What Did We Learn: Iowa Edition

[TheSker]

 

Average QB play and we win this game by 14-20 points, but TA has never been average because if he was we would have had 10 wins.

I just learned that TA was basically average a mere season ago.

[gobiggergoredder]

 

 

Nebraska could have beaten two Top 5 teams this year. Defense and Special Teams came to play. OL and Imani played well. WR were alright, not great. TA was the difference in this loss. He has all the arm talent and running ability you want but makes too many bad throws. Langsdorf switched from a power run offense against Michigan St and Rutgers to a pass first offense. Still, it was effective as Nebraska gained 433 yards and 22 first downs (almost 200 more yards and twice as many first downs as Iowa). However, while effective, this game plan highlights TA's weaknesses.

 

It was obviously NOT effective. If we run the same offense that we did against MSU, there are sure as sh#t fewer interceptions. What coach in their right mind, with the crappy weather we had today, runs a throw heavy scheme?

 

You can't just run the ball 70 times and win a game against a top 5 team. It sucks that TA sucks to the point that we can't trust him with any throw, but that is where we are right now. Average QB play and we win this game by 14-20 points, but TA has never been average because if he was we would have had 10 wins.

 

TA is all about big plays. We don't give the receivers enough credit. Kenny Bell is the best example of making Tommy look like Montana. Westy and Reilly have done there part as well.

 

He could have legitimately thrown 7-8 picks today. I only remember one that would NOT have been his fault.

[Danimal]

 

 

Average QB play and we win this game by 14-20 points, but TA has never been average because if he was we would have had 10 wins.

I just learned that TA was basically average a mere season ago.

 

 

 

He has seemed to devolve over the course of the season. He's always been pick-prone but this was more like freshman Tommy. It doesn't help that he's certainly passing more and running less than he should be.

[Hayseed]

 

 

I don't care for this coaching staff by and large, but the 4th and 1 fade was not exactly the primary call, Cethan Carter was standing all alone on the other side of the field, but Tommy threw to the end zone because he. . .yeah I don't know why he did it, honestly. Carter likely walks it in easily if Tommy turns his head slightly to his left.

Yeah, or you run 1 yard for first down and have 4 more plays....there's always that.

 

The pass play was there. The blown call was third and 1 not just plowing Armstrong straight ahead behind center, where Iowa didn't have anybody lined up. Ran it off-tackle or whatever instead and got stuffed.

 

Under ordinary circumstances it was there. Should've just run and took away any chance to make a bad decision.

[chamrocck]

Disappointed we came out flat today and played a pretty much a garbage second half. We were down by 4 at half basically gift wrapping a pick 6 for Iowa and didn't seem at all interested in winning in the second half. Very disappointing we could not come out to beat a top team in our place. A win would have really given this team momentum but we are stuck in the mud.

TA played horribly. I usually can overlook some stuff with his leadership but he was really bad today.

Langsdorf was equally bad. Lowest percentage play on 4th and 1...a true moment, no Jano runs, the Cross runs were predictable, offense never had any rhythm at all today.

Special teams is poor. No return game and we have the worst on-side kick strategy in college football.

The OL cannot pass protect at all. Teams know this and can pressure TA to make some really bad throws.

Honest question. When you watch other teams do you ever hear as much criticism as TA gets on his technique? He basically gets soundly criticized throughout the game. TA and Langsdorf cannot co-exist as they are terrible together. My bet is because this staff is staying Langsdorf will get to try his scheme with POB. May as well start preparing for that now.

Really bad game to cap a really bad season. Iowa was beatable but we turned it over, gave up huge runs, and pretty much had no offensive creativity. We had something to play for today but after this game this season is and .

Onto next year...

[Enhance]

Where do people place more of the blame on that 4th down - on Langsdorf or TA?

 

I noticed a lot of people on Twitter saying 'don't blame Langsdorf because he didn't throw the ball.' While true, it's also a coaches job to put a QB (and the team) in a position to win the game. Did Langsdorf and the coaches put TA and the team in the right spot there to convert, while understanding the limitations TA has?

[HuskermanMike]

Patrick Obrien may be a really good QB and lots of great QB's have started as freshman. Brad Kaaya started last year as a true frosh, I don't know Miami's situation at QB last year but we could use a QB that can complete 60 percent plus passes. Even better we might need a QB who can throw the ball away when he needs to.

3 areas how TA could improve

1 Decision making- obvious one here, everyone knows he needs to make better decisions every announcer says he needs to, also throw the ball away if need be

2 Mechanics- way too many throws off his back foot and he just looked confused on the field today

3 Don't lock on to primary receiver- He needs to look to check downs and find his TEs and third options. Carter was wide open and having a great game on that fourth down play, why not throw him the ball?

