This is why you never, ever, ever let up

[knapplc]

You know who thinks they can beat Nebraska?

 

 

Why? I discussed this at length in the "Bo's Blowouts" thread back in April. Long story short, we have a history of getting blown out, and of allowing opponents who should be lesser-quality hang around late in the game. Wyoming and SDSU were two examples last year, but there are many, many more in the Bo Pelini Era.

 

 

The point that nobody is scared of Nebraska was driven home in the aftermath of Nebraska's win over the FAU Owls. FAU cornerback D'Joun Smith, in comments published just yesterday, highlighted the problem:

 

Even though people thought we were the underdog in our mind we weren't the underdog, said Smith.

Why? Because Nebraska hasn't shown a killer instinct in years. We haven't shown that we'll knock our opponent down, and when he's down put our heel on his throat.

 

The problem isn't that teams like FAU don't respect the Cornhuskers, the problem is that the Cornhuskers have given teams like FAU no reason to do so.

 

Smith said he and his teammates thought that if they came out and punched them in the mouth Nebraska players would wilt, and FAU's superior talent would take over.

FAU certainly did come in and punch Nebraska in the mouth. The first drive, FAU efficiently marched 75 yards in 11 plays and scored a TD, tying the game at 7-7. They did it again two drives later, another 11-play drive capped by a missed field goal.

 

The Owls weren't intimidated by Nebraska. Smith was clear about that:

 

If we go back to Nebraska again I still think in our hearts, and I think we all think that, we are going in and beating them, Smith said. They sure weren't faster than us. We had way more speed than them. They just capitalized on our mistakes.

It doesn't matter whether Smith is right or wrong about this, or whether FAU overall is faster than Nebraska.

 

The mindset is what matters, on both benches.

 

Our opponents don't think we're going to crush them (and have evidence to back that up). Our own team doesn't appear to have the mindset to make these teams fear playing Nebraska. We've looked lost far too often - as recently as the first drive against FAU last weekend.

 

 

 

Comments like this, from what should have been a well-overmatched opponent, should burn our team to the core. Smith's comments should be posted on every locker, in every meeting room, every hallway.

 

 

 

McNeese State comes to Lincoln this Saturday. I'll guarantee you they are not intimidated to play Nebraska. They reside in the midst of one of college football's richest recruiting hotbeds. They have as much speed as Nebraska, they have strength, they have some pretty good coaches. They're a top-ten team in the FCS, and there is no way they are coming here for a paycheck and a pat on the back.

 

They're coming here to beat Nebraska. They believe they can.

 

That's why it's imperative that we crush this team. Grind them down. Eclipse last week's offensive output. Shut them out, if possible. Our defense needs to be ravening beasts, in full-on Quarterback Crushing mode from the first snap. Our coaches need to be ready to be the aggressor. Let the defense hunt, let the offense roll.

 

Enough of this. Put your heel down and grind them into the ground.

[HuskerinSunDiego]

Agree. We totally need to have a killer instinct. I think this will come as we continue to win. This is our year.

[grandpasknee]

 

Carl von Clausewitz total war concept. No mercy, no non-combatants, no quarter. Not domination, rather annihilation. Play in a manner that ISIS would cower.

[CPT Blackshirt]

He can believe what he wants in his heart... because in the end their results resembled something like the inner walls of a pit toilet at Branched Oak Lake after Labor Day Weekend. They were outmatched on a personnel level, with the game plan, execution and just about every other aspect of a football game you could think of. As a competitor I would not expect him to be scared... because they are taught not to be scared of anyone they face - after all they are all just humans playing the same game. Little puppies do the same thing to big dogs... and how many rat terriers do you see taking down pitbulls? Lots of barking... and they still get tossed around and bit.

[QMany]

You have to think that way, or you are already beat. It isn't that Nebraska isn't striking fear into opponents. Do you think Smith honestly believes they are going to beat Nebraska? No, but you must have that mentality. What is he going to say in interview? "Yeah, we didn't have a shot, they are more athletic, and we will never win. Boo hoo."

[HuskerNBigD]

"They just capitalized on our mistakes"

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, we forced zero turnovers. There weren't a ton of mistakes to capitalize on, it was more so Nebraska simply dominated a weaker team. Not sure if he is just loopy from the meds he took for his injury, or what. The guy needs to learn to take the loss and move on. I personally hope Bama hangs another half a hundred on them so I can entertain myself with more of his outlandish comments.

