PJ Smith talks about Wisconsin blowout

[74Hunter]

Bo's defenses are assignment football? EVERY DEFENSE AT THIS LEVEL IS ASSIGNMENT FOOTBALL. Like i said. This aint junior high anymore. Your one or two studs dont just dont fly all over the field making plays. At this level if those one ore two guys gets arrogantly out of position and doesnt do their job, we see what we saw in Indy that night.

 

So by all means keep them in and let them be arrogant and let them get 70 dropped on them? That's the part I don't get. If that debacle is directly attributed to a few guys being out of position, get them the freaking hell away from the field, or heaven forbid, coach them.

I don't disagree, but who else was going to play? He put the best guys out there, they said they'd play within the system, then they decided to freelance.

 

I don't think it's unreasonable to think, once it got to say, 28 points, that they had their chance to play within the system.

So, how's the coach responsible for the players freelancing, regardless of the score and circumstances?

 

Oh, and I'm still waiting on answers from a previous post that you've never answered. You know, the one about which players haven't progressed under this staff and why they haven't.

[NUpolo8]

Bo's defenses are assignment football? EVERY DEFENSE AT THIS LEVEL IS ASSIGNMENT FOOTBALL. Like i said. This aint junior high anymore. Your one or two studs dont just dont fly all over the field making plays. At this level if those one ore two guys gets arrogantly out of position and doesnt do their job, we see what we saw in Indy that night.

 

So by all means keep them in and let them be arrogant and let them get 70 dropped on them? That's the part I don't get. If that debacle is directly attributed to a few guys being out of position, get them the freaking hell away from the field, or heaven forbid, coach them.

I don't disagree, but who else was going to play? He put the best guys out there, they said they'd play within the system, then they decided to freelance.

 

I don't think it's unreasonable to think, once it got to say, 28 points, that they had their chance to play within the system.

So, how's the coach responsible for the players freelancing, regardless of the score and circumstances?

 

Oh, and I'm still waiting on answers from a previous post that you've never answered. You know, the one about which players haven't progressed under this staff and why they haven't.

 

A coach isn't responsible for his players lacking discipline?

 

 

[Treand3]

Not to derail this topic, but did nobody else listen to the segments where PJ was very critical of Taylor? He said that the team already trusts Tommy more than they did Taylor. I believe that was said towards the end of segment 2 and discussed more at the beginning of the 3rd segment, but I'm going off of memory on that. And there was more he said in other segments.

 

Yep

[RedDenver]

 

A coach isn't responsible for his players lacking discipline?

A team lacking discipline can be attributed to the coaches. Players not having discipline is on the players. For example, players staying up late the night before the game is obviously not on the coaches but on the players.

[HuskerCarter]

I've always felt that in certain situations, players can be more to blame than coaches. They are young adults, between 18 - 22. When you were that age, did you listen to a man 20 - 30 years older than you telling you how to do something? Or did you think you knew everything and could do what you wanted to do without someone looking over your shoulder?

 

I bet you every young man who goes into that locker room for the first time comes in selfish, but its a coaches job to break that mentality of selfishness and propose unity, teamwork, and leadership.

 

You guys ask, well who are these selfish guys in the locker room? Look at the past games, who did awesome one game and was suddenly no where to be seen? Who has transferred out of the program? Who created conflict on the sidelines?

 

I listen to PJ's comments and I remember an old saying, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. You can coach all you want to and pound the same teachings into the head of a young football player, but that won't guarantee he will listen or even put the knowledge he learned out on the field. But if he is the best athlete you have in that position, then what do you do? And if you don't put him in, people scrutinize your decision, calling for you to be fired. You think a selfish player cares if his coach gets fired?

 

I'm not saying one side is to blame more than other, they are both equally to be blamed. Even if the coaches take it upon themselves to take full blame.

 

For the record, it was mentioned in fall camp that PJ needed to step up and be a vocal leader for the defensive secondary his senior year. PJ mentioned he often was afraid of that leadership role. Sounds like he didn't overcome that fear.

 

Now that you think about it, when was the last REAL leader we had for the defense? A vocal leader? A passionate leader? Could that be a contributing factor to a sloppy defense?

[Chaddyboxer]

What were his thoughts there, Chaddy? Can anybody do a detailed summary?

 

The 'guys thinking they had it in the bag' thing is really interesting. You hear players say that sometimes after games and I figure, well, they're just trying to come up with the properly self-flagellating postgame soundbite. Over a full season after the fact though in presumably a more analytical setting....I wonder how this keeps happening to this team.

People here pretty much covered all that was said. PJ kept reiterating that it wasn't the coaches fault. Some players thought they were going to be handed the BIG 10 title. Very insightful segment.

