What Kind of Offense Are We Really Trying to Run?

[Guy Chamberlin]

Went back and looked at the defensive averages during the 70's and 80's Guy and you are right those defenses were better than average but playing Big 8 schools helped out those numbers. What I should have said was that they got faster and more atheletic. Fair enough?

 

Absolutely. We got used to beating the Big 8 on sheer strength.

 

Then when we played those Florida teams (or Oklahoma or Georgia Tech) we got burned by teams who were just as strong and a lot faster.

Starting in 1990, Osborne started recruiting for defensive speed.

[84HuskerLaw]

I recall that part of the defensive issue in the late 70s and through much of the 80s was difference between defending the Big 8 which was a more run oriented conference and then facing those pesky Florida schools which were pass oriented. We often did not have the pass defense ability. We built a defense to win the Big 8 but then did not match up in bowls. We changed and were fortunate that Oklahoma got in trouble and no longer was the wishbone monster that ruined our season each Thanksgiving and allowed us the freedom to build defenses to win the bowls. Just my theory but I believe there is a degree of basic truth.

[Hujan]

Nebraska did not have Rex, Roy, or Ameer last year. Or anybody close. There's a reason it was a committee.

Maybe, again, sort of like the Lucky days where you had BJax and Helu begin to emerge late.

We actually discovered some decent talent on the roster (Cross, Ozigbo), when Riley/Langsdorf finally pulled the plug on the Newby debacle. It's shame it took them 8-9 games. God only knows what records Wilbon might have broke if he was allowed to run.

[Hujan]

 

 

Nebraska did not have Rex, Roy, or Ameer last year. Or anybody close. There's a reason it was a committee.

Maybe, again, sort of like the Lucky days where you had BJax and Helu begin to emerge late.

 

We actually discovered some decent talent on the roster (Cross, Ozigbo), when Riley/Langsdorf finally pulled the plug on the Newby debacle. It's shame it took them 8-9 games. God only knows what records Wilbon might have broke if he was allowed to run.

 

Love how we rewrite history.

 

Newby got injured and lost his ability to cut laterally and a large portion of his speed.

 

 

But please, continue to talk to us about how poor of a running back he was now that he's beat out everyone else for the #1 spot this year.

I've heard that claim before. You got a link for the report of this major injury that allegedly cost Newby something he demonstrably never had in the first place? Hell the best move of Newby's career was that jump-cut stumble for a TD against UCLA.

 

And honestly, take out South Alabama where he got almost every carry and the broken play at Minnesota. What do the numbers tell you then? Newby's numbers were fluff.

[drfish]

 

 

 

Nebraska did not have Rex, Roy, or Ameer last year. Or anybody close. There's a reason it was a committee.

Maybe, again, sort of like the Lucky days where you had BJax and Helu begin to emerge late.

We actually discovered some decent talent on the roster (Cross, Ozigbo), when Riley/Langsdorf finally pulled the plug on the Newby debacle. It's shame it took them 8-9 games. God only knows what records Wilbon might have broke if he was allowed to run.

 

 

Love how we rewrite history.

 

Newby got injured and lost his ability to cut laterally and a large portion of his speed.

 

 

But please, continue to talk to us about how poor of a running back he was now that he's beat out everyone else for the #1 spot this year.

 

I've heard that claim before. You got a link for the report of this major injury that allegedly cost Newby something he demonstrably never had in the first place? Hell the best move of Newby's career was that jump-cut stumble for a TD against UCLA.

 

And honestly, take out South Alabama where he got almost every carry and the broken play at Minnesota. What do the numbers tell you then? Newby's numbers were fluff.

 

How about

Here.

Here.

Here.

Or here.

 

Do ankle injuries affect running backs?

[zoogs]

I understand you've really been on the Wilbon bandwagon since last fall, but this is looking to be two successive seasons where he's been leapfrogged on the depth chart by true freshmen.

