Utter

[knapplc]

There's another factor to consider about Utter's performance:

 

 

 

 

I mean, there's reasonable critique of someone's performance and there's bashing a guy. Too much bashing going on here, not enough reasonable critique. And certainly not enough context being taken into account.

[Redux]

 

 

I'm entirely sick of the bs "cupboard" is bare arguments. It's not supported by any real facts that are usually relied on in these discussions (e.g., recruiting ratings, particularly relative to our opponents).

It's based on lazy reductive reasoning that concludes that bad results mean bad talent because that's more comfortable than admitting that we have an average at best coaching staff.

I've seen this movie before. I really wish Husker fans would quit rebooting it.

CM, you love to beat this drum all the time, and I do see where you are coming from. The cupboard was far from bare, especially at the skill positions. There is a good enough talent on the roster for the team to realistically go 10-2 this year.

 

However, I don't know how you can realistically say there was quality depth on the o-line. There just wasn't. There were big recruiting and early development misses by Bo and his staff with o-linemen who should be juniors and seniors. That is a big reason that Utter is starting. Now, I think that the coaching staff could have played some of the true freshmen o-linemen this year to provide more depth.

I understand where you're coming from. My central point is that if NU doesn't have quality depth, then very few teams have quality depth, because NU has recruited better than most. And the old staff shouldn't be blamed for this staff losing guys like Thurston (not to mention 3 d lineman).

My secondary point is that things are unlikely to improve much, if at all, so it's concerning that this staff can't take this roster and make them more dominant than they have been.

To the first point, we recruited well enough but lacked true depth. That's an opinion I and many others share. No link necessary, Rileys results thus far and at least 4 years of Bo's results can atest to the depth issue. But I get it, you refuse to admit that.

 

Secondary point, you have 0 information or data to back that prophecy up yet would require someone countering it to provide data. So probably just don't make that "point".

[Cdog923]

I'm entirely sick of the bs "cupboard" is bare arguments. It's not supported by any real facts that are usually relied on in these discussions (e.g., recruiting ratings, particularly relative to our opponents).

 

It's based on lazy inductive reasoning that concludes that bad results mean bad talent because that's more comfortable than admitting that we have an average at best coaching staff.

 

I've seen this movie before. I really wish Husker fans would quit rebooting it.

Dylan Utter is an undersized, FCS-at-best talent. The simple fact that he hasn't been beaten out by anyone else on the offensive line can be directly correlated to the lack of ready-to-play talent that is available at the position.

[cm husker]

What teams in the B10 had better OL depth coming into the season than NU? What about now? Maybe two or three at most? People act like we are "trotting a JV team" out there.

 

And my information about recruiting is based on our current recruiting under Riley and the past 19 years of recruiting under four different coaches.

[Cdog923]

What teams in the B10 had better OL depth coming into the season than NU? What about now? Maybe two or three at most? People act like we are "trotting a JV team" out there.

 

And my information about recruiting is based on our current recruiting under Riley and the past 19 years of recruiting under four different coaches.

What is the weakest overall position on the o-line right now?

[ZRod]

I haven't read this discussion much, but I agrer that we shouldn't be bashing on guys. That said he does seem to be a weak link, from the beginning of the season. Bless his heart I'm sure he's giving it his all, be there are at least a couple plays every game, that are crucial plays, being blown up from penetration at the middle of our line... and I think that is being pretty kind...

[cm husker]

 

I'm entirely sick of the bs "cupboard" is bare arguments. It's not supported by any real facts that are usually relied on in these discussions (e.g., recruiting ratings, particularly relative to our opponents).

 

It's based on lazy inductive reasoning that concludes that bad results mean bad talent because that's more comfortable than admitting that we have an average at best coaching staff.

 

I've seen this movie before. I really wish Husker fans would quit rebooting it.

Dylan Utter is an undersized, FCS-at-best talent. The simple fact that he hasn't been beaten out by anyone else on the offensive line can be directly correlated to the lack of ready-to-play talent that is available at the position.

 

 

The simple fact is that he's answered the bell because Cavanaugh's policies and approach ran off a guy like Thurston, who was as highly recruited out of HS as just about anyone.

 

This is Dylan's first year as a true center and he's played pretty well overall.

 

And yes, he was lightly recruited coming out of Nebraska, but he's been on scholarship since 2015 - and a lot of great Nebraska HS recruits were lightly recruited out of HS.

[I AM FOOT FOOT]

What policy ran Thurston off?

[ColoradoHusk]

What policy ran Thurston off?

I believe CM is referencing the fact that Cav doesn't play his backups. Thurston wasn't able to beat out Utter at starting center, so Thurston left the program so he could actually play as a senior.

[Stumpy1]

 

 

A couple of things: First, it's okay to discuss a Husker player's performancegood or bad. But it's NOT okay to totally throw the guy under the bus. If he's playing, he is the best we have at that position.

 

I realize Utter gets beat sometimes. But there are other times when he holds his own. That, and there are other aspects of the center position. We haven't seen too many C/QB exchange problems lately. Has Tommy fumbled it off the snap this year? I don't remember any. And calling the blocking schemes. I guess he must be doing okay calling assignments. So there's that.

