2015 Season Excitement

[True2tRA]

Tommy can probably handle the task at hand. But we should probably expect a lot more short pass plays than QB keep and run. That is probably something that would hurt him under the old regime. His teachers should be better and the execution should inprove.

Either way we are going to see a different type of TA this year.

Exactly. Simple stuff. Short curls, out routes, some simple timing routes. Some quick crossing routes. Some screen passes and swing passes to the HB out of the backfield. Quick developing stuff, especially when your offensive line can't protect you for long. Tommy throws those timing routes beautifully too, we saw some of that in the MSU game last year. Get the TE involved, easy throws to a big target. All these thing bring Tommy's numbers up immediately.

 

His teachers ARE better. We WILL improve.

[Scratchtown]

 

 

I feel like our QB situation is shakey at best and a couple key injuries on sefense could cripple us

The rest of the college football world thinks higher of Tommy than that. He's been far better than "shaky" so far in his career and I would expect a vast improvement here in his junior year with the new coaches. If Tommy goes down, then yes its very unclear, but that's no different than its been for quite awhile here now. Its pretty much that way everywhere. Its always a bad situation when you're starter goes down minus a few rare examples.

Defensively, if we lose a DE or a linebacker it could be a very bad situation. More guys getting more work in practice, better teaching, and a simplified scheme may at least help make that adjustment if needed. We were truly left with very little depth or experience at those positions. How or why a coach would ever let it get that bad at two key spots, I don't know, but there's a lot of things about Bo and his staff that were unexplainable.

I say shakey because hist TD to INT ratio isn't great, nor is his completion percentage.

 

This is a guy that was playing in a system designed around him, now being plugged into a morr pro style system.

 

Either he will gain the tutelage he needed all along or the transition will bury him and see Darlington or another emerge above. The last thing I expect from TA is to post similar stats to last year.

 

Even though that's Riley's MO, nothing in the spring game proves that we are legitimately moving to 100% pro style.

[Redux]

No, we aren't going 100% pro style. But it will be more so than we have been, obviously.

[papersun87]

Beck rarely gave Armstrong to show he can routinely make the kinds of throws he'll have to make regularly under Riley. So many of his called passes were just home run balls lobbed in the general direction of Westerkamp or Bell.

 

While Armstrong wasn't exactly Tom Brady in the Holiday Bowl (was it FIVE dropped picks by USC defenders?) he had one of his best games as a QB, and with an offseason of coaching I think he become the type of quarterback we need him to be this fall. Not necessarily the type of quarterback we want in year four, but for now, for this transition period, I think he has to be the guy.

 

And strictly from an experience/leadership standpoint, I don't think a coach in his right mind would sit a third-year starter in favor of a Bush or a Darlington.

[Moiraine]

If Armstrong could just figure out finding the wide open running back that would go a long way.

[True2tRA]

If Armstrong could just figure out finding the wide open running back that would go a long way.

Do we ever stop and ask WHY this was such an issue?

 

What do we assume was stopping him from figuring this out? Why was THE BIG PLAY always the tendency? Why did this not improve?

 

Is it as simple as we all make it out to be? Maybe not, but it surely isn't a complicated thing either.

 

So why did Tommy never really seem to progress in this area? I don't think he's stupid, do you? Was he being told not to dump it to Ameer? That seems ridiculous. It seems just as ridiculous to me that if his coaches were telling him all week during practice, then why did it never seem to come together? Can Tommy not execute in game situations? Does he lose his composure and forget how to play the position or forget what he has worked on in practice? He seems to be alright to me out there. It doesn't look like its too much for him.

 

My theory: The HB is often a late read in his progression. He may check three WR's before he comes back to the HB. So how often did Tommy have time to do this? How comfortable did Tommy feel to where he knew he had the time to go through the progression and make that dump off to the HB if he had no other options. I can't imagine Tommy felt too comfortable out there. Taylor never did. Its miraculous Tommy and Taylor weren't hurt sooner or more often. They've both taken far too many brutal hits in their careers. Taylor even took a sh#t from his own Center (Caputo I believe) after Caputo was shoved straight backwards into Taylor. I hate to lay it all on the offensive line but face it, its kind of important. If the QB does not feel comfortable out there, its tough. There's a lot happening and its happening fast, but I'm sorry, our offensive line should be able to give a little more time than what is has.

 

Now even if Beck was telling Tommy he needed to check down to AA sooner, that still isn't doing a lot for Tommy's development as a Quarterback. Defenses would eventually pick up on it and you'd be back where you started.

 

The issue was two things:

 

1. Too many reads and the routes taking too long to develop. The WR's were making their own reads and by the time everybody was finding the same opening, it was too late. Simpler routes, less reads from the receivers and more designed plays, and less options for Tommy all would have been beneficial. Let Tommy make the quick 1 or 2 reads, dump to AA or extend the play with his feet. He easily could've created a lot more opportunities if he wasn't being asked to be Peyton Manning and stand in the pocket making 4 reads every other passing play.

 

2. The biggest problem. The same offensive line struggling in the same way every single year. Why was there never a clear emphasis on technical development, depth development, and simply recruiting the absolute best offensive line prospects. How long do you watch the same part of your team struggle, the same players struggling, and still just keep marching them up to the line. This used to be the Pipeline, the pride of Nebraska football. Instead it became a neglected bunch and more of a family reunion on Saturdays. Its time there is some focus put back up front. The rest will take care of itself, but it has to start there. Coaches at this level should know that. Forget the sons and the nephew, put the best guys up there. I guarantee, the offensive line improves, Tommy will immediately.

