Prime for a letdown?

[GSG]

 

After last year, Nebraska has to take the mentality that they can win any game, and lose any game, and that to give themselves the best chance they can is to respect that week's opponent and make them the object of their main focus.

 

My worry and my gut feeling suggests that Nebraska will drop a game it shouldn't at some point this year, just because they are still fundamentally unsound. If you have ongoing problems with turnovers and penalties, you are living dangerously in conference play, no matter how talented you think you are. It's been an old habit for this program for 10 years. I'm glad to see they are learning how to get past it and win in spite of it, but the law of averages would suggest that they can't get away with it every week.

 

I'm not saying it will necessarily happen against Northwestern, though it is a game that should certainly have our attention.

 

But haven't we actually been better in these so far this year? Fewer turnovers and penalties? Knock on wood, I hope the trend continues. :

 

 

I think the turnovers are down from last year. Penalties are about the same:

 

2016: 3 games, 21 penalties for 228 yards. So that's an average of 7 penalties a game for 76 yards.

 

2015: 13 games, 94 penalties for 829 yards. Average of 7.23 penalties per game for 63.77 yards.

[BigRedBuster]

And...its been shown penalties is not a stat that is good indicator of a good team.

 

They are irritating though.

[ColoradoHusk]

And...its been shown penalties is not a stat that is good indicator of a good team.

 

They are irritating though.

There are plenty of super talented teams that beat up on teams that have a high number of penalties. But, penalties in close games can play a key part in who wins and loses. The penalties committed by Oregon on Saturday played a big factor in allowing NU to get the W.

[zoogs]

Nebraska should beat Northwestern.

 

Until this team starts proving otherwise, though, it's probably fair to expect it to come down to the last five or six minutes of the game. And if that's the case, anything can happen. The slightest breeze could come in and take the game away.

 

The last time we beat Northwestern was on a Hail Mary. If it's down to the wire it won't be anything new. That having been said, I'd love to see Oregon mark the beginnings of a transformation.

[ColoradoHusk]

Nebraska should beat Northwestern.

 

Until this team starts proving otherwise, though, it's probably fair to expect it to come down to the last five or six minutes of the game. And if that's the case, anything can happen. The slightest breeze could come in and take the game away.

 

The last time we beat Northwestern was on a Hail Mary. If it's down to the wire it won't be anything new. That having been said, I'd love to see Oregon mark the beginnings of a transformation.

NU beat Northwestern by 21 points in 2014. It was close for 3 quarters, but NU broke it open in the 4th.

[krc1995]

Reality check from me. We are taking huge steps in the right directions. Tommy and the coaching staff, the line play, a great stable of running backs, all positives. But after rewatching the game, I am cautiously optimistic. Why cautiously? We actually won the benefit of the official/referring game. I'm not saying we benefited from calls that weren't deserved, but be honest, a few of them could have not been called. We benefited from recovering our own fumbles. There are two that I remember- and I don't think that includes Tre Bryant's fumble because we lost it within a few plays anyway. But DPE's fumble could have catastrophic. Bonehead coaching-from the other team for several reasons already mentioned in other posts. And then you consider that this Oregon team is not a great team and only time will tell if they are even an average team. They have taken a giant leap back from their Chip Kelly years. Some lingering talent still exists but they are in noway dominant and they have obvious flaws. Still a win is a win and we continued to progress forward.

 

Also, someone remind me the quarter and situation of our false start penalty that actually negated a bad play on our part? It seems it was a third down play in the third quarter, but I couldn't find it. I know I thought at the time it was huge.

[ColoradoHusk]

Reality check from me. We are taking huge steps in the right directions. Tommy and the coaching staff, the line play, a great stable of running backs, all positives. But after rewatching the game, I am cautiously optimistic. Why cautiously? We actually won the benefit of the official/referring game. I'm not saying we benefited from calls that weren't deserved, but be honest, a few of them could have not been called. We benefited from recovering our own fumbles. There are two that I remember- and I don't think that includes Tre Bryant's fumble because we lost it within a few plays anyway. But DPE's fumble could have catastrophic. Bonehead coaching-from the other team for several reasons already mentioned in other posts. And then you consider that this Oregon team is not a great team and only time will tell if they are even an average team. They have taken a giant leap back from their Chip Kelly years. Some lingering talent still exists but they are in noway dominant and they have obvious flaws. Still a win is a win and we continued to progress forward.