Helu was just a bright young prospect used sparingly in his (redshirt?) freshman year -- probably nowhere close the guy he was his senior year when he steamrolled Missouri to the tune of 300+yards. Wilbon will have two full seasons after this for the light to come on, and the younger backs will have more than that to blossom.

[Elf]

You Crack me up Elf! We ran less option with Frazier and Frost? That's comical in itself. And to push your opinion as fact when it comes to Frank is plain stupid. The facts are that Frank had 1 bad season then fired some longtime coaches and followed it up with a 10 win season and was terminated by Stevie P. So for you to spew that nonsense is laughable. We also know that Callahan had 2 losing seasons in 4 years. You guys and your revisionist history make me laugh.

I'm glad you have a sense of humor. By the time Osborne finally started winning national titles we were no longer primarily an option running team, we were primarily a power running team with some option sprinkled in. That isn't revisionist history, Osborne changed his offense more than once.

 

It's no joke how far Solich let the team slide. Anyone that cared to look could see the difference in the quality of athletes Osborne recruited and what Frank was recruiting.

[Elf]

 

Went back and looked at the defensive averages during the 70's and 80's Guy and you are right those defenses were better than average but playing Big 8 schools helped out those numbers. What I should have said was that they got faster and more atheletic. Fair enough?

Absolutely. We got used to beating the Big 8 on sheer strength.

 

Then when we played those Florida teams (or Oklahoma or Georgia Tech) we got burned by teams who were just as strong and a lot faster.

Starting in 1990, Osborne started recruiting for defensive speed.

 

He also sent his defensive staff to FSU to learn the 4-3 defense.

[BRV920]

How old are you Elf? I watched the games from the 70's and 80's and to say we were a primarily option team is beyond uninformed. It's laughable! And to say that Frank let the program slide from the most dominant run in college football history. Well duh! Did you think we were just going to win 20 titles in a row? You could say the same about Osborne taking over for Devaney. Did he let the program slide for 20 years?

[Redux]

How old are you Elf? I watched the games from the 70's and 80's and to say we were a primarily option team is beyond uninformed. It's laughable! And to say that Frank let the program slide from the most dominant run in college football history. Well duh! Did you think we were just going to win 20 titles in a row? You could say the same about Osborne taking over for Devaney. Did he let the program slide for 20 years?

Hey, pssssst. I think we were discussing our current team, bot one from 20+ years ago.

[BIG ERN]

1997 Nebraska team (National Champions)

 

Players from Nebraska:

 

QB: Frost - leading passer, second in rushing yards/td's

RB: Green - leading rusher and td's

FB: Makovicka - third in rushing and td's

WR: Matt Davison - leading receiver

WR: Lance Brown - second in receiving yards

OT: Eric Anderson - first team All-B12

OG: Jon Zatechka - third team All-B12

OG: Fred Pollack - honorable mention All-B12

 

DL: Chad Kelsay - third team All-B12

CB: Erwin Swiney - starting corner as a true freshman, tied for most int's

 

P: Jesse Kosch - honorable mention All-B12

[Red Five]

 

 

 

 

So Osborne had 25 superior line classes in a row? I'll agree that once the defense came around we were the most dominate team in college football but for 20 years Osborne managed to win at least 9 games a year with a very average defense. If you are trying to tell me that teams now days can't do that Guy are 100% dead wrong. Go back and watch Baylors last 2 games from last season.

If you go by All-Conference, All-Americans and Lombardi and Outland Award winners than yeah, Osborne had a pretty good run with dominating offensive lines. It also showed in their dominating run offense, which was not achieved simply by running the ball a lot, but by recruiting specifically for a rushing offense. Nebraska was a destination for offensive linemen. But it hardly happened overnight. Really not sure what you're disagreeing with here.

 

And "average defense?" Don't know about that, either. Nebraska's defense made a huge difference during our 40 year run of excellence. I'm not sure what teams you are choosing to remember, but great Nebraska defenses gave up only 8.0 points a game while the lesser Nebraska defenses still gave up only 14 points a game. Compare that to the 26+ ppg Nebraska defenses have given up in recent years and you can appreciate the difference that makes in the offense you run and the games you don't win.

