...they don't make the roster and decide who is starting. These young men are living the dream; playing for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and I envy them. I will not name names.

 

That said, there are players out starting (and seeing significant minutes) who just don't seem to be playing very well. It seems like the coaches would notice that there are times, when a few of the starters are on the sidelines, when the defense seems to be more aggressive and get after the ball a little more.

 

I know that the reason the starter is out on a particular play is situational and that they may not be playing the same base due to down-and-distance blah, blah, blah...I just think there are some of the young guys who are not getting the opportunity to start, who might make our defense a little better. What's the worse that could happen? We give up 400 yards and 200 yards to a FCS running back? Wait, that's what we are doing now.

I will call one out for ya...Thad Randell

[I am I]

Can we agree on this:

 

College offenses (shoot even/especially pro) given new rules of "targeting", tighter PI penalties, spread offenses, faster pace of offenses and plays, generally better talent spread throughout college ball...everything is based on an offensive bias--I think 300 yds given up is an average day.

The stats don't lie, offenses are more prolific the last 6-9 years than ever. Knowing some coaches through out the country, big big yardage is going to be given up, is what they say.

Turnovers, penalties, and limiting the big play is what football fans better cling to more than yds given up. Now, we suck at penalties and turnovers.

 

I'd argue that if we can clean that up, we're better off than 'trying' to keep teams under a certain amount of yardage.

Lets just win 3 things--scoreboard, turnovers, and penalties. In that order.

[Ric Flair]

I don't know how many times you can see the same thing unfold on the field and still be "stunned" by it.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I'm stunned that here it is Monday morning and Paps hasn't been fired yet............

[ESPY]

First of all Paps won't get fired ... at least not during the season.

 

Secondly, I just have to wonder if the guys on defense have some sort of god complex that makes them approach games in a way that our opponents will just bend to our will simply because we're Nebraska. Based on our performance on the field so far, I have a really hard time believing these guys are working as hard as the coaches say they are during practice and then translating that "effort" into solid play on Saturdays.

[StPaulHusker]

First of all Paps won't get fired ... at least not during the season.

 

Secondly, I just have to wonder if the guys on defense have some sort of god complex that makes them approach games in a way that our opponents will just bend to our will simply because we're Nebraska. Based on our performance on the field so far, I have a really hard time believing these guys are working as hard as the coaches say they are during practice and then translating that "effort" into solid play on Saturdays.

 

If this defense or these defensive coaches think anywhere near your second comment, they all need to be tested for drugs. There is not one team in all of college football that is scared of this defense. SDSU proved that on Saturday.

[ESPY]

First of all Paps won't get fired ... at least not during the season.

 

Secondly, I just have to wonder if the guys on defense have some sort of god complex that makes them approach games in a way that our opponents will just bend to our will simply because we're Nebraska. Based on our performance on the field so far, I have a really hard time believing these guys are working as hard as the coaches say they are during practice and then translating that "effort" into solid play on Saturdays.

 

If this defense or these defensive coaches think anywhere near your second comment, they all need to be tested for drugs. There is not one team in all of college football that is scared of this defense. SDSU proved that on Saturday.

I completely agree. There's no room for any defense, at any level, to think that way. But these are 18-21 year old kids, and sometimes they don't think quite as maturely as the rest of us. Honestly I think there's merit to this particular line of thought (otherwise I wouldn't have brought it up), simply based on how easily they get "shocked" when things like this happen against FCS foes (and the other 15 teams that have racked up huge yards on Bo's defenses in the last couple years). How can they work hard and make progress at practice each week, and then come out the do this on such a regular basis?

 

To me, this is a mental thing, not so much a skills things. We all know if you have the wrong mental approach, you'll get burned on way or the other...on the flipside, the right mental approach will help you do the types of things we've seen glimpses of against tough teams (eg. 1st qtr vs UCLA, first 3 qtrs vs. Georgia, etc.).

[Comish]

If the D keeps giving up yards will this be the worst defense? even worse than Callahan's? First four games don't give much hope and Bo fixing things doesn't happen.

If the D keeps giving up yards will this be the worst defense? even worse than Callahan's? First four games don't give much hope and Bo fixing things doesn't happen.

If the D keeps giving up yards will this be the worst defense? even worse than Callahan's? First four games don't give much hope and Bo fixing things doesn't happen.

This D is perilously close to the infamous defense of 2007. (within 15 yards a game).

 

That is NOT a neighborhood we ought to be inhabiting.

[VA Husker Fan]

It's a bad state of affairs and expectations that not too many of us were shocked that an FCS team would run down our throats and put up 17 first quarter points.

 

Pap won't get fired mid-season. It's too disruptive, and there's not likely to be someone available to step in, and they certainly won't go short a coach.

 

What I could see is Bo saying that he will take over the Defensive coordinator responsibilities, and demote Pap but keep him on the staff. Or do it quietly.

 

The problem is, he probably is doing that already, or at least dipping his hand in heavily. So there's really nothing he can do unless he wants to make Pap a scapegoat and fire him anyway.