[TheSker]

I think it's fine just to call a spade a spade......talent level was the issue with that particular defense. A leader needs the stat production to be a leader. On that defense, the leader was probably Compton. Where does Compton rank on the list of linebackers that have been coached by Pelini? Of the 11 starters on that defense, how many might start ahead of someone on this current defense?

[skersfan]

It sounds to me like something is wrong with in the team. Not one side or the other. The goals are not being met, and it sounds like lack of effort, dedication, loyalty, desire and motivation.

 

When I played, no we did not use leather helmets, the coach was god, and the seniors were just below that, or most were. When I screwed up, did not put the effort forward, the coach was on me, and if it did not improve, there were motivational speeches in the locker/shower after said practice. Neither were pleasant, mentally or physically. Marine Corps bootcamp was similar, fortunately I never experienced a blanket party, but saw them happen.

 

If you did not play hard, did exactly what you were told to do, you sat the bench, The head coach/position coach made those calls.

 

It seems, if what has been said by PJ is true, there are no consequences for playing rogue, you continue to play. As much as I like the kid, supported him every game, Taylor fit that. He could not do anything to get pulled, set the bench. I am a believer in actions deserve reactions. If you are not corrected for your errors, you will continue to make them.

 

Only one person is responsible for this team. One person in the end makes the decisions. One person is responsible for the recruiting of players. One person in charge of discipline, and in the long run responsible for curfews being enforced. If the team knew the player was out partying late pre game eve, the staff did to.

 

Leadership starts at the top, it is instilled in the followers, developed at that level and passed to the following level. True leaders develop when put in the position to lead, but they have to know the guidelines/consequences for their actions.

 

I think we started to see improvement in team leadership towards the end of last year. Being a first time head coach, Bo did not just become a leader, he is still learning how to lead, how to develop his following, there are leaders on the team, but specific standards/consequences are not lined out and held to. Possibly though those things are happening now. The bowl game, for me showed that there is a chance for this group to become a team.

 

Real leadership has very little to do with being loud or vocal. A passion for success is one attribute needed I think.

[skersfan]

I think the Wisconsin game, was very similar to our loss to Washington in the Holiday Bowl.

 

I do not buy into the talent level as being an excuse.

 

Over confident on the player side, a lack of the staff to understand/see the writing on the wall.

 

Both are at fault, but only the coaching staff can change the mind set.

[TheSker]

You can not buy into the talent level issue all you like. NFL draft numbers over the past 20-25 years tell a pretty good story. And again, remind me which defensive players from those in the championship loss would start now? Mind set is important, but would you take Compton or Rose at mike? Meredith or Gregory at DE?

[zoogs]

Listened to a bit today. PJ calls Jamal the most dynamic player on the team ('just get the ball in his hands'), and wants him returning punts.

 

More spring talk, about Tommy doing a much crisper job making the zone reads instead of predetermined (was that a thing last season?)

 

Something Bo Pelini said this spring I wasn't aware of: 'We gave Mauro Bondi a chance to run with the job and he didn't take advantage of it.'

 

On the punt return game, Benning: 'Those are coaching things...If you see the same things in 2014 that you saw in 2013...you deserve whatever it is that you're going to get. 'Cause there's no excuse. You don't see that with anybody else around the country."

 

Gosh, Sip sounds like he belongs in a Western. Seriously, Hollywood, cast this guy.

[TheSker]

Pelini made the comment about Bondi right after the spring game.

[zoogs]

Ah, I see; thanks!

 

You can not buy into the talent level issue all you like. NFL draft numbers over the past 20-25 years tell a pretty good story. And again, remind me which defensive players from those in the championship loss would start now? Mind set is important, but would you take Compton or Rose at mike? Meredith or Gregory at DE?

 

Interestingly, PJ specifically says "they shouldn't have scored 20 on us in that game." Talks about how they ran four plays all game, plays that Nebraska studied and were fully prepared for. He repeatedly talks about players trying to make the play on their own in the spotlight; freelancing instead of sticking with their assignments and letting somebody else make the play. Talks about calling out guys at halftime, how if they're not going to shape up, stay in the locker room and send a freshman on the field who will play hard instead. They'd say "I got you, I got you" -- but nothing changed. Damon says, "As a former player, you can see quit." And that's what he saw in that game.

 

This wasn't a 12-0 Urban Meyer-Braxton Miller uber team. Nebraska may be better on defense now than before, but they were not in any way outclassed in talent by 7-5, 3rd place Wisconsin.

[TheSker]

I'd look a little deeper into some numbers before I'd throw out a statement like "not in any way outclassed in talent". Between 2012 and 2013, Wisky had 9 players drafted. I'll let you look up how many Huskers were drafted in that same time period. I do completely agree we quit in that game, though. Rewatching some of those lame attempts at making a tackle are head shakers.

[Landlord]

smh at this ridiculous idea that coaches can somehow directly control their players mentalities and decisions.