 

Guy to many people don't recall when Osborne's teams struggled. They only remember when his teams were doing well. I admit, there is a lot of good to remember but it wasn't all roses all the time either.

 

Osborne finished on an incredible 5-year run. Fans tend to forget the 7-consecutive bowl losses and the offense struggling or getting shutdown by good teams through the late 80's and early nineties.

 

All they have to do is watch the 1990 Fiesta Bowl vs Florida St. 41-10 final score.

 

I'll up the ante with the 1992 Orange Bowl, a 22-0 loss.

 

9 first downs

38 rushes for 82 yards (2.2 ypc)

7/19 passing for 89 yards (4.7 ypa)

57 plays for 171 total yards (3.0 ypp)

[RedDenver]

 

 

 

 

 

So Osborne had 25 superior line classes in a row? I'll agree that once the defense came around we were the most dominate team in college football but for 20 years Osborne managed to win at least 9 games a year with a very average defense. If you are trying to tell me that teams now days can't do that Guy are 100% dead wrong. Go back and watch Baylors last 2 games from last season.

If you go by All-Conference, All-Americans and Lombardi and Outland Award winners than yeah, Osborne had a pretty good run with dominating offensive lines. It also showed in their dominating run offense, which was not achieved simply by running the ball a lot, but by recruiting specifically for a rushing offense. Nebraska was a destination for offensive linemen. But it hardly happened overnight. Really not sure what you're disagreeing with here.

 

And "average defense?" Don't know about that, either. Nebraska's defense made a huge difference during our 40 year run of excellence. I'm not sure what teams you are choosing to remember, but great Nebraska defenses gave up only 8.0 points a game while the lesser Nebraska defenses still gave up only 14 points a game. Compare that to the 26+ ppg Nebraska defenses have given up in recent years and you can appreciate the difference that makes in the offense you run and the games you don't win.

 

Guy to many people don't recall when Osborne's teams struggled. They only remember when his teams were doing well. I admit, there is a lot of good to remember but it wasn't all roses all the time either.

 

Osborne finished on an incredible 5-year run. Fans tend to forget the 7-consecutive bowl losses and the offense struggling or getting shutdown by good teams through the late 80's and early nineties.

 

All they have to do is watch the 1990 Fiesta Bowl vs Florida St. 41-10 final score.

 

I'll up the ante with the 1992 Orange Bowl, a 22-0 loss.

 

9 first downs

38 rushes for 82 yards (2.2 ypc)

7/19 passing for 89 yards (4.7 ypa)

57 plays for 171 total yards (3.0 ypp)

 

That Miami D was dominant. We absolutely got our @sses kicked that game.

[Enhance]

 

I understand you've really been on the Wilbon bandwagon since last fall, but this is looking to be two successive seasons where he's been leapfrogged on the depth chart by true freshmen.

Helu was just a bright young prospect used sparingly in his (redshirt?) freshman year -- probably nowhere close the guy he was his senior year when he steamrolled Missouri to the tune of 300+yards. Wilbon will have two full seasons after this for the light to come on, and the younger backs will have more than that to blossom.

 

In regards to Wilbon, this kind of reminds me a bit of the Adam Taylor narrative pushed by one person on this board in the past. Wilbon has been somewhat of a lurking favorite for playing time with some people (I think this has largely been pushed along by Damon Benning over the last couple seasons). But, Wilbon is now 4th on the list come game week, So, unless there is some undisclosed injury...

[Elf]

How old are you Elf? I watched the games from the 70's and 80's and to say we were a primarily option team is beyond uninformed. It's laughable! And to say that Frank let the program slide from the most dominant run in college football history. Well duh! Did you think we were just going to win 20 titles in a row? You could say the same about Osborne taking over for Devaney. Did he let the program slide for 20 years?

I'm probably older than you are, I've been a fan for over 50 years. In the 70's we ran a pro-style offense. I think it was '81 when Osborne went to the option offense.

 

Osborne never had a 7-7 season.