[True2tRA]

I've got to say, I'm excited to hear the huddle is coming back to the offense too. This will help everybody communicate a bit more and get on the same page.

[Redux]

I know you are fully in TA's corner and that's great. But what you are saying about the line not giving him enough time to go through all his options only seems about half right. I feel like half the time he would only go through one or two before feeling too much pressure when there wasn't any before making a throw into bad coverage.

 

Sure, when a QB has secret service good protection they will put up awesome stats. See Sam Bradford 2008. But it's the QB that can make plays without requiring all day to make a decision that suceeds. Can Tommy do that? I don't know yet. If our line was as bad as you claim it to be at times, how did we churn out Helu, Burkhead and Ameer?

[cg_8]

 

1. Too many reads and the routes taking too long to develop. The WR's were making their own reads and by the time everybody was finding the same opening, it was too late. Simpler routes, less reads from the receivers and more designed plays, and less options for Tommy all would have been beneficial. Let Tommy make the quick 1 or 2 reads, dump to AA or extend the play with his feet. He easily could've created a lot more opportunities if he wasn't being asked to be Peyton Manning and stand in the pocket making 4 reads every other passing play.

 

When you first asked, this was going to by my number 1 answer. Tommy had to rely on WR making the same read as himself too many times. The talk of "progressive" reads get thrown around here a lot too, but some of those reads had to be coverage reads from Tommy and WR. Beck relied too heavily on it. When it worked, it worked, but when it didn't, Tommy was the one that looked like an idiot.

 

Anyway, I'm looking forward to limiting those reads and although some reads are built within some route concepts, I have a feeling that Langsdorf and Wideouts master Keith Williams know how to coach it up better than Ganz and Fisher. Out of it all, I think that's a major key we've been missing. Guys to coach it up properly.

 

I'm super excited for the season. The Playoff added a ton more excitement to an already exciting college football season. Jan 1st was one of the funnest days I had watching the game in my life.

[Moiraine]

 

If Armstrong could just figure out finding the wide open running back that would go a long way.

Do we ever stop and ask WHY this was such an issue?

 

What do we assume was stopping him from figuring this out? Why was THE BIG PLAY always the tendency? Why did this not improve?

 

Is it as simple as we all make it out to be? Maybe not, but it surely isn't a complicated thing either.

 

So why did Tommy never really seem to progress in this area? I don't think he's stupid, do you? Was he being told not to dump it to Ameer? That seems ridiculous. It seems just as ridiculous to me that if his coaches were telling him all week during practice, then why did it never seem to come together? Can Tommy not execute in game situations? Does he lose his composure and forget how to play the position or forget what he has worked on in practice? He seems to be alright to me out there. It doesn't look like its too much for him.

 

 

The issue was two things:

 

1. Too many reads and the routes taking too long to develop. The WR's were making their own reads and by the time everybody was finding the same opening, it was too late. Simpler routes, less reads from the receivers and more designed plays, and less options for Tommy all would have been beneficial. Let Tommy make the quick 1 or 2 reads, dump to AA or extend the play with his feet. He easily could've created a lot more opportunities if he wasn't being asked to be Peyton Manning and stand in the pocket making 4 reads every other passing play.

 

 

This is what I think. I even think maybe Ameer should've been 2nd choice since it seems like another of Armstrong's issues was staring down his 1st target. The 2nd WR could be a decoy or the 3rd choice.

 

The running thing bothered me too. I only remember a couple times that he got stuffed. He should have run it more. Not so much that it started getting stuffed a lot but there was definitely an opportunity for more big running plays from him, imo.

[Landlord]

I think I remember Tommy just flat out missing runningbacks/safety valve throws about equal to the number of times he didn't progress to them. He seems to have the most trouble actually putting the ball on the money on the short throws with a lot of movement - quick slants, flats, etc.

[Lyons in the Sea of Red.]

I think I remember Tommy just flat out missing runningbacks/safety valve throws about equal to the number of times he didn't progress to them. He seems to have the most trouble actually putting the ball on the money on the short throws with a lot of movement - quick slants, flats, etc.

That's because those balls require more accuracy. Any guy that can put it in a 7 yard square down field throws a "good" deep ball. Your margin for error is nearly zero on those quick short ones.

[NUance]

 

I think I remember Tommy just flat out missing runningbacks/safety valve throws about equal to the number of times he didn't progress to them. He seems to have the most trouble actually putting the ball on the money on the short throws with a lot of movement - quick slants, flats, etc.

That's because those balls require more accuracy. Any guy that can put it in a 7 yard square down field throws a "good" deep ball. Your margin for error is nearly zero on those quick short ones.

 

 

Especially when you have a defensive end breathing down your neck. But those are throws Tommy needs to make. Let's just hope Riley's guys can work their magic on him over the summer. :

[papersun87]

If anything, I think a system with fewer reads will be easier for TA. Also I think he just got conditioned to look for the deep route so often that checkdowns were the furthest thing from his mind.

[Bowfin]

A staff that already knows the value of special teams.

What didn't you like about last year's special teams?