OWH: Huskers Need to Check the Boxes

[Mavric]

Coaches talked about the plan. Players talked about the plan. You talked about it. She did, he did, we did, they did. Pundits, columnists and random, unemployed offensive coordinators at the sandwich shop did. The plan, the plan, the plan.

 

At this point, any person with the slightest connection to and awareness of Nebraska’s 2015 football season — how it started, stumbled and finally peaked — knows a little something of the to-do list the Huskers hope to check to make coach Mike Riley’s second year smoother than the first.

 

Run the ball. Don’t throw interceptions. Don’t give up jaw-slacking big plays on defense. Win the battle at the line of scrimmage. Echo the best of Nebraska teams of yesteryear — like NU did in its last game, an impressive bowl win over UCLA.

 

Do that, and the Huskers will like what they see in a season-opening game against Fresno State. Nebraska entered the day about a four-touchdown favorite in the 7 p.m. kickoff on the Big Ten Network, so, if preseason practice and game week preparation went as planned, Nebraska should be able to handle the Bulldogs by checking off all the boxes.

 

“This game is about finding our identity,” defensive end Freedom Akinmoladun said. He was talking about the defensive line specifically, but the statement holds true for the Huskers as a whole.

 

After upsetting Michigan State, the Huskers seemed to find that identity in November. They discarded it three weeks later in a loss to Iowa. A backdoor bonus bowl game afforded them an extra month of practice and the chance to rediscover what works.

 

OWH

[84HuskerLaw]

The 'plan' they seem to be describing is to field the '97 Huskers tonight! LOL What in the heck have they been drinking since last night?
For about 15 months now they have been 'downing' and 'dismissing' the Huskers and wondering whether they can win half their games or if or when Riley should be fired! Now, all of a sudden, they are demanding that they play like national title contenders? For Pete's sake, they haven't even played the first game and already setting them up to fall short by setting the bar at the penthouse level? Why would anyone (but me who has high hopes but NOT demands) expect them to be the Huskers of twenty years ago. Run, run run? Keep Tommy from passing? Nonsense.