Blackshirts It's about respect - Where Are They Now: Michael Booker

[TheSker]

A coach at this level should not have to coach this. This sort of accountability is at the player level.

 

Or one could say the coach who recruited that player could be to blame. What kind of player are you looking for when you're recruiting someone? Besides someone who is talented obviously.

Being a coach at this level has many challenges......lest we forget Pelini sent two defensive players packing this past offseason for off the field issues. Based on what happened, both of them may have had a "nasty" streak to them.

[TheSker]

A coach at this level should not have to coach this. This sort of accountability is at the player level. One thing is for sure. Coach is calling these guys out repeatedly.

This.

 

Coaches definitely make a difference. But they can also only do so much. If you can't get yourself fired up to play at this level, there's really nothing the coach can do on that front.

 

You can get someone like Cameron Meredith or Will Compton as fired up as you want. If they don't have the physical tools and ability, they just don't. For being a senior, Jason Ankrah's career sack numbers are head scratchingly low.

[Mavric]

You can get someone like Cameron Meredith or Will Compton as fired up as you want. If they don't have the physical tools and ability, they just don't. For being a senior, Jason Ankrah's career sack numbers are head scratchingly low.

Also true. As far as I'm concerned, the ship has sailed for Ankrah and probably Randle too. I hate to say it but I'm afraid it's true. If Ankrah can't even tackle UCLA's punter ...

[Husker_x]

I think there needs to be a couple of points made. Not that I disagree with the idea of this argument or the tone of it, but. . .

 

1. Spread offenses make life difficult. When you put athlete on athlete out in space and try to get the ball out of the QBs hand in three seconds, your D-line can get neutralized pretty quick. That doesn't excuse the poor tackling we've seen so far this season or the quitters attitude when faced with adversity. It also doesn't explain our weak ass run defense, or how we're getting gashed by an FCS team.

 

2. Football continues to get pussified. In an age where people fear breathing on a quarterback will give him a concussion, sowing a mean, nasty defense will reap a plentiful harvest of penalty yards. Not that we don't do that already under Pelini, but some of the viciousness we associate with Nebraska teams of yore probably wouldn't fly anymore. That does not, however, negate your point about mentality or respect. This team doesn't respect itself, and it shouldn't. They play like crap on defense and the offense is not much better in setting a tone (yet).

 

I really don't know what the answer is for Nebraska. I think we have talent, but it's not doing us much good on the big stage. We'll see how this season progresses. I think a new coordinator on the defensive side of the ball--somebody experienced--to counterbalance Bo would be a solid start. JP is a waste of salary and time. Beyond that, we've had so many conversations for so long about how to 'fix' this team that the only plausible answer I see remaining is some kind of coaching change.

 

I expect Pelini to win quite a few games yet this season. I also expect him to drop one or two more winnable ones. If we find ourselves in primetime again (not all that likely), modern history has told me to be very pessimistic about or chances of even surviving a game with our heads held high, much less winning it.

[suigeneris]

A coach at this level should not have to coach this. This sort of accountability is at the player level. One thing is for sure. Coach is calling these guys out repeatedly.

 

If it was an isolated incident, I wouldn't mind the players shouldering the bulk of the blame. But if it's systemic (which it is) then you need to go up the chain of command.

 

Do you think Osborne and his staff just lucked out and happened to recruit players who stepped on campus with the type of attitude knapplc was referencing? By 1995, that attitude had become part of the culture of Nebraska football and had a forward momentum of its own, but someone had to build it in the first place and then see that it was maintained.

 

This is beyond your post, but it drives me nuts when people say stuff like "Bo's doing fine. The players just need to execute." That's BS. For repetitive, systemic problems you have to blame the system and the persons that created it. Bo and his staff are responsible for the attitude, fundamentals, and everything else that happens on the field. If he's putting the players in position and they're not making plays, that's his fault, too.

[QMany]

Samuel McKewon ‏@swmckewonOWH11m

Do NU's DLs understand effort needed gm in, gm out? Pelini: "No I don't think they do understand...that's what we're trying to get through."

[TheSker]

I posted this in another thread several weeks ago, but I'll also post it on this thread. We've had 5 or more players selected in the NFL draft only three times since 2000. They were 2001, 2004 and 2011. From 1990 through 1999, there was not a single year we had less than five players selected.

[Count 'Bility]

Guys, the attitude was lost in College Station in 2010. The night Bo went a wee bit too far, and Perlman took it farther by publicly castrating him. It really hasnt been the same since.

 

Now, to the next point, they have to find a way to get it back without Bo going all Bo on everyone. He's calmed. He has to remain that way. They have to find it somewhere. Gotta get that attitude back.

[TheSker]

How does a defense that fielded Suh, Hagg, Gomes, Amukamara, Dennard, Crick and the rest seemingly forget how to play badass defense?

They didn't forget. They are simply not as good as the names above.

[suigeneris]

Samuel McKewon ‏@swmckewonOWH11m

Do NU's DLs understand effort needed gm in, gm out? Pelini: "No I don't think they do understand...that's what we're trying to get through."

 

It's encouraging that he's acknowledged the problem and is trying to fix it. I haven't given up hope in Bo, but he needs to find a catalyst.

 

 

For readers of the TWOS

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

Great post Knapp. It would be great if this were passed around to the defense.

[Chaddyboxer]

What causes this attitude though? How can you go out there and not give a damn? If this is the case, how do you fix this "attitude"? I guess I've just always assumed guys on defense love to hit, love to play, and love to make plays? Passion, "want to" and work ethic were things I guess I just took for granted as part of football. Especially at this level.

Sad thing is....many solid teams out there who get upset by a "lesser' team, don't come in the game focused, with attitude. They take the other team lightly. I believe that starts with the culture coming from the coaches. The coaches have to create an environment that breeds the "respect every opponent" and "crush any opponent when their down" type of mentalities IMO.

Another troubling thing is, I don't think this will happen over the bye-week. This is going to take the rest of the season....let's just hope that come BIG10 play against NW and Mich, NEB has that "killer" edge.

[Chaddyboxer]

Also, what is up with the DL's conditioning!??? Benning kept alluding to that the d-line looked gassed by the end of the 1st quarter.....cripes, that is unacceptable IMO.

[Chaddyboxer]

Honestly and I hate to say it......

But I agree with Suigeneris's post.........

This is a systemic problem....

[knapplc]

How does a defense that fielded Suh, Hagg, Gomes, Amukamara, Dennard, Crick and the rest seemingly forget how to play badass defense?

They didn't forget. They are simply not as good as the names above.

 

It's not as simple as that. Wyoming has never had that kind of talent. Neither has SDSU. But both came into our house and played with passion and fire, just like the guys I listed.

 

Talent levels can be thrown out in this discussion. It's about passion, effort, and will. That's the "respect" angle I'm on about.