 

The two videos are pretty bad. They may be his two worst plays. But the guy is a gamer. Never a spot of trouble off the field. And think about the coin he had to shell out as a walk-on for the honor of coming to play for us. Say what you will about the times he gets blown up, but you gotta give Utter credit for panning out as a walk-on. Not many guys go from walk-on to a starting role on a P5 team. Still, we are gonna need better from the center position if we ever expect to have a running game in the Big Ten. Or pass protection.

 

Finally, recruiting. How could anyone possibly not lay much of the bare cupboard O-line responsibility on Pelini? As a rule you don't see too many true frosh starting on the O-line. Or even sophomores, for that matter. Riley has had one full recruiting cycle, plus the tail end of the 2015 recruiting period. So at this point Cav is pretty much relying on what he inherited. But starting about next year the Pelini excuse isn't going to cut it anymore for Riley and Cav.

Agreed.

 

Although, we will still be starting 4 of Pelini's recruits on the OL... Yes, they are being coached by this staff, I get it.

(Gates, Foster, Farmer, Knevel)

Four guys who were highly rated and had offers from top 10 programs coming out of HS.

 

But I get that you believe they are sh**ty because of who recruited them.

 

It would be best if you actually look up facts before posting. Only 2 of those guys had offers from the likes of Bama and such, Gates and Knevel.

 

Farmer: https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/12064

 

Gates: https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/14613

 

Foster: https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/14764

 

Knevel: https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/30322

[Cdog923]

 

 

I'm entirely sick of the bs "cupboard" is bare arguments. It's not supported by any real facts that are usually relied on in these discussions (e.g., recruiting ratings, particularly relative to our opponents).

 

It's based on lazy inductive reasoning that concludes that bad results mean bad talent because that's more comfortable than admitting that we have an average at best coaching staff.

 

I've seen this movie before. I really wish Husker fans would quit rebooting it.

Dylan Utter is an undersized, FCS-at-best talent. The simple fact that he hasn't been beaten out by anyone else on the offensive line can be directly correlated to the lack of ready-to-play talent that is available at the position.

 

 

The simple fact is that he's answered the bell because Cavanaugh's policies and approach ran off a guy like Thurston, who was as highly recruited out of HS as just about anyone.

 

This is Dylan's first year as a true center and he's played pretty well overall.

 

And yes, he was lightly recruited coming out of Nebraska, but he's been on scholarship since 2015 - and a lot of great Nebraska HS recruits were lightly recruited out of HS.

 

Thurston left because he couldn't beat out Utter. Which doesn't help the situation at all.

[cm husker]

Farmer was a top 100 player (#4 guard) and a 4* per your link.

 

Thanks for posting that support.

 

Foster had offers from Florida, Georgia, UCLA and others despite being from Nebraska and showing desire to attend Nebraska from an early date.

 

Again, thanks for supporting my post.

[Stumpy1]

Farmer was a top 100 player (#4 guard) and a 4* per your link.

 

Thanks for posting that support.

 

Foster had offers from Florida, Georgia, UCLA and others despite being from Nebraska and showing desire to attend Nebraska from an early date.

 

Again, thanks for supporting my post.

It didn't support your post one bit. Farmer might have been a top 100 player by the end of the year but he wasn't heavily recruited.

 

Having offers from Florida, Georgia and UCLA doesn't exactly scream highly recruited either.

 

Gates is the only one that we can say was highly recruited and from some top teams.

 

Knevel had an offer from Bama and that about sums it up. He did have one from Wisconsin which holds a little weight IMO when it comes to Oline.

[ColoradoHusk]

 

Farmer was a top 100 player (#4 guard) and a 4* per your link.

 

Thanks for posting that support.

 

Foster had offers from Florida, Georgia, UCLA and others despite being from Nebraska and showing desire to attend Nebraska from an early date.

 

Again, thanks for supporting my post.

It didn't support your post one bit. Farmer might have been a top 100 player by the end of the year but he wasn't heavily recruited.

 

Having offers from Florida, Georgia and UCLA doesn't exactly scream highly recruited either.

 

Gates is the only one that we can say was highly recruited and from some top teams.

 

Knevel had an offer from Bama and that about sums it up. He did have one from Wisconsin which holds a little weight IMO when it comes to Oline.

 

So getting offers from 2 of the top SEC programs is not "highly recruited". I know they have been down in recent years, but wow.

[cm husker]

 

Farmer was a top 100 player (#4 guard) and a 4* per your link.

 

Thanks for posting that support.

 

Foster had offers from Florida, Georgia, UCLA and others despite being from Nebraska and showing desire to attend Nebraska from an early date.

 

Again, thanks for supporting my post.

It didn't support your post one bit. Farmer might have been a top 100 player by the end of the year but he wasn't heavily recruited.

 

Having offers from Florida, Georgia and UCLA doesn't exactly scream highly recruited either.

 

Gates is the only one that we can say was highly recruited and from some top teams.

 

Knevel had an offer from Bama and that about sums it up. He did have one from Wisconsin which holds a little weight IMO when it comes to Oline.

 

 

 

It's shocking, sad and humorous how some "fans" will bend over backwards to down our players.