[Thanks_Tom RR]

While I am not going to argue against your premise, Knapp, the title of that article was Overconfidence? An easy answer,

 

Apparently, they did not learn their lesson either. As we know our offense set a new B1G total offense record, and the article notes:

 

Nebraska, however, punched them back, racking up 784 yards of total offense – the most ever against an FAU team.

 

That was a complete shellacking, not an ugly win that came down to the wire and a few bad plays by FAU. Furthermore, it seems that this false sense of superiority is not limited to how they view Nebraska. Their next game is against current #2, Alabama, and the DC is quoted as saying in reference to that game:

 

It's about our defense. If we get lined up and we read our keys, and we fit the plays the way we're supposed to fit them, and we are in position to make plays, and we make plays, we'll beat anybody. If we don't we won't beat anybody.

 

Really!?

 

Nebraska needs to show they can dominate their opponents and not let lesser teams hang around, but this is a case of a naive team acting that way. Someone just needs to let this CB know,

[Count 'Bility]

We forced zero turnovers AND had a sh#t ton more penalties than them.

 

This guy's a complete tool. The score was not 31-20. it was frickin 55-7. It was 31-7 at half. Get a clue. Put your focus towards winning the sun belt or whatever the hell other pissant conference youre in.

 

Last year wyoming had a right to talk.

[MichiganDad3]

I remember opposing teams stating that they hated to play Nebraska because they were so beat up after the game. I specifically remember a DB saying he was hit more times in the Nebraska game than his entire college career. Ah, the good old days.

[VA Husker Fan]

LOL. We put 55 points on them and nearly 800 yards total offense. They had no turnovers and fewer penalties than us. Their mistakes were scheduling this game, getting on the plane, not tackling nor blocking very well, and starting a cornerback who's overconfident about a game they're about to get blown apart in. Not too worried about what a guy like that is thinking.

 

Not sure what this post is getting at considering we didn't let up on Saturday. What more do you want? I'd love to return to those days when every game against a non-ranked opponent was almost certain to be a blow out. But that's not our birthright. We're not going to win all our games just by our fans demanding it. Other teams are going to have good players and play hard too.

[BigRedBuster]

While I am not going to argue against your premise, Knapp, the title of that article was Overconfidence? An easy answer,

 

Apparently, they did not learn their lesson either. As we know our offense set a new B1G total offense record, and the article notes:

 

 

Nebraska, however, punched them back, racking up 784 yards of total offense – the most ever against an FAU team.

 

That was a complete shellacking, not an ugly win that came down to the wire and a few bad plays by FAU. Furthermore, it seems that this false sense of superiority is not limited to how they view Nebraska. There next game is against current #2, Alabama, and the DC is quoted as saying in reference to that game:

 

 

It's about our defense. If we get lined up and we read our keys, and we fit the plays the way we're supposed to fit them, and we are in position to make plays, and we make plays, we'll beat anybody. If we don't we won't beat anybody.

 

Really!?

 

Nebraska needs to show they can dominate their opponents and not let lesser teams hang around, but this is a case of a naive team acting that way. Someone just needs to let this CB know,

Umm...it's the coaches job to give confidence to his team that they will succeed if they do things the way they are supposed to and work hard at it. It's not his job to say..."you know what? You have no chance of winning this week. Let's just hope we don't get injured."

He is a coach. The player needs to build confidence in his own mind while working hard at doing what the coach wants him to do.

 

Other than this being discussed in the media, I don't understand the puzzlement on these statements.

[Count 'Bility]

One sentence just drives me insane.

 

"FAU's superior talent....."

 

Shouldnt such superior talent be able to overcome such mistakes in a game that was clearly still in reach?

[sd'sker]

One sentence just drives me insane.

 

"FAU's superior talent....."

 

Shouldnt such superior talent be able to overcome such mistakes in a game that was clearly still in reach?

if they truly had superior talent, we had a hell of a game plan.

[HuskerShark]

While I agree with you that our guys should use his words as motivation, I don't agree with pretty much the rest of your take on it, and here's why:

 

What do we expect FAU players to say? "Man, we were scared as hell to go in there to their stadium. I about pooped my pants when I saw that team come out of the tunnel."??? Sorry, but that's not gonna happen. Ever.

[Navythomas8]

Maybe Alabama will put this on their lockers. Expect him to mouth off after Bama Plows em!