 

I don't know who will start next year but if TA does not improve those three things Patrick Obrien will start over him mid-season.

 

Edit: I learned that we need to have better QB play and better game management to win more close games.

[AFhusker]

Since Devaney was hired, NU has won close to 40 more games than the second most winningest team - OU (entering this season anyway).... To say we've been spoiled is an understatement.... We've had 3 losing seasons in basically 6 decades.... Not one other program can say that..... We could literally not practice for 3 seasons, let alone play a game, and OU would need to go undefeated to pass us in win totals. Spoiled.

IDK if we're going to turn a corner next season or if it'll be a repeat of this season. I'm nervous, but optimistic. Not once this season did I feel helpless during a game - at least not until the final minute of a couple games. I can't say that about any of our previous 3 HCs. It never once felt out of control like it did with Frank, Bill, and Bo at times.

[Hunter94]

Where do people place more of the blame on that 4th down - on Langsdorf or TA?

 

I noticed a lot of people on Twitter saying 'don't blame Langsdorf because he didn't throw the ball.' While true, it's also a coaches job to put a QB (and the team) in a position to win the game. Did Langsdorf and the coaches put TA and the team in the right spot there to convert, while understanding the limitations TA has?

ahhhhhhhhh, no he did not.

[74Hunter]

 

Average QB play and we win this game by 14-20 points, but TA has never been average because if he was we would have had 10 wins.

 

I just learned that TA was basically average a mere season ago.

That's system, that's coaching.......

[Bowfin]

While true, it's also a coaches job to put a QB (and the team) in a position to win the game

 

...and the place to put Armstrong in order to win the game was on the bench, but this is nothing more than 20/20 hindsight.

[HuskerNation1]

The two things I learned from this game is that you can never really trust Armstrong or Langsdorf, which is pretty scary as I expect both will be back in 2016. For the Iowa game today, minus the bonehead 4th and 1 call, I would say Langsdorf deserves less of the blame as it's true that an average QB would have made several plays today, or not made several INTs today. Tommy is simply a below average QB, and not one that should be counted on to lead a power 5 team. Had we had someone like Zac Lee this year, I think NU ends up with a 8-4 or 7-5 record. Lee was not going to make the wow plays, but also was not going to cost many games with bad decision making.

[Whistlebritches]

 

Where do people place more of the blame on that 4th down - on Langsdorf or TA?

 

I noticed a lot of people on Twitter saying 'don't blame Langsdorf because he didn't throw the ball.' While true, it's also a coaches job to put a QB (and the team) in a position to win the game. Did Langsdorf and the coaches put TA and the team in the right spot there to convert, while understanding the limitations TA has?

ahhhhhhhhh, no he did not.

 

I would have much rather seen them run the ball on 4th and 1 but when Carter is wide open for an easy first down I think its hard to argue that the play call wasn't successful. The OC has to have some level of trust that his quarterback is going to make a smart play.

[RADAR]

The two things I learned from this game is that you can never really trust Armstrong or Langsdorf, which is pretty scary as I expect both will be back in 2016. For the Iowa game today, minus the bonehead 4th and 1 call, I would say Langsdorf deserves less of the blame as it's true that an average QB would have made several plays today, or not made several INTs today. Tommy is simply a below average QB, and not one that should be counted on to lead a power 5 team. Had we had someone like Zac Lee this year, I think NU ends up with a 8-4 or 7-5 record. Lee was not going to make the wow plays, but also was not going to cost many games with bad decision making.

Langsdorf called a great game today, the 4th & 1 was a terrible read by Tommy. POB needs to take this job and run with it. With a better QB we win 9-10 games this season.

[teachercd]

 

The two things I learned from this game is that you can never really trust Armstrong or Langsdorf, which is pretty scary as I expect both will be back in 2016. For the Iowa game today, minus the bonehead 4th and 1 call, I would say Langsdorf deserves less of the blame as it's true that an average QB would have made several plays today, or not made several INTs today. Tommy is simply a below average QB, and not one that should be counted on to lead a power 5 team. Had we had someone like Zac Lee this year, I think NU ends up with a 8-4 or 7-5 record. Lee was not going to make the wow plays, but also was not going to cost many games with bad decision making.

 

Langsdorf called a great game today, the 4th & 1 was a terrible read by Tommy. POB needs to take this job and run with it. With a better QB we win 9-10 games this season.

But, with this bad QB we won 9 games