 

Also, someone remind me the quarter and situation of our false start penalty that actually negated a bad play on our part? It seems it was a third down play in the third quarter, but I couldn't find it. I know I thought at the time it was huge.

It was during Nebraska's last drive of the game. If that is a fumble and Oregon recovers, Armstrong doesn't get a chance to do his heroics.

 

Yes, NU got fortunate at times during the game. But, that happens. In close games like that, the game usually comes down to 3 or 4 plays that can go either way. NU took advantage of Oregon mistakes and won the game. It's better than having it go the other way.

[JJ Husker]

That's the beauty of coming off a 6-7 season. You can't really look past anyone. I highly doubt this team will follow the same pattern we've seen under the previous regime.

 

The only team in the Western division that we beat last year was Minnesota.

 

I imagine every speech before a divisional matchup will include something along the lines of, "these guys beat us last year. remember that?"

 

Shouldn't be too hard for us to be motivated.

 

I fully expect to cover the spread and then some.

^^^This.

These guys heads are in a much better place than with the previous yahoos, and after last season's shortcomings, I don't see any letdowns or trap games until possibly late in the season after they maybe get to 7-0 or 8-0 territory. You can't take anyone lightly who beat you last year and that covers a whole bunch of teams. Plus this team has shown the resolve to not quit. My gut tells me that when we lose this year it will be because we got beat not because we beat ourselves. I hope I'm right because that would be a huge change and a step in the right direction.

[zoogs]

Oh, my bad. I thought the Hail Mary game was 2014. Guess you're right -- 2013 was the year we had Ron Kellogg, after all. Those seasons sometimes blur together for me

[hskrfan4life]

I'm not worried about a letdown.

 

Nebraska has only lost to Northwestern at home (since joining B1G, last loss 1931).

 

This game is at Northwestern.

 

Average Nebraska score 33.5 - Average Northwestern score 22.5

 

Yes there has only been two games on the road, but I'm not worried.

[admo]

To the OP I don't think this football team is primed for a letdown. They're playing some good ball. Sure Northwestern has played the Huskers tough for some reason or another, but that doesn't mean it's time to panic because of things in the past.

 

If you listen to the players speak in the post-Oregon pressers, they all mention how they can't overlook this upcoming week. And how anything can happen in the B1G so you have to be ready to give your best. They all sound confident that they will work hard this week, and I believe them.

[The Dude]

 

Just glad North Dakota State isn't in our division.

Me too, would hate to have to battle them for recruits!

 

At least Iowa would have a divisional loss already.

[NUance]

 

 

After last year, Nebraska has to take the mentality that they can win any game, and lose any game, and that to give themselves the best chance they can is to respect that week's opponent and make them the object of their main focus.

 

My worry and my gut feeling suggests that Nebraska will drop a game it shouldn't at some point this year, just because they are still fundamentally unsound. If you have ongoing problems with turnovers and penalties, you are living dangerously in conference play, no matter how talented you think you are. It's been an old habit for this program for 10 years. I'm glad to see they are learning how to get past it and win in spite of it, but the law of averages would suggest that they can't get away with it every week.

 

I'm not saying it will necessarily happen against Northwestern, though it is a game that should certainly have our attention.

 

But haven't we actually been better in these so far this year? Fewer turnovers and penalties? Knock on wood, I hope the trend continues. :

 

 

I think the turnovers are down from last year. Penalties are about the same:

 

2016: 3 games, 21 penalties for 228 yards. So that's an average of 7 penalties a game for 76 yards.

 

2015: 13 games, 94 penalties for 829 yards. Average of 7.23 penalties per game for 63.77 yards.

 

 

Thanks for looking the penalties up. +1

 

I guess I had the general feeling that our penalties were better because Oregon had quite a few more penalties than we did. And I think that was because our WRs were so much better than their DBs that they had to play real aggressive to keep from getting burned all day long.

[Redux]

 

 

Just glad North Dakota State isn't in our division.

 

Me too, would hate to have to battle them for recruits!

At least Iowa would have a divisional loss already.

And you can't put a price on that

[teachercd]

I could see a letdown if they were playing some totally weak team...but NW kicked the Huskers ass at home last year and has basically played the Skers pretty even.