Fo Fiddy

[Moiraine]

 

 

I am heavily, heavily surprised that we have not lost a game due to sh#t special teams play. We certainly have given up too many unnecessary touchdowns due to horrible special team play, cue the Minnesota game.I hate having to be scared every time we return a punt for DPE to muff it due to poor coverage. I am a huge MR supporter, but keeping Read after we have placed last in many ST categories is inexcusable

I could be incorrect, but here are the reasons we haven't.

 

At most, our ST have cost us a few FG's being blocked.

They haven't allowed and KR TD's, or PR TD's. Also, our KR or PR's haven't fumbled any returns.

 

I'm not excusing Read, he has been terrible.

 

Just explaining why they haven't cost us games thus far.

 

We don't know that it didn't, in part, cost us the Wisconsin game. (i.e. Maybe DPE would have returned a punt for a TD).

[Caven]

_{At least you didn't call a timeout when you only had 10 guys on the field and then proceed to only send 10 guys on the field like Michigan did against Iowa for the game winning FG. THAT takes some special special teams talent!}

[Joe_5700]

 

Poor punt return strategy is not new to just the past couple years. A few years back we had the top 'fair catcher' in the country (I forget his name right now but recall he was the Illinois high school player of the year when we recruited him. Giving up first downs when the opponent converts a fake punt is very frustrating but over playing to prevent that to the point of never having a shot at punt returns is not good either.

 

We have a bunch of good receivers this year who can catch the ball. Put a second guy back to field the punts that are hard to field and or to protect and block somebody when we do catch the ball. We need to be aggressive in punt return game instead of always fair catching it. If we don't intend to return the punt, then you should call all out block attempts sometimes to keep the punt play honest by the opponent as well.

 

You need to go for two on those 'swinging gate' (name ???) extra point alignments now and then or they look nonsensical. I am more afraid we'll get a penalty for illegal formation or motion or time delay or something.

 

You mean Westerkamp?

 

I think he means this guy: http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=68192

[schriznoeder]

 

Poor punt return strategy is not new to just the past couple years. A few years back we had the top 'fair catcher' in the country (I forget his name right now but recall he was the Illinois high school player of the year when we recruited him.

Jordan Westerkamp, WR #1, still on the team.

 

Bo's team struggled with punt return for a season or two. ST tasks were divided up between position coaches, if I remember correctly, and they improved when Bo finally took over himself. Bo's last year is when DPE went bananas and was the best PR in the land.

 

 

Santino Panico

 

http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=68192

[MasterPulverizer]

Last year after the season is over, Riley speaks to Read...

Riley: 'what is your value to this team'

Read: 'Two words: swinging gate.'

Riley 'oh yeah?'

Read 'oh yeah! Now they'll have to spend 3 minutes at practice defending it.'

Riley 'you're a god damn genius, Bruce.'

[RedSavage]

Substitution issues can happen. But we're good for multiple ones a game. Always on special teams.. The whole system is just a mess of disorganization. i dont care if Riley completely absolved Read of the 12 man penalty on the first drive against Minnesota. The fact is our defense got off the field to open the game, our punt return team comes out-or defense, or whatever the hell it is-and gets a penalty to prolong the game opening drive into a TD for our opponent and allowed them to set the tone. The point is that anything special teams right now seems like a blunder.

Exactly. I can't remember if it was against Minny or Maryland but there was one punt to DPE that he could have easily returned for once (probably the most space I've seen for him all year) but waved for a fair catch. You can tell he's not comfortable back there bc he never knows when 10 guys are going to be bearing down on him the second he catches it. It's basically a double whammy - not only is the blocking horrible but then when there is a small amount of space, it's causing our returner to hesitate and you typically do not have time to hesitate on PR's.

[Count 'Bility]

 

Substitution issues can happen. But we're good for multiple ones a game. Always on special teams.. The whole system is just a mess of disorganization. i dont care if Riley completely absolved Read of the 12 man penalty on the first drive against Minnesota. The fact is our defense got off the field to open the game, our punt return team comes out-or defense, or whatever the hell it is-and gets a penalty to prolong the game opening drive into a TD for our opponent and allowed them to set the tone. The point is that anything special teams right now seems like a blunder.

Exactly. I can't remember if it was against Minny or Maryland but there was one punt to DPE that he could have easily returned for once (probably the most space I've seen for him all year) but waved for a fair catch. You can tell he's not comfortable back there bc he never knows when 10 guys are going to be bearing down on him the second he catches it. It's basically a double whammy - not only is the blocking horrible but then when there is a small amount of space, it's causing our returner to hesitate and you typically do not have time to hesitate on PR's.

 

Minnesota's first punt. Glad you brought that up. I was sittin in South stadium and as the punt was in the air, everyone got this deep breath excited feeling. We could see all the space, and gaping gash to the right. And he calls fair catch. Almost like it's just pre determined based on our alignment and situation.

[Moiraine]

Last year after the season is over, Riley speaks to Read...

Riley: 'what is your value to this team'

Read: 'Two words: swinging gate.'

Riley 'oh yeah?'

Read 'oh yeah! Now they'll have to spend 3 minutes at practice defending it.'

Riley 'you're a god damn genius, Bruce.'

 

As if Riley would curse.

[ScottyIce]

 

 

I am heavily, heavily surprised that we have not lost a game due to sh#t special teams play. We certainly have given up too many unnecessary touchdowns due to horrible special team play, cue the Minnesota game.I hate having to be scared every time we return a punt for DPE to muff it due to poor coverage. I am a huge MR supporter, but keeping Read after we have placed last in many ST categories is inexcusable

I could be incorrect, but here are the reasons we haven't.

 

At most, our ST have cost us a few FG's being blocked.

They haven't allowed and KR TD's, or PR TD's. Also, our KR or PR's haven't fumbled any returns.

 

I'm not excusing Read, he has been terrible.

 

Just explaining why they haven't cost us games thus far.

 

We don't know that it didn't, in part, cost us the Wisconsin game. (i.e. Maybe DPE would have returned a punt for a TD).

 

Lol... well that's the part we can't decipher.

[Atbone95]

He actually freaking did it. I'm amazed.

[Redux]

I'm not, he alluded to it after like week 7. He's just the type of guy to wait until the season is over to do it.

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

The new ST coach should get $4.50 per game until they prove themselves

[ZRod]

Oh lawdy!

 

Seems like HCMR is serious about getting somewhere. Hopefully he evaluates every aspect of the team this bowl and offseason...

[GSG]

Can't believe we only got 6 pages of this!

[HuskermanMike]

Rumor has it that he was fired at fo fiddy pm.